Spring Fashion Cure

Spring fashion is usually not my favorite. I don't like too much of my body exposed, don't like to wear a lot of bright colors and would opt for boots over sandals any day. That said, I do really like Lyell's Spring 2009 line.

I ADORE this ↑ shirt.



I must get this ↑ bathing suit. I've been on the hunt for one just like it.

I just identify with this label. Their clothes are simple, beautifully detailed, borrow from a limited color palette and are feminine without being overly frilly or gratuitously girly. ♥

Here are some items from older lines that I especially like:





Listening to St. Vincent.

Blythe

I might be too old for dolls, but that doesn't stop me from kind of wanting a Blythe doll. There is something creepy and ethereal about them, but they're also versatile, pretty and fun photography subjects with their wide, position-changing eyes and cherubic faces. They can be personalized to your tastes and they have great fashion. Blythe just make me feel girly and recalls that youthful sense of wonder and imagination I used to feel when I dressed up my Barbies and brushed their hair. Oh man, sometimes I am such a girl.














*I had a beautiful time in the desert, by the way. I must go again.

Listening to This American Life.

Happy Friday.

↑
What makes me happy it's Friday? Tentative plans to go to the desert this weekend, where I hope to take many photos. Have a great weekend!

Listening to The Thermals.

Wanderlust

I'm getting itchy to travel again, to see, smell, taste and take in new things. To breathe new air. To take pictures of strange places and faces and things. To drive on new roads. To send postcards. To wander. Hm. perhaps I ought to get out of town this weekend. What do you think?

A few years ago I picked up a pack of postcards in a little shop in San Francisco. I never sent any of them because I just love them too much. Especially as a collection.


There's just something I really love about well-grouped photos and repeating patterns. Mm.

While I haven't put the cards to their intended use, I have put them up in my offce. I also framed a group of them (sorry about the poor photo quality--I took this with my phone):

My next photo project is going to include simple images in pairs/groups I think.
Listening to Beirut.

OCD Recognition.

Went to vi.sualize.us today and one of the pictures up was this:


I was amused because I totally do this! While I know I'm not the first person to think of color coding her books, I've never seen it quite this extreme before. Now I'm thinking I might want to pick a new organization strategy. This might lead to some serious High Fidelity sort of afternoon. But with, of course, books.

Thomas Allen

I've been interested in creating art from old books, and was delighted to find Thomas Allen, whose work is so creative and well executed. It makes me very excited to get my macro lens.

Wallpaper and Collage Inspire Me Again

Having just moved, my mind has been focused on decorating. After a few years of never feeling like home in my apartment, I really want to make this space, well, mine. I'm looking everywhere for inspiration, and because I have such a hodgepodge of colors, eras, sizes and shapes of art and furniture items, and because I just love it, collage is a huge inspiration for me. That's why I was pleased to stumble upon Stephanie Levy. The way she incorporates interior design into collage is stylish and fun. Her sense of color is poppy and playful and I really love just looking at her work. Plus, she's got me thinking about piecing together color connections to find a focus.

I also love her "Wallpaper" series. If you've read this blog before, you might know I'm a huge fan of vintage wallpaper, and of course, I love to see it incorporated in this way.



Another excellent use of vintage wallpaper (and collage) comes from Claire Coles. She finds vintage wallpapers then cuts, layers and machine stitches them to create different scenes and illustrations.




Aside from wallpaper, she makes adorable accessories such as these bird brooches:
And my favorite of her work, her porcelain, in which she inlays each piece with patterns of doilies and flocked wallpaper. Gorgeous:




Listening to The Entrance Band.