pick-me-uppers

I know it is an age-old adage, but there is nothing that makes one feel better than beautiful spring flowers. My intention was to go grocery shopping today, but somehow I ended up at the local farmer's market (there is nothing I currently miss more at home, besides my cat, than the Sunday Farmer's market), where my bad day turned into a beautiful one after purchasing a bouquet of snapdragons, wild thistles, hollyhock, daisies, and bluebells (how could I not be happy? those are all my very favorite flowers). 

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I also did a tiny bit of thrift store shopping... where I purchased a lovely collared dress and the prettiest short pink skirt. (summer is approaching, after all, which always calls for a minor wardrobe update...)

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I bought apricots, white peaches, cherries, and strawberries (and apricot, cherry, and raspberry thumbprint cookies!)

And then, I came across the absolute best part of the market. I haven't explored this one much, so I had no idea that there's a woman who regularly sells old brooches there! I came away with an adorable one of two bunnies kissing, and a lovely golden unicorn. The beautiful ballerina necklace also came in the mail today, from a pen-pal, Samantha. 

Things are beginning to look up. Simple pleasures seem to have that effect on me. x

little things

This week, I haven't been trying on designer wedding gowns, or having grand picnics in the park... but rather, through all the stress that the end of the school-year brings, I've been enjoying all the little things; the insignificant, beautiful moments I encounter every day.

For instance, these flowers have appeared outside of my building. They are the loveliest thing to greet me every day when I step outside.

I organized my bag (my trusty leather satchel) the other day... I always seem to delight at little collections of things, and this one is no exception (and it's marvelous that I can see it every day, no matter where I am.)

Today's outfit.
Straw hat (thrift store) / blouse (ebay) / knee socks (UO)  / corduroy skirt (American Apparel) / purse (J. Crew, for my birthday)

I've watched all sorts of films in the past week... I saw Moonrise Kingdom the other night (finally!) and it was brilliant, and then I re-watched Cleo from 5 to 7 and Une Femme est Une Femme the other day. I was very inspired by the utter beauty of Anna Karina, and attempted to give myself ringlets and 1960's eye makeup....

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wedding bells

 Not real wedding bells, of course, but something equally exciting! I had a terribly long week, and the other night, after a long shift at work, all I wanted to do was crawl into bed and have some sweet dreams... however, I had the wonderful opportunity to live a dream instead. One of my close friends here at school happens to work for a prolific fashion magazine, and he styled a wedding-themed photo-shoot the other day. When he called me and told me to come to his room and check out some dresses that he had, I was not in a million years expecting what I saw.  I was in utter shock and awe, and in complete euphoria! I still feel as if I'm part of some elaborate fairytale.... the beauty of it all hasn't quite worn off yet.

 This is what I saw when I walked into his room. A huge dress rack filled with dozens of beautiful gowns. I nearly hyperventilated at the sight. x

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And then... this dress. The photograph above, on the right, captures my complete disbelief at wearing a $15,000 Monique Lhuillier gown. Though the style of it looks quite vintage, it's apparently not even on the runways yet! It was quite literally the loveliest thing I have ever worn.

We spent quite a bit of time taking impromptu photographs in the dormitory hallway. Fortunately (or perhaps unfortunately!) no one walked by, as it was past midnight... this dress was my favorite, and it also happened to be the priciest. A $20,000 Vera Wang gown! I felt like I had hopped out of the page of a fairytale. x

And this beautiful Oscar de la Renta gown was also dreadfully intimidating, price-wise, but absolutely stunning, with layer after layer of lace and chiffon petticoats. I would live in these dresses if I could, but alas, they're back at the studio now.... 

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please mr. postman

First of all: wow! Three posts in a row, and 7 posts in May already? I didn't think I'd be using this blog so much, but it really is so convenient to catalogue the bits of loveliness I encounter in life. I'll try to take a short break from posting after this post, I promise.

On one hand, I finally got some film developed (and by some, I mean I had 8 rolls of film stacked up from the beginning of this year, and only now took them all to the lab!) I'm quite pleased with my results, though I'm not quite as pleased with the current price for film developing. I also found some little surprises when I got my film back: simple photographs of things around home that I took to finish off a few rolls.

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My shell collection (at school).

My desk at home, in December. 

My bed and prom dress at home, in April. 

My bed and art wall at home, in April. 

I also organized my trinkets today in my new wooden box. I have a thing for golden brooches! 

Also, my new pen-pal, Sarah, sent me some beautiful things in the mail this afternoon. It was so much fun opening her package, and uncovering each treasure, piece by piece (they were all so carefully and sweetly wrapped in pale pink tissue paper). Everything is so whimsical and so very me, too!

I was so excited to see what lay inside those wrapped parcels... also, aren't these pinecones so cute? 

Sarah sent me a rose-scented candle in a gorgeous porcelain box, some floral garland/ribbon, a tiny embroidered handkerchief, and...

A lion, a rabbit, and a lovely floral brooch!

Hooray for pen-pals (and sorry for all of the posts!). x

'filmspiration'

I have had a very long list of movies-to-see for a very long time. At the beginning of this year (speaking of that, I can't believe it's mid-May already!), I decided that over the summer, I would try to watch every single film on my list (which averages to about one film per day). It's certainly do-able, though I've already managed to get a very small head-start, as I've been watching more films than usual lately. Every time I watch a film, I can't help but keep a running catalog in my mind of all the images onscreen that I'd like to see in still-form. Fortunately, I was able to find some of my favorite screenshots online. x

The Virgin Spring, Ingmar Bergman

 The Wicker Man, Robin Hardy

Donkey Skin, Jacques Demy

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Diary of a Shinjuku Thief, Nagisa Oshima

Belle de Jour, Luis Buñuel

As far as films I want to see go, I'm pretty excited for Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom! Just look at that fashion. x

era proms & thrifting

It was one of those weekends where one of the days is the most beautiful day you've had in a while and the other one is the saddest day you've had in a while (I'll stick to the beautiful day, though). My friend had a birthday party with the theme "era prom" this weekend, and I of course took that opportunity to find a silky, lacy, pastel-colored 1950's chiffon dress! In my quest for said dress, however, I also uncovered some other beauties at the charity shop, and made a much needed stop at the post-office to mail parcels to pen-pals...

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Just look at this perfect thing. I've never thought of checking the sleepwear section at Goodwill before, but, lo and behold, they have some beautiful vintage robes and nightgowns! This thing is fairly see-through and floor length, but I have a feeling I'm going to embark on an effort to change it into a blouse. That collar is just too perfect to resist.

These darling twins are two of my favorite people ever. Though my 1950's dress contrasted quite a bit with their 1970's prom outfits!

I also found a wonderful wooden box (there are tiny flowers engraved on the top of it), and a hollow swan figurine, and a beautiful glass jar with the loveliest engraved metal top.

I can not believe I found this. I picked it up thinking it was a brooch or a small pill box (it's a gorgeous shiny golden clam shell, but it's actually a measuring tape!) I simply can not resist lovely things that are actually tiny little useful tools.

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I bought this dress ages ago at a thrift store for only a dollar or two, even though it was 10 sizes too big. It's floor length and stiff and terribly baggy, but I can't imagine a more perfect pattern, and I'm determined to make it into something perfect for this summer. Perhaps separates - a corset top and a long skirt? x

picnic at hanging rock

Well, not quite hanging rock - or any rock, for that matter, but rather a lovely evening picnic dinner with someone quite wonderful in a beautiful garden...

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I must take a photo of my own outfit for said picnic. I got the loveliest floral blouse at Goodwill the other day, and it's the perfect shade of May pastels! x

thistle

To one and all: I have embarked on a new project, which you can learn about here and here.

I have always wanted to work for a magazine - to be the Grace Coddington of Vogue, or contributor to 'Lula', and so on. Hopefully, this is my way into that world - oh, it would be so lovely to have my own sort of 'Lula'... x

May queen

Brace yourselves for a long, rather jumbled post! Today was a good Monday. Summer is very much in the air: it was warm and the sun was out and I could wear the sheerest of tights and not be cold, which I haven't done in what seems like a very long time! Today was a day of dresses and flower chains, summer's first sweet strawberries and sunlight...

I found a little grove of pretty trees on my way back from class, and took the opportunity to take some (bad) phone-quality outfit photos. I'm certain I looked silly, with my handmade flower-chain.

 It's wonderful to have fresh, locally grown berries again... there is something quite special about sweet, red California strawberries. And hardly anything beats my favorite jam-filled shortbread cookies (I get them at the local Whole Foods bakery, and they're quite hard to resist. They don't seem to be a universal item at that chain of stores, unfortunately...)

And then I indulged in dress-up. There are simply too many dresses out there that I'd like to just stare at all day, not actually purchase and wear, like this lovely sailor-inspired one.

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My friend is having a birthday party on Friday with the theme "Era Prom". Of course, I naturally chose the 1950's, and embarked on a quest to find a beautiful 50's prom dress (if only I weren't at school right now; I could wear my lovely butter yellow 50's chiffon high-school prom dress!) I tried on so many terribly expensive, full-skirted pastel dresses just for the fun of it, but I came away with the peach-colored one above. I also purchased the silkiest, most darling sleepwear piece: a beautiful white top with tiny blue embroidered flowers, and also, a gorgeous lacy long white dress!

Oh, and these two dresses fell into the "ones I was trying on just for the fun of it" category. I don't even want to think about their prices. It's too bad they were so lovely, and that they both fit like a glove...

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