LIFE // i'm not calling you a ghost, but stop haunting me

(I'm Not Calling You a Liar - Florence + the Machine)


Things I love about Halloween:
» dressing up. «
» candy. «
» the dark. «
» candy. «
» scaring people without looking like a jerk. «
» candy. «
» Halloween parties. «
» candy. «

Things I hate about Halloween:
» I forgot it was today. So I wore this long black witchy skirt and got asked "oh are you dressed up as a witch?" several times today. "NO THIS IS JUST HOW I DRESS! Are you dressed up as an idiot?" Sad eyes. «
» I feel like fifteen is kinda too old to go trick or treating so I'm just going to wait by my door eating candy and being depressed and wearing a witch hat until some children come along. Sad eyes. «
» there were no Halloween parties for me to attend this year. Sad eyes. «
» as of 7 o clock our only trick-or-treaters are four teenage boys. «
» IT EFFING SNOWED ON SATURDAY. On the 29th. What is this?! I hate Maine. «

My friend Ross dared me to wear a yellow argyle sweater today. I know. YELLOW. ARGYLE. It's so cheerful and preppy. It makes me cringe. So I paired it with aforementioned witchy skirt and evil-looking heels to make up for it.

Ross was unhappy about the heels. He dislikes my being tall.

(Caution, bad cell phone photo.)

Yep. Argyle twins.

So here's a couple outfits from the archives I never ended up posting. Partly because I'm lazy and partly because I'm so busy I don't even know what to do. Grease is opening on November 17th and we're nowhere near done. But my pink Frenchie wig came, so that's exciting.

back when there wasn't any snow....
jeans and shirt: hand-me-downs // shoes: converse // hat: somewhere in ireland

skirt and sweater and necklace: unknown // tights shoes and tank top: Forever 21

and here is me looking fairly normal. yikes.
jean jacket from Gap // all other pieces from Forever 21

Happy Halloween. Boo.

'Twas the Night Before Christmas...

And all through the house
Not a creature was stirring
Not even a mouse.

Ehh... not so much. Everyone's running around like chickens with their heads cut off over here. Wrapping presents, delivering Christmas cookies to the neighbors, baking, cleaning... eep! The mice might not be stirring, but that's only because they're too freaked out by the activity of all the chores we crazy humans are doing.

wrapping gifts
I love wrapping presents. I mean, the way you wrap a present tells a lot about your relation to the person. If you stick it in a gift bag with a premade tag, does that say you really care? No, that says that you know how to go shopping at WalMart. So I always spend way more time wrapping gifts than I ought to.
By the way, our wrapping paper is pretty much all from IKEA. They have the best papers ever. The gnome bags (see cookies section) are also IKEA... so Scandinavian, so epic.

My presents to my parents... proud of my wrapping job. :)

My mom is ninja when it comes to wrapping.

christmas cookies
My mom and I spent all day yesterday baking cookies to give to neighbors and friends... and to eat ourselves, of course. ;)
We made sugar cookies, cardamom balls, and homemade toffee. Mmmm.

gingerbread house
I am proud to say that this year I was the one to bake and decorate our gingerbread house. My mom helped a little — she liked putting in the little green bushes and trees — but overall this is my holiday claim to fame.
And yes, that is the Kraken attacking a sinking sailboat over in the left. It was my dad's idea. I said, "How can I make this gingerbread house awesome? I know! A Scandinavian monster. Dad, what's a Scandinavian monster?" And my dad suggested the Kraken. So there you go.
Have you noticed that my family's Christmas is generally a pretty Scandinavian occurrence? No idea why. It just happens. Every year.
Recipe and house shape by Martha Stewart.

What, your gingerbread house doesn't feature lederhosen-wearing Scandinavian sheep farmers with Kraken in their backyards? What a pity. Next year, you know what to make. ;)

i {♥} space versus speed
Guess what I'm listening to right now? Not Ke$ha or Rihanna or Owl City or even the radio. Nope. I'm listening to my daddy.

My dad's been in more bands than I can count, since before I was born. One of them was so successful they toured cross-country, and guess who showed up to one of their concerts? Sandra Bullock. We have a photo of her holding me as a baby. An album for another one, a very heavy-metal band, contains a good deal of lyrics written by my six-year-old self. Including something about a prince on a pegasus. Don't even ask.

His latest is also getting pretty popular. It's called Space Versus Speed and it's by far my favorite of all his bands (well, maybe tied with one called Lincolnville). It's actually really awesome; kind of pop-rock. Epic.

You can listen to their latest album here. In my opinion the best is "Set It Off". And yes, their leading song is called "Tea and Cocaine". Sigh. When I play this for my friends they always make some smart-aleck comment about that song and what it says about my family. For the record, my dad thinks it should have been called "Honey and Bourbon" instead, that's the other part of the chorus.

If you like it you can buy their album on iTunes. Or, if you live in an area with Bull Moose Music, it's coming out there soon.

I know this wasn't exactly Christmas-y, but I'm listening to it as I type and it makes me happy.

That's my dad on the far right. On bass. Just like me. Love ya, daddio.

oh christmas tree

Loving macro photos of ornaments right now... *sighs with happiness*

1: Venezuelan Virgin Mary my dad and I got for my mom when we lived in the Caribbean
2: Yet ANOTHER Scandinavian part of Christmas
3. Epic disco star
4. Self-portrait. And yes, I'm wearing my dad's sweater and a pom-pom hat.

More Scandinavian stuff. A stacking doll I always called "Babushka". Is that correct or not?

Awesome old Polaroid. This is my mom sixteen years ago today telling her friends that my dad had just proposed to her. Awww!

israel

Part 1 of 2 for my mom's Christmas gift from me comes from an Etsy seller in Israel. (Mom, if you're reading this, you must desist, as I'm about to reveal your gift.) It's a ring made from an antique Israeli coin. I haven't opened the envelope yet, and I just wrapped around it because it's so epic! I think I will need to hang it on my wall.

little black dress (one more time)

I found one more way to wear my LBD. Lacy tights with short retro heels and lots of jewelry. Plus a hair-flower-thingy from Forever 21.

candlelight service

We're going to the Candlelight Service at our sweet, itty-bitty little church tonight. It's awesome and full of songs.

{via}

guys, it's christmas eve.

I can't believe it. December has gone by so fast. When I was little this month - week - day dragged on forever. Now? I blink and it's gone. Wow.

Let It Snow

We've been starved for snow up here. I mean, come on; we can legally use Canadian currency at the tollbooths but we don't have any snow five days from Christmas?

Thankfully it started snowing yesterday and didn't stop until a good three inches had drifted to the ground. Looks like we'll have a white Christmas after all — that is, assuming it doesn't all melt tomorrow. Yuck.

(PS: I'm now officially on Christmas vacation! No more school until January 4, woohoo. Also had a swim meet last night, and we kicked butt. Just as a random FYI.)

Flash + snowfall = bokeh? Who knew?

Life lesson #476: Chickens do not like snow. They do not like snow at all. And I was getting some very angry chicken-style glares when I dumped them in the snow for a photo shoot.

Complain, complain, complain... Okay, Susan, we get it.

Hildegarde was much more chill.

Life lesson #457: Nor do small white cats named Willa. I tried to get her onto the snow-capped porch and she hung on to my coat like a clawed koala bear. It was kind of cute. But also kind of painful...

Luckily our other cat, Daisy, was not as high-strung about the whole thing. Daisy may be a grumpy old cat sometimes, but all it takes is a "oh, pretty kitty, Daisy" (not good kitty, pretty kitty) and she starts purring up a storm. See, I used to dress her up in this cape that came with one of my Barbies when I was, like, eight. And we'd pet her and tell her she was a pretty kitty. She lapped it up... and often came trotting out of my room with the cape in her mouth, mrrowing for us to put it on her.

They're both indoor cats normally, by the way. That's why the flipping out and the lack of collars.

*sigh* Lovely snow. Please don't melt, lovely snow.

I must get myself ready for yet another Christmas party — but hey, I'm not complaining! I get to wear my little black dress again; photos tomorrow if I can figure out some new way to wear it.

Don We Now Our Gay Apparel (aka, The Little Black Dress Post)

Whether you're going to a family get-together or a cocktail party, it's always fun to get dressed up. Clothes, hair, makeup... being fancy is fun.

In my opinion, every girl should have a little black dress. Mine is from American Eagle. It's actually a dark, dark blue with small velveteen diamond shapes on it (see inset). It has hidden pockets (which is handy) and is convertible so you can remove the straps and have it be strapless too. (Personally I think strapless, short dresses make your torso look funny, but it's an option.) In short, it has everything. Unfortunately, it's also not available any more. But you get the gist.

In the past four days I've worn it three times. Once to a family gathering, once to a formal party, and once to school. The best thing you can do to a staple dress is make it versatile.


Family gathering...

blurry but you can see the jeans...

Formal party...
(bad photos coming up... low light hates me)

with my momma

At school....
(again, bad picture... you can barely see it, but that's a new sweater which I l.o.v.e.)

That's a creepy face I'm making... o.O

See? The trick is to use accessories. A sweater and jeans or a leather belt instantly grunges down an otherwise formal dress, but sheer tights and heels make you ready for a party.
Makeup is also important. You'll notice my makeup for the two less-formal outfits is pretty much just my eyes. But for the party I put on a red lip and next to nothing on my eyes. It's all about balance.

Christmas Cards

It's traditional to send out a holiday card with photos of your family. But my family has kind of slacked off in that area for many years... so this year, I decided to remedy that.

It was sent around by email and I had lots of fun with it. I crowded my family, two cats (who are indoor cats and thus were very unhappy with this arrangement) and one of our ten hens onto our porch and used my good old friend self-timer to take our portrait. Then I went back inside, petted my quaking kitties, and got to work on this card.

The photo was originally wayyyyy overexposed, but I think it fixed up pretty well.

How about you? What did your family card look like? Link up, link up! If you designed it and it's pretty you could be featured.

December Etsy Finds

I love Etsy. I love selling and I love buying. I've gotten many, many things on Etsy to give as gifts (can't post them here because the giftees might be reading!), and there are oh so many more that I really wish I could buy. If I were a billionaire, I would be buying...






And so much more. Here's another list of lovelies I made. (I'm seeing a color pattern with this... I promise it wasn't planned!)

The beauty of Etsy is that (for most things anyway) the presentation/photography of the item is almost as beautiful as the item itself. I love logging in and seeing some exquisite new collection on the front page. (I'm blessed enough to have been on the front page a few times myself.)

By the way: If you're looking for a great Christmas gift, consider something from my shop. For my blog readers, you can get 25% off by entering the coupon code "BLOGGERFRIENDS" at checkout!

DIY: Lovely Charm Necklace

You know what they say: a handmade gift is oodles better than one bought at a store. This is a quick and easy tutorial to show you how to transform an ordinary quarter into a stunning charm necklace.
And yes, I did come up with it myself. So please no copying/pasting. Feel free to link to it, though! :)

YOU WILL NEED:

• One U.S. quarter (or similar size... Norwegian krones, for example, have holes in the center already and are perfect for this craft)
• Electric drill and drill bit
• Toothpick
• Old books/music you don't mind cutting up (I like using dictionaries)
• Pocketknife or Exacto knife
• Mod Podge and brush to apply it with
• Necklace chain

INSTRUCTIONS:

1 : Take your quarter and drill a hole near the top. It should be big enough for the necklace chain to pass through (you're thread the necklace in at the end).

2 : Cut out words and/or pictures you want to cover your quarter with. (The hairpin is there instead of a toothpick. Stick your toothpick through the hole; this will keep you from covering it up when we start Mod-Podge-ing.)

3 : Coat your quarter with a layer of Mod Podge and start sticking on your cutouts. Reapply Mod Podge as needed.

4 : Unless you are amazing with your pocketknife, you'll have some parts of the papers that will hang out over the sides of the quarters. Just slice those off for a nice round edge.

5 : When your quarter is totally covered, put a nice thick layer of Mod Podge over it. Careful not to get too much in the hole! That's why the toothpick is there. Plus, you can hang the quarter between two objects using the toothpick so it dried evenly.
If needed, put on a second coat of Mod Podge once the first one is dry.

6 : Now all you need to do is take out the toothpick and thread the chain through. Ta-da! Instant loveliness.
You may want to put a jewelry ring through the hole and then put the chain through that (so that the charm always faces the same way).

I'd love to see your creations! Link up with your favorite handmade gift you've ever given or received.

Note: when I say there's 5 days until Christmas, I'm not counting actual Christmas day. Thus, my countdown will end on Christmas Eve as "0 Days until Christmas! Christmas is tomorrow!"
I feel kind of dumb counting like that, but that's how I was always taught to count... so...

Christmas Song Love

You know why iPods are great? Because you can listen to Christmas music all year long and not look like an idiot. Well, okay, there are better reasons, but I'd say that right there is a pretty darn good one.

I love Christmas music. It makes me happy. Whether it's traditional or funky, medieval or modern... I'll be smiling if I hear it.

My favorite classic carol is "The Carol of the Bells". It has a slightly creepy tune, which distinguishes it from its cheery counterparts, but its joyful lyrics make it holiday-spirit-ish.

Here's a playlist of some classics. You'll notice two versions of "Carol of the Bells"... I dare you to listen to them both. :)

But we are (at least I am) children of a new generation. Classic Christmas tunes can go only so far. Then we bring in the heavy artillery: extremely epic and modern songs for the Yuletide.
I was disappointed to be unable to find "Wish List" by Neon Trees to add to this playlist. It's a really awesome song, and it was free on iTunes last week. Now you can buy it here. It's worth the $1.29!

Dangerous things happen when you have a rather bored Olivia. Particularly a bored Olivia at Christmastime. And especially a bored Olivia at Christmastime listening to Like a G6 over and over.
The result? A late-night escapade into the land of mashups.
I was trying to find a good Christmas song to do vocals to over a karaoke track for Like a G6. And — whaddya know? —We Three Kings fits perfectly.
I had wayyyyy too much fun doing the vocals for this! I don't take credit for the track in the background, but the vocals and lovely artwork (did you catch that sarcasm?) are mine. {Well scratch that. The elements of the artwork are not mine, you can thank Google Images for those. But I stuck it all together.}


We're getting close... check back tomorrow for totally awesome handmade gift ideas!