flora grubb

Wearing: Michael Kors floral skirt, vintage belt, AA tank, Rebecca Beeson turtleneck, Topshop fur vest, vintage necklace, DIY feather headband, Steve by Steve Madden ballet flats, Banana Republic bag, DKNY tights

Today was spent traipsing around undiscovered areas of the city, including Flora Grubb, a spectacular nursery in the fabled (for gun violence) Bayview district. Two of the best attractions there: a sick ass old Edsel with plants growing from every one of it's rusted-out orifices, and a wall of tiny succulents growing vertically! Everything was reeeeally expensive, but I did manage to come home with a new pet: an air plant. I figure if all it needs is air, I can't possibly kill it, right?

As you can see, I test drove the red tights/red shoes look, and added my mongolian lamb gilet for warmth. Thank god it didn't rain. I imagine wet mongolian lamb stinks like a wet dog.

color scheme

As Couture Carrie already pointed out on her fabulous blog, there's definitely a matchy-matchy thing happening for Fall. While I'm not a fan of mirror-image patterns on shoes and pants (although I can see how it would make one's legs look a great deal longer) I am certainly a fan of the matching shoes/tights in Loeffler Randall's Fall lookbook (above). Feeling inspired, I set out to create as many matching sets with my own tights and shoes as I could.

And of course, not satisfied with what I've got, I made a Polyvore collage too:

Clockwise from top L: Office Late Nights Platform, Jonathan Aston grey socks; Court Shoes Robert Purple pumps, Falke Fifties purple tights; Jimmy Choo sandal, green tights from Costume Hub; Nicholas Kirkwood platform suede shoe, Topshop blue tights; Theory Sandals, Express nude tights; Sonia Rykiel Toscane Dancing shoe, Mary Quant terracotta tights.

I think my favorite way to rock this look is going to be with a pair of black thigh-high tights and black pumps. It'll stand in for the thigh-high boots seen all over the Fall runways for a fraction of the price.

my space

Well, we've gotten to know each other well enough that I thought it might be time to invite you all into my humble tiny room. And when I say tiny, I mean tiny (7 1/2 x 8 1/2 feet, to be precise). I'd say overall I've managed to make it work, with the one exception of my closet, which is so small you would weep if you saw it. To have to see all my lovely frocks crammed into something the size of a coffin is heartbreaking.

Alas, I'm having some housing drama as we speak. My roommate (who is the master tenant) is vacating to become one with his girlfriend, leaving my other roommate and I to renegotiate a lease. Yes, that means our sacred rent control will be abolished. The possibility of having to move in with my parents is becoming all too real. Anyone have a Xanax?

new & improved

 

After getting inspired by the enviable DIY prowess of The Glamourai and sadly realizing I don't possess either the skill or the tenacity to re-line one of my coats, I attempted to tackle a far more feasible improvement: replacing the plain, rather cheap-looking buttons on my vintage red coat with these spiffy gold and black ones. The result, I think, is rather fetching.

And just because I'm sure you were dying to know, my pick for best dressed at this year's snoozefest of an Academy Awards was Freida Pinto in Galliano Couture. The color, the beading, and the sheer sleeve were just spectacular. It was a simple case of the right girl, the right dress, and the right moment. My favorite Oscar gown of all time? Michelle Williams in Vera Wang. STUNNING.

 

so wearable

While there will always be a place in my heart for the spectacle and showmanship of couture, what I'm really craving now are runway looks that I could actually get some miles out of. I believe leather jackets, sharp-shouldered blazers, perfect trousers, and red pumps fall into that category. Thank you, Karen Walker, for reading my mind.

ps
Forever21 suddenly has no fewer than 3 pairs of shoes I would buy in a second. It's going to take some serious willpower/divine intervention to prevent me from making a forbidden purchase. Pray for me.

L to R: Grosgrain Pump $19.80; Noelle Suedette Pumps $29.80

L to R: Nora Platform Pumps $24.80; Natanya Ankle Boots $26.80

off the wagon

Well, I'm back. It's time to assess the financial damages and fawn over my newest purchases, which are currently sitting in a lovely jumbled pile on my dresser. Behold, my treasure:

The shopping selection actually turned out to be different than I had expected. While there was a ton of vintage furniture and vintage jewelry, there wasn't much in the way of clothing. Nevertheless, I managed to find some absolute gems (in this case, quite literally). The best place I went was this packed little shop called Dazzle, owned by a bakelite and vintage appliance enthusiast with a penchant for cramming goodies into every available corner of his store. Imagine my delight when I walked in and saw this bounty before me:

I gravitated immediately towards a case with stacks and stacks of semi-transparent lucite bangles. After trying on an armful or two and wishing I had the money to buy about a dozen of them, I chose this beauty because it reminded me of carved rose quartz:

And then I spied these swirly minty green earrings, and duh, had to have them:

This is the brooch that I got at the street fair. It was a steal at $15. I can't wait to try it on various lapels...maybe even use it as a belt buckle with a length of satin ribbon. The possibilities are endless.

Last but not least, I couldn't let this baby escape my grasp. I'm already dreaming of wearing it with everything from t-shirts to turtlenecks. Maybe even to bed if I feel like it. 

So yeah, what all this basically means is that I fell off the no shopping wagon big time. Time to get back on that horse and tighten the proverbial belt. Ugh, being a grown-up is no fun.

caped cruisader

Today my boyfriend (who obviously misses me more than words can possibly convey) sent me an email with this subject: "If i were rich, this would be yours." Inside was a link to Dashing Tweeds, a textile company that somehow manages to incorporate reflective fibers into their garments so that you can ride your bike safely at night. And although their gorgeous, limited-edition capes are clearly out of my price range (400 GBP), it got me thinking that what I really need/want/don't not need is a cape. Preferably a plaid one, but any kind will do. So I spent some time searching ebay for vintage capes, and these are what I came up with: (Of course, none of these even come close to the beautiful offerings by Dashing Tweeds, so honey, if you ever suddenly become possessed by the urge to purchase one of them for me, by all means, knock yourself out.)

Plaid Flannel Tartan Cape

Mod Plaid Military Cape

Red cape

I'm sad now because our fun in the sun is over, which means it's time to hit the C-list (craigslist) pretty hard and start worrying about a job again. But I'm happy because I get to see my boyfriend, my horse, and any second meet one of my best friends' new babies (she's due in like, 4 days!!). Oh, and it doesn't hurt that I got some fabulous goodies while I was here. Can't wait to post them all for you when I get back :)

ps

As a completely off-topic aside, I just learned that the inner rim of the eye (you know, the part you're always trying to get eyeliner to stay on) is called the waterline. Is this common knowledge that managed to escape my grasp all these years??

sun is shining

I seriously cannot get over how warm it is here. I know all my friends in L.A. claim it is indeed possible to get sick of the sun, but I am dubious that I could ever tire of perfect weather. I'm kind of a lizard.

Anyhoo, today we went to the Palm Springs Museum of Art where there was a FABULOUS Wayne Thiebaud exhibit. Thiebaud's work is so much more rich and varied than the pop-art paintings of cakes and gumball machines that made him famous. The collection included some beautiful nude sketches he did early in his career, as well as a vast collection of cityscapes in his signature bright colors. My favorite piece was "Two Majorettes" from 1962. And I know this isn't really right to say about art, but imagine how fabulous it would look in a mid-century modern living room!

In addition to the Thiebaud exhibit, the museum also had an extensive collection of Robert Mapplethorpe's portrait photography. These pictures (there were 101 of them) were absolutely stunning. Mapplethorpe was a master at capturing his subjects with a direct, unflinching gaze. The results were not necessarily flattering, but always interesting to look at. Two of my favorite pictures from the collection:

Grace Jones

Patti Smith

Here's what I wore out during the day:

Gap t-shirt, Zara cardigan, DIY ripped bleached jeans, Minnetonka moccasins, skeleton key necklace on vintage silver chain, $5 sunglasses, vintage bag

And here's what I wore out to my mom's birthday dinner:


H&M leopard print tank, DIY jeans, Pour La Victoire shoes, vintage fur stole, Elliott Luca "Catina" tote, vintage/borrowed/Lisa Levine bracelets, Timex watch, key necklace

And just because I thought everyone's shoes were cute tonight (and because it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to catch my sister wearing heels) I snapped pictures of everyone's footwear:

                               
L to R: my Pour La Victoire platforms, Rachel's Steve Maddens (that she got on sale for $30!), and mom's Car Shoes, which she bought at United Apparel Liquidators in New Orleans...I would have gotten them too but they weren't in my size...and I don't have elfin size 6 feet, so we can't share :(

living the high life

leather jacket, ASOS; fur collar, vintage; braided belt, vintage; high waist jeans, Jenny Jen; wedges, Terry De Havilland; bag, vintage; earrings, abalone shell from New Zeland

BTW, does anyone know who designed the black chair and chaise lounge above? I know they're both really famous pieces but the designer's name escapes me...

After a drive that was far too long and far too wrought with traffic complications, we finally arrived last night in the promised land. And it is spectacular. I just had to include some pictures of the house we're staying in, because it makes me feel like I'm walking through an Apartment Therapy house tour. I nearly peed myself when I saw the Philippe Starck Ghost chair in the foyer. Expect many more outfit posts photographed utilizing this special piece of equipment. I am in love.

And of course, the weather ain't bad either. Today it was a pleasant 78 degrees, which is a far cry from the 50-degree rain we were having in San Francisco. Even though I'm pretty sure it would take bionic sunlight to penetrate the thick layer of pallor on my skin, I sat out by the pool in the afternoon with the hope of getting a leeeetle tan going, and in the evening we checked out a local street fair where I got a pair of sunglasses for $5 and a vintage brooch from the 1930's for $15. More shopping to come, of course, so stay tuned.

Kobe worked on his tan too.