Vintage 4 Sale.

Anyone looking for any really bomb vintage? For instance, a red leather motorcycle jacket? A pretty floral party dress? Or an incredible body con, lace up dress? Just curious. Because I have some of that just lying around, you know. More like up for auction on eBay over at Solid Gold Vintage. If you're interested HURRY. This stuff is only up for three days because I need to get it off my hands ASAP. Now, take a gander:

Golden Oldies.

These are some older photographs I took of my cousin. I got stir crazy one afternoon and decided that I was going to style up some fun stuff and take photographs out at our grandparents' house. Originally, I used actual film and scanned them which is why the quality may not appear quite top notch. I'm sharing them because I just poladroid-ed them, and think it's pretty neat. I received a polaroid camera for my 12th birthday, but now that the little guy has gone the way of the dinosaurs and film is hard to come upon, tangible polaroids are few and far between. This is the next best thing!
Graphic print red button-up skirt, tooled leather butterfly belt, bowling ball print tshirt, deer print scarf- Vintage

Batik print sheer blouse, white leather belt, black body con skirt and mirrored wayfarer shaped sunglasses - vintage; shearling trimmed ankle boots - Steve Madden
Coral lace fit and flare mini dress, and flower brooch - Vintage
Pink slip with chiffon overlay and pleated skirt and tweed blazer - Vintage; Ballet Slippers - Capezio


Boys' tuxedo shirt, floral print blouse, and mirrored sunglasses - Vintage; purple leggings - Target.

Oh, and the Cadillac is also vintage. 1980, baby!

The September Issue

It never fails that once the heat of summer arrives in full force (it was 104 yesterday), I start dreaming about fall fashion. And now that anticipation comes with a cinematic complement. The September Issue (link goes to the trailer!) comes out August 28th. If this film doesn't come to a theatre near me, I will be very unhappy.

I've been subscribing to American Vogue since the age of 14, and while their choices are sometimes a little mature for my 20-year-old taste, I still find myself ear marking pages that I feel speak to the woman I intend to be. Because while right now I'm the girl who is always running late, whose dresses always end up rumpled on the floor before they make it to the hanger, and who can't seem to keep her nails unchipped; I have high hopes that I will grow into someone who always has fresh tea roses bedside, who remembers to send thank you notes in a timely manner, and who manages not to spill wine on herself when she's wearing white. Some day. Until then, I will continue to be inspired by Vogue magazines from around the globe.

If you haven't already, check out the trailer. I can't wait to see more of what goes on inside 4 Times Square. Hopefully more of Grace and Andre!

Additions.

Thought I would share some recent additions to my life to the folks out there in the blogosphere...holler!

Aldo shoes: A pair of suede lace-up wedges I've been lusting after FOREVER. They are brilliant in person. It's true love. Secondly, my first real pair of gladiators. I do have a pair of knee high gladiators, but they aren't exactly the most versatile shoes I own. These, on the other hand are perfect. Lace-up (Again. See a pattern?) and studs.




Urban Outfitters Dresses: Okay, so my local UO's 'Yard Sale' promo sale kind of got the best of me. I am admittedly weak. Sigh. I fell pretty hard for the first piece. Something about the dichotomy of peach ruffles and a chunky front zipper. The other dress is the floral slip dress that dreams are made of. Superbly lightweight with just the right amount of shape. Fit and flare dresses with pockets are totally necessary in my life.

Music: I have been listening to the Next to Normal original Broadway cast recording constantly. For those of you who dig musicals, I recommend. And even if you're not, I still say it's worth a listen. The music and lyrics are fantastic. It's now at the top of my list of shows I want to see next time I'm in NYC (next month--whee!).

Book: I picked up Nabokov's Poems and Problems today and I can't wait to get into it. It consists of 39 Russian poems, 14 English poems, and 18 Chess problems. For those of you unfamiliar with Nabokov, please, go read Lolita. Immediately if not sooner.

Film: I re-watched Reality Bites this week, and have a new found love for it. Anyone (like me) who has ever been in college and wondered, 'what the fuck am I going to do with my life after this?' can easily relate. Plus, there's that young-artists-in-love element going on between Winona Ryder and Ethan Hawke. Also, Janeane Garofolo's clothes and bedroom in the film are pretty insane. Lots of 60's dresses and fun tights, and her room actually had a poster of Gorbachev. Where can I get one of those? I want one with his birth mark showing, please.


Now that it's summer, I have so much glorious free time. I often forget I have a job at all considering it's just singing and acting. So, what are you wearing, listening to, reading, and watching this summer?

Creature Comforts.

So, I am moving again in August and my new space has been on my mind. As with most things I attempt, I have lots of ideas but I'm having some issues forming a cohesive plan. I want my own room to be the perfect juxtaposition of sophistication and quirky kitsch. While I already have lots of strange vintage record covers, ceramic animals, and campy plaques, I've started collecting photographs from the Selby and some random vintage photos to help the process along.





Sources: The Selby, Random Google Images

Birthday.

It's Marilyn Monroe's birthday today! LIFE has published some never-released photographs that are stunning. Most people assume I'm named after a family member, but I am in fact named for Marilyn Monroe. If I could choose a way to celebrate, it would be with a perfect halter dress, lucite high heels, and champagne. I don't want any trouble, I just want a drink.




Photos: LIFE

Whoops.

Sorry, guys.

I'm on day five of summer vacation and I am really not wasting a single moment. I am rarely on the internet at all, and it feels pretty awesome. I'm back at home for another 10 days, and then I will return back to my little old apartment in my little old college town to start working on the musical. Until then, unless something urgent comes up or inspiration strikes at an odd hour (as it tends to do), I will likely be:

star gazing, laughing endlessly, breathing in sweet country air, going to baseball games, swimming, sipping, singing far too loud, watching bad films, thrift shopping, roof sitting, reading, writing, consuming snow cones, and learning about what infinite means.

All the good things that summer brings.

What are you doing?

HAVEYOUREADTHIS?

No, seriously. I'm usually not the type of blogger to just be like la-di-da-di-da here is one cool looking photograph, or something in the vein of ambiguous (although I do sometimes enjoy those posts on other blogs, I must admit), but I must mention this to whoever is reading. Are you there, readers? Okay, good. First, prerequisite questions.

Do you like the Onion? Do you like fashion?

So, even if you've never read the Onion (go find one now if that is the case) you should like this link, because I know you folks dig the stylez of today (you are here after all...damn I am parenthetical today!).

WWWWD. Just go. I feel that any introduction I could possibly try to give it would just be sub-par.

The end is near...

Of the school year, that is. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm in the last week of my sophomore year of college and it is a tad stressful. Just a little. I figured that no matter what level of education you, my darling readers, are at, you could all benefit from a little list of finals coping mechanisms. My posting has been sporadic lately, and will only improve once I get all of this stuff wrapped up! Only a final journalism project, Western Civ II. final, Russian cultures final, and Russian language final stand in my way!

Anyways, I'm a firm believer that when you're working hard, you really deserve to help yourself out and not suffer too much. So, here's my list of
Nice things to do for yourself whilst in the violent throes of final exams:

Start studying prior to the night before, especially if it's a cumulative exam. Cramming really sucks, and I just don't function well after all nighters. Try your best to sleeeep. I am totally guilty of scrimping on sleep, but I want to actually try to get some quality hours in so I'm in decent mental shape for finals.

Buy yourself some good food. It is inevitable (at least in my world) that when studying for big exams I will have some kind of momentary break down and want to eat a bunch of donuts or cheese pizza or something. Keep easy and at least marginally healthy snacks on hand that you can take to the library that actually help your body rather than making you crash thirty minutes after consuming.

Plan something fun for your summer! What lies ahead after final exams is an infinite sea of possibilities: Summer! Whether you start planning something small like a whole day of thrifting with a friend, or something extensive like a full on road-trip, that little shred of hope that something great is just around the corner may be enough to keep you going.

Do something nice for your exterior. Your brain is going into over-drive, so while you are torturing yourself inside, you could try to keep the outside looking fly. I always feel a little better about things when I feel good about how I look (am I shallow? No, I just love fashion). I find that wearing an outfit I consistently feel good in always helps. I also dig deep conditioning my hair, painting my nails fun colors, and using biore strips. Don't tell anyone?

Work out. It helps to kill some stress, even if you end up looking at your class notes while on the treadmill.

I realize that time isn't really abundant during that period before finals, but all of these are just suggestions that I've found help keep my sanity somewhat intact. Honestly, I think it just helps to make some time for yourself to decompress and do something that makes you happy, regardless of what that may be! Please, add to my list and let me know what you do to keep yourself going during crunch time.

Edie.

Another post regarding an obsession of mine. I should change the name of this blog to something that hints at my infinite lists of infatuations. I have been interested in the life of Edie Sedgwick since about the age of fifteen. I think it was when I saw a photograph of her in Elle Girl (RIP Elle Girl. Anyone else have intense love for Elle Girl?) with Andy Warhol and Chuck Wein. After that, I was pretty much Edie obsessed. I actually own Ciao! Manhattan, which is the incredibly bizarre film she stars in, and if anyone is interested in some reading material on her, Edie: American Girl has so many thorough, beautiful, and accurate accounts on the life of Edie, and it's wayyy more accurate than Factory Girl. There are times when I'd like to just pull an Edie and show up to dinner in a fur coat over tights and call it good. With the right false eyelashes, chandelier earrings, and opaque tights, Edie's mod glam style could be achievable. But there can only be one Factory Princess.
The photo that started it all for me...

Live from New York.

Maybe I have just watched far too many vintage episodes of Saturday Night Live, but I do believe I have a legitimate infatuation with 1970s New York City. It was pre-Giuliani, and it looks like it was dirty, glamorous, gritty, sketchy, and totally free. Times Square wasn't Disney-fied and filled with chain restaurants. Everyone was probably on coke, but that does not make me any less obsessed with places like Studio 54 and Max's Kansas City. On the whole, I just really love New York City. After 18 visits, I'm nowhere near tired of it. I would venture to say that I'm at my happiest and freeest when I'm pounding city pavement. And these photos just make me want to move to the city and run through the streets in high heels.





PS: None of these photos are mine, and I'm not claiming they're mine. I did the classy thing and searched Google Images. However, this photo is indeed mine:

Tiny hotel room at the Larchmont, West 12th between 5th and 6th, NYC.

I want candy.

Now that the season seems to finally be on the nice and consistent track that I so desire, I have found that I have a little spring in my step (Oh! Word play!). It also helps that I recently found out that my summer job will be pretty fantastic! The callback I was intensely nervous about was for a paying job in a musical, and I landed a role. I'll actually make enough money doing one month of rehearsals and shows that I can just spend the rest of my summer in my hometown hanging out and hopefully doing some traveling (can't miss NYC in the summertime!). So, despite the fact that I had to write a tedious annotated bibliography today and edit a Russian essay, I'm in a good mood! Thus, this good mood makes me only want to wear pretty things. The mind wanders to visions of flouncy skirts, airy florals, candy colors, and sweet lace-ups. In turn, I have become obsessed with the Marc by Marc Spring 2009 collection. My favorite is probably this look on Karlie:
Any variation of this would be my ideal ensemble for a spring afternoon. A crisp and light white trench would be completely perfect on those days when the weather is a little chilly when I leave the house. The lace up flats are particularly cool, and take the sugar edge off of the purple floral frock, which is totally necessary. I am now also reconsidering the cool factor of the simple and sleek ponytail (I have an aversion to wearing my hair up!), and I'm thinking about putting the zillions of scarves I have to use! I could make a gargantuan post of the things I'm looking forward to, the beautiful things I'm lusting after, and all the inspiring things I'm surrounded with--but I suppose I will save those for posts to come. In the meantime, what are you looking forward to/lusting after/inspired by?

Life is good.

Tiny photo. Wearing: H&M graphic print dress, Urban Outfitters sheer mint colored top, and Capezio ballet slippers.

Rainy Easter Sunday.

Yikes! It has been over a week, and thus, I feel like a terrible and neglectful blogger. I spent my weekend at home with my family, which was a nice way to de-stress before this last month of school. I may or may not have feelings of impending doom. On the bright side (quite literally), Kansas chose to be somewhat spring-weather oriented this week. And it is pretty damn difficult to be unhappy when it's 65 degrees and sunny outside. However, it was chilly and rainy on Easter Sunday. But I was bound and determined to get my Marc by Marc dress out to play for some brunch and champagne! I even relocated my camera cord and took some photos. Maybe someday I will become comfortable with taking photographs of myself for this blog, but it is mighty comfortable to do so without feeling completely ridiculous. You can all see how adorable my dog Stella is, though! Now, I am off to practice some music/freak out about a call-back audition! Merry Wednesday to all!

Marc by Marc Dress, Steve Madden heels (not my first choice of shoes to wear with this dress, but they were all I brought with me back home!), and some vintage bracelets.

More 90s

I'm talking BSC right here. I loved The Baby-Sitters Club. Like, read a few in one day loved. I wish I still read several books a day that I actually enjoy instead of agonizingly trying to fit in reading I book I don't even want to read into my already hectic week. I've never liked children, but damn it, Ann M. Martin had me believing that being a baby-sitter would be the raddest gig around. I always liked Stacey because she was a New York City transplant in Stoneybrook. I sort of liked Dawn too, and had a brief stint cheating on the BSC with the marginally-racy California Diaries that focused around Dawn and her CA group of friends.

What Claudia Wore is this awesome blog that includes excerpts of the series regarding the details of what my grade school heroines wore. Those of you who feel like you need to fill a certain BSC-specific void in your life (like myself) will be way into it.

The Original: Kristy's Great Idea. What's that? Are those houndstooth pants that I see? And some kind of yellow and red printed overalls? Even while less exciting than Claudia and Stacey's get-ups, there's something to be said about Mary Anne's (denim?) jumper and knee socks.

On a note unrelated to childhood, Stephanie of Modern Antoinette has tagged me!

1. Respond and rework: answer the questions on your blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own invention, add one more question of your own.

2. Tag eight other un-tagged people. Eight seems ridiculous!

Questions

What is your current obsession? Uh, school? Lame, I know, but it's all I've had time to obsess over. Perhaps also audition preparation.

What is your weirdest obsession? Probably strange vintage house wares, like little ceramic animals and plaques that are in the vein of 'God Bless This Trailer'

What are you wearing today? I wore a loose grey long-sleeved thermal, leopard print mini-skirt, motorcycle boots, tights, Pamela Love bear head ring, and giant purple vintage necklace.

Why is today special? I got to take a nap?

What would you like to learn to do? Sew! Spelunk?

What’s for dinner today? I have no idea. I wish it were something really good, but it will probably be something like a PBJ, easy mac, or rice and vegetables. COLLEGE IS AWESOME!

What’s the last thing you bought? Like something fun? Because, I don't remember. Besides that, I bought lunch.

What are you listening to right now? Charles Gibson...rawr.

What is your favorite weather? Depends on when you ask me. Right now, I would have to say sunny and 70, because this snow/freezing rain/30 degrees in April thing is super Lame.

What is your most challenging goal right now? Getting all of these assignments for Journalism done on time. Getting ready for my audition!

What do you think about the person who tagged you? She is such an awesome blogger! I wish I were that good about taking outfit pictures.

If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be? New York City brownstone.

Favorite vacation spot? Well, New York City I suppose. I haven't really gotten tired of it after 18 trips so I think it is indeed my favorite, haha.

What would you like to have in your hands right now? A kitten? Pad Thai? A million dollars?

What would you like to get rid of? Stress. Hah.

If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go? Homehomehome.

Which language do you want to learn? Well, since I'm working on year two of Russian, I think I'll stick with that.

What did you dream of last night? I don't remember, but the night before last night I had a dream about high school.

Who do you want to meet in person? There are way too many...

One thing that you would snitch out of someone’s closet, with no regrets? A dress from Dior's New Look Collection. Vintage, impeccable, timeless.

What is your dream job? Actress, fashion journalist, stylist.

Favorite style steal tv/movie right now: Showgirls. The Virgin Suicides. Gossip Girl.
Favorite literary character? Holly Golightly.

RIP, MJ Jeans...(I need advice.)

I don't wear pants often. However, I have managed to wear my favorite pair of denim to shreds. Quite literally. The Marc by MJ jeans I purchased...um, awhile ago (okay, so embarrassingly enough, it was way back in my junior year of high school.), are worn through and through. And not in a cool, distressed, Margiela-Balmain-etc-destroyed-to-perfection kind of way. They've really reached more of a torn to the point of public indecency stage.

Which brings me to this point: I need help. Until I get my hands on an extra $200 (which will probably be after I graduate from college), I need to find a decent pair of dark denim. I'm thinking Urban Outiftters because, a.) The store is two blocks from my apartment, and b.) Because unfortuantely, that is the price point I'm working with. Now, I tend to steer clear of the store because I go in there without money and tend to leave with even less money. How is that possible?! Some real G.O.B. Bluth trickery they have going on in there. Alas, I digress...I've perused the website, which has denim categories of skinny, twig, AND cigarette. Is that necessary? Right now, at the top of my list is the BDG Black and Blue skinny. Before I start settling, does anyone have their own tales of UO denim gone awry to warn me with? Or perhaps some suggestions?

Sigh, it has been a good threeish-fourish years...This is a photo from nordstroms.com For some odd reason, as much as I've worn these jeans, I can't find any photos of me wearing them...cry.

Kurt, Courtney, and the 90s.

I think I have previously mentioned that I was very much a 90s grunge child. My seven-year-old self was pure 90s; from my momentarily pink streaked hair (thanks, Mom!), to the flannel shirt tied around my waist, right down to my marbled black and silver doc marten boots. So I was pretty giddy about reminiscing after coming across a couple of things that made me nostalgic for a time when "Clarissa Explains it All"was the only television show I needed, and when I had a seemingly infinite scrunchie collection (both for actual hair use and around-the-wrist action).

With a brother 8 years my senior, my musical tastes really revolved around what he was listening to at the moment. And in the 90s, it was all about Nirvana. So, maybe it was also about Green Day, the Offspring, and R.E.M., but mostly--it was Nirvana. I came across this I Heart Daily Flashback piece on Kurt and Courtney's Sassy magazine interview, and knew I should pass the link along.

Secondly, the Erin Wasson-styled photographs on elle.com are perfectly 90s and Empire Records inspired. A few of my favorites from the bunch below. Check out the link to see the rest! It's all about the shredded and faded denim, worn-in cardigans, crop tops, florals and flannel.