DIY: Easy Skull Earrings Tutorial

I'm a very bad DIY blogger because I've been holding on to these gorgeous skull beads for over a month because...well, life. Anyway, the very nice people over at Auntie's Beads gave me a $25 gift certificate to go nuts (as if I could ever buy just $25 worth of beads, but it was a nice gesture) and I picked these up along with a few other awesome jewelry making pieces and I knew exactly what I was going to make with them. These DIY skull earrings are super easy to make and you can customize with any kind of beads you'd like, so I thought they might make for a fun tutorial!

What I Wore: The Wishing for Spring Edition

Spring, oh spring, where art thou? It's time right? The weather gods are just messing with us? I would love to me able to walk outside in a light jacket again (or no jacket, but I'm asking for baby steps here). It's going to warm up to a sunny 50 degrees this weekend and in an effort to break away from winter, I'm busting out the light sweaters and floral prints!

What I Wore: The I Heart Skulls Edition

I love skulls. Is that a weird sentence? Probably. But it's true! And I don't know how else to phrase it. The skull motif has been pretty popular in fashion for a little while now and I couldn't be happier. It's become slightly a problem. Obviously, when I found this dress I knew I had to have it. Even though I realize I look a little Wednesday Adams in this post. Ooops.

What I Wore: The Boot Edition

I love boots. Cowboy boots, ankle booties, motorcycle boots, any kind of boot. They are my favorite kind of shoe. Wearing boots again comfortably is what I'm always most excited about when the weather starts to get cooler. However, as much as I wish I could buy a new pair of boots whenever I want, financially it makes more sense for me to hold on to them until I absolutely need a new pair. Well the time has come. All my current boots are worn down at the heel to the point of being dangerous. You know what that means? I get to buy new boots and not feel bad about it it! Which is exactly what happened. 

Monday Design: Skull Home Decor

I have an affinity for all things skull shaped. I can't explain why or how it started, I just know that I am always drawn to that shape. In high school I thought it was just part of my "punk rock" phase, but last summer when I was walking around all the craft fairs I realized that I kept being drawn to all the skull sculptures that were painted in different colors - neon, pastel, chalkboard black. Now I know I can't escape it. I think I love the way a skull sitting in a room next to a bowl of fruit reminds me of a still life painting - always reminding you to enjoy every minute. Of course, I'm not talking about real skulls here, that's kind of creepy even for me, but plastic and wax molds I'm ok with. Although, adding skulls to your home decor doesn't always have to be morbid. Just check out these adorable mini skull speakers below! They are sort of cartoon-y but still add a modern feel to the room.

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You could also just do a bowl of skulls like in this picture. This is more on the extreme end of displaying skulls in your living space since they are so bare and exposed. I prefer nestling one in your bookshelf or on your mantle, somewhere prominent yet unexpected.

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This skull rug is another example I love of turning something that can be kind of morbid into a fun center piece.

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It took me a second to notice the skull candle in this picture since it's such a bright white against white, but it's an interesting arrangement of objects.

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Now I know this last one isn't a human skull and it's not really a skull either, but I just thought it looked cool and was an interesting take on the mounted deer head trend. I believe this one is just carved wood. Still pretty intimidating huh? It looks gorgeous against the brick background. 

Would you ever add a skull to your home decor?

What I Wore Wednesday: I Love the 90s Edition

Today's outfit post is brought to you by the number 9, as in the 90s! It was 90s night at a club that some of my friends were going to so I decided to use that opportunity to pull together my best 90s outfit. I, of course, thought that had I been older in the 90s I would have definitely gone the grunge route. I have to admit that even when the 90s were well over, my high school style still pulled a lot of my favorite elements from the 90s. I was always all about mini dresses, big shoes, fishnets, and dark lipstick (and a whole lot of leopard print, but that's a different story). I guess there are some things you never grow out of.

Photo Friday: Morbid Beauty

This amazing photo series from Carsten Witte really made me stop and look for a second. I have always been a fan of still life paintings and their juxtaposition of life and death. Still lifes served as a consistent reminder that life is fleeting and time is always ticking, which does not have to be as morbid as it sounds. It is another way to remind us that because life is so fleeting we should take time to stop and enjoy the beauty that surrounds us.

That's what I saw in this collection and I had to share it with you all if only to get you to stop and enjoy a little beauty today. These pictures on a little haunting, but in today's fast-paced, visual, beauty-centered society sometimes we need a reminder to stop and smell the roses.

 Have a great weekend!

Happy Halloween! Musings on Skull Fashion

Happy Halloween!

It's finally here! My favorite holiday. I'm sure you've already done all your celebrating over the weekend, but here at my office we're having a little Halloween costume contest and munching on candy still. So in the spirit of Halloween I decided to do a little post about one of my favorite Halloween themes and fashion motifs: skulls! Yup, you can be scary and trendy at the same time! Bet you didn't realize that.

Here are some cool fashion pieces I found, mind you, some of them are a few years old, but still fun on a day like today!

I love these shots, so elegant and yet mad scientist at the same time.



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via Daily Dose of Lies

 Of course this post would not be complete without these Alexander McQueen clutches, or without Alexander McQueen period, but I've seen about a million DIY's for this clutch so here it is.



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I love the idea of these more than I love the shoes themselves, but there's gotta be a better version of these out there somewhere. If you find them, tell me. I will most likely own a similar pair before I die.

Now if you don't have a thousand dollars to spend on a clutch. Another great source of some really awesome and original pieces is Etsy! Some of my skull accessories:



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Well, now that I've sufficiently terrified all of you, I can call it a day. Hope you all have a great Halloween and eat enough candy to make your teeth fall out!