So in my last post I mentioned trying to get a great goth outfit together in time for this weekend. My BFF & I are hitting up our local goth club in San Jose for their annual bash. We go about once every 6-9 months and have been for the last two years. The first time we went it had been 11 years since I had been to a goth club. I didn’t know what to expect at this new club and since I was much larger in size than the old days I struggled with finding cute clothes for it.

I threw together some black slacks from my old corporate days (LB’s Madison trousers, how I loved thee) and a cute red tee under a black lace top from Avenue and some comfy black shoes.We had a total blast and that’s what matters, but we were dancing for four hours, y’all! It was hot and we were sweaty as hell. And that outfit? No good for dancing!

The second time we went I managed to find an etsy seller to make me a custom skirt which I LOVE! I paired that with a black Old Navy top and some hand dyed (by none other than Marianne Kirby of TheRotund.com) tights in bright red. I added my own little accents and voila:

It was cute, comfy and I danced my ass off! The only issues I had with this outfit were the ribbon & lace gloves I had made, they kept coming untied, but my lovely BFF was right there to help. Such a sweetheart! But when I posted this outfit on Fatshionista (LJ community) I got a lot of “That’s not goth!” and such and while I had said I knew it wasn’t traditional goth, I thought it more of a Tim Burton/circus goth. Wevs. I love this one!

The time after the above outfit, I wore a similar style top from Torrid, but it had white lace around the neckline and fell off my shoulders so much that I finally stopped caring and just let my bra straps be seen as they were. Ha! I don’t remember if I wore a skirt or pants. I sadly, don’t have a picture, either. Boo!

Now I want a full-on Loli-goth (Gothic Lolita or Victorian style inspired by the lovely and gorgeous Japanese trends) outfit though. But dammit if those aren’t the most expensive of things to get. And well, I did find someone on eBay who does custom ones for like $80 (Not bad at all, trust me!), they are in Asia and thus wouldn’t work for my goth night this weekend. And I never have that kind of money to spend on a damned thing. Ha-ha!

So, I am not trying to figure out a way to create my own version of this. I have some ideas, but I fear I’ll be treading in the non-trad-goth waters and well, part of me doesn’t care but part wants to look like the cool kids, ya know? But without an income I just can’t get the sweet threads I long for. I have minimal sewing skills, but I do have a sewing machine.

I was thinking of wearing this Torrid top with a Victorian collar, but it’s a t-shirt ish material and so would the skirt I wear with it. Is it okay to double up on the jersey knit? For dancing? I’m hesitant. The tights? They rock! They’re so comfortable that I will probably wear them again and again until they die.

Also, if you know of a gorgeously bright red stay-put lipstick, please let me know! And a great red lipstick for someone of my complexion would be nice. Two separate needs actually. I’m clueless about makeup though, so I am in your hands.

So I turn to you brilliant lovelies, please, give me your suggestions and pics and thoughts and let me know what you think I could/should do for my upcoming goth night. I can’t wait!  =0)

I am sorry for sort of disappearing last week my darlings. It was a strange and crazy week. It was a week of surprises, disappointments and then total elation! I had begun to write a post about fats and hair and then it sort of fizzled out and I left it alone, I could come back to it, who knows. I do have some thoughts to share with you this fine (cold & gray in the SF Bay) Monday. (And yes, I am the Queen of the Run-on sentence, yo! You have been warned.)

I own a small (tiny really) cafe near SFO (it’s an airport) and across the street is a hair salon geared towards kids, but they do everything. The woman who owns the place has become not just a customer and business neighbor, but a friend and mentor. I was helping her with her English for awhile and she’s been ever so encouraging of me in general, but specifically style & beauty. I have since become her “hair model” or so she calls me. Basically, I let her do whatever she wanted with my hair back in March and now it’s sort of a regular fun/free-for-all thing. I love it! I mean, I get free hair cuts and a bit of color (I freakin’ love the splash of black in my red hair). This last week she wanted to try something truly radical and I went for it head first. Ha! Well, the result was exactly what we had discussed and there was a mini freak out on my part, but I not mad at her. She was trying to shave a heart in the back of my already short hair. Well, this caused her to have to really shave it down and in the end it’s more of an upside down tear drop than a heart. I panicked and wore a bandanna on my head, but then I finally gave up and just rocked it.

A couple of days later Marilyn Wann (author of the zine & book “Fat! So?” and inventor of the “YAY! Scale”) came into my cafe for lunch. We’d been trying to meet up for a year! We just kept missing each other at various events. So when she came in with her love and a good friend and she said she liked it? I nearly died, you guys! I was so excited that she came into my humble little cafe. We chatted and they all seemed to enjoy my offerings and I was elated! She signed my copy of “Fat! So?” as well…it was already a prized possession, but now? It’s my precious! Ha-ha! Her book just inspired me so and then seeing the Fat Fly Girls in June and all…it was all so amazing!I feel so very fortunate. I cannot believe that this world famous author and fat activist came into my shop and ate my food and drank my drinks and enjoyed it all, too! She even wrote up a yelp review! I nearly died, I tell ya!

Yes, we talked about all things fat. I told her the short version of how I found FA and discussed some of the more negative aspects in the fat-o-sphere and I explained how I am committed to putting out the positive only. There were things I had forgotten to mention, but no worries as she has said she’ll be back for sure. Squee!

Okay, so I tried super hard not to be a big geeky fan-girl and I think I succeeded, but I was also just super fucking stoked to meet some local FATS! I love meeting new people of all sizes, don’t get me wrong, but I have no fat friends and meeting fats is just the greatest thing ever. I’m not expecting to become BFFs with every fat I meet or anything, but it’s so comforting to talk with people who understand what it’s like to be fat in a world that says it’s not okay to be so. *sigh* So good!

There are plans of a “Yay! Scale” making session here at the cafe (OMZ!) and I really would like my little place to be a safe and comfortable space for fats. I dream of meet-ups and swaps and whatever! I’m currently putting together a fat band (know any drummers?) and cannot wait to rock everyone’s socks off! What began as a bummer week turned into a surprisingly awesome one. Even saw “Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World” on Saturday with my BFFs and it was great!

Now, to put together a goth outfit for this weekend…

ETA: The lovely Claudia of http://fatbodied.wordpress.com/ has request pics of my hairs, so here it is:

That’s me & my hairs, today. The left is of the shaved bit and the right is my do du jour.

I’m sure this is already everywhere, but I just found it and got all squee-ful over it. I just love “Huge” you guys! It’s that ABC Family show I won’t shut up about. Anyway, I saw that the cast took the Body Peace vows and I just loved what they said. You can catch it all here:

http://www.seventeen.com/health/peace/huge-cast-member-body-peace-treaty

And the original Body Peace Treaty:

http://www.seventeen.com/health-sex-fitness-old/body-types-old/body-peace-pledge

I just had to share this remarkable video. It makes me want to watch “You, Me & Everyone We Know” and “Napoleon Dynamite” and “Juno” and every other quirky indie movie I’ve ever seen and it just makes me smile because I’ve been going to the movies by myself for years and have always relished not having to make small talk before the movie and walking out into the afternoon light afterward is somehow magical to me.

This video makes me want to start a band called “The Cozy Sweaters” and we’d be ever so Twee!

Also, I would like a video of this nature for fats. Being alone with your fat, going out with your fat, getting to know your fat and how it feels and moves and jiggles and squishes. Going out with a strapless top or sleeveless one and not worrying about people staring…

Anyway, here is this lovely & amazing video about being alone. Don’t worry, it’s not sad at all (or blue, ha!) it’s nice:

I saw this on one of my fave blogs: http://kindovermatter.blogspot.com/

Ask me anything: http://www.formspring.me/notblueatall

Reclaiming the word FAT: http://fiercefatties.com/2010/08/06/reclaing-the-word-fat/

Putting an end to fat talk: http://the-f-word.org/blog/index.php/2010/08/06/feel-good-friday-putting-an-end-to-fat-talk/

Scary facts about sugar: http://www.healthywomen.org/content/blog-entry/scary-sugar-facts-and-findings

Sara Rue loses 50 lbs. on Jenny Craig (insert my booing sounds here): http://tinyurl.com/239ua4g

Fall nail polish trends:http://tinyurl.com/276bedl

Fab new Ikea products (I’ll take one of each please!):http://tinyurl.com/294teks

Trailer for ‘Burlesque’: http://tinyurl.com/2erfof9