Look, Don't Touch

Just because I am on a shopping ban until I'm in London doesn't mean I can't look...right?

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Metallic Cupcakes

To celebrate my birthday my grandma invited me up for lunch this weekend, so since she was going to be cooking some of my favorite things I told her I'd take care of dessert. A box of Rainbow Chip mix and a can of metallic gold edible spray later, I had the perfect bright pink and gold cuppies fit for a 7 year old girl or 27 woman. Not to mention the heart and star shaped edible glitters!

Freaks Come Out At Night

Halloween has always been my favorite holiday so I'm thrilled it's almost here. It's just the most carefree, liberating holiday there is, with none of the pressure associated with those like Valentine's, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. You can whip some felt into puppy ears and tail, put your blue eyeshadow on your lips and throw on some tin foil to go for a futuristic vibe, or do a million other painless, last-minute, half-assed things and you're participating with little effort or money expended. And as dark and scary as the connotations of Halloween may suggest, it's got to be the most upbeat, feel-good one of them all. I mean, when else can you consume your weight in candy, dress up as whatever fantasy character your heart desires, or ask your neighbors to feed you without people looking at you funny?

There's no threat of getting coal in your stocking, and even if you hate children and refuse to rot their teeth with candy or dress up, good luck not even cracking a grin seeing just how creative and smart some people can get with their costumes. I mean, look that this picture of someone who made herself into a low-resolution pixelated image:

Homegirl's a genius.

Two years ago I was on a major Hitchcock kick, watching Vertigo enough times to give me vertigo. I found this amazeballs costume of the Melanie Daniels character from The Birds and had to get it-I mean it had a giant crow pecking your head on a headband. I'm a fail though, because this is my only picture. Mark got his not very P.C. costume because the gun holster was replaced with a tequila bottle holster, with shot glasses held in the belt instead of  bullets. Working in a bar, it was the most apropos choice that wasn't bulky and was (shockingly, haha) still available on October 28th.

Last year was the first time since the first night we ever talked (on Halloween!) that Mark's had the holiday off of work so I wanted us to dress as a couple since it's such a rarity. I was still on that Hitchcock kick so we went as Marion Crane and Norman Bates as his mother from Psycho. I had Mark shave his beard to look more baby-faced (so freaky-who knew he looked like Michael Douglas with a little chin cleft under there?) and made our costumes, of which mine promptly fell apart as soon as we started dancing at Micky's. Thankfully we had plenty of time to wade through the Santa Monica Blvd. parade beforehand and see all of the crazy costumes, so it wasn't a total nightmare-even if I almost showed my boobs to an apathetic male crowd at a gay club about forty times.

This year, the mister has the night off again, for the last time in years, so I want us to go the couples thing again while we can but am totally lost for inspiration. Bonnie and Clyde? 80's prom dates? Tobias and Lindsay Funke?

I'm also thinking about forgoing the couples crap and going as a Lichtenstein painting since I think the makeup would be fun as hell and I already own the whole early 60's pencil skirt, secretaryish clothes needed. Really it's just because I don't really want to buy anything and Mark doesn't seem to want to dress up at all. Whomp whomp. Help!


First image from the now-defuct blog at kindacarsick.com

Lightening the Mood

 Yes, they are *that* big. The people at the store seemed scared for me trying to get these home and I was actually going to get a pale pink one too until they voiced their doubts.

They seriously just barely squeezed into my back seats. Hallelujah for my surprisingly spacious Jetta (seriously, the backseats and trunk are massive-who knew?)!

The finished products a couple days later.


I turned 27 today. I am usually one of those people who loves birthdays and isn't at all concerned with getting older and what that means for my personality, life, sagging skin, etc. This year though, I kind of knew was going to end up a let down, and I was right. While everyone is a work in progress, I think most people have some aspect of their life in their back pocket, something that they feel wholly confident about; meanwhile, it feels like I'm floundering with everything-relationships, career, confidence-the whole lot. Still, despite getting into an over-emotional blow out with Mark, having all my plans for the day fall apart, and coping by eating too many sweets that I'll surely regret when my pants are like second skin tomorrow, these Geronimo inspired balloons added some much needed levity to my pity party. I bought the balloons online, had them filled at my beloved Vine American Party Store, and collected various bits of frill and frippery in the months leading up to make the monster balloons even more awesomesauce. Funnily enough I happened to win a balloon from Jihan of Geronimo via her Twitter two days ago, so just as mine will start shrinking and looking sad I'll get another dose of giant balloon madness!

And now for something completely less moody: my present from my very generous and thoughtful bf. Being Moroccan (one set of my grandparents grew up in Fez), I have for years lusted after one of the handmade Moroccan wedding blankets made by the Berbers of the Atlas Mountains for brides to wear on their big day. Randomly perusing From Morocco With Love back in April, a non-profit that sells Moroccan products and then uses the funds to donate supplies like wheelchairs and school supplies to Moroccans, I stumbled upon their stash of vintage blankets, including one with ethnic banding that struck me a lot more than most of the plain sequined varieties. Out of nowhere Mark offered to get me my dream item for my birthday. Seriously, he's always gets my bday prezzie in the bag months before the actual day! It made me happy to get an actual vintage item (rather than the reproductions so rampant now that the blankets have gained notoriety) and support an agency that used the money for a good cause. I have to keep the blanket boxed up until Chloe moves past the kitten behavior that would undoubtedly have her thinking the sequins are chew toys but here's a peek.