To the nines

I'm trying to remember the details of a memory I have. It's only a couple years old, I was maybe 22 or 23. I remember being downtown somewhere; an urban setting. I could have been in San Francisco visiting my mom or in London visiting friends. What I know for sure was that I walked past a stately old woman. She was one of those women who seem almost ageless, or like she had been one age for all of eternity. She had a strong, important gate, and walked easily in her heels. Dressed all in black and fur, with a pillbox hat and a clutch, she was wearing her best; the outfit she saved for shopping downtown. She is what I think of when I see fur stoles. Her presence is hard to place in a real time and place, but she is a charmed memory.

In this series:
Antique rabbit fur stole
GAP Cardigan
Vintage polka-dot top
Thrifted belt
J. Crew wool pencil skirt
Madden Girl pumps
GAP clutch
Vintage cuff

Read this blog!

Zoe over at Haiku Ambulance is wonderful and amazing, but most importantly, hilarious! Her blog is super fun to read and her outfits are a treat for the eyes!

**Haiku Ambulance**

Downtown

So tonight was the Shipley & Halmos shoot. I was suppose to meet my friend Jesse at Barney's, but forgot my phone when I left to nanny and didn't have time to go back and get it. I was able to send him a message on Facebook. We agreed to meet around 6pm or so, but I didn't get there till 6:30. It took me an hour to go about 2 miles! Next time I need to skip the errands and just tackle the traffic and parking hell that is Seattle.

Anyway, I never saw Jesse, but made it just in time for the end of the shoot. I was the last photo of the last stop on their tour! I got to meet the Shipley and the Halmos. They're very nice, good looking, and of course well dressed! Mr. Halmos had on an oxford shirt and tortoise shell frames, both always catch my eye. Mr. Shipley had hair like mine, haha. I only got to see one of my photos, a portrait, which was very nice. I was so nervous, I can't imagine any of the other ones turned out. I get such nerves that I lose control over my body and forgot all of my posing strategies. I will never be a model! Thank God I follow direction pretty well!

I filled out the release and they gave me a card with the URL of where the pictures will be uploaded. The best was when one of the ladies at Barney's told me they were so glad I had my picture taken and that they were hoping I would, because my look was exactly what they (Shipley & Halmos) were looking for. That made my night :) Then the employee and I had a little girly time going on and on about how we wanted the other one's hair (she had wavy, I have straight). Haha, girls are really silly sometimes. Trust me, I know, I am one of the silliest.

Fancy fancy

I made a new pair of earrings. I half way constructed them some months ago, but then got a "Jeweler's block". They finally came together last weekend and I must say I am totally in love with them. Materials used: Gold-fill chain and findings, coral and Lapis Lazuli beads.





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Mrs. Waldo

I forgot about these photos. It was right after I got the skirt. I was experimenting with it. I accidentally wound up looking like Waldo's wife. Not a bad look, haha! He always wore bright colors, bold patterns, and classic pieces. He reads so much as well! Out of all the people one could choose to admire and embody, he is definitely not a bad pick.

black+white

Nothing feels more pulled together than black and white. Crisp, clean and contrasting, it stands out without trying too hard; is casual yet sophisticated. Since they are the ruling King and Queen of Basics, there's no need to hunt high and low for them.

I found this blouse at H&M and decided to add it to my collection of "Mime Styles", haha. It will look so fabulous with a beret! And Trevor will make fun of me, but that's OK because berets are a little ridiculous! Seriously though, is this any different from when I was a little girl and would dress up like Snow White or Mowgli? I am 26 now and still change my outfit at least 3 times a day.




This series:
H&M Blouse
Mossimo leggings
Chloe Prince Calf flats
Juicy Couture charm necklace

Boyfriend Sweaters

Not usually a fan of the boyfriend fit, at lease on myself. It looks great on girls that are around 6 ft. tall, but I am not that tall. Nowhere near. This wool sweater called my name though. It called to me from my boyfriend's closet. I walked straight in, looked to my left, and there it was, sticking out of a pile on a shelf. It's way too small for my boyfriend, but he says he wore it as a sort of undershirt on ski trips, etc. It fits perfectly and, for once, the light color actually looks good on me. It's the perfect shade of ivory as it doesn't wash me out.





In this photo:
Ray Ban Wayfarers
English Wool Sweater
Vintage Coach bag
J. Crew City Fit Pants
Flats from Target

Shipley & Halmos

This wonderful team of designers is traveling the country taking pictures for a book they plan to publish. They're inviting everyone to their "Fill In The _____" Tour which is hitting Barneys all over the country. This is kind of a last-minute post, since the last 3 stops are happening this week. Today they are in Santa Monica, tomorrow Costa Mesa, and Thursday they will be here in Seattle. Each event runs from 5pm to 7pm. They will be "gathering... personalities and styles" in their photobooth located on the 2nd floor of Barney's in Downtown Seattle.

More info here: Barney's

paper bag

Finally found a flattering pair of high-waisted, pleated pants. You know, the ones with the paper bagging. They're usually too puffy, so I think the key to fitting these is buying them a size down. Of course, then you run the risk of them not fitting perfectly in the legs. I've had to break mine in, but at least they looked good. No pain no gain!

I feel like I should be stock-piling for Fall. I'm worried I will never have good lighting, so maybe I should come up with a whole bunch of outfits for Fall and Winter, shoot them in advance and then post a couple every week. I'm laughing now.

In these pictures:
Obey Coat
H&M pants
American Apparel Leotard
Madden Girl pumps (again)
Target flats
Thrifted silk belt

Double Denim

This shirt belongs to Trevor. He spent too much money on it, I think. But then again, it's very hard to resist J. Crew sometimes.

I bought the necklace some place in Scotland, possibly Inverness. It's old, but not too old. It's also very beautiful. The beads remind me of drops of some liquid I've seen before, but can't recall exactly.

In this series:
J. Crew Chambray Utility Shirt
Mossimo Leggings
Madden Girl pumps
Vintage necklace
Vintage Guess shorts
Thrifted cotton belt

I should take up sewing

A sewing machine (and the patience for sewing) would give me so many more possibilities when it came to creating outfits. For instance, this tent dress. Beautiful fabric, beautiful concept, but in the end I truly look like a tent. I have to have my hands in the pockets, gathering it up, at all times or I look like a circus. It's funny that the two characteristics that make the dress (the shape and polka dot pattern) are also its downfall. Oh, that, and shoddy construction (it's from GAP). Unfortunately, I don't have the mindset for sewing. I never have. I do have amazing patience when it comes to everything else, but if only I could sit down for a couple hours and adjust this dress somehow; make it more wearable.

Jane Birkin

Before the days of "I can't be seen wearing the same thing twice!" This basket is with her in many photos, and trust me, it is not an Hermes. Its frequent presence in her photos makes her seem more reachable; more relatable.

Most of us have that one accessory or t-shirt, or that one pair of shoes that we love forever. They make us feel relaxed and confident. When the rest of you is itching for an image change, you put them on and are reminded of who you are and what you love about yourself. Remember to think of that t-shirt, that bag, or that pair of shoes as your trademark!

Velvet

Here's another one of my recent finds. It's all sorts of awesome and I fall more in love with it every day. On top of having usable pockets, it also has leather shanks on the sleeves and as front closures. It' also fits me absolutely perfectly in the shoulders and the sleeve length is dead on. I'm not sure if it's my frame (I'm on the small and short side of sizes) or just the way American blazers are made now, but I have the hardest time find blazers, coats, jackets, etc. that will fit me properly. It's a little roomy in the waist, but shoulder and sleeve are crucial bits of tailoring when it comes to dress shirts and blazers. I would almost say that nothing else matters when it comes to jackets and blazers. Dress shirts also need to be fitted properly in the chest and waist because these have to be buttoned up, but blazers can be left open if they're not perfect in those areas.

I plan to live in this blazer come Fall.

In this picture:
Vintage velvet blazer
Danskin body suit
Forever21 skirt
Thrifted leather belt
MAC lipstick
Madden Girl Pumps

Birthday Dinner

Last night I celebrated my birthday with friends. I wore a slight variation of this outfit. Chose a brown belt instead of the red, and wore sandals since it was so hot out. I'm crazy about this skirt right now. It's a great color and the perfect shape. Not too voluminous, but also not too narrow. I'm completely sold on maxi skirts now. Have to find one in black!

In this picture:
Blue thrifted maxi skirt
Red vintage belt
Vintage Danskin bodysuit
Madden Girl pumps

Sun

It's finally back, and with a vengeance! My car was like an oven! I think I have burns from my leather seats.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do come winter. Will I have enough light to get any good photos? I may need to move everything outside, which I'm not thrilled about, simply because I don't want my neighbors staring at me while I'm posing. Also, I'm the property manager of my apartment building and running around taking pictures of myself might not look that great, professionally speaking.

Anyway, this dress is more suited for Fall. It doesn't quite work by itself.; definitely looks better layered! It's one of the many treasures I've found recently. It's old and feels like wool, but is probably just acrylic.

Today I put back 3 leotards at American Apparel and a pair of shoes at Urban Outfitters, mainly because I felt like I shouldn't spend the money. Also, all the items I wanted to buy were things I knew would be there when I went back. Well, at the last minute I decided to go into Buffalo Exchange and I hit the jackpot! I found two out of three of the leotards I wanted in the right size and color! I also found a Danskin bodysuit in similar colors to the one I wanted at AA but with diagonal stripes instead of polkadots. It was only $2.50 and the other leotards were $11 and $12.50. I also ended up finding a great pair of blue pumps for $15. Pretty successful day!

In this series:
Thrifted wool scarf
J.Crew cotton jersey cardigan
Vintage Kelly green dress
Madden Girl pumps
Vintage tortoise shell earrings

This

Have any of you ever worked with kids? They are merciless. I want to wear this pantsuit so bad, but not this week. I am nannying and I have a feeling I would never hear the end of it from the two boys I'm watching. Somewhere in their short lives they decided they were clothes/make-up/shoe experts. "Oh yes, thank you 12-year-old boy, you probably know best when it comes to eye make-up. I will never do it like that again." (Ridiculous!) The pantsuit is a little wild and I'm sure their little developing brains could not handle it.

In these photos:
Vintage pantsuit
Agnes B. men's shirt
Sam Edelman flats
Vintage Ellen Tracy blazer
New Look wedges
Handmade shell earrings

Lighting

Oh Vermeer. Half the magic in your paintings is the lighting. If only I understood things the way you did.

I am in no way professionally trained, so I can only barely begin to explain lighting for photos. I haven't has a photography class since high school! It depends, of course, on the direction you are facing. My kitchen is on the West side of my apartment building and the lighting is perfect in the afternoons around 2pm or 3pm. This will change with the seasons though. All I can really tell you is experiment!

Tips:
-White rooms may not provide the most interesting background, but the paint reflects the most light.
-There is usually plenty of light if you are shooting outside, but it is best to shoot in the morning or in the evening before the sun sets. If you go out at noon, it might leave you with lots of squinting photos.
-Use natural light as well as artificial light. This will provide light from every angle.

If I were professionally trained, or bothered to read a book on lighting I could explain it better and it would feel less like luck. But my advice is about as helpful as Tyra's: Find your light!

Artist: Vermeer
"Girl Reading A Letter At An Open Window"

In this photos:
Vintage Ellen Tracy blazer (velvet photographs wonderfully!)
Bianchi for L.L. Bean belt
H&M blouse
Thrifted knit skirt