burberry prorsum resort 2012.

the burberry prorsum resort collection for the upcoming year is full of brilliant ideas. it is also full of neutrals, as only an offshoot of a trenchcoat brand should be. the point of the approaching year's fashions is to center a wardrobe around classic, film-noir-esque separates with a modern twist, and burberry prorsum captures this perfectly.

as a starving artist, i didn't have the resources to buy up these pretty pieces, so i concocted my own ensembles based on burberry's sets.

camel and beige are often poor companions for my skin tone, so i opted for deeper colors-- dark gray, mustard, and the men's collection's navy-- instead. something that also helps those with more winter tones is to add a dash of color to the face. a touch of blush or light lipstick will do the trick. being washed out is never the name of the game.

  

even if i could afford to own runway pieces, i would only purchase haute couture pieces that i could donate as displays at art museums. the fabrics and folds of expensive fashion is utter beauty... but to me, seeing the latest runway collections is most about the inspiration it lends to create new mixtures of clothing and accessories or other media.

... in any case, i seriously need to get some of my clothing altered. it's all getting far too large in odd places.

shirt, velvet, $15; trousers, french connection x sears, $18; wedges, dsw, $40

blazer, goodwill, $3; shirt, american apparel, gift; shorts, mom's vintage, gift; socks, american apparel, $11; wedges, savers, $1

hat and trench coat, grandmother's vintage burberry, gift; dress, st. vincent de paul thrift store vintage, $2; belt, st. vincent de paul thrift store, $1; wedges, dsw, $40

photographer: susannah gilbert

where were they going without ever knowing the way?

more pictures to follow.

forty day dream.

here's to another early morning! it's been so foggy out that it's like being lost in a dream. somehow or another, that's propelled my need to draw and paint and take pictures, so when it isn't raining, i'm outside with a camera and a chair or whatever else i can find for a tripod... and when it is raining, i'm in my room with pencils, pens, and brushes.

i'm working on separates for fresh takes on resort collections i find fascinating. there will be a guest photographer for one of the takes, so keep checking back for that as well as a new perspective on this season's obsession: the maxi skirt.

necklace, handmade; rings, vintage/gifts; tube slip, free people, gift; maxi skirt, american apparel, $58; wedges, $1, thrift

too much morning.

over the past few days, i have slept for a total of fifteen hours out of seventy-seven.

senseless sleep sometimes.

stay tuned for posts on burberry prorsum and more.

elsewhere.

my great grandfather came from germany. when he embarked on a ship headed to america, he had no money to his name. he made some friends on the ship, and they showed him how to play cards. beginning with either courageousness or hardheadedness, or maybe both, he began to bet with only the clothes on his back.

... by the time he got to new york, he had enough money to go to california.

i've been in the midwest in the same gray house my entire life, and i have such a severe case of wanderlust that it nearly crushes my brain. it absolutely crushes my social abilities, although i'm working on that one. i should be able to look at schools in the san francisco and santa cruz areas by september at the latest, and the prospect of that is enough to bring me to tears; i've spent far too much time idly drawing and wondering where i belong.

one of the biggest sources of happiness, at least for many people, comes from the sense of having a home. i am entirely uprooted from this town, this state, yet until a couple of months ago, i felt as though i had nowhere else to go. no future stood in front of me. at the same time, i have a clenching feeling in the pit of my stomach when i think of leaving all that is familiar. i still call this place home. in the end, however, i know i have to get out. i don't belong here. right now, i think i belong in california.

simultaneously, i have hesitancy and a lack of restraint, overcautiousness and a need for freedom.

the fear and the wanderlust.

the fear and the wanderlust.

flag day.

my town's flag day parade was this weekend, and i headed down to the show with both of my cameras to try and capture a little of the bustle of small-town fanfares.

i always get some weird looks from people, especially because of how i dress, but as long as i give some smiles, everything seems to work out all right. i can get really self-conscious. even so, i have a sense of pride in being able to stand out in how i style my clothes.

if you like it, you can hype it here.

there were crazy men on crazy bikes with flags.

there were clydesdales and lovely ladies.

there were obligatory cute kids on skates and a weird mascot bird.

and all manner of other things.

some of my photos didn't turn out, which disappointed me, but i learned a lot about my film camera, especially about exposure. i've learned only by trial and error so far, and i know i want to take photography classes once i get to art school.

soon enough.

for now, my brother's here, and we're going to see a show downtown!
keep checking back for new fashion and lifestyle photos.

batik and the zipper series.

these are details of my batik dress. you can see the full dress in color with styling details at my lookbook. if you like it, hype it. 

and, for quieter eyes, the zipper series.

hot american summer.

now seems to be the time to spend half of my mornings moving around slightly earlier than usual to go for walks with a friend who works third shift. sometimes it's the closest nature center, sometimes it's the neighborhood, but the weather's been so drastically off the charts one way or the other that we either face rushes of bugs or clouds of wind. hopefully, that will clear up a tad by next week.
i especially dislike the nauseating humidity, particularly because it has been here for days upon days.
the aforementioned walks are absolutely going to become a habit. i firmly believe these excursions are good for me, getting up early is good for me, and the early sun is always brilliant; i get inspired.

i hope the outcome of my inspiration is actually something that comes a little bit from me, although i suppose i am just a result of everything and everyone i come in contact with. my work is a result of everything, so i take inspiration from everything, whether or not i like it.

on the few milder, hazier summer days, i like to sit in during the mornings in socks and a sweater and wander downstairs to make green tea to help wake up without the daylight. i don't wait until my teapot plays its three-note harmony to take it off the heat, though. i wait just past the noise it makes when it sounds as if it's ticking, as if it's going to break, and then i take it away so my tea is the perfect temperature right then. i drink about five cups there in the kitchen, and another in my bedroom. then, i finally take a hot shower and get dressed. today is one of those days.

on one last thought, i'm drawing much more, and i've a new look on lookbook. more on that later.