1 AM Tenement Review

I spent the day in the city attending a tour at the Tenement Museum. It was really fascinating and I learned a lot. What it basically is are a few houses totally kept the way they were in the 18-1900s, and you go with a small group and a guide and learn about the families that lived in some of the apartments. Today I did the sweatshop tour, which basically was about the garment industry and how it affected two families who lived in the building at two different times in the sweatshop history. Anyway. You get a good feel for how life really was back then, because the rooms are set up to be period-accurate- no air conditioning or anything! I did a tour about a year ago, and they had an actress with whom we spoke for a short while. If you're in the city, go! The tickets aren't that cheap, but the experience is definitely worth it. 

Necklace: Etsy

Shirt: Thrifted

Shorts: Macy's

Socks: n/a

Shoes: n/a

Belt: H&M

Supreme Court

I must say, the striking down of DOMA made me incredibly happy.... Also Wendy Davis of Fort Worth's filibuster. I would never have been able to do what she did, with the talking for 11 hours straight, and I think that she is truly and inspiration! I don't really know what to think about the voting rights act- but once I get all of the information I hope to make an informed decision. It's too much of a complicated issue.

Summer Relaxation

Phew! The last day of school is tomorrow and I've really been rushing around trying to finish all my exams and things! 

The tests themselves were pretty easy, except for the Geometry one, but the department realised their mistake and graded on a curve! (Thank goodness for that, it boosted my grade on the test up about 3 points!)

Anyway, Despite the massive summer workload I have, I'm looking forward to sleeping a little later than usual!

Shirt: Thrifted

Shorts: Target

Belt: n/a

Shoes: Bass

Socks: n/a

Vintage Joy

A maxi skirt is one of my favourite things to wear in the summer- it's like jeans but cooler. They're sophisticated, cool, and make your legs look miles longer. They're perfect to throw on with a tee, or to dress up more with a silk tank. Personally, I really adore them, much more than the tiny "skirts" that people seem to prefer most of the time.

Shirt: Vintage

Skirt: Vintage

Bracelet: Modcloth

Collar: Ladybug Fashions

Break a Leg

Finals start tomorrow! Wish me luck!

Shirt: Vintage

Skirt: Nordstrom

Mona Lisa

I have fallen in love with Kazuko Taniguchi's work. She draws these amazing pictures of adorable girls in an ethereal way. Seeing the pictures makes me think of fairies, honestly. They always look so mysterious and beautiful- They make you think that they have a secret (like the Mona Lisa). This is really the type of girl I've always wanted to be.
You see I've never been that confident or pretty or mysterious. I'm actually quite certain that I was-and still am to an extent- a very pretentious, nerdy girl. I idolized the heroines in the books that I read, and frequently they resembled Miss Taniguchi's drawings. I strive everyday to become more like them and to exude that kind of effortless elegance.
In any case, it's AMAZING art.



See more of her work here

The Final Problem

Finals are fast approaching and I may or may not be studying- chances are good that I won't be. It's probably a bad thing, but I've never NEEDED to study, per se. I just kind of absorb the information and then it sticks. The only exception is really math, but even then one can basically just figure out the answer either by process of elimination or common sense. It could be that the tests I am given are too simple? I'm not entirely sure. If not that, then I must be very good at making my answers sound legitimate- how else could I pass? I don't know how many other people are like this, but I do know that it's going to come back to bite me in the behind next year! I've heard the coursework is very difficult and prolific, so I'd better learn some study habits!

I think the problem might just be that I'm not interested in anything unless I learn it myself. 

Shirt: Thrifted

Skirt: H&M

Belt: Vintage

Shoes: n/a

Necklace: Etsy

The girl on the necklace isPrincess Eboli, who was in fact a very interesting character and pretty badass, I must say. 

Cupcake

One of my pleasures in life is feeling like a cupcake. Not in a bad way with lots of tacky ruffles and lace, but nicely, if you know what I mean, This shirt strikes the perfect balance between understated and cupcake, which is why I like it, even if it is a size or two too large.

 I highly recommend thrifting to those who haven't done it before! I would, however, wash your purchases before wearing them. Despite the fact that a lot of stuff you find in these places is barely worn or brand new, they somehow acquire the "thrift shop smell". 

Blouse: Thrifted

Jeans: Levi's

Shoes: n/a

Christmas in Australia

I love dresses, especially chiffon ones, and this one that I found at a local thrift shop is fantastic. Despite its filmy material, if still manages to have the right amount of weight for spinning. I especially love the velvet trim! It's a bit strange to see a holiday print in such a summery cut and fabric, but it's a very comfortable and interesting find!

Today at school there was an open mic event in honor of the launch of the Guildscript magazine! Guildscript is the school's arts and literary magazine, which students both write and produce. You submit stuff, and then the editorial board chooses the pieces it likes best.... then you're published! 

I read three things tonight, and had two poems of mine in the actual book. The poetry was amazing- it's a bit wonderful to see and hear all of this talent. Who knows who the next famous author will be? I wonder about that kind of thing a lot- who are my classmates going to become in the grand scheme of things? Am I sitting next to the future president?

In any case, the writing was fabulous!

Dress: Vintage

Locket: Tiffany's

Ring: Modcloth

Shoes: n/a

Gathering Of Geeks

New York Comic Con. One of the largest gatherings of geeks in the country. Filled to the brim in the freezing October air with greasy comic book fans, reporters, booths selling absolutely necessary trinkets of one sort or another, squealing nervous middle schoolers there for the first time dressed in ill fitting store bought sailor girl uniforms, and the more experienced fans in beautifully accurate costumes. The air of companionship is palpable. Nobody is rude, except maybe that one parent who was dragged here by his too-young-to-go-alone kids. Random strangers ask for your picture and hugs, and even though you're all slightly sweaty and tired and jittery it’s a wonderful experience.

From the outside, going to cons is a “loser” thing to do. It’s geeky, weird, and why oh why would anyone want to spend so much time and money on a costume? These people don't quite understand the nature of fandom.

Fandom is like family. It’s huge, and every fandom has that part that’s so horrible that nobody speaks of it. They all have those people who are the loudest, meanest, and give the whole thing a bad name. And then there are the amazing people. The people who you know only through the bright laptop screen, the bruised and broken people who you wish you could see and hug and comfort but they live a thousand miles away. The people you have skype sleepovers with. There are the people who turn these things into more than just a book, a film, a TV show. The people who analyze and add layers of meaning to whatever it is and notice the tiny patterns that maybe even the writers don’t even notice are there. There is crying, laughing, squealing. Those not in fandom would never comprehend the unbridled joy at an update, or the hysterical sobbing alone in your room at four in the morning just because somebody posted a photoset about your favourite character that ripped your heart out.

Fandom is creative and brilliant. We fall in love with these characters. We find something we like and we latch onto it, giving a thousand new lives to the creations of other authors through art and our own writing. We are obsessive and possessive and a little insane. We spend hundreds of dollars and hundreds of hours making costumes accurate even down to the type of polish used on the shoes. Fandom teaches you how to feel, at least for others. You know you’ve got empathy when the mere mention of a character’s name can send you into hysterics. You live and breathe with these characters; so much so that you could swear they actually were alive. You have headcanons, ships, OTPs. You have pterodactyl noises, table flips, and Universal Stares of Heterosexual Longing. You have fanon and canon, fanfiction, fanart, OCs and OOC. Het, slash, yaoi, IRL, and those people you just want to shake some sense into because you love them so much but they’re just so dumb. There’s cosplay, roleplay, and post-con depression. It’s a worldwide society of total losers who have their own language of barely punctuated exclamations separated by paragraphs of beautifully constructed sentences.

This is why I’m in fandom. It’s a place to escape from the stresses of reality. I have a family there, a family spread from Sweden to Australia, a family bound together only by a glowing screen and a shared obsession with the BBC. It’s an outlet for creativity, a place to develop writing and reading and art. It’s a place where wonderfully intelligent people gather to put their skills of deduction to good use- socially inept people who may be having the hardest time in the real world but online can find the medium to express their genius. It’s beautiful, it really is. And if you ever go to one of these cons, even if you don’t think you’ll fit in, you're welcomed and exclaimed over and it’s like you’ve supposed to have been there your whole life. I think that I am one of those people. I think without fandom, I would be much less stable, much less creative, much less happy. You might think that fandom isn't for everyone, but it can be. You've just gotta find the right people to talk to.

Comic Con was actually my first con experience. It was too crowded, hot, and badly planned, but I loved it. I was recognized from my blog, I took lots of pictures, and I met some wonderful people. I think I'll go back next year. 

     

Pictures: Here, here, here, here, here

My Punk Has Been Steamed

I wholeheartedly endorse the entire Steampunk aesthetic- I find the entire Victorian era (and the times surrounding it) to be extremely fascinating, and I'm a huge sci-fi geek, so the bringing the two together is a fantastically good idea.

In case you were not aware, this is the definition of "steampunk":  A sub-genre of science fiction that typically features steam-powered machinery, especially in a setting inspired by industrialized Western civilization during the 19th century. Therefore, steampunk works are often set in an alternative history of the 19th century's British Victorian era or American "Wild West", in a post-apocalyptic future during which steam power has retained mainstream use, or in a fantasy world that similarly employs steam power.

Because I do so enjoy this style, I decided to incorporate my lovely goggles into my outfit today.

Skirt: Nordstrom

Tee: Little Sister's DARE program at her school

Shoes: Converse One Star

Socks: n/a

Bow: n/a

Goggles: Clockwork Couture