Hey everybody! I just added an email subscription feature to this blog; you can subscribe to individual posts and discussion threads via the comments section, or subscribe to the whole blog via the little form in the sidebar and footer. It’s the standard WordPress.com  subscription feature, if you’re already familiar with that. Every time a new comment or post happens, you’ll be notified.

If you want notifications about more general website-related stuff, join my Strangegirl.com announcement list, which is a completely different animal.

Thanks!

So a few months ago I set out a list of blogging goals. Like many ENFP personality types, I tend to be very long on ideas and very short on attention span and time. To make matters worse, this past semester was one of my all-time busiest work periods, a frustrating reality further exacerbated by a bunch of extra life demands (some fun, like period balls, some not-so-fun, like expensive car repairs) that required time and money. My 2012 New Years’ resolution is to spend more time on my websites – particularly this blog, as it is both a way for me to reduce my rambling ideas into tangible goals AND an impetus for following through on those goals so I can share the results with you!

Happy New Year! Pinup Couture Evelyn dress in green satin.

I’m still plugging away on my to-do list from this past fall, and  I’m logging my goal progress to keep me honest! But before I bring you in on that, a goodwill gesture to prove that I’m working on it – an Outfit of the Week!

This is my Christmas Eve ensemble: Evelyn dress in green satin with reversible black velvet shrug from Pinup Couture, new Dian Von Furstenburg frames, homemade hairflower, and black suede-and-patent heels from Sofft Shoes.

Seriously, this dress is ace: rich satin sheen and Christmas green color, super-cute ruched bodice with adorable black velvet bow, and tremendous fit. When it comes to the Pinup Girl Clothing house brands, I usually hover around xl-2x; this one’s a 2x. There’s extra room in the waist (My inch measurements are 44-33.5-49), but it’s not baggy or ill-fitting. And the length is perfect for my 5’8″+ frame.

So if you’re plus or curvy or simply looking for a kick-butt, retro-style, made-in-the-USA clothing company, give Pinup Girl Clothing a shot!

Okay, now on to the rest of it. Click the link below to come out on the other side of the jump…

Here are my previous goals, with parenthetical progress reports:

• Post my seasonal fashion interests/shopping lists (four times a year) - (More like two or three times a year, as fall and winter blend so much here…)
• Give you at least one outfit-of-the-day per month, if not per week - (Still working on it!)
• Finish my fashion review of the 2009/2010 BBC adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma- (Eventually!)
• Complete a picture post featuring my vintage hanky collection, similar to my previous pieces on my beaded purses and antique jewelry- (Still working on it, AND I have more vintage jewelry to blog!)

Annnnd, I have some new fashion projects I want to share here on the blog:

• Photos of a Greco-Roman chiton I made back in October, which I created for my second performance of Lady Emma Hamilton’s “attitudes.”
• A late-1950s day ensemble, assembled from both vintage and reproduction pieces, for my Vertigo-themed costumers’ guild event at Legion of Honor Museum in San Francisco.
• Some amazing midcentury jewelry I inherited from my great-aunt!
• And some gorgeous outfits I’ve put together along the way!

Alright, that’s it for now! Happy New Year and see you here again very soon!

Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! Now that I’m almost done with my teaching semester, I can get back to the business of blogging. Kind of. I have some pretty outfits and new-old jewelry to show you. Stay tuned!

A Christmas Music Box” RETURNS FOR 2011, from STRANGEBEAT PRODUCTIONS!

StrangeBeat Productions presents “A CHRISTMAS MUSIC BOX,” yet another holiday tunes compilation just in time for Christmas! (originally released on December 1, 2010!)

NEW FOR 2011, We’ve compiled a full CD’s worth of NEW SELECTIONS for your Christmas listening, as well as a few minor touchups to some old favorites! Read on…

A Christmas Music Box 2011!

VOLUME 1: From Mannheim Steamroller to Elvis himselvis, these FOUR DISCS of Christmas tunes provide plenty of variety for your holiday parties, gatherings, and personal time.

JASON SEZ - For those of you who have “acquired” Christmas music from me in the past, much of this material will be familiar. Approximately 20 minutes of music have been added to round out these four volumes to full CD length, and the mp3s have been carefully retagged (and in some cases re-ripped) to match the quality of the next set we have for you!

• http://tinyurl.com/christmasvolume1
• Volume One also available for download HERE

Disc 1 – 22 .mp3 files, tagged and labeled. (various bitrates)

Disc 2 – 23 .mp3 files, tagged and labeled. (various bitrates)

Disc 3 – 24 .mp3 files, tagged and labeled. (various bitrates)

Disc 4 – 22 .mp3 files, tagged and labeled. (various bitrates)

VOLUME 2: Enjoy the many moods of the holidays with selections ranging from traditional instrumentals to jazz and rock ‘n’ roll. We’re giving you a whopping THREE DISCS worth of our favorite Christmas tracks PLUS the following:

KALI SEZ - Disc four is a bonus collection of vintage holiday recordings, as selected in 1970 by Jack “The Voice of Disneyland” Wagner for the Disneyland and Magic Kingdom “Main Street U.S.A.” Christmas music loops. These tracks can be randomized or played in order as they appear in situ at the parks!

• http://tinyurl.com/christmasvolume2
• Volume Two also available for download HERE

Disc 1 – 28 .mp3 files, tagged and labeled. (various bitrates)

Disc 2 – 27 .mp3 files, tagged and labeled. (various bitrates)

Disc 3 – 25 .mp3 files, tagged and labeled. (various bitrates)

New for 2011! All David Rose Christmas Album tracks have been re-ripped from the new 2011 CD remaster; PLUS, six tracks from the original record that were NOT selected by Disneyland for the Main Street USA loop are included as bonus tracks. Enjoy the complete David Rose Christmas Album alongside beautiful music straight from Disneyland and Walt Disney World!

Disc 4 – 30 .mp3 files, tagged and labeled. (128kbps)

NEWLY AVAILABLE FOR 2011!

Here’s 27 new holiday selections for your listening pleasure; choice cuts from 60+ years of incredible Christmas music, and even more perfect accompaniment for your holiday festivities!

• http://tinyurl.com/NEWchristmas2011
• NEW SELECTIONS FOR 2011 also available for download HERE

Also available:

Tracklisting and liner notes on selected tracks:

Three .txt files are included, each containing informative and (we hope!) entertaining liner notes.

Artwork:

Each folder contains a 720×720 .jpg file with the corresponding artwork for each disc.

• Compilation produced by KALI PAPPAS and JASON PITTMAN
• Art Direction by KALI PAPPAS
• Engineering by JASON PITTMAN
• Liner Notes by JASON PITTMAN and KALI PAPPAS

I’ve been feeling kinda mediocre lately, so it was nice to score two fairly successful outfits this weekend. Hell, last night I even wore makeup! That’s a big deal considering how acne and allergies have been conspiring against me over the past month.

Yesterday evening I wore my new Dixiefried “Cutiepie” dress with leopard trim. It was on sale, and the leopard print is both on-trend for this season and a fun little nod to oldschool Dior. I teamed it with my vintage carnelian jewelry, Claire’s hairflower, old Forever 21 cardigan, and nude BCBG pumps.

The dress is an “extended sizes” 3x, which means it fits like a straight-size 16-18.

Dixiefried "Cutiepie" Dress.

Today, I wore my new Heartbreaker gypsy skirt (1x) with a Torrid bow sweater and accessories you’ve seen before. It’s in the very same “Dandy” print fabric as the Aimee dress I posted previously, also from Heartbreaker. Oh, and something new! A Rachel Leigh bow bracelet in rose gold tone from Ann Taylor Loft. It’s cute, and a portion of the proceeds go to breast cancer research…

Heartbreaker Gypsy Skirt.

Rachel Leigh Bow Bracelet.

"This is Haunted Halloween" collection CD art...

- A festive two hour collection of holiday tunes, originally debuting on October 1, 2010! -

Disc One is packed with a selection of macabre party hits, from a new extended mix of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” to Sheb Wooley’s campy “The Purple People Eater.” Disc Two follows with pieces reflecting the darker side of Halloween. Here, spooky film themes, ghoulish classical favorites, and other grisly tunes mix it up with creepy sound effects perfect for a stormy night.

Produced by Jason Pittman and Kali Pappas, this collection offers new presentations of old classics alongside several fun surprises. But beware — this is not your average Halloween mix tape. Listen and share! If you dare…

NEWLY AVAILABLE FOR 2011!

Enjoy 40+ minutes of freaky tunes and scary sounds. Comprised from a variety of sources, this mix is perfect for your Halloween party needs, or even just scaring the local trick-or-treaters!

Available for download NOW:

Audio files:

- 2011 “Skerrymix,” a longrunning single audio file filled with frightening ambiance and creepy musical sounds. A perfect haunt, trick or treat, or party loop! See if you can spot our favorite macabre influences from film, music, and more!

- Disc 1 – 17 .mp3 files, tagged and labeled. (128kbps LAME MP3)

- Disc 2 – 14 .mp3 files, tagged and labeled. (128kbps LAME MP3)

Expanded notes on the collection and the various tracks:

– Liner Notes.pdf

- Liner Notes.rtf (text only)

LINKS:

http://tinyurl.com/2011SKERRYMIX

http://tinyurl.com/NOTES2011

http://tinyurl.com/hauntedhalloween

http://bit.ly/hauntedhalloween

Mirror:

http://tinyurl.com/strangebeat

http://bit.ly/strangebeat

As usual, I have many plans for my blog and never enough time to realize them properly. This week, I’ve resolved to clear my bloggy-do list and set some new web log goals that I can stick to:

• Post my seasonal fashion interests/shopping lists (four times a year)
• Give you at least one outfit-of-the-day per month, if not per week
• Finish my fashion review of the 2009/2010 BBC adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma
• Complete a picture post featuring my vintage hanky collection, similar to my previous pieces on my beaded purses and antique jewelry

To get things rolling, a look at this fall’s Pantone Color Report palette and the clothing and accessories I’m angling to buy this autumn!

I tend to hate traditional fall colors and fabric textures. Tweed and other coarse woolens, browns, beiges, rusty oranges…bleh. Last year’s Pantone Fall Color Report was exciting because it included unexpectedly clear, bright, dirtless hues such as “Lipstick Red” and “lagoon,” a summery teal that enlivened my clothing rack in the form of a pleated taffeta circle skirt from eShakti.com.  Even the requisite autumn brown was different last year, a deep maroon with pink undertones called “Chocolate Truffle.”

Fall 2011 fashion trend colors - Pantone Fashion Color Report Fall 2011 (click to expand the screenshot)

This year, the Pantone fall color forecast disappointed me in taking a slight left into dullsville. Don’t get me wrong, “Honeysuckle” (a slightly faded, opaque, mid-tone pink), “Phlox” (dark, warm purple), and “Deep Teal” (dark teal) are beautiful to look at, but they’re not my favorite colors, nor are they particularly new or exciting. Dark purples and teals have already bounced around the cold seasons for the last few years, and dark teal in particular reminds me of 1990s pickup trucks. I love pinks in general, but Honeysuckle overly resembles that creamy, coralish blush tone that serves as a summer safety for women who mistrust color. I like Phlox, but I’ve already purchased two items featuring the color – last year.

And those are the colors I like. Suffice it to say that “Coffee Liqueur” and “Nougat” have attained dirt status, if not outright “what lost lunch on the sidewalk looks like.” Yuck.

So once again, I’m forging ahead into the colors less trended. And that’s perfectly fine with me. Since I already have a ton of clothes, I’m not about creating a ton of new outfits from scratch anyway. I’m simply filling in the blanks with items that will work well with much of what I already own, in colors that I like:

1. Tights from We Love Colors – I extend the seasonal life of my spring and summer wardrobe with tights in both bright and neutral-staple colors. This year, I’m eyeing fuchsia, magenta, and black. The fuchsia and magenta will lend pop to black-based neutral outfits, while black tights are the perfect, inconspicuous backup band for my star performers – a colorful collection of skirts and dresses.  We Love Colors’ plus-sized nylon/lycra tights hold up to nearly constant wear and fit comfortably. No thigh-chafing here!
2. Classic cashmere cardigan – I love cardigans and adore the warmth and fluff-factor of my angora sweaters, but I’ve never owned any cashmere (save for my gloves and scarf).  These a great way to get warm while staying cute, so I’m eyeing the Land’s End version in red.
3. Kitten heel pumps – I lost weight, so my feet shrank. I need a graceful, mid-height heel in a classic black patent style, and the Marcia Balla from Christian Louboutin has the right look. I’ve also found the correct idea in several less expensive styles available on the internet.
4. Doris top and skirt in white/black – Pinup Girl Clothing’s Pinup Couture brand always provides me with good fit and quality. And have I mentioned that their clothes are cute as hell? I already own this ensemble in black/peacock and it’s stunning, so another set in mix-and-matchable neutrals (that aren’t brown) makes perfect sense for fall.
5. Silver Ritz shoes by Remix – I’ve been jonesing for some retro-ish metallic slippers to go with my long winter gowns. These provide the perfect dash of metallic shine to balance the blacks, reds, and hot pinks of holiday eveningwear, and will go well with my silk charmeuse 1930s gown.
6. Talbots houndstooth dress – Another piece with midcentury appeal, this forties-ish dress looks and feels like fall. The houndstooth texture says “fall!” without the heavy look or feel of a suit.
7. Eliza Parker simple shrug – I can never get enough black shrugs or cardigans. This one’s cut like it’s right out of the 1950s, suitable for wear with just about everything!

This is Haunted Halloween!

Hi everybody! Fans of our holiday audio compilations will be happy to learn that we’re reformulating our Halloween music collection for 2011. Jason and I can’t give you any details yet, but it’ll be unique and lots of fun!

I’m also brewing a new design for this blog and Strangegirl.com as a whole, in addition to some new fashion-related posts. Yay!

More music stuffs from Jason and/or Kali:

• This is Haunted Halloween
• A Christmas Music Box
• Moonlight Time in Old Hawaii rip
• Why Don’t We Get Drunk and Download (St. Patrick’s Day drinking song themed compilation)

This is just a note to remind you of the ways you can keep in touch with what’s up in the land of Strangegirl.com.

The email updates list is still active, but I use it primarily to post major updates only – stuff like new site features, discontinuations, and so on.

For more detailed web updates and new content, I suggest you watch this site blog.

If you want up-to-the-minute updates regarding the subjects I find interesting (Emma, Disney theme parks, &c.), then I strongly recommend that you follow me on Twitter:

http://twitter.com/magicskyway

To get in touch with me via email, use this form (and ONLY this form – none of my previous emails are functional).

Thanks, everyone!

~ Kali

I tend to tweet most of my minor updates these days, but here’s a roundup for the sake of completeness. 

Emma comes to the Old Globe in San Diego.

Paul Gordon’s Emma – A Musical Romantic Comedy is now running at San Diego’s Old Globe Theatre!  The show – which has already enjoyed successful runs in the Bay Area, Cincinnati, and St. Louis – previewed earlier this month and officially premiers this weekend.  The run will continue through February 27 (with an extension to March 6).

Emma is directed by Jeff Calhoun and stars Patti Murin as the eponymous heroine and Adam Monley as Mr. Knightley.  For more…

• Patti Murin Is Emma, Singing an Austen Song, at Old Globe Jan. 15-Feb. 27 (Playbill.com)
• Official Old Globe Emma site – Includes articles, a program in .pdf format, cast biographies, related events, and notes on the production!
• KPBS “These Days” Interview with Emma director Jeff Calhoun and show writer Paul Gordon
• Globe plans fresh take on Jane Austen’s Emma – Pam Kragen, North County Times
• Perils of romance come to the stage in new musical Emma at The Old Globe in Balboa Park – Diana Saenger, La Jolla Light
• Ageless Emma – James Hebert, San Diego Union-Tribune

In other Emma adaptation news, Romola Garai’s Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-series or Motion Picture Made for Television did not result in a win.  Still, it was nice to see her nominated for her starring role in the 2009-2010 BBC Emma miniseries.

In non-adaptation Emma news, Maria Edgeworth’s presentation copy of Emma was sold last month at auction.  According to Sotheby’s auction house, it fetched 79,250 pounds sterling.  Edgeworth was a bit of a novelist idol of Austen’s and an acquaintance of the James Leigh Perrots, Jane Austen’s aunt and uncle.  You can learn about Edgeworth’s opinions on Emma in this roundup of period responses to the book.

Happy new year, everyone!