1970's Lingerie

Retro-undie time!  In the last couple of years I have just decided that I'm over new-school bras with the underwires and padding and formed-foam cups.  I would come home from work and the first thing I did was take off my bra!  It felt like everything rubbed and dug in and the shape looked fake.  I guess that the totally round shape is supposed to look like the shape of a fake boob, not a real one.  

So I started buying bras from the thrift store.  Ones that are in good shape, not ratty or anything, but old-school cotton bras and thin lace bras and ones that are kind of a sports-bra-hybrid.  I've bought some amazing ones, and now I'm scared that my favorite-ever bra from Value Village will wear out and I'll never be able to find another one!  Though recently a friend gave me a new lace bra from Aritzia for my birthday and it's lovely and along the lines of the less structured bras, so maybe that will come back into style.

It's kind of a 1970's shape that I like.  I think that the silhouette looks good and the bras are pretty and they are so much more comfortable than the pokey ones I used to wear.  I'll just keep scouring the thrift stores until what I like comes back into style.  Actually, seeing as the ones at the thrift store cost around three dollars, never mind!

This does make me think that I'll pick up an old lingerie pattern next time I see one at the thrift store!  I wonder if I could make something comfortable...  Maybe when my favorite one falls apart I'll try to make a pattern from it.

 I just had to include this photo!  How cool are these girls, hanging out at the Daytona 500 in their swimsuits?
And carrying their leather clutches?!?!

No Common Thread

Video Star

I don't usually even watch fashion videos, though they are obviously quickly becoming a popular vehicle for advertising.  The ones that I have seen are often cheesy, but count on Inez and Vinoodh to bring something originally spooky and beautiful to the genre.  It doesn't feel like an ad at all, though it is, for Nina Ricci.

Purple and Turquoise

Oh, I'm a bad blogger.  I know, it's been a week, but what can I say?  I had a birthday, had a party, had a reunion, got a new car, made a dozen bow ties...  and just kept on not being excited about the internet.  I'm sure the mood will pass, and until it does:  new ring and nail polish.  Karl gave me the ring for my birthday - it's from the 1920's, New Mexico turquoise.  And a friend gave me the nail polish because she knew I wanted a cool shade of purple.  This is cool.  It's OPI Ink Suede.  The Suede-ness means that it's kind of matte and metallic, and also that it doesn't last too long, but it looks great while it does!

What's new?

New bowties.  Just a quick kitchen snapshot, but visit our website for more information: exhibitbties.com.

Things are settling down at work, allowing me to spend some time on ties and a few walks in the sun with friends.  Yes, sun!  It's been a gorgeous month here, making up for all the rain through the first half of the summer, but it means that I've kind of been in a holding pattern fashion-wise.  I'm just not really excited about fall clothes yet, and I haven't been seeing much around the web that inspires me, but I'm sure I'll come around.

Ymre Stiekema in Vogue Japan

I just read a great book about Marie Antoinette called Abundance, by Sena Jeter Naslund, so seeing this editorial inspired by the infamous lady and set at Versailles caught my attention.  The book has wonderful descriptions of the palace and the gardens, which made me feel like it's time for a trip!  I like the modern take on opulence here; maybe this is how the wealthy and eccentric are dressing, complete with towering coifs; all the better for admiring yourself in the hall of mirrors!

hand-me-downs

I'm not sure why this picture is so washed out - blame it on the changing seasons?  It's still sunny and bright, but it's cool in the morning and there has been a crisp breeze.  Oh well, it's perfect timing for wearing this cute jacket that my friend handed down to me.  The silk top underneath is from her too; gotta love it when friends clean out their closets!

Great Escapes

It takes a pretty important website to get added to my bookmark bar.  There are only a very few things on there, and two of them are cake recipes.  That said, I added a new one tonight: Weekend Cabin.  It features an amazing collection of getaways, and I must be in need of a vacation because I ran out my computer battery fantasizing about running away with my husband for a weekend (or three) at almost all of these lovelies.  From stone cottages in France, to sand floors in Portugal, to a tree-house in Whistler, to sleek Scandinavian models, to Airstreams in Big Sur, from ultra-cool to totally rustic, I'm going to dream about hide-away holiday tonight.

Actually, although I'm cherishing these last sunny days of summer, I'm also secretly counting down to Thanksgiving, and our own little weekend cabin holiday at my parents house.  Every time we visit, I'm convinced that it's my favourite time of year, but there's something pretty great about October.  Picking mushrooms, pressing apple juice, going on spawning-salmon-spying walks - my co-worker teases me that it sounds like Little House on the Prairie to her!

browless wonders

Imagine my surprise when it came to my attention that the combination of dark lips and barely-there brows are the big make-up trend for fall!  Now, most ladies are not about to go bleaching their eye brows just to emulate the runway looks at Gucci, YSL, Rochas etc., but for once my super pale brows will come in handy.  And I do have a nice dark berry lipstick, though I've been wary of using it since I learned how toxic it is, but I might do a little bit of experimentation to see how it looks in real life.  

Works of Art

Well, somebody has been busy!

Aren't these both so cool?

The art above is done by Kumi Yamashita, with a single strand of thread wrapped around tiny nails.  Wow!

No smiling!

This summer I've read a handful of books about the American Civil War and I just finished Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier.  In it, the main characters Ada and Inman exchange tintype photographs of each other before he goes off to fight.  In these early days of photography it was a big deal to have your photograph made, and to have a sweetheart to entrust it to.  I was curious about what these looked like and there are plenty to browse on the web.  Being on metal, I guess it makes sense that these images survived the years.

Busy Week

It's been a busy week!  We're moving at work, which is kind of exhausting, and it just seems like there are lots of little things popping up to occupy my time.  Some are good, like bi-weekly blackberry picking evenings, some are not, like car repairs...

Karl wanted a black forest cake for his birthday, and that ended up being a bit of a project, but it turned out pretty great!  More layer cakes in my future...

 First ever figs from our fig tree!

Karl's birthday burger dinner. 

 Blackie Fluffers is just like me: hard to get a picture with eyes open!

Today: very old Banana Republic jacket from the thrift store.

Lara Stone by Ryan McGinley in Vogue UK

Oh, the wonders of beauty and photography.  These are so magical and I don't for a minute believe that the reality was as dazzling, but that's not really the point.  What's inspiring is that someone could envision this; that a designer created clothes that became part of this fantasy, that the stylists and creative team and model and photographer all believed that it would be this beautiful, and in the end, through their sorcery, it is.  So stagnant pond, gap-toothed girl, and clothes no one would really wear = perfection.

gold leaf

I felt like I needed to do a little shopping, but I didn't want to buy anything summery, and I don't know yet what I'll be looking for as far as fall clothes, so I decided to finally use my Jeweliette gift certificate.  I bought these beautiful ginkgo leaf earrings by local designer Irit Sorokin.  They are super light and simple, and I really don't have many dangle-y earrings.  Solved my seasonal shopping dilemma by getting something seasonless!

It's really summer-hot now.  I'm loving it and trying to absorb as much as I can because it sure won't last for too long.  It's also important to make a conscious effort to wear all my summer clothes.  Just like the velvet and sequins getting a six-week window at the holidays, I have to make the hot weather count to justify the shorts and little summer dresses the fill my closet.

sweet summer

Cutest couple ever!  Jessica and Sean had a gorgeous wedding yesterday.  I didn't take a single picture, but I'm relying on some clever friends to post a few so I can share more of them here.  Jessica and I worked together to design her dress and we were both so happy with how it turned out.  She looked so stunning.  Sean looked pretty swell too.  Now they are heading off for their honeymoon, which sounds amazing, but I think I'm doing pretty well enjoying my summer here.  And on the island - Karl and I had the best long weekend visiting my parents.  Again, no pictures.  Karl took one, of the cat sleeping in the laundry basket, but then he deleted it because his toes were in the picture and he didn't like that!