Andi B. Goode

OMG where did you get that?!

noreply@blogger.com (Andi B. Goode) — Mon, 20 Jun 2016 07:15:00 +0000

Well, it's been a long time, hasn't it? I keep thinking about using this blog, again, but I haven't been sure how or what to use it for. I've also been a bit intimated as most blogs, these days, seem to have high-end fashion magazine quality photos and I just don't have the energy nor the inclination to produce those at present. But I decided to test the waters again and focus mostly on my toy collection(s) and cosplay over here. All of that leads to what inspired today's post!

One thing I get asked a lot (especially about my Enid Coleslaw doll) is 'Where did you get that?' so I thought I'd do a post on where I get my toys. The immediate answer is 'anywhere I can!' I'm always looking, online and off, for toys to add to my ever-growing collection. But that's not a helpful answer so I've compiled an annotated list of where I do my looking.

I won't go into too much detail on where I buy my Blythes as there is already this great post on the topic, so if you want advice specifically on purchasing a Blythe, I'd check that post out. Everywhere I've bought one online is listed there.

Also, I won't go into whether or not supporting certain companies or buying particular products is ethical, or not. It's an important conversation to have but I also think a lot of that is very personal and decided by each individual (though being informed is important, of course).

One other point is that not all of these options are accessible to everyone but I won't go over that, either. As I said, it's just a guide of where I buy, in hopes it might be helpful.

Online

eBay

At one time, I must have had 20 or so saved searches set up on eBay that I would check daily to see if anything I was looking for popped up. These days, I just check occasionally because I'm trying to sort out my doll room before I buy too much more. But eBay is, nonetheless, a goldmine for collectors. It can be a minefield, too, dodging unscrupulous sellers (or buyers, on the other end of the transaction) but I've never had any real trouble on there. I try to buy mostly from sellers with nothing below a 99% rating and always make sure to read the negative reviews, gauging if buyers are just being ridiculously unfair or if there is truly an issue. I usually look for vintage dolls on eBay but have bought Blythes and other new collectibles, as well.

Keeping search terms simple or trying variations of wording are the best ways to find anything, I've found. And I always try to see if the seller has more things I'm interested in, to save on postage (which, unfortunately, doesn't work with the blasted global shipping program - I avoid any sellers who use that completely).

Etsy

I used to use only to buy vintage clothes on etsy but there are so many different collectibles to be found on there as well. I now use it to find vintage dolls as well as new handmade clothes for my Blythes (one day I might do a post on my Blythe clothes collection).

I always select the option to show only listings that are already set up to ship to Australia as it's just easier than messaging back and forth, for me.

Aliexpress

If you are interested in fake Blythes, I would suggest Aliexpress over eBay as it's cheaper. I've never had an issue with anything I've bought on there before. I've also bought doll clothes and other bits and pieces.

Amazon

I try not to buy a lot from Amazon but sometimes it's my only option as particular retailers don't ship internationally, and it's easier to get it from Amazon than fiddling about with mail redirecting. I tend to buy playline and collector Barbies that don't make it to Australian shelves (or which I'm too impatient to wait for). My latest purchase was the 50th Anniversary Star Trek Barbies, which I am anxiously awaiting.

Locally

Buying locally is my preferred method, for many reasons. For one, it cuts down on shipping costs. Secondly, when they're also locally owned businesses, I feel better for supporting them. And, lastly, I'm too impatient for online shopping, sometimes!

Toy shops

The most obvious place to look for toys is, not surprisingly, toy shops! Of course, this depends on what kind of toys you are collecting but I've definitely bought plenty of pieces of my collection(s) from Toys "R" Us and Toyworld in the past. If I'm looking for new playline toys, I'll also check places like Target, Kmart, Big W and pretty much anywhere that sells toys, just to compare prices.

Collectible shops

If I can, I prefer to frequent local collectible shops, such as Kollectable Kaos and Mad Zombie. Kollectable Kaos sells Barbie as well as the usual sorts of toys these collectible places usually stock.

Op-shops

Op-shops have probably been my greatest source of toys, locally. I've been lucky to find some really great things at various places over the years. But it does take dedication and a lot of time (as well as being at the right place at the right time) to build up a collection this way.

Toy fairs

The Mega Toy Fair is the only one I frequent, which happens annually. I got some really good items this year! Checking for local toy fairs is a good idea for the avid collector. A quick google search might be a good place to start.

Markets

Markets are few and far between over here, these days, but there are still a couple of permanent markets running (such as the Fisherman's Wharf Markets) as well as the occasional event market. Checking local markets is a must for the bargain hunter, though.

Gumtree

I suppose this is also online, but as I have never bought anything that requires postage from there, I decided to include it under local. I think I've only bought one or two things from Gumtree but I do check it every now and then to see if there's anything worth taking a look at.

Garage sales

I don't visit garage sales very often but they are another option for the toy hunter! I've found a few things at them in the past, but I generally don't have the energy for them or feel too awkward to look around.

Whew, that's a lot of places, isn't it? I think it's fair to say I've got my toy-dar on everywhere I go. But hopefully this post was somewhat helpful. Oh, and on the subject of my collection(s), you can check out this 'Talking Toys' post at Lemon Freckles, that I did a while back.

Daphne Blake, ready to solve mysteries!

noreply@blogger.com (Andi B. Goode) — Sat, 05 Sep 2015 03:48:00 +0000

Every year the Australian Costume Guild holds a Cosplay Ball in Adelaide, and this year I attended with a friend for the first time. It was kind of strange, in a way. We didn't know anyone else but we basically just wanted to dress up and see everyone else's costumes (which were all amazing). I wanted to do something a bit more 'fancy' than my other costumes but I ran out of time to do so, and went as Daphne Blake from the Scooby-Doo! franchise, instead.

It was a lot of fun dressing up as Daphne. I didn't take many photos as I just don't seem to know how to pose anymore (or take good photos, to be honest), but I got decent enough shots to show off the costume. The shoes were originally gold and I painted them and added the 'bows' (they're cardboard) as I knew it would be too hard to find purple shoes in the amount of time I had, let alone purple shoes in the right style. They turned out really well. I took Fred along as my date, and even made a mini costume for one of my Blythes (seen below).

Hope you enjoy the pictures and, once again, apologies for blogging so sporadically, lately. (Or, well, the past year or so).

Birthday!

noreply@blogger.com (Andi B. Goode) — Wed, 12 Aug 2015 00:31:00 +0000

Gosh, it's been a long time, hasn't it? I've been (slowly) working on a post to talk about a couple of things that have been happening with me, but I keep putting it off as it's a bit personal and I'm not really one for sharing that sort of thing. I'll keep chipping away at it and see how I go. One thing that happened, though, is that I turned 29! So, I shall share a little of my birthday experience (OK, my presents, mostly as I totally forgot to take photos of anything else) as seen via my Instagram snaps. Above is the outfit I wore out for my birthday lunch. Below are some of my presents from, in order: my mum; my best friend and her husband; my sister and her partner and last, but definitely not least, the very lovely Jane, who has her own super cute blog. (For anyone wondering the Sandy/Rizzo nightie is from Peter Alexander and the X-Files socks are from Foot Cardigan).

World Doll Day

noreply@blogger.com (Andi B. Goode) — Sat, 13 Jun 2015 12:28:00 +0000

I'm a little late for World Doll Day (well, it's still World Doll Day here but it's the end of the day) but I wanted to share something for it on my blog. Dolls are one of my biggest passions and I want to share that more often. Life is rarely easy for me but collecting dolls has brought me a lot of joy (and helped me connect with like-minded people, too).

World Doll Day was established in 1986, with the intention of giving a doll to someone else. As I only learnt about the day this past week, I didn't have time to organise giving a doll to anyone, so I just got some of my favourite dolls together and took a group photo. I'd like to do something bigger to celebrate it, next year, though. I'm not sure what, yet, but I do have 12 months to think of something!

So, happy World Doll Day to all the doll lovers out there. And to those who don't collect but support those who do, thank-you. Here's to many dolly adventures in our future!

Library/Doll Room Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Andi B. Goode) — Tue, 09 Jun 2015 06:09:00 +0000

Hey, everyone! I finally have the room tour video of my library/doll room up. I've been meaning to film this since I posted my bedroom tour, last December, and now it's finally done. Huzzah! I hope you enjoy seeing this glimpse into my second favourite room. I'm hoping to do some more videos soon, if I can think of ideas.

Toy Fair Finds!

noreply@blogger.com (Andi B. Goode) — Mon, 01 Jun 2015 05:20:00 +0000

Gosh, it's been a whole month since I've posted! I've had things to say, just haven't felt like saying them, I guess. Anyway, I thought I'd post about my toy fair finds as I already had photos of them for Flickr. I finally found a Supersize Barbie (pictured above and below), which I've wanted for ages, so I was very happy with that. I found another case, which is handy, because I keep my doll's clothes in them. I also found another Sindy (in the photo above), a Tiffany Taylor doll (below left), a bunch of clothes (including some vintage pieces), a Steffie face standard and Golden Dream Barbie, and some Sweet Scents by TNT and a JellyBean by Lanard, all of which were Strawberry Shortcake competitors. You can see more details on what I found over at Flickr.

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Cosplay

noreply@blogger.com (Andi B. Goode) — Mon, 27 Apr 2015 02:16:00 +0000

Well, Oz Comic Con is over again for another year. My first costume for the two day event was Squirrel Girl, from the new series The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl. I was going to wait until November (Supanova), because I made the decision to cosplay her fairly close to Oz Comic Con, but I just really wanted to do this costume, now. So, I did! I'm super happy with how it turned out, despite all of the stress and anxiety it caused along the way. I highly recommend the comic, as well - it's great for adults and kids, which is always nice. It's just a lot of fun.

If you want to see more photos or how I put it together, you can check out this post I made on tumblr. And apologies for not having many photos in this post! I wasn't in the best mood when taking these, so only got a couple I could use.

Tammy's such a doll!

noreply@blogger.com (Andi B. Goode) — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 05:32:00 +0000

I'm super busy this week, finishing off my costume for Oz Comic Con, so I thought I'd do a quick post on my Tammy dolls, as I've just recently shown off my Barbies. I think I have one more Tammy since the group shot above. The bottom photo shows all my Tammy family when the photo was taken. (I have a few others, now, including her brother, Ted.) I'm particularly fond of the blue dress on the right end of the last photo - it's a clone dress but it looks so pretty on Tammy!

Next week, I'm sure I'll have some posts of my costumes from the weekend to put up but, for now, hopefully you enjoy a little peek at my Tammy dolls. You can see more at my Flickr set here.

Hot patootie, bless my soul!

noreply@blogger.com (Andi B. Goode) — Tue, 07 Apr 2015 06:41:00 +0000

When Eddie said he didn't like his teddy, you knew he was a no-good kid!

On Friday the 13th (the February one) the Capri Theatre held a screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. They hold these quite often, but this one was extra special as Nell Campbell (aka Columbia) was a guest! I pretty much squealed when I found out and found a friend to go along with me. Of course, I had to do a costume for the event and it didn't take long for me to pick one because I knew it had to be Eddie! He was Columbia's beau, after all. But I put my own spin on the costume because I knew screen accurate would do my head in. (Anal Retentive Rocky Horror is a great source for screen accurate, though).

I referenced Eddie's saxophone playing with my earring (only just visible), and his greaser hair with my high pony and front roll. I opted for a see-through t-shirt with a leopard print bra underneath (finishing off the leopard theme in the lapels and fish-nets) and changed the green glitter writing to pink. I just used regular glitter paint (not fabric) and regular acrylic to paint on the back of the jacket. It's kind of decimated now, unfortunately, but it lasted the night, which is all that matters. I forgot to take full length photos with the scar on (I have a selfie below), which is annoying!

But I am SO happy with this costume. The Rocky Horror Picture Show is my all-time favourite movie and being able to pay homage to it while meeting basically one of my childhood idols was amazing. (Just as amazing as that time I met Patricia Quinn). Plus singing along, yelling out lines, dodging rice, toast and wayward loo rolls, and seeing everyone else's costumes was so much fun.

Dolls, dolls, dolls

noreply@blogger.com (Andi B. Goode) — Tue, 31 Mar 2015 23:51:00 +0000

One of the reasons I stopped blogging so regularly was because, aside from Instagram photos taken with my phone, the only photos I really enjoy taking these days is of my dolls. (And even then, I go through slumps where I can't photograph them, either). I suppose I felt that it may get boring with lots of doll posts but, honestly, I'm getting too old to do things (or not do them) based on whether or not they may please other people. So, without further waffling, here's some photos I took a while back of my vintage Barbie & friends collection(s). The top and second images show all of my vintage era Barbies (just Barbie, not her friends/family) in vintage (and one repro) outfits. The third image is all of my mod era Barbies, the fourth of my Skipper & friends collection and the last of Francie and her friends. I love laying all my dolls out like this on plain, colourful backgrounds. You can see more of my doll photos on Flickr!

Room Tour Video!

noreply@blogger.com (Andi B. Goode) — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 02:42:00 +0000

Hey all! Long time, no blog, huh? I'm actually not sure if I will continue to blog, or not. It's something I've been taking a while to figure out but the drive isn't really there, lately, and I've run out of interesting things to blog about, anyway. Having said that, I'm still thinking about it. In the meantime, here's a room tour video I did a while back.

And you can still find me elsewhere:

♥ Instagram

♥ Tumblr

♥ Twitter

♥ Pinterest

I'm most active on Instagram and Tumblr, these days!

Flames - flames on the side of my face

noreply@blogger.com (Andi B. Goode) — Wed, 26 Nov 2014 01:00:00 +0000

On the Sunday of Supanova, I finally crossed off a costume that's been on my list for quite a few years: Mrs White from one of my all-time favourite movies, Clue. I'm really happy with how it turned out, except for the wig I bought. I'd probably get a slightly better one if I wear it again. Two people recognised who I was, before I got changed (strapless bras are so dang uncomfortable!), so I considered that a win.

The skirt and belt are just made from black satin and the top and arm warmers are made from the fabric of a top I found at Savers. When studying the film, I realised Mrs White's top & arm warmers were made from a fabric with metallic thread or something sparkly in it, and I thought I wouldn't find anything similar...then I found the perfect fabric in an old top! Hurrah! I think Mrs White's is actually a velvet or heavier fabric but mine was close enough. I couldn't find a three strand pearl necklace so just used a long singled strand wrapped around; the bracelet was one I had already.

As with my other costumes, I've included screencaps for those who've not seen the film (which I think is a lot more people than I'd realised, ha.)

I'm a Lumberjane and I'm OK.

noreply@blogger.com (Andi B. Goode) — Mon, 24 Nov 2014 02:14:00 +0000

For the Saturday of Supanova I went as Rosie from the comic series Lumberjanes. It's one of my favourite series, right now as it combines a lot of things that I love: girls being awesome friends, pop culture references, mythology, forest-y aesthetics and a bunch of other cool stuff. I thought Rosie would be a fairly easy costume to put together and, aside from colour matching difficulties, it was.

Everything was found either new or at op-shops, except for the axe which my sister carved for me and I painted. (Rosie is often making axes or seen with an axe so I thought it was a neat adition). I stuck some paper behind the lenses of some costume glasses I had for pictures but used my regular glasses while walking around the con. The tattoos were drawn by me and printed out onto temporary tattoo paper.

As my hair has to abide by the laws of physics I did my best at approximating Rosie's hair - I used a rat to roll up the front & the back was just in a bun.

At the bottom is a photo of my friend in the Lumberjane scout uniform - only a small number of people got the costumes but one happened to be the creator of Teen Dog (another awesome comic) who knows the creators of Lumberjanes. He was really impressed so that made our day.

I am not a number, I am a free man!

noreply@blogger.com (Andi B. Goode) — Fri, 21 Nov 2014 07:28:00 +0000

It's Supanova time this weekend which means costumes! Hurrah! I got a bit over eager and ended up with three. I was going to go to the opening night to get my wristband but ended up deciding not to. This left me with an extra costume. Sure, I could have worn it to another con but I was excited so I put it on and had an impromptu mini 'photoshoot' with mum. Consider it a teaser for the weekend ahead.

The costume in question is a lady version of Number Six from the '60s TV show The Prisoner (some screencaps below show the original costume as worn by Patrick McGoohan). It's a very simple but recognisable (if you've seen the show) costume, which is always nice.

Now, the blazer worn in the show is, according to those who know better than I, dark brown, but onscreen it looks very much black. (I did have a link that showed the original blazer looking brown but I can't find it now - update: found it!). Black blazers are easier to find so I went with black. I was going to wear slacks but felt uncomfortable so I made a skirt out of some fabric I already had. Everything else was found at op-shops (except the number badge, which I just printed out). All up the costume only cost me $11.30! (Which I know thanks to the awesome Cosplanner app).

For hair and makeup I just went with a vaguely 60s feel. It all came together quite nicely. And I now have an easy costume I can take with me, if I ever go to another interstate con. One day, I'd like to do some more photos inspired by the show.

Be seeing you!

Savers haul

noreply@blogger.com (Andi B. Goode) — Sun, 16 Nov 2014 06:32:00 +0000

Last week, Savers had a 50% off clothing sale, so I headed over there & bought myself a bunch of new to me clothes. Of course, I went looking for summer clothes and ended up with armfuls of winter threads. Ah, such is the nature of op-shopping! I also went to Spotlight after and got two new patterns as they were 2 for $10. At the end you can see me sporting one of my Savers finds

(the leopard print blazer).

Big Instagram Roundup

noreply@blogger.com (Andi B. Goode) — Wed, 05 Nov 2014 05:56:00 +0000

I keep thinking I've nothing to blog about, then I check my Instagram and see I've been up to a lot. Just not blogging. So, here's a roundup from Instagram. One of the biggest things I did in the past month or so was be a bridesmaid for one of my best friends. (Photo above). And just below you can see my friend in her gorgeous dress (to which this photo does not do justice.) Descriptions of photos will be at the bottom of the post.

Starting from the very top:
Bridesmaid mirror selfie.
The lovely bride.
Hahndorf and Adelaide Library.
I watched some movies.
My Blythes appeared in Cute Club Zine.
I wore my Twin Peaks brooch in honour of the new series announcement.
Bought some cute, kitschy clutches.
Got some dream girls.
Went to a Blythe meet & met this gorgeous Blythe.
Started wearing my hair up in preparation for warmer weather.
Started a new dress, for me, and then had a soda at Two-Bit Villains.
Bought some cute, vintage goodies at Savers.
Wrote a piece on the 1992 Buffy movie for Filmme Fatales.
Bought some 1990s McDonald's Happy Meal Barbies.
Started reading some amazing comics; putting together a cosplay for Supanova.
And finally made my dead Laura Palmer doll.

Must be the season of the witch

noreply@blogger.com (Andi B. Goode) — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 23:30:00 +0000

I had plans for October and this blog. I was going to do a spooky Watching, Reading, Listening round up. There were going to be lots of costumes to wear and movies to watch. I was going to do many things. Alas, they did not happen. So, Happy Halloween from my dolls and me!

(The top two are my Blythe Prima Dolly Amaryllis whose name is Egon Slimer, wearing a home made outfit and the bottom is a vintage Emerald Witch doll in her original outfit).

Leave us alone! (Being a Midwich Cuckoo)

noreply@blogger.com (Andi B. Goode) — Tue, 28 Oct 2014 03:02:00 +0000

Sadly, this Halloween I've nowhere to go wear I can get all dressed up! But, as I'd already planned a costume, hoping against hope I'd have a party to go to, I decided to just put it on and take some photos. I haven't done that in forever!

I'd just recently watched the original The Village of the Damned and realised the children make for a very easy costume (could also be from the remake, as the children are similarly dressed). The only thing I bought was the wig (which is too short - I had another coming but it didn't make it in time). It's a simple but effective costume. I'm super happy with how it came together, especially in the top photo. Hopefully next Halloween I'll have a party (or somewhere I can wear a costume) to attend.

Costumes of Halloween Past

noreply@blogger.com (Andi B. Goode) — Fri, 03 Oct 2014 01:40:00 +0000

As it's coming up to the most wonderful time of year - Halloween - I thought I'd take a little look at some of my costumes from years past. There aren't many as I just haven't done a whole lot of Halloween costumes, but I thought it would be fun, anyway.

Last year I was Abaddon from Supernatural. I won't be wearing this again (for numerous reasons, including it's not screen accurate and I can't handle it) but I'm still happy with how it turned out (mostly - ha). And I think I did fairly well with the hair considering how frustrated I was with it along the way.

In 2012 I made a pumpkin inspired get-up for a swing dancing event.

I guess I didn't do anything in 2011 but in 2010 I made a half-hearted, last minute attempt at being a stereotypical Beatnik.

And 2009 was still my best, I think - The Black Dahlia aka Elizabeth Short. I'm still so proud of this costume, put together from op-shop finds and my first attempt at 'effects' make up.

You can see more of my costumes on this Pinterest Board.

All the world seems in tune, on a Spring afternoon

noreply@blogger.com (Andi B. Goode) — Sun, 28 Sep 2014 00:52:00 +0000

Don't worry - I didn't poison any pigeons! (I hope some of you listen to Tom Lehrer, ha). Came close to sharing my lunch with a couple that were hopping about my table in a food court, though.

This outfit features the dress that I posted a close-up of in my last post. Very pretty print! My neighbours' blossom matched my outfit quite fortuitously. And you can almost see my Populaire inspired nails - I feel like they go with nearly any outfit, despite the clashing colours.

Floral prints

noreply@blogger.com (Andi B. Goode) — Tue, 16 Sep 2014 03:44:00 +0000

Thank-you all for your lovely comments on my tattoo post! I appreciate them a lot. Anyway, here are some recent floral additions to my wardrobe for a very short post, today.

Pretty shirtwaist dress from Myer.

Cute printed denim mini skirt from ASOS.

Remember when I used to hate floral prints? Ah, the folly of youth.

Barbie Girl with a Barbie Tattoo

noreply@blogger.com (Andi B. Goode) — Tue, 02 Sep 2014 02:18:00 +0000

This is a post I've been meaning to do for a while but have only just got around to it. If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram, you'll already know this. But for those who don't: I now have a tattoo! I got my first tattoo on the 17th of July and I couldn't be happier with it.

It was done by Sarah K who owns Pink Flamingo Parlour and she was so super lovely that I felt a lot more at ease than I thought I would. It was still 3 hours of pain but, you know, with good company! Her eye for colour is excellent and really suits my tastes. (You can follow her on Instagram @sarahktattoo)

My perfect Barbie tattoo. (But not a perfect photo). Sarah posted a photo of some one-off ideas she wanted to tattoo, right at the moment my friend & I were discussing how I decided this year I would finally get a tattoo. When I saw the design, I could hardly believe my eyes. This was more or less what I'd been picturing since I decided I wanted a Barbie tattoo. So, I emailed Sarah and the rest is history. She was really happy the design went to someone who actually collects Barbie, as well.

Note: it does look a bit patchy (in case anyone noticed) but I bled a lot in that purple area with the hearts in it so the scabbing pulled some of the colour out. I didn't want to draw attention to it, but I also didn't want anyone to think it was dodgy work!

Taking photos of your own thigh and have them not look totally bizarre is super hard. Next time, I'm getting some help!

I definitely have more planned but it might be a while before I'm brave enough again (and have the money). And that's my tattoo story.

Watching, Reading, Listening (Four)

noreply@blogger.com (Andi B. Goode) — Sun, 31 Aug 2014 03:29:00 +0000

This month's Watching, Reading, Listening is a bit late, due to the flu. Anyway, let's jump right into it.

Patrick McGoohan and Guy Doleman in The Prisoner

I'm finally getting back into The Prisoner and trying to finish it (in, at least, one of the many orders of viewing). I'm not sure why I never watched it earlier but better late than never, right?

Witches of East End

If I believed in guilty pleasures, Witches of East End would be my newest. I watched every aired episode in one day. But I don't believe in guilty pleasures. I LOVE trashy tv but I need some kind of supernatural element (or a mystery) to keep me interested. I'm not sure why. But it does mean that Witches of East End is perfect for me. So, if you like witches and silly, fun TV shows, I highly recommend it.

Movies

The Double, dir. Richard Ayaode, 2013

I think I've only been to the movies twice, this past month, to see Guardians of the Galaxy which I didn't enjoy and Snowpiercer which I loved. At first, I wasn't sure what to make of Snowpiercer but I got right into it and loved it. I also watched The Double at home, which I liked a lot. It has an interesting premise and is absolutely stunning to look at. I keep looking at Mia Wasikowska in the still above and wanting to cut my hair off. Argh. It does have similarities to older films (namely Brazil) but that's not necessarily a bad thing in my opinion.

Books

Operation Margarine by Katie Skelly

This little graphic novel is right up my alley. It's about a runaway rich girl, Margarine, who meets tough girl Bon Bon & the two escape to the desert on motorbikes. The '60s influences in terms of both story and design are evident. It's a very quick read (I wish there was a little more story but I also quite liked the simplicity, for lack of a better word). You can buy a copy here or here.

I also read the first volume of Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie's Young Avengers. I can't wait 'til my library lets me know volume two and three are waiting for me. I don't usually read superhero stuff, because there's just too much, but I knew I liked Gillen & McKelvie's work so I thought this would be a pretty safe bet. (I've been loving The Wicked + Divine and I'm about to start Phonogram, too.)

Music

After seeing Grease on stage (I quite liked the current production) I couldn't stop listening to this recording of Those Magic Changes from the original Broadway production. It's such a great song and it's a pity it didn't get a proper showcase in the movie.

Button up shirts and short skirts

noreply@blogger.com (Andi B. Goode) — Tue, 19 Aug 2014 03:04:00 +0000

Well, well, look who decided to blog! Anyway, I was so in love with the outfit from this post that I decided I needed more short skirts and button up shirts. So, I went out to look for some. Unfortunately, cute blouses are in abundance but not so cute skirts. I managed to find the two below at Savers and then have them taken up.

Oh, by the way! My hair is red now. It's faded quite a bit but I really like the faded colour.

Included this photo so you can see the print on my blouse - little colourful sunglasses! So cute.

This is my favourite of the two outfits. I'm such a sucker for yellow and black! I feel like a bee. Or Batman.

I'm definitely going to hunt down some more tighter fitted mini skirts, now. I like having a go-to combination of items as much as I like experimenting and trying out something different.

Art art art

noreply@blogger.com (Andi B. Goode) — Mon, 04 Aug 2014 00:00:00 +0000

A Wacom tablet has been on my wishlist for ages, now, but I've always put off getting one, thinking it'd be too difficult for me to control. (I briefly tried one at art school & didn't like it at the time). Well, I finally took the plunge and got a small one, and it's actually inspired me to finish some drawings that have been sitting in my sketchbook for ages. I've been fairly happy with what I've produced so far, too.

Starr Bright (buy prints here)

Hairsprayin' (buy prints here)

That's Just an Alibi (buy prints here)

If you want to stay updated with my art stuff, there are a few things you can do. You can follow me on Tumblr, but have to put up with lots of other things including random personal posts and much fangirling. You can follow me on Pinterest (or just my art board). Or you can just follow my Society6 store.

Hopefully I keep producing at a regular-ish rate. I do have years of sketchbooks gathering dusts I can turn to for inspiration, at least!