Candy striper

I don't often smile in blog pictures, because unless there's something there to make me laugh, it's just going to look fake, right? And nobody likes that. But lucky for this shot, my boyfriend acted silly and I cracked up for real, even striking an impossibly dainty pose in the process.

Dress: vintage via the Getup
Shoes: vintage via the Getup
Bag: vintage via Star Vintage

I also lucked out by finding this cute little toad. I picked him up and he promptly peed on me, thus ending the shoot, but it's always fun to find a little friend outdoors.

Eye scream, you scream.

I was tagged recently by no less than five of my friends to participate in this meme, so I guess I'd better not flake out. The instructions are to pick seven songs you're really into at the moment (variations on the meme include focusing on songs that remind you of summer) and write a little blurb about why you like each.

1. Bicycle Race by Queen: My favorite band of all time, Queen could have recorded the phone book and I'd have been happy, but this song has been in my head lately. I like how it combines so many elements: the shouty verses, the classic Queen style operatic sounding harmonies, and the pop culture references -- an out of character move.
2. Heartland by U2: My other favorite band of all time, U2 have a lot of songs that people baffle me by completely overlooking, and this is one of them. Even my other U2-super-fan friend isn't that into this song, and I just don't get it. It's so intimate and evocative, it makes me feel timeless and placeless, totally enveloped.
3. I Wanna Be Your Lover by La Bionda, mixed by Annie: I make it no secret that I love Norwegian electro pop phenom Annie, but I'd really like to take a minute to mention how awesome her DJ Kicks album is -- specifically, her spacey mix of I Wanna Be Your Lover by La Bionda. Annie herself has never claimed to be an expert DJ -- her skill is purely in getting people onto the floor, not in deft mixing -- and this song totally proves how she doesn't really have to be. It makes you want to slink around and shake it even though, taken on its own, it's kind of dissonant.
4. Tony and the Beat by The Sounds: I got to review this album for work, and of course, since the record came out in spring, I associate it with warm weather. I personally think this whole cd is sassy pop bliss, but Tony and the Beat kicks it up many notches. I LOVE how Maja Ivarsson half sings, half yells, and the hook on this song is so sharp, it will stay in my head for weeks after I hear it.
5. Music is My Hot Hot Sex by Cansei de ser Sexy: This is another album that I associate with summer because that's when I reviewed the album. I loved this song from day one, it has an unbeatably sexy pop hook and I love the playful, Engrish style of the lyrics. Alas, this song was later licensed for an iPod commercial and henceforth I couldn't play it for anyone because everybody had already heard of it and gotten sick of it. In fact, CSS seems to have been overly drenched in indie cred and subsuquently brushed off, but it makes no difference to me. I liked them when nobody had heard them and I like them now.
6. Heat of the Moment by Asia: It doesn't get much nerdier than this. There's a lot of nostalgia in my love for this track, because it's the kind of thing I've been hearing on the radio for basically my whole life. But of course, I'm not ashamed to admit that I earnestly think it's a great song. I love that whole world of bombastic late 70's - early 80's pop rock. It's so guileless. I completely relate to it. Also, on an insanely oblique level, it feels like summer music to me because it sounds like it belongs on the soundtrack to an early 80's camp film where people wear tube socks. Or at least in a parody, like Wet Hot American Summer. Anyway, I like to call the whole style Tube Sock Rock.
   
7. Standing in the Way of Control by the Gossip: I am so glad that the Gossip are finally getting some real attention from the media, because they're just effing tremendous, and I couldn't have picked a better single than the title track off this cd for them to bust glamorously into the public consciousness. Subversive but catchy, danceable but fierce, I could listen to it on a loop. Of course, it doesn't hurt that Beth Ditto has a kick ass set of pipes -- or take no prisoners, punk-grew-up-and-put-on-some-heels style.

That'll do it for me. I'm far too embarrassed to tag people for memes but if you want to participate in it, I hereby expressly order you to name me as having tagged you! :)

Industrial Espionage

This is probably not the best dress for going under cover. But it's good for hot summer days by the gas gauges.

Dress: Lux via UO
Shoes: vintage via the Getup
Sunglasses: Target
Necklace: gift from my friend Margaret

My favorite thing about this dress is this little cluster of decorative buttons sewn on the front. The kind of thing I'd have added myself if it weren't already there.

By the way, I've typed this whole post one handed because my new little baby kitten starts meowing if I don't hold him up close to my chin!

Warm and fuzzy.

It's funny how sometimes even when the pictures come out fuzzy, they still come out kind of cool.

Shirt: Hanes
Shorts: H&M
Sunglasses: H&M
Parrot Socks: Vintage via the Getup
Shoes: Thrifted
Scarf: Thrifted

Bag: Vintage via Star Vintage

Dropping bombshells.

Considering how much I love the style, I should probably have more 50's and 50's-inspired dresses, if for no other reason than for the fact that they work with my proportions, rather than against them. This sun-dress is a pretty simple silhouette, but the structuring of the bodice is straight out of a Marilyn Monroe movie -- and the emphasis of that bow doesn't hurt. I've often thought about hemming it into a wiggle skirt, but I don't think my skills are up to it.

Dress: Scott via Orchid Lane
Shoes: Thrifted

Obligatory and shameless busty bombshell pose, as a tribute to miss Norma Jean.

Also, I went into Macy's looking for the gold shimmery nail color from MAC that I saw in Nylon and somehow walked out with this purpley pink from Lancome. It looked MUCH more lavender in the bottle and I was a bit disappointed that it came out so rosey, but I guess I should have figured it out myself, since the color is called Rose Royale.

Point of Fashion: Procrastination

It's so nice to spend a weekend in summer relaxing, enjoying the sun and the breeze, and not doing any of the things you told yourself you'd take care of over the weekend.

Dress: Vintage via the Getup
Shoes: Vintage via the Getup

What I really dig about this 80's cotton summer dress is the ruffling along the faux wrap hem. It gives it that extra "vacation in Hawaii" feel.

And on an unforgivingly hot summer day, who can resist a long awaited nail touch-up in the grass, just to see if sitting with all those little "flammable" warnings under the blistering sun will cause you to burst into flames.

Casual Friday

Do you remember those cheap cartoon character Halloween costumes they used to sell at grocery stores where it was just a plastic mask and an over-shirt with the show's logo on it? Even as a kid I thought this kind of costume was a gyp, because you weren't really dressing up as the character. I mean, He-Man didn't run around in a t-shirt with his own name on it -- he wore a pseudo S&M Mad Max style studded metal brace.

Anyway, that's kind of how I think of this Cyndi Lauper T-shirt. Most days, I'd much rather dress like Cyndi herself, but on those particularly sleepy mornings in front of the closet, I'll settle for the K-mart costume version.

Vintage concert t-shirt: Ebay
Shorts: H&M
Sunglasses: Middle Earth
Shoes: the Getup

Want a plane that loops the loop, I still want a hula hoop.

Plenty of my pics are taken by my very good friend and co-worker Perry at various locales near our office, usually snapped on the way to grabbing a coffee from the highly addictive Zingerman's Bakehouse. These ones were taken right outside of Zing's.

Dress: Kimchi and Blue via UO
Socks: DSW
Shoes: Steve Madden
Necklace: Made myself with antique beads

Blinded by the light.

It's a conundrum to me that bright sunlight makes pictures come out better, but it also makes it painful to look up towards the camera. I suspect this is the true source of the fashion model side and downward gaze.

T-Shirt: Vintage via the Getup
Skirt: American Apparel
Shoes: Seychelles via UO

Pendant: Middle Earth

More picture jewelry! I love this little guy. Like a tiny Pharaoh has been mummified and strung on a chain for me to wear around. Which is kind of morbid now that I think about it.

Between John Hughes and John Waters

This outfit feels a little like the costume for a character that was cut out of Pretty in Pink -- or maybe Cry-Baby. I'd take either.

Top: Lux via UO
Skirt: Pura Vida via Orchid Lane
Jacket: H&M
Fake Pearls: Vintage via the Getup
Sunglasses: Thrifted
Shoes; Blink via Footprints

It's also good for impromptu dancing.