This was definitely an experiment full of trial and error. It took about 5 hours to make, would you believe? Regardless, it's perhaps my craziest Polyvore creation thus far, and to be honest, I really enjoy it. A mixture of 80s and 90s inspired colors with the whimsey of today. I tried to keep in mind Harajuku street fashions as well. The overall effect really somewhat reminds me of Doe Deere.
Ok, I swear this is my last contest post for the night. This is obviously all about different takes on the French manicure.
I'm personally a huge fan of nail art. I love to create it, I love to look at it, and if it makes any difference, I'm in possession of the famous Skrillex nails painted by the amazing Robin Moses. (It was so sweet of her to send them to me and I'll post pictures of them as soon as I can.)
I think a good manicure can separate the girls from the ladies. Even a solid color nail can have epic results if done properly. But a well-done French can instantly bring you up in class, because a person with nails that at least look like they took time must take good care of themselves. For this one, I actually wrote a message in french over the backdrop, ending with the Je t'aime in the front. I can't remember what I said, which is part of the beauty of this piece, but I know it was about holding the most beautiful loved one in the highest regards, but in a dramatic, poetic way. Also threw in an "Ohlà là" because... well, it's glamorous and French!
This is obviously a contest created by a certain cosmetics brand in cahoots with a certain chain store, but I still felt like adding my 2 cents. I'm a firm believer in the power of red lips and dark eyes. If ever you don't feel quite up to par on a given day, slap this look on and, I promise, it's the simplest quick fix there is, and it flatters every style, from gothic to edgy to pinup.
I stuck with Taylor because this particular photo of her really captured the essence of the overall look in a way that's easy to understand. Remember, bold doesn't have to mean crazy. (Look who's typing.)
Keeping up with the contests, I decided I'd do this one as a quick, little, simple set. I'm personally really picky about gladiators, but I do own one pair of black flat ones that I love and are really difficult to style. These, I thought, were casual enough to wear out and about but can also be dressed up enough to look classy. I took both approaches here. I imagine this girl is going out for brunch with the girls or meeting his parents for the first time. (Or her. You never know.)
As simple as this is, I actually do like it. It's both beautiful and youthful.
I personally have never been to Bonnaroo, nor have I ever felt the urge to do so, but this contest was all about how you would dress your best friend if they were to attend, I'm assuming with or without you. I just decided to portray what I would personally wear to any sort of outdoor festival that catered to what seems to be mostly indie music. (Again, Bonnaroo, not my usual scene.)
I'm in love with this hat. It kind of reminds me of something Sora from KH or Max from Where the Wild Things Are would wear if they were more urban, and the gender swap is ironically silly. The headphones are apparently the prize for winning said contest and were required, so I built the outfit around similar tones. The boots are the Jeffrey Campbell Everdeen, which are totally cool, and the awesome leather "utility pocket belt," (in other words, fanny pack), was a really awesome substitute for a backpack or a purse. A backpack would be too bulky and a purse would get in the way. The cherry on top? Gucci Guilty, which is a very sexy fragrance.
Anyway, I don't have high hopes I'll win this one, seeing as how most Polyvore contests are just a popularity contest to see who has the most followers, but I thought it would be fun to do anyway. I like the challenge.
As the mundane evening I was having finally came to a close, it came... like an angel in my newsfeed.
"Square Enix officially announces Kingdom Hearts III" - KH13.com
(Here's the video IGN released because I think it's ever so slightly louder.)
Yes, Kingdom Hearts III is finally in development, and the new style is HOT SHIT. I wish I could still technically call myself a gamer, though the truth of the matter is I no longer get to do nothing but sit and play games 24/7. However, I can say, without an inkling of a doubt, ain't no mountain HIGH ENOUGH that could keep me from a new Kingdom Hearts game, ain't nothing important enough that could keep me from annihilating it as soon and as thoroughly as possible.
Let me explain what this series means to me. Back when the PS2 was released, I was reluctant to abandon my first generation PlayStation. Mind you, I don't have a PSOne, I have a PlayStation, which my father sent me back home with after we'd bonded over Moto Racer when I was 6. Regardless, I'd seen the commercials for Kingdom Hearts on Disney Channel a million times, and I honestly didn't know what to think.
My dad came to see me that Christmas bearing gifts from his side of the family. He made it a point for me to open all of the games before opening the PS2, which I really wasn't expecting and hadn't even asked for. (I thought he'd just assumed I had one or was going to get one.) When I unwrapped Kingdom Hearts, I still wasn't sure what to think about it, but it was the first game I popped into the system regardless.
I was extremely surprised, partially due to the fact that when I was younger, I'd create ideal worlds in my head I wished were a reality. The Destiny Islands was my perfect world brought to life... sorta. I was overwhelmed by the fact that I could explore a place I'd only dreamed of, even if it was through a character. I was also shocked by the music (this was the first time I can honestly say I fell head-over-heels for a soundtrack) and the overall feel of the game. Everything came together so effortlessly and in a really beautiful way. There was no part of this game I didn't feel completely immersed in. I'm not one who can simply play any game at will. I get so emotionally invested that, if I don't really feel like getting lost in a certain game, I won't. This goes for any piece of media, honestly, and being a synesthete only heightens the issue. However, Kingdom Hearts took me to places I'd only dreamt I could visit. The original worlds were the ones that shook me the most. While Destiny Islands is still my favorite world, no matter how brief and small it is, Traverse Town, Hollow Bastion, and The End of the World are all right up there with it. To be completely honest, if you were to take away all of the Disney elements to the game, it would still be an excellent one overall. That being said, I found the mixture of Final Fantasy, Disney, and original characters to be a surprisingly great one. It wasn't as odd as I anticipated it and everything came together very well. Nothing seemed out of place.
Of course I shared this game with my best friend the following morning. The two of us were hooked and it became a daily ritual for us to play back and forth on my TV. I remember the night we finally finished the game together. I was so overwhelmed I cried, partially because it was an amazing story that set itself up for at least one sequel, and also because I didn't know what to do with myself once it was over. The story changed my life and my perception of the world and, at the same time, kept me hopeful of someday seeing new worlds myself. Kingdom Hearts was just one of those things that came into my life at such an important and perfect time and it left a huge impact.
While Chain of Memories was fun to play, it really barely preoccupied me from my impatience. After the first Kingdom Hearts, I subconsciously compared it every other game and began to hold higher expectations. When they weren't met, I became easily disappointed by most other games I tried to play. I craved Kingdom Hearts II, which was well worth the wait, though it felt longer than it was.
Kingdom Hearts II was a whole new experience, but it took the story much further along than the first. This was an extremely broad game, and I'm sure some people had trouble keeping up, especially if they didn't play COM. Re: Chain of Memories gave them the chance to catch up and I greatly preferred it to the original.
Birth By Sleep wasn't as great a feat as other KH games for me, especially when I found out that to get the extras at the end, you needed to play through the entire game on a difficult setting after I'd finished it on the normal setting. I have yet to play any of the other KH games, though I own Dream Drop Distance, (just not a 3DS). I have kept up with the story, though, through cutscenes and reading backstories, etc. Call it cheating, I call it being broke and desperate. (So I guess money is a mountain high enough, but only temporarily.)
*Warning: These videos contain spoilers.*
Aside from the games, I keep Kingdom Hearts incorporated into my life almost daily. I wake up to posters, I've displayed action figures still in their boxes, and the soundtrack is always in most-played on my iPod. I'm not a vacuous fangirl, but I'm definitely passionate about it. Kingdom Hearts taught me some real values in a beautiful way, like the importance of friendship, the necessity of broadening your horizons, and finding light even when hidden in the deepest darkness. It brought me to appreciate positive existentialism and, without KH, who knows if I'd ever had gotten to hear Utada Hikaru, who happens to have changed my life in her own right?
I apologize for such an extreme rave, and I'm sure a lot of hardcore gamers out there would say I really over-exagerated certain aspects of this game, but Kingdom Hearts essentially made me who I am. It was such a turning point in my life, and I've waited 8 years for this day.
Now let's hope they release it as a PS4 bundle so I don't have to buy the console separately!
xx
DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the videos provided nor their materials. They were strictly used for entertainment purposes only. Disney, please don't sue me or their distributers, because if you do, I will cry tears of sadness. T^T
SUPER sorry about my absence, my internet was down for an entire week, so I couldn't post anything. Now that it's back up and I've found my favorite camera, I can actually post things, like my review of my custom corset from Ivy's Custom Corsetry! That'll be my next post, so stay tuned!
I LOVE the Smiths. This is extremely girly, but the t-shirt and studded nails make a slightly edgy statement.
