Ladies Tea Party

Birthday gal in a skirt made by our friend Judy. It has kitties and teacups, it's purrrrfect!!!

This past Sunday Julie Ann had a tea party in celebration of her upcoming birthday! It was a beautiful day, but it was hot. 94 degrees hot. Though hot tea was on the menu, Julie Ann had an amazing assortment of tea related drinks as well as little sandwiches, scones and cookies. Everything was so delicious, I had to stop myself from eating it all!

Since I knew it was going to be so hot (we did have a very nice breeze), I thought it would be fun and silly to make fans with Julie Ann's pictures on them. I said to the gals, "You can cool yourself with a hot lady". Hahaha! Julie Ann is stunner even in the goofy photos I choose to use.

Jodee, myself, Julie Ann and Andrea. All the ladies in black hats!

Since it was so hot, I decided to wear a little lacey babydoll with sandals and a big hat. I forgot how much I love this dress and now can wear it with more confidence since I picked up a lace bralette from Forever 21 to bridge the large boob gap in the dress.

A shout out to Sylvie from Little Corp Goth and her compliments and inquires about my tattoo's from my last blog post. I honestly don't even see them any more and sorta forget I'm a moderately 'tattooed female'. I know it sounds strange, I'm a strange gal. *Wink*

Wearing; lace dress (thrifted), lace bralette (Forever 21), hat (old, Forever 21), necklace (gift from friend), sandals (Hot Topic), sunglasses (via Cats Like Us)

Special thanks to Andrew for letting me use his photos and to Julie Ann for having a great ladies tea party and inviting me!

Thank you for reading, until next time!

XOXO-Meagan Kyla

A Touch of the 60s

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love 60s fashions. Though I work at a retro clothing boutique that focuses on 40s and 50s, we just dip our toes into the 60s. When most people think of 'retro' they either think of the 80s (which is an obvious other decade I love) and the 50s---but, this is a generalized idea from my own experiences.

60s inspiration board on pinterest

Oh yes, back to my love of 60s silhouette's. I love boxy boatneck style tops paired with pedal pusher pants and flat shoes. I love Peter Pan collar mini dresses, black and white geometric prints and crushed velvet frocks. I love A-line scooter dresses (even though they look terrible on my shape) and I'm totally mad for Mod. 

Top also featured here

What I have learned from being a stylist, sales person and clothing enthusiast is that you can take elements from any decade that you love and incorporate them into your own personal style. You don't have to go off the wall and dress in that era specific clothing from head to toe (unless that's what makes you happy), but simply make it your own. There are no rules! 

Wearing; skeleton hands top (made by Leslie. Top pattern Simplicity 7051), pedal pushers (VooDoo Vixen), purple skull earrings (Kreepsville 666), flats (H&M)

In theme with me modifying my Hell Bunny dress in my last blog post, I wanted to share a little mod that was quick and easy. I have narrow feet and find that a lot of fabric style flats slip off my feet, so I like to add elastic straps! Simply hand sew elastic into the inside of the shoe and Voila!, no slippage. This little solution works best with canvas or lightweight, flexible fabric shoes. Side note-the elastic was salvaged materials from another choppy-choppy project. 

Do you have a favorite decade(s) and/or era(s) that inspire you?

Thank you for reading, until next time!

XOXO-Meagan Kyla

Spider Web Dress Edit

"And you are wearing a Halloween dress!?" 

Me-"Yeah, it's Halloween for me everyday"

That was a short interaction with a customer at work, hehe! I am wearing a Hell Bunny dress that has been on the blog here and here. I was inspired to wear this dress from Jen over at Betties N' Brimstone as she was talking about a super cute bat Hell Bunny dress she owns, and how she doesn't like halter straps. I totally am with her and have modified this dress (and a few others) from halter straps into 'regular' straps as I find it more comfortable and I can wear a regular bra.

This one was a little bit of a miss on getting it lined up comfortably and covering up my bra straps. At least the straps aren't falling down and the folded over bust isn't gapping. *shrugs*

I am a true believer of modifying things to fit your comfort and taste. A little nip/tuck or hemline change or adding/subtracting whatever your heart desires to make a garment really suit YOU is always a good idea. I find if I'm not happy with fit or function, the piece just sits in my closet and that's a waste of money!

Wearing; spider web dress (Hell Bunny), shrug (Target), earrings/necklace set (gift from Melanie), bracelets (thrift),  hair bow (Hot Topic), bat flats (Iron Fist)

Other modified projects:

dress to skirt

polka dot halter straps to regular straps

creepy graves dress to skirt

Thank you for reading, until next time!

XOXO-Meagan Kyla

Casual Style with Polka Dot Flats

Every year I get myself a few cheapy pairs of flats, as I seem to completely destroy them. I do have my Aerosole leather flats and Mary Janes that are an investment and I always will recommend investing in good foot wear. Yet, sometimes I go over to Apparel Save on eBay and find good deals and not worry about being a summer beast in them. Seriously, I am very hard on shoes!

Tombstone photo edit, lol!

I had been looking for little black and white polka dot flats to add a little 'something' to my relatively basic summer outfits. I am very pleased with the oxford-like design of the shoes (by Restricted) and for a price tag of .99 cents with $8.99 shipping, worth it.

Wearing; Peter Pan collar top and bow (Hot Topic, pedal pushers (Sourpuss Clothing), flats (eBay) and freebie skull pin (Charcoal Designs via etsy)

What is your favorite type of footwear for the Summer?

Thank you for reading, until next tome!

XOXO-Meagan Kyla

Kitsch Picks: Black Willow Gallery

+funeral carriage patch by lupe flores +bunny girl mug by lupe flores

+creepy alexandra 8x10 print +bat heel wood pin

(click on bold text to link to product)

One of the many wonderful things about etsy is finding artist's like Lupe Flores of Black Willow Gallery who's art is adorably creepy. I love the shop's motto, "Follow your inner moonlight; don't hide the madness." The shop is filled everything from art prints to tank tops to jewelry. If you like Posada-inspired art (Dia de los Muertos), you will enjoy Lupe Flores unique artwork!

Thank you for reading, until next time!

XOXO-Meagan Kyla

Touches of Gingham

dress styled here and here

I've been making the closet rounds once again and pulled out my Apple Pie Gingham Trashy Diva dress to wear for work. A lot of people tend to shy away from gingham as I think it reminds them of picnic tablecloths, but to me it's an adorable black and white geometric print, which I am all about! 

I thought it would be fun to pair the dress with a little cardigan to get the effect of the ruffled bust to just 'peek' out from the V neck style of the sweater. I really love ruffled and/or ruched bust's on dresses, as I think it adds some lovely visual interest to a garment.

I'm wearing a big velvet hair bow (very old, Claire's), black rose necklace (gift), black rose earrings (gift), black belt I always wear (yeah, I should get another one some day. Haha!), Lydia brooch (Jubly Umph) and leather Mary Janes (Aerosoles).

I also have to give a shout out to a dress that has nice deep pockets, so deep in fact that I found a lip gloss that had gone missing. D'oh! Mental note: make sure to check dress pockets before washing.

Thank you for reading, until next time!

XOXO-Meagan Kyla

Sunday Funday: Flea Market

Sunday was our first trip of the Summer season to the Clarence Antique World & Flea Market. We like to get up early and go as I don't do well in the sun (I know, sooooo goth) and before it gets really hot. Sunday morning was already a hot one, so I had to prepare for the battle with the round ball of fire in the sky and get mentally prepared to battle the bargain seeking crowd.

Sunglasses-check!

Big hat-check!

Sunscreen-double check!

Crossbody bag-check!

Lightweight cotton clothing-check!

Reusable shopping bag-check!

Comfortable shoes-check!

I highly recommend bringing your own bag to a flea market, a lot of times the sellers don't have plastic/paper bags. It's also a little trick I do to control our spending (shhhh, don't tell Derek!). I like to use a crossbody bag for hands-free shopping and it's easier access to the money. You never know when you may need to quickly whip out money to insure you get the item you want! Oh yes, cash is king when it comes to flea markets, so be sure to have smaller bills for payment.

I have to admit, I get a rush rummaging through someone else's junk and getting an amazing bargain. If I didn't have such good self control, our house would be filled to the brim with 2nd hand treasures, but it's not a good deal if it just turns into clutter and hoarding. Luckily for me, I take some of these finds and turn them into income, so my hobby can get just a tiny bit ridiculous. Hehe!

Finds: Treasure Craft of Hawaii figures

Wooden Tiki idol (1973)

Danish Modern Viking ship wall hangings

A note about the Viking wooden/metal ships, Derek has been searching for these and they usually come in a set of three ($70-$100), but at $10 for both pieces, we're not complaining. Haha! I also recommend (if possible) look behind things and move things (carefully), as a lot of vendors will just pile things up and aren't very organized. I found the Viking ships by moving an ironing board and Voila!, found them on a shelf. SCORE!

I pulled this beauty from behind a pile of framed photos. It's a large print on tin and is perfect for my nun collection. I love the soft colors contrasted with the nun's black habit and robes. Finding this print also inspired to unbox my nun collection and revisiting with all my lovely nuns. They still don't have a permanent convent and by convent I mean shelving, but I'm sure with my thrifty wit I will find something amazing. *Big smile*

Do you enjoy flea markets? What sort of things do you look for?

Thank you for reading, until next time.

XOXO-Meagan Kyla

Vacation Slides: Cleveland

"We're actually leaving earlier than planned?! Goooo us!"

Hello friends! Here are some photos of our mini break to Cleveland, OH. We left last Sunday and got home late afternoon on Tuesday. Much fun was had and many photos were taken!

"It's a major award!"

One of our stops was visiting the A Christmas Story house, which A Christmas Story is one of Derek's favorite movies and having it on continuously on Christmas Day has become a tradition. We got to tour the house, which is amazingly interactive, learned a lot and had fun!

"Be sure to drink your ovaltine!" I told Derek to try and recreate the look on Ralphie's face when he finally decodes Orphan Annie message. Not quite the same, but still funny. Hehe!

"He looks like a pink nightmare!"

Yep. You can put on a pink bunny suit at the house and Derek didn't hesitate for a moment. I was laughing so hard and so was the rest of our tour group. We like to have fun and (as you can see by the photos) we're not afraid to get totally silly. 

Goofing around the hostel before going to Porco

A trip wouldn't be complete without visiting a Tiki bar and Porco is one of our favorite places! I was pretty excited to have our first drinks served in a Darth Vader mug and a Chewy mug, these are by Think Geek and can be purchased here. I would like to get a few of these awesome mugs for our own collection.

We ate massive nachos, chatted with the bartenders and had to take the obligatory, "We're at a Tiki bar", photos. We like to document our Tiki bar visits as we like to try some of the drink recipes at home or take inspiration from the bar's decor. 

On the last day we went to the Dittrick medical museum and it was AWESOME! Unfortunately due to only having an hour to explore (parking was a bit of a pain), we didn't get to see everything, yet it just means we'll have to go back! I also want to mention that the museum is free and if you live around Cleveland or are planning a visit, it's a must see!

There was an 1800's physicians office display, complete with the skeleton in the corner that I wanted to take home.

Check out this amazing x-ray machine!!! 

We also went to Lakeview Cemetery and I was so busy enjoying the view, I forgot to take photos. Oh well, but fun was had by all, yet I always love coming home. *Wink*

Thank you for reading, until next time!

XOXO-Meagan Kyla

Stripes, Concho Belt and Kitsch

Glad you liked my honesty of my last blog. I guess I was letting all the Youtube haul's, ootd and other various sponsored posts get into my head. Hey, I'm not jealous by any means, I think it's great that people want to share their wardrobe, shoes, etc., it's just not a part of my reality. I allowed the videos make me feel a little inadequate and that's my fault not the other person's. Now I am shaking it off and moving on....

Wearing; black and white puff sleeve striped shirt (thrifted), black swing skirt (Steady Clothing), concho belt and flats (Target). I am also realizing, as I look at these photos, how long my hair is getting. It's sort of crazy!

But wait, this blog post is about more than just clothing....

Some kitsch was procured during our trip to Cleveland, including this poodle to add to the black velvet painting wall! Weird neon green poodle needed to come home with us, pronto. Kitsch. Kitsch. KITSCH! I love our wall-o-velvet, it's in such bad taste, it's good.

I was going to mention something about my pair of hooters....wait, what are you dirty birdie's think I'm referring too?! I am talking about this pair of chalkware owls, not boobies! Hahaha! I think these are going to be added to a wall in our vintage Halloween themed kitchen. I've discovered my appreciate for owls as they can be really creepy and cute, I just don't want to get obsessed as that is my bff's Dani's department. *Wink*

Thank you for reading, until next time!

XOXO-Meagan Kyla

You May Have Seen It All

Hello friends! We are back from our little Cleveland trip and we had a nice time! I'm sure there will be photos and stories to come, but I wanted to say....I think you may have seen it all. What I am referring to is my outfits. I know it's not something that us bloggers don't want to admit, but I'm pretty sure I'm tapped out. I wish I didn't sound so blunt and realistic, as I'm not a sponsored blogger or Youtuber that gets things gifted to them. I don't do haul's, I don't go on shopping spree's and I don't use credit cards for clothing. I'm just being honest and hoping I don't get too boring. Hahaha!!! I'll try and keep it interesting. *Wink* 

Happy Wednesday everyone! 

Thank you for reading, until next time!

XOXO-Meagan Kyla

Yellow Leopard Sweater and Some Words About Summer Clothing

Hello friends! What's shakin'? My week was filled with work at the store as my bosses went on a much needed vacation and I was left in charge. Muahaha! Actually, it's not that exciting as I just bossed myself around and made sure I didn't goof off...too much. I kept my outfits pretty simple and comfy since I didn't have much time to think about myself when I wanted to make sure I got everything done for the store. 

Wearing; yellow leopard sweater (Sourpuss Clothing), old skater dress (thrift?), leggings (Target), my favorite black flats (by Aerosoles), sunglasses (AJ Morgan), necklace (??), Batcave pin (eBay), coffin dangle earrings (Sourpuss Clothing)

Oh yeah, those words about summer clothing=WTF. Hahaha!!! Help me out here, what is going on? I don't want to shop the trendy goth brands (too pricey, don't like the material, etc.), I am looking at some of the alternative brands/stores and I am not finding anything that is peaking my interest and then the 'regular' trendy stores are puzzling me......are they actually summer clothes?! Weird material, weird cuts, and everything looks like you are heading to a club or has long sleeves?!

I keep mentioning material, because rayon, unflattering stretch jersey and other varies of blended materials that show everything and I'm clueless as to what sort of underwear (or perhaps lack of) I'm supposed to wear. It's summer, it's hot, I don't want to be concerned about my under garments,  I don't like going out of the house braless!!!! This is why my summer wardrobe is boring, unless I find something new at a thrift store or via etsy, I just wear my few pieces until they are worn out! Sigh....

I don't find it hard to be a goth in the summer, I find it hard to find clothing I like and that inspires me and not be buried under lots of layers (which is very much a part of my style) or that makes me uncomfortable. Is this all too much to ask? Am I living in a fantasy world? I guess I'm sticking to my usual strategy of wearing lots of accessories and fun flats. Hahaha!!!

Where do you shop for summer clothing? Any advice for me?

Thank you for reading, until next time!

XOXO-Meagan Kyla

Hello, Is Anybody Out There?!

"peek-a-boo!"

Hello friends! I have not forgotten about the blog, I've just been so incredibly busy with the store and my own etsy shop. I have also been battling my allergy issues and, quite frankly, I've been feeling pretty miserable. I also realize how much my summer wardrobe is quite boring, but I think it's due to being very picky about material, cut, etc., more about that in a future blog. *wink*

This guy right here. He is my rock.

Derek has been working his butt off and in turn is feeling a little burned out. Next week we are going to take an overnight trip to Cleveland, OH and go to our favorite vintage shops and go to Porco Tiki Lounge for some tropical libations. He needs it, I need it, we need it. I need it so much that I totally forgot about it, hehe! Oops! 

We had a bit of a blow last week as our roof is not going to be able to go through another winter, so we need to get it done and have an opportunity to do so at the end of July. I am happy on one hand as we will have the sewer system fixed at the end of this month and the roof done at the end of July, but it will leave our savings drained almost completely. Sigh...I know, "Happy home ownership". Grumblebats. I am sick of hearing that, seriously. I do have to give us both a pat on the back as we are trying to do all these repairs without taking out any bank loans, still paying our bills on time and still having a bit of fun. Yay! Adulting!

What have you been up to? 

Thank you for reading, until next time!

XOXO-Meagan Kyla

Kitsch Picks: Beetlejuice Patches Artwork by Shy Custis

+set of four beetlejuice inspired patches

(click on bold text to link to product)

This set of four embroidered patches by Shy Custis of Coey & Shy & Felix Shop are some amazing Beetlejuice inspired wearable art! You get; Sandworm, Miss Argentina, Beetle Coffin (beetles glow in the dark!), The Maitlands' House (flames glow in the dark!). I love them all!!!

The rest of the shop is filled with some really great artwork, totebags, stickers, coloring books and more! 

Thank you for reading, until next time!

XOXO-Meagan Kyla

Hair Blog: Bandana's and Scarves

A few weeks ago Julie Ann and I hosted a in-store event at my work, Cats Like Us, all about bandana's and scarves. We get asked to do a lot of in-store demonstration's on how to tie a bandana and tie a giant 'Hello Kitty' tie bow using a scarf, etc. We decided to have the event and also have it filmed so we can share with all our customers and I'm now sharing it with all of you! Fun fact: Many, many years ago I shaved off all my hair and while it was growing out I wore a bandana in my hair everyday for a year. 

My new growth is out of control, so while I wait to get my roots bleached and toned, a hair scarf with a faux beehive is what I have been rockin'. It's been so humid as well that I just want my mullet off my neck. Now employing 8 million bobby pins! Hahaha!!

Wearing; dress (eShakti), scarf, bangles and bamboo earrings (Cats Like Us), shoes (H&M, elastic added by me)

Full outfit wasn't very interesting yesterday, but I like my surroundings. Yeah, there is a weird white hole in the wall, we need to patch it...including the other little projects that I moan about and then just ignore it instead. It will all get down some time! 

Happy Friday everyone! Thank you for reading, until next time! XOXO-Meagan Kyla