HockeyGoth!

We now interrupt this blog with a bit of hockey. See, last Saturday, my husband and I saw our beloved hometown team, the San Jose Sharks play in the NHL's Stadium Series against our hated rivals, the L.A. Kings. While our guys lost 2-1, the game was super fun because it was played outdoors at the brand-new Levi's Stadium, built for the San Francisco 49ers football team. Over 70,000 people in a gigantic arena, bright lights, fireworks, it was crazy cool!

In the week before, while the NHL was setting up the outdoor ice rink, they'd setup a webcam to record the progress. Well, a raven wandered in front of the camera and made an editorial comment, which made the rounds last week.

In the pre-game buildup, they used this clip on the Jumbotron with a "MAKE SOME NOISE" header, which was pretty funny for those of us who got the reference.

Here's a selfie of my sweetie and me with the Sharks head that the players usually skate through before each game. It was out on the concourse for fans to enjoy.

I'm not a big sports fan, but I enjoy hockey and a little college football by my alma mater. Do you follow any sports?

The Professor's Homework Assignment: Musical Inspiration

For this month's homework assignment, The Professor asked how songs or music inspire your dress, mood, art, writing, etc. This was a little hard for me, in that I'm not all that into music. Yeah, bad goth! For me, goth is more about the aesthetic and history and literature than the music. And my musical interests pretty much stopped around 1995 anyway -- I only listen to '80s new wave and goth, with a smattering of Lady Gaga and RuPaul.

So you're getting a little flashback here, musically at least. And in time... The video below was filmed and edited by my husband, and it features me and my dearest friends at a chateau in France, a little over a year ago, doing what we do best. Being silly and historical! We were inspired, that's for sure :)

Malice on Monday

I'm not big on logo clothing or wearing other people's faces on myself. But ... this scarf called to me when I was at DisneyLand a month ago. C'mon, Maleficent! The evil fairy of "Sleeping Beauty" fame -- she's awesome! She's totally goth! And the scarf's design is gorgeous. I had to have it.

Do you wear logos or characters ever? If so, which ones tempt you?

What I'm wearing:
Black knit top, NY & Company | Grey corduroy skirt, Newport News | Black leather belt, Express | Black tights, Calvin Klein | Black pointy kitten-heel shoes, Aldo | Maleficent scarf, DisneyLand | Silver & purple earrings, gift from Lisa | Silver Celtic knotwork ring, gift from Lisa

 

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!!!

Professor's Homework Assignment: Rain

She said "rain" & two things came to my mind: my favorite umbrella & my favorite rainy song, "Happy When It Rains" by The Jesus & Mary Chain. Admittedly, this umbrella isn't very goth, nor particularly corporate, but I love it to bits. It's starting to fall apart inside, so I don't use it as much as I used to, but it's so pretty. It makes me smile. I've had it for, oh, a decade or more. As many may recognize, it's printed with part of one of Claude Monet's "Water Lilies" paintings.

To make up for this non-gothiness, here's the best rain-themed song ever, imnsho. I love every little thing about this song. The lyrics are fantastic, & the tune kicks ass. "We lived our lives in black," indeed!

I see a ship in the harbor

Yeah, "Blue Tuesday" doesn't quite work, does it? Well I had yet another migraine yesterday thus didn't go into the office (luckily I'd queued up the Prof's homework post!). But I'm getting good mileage out of this blue dress, despite having misgivings about it upon first purchasing it. The knit & style is incredibly comfortable & versatile, & blue works wonderfully against black. There won't be many (or probably any) blue additions to my wardrobe, but this one is a winner. Tell me now how does it feel?

What I'm wearing:
Blue knit dress, Ruche | Black knit camisole, Old Navy | Black & white floral print cardigan, Black House White Market | Black tights, Calvin Klein | Purple cross-strap pumps, Aldo | Silver bead choker, Target | Silver medallion earrings, random accessory store

Nifty Things I've Read This Week (With Bonus Video)

I'm off to another historical costume event this weekend (starting Friday night, in fact). So I'm leaving you with a bunch of cool things I've read this week. Just in case I'm so knackered on Monday that I wear a boring repeat & don't post a new outfit ;-)

Why you should dress your age -- The Dashing Eccentric happily reminds us that your age is part of who you are, so express it in your fashion.

Why I blog my daily outfits -- Allie of Wardrobe Oxygen tells it like it is! Love this so much.

Learning self-discipline -- Laina of Keeping Off 200 Pounds is so inspiring. She is the epitome of "just do it."

Stretch your fashion dollar -- Jean of All Trades has a guest post at Be In Style about getting the biggest bang for your sartorial budget.

How to reinvent your wardrobe -- Juilet's Lace has a few handy tips for starting a closet overhaul.

Thoughts on the ethics of wearing ethnic clothing -- Sal of Already Pretty takes a careful look at what it means to wear ethnic clothing.

Cheap chic ruined us -- Salon interviews the author of "Overdressed: The Shockingly High Price of Cheap Fashion," about the economics behind the stuff we buy at Target, Forever 21, & H&M.

Research shows people judge you by your shoes -- SiouxieLaw discusses a fascinating study (also, cool shoe links!).

Science proves that horizontal stripes don't make you look fatter -- Erin of Dress-a-Day shares this important bit of news.

The disappearing double chin trick for portrait photography -- On LaughingSquid, a professional photographer shows how to easily improve photographs of yourself.

Simple things you can do to bring your A-game to costuming -- Sarah of Mode Historique reminds us that it's really about the head-to-toe look. Keep this in mind if you're doing Victorian & steampunk.

Canadian girl makes graduation dress out of her math homework -- Talk about recycling :-)

Lastly, one of my very favorite songs ever, which has been stuck in my head -- "All in My Mind" by Love & Rockets. Happy weekend!

Cool Links

A few things I've found in my online wanderings recently...

Subtle Goth TV launched recently & already has five episodes online. This video series is an offshoot of the home decor & fashion blog, The Morbid Fashion. I particularly love that both these projects are aimed at "grown-up goths," showing that you don't have to be into wacky club-kid fashion & loud music to still express your essential gothiness. I may have to add "SubtleGoth" to my moniker along with "CorpGoth" from now on ;-)

Edward Penfield cover for
Harper's Magazine, May 1887

Speaking of grown-up goths, Stripy Tights & Dark Delights has a fascinating post about a Grandma Goth in Denver, Colorado, U.S. This senior citizen has been goth all her life, long before Bauhaus and Siouxie Sioux were around, again, proving it's not just about the music, it's a whole outlook on life.

On another topic, Sal of Already Pretty has a very useful post about managing pets & their hair when you're a stylish woman. It's not just lint rollers, try a Filth Sheet! Seriously, we cover everything upholstered with similar throw blankets & remove them when guests arrive. Read the comments for more great tips (acting like Mr. Rodgers is another one I do).

The Dashing Eccentric has an excellent take on how comfort equals style. One of my pet peeves is when people think only baggy jeans & T-shirts are comfortable. Not so! Elegant, attractive clothes in beautiful fabrics can be perfectly comfortable too.

Wardrobe Oxygen has a thoughtful post on when it's not worth trying to make it work -- that is, when to admit that a piece of clothing just doesn't work on you & in your wardrobe. I'm sure we've all bought something that seemed great in the dressing room, but then was too fussy or weird in real life.

And here's a fun one: Lyndar the Merciless has a cool-looking idea for glitter-tipped nails in the style of a French manicure. Doesn't hurt that her example uses black nail polish with gold glitter (OK, we'd use silver glitter, but still).

Spring-ish Monday

We haven't had a real winter here in Northern California, just a few spots of rain (not the full weeks of rain we usually get). But it seems like we're already on to spring now. I'm not complaining, but I do worry that this means a dry, drought-prone summer. Ah well, I'll just enjoy the short-sleeves while it's still "optional" & not "omg necessary!"

What I'm wearing:
Black three-quarter-sleeve jacket with piping details, Spiegel | Purple V-neck knit top, The Limited | Black & white paisley-print wrap skirt, custom-made by Donna | Black tights, Calvin Klein | Purple velvet ankle-strap pumps, RocketDog | Purple & black necklace with scissors medallion, custom-made by Lisa | Pewter square dangle earrings, made by a local artist | Gunmetal & black cocktail ring, random accessory store

 
And I have to share this, because it's the most adorable thing I've seen online in ages -- LIVE PENGUIN WEBCAM!!!!!! Yeah, it deserves all-caps, imnsho. I could watch this for hours.




Live Video app for Facebook by Ustream

My husband & I went to Antarctica in 2004, & we got up close & personal with penguins. They are the most awesome creatures evar. And hey, they're kind of goth -- they wear all black & white, after all :-)

Wacky Wednesday Links

Paperlashes

A Yahoo! Shine blogger reveals these gorgeous, exotic paper false eyelashes that are being sold at Sephora. They're bigger than ordinary falsies & come in gorgeous designs. How amazing would these be for a nightclub outfit or a fantasy costume?

NPR has an article about the fascinating wardrobe of heiress Daphne Guinness, which is currently on display at the Fashion Institute of Technology Museum in New York. She has outrageous pieces from Alexander McQueen, Christian Lacroix and others.

Courtesan Macabre has a gorgeous collage of photos of costumes from the upcoming Snow White movie, designed by the ever-skilled Colleen Atwood. It looks decadently dreamy & gothic. Yay!

Check out the trailer:

Turns Herself Round & She Smiles & She Says This Is It That's the End of the Joke

Ah yes, pretty in pink. Well, I try (tho' my hubbi stole the tripod so taking a photo this morning was extra challenging!).

I've always loved pink, especially hot pink. That's the '80s girl in me. Love it better than baby pastel pinks, like, omg, totally.

What I'm wearing:
Black cardigan, Macy's
Hot pink sleeveless knit shirt with deep ruffle, NY & Company
Black twill pencil skirt, MetroStyle
Black tights, unknown brand
Black & pink pumps, Irregular Choice (closeups here)
Black beaded bib necklace, Torrid
Gunmetal hoop earrings, NY & Company
Pink crystal pyramid cocktail ring, Icing
Pink & black flower hair pin, Icing



Any other children of the '80s out there?