How To Visit Las Vegas On A Budget! (It's Possible)

I have learned Las Vegas the hard I would say.  I would go and spend easily over a thousand dollars in a few days each trip on food, gambling, cocktails, clubbing....you name it; I probably blew a lot on it.  The good news is I have learned a smart way to pull this off, WITHOUT breaking your bank.  I'm going to share some tips on how to make the most of your trip and still come home with money!
Clubbing is probably one of the most expensive experiences that you want to partake in while in Vegas.  With admission being anywhere from $20-$40 and drinks costing $11 each, you can spend a lot really quickly.  There is a way to avoid this problem before you even arrive though.  Get on every club website that you want to visit about a week before you leave home and scroll to the bottom to where it says "Guest List."  Put your name, email, number of guests and phone number on as many club guest lists as you want to visit.  The day of or even the day before you WILL receive a call from one of the club promotors, if not all.  This call is to verify that you will be attending and how many will be in your party.  Keep in mind if you are a group of all males, this probably wont work so well.  Its not unheard of though.  The goal of the club is to fill it with more women than men.  When you arrive at the decided club that night you will be directed to a smaller line and given two free drink tickets each.  Now its not going to be tickets for Grey Goose, but nonetheless you got two free well drinks at least.  Another way to get your name on the guest list at your club of choice is to just walk by it while you're there a few times during the afternoon.  Usually you will see a club promoter looking to bring in a good looking group of folks that evening and he will either give you a free admission ticket or write your name down directly on the guest list right there.  

      (Looking at the strip from inside Tao)

Drinking is another way to drop a lot of money very quickly.  It's no secret that if you're at the slots drinks are free, BUT, who wants to sit at the penny slots for hours just to get free drinks?  You've got places to be and things to see!  A lot of people forget that Las Vegas is just like any other town in the U.S. and they have this thing we love......Happy Hour!  These aren't your whole in the wall happy hour places either.  These are places where you can have quality appetizers and cocktails for $5.  Lavo in The Venetian, Sushi Roku in The Forum Shops, and The Yard House in The Linq are just a few where you can get cheap drinks and pull off dinner with their appetizers.  Call ahead to check any places happy hour times so you can add it to your itinerary.  If you are looking for the "Best Bang" ha for your buck then purchasing a yard cup with your favorite frozen drink from Fat Tuesday is your best bet.  For an additional $3 they'll even throw in an extra shot.  They also give you a coupon for money off if you decide to do a refill later.  Then there is also of course the poker machines on the bar at any hotel bar.  If you are playing, the bartender will ask what you want to drink.  Now I didn't say you had to insert $100 and play it all away.  At most hotel bars they must see that you have inserted at least $20 and your drink is free.  Play a few games for 25 cents and then cash out and move along.  Most of the bartenders are super sweet and basically tell you that to your face; just don't forget to tip them!

So at this point you've got your evening planned and you're carrying around a yard of vodka and redbull ha!  Take this time to do the FREE things that Las Vegas has to offer.  Starting with a players card at the hotel you're staying at and any ones you hit along the way.  Most players cards cover several properties, for example, if you get one at "Caesar's Palace" you're covered with that one card at 5 properties.  If you get one at "Mandalay Bay," you're covered at about four.  Why is this card important?  When you get that card at the desk in the hotel you will receive a coupon book and in addition to that, this card will get you discounts at any of the properties it covers.  Discounts on buffets, merchandise, show tickets if purchased at your hotel and even cocktails.  Show this card EVERYWHERE you go.  Including when you play any slot or before you put money down to play a table game.  Even if you put $100 down at a Blackjack table and spend 10 of it, the pit boss will document on your card that you put down $100.  Also, do not forget to grab those coupon books that are in the back seat of any cab you ride.  They all contain coupons for all Las Vegas experiences that cost money.  Start your walk through "Caesar's Palace" to the Forum Shops to see their Greek Gods show for free that starts every hour.  One of my favorite free things to do is to hit Hyde Lounge inside the Bellagio.  No reservation, just walk in at 5pm for free and pick your table.  I always buy a few drinks but here you are sitting on the other side of the Bellagio waters and the view is breathtaking.  I will sit at my favorite table for hours with my face smashed against the glass just feeling grateful that I have this view of something so mesmerizing.  

                 (Hyde during the day) 

                  (Hyde in the evening) 

The Mirage Hotel has a free "Volcano Eruption" starting at 8pm nightly.  Walk down through the new Linq area to hear live music and see the "High Roller" Farris Wheel in action.  Grab a cab and head down the strip a bit to visit the "Pawn Stars" pawn shop.  Take a cab back and get dropped at the Cosmopolitan Hotel to see the three floors of the beautiful "Chandelier Bar."  Its amazing.  If you want to have a drink there, drop $16 to have the best Cosmo of your life hands down.   

Food.  Food in Vegas is going to be your biggest source of dropping money because its outrageous.  BUT, you have a few options here.  The first is happy hour which we discussed above, but that only covers dinner..ish.  The Hooters hotel is great place to gamble offering $5 Blackjack but also, one restaurant offers a $10.99 prime rib special and the other restaurant (Hooters) always has wing specials.  The Hard Rock Hotel is another place for a "secret deal," at Mr. Luckys.  Just ask for the 777 deal and for $7.77 you will get a steak and shrimp with sides....BOOM!  The best deal though for quality food in buffets in Vegas is purchasing the buffet pass from any Caesar's property.  It is $49.99 with a players card and for 24 hours allows you access to any of the buffets at any of their 6 properties for that time period.  Meaning, buy it at 10am, have breakfast at the Flamingo.  Have lunch at Harrah's and dinner at The Linq hotel....and somewhere after all that drinking go to Planet Hollywood buffet at midnight.  Wake up at 9:45am and catch your last buffet at The Paris for breakfast.  Each of these buffets also offers "all you can drink wine, champagne and beer" for $10 as well.  This is an amazing deal all around considering each buffet is $39 if you were to not have the buffet pass.  
I hope some of these tips have helped.  I know learning these little tricks the hard way took time but it is definitely worth knowing.  My trips are more feasible now that I know how to play Vegas instead of it playing me ha.  After a few trips I was shocked to see that I had earned enough points since I flashed that players card everywhere, to get my rooms comped and even some buffets.  Until next time my darlings.....

IG: @van_rogue83 xoxo  

Weight Loss Tips That Are Easily Overlooked (Part One)

Over the last two years I have lost 40 pounds, but not intentionally.  I never thought I was over weight in any way, because I wasn't.  I've always considered myself a healthy person and because I was in the gym twice a day most weekdays, I thought that was the key.  I began to notice that I was working out so hard constantly, but I never got the muscular definition I really wanted.  AND, I never lost any weight.  This was baffling to me.  How could someone working out twice a day for an hour and a half not lose a single pound?  Why was I lifting more than ever but could not see any muscular definition in my body?  To answer these questions I decided to do this blog in two parts.  This being the first, and the second portion will focus more on diet/food and exercise.
After going to the doctor to have a routine blood check because I was suffering from migraines, I was told that I was deficient in many vitamins.  These vitamins are not only crucial to your health, but I did not realize that they played a major role in losing weight.  Its no secret that so many women are deficient in Vitamin D due to very little sun exposure, unless you live in a tanning bed.  In addition to having low vitamin D levels, I was also low in Magnesium and B12.  I spoke with my friend who is a Marines Boot Camp instructor about my concerns regarding my vitamins and how after hours at the gym I was still not showing any muscle definition.  I went on and on about how I do 500 sit ups everyday and I was drinking the protein shakes correctly.  He took one look at my stomach and bluntly told me, "You have a very strong core, its just covered in fat."  Whoa.  Don't go easy on me or anything bud ha.
One step at a time right?  It is generally recommended that adult women can safely consume 4,000 IU of Vitamin D, but since I was deficient I opted for the bottle with the 10,000 IU (one per day).  I could no longer stand the migraines so I wasn't going to put up a fight about Magnesium helping them stay far away.  I began taking 800mg in the morning and 800mg before bed.  It not only was a god send for the migraines but it does also calm your nervous system.  And then the B12.  I had noticed I had no energy for sometime and small tasks began to seem overwhelming because I was so fatigued.  I not only picked up an "overall" Super B Complex (to cover all the B Vitamins), but I also purchased additional B12 supplements in 5,000IU and took one of each daily as well.
As I did more research on diet, vitamins, etc it became clear that I was missing Omega 3, fish from my diet, and COQ10 for heart health.  I decided to begin taking the Fish Oil in 1200mg two pills in the morning and two at night.  Then got the COQ10 capsules which were quite expensive but when it comes to your health it doesn't matter the price in my opinion. Or you can go for the liquid form which hits the blood stream faster, I take 200IU daily.  When it came to the other supplements I did not break my bank but at the same time I did not opt for the cheapest product they had. And here I had the "Big 5" if you will....ha.

Over the next few months I started to lose weight which surprised me very much because I had stopped my two gym visits a day to 3 visits a week.  I took them religiously and still do to this day.  Little did I know that this combination was the key to kick starting your metabolism.  Over the next few months I lost 10 pounds and I started to see that my arms looking more defined as I wanted before.
I began to realize that the quest for weight loss was more than just the gym.  If anything, the gym was last in the "order of operations" here.  It was diet, supplements, and then the gym.  If you've ever heard the term, "Abs are made in the kitchen" it is no lie.
I started adding more vitamins to my daily intake.  Not for weight loss purposes, but because I wanted to be healthy all around.  I also started to notice some very bad habits I had that seemed small, but were huge additions to causing my goal to back track.  I cut out regular Coke (which is my favorite), started drinking my coffee black without my gallon of Vanilla creamer, quit the $7 Starbucks trips, and never drank a beer no matter what.  As a matter of fact, I took my drinking from twice weekly, to twice monthly.  The coffee. My vice that has its flaws but does 100% hands down get that metabolism going!  It's not for everyone though. Those small things alone I believe aided in dropping another 7 pounds.

*In Cancun about 4 months after adding the supplements and small changes*

As said above this is just "Part One" of a few easy tips I wanted to share.  Losing those 17 pounds boosted my confidence and made me feel better about my body....especially when my muscles began to show through the fat that was covering my body, as my friend so bluntly put it.

*Of course, always consult a doctor before adding supplements and vitamins into your lifestyle change. Because that's exactly what it is; it's something you plan to commit to for life. If I had never gone to see a doctor I would have never known how much I was really lacking from my diet. 

-Do not ever get discouraged in your quest to become more healthy or lose weight.  It will never happen over night, patience is our greatest friend here, yet the one we hate.  Taking very small and very easy steps like the ones above will get you in the right direction towards your goal.  Do not give up.

Very much love my friends, xoxo IG: van_rogue83        

2016 is long away for Penny Dreadful fans...so in the meantime?

For big fans of Showtime's Penny Dreadful, we know that we just had an amazing Season 2 Finale.  But we also know there's a lot of questions still, and we're not going to get these questions answered until sometime in 2016.  I've never been one to watch TV so now Sunday nights Im totally bored.  I know two things about myself though, I love to read and I love to write.  But I want Penny Dreadfulllll whahhhhh haha!

I started reading "The Picture of Dorian Grey" a few weeks ago to keep my craving for British Literature satisfied as I had previously mentioned.  That was a few weeks ago.....I generally blow through a book in a few days.  Holy Sleeper!  I don't know why this book was so controversial at the time, I cant even keep my eyes open to read it.  Its a free sleeping pill ha.  I know that Oscar Wilde was forced to write an apology when the book was first released and the publishers also had to remove 500 words.  Im sure I didn't give it chance, but I went ahead and put it down.  To be picked up later....way later ha.

Thank god my order my Amazon finally arrived.  I ordered Penny Dreadful Season One on Blu Ray so I have something to watch in the meantime.  It seems like these episodes are longer because there's a lot of content I don't recall seeing before.  While I was ordering it, at the bottom it suggested to me a book to order with the DVD.  WOW, so glad I ordered that as well.  This absolutely beautiful large book came in the mail last week called, "The Art and Making of Penny Dreadful."  I don't want to say too much about it, but just the photography alone is stunning.  It touches on the history of the time period, creative processes to create the show and goes into every episode as well.  The book is about 8x10 so I plan on framing several of these high quality photos for my office.  I do recommend ordering Season One and the book together.  Especially if you're a big fan, its an amazing collectors item.  These are two things you must own.  Blew through that beautiful book pretty quickly.  Taking my time watching the episodes; Season Two will not be released until October 6, 2015 but is available for preorder on Amazon for around $40.

I started Mary Shelly's "Frankenstein" this evening and THAT has definitely held my interest.  Half way through it already.  Mary Shelley's writing is much more easier to follow than that of Oscar Wilde.  I, like millions of others, have always thought that Frankenstein was the scary green man with all the stitches from the old movies.  But, that is also I suppose what we were raised to believe as kids right?  Her book really doesn't drag on, it jumps right into it and holds your interest.  Coincidently, I saw today on the Showtime store that they are offering a "Special Edition" VF Journal, just like the one he carries in the show.  Its leather and has his initials on the front and the pages lightly have Victor's work printed on them.  I plan on picking that up at some point.
If any of you have read something interesting on the subject matter or have any ideas on what to expect in Season 3, I'd love to hear about it.  Have a great Sunday friends :)

-"The Picture of Dorian Grey", Amazon, $7.99

-"Frankenstien", Amazon, $7.99

-"The Art and Making of Penny Dreadful", Amazon, $18.99

-Penny Dreadful Season One Blu Ray, Amazon, $18.99

-Special Edition "VF Journal", Showtime Online Store, $29.99

xoxo IG@van_rogue83      

How Do You Get Your Hair Like That???

One of the questions I get asked most often is, "how did you get your hair like that?"
It is a process and something I would never recommend doing yourself at home.  I have extremely dark colored hair so bleaching it is very damaging, especially when trying to get it very light for a bright color.  It has taken about two years to get my entire head completely bright pink.  To start I went to Visible Changes salon in San Antonio, but they do have locations all over.  Another salon I recommend is Toni and Guy.  I cannot stress enough how this is something you DO NOT want to do at home.  We began with not really knowing where this was all headed in the end, so we started with "partial highlights". They bleached out highlights only on the upper layer or "crown" of my head and we covered that with Pravana "Vivids" Permanent Dye in Violet.  It was very unnoticeable at first.  I decided to go back in two weeks to have another set of highlights added and we would go over them with the same purple color.  In about 3-4 sessions we had covered my entire head with the most beautiful, vibrant purple.  It is very important to remember to deep condition often after any bleaching is done on your hair.  You can find very low priced ones at the groceries stores; the key word you're looking for is Keratin Protein.  That is what will save your hair.  My hair was extremely dry to begin with so I purchased the Paul Mitchell Awapuhi deep treatment for $43 from my salon.  After my hair was completely one color you move into the easy zone which is just going back to get your roots touched up with bleach and the purple.  You do still have to deep condition and get regular haircuts.  

Around Halloween time of 2014 I started to get bored with the all purple color and wanted to change it up.  This time we bleached out a very large amount in the front, about 3 inches and covered that with Pravana "Magenta."  Having two colors turned out to be a bigger pain in the ass than I thought it would be.  It looked amazing but as I learned, this is very hard to maintain.  If the two colors even touched during your shampooing they will blend together and you've got a mess.  It was still obvious that the front was pink and the back was purple, but to keep it that way I had to wash the two separately with cold water.  Meaning, head in tub to wash the pink then make sure its blow dried completely.  Then head in the shower and wash the back making sure nothing touches the dry front.  UGHHHH!  Big hassle.  Had to get rid of this one ASAP ha!  So where to go from here?

At this point my wedding was about 3 months away and everyone was harassing me to dye my hair "one color". :)  I got tired of hearing it.  I was going to go one color, just not the one they expected ha.  To get my hair entirely pink we didn't have a lot of time to do the highlights a little bit at a time so I had to go in for a large amount to be bleached.  The entire back of the head in one shot; we knew it would kill my hair but still give me enough time to deep condition and get cuts before my wedding.  Since there was purple in its place before the bleach out; the covering it with pink wasn't completely successful.  It was pink but there was obviously pieces that looked orange.  So over the next few weeks we continued to bleach out the specific strands that did not take and cover them over with the pink.  We were finally done with a month and half before my wedding, whew!  And yes everyone old in my family was mad at me at my wedding but Comeee Onnnn people, it was in Vegas!!!  

The hard part is over at this point.  I now have a solid pink base of Pravana "Magenta", so anytime it starts to fade over the next 6 weeks before I need my roots done I just refresh it with Manic Panic "Hot Hot Pink."  I also no longer have to spend hours at the salon.  They just bleach my roots and I come home and cover it with the Manic Panic or if I have time to spare I'll stay there so they can go over it with the Pravana.  Either way works so great!  I still have to keep up with cuts and deep conditioning; whenever you have heavy colored hair like mine you will always have to.  But that's it.  Like I said before, "its a process." :) 

xoxo loves IG: @van_rogue83

Birthday in Disneyland!!: New Tips, Tricks,and Outfits!

So every year I make a huge deal on my birthday and have to go somewhere amazing because I am ALL ABOUT photos and making memories.  Its quite expensive to get to Disneyland from Texas now because hotel rates and park tickets have gone up, so I thought this trip might be out of reach.  But I made it happen!  Im so excited because I love almost everything Disney so so much!  This trip will be extra special this time since it is Disneyland's 60th anniversary and the park will be decorated in "Nightmare before Christmas" style.  This works out so well because I also loveeeee Halloween! Since the last time I went, I didn't know how to get the most out of my trip but I am ready this time after doing a lot of research.  I've got the restaurant reservations, tips and tricks, and all Black Milk Disney Clothing for this trip.  Basically a ton of new knowledge I didn't have last time....
This trip I will be staying again at The Disneyland Hotel because it is my favorite property.  It is so perfect for anyone's visit because its the original and really focuses on Disney all around the property  Even the main pool is shaped like Mickey, which I love starring at from the balcony; they also have amazing cocktails down there too!  The rooms I think are what makes this hotel really special.  They are all centered around Disney from the paintings to the pillows that say "A dream is a wish your heart makes."

If you want to go a little over the top, the hotel also does have 5 or 6 themed Disney rooms on the upper floor but be ready to pay ALOT.  And if you want to go super crazy and get the full experience you can spend the night inside Sleeping Beauty's castle suite, which is now open to the public (its so breathtaking inside) for about $10,000 plus a night I believe.  You have got to look up the images and videos of the suite!  Disneyland Hotel is also home to Steakhouse 55 which is the highest rated steakhouse in Disneyland (I'll have my birthday dinner there) and its at the end of "Downtown Disney" so you can hit all the fun shops and activities while it directly takes you straight-on into the park.  There's also characters walking around inside so you don't have to hunt them down in the heat at the park.  This hotel is also a good place to start your search for the "Hidden Mickeys."  These are Mickey Mouse emblems that have been interrogated into rides, walls, etc.  There are probably thousands since the park has grown so much, so I get too frustrated with searching ha!

First on the list is going to be the Twilight Zone's "Tower of Terror", then "The Haunted Mansion" (which Jack Skellington is taking over),"Space Mountain" and "Pirates of the Caribbean".  Over and Overrrrr! 

A cool tip I JUST learned about is that you can receive a survival certificate after the "Haunted Mansion" ride if you just ask the attendant before the ride, they will present it to you after the ride.  There is also a creepy "Pet Cemetery" to the right of the mansion, and if you ask an attendant they will take you over there for a private tour.  This is one of the original rides from the park so it's very old and I just love seeing the images on the walls inside.  I actually just ordered a phone case of one of the images inside the ride for my new IPhone6-Plus.  There's a lot of talk about the Mansion actually being haunted because its no secret that people actually sprinkle loved one's ashes inside the ride, even though its not permitted.  Scary!

Of course before anything, Im going to stop at Guest Services on the way in to get my Happy Birthday huge button hehe.  Everyone must know ha!  If you can make it to the train ride early enough and they're not too busy you can request to sit in the special car.  No one usually rides in it because they don't know that you can.  The train car, "The Lilly-Belle", was made and modeled for Walt Disney's wife so it is very elegant and special.  In "Mark Twains Boat Ride" you can ask to go to the front where the Captain is and if you're nice, they well let you steer the boat!  Also ask an attendant nicely for your certificate after you get off the boat. :)  If you do the "Jungle Ride" you can get a collectable map after you exit if you just ask.  And before you get onto the "Space Mountain" they say that the wall is magnetic, so its a tradition to stick a penny to it.  Inside the "Pirates of the Caribbean" ride there are real skulls and crossbones that were donated from UCLA from when the park opened.  After that ride I plan on having lunch at the Blue Bayou which is connected to the ride, so when you're eating you see the water and riders.  There is NO ALCOHOL in the park AT ALL, so scratch birthday drinks off the list.  The only place to have cocktails in the park is at the very hidden, members only Club 33, which was created by Walt Disney for celebrities and such.  There is supposedly a 5 year waiting list at this point to become a member for only $25,000...chump change right? HA. 

 
As said before I am all ready with cute Disney outfits all by Black Milk Clothing.  I have several items from their first Disney release in 2013 and then new items from their Disney 2.0 release this year.  I am just going to stick with Black Milk skater dresses probably for the entire trip except for dinner where elegant attire is required.  I still haven't decided on anything final yet.  Lucky for you and me several of their Disney 2.0 items are still available for sale on the website so I might pick up a few extra goodies.  Also, their Halloween release will be around that time, so I may just be able to rock some of their new or old Halloween looks since Jack is taking over the park! 

-Black Milk, Important Date Wifey Top, $45 (no longer available) 

-Black Milk, Bambi Reversible Crop, $50

-Black Milk, Tinkerbell Skater Dress, $90

-Fox and Owl Etsy, Infinity Belt 1.0, $50

-Disneyland Haunted Mansion Case, SespeDesigns on Etsy, $20
Much Love xoxo IG:@van_rogue83   *ALL and ANY photos were taken by me*

A little bit of darkness....in the sense of Marilyn Manson

I went back to my teenage years last night and went to the Marilyn Manson/Smashing Pumpkins concert.  I been a fan of Manson since I was 13.  The music and band has always intrigued me; the lyrics, the energy of the music, the names of each member, the influences that you can hear, stage antics, inside of the album covers,the art, how the band started....all of it!  There's a long history there and its so interesting you can write a book about the creative processes and just really how unique the original individuals really were.  The only two original band members last night were Twiggy Ramirez and Manson.  Great show! Really glad I went, I knew every song and was back where I was so many years ago carrying my metal lunchbox. :)  The guy is a genius no joke.  I spent most of the day being hungover and doing a lot of reading on the band since Im not really familiar with the last two albums and the losing of members and such.

I wore the first Manson shirt my dad bought me when I was 13 and some ripped up jeans with Docs.  You don't wear nice things to concerts like this.  I've been to a hundred concerts and I promise I have learned the hard way.  Last Manson/Slayer concert I caught a punch not meant for me from a 250 pound man and had a black eye for weeks.  I have two broken teeth in the back of my mouth from catching a hard elbow at AFI.  A deep cigarette burn on my left arm from the final Pantera "Reinventing The Steel" tour.  Then totally got my ass kicked to catch one of the five picks Dimebag threw out, I have it in a frame.(RIP). There's a nice scar on my forehead from a burning bible that Manson threw at me during the "Antichrist Superstar" Tour.  Rule of thumb: no earrings, no important jewelry, no purses, NO SEPTUM RINGS.  It gets "a little" crazy ha.  

I was a little disappointed with the set list yet surprised, because he did a few I'd never heard him play.  I was really hoping to hear more from "Portrait of an American Family"(which came out 21 years ago TODAY) and "Mechanical Animals", but I also noticed the audience was of mixed ages so he catered to all of us.  I guess I fall in the "Old" category ha.  Lots of energy last night though!  He did "Sweet Dreams" in these bad ass stilts, pulled out the podium and lit some bibles on fire for "Antichrist Superstar", and glammed it up for "The Dope Show."  Lots of smoke, pyrotechnics, crosses, crazy lighting, and several set/stage changes!  

Either way, get out to check out the show if they're coming to your town.  I didn't stick around for Pumpkins cause I didn't want to fall asleep ha. Never been a fan. Zzzz

*Tried to get the best photos I could for you guys but I was rocking out ha*

xoxo IG:@van_rogue83

A little bit of Black Milk...On a Tuesday ha

One of the most common problems I run into with Black Milk skirts is that I never have any tops that seem to be as beautiful as the skirts.  I literally have a ton of their gorgeous skirts all still with tags because of the shirt problem.  FINALLY, problem solved!  These two black bodysuits are gonna be your staples for all your pretty skirts, leggings, jeans, and well (in my case) black tutus :)  Shown in the photos are the Black Matte Zip suit ($56) and the Centre Stage Bodysuit (no longer available).  The matte zip suit does also come in pink, but I stick with black, because it's more practical.  I also snuck in a spiked garter under the tulle skirt.  Its an awesome accessory!   

Matte Black Zip Suit, Black Milk Clothing, $56
En Pointe Black Tulle Skirt, Black Milk Clothing, $80 (Get this ASAP! It's gorgeous and it will sell out!)
Spiked Tawny Garter, Handmade by Shop Fox and Owl on Etsy, $30

Fall of Phaeton Skirt, Black Milk Clothing, $45 (no longer available) with the Matte Black Zip Suit

I get asked about my hair a lot and how I keep the color so vivid, etc.  It is a process.  It didn't just happen over night.  My hair is naturally black so bleaching it out does a lot of damage and you have to cut and deep condition often. To avoid any major damage problems we did a little bit at a time at Visible Changes in San Antonio.  The base color is Pravana in "Magenta" while it fades over the month I use Manic Panic "hot hot pink" to keep the color bright until its time to head back to the salon.

With today's look I used all Kat Von D makeup, with the exception of my powder which is Studio Fix by MAC Cosmetics.  To start I use the Kat Von D "Eye Primer" and then use the "Tattoo Concealer" with her kick ass concealer brush.  Then brush the face with the powder.  I went for simple eyes today with the "Ink Liner" in Trooper on the top and the "Autograph Pencil" in Black Metal on the bottom lids.  Wrapped it up with one of my favorite colors that offsets my hair color; "Studded Kiss Lipstick" in Coven.  All are available at Sephora.com or in store for around $20-$30 per product.  MAC studio fix powder is available at the MAC store OR Macy's and Dillard's for $28.

Have a great week friends.  You only have one shot at this life; make the best of it. :)
IG: @van_rogue83

Busy, Busy this weekend in my Black Milk

Geez, for someone that doesn't work I always feel like Im slammed with stuff to do haha!  This week I was all over the place...but always in style (at least I think so) ha.  I don't really drink much but it seemed to pop up this weekend a lot, I suppose due to the holiday.  Friday afternoon I hit up a place in San Antonio that I really enjoy called "Top Golf."  Of course when I golf, I wear plaid...you gotta :)  Pretty nice place to golf.  Its a three story driving range where you buy a membership card for $5 and then its about $20 an hour TOTAL for as many people as you'de like to have play with you in your "bay."  You can hit the bar or you have a nice sized table at every bay with menus and your own server.  The whole time Im yelling "Fourrrrrrr......more of these neat green drinks!" HA!  Swipe your membership card to keep track of your progress to play alone or compete with your friends.  Each ball has a microchip inside it which transfers your distance and progress to the computer screen at your bay and then onto your card for the next time.  Pretty cool if you're there for fun or to be serious.  Golf, drinks, and food....you're looking about leaving with a $60-$100 bill.  EEk! But worth it.

-UNIF Clothing, Concho Hat, $88 (no longer available, but I have seen some on Poshmark and eBay)
-Black Milk Clothing, Red Tartan Reversible Skater Dress, $68, (Limited) Only XXS and XS available
-Shop Fox and Owl (Etsy), Infinity Belt 1.0, $50
-Hot Topic, Black Knee Socks, $8 from their online store
-Jeffrey Campbell, Margo Flats, $125, (no longer available)
-Grey Diem, Quartz Necklace, $48 online shop
-Lipstick is Kat Von D, Coven, $21 from Sephora online or in store

Fourth of July really didn't go up in Fireworks for me like it usually does for me.  Unless you count my dress! Unlike past years, just did some drinks with close friends at a small bar and didn't see many Fireworks or celebrate much.  That's quite the opposite of past years where I usually make a huge deal and go all out. Still had a good time even though it was just dinner and drinks that evening; it was pretty chill and I was fine with that. :)  I wore the Black Milk Fireworks IOD which was perfect for the holiday; although the hosiery and Y.R.U. Nightmare Boots weren't practical for the Texas weather....  I ended up switching that up into my comfortable UNIF Vapors and removing the Black Milk Sporty Stripes Hosiery.  It's too damn hot in Texas!

-Black Milk Clothing, Fireworks vs. Actually not Sequin IOD, $136,(no longer available)

-UNIF Clothing, Vapor Platforms, $122 (no longer available, but I have seen them on Poshmark)

-Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper, $19, Sephora in store or online 

-Lime Crime Lipstick, D'Lilac, $18 online

THEN SUNDAY CAME (tears):

And Sunday of course went to the Season Finale of Penny Dreadful.  I watched it twice that night because i couldn't believe my eyes!  I cried both times, it was such an amazing, emotional finale.  I was VERY sad to see the show go; it is coming back in 2016, but that's so long from now.  I don't believe they've even started filming yet. To keep myself occupied for the next few weeks,since I don't watch too much TV unless it really grabs my interest, I picked up "The Picture of Dorian Gray" and "Frankenstein."  At least this way I can still satisfy my interest for gothic British Literature. :) 

Have a great rest of the week friends and keep a positive attitude. You only get one chance at this life, make the best of it. :)

xoxo  IG: @van_rogue83