do it yourselfie: tassel shorts tutorial!

Hey folks!! Long time no see! I've been in a super crafty mood lately, and a pair of jeans I have recently fell victim to what is commonly known as Thick Thigh Terror - aka the inner thighs of my jeans wore through! It happens to me pretty frequently, even when I buy "big girl" jeans, so I don't know if my legs are just too mighty for pants or what! Either way, when this happens I usually just cut the legs off the pair of jeans at the highest point of thigh-hole, but don't do much after that! This time I thought I'd give it a little more effort and actually make something of these new shorts, so here I am to show you how it's done.

super new school (ootd #1)

Okay, so before you get mad at me for not posting in half a year, let me tell you about my first ever OOTD post, which was worn to my first class of the quarter! It makes me look like a super flamboyant 80s pirate if Björk was one of those.

 

And cue me doing an incredible impression of an impetuous baby. (Forgive me, this is my first time ever posting something like this! I had little to no idea where to pose or how to pose. I hear this comes with time, but even so I'm not sure...)

So the specs on my outfit are: basically everything is thrifted. Oops! I feel like that's the worst thing to hear from a blogger doing an Outfit of the Day post, second maybe only to "this item is no longer available in stores." One of the bloggers I follow posted an incredible snapshot of the cutest flamingo comb in a heart shape, and upon learning it was from H&M, my heart soared just to break when I found out it was in season in Spring 2014 )-: 

The earrings, however, are 1/3 of a set from Forever 21, but any basic pearl studs are the same as another, in my eyes. My shoes were a gift from my dad a long time ago, and they're a little small at this point; maybe their destiny lies elsewhere, though I truly love the gold flecks in the cork wedge heel!

But anyhow, I'm a pretty big fan of this outfit. Lately my #aesthetic has really been drawn to bright, cartoonish tropical prints, and this top from one of my local thrift stores was a real gem! So far I've only worn it with full sleeves, as it's still a bit chilly here in San Diego and I don't have a coat to match, but it does have the option to roll the sleeves up with that little button-trap, so that might reduce some of the puff in the future. Plus, the fit is pretty perfect! I'm cursed with gaping holes over the chest in most button-down tops, but this one is just flowy enough to avoid that. I'm thinking it would even look cute tied at the midriff à la Daisy Duke in the summertime, too!

Some details: 

kid lit closet #4

This week's Kid Lit Closet is Wednesday Addams, from the original 1930s Addams Family cartoons by Charles Addams!

Wednesday Addams is one of those characters whose prolific reputation precedes her. Her portrayal in the live-action movies by Christina Ricci, the original television series, and even the recent Broadway musical (wherein she was played by Krysta Rodriguez) keep the Addams spirit alive! Plus, the witchy/spooky revival in high fashion lately really lets Wednesday's more macabre preferences find a modern twist for today's creepy cute creative mind.

1. pop boutique swing dress | asos
2. carpal diem bracelet | modcloth
3. aldo salazie leather heeled ankle boots | asos
4. coffin bi-fold wallet | hot topic
5. leather bat bow | dulcecalaveritas
6. black leather look high waist leggings | new look

I wasn't very into the spooky or witchy vibes for most of my life, and until recently I never really saw the point of horror movies or scary stories or even Halloween! I guess I couldn't reconcile the idea that I was a positive, upbeat person with the general spook and creep of Halloween - but the Addams Family slid right into the comfy middle line between scary and sweet, which is perfect to me. They love each other and they get along and they're happy. What could be better?

graphic tales for graphic females

When my brother and I were young, our parents used to take us to the library every weekend or every other weekend. In general I've always been a voracious reader, due in part to my mum's passion for education and support for learning. Every time we'd go to the library, I would check out a stack of books at least two and a half feet high. My parents usually gave me free rein to check out whatever I wanted, and that was great, because it meant my literary horizons were broadened and I figured out what genres and authors I liked and which I didn't. However, sometimes this also resulted in me checking out some adult novels by authors I knew wrote YA (young adult literature), but with inappropriate or sexual content I didn't really understand. Thanks, Meg Cabot! Any way you slice it, though, I read Gossip Girl and Princess Diaries novels and lots of ""chick lit"" books, but also classic novels, fantasy books, and, yes, even my fair share of comics.

Now, comics were an interesting story for me, because my dad had collected comics since he was a young boy. Growing up in Arizona with his aunt and uncle, he earned pocket money every once in a while and bought comic books with it, slowly amassing a collection of classics that he's been passionate about ever since his youth! He's never really lost touch with comic books and graphic novels, and living in San Diego has only helped that passion to grow!

San Diego Comic-Con International is held every summer at the San Diego Convention Center, and as long as I can remember, my dad and I have been attending. When my brother and I were young, he would collect freebies for us and it would be like mini Christmas, waking up every morning the week of the Con and seeing heaps of sampler books, pencils, lanyards, buttons, little toys, all sorts of stuff piled high on our placemats on the kitchen table! When I was finally old enough to go, my mum would drop us off downtown and we'd visit all the booths with their colourful displays and I'd collect comics of my personal little-girl superheroes: the Powerpuff Girls. I even have a signed print of Blossom framed and matted from one special year with my dad that I'll cherish forever!

My love for reading eventually branched out into the comics world, and I would read Winx Club and W.I.T.C.H. and tons of magical girl comics and dream of being one myself! As I grew older, I became attracted to the "traditional" Marvel and DC comics as well, though I'm still not as well versed as I'd like to be (my favourites are Power Girl, Captain America, Ms Marvel, Spider-Man, Blue Beetle, Wonder Woman... give me some time). Then, in high school, I was completely immersed in the Internet. I made loads of friends and gained a few followers and joined new fandoms, and that's how I learned about webcomics.

bad machinery | love me nice | cucumber quest | blaster nation | oh joy, sex toy | ava's demon | monster pop! | nimona (all art by its respective artist)

I found lots of webcomic artists through their fanart for the fandoms I enjoyed, such as Adventure Time, Marvel, Disney, Harry Potter, My Little Pony, etc., and through those artists, I found more artists, and so on. On the Internet it can be tough to sort through the rubble to find the gems, but I've found a good few webcomics that I now follow with eager eyes and a voracious readership!

kid lit closet #3

Gosh, sorry it's been a whole week since I've updated - my bad, seriously! I've been swamped with work and school and trying to come up with ideas for this blog has been my main mental check-out hobby. As soon as I can, I promise to finally come up with some regular content for you! But until then, without further ado:

Kid Lit Closet this week is MADELINE, by Ludwig Bemelmans!

Madeline was one of my most favourite books when I was a kid. (You're probably going to hear that a lot over the course of this series, but hey - at least you know I'm always being honest!) I loved the beautiful watercolour illustrations and the simple rhymes. She was goodhearted and ambitious, and made friends wherever she went. The yellow outfit the twelve little girls wore is actually my favourite, but it's the blue dress and ribboned hat that stick out to most people when they think of Madeline's iconic outfits!

1. white chocoolate drop waist dress | asos

2. let's cruise boater | nasty gal

3. lady tie: red lace hearts | flappergirl

4. dancing on flair socks | modcloth

5. ballet flats | h&m

6. eiffel tower charm necklace | claire's

I actually had Madeline contained in an anthology of 20th-century children's stories that I read over and over and over. That blue hardbound book actually still sits on my shelf today! It reminds me of my childhood, and of my mom reading some of the stories to me when I was little. The dustcover is long gone but Madeline is in good company in there. 

Did anyone else also played those Madeline computer games on CD-ROM? I did, almost every day! There were two, I think. My brain says one was an around-the-world adventure with magic carpets and Swiss chocolate, and the other one had a room decorating game? They also could have been the same one... Who knows?

P.S. If you know, please beam me a copy. I'm feeling horribly nostalgic, and those floral wallpaper selections were to die for, if memory serves. (-;

kid lit closet #2!

This week's Kid Lit Closet is Eloise, of the Eloise series!

Granted, I didn't discover Eloise at the Plaza until I saw the films on Disney/ABC a good few years ago, but upon reading the books I knew that Eloise was going to be a keeper on my faves list for a long time to come. She's precocious and mischievous but good-hearted and generous, and that's the ideal way to be, don't you think?

1. quiz black pinafore dress | debenhams

2. lace shoulder pussybow blouse | new look

3. faith black armitt mary jane flats | asos

4. wool hat | h&m

5. pug dog earrings | jam jar shop

6. yellow collarless dacron wool coat | cichic

I had to represent Weenie, Eloise's pug, somehow - those earrings were perfect perfect perfect! Matched with a Skippity-the-turtle ring, I think you'd be all set to emulate Eloise's "divine" outfits.

Messy hair is the staple of the creative mind, I think! It seems to be a pattern in some of my favourite characters...

what's in my bag!

I see posts like these done all the time, and I figured a good way for you all to get to know me would be to do one myself! Now, this isn't really an exhaustive list of what I have in my bag — or even what bag I carry all the time! — but it's a good place to start!

All right, number one: the BIG STUFF.

1. red scarf | This is one of the best things you can have if you carry a small bag. If you get one big enough and tightly woven enough, it can double as a jacket/wrap and even triple as a blanket if it gets suddenly chilly! This one was a Christmas present from my girlfriend back in 2012.

2. arthur backpack | Okay, okay, I know. This seems way silly. But this bag is great! I'm a woman of small victories, and to grab this for $2.50 (!!!!!!!!!!!) at the AmVets thrift store by my work was a huge steal! Arthur Read, the actual aardvark character, and I even share a birthday — he's been one of my favourites for ages. Its big pocket is just large enough for my favourite notebooks and the outer pockets are great for my smaller items.

3. michael kors wallet | Another gift, this one a birthday present from a family friend in 2013. Generous and such a perfect size, it works wonderfully for me! Perfect amount of pockets.

4. motorola droid razr | My phone! This one's pretty trusty, especially since I'm clumsy and caseless. It's fallen in sand at the beach, onto linoleum, and onto the sidewalk more times than I can count. I've had this phone (in its first and second incarnation after a toilet-bowl incident, whoops) for a good while and the screen only barely has its first hairline crack! Maybe I'm lucky, but this phone's doing me right.

5. free people sunglasses | These are more for fashion than function, seeing as how I wear glasses and can't see properly unless I "double-glasses," but I'm so enamoured with round-frame glasses that I couldn't pass them up! 

6. urban outfitters wallet | I use this for my makeup when I only need a few things with me. It's really, really small. I'd guess it's a better card wallet than anything else, but I've only ever used it for jewellery and makeup, so I can't say for sure. Mainly I got it because I love the design! I love "ocular" designs, probably because I fancy myself a cyclops in another life.

7. keys | My keys are a bit unwieldy at times, but they've got everything I need: One Direction lanyard, Sailor Jupiter keychain (a San Diego Comic Con find from years long past), soccer-mom-style club cards for restaurants and shops, and my car and dorm keys!

Number two: school supplies (well, more or less).

1. writing utensils | Again, this is a matter of form over function for me. I do have a preference for nice writing tools, so you'll never see me with a purloined dentistry ballpoint which barely works or a nubby little number two pencil. These I've amassed from the student bookstore on campus here at UCSD, Typo (a writing-goods shop that's an offshoot of clothing store Cotton On), and my work (Michaels)!

2. frank lloyd wright engagement calendar | I needed a sturdy planner with plenty of space to write all the events and assignments and work scheduling and deadlines that keep me stressed and busy! This one is nice to look at and serves as a great agenda. I got this at the UCSD bookstore, too.

3. conair mini comb | Honestly, I couldn't tell you where this came from if I tried. I feel like it's been in my possession since the dawn of time, since maybe even my birth. Wherever it originated, it's perfect for taming my unkempt fringe, soothing it after the wind, rain, or its hellborn wavy nature frazzles it.

4. skullcandy in-ear headphones | Again, a bookstore find. These aren't my favourite headphones I've ever used, if I'm being frank. I have an over-ear pair that are bright purple and Adventure Time-themed which work much better, but they're bulkier and harder to bring around. These were reasonably priced and work well enough! Plus, my weird ears that won't hold in the round iPod-style ones treasure these more than anything.

Ah, number three: beauty supplies.

1. urban outfitters wallet | See first photo above! In the interest of full disclosure: it was a struggle to get this much stuff into it and still be able to zip it shut. Usually, half this stuff ends up loose in one of my backpack's small front pockets. 

2. mac angled brush | Much like my comb, I've had this forever. I love it for eyeliner and eyebrows! It's the perfect size for me, and I can't see myself replacing it with a different style or brand in the foreseeable future. 3. mac eyeshadow in 'coquette satin' | Eyebrows, eyebrows, eyebrows. I'm not one for eyeshadow to begin with, honestly — I much prefer eyeliners — and even so, this is much too dark a shade for my taste. However, it's the ideal shade for my eyebrows! I got this eons ago, so I don't even know if it's available still, but for now I've got plenty left... hey, MAC, call me when I run out, though! 

4. benefit 'they're real!' mascara | A Sephora present from my birthday in 2013, I can't imagine using anything else. I'm pretty boring when it comes to makeup; I rarely do anything fancy. Contouring and blending and, honestly, even foundation and primer and all that are processes too cumbersome for me, but if I leave the house without my eyebrows and mascara done, I'm on my deathbed. My eyelashes are so naturally short and stubby that finding this mascara was a miracle! It adds length without being clumpy or, God forbid, flaky, and it's just light enough for everyday use. 

5. maybelline 'red revival' lipstick | This is my go-to red lip! I have yellow undertones to my skin, so some orangey reds I have like my Forever 21 lip crayon really wash me out. This one's a nice true red that brightens me up and goes on really opaque. I love it, though I wish I had a matte version, too! 

6. bic lighter | I don't smoke, but a lighter's just one of those things that's handy to have, I think. To tell the truth, I mostly use this for crafts and birthday candles, not any other purpose, whoops. 

7. tweezers, assorted hair accessories | You caught me on a tame day! This is the most sensible my hair accessories ever get. You can usually find a menagerie of bows, clips, and barrettes in my bag, and nary a single bobby pin. Hopefully these all don't go missing! Isn't that always the way? 

Thanks for taking the time to read my irreverent self-analysis on this one, y'all! Things I need to be carrying, probably? Pepper spray, nail file, hand sanitiser! For all of you out there reading this, what is your bag missing? Even if you think you have it all, you might be surprised at what sensible items are nowhere to be seen...