Cute Overload/Martha pet costume extravaganza!
Happy Halloween everyone! I love the entire week before Halloween and I hope everyone has excreted every drop of joy out of it! This past Sunday I went to karaoke in my hamster costume with my friend Bobby in the shocking pink bunny costume we made and even though we were the only ones dressed up, it was magical and fun and we made people smile.
Wednesday night I paid an impromptu visit to some friends at a bar where they were having a super-hero night and I got to use an awesome camera and document most of the night. So many smiles and so many cheers as we ran around the streets taking random adventure pictures.
Tonight I will be paying a few favorite places a visit with a friend just to see what everyone else is wearing and make some new friends and then we’re heading to our usual Hollaween party! Holla! Hope everyone stays safe, has fun and lets their hair down for the night! Goodness knows we need it!
Check out Joshua Hoffine’s ultra scary photography!!!!
Natalie Dee
Yes, it is time. Having lighter roots makes you look like you’re going bald! Not cool. Only, I use L’Oreal Feria – 21 Starry Night (Bright Black). (Congrats to Nat D and her hubby on the nugget! Dye that hair!)
I really love this lampshade. This lamp is a similar concept, and you get an entire lamp, for less. (The shade is still available at Lekker, which has so many neat things! Everything is unique and expensive and fun to look at.) The marquetry tray makes me happy since I have grand entertaining fantasies. I don’t feel comfortable in patterns but I kinda dig the relaxed bohemian quality of this swimsuit. I also have a lot of outfits that are waiting for this exact skirt! I really need to try harder in my quest for the perfect dark mini before the cold weather is over!
I can’t stand a trench coat. They’re so cliche and all those unnecessary tabs and loops… this version is awesome. It’s streamlined and the glittery metalic sheen would dress up jeans and a t-shirt when out to run a quick errand. I can’t remember what that bracelet is made of. It may even be wood. I do know that the accents are coral and I would be terrified to wear such a delicate thing but it sure is beautiful. Yellow and black is usually a bad idea but it works with this dress. I think the sash is leather, to toughen it up. Oh, and if you can’t tell, bags need some serious hardware! I’ve been carrying around a studded Nine West purse for over 5 years and it still looks great!
I was checking out the online store Karmaloop for the heck of it yesterday and other than being totally shocked that it’s even still around (since my pathetic and brief stint at raverdom in ’99), I was sad to see Jeffrey Campbell’s “The Burbs” shoe for sale. I’m not even going to bother posting a picture here. I don’t want that garbage in my Flickr account. It’s not like I haven’t seen countless copies of Burberry Prorsum’s studded platform sandal. They’re on the crazy cheap shoe sites for $25, and it’s honestly been very hard not to get them because they are such a bad ass shoe, but to see a decent shoe line pull such a sheisty move to even name the shoe “The Burbs”? Give me a break. I guess J.C. is joining the ranks of Steve Madden.
the original
I take serious issue with copies. (Check out this blog by law professor Susan Scafidi to stay current on recent cases.) Obviously, it’s theft. You might as well paint your own version of a Picasso and pass it off as your original idea. Fashion designers are artists and their original concepts belong to them alone. Now, some things are a little ridiculous. Oxford shoes are always going to be oxfords and mary janes will always have a little strap. Sometimes the lawsuits get a little nitpicking but when it comes to completely original designs, and things that become a line’s signature, e.g., red soles, that’s when it’s just embarassing. It’s like seeing a lady at a bus stop in a stained sweatsuit and a LV bag. Now, who does she think she’s fooling? It’s the same when you wear a cheap counterfeit of a $940 pair of shoes. You will be fooling no one. The folks who have no clue… well, they have no clue but, you do.
To be fair, the majority of people don’t keep up with designers so, they could see a copy in a store and have no clue it wasn’t an original idea. This happened to me at Forever 21 a couple years ago. I bought what I thought was one of the most adorable dresses ever, only to find out it was an Anna Sui rip off a few weeks later. Now, the dress is my little joke on the whole ordeal. (That fabric still came from where?)
Anna Sui dress & Forever 21 top
What I would really really like to know is the manufacturing side of things. I know a quite a bit but, when it gets down to the dirty details, I feel like I’m going by rumor alone. I met a girl in between classes one day who was a fashion merchandising major. She began to reveal to me the shady truth that a lot of things are made in the same factories. A high end designer can have something contracted out to be made and then after the job is done, that same factory has the know-how and capabilities to reproduce a designer piece. More often than not, they use lesser quality materials but the basics of construction are the same. What I have yet to figure out is how these things get contracted out. I’m curious to know if the factories have a list of designers they call to let them know they have inside knowledge on the latest thing or… who knows. Really, who knows? Please tell me if you do.
I’m especially curious as to how a half-dozen designers all come out with their version of the same thing each season. Lets not be coy here and think that high-end designers are without fault. Please tell me why, all of a sudden, extreme platform stiletto shoes, or shoe-booties are popular this fall, or why anything becomes a common theme, for that matter? Spies? Insider tips? A roll of the dice? It’s all a crock if you ask me.
The same goes for stolen blog content. I will take this opportunity to express my total disgust for the spam blogs out there who have been repeatedly stealing my content and placing it on their own blogs. The idiocy of the whole thing is that no one is reading. It appears that they go by title alone and I now understand why so many bloggers out there are adopting obscure titles, which I will also have to start doing. The one that really took the cake was my post called “restraint” as in, being a more responsible consumer. I had no idea it would be placed on an erotic website with S&M links all around it! Total morons. My cease and desist email was followed by a quick removal… but not completely. There is still some strange electronic trace left which will links us forever in cyberspace. It truly makes me sick.
I guess the moral to this story is that you’re a weasel bastard if you try to pass off other people’s ideas as your own, and if you buy into it knowingly, you’re not that much better. When a person’s ideas and artistic vision are finally regarded with a bit more respect, then maybe the laws will be tough enough to discourage such blatant fraud and appropriation. Maybe the laws aren’t all that tough because people know it’s a load of crap.
Out of my size – Caterpillar brand! Yes, the company that makes heavy construction equipment! The “Disclosure” – they’re leather and have a blue tint to them. Pretty much perfect, and ridiculously cheap! Grab them! – one size 6 left on endless.com and one used 8 on eBay – item #270290868087
Out of my size and too expensive – Givenchy 584193 – these are just nuts, leather with metal grommets all over, sneaker sole and they lace up! I love them! - two sizes left at Zappos.com!
DC, the skate and snowboarding company has a water resistant boot – the “Sun Valley” - with a little bit of “eco leather” (a special tanning process that is better for the environment), these are serious, in plenty of sizes and also a chocolate brown at dogfunk.com.
The Palladium “Chambly” – wool and leather! These too are in limited sizes across the internet, so cross your fingers and check for yourself!
Also check out the Demonia “Deviant” line of sneaker boots. They come in a range of styles for both men and women – plain, with studs, with straps and buckles… they remind me of the crust punk kids I had crushes on when I was 17. Dirty. I just ordered the ones on the left. <3
Soon! Very soon! The adorable little salesboy told me that on November 13th, my H&M would be getting the Comme des Garcons collection! I wrote the date on my pack of gum and forgot about both the date and the gum until today!
Head designer Rei Kawakubo will be offering a unisex fragrance as well as pieces for men, women and even children. (My local H&M only offers women’s clothing to the chagrin of men in Richmond.)
The press release.
Japan will be the first to attack the racks but, from what I’ve read about price tags, I probably won’t be doing too much attacking myself.
Of course, the item I would want the most is $350. Considering this is a designer piece, it’s suposed to be a bargain but not for anyone I know, these days. Get a load of that detail, though!
It’s sooo goth and luxurious… my credit cards are shaking in my wallet.
A dress? A coat? I love it!
+
I’ve been collecting random little websites for a while now. I figured it would be nice to share a few:
-
- One of my local news channels used the word “yummy” a few days ago and it has not escaped my mind. They went so far as to have it typed at the bottom of the screen… something to the effect of “Dieters have chemical reaction to favorite yummy food”. What in god’s name is going on? Where have all the adults gone?
- hiding the Halloween candy from myself didn’t work – damn you fun size Snickers!
- Jenny McCarthy is an idiot.
- Thank you Science Daily for depressing the crap out of me. 1 . 2
I wrote previously about my penchant for stationary (all kept neatly in a GIANT leopard print hatbox). Other than my obsession for shoes (I just sold 8 pairs! I’m so proud of myself!) I really don’t collect anything else except Degenhart glass. They are very small quirky things and come in many shapes and colors. I don’t strive to own every piece made but if it’s cheap, I’ll grab it, since they do have intrinsic value. They’re fun to start collecting because they’ve never been too expensive but they’re not easy to find. When the company sold the molds to Boyd, the “D” in the heart was removed so, it becomes a hunt at antique shows, flipping the pieces over and hoping for a heart (although Boyd also has value and a lot more designs). I just like a few colors and shapes and only have two displayed. The rest have been picked up over the years at antique shows, an extension of the collection given to me by my mother. They’re carefully wrapped up in an old popcorn tin.
From the Kovels website:
“Degenhart is the name used by collectors for the products of the Crystal Art Glass Company of Cambridge, Ohio. John and Elizabeth Degenhart started the glassworks in 1947. Quality paperweights and other glass objects were made. John died in 1964 and his wife took over management and production ideas. Over 145 colors of glass were made. In 1978, after the death of Mrs. Degenhart, the molds were sold.“
owls
Collections of things frighten me because it’s so easy to become obsessed, want everything ever made, and then what are you going to do with it all? I think most of the women I know can agree that there’s nothing sexy about a guy who has a wall in his home plastered with action figures still in the packaging. You know what I’m talking about! A man could equally get unnerved if he found a giant collection of cat figurines in his date’s home.
My family has been collecting antiques for generations so, I am familiar with crap overload. Things displayed can manage to look creepy, things need to be cared for properly, and everything needs to be dusted. Sometimes you feel like the walls are closing in on you. That’s why I really appreciated this article of collectible display ideas found on Flickr. Some clever little ideas there!
Collections of funtional things are usually the easiest way to go. The items become a part of your day to day life. Jadite glass is a good example. It’s easy to spot, goes with just about everything, is soothing and simple and not only is it very useful, but there are also many whimsical things made of this glass. This buying guide from eBay is really helpful if you are interested in more than just the color. (Learning a bit about the history of your collection not only can prevent you from getting ripped off but also makes for interesting conversation.)
Another idea for a functional collection could be ammassing a set of mismatched plates like chintz patterns or simple blue and white motifs. Working towards a goal, like a large set of coordinated dishes helps give purpose to the collection. A goal of hosting the most fabulous dinner party or setting the tables for a wedding reception could inspire years worth of collecting and everything can be used up until the big day and beyond!
Thanks to our weak economy, people are currently purging their belongings to make some extra money. It may be devaluing to a lot of things but it’s also an excellent time to pick up some good deals that will go up in value again soon enough. Value isn’t always the most important thing though. I remember seeing a project where someone covered cast iron animal figures with brightly colored enamel. This destroyed the collectible value of the animals but the personal and decorative value made them all the more desireable. Who wouldn’t want a grass green squirrel?
I also once saw a collection of ornately carved picture frames that had been similarly covered in glossy red paint, had mirrors cut to fit and were artfully arranged over a fireplace. The classic shapes in a bold color were exceptionally striking, modern, and worth the effort of slowly gathering and modifying the frames.
Back to the history of things… learning about the history of your favorite things can open up a world of collectibles. Do you like to dance? How about framed photographs of classic dance entertainers! Do you love classical music? Check out this tiny (1″) plane for smoothing a violin!
What’s your heritage? Russian nesting dolls. Native American, Mexican, or Tibetan silver jewelry. Geisha girl porcelain from Japan. What’s your profession? Civil war medical supplies. Fountain pens. Old typewriters… even Selectrics!
An art movement that moves you! Deco or Nouveau?
Erte/Mucha
What do you collect and how do you keep it under control?
This is the perfect damask skirt I mentioned a while back. Sometimes I like a detail more than the whole… like the little jacket in the top left. The pleating is perfect. The giant bow on the little black dress is so much fun too! I’m not a big fan of butterflies in jewelry but that silver cuff bracelet looks both modern and ancient. The earings are ebony inlaid in gold – so delicate and reminds me of the woodwork my father does. Speaking of inlay – check out these intricate Russian floors photographed by Krisatomic (in the blogroll on the right, you really should check her out).
The drinking glass on the bottom right is from the Rosenthal Fornasetti Julia series. It is now discontinued but was hugely popular last year and I was seeing the plates on TV shows everywhere. Stylists went nuts with them. The top right vase with birds is really so beautiful, right on the cusp of that bird silhouette craze - I still love them. I enjoy how the pattern of the teacup creeps into the interior… another tree silhouette I can’t get enough of. Oh… and who doesn’t like a kitty?
Music is so deeply personal and I think that’s why I’ve barely written about it on this blog. I have had many moments in my life where my musical tastes have been criticized. We all do it. Someone tells us they’re a fan of a certain genre, band, song… we cringe and make a judgement call. It’s a shame that we can’t accept that different things stir emotions in different people, and those triggers change over time as well.
In 2005, I was driving to a class and decided to turn on the radio, which I hadn’t done in months. I made a bet with myself that whatever was playing would be the same tired “alternative” rock that this particular station had been playing for the past year. Well, I was wrong. I was immediately in love with this new music. So, I made another bet that they wouldn’t say what the song was at the end. They did! As soon as I got home, I checked tour dates online. They were playing a club almost 2 hours away in a couple days! Something magical was happening and I could feel it in ever fiber of my being! I ordered my ticket, ran to the record store, bought their CD and memorized every song until I showed up at The Norva in Norfolk, VA. Ever since then, I have had a deep love affair with Underoath.
At this point in my life, I was totally obsessed with gentle but epic “post-rock instrumental” music. 10 minute long wordless songs that evoked deep feelings of longing and sadness. This new ”screamo” was unlike anything I had heard. I was already past my “emo” phase but still enjoyed the old classics like Sense Field, Sunny Day Real Estate and Jawbreaker. I appreciated their meaningful lyrics and tough melodies. I had heard these types of vocals before, of course. I grew up with huge death metal fans and I had my own affinity for Dystopia and Buzzov-en but the lyrics were so gruesome and sad for the most part. Underoath gave me intelligent mathematical melodies and switch-ups with smooth positive vocals from the founder and drummer and then the screaming vocals from their lead singer which I have become obsessed with.
youtubage: 1 . 2 . 3
This past October 19th, I got to see them for the 4th time. I’ve gone by myself every show. It’s almost like a spiritual pilgrimage I do for myself. Well, this time I was seeing someone when I ordered the tickets and things didn’t work out with him so, I had this extra ticket floating around, driving me crazy. Going to see your favorite band with someone else is a tricky situation. What if they don’t like them? What if they don’t like the opening bands? What if they’re just in a bad mood that night? What if they don’t know how to handle a large crowd or mosh pits or want to get wasted and you have to babysit them? You always feel responsible for someone else’s good time when you invite them into your world and they are more than capable of ruining yours.
The funny thing about my love for Underoath is the sheer lack of love my friends have for them. They have a huge following – of teenagers. (For this, I have no shame.) The list of people I could’ve even considered to go with me was incredibly short. Two of my fellow fans were going to be out of town and the third fan and I have seemed to rub one another the wrong way for a long time. I went ahead and told the disagreeable one that he could have the ticket anyway.
I had my evening planned. MY evening seeing MY favorite band of all time. I wanted to miss the first opening band, go get dinner at a decent bar 4 blocks away (making for easy parking and walking) and then beat the crowd. This plan seemed fine with my guest and then he decided to change MY plans at the last minute. Whatever. I decided to revoke the invitation and went alone, as I always have, and it was wonderful. I sold my extra ticket to a desperate kid in line making his day, and averted the 3-block long line with the help of an old friend I didn’t even know worked at the club.
I managed to squeeze into the very front, squealed with teenage girls, joked with the bartender about there being no wait, screamed along with 1800 kids who love this band as much as I do, pumped my fist in the air, took a spin in the mosh pit for old time’s sake, lost my hoodie, bought my new favorite hoodie, walked 4 blocks in the cold, high on life and grinning from ear to ear, listening to a kid behind me talk about how he wished he had asked a girl on a date. It was a glorious night.
More photos here.
PS - They’re Christian. I’m not. It doesn’t matter.
PPS – Sometimes, I find myself enjoying their earlier stuff better, with their old singer Dallas. It’s effin brutal. Oh my god that kills me!
<!--