53; The Difference Between Facts and Opinions (+ Giveaway update)

Overshirt: Vantage Point Vintage • Top: JC Penny • Shorts: Forever21 • Belt: Etsy • Boots: Etsy • Jewelery: Crescent moon pendant (Omen in Salem), pendulum (DIY), sapphire engagement ring (fiancée)

Recently I've run into some...disagreements on a little personal style community page I visit every so often to post my looks to, a place where I've met some pretty awesome people, including one of my favourite bloggers, Louise of Art and Ghosts. Where the negativity that I'm seeing that was not present a month ago is being generated from, I am not entirely sure. People feel compelled to post their disapproving remarks to a few of my outfits and either don't offer many suggestions -- just plainly saying "I don't like it" -- or suggest that I change my style completely. I've been told that my most recent outfit is "unwearable" in terms of social practicality -- and yet, twice have I seen two seperate women there post outfits wearing black lace seethrough tops (one being a body suit) bearing it all, and the general reaction was enthusiasm and approval (except for a few polite remarks that perhaps it wasn't entirely appropriate to wear in public, but nothing as abrasive as what I've been treated to).

I'm kind of lost on the idea that one person's opinions on fashion can and is used like a piece of fact. What's more, I don't understand why some people feel compelled to be rude, either. Just last night before turning in, I received a comment on said page from someone on my most recent outfit, and the comment was simply: "Ahahaha, what" -- without any identifiable context, or punctuation for that matter. Yes, "what", exactly? I am dying to know.

This isn't me just having a hard time taking criticism -- I don't get dressed every day trying to figure out what combination of clothes will make the most people like me. Clothes and fashion are an art form to me; I wear what looks interesting for my enjoyment, whether or not it's 'conventional', so if people wish to voice that they think my outfits are terrible, I am completely open to it. What rubs me the wrong way is when people suggest I change to fit their style preferences, or choose to respond with catty, immature remarks. Some people just can't fathom respect for other people, and I suppose it has to do with the sense of 'anonymity' that sitting behind a computer screen can give someone. A person's opinion on a matter is not fact, especially when it comes to personal style.

I know, it's just the internet and most of it is bull anyway, but that doesn't make the negativity any less annoying. Its irritation may only reach the equivalent of a mosquito bite on my conscience, but it still lingers a bit to get on my nerves.

I simply wanted to write this out so that what little audience I have here will take a moment to observe one of the pitfalls of fashion blogging on the internet. My resolution to this problem? I'm leaving the site. I know I will be tempted to go back after a while, as it is on a website that I have been on for years (Livejournal), but lately most communities have been filling up with very negative people anyway, and has since made my visits to LJ much less rewarding this year.

I just hope that you who are reading this will, in the future, will be respectful of others when trying to put across to them that, for example, what they're wearing is less than favourable, and choose to say so to help them, not to aggravate them. However, I doubt I will have to do much convincing to those who read my blog, as I've only ever seen respect and support from you lovely people. ♥


Onto more important issues: the winner of the pendulum necklace will be...drawn tomorrow, because I mucked up on another website where I posted about the event, and said the winner would be drawn on Saturday, which is tomorrow. I would rather not be unfair to anyone finding out about this giveaway through that website. I am dumb, I know. Sorry!


Also, it seems to be that my page links beneath my blog's header image are missing. Gahh.


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52; The Planet Gunsmoke

Top: Thrifted in Cape Cod • Pants: Forever21 • Poncho/Kimono/"Ruana": Staring at Stars (Urban Outfitters) • Docs: Ebay • Scarf: Fanueil Hall (Boston) • Shades: Newbury Comics • Jewelery: Spike-fringe necklace (Forever21), Pendulum necklace (DIY), Feather earrings (Hyannis), Bone-carved bracelet (antique), rings (crow from Moon Raven Designs, Elephant from Urban Outiftters, garnet-fringe from an Asian import shop)

Jeeze-louise, I have a lot of photos and things listed!

This is what I decided to wear when I visited Salem last week; I originally planned to wear my tie-dyed shorts for an added desert-dweller effect, but it became very cold, very suddenly, as New England is known to do. Though I suppose the title doesn't exactly match up with witches and magic, but it's still relevant. Wearing this outfit got me in a mood to listen to a certain soundtrack on the car ride from a show I used to watch as a younger girl, a science fiction-western anime called Trigun. Now, if you didn't close out this page at the moment I used the word 'anime', I really appreciate you staying. ♥

But really, the soundtrack is amazingly eccentric and unique, and it's what inspired me to watch the show. There are western folk (and sometimes honky tonk) elements along with electronic, blues, samba, art of noise, and rock. The style I ended up with in this outfit is very reminiscent of the show: weird west. The main protagonist too wears red (moreso than I) with skinny dark pants and hulky boots, and I daresay my wayfarer sunglasses are nearly identical to another semi-main character in the series. Sitting in the car for the hour-long ride listening to tunes like H.T, Permanent Vacation, Not an Angel, Fool's Paradise, and Blue Funk really just put me in a good zone for the day, what with feeling so lovingly nostalgic from the music and wearing something so crazy yet appropriate. It felt like some weird sense of time travelling! Though I do apologise for how serious I look in these photos. Like I mentioned, it was awfully cold. Being on the coast of the Atlantic didn't make bearing the cold wave much easier.

The highlights of my purchases were a beautiful blue crescent moon pendant (trust me, you'll see this in future outfits) and a miniature art noveau tarot deck. (I'm rather glad it's small, as my hands are tiny, but I think I'd like to buy the 'normal sized' deck sometime, even if just to have a better view of the art.) It was so amazing there, and yet we only stuck around the same three blocks or so for the whole stay. Kathryn and I want to go back to venture through more areas and visit some museums, if we can somehow wrangle up someone with a car. Our day was spent stranded without a car all depending on one person who could drive back to pick us up. Sucked in some aspects, but was nice in others.


I am in love with my tarot deck, though. Not only is it absolutely beautiful, but I've 'tested' it, per se, with certain spreads for certain things, and it's come to be remarkably cooperative and accurate. I'm not entirely sure that I believe in cards telling futures and such, but it is quite like consulting someone for advice. I performed a past life spread out of curiosity, but it brought up an issue that I do certainly face from time to time and advised how to deal with it, which was much appreciated. It was also scary accurate with Kathryn's personality and concerns, which was a fun experience!


Here are some of the cards, laid out in my past life (invoking pentacle) spread:

Would it be weird to include tarot cards in fashion photos...? I am way too tempted now.

(Don't forget, my necklace giveaway is still open until Saturday! Check it out!)

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51; Nineteen Sixty-Eight (aka NECKLACE GIVEAWAY! ♥)

Dress: JC Penny • Hat: eBay • Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell • Belt: Etsy • Shades: Gypsy Warrior • Pendulum crystal necklace: handmade by me!

I told you I'd come up with some sort of giveaway someday!

I made this necklace with my own two hands -- I didn't carve the pendulum, however, but I did use my own hands to hand my debit card over when I purchased it. (...Does that count?) The necklace is a crystal pendulum charm on deerskin suede cord, complimented with a small bird feather. The pendulum is polished, but you can still see the natural cracks and crystalized crackles within the stone. (Please note that I'm a petite girl, so this necklace may sit higher on your chest than it does on mine. The suede cord is at a total of 24" (12" of length when wearing it) but has a chain at the fastening for an added 2" of length

For anyone who is interested in this sort of thing, a friend of mine told me that this pendulum is likely based on one of the Chakras (I bought a red one, and she addressed it as a 'root chakra pendulum'), so this would in theory represent the Solar Plexus Chakra, which physically governs digestion (the absorption of energy), mentally governs personal power, and emotionally governs expansiveness, spirituality, and all manners of growth. (On an additional note, in Tibetan buddism, it is 'home of the red drop', or red bodhicitta, which is the essence of feminine energy. Y'know, just in case you were thinking to yourself recently, 'gee, I'd really love a necklace that will represent digestion, spirituality, and the female essence.' Because who wouldn't want that? But hey, if it's just a pretty necklace to you, then that's all it ever will be!)

I had decided a short time ago that I would love to start a small Etsy shop where I can sell handmade jewelery and some vintage clothes on the side, and even though I don't have anything set up, I felt like making a necklace to give out would get me started on that track. Besides that, I don't have any means of giveaway sponsors, so it's all on me!

So, how can you win this necklace?

1. You must be following On the Ganges; for some reason my little Blogger toolbar disappeared from the top of the page (probably when I decided to impliment a header image) so if you have trouble looking for the 'Follow this site' button on the sidebar, click here.

2. Comment with your email address so that I can contact you. (I suggest typing it out like 'name at domain dot com', so that spam bots won't steal your email and harrass you with junk mail!)

3. (Optional, but recommended) Follow this blog on Bloglovin'; you'll have and added entry if you do!

A winner will be chosen on September 30th. (The deadline might be extended if I have a small amount of entrants.) Feel free to tell your friends and social circles about this giveaway!

Good luck, everyone! Don't fret, I will try to have more giveaways planned out soon, and once my shop is up and running, this will probably be the second place I'll mention it. (First one being Facebook, of course. ♥)


EDIT: After receiving one certain comment, I'm just letting you guys know that this is totally open to international readers!


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50; Aquarius ♒

Top + shades: Gypsy Warrior • Jeans: Target, because I'm classy • Boots: Etsy • Headband: Boston's Faneuil Hall open market • Earrings: Hyannis open market • Ear cuff: Local 4th of July open market

I think this shirt was made for me. I am fairly thrilled to have been born under this sign, and finding this gorgeous and colourful vintage fringed shirt on one of my favourite stores Gypsy Warrior seriously made my whole week. (Fun fact: I wore this outfit when I bought the jeans in my last post. I kind of like recycling outfits sometimes.)

Not many pictures, I know. Lately with how much I've been working, my appearance has taken a theoretical back seat. It's gotten to a point where I feel awkward in most things I wear, and when Kathryn whips out the camera, I look really uncomfortable, stiff, and just plain icky. It takes a ton of shots before I feel comfortable and look somewhat visually appealing. It's so weird.


Short post for today, mainly because I need to get a few things done around the house. However, I have some awesome news: I'll be announcing a giveaway on my next post! (Unless something else extremely dire should occur, but that's unlikely, I think.) Stay tuned!


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49; Green Leaves of Summer

Top: Fiancée's • Bell bottoms: Delia's • Belt: Etsy • Litas: Jeffrey Campbell • Shades: Newbury Comics • Jewelery: Om necklace (Asian import store in California), Peace earrings (Claire's -- don't judge), garnet fringe ring (India import store in New Hampshire. Yeah, I have a thing for those kinds of stores.)

I kind of disappeared, huh? I've been working a ton -- I realise this is usually my excuse reason, but when you're working at Dunkin' Donuts four or five days a week, you become kind of too exhausted to do anything, especially if you have to walk there and walk home. (I realise most people work six or seven days a week, but that's just not my thing. I need to have days during the week where I can do less shameful things than what I have to do at work.)

So, not a very exciting outfit. I just really like these pants; unfortunately I'm very much too short for them and my Litas make me...slightly too short for them. I'll probably hem them, even if it's going to kind of negate the 'bell bottom' part. At least they'll look like flare cut jeans in the end?


At the same store, Kathryn bought the most adorable flower printed skirt, and since she refuses to use her Lookbook, Chictopia, or Facebook to post photos of herself, so I'm going to do it here for her!

You might recognise the top as being mine! This is the first time I've ever seen her wear a skirt (dresses not included; I've only seen her in a dress about five times?) and she claims this is the first skirt she's bought in about six years. She blames me for it, too, which I just accept as a 'thank you'. Doesn't she look lovely though? (I bullied her into wearing some very cute gold sandals with this, but she ended up ditching them, but that's all right. ♥) I may post photos of her here periodically in the future, in hopes that she may utilise her Lookbook or something!


And one last note, my best friend in the whole wide world (no, really -- like, except for Kathryn) Memai (sometimes known as Amanda, or Daisy) who has been a fashionista since before I met her an astounding five years ago, has finally started her own fashion blog! I really hope you'll check it out. She's only made one post so far, but maybe add her to your Bookmarks and check her out once in a while? She's honestly a really fierce lady: SELTSAM. (She has a few more looks on her Lookbook and Chictopia, as well!)


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Toxic Vision (aka the most amazing pieces you will ever lay eyes on)

Ride Free Ringleader leather jacket ($695) • Warriors geometric hot pants ($125) • Bewitched armour hot pants ($165) • Ride Free galaxy leather cigarette pants ($199) • Black Widow leather studded faux fur jacket ($350) • Bewitched leather n lace tassle drainpipe pants ($275) • Bewitched polkadot jacket ($325)

I am speechless...just speechless. I would drop seven-hundred dollars on that first jacket without a second thought, if I had that much cash on me.

It really doesn't help me knowing I have enough money sitting in a converted 2 liter soda bottle for half of these items, even if said money is my tattoo fund.