Dance Me to the End of Love

     I look kinda bitchy in this drawing, which is an unfortunate look for "Dance me to the end of Love." I think Eric was thinking of the Madeleine Peyroux cover instead of the original Leonard Cohen when he assigned it. Either way, this song is lovely. Rereading the lyrics, I realize I should have worn gloves to complete the look.

     The all black was a coincidence; I wanted some dance inspired clothing and my tutu and cropped leotard top both happened to be black, but the color also seems a somber nod to even the idea of the end of love. Because of the line "Dance me to the wedding now/dance me on and on" I added the emerald earrings that I wore at our wedding. I also included my favorite token of love, the Tiffany's Key necklace that Eric gave me for our third anniversary and the E and K letter charms that are also strung on it.  

Living Dead Girl

So Eric jokingly mentioned Rob Zombie's Living Dead Girl as a challenge the other day, and I decided to take it. Obviously, no matter what I wore, it was a NSFW sitch. I started with the line think Donna Read eats dollar bills and I looked up a lot of old inspo pin up photos that she did. Stupidly, I did my hair first and then put on my Dior lipstick from Christmas, which made getting into clothes difficult. Fortunately, it was my day off, and it was hot out, so I never quite managed to get all the way dressed anyway. I put on the corset top thinking I would find a pair of trashy cutoffs to wear with it, sort of tatty and undead looking (ala Miz Zombie herself), but none of mine fit the bill. I ended up just wearing my underpants for the rest of the day, which isn't an uncommon occurrence when I don't have to be anywhere. Embarrassingly, wearing heels around the house while I'm in my underpants isn't that uncommon either. 

Also here's a chance to see my tattoo, which I have actually drawn on the correct leg. Obviously, as is noticeable in my Red Right Hand Post, I often mix up my left from my right when I'm drawing myself, but that is a pretty accurate representation of Rog in all his glory. 

Brand New Key

Today's outfit was inspired by Melanie's Brand New Key. Obvi, I'd prefer if I had rollerskates to complete the look, but since I had to work and I have none and I just fall down a lot when I wear them anyway, espadrilles had to do the trick. I wore my hair straight and blown out and tried to give off a real seventies vibe. And because I try to always include a literal detail, I wore my Tiffany's key necklace. 

And tomorrow? I'll try for Rob Zombie's Living Dead Girl 

Red Right Hand

This week Eric is picking out songs to inspire my outfits and today's is Nick Cave and the Bad Seed's Red Right Hand. Besides the fact that I usually find Nick Cave kind creepy, this song is bad ass. The imagery is a.) perfect b.) inspired by a Paradise Lost quote. Also, it's in the Scream movies, which is cool. Here are some lines that I found particularly inspiring: On a gathering storm comes/ a tall handsome man/ in a dusty black coat with/ a red right hand & You're one microscopic cog/in his catastrophic plan/ designed and directed by/ his red right hand

I have to say this was way fun to do and I'm pretty proud of the effects, honestly. There is some cool Wild West Rodeo imagery in the lyrics, so I thought the skeleton earrings and the cowboy boots were appropriate. The top is not entirely appropriate (and yes I DID wear it to get dinner at Panera in the burbs, and I WAS sorta side-eyed at the Sev when I was getting my sugar free Sprite Slurpee) but I thought black and red and sexy also fit the song. And then, obvi, I went literal and painted my nails red and wore giant red cocktail rings on my right hand, along with some red bangles. It's not a subtle song. 

Seriously, y'all, this is really fun. Stay tuned for tomorrow when I'll be wearing Melanie's 

Brand New Key. 

Dual-purpose pieces

Do you like how I threw the term "Dual Purpose piece" in there to describe the fact that I tucked my nightgown into jeans and wore it as a top? I have to confess that I do this often on days when I am off but still have to take hubs to the train in the a.m. 

So what is your favorite dual purpose item? Ever throw on heels with your silk jammie bottoms and pretend it was boho on purpose? Tried wearing a necklace as a bracelet? A tube skirt as a dress? Foundation plus lip gloss as nude lipstick? Lemme know your best lazy girl/creative girl/crazy girl/busted girl tricks.

Grey Lace n' boots

Hubs snagged the necklace at a store I love in Rehobeth, though I can never remember the name. 

The grey dress is totes an $18 snag from Marshall's, but it looks sorta Anthro.

And the crowning glory? My shoeses. I bought them years ago from the Goodwill in Roanoke and they are totes vintage Frye in the perfect cognac color  (though there is a totally weird oil/grease/blood? stain on them, which makes them tough looking). I busted them the other day in the middle of a crazy busy shift at the mall (I was dragging myself around like Igor) and decided to finally get them fully repaired. I took them to South African (?) Rod Stewart (Delawareans, srrsly get yer shoes fixed at the Fancy Feet in the Concord Mall) and it cost me $50 to fix a $5 pair of shoes BUT they look BRAND NEW and $55 is still way less than full Frye. 

Floral plus Goodwill

The combat boots were the starting point here. I spent all day watching Rupaul's Drag Race ( Season 3) on Netflix, and I got dressed during the episode where Raja does punk and wears her Doc's. I got these for $5 at the Goodwill in my hometown and I love them, though they are sometimes hard to style without making my calves look stumpy. 

The jacket/housecoat/bathrobe (as hubs lovingly refers to it) is one of my favorite other Goodwill snags. 

My auntie bought me the purse as A Christmas giftie ages ago, and I lurve it. The inside is orange lining!

Reppin' the 90's

I bought this dress a couple years ago for my friend Erin's wedding. The floral plus black ankle booties were my nod to the 90's without being too Urban Outfitters about it. 

What I Drew: Thrifty Wednesday

This is my favorite Roanoke Goodwill dress. I've had it for YEARS and I still get compliments on it. Every so often, dresses like it will turn up at Anthro. Coupled with the cap I stole from Eric's childhood, the MAC lipstick that was a giftie from my bestie ( I think the color is Ladybug?), my Five below nail polish, and my $20 Payless shoes, this outfit is on the cheaps for real.

I usually HATE open toed boots 'cause it's like, WHAT'S THE POINT, but these are a light color and not clunky enough that I wear them more in spring and summer than the winter ones, which are TOTALLY USELESS. 

What I Drew: Errands in Pink

This outfit is one of a myriad reasons I'd rather post doodles than pics of my self. It was a cute, if rather Mattel, (I have not even included the other shade of pink nail polish I was wearing) outfit for errand running (What, the bank and Dunkin Donuts totally count as productive on a day off) BUUTTT my hair was kinda greasy and my bun kept looking awkward as hell. Et Voila! The magic of a pen. Just focus on the fabulous pink pants, folks. 

What I Drew: Weekending (hold onto your butts)

This weekend we went to see Jurassic Park 3D, and we went to the Amish Farmer's Market for some groceries. Below is my favorite weekend outfit. OH! I forgot to label my cap, which is a wool one Eric wore as a child and fits me perfectly in adulthood, which gives some indication of how peanut-sized my head is and how pumpkinesque is my husband's.

 Hubby's bday is fast approaching, (ARGH! SO IS TAXES TIME and for the first time ever, I haven't done them yet; I think because we are both a little apprehensive about filing jointly) so Saturday night we went to dinner with the fam to Avalon (?) in West Chester. Good food! (Though the Wild Boar Bolognese just tasted like spaghetti. Whah whah.) Anyway, the good weather is bringing out my fancy side, so I wore this costumey vintage halter and a lot of gold jewelry. Also, I used a lot of this lip gloss that Eric got as a freebie sample somewhere, (????) which I think he mainly took so he can ask me "if my lip gloss is poppin."

What I Drew: Friday night outfit plus accessories!

This is the outfit I wore to work the other night. I bought the dress a few years ago to wear to a couple of summer weddings, and I still love it! The boots are getting busted, but sometimes those are the best boots. The sweater was one of the kismet finds-I'd been looking for something like it to embroider various star systems on (a la an Anthro sweater I'd seen. It looks so much like the original that people at work have told me they remember when it was there!) I looked up some of my favorite constellations and included them (hullo Leo!). The embroidery was super simple stitchery- a surprisingly easy and effective DIY. 

Some of my outfit details. I wear mismatched Betsey Johnson socks with preeetty much everything. My mom knows I love my Bets, so she buys the socks in bulk for Christmas. Speaking of Mah Mah, the bamboo bracelet is hers, and the solid silver bangle was a graduation gift from her sisters. My black pearl engagement ring and wedding ring are in the middle. Those hoops are legit ginormous. I think they came from Payless. The boots just deserve a close up, cause they are whacky as hell. 

What I Drew: Easter Egg Dress

This is the dress I bought to wear for Easter because it reminds me of, obvi, an Easter Egg. The quilting on it is UH mazing!

Details on the necklace I wore. About two years ago there were some totes beautiful Lanvin necklaces that I used as inspo. I had a costumey pearl and glass chain necklace and so I decided to add the ribbons, which I cut from old curtain fabric scraps. For variation, I colored in the scraps with magic marker, which made a lovely watercolor effect, but I am always careful not to wear it in the rain or on particularly warm days in case of color bleeding!

What I Drew: Laura Petrie Outfit

Crafty Lady

My Knight's Tale project wouldn't be complete without a little cross-crafting. For my Etsy shop, I got the idea to make some cards inspired by heraldry, which is a prominent part of Jocelyn's awesome felt coat. I plan on making my own coat of arms coat (hehe) when I find the perfect jacket or sweater to embroider or paint, (obvi still in development) so I have been doing a little preliminary research on the Shaw coat of arms. Lots of options between the Scottish, English and Irish versions (What can I say? My people are mutts.) Some wolves, some cup looking things and also a really scary looking fist holding a dagger. Annnnnyway, the search made me wonder if there were any ridiculous crest animals, so I though I'd make my own sets, starting with the Puffin:

Alcidae is apparently the family name for Puffins (English teacher who blatantly Wikipedias over here), which I thought would be a nice little joke. Next on the list I am thinking hedgehogs, bunnies and maybe a Pomeranian? Or Dachsund? Any other suggestions?

Also, go check out my Etsy shop and notice how everything is in pink gouache, cause I can only afford white and red and also this ish lasts forever.

Ombre nails

This was just another A Knight's Tale inspired DIY project, but a quick one. Purple ombre seems like a pretty en pointe inspo considering the color pallete of the movie plus the whole dip dye obsession. So in  an inspired procrastination move, I painted my nails. The bottom coat is called "Storm" and I have no idea what the brand is, as it is one that ganked from my mom and is so old it's lost label. Top coat is OPI, but that color sticker is missing. (My nail polish citation is a real mess).  The background is the awesome wallet E bought on Etsy for me (so awesome that it was RUN OVER WITH A CAR and all my stuff was completely okay)

Ha ha, Jessica Simpson is dumb.

Okay, I feel conflicted about this post, because one of my biggest critiques of Jezebel is that I HATE how a blog that aims to serve a no-nonsense critique of pop culture through a feminist lens (usually successfully) occasionally, conflictingly, tears women down. Case in point from the February 8th Dirt Bag Section:

"Everyone's friend and Dionne's totally on-and-off boyf Donald Faison says that his pregnant wife Cacee Cobb and her pregnant best friend Jessica Simpson think that having their wombs full of cells at the same time is so fetch. 'Imagine if you and your best friend were pregnant at the same time – Cacee's loving it. They hang out all the time anyway, but now they hang out and talk baby stuff, look at baby stuff online, and go shopping for baby stuff together.' A nice break from their usual chats about nuclear fission. "

Months before, a different section of the blog ran the story "Former Us Weekly Editor has some Nerve being Pissed about the Post Baby Body Obsession," which pointed out the hypocrisy in former editor Janice Min's stance on the harsh discussion of women's bodies when she herself made a living on photographs of these women (Simpson is cited by name as one of Min's victims). What strikes me as interesting here is that this article's stance is to defend Simpson's female body against ridicule, while the Dirt Bag gossip dig targets her intellectually. 

I get it, different writers, different rhetorical purposes, and it is just a joke. But at the same time, a site that writes incredible critiques of the wearying, unfunny and CONSTANT barrage of jokes that rely on tired, old stereotypes (feminists are unfunny, guys like boobs, ::ahem:: blondes are dumb) should try and avoid the pitfalls of making them. 

I, by the same token, will try to avoid a similar pitfall of mocking Jezebel in a mean-spirited, self-serving way, (the post label Jezehell not withstanding) but will instead try and critique some of the more problematic aspects of the blog. I think this joke at Simpson's expense is one such problematic moment, in which a closing zinger feels both catty and completely unnecessary and undermines some fo the great work that Jezebel does offer those folks in the middle of the pop culture and feminism venn diagram. 

What I Drew: A Knight's Tale Outfit #2

This outfit came out a little more hippie than medieval, but the point is to give a GREAT BIG THANK YOU to Emily Wexler who sent me this truly beautiful shirt, the bell sleeves of which are EPIC and I have basically been scouring thrift shops for WEEKS looking for something with this shape as an homage to Miz Jocelyn. 

IRL, these pants are SOOO wide that you can barely tell that they are pants. They look more like a pleated maxi, so all together I think maxi plus bell sleeves plus the sort of creamy, linen fabric of the shirt qualify this ensem as A Knight's Tale inspiration outfit. 

What I Drew: A Knight's Tale Outfit # 1

Goodwillin'

The first place I go for any project is obvi Goodwill.  Here are some dressing room snaps:

Clockwise from top left:

1. I liked the shape of those knitted sweater sleeves (or more accurately, my 14 year old self did) but I need another black, open cardigan that is designed to not actually keep you warm like I need, umm...nothing.

2. Those black Victorian booties are my own (Aerosoles, and I believe they are on super sale. P.S. They do teacher discounts, friends). So is the silk skirt, which is another Goowillian find that may or may not be a slip IRL. The jacket is now also my own, as it was the only purchase I made from this trip. I took out the shoulder pads, and when I'm wearing it, I roll the sleeves to downplay the matronly. I was unsure about the colors, but the sheerness and the back ( it is split almost all the way to my shoulder blades) seemed appropriately Jocelyn.

3. The lion detail was from the best blazer EVER, that was ALAS! too small.

4. I really wanted that long, black jacket to work out so that I could embroider on the back, but it seems a bit too clerical, no?

5. And last but not least, the middle, which was a top of an awesome color and texture. Burgundy velvet seems like the epitome of vaguely medieval costume aspiration. However, the vestyness of the piece was...awkward... in the armholes. The trick with success at Goodwill is to strict, even if something is only three bucks. If you don't like it as much as any full price piece, don't buy it.


Overall, I added a little neon photoshop for funsies, and in the spirit of Jocelyn's random color palette face-painting experiments.

Here some things that were amazing OTH, (on the hanger) but not OTB (on the body, specifically mine).

These are hand-to-God leather sweatpants. I had to try them on even though they had a.) nothing to do with A Knight's Tale and b.) obviously looked terrible, as leather sweatpants will.  The little cami was the right color scheme for my current inspiration, but it was like an extra extra small.

I also passed up on a really awesome, totally unrelated jumpsuit that would have required a bandeau, which is not a look I do well.

Trip Grade: C-. I wanted to be super inspired, but all I left with was the top. Oh! and a project- unrelated (non-canon, if you will) striped shirt, which seems to be my sideline obsession, but we can discuss that at a later date.

A Knight's Tale: Runway 2013

Runway 2013 by kathuhleen on Polyvore

Images from Vogue 2013 Fashion Week coverage, Designerz Central & The Fashion Spot. From top left: Acne Spring 2013 Ready to Wear, Maison Martin Margiela Spring 2013 Couture, Valentino Spring 2013 Couture,  Gucci Spring 2013, Tommy Hilfiger Spring 2013 Ready to Wear, Christian Dior Spring 2013 Couture, Gucci Spring 2013, Jean Paul Gaultier Spring 2013 Couture

A few runway looks from the latest shows that seemed particularly relevant to my midwinter project. The overall conclusion? VIVA LA MAXI!

All images are screenshots taken from the film

A recent rewatch on Crackle reminded me that this movie has INCREDIBLE style.  While the 1972 Rolling Stones tour is cited as direct fashion inspiration for the gents, I am OBVI more interested in the ensems of Jocelyn, the leading lady.  I find the face-paint a little proto-hipster, (I mean, good call for a movie made in 2006) but the maxi lengths, sheer accents, ombro dip dyes, elaborate hairstyles, (WHY don't we–and by 'we' I mean society as a hole, 'cause  I actually do–wear HATS anymore?) goth jewelry, bell sleeves, and heraldic embroidery are all begging for some DIY.  So, without further ado, I present A KNIGHT'S TALE as my month-long inspiration project.