20100131

FULL CIRCLE

We're now back at the same hotel in Shady Grove, Maryland that we stayed in before the tour kicked off. Last night was the final show in Chicago and the band recorded a live album. The crowd was wild and the band sounded heavy as ever.

Tour was a blast and was very successful for everyone. I want to extend my most sincere gratitude to the entourage, including our tour manager Joey Lyons for busting his ass to make sure the job got done properly, our bus driver Ringo for keeping us all safe, our guitar tech Jared for keeping a watchful eye on our performers, and our merch girl Jess for being such a sweetheart and always keeping it honest. I also want to thank the members of Pentagram, including Russ Strahan, Mark Ammen, and Gary Isom, and the members of The Gates of Slumber, including Karl Simon, Jason McCash, and Bob Fouts, for being such incredible hard-working musicians and awesome friends to travel with. Additionally, I'd like to thank the establishments the band played at for accommodating the show and our entourage, all of the promoters from the 11 different cities for being so kind to us, and Thunderdome Touring for making it all happen. And last but not least, thank you to all of the fans who came out and showed your support, because it truly means the world to so many people.



Russ killing it.



My husband with a ton of makeup on.

We will be returning home to Philly tomorrow, and I'll be getting my new camera (along with some other exiting things to share), but for now all I can leave you with are these narcissistic mirror photos from a very lovely hotel we stayed in when we were in Cleveland:







I was wearing some Rick Owens here that I didn't have a chance to snap because we were in a rush. The Savoy Brown shirt is pretty boss and is something I scored on eBay a little over a year ago. "Born to Boogie" is a pretty fantastic album. The headband I had to fashion myself last minute because I left my others at home. I used some cut up pieces of a pair of black tights.

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!

20100127

KEEP IN TOUCH WITH MAMA KIN

Hello from Madison, Wisconsin! We've parked for the afternoon in a beautiful Bed & Breakfast in Madison called the Ruby Marie. Tonight is the first of the last 4 shows of this leg of the tour, before we go out again in March. The tour has been very successful and I want to thank everyone who have come out and shown their support. I also want to thank our entourage for being so kind to me and taking extra special care of me while I'm pregnant and traveling.









These boots have been pretty incredible on this trip. I've been especially grateful for them around the really snowy areas like Des Moines. I've gotten tons of compliments on these boots and they're so comfortable it's unbelievable.

Boots: high red "Doc" boots by Chloe
Jeans: Urban Outfitters
AC/DC shirt: ?
Jewelry: custom designs, Pamela Love
Glasses: Luxotica/Ray Ban custom







The back lounge of our bus is a mess, I know!

I think these are from Atlanta, Georgia:





Bobby wears all vintage and a shirt that was a gift from our friend Victor Griffin (Place of Skulls). Victor and his wife also gave me an incredible vintage velvet duster that is to die for.

Our demolished room service from the B&B in Madison (it was delicious):



Bobby with fans at the Meet & Greet in NYC:



A few people have asked me what makeup I use on both me and my husband. The vast majority of his makeup onstage is Smashbox, save for the base. He has sensitive skin so I don't use a primer on him. I use a matteiying oil-free moisturizer by MAC instead. Both of us wear liquid mineral foundation by Tarte called "Facade" and a fantastic all-purpose concealer by Amazing Cosmetics (this even covers tattoos). The bronzer/blush, eyeliner, eyebrow powder, eyeshadows, and lip products are all by Smashbox. The mascara is by Lancome.



This was taken before the gig in New Orleans. I wore a really cute striped minidress by Juicy Couture, but it photographed horribly so I'll spare you the full body shots. It's a shame because I wore them with some pretty badass Rick Owens boots. I did like my lime yellow eyeshadow that night though, which is by MAC.

I also want to extend my most sincere thanks to the readers of my blog who have approached me in all of the different cities we've visited. It truly means a lot to me. I did not anticipate the volume of traffic this site would receive, so I have not had business cards or anything of that nature that some of who have requested. I put in an order for them and will have them to pass out to my friends all over the U.S. and different boutiques when we kick off the 2nd leg of the Pentagram tour all along the West Coast. See you in LA-LA land!

It's time for me to put on Bobby's makeup, so until next time, as he would say, keep reviewing your choices. XOX

20100119

ALL NIGHT LOLLIPOP

Hello from the Holiday Inn in Greenville, Alabama! We've parked here for the night to recoup, shower, and do some laundry. Last night was the show in Richmond and the band was on fire as usual. The crowd was probably the most wild crowd I've witnessed so far. We got to visit our dear friend J.B. Beverly (Wayward Drifters, Murder Junkies, Little White Pills) and his girlfriend yesterday also. J.B. got onstage during "All Your Sins" and sang with Bobby for the encore. It was so great to see my husband and a very dear friend having such an awesome time up there. Here are some snapshots from BB King's in NYC .. it's been hard to focus on taking good photos because we work constantly every day for about 14-15 hours straight. But within the next few months there should be some great photos from various shows in Rolling Stone, Metal Hammer, Metal Blade, Decibel, etc.



Full-length vintage coat, Pamela Love rosary, Luxotica glasses, Jas M.B. bag.





Bobby on the bus in a vintage Golden Earring tour shirt and vintage hooded bomber jacket.



Bobby with our friend Dan ... isn't his vintage Beetlejuice jacket the best?



Mark TCB in the dressing room.



Bobby at the autograph table with Danny and our friend Gyda Gash

The Pentagram tour ad that I designed is in the Decibel magazine that is on the shelves now. You can find Decibel at your local Borders or Barnes and Noble in the music section. The ad looks like this:



More to come soon, but for now I need to kick back for a minute. Have a great evening!

20100118

PETRIFIED

Tour has been such a great time so far. It's seriously been the time of my life. The guys I am touring with have been like brothers to me. We're been to Springfield, our hometown in Philly, and NYC. I wanted to thank all the readers who have come up to me on the tour and said they enjoy Halcoholic. I also wanted to thank the staff at the venues for being so accommodating to our crew and treating us so well. I hope everyone is enjoying the Pentagram shows and I'll be sure to post a big update when we get home. We don't have wireless on the bus so I'm limited to internet access in the venues. So for now, I leave you with just this:



On our beautiful tour bus in my tinted Luxoticas.



Old photo of me (I don't smoke anymore since I'll be having a baby) in a vintage knitted vest and Chloe lace-up boots.

20100114

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

Hi from Shady Grove, Maryland! My husband and I were put up in a hotel tonight before we get on the tour bus at 9 AM and make it to the show in Springfield, Virginia for tomorrow night.



We rode a horrible Chinatown bus from Philly to D.C. this morning. The shirt was a surprise that Bobby gave to me today. I had mentioned that I wanted it and he ordered it for me. It's from Obesity + Speed and has Poly Styrene on the front, which clearly is the best part. A fellow blogger who I'll be seeing in NYC had also offered to grab this for me. People are so awesome. The rosary is by Pamela Love and the sunglasses are Balenciaga.



Sorry I'm such a mess here! That cramped bus ride was brutal. I'm also wearing some leather leggings and my new red Chloe "Doc" boots. How great are these? I didn't get any more photos of the entire ensemble because we were starving and rushed out to get some grub immediately.



I couldn't get a good photo of my new rosary with this abortion of a camera. It's truly spectacular.



The ugly patent red leather Betsey Johnson suitcase in the background is a staple for me on trips like this. I'm all for hideous luggage. It's easily recognizable and I don't like bringing any bags that I'm afraid of trashing. This was bought at Marshall's for like $25 bucks about 5 years ago. Surprisingly it's passed the test and has held up throughout many excursions.

That's all for now, I just wanted to update before stuff got too hectic. Have a great weekend!

20100112

TRIPLE TROUBLE

I was browing the Acne website today and stumbled across these cute silk shorts:



But then, I saw them. THE SHOES. THE SHOES!!!! How did I miss these? Acne's "Three-Heeled Pump" is one of the most original shoe concepts since that invisible Marc Jacobs heel, which I hated. Or those McQueen "Alien" shoes that nobody has. Where on earth can you get these incredible pieces of god-sent art? Does anyone actually have them?! How retardedly spectacular!



Imagine wearing these to the office with an amazing fitted vintage Chanel suit or something. How much cooler would you be than the other office-ettes? Obviously I would never work in an office [again]. But I would still wear the shoes. And the suit.

In other news, my husband and I are leaving for his tour with Pentagram on Friday. They will be kicking off at Jaxx in Springfield, Virginia, then heading to my hometown of Philly, BB King's in NYC on Sunday, and off from there. I'll be sure to update from the road. Can't wait to see some of you at the shows!

QUESTION: How many dud seasons will you give a designer before you call it quits as a fan?

My answer: I'm a pretty faithful fan, so I'll be generous and say 3. But 4 is 2 years, and fashion has a short life. 2 years of bad seasons = I'm not buying anymore. Unless suddenly one season, a miracle happens and something amazing is designed.

20100111

DOCTOR DOCTOR, PLEASE

I just scored these beauties on eBay:



High red leather Chloe "Doc" boots from several seasons ago ... so excited! Doubtful, but I hope they come before we leave. I've wanted these boots for so long and they were JUST listed in my size. Such a great shoe. Anyone who owns this boot, are they comfortable?

My husband hates lace-up boots, but he still has these incredible red platforms he wore in a photoshoot with Death Row in the 1980s:



Photo credit: Death Row Archives

Have a great day!

20100110

LIVIN' IN A RAM

Good morning!




Rings: custom sterling silver shield, large sterling butterfly ring (I've had this for years but they're selling them online at some boutique now -- the name escapes me), Pamela Love cross ring. I need a bang trim! I have no idea where the beanie is from. It's one of those things that just turned up at my house one day.



Tiffany & Co padlock bracelet, various chains Bobby picked up from the Czech Republic, custom sterling snake cuff.



Cool printed t-shirt from La Garconne. I think it's by Tsumori Chisato. I wore it with some navy courderoys and my gray Acne "Atacoma" wedges. The incredible tribal-looking ram head pendant is Bobby's and was given to him by the same sweet girl who gave him the gold pentagram pendant that I wore in a post about a month ago. It's so different from the ram head that I wore in the post with the studded vest. The other one is so much more traditional-looking. I love the horns on this one. The girl who gave this to Bobby also makes her own jewelry:



How amazing is that bib? Her name is Summer and I think she *might* take custom orders. Her myspace

Just to let you ladies who are coveting the YSL Arty Oval ring know: they have 2 sizes left in turquoise at Saks. I ordered one of these but cancelled because I'm not nuts about gold-plated stuff. But it's a gorgeous design and they're cheap for YSL so go for it!



$198 at Saks.



Have a good day! xox

20100109

CHARLOTTE'S WEB

Charlotte Olympia's designs have been catching my eye lately. Maybe it's the exaggerated silhouettes of the shoes or maybe it's just that signature little gold spiderweb on the bottom. Either way, my mouth has been watering to splurge on a pair of new kicks, like the outrageous striped wedge "Genie" pump:



How incredible is that little fringed zipper pull? What a great throwback detail.

Or this updated black pump with mirrored gold heels ... I love the tiny red detail on the platform:



These designs are just intrinsically fun and rock n roll in a very early 70s way. How sexy would that pump look with a striped minidress and lots of chunky costume jewelry (think 60s or 70s Avon mailorder shit). Sonia Rykiel made a platform several seasons ago that everyone hated (some choice adjectives included "repulsive"), but I personally loved:



The "Billy" platform. For me, this shoe evoked that same throwback feeling. They're so hideous that they go past hideous and back to good again. I just want to get a pair and go watch Frijid Pink live in some club that holds 250 people. Psychadelia at its best. My husband's guitar player, Randy Palmer, had a similarly ridiculous pair in the early 70s:



Randy (R.I.P.) is on the far left, and Bobby is next to him. I do believe these platforms had stars on them. How amazing. The shirt Bobby is wearing under his leather moto jacket was a gifted to me a couple of years ago. It is an original Lonely Ladies design with Iggy Pop's (then Iggy Stooge) face on the front. Also check out Geof O'Keefe's suede fringe moccasins and Greg Mayne's embroidered bellbottoms. Picture credit: The Pentagram Archives.

Anyway, I just picked up this Pamela Love dagger rosary from Bona Drag:



How cool is this piece? A little blasphemous for a Catholic-educated girl like me, but I'm sure Christ understands how badass it looks. Also couldn't resist this oversized hooded poncho from Obesity + Speed:



This will get a lot of use out of me on tour, when I'll be in freezing cold states like Wisconsin.

20100108

SWAP

I just put a section up over on the right where I'm listing my favorite fashion blogs. If anyone would like to do a link exchange, let me know: just leave a link to your blog and how you want me to contact you. Obviously, for the sake of continuity, I'd prefer it if you have a fashion-oriented blog, but if you have a cool photography or music site I'll check those out also. If you'd like to link me, I'd greatly appreciate it. You can just do a normal text link or use the button allllll the way at the bottom of the page, above the copyrights. Thanks so much and have a great evening!

And just so this isn't completely boring, incredible Givenchy jersey print wedges from s/s '10 that I would slaughter for:



In my opinion, these are the star shoes of s/s 2010. They are just stunning and flawless and I'd DEFINITELY lick the floors of the Philadelphia subway (even the stop in City Hall) to get my hands on a pair! I'd even do it in the morning, after the homeless have cleared out. And those of you from Philly know that our subway system is no D.C. metro. I'm sure it's been said before but I'll say it again: the House of Givenchy can do NO wrong.

20100107

THE GOOD SHEPPARD

One of my favorite stores in Philadelphia is Joan Shepp. I actually much prefer this store to Barneys. It's a 2-story gem on 16th & Walnut and they have the best selection of Dries Van Noten, Comme Des Garcons, Y-3, Martin Margeila, Ann Demeulemeester, Givenchy, etc. The associates there are very sweet, very fashionable, and so helpful and accommodating. I was in there today since I was in Center City anyway. An awesome woman named Elaine helped me. I had been eyeing this huge Givenchy bag and a very pretty Ann Demeulemeester duster that would look nice once I'm further along in pregnancy. However, once Elaine showed me this Comme Des Garcons coat:



... I quickly forgot about the Givenchy bag. And at such a fabulous markdown, I had to have it. This is such an incredible coat. It has dramatic asymmetrical draping and is constructed out of the most durable Army-Navy material. Elaine also showed me how the outer layer can be buttoned in the back and it turns into a really incredible lightweight long vest for spring. I love this coat and it's definitely coming with me on tour. I'll try to take photos with it on before we leave ... it looks incredible.

Since I also needed a good, durable bag that would fit my Macbook for tour, I also picked up this huge black leather tote by Jas M.B. With it I also bought a smaller clutch with a removable strap. The little bag can be used as a clutch or worn as a belt so you don't have to fuss with it. Great for traveling; I'll post photos soon.

Any of you Philly natives or anyone visiting Philly needs to stop by Joan Shepp, because you CANNOT walk out of there empty-handed! If you won't be in Philly anytime soon, they also have a great web shop. They have a pretty incredible Margeila selection also, and there's a pair of net booties I'm eyeing for when we come home from the tour. Do Margeila shoes run small on anyone else? I size up a full size when buying Margeila footwear.

Have a great evening!

20100104

MALADJUSTED CHILD



I used this camera today that I hate, but for now it's better than nothing! I wore these great maroon courderoy vintage overalls I got at a local vintage hole-in-the-wall called Sweet Jane. I love the cut of these, you can wear them with the straps off also, but my McQueen top was a little c-thru so I opted for the bib/straps up. It also has some cute functionless wooden buttons on the bib.





I totally forgot the BOYY Slash bag is reversible to be all black instead of the embossed snakeskin. Whoops. I wore it without the chain strap today, as a clutch. The aviator frames for the tinted glasses were bought on etsy and I later found out they were taken off of a dead dude or something. Oh well.





Since the overalls are maroon, it was a good excuse for me to wear these Ann D's again. I also wore this awesome huge gold vintage locket I got at the same shop as the overalls, and some cheap watch I bought in a hospital. Sorry for the creepy eye in some of the photos, I gave up on the redeye removal halfway through. When I get my new Nikon, my readers won't have to deal with that scary face. D:









Fuck it, I didn't feel like editing the extinguisher out! So enjoy it please. These were taken in the hallway of my apartment building, I would never choose that hideous wallpaper for myself but I thought it was appropriate with the semi-hideous overalls.







Speaking of scary faces, I'm married to that one.

Overalls: vintage
Turtleneck: Alexander McQueen
Shoes: Ann Demeulemeester
Jewelry: Vintage, costume
Bag: BOYY "Slash" bag

For those of you who read DECIBEL magazine, look for my Pentagram full-page tour ad in this month's upcoming issue. Also, look for a 7 page interview with my husband in February or March's issue. If you want to catch Pentagram on tour this month, click on the first Pentagram logo in the "affiliates" section and you can find the tour schedule and links to the Ticketmaster. I'll be there also doing hair/makeup, so say hi if you see me! xo