"CREATING AS YOU GO"

Here's a little bit of tattoo evolution and a little story. When I was 18, I rushed to get a tattoo and ended up getting really poor work done. I settled on a bird cage and the word 'Imagine' to symbolize breaking free of what previously held me back, but the whole idea was executed poorly and done by someone who I didn't realize was such an amateur. I ended up with scarring on my original ink because the wrong needles were used, etc. That made my cover-up tattoo really difficult, but I had an amazing artist who took the time to give me exactly what I wanted. 

My new tattoo is inspired by a sketch done by my ultimate iconic obsession, Edie Sedgwick. I always wanted an Edie tribute tattoo, I just wasn't sure how to go about it - and then, I found a collection of her artwork, and I knew this was the tattoo I needed. It's simple but so elegant and equally as symbolic as I had originally intended. Only this time, I'm actually happy with my work! It's still in the healing stages and I still have another appointment to go to in order to completely cover the old tattoo, but I feel really good about having visible tattoos now. 

You can see my Deathly Hallows sign there as well, which will be touched up probably at the same time I go to get my Edie bird worked on. I think it's important to have good ink that represents who you are as a person. 

Ever had a bad tattoo experience?

SCHLAFLOS IN SEATTLE

Ten days with the Germans went by so fast, I can't believe they're already gone. I wasn't sure what it would be like to meet Lizzy and Melchior for the first time, but I can honestly say I absolutely adore both of them. They're both hilarious, and they make such an adorable couple. It's nice when friends end up being better than you thought they were. 

On the last full day, the four of us went down to Seattle and spent the afternoon walking around, chain smoking, and shopping. Honestly, this is my cliché post about Seattle even though I live around there and it's not New York City or anything. Having Lizzy and Mel there really brought stuff to life; I'm so happy to have the memories of them being here. 

And of course, some new clothes help me to remember a little better. What did you do for New Years?

JUICING IN THE NEW YEAR

One of my New Year's Resolutions was to bring in this new beginning with a detox juice fast. So far, so good. It's day two and I've been getting more comfortable with drinking my fruits instead of eating them; I've even started adding a little bit of greens like kale. I figured out that the easiest way to make a juice fast happen is to buy fruits you like. Everyone says it's so healthy to drink green juice, and people get caught up in health fads. Personally, I think green juices are amazing for you, but I'm not so jaded as to think I can honestly live on green juice every day for the first week of January. I'm easing into things; adding a sour apple into kale juice makes it drinkable. Pineapple makes for amazing juice. Last night, I juiced strawberries, oranges, blueberries, pineapple, and added a little kale; it turned out amazing. I think the key is moderation. If I want a chai latte in the morning, I allow myself to have one because it's hard to go from zero to full on raw juice fasting. I think by the end of the week, though, I'll feel better physically, and I'll have a better relationship with juicing. I'm already starting to enjoy cutting up my fruits and picking out what I need for the day from the store. 

So far, I've noticed my skin is less oily, and I have more "clean" energy. Sometimes I feel sluggish, but the energy I do have is so much nicer than the sugar rush energy you get from crap foods. Tomorrow, I'm going to add exercise into the equation and start my morning off with some yoga before I go to my tattoo appointment. 

Also, anyone that's interested in experimenting with juice fasting, I got this juicer on sale at Wal*Mart for $30. Just saying. That's a steal for the good quality of this machine. 

Anyone drink raw juice regularly? 

E is for ELLE

A few amazing things came in the mail for me today from a miss Susan Jo! She's also a Libra, which is probably why she knew exactly what kind of stuff I would like. Such a sweet girl, she sent a package just because! The tiny little 'E' ring made my heart swell; I love tiny jewelry, and I had a Carrie Bradshaw moment when I saw it. (You know how she feels about her Carrie necklace? I'm in love with this ring.) Inside the package were just pieces of my personal style; tiny ring, zodiac jewelry, large round sunnies, those are my closet staples! 

Also, not pictured is a gorgeous canvas with the Libra scales on it. Once I get it hanging in my room, I'll post a follow-up picture on that piece because it's stunning as well. You also get a little sneak peak of one of my Christmas gifts! A new Salt and Pepper Hoodie from American Apparel. The S&P hoodie has always been my favorite, and ever since I lost mine last year, I've been whining for a new one. Here it is! I'll post the rest of my Christmas pressies once the holiday rush dies down and I can take stuff out to play with it. 

Lastly, tomorrow I'm getting my birdcage tattoo redone and I can't wait to post before and after photos of the work. Hopefully I'll be happy with it, I can't wait to see how it turns out. 

I don't know how to say thank you enough for such a beautiful gift, so here's a blog post on how beautiful my new things are! What are pieces of your personal style? 

WISHLIST: MOTO JACKET MANIAC

It's moto jacket madness in my life lately. I'm obsessed with every color; studded, spiked, distressed, cropped, whatever. I want them all. 

The first one is the perfect little white jacket to me. It's simple, it has a little silver hardware on it, but it's almost dressy on its own. I like to dress down with black leather jackets. Take a maxi dress, or a blouse that looks really formal, and throw on a black leather jacket with it. This white jacket is almost the opposite - take your favorite vintage band tee, or that top that you love even though it has holes in it, and put the white leather jacket on top of it to make it look clean. The white leather jacket is almost becoming a closet staple to me as much as a black leather jacket has been. 

The second is the perfect black leather jacket, and the third is... your perfect coral leather jacket? I'm obsessed with the color. I love how the model is wearing it with a little cropped tee underneath. The others are covered with studs and spikes and I can't get enough of them. Some people like to buy every color and texture of a particularly shaped stiletto, I like to have every color and texture and studded version of a leather jacket. At the moment I own 8 leather jackets and I feel like I'm still naked without more. 

These beauties are from Nasty Gal and the prices range from $40 to $250. (A few of them are even in their sale section right now - you can find the last two jackets for less than $50 while supplies last!) 

How many leather jackets do you have? Do you still love them, or are you over them?

RED AND GREEN TUESDAY

I spent the day with my grandma and my mom today, and it felt good to be surrounded by family! We told stories about my late grandpa, cried and laughed, and wrapped presents. I came home with a box of decorations from my grandma, and I spread a little red and green cheer around the apartment while my boyfriend played with our cats. I've been trying to jumpstart myself into the Christmas mood, but I think there's just something ominous about this year that I can't get over. I'm not usually depressed when a year ends, but I think that I'm getting older and more fearful of things that I can feel coming. It's my lunar Piscean intuition; a blessing and a curse. 

On a happier note, my best friend Lizzy and her boyfriend Melchior are going to be here in 14 days all the way from Germany. I've known her for 3 years through blogs and social networking, and I can't wait to see her in person and watch Factory Girl about 100 times. There will be plenty of glitter and photos involved. I can't believe it's only two weeks away! 

Best wishes to all of you, and thanks for the blog support lately. I love hearing from you guys. ♡ ♡ ♡

WISHLIST: I'M DREAMING OF A BLACK CHRISTMAS

sheer leather by vel-vette featuring h&m

cat woman by vel-vette featuring a cashmere shawl

I'm in love with these heels. I can't help it. 

As I was adding the gorgeous Marc Jacobs watch with the Swarovski crystals to this wishlist set, I had a thought. Why do people feel the need to pack their closets with designer brands while throwing taste out the window? Related: Why do people wear as many designer pieces as they can fit on their bodies, all while forgetting that they don't all necessarily go together just because they're Dior, or Chanel? 

I was watching this show the other day, My Shopping Addiction or whatever, and I found it so interesting how obsessed this girl was with designer labels, yet when she was put in a sunglasses store with over 5,000 pairs of glasses (3 of which were designer) she couldn't pick out a single pair that was name brand.  

I know that in this society we see the ads, the articles, the celebrities in the designer clothes, and we're so vulnerable to all sorts of advertising; but what if we're not just all brainwashed, and actually in toxic romantic relationships with these designers? 

Think of designers as types of men, and most women have a weakness. Men with tattoos, older men, younger men with children, boys in bands, men who drive Audis, men with perfect teeth... there are as many types of men as there are aspiring fashion designers. What if 'Chanel' was just 'Men with Perfect Teeth' and 'Dior' was just 'Boys in Bands' and Versace was 'Men with Tattoos'. Women have a weakness for their 'type' of designer just like their 'type' of man. 

I once knew this girl who would buy anything Chanel, from any decade. You should know that I love Chanel. I would love to be buried in Chanel. That doesn't mean I'm going to buy it just because it's Chanel. Especially if I think it's hideous. 

The same girl also had a thing for men with dogs. Even if nothing else about him was attractive to her, she would give whoever he was a chance because "he had to be a good guy if he had a dog". Even if the second she met him she knew it would never go anywhere, she was interested.

Even if the second she picked up a Chanel purse, or a Chanel jacket, or a pair of Chanel pants, she knew she would never wear them, she was still interested. 

Take that Prada bag next to the leather skirt. I'm obsessed with it, but I think it's Prada's version of a very generically shaped bag. It's "designer" but it's not a necessarily standout piece, to me. 

Don't get me wrong. I still love the bag. 

Blabbering aside, things I love for winter: Sheer, Leather, Fur. It's almost not fair because I love leather for every season, but there's something about the leather skirt and the leather leggings that make me think they were made for the holiday season. Even the long black cape-coat caught my eye. I think there's a way to layer clothes without looking like a designer clothes rack, and without looking like a hobo. Also, from experience, wedges are my favorite winter shoe. It's possible to walk in stilettos, but I prefer the reliability of a wedge in the winter. You can get a lot of really wonderful wedge boots as well, if you're trying to keep your legs warm at the same time. 

And (faux) fur. I think everyone needs a fur in their closet for wintertime. 

I will say this about fur coats though. I live in a pretty small town in Washington state, just a little ways away from Seattle, and wearing a fur coat in public is like asking for people to stare at you like you're King Henry VIII. 

I don't live in a scene from Sex and the City where Carrie can walk down Madison in a full length fur, smoking a cigarette, looking fabulous and not being treated like some kind of hooker. I live in a pretty conservative, completely bland place. Some days, I feel sort of awkward wearing my fur coat out in public. I'm usually a fashion confident person, but I do have those days when I just want to blend in, but I also want to wear what I want to wear.

I will say: nothing good ever came from worrying about what others think of what you're wearing. You bought it because you love it, and when you love it, you wear it. Screw the small town.