dirty hems.

are you serious?

2010-03-16T23:13:00.002-05:00

6th Street Austin, SXSW 2008 by moi.

I feel like I should apologize for lack of posts lately. My excuse is that I AM DEATHLY ILL. Well, sort of. My throat is raw, my sinuses are draining and I feel like a 400 pound man is squatting on my chest. I have the energy of a 90 year old at five in the evening & the synapses to match. I am using all available resources to string these sentences together, believe you me.

Thursday we leave for our SXSW adventure and I WILL BE DAMNED if I'm going to be sick for it. So I am pumping my body with vitamins, drinking about twenty of those Emergen-C packets a day and generally just praying constantly. PLEASE.

It probably doesn't help that I went out last night and smoked half a pack of cigarettes, but you know what I WAS BORED.

& tomorrow is St. Patricks Day and you know I can't stay home for that. I have red hair people! It's kind of required.

I did, however, finish up a DIY project yesterday which I am really excited to show y'all. Hopefully I'll have the photographs and entry done before I leave Thursday morning.

Please please please let me get well.

medieval mcqueen.

2010-03-13T19:03:00.003-06:00

L'Instruction d'un jeune prince, Foliant de Ionnal

Saint Margaret of Antioch, Unknown

The Visitation, Master Heinrich of Constance

Many, many things have already been said about Alexander McQueen's final collection. I will let the images do the talking.

The last image is from an amazing piece of artwork I found while researching the medieval art I sourced for this post, which I would like to share with you, in case there are those among my readers who have a lust for historical costume. It is called the Babenberger Genealogie, done by Hans Part, a panel painting showing the female genealogy of the Babenberg family. A range of 15th century dress styles are depicted.

more detailed images can be found here.

new media fashion brunch & boutique crawl.

2010-03-13T16:22:00.002-06:00

I will do a more in depth post on the fantastic New Media Fashion Brunch & Boutique Crawl later or tomorrow, but until then check out this news video. You can see me talking with my hands for about a second around 1:06 of the video, lol.

what i wore today.

2010-03-08T14:22:00.004-06:00

black maxi skirt - thrifted / breton striped shirt - tj maxx/ motorcycle jacket - vintage 1960s / boots - frye harness / rings - james avery

Today is especially gloomy & dank & just generally depressing. Add to that the screw in my right rear tire and it's shocking that I'm in a relatively good mood! Decided to dress comfortably and a bit warm today, due to the rain & the wind & general misery outside. I picked up this maxi skirt at a thrift store some time ago after enjoying all the maxi looks on numerous blogs this season. It's so comfortable! Perfect for rainy days. I've been living in this breton striped top for about three days now, I'm not gonna lie. It is the perfect cut, just a tad slouchy. There is something about black/navy & white stripes that just seem to class up an outfit, am I right?

I need to do an entire post on this jacket, it really is absolutely amazing.

houston livestock show & rodeo.

2010-03-08T10:58:00.002-06:00

more @ my flickr

We spent this weekend at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, eating turkey-legs & ceviche & fried oreos & fried pickles. Seeing chickens being hatched & bulls being rode & barrel racing & carnival rides & little girls in pink cowboy boots.

On Saturday I was there chaperoning my teenage cousin & her friends, and James & I decided on a whim to go yesterday to take advantage of the bits of sunshine peaking through the clouds. As per the last entry, I was not sartorially ambitious either days. But we're going back with friends this Wednesday night, so maybe I'll feel up to getting kitted out in boots & the rest.

last weekend.

2010-03-08T10:01:00.003-06:00

Last weekend we went with friends & pups to the nearby lake and watched as my nine year old border-collie Blade (yes, he is named after a Wesley Snipes character) schooled the young puppies in how to swim out and retrieve tennis balls. We watched the dogs, smoked cigarettes & laughed at Blade's attempts to "teach" the younger dogs the proper tennis-ball-retrieval techniques. Boats passed with weekend partiers & skiers & fishermen. A boat full of frat-boys went by, trailed by an over-ambitious water-skier, their party boat blaring What Is Love by Haddaway, much to our amusement. I think they heard us laughing and pointing and dancing on the shoreline, because the next time they came around their music was suitably tough-guy, something along the lines of Pantera. Nice try boys, we so got it recorded on my brother's iPhone.

It is midterm season and I am pretty much not giving a shit what clothes are put on my tired, cranky, braindead body. Maybe things will perk up this week?

new media fashion boutique crawl!

2010-03-05T17:50:00.002-06:00

I will be attending the New Media Fashion Brunch & Boutique Crawl on Friday, March 12th in Austin! I am super excited about this, ready to network and shop shop shop & more shop!

The Boutique Crawl is open to anyone and everyone who would like to join, so please, if you are in the Austin area come meet me & some other great bloggers & ~~crawl~~ hop from shop to shop with us!

Dirty Hems & N.E.E.T. Magazine!!

2010-03-03T10:23:00.003-06:00

The new issue of the fabulous N.E.E.T. Magazine is out now and it's a great one! Jam-packed with super awesome content, as always! I feel privileged to know Steph & to have seen the evolution of N.E.E.T. since the very very beginning (anyone else remember her old mag Bully?) as well as be a contributor to several issues. I can't believe it's at issue # 18!! So incredibly amazing for Steph and for all of us who love reading it!

I have a DIY project in this issue! If you want to see the full project, pop on over to N.E.E.T.! There is also a video to go along with the project over at the N.E.E.T. Blog, which I had so much fun making! I put an Asleep At The Wheel & Willie Nelson song in the background, I get a kick out of subjecting people to down-home music, lol!

I am also in the "Show & Tell" feature in amazing company with some of my favorite bloggers! Super excited & privileged about that one.

Thanks again Steph & N.E.E.T. for making me a part of this issue!

isabel toledo.

2010-02-28T11:00:00.003-06:00

a few scans from a copy of Isabel Toledo: Fashion From The Inside Out that I borrowed from my uni library. It's an amazing tome - so much to pull inspiration from. I will probably do a few more posts in the future of scans from it, but right now these are the ones that had the old wheels a-turning.

Malick Sidibé.

2010-02-28T09:56:00.003-06:00

Excellent feature on Malick Sidibé at the Guardian

link via Fur Coat, No Knickers

what i wore today.

2010-02-24T18:16:00.002-06:00

vintage sweater / american apparel t-shirt dress / forever 21 velvet leggings / target gray socks / nine west wedges

Blustery, cold and sunny day. Went into uni to take a midterm, not too sure how I did. Brain is drained, really having problems stringing sentences together. Over & out.

holbein & marios schwab.

2010-02-22T22:12:00.002-06:00

Lady Henegham by Holbein

FW 2010 by Marios Schwab

what i wore today. kimono!

2010-02-22T17:21:00.002-06:00

vintage short kimono / matte silver sequin tunic (i ♥ ronson) / jeans (levis) / black & wood wedges (volition) / black scarf

I wish it would hurry up and get warm. Or, warmer. I know, I know, 57 degrees is probably boiling to some of you Yanks right now, but in Houston it's unheard of. It might even sleet tomorrow night! Yuckkkkk. I just want springtime to spring forth, ya dig?

what i wore yesterday. bang bang!

2010-02-21T17:18:00.003-06:00

New York & Co. black blouse | Levis jeans | Volition shoes | vintage Coach purse

I cut bangs! After 5 years of growing out the last ones, I decided to take the plunge again. I needed something new and exciting for spring & summer, I suppose. It was a bit terrifying, seeing all that hair just lying there, separated from me.

what i wore today.

2010-02-18T19:29:00.003-06:00

vintage necklace & brooch / frye harness boots & vintage scarf

backstage from stylecaster.

2010-02-16T17:51:00.002-06:00

I am loving the backstage photos from stylecaster. Backstage @ Doo.ri, Alexander Wang & Vera Wang.

jill stuart FW 10 boots of love.

2010-02-16T15:39:00.003-06:00

NEED.

photos from style.com & stylecaster

what i wore yesterday. valentines day.

2010-02-15T10:32:00.003-06:00

old navy parka / buff pink tunic dress / target denim leggings / tall socks cut from target tights / frye moto boots / diy studded bag

The boy & I went to Galveston for Valentines Day. Yesterday was the first warm day in a bit, so we cashed in a large bell jar & freezer bag full of coins and told ourselves we would only spend what we got from them. $50 later, we were on our way down I-45 heading towards the Island. I hadn't been off the mainland since Hurricane Ike barreled through a year and a half ago, leaving tragedy & destruction in his wake. There was evidence of his wrath all over the Island, but the general mood was Keep Calm & Carry On. But with a drunken tinge, it being Mardi Gras weekend and all. Alas we missed the Sunday parade, but everyone was still out and about enjoying the weather. We ate at Shrimp & Stuff, a local joint that has fantastic fried seafood (I had the shrimp & fried oysters, the boy had the shrimp & catfish) and is owned by the family of one of my little brothers roommates from college. I felt like a local, sitting on the patio eating greasy fried seafood with cajun hotsauce. And only $20! We spent another $6 on cigarettes, so in all (minus the gas to get there), our Valentines Day cost us a whopping $26. And it was so much fun.

We didn't make it over to Bolivar Peninsula, my favorite part of the area, because we weren't sure what the ferry schedule was on Sundays and also...I don't know if my heart could have handled it. They took the brunt of the hurricane and the communities were almost completely wiped out. Might have been some good photo-journalism, but it would have laid me low.

I hope y'all had a fantastic Valentines Day!

what i wore yesterday. rodeo time.

2010-02-14T21:09:00.003-06:00

thin leather motorcycle jacket / zara asymmetrical cardigan / levis bootcuts / vintage calfskin boots / diy studded bag

Springtime in Texas is one of my favorite times of the year because it is Rodeo time. Not only does the immense Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo overwhelm the entire city (trail-rides! through urban streets!), but most small towns and counties have their own rodeos. This past weekend was my hometown's rodeo and livestock show, featuring all the best Texas' 4H and FFA programs have to offer. Bull-riding! Barrel-racing! Calf-scrambles! Acrobats on the backs of horses! It is definitely a show, an experience. I love every single bit about it.

Oh, and one of my favorite Texas Country artists, Kevin Fowler, played a raunchy, fiddle-happy, beer-drinkin' helluva show.

what i wore today.

2010-02-11T19:05:00.002-06:00

Old Navy parka / thrifted sweater / i ♥ ronson matte sequin top / levis jeans / Frye boots

The weather in Houston has been awful lately. Cold and wet and just generally miserable. I know, I know, you New Yorkers are dealing with blizzards but that is entirely outside of my realm of understanding so please don't take offense if I sort of shrug my shoulders and moan about the rain. The miserable weather means I am layering for warmth and comfort, not for sartorial ambitions. Though I did try to glam things up with some sequins. It makes me smile.

Today was my mothers birthday and we spent it thrifting and eating amazing South American cuisine from Churrascos. A ceviche sampler platter, friend plaintains and chimichurri, plantain crusted chicken. Stuffed!

So incredibly sad to hear the news about Lee McQueen today. Alexander McQueen has been an inspiration and a favorite ever since I first saw the clothes in the pages of Vogue as a youngster. The fashion world will never be the same. RIP.

marina & the diamonds. again.

2010-02-08T10:01:00.000-06:00

I am falling more and more in love with her. I think she's going to be at SXSW this year? STALKING HER.

what i wore today.

2010-02-03T18:20:00.003-06:00

vintage trent coat | DIY marbled tights | gray vintage cowboy boots | white lace dress | vintage watch pendant

I followed this DIY for the tights, I wish mine had bleached whiter but I still like them. Today was rainy and gray and just generally bah-humbug. Karaoke tonight to lift the spirits.

bar light, bar bright.

2010-02-03T18:05:00.002-06:00

what i wore today.

2010-01-29T21:09:00.001-06:00

take this look, subtract the boots & bag, add steve madden heels & vintage clutch. equals nighttime is the right time.

what i wore today.

2010-01-29T19:27:00.002-06:00

little brothers military shirt / breton striped rodarte for target top / levis jeans / no-name boots / marc jacobs bag / h&m necklace

Today was pretty lazy, only left the house to take the dog to the vet & to eat Mexican food for dinner. Now I'm back home, procrastinating & wondering what to wear for drinks with friends later tonight. I don't know if I want to just modify what I'm wearing (heels, flower in my hair, etc) or put on something completely different....