Tradition

I am currently nestled in the cozy upstairs of my grandmother's house with a mug of herbal tea. The rain is pattering outside, my relatives are chattering downstairs. The whirlwind of cooking has yet to begin. What with the dreary weather and the absence of a camera, my thoughts on this Black Friday turn to... my holiday wishlist! Per usual, it mostly involves clothes.

After spending many hours on the 80s Purple website, I have fallen in love with just about everything there. Along with this fantastic jumper, this slouchy tank dress and groovy colorblocked tee have caught my eye.


These dark, romantic, high waisted skirts from Forever 21 are calling my name...

... as is this unbelievably terrific sequined crop top. Black and cropped and covered in sequins equals pretty much the perfect garment. Plus, it's so Topshop - never a bad thing in my books.

I have recently become very fond of the idea of lacy, delicate undergarment-style dresses. While these chemises from Anthropologie actually are undergarments, I envision layering them with tights, boots, and oversized cardigans to combat the imminent winter weather. The one on the left has the prettiest silhouette.

Totally unrelated to fashion, but possibly at the top of my wishlist, is this famous book of photographs by Robert Frank. I have seen the series of eighty-three pictures at several different museums, but to own the whole collection would be a dream. If you ever get a chance to see an exhibition of his, I would highly recommend it.

What items are at the top of your wishlists? I am very curious.

In exchange for making mocha mousse cheesecake, my grandmother has promised to cook her delicious latkes as an appetizer for Thanksgiving dinner. I cannot wait! Latkes and present exchanges... we do quite the nice job of combining Thanksgiving and Hannukah traditions.

And, I believe this is required... I am thankful for my bed, my friends, my health, stars, books, music, the smell of summer nights, poetry, Paris, beautiful photographs, sequined clothes, coffee, rain, and all my readers. Happy Thanksgiving!

Twickenham, 1961

Six days without blogging! This must be a record. Between Arabian Nights rehearsals taking up most of the precious daylight hours, feeling pretty under the weather this weekend, and the completely temperamental weather, I was lucky to snatch some photography time today.

But before I show you pictures... on Friday night, I saw An Education. I first heard of the movie from a glowing review that Amelia wrote, and the beautiful film stills she shared were enough to send me straight to the theater. It was full of terrific period music and outfits and perfectly written dialogue, and was one of the most thought-provoking films I have ever seen. Go see it, please! Film stills via Ambiguous Alliterative Abomination.




After seeing the movie, my thoughts were filled with that gamine, sixties, London youth style that the main character, Jenny, executed perfectly.

After ransacking my mother's closet and finding these pants, I am definitely on the lookout for more straight-legged cuffable trousers and jeans. They are so comfortable and versatile.

I picked up a bunch of blouses this weekend at the thrift shop, this delicious silk confection being one of them. The buttons are so very classy.

I totally lucked out in stumbling upon these boots on Saturday morning during my volunteer gig. I have been ogling these very similar Topshop boots for a few months now, but the hundred-and-sixty-dollar price tag kept them strictly on my lust list. These six-dollar replacements are more than satisfactory!

Vintage silk blouse and boots, Gap trousers, random leather belt, vintage Coach purse

A few people have asked where I get my vintage clothes - pretty much all of them come from the thrift store in my town. Believe it or not, I have yet to make a successful trip to Goodwill, mostly because the local thrift shop is so much more convenient! I also find great things on eBay and even Craigslist occasionally (like my Doc Martens). I actually cannot remember the last time I bought something in a real store...

Forgive me for very pointedly cropping my face and hair out of these pictures. My hair is in a really horrible stage right now, sort of in between short and not short, so it tends to just look shaggy and sloppy. But never fear! I have a haircut appointment Friday morning.

Lazy Sunday

This past weekend I experienced the very definition of a lazy Sunday: mostly spent in bed filling up online shopping carts at Forever 21, American Apparel, and 80s Purple but purchasing nothing, venturing outside only for a brief while to spread out a towel and bask in the usually beautiful weather with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows for company.

The book only becomes more perfect every time I read it. Certain parts still make me cry, and probably will forever.

On Saturday we visited my aunt in Long Island. Suddenly inspired to paint my nails at her house, I dug around in her huge box of polishes and found this, which ended up being one of my favorite nail colors I have ever put on. It's OPI Nail Lacquer in Cajun Shrimp, and I can imagine it's pretty universally flattering. Bright nail polish might be the only thing to perk up my ghostly skin in the winter... I still want to get my hands on the perfect bottle of mint green!

Along with freshly enameled nails, these boots were another magnificent acquisition from my aunt. She bought them a size too small and, instead of returning them, gave them to me! They are not the sort of thing that would catch my eye in a store, but after wearing them nonstop since Saturday, I am very enamored of them.

Like I said, the weather has been crazily nice. I felt almost guilty not snapping any pictures today because it was that gorgeous out. Instead, I stayed inside and read more Harry Potter. Can you really blame me?

Many months ago I blogged about some adorable rings from an Etsy shop called Alice Pleasance. Not long after that, I discovered her blog, The Cupcake Diaries, as sweet and adorable as her handmade jewelry! I won this hairpin in a giveaway on her blog recently, and it has inspired me to want more quaint little hair accessories.

"Sunday is the golden clasp that binds together the volume of the week."
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Okay, every time I write or even think the phrase lazy Sunday it makes me laugh, so I think that I am required to post this link. Watch it. So. Funny.

'Tis The Season

D&G silk blouse, Kova & T lace bodysuit, Karl Lagerfeld velvet dress, La Perla satin and lace basque, One Vintage lace maxi dress, Christian Louboutin shoes, Newbark leather slippers, Tory Burch satin sandals, One Vintage lace dress, One Vintage silk dress, Fendi silk blouse, Lanvin satin platforms, Stella McCartney dress, Erickson Beamon headpiece, Diane von Furstenberg velvet dress, Hanky Panky bandeau, One Vintage metallic blouse, Marc Jacobs velvet dress, Sonia Rykiel sequined blazer

These are the sorts of things I am dreaming of wearing this winter: luxurious fabrics like velvet and lace, shades of black and cream and gold and shell pink, glamorous flats or sky high pumps with nothing in between, romantic dresses with a quality of New York City in the forties, nary a pair of pants in sight... lately I have been strongly attracted to dresses, rather than trousers or skirts. My quest for the perfect sequined blazer continues undeterred!

I really like this time of year, when autumn is quickly dissipating into the first cold flush of winter and the temperature from day to day is completely unpredictable. The leaves are falling rapidly and the time has come to add that down comforter to your bed. It's usually cold and windy outside, but not so bad that any chill cannot be remedied by your coziest slippers and a giant mug of hot chocolate.

I do miss the freedoms and adventures of summer - particularly of my month in Paris - but I am excited for the coming season too. I always enjoy Thanksgiving, partially because my extended family has a magnificent tradition of exchanging Hannukah gifts over our Thanksgiving feast. This year I am making mocha mousse cheesecake with an old recipe that belonged to my grandfather.

I am also extremely excited for New Year's Eve. It's definitely my favorite holiday, partially because I can imagine how crazy and fun it will be when I'm older. Normally our New Year's festivities include multiple cakes, sparkling cider, making silly toasts, and holding hands for the countdown. This year it coincides with my dearest friend's sixteenth birthday, so hopefully we will be doing something extra celebratory!

(Net-a-Porter, La Douleur Exquise, For Stars Will Rise Again)

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention - I got into Arabian Nights! I am so excited to participate in another play. What are you all looking forward to this winter?

P.S. You might have noticed (but probably not) that I deleted a pile of my oldest blog posts. I would assume that nobody will miss them, and I think it gives the blog a little rejuvenation.

Time of No Reply

"Summer was gone and the heat died down, and autumn reached for her golden crown. I looked behind as I heard a sigh, but this was the time of no reply."

The above lyrics are from "Time of No Reply" by Nick Drake, one of my absolute favorite songs and definitely my favorite getting-into-that-perfect-autumnal-mood tune. Please listen to it if you never have, the song really is quite magical.

The heat has definitely died down a little. You can tell that the trees in my backyard have started shedding. The weather has been miraculous lately - in the sixties, crisp and cloudless. I am celebrating this delicious time of year by whipping out my favorite dress again and making it feel a little more seasonal.

I know it looks really blue in the pictures, but I promise it's mint green! These boots have been lazing in the back of my closet for months, and for some reason I felt inspired to put them on.

Have I mentioned how fantastic this blazer is?

The pattern is really amazing up close. I got this last Saturday along with another blazer! My desire for groovy nonblack blazers is gradually being satisfied.

Oh yes, the shed makes another appearance! But how have I managed to take pictures in the middle of the backyard without a living, breathing photographer to help me, you might ask?

Meet my new best friend. He is a recent addition to the family. I have yet to name him, but I can tell that he will be sticking around for a long time and shall be met with completely unadulterated adoration.

Vintage dress from Paris, vintage blazer, Hue tights, gifted belt, vintage Frye boots

Tonight I tried out for yet another play - Arabian Nights, an adaptation of One Thousand and One Nights (Aladdin, Ali Baba, Sinbad the Sailor, you know the stories) for freshmen, sophomores, and juniors at my high school. The audition was quite bizarre, but extremely fun, and the director seems incredibly cool. A callback list goes up tomorrow, so wish me luck!

Yes Sir, Wonderful

Our Town has really, officially ended. I am still kind of a wreck about it. Not only is it the most exquisitely perfect piece of theater I have ever read or seen, but I also got to work with an incredible cast that included some of my best friends. To everyone in the play, I miss it already.

With four days of shows and various partyish activities afterward, I have had zero time to take pictures. But I have been awarded and tagged recently by two lovely bloggers, so here we go!

From Faye: the Beautiful Blogger Award! And here are seven interesting things about myself...

I am incapable of dancing in any other manner than resembling John Travolta in Pulp Fiction.
I really do curse like a sailor.
After giving my future a lot of thought, all I want to do with my life is go to college, move to Paris, and live at Shakespeare & Co. while writing my poetry book.
Yogurt totally creeps me out.
I love piercings. Nothing too scandalous, but I would love to have about a zillion more in each ear. Getting a nose piercing intrigues me very much too, but I am definitely afraid it will hurt like hell.
I wish it were sixty degrees all year round. It's the ideal slightly-crisp-but-still-warm-enough temperature.
If the A*Teens got together for a reunion tour, I would be the first person to buy tickets.

And, from This Wheel's On Fire, seven things that I love...


Macarons.

Floaty clothing.

Calligraphy.

Chandeliers.

Beat up old shoes.

Black kitties.

The blog where I found all the photos in this post, La Douleur Exquise. Since the first time I mentioned it here, I have only fallen more and more in love with it.

I will pass the award and both of these tags for seven things along to the delightful ladies from... Darling Darling, We Were Damsels, Roll Up Your Sleeve, Happy Because, Chasing Vulpecula, Cheap Thrills, and On The Corner Of Belleview. And I promise an outfit soon, once I scrub all this hairspray out of my scalp and get more than six consecutive hours of sleep.

A Star Is Mighty Good Company

For many months now, I have been searching for the perfect pair of black heels. Not too pointy, not too short, very plain and with substantial heels. Finally, the shoe gods have smiled upon me...

They are so magnificent! They fit amazingly, and are just the teeniest bit uncomfortable. And I am obsessed with how they look against these tights - something about the combination feels very burlesque.

I wore this dress on Monday. It's made of the most delicious flowy silk, and moves and clings like running water. Another shapeless calf length number that, with the help of a strategically placed belt, has become a chic little dress!

I won this black ring from a giveaway on ShopKim. It's so quietly glamorous, and such a great statement piece of jewelry. I have been wearing it nonstop since it came in the mail last week! Check out her Etsy shop for a hoard of more groovy rings.

This cardigan was yet another thrift store find. It feels like a long time since I have pulled on a granny sweater! This one fits the bill perfectly, with its sagging pockets and fabric vaguely the color of bile. How could I not love it?

Vintage wool coat, vintage cardigan, vintage silk dress, Nicole Miller tights, thrifted Forever 21 shoes, Urban Outfitters necklace, ShopKim ring

I had a day off from school yesterday, so I went to visit Bard College. It was indescribably wonderful. I know I had similar sentiments about Brown... but this might have been even better. Oh, college fever. It really does excite me.

My post title is one of my favorite lines from Our Town, which goes up tomorrow night! I am incredibly excited to start our performances, but also really sad that the play is going to be over. As my parents put it tonight, being part of theater is essentially my equivalent to being on a sports team. (Did I mention that Bard has no gym requirement? Wonderful.) I might not have a chance to post again before the show starts, so wish me luck!

Disposables & Holiday Frocks

As much love as I have for digital photography, there will always be something incredibly fun about using disposable cameras and Polaroid film. Something about these sorts of pictures feels much more permanent than the photos that you can take twenty versions of, edit into oblivion, and drag into your recycle bin. Sylvia took these pictures with a disposable camera after a literary magazine meeting last week. Sadly a few of them came out pretty distorted, but I really like these two.

Vintage beaded silk blouse, Target shorts, random belt, Hue tights, ancient Ann Taylor oxfords (not pictured)

These pictures do not do complete justice to this blouse, so I might have to drag it out again sometime. It drapes beautifully and has the most incredible beading on it. I have deemed it my holiday shirt - it feels very festive to me!

Speaking of festive, with the wintery months approaching quickly comes my desire for sleek, sparkly holiday clothes. I might be getting a little ahead of myself - November literally just began, after all - but looking at all these dresses on the Forever 21 website has made me so excited for twinkly strings of Christmas lights and snow on the ground!

I love, love, love the leopard print one in particular, but any of these would satisfy my craving for a posh little dress in a sleek shade of black or grey. And, of course, what better to pair with an elegant holiday frock than these...


I love that Forever 21 is doing Doc Martens knockoffs. Now that I own my first pair of Docs, I have not stopped thinking about expanding my collection! The Clothes Horse recently debuted this pair, and I am completely in love with them. They are the perfect counterpoint to delicate dresses, don't you think?

I think that if the only gifts I ever received in the future were gift cards to Forever 21, I would be the happiest girl alive. (Remember that, people!)