Sunday, July 22, 2012

Goth Girl Outing

I guess you can already tell that we had a pretty awesome yet random day. 
 My friend Natalie and I went out on a day of shopping and random! We tend to do this every now and then. We load up on sunscreen, wear sun-protecting layers, sunglasses, and venture out into the bright (and HOT) California world.
 Natty checking out some monochromatic lace shirts. :3
 I find that random stores with a lot of accessories have the best stock of Goth bits. I found this earring and necklace set as well as other spooky jewelry too.
 Moving on to another store, we found ourselves in the pet aisle. Lo and behold! A wildly cute, devilish bunny appeared!
 I love bunnies sooo much! And though the thought of buying this bunny for the sole purpose of watching my puppy rip it to shreds ("D'aw, he ripped off his face. Cute!"), I had to turn my attention to more pressing matters. Like the unhealthy bond between a girl and her hedgehog.
 COINCIDENTALLY, the pet aisle just HAPPENED to be directly across from the toy aisle. Accident? I think not.
 Yeah, we don't even... why?
 Though Natty does not like things that bounce, she does like round things. Particularly when they are twisted, bare and dead.
 There was a SMALL Halloween aisle to the store! You can see the price tags, we were tempted.
 Why don't those witch shoes exist in real life? :[
 Le glitter candle stick holders were my favorite.
 We soon departed from said store of gloom and despair for sustenance! It was soo bright and soo hot, Natty decided to stake herself in the heart. ... yeah, I don't even know where she found that thing. XD
Yeah, summer in Cali sucks. But the tacos were awesome! <3!

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Michael's Incident Quick Update

Wow, Michael's answered fast!

I received this e-mail a little while ago from the operator I spoke to on the phone. Good things are happening, my fellow Gothlings. Let us all light a candle in hope. <3!


Ms. Zacarias, 


We would like to offer out most sincere apologies for this experience. We do not have any kind of dress code required for out customers. We will be sure this information gets forwarded to the district manager of the Downey, CA location. His name is Bryan Taylor and we will see to it that he is in contact with you to be sure this does get addressed. We understand you have choices in where you shop, and we are sorry we fell short in this experience. 


We ask that you please allow a few business days to hear back, but we have forwarded this information for you today. We hope the rest of your weekend is more pleasant. Thank you again for letting us know. 


Sincerely, 


Tiffany Pickett
Michael's Customer Relations. 

Michael's Incident Update

Following the incident that happened on Thursday inside of Michael's *hiss*, my mother and I sat down and wrote out the entire incident.

We wanted to make it thorough, but not make it sound like a back and forth of verbal exchange between Gina *hiss* and ourselves. The store has cameras, and I am certain that they will show just how hostile this woman was to us. 

The following is the exact written statement that my mother and I issued to the company. We decided that the only action we want taken is for this woman to be fired. We feel that it is up to us to ensure that no other people exit the store with a lack of respect and dignity simply for being different. I will keep you all updated on the company's response. <3!



My name is Mary Ann Zacarias, and I have a complaint regarding the manager handling affairs at the Michael's located in Downey, California inside of the Downey Landing Shopping Center.

On Thursday, July 19th, 2012 at approximately 3pm, my friend, her 2 siblings (both of whom are minors) and I went shopping at Michael's. We walked through the store and were looking at various crafting tapes when a female employee approached me. She said that she received a complaint regarding my skirt, that a mother in the store had seen it and thought it was too provocative. I was then given the option to cover myself up, or to leave the store immediately.

My friends and I were in the store no more than 5 minutes at most when this claim was made, and the woman was VERY condescending to me with her choice of words and body language. But I could tell by her shirt that she worked there and I didn't want to cause a problem with my friend or upset her two siblings (both of whom are minors), so I asked what I could do. My friend had a black sweater which she lent to me to wrap around my waist and, when I turned around, the woman was gone.

My friends and I continued to walk throughout the store, but we felt VERY uncomfortable in that environment and left early. When I got home, I told my mom my story and she agreed with me. There is no set policy within ANY establishment dictating how a customer should be dressed in order to receive respect and the dignity to shop. I was wearing boots, fishnets, a black bodice, and a skirt. I am certain that the store has cameras that will prove this. There was NOTHING wrong with my outfit, but simply because I dress unconventional, I was not treated with the dignity or respect that any other shopper would have received.

My mother and I went back to the store around 6pm the same day (Thursday, July 19th, 2012). We felt that the female employee's actions and words were very demeaning and wanted to speak to the manager. We asked an employee to speak to the manager and she called for the manager from her headset. When the manager came out, I saw that she was, in fact, the very woman who condescendingly spoke to me earlier. When she approached my mother and I, she looked at me very condescendingly and stood with her side to me. Even after our earlier verbal exchange, she was ignoring me and disregarding me with her body language.

She faced my mother, introducing herself as "Gina" and asked what the problem was. My mother said that I had come earlier to the establishment and that an employee treated me rudely because of my outfit. The woman nodded and said yes, that it was she herself who spoke to me because she had a complaint regarding my outfit. A mother said we were close to her children and my outfit was too revealing. My 3 friends and I were nowhere near the children, and even if I had been, shouldn't my friends' siblings (both of whom are minors) receive the same amount of respect? Shouldn't I? My mother asked to see where it was written in the store policy that managers or employees can treat their customers with disrespect simply because of their clothes. Where is it located that there is a dress code for customers to receive dignity, and the manager shook her head. This is where the manager TRULY disrespected BOTH my mother and myself.  

Gina said that I was dressed simply to "call attention" to myself and insisted that my skirt was "too provocative". It was at this time that she ORDERED me to turn around and show my own mother my outfit. Gina insisted several times in a VERY strong, authoritative manner that I do so. I was scared by her tone of voice and didn't want her to touch me in any way, so I turned around. I was thoroughly embarrassed. NEVER before have I been so humiliated all my life, which I know is EXACTLY what Gina wanted. It was at this time that Gina shook her head, saying that I went home and changed my outfit. That I was wearing a black skirt made entirely of lace that scooped down in the back and showed off my entire back. This is impossible. I did not change my outfit, not a single sock. I was wearing the EXACT same outfit as I was wearing earlier when I visited the store, and I am absolutely positive that the store cameras will prove this. I have waist-length black hair that I always wear down around my neck and shoulders, and it covers my entire back. But she insisted to my mother that I changed and called me a liar several times to my face.

Things were getting very heated and loud in the store, and my mother and I had enough of her accusations. My mother asked for her name and the store information to file a complaint. The manager rudely said that her name was Gina, to go to Michael's online and to PLEASE file a report under her name. My mother said good, that if she was going to treat her customers like this that we will file a complaint. Gina mocked my mom and said good, that if my mom was going to allow her daughter to dress like that then I deserve it. After insulting me, my way of dressing, AND my mother's parenting skills all in one, my mother and I followed after her, asking her to repeat what she said.

I cannot explain to you the profanities this woman decided to use, but not a single time did this woman mention the parents, their children, or the need to protect the innocent- it was all a personal attack. Everything she said was aimed at attacking me on a personal level. If she was trying earlier to protect the children of the store, her coarse language in the presence of my mother and I proved otherwise. Gina insulted me, my style, my outfit, called me a whore, and said that my mom is a bad mother. I went in to the store to get supplies, not for verbal abuse.

Gina used VERY strong language that was entirely uncalled for. She was exceedingly unprofessional in her behavior, her words, and her actions. If when we had walked in, she apologized, saying that a mother had complained, that she was simply doing her job and was sorry, that would have been the end. My mother and I would have left the establishment content. But she did not. She decided to personally attack both my mother and myself, wholly disrespecting us, and created a VERY negative environment for all of the people who were shopping who had to hear her yelling profanities (children included).

This woman should be fired and replaced with a more professional employee. My friends and I will never shop at Michael's again. For an establishment that promotes creativity and the arts, I have never in my life been so humiliated simply for being an individual. Gina embarrassed myself, humiliated my family, and made my friends feel exceedingly uncomfortable, all because she did not like me personally. This was self-evident in the way she chose to personally attack me in the presence of my own mother and other shoppers of the store as well. I would like to know where in the store's policy it states how a customer should dress to shop at Michael's. Please send me a copy of this policy. I hope to hear from you soon. Thank you.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

The Michael's Incident- Goth Social Injustice

I almost got kicked out of a Michael's today. 


Not for swearing, or lewd conduct, or shoplifting. Oh no, apparently some soccer mom's had a problem with my skirt because it was "too sexy and revealing." 


Well Michael's, you can kiss my ass. 


Just because some women get knocked up and bring their spawn there to glue popsicle sticks with glitter glue does not mean they are loyal customers that can belittle the people whom enter your establishment. 


They have no right. No one has that right. Not even your power hungry managers. 


This video described the whole incident. You tell me that this is not an incident of social injustice because I am Goth.

Please share this video, or my blog, or my story. This is wrong, and should NEVER happen again. To anyone. Period.


(Warning: there is swearing and an [evidently] provocative outfit headlining my holey skirt. BEWARE!) <3!




Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Liebster Award

Thank you to CatacombxKitten from Graveyard Picnic for nominating me for the Liebster Award! You should definitely go and have a look at her blog. :3


The Rules
  • Each person must post 11 things about themselves
  • Answer the questions the tagger has set for you
  • Create 11 questions for the people you have tagged to answer
  • Choose 11 people and link them in your post
  • Go to their page and tell them
  • No tag backs

11 Things About Me
1. I am going to college and studying music with an emphasis on Classical Vocal Technique (aka I sing opera).
2. I was born November 21st, 1987 in Long Beach California. 
3. I am a Scorpio which is a water sign. I think this and my birth place have invested a deep love for the ocean inside of me. 
4. I love astrology, the planets, the stars and constellations. I don't live by it, but I find it fascinating. There is this order to the universe which many view as chaos (Big Bang theory, elements, heat, explosion, and yet order is made from that very chaos). 
5. Despite the Big Bang comment I just made, I was raised Christian and have a love for ALL religions. I am very open minded.
6. I like to make my own clothes whenever I can, or buy clothes really cheap on ebay and personalize them.
7. My grandfather, grandmother, and father all died before the time I was 8 years old. Their passing's really influenced my life- I'm very emotional, I look deep into stupid small things, and I truly Truly love all my friends. 
8. I love to read and write. I have stacks and shelves of books in my room on various topics from serial killers, sexuality in Victorian America, faerie tales, King Tutankhamun's treasure (I love Egypt), vampires, and spirituality. 
9. If you have given me roses, I have most likely preserved them or bound the petals in a book for safekeeping.
10. I am allergic to mangos. My aunt brought some over when I was 14 and I ate 2 then went to sleep. I woke up covered in hives and was rushed to the emergency where they thought I had anthrax poisoning. Haha, best Christmas Eve ever. 
11. I have an older brother named Marcos Anthony. He is one year older, we're entirely different, but we get along every now and then. 


Questions I was asked to answer
  1. Your favourite item of clothing?   My corsets.
  2. Are you more of a pessimist or an optimist?   Optimist when it comes to others, pessimist with myself.
  3. Your biggest guilty pleasure?   Dark Chocolate. I love dark chocolate. 
  4. What's your Hogwarts house?   Ravenclaw.
  5. Any languages you want to learn?   All of them. I love languages and wish I knew them all. 
  6. Anything you wish you were better at?   Singing! You can always get better.
  7. Any books to recommend?   The Asylum For Wayward Victorian Girls by Emilie Autumn.
  8. If you could live in a TV show/film/book, which one would you want to live in?   The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls by E.A., Daughters of the Moon by Lynne Ewing, or Pandora by Anne Rice. 
  9. Do you collect anything?   Books.
  10. Favourite kind of chocolate?   DARK. I loooove dark chocolate. 
  11. When in doubt, do you dress up or down?   Up. Always. I'm never dressed down except for camping, and even then I have fishnets. :P

The People I Am Tagging
I honestly don't have 11 friends to tag on this so I wont tag anyone. You should though, it's my fault I'm a shy shut in. ^^;

Since I don't really have anyone to tag, I ask you my followers who read this post to answer these questions. 

My Questions
1. Using your own words, how would you describe your own distinct style of Goth?
2. What is your guilty pleasure?
3. What kind of books do you like to read about?
4. What is your favorite band(s)? These do NOT have to be Goth.
5. When did you know/accept that you were Goth?
6. What is your "normie" pleasure?
7. Stockings, leggings, or socks? 
8. Tea or coffee?
9. Headstone or mausoleum?
10. Do you play an instrument? 
11. What is your favorite movie(s)? 

Monday, July 16, 2012

I Won A Goth Outfit Contest!

It's true! I did! I've never won ANYTHING before, and I'm super happy that I did!

On YouTube, there is a vlogger named Synthetic Doll (a GORGEOUS British Goth with porcelain skin that makes the moon weep with envy) and I entered into her contest for Outfit of the Day and I won! She starts talking about the winners about 1:07 if you're impatient, but the other girls outfits are pretty beautiful as well.


I had posted my outfit a while back in December for Christmas, but I'll repost them here. I got swag, PIRATE SWAG.
 I made my lace sleeves and my parasol (I posted a tutorial a while back). Everything else was store bought but I modified somehow.
 Haha, back when I was still new to that corset.
 I have a veil cap, a red glitter skeleton hand with a black rose attached, and a red, hear-shaped eye patch that my friend Jessica gave me as a present.
 And yes, a small heart under my other eye. I have to match! :P
One thing that made me really happy was that I've been getting some flack lately on people rating my "gothness" factor. Being a girl with brown hair, brown eyes, mid-to-normal paleness, no piercings, no tattoos, and no crazy hair colors or hair cuts, I'm ... average. People might say I'm pretty, but I'm very average looking. I can put on a Gothic outfit and look Goth, or put on a pink dress and look normal. And there are people (I'm looking at you YouTube) that "judge my gothness" based upon these things. 

Just because I don't have tattoos, stretched earlobes, studs in my lips, or pink hair shaved on one side does not mean that I am not Goth. We cannot all be Joji Grey. I don't look good with colored hair, shaved hair would look bad on my misshapen head, piercings would be a nuisance in my long hair, tattoos aren't my thing (I think they're gorgeous on others and had a subscription to Suicide Girls, but they wouldn't look good on me). 

And you know what, that doesn't matter. As long as you are comfortable with YOURSELF, no one else's opinion matters. 

So be you. Be your own signature brand of Goth. If being Gothic is about being unique, just be you. You're doing just fine. :] <3!

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Mail Call Number Two

Another day, another package!
Today, I bought some more "casual gothwear" for my wardrobe. I needed some cool but normal shirts to wear out every now and then, and I think these were just right. 
 Opeth! I'm a new fan, but I love them. Also, this pink bunny shirt.
 Look familiar? It is the pink bunny from Sucker Punch, and I love him. I only wish I knew what this means. Can any of you translate it for me? I'm at a loss of words. (Get it? Punny).
 This is what the shirt looks like on me. I am suddenly reminded of why I normally don't wear white, it's because it makes me look super tanned for some reason. O.o  
 I hate high necklines though (I feel like I'm being smothered), so I cut it into this shape. I just followed his ears really, I think it looks fine. Still normal/casual for any given day.
 And a new belt buckle! I think this will look great on my bullet belt when I go for more of a shredded deathpunk look.
It's a plain rubber band bracelet, but I think the black/red Manson look is always a given for any Goth.
And this little number. I don't remember if I posted this or not, but I kinda feel bad so imma post it (again?).
 My friend recently came back into my life and bought me this exquisite necklace that I LOVE. He knows my taste well. :P
Remember when I bought this skeleton slide a while back? I think this necklace and bracelet will get along very nicely. 
Time to start changing up my wardrobe, I've been very boring lately. :P <3!

Friday, July 13, 2012

Mail Call

I got some new treats in the mail this week! What can it be? 
 I love the black bag, it's so mysterious.
 Alas, this beauty lie in wait inside!
 Yup, your eyes do not deceive you- Mother Misery got a new corset!  
 It's super nice. I wanted something different from the black and red corset I first bought, and I think this sapphire blue corset is just what the doctor ordered.
 It fits perfectly.  
 I think this corset would have been a better beginner corset for me, but I would not trade my black and red beauty for the world. It has a modesty panel too, something my other corset lacked.
 And what could be inside of this strange box?
 Bam! A new black parasol! UNFORTUNATELY (as you might see in the above photo), the box was bent and, yes, my parasol was broken. Something I learned when I pulled it open and almost sliced my hand off on the splintered wood. Alas, I love the fabric and build of this little darling, and immediately contacted the sellers and ordered a new parasol. It's due any day now. :D  
 A while back, I received this in the mail and completely forgot to post it. Eep!
 Super tightly packed into this box were these two brightly encapsulated objects.
 And the reason for all the packing peanuts? A tea saucer!  
 AND tea cup. A friend was getting rid of some of her belongings, and she wanted these to go to a good home. Who am I to refuse a tea set? There is always room for one more in my home. No tea set shall ever be turned away. :3
 All in all, I think this mail day was just what I needed- a corset, a parasol, and a tea set. What else could a Goth girl want? <3! 

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Fingerless Gloves Tutorial

I realized that I didn't have many pretty things to cover my hands in the summer time, so I sought out to make gloves!
For this tutorial, you will need: 2 contrasting fabrics, scissors, and a needle and thread.

Lay out your two fabrics, decide which you want to be the inner color and which you want to be the outer color. I'm making mine out of two old t-shirts. 
 With the inner color chosen (red), cut out a shape similar to your own hand. Just eyeball it. I'm using t-shirt material, so it'll stretch some.
 Make one of these shapes for your right and left hand, or be lazy like me and use your left hand as a prototype for both hands.
 Cut out two prototypes of each hand so you'll have 4 pieces- two for your left hand, and two for your right hand.
Lay out your outer shell of fabric (black), and take one left hand prototype and one right hand prototype. Lay them on the FOLDED fabric and cut them out. When you fold your outer shell fabric, you will be making 2 left hand and 2 right hand shells at once. Make sure to cut the outer shell slightly larger than the inner shell.
 So now you have 2 outer shell fabric pieces and 2 inner shell fabric pieces for each hand.
 Put two inner shell pieces together and sew the sides shut, like this.
 All of my fingers pop out and my thumb looks awkward. Don't worry, we'll fix that later.
 Do the exact same with the outer shell pieces, then flip it inside out.
 This way, the seams you just made are on the inside of the shell. Line your seams up like this, and start cutting slashes on the seam we just created. DO NOT CUT THE SEAM WE JUST MADE. Cut to about a finger before it, leaving some room so you don't accidently cut the seam.
 Your finished product should look like this.
 Put on the inner shell and pull the outer shell on top, so your two pieces look like this.
 See the raw edge where the two fabrics meet? Sew these together so you get one edge at the top and the bottom.
 Like this.
 With your hand back in the glove, sew a seam between your thumb and pointer finger like this. Make several passes so it's pretty sturdy.
 And there you have it, your very own gloves! I like that these have the color showing through the outer shell, so it adds some interest to your hands.  
It only took a few minutes to make, and will keep your hands sun-free for the summer. Hope you enjoyed!