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! ;)

Being stuck in Florida

Oh, where to begin?

 Its the freaking sunshine state after all. When you've only got two seasons, those being summer and January 14th, it makes it a little difficult to maintain your mostly monochrome wardrobe. I can tell you its around 90 degrees outside right now and I'm just about dying in a skirt and t-shirt (granted I've got two layers of fishnets and boots but that's beside the point.) All I can say is that when summer really comes around I'll be restricted to casual goth for a while. Three cheers for band shirts and shorts!
...
...
...Did anyone catch the sarcasm in that statement?

Besides the whole melting into a puddle thing there's also the fact that tan lines are unavoidable. I don't like being in the sun. Its burns! IT BURNS! I abhor having a tan. Always have. I don't care about being pale and goffic, but I'd like to avoid skin cancer.

This isn't what we're going for. 

Also, I'm naturally blond and haven't gotten around to dying my hair. (At the moment I'm thinking white) I've also got blue eyes, so Me + tan = instant Barbie. As a result the sun and I have declared war. And you know what??

 I'm losing.

The last issue I've got with this place is the crowd. I know I could have it worse. I've read about the horrible childhoods and bullying some of you have faced in your lives and I'm eternally grateful the extent of the harassment towards me has been limited to having the occasional "Satanist" and "Witch" thrown my way. 

First of all this shows their obvious ignorance of the religions those words are associated with and I advise that before they judge they should know what they're talking about. While I myself am an atheist, I know many people who consider themselves Satanists or Witches would be even more offended by the obvious misuse of the terms.

Being surrounded by obnoxious and ignorant people who also happen to also be devout/overeager Christians is not exactly the best environment for a developing gothling like myself. I do NOT have anything against Christians. My best friend is one. But I'm sure you all know the type I'm talking about. The ones that wave a cross and shout "Get back! BACK foul creature!"

I dread getting on the bus every morning and having the stares wash over me as they see what the "vampire" is wearing today. And going to a school of 3000+ people means the long walk across the courtyard every morning is extremely uncomfortable. 

If anyone else is having problems like mine all I can say is keep your head up. Don't let them know they're getting to you, they have no right to treat you like you're beneath them. Stay proud of your aesthetic, no matter what it might be. The people treating you badly now won't matter in the long run and I cannot stress this enough but always stay true to yourself.

But you know what? Its not all bad. Florida has one saving grace. DISNEY! And that my friends, comes around once a year, around the magical month of October. That's right... Halloween Horror Nights! One of the biggest Halloween events in the world and its just a short drive away. I've gone for the past two years and haven't been disappointed yet. I love horror movies and this is like living one. If you ever get the chance to go, do it.

We had someone come to our school to talk about what goes on behind the scenes yesterday. I just about cried when he said they throw it all away at the end. I would take some of that stuff. But we got to see the Caretaker have his makeup done and witnessed some of the scare tactics they use. I'm definitely going again this year (and already browsing the interwebz for hints as to the theme...) and I can honestly say there are few places I've had as much fun.

Let me end this post on a happy note by leaving a few photos from the 2010 event for you to enjoy. Unfortunately the people in the Scarezones aren't as impressive as the houses, and are really just to keep you entertained as you go across the park, but we can't use our cameras inside.

 O.o

Anyone else notice her heart was on the wrong side?

This friendly skeleton skipped down the scarezone with us :D

The chainsaw squad. A hand-selected group of elites that get to run around, swing weapons, and terrorize the general public.