Bats in the Belfry, Cats in the Attic

When I walked into the building for Ascension, a Goth/Industrial night, they started playing "This Corrosion." I was introduced to Goth six years ago when I listened to the song, so it was like the night saying "Merry Gothmas, Katie!" I'd been planning on going all week, but when Friday rolled around, I was so exhausted from spending the entire day getting a new car (my last one was totaled) and then visiting family with a long drive back. I came home and wanted to just take a nap, and after taking too long to decide, I got dressed and headed out the door. This past Ascension was the last one held at the Masquerade, a much-loved local venue, and I wanted to experience it before I left for West Virginia. I'd known about Ascension for a while. One reason why I hadn't gone before this past Friday is because of being a student and having lived an hour away. It's a lame excuse. Aside from that, I told myself for years that I wasn't a...

I have been living in Cusco, Peru for over a month now. When I packed my bag, since I only had so much space and wanted room for souvenirs, I made sure that all the clothing I packed was practical and matched with everything else I had. For this reason, I brought hiking boots, running shoes, and flats, a few t-shirts and plain sweaters, jeans, and a couple of skirts. Oh, and I brought one necklace and only a few earrings. It's been a month of me wearing plain clothing, recycling the same outfits over and over. Because the air is so cold and dry here, it's harder to wear a lot of make-up. I also haven't used a hair dryer or styling products in a long time. This is how I look most days. Not bad! I just miss alternative clothing. On the Machu Picchu excursion- taken from Wayna Picchu. I love Cusco! It's a city with so much personality, history, and culture, and there's quite a lot to do here. However, after doing a month of the minimalist look (2 and a half ...

There's something special about a good haircut. For me, having a fresh haircut, especially if it is an interesting style, gives me a spring in my step. I gain a little more confidence, and I get just a bit more excited about getting dressed and ready in the morning (or in many cases, afternoon). I had previously been wanting to grow out my hair after having much of it buzzed close to my scalp, so for a while, I grew it almost to my shoulders in my natural color. All the while, I craved something different. After I got tired of the color, I dyed it purple. Then, I was somewhat happy with it for a short while. Now, I am back to a short, punky haircut. I don't think I'll be cutting it anymore for the time being. Rooster comb hair next to a rooster bell.

Over the weekend, I scoured the racks at the thrift store, and I actually found a decent base dress for $6 to start my Marie Antoinette costume. It's much more Antebellum than Rococo at this stage, but it's certainly a start. I will be cutting off and re-sewing new sleeves, adding lace trim and new ribbons, and poofing it up. In addition, I will perhaps make a jacket/over skirt. Such a bright red color was not my preference, since pastels abound in Rococo fashion, but I will make it work by adding more pastel accents. Hopefully, I'll get my start this weekend when I go to the fabric store.  For inspiration, I've been looking at The Costumer's Guide's Marie Antoinette Page , which includes about 65 web pages for each of the dresses from the Sophia Coppola film. Marie Antoinette Exhibit This is quite the grandiose undertaking for me. I'm not as adept at sewing as I'd like to be, but this is a learning process. I just hope that I can do my am...

I just wanted to show everyone a few different ways I can style my hair. Many people think that short hair isn't as versatile as long hair. My cut, however, seems pretty versatile to me. I recommend this cut to anyone who's looking to going short.   If you do decide on getting a similar cut, here's some styling ideas: Of course, there's the lovely pompadour style. It's great for formal events, or when you want to add some sass to your day. I got this look by gelling the sides, and backcombing and curling back the top. Mohawk-style! I really like wearing it like this. I wore it the next day after I had it in a pompadour. All you need to do is just comb it out a little, and use some gel and hairspray.  This is my teased-up side sweep. It's similar to the pompadour style, but it's messier. I crimped some of the hair, and I brushed it over to the side.  And Last but not least, it's a piecey pixie. I really love this style. It's t...

Throughout my life, I've never really done much with my hair. The most adventurous hair I've had is my current hairstyle. It's short and black, and that's not really bold at all. Although I like my current hair, I think I'm ready for a change. This is the hairstyle I've been wanting: source I'm not planning on going blonde, but I might do something with the color. I'm not sure when I will do this, but probably somewhat soon. What do you guys think?

I've recently been getting into doing interesting designs on my nails. In no way am I good at painting my nails. I'm the person who gets polish all over my hands and the sides of my fingers, but I've been trying. I originally got this idea from my mother who said, "Katie, wouldn't it be cool if you did your nails to resemble cat's eyes?" I thought about what a great idea that was, and how I didn't know why I never thought of it. I got out my metallic green, black, and clear polishes, and I retrieved a toothpick from the kitchen. This is all you need to achieve this look.  All you do is paint the base your desired metallic color. After you let your base coat dry, dip your toothpick in the black polish and carefully dab the slit shape onto the nail. After you're finished, paint on your clear top coat to finish it up. After that, you're done. It's that simple!  Here were my results:

This is the shortest I've ever had my hair, and I absolutely love it! Having long hair for a while really made me miss short hair. I was tired of having lifeless hair that really did nothing for me. Now that it's summer, my new hair keeps my temperature a lot cooler. It's also really easy to manage. Overall, I think it really suits me. These photos are from yesterday, but I'm actually in the process of re-dying my hair blue black as I'm typing this. 

I first saw this tutorial at Gothic Charm School over a year ago. Since then, I've been dying to try it myself. If you want to look like you just dipped your finger tips on blood, then this look is for you. It's surprisingly simple too! First, I painted my nails white in order for the red to stand out more. This is not necessary. A clear or nude coat would word just as well.  After you let the base coat dry, brush the red polish just on the tips in a half crescent shape. This does not have to look perfect. Then, you will be needing a toothpick. Dip the toothpick in the red polish, and dab on the paint in your desired pattern.  Now, you're finished! There's really nothing else to it.