House Cleaning Gems

 So today I wasn't going to post anything because I was supposed to be cleaning my house because I'm having a school's over BBQ/N64 party in a few days. But when I was cleaning I found all sorts of awesome things in my house I had completely forgotten that I owned. Like a genuine crystal ball my aunt bought for me fifteen years ago when she was in China. :O Pretty happy I found that. And a Pokemon tin full of my old 'crystals' and semi precious stones I used to use in grade five or six to 'cast spells' 'n stuff. Then I was cleaning out my comic book box (well, more like reading and not cleaning) and I found all these old Sailor Moon and Card Captor Sakura and Barbie comics I had forgotten about. All in all it was a goooood day. I also took the liberty of cleaning out my mom's closet and found this old wool (correction: linen blend. oups) plaid button front skirt and got really excited and stole it because she hasn't worn it in twenty plus years. It's too big for me so I've got a safety pin in the back and I'll have to alter it someday.

 My mom's old skirt, Bloch bodysuit from when I used to be a baton twirler, 50s style thrifted cardigan and thrifted sunglasses. Neon Pink Body Shop lipstick.

 Beat up oxfords from Spring (I think it's called Call It Spring in the states)

I also found my old Card Captor Sakura cosplay costume from when I was twelve. My lovely mother made it for me. It took her forever but I was sooo happy. I even had ears, a tail, spats and a wand my mom made for me to wear at an anime convention. I was hoping I could use the pinafore for something now but I tried it on and realized how much smaller I was when I was 12.

I went out for Chinese with my parents tonight and started doodling some designs on a napkin for the Ghost World collar I'm going to make. I can't start working on it for reals until I've scoured the house from top to bottom, tho. Although I did make a screen print template on photo shop for the Seymour cameo side. I'm not sure how its going to turn out though since I've never done any serious DIY screen printing before:)
I also found a J-pop CD my friends older sister gave to me for my tenth birthday with this song on it by Aya Matsuura. Happy happy!

JAPAN! CRAZY! CUTE! COLOUR! Sexy or cute; what type do you like? JUST. DRESS. HOW. YOU. FEEL. AYA. GAWD.

summer HAZE

I was feeling nostalgic today so I finished a few craft projects I've been working on and did some photoshopping. This collage is supposed to express how I'm feeling about summer. Interpret it how you wish, but I was going for childhood nostalgia girly vibes mixed with the idea of who I am now, who classic movies have told me I should be and of the unknown. I also just really liked the idea of dolphins in space breaching over the desert and Hal Hefner and 1950s cheerleaders shooting a pastel prism out of their eyes.

I don't know if anybody else remembers these, but I love those notebooks that had dolphins and whales swimming through space. I wish I still had all my old notebooks now.

 Here are some of the things I've been working on. I made this necklace a few months ago out of a Zulu-inspired beading book I got from the library. The pins are papermache and acrylic paint, but I still have to seal them with Mod Podge. I made these for nostalgic reasons too. I wanted to make things I could wear that were some how related to my childhood. The bike is roughly the one I had when I was seven and the abandoned church (it's my banner, too) is one that we drive by every summer when we go to visit my grandparents.

 crappy close-ups

I was browsing through the Craft magazine website the other week and I found this post by Rachel Hobson on the pillow case dress DIY featured in Sassy Magazine. I fell in love and am obsessing over making one.

The one on the left is the instructions from Sassy, but Rachel suggests you cut it differently (her instructions on the right). Either way, this is something I am going to try out.

I've also fallen in love with the Miu Miu detachable collars because they are just so gorgeous. I've seen Tavi's posts where she's wearing hers and it looks so awesome. Since I can't afford one, I'm working on making my own version, maybe in a Peter Pan style. Maybe with a Steve Buscemi à la Ghost World print... I'm dying to start working on it but my sleep reserves are fairly low ohlala.

is it fall yet?

Just kidding. I'm perfectly alright with it being the FIRST DAY OF SUMMER VACATION. I finished the last of this year's HIschool finals yesterday. I am pretty much dead but I've been forcing myself to get stuff that I've been meaning to do done. Like posting something after a month of bloggerly silence. And learning to play Violent Femmes covers, you know, the important things.

This basically sums up my excitement, while combining my wistful memories of childhood summers. Well, really just more so summer camp/sleepover/dress up days vibes from movies. Like the summer camp in The Parent Trap with Lindsay Lohan. I've never even been to sleep away camp. 

This was my celebratory outfit. 70s style platform clogs from Forever21, shorts from Garage, Peter Pan collar shirt from Forever 21, Jackie O-ish cardigan jacket from Forever 21 (I've been there a lot recently).

The clogs. I practically killed myself walking in them.

Just got my haircut today and bought some new neon pink lipstick from The Body Shop (I don't use makeup with awful chemicals in them after reading There's Lead In Your Lipstick ). Feeling kinda 40s pin-up/ 50s housewife wearing a twist headwrap I sewed myself. I saw these at American Apparel but they were outrageously expensive for what they were. I found the pattern on BurdaStyle (which I am in love with) and it was super easy to make.

All these crappy quality pictures make me realize just how badly I need a good quality digital camera, but I'm too cheap to go buy one right now. I'd rather pretend I was at summer camp or best friends with Daria instead. My favourite screenshot from the parent trap is when Hallie and Annie are playing poker and all the quarters and one dollar bills are in a pile on the table with nail polishes and Lip Smackers they are betting, too. I couldn't find a picture of it, but if I do, I'll link it, or somebody could send me a link :). I just love the 'vibes'. So, like, uber-girly. I'm really into that childish-type nostalgia style now. Not pedophile-y; more like the Rachel Antonoff sleepover stuff... I'm just a firm believer that we have all the time in the world to grow up and sometimes it's just fun to be a kid again. Even when the mainstream media and your peers are busy telling you you need a fake ID, a tequila shot and a skirt that barely covers your plimsoll line.

Since I spend most of my weekends home alone making crafts and watching Daria and Art School Confidential over and over, I have plenty of summer camp-y bracelets to suit my mood right now. The plastic lanyard one really stinks because I made it with 20 cent lace from a dollar store. That can't be good for my body.

 I had been meaning to post more photos for stuff 'n inspiration 'n junk but that would require me to search through my computer's hard drive, so I 'll just do that later.I'm trying to learn Please Do Not Go by the Violent Femmes, but I always screw up the spoken parts. If I get around to it before July starts I'll post it
just so all of the interweb can witness my laughable singing/mandolin-playing skillz.