5.20.2010

stargazing

Without a doubt, my least favorite thing about living in a big city is not being able to see the stars at night. Instead, a greyish-orange haze blankets the sky, turning almost completely white as you approach Times Square. Occasionally the full moon will make an appearance, poking out from behind a building-- if you're lucky, you might be able to distinguish the moon from the lamps that line the endless grid of streets.

I've always felt like stargazing can connect you to anyone in the world. No matter where they might be, they can still look up and see the same million-years-old light as you can. Suddenly the world feels much smaller, more intimate. Places thousands of miles apart are decorated by the same little specks in the sky-- it's incredible when you really think about it.

Maybe this is why every time I start to feel lonely I long to escape from the city to see the stars— so I can remember the nights we spent laying on hills feeling tiny and infinite, and recall how the simplest words can envelop and overwhelm you with their warmth. In those moments, everything was nothing and we were one and the same.

5.18.2010

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow.

Until Saturday, I'd only had my hair cut by one person in my entire life. Unfortunately, my hair dresser has taken ill with cancer and has retired, so I was forced to find someone new to do my hair. Needless to say, this caused some panic in my heart and my hair was already in need of a trim when this occurred, leading to extreme procrastination that led, finally, on Saturday, to a FOUR HOUR hair appointment.


Emily at Salon Bravissimo in Sacramento did an AMAZING job with my hair. I had to have about 3" cut off the ends to even out my layers and cull nasty dead bleached ends. My friend Mel and I had been debating if I should change the color and I decided to go for it because it SHOULD have been fairly painless. Of course, because it's me, it took forever to get the ash toner out of my hair. It literally would not let go. WTF, hair! We decided to go on a color scheme similar to my dog Bjorn for a unique look. It's flaxen on top with an apricot wash over my natural hair underneath. I also opted for some straight bangs, which I know aren't the most flattering look for me. I had straight bangs last summer for a few weeks and ended up feeling bitter about them, but IDK. I get tired of side bangs, so straight bangs for a few weeks and, since it's spring, my hair will grow fairly quickly and I can transition back into side bangs again! When it gets hot I end up pining any bang I have back anyway, so it's really no thing.

05182010_01

05182010_02

05182010_03
Cardigan: H&M; Tank Top: TopShop; Hat: Handknit by my sister; Leggings: Nordstrom; Boots: Born; Nailpolish: Lilacism by Essie

5.07.2010

inspiration

I'll let the photos in this post speak for themselves. I'm completely burned out from writing 35 pages worth of final papers in the last three days, but thankfully, the semester is finally over!

These are all photos that inspire me in some way. Some I took myself, others were compulsively saved off the internet. Enjoy!

(click for bigger images & to check out more inspiration on our flickr.)


bath time
photo cred: don't remember, sorry.



jump ropes
photo cred: seaofshoes.com



Sunflowers
photo cred: me. location: somewhere in michigan.



firenze
photo cred: me. location: florence, italy.



big ben
photo cred: me. location: london.



Paris
photo cred: me. location: paris.



east village
photo cred: me. location: nyc.



i own this dress
photo cred: the sartorialist.com. oddly enough: i own this dress.



behati prinsloo
photo cred: kava gorna for refinery29.com. model: behati prinsloo.



marchesa fall 09
photo cred: marchesa fall 2009.



chanel s/s 2010
photo cred: chanel s/s 2010.



mila
photo cred: don't remember, sorry. top by: temperley london.



anne hathaway
photo cred: don't remember, sorry. wish i did, though.


...bring may flowers

If there is a sure sign that being college educated doesn't always equal smart, it's the first of these outfit pictures. I don't know what was going through my mind, but I took about 30 pictures of me standing BACK-LIT by the sun. Which really makes for a stunning display of the road and a shadowy mess of my outfit. Keeping with my trend of smart thinking, I didn't preview my pictures before I came inside and changed into boxers in preparation for my imminent nap. So apologies for the shoddy graininess of the full-length shot in this post!

I have been burning through my medium format film in my Holga the past few days. I have one roll already done and only a few pictures left in the one left in the camera. I've been taking pictures of my outings with friends--though not many of my actual friends, ironically--so expect TONS of food pictures in the near future, including, but not limited too: cakes, pizza, coffee, and sushi. I also took a bunch of my dogs and of my mom's flowers, which are looking gorgeous right now, especially the roses. I'm going to try to finish off a third roll this weekend with farmers' market pictures, Freeport Bakery pictures, and ones from the Mothers' Day waffle brunch we're going to have!

It's starting to get almost warm enough in Northern California that I will soon be abandoning my tights and forced to regularly shave my legs. I'm not sure if I am sad or not about this fact. I have discovered that, due to drunken accidents and what have you, I have no black nylon tights left that are without at least one hole in them. The pair I have on in this outfit are similarly distressed, if not more so; they have a long run down the front of the right thigh, the crotch seam is in spiderweb-y tatters, and at some point I must have stabbed my finger through the control top on the left side! I've also found that some of my tights have gone missing. I don't know if they inconceivably got left in London, got thrown out (though these were unworn pairs!), or if they're just hiding somewhere, but it's very distressing. On the bright side, I picked up an adorable pair of Smart Wool tights in a plum colour with chevrons knit into them for only $20!

As always, click to enlarge!

05072010_03
Sunglasses: Marc by Marc Jacobs; Cardigan: Talbots; Shorts, Tights: Primark; Belt, Shoes, & Necklace: H&M; Tank Top: TopShop

05072010_01

05072010_02

05072010_04

why don't you love me?

I have a confession to make: I love to look at retro styled blogs. It isn't a style that I can personally pull off; I'm too much of a trend slave, for one thing. My sister, however, often likes to rock a bit of a vintage/retro tinged look, and she has the figure for it too, damn her!

That being said, I recently bought a retro-inspired one-piece swimsuit (in a non-retro hot pink) which is surprising because I usually wear really sporty and contemporary bikinis. I've also been contemplating appropriating my black sequined high-waisted hot pants for swim bottoms and getting a black top to go with. And now Beyonce's newest video for her single "Why Don't You Love Me?" has really made me pine for some retro lingerie. Here are some (slightly shoddy) screencaps of the video:







And you should definitely check out the video here to see the clothes in motion and enjoy the saturated ambiance of the video.

If you want to see some more great retro style and/or that sort of Holga-worthy photographic ambiance, take a gander at these blogs & sites:
The Freelancer's Fashion Blog
Beauty Is A Thing of the Past <-- Retro Hairstyle Scans!
Frollenin von Sofa
Tara Starlet / The Tara Starlet Blog
From Besty With Love <-- Specifically this post on lingerie
Super Kawaii Mama
Vintageportalen
Vixen Vintage
Niotillfem