little bow-peep-tie.

Beads of rain stream down from the heavens as if Zeus himself has taken pity on our dry, frigid earth. He has opened the heavens to unleash his gift; cold, damp beads of water cling to every surface to which they land, illuminating tree branches and painting the roofs of parked cars. The romance of the Rain God’s thoughtful gesture, however, quickly washes away to reveal the February blah’s, and the one quick fix for such an ailment is none other than: shopping.

Personally I don’t have a disposable cent to my name, thus making the quest for an antidote to the dreary weather outside my window that much harder. I am forced, then, to look through my window to the world: my MacBook equipped with a reliable internet connection. Making absolutely sure all credit cards are hidden under lock and key in another room, I make my way to a precious boutique all the way in Edinburgh, Scotland, owned and operated since February 2007 by Edinburgh College of Art Masters graduate Keira Thorley.

Walking into this boutique I decided to throw caution to the wind and tell my tight budget to go to hell: I’ve got some serious imaginary spending to do. The ankle bow, pictured in cream but available in a rainbow of other colours, will go into my imaginary checkout bin for the low low price of £27.50. And not a moment too soon! I’ve been in desperate need for an ankle bow for some time. Now if only I could find out how to get those shoes to match.

Not only are the accessories (bows have never been received with so much warmth) the perfect balance of working woman offset with delicate demure, the clothes are their perfect match.

I fell in love with the Mademoiselle cut (No. 3) from her Spring/Summer 09 collection insantly, and simply had to see it up close. According to the description there is a “cheeky bow” on the back! And what no dress should be without: pockets. So many times have I had to leave a dress on the rack, virtual or otherwise, because of my lust for pockets and the lack of attainable frocks equipped with them.  The Memphis Belle (No. 1) is the same cut as the Mademoiselle, and in a virtual world where anything goes I would get both of them. I cannot get over the colour or the cut and how vintage it looks but contemporary it feels. Or is it the other way around? I’m still trying to figure it out. At £135.00 each please cue up the checkout bin with a loud, triumphant “cha-ching!”

The final item in my shopaholic basket this morning will be a two-in-one: from Keira’s Nouveau Debut collection, the Paris Nuit dress and belt; £145.00 and £65.00 respectively. The sassy leopardprint fabric (with matching leopard face!) and giant black satin cuffs and collars. According to Keira it’s made from her trenchcoat cut, which makes the garment all more interesting to stare at wistfully. The finishing touch, which can be bought in red or black leather, is the handmade Paris Nuit belt. Luckily for us fantasy shoppers, leather is Keira’s specialty.

Check out more of Keira’s fine work by clicking the logo above.

spring’s the only time for me, jolene

"Your smile is like a breath of spring/Your voice is soft like summer rain/I cannot compete with you, Jolene"

With the scent of spring wafting through the warm breezes lately I can’t help but set my sights on the next step: summer. Birds chirp harmoniously each morning, a sound that winter had sorely been lacking, and their songs herald the slow, damp death of winter. With the icy streets melting around me with each step to the corner store I cannot help myself but to welcome in the reflective images of various big name designers’ Spring/Summer advertisements.

Jolene, the White Stripes

A few weeks ago TFS had a guest article, of which I can find no trace. The article, in short, were a collection of dresses and songs that the author thought would compliment the frocks in an OST sort of way. Not only have I decided to throw caution to the wind and welcome the idea of spring with everything I’ve got, the idea of coupling a song with some of the recently distributed Spring/Summer 09 ad campaigns really appealed to me on a Monday morning.

"Well you could have your choice of men/But I could never love again/He's the only one for me, Jolene"

I chose first a somber Chanel advert featuring the elegantly styled Heidi Mount; looking listlessly out a closed window that offers enough sunlight to luminate her delicate face. The Marc Jacobs adverts featuring Raquel Zimmermann packed a romantic punch when I first laid eyes on them this morning; Raquel leans against a ladder in an unkempt orchard styled to look completely intuned with her surroundings. The third and final ad to be coupled with my musical pick is an exerpt of Chloe’s most recent campaign featuring Toni Garrn and Anna J. The heavy summer sun bakes the cradle of rocks behind the girls while it mercilously hits and misses the clothing to bring it a dazzling life of its own.

Jolene, the haunting White Stripes’ cover of Dolly Parton’s megahit I had the fortune of unearthing recently, would be the perfect soundtrack to all three of these images with varying motivations. I see Raquel as Jolene herself, not so much due to Jolene’s physical description in the song (“With flaming locks of auburn hair/With ivory skin/And eyes of emerald green”) but her expression. She is the confidently bored beauty that can sit in her beautiful mess of a garden and wait for a parade of willing suitors. Heidi, converseley, is trapped in a lavish but dull apartment in a luxurious but unaccessible city. Her face is that of a plea: “My happiness depends on you/And whatever you decide to do, Jolene.” Finally we come to Anna and Toni, two young women in search through hell or high water for their ain true: “he talks about you in his sleep/And there is nothing I can do to keep/From crying when he calls your name, Jolene.”

All images scanned by sister-d at bwgreyscale.

new month, new look.

With the shortest month reving up I’ve decided to display a haute-inspired header featuring some of the details of Christian Dior’s Haute Couture S/S 09 porcelin creations. To help me ring in the new month I went on a bit of a frugal shopping spree the other day, which I will properly document when I have a more reliable internet access. (Right now I’m on a LAN at my boyfriend’s place with all the photos of the big shop on two computers and my camera. Organization is not a priority for February, so it seems.) To tide you over, take a look at my regal elephant (ivory tusks removed, hence his peanut price tag at the Salvation Army Thrift Store)

country weaver.

Two posts in one day should count for my shameless disappearing acts, should it not?

For that masculine balance we all need be sure to check out Mark Weaver’s handy work over at his website (or click the pictures!)

we aparicio your business.

I’ve been neglectful of this blog in thinking it had to be a place solely to highlight my own thoughts, opinions, and expressions. Instead I must acknowledge that this is a beacon for all different text, including forms I cannot conceive nor execute on my own: such as drawing and painting. I’ll leave those difficult tasks for someone as talented as artist Raquel Aparicio, whose works of art leave something for the viewer to finalize for themselves and have a certain feminine appeal to me personally.

Click on any of the pictures to go to the artist’s website and view more of her stunning work or click here for her online shop.

recap: is the recession quashing comedy?

Recap is a new feature I’ll be trying out in the blog. Typically these will happen on Mondays, except for the first one because I couldn’t get all my ducks in a row yesterday. I will be recapping what happened on a randomly selected but beloved television show and provide screen captures for said show; I’m currently testing out photobucket for this task. Which show gets the honours of first you ask? Why, Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey’s 30 Rock, of course! Please note that the following will have “spoilers” what with the recapping of the show both in words and in images directly from the show.

welcome to washington.

As a Canadian, and a relatively young one at that, I have never witnessed an inauguration. American politics did not make it onto my radar until 2004, when I dated a Poli Sci student in university who had to watch the election that saw Bush into office a second time as his homework. The fact that the entire campus was abuzz with anti-Bush sentiments encouraged me to check out what was happening with my southern neighbours, and if the rumours were really true — if they were really going to elect this guy for a second time. Flukes are flukes and I think after four years we can all accept this; four years is a long time to hold a grudge. Alas, it was long enough for some to forget and forgive, some to stick to what they knew, and others to lose interest completely. The lackluster finish by Kerry resulted in a triumph for Bush, and a second triumph at that. Yahtzee.

I had heard the whispers of a name from some of my American friends who were into politics in a big way. A black senator from Illinois who was somehow making headway. I regurgitated this name to my family, a band of immigrants who have settled all over the world (including London, what is now known as Harare, Zimbabwe, Montreal, and finally Toronto) and I distinctly remember it being eschewed with the wave of a hand and an “it’s too early for that sort of talk.” At the time that seemed like a reasonable sentiment, a time where the only America that existed in my mind was one portrayed as a gas guzzling war machine with the likes of Michael Moore attempting to single-handedly stave off the ignorance and disenchantment of a nation. What his films lacked in facts they made up for in passion; a common man striving for a better tomorrow. This was all we had to combat the Bush administration: a fat liberal with a camera crew.

“It’s too early for that sort of talk” was not the attitude a certain senator could ever take to heart. And after hearing this man speak it seems virtually impossible for him to be capable of faltering, setting his dreams aside, or putting his ambition on hiatus. It’s never too early, I’m sure he would say, for anything; especially dreams. This was the sort of confidence that was necessary to uproot the listless citizens out of their Bush-induced stupor and out to rallies, to the campaign trail, to the ballots. This young, charismatic senator stood in front of an audience somewhere in the United States and commanded their rapt attention, and when he opened his mouth and spoke, he had their votes. Platforms aside, a leader can be spotted from space. We as people are drawn to strength, drawn to charisma, and drawn to youth. These three ingredients made for one delicious result come November, when it became clear that change was the new theme. Nine states switched allegiances from Republican to Democratic since the 2004 election when Barack Obama’s name appeared before them on the ballot.

My expectations as a spectator were that change was enough of a theme to ring some truth throughout the land. Not only was it thematic for the campaign trail, but it was living, breathing proof standing before us: a black man trying to become president. Voter turnout for the 2008 election was, unsurprisingly, the highest it has been in the last 40 years. Change was upon us all, and it felt so good. The disenchanted were filled with hope, the disinterested riled with passion, and the young witnessing a gradual wave of old rules making way for the new. Equality, on paper, is an admirable and already-achieved goal in the United States. Equality amongst sexes, amongst ethnicities; but it is not until a president “whose father, less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.” His dark hand on the Lincoln Bible was a comforting hand on the shoulder of a single mother,  an assuring embrace of the aging and defeated, an encouraging push to a child with a dream, and the first African-American hand to be placed firmly and humbly on the bible as he is sworn in to become the highest leader of the United States of America.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience’s sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more. — President Barack Obama’s inauguration address

carelle for the cure.

L’Oreal Paris decided to begift all the female nominees of this year’s Golden Globe Awards (the best actress in a comedy and drama categories, anyway) with an accessory for the new year. Jeweler Carelle was put to the task of designing a befitting compact for the star-studded throng of nominees, entitled “Harmony”, making one extra for charitable purposes.

You too can engage in the quest for the cure, specifically ovarian cancer, by bidding on this stunning gift meant for the stars. You and Angelina can swap stories about the handy accessory and the struggle of a loved one battling cancer for only $500! Play your cards right on this one, though; the price will undoubtedly skyrocket as the piece is valued at $3650 USD.

According to the eBay auction information, Harmony “is a silver compact plated in 18K gold with shimmering combination of lemon citrine and pale green quartz stones with diamond details in honor of the Golden Globes. The compact evokes a calming, balanced aura with yellow citrines that symbolize optimism, positive energy and enhanced creativity. The yellow is a perfect compliment to green as it represents harmony and “attracts success.”

To place your bid, be sure to log in and check out the eBay auction page here.

66th golden globes.

The recession, coupled with my unemployment, meant that the Golden Globes came and went under a “stealth” cloaking device. I haven’t been to a theater since I saw Burn After Reading and have thus been completely blindsided by this year’s nominees for any and every forthcoming awards ceremony. It turns out there was no need to mark my calendar for this year’s event, either, as most of the gowns — which, unlike the films, I can appreciate — were making a cameo from every star’s high school prom debacles. Since I’ve been treating this website like my full time job lately it seemed only fitting that I spend the entire day creating awards for last night’s attendees.

record year for rainfall.

Forgive my tardiness, Decemberists, on unearthing your latest releases.

As listeners patiently await the March 24th (March 23rd in the UK) release of, according to sources, an epic rock-opera-to-be, the Oregon-based musical act decided many months ago to descend upon us unworthy devotees a three volume single series, entitled Always the Bridesmaid: A Singles Series.

Save for Days Of Elaine, which has three, each volume has two songs for the audophile’s listening pleasure. That’s seven brand spankin’ new songs to tide you over until March; pretty decent of Colin Meloy and co. And if the likes of Valerie Plame, the first song of the first volume, is any indication of the upcoming LP The Hazards of Love I think both fans and new listeners alike will be suitably impressed with the noticeable progression this troupe has made since The Crane Wife.

The instrumental sagas that fill the speakers, even during the adorable Velvet Underground I’m Sticking With You cover, leave patrons full after four minutes. It’s a satisfying meal to inhale all three volumes in the order of which they appear on their discography. Not only do the plethora of instruments astound the senses but, once again, Colin Meloy’s poetic endeavors playfully compliment the banjos, sliding guitars, organs, trombones and perfectly timed chorus of background vocals.

Nostalgia of the band’s earlier efforts translates literally through Meloy’s iambic vocals as he leads the entire ensemble through verses such as “And I had lost my token / You were looking bent and broken / Staring sideways with the rain coming down” and “I got a temper set for tender / and you were shrugging it off like a feather / saying, ‘oh, would you look at this weather’.”

Always The Bridesmaid: A Singles Series provides fodder as we stoke our patience until March, but should not be dismissed or overlooked due to its size. Collectively these tunes will play an important part in your iTunes library, and of any fan’s Decemberist collection along with the likes of Culling Of The Fold, The Perfect Crime, and O Valencia!

Rating:

*Tracklisting for The Hazards of Love and Always The Bridesmaid after the jump!