9: Travel treasures

Shopping often feels too tedious and time-devouring when the adventure mode kicks in, but second hand treasure hunting is an adventure in itself. So, although I don't usually feverishly circle around stores while travelling, something always seems to make its way into my hand luggage. 

On my November journeys I tried to find some vintage dress treasures but didn't manage to find anything I really liked. Those garments are such things that come to you by luck, and this time luck eluded me. But I stumbled on these lovelies instead, most of them are from Budapest's antique market (like the things in the first photo) and Berlin's Mauerpark. 

Old bones, the prettiest hand-cut medical bottle, used Der Kleine Vampir books to improve my fading German skills, anatomical tote bag, and a bracelet that screams Finnish folklore and druidic rituals. Imagine my surprise when the security check didn't stop me at the Budapest airport, after all I had black lips, a Baphomet shirt and animal bones in my bag.

The Raven

*Sponsored post!*

"But the raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only,

That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.

Nothing further then he uttered - not a feather then he fluttered -

Till I scarcely more than muttered `Other friends have flown before -

On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before.'

Then the bird said, `Nevermore.'"

I was asked to photograph and portray a few designs by a doll Etsy seller, Dahlia Deranged. Being an old customer of hers my answer was a resounding yes! There's something so bewitching in the mix of dark silvers and bird skulls that makes the more material chambers of my heart beat rapidly, and so these grim birds (and one ghostly bumblebee!) flew across the Atlantic ocean to perch upon the pallor of my skin. 

As you might have noticed, I have a thing for ravens and the rest of the corvid family. 

Obsession, perhaps. When I was in high school I used to sketch bird skeletons everywhere, and I knew most of Poe's most beloved poem by heart. Some verses I still do. The raven spread its wings on my thesis and one even sits inked on my skin, and more of its inked kind will some day appear on other parts, no doubt.

Needless to say, I love these pieces!

The simpler ones go wonderfully with more graphic outfits and the more decorative ones 

match victorian and vintage tinted outfits beautifully.

"And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting

On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;

And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,

And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;

And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor

Shall be lifted - nevermore!"

If you enjoy these designs I recommend checking out Dahlia's shop!:

(You can also find her on Facebook)

Sunglasses After Dark

Sun and I, we're not exactly the best of friends. I'm much better off with the moon's luminous glow, although it only borrows its light from the sun. 

But I do enjoy summer and especially a nice pair of shades on the days when the sun scorches the earth and when I'm forced to leave my nest before nightfall. Damn that makes me sound like a vampire wannabe but I'm just really sensitive to sun and blinding light, so I prefer to stay indoors in the hottest days. Shadows, shades and high SPF are my good pals during summer!

I purchased this feline pair from Dahlia Deranged's Etsy shop. The right shaped cat eye sunglasses are hard to come by so I was pretty smitten to get these beauties out of the case! Even the case looks glumly neat with skulls and crossbones to match the design. And the tastefully kitschy skulls&pearls decor makes these beauties fun yet elegant! I feel these have just the right vibe between the realms of vintage and goth that I enjoy.

There was also some other gloomy treats in the package, but I'll save them for later. ♥

The Pointy End

It's funny how things can turn so quickly, in a sudden flash and a heartbeat. In other words, it's been a pretty tough couple of weeks. But nothing that life throws in the way feels too grave when I still have a loving spouse, family and friends, all with hearts of gold. Other things are just smoke and mirrors.

Well, luckily all things have a positive side. Only moments ago I had next to zero time, and now I have all the time in the world. Makes me feel a little empty and oh so excited at the same time! I can feel light pouring into my life again, through all the cracks and closing wounds. Things always work out for the better, although we might not see it at the times of trial.

The earrings are my favourite pair from all the ones I have. They were crafted by the lady behind the ever so wonderfully dark jewelry line, Blood Milk. I've craved for her designs for over three years, and finally rewarded myself with a treat! The funny thing is how they arrived precisely at the time when I felt like their name card, Two of Swords.

Within her breast there launched an unnamed sorrow, And a dark and grim force set sail

Today's garments with a slightly Parisian twist, s'il vous plaît! Including current favorites; blood red lips, a little black felt beret that makes bad hair days turn out to be bloody good ones in one minute, and a turned hairdo. "Faux bob" to be exact, but my hair is so long that it turns out to be more of a medium length style. So no, I haven't cut my hair. Not yet anyway. ;)

Right now I'm longing to pack my vintage suitcase with necessities and treasures and a great book, and travel to some hidden place far far away. Or jump right into a teleporter and to an unknown destination! Wonderland would be fascinating and of course Paris will always do, but I'd love to explore and experience something new. 

But there's this insurmountable obstacle on my way that I can not cross. I've made a solemn vow of finishing my school before escaping to other lands, so that's a little bait for graduating!

shirt, skirt & belt ~ second hand (cost about 3 euros together, I love flea markets!)
bag ~ vintage (60's) / moth necklace ~ Etsy / felt beret ~ Asos (Filippo Catarzi)

Luckily there's some homeland travelling in the horizon tomorrow morning, so I won't get too restless on this matter. A small and perfectly unscheduled weekend holiday in Helsinki awaits me and my sweetheart, but I'll be gone for a whole week since I'm taking a little trip to Turku as well. And you know what that destination means. I'll be coming back with some more inked inches under my skin. ♥

PS: I've answered most of the Q&A post's questions (took a really long time to think about some of those, you know!) and I'll publish them some day soon. I only hope to get some photos to illustrate the posts so they won't seem too bare and lonely, so please don't expect them to show up miraculously over the weekend or during the trip.

I wish you all a wonderful week and hope to be back soon! And I will, of course, if I find a computer and an editing program somewhere in the places I'm crashing on. Here's a little farewell tune from one of the best wintertime bands:

October Blues

I made a small list of a few random things that make my mind pump positive emotions into my synapses at the moment (there's been a flock of negative surprises too, but I always feel like concentrating on the good ones). 

♥ A black, detachable lace collar my mom twiddled especially for me. Detachable collars have been all around for a couple of years now so I'm preeet-ty late, but who cares. I'm usually never synchronized with the frequently changing tides of fashion, whatever moves you is the best way to dress up! (Curls are a current favorite too.)

♥  The collected poems of Sylvia Plath. This book feeds my inspiration so much that you can't but a price on it, I'm glued to these verses at the moment. My favorite one right at this second is Lady Lazarus, but favorites vary all the time along with my moods. Her words are so powerful, just look at these last verses of Lady Lazarus:

"...Ash, ash---

You poke and stir.

Flesh, bone, there is nothing there---

A cake of soap,

A wedding ring,

A gold filling.

Herr God, Herr Lucifer

Beware

Beware.

Out of the ash

I rise with my red hair

And I eat men like air."

♥ Tea flowers that my sister brought me from her journey to Istanbul. These babies bloom under boiling water, and the result is enchanting! Although this photographed one didn't work out that well, but you can well imagine how it would look at it's best.

♥ New black pumps from Bianco's sale basket. As if I didn't enough of black mary jane shoes, but they're pretty gorgeous killers! They're the last pair in a long while since I have some serious saving holes coming up, and I'd rather let go of all excess consuming anyway. As much as I love pretty things, I really don't need so much.

♥ Soy milk and blueberries! This treat reminds me of childhood summers.

♥ New decorative frames. A woman obsessed with curly frames can never have too many, though my spouse strongly disagrees with this. :D If only you could see our apartment in full view, I really should stop dragging these home from flea markets, antique shops and decor boutiques..

♥ Beauty and the Beast pop-up book! And the Alice in Wonderland version is still arriving in the mail, but I'll show it as it arrives in case you're interested. Thanks for this purchase goes to a kind reader, thank you so much for telling me about these editions! These will help me a great deal in certain parts of my thesis. :)

You can view the rest of these images in Youtube! *CLICK*

♥ My birthday is today!  I wish this year would bring me an ounce of more courage, a pinch of self-discipline concerning even the tedious paperwork so that I wouldn't  get into so much trouble in that area, and a trip to somewhere I've never been in in a land far, far away. Or not so far away, I just need a new adventure in my life. 

Today I've just been pampering myself for the occasion. :) I wish you all a wonderful evening!

Despair and Deception, Love's ugly little twins

Voihan Etsy, tuo houkutusten sampo. Jokaisella selailulla löytyy jotain mitä on muka ihan_pakko_saada, ja välttelinkin paikkaa varsin mallikkaasti muutaman kuukauden ajan. Lopulta klikkasin kotiin kameoriipuksen karmivan suloisine luurankokaksosineen, kuriositeeteilla on aina erityinen paikka sydämessäni (ja sen päällä). Ja kyllä, tiedän että korulippaassa on jo ihan tarpeeksi kameoita ja kalloja mutta näitä tulee käytettyä eniten, ei siis valuneet rovot hukkaan! Varsinkin kun ostoksellaan pystyi tukemaan käsityöläisen uraa ketjuliikkeen raharattaiden öljyämisen sijaan.

Päivän asuun vilahti lisää luita ja cameo-muotoja, on kyllä taas niin raikkaan keväinen tyylinäyte että vähemmästäkin voi muotipoliiseja hirvittää. Pastellivärit, kevät ja minä vaan satutaan olemaan aika epäpyhä kolminaisuus. Jotkut asiat ei koskaan loksahda yhteen mutta tänä vuonna yritän tosissani nauttia kevään hyvistäkin puolista sen alakuloisuuden sijaan mikä yleensä valtaa mielen maaliskuussa. Tein plussapuolista ja ihanista tulevista tapahtumista jopa listankin, toivottavasti se vaan kasvaa vielä paria pykälää isommaksi. :D Mutta hyvä alku se silti on!

brooch ~ Etsy (made by Dahlia Deranged) / dress ~ Lip Service's Skeleton Key Dress
bag ~ Restyle / stockings ~ H&M / shoes ~ Bianco

Oh Etsy, you treacherous treasurehold. There's always something that you simply must have, even though you might already have something similar in your collection. But I couldn't resist these cute conjoined twins, there's always a special place reserved for cameos and curiosities in my heart! And it's always better to support a craftsman with your pennies instead of oiling the wheels of chain stores.
       Today's outfit contained same elements as the pendant, such a happy springlike outfit don't you think? What can I say, spring, pastels and I, we just don't mix. It's like an unholy trinity, but this year I'm really trying to enjoy spring and see it's good sides instead of all the melancholy. I already have a list of all the good things that tag along with spring! Hope the list grows bigger though, I won't get far with a couple of notes. :D But it's a good start!

Masquerade

Naamiointitarvikkeita voi tuskin olla liikaa, tässä kokoelman uusimmat tulokkaat. Sain hankittua kaipaamani M.A.Cin huulipunan ja mukaan valikoitui Russian Red, olisin mieluusti ostanut myös houkuttelevan Dark Knight-huulimustan mutta Suomesta sitä ei harmikseni saa. Voitte kuvitella miten pieni Batman-fani sisälläni nyyhki vaikka korvike löytyikin nopeasti, onhan se nyt ihan eri juttu levittää huulille Lepakkomiehen nimikkopunaa kuin jotain perusmustaa. ;> Välillä huvittaa miten tehokkaasti mielikuvilla myydään, olemme kaikki jollain tasolla mainonnan uhreja.

Naamioista putkahti mieleen että haluaisin palavasti osallistua vanhan ajan Venetsia-tyylisiin puutarhajuhliin! Kaikilla osallistujilla dramaattiset puvut, kasvot naamioiden peitossa, öinen puutarha täynnä hehkuvia lyhtyjä ja notkuvissa pöydissä loputon määrä ruokaa ja viiniä. Jos ikinä saan sen unelmien huvilan puutarhoineen niin järjestän naamiokemut vaikka joka vuosi, kaikki naamiosankarit ovat lämpimästi tervetulleet mukaan!

Here are my latest finds for the camouflage collection, one can never have too many masks. I'm completely sold to my M.A.C Russian Red lipstick, I also wanted to get the black Dark Knight shade but sadly they didn't sell it here. I'm sure you can imagine how the little Batman-fan inside me wept.  ;> 
   And about those masks, I'm dying to attend some old time Venetian masquerade! All participants dressed in dramatic clothing and masks, garden filled with lanterns and goblets of neverending wine. If I ever get my dream villa with a large garden, I'll throw a party like that annually! Until that I'm content of organizing a smaller one in our humble city flat, all masked heroes are warmly welcomed!