Funky What?

I spent the evening watching the Batman series on ABC family, going trick or treating with a three-year-old, and handing out treats to kids in my neighborhood while the dogs slept (I'm babysitting my sister's cocker spaniel).
I decided to hop on chictopia and peruse the "people" section for some style inspiration. This created quite the monster, as this is my fourth post today. I linked to about 6 blogs, but I also found this fabulous store.
It's called Funky Lobes, which is the weirdest name I think I've ever heard. Turns out, the name is perfect for the ecclectic and beautifully surprising items of clothing they carry.
Here is a delectable sampling:


They also have a vintage collection that's pretty sweet!

Long Black Veil

So, ever since I started talking to April about doing a shoot in an old cemetary with a white gown and a black gown, I have become consumed with black gowns. I am not in the market immediately, as I have nowhere to wear such an amazing gown and they're fairly expensive. Still, it is something that I will be adopting into my wardrobe in the next couple of months.
I would like something mysterious and ancient-looking.
Here are a couple of things I found while perusing Nordstrom; none of them quite hit the mark, but they're all pretty damn amazing.



and for this occassion... a long black veil

Happy Samhain (otherwise known as Halloween)

image via the cherry blossom girl

Happy Halloween

This is the closest I will get to a Halloween costume this year. Halloween has been a tough time of year for my adult years, so I've been doing the lay-low stint for the past couple of Halloweens. You all have a rowdy good time, though, and I will live vicariously through you.








I was aiming for a Nez Perce warrior photo (like this one) with a European vest and Native American accents.

Pants: Old Navy
Tank: Old Navy
Vest: Target
Earrings: Secondhand from garage sale
Ear Cuff: Urban Outfitters
Shoes: Christian Louboutin

More Randomness

I broke down and purchased these Prada heels yesterday. It was the Art Deco feel. I couldn't control myself. They had to be mine!
Plus, they were over 50% off at yoox. If you are a 7 and a half, go out and get them immediately! Only one left.

Also, I was logging into Forever 21 to track my latest purchase from Faith 21 and I was greeted with this banner:

I immediately pooled all my Faith 21 outfits and found the one I thought was the best (though I think I picked it mostly because of the photography and not necessarily the merits of the outfit). Anyway, I hate to increase my competition, but I wanted to let all my ladies know about the contest. Have fun!
This was the photograph I settled on.

A Real Crisis

Ok, I need help from my readers. I want to pick out 14 photos to purchase from April, but I'm not sure which ones to chose. She sent these contact sheets of my best shots and I have to choose by tomorrow. Would those of you who read this be so kind as to give me your top three to five choices for photos I should buy?
Thanks a million!

No Rhyme or Reason (or any logic whatsoever)

So, my plan to play with all my crazy outfits during fall break is rapidly crumbling. I moved my sister into her new house on Monday and Tuesday, and today we are getting about a billion feet of snow (or thereabouts-- it's an estimate).
So, this post is just random.
There are pictures of my dog bounding through the snow (he is obsessed with it).


My latest purchase, mostly inspired by the weather.

And finally, I was surprised by this lovely award from Jane over at Little Violet Dress.

It's always so delightful to get these awards.
Now, here are the rules:

1. thank the person who nominated you (duh).
2. copy the award & put it in your blog.
3. link to the person who nominated you.
4. list 7 interesting things about yourself. (you don't have to include photos, but feel free to if you want!)
5. nominate 7 bloggers for the award.
6. link to each of the nominees.

Thank you, Jane for the awesome shout-out!
And now for seven interesting things about me.
1. I have a really low voice for a female. (I include this because no one who reads this blog has heard my voice, and it's kind of shocking, really.)
2. I am a Zumba instructor.
3. September by Earth, Wind and Fire and Tiny Dancer by Elton John are my two favorite songs in the world.
4. I'm a self-proclaimed "Parakeethead" (My parents are huge Jimmy Buffet fans and I was practically breastfed his music)
5. I was a radical cheerleader in college, which basically means that I protested in a short skirt, armed with sassy political cheers.
6. I have feed several buffalo out of my hand.
7. I'm afraid of mice, being dead, rubberbands, and ferris wheels.

Ok, so I would like to pass this award along to the following people.
1. The Fashion Therapist
2. Fashion, Love, and Martinis
3.Bright Side Dweller
4. Stylesmith
5. Johanna Ost
6. Alice Point
7. Fashion Jazz

A. Rivera Photography

These are a few of the photos from yesterday and the previous shoot. She did some amazing things with me and she has all kinds of plans for the future.
The artistic energy between April and I makes the experience really fun. She wants to try everything and I appear to be game for anything.
On a slightly more philosophical note, I've been contemplating the idea of the identies we embrace and the identies we outwardly reject. This pontification manifested out of a writing demonstration I did in the demonstration classroom on Friday. I had to demonstrate revision using questioning with a piece that I wrote. I chose a flash fiction piece for each period (one about my teeth and one about shoes) and then we questioned. Upon reflection, the other teachers in my demonstration classroom mentioned how strong the demo was because it was so organic. This struck me because I tend to reject the idea that I am a writer. It feels so pretentious. However, when the students were asking me questions about my writing and I was thinking about my process and what I would change, I realized that I am a writer, and a good writer at that.
Something similar happened with this second photo shoot with April. I wouldn't say that I took on the identity of a model, but I definitely decided that modeling can be fun and empowering and not a job that only an elite few may participate in.









I'm noticing more and more that this blog is becoming a platform for my multitude of ponderings. Oh well, we'll let the change happen and see where it takes us.

Wicked Cool

My sister ended up asking me to go to Wicked, which was an unexpected event. It's funny; when I was a student, I couldn't afford to buy tickets to musicals and I forgot how much I love them.
The costumes were incredible. I love clothing, as all my readers know, but I always wanted to be a costume designer. The dancers' costumes are the most amazing, because the materials and cuts that they use to emphasize movement gives these outfits such a vibrant effect.
Wicked also surprised me in that it took a children's book with a black-and-white interpretation of good evil and uses the complexity of life to illustrate that nothing is so simple as good versus evil. It addresses very adult issues such as prejudice, isolation, familial strain, and negative self-image.
As you can see, I was completely enamored.







Dress: Go International for Target
Coat: Target
Bag: Antoinette Lee
Shoes: ebay

All We Are Is Friends

Today was my first day of fall break (which has never meant so much to me in my entire life). I slept in until 9:40 this morning. It was glorious.
Normally, I hate it when I sleep so late, but since I've been stock piling sleep deprivation as if it were rationed, I let myself sleep as long as I wanted.
I went for another photo shoot with April and had a blast. Pictures will probably become available next weekend and they will be up on the blog. April is incredibly talented and I love working with her.


Skirt: Target
Tee: Every Little Counts
Necklace: Secondhand from garage sale
Purse: Target
Shoes: Marni

90% of What I Do is in Reaction to What Others Have Done to Me

... that is my revelation for the week.
Anyway, today was our last day of school before fall break. I'm looking forward to sleeping in, watching horrible daytime TV on the satelite dish, eating like shit, cuddling my puppy, and wearing whatever the hell I want without worrying about being teacher conservative.






Dress worn as top: Bop Basics via shopbop.com
Skirt: Faith 21
Cardigan: Secondhand from Saver's
Necklace: Secondhand from garage sale
Boots: Patricia Field for Payless