Vogue Pug

This is the best picture Vogue has ever published. Imagine my delight to pick up the Best Dressed special issue to flip to the last page and see this squishy face with a YSL in its little mouth!

Let it go

Did anyone brave the rain, cold, and crazy bitches for Lanvin this weekend? I did not. I really love a few of the dresses, but I just couldn't wait in the rain overnight for it. And like I predicted (not that this is anything to be particularly proud of, it was basically a fact), everything is on ebay for double the price or more. Sadness. If only I could have just a couple of the dresses. Just a couple. The floral ruffle tired one from a previous post, the foufy red one (or black) with all the layers of fouf, or the purple one shouldered one. I guess I can see this "loss" in a positive light by knowing that every little fashion lover will own one of these pieces. So it's not completely original and unique. But I still lust!

Alas, I cannot have it all. So I let it go.

obsession

beauty abounds in the broken spaces
(for this is where you dwell)

I've never been that into poetry. I think 11th or 12th grade English ruined it a bit for me. All the analyzing, the scrutinizing of every word and space. Couldn't we just enjoy it for what it was?

But you know I love E.E. Cummings in spite of all the ruin. I first learned of his poems in college. His often confusing yet beautiful poetry must have repaired the damage high school poetry left on me.

And now I just got two more poetry books by Kylie Johnson. The poems are simple and sweet. No bombastic language. Just simple. And I am simply obsessed with them.

Update:

I found her blog. She is a poet and a potter. I love it. And I just decided to follow her blog, and so now she might read this. A little embarrassing.

Creepy

I often go to the thrift store near work for lunch on days I don't know what to do with myself. Sometimes I leave empty handed, but I usually find at least a couple things I like. Upon entering, I always veer towards their "designer" section which includes fur coats. I usually find a couple I really like, but the sizes are always way too big.

Anyway, aside from sifting through the racks of clothing, I also go through their home stuff. I came across this table today that had this lovely display on it:

Is this not the creepiest display of toys?! I would like to know the history behind these toy clowns. There IS a reason they were given up. You know that scary rope clown comes alive when the store is closed!

I left with a boxy red silk shirt (but hangs well) and a taupe-ish suede envelope bag for a grand total of $10 so I will be returning, clowns or no clowns.
Great finds > fear of clowns.

An Oldie

I found this picture from (I think) 2007. It was my sister's friend's wedding in San Diego, the last year I was there. Look at how long my hair is! And I would never again wear a jersey Rachel Pally dress to a wedding, though I guess it was alright then since the wedding was in the daytime.

My Teenage Bible

Before I made money to buy my own things, Seventeen magazine, along with YM, was the highlight of my life. I was satisfied with just a magazine with images of pretty clothes, and now a simple magazine won't suffice. I need the clothes in the magazines.

It was much simpler back then.

Providence

These were taken a few months ago at Providence. We got the five course and one of the courses was some sort of pasta where they brought out this huge ass truffle and shaved it all over my food. Throughout the meal I was threatening to take that truffle lump and run out the door with it. Nevermind that my shoes were difficult to walk in and such a feat would leave me in truffle prison.

I'm not really sure why I'm posting this here right NOW, but I've been in a funky mood tonight (I just typed "wood" instead of mood first, see?) so just accept it and move along...

P.S. R Kells always jokes about how big my head is, but is head is WAY bigger. What a jerk.

Dizzy

I had a more personal blog when I was 18, and I just revisited it. Reading it again made me realize how much I've changed, and not necessarily for the better. Sure, I have changed for the better in some ways, but in other ways I think I've lost myself a bit. I think I do less thinking now. And I really do feel like this daily routine of work has killed something in me. Is that strange? Does that even make sense? I used to be a lot more thoughtful. More girlish. I'd sit around and analyze things and wonder about my future a lot more. My friends and I used to drive around at night at home and talk about when we'd get our first boyfriends. We'd go to parks at night and as corny as it may seem, all the stars would be out and we'd talk about girly things, first kisses, boyfriends, etc. Now that I'm older and been in relationships almost 6 years straight (!), I may have lost sight of things that made me me. I used to write in journals. Now, never. I leave work at 5:30 everyday, but I still let it dominate after hours. It really does consume me.

R Kells is busy this week so I have the weekdays free. It's actually perfect because I need this time to focus on ME, and forget about all the other junk that's clogged up my life. It sounds like something typical girls would say at the end of relationships, but I'm still in one, and it really is necessary.

...Does LA even have stars? As in the sparkly things in the sky, not celebrities.

Simple

This is a horrible picture, but I got this basic long black dress today on lunch. It is one of the very few things I will miss about where I work.

Super basic and super comfortable, it's from my trusty H&M. There are no bells and whistles to it, when I describe it as a "basic long black dress" that is what it is. No shoulder pads, ruching, sparkle of any kind. Just a blank black canvas for me to accessorize and make interesting.

I added my big Santa belt to this for the photo, but most likely will not wear with it this. I have a thin double Linea Pelle belt that would go much better. As much as I hate to do this, since I was waiting for it to leave the trend scene, I may pair it with a ... faux fur vest. So trendy, yes. Purchasing this actually makes me regret the vest I saw at the H&M in Paris. It was long, coyote-colored, and came with a faux leather wrap belt. Perfect, now that I think about it. I held it up to the boyfriend and he gave me a "wtf" look. Maybe he did it because he wanted to move on to the boat ride we had planned for the afternoon (it never happened, we ended up at Galeries Lafayette instead) and didn't want to wait for me to pay for it. Down it went, and the regrets are still here. This is what I get for shopping with others.

Anyway, a faux fur vest, a denim vest, or as is with the belt and maybe a scarf. I was really close to getting the Alexander Wang one, but was glad I resisted and went for the less expensive one. My wallet is happy and I think I am almost as satisfied as if I had gone with the Wang version.

Furrrry

I need a reason to get this furry furry (faux, clearly) coat. Does a trip to NYC mid-January qualify? I think so.

Change... and Sequins

New season, new changes. Well, kind of. I'm waiting for the change! Anxiously waiting. I wish LA got seasons since fall is my absolute favorite. It would be very poetic with the current changes in my life.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I'm waiting for some major changes to happen career-wise. I'm in the midst of leaving my current job to pursue something that actually excites me. Except... I don't know when I'm leaving! I wish my company would get it together and hurry it up on finding my replacement. I don't think it's very difficult. I guess I can ride it out maybe a month longer at most, but this anxiety is killing me! I don't even have any real plans yet for what I'm going to do in my unemployed state, but knowing the date of my last day here would help. It's going to be liberating!

On another note, I love this J. Crew Drapey Sequin tank. I always go through my closet, saying I need more of this and that. One of these things is texture. I need more texture to liven up my outfits. I think this allover sequin tank is a perfect way to do so, worn as a layering piece with cardigans, blazers, jackets, or whatever thrown over them. I really like the "olive moss" colored one above. I wish I could find some great navy blue velvet pants to go with them and maybe pull off a Balmain fall 2010 inspired look.

I better get my retail addiction in check. Once unemployed, I'll have to think long and hard before making any sort of unnecessary purchase. The only downside.

The #1

photo via style scrapbook

The Number One Item (for me) from the Lanvin x H&M collection. It became Number One after I scrapped the yellow one shoulder from the list (too similar to another yellow one shoulder dress I own), and pushed aside the purple one shoulder to Number Two. I'm pretty sure I will not wait in line beginning at 4AM for this little number or brave THIS, and am also pretty sure I will not pay ridiculous ebay prices for it either. But we shall see.

Vampy

I don't have many pictures of me from Halloween, just these few. I'm excited to move the wine leather coat into my regular wardrobe. I purchased it months ago just for my costume, but wouldn't have if I knew I couldn't wear it as a non-costume coat as well. Actually, all parts of my costume were items of clothing meant for regular wear, except the hat. I was scared it would look like a normal outfit, so I threw in the hat and depended on heavy makeup to costume it up.

You can't see the bottom half of my costume, but it was just the rest of the length of my coat, matching wine colored otk socks, and black heels.

P.S. In the top picture you can see a bit of skin on a girl in bikini bottoms and not much else. I had to crop the rest out because the naked dancer chicks with huge exposed gazongas were going to steal the spotlight away from me in the picture!

Last Kate

While the hype today is centered around the Lanvin for H&M lookbook, I am mostly excited for the last major Kate Moss collection for Topshop. I want it all. I mostly love the gowns with the beading and the little dresses, and as expected, a lot of it has sold out! Not that it matters, I don't exactly have $300+ to throw down on a beaded dress to wear to a nonexistent occasion...

The collection also brings back some of her "iconic" pieces, such as the dobby dress, this time only available in black. Years ago when it came out, this was the dress of my life. Unfortunately, I craved it in yellow or white, not black. I also wish they would have resold the leather jacket from her first collection. The black round collar one with the asymmetrical zip. I still look for it many years later.

Although I do wish I could see many of these items hanging in my stuffed closet, I think I have to grow some balls and let it all go. I'm in the midst of becoming unemployed and going after what I really want, and I need to think of what's best for me in the "long-run". And as much as I love them so, ruffly little dresses are not it.

It's Out

The looks for Lanvin (heart) H&M. I actually am not head over heels over much, except some of the dresses. I love the yellow one shoulder one, except I have a yellow one shouldered one that is so similar by BCBG. It would be crazy to have two yellow one shoulder dresses!

Maybe the purple?

Enjoy the video above of "Fashion Show" - a promo for the collection.

You can check out all the looks at nitrolicious.

Hot Dog!

Piggie in her handmade (not by me) Halloween costume.

My costume was almost just as I envisioned it. I had a lot of problems getting the right hat and trying to figure out makeup and wasting money on things that I didn't need or didn't show up, but in the end it turned out pretty well. I'll post a couple pictures later when I upload them.