A Thought Is The Blossom

free people

2013-02-28T22:51:00.002-06:00

Jeffrey Campbell ankle boots: c/o Free People
Sweater Jacket: c/o Free People
Dress & Coach Purse: Thrifted
Necklace: Forever 21

have you seen free people's latest video, roshambo? it's a glimpse at the company's february catalog featuring the handsome christopher abbott from everyone's favorite show, GIRLS (marni's ex). i'm a long time fan of free people's bohemian aesthetic and, like most of my girlfriends, I'm currently hooked on GIRLS, so this video fits well into my world right now. in the video abbott plays a touring band member who reunites with a past love, played by sheila marquez, and together they embark on a whirlwind romance. it's perfectly dreamy.

take a sec to watch it for yourself and check out how i styled a few of the pieces.

Lyn Devon A/W 2013

2013-02-09T15:27:00.002-06:00

(Source)

Love the structured silhouettes, the loafers, and the repeated use of burgundy and grey in these looks from Lyn Devon's fall 2013 collection.

Office Peek + InstaThis

2013-01-24T17:54:00.001-06:00

This tiny peek of my office is brought to you by a nice little company called InstaThis––a site which allows Instagram users to print their photos on assorted sizes of wood and acrylic. Being the Instagram lover that I am, I happily accepted InstaThis' offer to review one of its products; the most difficult part of the process was selecting which photo to print––something cute and family related (e.g., my dog & cat snuggling) or something a little more artsy? In the end I went with the latter, printing a photo of some antlers and a vintage blouse that I took after a trip to my favorite antique mall. I am beyond pleased with the results and have already began talking to my boyfriend about which photo we should print next.

At the end of this post I snuck in a photo of my mom in her wedding gown, mostly because it had already found its way into the photos anyway. I've always loved how well the author describes her dress, veil, and bouquet in the newspaper clipping: "She wore a formal gown of Chantilly lace over peau taffeta featuring sequin and pearl trim. Her bouffant tiered skirt extended into a full cour train. The bride's veil was attached to a frontal headpiece of organza loops, lace leaves, and peral trim and she carried a bouquet of glamelias centered with an orchid." What a babe.

• Get your own print from InstaThis here.
• See more of my Instagram feed here.

Wartime Winter

2013-01-23T17:52:00.002-06:00

Duffle Coat: Sally Jane Vintage
Shirt, Bag, Boots: Thrift
Jeans: H&M
Hat: Forever 21

Over the winter holiday I devoted most of my free time to books and films about wartime America. Most of my curiosity pertained to the second world war, and most of it was influenced by shows like The Pacific & Band of Brothers and corresponding books like With the Old Breed and E.B. Sledge's follow up China Marine. Perhaps it was the winter weather that influenced my devotion to bleak programming. Whatever the case, I happily neglected my social life in exchange for reading first-hand accounts of wartime events. I even wrote my grandmother asking about my grandfather's stint in the war (he was tank driver in the 2nd Armored Division). It was a strange phase that certainly poured over into my daily style. I didn't leave the house much but when I did I wore black jeans, brown boots, my duffle coat, and anything army green; anything that looked like something Sledgehammer, Snafu, or Major Winters might wear.

These photos were taken in the middle of that obsession. I've now moved on to new shows and new books, ironically all involving Damien Lewis (the shows, at least). I'm fully addicted to Homeland and can't wait for its return, and after making it through the first episode, I really enjoyed the Fosyte Sage (a 2002 BBC mini-series very similar to Downton Abbey) too. I'm all over the boards as far as periods go, but I'm addicted to them both, nonetheless.

Do you have any good program recommendations? Perhaps some good British television programs that aren't shown here in the US.

Mild October

2012-10-22T22:05:00.003-05:00

Photos by Corey.

Cardigan & Necklace: Thrift
Shorts: E. Leigh's in Hillcrest
Shirt: Forever 21
Boots: Shoemint
Bag: Fieldguided

Madewell at Mount Holly

2012-10-18T00:12:00.001-05:00

Photos by me & Corey.

Here's outfit two of three that Corey and I shot at Mount Holly last week. So glad to have finally photographed this dress from Madewell. It sat on my wishlist for what seemed like a year or two before I finally jumped on it, but at last, it's mine! The perfect addition to fall. I think it's all sold out now, but in case you're on the hunt, I've linked a similar Madewell dress below.

Dress: Madewell
Coat & Bag: Thrift
Necklace: c/o Maya Brenner
Shoes: Shoemint

Nautical

2012-10-12T10:58:00.000-05:00

Photos by Corey.

Outfit pictures! It's such a rarity these days. Lately my style has consisted of stripes, neutral colors, and menswear-inspired shoes. Here's one of three outfits that I recreated for the camera/Corey yesterday afternoon. This ASOS dress is a recently acquired staple in my wardrobe even though summer is gone and I should think about moving past the nautical.

Dress: ASOS
Sweater & Necklace: Thrift
Tote: Fieldguided
Shoes: Shoemint

Colenimo S/S 2013

2012-10-09T12:10:00.001-05:00

Photos from Honey Kennedy.

Here's a spring/summer collection straight out of my dreams. It's by Colenimo and called "Little Miss Poker Face", inspired by Helen Wills Moody, a famous tennis player in the 20s and 30s. I love the preppy, English feel to the whole thing, and the mix of menswear with really practical fabrics. Such a great collection from Colenimo once again!

Photography: Jenny&Lee
Makeup Artist: Natsumi Watanabe (Caren)
Hair Artist: Takuya Baba
Model: Tanya at First

More Greens by Grinshpan

2012-10-04T09:42:00.000-05:00

I'm always such a fangirl when it comes to Gabriel Grinshpan's clothes. Even though we're in opposite seasons, I'm always able to pull inspiration from his designs and beautiful lookbooks. I mean, most of the outfits with look great with a pair of tights! For the rest of the Greens by Grinshpan lookbook, visit the shop's facebook page.

Note: A while back I posted Greens' previous collection and labeled it "spring/summer" when it was really the fall lookbook. Sometimes I'm thrown off by collections coming out of the southern hemisphere, especially in the middle of changing seasons.

Bamboo By Fall 2012

2012-09-27T15:44:00.000-05:00

Lovely images from the fall 2012 Bamboo By collection. Bamboo By is an organic “room wear” collection by United Bamboo designer Miho Aoki, started in spring 2011.

Together Again

2012-09-21T09:40:00.003-05:00

Photos by me & Corey.

Ann Taylor Tank: Thrift
Skirt: Forever 21
Boots: Shoemint
Vintage Coach Purse: Thrift

Just another afternoon spent being silly with Corey. I missed our adventures. Glad he's around again!

Sunday

2012-09-17T09:10:00.002-05:00

Photos by me & Corey.

Dress: American Apparel (similar here)
Boots: Shoemint (similar here & here )
Ring: Modcloth (similar here, here & here)
Tee | Coach Purse | Hat: Thrift (similar tee | similar purse | similar hat)

Yesterday was a lazy, rainy Sunday in my part of the world. Jake and I took a small trip across town to eat brunch, but other than that we laid low and hung around the house all day cuddling furry friends, watching football (him), and sewing tank tops (me). We've been spending all of our free Sunday's at the kickball field these past few weeks (we joined a team) so it was nice to have an excuse to stay home and spend the entire day together.

Ace & Jig Fall 2012

2012-09-16T11:01:00.000-05:00

Ace & Jig has stolen my heart these past few months. I'm always thinking about this label and how simple, consistent, and beautiful it is. The fall line is no different. The ladies behind Ace & Jig have a real knack for selecting perfect yarns and dyes for their collections, and they really know how to work a stripe too. I only recently read about the design process on their website. I enjoyed it so much that I choose to include a small excerpt of it below.

A main drive behind ace&jig was focus and clarity. We wanted to create a seasonless women's collection loosely based on one fabrication. Not denim, tees or knitwear, we wanted to create our own yarn-dye woven fabric. A fabric that could lead many lives, and tell many stories. We wanted to create effortless clothes where the fabric could speak for itself. Read more. . .

Indigo

2012-09-05T18:27:00.003-05:00

Dress: Thrifted, dyed myself
Boots: c/o Dolce Vita
Tote: Fieldguided
Ring: c/o Romwe

A few years ago I thrifted an antique cotton dress that I loved so much but hardly wore because it was so transparent you could see right through to my bra and panties. I took that into consideration when looking for a piece of fabric to dye in a vat of indigo I whipped up with my friend Myriam one afternoon this summer. It took some time to make my decision because I didn't want to ruin the dress, but I reasoned with the fact that if I didn't give it a little color I'd probably never wear it anyway.

I tied my dress up with rubber bands making sure not to create any strange rings in chest area while Myriam worked on wrapping a v-neck tshirt. Together we took a chance on dip dying a pair of button up blouses, both of which we had found on recent thrift trips. Mine was a classic silk button up from J. Crew, and hers was a vintage chambray button up with a real utilitarian vibe.

After letting our garments soak in the vat for a while and then oxidize in the summer air (and then repeating that process several times), our clothes were ready to be rinsed, washed, and dried. I was so pleased with how my dress came out, and so so happy I took a chance on it. I added Instagram photos of the whole process and of my dip dyed shirt below if you're curious.

Creepers & Wu

2012-08-30T17:43:00.001-05:00

Dress: Jason Wu for Target
Purse: Mulberry for Target
Shoes: c/o Sheinside

Corey and I hung out together and made some photo magic for the first time in ages today. I haven't seen him in months (it was a busy summer), so today I made him lunch and we fumbled around with the camera for a bit (it's been awhile). It was really a fun afternoon with little pressure on photos. We set up a little spot in my little room and shot TWO different outfits. I'll share the others soon.

Hooked on Babes

2012-08-23T16:49:00.000-05:00

Photos by Keesha Bass. Edited by me.

Dress: c/o Francesca's Collections
Satchel: Romwe
Shoes: c/o Wanted Shoes
Necklace: Thrift

New shoes from Wanted. I'm so obsessed with this oxford. This is my third pair in the same style–– different color of course. If your in the market for oxfords, these Babe's are worth taking a look at. Big thanks to my pal Keesha for taking these photos for me!

Greens by Grinshpan: Summer 2012

2012-08-20T09:47:00.001-05:00

The Buenos Aires label Greens by Grinshpan gets it right every season. They keep it simple with lots of denim and stripes and a nice tomboy aesthetic. I post about them nearly every season because I love their designs so much and, just as I have in the past, I'm still wishing they'd open an online shop. I'm posting their summer lookbook below which is as good as ever.

Larnie in the Wilderness

2012-08-16T12:05:00.000-05:00

Styling & Photos: Me
Model: Larnie Campbell

Sometime in the spring I styled and shot some photos with my friend Larnie. We went off the beaten path and into the woods for this one and collectively acquired more tics than we ever imagined possible. With the tic problem long gone at this point, I can gladly say the photos were worth it. I like what we came away with and I always appreciate an opportunity to practice with my film camera.

P.S. Sorry I've been away most of the summer! I made a goal to back away from the internet for a while in order to spend more time in the gym and in my sewing room. It's working! I'm running everyday and, best of all, I'm sewing again. :)

And I took a few Instax photos too. . .

Arabella Ramsay

2012-07-27T11:12:00.000-05:00

A few outfits from Arabella Ramsay's shop that I'd love to get my hands on. More here.

Bed & Breakfast

2012-07-26T12:27:00.001-05:00

Beautiful images from Japanese label Bed & Breakfast's summer collection. I'm all over the stripes and the delicate minty fabrics.View the rest of the collection here.

Ruta Puuc

2012-07-24T10:21:00.001-05:00

My favorite moments in Mexico were definitely the times that our tour guide took a detour from the touristy places and allowed us to see and experience the culture there. When we left Uxmal we had a long drive back down the Ruta Puuc (or the Puuc Route) on our way back to Mérida. The Ruta Puuc is a beautiful scenic road that passes through several ancient Maya sites. It led us to the home of the locals I talked about in the last post and to the Ecomuseo del Cacao where I saw fresh cacao plants and banana trees and tasted some of the best dark chocolate I've ever had. It also led us to a ceramic workshop where two locals spent their time creating the most beautiful pieces of Maya art. The gentlemen crafted the ceramics while the lady painted on them. She referred to a reprint of one of the few surviving ancient Maya codices throughout the painting process so that her characters would look exactly like the ones found in Maya art, before the codices were destroyed during the Spanish conquest. I really enjoyed seeing them work and getting a peek into their workshop.

Santa Elena

2012-06-27T13:34:00.000-05:00

I was fortunate enough to have a lot of great experiences during my stay in Mexico. Because I went with a class, activities were scheduled everyday and we were really able to make the most of our time there. One of the most memorable experiences I had was when we visited a pair of locals at their home in Santa Elena. Our generous tour guide arranged for us to meet them one morning before taking off to a new city, and I'm so glad that we squeezed it in. It was incredible to see how simple their lives were by comparison to the typical American lifestyle.

First we visited their home which was made with mud walls and a thatch roof, and I learned that it was an older style home which will probably become extinct in the next few decades because of the rapid influx of concrete homes in the area. That was sad for me to hear because I'm always a little nostalgic when I learn about dying traditions. Anyway that's another story for a different day. Their home consisted of a single room which had an altar in the corner and a hammock that stretched from beam to beam in the center. Next to the altar was a cabinet with several different photos of the couple taped to it which I later learned were taken by tourists similar to me.

We walked through the main room and into a different building where the wife was making tortillas. She was sweet and smiled a lot for the cameras. We only watched her for a bit before following her husband to his garden in the back. I was so distracted by the visuals that I completely forgot the couple's names and the names of the plants and dyes he told us all about. He showed us how he made twine from what I'm certain was a sisal plant, and then he showed us how he made certain dyes. It was a quick stop for us, but most certainly one of my favorite parts of the trip.

Hello it's me

2012-06-26T11:47:00.000-05:00

It's been so long since I last wrote a blog post. How are you?

I went to Mexico earlier this month to visit a handful of ancient Maya sites scattered throughout the Yucatán. I've been home for a while and meaning to stop by to say hi and to post some photos of my trip but I was tied up writing a research paper about how frogs were connected to the Maya rain god Chac during the pre-Hispanic cenote rituals. It was an interesting topic, I only wish that art history papers didn't stress me out like they do. Happy to cross that one off my list.

The photo I'm posting today is one that I took with my film camera sometime in the spring. I've hung lace tablecloths in place of curtains all of my house and I'm constantly chasing their shadows with my camera.

Backyard Bill + Stanley & Sons

2012-05-24T10:00:00.000-05:00

Have you guys ever heard of Backyard Bill? It's a blog ran by a guy named Bill who lives in Brooklyn and frequently interviews interesting people living and working in the the area. I don't know how I landed on the site myself, but I was pleased to find this beautiful couple at the top of the page when I got there.

Lindsay Carver and Chris Grodzki make aprons and bags under the name Stanley & Sons. Chris's grandfather, Stanley, owned the original Apron and Bag Company years ago, and in 2008, Chris revived his grandfather's craft when he opened Stanley & Sons Apron and Bag Co. The products that Lindsay and Chris create have a simple, rustic quality to them that I'm really drawn to. Lots of leathers and cottons, and really easy browns, blues, and whites. I'm also really inspired by both of their styles. These kids sure know how to dress...

Journal Accesories

2012-04-19T10:13:00.000-05:00

The days are getting a little easier now with school assignments winding down. I've still got a few more papers to write and tests to take, but at least I can see the light now! I wanted to share this tiny stamp set I bought on etsy months ago. I didn't expect the blocks to be as small as they were, but I can't really say that I mind much. They work perfectly well in my tiny journal!

Stamp set from Zakka Lover (they sell lots of washi tape too!)