Purple and blue…ahh, I love this color combination! And with puffy sleeves, no less…super groovy!
The blouse is from Forever 21, the skirt is thrifted, and the belt is handmade by me. 💙 I’m trying a new project of sewing myself belts that tie in the back! The purple star pin is made of sequins and I recently found it in an old jewelry box I have. 😄
And here I am at the pumpkin patch! I’m sooooo drawn to the sickly grey pumpkins!!! I love the traditional orange ones of course, but there is something so endearing about these grey ones. I adore them! ❤️
Hello, all!! 💕 How has your October been thus far? Hopefully, very well!
Autumn has a nostalgic feeling to it that’s hard to pinpoint exactly why, but the feeling is noticeably there. Hence, I have found myself reaching for a book that brings me back to my childhood, and most definitely, it’s this one:
I read it profusely in elementary school, so much that the spine of the book is broken, so it’ll lay flat when you open it. Other than that, it’s still in mint condition! The time period of the early 1900’s has always felt…comforting to me? Almost like a warm embrace? ❤️
I’ve always been drawn to the Titanic story, and I also enjoy the film, but I mainly watch it now to admire the fashion (I turn the movie off after they hit the iceberg and I pretend they duct taped the damage and everything carried on and all was fine). Anyhow, Voyage on the Great Titanic will always be the heart of my childhood, and I never tire of re-reading it!
I’m also halfway through a book I bought recently, written in 1722 by Daniel Defoe, and it’s absolutely fascinating! The amount of detail provided really sheds light on the subject matter and immerses you so much that you feel as if you’re actually there (which is no picnic). This is the fourth book I’ve read about the plague.
Outfit time! This new lace top is from Forever 21 and the skirt is thrifted. Paired with the thick black choker, I like the vintage feel it has!
Evening walks at the first start of autumn are always one of my favorites. It’s not too cold yet, so I can still enjoy the outdoors!! I discovered a back-end trail at the park I walk at, and there’s a spot with a beautiful view of the river. Now it’s my favorite spot…
I usually walk by myself, but this time my friend came with me. I like to trek on out there and check out the creepy crawlers on the ground, and also the wildlife. There are hawks and I saw my first real-life owl when I took these photos!
I’ve been so excited for this post! (I was going to wait and post it at the start of October, but I caved – close enough!)
I’m happy to 1) showcase my pumpkin purse and 2) showcase my creepy/cute ventriloquist doll. It will be a fun fall post, so I hope you enjoy! 🍂
This cute little pumpkin purse I bought off of Aliexpress is the bee’s knees; I love how he looks angry, like he’s my little protector and he will bite you if you do anything out of line! Those little teeth look like they would hurt, too. (Side note: the purse originally came with a longer chain handle, but I switched it to a different one!)
And for his grand debut on this blog, I will now introduce my ventriloquist doll I have owned for the majority of my life!
I found him in an antique store as a kid, and I was drawn to his perfect blend of cute and creepy. My mom very kindly bought him for me, and he’s earned a cozy spot on my shelf all these years.
The best part about him? He’s fallen over at random, and ironically, only in the dead of night when I’m asleep, or about to be. It doesn’t happen very often – maybe once every few years, out of nowhere, and never in the daytime. Chalk it up to coincidence, or maybe he’s haunted – in either case, I adore him! ❤️
ALSO, I WENT TO DUNKIN’ DONUTS… 💜
This may be no big deal to those with easy access to one, but for me, who lives in a city without a Dunkin’ Donuts, it was a grand adventure to try it. SERIOUSLY!!!
My sister and I decided last Sunday, heeeeeey! Let’s go to Hanford to try Dunkin’ Donuts! And thus, we were off on the 45 minute drive out of town on a whimsical adventure to seek such a treat that Fresno has yet to offer us.
You bet your bottom dollar it was worth trying! I was like a little kid in a candy store, eyes wide with joy at the sight of neon pink and orange everywhere in the store. How can you not have a big fat smile on your face being around such colors?!
And of course, the donut and coffee put a big fat smile on my face, too. I was literally so happy to try this place, finally!! Apparently it’s more commonly found on the East Coast, but not the West. So it was a real treat!
As we inch towards the official start of autumn, and the temperatures have slowly started to cool down, I find myself gravitating towards autumnal colors. 🎨
The first fall item to come out for air from my dresser? My grandpa socks: a mix of scholarly and fun, combined!
Socks are my first fall item to bring out for the season change. It’s not cold (thankfully), but it’s not hot either. I get chilly easily, so a pair of socks works for me, especially for that early morning/late evening chill that starts around this time.
Here are some more photos I took that are a nice warm-up to the fall season ahead:
Pillsbury pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls I made!
Adding to my visual journal – a collection of leaves 🍂
Autumn is definitely the time I go on dates with nature. I sit out and enjoy the weather, or take a stroll… ❤️ I go on plenty of nature dates with me, myself and I…don’t I?
I don’t always just hang out with leaves; consistently going to coffee shops is my social life…I can get my freelance work, blogging, and Internet surfing done in a public place and refresh my human interaction skills (“How are you?” “Have a good day!” Those small interactions. Smiling at people. Etc.)
My otherwise solo activities like learning Swedish and collecting dead leaves off the ground are great and all, but I like to try to keep up with some basic human interaction so I don’t lose what I’ve gained as far as improving my social skills. Even just small chatting interactions…it’s a win for me.
Oh yeah – for the start of October (spooky month!), I look forward to showing you all my creepy ventriloquist doll I’ve had since I was a kid (I myself am not a ventriloquist by the way, I just have a doll). I figure, I have had this doll nearly my whole life, so why not give a little blurb about him on here??) 😀
Last night, I saw Ghost live in concert in Bakersfield, CA! It was their first concert of the 2019 Fall Tour. This was my 3rd time seeing them live for the past 3 years in a row!
What made this concert different for me were two things: 1) I went alone, and 2) I sat in a seated section for a change (which turned out to be a better experience for me!)
Bakersfield is around 110 miles away from where I live, so it was close to a two hour drive. I challenged myself to just go to the concert alone and experience it as a solo adventure! And I’m glad I did!
The day of the concert, Friday the 13th, is the same day they released their new two-song EP album, Seven Inches of Satanic Panic. It features the dreamy, hypnotic “Mary On a Cross”, and my personal favorite, “Kiss the Go-Goat”, which sounds like it came straight out of the swinging sixties…kind of like my DRESS I WORE TO THE CONCERT! ❤️
OH MY GOSH MY HEAD LOOKS LIKE IT IS ON BACKWARDS IN THIS PICTURE
Super groovy, no??? I modified the sleeves myself into the bell shape! 😀
Now…for the concert photos!
What can I say?!?! I love this band so much and it’s been a journey experiencing their music over the years. I was ecstatic when they played Kiss the Go-Goat live for the first time ever, since it debuted that very day!
Guy next to me: “Cool outfit! Is it inspired by the song?” [Best compliment of the evening!]
Actually, I planned the outfit a week before the song even came out, and it turned out the music video released for it is set in 1969 and has groovy gals in groovy dresses in it. So it just coincidentally looked like it COULD have been one of the outfits in the video!
My super sixties hairdo just added to it even more. But in reality, I just looked like everyday me, and not dressed out of the ordinary for the concert! 😀
But it’s cool, because even the singer in the video had an ultra cool sixties ‘do. We’re bringing it back, no? ❤️
It was a beautiful night, equipped with new hit songs and…guess what? Plague doctors.
PLAGUE DOCTORS MADE A CAMEO ON STAGE…
The entire arena went dead silent. It was in-between songs, and out of nowhere the strangest, most unsettling sound was played loudly through the speakers. I can’t even describe it, but it was very loud bass…and just sounded extremely eerie, unlike any sound I’d ever heard. Even the guy seated next to me looked over at me in question.
And then through the thick fog, descended these plague doctors with the famous beak masks, creeping out slowly and peering out over the audience.
Did I let out a little squeak scream for a second? You bet I did. Half because it looked scary as HECK and with the scary sound playing I had no idea what was happening, but then it was also a fan-girl scream, because I have for years had a strong fascination and love for the plague doctor outfit.
❤️ WAS IT A GREAT NIGHT? You bet! Will it go down in my little memory book of Ghost concert moments? Naturally! ❤️
Happy beginning of September, folks! I hope the year has treated you well and continues to do so. Here’s to a new month with new opportunities and perspectives. 😊
This cheetah print outfit I wore was my favorite ensemble from last week! The patterns were different – cheetah print with a subtle floral print skirt – but since the colors of each were similar, I felt it worked in harmony.
Add red bows, and there’s your unexpected pop of color. BOOM!
Definitely a favorite outfit I came up with. I love pops of red on an otherwise neutral colored outfit. Just really adds some pizzazz!
Saturday night, I did something totally different for me, and that was, meeting up with a few gals to go dancing at an 80’s Goth Night!
My favorite thing was observing the cool, 80’s-esque ensembles people had on. And wow, did everyone have some cool dance moves. Did I dance???? Surprisingly, yes, in the circle of gals I was with.
Can I dance? …No. And it shows. I’m naturally a very rigid person in posture, so much that I sometimes wonder if my soul is some old Victorian woman, so fluid dance moves just aren’t something I can offer. But cheers to trying something outside of my comfort zone!
In other news, here’s me entertaining myself by taking photos of my hand and eyeball in a rainbow glow produced by the sunlight coming in through the peep hole of my front door:
Creepy eye, no? Probably the last thing you’d want to see in the dark. Me.
On a concluding note, here’s my new purse that also falls into the creepy category! If you’ve seen the film Beetlejuice, you’ll recognize it, but if not, let me explain! In the movie, Lydia Deetz comes upon a book that gives her a glimpse into the spirit world…
And behold!!! My new handbag, which looks like the book from the film. I love it so much! 💙 A nice reminder for me that acknowledging death and all souls who have departed…makes me appreciate life even more so.
How’ve you all been? I’ve been soaking up these last remaining days of summer, enjoying the heat while it’s still here, and otherwise just taking it easy like usual when I’m not doing my freelance work (which is going GREAT!).
I just finished a new line of Halloween jewelry for my Etsy shop! Aren’t they cuuuuute?????
It’s definitely my favorite necklace I’ve ever made, that’s for sure! I still have two new rings to make soon that have a pumpkin theme. 🎃
Outfit: the skirt is a vintage item given to me by my mom! ❤️ Coral top is from Forever 21.
So the other night, I felt like watching some music videos on YouTube from the 90’s, to get that warm fuzzy feeling of nostalgia. Collective Soul? Third Eye Blind?? Gin Blossoms??? Twenty music videos later, I had taken quite the journey back to my childhood! And it led me to this 1996 gem by Local H, “Bound for the Floor”, which I’d totally forgotten about!
🎶 And you just don’t get it, Keep it copacetic, And you learn to accept it… 🎶
Mostly referred to as “the copacetic song” back in the day, I remember hearing this song all the time on the radio as a kid. The cover of the album always creeped me out, though!! I remember when my sister and I would go to the WHEREHOUSE (oh my gosh, how I wish that was still around!) and the album cover always stood out to me.
I’m glad I re-discovered that song; it was like reuniting with an old friend. I think it’s because it has that post-grunge, mid-90’s sound that sweeps me away to my childhood days…a comfort food, like a grilled cheese sandwich dipped in ketchup! ❤️
Don’t you sometimes like to go for a swim in the nostalgia sea? I certainly do! Funny how an album cover and a tune can easily sweep us away. 😄
Well, let’s return to 2019 as I end this post, shall we? The pumpkin spice items debuted today at Starbucks, and you darn well KNOW I had some. Behold!!!! The pumpkin spice frappuccino and scone!
