Mail Magick

 Blouse - Express, thrifted

Hector skirt - All Saints

Star stud Sandals - Poetic License

Necklace - via Mom

Another day, another trip to the post office. I love snail mail, I love packages. I love sending them and receiving them. Emails are great for quick communication, but there's something special about sitting down, writing a letter, packaging up a pretty bundle of stuff, and mailing it out. Some people loath the post office, but I love walking in and knowing my letters and packages will show up on somebody's front step or mailbox and brighten up their day.

I typically do not wear much jewelry, but I raided Mom's jewelry box last weekend for some big chunky jewelry. This necklace was always a favorite because she wore it when she did a fortune teller LARP when I was very young. We stayed in some cabins. It was autumn and everything was orange and brown. I actually got to come along and spend my weekend with "Elves" watching me (and by that, I mean they wrote me in as a kidnapped kid!) and teaching me to make rice candles out of paper bags. And at the evening meal, we had professional belly dancers! It's still one of my favorite memories, and even better because I have the pictures too. I had a very "magical" young childhood.

Mom in all her 90s garb glory

Tiny Megan!

Cabins in the forest and extra tiny Megan among them
We later placed the candles to lead to each cabin at night

Lots of people

Dancing! Go Tiny!Megan go!
(See, I've always had a thing for black ankle boots)

Elves! (I thought these guys had real elf ears)

Pistachio Flavor

 

Button down - Gap, thrifted

Ankle Pants - LOFT, gift

Flats - Frye, ebay

Woohoo! What an exciting day. Yesterday a reader contacted me for a bundle of buttonflowers and a custom obi belt. As I was leaving the house to pick up materials, there was a huge downpour. It didn't do much to push back the heat today though so I stuck with a basic cotton sleeveless shirt and these ankle pants my mom got for me last autumn. The colors of these pants define what I like to wear in summer - greens, blues, browns, and creams. This shirt is the color of my favorite ice cream flavor - Pistachio! (No almonds, please).

I picked up enough materials to actually make two obi belts. I've wanted more practice making them. This is good news because I'm offering this obi belt for $15 shipped (within the US) if anyone is interested in it. It's in navy blue with dots and ombre blues with stripes. V*gan friendly fabrics too.

Also if you've been on the fence for buttonflowers - I'm offering a $5 grab bag this week (ending on Sunday). The grab bag will get you one large, one medium and one mini buttonflower in your color choices.

As if you needed more convincing - you should go check out Beth's buttonflower corsage on her blog.

Stick around this weekend for an announcement, Keely and I have cooked up a new Fashion Challenge. It's been too long since our last one! Hopefully it'll give us the kick of inspiration we need.

Summertime Flowers

Vinca Dress - All Saints, ebay

Buttonflowers - MMD

Army Flats - Trippen

Well the black and white week idea failed out on day one because I wanted to wear a plaid dress. I love my cotton All Saints dresses because they're so easy and cool. I took everyone's advice for today and wore a dress with basic accessories. I don't do jewelry much at all because the humidity makes it stick to my skin. Yuck. So I took the opportunity to wear something I made!

These are two of my new v*gan buttonflowers inspired by Sage. They're made of a cotton/linen blend with recovered metal buttons as an alternative to my silk tie flowers. I now have a 'line' of non-silk buttonflowers for sale if you want/prefer that option. Lynne has really utilized her purchases. She DIY'd a shirt that was in her donation pile with her buttonflowers.

Reasons I can't get over Bruce? He's so fancy. He has learned his Uncle Spike's behavior of "covering" his food dish when he's finished eating. "Dear waiter, please taketh my dish away now." It always makes me laugh so hard. He's not a black cat, but dark brown (like my shoes!), and he has black stripes. I like sleeping kittens, especially when they look like they're grinning. 

He even sleeps with a fancy paw curled

In Memoriam

Tiny Star-print Dress - gift

Vest - Papaya, thrifted

Zebra Chuck Taylors - gift

Leather star wraps - Target

Happy Memorial Day, US friends. Wearing my red white and blue (er, turquoise) for today. It's mega-mega hot here. The bugs are in full swing. I am itchy. Ugh. I'm not sure where my clothing ideas are going lately. I'm thinking maybe a black and white week this week. I have enough to do it.

I'm actually satisfied with my current closet, but still feel frustrated when trying to dress for the weather. It's hard when you go from needing 2-3 layers and a coat to a single layer and no need for tights at all. Wearing a single dress, does it get boring? How do you handle dressing for hot days of summer?

No big plans for today, but I did spend the usual Sunday with Mom and my kittycats.

I got "my" cats (Spike, Bruce, York) new collars. Mom bought "her" cats (Sammy and Annabelle) their replacement collars earlier last week. York was such a crazycat trying to chase the bell on his - while he was wearing it. The babies are still to small for theirs, but they have them tucked away for when they're big enough - which will be all too soon.

York was like a kitten on speed, bouncing off the walls, attacking everything possible. He did crash out for awhile to watch the movie with Mom and I. Bruce was happy to have a lap all to himself for most of the day.

Bruce says, "I love D! Dis is my hand nao."

York givin' me the squint face that Socks used to.

Kitten pass out pile

Sew Sunday: Lynne's Obi

 

So Lynne contacted me a little while back for a buttonflower grab bag, but she was also interested in an obi belt like the one I made for Sheila. The one I made for Sheila wasn't on my list of regular items because obi belts are a bit of a challenge, they weren't something I was 100% sure of how to pull off. 

Combining the ties means finding two ties that are almost identical in shape and fabric weight, and also complementary in color and print. These two purple based ties were absolutely fabulous together.

However I was quite excited to fulfill her request. I've been learning Lynne's colors since I started watching her blog, and she's one of those people who knows what looks good on her. She looks so fierce in her Fluevog shoes and MMD belt. I also love how she incorporated a third print by adding the buttonflower to decorate the knot of her obi.

I'm actually considering making one for myself, I love the look so much.  I'm still a newbie at sewing, so most of my projects are also learning experiences. I love that I actually have pieces worn by people across the blogsphere, and the world! If you're interested in your own obi belt or buttonflowers, shoot me an email. I'll be happy to work with you and create your own custom accessory made from recycled materials.

Also check out this other amazing idea she came up with for buttonflowers! These little accessories are really only limited to your imagination.

In Trade

 Tank, star wrap bracelet - Target

Skirt - the Limited, thrifted

Mary Janes - Coccinelle, swap

Buttonflower - MMD

Rachel, a reader, emailed me awhile back interested in a Father's Day portrait of her family in Steampunk fashion (linked to prevent spoilers, but click through to see). In lieu of cash payment, she asked to do a clothing swap for the art. Now I've done craft swaps before, a small one with Pansy Lane, but we traded skill for skill. 

So Rachel and I hashed out an agreement and mailed me a package of goodies while I got to work. I enjoyed the project, and the swap yielded some interesting pieces for me to play with, some fit perfectly with my style, others may prove to be a challenge, but one I'm interested in trying out. I'm always open to flexible trades for buttonflowers or for art. 

The shoes were a part of the box 'o goodies. I've actually worn them twice, and I think I like them better with jeans than skirts. The leather has a really cool effect though, and they're comfortable. I'm still looking for the perfect pair to fill the "black flats" gap in my wardrobe, but I may just skip that and snag these Born sandals instead. (More shoe buying?! Who, me? Never!)

Search Term Time

Violet Dress - All Saints (altered top), ebay

Belt - thrifted

Flats - vintage etsy

This dress is neither pink, nor red, nor orange. It all depends on what colors it is near, the lighting and day. However I love it. It feels like air. And after I altered the wrap style top to fit me, it doesn't budge.

So every once in awhile I think to check search terms that bring people to my blog. Some are funny, some bizarre, others -...

"funny making fun of hunger games"

Yeah parodies are great. I liked the hunger games though, the movie, the books. Move along.

"nude nurse/vintage nude butts/etc"

Omggg, No nudes here, after all this is a fashion blog, first and foremost. Likely you've hit upon my site because of my United Nude flats. Which are pretty fancy, but not what you're looking for.

"john watson sweater"


Okay you're probably being directed to this post. Sherlockians - I AM SORRY! It's a sweater I thrifted, I made a bad joke about slightly shapeless off-white sweater, and now I'm probably directing lots of fans hunting the perfect John Watson sweater. I don't have it, no advice for you other than hit up your local thrift stores. Or Sherlockology for more info on the wardrobe of BBC Sherlock.


"are cydwoq shoes comfortable for walking"

Yes, absolutely. I highly recommend them. Watch out for stiff leathers though. Some of the leathers are softer, others take some breaking in, however my cydwoqs can go from dawn til dusk and my feet are super.

"stripe swirl tights"

Ooh those sound cute. I'll take a pair.

"megan mae daily" 

Hooray! You found me! Thank you for taking the time to google me and find my little corner of the internet. I hope you enjoy what you found here, will come back again and again, preferably with a friend or two.

Last Call

Godiva Tank - All Saints

Custom Harness - Audra Jean

Belt - thrifted

Star Skirt - Versace Jean Couture, thrifted

Logic oxfords - Cydwoq 

Bring on the heat! Temps soar back in the 90s this week. Hubs was heading out on the job hunt so I hopped along for the ride towards Nashville to work with my little fuzzyheads and their socialization skills, which apparently consists of lots of snuggling and chewing on me. I actually managed to snap a picture of ALL FIVE cats. Annabelle was sleeping hanging off the bed.. silly girl. Also yes, I take lots of photos of them while they're sleeping. It's the only time they're still enough to get a clear picture. They have boundless energy and rarely sit still unless they're asleep.

For the current moment, we're keeping Bruce, too. His potential owner backed out, but the loss is on her. Brucie is such a sweet boy, my batfaced kitty. He's doing a lot better today, not as shy or skittish. I even managed to get him to sleep and play with the DH before we left my Mom's place. 

Today I took my thrifted Versace skirt out for one last spin. I've decided that I don't care if I'm in my 20s, I don't like mini-skirts. Even if they are covered in stars. It's just too short for me. It's going back into the donation bag tonight to become someone else's golden find, while making space for my upcoming thrifting trip with Lynne!

Full of Fluff

Tee - Ann Taylor 

Trousers - Ankle pants - Sandra King, thrifted, slimmed

Pearl Hart Pumps - John Fluevog

Bracelet - (gift via Debbi)

Necklace pendant - (gift via Keely)

In an attempt to make today a little brighter, I tossed on my super bright pink pants, a bright teal tee (I swear it's green-blue, but photographs blue no matter what), green shoes, purple bracelet, and chartreuse pendant. Taking one day at a time helps. I still love these pants to pieces.

I've got a lot to look forward to in the coming weeks, including my meet up with Lynne. And speaking of Lynne, she got her buttonflower and belt package! Check out her blog to see what she bought and I'll be sharing more about obi belts and special orders this weekend.

To hold you over until then - teething York! These kittens chew anything they can get their mouths around. Mostly it's been my fingers. They've known me since before their eyes and ears opened. My smell mixing right alongside Momma-cats. So chewing on my fingers is a favorite past time when they're ready to settle down for a nap. Not such a big problem when they're little, but yowch! those fangs get sharp fast. But this is a great learning time because York and Bruce learn by my Mom and I "crying" when they bite too hard. This teaches kittens to control their pressure so when they play as adult cats they know how to play without injuring.

(You can also see York's insanely dexterous paws in this video! Omg those things are insanely cute!)

Also I forgot to actually mention it in yesterday's post, but we're keeping York. 

Monday Troubles

Blouse - Ann Taylor, thrifted

Bubble skirt - H&M, thrifted

Star Sandals - Poetic License

Starting out with the outfit, I've replaced my other blue skirt with this one. It's roughly the same color and shape, but the fabric is softer, color richer, fit a little better (even though it's longer, I prefer this waist band). I only wish I could find more skirts like this while thrifting. The blouse is another galaxy-esque painterly print. This one an Ann Taylor that still had the tags attached when I bought it. My favorite part is that is fits in the bust without being too revealing or absolutely needing a cami like most knot/wrap style tops. 

I've been handling a lot of grief last week. It seems like things have been at either end of the extremes - happiness and sadness. We lost Socks earlier this last week, and I have done a lot of crying. Rest in Peace, little guy. I also found out that a relative is extremely sick and hospitalized. There has been happy news in the form of plans with Lynne, selling art and buttonflowers, enjoying the amazing weather. Life is fleeting and precious. Live it head on.

Harley and Jane left on Wednesday to go to their new family. They were so good on the car ride and settled right into their new home. I'm very proud of them. I miss them all the time.

I spent most of my free time this week with little York and Bruce. York has done a 360 in attitude wants to be picked up, played with, cuddled. He seems to have attached to me personally and clambers into my lap the moment I sit down. Bruce is still twitchy around people, but his behavior is much like the little ones' favorite person -"Uncle Spike" who has turned into a mother hen and playmate. Both of the kittens seem to be coming out of their shell now that the house is quieter and calmer.

My "grief counselors" York and Bruce

Trippen Review

 T shirt - thrifted 

Shorts - Cutoff thrifted jeans

Shoes - Trippen Army

This is not paid endorsement. I've been obsessing over Trippens for quite some time, and after a really good experience with ordering Cydwoqs from Pedshoes, I decided that was where I needed to order my Trippens from. They don't carry the Happy sole like I had originally intended to buy, but they had another shoe that fit my personal style perfectly: Strappy, weird sole, color I didn't own.

Pedshoes was the only online shop I found carrying this specific colorway (bitter brown with blue edging), but you can probably order them straight from the Trippen site as a special request.

The Trippen army is a flat shoe with lots of straps (and no pesky zipper!). It hails from the Cups family of shoes, which consist of two separated rubber "cups" for soles. Similar to jazz shoes. It's purely an aestetic thing because I can't feel the odd sole when I walk around. The insole is shaped to support, but like Cydwoqs, the buttery leather and cork (?) insole begin to take on the shape of your feet. The Army shoe also benefits from the straps and it's customizeable fit.

Now here's the information I found most hard to find when researching Trippens - Sizing: They run large. At least in the cups family. I ordered a 36 (US size 6), which I'd put closer to a 37/6.5 in fit The flats also run slightly wider than average, but as someone with a slim heel and wider at the toes - this shoe is pretty great. I'll also be able to wear socks with these without stretching them further because I can set the straps to different tightnesses. So hooray for year round wear.

I wore these for two days straight and the one thing Trippen is and should be known for is incredible comfort. Next to my grey Cydwoqs, these are the most comfortable shoes in my closet right now. However unlike my vintage line Cydwoqs, these are not dainty. Plenty of toe room makes these great for comfort but a slightly bulky look.

I am overall thrilled with my purchase though, and would have gladly paid 100% retail, however I did use a discount code which spurred me to order asap. Thanks to Megan for the heads up on the code and to everyone who ordered buttonflowers, custom orders, art commissions, and ebay sales for making it possible. I'm still open for buttonflower sales and art commissions.

I still really want to order a pair of Happy-sole boots, but I'd also love to bring home a pair of Fence, Good and maybe a pair of Royal Booties. If only I could win the lottery. Haha.

Awesome Blogger Award

So I'm dealing with some personal stuff off-the-blog. While I'm away, I scheduled a couple of posts - including a teaser about my "dates" to go see Frankenstein! This evening I have an award from Frannie Pantz (Thanks, dear!) who tagged me to give out seven random facts about yours truly.

1. I dislike peeptoe pumps. Not to say there aren't cute peeptoes out there, but I had this moment about two years into blogging where my brain went "Y'know, that just looks weird" and I haven't been able to unsee it since.

2. I love cheese. Almost every kind of cheese. I frequently have at least 5 or 6 different varieties in my fridge for various applications. The weirdest part? I can't handle drinking milk. Makes me awfully sick.

3. I love fandoms! Oops, outing myself here? I started the Harry Potter books at age 9 and quickly got sucked into one of the biggest phenomenons since Star Trek/Wars. And of course, after many many weeks of grief at the decline of such a fandom, I hopped onto the Star Trek train thanks to my swiftly growing love of TNG and the reboot movie(s). TOS is still hard to watch - I'll explain in #4.

I have recently hopped on board one of the oldest fandom trains (something in the realm of 100+ years old at this point) - Sherlock Holmes. I can't get enough! It's Sherlock-a-palooza in today's market between the US movies, the BBC version, and the up-and-coming Elementary (that nobody is happy about).

(I spend more time than I should on tumblr, and I don't even have one of my own. Eep!)

4. Oh-kay, I promised I'd explain. I don't like old movies. -is shot- No really, I find older movies to move at a very slow pace. Which is true, but excruciating for someone as manic as me. I frequently only listen to television or movies on in the background while doing other work. As much as I am a crazy nostalgic person, I'm rather comfortable in my cushy modern movie watching.

5. I have this really great idea for a story. Somewhere in the realm of 23 pages with lots of concepts, an entire outline, and even some concept art. I can't get this behemoth written.

6. I have really bad handwriting. It's sort of loopy like most girls' hand writing, but it starts getting odd the more I write. It becomes more abstractions of actual words, than words. This is due to the fact that I have some permanent damage in my hand from a broken arm/surgeries I had as a tween.

7.  I am a complete nerd who likes big words. I used to use words as a kid that most people barely knew the meaning to. (And frequently got told off for it) I liked dictionaries, and every "big girl" book I read, I used the dictionary for words I didn't know. My vocab has grown extensively over time and with introduction to the internet. I sometimes feel sad overusing words in my comments or posts to express things, because language is so beautiful and complex, but we've reduced it to the bare bones.

One of the most saddening and terrifying ideas I've ever stumbled across was the idea of "Newspeak" from Nineteen Eighty-four. The removal of synonyms and antonyms.

On that note, I'm tagging everyone and anyone who wants to share 7 random things about themselves today.

Hot Date

Megan Mae Daily & Practical Paralegalism Have a Hot Date!

You want to know how to get a date with one of the hottest British actors on the planet? Dye your hair seriously red, preferably a hue not seen in nature. Works every time. We are barfing with excitement about our pending dinner and theater date with....oh, it's a surprise. There will be shocking pictures. A tell-all interview with one of those rags you pretend you don't read in the grocery store aisle. Mad, mad style, and seriously fabo shoes (Megan Mae's). Lynne is even going to shave her legs for this event.

Stay tuned for the deets on one of the most insane and hotly anticipated (by us) blogger meet-ups of the year, as we agree to share the company of one mysterious, crazy-sexy star for a bloody glamorous night on the town!

The Lucky and Married <gasp> Faux Gingers

Megan Mae, Megan Mae Daily 

Lynne, Practical Paralegalism Career Dressing

Yo-ho

 Blouse - Dear Creatures, thrifted

Belt - Betsey Johnson

Skirt - BB Dakota, gift from Sheila

Socks - thieved from D's drawer

Shoes - Fly London

What's more appropriate than a sailor blouse with some pirate(d) socks. These are the perfect pair of black and white socks, and while they technically belong to the husband - I stole them. Heehee.

I can't tell you how exciting my morning has been - well, maybe I can try. I've been more busy since school let out than ever before. Art commission, sewing commission, buttonflower sales and production! I also found a partner to go see Frankenstein! Eee. 

As I tweeted last night, I made a ton of new buttonflowers in bright new shades and lovely pastels. I'm working on belt designs tonight so hopefully I'll have some more new stuff up by the end of the week.

I had put these Fly London shoes up for sale, and they're the only pair that didn't go. I'm almost glad they didn't sell, because they really are invaluable as a red shoe. I'm still on the lookout for a replacement that's a little more comfortable with bare feet, but I'm happy these stuck around. Funny because both the shoes and the belt have been up on the chopping block for sale/donation a couple of times, but I always remember last minute why I love them both.

Planning Stages

Cupid Blouse - All Saints

Red Trousers - Divided, thrifted

Textile flats - Cydwoq

Wrist cuff - (black) Mom, (red) Target

Bag - Target

I had to seek out a different brick wall today because my days are definitely not slowing down! I managed to swing by Chick-fil-a to grab lunch for my in-laws (and myself, mmm). Plus I had another post office run. I'm thrilled to say selling off my super high heels has funded my new Trippens - delivery set for Wednesday, so worried and excited at the same time! Really hope they fit. The internet is sadly devoid of reviews.

Still working on breaking in these Cydwoqs. The grey pair were like buttah out of the box, but these are proving to be a little more solid, but thankfully not as impossible as Frye's have been. Today's outfit was one of those throw-on-everything-I-feel-like-wearing-and-hope-it-goes outfits. I think it turned out alright.

Not only has the sale of my shoes funded a new pair, but I also finally pre-ordered my tickets for Frankenstein! It's playing across the North America/UK/Aussie/New Zealand/South Africa areas so if you're interested, go check out the venues! There's probably one near you! I'm going stag to the play, but I really enjoyed seeing the Hunger Games by myself. 

A little more immediate plans - my MIL decided to take me thrifting for a bunch of spring/summer colored ties and buttons so if you're interested in brightly colored buttonflowers - email me by the end of this week for first dibs! I'll be amping up production this summer because I'm hopefully going to share a booth in a local fair come fall. In the mean time, go check out Keely who's wearing her buttonflower today.

Maybe if I stay very quiet, the to-do List will disappear

Also I may or may not be blogging from under my desk a la Sheila and Megan

New Life: Week 6 - Finale

Welcome to the final installment of New Life! If you're confused, catch up on this feature here:

Week 0 (Birth)

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3 

Week 4

Week 5ish

Remember all images can be made larger by clicking!

Too big to sit everyone in my lap, Tom sleeps in my arms while Jane curls up in my lap
Socks, Harley and Bruce (from bottom to top) sleep sprawled on my legs. 

Now that we're all caught up! This week - we're fully fledged cats! Moving onto our 7th week of life, all the kittens have developed unique personalities, preferences, and learned all the basics skills a kitten needs. They pounce, play, cuddle, sleep, clean themselves, eat, and poo (in the box, properly!). Even Momma-cat knows it's time for them to finish growing up. She only let's them nurse briefly at night before stationing herself on a high shelf to sleep. Mom and I believe Annabelle has stopped producing milk, so it's going to soon be time to take her to the vet to be fixed (after the babies are re-homed).

Bruce - Brucey is finally coming into his own. He's less shy, more playful. He still prefers his laptime to be one-on-one and only allows pictures while he's sleeping. Loud noises are still scary, but Mr.Batface has come a long way since his first days. We're still uncertain where Bruce and Tom are going. The original person interested in Tom never contacted me again, so my Mom's friend is now again open to choose between the two boys. She will come by Mom's house at some point and meet the boys to decide which she bonds with better. I am sad, but I know she'll give them the best home possible. 

Harley - I've never bonded with a girl cat as well as I have with Miss Harley. She's got such good manners (while begging next to my plate, but we've learned to stay off my plate this week - good girl!), she's always there when I need a kitten -to play or to nap. She doesn't mind that I call her Bruce occasionally or tip her head up to look for the patch of white. She has the most beautiful eyes and sweetest face, although she resembles her Momma to a tee when she sleeps. I'll miss her terribly. She and Jane go to their new home on May 23rd. I'll snap a couple of pictures on "going home" day.

Soximillian - Not-so-little Socks was super playful today. I only got in minor time with him today, but he did ham it up for the camera. His little face has finally started to "grow up" and now he has the same long nose, big ears, and spindly legs that everyone else does. He's going to become such a beautiful cat, I just hope he keeps his good temperament once brothers and sisters have left the nest.

Thomas York Morgan - Tom aka York has become such a wild card. He's still super independent, but he's begun to "adopt" me as his favored person. D showed a big interest in York when he was born, and since his and Bruce's situation is not finalized, I asked D what we would call him, since he still isn't responding well to "Tom". He mentioned a couple of names Zach, York, etc. (Video game reference for those not interested in reading all that).. and I accidentally just started calling him York and it's sort of stuck. So as often as Socks's name changes in variation, Yorkie gets called a million different names in a day. 

Miss Calamity Jane - Jane has become Mom's favorite. She's a very sociable girl, chatty, funny, playful, sweet. She wedged herself partly under my leg and rolled over onto her back. She fell asleep with her arms in the air and mouth open. I laughed and laughed at her silly face. The girl kitties have come out remarkably sweet.

I'm so proud of all the kittens. Watching them grow up and hit their milestones has been a wonderful adventure. From little peanuts to cats, they're soon off to a whole new adventure with new families. I thank everyone who has stuck around and gotten to know my little babies.