OOTD: Rough Edges

Y'all, I'm apologizing right now for what can only be described as "bad hair and bitch face". It's a little weird because my hair looks all frizzy at the bottom in these pics, but it doesn't actually look like that IRL. It was actually really pretty today! And the bitch face is not actual bitch face, just super tired face. Today was my first day back in the office after the office vacation for Fourth of July and we were slammed! I need a nap!

I didn't even get to take my usual bathroom selfies at lunch because it was just too busy, so I put in the extra effort after walking home in this nasty heat to take really washed out pics for you. That was just how excited I was to share this new tunic.

I'm really, really excited about it.

A long time ago I bought a tunic from Mango on one of my lunch breaks. I almost missed out on it- it was expensive, so I had to wait a few weeks to 'afford' it (it still went on my credit card) and when I finally was able to buy it, it was the last one and it JUST HAPPENED to be in my size. The grey print was what drew me to the tunic. I felt so pretty while wearing it, that I knew I needed more! But.. I'm poor. So, with a few days off thanks to Independence day, I decided to try out a bit of pattern making and I made my own version! Alas, no pockets like on the original.

Tunic/handmade, Leggings/???, Purple Chucks/Buffalo Exchange, Cardi/Goodwill, Bullet Necklace/Cirquedufrock

These gorgeous purple chucks were a score at Buffalo Exchange! They are pretty much new and the loveliest color.

As I said, we had a bit of time off for the holiday. I spent the entire time working, though. Most of it was on things for the shop that I haven't been able to post yet, but some of it was for me! Hey, you gotta treat yourself to new things sometimes.

So, first pic, a dismal pair of Target jeggings (another attempt to treat myself that went horribly awry) salvaged into a cute skirt. An adorable, snuggly new skelly buddy that is the first PDF pattern I'll be listing in my store. Wolf dress is also an upcoming PDF tutorial for the store, and I'm so excited to wear that it's beyong belief (Megan always finds me the best things). I decided I absolutely needed a deer dress, too, so I made a stencil of a deer silhouette and used my Flying Trapeze Tutorial to make myself a casual dress.

The first two striped dresses are also for me! They were both made using the Flying Trapeze tutorial because that's my favorite, and I tried to keep them kind of funky but office appropriate because I do need some new things to wear to work. As you can see, I also made a shell tunic in addition to this awesome red-purple-yellow thing. I'm so excited to make more!

So that's a short little update on life 'round these parts. Just the same old thing, different month. I've been reading everyone's blogs, and if you miss me, check out @cirquedufrock on Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest, Facebook and, of course, Etsy.

'Best' Week Ever

When I wrote this post I mentioned how last week should have been the best week ever but because of the work situation it was not, and I said I would explain later. So since I've given you the emo points about last week, let's switch gears and I'll tell you all about my exciting week out.

On Monday I ordered a beautiful pair of Minnetonkas from ShoeBuy (before all the work drama). They are a perfect lilac color. 

They were kind of a necessity because I don't have any summer shoes, except Chucks, and sneakers aren't quite office wear so I thought I was purchasing them for work as well as just because I love them. They are the perfect lilac pink-purple and fit like a dream. In addition to that, they came with a free tiny moc keychain in it's own box! I love packaging surprises like that. 

Monday night I went to a poetry reading with my friend Tracy. (Who just dyed her hair the most perfect shade of grey, omg.) The main poet, Andrea Gibson, was new to me and AMAZING, but the highlight for me was the opening act. I've followed Amber Tamblyn since I was about fifteen years old. Her column for BUST is always a good read and her poetry is beautiful. I thought I was just going to go listen to her read, but OMG I got to actually stand in a picture with her! 

I was shaking so hard because I was very nervous, and she was the nicest person. She kept saying over and over again, "It's okay, it's okay!" I'm such a geek. 

I also managed to convince my boyfriend to start taking outfit pictures for me sometimes. I felt beautiful in this (it's what I wore to the poetry reading). Bandannas are my new favorite hair accessory. This Lucille Ball pin-up tunic was made using my Sideshow Dress tutorial, mocs by Minnetonka, and jeggings from Old Navy. I got the choker from Buffalo Exchange while Megan and I were shopping. Jacket is from DOTS. 

My mister is the best at getting me to smile. 

Speaking of OOTDs, I had some pretty great looks last week. I like to take selfies in the bathroom while I'm on my lunch break. There are days when the doctor doesn't see patients and he allows us to be pretty casual, so I was able to wear my Sideshow dresses and thrifted treasures. I love the new grey/black/orange one because it features a large velvety griffin on the front, and the MCR one in the last pic was made using the tee shirt I bought the day the band broke up, so it's super important to me. 

You can tell I love that necklace I bought when Megan was here. 

Even though the rest of the week went sort of sour, I ended it by exploring a large cemetery with my friend Tracy. I took so many pictures that I'm definitely doing a separate post dedicated to just that day, but it was amazing. It was a gorgeous day! We both want to go back when it's more overcast, though.

Some aspects of last week were terrible, but so many of these days had such positive parts! It was both giddy and terrifying, and all of it was wonderful. 

* UPDATE * Work is working with me on the aforementioned issues, so fingers crossed that everything is looking a little brighter than it was last week. 

OOTD: 50th Anniversary

A few weeks back I went down to visit my grandparents for a weekend. It was their fiftieth wedding anniversary and I was their present! My grandmother put out her Easter decorations just for me (no, seriously, she said that) so my mom and I decided to take an outfit pic! This dress is one of my newest and new favorites. My grandpa was SHOCKED to learn that it was once a table cloth.

Cuff: Michael's, Jacket: DIY/Me, Dress: Handmade/Me, Necklace: P.A.T.

Isn't that giant peep amazing?

Restroom Wisdom from the Lancaster Train Station

Also a cool lock.

My grandparents live in Baltimore but it's cheaper/easier for me to go to Lancaster. So my poor mom had to pick me up from LANCASTER and drive me all the way to Timonium, MD (Or..was it Towson? Or Both?) to get some delicious crabs for dinner and then back to Baltimore to visit with my grandparents. It was worth it to see everyone, though, and she was nice enough to drive me all the way back to Philly the next day.

An Unexpected Crossroads

Something has happened in my life that I can't talk about, but it's thrown me for a loop.

Everything is fine, I'm fine, but at the same time this major thing that's happened has shaken the very foundations of my small world. I feel like the rug has been pulled out from under me, like everything I know has been thrown into this whirlwind of confusion. The THING that has happened is definitely  a positive for a lot of reasons, but it involves lots of changes, and whether it's "good stress or bad stress, it's still stress" to quote  a new friend of mine.

At the same time that everything is shifting, so many things have become so very clear to me.

So I thought I would explain some things to you. About what is going on with me. 

When I first started blogging, I had an etsy store where I sold cameo necklaces and other jewelry. I closed it down after a while because I had a few too many things going on. In the upcoming year, I hope to re-open that store. Which brings me to a few points that I'd like to mention to you.

I've been looking for a dress pattern similar to the ones I'm wearing above for a long time and I just never found exactly what I wanted, so I finally drafted my own. I love these dresses and I love wearing them, and I think that they would look good on a wide range of body types. I would like to start putting some of them up in my etsy shop. I'm even working on making two more size ranges (s/m , l/xl , xxl) so I can offer them in lots of options.

I would also like to sell a bit of vintage in my etsy shop, so keep an eye out for that.

Which brings me to the stamped necklaces I posted photos of last week. I really, really enjoy stamping necklaces. It makes me feel like an artist again. I'm fairly certain I will also be offering up hand-stamped necklaces in my etsy shop, along with one of a kind jewelry made from found objects such as drawer pulls and keys.

Last but not least, my book. For two years I worked on my book series. I worked so hard, and not a thing has come of it. Something must be done about that. I took a long break from both writing my stories and blogging because life got in the way, but I can't continue ignoring something that made it possible for me to get through every day. As my hero Sherlock Holmes would say (loosely paraphrased), the work is what matters. Everything else is transport.

I had someone try and talk to me about publishing this book through a publisher, but I'm still not sure that is the way I want to go with it. I think I would like to self-publish. Independence and creative freedom is something I have always, always valued and I don't know how to hand the reigns over to someone else. So hopefully, without the imaginary pressures I've been putting on myself, I will have something to share with you soon.

I'm sorry to be such a bad blog friend. Believe me when I say it hasn't been easy to be in my shoes the last few weeks, but I will be alright. This blog will be alright. I'm a killjoy. We never go down without a fight.

OOTD: The Brenna Dress

Everyone has THAT FRIEND. You know, the person you're going to get tattoos with (or piercings). That person who will bail you out of the worst shit, sit on the phone with you when you're crying over absolutely nothing, and that person who will read seven copies of the same novel you wrote that no one will ever read just because they love you.

My friend is Brenna. And you, my blog buddies, have met her.

A few years ago I was in a rather .... bad place. I'd ended a toxic friendship and felt utterly alone, and you know, Brenna was there for me. And we became super close. So you'd think that I'd have made an outfit based on my buddy sooner - and I HAD. MONTHS AGO. I just never posted it because of my great blogging hiatus. So, here you go. My "Brenna" dress.

Dress: Handmade/Me, Dr Martens Triumphs

The reason I picked this fabric was similar to the Ally dress, I was just walking through JoAnn's and I heard it. THIS fabric. It screamed to me. The tie-dye raver-kid lookin' hearts reminded me of her (for some reason). Maybe just because it was bright and colorful and black all at the same time. Either way, she is the person I think of every time I see this dress and it makes me so happy.

I brag about my friend Brenna to strangers and my co-workers. She is super smart, ambitious, has a master's degree and has achieved every goal she's set for herself. She's funny and she tries to make time to see me whenever she comes to town. She's just the best. I'm very lucky to have a friend like her.

That's all for now! I hope you enjoyed this post as much as I enjoy the dress.

OOTD: Keeping Warm

Good golly is it COLD here this week!

AND I LOVE IT!

Unfortunately, I'm the only one of my co-workers that would totally keep the door open and the heat off when it's 50 degrees outside. Even some of my consignors who know me well have been commenting on how they are miserable but they know I'm loving this weather.

Dress: Handmade/Me, Shirt: Goodwill, Belt: Philly Aids Thrift, Boots: Gift

More men's shirts!! I love these things- they are so soft and they keep me super warm! This one I got at the Goodwill in Lancaster when I went to visit my mom. Which reminds me, I do need to do a write up of this cute little town we visited.

Well, a shortie post from me today. I've been super tired this week- busy, as always, and then on top of that I'm thinking about some things. ;-D I'll tell you more later, if I get the chance. Until next time!

xoxo
-Meghan

OOTD: Sounds Like Salmon

Don't you love how when I say things like, "I'm going to be a better blogger" I inevitably follow that up with a week (or six) of radio silence? I know. To quote my friend, I'm the worst. ;-)

Halloween is my favorite holiday, but this year I was working most of the day. Which was fun, except we got a little slow in the afternoon because... well I guess there was mischief and mayhem (and trick-or-treaters) keeping people from the store.

Because of general laziness (I think I'm fighting off a cold) I didn't get the time to make the Punk Rock Dorothy of Oz costume I'd drawn up, and it didn't matter anyway since I wasn't going anywhere except work. Luckily, I had already made this other dress that was a perfect last minute outfit!

Dress: Handmade/Me, Boots: Dr Martens/Ebay, Cardi: Thrifted

It's a little bit big on the top, but that was a cutting error on my part. I LOVE this Day of the Dead fabric from JoAnn's and I'm sure I'll wear this more than just for Halloween. I've also got my favorite blue skeleton cameo on and a purple hair flower. :-D Lots of people thought I looked super cute! And it was perfect for my Halloween tradition - lighting candles and watching The Great Pumpkin while eating popcorn.

On a side note, I'm really in love with my hair like this. Which is funny because when I was younger I thought I had the biggest forehead ever and never wanted it to be showing, but I LOVE my hair pulled away from my face now.

That's all I've got for this week, but stay tuned. Monday I'm going to show you the most fabulously ugly sweater I own. (It's a giant square union jack. That is all. With sleeves.) Have a good weekend!!

OOTD: The Things That Make You Feel

So, I made a thing. And I love this thing tons and bunches. I thought perhaps that I would show you what I'm calling "The Bag Dress" (alternatively, "Radioactive Dress").

Dress: Handmade/Me, Boots: Target/Gift, Necklace: Thrifted, Jacket: DIY/Me

Sometimes, no matter what it is, you just slip something on and you feel like you. That's what this dress was. I put it on and I smiled. Then I got nervous and called my mister in, who also smiled. It passed the boots and the chucks test. It passed the jacket test. This dress is like me, if I could be a dress. The things that make you feel beautiful are just that. To make you feel beautiful. Not someone else, not something else, just you. This dress makes me feel beautiful.

And I'm about to make like six more. I'm not joking. Day of the Dead FABRIC, guys. As my mister says, I never do things in moderation. ;-)

I guess that is one of the reasons I've been sort of silent over here. I just haven't really been doing a lot, and I wear the same outfit every day (Lisette, jacket, shoes) and I feel bad! Like, you guys don't want to see the same damn dress every day! And you're all so fabulous! Of course, that being said, get ready because I'm not exaggerating - I'm making like twenty of these suckers.

I got a few questions about my jacket, too. Someone wanted to know what is on it, so I took a few close ups.

The Philly Aids Thrift button is because I love that place. I've had the I Need A Nap button since high school. The Broad Street Butchers is my friend Jill's favorite roller derby team (mine is the Philthy Britches) and I like to wear things that remind me of my friends. The Kangaroo patch is because it reminds me of Stacey and Desiree and my other Aussi pals. I used to have the Kiwi button Trees gave me on there but I  moved it to a different jacket. (Ditto for a certain purple bee pin.) The studs are off of my old belt. The American Flag ribbon pin came from a consignor that brings me pins. The eagle patch is from a military jacket I wore in a play back in 2006. The skull is my own design and the anatomical heart I got at the Punk Rock Flea. On the back is a doily from where I work and a Crash Bang Boom! patch that I bought when I was with Brenna on South Street.

Every time I start a jacket it becomes a scrapbook of the places I've been and the people I've seen. Every single one of them becomes something sacred. :-)

Well, that's it for me. Until next time!

Theme: Your Turn

I'm back with a new wonderful theme dedicated to someone I've recently become very close to!

So, listen, I'm very hard to be friends with. I'm demanding, pushy, selfish, obsessive, jealous, and very blunt. I'll call you on your bullshit and I cannot tolerate lying because I have a lot of trust issues so if you lie I obviously cannot trust you. Having people in the past call me things like "psychotic" and "sociopathic" and "insane" has made it hard for me to connect to people. I can't. I just can't. I don't let people close. Not really. I told Ally there was a 12 stage process to being allowed to be my facebook friend and it's true. I just don't let people in.

Which is just fine because the person who this post is dedicated to is very tenacious. She has a tendency to inch her way in regardless of your personal barriers. I think that is one of my favorite things about her. She has gumption.

I bring to you, dear friends, the Megan Mae dress.

Dress: Handmade/Me, Jacket: DIY/Me, Chucks: Journeys

The problem with this dress is that I cannot remember why I picked this fabric. The other problem with this dress is that I picked it long before Megan and I became close friends. I bought it the same weekend I got the fabric for my Ally dress. I'm pretty sure the thought in my head was, "this doesn't so much remind me of the person as I think it's something they'd pick for me". It's funny how just a little bit of knowledge can change things, though. Now that we know each other better, I know that Megan wouldn't pick this for me. And if I REALLY wanted to do a dress dedicated to her, I'd make a bee dress. Which I need. I need a bee dress, y'all.

For example, last week she sent me a little blue star necklace that is perfect.

But I already had the fabric and no matter how I tried I could not stop thinking of it as the Megan dress so here it is. The pattern is not my usual Lisette dress because Megan's favorite dress of mine is not a Lisette. So I used the out of character fabric and made the Megan dress in that pattern. We also had a long chat last week about how I can toughen up my outfit posts. I'm still working on it, but I have this inner badass that is dying to get out and Megan was giving me tips on how to pose. I hope that I look good and not just angry. ^_~

I guess in style and pose this is a good Megan post, but I still feel bad about the fabric. What do you think of my new dress, guys? I was pretty excited about the yoke- I've never done one of those before. I can't wait to use the pattern again (but it needs to be shorter).

I never thought I'd have best friends again. And now I have two. And one of them (Megan) draws pictures of me. It's a very heart warming thing.

She nailed it, right? ^_~ Until next time, guys. Have a beautiful weekend.

Dream Outfits: Feelin' Koi

This is a re-post, but with new pictures. With a new blog, I definitely want to continue doing my Theme outfits and my Dream outfits posts. So even though this was posted over at my old blog, here are new pictures and the old story of why this is a dream outfit for me.

Cameo & Dress: Handmade/Me, Shoes: Converse, Belt: Thrifted

November 28, 2012: 

I'm going to tell you a (short) story about why this is a dream outfit. Before there was ever a Rescue Mission Thrift Shop in my tiny hometown, there was something the size of a closet called the "Bearly Used Boutique". I mean, I think this was before I was even in high school- it might have been middle school. And I still had a disdain for shopping second hand and I hadn't even really discovered DIY clothes (well, a little. I was already painting on tee shirts). I discovered that this place would do stuff-a-bag days (which was something the rescue mission used to do as well, and gosh I wish more thrift stores did it because it rocks). I started going there with my ten bucks and stuff large paper grocery bags full of clothes that I would love to have back now. One of the pieces I remember most is a white shell top with a side zip that had bright rainbow colored koi fish embroidered all over it. This didn't last long- it was almost too small for me when I got it and I was in middle school which means I was still in the process of growing up. Maybe early high school. Either way, I remember the damn top. And over the years, I've thought about that freaking top. How even when it became too small I tried to salvage it by cutting off the embroidered fish and ended up having to throw the whole thing away (this also happened to a white skirt I owned with purple flowers along the hem). Oh stupid adolescent Meg. Why did you have to go and do that? Either way, I've missed that top.
Well, fast forward to two weeks ago when my boyfriend kindly took me out to JoAnn Fabrics. I was only going to get yarn and solid fabric, I promise! Then I saw the scissors fabric. That's all! Just solid colors and the scissors.

Then I saw this koi fabric.

I mean, it was beautiful. It wasn't at all like my beloved top of years ago, but it was still cute and fishy and better yet, it wasn't white so I could actually wear it! And that, dearlings, is how I came to have this amazing awesome beautiful fish dress. And as I have dreamed over the years about that koi top, and it was the first thing I thought of when I saw the fabric, I am counting this dress in the dream outfit category.

I am in love. Better still, I don't own anything red. Almost all of my dresses tend to be in the blue or purple family. So it really stands out against my other clothes. I'm SO glad I got this fabric. It's awesome.