New Shoes and Spending the Holidays With Mode Merr

A very heart-felt Good Evening to You, Dear Readers,

Passover Table

Kiddie Table

  I hope your Spring Holidays were all wonderful and blessed. This year, I celebrated Passover (my favorite Jewish holiday) at the Piratical Fiance's Grandmother's house. I am not Jewish, but the Piratical Fiance is half Jewish, and so he says I am Jewish by injection. This year, since Grandma Betty had invited many guests to the Seder, the Piratical Fiance and I as well as his cousin were all banished to the Kiddie Table. I have never sat at a Kiddie Table, even when I was a kid, so it was kinda fun. Unfortunately, Elijah did not show up AGAIN! (I honestly do wait for him with anticipation every year.) The food was amazing as always. I don't know what everything is called, but I do like it all. (My boss insists that I am the only Gentile in the world that likes Matzoh and Gefilte Fish. He is Jewish and likes neither.)

Fabulous shoes and clothes!

   In addition to all this celebrating and fun, I looked fabulous! I threw together an outfit around an new pair of shoes. The shoes are Iron Fist mules. (A little side note here. I am a fan of Iron Fist. I love their clothes, however, I have a hell of a time fitting into their shoes. The Piratical Fiance has bought me 2 pairs as gifts and both had to go back, as they were too small, even though they were my size, which is an 11, for those of you who dont remember. I even spent an afternoon in Hootenanny in Harvard Square trying on every single pair of size 11 Iron Fist shoes they had with no luck and a lot of tears.) They are black and white plaid, with some ruffly yellow lace, a pink velvet bow and a pink skull to finish the whole look. I paired these with a bright blue Mode Merr Perfect Skirt, a black Old Navy mini cardigan and a lace camisole acquired at a thrift store. It was a perfect outfit and the ladies who were at Passover (all octogenarians) were amazed that I could walk in such tall heels and were all curious as to how tall I was without heels (5'9"). 

Walking Harvard Square

  The next event we had was a visit from the Piratical Fiance's younger brother from California. This demanded a family dinner out as well as another outfit centered around new shoes. This pair was also Iron Fist. These mules have red and black sequin skulls on them. (So cool!) The outfit that went with these shoes was a black Perfect Skirt and a red velvet Peasant Top. (When I chose this top, Angela looked at me and said, "Were you a romantic Goth?" How did she know? Since high school, I have had quite a weakness for all kinds of velvet. I suppose it has carried over to my adulthood. <3) Grandma Betty was horrified when she finally noticed my shoes on the walk back to her apartment through Harvard Square. She insisted that I would turn my ankle as well as ruin my feet. I did not turn my ankle that night, although she is probably right that I will at some point ruin my feet. The truth is that I have been wearing heels for so long that walking in flats is the tricky part for me. 

Cuz Ange says I am a Romantic Goth

   I need to say, Xpistos Avesti to all my Greek readers, although there probably are none. Greek Easter was last Sunday. Greek Easter generally falls after Catholic Easter and very rarely on the same Sunday. This year was the first year we ever had brunch out on Easter Sunday. We went to Stephie's on Tremont. I wore my black Mode Merr Perfect Skirt as well as a blue and white with black accents Sour Puss nautical shirt. This went with slightly more sensible shoes and one of my Victorian parasols. Sadly, no pictures were taken. I can tell you I got a lot of strange looks and even some rather rude comments. (Pssst...the secret to criticizing strangers in public is to WHISPER to your friends, not shout it at the top of your lungs.) I felt amazing, despite the comments and the looks and the enormous blister forming on my pinky toe, despite the deceiving sensibility of the shoes.  

Passover Dinner

   Life has been very busy this spring and it only seems to be getting busier. This weekend is the Boston Comic Con. I will be going with the Piratical Fiance and some friends. The Piratical Fiance will be pirating along with our friends. I however have elected to go as a Victorian Lady. I realize that it is not very comic-y, however this is not my scene. This will also be my first Con. I will most certainly be blogging about this impending adventure. 


   A friend also has an event coming up called, Spring Hue, Photography by Tracy King. http://www.facebook.com/events/190645637715916/ 
It will be held on Friday, April 27th at the Bulfinch Hotel. I modeled for this event (in Mode Merr of course) so come on by and take a look at some great photography. 

  Angela is finally home safe and sound from Viva Las Vegas. She came down with the flu while there and is finally on the mend. I will be posting more Mode Merr events as they arise. 


  I hope you are all well and enjoying this gorgeous weather. 


  Until Next Time, Dear Readers. <3

Spectacular Adornments

Good Morning, Dear Readers,
    Yes I know it's the ass-crack of dawn. Yes, I know it's chilly out and my bed and the Piratical Boyfriend sleeping in it are very warm. What am I doing up? It is something called insomnia. When your eyes pop open at 4 am and you can't get back to sleep, and your only 2 options are either staying in bed and asking your significant other really weird questions and not letting him sleep or getting up and doing something productive, well, my dears, the only solution is to get up, put on a fleece bathrobe and post in your blog.

   As most of you know from a few blogs ago, I am moving soon. I am a creature of habit and dislike change very much, even though I know change is good and healthy. This move sets off all sorts of anxieties. How will everything fit? Can I afford all of this? What if I hear a noise that I can't explain? What if the gleaming and brand new hardwood floors in this place get scratched? (No wonder I cant sleep at night!) This (and other) impending changes have been making me think of who I used to be/what I was like in years past. In the previous blog, I gave you a dissertation on my hair. Naturally, that made me start thinking about the jewelry and accessories of my past. 

Tall Dr. Martens

   When I was in High School, I almost exclusively wore Dr. Martens. I wore them all year round and even did the Walk for Hunger while wearing them. It was an obsession that turned into a collection. I think at one point I had about 40 pairs. I still wear Dr. Martens although, I have whittled down my collection over the years and now generally only wear them in Autumn and Winter. I now have very vast collection of heels. I don't need to wear heels (I am 5'9") but I NEED to wear heels. There is something about them that just changes everything about an outfit (and makes me tower over just about everyone). You wont believe what heels go great with. Mode Merr, of course! I have this fantastic pair of Tahari, black patent leather, peep toe heels. They look fantastically retro and go with everything. I have a great pair of nude, platform, stiletto Guess heels. Also perfect, as nude goes with everything and also elongates your leg. Perhaps not the most comfortable pair of shoes I own, but damn, do they look good! I have yet to try wearing Dr. Martens with Mode Merr. Have you done it? Has it worked? I do pair Dr. Martens with dresses and skirts (how 1990 of me!). I just cant bring myself to wear them with Mode Merr. I suppose that I think they wont look right, or that maybe beat up boots have no place with a satin skirt or slinky dress.

Nude Platform Heels by Guess

    Another thing I have been thinking of has been my choice of jewelry over the years. I had always worn rings, but starting in High School, I started wearing MANY rings. I think by the time I got to college I wore 8 rings all the time. Those rings (the same ones) stuck with me all through Graduate School, Student Teaching, and finally when I started teaching my own classroom, 8 rings some how turned into 12. They were  great hit with my students, some of my friends and especially with fussy babies. If you ever have a fussy baby, wear a ton of rings. Tap them on the table. Open and close your hands so the rings clink together or just let them look at them. Trust me, no more fussy baby. When I moved back to Boston, both my parents begged me to take off the rings. To make them happy, I relented. All the rings were gone. I didn't even wear one. Well, they didn't like that either. One was fine. Two were okay. I think it took about a year or so to even put on one ring. When the second appeared, my father, very characteristically said, "Don tell me you gonna put all those rings again?" (For full effect, say that with a Greek accent.) No, I did not put all those rings again. I have a skull ring on one finger and a Celtic band on another, that belonged to the Piratical Boyfriend ages ago. I have lots of rings, but like I said, I dislike change. 

   While in High School I also wore 4-5 necklaces at a time. This also lasted until I came back to Boston. I now wear a mere 3. I have a labradorite pendant given to me by my mom on a previous birthday and 2 skulls, also given to my by my mom, just because, which she regrets giving me. All three stay on all the time. (Unless I am going to a job interview, then the 2 skulls come off.)

Owie Face. Getting keloids removed by my dear friend Jae.

   Then there are my ears. My ears were pierced when I was 2 and a half. I remember the piercing gun and that the earrings I was pierced with were little gold hearts. Yet again in High School, I was desperate for more holes in my ears and was not allowed to have them. I took matters into my own hands with a thumb tack. Please, please, please, I beg of you. Do not pierce your ears with a thumb tack. I gave myself terrible keloids that have been cut out numerous times. I am currently suffering from quite a large one that has decided to have a growth spurt in the last 2 years. It is disgusting and it hurts, so please go to a professional piercer. 

  I digress. The keloids having been cut out the first time, I decided to start stretching those 2 holes. My right ear has 3 holes, the second 2 are stretched to a size 12 gauge. My left ear used to have 7 holes, but now only has 6. The family dislikes this as well. My dad asks why I put plastic through my ears. I patiently explain each time that it is not plastic, but bone. My aunts in Greece watch me put in my larger earrings and get grossed out each time I do it. However they cant look away. It's like a car wreck for them. 

   When accessorizing with jewelry, it doesn't matter what I am wearing as far as clothing. I wear what I like. I don't match my jewelry to what I am wearing (just like my make up). Some of my friends do. Which is all a matter of taste and preference.

Vertebra Cuff Bracelet by Martha Rotten

Bone Stretch Bracelet by Martha Rotten

I know that generally when I blog about Mode Merr, I talk up the retro aspect of the fashion. But really, there are 2 (maybe more) themes there. Mode Merr is hugely Rockabilly and Psychobilly. Jewelry and accessories should (but don't have to) reflect this. Have you heard of Martha Rotten? Go to the Mode Merr website (www.modemerr.com) and check her out. She is a great jeweler with really cool things. I have never seen Angela without a Martha Rotten piece on. 

Swarovski Cherries

Maybe Martha Rotten is too much for you? How about some cherry accessories? I have a great Swarovski cherry pendant. Can't go wrong with that. Or what about just some more classic pieces? Pile it on like I used to (and still sometimes do) or go a little more subtle. What is right is whatever holds your fancy my dears. 


   Until next time. <3