A Volcanic Ensemble, For Annie.

To kick things off, I should probably mention that this post is dedicated to my beloved cat, Annie.

A volcanic ensemble (to use a Ducky-ism) can be composed of a variety of diverse and eclectic (preferably eccentric) pieces. Viable contenders for Epic Volcanic Ensemble Composition include those fabulously tacky necklaces your mom wore in the early 80s, that jacket with the too-big arms that your dad got in Nepal that you originally hated and now love, an absurd hat that smells like moth-balls that your grandma dug out of her attic, and, in this case:



TOTALLY AWESOME WARHOL GRANNY SHORTS.

I've had a love/hate relationship with these babies for the longest time. I was smitten after seeing them on the rack at the local thrift store, yet after a year it's been a quest of epic proportions to figure out just how to make the stupid things fit properly. Thanks to a good amount of butterfly clips and safety pins (because I'm actually the laziest person alive and sewing silk is just way too much effort and probably out of the limited reaches of my sewing expertise) I think I've finally worked out a good system.



They're zany and obnoxiously colorful (in accordance with the Color-Conscious Pact of Last Post) and just the right type of weird and guys...they have soup cans on them...I doubt it gets any better than that. Plus, Warhol! It's almost better than the new Lady Gaga video, although granted much less weird and Tarantino-reference loaded...but hey, pop culture reference nonetheless.



Sunday Night Procrastination has been in full effect since 8:00 this evening, but I can't really bring myself to do anything about it. My mind is too filled with everything else I'd rather be doing (also, pity me. I have to make up gym class during every single one of my free periods this week. Death. Spring break cannot come sooner. April 17th is too far away.). My mind is lingering on the summer and the promise of sunshine and adventure, writing and actually producing a product (during said summer), and college, the dreaded all-consuming conversation topic of junior year. I know where I want to go, so why can't I apply now and save all the needless worry (grrrrrr *stressed junior near the end of her rope*)!



(shorts: vintage, top: random gift, tights: Target, shoes: Payless)

But, as with most things, the promise of spring and some really fabulous Warhol soup can shorts can brighten even the most unshakable Sunday Blues.

Oh hey!

HIATUS BROKEN!
It feels good to be back.

More than three months since I've posted? Kerrazy. Needless to say, the busy schedule is still in fine form, but since there is no foreseeable end in sight, I have returned. I just missed it too much! I missed photoshooting, and playing dress-up, and sharing my opinion, and (of course) I missed hearing from all of you!

So. As I'm currently procrastinating from writing a paper about the clash of cultures in America during the 1920s, this will be rather short. But fear not! I'll hope to be back at it very shortly.



This past week ushered in the most incredible spring weather (because really, after about five months, snow gets old real fast) with highs clocking in at 75 (=I die of happiness) (also, something that has not changed: I'm an avid abuser of parentheses). With the spring weather finally making its mark, I figured it was about time to shed winter's black layers and moth-ball smelling vintage sweaters in favour of some breathable fabric and much-needed vibrant colour.



With the weather in mind: Sarongs!
After living in Asia, every closet in our house is practically stuffed with them, so it would be a shame not to see them put to good use.

A goal of mine is to start being more mindful of colour when dressing. Normally I just throw things on with little regard as to whether the colours work* (and not in a "cool clashing/Susie Bubble" type of way, more an "oh my god did you get dressed in the dark/sloppy baby!" type of way)(the parenthetical aside strikes again). In general I tend to be more of a silhouette-wary/conveying an idea type of dresser.

It's kind of off topic, but what kind of a dresser do you think you are? What are you conscious of when getting dressed in the morning? What do you tend to stick with? Why do you think that is?

Moving on. The jist of that, before the stream of consciousness question chain: Sarongs will hopefully help me keep colour in mind when I dress.

*A theory: Maybe I dress with a stubborn disregard to colour because I hate the idea of matching. I DESPISE it when people ask, "Does this match?" because really, who cares! Wear what you want to wear! And for that matter, WHY DOES IT MATTER IF YOU WEAR NAVY AND BLACK TOGETHER?!?! Really!



In other news...things that are creeping me out lately: Terry Richardson.
We all knew he was a sketch, but some of these stories coming out reek of the Ick Factor.



sarong: some market in Bali, top: some market in Hong Kong, shoes: Urban Outfitters

And as for something less disturbing and creepy: I got new shoes! The best part? They're ridiculously comfortable.

With that I've got to go! That essay and a mountain of other work are calling.

Sunday Blues

January. Is. Eating. Me. Alive.
Now I know why people complain so much about junior year. Here's a small taste of this month's to do list:

-continue research for thesis paper
-write thesis paper
-learn and memorize ACDA music (I'm predicting the Romanian and Czech numbers will bury me, not to mention I butcher French pretty much all the time)
-read a book for APUSH
-do SAT practice tests until I can get a 2400 without batting an eye on the stupid thing
-read Huckleberry Finn and random Nathaniel Hawthorne stories as pre-course work for my American Authors course by the time second semester starts
-write 4 essays on the above reading
-STUDY FOR MIDTERMS (= figure out what the frick I'm doing in physics)
-learn Western Regionals music for next weekend
-learn all-states audition song
-prepare an audition tape for this choir I'm dying to perform in
-figure out an audition song for spring musical auditions
-stay mentally stable

Forgive me if this all comes out like garbling all of my thoughts unnecessarily, but I figured I should get it down somewhere to prevent myself from dying of stress or when I inevitably forget about one of these things...it always helps to write it down.

That aside, I guess it's my lame excuse for the real stall in posting. I miss all of you bunches. Some of you may have read that my friend Annie recently said good-bye to blogging, which I totally understand and have considered BUT I blog for a reason and so hopefully I'll be able to hold on to that reason through all of this craziness.

Ergh. I'm no good at expressing myself.

With that in mind, I really want to thank you guys for sticking with me, even if things have been a bit iffy lately. I really hate feeling like I haven't been doing the blog justice recently, but once the insanity dies down I'm hoping to put out posts that I can be proud of again.

So, since we all need a break sometimes, I'm going to use this post as an opportunity to throw a ton of pictures your way. Allow yourself to get lost in them. Forget about stress for at least a little while. Isn't escapism what fashion is all about, anyways?

Taking On the City In True History Nerd Style

Yesterday my friend Tucker and I journeyed into the city for a day spent hitting up museums for thesis notes and extra credit in our history class. It was so worth it. Here's a blow by blow of how the day went down:

9:51- After finding a decent seat on the train, we sipped our Starbucks contentedly and found ourselves wishing that our tickets said "Mind the Gap" rather than "Watch"...once again the Brits have got it right. Going into the city is one of the few times I treat myself to a Starbucks, so needless to say I was in heaven.



10:45...ish- After a battle against the formidable New York winter wind, we arrived at the Met. We ditched our coats and were soon on our way to hunt down the object of the entire trip: an exhibit called American Stories, for our APUSH class. I wasn't all that intrigued by the whole thing until entering the sublimely lit gallery featuring some Mary Cassatts I've been longing to see. I'm such a sucker for the Impressionists. Note my awesomely nerdy audio guide gear. Quality.



11:54 to 11:59- After the American Stories exhibit and stumbling upon an amazing Robert Frank exhibit that I had seen and fallen in love with in DC (I conceded and bought the exhibition book), we came across a hall of beautiful unfinished sculptures. I rather prefer these to any finished product...there's some inexplicable mystery and rawness to them that I just love. THEN. While trying to find an exit we found my long-time favourite gallery in the whole museum. Monet. Utterly divine. Honestly I could stay in there all day.



12:15- Upon making our way to the lobby, we spotted the most priceless example of the Mr. Mom phenomenon. It was a photo op like no other...I mean, who could resist those adorable blonde boys?



12:27- While perusing the museum store I came upon the area healthily stocked with the most beautiful fashion books. I could not be torn away.



1:16- After finally escaping the hoard of people that were swamping the Met lobby, we began our walk across Central Park...in the sub-arctic temperatures it was an interesting experience.



1:38- A lunch of Indian food that I was badly craving. The chicken tikka masala and fresh nan were notably delicious. Actually, who am I kidding. It all was.



2:42- We arrive at the New York Historical Society (aka History Nerd Adventure part 2). Lincoln greets us.



3:37- After roaming around for a while doing some quality thesis research, we came to the museum shop in search of a gag gift for our history teacher. Out of all the tempting choices (Robert E Lee stuffed doll, Barack Obama paper doll, Ulysses Grant pez dispenser, Frederick Douglass finger puppet) we found the most epic souvenir ever. "You can call us Aaron Burr from the way we're droppin' Hamiltons". WIN. Sadly, it was $14...too much for two broke students.

And then we were off to Grand Central for the train home.

I definitely need to get into the city more. Sometimes I just marvel at the way New Yorkers function: one day in the city and I'm dead asleep on the train ride home from exhaustion. How do they keep it up? There must be some superhuman caffeine consumption going on there.

Have you guys ever been to the big N-Y-C? Where did you go? What did you eat? Who did you see? Are you as helpless at navigating as I am? Doubtful.

Countdown

TenSongs
The soundtrack to my year, these tunes kept me jamming all year long.

10. September by Earth, Wind, and Fire
9. The General Specific by Band of Horses
8. The Nosebleed Section by Hilltop Hoods
7. In Love At 19 by Mark Mathis
6. Beat It by Michael Jackson
5. Everybody Loves Me by OneRepublic
4. Winter by Joshua Radin
3. Sweet Dreams Are Made of Seven Nation Army by DJ Poly
2. Life In Technicolor II by Coldplay
1. Bad Romance by Lady GaGa


NineImages
The photos I just can't stop looking at.




EightCollections
The shows that blew my mind.



1. Missoni a/w 2009
2. Alexander Wang s/s 2010
3. Dries van Noten a/w 2009
4. Gary Graham s/s 2010
5. Proenza Schouler s/s 2010
6. Comme des Garcons a/w 2009
7. Rodarte s/s 2010
8. Mary Katrantzou a/w 2009


SevenWords
A word nerd at heart, it is always a good day when I learn a delicious new word.

ethereal

logorrheic
e u p h o r i a

zephyr
illumine
leviathan
NEFARIOUS

SixModels
The faces I just can't seem to get out of my head.



1. Dorothea Barth Jorgensen
2. Jac Jagaciak
3. R'el Dade
4. Ranya Mordanova
5. Rose Cordero
6. Frida Gustavsson


FiveStyleIdols
The ladies that dress to the nines all day, every day. They continue to inspire me.




1. Anna Dello Russo
2. Shala Monroque
3. Taylor Tomasi Hill
4. Vika Gazinskaya
5. Catherine Baba


FourBooks
After reading them for the first time this year, these were the books that pervaded my thoughts long after turning the last page.

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
Dante's Inferno
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving


ThreeEditorials
Nothing can express an idea quite as well as the aesthetic created by these spreads.

Vogue UK March 2009: "Chocks Away" with Lily Donaldson, shot by Tim Walker




Crash #50: "Grey Gardens" with Elsa Sylvan, shot by Alexandra Catier




Purple Fashion F/W 2009: "We Don't Need No Education" with random adorable kids, shot by Ryan McGinley




TwoBlogs

Style Rookie: I don't love her because she goes to all the shows, I don't love her because the Mulleavy sisters love her, I don't love her because she's cooler than I ever was at 13. In fact, I love her in spite of those things, as the tiniest bit of envy is inevitable. I love her because she's funny, she doesn't take herself too seriously, her imagination has no limits, she's light-hearted, she proves that fashion has no age limit, she's witty, she makes me think, she makes other people think, she says what she means, and she means what she says. And so ends my love letter to Tavi.
The Photodiarist: Certainly not a fashion blog by any means, but it would be silly to ever discount a blog for that reason. Hitting up the streets of New York armed only with her camera, The Photodiarist seems to capture the most simply intimate scenes of life in New York. These photos provide me with endless inspiration, all shot in the most beautifully timeless black and white.


OneYear



2009...it's been crazy, but I'm ready for more. Bring on the new decade.

Happy New Year, everyone.