For Esmé, With Love and Squalor

I thought I would use this post to pay homage to my favorite author, JD Salinger, who died this week at 91. I first read The Catcher in the Rye in eighth grade, and have since read all of Salinger's books/short stories several times. Franny and Zooey and Nine Stories are still two of my all-time favorite books.

http://www.lemonde.fr/culture

It sounds strange, but I think JD Salinger actually did a lot to influence my personal style. Descriptions of Holden Caulfield's hound's tooth coat and leather gloves, Franny Glass's classic looks, and Esmé's antique tank watch always made me oddly nostalgic for the old, 1920s Manhattan that I wasn't even alive to experience.

Maggie did well to cheer me up, though. She put one of her toys in my shoe today, which I thought she was giving me as a present. I was flattered until she dragged the shoe across the room to her bed, taking it for herself. I guess my little lady has a shoe fetish :)

Janvier jusqu'à présent

Inspiration board:

http://sarah-meadows.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xednqCZneN4&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uD0p8LLxskM

"I'm not a person who is into fashion; I'm a person who is into style. I'm interested in style because I love beautiful things- that is, things I find beautiful. I like the aesthetic dimensions of fashion and can't stand the commercial dimensions." - unknown

Au printemps

I'm going to try my hand at fashion forecasting for spring based on what I've seen on Net-A-Porter.com and the Vogue Paris and Vogue Toyko websites recently. I can't promise you my hypotheses will come true, but at least I will be following these trends this season!

Grays and tans +metallics

Goodbye, petit floral patterns! My fellow nineties lovers and I will miss you. The clothes this season are turning out to be more neutral. Bright patterns have now filtered down to the rack, and designers are toning down their color pallets quite a bit. I know it's not easy, but think of what a Parisian hipster would wear on safari, and you have a summary of looks for spring.

from "Kaki" Lookbook, Vogue.fr

Rick Owens jacket - net-a-porter.com

Sigerson Morrison sandals - net-a-porter.com

Soft Yellows

Yellow has also made a comeback on the runway this season. It pairs well with neutrals and offers a little break in the monotony.

Emma Watson wearing Burberry - vogue.co.jp

Patent leather flats by Mui Mui - net-a-porter.com

Doma vest - net-a-porter.com

Sass & Bide

This Australian designer always has great looks. I felt like their fall/winter line was ahead of its time, and I'm excited to see what they do for spring. I love this satin mini dress. I've also heard good things about their jeans.

Thanks for reading :D

Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens

I had some pretty frightful dreams, but they were only dreams.

I just finished watching Nosferatu, the original Dracula movie made as part of a German silent film series in 1922. I feel like anything having to do with vampires/the living dead has become overly trendy in film nowadays, so it was good to see a throwback. I would have to say my favorite thing about it from an aesthetic standpoint was Nosferatu's makeup. So intense and terrifying! Otherwise, I really loved the organ music. I don't think I would have appreciated the music nearly as much if there had been dialogue. With all of the special effects that Hollywood is capable of now, it's refreshing to see a movie that can stand on its own with all of the unnecessary aspects subtracted.

Among the Dementors, first one man was stricken, then all!

Nina was often seen among the dunes, watching and waiting for her husband's return.

I'm returning immediately to Bremen...and to you.

Buried treasures

I've been finding some cool stuff while cleaning out my closet the past few days. My favorite is this ivory necklace bought by my grandfather in the '40s. He was a morse code operator in World War II and got to fly with military pilots to some really remote locations, including Africa, where he picked up this necklace. We have a couple of bangles, as well, but I have yet to unearth them. I know ivory is cruel, but it's so pretty! I hope no one from PETA is reading this...

Here are some wooden sculptures we've inherited from him. I hope they get passed down to me someday!

My parents have been doing their spring cleaning early, too. And much to my dismay, they were about to throw out this antique dresser. I finally convinced them to store it for me, though, so now it's mine :D I love the handles and the detail of the wood.

Even Maggie found this pretty silk scarf I bought in eighth grade. It's too big for her now, but I'm saving it for her for when she grows into a big kitty :)

Les Maladies Terribles

Those who saw a lot of me in 2009 will either be shocked or completely unfazed by this news: I am sick. Again. For literally about the tenth time in a year. Maggie has been sympathizing, though. She’s sleepy from a Rabies shot she got today, so we’ve been hanging out in bed watching Netflix and making the best of it.

Skins

I can’t quite figure out if this show never gained popularity outside the UK or if I just completely missed the boat, but I love the first season of Skins so far. The show, now in its fourth season, is not what you would expect from a teen drama. Skins picks apart adolescent issues like eating disorders and drug experimentation, but make no mistake: This is not Degrassi. (Although I feel like I’m shaming the sixteen-year-old version of myself for saying this, as I’ve seen pretty much every episode of Degrassi…) The witty writing and uniquely neurotic yet relatable characters make Skins a standout.

Cassie

is by far my favorite character on the show. Cassie is known as being clinically insane among her circle for her undying refusal to eat anything period and for her obsession with little white pills. But despite this, she’s really a loveable character with a big British smile who says, “Oh wow!” and “That’s really lovely, isn’t it?” in response to everything.

I also love her for her style, and when I Googled her character, I found out I’m not the only one who feels the same. There are dozens of people who have re-created Cassie’s style using Polyvore.com, a site that allows you to create your own photo collage of clothing cut-outs. Here’s my attempt:

cassie by ckehoe20 featuring Monsoon accessories

And now, I'm going back to bed. A plus tard!

So this is the New Year

Bonne année, everyone! I just got back from Houston where I spent New Years with friends from school. On New Years Eve, we went to a party at my friend Cody’s house. He let us play with his pet boa constrictor, Sandy, which is becoming sort of a New Year’s tradition since we met her last year.

Isn’t she pretty? If I ever design a clothing line, I would want it to have Sandy-print belts and shoes.

Mellow Yellow

While I was visiting, my boyfriend and I went to this little French bakery in central Houston called The French Riviera. It is by far the most delicious and authentic French bakery I’ve been to in the US. According to my boyfriend, “real French people actually go there.”

They also serve Segafredo coffee – it’s not French, but I think fellow coffee addicts out there would agree with me that it’s some of the highest quality coffee/espresso you can find.

Fabergé

Another highlight of the week was seeing the Fabergé exhibit at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Pictures weren’t allowed inside the exhibit, but the pieces were so gorgeous, I have to mention them. There were only a few small Fabergé eggs on display, but the museum featured jewelry, cigarette cases, pocket watches, Empress Josephine’s stunning tiara, and more, all crafted by Carl Fabergé’s craftsmen.

According to the exhibit, the enamel on the pieces was made by melting together metal oxides and glass powder at specific temperatures to create the desired color and finish. Apparently no one has been able to replicate some of the colors used by Fabergé. This one was my favorite -- I love elephants!

http://www.hmns.org/exhibits/special_exhibits/faberge.asp

This week has left me totally exhausted! I’m going to bed early so I can be ready to intern tomorrow at my first photo-shoot :D. Hopefully more on that soon!