we’ve sort of fell of this tumblr bandwagon thing, but this week, we decided to revive this blog in a new way. we have a website now--offering to help you find your discount fandom/general fashion items at your budget!

DFFL’s 32 Days of Halloween

When the Plague was sweeping through Europe, plague doctors began to come out of the woodwork. Oftentimes, they were second-rate physicians otherwise unable to find work, but people were so desperate for a cure that they would try anything. Because the Plague was such an epidemic, and because the cities they attended paid their salary, Plague doctors would treat both the rich and the poor. The mask was filled with aromatic items to ward off the "putrid air," which was believed to be the cause of infection. We know that isn't the case, of course, but those masks sure do look cool.

Now, you could go about this several ways. You could simply wear all black--and here we would refer you to our several On Wednesdays We Wear Black posts--or  you could take it to the next level. Plague doctors wore long black robes, not unlike the kind worn by a priest. Since actual cassocks are heinously expensive, we've gone to a costume shop. The above can be found at Halloween Adventure for $22. We also found a hooded black cloak, if that's more your style, for $19. The hat is another Plague doctor staple. We found this one on Amazon for $7.91. But if none of that is your speed, we found this super cool t-shirt on Redbubble for $25.52.

If you want a Plague doctor mask for yourself, we have that, too. All three of these bottom-row items we found on Etsy, predictably. There are a bunch of them out there, so you can go looking for your own if this style doesn't suit you. The mask is from MasquerademaskStudio for $30. The necklace and earrings both come from BiteSizeDreams. The necklace is $11.69, and the earrings are $9.09.

DFFL’s 32 Days of Halloween

This week's installment of On Wednesdays We Wear Black is brought to you by the Wicked Witch of the West--or, you know, Elphaba. Or Elphie. It all depends on whether you knew her as Dorothy or Galinda, really.

The point is, whether you think of her as good or evil or misunderstood or maybe you don't think of her at all--Elphaba rocks the black wardrobe. From the hat to the shoes and the robes and dresses in between, it's no wonder she can defy gravity in that wardrobe. After all--they say black is this year's pink.

And the foundation of any great wardrobe, as we see with Elphaba, is the little black dress. Here's what we love about a little black dress: it comes in all different styles (it's unique!), but you can wear them to anything (it's universal!). It doesn't go out of style. It's flattering. It also has the added bonus of making you look like a total boss. The first one we have here is a shirt dress from H&M ($29.95); the second is Old Navy ($36.94). The third is our personal favorite, but is currently low on sizing options--the Coach Tour dress from ModCloth, which costs $49.99. 

Trying to avoid subtlety? Clearing up any lasting confusion? Don't worry, we've got you covered. Check out this awesome t-shirt we found on Etsy for $12. The flying monkey necklace and witch's hat necklace are also from Etsy ($20 and $15, respectively). If you're going for an actual hat, we found these two on Amazon for $13.14 and $8.79.

That's all from us for tonight. Fly, my pretties. Fly, fly, fly!

DFFL’s 32 Days of Halloween

If you're wondering why we didn't manage to catch up and post yesterday like we should have, it was because the both of us were devouring our copies of Maggie Stiefvater's Blue Lily, Lily Blue, the third book in The Raven Cycle. This post was always supposed to be about Maggie, goddess of prose, cars, and dead Welsh kings. It's just a day later than we expected. 

Maggie, as you may or may not know (but you should know, where have you been hiding?), has many black tank tops. Like, a lot. You can get yours from Old Navy for the low, low price of $5. No, that's not a typo, so hurry up and grab one before they're all gone. Jeans are trickier, since we don't know what people prefer. But here Maggie has her jeans tucked into her boots, so we went with skinny jeans from Kohl's. They're on sale right now for $33. The secret that I've discovered about getting jeans at Kohl's, though, is to drag yourself through the store and look through the 70- and 80%-off racks. Trust me. You'll be happy you did.

In celebration of the release of Blue Lily, Lily Blue (and for Gansey's favorite dead Welsh king), we've included this super cool map of Wales necklace that we found on Etsy for $9. The sunglasses are a super staple, though. Target has a lot of aviators, but this particular pair rings in at $12.74, which is, we agree, a really random price.

Finally, the boots. Docs run more than a little expensive (I found a pair on Ebay for about half price, but I'm sure my good fortune isn't typical), so we went looking for some less expensive combat boots. The first pair is from Forever 21 for $39.80. The second, more decorative pair, can be found at Macy's. They're on sale right now for $50, and they qualify for an extra 15% off at checkout!

So get out there, write that novel, and make some readers cry. Their tears will fuel you.

DFFL’s 32 Days of Halloween

You know what we love? Well, other than affordable fashion?

MERMAIDS. They're pretty much the coolest, really, and we're here to help you channel that inner merperson. Or, if you're actually a merperson and are looking to express your true identity through fashion--look no further! We are here to help. 

We found this mermaid-looking metallic sweater from H&M. It's a bit pricey for us--$49.95, just at the edge of our limit--but look how cool it is! The leggings--also totally awesome--can be found on eBay for varying amounts of money. Those shown here are $8.59. Fish-tail leggings not your style? Check out this awesome maxi skirt from Style&co for $36.99.

For a more everyday look, we found this super cute tee on ModCloth for $29.99. The first dress is $26.99 at Charlotte Russe. The teal dress is from Forever 21 for $22.80. The necklaces are both from Etsy; the silver for $21.00 and the seashell jewelry for $18.00 each.

Please note that should a sea witch or your estranged sisters ask you to kill the person you love in order to regain your tail--just, think twice? Murder is not (usually) the answer. Unless you're in the skeleton war, of course--but then, we've covered that already. 

DFFL’s 32 Days of Halloween

You may or may not be aware of this, but the third book in Maggie Stiefvater's wonderful series The Raven Cycle comes out tomorrow. If our posts seem a bit distracted, take heart! We'll probably be a bit more focused once we've gotten our hands on our copies of Blue Lily, Lily Blue and devoured them with due grace and enthusiasm.

While we won't discuss any plot points here, we figured we ought to prepare our fellow fans for whatever lies before us, so here's what we would recommend for joining Gansey's quest to find Glendower. 

It's very decidedly autumn where we are these days, so for us? That means sweaters. And more sweaters. Also, teal polos. We'd like to make a brief disclaimer: Gansey's actual wardrobe is well outside of our $50 limits, so we're sticking to what we usually do--similar looks for a lower price.

The navy cable-knit sweater is from H&M for $39.95. The mustard sweater is also H&M, this one for $19.95. The grey sweater is from ModCloth and costs $39.99.

As for turquoise, we found this teal polo at Old Navy for $8.99. If polos aren't your thing, check out this awesome cardigan from ModCloth for $34.99. Top it all off with a camera--while we can't afford a fancy DSLR (and neither can you, if your budget's like either of ours), we did find this awesome necklace on Etsy for $24.

DFFL’s 32 Days of Halloween

First of all, we know we're behind, and we apologize wholeheartedly. I was in Connecticut for the weekend, and Connor was reorganizing her books, which is always an ordeal. We'll try to make sure we're all caught up today, so keep an eye out for more posts!

Second of all, you may or may not know that we love Hades and Persephone. Persephone's resistance is something that was added into the later myth, and even when one considers that telling, it always ends the same way: Persephone eats seeds of the pomegranate and must return to Hades for a certain amount of months. She came to rule as the Dread Queen, the Queen of Life and Death, and she and Hades were an amazing power couple. And we are so, so about Underworld power couples. We're also super about elvishness's Hades/Persephone fanart, which is where today's inspiration came from (thanks!).

Who knew Hades would be into red polka dots? But of course he is. We found both shirts on Etsy. The short-sleeve shirt is a little pricey at $56--but it's vintage Dior, so I guess we see where they're coming from. The long-sleeve shirt is slightly more affordable at $42. And naturally this king of the dead is nothing without some skull accessories, like this skull ring we found on--you guessed it--Etsy for $36.75.

As for our favorite Dread Queen... We found this skirt at House of Fraser for about £28, which equates to about $45. We also found a sundress with a similar pattern (not pictured) on Etsy for $42. We're not exactly experiencing sundress weather, but if you are, we say go forth and enjoy it! The other dress we found on Modcloth for $55. And what is Persephone without her flower crown? We found this one on (sorry, you're definitely getting tired of hearing about it now) Etsy for $18.

So go forth, lords and ladies, and rule that Underworld!

DFFL’s 32 Days of Halloween

You had to know this was coming sooner or later. After all, these are dire times. Embroiled as we all are in the midst of the skeleton war, it can become a bit complicated. Maybe you want to hide in plain sight. If you do, we're here to help you. (Although we're not sure if "sight" is the right word--can skeletons even see? Skulduggery, you don't count.) Be careful out there, my friends. The skeletons are everywhere. There could even be one... [looks around surreptitiously] ...hiding inside you right now.

Both the sweatshirt and t-shirt come from the Etsy shop theboldbanana. The sweatshirt is $24, while the t-shirt is only $15. You can also get a tank top from them for $18. The t-shirt is women's size only, but the sweatshirt is unisex--just something to keep in mind when sizing. The leggings in the middle we found on Amazon for $11.59.

But wait! There's more! We found these fingerless gloves at Hot Topic for $5.20 (they're on sale!). If fingerless isn't your thing, there's also a pair of regular gloves we found at Party City for $7.99. The skirt and the bracelet are both from Modcloth. The bracelet is $14.99 and also comes in silver, which is currently sold out. The skirt is "coming soon," so make sure you keep an eye out. It comes in right at the top of our budget at $49.99.

So now you're ready for the skeleton war. Grab a tibia from your neighbor (they're totally not using it) to brandish as you rush off into battle, or maybe just to protect yourself against the imminent invasion. Whatever the case, we wish you luck in all of your tibia-wielding endeavors. Now, if you excuse us, I do believe there's a femur or two we need to collect.

DFFL’s 32 Days of Halloween

I don't want to alarm you, but something very sinister is going on here.

Okay, maybe not sinister. Y'ALL. IT IS ANGELA LANSBURY'S BIRTHDAY. We don't know about you, but around these parts? That's something to be celebrated (and to be celebrated well). What better way than to model today's post after the ever fabulous Jessica Fletcher? 

For starters, the jacket. Simple red plaid patterned blazers are, it turns out, quite pricey these days. Thankfully, we are not dependent on designer names! Thank goodness for Etsy--we found these for $35, $7.99, and $28 respectively.

Next up: the silk scarf. We may not have an endless supply of these, but we are huge fans of scarves. Always. Especially in autumn. We found this one from HumbleChic for $28.  Looking to update the look a little? Try this ombre scarf from House of Fraser. Nifty, right? It's £30, which is about $48 at the moment.

And, of course, a nod to the show in its entirety.  Check out these super cool necklaces (also from Etsy. Naturally). The first typewriter necklace is $35 from EvelynMaeCreations. The second one is less fancy, and costs $8.98 at teaANDtentacles. The magnifying glass necklace is $8 at ingredientsforlovely, but there are plenty of others to choose from if antique bronze isn't really your style.

Not quite hitting the right note? Luckily for you, Connor stumbled across some pretty amazing Murder, She Wrote fashion blogs while researching this post. Have a look at murder-she-wore and cabotcovefashions--we're kind of in love. And if you're feeling the need to rewatch, head's up--most of the DVD sets are on sale right now! Season 2, for example, is $9 on Amazon. Plus, you know, there's always Netflix. 

We'll leave you to your sleuthing... and, of course, a trademark laugh.

DFFL’s 32 Days of Halloween

On this, my third straight day of making posts, I was running a bit dry on ideas. Connor helpfully suggested corvids, and so that's what I went with. But then we realized that there is an entire plethora of things we could do for On Wednesdays We Wear Black that we somehow stupidly overlooked. So we might be keeping these up well past October. But that's for another time. Right now, we're here to talk about ravens.

It's always been a not-so-secret dream of mine to one day own a dress made of feathers--or, at least, a dress that looks like it's made of feathers. I should keep dreaming. If wishes were horses and all that. But here's the thing: there's actually a kind of affordable way for you to walk around dressed like Poe's favorite bird. We found the first dress on Etsy for $50. It's a vintage item from the 1980s, so make sure you snap it up before someone else does! The other dress, in case you just like feather print, we found on Boohoo for about $44. The skirt is made from rooster feathers and can also be found on Etsy for $39. Make sure you check out the helpful sizing chart!

One last piece of actual clothing: we found the feather sweater at American Apparel for $29.95. When we were looking for snazzy feather jewelry, we came across a super rad but really expensive necklace that we're kind of still salivating over. However! We found this much more affordable necklace for you on ASOS for $34.11. And if you have a bit of cash to spare and want the more expensive necklace, you can find it here. But don't say we didn't warn you--it's $160. Finally, who doesn't like capes? We found this particular wrap on Etsy for $27. If you like a stand-up collar look, we also found a Maleficent-inspired collar, also on Etsy, for $35.

DFFL’s 32 Days of Halloween

You may or may not know that today is the anniversary of the Battle of Hastings, which just happens to be my favorite historical battle. Like, ever. This has also inspired in me a strange affection for William the Conqueror, and as such, today's post is dedicated to this super cool historical moment. For a quick history lesson: In 1066, Edward the Confessor died. He was childless, and so Harold Godwinson, the Duke of Wessex, was crowned (after being elected by the Witenagemot).

William, however, claimed that not only had Edward promised him the throne, but also that Harold had agreed to it. Harald Hardrata also contested the succession, and so the war began. Harold's forces were kept busy in several places, but he still put up a valiant fight when his forces met William's at Senlac Hill. At first, it appeared a massacre of William's troops--Harold's men had the higher ground, and it was simply a matter of cutting them down as they came. Finally, however, Harold was killed. It is unclear how, but one popular rumor suggests he was shot through the eye by an arrow. And so William the Conqueror became king of England.

Now! How do we go about making this into an outfit, you ask? Don't worry--I figured it out. First up are these chain mail-inspired leggings we found on Etsy for about $59. They're a little pricier than we usually go for, but they're just so cool. If you want something that ~kind of~ looks like chain mail but is a bit more appropriate for everyday wear, we found this sweater at Forever 21 for $17.80. For a change of pace, we have the dress in the middle. William's colors were red and gold--a red flag sporting two gold lions. This dress is at House of Fraser for $45.

There's also the t-shirt in the bottom middle. What we have pictured here is the back; the front has William's coat of arms. This awesome find is on Zazzle for $27. There's also this super awesome Team William pin we found on Etsy for $2.04. I endorse this purchase, and I may or may not be going to buy one as soon as I finish typing this post. Finally, we have this bow and arrow necklace, also on Etsy, in case you want to celebrate/commemorate shooting your enemy through the eye. Hey, we're judgment free. The necklace starts at $25 and goes up depending on chain length.

Happy conquering!

DFFL’s 32 Days of Halloween

Erin Morgenstern's Tumblr informed us that today is the 128th anniversary of the opening of Le Cirque des Rêves. Over here, we are all about The Night Circus (Ice Garden, hello). Now, we've already done a post about the book cover of The Night Circus, so we've endeavored to avoid repeating ourselves. Be that as it may, we couldn't pass up this golden opportunity--or this black and white opportunity, as it were.

Celia Bowen, perhaps one of our favorite leading ladies ever, is known for her phenomenal wardrobe. We'd basically like to have all of her clothes--not that we know when or where we'd wear them, but does it matter? (No. No, it does not.) Therefore, we tried to find you some gowns that could potentially be part of Celia's wardrobe. The first gown we found is sadly not black and white striped, but the silhouette was so lovely that we couldn't resist. We found it on Amazon for $65, which we realize is over budget, but if you really want a nice gown, it's worth the extra cash. Gowns tend to run a little expensive. We also found a black and white striped gown (not pictured), also on Amazon, for $41.50. The other gown we found at 6PM for $47. In case you can't see--the bodice has ruffles. Finally, if yo're not into dresses, we included these striped pants, from Maykool, for $21.

We also need to accessorize. The blazer we found at H&M for $35. There's also a men's blazer (not pictured) for $50. It's not a circus without a top hat, either, so we went and found this mini top hat on Etsy for $45. It even has the black and white stripes! If you want a more traditional top hat, we also found one on Amazon for $8. We also have a little something for those of you who identify as Rêveurs rather than Night Circus employees. As you know, Rêveurs identify one another by that little splash of red in their attire. As such, we went out in search of just the thing. We're very about cravats over here, and we found this beauty on Etsy for $35. If you prefer scarves, you can head on over to our favorite scarf spot, Peach Couture, for a red pashmina that costs $9.95.

DFFL’s 32 Days of Halloween

We know Towel Day isn't until May, but since October 12 was the day on which The Hitchhiker's Guide To the Galaxy was published, it seems only fitting that Day 12 of our 32 Days of Halloween be dedicated to it.

If we learned anything from Hitchhiker--other than the fact that the answer to life, the universe, and everything is 42--it's that the key to success is in accessories. We recommend a basic blue dress--these are from Charlotte Russe ($26.99) and H&M ($20.00)--or jeans and a t-shirt (this one's $18.90 on Spreadshirt). After that, you're ready to accessorize.

We can't do much about finding you a real babel fish--fresh out of stock, sorry!--but we did find a pin on Etsy for $4.13, which is pretty cool. Next up is your daily reminder (DON'T PANIC): we found this keychain, also found on Etsy, for $9.08. Last--but certainly not least--don't forget your towel (this one's from Target for $4.99).

Well, that's it from us on this topic. So long, and thanks for all the fish.

DFFL’s 32 Days of Halloween

Okay, we know. We're a day late. Basia's been off at New York Comic Con, Connor got distracted by home improvement projects--anyway, here we are! We promised you 32 Days of Halloween, and we certainly wouldn't renege on that. To make up for not posting this yesterday, we tried to make this one extra-cool.

Did you know yesterday was the anniversary of the day that the government officially stopped searching for the Loch Ness Monster? In honor of Nessie and in honor of missing lake monsters everywhere, we henceforth dedicate this post to those in search of promoting the care of mystical, mythical, and magical creatures. Please contact your local representatives to hear more.

In all seriousness, though, one must look fabulous when searching for a lost monster. You need to appear unthreatening, so we recommend these leggings. The pair on the left is on Etsy for $9.99, and the pair on the right are from Amazon for $14.04 (they also come in different colors, so you can work on the right camouflage for your area of research). 

Check out these awesome tops we found to advertise your favorite hobby. the Adventure Club print can be either a t-shirt for $18.50 or a hoodie for $39. We also really like the blue one from Zazzle ($28.50).  Trying to keep a low-profile? We're a fan of pairing the leggings with a loose black top, like this one from H&M for $12.95.

Want to add a bit more to your outfit? Check out this beautiful necklace--$25 on Etsy. Now all you need are binoculars (we found this pair on Amazon for $23.99) and a notebook to record your findings (Zazzle, $14.95). Remember, it's not science--or anthropological research, or even cryptozoology--unless you write it down.