Darkhouse on Goodreads
Red Fox on Goodreads
Dead Sky Morning on Goodreads
The Benson on Goodreads
Lying Season on Goodreads
On Demon Wings on Goodreads
Old Blood on Goodreads
Into the Hollow on Goodreads


Tuesday, June 30, 2009

outta the comfort zone



Last week I lamented that I was totally uninspired with my clothes and resorting to the easy wardrobe of pants + top for a bit. I didn't get many suggestions as to what I should wear, but MizzJ did point out that I am very boho and should maybe try the Blair Waldorf look.

I have been very boho lately but I think that's more because A) my hair is made for boho and B) it's summer and well...it's summer!

Anyway, throughout the winter I wore a lot of pencil skirts as I figure my figure is better suited for that than anything else. But I haven't worn anything like that for a few months now. Of course, the pencil skirt look isn't very summery or bohemian but it's still a look I like to have when I'm feeling saucy. The problem with it being warm now outside, is that I can't wear tights with the skirt.

And the concept of wearing a skirt with bare legs terrifies me.

You see, when I wear dresses I can put on funky gladiator sandals or tie up espadrilles and everything is OK. But with pencil skirts, you kinda have to wear heels (boots work too). I wore flats once with the skirt and I just looked kinda stumpy and dowdy. It didn't work.

The problem, as some of you might figure out, is the scarring/messed up look of my feet/ankles. Yes, whaaa whaaa whine about it some more. But I have been very good lately about trying to not give a fuck what people think about me and just have them exposed. Wearing pants all summer long because I am afraid what people think is just ridiculous and though the fear is there, damnit I want to wear dresses!

Anyhoo, gladiator sandals, tie-up espadrilles and cuffed shoes all offer some sort of protection and a way of hiding my disability. Even if it's just a single string around my ankle, I just feel better about myself. But to wear pumps - without embellishment - to WORK, was just too much.

Or was it? I just said screw it and went for it. I'm sure you all think it's no big deal but that's because you haven't been in my "shoes" - I'm sure it's easy for all of us to say the girl with the giant birthmark on her face has nothing to worry about, but I assure you she does. But only if she lets it.

So to make a very long, tedious (sorry!) story short, I slipped on my favourite pumps and strode out the door that morning feel half-confident (I felt very sexy-secretary and grown-up, which is ridiculous because I'm 27!) and also half-petrified. What would people at work say? What would they think?

I knew they already knew something was up with me - my ankles jut out (from being broken and basically put back on) and that shows even with tights. But they never had a real good look at what was wrong with me. Well, now I would give them that.

And I did. When I was at the coffee machine trying to fill up my mug, I turned around and saw two co-workers just staring at my ankles, puzzled. They looked sheepish when they saw me staring but I just smiled and laughed (as I actually was having problems with the coffee machine) - if I treated it like it was no big deal to have these feet, then they would see it was no big deal to stare.

It's still tough. People will stare at me, like they have my whole life, and I just have to ignore it. Sometimes it makes me sick. I wish they were thinking something good though like "she's well put together" and not "She looks good...oh wait. Something wrong with her feet. Scratch that."

At least now I know I've done it, I took the first step, and now I can go bare ankled to work anyday, just as long as I ready myself for the outcome. That's a first for me and I'm somewhat proud of myself.

Well, thanks for sticking around for my mediocre diatribe. You are rewarded with mediocre pictures!





Paraphernalia necklace of Alice and Wonderland Mad Hatter tea party drawing chain and heart charm

My Mad Men secretary look, tight pencil skirt in animal print and work blouse



Vic Matie metallic mary-jane strap plum shoes in patent leather



Leather jacket: Piazza Sempione; Leopard print pencil skirt: Forever 21; Tuxedo shirt: Guess (from swap); Tank: Forever 21; Earrings (one gold guitar pic and one silver guitar: ASOS; Stud bracelet: Forever 21; Alice in Wonderland lithograph necklace: Paraphernalia; Metallic patent Mary-Janes: Vic Matie from YOOX


OH - I'm having a Forever 21 dress giveaway coming soon here. Very excited!

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Gossip Girl Taylor Momsen +The Pretty Reckless styles

Taylor Momsen from Gossip Girl, after her band's show The Pretty Reckless, she is a good singer that Little J

So I met up fellow blogger and friend Eyeliah last night to see The Veronicas in concert. She bought the tickets awhile back, knowing it was a small club and they would be a inexpensive and fun band to see. Not to mention that the opening band was Little J's (Taylor Momsen, aka Jenny Humphrey of Gossip Girl) The Pretty Reckless.

Now, at times, I have a low opinion of Gossip Girl and also of actors who also think they are singers. For every Juliette Lewis, there is a Scarlett Johansson out there (Tom Waits...srsly?). But T Mom completely blew me away. I mean, I went in there expecting crap and she actually had a pretty rad band, a wicked smokey voice and cool stage presence. Let's not forget...THE GIRL IS ONLY 15 YEARS OLD! Holy crap, that puts things in perspective.

Anyway, let's go back a bit. This is us before the show...

gladiator cage heels by Helmut Lang with ASOS dress and tie necklace - my concert wear is black and grey for summer





ME: Dress: ASOS; Tie lithograph necklace: Paraphanelia; Cage heels: Helmut Lang - Eyeliah: Thrifted bright ensemble with her go-to concert boots

So here's Little J doing her thang on stage with The Pretty Reckless...









I'm not sure what Miss Momsen was wearing but her leather jacket was uber cool, as was her body-con-ish dress which looked like it could be by BCBG Max Azria*** and since she has been seen wearing a lot of his clothes, I wouldn't be surprised if that were true.

After TPR, The Veronica's came on. WOW. Can I just say total girl crush on them, especially the dark-haired twin (Lisa Origliasso). Is she a lesbian? Who cares, I'd do her lol.

The Veronicas live in concert, now touring with Taylor Momsen from Gossip Girl The Pretty Reckless





The girls had great energy, a fantabulous showboating bass player that resembled Borat, opened up with the uber-catchy "Untouched" and did one awesome cover of "Mother Mother." Frick, they can scream! I sadly didn't tape that part but I did tape them doing "Take Me on the Floor":



Anyway, after the show I ended up buying a Pretty Reckless tee...normally I am not a fan of concert tees but I thought this one was pretty simple and since the name is not known very well, it could just mean that I AM pretty reckless - which is true, you know especially with my credit card.



Then I got Taylor to sign it. She was actually really cool. I know she gets made fun of a lot on Go Fug Yourself, for reasons I understand. But in real life she looked awesome, she was really pretty and quite tall. I'm not sure why this doesn't translate so well in photos as she looks grumpy and glum but the girl herself is super friendly, chipper, gracious and smiley.

She said she really liked my necklace and when I told her she reminded me of a female Robert Plant, the compliment just bowled her over. Anyway, she was just such a sweetie and I got out of there before I was mobbed by a crowd of over-excited Gossip Girl fans.

All in all, a good night. Girl power all the way.

XOXO Gossip Girl...

***addendum: as Marietta pointed out, she was indeed wearing a D&G dress

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Inspired By: Farrah Fawcett

Farrah Fawcett hair and makeup

In honour of Farrah Fawcett, I wanted to do 70's makeup, with sunny California clothes and Farrah winged hair. Sadly, my hair doesn't do a Farrah wave like it used to so the look isn't quite what I wanted. In fact, since I ended up at another bonfire on the beach, it felt less like FF and more like a clambake in the 70's (speaking of clambake, I've never been to one...sounds like fun).

As I ran across the grassy beach park in the dark, towel dragging behind me and the sweet smell of grass and ocean salt in the air, I had an intricate feeling that I truly was in 1974. It was profound. Well, as profound as one can be on a Friday night.

But I digress.

Farrah Fawcett tribute hair and makeup and 70's beach outfit style fashion











Plaid shirt: Forever 21; Jeans: Forever 21; Tank top: ASOS; Necklace: from Mexico; Turqouise nugget necklace (used as a bracelet): Some Estate Sale; Espadrilles: Spain (Espadrilles Etc.com); Makeup: Stila Malibu Barbie set

Friday, June 26, 2009

Dreamstorm



One thing about me is that I have oodles of cheap jewelry lying around my place...and I mean oodles. For some reason, I just can't rationalize paying a lot for jewelry and I am not sure why that is since jewelry is something you can wear all day, everyday, for the rest of your life. It truly is an investment piece, when you want it to be.

Anyway, I belong to Hautelook.com, where I get tons of great deals (my Rachel Pally clothes for example) and where I also spend a lot of money. But a few weeks back they had the jewelry line by Gorjana come up and I was enthralled by the 60% discounts on everything and the simple, hammered styles. I went for the gold in terms of earrings (am wearing them in my last post), a delicate bracelet and a cross necklace. They all are 18K gold (perfect for my metal allergic skin) and have that raw, Roman-esque feel that I am always going for.













Dress: ASOS (also seen here and here), Boots: Vintage; Jewelry: Gorjana; Leather jacket: Vintage


I'm not sure about you guys, but I have always had very vivid dreams. ALWAYS. Without fail, I will wake up and recall one, if not all, of my dreams and my boyfriend always gets an earful.

My dreams can sometimes be quite lucid too. There have been more than enough times that during my dream, I realize it is a dream. I usually only do this when it's a bad or creepy dream and then I use this "power" to wake myself up OR I use it to change the events. But sometimes I can have fun with it too...

For example, last month I had a dream that I was with Jason Bateman in the back of a taxi cab. He seemed like he wanted to kiss me but I realized I had peanut butter (I know, wtf) in my mouth. So I forced my dream to no longer have peanut butter and I also totally lead Mr. Bateman on. It was awesome.

Celebrities are a constant in my dreams...I can't begin to tell you how many have made an appearance. I would like to say every single one haha. Seriously! You name a celeb...they've been in my dream!

Most recently it was Megan Fox....we were friends or we had a mutual friend. Anyway, I spent my dream following her around the town, watching as everyone just stared at how sickeningly gorgeous(and plastic *ahem*) she was. She was nice enough in my dream too but not like THAT friendly...probably how she would really be. That's just a recent example though. Kate Beckinsale was in my dream a few nights ago but I don't recall it too well.

My boyfriend sometimes pops up and when he does, he is the biggest asshole on the face of the damn planet. I have no idea why...he is the sweetest most easy-going man I have ever met, yet in my dreams...BIG TIME JERK. We call him Dream Mike and you know he's an ass (though last dream he was in, he was actually the opposite...maybe Dream Mike is growing up?).

Then there are the reoccuring dreams that happen almost every night, ad nauseum:

* My teeth are falling out. Common, I know, but seriously it is so realistic and I can actually feel them falling out. Last week, I had one loose tooth that I pulled on and then my entire JAW fell out.

* I'm in an elevator. And it's free-falling. Yup. Anytime I get in an elevator in my dream, I know what's up (or down...tee hee). DEATH! Actually, I never die and when the elevator smashes against the ground with me in it, my dream either ends or it's not really that bad of an impact. I have falling elevator dreams about once a week. I'm suprised real elevators don't scare me!

*I'm in a plane...guess what? It's crashing! Falls right out of the sky. Yeah, this happens so often in my dreams I have been known - in my dream - to say, "it's OK I've been through this before."

*Also, anytime I see a plane take off in my dream, it crashes. Always. I'll be walking down the street, I see a plane in the sky and then BLAM! Into the earth it goes.

*I'm inside a very, very tall building. It's windy and the whole building sways back and forth...somehow, I fall off the balcony or out a window and fall to my death. I am constantly falling off of very high buildings *shudder* NOTE: I have a problem now with going inside very tall buildings...

*I'm swimming in murky deep water. Sometimes I am stuck underwater, I can't see anything and something is touching my leg. Weird shapes are coming out of the dark. Yup, I blame these dreams on having grown up on a boat.

*The classic: someone is after me, trying to kill me. I either try and run but I can't (legs are too slow....makes me wonder, can I even run if the situation arises in real life?), or I can't scream (ditto...can I scream if needed?). Or it's just the run-of-the-mill hide N seek in a town or house while some person or a secret organization is trying to off me. This happens to me way too often - I question my sanity.

*The "I have somewhere special to be and I forgot all of my makeup or clothes" - ack, how vain of me. But yeah, in my dreams I often NEED to be wearing makeup but I can't put it on properly or something like that and it turns into the biggest freakin' deal.

So that's pretty much my dream schedule for the week/month. Do I dream anything happy? Well the making out with celebrities thing is pretty cool. I get to travel to weird strange places that only exist in my dreams. And my dogs (who are dead) Ellie and Duke make routine appearances...it's always nice to see them (and when I do, it's always "See, I knew you didn't die!"

Anyone else have any of these crazy dreams? What do you dream about?

Happy Friday everyone...and...SWEET DREAMS!

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Deer n' Dogs


One of my favourite things to do on Salt Spring island is walk along the twisty roads that spread out from the yacht club and run along the penninsula. Aside from the splendid oceanview homes that fan out to your left and right, this neighbourhood is populated with deer.

Lots of deer.

When I was a young and imaginative nature lover, I would often go for walks, letting my creativity run wild while keeping an eager eye out for any elegant and wild companions.

These days not much as changed - if anything, my companions seem just as eager as I am.



Deer #1


Deer #2


Deer #3


Deer #4


Deer #5, 6, 7


Deer #8


Deer #9

Dogs are plentiful too, as most people who seek out the boating or island lifestyle prefer these companions over all others :)













These two are mine!


Then there is the craziest animal of all: ME!