Spookily Came The Postman

beautiful package! i love Teri's little card - it's living in my jewelry box

 As you may know, Terri of RAGS Against The MACHINE had a giveaway recently in celebration of her reaching 125 followers. Meg of The Sewing Pixie brought this milestone to Terri's attention, and this, combined with Terri's fabulous and iconic use of  Meg's 'Skelly' cameo, made the choice of giveaway prize clear. (At least to me!)

I'm not much for entering giveaways. I know that they are great tools for driving readership and commenting, and i support this goal. But, as you all know, i'm so frikkin' picky about what i wear. I'd hate to win a prize that would just sit in the closet while someone else would wear it week in and week out. As i put it in my entry comment:

"hee hee, i never enter giveaways because 9 times out of ten, the prize doesn't suit me anyways, so why not let it go to someone it will.


however."

 As luck would have it, i won!  It came at just the right time, too. I'd been feeling horrible for weeks with a sinus infection. Round one of antibiotics didn't do the trick. Round two caused a severe reaction (102F fever, joint pain and swelling). Round three didn't do diddly either since my regular doc was on vacation and the front desk decided i didn't deserve to speak to the doc on call and i got prescribed the same antibiotic that didn't work the first time......on top of all this i have a horrible history of asthma (multiple hospitalizations, etc.) and sinus troubles are notorious for triggering asthma. So i was constantly anticipating worse days ahead. One day it just hit me, how awful i'd felt and how i was making no progress at all - and then two wonderful things happened. First, my amazing prize came in the mail!

Then, my noble camera died in the line of duty (sob). I didn't secure it properly and it fell on it's head and could no longer focus - the neurological damage left if effectively brain dead. We had to pull the plug. This camera came to me from my brother, a retired Air Force man. This little Kodak circled the world not once but twice, documenting the chickens of Diego Garcia and swimming in the Indian Ocean. My point and shoot had led a full life. It was time to let go.

mom feels this bee has had her privacy invaded

As a result, i got a brand new, full of features camera! Wow! It's nowhere near a top of the line DSLR, but i am amazed at what it can do. I took some pictures of my jewelry and it was like using an electron microscope! My favorite feature is the 'dog' and 'cat' face detection feature. That's two different settings - one for dog faces and one for cat faces. You can set your camera for 'cat face' and then program it so that it automatically trips the shutter when a cat face is electronically detected. Wonder if they have cameras with bigfoot detection capabilities?

The necklace is great, and nicely made. The clasp is secure as well as easy to use, and the chain is delicate, interesting, and smooth as silk.  The button earrings are perfect. The oxidized silver wears easily with everything, and the foliage arabesques tie into to all the lines of my wardrobe. Nothing beats a pair of earrings that enhance every look with no thinking necessary! Here's Meg's etsy shop - you know what to do.

I wore this look to go grocery shopping. The butcher who generally helps me seemed to like it, but showed no sign of 'reading' Skelly.  Interestingly, i ran across a comment from Terri of RAGS herself a day or so ago. As i recall, she said she likes wearing subtle items that are a little 'off', partly in order to test people's observation skills.

I've loved to do this myself for years. In fact, i did it last Saturday at ilegirl's Fancy Pants World Tour. ilegirl arrived early  to pick me up for the drive down to Danville. Shortly after getting in the car i noticed my skirt was inside out. Well, putting your clothes on inside out without realising it is supposed to be good luck, plus i wondered if anyone would notice, so i left it. No one noticed, or didn't feel like telling me. Within an hour i was in a dressing room, trying on clothes, so i turned it right side out. And, yes, i was wearing my new Skelly necklace from Meg and Terri....

Wheels within wheels. Just how is our universe arranged, anyways?

Cameo Necklace: Meg's Ragged Edge etsy shop
Dress: Converse One for Target
Jacket: own design
Heels: Clark's Passion
Nude Fishnets: Sock Dreams
Earrings: Tail of the Yak, Berkeley, CA

My Fairy Godmother...

I have a fairy godmother who lives right next door.  As my faithful readers are well aware, i stink at thrifting. I've tried my hand at it time and again, always with the same result. So i just don't.

However, there are those who have 'the touch'. 'D' has 'the touch' for sure, and what's more she keeps an eye out for me when she volunteers at the Cancer Society store.  A few weeks ago she came across this Max Studio dress.....lucky me!

I wore it styled the first way in the evening to run out to a couple of stores. I didn't feel like 'leading with my assets', so a jacket was in line. Buttoning only the top button, along with the empire waist of the dress, creates almost a trapeze silhouette. The dress by itself was great during a day that peaked out close to 80F. I wore these Dansko pumps because i'm trying to figure out how to style them so as to get more use out of them - they really are very cute! Plus, i was having a crummy day and thought i may as well look cute, even if i was just bombing around the house.

Around a month ago the weather was still pretty brisk, but i didn't want to wait to wear my new dress. I layered a tank under the top and a jacket over, and wore over the knee socks as well as a chain belt.

 I've always had trouble wearing any all-polyester knit. I stink and sweat (or is it sweat and stink?) Either way, yuck. I just avoid the fiber. Happily, i can wear nylon (as in this dress) perfectly comfortably, which is nice considering the many easy care benefits. The black with white print of this dress is such an easy fit into my wardrobe, and reminds me of a very special experience i had many years ago.  This experience actually lies at the root of my love of black.

How many of you have 'fairy godmothers'?

Next Up: a package arrives from Kansas.......

Dress: Max Studio
Top Jacket: Royal Robbins
Bottom Jacket: own design
Belt: Betsey Johnson
Boots: Bass Lamont
Pumps: Dansko
Socks: Sock Dreams
Naja: Gathering Tribes
Bracelet: custom order by Justina Leigh

No Repeats W & W: Days Fourteen & Fifteen

 So i bucked up and dealt with my clothing capsule boredom by making a species of suit (see above) and using accessories to bring color into a neutral look (see below).

For me, combining any type of blue with greys always brings out the blue in the grey, instead of toning down the blue.  So my outfit yesterday felt very 'blue' to me, even though only the legwarmers and scarf are blue. (And of course, the blues looked more blue in real life.....) Does it seem that way to any of you? Maybe it's because there's a blue briolette in the earrings, and i did wear a blue stone ring.

Photography conditions have been very trying recently. I actually woke up this morning, got into my clohtes from the day before, and re-shot this 'blue' outfit, because the shots from yesterday afternoon were so atrocious. Even so, dappled sunshine isn't the greatest for detailed depiction of costume.  But it's the best i could come up with!

This look was fun because it felt like i used the bare minimum of accessories in order to get the look across and make it interesting, without crossing the 'boring barrier'. I've had a good time skating towards the minimalistic end of my style spectrum, and i've been getting a lot of compliments, too. I think it makes my style more understandable without people needing to study it in depth beforehand.

So i finally get a decent pic of these earrings and my ear is blazing red. Just think of it as a festive holiday tribute to our favorite little reindeer. From top down that's a sterling acorn, a sterling and marcasite salamander, and my regular bird filigree and pearl (half of a pair - the others have become single over the years).

The past several years, Mr. E and i have made a tradition of going out to a swanky eatery around 5 or 6pm on New Year's Eve. That way we don't need to worry about reservations or getting a great seat, and if you keep ordering they don't kick you out. We tend to go to Cesar's on Shattuck in Berkeley, but tonite the hubby has scoped out a new tapas place in the Temescal neighborhood in Oakland. Yum!  I hope you all have a great, safe, non-hangover-inducing evening!  Best wishes to you and yours for the coming year!


Species of Suit:
Jacket, Skirt: own design
Black Sweater: Target
Leggings: Carushka
Shoes: Ariat
Belt: vintage Coach
Tiger-Stripe Socks, Lace Scarf, Jewelry: gifts


Blue or Grey?:
Grey Sweater: Tweeds
Ivory Sweater: Royal Robbins
Lace-trimmed Cami: Old Navy
Jeggings: Target
Legwarmers: gift from mom
Scarf, Earrings: own design
Boots: Bass Lamont

No Repeats W & W: Day Nine

Yesterday i started feeling better and felt like wearing a little snazzier type of look.  So i paired the grey ruffle skirt with the crop pinstripe jacket and heels. Done!

So many of you commented on the helpful aspect of dressing up when you're feeling down, that i wanted to post this link to a New York Times interview with Tim Gunn (hat tip to mom!). The pertinent part:

"Q. Some people view fashion as frivolous. Do you see a connection between fashion and health?

A. I was part of Dr. Oz’s team last year. I was his fashion guy. My first assignment was a mother and daughter, each of whom had been diagnosed with breast cancer at the same time. They were in recovery, and my job was to take them shopping. I sat, and we talked for two hours. I heard about their journey, the cancer treatment, the resulting side effects. I was thinking how courageous these two individuals are, and what strength and tenacity they had. I told them, “I’m here to take you shopping. After everything you’ve been through, why would you care about this?” They said, “Are you kidding? When we look good, we feel better.’’ It was really an epiphany for me.

I’m always talking about the semiotics of clothes, how the clothes we wear send a message about who we are and how the world perceives us. When we look good, it shores up our confidence. We navigate the world with a sense of ownership. I don’t think of fashion as being something inconsequential or ephemeral, I think of it as being critically important."

New York Times, December 17, 2010 "Tim Gunn’s Advice for Making It Work" by Tara Parker-Pope

How you dress influences how other people see you - but it also influences how you see yourself.

I love this pendant - it's a working cuckoo clock which used to be my mother-in-law's. The detail is wonderful, with hanging pine cone weights and edelweiss flowers. Sometimes i have trouble getting this beret to stay in one place on my head, especially with 'small hair'. You can get a glimpse of my solution - i roll up a black bandanna and tie it on around my hairline. This adds enough bulk to my head (!) so the beret stays in place. This trick works with most hats - choose a bandanna that blends in with your hair or hat if you don't want to call attention to it.

Now, the last of the accessory sets!  I put these together using multiple strategies, which i've noted under the pictures. This post addresses how to 'match mismatching' earrings, but the principles apply to creating new combinations of accessories as well.

Bows with rounded danglers.  The roses on the chain belt are also a rounded shape, and the rhinestones echo the quartz of the hearts and the crystal of the watch.

This group is all about swirling lines - keeping the colors to gold tones, ivory, and soft pearl grey helps tie these items together.

The belt, metal bracelet, and pearl bracelet (worn as a necklace) all have a chunky, wide feel. The pearls in the necklace made simple pearl studs a good choice for the ears.

Here the pearl bracelet is worn on the wrist.  The earrings and necklace/pendant in this group put the focus on the chains.

Silver metal with pearl accent.  The earrings combine silver and pearl, thus helping to pull the whole group together. ( i put the earrings in the clothespins so they'd stay in place and you could see them - no, i'm not suggesting wooden clothespins as accessories, at least as part of this group!)

I've clasped two silver 16" chains end-to-end to make one chain that's closer to the length of the pearls. I felt that one or two silver chains so much shorter than the pearls wouldn't relate. As it happens, the pearl clasp makes it easy to shorten their length, so i could also wear this as two silver chains and one pearl strand at a 16" length, if that worked better with the neckline.

Pearls vs. silver/black metal. The heart and bow earrings snuck in there to emphasize the black tones.

I hope these posts have sparked some ideas for how you can get more use out of your own accessories through new combinations.

Anyone able to spot the x-rated item?

Beret: ???
Jacket: own design
Black Sweater: Royal Robbins (i'm still wearing it at this moment!)
Belt: vintage Coach
Skirt: own design
Over The Knee Socks: Target
Shoes: Clark's Passion

No Repeats W & W: Day Four

EEEEK! a pair of black, knit, non-sweat pants are a great idea as part of my 'workaday' capsule.
But these particular black, knit, non-sweat pants are just too old and worn out - faded 'off' color, droopy hand.  They need to be cut up and used as a pattern for a nice, new pair.

So, how to spice up a plain black 'base'? One way is to showcase a fun jacket and a few related accessories. The subtle color and pattern of this jacket and the delicate necklace and earrings are easily lost when combined with a lot of bright color and vivid patterns, but with a 'blank' background even subtle pieces like these can take center stage.

I'm wearing the scoop necked Mossimo sweater with the black lace necked tank underneath - the lace neckline peeks out from underneath and gives a different neckline to the sweater, continuing the 'lacey flowers' theme. I also layered my cashmere cardigan underneath the jacket for warmth (you can see it underneath the bust). Since all three pieces are black they kind of 'meld together' and read more as one piece than as three. The top of the three earrings is a garnet heart, the middle is a silver rose from Benitez Jewelers. I somehow lost the other of this pair, i hope i can buy another pair (with pearls in the middle?) at the Dickens Fair this weekend.

Another approach is to use the black to 'soak up' the many brilliant colors of one outstanding, outrageous piece. Go even further by choosing gloves in the opposing color (lavender lives across the color wheel from yellow), and choose an unexpected, old-fashioned piece to showcase your fashion cred (lorgnette, opera glasses, or long handled wooden spoon). (It was bread baking day.)

I've set up the accessories shoot and the test photos seem fine (not wonderfully artistic, but fine). So i'm off to the shoot!

Jacket: own design
Cardigan: L. L. Bean
Sweater: Mossimo from Target
Lace Tank: Jockey
Pants: Carushka
Earrings & Necklace: liliswan from etsy
Rose Earring: Benitez Jewelers
Belt: Betsey Johnson
Shoes: Bass Lacey
Apron: gift from Shackford's

The "E" Word

 You know, the last word in my blog title.  "Eccentric".

Most of the time what i wear isn't really all THAT out of the ordinary.  I get occasional stares, smiles, and comments, but on the whole i don't feel self-conscious about how i look or present myself.

But there are times when i realize that what i'm wearing, how i choose to present myself, is stepping pretty far outside the bounds of the 'accepted' or expected.  Like, when i was in my youth, wearing my earrings made of V-8 labels, my ultra-suede fringe pants, my black silk noil pannier skirt.  This outfit 'goes there' as well.

Jan Vermeer  'Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window'

I fell in love with Vermeer's paintings the moment i set eyes on one at the Metropolitan in New York. I'd been looking at so many masterpieces for days, and i felt like my retinas were throwing up - they literally couldn't take in another image. Until i saw the Vermeers.  I stayed there about a half hour, then found myself wandering back again.....

Jan Vermeer 'The Milkmaid'

The autumnal light of this time of year always reminds me of Vermeer's light, and between the light and getting dolled up for Halloween in an old-fashioned shape, i wanted to wear an outfit that spoke to those themes....small, constricted bodice, full skirt with bulk underneath, somber colors, a taste of the East...

The only way to get that shape of skirt, where the bodice bursts out of the skirts like a crocus out of the snow in spring, is to wear a bum roll, farthingale, or bustle.   Bustles give you a very distinct look which has very little to do with how a person's backside is shaped - you get a jutting out right below the waist.

I have two bustles - one for 'period' wear (1890's era) and one for modern wear which is much smaller. I made both of my bustles, along the lines of this pattern. (I designed them both for my own preferences, since i don't use them for historical reproduction.) I love the way it shapes the skirt and gives it a completely different presence.

So now you know a woman in 2010 USA who actually goes out of her way to ADD bulk to her hips/backside. The "E" word is in my blog title for a reason.....do any of you 'go there' in how you present yourselves?  How much does the "E" word apply to you?

Wrap Cardi: Nine West
Jacket: own design
Blouse: made myself using Europa Pattern by La Fred
Skirt: Susan Bristol, gift
Tights: Hanna Andersson
Boots: Maine Woods

A Wintery Outfit......and a General Observation

The shirt i'm wearing here was *intercepted* in a Goodwill bag at my dad and step-mom's place.  Taking a piece out of your own Goodwill bag is standard procedure.  Asking, 'Hey....about that shirt in that bag next to the door...?' is par for the course in our family.  But....it turns out - how do i put this - stepma was 'doing a favor for a friend'. This shirt came from without 'the family circle'. From a man with excellent taste in Italian men's shirts - lucky me!

Details of the necklace and scarf....with another pic so you can see these tiny little pink flower earrings:

Later on i added a jacket and changed my shoes to go for a walk (with my trusty Petzl - it was dark out there):

I look like Sheila there!  And i loved the way the patterns on the jacket and shirt matched up - clothing kismet.  Little details like these are often my favorite part of an outfit.

I am glad it's become .....if not 'cold', at least less infernally hot.  I've spent so many years in climates where you could really rely on layering to express your style and get more creativity out of your clothes by mixing them up in unexpected ways. This way of dressing is just easier for me, through experience and inclination. I'm trying to keep the upcoming summer in mind though, so i can be prepared and not be too heartbroken when things heat up again.....

On A Personal Note:
Lordy, one hundred posts came and went and i didn't say a thing about it!  First, of course it's a lot more fun knowing eyeballs, and especially eyeballs connected to some smart and stylish brains, are looking at my posts. Thank you all for reading, commenting, following, linking.....you don't have to do it, you have plenty of other things to do during your day, and i so much appreciate your time.

I was looking through some pictures and it struck me how lean i look in some,

 versus how plump i look in others.

Frankly, that's fine with me - i get bored looking the same for too long and enjoy playing the chameleon. But i did want to let you all know that every bit of it is clothes and posing.  When i started this blog, i had a stray thought that looking at pictures of myself *in public* everyday might inspire me to take off the four or five pounds that would be me at my supremo weight***.  But it hasn't happened. Partly, i don't care enough.  But also, i've seen that how i LOOK (not feel, or how healthy i actually am) is so radically determined by what i'm wearing and how i pose in front of the camera.  I've weighed between 133.5 -137 pounds ever since i started this blog. That's just three pounds - not enough to notice.

Part of the reason i blog is to get some different images/ideas out there about beauty, style, what women look like, etc. I thought that my readers might be interested to know that all the changes on this blog, as far as how big my body looks, are due to clothes and pose. I think it shows that if you want to look leaner, doing all those things Charla Krupp tells you to do in How To Never Look Fat Again will work - and, in terms of how you LOOK, it may make more difference than losing a few pounds.  But i hope it also shows that you can look stylish and have fun with clothes in ways that go way beyond 'not looking fat'.

***according to joint pain, general comfort, and not eating sugar

Jacket, Necklace: own design
Top: Ann Ferriday
Shirt: we have our ways...
Skirt: own design, inspired by some girls wander
Shoes: Maine Woods, Merrell

I Been Holdin' Out On You All!

I been holdin' out on you all!  I was immediately taken with this silk blouse, worn as a vest, on Style Underdog a couple of months ago. I love Bev's style - it's the style i aspire to when i grow up.  (I'm pretty sure i'm older than Ms. Underdog, but she has kids and i don't. On the other hand, we do both have husbands, and.....hmm. In case mine reads this, best to stop now!)  I kept my eye out for suitable fabric, pounced on this coral peacock cotton lawn the minute i had cash in hand, and got to work.  I finished the blouse a couple of weeks ago and have worn it happily a few times since - but no blog pictures until now!!  Bad, bad blogger!

I wore this outfit for a day of dental fillings and errands (after a nap - that medicine just knocked me out!)

I got a little cotton lawn blouse at Target a few months ago, and it's reminded me of how much i love blouses, and how useful they are in my wardrobe. A flattering blouse brightens your face and can make a whole outfit - all the rest, the hair, makeup, jewelry, etc. can be simple while the style of the blouse kicks everything up a level.  It also provides a 'finish' that i generally rely on a jacket to provide.  But even a lightweight jacket can be too hot or fussy on some days, so a blouse fits the bill.

I had some really beautiful blouses in my early twenties that i made myself.  But when we opened trade with China, the wonderful cottons and silks from Egypt, Italy, and France were no longer 'working' from the finanacial angle.  Chinese fabrics, while nowhere as nice, were much much cheaper. Home apparel sewing fell out of fashion for a while there as well, and it was next to impossible to find any nice blouse fabrics.  Jackets, skirts, and pants can all be 'pulled off' when using quilting or decorating fabrics....but nice cotton blouses really only blossom when made of specific fabrics intended for that purpose.

 Thankfully, the past couple of years, and even more so this season, manufacturers are responding to the increasing popularity of home apparel sewing by producing some gorgeous blouse materials. I 

found this out by talking to the lady who helped me at Stone Mountain and Daughter when i was buying this fabric.I had noticed the difference in what was available, and i was very excited to learn manufacturers are focusing more on products for home apparel sewing. I guess it turns out i owe something of my style to Project Runway!

This pose reminded me so much of Sal at Already Pretty that i had to throw it in. The outfit with the capris was just a knocking around the house kind of day. I've had the sweater for years and loved the color and texture too much to throw it out, yet i never wore it. Then, i ran across a blogger (unfortunately i've forgotten who) who made a cardigan by just slicing up the front of a pullover.  I did the same thing and ta-da! I wear it open or belted, it's a lot of fun either way and nice and warm in the chilly days of winter.....if we ever have winter again.

So, my fellow bloggers, what are YOU holding out on us?

Blouse: own pattern, inspired by Style Underdog
Skirt: own design, inspired by some girls wander
Petticoat, Jacket, Ribbon Flower: own design
Earrings: liliswan on etsy
Necklace: Tail of the Yak, Berkeley, CA
Shoes: Ancient Maine Woods

sorry about the weird spaces - they've improved blogger again and it takes me a while to adjust....