The Patriotic Zombie

by Kristen Saunders

Super Bowl Sunday is about as American as you can get. As I sit watching the commercials and writing this story (a few weeks before you’ll see it) I am reminded of other pieces of culture that are truly American, Harleys, muscle cars, country music, boy scouts, apple pie, and zombies. That’s right zombies.

America has been obsessed with these brain dead, flesh eating, unsexy hobblers for a long time. The fascination began when an American named William Seabrook wrote a wildly popular book in 1929 called The Magic Island. His story talked about Haitian voodoo witch doctors raising the dead to do some back breaking labor, a far cry from today’s popularized flesh eaters. Never-the-less within the U. S. these rotting undead were popular and continue to this day to gain a devoted following.

Zombies are now a part of mainstream. I have seen my friends doing zombie makeup as a hobby outside of the haunted month of October. Zombie crawls, or large flash mobs of costume zombies, have become popular in recent years. The larges zombie crawl on record happened on the thirteenth of October in the Twin Cities. The Guinness Book of World Records has the count at 8,027 people gathering together, but it is believed there were almost 30,000 participants total outside of the official counting area.

A new event based around trying to maintain your humanity is the nationwide 5k Zombie infested obstacle course called Run For Your Lives. It travels from state to state and involves running from zombified actors who are trying to steal your life (which are represented by flags around your waist.) There are survival kits with extra lives hidden throughout the course, though with zombies all around traversing this course is a one of kind experience. Nothing will train you to be better prepared if you’re caught on a camping trip at the beginning of the zombie apocalypse.

However, for those sitting at home the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have some suggestions for survival. The government is taking the zombie threat seriously and it wants you to be ready for the outbreak. The CDC recommends you prepare an emergency kit in your house stocked with food, water, and medical supplies. They even commissioned a short educational comic to show the importance of preparedness for the moaning horde called Preparedness 101: Zombie Pandemic. It’s a free read and mildly entertaining, as it very much resembles a B-movie.

According to ABC news Home Land Security took it one step further by doing a rather costly scrimmage during last year’s counter terrorism summit. Each ticket was a thousand bucks and was paid by American tax dollars. After all what’s more important than training against terrifying flesh eaters?

Not to worry though, while the scrimmage was part of the thousand dollar summit, it was not the only thing money was spent on. If you want real misappropriation of funds, you should look no further than the subsidies going into the technology industry. Zombies rake in about five billion dollars a year into the American economy according to 24/7 Wall Street. There are books, movies, comics, costumes, art, and some very popular video games that fund the industry. There’s a cult following and an almost guaranteed income to anyone who puts out a product of even mediocre value. Despite that trend, The New York Times reports that video game developers who, “straddle the lines between software development, the entertainment industry, and online retailing,” get some major funding from the U.S. Government. That money goes to more than just zombie video games, but in the end parents weren’t thrilled when they learned their money was going towards the promotion of these violent creatures.

Whatever your disposition towards them, zombies are here to stay in American culture. Horror writers should take note that, should you wish it; there are several immersing experiences out there to inspire you. For now I will go back to watching the half time show. I’ve got plans that involve me, guacamole, bean dip, and a bit mindless entertainment.

Sources: 24/7 Wall Street, ABC, and The New York Times.

Kristen Saunders is an intern Penumbra EMag. She loves to write science fiction in her free time and recently started her blog The Musings of a Growing Writer.

Cruelty can't be fashionable

Fendi "all about fur" show pics via Vogue.it

Peta 1994 campain against fur

I think that  Fendi fall 2013 collection is a really creative one,  the colors and the way fur has been used is innovative, but I don't know why they didn't use fake fur instead.

Watching fall collections you may have noticed the huge come back of fur on the runway and I keep thinking why can't we go beyond it?

Almost 20 years ago famous supermodels like Naomi Campbell and Christy Turlington posed for the camera to say: “We're against it”.

Someone never stopped wearing fur, but it became a socially unacceptable behavior.

While I'm writing my cat is keeping me company. I bet each of you had at least a pet in your lives with whom you build a relationship. You took good care of him and had friendship and loyalty back. Pets pictures are on top of web searches and it has been proved that watching cats and dogs pictures lowers stress levels. I'm saying this because if we don't want to go beyond fur for the respect of animals or for the cruelty involved in killing them just to make coats out of their furs we should do it at least for their ability to build a relationship with us. Would you wear your pet fur? Other animals are used for furs, but the same concept applies.

Why designers keep using fur?

The concept of what is fashionable changes over time. Designers as well as celebrities address people desires and purchases, they have a responsibility.

Isn't fake fur good enough to create a glamorous look? Designers can invest in research to make more beautiful fake fur like they do with innovative fabrics.

How fake fur is made

Sadly we know where real fur comes from, but how is fake fur made?

Manufactures start with the making of synthetic fibers that are sewn on a polyester backing, the quality of fibers, their softness and their quantity discriminate a high quality faux fur from cheaper ones. The faux fur is then colored and brushed. It's a common mistake to think that faux fur fabric are cheap or that they don't look good, There are many quality faux fur fabrics, expensive ones like those of the brand Tissavel that supplies Chanel and Prada. (more on how faux fur is made here)

Stella McCartney ad campain with Bambi

The cruelty free choice

Stella McCartney, vegan designer is well known for her commitment against the use of products derived from animals, she doesn't use fur or leather. She doesn't even allow the use of glue whose ingredients derive from animal parts.

There are also good examples of happily cooperation between rabbits and designers.

At the end of first world war Luisa Spagnoli, Italian entrepreneur (also founder of the Perugina chocolate factory) opened a farm of angora rabbits. Rabbits were brushed by her employees and the hair left on the comb was used to make angora wool and then soft knitwear. No cruelty just brushing.

Luisa Spagnoli employees brushing angora rabbits - bottom right Luisa Spagnoli pictures from "La storia siamo noi" documentary

Is wearing fake fur morally acceptable?

Honestly I see nothing wrong in wearing fake furs, but Daily mail states that spotting this or that celebrity in fur coats fake or real, made the "fur look" fashionable again raising the demand of real fur.

Oh hypocrisy

I hear it coming: "you don't want to wear fur, but you eat meat and wear leather" and "Fake fur is made of synthetic fibers that pollute the environment".
I think these statements cannot be an excuse for killing animals just to wear their fur.
We can all be fairer to animals and the environment and we have to move in this direction. Other questionable habits cannot be an excuse for doing nothing. We have to make steps towards a cruelty free fashion.
There are many open questions in the fashion industry that we need to be aware about.
As customers we make a choice any time we buy something.
Is this brand fair to his employees? Are there any chemicals in these clothes that can harm my health? If I toss this cloth will someone recycle it? When we buy any kind of product we validate a brand behavior with the society. We may be just one customer, but when a lot of people make a choice they cannot be ignored.
How do we make the right choices? We have to being informed and we have to try to avoid having an opinion before knowing what are the facts.
So if anyone wants to add informations to this discussion, anything that helps us have an informed point of view is welcome.

MAKE ME CARE

by Davyne DeSye

“Mommy, how do you write a story?”

“One word at a time,” I answered – rather flippantly, I admit, but I was cooking dinner.

“A good story,” my daughter continued.

Ah. A more interesting question. I pondered how to answer as a chopped.

“I read a story Christina wrote for school. It was boring.” My daughter makes her guilt apparent in her furrowed brow – Christina is her best friend.

“Make me care,” I finally answered.

“You don’t care if her story was boring?” she asks, now perplexed. “Or you don’t care how to write a good story?”

Through my answering chuckle, I clarify: “I was answering your question. A story is a good one if you make me care.”

“Care about what?”

“What was Christina’s story about?” I ask.

“A boy who wrecks the neighbor’s flower garden,” she answers.

“Why did he do that?” I ask.

“I don’t really know. I guess he was mad.”

“What if he was mad because the neighbor killed his new puppy?” I ask.

“Oh. I guess I’d be mad, too. I’d feel sorry for the boy,” she answers.

“What if he was mad because his mother had just punished him?”

“I’d wonder why he got punished. Maybe he’s a bad kid, or maybe his mom is mean.”

“So, in one case, you would agree with him, and feel sorry for him, and in the second case, you’re wondering… is he mean, or is his mom? Is the story boring, now that you care? Now that you are trying to decide whether you like this boy or not?”

“Christina’s story wasn’t like that. It was boring.”

“She forgot to make you care. To write a good story, you have to make someone care what happens next, and you have to make them care about the people in the story. Like them, hate them, pity them, recognize them as someone you could be friends with, or someone who would scare you. Are you dreading what will happen next? Are you curious? Are you excited? If you can make someone care, then you’ve written a good story.”

As simplistic as my explanation was, it is true – at least as far as I’m concerned. When I write, I write for reaction. Any reaction. I call writing “bleeding on the page” or “vomiting on the page” – both conjured images rather vivid and disgusting, and thus, to my mind, rather apropos, if only because they garner a reaction. For each character, the question must be asked and answered: Why? Why is this character behaving in this way? What is she trying to accomplish, or to what from her past is she reacting? Then also, for each scene or setting, you must paint a picture that touches the reader’s senses in some way – the smell of fresh baked bread, the frigidity of the marble bench under thinly clad thighs, the grinding sound of a saw in the next room. Why has the character noticed these things? Why does she care?

Anticipation (of romance, of terror, of who is going to win the election, of how the new technology is going to change the way we interact) is what makes for good reading. Knowledge of why the character does what he does leads to wondering about how he’ll react when…

In short, if I don’t know that the boy was mad, or care why, it’s not a good story.

Make me care. That is all I ask. Thrust out the hook that will pull me along.

Davyne (pronounced "DAH-vee-ANN") DeSye was born to foreign royalty and spent her youth traveling among various countries assisting in her parents' efforts to acquire and refurbish old world castles. Davyne left her parents and their lives forever upon learning that she was born an orphan and was merely the subject of a nurture vs. nature experiment. She still loves to travel, although she tends to avoid visiting castles.

She now lives in Colorado with her husband and five children.

(Or at least that's the story this month...)

Davyne's stories have been published in, or will soon be appearing in Tomorrow, Daily Science Fiction, Penumbra eMag, MindFlights, Tales of the Talisman, Foliate Oak, and Nth Degree.

To learn more about Davyne, please visit her website.

Shine bright like a rainbow

Mario Schwab hologram jacket pic via Bruning - hologram dress via Elle

Blumarine fall 2012 hologram clutch

My crush on holographic fabrics started with that incredible Mario Schwab jacket above. I never found a fabric similar to that one that was suitable for clothing. All I could find was hologram lycra that is for stage dresses. Hologram was too flashy, not credible for day wear use.
What's new is that now hologram broke into high fashion scene. It's attractive for its surprising rainbow reflections and many spring collections feature hologram accessories. We go from gentle watery reflections on ladylike dresses to more aggressive futuristic looks. Hologram accessories are a season must haves also for high street shops like forever 21 and Urban outfitters already filled their shelves with holographic goods.

Would you wear hologram clothes in public or you'll leave them to ice skate shows?

Il mio primo avvistamento di una stampa olografica è stata la giacca di Mario Schwab. Inutile dire che non ho mai trovato una stoffa simile che fosse adatta all'abbigliamento ma solo lycra olografica adatta ad abiti di scena come gare di ballo o sul ghiaccio. La verità è che la stampa olografica non era giudicata credibile come stoffa per tutti i giorni perchè troppo vistosa. Tutto è cambiato ora che ha fatto il suo ingresso nell'alta moda. Molte collezioni primaverili propongono accessori dai bagliori cangianti. Si va da riflessi d'acqua più delicati a look più aggressivi d'ispirazione fantascientifica. Cederete all'acquisto di un accessorio arcobaleno o lo lasciate volentieri alle pattinatrici sul ghiaccio?

hologram clutch - 3d hologram iphone case -hologram boots all  from H&M pic viaThisiswhatwedo

1 Stella McCartney hologram shoes - 2 Gianvito Rossi hologram shoes - 3 Forever 21 hologram shoes - 4 Zoe hologram brouge - 5 Jeffrey Campbell hologram wedge

Sephora make up bag - Hologram sequin tee - mermaid backpack - hologram wallet - Stella McCartney ipad case

Burberry inspired eyelets and fringes earrings DIY

Eyelets and fringes DIY earrings

Burberry Prorsum fall 2013

I often appreciate Burberry Prorsum collections and the one that just walked the runway is no exception.
There are so many details that renew the classic Burberry trench and make the collection young and fresh, like sheer pencil skirts or the heart pattern over neutral beige or the metallic details.
I really liked bags and coats decorated with eyelets and fringes and I immediately imagined that detail becoming a  fun pair of earrings.
So here's the DIY tutorial.

La collezione di Burberry Prorsum è giovane e fresca,  piena di spunti creativi come la trasparenza delle gonne, la stampa a cuoricini sui cappotti e i dettagli metallici che spiccano sui toni neutri.
Molto originale l'ampio uso degli occhielli come decorazione di capispalla ed accessori. Un particolare che mi ha colpito più degli altri adatto ad essere trasformato in un divertente paio di orecchini.
Continuate a leggere per vedere il tutorial.

 

You'll need:

• 2 eyelets 2 cm wide
• a scrap of leather
• scissors
• glue
• earring nails and backs

Occorrente:

• 2 occhielli di 2 cm di diametro
• un ritaglio di pelle
• forbici
• colla
• chiodini per orecchini

Start by applying an eyelet on leather. There is a tool often sold with the eyelets.
Put leather between the top and the bottom part of the eyelet and press everything with the tool You may need to hammer it.

Applicate l'occhiello sulla pelle. Spesso troverete l'applicatore nella confezione d'acquisto.

Cut leather along the edge of the eyelet and then cut it straight down.

Tagliate la pelle lungo il bordo dell'occhiello.

Use scissors to fray the ends.
Glue e piece of leather behind the eyelet and trim the edge.

Sfrangiate la pelle con le forbici.
Incollate un pezzetto di pelle dietro l'occhiello e rifilate il bordo.

Glue an earring nail on the back and you've done. Have fun wearing your new pair of earrings!

Incollate il chiodino. Uscite con il vostro nuovo paio di orecchini!

A Moment with Christopher Cornell

Why did you choose to write speculative fiction instead of another genre?

We live in a world of miracle drugs, robotic companions and extraplanetary exploration. Likewise, we struggle with adaptive viruses, technological exploitation and diminishing privacies. Speculative fiction gives birth to many aspects of the modern world before they became part of everyday life. To read and write within this realm is to consider the possibilities of life, both great and horrible.

To speculate is not simply to imagine worlds that do not and will never exist. Imagination allows the reader, as well as the writer, to consider reality in a new light. Sometimes we reflect on the society we want to build; at other times, we spin cautionary tales that manifest our fears of what may come. Whether our heroes and heroines are from other worlds, or rooted firmly in our own, they can serve as markers for our progress as a society. Whenever Big Brother is referenced in a discussion of modern surveillance, or Judge Dredd considered the exemplary of a fascist police state, I am reminded of the role of speculative fiction in steering societal discourse. Many who have shaped our world grew up with Homer and Verne and LeGuin and Huxley. There can be little doubt these diverse voices have fueled the endeavors of those who turn fantasy into reality.

I write speculative fiction because it is more than a cataloging of the familiar. It’s an invitation to deconstruct the world and redeem it with what works, or damn it with what doesn’t. A work of fantasy or science fiction is the personal exploration of an idea, on a scale of one’s own choosing. Though some are tempted to consider such works frivolous entertainment, history proves otherwise. The dialog of our future begins within the pages of books and magazines. To continue that tradition is a true privilege, and provides impetus to continue expanding my own views on the world at large. These ideas need not become truth to accomplish their most important goal: broadening the discussion of where we are headed and what comes next.

I can’t begin to imagine what wonders of our near future have already been revealed within the pages of other authors. Where are the cars, submarines, elevators and satellites of the twenty-first century? The possibilities make reading fun. And heck, it’s pretty fun to write about, too.

But I’m still waiting for my flying car.

Christopher Cornell is a writer, musician, interface developer and somnambulist in California's East Bay. He has also studied film and television, and is a graduate of the Viable Paradise writers' workshop.

More information and inane anecdotes can be found on his website and Twitter.

Best looks from London Fashion Week

Burberry Prorsum fall 2013

above pictures Burberry Prorsum fall 2013 via Vogue.it

Burberry Prorsum fall 2013 collection is a very good one. There are so many ideas and textures. I like the extensive use of eyelets on coats,skirts and bags. The metallic leopard is unexpected and the heart pattern is lovely.

House of Holland Fall 2013

Crystal Sigarettes, they're fun (only as) decoration.

Julien McDonald - David Koma fall 2013 via Vogue.it

David Koma - Erdem fall 2013 via Vogue.it

DIY inspiration from London fashion week

streetstyle look via Grazia.it

Knit stitch on wool? I think it's brilliant!

Inspiring Streetstyle looks from London fashion week 

streetstyle look via Grazia.it

This  looks like a diy. She's effortless chic in her "I had far too many Burberry jackets so I chopped one and added a peplum"  jacket. Doable, chic and polished.

Christopher Kane bag - London Fashion week streetstyle looks - via Vogue.it

Straight hems are boring. This Christopher Kane flower bag looks like a flower roughly cut out from a magazine. An irresistilble fun bag.

leather Heart elbow patches - London fashion week streetstyle looks via Style.it

We've seen around a lot of heart elbow patches, these are the quickest, just cut out from leather and sewn on.

London streetstyle look via Grazia.it

Denim decorated with patches, buy vintage or make your own. Patches are just ironed on.

Chanel sneakers with leather peonies London streetstyle look via Grazia.it

Sneakers are officially out from the active wear zone and are becoming cuter and cuter.

Phillip Lim pop art bag London streetstyle look via Grazia.it

A perfect combination of colors, pop art and perforated clothes

Kirkwood lace up sandals London streetstyle look via Grazia.it

Outstanding shoes from Mr Kirkwood, they look like a sophisticated tattoo!

The Psychology of Zombies

by Dianna L. Gunn

I've never been particularly fond of zombies. I mean, I've watched most of the Resident Evil movies and several other zombie films, but I've never quite understood the fascination. Zombies are, frankly, gross and unpleasant.


Personally, I prefer a classier villain. Take, for instance, vampires. Vampires are usually beautiful creatures that retain all their human intelligence. Anybody can fall for a vampire. They seem like people.

On the other hand, zombies are pretty distinctive creatures. The rotting flesh, the smell, the grunting rather than speech. Everyone I've ever met is able to recognize a zombie.

Common writing advice will tell you that people prefer villains they can connect to. They want to understand your villain. So why, then, do people enjoy zombie films so much?

Since people are too intelligent to really connect to villains who only speak in grunts, we must bring the appeal of zombies to a baser level: fear. Zombies are obviously frightening, and some people really love stories that make them shiver.

But what is it about zombies that makes them so frightening? Is it merely the fact that they're trying to eat human brains? Is it the fear of human deterioration? Or is it something deeper—say, the fear that we're becoming mindless drones controlled by capitalism? Perhaps it is a fear of the mob mentality.

I've considered several possibilities but so far there's only one certainty: people love zombie stories and I'll probably never know why. And while I'll never understand it, I do know one thing: people who like zombies will love this month's issue of Penumbra.

Dianna L. Gunn is a young Canadian fiction writer who specializes in dark fantasy. She also writes poetry, generally dark, which is her way of dealing with life. This insightful author hosts a website covering every aspect of fiction writing and interviews with noted guest authors.

Learn more about Dianna L. Gunn on her website and follow her on Twitter.

Velvet clutch bag DIY Tutorial

Velvet clutch bag DIY - Complete tutorial on style.it

Many fall collections are created around the theme of luxury. For Balmain luxury mean heavy embellishments while for Dolce&Gabbana is all about gold embroidery. Designers like Gucci and Lanvin chose velvet. Soft and shiny, velvet feels and looks like one of the most luxurious fabric. Traditionally used by the royalty, velvet will add a touch of elegance to any outfit.
This is not a fleeting trend, Ralph Lauren used velvet again in his fall 2013 collection.
Let's add a bit of velvet in our wardrobe starting from accessories, we'll make together a velvet clutch bag that will still be trendy a year from now.

follow my step by step tutorial on Style.it

Click here to view other DIY bags

Uno dei temi più ricorrenti delle collezioni invernali è quello del lusso che Balmain interpreta con incredibili decorazioni e Dolce&Gabbana con ricchissimi ricami dorati. Gucci e Lanvin scelgono il velluto come stoffa d'elezione per realizzare stupendi abiti da sera. Divertiamoci a maneggiare la stoffa più morbida e lucente che c'è e trasformiamola in un'elegante pochette, cliccate qui per leggere il tutorial completo.

DIY inspiration from New York fashion week

Pineapple shoes streetstyle look New York fashion week via Vogue.fr

Some inspiring looks from New York Fashion Week

see more below

silver shopper bag streetstyle look New York fashion week via Vogue.fr

ICB fall 2013/2014 via  Vogue.it

wrap around zipper belt

Phillip Lim fall 2013/2014 via Vogue.it

 Open side zipper sweatshirt refashion

Phillip Lim fall 2013/2014 via Vogue.it

Decorate a plain tote bag with some colored fake fur scraps
jeans refashion with ironed on patches

Another Step Along The Way

by Jude-Marie Green

If writing can be likened to a staircase, which is a lousy metaphor but will do for this idea, there’s that important step between typing “the end,” and typing, “Dear Editor, Please consider my story,” the step of critique, of giving the story up to the writers’ group. The cold, grimy hands of the writers’ group. The ice-rimed hearts and acid-filled pens of the writers’ group. Family, best friends, acquaintances, professionals, and other strangers who take a gimlet eye to the words and deliberately misconstrue every nuance of plot, every turn of phrase, every poetical use of a semi-colon.

In other words, the writers’ group is invaluable. Mine saves me from myself all the time.

I’ve worked with writers’ groups since before I started writing. Readers are an important resource for critique, right? I’ve participated in workshop critiquing at conventions from Potlatch (a small, West Coast literary genre convention) to WorldCon (the World Science Fiction Convention.) I’ve been in Critters (online critique) and Speculations (online writers’ group with occasional critiquing opportunities, now sadly defunct.) I’ve attended workshops from the thre day weekend of the Borderlands Bootcamp (in Baltimore,) to the two week Center For the Study of Science Fiction workshop (in Lawrence, Kansas,) to the six week extravaganza of Clarion West. The experience of these workshops was invaluable. My story, written in intense privacy and passion, was exposed to others’ experience and reading prejudices and ability with grammar, plot, and characterization that I myself don’t necessarily have.

These workshops are a professional honing stone. What have I learned from them? I’ve had my faults as a story-teller revealed. This is invaluable knowledge. Once I know my faults I can learn to spot them myself and work on them. Plus, the audience is small enough and sympathetic enough that I don’t fear being told the story is worthless, even if I know in my heart that maybe it’s not an award-winner.

I’ve been with my long-term in-person writers’ group, The Writers’ Orbit, for several years. Once a month, we dedicate a Sunday to story critique. We spend the first hour around the table eating potluck and chatting. Once we get through announcements – who has sold what to or been rejected from which market, who has been invited to speak at what seminar, and similar writerly news – the critique begins. We use the Clarion method. The writer remains mute while critics have a few minutes each, in turn, to discuss individual impressions about the story. I sit there with my teeth gritted behind a plastic smile and write down the comments. They’re all valid. Some of the ideas I won’t be able to use, they won’t help the heart of my story. Some I’ll steal wholesale. At the end of the first round I get to do something a writer can’t do in real life: explain myself. Yes, there’s a reason the butterflies are yellow. I’ll try to foreshadow that more. No, I didn’t know about skunks and exuda, thank you for mentioning that.

In my group, there’s a second clarifying round of commentary and discussion, then the written comments are passed down the table to me. My story’s taken its first step up the staircase.

(My favorite critique I’ve ever garnered came from a first-timer with sharp eyes. She said, “Um, your first sentence? Where your character is watching the sun rise in the West? Doesn’t the sun rise in the East?”)

Jude-Marie Green has edited for Abyss&Apex, Noctem Aeternus, and 10Flash Quarterly. She has an interview with Larry Niven appearing in Michael Knost’s “Writers Workshop of Science Fiction,” coming in April 2013. Also, she has a Deadliest Catch In Space story appearing in MENIAL: Skilled Labor in Science Fiction, released January 21, 2013.

To learn more about Jude-Marie Green, please visit her website.

Infinite love bracelet DIY

Here's another Valentine's day little jewel. This bracelet doesn't have any closure, well if you receive a gift that is a symbol of infinite love you shouldn't take it off...just kidding. You can make it long enough to put it on or add a closure next to the infinite symbol. I think it's a nice alternative to hiding it on the other side of the bracelet. If you think this bracelet can make a nice last minute gift idea I suggest you to pair it with these funny nerd Valentine's cards I saw on true blue me&you.

More Valentine's day diy ideas here.

Cut a piece of metallic wire and twist it 

Curl it in the shape of eight and cut away the loop

Connect the infinite symbol to a piece of chain with two jump rings.

Regulate the lenght so you can put it on without using a closure or insert a clasp to connect to the infinite symbol.

Prompts for the Poet

by Beth Cato

I used to believe in Muses, in writing only when inspiration galloped through my head. And you know what happened? I rarely wrote. Inspiration is a fickle thing.

A few years ago, I decided that I wanted to write speculative poetry as well as fiction. There are lots of romantic ideas about poets and Muses, but in my experience, it's rare that I spontaneously create a poem. Ordering myself to think of a poem on the spot will likely cause me to go completely and utterly blank. It's too much pressure. The world is too vast, and most poems are a brief flash of emotion. I need a narrower focus. I need prompts.

Almost all of my poetry is written during two months of the year, April and November. That's when the Writer's Digest Poetic Asides Blog hosts its Poem A Day Challenge. The name really says it all: for the thirty days of each of those months, the goal is to write a daily poem. Most of the prompts are general enough that they can easily be adapted to a science fiction or fantasy focus. This is made even easier by markets like Penumbra that supply their themes well in advance. I can approach the challenge, already knowing, "Okay, let's see if I can combine this day's prompt with the Fae, or gaslight fantasy."

That narrow focus means everything when I'm trying to shove a full story of subtext into twenty lines of verse. Speculative poetry has a lot in common with flash fiction in that you want a straightforward plot or image, and very few characters. I rarely use names. It's enough to attach pronouns. I also can approach the poems knowing that the editors and readers likely have a thorough understanding of mythology or other tropes of the genre. This means I can get to the magical heart or scientific angle of the poem right away. There's no time for development or explanation.

Each day of April and November, I begin by looking at the basic prompt. Then I look at other prompts to layer with it. I let my thoughts drift. I go wash dishes, bake cookies, or work on another writing project, and all the while these prompts are clashing in my head.

With the goal of one poem a day, there's no time to mess around. I can't wait for Muses. My creative process is violent. I'm jamming together puzzle pieces from completely different sets. Oftentimes, the first line comes into my head, and the rest of the poem flows from there. I usually don't know how it will end until it ends. The poem finds its natural rhythm with its unnatural subject matter, and takes on a life of its own.

If a Muse does visit me, it's not because I'm idle in wait for inspiration. It's because I set a trap and lured her in.

Beth Cato's poetry can be found in The Christian Science Monitor, The Pedestal Magazine, Every Day Poets, and on various pieces of paper crammed into her purse. She lives in Arizona, but is from Hanford, California.

Learn more about Beth on her website.

Pick a DIY idea, We'll make it!

in the pic from left: Chic Steals - Dare to DIY - Matter Of Style - Inspiration&Realisation - La vie en rose - Chic Cheat - Cut out+keep

What do you want to see diy-ed?  It's time to be loud about it!
7 DIY bloggers are here to work for you!
Is there a fashion must have you're dying to have? Pin it on the "Pick your DIY" pinterest board, the most voted will become a DIY tutorial.
Voting will be open for two weeks.
Pin the must haves you would like to see diy-ed
Vote the images on the board with a like or re-pin.
Most voted ones will become a DIY tutorial.


Here's how to enter:

Follow Matter Of Style on Pinterest

Mail me

Pick your DIY board

Why do you have to follow me first? It's just how public pinterest boards work, If you don't follow me I just can't invite you. :(

Join the fun, let's get inspired by each other! :D


C'è un capo o un accessorio di moda che assolutamente deve essere vostro e di cui vorreste che esistesse un tutorial?
Sette DIY bloggers sono qui per lavorare per voi.
Accedete alla bacheca di Pinterest "Pick your DIY" e inserite i vostri must haves nella lista, i più votati diventeranno un tutorial fai da te.
Per partecipare 

1. seguitemi su Pinterest
2. mandatemi un'email così potrò invitarvi a inserire contributi in bacheca
3. Divertitivi a caricare contributi e a votate quelli già caricati di cui vorreste vedere un tutorial 

Perchè dovete seguirmi su Pinterest? Purtroppo se non mi seguite non posso invitarvi ad editare la bacheca (ma potete comunque votare), la richiesta è legata al funzionamento delle bacheche pubbliche di Pinterest.