Ponyoak!

Keeping up with the puppet theme...

2009-10-27T16:41:00.001-04:00

For serious

2009-10-22T16:42:00.001-04:00

Once, I met Jens Lekman in a Chuck E Cheese.

Good question

2009-10-22T16:32:00.005-04:00

Is America Ready For A "Spanking Ban?"
Is America ready for single payer healthcare?
Is America Ready For A Female President?
Is America ready for more Tim Hortons?
Is America Ready for Open Source?
Is America Ready For Obama?
Is America Ready For A Black President?
Is America Ready for a Gay "Idol"?
Is America Ready for Another White Male President?
Is America Ready for Revolution?
Is America Ready For Utada, The 'Japanese Britney Spears'?
Is America Ready for Cloned Meat?
Is America Ready for Another Iraq War Movie?
Is America Ready for a Third Football Code?
Is America ready for a woman President?
Is America ready for movies about 9/11?
Is America Ready for Recession Rage?
Is America ready for eco-fashion?
Is America Ready For A Chocolate Cake?

The people want to know!

This i can't believe

2009-10-19T18:26:00.004-04:00

i can't believe they ended it with "The bridegroom’s previous marriage ended in divorce." OH SNAP.

so cute and charming you almost can't believe it's real

i can't believe i didn't think of it myself

Can’t believe PR guy encouraged me to “try them out.” Ick.

i can't believe they are still living together

Swift said, "I think my overall thought process went something like, 'Wow, I can't believe I won. This is awesome."

I can't believe you didn't just keep that to yourself.

Can't believe we've never met.

I can't believe how fast this season is moving.

i can't believe she hasn't cracked up yet

i can't believe i'm saying that

I CAN'T BELIEVE SHE WON'T DO BJs!!!!!!!!1!!!!!!!!!!!1!!!!! i am trying to forget last night ever happened. chuck+blair 4eva

i can't believe i just linked to myspace
but anyway

i can't believe i ditched the DJ thing for camelot
hahaha!

i can't believe someone else didn't do it first

"I can’t believe I put the Kills and Deerhunter on my top-ten list. I feel like someone’s replaced the critical parts of my brain with a Pitchfork RSS feed."

i can't believe that apple did it but i think that's the culprit

<3

2009-10-19T18:24:00.000-04:00

Results of a gmail search for the phrase "all i want to do"

2009-09-08T10:41:00.000-04:00

all i want to do is listen to this Girls song

all I want to do is drive around with you in Iowa.

all i want to do is scream into a pillow right now.

all i want to do is drink whiskey and listen to "minivan highway."

all i want to do is smoke like a billion cigarettes.

all i want to do is go lie down at home

all i want to do is shop for taupe gladiator sandals

all i want to do is curl up and listen to dvorak's "new world symphony"

all i want to do is run away to the woods and wear dresses.

all I want to do is gloat. "My Buddhist, pansy-ass coping skills work better than your secular, American bitterness, SUCKAZ," etc.

all i want to do is go back to sleep

Product Endorsement: Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque

2009-06-07T15:26:00.000-04:00

Put on your happy face.
So refreshing!

8 zippers!

2009-06-04T23:38:00.001-04:00

via.

Want.

2009-06-01T23:58:00.002-04:00

Probably out of my price range.

Amazingness

2009-05-28T00:24:00.002-04:00

UPDATE: "Swans, they are the meanest animals in the world, you know. I had problems with them as a child. They hate children. I was caught by one, so I know."

Can't get enough

2009-05-20T18:52:00.001-04:00

Shkirt

2009-05-18T22:24:00.002-04:00

This lovely Swedish lady inspired me to try the shirt-as-skirt for myself, which has been quite a success. But this Face Hunter photo from Budapest takes it to the next level.

One downside: Looks like it might require sewing, whereas the skirt is just some strategic folding.

Hairspiration

2009-05-18T12:49:00.000-04:00

via.

On ramps

2009-05-17T14:51:00.004-04:00

It's the tail-end of ramp season, and I scored some at the farmer's market today. I think it's risotto time, with some asparagus thrown in for good measure.

Fit to be tied

2009-05-17T14:48:00.003-04:00

How great is this?

Not exactly a bargain. Maybe DIYable?

Texture

2009-05-10T22:43:00.001-04:00

Love this:
via.

This Music Moment

2009-05-06T22:23:00.001-04:00

David Byrne:

There’s a lot going on musically right now. It’s an exciting time. Other than Sharon Jones’ soul music and some of the other artists’ folk leanings, the overall tendency amongst this group seems to be a kind of potpourri of art rock. I mean that in a good way — it’s art in that pop music is taken, assumed even, to be a serious and open form; a genre that admits a wide variety of approaches and instruments; and a musical form that is equal in depth and emotion to anything else out there. That’s a really different approach than what might be called traditional rock or pop, which can be extremely dogmatic — not to mention disposable — with proscribed instrumentation, tempos and subjects. There’s a sense of seriousness about this crop of artists — serious play, but still serious.
Besides their dedication to their art, most are successful — but one senses that fame wasn’t their primary engine for choosing a career in music. There was no hierarchy in this group — everyone was treated as an equal, and participated with everyone else where they could. Many were already acquaintances or friends. Times have changed. No one was drunk, on drugs or two hours late for rehearsal. There was no “rock star” behavior. That could sound boring — but such rebellious, clichéd behavior hasn’t always guaranteed good music. When great music would surface from a personal or professional mess, it often seemed like a rare but happy accident, unlikely to be repeated.
Maybe it’s the headiness of being surrounded by so many creative folks, but it seems that popular music — some of it anyway — might be going through one of its periodic peaks. It also seems that rock music, or some sizable branch of it, has evolved from being a throwaway piece of merchandise for teens to a respectable art form. The transformation, made in fits and starts over many decades, seems more or less complete.

Friday Random Ten

2009-04-10T11:20:00.002-04:00

1. 16 Shells From a Thirty-Ought-Six - Tom Waits
2. Mansion on the Hill - Bruce Springsteen
3. On Hold - Edith Frost
4. Daddy You Gotta Get Him In - The Satisfactions
5. Northern Me! - The Capstan Shafts
6. Following - The Bangles
7. Say Something Now - The Concretes
8. Platform Blues - Pavement
9. Shining Escalade - Hot Chip
10. Back of Your Head - Cat Power

Elko

2009-04-09T11:53:00.001-04:00

I once thrifted an amazing lace floral dress in this town.

It buuuuuuuuuurns!

2009-04-09T11:50:00.004-04:00

On the precipice of a weeklong thriftstravaganza, this should really come in handy.

Click to embiggen.

via OutsaPop, my new favorite blog.

Hair cornucopia

2009-04-07T22:20:00.004-04:00

My earlier query, answered. Tips from the Freelancer, queen of retro hair:

1. The basics

2. Pincurl it, baby!

3. All rolled up

Cyborg chic

2009-04-06T16:47:00.002-04:00

I really kind of want these:

Stevie fucking Nicks

2009-03-31T23:47:00.002-04:00

In WWD:

I get up when I have to get up. But Lindsey Buckingham insisted that we start rehearsals for the tour between 1 and 2. That meant my vocal lesson had to be at 11, and I got up everyday at 8 so I could have my two hours by the ocean with my coffee. Before that I could sleep until one or two.

Um, yeah, I sit by the ocean with my coffee every day for two hours, too. Plus, this:

I don’t wear see-through chiffon skirts anymore. I wear a slip. When I was 30 I didn’t care if people could see through my clothes. Now I care. I know I’m sixty.

Also, she calls Lindsey Buckingham a "gnarly gnome." I LOVE YOU, STEVIE.

Now there's a statement necklace

2009-03-31T23:34:00.003-04:00

Love.

Also, how do I get my hair into a cornucopia like that?

Friday Random Ten

2009-03-27T10:43:00.002-04:00

1. Faulty Times - Black Mountain
2. Will Is My Friend - Devendra Banhart
3. Problem Is - HEALTH
4. The Way You Look Tonight - Baby Dayliner
5. The Year Before the Year 2000 - Les Savy Fav
6. Beside You - Papas Fritas
7. Combinations - Olivia Tremor Control
8. 1917 - The Fiery Furnaces
9. Lady Stardust - David Bowie
10. Wish Fulfillment - Sonic Youth

Cape fear

2009-03-25T23:02:00.002-04:00

Am I a dbag for wanting to buy a fleece cape from Dov Charney?

Maybe it could DIY that shit? But I never get around to doing snaps. Best to put it out of my mind.

UPDATE: I just realized that, because this is fleece, it is basically a hipster snuggie. Holy f. No longer interested.

So appropriate today.

2009-03-25T16:56:00.000-04:00

It's wonderful to be here, it's certainly a thrill

2009-03-23T23:28:00.006-04:00

Back in December I went apeshit for this jacket on Garance Dore:

And now that the weather is a wee bit nicer, I desperately want a Sgt. Pepper-style military coat. But the only appropriate ones coming up in search are Etsy items that have already sold. Such as:

Sigh. Is it too much to ask for a vintage jacket with those bars across the front, preferably ending in little frogs or brassy buttons? Guess I'll have to stick to the Liz Claiborne double-breasted (kinda like this) navy number I already have. But that's really more of a cruisewear jam.

SXSW: Saturday

2009-03-22T10:00:00.003-04:00

Beach House

Erykah Badu (ok, only 2 songs, but I'm counting it)

Yelle

SXSW: Friday

2009-03-21T16:32:00.000-04:00

Deer Tick

Vivian Girls

Titus Andronicus

GZA with Black Lips

The Splinters

Amazing Baby (Douchiest band ever. I will not plague you with video.)

Lady Sovereign

SXSW: Thursday

2009-03-21T16:11:00.006-04:00

Girls

The Rural Alberta Advantage

Grizzly Bear

Passion Pit

Rye Rye (again)

Langhorne Slim

SXSW: Wednesday

2009-03-19T17:34:00.005-04:00

I saw such great stuff yesterday. Including:

King Khan and BBQ Show:

The Beets:

Rye Rye:

OH!

2009-03-13T10:57:00.001-04:00

And happy Friday!

via.

Friday Random Ten

2009-03-13T10:54:00.003-04:00

1. ...One - Califone
2. Anyone Can Make a Mistake - The Wedding Present
3. Honey - Erykah Badu
4. Jay Down - Tunng
5. Big Love - Fleetwood Mac
6. Last Days of Disco - Yo La Tengo
7. Try Not to Breathe - R.E.M.
8. Perfume-V - Pavement
9. Sink the Seine - Of Montreal
10. Why Do You Love Me So Much - Frida Hyvonen

I am also loving this send-up of Bonnie and Clyde from Ida Maria, featuring a dude in a giant stuffed heart costume:

Do you realize?

2009-03-10T11:36:00.000-04:00

From the Harper's Weekly:

The Flaming Lips' "Do You Realize" was named Oklahoma's state rock song. "Do you realize," go the lyrics, "that everyone you know/some day/will die?"

A sub-optimal thrifting experience

2009-03-10T11:20:00.004-04:00

I love this description, from Skye, of the worst kind of thrift store -- the "depressingly sanitised op-shop":

(you know the ones - colour-coded racks of polyester bootcut pants and kitten heeled mules from the late 90s, bright fluorescent lighting, no interesting clutter to poke through and a mean lady who checks your handbag when you leave to make sure you haven't stolen anything)

So true! I'd add high prices (at least $8 for dresses and $5 for tops). No mothball smell. Plus lots and lots of dead stock from Target. Always a sinking feeling when you realize you're in one of those thrift stores, and the staff has cleaned out all the really good stuff to make way for super thick-knit White Stag boxy T-shirts.

Green leathuh

2009-03-10T10:49:00.002-04:00

OH, Margiela, I just died in your green leather shrug tonight:

Ho. Lee. Shit. That is beautiful!

Etsy goggles

2009-03-09T12:31:00.004-04:00

I need something like this, only for Etsy. I went on a serious binge this weekend:

Luckily they were all cheap. Now fingers crossed that they fit. Sheesh.

Crack potatoes

2009-03-08T21:37:00.001-04:00

That's what I've decided these should be called.

SO. GOOD.

Goal hair

2009-03-08T21:28:00.002-04:00

When I started growing my hair out, the stylist told me I needed a "goal haircut." I was just bored wearing it short. But I really kind of love the long/wavy+shortbangs that Gisele has got going here. Goal hair?

Ok, I know it's Gisele and so mere mortals are not destined to look quite this great -- with or without this haircut. But I'm pretty into it.

Spring!

2009-03-07T13:26:00.003-05:00

New challenge this year: 80s-fuchsia lips.

Oh Tilda

2009-02-23T19:37:00.001-05:00

Thank you for not boring me to tears like everyone else on Oscar night.

Giving whole wheat pasta a good name

2009-02-23T19:30:00.003-05:00

This is nutty-delicious:

Whole Wheat Pasta with Cauliflower, Walnuts and Ricotta Salata
Serves 6

2 heads cauliflower
1 medium onion
4 cloves garlic
1 pound whole-wheat pasta
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 pinch red pepper flakes
White wine vinegar
1/2 lemon
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
4 ounces ricotta salata or feta cheese

Put a large pot of water on to boil. Cut the cauliflower into small flowerets. Peel the onion and slice it very thin. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Put the pasta on to cook.

Saute the cauliflower in olive oil in a large saute pan. When the cauliflower begins to soften, season with salt and pepper and add the sliced onion and red pepper flakes. Saute over medium to high heat until the vegetables are brown and tender. The cauliflower should still be slightly crunchy and should not taste steamed. Add the garlic and remove from the heat, tossing and stirring so the garlic doesn’t burn; if it starts to brown, add a splash of water. Add a few drops each of vinegar and lemon juice and the toasted walnuts. Taste and correct the seasoning. When the pasta is done, drain and add to the cauliflower, adding enough extra-virgin olive oil to coat the pasta thoroughly, toss together and serve, with the cheese crumbled over the dish.

Sunday jam

2009-02-15T13:38:00.001-05:00

Shoulders, waist

2009-02-15T13:34:00.001-05:00

Holy shit, amazing:

(via)

Thrift finds

2009-02-14T20:05:00.005-05:00

By request, a new feature!

This sweet baby fits perfectly, feels like butter, and was MADE IN FINLAND. Hello leather pencil skirt, you are the definition of SCORE:
Navy, sheer, 4-sizes-too-big-for-me Anne Klein from 1989. Yes, please!
Delightful fuzzy T-shirt:
Double-click belt:
Part cruise-wear, part mother of the bride. Love the sparkle motion. Oh, and on me it's semi-cropped:
Scoopneck sweatervest. Will probably be a nice little standby:

Pretty things

2009-02-14T19:47:00.004-05:00

United Bamboo:

(Click images to embiggen.)

Rachel Comey:
(Ok, I'm really just into the hair on the left.)

Rag and Bone:
Look at that beautiful outerwear! What do you think the odds are of thrifting a navy/black tuxedo jacket? Or a grey wool coat with tails?

Friday Random Ten

2009-02-13T21:04:00.002-05:00

1. Cindy Lou - The Gay
2. Turn Into Something - Animal Collective
3. Loud Cloud Crowd - Stephen Malkmus
4. The Overload - Talking Heads
5. Sail Through - Wake
6. Love Vigilantes - New Order
7. Revolver - Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan
8. Come Take Me - Betty Davis
9. Pillow Talk - Quiet Village
10. Run Run Run - Velvet Underground

Misty horses

2009-02-11T19:10:00.003-05:00

Yes, Margiela is brilliant. But this is eminently DIY-able:

Tights lust

2009-02-11T18:58:00.002-05:00

Check out these sweet Missoni knockoffs:

Also these and these. And while we're talking about knock-off hosiery... EEP! Delightful.

What inspires you?

2009-02-09T23:08:00.002-05:00

Lassi sez:

My style is inspired sport and political history of the 70's and the 80's, for example distance-runner Steve Prefontaine.

Answers like this are the reason I love Hel-Looks.

Style Icon: Estelle

2009-02-09T22:57:00.012-05:00

Did you witness this fashion delight at the Grammys?

The pockets! The asymmetrical neckline! Swoon.

Apparently this is one more in a long line of fabulous shapes she's been sporting:

(She's also doing great things with tulle in this video.)

Witness the flawless execution of the statement piece:

And the basic trench:

Well done, woman. Well done.

Pink and gold

2009-02-09T22:39:00.003-05:00

I really love this color combo (via):

Classic.

Bella Donna Monday

2009-02-09T11:56:00.001-05:00

Belated Friday Random Ten

2009-02-07T10:07:00.004-05:00

1. Thirteen - Big Star
2. Unknown Legend - Neil Young
3. Maybe Sprout Wings - The Mountain Goats
4. (I'm) Somewhere - Marmoset
5. I Have the Moon - The Magnetic Fields
6. On the Surface - Bettye Lavette
7. Tender Object - Orange Juice
8. Lost in a Dream - Papas Fritas
9. It's Not Easy Being Me (Demo Version) - Harry Nilsson
10. Magic Man - Heart

Wow, lots of bleeding-heart dudes this week. Luckily the sisters Wilson and Bettye Lavette are holding it down.

Scarves, shoulders

2009-02-06T16:11:00.001-05:00

Is it spring yet?

Nom nom nom.

Drool

2009-02-04T14:46:00.000-05:00

I cannot justify spending several hundred dollars on this sweet baby, but gosh, isn't it beautiful?

1950s satchel. (via Etsy.)

Recently weaned off Amy Grant

2009-02-04T09:16:00.000-05:00

Amazing styleblogging from musicblogger Carrie Brownstein:

The second band embodied what I'll call the "bassist wanted" phenomenon, which consists of a band made up of disparately styled members whose only commonality is that they all answered the same ad on Craigslist. The singer was fresh off a hitchhike from Vermont. Imagine Ben and Jerry plus that other Jerry (of the Garcia variety) all rolled into one. He was wearing pants that may or may not be called "Jams," which are made of the same fabric as your mom's kitchen towels. Roll those pants up to air out the calves, add a pair of sports socks, a T-shirt with the neck cut out, and a white knit hat that he'd borrowed from an ex-girlfriend and you get the idea. The drummer, on the other hand, was longhaired, wiry and in an Iron Maiden T-shirt. Despite the fact that the venue is the size of my living room, he beat the s--- out of his drums during the line check, an act that wasn't about illustrating his technical prowess so much as proving that he was capable of so much more than the Hootie-esque songs we were about to hear. That's right; he was auditioning. The two women in the band were right out of a musical program at a liberal arts college: a cellist who had only recently weaned herself off of Amy Grant and a keyboard player so spacey that sometimes I wasn't sure she knew the songs had even started. Then there was the electric-guitar player. Jeans around his thighs to show off his boxers, forearms ripped from years of gaming, and a look in his eyes that let me know he owns every Yes record ever made.

Ok, so maybe it's hybrid stylemusicblogging. More, please!

WAIT, stop, let's just repeat the brilliance of that last sentence:

Jeans around his thighs to show off his boxers, forearms ripped from years of gaming, and a look in his eyes that let me know he owns every Yes record ever made.

Ahahahahahahaha.

Geek boner

2009-02-03T22:17:00.003-05:00

Gah! I love it.

(via.)

UPDATE: !!!

Product Endorsement: Shoe Goo

2009-02-03T21:58:00.009-05:00

This amazing stuff is a vintage footwear enthusiast's best friend.

It is less than $5. It is available at your local CVS or Walgreens or whatever. And oh baby, does this shit work.

I have a pair of vintage red slouchy boots whose soles split apart in three different layers, and Shoe Goo sealed them up so permanently that I can even wear them in the rain. I haven't had to re-glue once. (This is a vast improvement over my previous home remedy for ailing vintage shoes: hot glue. That stuff is gone after one wear.) I haven't tried to use it to reaffix broken heels, but my guess is it would work for that, too. This stuff is magic.

A warning: Don't use it inside the house, or your whole home will smell like industrial plastics for two days.

Back in action

2009-02-03T13:01:00.002-05:00

This one's for Becky:

Viva la vaginafied funkadelic vibe!

UPDATE: Whoa.

Friday Random Ten

2008-10-24T16:38:00.002-04:00

1. Meat Whiplash - Fire Engines
2. Carry the Zero - Built to Spill
3. If You See Her, Say Hello - Bob Dylan
4. Possibly Maybe - Bjork
5. Decoration Day - Howlin Wolf
6. Destrokk - MGMT
7. Avery Island/April 1st - Neutral Milk Hotel
8. Heaven Is a Truck - Pavement
9. Postcards From Tiny Islands - The Walkmen
10. I'm Going Out of My Way - Stereolab

[Sunday] Random Ten

2008-10-12T22:18:00.003-04:00

1. Dream Baby - Roy Orbison
2. Diddle My Skittle - Peaches
3. Teachers - Leonard Cohen
4. Les Temps Ont Change - Amadou Et Mariam
5. Frankie and Albert - Mississippi John Hurt
6. I'm Bad at Sports - Optiganally Yours
7. Black Poppies - Coco Rosie
8. Charlemagne - Oneida
9. Venus as a Boy - Bjork
10. Marry Me - St. Vincent

Viva the original dahlings

2008-10-07T23:57:00.004-04:00

WHAT??! Are they complete idiots?

This cannot stand.

Sweater skirt

2008-10-07T23:53:00.003-04:00

I scored some very lovely things in San Francisco this weekend... among them a chunky cable-knit skirt:
Of course I won't wear it quite that way, but this scratches my long-running itch for a dignified sweater-skirt. (Well, I also recently acquired a vintage purple mohair sweater dress, but that's more Dynasty than dignified. Not always a bad thing...)

Friday Random Ten

2008-10-03T10:21:00.003-04:00

1. Johnny's Guitar - Klongyao (from Thai Beat A Go-Go)
2. Who Could Win a Rabbit - Animal Collective
3. Ten-Day Interval - Tortoise
4. Suerte - Shakira
5. Caravan - John Cale
6. Sara - Fleetwood Mac
7. The Build-Up - Kings of Convenience
8. Yeah! Oh Yeah! - The Magnetic Fields
9. Manhattan Is an Island - The Physics of Meaning
10. Unforced Peace - Roky Erickson

I know that my ugly hemline will go on

2008-10-02T20:17:00.004-04:00

Is it just me, or is Nina Garcia looking super mid-90s?

The shoes and belt in the first outfit aren't bad, but holy fucking Sears, Batman, that whole second outfit is heinous. She looks like Celine Dion.

This, on the other hand, is great.

S. Nicks

2008-09-29T22:37:00.000-04:00

An amazing photo compendium of her flowy, feathery fashion.

Whoa

2008-09-28T22:29:00.002-04:00

Who knew Weird Al rocked it at fashion week?

via.

RIP

2008-09-28T12:25:00.003-04:00

This man gave masculinity a good name.

Friday Random Ten

2008-09-26T11:08:00.004-04:00

1. All Tomorrow's Parties - Velvet Underground
2. Ester's Day - Guided By Voices
3. Nerds - The Dodos
4. Autumn Sweater - Yo La Tengo
5. Springfield (Detail) - Arthur Russell
6. You May Know Him - Cat Power
7. Don't Love You - TV on the Radio
8. You Won't Feel a Thing - The Evens
9. Poor, Poor Lenore - The Handsome Family
10. How We Go Out - Leslie Hall

And a bonus video:

Retro sardine cans

2008-09-25T18:55:00.003-04:00

I really like how these look:

via.

Power mesh

2008-09-25T18:39:00.005-04:00

In my ongoing fascination with Newport News (ha! and you thought I was kidding about that), I discovered these pants:

I'm kinda into them. They're like a poor-gal's version of the pants Naomi Campbell is wearing in this YSL ad:

BUT! Before you get too excited... those Newport News babies feature a "built-in power-mesh boyshort" which "controls tummy & hips, lifts & shapes rear." WTF?! These are not swimming trunks. They are poly-blend, YSL-knockoff tweed-ish pants.

NO BUILT-IN MESH PANTIES, PLS.

I swear, I wasn't gonna buy them anyway. But still. I shoulda known there'd be trouble when the website was also recommending this item to me. Shudder. My love-hate relationship with NN continues...

Fall is here!

2008-09-25T18:31:00.003-04:00

Layers! Scarves! Tights! Ankle boots! Mixed prints!Life is grand.

Scarf: Thrifted
Dress: Thrifted (Milwaukee, I think...)
Jacket: Thrifted (it has great gold buttons! I wish you could see them in this picture)
Belt: Urban Outfitters
Bag:Target
Tights: Bloomingdales clearance
Boots: Vic Matie (sorry you can't really seem them, either...)

Durr... Spiegel

2008-09-24T23:53:00.006-04:00

It's pretty awesome/appalling that I witnessed this ad on a computer, on the internetz, in 2008.

I think it's time to dedicate some Billy Joel to the preferred mail-order mega-catalog of working girls of the 80s, 90s and today:

Newport News, you're next!

Boucle barf.

2008-09-24T22:51:00.003-04:00

The Sartorialist is condoning white lace minidresses now? With pink boucle sweaters?

Over it. SO over it.

Flannel boner jamz

2008-09-23T15:17:00.003-04:00

Srsly, this cover is enough to make every bro who ever loved Fleet Foxes veerrrry excited. This is a band brings out the bro-love like none other, and this video means the bros can transfer their love onto some hot mountain ladies.

I predict YouTube fame and fortune!

"Hip hop meets the Muppets."

2008-09-23T11:41:00.002-04:00

Wait, really?
So it's gonna be like Yo Gabba Gabba: The Next Generation?

WTF

2008-09-23T11:02:00.000-04:00

The soundtrack to Murphy Brown is apparently a collector's item. It's selling for up to $60.

Chunky

2008-09-22T20:36:00.002-04:00

As a follow-up to yesterday's fabric necklace, Anthropologie has some seriously great art-teachery accessories:

All eminently DIY-able.

Fringe fest

2008-09-21T16:23:00.003-04:00

This takes the fringey tank to a whole new level:

Bona Drag eden dress, $134.

Fabric jewelry

2008-09-21T16:13:00.002-04:00

Delightfully home-ec and high-fashion at the same time:

via.

Herbology

2008-09-21T16:02:00.005-04:00

A nice woman at the farmer's market today introduced me to the naturally sweet herb stevia, which is delicious. And apparently very controversial:

In 1991, at the request of an anonymous complaint, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) labeled stevia as an "unsafe food additive" and restricted its import. The FDA's stated reason was "toxicological information on stevia is inadequate to demonstrate its safety."[37] This ruling was controversial, as stevia proponents pointed out that this designation violated the FDA's own guidelines under which any natural substance used prior to 1958 with no reported adverse effects should be generally recognized as safe (GRAS).

Stevia occurs naturally, requiring no patent to produce it. As a consequence, since the import ban in 1991, marketers and consumers of stevia have shared a belief that the FDA acted in response to industry pressure.[15] Arizona congressman Jon Kyl, for example, called the FDA action against stevia "a restraint of trade to benefit the artificial sweetener industry."[38] Citing privacy issues, the FDA has not revealed the source of the original complaint in its responses to requests filed under the Freedom of Information Act.[15]

I also bought some decidedly less-controversial lemon verbena, and will be making this pound cake in the near future... along with some lemon verbena syrup for cocktails:

Make the lemon verbena syrup:
Bring the water to a boil, then turn off the heat. Add the sugar and lemon verbena leaves. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Let it steep for 10 or more minutes. Pour through a strainer and chill.

Yum.

Lovely summer cocktail

2008-08-02T17:49:00.002-04:00

Citrus vodka + pineapple juice + seltzer water + muddled cucumber + a dash of ginger beer = DELICIOUS.

Friday Random Ten

2008-06-20T13:44:00.002-04:00

1. Marlon Brando's Laundromat - Pony Up!
2. Bottom of a Well - Dosh
3. Brown Girl in the Ring - kiiiiii
4. Pavilions of Sun - Tyrannosaurus Rex
5. One Track Mind - The Knickerbockers
6. Blokes on 45 (Peel Session) - Orange Juice
7. Goodnight Jack - St. Etienne
8. Ramblin' (Wo)man - Cat Power
9. Lion's Teeth - The Mountain Goats
10. Let Me Get Close to You - Skeeter Davis

Yes.

2008-06-20T13:42:00.000-04:00

via.

Retro-futuristic motion logos

2008-06-15T13:56:00.000-04:00

Shorts that don't suck

2008-06-14T18:56:00.004-04:00

Moschino:

Da-Nang:

Vivienne Westwood:

Friday Random Ten

2008-06-13T16:45:00.003-04:00

1. Web in Front - Archers of Loaf
2. New Partner - Bonnie "Prince" Billy
3. Straight On - Heart
4. Come My Sunshine - The Comas
5. Power Bird - Kleenex Girl Wonder
6. No Pointing Arrows - Heartless Bastards
7. Honeybear - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
8. Useless Landscape - Movietone
9. Cosmia - Joanna Newsom
10. Mr. Richard - Belle and Sebastian

New distraction

2008-06-12T16:28:00.002-04:00

m4intern: DC's most common sexual preference.

Spats!

2008-06-11T12:29:00.000-04:00

Want.

Secrets of Successful Clothing Swaps (aka Make It Work)

2008-06-10T15:00:00.002-04:00

Ok, this is just sad. These clothing swaps were clearly awful because the hostess had no idea what she was doing.

Here are tips for a good clothing swap:

1. Carefully compose the guest list. Invite ladies who are a range of sizes, but who have fairly similar taste. This might seem counterintuitive -- your instinct is to invite all your friends who are about the same size. But in reality, clothes fit everyone differently. Plus, often people are giving away clothes they've grown out of (or stuff they've shrunk in the wash), meaning they'll fit a range of body types.

2. Prep your guests. Tell them that if they have an item of clothing that is completely heinous and they wouldn't be caught dead in it, they probably shouldn't bring that item to swap. The clothing swap is a place for stuff that doesn't fit you quite right, or that you're sick of, or that doesn't match the rest of your wardrobe -- but not anything that you'd be embarrassed to wear. (Again, this is why it's important to invite ladies with similar taste.)

3. Provide booze. Hold your swap on a weekend afternoon, and provide copious amounts of bloody marys, mimosas, peach sangria, and the like. Lowered inhibitions mean people will a) feel more comfortable saying no if they really don't want an item, and b) feel more at ease getting nekkid to try on the clothes.

Voila. Wasn't that easy?

YES, pls.

2008-06-09T22:59:00.001-04:00

DIY fringey tank.

So I'm not the only one

2008-06-09T22:55:00.004-04:00

...who's lusting after vintage brown flat T-straps.

La Lohan learns to thrift?

2008-06-09T22:49:00.002-04:00

Ok, so not really. But she did allow herself to be photographed in -- gasp! -- second-hand clothes. For shame.

Friday Random Ten

2008-05-09T16:19:00.003-04:00

1. Electric Love Letter - Langhorne Slim
2. Birds - Electrelane
3. Here Comes The Sun - The Beatles
4. Dance Until Tomorrow - Lavender Diamond
5. Radical Chic - Hysterics
6. Meadowport Arch - Ladybug Transistor
7. Ballad Of The Lonely Argonaut - Beulah
8. Crabdance - The Gun Club
9. Country Mile - Camera Obscura
10. A History of Lovers - Calexico/Iron & Wine

Friday Random Ten

2008-05-02T11:00:00.003-04:00

1. On Parade - Electrelane
2. Nickee Coco And The Invisible Tree - Of Montreal
3. Hey Tell Me Boy - Marie Knight (Girl Group Sounds)
4. The Legend of John Henry's Hammer - Johnny Cash
5. Watusa - Sun Ra
6. Woman Left Lonely - Cat Power
7. Qui Est "In" Qui Est "Out" - Serge Gainsbourg
8. I Am A Rock - Simon and Garfunkel
9. Brown Beauty - The Big Sleep
10. Got To Be The Way It Is - Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings

And not on the ten today, but I love the embroidery animation (!) in this Architecture in Helsinki video:

Chrissie Hynde, style icon

2008-04-30T21:57:00.013-04:00

Let's not forget that Chrissie Hynde was not only a great guitar player with fashion sense, she also shared that haircut with many 6-year-olds in the early '80s, and still manages to make it look hot. Serious props. Just look at this woman's range:

Classic rock:

Serious boots:

Leslie Hall-style:

Victorian:

And she really rocks the menswear:

Plus, check out the variety of stellar outfits in this video, especially her black and white Balenciaga-looking boot/legwarmer thingies when she's driving the red convertible:

Friday Random Ten

2008-04-18T11:43:00.000-04:00

1. Cindy Tells Me - Brian Eno
2. Who Do You Love - The Woolies
3. The Tourist - Radiohead
4. Advice to the Graduate - Silver Jews
5. I'm Only Sleeping - The Beatles
6. Park Song - The Dodos
7. Struggle with Numbers - Headlights
8. Everybody Works So Hard #2 - Wake
9. Between the Wolf and the Dog - Electrelane
10. Jump into the Fire - Harry Nilsson

Friday Random Ten

2008-03-21T15:07:00.002-04:00

1. The Theme From The Neil Miller Show - Lambchop
2. Simple X - Andrew Bird
3. Allo Allo - Les Sans Culottes
4. Love Comes To Me - Bonnie "Prince" Billy
5. Idiot Wind - Bob Dylan
6. Restless - Langhorne Slim
7. You Have Did The Right Thing When You Put That Skylight In - Arthur Russell
8. Yeah - The Telescopes
9. Bucky Done Gone - MIA
10. A Space Boy Dream - Belle and Sebastian