[Artemisia] UNOFFICIAL Garb Shopping Logistics during Convocation

[Dawn Tavares]

{No, I haven’t forgotten about this treat. Life has just been more demanding 
than usual the last two weeks.}

About a dozen gentles have expressed to me their interest in dropping by the 
marketplace for Costume Con-23, the national costuming show that’s meeting 
the same weekend as Convocation. As promised, here are the details for the 
day:

Vending will take place in the Ogden Marriott Hotel, 247 24th Street, 
approximately three blocks north and one block west of the Convocation 
meeting site. The merchant booths will be located for easy access by foot 
traffic in the Cottonwood Room.

As of April 22 (the latest report available), the merchants listed below 
have confirmed their attendance at CC-23. More vendors may be present:

Aziza: fine fabrics, medieval & renaissance wear
Lance Oszko: Czech beads
Farthingale's: hard-to-find patterns & corsetry supplies
Gaylene's: fabrics & trims
Realm of Regalia: fine trims & accessories
Alteryears: hard-to-find books, patterns, & accessories
Imagecraft: costume art books

This link will take you to the map I generated through Yahoo:  
http://tinyurl.com/dwf4g
(I’ll send you the original URL if you really want it, but it’s huge.)

The red star marks the Convocation meeting site. The yellow squares with red 
circles indicate various restaurants along the way; click on any square for 
more information. The Marriott Hotel is located in the cluster of three 
yellow squares just west of the Ogden City Mall. For anyone healthy enough 
to schlep across the grounds at Estrella in a cloak of waterlogged wool, the 
jaunt to the Marriott should pose no problem. ;) I will have my car 
available for ferrying folk with physical ailments or just too many shopping 
bags.

The only real obstacle I can see for Convocation-goers is timing. 
Convocation is scheduled to run Saturday from opening court at 10 am until 
the last “section” meeting ends at 4:30. A lunch break is scheduled from 1 
to 2 pm, but that may be overrun by the calendar planning session. The final 
item on the Convocation schedule, the Open Populace Meeting, is scheduled 
loosely from 4:30 to 6 pm, depending upon the issues raised and the number 
of people who attend.

The CC-23 coordinator tells me the merchants will be open noon to 6 pm on 
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The fashon show competitions are Saturday, so 
the mecrhants aren't likely to stay open much past six that day.

I have received word from very reliable sources that Her Majesty and Their 
Royal Highnesses would like to visit the merchants. (I have also heard it 
whispered that His Majesty secretly harbors an unquenchable lust for fine 
trim–but I put this down to salacious rumor.)  After a long day of business 
meetings, I’m sure the Crowned Heads would welcome the chance to stretch the 
royal legs and mentally switch gears. But I am EXTREMELY reluctant to usurp 
logistic privilege and say “this train leaves at five o’clock, be on it or 
be left out.” Kingdom business can and must take place over personal stash 
enrichment.**

So here’s what I suggest: In the morning I will be making myself useful to 
the Convocation autocrat in whatever ways I can. At the 1 pm break I will 
lead a contingent of shoppers to the CC-23 merchants; those who are free for 
the day can browse at their leisure, those who need to return to Convocation 
for afternoon meetings I will ferry to and fro. [mental note: stock up on 
quarters for parking meters] I’ll hover around the Populace Meeting until 
Their Majesties are free, then zip them to the market. (Anybody got an extra 
Kingdom taxicab sticker to lend?)

If all who are interested in after-hours snacking would converge at the 
entrance to the Cottonwood Room at 6 pm-ish, we shall decide by consensus 
which nearby eatery to invade. Gryphon’s Lair residents tell me good Chinese 
food is cheap and plentiful in the area. I hesitate to make reservations 
with any particular restaurant because we may have blown all our cash before 
supper. ;)

The Lady Johanne has graciously offered her home for socializing after the 
day’s plans. I think logistics planning for the group trip to her chateau 
near Ogden Canyon would be handled best in person, over noshing.

For rides or questions during the day...just look for the frazzled little 
brunette who’s tripping over the hem of her violet surcoat.

Feel free to forward this missive to your local lists.

Aurora de Portugal
Loch Salaan
**Heresy to the Cult of Fine Sewing.
I shall be martyred on
red-hot needles for that.

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