The Corner Store

Girls peacocking in breezey sheer blouses, little Mod dresses, delicate lace tights, shiny, knee-high heeled boots, and styled with syrupy sweet hair braided in bows, topped with a tiara, and dramatic bottom lashes - these images parade across your screen when you visit The Corner Store, a vintage shop anchored on Instagram, feed.

Stacey Nishimoto, beauty writer at Into the Gloss and former makeup artist for Nasty Gal and Chanel, has found her calling incorporating her makeup training with her passion for curating gorgeous vintage pieces and then styling them up in a confectionary of effortless 60s influnced dream looks.

An amazing mesh of different styles and aesthetics (one commenter even calling an outfit "A little pinup of Klaus Nomi"), The Corner Store is a dreamland for micro mini dresses, floral patterns, pointed collars, ruffles in candy shades, and peachy slip dresses paired with Periort Collars.

Stacey's shop feed is a perfect mixture of gorgeous clothing and inspiration - ranging from model shots of Marisa Berenson to 80s era Prince.

I recently asked Stacey about how her store came to be, and her inspirations!

Please introduce yourself!
My name is Stacey Nishimoto, I have a instagram store called The Corner Store. I sell vintage that whispers the future in high fashion.

How would you describe The Corner Store Girl?
The CS girl is a sensitive girl, who is intelligent and bold and fearless in the most elegant way. She listens to her own heart and doesn't really care or hear what the masses are saying or wearing. She lives in her own world and is driven by fantasy.

How did The Corner Store come to be?
The corner store started out as a side project to sell things that I love, an outlet for me to post vintage to dress the girl of my dreams, also, I was a single parent and I needed extra money 👑

One thing that immediately caught my eye about The Corner Store was your eye for styling the pieces. Do you have any advice for people looking to be more creative with styling their wardrobe?
Styling is everything to me. You could have a hill of boring clothes but if you know how style that hill turns into a majestic mountain. My advice for styling is close your eyes to the world, and reach deep into your soul, into your dreams, into what makes you happy, find your fantasy world and all of the sudden you'll get fucking amazing ideas. The more disconnected you are from current trends the more ahead your styling is. Another HUGE source for me is history, the history of fashion. You need to have a strong sense of the past, if you do not have those references as your back bone your style no matter how well put together will lack.

Pretty please tell us some of your favorite movies?
Movies that have changed my life: Rosemary's Baby, Queen Margo, Annie Hall, The Pillow Book, Suspiria, Possession, Ms. 45...

Your models always have such strong makeup looks, no doubt because of your amazing makeup artist skills! What inspires your makeup looks?
Beauty and styling go hand in hand, I am unable to separate them, I was a make up artist first, for Chanel, then became the stylist for the company Nasty Gal and did all the make up as well for the company's first five years in business. So it is very natural to look at my rack of clothing for the day's shoot and be hit in the head with an make up idea. Currently, my biggest inspiration is the Biba girl from the late 60s.

Who would you love to dress up in pieces from your shop?
The Romantic.

An Interview with Margarita Mermaid

Margarita wearing her Deluxe Nereid Bra

I have been meaning to spotlight some of my favorite creatives with interviews on Mermaidens for a while now, and what better way to kick off the series then by interviewing Margarita Mermaid herself?

I've been lucky enough to collaborate with Margarita on our collection together, and I have been completely blown away by how utterly sweet and talented this girl is. It was so fun getting to getting to know her more in this interview!

Conch Seashells Top

When did you start Margarita Mermaid Swimwear?
I started doing custom swimwear in 2010 and officially launched the line in 2012.

Do you remember the first piece you designed for your line?
I think the first good one I can remember was the My Little Pony. There were definitely some before, but I think I'd rather forget about those!

Delphina Suit

Sailorita Top

Why "mermaid" and what else inspires your work?
Margarita Mermaid started just as my Instagram handle. Then I began making the Seashell Tops and people went crazy over them and it was all they wanted to buy! I was pretty happy that people responded to the idea so I decided to make the whole line inspired in mermaids.

Other things that always inspire me are certain colors and textures: metallic pastels, sparkle nude, dreamy light color tie dyes with glitter. Kids toys, dreamy bedrooms, fantasy architecture, unicorns, fairies and fortunetellers. Things from the realm of fantasy that make you feel like you are in a dreamy magical land.

Ocean Queen - Deluxe Nereid Bra

Describe your average day in the life!
Right now I'm in the design stage so my days are filled with figuring out new ideas, sourcing the fabric and trims for them, making patterns and having the samples sewn, perfecting all the details and planning the production.

I'm very excited about what we're coming up with now! When the sale stage comes, I'll spend most of the time on the website, doing promo, shipping orders, handling sales, shooting editorial and catalogue photos. Every day is different really, depending on what needs to be done!

Do you have a favorite piece you've ever made?
They're all my babies! But the new Nereid Top that we launched this summer is one I had been trying to perfect for a while and finally we nailed it - so I gotta go with that one!

Interview: Jazmine from Jazzabelle's Diary

Whenever I see a new post from Jazmine, 21 year old stylist, model, and generally lovely person behind Jazzabelle's Diary, my heart soars! This girl is so genuinely lovely inside and out - scrolling through her blog, the words "effortlessly chic" come to mind - and when trying to think of blogs that are the absolute cream of the crop, hers is one I immediately think of!

Jazmine was kind enough to let me interview her, and below you will find her answers to my questions about her personal style, photography, and Nicki Minaj! ♡

How would you describe your personal style in three words?
Simple, classic & ladylike.

I really love the fact your mother is your photographer - do you two have any photography tips or advice for taking the best outfit pictures?
I think taking your time, finding the perfect locations and discovering your own style are pretty important things. Also, my mum and I take the best pictures when I'm feelin' confident and happy, so I never force myself to take them just for the sake of a blog post, the moment has to be right.

What are five of your favorite things right now?
'I Love You More Than You Think' by Rizzle Kicks, The Mindy Project, a good ol' cup of tea (two sugars and a splash of milk!), my new Topshop teddy bear fur coat and lighting lots of candles around my bedroom.

Describe the average day in the life of Miss Jazmine.
I'll wake up around eight o'clock, have a cup of tea and start to get ready for work. I don't take too long to get ready, so sometimes I snooze my alarm for a bit, but I make sure I'm leaving my flat no later than quarter past nine. I'll then walk to my local train station, catch a train for two stops (I usually have a whole carriage to myself!), then pop to the Pret or M&S to grab somethin' for breakfast. I work in Cath Kidston, which honestly is the most lovely job, so I'm more than happy to arrive early so I have time for another cup of tea and a chat before we have to open shop at ten o'clock. As the in store Visual Merchandiser, I'm often doing the many displays, so sometimes I can be in the window all day changing the scheme for the new season or creating mini stories and displays in store.

After my four hour shift I usually head straight home (maybe stopping at the local florist or charity shop to treat myself to something!), to either get changed straight into my pajamas or get ready to take outfit pictures with my mum. Most evenings are then spent replying to emails, blogging, watchin' tv, listening to music and lounging around in my bedroom. I love the simple things in life, so I can be quite content in not doing much at all! Though sometimes it really is nice to be busy like I have been recently.

Lisette described you as "if Nicki Minaj and Audrey Hepburn had a child" - which I love and I think the perfect description of you! So I have to ask: what is your favorite Audrey film and your favorite Nicki song?
Oh, I thought that was the best compliment ever - I like to think I'm somewhat elegant and classic like Audrey, but then I also have a slightly wilder side to me - my Nicki Minaj alter ego, perhaps! Breakfast at Tiffany's, Roman Holiday (Nicki Minaj actually has a song called Roman Holiday, would you believe!) and Funny Face are three of my favourite Audrey films, I honestly couldn't choose between them as I love them all for such different reasons. And let's not even start on my favourite Nicki Minaj songs! Can I pick a few? Super Bass is a total classic, I adore the lyrics in Fly, but more recently I've been lovin' High School as I love learning to rap tricky lyrics!

Visit Jazmine on Jazzabelle's Diary, Twitter, Facebook, & Instagram ♡

Thank you so much again Jazmine!

Interview: Ashley from Fancy Fine

I have quite the Easter treat for you! I am pleased as punch to introduce you to Miss Ashley Ording of Fancy Fine, who was kind enough to agree to be Mermaidens' latest interviewee! Her vintage style, skillful writing and photography, and infectious personality make her blog, Fancy Fine, a dream come true!

I was lucky enough to ask Ashley about her style, her thrifting adventures, and perhaps the most important question of all, her favorite desserts - enjoy! ♡

When and why did you start Fancy Fine?
Fancy Fine almost never existed. I nearly talked myself out of blogging about four years ago because I worried that I was only adding more pointless noise to the already overwhelming world of blogging, but fortunately I decided to go for it anyways! What changed my mind was seeing all of these amazing blogs, created by girls my own age who had covetable personal style, and thinking that if I could be so inspired by them then maybe sharing my own collection with the world was something worthwhile. And I can't even tell you how many wonderful friends I've made and how many lovely opportunities I've been given, all because of Fancy Fine.

With ice cream and Gene Wilder prints and dreamy dresses decorating your walls - your apartment looks like a dream! What would you say are the best ways to spiffy up a drab living space?
Why thank you! I think bringing in lots of color is the best way to turn drab into beauty. I lived in a room with mint green walls for many years and just being surrounded by that bright shade made everything look happier and lovelier.

I tend to fill any space I inhabit pretty quickly with my favorite objects because I need to feel inspired wherever I am. And here in my new Philadelphia apartment I am the most happy surrounded by giant photos of Gene Wilder, ice cream prints, hundreds of books, and so many vintage dresses it would make your head spin!

Describe your personal style.
Quirky feminine is the easiest way to sum it up. I love to dress like a girl, which means that I rarely wear pants or anything that could be interpreted as being masculine, but I don't like to rule anything out because that leaves no room for surprise. I'm drawn to super kooky things sometimes, and I like to imagine that the older I get the more eccentric my style will become. Because I will give less and less of a damn about what others think!

As an avid thriftier myself, I have to ask - what were some of your more remarkable and favorite thrifting finds?
Oh man, this could fill a novel. Or three! I started regularly thrifting when I was 15 and I've been addicted ever since, which means I've unearthed my fair share of treasures from the dingiest and dustiest of shops. One of my favorite earliest finds was a 1960's swing coat made of a heavy bright green textured wool with giant fake wood buttons. I spotted it in the window of my favorite thrift store in Santa Rosa (where I grew up) and I couldn't believe my eyes. It fit perfectly and cost me only $8 because the owners of the shop thought it was completely ridiculous. And it was, but I loved it so much and I wore it to my high school (this was my sophomore year) on several occasions, which prompted a lot of judgmental staring and pointing. My teachers were totally digging it, though.

Another favorite would be a 1960's cardigan I found in San Francisco six years ago and have been wearing constantly ever since. It's nothing crazy, just a simple little number in the perfect shade of olive-beige that magically goes with everything in my wardrobe. It was probably the best $5 I've ever spent.

What is your favorite dessert?
My grandma's peach pie is a top contender, but I'm also partial to cheesecake and Cadbury cream eggs.

Whether it's a picture of your outfit or bits and bobs around your apartment - the photography on Fancy Fine is awe inducing! What would your advice for strengthening ones photography skills be?
You're a doll, thank you! I went to school for photography (the San Francisco Art Institute) and I've always had a camera or two attached to my hip. I think the best way to become a better photographer is to look at amazing photographs and find what inspires you, and then to just start snapping away constantly.

I was always experimenting and creating funny little photo shoots in high school that involved conning my girlfriends into posing underneath creepy lamp posts in desolate parks or wearing clothing in a swimming pool. The photos weren't anything to brag about but the experience was everything, especially in those days before blogging, Instagram, and all of that. It also doesn't hurt to take a course on the more technical bits of photography, since that will be the foundation of anything you may create!

Describe your definition of a perfect day!
My perfect day would be a leisurely morning involving a delicious brunch with my friends and lots of coffee, followed by hours of flea market scavenging with my boyfriend, a late lunch outside in the sunshine, a trip to a museum in the afternoon, and finally an evening filled with wine, cheese, and karaoke!

And finally, as a former ballroom dancer for 4 years, if you had to choose, what would your favorite dance move be?
Ooh, an excellent question! There was an amazing move I used to do at the very end of a two-step called the "Death Drop," which involved being lowered slowly to the floor by the man, with only one hand holding on for dear life, until I was practically parallel with the floor. It was quite fun after a particularly mellow dance to suddenly bust out this move! I wonder if I could still pull it off...

Visit Ashley on...
Fancy Fine
Twitter
Tumblr
Intagram
Fancy Fine Vintage

Interview: Marianne from Esme and the Laneway

With her pin-curled hair and penchant for beautiful vintage frocks, Marianne's blog Esme and the Laneway has been an inspiration ever since I had the pleasure of falling down the rabbit hole and welcomed into her world of pastel hair shades, bright lipsticks, and lovely vintage pieces!

I was recently lucky enough to ask Marianne some questions about blogging, photography, her favorite dresses, and her cat! ♡

When and why did you start blogging?
About 4.5 years ago. I wanted to change my style and actually try wearing vintage and shop differently, and learn about photography, and make little stories and a world, and it was like a little experiment that I didn't think anyone would read. And then I fell in love with it!

What are 5 things that are making you happy right now?
Family, having just had a very relaxing summer holidays and feeling like a new person for it, riding my bike to go and see my friends on warm evenings, my new vintage dresses (santa was pretty good to me this year), and some exciting things that are coming up for the blog.

As a fellow cat owner and lover, I'm itching to know more about Babycat! How did you two "meet"?
We have known Babycat ever since she came into the world! We had basically adopted her mother (Eggy Peggy, an exotic with the smooshiest face and huge yolk coloured eyes who has sadly since passed away) after her owner, a neighbour of ours, kept locking her out of her flat and going away for weeks at a time. We started to feed her, and along with another neighbour begged the owner to get Eggy "fixed", and even offered to pay for it and organise it, but the owner refused... and lo and behold, Eggy grew a football tummy. By the time she gave birth she had been mostly living with us, we hadn't seen the owner for ages and so we declared her ours – and the five kittens she produced! Having six cats living with us in that tiny one bedroom flat was the happiest time... sorry, what a long answer!

We registered Eggy at the vet and had her chipped and spayed, had the kittens checked, and our amazing friend and neighbour found homes for three kittens, kept one, and we found a home for Babycat – with someone who then, thankfully, changed their mind, so we kept her! I'm so glad we did, I can't imagine not having her! I rather wish I hadn't had her spayed, though, as I kind of wish she could have kittens and I could keep them all and be a fulfilled crazy cat lady. But that would be ridiculous, too, of course ;)

In another interview you did, you listed PJ Harvey's "Let England Shake" as a favorite song - what other musical artists do you listen to?
Isn't PJ Harvey just so amazing! I grew up listening to garage and punk and rock and indie, and still love a lot of that. I have been listening to Renato Carosone lately, and Talking Heads. I have been consciously making an effort to listen to more cheerful music some of the time. I want to learn more about 1960s Italian jazz bands at the moment.

You've had black, red, pink, lavender, and blonde hair - and you look stunning in each! Do you have any advice for experimenting with different hair colors, and do you have a personal favorite?
Thanks very much! I think that it is fun to experiment with hair colour, and, unlike drastic hair cuts, it can almost always be changed if you decide you don't like it. My advice is that if you really, really want to try something and you know it could work, do it. Don't wait 3 months or 2 years and then wonder why you've spent all that time feeling blah about your hair. But go to a good salon, especially for things like bleaching!

My favourite has actually been the red, especially when it was a lighter, more ginger shade. The blonde and pastel lilacs and pinks has been really fun, and I think I'll keep it for a bit more, and maybe enjoy some enormous Marie Antoinette up dos and attach things to it (sea shells? I would go there), but I am starting to miss the red hair I had back in winter. Much easier to maintain, too!

The pictures on your blog are absolutely phenomenal! Do you have any photography tips?
Wow thanks, they are never as good as I want them to be. I really enjoy taking photos, so I think experimenting with different camera settings, the light, the colours in the picture and so on is really fun, and help make a picture better. I usually follow the classic rules, and try to have something in the foreground and another in the background and have the focus on something in the middle, but also I just try and catch what has caught my attention. I love using my fixed 1.8 50mm lens and getting as much natural light and depth in as I can. I also edit my photos in Photoshop, which is so amazingly powerful. Maybe I should do a post on what I do to my photos, as I like to make them very bright and crisp, contrasty, and saturated, at the moment and it is fun to get things to look how you like.

My camera broke and is being repaired, so I have been using my iPhone for all my photos lately. It's far from ideal (I've only just managed not to throw myself on the bed and weep) but it is not the end of the world – and I've found that with the editing, they tell enough of the story to be ok. So to anyone starting out, I would say that a good camera is obviously going to make a big difference to your images, but even a basic one is a good place to start. Don't feel trapped by a lack of technical knowledge or equipment, and just take photos you like.

Out of all the beautiful dresses you own, do you have a favorite?
I do! I love my red and pink, mid sleeve 1950's cotton party dress that I've had for a while now. It was one of the very first 1950s dress with the full skirt style that I ever got, and I realised how much I love everything about them. It used to be a fancy kind of party dress and was longer and had a huge bow at the back, but it had been altered to its current state by the time I got it and I love it as it is. I also recently got a cotton pique dress with a blue hydrangea print, and I do love that too... maybe the pink-red dress has competition! ;D x

Visit Marianne on...
Esme and the Laneway
Twitter
Instagram

Thank you again Marianne!

♡,
Kailey

Interview: Lydia from Style is Style

I'm super pleased to present an interview with the wonderful Lydia from Style is Style! Smart, gorgeous, and a thrifting pro - Lydia is truly a constant source of inspiration! Her style incorporates everything I love - from leopard print to polka-dots to stripes and floral, and I love reading her posts about exploring Vancouver! I was lucky enough to ask her about her style, taste in music, and her highlights of 2012 ♡

Describe your style using only three words.
Whimsical, femme, vintage.

Christmas is fast approaching - what's on your wish list?
I don't have much on my list this year, I am mostly looking forward to hanging out with my family. I have been eying many a cat themed accessory on Etsy, and I would love to own the Advanced Style book. I've always got pretty vintage dresses on my mental wishlist too!

I loved reading your post about seeing Santigold live from a while back - who are some of your other favorite musical artists?
There are many! Lately I have been listening to Frank Ocean, Florence and the Machine, Fleet Foxes, Brandi Carlile, First Aid Kit, Lana Del Rey, Kimbra and a sprinkling of miscellaneous Top 40. Some standbys for me are Kanye West, The Beatles, Feist and Lykke Li.

Around this time I always reflect on the year that was and make plans for the next one! What were some highlights from 2012 for you?
I think my biggest highlights of 2012 were being featured in Glamour magazine and finally leaving Starbucks to work at a consignment shop here in Vancouver. I am really enjoying my job, and it was kind of surreal to see myself in a magazine that I've been reading for years.

What is your dream job?
I'm not quite sure what my dream job is exactly, but I think that I'd like to own (or at least run) a shop one day. I'm enjoying doing visual merchandising at my current job, and I think that my love of vintage clothing would lend itself nicely to a clothing and ephemera boutique.

I really love how you always incorporate pieces you have thrifted in your outfit posts! Do you have a favorite find?
Thrifting a large portion of my wardrobe means I have a quite an attachment to each find! One of my favorites is a 1980s floral dress that is fit and flared, which I bought back in Grade 11. I always feel great when I wear it, and I even brought it with me on my first trip to NYC.

Describe the average day in your life.
I usually wake up around 8am, get ready and head to work at Front & Company, an independent consignment and new retail shop. I take outfit photos before I start my shift, so my tripod and I are well acquainted with the area close to where I work. At Front and Company, I work on the shop floor as well as in the consignment department, and I also recently assisted with styling the windows. Once I've finished up for the day, I'm probably hopping on a bus homeward. Some nights I head out to see one of my friends bands, or to a shop opening or event. I typically write my blog posts in the evening, so I mow down on dinner while editing and writing. Then I go to sleep at about midnight, catching some zzzs before another busy day!

Want more Lydia? Visit these links!
Style is Style
Tumblr
Twitter

Thank you so much again Lydia!

♡,
Kailey

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INTERVIEW: Arabelle from Fashion Pirate

Do you ever discover a blog and just fall head over heels in love with it? That was exactly how I felt upon visiting Arabelle's Fashion Pirate for the first time! Here was a person who was not only blogging about beauty and clothing through her own individual perspective, but also was tackling subjects not usually talked about in the blogging community - and all the while being incredibly articulate.
Much to my surprise, Arabelle agreed to be the next blogger interviewed for this feature, and I got to ask her about make-up, film, and the future.

Where do you hope to see yourself in five years?
Hopefully I'll be working in beauty at a magazine, and doing something regarding women's rights as well. Honestly I have so many interests right now that I'm juggling I'd be happy to do any of them.

Describe the average day in your life.
I'm boring as hell most days, I fluctuate between never leaving my room/computer and never being in my room/running around screaming, and rarely like, just hang out with my friends. They yell at me sometimes about it and have to drag me to be social. I wake up (late), fall asleep standing in front of my closet and wake up leaning over drooling on one of my dresses, pick that one to wear because why not, and go to class. Then I watch a movie 'cause I'm doing a 365 film challenge that I've fallen behind on because of fashion week and general madness. In class and between them I answer emails, tweets, schedule photo or video shoots for Rookie or powder doom or whatever and do my social media internship with a company that hasn't launched publicly yet. On week days I'm really boring and just go to class and be narcissistic and outfit blog or stuff. I get everything done on weekends when I can go back home / into the city and visit showrooms and designers and whatever and do fashion stuff.

Can you remember what the first makeup product you completely fell in love with was?
I was way into this shimmery blue lipstick from Hot Topic in middle school. I thought I was hot shit when I put it on, and used to smell it a lot because it smelled like vanilla. Wish I still had it, it'd probably look dope with my hair. Also I could probably pull it off way better now.

Let's say your a superhero - what are your powers, and more importantly, what does your costume look like?
The power to convince anyone to do anything I want. I wouldn't be a very good hero, I think. Maybe an anti-hero. I'm way too much of a sociopath to be a proper good girl, I know this already. But ummm... I'd wear a costume designed by Yohji. He's dabbled in movie costume design before so I'm sure it'd be rad.

I love reading your thoughts on movies - are there any in particular that have inspired your style?
Not really, no. I like movies more for the feelings than for the visual effect in a lot of cases. My favorite films re: style would be maybe The Fall (SO BEAUTIFUL I WANT TO CLAW MY EYES OUT) and Top Hat. My personal style is very much a uniform as of late and isn't influenced by music or movies or what have you -- more by... Wednesday Addams. I guess The Addams Family would be my major filmspiration if you were to pick one. I just want something to feel safe and dangerous in at the same time, which is why I wear what I wear. It gives me that feeling. I guess it's no surprise Thrillers are my favorite movies. I can be a voyeur and safe as the viewer but still be totally caught up in the danger of a good plot.

If you had a dinner party and could invite any five people, living or dead, who would they be?
Rei, Audre Lorde, Luce Irigaray, John Waters, G-Dragon.

You are one of my favorite voices in the blogosphere - do you ever have difficulty expressing how you feel in writing?
I think the hardest part is just pressing publish. If I've written it down already, it means it's been in my head for awhile. I'm in my own head a lot, I am my own best friend and enemy for this, but it makes me a prolific writer when I get off my ass. I've never had a problem saying what I mean -- I used to get chastised by people for not shutting up or not thinking before I speak. But I can't help being truthful. I don't want to help it. I like to be liked by people on the internet, but I also don't seek anyone's approval for what I say. I just need to say it. It's a need. I need to say these things. I think if I didn't write or vlog or whatever I'd probably just sit consumed in my own thoughts to a point where I would go mental and start gnawing on peoples spinal cords.

If you had to choose, would you rather live without lipstick or eyeliner for the rest of your life?
Eyeliner. I feel naked without at least 2 lip products in my bag. I would cry if I could never do a cat eye again but lipstick makes me happy. I remember in Breakfast at Tiffany's, Hepburn would always apply lipstick to arm herself against the world and bad news. I do the same thing. When I'm stressed out you have to pry my chapstick or lipstick from my manicured talons.

Want more? Visit Arabelle at these links!
Fashion Pirate
Powder Doom
Rookie

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Interview: Kate Gabrielle from Scathingly Brilliant

When thinking of blogs I love to visit daily, immediately the pink-haired Kate Gabrielle's blog comes to mind. Scathingly Brilliant is filled to the brim featuring helpful DIY's, her gorgeous art, and pastel-hued outfit posts - one could get lost there for hours! I asked Kate if she would do a interview with me, and much to my delight, she accepted! ^^

Why did you decide to get a blog?
I first started blogging in 2009 after one of my friends thought it would be a good outlet for writing about classic movies, since at the time I was filling up the descriptions on my flickr photos with paragraphs on classic film ... so I started Silents and Talkies, my first blog, in January 2009. Last year I decided I wanted to blog about more than just movies, and that's when I started Scathingly Brilliant! I've ended up devoting much more time and effort to my newer blog, but I still love posting on Silents and Talkies too :)

I love your style icon series - who would you say has had the most impact on your style?
Thank you! My biggest influence is probably Clarissa Darling (Melissa Joan Hart's character in Clarissa Explains It All) not for her specific wardrobe choices, but for her general attitude towards fashion and conformity. I think my current style draws mostly from my favorite 60's actresses like Julie Christie, Monica Vitti and Jeanne Moreau. I have to put my own spin on sixties-ness because I don't have the narrow frame to pull it off, but I like to incorporate as much big hair, bell sleeves, velvet, cool collars and lace as is humanly possible ;)

Describe the average day in your life.
Eek this is going to be so so boring! I wake up whenever my cat Hypatia wakes up --usually around 12pm-- she meows at me until I get out of bed and show her her food bowl (she likes to cover it up with a sock or tissue before we go to sleep, then she can't find it again until I show her where it is!) Then I mosy over to my computer and check my emails and blog comments, and tend to my etsy shop. Then I get dressed (probably the most important thing about being self-employed and maintaining some semblance of reality, lol) and have breakfast. The rest of the day depends on the activity in my shop, pretty much. If I didn't have any orders, I'll play with the cats.. watch movies.. read.. spend way too much time on twitter, etc. If I did have some orders, I'll spend a good deal of time printing them and packing them and making sure I get to the post office before they close. Every once in a while I draw, or come up with new products for the shop. I usually blog at night before I go to sleep, and schedule the post for 9am the next morning. I end the day with a cup of hot chocolate and an episode of The Office or The X-Files.

Scathingly Brilliant has a definite (and absolutely gorgeous!) design aesthetic - do you visit any blogs in particular to get inspired?
Thank you so much! My favorite blogs for design inspiration are probably Little Chief Honeybee, Fancy Fine and Goodnight Spoon, but there are really so many blogs that inspire me it's hard to not just say "all of them!".

What was your inspiration behind coloring your hair pink?
Ever since I saw Shirley MacLaine sporting pink hair in What a Way to Go! (Style Idol - Shirley MacLaine) I wanted pink hair! I'm back to brown right now, but I already miss it so much! It was just so fun! :)

You list Barbara Stanwyck as your favorite actress - a woman who I think it incredibly underrated. What makes her special to you, and what films are your favorite?
She was so underrated, yes!! She was a master of light comedy, yet she makes me cry in her melodramas like nobody else can. She seemed to carry herself with such ease, and acted as though everything came naturally.. yet you know that underneath the facade she was working really hard to project that image. Also, she seemed to really love her craft, not just the idea of being a star, and I love that about her! I think my favorites would be Meet John Doe, My Reputation, Ever in My Heart, Remember the Night and The Miracle Woman but honestly I love every single one of them!

And lastly, what is your favorite episode (or episodes!) of The X-Files? ;D
First of all, there are the mythology episodes. I LOVE the alien conspiracy plot, so those are definitely my favorites (including the 1998 movie.. I watch that more often than I'd care to admit!) I really geek out over the conspiracy. Did you know that the date Samantha Mulder was abducted is the same day that 18 minutes are missing from the Nixon tapes? I love that they snuck that in there, it's such a tiny detail but makes the series seem so real. I remember when I read that on an X-Files fan site thinking to myself "hmm.. that's suspicious!," as if Nixon *really* had something to do with a fictional tv character's abduction, lol!

As far as the other episodes go, basically every episode in Season 6 is my favorite. I love Arcadia (S6E13) where Mulder and Scully pose as married suburbanites Rob and Laura Petrie (like the dish.) and Season 6 also has the Dreamland plot arch, where Mulder and Michael McKean switch bodies. Another great episode in Season 6 is Monday (S6E15), a deja vu style psychological thriller that I could watch a million times over (and do!) Season 6 is just so creative.. there are so many episodes that play out like feature-length films instead of hour-long tv dramas. Triangle (S6E3) takes Mulder back in time to the WWII era when he drifts into the Bermuda Triangle. That one is really clever, and they captured the 40's era perfectly! SR819 (S6E10) is another favorite, and one that I can remember scaring the wits out of me when I watched it in middle school! (I've been an X-phile for a long long time, haha!) Finally one of my all-time favorites is How the Ghosts Stole Christmas (S6E8) which guest stars Ed Asner and Lily Tomlin as ghosts who haunt a mansion every Christmas Eve. It's sweet in a way that only the X-Files can be! Besides Season 6, Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man (S4E7) is another all-time favorite. Really great for anyone (like me!) who really loved the CSM character!

Want to see more? Visit these links!
Scathingly Brilliant
Flapper Doodle
Silents and Talkies
Etsy Shop

♥, Kailey

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Interview: Marlena from Self-Constructed Freak

I am elated to say that Marlena, the genius behind SELF-CONSTRUCTED FREAK, has agreed to be the first blogger questioned for our new Interview Feature! At her blog, Marlena shares her original style, awe-inspiring sewing skills, and excellent taste in music. Marlena has been a huge inspiration ever since I came across her blog, and I am so excited I got the chance to interview her!

I love your Little Mermaid dress - do you have a favorite Disney movie?
Aw, thanks! Pocahontas is my all-time favorite Disney movie. I totally wore out our VHS tape by watching it over and over and over again when I was little! A close second would be Beauty and the Beast.

What is your favorite part about the blogging community?
I love how even though we're all different--in terms of dressing, what types of music we love, writing styles, etc - we still somehow manage to inspire and influence each other in one way or another. I really like that.

Describe the adverage day in your life.
I go to bed late, wake up early, go to school (I take online classes so I'm basically at home or the library all day). In my free time I like go rummage around in thrift shops, alter & make clothes, and blog, of course! Other than that there's really not much to do where I live. My life is pretty uneventful, for the most part.

Do you remember what your first sewing project was?
The first thing I ever made (by hand) was one of those denim handbags that were sorta popular in the early '00s. You know, the ones that were supposed to look like a pair of jeans? If you watch the first couple episodes of Lizzie McGuire you're bound to see one. Anyway, I made one out of an old pair of jeans and wore it as a bookbag on my first day of second grade--my classmates thought I was so weird!

You are hosting a dinner party, and can invite anybody, living or dead. Who would you choose?
I'd love to have a tea party with the Bromley Contingent! ;)

How did you discover Siouxsie Sioux's music?
Well, it was more like I discovered her before I even heard her music. Years ago when I was a dorky little tweenager I checked out this book from the library by Lauraine Leblanc (it's about women and the "punk subculture") and she was mentioned in it a couple times. I looked her up, heard the music (Kaleidoscope to be more specific) and I've been a fan ever since!

Do you have any role models?
My mom! (wow, what a generic answer, right?) I always find myself hoping that I'll be even half as strong and intelligent as she is when I'm her age.

What are five things you are really loving at the moment?
The 'Halloweenie' episode of Pete & Pete, Vintage Polly Pockets, the first Nina Hagen Band album, gray lipstick, and Apple Cider tea. (kinda random but these are all off the top of my head! haha.)

What has been a highlight for you, blogging wise?
Hmm, I guess getting to make a tutorial for ROOKIE was pretty rad (and it wouldn't have happened without my blog!) I'm still OMG-ing over this. I can't help it! -.-

Who is your favorite JEM character?
I love Jerrica/Jem to bits, but, I'd have to say that Kimber and Aja are my favorites!

Do you ever have days where you just feel like wearing your pajamas?
Of course! But if I'm gonna be lazy with my outfit I always try to put on some sort of weird make-up (green lips, pink brows, etc.) to counteract the boring-ness of whatever it is I decide to wear. Or I just put on my hot pink boots. You can't look boring when your shoes are so bright!

Want to see more Marlena? Visit these links!:
Self-Constructed Freak
Marlena's Detachable Collar Tutorial

♥, Kailey

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