A New Hat for the Holiday

On Christmas morning, my husband & I host our parents & his sister for brunch, & we all exchange handmade gifts. It's a casual gathering that lasts for a few hours. This year, I wore a new hat that I received at the Dickens Christmas Fair.

We had gone to that event on the previous Saturday, & I'd noticed one booth selling lovely, soft hats made of different types of velvet & satin. I looked around this shop, Chapeau Atelier, & found several hats I quite liked. However, I was wearing a big, Victorian-styled wig, & couldn't figure out what size hat would fit best -- I planned to wear the hat as everyday wear, since I'm still bald (just a tiny bit of five o' clock shadow fuzz coming in). I asked the proprietor if there was somewhere I could quickly take off my wig to try on the different hat sizes, & he very kindly let me go backstage & held a mirror for me.

When I picked out the hat I liked best in my size & took it to the register to pay, he said "no charge!" See, the shop owner is a cancer survivor too, & he regularly makes & donates hats for people who've gone through chemo. He considered this one of his donations. We had a great chat, & I was just totally gob-smacked.

So I wore that hat on Christmas Day.

What I'm wearing:
Burgundy & black velvet & satin hat, Chapeau Atelier
Rhinestone brooch, vintage, added by me to hat
Burgundy velvet dress, Macy's
Black leggings, American Apparel
Black socks, unknown brand
Black flats, Aerosoles
Burgundy crystal & silver bead necklace, gift from Mom
Black & silver earrings, random accessory store
Chanel "Vamp" lipstick

Hand in Pocket

For the usual Christmas Eve family gathering, I wanted an outfit with pockets. For the unglamorous reason that I was a bit sniffly & needed a place to hide a tissue. Luckily, this dress conveniently fits the bill & looks rather nice too. I made it through chemo without any infections, but winter chills hit & I get a little ol' head cold. Go figure!

What I'm wearing:
Purple knit dress, Land's End | Black tights, Calvin Klein | Black flats, Aerosoles | Black, hematite, & silver chunky bead choker, random accessory store | Silver cameo earrings, vintage

Classic Corp

Giving it the old college try here with a classic CorpGoth outfit. A little velvet, a little stripes, with a jewel tone thrown in. Sleek & simple. Oh & with the other wig :)

What I'm wearing:
Black velveteen jacket, White House Black Market | Purple T-shirt, Target | Grey stripe skirt, Nordstrom | Black tights, Calvin Klein | Black flats, Aerosoles | Gunmetal hoop earrings, random accessory store

CorpGoth Is Back in the Office

For a little bit this year, at least. Yep, my company finally called me back in for the last full week before the holiday shutdown. Glad to be back to semi-normal, even if each workday is interrupted by a trip to the hospital for radiation treatment.

Those, btw, are going quite smoothly. Very easy & fast, a piece of cake compared to chemo. Only annoyance is that they are done every day, five times a week (weekends & Christmas, New Year's Day, & Martin Luther King Jr. Day off), for 33 treatments. No side effects yet, although towards the end I'm told I can expect a sunburn-like effect in the treated area. Again, nothing as bad as chemo, which I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.

What I'm wearing:
Black & white striped knit jacket, Marshall's
Black long-sleeve T-shirt, Old Navy
Black skirt, NY & Company
Black tights, Calvin Klein
Black & white ankle-strap pumps, Ross
Gunmetal hoop earrings, random accessory store

A Little Night Music

I'm a HUGE fan of winter holiday music. Christmas carols, Hanukkah songs, yuletide tunes, traditional music, pop songs, novelty tunes, you name it, I freakin' love it! I'm not totally indiscriminate -- I hate "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" & I've yet to hear a version of "Oh Holy Night" that doesn't make me cringe. But between the day after Thanksgiving & sometime before New Year's Eve, I have a massive mix of holiday music on auto-play. I'm forever collecting more tracks to jazz up my collection. So I thought I'd share a few of my favorites, particularly with a goth & light-hearted edge...



Gotta have this on while putting up decorations -- it's "Making Christmas" from the "Nightmare Before Christmas" soundtrack!


"Carol of the Bells" is one of the darkest Christmas songs already, & This Ascension's version from the Excelsis Dark Noel holiday CD series by Projekt Records goes extra dark.


"2,000 Miles" by the Pretenders always warms the cockles of this new-wave girl's heart. It's not strictly a holiday song, but it mentions Christmas & just has that feel.


A lot of people have been turned off from this song by Madonna's cutesy version, but the original "Santa Baby" sung by the sultry Eartha Kitt is a classic. This YouTube version isn't the best recording (try iTunes for better audio), but you can get the idea of how sophisticated & adult the song really should be.


While some covers don't work, I love how this one does -- a goth band takes a little ditty from a children's cartoon & turns it into a hauntingly beautiful tribute to the winter season with "Silver and Gold" by Faith & Disease (also from the Excelsis series).


And now for something completely ROCKIN'!!! I love Twisted Sister's version of "Oh Come All Ye Faithful." It does indeed rock!!!

Comfortable Holiday Outings

Some holiday events are dressy -- time for cocktail dresses, bling, high heels, suits, ties. Others are more homey gatherings where you want to look good but feel at ease. Family events are often like this, in my experience, those are times for smart-casual outfits that are less work-a-day but not quite cocktail attire either.

For these events, I go for a dark knit dress and a pretty sweater, plus some jewelry to jazz up the outfit. This maxi dress is one of my summer staples, but it works for winter when layered.

What I'm wearing:
Black knit maxi dress, Macy's | Black & white floral sweater, White House Black Market | Black & purple stripe tights, We Love Colors | Black flats, Aerosoles | Black & purple beaded necklace, gift from Lisa | Gunmetal hoop earrings, random accessory store