I want to be…. an Arts Administrator!
Image from the lovely Gala Darling!
I don’t get to talk too often about my professional life on this blog, so when the gorgeous Gala Darling agreed to do an “I want to be…” with me, I was totally excited! It’s the perfect forum to talk about the work I do daily (and the things that have been keeping me away from dramatis personae lately!).
Check out the post here. I love seeing how the post has already connected those who were once in the same boat as me recognize there’s a place and field for what they want to do!
Thanks you, Gala Bunnyhead Darling for allowing me to share with you all what it is I do!
Double Double Toil and Trouble…
To be honest, I’ve been wanting to post about Halloween for the last month and a half. But early August seemed like a bit much, although a GREAT costume can easily take you several months to put together (or just a few)!
Veruca Salt, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
Image from Team Sugar.com
I love Veruca Salt, and her character has been high on the top of my Halloween costumes list for years. Her costume combines great elements for a raucaus and rowdy Halloween– low black flats, which are great for running around comfortably in; white tights, which are instant guards against spilled drinks and frisky hands, while adding a layer of warmth for those who have chilly Halloweens!; a playful dress that can be sexy, without being overly revealing.
After Sofia Coppola’s candy colored retelling of the life of Marie Antoinette, who DIDN’T want to dress up for her at Halloween?
My Alice in Wonderland Costume & it’s Gothic Lolita traits proved to be very successful for me, and I thought it’d make a great base for a Marie Antoinette costume. A shorter skirt becomes easier to move in, is less likely to get ruined, and is a bit sexier (and shows off great undergarmets!).
To bad that year, Leg Avenue beat me to it… (multiple times over)
For a girl whose best friend and partner-in-crime is a Gamer, you think he’d be more excitable about dressing up as Super Mario’s famous brother, Luigi, and his lady love, Daisy. He complains about being Luigi, but I told him at least he’s not the shorter and fatter brother!
Though the hardest part of all… figuring out what to do on Halloween!
How bout you chers? What exciting Halloween costumes do you have planned, or how about special plans?
Lotta Link Love! [9.29.08]
There have been tons and tons of amazing posts on the internet these past few weeks! I love finding fantastic posts by amazing people that totally keep me on my toes and thinking throughout the day…
Art by Aquaell
♥ Though I’m sure you’ve ALL read it, Gala Darlings How to Cope with a Quarter-Life Crisis is hitting a bit too close to home! I’m glad to see the topic addressed and to know that I’m not alone!
♥ Similarly, the Brazen Careerist provides pointers on how to find meaningful work.
♥ For something fun, I love this dumpster hot tub from MAKE magazine.
♥ I found this story, shared by Manolo for the Big Girl absolutely APPALLING. In short, a woman goes to a bridal shop to get a bridesmaid’s gown, places the order, and then the shopowners turn around and order a different gown because it’s not “Good for someone her size.” If the dress weren’t available in her size, call the girl and let her know! Don’t order a similar but different gown without consulting her.
♥ For a bit of big girl love.. Wooster Collective. I love the corseted street art best of all!
♥ Fabulously Broke in the City shares tips on keeping your taxes organized. I actually spent a good portion of my weekend tidying up! Though I don’t keep all of my receipts, I do keep those that are related to work, work & travel, donations, and anything else that could be tax deducted.
♥ Une Femme and La Femme Couture go all Mythbusters on us! They debunk and create their own mythical list of Wardrobe Must-Haves… based on their own styles and bodies and not a book!
♥ Doe Deere provides some delish eye candy. Love the outfit, love the shoes, love it all!
♥ I love Nubby Twiglet’s marketing posts! And the power of personal branding is no exception. I think personal branding is going to become more and more prevalent in the future years, and now is the time to think about what your brand is and what you’re saying with it!
TiLT! [This Week, Again]
Bonjour, mon cher!
It’s been an insane few weeks her at the Manor de Mischief, and I finally have a much needed weekend “off”! (And by off, that means I only have to work for about 3-4 hours today).
And what’s been keeping this kitten so busy?
♥ Dark Carnival Film Festival for starters! Last weekend was non-existent as I ran the Women in Horror panel, help set up a VIP/Awards Banquet, herded and heralded wonderful belly dancers & fire dancers (such as Dark Side Tribal and Gabriela) at an outdoor drive-in that was sans power! Dark Carnival always is, and always will be, a great test of patience, endurance, problem solving, and fun!
♥ The Return of TV Not only is it time for all of my favorite television shows to return to the air, I’ve finally signed up for cable & DVR! Now I can catch my glorious House, M.D., Dexter, Supernatural, Bones, Mad Men, Ugly Betty, Heroes, True Blood and so many more without having to resort to watching them on the internet! (Well, except True Blood & Dexter….) I try not to watch too much TV, but it’s a real community bridge. I love being able to talk to friends about what is going on, and snuggling up with the faux-beau to watch our favorites!
♥ Corso Como! When I first saw the Dodie bootie on Nubby Twiglet’s site, I fell in love! Then Princess Poochie bought some, and I couldn’t help but follow suit! These shoes are, by far, some of the most amazingly padded and comfy shoes I have EVER worn! The only down side is I have a hell of a time keeping the ribbons tight enough… Here they are with my super atrocious floral leggings from Target (though I didn’t wear them that day to work, they hadn’t arrived yet)
The brand has tons of super cute (and diverse) styles, and if you search around, you can find some AMAZING deals on them… (I won’t reveal one until after I’ve bought my pair! 
♥ Honorable Mentions: Finally getting my Curiouser & Curiouser Disney Couture necklace!; Banned Book Week (I’m going to try & read The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood); horror movie mistresses Kimberly Amato & Susie Adriensen and horror hottie Jeff Parise. I have a huge crush on him after Dark Reel!; being a lady who lunches; driving while listening to classic rock or Michael Jackson!; Halloween (big post about that soon!); budgeting my time, energy, and finances; and a weekend off!
But I’m not gonna lie… I hate the traffic that results in living in a Big Ten Football town and game day traffic! Yuck!!
Cinderella’s Glass Slipper
Since reaching my “Mid-20s,” a frightening and alarming event keeps reoccurring: All of my friends are getting engaged & (thus) married. This past summer alone hosted two weddings and a handful (or two) of engagements.
After I get over the panic that sets in, I tend to get really excited about it with my girl friends. What does their dress look like, the menu, what kind of cake!, and other great things to get excited about. It’s amazing to see how each couple’s priorities vary from each other. But one thing remains consistent– the bride wants to look AMAZING on her big day.
There is one bit of advice, I plead with all of my girl friends to follow:
Buy yourself a nice pair of shoes, perhaps designer (or your ideal shoe!), for the big day.
Many of my girlfriends scoff at the idea and spending the money on the shoes. It seems frivolous to spend that much money on a pair of shoes! But when I think about it, here is what I see:
♥ Hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars are spend on a dress that will only be worn one day (theoretically & hopefully, that is!).
♥ Many people spend thousands of dollars on reception halls, catering, photographers, and more.
♥ Chances are, you’re already coveting the shoe/designer anyhow.
♥ On your wedding day, when you’re prancing and dancing, meeting and greeting, the comfort of your feet is most important overall.
♥ If you get a truly, truly great pair of shoes, you’ll be able to wear them forever. Can you imagine walking in to the office wearing the same heels you wore on your wedding day? No one would know but you, but you’d have the excitement and happiness attached with that beautiful piece of clothing. Every time you put them on, you’d be reminded of a great memory. Isn’t that what clothes, especially good ones, SHOULD do?
One of my girlfriends has taken my advice to heart: a few weekends ago she was visiting friends in New York City, when I received a delightful voicemail. “Ashe, I’m in Barney’s right now, and there is a beautiful pair of silver Manolo Blahniks on sale. They were originally over $1000, but now they’re $400, and I’m thinking of getting them for my wedding. Do you think I should? Would silver be too tacky?”
Of course, I messaged her back & told her to get them! Not only do I think silver is *not* tacky in a shoe, but it’s a fresh pairing with her white gown (which has pearls & silver flecks on it). Plus, I think silver shoes are far more versatile than white shoes, but maybe I’m old fashioned (or it varies on your wardrobe). She can wear them to dinner parties, to work, out shopping, traipsing down the streets to New York on a future visit.
There are dozens of ways to do this, without having to break the bank, too!
♥ Know the shopping season: The high-end stores (Nieman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodmans, Saks, etc.) have their major shopping sales during the summer. You may have to keep your eyes peeled the year before, depending on when your wedding is, but you can find some fantastic deals on beautiful brands!
♥ Shop Around: Be a bit tacky; try them on in the fancy store, say they’re not to your liking, and shop around. A quick google search can often find you your dream shoe at a greater savings. Or, if you’ve got time, set up searches on eBay. There are AMAZING deals to be found on eBay, especially if you’re a bit indiscriminate.
♥ Get Funky: Designers like John Fluevog, Corso Como, and more can offer the same quality and comfort as Louboutin and Blahnik, but often for a fraction of the cost.
And most importantly– have fun! Treat yourself like the princess you deserve to be.
What’s Sexier Than….
Christian Bale as Batman? Or the smell of new leather boots? The backseam of a silk stocking? Hearing heels tap against hard wood floors? The men’s Olympic swim team?
I’d say combining Fashion with Philanthropy is pretty damned sexy.
Giving back to your community is something I hold dear to my heart, and I encourage more people to do it more often. And it never ceases to amaze me, how generous and supportive the fashion community can be when it comes to giving back to others.
First the ever lovely Wendy Brandes pushed her readers and challenged them in her Nie Nie Auction; with a winning bid of $1500, you’d think Brandes was a former Soethby’s employee. And she hasn’t given up yet! With a link on her main page, she’s raised upwards of $750 on TOP of her auction bids. Amazing!
Now we have the ever fanciful Annie Spandex who is pimping Handbag Amnesty and giving away a Vivienne Westwood handbag in the name of research. Handbag Amnesty is the joint collaboration of Handbag.com and Cancer Research UK. Both celebrities [including America Ferrera, Scarlett Johansson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, & more] and the average gal can donate their bags in order to raise funds for breast cancer research. Starting on October 3rd through the 14th, bid violently (and remember to snipe, damn it, as Ms. Brandes says!) on the A-list bags and know your funds are going to a great cause.
Not enough reason to participate? Think on this:
- Breast cancer is the most common forms of cancer in the UK. With one in nine women developing the disease at some point in their lives.
- In 2005 more than 45,500 women were diagnosed with breast cancer, that’s around 125 women a day. Each year around 300 men are diagnosed with breast cancer.
- Each year in the UK more than 12,300 women and 70 men die from breast cancer.
- In the United States, breast cancer is the number one cause of cancer death in Hispanic women. It is the second most common cause of cancer death in white, black, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native women.
- In 2004 (United States), 186,772 women and 1,815 men were diagnosed with breast cancer, and 40,954 women and 362 men died from breast cancer.
- Worldwide, more than a million women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year.
With statistics like those, it’s hard to overlook the elephant in the room. Whether breast cancer research is your cup of tea, or perhaps the recovery and support of Stephanie Nielson is, pick your causes and support them. Share information and causes with your friends and family; every little part you do can help make a difference in the world.
Links á la Mode!
Yikes! I’m a few days later than all of the lovely members of the Independent Fashion Bloggers Links á la Mode weekly roundup! I swear though, I haven’t been home in days. It’s Dark Carnival all day, every day.
This week we have got…
♥ dramatis personae - Buyer’s Beware
♥ Fashion Architect - Loving everything mustard-colored.
♥ Independent Fashion Bloggers - How to Take Gorgeous Self Portraits
♥ Logical Harmony - How to create an outfit from classic and preppy style items and turning it into a sexy and edgy look for fall.
♥ Mademoiselle Robot - An interview with accessories designer Elizaveta Yankelovich.
♥ MASH-World - The 80’s inspired Topshop Unique RTW show.
♥ Or False Glitter - Nicole Farhi and Emma Cook through the eyes of a Fashion Week novice
♥ ShopDiary - Get styled by Eric Daman and dress like a Gossip Girl.
♥ Tainted & Sweet… - So fresh and so clean…
♥ THE COVETED - Nagi Noda, I’ll miss your hair hats and poodle arms….
♥ The Life and Times of a Problem Child - The rise of male-oriented fashion publications in Asia…
♥ The Ongoing Project - Developing your personal style, Part 1
Today marks the last day of Dark Carnival 2008, and I’ll be entering my third week on the new job. As I start to find my new rhythm there and in my home life, there will be lots more posts coming your way!
UPDATE! Yikes! Thanks for catching my slip up ladies. Word to the wise– when you are in a rush, do not use the page source coding to update your Links á la Mode! Otherwise you end up a ninny like me!
Buyer Beware! A Sad Story
On a quick note: Sorry to have been so out of service! I’m at week two of my new job, and I am sans trainer and boss. It’s a bit overwhelming, on top of the fact I’m working on Dark Carnival Film Fest this week! But several things have come up that I think are important, so I’m taking time of my crazed life to share.
Recently, Paper Cities of Tomorrow shared a post on her recent experiences with Pinup Girl Clothing. After the debacle with Trashy Diva, I’ve learned there’s power in the voice of fashion bloggers, and we are demanding of great business practices all around.
“I haven’t posted here in quite a while. Life got busy and I’ve been putting it off, but I have all these topic ideas spinning around in my head. Today I want to share with you a terrible online shopping experience I had recently. Most of you know that I shop online a lot, usually from independent designers, and the experience is usually fine if not great. Not so this time.
My friend and I ordered some clothing from Pinup Girl Clothing about a month ago. They were having a blog advertised 20% off sale via a coupon code. They also offered free shipping internationally on orders over $250. Their usual shipping rate was $32 international (which has now been changed to $42). The website stated that they ship via USPS. I went to enter the code for the free shipping, but the site would only allow one code at a time. I e-mailed them about it, but they didn’t get back to me in time for me to get in on the sale, so I went with the 20% off code. Our order totaled $337 without the discount. We got $67.40 off with the code and paid $32 shipping, so really we only got about 10% off. Note that the website automatically gave US customers free shipping, but required a code internationally (and now they have no international free shipping offer). Therefore, US customers get to use a coupon and get free shipping, but international orders got either free shipping or a coupon.
The Fabulous Festival [September]
Hello, dears! Welcome to another lovely edition of the Fabulous Festival… Short & Sweet.
To begin with, let’s share a little bit of Fashion Week Runway love… Fashion Steals provides us with runway videos for those of us not lucky enough to be in New York ourselves!
I’m looking forward to Candy’s Virtual Spa Voyage which kicks off on September 15th!
With all the weddings and engagements going on in my life, I can only imagine how it is for those getting hitched! Weddings Affordable offers advice on picking your best gown color.
For a masculine voice… Brian Jay Stanley talks about the new pretty. I remember being that girl, and finally realizing I was pretty to members of the opposite sex. It’s a lovely story, seeing it from the other side.
Beauty is Within shares hip maternity clothes!
Sarah Spy asks, Is 27 Too Old For a Nose Piercing? Personally, I think age is an irrelevant question… what say you?
Empowering Girls: So Sioux Me gives us 10 Antidotes for Self-Objectification & Sexualization of Girls. A great list, and some things I wish I could share with my nieces!
Eco Fashion has a new, Green Destination and Victoria Everman gives us a report on it and on Kate Darcy of Toggery Organic Designs.
Solo Mode shares an interview with jewelry designer Cyndi Lavin. And what beautiful pieces she creates!
Next month’s Fabulous Festival will be hosted by the one & only Fabulously Broke in the City! The deadline for submissions is October 3th, and the Festival will be up on October 5th!
The Dramatis Personae — Lady Gaga
I’d be lying if I didn’t say I had a huge fat hearts-in-eyes girl crush on Lady Gaga from the moment I first watched “Let’s Dance” back in April.
And why shouldn’t I? She’s a former club girl with a penchant for big & bold clothes, an impression musical background (Tisch School of the Arts at NYU by age 17), and an attitude that’s playful and sassy. She reminds me of a Christina Aguilera who was styled and coiffed by Heatherette and schooled by the Party Monster kids.
Her style is theatrical and over-the-top, which obviously gets the Ashe Mischief Seal of Approval. Not only that, it feels like her genuine style– her outfits share a continuity from her brunette days to bombshell blond beginnings. I love how she pairs 80s style with futuristic cuts and modern touches; her performance at the 2008 Miss Universe pagent really shows that flair for drama.
Even more spectacularly though, is how she seems to tone done elements to let others show through. At Miss Universe she has a polished, though nude, face that doesn’t over power her latex leggings, chains, and bold yellow coat. Above, she’s in simple linear lines and black and white, but uses bold glasses and lipstick to make it striking.
(Wendy B, I particularly thought you’d enjoy her latex/vinyl leggings.)
Feeling a little Gaga yourself?
♥ Latex Leggings
♥ Fingerless Driving Gloves
♥FOX stiletto ankle boots
♥ Ziggy Stardust-inspired make-up
