pink glamour

tshirt - old navy, velvet trousers - asos, purse - thrifted dooney & burke, clogs - jeffrey campbell, lips - revlon really red, glasses - joseph marc, nails - smoke screen from ulta

I am trying to become the kind of woman who can wear pink velvet trousers with complete confidence. I am not there yet, but I think confidence in clothing is one of those fake-it-'til-you-make-it sort of deals. Just wear that impossibly glamorous thing you love, and act like it's totally ordinary. You may totally self-conscious, but pretend you're not for long enough and that'll just fade away.

My first outing with these amazing velvet pants (found through the lovely Sal's awesome Insomniac Sale Pick  feature on Already Pretty) was a bit of a trial by fire. I finally got the correct size and decided I wanted to wearing them right away, damn it. I got dressed with nothing planned for the day, thinking maybe I would just hang out and read a book, and be quietly glamorous until I got used to the crazy things and would brave other people seeing them. That may sound a little wussy but pink velvet, wide legged, high waisted trousers are quite a thing to rock. But at the last minute, J and I decided to go see a comedy show in Seattle, which is how I found myself walking down the street on Capitol Hill, by myself (we were late so I let J out while I looked for parking), in pink velvet, pretending my damn heart out that this was not weird.

And you know what? I still felt weird by the time I got to Neumos. And that's ok. I was less aware of myself while Jon Benjamin made us laugh, and by the time J and I were eating burritos outside our favorite burrito place, I was feeling pretty good. Now, whether that confidence will stick around, I'm not sure, but I'm proud of myself for rocking these crazy pants.

I also got new glasses! I love how thick and square they are and the color is great. So happy to not be taping my old ones together every day. Red lipstick was a must with such glamorous pants, but I kept the rest of my outfit simple. A fitted tshirt balanced the voluminous pants and heeled clogs gave me some height. 

Justina also looked super cute of course! My cousin Riley recently cut her hair and put some temporary pink in it which was super cute and she needs to do permanently. Hint hint. Soft pink with blonde is one of my absolute favorite hair things. Too bad the color doesn't show up in this picture. Also, I must remember to get a picture of her bag next time. It's the same soft pink I can't seem to get enough of, with skulls. It's perfect.

rape arguments in bars are rarely a good idea

top - talula, pants - justin timberlake's collection for target, bag - thrifted dooney & burke, boots - thrifted

Have you ever had one of those nights that when it's over you just go, "What the fuck . . . just happened?" Friday night was a bit like that for me. My friend Shiloh's band was playing at Pete's Tavern, as was a local band we went to high school with. Seeing as the show was in the next town over from my hometown, and the bands playing had members from my high school, I really should have expected the oh-my-god-high-school-all-over-again feeling. There were SO many people I went to school with there, and also just a lot of older hicks and other small town types.

At the bar, I bumped into a guy I didn't recognize but apparently he remembered me and Amanda from high school. Once one of the guys he used to hang out with showed up, I did start to remember them and we all ended up chatting. It was nice to catch up with some people from high school. Nice, but extremely weird.

Boys we used to know weren't the only people talking to us. We had several weird guys try to hit on us, get us to dance, and other general creepy behavior. Shiloh also overheard this guy in a black tshirt telling a girl that he would "like to eat cake off her tits." Yeah. Who could resist a line like that?

You know the guy from high school I didn't remember? He overheard me talking about about what a creep Dov Charney of American Apparel is and started arguing with me about how things he did were ok-ish. Things quickly got more general and we were talking about rape and sexual harassment and rape culture and the patriarchy. My friends, of course, were telling him to drop it, because I wasn't going to let it go when he was saying stuff like "girls should just say no and if they don't they're stupid" while I'm trying to explain things like enthusiastic consent to him. But of course, being totally drunk, he kept arguing. And so all my friends got up and left and watched from across the room. It wasn't an angry argument, in fact I was laughing most of the time and eventually I got him to agree with my basic arguments. Then he told me I was pretty and smart and asked for a hug. It was . . . an interesting night.

siamese, portugese, dirty knees, look at these rookies around us, aren't you glad you found us?

xxl tee - pacsun, jeans - gap, boots - thrifted, necklaces - talonalia, purse - thrifted coach

This picture was taken verrrry late at night after I got back from a series of seriously small-town events. First there was Duvall Days, the annual local festival. A bunch of local bands played, including my friend's band before, during, and after the lame fireworks display. After, the guys in the band and some of their friends/roommates from college who were visiting for the weekend wanted the full Duvall experience, so we all went down to the Duvall Tavern for the Country Living Festival, had a few beers, and then went to Brodie Nation, which is this whole other local music festival down by the Tolt River. I saw pretty much everyone I went to high school with, which is terrifying, but also hung out with some of the few I was happy to see. I hurt my knee and got really muddy though when I stepped off the road to get out of the way of an oncoming car, and instead of stepping into the bushes like I thought, my foot went straight down into the ditch and my other knee hit the asphalt. It really really hurt. It also got my boots pretty dirty but I have this thing against cleaning them. I like seeing them get dirty and wear out. When I bought them at the thrift store they looked brand new and now they're skuffed, dirty, have paint on them, and the loops in the back are half ripped off from me pulling too hard to get them on.

so jai pitted thai

Today was spent being lazy, painting my nails red, and drinking gin until ShyGuy (he's not actually shy) picked me and Big J up to go to Seattle and see L Train's band play at Neumos. They're called So Pitted and I'm liking them more and more. We saw them play last night too, at the Blue Moon, but that was a bit last minute since they were filling in for another one of his bands.

I liked them, the other bands...not so much, so we left and tried to find something to eat. Unfortunately the mexican place we wanted to go to was closed (not surprising on a Sunday night near midnight) so we went to a thai restaurant that's open late. Even though I stuffed myself with delicious curry (Jai Thai also has amazing "Country Style Pad Thai" which I had a few bites of and decided is way better than the regular stuff), I am now eating a yummy and cute cookie Big J made for me as thanks for lending her my car when she was in a pickle. 

All that tastiness paired with hanging out with my bestie, an old friend who I'm just starting to see more of, and assorted friends/acquaintances/cute boys at the show has put me in a fantastic mood.

shirt - designed by tavi, cutoffs - diy, polka dot tights - target, boots - thrifted, purse - thrifted coach

This picture was taken on the scaffolding we've been using to refinish the shingles on our house. I thought it looked neat so I climbed up there right before heading out for the show. I think it makes for a kind of neat picture. I've started cuffing the sleeves of this shirt and decided I really like cuffed tshirts because it reminds me of greasers and The Outsiders. I also really like this shorts/tights combo, but every time I wear tights with shorts my mom thinks it's so weird. She never says it looks bad but she just seems kind of puzzled. Today she kept asking me if the show I was going to was "very casual" and telling me I looked "nice but casual. This is from a woman who hates to dress up and was at the time wearing stained shorts and a tie dye tee.

part two of dressing like a girl

Went to this art thing in Olympia the other week. The weather was beautiful and I decided to wear this vintage dress I picked up in London. It's got a sweet, super easy shape and a kind of funky pattern. I like that it's not super fitted and there's no zippers. I can see myself wearing it a LOT this summer. I ate ice cream (pistachio gelato YUM), watched a goofy parade, saw my friends band play, and bought a weird apple print smock at a thrift store. I'm going to try pairing it with cutoffs this summer. I think it might work.

dress - vintage (london), cardigan - uo, tights - target, shoes - steve madden, belt - thrifted, purse - thrifted coach, sunglasses - topshop (london)




the fabulous downey brother (otherwise known as fabdownbros)

pie guy (aka my new husband)

shirt - alternative apparel, skirt - urban outfitters, scarf - gift, tights - target, cardigan - urban outfitters, boots - thrifted, bag - vintage dooney & burke

Dudes, you can get pie delivered until 3am Friday and Saturday nights in Seattle. Via bike. By a cute boy who makes and delivers all the pies himself. I am so in love. After seeing the Normies play in the CD with my new coworker (she just moved here and is pretty cool), we went back to Amanda's apartment to order a whole fucking peanut butter and chocolate pie. God, it was incredible. Actually, Justina, Amanda, and Tony went back and ordered the pie while coworker and I got burgers at Dick's. I'm introducing her to as much Seattle stuff as possible. Tonight she saw the neighborhoods of Wallingford, Capitol Hill, and the Central District, drank Ranier, and ate at Dick's. I think I'm a pretty good tour guide. But guys, the Piecycle is AMAZING. So damn incredible. He's only been doing this for a month but the pies are INSANELY GOOD. I'm shouting I'm so excited about this pie situation. Oh my lord, not only are the fillings crazy good, but his crust is the flakiest and most delicious I have ever tasted.

So I got this vintage purse at VV the other day, where I scored BIG on purses. Three really nice Dooney & Burkes (kind of becoming a favorite brand?) for less than $20. Plus a wool skirt and a tweed shift dress, which I'll have to show you soon. I've worn both already but just haven't blogged them. Anyways, love the kind of doctor bag vibe with this purse but the interior pocket situation is abysmal. There's a lot of them, but they're way too thin to jam anything into. So all night I'm rooting around in there trying to find my phone, or lighter, or camera and just totally dumping cigarettes and change all over. I kept losing my keys 5 seconds after putting them in there. I THINK, though, that it is cute enough to justify keeping it despite the annoyance. It has shorter handles which I removed because they are awkward with the long strap but it's really cute with those, so I'll have to use them next time. Other than that, I just found my favorite (only) ridiculous acid washed tee so I totally wore that and this floral silk skirt. And my black boots, of course, since last week at the same house I wore heels and had a bottle broken over my fucking FOOT which was not pleasant. A friend also poured his entire beer over the same foot the same night. Unfortunately, foot and shoe mishaps are still happening as this house seems to have a mysterious gold paint leak somewhere and for the second time in two weeks I discovered gold paint on my clothes when I got home. While last week it was just a tiny smudge on my (brand new, dammit) tights, this week I had not only several small and one large spots on my tights, but also huge drips and smears all over my boots. Not sure what to use to clean them, but hopefully I'll be able to get it off.

total shit (and cupcakes)

Wow, I am so behind in blogging. These pictures are from Saturday. Justina, Amanda, and I hung out in Seattle, got cupcakes at Trophy, and did some shopping. Then Justina came home with me (after seriously devouring some teriyaki) and we napped before heading BACK to Seattle to see our friends' band, Total Shit play. They were awesome, of course, but they played last out of like 8 bands at this stupid party and I was not drunk enough to deal with all the annoying college students. The rest of the bands were AWFUL and almost everyone left by the time my friends played.

jacket - cotton on (australia), hoodie - american eagle, shirt - depeche mode concert, skirt - secondhand, tights - garage sale, socks - gift, shoes - beat to shit converse, bag - thrifted coach

DEPECHE MODE: Tour of the Universe

As I'm sure you've gathered, I'm a huge Depeche Mode Fan. When Justina and I found out they were coming to Seattle there was no question in our minds that we would be there. We were all set to to buy pre-order tickets when Liam's manager told him he could get the three of us tickets for free. He knows people. We make sure he's sure he can do it, and say ok. I mean, I'm broke, I'd always rather get into concerts free.


hat - gift from j, earring - mom's (she lost the other one), shirt - pacsun, sweatshirt - old navy, jeans - thrifted/diy, tights - urban outfitters, shoes - converse


headband - h&m, slip (worn as a dress) - thrifted, shirt - h&m, coat - old navy, shoes - thrifted

Justina and I have been planning our outfits for ages. We're inspired by Depeche Mode fans from the 80s and general "Depeche aesthetic." The words "that's so Depeche" are common utterances for us. We go shopping and put together the perfect outfits, and I have fun beating the shit out of a pair of jeans.







Finally, it's the 10th. So stoked. Driving to pick up Justina, with the mp3 on shuffle, a Depeche Mode song comes and I, honest to god, get the shivers. Driving to the Key Arena, Justina gets a call from Liam. Our tickets have been given away. Apparently there was a disagreement between the band and Live Nation and Live Nation released all the band holds. Live Nation sucks. We get there, and wait for Liam to show up. Our options are buying tickets from scalpers or the box office. Liam's manager feels so bad about it all that he gives him $400.







Liam gets there and we decide to check at will call. There's a chance we might still have our original tickets. They haven't gotten any of the band's holds yet. We wait for awhile and get worried that we won't be able to get good seats if we wait to long. Check what's available at the box office. For $80 a piece we can get three seats on the floor, 14 rows back. That's good. Damn good. In fact, I've never had seats that good. We have the cash and decide to go with that. The seats are better than what should have been on hold for us anyways.





There's still awhile until the show, so we go get dinner. Paid for by Liam's manager, as he doesn't expect any of the money he gave Liam back. Like I said, he feels bad. He also sounds like a really decent guy and a good manager. Justina and I plan to make him a card and some cookies. At least once, I hear the words "Depeche Mode" when someone is looking at us and am glad that our outfits are so obviously Depeche. They're close to being costumey, but I honestly love it and am extemely inspired by the clothes Depeche Mode fans wore in the 80s.







We head back to the Key Arena. No bags to have searched so we hardly have to wait. Right when we get in, there's merch. We have $120 left after tickets and food. Shirts are $40 each. It's perfect. While we wait, we hear Peter Bjorn and John start. We decide what shirts we want. There's so many to chose from. Plus all sorts of random things like mugs and hats and tote bags. We wait. And wait. God, it takes forever. Finally get our shit and head to our seats. Which are amazing. There's a runway sticking out from the stage that goes almost all the way to our row. I've never had better seats. Granted, most concerts I go to don't actually have seats, but of those that have, this is definitely the best. Peter Bjorn and John were done playing before we even got out of line.



I think I just about peed myself from excitement when the band came on. Seeing David Gahan, in person, so close, made my life. And Martin Gore and Andrew Fletcher as well. They all looked amazing. Well, Andrew Fletcher is kind of fat now, but he has nice glasses. Martin Gore was the best, in his silver sequined 3-piece suit. He changed guitars throughout the show, but at one point he was playing a silver one shaped like a star and that was my favorite. He took his jacket off after the first few songs but still had the sequined vest and his arms and face and basically every bit of exposed skin was covered in silver glitter. He seriously glowed when the spotlights were on him. My camera couldn't capture it, so he looks sort of holy. David Gahan wore a black vest with a little bit of sparkly-ness, but not nearly as flashy as Martin Gore's. My favorite thing ever is David Gahan spinning and twirly around and shaking his ass on stage. Justina and I both agree, he's kind of hot. But Martin Gore makes me want to wear the most ridiculous clothes and paint my nails black.



They didn't play a lot of songs that I was hoping they would play, and they played some songs I wasn't as familiar with. Kind of made me feel like a poser instead of a true Depeche Mode fan, but I pretty much just listen to whatever tapes I can find at Half Price Books or Neptune Music, so I can't help it. They did play Master and Servant and Personal Jesus. And they had TWO encores. I've never been to a concert with two encores, but they are just that badass.







It was basically the most epic and amazing concert going experience I've ever had. The drama with the tickets only added to it, and ended up being a good thing since we had the money left over for shirts. Which, by the way, look awesome. In conclusion, I have a deep and everlasting love for David Gahan, Martin Gore, and Andrew Fletcher. (And fuck the drummer and other keyboard player, by the way. They're total lame-asses.)

Sandblast Day 2

Sunday less of my friends were hanging out at Sandblast, but Tommy did come by and we explored a little down by the river. I had to leave a little early (obviously not early enough) to go to the No Doubt concert.





I've really been liking red lipstick lately. I'm not sure why, usually I'm more about heavy eyeliner, but nice red lips are just about my favorite thing ever these days. I like it when it's perfect, and I also like it when it's a little messy, and I love using stains that make it look like you've been eating strawberries or popsicles all day. In this picture I'm wearing an "Illuminating Lip Lacquer" by Physician's Formula in "Retro Red." It's sort of like a gloss, except pretty long-wearing and highly pigmented, but it doesn't dry out your lips like some long-wearing lip colors do. Also, it's shiny all on it's own, so you don't need a second gloss on top of it.



I took some photos with the Yashica while I was at Sandblast. I'm starting to like using it a little more, although I wish my lenses from the Minolta worked with it as well. But I'm starting to like the style of light meter it uses, which I used to hate, because you don't have to turn the camera on or off, just press a button to check the exposure. I'll definitely put those up when I get the film developed.




dress - vintage/hand-me-down, shoes - random gladiators, sunglasses - thrifted humphrey's, purse - mom's (vintage coach), camera - vintage yashica

I finally took good pictures while wearing this dress! Oh man, it's like my favorite dress ever. It's soooo nineties, with the small floral and the short skirt and it's just perfect. The princess seams and lacing in the back make it fit so well and the skirt is wonderfully full. Which, as I've mentioned before, is a hazard on windy days, but it twirls so perfectly. I want to go swing dancing in this dress, except I don't know how to swing dance.