Don't Forget: December One-Day Theme Tomorrow!

Just a reminder that the December 1 Outerwear theme day is tomorrow, December 1, beginning at midnight Pacific Time. For those of you in other time zones, check the left-hand column of my blog to see the time I am going by.

Mr. Linky will close at 11:59 PM PST on December 3. However, remember that the earlier you link up, the more people will see your post! :) Also the Linky box at the bottom of my post will tell you how many hours you have left until it closes.

Get the complete details and rules.

Veil Giveaway Winner and Blog Round-Up for November

I'm pleased to announce the winner of my Veil Giveaway: Smashed Doll! I'll be sending you an e-mail so we can work out the shipping. Congratulations!

Thank you so much to everyone who entered. I truly enjoyed reading everyone's different ideas on how to style a black veil. We had suggestions across the board from a full Victorian outfit, to Gothic Lolita, to a corset and Halloweeny t-shirt, to striped tights, and more. I love that this group is so diverse even while all falling under the "Goth" label. I hope we'll be seeing some of you attempting this veil project in the future and sharing your take on it!

Blog Posts of the Month

Now, on to my picks for best posts for November!  There were several this month that I just had to include.

• Traicetrak of The Airstepper's Adventures wrote a wonderfully thought-provoking piece on the inevitable urge to try fitting in while trying to stand out.  I think we've all felt this way at some point!
• AngelShinigami of Sweet and Simple presented a simply logical answer to the age old question of "Why do you dress like that?"
  
• The Irish Phantom Cat of The Phantom Cat's Otherworld showed us her Budget Beauty Tips.  Personally, I am loving the egg yolk moisturizing mask!  Mr. Kitty and I only eat the whites anyway, so this is a great way to avoid wasting those cholesterol-laden yolks.
  
• Trystan of This Is CorpGoth gave some great tips on how to prepare a functional and fashionable travel wardrobe.
  
• Sabayon of Ruffles Not Diets demonstrated some elegant but simple updos for work.
  
• Captain Morgan of Mental Pirate introduced us to a talented new old-school Goth/post-punk style band called The Rope.  You have to check these guys out!
  
• Amy of The Ultimate Goth Guide proved that the Goth subculture has no racial boundaries, complete with photos of gorgeous black Goths!

This month I am introducing a new way to show my appreciation for other Goth fashion bloggers by picking an Honorable Mention of sorts.  So, out of all the lovely outfits you ladies wore this month, one of my favorites was by Sary of The Walrus Room:

• Outfit: Flail (for lack of a better name)

And my personal favorite of my own outfits for November was:

• Black and White Party

VNV Nation!

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Mr. Kitty and I recently spent a weekend in San Diego rocking out with VNV Nation. We usually prefer to see shows in San Diego over Los Angeles, because the crowds don’t seem as crazy and everyone is a bit more low-key. Of course, it’s partly an excuse to spend time with a sweet couple who are amongst our very best friends, to enjoy what is usually some lovely weather and to re-hydrate in the moist air. The climate in San Diego couldn’t possibly be any more different than the desert wasteland we call home just a couple of hours away.

VNV Nation is very new-school for a Bauhaus-loving girl like me, but the driving passion of their music and the profundity of their lyrical compositions are impossible to deny. Ronan Harris always seems to be pulling the very words out of my own heart and soul, and presents them with such conviction and relentless determination that I cannot help but be deeply moved. Nothing beats seeing them live, because they truly appreciate their audience and interact with sincerity and emotion. The passion and enthusiasm are contagious: you can’t help but leave a VNV Nation show feeling like there’s someone out there who “gets” you and nothing can stand in your way! This was my third time seeing them live, and it was glorious. Additionally so because I had the opportunity to meet Ronan before the show, sitting in on an interview he did with my music reviewer friend over at Mental Pirate. In listening to Ronan speak, you become immediately aware that the intelligence and depth in his music are 100% genuine. He is gentlemanly, professional, composed and unassuming, without a hint of egotism. It was a truly delightful half hour spent in his presence.

Not to turn this into a music review blog, but VNV’s latest album, Automatic, reaches new heights for a band that was already worlds beyond what others in their genre are doing. VNV Nation awakened in me an interest in dark synthpop, which is exactly what I needed to complement my love of deep, dark old-school Goth. Few modern artists succeed in recreating that 80s Goth sound, and I needed some new stuff to enjoy and relate to. VNV Nation and their peers fill that need.

I try to tailor my wardrobe to the overall feel of an event, so a synthpop show calls for a bit of PVC. This is a Gallery Serpentine underbust corset, paired with a criss-cross backed sweater from Bebe (I bet Bebe never thought their stuff would be paired with anything from Gallery Serpentine!) and a lace skirt from Forever 21 that I just recently found on sale. The boots, of course, are Pleaser.

You absolutely must check out Mental Pirate’s write-up of the interview with Ronan Harris and this amazing show, as well as his review of Automatic.

What band speaks most deeply to your soul?

Veil GIVEAWAY Reminder

Don't forget to enter my giveaway before the end of the day Tuesday, Nov. 29 for a chance to win this lovely veil.

This is my first contest, so I might not have written the rules clearly.  Just to clarify, there are two requirements to enter:

• You must be following me on Google Friend Connect or Facebook, 
  
  AND
   
• You must leave a comment in this post sharing your ideas on what you would wear with this veil.  

I think I made it sound like the comment wasn't required, but I only want to enter truly interested people in the contest so I won't be automatically entering all followers.  Just those who comment.  :)  However, WHAT you say in your comment won't influence who wins.  Winner will be selected randomly from all comments.

You can double your chance of winning by ALSO sharing this contest on your own blog.  If you do that, be sure to leave a second comment on this post with a link so I don't overlook your post.  However, this second entry is purely optional.

This contest is open to anyone, anywhere. :)

Tutorial: Black Tulle Veil (and a GIVEAWAY)

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As promised in my Lace Theme Post, I present a tutorial on how to make a simple, inexpensive black veil.  Nope, you don't have to be getting married (or going to a funeral) to wear this.  A veil lends an extreme degree of dark romanticism to a club outfit, or whatever special occasion you desire.  I wear mine whenever I please, and I did so even when I was single.  :)

I have a little surprise for you: I am GIVING AWAY the veil I made for this tutorial.  Be sure and look at the end of this post for instructions on how to enter!

You will need:

• Black tulle – approx. 1.5 - 2 yards (available at your local fabric store, sold by the yard, usually for less than $1/ yard).
• 3” wide blank hair comb or barrette (available from most craft stores)
• Black thread
• A needle
• Scissors
• Measuring Tape of some kind (a long piece of string works in a pinch)
• Hot glue (optional)
• Black roses or other embellishment (optional)

Measure from the top of your head to where you want the end of the longest layer of the veil. Measure again from the same point on your head to where you want the shorter layer to end.  I chose 36" for the bottom layer and 18" for the top.

Add those two numbers together (my total was 54", or 1.5 yards). Cut a length of tulle that is the total length of both layers. Do not cut the width. Keep it the width that it was when you bought it at the fabric store (usually either 45” or 60”; either will work).

Fold the tulle at the point between the two layers so each comes out to the desired length.

Using a needle and long piece of thread (doubled), run a stitch loosely through both layers about 1” in from the fold. Stitches should be about 1/2” apart. Pull this tight to bunch up the tulle to the width of your barrette or hair comb.

Wrap the thread around each edge of the tulle tightly, because just a regular knot will pull through the tulle and the whole thing will unravel.

Prometheus is on-site providing Quality Control.






Use the needle and thread to wrap stitches through the tulle and around the barrette or comb. For added durability, you can add a small line of hot glue* before stitching the tulle to the comb or barrette, but this isn't crucial if you don't have a hot glue gun.

Finally, attach some black roses, beads, bows or other decorative element along the top edge of the veil, if desired. This makes it a bit more fancy. You can attach them using hot glue* or the needle and thread.

I used a glob of hot glue plus a couple of stitches in each rose for added strength.





You could also sew narrow trim around all the edges of the tulle if you want. I opted for raw edges to give it a more airy, ethereal look.

If cleaning is ever needed, gently swish the tulle in cold water with a tiny bit of Woolite without submerging the roses or barrette.

* Use caution when using hot glue on tulle. The glue can easily go through the mesh of the fabric and burn you unexpectedly.

Thank you to Mr. Kitty for photographing this project!

Want to win this veil? Here are the rules.

• You must follow my blog using Google Friend Connect or on Facebook. And please don't just “unfollow” after the drawing, because that's not in the spirit of the thing. :)
• You must leave a comment describing what outfit you would pair this veil with if you win it.  There are no right or wrong answers: this is just a fun way to express your interest in entering the contest. 
• For one extra entry, post a link to this contest on your own blog or Facebook page. Be sure to leave a separate comment here with a link to your blog post so I can be sure to enter you twice.
• Winner will be chosen ON Tuesday, NOV 29 via a random number generator (random.org). I will then contact the reader to get their e-mail address so we can arrange shipping.
• IMPORTANT: If you do not have a blog with a clear way for me to contact you, please be sure to let me know how to find you.

This giveaway is open to anyone, anywhere. :)

For Sophie

For Sophie.

Batwing Drop-Waist Dress

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I was delighted to find that it was going to be 65 degrees today, so I had a chance to wear this dress before it gets too cold out. Call it batwing or dolman sleeve; this style is always comfortable and elegant. Newport News happened to call this dress batwing, I believe. Sometimes I almost think they are actually trying to sell their stuff to Goths… ;)

The drop-waist of this dress is ruched to hug the hips in a very flattering way! The dress is jersey knit, so it’s a cat hair magnet, but at least it’s cut in such a way that there is no stretching over the pressure points.

This dress is so loaded with simple elegance that I just paired it with basic all-black beaded jewelry and lace armwarmers. The choker is just a piece of fancy trim to which I added some sequins and seed beads at intervals, and attached a clasp.

This is one dress that I love so much styled exactly like this that I don’t usually mix it up at all when choosing accessories for it. Sometimes I'll wear long, bell-sleeve sweater armwarmers under it, when it's chilly out. I’ll try to do something a little different next time, just to give the dress some re-blogging value. ;-D