Test was successful!

The test was successful! I will now be using that to my benefit, especially when it comes to doing blogs about history (which I am going to start soon). Thank you, Google!

This is so cool!

This is a test

I think I just discovered that I can embed things from books on Google Books. Let's discover if this is true, shall we?



Interesting...

Fashionistas

Not too long ago, I wrote about my male influences and icons. Y'know, all of the men who influence my styles, ideals, artwork, et cetera. I was thinking that I would do a quick post about the ladies who influence my style. Here are just a few...

Alison Mosshart

   (singer and guitarist, from the Kills and the Dead Weather)

Alison Mosshart is the reason that I started wearing Wayfarer sunglasses, plaid shirts, long necklaces and leopard print. Her style makes me think of 1990s grunge, combined with classic 1970s punk, and a few other aspects I started listening to The Kills and The Dead Weather when I was in high school and I kind of fell in love with Alison Mosshart's style from the beginnings. I started wearing printed t-shirts and longer over shirts that were button up. It also made for an interest in layering necklaces, which is something that I'm getting into a bit more again. Layering in general is something that I adopted from Alison Mosshart. Oh, also, boots. Can't forget ankle boots. Alison Mosshart is essentially the main reason that I wear ankle style boots, and own the pair of oxford-style ankle boots that I have.

Grav3yardgirl

   (YouTube vlogger)

A while ago, I arbitrarily discovered these YouTube videos by a vlogger named Bunny, a.k.a. Grav3yardgirl. At first, I wasn't that enthused, but then I started to really enjoy her personality, style, and videos on a whole. Ultimatey, I've learned a lot. She draws a lot of inspiration from Johnny Depp, horror movies, creepy things, classic rock, and all kinds of people and things that I whole-heartedly adore. Bonus, she's from Texas. Her style is amazing. She is the reason that I bought a pair of Jeffrey Campbell Litas, and started enjoying things like acid wash denim and studs. She's actually my main inspiration behind doing fashion blogs and outfit of the day blogs, and also doing themed outfits based on icons and personalities that I'm inspired by. Her attention to detail is perfect, and everything ties into a character or theme, down to the last ring. Even if it's not inspired by a person, her outfits are always pulled together quite well, and I would love to talk to her about clothes and fashion any day. Also, not going to lie, she is the reason for me pursuing a lot of different things, like music, movies, and even Hunter S. Thompson. So... thank you, Bunny! 

Wednesday Mourning

   (Alternative model)

I first heard about Wednesday Mourning because of Oddities: San Francisco. Naturally, I'm fascinated by people who have a solid grasp on history and oddities. Wednesday Mourning is even more wonderful because of her modeling, and the gothic and fantastical imagery that she creates. It seems that for her street clothes, she dresses quite plainly, in a straight-forward Gothic kind of way, with long skirts and sleeves, and a large umbrella whenever she walks in the sun. I think her style is so striking because of how much she makes me think of an Edward Gorey drawing. I think that she is the truest Goth I have ever seen. Definitely more of a 12th to 16th century Gothic kind of way, especially with the adoration for history. Along with her work for Loved To Death and her modeling work, she also has an online shop called Orphic Vellum Books, where she sells old books about the occult, mythology, witchcraft, and other fascinating topics. Definitely an interesting woman.

Lydia Deetz

   (Gothic wunderkind from Tim Burton's Beetlejuice)

Lydia Deetz is probably one of the main reasons that I'm drawn to goth aesthetic. I've always strongly related to Lydia as a character. You know, dead things and ghosts and being alone. I like the way her character dresses, being covered in black drape-y fabric with lace and a big wide-brimmed hat. Lydia is the reason I have a large black straw hat. She's always been my favourite part of Beetlejuice. Mostly because, y'know... I, myself, am strange and unusual. 

There's probably more, but for the time being... These are the main ladies influencing my style at the moment. All of which are ladies with black hair, most of which who have something involving dead things at some point. Interesting...

Outfit of the Day

Today it was rainy and cold. A nice change, I won't lie, but I'm still not ready for cold weather. I have been enjoying the summer. Maybe not the hot-hot days, but for the most part... Still, I do enjoy being able to wear sweaters and layers. The coolness prompted me to pull together an outfit inspired by bohemian styles, fall, and Black Mountain. 

Recently I've been really inspired by bohemian styles and themes. Things that make me think of animals and the woods, campfires and mountains. Today's outfit consisted of...

White embroidered fringe top ($30, on sale, from Urban Outfitters)

Tribal pattern tank top (can't remember how much, but I bought it from a boutique in Swift Current)

Jessica Simpson jeans ($35, on sale, from The Bay)

Woodland animal hooded sweater (borrowed from fiancee)

Italian made Oxford-style pull on ankle boots ($135 from Winners. Normally $300)

All seeing steampunk eye necklace (from Trespasser Ceramics)

Make-shift stone necklace (normally a d20 necklace, gift from fiancee, but I temporarily took out the dice so that I could incorporate a crystal or a stone into my outfit... I can't remember what type of stone it is)

Canvas bag from the Tate Modern, decorated with marble fox tail and red fox face with some tea-stained lace. (And before anyone gets upset, I always have some kind of animal on me, but it is always fur from a natural death, such as road kill.)

 

 

Last but not least, I was very proud of my makeup and hair. Even though I was inside and working on a custom order all day, I still managed to do the best hairstyle that I've done in weeks (kind of a messy side-bun) plus makeup that I was really pleased with.

Fashion obsessions of the day: Stone crystals, fringes, and lace.

Colours: Browns and creams.

Bohemian

Recently I've been spending a lot of time on Etsy. Maybe more time than I should. At least it feels that way, but it's probably not true at all. Maybe it's just because my searches on Etsy have been more fruitful, and I've been finding some amazing things.

I'm a fan of things that have a bohemian feel to them. Things that are bohemian or tribal or a mixture of the two. Soft and natural, with a bit of a wild and hippy feeling to them. The aesthetic has been appealing to me a lot recently, and it's feeding into my steampunk style more and more. Enjoy these lovely things, and be sure to check out the shops. The links are the descriptions beneath the photographs.

Bohemian feathered hair clip by Roots of Life Designs

Bohemian blonde human hair extensions by Nina's Creative 

Boho Feather Crown by Lolafina

Wolf teeth leather bracelet by Mellow Memory

Crystal Visions necklace by Scarlett Fire Jewels

I find all of these creations to be really inspiring. They look so lovely, and the shops carry all kinds of great wares. It's always a delight to see the kind of talent that exists, and in such a wide variety!

The simple things

When I was finished work for the day, I had a wonderful 20 minutes. I walked to the Deane House garden and reveled at how the plants are growing, and how lovely it is. The above photo is some of the roses. Beautiful! To make things even better, when I was walking back to my garden, I remembered the heritage saskatoon berries that grow in front of my work place. They are not touched by pesticides or any kinds of chemicals, and they are ripe and lovely.

While I was picking them, I felt like an Aesop's Fable waiting to happen. Not sure why. I guess for some reason the situation made me think of The Fox and The Grapes or whatever that one is called. I think the fox ends up falling into a river or something. 

I washed the berries using some water that I had, and the sealer lid from a mason jar. It made me smile, because of how much it testifies to how I was raised. Makes me think of Little House on the Prairie in a way. Or something similar. Whatever the case, it amused me that I was picking saskatoon berries, and washing them with a mason jar. 

Sometimes it's just nice to have moments that are completely your own. The quiet solace of enjoying something that feels secret, and you are momentarily in your own world. Even if it's only for twenty minutes... it's perfect.

Soda time!

Today I went to Sunterra to get a couple of groceries (it's a little bit more expensive, but it's within walking distance. So... yeah!) and I found this amazing drink. It is Juniper Berry Soda by Dry Soda Co. Discovering Dry Soda Co. is one of the best things that has ever happened to me in the vein of beverages. It's nice to find something that is light, has flavours that I would really enjoy, and is made with cane sugar. Their flavours include ginger, lime, lavender, cucumber, and a few others. All of them have only four ingredients, and bonus! It comes in a glass bottle. So, ultimately,  it's healthier for you and it's delicious. I was tempted to try the Lavender soda, but when I saw that there was Juniper Berry Soda, I was so excited. In case you don't know, juniper is what makes gin what it is. Gin is probably my favourite in terms of alcohol, because I really like the taste. The only issue is the burn of the alcohol. And I'm not a huge fan of alcoholic taste. To an extent, but seriously. The burn... Any ways, I've come to really enjoy gin, but whenever I drink it I tend to water it down a lot with sweet tea or tonic water or club soda or juice or whatever I have on hand. But no more! I can enjoy the taste of gin without the alcohol! Hoorraaay!! So... essentially this juniper berry soda is perfect for my life, because it has a flavour I enjoy, in the form of a nice and light carbonated beverage. If you have the chance, I recommend trying out Dry Soda Co. soda and seeing what you think. I'm definitely going to investigate other flavours. At least... if I can pull myself away from the juniper berry.

To boot

If you watch my most recent vlog, you will see my showing off  random accessory-type object that I found on a quick jaunt to the thrift store. The above is a better image (albeit a bit blurry, and not a great photograph...). I have no idea what it is supposed to be. It is a long piece of skinny leather (terrible leather) with a tiny buckle, and three conchos. It's a curious thing. It was laying on one of the glass display cabinets, all alone. I left it, and then returned later. It was still there, so I figured that it was free gain. It is now tied around my boot, and it looks pretty cool if I might say so myself. Now I know what I can make for fairly cheaply if I want to dress up my footwear. Bootcuffs and shoecuffs is where the real money is at. Kidding. I think.

Gothish

I realized that it's been a while since I've done a blog featuring Etsy favourites and picks. I like to spread the word of Etsy shops and the amazing wares that they make and sell, so once again I am going to try to do just that. I used to do these quite frequently, but I stopped, so... Bully for me. Kidding. But seriously. I'm trying to get back on the horse with this blog, especially since 12 Months of Alice feels like it's slowly counting down to the end (even though I still have over 100 days to go). 

Because of an admiration and adoration for goth-ish things that I am going to share some Etsy favourites that are gothic or gothic-inspired. Or maybe just macabre. Either way... Enjoy!

'Princess of Darkness' Babydoll Dress by MollyPop Vintage

'Creature Claws' finger armor by ghostlovejewelry

'There's Something In My Eye' print by caryndrexl

Macabre bird skull earrings with glass pearls by AlternateHistory

'Toothy Grin' necklace by ExtolloJewelry

Be sure to check out all of these shops, and their amazing items. Click the description beneath each item to go directly to the Etsy shop and that item. The items may not be for everyone... but they're definitely for people like me. And maybe you?

Outfit of the Day

The photos for this are less than satisfactory, because of the fact that it was raining and therefore painful to try to find a spot to sit my camera, in order to get a full body photograph. Nonetheless... perseverance! I've decided that I want to do more 'fashion' blogs, describing style and what I find to be a satisfactory way to dress. Also, it's about time that I post on this blog more often. I'm also thinking about doing a historical or oddity blog of the week or something. That is news for another day, though!

This outfit is from yesterday, but it pleased me because it's a bit more spring-y or summer-y than I normally wear. Even though it's usually between 15 and 25 degrees Celsius outside, I still manage to wear black, with heavy ex-uniform jackets and clothing that is not exactly suited to being in the sun. Yet, yesterday when it was pouring buckets (or at least sprinkling. Until it changed drastically and was sunny again, that is), I found that it suited me to dress in light colours and more feminine clothes. With as little black as possible (other than my bag, umbrella, scarf,and shoes. And eyeliner... And under-tank top... I swear, this is very little black for me!). I was mostly driven by wanting to layer, and wanting to wear a coat that I really like, but have never had the chance, nor weather, nor mood, to wear. Yesterday, though... That was the time and place. Again, I apologize for not having a full body photograph, with everything in the same image. I'm never gusty enough to makeshift a tripod. Especially when it's drizzling.

My spring time outfit (albeit the fact it's summer now... Isn't it?):

Dusty rose wool jacket, by Urban Behavior (gift from a family friend)

Mint green cardigan $10 from Stitches)

Black tank top (has been in my possession for ages)

White cut-back tank top with flowery rib cage design ($8...ish, from Stitches)

Jessica Simpson blue jeans ($35 on sale from The Bay)
Engraved necklace ($3 from Value Village)

Charm necklace (gift, odds and ends, had for years)

Black scarf with red and purple velvet details (gift from my Mum)

Flower headband ($8 from Claire's)

Black Oxford style runners ($50 from Aldo)

It occurs to me that a majority of the things that I mention are not really visible. Nonetheless, there you go. I bequeath upon you the knowledge of my clothes. The majority of which I have had for a really long time. 

Trespasser Ceramics

Today I received something beautiful in the mail.

Not too long ago, this artist from Calgary created an IndieGoGo project to save his eyesight. He was stricken with a serious issue that would cause him to go completely blind. Thus, the money raised would go towards the surgery to save one, if not both, of his eyes. As an artist, to lose eyesight is a terrible change. It is for anyone, but when your life depends on the ability to see... I can't even imagine. With the help of lots of supporters, he was able to raise enough money to save both of his eyes. As thank you's for support, he offered pieces of his beautiful ceramic work. As a birthday present, my mum backed the project, and allowed me to choose what piece I would like. I chose the 'All seeing steampunk eye' pendant, in brown. It is such a beautiful piece of art. It is a small pendant, made up of Celtic knots, an eye, and a little gear in lieu of a normal pupil. As you can see. Behold! As I explain in great detail, something that there is a photo of!

It was a really nice surprise to find in the mail, especially after such a long week (and one that isn't over yet!). As soon as I opened it, I found a piece of cord and tied it on as a choker. It's a nice weight and carries a bit of steampunk with me, even when I'm not full steam.

Also, for a fun bonus- I'll explain my silver necklace! Some people will see a pentacle and think "Gasp! Satanist!". However, I can assure you that this is not the case. This is what I call my charm necklace. I wear it almost every day, and it holds a lot of significance. The pentacle (five pointed star within a circle) is a Pagan symbol, and represents balance and the elements (the elements being human spirit, earth, air, fire, and water), and how all elements are interconnected (thus the fact that the pentacle is one continuous line). The anchor behind it is a symbol of stability and hope. Finally, there is my engagement ring, which speaks for itself. Except maybe 'Why is it on a necklace and not your finger?'. Well, I work with my hands a lot, and sometimes I need to wash my hands frequently.  It's just better than my ring doesn't get dirty, but I have it on my necklace because I feel lost without it. Fun fact- there is always a ghost ring on my ring finger. I can feel the ring, and I'll go to play with it, but alas- it will be on my necklace instead. 

Having a new and precious jewel to wear (even if it doesn't look like a jewel) is such a nice treat. Especially since the artist is local, and he's so talented! Be sure to check out his work at Trespasser Ceramics.