Paris/London photos...

The only ukalele shop I've seen outside of Hawaii. This one is off of Brick Lane. They have a great selection of both cheapies and fancy-cat ukes. I have almost bought one (an aforementioned "cheapie") twice now. Alas, third time will have to be the charm.

Really? This is a problem? You'd think the classy folks at PV (Hm, or was this Texworld? That might explain it.) would be better behaved.

Yes, yes. I appreciate the sentiment, but I am really just a sucker for a fleur de lis. Especially a hand-done scrawler.

Chez Bebert, ravaged.

The Couscous Royale platter is nothing short of a celebration!

Bread kebabs.

Just bread. On a stick.

The amazing window display at the Tsumori Chisato store in the Marais.

Chris and I dine on cheese and fries... delicious.

(How I would eat every day, really.)

Snail crossing.

Yes, of course.

It's been a while...

Goodness, so many things have happened since I last updated that may or may not explain the lack of updates.

Got a new job at the same company, had the inspiration pulled out from under me, went to Paris and London for the fabric shows and shopping, got inspired again, broke my camera so that I can't even load the photos on my computer (if you're keeping tally, that's three cameras in 2 years), went to Hong Kong and Shanghai for mill appointments and a fabric show, met up with some of my favorite people from home in both places, took the aforementioned camera to Walgreen's to have the photos extracted to disc, tried to redirect my inspiration but realized it was fleeting, fell in love with Pushing Daisies though I can't keep up with a regular television show, got back to work and realized that there should be at least two people doing my one job, felt stress on an almost constant basis, accepted my penchant for purchasing nail polish and never doing my nails, and still haven't picked up the disc of photos from Walgreen's because there simply isn't time.

Oh, time. Where are you? At least you are speeding toward December 25th, which has extra significance this year. I will be able to fly back to Columbus without the yoke this time.

But... I will try to update more often. Once I get those pictures!

Saturday in the park...

Actually, it was Saturday at the record show. But I found so many Chicago records, the title just popped into my head. We found so much stuff: I found a super-good Al Stewart record (yay for Year of the Cat) and an incredible record by a French band called Telephone. It's sorta like '70s French Clash.

Shirt ?? I got it at this cool store in LA where they put your purchase in handmade denim bags, badger pin Tatty Devine, belt sample from my old job, skirt from ISO in Hong Kong, shoes Jeffrey Campbell.

Note the assymetrical detailing of the skirt. And the petals!

This is my new badger pin from Tatty, though I do like to think of him as more of a wolverine--Go Michigan!

My Heidi hair. I had a beautiful doll from Germany when I was a child that I named Heidi. In fact, I think I was almost named Heidi... hmmm.

Dancin' in the shadows

The lighting at our place is the pits. I look like a real creep in these shots.

The focal point of this outfit is the beautiful Sonia Rykiel knit skirt. It is so voluminous... made for twirling! Someone told me that I looked very "Dirty Dancing" that night. I'll take it!

Black dress American Apparel (this would be the perfect hooker dress... which is why I wear something over it), skirt Sonia Rykiel, shoes Enzo, badger pin (can't really see it here) Tatty Devine, spikey aluminum bangles from mom.

Stud detail on the skirt.

A fabulous coat...

makes all of the difference!

My new favorite leather-trimmed trench from Hayden-Harnett. I am like a sassy Sherlock Holmes!

Trench Hayden-Harnett, linen shirt sample from my old job, skirt Gap, socks (?), sandals Chie Mahara.

Chie Mihara shoes are a steal for the level of comfort and craftsmanship they afford. It is evident that she spent time working in an orthopedic shoe store; even her heels are comfortable. Her shoes are crafted in Spain and are easily recognized by the distinct shape of the heels.

Headed to the opera... the ROCK opera!

This is one of my all-time favorite skirts. I love the ruffled back, trimmed with yellow velvet ribbon. I don't care much for Fornarina anymore--and haven't for a while (Euro-trash, anyone?), but for a shining moment in one girl's post-collegiate life in little ol' St. Louis, Missouri, it was synonymous for being fashion-forward. A few well-chosen pieces (or maybe not so well-chosen, as they were on the SALE rack) at Ziezo, led me to believe in Fornarina. It was my brand. I would check the website on-line, look after the pieces at Saks... though I never bought anything else from them besides this skirt. The skirt still holds after all of these years. The brand? Well, for me, not so much.

Skirt Fornarina, shirt LA Made, Tank Old Navy, necklace Comfort Station, shoes Diesel.

Close-up of the back of the skirt. Love how the velvet ribbons tame the frayed edges. The sumptuousness of the velvet and the raggedness of the skirt have a definite sensuality.

Oh, Diesel, these sandals were good. Other stuff, recently? Again, not so much for me.

My new purchase: a gold cuckoo clock necklace by British designers Comfort Station. I got it at one of my favorite boutiques in SF, Eden & Eden.

Cochino's favorite dress

Either she likes this dress or she's trying to figure out how to get at the owl necklace.
Dress vintage, sweater Ruehl, necklace vintage, shoes Dolce Vita.

This is what happens when tubby Cochino bumps the camera. Not her best angle.

Close up of the owl necklace from Belle Cose in SF. Love the articulated "feathers."

Belle Cose was one of my favorite stores on Polk Street in SF. It was combined with Molte Cose, which had stuff for guys, and both made you feel like you were wandering around that cool old lady at the end of the block's house. There were vintage things cluttered with new, kitchy things (mostly good, though sometimes they were too obviously new and cheesy)--soaps (new!), jewelry (all vintage), napkins, plates, purses, and random housewares in the first room, which was moderated by a grey-haired woman, who was always seated at a desk and who instructed like clockwork in a calming, nurse-like voice upon your reaching a certain point in the store to "go ahead and open the jewelry case if there's something you'd like to see."

(Once she told me how she was angry about a store with a similar aesthetic that opened not too far from Belle Cose that decided to call themselves "Cose Belle." Something about "bad karma" she said. The ersatz store has since closed. The grey-haired lady rules.)

Anyway, from the first room, you wandered to the men's store in the middle room, and then finally to that fancy old neighbor lady's boudoir, where they carried Only Hearts, Eberjey, Jeffrey Campbell and Seychelles shoes, and assorted vintage slips and baubles. Love that you have to walk through the men's store to get to the room of unmentionables. (Well, there are separate entrances on the street to each room, but I think you _should_ have to walk through the men's room to get to the boudoir. It just makes it feel that much more feminine.

Trapped

Chinatown window.

When the shelters are full.

SF

Went to SF over the weekend. It gets harder and harder to come back every time I visit...

Meowcloth?

There is barkcloth, but no meowcloth...

This is a great vintage shirt with a striking print (love the colors, too) on barkcloth. The shoes I got on major sale at Anthropologie... they look very mint julep-y, if you know what I mean.

Shirt vintage, sweater Banana, shorts Ruehl, shoes... I can't remember the designer's name at the present.

Columbus Monthly Photo Shoot

Last month I did a photo shoot for the September issue of Columbus Monthly magazine. I was really flattered to be included. Three women and 3 men were featured as local snazzy dressers. (Thanks to Josh at Tigertree for nominating me!)

I had to put together a casual and a dressy outfit for fall. I have to admit, I was disappointed with how the spread (can you still call it a "spread" if it's only 1 page?) turned out. For starters, they only showed my dressy outfit. While I like the dress, I think that the casual outfit was cuter and captured my personal style better. And the photo chosen to appear in the magazine just wasn't flattering... I mean, there was a fan involved... the chiffon and the hair were blowing. Too bad it couldn't blow my apparent double-chin out of the way, as well. heheh.

But overall, I was flattered to be included and was grateful to get to do a professional photo shoot. I've included my favorite two photos here.


This is the most beautiful dress that I found in Hong Kong (there's a funny story that goes along with it, as well). It's by Tsumori Chisato, who's a wonderful Japanese designer known for her playful, kooky designs and amazing prints.
The shoes I'm wearing are by Kenneth Cole, and they are my "save-the-world" shoes. I say this because I get compliments on them from all sorts of people--literally from fashiony types to bums on the street. These shoes really seem to bridge the gaps in the world. Maybe I am naive, but I think that the level of understanding between people of different races and backgrounds that these shoes afford could really make the world a better place. Drop them off at a UN meeting; see what happens. :)

The fishnets are gold and sparkly (from Hue).

The purse is my most favorite in the world. It's by Patch NYC. My friend Jimmy once named it Kamir (C'mere); he also once stuck it down his pants.

The necklace, can't really be seen, is my great-grandfather's vintage pocketwatch.

This is my casual outfit. Not as much to say about the individual pieces here, but I just love the whole look. I was going for a playful take on a tuxedo--the skirt has an attached cummerbund and I pinned a flower on my left wrist for a corsage effect.

Blouse vintage, skirt Surface to Air, flower pin gift from a friend in Korea, tights Hue, shoes Dolce Vita, bow ring Tatty Devine.

The sky is falling

This is such an easy dress to throw on.

Dress sample from my old job (Able Leader cotton dobby), necklace from American Rag (can't remember the designer's name... I have to get better with that), shoes Devotte.

Wooden beads + crystals = fabulous!

Close-up of the fabric of the dress...

Cochino catnip

We bought Cochino a catnip plant over the weekend. It is not safe anywhere inside our apartment because she is obsessed with it. We don't have a balcony or a porch or a window ledge, so we've strung it up so it hangs outside our window but is attached inside. Classy.