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Starry Starry Night
Tonight I’m going to see Stars in concert… for the third time. If you’re a frequent reader of this blog, you know I love me some Canadian indie bands. Besides the music, one of the things I love about concerts is checking out the fashion onstage and in the audience. Last time I saw Stars at the Barrymore, their adorable vocalist, Amy Millan (left), wore a short, vintage-looking sequined dress. So what will I wear? A blue lace skirt with pockets from Kimchi & Blue, a cheap black tank top with lots of layered necklaces over it, a la Givenchy 2008 (similar to the ones below by LoveMaegan), and over-the-knee,…
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Tee Time
My husband prides himself on his collection of bizarre t-shirts. His standards are strict. They have to be soft and they have to fit well. They can’t be from Urban Outfitters. Oh, and did I mention he doesn’t like to shop? So unless I want to see him wearing the same t-shirt every weekend–the one from his kickball team 10 years ago that says “Kick Me in the Junk”–I have to try, from time to time, to point him in the direction of sources for new t-shirt purchases. Thank God for Etsy. In a recent search for not-too-scratchy, not-too-big, sufficiently unique t-shirts, I came upon a local Madison Etsy seller,…
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Yarn Bombing
Check out this extra-cozy bus shelter on State Street that some UW-Madison design students created with local knitters, to coincide with Gallery Night. Have you ever seen a more cheerful place to catch the bus? Happy Friday, everyone. Have a cozy weekend.
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Willy St. Fair: Be Anything but Ordinary
The motto of the Williamson-Marquette neighborhood on Madison’s east side is “A Place for All People.” Nothing proves that motto better than our annual free-for-all, the Willy Street Fair. We’ve got robots for peace. We’ve got the Wacky Wheeler (see photo). We’ve got a cadillac that shoots giant bubbles from a tuba. We’ve got stiltwalkers and unicyclists galore. Come one, come all, and bring your kids and your dog. Just don’t be ordinary. Because being ordinary is the only way you won’t fit in. Photos courtesy of Connor Sabatino.
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Textile Heaven in Peru
I have been a bit delinquent in posting because I´ve been traveling in Peru. One of my favorite parts of visiting new places is perusing (pun intended) the local markets. I´m in love with the colorful textiles that grace every market stall and alley tienda here. Blankets handwoven from lambswool and alpaca are not luxuries here… they are everday objects, used to haul firewood, carry babies, dress tables, and adorn beds. Aren´t they lovely?
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International Flight Survival Kit
Flying is a drag these days. Taking a survival kit will make a long international flight more comfortable and stylish. Here’s mine: Going clockwise left to right: Vintage Samsonite carry-on Stack of unread magazines. I’ll be bringing Rolling Stone, O, and Real Simple Ambien Felted merino wool wrap iPhone loaded with chick flicks BPA-free Nalgene bottle. I always bring it in empty through security and then fill it up to take on my flight. Because environmental friendliness is always in style.
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Busy Gal Barbie
Ten years ago, a friend gave me a card with this vintage Barbie image on it and I saved it. I know Barbies are less-than-popular these days because of their sexist implications, but I love this print. I played with the plastic Mattel dolls into my early teens (I was not cool if you haven’t already figured that out). I kept up characters and complicated plots that lasted for years… and then went on to immerse myself in feminist theory and gender studies in college. Contradictory? Perhaps. I think it was good practice for fiction writing, though.
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Vegas, Baby
This weekend I’m headed to Las Vegas for the bachelorette party of my law school roommate. One of the things I love about Vegas is that anything goes…fashion-wise, that is. You can push the envelope a bit more in Vegas, and no one will bat a fake, drag-queen eyelash at you. Although, if you push it too far, you might be asked what you charge by the hour. So this weekend, in the land of risk, these are the fashion risks I’ll take if I happen to luck out at the craps table on the first night and can afford to go on a shopping spree (hey, it could happen.…
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Six Items or Less
The New York Times recently published an article about consumers who decided to go on a fashion “diet.” On the website Six Items or Less, people from all over the world committed to go an entire month wearing only six selected items of clothing from their closets. It sounds daunting, until you dig deeper into the rules. There are exceptions that don’t count towards the six items: underwear (obviously), swimming suits and work-out clothes, outer jackets (like raincoats), shoes, and accessories. You can get multiples of the same item for laundry purposes, but they must be exactly the same. When I read the rules, I thought, What? Shoes and accessories…
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Mad Men in Madison
This year, my birthday happens to coincide with the premiere of Season 4 of Mad Men. Happy birthday to me. I am more than a little obsessed with the AMC series. I’m not sure if it’s because of the multi-layered plot or all the fantastic 60’s fashion and interior design. I think it might be the latter. Anyway, I’m having a premiere party to celebrate the occasion. There will be martinis and cheese straws, deviled eggs and pigs in a blanket. My husband and I haven’t picked our our attire yet, but you can be sure we’ll be inspired by these photos. All photos from AMCTV.com.
a blog on fiction, fashion, food + family