Someecards Sewing

These are only hilarious because they're so darn true haha

Personal Style: Part 1

So I’ve posted a few polyvore outfits before and just thought before I delve more into clothes, I should take a moment to describe my view on it. I thought this would be a good place to start so you have a good idea of my current style before I begin sharing more outfits and stuff.

Before we dive in, I want to make a key distinction. You might've noticed I use the term "personal style" over “fashion”. The reason I do this is because I think style should solely be focused on you. Personal style is centered on creating a distinct look that fits who you are. Fashion is centered on the majority; it's an industry based on what a handful of designers think looks good. It's an arbitrary determinant of what should or shouldn’t be in and it's definitely not the first thing you should think about when you get dressed in the morning. Let’s forgo the hollow beauty standards and extravagant price tags that fashion entails. When you adorn yourself, it should be all about your taste, which is why I like sticking to the term personal style. It’s my way of saying everything is all about you! Granted, you are free to incorporate fashion as you see fit but, please don’t let that dictate what you do; you're all much too fabulous for that. I see personal style as a great way to express yourself and that's what makes it unique. Some people see the two words as synonymous, but I like to imagine them as separate entities independent of one another and occasionally overlapping. Anyways my personal opinion aside, let’s get down to business.

Just a nice quote I found on Tumblr that fits what I'm saying

Now, for the topic at hand: my personal style. So, I've always been attracted to the darker aesthetic and enjoy the more unusual expressions that clothing can offer. I think it is truly amazing how much of an impression you can make simply by the outfit you chose. It's like you communicate volumes about yourself merely by what you wear and your demeanor. It's pretty cool and once I learned to appreciate that I realized how important it was to cultivate a unique and fun personal style that accurately reflects me.

Growing up, I didn't have much say in what I wore. I didn't exercise the ability to express myself: I just wore whatever my mom approved of, which could be well summed up as an obscure t-shirt and baggy jeans. Throw in a feminine colored jacket every now and then and voilà, that's a nice summary of what I wore for like 12 years in grade school. Essentially, the more authentic and accurate representation of me remained hidden: the dark colors, quirky humor, intricate jewelry, decade pieces, it was all tucked away.

 

As I got older, however, I found out what a great means of expression clothing could be. Since then I've become more vocal about what I want and standing my ground on being who I want to be and how I project myself. Just last year, I went through my entire closet; cleaning out the clutter and cleansing it of anything I didn't love or need. My closet is much emptier now as a result but I'm also a lot happier and also very excited to incorporate my new clothing into my look. I plan on not just ogling at that rockabilly dress online and writing it off as untouchable, but instead finding ways to incorporate it and other elements I admire into my life. Time to start treating life like a stage! So yeah.

Murder Mystery Party

Hi there! I thought I'd share this little story since it's fun and something I'm do outside of my obligations and duties. I like planning and throwing themed parties and this past month, I threw a 1920s themed murder mystery party. It was a lot of fun!

Back in high school (which feels like ages ago now) my best friend had this annual tradition of throwing themed parties and I would always help out as a co-host. It was super exciting and I enjoyed everything about the whole process: from brainstorming decoration ideas and making the food, to getting creative with party games. It was always a blast. In lieu of that charming tradition (since everyone’s moved on), I decided to throw a themed party by myself this year. And since I've always wanted to go to a Murder Mystery party, I decided why not mix the two?

So I got some friends interested and then had everyone pick (dates, themes, times, etc.). I was very democratic with the decision-making process but in the future, I'd recommend just doing whatever you want since you’re the one doing most of the work (you want to make sure you like it). In any case, we picked a 1920s theme at an affluent wealthy patron's house.

Now since I'd never done this, I did all research I could on the topic and read everything I could find which left me very bewildered and confused but also much wiser. There are a bunch of different ways you can do a murder mystery party (something I cover in another post) but since it was all new to me (not to mention overwhelming), I decided to stick to the basics:I invited 16 guests and to make it more fun, everyone got a character. They got little character info sheets with their RSVPs that way they could know more about their persona and dress the part. I debated about whether I should buy a murder mystery party (mmp for short) kit which has characters and a story-line pre-made but what's the fun in that? Plus most of the ones I looked at were pretty expensive (I do not have $40-160 just for a kit I have to print myself. Yeah, no. Sorry, not happening). So I just wrote one by myself which seemed like a good idea at first but turned out to be super hard! It was very rewarding in the end but also really time-consuming and stressful. There are a lot of different factors and elements you have to think of not to mention you’ve got to be creative and clever.

Now if anyone else out there is thinking of doing a mmp (without buying a kit) and wants any advice, on how to write it, check out my later post here for a step-by-step guide. But for now, here are some of the photos we took from that night.

Despite my perpetual worrying, everything overall went smoothly and everyone said they had a great time. I got really lucky because all my friends wanted to help out with food so we had a potluck style dinner which made planning ten times easier (I seriously just made a 1920s themed food list and everyone signed up!).  In terms of decoration, I stayed more on the minimal side. Since it was a dinner party, I just incorporated little 1920s elements into our house rather than trying to turn everything into a flapper bonanza (I know, I know, it's sad I couldn’t go all Gatsby on this one but hey, we all have a budget).

Anyways, that's all I've got for you now. I hope you enjoyed this little tidbit on my solo party planning adventures. If you want to know more about the party process, be sure to check my other post. And hopefully if I throw more parties in the future, I'll share them here with you as well! :) Until then, good night!

Fifties Fun!

Greetings & Salutations, Everybody (free brownies for whoever knows where that quotes from ;)
Here's a quick set I put together for funzies. I'm completely in love with the 1950's rockabilly style so I made a little stylish collection to honor that tradition! The little swallows are meant to be ironed onto the jackets. Super rad, right? It's a little rushed because I'm really busy today but I hope you enjoy it anyways!

Fifties Fun! by mildmuse featuring cat eye eyeglasses

Webcomics I Read

Hello Lovelies!

So as I'm waiting for my ankle to heal up, I just thought it would be fun to share a little more about myself. Specifically a catalog of all the various webcomics I've read or am keeping up with. Somehow this list keeps on growing so keep an eye out because I'll be routinely updating it.

Exactly how my love for webcomics started...I'm not entirely sure. Somewhere in my internet debauchery (probably around the time I discovered imgur and tvtropes), I stumbled upon a funny comic and decided to go to the website where I archive binged the whole thing. When that wasn't enough, I clicked on one of the featured websites which took me to another webcomic and that one had a few spin-offs. And I just had to keep up with all of those, too… And well, I think you get the picture.  Soooo yeah

One innocent comic turned into a mass collection of webcomics.

But it's okay. It’s kinda nice to have a few stories I’m keeping up with; it gives me something to look forward to on the internet besides social media. It's like having your Sunday Newspaper Comics all in one place, every day of the week.

Webcomics are really awesome to me because they combine the greatness of comics with the simplicity of the internet so a wider audience can enjoy them.  Plus each webcomic is unique. I follow each one for a different reason. Some I read because their story is just really fascinating (Run Freak Run, Powernap, Missing Monday, etc.) and others, I confess, I only follow because the art and style is just too damn fabulous and eye-amazing that I just can't stop reading it regardless of content. A few are purely for comic relief and a good laugh (MercWorks, Oatmeal, etc.) while others are more for their overall style and message (Sinfest, Tripping Over You, Band VS Band, etc.).

Also, note: some of these are definitely adult so if they have a huge NSFW by them, don’t click unless you’re totally comfortable with that stuff! You’ve been warned! One more adjustment, I bolded the comics I'd really really recommend.

Anyways enough rambling, here's the list!

1. Powernap
2. Spindrift
3. Run Freak Run
4. Tripping Over You
5. Love Not Found
6. Gaia
7. Trying Human
8. Band Vs Band
9. Domics
10. Missing Monday
11. Metacarpolis
12. Cat VS Human
13. Incidental Comics
14. Erstwhile
15. Queen of Hearts
16. Sinfest**
17. Meaty Yogurt
18. String Theory
19. Doctor Cat
20. Oatmeal
21. Carciphona
22. Spinnerette
23. MercWorks
24. The Girl Who Flew Away
    
25. Wilde Life
26. The Lonely Vincet Bellingham
    
27. Cucumber Quest
28. Oglaf (NSFW)
29. Chester5000XYV (NSFW)
30. Oh Joy Sex Toys (NSFW)
31. Go Get A Roomie (NSFW)
32. The Cummoner (NSFW)
33. Oh Mandy! (NSFW)
34. Jeannie Lynn Paske's Obsolete World

Already completed webcomis:

1. Red String 
2. Demon's Aid 
3. I Was Kidnapped By Lesbian Pirates From Outer Space (all completed)
4. Bite Me!
5. Tripp

**-- Unpopular opinion of the day: I LOVE Sinfest even after the post-feminism stuff. His work is fabulous. Also, I haven't gotten thru the entire archive yet...

There are also some comics I used to read routinely (archive binged & everything) but don't anymore. Mainly it's because I just don't like them anymore but more importantly, the dislike arises because I disagree with them on principle now (they're guilty of sexism, distasteful fanservice, poor treatment of abuse/violence, etc.). As such, I just wouldn't recommend them to others (in fact, I'd strongly discourage you from reading them) & I'm including them here to give others a heads up. I just wouldn't want someone else to make the same mistake I did of getting invested in a comic that really isn't good for you.

Menage a 3 (NSFW)
Sticky Dilly Buns (NSFW)
Sandra on the Rocks (NSFW)
Eerie Cuties
Magick Chicks
Dangerously Chloe
Two Guys & Guy

Just A Note

Hi again!
So, this is more of a personal note to myself for future reference but I thought I'd share it with you all (in case anyone is interested) . Basically, I'm just making a quick list of the things I hope to cover in this blog. Granted, these list might change and evolve over time but, for now, this is what I'm going to focus on.
Here's the list:
1-creative projects (creative stuff: DIY alterations, etc.)
2-personal projects (like personal growth in academics, health, etc.)
3-alternative subculture stuff (steampunk, goth, rockabilly, etc.)
4-personal style (outfits, clothes, etc.)
5-my thoughts and opinions (on random topics)
6-reviews on things I've tried (products, media, etc.)
7-my life (when applicable, if interesting)

Surprise Post!

Alright, I'll be honest: I didn't really plan on writing another post in July seeing as how I'm still struggling with that broken ankle but the fabulous Professor Z has this wonderful linkup going on called The Professor's Monthly Homework Assignment and I just couldn't resist.

It's about summer and it's hosted by one of my favorite art historians on the internet! How could I say no?! Besides, it's a homework assignment!! Those things are serious business to this student. You can't pass those up. Mom would not approve! Haha anywho, the prompt is: how do you survive the dog days of summer?

Well, that's a really good question. As a kid, I used to waste away my summer being the epitome of laziness and sloth. Stuck at home, I'd just sleep in until noon, eat junk food, sit around with books (later the internet), and watch TV. But that never really felt good or fulfilling. I always looked back at those summers and thought "Gosh what did I do?! I was so unproductive and boring! I didn't even make any good memories!"

So a few summers ago, I decided to change that up and took a class over summer. And OMG. I loved it! I felt like I was doing something worthwhile with my time plus I had an excuse to learn! It was great! (Classes in summer are also cool because it’s easier to make friends and the teacher can help you more) But I don't think the solution is simply “taking class”, I think it’s easier than that. To me, the real key is finding a fun way to keep yourself busy. Be that in whatever way you wish. I knew a girl who’d spend all summer going to music concerts and finding new bands or my coworker who likes to take road trips with her best friend in summer (“mini-adventures” as she calls them). It's totally up to you how you spend your time but if you're caught up in something good, you won't even notice the time go by!

Like, classes hasn't always been my thing. That just happens to be what I’m focusing on this summer. Past summers I've done stuff like volunteer, help with research projects, participate in religious traditions (fasts, holidays, etc.), at weddings, party planning, travelling, etc. The list goes on. I think the secret is to just get really absorbed in something else and then summer will be over before you know it ‘cause you’re enjoying yourself! Or you can break your ankle and get crutches. That makes the time go by as well. But I wouldn’t recommend that. Trust me, that one’s not fun.

Here are some photos from my class this summer in case you're interested.



Well anyhow, that’s how I make it through the dog days of summer. What about you? Do you have any good tips for beating those tough summer days (besides air-conditioning)? Let me know in the comments below! :) Have a fabulous day!