My Shoe Chronicles — Black Funky Boots

I’d never seen another pair of shoes quite this odd yet simple. I’ve got a few wild pairs, but this one, well, this one threw me for a loop. They’re simple black, but shaped so strangely I had to have them.

When I first saw them at at Goodwill while on vacation in my hometown, I almost didn’t buy them. They were almost a little too strange. Yeah, that’s strange in itself: the fact that I wouldn’t get a pair of shoes because they were too weird. But that’s one of the reasons I knew I had to get them. They were my size, weird and $10 or less, therefore I must own them.

And, y’know, they’re just right for spunking up a boring outfit. The picture doesn’t really do them justice. I’ve never seen another pair quite like them. I get stopped by complete strangers asking where in the world I got them. I have no idea what year they are from, either. I suppose they’re timeless!

My Shoe Chronicles — Olive Leather

I’ve gotten more compliments on these shoes than many others in my collection and I don’t know why. Maybe it’s that they look as comfy as they feel and they’re a little odd. I really don’t know, but I love ’em!

They’re also a unique color for my wardrobe. I don’t have any other pairs in this shade or shades near them. They’re one of very few pairs that I bought new simply for that reason: I don’t have another pair like them.

It’s uncommon for me to buy anything new. It’s gotta be truly unique and awfully cheap. The way I see it is that if I can go to a thrift store and buy four pairs or more for the price of those shoes, they better be totally awesome! In the case of these, I think they were somewhere around $25 in a quirky little shoe store in Chinatown of all places. It was definitely money well spent.

My Shoe Chronicles — Black and White Striped

I love these quirky shoes. They’re strangely shaped yet still comfortable. I’ve worn them to concerts and the grocery store and they just seem to go with everything.

However, they just don’t seem to break in. That’s most likely why they landed at the thrift store I bought them from. Standing in them is fine, but walking around the block? No thanks. Socks seem to help, but not much. I wear ’em because they’re funky, but if I know I’ll be walking a lot, I opt for one of my other black and white pairs. There’s only so much torture I’ll put my feet through!

My Shoe Chronicles — 80s White Cyclist

I got these shoes eons ago from a thrift store. They were pretty cheap because the laces were missing. I had a pair of laces from the same time period sitting around collecting dust (they were a gift when I was in third or fourth grade). They don’t exactly match style-wise, but I really don’t care. They get the job done and let my eclectic taste shine through.

Somehow, I’d lost these for about ten years and only recently rediscovered them, smashed, at the bottom of a box of random old stuff. I have no idea how they got separated from the rest of my shoes, but whatever. I’m glad to have them back.

My Shoe Chronicles — 80s Brown Flats

I took pics of some of my shoes for a project that has now run its course. Rather than file them away and forget about them, I’m blogging them. Why not? I mention my extensive wardrobe, but I don’t always put my money where my mouth is. So this is my chance.

I am the same size I was in high school and I don’t get rid of as much stuff as I should. I love vintage and second hand shopping, but I’ve had some stuff so long it’s now considered vintage anyway! I’ve got more than 250 pairs of shoes and boots spanning many decades. The ones I’ve photographed aren’t always the strangest, they’re just some of my favorites. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

They’re cute, they’re funky, they’re like totally 80s and they only cost me a couple of bucks second hand, but they are one of my most comfortable pairs of shoes for summer.

I’ve worn them on a few extra gigs, too. Strangely, though, I wasn’t playing 1980-something. They were modern day shoots. I suppose no one really pays attention to what extras have on their feet, but still, I thought it was strange that the costumers had me wear them. That was one of those days when I just slid on the nearest pair of shoes as I headed out the door. The other gig, I simply didn’t have another brown pair of flats that matched the outfit I was bringing.

Twilight’s Fancy isn’t just in Talisman Bay!

As Ashleigh Raine, myself and my best friend are writing a series of romance novels set in a fictional California Beach town called Talisman Bay. We’ve been working with these characters in this town since high school. In other words, we know them like the back of our hands. And oh, how we love them…

When we first started writing, I’d been inspired to make necklaces…again. (I’ve been going through phases since junior high, just before Jen and I met.) This time, I really dove in.

I’d unintentionally built a prototype back in 1994 when a friend of mine handed me a broken car part (a frayed clutch cable to be exact) and dared me to make jewelry out of it. Well, it’s still one of my most treasured pieces all these years later:

I dunno why, but I love necklaces with lots of dangles. One charm is rarely enough for me for some reason. I love the cascading effect, I suppose.

Anyhow, since I’d gotten back into necklaces and Twyla of Talisman Bay is somewhat my alter-ego, it made sense that she also makes necklaces. Twyla has been with me since high school. In college, I was a lighting designer and my favorite time to mimic is twilight with all that splashy color. Ludwig Tieck has been quoted “Twilight is the time when the logic of daylight meets the magic and mystery of night” and it just really rang true for me.

Twyla, Twilight… She does whatever she fancies… Twilight’s Fancy.

I add something new just about every day. Whether it’s more signature Twilight’s Fancy necklaces, ribbon chokers or purses. I just love spending time in my craft room. My creations are how I share my joy.

Shifting Gears

Wow. I titled this post “shifting gears” and I’m not even gonna mention car stuff. What is this world coming to?

Anyhow, I just wanted to post about how I’m adding to my plate… I’m making stuff.

How is this different from normal?

I’m selling it, too.

Yeah, that’s why the big banner across the top. I have simply got to clean out my sewing room. It’s bad in there. I love my mess, but if I don’t make a bunch of stuff or sell off what I have, I don’t have the room to collect more and my need to hunt and gather and build is stronger than my need to store.

See how bad it has gotten:

Every nook and cranny from floor to ceiling is full. Under the table: full. Drawers: full. Closet: full. And yes, see those spools of thread on the right near the center of the picture?: Floor to ceiling, every peg is full and there are a few in between just resting on their neighbors. And each spool is a different color. I put the duplicates in a separate box hidden under the counter.

I’ve opened two stores. One as RinaSlayter at Etsy. And one as TwilightsFancy at ArtFire. Why two names? Because I didn’t think I was really gonna be in this for the long haul. I was gonna off a few things and be done with it. But now I’m addicted.

Plus, those of you who might remember my Twilight’s Fancy necklaces…well, they’re coming back. I am still gearing up to get those listed. They take a little more time than some of my other stuff, but they’re worth the wait. Good ol’ Twyla from the Talisman Bay Series by Ashleigh Raine is still making necklaces. Oh hell yes, she is.

In fact, right now, she’s making ribbon choker necklaces with some of her beads (all those trays next to the thread spools). I swear she’s addicted.

I’m also making purses. A few months back, Jen calls me up because she was heading to my place so that we could go to a New Kids on the Block concert. I was making a bunch of noise in the background:

Jen: What is all that noise?

Me: I’m making purses for us to take to the show tonight.

Jen: You’re making purses. Okay.

Me: Yeah, it takes you about an hour to get here, I needed a purse for tonight, so while you’re on your way, I’m gonna make ones for both of us just ’cause I can.

Jen: Oooooookay. (She understands and doesn’t think this is strange in the slightest, of course.)

Me: Yeah, when you get here you can decide which one you want because they both go with what I’m wearing.

Jen: Sure. See you in an hour.

I’m still using that purse I made. It’s one of my primaries. I love it to pieces. So simple, yet so handy. I’ve made a whole bunch more using that same pattern, different material and different trim.

I’m gonna go see what else I can build. Today being a Friday, I’m trying to spice things up a little. So far, the grassy green tea has helped, but I need to build something. I’m itchin’ to make another signature Twilight’s Fancy necklace…the beaded kind with more than three dangles. Yeah, one of those.

This is more like it

More often than not, when I go in to my husband’s office to work my little bits of magic every month, I make a bit of an occasion of it. Let’s face it, most office jobs are boring. When I’m there, all I do is stare at a computer. It’s boring…even multitasking, it’s still boring. So, if I gotta get my lazy ass out of bed and down to the office for a day or two, I might as well make it interesting…

This was another time my friend just had to snap a pic on my phone. She even told me I HAD to blog it. Well, here ya go, Denise!

Disregarding the 3D glasses that were gifted in honor of my poor choice in clothing, the shirt and pants I’m wearing do not go with anything else in my wardrobe as well as they go with each other. Yes, that’s really saying something since they really only have the flowers in common–although one’s got 4 petals, the other 3. A flower is a flower. The blue and red almost match…almost.

I tell ya, though, everyone in the office had to stop and say hello or comment on my horrid outfit and the shock on people’s faces as I walked to lunch across the street was priceless. A little bit of wackiness goes a long way and I’m happy to do my part–even if it’s not Halloween!

Am I Together?

Every now and then, I appear to have it together. Everything matches and all is well. I just found this photo from earlier this year. I had a bit of a vampire/gothic twist going on that day for reasons I no longer recall, but a friend of mine thought I was so well put together that day, she just had to take a picture.

I don’t suppose it’s confidence inspiring that she was laughing while it was taken and that’s why it’s blurry.

Meet Commando Barbie

About five years ago, I got up the nerve to wear a particular outfit to a romance convention. That evening, I was dubbed “Commando Barbie”. Okay, cool. That was fun. The outfit was great–$12 on the sale rack at a Forever 21 in, like, 1999. It hung in my closet for years because I was determined not to get rid of it until I’d worn it at least once. Thus, in 2003, Commando Barbie was “born”.

I wore it to Comic Con that year and caused a bit of a double-taking stir as I cruised about the Expo floor. One guy in a booth full of knives, swords and various other weapons just stared and said, “Wow…” before he’d even realized he’d said it aloud.

See, Commando Barbie is much hotter, cooler, better than I could ever be. I dunno what it is about her, but she’s really got her shit together. I, however, am her dorky alter-ego. I have difficulty speaking, going places and I’m just so darn uncool. I’m far too shy for my own good and could really learn a thing or two from Commando Barbie. Her social skills are far better than mine. I, in fact, have no social skills.

In a slightly different outfit, Commando Barbie (and her two best friends, Wendy and Jen) met Jamison Newlander and Corey Feldman, the Frog Brothers from Lost Boys–her favorite movie (and mine. We’ve got that in common.)

She even got up close with Gareth David-Lloyd, Ianto Jones from Torchwood. (BTW-you should seriously check out the band he fronts, Blue Gillespie. Awesome, sexy, hard blues. Makes me want to go back to Wales again real soon and catch a concert. I also haven’t been to all the castles in the south yet.) (Gotta love the T-shirt he’s wearing, too. All day long, having his pic taken with numerous women. See, now that’s the kind of skills Commando Barbie has and I could only dream of. That shit’s hilarious!)

Here she is right next to the Lost Boys: The Tribe booth… As herself…

And in her vampire-hunter gear.

I really wish I were as awesome as she is. In fact, walking around Comic Con with my best friend Jen (together, we’re the Ashleigh Raine writing team), I remarked how I wish I wasn’t such a big dork. I mean, here I am goofing off with a Dalek… Yeah, a Dalek from Dr. Who for heaven’s sake. “Exterminate! Exterminate!” Not cool. And there I am dorking it up, trying to be all cool in my camo and failing miserably. Nice. Help me Commando Barbie! Please put me out of my misery!

And what was Commando Barbie doing…instead of a Dalek? Well, she got her picture taken for Hustler magazine…for their “Hot Chicks of Comic Con” project. Of course.

Why can’t I be more like her? Instead, I freeze up when people try to talk to me. I trip over my own feet and quite often I have significant difficulty discerning where my ass ends and my head begins due to their close proximity–one being firmly shoved up the other all the time. *sigh*

When I grow up, I wanna be Commando Barbie. That bitch has everything…

Store not available