Goggles of Eternal Revealing

I has them! And not a moment too soon... it's nearly the New Year, a perfect time for divining intervention.

Made, of course, by the enchanting crypto-historian Fyriel of OrpheusAlchemy ~ these are spectactularly amazing. Who else but Fyriel wouldn't even blink when I requested "Gypsy Art Nouveau Industrial Victorian" goggles?

Details that make me warm inside: Arcane symbols and silver curlicues all over!

A nameplate special for me on the leather strap... and a special antique key to some unknown door to the soul...

I had the joy of meeting Fyriel while she was sporting her full warlock costume at the Steampunk Convention, in which she found interwebs fame.

Visit her shop on Etsy for more breathtaking treasures to delight and mystify you!

Drunk History

In the hallowed halls of viral web video, every once in a while there's a shining star. One that stands out from the crowd - one that makes your eyes tear up, or is milk-out-the-nose funny.

I was having a rough day at work last week when a gem from that latter category arrived in my in-box from my dear Lord Hopton (who has undeniably impeccable taste in humor, as well as everything else in life).

It's Episode Three of a series aptly titled "Drunk History," and, well, just watch it.

Drunk History vol. 3 - Featuring Danny McBride by Danny McBride

The brilliance originates from FunnyorDie.com, and there are four or five episodes in circulation, but this one is my favorite.

Praise you, Derek Waters. Thanks for the laugh, I needed that.

Vintage Story Postcards!

I haven't breathed a peep yet, but my love Stache has been helping me put together a Web site for Adornments for Tarts. We've got much too much work to do to post a link yet, but today he helped me make some vintage story postcards for each of my designs, and I love them too much not to share...

These will end up in the gallery of the site. See more of them on Flickr.

In my un-biased opinion, Stache is an amazing designer, as you can see at his site, Sassy Monkey Media.

His recent specialty has been creating old-timey and vintage-feel Web sites - or as he puts it, "devising captivating aether-web destinations." So if anyone is in need of such a thing, you know where to go.

Bits and Bobs

I always loved Brit colloquialisms like "bits and bobs" or "I'm well chuffed." In fact, I may single-handedly try to bring "chuffed" into the American lexicon. Who's with me?

On to the bits. First, a tease - new designs are coming for Adornments for Tarts, at last. I received some exciting bundles in the mail - new raw silk, new velvet ribbons. And there's also a winter special in the shop - free pair of earrings with the purchase of a collar!

Also, my last post on my love of cephalopods helped inspire a new group blog from select members of the Etsy Steam Team. Come visit the Cephalopod Tea Party - a blog dedicated to a love of tentacled sea creatures! We plan to scour the inter-webs for all things octopus-ish, squidly, and tentacled for your enjoyment.

And there you can find treats like this outfit. Someone beat me to making my long-desired tentacle corset...

Found via BoingBoing, from this treasure trove of fabulous couture.

In other exciting interwebs fame news, I had an image featured on Theremina's drgblz blog, where LOLs meet airships - yay for ridiculously juvenile internet memes!

Finally, in the how-many-social-networking-sites-can-Choklit-frequent category, you can now find me on Twitter and on Facebook. If you must.

Things That Please Me: Cephalopods

This probably won't be shocking, given the propensity of a certain kind of person - that is, the Ectomo-devoted, Victorian-ephemera-appreciating, underground-art-loving kind - to also have an affinity for creatures of the tentacled variety.

In fact, it might even be a bit trite. Witness the ubiquity of the Octo on Etsy. I don't know what it is, really... A much tamer interpretation of the terribly-not-safe-for-work Hokusai woodcut Dream of the Fisherman's Wife? Some sort of Jules-Verne-ian deep-sea-monster fixation?

All I know is that I'm helpless to resist all things tentacled.

Exhibit One: A gift from the much-beloved Stache - vintage dictionary illustration of an octopus, made into a striking pendant on vintage velvet ribbon, by Found & Made Designs.

Exhibit Two: This miraculous thing from UnCorked - all good things rolled into one: Octopus! Mini clipboard! Test Tube! Two keystrokes and it was mine.

Exhibit Three: On the wish list - together at last... tentacles and little Victorian girls.

It's a Moleskine journal etched with a print by Dan Hillier. Brilliant. And Modofly has these with covers by dozens of my favorite artists.

Exhibit Four: Just discovered breathtaking art by Tucson artist Chiara Bautista, also known as Milk.


I could go on, but... I'll save some tentacles for another post. I know I'm not alone on this fixation.

Finely Crafted Pop

I have to admit that I have a huge appreciation for finely crafted pop, of the Belle and Sebastian or The Shins variety. And this weekend Skyeboy and I had a little album-shopping spree at the last independent record store in our town.

Largely inspired by David Byrne's play-list for the month, we struck gold on almost all our purchases, but I just want to gush over two of them.

First, the glory that is Seattle's Fleet Foxes.


At first glance, I thought the cover was a Bosch painting, but it's actually a painting called Netherlandish Proverbs by an artist named Pieter the Elder.

Self-described as "baroque harmonic pop jams" ~ all I know is it makes me want to frolic through a beautiful renaissance forest. I'm such a pushover for beautiful harmonies. How can I not love this album?

And then, of Montreal. Strange and operatic synth-pop, with nonsensical quirky lyrics and infectious melodies - and just enough of a dose of silliness to make me happy.


I can see how this album would either make one swoon or drive one batty, depending on mood. I was definitely in need of a new music infusion, and I adored it. Forgive me if I'm a latecomer to either of these parties, but both records have gone into overdrive on my iPod, so I'm sharing.

Adornments In the Flesh

The Steampunk Convention already seems so far away. But as promised, here are a few reflections from the trenches.

The best part, no contest, was meeting some of my fellow members of the Etsy Steam Team in person. I was thrilled to see Industrial Fairytale again, and to meet Emily of Theriaca Fina and Kathleen from Figments for the first time, among others. We were all floored by Fyriel of Orpheus Alchemy - who spent the whole weekend in the most amazingly beautiful arcane bird-creature costume I've ever seen. More on Fyriel here.

I had trimmed out my table with small indulgences, causing more than one person to laugh at my predilection towards excess and lushness - going down the row - feather plumes, silk garters, and dark chocolate... musts for any well-stocked boudoir, I say.

My stripey black-and-silver corset by Louise Black finally had its debut, and I had a beautiful vacuum tube necklace by Libby of Exoskeleton Cabaret hand-delivered to me by the dashing Nathaniel of Abney Park, as he is a dear friend and neighbor of Libby's. It all came together for my Victorian Gilded Bat costume.

I did miss the Abney Park show in order to dash home for my own, where Baby Seal Club opened for Mutaytor, and then proceeded to dance our hearts out until 3am.

Back to the convention Sunday morning, bedraggled but in good spirits. I had the pleasure of meeting some lovely people - like amazing artist Suzanne Forbes, and fellow Steampunk burner Miranda V, who has promised future adventures and debauchery.

The exposure was well worth it, and the Steam Team had a moment of fame last week when the Make Blog posted about us, complete with shop links and a picture!

All in all, a splendid time, if a wee bit exhausting.

Sweetness of Home

The weekend's events were beautiful chaos, and I'll have a full report soon. In the meantime, I just wanted to share what felt like the most beautiful sight in the world when I finally got home last night from Steampowered, and three full days under florescent overhead lighting ~ this little corner of my workshop, where my love Stache had put flowers for me.

It's so very good to be home. Now I am off to sleep, since I must wake up extra early to VOTE!