Wednesday, September 30, 2009

and we thought to ourselves,

what is debauchery in victual form?

i spy

melinda! do you spot anything familiar? (pun intended)


and for those few of you who did not go shopping with me last saturday, i purchased that charming little polka dot scarf, which i was weary about at first because of the price but now i feel completely validated since she's cute and the scarf is cute and it's shallow but that's ok because the world is a shallow pool and we're all just wading in it. but i have a cute scarf floating behind me on the water. and so does she.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Me and My Autumn Sweater

Here's our attempt at a photo shoot to showcase the latest sweater I finished. Note how we styled the bok choy in the sink just so. And was that candle intentionally lit to add a bit of atmosphere? It'll have to remain an eternal mystery, I suppose.

I'll write a bit more about the weekend in the next post, hopefully before it all gets away from me and Friday arrives once again. But for now, here's a bit of information about the sweater. Note to Mel, it's about to get jargony. The pattern, slightly modified for a narrower body, was taken from the Fall-Winter/1977-1978 issue of Good Housekeeping Needlecraft. I believe I found the magazine at an antique mall for around 75 cents. Knit on size 8 needles (with the ribbing in size 5), it's all worsted weight yarn from various brands (main color is Plymouth Galway in #711, the blue is Brown Sheep Nature Spun in Blue Knight, the white is Patons Classic Wool in Winter White, and the dark brown may have come from a thrift store). Sadly, I didn't have enough of the main color and had to order one more skein, so you can actually see where the dye lots switch. Argh.

Anyway, the bottom half of the sweater was knit to episodes of This American Life and several pots of green tea, while the yoke kept me busy on a bus traveling towards New York. I don't know if I'd ever venture to bring fair isle knitting onto any sort of moving vehicle again, but whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

Friday, September 25, 2009

letter to the editor

whenever i'm shopping around or looking at books or looking at anything really, often times if the item doesn't suit me, i think of people in my life it does suit. i.e. if i find a glorious vintage dress that doesn't quite fit or isn't really my steez, i'll do a rundown of who might love it. and occasionally i tell the person about it because my urges hit too strong (also a reason why christmas shopping gets so ridiculous, because choosing things for other people is a strange, but fulfilling addiction). i find this habit carries over to images i see as well. pictures of things i may not wear, but i know who would look fantastic in them, i.e. the images below, which i think my sistah could channel well. cardigans! ruffle front bow blouses! wide legs! i support this. i really, really do. for the complete set of images, go here. now!

*note: i know you don't like wearing stripes (blasphemy), but with or without, so dang cute.

hit it up



The plan is to check out these fellers, scoop up the sister minor (but not minor in the inferior sense), then speed down to spend some quality time with the fam.

And during lunch today, I decided it was time to finally get to last month's One Story story, "Frost Mountain Picnic Massacre." I opened it over a pathetic lunch of sardines, triple creme cheese, and red pepper strips, and I was so engaged, I never finished the sardines. One of the best booklets I've received from One Story, with the other one really worth mentioning being Robert Travieso's "We Bluegills." But you don't have to take my word for it...

Thursday, September 24, 2009

yay

amidst all my busy busy-ness, i managed to take some time out to celebrate my birthday! it was a quiet, quaint celebration, out during the day with bf in tow, eating tasty foods, shovelling macarons in my mouth, running unnecessary errands, watching september issue with intense glee, drinking a couple of tom collins with some bbgirlz, after which, my little 23 year old body was spent. and even though my b-day is over and done with, i still plan on self-gifting, which i typically do around bday time as a mini celebration for making it another year in this silly little world. and wouldn't you know it, i have my gifts all picked out for payday.

1. i may not need another perfume, but what the heck. pure grace smells like nothing but soap and water, and i am smitten. it's fresh and clean and smells like shower suds and i seriously can't do without. yet again, sephora takes a chunk of my paycheck.

2. most perfect. bag. ever. or maybe just for me. i want to hug this purse and lay my head on it. it may not be ubercool or hip, but i can't get over the fact that i can emboss my initials on the bag. this ain't no l.l. bean. get with it. nothing against l.l. bean.

i'm still exhausted from yesterday's festivities, so i will uncharacteristically nap. plus, i've gotta be awake later to watch my new mad men boxsets 1, 2 (and in a few months, 3!). oh happy day.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

it's only Tuesday, but still...



snippets of the weekend include:

-true to our blog name, we started the weekend with Laphroaig and Baker's (and a pair of hot dogs and Tom Collins)
-then onto excessive drooling at American Apparel
-macarons for a soon-to-be 23-year-old (Mel!)
-eclairs and lobster tail pastries from Jean Jacques Bakery
-hats reminiscent of Faye Dunaway in Bonnie and Clyde
-tapas taken with sangria
-long talks about love, life, and the perfect perfume

It was a wonderful weekend. Let's rinse and repeat.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

i got your back...

pack right here.

I've been obsessing over this particular JanSport Heritage Backpack (Heads Up) for months and months now. At work, when I think no one is looking, I pull its image up on my computer and daydream about my life with it. We could be so happy together, going on hikes, traveling up to New York to visit friends, or even just sitting and watching a movie when the weather doesn't endorse our wanderings (I'll stuff it with old clothes and use it like a pillow). I'd fill it up with fresh veggies from the Farmer's Market, or books by Steinbeck, Rushdie, etc. What am I waiting for? I'm ready to take the plunge.

Monday, September 14, 2009

bag lady

in a week and a half's time, i'll be the big 2-3. and with that big girl age, i believe it's time i invest in a big girl bag. but with so many choices, what's a gal to do? i've narrowed it down so far to two competitors for my trophy arm. et voila:

steve mono, alan simple leather bag: simple is right. no bells, no whistles, no jangly charms, no buckles, just in your face slap-yo-mama sleek design.


see by chloe rise & shine crossbody bag
: more embellishment, but not excessive. more crinkled and beat up, which, if you didn't know, i'm kind of a fan of. and it closes on the top! which may not seem like much to some, but i'm a freak about purse safety. really. i am.


i have 9 days to solve my dilemma. help me. help me please.

i'm a d-diva


i don't have cable in my apartment, or a tv for that matter, which for the most part doesn't bother me none. but sometimes, i do wish i could sneak some toob time for little moments like this. my sister and i share a deep appreciation for sasha fierce, so i felt compelled to post. how can you deny the intensity behind that body roll! beyonce is the truth. i am very serious.

also, the michael jackson tribute. UH-MAZING. ok that's enough post space for mtv. i love mj.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

bayou

The other night I had decided to be a homebody and tuck myself away into a corner of my apartment armed only with some tea, homemade curry, and Jeremy Love's Bayou, which blew my mind. The story, which the author describes as "a southern fried odyssey," is intense and haunting and the drawings are shockingly beautiful. I'm not going to go into too much detail, but I highly, highly recommend this graphic novel. If you click on the link above, you can read the first of the three volumes for free on-line (the other two haven't been completed yet, but I'm already antsy for them).

Oh, and my tea was good and the curry was nice and spicy.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

photo of the week

i half-seriously tried on a crazy little faux fur beast-like camel coat today at h&m, just to give it a little go. and y'know what, it wasn't all that bad! granted the jacket looked a little more faux than fur, but after eyeing this pic, i'm considering taking a more serious appraoch to this faux fur business and finding a fuzzy winter coat a la birkin. this photo also makes me want a straw basket and some fringe, but the immense influence of jane birkin is a whole different post.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

boot-sy collins: shoe commentary

much like my sister and other cold weather enthusiasts, i more enjoy a wintry mix over sweltering heat. and yes, along with which coat i should buy this winter and an ongoing search for the perfect tight, i too have images of little boots walking around my brain. but, the most important life question of the moment seems to be: short or tall? now, per some online parousal, there seems to be a short boot uprising occuring. some are bedazzled, strapped or laced up, but the result: all short orders.

*i'm aware of the fact that a single bootie image does not an uprising make, but trust me despite my lack of illustration of the point. my collage creating skills falter past 12:30 am.

now i don't know what all this bootie business is about, perhaps a freeing of the leg? a response to last year's calf skimming boots? i suppose they are a bit "sportier," "edgier" i guess. yet amidst all this bootie, my mind is boggled. because the world is clearly not heeding the runway call of fall 2009! prada? fishing waders? rodarte? the grey leather thigh highs? why aren't imitation versions of these thigh skimming babies flooding the stores in lieu of the upcoming season? i too have questions like my fellow comrade below! i for one, support the cause for tall boots, anything from knee-high to thigh-high, i say hike it up. will you be seeing my stumpy short legs in a pair of thigh high boots? not in your lifetime. but i still think, the higher the better. just like i like my hair. and my souffles.

*a better illustration of my point, lifted straight from here. and i do not feel guilty about it.

what's that all a-"boot"?



Whenever even a hint of fall begins to invade the late summer air, I jump the gun by reaching for my knit sweaters and boots. It's not uncommon to see me running around town this time of year sweating a bit but refusing to part with my newly unbanished wool cardigans. This year isn't any different, but it seems that some new boots are in order. I've had my eyes on these Frye Maxine Campus boots (in wine) for quite some time,

but I'm noticing that there's this new short boot trend. These shorties are everywhere, and many of them are absolutely adorable. I'm a practical person, though, and the tall boots keep my shins warm when the wind is howling. Looking like an equestrian (which I'm not) is also an added bonus. I have another pair of tall boots that I love, so should I branch out? And what's with this new short boot trend? How many questions can I ask in a row? What to do, what to do.

Friday, September 4, 2009

pleasure to meet you

1. favorite photo:


2. favorite sweet: nutella covered everything ever

3. favorite song: sam cooke - cupid / wayne newton - danke schoen. i'm torn.

4. favorite bad movie: mamma mia. so, so good.

5. guilty pleasure song: since u been gone- kelly clarkson. though i don't feel that guilty about it.

6. favorite thing to buy: clothes! and tiny toys. preferably playmobil.


7. favorite book: villains by necessity by eve forward

8. favorite youtube video:



9. favorite website: http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/

10. favorite dirty word: boobies!

the quiet debut

1. favorite photo:

(via beautiful.tumblr.com)

2. favorite sweet: red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

3. favorite song: "Motherless Bastard" by The Books

4. favorite bad movie: "The Warriors." It's also "my favorite badass movie."

5. guilty pleasure song: "Downtown Train" by Rod Stewart or Tom Waits

6. favorite thing to buy: Shoes. Especially if they're expensive, for some reason.

7. favorite book: Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

8. favorite youtube video:


9. favorite website: http://jwes.tumblr.com/ (Melancholia's tumblr)

10. favorite dirty word: Fucktard. Don't let that color your view of me; I'm told that I'm actually very sweet.