The Goth Is Finally Invading My Room

School has been a nightmare lately let me tell you. I've got a bunch of posts planned for the near future, if I can work around finishing my cosplay, and writing these essays my new teachers are fond of giving out. As far as recent news goes however, I'm happy to announce that I've finally gotten to decorate my new room! It's looking exactly as I envisioned it, though there's still a bit to go.

The black wall is going to be my poster covered one, once I get more.

My lovely Pinhead poster is hidden by the glare...

And my Black Knight is all by himself in the corner because he was too big.

I'm a geek and I am extremely proud of my instruction-less bionicle ok?
That big one took hours of collaboration with my friend ^^"

Brand new closet!

I love the purple color of the walls. It's even better in person. Also, I'm really glad we tore up the carpet and put in wood. The grey-ish color is perfect. Now I need to go get myself a table/desk, a shelf for my little knickknacks, and a rack for my record player and speakers. I think I'll also get some black and grey curtains to hang over my window and I have an ornate mirror to hang up. Unfortunately, I'll only get to have this room for a little more than a year, since I'll be off to university, but I'll enjoy it while it lasts.

How about you guys? What would your perfect room be like, if you could do anything that struck your fancy?

An Alternative Christmas Playlist

Holiday tunes are wonderful for about the first week, and after that I want to claw my ears out. I swear if I hear Michael Buble's 'Santa Buddy' one more time someone is going to suffer. But have no fear! You can always throw a few of these songs in with the classics to break up the monotony. Christmas is well under way for most of us, so time to pop in some tunes and get to the festivities.

London After Midnight- The Christmas Song

The Kinks- Father Christmas

Alien Sex Fiend- Stuff the Turkey

H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society- Do You Fear What I Fear?

The Who- Christmas

This Ascension- Carol of the Bells





Inkubus Sukubus- Hail the Holly King





Faith and The Muse- A Winter Wassail




Cruxshadows- Happy Xmas ( War is Over)





Voltaire- Peace in the Holy Land

Rhea's Obsession- We Three Kings





Dead Rose Symphony- Bell Carol





Nox Arcana- Coventry Carol

Happy Holidays!

Spooky Ringtones and Exciting News

Well it seems I took a small unintentional hiatus. Actually, looking back I see that this month has been a pretty slow post-wise. You'd think that my being on summer break would mean more time to write, but I've been more busy than ever. Busy and stressed, because trying to get out of Florida has been a hassle (And I'll get back to you on said hassle when it's over and done with).

"Did she say getting out of Florida?"

Why yes I did! I've made my distaste for the Sunshine State clear on many occasions and now our 5-year old plans to move are finally becoming a reality. Of course, I've been broken up about leaving my friends, (another reason I've had less time to write. I have to spend as much time as possible with everyone after all) but I'm extremely excited for the move. And best of all....we're going to Canada! Kelowna specifically. I would much prefer Vancouver, because I'm a city kind of girl, but it's too expensive. Plus, the town is pretty big, beautiful, and I'll be off to university soon enough so I'm not too concerned about where I'll be living for my last 2 years of high school.
 

 Which leads me to another point. Someone asked me if I was planning on wearing my Scarecrow costume to a convention. If we were staying here it would have been showcased at Megacon, but now I'll be taking a bus down to Vancouver for Fan Expo so if anyone at any point knows they'll be there (slim chance I know, but worth a shot) drop me a line and we can meet up! Of course, it's not till next April, which gives me plenty of time to finish my costume. No updates on the mask this week because I've just done more paper mache and a planned out the rest. I'm hopefully going to finish it over the weekend and then I'll post some pictures.

Now away from the personal stuff and on to the actual post! So we all know we can't be super goth all the time. Some of us have jobs and uniforms and the like, and it's fairly difficult/sometimes just plain exhausting to be uber spooky 24/7. That's where the little things come in. You can decorate your house as you wish, spend your time DIYing or whatever else floats your boat, but I find that sometimes, even smaller things can add a splash of uniqueness in your life. Things such as ringtones! Every time I hear one of those boring, preset ringtones that come with cellphones I can't help but feel a little incredulous. In a world so driven by technology you're bound to hear your phone all the time, so why not make it fun? And there are plenty of options for Goths if you get creative.

Honestly, I couldn't get cheesier with mine. Every time my mom calls I hear the wonderfully campy and fun Addams family theme going off nearby.

You could indulge your love of spooky things and your geeky side if you used the Luigi's Mansion theme song. Unfortunately I couldn't find the original version on Youtube, but here's the remix from Super Smash Bros. I've actually got E. Gadd's ringtone from the new game set for my dad, but you could argue that the original theme is even better.

Or how about Beetlejuice? Don't you dare try to tell me you can go wrong with Beetlejuice! Of course, you can't have the whole song as a ringtone, but you can cut it down to the best part.

Because I love cheesy things and thoroughly enjoy embracing my cliches, I'm also going to suggest Spooky Scary Skeletons for shits and giggles.

Danse Macabre satisfies my appreciation of classical music as well so it's something I'd love to hear all the time.

Those are only a few suggestions that I could come up with off the top of my head. There are countless others. You could always cut part of a favorite song and make that your ringtone. Not to mention, there are hundreds of fun sounds to use as text alerts. Coffin door opening anyone?

I'm afraid I don't have an outfit post for you today because I've been lazy with my picture taking. But now I'm curious. What do you use for ringtones? Fun fact: I've set any unrecognized numbers that call me to play the Sherlock theme....get it? Because it's a 'mystery'? .... I'm a huge dork.

DIY Vest~ Work in Progress

Hello! It's been a while hasn't it? Partly because with summer here I've been fairly busy. Apparently 'vacation' is my cue to do lots of work around the house because my brain is no longer being crushed by math and the like. Also partly because my little brother managed to get our 'screen privileges' taken away from us for a fair amount of time. Granted, I spend a lot of time in front of my computer or ps3, but I never instigate these things! He does! *huffs*

Anyway, I have all of these patches that I've made lying around and I can never make up my mind as far as which item of clothing they should be attached to. I think it's because I've been holding out for a new leather jacket or blazer to customize, but since the thrift stores have been woefully empty I've begun to look at some of the pieces I already own. Considering how much I wear this black vest I'm sure you've all realized how much I love it. I was looking at it the other day and decided that if I were to customize it a little, a whole bunch of my go-to outfits would be a million times more fun. As a result, my vest is going to become very decorative, very soon.

You can't really tell, but there's a bat right in the middle of that coffin.
He's very cute, and I'm rather proud of that patch.

This is the layout I'm most fond of at the moment, though I'd consider changing the bat patch on the back with a Bauhaus one I recently made. I'm not really sure yet. Either way, I think I'll be hand sewing these on. I cannot for the life of me work the sewing machine and trust me, I've tried multiple times. I don't really know how to hand sew, but as long as my mom shows me the basics I'll be fine. Slow and steady wins the race, and I'm pretty handy as long as machines aren't involved. Technology is surprisingly not my area, unless it's my ps3 or perhaps something on the computer I'm interested in. Anyway, this way I can turn on the TV. Wish me luck!

On another note, I've been eying this coat from Fanplusfriend for a while, and it's appearance in one of my Red and Black Week posts has made my desire to buy it even greater. I'm going to work a bit next week at my parents' business in order to earn the money, but I'd also like to know what everyone thinks of Fanplusfriend. The coats in particular obviously. I've heard both good and bad things about the site, and I don't want to be unhappy with my purchase, especially since it's so expensive (And the shipping *shudders*). It's made of wool and I would probably fit very nicely into one of their non-custom sizes, but I can't seem to find many reviews on their coats. Help me out? Is it worth it? If not, then I'll probably end up purchasing a lovely skirt from Gloomth. But my heart is set on that coat.

The back-up plan~

It's already going to be difficult convincing my parents to let me buy the coat since Fanplusfriend is situated in China. They don't use child labor from what I can tell, but my family is very against buying things from places such as China as long as there's that chance. *sighs* Which makes it even more important that the coat is worth the money. Therefore, I defer to your judgement, lovely readers of mine ^^

Beat The Heat

Summer's here again. If you'll excuse  me, I'm going to go hide in the closet for a few months until the sun lets up a little. While everyone else is getting ready to go to the beach. (With all that saltwater...and sand...and tanning...) I'm looking to buy a parasol and trying to figure out how to best ration my food so I don't have to leave the house unless necessary. With the dreaded Daystar looming overhead I'm starting to think some very familiar thoughts. Thoughts like...

• How badly has my makeup melted?
• How long can I wear my fishnet shirt before I get the dreaded waffle burn?
• I stepped outside, is my hair wilting yet?
• Oh God, is that a tan I spot?
• Can I get away with sunglasses at school, or will the administrators think I'm high?
• Will they take away a parasol?
• If I go running now, will my mom be able to find and identify which puddle was me later on?
• If it's so humid all the time, why can't we breathe underwater yet?

And of course, I can play some familiar games like Spot the Tourist. But I digress. The point is, with summer here again, how can we black-clad darklings survive the season? Here are a few things that could ensure your survival through the coming months.

• The first one is ridiculously simple. Stay out of the sun. That seems rather obvious, but it deserves saying. If there's shade, walk in it. If you want to go somewhere, maybe schedule for a cloudy day. And if you do venture out of the shade, make sure you're wearing sunscreen! Sunburn is a nuisance, and a painful one at that.
• Hats! Hats are fantastic. They can make a great addition to an outfit while keeping the sun off of your face. And as wonderful as mini hats are, they're not going to do much. We're talking wide brimmed Lydia Deetz inspired things here. I seem to have gotten rid of most of my hats over the years, so it's time to buy a few new ones.

• Parasols! It's time to whip out those beautiful, frilly, lace covered parasols. I don't own one, but that seriously needs to change. Of course, you're bound to garner a few more stares toting around a parasol, but since when has that bothered us? 

•  So maybe wearing black tights under your skirt or shorts shows your devotion and willingness to suffer heat stroke for your scene, but let's not go overboard ok? Dying is probably not on your list of things to do this summer. Swap those solid tights for a pair of fishnets or lace. Just make sure you put some sunscreen on unless you'd like some interesting tan lines.

• Unfortunately, It's probably time to put away the boots. Some days you can probably get away with them, but more often than not it's wiser to invest in a nice pair of sandals. I've worn down the heels of most of mine so I'm in a tough spot. (I've been needing to get them fixed for ages...) I find that strappy ones are the best sandals for adding interest to an outfit, while keeping your feet from melting off.

These Steve Maddens are my absolute favorite~

• Wear white! No seriously, during the summer it's a great idea to rock the ice/ghost goth vibe. Don't you dare tell me that you can't make white look oh-so-spooky if you really want to. No one's going to take you goth card just because you decided it would be nice to not melt on a particularly hot day.

Here's what I wore to watch my mom at her latest Triathlon. She puts me to shame exercise-wise. I only run because I have to in order to stay in shape. The swim was in the ocean, so yes, this is how I dress to go to the beach. Considering last time I wore a leather jacket, I didn't feel quite as out of place XD

Hotel shot ^^

Anyone else out there have some tips for surviving summer?

30 Day Clothing Challenge~Day 22: Something You Only Wear in the Summer

Oh summer. That dreaded word. As far as I'm concerned Florida has it's "summer" nearly all year round, and then around May or June the weather deteriorates into blistering heat that really should be a new season in itself. Personally, I think renaming this time period Hell seems like a good idea, but that's just me. I have nothing against nice warm weather, or even the sun in small amounts, but when you step outside for 20 minutes and find out later you already have a bad sunburn it begins to grate on your nerves. Florida's sun hates me and I hate it. Ours is a mutual hatred. But don't mind me. I'm cranky because I can't wear boots or jackets without melting into a puddle. I'll just hide inside for the majority of summer break and everything will be fine ^^

Be that as it may, I can't turn into a complete hermit, so I'm going to have to go out on occasion. If my friends don't hear from me every once in a while they might become a little worried... And maybe if I'm fast enough I can dart through the sun to the shady/air conditioned spaces. Regardless of sun-avoiding strategy, we all need clothes that are comfortable and still representative of our style during the summer. It can be difficult, but I normally stick to interesting tanktops, band tees, or best of all, my fishnet shirt during the summer.

The only risk of fishnet shirts is the dreaded waffle burn. I've sustained that once in my life and I'm telling you it will happen never again. Looking back, it's sort of hilarious, but back then it was a pain to hide the pattern on my shoulders from the world until they disappeared.

As far as other summer clothes go, I like skirts and dresses because they're airy. Anyone who decides to wear black jeans in this heat, and plans on being outside is insane. You all have my undying respect, but seriously, put something cooler on? Sticking to your style is great, but dying of heat stroke might put a damper on things. I personally don't like many shorts, (I have one pair I really like-the ones in the picture, and another pair that are tolerable) but cargo pants are a nice compromise. Of course, it's hard to find a pair that isn't unflattering or *shudders* khaki, but I've got a pretty reliable pair that go well with aforementioned tees and tanks.

This is why I wear these shorts ^^

Today, we actually had yet another bout of rain, which made it slightly chilly in the morning and allowed me to wear one of my jackets for probably the last time until November. I savored every moment, though I was having a lazy day and so mostly slouched around in my Sherlock shirt. The sleeves on it are just so puffy and comfortable...

And now, if you'll excuse me, all this talk of summer has inspired me to go off and write a post about vanquishing the upcoming summer months. We will emerge victorious! ;)

Spice up Casual Goth

 I recently did a post about the necessity of sometimes toning down your look for the sake of your sanity and sleep, but what about those of us who have the opposite problem? Or even just those days when you want to be casual, but still interesting? We can't dress like a Shiny Black Sheep every day, (Lovely metaphor courtesy of Lucretia's Reflection. It's my favorite phrase as of right now.) but there are some minor things you can do when you want to dress down, but still add a little interest to your casual wear.

• Accessorize! Accessories can make or break an outfit as we all know. If you're going out in a T-shirt and jeans you can add a little interest with a few well placed bracelets/necklaces. I love wearing simple chokers with my t-shirts and my ankh is normally a staple.

• Shoes! There's no rule that says thou-must-wear-boring-shoes-when dressing-down. When I have t-shirt days I tend to throw on a pair of my more interesting sandals to balance it out. Or how about creepers? They've got that unusual flair that separates them from the converse clad crowd around you. I'm sad to say I don't own a pair because I think they'd be perfect for a go-to casual outfit. Even slipping on a pair of combat boots let's me feel a little more in my element, and it provides the additional element of letting me stomp around when I'm in a foul mood.

• T-shirts that say things about your interests are much more fun than a plain black shirt. If you're going to wear a t-shirt, make it say something about you. You can show off the things you like, and maybe even find someone who shares your interests. Band shirts are obviously a popular choice, and my Bauhaus shirt has actually helped start conversations with two old school Goths. (One of them was working in a bakery and made sure I got the largest lemon square. It was fantastic) Of course, who says the shirts have to be Goth or band related? The most worn T-shirts in my closet are my Riddler and Dark Souls shirts. Comics and video games for the win ;) 

 

Not particularly Goth, but my love of Batman is easily worked in ;)

I'm eying this too.
The sad thing is I hardly have money to spare for T-shirts XD

• Hats and scarves automatically bring an outfit to the next level. It looks like you spent a lot more time choosing your clothes when in reality it took you 30 seconds to wrap a piece of fabric around your neck or pop on a hat. I've got this semi-boring black shirt and skirt combo that looks completely different once I don my leopard or skull scarf. And hats are fantastic creations. If you're having a bad hair day on top of your casual day you can just stick a fedora or bowler on your head and you're good to go.

• How about changing your makeup or hair? If you've got the same everyday makeup routine try changing it up a bit. I normally match my eyeshadow to any colors that appear in my shirt. Since I normally only go out in eyeliner, the eyeshadow helps me feel a like I put a little effort into my outfit even if I've just thrown on the typical shirt and jeans combo. Hair, on the other hand, can be easily changed as well. You could quickly tease it a bit before you go out. A spritz of hair-spray and you're half-channeling the trad Goths with minimal effort. We're not talking a whole bottle of Aquanet here. (Unless you'd like to. Then by all means go ahead! I highly approve.) If you've got the time, straighten or curl your hair. If you just want to put it up, try something different like braiding it back.

Just changing your eyeliner can make a look completely different.

Well that's that. In other news, we recently had one of our lovely summer storms down here, which resulted in me going without power for about 24 hours, an extremely flooded yard, and a large 70 foot tree barricading my driveway. I've had to climb over it a few times to get to the bus. So yeah, fun times. I never realize how crucial electricity is to my existence until I lose it. I actually got so bored/fed up with not being able to even do homework online, or most of my chores, that I ended up polishing my boots. I really ought to do it more often considering scuff marks magically appear on them no matter how hard I try to avoid it. I think I hit my feet on the stairs at school...I'm really a klutz.

 Finally, anyone watching Hannibal on NBC? That show is making me ridiculously happy at the moment. It's got so much more interest than most typical crime shows, the cinematography is really beautiful, and the characters are flawlessly done. Mads Mikkelsen is my absolute favorite Hannibal to date and you can just feel the instability seeping off of Will in the way he stands and talks. And of course I get a kick out of watching Hannibal play his mind games with everyone as they scramble left and right to do his bidding. I mean, he's only trying to help. No manipulation here. Just your friendly neighborhood cannibalistic psychiatrist.

I see what you did there~

I'm sort of worried that it's going to be cancelled, and that would be a tragic waste of potential. Of course it's got a few faults, (which I'm not going to get into because I'd rather this didn't turn into a rant) but the show has got so many redeeming qualities that more than make up for the shortcomings.  The reviews are great, but the views for whatever the coveted audience demographic is have dropped, and NBC is pretty fickle. So everyone should go watch it ;)

Yes There ARE Still Good Bands

A little mini-rant for you all. Please excuse any typos and/or long rambling sentences. This is being written on a very sleepy brain which needs to go to bed soon before it crashes.

One of my biggest pet peeves has to be when you see/hear people go on a big rant about how Goth music is 'Dead' or that it was 'So much better back in the day' or, here's the best one, 'There aren't any good Goth bands anymore'. I'm sorry, but where have you been living? Of course the music isn't going to be the same as it used to be. Even individual bands change their sound by album. (And there's enough complaint about that) Sometimes it's for the better, sometimes for the worse, but without change there wouldn't be any growth, and scenes would remain stagnant, living on dreams of the past. That's no way to keep a subculture alive! And seriously, tell me that 'Goth' bands from the past didn't mix up their sound as well.

Talk about change? The Cure are the masters of it and yet we love them anyway.
Half of their stuff couldn't possibly be considered 'Goth' by traditional standards.

There are plenty of newer bands out there that are Goth, or at the very least, extremely Goth-friendly. There's no need to be stuck in nostalgia and focus only on the old stuff. Granted, appreciation of the old scene is fantastic and yeah, necessary. When we've got roots as awesome as ours they need to be preserved. I feel really weird if I don't put on my Bauhaus record once every couple of weeks. Still, sometimes people need to let go and move on. Don't like the old stuff simply because it's the old stuff when there are so many ways you can branch out. If I were to go out and make a list of the Goth bands still performing today it would be considerably long. Add the aforementioned Goth-friendly bands and the list would never end!

Decades later and we're still staring at Peter Murphy's cheekbones.
A pastime I indulge quite often, but there are new musicians to fawn over as well.

Not to mention, with attitudes like 'Goth is dead' how are we supposed to encourage newcomers to the scene? We need fresh blood to keep it alive, and discouraging them by only having a negative attitude towards the current scene is hardly going to get people motivated to explore the subculture. I'm actually not sure why people even think Goth is dead. You only have to look around the internet to find that there's a huge net.Goth scene. Look at all of us bloggers! And last time I went to Sweden, I spotted quite a few fellow darkly inclined people in the city. There seems to be no end of alternative models these days, and I'm sure we can all name a few current Goth icons strutting at the forefront of the scene.

My point is, if you ever hear someone complaining about the lack of Goth music, smack them lightly upside the head for me and then very politely start reciting a list of bands they should look into, or at the very least, grudgingly accept as 'Not Dead'.

30 Day Clothing Challenge~ Day 21: Something You Only Wear Around the House

Warning: Pretty short post. Basically just popping in for a chat~

If I said I walked around in black silk robes or bat patterned pajamas would I get my goth card stamped? Let's be honest here, how many of us actually wear all black all the time just to keep up our 'image' as a goth? Seriously, it's not like I wouldn't love a pair of bat patterned pajamas, (Who wouldn't?) but if you guys saw me around the house there's no way you'd ever think I was even associated with the Gothic subculture. (If you're lucky my black hair and nails might give it away) And that doesn't bother me one bit because in all honesty I'd rather put my money towards clothes people will actually see me out in. All of my 'home clothes' are basically pink/blue/white articles of clothing that I've had since about 5th grade. But that doesn't mean you're getting a picture of me in my PJs. Sorry. But not really

Instead, I'll reuse an item from a while back. My Monty Python Evil Bunny Slippers of Doom! Aren't they just adorable? I got them for Xmas last year and I use them religiously in the winter, which is basically the only time my feet won't melt off by wearing them. Because Florida. *Shakes fist* Actually, I probably would wear them out of the house for kicks if I could, but unfortunately the dress code at school clearly states no slippers. (Though strangely enough there's no rule that prevents students from taking pillows or blankets to class. Heh.)

Since, you're not getting a picture of me in my pajamas I'm afraid you'll have to settle for my outfit of the day instead. I've got a better picture of my new skirt (With pockets!) and recently happened upon a shirt I'd thought I'd lost. It nearly makes up for the fact that my lovely Handbook For the Recently Deceased phone case broke, so I'm stuck using my cassette tape backup. You'd be surprised at how many people ask me whether it's a real tape. I can only wonder why I'd be carrying around a cassette tape at school, nevermind looking at it and clearly pushing buttons. It really makes me laugh.

Also,  I was recently persuaded (By the people of Tumblr or course) to read The Fault in Our Stars. John Green seems to be everywhere so it was only inevitable. Again, I don't normally like YA books, (especially not popular ones) but this one was fantastic. The narrator is really cynical, has a dark sense of humor (A kindred spirit I suppose) and is very matter-of-fact. She doesn't sugarcoat anything. The end actually managed to make me tear up a bit when I thought about people in real life who actually go though things like she did. So basically what I'm saying is, you should all add this to your list of 'Books Megan has recommended' which will probably end up filling a whole notebook by the time I'm through.

Upkeep is Hard, Don't Stress Yourself

 I was getting ready the other day when a thought crossed my mind. I stopped for a second and wondered why in the world I was up putting on eyeliner at 5 in the morning. I've gotten so used to getting up early, struggling through the first part of my day, and then crashing when I finally get home, that I never really stop to consider whether I should be doing things a little differently. My bus shows up at my house at 6:30, and I do eat breakfast in the morning and make my lunch, but that still leaves an hour to get ready. Do I really need all that time every day? The answer in all honesty is no. I'm living on 6 hours of sleep per night when I should be getting double digits, and this far into the school year I'm starting the effects.

You don't have to look like this every day
(Though she's certainly gorgeous. I'm afraid I don't know where I found this)

 As a rule, I feel Goths are often more inclined to spend time on their appearance, for several reasons. The first one being that the scene has always been full of striking people with dramatic makeup or gravity-defying hair, and clothes that turn heads. I mean, look at some of the icons of the scene! Siousxie Sioux, Robert Smith, Peter Murphy, Daniel Ash, Johnny Slut, Dave Vanian....the list goes on and on. We see pictures and go I want to look just like them and spend forever trying to replicate a look that in all honesty probably took full hair stylists and makeup artists to accomplish. (At the very least an afternoon, a can of aquanet, and a whole stick of eyeliner. And we don't have time for that every day) We tend to forget that some things are staged. That people like them didn't look perfect every second of the day. (Though sometimes I wonder...)

Young Dave is gorgeous isn't he? <3

The same thing applies to the pictures of Goths you see on websites such as Tumblr. (Which I am extremely guilty of spending a ridiculous amount of time on) Sometimes I'll sit there for hours (after I've emerged from the fandom blogs headed over to the fashion) and just sigh over all of the beautiful people. They've got perfect makeup, and flawless hair and clothes. And then I have to slap myself a bit and remind myself that many of them are professional or at least semi-professional models, not ordinary people going about their daily lives. Remember that their clothes might not be their own, and that time was spent on their appearance. The photo was probably staged, could have taken time to get the angles right, and it might have been edited. Seeing all these photos is a great way to get discouraged, and think you have to keep up with that level of maintenance to be 'appropriately' Goth. It can be especially discouraging to people just starting out that don't have a wide variety of clothes or accessories, or great makeup skills yet.

Hair...

I'm very sorry I can't give these pictures credit
Most were found via Tumblr a while ago

Of course then there's the one that probably gets me the most. I suffer from the "everyone's looking at me because I'm different so I have to set a good example for the scene" syndrome. (Well that's a mouthful) There's already this stigma against alternative sorts, and mallgoths are the ones that tend to reinforce it. Not neccesarily on purpose of course, but people get a lot of their stereotypes from the kid hanging around Hot Topic with the greasy hair, Tripp pants and Slipknot shirt. As a result, I have this idiotic fear of being lumped in as yet another 'stupid rebelling teenager'. Therefore, I try to set a good example to counteract all those stereotypes. Is my makeup melting? Is my hair lopsided? Does this look cheesy? It's the little nagging voice that says if I'm alternative and people think I look eccentric I'd better make sure they think I'm pretty all the time too. I do it constantly and it's ridiculous. I'm trying so hard to steer myself away from that train of thought. There's nothing wrong with making sure you don't look a mess, but that should be for yourself, not because you're afraid of being judged.

What I'm really trying to get at here (In a vague, rambling, roundabout way) is that it's OK to slack off once in a while! You don't have to doll yourself up everyday, and it's fine to go casual and makeupless as often as you feel like. You can't let your appearance take over your life completely, while sacrificing valuable time to do other things. (like sleeping in my case) It's just not healthy. Of course, some people are more comfortable wearing skirts and dresses all the time, (I know someone who despises jeans) and some people find it fun to dress to the nines every day,  (more power to you!) but there's absolutely nothing to be ashamed of if you want to wear a hoodie and lazy pants every so often. Who cares if you skip doing your nails or don't put on makeup?

So I'm designating a day. One day every week where I'm gonna dress down on purpose. One of my band or fandom shirts, a hoodie, and comfy jeans  or my cargo pants. And no makeup to boot. In exchange I'll get a day of liberation and learn to feel pretty without makeup. Not to mention, I'll get to sleep a little longer ;)

Xmas Haul

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! (Or any other holiday you celebrate) Normally, mine turns into a day of watching screens, as I always have this urge to see if I can beat the video games I've received in record time. (This year's winner being Resistance 2 which is a fantastic game, though not as good as the first one) So this year's haul...

Because I love the Joker. The Killing Joke is a classic after all.

Norse myths because of my Swedish heritage and love of Loki <3
And Edgar Allen Poe because those Barnes and Noble leather-bounds are gorgeous.
Now to get Sherlock Holmes and The Picture of Dorian Gray.

This little voodolls name is Siouxsie. She's "an old school
Goth who rejects conformity".
I love my parents ^^

A talking Dalek because it's adorable. And a Converse
piggy bank. When I opened it I thought they had only gotten me one shoe XD

The original Addams family! And a fishnet hoodie from my family in Sweden.

 

A Tones on Tail record I was eying in the record store and a
collection of 80s songs.

Bringing back my love of Loki. Marvel movie-verse this time ^^

Finally, The Hobbit because I haven't read it since 4th grade and desperately
want to see the movie. And a bracelet made out of bass strings. Isn't that neat?

Of course, there are a few things I didn't get. My Sherlock shirt, (The one The Infamous Blujay was wearing in the picture Jillian Venters put up on her Tumblr) a slytherin scarf, colored contacts, and a spiked collar being the things I didn't receive. So now I know what to spend my remaining money on ^^

I'm going to go see The Hobbit soon. I am so excited. For anyone out there that's already seen it, how was it?