Photo roundup - now that we are awake

My 365 Photos project is ongoing. A near miss on Wednesday evening, having fallen asleep on the lounge. I awoke on the dot of 11.59pm and with only seconds to spare, I simply aimed and shot: the Andorian in the corner.

Don't you wish you had a full-sized Andorian in your lounge room?



Andorian mannequin - in authentic screen-used robes from "Star Trek" productions, with "Scaredy cat" mascot. Okay, so the Andorian pirate's pet cat ate the parrot. Sounds feasible? 10 June 2009.
Next we get all doggy in theme again:



A Jack Russell terrier applies a guilt trip as I get ready for work, and will be leaving him alone for the day. (And yes, I had made the bed.) 11 June 2009.
And finally, as my eyes returned to full focus...



The view from my recovery chair, after full anesthesia at the dentist today! The stuffed monster toy has a very impressive set of healthy teeth (much better than mine!), presumably for demonstrating brushing techniques to little kids - note the giant yellow toothbrush beside him. 12 June 2009.

Bluey gets dressed

Finally, I'd done enough housework this weekend to waste a little time dressing "Bluey" the mannequin in his Andorian ambassadorial robes.



The mannequin - I kid you not, he was already blue! - came from the supplier complete with a spray can of touch-up paint, in "Aqua" of course, so I gave the amazingly-realistic hands a light sanding, a layer of white primer, and then a new coat of aqua paint. I also decided to give my old Captain Therin antennae a matching coat of paint. (Since 1980, the transparent matt varnish over the blue paint had darkened them somewhat, so repainting them today with the lighter aqua colour made them match the rest of the mannequin perfectly.) I don't know what's in the paint, but the hands were completely dry within about twenty minutes. I gave it a few hours before attaching the hands - and it was Photo Time!

It's fairly imposing to suddenly have a life-sized Andorian standing to attention in the corner of the dining room, but I'm sure I'll get used to it. I can't leave him in this position for too long, since he's directly beneath a skylight, but it's winter so he can stay there - at least until Midwinter Christmas next weekend, when he might have a Santa hat poised over one antenna. Ho ho ho.

Bluey is in da house!

As I impatiently await my recent eBay costume win, at least I can console myself with the arrival today of... Bluey the mannequin.



Bluey is quite lightweight for such a strapping young man. Instead of a regular metal stand, he gets suspended by a sturdy wire coming out of the top of his head. Bluey's arms and hands detach, but the rest is all one piece. The blue hands are exquisite: very expressive, and they are definitely life casts of a real man's hands.

I have this terrible sneaking suspicion that it's all just a bit too much like owning a giant Andorian Ken doll from Mattel - and waiting anxiously for my Mum to buy me the clothes to dress him in. Now I just need to find somewhere to hang him up that won't freak me out every time I enter a room and see him there in all his bluish naked glory.

I hope his Andorian robes arrive soon...

Colour me impressed (blue)

As you may know, I'm currently awaiting the arrival of my recent eBay win: a screen-used Andorian costume of jumpsuit, robe and belt from two "Star Trek: Enterprise" episodes.

Although I didn't want to Jonah myself and buy a suitable male display mannequin too early, a casual Google search surprised me. I typed in "second hand" male mannequin Sydney and up popped a mannequin called, so appropriately: "Bluey"! Perfect! And no need to panic about finding a mannequin that can be painted, or working out which paints were stable enough not to react to fabric.

I immediately got on the phone and secured him.




For my international readers, "Bluey" is a typical Aussie nickname for a red-haired man. (Please don't ask why.)