old school

This morning we went to Brooklyn Flea.  Such a relaxing flea market experience, especially compared to the rastro in Madrid!  One of the vendors that intrigued me most were the guys from Kasbah Moderne selling fully functional refurbished antique typewriters.  The woman who was helping us out said that in selecting a typewriter you'd want to think what your needs were - if it's to write your novel you'd want a different model than if you were just using it to write occasional letters.  Would someone really write a novel on a typewriter in this day and age?  The thought boggled my mind.  The only time I ever used one was to fill out college applications back in the day, and I'm sure they have computerized that system by now.  But, as impractical as they are, I have to admit I love the idea of having one around, especially one so beautiful as these, perhaps with a sheet of paper always in place so husband and I can leave notes for each other.  Do you have a typewriter?  Does it just seem archaic and useless?  Or could you be pulled in by the old time romance of it?

savage beauty

Day 2 in new york was reserved for priority number 1: Alexander McQueen Savage Beauty at the Met.  I got up at 7, we were out the door by 8, and by 9:15 we were in line behind about 250 people, but in front of another 200 or so.  Doors opened at 9:30, and by noon we were stepping into McQueendom.  Yes, we spent about 2 1/2 hrs in line, and then through the actual exhibit itself we moved through the rooms packed shoulder to shoulder with hundreds of others, almost carried by the current.  Was it worth it?  YES.  If you're in nyc, tomorrow's the last day, so RUN and see this. 

The pieces, almost every single one of them, were enough to blow my mind.  But the installation too was absolutely gorgeous, a series of rooms each with its own macabre personality, some mirrored all around (so you could see every garment from every imaginable angle) and some like old palaces with torches on the wall.  Even the music they had accompanying each space was perfect. 

What really moved me though was the sense of scope you got of this man's genius, the sheer expanse of his artistry.  He was not just a brilliant designer, who thought outside the box as far as his clothes were concerned, he was an artist who worked with different mediums and wasn't hindered by the limits of traditional fashion.  There was no fear in his work, but rather a belief in his own vision, no matter how out there, that was truly inspiring.  He created films and holograms and whole universes in his collections, and that intensity of creative drive was so exciting to see.  Even husband was impressed and inspired.   We left feeling inspired, moved, uplifted, motivated, and saddened by the loss of such a great artist.

Of course we bought the book.  And the calendar.  And some magnets.  Ok, ok, and a postcard or two.

              images from fashion for lunch,  sandi in the city, beauty anonymous, style.com, life and style madrid, renan jay pacson

bird

Bird is one of my favorite online stores.  By which I mean I pretend shop there all the time.  So imagine my excitement this morning when we were trying to figure out where to have breakfast and I saw their logo on a sign up the street.  No, I thought, it couldn't be!  But YES!  It was!  I am staying just a few blocks from a brick and mortar Bird store!  And the first thing I see inside?  These lovely oxfords:

Dieppa Restrepo!  The stuff oxford legends are made of!  In person, ready to be handled and fondled and tried on.   They are lovely, and really substantial, by which I mean the leather feels thick and like it will last years and years even after softening around your feet.  As you can tell, I am seriously tempted.  How do you think they compare to all my other bone-colored oxford choices?

Being inside Bird was seriously exciting to me.  Husband waited patiently while I touched every single thing in the store and asked "Isn't this beautiful?!"  ("uh huh, sure, nice,")  Of course I want to show you all the things I fell in love with, but there's so many items in the store that they don't even have listed online.  After the jump, a few pieces that plucked at my heartstrings...

a day off

Don't go away, I promise I won't be gone long.  I'm packing and headed to New York today, and I may take a day or two off from posting as we get settled in our temporary home in Williamsburg.  So forgive the short absence; I'll be back online in a "pis pas" as they say in Spain.   So hang in there, like this little guy who never loses focus!

headed east

Tomorrow we're off to new york city, I'm so excited!  I'm going to be there an entire month.  So many things I want to do, including not overplanning/overbooking myself and finding time to actually relax and enjoy the city, which I usually don't manage at all.  But first on the list?  McQueen Savage Beauty at the Met, of course!

image from hostel in new york

oxford mania continues

I warned you there might be more...

moma at gravity pope

These guys don't come in the nude I was originally searching for, but sometimes when shopping with a mission you run into things that you didn't know you wanted.  Until you ran into them.  And then you're stuck obsessing.  About yet another thing...

objects in mirror at gravity pope

Take these woven oxfords for example; I never even knew such a thing existed, let alone that I had to have them.  And now I know both these facts to be true.  More superfluous but super tempting oxfords after the jump...

in my virtual gap bag

These pants are currently in my shopping bag at gap.com because they didn't have the right size in the store here in town.

 broken-in skimmer

And then, because there's free shipping on orders over $50, I had to have another look around the site.  And then, because gap is connected to piperlime, it got a little dangerous.  After the jump, see the rest of what's in my shopping bag now, though I promise I won't actually get it all.  In fact, the reality is, I probably won't by any of it, but that doesn't stop me from fantasizing a bit.

my new hat

Does it seem like I do a lot of shopping here in Wisconsin?  Well that's because I do.  It's not because Madison is the fashion capitol of the world; it's because a) I'm on vacation and b) I get to shop with my mama, which is something I sorely miss in my day-to-day life.  She's the one who urged me to get this hat ("you have to buy it or I will kill you") against my first instinct ("but I don't need it"  what?  who am I?).  And of course, she was right.  I love my new hat.

A purplish reddish brown raffia fedora tied with a black grosgrain ribbon, this guy has major attitude but in a slightly unexpected way.  And he comes to me by way of Banana Republic.  Yeah, I was surprised too.

miki and nora

These jacks earrings by local artist Miki and Nora are probably some of my favorite earrings.  Ever.  I bought them here in Madison this winter and they've been in heavy rotation ever since.   They wear a little bit vintage, a little bit tough, a little bit 50s elegant, and a little bit punk.  I don't know how they manage to do all that, when they're basically jacks, but I try not to question these magical design moments.  Lucky for you guys, you don't have to come to Wisconsin to get your own Miki and Nora pieces; just head over to her store on etsy.  Here's some of my favorites, including the cone earrings which I think I will have to pick up before I leave town (here they have them in oxidized silver rather than just the antique gold finish available on etsy.  Sorry for the rest of the world, cause in gunmetal they are absolutely perfect).

bone toned

churchs burwood at gravity pope

I have a new mission in life: find the perfect off-white oxfords.  They have to be substantial, have at least the teeniest bit of heel, and be some shade of pale (bone, taupe, rosy, nude, any of these will do).  And they have to be comfortable.   It's a tall order, I know, but lucky for me there's lots of options out there.  Here's my current list of contenders, with the high-end ones here, and the more affordable options after the jump.  First, the wingtips:

Fratelli Rosetti, DSquared2 at zappos

A few two-toned options:

 Gravati, DSquared2 at zappos

Something simpler:

to&co at gravity pope

and some options under $200 (and a few under$100) after the jump...

mother jeans

I mentioned yesterday I'd bought a new pair of jeans, well here they are:

 

I found them at Bop, which any good Madisonian knows is the brick and mortar home of Shopbop.  It's not nearly as exciting as the online store, because obviously their stock is very reduced, but it is a great place to try on new jeans.  And as yet another new overpriced denim line on my radar, Mother has seduced me with these perfect-for-summer jeans.  They fit tight, are incredibly lightweight and very stretchy, but manage to be so without looking hoochy or slutty on my curvy body, in spite of the lighter faded wash.  Major accomplishment right there.  Add to that the fact that they are possibly the softest pair of jeans I've ever owned, and I happily shelled out the big bucks.

The bottom hem is unfinished and frayed, which is kind of cute, but when you roll it up a tiny bit, they become perfect.  Seriously.  Perfect.

images from revolve, also available at shopbop and nordstrom

suit up!

Today I made some unexpected purchases.  Impulse buys that are very different from my usual ones.  No shoes, no jeans, no lipstick (well, ok,  I did buy some jeans, but that's for another post).  I bought myself a month's membership at the gym here and a bathing suit.  Not a cute lay-out-on-the-beach one.  A serious I-think-I-plan-on-swimming one.

image from poolweb

Yeah, ok, I'm still a little wishy-washy about it.  I've been wanting to start swimming for almost a year now, but in my daily life I'm so exhausted that there's no possible way I could do any more exercise outside of classes and rehearsals.  But the idea of physical exertion without any motives other than feeling good and fit is definitely appealing to me, as is the mere idea of immersing myself in water and simply moving.  So now, here I am, on vacation, nothing but time on my hands, and I'm doing it!  Or at least, I intend to! I'm incredibly excited about this.  I don't even remember if I know how to swim, but I'm giddy like a kid on the first day of school.

Anyone out there a swimmer?  Anyone wish they were?

espadrilles with attitude

Fierceness where usually there is none.  Enough said.

Sam Edelman Jaxon at piperlime

toms

One of the top items on my List of Things to Buy While In the States is a pair of Tom's.  I know I'm late to the game on this, but in spite of the fact that everyone raves about them and they give away a pair of shoes to kids in need for every pair you purchase, I always just sort of thought they were glorified espadrilles or what we used to call 'chinese shoes' when I was a kid.  But then recently I tried on a friend's pair, and I was instantly seduced.  These bad boys are beyond comfortable; they are like little attachable clouds of support for your feet!  So I'm getting some.  For sure.  The question now is, which ones?

Something basic:

Or something striped:

more options and a special Toms collaboration after the jump...

first things first

My first day home has been filled with lots of catch-up time with my mama, watching crappy tv curled up on the couch with the boyz, coffee from Starbucks, a naked burrito from Qdoba, and trips to Target and Walgreens.  Some of you may laugh, but really truly, these are the first things I want to do/eat/shop when I get here.

I found some great stuff at Target including a super supple t-shirt that feels ridiculously expensive and a fun printed cropped blouse that is unlike anything else in my closet.

drapey modal t-shirt (got mine in black) and cropped boxy floral top

a few more of the day's all-important purchases after the jump...

homeward bound

No wishful thinking here, I actually am homeward bound!  I cannot wait!  In 5 hours I'll be on a plane, and in 25 hours I'll be on the other side of the world nestled on the couch with the boyz and my mama, surrounded by the wet green smell of Madison summer nights.

We may not have an ocean, but our lakes almost make up for it. 

Don't let these pictures give you the wrong idea though, truth is, most of my vacation will probably be spent on the couch!  Oh, alright alright, I'll do stuff too.  Just let me rest for a few days...

images from wikipedia, and planetware

perfect styling

 

I came upon this outfit while browsing helmut lang sweaters, and I have to say, I am smitten with all three pieces and the sum of them together is simple perfection to me.   To whoever does the styling over at La Garçonne: well done.  I am a fan.  And please send me one of each of these.  Thank you.

 

individual pieces in all of their glory after the jump...

missing...

...is what I'll be for a few days. Sorry for the temporary absence, but this shoot is taking all of me and then some. Tomorrow's the big day, so everyone, wish us luck! I'll probably be back posting in a day or two, but for sure by friday I promise I'll be back up and running.  In the meantime I leave you with the current front-runner for tomorrow's makeup:

photo from pinterest

thoughts for tuesday's shoot

Here's some images I've been pinning today, all inspiration for the hair and makeup for tuesday's shoot.  I'm so exhausted that's all I can think of to say.  Must.  Rest.  Now.

for image sources see pinterest