Another Year, Another Purchase

Hey y'all!

I'm 22 today, which feels startlingly old to me! 21 felt like a natural progression of age, but 22 feels like a huge jump! I'm really in my 20s now. And not long from now I'll be done with college and start working in the Real World, and then I'll maybe meet someone and maybe get married and maybe have kids and then never retire because I'll have wasted all my money sending the maybe kids to college, and then I'll grow older and DIE. 22, guys. It all starts now.

Aaaanyway, I ordered myself a gift last week while in a finals-induced haze, but it arrived just in time for my birthday! Which means I get to include it in my annual birthday post. Exciting!

I got the spike necklace and these earrings from the Alex & Chloe for Forever 21 collection. Here are some awkward photo booth pictures of them!

These are the earrings. They are absurdly heavy and I'm not sure I'll ever wear them, but I'm pretty happy with them in terms of appearance and quality.

I'm not sure why the rhinestones in the necklace were picking up pink light here. They are not pink.

You're never too old to take pictures where you look about 5 years old. NEVER.

The verdict: Having birthdays comes highly recommended. So does Alex & Chloe for Forever 21.

Holiday Gift Guide: Luxe Pseudo-Goth

Hello, hello.

The title of this post is a bit misleading, in that I'm not sure this is the type of gift guide one normally considers a gift guide. You see, this isn't a guide to shopping for your mother or your English teacher or even your best friend. It is, however, a guide to shopping for me. (And, you know, yourself.) As far as I can tell, we all deserve to buy ourselves presents! It's been a difficult fall for everyone I know, and as winter approaches, we should reward ourselves for being awesome and hardworking all season long. Plus, it's really hard to buy holiday gifts for other people without buying something for yourself as well. It's a scientific fact.

But this gift guide isn't just special in its selfishness; it's special because it has a theme. Are you impressed yet? I keep finding myself drawn to accessories I have graaandly dubbed "luxe pseudo-goth." These are items that are dark and rich, meant to be worn with messy hair and some serious attitude. They are a play between soft and hard, opulent and minimalist. I like them - you should too!

1. Alex & Chloe for Forever 21 Spiked Pendant Necklace: The hardness of the black spike and chain are offset by sparkling rhinestones! I ordered this for myself last night when I was trying to shop for my sister, shh!

2. Alex & Chloe for Forever 21 Pearlescent Chandeliers: Pearls and spikes - what could be better? I may have ordered this for myself too, double-shh!

3. OPI Nail Polish in Lucerne-tainly Look Marvelous: On its own, this nail polish is far from Gothic, but ages ago I saw an editorial pairing dark silver nails with black, ripped-up clothing and I haven't been able to forget about it!

4. Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey: I've been wanting to try this cult favorite for a long time. Sleek and dark in the tube, light and universally flattering on the lips. Or so I've been told.

5. Vans Authentic Lo Pro Sneaker in Astral Aura: It's been a month or two since I started obsessing over these. I imagine them worn with black - black party dress, black skinny jeans...

6. ASOS Chain Detail Lace Cuff: The lace makes them feminine, the chains give them a slight edge, and the lack of finger or thumb holes keep them out of Madonna territory.

7. Coilhouse Magazine: Alt culture inspiration is a must for the pseudo-goth, and I can't think of anywhere better to find it than a self-described "love letter to alternative culture." Plus, it doesn't hurt that I've pictured every item on this gift/wish-list being worn by co-founding editor Zoetica Ebb at least once. (I mean, c'mon - those shoes are the exact same color as her trademark hair!) At the very least, tuck it under your arm for added street cred.

...And there you have it! Seven good reasons why there is no longer any good excuse for buying me presents I don't like. Mwahahaha. (I jest, but only a little.)