10 ooky sppoky plants to add to your garden

I would plant everyone of my favorite plants if I could have a garden the size of a country, but I can't and so I won't. Instead, I'll be listing different types of plants that I wish I could plant. Maybe this will inspire someone else to plant them.

1. voodoo Lily AKA Devil's tongue. (amorphophallus konjac)  It's definitely an eye catching plant, with it's rich color and bulb of the flow can get pretty large. (Be careful, this is a very pungent smelling flower.)
   
2. Dicentra Spetabilis AKA bleeding heart. This perennial plant belongs to the poppy family, and thrives best in the spring. 
   
3. Mandragora officinarum AKA Mandrake/the devil's apple. These roots are members of the nightshade family and take about 2 years to bear fruit (If i remember correctly, don't quote me on that) They need full or partial shade to grow, and can grow up to 4 feet tall. (please keep in mind that these root shouldn't be consumed)
   
4. Datura trumpet flower AKA   is another member of the night shade family and grows in south America. It can grow up to 4 feet tall, and it's soft leaves and bright white flowers will give any garden a nice pop of color.
   
5. The mystic dreamer dahlia flower's stem and flowers have such a stark contrast, that it's hard to look away. The petals are light magenta, while the foliage is a deep red.  
   
6. Columbine Var Magpie. This is a very dramatic looking plant, isn't it?
   
7. A weeping willow tree 
   
8. Blue Chinese wisteria tree. These actually remind me of wisp spirits,
   
    
9. spanish moss. This will help give off that eerie abandoned feeling
   
10.  cobra lily 

Another music post.

Why don't I just put a few songs here so you can listen while you read. I'm actually liking this "what I've been listening to" type posts. Sure they're short, but It's a good way to just say "hey this music is out there if you're interested."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yp3IoC01drc
Red queen's lullaby, Eternal snow, Larmes De La Lune, Mad Dance, and Luna are my favorites from this video. (If you speed Luna up to 1.5X it sounds like it should be on the Get Backers soundtrack)

I think it's pretty safe to say that I prefer atmospheric, and music that's more on the romantic side. Now, I didn't stick just with things labeled "goth" because there are plenty of songs under all kinds of labels that speak to me. They're fantastic, or dreamy, or are just odd. I never liked boring things, and I'm starting to notice that in just about everything I do. I want to reiterate that, yes,  I like pastels,  my little pony, and all things cute. However, since this blog is dedicated to my... err, darker interest  I'll avoid gushing over GOT7, Kyary pamu pamu and the addictive nature of Initial D's sound track.


Young and Beautiful by Lana Del Rey

Fist off, I was OBSESSED with this song when it came out. I sung it every chance I got. It's so pretty and so emotional. (Now I'm not fond of uncontrolled emotions, let's get that out in the open) Anywho, back to the song. There are strings, whispering ghosts like choir, dramatic percussion and large bells in the back. Yet it's a soft sounding song. It reminds me of cathedrals early in the morning.

Once apon a dream By Lana Del Rey

There's nothing more dreamy than a classical disney song  being covered by someone like Lana. No more explanation needed.


Body Electric By Lana Del Rey
last one by Lana Del Rey I promise.  There's something so... well i don't know wonderful and dark about this. Composition wise, I'm fond of any one who can make a song sound like a 007 theme. Lyrically...uhhh... mmmh. I'll have to warm up to the lyrics I guess.

I've also been listening to a lot of Clan of Xymox, and she passed away, but that needs its's own post.

Inspiration: myths, music, and magic.

I usually post music that is slower and calm so this is a warning that this song is nothing at all like that. Amberian dawn's River of Touni is one of those songs I can't help but love. Yes, the music is downright awesome, and beautifully composed (seriously, close your eyes and take apart the song. there are tons of layers in each of there songs that you'll miss if you don't really listen.) but the lyrics are connected to an interesting story. Take a listen.

River of Touni- Amberian Dawn Lyrics:

Along the black death-land river
The mother runs and tries to find her son
Searching for her lost hero she wades the river deep
to her belt in mud

Oh! Heavy-hearted am I
Tuoni has taken my son!

Oh! Heavy-hearted am I
Tuoni has taken my son!

Fear in her heart she calls her son,
as she rakes the Tuoni river and sees the black swan
Now she wades the river deeper to deathlands shoals and shallows
and finds her son

Oh! Heavy-hearted am I
Tuoni has taken my son!

(This is the EXTREMELY SHORTENED VERSION, and i implore you to look into and read about the whole myth as it is very captivating. I, however, will not be covering the story in its entirety because i'm opposed to lengthy posts. That being said I will happily leave links to some of the sources) 

This song centers around the mother of Lemminkainen. In Finish Mythology Lemminkainen was killed by a blind cattle herder, who he had insulted . The cattle herder proceeds to hack Lemminkainen's body into several pieces and tosses it into a river. His mother sifts through the river to collects all of her sons remains. She eventually finds all the pieces of his flesh and revives him using magic.



The reason i like this song is because the mother's anguish was expressed in very few words. "Touni", the deity that rules over the underworld, "has taken my son." might be the part of the song that made me say "hey, let's look at why this deity did that. Now, i'm not expert in myths, but i'm always up for learning more. If you have a favorite myth, a song tide to an interesting story, or some folklore you'd like to share, then feel free to share.

30 Day Poetry Challenge day6

30 Day Poetry Challenge questions from  http://nadiasf.tumblr.com/post/7418962198/poetrychallenge




Day 6- Write a poem of any length incorporating every word from your latest Facebook status.

I chose to do a limerick. and prepare yourself for cringy poetry! (hey, practice is practice)

 this month is like the last two

 i think i was supposed to message you

how my mind is in a rut!

 oh, how my memory sucks

 lemme know if i forgot the truth

and the post i used: 
if i was supposed to message you in like the last two months lemme know... my memory SUCKS

Because Science! -of death and darkness pt2.

As many of you know (and for those who don't) I really like science so i figured i'll just talk about science! and death.... yes, death too. Here are some people who changed how scientists and doctors view the body.




During the scientific revolution a Flemish anatomist named Andreas Vesalius wrote De Humani Corporis Fabrica (aka in the fabric of the human body) Now, there weren't a lot of well written or illustrated works on the human body.  Vesalius earned the title of " the father of modern anatomy" by preforming public autopsies for himself and students. He compared his findings from humans and animal parts, and believed that observations and experimentation are necessary for medical research. (experimentation and hands on learning wasn't popular pre-scientific revolution. solving problems by thinking was generally how things were done. EX: Galen's four humors.)
Autopsies had to be done quickly as there were no way to keep the bodies from rotting (about 2-3 days max)



Speaking of Galen, or as I call him... Galen, Surgeon of Gladiators! (sounds flamboyant, no?)  He made his own mark on science. He thought doctors should also be philosophers, practice feeling for a pulse, and yes, used the 4 humors. The four humors are almost like "elements" that should be kept in balance to maintain health.

1.  Blood- for the heart
2. black bile- intestine
3. yellow bile - stomach 
4. phlegm- for the brain

There's also 

1. cold
2. hot
3. wet
4. dry

     William Harvey discovered that each organ has a function, he also found out that blood circulates through the body. Some of his work, however, was burned. Some of the topics that were lost included how people and animals breath, muscle movement and how animals came from eggs. 

a picture from Harvey's research on circulation 

The death Salon, and fashion -of death and darkness pt.1

This year, in Seattle WA., a death salon will be held. Now, I'm not talking about a beauty shop with people dressed up like they belong in halloween town (although that would be cool) it's more like a death convention. Anything and Everything you want to know about death, dying, the science behind it, and how to mourn will all be covered. Now it's important not to romanticize death, but to understand that it will happen to everyone and be prepared for it when it dose happen. Sadly, I can't go to this event because I have other responsibilities that take place on the same day. I can, however have a little chat and waffle on about death, on this blog. If you don't feel particularly comfortable with these topics feel free to just skip these posts in their entirety. Each post  will be labeled with "of death and darkness" for connivence. Now on to the purpose of the post!

Death's grip on fashion

         I recently read an article called "A Fashionable Death" on rookiemag.com and began to think of how fashion and death are closely linked. Krist Burton quickly runs though how tuberculosis went from an undesirable illness to must have accessory. I began to think about how frailty and beauty correspond. In japan the byojaku (sickly) trend popped up about two years ago. Ideally, the makeup should make one look sick, and frail. Now I'll be completely honest, I personally like this trend. I think, in part, because it shows how makeup can give a person extremely different looks, and in part because it's just make up. There's no need to harm oneself in order to get a certain look. I vaguely remember the 90's American trend of looking dangerously thin and looking back made me realized that i never thought anyone actually harmed themselves to get "the look". I now know that I was mistaken. If we were to go back in time a bit further to the Edwardian period we would notice that women would put Belladonna (aka deadly night shade!) in their eyes to make them dilate and appear larger. This led to eye infections and even blindness. The women also used lead based lipsticks because they provided the best saturation but they also led to lead poisoning. I suppose the "beauty is pain" concept had been around for ages.

        Fashion's connection to death hasn't always had a negative impact on society, take the victorian era for example. Mourning clothes and jewelry were a staple in ones wardrobe. Feel free to check out this article on Death and mourning during the victorian era for more information.

Fast forward to the 1980's and you get a subculture based on post punk music and the resurrection of gothic literature. This was combined with the rediscovery of antiques and a heavy emphasis on the DIY movement inspired by the punk scene. The end result was the start of the goth subculture (well, back then it was called a counter culture, but i digress) Now there are a lot of sub-styles of goth fashion but aristocratic seems to stem from mourning clothes. I know of a goth who loves to wear mourning veils, and it's an accessory that's also common in gothic lolita (all hail MANA-SAMA!)

   As time goes on, I think(or at least i hope) people have learned and are continuing to learn that you can get any aesthetic without harming your body.

nifty thriftings + tips

nifty thriftings, like the new name ? Anywho, I went shopping recently and was going to make a haul post but well I didn't. Then I realized I should probably only show the things relevant to this blog because I would waste a lot of time otherwise. Now just to be clear these things where accumulated over three shopping trips, and only the things related  to mori kei .  You know what? Why not throw in some shoping tips while i'm at it?

Here's one of my favorite tops.

and a detail shot. I love how dreamy and romantic this looks. 

Tip 1: If you're going to shop at a thrift store try the clothes on while you're there. Even if the tag has one size, still try it on.This top is a size medium, but i'm like a large or extra large. Not all sizing is the same, so you might just get lucky and find something that fits you.

This blouse has poofy sleves, sadly these pictures don't do it justice.

Detail shot: Ahh look at the collar, so cute.

Tip 2: keep an open mind. You may have it set in your mind that you will buy a mint green shirt with pink polka-dot hearts. The thing with second hand/ thrifting/ charity shops is that you might not find exactly what you want. That is A-okay! Keep an open mind, you might find something that you didn't even know you wanted. It's like a sweet surprise that won't cost you an arm and a leg. 

This is a warm cream color and once again has puffy sleeves (I blame Anne with an "E" for this puffy sleeve obsession.)

 Detail shot: Ahh so pretty

 Tip 3: check for stains in the store. Most of these shops don't allow returns, so make sure you like what you buy.

I love this vest, It's so cozy and reminds me of when i used to stuff dead leaves in my backpack in grade school.

Detail shot: I admit that this wasn't something i thought I'd buy, but I got such a great deal for it.

 Tip 4: Check for sales! Ask about student , military, senior discounts or even discount days. My favorite thrift store has super saver Sundays, and you can get 50-60% off a ton of products

Here's a sweater that I bought on a super saver sunday.

Detail shot: I love the little flowers, I added the bunny myself to give it more of a personal touch.

Tip 5: Make it your own. I know not all of these type shops have clothes that fit everyone tastes. Sometimes you just have to get creative. This is especially true if you like to dress in alt. fashion. Hopefully I can get some new equipment and have a segment on my youtube channel for upcycleing clothes to fit different alt. styles. (Let me know if that sound like a good idea)

You don't have to stick to just clothes either. I bought this for like $1.50 from a goodwill

This bag has a really classy vintage feel,and was $7

Detail shot: Heeheee I toataly got a deal on this. Sure, there's a couple of stains but I like it.

Tip 6: If you have the time, check the whole store.

 This was fun, maybe I should do more of these type posts. What do you think?