Shared: What's in the bag? WHAT'S IN THE BAG??

As a kid... heck, even now... my favorite time of day to be out and about is dusk because it's light enough for people to keep their curtains open but dark enough so they need to turn on the lights inside.  I love catching glimpses of people doing everyday, mundane things like eating dinner, doing the dishes, talking on the phone, watching TV, etc.  The types of things that aren't private but aren't meant for audiences, either.

Surprisingly, I've only ever caught a sexual act once while driving through a neighborhood and it made me blush.

Before anyone gets upset, I am not a Peeping Tom nor do I stop and stalk people.  It's just a weird, random, 3-second thing that amuses me if I happen to be driving past houses on my way somewhere else.  Though, I always tell Andy that when I die, I plan on coming back as ghost and spying on the mundane parts of people's lives.

So it should be no surprise that it fascinates me when bloggers do a post of what they carry inside their purse or bag.  I love that rare peek into the private yet mundane.  And since I now have a fancy lady grown up purse, I thought it'd be fun to do my own. :)

From Unique Vintage

Up until about a month ago, I was pretty much a messenger bag kind of girl with the occasional break to carry a backpack.  There's always just been more stuff that I wanted to lug around with me than a purse could carry.  My tablet, books, paper, Sharpies (I'm a doodler and a list maker), etc.  Unfortunately, I started to notice that my shoulder was always hurting, likely from the weight.

I was online trying to find a cool coffin-shaped bag to put make up in when I came across this coffin-shaped purse.  I fell in love with it immediately but sat on it for a couple of weeks before finally treating myself to it.  At $52, I've never spent that much for a bag and I never pay full price for things that are a want vs a need.  And a purse?  I've never carried a purse.  How would I fit all my things in it?

The essentials plus a few extras fit perfectly!

So I made a list of the essentials I thought I would need when not at work and realized I could make this work.  Everything else could just go in a tote bag when needed.

This is everything that I carry in my fancy grown up lady purse now... minus my phone.  My phone slips into the front pocket of the bag but I used it to take the pictures so I don't have a picture of my phone itself.

Lips make up bag: June Ipsy bag
Wallet: Loungefly
Fan: Amazon
Keys: Mine :)

My R2D2 wallet from Loungefly fit perfectly!  That was important.  And, of course, the stuff inside the Ipsy bag are not essentials but I like having them with me, just in case.

Blistex Medicated (I love the tingle): Drugstore
Compact with blotter sheets: Wish
Pen: random
Pacifica Indian Coconut Nectar Perfume roller: my July Ipsy bag
Cheap eyeliner for emergency fixes or skin doodles: Drugstore
Lip gloss selection: Torrid and the drugstore

I know that the 5 lip glosses are far from essential but I like to have options and change throughout the day.  Plus, the bag has lips on it.  It needs to carry lip stuff in it.  That's just common sense. ;)

I just got the perfume roller and am loving it.  It has a beachy, coconut smell which is yummy and makes me feel like I've been outside even though I avoid sunlight like a good little vampire bat.  LOL

In the tote bag (which changes almost daily) I always have my tablet, my medications, my wedding planning list book, and a zippered bag with pens, notepads, Aleve/Tylenol, etc.  Other stuff moves in and out depending on my mood. And some days, like today, I leave it at home because I don't foresee needing the contents while at work.  I just throw my meds into my lunch bag and call it good.

What are your essentials that you carry in your purse or bag or pockets?

Wore: Hip Bone's Connected To My Neck Bone

Obviously *MY* hips are not bony.  Although, if you press hard enough through my Pillsbury Dough Boy exterior hard enough, you might feel my bones. :)  I'm squishy! :D

Necklace: Wish

The chain on this is a skosh longer than I would like but I don't know yet if I want to shorten it at all... even after all the times I've worn it.  I do love that this cameo does more than just the rib cage and includes the pelvis, though.  It's a nice break from a "traditional" rib cage cameo.

Does anyone else have a "Grease" flashback when they hear the word "pelvis"?

Elvis!  Elvis!  Can it be?  Keep that pelvis faaaar from me!
Elvis Shrine in the entrance of Chuy's in Atlanta

I wore my hip bones with a new dress that I got from Torrid recently.  I love the fabric and I love the way it enhances my boobages but I'm not sure if I like the way it fits me below that.  I feel like it clings to my stomach too much but that could also just be the way that blasted overhead light in the restroom is hitting my body.

Dress: Torrid
Leggings: Torrid
Shoes: Hot Chocolate Designs

I felt cute when I left the apartment this morning but hair went super wonky on me (hence my headlessness), my eyeliner attempt makes me look like Hatchet Face and the dress feels awkward.  I kinda wish I could go home and change, to be frank.

What do you think?  Is this awkward or am I just feeling uneasy in my skin today?  Does that ever happen to you?

Thought: I Might Be a Goth

This past Saturday, Andy and I ventured out of the apartment and into the fiery pits of Hell blazing Atlanta sun so he could get his hair and beard trimmed at Mary Todd Hair Co.  With his long dark blonde hair and beard, Andy definitely looks like a modern day Viking which I love so I was a little worried that it was going to be a drastic change.  Fortunately, I was able to book the appointment with Cc so I knew Andy was in good hands.  Cc is the person to cut my hair *short* way back in 2006* and I haven't looked back!

Cc going over his suggestions for Andy's beard trim.  Andy only got about 6" trimmed from his hair so he still looks like my viking. :)

While Andy was getting made even more boo-ti-ful, I sat in the little reception area by the register and one of the girls who worked there commented on my cute coffin shaped purse.  Even though it was a Saturday and was supposed to be my pajama day, I got dressed and wore one of usual little black dresses, leggings, bone shoes, etc.  There was another stylist sitting behind the register and she asked me if I heard that they were playing Bauhaus earlier.

Now, I am familiar with the fact that they are a Goth band.  I also know they have a song called Bella Lugosi's Dead.  I've even listened to them on purpose before.  But I could not tell you what you they sound like or be able to pick them out of an audio line up (unless I heard the lyric "Bella Lugosi's Dead").  I actually don't listen to a lot of music in general because my brain does not translate sounds properly all the time and gets really confused by a lot of music, especially the more complex sounds.  I have to hear a song many, many times before it starts to sound familiar and I have to listen to a band way more than that before I can pick up their nuances.

Also, Goth bands are something that only recently came onto my radar so I haven't had the chance to listen to any of them a lot.  I will tell you, though, that I really like what I've heard of Siouxsie & the Banshees and The Cure.  I still couldn't pick them out if my life depended on it but they are the ones I am concentrating on learning right now the rare times I do listen to music.

So... back to Bauhaus.  I told girl #2 that I didn't pick up on it when it played earlier because I wasn't yet familiar with them.

Spotted down the block from Mary Todd Hair Co.

She looked me straight in the eye and said "Oh.  I'm sorry.  I just assumed you were Goth."  Then started talk to someone else.

It wasn't what she said that bothered me but HOW she said it.  Like I was a poser giving Goth's a bad name.  I've never really considered myself Goth or anything specific for that matter.  I dress the way I want to dress, decorate the way I want to decorate, etc.  In the past, I've had people tell me that I'm "too happy to be Goth" or "too pink to be Goth"so I just accepted that.  It's only been more recently that I've started to embrace the label as one of many ways to describe myself, especially since I discovered a number of beloved Goth blogs a few years ago that I silently lurked for quite a while before commenting.

On Sunday, I went and got my hair trimmed at Three-13 where my stylist, Riley, commented on my purse (I love my purse!) and my hearse necklace.  That got us to talking about the comment I received the day before and how it kind of hurt my feelings even though I'd never used the term "Goth" to describe myself.

From behind Riley, a voice asked if he could butt in.  It was another stylist who works there who looks like a vampire boy: tall, abnormally skinny, long dark hair, black skinny jeans with platform boots, long black nails, etc.  He said, "Honey, in my eyes, you *are* Goth.  You've got the look and you've got the interests.  Ignore that bitch and stay spooky."

I felt validated. :)

I refreshed my hair color and got a much needed trim.

I've come to realize that you don't HAVE to listen to the music or read from a select list of books to be a part of the subculture in some way, shape or form.  That had been my belief since I first became aware of the Goth movement back in junior high, mainly because that's what the Goth girls I knew in the upper grades told me.  (Oh, how I admired them for expressing themselves even in the face of ridicule in my small town school!)

• 98% of my wardrobe is black
• 98% of my jewelry is on the spooky side
• I have a deep unabashed love for skulls, coffins, hearses, bats, spider webs, Halloween, horror movies, blood splatter, etc.
• I have a vast appreciation for memento mori and the macabre in general

I think I might be Goth. :)

I ran out of plastic caps to cover my hair during the color process so I went all trailer park and used a grocery bag.  I'm so purty!

* In 2006, I was tired of my boring, mousy look so I went to Three-13 and was given an appointment with Cc.  I told him I wanted something artsy, something fun, and something funky and I was fine with chopping off my hair which was halfway down my back at the time.  He ended up shaving the back of my head and giving me an asymmetrical bob.  A few months later, I went from my natural reddish hair to black and pink.  Cc moved on to Mary Todd and I occasionally go and see him but I am back at Three-13 with Riley just due to convenience since it's near the building where Andy works.  I also color my own hair now, too, instead of paying all those $$$ to have someone else do it. 

Wore: You can see my bones!

It's not unusual for my friends to say "I saw <insert something skull related here> and thought of you!"  I do love skulls.  A lot!  So much so that I was mentioned on Skull-A-Day way back in the before time!  I no longer maintain the website mentioned in the blurb but I still own it, just in case. :)

I am not just a skull lover, though.  I also love other bony parts (giggity?) and all things anatomical (giggity giggity goo?).  As an example, anatomical hearts and rib cages are a more recent obsession for me.  Off the top of my head, I can think of 5 heart necklaces, 3 rib cage necklaces, and 2 rib cage shirts that I own.

This is one that I wore recently:

Necklace: Wish

It bothers the nerd in me that the heart is on the outside of the rib cage but I get over it pretty easily. :)

On the day I took this picture, I wore it with the other 1 of my 2 basic looks: short black dress with black leggings.  And when I say short, I mean short for me.  Even with leggings, I still don't go much above the knee.  :)  I do not like having my legs exposed at all because of how misshapen and discolored they are.  When I discovered how comfortable leggings are, it pretty much changed my fashion sense because LBDs were now a possibility!

(*holds up one hand and places other hand over heart*)  I, Sarrah Settarra, promise to never wear leggings as pants.  Amen.

Dress: Torrid
Leggings: Torrid
Shoes: Hot Chocolate Designs

The lighting in the restroom at work casts a weird shadow over my face but it's the only place I can stand to get a full body shot.  I feel like I should be telling ghost stories to kids at camp!

These shoes are my mostest absolute favoritest!  I got them over on Amazon and they are a bit spendy indeed but they were worth it for my cloven hooves.  I was born missing a phalange in each foot so they curve weird, making my feet wide but with narrow heels.  That makes it really difficult for me to buy shoes but these are soft and curve with my feet.  I just had to add heel grips to the back and they were perfect!

Hot Chocolate Designs on Amazon

When I got these in the mail, I couldn't wait to try them on but I was trying very hard to not get my hopes up.  When I was able to buckle them and walk without them hurting, I cried.  I've not been able to wear cute shoes for most of my adult life.  It's so weird to get complimented on my shoes now, too.  That's never happened to me before because my shoes were... well... utilitarian up until now.

I do already have another pair from this shop that you'll see soon and will be ordering a pair for with my wedding dress.  If I could afford it, I wold order way more pairs than I really need. :)

Wore: A hearse! A hearse! My queendom for a hearse!

I know it's cliche but one of my dream cars is a vintage hearse painted either dark purple or dark green with a black top and white wall tires.  Kind of like this one:

Source

I've always loved the aesthetics of hearses plus the fact that they make the necessary transportation of our loved ones into something special instead of just throwing the casket in the back of a van or strapping it to the top of a Toyota.

I recently discovered that there are 2! dealerships near me that sell new and used so who knows?  Maybe some day. :)

In the mean time, I can live vicariously through people on the internet and jewelry!

Necklace: ProjectPinUpAccessories.com

I got this from Project Pin Up Accessories and had to switch out the chain for a slightly longer black cord.  I love that the headlights are actually crystals!  Because the pendant is on the larger side, I have to wear it with tops that have more open necklines otherwise it just looks awkward but I absolutely love it.

I have no way of getting decent outfit shots but here's one of my 2 typical looks :

Top: SWAK Designs
Skirt: Jessica London
Necklace: Project Pin Up Accessories
Bracelet: Lane Bryant (from about 12-15 years ago)

I look so shapeless in this photo!  My apartment is too small and dark for pics like this so I have to use the mirror at work.  Unfortunately, it has a small wall right in front of it so I have to get really close to the mirror in order to see all of me and there's not a lot of room for fancy poses.

Since the details blend, the skirt is a jersey knit floor length piece of heaven and the top is a jersey knit with a high-low hem.  Most of my clothes are jersey knit, actually.  I have extremely sensitive skin so I tend to stay with soft fabrics in order to make it through the day.

I don't really wear a lot of make up unless we are going out for the evening.  For work, on a good day, it's just a little eyeliner and a touch of lip gloss.  If my skin is especially red that day, I might wear a little primer to even things out.

Here I am with no make up at all first thing in the morning with no caffeine.  I was not feeling well all weekend and still felt horrible that morning but managed to at least get myself dressed and to work.  I didn't even fix my hair!  I don't really see many people during the day so I let my sleepy eye bags fly free.  :D

Made: Bearly Dreadfuls for the wedding

For Halloween 2016, I dressed up as a dolly that I named Little Sally Smiles-A-Lot and carried around a frankenbear that I made named Mortimer.

People thought I was creepy (which is what I was going for) but Mortimer got all sorts of attention!  After that, Andy asked me to make him a bear which he brought to work and several of our coworkers have since purchased others from me.  I decided to call them Bearly Dreadfuls and will be opening up an Etsy shop in about 6 months at the latest.

The reason I am waiting to open up a shop is because I have been busy making a bunch of them for the wedding.

Wait... what?  Making creepy bears for a wedding?!?

Yep!  They are acting as our centerpieces, complete with paper roses that I also made.  Each one for the wedding is also decked out in a rainbow bow tie or hair bow since rainbows are an underlying theme for our shindig.  One,  I love all the colors and B) gay marriage rights are very important to us even though we, technically, are a hetero couple.

Here's a little sneak peak of a few that I finished over the weekend.

I have so much fun making these!  There's just something cathartic about cutting apart stuffed animals and sewing them back together again.

I never use brand new bears when making my Bearly Dreadfuls.  I either thrift them or take donations from people.  Even the yarn I used is reused/recycled.  I'm currently using strands from a grey sweater I picked up in a thrift shop quite a while ago.  I usually end up buying 20-30 at a time so I often wonder what the cashiers think when I come up to the counter.  In my mind, they are thinking that I am making some kids really, really happy.  Little do they know!  <insert evil laughter here>

The buttons I use for their eyes are new, though.  Mainly because it's impossible to find cheap bulk buttons in the thrift shops around me.  But I think the bears deserve something new and shiny before kiss them on the nose when they are done.

Yep, I kiss each and everyone on the nose when I am finished.  That's the magic that brings them back to life.  ;)

I only name the ones I am going to keep.  It's easier for me to let them go that way because I get way too attached.  LOL

In the Midwest where I grew up, it's common for people to take wedding centerpieces home at the end of the reception.  Apparently, that's not a thing here in Georgia so we're going to make sure we let people know that they can adopt one of the 16 wedding bears that will be there.

Bought: Bride of Frankie necklace and more!

Horror movies have always been a huge part of my life.  Mom jokes that I've been watching them since before I was born because she's been a horror buff most of her life, too.  When I was really little and we still lived in Duluth, MN, Mom would take me to see double features at the drive in (which was sadly demolished many years ago).

Skyline Drive-In Theater, Duluth, MN

There was usually a family friendly movie followed by a horror flick, the thought being most kids will fall asleep during the kid movie anyway (since the movies started after sun down in the summer).  I've never been a sleeper, though, and Mom would let me stay up in the back seat to watch the horror movie.  Even as a child with an extremely over-active imagination, I was never prone to nightmares from the monsters, blood, etc.

So when I saw this Bride of Frankie necklace over on Cats Like Us, I knew she had to be mine!

Bride of Frankie by Jubly Umph at catslikeus.com

This has been one of the few necklaces that I haven't needed to put on a new cord due to length.  It hits me exactly where I like it!

While on the site, I also picked up this cute little bat brooch which now lives on my wall at work.  He's guarding my wedding countdown sheet and likes to talk to my mini self-portrait.

Very Eerie Black Bat Pin by Lumpy Buttons at catslikeus.com

It may be hard to see in the pic but only 155 days until the wedding!  Don't worry, there WILL be wedding posts coming soon.  LOL

Of course, I had to get something for Andy since they actually carry shirts in his size.  I love retro and vintage fashion but most plus size shops don't go quite large enough for my celestial shape.  ;)  Andy loves the look of work shirts and rockabilly shirts so I made sure to get him one that was not work appropriate!  He hasn't worn it yet but here's the pic from the site.

Bettie Page Card Suit Shirt by Steady Clothing at catslikeus.com

I mean, who doesn't like Bettie Page?  Hitler.  Hitler doesn't like Bettie Page.  This was also fitting for Andy because he used to be a professional poker player.  I can't wait to see it on him!

Just in case you are curious about us, here's a picture of us from a few years ago.  We both look the same although my short hairstyle and glasses have changed shape but not color.  This is also a very rare shot of me in the sun without my parasol up!  I took it down just long enough for the picture and the sun immediately started to nom on me.  Stupid day star.

Have a wonderful weekend and stay cool!

Made: past Christmas/Yule gifts

I have always been my most happy when I am doing something creative, whether it's drawing, doodling, sewing, painting, cutting shapes out of bits of paper, cooking, or arranging Skittles into patterns or pictures.  When I am making something, all is right with the world and my heart.

A bonus to this innate need I have, it's a great way to save money on gifts for people!  I love receiving homemade gifts (though it rarely happens) as much as I love creating something for the people I love.  I did that way back in college and got out of the practice once I was working and had more liquid finances.  After getting divorced a couple of years ago, it was the perfect opportunity to get into that practice.

In 2015, my obsession was drawing on my tablet so I drew things for my family, printed them out and framed the pictures.  People seemed to like them or were at least good at hiding their disappointment if they didn't!  Ha ha!

Here are my favorites!

Sister: she had posted a selfie of her and my 2 nephews on Facebook so I used that to create this:

Oldest Nephew: his birthday is 2 days after Christmas so I drew him 2 things and wrapped them separately so he could open one each day.  At the time, his favorite video game was Fallout 4 and his favorite TV show was The Regular Show so I did a mash up of those 2 things:

Younger Nephew: he was really into superheroes so I drew him as one!

Mom:  She was remodelling her kitchen with a Tuscan theme so I thought this was fitting.

Dad: Being from Minnesota and a football fan, this only made sense. :)

Andy (my fiance): He is a geek of all kinds (books, movies, comic books, music, etc.) so I did my version of Star Wars characters. :)

I'm sure yet what I'm going to make for gifts this year... hmm....

Starting out

New blog with no posts yet... just playing with all the settings for now.  More to come tomorrow!