The Dark Streets of London...

Stories are the food that keep my imagination alive. I fully immerse myself in the story; the clothing, sounds, landscape, and the general feeling and mood of the story. The characters become real for me, and I find myself loving or despising them individually. So was the case when I recently saw the new Guy Ritchie movie Sherlock Holmes.

The movie was a great mix of adventure, mystery, and science, all topped off with gorgeous costumes and beautifully dark vignettes- with a pinch of Irish folk music by the Dubliners... it was near perfect. The gritty and ecclectic Sherlock was balanced nicely by the gentlemanly and tidy Dr. Watson. And there was Irene Adler, my newest heroine, and the only thief to ever escape Sherlock- she is beautiful, intelligent, and daring. There were tophats, bustles, pocket watches, secret societies, and dark laboratories filled with bubbling concoctions. The whole experience left me giddy with inspiration!

I have since been looking for ways to incorporate more dark victorian goodness in my jewelry, wardrobe, and home decor. I have quite a collection of vintage treasures, and am planning some new jewelry projects with them (stay tuned for more on this). My house is decorated in an eclectic assortment of various treasures, including antique books, lots of candles, medieval inspired art, and a few skeletons and ravens that are year-round guests. That's a good start...but needs improvement. My wardrobe is in desperate need of help. There is really no need for a work at home mom to include a bustle into her wardrobe. Can you imagine me in a bustle in the yogurt aisle at the grocery store?! I would likely find pictures of myself online with a black bar across my eyes. I do, however have my eye on a few goodies including this shirt from Clockwork Couture http://www.clockworkcouture.com/:

And I simply MUST have these delicious boots form the Pyramid Collection http://www.pyramidcollection.com/ :

Now, if I could only get my husband to talk with an English accent and wear a derby, that would be just dandy!