At the end of July I was fortunate enough to attend a wonderfully-arranged meetup at the Adler Planetarium~ I really like space and astronomy, but I had actually never been to the planetarium before even though I’ve lived in this area my entire life. When a meetup was proposed I was very excited by the idea, and I was thrilled that the day not only lived up to, but exceeded my expectations and hopes~

Luckily, I knew about the event early enough in advance that I was able to take the day off. My husband already had that day available, so we headed out together. The original plans for the gathering requested that everyone wear something space-themed. I don’t really own anything that really fits that description, so I opted for one of my favourites–Jewelry Jelly, because there are a few star-shaped jellies. I wore star-shaped jewelry and a fuzzy star hair accessory to emphasize the star theme a bit more.

Most of my friends had really lovely coordinations. It was evident that a lot of care and planning had gone into outfits that fit the day’s theme. Three girls even had the same star-covered Angelic Pretty jumperskirt, each in a different colourway and coordinated for a different look. It’s always fun to see how the same dress can look with different accessories~ ♥ Another friend of mine sewed a dress from nebula-printed fabric–it looked great and was definitely space-tastic!

The lighting was very difficult–it’s a trend with museums, generally–but I still wanted to get some images that at least conveyed some of the impressions of being there with the group.
When we got to the planetarium I realized that I wasn’t sure where the group was meeting. It was easy to find out where, though–I simply asked the closest security guard if he had seen other people “dressed like this” and which way they had gone. I followed his instructions until I reached the next security guard, and continued from there. I suppose that’s one of the benefits of the fashion looking so unusual to others–group tracking! I spotted everyone else waiting in a classroom off one of the hallways. We sat and chatted for a while as we waited for other attendees to catch up; there had been particularly difficult traffic in certain areas, so quite a few people were running late.

When we had all assembled, we received our badges and started exploring the museum. I was fascinated, because it was all new to me, although most of the information wasn’t anything particularly shocking. There were a lot of neat interactive demonstrations or features, like a machine that made craters in a powdery surface that accompanied information about craters on the moon. Most of them were obviously geared towards children, but that didn’t make them less amusing.

While in an exhibit about historical astronomy and astronomical tools, I wandered away from the group a bit and discovered a representation of a medieval astronomy classroom, complete with robes for teachers and students. I quickly donned one and positioned myself in the professor’s chair, attempting to look like I was giving a lecture. When the rest of the group came around the corner they found the scene very amusing~ I love little things like that. There was also a display where you were an Assyrian king trying to make predictions about your potential for assassination based on the phases of the moon and positioning of Venus.

I was given instructions to “look stoic” and tried my best!
We wandered through nearly all of the exhibits before heading to the newly-rennovated Grainger Sky Theatre to see the show Deep Space Adventure. The show was at full capacity, so the staff seated our group first so that we’d be able to stay together. I appreciated that, as it might have otherwise been difficult to find everyone again afterward. The show was very beautiful, and the new theatre reminded me of seeing IMAX scientific shows on school field trips, something I always enjoyed.

When we regrouped after the show was over, it was time for tea. When the organizer had called about group information for the planetarium, she discovered that the location offered afternoon tea (mistakenly called “high tea” as nearly every place does…) for groups at a reasonable cost. When she asked the rest of the community about their interest in having tea at the planetarium, the majority of us said yes. As a whole, the lolita in my area seem to have a weakness for formal tea services. (I’m certainly not complaining, for I do, too!)

The tray of sandwiches and baked goods that began the tea service was very nicely arranged on the small tables. I think tea trays can make almost anything look more elegant.
The tea service at the planetarium was fairly nice~ It wasn’t anything mind-blowing, but it was still fun and quite tasty. It began with an assortment of sandwiches, scones, and muffins. When that course was finished they brought out small desserts–squares of layered cookie bars and cookies. The tea was bagged tea from a decent company, with coffee as an option for those who didn’t care for tea. I think most of us were just happy to having something to eat while sitting in a room with a gorgeous view of the skyline.

The cafeteria area, where the tea was served in a roped-off section, jutted out into Lake Michigan and faced the skyline. The walls were glass, with shades that filtered out some of the light without interfering too much with the view. The day was very clear, so the effect was really lovely. There were even large stationary binoculars that you could use to get a closer look at the sights beyond the windows.

Before sitting down to tea we took some group pictures outside. The sun was too bright for me, so as soon as someone suggested it I donned my sunglasses. Everyone soon opted to salute–if only because it shielded your eyes from the glare! (It seems like this is becoming a local trend. I wasn’t at the large meetup this past weekend, but the pictures I’ve seen show lots of saluting even though everyone is indoors.)

It was amazing to have such nice turnout for this! I love getting to see everyone~
I can’t wait to see everyone again at the next event~ I always love things like this. Museums are pricey, so we don’t often opt to go to them, but I think I enjoy exploring them more this way–with frilly friends! ♥