I love a good silk slip dress. I love lounging in silks and I love the way a silk dress drapes on the body. This one from Conflict of Ego is perfect. I recently wrote two poems for Conflict of Ego's feed. Check them out here.
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Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
I always struggle when it comes to talking about deaths. At times I don't want to write anything at all... but then I think of how much I love reading other people's tributes. Personal stories of how people have touched our lives no matter if we knew them personally or not.
When I was little my favorite color was purple, because of Prince. Everything was in purple. Purple lipstick, purple blow up furniture, purple clothes, purple notebooks, purple pens...anything and everything! I wanted to be the purple one. Oh to be able to dance on stage with him. What I would give. He gave me confidence when I desperately needed it. Being 13 at a big dance and requesting anything Prince to the DJ... he played 1999 and I danced alone. It didn't matter. Being 17 and obsessively listening to Raspberry Beret in my car. If you knew me then you heard that song... a lot. It being summer time and always waking up to Starfish & Coffee. And then listening to all of Sign 'O' the Times every single day. Dancing to Erotic City, House Quake, & Hot Thing with your best friend. The last thing I want to hear before I pass is the last 2 minutes of Purple Rain.
So plant your own gardens and decorate your own soul, instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers. - Veronica Shoffstall
If you want something, go get it. If you want to do something, go do it. You have to make your dreams come true. There is a lot of magic to be found if you want to find it. The path to your dreams isn't an easy one but it is worth it. Good things take time. It is worth it to stay true to yourself.
dress is vintage
shoes are prada
The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper. - W.B. Yeats
I had this necklace made a few weeks ago when I was in Ireland. I've been wanting to post about it since I got home but it never felt right. When I walked outside this morning I saw a bunch of clovers (that I have never seen in my front yard) and the idea hit me. I knew it was time to share.
The necklace is by Chupi (you might remember the rosebud necklace I posted a few months ago). It is cast of a Hawthorn twig. Hawthorn trees are sacred in Ireland. They are protected and you should never cut them down. I read that Chupi found a twig on the ground and cast this necklace from the fallen twig. The trees are fairy trees. It is said to be where the faeries reside. I couldn't have found a more perfect necklace to have engraved.
I had it engraved with the Irish word for magic, DraÃocht. There is no other word to describe what happens when I'm in Ireland. Dreams come true when I'm there. Day dreams and actual dreams that I've had. I meet the most beautiful... magical... people. It is the place where I feel most at home. I find it hard to put into words what I feel when I am there. Pure joy. Pure magic. You can meet anyone and everyone. Magic has to be felt to be understood.
Sunday coffee time.
I feel like I'm bursting with things to write but I'm not ready to share them yet. We all need limits.
I see so many people over sharing. You don't have to prove anything to anyone. Share because you want to.
Most of my best moments are undocumented. They are forever imprinted on my heart.
We are always looking for the key. The key to success, the key to love, the key to happiness. We already have these keys inside of us. And there isn't one simple answer or one key for these things. It is a series of things, a growth, heartbreak and love, winding paths, steep hills, until we reach our destination. The design on this dress reminded me of the Greek Key or Meander. Which is the figure of a labyrinth in linear form that symbolizes infinity and unity. There is an eternal flow inside of us. A flow that wants us to reach all of these keys. Our journeys are full of twists and turns but we have to trust we are on the right one no matter what comes our way. You have what you need already. Be brave enough to face it. A new dress is great but it doesn't change who I am. Clothes are a tool that I use to express myself & protect myself. Clothes are something I use to access the keys inside myself, to unlock my creativity and imagination.
Like Diana Vreeland said, "It’s not about the dress you wear, but it’s about the life you lead in the dress."
Dress is Mara Hoffman available here
Boots are Kurt Geiger
There are certain places that have a unique energy. Places where things fall apart and then back into place. Places that shake us to our core. Places where we cry until there are no more tears and laugh until we burst. Places where we are challenged but accepted for who we are, broken pieces in all. These are places where things shift, in us and around us. Places where walls crumble inside of us forever becoming dust. We are unable to build those walls back up. Doors don't only close but are unhinged. Fears subside. They become powerless. They break one by one. We are broken down until finally we are put back together, stronger than before. You don't want to go back through the old door, you can't. I can't tell you how to access these places. It's something that can only be felt. But I can tell you that you have to be open to it. We reach a new level of freedom with each shift.
a dreamless sleep
a new day
put on a pretty dress
see a face through the window
even our masks can't hide us
they reveal a truth
we are the makers of the mask
the clouds part
maybe the storms don't follow us because they hate us
but because they love us
even a dim light
will attract a moth
we can't destroy the things we haven't built
I always feel like I'm carefully balancing between fantasy and function. I find a function for the fantasy. Art may not be necessary for our basic human needs but it makes life interesting, it makes life worth living. Fantasy gives us a reason to live. Food, water, shelter, these things are necessary for survival but fantasy and imagination give us meaning to live. (well and love). I also find fantasy in function. Just as Andy Warhol sought to make ordinary objects art, I seek to make every day a piece of art. I have a desire to make ordinary objects and tasks take on elements of fantasy. Just as Oscar Wilde said, "Life has been your art. You have set yourself to music. Your days are your sonnets". The way I dress is an outward representation of these two forces. Levi's I've worn 1000x over and a pair of red patent leather boots, a classic white t-shirt and a crazy colored fur jacket, or this dress (that I have had for ages) paired with my trusty leather boots. We don't have to pick one or the other. We can live in harmony, in contrast, and at battle with these forces. They feed each other.
Hollywood's golden age has always had a hold over me. I grew up hearing tales of my grandfather and great aunt in Hollywood. I always wanted to reach through the screen. I wanted to wear the clothes, I wanted to know the drama, I wanted to feel it all. I wanted life to be in technicolor. I wanted it to be in black and white. I wanted to know the glamour.
When I saw this dress my imagination was whisked away to the silver screen. Barbara Stanwyck, Joan Bennett, Rosalind Russell, Ginger Rogers, Katharine Hepburn, Gene Tierney, Gloria Swanson, Irene Dunne .... I could go on forever. The ladies who captured my imagination with their craft, their beauty, and worlds they created.
Dress is Stone Cold Fox available here
I love that these shoes are the perfect mix of 1970s does 1940s and they are purple suede. I recently went to see film Brooklyn and looking at this outfit now I see I was subconsciously affected by the film. Not only did the costumes get into my head but also Eilis and her story. Ireland is a place that has captured my heart beyond belief. Not only did I relate to the Irish parts but Eilis journey through life and independence. When we make a step to follow our dreams we have to also make sacrifices. Geography doesn't change the love in our hearts.
My dress is Isabel Marant.
I used to spend a lot of time walking around Greenwich Village & the East Village when I lived in NYC. I had a lot of time to think about...everything. Anything. I would read Murakami and go record shopping. I would get lost turning wherever I desired. I happened upon a lot of great vintage when I wasn't trying to find it. I wandered in and out of cafes, popped in cinemas to see whatever, walked until my head was clear. I bought this jacket somewhere in the village and I even used to sleep in it when it was really cold outside and my radiator didn't seem to work. It holds a lot of memories. Clothing can bring us back to places and feelings. We have memories that rush back to us when we feel the fabric against our skin. We have shoes that have traveled with us. The dress that we wore on a special night. Our favorite t-shirt. Our trusty leather jacket or blazer that acts as armour to take on whatever the day may throw at us.
"Never ask someone how an item of clothing makes you look. Ask yourself how it makes you feel"
Today, along with a lot of the world, I am celebrating the life of David Bowie. His music was almost a daily part of my life. Ziggy, The Thin White Duke, mismatched eyes, transformation, creativity, changes... It's been with me since I can remember. There are a few people in this world who, when you feel like you are on the outside, make you feel okay with that. They make you want to embrace yourself and your creativity. To push the limits. David did that for me. His music connected me with my family and with my friends. I'll never forget the moment when I moved to London and my friend Scott and I had a David Bowie dance party. His music brought us together and after that I knew we would be friends forever. There is something special in that moment when you know that you can be yourself in front of another person. His music is a constant soundtrack to my life. The soulful, sexy, song Win was my summer song. The song forever transports me to driving along Highway 1 in California. I can almost feel the sunset in the song. Changes will forever remind me of my little brother. Singing the song in the car when we were kids and him being so moved he wanted to tell us about how it made him feel. Let's Dance will always be one of my go to get up and take on the world songs. Those songs don't even hit the tip of the iceberg. But they are a few that will always hold a place in my heart. In a world of sameness David embraced the weird. It's always better to be yourself. But don't be afraid of change or transformation. Thank you.
My heart goes out to Iman, his children, and his close friends.
I miss the energy, the sound of my footsteps on the pavement, the smells, watching the sunrise through the buildings. New faces. Solo visits to the Natural History Museum. Wandering around the East Village and Soho. Everything and nothing. Late night cab rides and trips to the diner. Dancing in the street. Wandering through the park. The highest highs and the lowest lows. The stillness of the rooftop.
I miss New York City. When I left I honestly thought a part of me would never want to go back. I have two sides of me. The country girl and the city girl...and they are almost always at battle. New York brought out the best and worst in me. And I was tired of being manic. I had to leave. I've been back since I moved away and it was different. A city is different once you have lived there. Once you have seen the cracks. But I like the cracks and the grit. Every now and again I get a pain where I miss it. I will smell something or feel something and be taken back. When I received this t-shirt I knew I wanted to use it as a platform for talking a little bit about my New York experience.
A lot of my best memories took place in the East Village. Lots of laughs, late nights, and doing things we probably shouldn't have done. It will always be one of my favorite parts of the city.
Thank you to Truly Madly Deeply for sending this t-shirt to me. Available here.
I'm wearing with one of my all time favorite coats from The Reformation. Available here. I love that I feel like a muppet in this coat.
This vintage Saks Fifth Avenue suede coat is one of the best things that I own. Collecting vintage is a passion of mine and the 1970s hold a very special place in my heart. When I was a teenager I would get obsessive about decades and almost exclusively only watch, read, listen, and dress like I was from a certain era. I still have that obsessive nature... the need to dive into a certain subject and know everything about it. But now I am more apt to dive into multiple eras and subjects at one time. The 1970s have always been one of my favorites. I would host discos in my room as a child. I would play my favorite disco, funk, & soul tracks from the 1970s with my discos balls placed around my room. My favorite word was groovy and I wanted to be a dancer on Soul Train. Not only is the music from the 1970s important to me so is the fashion. Images of Studio 54, Yves Saint Laurent, and Big Biba dance through my head. I love how clothing can transport us.
I think that Lanvin campaigns have seeped into my memory. As well as scenes from Anna Karenina and Balthus paintings. Our inspirations go into our minds as singular elements and then come out as a beautiful mixture. Eras, ideas, concepts... they all collide into one. It was a grey day but the sun would peek out behind the clouds every once in a while creating the most beautiful light. I love searching for alleyways. Things that are almost the opposite of what I wear. Textures, colors, patterns. Years of exposure to the elements can create beauty.
Everything I am wearing is from Zara. A few of the things I snagged during their annual sale.
Black will always be my favorite. I've had my eye on this top for a while now and I finally decided to get it. I love the illusion of a choker that it gives. I also cannot stop wearing these cropped baby flares that I got from Zara. They are my new staple.
Sometimes we get caught up in thinking that we aren't on the right path or that we aren't doing enough to live our dreams. We might not be where we want but do something every day toward that goal. No matter how crazy people around you might think you are. You will have to make sacrifices but persistence and determination are essential. You need to be consistent. These are the keys. Be patient but keep pushing forward. Nobody can do it but you.
Dublin by night.
I feel home. More at home than anywhere else. Passport stamped. I'm here. Taxi ride politics. Freedom and heartbreak. Dark streets and flashing lights. Dublin hasn't woken up yet. The train station at 5 am. It is half lit. Half open. I can smell the coffee and the rubber. A few stray workers are getting ready for the first journey of the day. Everything is a haze. A dizzying blur. Homes, businesses, fields.. we watch the sunrise through the window. Ireland is waking up and I am as well. You cross the point of exhaustion and you start running on fumes. I'm trying to feel it all. I take a bath to wash away the grime of travel. The smell of transportation has seeped into my skin. I let it all soak in. I fall asleep in the white room with Modigliani's The Boy staring down at me. It's a heavy sleep. It is a dreamless sleep. But there is no more time. We must get up and see the world. Walking around the streets of Cork. Streets that I would soon know like the back of my hand. It is crazy how something so new will become so familiar in a small amount of time. Markets, shops, and new faces pass me by. Hidden pubs that are full of conversations. But there is blood in the streets; it's time to go home. I am up too late again. Filled with dreams. Filled with life. The church bells ring and it is time for a new day. Castles, stones, hawks, and owls. Lots of stairs, paths, and old couples walking hand in hand. We stop off at the Gap of Dunloe. There is nothing but the sound of air and streams. I am struck again. I feel the change happening again. A new world. A world that I have always known but haven't been able to access. Doubts, fears, anxiety... all keeping me back. But there is no more going back. I'm here now. Chance encounters and late night walks in the streets. Dancing to Fast Car played by some buskers. Everything lined up. Everything was so beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. Up too late again. Saying goodbye for the first time. I can't sleep because I can't stop crying. The next morning I wake up and wonder if it was even real. But it was. The day is filled with love. Laughing, crying, dancing. Johnny Cash and The Chieftains. The Muppets and Bach. Everything is under this one roof. Crying while walking through the streets. Trying to process it all. The long train ride back to Dublin. Trying to write everything down so it doesn't feel so far away. I don't want things to slip through the cracks. I want my words to feel as alive on the page as they do in my heart. How do things that are so far away feel so close? Our hearts and souls are imprinted with these memories. They can't leave us. We carry them. But there are more blessings to come. Sneaking on the rooftops. The bullet holes on O'Connell street. The history surrounds me. We keep passing the angels. They are watching over us. Dancing through the streets. I swear we don't meet a stranger. Jim sings us a song and Frank treats us like his own. Hugs and kisses. Too much cider. More laughing. More singing. More tears. It's everything and everywhere.
This past week has felt a bit like these photos. Blurry yet saturated. Saturated with color, feeling, life. But a lot of things still feel like a blur. In the best possible way.
For a while I had been caught up in creating a perfect image instead of enjoying the moment. Some things we cannot document and we don't need to. It is easy to get in the mentality of "a picture (instagram) or it didn't happen". We need to let go of this. My blog is still going to be mostly focused on my outfits because I love doing it. I love planning and executing a shoot. And I greatly admire other bloggers and photographers for what they do and create. And I started this blog as a creative outlet and that is what it will continue to be. I want my blog to be a place where you feel like you can be more yourself instead of wanting to be an image. We all need to get away every now and again. Take a step back.
I found these amazing green trousers at Miss Daisy Blue in Cork, Ireland. Much thanks to my friend Madelyn who suggested I try them on. They fit me like a glove. Miss Daisy Blue has one of the best vintage collections I've come across and if you are ever in Cork I strongly suggest you visit. I also got an amazing tapestry jacket that I will share in another post. I can't wait to return. Also take a look around the English Market and try all of the amazing cheeses, meats, fruits, breads, vegetables...it's a dream. Good food and good vintage. Makes a girl happy.
Currently listening to...
Currently listening to...
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