Ghillie Giveaway Winner!

And the moment you have been waiting for...

Drumroll please...

By random drawing, the winner of the UK size 4.5 Hullachan 3 ghillie giveaway is Jenny L! I will be in contact with you via email shortly!

Thank you to all who entered and spread the word of my giveaway. I hope to bring you another giveaway in the near future!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Interested in sponsoring a giveaway on Rince go Bragh? Click here to find my contact information!

Goals: Stay healthy
Days till Os: 18

Baltimore Comic Con 2014

Baltimore Comic Con took place September 5-7 at the Baltimore Convention Center. It marks my one year anniversary of comic cons, my first costume contest entry, and the first time I wore my solo dress to a comic con.

For my costume contest costume, there was very little prep that needed to be done since most of the parts were completed! I spent a bit of every night the week before painting a pair of hard shoes to go with my costume. I think I used three coats of a red acrylic paint, followed by three coats of red glitter. The night before we left, I sprayed them with four coats of clear acrylic sealer to make sure things stayed put (and for a bonus shine factor!).

I really felt like I was packing for a feis because I had all the usual culprits (and more). Dress bag? Check. Wig box and make up? Double check. Blue hair dye? Check.

My boyfriend and I drove up to Baltimore on Saturday morning to have one full day of the con, thinking (correctly) that the costume contest would take up all of Sunday. I was dressed as Ultimate Katie Bishop from the new Ultimate Spider-Man books. He dressed as a shinigami from Bleach.

We spent Saturday night in a hotel near the inner harbor (thanks to the Hotel Tonight app!), and got ready for Sunday at the con. (Namely, I dyed my hair blue.)

On Sunday, I showed up wearing my solo dress. I got many stares (sparkles do that), appreciation from an actual Irish dancing family, and many many compliments on my original idea. Irish dancing Captain Americas are hard to come by (probably because I'm the only one). It was cool to have people recognize my costume first as Captain America themed and then as an Irish costume, rather than an Irish costume with a patriotic theme.

The afternoon was taken up by the costume contest. I did in fact get up on stage and do a treble reel for the crowd! I was hoping to take home the prize for 'crowd favorite,' but though it was advertised in the program, they didn't award it this year. Though I didn't take home an award, I did get many pictures snapped of my costume, as well as a few videos, and lots and lots on compliments on my Irish dancing.





I know that I will be wearing my solo dress at future comic book conventions. It is too much fun to pass up! Next time I may wear my ghillies though because hard shoes for five plus hours is very uncomfortable!

Enjoy a ton of pictures from many different photographers from around the con! Also, be sure to check out blog content from Pete Goes to Comic Con, Geek Girl Ramblings, DC Comics News, and a feature in ABC 2 Baltimore News.

Ms. Marvel, Star Lord, me, and Deadpool

Ladies costume contestants side stage

 

Goals: Downfall rhythms and timing

Days till Os: 60

Surgery Update, part 3

I am now done and graduated from physical therapy. My next doctor appointment is a month away. I am a regular participant in everything at dance class, even leading a fitness class during our Oireachtas prep Saturdays.

Did I really heal this fast?

Three months seriously flew by! Maybe I just feel that way because the past month has been a blur with the beginning of the school year and my own insistence that I never have days off to do nothing.

For the most part this past month, when I wasn't working, I was doing something to improve my physical fitness. I was at physical therapy getting essentially an hour and a half personal training session. I was running (yes, running!) in the fitness center on the treadmill. I was choreographing a show treble reel for the Baltimore Comic Con.

So, yes, I finally got to attend a comic con in my Captain America dress! I entered a costume contest for fun, and danced on stage for a bit of an audience. They went wild! My costume was totally a hit, and I loved getting all the comments on how cool an Irish dancing Captain America is. Now, I'm going to dedicate a whole post to this outing very soon, but until then, have a picture!

I have officially registered for two feiseanna this fall before the Oireachtas. I will be doing only the set dance competition at Rhythm of Ireland to try out my new Downfall of Paris without the stress of having to push myself to have the other rounds ready (namely slip jig). Hopefully all goes well, and if not, there's still time to perfect it before the SRO (and if not, there's the ol' standby Planxty Drury). My one and only three round competition will be Feis Culkin a few weeks after.

And now for something completely not related to healing... Remember when I mentioned I won an instagram contest hosted by Marvel and Dr. Pepper that was run during San Diego Comic Con? My prize came in the mail last month. I was expecting five Dr. Pepper cans, which I got. What completely blew my mind was that they came in a fantastic case signed by the Avengers: Age of Ultron cast! Consider me blown away.

Goals: Stamina all around
Days till Os: 66

Solo Dress Spotlight

Dearest readers, I hope you accept all my apologies in forgetting to write my injured girl fitness blog post when I said I would.  I promise that you will be getting the scoop on how I've been staying fit while injured next week, because the post is already queued up!  In other news, my solo dress has been making the social media rounds recently!

The end of July is always very exciting for me because it marks the weekend of the San Diego Comic Con!   It is my dream to one day attend the convention of all things geekery, but until then, I am sated with instant updates from twitter, live blogs, and all the content that gets posted on tumblr.  One of my biggest dreams is to be able to participate in the Marvel costume contest where, you guessed it, I will wear my solo dress and dance on stage for all those at the Marvel booth.

This year's costume contest was also hosted by Dr. Pepper, and boasted the theme of (and special awards for) being "One of a Kind."  The winner of the contest was this super awesome steampunk Iron Man, who won a very limited edition set of Avengers Dr. Pepper cans.  At the same time, Marvel and Dr. Pepper ran an instagram contest where fans could submit their One of a Kind Marvel costume for a chance to win the same set of soda cans.

All this is leading up to say that I entered and was chosen as a winner!

Just a few days later, I was also deemed "Fangirl of the Day" on the Her Universe website, which specializes in apparel and accessories for some of the biggest sci-fi and fantasy fandoms.  Fangirl of the Day is a submission-based endeavor on their blog to promote how awesome being a fangirl is!  If you'd like to shine the spotlight on your favorite fangirl (or even yourself as I did), go check it out!

And with that, Rince go Bragh's 200th post is done! Thanks for your support and interest over the years!

Goals: Continue turn out exercises, PT exercises, and daily workouts
Days till Os: 122

Mini Update

In this month's edition of Mini Updates: Oireachtas, feiseanna, performances, and a giveaway!

Oireachtas Prep

• As much as I hate to say this, I haven't been practicing as much as I should.  My current practice plan was put on hold from when school started until essentially now.  This week, though, I'm getting back into doing a very focused 20 minutes of drills a day, whether it be stamina, or rhythmic bits from my hornpipe.
• I also suffered a minor set back last Wednesday that had me more scared than anything.  In the first dance practice of the fall and as I was running through my reel's second step, I twisted my ankle.  I judged it to be a minor sprain, as here I am a week later dancing.  Taped up, but dancing.
• This past Sunday was the first day of our Oireachtas team practices. I'm on two mixed teams, which I think is awesome.

Upcoming Feiseanna

• I have registered for both Rhythm of Ireland Feis in October, and the Coyle Feis in November.  More later on individual goals for each feis.

Halfway to St. Paddy's Day

• Performance number two (Fairfax Irish Fest) went very well.  We performed with a live musician, which was a great practice opportunity for the younger dancers performing about being flexible and adaptable with tempi.  I greatly enjoyed meeting with younger dancers from my school who I don't usually see due to being in a different class.

A New Look

• Right before school started, I cut off all my hair! (Well, not all of it, but a lot of it).  I have experimented with a bun wig to great effect.  I can still be the Star Spangled Girl With the Curls...my curls are just much smaller (and held in by many more bobby pins).

Do you want a free pair of ghillies? (Who am I kidding, of course you do!)

• Fellow Irish dance blogger and author, Christy Dorrity is releasing her very first novel for young adults entitled Awakening: Book One of the Geis.  The book is based in Celtic mythology and is about an Irish dancer, so she is hosting a giveaway to win a pair of Hullachan Pro ghillies.  To find out how to enter the giveaway, click here.

Awakening: Book One of The Geis
by Christy Dorrity
Photo: courtesy Christy Dorrity

That's it for me dance fans! Hope your next month goes smoothly!

Goals: Seriously, do your daily 20 minute drills. No excuses.
Days till Os: 73

Top Dance Blog Contest 2013: Results

Thank you Rince go Bragh readers!  From your recent support, I have been named the top recreational dancer blog for 2013!  I was also voted as 4th place in the overall favorite blog contest.  I have earned this fancy-schmanchy badge for myself. (The 4th place badge can be found in the right side bar as well!)

In honor of this occasion, I have written you a limerick to show how much you mean to me:

There is this blogger on the 'net
Who tried her first contest as yet.
          Her readers do jigs
          In big funny wigs
Despite that, she loves you, you bet!

All silliness aside, be sure to check out the other category and overall winners by visiting Dance Advantage.  I also want to call your attention to the editor's choice: Dancing with Stefanie.  I hope you find her story as 'the biggest girl in the ballroom' as inspiring and heart-felt as I have.

Goals: Drill changes to hornpipe 2nd and 3rd

Days till NANs: 151

Top Dance Blog Contest 2013: Finalists!

The list of finalists for the Top Dance Blog contest is up!  Thanks to your lovely comments on my previous post about this contest, I have made the finals for both overall favorite dance blog, as well as my category, recreational dancer!

Here's where I kindly ask for your support just once more:

• Visit this website to vote for Rince go Bragh to win Favorite Dance Blog and Recreational Dancer! 
• You may only choose one blog in each category.
• The voting will close at 10pm EST on January 31st!

Thanks again for your support you lovely readers you!

Goals: Loose ankles for trebles
Days till NANs: 163

Top Dance Blog Contest 2013

I'm trying something new this year: I'm entering Dance Advantage's Top Dance Blog Contest.  It seems like a great way to network with other dance styles, and another way to help other dancers become more aware of Irish dancing.

Vote for me by commenting on this post!

With that being said, I need your help!

To vote for me to become a finalist in my category (Recreational Dancer), all you need to do is leave a comment on this very blog post!

Say hi, write about your favorite part of Rince go Bragh... anything!

I have until January 22nd to gain as much support as I can from Irish dance fans everywhere.

Thank you in advance for your support, and have a wonderful start to your new year!

Goals: Re-choreograph hornpipe 2nd
Days till NANs: 174