of horsefeathers

LIFE // FASHION // the camera's on and you're alive again

2012-03-01T19:04:00.000-05:00

Now, long overdue, here are some of the shots from when my friends and I went into the city. They're all out of order, but basically we're all wearing either glasses and/or clothing of mine, being super hipsters with our Nikons.

dress: 90s // ripped tights: DIY // shoes: Carmen1 // coat and gloves: Forever21 // glasses: Urban Outfitters // hat: Grandmother

one of my favorite photos ever: me and miranda sucking down some black coffee because it was freezing

I took this one of Miranda

Bull Moose Music — those who live in Portland will understand its allure.

miranda in my boots (Forever21)

Isn't she gorge? my sweater (Forever21), her peacoat

RECORDS RECORDS RECORDS. all my favorite music on records. BULL MOOSE FTW

I went outside Starbucks to get this one of Miranda and Ayanah

epic graffiti.

me taking Ayanah's portrait.

BY THE WAY
I dyed my hair black on Sunday
—mmhmm—
and will be posting photos
as soon as I take some
it looks pretty snazzy

LIFE // some creepiness for you

2012-02-20T22:13:00.000-05:00

In which my friends and I dress up as dead people and break into houses.

I. My friend Ayanah slept over last night and we had some fun with eyeshadow.

straight faces don't last long.

II. The next day we met up with our other friend Miranda, and wandered around Portland for a while taking photos (next post!). Then we broke into a house near where Miranda lives.
Well, an abandoned house.
From the 1800s.
Filled with cool stuff.
Like letters dated 1899.
You'll see.
I've mentioned how long I've been looking for a house like this, right? Years. This one? Perfect.
I love abandoned buildings with a burning passion.

i went in first. Ayanah was quite a bit more enthusiastic about climbing through broken glass than Miranda.

what's on the walls, guys. what is that. seriously. what.

all three of us with our Nikons... dressed like hobos... that's how we roll.

this is one of my favorites. the front door.

into the attic.

hey Aya, good to see you too.

the shower.

from left to right: history book, poster for a feedstore in "Yarmouthville" (nowadays just Yarmouth, ME), a 1917 National Geographic, a Victorian birthday card, and a change purse, a brooch, and a 1899 letter on top of another history book.

Miss Agnes M Call, Freeport, ME. not even a street address.

Check out E.T.Hathaway's phone number: 68•2. Mmmhmm. Yarmouthville.

cheque from June 28, 1910

every modern convenience, $2.00 a day. In 1899. Yeah.

rug catalogue.

there were a bunch of letters to Mr L. E. Ross. This one's from 1900, and as you can see below, someone wanted to buy his horse.

early 70s, I think? This was the most modern thing in there. After this, the house was boarded up. It was only recently unboarded.

victorian postcard. how amazing is she? I want to be her. look at that hat.

presumably one of the house owners in the 50s.

the basement.

Aya with her jugs.

the exterior.

"no trespassing..." ah. yes.

So that made me very happy.

LIFE // clearly I am a time traveller

2012-02-10T11:57:00.002-05:00

A friend of mine found this photo from the twenties.
I clearly joined up with the Doctor and went back to the Jazz Age to become a flapper.
Because no, this is not me. This is an actual 20s photograph. Just for clarification.

Oh, and if you have a tumblr, here's mine! Send me a message if you'd like me to check out your tumblr.

LIFE // don't believe a word that i haven't heard

2012-02-08T08:03:00.000-05:00

meadowlarks // fleet foxes

These photos are from a shoot I did with my gorgeous friend Lily. She's an amazing redhead, and I love her freckles.
I'm in the 90s dress I might wear to prom. I'm not sure what Lily is wearing — except for the shoes, it's all hers. I did our makeup/war paint and the henna on both of us.
Photos of her are by me, and vice versa.

yeah, i got stuck...

And this is just a couple shots from my room last night.

victorian russian earrings

FASHION // and we will put the lonesome on the shelf.

2012-02-02T19:40:00.000-05:00

you and i // ingrid michaelson

I'm warming my hands with my breath here, because it was seriously freezing out there. You know, with the snow and all.

top: Forever 21 // hat: somewhere in Ireland I can neither pronounce nor remember // skirt: Delia's // shoes: Camilla1

Oh, and I got asked to prom by my best friend. So that rocks my world.
You make me happy, sweet boy.

FASHION // i will leave this town just to sleep underneath your bed

2012-01-28T16:47:00.000-05:00

corner of your heart // ingrid michaelson

So I'm feeling a bit better — well enough to go shopping. Twice, actually.

Last weekend I had my mother drop me off in Falmouth, and I happened to meet up with my friend Ross there. He helped me shop — aka, held all my things and went to go fetch stuff while I spent money — and I ended up with a blackJuicy Couture purse ($10), a red suede Cole Haan bag ($15) and a new pair of boots ($15, and in the outfit below).

Story about the shoes:

When I was trying to decide whether or not to buy them, Ross decided to offer this helpful contribution:

"I like them. They're like snow boots. Like, these are what you would wear if you were looking for the Abominable Snowman in Scotland."

"Ross, the Abominable Snowman lives in Tibet."

"You don't know that."

"And I'd be wearing more rugged shoes than this."

He just looked at me. "No, you're OLIVIA. You would wear those."

"...you're probably right."

shoes: Qupid // shorts: I.L.U // sweater: Luxe // hat: made by my granny // necklace: Nordstrom

Today I went again with my sweet friend Jackie. I bought this super-soft sweater and these cheetah print shorts together for $10.48 at Goodwill (oh, Goodwill, how I love you) and now I'm just sort of having a lazy day.

And my hair is in fishtail pigtails. That is all.

For the record, I'm not just posing when I pull on my pigtails. I do it a lot. Too much, actually.

LIFE // mono

2012-01-20T13:41:00.000-05:00

FASHION // hitchhiker on the road

2012-01-11T17:41:00.000-05:00

hitchhiker — neil young

Thanks to Kaylin for taking/modeling for this shoot. Furs and glitter and tall shoes and hitchhiking glam gypsies.

I feel like we needed more jewelry, but whatever. I'm going to get my cartilage done soon and I'm thinking some of these beauties might be in order...

On Kaylin » shirt and furs: vintage // jeans: American Eagle // shoes: Forever 21
On me » dress, furs, and hat: vintage // sweater: Forever21 // shoes: Camilla1

FASHION // snow white skin ebony hair lips as red as blood

2012-01-06T18:35:00.000-05:00

snow white // xandria

Sooooo two very exciting things about this outfit. I must say, it's one of my favorites in a while.

One, how amazing are these shoes?! They came yesterday. They make me like literally 6ft.

Two, I made a skirt. My first-ever piece of real, wearable clothing! I didn't have a pattern or anything, I just sort of went for it, and it turned out pretty good. I used linen.

I realized I kinda love the whole super pale / dark lips and hair / dark circles around eyes look.
It feeds my obsession with Russia and Grimm's fairy tales at the same time.
And it's good because I have very pale skin, dark features, and am always tired.

(By the way, have you ever actually read the original Grimm stories? I have a book of them, and I grew up on them — not the kid/disney versions — and they are damn dark. Everyone dies and gets eaten and cursed. Snow White and Rose Red was always one of my favorites.)

PS: new look. good or no? I had only portrait shots to work with, so I kept reflecting it againandagainandagain until it got long and skinny enough. Then I drew a little banner and scanned it in.

LOVES // current obsessions

2012-01-04T18:11:00.000-05:00

001. New backpack.
I thought I'd give you guys a tour of my schoolbag... it's a new one from Urban Outfitters, I'm pretty pumped.

002. Huge eyes.
America's Next Top Model is like candy to me — I know it's crappy but sometimes I just indulge. And the All-Star Cycle? Ohmygod Allison Harvard is my favorite person ever. Her eyes are frickin gigantic. I pretty much threw a hissy fit when she lost to Lisa.

003. YouTube makeup videos.
My obsession with her eyes led me to troll YouTube for hours, hoping to improve my makeup routine (my foundation is particularly icky). I hold fast that the internet was invented to keep me from doing my homework or anything productive whatsoever.

004. Ingrid Michaelson.
Her songs are all SO PRETTY. The lyrics especially make me want to die from the amazing. They're so deep and gorgeous and well-spoken.
This one is my favorite.

005. Cat sweaters.
After months of searching, I finally found one. You can see it in the video.
Hipsterdom level up.
Sigh.

006. Grimm & Pretty Little Liars
Fairy tales + crime show = ohmygodfreakout. And Monroe is so. adorable.
AND PRETTY LITTLE LIARS IS BACK *dies*

LIFE // 2012

2012-01-01T13:10:00.000-05:00

» my friends and i on new year's eve. «

I'm sure that your friends on Facebook and Twitter have already overloaded your feeds with their New Years Resolutions, and what they did when the ball dropped, and how glad they are to have a fresh start, blah blah blah. So I won't add to the mix, because you know as well as I that nobody really cares except the person who posted it.

I didn't make any resolutions last year, and I'm not a big fan of those big grand "I WILL LOSE A THOUSAND POUNDS" or "I WILL BECOME A BETTER PERSON WHO HELPS OLD LADIES CROSS THE STREET" sort of resolutions because I'd never be able to keep them and I'd just get angry at myself...

So I'm staying small and making my only resolution to drink at least two liters of water every day (versus the zero I drank last year). Look, I even found an article to keep me on track. Thank you Google.

There we go, that's all I'm going to say. Here are some unpublished photos from last month that never made it to the blog.

the gingerbread house i made this year

and the bûche de noël my mother and i made

FASHION // BEAUTY // oh, those russians

2011-12-30T18:33:00.000-05:00

rasputin — boney m

note to self, taking self-shots in a cramped space, in the dark, without a tripod, is NOT a good idea.

simple cat eye using eyeshadow.

tights: H&M // dress (worn as skirt) and sweater: Forever XXI // TARDIS necklace: Etsy

FASHION // dowdy in sweatshirts

2011-12-28T17:15:00.000-05:00

I always feel weird wearing sweats. But I got a sewing machine for Christmas that does all this neat embroidery stuff, so I tried it out on that big old sweatshirt I rescued from lost&found.
I like it.

sweatshirt: unknown // tights: H&M // shoes: Forever XXI // hat: Ireland // nails: Harlequin by Material Girl

oh, and do you know how hard it is to take pictures in the pitch-black with self-timer and no flash?
hint, it's hard.
but also entertaining.
and also it gets dark here at 4:00pm.

Also just bought these little beauties. They should be here in early January. Yeep. Expect me to wear them every.day.

Noticing a pattern? My recent post titles have all been lyrics from the songs at the bottom.
one (blake's got a new face) // vampire weekend

LOVES // things do to for christmas

2011-12-24T07:26:00.000-05:00

Traditions are great. Really, they are. Our family has the really odd one of having paella every year (not sure how that got started).

And let's not pretend that we all don't get up just a bit earlier on Christmas day. Come on, admit it, your brain hasn't recovered from being seven years old and super-pumped for Santa. (My own story of losing belief in the Tooth Fairy, Santa, the Easter Bunny, etc, is actually kind of a strange one. It's at the bottom of this post.)

So in the hour or so before normal humans awake, what do you do?
Grab your laptop, of course, because I have a couple things you absolutely MUST do.

One, read about Krampus.
If you aren't good this year, Santa's buddy Krampus will tie you up in a sack and eat you.
I was raised with books about evil fairies, and Norwegian trolls who ate children, and the original Grimm and Hans Christian Anderson stories where most of the characters end up brutally murdered, and two parents who actively encouraged me that there were several ghosts in our house. Krampus just comes naturally to me.

Two, watch A Nightmare Before Christmas.
It's like a Christmas movie AND a Halloween movie, and the main characters are all dead. It's fantastic. As a child I watched it year-round (and let's not forget about similar Tim Burton masterpiece Corpse Bride).
Seriously it's a fantastic movie. I want to live in Halloweentown and Christmastown at the same time, but mostly I'm just curious about the sketchy circle of trees.

Three, Christmas dubstep.
Do I really need to say anything else?
No I don't.
So here's some of my favorites.
Carol of the Bells — favorite song ever to begin with... and then there was BASS.
Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy — some ballet company SOMEWHERE has to dance to this.
Jingle Bells — but of course.
So now your Christmas has either been stripped of childhood joy, or made a whole lot awesomer.

Four, yes, go watch some Glee.
Go on, we all know that Glee is like Christmas crack.
It's so cute... my brain is melting. And their love triangles/squares/pentagons/hexagons/heptagons/etc are hilarious. And then there's that one Irish guy with the fantastic accent! I love Irish accents.

Oh, right, the non-believer story.
Well when I was newly seven and at the peak of my tooth-losing, I was looking for something in my parents' dresser. Instead, I found a tin of teeth. My teeth.
My seven-year-old mind immediately jumped to OH MY GOD MY MOTHER KILLED THE TOOTH FAIRY.
This is the kind of child I was.
I then proceeded to search the house — which was a former WWII army barrack, as at that time we were living with my grandmother on Great Diamond Island — for the Tooth Fairy's tiny corpse.
I didn't find it, so then I was like ooohhhhhh. no real Tooth Fairy. gottttt it.
But I still don't think my mother's forgiven me for pegging her a murder.

❦ Merry Christmas! ❦

LIFE // i have loved you for a thousand years

2011-12-23T15:29:00.000-05:00

Remember the dance I mentioned in the video?
Candids.

Sammy and Anne came over, and Sammy did our makeup.

And Anne and I started singing that "Be a Man" song from Mulan at literally the top of our lungs... my mother went all ninja and took unknown photos... which I just found...

Aww let's have another adorable group shot.

Why is my face SO much paler than my arms... anyway moving on...

Sammy, Anne, and Emily all slept over. We watched The Devil Wears Prada, then gossiped, then woke up and watched Tangled because YES we are just that cool.

Interlude: Okay, that movie? That movie made me cry because it was so adorably romantic. And I am a person who is extremely unromantic. (Anne has pegged me as a "closet romantic" and I think she's right.) I've been listening to Christina Perri's Thousand Years on repeat and watching the first four minutes of UP and adorable marriage proposals on Youtube ever since.
Dear lord I'm turning into a girl...

Moving on. Sammy had to leave, so Anne and Em and I built a fort. In my room. Out of sheets. IT IS THE MOST AMAZING FORT EVER. (It's still up.)
Then we watched Pretty Little Liars.
It was very nice.

And then my back was attacked with Sharpies... and Anne's arm.

It was very good.

VIDEO // let's have a chat

2011-12-15T21:12:00.002-05:00

Here's a quick video in which I explain why skankiness is not my goal... and trust me, it's not for modesty reasons.

If you guys have any questions for me about anythinganythinganything at all, leave a comment and I'll address it in a later video. I feel like filming.

ART // interlude » sketchbook

2011-12-11T10:21:00.001-05:00

And now a break from our scheduled programming (which has become a bit unscheduled lately, I apologize for that, terribly busy).

I've been working in the same Moleskine sketchbook since last October and just recently finished it and started a new one. I thought you might like to see some drawings. Most are very rough, and several are more of designs for clothing than anything else... but here they are nevertheless.

And yes, this is a Dalek. In a bubble bath. Doctor Who fans will understand this, everyone else will just be confused...
This is a copy of this print on Etsy, but all my other drawings are original so please no snatchiness, k?
I put it in my bathroom.

INSPIRATION // glitterbomb

2011-12-07T22:36:00.001-05:00

I have an aversion to color. Seriously, I'd be fine if everything was in shades of grey. And glitter? Not really my thing. So... bright. chipper. cheerful.

But when paired with enough black and leather? I'm definitely feeling the glitterbomb vibe.
Found these two in my closet...

glittery Black Swan-eque makeup by Sammy. It took literally an hour and a half, starting from scratch.

Sam says, "put your paws up."
Oh Sammy. I love you. And Gaga.

By the way, check out the new background + header combo. Wintery, no?

inspiration from around the internets.

FASHION // i don't need the birds, let them fly away

2011-11-26T10:17:00.000-05:00

Leave My Body // Florence + the Machine

Fact: I was suspended. Yep.
For a week.
That happened.
Hah.
I came back and like eight different people asked if I was arrested...
"Yeah, definitely. Wanna see my prison tats? I got em all over my arms. Oh look, here's a text from my new friend Cissy the drug-dealer prostitute. YEP. I was arrested. YEP."
I wasn't really arrested, I'm just sarcastic.
People looked confused.
It probably didn't help that I looked like a cross between a witch and a biker chick my first day back.
But you know I sort of always look like that, so I guess it would have been weirder to look "normal".
That doesn't make sense.
It wasn't very exciting really. I watched a lot of Doctor Who. And X Files. And crime shows.

Anyway.

Speaking of witchiness; Em was the photographer for a Vogue-ish photo shoot using myself and my friend Anne as models. The fantastic Sammy did our makeup. Thanks boi. You're magic.
We were originally going to go down to the ocean and be interesting and dead and mermaidish in fancy dresses, half-submerged in the water.
Then it ended up snowing the night before during our sleepover, so we just put on coats and cool makeup over our dresses.
My cape is from Tunisia. It was hiding in the basement.
It was freezing cold, pitch black, and extraordinarily windy. None of us (Sam came with us for the shoot) could feel our faces by the time we got back to my house like 45 minutes later. We had some great conversations about which guys were hot and which weren't, though. And fashion. And other good things. I have terrific friends.

Behind the scenes...

(this one edited by Sam)

FASHION // echoes of a city that's long overgrown

2011-11-06T18:03:00.001-05:00

Heartlines - Florence + the Machine

Pretty chill weekend — I watched America's Next Top Model and ate insane amounts of leftover Halloween candy yesterday, then actually got dressed today for lunch and a movie with a friend.

I'm actually pretty pleased with the outfit — I had to restrain myself from wearing heels because my friend is shorter than I am and he gets sad when I do, so I wore these Stuart Weitzmans instead — but other than that it turned out pretty well.

dress: my mum's in the 90s // vest: Anni Kuan // necklace: Forever XXI

Today I learned how difficult it is to take photos while standing on a couch. So I just jumped and sat instead.

I've learned to love my flash, if only for fashion shots. Partially because my room is a dark cave that doesn't ever get sunlight so unless I want to freeze outside it's the only way to take photos, and partially because it reminds me of the editorials in fashion magazines with the super-dark shadows from flash.
So I will now proceed to eat my words. Many times I have said "no flash, EVER" and I take that back. I am officially humbled.

And yes, I straightened my hair. Actually I curled it with a 1.5" barrel curler, but my hair is way curlier than that so it ended up sorta straightening it instead.

PS: That pillow I'm holding was made and painted by the most creative girl in the world — aka Em. Her Etsy's on vacation right now but I've decided she needs to mass-produce those pillows. Because they're awesome. Who's with me?

FASHION // feathers falling from grey

2011-11-03T18:39:00.000-04:00

Fences - Phoenix
(in case you havent noticed, my post titles have been lyrics from the songs at the beginning/end of the post. kudos if you caught that.)

These are from ages ago when it was still summery out... Ah well.

Photo cred to Emily (love ya girl), editing by me. Still trying to get the "film" look.

shirt: Pendleton (thanks Dad) // jeans: Banana Republic // boots: Dingo // sunnies: Forever21

I love praying mantises. And there were tonsss in the field. Bug eyes squared...

dis be my mountain, y'all.

As hard as we tried to dislodge the spider, he kept hanging on. HIS turkey feather, apparently.

My thistle friend. Tall thistle friend.

Em's version here. She's much prompter than I.

PS: ohmigod Florence + the Machine's new album...! It's like ear candy times a million. Haven't had it off repeat since I got it. Deluxe version all the way. Just a little obsessed.

LIFE // i'm not calling you a ghost, but stop haunting me

2011-10-31T18:54:00.000-04:00

(I'm Not Calling You a Liar - Florence + the Machine)

Things I love about Halloween:
» dressing up. «
» candy. «
» the dark. «
» candy. «
» scaring people without looking like a jerk. «
» candy. «
» Halloween parties. «
» candy. «

Things I hate about Halloween:
» I forgot it was today. So I wore this long black witchy skirt and got asked "oh are you dressed up as a witch?" several times today. "NO THIS IS JUST HOW I DRESS! Are you dressed up as an idiot?" Sad eyes. «
» I feel like fifteen is kinda too old to go trick or treating so I'm just going to wait by my door eating candy and being depressed and wearing a witch hat until some children come along. Sad eyes. «
» there were no Halloween parties for me to attend this year. Sad eyes. «
» as of 7 o clock our only trick-or-treaters are four teenage boys. «
» IT EFFING SNOWED ON SATURDAY. On the 29th. What is this?! I hate Maine. «

My friend Ross dared me to wear a yellow argyle sweater today. I know. YELLOW. ARGYLE. It's so cheerful and preppy. It makes me cringe. So I paired it with aforementioned witchy skirt and evil-looking heels to make up for it.

Ross was unhappy about the heels. He dislikes my being tall.

(Caution, bad cell phone photo.)

Yep. Argyle twins.

So here's a couple outfits from the archives I never ended up posting. Partly because I'm lazy and partly because I'm so busy I don't even know what to do. Grease is opening on November 17th and we're nowhere near done. But my pink Frenchie wig came, so that's exciting.

back when there wasn't any snow....
jeans and shirt: hand-me-downs // shoes: converse // hat: somewhere in ireland

skirt and sweater and necklace: unknown // tights shoes and tank top: Forever 21

and here is me looking fairly normal. yikes.
jean jacket from Gap // all other pieces from Forever 21

Happy Halloween. Boo.

INSPIRATION // it's hard to dance with the devil on your back

2011-10-23T21:38:00.000-04:00

I was horribly lazy this week. I admit it. I posted nothing, did basically nothing, wore nothing exciting. Sorry about that.

But I did collect some gorgeous photos for you. So let it be known:
I went shopping today,
I bought some pretty things (and non-prescrip glasses so I can pretend to be hipster; see the end of the post),
I'll do an outfit post later,
I'm planning a big photography + fashion project (no, I will not tell you),
and Florence + the Machine's new(ish) single sets the perfect mood for these images.

So tally ho and be inspired.

» images from various sources, including oracle fox, devorelebeaumonstre, and le happy. i failed to take note of the others in my voyages around the interwebs, so if you can credit them then please comment. «

I'm in the food court at the mall, by the way. Believe it or not, some of my clothing actually comes from normal-people stores and not Goodwill/my basement/my grandmother's stashes.
Not most of it though.

LIFE // homecoming

2011-10-16T12:13:00.002-04:00

Oh, homecoming.

From left to right: Me, Em, Anne, Ayanah, Miranda, and Carly.

I wore vintage Betsey Johnson (thanks mother who kept all her 90s dresses!), Fioni heels, and a necklace my grandmother got in Peru.

Carly and Ayanah. Look, Ayanah, a photo!

Let's hear it for stupid dancing, too-loud music, sleepless sleepovers, sharpie pens, bad pictures, Teen Vogue, messy hair, and scaring all the freshman boys. Seriously, I think I might have traumatized a few, being a big scary sophomore and all. Poor freshmen. Sorry, freshmen.

It was a good night.

FASHION // you looked happier than sin

2011-10-13T17:24:00.000-04:00

Not really, I look sort of angry. I told you the whole soft/romantic thing wouldn't last long. I'm back to Catholic-school-girl kilts and my grandmother's sweater. I don't even know the brands for ANYTHING in this outfit.

Thanks for the photos, Em. Editing by me, trying to make them look grainy and like film. Like in a 70s fashion magazine or something. Yes? No?

Cheating a little, these were taken like a month ago, before the trees all turned pretty colors. I haven't had time to take many decent photos because I get home when it's getting dark most days, because of play rehearsal. I am having SO much fun playing Frenchie... she's so stupid. And... well, just stupid. I've been working on my dumb-blonde voice and expression. Maybe I'll make a little video for you guys soon. Maybe.

the real thing // after midnight project

FASHION // BEAUTY // love is the coal that makes this train roll

2011-10-09T18:19:00.000-04:00

VIDEO ADDED :)

Half Grecian, half flapper? I'm loving the combination of the easy chignon and soft makeup. (This is very minimal for me... foundation, blush, mascara, and a little copper shadow used as eyeliner.)

This, you see, is me trying to be softer/more romantic. No black, no spikes, no sharp cateye liner, no leather or plaid, no oversized men's shirts.

top and boots: Forever21 // shorts: unknown

My makeup and hair is modified from tutorials on thebeautydepartment.com... Would you guys like a tutorial of either?

everlasting light // the black keys

FASHION // i'm gonna show them all how i can ride

2011-10-08T07:30:00.002-04:00

Taken for the archives by Emily a few weeks back. Now there's frost everywhere.

I'm not sure if we meant for this shoot to be humorous or not. Because I'm wearing a biker jacket (a legit one) and I'm on a bike (but not the legit/real kind). Judge for yourself, all I know is I look wicked tired.

sweater + necklace: Forever21 // jeans: Banana Republic // boots: Dingo // jacket: my father's

don't stop // foster the people

LIFE // it's my birthday and this is my cake

2011-10-02T10:33:00.000-04:00

fifteen years of mucking around and now i have a cake that says "nom" on it.

i am proud of this cake. this is the first year i've made my own. it's chocolate with heath bars in the middle, and buttercream frosting that looks sort of skeevy but let's ignore it in favor of the fact that is has little chocolate flowers in it.

nom.

FASHION // BEAUTY // the revolution will be televised

2011-09-30T19:31:00.002-04:00

And here we have my attempt to make my slut-red lipstick look a little classier. With a vest. And my hair in a bun.

Let's pretend that I look like this more than I look like this.

Really it was okay. I got some compliments at school. Only from girls, though. The guys were far more skeptical... ah well.

skirt/kilt: goodwill // tee: delia's // vest: anni kuan // lipstick: Revlon "Blaze"

welcome to the world of the plastic beach — gorillaz

LIFE // commonground

2011-09-27T17:12:00.000-04:00

Have you heard of the Commonground Fair? No? It's okay, most people haven't. Here is everything you need to know:

Hundreds and hundreds of hippies.

That's all you need to know.

So I went with my good friend Emily... we wandered around and took photos of the animals and the tents and all the crafts people were making.

my mother and grandmother

RABBIT FEET

it was like a million degrees, all the bunnies were stretched out and adorable.

IRONY

And there were these crazy activist people who made very intricate posters. They're all about crushing GMOs/Monsanto and getting the military out of Latin America and free trade and all these zillions of topics. These are their prints on cloth... they also had them on these (big!) paper posters that technically didn't even cost anything. You just donated as much as you wanted. It was awesome, I got three and they're up in my room.

We got incense and anti-war buttons and I got licked by goats and it was great. My room smells like sandalwood now — or, as my mother said, "oh my god it smells like a hippie palace in here."

Straight out of camera: DEMON GOAT.

(most of this video was shot by Em.)

crop top: Forever 21 // shorts: American Eagle // boots: Dingo // headband and sunnies: Forever 21 // belt: vintage

FASHION // go-go girl

2011-09-23T19:01:00.001-04:00

dress: bridesmaid's dress from my parents' wedding, via my godmother // boots: 1960s, via my grandmother // silver bangles: via my grandmother

Like my ridiculous pose? I don't know how to look like Twiggy. I just don't.

I'm pretty pumped that Mad Men is making the 60s all the rage. I have some pretty intense 60s stuff. And it sort of works with my intense 90s stuff. Booyah.

My grandmother got married in a dress very similar to this one. It's in our basement (where else?) and someday I'll show it to you. It's frickin adorable. And short.

These poor boots have been worn by three generations of my mother's family by now. Do they count as go-go boots? I want them to count as go-go boots. Because go-go boots are fantastic.

We had our first onstage rehearsal for Grease today... I'd lost my voice (cold, flu, whatever it is) and couldn't speak above a whisper, so I drank one of those giant XXX Vitamin Waters — you know, the ones with enough in them to sate a herd of elephants? That helped.

Also, that's why there's a pen in my hair. I don't know if you can see it in the photo... but this is how I've been wearing my hair for the past week or so. Otherwise I have a tendency to lose my pencils, because they're all about as long as my pinky finger.

Plus, I got a Facebook on Wednesday (finally). So for those who asked about it forever and a day ago, there is now an of horsefeathers page.

Oh, and my birthday's in like a week and a half. Anybody know any good movies playing in theaters right now? Dream House looks good. I love horror films...

PS: Important note... the weeklygiveaway is officially discontinued. It's way too much stress for me to be organizing it all the time, on top of regular posts and drama and school and the gazillion clubs I've joined this year. Last week's winner was #113, Marina... go ahead and email me!
Don't worry, there will still be random huge giveaways. It's almost more fun that way. Right? Righhhtt?

FASHION // practical magic

2011-09-19T07:25:00.000-04:00

I had to totally psych myself up to wear this last Monday (I've been saving it), but here's what I showed up to school in:

I go to a pretty preppy high school (WHY do I not live in New York City?!), mind you. I got some really, really, REALLY weird looks. A couple people asked if I was dressed up as a theme for a sports game.

No, I said. I'm Nicole Kidman in Practical Magic, the BEST MOVIE EVER. The whole 90s Wicca vibe is rocking my world.

So of course that means purple velvet maxi skirts are fair game.

A few people knew what I was talking about... the rest probably just think I'm even weirder than they did before. Oh well.

skirt: Kathryn Dianos (via my amazing godmother, circa the 90s) // tee: Pretty Little Liars (eeeee) // velvet blouse: Valerie Stevens Evening (via my mother in the 90s) // shoes: Steve Madden

necklace: vintage (via my grandmother) // earrings: Forever 21 // arm party: let's not list all that out, shall we?

I loved shooting this in the woods. I think the focus of these photos is pretty good considering all I had was a tripod and self-timer... and no way to focus on me...

I love the forest...

listening to: Helena Beat by Foster the People

it's like post-apocalyptic weirdness meets Lord of the Flies meets the dream I had last night.

I love it.

PS: LET THE UNFOLLOWS COMMENCE...
People, please stop telling me I need to dress more modestly {by the way, how much more "modest" can you get than a maxi skirt?!} and that I shouldn't even mention the word "wicca". Seriously, guys, take a pill... this is, y'know, my blog... and it's like I'm the captain of a ship; I get to be judge, jury, and executioner (plus I get to preform marriages but somehow I doubt that will happen).
Thus, I will now state my belief that all religions are kind of intermingled, so yes I am Christian (and soon taking my confirmation class, actually) but I also think that it's okay to be a little Buddhist or Hindu or even, yes, Wiccan. Send me to hell if you wish, but that's what I think. That doesn't mean I'm anti-Christ or anything, I AM still Christian, just wacky Christian.
I hope you're all mature enough to respect that.
*instantly loses half of followers*

LIFE // weekend update

2011-09-16T19:36:00.000-04:00

Okay, guys, let's have a huge round of applause for hitting 800 followers! *confetti, bells, and whistles*

And also (squeak) I've been keeping this on the down-low (actually the whole blog's been on the down-low, because my Honors classes are running me ragged in school!) but our fall musical in drama club this year is — ready? — Grease.

I know. Flip-out time, right? I was totally pumped. My two favorite characters are Rizzo and Frenchy. I auditioned for Rizzo but I was hoping for Frenchy... partially because I love her, and partially because I do not love singing (and singing does not love me) and she doesn't have a solo song.

Our auditions were Tuesday and Wednesday... Cast list was posted Thursday... Our first rehearsal was today.

Oh, wait, my role... The ditzy blonde/pink/brunette/whatever-she-is herself, Frenchy. I pretty much had an aneurism in the hallway when I read the list. Major hugging of anyone who didn't run away from me ensued.

Shout-out to everyone else who auditioned: You were all amazing, all of you. ALL OF YOU. And Gabby, if you're reading this, your singing audition blew me away. Your voice is gorgeous.

So that was exciting...

And please vote...

Real content soon, I promise.

xoxo

PS: My design site got a facelift! Check it out.

DIY // cutout skull tee shirt

2011-09-10T10:06:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone, sorry I've been all MIA for a while. We have our auditions for our fall musical, Grease, coming up on Tuesday and things have been 100% insane with school and drama and work.

And I'm falling behind here... Sad Olivia wishes you would vote for her. Yes she does. *hug*

So it's been a while since I posted a DIY, hasn't it? Never fear. This quick and easy tutorial makes a plain white tee into a fantastical smiley skull face. And it's kind of cute, isn't it? Sort of like Jack Skellington.

1// find a long, loose-fitting white tee shirt. oversize tees are cute too. this one's from Forever 21.

2// sketch the face (I used charcoal but you can use a pencil). don't use sharpie, in case you need to go back and fix something. the eyes should be at your bust, the nose should end at your belly button, and the teeth should be around your hips.

3// cut it out on the lines and ta-da! done and ready for wear over a black tank top (or second black tee, just make sure it doesn't have a higher neckline than the skull shirt, because that always looks weird when a layering tee goes higher than the outermost shirt).

Well, what are you waiting for? It takes less than ten minutes and now I have this great graphic tee that is 100% one-of-a-kind. Shoo.
And show us what you make!

PS: Art class is making me draw a "mechanical being". So I made it a sketchy-looking horse.
But I also added in muscles over the metal, because just a plain clockwork horse is too steampunk for me. (If you look closely, there's tiny cogs and wheels in between the ropes of muscle. And the pupil is one of the little spiky wheel things.) The background will be a dark city street (that's the very rough start of a streetlamp behind the horse) and the foreground will have a beggar or two... it's not my first choice of subject but it's better than the alternative: a view inside our pots-and-pans cabinet. (I know, right?)

I feel like I'd be pretty scared, actually, if I saw this thing. It belongs on a battlefield or something. Metal in general is just scary.

weeklygiveaway: sunglasses, pearls, and lace

2011-09-05T06:51:00.001-04:00

Last week's winner is #59, Bree Holloway.
Congratulations! Please email me to claim your prize.

How great is this? Not one, not two, but three lovely items this week. (It can make up for a lack of giveawayness last week!) We have two gorgeous necklaces and an adorable pair of sunglasses for one lucky girl. (Or guy. We don't discriminate in the fashion world...)

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Tell us a little bit about yourself.

My name Is Rashella Victoria, a photographer blogger and lover of fashion. I'm 14 years old and a christian. The best way to learn more about me is to read my personal blog. "Crescendo"!

What do you most enjoy creating?

Outfits , photographs, blog posts, are my top three..

What inspires you?

Nature, and other successful bloggers/photographers my age like Olivia :)

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please leave a separate comment for each entry.

the winner will be announced at the top of next week's giveaway.

they will have 48 hours to respond, or a new winner will be drawn.

i pick the winner using random.org, it's completely fair.

you may only enter until midnight on Sunday, so hurry up! :)

REQUIRED ENTRY:

vote for me
(see here)
and comment saying
that you did.

+1 EXTRA ENTRY

follow of horsefeathers

have either the hf button or the weeklygiveaway button

in your sidebar or "good reads" list

{these are found under the "share the love"

section in my sidebar}

+1 EXTRA ENTRY

follow Rashella's blog

+ 1 EXTRA ENTRY

blog, tweet, or post on Facebook about this giveaway

{please leave the link}

Good luck lovelies!
xoxo

INSPIRATION // sunday inspiration

2011-09-04T09:54:00.000-04:00

Sundays are good for baking things and staying in baggy sweaters + pajamas all day.

If you haven't already, please follow the instructions here to vote for me! Right now I'm at place #7 — which means I'm part of the Top 10 who will win an entrance to Bloggers Wardrobe. *clap clap clap* But there are still twelve days left and I need your support. Thank you so much, lovelies.

All photos from Lookbook.nu, Spell and the Gypsy, and WeHeartIt.

Feel inspired? The first person to comment with their favorite image (and vote!) gets a week as a sponsor in my sidebar. Oh yes they do.

LIFE // I need your help! Everyone!

2011-09-02T06:58:00.004-04:00

If you have a Facebook account, I need you to give me a hand.

Do you love me?

Yes?

Okay.

Go to this link. Like the page.

Then go to Photos. My picture is in the middle of the page to the far left. I have a cheesy grin and flowers in my hair.

Like that photo. And that's it! All done.

If I win this, I'll be part of Blogger's Wardrobe — free designer clothes and huge bragging rights. (I'm thinking some major giveaways...!) You guys already got me past the first stage, so I know we can win this!

Thank you so much, lovely people. I'll be badgering you for the next fourteen days, and then we find out who won. Eep.

Much love to all... and thank you thank you thank you for making the blog so great!

Olivia (who is now late for school...)

PS: If you love me LOTS you could even post it on your own Facebook. Or Twitter. Or blog. Or whatever means of communication you wish. Because you are fantastic human beings, yes? Who really want me to win?

UPDATE: 24 hours later I'm in the Top 10 — you guys rock! (Top 9 actually.) I don't know how many people will make it into the Wardrobe but please keep voting, oh people who have not yet voted. I love you.

FASHION // quicksilver

2011-09-01T15:28:00.000-04:00

blouse: unknown, via Goodwill // shorts: Paris Blue // boots: Upper East Side // I-will-eat-you smile: just for you.

Pretty good shirt, right? It's like mercury. I'm pretty sure this qualifies me to be a junior man repeller. I mean, look at it. It has a built-in cape.

In other news, I've survived my first two days of being a sophomore. I have the mountains of homework to prove it, too. I wil now proceed to consume vast quantities of cake. Yes I will.

Oh yes, and I got my haircut and have further proof that my hairdresser is a goddess who wields scissors. She cut my hair so that even when it's in a ponytail, there's these cute little curly chunks around my face. Which is exactly what I wanted. Thank you, Dee.

LIFE // welcome to the last day of your life

2011-08-30T10:51:00.003-04:00

Literally. You're going to die.

No, you're not. I mean, you might. But it's unlikely.

You know what, forget about that. Just appreciate the pretty bird photo.

It's the last day of MY life. Free life, to be specific. Real life. Non-school life.

You know, I've been thinking lately what a horrible thing slavery is...

I'm not making any sense, am I.

What I'm trying to say is that I start a new year of school tomorrow. Sophomore. Into double-digits now.

I have a quiz in Honors Chem on the first day back, isn't that fun? 42 chemical formulas and ions to memorize over the summer. That's why I'm so senseless right now, I think.

I have my first-day outfit, though. Remember the Countess Nikolaevna Rusalka Anastasia Karina? I'm wearing that dress and lace... thing. Only I put a safety pin in the back so the dress is a little less shapeless. And I'm wearing my Dingoes.

And I'm getting a snazzy haircut at 4:30 pm today (Akari FTW)... probably just going to touch up / hack at my layers but keep it megalong in the back. Guess what I discovered in the shower today? When it's wet it goes down to my hips. Yeah. And the bottom of my ribcage when it's all ringlety.'

And pretty nails. (Wearing Delia's gold for base and Delia's black crackle on ring finger.

So basically today I've been sweeping around in my first-day outfit making sure it won't be too uncomfortable, listening to pump-up music on Pandora, cleaning my room, packing my schoolbag, etc.

Not very exciting.

But...

Last day of life...

xoxo.

PS: I got drawn! Thanks Jess!

via

listening to: 1, 2, Step by Ciara
^ not really my style of music, as you've probably guessed, but does make you pumped up for whatever. ^

a nod to mod (a guest post by Sarah Beckman)

2011-08-29T11:47:00.000-04:00

Hi there -- I'm guest posting for Olivia today. Olivia, we're all so glad you didn't blow away last night -- or lose power!

If I had to pick my favorite fashion trend right now, it would have to be mod. Mod makes me think of little skirts, big lashes, stripes, peter pan collars, pixie cuts -- all things that scream classy retro. I want to share with you my three mod inspirations.

A muse of Andy Warhol and a shopoholic socialite, Edie Sedgwick's fashion influence is still felt today. Edie was known for wearing her jazz ballet garb on the street. Leotards, shoulder duster earrings, tights, dark eye makeup, and fur were Edie's favorites.

Get the look: [head scarf] [striped dress] [tights] [chain bracelet] [chandelier earrings]

Fun fact about Edie: After she shopped away her inheritance, Edie used waterpaints to do her dark makeup.

Gorgeous and gamine, Twiggy was the world's first supermodel. Her big, doe eyes and pixie cut made her the "Face of '66." Twiggy was known for big patterns, big accessories, and pea coats.

Get the look: [silk scarf] [halter top] [high-waisted mini skirt] [striped dress] [gold shoes] [watch]

If you haven't seen Rosemary's Baby yet, stop whatever you're doing and go watch it right now. Besides the awesomely eerie story, you'll see Mia Farrow wearing the most adorable tent and trapeze dresses of the 60s.

Get the look: [trapeze dress] [chiffon dress] [pearl earrings] [huarache sandals] [gloves] [clutch]

Tell me, do you love mod style? Who's your inspiration?

Author bio: Sarah's a bride-to-be with a love for vintage style and antiques. She works as an editor at Affordable Style.

FASHION // didn't you hear, there's a hurricane coming

2011-08-28T10:01:00.003-04:00

Hurricane Irene — who will be demoted to Tropical Storm Irene by the time she gets up here to Maine — is coming. Everything is windy and rainy.

And I'm going shopping with my friend. I'm not even going to spend any money. She wants me there, she'll buy me something, I'm in.

So far nothing exciting has happened, and this being Maine — The Most Boring Place On Earth (™) — I sort of doubt that it will. But just in case our power does go out for a few hours / a few days / a few million years, a surprise guest poster will be supplying reading material for you tomorrow. The weeklygiveaway will be put on hold until next week — starting school and everything is just too crazy for me to be doing all that. But hey, extra week to enter the current one if you haven't already!

Today I'm dressed in rainy-day hurricane colors.

tights & belt: unknown // top & shorts: forever xxi // shoes: Steve Madden

xoxo.

EDITED AT 4:30pm:
Well, there's some rain. And some wind — a lot of wind. But nothing hurricane-worthy so far. We haven't even lost power. (Though on the way back from the mall one of the traffic lights was out!)
So basically I'm just chilling in my new threads (heheh aren't I gangsta?). You can't see it in the photo, but I got some cute little gym shorts with a tribal print on them — love. Plus a black tank top and this sweater from H&M.

This is basically how I'll be spending the rest of the day. Looking out the window in slippers and my sweater.

UPDATE 9:00am — THE NEXT MORNING
Nothing happened. Nothing at all. There was some wind last night and now there isn't a cloud in the sky. We didn't lose power. No branches dropped from our millions of trees. The "hurricane", to be honest, didn't seem to different from a nor'easter (see here if you don't know what that is), except the wind was warm instead of cold.

listening to : Hurricane Drunk by Florence + the Machine

BEAUTY // the girls with the curls (part ii)

2011-08-26T09:49:00.003-04:00

Recently I've gotten a few emails asking me to do an update on the girls with the curls: how to love your curly hair, a post I did back in February about naturally curly hair.

So here it is. A slightly disorganized but always sincere update on what I've learned in the last six months. Which is kind of a lot. There's a lot of things you just need to learn as you go along.

get a real hairdresser.
I've been scarred too many times by Supercuts hairdressers who haven't a clue how curly hair works. Seriously, people, it's just not the same as straight hair!

When looking for a haircut, you'll need to spend a few extra bucks if you have curly hair. Unfortunate, I know, but in my opinion absolutely necessary.

Look for these three things:

ONE, a salon exclusively for curly hair. These are more common in big cities.

TWO, a salon that's all-around awesome with very well-trained staff. If you're in Maine, Greater Portland area, go to Akari and ask specifically for Dee. She is magical. My grandmother, mother, and I all go to her and she's fantastic. Plus she has cool tattoos. I'm going myself on August 30th, the day before school. See you there, lovelies. ;)

THREE, a hairdresser who has curly hair herself. Even in aforementioned awesome salon (with the exception of aforementioned Dee), ask for a hairdresser who has naturally curly hair. She'll know better what to do with your locks.

if you're using Pantene, stop right now.

I know, I know. I have upon occasion gushed about Pantene loving my curls. But... it doesn't.

What it actually does is coat each strand with wax, which will initially be great and make your hair look super-shiny. But after a couple months, your hair gets dull and frizzy because the cleaning power can't get through the wax buildup.

As Dee puts it, Pantene is like McDonald's for your hair. Junk food. Bad. Will probably last for a thousand years unchanged.

on the other hand, Moroccan Oil is amazingly fantastic.
If I could afford it I'd get every Moroccan Oil product ever made. Every single one. Even the wrong ones for my hair. It's that amazing.

But I can't. *weeps* So I use their Hydrating Styling Creme. It's the best thing that has ever happened to my hair! Plus it smells amazing. The original oil is also great for a little added shine and frizz control.

I've also heard good things about the Intense Curl Creme but I can't vouch for it.

stop using shampoo.

Seriously. Stop right now.

If your hair is dry (and if your hair is curly than in all likelihood it is also dry, it's a fact of nature) then overshampooing will make it worse. I cut shampoo out of my routine altogether, except after swimming in the ocean or a chlorinated pool (and even then sometimes not). My hair is so much better for it!

I once experimented with my hair. I didn't wash it for a week (I took my regular showers, but I put up my hair and didn't wet it). At the end of the week it wasn't greasy or knotty or anything. It actually looked pretty good.

I'm not saying to stop washing your hair — ew. But instead of washing it every day (even without shampoo) wash it, say, every other day. Find the right schedule that lets your hair's natural oils shine « Heehee. I made a pun and your hair will be way less frizzy. Overshowering strips your hair and leaves it dull and fuzzy.

frizz is not always your enemy.

I know girls with curls (including me, at one point) who are so afraid of frizzing up that they load their hair with product to keep it down. Guess how your hair turns out? Crunchy and stiff. Those two problems arise when you overthink your hair.

Just like good makeup, curly hair should be natural but somehow better.

Need proof that soft is better than totally unfrizzy? Look on the red carpet. Taylor Swift, one of my curly-hair icons (though my hair has smaller ringlets than hers) definitely has some flyaways and bits of hair that escaped the main curl (look at this picture). BUT, that's what makes her hair look so gorgeous.

So it's okay if your hair doesn't look like this all the time (hint: she got those curls with an iron, not genes). It's better to not kill the frizz with product. If you feel über-self-conscious about it, pop a hat on.

Fuzz is cute. Seriously. And plus, invite everyone to touch your hair. It'll be soft and you won't care if it gets frizzier!

"ethnic"/African-American/black hair is totally awesome.

I'm lost as to what is politically correct nowadays so I'm just going to say WHATEVER YOU WANT TO BE CALLED, I LOVE YOUR HAIR. Seriously. Big poofy hairdos are amazing. I wish I could pull it off. But... I'm Irish. Fate did not favor me.

So girls, don't relax or straighten or treat your hair. Everyone thinks it's gorgeous when it's natural. Really. They do.

PS: What IS the correct term? I have a friend who is half Indian and she's chill with "black" but I live in a saddeningly overwhelming white community where there is no diversity and so I am utterly clueless.

QUESTIONS OF YOURS

Go ahead and ask, I won't bite you. There's a lovely little comment section just for you.

I was wondering what you think of long curly hair with straightened bangs?

I think it depends on your hair. If you have Taylor Swift hair then it will probably work. You know, more relaxed. If you have my hair it will just look weird.
As a rule I say no to bangs with curly hair, even side bangs. Too much work, and straightening them every.single.day will make them really dry and wrecked.

Do you have a fav conditioner that I can find easily and is cheap?

I use L'oreal Vive Pro Hydra Gloss, you can get it at the supermarket. I'm going to ask Dee when I get my hair cut whether it's okay or McDonald's-y, but I've been using it a couple months and it seems okay.

What are your feelings about getting perms?

No. Just no.

When I comb my hair it takes forever because it's so knotted. Any tips?

Hmm, I'm afraid not. My hair never gets tangled because it's always in these defined ringlets/chunks that don't mix with each other. If it gets tangled more towards the nape of your neck you would probably be okay brushing there... in the shower I'd just put a couple million gallons of conditioner on it. Have you tried detangler? That might make things easier.

What can I do to give my hair less volume?
Don't brush it, definitely. Also try putting oil (like the Garnier Shine Serum) on your hands and smoothing it down. I'd recommend getting layers so it's an evenly distributed volume, though, because volume is one of the great things about curly hair!

Do you know any good non-drying shampoo for swimmers?
Hey, swim sister! If I do use shampoo, I get Organix Moroccan Argan Oil Hydrating shampoo. It's like knockoff Moroccan Oil and it works great. Also, when you wash your hair after getting out of the pool, rinse with cold. It makes your hair shinier.

If you don't use shampoo in your hair, what DO you use?
Just conditioner in the shower and a little pump of my Moroccan Oil when it's damp. Honestly it is totally clean. Smells good, too.

xoxo.

LIFE // my closet is possessed and other tales of terror

2011-08-24T15:31:00.000-04:00

Just kidding. There's only one tale of terror. My closet really is possessed, though.

» listen to the podcast here. «

Went shopping with my friend Sarah K today... I got a liquid-mercury man-repelling shirt, a Navajo-ish sweater that doubles as a bathrobe, somewhat-destroyed shorts, a lacy top, two kinds of nail polish (including, finally, the Sally Hansen Crackle overcoat), lipstick that smells like coconut, and liquid liner. Phew. Oh, and salad.

The lefthand me would like to attest for her lack of face. I'm just not good at faces. Or, you know, properly proportioned humans. I know my legs are not really eight times the length of my torso. It's stylized. Shh. Don't harsh on my drawing skills, I know it's an awkward sketch. Not my best. Not my best. And yeah, righthand me has her eyes half closed. Overall not my best outfit post. But... I was bored.

Also, I switched out my shoes. Because it's too much bother to relace the oxfords after every pair of jeans I try on.

shirt: my father's // leggings: LL Bean (cringeworthy, I know, but they were cheap and you can't really tell... right?) // heels: Steve Madden // boots: Payless // purse: Marc Jacobs (STILL haven't gotten over it)

sunglasses: Urban Outfitters // obnoxious kissy face: where did THAT come from?! // second piercing: look, I finally took a picture of it.

Oh yeah. Here are 5 earrings every girl should have. From left to right:

Kindergartener's Canvas: because macaroni art is so outdated.

Battleaxe: you never know when you might need to defend yourself from miniature Vikings!

Fish... Thing: will nom the eyeballs of your enemies.

Tropical Fish: it's like your ears are on vacation!

Giant Hibiscus: ^^^ditto.

xoxo.

weeklygiveaway: zipper rosette

2011-08-22T15:43:00.000-04:00

Last week's winner is #14, Hope.
Congratulations! Please email me to claim your prize.

Didn't win the rosette last week? You're in luck, we have another this week! With its zipper edges, it's a little edgier. I want.

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Tell us a little about yourself.

Hey there! I'm Michaela. That's pronounced like Michael with an a. I call the cornfields of Iowa my home. I'm a farmer's girl, and I wouldn't know how to survive in the city. I'm a photographer, procrastinator, and laugh-er. I'm a published author whose love for writing will never dwindle. At a play, I'm usually the one holding the mascara wand, and I am addicted to blogging. I'm always the one singing, and I should probably mention I'm ornery. It's great to meet ya.

What inspires you?

Books. I love to read, and and reading other people's work feeds the mind and creative soul.

What do you most enjoy creating?

Everything. From jewelry, to photographs, to food. I'm all there. Most of the time.

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please leave a separate comment for each entry.

the winner will be announced at the top of next week's giveaway.

they will have 48 hours to respond, or a new winner will be drawn.

i pick the winner using random.org, it's completely fair.

you may only enter until midnight on Sunday, so hurry up! :)

REQUIRED ENTRY:

pick a favorite item

from Michaela's shop

and say why you like it.

+1 EXTRA ENTRY

follow of horsefeathers

have either the hf button or the weeklygiveaway button

in your sidebar or "good reads" list

{these are found under the "share the love"

section in my sidebar}

+1 EXTRA ENTRY

follow Michaela's blog

OR
follow her on Flickr
OR
heart her on Etsy

+ 1 EXTRA ENTRY

blog, tweet, or post on Facebook about this giveaway

{please leave the link}

Good luck lovelies!
xoxo

FASHION // the red queen

2011-08-21T16:04:00.002-04:00

dress: American Eagle Outfitters // belt: obi from Japan // boots: Dingo // purse: Marc Jacobs

So guess what I found today?

Uh-huh.

*freaking out*

This Marc Jacobs bag was at Goodwill for $20. I got it for less because of a discount.
Considering it was originally like $350 I'm pretty pumped.

It's pretty and leather and has a cool inside. And a long strap! When all the way extended, over one shoulder, it goes down to my knee, which I like. Or it can go as short as my waist. Oh Marc, you know how to make me happy.

Look at the secret compartment in the flap! I'm in love.

Squee.

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Anyway.

I'm going to have pizza with Emily tonight for her birthday. (Happy birthday, Em! Another year older and another year slower. May you live to be as old as Dumbledore.) I decided that it would be a good idea to paint my lips and nails red.

Because red lips are fun.

And they match my obi! My grandmother brought it to me. It's the thing used to tie up a kimono. Snazzy, right?

Anyhoo. I'm off but be sure to check back in tomorrow for the winners of the weeklygiveaway!

xoxo

PS: Emily's present.... shh! Don't tell! It's a book on digital photography.

big huge stupendous deal

2011-08-19T09:45:00.002-04:00

Today, a LUCKY SEVEN will get $30 off a custom blog design.

Seven people.

Blog Design. Usually $80, today just $50.

Pretty good deal, y'all.

PLUS

You're helping me pay for a car.

Like this one!

via

Awww it's so cute and buggity.
And look at those suitcases.
This car just screams "own me Olivia, I am lonely and need someone to drive me to interesting places."
Can't you hear its sad little voice?

Now, go.

Email and claim your prize.

I raised my prices, so I'd hurry up if I were you.

By the way, these designs are still the full package.

And they can be used for anything.

Your blog.

A gift to a friend.

A giveaway.

Save it for later.

I'll let y'all know when the list is full.

xoxo lovelies!

(PS: Sorry I've been all MIA lately. I've been painting the exterior of my house and that doesn't lend itself to spectacular fashion opportuities.)

(Also, pretty design, yes?)

weeklygiveaway: rosette hair clip

2011-08-15T08:00:00.001-04:00

Last week's winner is #37, Grace.
Congratulations! Please email me to claim your prize.
(And also please check the number to make sure you're the right Grace, I know there's a few of them.)

By the way, I'm looking for some more sponsors — only two more weeks are being sponsored so far. If you like the giveaway, please consider donating jewelry, clothes, gift certificates, etc. Email me if you're interested — you get a month of advertising in my sidebar.

This week we have a pretty potter's-clay colored rosette clip made by Blythe.

PLUS she's offering all you lovely people 10% off her shop with the coupon code HORSEFEATHERS.

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Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I'm your ordinary teen,home schooled,one of 9 kids,a country,barefoot,hairstyling,4-wheeler,dirt bike riding,God loving girl and aspiring photographer. My one desire in life is to praise my Lord and Savior who gave me everything.

What do you most enjoy creating?

Hair accessories and purses I must say.

What inspires you?

What inspires me, oh, hard question. I think nature, photography and just the natural things that are captured to make your imagination soar to great heights.

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please leave a separate comment for each entry.

the winner will be announced at the top of next week's giveaway.

they will have 48 hours to respond, or a new winner will be drawn.

i pick the winner using random.org, it's completely fair.

you may only enter until midnight on Sunday, so hurry up! :)

REQUIRED ENTRY:

pick a favorite item

from Blythe's shop

and say why you like it.

+1 EXTRA ENTRY

follow of horsefeathers

have either the hf button or the weeklygiveaway button

in your sidebar or "good reads" list

{these are found under the "share the love"

section in my sidebar}

+1 EXTRA ENTRY

follow Blythe's blog

and comment on one of her posts,

then come back saying which one.

+ 1 EXTRA ENTRY

blog, tweet, or post on Facebook about this giveaway

{please leave the link}

Good luck lovelies!
xoxo

LIFE // the dream

2011-08-14T14:52:00.002-04:00

I had a dream last night that I was a scientist surrounded by test tubes. I drank one and my laboratory became a greenhouse full of flowers. I wandered a bit, clad in a white lab coat that accumulated more and more dirt stains the farther I walked, and found the greenhouse faded into an orchard surrounded by stained glass. Apples hung from the boughs of the trees. I ate a blue one and the scene changed again, I was swimming in cold green water. The waved buffeted me up to the surface and I started singing a siren's song. A boat came by and I climbed a ladder onto the deck. They wrapped me in a fluffy white towel and sent me below, where I was given a Victorian-era silk dress to change into. I awoke when we reached a tropical land where the air smelled like spices.

listening to: A Horse Is Not a Home by Miike Snow

PHOTOS // fisheye, fishtail, fishbreath.

2011-08-12T17:38:00.001-04:00

shirt: Forever XXI // jeans: DKNY // hat and shoes: thrifted // dark circles: sleeplessness

My father brought home a beautiful thing yesterday. It's a little extension for a camera lens that will either increase the zoom or — yes! — make the shot extremely fisheyed, depending on which way you screw it on. It's amazing.

And fun.

All these shots are unedited.

I went to the beach with Sally today. We went on a journey into horrorland last night and watched two movies that really didn't have a plot but were sufficiently scary nonetheless. In one of them there were trolls and in the other one the characters ended up already dead and ghostly. (Nothing with Nicole Kidman, I know what you're thinking, it's some weird indie flick whose name escapes me. The troll movie was called Inhabited.)

I saw my friend Sarah K at the beach, and we built a giant sand turtle with some helpful 4-year-olds. They seemed to be a lot more intelligent than I am currently. They gave the turtle eyebrows and ears, so it can listen to its mommy. I built a baby turtle and some eggs. Sally made a tail.

No photos, because we were dumb for most of it and lacked a camera. And also because my phone is not being friendly.

But anyway, beachness made us salty and brain dead and it took forever to unwind my salt-caked fishtail braid.

And now my water glass smells fishy. I'm blaming the cats. Because people-water is much better than cat-water.

Time for a bath and some pampering and some sleep.

PS: Sorry I was all MIA for a few days. My cerebral functions have been compromised and I've spent the last few days in a somewhat vegetative state.

listening to: Throwing Fire by Ronald Jenkees

weeklygiveaway: five tiny photographs

2011-08-08T08:15:00.002-04:00

Yes! The weeklygiveaway is back! Excitement, excitement.
Also, 750 followers this morning! Excitement, excitement.
Ahem.

This week we have a set of five little photographs by Romi. Says the Etsy listing,

This is a series of prints, there are five and together they tell the tale of a little bird... it's up to you to decide how the story goes!
This selection of prints are quite small and because they are all a slightly different size, they also measure differently- but the biggest is about 13.5CM across and just over 9.5CM, and the smallest is about 12.5CM across and just under 9.5CM vertically.
These prints are all truly unique, none are the same size and they really tell a little story...

Wouldn't these be crazy adorable clipped to some string and hung somewhere in your room? Ooh. Now I want some.

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Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I'm a writer, avid reader and photographer/jewelery maker- I adore to blog and dream of living on the Greek island of Corfu one day.

What do you most enjoy creating?

Everything. From food to jewelry, I really do find joy in making things. It's a great outlet for me, and I've met a lot of wonderful people through it.

What inspires you?

Everything- life, nature, people, words and books... and making things of course!

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please leave a separate comment for each entry.

the winner will be announced at the top of next week's giveaway.

they will have 48 hours to respond, or a new winner will be drawn.

i pick the winner using random.org, it's completely fair.

you may only enter until midnight on Sunday, so hurry up! :)

REQUIRED ENTRY:

pick a favorite item

from Romi's shop

and say why you like it.

+1 EXTRA ENTRY

follow of horsefeathers

have either the hf button or the weeklygiveaway button

in your sidebar or "good reads" list

{these are found under the "share the love"

section in my sidebar}

+1 EXTRA ENTRY

follow either of Romi's blogs here + here

and comment on one of her posts,

then come back saying which one.

+ 1 EXTRA ENTRY

blog, tweet, or post on Facebook about this giveaway

{please leave the link}

Good luck lovelies!
xoxo

(PS: The winner from last giveaway was contacted already.)

FASHION // the countess

2011-08-06T11:38:00.008-04:00

dress and clutch: vintage // lace top: unknown // heels: Steve Madden

I've decided the best way to dress is like a deranged-yet-still-beautiful Russian countess. With some improvements, of course — wool shawls in summer? No thank you. But I do love having my hair up like this. Messy yet sophisticated, and it doesn't look strange with curly hair.

The comb is very old and probably Spanish. My grandmother dropped off boxes upon boxes of old jewelry and clothes; among them was a box she'd gotten at an estate sale of an old woman named Mrs Hold in the 70s. She estimates its contents (the comb, an antique Spanish BumpIt type device, several Victorian bonnets, and a few miscellaneous sleeves, collars, and bits of yellowed lace) to be from the 1800s.

Anyway, I spent the morning striding around in a long silk robe and looking regal. Pointing one's nose in the air constantly makes one's eyes cross a little.

Two different earrings. One of them (right) is actually Russian; the other (left), I don't know. They, too, were part of the treasure trove my grandmother dropped off. And look! Little second piercings!
Sorry about the horrendous quality. Photobooth in low light is not my friend. Also, I am not wearing makeup, so let's ignore the huge dark circles under my eyes.

You may now call me the Countess Nikolaevna Rusalka Anastasia Karina. The small part of my heritage that really is Russian says that those are suitable names. The large part of me that is Irish does not know how to pronounce them.

Maybe I'll stick to Olivia.

PS: Thanks for the link-clickage yesterday! I don't know if I'll get it but you guys made a big difference. Sorry it was confusing, only 30 words were allowed. If I get in you will be treated to a big post full of me freaking out.

PPS: I'm sponsoring a giveaway for carlotta today! Go enter. Shoo. Go on.

listening to: It's Good To Be in Love by Frou Frou
It's a good song, give it a chance. Weird, but good. Listen to the lyrics.

bloggers wardrobe = a beautiful thing, and i need your help

2011-08-04T17:58:00.001-04:00

and Olivia = perfect because her reader base is young and growing, because she's ahead of the trend, because she spends too much time online.

» click to instigate euphoria «

FASHION // dingoes ate my baby

2011-08-03T13:36:00.005-04:00

Megakudos to anyone who gets the reference in the title.

skirt: Forever XXI // sweater: Abercrombie // boots: Dingo
I am such a cheapie

I'm totally psyched about these boots. My mom found them at Goodwill for ten bucks — total score. I've been looking for fringe boots forEVER. Now I can cross them off my shopping list for tomorrow! Squee.

This is using the Wunderlist app, which is pretty much the most exciting thing in the universe. Besides the boots.

Plus I just updated to OS X Lion, which totally rocks my world. The whole Mission Control thing is genius. And you can have like twenty million different backgrounds, one for each Space! Ruche backgrounds, here I come.

But the boots... wow.

They are fantastic. And possibly vintage.
Who knows. They look nice and that's all I need.

xoxo.

and okay, I relent. this is the reason for the title.
kind of obscure.
I dearly love Oz, though.

oh, and now I'm a country populated by dancing zombies.

listening to: True Affection by The Blow

FASHION // the sky wore a veil

2011-08-02T13:23:00.003-04:00

There's not a lot you can do when a cat invades your personal bubble.

skirt: Forever XXI // shirt: Abercrombie

PS: Still on a Buffy kick. I'm loving Willow's haircut in Season 4. And watching TV is a much better option than, say, going outside. This is what's happening outside my window. Turn the sound on.

LIFE // an accurate representation of my life for the past few days

2011-07-30T14:13:00.003-04:00

I'm laying low.

Like, undercover low.

Except really I'm just being lazy.

But being a secret agent is way cooler, so let's go with that.

INSPIRATION // inspiration + an outfit on a wednesday night

2011-07-27T17:19:00.002-04:00

I'm channeling Aria Montgomery today.

shirt (same as yesterday) and earrings: Forever XXI // jeans: DKNY // shoes: Steve Madden

There are such bad backdrops around my house. Outside is too green, inside there's no blank wall space. I'm thinking of clearing a big space on my wall just so I can take reasonable fashion photos. What do you guys think? Worth it? Do you enjoy these sorts of posts enough?

all inspiration from lookbook.nu.

because everyone loves kitty cats by oh*livia featuring chain jewelry