Un"sexy" But Cool Halloween Costume Ideas

I don't know where it stemmed from, but I've always been anti-super short skirts, or anything that shows too much skin. I don't like the constant tugging down or having to think about every movement you make (especially when sitting down, ugh!), which is why as much as I love skirts I make sure that they are a nice length and wear black cycling shorts too. Anyway ladies, here are my suggestions if you're looking for Halloween costumes that are still work appropriate and draw cool points from geeky/nostalgic people like moi.

(Raise your hands if you get slightly annoyed at all the "sexy" costumes the media pushes on us. We don't need those to look nice! Are they even comfortable since most of them are made of spandex?)

Carmen Sandiego - perfect for the cold weather!

Lost and Found

Posted on my hitRECord account :) (for this week's "Key" contest) http://www.hitrecord.org/records/992061

I was walking towards my apartment, thinking it was just another day. I got shouted at by my boss again this morning but it's no big deal. Everything goes wrong anyway, I said to myself, but there will be a time when the odds will finally be in my favor. So there I was, a normal guy, just walking and maybe whistling a little tune (I forget, sorry, but it was probably a guitar rift from one of Eric Clapton's old songs), when I kicked a small metal object across the hallway. Curious, I got my hands out of my pants pockets, kneeled down and gingerly picked it with my left. Standing up, I saw it was a silver key, with a big J carved into it. I wondered if it dropped out of it's unfortunate owner's pocket and if it was from any of my neighbors. J, j, j.. I tried to remember if I knew anyone around whose name starts with a J. There's old Mrs. Fitzpatrick in 102 with her collection of taxidermied animals (Peter the parrot, Gwynn the poodle and Flinty the fox. I loved Flinty, and one time she told me I could get him once she passes away. I replied that it's far off and could she not say that because she's like a grandmother to me), there's Barbara and her kids from 103 (Tommy, Finn and Kirk, I believe? He was born just a few weeks ago), and there's Layla. Layla, the girl I've liked ever since she moved into 104. Layla with her easy laugh and lopsided glasses. Layla, the girl I can barely talk to so I just smile and nod my head when I see her going out in the morning.

hitRECord

Just stumbled upon a new site - hitRECord, which encourages artists from all over the world to collaborate on projects and make awesome and original videos. I think I spent hours just going through them, and actually was able to make a text record based on their 10minute challenge (where they give you a word, which for this challenge was "repeat",

and you write continuously for 10minutes). I'm pretty proud of it, and it was very apt for me as I am going through an artistic rut. As a fellow contributor said, hitRECord is a procrastinator's nightmare. My username is juliebee, and here's my first textrecord:

http://www.hitrecord.org/records/988876

On Procrastination

Repeat after me: Stop procrastinating. Start doing. Nothing happens if you procrastinate, you just end up wasting your time, you end up doing nothing at all. You end up more frustrated than before because whatever you need to do still needs to be done, and now you have lesser time to do it. Want to be a blogger? Set aside time for blogging. A photographer? Take pictures, for crying out loud, look at websites for inspiration, don't let your camera gather dust in a corner! A writer? Get your pen and jot down your thoughts, interesting or not, they might be the next blockbuster movie for all we know. Don't listen to your pathetic excuses, they are just roadblocks. You hold the key to your future. Not anyone else, just YOU. Start doing. Stop mumbling. I REPEAT. DO. JUST DO. No excuses. No bumbling, no head-scratching, no filler activities that won't amount to anything. Make the most out of the time you have. Take control of your situation. Count how many times I mentioned the word YOU. Why does it matter? Because YOU create YOUR future. I know I'm repeating myself again, but until you remember that, until that is ingrained in you, you will never stop procrastinating, you will never get things done, you will never amount to anything other than a mediocre person who whines about how life sucks. Because YOU have been given all the abilities to be what you want to be. It's all a matter of harvesting those abilities and nurturing them. So I REPEAT. Stop procrastinating. Go. Go after it. Go after your dreams before it is too late. Go, go, go!

Coveting The Limited Sale Items

I LOVE THE LIMITED. They have some of the most amazing sales for really pretty blouses, and actually they HAVE A SALE. Yes! Right NOW! Here are the items that I really, really, really want but can't due to budget constraints (so I'm going to have to live vicariously through you, hehehe! Seriously though, I work in a really casual work environment, so as much as I want to own these I don't really see the need to buy them).

First off, the blouses: (the pictures don't have personal links so I will make a really rough collage)

The dresses:

And the link to their sale items: Beware, credit card!

Enjoy! :)

Love,

Forever21 Wish List

F21 is a go-to store for those of us who want to stay within budget and still be on-trend. But does being on a budget mean you have to compromise the quality of what you'll be buying? This is actually one of the reasons why I mostly buy from the clearance section of higher-end stores because at almost the same prices, you get better-quality goods that will last more than your cheaper (i.e. Forever21, Old Navy, H&M, Charlotte Russe, etc.) items ever will. Which is not to say that there is a complete lack of quality goods in those aforementioned stores, it just means that online shopping is a little dubious for those brands (in terms of sizing/fit and the "feel" of the material), and that I highly recommend you personally touch and see and critique every item (especially the seams, you don't want your item to need a repair after just 1 wash!) before handing over your hard-earned dollars. In my recent foray into Forever 21, these are the items that caught my eye and looked like they will last until you grow tired of them.

Faux Ostrich Leather Satchel (eggplant) - $32.80

On-trend ostrich-embossed faux leather, this bag will definitely take you places! It looks sturdy and comparable to the Rebecca Minkoff Ostrich MAC Bomb clutch that I got on sale for $80 (from $330!) at Nordstrom Rack. 

Rebecca Minkoff Ostrich MAC Bombe Clutch