Your Questions (finally) ANSWERED.

OMG. I'm back. It's like I'm Nathan Young and I was buried alive but turns out in a major plot twist that I'm back from the dead because I'm immortal and...
I may have been watching a lot of Misfits lately. This (warning: slightly NSFW) has been my winter break so far. I didn't say I was proud. But it has been a wonderfully and terrifyingly lazy hiatus, and I'm overdue on a lot of things. Remember the FAQ back in October? I hope with profuse amounts of apologies and kowtowing, I can come back to my blog and finallyfinallyfinally answer these questions once and for all in this post. 


*hug* I missed you. Please forgive me, I have digital chocolate chip cookies.

_____

Paige asked:

What inspired you to start your blog?

Essentially, I bullied myself into doing this thingamajig after a good amount of stalking following and reading many daily fashion blogs. The beautiful thing about blogging is that fairly anyone's capable of it-- it was just a matter of mixed delusion and confidence when I went "hey, I think I can do that!" And thus it began.

What has changed about your blog/your style since you started?

I can say all this stuff about learning the subtleties of what to do or what not to do in blogging and how I dared to mix prints more, but I'd like to show a visual.

Alive Again! Charlene "Chuck" Charles (part I)

I apologize for the crappy quality of these photos (I feel like I've already said that at least 5 times before). Mr. Sun had to be a bitch and not wait for me.

What's Lovely for Friday, May 14, 2010: Holding a sugar glider named Fondue... then having it fondue on me. Woops.

I know, I know, the What's Lovelies aren't corresponding with the pictures, but please bear with me. I'm currently spending the weekend near the beach in a town called Hua Hin, which translates to "I can't upload new pictures for the next few days." But WOAH, what's this? We totally teleported back to the American Midwest in one day! Suck it, Spock, I got this teleporting thing down. (just kidding, I love you, Spock)

This outfit is more peripherally inspired by the main fashionista of the scene, Charlotte "Chuck" Charles, rather than a direct interpretation like I did the other characters. I've been saving this cardigan for ages since I first bought it, not only because it was so sweet (have any of you ever done that? save a piece of clothing for that special debut?), but because it struck me as something the sweet Chuck would wear. Though we aren't similar in personality (Emily said that I was more of an Olive, which I'd like to think is true), we do share the same nickname-- "Chuck." Granted, only a few people call me that, but I say it counts.

Cardigan, Skirt- TJMaxx : Underskirt- Mom'd : Tights- We Love Colors : Flats- Old Navy

What's Lovely for today, May 15, 2010: Writing names and drawing sloppy stars in the beach sand.

Seeing Red

Did you know that I get uncontrollably angry whenever I see trees? It's like we're on an on-off relationship and can't stop fighting each other.

OK, not really. I'm weird. Nature's pretty cool. Especially when it was this beautiful outside. The thermometer has been sneaking its way back to the high 70s. I definitely know I'm going to be missing my cooler-weather tights during the sweltering 80 degree summer days. It was definitely getting to be a little uncomfortable wearing them in the late afternoon when the sun decided to go "WHAT'S UP."

I hugged, I kicked, I conquered. TAKE THAT, TREE.

I seem to have lost my way in the woods. The really, really sparse woods.

Alohamora! Lumos! Expelliarmus! Dammit, it's must be broken. Ollivander, you'll see ME in court for selling me a faulty wand.

Tank- Juniper : Blouse- Gap : Shorts- secondhand : Tights- We Love Colors : Shoes- Gentle Souls via TJMaxx : Necklace- Von's thrifted

What's Lovely for April 29, 2010: I finally, finally, FINALLY got a picture with the Red Power Ranger that roams my campus. Best thing is, we matched! No wait, the best thing may be that I got to steal a hug. ;)

As I described this picture before, I can tell my children (or other random children) in the future that I hugged the Red Power Ranger. And then they'll probably have no idea who I'm talking about, those goldarn young whippersnappers.

I'm nervous about tomorrow. Summer is too tantalizingly near right when finals stand in my way.

______

EDIT: I'm going to retroactively count this as my AAW! Aunt Lily part II, since it was partly based on this outfit of hers. This totally doesn't count me being lazy.

Alive Again! Aunt Lily Darling (part I)

What's Lovely for Tuesday, April 27, 2010: A day when I was alternatively called "fashion forward" and then stuffed my face with bread pudding for the first time. The two aren't especially correlated, but I was embarrassingly pleased with both.

Couldn't really get the eyepatch down. I had one in elementary school, does that count? Arrrr.

Today's (meager) contribution to the series is the first look at the other aunt, Aunt Lily! That lovably sardonic and grumpy alcoholic, she's truly a sourpuss with a heart of gold and a liver full of vodka.

I based my outfit off of this one she wears when she meets Olive for the first time with a welcoming "who the hell are you?" Not exactly the same boudoir dress silhouette, but I was tickled to see that the patterns were strikingly similar.

Doctor Doctor, can you help me? I seem to have gotten a puffy in my fishface and polio in my legs.

Dress/skirt- Mom's : Cardigan- secondhand : Belt- secondhand : Tights- We Love Colors : Flats- Gap

I apologize for the far away and not-so-stellar quality of these pictures. It really is true what they say about having a photographer friend with you... once you get a human tripod, you can't go back... pod. OK, that didn't rhyme, how about this: once you get some slack, you can't go back. But then that sounds like I've going rock climbing. OH FUGGIT.

Either way, I had to go back to my old friend the self-timer. But since I'm using my friend's camera, I had to precariously balance it on various pieces of concrete. Because for the life of me, I did not want to be responsible for breaking ANOTHER camera. Also, want to know something mindblowing? That dress is actually a skirt. YEAH. Mind. Blown.

Mind you, you know Lily is the one on your left because she has a martini glass in her hand. Aunt Lily and alcohol are best buds, like Sonny and Cher if Sonny was booze. [screencaps lovingly taken by me]

But if you're jaded about that kinda thing, then I understand if your head hasn't exploded into confetti yet. Speaking of ridiculous things, I can't believe that the semester is drawing rapidly to a close. It's like all the work I have to do is racing in a large WOOSH and the wide hole is drawing quickly to a tiny dot.

What's Lovely for today, April 28, 2010: Getting that funny feeling where you tummy flips a little when you think about the exciting things ahead, oh the places you'll go!

I actually can't believe I haven't mentioned where I'm planning to travel on this blog yet. Does anyone want to guess? Hint: Think Pink. Not the color, mind you, but the person. No, not the singer, but... oh you'll get it.

Alive Again! Darling Aunt Vivian (part II)

Why hello there... what? Oh no, just... casually climbing up this fire escape. Like it's normal. Like what your mom does. I mean, what?

Finallyyyyyy I get around to posting these pictures that were taken last week. Goodness, the convenience of technologies. Sorry also for the picture quality, they're not quite as stellar as I'd like them to be. But what can I say? It was constantly drizzling outside, so dry measures had to be taken.

Oh look, it was also raining where Aunt Vivian was. Only she's actually roughing it, while I appropriately wimped out.

This is basically the same idea as the last Vivian-inspired outfit I had-- tailored fit with short skirt, almost an old-fashioned vampy look, but with a certain sweetness. Vivian and Lily definitely have a penchant for animal print, which I was all too happy to oblige (as you may well know). So I based this ensemble off of the outfit Vivian wears in a particularly touching scene when she decides that she wants to be happy. When you think about it, isn't that a simply beautiful thought?

I would've liked to emulate their synchronized swimming outfits, but that would've taken a good amount of sequins and scales.

One advantage of shooting indoors was that I got to lean over a lot of things. Forwards, backwards, I got a wide range.

Tank- secondhand : Skirt- Forever21 : Cardigan- Macy's? : Tights- Target : Shoes- Gentle Souls via TJMaxx : Belt- Walmart

Can anyone get this me hat? It'll totally go with my gold-plated samurai suit.

What's Lovely for April 26, 2010: The strange phenomenon that is Boobquake. One Google search can tell you all you need to know, if you haven't found out already. This comic strip also helps explain what it is. Warning: Slightly NSFW, if you haven't already garnered that from the ... boobs.

It's sorta amazing how it all started here.

The place where it all started. I swung by the spot on campus where a select group of girls were proudly showing their girls. I couldn't really participate, what with my lack of real boobs.

PS: I just realized that this is my 101st post! Because I'm a Dalmatian and 101 is special to me. WOO.

Alive Again! Darling Aunt Vivian (part I)

I just remembered that I totally meant to do a side-by-side deal every time I did this series-- woops.

Though there's no grade for this project (unless you give me some feedback-- what say thee, yea or nay?), I try to plan out specific outfits according to each character. But Charmalade, don't you have a life and other important stuffs to attend to? Shut up, tiny voice in italics, you need to stop being a buzzkill. Anyway. In the middle of the day, I realized that channeling Aunt Vivian's style was basically like channeling my own. Hell, we even have similar hair styles.

Aunt Vivian to the left (no... your left) and Aunt Lily to the right. Both beloved mother figures to Chuck and kooky witches to everyone else.

I originally thought about featuring both aunts in one week (after all, both of them share a penchant for fine cheeses and silks), but it's less hectic and more fun this way. After all, they're sisters, not twins. I noticed that Aunt Vivian has a particular fondness for Asian-inspired outfits. And seeing as how I'm, y'know, the real deal, I thought that happy fortune in genetics helped significantly to this part of the series.

It's hard to see the actual outfit here, but isn't the window all pretty-like?

Seeing the aunts' wardrobe makes me want gaudy things like more leopard print, feathers and Asian silk.

Seeing as how I didn't have any spare hanbok or kimonos lying around, I made do with this top that I always thought resembled the Chinese-style shirt. Consensus?

Top- Pierre Cardin secondhand : Skirt- secondhand : Belt- secondhand : Tights- mystery? : Cardigan- Gap : Shoes- Old Navy

Today's outfit pictures were taken indoors, which reminded me of how I've always wanted to visit or live in the aunts' house at Coeur de Coeurs. It's just like their style-- old-fashioned, colorful and more than a little eccentric. It has that organized clutter that seems to hold a lot of secrets that's exciting to uncover.

What's Lovely for April 21, 2010: Being told that I look younger than I actually am. Well, that's not exactly lovely, but I figure it'll come in handy when I get older. I wonder-- do I really look that young? I hope that doesn't mean I'm juvenile (as one friend put it, hurr hurr).

Alive Again! Double the Cod (parts I & II)

Sorry for the questionable quality of these photos-- I have no idea why they came out so shabbily. But then, I was in a hurry while these were being taken. Which would also explain my terrible face, wrinkled jacket, etc. Oh, the flaws...

These photos were taken from last week, otherwise known fondly as The Week of Eternal Burning Work Oh God. However, this a double-edition of the Alive Again! wardrobe project, which I wanted to group together in one post. Last week was dedicated to none other than that lovable money-grubbing detective, Emerson Cod.

"Sweet."

Always suave...

OK, maybe not always.

My best "oh HELL no" face.

Blouse- secondhand : Blazer- United Colors of Benetton : Slacks- secondhand : Shoes- Gentle Souls via TJMaxx

Here's the second part of the series. Unfortunately, I didn't wear my leather jacket as planned (in accordance to Emerson's style), since it was well into the 80s that day. So I turned Cod's couture on its head and made it summer-appropriate.

It was a miracle in itself that I had these photos taken at all-- Thursday was my busiest day by far!

Blouse- TJMaxx : Shorts- The Limited : Flats- Gap

I think this blouse had the same kind of fun pattern always seen on Emerson; the pinstripes of his jacket were emulated in the pinstripes on my shorts.

Awkward posing for the win?

Nope, never mind, Emerson takes the cake again. Gosh. [screencaps taken by me]

What's Lovely for April 19, 2010: Inhaling a burrito for dinner when you've really been craving for one. Yum.

Are there any guilty foods that you've been really hankering to have lately?

Alive Again! The original Snooki (part I)

I can't lie: I almost didn't post today because I spun myself into a fine tizzy of a low, low, LOW mood. I'm usually a pretty chipper person who prefers a laugh over a frown, but sometimes I find myself in such a dark place that I just want to wallow in the worst way possible. And posting these beautifully flowery pictures would've been a lie.

But as it goes for me, time changes a lot of things, especially perspective. Perspective is key to keeping your head above the water, and I doggy-paddled in the most pathetic way to the surface. Trite metaphors aside, just as I can periodically go under, I can never stay there for long. Friends are just too funny sometimes.

So! Continuing on the original plan, here's the second week of the third installment of the Alive Again! wardrobe project, brought to you by Pushing Daisies. Whew. I really should've rethought the name for this thing.

This week's inspiration is:

Olive Snook! Say hello, Olive! OK, don't say hello that snarky, we're not Chuck.

What I noticed about Olive's style is that despite her name, she doesn't always wear green. In fact, I'd say that she wears a lot of pinks and purples (even a little red) when she's not wearing her work uniform. She takes advantage of her figure with halter dresses and showin' alotta leg. Her make-up of pink lips and thin eyeliner is equally as feminine.

If not the carbon copy, I hoped that this outfit had an Olive feel to it. I mean, it couldn't be exactly the same down to the t. God knows that we're complete polar opposites when it comes to body shape. Note: Kristin Chenoweth has impressive boobage; I have less than impressive boobage. The woman is clearly more well versed in the art of heels as well.

Please excuse the weird "I'm trying to be a model but it's sorely not working" face. I still don't know what to DO with my face in photos.

Sometimes that red's on her head (ah-ha! rhyme).

Never is Olive seen in anything lower than 3-inch heels, especially of the nude-colored variety. How she does it on a daily basis, I will never know.

Bewb grab!

Ever and always the graceful swan in floral. [All screencaps taken by me, no copyright, etc.]

I have to admit: these pictures are a bit of a lie because I totally wimped out and changed into flats later in the day. Forget boot camp, how the hell can one survive in HEELS camp??

Jacket- Korea : Tank- Old Navy : Shirt- Gap : Skort- secondhand : Heels- Steve Madden via TJMaxx (new purchase from the weekend!) : Headband- Claire's?

What's Lovely for April 6, 2010: Remember yesterday when I talked about smelling spring flowers? Well today when I was walking around campus, I saw so many explosions and clusters of blooming flowers that I would gawk at each pretty tree I passed by. I wanted to reach up and bury myself in their sweetness until I wouldn't know what to do with myself.

And what Olive Snook post would be complete without a song?

This is the song that helped me get through my dark mood, just as it did for Vivian. :) Oh how cheesy I am. If you want to help the cheese, listen to the whole song HERE.