UH-OH, SHE HAS A BAD CASE OF...

BEING BAD.

       SHE IS BAD       

I'M OVER 53. I've EARNED ME THE

RIGHT TO SOME BIG BAD - 

we're talkin' 'tude.

I SPIT BAD FLOWERS. DON'T TRIP ON THEM;

MAKE A BOUQUET?

I'M WEARING CLOTHES. SOME THRIFTED, SOME GIFTS. ALL TERRIBLY, HORRIBLY BAD. 

Bad plaid. Very, very bad. Baaad.

say it like a goat

worn to the nordstrom opening, sep 19 post - 

farked tartan jacket, big bad pants.

adding to bella's linkup for plaidurday at citizen rosebud 

(edit: the link is not on anymore. oh well.)

AND

THERE'S CARROT IN MY SCARF/WRAP, MAYBE EVEN 

STUCK IN MY TEETH, SO I'M LINKING 

TO ANNE'S 52 PICK-ME-UP: CARROT/PERSEVERENCE

AT SPYGIRL

______________________________________

THIS IS A NO-GUILT POST. FEEL FREE NOT TO COMMENT. 

TOO MANY POSTS TO KEEP UP. 

Edit: I had a birthday during 2015, but not terribly, horribly recently. All I can say is I'm not a Libra. I've just been thinking about age lately.

Tool-belt handbag

Karate-ish Queen. The Queen executes a flying helicopter kick to thwart a rabid Canadian deer.  Original, painting 18" x 24", acrylic on canvas paper. By me, painted in - why must I remember such details - um, maybe 2009?

Too bad the auto body shop near me was closed because that's where I would have preferred to take the first photo. I'm wearing thrifted button-fly jeans, $5, thrifted pretty black lace sleeveless top, thrifted Steve Madden army boots, and a leather tool-belt bag, a hand-me-over. Instead of a cigarette, I'm chewing on my seam ripper and that's a measuring tape in my tool belt. I embroidered eyes on the pant legs, black on the right, as shown, and a matching one in white on the other knee.

The second outfit is one I wore in March, a groovy thrifted tunic over a thrifted blouse, thigh-high socks with a silver lurex diamond pattern, black leather boots, magic loupe, and caramel-coloured jeggings. I hated this photo when I took it, I forget why, but now I don't mind.

Of course I had to show you the Karate Queen when I stumbled across this jpg during a desktop cleanup.

I'm linking up with Bella's Secondhand First at The Citizen Rosebud. See you there!

Zennie side up

PS: If u have received an od comment from me, it is becoz I'm am on strike from speling and grammer until Wensday. My account has not be hackked but feel free to delet my sloppy stile from yer blog.

He said, "Awesome! You look totally Zen. Like you are completely at one with the universe," he being the cool dude who passed me on the sidewalk (seemingly in possession of his faculties). That's precisely the look I was going for(!), NOT what you see in the photo above, but my maxi violet/fuchsia dress and magic green shaggariffic boots I wore when Jean of Dross into Gold was in town, here, minus the robe. The fact that I was levitating, not walking, is probably what struck him first, an ability born at precisely 12:50 AM when I closed out a daunting work project three glorious days before deadline.

Massive chandelier earrings and a neon pink bob-cut wig newly purchased for $12, swinging neatly - secretly- in my bag were also excellent flotation devices. And if all this weren't enough, I discovered a new French cafe that sells mini cheesecakes and other pastry minis for $1.89 each, but of course, being a beady-eyed thrifty gal bent on celebrating three days snatched from the abyss, I bought the three-treat deal for $4.75. Of course I'd be losing money if I didn't.

NO PHOTO!!

NO PHOTO!!

NO PHOTO!!

OF ZENWEAR

I have no photos of my "Zen" day, but they would have just come out as big balls of light anyway. I do, however, have a photo of what I was wearing the day BEFORE - I consider it a rehearsal outfit.

BEFORE Outfit:

• thrifted vintage too-short maxi dress worn as a midi, made in Honolulu 
• striped socks 
• red glitter-soled shoes 
• thrifted neon green/aqua/black blouse 
• magic loupe made by O 
• vintage mechanical watch from O
• even wedding bands made by O 

The red dress, above and top,  is what I wore today two days after Zen Day.
By the way, that is NOT a pose, it's a stance, a way of being that I call "Pink Flamigo".
You'll not only see me doing this at bars, outside wo-men's bath-rooms, and in elegant dining rooms, but at any time of the day or evening, it's so much FUN!! You may even hire me to stand on your lawn.

Be sure to alternate legs to avoid excessive muscle build-up and lopsidedness - you don't fall to tip over into the curry chicken buffet! Mounting yourself on a skateboard is also an option I recommend if you have a rope long enough to tie around your waist to be towed by a) wayward children; b) adults; c) other wildlife.

Wearing:

thrifted cheongsam dress thingy with massive slit up one side

thrifted graphic turtleneck

thrifted lucky charm bag

thrifted earrings

magic loupe

thrifted shoes

socks retails

I'm linking this up to Bella's Secondhand First soiree over at The Citizen Rosebud. And I'm linking up with Patti too, Visible Monday is here again.
PS: I'm also linking this up to Mis Papelicos' Share-in-Style: Red.

No matter how busy I am, I always, ALWAYS make a point of going on a morning inspiration walk to one of my favourite downtown cafes to journal, sip hot coffee in a window seat, and catch up on life with the talented young musicians, dancers, and actors who temp as baristas and with friends when our paths cross.

As part of my celebration, I'm giving up proper grammar and spelling at least until Wednesday. It's all such a bore. If yu notiss stuf like this, it's because I'm rebelling. re-belling. re-belle-ing.

  normcore   

Norm Corp.

Norm Corps 

normcorpse 

...although you probably won't notice because I won't be writing much, as I need to stay away from The Machine during recovery.

Did you vote for Vix yet for Vintage Personality of 2014? Git over there!! My voice is a faint echo of the many other fantastic bloggers who know her magic and have already put out the call. 

All I can say is: 

Vix is like a fresh spring shower in a world that likes to play in mud, although I know Vix must be a damned fine mud wrestler as well. 

Yellow Skirt Freak Show Update!! and more...

From rainbow platforms she rises

sunrays spewing from her arse

the Divine, the inspired freakish thing, the 

travelling yellow skirt

from boudoir FILM noir

playground to bar-boundXX

with glowing beckoning codpiece

quivering and naked pale on

SAra

Hello the Mushroom

Magic shrooms

Hallucinogenic daydreams

You must see this.

G  o !    G o   n o w ! !

_____________________________________________________

Oh, Sara, thank you so much for your joyful and fishy contribution to this piece of fabric! Seeing your post was an unspeakably welcome distraction from the living I'm crafting at the moment. If you haven't already seen her post, don't miss it. The quilt grows. The journey continues.

...and a quick update

Ere I am J.H...The ghost in the machine.
(from the movie Brazil)

I'm too late for Hat Attack. I'm too late for the latest Visible Monday and Secondhand First(TM) and Shoe Shine and and and... In fact, I'm late for most of the Net life swirling wildly beyond my control within the guts of this machine, beyond this little clickety keyboard and the blue ghost-light of the screen. But here's whad I got, which I am linking to Shiny T Tuesday at Flight Platform Living.

First, the hat. It's my black hat, a vintage one, $7, worn with a vintage car coat circa early '50s, golden and shiny, black side-zip slim-cut linen capris, and super-high studded platform shoes. I'll leave the visualizations of everything but the hat and my left eye and my bits of messy hair to your imaginations. 

Bing. S'a meercle. Here I am again. In my jeans. In a thrifted jacket (designed by a famous He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named) enhanced, nay, resurrected by permanent markers (my faithful Sharpies - I had to get a new pack). This is MY jacket now, sucka'! Fake bone-tone reptile skin. I always smile like this when I come out of the salon in Brazil.

I'm in Mad Hatter mode. I'll connect later youse guys...

PS I just joined Mis Papelicos for her Share-in-Style: Pink as well. No pink here. I just felt like being a gatecrasher.

Okay, I just joined Bella's Shoe Shine too, hosted by Sheila at Ephemera instead of The Citizen Rosebud for something new. You can't even see my shoes. Heh. 

In the cage again

Are you lookin' at me? Are you LOOKIN' AT ME?!

For Patti's Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet Style, and for Bella's Shoe Shine at The Citizen Rosebud and Jane's Shiny T Tuesday at Flight-Platform Living when they go live tomorrow. 

• black velvet midi opera coat, thrifted
• Simpsons-Sears '60s dress, thrifted
• tights and tights and socks, retail
• boots, old as the hills, retails
• black dickie, also old as the hills, forget where I got it, retail
• belt, thrifted
• magic loupe, from O

In that last photo, I had to boost the light to show those boots, but the coat is midnight velvet with a satiny black lining. Swish. 

Bella's Shoe Shine and Anne's 52 Pick-Me-Up

These shoes, rescued from a shop's reject pile for $20 and worn in my previous post, are perfect for Bella's monthly Shoe Shine at The Citizen Rosebud. Thanks, Bella, for a chance to show off these glittery stompers. Note the magnificent double buckle closure. Contrary to what you might think, these shoes are not difficult to walk in because the pitch is relatively tame, but you'd want to stay away from them if you suffer from vertigo, especially paired with these socks, speaking of which...

Hugs to Anne at Spy Girl. Her geometrically-patterned socks inspired me to throw this pair on over top of my jeggings to share at 52 Pick-Me-Up - Sock Inspiration theme. She has a HUUUGE adventure going on in her life right now. Very exciting!! Read about it here if you haven't already. 

Until next time, 

Ease on down, ease on down the rooooad... 

I get my kicks you know where

Just another day at the office...

Bella of The Citizen Rosebud (of course everyone knows her already) sent me these suspenders months ago, along with some other AWESOME goodies. I've been wanting to debut everything all at once when the weather warms, but I couldn't wait any longer to share these: child-sized Calvin and Hobbes!! braces, LOVE! perfect for hoisting my sky-blue sequin tube top. It was challenge to figure out what to do with them, but now I have gobs of ideas. 

Bella, THANK YOU, again!

Who needs steel toes when you have glittery soles? And my Route 66 thrifted jacket was too big so I slapped a big 'ole zipper diagonally on the front - done, DIY. The hemline is wonderfully asymmetrical when the jacket is closed.

The tube top, blouse, and jacket were thrifted; the suspenders from Bella!; tool box from a collaboration between Chanel and DeWalt via O; the trousers from a sample sale, and; shoes $20 in the reject pile. 

And for inquiring minds - 

You know how when you repeat a word over and over it sounds like gibberish? That's how I felt about my closet - clothes, clothes, clothes, clothes, too many clothes, nothing to wear. Clearly the problem wasn't the clothes, it was the fact I was feeling SQUISHED!!! So, no, I'm not moving; I'm paring, scaling down, weeding. About 70% of my clothes are space-bagged in storage, but now when I open my closet I feel a fresh sense of play, of freedom. I can BREATHE again. 

Oh, yeah, I got a haircut too. Hee. I liked the Warhol mop but it had to go.

I'm skipping over to Patti's visibles at Visible Monday, Not Dead Yet Style. See you there.

Jacquard of all trades

A lady never overdresses or under-dresses for an occasion. Thank goodness I am perfectly attired for my self-defined, over-the-top-and-bottom occasions at all times because I'm the boss of me. 

Every jacquard of all trades requires a tool-box handbag. O gave me this one, a case for a rechargeable drill with some of the plastic dividers inside removed to make it more convenient for carrying my power tool (my journal). I painted the case white and decided I like the tool look better so I scraped off the paint before it had time to set, which gave the case a slightly beaten look - a better look. I carried this bag out for the first time today, loving the fat handle. That humungous new loupe I'm wearing is from O as well, I was double-looped.

Sixty to 70% of my clothes are now Sealed, not unlike the royal tombs of Egypt, poised for rediscovery many months down the road, hopefully with a professional team of crack Steamers on stand-by. I am missing out on all the wonderful linkups going on but it's all I can do to Dress, work, and clean at the moment (the smile above is just for show). I lurk.

I also have some AWESOME gifts I've received from blogger friends I want to share with you, one from months ago best suited for spring... Have I forgotten? NO NO!!! NEVER EVER! They all require proper tributes.

And Curtise with the Freakish Yellow Skirt...how you lift my spirits! My next post shall be a proper homage. (And that lovely maxi skirt came to me via Curtise as well, first seen here. Many extra hugs. Everything else I have on was thrifted - like Bella says, Secondhand First.)

Visible, Shiny, and animated

I like this. I wore this. I feel good in this. Rain. Dripping awkward umbrella. Wet pant legs. Wet grit crunching under shoes. Cafe. Steaming coffee. Loudness!! Escape into my journal. Home. Fiddling around with photo-taking. Fiddling around with quick edits. Grainy, dissatisfaction. Stray bits. Posting anyway. Pickle face.

Wearing:

• thrifted shiny-buckle bronze-brown shoes
• striped socks
• thrifted Dolce and Gabbana side-zip slacks, old, had to restitch all the seams
• thrifted T-shirts and DIY T-shirt
• pink scarf, hand-me-over, worn under coat
• thrifted shawl, worn over the coat
• thrifted vintage R coat, made in Tokyo
• thrifted beret
• magic loupe O made for me

These slacks (best word for them really) make me feel tall with that vertical stripe. I'm linking these pics up to Patti's Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet Style, and the shoes of course are being linked up to Bella's fantastic Shoe Shine at The Citizen Rosebud. Scored at Value Village, the shoes may not be glamorous - they may in fact be men's shoes - but they give me a weird sixties vibe that is irresistible. Plus, I can wear them in the rain.

And... I am including a short video of a little kids' story that my partner O and I collaborated on. O often sketches on napkins when we go out and then later I sometimes digitize them, colour them, firm them up slightly, and add backgrounds and filler scenes. You could say that the inspiration comes from O and the final product comes from me. Either way it's a collaboration that works.

I hope this little vignette relaxes you. The quality is not the best. The original digital artwork was trashed a few years ago and this video is made from scans of the surviving printouts, about 2"x2", which I stumbled across about a week ago. Thanks to the Creative Commons contributors at freesound.org and the music library that comes with VideoPad for the music and sound effects. 

Thanks for your encouragement on my journal sketches in my last post.

DIY summer sandals into winter booties

I realized today that imagination and frivolity are often the mother of invention.

Two weeks ago, this was my mantra: "I gotta' get some geta!" Geta are Japanese traditional footwear which look a bit like a hunk of wood with little foot-sized platforms stuck on top. Of course I didn't want REAL geta; anything high and flat would do. (Pao brilliantly calls this style of footwear flatforms.) And the next day, there they were at a retailer marked down to $20 from $120. They were mine, and I stowed them away for spring.

Meanwhile, I had been planning a DIY to make little bootie slipcovers for my summer shoes so I can wear them in the winter. Why buy new boots if I can winterize what I already have? But this DIY has been lingering on my To Do list for over a year now. 

Then today [Monday] it snowed. As I was bundling up to go out, lamenting my lack of excellence in winter bootwear and my DIY slackness, I had an epiphany: I already have booties! - the kind you slip over cleats for road biking in the winter. They are battered but why not at least try them? In a couple of minutes my problem was solved. The booties fit perfectly over my sandals and, presto!, new winter boots. Or shoots? - shoe/boots.

Felt-lined, wind-proof, and waterproof, these booties kept my tootsies nice and warm, and the elevation of the shoes kept my feet out of puddles. Made by Sugoi, the covers have little velcro tabs that fasten together on the bottom of your cleats, but in this case, the tabs were perfectly aligned to nest between the heel and the step of my sandals. The fabric has a slight stretch and there is a rear zip, edged with reflective material, to conform to the shape of your shoes, although you can see that the booties stick out at the toe from my cycling shoes - the shape reminds me of a freighter. And who doesn't want feet like freighters?

I think this look, as is, black with yellow bits, is cool/urban/post-modern ironic?, but now that I know this method works and my feet will in fact stay warm, I'll paint these booties, or at the very least use them as patterns to continue my original DIY project, now wonderfully revived. Some thigh-highs are definitely in order. While I'm at it, maybe I'll colour my boring pants as well.

Of course I'm linking these up with Bella's Shoe Shine. These are my new LOVE shoe/boot/things. They are not very glittery but they do put a spring (in this case, a clop sound, rather like a horse) in my step, plus, my previous post already had sparkly shoe action. I look forward to seeing what the rest of you are wearing. You never know when frivolity and imagination will strike.

FREAKISH YELLOW SKIRT

Pao at Project Minima has been having her way with the Freakish Yellow Skirt. She is doing a multiple-wear challenge, which is still in progress, but already there has been a Sewing Rebellion! This is just an update - a proper post will appear after The Artist has realized her Magical Vision. Check out her story as it unfolds.

Yellow Skirt Freak Show Update!! and more...

Thar She Blows! The Freakish Yellow Skirt

Steampunking her way across the seven seas

to her castle on the coast

Ruled by Mistress of Mystery

Sheila of

Ephemera

Dominatrix of sunshine and dastardly 

dungeon frolics

Hoisting sails and bunching ye hatches

What ho! Arrrg. Eyes spy ye 

brassy lass's blooming goodness

You must see this Piratical Ruler of FYS

Go!  G O  N O W!!!!

____________________________________________

I am gobsmacked by everyone's manipulations of this yellow skirt! You HAVE TO see Sheila's incredible styling. Thanks Shelley at Forest City Fashionista for your ongoing scheduling feats, and to Sarah of Misfits Vintage for the idea in the first place.

In other news...

Raining and dark. Thank goodness that dang sixties soundtrack of maddeningly mod swinging swellness wouldn't shut off. There was nothing to do but throw on this old rainbow from Value Village, my thrifted YOGA PANTS!! (only worn in emergencies such as when I feel like it), and my screaming sheep faux fur body casing. Capping it off was my rrrrred beret. I grooved my way to my doctor's appointment and sprayed my colour action indiscriminately around the waiting room. No surgical mask could protect you from my viral groove-oozation.

After discharge, I grooved over to a different coffee shop, where I was treated to a steaming cup of brew from a favourite barista I hadn't seen for a while. Her smile lights up the universe, 'tis true. And I journaled, as usual.

Wearing:
thrifted faux fur nicotine-coloured hooded coat
thrifted stretch rainbow dress
thrifted bell-bottom YOGA PANTS!
thrifted crackle leather Miu Miu boots with side zip
under T, sample sale
thrifted red wool beret
DIY mantis pendant
thrifted lucky charm beaded bag pendant
magic loupe from O

Of course these awesome boots are for Bella of The Citizen Rosebud and her Shoe Shine.

I feel ever so much better after lolling around the floor doing body contortions while running frantically back and forth trying to beat the frickin' self-timer without knocking over the whole friggin' tripod and all that stuff. Above all, it was essential that I be eloquent and elegant in ALL THINGS.

How is everyone managing out there? Of course you're looking fabulous but I hope your hearts and heads are feeling that maddeningly mod vibe as well.

Yellow Skirt Freak Show Update!! and Shoe Shine

The Freakish Yellow Skirt 
lounges in the 

sumptuous Bedouin Love Bower...

after grueling days & nights surveying the Territories 

from the lofty heights of her Mighty Terracotta Steed

Camels, children, and grown bearded men

quake and cry before the Almighty

Freakish Skirt, commanded by SHE-RA

Margy of 

A Fool for Fabric

Witness her mastery of this magic fabric

G O!   G O   N O W ! !

__________________________________________________________________

Also see Margy's incredible addition to the FYS on her post. Your styling transports us to another world. (You must see her Bedouin Love Bower - I'm not making this up!) And special thanks for doing this on the heels of a family wedding. Remarkable! Hugs.

In other news....Shoe Shine

These are my woolly mammoth boots, which I'm linking up to Bella's Shoe Shine over at The Citizen Rosebud. This is a repost from my previous one, where you can also see these boots laughing in the little video, but you need to make sure the sound is on when you play it.

Thanks, Bella, for the party. Who doesn't love shoes(and boots)?!

Vintage and Shoe Shine

Wearing: vintage dress with thrifted seafoam underskirt, mustard tights, upcycled vintage bolero jacket with humungous buttons (label "zachary's smile"), thrifted shiny red shoes by Hush Puppies for Bella's Shoe Shine at The Citizen Rosebud. Thanks, Bella, for hosting the party.

I also call these my Dorothy Shoes, as in the fantasy story Wizard of Oz. Of course "there's no place like home," as Dorothy says in the movie, but there's also no place like, say, London (England), New York, and Milan. Those are the places I'll go after I figure out this heel-clicking trick. 

The sleeves of the jacket have a wonderful patterned fabric inside the cuff - slightly visible - which reminds me of drapes. And the pattern on the dress is created by stitchery with white thread. I really need a proper crinoline to do this dress justice, but we make do.

And again, see the vintage goods IN ACTION!! Surprisingly I didn't bend over backwards this time making the clip. That's a tiny local park, also known as Giant Doggy Toilet. The photos are stills from the video clip; it's nice when I get to select my favourites from a bajillion frames. 

I have many Serious, Heavy Thoughts now too, such as is it a cold universe or a hot universe?, which require Brain Work, but that post will just have to wait. Maybe a Push Ring would help me deliver the words. Until then, you'll be seeing more words like nice, wonderful, good, awesome, and grippingly good post titles such as this one.

Also, many hugs and thanks to Shelley of Forest City Fashionista for her continuing awesome work in mapping out the Freakish Yellow Skirt's global trek. You're a schtar!!

That's all. 

Let's meditate, shall we?

(warning: exceptional Language in this post)

After I do a questionable post, I like to do a cleansing post like this - spiritual, uplifting, chaste, pure. Won't you ohm with me? 

Just close your eyes and breathe in and out, concentrate on nature's verdant and really growing splendour - what the fuck, was that a fucking spider?!! - and think fluffy pastel-pink happy thoughts about - kee-ryste, am I sitting on a fucking bug?!! - that glittering rainbow magic of a bountiful She-universe sprinkling Love Pellets over - fucking no way if that's gum on my white tunic - our parched and gagging lives. 

Very good. And now, some uplifting meditation, eyes still closed - no cheaties (giggles) - while tenderly walking with antelope-footed grace in elegant daintily-studded platform shoes - goddamn side of my shoe is chafing my foot. Ahhhh, exhale. That was special, wasn't it? - where's the fucking spider!? There's nothing like pure snowy-whiteouts of the mind and surrender to vegetation, that which is still growing and that which is crumpled under foot, as succour for a wilty life-wand - WTF? Now open your eyes slowly with anticipation - goddamn sun, so fucking bright it'll wreck my photo - to my white outfit. (choir sings, rapture ensues)

Can you believe it? Neutrals. And some of you know how I've been whinging about the colour drainage in store windows lately. The good thing about eating your words is there are no calories.

I'm in a quaint park near my home - very secluded except for hundreds of windows looking down on me and a constant flow of traffic. I'm getting better at ignoring it all but it was challenging having 650,000 people in my yard on the weekend* and I only had canapes and drinks enough for two. What a pickle I was in. I needed some loaves and fishes fast, no, strike that, some pizza, calamari, and Bloody Marys, and, oh yes, fruity flan would have been most welcome as well. The real miracle is I didn't swear in this paragraph, but of course I never swear.

*attending Pride Parade

Details

• white jeggings, rarely worn but inspired by a post by Sylvia at 40+ Style, retail sale bin years ago
• beigy linen tunic with white trim, retail sale bin years ago
• white floaty under-tunic, sample sale years ago
• white blouse thing with collar, Value Village, deconstructed last night
• magic loupe, O made it for me
• studded platform shoes, retail sale

I'm including the shoes for fabulous Bella's Shoe Shine at The Citizen Rosebud, which she hosts on the first Wednesday of every month, but I don't see it yet, probably because she's taking a break. But here are my shoes anyway.

(Above written on Tuesday)

And next is what I'm wearing today (Wed) for Anne's Fruit Salad (Tutti Frutti) theme (peach, orange, lemon, lime) in her 52 Pick-Me-Up link-up at SpyGirl. I'm fruit flowers.

Every step is a new posing challenge. One must be prepared for paparazzi on every landing. But guess what? I was paparazzied (style-eyed) on my inspiration walk today by a handsome young man, Ben, who is a Vancouver street style photographer. So thanks to Anne's inspiration, I may be in his collection. I checked his tumblr when I got home, Flairspotting, and it will be interesting to see if he posts me... Sadly, my own street style blog is somewhat dormant at the moment.

IN CONCLUSION

I hope this little meditation exercise has helped you carry on with your day. I know it has helped me find my centre - and my top and bottom as well, the latter of which is getting easier to find every single day that I meditate on it. What a relief as I'd rather be human than an insect which only has a head, thorax, and abdomen with no bottom but SIX legs. Think of the pantyhose problem!

If you've not guessed, Miz Bagg is back in town. Who knows what's next.

PS: Powder Blue with Polka Dots posted a great photo of Norma Jean before she became MM. She summarizes everything I meant in the last post in one sentence with one photo. (Do you see the resemblance between Bella and Norma Jean like I do?) And I agree with Curtise's recent post about everyone's posts, if that makes sense.

I'm feeling blue - really, REALLY blue

Too matchy matchy? 

Question: What makes blue lips all right for a fashion magazine or Halloween but usually questionable for, say, the office, church or shopping? How do cultures define the prevailing boundaries of style decorum and why are people who don't conform often shunned or ridiculed? What causes the anxiety created by difference? Are slips of conformity in aesthetics evidence of dangerous slips of conformity in thought? And why would that be bad, especially when humankind's greatest inventions and works of art usually result from non-conformist thought?

In this shoot, I simply wanted to wear blues in places you don't often see them, in non-conformist ways, on my eyebrows and lips (MAC blue cake makeup and blue pencil) and on my head. I exaggerated the blue cosmetics with drawn-on white eyelashes and white lipliner (Sephora pure white eye pencil) around blue lips drawn double their real size. I was curious to see how the blues changed how I felt about myself and how that change would be reflected in my photos. The silver sequins around my neck are a man's tie clamped at the back with a metal clothespin, and I'm wearing a thrifted blue slip.

Results

In the first photo above, clearly, that's not me. I get a Deborah Harry or Jean Harlow vibe from that one. This photo was not edited; yes, those are blue blues. I like how my eyes grey-down.

The next photo has been edited, obviously. I was just having fun.

This next shot reminds me of an anime space traveller, a doll-like creature that does not compute.

And there I am without the wig at the end of the shoot. Yay! I was getting hot.

And then one final photo below in black and white. My hair has never been shinier - too bad it's because I'm wearing a petroleum-based product on my head. I am reminded of a Sophia Loren-type movie, a tempestuous woman with a penchant for flowers.

And I wrote the following to go with the mood I felt in this photo.

"Pah!" she sneered. She savagely pulled a green onion from the flower box. "This, THIS is what I think of you!" Giuseppe, her paramour and a top vegetarian chef, watched in horror from the bar as she savagely bit off the bulbous hairy root. He could hear the soil grinding between her magnificent white molars. The chewing was interminable, like fingernails on a blackboard.

"Bwa-ha-ha," she laughed after an audible gulp. She flung the remaining stalk onto the floor with vehemence and ground it under her shocking stilettos, careful not to skewer the stalk as she did so; everyone knows kebab heels are only good for walking across hot coals. "If THIS is what I can do as a vegetarian, just imagine my wrath as an omnivore, you virus-sucking worm." Saliva dripping down her chin, she grinned a horrible movie-star grin that revealed tiny furrows of black dirt between her teeth. "I shall never come here no more. Farewell, venal brute. We are FINISHED!" 

This shoot was fun but it made me question even more why certain ways of personal presentation are acceptable only on defined occasions and in art, but not for every day. Imagine if Picasso couldn't paint women in blue. Now I want to wear this look out shopping and I hope it's only a matter of time until we see blue lips everywhere, remembering when black or blue nail polish was shocking and when dying your hair was only for "bad" women. Heh, heh.

Of course some of the bloggers I admire have no qualms about dressing in and making themselves up in what they want exactly when they want. I cheer!!! I am trying to do the same but sometimes I still feel constrained. Even today it's frightening how often ridicule can stem from as little as wearing a dress too short or cutting one's hair, or, as we learnt recently from a post by fabulous Desiree of Pull Your Socks Up, from wanting to wear a vintage dress for graduation. I'm wondering if we've all felt like outsiders at one time or another because of our styling.

Thoughts?

And...
Shoe Shine
Finally, these are my shoes for Bella's Shoe Shine. Camouflage legs. I wore that maxi dress (backdrop) and those socks today with shoes almost identical to these ones, but these are the shoes I wanted to show you for Shoe Shine. They're not red but there is red in what I wore with them. Does that count?

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Maybe tomorrow I'll go shopping for a pink wig. That blue baby only cost $8. 

I hope you all have a happy weekend. Signing off. See you at Patti's later. This weekend I'll be catching up on my commenting. You're all schtars!!