Thursday, March 28, 2013

Glamorama


David Bowie's famous Aladdin Sane makeup.
  Glam rock is something often overlooked in the world of classic rock. Whereas classic rock fans usually keep their focus on anything from The British Invasion to hard rock, glam rock is a musical genre not many of them focus on. Of course everyone knows David Bowie; and we all love him. We also know him as one of the original glam rock musicians, and therefore one of the kings of glam. But what about those other glam groups and individuals we often see past?
(All images below are from Tumblr, and are not mine.)

Ah, David Bowie. The "King" of glam. He is most know for his outrageous outfits and wild personas during the 1970's.

Marc Bolan of T. Rex! Another "King" of glam in my books. Slightly more glam in my opinion than Bowie.

Bolan jamming out behind the T. Rex logo.
Bowie backstage applying makeup.

Bowie as the infamous Ziggy Stardust.

Bowie and Bolan, a glorious sight!

Star Magazine, a popular groupie magazine during the mid to late seventies. Lori Maddox and Sabel Starr are just a few to jumpstart their careers as groupies through this magazine.

Debbie Harry of Blondie. Although Blondie are more new wave than glam, Debbie did have a little glitz in her.

Joan Jett during the early 1980's. Although Joan's 80's career wasn't glam, she went on to become one of the leaders of glam/hard rock in the 80's, as well as the whole hair band movement, which I won't get into.

The Runaways (minus Cherie Currie) c. 1977. Queens of noise.
Bowie-inspired. Source.

Some groupies c. 1974. Check out the outrageous platform boots, worn by the men!

Marc and Mickey of T. Rex. Absolutely love the colors in this. 

I made this Polyvore of glam related things I enjoyed. :) Link here


  1. "Atomic" by Blondie
  2. "Fame" by David Bowie
  3. "Ride a White Swan" by T. Rex
  4. "Cherry Bomb" by The Runaways
  5. "Rebel Rebel" by David Bowie
  6. "20th Century Boy" by T. Rex
  7. "Bad Reputation" by Joan Jett
  8. "I'm Sick of You" by Iggy Pop

If you liked this post, check out:
Bowiemas by Rookiemag

My posts on How to Dress Glam

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Strange Magic

  Lately I've had this strange obsession with magic- films about ghouls and demons, spooky things, paranormal activity (not the movie!) and I've realized magic is all around us. By magic, I don't just mean strange tricks and kooks, but I also mean beautiful majestical things like the moon and the stars as well as creepy crawly critters. So yes, this is a very delayed Halloween post, but here are a few spooky magic things I happen to like. Enjoy.

This post is JAM PACKED! On this post you will see (SO KEEP SCROLLING!):
1. A Playlist
2. Photos
3. Movie Reviews
4. Websites/Pages to Check Out



  1. "Do You Believe in Magic?" by The Lovin' Spoonful
  2. "Magic Bus" by The Who
  3. "Strange Days" by The Doors
  4. "It's Magic" by Pilot
  5. "Technicolour Dreams" by Status Quo
  6. "Magical Mystery Tour" by The Beatles
  7. "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic" by The Police
  8. "You Can Do Magic" by America
  9. "Magic Man" by Heart
  10. "Strange Magic" by Electric Light Orchestra




Adapted from of a 1939 collage by Herbert Bayer. Reviser unknown.


Decided I'd try something new today and wear my old Harry Potter shirt. Plus I think black and white stripes make things look slightly spookier, don't you think?

Lisa Frank

My homemade googly-eye bow. My new favorite accessory!

Antonia Ordóñez (left) and Guadalupe Juarez-Ordóñez sitting on a half-moon prop for novelty photos at the Santa Monica Pier, 1920. Via Of Another Fashion.


Spooky Movies & Stories You'll Enjoy




Disney's The Sword in the Stone, 1963
The legend of King Arthur is one we all think we know, but don't quite remember the exact story. Through Disney's animated version, we get a focus on Arthur before his rise to royalty, mainly his shitty childhood and relationship with Merlin the wizard. The villain in this film, Mad Madam Mim, is seriously overlooked. If you're in need of an unknown Disney classic that stylistically looks like Peter Pan or Robin Hood, you'll enjoy The Sword in the Stone. So what if the story itself is a little dull? Disney definitely adds that extra oomph for this movie to make it onto this list. 

The Last Unicorn, 1982
This was definitely a childhood favorite of mine. I actually just rediscovered by DVD version and have practically had it on repeat ever since. The story itself is about a unicorn (voiced by the AMAZING Mia Farrow) who is the last of her kind. She ventures out with a bunch of other crazy fantasy characters in order to find out what happened to the other unicorns. As a kid, I loved this movie more than anything, and as a teenager, I still do. If you love unicorns, glitter, magic, or 80's animation, you may just fall in love with this movie.
Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School, 1988
Like The Last Unicorn, I recently found my VHS version of this film while digging through my old TV cabinet. Although creatively this movie lacks the plot of say, The Last Unicorn, as a kid, I always loved this movie. Although the title says Scooby-Doo, it's a little misleading; the only members of the mystery gang to make an appearance in this movie are Scooby, Shaggy, and Scrappy-Doo. Shaggy has recently accepted the job as a gym teacher to what he believes is an all-girls school- but its actually an all-girls ghoul school. Through cheesy 80's animation and slapstick comedy, Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School is easily one of my childhood favorites. Although it doesn't quite measure up today, I certainly loved this movie as a kid. 

The Craft, 1996
If anything, The Craft made me rethink my life and made me want to join the wonderful world of witchcraft. This film is about three teenage girls who take in another new girl as they discover she has the same witch powers they do. Together they are unstoppable- putting curses on those who bullied them, creating amazing spells like an instant hair dye one (which I would LOVE to have in real life, just saying), and bond together through their craft. I won't spoil any endings, but I must say this movie is just wonderful. A little dreary, but overall, a great watch and a must-see. 

Picnic at Hanging Rock, 1975
This film was all over Tumblr one day, so I decided to check it out: WONDERFUL IDEA. This movie is like the pre-Virgin Suicides, a wonderful story about a mystical group of girls who disappear seemingly out of thin air. The only differences are this story takes place in the year 1900, where the dresses were long and the style was beautiful. I absolutely LOVE the imagery in this film, from everything to the flowers they soak, their dresses, to the cake they cut. Stylistically it is a lovely film, where plot-wise it seems to be ever-so-slightly lacking. I do love this film though, so I recommend you check it out.

Sites to Check out:
Astronomy Picture of the Day, LOVELY imagery
Hubblesite Gallery, full of wonderful pictures from the Hubble telescope in space
Season of the Witch by Rookiemag
The Mad Mod's October Archive, full of Spooky Vibes 

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Dedicated Follower of Fashion

  This Saturday I visited the Garment District in Cambridge for the second time, and I really must say it is my favorite store! Unfortunately I left having purchased only two items, but it was still quite lovely! Now if you haven't heard me ramble on about The Garment District before, its a gigantic clothing shop that sells used clothing, new clothing, AND vintage clothing. And it's all cheap! It's a complete dream. The only issue is that it's about a half an hour drive from my house and when driving there, I have to take roads with tolls, so it can get quite costly. But overall, it was still a fun experience!
  I went with just my mom, and she and I hardly get to do anything together as just the two of us, so I had a lot of fun. Both items I bought were from the 60's section for $14 total!

(Note: I forgot my camera, so none of these pictures of the store or models are mine!)














Now my turn! My dress and coat from the sixties.

This dress is actually an XXL shirt, but I loved it so much, I had to make it mine so much. Only $9.

My coat! Only $5. I love the color so much, my god.

Ignore my face, I just wanted to show off my teased hair! This is the first time it actually turned out decent.

Ah, look at the pattern of this coat! It's beyond adorable, I absolutely LOVE pastels. Perfect for upcoming Easter!


  1. "Dedicated Follower of Fashion" by The Kinks
  2. "This Charming Man" by The Smiths
  3. "Wear Your Love Like Heaven" by Donovan
  4. "Walk on the Wild Side" by Lou Reed
  5. "Moi je joue" by Brigitte Bardot
  6. "The Captain's Fat Theresa Shoes" by The GTO's
  7. "Old Brown Shoe" by The Beatles
  8. "Some Girls" by The Rolling Stones

Friday, March 22, 2013

Those Were the Days - Music Review #1

Illustration by Kendra
  Unfortunately with today's vast musical library, many songs, especially songs from the past, have been overlooked. But fear not! For I have come today to give you an inside look at a few very overlooked songs that I personally love.

"Picture Book" by The Kinks
The Village Green Preservation Society, 1969
 The Kinks have forever been an overlooked and underrated band in the world of classic rock. In the early to mid-1960's, the British Invasion propelled many bands such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Who over to America. However, since The Kinks were slightly more British sounding, their popularity in the United States never quite rose like other popular bands at the time. The Kinks' lead singer Ray Davies mainly focused on the British class system, (which I have based many of my posts about) which meant that many Kinks songs did, too. An album that particularly highlights this is 1968's The Village Green Preservation Society, a concept album telling tales of the British class system and its supposedly preserved and safe society. One of my favorite songs on this album has to be "Picture Book," telling about looking through an old book of photographs and remembering times of past. With the usual Kinks twist, this song gives off heartfelt memories with a sixties rock n' roll feel. If you're a Kinks fan, a nostalgia fan, a UK fan, or just a fan of the sixties at all, "Picture Book" is definitely a song worth listening to.

"Intuition" by John Lennon
Mind Games, 1973
  Of course, John Lennon is one of the most respectful and well-known musicians from the 20th century. Unfortunately many of us do not know his music outside of the Beatles or his famed solo song, "Imagine." On the well put together 1973 album Mind Games, Intuition kicks off side two with a calm, cool, somewhat tropical beat. For anyone wanting to take a break from Lennon's sometimes harsh and rough vocals and cynical lyrics, "Intuition" will definitely calm your musical taste buds. Every time I listen to this song I imagine floating down a river as a gentle breeze blows through the tropical air. This is the perfect song for both summer and just days where you'd like to relax and take a break from life.

"Pisces Apple Lady" by Leon Russell
Leon Russell, 1970
  I had first heard about Leon Russell while reading Chris O'Dell's wonderful autobiography Miss O'Dell. (which I highly recommend to everyone!) Chris had dated Leon in the late sixties, and he had written this raunchy, bluesy, soulful all-in-one tune, "Pisces Apple Lady" for her. Leon, known as an excellent piano player throughout the sixties and seventies, was known for his unique style. "Pisces Apple Lady" starts off with a somewhat-calm piano riff, booming into a wonderful piece that is, well, quite difficult to explain. I guess you could say its one of those songs you just have to listen to for yourself in order to fully understand. This is also one of those songs that by just listening to you can't define into a decade, because both Leon's soulful, raspy voice and intense piano playing just don't fit anywhere else. Even if you aren't a fan of blues or soul, I recommend this song for anyone looking for a new song that wants to have a good time.

"Go All the Way" by The Raspberries
Raspberries, 1972
  This song is probably the song that got me into the seventies. Before I heard this song, I had been mainly focused in the eighties (a fifth and sixth grade stage I quickly wanted to forget) and had been listening to one of those decades musical channels on TV with my dad. As soon as 1972's "Go All the Way" came on, my eyes instantly darted to the TV to find out where the hell such a wonderful song was coming from. Starting off with an intense and raunch-filled (I know I've used raunchy many times before during these reviews, but each song I describe it with really is raunchy!) guitar riff, this song is the definition of kick-ass. It starts off very intense, slowing down for the verses and chorus, then booming back up again. Although The Raspberries were slight one-hit-wonders, this song is definitely a gem and if I had to pick one song to be known for, I would definitely pick this one. (Note to all of you who saw the 2012 movie Dark Shadows, this song was covered by The Killers for the ending credits.)

"Listen to Me" by The Hollies
A 1968 single
  I hadn't used Pandora radio much until this year, and before I did, I knew who The Hollies were due to my obsessive interest in the British Invasion. I had put The Kinks in as my artist for this playlist, but when 1968's "Listen to Me" came on, I had forgotten to write it down and had this song stuck in my head for days. It's wonderful use of repetitive lyrics and smooth vocals (not to mention the chirpy backing vocals) made this song virtually impossible to get out of my head, and I searched long and hard trying to find this song again. When I finally found it again I realized I was in love with it, and it still remains a favorite of mine to this day. The Hollies themselves are like a one-of-a-kind crossbreed between The Beatles and The Kinks, taking on a very British yet poppy personality. If you haven't heard this song, as well as haven't heard of The Hollies, I think you should definitely take a listen.

"Eight Miles High" by The Byrds
Fifth Dimension, 1966
  When everyone thinks "The Byrds," they automatically think of 1967 acid-infused surf rock. Although with many later Byrds hits, 1966's "Eight Miles High" was just as rough and heavy as their latest hits. "Eight Miles High" is often overlooked for more popular and later hits such as "Turn! Turn! Turn! (There is a Season)" and "Mr. Tambourine Man." However, if you're ever in a groovy summer pre-summer of love mood, "Eight Miles High" is the song for you. This song combines psychedelia, heavy guitars, and haunting vocals. Although I don't have much to say about this song, I would definitely recommend you give this song a listen.

"Those Were the Days" by Mary Hopkin
A 1968 single
  Oh, how do I declare my love for Mary Hopkin? She started off her career on The Beatle's infamous Apple Corps, and I believe she was the label's first (and only) female artist to produce any success from them. Unfortunately Mary Hopkin isn't a household name today, which I find a shame. Her raw talent and stunning vocals make her an instantly likable musician, and what better way to showcase her talent than her first single, 1968's "Those Were the Days"? When I first heard this song, I went gaga over the Balalaika, a unique instrument that's so hard to explain, I'd rather you listen to the song itself in order to understand. The song gives off a klezmer feel, making it seem like you're in the clucky countryside rather than your own home listening to it. It is by far the prettiest and most calming song on this list, so I suggest you take a listen.