"I can show you all my wares"

I've been waiting for years to do something with this black crochet collar.  I removed it from an old Hennes (the 'H' in H&M) sweater.  It has added a slightly whimsical/gothic lolita feel to my grey tunic tank.  Perfect for leggings.  I haven't worn pants in months, so dresses, skirts, and leggings are my primary outifit pieces these days.

I bought this tie dyed t-shirt at a thrift store.  Something about it as a big tee just didn't work, so one night I turned it into a tunic length tank dress.

These Nine West shoes are my new love.  I purchased them second hand in a congac color, then spray painted them gold.  I then rubbed them with paint thinner to take away from the total circus vibe.  Now their a little cracked and the deep congac leather shows through. 

Cheap Therapy

video via Gnarlitue

I love a luxurious splurge once in a while, but nothing is more exciting to me than shopping on a dime.  I've actually been partaking in a bit too much Good Will therapy lately.  In this Volcom video, Jennifer Herrema and blogger Savannah Grace spend a day at the Rose Bowl swap meet.

Loved

*image Dean Fardell, from Gibson.com

So, I was relaxing today after buying some new bronzy nail polish.  I turned on Sonisphere Fest, which has been sitting on my DVR for days, and my jaw dropped.  During "Girls, Girls, Girls" I noticed Nikki Sixx's Thunderbird Bass.  I've been playing around on my brother's Yamaha for over a yeah, but I just don't like the thing (sorry bro').  Nikki's beat up bass is so beautiful that it makes me want to put a strain on my credit -- a shiny new bass to be weathered over time and play.  Beautiful.

"Wild Side"

Glamour Goes Global

Kelly Framel, the blogger/ jeweler behind the glamourous Glamourai, has released a new collection of pieces with a new look.  I've admired Framel's bejeweld cocktail hour statement-makers and fearless use of stones, now I further admire her versatility in design.  The pieces, released this summer, are fun in a different way.  It's Middle Easts and Egypt-meets-Day of the Dead with colourful skulls, painted elephants, and antique medallions dripping with ankh's and bright crosses.  Framel is one I will continue to watch for her unique eye in the accessory world.  Shop for these pieces here.



Crystal Clear

I'm loving the look of this new Spell ring.  I have a distinguished affection for nearly all rocks, but quartz' and crystals are especially interesting when they are clear.  It's a fun distraction to look at other object through a crystal while sitting through a lecture.

Rockin' Red

Jane Aldridge of Sea of Shoes has one amazing vintage leather jacket!  (Well, I'm sure she has many ;-)

Music Queens & Red Lips

*all photos credits go where credit is due (not to me)

The Gold Dust Woman

all images from kenmeyerjr.com

Tori Amos through the eyes of David Mack.  Mack is an artist known for his graphic novels as well as Paul McCartney album art.  On Saturday I stopped in Comics and More and flipped through an issue of Mack's Kabuki.  I might pick it up tomorrow.

Although I like graphic novels, and I wanted to be a graphic novel artist for several years growing up, I'm quite picky.  If the art doesn't agree with my visual instincts, I don't want to read it.  (Perhaps that is shallow, but it is true about me.)  The new comics that are created purely with digits and photoshop do not catch my interest.  Although someone's hand guided a computer mouse (or drew each page on a tablet) I feel no beating heart in the drawing.  I love ink.  At the age of twelve I started using a real, classic style ink pen to draw.  There's just something about the ink, the thick flow like blood, that gives a well drawn image heart. 

These days, now that I'm busier and don't spend on hours drawing or painting, I use Pilot V5 pens.  The V5 is perfect for my creative disciplines - writing and sketching here and there.

Black Lace

Be still my beating heart for Laced with Romance vintage *sigh*

Blood on Blood

You know I love anime and manga.  Lately, I've been reading and watching Nana. 

The music for the anime is amazing.  Anna Tsuchiya's voice captrues Nana's onstage emotions, often making me cry.  Olivia Lufkin's beautiful voice embodies Reira's beauty and longing.  Plus, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum (both of GnR) provided the rhythm section for the anime's theme.

As far as the manga, I'm up to volume 19.  I know Ai Yazawa (the writer and artist) has put the series on hold for over a year, so I'm reluctant to read up to the cliffhanger that is volume 22.  The story is a moving examination of relationships.  More than anything, it is an illustration of lonliness.  Each character seeks fulfillment in relationships, in success, even in becoming the biggest band in Japan. 

Check out one of Anna Tsuchiya's tear-jerking songs below, "Blood on Blood."

I've decided to change the blog's name back to Pretty In Black.  It has such a nice ring to it, don't you think?