Doldrums

dol·drums /ˈdoʊldrəmz, ˈdɒl-, ˈdɔl-/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[dohl-druhmz, dol-, dawl-] –noun (used with a plural verb)

1.	a state of inactivity or stagnation, as in business or art: August is a time of doldrums for many enterprises.

2.	the doldrums, a. a belt of calms and light baffling winds north of the equator between the northern and southern trade winds in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. b. the weather prevailing in this area.

3.	a dull, listless, depressed mood; low spirits.

Cheer. Me. Up.

I think my banner would read "It will start getting lighter in the morning soon."

Christmas Tree Ideas

This year with my tree will be different from any other. Why, you ask? I'll tell you. I have two 7 month kittens at home that will make anything a toy. From past experience christmas trees are like the mother load of kitty toys. I am trying to come up with decorating ideas for non-breakable, temporary, fast ornaments. I thought about cutting out different types of moustches from construction paper and stringing those or oragami (although i'm not really a origami type of person)....Or Jordan's papier mache idea.

I also like this, this, this and this.

Does anyone else have any decorating suggestions.

(image via martha stewart)

Liza Reitz

While buying fabric to make the sashes for Alicia Rose's recent fairy tale inspired photo shoot I ran into my friend Liza Reitz and learned she had opened her own store. (How did I miss this?) She shares the space with John Blaasioli of A Broken Spoke.

I think i'll try to vist in the next week or so.

vik prjonsdottir take two

Deeper investigation into the website that featured the mastery that is the Twosome Blanket turned up another delight. Enter the bearded cap:

Further proof that I love all things icelandic.

I wish....

I was wearing this right now. She even made the skirt!

via the sartorialist

Feather Headbands

I am in the awkward, awful in between haircut phase. I need to hold out until December 4th. My hair is too short for ponies so I am looking for another alternative. I found a feather headband at Imeldas a month ago that was gorgeous but way out of my price range.

I found this, this, this and this after some quick internet research and also learned that the feathers used to create these bands are already formed and fashioned together in what is called a hat pad. They are fairly inexpensive. I might just order a couple and make my own.

There is something just organic and sleek about the look. I love it.

This twosome is for touching toes.

It is cold out. Let's wear hoody blankets, watch crappy movies and touch toes.

Guess what I found...

A little belated but I still found one. So there!

Dinner tonight.

Dinner tonight. I can't wait.

If you are at a loss for what to make check this out.

Socks or something like 'em...

I love Oregon weather year round. I don't mind the grey or the rain but there is something very special that happens in the fall/winter....I cannot for the life of me get warm. I blast the heat in the car, take long baths, have a ridiculous collection of wool coats with extra warm liners and double up my socks in my boots.

I am in love with this local company's selection of thigh high socks. They are like baby legs for adults. I want like 6 pairs for lounging around at home and wearing under skirts when I brave the outdoors. Maybe they will help stop my shivering before june.

Buy Homemade

Thanks for the tip aly! I think I can do it 95% minus G's pressie.

Sign the pledge

Lucky Mag Outfit of the Day

I'm a total nerd when it comes to fashion. I have my stylediary, keep a fashion idea journal, would love to be one of the people who never wears the same thing twice but I am instead, the type of person who creates beauty from other people's trash ie. buffalo exchange. It works out well when on a tight budget but every once in while I wish I could just get something like this. Carefree like.

So Lucky mag started doing a cute outfit of the day and most of the pieces are basic enough that you can recreate the look by shopping at buffalo, forever 21 and using stuff from your own closet that you haven't worn in 2 years. It is my new obsession. Editor at large Gigi Guerra is my favorite so far.

Dirty White Trash [with gulls]

Tim Noble and Sue Webster
Dirty White Trash [With Gulls] 1998
Six months' worth of the artists' rubbish
Variable dimensions

I saw this on my swap partners blog last night and LOVED it.

See more

coming full circle...

this weeks 20x200 describes my pending weekend. i have FOUR papers to write. i think that epitomizes "word study."

speaking of studying...i compile little playlists each time i have a huge undertaking. here's a sampling from the one created for my little paper writing extravaganza!

1.) I Wish I Had An Evil Twin - The Magnetic Fields
2.) Heart It Races - Architecture in Helsinki
3.) Nantes - Beirut
4.)I'm Leaving You Because I Don't Love You - Jens Lekman
5.) Teach Me Sweetheart - Fiery Furnaces
6.) Pitter Patter Goes My Heart - Broken Social Scene
7.) Our Love Will Still Be There - Dean & Britta
8.) Man is Not a Bird - Broadcast
9.) Plus Ones - Okkervil River
10.) Now Now - St. Vincent
11.) Get Up Get Out - The Rosebuds
12.) Time To Send Someone Away - Jose Gonzalez
13.) Raphael - CocoRosie
14.) Innocent Bones - Iron and Wine
15.) Lullabye - Grizzly Bear

Getting excited...

Maybe it is under the inspiration of bloggers posting holiday wish lists. Or the decorations hitting the stores. Or the fact that Thanksgiving is next week. Or a new holiday swap.

Maybe it is because I finalized Gavin's present this year and I am super excited about it. SUPER SUPER SUPER excited about it. In fact it might just be the COOLEST present EVER!

Whatever it is I feel the urge to kick into gear and get my christmas cards done, start making gifts for the family, find my tree stand burn my christmas music mixes etc.

my kind of diamond.

I must be in a mood today everything I am liking is a little edgy and dark. Industrial leather bags with metal studs, psycho-analytical tools, hard and soft contrast shoes and now black diamonds.

No, but seriously, I would wear these everyday.

suede and patent

I am loving the patent and suede thick-strap mary jane look. I think the blue heels would be great for holiday parties and the grey flats for everyday. It is too bad suede and Oregon rain don't mix too well.

rorschach blots

I have always been slightly obsessed with the look of rorschach blots.

I like this 2005 installation by Ruth Maclennan, In memory of your feelings. I like it from a distance. I'm not quite sure how much i would like living in it. I'm thinking maybe just a triptych of framed blots or this tea pot from Walteria Living.

want, need, can't live without

love it

Punk Rock Baby

I can handle the idea of having a baby brother that is 25 years my junior under the premise that I can buy him tough things and turn him into a little punk rock baby.

Black Wagon has some of the cutest stuff for little boys. It isn't all pastel blue with baseball bats and race cars. These little skull vans could be great for christmas.

I also like this and this and this.

Lorick

I love it when people design outfits just for me.

In fact the whole Lorick Spring 2008 collection is grand.

Betsy Walton

I love finding creative local gals on Etsy. Like this print by local designer Betsy Walton.

Midterms

I am ferociously studying for tomorrow's a&p midterm and writing a paper so I can go have fun tonight. Booo.

The weather today made me breakout my favorite fall/winter beverage though. Equal parts apple cider and water heated with a chai tea bag to make an impromptu spiced cider.

Mmmm.

Let's meet in person.

While trying to find where Ashley Watson's bags were sold I ran into this little beauty. It is at a local boutique named Olio United. I think i may have to visit it in the near future.

Eco-Friendly

I have an internal battle with the idea that I try to eat, clean and live local, sustainable, organic etc. I keep wanting to expand this to my clothing and accessories but I cannot for the life of me afford loomstate, serfontaine or same underneath. The one way I try is by purchasing used over new, sewing my own clothes out of recycled fabric or reinventing something from a completely out of date garment. (Kinda like flipping a house, the bones are good but they need new accessories.)

I have been trying to find a good used leather bag for the past two years. I haven't found a single thing I like. My socially conscious alternative is designer Ashley Watson. She creates her stylish bags from recycled leather. She isn't local but her wares aren't coming from china. In fact, they are just over the Canadian border in Vancouver.

I can live with that. Quite happily indeed.

Made Her Think

Meredith Kahn is one of my favorite designers. She runs a jewelry company called Made Her Think, an anagram of her name. Clever she is.

Her pieces are simultaneously edgy and elegant, they demand attention. Her necklaces are begging to be worn by a gal who likes a basic wardrobe with extravagant accessories.

I own one of her necklaces from about 3 years ago and still wear it all the time. I love this necklace from her new 'deco my deco' line. There is no price which means it has to be like 300 bazillion dollars.

Oh well, a girl can dream.

I'm in love

His name is Mr. Dieter and he is described as "A German disguised as a Frenchman."

Check out him and his friends.

Matryoshka Everywhere

I have been seeing nesting dolls everywhere lately. My grandma had a collection that I used to play with when we visited her. My favorite was an apple that kept getting smaller and smaller.

I saw this post and it reminded me of one of the coolest Wurst Gallery projects. I think it was curated in 2003 but I still love the idea. I was thinking about having a craft night and getting friends to create their own as well.

I like these a lot too:

20x200

20x200 is R-A-D. It started a couple months ago by a gal named Jen Bekman. She curates 2 selections a week and produces them in limited quantities in three sizes and 3 price points. There are 200 priced at $20, 20 at $200 and then usually 2 at $2000. {Price depends on size.}

Just the idea of hip affordable art makes me salivate.

This is one of this week's editions. Very Ethan Frome.

I keep waiting for something to pop up that I can't live without. This is close but seeing as my apartment is all white and I can't paint, this selection would not be a good fit given my constraints.

I still love it though.

Lorena Barrezueta

Off the top of my head, there are a few things I would do if I won the lottery.

Like:
- Buy a house in my neighborhood.
-Pay Portland Art Center's Rent for a Year
-Throw a party and ask my (then) new friend Spank Rock to dj
-Switch all of the dishes in my house for the wares of Lorena Barrezueta

She creates these genius renderings of takeout food containers in porcelain. They are at once seedy, sophisticated and uber clever.

The most perfect thing.

Why is it that when I find the perfect dress it in South Africa?

Actually, Petticoat has a lot of perfect things. It is kinda cruel.

I'm trying to figure out the conversion rate and how long it would actually take to get here.

I might lose patience and just try to make it this weekend. If...I can find a fabulously bright colored chiffon. That is key.

Jens Lekman

Guess who I am going to see tonight! I am so excited.

He is allover the place lately.

Stylediary.net

Last year this time I had just been laid off and was looking for any excuse to occupy my time. I had 60 spare hours each week! (That's a lot. Think about what you would do with 60 spare hours.)

I found stylediary.net and that kept me distracted for awhile. It is considered a "fashionista's myspace." Whatever that means. I use it to remember cute outfits I wore and see what other people are doing with their wardrobes. It helps me diversify what I wear and how I use things I already own. See!

And, it is a great way to waste a couple hours week.

Paste Magazine

I have been thinking of subscribing to a music magazine and was waiting for the right opportunity. I have never heard of Paste Magazine before but they are running a 'radiohead' special. As in, you decide the price of your subscription over $1 for 11 issues and each issue comes with a cd of music related to that issue.

I love that concept.

I used to subscribe to Res and loved the DVDs that came every month. I can't wait to see the first issue of this.

Maira Kalman

Maira Kalman is one of my favorite artist/writer/icons. Her husband, the late Tibor Kalman, started Colors magazine which to me is one of the most influential publications as of late.

I routinely give this as a shower gift for the first child and this as a shower gift for the second.

Maira has done many covers for the Talking Heads and has a blog with the NY Times.

She has a new book! I can't wait to get it and add it to my collection.

I heart Maira.