Arachnia,Vampire Queen of Spiders

My God this year has crept up on me and gone by in a flash.I can't believe we're in November already!

As such,we had planned a Halloween Funday Monday at work a month in advance.However that month absolutely flew in,so I was left with a very last minute costume.

Unfortunately Halloween turned out to be a total let down for me this year.We Aussies just don't do it like the Scots.I was very pleasantly surprised in my first year living there at just how huge Halloween is over there.The whole kit and kaboodle - trick or treating and the efforts put in to dressing up.Although lately,yes it all seems to be slutty this and slutty that.Nothing wrong with a bit of sexiness,but a slutty bumblebee?!?!?!  C'moooooon! Where's the imagination? 

Then my lovingly planned Halloween Monday celebrations were thwarted by an (extremely) last minute fire evacuation training.Cue lots of stress for the fill in Team Leader and staff,most of whom don't share my Halloween enthusiasm and love all things macabre.

And on the actual 31st I had nothing planned as I was working the next 2 days.Le sigh.First world problems,blah blah blah.........

Anyways,here is my very last minute and not very imaginative costume made with what I had on hand.......oh,and I totally rocked up to training like this,even though I was the only one dressed for Halloween in the room............................

**** Picture Heavy because I'm a vain beeatch and just discovered some awesome filters in the editor.

Arachnia,Vampire Spider Queen....it was all I could think of at the time.

Trying to do Bela Lugosi Dracula eyes.Failing.

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And yes,I own not one but TWO Bela Lugosi 'Dracula' necklaces

OUTFIT DETAILS

Dress - New Look  (Old,Glasgow)

Belt - Old (???????????)

Shoes - Big W (current)

Bela Lugosi Necklace - Etsy

Hair Flower - Ebay

Hat/Veil hairband thing - Hot Dollar Halloween section

Skull - Crystal Skull Vodka bottle

Halloween WEEK Part Deux

I freaking LOVE Halloween. I've always been drawn to the more macabre-dark side of life.I'm generally a happy person,but the dark stuff fascinates me.Like the original Dracula,Vlad the Impaler, Countess Bathory, The Rose of Turaida (which I actually visited on my travels) etc. 'Fascination with the Abomination' I suppose.I certainly don't sympathise with the darker characters but I'm curious about the psychology of it all.I was quite the goth-punk in my younger days.I adore listening to Symphonic Goth Metal,well just Goth Metal in general.The old classic horror films are my favourites - I'm not so much up on the modern ones.They just seem like slasher porn with no creative storyline.Don't get me started on Twishite.

I was always sympathetic to Dracula,wished Christine has chosen the Phantom of the Opera instead of Raoul and loved the darker,original versions of fairy tales as a kid.

The Divine Monsieur Lugosi as Dracula.Swooooon!

Plus on my mother's side,traditional religions are practised alongside a belief in black and white majick,and the spirit realm.I myself follow a more alternative-Pagan path in life.I have no problem with religion so long as we all accept whatever spiritual path other people choose.As my Muslim Grandpa (who was married to my practising Christian - majick believing Grandma) used to say...... 'We all worship the same Gods,we just do it in different ways.'

Anyways,the point is that I love Halloween in the traditional pagan sense.......although that would actually be April 30/May 1 in the Southern Hemisphere.As such my enthusiasm has passed onto my service users and we have declared it a Halloween WEEK at work.Complete with a Halloween Funday Monday tomorrow ending in a Devilish Disco.

Unfortunately I have some utterly boring fire evacuation training for the first part of the day (We all know what to do.....scream and run!!!!) so I will miss most of the fun shenanigans I had planned.We will be having a  monstrous make up session,Spooky baking,Ghoulish Games and some Halloween Craft.

For those of you with kids or not and just want some ideas this is what we'll be doing................

SPOOKY BAKING

I'll prebake some (packet mix.Shhhhhh! Don't tell anyone!) cupcakes in these uber cute cupcake wrappers I got from the reject shop for $2 each.The service users will then decorate them with a simple glaze (icing sugar,add water till it's a spreadable consistency,about 1 Tbsp to every cup of icing sugar) tinted green and orange.

They then can decorate them with black cat and teeth lollies (cheap generic brand at IGA) and pumpkin marshmallows (Woolworths) and drip them with icing 'blood' (Tint another bowl of glaze with pillar box red food colouring - IGA).

We did this last year and they were a huge success and requested again this year.It's cheap,cheerful and fun.Oh and I use Aldi buttercake mix $0.79 a pack and free range eggs are $3.79 a dozen.

GHOULISH GAMES

Witches Broomstick Limbo
Become a mummy - toilet paper each other
Frankenstein's bluff (blindmans bluff)
Zombified - Like that winking murder game,where everyone draws a piece of paper and one is a Zombie.The Zombie then has to try and make as many people as they can Zombies by either winking or in our case sneakily tapping on someone.The zombies of course get to do their best zombie acting.

CRAFT

Pipe cleaner stick men made into mummies
Orange and Jelly Jack O'Lanterns
Masks

And the DEVILISH DISCO will of course have the usual Monster Mash,Thriller,Time Warp etc. 

I didn't really have time to think through my costume.This year is flying in! So I'll just be going as a Spider Witch Queen.I trialled the eye make up super quick this morning,didn't even put mascara on,as I just wanted to see what colour scheme worked better.I'm thinking the purple.....and using lot's more so that it's darker.The spider web on the red eye was a pencil,and the purple was a liquid eyeliner pen.Yeah,I sucked at art.

OOTD #7 - Frida Kahlo meets Maria Von Trapp.

This outfit was a total spur-of-the-moment-thrown-together-effortlessly-becoming-an-epic-outfit OOTD.I wasn't even planning on blogging this but dammit I looked so damn CUTE! And I got loads of compliments at work today - from both colleagues and service users.One of my guys kept telling me I looked 'so beautiful Steph! So beautiful!' Awwwwwwww.My job ain't so bad sometimes.When I'm at my lowest ebb and seriously questioning whether I can continue in the field anymore something happens to make me smile.

Anyways,this of course was my office day outfit.It has a kinda Frida Kahlo-South American feel to it which makes me happy.Although my work colleagues thought it was more 'Sound of Music'.I then had 'The Hilllllllllllsssss are aliiiiiiiiiivvvveeeee' going through my head alllll damn day!

However,the outfit in general makes me happy.And flower crowns!!!! I've resisted wearing my flower crowns since they became all the rage,but this outfit was just calling for my pink flower crown.Funnily enough,when I first purchased this many moons ago,the Princess laughed at the sight of me wearing it and told me 'it's ridiculous but totally you'.

I'm totally chuffed with the top.I've recently rediscovered my love of op-shopping.Of course as a big lass,it's either one extreme or the other.....I'll find absolutely nothing or a whole pile of gems.A few days ago I hit my local Vinnies and found 4 tops & a pair of sunnies.This little gem being one of them.It's actually 2 sizes smaller than what I would usually wear,so I need to get in my head to not be confined by the size on the label.

Again,this could've been an entry for the Aussie Curves 'Pink' challenge,but I'm not quite ready to put this little blog completely out there yet.

The scarf that's worn as a belt was another op-shop find.I also snaffled 2 bags,including a leather Esprit one for only $6! There was also about 4 pairs of beautiful mint condition Wittner wedges for only $15 a pop,but unfortunately they were just one size too small.Devo! First world problems I know.

As you can see,I loathe ironing.In fact,I couldn't even tell you where my iron is! The Scotsman on the other hand,freaks out if there's the slightest crinkle in his clothes and hanging the laundry out is an elaborate process of shaking the garments out for aaaaaaages,then hanging them oh so carefully straightened on the air dryer.Of course,he does have a point - it means less ironing in the long run.However the skirt is made of a material that's prone to creasing,that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!!! (Although I did iron it once when I first got it and it proceeded to crinkle with every movement.Le sigh.) Outfit details at the bottom as usual.

Uber cute Accessorize earrings.I miss Accessorize.

SKIRTS WITH POCKETS! LOVE!!!!!!

OUTFIT DETAILS

Hair Flower Crown - Some trashy shop in Miranda Westfield (old)

Earrings - Accessorize (Old - Glasgow)

Top - thrifted ($4 at St Vinnies)

Scarf worn as belt - thrifted ($2 at Salvos)

Skirt - New Look (old)

Shoes - Big W (current)

Lips - Rimmel 'Funtime Fuscia',layered with a Napoleon lip paint that was liberated from the Princess :)

OOTD #6 - Look Mum! I'm a pumpkin!!!!

If I could,I would wear beautiful dresses and skirts all day,preferably vintage.Probably with a tiara,just because,ala Maureen O'Hara in the mansion scene in The Red Shoes. But alas as a big girl it's not so easy to find vintage/vintage repro pieces in XXL sizing.Or when I do,they're out of my budget.Le sigh.So sometimes I resign myself to buying things because they fit well even though they aren't really my style.

Seriously.This is her casual 'relaxing around my mansion' outfit.

I bought this top from New Look impulsively,when I was living in Scotland and had access to New Look weekly.I think it was cheap in the sales,but when I came home I realised it made me resemble a pumpkin.I don't usually wear things so loose.I prefer being nipped in at the waist and looking more hourglass than pumpkin.

Part of starting to blog my outfits was to encourage me to experiment more and wear things I normally wouldn't...........but I have to say I think this one is resigned to the op -shop lot :(

I also deviated from the norm with my make up.Usually it's 2 extremes - no make up when I'm hands on-team leading,or a really bold,bold lip and eyes when I'm on my one office day or off duty.But with the pumpkin outfit I needed something more neutral,so it was on with the coral lip paint-gloss thingy.Really not sure about that either.......

Oh,and these photos were taken at the end of the day hence the frazzled,flyaway hair look.....and I've only just discovered how to edit my photos.I just can't be arsed going back and editing these again.

Yeah,sooooo not sure about this outfit....

Still not sure........

I look like a damn pumpkin!

Pumpkin!!!! Yeah,I can't take myself seriously in this outfit.

Don't know what I'm doing here,but looks better with leggings.

Yep,definitely prefer it with leggings.

Coral lips,out of my comfort zone.

And of course a giant hair flower :)

OUTFIT DETAILS

Top - New Look (Glasgow -old)

Skirt - Big W (old)

Leggings - New Look (old)

Hair Flower - Primark (Glasgow - old)

Shoes - Sportsgirl $10 in the sales (old)

Lips - Napoleon,Liberated from the Princess.

OOTD #5 - Casual Colourful Tropics

Monday of the long weekend,I hung out with la familia as we hadn't hung out in a while and my Papa Barchen is not well at the moment so it takes a lot to motivate him to get out of the house.

Pa Barchen had requested somewhere to get some fresh air,so to our family that usually means the beach.We headed out to La Perouse which is somewhere we have been going to for beach walks,exploring Bare Island and awesome fish n' chips since we were tiny toddlers.

It was blowing a gale,so excuse the windswept look.This is one of my go to outfits for work and just casual days out running about/shopping etc.It's colourful,uber comfy,floral,kitschy and tropical.I'm a sucker for anything kitsch,floral or tropical.Tropical flowers just seals the deal.

Bare Island in the background

OUTFIT DETAILS

Top - Big W

Skirt - New Look (Glasgow - old)

Leggings - Big W

Thongs - Havianas

Hair Frangipani's - Ebay

Bag - Typo ($5 in the sale)

OOTD #4 - Purple in the Park

On Sunday of the long weekend,we had a baby shower for 2 sisters in Centennial Park.Yes,both sisters are preggers and due just weeks apart.Happily weird coincidence,aye?

The Princess and I didn't really know anyone,so we just hung out with Mama Frangipani and her BFF's,our 'Aunties'

As someone who is still not quite ready/sure about the whole children thing and who definitely couldn't afford them at the moment even if I did want them I must admit to a little meltdown in the ladies,as we seemed to be surrounded by 20 - 30 something married couples,who all had babies and their shit together.i.e. Careers,mortgages,the white picket fence etc. Yes,first world problems I know.STFU drama queen!

The Princess gave me a verbal Alexis - Dynasty bitch slap by reminding me that I have a lovely,happy and fun marriage and forwent all the mortgage and career thing to go travelling and have some awesome adventures.....but that's a story for another time.In any case it worked,my sister is always the voice of calm and reason,despite being 7 years younger.

One thing I am confident I do have together is this outfit.

It's one of my go to outfits as it makes me feel gorgeous and confident and happy.Purple is my favourite colour and colour always lifts my mood.Being scandalously low cut,I had to wear a cami underneath,despite the 32 degree heat plus a black skirt underneath as due to my ample bubble butt skirts tend to hang low in the front and rise high in the back.I didn't want to give an x-rated show when I bent over in the middle of Centennial Park.

I bought the dress for $10 in an Autograph sale without trying it on,even though it's 2 sizes smaller than what I would usually take.The sandals were also bought in a New Look sale (Glasgow) for 3 quid/$5.The belt was $2 in another Autograph sale.Yeah,I'm pretty lucky with bargains in the sales.

Mahoosive Hair Flower...Check!

OUTFIT DETAILS

Dress - Autograph (old)

Cami underneath dress -Big W (current)

Skirt underneath dress - Big W (old)

Belt - Autograph (old)

Necklace - Gifted (Tree Of Life)

Sandals - New Look (Glasgow - old)

Parrot Earrings - Accessorize (Glasgow - old)

Mahoosive Starburst Lilly Hair Flower - Paddys Markets

Sunglasses - Cheap shop in Cronulla

The Baby Shower,lovely setting and an even lovelier day.

One of the beautiful mums to be.

After a few hours at the baby shower,the Princess and I made our way to Bronte beach.Miracle of miracles,we got a parking spot! It's hard enough at the best of times,but Sunday it was 32 degrees,and the local Eastern Suburbs team The Roosters were playing in the NRL Grand Final that night. 

Of course,all those factors combined and being a long weekend,Bronte looked like human soup.The water was absolutely gorgeous though and we pretended to be mermaids frolicking in the ocean for a few hours.

The Princess and I were mermaid princess sisters in that little swimming hole next to the ladder .

My favourite Sydney beach,Bronte.