On the Road Again

It takes a certain girl to wear Kate Spade just right.  And by a certain girl, I mean perfect gamines like you see in this amazing ad campaign from a few seasons back.  I am totally not a Kate Spade girl (although I did own a black KS tote 12 years ago), but when I look at these pictures I feel like I just might want to pull off a zebra print bag with kelly green details. Maybe.  This ad campaign came about before Liz Claiborne bought the KS brand, when Kate was still the brains behind the designs.  I love the whole BFF road trip happening with stops to scour random stores and hit up old libraries and get lost in books no one has ever heard of.  It makes me excited about my upcoming trip with my BFF to Austin for a week of raging at the SXSW music festival.  

 

The ultimate sun hat on the left

Wig + Road Trip = Way More Fun

Peep-toe’s with Bows. Adorable.

One of these days I am going to sit in a library all day and browse through old books for inspiring images to post here.

This has always been one of my favorite photos.

The ultimate getaway car.

Treasure hunting in the middle of nowhere.

This is where the fun begins.

Welcome Home

I found these images in an issue of Russh, an Australian fashion magazine that I pick up every once in a while.  They are of the Australian designer Marnie Skillings and her home which is a treasure trove of found objects and antiques.  My favorite interiors are always the ones that have personality – they look like they have been lived in and have a sentimental feeling tied to them.  They are not too precious or overly modernized with ultra sleek furniture, but instead have items that look as if they have a story to be told.  These photos are just that.

Have Your Cake and Eat It Too

I have always loved Blumarine ads.  They always tell a little story about the clothes and the model with amazing props that make me dream up scenarios of the kind of person who would embody the lifestyle they project.  There is a personality behind them, whether it’s naughty or whimsical or darkly flirtatious.  Here are some scans of Blumarine ads that I have collected over the years.

 

And below, my absolute favorite from 2000 – this hangs on my bulletin board.  Scandalous.

Let’s Celebrate

Not to bring my political views to the blog, but yesterday was an historic day to remember.  I feel as if I’m living in a dream that will last forever.  This economy that we are living in is quite depressing, but the fact that America has a new LEADER makes me optimistic about the future and a new way of life.  These words from Obama’s inauguration speech resonated with me:  ”We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free and ALL  DESERVE A CHANCE TO PURSUE THEIR FULL MEASURE OF HAPPINESS.”  I am not a religious person, but these words are pretty epic.

These images make me want to celebrate.  

A Deep Hit of Delight

Would you agree with me that Urban Outfitters has been killing it lately with their stellar selection of clothes, shoes, and accessories?  I must admit I stayed away from their stores for a while because I got tired of seeing every girl in LA wearing the same exact thing and knowing just where they got it.  But they’ve come around and I’m pretty impressed.  And now I’m becoming a devoted reader of their blog –  I just noticed this Q & A with Lola and Diva Dompe from the LA band, Blackblack.  I saw them play not long ago and was completely charmed by their innocence and their style, not to mention their music.  They are two sisters that grew up in LA and have a fond appreciation for fairy tales and dreaming.  Check out these photos from the UO blog and read their Q & A session here.  And, click here to check them (and their home) out on The Selby.

Perfectly Antiquated

I discovered these images online from  the Yale University Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library.  If you have never checked it out, I highly suggest doing so.  It will blow your mind with rare, beautiful, and ancient images.  I spent an hour browsing today and I found some really cool stuff.  Take a look, and also check out their blog Room 26 Cabinet of Curiosities.

This is the cover of an issue of Broom, a magazine that originated in 1922 that was filled with art and literature.  I’m really into the black & red constructivism.

This is from a lobby card collection of Western silent films.  The Covered Wagon looks like it would have been dramatic, right?  I’m going to have to do some research on this – I have actually never heard of a “Western” silent film.  Pretty great.

I love very old American Indian art.  This painting is titled Deer in Forest.

I couldn’t stop staring at this portrait of Elizabeth Eyre de Canus.  She was an American writer, artist, and Art Deco furniture designer.  And, she was married to a French writer (but was bisexual) and ran around with the likes of Ernest Hemingway and Bernard Berenson.

This is a drawing of an Indian horse dance from 1938.  I can’t help but think of the artist Matt Leines when I look at this.  Very cool.

From a magazine titled Zritel that was published in 1905 about Russian graphic art & The Revolution of 1905.

So beautiful.  This picture depicts the transformations and life cycle of the silkworm.  1733.  John Derian would be inspired.