Today's Pin!

"We tried nuthin' and we're all outta ideas."

Does this describe your last-minute "panic-but not really-but yeah now I'm actually panicking" approach to finding a Halloween costume? Yeah. Me too. I really want to be a bunch of grapes -- but there aren't any purple balloons in this town! Although, I think I must be onto something with this grapes idea; a friend of mine newly announced that he was going as a bunch of grapes. To this I said, "Move over, honey, you better go as some Arbor Mist if you know what's good for ya!" ...He may be having the last laugh.

Here, my quick, cheap and dirty guide to (nay, last-minute brainstorm of) half-assed Halloween costumes.

Choices and Lifestyles.



Crappy clothes + eyeliner-drawn stubble = Hobo

Black skinny jeans + black turtleneck + book + cigarette = Beatnik

Suspenders + straw hat + pipe + noncommittal attitude = Conscientious Objectioner


Got a sheet?




White sheet + one hole = Cyclops Ghost (or Amish Bedlinen)

Sheet + red cup = Frat boy


For the Politically Minded.





Red blazer + red skirt/dress + brown hair + glasses = Sarah Palin

Blazer + coordinating skirt/pants + blonde hair = Hillary Clinton

Capris + white knee-socks + ankle boots + button-up + books + belt-as-bookstrap = Child that has been Left Behind

Got a bike?



Short-sleeved, white oxford + black pants + bicycle = Mormon

Entirely red outfit + bicycle = Menstrual cycle?



Got a box?

Corporate Award. Attach yourself to someone who has demonstrated long-term, exceptional adherence to best practices.

Box + Colorful Marker Job + Nerdosity = Rubiks Cube
Box + Milk Art + Missing Person ad on the side = Milk Carton

Box Wine (I dare ya to Google Image "Franzia". I dare ya.)

Box + Liberal application of swirly pink paint + Sheet wrapped around yourself = Box of Tissues

Dreidel. Perhaps you could invite party guests to spin you for gelt?

Although, if I were a dreidel, I'd definitely want to be this one:


... but I'd definitely have to start this one on Labor Day...

Today's Pin!

Today's Pin!

Today's Pin!

That fall sound.

Nothing is sounding more like fall to me right now than this:

...and nothing is looking more like fall to me right now more than...


Cloches...

One of Pixiebell's amazing winter hats, RayeBroxapCrafts' unspeakably romantic rendition, and Melissam4715's cheeky head-turning topper, all at Etsy.

This amazing bag...

A bag whose identity I'd like to protect... on the grounds that it was made for me, but isn't quite mine, not yet. This bag perfectly matches my apartment; and when finished with gold and cherry red leather? In the words of Mad TV's Dixie Wentworth, "Ahhhh! Moisture!"

Seventies wrap sweaters...

Yours truly in her thrifted bomber and Small Town Vintage nordic wrap sweater, a sweater she simply had to had from VintageTea, and another on the list from ShopAmbrosia, all on Etsy.

Plaid...

Violetwired from Wardrobe_Remix, Leena from Hel-looks.

And the inimitable cozy style of Milla, who somehow pulls near-everything I'm loving now altogether here.



... and by the way, 4 more days to enter The Contest!

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Today's Pin!

Today's Pin!

Today's Pin!

Today's Pin!

Enough Nazi Punks for One Evening!

Seriously. I just got done buying tickets for Girl Talk from Ticketmaster. I stopped using Ticketmaster a long time ago, because I didn't like their high-pressure, "buy this in 3 minutes or it's gone" thing.

Unable to go buy these tickets in person, I bowed to the Master of the Tickets. Now, not only do you only have 3 minutes, but tickets that cost $13.50 a piece ended up costing me $49... for TWO. Utterly ridiculous. A "venue fee"? Is that not what selling alcohol is for? I got something to say to ya Ticketmaster...

I wasn't expecting to find fashion inspiration in this video, but the one guy's yellow stripey shirt, stud belt and grey jeans thing make him the most refined of color-unshy punks....

Ticketsnow.com is a Ticketmaster company, and both StubHub and TicketLiquidator sold the tickets for $48 and $43 dollars apiece, respectively. I have an idea--- but if anyone ends up implementing it won't they please call it the "Spandexpony Method"? There needs to be an online community, where friendlies offer their in-person ticket-buying services and either have your tickets saved for you at Will Call or send them to you, for a nominal fee. I would gladly, for the price of the ticket, plus $5, go to any number of the concert venues I live within walking distance to, to pick up your tickets, if I knew that another person within walking distance of say, Pianos, would pick up and send a ticket to me. Any takers?


PS! Have you entered the contest yet?

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Today's Pin!

Today's Pin!

Contest Time!!

If you love Zooey Deschanel, furry little dogs or tornadoes, this would be the contest for you! At stake is a copy of Zooey's "The Tin Man" (the 2-Disc Collector's Edition, no less), a modern retelling of "The Wizard of Oz". Now, because I work at a used cd/dvd store, the copy is not new, but it is in perfect condition, and-- I had to fight someone for it. A boy. With a tattoo of two hatchets crossing eachother in "X" formation across his throat. This is true.

All you have to do is respond to this post with a link to a picture of yourself wearing red shoes. But chop chop! The contest ends at Midnight, October 31st! The winner will be randomly drawn the next day. Good luck!

'Til then, enjoy this spookily pretty video for one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite bands, Echo and the Bunnymen.

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Today's Pin!

Death of a Twin.

Spooky and pretty never fails to arouse my aesthetic sensibilities. These photos, done with Spectra Polaroid film bring to mind a hot parking lot in the desert with mirage fog coming off it, a twin that died too young, pogonip, something that you can't quite remember but that you know can no longer be. You can check these, and many other hellishly ethereal shots at Don't Be a Dead Cat.**

This photo reminded me immediately of Van Gogh... the image in the smoke looks like a phantom ear to me...

So reminiscent of this painting, but vastly improved by a flapper haircut and greyscale-itude.

So pretty it's almost gross-- the choppy water lends its unease... kind of like those white, pearlescent cat/swan/unicorn statues at thrift stores that would be all right, maybe, if it weren't for the horrible crusty felt bottoms with someone's name written on it.

Like a page from a waterstained comic book that you found in an abandoned building.

Nosferatu, Mexican blanket, taxidermy-obsessed youth. I so badly would like to make a "Succubi are horny" joke here.

This one reminds me of the Fourth of July scene from "Final Destination".

Beautifully lonely in front of a TV some summer night.

I normally dislike dead-animal photos, but I do like how active the fish looks, as though it's somersaulting through a flower-filled pond, until you realize it's.... dunh dunh dunh.... dead.

Everyone you know lives there, but you'll never go back.

I just saw "The Fountain", and this reminds me so much of the "future" scenes. Plus, how gorgeous would this be as a textile? Rodarte, I'm looking at you!

** You can also see more photos by sending the artist, Lungston, some more film... I've been Polaroid's stoppage of production may put an end to all this if there is not any new film on the horizon!



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Today's Pin!

Today's Pin!

Today's Pin!

Father of the wolves.

As a kid, we had a big blue conversion van whose backseat could be turned into a bed. I spent quite a few of my fall days in the van spread out with library books, usually about animals or Egypt. In a book about wolves, I read they were descended from a cross between raccoons and bears (these must have been some seriously old library books).

Lately, I find myself taking quite a shine to the Father of the Wolves....

KidViskous on Etsy

I'd love to wear this (and I will, cuz I just bought it) with a cozy wrap sweater, leggings and boots...

artandghosts on Etsy

"Congratulations, Mr. Bear, it's a wolf!"

misschicboutique on Etsy.

Wow, wow, and quadruple wow. This Etsy seller has a ton of super beautiful, Native-American inspired bear and wolf jewelry like this (although this totem one might be my very favorite piece). I think these would look great with a 1920's vibed look, with t-straps and tights. And possibly, a feathered fascinator.

Bumblebeadzzz on Etsy

Even though I've been described in the past as being somewhat like Darlene on "Roseanne" (I would describe those people as being like DJ), I'm truly a lover of all things incredibly twee, such as this gorgeous pendant, which will make its way to my peachy pink walled apartment sooon.....

...and here, a little tune by a band that should be called "Plus the Bear", imho.



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Today's Pin!

New to the store...

Here are just a few of the items I've been uploading to the store this week... I got one word for ya, "Shuz."

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