From the Bookshelves

 

On a wintry night in 1968 someone came to our door and told us Ed was in trouble. Robert and I went out to find him. I grabbed my black lamb toy that Robert had given to me. It was his black sheep boy to black sheep girl present. Ed was something of a black sheep himself, so I took it along as a comforting talisman.

Ed was perched high up on a crane; he wouldn't come down. It was a cold, clear night, and as Robert talked to him, I climbed up the crane and gave him the lamb. He was shivering. We were the rebels without a cause and he was our sad Sal Mineo. Griffith Park in Brooklyn. 

Ed followed me down, and Robert took him home.

"Don't worry about the lamb," he said when he returned. "I'll find you another."

We lost contact with Ed but a decade later he was with me in an unexpected way. As I approached the microphone with my electric guitar to sing the opening line "So you want to be a rock 'n' roll star," I remembered his words. Small prophecies.

Just Kids, by Patti Smith

It won the National Book Award for non-fiction, she writes like a dream, paints a picture in your head, and makes everything seem possible. And that's about all there is to say.   (and it's got some badass 60s/70s rock 'n' roll stories)

 

Today, my big sister and her fiance are getting married. I couldn't be happier, honestly. They are fantastic together, in every way. In honor of the occasion, I thought I'd post a picture of my parent's wedding, 30 years ago. My mom's dress was a gunne sax prom dress that she found on a rack hanging outside a regular shop, on sale for like, twelve dollars. My dad will moan and groan if/when he sees this, saying "I'm in a white tee shirt!!" (he was wearing a tux during the ceremony and reception. I've seen the pictures!). But I chose this one because to me, this is my parents as they exist in their everyday life. My dad makes lists and plans, and my mom sits around (just like that, actually) and laughs at him. Kindly, and with love, of course. 

So this post is essentially just a shout out to my two favorite couples in the whole wide world, one of which is just starting out together in life (legally) and the other, who are just as crazy about each other now as they were then, and are each other's best friends.

Christmas Countdown: Cinema Style

My mom and I try to watch White Christmas every year. Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, Vera Ellen . . . so good, and such a classic Christmas movie. Just shows how amazing classic films are, and how they've stood the test of time.

Notes on a Thursday-Holiday Edition

Notes on a Thursday has been pretty sparse recently . . . there hasn't been much to say about the new albums that I've enjoyed that hasn't already been said (Kanye's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, and just getting into the Avett Brothers more, etc), and my concert attendance has dropped to  . . . none. But I have some concerts coming up in the new year that I'm pretty excited about, and hopefully will have alot to say about. Plus, the new Decemberists album and some other new albums are coming out soon, so it should be a nice fresh start! Anywho, here's my playlist for the holidays (predominantly Christmas, though some overall "winter-y" ones): I hope you like it!

Vince Guaraldi Trio: Christmas Time is Here
The Raveonettes: Christmas Song
Fleet Foxes: White Winter Hymnal
Priscilla Ahn: Silent Night
The Waitresses: Christmas Wrapping
Sufjan Stevens: Holy, Holy, Holy
Mumford & Sons: Winter Winds
The Weepies: All that I Want
Clyde McPhatter & the Drifters: White Christmas
Death Cab for Cutie: Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
The Pretenders: 2000 Miles
Rogue Wave: Christmas
Jimmy Eat World: Last Christmas
John Lennon: Happy Christmas (War is Over)
The Bird and the Bees: Carol of the Bells
Ben Folds: Lonely Christmas Eve
Sufjan Stevens: That was the Worst Christmas Ever
Brandi Carlile: The Heartache can Wait







 

EDIT: and also, Kanye West's new album is the bomb diggity. Damn it.
 

Film Review: Tangled

I love (love. love!) the early Disney fairytales . . . Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast, etc. When I first saw the first trailer for Tangled, I was a bit concerned. Rapunzel didn't seem like the most likable character, the male lead seemed annoying  . . . but then the other trailers made it seem much more enjoyable, and I wanted to see it! So Saturday, my sister, my really-really soon-to-be-brother-in-law, and I went to see it in 3D. First of all, the 3D was done incredibly well, and second of all, this was an absolute return to form for Disney. The artwork was spectacular (as the video below goes in to), Alan Menken did an excellent job on the score, and the characters/story were semi-relateable, surprising, and funny. Added bonus: excellent personified animal sidekicks that do NOT TALK! Loved it. Loved it. Will see it again in a heartbeat.

Christmas Countdown: Cinema Style

My sister and I absolutely love this movie, and it's been a Christmas staple in our house for years and years. I love the music, and of course the amazing landscape and set production (New England "country" style is the best thing that came out of transcendentalism, in my opinion!). As a history person, I always wish for a Christmas like this one . . . minus the scarlet fever.


Also: living in Little Women

Morning Covers- Madman Across the Water

Brandi Carlile knows my soul. It's kinda creepy.

This is pertinent to my life . . .

 . . . so I thought I'd share it here.

source: we heart it

From the Bookshelves

 

 

 

 

 

source: The Short Review

 

 

I tried to put these things out of my mind. We'd been away three long months harrying the Hibernian shores, and now I was back with Pila, my common-law, and thinking that home was very close to paradise in these endless summer days. We'd built our house together, Pila and me. It was a fine little wattle-and-daub cabin on a pretty bit of plain where a wide blue fjord stabbed into the land. On summer evenings my young wife and I would sit out front, high on potato wine, and watch the sun stitch its orange skirt across the horizon. At times such as these, you get a good, humble feeling, like the gods made this place, this moment, first and concocted you as an afterthought just to be there to enjoy it.

-Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned by Wells Tower

Wells Tower's collection of short stories is not my usual fare, but I very much enjoyed it. It is excellently written, and provides thought-provoking character profiles. They are people you see every day, but maybe don't recognize or realize you see. I was skeptical in the first few stories, as enjoyable as they were, but the final story really drove home this very interesting arc (conceit?) throughout the whole book and was just absolutely wonderful. I highly recommend!

Morning Covers-Whip My Hair

Just in case you missed it.

 

source: viralishsite



source: willowsmithvevo

From the Bookshelves to Cinema

The Maltese Falcon



I read Dashiell Hammett's Maltese Falcon at the beginning of the summer, both because I love his other novel Thin Man (and its film adaptation) and because I wanted to see the film. Well, I'm finally getting around to it right now. It's a story that lends itself to the moving pictures and particularly the film noir genre. Spade & Archer are a pair of private eyes in San Francisco. Spade is having an affair with Archer's wife and wouldn't have respected Archer very much even if he wasn't. But when Archer gets murdered while following a lead for a (female) client, Spade still wants to get to the bottom of it.

Humphrey Bogart (who, naturally, plays Spade) seems so much younger than he is in Casablanca, even though it was made only a year after Falcon. His Spade is spot-on--a man who always keeps his composure, is hardly ever startled (or hardly ever let's you see him startled). He's a man that can punch your lights out without losing the ash off the end of his cigarette. I've never been a huge Humphrey Bogart person, myself, but I like him alot more now that I've seen him smile. He'd always seemed rather forbidding (my mom just said "I think he's creepy, myself. Even creepier when he smiles." No, she doesn't know what I'm writing), and his smile has a fantastically sinister edge to it. 

But the film, beyond the fantastic plot (fantastic because it follows the film to a T), is just a fantastic example of old film-making. The minimal (i.e. realistic) set design, the play of shadows and light that is best executed in black and white, the clothes, all prove with a wonderful concreteness that flashier isn't better. It's so odd (and odd that it's odd) that the actors look like people. They have wrinkles, they aren't perfect physical specimens (or all the same body type if they're not), and their faces tell distinct stories. Their hair moves, which is refreshing. I suppose, it was a different time.

both photos: filmnoirphotos

my heart fell at your feet.

It's been raining for over twenty-four hours, and only now have the skies really opened up. Thunder is rolling and crashing in great booms. I'm slightly exhausted, slightly anxious, and slightly excited about things to come so I figured now is as good a time as any to give a little update on the personal side of life.

I've gotten a part time job at a store near my house. It's not particularly glamorous (i.e. not at all) and definitely not in an area that I want to pursue for the rest of my life. But it gives me something to do, a little money in the bank, and most importantly it means that I interact with all sorts of different people every day. In my relatively brief stretch of unemployment I discovered that not only does sitting around all day lead to inertia and an overall lack of desire to do much of anything at all, it also makes it unbelievably easy to succumb to selfishness and a rather sullen attitude. 

 
Just before Halloween I went back to my old university stomping grounds, to do some research for a line of thinking that I may or may not incorporate into my graduate studies (if, that is, I get into graduate school!). It was wonderful to see some friends that were still around campus and very nice to be doing something academic again 
. . . but I felt so separate from everything. Like every fiber of me knew that this place is no longer my sanctuary. That I had to move on, whether I want to or not (pretty sure I do). But it's little downtown area still holds a very special place in my heart, and is continuing the renaissance that it began my freshman year. It's become quite the little indie enclave, I'm happy to say!

But despite all of that, what I actually enjoyed most was wandering around by myself. I've started carrying my camera around with me everywhere and am trying to get into the habit of being able to take photos without feeling self-conscious. I'm not sure how it's going . . . it's just a little point and shoot . . . but I am starting to feel more comfortable with it! 

They now have a lovely store for knitting, crocheting, and the like. I tend to just do it for myself, but I'm a bit of a novice when it comes to knitting . . . I picked it up in middle school (my mom taught me) and I haven't really stopped. When I recently bought (my mom bought me) J.Crew's trench coat in dried parsley for my sister's upcoming nuptials, a knit scarf and mittens were clearly in order. The woman allowed me to quietly peruse the store, where I came upon this amazing hand-painted wool that I just fell in love with. I've chosen a moss knitting pattern (I believe). Essentially, you cast on as many stitches as you want in an even number, than do two rows of knit stitch, purl stitch, knit stitch, etc. and then two rows of purl stitch, knit stitch, purl stitch, etc, until you reach the length you want! I find that I prefer the simplest patterns . . . but that's probably because that's all I can do!


Here's a little progress shot . . . and I pseudo-made my bed, just for anyone who might come across this!

Anyway, that's what's going on over here . . . a bit of cooking, a bit of knitting, a bit of studying, a bit of applying myself. A whole lot of waiting for life to start. But that's ok! As long as it doesn't take too long . . .

From the Bookshelves to Cinema

Get excited people. I know I am.

source: yahoo via I don't think Prada is the Answer

Kick Drum Heart

source

Enjoy your Saturday . . . I'm getting a flu shot.

asleignaw;ioegan I'm so excited!!!

source: SF Weekly blogs

 New Decemberists album! Coming out January 11th!! Called The King is Dead!!! Free download of new single on their website!!! I speculate they will tour again soon!!! Gah!!

 

news source: Blogtown, the Portland Mercury

Samantha Parkington, anyone? (oh, J.Crew)

source

 

 

 

 

Holy moly, I want this. Paycheck, please?

DIY-(Mom)tastic!

I dunno about the rest of you kids out there, but there are days that I just can't find the t-shirts that I'm looking for. I like a good off-beat t-shirt, preferably with a funny/cultural reference that is clever but doesn't knock you over the head. I'm asking a lot here, I know. This leads to DIY attempts with iron-on transfer paper, which (for me) never quite looks like anything more than what it is. The printer quality is never what I want it to be, the outline of the transfer paper is too prominent, it doesn't look quite right . . . . I'm particular. It's annoying for me too, I promise. So, all hope for my jaunty t-shirts was lost . . .

UNTIL!

One of my daily reads, Liz from say YES! to hoboken posted about this post she made on Momtastic for freezer paper t-shirts. And let me tell you, you don't have to be a Mom for this crafty trick to blow your mind. The possibilities are endless, and TRUST me when I say my creativity is a-runnin away with me!

Aladdin Sane t-shirts, Boba Fett t-shirts, grammarian t-shirts . . . . !!

Film Review: Fantastic Mr. Fox

source: FoxSearchlight

I know I'm late to the party here. So this isn't really a review. More an appreciation. And if you haven't seen it . . . hop to it!

From the Bookshelves

source: here

We want books that are written for those of us who doubt everything, who cry over the least little thing, who are startled by the slightest noise.

We want books that cost their authors a great deal, books where you can feel the years of work, the backache, the writer's block, the author's panic at the thought that he might be lost: his discouragement, his courage, his anguish, his stubbornness, the risk of failure he has taken.


We want splendid books, books that immerse us in the splendor of reality and keep us there; books that prove to us that love is at work in the world next to evil, right up against it, at times indistinctly, and that it always will be, just the way that suffering will always ravage hearts. We want good novels.
 
-A Novel Bookstore, by Laurence Cosse


A Novel Bookstore, translated into English by Alison Anderson (who also translated the lovely Elegance of the Hedgehog), is an ode. It is a love song to great literature, of all sorts, and one of the few books that made me want to create a list of every book mentioned in it and run to the library. The characters are so wonderfully developed, so subtle, in a way that I, honestly, can only compare to that French women are stunningly stylish in such an undone almost careless way. It's a thriller, it's a romance, it keeps you guessing, and it tugs at your very heartstrings. All this, plus passages of beautifully written word that just make you pause for the glory of a sentence.

I looked at my life and I choked

So, as I implied a bit earlier, I've been sort to figure out what I want to do with my life . . . at least for the next bit of it. And in this economy, when everything seems so uncertain, that really opens up options, oddly enough. It's difficult to tell what you really want, because everything seems possible. I could work hard and earn a few more degrees, or I could become . . . an organic vegetable farmer. Or start working with horses. Or be an actress. Or sell quilts on the side of the road. The most frustrating/amazing question right now is . . . why not?

And furthermore, do I want the conventional options because it's what I want, or what I feel is expected? How do you scrounge up the courage to just do something that sounds so crazy and implausible, and difficult? Where does that strength come from? Sometimes I think I can do anything in the world  . . . but most days, I have doubts. 

I'm attempting to set goals for myself. Schedule things out . . . even creative endeavors. Think about X for this many hours, this many minutes. If you can't come up with something, don't beat yourself up about it, just move on and do something else.


A few weeks ago, I met up with a very dear friend. We hadn't seen each other in awhile, having been scattered to the wind post-graduation, so we chose a spot between our two residences and drove out to see each other. After spending four hours in a Starbucks (I'm a Green Level member), we decided that we should go to the local Civil War battlefield. At a certain point in the South, every town has a battlefield. But I find the Civil War increasingly interesting . . . it held such an impact on every aspect of American life and was so destructive, but out of it (eventually) grew an incredible age of progress and innovation.

This is really what I'm finding most enjoyable these days. Just wandering around, finding interesting things, and photographing them. I've starting to see pictures everywhere, even when I don't have a camera in my hands. I don't know if it's wishful thinking or what, but it's something to consider, I guess.  And all of a sudden, I really enjoy meeting strangers and going out and doing things sounds really interesting. I've always been a bit more content to stay at home by myself and do nothing . . . I suppose that because that's all I ever do these days, it's rather lost its appeal.

And so I've become to move forward . . . volunteering locally, actually planning things to do, strategic forward movement . . . . stay tuned.

source: all photographs my own property

song of the day: Hope in the Air, Laura Marling

Tragic

As someone who uses the internet to express myself, as we ALL use the internet to express ourselves. As a generation for whom the internet is something that is second nature to us. It is SO important to remember common decency, kindness, and compassion in all things, and particularly in our use of the internet. We live in a time where everything is readily available to us, and when little to nothing is sacred or private. Our every passing thought is documented on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Tumblr, no matter how asinine that thought may be. And yes, in a way this is a great boon to us. But it is also a huge, huge responsibility. Please, PLEASE use it carefully and teach your children to use it carefully.

What happened to this poor kid was needless cruelty that just cuts me in two. I don't mean to say all of society is a bully, but it is an increasing issue. And we need to wake up to it. Quickly.

Literature to Cinema: True Grit

source: here

who else is excited?!?!

Band of Outsiders

source: here

finding inspiration/something vaguely interesting to write about while not doing anything particularly interesting with your day is proving rather difficult . . . I'll try to remedy that.

Notes on a Thursday

This week has been relatively hectic, but I wanted to mention that a) I went to a Jackson Browne concert last Sunday, and it was quite quite good. He played my favorite song, "Late for the Sky," which made me ecstatic to the point where tears welled up in my eyes (which I thought was a rather odd reaction). He also played one of my mom's favorite songs, "Fountain of Sorrow," which he apparently doesn't play very often. Jackson Browne's music came into my life when I really needed it, at the risk of sounding sappy. I'm not sure if I'd be at the same point in my life, right now, had it not been for his music. "Doctor My Eyes," "These Days" and "Our Lady of the Well" were kind of what opened the doors to 70s music and the more "country" sound and everything that I love right now.

And I certainly wouldn't be getting into Bonnie Raitt's old stuff, like I have been today.

photo by Gary Smaby, found here

 Her old stuff just has this incredible blues sound . . . and she's so funny! There's a really wry sense of humor in her music, and it's just so fantastic! Beyond this, she has an incredible blues voice, up there with Janis Joplin and Dusty Springfield. So amazing.



source: here

Film Review: the September Issue

This documentary has been out for quite awhile. I think Rebecca of the Clothes Horse and many others have talked about it. But, having now dabbled in publishing, it is SO interesting to watch. I think I'm watching it now for the third time. It really is an excellent representation of how putting together a magazine works. The discussions between Grace Coddington (my heeeeroo!) and Anna Wintour are things that, 4 months ago, I would have called terrible arguments. Now . . . it's just part of the job. You argue, you debate . . . and very frequently you lose to the editor's vision.  

source: I Mean . . . What?!

Granted, I don't work in fashion publishing. I'm not sure I ever could, because to me it is so objective. But I love watching Grace Coddington style her photoshoots. She just creates these amazing images . . . several of my favorite editorial spreads in Vogue are actually styled by Grace and I had no idea. She really understands the artistry and the drama that photographs can create. I love that you see Anna Wintour's thought process, you see the editing. And you see her as a person, to a certain extent. And I think what applies is, funnily enough, the quote that I really took away from Devil Wears Prada, which is [paraphrasing] "if she were a man, all they would say is that she's great at her job" and none of the other crap would matter. 

source: gawker via myturtleneck

I think both women are incredible, and that the film portrays them wonderfully (I hope they think so, too!). Frankly, it made me want to start subscribing to Vogue again . . . and I'm slightly frightened of a world where these two aren't heading the magazine.

Etsy love

Recently I made a purchase from etsy shop, Dandyrions, and I can't get over how fantastic the whole experience was. The seller/designer, Lisa, was just so amazing. She kept me updated on shipping, and even checked with me to make sure that I knew the shirts she uses run a bit bigger (they're unisex). The packaging was so cute, with a nice personalized note giving me the care instructions.

source: here

The products are so cute, they've got a really lovely sense of whimsy to them, and I'm so excited to wear it out. It's the first time I've really REALLY looked at an article of clothing and a styled outfit just instantly popped into my head.I want to wear it with these (the shoe hunt has been decided. For now.)

Crisp Weather and Apple Cider donuts-a fall(ish) playlist

source: here

This weekend the weather went below 80 degrees Fahrenheit, and in my rapturous delighting I've created a transition-to-fall-weather playlist.* The weather is going back to fairly hot next week, but I'll keep playing this with the promise of corduroy and plaid.

1. Leonard Cohen- So Long, Marianne
2. Sea Wolf- You're a Wolf
3. Carole King- Tapestry
4. Big Star- Thirteen
5. Whiskeytown- Dreams
6. Sufjan Stevens- Decatur, Or, Round of Applause for your Stepmother!
7. The Beatles- Lovely Rita
8. Tori Amos- Amber Waves
9. Mumford & Sons- Dust Bowl Dance
10. Laura Veirs- Carol Kaye
11. Iron & Wine- No Moon
12. Jenny and Johnny- My Pet Snakes
13. Fleet Foxes- Tiger Mountain Peasant Song
14. Neko Case- Margaret vs. Pauline
15. Simon & Garfunkel- The Only Living Boy in New York
16. Doves- Kingdom of Rust
17. David Bowie- Starman
18. Robert Plant & Alison Krauss- Stick with Me Baby






*this was supposed to be posted, like, two weeks ago, so you know I've thought about it really really hard.

Paste, I hardly knew you

source: Good News Pic

On September 1, 2010 Paste Magazine announced that it would be suspending its print publication. Indie music lovers should not be too disheartened, though--they will continue their website and twitter feed.

However, this is just yet another blow to the world of print and its saddening decrease in popularity. I turned to Paste magazine for its quality articles, having lost interest in the more popular Rolling Stone which (despite recent great pieces like the one on the oil spill and General McChrystal) has become the People magazine of music magazines, filled with gossip and Top 40 news that I personally don't really care about. 

Of course there is something to be said for the e-readers that are coming out (Kindle, iPad, etc.). They're travel-size, fit multiple books in one little gadget, etc etc. I understand the practicality, and I appreciate it. 

But there's nothing like the smell of a book. Of holding it in your hands, of literally turning its pages, hearing the paper crinkle gently. Nothing can replace re-discovery a much beloved book, seeing where you dog-earred the pages and the wear and tear of multiple reads. Even magazines . . . the ability to tear out pages for pictures and clippings of your favorite articles, actors, musicians to paper your adolescent room. Or your closet if, like me, your parents wouldn't let you tape things on your walls.

I'm not a Luddite. I'm not saying we have to avoid this new technology. If you travel frequently, have a long commute on public transportation, or are at school and don't want to carry a million heavy books (the plight of the English major) then go for it! But please, please, please don't stop buying books and magazines. It's an industry that should NOT be failing.

Notes on a Thursday

Way back in early August, my parents and I went to a Kings of Leon concert. Before I really get into the experience, I'd like to address one concert etiquette rule that I did not mention in the last post, because I did not feel in necessary. It's the "this is a concert, not a porn film" rule. A little PDA is fine-- you know, you're in love, you're grooving to the tunes . . . it's all gravy, baby. But make-outage to the point where I'm more intimately acquainted with your body than your doctor is just a bit rude.


But anyway, the Followill boys are great. Caleb was the only one that spoke, and he was pretty taciturn. They played two new songs from the record they just cut earlier in the summer, "Mary" and "Goin' Back down South." If these songs are any indication of what the new album is going to sound like, than I'm pretty excited. Caleb played acoustic guitar in both, and it seems like they're going back toward their earlier Youth and Young Manhood/A-ha Shake Heartbreak sound (a move I thoroughly approve of).

They rocked the house (pavilion), each standing in their places pretty solidly the whole time. Matthew Followill moved around the most--shaking his head, moving his guitar around, and in an overall pretty jolly mood, it seems.  Jared Followill, in contrast, seemed the most stoic. They played a decent mix of several different albums, like "Molly's Chambers," "Be Somebody" and so forth. But as amazing as the music was (it sounded just like the album) and the incredible stage set-up (they had tons of stage lights clustered behind them like a wall, that flashed and glowed like burning embers) I couldn't help thinking about the conundrum that the band so excellently illustrates.

all pictures: we heart it

Of course, you want a band you love to be successful. You think they're awesome, and you want other people to think they're awesome, too. . . . Until suddenly they are successful and you don't feel that way anymore. It's frankly kind of saddening when you realize that at least a third of the people in the audience know only two or three songs--maybe the latest album at best. I mean, "Sex on Fire" IS a great song, but it's not their only great song! In fact, there are many others that I like better!


So, when the girl in front of me, who'd been sitting in her chair playing with her phone all night looking like she was miserable, jumped up to dance around . . . I kinda wanted to punch her in the back of the head a little bit. And then I felt bad . . . kida. And I think the band almost feels that way, too. They sounded almost dutiful . . . like they were reciting it. The sex, quite frankly, was not on fire, only smoldering. 


This is not to say that I don't discover bands by hearing one amazing song, then downloading the album, or whatever. And frequently, I do like just one song rather than the artist's entire cannon. I'm not saying you have to learn every single song a band has ever done before you go to their concert . . . frankly, I'm not entirely sure what I'm saying. It's just something to think about.





source: youtube

I'm Listening to . . . .

Running to Stand Still, U2



source: mathnu2rkewl

i'm ba-nanas for boots.

I'm allowing myself to buy one pair of expensive new shoes for fall. I'm hoping to get two, but I can definitely only afford to get one pair without major parental intervention. But HOW do I decide? Fall/Winter is the season of really fantastic footwear, and I'm absolutely ga-ga for all of it. Especially boots. I adore boots, of just about any kind.

So without any ado, here are the fall shoes I'm coveting right now . . . any advice on a direction to go in would be amazing.

-the trouser, steve madden ($69.95)

-the Melissa Button Boot, Frye Company ($318 [ack!])

-Beaded Ankle Boot, Minnetonka Moccasins ($32.95)

 Or any cowboy boot, or a pair of Doc Martens . . .
All sorts of difficult decisions. Any thoughts?

heh.

i dunno the source. if you do, please let me know.

Sufjan

   

source: Paste

Emma Watson for People Tree

I have a massive girl crush on Emma Watson*. I think she has a phenomenal grasp of fashion, editorial work, design, and is incredible at navigating this world that she became a part of because of a choice that she made at nine years old.  I love her collaboration with People Tree, choosing fair trade fabrics and participating in design discussions. The fall/winter line is particularly lovely.

both images from here

And here's a video of her relatively recent trip to Bangladesh:



source: PeopleTreeUK via Million Looks



*not sure how I feel about the pixie cut, but I 100% understand why she wanted to do it. If I wasn't allowed to change my hair for 11 years, I would probably chop it all off too.

Style Icon: Alison Mosshart

source: we heart it

I'm certainly not the first person to gush over Alison Mosshart's personal style. Off the top of my head, Tomboy Style has recently featured her. She has this slightly androgynous style, almost like an early 60s Mick Jagger, yet still looks very feminine. And what I absolutely love is that her style absolutely suits who she is, and shows exactly who she is. It's slightly torn, very vintage (but not from a super obvious decade) , grunge-y, yet somewhat streamlined . . . nothing really overwhelms her body.  And she's practical which is such a breath of fresh air! She wears boots on stage--heeled boots, but solidly built. And you see things more than once, the rarity among rarities for most people in the public eye. She very clearly lives in her clothes, can throw things into a suitcase and hit the road, or just curl up at home for days and days.

all sources: tumblr

It’s been said time and time again, but what does she really think of being called a Fashion Icon? “I think it’s interesting considering how kind of unfashionable I probably am,” she says. “But I think it’s kind of cool and sort of ironic. I do wear the same stuff over and over again and I don’t really go out of my way to buy expensive clothes or know what’s happening. It’s not a terrible message to send to people. Style for me always comes from people who are doing things that have nothing to do with the fashion world, they’re usually artists or painters or musicians or writers. It all depends on what people are doing. I don’t flip out over someone just walking down the street or in a magazine doing nothing, it’s gotta be in the context of their life. What they’re wearing tells a story about what they’re doing, I like people wearing their art.”      -UO Style Icon: Alison Mosshart interview from September 2009

Workday Obsession

-I am obsessed with Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream". What can I say, the woman gives good pop! The video is spectacular, and a bit of a departure for her, really. It's an indie-kid's fantasy (which makes sense . . .). I listen to this song pretty much on repeat in my cubicle, and it's really all I can do not to rock out in my chair. And I generally fail at resisting, for that matter. Thoughts:

1) what IS the filter they're using on the camera? I love the way it looks, and I've seen it in photography as well.


2) I love that her underwear doesn't match, because mine sure as hell never does. It seems more honest that way, if that makes sense. I'm just sayin'.


They won't let me embed this into my blog, but you can access it by clicking here.

-I'm also loving Greedy Girl

-and these earrings:

source: chainchainchained on etsy