Happy Thanksgiving!

I just wanted to wish a Happy Thanksgiving to everyone here in the US. I have a lot to give thanks for, but this holiday always makes me a bit melancholy too. Thinking of the decimation of the Native Americans that were so generous to help the arrivals to the new world, never fails to come to mind when celebrating. I'm reminded that my ancestors were part and parcel of this genocide, even though later quite a few married into different tribes. Perhaps its an ancestral memory that makes me so melancholy, having Native blood (however watered down it is at this point) along with the dichotomy of the blood of my ancestors that were part of the first settlers here? I don't mean to make this morbid or a lecture of any kind, but if you feel so inclined, this Thanksgiving say a little prayer of respect for the Native Americans who helped the first settlers have their first Thanksgiving, then were decimated for the privilege of helping. (For reference please read Russell Means book, "Where White Men Fear to Tread". Means has been quoted as saying "Indians are dying of sympathy, what we want is RESPECT".)

XXX

Jet

Melissa Sample Sale!

It's that time again, the Melissa Sample sale will be open to the public from Thursday 10 November through Saturday 12 November. All the contact info is listed below.

General Public Sample Sale will commence 10-12 November 2011 Thursday 10 November and Friday 11 November 12-8pm Saturday 12 November 11am-4pm At: 520 W 27th Street, Suite 601 Between 10th and 11th Avenues NY, NY They will be featuring styles from Melissa as well as designer collaborations with Alexandre Herchcovitch and Vivienne Westwood. Shoe prices are color coded, and range from $25- $100, which means prices are discounted up to nearly 75%! Hurry before they are all gone! See you there! Here's a Melissa tip I was given by the great folks there: to get rid of scuffs and get back the shine on your gorgeous Melissa shoes; use the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser! There are of course other brands out there, but this specific one was suggested. I can't wait to get my shoes scuff free and shiny again! Happy Shopping -- maybe you can get a leg up on some holiday shopping for friends and family as I did? What a great surprise for your best friend! Also remember, Melissa shoes are vegan, recyclable, and made from sustainable resources. So buying some great new designer shoes from Melissa also helps to save the planet! As soon as I get the chance I'll be showing you my great designer deals -- only a bunch can't be seen yet as they're gifts for special friends... XXX Jet

Nostalgic Music Hanoi Rocks

One of the very first "hair/ glam" metal bands in the early '80s was Hanoi Rocks from Finland. Everyone from Poison, to Guns n Roses has stated that they were a huge influence on them both musically and stylistically. Tragedy hit the band in '84 when their drummer Razzle was killed in a car accident, but they continued on. I still adore them and have been listening to them a lot lately (sadly I only have a cassette left, must rectify that!) and Mike Monroe was not only easy on the eyes, but a nice guy too. Andy McCoy did one of the best Keith Richards I've ever seen and their shows were non-stop energy packed rock 'n roll. Here's something I've always loved, and the video gives a good idea of what it was like to see them live during the 80s.

Sadly Hanoi Rocks never achieved major acclaim, though they have a massive cult following. Include me in there!

XXX

Jet

Halloween DIY Costume

Yet again this year the Punk Glam Princess has gotten creative and mum gets to do all the sewing! She's going as Alice from "Madness Returns" a character from a video game. Pretty creepy and gory -- that's my girl, always in the "spirit" of Halloween!

Yeah we even found a bloody hatchet, and I have the perfect wig for the outfit. Even though it can be a chore to make her costumes I do admit I quite like using my creative juices figuring out the best way to make it. Especially when it can be quite cold here on Halloween so she might have to bundle under the costume.

The whole project cost under $20 including the hatchet, ribbon, tulle, calico, striped tights, and the apron fabric. Certainly beats the $60-$80 they wanted for a ready made costume!

Here's "Mad Alice"!

My costume wound up changing. I had this whole Victorian Vampire Queen theme, but got too overheated and the headpiece wouldn't stay on. So I went in the complete opposite direction and became a modern Vampire Queen. I made the headpiece out of bits and pieces, vintage feathers, a raven, a rose hair clip, all stuff I had in my craft stash. All done on top of this massive crown. It was a little top heavy, but fun to wear! The PGK was a crow man, with a pinstriped suit and a huge crow beak!

Since it was a school night, we didn't go crazy with decor outside -- needless to say the storm would've destroyed everything anyway -- so we went simple. And it was an early night as the kids had school.

Happy Dia De Los Muertos!

XXX

Jet