Fashion Bug

This is one of the $2 pieces from Wal-Mart.  Apparently it is supposed to be a ladybug costume, but to me it looks more like a cute dress.  :)

With a few key additions, it becomes a nice and toasty outfit for school!

ladybug dress : Wal-Mart
ripped blue jeans : from when I was a kid
white half jacket : gift from mum's cousin
fuzzy black scarf : I don't rightly remember
red and white striped legwarmers : one of my few pieces of spirit wear for my university
Lora Como heels : eBay (apparently they're Japanese vintage..?)
black crochet armwarmers : made by yours truly!

Ringlets

Yay curls!  After teaching religious school today, I went to Wal-Mart with my dad and Ellie.  I hoped to find a Dorothy costume, in case I changed my mind about doing calculus instead of trick-or-treating...
But anyway.  In the costume aisle (yes, there was only one aisle left), I found a $20 Dorothy dress with pigtail bows.  Then I noticed the eight or so shopping carts chalk full of costume pieces--$2 each!  In one of the carts I found the very same Dorothy dress, minus the bows.  I hadn't been planning on wearing the bows anyway (I thought these curls would work quite well on their own).
So!  I got the Dorothy dress, along with four other pieces.  One of the pieces was just and odd white underskirt sort of thing, which I have on under the dress in the picture above.  Awesome shopping!

white bow headband : eBay costume
cargo jacket : Valley Thrift
black tank : hand-me-down from Ima
white floral skirt : eBay
black leggings : hand-me-down from Ima
1920s-esque mary janes : hand-me-down from Ima


Dorothy dress : Wal-Mart
ruby slippers : eBay (a few years ago)

The last picture is Ellie in her Dorothy dress, which is exactly the same as mine.  She got hers a week or so beforehand.

Coveting

I want these so bad.  They are so adorable.

Edit:  I even had a dream about them last night!  I had a dream that I got them!!

Stepping Out of Your Norm

In researching the world of fashion blogging, one thing that keeps cropping up is the name brand.  The brand.  As one might notice from reading my posts, I very rarely mention the brand of my clothing.  Why?  Is it because of some anarchist non-conformist agenda?  Certainly not.  I dislike anarchy in general, and being different simply to spite what is "popular".  No, the reason why I almost never discuss brands is because I quite frankly don't even notice!  I think it is silly to ruin a perfectly good tee by plastering some company's logo across the front of it.  I also think it is silly to only buy clothes from certain designers.  Let us imagine what would happen if I only ever wore the same seven or so brands.  I would never experience the fashion outside that which is in the minds of those seven designers!  It is such a limited existence, I couldn't imagine boxing myself in that way.

So here's a little dare for today... The next item of clothing you buy, make it something weird.  Step out of your norm, and buy something you think looks cool, but could never in a million years imagine yourself wearing.

Then wear it.


white bow headband : eBay costume
gray sundress : hand-me-down from Ima
ripped blue jeans : from my childhood (let us just say, they are 5 or 6 sizes too small)
gray and black cardigan : hand-me-down from Ima

Harriet Potter

Meet Harriet Potter, and her friend Ronisha.  'Nuff said.

My little siblings and I are actually making videos involving Harriet--when we have made enough to establish the plot, I will post a link.

black bob wig : Wal-Mart
black taped glasses : some 3D movie
white collared button down shirt : Goodwill
gray vest : AFB thrift store
paisley tie : hand-me-down
plaid skirt : Deja Vu, a thrift store in Spring-something-or-other
black fleece cloak : Etsy
red and gold Gryffindor scarf : handmade by Mrs. Weasley
black oxfords : AFB thrift store
Ginny/Ronisha doll : Etsy


Fun story of the day:
So the first costume I see is some chick in an orange stripper fairy costume with super high heels and thigh high stockings.  She's taken her wings off, and is practically running back to her dorm.  I wonder why?  Perhaps because her fairy costume has no sleeves, and it's under 50 degrees?  Or because the only other person in a 500 foot radius who is wearing a costume as well looks like Harry Potter?  And let's be honest--if you're going to be the only one wearing a costume, what would you rather look like?  A skank fairy or a magical British boy?

The Fashion Princess

Once upon a time, there was a little fashion princess.  Her favorite toys were her clothes, which she would play with every day.  One day, she woke up and found that it was very cold outside!  She wondered what to do.  She had been having so much fun that week, that she simply did not have very many clean clothes left.  All she could find were some pink leggings and a pair of jeans.  The little fashion princess was worried.  She tried on the leggings, but was still very cold.  She did not want to wear the jeans, because they were very dull.  "Oh, what a pickle I am in!" she exclaimed.  Suddenly, she heard her magical puppy barking from downstairs.  If she did not hurry, there would be a big magical mess to clean up later.  So she quickly pulled on the jeans (because it is quite indecent to run about in just one's leggings), and ran to attend to the magical puppy.
When she returned to her room, she realized that she had been wearing the leggings under her jeans all the while.  Her legs had been kept very warm while outside with the magical puppy, and the pinkness of the leggings was a beautiful accent for the pink in her shirt.  Her problem solved, she decided that the best thing for a cold day was a nice pair of leggings and jeans.

charcoal Beatles tee : hand-me-down from Ima
cuffed jeans : Plato's Closet
pink leggings : Targét (?)
embroidered Chinese shoes : some store in Ludlow, I wore them for my mum's second wedding

Just another day at school...

Today I have the Sailor Moon buns again.  Jealous?  Well not anymore, for I shall tell you my secret!!

First thing's first though, make sure that you have six ponytail holders and a hairbrush before you get started.  You definitely want to go into this prepared!

1.  Part your hair down the center.  Separate into two loose ponytails (to avoid any confusion).
2.  Divide each ponytail into a top half and a bottom half.  Remove the top half from the ponytail, and put it into its own ponytail, high on the head.
3.  Twist this top half ponytail into a bun (there are several techniques for this--just see what works best for you) and secure with another ponytail holder.
4.  Take the bottom half of the ponytail and the bun all together, and bind the two together as if they were all one big ponytail.


Yaaaay!  You have one Sailor Moon bun!  Now do it again!  Use the other three ponytail holders on the other side of your head.


Disclaimer:  I take no part in any frustration or physical pain this process may cause you.  Proceed with caution.


As for today's outfit, no new items today.

white bow headband : eBay costume
dark teal Hannah Montana long sleeved shirt : Wal-Mart
white collared button-up with frills : eBay costume
red plaid neck tie : eBay costume
black lolita lace skirt : thrift store
charcoal stockings : hand-me-down
red wedge pumps : Goodwill

I am a færy!

Recognize the skirt?? :D
This outfit broke out some things that I haven't worn seriously since about 8th grade.

green militia jacket : Old Navy
white bow headband : eBay costume
clear plastic star hairclip : from my childhood
gray Swell Season tee : Swell Season concert a few years ago
red plaid skirt : eBay costume
black "sport" leggings : hand-me-down from Ima
purple crochet legwarmers : Targét
gray knock-off chucks : Wal-Mart (hey, I needed some cheap tennis shoes!)
I <3 Kyo wristband : birthday present a few years back
black and rainbow sparkle O-rings & green plastic punk cuff: 13th birthday present from a friend

Someone from my steel drum class told me I look like an anime character.  Yessss, my life goal has been accomplished.

Costume? Maybe for a Bunny...

Ah, eBay, how untrustworthy you are.  Sometimes.
I didn't expect the outfit I bought to turn out quite THIS skimpy.  (And I've tried to tone it down a bit for this picture too..)

Oh well.  I like the tie :)
And all the pieces are rather well made, so they all have potential, just maybe not together...

Bloomers

I did NOT feel like dressing up today, so this is my casual look.  Except for the shoes.  Because casual should be comfortable.  And these are not.  But they're so cute :)

brown knit shrug : hand-me-down from my friend
sparkly strawberry-colored dress/tunic : Etsy purchase
green salwar kameez pants : I wore these for my mum's second wedding
brown vintage-style ankle boots : J.C. Penny's

One Year

Anniversary!  :)  And teaching Kindergarten, so I had to come up with a dual-purpose ensemble.  Notice all the layers?  I was not expecting this, but the weather got WAY hotter than I expected--so thank goodness for those layers!

I actually wore this outfit another day a week or so ago, and a lady at the supermarket stopped me and explained how much she loved my look, and how it reminded her of her relative's steampunk wedding.

brown corduroy jacket : hand-me-down from my sister
blue and tan scarf : hand-me-down from my grandmother Ann
black asian print top (not visible) : Targét
dark teal Hannah Montana long sleeved shirt : Wal-Mart (where else would they sell her crap?)
green sparrow tunic : hand-me-down from Ima
green-y/brown skirt : hand-me-down from Ima
icy blue tights : J.C. Penny's, I believe
brown suede boots : gift from my stepmum
butterfly broach (in first detail picture) : hand-me-down from Ima
woven blue bracelet (in bottom two detail pictures) : handmade by me!  


It's really a shame the buttons on the bracelet aren't visible--they are what make it especially neat :)

Spirit Week

Friday was "pink day" for my little brother's spirit week.  Of course, he came to me :)

mauve satin top with fishnet sleeves : mine...thrift store
pink Killer's scoop neck top : mine...King's Island (yeah, I actually spent $20 on that)
black shorts : Jorge's...I don't know where they came from
hot pink fishnet tights : mine...I don't remember
flame hi-top Chucks : Jorge's...I sometimes borrow these.

The College Experience

Like the hat?  I do.  It has a dated militia feel.


tweed military cap : hand-me-down from Ima
blue silk scarf : hand-me-down from my grandmother Ann
gray cami with coral lace accents (not visible) : some thrift store
yellow Chinese brocade top : eBay
black crochet shrug : hand-me-down from Ima
best jeans in the world : Wal-Mart
black with white fishnet handwarmers (not pictured) : Hot Topic

Note:  The bottom picture has nothing to do with fashion...I just wanted to point out some important elements.  First and foremost, the cheap food (Woody mac and cheese, yesss!).  And the plastic spoon.  And the lack of an actual bowl to eat it out of.  All courtesy of one of my college friends.  Also notice the distinct lack of artwork or really anything, decorative or otherwise, in the background.  Then, look in the bottom right hand corner, and see the calculator.  Yes, this is college.  Little money and lots of homework.

Chibiusa!

Pure cosplay here!  After seeing my Sailor Moon hair, she decided to re-don her Sailor Mini Moon (aka Chibiusa) outfit.  Here's a picture of Chibiusa:

 
Ellie's outfit breakdown...

pink princess leotard : I have no idea!
blue and red heart argyle socks : some Targét-like store
blue/yellow star sparkle scarf : borrowed from me
pink ribbon choker : hand-me-down from me

Odango Atama

Sailor Moon hair to hear the Dalai Lama!!  (Is there ANY logic in that??)

This looked especially cool with my white sunglasses...but alas, I do not have a picture of that.

red 3/4 sleeve top : pajamas from Chanukah a few years back
jeans : Plato's Closet
blue/yellow/green/black lacy plaid jumper : eBay

Basically, this outfit was purposefully plain to showcase this awesome eBay item I just bought.  Super affordable*, too!

*I've been taught that "affordable" is the politically correct way to say "cheap"

Schooled

Pigtails!  I like pigtails.  They are so fun!  I don't think I can wear them for much longer though--due to the cold weather and all that wind, my neck will get soooo cold!

This was a super fun layering outfit to do.  As with the previous outfit, I have a regular-wear and an outer-wear picture.

white frilled button-up collared blouse : hand-me-down from Ima
black and gray striped shirt : hand-me-down from Ima
black see-thru pleated skirt : hand-me-down from Ima
gray leggings : hand-me-down from Ima
black/white/gray argyle knee-his : some dept. store
Lora Como black heels with gold accent : eBay
black pinstriped coat : T.J. Maxx

Blue Skye

Another cold day!  I was incredibly too lazy to think of an original outfit today, so this is one I remember wearing once in high school.  I remember because they made me change for some reason...

brown lacy shrug : some dept. store
blue dress : hand-me-down from Ima
black hidden pattern tights : one of the many stores I get tights from
black leggings : Old Navy, I believe
brown suede boots : gift from my stepmum
black star hair chopsticks : Hot Topic

upper layer...
black pinstriped coat : T. J. Maxx
blue and tan scarf : hand-me-down from Ima's mum

Bettie Page

 

I cut my bangs today.  To me, this is a great tribute to my confidence in myself.  I've always been too scared to put a pair of scissors to my hair.

Probably because my subconscious knew it would turn out to look like a famous pinup star's hair.

So a little tip about DIY hair cutting--always leave it longer than you actually want, so that if you make a mistake, you can fix it!  Although this wasn't a mistake...it wasn't on purpose either.  And other thing--it is very hard to find pictures of Bettie Page wearing clothes, so the top one isn't actually Bettie, but rather a Bettie Page look-a-like.

Au Naturale

I know I say "this one is my favourite" or "this one is so fun to wear" a lot.  But it's true.  I can't help it if I like what I wear!  I have this theory--if I wear enough red with this wig, people may actually think my hair is red.  It worked too, on some people!  Others said that it is a very good color for me.  <3

Wigs can be very tricky.  Often they don't look very realistic.  One good, easy way to "hide" the fact that it's a wig, is to wear a cute hat.  Key word here is "cute"!  I suppose a baseball cap might work, but it seems rather pointless to have a head of full, lustrous curls, and throw a baseball hat on over it.  *shudder*
If you're going to wear a wig, however, it's important to consider when and where you're doing it.  For example, work is not the place to wear your long, blue wig.  Nobody wants to look down at their salad, and see that there's a long bit of blue-something in it.
Not surprisingly, people who don't wear wigs often are reluctant to do it, no matter how fun it may seem.  That's understandable!  It's a big jump out of ones comfort zone--I know sometimes when I'm walking around campus, I wonder what people must think about me.  I'll get paranoid, and start thinking that the athletic-looking guys behind me are laughing at me, rather than the bike that got chained upside down to a tree...
So be prepared.  If you're going to wear a wig, accept the fact that you WILL get come comments on it, and some of them might be unfavourable.  Don't let me scare you though--I've never gotten anything but compliments on my wigs.
Two more quick notes about wigs--they're hot, so if you're going to sweat, DON'T WEAR THE WIG.  And the other?  They're itchy!
Oh, and all that nonsense about being unhygienic?  Well, it's mostly nonsense.  You're an intelligent individual, don't buy your wig from some sketchy place.  None of mine are made from real hair, so synthetic wigs are a perfectly fine option too.  And often much more affordable.

cute knit hat : hand-me-down from Ima
red curly wig : eBay
floral sundress : shuk in Israel
green short-sleeved jacket : hand-me-down
strawberry picnic footless tights : $10 at this cute store downtown
red wedge pumps : Goodwill

Fun fun functional!

Another great, versatile outfit!  With removal of a few key pieces, it transitions from a nice, warm outfit to wear on a cold day, to one that is comfortable even in a heated building.

green knit hat : handmade by me!
charcoal Beatles shirt : hand-me-down from Ima
red sheer nightie : hand-me-down
gray shell : thrift store
gray leggings : hand-me-down from Ima
purple legwarmers : Targét (?)
Fashion Bug oxfords : thrift store
black "velvety" jacket with pink pinstripes : some dept. store a few years back
red velvet embroidered scarf : hand-me-down from Ima
pink star (on hat) hand-me-down from Ima (it was hers as a kid!)
turquoise bracelet : hand-me-down from Ima