Like starting your diet with a cheeseburger and a banana split...

Today, I went shopping. It was lovely. No frenzied pawing through sale racks, no ill considered impulse purchases, no buyers remorse. Each item I bought was carefully selected to fit seamlessly into my existing wardrobe. First I FINALLY made the jaunt out to Sock Dreams in Sellwood. It was everything I'd ever hoped! I bought two pairs of soft and cozy over the knee socks in charcoal and navy cotton, and another pair in sleek black silk/wool blend. Delicious! Then it was on to Anthropologie (gulp!). While Anthropologie is usually well out of my price range, my purchases there were things I'd watched for months, patiently biding my time for just the right clearance price. When that elusive moment hit, I called ahead and had them held for me to come in and try on, so that when I arrived the sales girl already knew my name, and whisked me straight to the fitting room. While only one out of three items worked for me, that one was actually marked down even lower than online, which triggered a brisk little endorphin rush.  Without further ado...Hello!

Wool! Sailor collar! Licorice allsorts!

And this....a little indulgence for my impending trip to PA with Boyfriend....the most beautifully crafted blend of cucumber, grapefruit, amber, nutmeg, and cedar. It goes on bright and sparkling, then mellows into a lovely dusty old bookstore smell. Ideal for air travel, as it wears very close to the skin but lasts for hours, and of course won't cause a dust up at the security scanner.

Tocca Cleopatra solid perfume

It was seriously the best shopping experience I've ever had, though a tad bittersweet. You see, I am pulling myself out of the ring for at least six months. That's right, no clothing, no hats, no socks, or gloves, or handbags, no belts or scarves or.....SHOES (!!!!!!) even, for six months (obvious caveat for the elusive perfect hiking boots). Its time. I've been thinking about doing something like this for a while, and after much deliberation and a hardcore closet overhaul, I am finally ready to kick the shopping habit. I'm hoping to channel all that energy into more creative outlets, not the least of which will be taking my existing wardrobe (which is seriously AMAAAAAAYZING, by the way) to new and dizzying heights of sartorial excellence. To that end, I got a new camera for my birthday! First outfit post tomorrow!

from Elizabeth Gordon's Bird Children

Let's talk about fall...

Its coming! the air is getting crisper, and the sharp smell of woodsmoke is beginning to overshadow the pervasive summer fragrance of fresh cut grass as the evenings close in ever earlier. I, for one, am EXCITED! I never know what to do with summer clothes-wise, especially when it comes to work-appropriateness. My go-to uniform of a floaty top and ripped up jeans is out...likewise anything too short or wispy in the dress department. Which pretty much leaves me up a creek. Note to self: "I would totally wear this to Glastonbury if I was Kate Moss!" is no longer an acceptable dress buying criteria. Period.

Fall, however, is a different story. My wardrobe is rife with potential for clever layering. Pair that wispy, inappropriate little dress with opaque tights and a classically tailored wool blazer, and it suddenly becomes smart and gamine. Mix that leather mini with a chunky sweater and a secretary blouse and it whispers ladylike chic, instead of screaming "but I'm with the band!"

This fall I am drawing inspiration from a couple of classy ladies, in particular Anjelica Huston for Valentino and the inimitable on-screen style of Faye Dunaway. From her depression-era by way of the seventies sweaters and breezy chiffon frocks in Bonnie and Clyde to her borrowed from the boys but worn like a lady tailored separates in Network, she looks grown up, feminine, and cool. The accessories alone! Scarves, hats, furs, little leather belts...and, of course, cheekbones out to THERE. Apparently, I'm not the only one in the mood for a little retro drama, as the fall '10 collections offered plenty of louche, ladylike seventies references. The standouts?

Akris

Carolina Herrera

Chloe

Cynthia Rowley

Etro

Fendi

J. Crew

Kenzo

Kenzo

Seriously. My pulse is racing. Sweaters and jackets and vests, oh my! *sigh* Now all I need is ten more inches of perfectly wavy hair and a good handgun.

I had to pause in my busy day...

To post a link to this remarkable blog entry on the subject of digital libraries. Heady stuff indeed! In addition to being a total sartorial geeeeeenius and satisfyingly prolific blogger, Jane has beyond impeccable taste in pretty much everything, all the time. *sigh* ok, back to work!

Self indulgent birthday post...

Well, really, blogging in and of itself is more than a little self indulgent, yeah? Let's just say that this particular post is especially so! Because its my birthday! Yay me! I am twenty-eight today. Unlike twenty-six and seven, twenty-eight actually does feel a bit different. I am getting closer to the big 3-0, and I am excited for it... This decade has been chaotic and exhilarating, but I feel like my thirties will be a bit more settled and luxurious, not least because I've more or less sussed out what I want from life and how to get it (hint: stop TRYING so hard! Relax. Just let it come to you. Then enjoy it. [apparently life is like a good poop. hmmmmn.]).

Anyway, here, in no particular order and for no particular reason, are a bunch of random images that delight me. Most of these have just been gathering dust on my desktop for months, so I've no idea where they originated. If you know, let me know, yes?

Cicadas

In Japan, the cidaca is associated with the summer season. The songs of the cicada are often used in Japanese film and television to indicate that the scene is taking place in the summer. The song of a particular cicada, called "tsuku-tsuku boshi", is said to indicate the end of summer, and it is called so because of its particular call. During the summer, it is a pastime for children to collect both cicadas and the shells left behind when moulting.

In Japan, the cicada carries further philosophical connotations of re-birth. Since the cicada emerges from the ground to sing every summer, it is a symbol of reincarnation. Of special importance is the fact that the cicada moults, leaving behind an empty shell. But furthermore, since the cicada only lives for the short period of time long enough to attract a mate with its song and complete the process of fertilization, they are seen as a symbol of evanesence.


I can hear them every night now. Their soft droning underscores the sounds of traffic, sirens, lawnmowers and sprinkler systems, the crunch of bike tires on gravel, and car doors opening and closing.

Christine Domanic

Anotherfeather

Sally Urdang

MadArtjewelery

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