cirque du printemps

It would appear that I am premiering one Modcloth dress each week (week one and two). I'm not sure exactly what drew me to this particular dress, since it's not my usual style (I usually can't pull off the shifty style, and this struck me as a mix between eighties--which I still generally steer clear of, for the most part--and flapper, which I love). In the end, the fun polka dot print and the deep chevron-reminiscent neckline won me over, and I was delighted to discover that the extra weight of the ruffles on the bottom help shape the dress so it doesn't fall flat and unflatteringly. It feels very circus-mod, perfect for a matinee of Water for Elephants, or a trip to Cirque de Soleil (both activities are currently in my hope chest for the coming months).

(soft spot for style dress: modcloth; tights: hue; shoes: seychelles; barrette: venice; necklace: jewelmint)

I resisted the urge to wear my faux pearls, which would have tumbled me over the fine line between contemporary interpretation and costumery. I knew immediately that I wanted to wear my yellow tights (sometimes you just know), and the barrette was almost an immediate afterthought. I picked up a pair of these pretty glass bead barrettes when I was in Venice (the only two types of shops I saw in Venice revolved around glass art or Carnivale masks), and I absoutely love them. Unfortunately, while this one is still entirely intact, its mate is looking a little worse for wear (a bead is missing). Perhaps two would have been overkill anyway.

On another note, I wish there were more hours in the day. Don't get me wrong, I'm quite pleased that we are experiencing more hours of daylight, but I still feel like I don't have enough time to do what I want in any given evening! Last night I went for my first run en plein air since last summer, and it was a wakeup call! Running outside is official far more difficult than running on the treadmill, especially around my apartment, which is evidently in the middle of a mountain range. It didn't help that despite the sunshine the air was still chilly (and my lungs paid the price), but it was wonderful to be outside again, breathing the fresh (cold) air and communing with Mother Nature--I even spotted a robin! Of course, when I got home I was faced with a sink overflowing with dishes (which I washed), the prospect of a shower (which I begrudgingly took) and the preparation of dinner (which I made, and ate) and before I knew it the night was nearly over! This is one of many reasons why I wish I could work from home--I could do dishes or go for a run on my lunch break or at slow times, maybe even chop vegetables in between checking article corrections... and have the rest of the night to spend however I pleased! As a wise sage named Calvin once said, "the days are just packed..."

in the navy

I feel about six feet tall in these shoes. And I like it. It's funny how standing alone on a deserted street in photographs day after day can create a completely deceptive perspective of our true proportions. Blogging does, in a way, lead us to draw comparisons between ourselves and other bloggers, but it simultaneously has the opposite effect because we stand alone on the page. I noticed that a lot of blogger meet-ups there is much mention when bloggers turn out to be surprisingly short, or toweringly Amazonian. In this space, shorties (like me, I'm only 5'2") and Amazons can stand almost on a level playing field.

(skirt/lace top/scarf: thrifted; slipdress/socks: uo; faux fur collar: h&m; shoes: charlotte russe)

This skirt is another one of many that I found at Goodwill weeks ago (because navy is the new black) and finally got around to hemming, then finally got around to wearing. It was a debatable length--I wasn't sure if I wanted to cut it or not since midis and maxis are all the rage this season, but (because I'm short) I still feel more comfortable with a mini length, so I cropped away. It's a nice, lightweight material that will transition seamlessly into spring and summer (whenever they decide to show their faces).

Also, holy smokes. I cannot believe that I danced all night in these shoes... I can hardly walk down a set of stairs without feeling like I might lose all feeling in my feet and consequently topple over. It's amazing what a good band and few grilled cheese sandwiches (for fuel) can do to help a girl suppress podiatric pain. Speaking of shoes, I drove all the way to the gym after work last night (which is about half an hour out of the way, all told) before realizing that I had forgotten my running shoes... so. annoying. Of course I promptly went home without a second thought and spent the next six straight hours working on my novel. I was very proud of myself, even if the dishes didn't get done (priorities, people). I was feeling stuck with my tv pilot and I realized it was because it wasn't what I really wanted to be working on... and look how productive I was when I listened to my creative conscience! No forcing, anymore!

by the side of the road

Yeah, that smile is a lie. I am not at all pleased that the skies decided to dump on me again today. It's almost goddamned April, already (the adage calls for April showers, not April snow showers). Funny thing is, I didn't even know it was snowing when I got dressed for the Gothic Harajuku Christmas Carol this morning.

(tunic: tjmaxx; headband/necklace: forever 21; tights: hue; shoes: payless)

Last night K and I went to a semi-advanced screening of Julien Schnabel's (of Basquiat fame) new film, Miral, which I thought was fantastic. The film was based on the girlhood diaries of a Palestinian journalist (Rula Jebreal, who also penned the screenplay) and her life growing up at the heart of the Israel-Palestine conflict. I thought the decision to make the film from a Palestinian point of view offered an oft-ignored perspective, and the general message that education and understanding can be great forces for good in the world was one we somehow still seem to need to be reminded of. There was a Q&A after the screening with Jon Kilik, a UVM grad and the film's producer, who has quite an impressive resume and has worked with the likes of Woody Allen and Spike Lee (he is also currently dating Jebreal, who does look remarkably like the film's star, Freida Pinto). I definitely recommend going to see the film if it comes to your area (it is currently showing only in NYC and LA), and I definitely recommend to myself that I keep track of these incredible free events on college campuses around town. Four years out of university, I had forgotten that there still existed a place where you could gather to watch and learn for free :)

Miral is a red flower.

It grows by the side of the road.

You've probably seen millions of them.

polka dots, please

So, it's Monday again. Boo. I guess that's okay, though, because I had a pretty great weekend, during which I did absolutely nothing. That's right. I read a book, I watched some movies, I ate veggie wraps and walked to the market and made macaroons. I wrote a scene. It was marvelous.

(polka dot dress: forever 21; black dress: american apparel; hat/scarf/belt/purse: vintage; tights: hue; shoes: seychelles)

When I got dressed this morning I started thinking about trends, and how certain things cycle in and out of our lives over the years, and how sometimes one of those things will snag and stay with us until the next resurfacing. Scarves snagged for me. I think they are so classic and they add so much interest to any outfit because of their unique patterns. Every time I see a silk (or imitation silk) scarf on a shelf somewhere I buy it, and usually it only costs $.50-$1.50 (which is an absolute steal). I think I like them because I identify them with the beat movement, somewhere between hipster and homeless (all of the street kids I've encountered who traveled Kerouac-style by jumping trains wore handkerchiefs this way, most likely for nose-blowing and dust-blocking and the like). Also, bandits from old cowboy movies. But I don't identify with that so much :)

put a bird on it

Another grey and gloomy day that doesn't resemble spring in the slightest... and a neutral palette to match! Truth be told, this outfit immediately flashed before my eyes when I received this Modcloth dress (hooray Cabin Fever Sale!) in the mail, but I have this complex about wearing a new dress in its natural state (read: sans cardigans and other cover-ups) before remixing it with other articles of clothing. I was especially hoping to wear this pretty feather dress in a simple way because the back is the best part... but alas, it is still too cold to go bare-backed. You can bet I'll be wearing it again very soon!

(dress: modcloth; cardigan: old navy; headband: uo; tights: kohl's; shoes: payless; belt: thrifted)

I also had to include the last photo (above) because I was actually stumbling at the moment the photo was taken, and yet I look rather graceful! That never happens! My twisted feet are the only indication that anything is awry :)

K took this photo for me in Burlington this morning, when we dropped his car off for the snow-to-summer tire switch. I had originally wanted him to take all the photos here, but as you can see they are rather dark and not blog worthy (after all, this is a style blog, not an adorable-lighthouse-in-the-background blog).

Whenever I wear bird-related paraphernalia on my body now (dress, headdress... you might even mistake me for a seagull in that last photo) I can't help but think of Portlandia (which I've never seen, but like any self-respecting once-resident of the city, have heard much about) and the "put a bird on it" phenomenon in hipster art. Birds and moustaches are big. And bicycles (actual bicycles or bicycle prints and accessories). If anyone has been to/lived in Portland, you surely couldn't help but recognize that it is a mecca for pretentious hipster-meets-hippie art-meets-environment culture. Since I grew up in a genuinely crunchy granola community, with all kinds of artists and musicians (people who play instruments or paint or sculpt just because they enjoy it, not to make a living doing it) emerging from the forest every now and then, I am rather amused by the urbanization of that culture in general (but I think it's also really great). I am also incredible intimidated by it because I'm really pretty ignorant about art and music in a technical sense and I have been shockingly sheltered from the world of "cool"--and because my relationship with the creative sphere is a very primal experience. I like what I like, usually because of the way that it makes me feel, and maybe I can't define or describe it to someone else in a way that makes any sort of sense. So I don't try. But today I put a bird on, so I'm cool. Well, parts of a bird. That counts, right?