game of thrones – Rae Nudson

characters’ christmas trees

One year in college I left our Christmas tree up so long it became an Easter tree (complete with Easter egg lights). For a few years in New York I lived in a 400-square-foot apartment, but I always made sure I had room for my boxes of Christmas ornaments.

Right now I have a small fake Christmas tree that’s roughly three feet high. The lights built into it burned out last year–I might need to retire it soon. For now, I just added extra strands of lights (including the Easter egg ones).

I don’t know what I like more: the twinkling lights, the bulbs of bright colors, or the sparkly garland.

My tree is a Doctor Seuss tree. Its ornaments are too large, and too small, and the giant glitter star at the top makes it a little lopsided. I use (and save every year) the tackiest, most colorful garland I can find. I only wish I could fit more ornaments and lights on my tiny tree (and figure out how to take a better picture of my narrow tree in my tiny narrow living room).

I love my little Christmas tree, and I think it does a good job of representing my unique brand of Christmas cheer–more is more and the brighter the better.

After all, your tree is a reflection of your style. Are you traditional? Modern? Minimalist? Tell it to me in Christmas tree. I love seeing my friends’ (ok, and strangers’) trees. It’s a peek inside their holiday brain–and sometimes there’s a bit of personal history in the branches. I assume this is true for fictional people, too, so what would some characters I’ve met this year have on their Christmas trees?

Jon Snow from Game of Thrones. Jon Snow’s tree on the wall would be pretty sparse. They’d have crow decorations and black ornaments. Some books might be under the tree as a gift to Sam, and it would definitely be covered in snow.

Delirium from the Sandman. Delirium’s tree would be a delight–at least at first glance. It would be rainbow, like her speech bubbles, and it would have whimsical ornaments. I have a feeling Delirium decorated until something else came up, and then she promptly deserted her tree in favor of a new distraction. Or maybe she hit the eggnog a little too hard before she got started.

Bernadette from Where’d You Go Bernadette. Once Bernadette was a great architect. She used recycled materials and wasted nothing. Her tree would be made of materials found around her Seattle home, and the blue glass would be a tribute to her daughter Bee’s trip to Antarctica and the glaciers she saw there.

So how do you like your Christmas tree? Whimsical like Delirium’s? Or maybe upcycled like Bernadette’s?

valar morghulis (embroidery no. 11)

Valar morghulis. All men must die.

This theme and these words come up over and over again in the Song of Ice and Fire books, the series that includes Game of Thrones and its sequels. As those who watch the show and read the books know, in George R. R. Martin’s world, a lot of men must die.

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game of thrones outfit inspiration: sansa

Poor Sansa can’t catch a break. When we met Sansa she was a fool of a girl, and one of my least favorite characters. She preferred knights on white horses to sword fighting, unlike our hero Arya, and she dreamt of pretty dresses and a handsome princes. Sadly, she’s been dealt nothing but tragedy since her arrival in King’s Landing. She got a prince, and pretty dresses, but she’s lost her family and her innocence. This week, we saw Sansa forced to marry Tyrion. The best Lannister, sure, but still a Lannister. And no fate she would have chosen for herself.

I think Sansa would have embraced a girly, structured look if she were having more fun than we saw her have this week. I think this coloring would look lovely with her auburn hair.

And if she were feeling a little feistier? Like if someone forced her to get married again? Well her cape dress here shows some serious attitude and evokes her wedding cape. And with a rock on her hand like that, who needs a wedding ring.

I’ve also made outfits inspired by Jaime, Arya, Margaery, Daenerys, Brienne, and Jon Snow. Who’s your favorite?

game of thrones outfit inspiration: brienne

Last night was a round-up of sorts, and maybe even a let down from the action-packed past few weeks. But then Brienne fought a bear. A freaking bear. In a dress. So because she fought a bear and kept her composure under fear of death and humiliation, she definitely wins this episode. (Jaime comes in a close second solely for the line “half a million” when the maester pointedly asked how many people he’s saved in his lifetime.)

We know Brienne is more comfortable in armor than anything, but we can still pay homage to our friend and get dressed for the city streets instead of a medieval battle.

Metallic, of course. And she’d probably toughen up a sweet dress with a leather jacket. Brienne is no Cinderella and certainly needs no Prince Charming, so her slippers aren’t quite glass. Her earrings hint at her home, the Sapphire Island, where the water is a beautiful blue.

In a more casual setting, we can give a shout out to Brienne with a metallic sheen and a tough wrist cuff reminiscent of her armor. I’d like to think Brienne is coming to her own and would proudly be that tall girl wearing heels. She knows she’s a bad B.

I’ve also made outfits inspired by Jaime, Arya, Margaery, Daenerys, and Jon Snow. Who’s your favorite?

game of thrones outfit inspiration: jon snow

I think we can all agree mostly everyone on Game of Thrones right now is losing. The Lannisters are down a hand and up two unwanted fiances. The Starks are all over the map, losing battles and friends. So I think Jon wins this week because he made it up and over a 700-foot wall made out of ice. Did you guys see that climb? Holy wow.

Jon has joined the Night’s Watch, where the men are nicknamed crows and wear all black. They have to bundle up because, well, it’s cold up there and they live on a giant block of ice. If we were to take Jon’s style and apply it to now, I think it would look something like this.

A leather dress, feather coat, and a bracelet decorated with skulls? Seems like a pretty accurate representation of the Night’s Watch to me. But if you have to go out and not look like a super awesome, slightly trashy grunge heiress, maybe you’d try something like this.

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game of thrones outfit inspiration: daenerys

If you don’t think Daenerys won Game of Thrones last night, you weren’t watching the same show I was.

Her strength, beauty and general badass-ness totally came through last night when she showed some slavers what was what. Dany is a gorgeous woman, and she can dress for every occasion. We’ve seen her in lovely light flowy dresses and horse-riding warrior gear. She’s been a pretty practical in her wardrobe lately, but what else could we expect from someone who’s planning more than one uprising?

I think Dany today would be pretty fierce. Here we have her in skinny jeans and stilettos with a jacket whose structure resembles her structured dresses as of late.

But she also knows how to impress by being softer and elegant. I’d like to be more like Dany–in personality and in style, I think.

I’ve also made outfits inspired by Jaime, Arya and Margaery. Who’s your favorite?

game of thrones outfit inspiration: jaime

Well Jaime definitely didn’t this week’s episode of Game of Thrones. In fact, he lost quite a bit. But he lost the episode in such a spectacularly gruesome fashion that his moments stuck out to me the most.

Jaime spends most of his time in his white cloak and armor (or in mud when he’s a prisoner), but we can take cues from Jaime and take it with us to the office.

Lannister colors are red and gold, which look smashing against a bright white. It’s a crisp, clean and modern color combo, and you can look fresh but professional in a red pencil skirt. Throw on a bangle that looks like an arrow as a shout out to Jaime’s skills with weapons. And, of course, just because [SPOILER] Jaime doesn’t have his sword hand anymore doesn’t mean we can’t honor what it once was in a cheeky necklace from Catbird.

And for a more casual night out? White and gold, just like Jaime’s kingsguard gear, dress up a pair of jeans so you’re ready to hit the town.

game of thrones outfit inspiration: arya

Arya, also known as The Coolest Person You Wish You Were, is back and wins this week’s episode of Game of Thrones. We find her on the run after she escapes from almost certain death by bargaining with a man who will kill whoever she wants. I love Arya’s spunk. While sitting down to dinner with her kidnapper (rescuer? It’s not clear), she doesn’t hesitate to pull out her sword and challenge a man about three times her size.

I think Arya gives everyone a run for their money. If she were working/playing in the city today, here’s what she might wear.

She wore a lot of green this episode to blend into the woods. You can also wear it to stand out as a go-getter. Arya’s jewelry hints at the bones she could crush if she wanted. Her clutch doubles as a weapon–just in case. Her shoes are sensible, of course, so she can chase you if she needs to.

As Arya runs errands on the weekend, she casually throw on her fur–she is a daughter of the wolf after all. Her necklace is made up of the bones and teeth of lesser (wo)men. Her shoes have spikes because she had to leave her sword at home. She’s got everything she needs in her tote bag, including running shoes for a quick trip to anywhere.

game of thrones outfit inspiration: margaery

I’m so glad to be back in the TV land of Game of Thrones. George R.R. Martin has created a beautiful and dense world, full of intrigue and crisscrossing relationships. And the sets and dragons on the show are certainly nothing to sneeze at. Last night was the first episode of the third season on this HBO hit.

Margaery won the episode with her manipulative schmoozing at the orphanage and the dinner table. What to wear when having dinner with your hopefully future husband (and current psycho king) and his powerful and beautiful mother? Lets take a cue from Margaery and dress to our assets.

Margaery knows she’s beautiful, and she knows how to play that up. The cut outs are perfect. A flash of skin can be sexy and classy. It shows her confidence and beauty without trying too hard or going overboard. Understated kingdom-stealing with a positive, no-nonsense attitude is what we’re going for here. In real life, that might translate to something like this.

You are bringing your A game if you pair a cut out top with silver pumps, that’s for sure. However, if you want to make a good impression on your maybe future mother in law and aren’t trying to steal the crown from her cold, jewel-adorned fingers, I’d recommend showing a little less skin, but still showing off a little bit of a fun. Maybe like this.

Whether you want to show off your sweet or sassy side, I bet Margaery has a lot to teach us. Let’s check in again on our favorite wannabe kings and queens next week?

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