Wore: Streaky!

With a lot of my clothes looking pretty similar, it becomes an extra challenge to try styling them differently.  So I decided to see if wearing some of my sleeveless dresses over a shirt would work for me.  I think this one is pretty much a win.  At least a tie.  LOL

Dress & leggings: New Look
Shoes: Hot Chocolate Design
Shirt: Torrid

Unfortunately, this is the only usable shot I was able to get because the mirror had a HUGE streak going down it that I didn't see until it was too late.  You can see it coming down from between my chin(s) and the phone over my boobages.  Also, my tummy is quite bloated here because I said fuck it and had wheat the night before.  It makes me sick every time and I feel hungover the next day but sometimes it's just worth it!  (mmm... pizza...)  I'm just glad it's a sensitivity and not an allergy or Celiacs (as far as has been determined, anyway)..

Oh!  And I finally got my hair cut and recolored it.  I ended up seeing a new guy because the girl I was seeing left.  When I say new, I mean NEW.  He'd only been there for 5 months and this is his first haircutting gig.  He had mentioned that he was a soldier then a welder before this so I asked him why he made that career change.  He was very honest: "Women in yoga pants."  LOL  He's also a single dad with an 8 year old girl so he figured this would be a good way to learn "girlie shit" before she's old enough to start asking about hair and makeup.  He was crass, rude, and FUNNY!  He did a good job on my hair, too, so I'll probably see him next time. :)

Here are a few random pics of necklaces that I've worn over the past weeks.  The outfits were all posted previously.

I paired Frankie's Bride with a brain. :)
Bride of Frankie: Cats Like Us
Brain: Wish

Mermaid Skeleton: Wish
They came as a pair and I added one to a black cord.  I'm not sure what I am going to do with her mate, though.

Bacon necklace: gift from Andy

Wore: She Wore Black Velvet

When I was a little girl, I always wanted a red velvet dress with a big puffy white bottom to wear for the holidays.  Mom, of course, always nixed the idea because we had cats and dogs and the upkeep for velvet clothing was a bugger.

Source

There have been a number of times in my adult years where I have talked myself out velvety goodness because 1) they'd be too warm, 2) I have cats, 3) the exceeded a price my frugal nature was comfortable with.

Then, one day in my online window shopping travels, I came across a black velvet dress that was in my size, had short sleeves, AND was on super sale.  It took me a few months to get up the courage to wear it after I got it because I was scared of attracting lint plus I had no idea how warm it might actually be.

Oh, no!!! I lost an arm!!!
Dress: Hot Topic online
Leggings: New Look

It's not the most flattering cut on me and doesn't drape as well as other fabrics I wear but I still felt decadent.  :)  I was also worried that the back would be too revealing but it worked out okay.  I just had to make sure my bra straps were pushed down my shoulders slightly.

Oh, the scandal of bare back skin! ;-)

I didn't know when I ordered the dress, though, that it had a wonderful subtle design!

One of the reasons I decided to buck up and wear the dress is because I got a new pair of shoes from Hot Chocolate Design that also have a velvety finish.

You can really see the way my feet curve in this pic!

I really had to think hard about these shoes.  I love the overall design and the silhouette on the left shoe.  And bow makes my inner 3-year-old princess swoon.   But I was worried that the cross would be sacrilegious or offensive to Christians in some way, especially since I am not Christian myself.   I am still a little iffy on that so would love to hear feedback in that regard.  As a Pagan, I don't get offended by non-Pagans wearing pentagrams, etc. based on the design aesthetics so I'd like to think it's the same in the opposite direction?

Anyway, I also decided to dig out one of my retired necklaces to wear with this.  I can't get a good pic of it, unfortunately, because of how shiny it is.

Necklace: Cute and Creepy Inc
Unfortunately, she no longer makes necklaces :(

The image looks like a Victorian death photo that's been doctored to look like a vampire.  I don't wear it very often because the back leaves a big green square on my skin, even after sealing it with clear nail polish, but sometimes it's just worth it. :)

Shared: Sarrahs That Say "Knee!"

I have finally seen the orthopedist and it didn't go quite as I had thought it would.  He confirmed the torn meniscus and the torn ACL but said there's not much he can do about either.  The arthritis is so bad in my knee that it is tearing the mensicus away which, in his words, is not bad because it will eventually wear a groove.  If he fixed it, then it would just tear more.

The outfit I wore for my ortho appointment
Top: Torrid
Skirt: Jessica London
Necklace: Cameo I put together
Fancy lady purse: Unique Vintage

He also said that I will almost certainly need knee replacement surgery in about 10-20 years.

I asked what I can do in the mean time for the pain which has been leaving me in tears way more than I'd like.  He said to take Tylenol Arthritis and Aleve (which I've been doing since this started in July with no relief).  He also gave me a steroid shot in my knee which, unbeknownst to me, made my knee hurt WAAAAAAY worse.  I bawled the entire way home from the pain.  A couple days, later, fortunately, there was marked improvement to the pain and mobility and it's been slowly feeling better.  He also gave me an anti-inflammatory medication which seems to be helping as well.

Random outfit from a few days later
Dress: Torrid
Leggings: New Look
Shoes: Hot Chocolate Design

He gave me sheets with knee exercises that I can start doing now that my knee feels a little better but it was a very frustrating experience.  I'm not sure how long the steroid shot is supposed to last but if/when I start to have issues again, I am going to ask to see a different doctor, I think.

I'm just glad that it's at least improved even if it hasn't improved 100%.

And just because I feel weird only having two pics (I prefer odd numbers), here is a picture of my rings. :)

Wore: Moment of bravery

As I've mentioned previously, I'm trying to get comfortable with wearing prints.  It's not easy for me but I'm trying.  Sometimes they say the best way to get over something is to throw yourself right into the heart of it.  So why not a full body print?

Dress: Torrid
Shrug: I don't remember, I've had it forever

I actually wore this and took pics a few weeks ago so I am still in my pained, sleep-deprived state here but hopefully the pic is too small for anyone else to notice. LOL

I actually really like this dress, probably because I was swathed in skulls all day.  Almost a dream come true!  It's a bit sheer, though, so I had to wear a tank top and shorts under it.  One thing I don't like about is the fact that it has spaghetti straps which are not flattering on girls built like me.

Edit: As I look over this post, I realize this dress is doing my body no favors.  LOL  Is it just me or do I look a lot heavier in this dress than I do in a lot of my other clothing?

But, in a rare moment of bravery, I decided to take a pic that shows my upper arms.  (*gasp*) (*shock*)

I am *VERY* self-conscious of my upper arms because of how they are largely disproportionate to my lower arms.  I mean, I *do* love my grandma wings on my biceps that I may or may not flap in the mirror after each shower but I don't necessarily like showing them off.

Since I was being brave with my arms, I decided this would a good opportunity to show the tattoos I have there as well.

I even reversed the mirror image so they'd be the right way in the pics. :)

This was done by 2 different artists.  The heart and skull in the middle was done by my ex-brother-in-law and was the 40th tattoo he'd ever done.  I had asked him for a skull and heart and he came up with the idea of a tattered patchwork heart because he'd heard about some of the bad things I'd gone through in my life but I still came out a warm, loving person.  Unfortunately, the ink he had was not that great so it faded poorly.  When I got the art supplies tattooed around the heart, the artist (Flaco from All Or Nothing) fixed the color but colored right over some of the shading, etc. without redoing it.  I need to get that touched up at some point.

I helped design this tattoo with an artist at Anchor's End Tattoo in Duluth, MN.  I can't remember his name which makes me sad because I remember the names of all my other artists. :(

I designed the SisteR which is my initial and my sister's initial intertwined.  The colors are our birthstone colors: purple/amethyst for February and green/emerald for May.  The artist came up with the art deco style scroll work then together we decided it also needed the colored dots.  My sister has this same one on her ankle.

Necklace: Wish

I wish I was brave/confident/comfortable enough to walk around in public in tank tops.  I do around the apartment all the time.  I even wear shorts and short dresses with no leggings at home as well.

What are your self-conscious areas and how do you deal with them?

Unrelated selfie from a different day - just because I was feeling cute. :)
Dress: Torrid

Wore: Bats in the Shadows

You've probably noticed this already but if you haven't, I'll point it out: I don't really like to wear prints.  I love prints on other people but I feel so completely out of my element when I wear them myself so the few print items I have are usually delegated to lounge clothes for home only.

I'm trying very hard to get over that.

This is one of my baby steps into the world of graphic prints in public:

Leggings: Hot Topic online
Shoes: Hot Chocolate Designs

This was also my test to see if the plus size leggings on HotTopic.com would actually fit me.  And they do!  Yay!

I know a lot of people aren't fans of Hot Topic and I completely get it.  I rarely step foot inside the store unless I have to go to the mall for some other reason (though I try to avoid that as much as I can).   Online, though, it's a good source for skully clothes in my size. :)

I've worn these a few times now with various dresses and they are starting to grow on me.

Dress: New Look

I also get compliments from strangers whenever I wear them so that helps!  I love getting compliments from Andy, friends, coworkers,etc. but when someone I don't know feels the need to to say something, it just makes my day even more.  

I think I will have to start paying attention to other prints now.  :)

I tried to get a pic of my necklace but no matter what I did, it was cast in a shadow.

Necklace: Wish

I adore Peter Pan collars and this necklace has that feel.  When I got it, there was just a single ring between the 2 halves so the black gemstone would flip up and down when I moved.  That was a bit annoying so I added 2 more rings and put the gem on the center.  Problem solved!  I also had to add a 3" extender to accommodate my larger neck. That's usually a given for me, though, no matter what weight I am.

Selfies always make my nose look bigger.  LOL

How do you feel about prints?  Love 'em?  Hate 'em?

Wore: On Wednesdays, We Wear Pink

"Mean Girls" is one of my guilty pleasure movies.  It's not a "good" movie by any means but it's entertaining.  It also makes me laugh at High School Me because of how hard I tried to fit in to stop from being teased so badly.  The "mean girls" in my school were nowhere to that level but I grew up in a small town in Northern Minnesota.  My graduating class only had 74 kids so it was harder to get away that sort of behavior.  Unfortunately, it made it harder to hide to avoid the tamed down version of that sort of behavior, too.

My favorite line from that movie was "On Wednesdays, we wear pink" so imagine my glee when "American Horror Story: Coven" adapted it to "On Wednesdays, we wear black."  :)  

Source

With the exception of the black nylon knee socks, I'd wear any one of those outfits though I don't think I could pull off the on on the left.  I'm not that chic. 

I love hats.  I really should wear hats more often.  

Anyway, when I got dressed this morning, I realized I was doing a mash up of both.  And since it is Wednesday, I tried to pull off a "mean girl" face.  Nailed it?  LOL

This is one of MANY attempts:

Shrug: I've had it for so long, I don't remember
Dress: New Look
Leggings: Torrid
Shoes: Hot Chocolate Designs (I told you they were my favorites)

Being mean is just not in my nature.  Gleefully sadistic? Sure!  Happily macabre?  You got it!  Morbidly cute?  It's my state of being.  But mean?  No clue.   My phone was nice and made them all my attempts into an animation for me. :)

I forgot to take a "normal" pic, though.  Oops!  

I got my pink nerd robot necklace at the gift shop at the base of the Incline Railway at Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, TN a while back when my ex and I used to go on road trips.  He doesn't get worn as much as he used to (since I discovered Wish and have a lot of jewelry to choose from now) but he's still one of my favorites. 

I am really looking forward to the 7th season of American Horror Story.  We don't have cable, though, just internet so we'll either need to wait until the whole season comes out or find another way to watch it.  I may even open up my coin purse and pay for it if I get desperate enough.  :)

Wore: It's ME!

My knee is getting worse, to the point where driving almost brings me to tears and it wakes me up at night.  Unfortunately, I can't get in to see an orthopedist for over 3 weeks.  But because I am not sleeping well, I am drinking a lot more caffeine during the day.

Caffeine (and sugar) affect me the way it would a 5-year-old.  When I pick Andy up from work, he can tell when I've had more than usual (or if someone had cake or donuts at work that day).  I think this pic sort of illustrates this:

Dress: SWAK Design
Leggings: New Look
Shoes: Hot Chocolate Designs
Necklaces: gifts from Andy

This was the only picture I took where I wasn't blurry.  LOL

Here's a close up of my beloved Nightmare Before Christmas necklaces that Andy got me for Yule:

The bottom one is actually 2 halves that are meant to be BFF necklaces but I put them together on one long chain instead.  I almost always wear the 2 necklaces together.  I've read that some people think Nightmare Before Christmas is overrated and overdone but I don't care.  It's still one of my favorite movies. :)

Because of the knee pain being overwhelming, we've been using a free trial of Fresh Cart on Amazon Prime to have groceries delivered to us which has been SO NICE!  They don't have everything we need so Andy still has to run in to get a few of his essentials but it's better than putting the whole grocery trip on him while I sit out in the minivan.

We also got really behind on laundry since we don't have a washer/dryer in our apartment.  We decided that we could afford to use a laundry service to get caught up so I found a good one that also had free pick up.  And it really was free.  Most other places I looked at charged more per pound to cover their "free" service.  Pfft.  I can math!

It felt weird sending my clothes out with some stranger.  Especially because it was such a large chunk of my wardrobe.  What if they ruined it?  What if they stole it?  What if it ended up on the black market??  Andy told me to calm my imagination down.  :)  

We had them pick up the clothes on Thursday afternoon (Andy's day off) and drop them back off Saturday when we were home.  All the clothes came back and they were folded so nicely.  Even my bras and underwear.  I never fold my undergarments.

Sidia wasted no time and jumped on everything as soon as we laid it on the bed.  Every time I open a drawer, I am still amazed at how neatly everything is folded.  All the things that are different sizes are folded to be the same size and quite compact without folds or wrinkles.  I'm really not sure how they did that!  It just showed me how much I am lacking when it comes to domestic skills. :)

Just so he doesn't get jealous, here's a picture of Rustle in a rare moment of stillness.  (That's why his name is a verb and not a noun.)

Lastly, Andy bought me a Baby Groot doll who has quickly become best friends with Claude van Dumm.  They are pretty much inseparable at this point.  Their conversations crack me up, though!  They basically go like this:

(*singing*) "My name is Claude van Dumm Dumm Dumm!"

"I am Groot!"

"My name is Claude"

"I am Groot?"

(*singing*)  "van Dumm Dumm Dumm!"

"I am Groot."

"And my name is Claude."

"I am... Groot."

"Your name is Groot?"

"I am Groot!"

(*singing*) "My name is Claude van Dumm Dumm Dumm!"

"I am Groot."

(*singing*) "Van Groot Groot Groot!"

Shared: Wedding - My Dress

I had an MRI yesterday for my knee and, honestly, I am regretting it today.  The MRI itself wasn't bad but I had to lay on my back with my leg in a very uncomfortable position for over an hour.  I couldn't move it at all and I was reduced to tears more than once due to the pain and my whole body hurts today because of it.  Right now, my knee is hovering at about 7 on the pain scale.

My appointment with an orthopedist isn't until the end of the month so I have to deal with this pain for another 4 weeks.

(*sigh*)

So, instead of wallowing in my misery, I want to share my wedding dress.  Yay!  :D

When Andy and I first talked about getting married, I told him I wanted a black corset with a black floor length tutu that had enough tulle to knock over a small child.  He said he wasn't a fan of his bride wearing all black to the wedding and, while that is my typical color palette, I could respect that.  So I changed it to a dark red corset. :)

Because of my size and shape, I knew from experience that I'd likely have to get one custom made so I started pricing them.  Unfortunately, the corset alone was turning out to be more than my $400 budget (I'm a frugal bargain hunter LOL) unless I wanted a leather one (which I didn't).  So after A LOT of online browsing finally settled on this:

from Kiyonna

The fit on me is a little different with the bottom of the dress being less fitted.  I got it at 40% off so the dress was only $113.  I liked the dress okay and tried as I might to love it, I just didn't.  It wasn't what I wanted and it felt so matronly to me.  But I was going to make it work.

Andy was trying to convince me that I should just get what I wanted since it's our wedding day but I just couldn't justify in my mind spending that kind of money on something that I will probably wear up to 3 times in my life.

Then the Wedding Dress Gods smiled upon me.  During lunch one day, I did a Google search for plus size goth clothes so I could do some window shopping and was directed to a post on The Everyday Goth which is a blog I've lurked followed for quite a while.  But since I wasn't in the market for clothes at that time, I forgot she had made this post.

One of the stores she listed was Corset Story.  I didn't have high hopes based on experience with other corset shops online but I found this:

from Corset Story

Not only did it claim to be in a size to fit me, it was also surprisingly inexpensive at just $159 plus $6.50 for shipping.  After checking out their return policy, I decided it was worth a shot and gave it an order.  I tried very hard to not get my hopes up.  I tired and I tried and I tried.  When I got it... it fit perfectly!  Thankfully, Andy knows how to lace up a corset. :)

Then a few days later, I lucked out again during some normal window shopping and found this skirt on Amazon Prime for just $42. :)

from Amazon (comes in a lot of different colors and sizes)

It's not enough tulle to knock over a small child but with the natural padding on my hips and butt, you can't tell.

Since the corset leaves me feeling a bit exposed, I picked up a lace body suit from Torrid for about $36 to wear under it:

from Torrid

I'm not going to count the shipping fee from Torrid because I ordered a few other things from there as well.  Even if you include the dress from Kiyonna that I'm NOT wearing for the wedding, I only spent $356 which is still under my initial $400 budget. :) I will likely change into the "backup dress" during the reception or later in the night when I can't handle being bound up in the corset anymore.

Oh, the shoes!  I don't have them yet but I am going to get these from Hot Chocolate Designs.  I know the red doesn't match the corset but they will be mostly hidden anyway.  Plus, it's a good excuse to add them to my small footwear rotation. ;)

from Hot Chocolate Designs on Amazon

For jewelry and accessories, I am not 100% sure what I will be wearing yet.  I like to have options since my mood changes from one to the next so I have about 3 headpieces, 3 necklaces, and 2 pairs of earrings that I will decide between the day of the wedding.  I already own most of them and only picked up 2 of the head pieces and 1 of the necklaces to add to the option list.  All 3 are from Wish so I only spent about $10 with shipping.  I also have 3 pairs of fancy black lace long fingerless gloves coming from Wish as well.  So maybe $20 total spent on accessories.

All in all, I think I did pretty well with my choices and was able to get what I really wanted.  Yay! :D

Wore: Mmm... Ribs

As the wedding grows near (108 days away, if you are curious), I am:
     Super excited - I am literally marrying my best friend
     A little nervous - this isn't a first marriage for either of us
     Kind of anxious - I am mostly done with my DIY stuff but I still get a panicky when I think of what's left to do
     Super excited - both our families are going to be in GA for the wedding weekend
     A little nervous - this will be the first time both sides will meet each other
     A little sad - I keep thinking about the people who have passed who won't be here to share in the day

Specifically, I keep thinking about Andy's favorite cousin who was like a brother to him, my favorite uncle, and especially my Gramma.

At age 38, she was pregnant with my Mom in this picture... look at those cheekbones!

I always had an especially close relationship with my Gramma, often spending the night at her apartment.  She taught me to sew, cook, play poker and black jack.  She taught me that it was okay to be myself even when others made of fun of me (though that lesson took a long time for me to learn).

She always had a cigarette hanging from her lips, especially while she was crocheting and watching her soap operas.  One of my earliest memories of her was in her brother's garden.  He would let his family take home whatever they wanted as long as they helped weed.  I remember my Gramma wearing a shimmering silver blouse, black slacks, and silver sandals while gardening... with her signature Pall Mall dangling from her red painted lips.

My Gramma was a walking dichotomy.  :)

She had a brain aneurysm the day after my 15th birthday but miraculously survived.  (She was always a tough broad.)  She had brain damage which caused a lot of psychological issues and she had to be in an assisted living home followed by a nursing home before she passed away 12 years after the aneurysm that would have killed most people.

Her birthday is in April and I still celebrate it every year by making one of her signature meals.  Most often, it's her barbecued spare ribs but roast or fried chicken and pound cake are my go-to's as well.

Dancing to some random song in my head

Dress: Torrid
Leggings: New Look
Shoes: Hot Chocolate Designs

I think she would have heartily disapproved of my pink hair at first but would have come to love it because she considered me her kid instead of her grandkid.  She didn't seem to care that I wore mostly black because she had a lot of black in her own wardrobe.  I don't know how she would have felt about the tattoos but she loved all my earrings.

She would have LOVED this dress, though, because of all the sparkles.  My Gramma LOVED sparkly clothes and jewelry.

It's hard to see but there are a ot of little sequins mixed in with the beads.

I often think she still comes to visit me, especially when I need her.  I will suddenly smell cigarette smoke in a place where it shouldn't be.  Like when I lived in my house with my ex-husband.  We're non-smokers and were far from the road, plus we didn't allow smoking in the house.  So when I smelled it, I knew it was her.  When I am especially sad or depressed, I will feel a hand on my right shoulder followed by a little squeeze.  That's something she used to do when overseeing me sew, etc.

So while she will not be physically with us for the wedding, I know Gramma will still be there.  I am her kid after all and I know she wouldn't miss it for the world..

Necklace: Cute and Creepy Inc

Bought: Batty Bat Bag

With the exception of a few years in high school, I've gone out of my way to not be like everyone else.  This was so bad when I was a kid that I ended up failing a test in the 2nd grade because I could see what everyone else was answering and I wanted my answers to be different.  Fortunately, the teacher was smart and moved me to separate table during test time because I was anti-cheating. :)

Even when I go out to eat with other people, I have to know what they're ordering before I decide so I don't get the same thing.

I just don't like feeling like I am copying other people.

So when I see something that someone else has, I will most likely NOT get it myself (but will certainly window shop the f*ck out of the store if they list it).  So when Bane at Goth It Yourself posted this really cool batty bat tote bag last year, I knew it was not in the cards for me.

Except I really liked it.

A lot.

It sounded perfect for me and my needs and the bats were frickin' cute.

But I didn't get it.

Until over a year later, anyway. :)

I recently happened across an Amazon store who was selling it for a ridiculously low price (not such a low price now but reasonable still).  I hmm'd over it for a while but ultimately decided to get it.  I mean, as awesome as Bane is, I don't actually know her in person and I've only recent come out my lurk-phase to comment on her blog.  So it'd be okay just this once, right?

I have to say, I *love* this bag!  It's the right size to carry all my non-purse stuff, it fits over my shoulder well, and it zips close so everything doesn't spill out when I drop it.

Even though I will try to not get things that I know other people have, I get SO excited when I see that I already own something someone else does or if I see it on a TV show or movie.  Like this bat necklace that Meagan Kyla from Coffin Kitsch is wearing.  I have that!  Actually, I own a few necklaces that she does and I got excited when I saw each and every one  of them after discovering her blog. :)

I'm a fancy lady with a fancy purse!

Dress: SWAK Designs
Purse: Unique Vintage
Necklace: I don't remember - Walmart?  Walgreens? Walstore?

So, just how weird is that or do other people do these things, too? :)

Wore: Fancy Dancing Lady

Some days, in my head, I am a fancy lady.  I'm really not and the pics prove it but I like it when I feel fancy.  This dress does that for me.

Dress: SWAK Designs
Bracelet: Wish
Necklace: made by me

It's floor length, hugs the boobages nicely, and flows nicely over the rest of me.  It doesn't cling, either.  The downside is that the fabric doesn't breathe well which kinda sucks in this Atlanta heat.  I'm an indoor kitty that just moves from A/C to A/C anyway, though, so I make do.

I kinda needed the pick-me-up this week.  My right knee started hurting and has been getting worse so I went to urgent care after it kept me up all night; the doctor there just told me it's an arthritis flare up.  I was told in my mid-20's that I had arthritis in my knees and ankles (due to so many injuries from being clumsy) but it's never been this bad.  So I am icing it and taking over the counter pain killers and avoiding foods that cause inflammation.  It's a little better but I still can't walk well without a noticeable limp.

The worst part of the whole thing, though, was the doctor's attitude.  She seemed SO BORED while talking with me, like I was wasting her time.  Her "exam" consisted of poking my knee twice with her index finger then sending me for x-rays.

After her diagnosis she said,  "You are also so..." then puffs out her cheeks and puts her arms & hands out from her sides about a foot "...you have a lot of excess weight which will make your knees worse."

Yep, the doctor mimed to me how fat I am.

I laughed.  Hard.  I have no idea what she said after that.

It's no secret to anyone that I am a big girl.  I don't attempt to hide it and I don't apologize for it.  I love me no matter what size I am and don't let the scale dictate how happy I am.  Sure, I could stand to lose a bunch of weight for health reasons but I am who I am.  I just thought that was extremely unprofessional, though, and the old me from 10+ years ago would have been devastated.

So, topic change: my necklace.  :)  This is one of my fancy lady necklaces that I only wear on special occasions.

I made it myself to wear when I was the matron of honor at my sister's wedding in 2011.  I made it to coordinate with the one I made for HER:

I don't have a picture of it but I also made our mom one that she wore that was a straight strand of beads with just the skully cameo.  I wish I had a picture of my sister's dress on my phone that I could share.  It was a strapless white dress with a black sash tied around the waist and she wore a long sleeve black shrug over it.  It was a good combo of the traditional white that she wanted to wear with her gothy/punky aesthetic.

I am 7 years older than her and when I was 18, I went off to college so she was more-or-less an only child from age 11 and on.  I didn't start embracing my darker side until later in life and it's funny how she and I have turned out to have A LOT of the same tastes.  Unfortunately for me, she is still in Minnesota where we grew up so I don't get to see her (or the rest of family) nearly often enough.

We also ended up going through our separations and subsequent divorces at around the same time which we both thought was interesting.

Do you wear anything specific if you need a mood booster?

Wore: Feeling like a lunatic

Every have one of those days where you wake up and nothing feels right?  That's what I was going through the day I wore this:

Dress: New Look
Leggings: New Look
Shrug: Torrid
Shoes: Hot Chocolate Design
Necklace: Black Box subscription box (now defunct)
Bracelet: t-shirt hem from a DIY

I mean, you can even see it in my face which is unusual.  I am one of those people who usually has a grin even in resting face mode.  I woke up with an extremely unhappy stomach only to realize that I had had wheat the night before plus Dexter** was going to be making an appearance so between those 2 things, my stomach was extremely bloated and distended.  I didn't realize I needed gas that morning so that made us run late which always makes me frazzled and people at work were just being dumb.  Everything just seemed sucky.  (I could go on about the little things that made this day crappy but I think you get the idea.)

If I had had the sick time, I would have called in sick.  Actually, I wouldn't have because I have too guilty a conscience to call in for a mental health day but I would have thought about it really hard.

I figured my full moon necklace was a good accessory for this day.  It glows in the dark but I don't get to experience that much during the day.  Stupid day star and fluorescent lighting. ;)

On a positive note for this post, I am really digging some of the clothes at New Look.  They are a UK based online store (8 day shipping to the US!) and you have to kind of dig for gothy-type wear but they are good for basics like dresses and leggings.  Their legging are some of my favorites because they are so lightweight!  In fact, I have 6-8 pairs from them now.  I also love the fact that the arm holes on their plus size dresses aren't gapingly huge like the arms of US-based plus size clothing I have.  This dress is sleeveless and I could wear it without the shrug outside of work if I wanted to without the sides of my bra showing through the arm holes.  For this particular dress, the fabric is a touch itchy for my overly-sensitive skin but I love the look of the texture.

I'm not being paid to sing their praises.  I just really like them. :)

Anyway, after having a meh day, we decided to order tacos for dinner and I made Andy sit through British murder mysteries ("Midsomer Mysteries" on Netflix this time) and I cuddled with Claude van Dumm, my mostest favoritest Bearly Dreadful that I've ever made.

What do you do to cheer yourself up?



** Dexter is the code name for my period because he's a serial killing blood spatter analyst. :)

Wore: Black Cats

Someday, when I grow up to be big and strong, I want to be a crazy lady.  If I didn't let practicality get in the way, I would have way more than the 2 I have currently.  I'm not to the point where I want everything I own to be covered with cat prints but I can't see a cat anywhere without declaring "You're a kitty!" and trying to pet it.

I do, however, own a few cat-related pieces of jewelry which I know will make an appearance here over time.  Like these cat collar pins that I got from a defunct subscription box service (that also took money from me and never shipped boxes).

It was the first subscription box ever joined and I was really excited.  For $23 a month, they would send about 6 gothy-type things.  I paid in October and got my November box halfway through December.  I paid in November and my December box never arrived.  They said they were waiting for something that was back ordered.  I paid in December and got my January box at the end of February after I complained.  Meanwhile, the auto payment had already paid in February for March.  After the March payment hit with no sign of a February box (or December box yet), I canceled my subscription.  I wrote to them about 3 boxes that I had paid for but never received but the site was more or less down.  It's just $69 total so I can't see wasting time and more money to go after them.  It's really very disappointing.

I can't help but make faces in the mirror!
Dress: Hot Topic online
Leggings: New Look
Shoes: Hot Chocolate Designs
Bracelet: a bit of cut up t-shirt hem from a DIY over the weekend

I did get a couple of cool things out of the 2 boxes I did receive, though, like the pins which I think look good on my black dress with the white collar.  The pin backs are too centered, however, so the top heavy kitty heads have a tendency to spin.  I always forget about fixing that until I am wearing the dress again.

On this particular day, I also opted to wear a headband.  I don't usually wear hair accessories because I have a headset at work but this one seemed to complete the look:

Headband: Wish

Sorry for the complete lack of make up!  With it being so hot out right now, I tend to go completely without because my face melts off.  The make up thing is actually a little funny because I did end up joining another subscription service: Ipsy.  I know A LOT of people who belong to this and I love, love, love it... especially the make up bags themselves. :)

Do you belong to any fun subscription services?