I have to admit, dressing for the winter is not my forte, and I’ve never really been a person to adhere to fashion rules. It’s warm about 80% of the year in Charleston, so I have close to no cold weather clothes and have to resort to layering in my short sleeves and cardis (meh). I’m hoping to change that tactic in the coming months–while on a strict loan repayment schedule, of course! My first big investment will be a jacket; the one I have is more than four years old and has seen far better days. I think the gingham blue double-breasted coat from OASAP will bring me many happy wears.
White is one of my favorite colors in winter, because it reminds me of the snow I’m missing out on, and it complements my freckled skin tone. I also prefer to have a lot of color in my wardrobe specifically for those depressing, dark winter months. I read a study once that said wearing bright colors positively affects mood, so I don them as much as possible. (Plus, black washes me out usually.)
Christmas tree stands started appearing ALL over town today, and I instantaneously felt a twinge of excitement for the coming season. It’s time for Vanilla Chai Soy Lattes and X-mas light exhibits. I’d better get started on stitching up some gifts for friends and family before I run out of time. Only 28 more days!
About a month ago, I decided to start a weekly segment entitled “Tunesday” (clever, eh?) dedicated to featuring musical artists and bands. Music has a captivating, nostalgic factor for me, an allure that goes back to my childhood where my dad blasted his favorite bands (specifically the Beach Boys) on road trips. I inherited my love of music from him, and though I long to one day conjure up a song of my own, I can appreciate one who is gifted at his or her craft.
Brigitte Bardot is a master of personal style. She’s a renowned fashion icon and has an innate sexuality that complements her carefree spirit. Her simple outfits paired with her quintessential up-dos popularized the casual look in the 60s and have since painted her as a timeless style icon.
I’m currently going to take a break from posting on virtually all social media outlets. Ever since graduating college, I’ve felt nothing but useless and unaccomplished. I know it isn’t healthy, but I haven’t been able to nip this depression in the bud. I can’t find a big-girl job, I hate what I got my degree in, I’m struggling with money due to loans, and I feel like I’m losing myself with my emotions. I’m getting those feelings of “I’m not good enough” like I used to get back in middle school, and I can’t pinpoint why these thoughts have resurfaced, and in such a drastically destructive manner.
I think I just need to take a break from the internet for a while. I know it will probably lead people to unfollow me, but it’s what I need to do, and I understand if that’s the case. I need to get my head on straight: I need to reassess life decisions, figure out what I DO want to do with my life. What am I good at? What would I be happy doing? What do I ultimately want out of life? What are some new things I can try?
I also need to take some time to rekindle my personal style that’s been lost in this cloudy-days phase. I need to find the spark that got my creative mind thinking, not just in my outfits, but in DIY and, most specifically, in my writing. I think I’m having an existential crisis, and it’s causing me to mentally deteriorate.
Lastly, I need to find design elements of my blog that really represent who I am. I spent too much time looking at other blogs for inspiration which led me to be really confused about how to make my own blog, leaving MDG a jumbled, fuddled mess. I committed the ultimate fallacy of blogging: Not being me. I started blogging too early without the right equipment, without having enough spare time, and without organizing my ideas enough to be cohesively put onto the page. For all of these things, my readers, I’m sorry. I feel as though I’ve kind of cheated you out of who I am simply due to the constraints of time and mental health. If anything, there’s been a brief, subdued version of myself presented, and that’s not what I want out of MDG.
I promise that once I figure these things out, I will be back and blogging, because blogging is one thing I feel passionately about. The blogging community fascinates me, and I admire my favorite bloggers probably more than other people admire celebrities. To think that people are lucky enough to take a glimpse into one person’s life, to understand that person as your everyday citizen yet also as something more, and form an almost immediate connection–all through reading and scrolling through pictures. I want to join this community properly, and I have a whole (disorganized) notebook dedicated to post ideas that I can’t wait to put into action. First and foremost, though, I’ve got to get my life in order.
Thank you so much for understanding, and I hope to return as the version of myself that I grew to love throughout my years in university. I will overcome this dark period in my life and come out an even stronger and happier person.
Finally getting my newest segment, Tunesday, up and running. Every Tu(n)esday, I’ll feature various musicians that I’m currently addicted to listening to. Music is art for the ears, and I’ve made it a goal of mine to explore one new band/artist a week on the basis of expanding my horizons and thus reinforcing my melomania.
It’s been tooooo long since I’ve spent time updating my blog! Remember how I told all of you back in the day that I would teach you how to make button earrings? The day has finally arrived. I found these buttons at a store called Mary Jo’s in North Carolina. My good friend Nicky told me about the store, and my mother and I had a blast browsing around. It’s so huge! I also got these great pastel fabrics that I’ve used to make a few skirts for the (tail-end of) summer.
The artist who designed these also had a few more of dogs, ducks, horses–basically any animal you could want. I like making buttons into earrings, but non-conventional ones add flair to your duds for you personalizers out there. As far as DIY goes, this project is very simple and only took maybe 15 minutes maximum including drying time.
Step 1: The back of your button needs a flat surface, so you can either 1) Take jewelrycutters (like the one pictured above) and hack away at the back until it’s flat or 2) Take pliers and pull the back out. I chose the “hacking” method because the button hole is made of plastic; for metal button-backs, I would suggest using pliers.
(Geez, I really need to clean my glue gun. How embarassing :O )
Step 2: Once you’ve (mostly) flattened out the back, find an earring back set in the bag. Place a small dab of hot glue in the center of the soon-to-be earring and press down the flat end of the earring back so that the pointed side faces up.
KiKi Says: Make sure you don’t put on too much hot glue, or else you’ll end up with what I call little “spider webs” that will dangle from your earrings. Yikes!
Step 3: Give the earrings an ample amount of time to dry, and match each earring with a back. I made the mistake of not giving them enough time, and PLOP! it fell right off, so I had to do it again. Even nowadays, I’m still doing trial-and-error 🙂
And behold, the finished product!
Not only did I get to make these kitty-tastic earrings today, but my new Modcloth sweater came in today too! It was quite a splurge at $99, but it was worth EVERY penny. It fits like a dream, even with UK sizing, and I have gotten so many compliments while wearing it today.
Even though it’s still INCREDIBLY warm here, I was determined to wear this sweater as soon as I got it. I think the post-lady was freaked out, because I was stalking the door waiting for it to arrive. Oops? Also, the quality of my photos is lacking because: a) I still don’t have (and can’t really afford) a decent camera or photoshop and b) I was alone most of today with nobody able to take any full-body shots, and I can’t really rig a tripod with my iPhone, now can I? I’m hoping to eliminate these issues as my blog continues to evolve.
I’m headed back to work again tomorrow. It’s funny how your days off seem to go by faster than the days you work. Even when I’m not working, the job hunt to start my big-girl career I’m struggling with takes up most of my free time, but I’ll be better about updating my blog every now and again, pinky swear!
What is everybody up to this upcoming weekend? Is anybody else up for sweater weather?
Ah, when I said LATE blog post, I really meant late. I guess some of us are truly night owls, huh? 🙂
For those of you who don’t know me personally, it should be known that 1) I ADORE all things cat and 2) I am an avid Modcloth shopper. I saw this lovely cat eye blouse on the site about a year ago, and I knew that it had to be mine. I only had to briefly work a shift today, so I decided to celebrate “Caturday” in style! My three little kitties would be so proud.
This song always make me think of my lovely boyfriend, Jordan. Earlier today before I went into work, we ate lunch at Brueggers. I had some tasty Butternut squash soup, yum!
(Isn’t he the cutest? Not entirely sure what’s up with his hair, but in his defense, we got up early.)
Are you a cat person? If so, what are some of your favorite Caturday traditions? I love to check out I Can Haz Cheezburger to start my day with a good laugh.
Bust Magazine is one of my all time favorites. The Brooklyn-based bi-monthly mag features D.I.Y. tutorials, art, news, sex, bloggers, fashion, female celebs, all through a third generation feminist perspective. Since it’s creation in ’93, Bust has aimed to provide a pro-female perspective on subject matter cast out by other leading magazines (i.e., Vogue, Cosmo, etc.).by embracing the feminine activities generally rejected by second wave feminists of the 70s & 80s.
Enter Debbie Stoller, co-creator & co-owner of Bust. She’s a renowned author (she’s been on the NYT best-selling list for a few of her books, the most famous being Stitch ‘N Bitch Nation) and the current editor-in-chief of the magazine; she also has a Ph.D. (yeah, girl!) and has started various international Stitch ‘N Bitch programs, not to mention the yarn line she has out, too.
I look up to her for a variety of reasons: For one, I love that she is an advocate for third wave feminism. I’ve always believed that feminism is about choice. The consistent persecution of activities deemed as “feminine” and oppressive by hardcore second wavers really discouraged the advent of choice, and in a sense, by equating these “feminine activities” with negative language, feminism no longer exists because all feminine attributes have been stricken. Stoller instead embraces the idea of reclaiming old-school feminine activities such as sewing and cooking and introduces them in a new light, one that can be embraced by the modern feminist as the exuberant joy of being a woman–also referred to as “girlie feminism.”
My friend Avis & I have also discussed starting a magazine, and Bust provides the perfect blueprint. The three founders all had completely different ideas for life in mind, but they came together because of a shared passion: Women. Stoller saw a way to empower ladies through her creative lens of hand-crafting, and she expanded on this idea to run one of the most successful fem mags in the U.S. alongside her dedicated team. It fills my heart with joy to know that opinionated, strong women have a way to voice their thoughts and interests while still maintaining femininity–one day, I hope to be a part of something so special and meaningful.
Seriously, though, if you do nothing else, subscribe to Bust. If you can’t find enough money in your wallet, the zine has also published various compilations (my favorite being The Bust DIY Guide to Life) featuring some of the best writings over the years.
I generally check the site daily, and you can also follow the magazine fo’ free on Twitter: @bust_magazine. Have I mentioned that I NEED to move to Brooklyn?
What are some of your favorite feminist publications?
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