Spooky and Cute Room Decor

Since I moved, I have my own bedroom, walk-in closet and have a bathroom almost COMPLETELY to myself! It's heaven. Go ahead

Entering week 3 of living in my new space, I've finally started decorating. I've come up with a spooky-cute theme I like to call Black Sugar. There's going to be a lot of skulls, black, spider webs, and Victorian-esque style often found in gothic decor but there's also going to be softer, sweeter things like pastels, hearts and glitter.

I had to go with the pastels because my room is currently a minty green and there is to be absolutely no painting for a while yet.

Why is life so unfair?

Me being the big DIY fan that I am, I constantly peruse youtube for projects. I'm subscribed to SecretLifeofABioNerd and she recently posted a video I just had to try.

But I can't paint! Instead, I McGyvered up a stencil of a broken heart on a 2 x 2 inch piece of cardboard and painstakingly drew lots of them and filled them with sharpie. With about half of my wall done, I've used 22 hearts.

To make my wall more gothically-inclined, I made broken hearts and turned them all black.

After drafting all the points on my wall according to the instructions, I placed each heart on individually to create a look that is just as chic without the worrying permanence. I'm really, really happy with the result so far and can't wait to finish!

Punk Jacket: From humble denim coat to badass fashion

Tonight I started working on my punk jacket and I thought it would be fun to show you the steps that take it from where it is now to where it will be when I'm done.*

My jacket starts out like this.

2xl 100% cotton Very Grandma

So far, I've taken my seam ripper and removed the bottom pockets

 

 And cut the sleeves so that at the shoulder point, the sleeves are 5.25 inches long.

 

 After cutting the sleeves, this is what I've got.

Next on my to-do list is shortening the shoulder and trimming the sides so the the sleeves fit better.

Girl on Girl

I bet you thought this was about porn, didn't you? Admit it! You're sick. This blog contains wholesome things like reviews and swearing. AND NOW A WHOLE ENTRY DEDICATED TO A RANT!!!!


WHY? Why, oh why, oh why, oh why do girls feel the need to tear down other girls?

Things like this:

"I cant stand when I see girls get in relationships and just let themselves go completely. Like you're supposed to make your man look good, not walk around next to him lookin like a bum asking for change. Its great to be comfortable but come on. Put some real clothes on once in a while and for the love of God do something with that hair. Hahahaha"

It's ridiculous!

Why it pisses me off:

1. What you do with your body is your business and yours alone. What the fuck does "letting yourself go" even mean? Dressing down or gaining weight is not always an indicator of giving up/not caring. 
2. IF A MAN WANTS TO LOOK GOOD, HE SHOULD DO IT HIMSELF!!! It is not a woman's job to be a trophy or object. Wearing clothing like sweats (which is what I'm assuming is being talked about) doesn't automatically make you look like a bum or homeless. People of all dress codes ask for change, whether it be for themselves or charity.
3. Are you suggesting that not all clothing is real clothing?
4. What's so funny about shitting on someone for being comfortable and being themself?

 This person continued to defend them self with this:

"Well its rude to look good to lure a man in and then look like an asshole every day while they're dating. A man can look good on his own but the woman on his arm should be an accessory to that. If you bought a watch that was shiny and pretty and the second you put it on all the diamonds fell out, you wouldn't like it. Ya know?"

Last time I checked, a man is a sentient being who can decide whether a relationship is working out or not.  If something about a woman's appearance were really, truly bothering him, he'd probably say something or break up with her because that's what happens when things don't work out between people; they break up. I'm just going to bypass the whole "rude" thing because there are no words. 

Women are not accessories. Even if a watch that I buy has all the diamonds fall out, chances are that I can replace the stupid diamonds because they are diamonds! At the very least, I just pick up the pieces that fell out and take it to a jewelry repair shop and they will put them all back in again. Is that person trying to say that a woman isn't likable if she doesn't dress up?

Positive things you can do if you think someone is down in the dumps and exhibiting this through unwillingness to give their body their best:

• Ask what's up!!! Seriously, just ask them how things are going and try to be supportive and helpful.

That's pretty much it. If your friend is refusing to divulge, be on your merry way because its not your business in the first place. Just be ready to be a good friend and be honest if they ask your opinion. 

Shut up till then, 'kay?

Frankenstein hair: Bringing my hair back to life + Ranting

After my recent mishap with ION Color Brilliance: Brights, I was constantly nagged by a class facilitator about my hair being blue. He said nobody would take me seriously with blue hair, I'm unprofessional with blue hair, nobody would hire me with blue hair and I really needed to change my fucking hair back to a normal fucking color. So, after feeling bullied by that guy, I relented.

If there is one thing anybody should know about themselves it's this: NOBODY HAS THE RIGHT TO TELL YOU WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR BODY!

It is yours! If someone does try to tell you what they think (which is fine to an extent because of free speech but there is a line) tell them to shut up. I really wish I told the facilitator to shut up. He doesn't realize the damage bleach does to hair. Or that hair needs time to heal and repair. Or that not everybody lives the way that he does. He firmly believes that everyone has to look the exact same way. I swear I've finally met my nemesis! Through poking and prodding me with his beliefs and a little public humiliation (ripping apart my hair's appearance in front of the class), I gave up and dyed my hair black so that he would leave me alone! It felt okay to just sink into the back of the week long class and avoid him but I don't feel like it was worth it in the end. If I saw him again, I'd probably fly off the handle and cuss him out!

End rant

I'm miserable with the color and I'm miserable over the condition because my hair shouldn't have been dyed again so soon after bleach and semi-permanent color treatments. It wasn't even a week. Now my hair is fried and I'm attempting to bring it back from the grave...

A gnarled, dried out hot mess.

Things your hair needs to rebound:
The basic building blocks for hair health
Protein- products with keratin. These help rebuild your hair and strengthen it but don't go overboard because too much protein can make your hair brittle.

Moisture- oils like almond, shea, coconut, and olive are great! Providing what your hair is missing, rich shampoos, conditioners and hair masks will slowly nurse your hair back to health.

The products I'm using are L'Oreal Pairs Total Repair Extreme shampoo and Smooth Intense conditioner

Lorealparisusa.com

ulta.com

Despite what companies tell you, it's totally okay to mix products for a personalized routine. I needed Keratin to repair my hair but I also required extra moisture for smoothing because my hair is naturally frizzy. 

Things your hair needs to avoid to rebound:

Heat- Avoid straightening, blow drying, curling with any tools that involve heat because all the moisture you but just put in will be taken right out. Look up alternative methods of hair styling until your hair is back in good health. Wash hair with warm water instead of hot.

Sulfates and Alcohol- Surface Acting Agents also known as surfactants are what make the bubbles in shampoo. Sodium laureth sulfate is one of them and they also strip your hair of oil. That's how your hair gets "clean" which effectively dries your hair out. Alcohol also dries your hair out. Buying a Sulfate free shampoo and conditioner system like L'oreal Ever Pure is extremely helpful. Looking up recipes for your own shampoo can work too.

Dye dye, my darling. Semi-permanent color brands I've used- Ranked

We find our heroine taking a big first step to help a heavy, almost unshakable addiction. She stands in front of an ancient door covered in peeling paint and worn away carvings at the end of a lonely community college hallway. The sign in the filthy window says "Hair Colorists Anonymous" through a layer of grime. She's in the right place. Turning the grungy knob with a tissue instead of a bare hand, the door flings wide open as a brunette with cats eye glasses and a wrinkled gray suit welcomes her from the other side. It's noted she's the ONLY brunette in the room. In fact, in the 16 sea of blues, greens, purples, reds, and pinks, she's the only person with a natural hair color. The bespectacled woman motions CJ towards the last open seat. Just for her.

Brunette begins, "Alright everyone, we have a new person joining our recovery program for "dye hard" hair coloring. Let's all welcome CJ."

"Hiiiiiiiiiii CJ" the group says in zombified unison.


I swear, if there were a real colorists anonymous, I'd probably join because I've got it bad. I've colored my hair every color of the rainbow and every color that exists in hair naturally.

The bad thing is that I almost can't help myself and my poor wallet takes more damage than my hair.

The good thing is that I've had the opportunity to try A LOT of different dye brands and I've decided to rank them here. The List goes from Worst to Best.


THE WORST!!!!!

Ion Color Brilliance Brights- Sold at Sally's Beauty Supply, This stuff is just terrible. I got Aqua and Purple.

• It goes in your hair like mud- semipermanent color usually doesn't need developer because the color is ready to go straight out the container. Same goes for this brand but it is so incredibly thick. Like, it wouldn't go onto the brush, thick. Like, it hurt to spread this stuff through my hair with a comb, thick. I ripped a few hairs out.
• It smells soapy- Think of an old lady's soap (perhaps your grandma). That's what this smells like. I couldn't stand it and was nauseated for over 24 hours after application.
• Even Coverage? What's that?- Because of the thickness, it does NOT spread through hair evenly. I had to use the entire tube of aqua on only half of my head and STILL had a little patchiness after at least 10 minutes of combing.

Splat- With its wide availability and all in one kit, this makes a solid choice for beginners. But once you find better stuff, Splat is really a forgettable brand.

• Bleach to developer proportions- I stopped using the bleach and developer that came in the kit like it's recommended a long time ago and bought extra hair lighteners. What splat provides isn't really enough for a whole head unless your hair is fairly short and thin. Mixing according to splat directions leaves you with very runny bleach and that could be dangerous. I'm talking skin burns and eye damage. Don't even get me started on them calling the developer "splat-oxide".
• Color could be better- I hate the way most of the colors fade. Blue Envy is my favorite out of all the colors because it starts out beautiful and I kinda dig the gray hair look when it fades. The Lavender hardly showed up even when my hair was at its blondest and man, oh man, do I hate Luscious Raspberries when it fades. None of it lasts very long, except the pink. The pink sticks around so long that its welcome gets worn out and you have to use an ash tone to get rid of it.

N' Rage and Raw Color- They look similar, have similar names for the individual colors and I think they may be made by the same company (but I'm not sure). N' Rage is sold at Sally's and Raw is sold at Hot Topic. I consider them twins.

• Everything about this brand is okay- That's it. It smells okay. It looks okay. It lasts okay (around what it says on the bottle). There's nothing really remarkable about my experience with these.

Manic Panic Vegan- I la-la-la LOVE Tish and Snooky and I love that their vegan Manic Panic is one of the very first of its kind. But I can't say I'm a huge fan. Sold at Hot Topic, Sally's and manicpanic.com  I really like the smell, the colors, the application and everything else about the line except one major thing:

• Colors I love with a staying power of potato chips at a football game- In other words, it doesn't last long. The vegetable oil base just doesn't stick to my hair.

Beyond The Zone- This is what I graduated to after my brief infatuation with Splat. Sold at Sally's Beauty supply. I used this brand in my middle school and early high school years.

• Colors can be hit and miss-  I colored my hair with Raspberry Kamikaze (a lovely red-violet) for 8th grade promotion. Many colors are fantastic, aaaaaaaand some are awful. One orange color I can only describe as "Crayola Mac 'n' Cheese" and it stains horrifically. It comes in an opaque orange bottle. 

Manic Panic Original/ Amplified- I could never run out of praise for Manic Panic. It's been the old stand-by if I wanted great lasting power in wonderful colors with several applications..... all at a great price (sparkling wink). It's been a dream of mine to own a salon and use MP hair and cosmetic lines for YEARS. Find it at Hot Topic, manicpanic.com, Sally's and even in some local alternative lifestyle and fashion stores.

• It's an all around good product- Smells nice, lasts a good while, lots of variety, fairly priced. It applies to hair perfectly. Above the middle of the road, it's a fantastic choice. I haven't had much difference in performance between the amplified and original though.

Punky Color- Honestly, Jerome Russell is a brand that is infamous with my friends for their wash out hair color that makes your hair feel like straw but Punky Color is the best brand I've tried so far. I discovered it at a local head shop that has gone out of business but I JUST found out I can buy it at Ulta! Other places include jeromerussell.com and Amazon.

• Lasts the longest- Out of all the brands I've tried, Punky Color had the best staying power. The pink, however, is just like splat and will wear out its welcome. Again, use an ash tone to remove pink and red/ gold tones that stains.

• Smells the best- It smells fruity! Similar to grape candy or something like that. I can't quite put a name on the scent.

• Vivid color- These colors rock. I've never been disappointed by them. My favorite is Plum. I dyed my hair Plum with cheetah print for my high school graduation.

THE BEST!!!!


Brands I'm dying to try: Special Effects, Provana by Redken, and Fudge Paint Box.

Do you have any experience with the brands I haven't used? Got any recommendations for brands I didn't list? What about your experience with what I posted? Let me know in the comments!

21 in Wisconsin; How to not make your big birthday a big mistake.

Last Sunday I turned 21! WWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
PAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A ha ha, no, not quite. But that's what everybody else in my age group is thinking. It gets even worse because I live in Wisconsin; America's brewery.

I've seen all of my friends lined up like ponies at the gate just WAITING for that clock to hit midnight (okay, more like 8 am because midnight is when alcohol stops being legal to buy until morning.) They buy into the hard and fast pseudo-alcoholic lifestyle that is constantly depicted as fun in movies and commercials and wreck themselves pretty hard for the next two days. Many Wisconsinites drink early (so do teenagers in general, I suppose) but THIS IS DIFFERENT. The big 2  1 is when you finally receive the last of your rights as a common adult and everyone is out to get you wasted to celebrate.

Me, I don't do that. Call me a black sheep but I like being able to remember my birthdays and not have hangovers and miscellaneous injuries that can't be explained.  I've always had a fairly good relationship with alcohol and have some advice I really wish I could've given to some of the people I've seen plastered on the pavement.

1. EAT. Before you go out, having something in your stomach can help prevent you from getting drunk too quickly, thus ending your night too quickly. Eating at some point during your celebration keeps you going longer.
2. PACE YOURSELF. Too much too fast is a recipe for regret.
3. HAVE A DESIGNATED DRIVER. This is the guy/gal that is gonna be your guardian angel of sorts. If where you live doesn't have a program to help drunk people get home without driving, they are indispensable. They peel you off the pavement if you've gone too far, help prevent you from going home with someone you don't know (especially if its by force by the random person), and make sure your brains aren't splattered on the pavement because you thought it was safe to drive drunk.
4. DON'T GIVE IN TO PEER PRESSURE. I get that friends want you to have a good time but sometimes they want you to drink a lot more than you think you can handle and it's really important that you say "no" when you reach your limit.
5. DRINK WATER. To prevent dehydration and to water down the alcohol in your blood.
6. STEP OUTSIDE. Once in a while, getting some fresh air really helps re-energize you, especially if you live in a place that allows smoking inside of bars and clubs.

Happy Birthday to ME and to anyone turning 21 this year!

Awwwww man, it's July!

I kinda forgot this existed and I really apologize for it. My bad. I dropped the ball completely. Truth is I didn't have much free time and the free time I did have was spent being lazy.

It feels good to start blogging again, though.

In case you were wondering:

I'm turning 21 in....... 5 DAYS! I'm so excited! But not because of alcohol, like everyone else my age for some ridiculous reason. I'll be able to start going to 21+ metal and punk shows which is a far greater reward than booze could ever be!

I'm moving!!!! For 9 years since exactly yesterday, I've lived in a ghetto-ish neighborhood. I've been physically assaulted, verbally abused, seen some crazy things and now I'm moving to a much better neighborhood where I won't be afraid to go outside after dark.

I'm going back to school in January for cosmetology! Since the last time I got booted from school, my confidence has been utterly shattered and I just kinda pushed trying to get somewhere with my life as far back as possible because I was just confused and totally scared of failing a third time.

I'm going to start posting once a week since I have a lot more free time now than I used to.

DIY update: recycled pins are my new favorite thing right now

First, an update: My life has been on the up and up recently. I'm leaving the daycare that I've been with for almost an entire year for working in a nail salon. My last day is this Wednesday and words can't express how much I will miss all those sweet little faces and badass co-workers, the excitement I feel for this new opportunity for a career I could really see as a lifelong profession is something that I can't contain. I feel butterflies. Wish me luck!

Now for the actual post:

I was recently perusing youtube (again) for  DIY tutorials and one concept in particular really grabbed my attention this time. Making my own pins by recycling old bottle caps is just the awesomest thing in the universe to me right now.

I found the tutorial on Youtube here.
and here is only SOME of the pins I've made.

Top: Debby Harry, Lolita Crown, The Crow

Middle: Pinup Girl, Bettie Page, Boo from Mario Bros.

Bottom: Album art from an MCR album, Robert Smith, My Chemical Romance Logo

Questions

Maybe I'm just weird but there's so many things that people go along with just because it's trendy and I can't stand a single bit of it. Not only do I not stand it but I just can't understand why it's so pervasive. I'm just gonna rant in the form of  questions to rattle society's cage. Some are meant to be joking, but most focus on shit I think is important to address.

Both men and women have breasts and nipples. So why does a large man who could EASILY fit a D cup not have to wear a shirt but I can't?

Why is the #nomakeupselfie challenge considered a challenge? Is it really that challenging to take a picture of yourself sans cosmetics?


How many comic book heroines out there DON'T wear heels to fight crime?

Does this look infected?

Does having the right to  say almost anything really mean you should say almost anything?

Why don't people read more books?

Does the electric cowbell exist?

Never fear, posts are on the way!

Lately, I've been a little busy at work. Two co-workers were out for extended leave (one is still gone on maternity leave) and we've had more children than usual at the day care. I've been exhausted.

But I have had a little fun, though. I joined a steampunk society and have been working on clothing for that. I can't wait to really document my exploration and growth from a steampunk beginner. Pretty soon, I plan to post all of what I've been working on. Like ALL of my DIY ventures. Probably even a tutorial. And look forward to next week's post, "weird things children say (and do)".

By the way, are you looking for a new metal band? A group I know is doing a promotion on Facebook and Reverb nation where all of their songs from their past two albums are FREE! This is going on on St. Patrick's Day, 3/17/14, aka this upcoming monday. They're called Penguins With Shotguns. Despite their horrible name, they're really worth a listen.

You can find Penguins With Shotguns of Facebook here
And on Reverbnation right here.

Fashion Advice: The ONE THING that doesn't look good on ANYONE

Isn't it miraculous how there's a shade of red to match each unique individual? What's equally astounding is how black is so universally slimming. All can agree that there's different trends, styles and colors that work for each person on this planet (and many that don't), but is there something out there that doesn't work for anybody? Absolutely.

No matter what you do with it, it's horribly unflattering. Literally nothing can make it look good. Can you guess what I'm talking about? Go ahead and really try to guess (I'm curious what you think it is, so feel free to comment it!). Do you think it's some accessory? A shoe, purse or jewelry? Or maybe it's an article of clothing. Let me give you one more hint by saying that while it's not exactly any of that, you can see it being worn almost just as clearly. Give up?

Mean.

Have you ever met anybody wearing mean in an endearing or attractive way? I sure haven't. While there are so many faces of Mean out there, the one I want to talk about is the one that feels it has a say in your appearance. You know, people who come across as the "bitchy friend" who believe it to be a public service to put down what you enjoy wearing and tell you what they've decided is better for you similar to the style of E!.

How to deal with these people is simple: Just smile and nod, then carry on about your business because honestly, it's your body and there are NOT many viable excuses for acting that way.

Before someone examines what others place on their bodies, perhaps they should examine their attitude.

Wasn't this blog supposed to be about fashion?

I coulda sworn it was.

The funny thing is I used to study fashion design. Not only that but my sketchbook is filled with dozens of designs and I DIY the shit out of so much of my clothing; the only problem is I never wear any of it. My line of work is currently early childhood education or otherwise entitled "I spend my day chasing small children and playing with legos" because I'm only a teacher's assistant and don't get to do much more than that. Simply because I work with children, I'm automatically have to edit my wardrobe for the comfort of parents. Then edit it again to be the appropriate lengths and coverage. And then one more time because I use diluted bleach to sterilize. What's left is a rather dumpy shell of myself that carries from work to free time.

 I can't even remember the last time I dressed the way I really wanted to.
So I would like, if I may, to take you on a strange journey of bringing alternative style back into one's wardrobe. Merging what I love with the way I live is gonna be one hell of a challenge but I am up for it.

I'm not vegetarian anymore. :(

Let me tell you, I gave it a good run.


 From middle school up until a couple months ago, I was proudly vegetarian.  That's over 8 1/2 years of being meat free. Recently the amount of money my family hasn't been going as far is it normally would and I had to make the extremely difficult decision to put vegetarianism on hold. I didn't do it without a fight, either. I spent several weeks completely protein starved because I couldn't afford food specific to my diet and quite frankly, I don't think I'll be able to stomach beans or peanut butter for a very VERY long time.

Don't get me wrong, there's not a single moment that I don't feel bad when I do eat meat and I got extremely sick the first couple days. Once I become more financially stable, being vegetarian again is at the top of my list. When I can, I avoid meat and indulge in my preferred lifestyle and the Vegetarian food reviews will still pop up here and there.

I've been neglecting to tell you all because it's almost a source of shame but it does need to be said.

About me- Hobbies!

You guys learn little bits about things I do, like and think but only little bits. So, for filler purposes, I'm letting a little more light shine on my life. This time, I wanna tell you about my hobbies. I have an extremely wide variety of interests but I'm not exactly a master at any of them. I call it Artistic Commitment Issues.

I love the art of transformation (it is indeed an art). Currently, my style is very conservatively goth/punk and you can see my everyday look on the right. This wasn't always the case. My hair has been dyed every color of the rainbow. Hair care is an enormous passion of mine, as is makeup. I could spend years re-doing my face and follicles and never for a second be bored. Let's not forget about nails either.

I spent some time in beauty school and had to leave for reasons beyond my control but I'm working on going back and I. can't. wait.

Since the 5th grade, I've been honing my drawing skills. The thing I need to work on more than anything else right now is learning to finish my work. I haven't finished a single drawing in, to be honest, never. Which is a real shame. 

I draw random creepy stuff on my friends' belongings and just give up on all the stuff I draw for myself.

 Along with cosmetology school, I spent a year studying fashion design. Garments I've made (or have remade) will be posted later on in a different post. What's more, DIY holds a large place in my heart, which is kinda why I do all this in the first place. But I love re-vamping old things and turning them into something else. What you see here is an Anne Rice hard cover turned into a secret box. I wish I had more examples for you.

It's 2014!

More than any other holiday, besides Halloween, I love New Year's the most. There's just something about everything starting over that brings me out of my constant state of depression at least for a little while.


I love everything about this grand event. The spectacular celebrations, the fireworks and dazzling lights, spending that precious moment where it all goes back to zero with those you really love or want to be around. It all seems shinier, brighter and the entire world is lit with a warm glow.

Okay, I lied. I don't love EVERYTHING. My, oh my do I hate New Year's Resolutions. While I've had a couple successful ones in the past, there's one that's been on my list since I was freaking 15!!! And that is: Finish An ENTIRE Chapstick (or generic lip balm) Before Starting Another.

The frustration of it all reduces me to tears

  Those things always get lost, or stolen (for some horrifying reason unbeknownst to me. Why would somebody want something that is definitely not meant to be shared? It's not shampoo! I hope they chopped the piece that touched my mouth off first. Think of all the germs! But I digress.....) or get left behind and destroyed.  What I need is a patented Lip Balm Lockdown security program! I'll put that on my resolution list too, I guess.

Anybody else out there have any resolutions that they just can't beat? I hope I'm not alone.