secret obsession: wigs

I just started a new job this week (yay!), so what better way to celebrate movement forward in my fancy career-oriented adult life than a post exploring one of my decidedly dorky and non-adult passions?

My secret obsession (which is not so secret anymore)...is wigs.

I love this wig. I bought it at LeakyCon last year to show my Slytherin pride (I told you this was a dorky passion) after many years of poring over wigs on Ebay and drooling over cosplayers with elaborate faux-hairdos. Last weekend, for lack of anything better to do, I put on a full face of makeup and my wig and took selfies in the bathroom. Obviously, I lead an exciting life, but for real - it was a ton of fun to play dress-up, even if I didn't have anywhere to go. (Also, this was the first time I'd done a full-face of liquid foundation since my spackled and raccoon-eyed days as a high school theater nerd with no idea how to apply makeup. Hopefully I've progressed since then.)

Part of the fun is the chance to be extreme without consequences. A couple people thought I'd really dyed my hair when I posted the pic on the right to Facebook, but this was the day before I started a shiny new business casual job - there's no way I could get away with green and silver hair, no matter how fabulous. But with a wig, I can pop it on and be that cool girl with the alternative hair for a while.

I'd always thought wigs weren't for me because, as I've mentioned before on this blog, I have a really big head. Woe is I. But this one from Arda Wigs fits great, no adjustment needed, even without a wig-cap. If I were actually going to wear it out (which I'm working up the courage to do), I probably would secure everything a little better, but for now I just pin back my bangs and put my hair into a ponytail and tuck it inside. They're super reasonably priced too, and it seems like good quality to me - I don't know enough about wigs to make a full review/rec, but I would definitely say Arda is a great place to get your first wig if you want to experiment a bit. They also have a bunch of tutorial videos to help you care for and style your wig (I haven't done anything crazy with mine, except for adding a few braids.)

The rule I've made for myself is that I can't buy another wig until I wear this one out in public OR if it's for a specific costume I'm working on. That said, I'm going to have to pluck up the courage soon, because I have my eye on a few more (you can see them on my aptly named I Want That board on Pinterest.)

Have you ever worn a wig (for a play maybe, or just for fun)? Am I the only one who yearns to have pink hair one day, blue the next, and long flowing locks on alternating Thursdays?

autumn incoming

Illustration by the lovely Claire Whitmore

Yesterday I wore a dress with tights and today I wore a sweater. It can mean only one thing:  autumn is coming! As much as I love the lazy days of summer...well, let's be real, they aren't that lazy when you're a grown-up and I'm more than ready for the heat to break and a cool breeze to blow in from the north! I'm ready for changing leaves, pumpkins (but not pumpkin-flavored stuff, yuck), Halloween, chilly nights spent curled under a blanket, cups of hot cocoa, and, of course, fierce fall fashion! Even though I'm not in school anymore, fall still feels like a fresh start.

Source: Uploaded by user via Jennifer on Pinterest

I've always loved crisp autumn weather. Outerwear is one of my truest loves, and fall (in Wisconsin, at least!) lets you play with coats, hats, scarves, and all sorts of outer accessories without being too worried that you might freeze to death (thanks, winter). I'm still hoping to find that perfect trench, but for now I have a lovely teal trench-style coat that my mom picked up for me to protect me from the wind, rain, and mid-level chill of the fall.






I am ridiculously in love with this look. The coat is beyond gorgeous (great color, great texture, those CUFFS), but the scarf is a perfect capper. Something as simple as tying a loose scarf into a bow really can make an outfit into something special. I believe this is at the end of a fur collar, but it could be done with any scarf you already own, provided that it's long enough to tie and still have enough length for a bit of drama. Obviously her hands are in her pockets, but I would imagine topping this look off with a pair of sleek leather gloves. I've always wanted leather gloves, but it really doesn't make sense - most of the time, even though I have gloves, I just shove my hands in my pockets anyway. Last year, I got a pair of those fabulous hybrids sometimes known as "glittens," which are a little silly/cutesy, but I can wear them while I drive, so haters to the left. (Besides, I'm a little silly/cutesy, so it works out.)

Source: chiestore.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Shoes! And tights, hurrah! I love charcoal tights in the autumn - they're tremendously versatile - and pairing them with a bright pair of shoes is such a lovely idea. Jewel tones are definitely the name of the game when the weather gets cold; keep your style warm all through the season with vibrant, saturated colors. As I'm sure you all know, your shoes are definitely a place for a little bit of extra fun in the wardrobe. Obviously you can't show up at the office in 5" lucite heels, but I've noticed plenty of fresh and funky shoes on otherwise conservatively dressed ladies - rock on, ladies! I actually just bought new shoes (nothing bright, unfortunately, but my wardrobe was actually lacking in cute neutral flats - who could have guessed?) and I'm excited to keep playing with footwear this fall.

That's what's got me shivering with anticipation and reaching past the sundresses in my closet for some long sweaters! Other things that I'm interested in this fall: colored trousers, socks over tights, bright lipstick on grey days. What are you looking forward to? Fashionwise or otherwise! Even if you're one of those foolish people with poorly functioning tastebuds clamoring for the return of Pumpkin Spice at Starbucks...I love you anyway.

coveting: retro appliances

I posted a little while back about my love for retroiffic colored fridges, and the fire has not died out. I've always had a little bit of a passion for pastels in crazy places; after watching hours upon hours of house hunters on HGTV complain about strangely colored bathrooms, I realized one set of grandparents have a blue toilet and bathtub and the others have a pink toilet, bathtub, and sink! Theirs, obviously, are not "retro" style -- they're actually old! But obviously there's a genetic component to my fondness for a pop of color in an unexpected place.



How beautifully does this Smeg fridge fit in with the gorgeous retro kitchen belonging to Piewacket? I want one terribly, but it will be a long time before I live somewhere that I'll be selecting the fridge for, if ever. (And isn't that a lovely thought?) So, imagine my glee when I discovered the clean lines and funky colors of Nostalgia Electrics!

Now, I do not own nor have ever tried any of these appliances, so I can't recommend them or vouch for their quality. But look how cute!



I was first seduced by this 3-in-1 breakfast maker. I don't even like toast or coffee, but I want to have this thing on my countertop in all of its atomic age retro-futuristic glory. It doesn't appear to be on their website or Amazon any longer, more's the pity. But a quick exploration of the website brings all sorts of nifty things to the eye!



If I owned this microwave, I would feel like I was in a cool diner every time I reheated leftover pizza. I might wake up one morning to discover that I'd installed black-and-white checkered flooring in a retrolicious haze.



I may actually die. Hot dog toaster! I don't know why I wouldn't just put the hot dogs in my stylish red microwave, but there's something deliciously retro about unitaskers, isn't there? Now I want a malt machine.

Do you feel a pull towards colorful unitaskers like I do, or are you a strict modern stainless fan? I probably won't ever own a hot dog toaster (sob!) but I think a colorful microwave could go a long way towards making a blah rental kitchen feel a little more fabulous (and since my parents have commandeered my plain black college 'wave, I'll be in the market for one when I do move out!)

soaped up

My dear readers, I feel we know each other pretty well by now, this being the 87th (!!!) post and all. And there's something I've been meaning to say. Now, I don't want to hurt your feelings, but, well...I really think you ought to shower more often.

Haha, just kidding! I don't think you smell! The internet doesn't even transmit scent waves. But you're probably going to want to shower a lot more often when you check out these awesome soaps:


All images & soaps from GeekSoap. (The cut-off attributions are due to fit, no intention to cover them up!)

Aren't those the greatest things? GeekSoap also features a number of other deliciously nerdily themed soaps, including binary, WOW, pi, mustaches, Trek, and all sorts of old school games and superhero-y goodness. They're really well-priced for their awesomeness, and are handmade, all-natural, and vegan.

I haven't bought anything from here (yet), so I can't vouch for scent or the squeaky-clean feeling they may or may not provide, but even as decoration, these little guys are darling. I have to admit I'm partial to the charming social networking ones...perfect for the blogger who loves to shower (or one who needs a little extra motivation)! I don't know if I could actually use them though...in my house, we used to put nice smell soaps in dresser drawers to keep clothes smell fresh, or out on shelves. That might be more my speed when it comes to soap this cute.

Which soap would you pick? Do you think you could bear to use one and let the cute little geeky design wash away down the the drain?

coveting: all of the socks

The outfits I imagine for myself generally have very little relation to things I actually wear because a) I'm fickle, b) I'm lazy, and c) I'm a student with limited income. One of the primary differences between them are the socks.

I love socks. I like to imagine myself in a romantic flouncy skirt, maybe with a creamy cardigan and some perfectly matched vintage jewelry, with a pair of patterned socks that go just up to my knees and never slide down. And instead I either go buy a 12-pack of Hanes (the long kind so I can scrunch them down) or go sockless. The trouble with socks is that they're stuck in the accessory category, and I have trouble with accessories. I would rather buy a new shirt than three new pairs of socks, especially when the socks I fall in love with cost as much as a shirt, and I know that they'll never stay up the way I want them to. Socks only want to break my heart.

Still, that doesn't mean I can't admire them from afar. Let's take a tour!



I would wear these with my cranberry heels, to add a little splash of color.



These come in so many colors--I need to get at least five pairs and wear them with everything I own.



Okay, these are legwarmers, but still! Buttons!



For the days you feel like Heidi: do your hair in braids, throw on your cutest dirndl, and pull up these socks!

All of the above are from the fabulous Sock Dreams, but I have to admit that my current true passion are the tattoo socks by Etsy seller post.





Needless to say, I'm in love with them all and need to make them mine. Also, to prove my point, while the lovely Sparrow is sporting black-and-turquoise striped toe socks, I am wearing no socks at all. But I promise if I had socks with an octopus on the side, I would be wearing them right this very instant.

PS: I am so happy to back to the blogosphere. This past week was spent in a terrifying place where I had to put my hair into a ponytail everyday and they made me wear khaki. Never again the burning times!