All I want for Christmas is...

- a fake moustache

- glitter

- underwear

and

- a wicker basket for my bike.

Oh, and world peace would be nice too. 

Thanks.

roll up your sleeves

So...it's been another long period of time since my last blog post. And really, I tried to post, but I couldn't think of anything interesting until now.

I don't like long sleeves. It's weird, I know, but whenever i wear something with wrist-length sleeves I always have the overwhelming desire to push them up. And so I do--sometimes I even plan my outfit around pushed-up sleeves. To me, scrunched up sleeves look kind of masculine and tough, and when pairing a denim jacket with the sleeves pushed up with, say, a skirt, it makes me feel less DAINTY and more EDGY. Examples:

Simple. I like the black dress with the sunset blazer and the gold belt.
(from fashionation)

Actually, these outfits are kinda similar. But whatevs. The mustard color of this blazer is just lovely, plus I like her hair.
(from Face Hunter)
Even though Seattle is not extremely cold in winter, we've been going through a cold snap this week (is "going through" the correct verb?). Temperatures have been hovering between 15 and 30 degrees. To deal, I've been wearing leggings under EVERYTHING. Even tights. However, I've still been pushing up my sleeves on sweatshirts and coats and sweaters and EVERYTHING. I think I should start doing "what I wore" posts, because I'm sure my personal style isn't really coming across here. I'll get around to it. Meanwhile, I have to push up my sleeves (ha ha) and get some homework done.

Ich liebe meine LEDERHOSEN!

This is not a love story. It is a story about love. 

No, just kidding, it's a love story too. I was just thinking about that movie. 

In any case, here is how it goes: 

Once upon a time, there was a little girl. And she was me. And I always, ALWAYS wanted a pair of lederhosen very dearly. Well, when I found out that I was going to Germany to be an exchange student for a year, after I was done prancing around and screaming and giving everybody a high five, my amazing pseudo-godfather Brian Kubarycz reminded me: Germany = lederhosen! I will surely find some while I am there! So the whole year, I kept my eyeballs peeled for a pair. Here were my requirements: 

1: Cheap

2: Leather, but vintage (otherwise I'd be a bad vegetarian, right?)

3: My size (easier said than done) 

4: I think that's all

In any case, despite all my poking around, I didn't find any until February, and ironically, they were not in Germany. They were in perhaps the most wonderful city in the world, which is to say Vienna. I was in the bus on the way to the Hundertwasserhaus (which is amazing) and I saw, in a thrift store window, a most wondrous pair. It was love at first sight. They were adorable and just my size, though they could not promise to flatter, nobody's perfect, you know? In any case, I made a snap judgement and got out at the next stop. To my delight, the Hundertwasserhaus was just a block from the store. I popped in, grabbed the Hosen, paid my twenty euros, and still had time to see the Haus as well. 

So, you might be thinking, wtf is with that other guy in the lederhosen? 

I meant to mislead you, make you think I was in love with that guy. I'm actually in love with the lederhosen. 

In any case, it was Fasching, which is like... Mardi Gras? Karneval? It's the holiday right before Lent where everybody sins a lot because God isn't watching. Also, everybody wears crazy costumes. I wore the Lederhosen and my wonderful tiger ears and went as the "Queen of the Austrian Cats" (don't worry, everyone was too drunk to realize that's not a real thing). Then I saw yet another man in lederhosen!! Gosh, what a surprise! So I went up to him and said, "Wir sind Zwillinge! Machen sie ein Bild mit mir?" (we're twins! will you take a picture with me?) and he said "Jawohl!!" and, in a very unexpected manner, picked me up for the photo. It was a glorious moment. If somebody asked for a photo that described the exchange student experience in Germany, I would for sure show them this one. It's just like that picture. 

Oxfam Hunger Banquet

Hello All!

A few friends and I are hosting an Oxfam Hunger Banquet for our senior service project. We would be honored if you would join us. It will be held on November 19 at 7:00 pm at the Walden School (4230 N. University Avenue), tickets will be $10.

            There will be talks from Gerald Brown and Warner Woodworth, as well as some musical entertainment and a photo slideshow.

We hope to see you there!

absence?

I would like to formally apologize for the lack of Amelia posts. It's been since JULY. AND IT'S NOVEMBER.

So now that that is out of the way, I would like to tell you something about Washington (yes, the state): it is RAINY. At least where I live it is. And when it's cold and wet outside, it isn't really any fun to be wearing tights and skirts. Although I usually wear skirts anyway, lately I've been finding myself gravitating towards leggings. The thing is that they're just so versatile; it's really easy to layer stuff with them. They are also really comfortable and CHEAP! The few pairs I own are from Target and the Lulu Lemon outlet, for 6 and 12 dollars, respectively. I wish I had a picture to post, but I'm in a hurry to go get dressed (and I will probably be wearing leggings, actually), so I will just have to let your imagination wander.

ps, expect more regular posts from me.

Daisy Chain

Breaking news: We kind of are hippies.

And probably my favorite accessory ever is the daisy chain. Let me tell you why:
- Nostalgia
- Handmade (but anyone can make them)
- They wilt, which is sad, but I think teaches how delicate life is-- this was an important lesson for me as a young'un
- So pretty and sweet
- The best things in life are free
- I love feminine things
- They make me feel like a goddess/fairy/wood nymph
- Good entertainment for long hikes
- Very dynamic-- a few buttercups can be thrown in, they can be lengthened and shortened on a whim, etc.
- Fragrant

I could go on for hours like this, but I think this photograph says it all...



And can I say a few words about my hair?
(I am the one in the middle)
You see, I had wanted to shave my head. Don't ask me why, it was just so. I foolishly assumed my parents would be okay with this. Eva (elder sister), a bad influence as usual, was all for it and excitedly cut it all off one night (at my request). We were just calling a friend to get her head-buzzing apparatus when my parents came home and got SUPER MAD. My hair was a little shorter than it was in the picture, and I was left there, literally inches away from my goal. Painfully close.
I am still planning on shaving my head some day.
Moral of the story:
If I had been allowed go the full distance, I would be satisfied by now. But I still have this itch-- just let your children deal with their own hair, parents. They could be doing worse things with their freedom.

A special delivery for Ingrid Asplund!

So for my birthday, my parents gave me a gift certificate for daddyos.com-- I absolutely love this place. Check it out if you get the chance.
So I ordered this dress:



It's nice, huh? The only problem is, it doesn't come with the petticoat :(. I find it quite tragic. However, there is always Christmas.
On the subject of this blog not being updated for a really long time,
a. I am sorry
b. I was actually just scared of uploading pictures. Did I do it right?

Now, a friend (Caitlin) is an excellent photographer and decided to do a photoshoot, I think she wanted more stuff for her portfolio... or maybe just thought it would be fun (it was). She called me up and said "Ingrid. I want you to get everything you own that is beautiful and colorful and crazy. Then come to the school, we'll do a photoshoot there."
So I gathered probably a third of the beautiful/colorful/crazy things I own (two largish boxes full-- I have far too many possessions) and we shot some photos. I still need to get those boxes back-- They contain some of my most valued items.
Here is the lovely Mackenzie Jacoby (of No Country for Old Clem), wearing my tutu, goggles, and dress and her jeans and DIY Converse. I will try to find and post a good picture of one of the outfits I was wearing.

Those goggles are the best unexpected accessory ever. I love to wear them as a headband or around my neck-- they are an excellent conversation piece and I imagine they will come in handy someday when a young fellow in an aeroplane comes and swoops me up, or in case I ever need to leap upon a pegasus and go defeat an evil thing. Also useful for swing sets and smoky fires.

magic's in the makeup

Rather than posting something related to clothes today, because it is much too hot to even think about them, I'm doing a makeup post. Mostly I don't wear a lot of makeup, but I think that makeup is an extension of personal style and is an outlet for creativity. In other words, makeup is an art. I'm not particularly good at applying it myself, but I tried to do kind of a party/special occasion look. Or maybe just an every-day look if you're really, really cool. Which I am not.
Here's the "before" photo:

Products used: Neutrogena Sunscreen with SPF 55 and Blistex Silk & Shine lip balm. And nothing else. Pretty much what I wear every day. Sometimes if I feel a little crazy, I wear some clear mascara, but generally my eyes are bare. And here is the "after" photo:

Products used: Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner in Glam Rock (silver) and Metal Head (purple), Maybelline The Colossal Volum' Express® Mascara, various Hard Candy products (from the Hard Candy Punk Palette) like lipgloss, eyeshadow, and blush, Sephora Liquid Eyeliner in Aubergine, and Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush lipgloss in Cherry. Or something like that.
I hope that the weather will cool off enough for me to post more about clothes, but right now all I can do is describe what I'm wearing: a purple ribbed racerback tank from Target layered under a white halter-neck sundress with blue flowers and blue stitching, from my sister who got it from Ingrid's sister. Who is also my cousin.
I hope everyone has some way to stay cool. As for me, I'm going down to the basement with a cold Pepsi One and watching the Create network.

contrast

I love dresses as much as Ingrid does. Heck, I own about thirteen of them. The only thing I wore for the majority of the school year was dresses. But now, during the summer, here's what I'm finding: I might like skirts more. The thing about skirts is that they're just so much more versatile. With dresses, you can layer, but there's only so much you can do. With skirts, you can add tights or leggings, wear them with any combination of shirts and cardigans, you can just wear them with a basic tank top, or you could dress it up and wear heels and a pretty shirt. Plus, dresses always make me feel kind of girly. Not that I have a problem with that, but I like to feel a little bit more tomboyish during the summer, so I can run around and not feel too dressed up.

We all have our own "go-to" outfit, and mine has morphed into something completely different than it was ten months ago. Then, my staple pieces were tights, a dress, and converse. The dress could be anything, but generally it was something flowy with a defined waist. However, as of late, the outfit I reach for when I'm in need of something comfortable yet stylish is a light-weight cardigan (white or black), a solid but bright tank top or t-shirt, and a colorfully patterned skirt. It's pretty but casual, stylish but comfy. I do not disrespect the dress, but I love love LOVE the skirt.

heat.

This is Ingrid, also known as Ingy, aka Bingy. I am the other half, the one to finish Mimi's duet.
And let me tell you something about Utah:
It is warm. What does one do when it is far too hot to think or move? My answer has been a series of sundresses from various thrift stores (such as the Deseret Industries, Savers, and CTR, may it rest in peace), sisters, and cousins. I can't really even muster the strength to bother with undergarments, which makes me very thankful for the hippie movement, for burning a bra myself would make things even hotter (oh wait. That's not possible). In any case, thank heavens they did it for me.
But this heat also makes me thankful for another thing, which is the dress. In my opinion, this is the most glorious garment a person can wear, and I am eternally grateful for being born a woman, for I cannot imagine anything more detestable than wearing pants my entire life.
My recent discovery has been daddyos.com. My loving parents gave me a $100 gift certificate there, and I am facing the great decision of which dress to buy. Everything there seems to belong to a different decade, almost to the point of looking like a costume in some cases (which, to be clear, is absolutely no problem). The models are all real people and the clothes all look like they belong to a pinup. Such anachronistic wear is kind of my passion... but what to choose?

in the beginning

Welcome to Shaggy Jasmine. I am Amelia, also known as Mimi, also known as Meems. I am one-half of this team. My partner is my cousin Ingrid, but I'll let her introduce herself later. Just to get things started, I'm listing a few of my favorite brands, stores, and designers(not that I could ever afford most of them):

-Christian Loboutin
-Tulle
-Betsey Johnson
-Nick & Mo
-The Frye Company
-Value Village
-H&M
-Velvet
-Jessica Louise
-Anthropologie
-L.A.M.B.
-Target
-Jeffrey Campbell
-BB Dakota
-Steven Madden

So there you go. I also inherit a lot of my clothes, which is helpful. I hope this post has been informative and interesting. Expect more updates later in the summer.