the weather outside is weather

blue cape - vintage
red tights - american apparel
red hat - vintage

grey hat - vintage
yellow gloves - vintage
grey coat - lilli ann
yellow tights - american apparel

ear muffs - vintage
pink coat - lilli ann

pink bow - vintage
grey socks - american apparel
blue coat - lilli ann

pink bow - vintage
grey coat - emery bird thayer

turban - vintage
leather gloves - vintage
faux seal coat - vintage

alpaca wrap - vintage

black cape - vintage

black coat - second hand
black bow - american apparel

coat - vintage (landon's)

10 of my favourite winter cover-ups! What are some winter favourites lurking in your closests?

yesterday i limped my way into a proper podiatrist office to have my naughty (ingrown toenail) toe taken care of for good. post-toe surgery was spent in bed rewarded with pirate booty, salt & vinegar chips, oreos, noodle salad and a very doting nurse Landon (minor surgical procedures are awesome)! i'm ecstatic to have a proper toe now and to fit comfortably into my complete shoe collection, one year of bad toe is 11 months too long.

what digital cameras are you lads and ladies using? i'd like to invest in a good one some day.

walking on water

october in pictures. october was month full of bed and kleenex, visits from friends and family, and feasts of turkey, curry and peanut butter, honey and banana sandwiches. i visited with my beloved brother for the first time in a year (pictured above canoeing and performing miracles) in beautiful canada for thanksgiving. how quickly this year is passing! i'm always keen on even numbered years and i have a good feeling about the one around the corner. now is time to enjoy the remaining months and upcoming holiday festivities.

my lovely Alexandra is having a trunk show next thursday! check out her blog for details on what time and where to go to drink wine and try on her lovely collection. charming marshall rake of Epilogue Magazine did a little interview with me a couple weeks ago that is now up on the site!

a very special monkey box

my "special guest" fled the nest early this morning and has left me moping around the bed area for the remainder of the day (i guess it's still early though it's been dark for a good hour already). my dazzling roommate for the week was my one and only best friend forever Rebecca Berg. Rebecca and i met playing angels in chorus at our church holiday recital, we bonded over the same blue nail-polish and an unbridled affection for dollhouses and the rest is history! i remember talking on the phone for hours and thinking about how being with her made me feel the way i felt when swooning over the opposite sex, excited and wanting more time with her. she is my Diana, my kindred spirit, my bosom buddy. we travelled much the same path through high-school as good and goofy christian girls, hippie kids, ska kids, rave kids, emo kids and from there settling into our "own kids". We've lived together, travelled together, crushed on the same boys together, driven golfcarts through home-made obstacle courses together, gotten matching tattoos (of eachother's initials) together, ruined our onstage performances with giggles together and eaten much food on my mum's kitchen floor together. when landon and i planned to get married in three weeks she found that she was not able to join us on such short notice, my magnanimous dad saw that i could not be married without her and flew her out as a surprise the night before the wedding and she stood beside me wearing an almost matching white dress. She is presently taking courses in film and theater production and is an incredibly gifted maker of masks, imitation marble, sculptures, and most importantly (to my taste buds) curry. I'm crestfallen to see her leave but am happy that we are no longer residing on opposite ends of the content and only a (depending on how far in advance you book it) 24 dollar bus ride and a border separate us. so here is to you, my most beautiful and special friend, Rebecca. I love and cherish you forever.

watch us grow! missing some years, and some are not the best representatives but i, unfortunately, only have the few oldies that people have been so kind as to upload to facebook and tag me in as my photo collection is presently hidden away somewhere in my grandpa's garage.
08/06/ 05/04/03/02/01/00/99/97

Happy Halloween!

I've had a very important visitor staying with me this week and have, as a result, not had much time to spend online poking around the blog world. I promise to be back soon starting with an introduction to my beloved guest later today. In the meantime check out this site for a peek at frightening costumes of Halloweens past. Have a scary and tiny chocolate bar-filled night!

she's a dream come true

i have a treat for you friends today! despite accusations of being both "lazy" and "lame" for not updating (or responding to emails) both of which i vehemently deny on account that i am neither lazy for not updating (internet is my lazy time) nor am i physically impaired at this time (unless of course you are considering my bad toe) i am still sharing with you my very favourite jewel of the fashion blog world.

Blog, meet Nicole Eymard! I've been following her for quite some time online and am delighted at every update she makes. Here she shares with us some of her inspiration for her upcoming collection and a brief history lesson. This lady knows the way to my heart is paved in vintage hats and history lessons.

Full name: Nicole Eymard (maiden name Mackey) Married 5 years to a French man

Hometown: Walnut Creek California Lived in Paris, France when I was younger for 3 years

Presently living in: San Francisco California

Mother of: A Pomeranian named Clementine. She looks and acts like a feisty little fox www.flickr.com/photos/ldv/3756278339/in/set-72157621831944578/

What was your first sewing project? Do you still have it?

My first hand sewn project was this little red doll with a flat head that I made out of my moms scraps. The poor doll was tortured because I stitched her dress to her body. I don't have it because it was a gift I made for my sister when I was 7. The first machine project was a terrifying felt panda...lets not even talk about that!!

Favourite pre-20th century fashion moment?

1790-1802 I know this is a long period of time, but they bounce off eachother, one part is the cause and the other effect.

At the end of of Marie Antoinette's life 1790, "the people" were revolting against everything, for example fashion and the political powers. The colors they wore and prints all signifies who they were for in politics. The "Sans Culottes" wore old and country clothing with the with France's colors and stripes and the "Incroyables" (men) and the "Merveilleuses" (women) wore ridiculous proportions , such as giant hats for the men and for the women they wetted their dresses with water to make their garments see through to see the flesh colored knit undergarments. Sans cullote means without pants and Incroyables means the incredibles.

Incroyables/Merveilleuses:
www.flickr.com/photos/ldv/4041483372/sizes/o/
www.flickr.com/photos/ldv/4040737257/sizes/o/
www.flickr.com/photos/ldv/4040737301/sizes/o/
www.flickr.com/photos/ldv/4041483310/sizes/o/

Sans Culotte:
www.flickr.com/photos/ldv/4040737353/sizes/o/in/set-72157622526493868/
www.flickr.com/photos/ldv/4040737339/

After Marie Antoinette's beheading, and people setteled down. Napoleon attempted to put things back together by looking at ancient Greece, and creating an empire. So everyone dressed like their portrayal of the classical statues.

Empire:
www.flickr.com/photos/ldv/4041501016/sizes/o/in/set-72157622526493868/
www.flickr.com/photos/ldv/4040755087/sizes/o/in/set-72157622526493868/
www.flickr.com/photos/ldv/4040755071/sizes/o/in/set-72157622526493868/
www.flickr.com/photos/ldv/4041501006/sizes/o/in/set-72157622526493868/
www.flickr.com/photos/ldv/4041500994/sizes/o/in/set-72157622526493868/

Favourite 20th century fashion moment?

SCHIAPARELLI!!
www.flickr.com/photos/ldv/3373904426/sizes/o/in/set-72157615731121510/
www.flickr.com/photos/ldv/3373903908/sizes/o/in/set-72157615731121510/
www.flickr.com/photos/ldv/3373903908/sizes/o/in/set-72157615731121510/

But most importantly the relationship she had with all the cool artists of the time. I love how all the cool artist were pals and genuinely "collaborated"

Collab with Dali
www.flickr.com/photos/ldv/4040774619/sizes/o/in/set-72157622526493868/
www.flickr.com/photos/ldv/4041520652/sizes/o/in/set-72157622526493868/

One item that absolutely melted you when you found it?

edwardian beaded black bird 3d appliqué
www.flickr.com/photos/ldv/3161120096/in/set-72157607360064388/

and my 1960s phone purse, that works
farm4.static.flickr.com/3004/2828815765_2b2e2f0572_o.jpg

Favourite brick and mortar shop for treasure hunting?

all local san franciscan/bay are dwellers can only appreciate the following:
thrift town
mission thrift
decades of fashion
bellocchio www.bellocchio.com/
tail of the yak
Gypsy honeymoon
advark

Favourite online shop for treasure hunting?
Ebay
Etsy
Rubylane

Favourite cosmetic counter (your make-up is always impeccable!)?
YSL and a few mac and nars, but YSL has the best and most unusual colors

Any celluloid fashion inspirations?
shhh dont tell, but my final collection for school has something to do with this. My lips are sealed!

When can we expect to see your wonderful designs gracing the covers of magazines/filling our closests?
When I finish school, May 7th 2010, thats my fashion show go see it, everyone is invited!! Unfortunately I need to be famous first to be in magazines etc. I think europe will help me when I get there ;)

october edition

most of these chill-inducing pictures courtesy of Vintage Photo. i have found myself once again in a horizontal state, i blame germy transit system and touching my face all the time. i need one of those cone collars so i can't reach my face while in public. i'm determined to make this a productive sickness and will be attempting my first knit hat (to disastrous results no doubt. one time i made my brother a scarf for christmas which he promptly misplaced and knit himself a new one with two stripes more than the first and in much better condition. out-knitted by my own brother and on something as simple as a scarf. hm.) i hope you are all in better health and are enjoying all fall's glories! pumpkin spiced coffee, wooly coats, leather gloves, stockings, and smokey air. mmm. what are your halloween costume plans? my costumes are never very inspired having gone in the past as a "deer cat", cardboard box with metallica written on it (was beavis and butthead but ended up just being the metallica box set by the end of the night), a pippi longstocking pickle and a nothing - you can see halloween dress-up is not a strong point for me, but this year i'm determined! inspire me with your brilliant costumes!

turkeys in the graveyard

september in pictures. landon and john (one half of our glorious three week house companions) went out to get bread one night for our family dinner and came back with a wolf that had been given to them (on loan) by a very generous artist up the street. he has since been returned (much to my relief - i did not like his menacing red eyes).

clothed in velveto

i'm writing this in hopes that sweet sleep will soon take me into warm arms and out of my restless wakefulness in a hot room with party noises next door and a snoring sofa surfer.

here is all the velvet my closet presently has to offer to share with you. velvet, i have learned in my late night quest for sleep readings, is woven on a special loom that weaves two pieces of velvet at a time and originated around the beginning of the fourteenth century (though some sources argue that it has in fact been around since as early as 2000bc - controversy!). up until the twentieth century it was a luxury reserved solely for the royal and rich but now thanks to the industrial revolution (and synthetic fibers) us common folks get to play dress-up with a runny nose and cough and stuff our closets full of the velutinous fabrics. and there you have it friends, i hope this entry has put you to sleep and me too! (fingers crossed)

and still with a bad toe

landon and i are presently bed-ridden with flu symptoms (not those of the dreaded H1N1 however) after a glorious weekend spent canoeing and eating an early turkey dinner with family in the great north. prior to succumbing to a horizontal state i was tempted with lavender chocolates and black bean and avocado pizza into donning wonderful Alexandra Grecco's fall line for her etsy shop. I cannot praise this wonderful lady's work enough! her fall line is brimming with silks, wools and velvet, clearly she knows the way to my heart (through my tummy and velvet). i promise a more lucid update later this week - on a topic of your choice! my keys are dry!

All photos taken by Alex.

just another day of voodoo bliss

new website up now!

on raising your cat

after an impromptu rooftop photoshoot left a large portion of my wardrobe scattered around the floor i decided to have a bit of photo fun of my own and share some of my favourite fancy attire. now i'm curious to see what dresses of special occasion lurk in your closets, friends? please share!

(p.s. dog on the left has been straightened after reviewing these pictures)

flickr favourites 005

click thumbnail for original.

he just wanted some underpants and an embrace

Landon's old buddies Joe Ging and Jonny Vincent of theultimateinwebentertainment.com were recently added to The Company of People's ever expanding collection of talented artists (highly recommend checking out "chedda" it will be stuck in your head for the rest of the day). Viewing their videos prompted me to hunt down a video Landon and Andy made almost four years ago. The video took about six months to put together from Landon sewing precious little lug together to downloading and and putting together all the pictures taken on my mummy's digital camera. Lug lived in our room until we moved south to LA and left him in the alley for vancouver's dumpster divers to find and give him a new home. See you in another life little buddy.

spiritual disciplines

trying to get the creative juices flowing again. am working on new website and hope to have it up by week's (or month's) end but until then all drawings new and very old can be found here. i know i have some creative ladies and gentlemen perusing this blog and would love to see your work! please feel free to share here!

a grecco goddess

I recently had the great privilege of meeting enchanting Alexandra Grecco, the designer behind Lulufinder. Alexandra is one of those rare creatures who can make you feel immediately at ease in her presence, she is warm and bright and has most excellent taste in chocolate and cheesy treats. It has been such a pleasure getting to know this vivacious Brooklyn talent. Below are two shots from her upcoming lookbook of deliciously feminine designs shot by lovely lady Lucia Holm.

First and last photos of the beautiful Alex, see more at her inspiring blog gludafindslulu.

all the other bananas go rotten

out-takes from a little project we've been working, landon flexing his "fashion photo" muscle and me squinting and grinning at the camera. all of the above photos were taken with borrowed dream camera contax g2 with the exception of the window picture which was taken using beloved pentax k1000. on the subject of projects the little scrap project we were working on for AA is now available online here. having worked in the factory and seeing the amount of fabrics disposed of daily i think it's a wonderful idea to make use of every last scrap. i hope that it will perhaps encourage other large manufacturers to do the same.

new work now up on The Company of People including that of our lovely houseguest John de Lima. He and his most beautiful ladyfriend have been staying with us for the last week and i'll be quite sore to see them leave. be sure to check out the Company Diary also, as it is now being updated on a regular basis and will soon be featuring interviews with exciting new talents.

finally, i have a question regarding comments on blogspot. do you find it is easiest for you (the commenter) to have me reply on your personal blog or on the comment section here? it's something i've never quite figured out and wish that blogspot would introduce an individual comment reply. what do you figure friends?

love songs

justin timberlake just made all my teenage dreams come true.
i don't know what else to say, i'll never wash my dirty feet again? :D

goodnight summer

these are the remainder of our mini trip photos from this summer. we've had a home full of friends this past week and after a cozy family style dinner of "bangers'n'mash" i'm feeling more eager for the chilly season than ever.

(i'm sorry for all the photobucket links littering this blog, i imagine they should be gone by tomorrow.)

garbage water on my walls

tyra and co would dismiss my "modeling" on account of my sole over the shoulder look, but surely i make up for it by smiling with my eyes? these are a few of my closet's (or rather, box of clothing behind a sliding door that i must dig through like a thrift shop to find my daily attire - must remedy this) new second-hand friends! the last headband is not done justice in that smirky photo, it is in fact a wonderfully severe velvet bow that points directly out (you can sort of make out it's form in the evening dress picture) and will be most excellent for this velvety holiday season. the pink velvet and satin headband above has a wonderful veil with rhinestones that make your face glitter and makes me feel shamelessly girly. these two headbands along with a good portion of my other hats were found at charming phoenix store Hollywood Regency, a spot i highly recommend for its beautiful vintage finds and cozy shopping experience.

summer is drawing to an end though you'd never guess it dripping your way around new york. it certainly eliminates any desire to cook and we are as a result on a diet of continual snacking, most delicious and sluggish of us. here is landon enjoying our most recent feast of snack while viewing some fine dining entertainment. i will have to have him model some of his newest attire when he has a moment to pull his nose out of harry potter. he is most handsome.

ruth st. denis

my apologies for the blog neglect - landon has just returned home from a week long meditation retreat and i am presently on a buying trip in phoenix/la all of this week (and last). needless to say i am missing my honey and home terribly and eagerly anticipate our saturday morning reunion where i intend to spend the bulk of the day lounging around bed in minimal amounts of clothing (though breaking to "fashion show" my latest vintage acquisitions, three months on strict budget has left our closet neglected but i've made up for it tenfold having spent just one day rummaging around phoenix antique malls and thrift stores). august is flying by and each passing day has me more and more excited at an autumn in new york. fall is my favourite season for dressing and i am eagerly anticipating donning hats, gloves, capes, socks and eating a variety of pumpkin flavoured goodies. what are you looking forward to wearing (or eating) this fall?

and the winner is...

i picked up this little playsuit at Amarcord Vintage today. the lovely italian shop owner finds most of his merchandise in europe which makes for an even more exciting selection of vintage attire. i highly recommend giving his wonderfully curated collection a peak either online or if you're ever in town (very fair prices for NY too).

anyways, enough of that business i know you're all dying to find out who the lucky winner of the giveaway is! i must say, you ladies didn't make it easy for me, so many wonderful stories to keep me entertained. thank you all for your submissions! the lucky winner is...Daile!! congratulations my little ginger companion, your story tugged on my heartstrings. please comment with your email address in this entry and i'll forward your info along. i hope for more contests in the future to reward all of you wonderful ladies for your excellent story telling skills! thanks for playing!

ps. landon and i are featured in the premier issue of lovely australian magazine elodi. give it a gander as it's packed full of excellent artists and articles!

tiny trips

we've just returned home from a glorious three day visit in beautiful connecticut at the family home of our dearest Wray. i can't wait to share with you the photos of our farm visits, owl encounters, cheese chopping, forest romps and bed of three. the photos above are from last weekend in wonderful montauk. we've been very fortunate to get our bottoms out of the sticky city for the weekends but now i'm feeling ants in my pants to get busy again with pens and paper and sewing machine so i've decided to put together a little craft night for any NY residents interested. let me know if you'd like to join us for a craft potluck this thursday and i can send you some more information about the night.

(the giveaway stories are wonderful! you still have a week to submit so get writing if you haven't already!)

GIVEAWAY CONTEST FUN

I have for one very lucky (resident of the US) a lovely summer dress by Mink Pink (courtesy of chickdowntown.com) to give away! all i need from you sweet readers is a tale! since my dentist office encounters with various youth magazine "tales of terror" i've been especially eager to hear all cheek rouging stories. as this is a clothing related giveaway i propose that you submit to me a horrifying tale of wardrobe malfunction! i will also settle for embarrassing boy stories, menstrual stories, ghost stories or a simple explanation as to why you should have this lovely floral frock in your possession. I will announce the winner on 08/02/09!

links for more goodies:
Mink Pink
Sir Alistair Rai
Twitter
Facebook

i have plenty of wardrobe tales to tell (even one from today when i realized my crop top was resting on my breast, exposing my brassiere to any unfortunate soul who managed to catch the unintended exposure before i did). One of my favourite tales took place on a cold wintersday in my charming hometown Ottawa. I was trekking through the snow bundled up in all my winter attire when i was approached by a very concerned looking women who politely stopped me to say "excuse me, but, you have a brassiere attached to your scarf. i'm not sure if this is the look you're going for but i thought i'd let you know." it seems that in some fit of passion i had tossed my undergarment in the direction of my outerwear and the hook had caught onto my heavy knit scarf. i think i muttered an embarrassed "thank you, no this was not intentional" and ran off to the safety of my destination while stuffing my bra into my coat. there are countless more stories involving publicly exposed bum, stepping on the clothing of a companion and exposing their nakededness (while accidently exposing own bum), balled up underpants falling out of pants and of course blood, lots of blood. now it is your turn!
good luck!

pусалочка (the little mermaid)

and one of my favourite parts...

dog faces

landon and i celebrating our anniversary. we spent the day at the Met, ate street nuts and street chicken then found our very own sunny secluded corner in central park and played with our camera and reclined in soft grass. i love how the grass is a different shade in each picture - oh the glory of a film camera! we went for a movie followed by dinner at our favourite indian restaurant (really its the only indian cuisine we've tried since moving here given our limited finances. their portions are so generous and so delicous that i find my belly rumbling for it at this very moment). time to eat!