10.17 packing.

2012-02-16T18:32:00.001-05:00

i'm leaving for nyc in the morning. just a quick weekend getaway post fashion week. i couldn't be more excited to spend it with my lovely friend hannah in town all the way from australia and with my great love the lafayette house all over again. we've got loads planned, like window shopping, fancy restaurants and laudreé, so stay tuned.

here's what i've packed: trench cape, white buttondown, driving gloves; vintage, lipstick in matte röd; face stockholm, silk blouse, velvet trousers; vintage, silky tee, pencil skirt; vintage, tassel earrings; forever 21, fur stole, velvet loafers; urban outfitters

new in.

2012-02-15T04:29:00.000-05:00

tassel earrings forever 21
and velvet loafers urban outfitters sale

after months of searching i finally found a pair of tassel earrings i didn't have to assemble myself with vintage tassels from etsy (might have been nice though) and a much needed new pair of everyday shoes (my patent brogues were getting so boring).

cognac lilac fumes.

2012-02-12T06:25:00.000-05:00

Unknown, Lillian Gish in 1934 by Edward Steichen, Odalisca by Ignace Spiridon, Anaïs Nin in the 20s, The La Fermette Marbeuf Restaurant in Paris

showcasing my love for these two woman and my lust for decadent interiors; tapestries hung on walls and velvet seated sofas, moroccan rugs and art nouveau.

reading list.

2012-02-08T16:56:00.000-05:00

2. Cracks by Shiela Kohler
"Miss G told us we could do anything if we desired it enough. We liked the way she said desire, and we looked at one another and raised our eyebrows and smiled."
First Publishing 1999

the second book checked off my 2012 reading list, a must have after i fell so in love with the film. unlike the film though, the book centers around the girls thirty years after the events of their boarding school adolescence had passed. each invited back by letter urging their return for the "good of the school", they unwillingly share a dinner together and subsequently unravel hidden secrets of the spanish princess and her tragic disappearance.

short and sweet, i devoured it quickly. further exploring the girl's adoration and lust for miss g, the author will sometimes break into short poems, describing their teenage passion beautifully. but the book doesn't seem to have the same character development the film does; which doesn't seem normal for a film to have and a book to have not. miss g isn't half the sexually-suppressed fantasist that she is in the motion picture, and the novel leaves much to be revealed about her own school girl past. one uncovers what the other does not, which is why i say you take the film and the book as one, not having one without the other, a complete package to enjoy.

outfit.

2012-02-03T19:49:00.001-05:00

here you have it, an outfit post. taken late one night last week in my room after a long shift, after my make up had a chance to settle in. i'm wearing a vintage silk blouse from beacon's closet, a christmas gift from my brother the year before last, and a secondhand skirt i found when i was back home last november, complete with my self-maintained retro manicure and shiny oxfords. i will try and do more of these, promise.

monday.

2012-01-30T15:12:00.000-05:00

my tip of the day. it's a simple thing really, but one of my current favourites: fresh squeezed grapefruit juice. it's pretty self-explanatory to make, just add a couple teaspoons of sugar and stir. also i've just read a recipe for a rhubarb-grapefruit mimosa that i must try:

makes 1 cocktail

2 ounces grapefruit juice
1 ounce rhubarb syrup
6 ounces champagne

combine the grapefruit juice and rhubarb syrup in the bottom of a glass and top with champagne

reading list.

2012-01-25T07:06:00.000-05:00

1. The Movies, Mr. Griffith, and Me by Lillian Gish with Ann Pinchot
"What you get is a living, what you give is a life."
First Publishing 1969

as with every year, they start out with resolutions; among working on better posture and doing the vitamin thing i've resolved to read more. i am notorious for picking up a book and only getting half way through finding myself distracted by seemingly better things, but not this time. i've already finished two but the first (jane austen's emma) was only completed in 2012 so doesn't completely follow the "rules". so, to keep me on top of it, i'll be making little reviews on every book i start and finish.

the first is the autobiography of lillian gish, one of my coveted christmas presents, i simply could not wait to devour it. written by miss gish herself nearly fifty years ago it really is a first hand telling of the real old hollywood. and it reads so easy, like you're listening to all her little stories one by one, as if they were fairy tales and she were your glamourous grandmother. stories of dinner parties with the fitzgeralds, of why the first set of false eyelashes were made and how movie close ups were invented. but now that they are over, i'm aching for more. i feel as though it's the end of a two week love affair; this is only the second book to ever make me cry. so now it's time to rekindle the love and work my way through each and every one of her films, a small but glorious silent feat in itself, starting with the white sister.

the lafayette house.

2012-01-21T07:23:00.002-05:00

me at the lafayette house in nyc. we enjoyed a cozy night in by the fire with prosecco and a bottle of wine. our gorgeous queen room used to be the parlor of the old 1840s brownstone with high crown molded ceilings, a huge fireplace and the deepest marble tub i have ever seen. i'm still devising a plan in which i can somehow spend everyday there; i'm thinking i could work as a maid, stirring through the halls in one of those kinky uniforms, cleaning up after crazy parties and drunken nights. and always with a close eye on the characters that come and go, i'd keep a secret diary of my voyeurisms and exaggerating scenarios, i'd turn them into volumes of short stories... maybe it's all in my head and just a silly dream, but the lafayette house is certainly the place to inspire some obscure fantasies. and lucky for me i'll be there again in less than a month, just following fashion week.

opium.

2012-01-15T06:15:00.000-05:00

ph, discontented-delight, daiseas, lostsplendor, forlovers, helgrandthetree, cum-shot, mirrorlicker

just some pretty things to look at and listen to. some tumblr favourites and a spotify playlist. spotify won't let me add my own files to public playlists but please have a listen to this track as well, i can't take it off repeat.

cracks.

2012-01-11T06:52:00.000-05:00

i can't even begin to tell you how in love i am with this film. not often do i, for days after, still have the imagery and characters stuck in my head. it was simply beautiful, like a sexually charged film noir version of a little princess. luckily it has a book accompaniment so i can relish in it again and again on a whole other level. it is an absolute must see and now one of my absolute all time favourites.

confessions.

2012-01-05T02:30:00.000-05:00

so, i spoiled myself a little bit while i was in new york. i spent my first night in agent provocateur, practically naked under a fluffy pink robe, sipping champagne and trying on the candy coloured piles of silk and lace the cute shop girls kept bringing me amidst conversations about finding the perfect garter belt and the shocking boardwalk empire season finale. i left with a gorgeous art deco inspired set with inlays of cream and pink satin, albeit much poorer, but nothing beats the feeling of wearing very expensive lingerie under your clothes and no one else knowing it but you and whoever might be lucky enough to uncover it.

afterparty 2011.

2011-12-31T23:24:00.000-05:00

here it is, my fourth annual new years eve after party mix! i got a little help from spotify this year, so click here to enjoy a mix of new discoveries from hôtel costes, tracks from the dreamers soundtrack, a score from david lynch's twin peaks, some lana del rey, a pretty cool song from brigette and a couple jazzy recordings from the 20s; my favourites of the moment. i'll be playing mine while i get tipsy on champagne and homemade mojitos before i curl up in bed with old lillian gish films. instead of a dress i'll be wearing agent provocateur and my great-grandmother's fur. so much more appropriate for a relaxed new years eve at home. happy new year everyone! may 2012 make all our dreams come true. enjoy!
love, A.

merry christmas.

2011-12-24T17:33:00.000-05:00

and happy holidays from me to you x

christmas wishlist.

2011-12-21T02:55:00.000-05:00

just some things i'm hoping to find under the tree this year. purple magazine, mollino and bourdin photography books, alina by agent provocateur, vintage bag and jewellry box from etsy

please.

2011-12-17T01:33:00.001-05:00

simone doreleijers photographed by richard bernardin for please! magazine, fall 2011

i walked in, i fell in love and left broken hearted. i could just kill myself for not waiting in that ridiculously long holiday line at barnes & noble in new york to secure my own copy of please magazine. but, alas, there were time constraints, a plane home to catch and i'm still not so sure shoplifting is quite my style. maybe next time.

new in.

2011-12-12T02:30:00.000-05:00

the new style.com magazine and, finally, my very own bottle of black orchid by tom ford. what a lovely addition to my vanity it has made.

ps, thanks everyone for your nyc tips. i'm off bright and early tomorrow morning!

tips.

2011-12-08T15:35:00.000-05:00

ph, lindsey wixon, this american girl, style.com/print, tfs

i'm heading to new york next week to spend some time holiday shopping and basically spoiling myself silly, we're staying at the lafayette house after all. but the thing is i'm a bit bored of all my usual restaurants and hang outs. i'll only be in the city two days so recommend your absolute favourites. the best of the best. a good bar with good wine and velvet seats would be much appreciated!

side note.

2011-11-27T01:26:00.001-05:00

i'm back home for thanksgiving. staying with my grandparents for two weeks in their hemingway styled home. i can't get enough of the velvet cushioned chairs, the bookcases overstuffed with antique cameras and clocks, and of course all the old photos of my dad scattered about. already i've been spoiled with ginger snaps and vanilla chai tea, a copy of henry & june and enough silky blouses to last me awhile. i should come visit my grandparents more often.

sleeping beauty.

2011-11-16T16:33:00.001-05:00

sleeping beauty was a trip. it's part mulholland drive, part eyes wide shut and it's got me seriously lusting for a garter belt.

comparisons.

2011-11-15T04:07:00.001-05:00

i love miss moss's comparisons. comparing everything from streetstyle shots and runway snaps to things like nature and architecture. it takes inspiration to a whole new level. see the rest here.

classic.

2011-11-02T19:41:00.000-04:00

the watch, a birthday gift from my mother, the rest were birthday presents to myself. all american apparel

facebook.

2011-11-02T18:49:00.000-04:00

just a reminder that you can now like 10.17 on facebook. an update of latest posts and obsessions.

drawings.

2011-10-27T04:38:00.000-04:00

by sylvia plath. a celebration of her life via ink and paper on this her would be 79th birthday. the drawings are on exhibit at the mayor gallery from the 2nd of november until december 16th. a private collection passed on to sylvia's daughter frieda and kept hidden away until now. the above purple thistle, portrait of a man, two studies of conkers and the view from room 26 of hotel bearn on the left bank in paris are my favourites but you can see more here. frieda has also written an article in this month's vogue uk about living in her mother's shadow. a definite reason to hunt every bookstore in town.

brown lips.

2011-10-22T16:53:00.002-04:00

l-r. paz, kate, kylie and eddie

i'm loving the look of a very pronounced neutral lip, so nude it's almost brown, with tinges of terracotta reds. colours like clinique's rum spice and mac's cherish come to mind; although i'm sure a cheap brown lip liner applied like a stain would also do the trick.

birthday.

2011-10-17T02:45:00.000-04:00

it's my birthday! here's the champagne bottle we popped open at midnight and the earrings i'll be wearing to dinner tonight.

paz for oyster.

2011-10-14T05:58:00.000-04:00

ph, fashiongonerouge

it isn't a new spread but it serves purpose for my current and newly reborn obsession with boardwalk empire and fascination with paz de la huerta. ever since the beginning of the second season a few weeks ago, every sunday i can manage is spent drinking whiskey sours and dressing up in fancy frocks and furs. boardwalk empire sundays. my new favourite thing.

who's that girl?

2011-10-07T05:18:00.000-04:00

just when i'm hurting for proper reading material that isn't erotica, i get the loveliest surprise parcel from elisabeth and two practically brand new issues of the face with my favourite lady on the cover. somehow she was lucky enough to find herself amongst loads of old 90s magazines and was kind enough to save these two for me. i'm gonna read the october 1991 issue like it's made for now. ta elisabeth!

wishlist.

2011-10-04T05:25:00.001-04:00

things i wouldn't mind getting on my birthday, the seventeenth: the perfect little black bag by céline, my new favourite white patchouli by tom ford, fancy lingerie, delta of venus to add to my now growing anaïs nin collection, a nice watch and ysl lipstick.

new in.

2011-09-26T18:08:00.000-04:00

just some art books i bought online late one night. my favourite new discovery is joseph-marie vien and his painting of the cupid seller. it's absolutely dreamy.

basics.

2011-09-21T18:45:00.004-04:00

ph, american apparel

nothing beats the pair of denim and cotton, so at the top of my fall wardrobe list is a pair of american apparel's jeans. i don't wear jeans often but i'm ready to go back to basics and pair them with simple white cotton tops and cozy jumpers detailed with a nice leather watch and loafers.

eyes wide shut.

2011-09-15T02:53:00.001-04:00

ph, screenmusings.org

tonight i'm slipping into something silky and watching eyes wide shut. a detox before a very busy week ahead.

around my room.

2011-09-13T04:27:00.002-04:00

bookshelf, bedside table and a seashell from cancun, framed postcard from the lourve, vanity and a shell for rings with an old photo of my mum and dad.

street style.

2011-09-07T04:47:00.000-04:00

the right way to do shade dressing and proportional outerwear. via stockholmstreetstyle.feber.se

dazed and confused october 2010.

2011-09-02T15:51:00.001-04:00

a random piece of inspiration that's been hanging out on my floor. in the midst of my article writing crisis for bite magazine a few months ago, i turned to the stacks of magazines that line my walls. dazed and confused with its witty, to the point, short and sweet articles were exactly the jolt i needed. and this one in particular about margaret howell's unabashed britishness stood out, so the issue has been laying open next to my bedside table ever since. i love a good slicked back pony and very inappropriate bare leg for fall.

on my mind.

2011-08-24T04:25:00.003-04:00

on my mind lately: sophie ellis bextor's d&g neoclassical skirt, tom ford's latest violet blonde, kylie and nick cave, reading erotica before bed, muddy nail varnish like this one by chanel and nike's all white ensemble and perfect little black bag.

embryolisse.

2011-08-18T05:15:00.007-04:00

i've only had it a few weeks but already i'm adding this velvety moisturizer to my list of must-have beauty products. thanks to countless late night readings of intothegloss, it doesn't hurt knowing that the formula has been passed through generations of french women including jane birkin. and despite all that smoking, their skin still looks good. it must be this stuff. anyone got a light?

shop 10.17.

2011-08-18T05:03:00.003-04:00

my straight-forward way of selling you my stuff. powered by tumblr. an eclectic mix of secondhand, new and vintage. you can window shop now at tenseventen.tumblr.com.

new bag.

2011-08-08T20:34:00.007-04:00

after carrying around my american apparel leather pouch for the better part of a year, i got lazy and decided my love affair with shoulder straps should continue. so i picked up this snakeskin shopper secondhand for 11 dollars.

autumn dressing.

2011-08-04T19:53:00.014-04:00

ph, various tumblrs

sporty minimalism. a particularly nineties autumn look i'm dying to piece together. mid or maxi length skirts with tights or leggings, jumpers or turtlenecks and trainers. i'm imagining it'll be the perfect outfit for a date at a coffee shop. just me, a latte and this natalie imbruglia record. and maybe a foggy window for people watching too.

opus 17.

2011-08-02T06:56:00.009-04:00

La Grande Odalisque by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres c.1814, Bia de' Medici by Agnolo Bronzino c.1542, Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer c. 1665, Beatrice Cenci by Guido Reni c. 1599, Lady with an Ermine by Leonardo da Venci c. 1489, Portrait of Madame Récamier by Jacques Louis David c. 1800

i don't know if it's my own special kind of insomnia but lately i find myself unable to sleep; and not purposefully but always managing to spend hours researching endless paintings and their painters. i've become so engrossed i've started taking notes and am thinking of taking up an art history class. here are some of my favourites. two of which i've been lucky enough to stand in awe of.

cecilie bahnsen collection #2.

2011-07-29T16:32:00.006-04:00

ph, oliviafrolich.dk

i don't usually write much about collections but i loved this one too much not to. it seemed like the perfect transitional collection from a pastel hazed summer into a stark, steeled autumn; from sea nymph to english rose. the juxtaposition of candy pastels and washed charcoals, of mermaid sequins and chunky knits. i also love her frost bitten lips and dirty hands; like she'd been caught in the cold without a coat, oil-painting a masterpiece.

lust.

2011-07-27T21:18:00.003-04:00

handbags, the row. starting at 4,700.

if i could forgo every birthday and christmas present from here until eternity for one of these i would.

k 213.

2011-07-12T03:23:00.003-04:00

my copy of acne paper came in the mail only two days after its release but i waited until i had a night off, a baroque soundtrack and a bottle of merlot to join me before i dug in.

less is more.

2011-07-11T01:55:00.004-04:00

"It doesn't scare me that the images aren't retouched, it adds another layer of interest and intrigue," Trindle told us. "I'm as guilty of a slight polish in post as any, but having beautiful woman sit by a window doesn't fill me with unease. The fear that surrounds an un-retouched image is quite amazing - and again I'm no martyr. So much can be adapted in post, and so I suppose the main benefit is its purity."

models for the untouched exhibition by scott trindle. on display at the rochelle school in east london. i swear there is nothing more beautiful than a woman without makeup on. via vogue.co.uk

simple.

2011-07-04T22:58:00.008-04:00

kate moss by mario sorrenti, corrine day and unknown.

it's summer and i'm obsessing over simple tanks and bikini underwear. calvin klein/kate moss style. worn everywhere; except where more clothing is absolutely necessary.

on my mind.

2011-06-27T02:18:00.003-04:00

on my mind this week: virginia woolf's perfectly scaraggly edwardian updo. seashells. a nineties pap snap of a happy and tanned kylie in the backseat of a car. face masques like this rare earth deep sea pore cleansing one from kiehl's that happens to have a packaging designed by chloe sevigny. antique amber rings. the new paris 65 chiffon print at american apparel and eddie's black body and raisin coloured nails.

beach.

2011-06-24T14:21:00.001-04:00

a play by play of me packing, dressing and lounging on the beach. via my blackberry and macbook last week in cancun.

cancun.

2011-06-12T14:04:00.002-04:00

blogging on my layover. i'm heading to mexico for a week to spend time with my grandparents at their summer condo on the beach. i'll be making like kate with my holiday in the sun aesthetic of suncream bare skin, ponytails and spaghetti straps. see you in eight days!

on my mind.

2011-06-10T19:46:00.004-04:00

on my mind this week: searching and bidding for old i-Ds on ebay. wet hair. hairbands of my childhood. fresh bloomed gardenias from our own backyard bush. chloe sevigny on will & grace. ponytails. h&m two toned bracelets. the new 256 page issue of acne paper and minimalist decorating.

the face.

2011-06-08T04:05:00.004-04:00

1980-2004. i wish the face would come back. magazine stands are clearly lacking.

barrettes.

2011-06-05T18:58:00.003-04:00

both, h&m

here's how i like to wear them:
part and gather your hair to the side
braid and secure
pull the braid opposite around the nape of your neck
tuck the ends under hiding the elastic
clip in and secure with one of these beauites

where the wild roses grow.

2011-05-23T05:02:00.012-04:00

images, google, various tumblrs, fred butler's twitter

things that look good together.

candy.

2011-05-13T15:11:00.000-04:00

the blouse, slips and book of erotica i picked up secondhand last weekend.

inspiration.

2011-05-09T04:51:00.004-04:00

venus of the sea by chasseriau 1838, unknown, lily cole by juergen teller, kate moss by demarchelier, the birth of venus by botticelli 1486

blues and greens, sea foam and lapis, shells and sand, rocks and palms, milky skin and long long hair. i want summer to look like this.

kylie.

2011-05-05T17:10:00.004-04:00

i found this book in my old kylie stash. i've been a kylie fan since i was twelve and tomorrow i'm seeing her live for the very first time.

metal.

2011-05-03T03:35:00.003-04:00

new jewelry. the chocker is perfect for tucking your hair into and i like to wear the cuffs each on one wrist or both at the same time interlocking like a heavy bracelet.

both, forever 21.

israeli girls.

2011-05-03T03:13:00.004-04:00

i love these AA ads. makes me want sun, sand and a bff who dresses just like me.

kate.

2011-04-27T05:08:00.001-04:00

googling 1990s kate moss. spaghetti straps and see-thru, simple and summer crimped hair. it doesn't get much better than this.

hello.

2011-04-23T03:03:00.001-04:00

this is me on a sunny weekday off in my new sunnies and the chiffon blouse from american apparel.

the delinquents.

2011-04-19T14:28:00.002-04:00

the delinquents, 1989

sunny afternoons in bed watching movies as old as me via youtube. watch it here.

on my mind.

2011-04-16T04:18:00.014-04:00

on my mind this week: fresh faced alana zimmer at love hq. the perfect black bag by l'autre chose. pretty bras to show off under sheer shirts. sun faded green walls in cuba by michael eastman. half naked kylie on the beach. zara heels. silver cuffs (wear one on each wrist) and diy magazine shelves; the solution for the piles of clothes, dusty magazine stacks and random shoes lying around my room.

new in.

2011-04-07T00:35:00.001-04:00

letters home by sylvia plath: correspondence 1950-1963

this is the beautiful book i mentioned getting last week. it took 14 days to arrive, is the original 1975 edition, is 502 gorgeous pages long and i am certain i am 100 percent in love with it.

automatic love.

2011-04-07T00:13:00.003-04:00

just when i'm thinking i might like to start wearing jeans again (surely thanks to my current 'back to basics' 90s philosophy) american apparel, who also make my favourite pair of jean like pants (perfectly snug and highwaisted) have created their own denim line. one of these days i'll need to be on that creative team. please and thank you.

on my mind.

2011-04-02T23:05:00.004-04:00

on my mind this week: springtime and braided hair. sylvia plath with her children in 1962. eddie's orange lips and glossy eyes. moody london by maja. 70s book covers. 1990's kylie with her red hair, simple necklace and perfect dress. fancy homemade breakfasts. i successfully made asparagus with poached eggs this week. won hundred shoes. nights in with wine and bookcases filled with books. cactuses and american apparel's new crop turtleneck tank.

90s.

2011-03-29T20:30:00.002-04:00

my interpretation on and inspiration for the decade; kylie music videos, my new lucite sandals, bright makeup, really dark brows and clean white nails.

x

monday.

2011-03-28T23:35:00.002-04:00

mondays have become my sundays, my sacred day off. i spent this morning in bed reading a paper picked up earlier in the week, along with this and a cup of strong yorkshire tea. today, relishing in anticipated late afternoon packages from the post and planning the fish pie i'm making for the upcoming long weekend. and tonight, discovering and rediscovering some favourite tunes.

x

couples.

2011-03-24T03:53:00.002-04:00

anjelica and jack, johnny and kate, johnny and winona, virginia and leonard, sylvia and ted, lauren and bogie, nucky and margaret.
now where's my other half, please?

x

monday.

2011-03-21T23:00:00.000-04:00

charles anatese ss 11 and joni mitchell's chelsea morning

spring is in the air. i spent today shopping for summer sandals, sipping homemade cucumber lemon water, thinking about the glorious pastel sheerness of this collection and listening to lots of happy 70s music.

x

deep sea baby.

2011-03-15T02:46:00.007-04:00

i know i'm not the best at 'outfit posts' but i did manage to sneak a couple shots off my mother's brand new blackberry while i was out at the weekend. hopefully i'll be able to steal it more often.

x

shopping list 0311.

2011-03-11T05:33:00.002-05:00

once a month i go on a shopping trip. i take the day off, eat at the same little latin cafe and hunt down the items that have yet to be checked off my monthly must have list. these are a few of the things i'm after this time:

american apparel chiffon button up, sunnies, leather bow and varnish in rose bowl, lykke li's new album, the new issue of love and that jil sander lookalike h&m bag

x

colour.

2011-03-07T17:48:00.005-05:00

ph, columbine, vanillascented, love-asthetics

suddenly thinking about colour in the most unexpecting ways. even as i blog from bed on this dark and drizzly monday afternoon.

x

i am, i am, i am.

2011-03-01T03:57:00.002-05:00

cluttered desks and cups of tea, school girl skirts and toggle coats, moss green collars and ice blue cardigans, wooden mantles and framed landscapes, ornate hardbacks, sundappled breakfasts in bed, messy curls, braids and turtlenecks, a snowy fitzroy rd., winter solitude, cluttered vanities, red lippy and old school curlers

tv snaps when i watched sylvia very late one night with a very unfitting cup of caffeinated coffee.

A.

speakeasy.

2011-02-23T04:16:00.004-05:00

i picked up this issue of dazed and confused a few weeks ago when i discovered that my favourite record shop also sold back copies of the magazines they carry month to month for half off. what a lovely surprise that was. so, i got this october 2010 issue for 5$.

footnote: this was also the day i saw this and unbeknownst to me at the time, that very pretty girl was paz de la huerta and also happened to be in my new-old-just-picked-up and above copy of dazed and confused. after a quick google search i recognized her from the purple diary and that jalouse cover. then i found out she was in a little show called boardwalk empire and well now i'm obsessed. with her and the show.

A.

monday.

2011-02-21T23:29:00.001-05:00

the row fall 2011 and sophie tucker's some of these days. coloured furs, crimson lips, tasseled earrings, dripping sequins, drop waists, velvet loafers and drawstring bags they really can do no wrong can they.

x

the dizzy dancing way you feel.

2011-02-16T03:33:00.006-05:00

valentines weekend brought me lavish fish dinners, chocolate pot de creme, postcards from paris, lacey bras, a shiny copy of french vogue and a grammy for my dear dear friends.

x

11th february 1963

2011-02-11T00:47:00.004-05:00

today i will wear black.

it's getting so i live every moment with terrible intensity. last night, driving back from boston, i lay back in the car and let the colored lights come at me, the music from the radio, the reflection of the guy driving. it all flowed over me with a screaming ache of pain. . .remember, remember, this is now, and now, and now. live it, feel it, cling to it. i want to become acutely aware of all i've taken for granted. when you feel that this may be the good-bye, the last time, it hits you harder.

- from a letter to eddie cohen by sylvia plath

only pretty lies, just pretty lies.

2011-02-01T05:39:00.004-05:00

some inspiration for my most important new years resolution: to grow my hair out to a lovely length right past my rib bones. i'm already past my shoulders!

random pretty girls on tumblr and backstage at swedish fashion week, joni mitchell and ali macgraw in the 70s

x

i've been lost in this vortex without you, in a black hole i can't break free.

2011-01-26T19:08:00.007-05:00

me playing around with no makeup on, dirty hair, back catalogues of 1940's jazz music and my newest purchase which i now must also purchase in black.

cashmere jumper, thrifted; accordion pleat skirt, new from american apparel; art deco bracelet, a christmas present

x

october 1962.

2011-01-25T01:07:00.008-05:00

part 2
it is january and along with expected resolutions like drink more water and eat more fruit, this year i have three very important goals; to grow out my hair, read every book on my ever growing list and compose a poem a day. i've now almost completed my sylvia plath collection and at times, late at night while i read her diaries through heavy eyes, i feel almost as if i am rereading my own. she has the most beautiful way of explaining through printed words the darkest thoughts which haunt me and all at once i feel as though i've found my voice in hers. she is my greatest literary inspiration and i thought i would take a moment away from scribbling in my moleskine to share the very thing i am most fascinated by: the real sylvia plath. to hear her speak, her voice a dream, plain and simple, outside the context of a re worked poem.

A.

monday.

2011-01-17T05:00:00.003-05:00

the row pre-fall 2011 and feist's lonely lonely. i love simple.

x

changing bags.

2011-01-15T02:29:00.004-05:00

i've been carrying my vintage snakeskin bucket bag for too long.

here's what's inside: passport and moleskine, nars lipstick compact, tea bag - just in case, mac lipstick in morange, burt's bees, cigarette case i use for my ipod, vintage wallet from a friend and needlepoint purse from my great grandmother, a thin book of poetry - just in case, mirror, weleda skin food, a tin of vaseline rosy lips brought back from london, pen and leopard barrette.

bag: american apparel

A.

2010.

2011-01-11T01:55:00.008-05:00

winter. january and february.

spring. may and june.

summer

london. september.

bestival. september.

paris. september.

fall. october and november.

ph, flickr. tenseventen, elnettlung, rosielord, deakrostochil

should have posted these all a long time ago. but there you have it - the best year of my life in film. recapping 2010 in photographs.

A.

two thousand and ten : the afterparty.

2010-12-31T18:46:00.007-05:00

here it is. my now annual new years eve afterparty mixtape.

a mix for the final moments of 2010, for the last clink of glasses and for those last love drunk dances on the dancefloor. for the first hours of a new year, stumbling home with sore feet and cheeks rosy from champagne. for the sleepless long night into morning, lounging lazily in bed with disco songs stuck in your head. and for the morning after watching the sun rise from a blurry window and pottering into the cold kitchen to make breakfast in your pants, warmed by the fur shrugged off the night before, still covered in the faint perfume of the one you love.

click here to download a funky mix of new and old disco, some chromeo because i am obsessed, my favourite song of the year by midnight magic, atmospheric tinny electronic house from gold panda and röyksopp, chilled out perfection by way of trentemøller, and a just discovered and highly loved zola jesus track.

so here's to 2011! 2010 will be a hard one to beat as i feel it was the best of my entire life; finally making it back to london and spending more time than ever with my favourite people and friends, seeing the world and dancing the nights away. let's keep the pattern going...

enjoy!

A.

vanilla minus.

2010-12-27T02:53:00.003-05:00

why not. here are my favourite presents. the florence spin cover, american apparel leather pouch in a delicious gray, 1960s joni mitchell vinyl, pretty pants, art deco bracelet, leopard ring, words to feed my plath obsession; ariel and the journals of, and a vintage blouse picked up for me at beacon’s closet in new york.

go on. what did everyone else get?

x

night by night.

2010-12-24T17:30:00.003-05:00

vintage inspired accessories, a little black dress, disco heels and matching lipstick and lingerie.

what i would wear to a christmas eve party, where i'd play dj; meaning i'd cheat and simply stream intergalactic fm classix from my macbook and sneak in a few remixed christmas tunes for good measure.

coat; topshop, dress; monki, velvet lingerie; topshop, vintage hair comb; etsy, heels; topshop; lipstick; tom ford

have a happy christmas everyone!

A.

i love you, i miss you, i really want to kiss you.

2010-12-19T03:26:00.002-05:00

ph, american apparel. song, plastic love by zed.

loving the wintery parisian vibe of these photos and this track.

x

12 days til' christmas.

2010-12-13T03:26:00.004-05:00

presents to give and get, tenseventeen style. tom ford black orchid, american apparel lacquer in hunter, the gentlewoman, lacey lingerie, the journals of sylvia plath, american apparel clutch, an astrological jewellry stand, a 2011 diary and a turban by monki.

A.

she says i'm not romantic, i say she's too dramatic.

2010-12-08T03:59:00.010-05:00

wearing: cape courtesy of american apparel, thrifted velvet dress and bag, cheap socks from work, deena & ozzy shiny brogues

headed to the city last week to christmas shop and pick my brother up from his latest trip to nyc. he had a couple shots left on his disposable so we took a few the next morning atop the empty car park. i failed at finding many presents but i did find a shiny new copy of chromeo's latest record to listen to all the way home.

A.

wear a tie. drink tea. appreciate art.

2010-11-29T00:39:00.009-05:00

all ph, jamesdkelly

the new classic. collars, turtlenecks, ponytails, retro eyes and simple simple hair.

x

because love isn't meant to complain.

2010-11-20T19:52:00.004-05:00

<

things i am obsessed with this week: keeping my nose in anything written by sylvia plath, the new handbag: american apparel's large leather pouch and chromeo's hot mess collaboration with elly jackson - on a heavy heavy rotation.

A.

cellphone diary three.

2010-11-20T15:59:00.011-05:00

cellphone (and a few photobooth) shots from this epic long week.

1. the gold tour continues. in boston.
2. texting by the bus.
3. sold out show.
4. finally my saviour is here.
5. #27 and raw juices at wagamama.
6. peppermint mochas on the bus to ny.
7. bathrooms at roebling.
8. rainy times square.
9. speakeasy at the renaissance hotel.
10. tv in bed.
11. obligatory preshow brunch at yaffa.
12. smokebreaks by the stage door.
13. soundcheck.
14. mickey and sharon backstage.
15. an emotional last gig of the tour.
16. vegan chicken salad and lavender lemonade at teany.

x

love hangover.

2010-11-08T02:29:00.007-05:00

weekend.

friday a two hour roadtrip, tourbus, chiffon skirt and fur stole, freezing cold, diner burgers, cigarette machines, styrofoam cups of tea, a new ring, la roux, blisters, barefeet, pretty little dresses, post gig chinese, wine, hotel bed.

saturday a two pm wakeup call, hair pulled back, no makeup, a pancake breakfast, croux hoodie and riding pants, electric avenue, vintage fur shopping, an american apparel spree, disco radio, car rides home.

sunday feeling blue, red lips, leopard jumper, youtube memories, a love hangover.

x

where'd you learn to funk like that?

2010-10-28T03:29:00.005-04:00

current inspiration: the 70s.
part 1. vinyl covers.

x

"didn't your mother ever tell you it's not safe to sit in the street?"

2010-10-15T01:47:00.020-04:00

ph, tenseventen and elnettlung

back when i was in london, my friend nova invited me and my bitch in crime over to the east end to the shoot of mark ronson and boy george's new video. it was exhausting; the morning tubes were shut, we were two hours late, i ate nothing but a biscuit and a slice of pizza the entire day, changing in the toilets of a working men's club is not fun, my makeup never got finished and i somehow managed to always be just out of the camera's range but drinking and toasting coke cans halfway filled with the vodka we left the set to buy and then snuck back in with via my bag, hanging out in the middle of the street and then getting yelled at for it, having smoke breaks out back with the cool shoreditch kids, finally meeting so many people i extremely admire, officially being a contracted extra with partizan, and getting to wear jean-sebastien's jacket, made it 1982 all over again and completely worth it.

you can watch the final result here.

A.

vices.

2010-10-01T01:22:00.004-04:00

while in london. sobranie cocktails, old jamaica ginger beer and lots and lots of disco.

A.

before you bring me to ecstasy.

2010-09-16T19:10:00.006-04:00

randoms in paris. me drunk on wine, ladurée and punkin' machine. and my left over tats from bestival at the weekend.

A.

LDN TOWN.

2010-09-01T11:37:00.003-04:00

ph, slutever

heading for the airport, will be back from london in three weeks with lots of updates inbetween.

A.

a buck-toothed girl in luxembourg.

2010-08-31T03:51:00.003-04:00

my shopping list for london is long, but at the very top i've written a vintage sheer maxi dress. i've had these images saved for ages, waiting to be put in inspiration collages but they are so beautiful i thought they needed a post all their own. technicolour manic panic hair, a wide brimmed hat and nameplate necklace should also be added to that shopping list...

x

did you hear i'm sick? i'm lovesick.

2010-08-18T03:21:00.004-04:00

lindstrom & christabelle - lovesick

6th borough project - mclovin

floating points - vacuum boogie

tensnake - coma cat

me and my new headscarf. vintage and sent from london by rosie. plus a few tracks i currently can't stop grooving to.

A.

floating points.

2010-08-13T03:11:00.006-04:00

i've decided i want to come back from london with more than just an extra suitcase full of clothes, so i think i'll come back with a tattoo; something small in black ink on my wrist or the back of my neck, no letters - just numbers, and perhaps maybe just the slightest tinge of an accent.

A.