'Cause....

purple fishnets, that's why!

Outfit Post!

Yay! I have new clothes to show you!

Shirt: Brand new from Vanity Fair. 

Ruffle Top: old Walmart find that I've worn here before.

Boots: ebay

I forgot to tell everyone on my last post, Sam and I are buying a house! It's a beautiful three-bedroom brick house, with a formal dining room in the front that I'll be using as a library. I've already gotten a couple of chairs and a coffee table for that room, and two desks that we already had, but I'm still looking for bookcases. I can't wait to show you guys pictures! We're supposed to close on September 9th. 

I Didn't Die!

Hello again readers! I am so sorry for the long, long hiatus, and most especially for not giving much - if any - warning.

The last year has been in interesting and complicated time for me. I left you when I decided to leave college, and truth be told, I was headed for a major nervous breakdown. Things were happening in my personal life that felt as though I were fighting a tidal wave, and I had to unplug for a while.

I've spent a lot of time soul-searching and trying to find a sense of purpose. I tried working a minimal job just to say I was contributing to the household, but it didn't work out. My social anxiety has gotten to the point that, most days, I would rather not leave the house. I am also struggling with questions of self-worth because of my lack of financial contribution to my home.

If I am totally honest with myself, I prefer to be a housewife. I enjoy staying at home and being there when my son needs me, not leaving him with a babysitter or extended family all the time. I think it has given us both a chance to get to know each other more. I also like being able to write whenever I want; I've flung myself headfirst into my poetry and diary over the last year, and I've found it to be very fulfilling and therapeutic.

Speaking of therapy, I'm seeing a counselor for anxiety and depression. I haven't been going long, but I feel like it's helping. I like talking to someone about my feelings instead of just relying on medication.

So! With all that personal meandering out of the way, what is to become of my blog, and what are my prospects for the future? I am going to recommence Misadventures in the same vain as it always has been, but in the next several weeks I will be working putting together a new site that I will link to this one. Though playing the Great Rejection Game with literary magazines is thrilling and all that, I want to try a more 21st century approach. I plan on publishing some of my own work online, and seeing what sort of response I get. I value each and every one of your opinions, so please feel free to leave me criticisms and comments on this new blog. If all goes well, I may use it as leverage to publish a collection sometime in the vague future.

I'm hoping I haven't lost too many readers during my absence, and I look forward to writing again. Here's to being back from the dead!

Christmas List: Edgar Allan Poe Lunch Box!

source 

Want this so much! 

A small note about Comments

Non-post really, but.....

Please do not comment on my blog with just a url to another site. I will assume you are spamming and delete it. If it is something you really think I should check out or would be interested in, please email me.

Sorry for the mini-rant. That is all.

Good day!

Of Life Changes and New Directions

Hello darlings, a lot has been going on with me lately, and I haven't been able to quite put it all into words, so my blogging has been neglected, but I would like to share some new revelations that I have had and how these are effecting the direction my life is apt to take.

I've dropped out of college.

I know this sounds horrible, but I've come to the conclusion that after six years of pursuing three different degrees, and still not achieving a diploma, that college is simply not for me at the moment; or at least, the programs I was in are not for me.

See, every one of the programs I had enrolled in had something to do with journalism or the media industry, and the more I understand about how these entities work, the less I like the degree. Quite frankly I don't want to be a journalist anymore. I still want to write, but in a different capacity.

So what am I doing now? What is my job title?

Poet.

I've decided to become a recluse of sorts for a couple of years and work on my poetry and on getting published. I'll probably end up with a minimal job to help pay the bills, but that will allow me to leave work at work and focus on my writing when I am at home.

As a sample of what I am doing, I'll give you a poem. I'm usually loath to post things on the internet because of the very real possibility of plagiarism, but I suppose one for the sake of example won't hurt.

Flowerbed

I don't

understand 

what they expected

to grow

when they planted

my body 

in this plot,

especially since

they've already stuck

some false flowers

in a plastic

vase 

and left. 

I think the reason I've been avoiding this post is because I wanted to include a poem in it, and I'm notoriously self-conscious about sharing my work. I'm my worst critic.

As far as my blog, I don't think things will change much. I'll be spending more time at home now, so I might be able to post more regularly.  

Happy 165th Birthday to.....

Mr. Bram Stoker! Check out the amazing logo Google put up:

We have a gorgeous edition of Dracula that's almost too pretty to read. Almost.

front cover

My phone doesn't like color, so the pages are a much more brilliant red than what this picture is showing.

spine.

Back cover.

Ok, maybe I'm a little overly-proud of my book, but it's pretty and I'm allowed. 

Happy Halloween!

YAY! The day is finally here, and we have had a great time at my house. Sam and Zach went Trick-or-Treating and my Mom and I sat outside and handed out candy to appease the little gremlins.

Sam with his new trench coat.

Zach as a Vampire with glow-in-the-dark green fangs.

And me in my neck corset and mini witch's hat.

PVC bat wings!

So this Halloween day marks my handsome husband and I's 2nd wedding anniversary. I'm so excited, and we had a really fun time together. I think we'll be going out to eat together this weekend. I'm so grateful that I've found someone to take this life journey with. I love you Sam. 

New T-Shirts!

Halloween Day will be Sam and I's 2nd wedding anniversary! He bought me a couple of shirts from Walmart to tell me that he loves me:

On Halloween Rants, and a few personal woes...

Hello everyone, and welcome new followers! I'm still constantly surprised at the amount of people who are willing to listen to me blither on....

I know I haven't been blogging with much enthusiasm lately, and there are many reasons why, all of which have had me in a kind of crisis mode and few of which I'm willing to fully describe on the internet. Suffice it to say that some of it involves my husband's ex-wife and some family issues. I've been feeling very low the last few weeks, and it has culminated into feeling almost nothing at all the last couple of days. I've kind of shut down emotionally, and maybe that's what I need to reboot.

Anyway, this post has been vaguely writing itself in my head for some time, so I need to put it down.

There are a few things that irritate me around Halloween, as much as I love the holiday, and these aren't even so much of the comments that I know we all get (i.e. "Nice costume" or "Are you going to a party?" No, what irritates me first of all is some of the costumes.

Yep, Goth costumes.

I think this bothers me in much the same way as other costumes that seem to be making a weird persona out of a specific group of people. I ran up on someone the other day that planned on going as a lesbian with one of her friends. That's not a costume, that's a person. In the same way things like this bother me:

source

Described as a "Goth Bride of Darkness" costume

Ok, I understand, maybe I'm being too touchy. Halloween means ooky spooky and this would certainly do it for most people. However, the way that gets translated is that someone seeing me in my everyday clothes assumes that I am in costume, that I'm trying to achieve this look, and that it's not who I really am and I'm playing pretend. 

What these costumes do is take Gothic fashion and make fun of it. Maybe I'm being too sensitive, but I can't be the only one who feels like they are begin ridiculed. 

On the other hand, I do love the holiday and I buy things that are cheesy and cliche, if only to gently poke fun at myself and make sure I'm not taking myself too seriously. I know that it's weird for me to complain about the above picture and then buy this:

It says "Gothtini." Had to get it. Had to

Maybe in the end it's how someone uses the imagery that effects the way I process it. If it's just a costume you're putting together to make yourself seem "scary" because you think Goths are scary, then I feel I'm being made fun of in the wrong way. If you genuinely think it's cute and intend to use it for more than shock value, I can get over it.

I'm curious to know if I'm the only one that feels this way. How do you guys feel about Goth costumes and such?

There is one more little thing that bothers me around Halloween. I am a Christian, and I know Halloween is sometimes a four letter word in the Church, but really, if you're going to claim that it's evil, don't turn around and have the exact same thing at a church and call it something different and say that's ok.

Maybe this is just a thing with churches around here, but every one of them have an "alternative" set up for Halloween night, where the kids dress up in costumes (although they ban "scary" costumes), they give out candy, they play games, and they call it a "Hallelujah Party" or something similar. It's ridiculous. If Halloween is that twisted and evil that you don't think I should celebrated it or let my kid go trick-or-treating, why are you having the same exact damn thing at the church? Do you really think calling it something different means you're not celebrating the (pagan) holiday just like everyone else???

Does anyone else see this happen where they live? What do you guys think about this?

Outfit Post: The Lady in White

I like to wear a mostly white outfit every now and then to throw people off. This is actually the same outfit I wore on Halloween day last year, and people kept complementing me on my costume.....

Top: skeletal bride and groom, from Walmart last Halloween

Skirt: the white skirt I bought at Goodwill, and added the lace trim myself. All hand-striched, because I have an irrational fear of sewing machines. They make me think I'm going to sew my finger to something.

The skeleton lady cameos you have seen on me before; I thought the pearls and white details were a nice touch to this outfit.

I'm debating on what I want to wear on Halloween day this year. I don't wear costumes, but I do dress up to the nines in whatever I have. What are you guys planning to wear? Do you have any special plans for the day?

Halloween-style Welcome Mat

My house is officially a home now! Check out what I picked up at Target:

I haven't been able to get much this year, but I'm happy with this.

Small update

Thank you guys for not deserting me! I have spoken to my professor about my film project and have been given permission to include interviews via webcam or skyp. Would anyone be interested in this option?

I'm working on future posts, which includes a rant about Goth costumes and Halloween being reworked to appease some churches around here.

I hope to be back in the swing of things very soon!

On School Projects and a Question

Sorry I've been gone; very busy with child and school stuff.

And on that note....

I have a final film project due at the end of november for my production class (I am a New Media and Communication Major). This project is essentially a ten-minute documentary. I haven't hammered out the details yet, but I want to do something about the Goth subculture. Maybe just a "what is it and what does it mean to you?" type thing.

My problem is that I don't have people I know (besides my husband) that I could interview for this project. Is there anyone in the Middle Georgia area - or anywhere in Georgia, I'm willing to drive - that would be willing to be interviewed on camera? Please please please leave me a comment or send me an email if you are interested or have any suggestions.

source

A link to my email is in my profile, but I'll give it to you here as well:

safryemitchell@gmail.com

Halloween Haul: New School Bag

This is a bag I found at Big Lots yesterday. Yes, yes, I know it is a treat bag, but one of the beautiful things about subcultures is finding ways to use things out of context, and this makes a great bag to carry books and notebooks in. I carried one around all this year that I bought last Halloween and it served me pretty well. They do get rips and things in them from use, but when you pay about $1 for them, you really can't complain. And it's so cute!


Do any of you guys do weird things like this?

Sunday Outfits: Victorian Grunge

Welcome new followers, and yay for over 10,000 views! 

This is a bit late for a Sunday post, but I really liked this outfit. About a year ago, Sam bought me a top from Ebay that turned out to be too small; I recently unearthed it again (I never throw anything away), and decided to cut off the sleeves and make it a vest of sorts.

Ergo, Victorian Grunge fashion is born:

Should have worn my spiked collar with it. 

What do you guys think? Will this catch on? Cut apart your clothes for the sake of fashion!

Outfit Post

My only Monday class was canceled today, but I still had to drive to campus to exchange a camera that me and another student are sharing for film class.  This might seem like I'm whining, but I live almost an hour from my college, so yeah....gas.

Anyway, I liked what I was wearing so I felt good.

Spider web top: ebay

Dress: Thrift store. the ends of the dress all trail off so it looks like its falling apart at the seems - I love it!

Too Goth for a Hospital?

I found this article on during a random Google search, and frankly found it disturbing. This guy visited an ER after a skating accident, seeking medical attention for a broken wrist, and was denied service by the smuck behind the front desk because of an inverted cross he was wearing.

What the frick?

source

He doesn't look all that scary to me. 

Ok, let me begin the rant. Most likely (though I am just guessing here but this is very likely what happened) the reason the clerk was so offended was because he was probably a Christian who associates an upside-down cross with Satanism. That is not the only way that cross is used, it is also used in Catholicism (yes, a Christian religion) as a symbol of St. Peter, who was crucified upside-down.    And even if he is a Satanist, this country was founded on the concept of the freedom to worship in anyway one would like without fear of persecution, so unless this guy had ran up and said "I'm going to kill you" or something similar, the clerk had no reason to deny him medical attention.

And what is more, the Goth guy offered to tuck in the necklace so it could not be seen, if it was so offensive. And the clerk still told him to find someone else to check him in.  Personally, I would have made such a scene that the guy probably would have been fired on the spot. The Goth in this case was very polite in the face of such ruddiness, and I commend him for it.

Honestly this makes me loose faith in humanity a little bit. Thankfully nothing like this has happened to me, but that is not to say that it couldn't eventually. I can only hope that the clerk will loose his job over this.   

Fangs had Kittens!

Evidently some tom cat got her pregnant right before we moved and started keeping her inside. I want to strangle that thing.....but they're cute anyways! Three little Tabbies, just like her. We're going to be giving them away when they are old enough; I'll be sad about separating Fangs from her babies, but we just can't afford to keep them. 

Strange Assumptions about Goth Parents

I had a weird encounter yesterday. I was standing in line at a store in town when I saw someone I went to highschool with and started a conversation with her. Her mother was with her and started asking the usual questions: where do I get my clothes, purse, all the "Goth stuff," etc. Ok, fine.

Then she asks if I dress my son in "gothic" too. I explained to her, in a polite and approchable way, that Zach picks out all his own clothes and that while, yes, he does tend to choose things of a spooky nature, he wears other things too.

Then came the weird part.

She says "I bet he goes to school and tells everyone, 'my mama's a witch!'".

Yeah.....cause that's funny.

Two assumptions are being made here: first that I would make my child dress like me, and second that he would see my choice of outfits as "weird" like everyone else does.

1. I am actually different than a lot of parents in letting Zach choose all of his clothes. I've see many that I know choose things for their child because they felt it was cute or what the child might want. This decision made with a heavy dose of what the parent thinks, not the child themselves. Children are little people, they have their own wants and likes and to stifle that because "you" don't like it or don't think it's cut enough is simply scary.

2. My child does not see me as weird, my child does not see me as a witch; this is because I have taught my child to be appreciative of difference and tolerate the views and options of other people. So he knows that not every one who dresses in black is a witch, nor is any one who is different from him somehow bad or scary.

Sorry about the rant, but I had to get this one out there: do any other alternative parents run into these situations? What has been the worst assumption made about you?