Neosporin

                                                                                                           

There once was fire.                                                                                       

                                                                                                                        Witnessed no flame.

Only feel the leftover warmth,

Afterheat afterthought.

You’re charred.

            Seared.

                        An open, bubbling, smoking wound from which molten lava spews and black dust rises.

Don’t blame me for the fire.

Blame me                                                                                            for the sting of my medication.

Call me your Little Neo.

Neosporin Neoclassical Acid Jazz Musician.

There was a fire. Past

tense, understood.

There isn’t anymore.

Won’t be.

What we have is not

fire worthy.

I’m not

fire worthy.

I’ll just take that festering wound and mold it into a tiny, unforgettable, pink blemish you have to know the exact location in order to begin the search for.

The title almost included the word "Ahoy." But no.

Alright, we need to address something. I HATE TRAINS. This was an abandoned car - as far as I know (although I did hear a stirring within after a while) - and it was unattached to any other train things, so these were positives of this brightly painted train car. However, whilst taking photos, two trains went by on train tracks that were 15 feet away so I had to sprint screaming in those platforms in big nasty rocks. It's an understatement to say I was horrified. Ugh, the things we do when young.

This look is a bit more poppy than I'm used to, but I'm trying that whole "Step outside of your comfort zone thing". It's actually a dress with a skirt over it. The dress was what I wore for my high school graduation party and the skirt was on super sale on Black Friday 3 years ago. The curl in my hair happened to look quite perfect, so hallelujah for this perfect bowler. My jewelry was a silver beaded necklace that I had clasped tightly around my neck, leaving a bit of a train down the back of my neck. 

I, in no way, compare myself to Madame Monroe, but the blonde, the train, the bright colors remind me of the number one comedy movie of all-time, Some Like It Hot. But don't think that I'm trying to remind you of her. Also, the Darjeeling Limited is a brilliant movie about a train, so yeah, connections. ... I love Adrien Brody more than any other movie star man.

The way you felt it. The velvet.

Ruh-roh. Black velvet in 94 degree weather... not so smart. BUT! I had just bought this black beauty that day and was too excited not to wear it. It's beaded and sequined in some of the most peculiar and unexpected ways that make this dress so charming. I have been wanting a garment with a collar like this, and putting the pre-shaped metal necklace over it only made sense. The sky-high slits up both sides of the dress make me feel damn good, so good find, me. My hair has a marbled french braid, that didn't photograph well, but hey, I'll try again.

YOLO BOLO

I have MANY obsessions. The one that has proven to be the most rewarding and long lasting is my love for Elvis Aaron Presley. I have pictures of my seventh birthday party where I am cheesin' big time with an Elvis clock whose legs swing as the pendulum. For the past thirteen birthdays now, I'm sure not one has passed where I've been given some memorabilia of that beautiful and talented and perfect and angelic and amazing man. My number one vacation spot in the United States would HANDSDOWN be Memphis, Tennessee. I mean, not only is Graceland there, but so much musical history. My love for Elvis or rockabilly musicians will never dwindle. And I feel it's only right to pay homage to those who inspire me in many ways by dressing in a style they'd appreciate. Elvis would totally be all over me if he were alive today, right? Right?

 

I love the idea of posting images that inspire me for each outfit. So, expect that from here on out.

Passion fruit and stealing loot

Mustard yellow: the color of the gods. Those tiny black buttons clustered so closely together and the loose lightness of this cotton are a dream come true. The best part? It cost 25 cents! Damn. Goodwill can be a dangerous place for those with obsessions with bargains.

... Have I ever mention how much I love accessories?

Love at 1st Bite

I just watched The Runaways, that movie with KStew and DFann about '70s punk girl band, and am OBSESSED. I wish I was born in 1952 so I could be a teen in the '60s and in my twenties in the '70s. How perfect?! If I had any sort of musical talent, like even just trusting my ability to yell into a microphone, I'd be all over that "let's make a band even though we're only 17 years old" thing. The Runaways had such a short-lived but insanely exciting existence. UGH! The ripped stockings, the lingerie as outerwear, the great black boots, the dyed hair, the colorful make-up, the bodysuits, the metallics! What a dream.

The outfit isn't totally inspired by anything '70s, but I was feelin' punky and like I wanted to intimidate people. I could totally beat someone up, right? Or at least spit on them. 

Too cool for school? Maybe. But it's summer break anyway, so we may never know. This loading dock, on a SCORCHING day, was pretty pimpin'. Check out this awesome look from my sisterbestfriend to see more of the dock. 

Guess who's back

Shady's back. Back again. I've got me a camera so Lookbookin' is possible again! Hallelujah.
This green sweater was twenty-five cents at a garage sale in the middle of July, where my friends thought me insane for thinking about such clothing in 98 degree weather. It is my go-to garment nowadays. The faux leather shorts were on SUPER clearance at a JCPenney last summer for $2.50 and I wondered to myself, "Why so cheap?" I found out why quite quickly. These buddies make your ass sweat faster than sitting on a skillet. Also, the button fell off after two wears. But it's all good. I feel my new life motto goes something like: "Jewelry, jewelry, jewelry." I refuse to wear an outfit without a statement necklace or bunch of bangles and, of course, too many rings for one hand.

Oh. I got a bit of a haircut. Since I last posted a picture of my hair, it has been completely blonde, to completely bright red, then back to all blonde, and now partially blonde and my natural hair color. What is hair for other than to play with, right?

Winter is Coming on the runways of Fall 2012

If you haven't heard of the the HBO television series called Game of Thrones, then uh... there is no help for you. GoT is a fantasy series in its second season that is violent and cold and dark and lovely and captivating on every level. The characters are strong, only a few being cliche, and everyone has their favorite. Dragons, huge wolves, wizards, old gods and new, wildlings, and a heart tree with watching red eyes are just a few exciting and crucial parts of the show that really draw us in. The show has been so influential in pop culture and, without a doubt, in the fashion world. Here are a few comparisons between garments found on the runways of fall 2012 and characters on the show.

My Illustrations for a line called Advanced Style

Making it to 90 years old would be quite the milestone. So why would anyone celebrate it in any way but fabulously? I have one personal goal in my life: be as much like Iris Apfel as possible. At the age of 83, her wardrobe was on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City for no fact other than how fabulous it was. My inspiration for this line comes from a love of fun at any age and the blog called Advanced Style. The target market for this fall 2012 line called “Advanced Style” is anyone ages 20 to 90 who love comfortable fashions. The runway models will be girls the age of 25 or so, only to make it more marketable to those who aren’t 90 years old. The goal of this line is not to be only for the body of a 25 year-old or the physical capabilities of a 90 year-old, because things like that are not relative to age. That’s the goal of this line - prove that fashion need not discriminate by age.  The target market for this line embraces bright colors and bold prints. They know that accessories can make or break an outfit and get a thrill out of mixing ethnic jewelry with prints that no one else would pair. Brocade fabrics, bold hats, feather accents, and a trend called “Iron Lady” all make this line fit perfectly into this fall’s lineup.

I personally believe that the art of fashion is not just found in the garments themselves, but in the way they are styled. I have always thought that personal style is an extremely fun medium to play with; but more than that, it is important to self confidence; so each of the three garments are named after an icon of style - Iris Apfel, Rita Ellis, and Beatrix Ost. Each garment is modest - nothing too form fitting and no hem too short - but bold in every other way. This line would be presented at shows during major cities’ fashion weeks in the ready-to-wear category alongside its competition like Marc by Marc Jacobs and T by Alexander Wang. A single garment from this Advanced Style line could cost anywhere from $60 for a simple cover-up to $350 for a fanciful skirt. This line would be sold in stores like Saks Fifth Avenue or boutiques that sell clothing from people like Oscar de la Renta and L’Wren Scott.

(Done May of 2012)