new year's resolutions

a few years ago i wrote a paper about railroad photos and the role of chance/risk in world's fairs exhibits, corporate propaganda, and architectural photography. a part of me has forgotten why i love art/architectural history, but images like this help remind me why i signed up for a PhD program. this blog has kept me sane for the past year or so, but i seem to have lost sight of my actual 'job,' which is being a grad student. sooo...

resolution no.1: get this dissertation moving!

recently my new roommate moved out because of a severe cat allergy (i have two cats). so matthew and i are finally living in our own place, sans roommates, for the first time since before we were married. i've been using the little bedroom as an office for two weeks, and it's been heaven.

which got me thinking....why not do a house photo tour for the blog? i'd like to think that i'm a tidy person, but i've definitely let things slide as of late. generally we throw parties once a semester in order to 'force' ourselves to clean the apartment. but there are quite a few unfinished projects that have gathered dust over the past year, and i'm sorely embarrassed by my procrastination.

resolution no. 2: finish all those home improvement things on my to-do list and photograph the results in a month or so. i spend a lot of time on my wardrobe, but it would be nice to take pride in my home, too. i've always loved Design Sponge's home tours, and i've admired photos of other bloggers' lovely homes. maybe it's time for me to take all this inspirational energy and do something with it. i don't think we'll be able to paint the walls in a timely fashion, but we can frame new prints at the very least!

i won't bore you with my other resolutions. they're the usual "be nicer, exercise more, read books for fun, spend less money, etc." sort of thing.

our new list of places to visit sooner rather than later is:
1. india
2. japan
3. iceland
4. france
5. scandinavia
6. china

i'd also love to do a Great Lakes driving tour. as much as i enjoy traveling to other countries, i feel like i've yet to really experience the US. the midwest is mostly a blank slate for me, and i've been dying to see chaco canyon in new mexico.

i hope everyone has had a wonderful holiday season! i've been busy knitting, catching up on movies, and trying not to buy too much clothing. i am definitely looking forward to everyone's posts in the coming year. i've become much more mindful of design in everyday life and am so very impressed by all the talented and creative people out there.

a.p.c. winter sale

quick!

marni and margiela at 13

i don't know if i'll ever be as cool as this girl (Clemence, 13 yrs old).
her younger sister, Jeanne, is equally chic.

snow day

new boots

my mom bought me these Paige riding boots by Frye from here. they haven't arrived yet, but hopefully they'll fit. i tried on the 8.5, which seemed big, so i think the 8's will be better.

stocking up on supplies

i couldn't resist these.

there must be a baby boom going on, because everyone i know is expecting (i exaggerate...). now whenever i see something nice on sale, i tend to swoop. bibs and onesies always make nice gifts, or at least that's how i justify the purchases.

back from california

i went home for the pre-holidays. it was 65 degrees and sunny. i watched tv, went shopping, and jogged.

after much waiting, i finally snagged one of Le Bouton Studio's Tog shirts. it'll arrive in a few weeks. still hoping for a Tova shirt someday.

UNIFORM studio strand necklace

bought one of these today
it'll make a nice gift, i think

yellows and greys

new peter beaton sailor shirt
agnes b skirt
rebecca taylor cardigan

one week ago...

*port2port shop update*

collaboration with lena corwin--'frost'

'cheers' and 'twinke' gift tags



now available at port2port press

rabbit on the seashore

have a happy wednesday

a.p.c. toggle coat on sale

feeling a little pessimistic about the economy and life in general? i sure am. but that doesn't stop me from loving this peter-pan collar toggle coat from a.p.c.

a.p.c. toggle coat on sale for $300, marked down from $430 at Zoe

sale at bird

a few lovely things now 25% off at Bird.

tashkent by cheyenne flats in leather and suede, now $279

repetto flats, now $129

tsumori chisato jersey tunic, now $359

isabel marant wool voile top, now $229

mociun tie-front dress, now $219

moicun shirt in stripes and aerograph print, now $59

mayle alpaca silk coat, now $769

mayle silk patchwork dress, now $469

that party dress

mociun silk and hemp tie-front dress,
aerograph print (genius)
beklina, $390

crewmutts

j crew anchors aweigh dog sweater, $65.
i think i want a dog.

a.p.c. sandals on ebay

a.p.c. white sandals from last season, originally $333. there are two auctions right now for a size 37 and 40. the buy it now price is $99, and the starting bid is $64. since i wear a 39, neither will work for me. plus, i really love my super affordable white saltwater sandals!

the end of autumn is nigh

humanoid sweater from le train bleu
plaid reverse seam shirt from steven alan
earnest sewn keatons

plum island, mass.

nomia dresses at Impulse

i am so obsessed with this simple tunic dress....

Nomia wool tunic dress, black and olive,
$298 at Impulse

Nomia black and grey wool dress, $346 at Impulse

humanoid sweater

humanoid sweater from le train bleu, $137 with toutie discount
agnes b linen skirt, $90 on sale three years ago

a.p.c. military style dress (Update)

just noticed that Creatures of Comfort is selling a variation of that military style dress. this time it's made out of wool rather than cotton. $330, sizes 34-40.

mayle angelika sweater hoodie

originally $486, $389 this weekend only
with code "NOVEMBERSALE"
for 20% off at Hejfina.
(only M left)

humanoid at last!

if it doesn't fit...

photo from Impulse
i swear, it's the last thing i'm buying for a looong time.


thanks stephanie!

more impulse: layers

tom scott sweater, mayle striped top

mayle jacket, mociun printed shirt,
a.p.c. dress, superfine jeans,
and those covetable, unavailable, a.p.c. pumps

Y's cardigan, steven alan shirt,
vanessa bruno pants, isabel marant boots

all photos by Impulse

sorry for all the blah posts, but i've been busy with school things, sending off grant applications, etc. i've also discovered that my wallet is terribly empty after buying something that i'm feeling a bit guilty about, especially since i've been working so hard at saving money. sigh.

anyway, it's finally getting cold, but i refuse to don my parka just yet. so, it looks like Impulse has the right idea with all their fabulous layered outfits. it's hard for me to look at these photos because of my newfound poverty, but they're also pretty darn inspirational. i need to dig around my closet and see what fascinating new combinations i can devise. it's all about being resourceful, right?

in spite of my penury, there is one particular item that i simply must/will buy: the Tova shirt.

rainy day outfit for bicycle

dries van noten shirt, Louis Boston
siu yin chau envelope cardigan, Impulse Seattle
earnest sewn keatons, Bloomingdales
aigle parcours boots, Active Endeavors

stephanie congdon barnes + new blog

this squirrel will be on sale today at 11am pst on stephanie's etsy site. i've been waiting for him for a while, but my chances of actually buying him are slim. her creations sell pretty darn quickly.

speaking of beautiful handmade things that sell out quickly, it sounds like jenny gordy's wiksten etsy shop will be updated pretty soon. thanks to her, i am now obsessed with 'the fashion diary of Punky B.' even if you can't read french, the photos are incredibly inspiring.