Spring Mix: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly.

PLUS

PLUS

EQUALS

Some of the ingredients for an amazing past few days!

(my boyfriend played the biggest role in making it awesome!)

So many ideas have been bouncing around my head for quite awhile now. While being immersed in the Portland culture for the past four days & five nights I have had countless things I have been wanting to delve more into. Luckily, the new October issue was on stands for me to grab before I got on my flight.

My tweet deck had been sending countless reminders of new lines that have been making their way down runways in Milan during my stay. Needless to say, I've been busy in between seeing the wonderful, wonderful sights that Oregon & Washington had to offer us.

Before I start getting into designer lines, I'll speak my mind about the fashion vibes in Portland. Wow, what a great city! Not only when it comes to funky fashion, but the people are just down right awesome. One of the first stops I had to make was Goodwill. I LOVE thifting. I think it is the best ways to create your outfits and you can really make something your own with what you find. It's like going shopping in 1,000 closets of people of all decades with different styles. I lucked out immensely with this particular one. Almost everything on the hangers was designer. I ended up with a divine purple polyester BCBG top with a long tie-wrap around the waist (reminds me of something you would find in the Ralph Lauren 2010 fall line) I got another top as well. I will have to post a picture;

...but the real winner of the bunch was a beautiful Pendleton coat (made in Oregon) in a deep red. I was absent minded and forgot my coat for the voyage, but knew that I would get to buy one whilst we were there. When I tried it on in the store, three people came up to me and said "You need to buy that coat, it's simply gorgeous and in perfect condition." I snagged this little luxury for only fifty dollars! I couldn't believe my luck, especially since I did not have the desire to spend more than that since I have plenty of coats floating around the house. "They" say never buy a red coat, but "they" can go to hell, it's perfect, especially for holiday time.

I actually just chopped even more of my hair off.

Professional shears are dangerous for me to have.

It more so resembles a longer bob now.

With such fabulous thrifting, so many people are decked out in the coolest threads. I loved that about Portland. Sort of that "Let your freak flag fly" mentality. Which of course, is my favourite.

On to the designers.... I checked out a few collections this past week as the updates rolled in from all over via fashion tweets. heh (this all sounds quite lame to me. I never. ever. ever thought that I would have a twitter, but I do and I love it. dammit.) A few stand out to me; for reasons good and bad. Jil Sander is one of those. I normally like things by Jil Sander. But only through ads I've seen in Vogue over the years. I actually saw one of her dresses in the September issue and I loved it. When I saw the tweet about the latest Jil Sander line, I tapped the screen with a finger and wasn't exactly "in love" with what I saw. I saw big horizontal stripes across the body, unflattering, no shape, etc. But to be fair, I came back to the spring 2011 line multiple times to see if my mind would change the more I saw it. You know, like music, the more you hear it, the more you like it (sometimes.) So here we go; half of page three & page four is probably their only highlights and that is mostly in reference to colour. A lot of it is used here and I love that, I just disdain the shape of the clothes.

This is really the only thing I liked.

Some of the ones I did not like. At All.

see?! no shape!

These clothes are so expensive. They are supposed to make a woman feel wonderful about herself. I cannot see myself ever paying a lot for these garments. The female form should be celebrated and or at least silhouetted in some way. This line didn't do it for me.

On the other hand...we have some lines that I will be lusting over for a long, long time. Hats off to Aquilano.Rimondi & Versus! I love the patterns, the colours, the plaid, the line...really everything! It was hard to only pick six from each that I loved. They just make me gush!

.VERSUS.

mmm. mmm. mmm.

Excuse me, plaid just became extremely sexy.

I have admired the plaid look going around for the past few years, but I was never really into the grunge look so I always hesitate with plaid. I think sometimes it looks dashing and sometimes I hate the look so much. It's all about the rest of the outfit and the occasion. This looks like 'Little
House On The Prairie' all sexed up. I want this whole line.

.Aquilano.Rimondi.

Just PERFECT for spring. This line gives me such a good vibe. It looks like something Margot Tenenbaum would wear if she were 30 years old in the 60's hipster era. However they look like things I would wear now. I also love the one length long hair on these models. It goes perfectly with the clothes and the mood of it all.

But I cannot get too caught up in spring clothes just yet. For the time is coming for tons and tons of layers for me, simply because my body cannot handle these Chicago Winters. It's a season for me where my whole closet gets to jump in the mix. The Versus line holds more inspiration for me now because of the plaids. Plaids have always gotten me into fall, whether or not I wore them or not. They just remind me of the leaves changing colours and the crisp fall air. I am SO EXCITED.

Ah. My thoughts are finally put in their place for now.

This sunny day is making me chipper! Normally it's the opposite.

Hope you all tuned into Dexter on Sunday.

Ralph, The September Issue, and the whole gang!

Ah. The September issue of Vogue has been in my possession for seven days. (I know, I'm late on this one)

& it is time to delve in to the favourites.

I have always liked Vogue for its smart writing, and yes,

Vogue does have articles in between the countless number of ads. (although I love the ads)

A few articles really caught my eye this issue and a few trends definitely do not make my list of things I will try to replicate or, well, re-create.

So if you have an issue of Vogue, grab it, and lets crack this thing open!

"Suitably Understated" was maybe my favourite article of the issue (pg. 486)

It's short and sweet, but the idea makes me swoon.

Ralph Lauren himself worked with this woman to create the perfect work ensamble. Something masculine, but when on the feminine figure would transform into nothing but sex and class. At the same time you ask? Leave it to Ralph- and his team of perfectly picked Italian men who flew in directly to make a suit for the author of the article. This is the classic look I was talking about, and when incorporated in the work place can create just the right mindset for success.

Casual Fridays bring out the best in me because I can ditch the god awful (worst thing I have ever seen) polo that I am forced to wear (you have no idea what this does to my creativity and mood). Anywhoooo..this article was a hit with me. I love the idea of meeting with one of the best designers of our time, talking about the mundane but also about his work over the course of his life. Not only to meet with him, but to coordinate a suit with your opinions and his to create perfection. Ah, lucky you, Sally Singer.

While we are on the subject of Ralph Lauren, I guess we can talk about the fall line, which I am in love with just as much as the latest Oscar de la Renta fall collection. I'll post a few pictures that will speak for themselves, but before they do, I guess I'll put a word in (that's so like me). I love the use of velvet in some of these outfits. Velvet brings me back to the days where I was 8 and getting custom figure skating dresses made for competitions. I love how rich it makes the outfit look, literally and figuratively. It's just gorgeous and especially for the autumn months and when incorporated in a layered kind of look. Bonus points if the velvet is super dark in colour, deep reds, dark greens, black, dark greys, etc. I love how he takes classic fall colours and that that all american, equestrienne-esque kind of look, but makes it high fashion, yet approachable? Perhaps that's not the right wording, but it's all I've got. On to the pictures. For more, go here.

There are so many great elements here. Whimsical high fashion is the best way to describe it now that I have it all laid out here.

Stop your drooling.

Something that made me do the exact opposite of swoon ::insert own imagery here:: was featured on page 508. "A little slouch goes a long way". I will disagree. It actually goes nowhere with me. While I don't mind most of what Hessnatur creates, I can't say that I love this hat that makes you look like a mouse that went roaming under the bed who came out with a sock on your head... see here. (and note, the picture in the magazine makes it look less appealing than this even)

For now, this is not a trend I'm on board with. However, it might be one of those things like animal prints, some people make them look fantastic, while others make you want to donate your jacket to save them further embarrassment. Who knows, I may bite my tongue later.

I loved the article "Breaking Ground" on page 554 about a Woman that lives and struggles with MS. My Grandmother has MS and it was good to gain some other perspective, learn more about it, and read about the advancements they have made in regards to treating it. Good questions were also brought up in reference to women and why they seem to struggle with more autoimmune diseases than men. Overall, a good read, plus it gave me a reason to e-mail my Grandmother.

Anthony Vaccarello also gave a great interview/story to Mark Holgate on page 520 in "PARIS when it SIZZLES". I really enjoyed what he had to say. Especially "Every season I try to grow but I like...a wardrobe of the essential pieces a woman needs right at that moment." Perfect. He also keeps his passion to himself and his work associates, saying he "...doesn't talk about fashion" when he is around friends. I admire that, sometimes I think the most important things should be the things least likely to share with just anyone because this way you have no external influence on your personal decisions. I need to remember that.

And one more quick note appears on page 324; Blake Lively looks amazing here. This is the best picture of her that I've seen. I can see that picture being one that follows her throughout her life. You know, like one of those books that will come out in 2045 that features fashion from our era.

Kind of like this one that I have that is simply amazing...that features the biggest designers, models, etc. of the past 65 years.

Good work, Mario Testino! Another great shot captured. See here;

Of course there are other many other great highlights in the September issue. I just pointed out a few quick favourites.

I'll leave you with a last photo of my outfit from today. I dig it. I am loving the mismatched prints. I feel most comfortable the more outlandish my clothes are. I am so glad that colder weather is on its way! I can layer layer layer! I really utilize my closet in the winter because I love having all sorts of things on top of each other. Hope you enjoy!

Have a wonderful week! Mix some prints!

The tales of Oscar & the perfect fall line.

Music with no words gives me more time to think, but allows my thoughts to montage themselves perfectly in that movie preview sort of way. After getting bored of almost all the playlists on my iPod, I ended up opening up my music library and leaving it up to chance. Luckily, something perfect always pops up. Today, it was Yann Tiersen and his song La Noyee. This was the perfect thing for me to contemplate life to for awhile. So I did. Over and over. I thought about thousands of things. The best things come to me while I'm driving along. His music always inspires me. The songs make me want to walk along the streets of France with a baguette in hand, or they make me want to get on the ice and try out straight-line footwork, or they make me want to wear fabulous outfits and do fabulous things. With such great thoughts, I never wanted to stop driving.

Then a thought popped into my head. There should be a fashion line based upon the music of one artist or a group of artists, or a genre. Music drives about 86% of my inspiration, I'm sure many designers have music on while designing. I don't think it has ever been labeled as a piece of clothing being inspired by a song or an album. It gets me thinking... maybe I shall get something in the works.

After poking around vogue.com for awhile, the verdict is in!...

Oscar has got it this season.

I am officially in love with I'd say about 84% of the fall collection.

Oscar de la Renta has always been one of my favourite designers.

I still remember a Vogue from 2004 with Natalie Portman on the cover that featured an Oscar de la Renta dress that I just loved. His clothes are a tad flirty, but always with the times and almost timeless. I LOVE his use of colour. He has always incorporated colours extremely well. His direction with the gem tones mixed with black and white and earth tones makes the line look like optimistic high fashion. Something for everyone. There aren't enough words for me to sum it up. It just makes me giddy. Don't worry, I'll post a few pictures, that would just be cruel if I went without...

The hat is perfect.

I love how elaborate the coat is.

The skirt is just at the right length to go with the rest of the outfit.

People say that models are supposed to just be the clothes hanger, but in this picture, she makes this outfit look damn good.

The coat is too good.

mmm. mmm. mmm.

the colour is perfect!

Looks peacocks instilled the inspiration for these colours!

This coat makes such a good statement. I love it.

I have a feeling it's a 6ft tall kind of coat and not a 5'3 kind of coat. Damn.

You know what, no, I think I could pull that off. heh

Love the colour. Love the cut. I love how the material looks so old and so perfect.

This is my favourite piece of the collection.

I want to wear it every day the week of Halloween.

WOW! (just thought of how awesome that would be!)

Ha, I opened up this blog to post about fur. My thoughts and my favourites. But before actually typing anything, Oscar got to me. That's okay, there are really no regrets.

Oh god. What a tease. Check it all out here.

Speaking of Halloween, I have only slight ideas of a look I could go for this year.

Hopefully that works out...

Halloween puts such tasty things in my mind like Chili Dogs, Apple Cider, miniature size candies, and those little orange and black holiday edition hostess cupcakes! (hopefully they still make those!) I am more excited than I thought! Well, as long as I get all of those things, I will be a happy clam. I dig passing out candy to the little boppers in fun little costumes, but I enjoy eating it more. Hurrah!

And yes, there will be pumpkin carving this year!

Enjoy that collection!

cold cut classics.

Sometimes I feel it's all about that signature look.

the signature is everything.

You know, that look that you've established and made your own and people associate you with it.

I had always wanted to make something my own, have my own association;

a long braid or fitted black pants with a white button up, or big earrings or hats. Or hell even a perfume would have sufficed. Then I read an article (not this particular one) about someone who actually has made this come to life. Alexandra Kotur, the style director of Vogue has created her very own signature look as part of her daily work outfit, which has become well known and well admired among her co-workers. She appears everyday in dark fitted pants, navy/brown/or black. The shirt is always a light color, either white or off-white and it's a button down. The shoes on her feet are either loafers or ballet flats. Classic. I love this idea. She wears no makeup and pulls her hair back into a bun Monday-Friday. For events, this is really the best part, she "transforms" with makeup, beautiful jewelery, and anything but her usual workday self acquired uniform. What a trickster! (& I love it.) Although my job allocates creativity and is much more laid back than anything you'll find in the corporate office world, sometimes I long to have an office job so I can create new looks each day. The word "uniform" makes me CRINGE. Especially if this consists of a pre-made company polo and if a visor is involved, forget it, I won't even apply. Wearing a set uniform retards my creativity flow a great deal. I briefly worked at Marshall Fields right before they turned into Macy's. Marshall Fields allowed you to wear what you wanted as long as that consisted of something nice. Macy's turned off the creativity and amped up the class (in uniform standards, anyways) and went with an all black dress code and now as a direct result (I wear a lot of black) I get mistaken for an employee often when I go into Macy's. The only perk of this transition was that Marshall Field employees received 50% off EVERYTHING black in the whole store in order to prepare for the new dress code standard. Unfortunately, that was my only job thus far that allowed you to pick your own clothes for work. How depressing...

The problem for me and a "trademark" look is that you can't really pin me to a specific style. I have always had this revolving door look going for me where some days I look like I came out of a goddamn Gap catalog and other days I look like I did some searching in my Grandma's closet or just got off stage at a concert. This has always worked for me, but it lacks the trademark. As for perfume goes, I have always had this fascination with what a perfume can do for you. They say scent is closest related to memory. It is about the impression you want to give and the scent you want to last. I think when you chose a perfume for the evening, you are subconsciously choosing a mood. Of course, your clothes reflect that and should encompass how you feel, but the scent is almost what can make that outfit come to life and can make those inner senses come out. People can also react differently to you based upon your scent. The thought is thrilling. Therefore, you can never just have one perfume in your collection, it needs to be an elaborate mix of sweet, spicy, strong, and sexy. With the right scent, you might just own the night. Remember that.

looks I LOVE.

too perfect for fall.

All I want this year is a Mink coat. A knee length mink.

A mink for winter and a Trench for fall.

I cannot wait to inherit my moms furs.

Everything Jackie wore was a hit.

I normally disdain white sunglasses. They remind me of an ex-boyfriends mom.

This is someone who should have NOT been wearing white sunglasses.

To me, they take a lot to pull off and they have to be the perfect frame shape.

I LOVE these sunglasses though.

along with....

On the days where I wear a black turtle neck and black skinny pants, I feel like that should be what I wear every day. I love it, it's easy, and I'm always reminded of classic Audrey.

However, I'm too colourful of a person for all black all the time.

& perfumes that need to be mine.

I started wearing Marc Jacobs perfume when I was a freshman in high school.

For such a long time his scents had this heavy gardenia base & all smelled similar.

However, this smells nothing like his signature fragrance and I still love it!

I love Chance but don't have the original. Unfortunately, I only smell this when I go into a mall and douse myself with it, and I try to avoid malls. However, I need to make this scent mine.

Perfect timing for me to swing back into my fashion phase. Right when I need to stop blowing money and start hiding it like crazy under my mattress (or a bank account?) It is vital. Absolutely vital that I stop blowing money. So I can just be thankful that Christmas is coming up and leave it at that. If I want any new clothes, they must be thrifted. I might choose Vogue over food too, I feel it feeds me better.

the "REALLY?!" post + Toby!

Just some thoughts.

So I drive on the high way almost everyday for a good 80 minutes total. I see a lot of cars and well, a lot of stupid shit. I disdain when I pass a BMW, "the ULTIMATE" driving machine. Even more so when I'm only doing something like 65. I hate it even worse when I see they are dealer plates and they are test driving a vehicle. I cannot help but think, this is a high way, you're in a dream machine, PRESS DOWN ON THE GAS. Those people should not be allowed to purchase a BMW. There is only one exception here, and that is for my father, who I like to call a true war hero (yeah, Vietnam). He owns a BMW 5 series. I believe it is an '05. My dad drives under the speed limit. He has set the car to make a pleasant ringing noise once he hits 40 MPH. Given, my dad has a 15 minute drive to work where all the roads are 35 MPH speed limits, but REALLY?! I don't think he has ever gotten a ticket. So if you see a 5 series scootin' around Naperville with vet plates, don't get mad, just pass him, flash a smile, and wave. He means no harm.

Something that I also find just plain stupid is men who spend $50,000 on an SUV and allow their wives to prance home from places like Target and Just Ducky with those god awful family stickers and put them on the back. You know what I'm talking about. Those little decals where it shows the Dad (he is ALWAYS the tallest one), the mom (who is doing something stupid like wearing yoga pants or curling her hair), a little girl (she will have ballet slippers on or maybe pom poms in hand), and a little boy (he will be wearing a lame polo and holding a golf club or tennis racket). OH don't even dare forget about the pets that have their own little stickers. What self respecting male allows this to happen? REALLY?! You're going to have your whole little family stuck on the back of your automobile. I always have to chuckle also because in the series 'Dexter' a serial killer uses those stickers to track down a victim. ha ha ha. Drive on, assholes.

See here. REALLY?!

But on a whole other note, things are going very well. I needed to get those thoughts out.

So to not make this post completely useless, I suppose I will mention our new cat that came into our lives yesterday! A woman I met in school posted a status that she needed to find a home for her cat, Toby. Luckily, we ended up getting him and he is the best cat ever! I think he really digs it here, he is great company :)

One rad cat.

Best in show + bleach.

Before we get to anything else...

Natalie Merchant must be mentioned.

I believe I saw one of my favourite shows on Thursday July 22, 2010.

no no, I KNOW I saw one of my favourite shows.

My mom and I outside the Chicago Theater

I wrote a review on Ticketmaster's website, so I'll link that.

REVIEW

**I've decided to copy it here:

WOW. This was amazing. My mom turned me on to Natalie Merchant when I was about 5 years old and in return I bought her a ticket and yes, we were the "Mother Daughter?" group that she asked about :) I fell in love with her work in 10,000 Maniacs and that music still reminds me of my youth, although this music has gathered more respect and adoration to me as time goes on. I loved her solo work, Tigerlily & Ophelia. I have to admit, I was not well versed in her new album. I had some idea that they were nursery rhyme related but didn't know the whole background. I actually kind of wanted to go to this show and not know what to expect. However, I looked at prior set lists the night before to see what Chicago was in for and loved what I saw. New & OLD. But not just old as in solo, but bringing back stuff from the 10,000 Maniacs days.

As she approached the stage, she seemed so strong. As you watched her perform, she confirmed that. She is exactly that, a strong woman with so much to sing about and tell about. She more so gave a presentation. Her new album is composed of poems from various poets, over many decades, from different areas of the world. As she went into each song, she used a powerpoint to deliver pictures while she shared information about each one. It was such a unique concert. What is even more unique is the fact that she was able to turn old poems into new songs that can deliver with such flair and technique. I loved that she talked to the crowd SO much. I love it when an artists connects with the people who come to see them. It makes it much more personal and enjoyable.

I was lucky enough to snag the one and only set list for the show...The first 15 songs were from her new album.

Part 1: Crying My Little One, Sleepy Giant, Man In The Wilderness, King of China, Sailor O Sailor, Spring & Fall, Maggie & Milly & Maggie & Mae, Peppery Man, Janitor's Boy, Bleezer's Ice Cream, Isabel, Calico Pie, If No One Ever Marries Me, The Dancing Bear, Equestrienne

So for "The Dancing Bear" I really wanted to dance in the aisle because I love that song and how funky the instruments are. I had seats in the back and people back there were like "rush the stage!" so I went up right by the staged and just danced my heart out. It was Natalie Merchant. I don't know if I'll get to see her live, so of course I'm going to enjoy myself. This is when I ended up snagging a spot right up front. At the end of this set when people started clearing out, I ran back to get my mom to come and sit up front with me. This is an important factor...

Okay that was all in order. For the second half, the crowd got a little goofy. People were calling out requests and it was so funny with shout outs like "Freebird!", "Smoke On The Water", "Dust In The wind!!" Her guitarists starts playing 'Dust In the Wind' and she went with it for awhile, but they didn't match on a key so they continued to joke with the crowd. She didn't really stick to the set list order and they just kind of went with it. She started with..

Part 2: Wonder, River, The Worst Thing, Break Your Heart, Carnival, The Letter, and I honestly forgot the order of the last songs, but she ended with Kind and Generous. WOW. HOW amazing. She spotted me numerous times (I was wearing her merchandise--which has a great design) and at the end for 'Kind & Generous" My mom and I were dancing and she looked down at us and asked "Mother Daughter?" ha ha. That was awesome.

Overall it was an AMAZING show. The best concert I've ever been to. A moment that really stood out to me and I don't know why is her taking her hair down about 6 songs into the act. As I said, she came out and appeared VERY strong and poised. I guess it was her loosening up. But it stood out to me.

The only downside of this entire experience would be the surplus of people getting up and down for liquor. That's the problem with shows today (as I'm only 22 I suppose I know nothing about shows in the 60's-70's-80's) is the fact that liquor is sold. Flasks were fine--there was enough to getcha by. Now people just go too overboard and can sometimes ruin the experience for others.

I really wish I held a ticket to other shows. Hopefully one day she will be back!

Favorite moment: "The Dancing Bear", "Kind & Generous", and her talking to the crowd and enjoying herself as well.

Okay. On to what is going on in the now...

this first sentence will surely contradict that, but I'll getcha back on track

A few months ago, I packed up the important tangibles and moved in with my boyfriend.

Over these past few months we have accomplished so many things in this house. It feels more home-y with every picture of us on vacation that we hang. So earlier in the week, my mom had phoned asking if she could stop by the place. A few factors had gotten in the way of that sooner (i.e. we had to get our house in order, we took a vacation, so did they, and they have a summerhouse they spend weekends at, etc) so now was the time.

This was no little simplistic "aw, my parents are coming." Well, it sort of was, but mostly it was like "This is your time to prove yourself. There will be no dust or dirt." This feeling was brought on by my parents telling me my whole life "We can't wait to come to your house and see how you life when you're all out on your own with no one to clean up after you."

I keep a clean quarters naturally. It's a completely different circumstance when you are living under a roof that is not your parents. Most people take initiative to clean up after themselves and maintain a reasonable amount of cleanliness. It just matters when it's your shit that we are talking about. It's a tad unfortunate, but it's just the name of the game.

I knew what I was in for. I knew that I would have to deep clean. Like I said, I have a clean house, but I needed to go all out, I need the bleach to soak in my pores and wear its scent with pride. I needed a pack of sponges, 3 rolls of economy size paper towels, and a lot of determination. Eric equipped me with a new vacuum and dust buster to really get things going. I windex-ed away smudges and wiped away the dust on the window sills. Overall, I put in 12+ hours of cleaning. I probably did way more than I should have, but now I feel like our house is so clean, there are no more dusties hanging out in corners anymore. What an accomplishment. When you have any size space to maintain, there is always a point of ease while trying to do so. There is always a time where it will be clean and then a time where less time will be spent tidying and eventually it's something you have to "put aside time" to do. So for now we are in the clean cycle and I WILL maintain it. Unfortunately, my parents only breathed the air in my house for less than twenty minutes. However, I think they thought it was pretty clean. I'm sure it was worth the 14 hours...

At least we got Chinese food at our favourite restaurant before they headed out. I cannot go a week without it!

For now, I want to enjoy my clean floors and carpet with vacuum lines in them!

G'night!

-Tessa