Just a moment...

Reading That Sweet Enemy: Britain and France: The History of a Love-Hate Relationship. I'm writing a little thesis on the Napoleonic War this semester. You wouldn't believe all the limbs that got cut off for that.

Cooking I mean to try my hand at gnocchi soon! Tom made some and his turned out pretty well, and now I am inspired to try something new, though I did make up a recipe for scampi scallops last night. My apartment still smells like garlic.

Wanting I am expecting a new skein of yarn in the mail soon. Don't look at me like that, Tom. Pictures when it arrives!

Making An endless parade of scarves, of course, winter's coming!

Loving My dear Taller Half who promises to come visit me soon. :)

Promising To lose all the weight I gained in England and over the summer! Seriously. I ate far too well last semester, and it's showing. Pout.

Drinking Water, water, water. And a little pineapple rum that I had at my friends' place. I am usually not impressed with rum. It does not make me feel pirate-y at all.

This charming survey came from over at Reality Escapes Her, a sweet little blog filled with its author's dreamy photography.

Opals for October.

Via Different Seasons Jewelry.

October's child is born for woe,
And life's vicissitudes must know,
But lay an opal on her breast,
And hope will lull those woes to rest.

It bothers me that a lot of times, while other months get to keep their natural stones, October's is replaced by man-made rose zircon (and December's turquoise is replaced by blue zircon) -- snoozefest! Opal is so much more beautiful. It's bizarrely underappreciated.

Opal trivia:

• Ancient Greeks believed that wearing opals granted the abilities of foresight and prophecy. Medieval Europeans thought that opals gave the wearer powers of invisibility. Some people today still believe in the magical properties of opals -- that they promote good eyesight, inner healing, and other mystical benefits.
  
• Black opals are the rarest kind. They are not actually black -- they just have a dark background, with blue, green, purple, or orange fire.
• Queen Victoria favoured opals in her jewellery.
• Opals were once believed to be bad luck, especially if one who was not born in October wore them.
• The Olympic Australis is the largest opal in the world. Although it remains uncut, it is valued at about $2 million.

Opals have always been my favourite stone (with emeralds a close second -- can't get enough of green!). I have an opal pendant that I love to wear, even though it is a man-made, and I used to have a pretty ring, until last year when my apartment was burgled and it was most maliciously pilfered from my jewellery box. I mean to expand my collection of these little lovelies soon -- as an October girl, it would be a shame not to!

Eavesdropping on girls who may or may not be drunk.

Girl 1: You're cute! You're sexy! But she's intelligent!
Girl 2: You're gorgeous!
Girl 1: I know! You're so fun!
Girl 2: I know, right? You're a bitch!
Girl 1: No, she's a bitch!

(I couldn't work out whether this was a fight or not. Nearly drunk girls reading my blog, help?)

What are these dainty little gems?

Via Anthropologie.

These little treasures are actually bookmarks, go figure! Too bad the two pearly ones aren't in a set together, those are my favourites. I think I would have to be reading a very beautiful old book to use them, though.

Via Lin Pernille Photography.

Setting the tone of the week.

I have become quite attached to this song.

Street fashion.

This snappy-looking fellow was posted over at The Sartorialist this weekend.

Yeah, it's not exactly Victorian... but come on. Who doesn't love a nice vest? That's right, nobody.

Also, I totally have that bag.

Eavesdropping times two!

Girl: But it's so *easy* to make porno!
Guy: It is, you know, it really is.

and

Guy, to friend: What is not being a woman called?

A rake's progress...

Alright, I'll stop waffling on about social graces and get back to posting pictures of glamorous Neo-Victorians. Today is all about the well-dressed steampunk man.

Somehow, I can picture him in those alcohol commercials -- you know, the ones about "the most interesting man in the world"? Any of these guys would show up to their gentlemen's club with stories about how they can speak French in Russian and had an awkward moment just to know what it felt like.







I don't know what magazine these came from, or the photographer, but I found them over at LiveJournal on "steamfashion", which is generally populated with equally snappy dressers.

Steampunk etiquette: you are what you wear?

As many of you may know, DragonCon just took place in Atlanta and all manner of reviews, photographs, and storytelling is popping up in nerdlike communities and forums all over the interwebs.

I came across a particular anecdote in one of the steampunk forums that for once made me do more than look wistfully at the photos, sigh, and wish I could have been there. The lady who posted this particular story had gone into a convention room and, finding that there were no more chairs available, became offended that none of the men in the room offered her his chair to sit in and bemoaned the lack of decent Victorian manners in the steampunk community.

Honestly, I was a bit surprised. The poster seemed to think that because we dress in Victorian style, we should behave with the accompanying Victorian mannerisms. This, I think, is pure nonsense, for the following reasons.

First of all, steampunk is obviously not Victorian reenacting. Hell, one of the common questions raised by steampunk newbies is "do I have to wear historically accurate clothing?", and the answer is invariably "what? of course not!" This is why we can have things like sexy airship pirates and mad scientists with time machines. These are some of the most iconic images of the style! Who will demand adherence to Victorian behaviour when the style itself doesn't demand adherence to historically accurate clothing? Or would one only expect such manners of people dressed as normal, proper Victorians, as opposed to crazy characters? Does that mean one needs to expect the sexy airship pirates to rob you blind, and then get offended when they don't behave according to their appearance?

Second, one cannot expect everyone to hold the same ideals, opinions, or standards, even within the same subculture. Where one person likes to dress up in a bustle and top hat on Halloween and for theme parties, another may wear an underclothes corset and have high tea on a daily basis, and yet another might just dress in long skirts and puffy blouses while living an otherwise completely 21st-century lifestyle. Just because one feels a particular way doesn't mean everyone else will -- or that they even have to, which I think is something everyone should take into consideration more often. The notion that men need to open doors for, walk on the road side of, and generally treat women like they're about to break has been discarded today by men and women alike -- it happens. Times change. And just because some of us like to dress up from another era doesn't mean we're not still living in the present day.

Thirdly, I think there is something of a shade of hypocrisy over someone who dresses anachronistically yet expects period manners of others. Steampunks mix Victorian styles with influences from many other eras, hence there exists steampulp, gaslight, clockpunk, etc. If one wants to hold steampunks to offering chairs to women, why not other mannerisms? Shall we insist that women must wear their corsets under their blouses (no self-respecting woman would have her undergarments displayed so inappropriately!) and grubby mechanics are not allowed to dine with characters of nobility? Of course not! But is it unreasonable of one to demand observance of particular customs while ignoring others, especially if one is insisting on holding to strict Victorian etiquette.

Also, the attitude that the poster took towards this subject quite put me off on its own. She said that because she was wearing a corset, long skirt, and heels, she should have been given special treatment because she was dressed in cumbersome clothing. In my opinion, if one's outfit for a convention (an event where one expects to stand in long lines, cram into panel rooms, sit on the floor, and be on one's feet for extended periods of time) is uncomfortable enough to the point where one feels like one should be entitled to displacing another person of their seat, one is wearing a poorly designed or planned outfit. Furthermore, despite the apparent seriousness of her plight, the poster declined to ask someone to volunteer their seat. Did she expect someone to read her mind? It was important enough to complain about on a forum, but not enough to quietly ask to borrow someone's chair?

To quote the poster, "if you want me to wear a corset, heels and a skirt again in the future, this sort of thing has got to change." The thing she ignored, however, is that no one has demanded that she dress in such a manner. She chose her own outfit, wore it of her own free will, and then became upset when no one catered to her when she decided she was uncomfortable. I also found it terribly amusing that the poster declared unless things change, she will start bringing her own chair to events where she would be similarly dressed. I don't know if this was jokingly suggested to close her post or not, but if the latter, I wonder if she would insist upon a male companion carrying said chair around for her because it isn't seemly for Victorian women to tote around anything heavier than a coin purse?

Finally, when it comes down to the line, honestly people, it's just clothing. Whether steampunk, Hollister-style prep, Lolita, scene, or any other style or subculture, the clothes one wears are no indication of the behaviour within, just like having a particular disposition does not automatically come with a dress code.

And to close, I feel like I should say that I am all for being considerate of others and not intentionally causing unnecessary trouble for people. But in this day and age when not everyone has the same set of appropriate social behaviours, and society itself does not hold everyone to the same obligations that it has in the past (and these obligations are even different across the nation), the best defense against feeling socially snubbed is to take care of yourself and not expect people to treat you as though they need to be looking out for you. They're not. They're taking care of themselves. And if that means you feel like you have to carry around your own chair for when your feet start to ache, so be it -- just don't come complaining to the internet when your chair-carrying arm gets tired. Or you could, y'know, not wear the uncomfortable shoes on convention day.

Deliciousness for the beginning of fall.

Woe! If only I had a better-equipped kitchen, I would be making all sorts of tasty dishes. Fall makes me crave the spiced and the rich, the creamy and the crunchy...

Via Camemberu.

I've been jonesing for some good laksa ever since I got absolutely hooked on the stuff from the Thai Garden in London -- best I've ever had. The broth is both sweet and spicy, with a nice crunch from the bean sprouts and crispy prawns.

Via LondonEater.

Italian hard cheeses are some of my favourites because of the sharp, nutty taste. I like veeeery thin slices that just melt on your tongue.

Via Healthy Delicious.

Mushroom ravioli with cream sauce. I LOVE mushrooms so much, it's a little unreasonable. Making my own pasta is pretty much out of the question, but the grocery store has a good selection of soft pastas, and I do like to make my own sauces, so it's not too bad.

Via Life's Ambrosia.

More mushroom love. I have a recipe for crab-stuffed button caps I need to bust out as soon as the evenings get a bit cooler.

Via Life's Ambrosia.

Oh, onion rings. Even better than French fries. The football game is on right now and I wish I had a big pile of these covered in Parmesan cheese to nibble on while my team loses.

Eavesdropping from behind my Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino.

Girl, to friend: You even have the same hair! I mean, his is fake and all. But it's still long and black and shiny!

I will wait in my house for you.

With my cat and my fireplace, until you send for me. Then we will have buttery mussels and sunsets by the sea until we can stand it no longer.

I could pack my whole desk and take it with me, but only if I was a giant.

The Mayfair Steamer Secretary Trunk... !

Just close it up like a box when you're not using it!

Love the library catalogue drawers. And look, it even has a handle!

I had a doll when I was younger, and she had a little trunk like this to store her clothes and hats and things. Maybe I couldn't pack all my clothes into this, but the contents of my desk are pretty much my whole life anyway.

This awesome desk was just featured on The Steampunk Home. I wish I could put it in my steampunk home, but at $4000, I might have to just keep on wishing.

"The Now Smash of Style."

I'm kind of split in my thoughts about this particular editorial. On the one hand, it's full of that elegant-but-choppy anarcho-Victorian style that I love so much, but on the other, it has enough tacky juvenile goth in it to make me pout. I think it's the spider-web tights and the fugly high platform boots. (And those terrible creepers! Ugh!)

I love the dirty texture of the necklaces and the skirt in this one.

The tights and the clunky goth boots are just ruining this. The contrived Alice bows aren't helping, either.

Ughhh, those dreadful shoes. Though I do love the shirt sleeves.

All the bad fishnet is just killing these outfits. Really? Ripped-up fingerless gloves? Those don't even say 80s material girl to me anymore. Just cartoon-y preteen punk.

Vogue Italia.
Photographer: Craig McDean.