When real things happen to imaginary people

My ability to write came skulking back around 8:00 last night, so I managed about 2K words on the story (almost halfway to the total word count), sent that off to my sanity check people, had a minor hissy fit, and then spent more time dinking around the interwebs. Let me tell you, when you are seeking distraction, Polyvore is both very good and very bad. Good in that it is full of pretty things and fun projects, bad in that IT WILL EAT YOUR BRAIN AND SENSE OF TIME PASSING.

Thank you to everyone who posted consoling or cheering comments to me yesterday when I was feeling a bit meh and whiny. They did make me feel better, and I appreciate that very much.

So, comfort food and books. When I am stressed or in need of emotional soothing, I crave (in addition to cupcakes, that is) two particular foods. Macaroni and cheese, preferably from Beechers, which is a fantastic creamery/cheese-maker here in Seattle. I have never, never had better mac & cheese. Why yes, our dinner last night included it, how clever of you to have suspected that.

My other comfort food is from a tiny family-owned Mexican place in our neighborhood. The food is very tasty, the chips and salsa and guacamole are addictive, and they have photos of their burrito grande being compared in size to a newborn infant. Really, what's not to love?

Comfort reading. Now, I am a fast reader. A really fast reader. I can finish an average novel in an evening, so I re-read books pretty frequently anyway. But again, in times of stress or when I am feeling not quite the thing, I will ignore whatever stack of enticing new books I have and head straight for ... oh, things like Personal Darkness by Tanith Lee. Anno Dracula by Kim Newman. Gothique by Kyle Marafin. And my new comfort read, which hasn't even been released yet (but I managed to get an advance copy): Souless (The Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger. (clicky-link!) Those of you that are perceptive and/or familiar with my tastes (which is all of you, now that I think about it) have noticed that all of my comfort reads are about vampires. Stamp my cliché card now, please. Really, the only comfort read of mine that isn't about vampires is Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury, and I only allow myself to re-read that every October. Which is only a month away, hurrah!

Today, in addition to stuff like oh, job hunting (and making food and doing laundry), I need to write the first draft of the next installment of my story for Steampunk Tales, and finish writing up my clothing sale document. Which means I need to make my damn mind up about if I'm letting one particular jacket go. It's heavily customized, not just in terms of tailoring (I cropped it to make it waist-length), but also in terms of decoration: I gave it stripy buttons, a stripy heart appliqued to one sleeve, and I modified the lapels. Note To Self: try on the jacket, get The Husband's opinion about selling it.

IF I get enough writing done today, I am going to reward myself with writing an LJ post about comfort food and comfort books. It's been rattling around my head for a few days, partially spurred by the fact that I have a huge, enticing stack of new books to be read, but I keep finding myself picking up old favorites that I've read a bazillion times.

Clicky-links of coveting! My friend requieminblack is a talented designer, and has been making all sorts of pretty pretty things for her Etsy store. If I had the spending money, I would be hitting the shiny Add To Cart button for the black on black striped shrug, and talking to her about getting a Dia de los Muertos bolero made in my size. (clicky-links you should go look at!) In my fantasy closet, I would wear the Dia de los Muertos bolero with a black lace blouse, a black underbust corset, a knee-length black ruffly skirt (perhaps with bustle-y details), b&w stripy tights, and those Dr. Marten "Skelly" boots that I covet. Yes, I like clothing with skeletal details, why do you ask?

Okay. Must go sort laundry, then start writing the next installment of the steampunk story. Must stop window-shopping.

Of New York, Lip Service, And Answering Reader Questions.

Wherein I geeble about the upcoming NYC trip, I geeble about Amazon.com offering the "Look Inside!" feature on the Gothic Charm School book, I really do answer some reader questions (I told you I'd get back to that!), and I ask for people to give me advice, because it really IS time to tackle the topic of Goths who are people of color, and I know that I am a well-intentioned but clueless white lady.

Oh, I also geeble about becoming a blogger for the Lip Service webzine. (clicky-link!) Yes, this is the big news I was being all flaily-hands over. Wheeeee!

I have been rather lax for a while now about going for walks during the day. Yes, I have been using the Wii Fit (off and on), but I need to get back in the habit of a half-hour walk every day. Today, I couldn't bring myself to leave my office, but I did pace around my office for almost the entire length of an episode of Pushing Daisies. And then my iPod battery ran out. But, it was a walk (of a sort), and I think I'll find briskly pacing around my office while watching Pushing Daisies is something I'll be willing to find time for every day.

Earlier today, while staring forlornly at a topic one of my writers had handed off, there was a knock at my office door. The super-cool senior editor I work with had gone to run some errands, and brought back cupcakes. Mmmm, cupcake.

---

Tonight: start writing the next GCS on the bus home. Dinner, then possibly watching Let The Right One In (yay vampires!), and writing an email concerning perfumes.

Sometime before Thursday, I need to go through my petticoat collection and find the few that are mid-calf length, because my skirt for the Vampire Ball is above ankle-length. Yes, people will be able to see my feet, which is not my usual standard at a fancy dress-up event. But my black leather granny boots with the pink ribbons will be perfect with the outfit, so yay.

Of Conflicts About Cosmetics, Requests For Fashion Advice, and Dealing With Copy-Cats.

Just like always, I owe thanks to staxxy and the Finishing School of Flail.

Also just like always, if you lovely people could help spread the word about the new post, that would be Very Helpful Indeed. Thank you!

Firstly, you people do know that Tokyopop is publishing an English-language version of the Gothic & Lolita Bible, right? I only ask because girlgoth recently posted about discovering it, and that made me think that maybe some of you didn't know about it.

Anyhow, with that exposition out of the way: I'm a "special guest columnist" in the Winter 2009 Gothic & Lolita Bible! My contributor copy arrived in the mail today, and it's very pretty. And as an added bonus, the cover image is the pink & black pirate lolita illustration (clicky-link!) from volume 28 of the Japanese version. (Yes, I still covet that outfit.)

So! If you get a chance, check out the winter 2009 Gothic & Lolita Bible from Tokyopop!

No, I mean it. I have A Deadline, and need to focus on writing. I plan on being at Club V every Saturday night, because I will go crazy without going dancing, and I hope to be at the usual Monday night thing, because I will go crazy without seeing Certain People. Other than that? Don't expect to see much of me.

However, with that said, I AM planning on going to this event tonight, and you should too.

Tonight: PETER MURPHY! ElderGoths, staple your hands to your foreheads!

Tomorrow: writing (oh, and have I mentioned I'm over the 75% done mark? Well, I am, and I am VERY PLEASED about that. We will not speak of revisions at this moment. No thinking of revisions until draft zero is done.), and then dressing up and going off to Club V at Lower CHAC for dancing.

Sunday: Er, more writing? Oh, and flailing about my upcoming business trip to Ottawa. Can I pack for a three day trip with just two pieces of carry-on luggage? Maybe if I don't bring a spare petticoat? I don't know. I think I had better do some test packing on Sunday.

---

Hey, recommend vampire movies to me. I've read an insane amount of vampire novels, but haven't seen a whole lot of vampire movies, because most of them are, well, dire. (However, I do own Queen Of The Damned, and watch it. Usually while drinking absinthe and giggling a lot, but I still do watch parts of it.) Yes, I've seen the usual ones: Dracula (the Tod Browning and the Coppola versions), The Hunger (David Bowie as a vampire! Peter Murphy in a cage!), The Lost Boys (we are not going to discuss how many times I've seen it in the theater. Let's just say that it hit the dollar theater close to my house the summer it was released, and leave it at that.), Nosferatu, 30 Days of Night (which I quite liked), Interview With The Vampire, Near Dark, From Dusk Til Dawn, Shadow Of The Vampire, both Blade movies (which were silly fun), the first Underworld movie (again, dumb, but fun). Give me other suggestions, please!

---

Product review time! I finally broke down and sent a tube of NARS Chandernagor lip color (my One True Lipstick, which has been discontinued, whaaah!) to 3Custom Color (clicky-link!). ( Review under a cut tag to spare those who don't care about custom-blended lipstick )

::makes fangirl flaily hands:: PETER MURPHY, PEOPLE! TONIGHT! Performing not just his music, but stuff from Bauhaus! I may even indulge in swirly eyeliner tonight, just to really go for the ElderGoth nostalgia.

Busy. Busy busy busy. Not with work, really, because things are oddly quiet around my part of the Evil Empire. But I'm still busy. Stuff that has been going on includes:

- We went to the Herbfarm last Friday, as a belated anniversary dinner. It was fantastic, and I really need to write up a post about it that includes the menu.

- Trying to get holiday shopping done. As always, my mother is VERY DIFFICULT to shop for. Tomorrow night is the traditional shopping trip with my Dad, which I always look forward to. (For those who haven't met him, my Dad is AWESOME. And crazy. Our yearly holiday shopping expedition is one of the highlights of the holiday season for me.)

- Dentist visits. Let's just say it has been a Very Long Time since I saw a dentist (what with being somewhat afraid of them AND dental insurance wackiness), but last week I finally unearthed my courage and went to one. As it turns out, this particular dentist is very cool (and funny!), so my fear is lessening. (It helps that he has his office set up so I can watch DVDs while he's working on my teeth; last night's movie was Addams Family Values) I now have five new fillings, and next year I have to have all four of my wisdom teeth pulled. No, I am not looking forward to this.

- Writing. I've been working on a bunch of different things, and oh hey! I really need to post a new GCS column, don't I? I'd better finish the current one ...

So, yeah. Busy. Plus being distracted by various things like the Help the Crew donation drive (clicky link, and one you really should click!) that Allyson Beatrice is organizing. (You did know that the Writers' Strike has affected more than just the writers, right? Support the crew!)

Other distractions include discussions on steamfashion, and various people making sure I saw this picture. (stroppy_baggage, don't click that link. You'll roll your eyes and make a fondly exasperated noise, trust me.)

So, with all of that, I've not been around much. I've been reading people's posts, but not commenting a lot.

( So I'll just end this update-y post with Shallow Fashion Details, shall I? )

Yes, TWO posts in one month! Madness, I know.

Of Cross-Generational Concert Etiquette; or Kids Today and Their Loud Music

You know the drill by now, Snarklings. Please go forth and tell everyone about the new post!


A big thank you to staxxy for being a splendid proof-reader. A loud "Squeeee!" and flailing devil-horn hand gestures to minim_calibre and bluejay23 for being my companions at the concert that inspired this particular post.