sunday blues

wearing vintage floral dress, Topshop mongolian lamb vest, H&M sweater and shoes, thrifted bag, no-name sunglasses.

I can't believe it's Sunday night already. What a fucking shame. I was just starting to recover myself too.

I did two cool things this weekend (I know, right?! Two!). First, I saw an amazing Swedish vampire movie called "Let the Right One In." It was totally fascinating, and not really all that terrifying. Very moody and, I imagine, Swedish. I say this because there was a lot of snow and an extremely blond, blue-eyed boy in it with pale skin. Clearly, I know nothing about Sweden, except that they have good street-style in Stockholm. And snow. And pale blond people.

The second cool thing I did was see the William Kentridge exhibit at SF MOMA, which was really first-rate. If you aren't familiar with his work, he's a South African artist best known for stop-motion chalk animations where he draws something, photographs it, erases it, and keeps going, meticulously crafting hundreds of drawings to make a fully animated piece. He's dabbled in everything from stage design to sculpture to film, and explores themes of colonialism and apartheid, which is not at all surprising considering he's a white man from South Africa (can you say awkward!?).

Below is one of the installations we saw. It's really impossible to see in this video just how cool it was. There's a projector on the ceiling projecting these stretched-out images into a flat circle, and a reflective cylinder in the middle of the circle where those images are reflected and take a normal shape. I can't imagine how hard that would be to do. Check it out:



Anyhoo, it's back to the grind. I hope I have a good week!

truly inspired

My brain is fried. I feel like putty. And I'm watching the chick from Blossom get a makeover on What Not to Wear. Clearly, from this description, you should be able to tell that I'm definitely not looking stylish right now.

Oh, and I found a Homer Simpson quote that aptly describes how I feel about trying to come up with the words to craft this blog:

"Ooh, I love your magazine. Especially the 'Enrich Your Wordpower' section. I think it's really...really... really...good."

In general, you can find a Homer Simpson quote that aptly describes just about anything.

At least I'm inspired enough by these photos to feel that they don't need words attached to them. They stand on their own. All of them are from Tatielle.tumblr.com.

One more thing: I wanted to extend a very special thanks to Haute World for the 'Unique and Chic' award. Her blog meticulously chronicles every jaw-dropping piece of clothing in some of the best boutiques in the world. We're talking Paris here. So for her to call me 'unique and chic' well, let's just say I'm humbled.
I want to pass this award on to a very special blogger whose comments always make me so happy: Jamily from Cup of Coffee. Jamily, you are a kind and benevolent soul. And this one's for you.

tired...so tired

DIY Topshop jeans, Gap t-shirt, GO International Target vest, Made by Elves booties

Anyone who knows me knows that I whine. A lot. I like to think it's just another of the multitude of normally distasteful personal attributes that I somehow manage to make a little bit funny and charming, but my head is up my ass, so don't listen to a thing I say. So on the topic of whining, I'm tired. But I have to stay up and write this blog post because if I don't I will experience a lingering sense of regret and possibly indigestion. Don't ask.


First order of business: Anika from African Tea Party somehow got it in her head that I was deserving of a 'lovely blog' award. Which is patently absurd, but thank you, love. I'm clutching at straws lately and this brought a much-needed dose of smug satisfaction to my day.

And in case you didn't already guess, above are the missing "outfit pics" from the weekend, now sadly out-of-date. I'm stoked that I managed to find that Target-meets-Balmain vest though, and at a thrift store no less. It's almost enough to make me wish I cared about my appearance right now. Okay enough. Unconsciousness beckons me...

outfit post FAIL

Ok, so this just pisses me off. I got all gussied up today and had my boyfriend snap pictures of me and then I stupidly forgot to bring my camera when we went back to his house so I could upload them! He lives an hour away from me so, you know, just going back to get it isn't really an option. And I was so looking forward to having a proper outfit post too. Gahhh!

Instead, here are pictures from Vogue this month of Lara Stone and Morgan Freeman. You know, because it's weird or unexpected or whatever. But I sort of love the atmosphere and the feel of them.

pictures via models.com

dazed and confused

images via Refinery29
Well, my WANT reflex is kicking in again. Namely, I want to wear everything you see above from an editorial in this month's issue of Dazed and Confused. That should teach people not to mess with me, or at least walk on the other side of the street. I imagine nothing commands respect and bewilderment quite like thigh-high platforms and plastic body armor. I only wish the text was large enough to see who is responsible for these gorgeous works of art. If anyone knows, holla at me.
And since I'm still having trouble conjuring up That Happy Place, here are a couple of photos I've seen today that made me somewhat close to happy. At the very least, they didn't NOT make me happy. And by golly that's a start.

photos via Lolitas
photo via Fabsugar
This weekend I'll probably be doing a bunch of boring ass shit like sleeping and napping, but I'll try to get dressed at least once for a proper outfit post.

maybe having acne isn't such a bad thing...

images via Refinery29

Ok, so I'm starting to feel better. I guess the way I judge my relative mental health is how someone with the flu would judge their readiness to start eating again--if the smell of food is suddenly enticing, they're on the road to recovery. Likewise, if I'm looking at things like Acne's fall lookbook and salivating over the strangely boxy, futurisitic cuts and sky-high platforms, surely the old me is not all gone. Surely, things will get better.

I am not well.

via fffound

Barely hanging in there. Sorry to get all emo about it, but the last thing I care about in the world right now is clothes. I've looked like shit for the past week and I'm working 10-hour days from now until eternity. I don't know when or if I'll have the time/strength/will to keep up the blog. We'll see.

medicine for melancholy

wearing F21 dress, Lee Angel necklace, earrings handmade by talented sister, Max Studio sandals, Lisa Levine bracelet

Good God it's been warm. But I'm not complaining. I feel the sun baking the depression and anxiety right out of me. Nature's cure.

I saw a painfully twee movie tonight called Medicine for Melancholy. It stars Wyatt Cenac, whose name you may recognize from being a sometime Daily Show correspondent. The whole thing smelled a little bit too much like some Academy of Art student's senior project, but it had some interesting views on race, gentrification, and life in modern-day San Francisco. And of course, it's always neat to see your beloved city on celluloid.

One more hike today, from my neighborhood all the way up to the tippy top of Bernal Hill, which offers breathtaking 360-degree views of the city. I promise this will be my last scenery picture.



Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!

things are going to get easier...

I just wanted to thank everyone for their kind words in the last post. It always strikes me as a little odd, and quite frankly, desperate to air one's dirty laundry on a blog that was not intended to be used as such. But I'm shitty at pretending to feel a way that I don't and really shitty at making small talk when I'm having one of these 'episodes' so I just had to give in to the word vomit and hope it didn't make me look like too much of an ass. Thanks for putting up with it.

So anyway, this is still not an outfit post because I haven't worn makeup in 3 days and I've been hiking and painting my bathroom (both very therapeutic, I promise), but at least it's a pretty backdrop and I sort of brushed my hair. My mom and I hiked the Land's End trail which takes you right to Ocean Beach and the Cliff House (both of which are San Francisco landmarks). If I ever required additional proof that exercise is good for your mood, I got it today. I started the hike feeling generally shitty and near tears and ended it in high enough spirits to make off-color jokes about The Jonas Brothers' sexual orientation! Seriously, that means I felt better. My happiness is directly related to other people's misery. I am a lovely girl.

So here's to hoping I'm at the tail end of this fucking snafu. Hopefully the weekend will refresh me and bring with it the sudden urge to really get dressed again. 

mood indigo

wearing Rebecca Beeson turtleneck, aa tank, vintage necklace

Sorry there hasn't been an outfit post in a few days. The truth is every few years, like clockwork, I have an inexplicable freakout where I suddenly think I'm incapable of coping with the simplest elements of life and there is no way I can possibly go on. I suppose in this case some of it is new job anxiety, but a larger part of it I have to just chalk up to the way I'm wired. In spite of how flawlessly witty and clever I am, there are just a couple of teeny tiny things that go wrong with my brain sometimes. Basically all it means is that once in awhile, out of nowhere, I wake up in the morning and start crying. And crying and crying and crying. I can't stop. It's really quite absurd, and I often literally laugh at myself while I'm crying. Like, why can't I stop it? What in the sam hell is wrong with me? I feel panicked a bit but mostly just really really sad. Suddenly, things that usually make me happy (listening to music, blogging, shopping, seeing my dog and my horse, my mom, etc.) make me cry more. It's quite tiresome, and I HATE feeling fragile. It scares me.

So, I just need to relax, read a book, take my happy vitamins, go on a walk, and keep it simple until this storm passes. I'll be my emotionless robotic self again before I know it!

ps

Mood Indigo is a really bitchin' Nina Simone song. You should definitely listen to it.

9 to 5

all photos The Sartorialist, except top right: Garance Dore

Been thinking a lot lately about dressing for the office again. Obvs, even though it is a tech company largely populated by jeans-clad twentysomethings, I hold (ahem, try to) myself to a higher standard and thus won't be rocking my ripped jeans, tie dye leggings, or shredded t-shirts. The photos above are totally relevant to my quest. They're all semi-casual, yet totally professional. I'll probably be playing dress-up a lot in the next week while I nail down some outfits.

Last but not least, a fantasy Polyvore collage...because why not?

Outfit on the left:

Thierry Lasry glasses

3.1 Philip Lim blazer  

Vivienne Westwood Anglomania top

Mayle Rex pant

1928 Black Cabochon necklace

Lanvin crystal bracelet

Givenchy Nightingale bag

Balenciaga cone heel slingbacks

Outfit on Right:

Boy by Band of Outsiders jacket

Marni stone metal necklace

3.1 Philip Lim rolled sleeve top

Antik Batik belt

Vivienne Westwood Anglomania skirt

Gara Danielle ring

Bijoux vintage necklace

Fendi platforms

Alexander Wang shopper

same dress, different day

vintage dress, Banana Republic belt, vintage clutch, Christian Louboutin shoes

There must be some kind of a de facto ban on doing 2 nearly consecutive outfit posts wearing the exact same outfit. Too bad I'm a maverick! Ew, icky connotation. Ok, I'm a trailblazer. And besides, if I could wear this dress for seven days straight, I would. Watch me!

I ate a delicious meal tonight (lobster pasta in lobster cream sauce!) in honor of Mother's Day. Funny story, actually. I got this gift certificate to a restaurant called Bix like 2 years ago from my work. I never actually used it, so when I was really strapped for cash a couple of months ago, I sold it to my dad. Yeah, I know, it's pathetic. But I got $150 and then got invited to dinner anyway. Being a semi-spoiled Jewish princess ain't half bad. I highly recommend it.

Going into work tomorrow (even though my official start date isn't until a week from Monday) to meet Ashton Kutcher's marketing team. I think this job and I are going to get along just fine...

Hope everyone's weekend was lovely!

suno style

wearing thrifted Rampage dress, ASOS leather jacket, H&M shoes, vintage lucite bangle

Outfit from Thursday. This dress is really, truly, insanely wearable. I need 5 more. 

I'm currently feeling inspired by Suno's Fall 09 lookbook which I stumbled upon in my daily wanderings over at Coutorture this week. The clothing, makeup, and styling are really doing it for me. I love the stacks of fabric tied to the models' heads, the animal-print tights, and the world-traveler-feel of the patterns. Will try more diligently to mix prints from now on.

I GOT IT!

vintage dress, H&M shoes

The job, the sweet, precious job is mine! No more extreme budgeting...no more wistful window-shopping...I don't dare imagine the sudden financial possibilities, lest I go completely crazy. At least now the vintage dress I bought the other day doesn't seem so frivilous. I'm thinking of wearing it to my first day at work. I love that it looks like it has paint splatters all over it (or, as my boyfriend not-so-tactfully pointed out, bird poop). It seems like that would have been such an edgy print in the 1950s. I also love the scallop detailing around the neck and armholes. They really don't make 'em like this anymore.

Thanks to everyone for their well-wishes! I honestly believe that every single good thought sent my way helped tremendously!

Here's to no longer being a B.A.B. (broke-ass bitch)!

day & night...

wearing thrifted dress, J Brand jeans, H&M shoes

Some things:

First off, this is an extremely old unused picture for an outfit post. I got this awesome Donna-Martin-worthy dress for $12 at Black and Brown sometime in February and have since been wearing it fairly often, considering it has gold chains draped down the back and gigantic pearl buttons. It's a covertly wearable piece.

The job status update has been delayed, but it's looking pretty good for me. Hopefully I'll find out by *gasp* tomorrow. However, I sort of prematurely celebrated by buying a jaw-droppingly gorgeous vintage dress from the 50's at an adorable little shop where my parents live called Poppy's Consignment. Seeing as how showing it on the hanger wouldn't do it justice (nor would my makeup-less face) I'll wait to post it until tomorrow, but suffice to say, I'm in loooooove.

fancy pants

wearing thrifted Talbots blazer, Target leggings, Pour La Victoire shoes, AA t-shirt, vintage necklace, Timex watch

I always get side-eye when I wear these tie-dyed leggings out of the house. Probably because people are insanely jealous. Or horrified. Whatever.

I did something very naughty today and indulged in a little online retail therapy. The result being that the floral dress below will soon be in my greedy possession. I justify it by considering that I did end up getting around $150 on my state and federal tax returns. It's a good deal less than what I had hoped for, but still something. And besides, I will get ridiculous amounts of wear out of it. Trust this.

via ASOS.com

And last but not least, I wanted to pay forward my Kreativ Blogger award to a very special blogger, my friend Jaime at Wedding Road Trip. She's the bread to my butter and all that jazz. So Jaime, this one's for you. You'd better put this shit up where everyone can see it and be jealous.

i'm a winner (at some things)

In what can only be considered a good omen, I received an award AND a tag today from the preternaturally stylish Through the Looking Glass. I'm constantly impressed by her personal style and her taste in everything from home decor to photography, so if you haven't checked out her blog already, do! You're missing out!

The tag is to "List 7 things that you love, and then pass the award on to 7 bloggers that you love." In an effort to make it a little more interesting, I'm going to pick 7 trends or specific looks that I love RIGHT NOW. As in, this week. So I can't be held responsible if next week these are the 7 things I absolutely never want to see on another human body ever again. I'm fickle.

1. Denim on denim. It's a fine line, but when it's done right there's something so Farrah Fawcett about it, like this chick:

via Garance Dore

2. Tights in an unexpected color. Even though I still wear them, opaque black tights are pretty much dead to me. Red is better:

via Tatielle

3. Celine's Fall 2009 collection:

via refinery29

4. Retro swimsuits:

via Tatielle

5. Shoe jewelry:

LitterSF via Fabsugar

6. This yellow couch:

via Lolitas.se

7. And last but not least, hot pink lips. Yowza.

via Style.com

And here's who I tag:
Cup of Coffee
Late Afternoon
All in Your Innerspace
Awesome Randomness
Vintage Lollipops
Neurosis is Knowledge
MT Days & Nights

I'm off to bed. I hope everyone had a wonderful relaxing weekend, and I hope it was the last unemployed weekend of my adult life (but we shall see...)