in which i plead gilt-y

Man, I'm not even sure what happened this week. It was so fast and yet... I'm so glad it's over. Tonight K and I are going on a Movie and Moe's date, and I'm excited (mostly because I'm hungry)! We're seeing J. Edgar (his pick), which is only fair because I will most definitely force him to go see My Week With Marilyn when it comes out next week. Biopics are the best!

(dress: maurice's; coat: tjmaxx; boots: seychelles)

My only other plans for the weekend involve lots of writing, reading and relaxing.

Happy Friday, friends!

in which dressing is an art

I wish I had known my hair looked like a busted soufflé before I took all of my outfit photos this morning. C'est la vie, I suppose. This outfit came together in a whirlwind this morning (clearly my hair was a victim of said whirlwind), so I am pretty impressed with myself for being inspired enough to tuck the bottom half of this sweater under for the cropped look I so admire. Also, apparently it is "gaze off into the distance" day on the blog:

(blouse/scarf: thrifted; skirt: vintage; sweater: tjmaxx; trench: h&m; shoes: seychelles)

Last night the girls and I met for Art Club and it was a great success! Fueled by a delicious cheese spread, we discussed our current projects (and our lives, of course...), then shared some of them! We had a very special advanced screening of Elizabeth's documentary short, tried on Sasha's latest sewing project, and read/critiqued some of Megan's poetry. I was the only lame-o who didn't have anything to contribute for critique, but I really don't want to start tearing apart the novel before it's even finished (we'll get there...)! These gals are so talented (and just awesome), I'm so happy to know them!

in which the gloves make the girl

This outfit was built from the gloves up. K wanted to go to Old Navy one evening to look for sweaters, so I accompanied (isn't it great when your man likes shopping as much as you do [sometimes more...]?). I didn't have any money to spend, but I did spot these swell striped gloves for $2.50 (in a two-pack!), and had to "splurge." I love gloves. I have a classic black leather pair that is perfect for the winter months, but I would love to slowly amass a collection of pretty leather handwarmers in various shades of brown. These aren't leather, but they're awesome. They feel sporty but also classy--perfect for a jaunt on horseback (sidesaddled, of course), a game of polo, or even a hunt (if I were into that sort of thing...)

(blazer/skirt: vintage; chambray: walmart; gloves: old navy; shoes: lulu*s)

What about you? Do you have glove love?

As you can see, I've switched up my blogger template a bit to make the whole blog a bit brighter. I chose my old template because I wanted the blog to have a warm feel, like a cozy nook on a cold night, but since fashion is more about POP! WOW! and all that jazz, I think the simpler backdrop is better. What do you think?

in which i'm down by the riverside

I feel a bit like a swamp thing (or river monster) in this outfit, which I didn't realize when throwing it together this morning. I blend in pretty well with the dirt/grass/muddy water surrounding me, which at least is pretty clever camouflage for a blogger who likes to hide from drive-by gawkers.

(tjmaxx; dress/scarf: thrifted; tights: h&m; necklace: uo; boots: seychelles)

I love this coat. I loved it when I bought it but it's only grown on me even more in the past year. It's perfect with November's dead leaves and golden autumn light.

Last night was nice--K and I had Indian food and wine, finally watched The King's Speech, and I got crafty with a work project (which was for work but not work-related, which means the difference between fun and boo hiss). Tomorrow night Art Club is finally meeting again--we're all so busy and it's been far too long!

in which i've got a cape to keep me warm

It has been SO WARM here for the past couple of days--positively balmy. That springtime feeling is in the air, like everything has started to thaw even before freezing. Not that I'm complaining. It's just wacky in that "Day After Tomorrow" global-warming way.

(cape: goodwill; dress: thrifted/gift; boots: seychelles)

I'm taking advantage of this lovely weather by letting my bare legs breathe a little longer, and wearing this sensationally soft new cape/poncho that I scored at Goodwill this weekend. It may look warm, but my inability to wear a coat over its armless bulk will render it useless to me in the coming months. I do hope it snows a bit before Christmas, preferrably before K leaves for the west coast--I want to get in the holiday spirit!

This weekend was low-key. I didn't do much moving around, but I did manage to spend most of Saturday tip-typing away and getting a significant amount of work done on the novel. Days like that are the best. Plans to continue tonight...

Happy Monday, lovelies!

last night: gogol bordello

Last night K and I went to see Gogol Bordello perform at Higher Ground, and it was awesome. This band has to be the most genuinely cool group of musicians out there. Eugene is like a giant, pulsing slab of heart on stage, encouraging the audience to truly live on the dance floor--to revel in the pure "joy of existence". Of course, he was stirring up the mosh pit when he spoke those words, but in his exuberance he captured everything that I love so much about dancing. And boy, did I dance.

Dancing to me has always been a purely personal experience, and I totally go for it every time--no matter who is there or what the music is like, I will probably be the wildest dancer in the room. There is just something about it that is so freeing. I initially became interested in Sufi Mysticism for this very reason--the whirling dance of dervishes is their form of prayer, and the Sema represents a man's mystical journey beyond ego, through love and truth, and finally to perfection. I've always felt that way about dancing, and while I prefer a wide berth to the bruising, top-stomping of the mosh pit, Gogol Bordello is one of those bands that really makes you feel like you're whirling a little closer toward whatever version of Nirvana you aspire to.

The encore was at least an hour long--they just kept playing and playing and playing and we kept dancing and dancing and dancing. Eugene has roots here in Vermont (this is where he was resettled as a political refugee when he first came to the States), and it was obvious that he has great love and appreciation for the "fucking amazing" energy of his fans here. I'd never seen the band perform live before, but it was quite the show. And I basically want to be Elizabeth Chi-Wei Sun. I could totally rock those cymbals, no?

More Eugene:

The Pied Piper of Hutzovina

(An excellent and human documentary by a woman who was infatuated with the man and accompanied him on an adventure through Eastern Europe)

Everything is Illuminated

(I didn't even realize that Mr. Hutz played Alex in this movie, since I only watched it because I loved the book so much, but nobody else could have played the part. He totally made the movie--one of the best book-to-film adaptations I've ever seen)