Welcome to the jungle // Monthly theme post

It's time to participate in Sophistiqué Noir's monthly theme campaign again. This time the theme is flowers!

At first I thought I wouldn't participate since a quick mental scan of my wardrobe implied I don't wear floral patterns or anything like that, but luckily, these theme posts are not necessarily about fashion, and although I've usually completed the challenges with clothes or accessories, I'm doing something different today.

I really had to think about the theme for a while though, at first I had a feeling that flowers barely touch me in any way... (Not saying I don't like them. I just don't have a green thumb or anything. You should see the poor DEAD cactus I have... My only plant. But it's dead, dead, dead.)

Then I actually paid some attention to the environment in which I'm living. I realized I'm surrounded by floral patterns, here and there in the decor in my apartment. A real garden, should I say, or no... These patterns don't make a coherent garden. I think I'm living in a wild jungle.

This is my wall. The biggest wall without windows or doors has such a lovely wallpaper. The opposite wall, which is smaller, has been painted brownish to match the general hue of that wallpaper. The other walls are white. I fell in love with the apartment instantly when I stepped inside for the first time since I love contrast walls and such, and have been wildly planning how to paint or paper walls in an apartment of my own, if I will ever buy one. Most rented flats are very boring, so I was delighted to find something this interesting. If I had got to choose a wallpaper by myself, I wouldn't probably have chosen such a pattern (though the hue is nice) but I'm happy with this one, it makes my apartment seem so cozy. Seriously, I haven't even put a single picture up on any of my walls because they aren't begging for something as much as blank white walls would be. Although this wall is empty of pictures, shelves and other such things, it looks so full. (And brown walls give me a false sense of being aboard a pirate ship.)

And this is my pendant lamp, the funny thing which was put in place probably four months after I had moved in. I didn't notice the lack of a lamp in summer (=it's never totally dark in Finland in the summer, not even in the middle of the night), but at some point in autumn it began to bother me... I wasn't quite sure what I wanted, so eventually I purchased a rice paper shade. I like its looks, but it's a bit impractical. I can only just walk under it without hitting my head in it (though depending on how my hair is, it'll touch it), but every now and then I manage to slam my hands at it when I'm stretching or something...

This is my carpet. I cannot remember if I've ever liked it, but I purchased it for my first apartment since I "needed a carpet, seriously". The pattern isn't too ugly, but not too pretty either. The carpet was cheap though (or then, probably free? I cannot remember for sure, I was purchasing furniture and the store couldn't deliver something on time, and I think I probably got the carpet for free then?). There are some details in the carpet which disturb me though, strange imperfections in the petals, or in the lines. Like the two bottom petals of the big red flower in the middle... I have been thinking of purchasing a new carpet ever since I moved, but I haven't yet found anything I want. And what is worst about this one... Once a hair, or a piece of dust falls on it, the carpet will swallow it for good! Seriously, it's a real pain to get all the hair and dust etc off it!

This is yet another detail in my decor which looked better in my old apartment. However, I'm still using the hanging storage pockets since they are practical. If there hadn't been something where to hang it already, I wouldn't probably have bothered to attach any nail or hook to the wall by myself. I don't like its looks so much anymore, but it's useful enough so it's hanging (on) there. In my old apartment I also had a strange "installation art piece" in one corner, which was basically a standing easel with that masque on top of it, and a small lamp attached to the frame of the easel. It looked fancy, at least compared with that masque hanging there with the storage pockets...

Last but not least, a flowery fan. You've probably seen it somewhere in my blog already. I rarely use it for its actual purpose. At the moment it's just sitting in my book shelf, folded, but if I figured out a nice way to put it somewhere, beautifully unfolded, I would do it. The bookshelf might still work, just have to try out something...

I'm extremely lazy when it comes to decorating my apartment. I have ideas, but I rarely realize them, and thus my apartment is probably a little wild without a coherent theme. At the moment I feel comfortable here at least, not constantly thinking that I'd be surrounded by ugliness. However, there's a lot to work on, I hope I can make some proper decor posts in the future, with some of my plans carried out. So long!

Monthly Homework Assignment: "I Forgot I Even Own This!"

I've been into blogging challenges lately, or perhaps I've merely been too lazy to come up with some topics of my own? Nah, not really, and this is only my second challenge this year.

Le Professeur Gothique urged us to delve into our wardrobes and find something we had probably forgotten we even own, or something we haven't worn in ages. Sounds interesting!



Some wannabe-creative photo editing included, since all these pieces are black, and there are no hues to see.

"And if one day she comes to you

Drink deeply from her words so wise

Take courage from her

As your prize

And say hello for me"

– Uriah Heep

These clothes are ten years old, and I've probably worn them last roughly eight years ago – cannot remember for sure though, but for so many years I didn't consider them my style, or... I'm not even sure why. Somehow, thinking of the days when I wore them, I can see a baby bat I probably still never was. After all, I don't consider myself an adult bat now.

Although the mesh bolero and the long skirt – which has a very long slit on the left side, up to the seam you can see at the hips – have nothing in common – except for the fact they were both purchased in Greece during the same vacation, I've mostly worn them together. At least I cannot remember ever wearing the bolero separately. The top I have in the lower photo is also a part of the original set, but it's been in use for all these years. The necklace, well... It was bought a few months after the clothes. I've tried to keep using it as well, and I actually wore it as a part of one slightly deathrock-inspired outfit about a month ago (I can probably post photos of this later). However, it took my neck several weeks to recover from that evening. :| I'm allergic to it, and I don't know why – it was supposed to be nickel-free.

The reason why I quoted Lady in Black for this outfit is that I got to hear such comments back then, ten years ago. Whether I was a lady is another thing...

For some time now, I've been considering wearing these clothes again. Haven't yet found an event which would have been screaming for some elegant gothic romance. And by the way, isn't the detail in the skirt nice? You cannot see it well, but there's a panel of different fabric, sewn asymmetrically, at the very top of the skirt. And some lace too!

"And we got no principles

And we got no innocence

We can't even think of a word that rhymes"

– Alice Cooper

Offering amusement with stupid expressions!

One dress can barely be considered an outfit, but anyway, I couldn't come up with shoes for this yet, and since the straps have some nice buckles on the back, I wouldn't want to hide them with a bolero or anything, and I wouldn't like to wear any top underneath, and well... I think it's a nice piece in its own right. I've only worn this once – when I graduated from high school, and hence the quote. And damn, I have no idea why I haven't worn this! Maybe because I opt for a corset so often when I'm about to party these days...

So yeah, such secrets in my closets. It was fun making this post anyway. :D And oh my – I've got so many new readers, I'm... surprised? Welcome aboard, everyone! So long!

Fears run rings – monthly theme post

It's time for another theme post campaign by Sophistiqué Noir! February is all about rings! Although I like rings, I don't have remarkably many to show off here. I've fallen victim to too many cheap rings in my life, and all those strangely brass colored pieces are barely worth photographing.

I have a few rings in everyday use, and a few which I wear whenever I remember to pick them up from my jewellery box. Anyway, I don't have fancy and huge rings because I'd probably find them impractical even if they were beautiful. I don't own any of these joint rings, and none of those meant for multiple fingers either. Some of them are very pretty, though. However, such rings which would best suit festive events don't usually end up in my collection, especially if they wouldn't look good with gloves. When dressing up, I prefer gloves to fancy rings. But now, onto my rings!

"Serpents and the tree"

– Waves Under Water

I think this ring is from some trip to Greece, but I cannot remember when I bought it – I've been to Greece so many times after all... This serpent looks best, in my humble opinion, when worn on the thumb. In fact thumb may be my favorite "ring finger", and I rarely wear anything on the actual ring fingers (especially in the left hand – I'm not engaged and wouldn't wear a ring there "for fun"; however, "self-defense" in a very tricky situation might be another thing).

"Stand your ground behind the times
and refuse to follow fashion"

– Skyclad

These two plain rings are my everyday pieces. However, diverging from the photo, I wear them in the right hand. I'd like to find similar plain rings for the rest of the fingers in that hand, and it wouldn't be difficult if I just popped to a jewellery store. Anyway, nowadays I only accept silver or stainless steel and not just some crappy... bronzecopperpewterglassshit with a silvery surface.

"Golstar come!
'Cause I can't resist here in this castle"

– Derdian

I'm quite sure I bought this one in Greece as well, but possibly not at the same time with the snake ring. In fact my preferred finger for this one is the thumb as well, unless I'm wearing it together with the snake one in the same hand.

That's it, I suppose. I only have a few rings worth wearing anyway. And apparently, rings are perfect for fingering when you're getting frustrated and need something to do. :D So long!

P.S: Good morning February! Today I realized it's no longer dark when I go to work in the morning! Spring's coming although it was –20°C.