Christmas Morning

This red-orange knit dress from Lane Bryant is the perfect thing to wear for a holiday at home. It's like a warm, somewhat dressy, extremely flattering nightshirt. I wore it with cozy tights and slipper-like shoes to complete my "I didn't want to get dressed this morning but everyone is taking pictures" look.

Early Christmas

This year for Christmas my amazing friend Antiope got me this Wobbly Octopus Magnet. She likes to enable my octopus addiction.

And she also gave me a orange elephant-shaped ornament made from elephant dung. Processed elephant dung -- it feels like papier-mache and smells faintly of hay. Hilarious and wonderful.

I gave her citronella candles shaped like eggplant.

And some vintage maps from my favorite ephemera source, Etsy seller Inkpainter, because Antiope is a geographer.

Afterwards we tried to decide which set of Christmas presents was the most bizarre. We decided it was a tie.

Fuchsia and Finals

This is what I wore to give a final exam today. It features my new favorite tights, the fuchsia-colored ones from We Love Colors that were supposed to be maroon. After seeing photos of other people's maroon tights, I think that We Love Colors sent me the wrong ones. Did they secretly know that I would like these better? Because now I am obsessed with them. I'm even going to wrap my Christmas presents in purple and fuchsia this year. Obviously We Love Colors is psychic.

Back Home Again

For Thanksgiving week, I'm back in my hometown of Bloomington, Indiana. (And I can't believe I thought winter in Florida was cold.) Bloomington is a lovely and artistic college town with all sorts of shopping to offer, including these finds from Etsy:

Onion, a photographic print by Komoriblue that would be very appropriate for my kitchen.

Octopus/Squid Inspired Pendant from Miabeach. I love anything that looks like a cephalopod ...

... and I'm also fascinated by other strange sea life, which is why I like this Abstract Pottery Sea Anemone Sculpture from Canderson Creations.

Faceted Grape Vintage Pendant Necklace by Abeautifulnotion, who makes all sorts of jewelry out of old buttons.

And this! From Squaretones, it's Drawdio: a pencil that lets you draw with music. I really want to try this thing out.

In the Funny Papers

This week has been making me regret that I ever wished cold weather would come to Florida. I've been cheering myself up by wearing bright colors and dresses that make me feel like a cartoon. In a good way.

My Christmas List

Last year I had a very traumatic Christmas when I decided to make all my presents myself. This year I decided to buy early and often, and I have accumulated a substantial pile of presents. But you know when you're looking at your Christmas present pile, and it seems like a weird and random assortment of things? That's what my Christmas list looks like this year.

Someone I know (I'm sure none of these people read my blog) is getting a Lucky Mojo Charm from Mojohatchery. It's made of something called devil pods or, hilariously, bat nuts -- and in person it is terrifying. Those little black seedpods really do look like bats from one angle and scary faces from another. I think the recipient will appreciate this. Plus, it's supposed to ward off evil, and what more does anyone want for Christmas?

Someone else is getting a set of 1930s French chessmen in a wooden box, similar to the set available here. It's not quite as cool as a set of devil pods, but I think he might like it better.

Another person on my list will be getting an Art Deco brooch like this one, a hand holding a water lily.

And if you have someone on your Christmas list who likes antiques, used to be a locksmith, and was once almost kicked out of the navy during WWII for smuggling a pet monkey on board, this is the perfect gift: a Chinese lock in the shape of a monkey, over 100 years old and available here.

Let's hope that my friends and family are ready for some interesting and unusual vintage presents, because that is what everyone is getting this year from me. And if any of you are reading this, I wouldn't mind getting that sort of present for Christmas either.

Today I'm Thinking About

The perfection of earrings that are two different colors.

Top image: Black Forest Earrings by Circ; bottom image: Jewel Tones by U2erin.

My Brilliant Legs

I just got three new pairs of tights from the popular tights-provider We Love Colors. They are just what I look for in tights: soft, opaque, and not too shiny. These are more or less what they look like, although they aren't exactly what I thought they would look like.

The medium blue tights look sky blue. The tights that were supposed to be maroon look more magenta. The only tights that look just the way I expected are "rubine," which I ordered daringly even though I wasn't sure what color rubine was. It's the name of a reddish dye, but shouldn't it be ruby red? They look dark purple on my computer, and the same color in real life. Anyway, whatever color they are, I think they're lovely. I'll be wearing them to brighten up some black clothes this winter. I hope it gets cold enough to wear them soon.

A Vote for Brooches

My Florida town was an exciting place to be on Election Day. I loved seeing the way people were dressing up to vote. I saw a lot of American flag colors, but also lots of people who, like me, dressed mainly in blue. (We were so giddy at the idea that this might actually be a blue state this year! And it was!) I also saw women paying tribute to Michelle Obama in fabulous outfits like this one from Kimberly of Fab Finds Under $50.

I like the way Michelle Obama pins a single brooch at the v-neck of a dress or sweater, and I am totally going to copy this look with various brooches like these:


As always, Etsy has a zillion options for vintage brooches that would go perfectly with this outfit:



From top left: Vintage Mod White Glass Sunburst Brooch on sale from RelicsRenewed; Pretty Vintage Turquoise Rhinestone Brooch from Susantique; Vintage Amethyst Stone Brass Brooch from AuthenticAntiques; Late 1800s to Early 1900s Art Nouveau Brooch from LunabudsAttic; Vintage Gold Bow Brooch from HopelesslyDevoted; Vintage Marcasite Bow Brooch from PattycakesPatterns; Stunning Trifara Signed Gold Tone Leaf Brooch from Beatomicbeauty; awesome and bizarre Vintage Egyptian Cat Brooch from Vickisvintagelane.

Next Halloween

Let's face it, I own a lot of costumey clothing that I wear every day. I like ruffles. I like gaudy jewelry. I like anything that looks like it came from a previous time period. Usually I try to keep it to one costumey piece per outfit, with everything else fairly simple. But Halloween gives you total freedom to wear all of your over-the-top pieces at the same time. This year I wore the puffy shirt, the chain belt (as a necklace), a bright green belt (actually from Lane Bryant), and as many piratical accessories as I could scrounge up. This was a last-minute costume attempt. Fortunately, I already owned a pirate hat and an octopus necklace.

I think I looked more like one of the Three Musketeers than a pirate. But Oliver was wearing a black beard, hook, and eye patch, so that helped people identify us.

I like the idea of creating a costume out of real-life clothes just by adding an accessory or two. Next year I'm thinking about basing my costume on something like this gorgeous tiara from LuxeDeluxe ...
... or maybe a giant butterfly hat from Jenniferbelland ...

... or -- my favorite idea -- one of these amazingly cool felt beards from Imadeyouabeard.

Little Fountains of Pure Color

My favorite jewelry description of all time is in George Eliot's Middlemarch, when the two sisters are going through their mother's jewels. Celia is dying to wear all of it. Dorothea is fighting against her own ideals -- will she ever let herself be happy, with accessories or with men? Sigh ... I love this book!

"The complete unfitness of the necklace from all points of view for Dorothea, made Celia happier in taking it. She was opening some ring-boxes, which disclosed a fine emerald with diamonds, and just then the sun passing beyond a cloud sent a bright gleam over the table.

"'How very beautiful these gems are!' said Dorothea, under a new current of feeling, as sudden as the gleam. 'It is strange how deeply colors seem to penetrate one, like scent. I suppose that is the reason why gems are used as spiritual emblems in the Revelation of St. John. They look like fragments of heaven. I think that emerald is more beautiful than any of them.'

"'And there is a bracelet to match it,' said Celia. 'We did not notice this at first.'

'"They are lovely,' said Dorothea, slipping the ring and bracelet on her finely turned finger and wrist, and holding them towards the window on a level with her eyes. All the while her thought was trying to justify her delight in the colors by merging them in her mystic religious joy.

"'You would like those, Dorothea,' said Celia, rather falteringly, beginning to think with wonder that her sister showed some weakness, and also that emeralds would suit her own complexion even better than purple amethysts. 'You must keep that ring and bracelet -- if nothing else. But see, these agates are very pretty and quiet.'

"'Yes! I will keep these -- this ring and bracelet,' said Dorothea. Then, letting her hand fall on the table, she said in another tone -- 'Yet what miserable men find such things, and work at them, and sell them!' She paused again, and Celia thought that her sister was going to renounce the ornaments, as in consistency she ought to do.


"'Yes, dear, I will keep these,' said Dorothea decidedly. 'But take all the rest away, and the casket.'

"She took up her pencil without removing the jewels, and still looking at them. She thought of often having them by her, to feed her eye at these little fountains of pure color.

"'Shall you wear them in company?' said Celia, who was watching her with real curiosity as to what she would do.

"Dorothea glanced quickly at her sister ... 'Perhaps,' she said, rather haughtily. 'I cannot tell to what level I may sink.'"

I agree with Celia, and I would take the purple amethysts too. In fact, my engagement ring (designed by Oliver!) has an amethyst. It looks a little like this one (although surely it did not cost as much!).

I still wear it every day, and whenever I look at it, I feel like I'm feeding my eye at a little fountain of pure color.

(Image sources: Conroy + Wilcox 0.6 Ct Rose Cut Emerald Ring from Erie Basin; Tiffany Art Deco Emerald and Diamond Bracelet from Lussori; 1810s Georgian Green Paste Mourning Pin from Erie Basin [Dorothea might prefer this, even though it's not real jewels]; Amethyst Ring from Renaissance Jewelers)

More Inspiration From Books

Classic fantasy writer E.R. Eddison was a little obsessed with jewelry, and wrote some of the best jewelry descriptions ever.

From Mistress of Mistresses:

"Then he laid out a hand palm upwards on the table; hers came, daintily under its shimmer of rings ... The alexandrite stone was upon her finger, water green in this light of evening, yet with a stir as of embers below the green ready to flare red when lamps should be lit."

Totally makes me want to wear an alexandrite ring and rule over a mysterious realm.

(Images: top: Edwardian Alexandrite Ring from Cypress Gallery; right to left: Three Bubbles Ring with Synthetic Alexandrite from Grocgroc; Large and Bold Alexandrite Ring (synthetic) from LisaLisa46; 14K Alexandrite Ring from ShopNBC.)

The Puffy Shirt

Earlier this season, Lane Bryant wanted us to dress like pirates. At the store in my town, this very puffy and piratey shirt was at the center of a giant display of ruffles. Now that the shirt is on sale, I've decided that I do want to be a pirate. Or at least look like one.

So I wore this outfit to class today (except that the pencil skirt was brown): kind of a pirate-meets-schoolmarm look. One of my students said, "Oh, it's like the puffy shirt from Seinfeld!" And then she added, "Only nicer," but I think she was just trying to get some extra credit points.

A Jewelry Fix

Some days I feel the need for a new piece of jewelry that is simple, shiny, and cheap. On one of those days I bought this bird and flower charm from Michael's, added a jump ring, and wore it on a silver chain. There are so many super cute pieces in this line; I will definitely be back for more.

Other days, I want to wear something gorgeous and unique that was made by an artist, and on one of those days I bought this necklace from Etsy seller Circ. I love the thoughtfulness of her designs. Everything in her store has a romantic, vintagey beauty -- I'll be a regular customer there as well.

Ginkgo Leaves

"Amy's house was a high red brick one. In front of it there was a tall and graceful ginkgo tree whose roots made the worn red bricks of the sidewalk bulge and whose branches fanned the sky. The ginkgo tree has little leaves shaped like fans that Amy and Clarissa liked to press and give to their dolls. The fruit of this tree is orange, but it is not good for eating. It has an odd fragrance that grownups do not like but that children do not mind, for it makes them think of fall and Halloween."

From The Witch Family, by Eleanor Estes

OK, so most of what that passage says about ginkgo trees isn't true. I like their smell (although I'm pretty sure I qualify as a grownup), and I also like ginkgo nuts. But this is one of my favorite childhood books, and that will always be the quintessential description of ginkgos for me. (Also, I wish I lived in Amy's house.)

There aren't many ginkgo trees where I live now, but every fall I get homesick for the trees in my hometown. Right about now they are showering the streets with golden leaves, and people are busy picking up their fruits to eat or sell. Meanwhile I'm doing all of my gleaning on Etsy.

(Images, reading to the right and down: Ginkgo Earrings, $13 from ColorMeBella; Three Gingko Necklace, $200 from Katnfiddle; Gingko, $34 from Archaicdesign; The Gingko Cuff - Yellow Brass - Made to Order, $44 from Bijoutiful; Ruby-Crowned Kinglet Linocut in Bright Red, $20 from BirdNerd; Orange and Pink Ginkgo Pillow Cover, $20 (on sale!) from Appetitehome; amazing 8x8 Yellow Ginkgo Leaf Wall Plaque, $30 from Jonathanshuff; Tourmaline Ginkgo Leaf Earrings set in Sterling Silver, $225 from Beaucoupdebijoux; Ginkgo Leaf Pendant, $40 from Gingko; Orange Ginkgo Letterpress Stationery, $15 from Satsumalynn; Ginkgo Leaf Ring, $34 from Esdesigns; Hammered Copper Ginkgo Leaf Pendant, $25 from Knitsteel.)

Ginkgo, gingko, ginkgo ... if you type it enough times, both spellings start to look wrong.

Bookish

I almost called this post "Love Story Part Two," because that is how much I love books. I love them so much I think it might be a problem. So much that I always want to buy anything that even reminds me of books. Right now, I'm really, really tempted by the amazing jewelry of Etsy seller Julieinwilkes' shop, Inspired by History. She makes these incredible necklaces with souvenir picture lockets, tiny books that fold out into a sequence of old pictures of scenic locations. Who could possibly resist the Nature Enthusiast's Delight, with the tiny binoculars and the little red book of 1960s photos from the Wisconsin Dells?

I can't even resist anything that looks like print -- like the newspaper purse from yesterday's post, or this Distorted Diary bag by designer Lucie Pritchard, available at All Things Original.

I'd like to buy a mix bag of these buttons and sew them onto a black cardigan.

And then there are all the things you can buy that have been made out of books, like this American Literature Book Belt Buckle from MaxineDearest. Some people (like my mother) find it unsettling to see books cut apart to make fashion accessories. I like to think of it as giving new life to a book that might have been mulched and sent to the landfill.

Which is why I've been thinking about getting a book purse. Maybe a book clutch like this one from Nerdbomber -- so simple and cute!

Or a shoulder bag purse, like this one from SackReligious.

If I had the money, of course, I would go with the top-of-the-line book purse: one of the gorgeous book-shaped clutches from Femme Sud.

Or maybe I'll just keep my eye out for the perfect purse book that needs to be rescued and reworked, and try altering it myself. I would do it in a second if I found one of these books.

(The Brown Satchel Mystery, by Betsy Allen; The Empty Purse, by George Meredith; The Power of the Purse Strings: Do Congressional Budgets Restrain? by Richard Forgette; The Case of the Golddigger's Purse, by Erle Stanley Gardner; A Clutch of Constables, by Ngaio Marsh; The Purse, by Honore de Balzac)

Today's Teaching Outfit

This is essentially what I wore to class today, and is the perfect example of what happened to all my flouncy black clothes once I moved to Florida. I'm wearing a black satin skirt that is meant to be for formal evening occasions. But since I never have any of those, I wear this skirt all the time with casual tops and informal jewelry. It's more comfortable than jeans.


And this is the plastic bird necklace I wish I had to wear with my flouncy skirt! So romantic, but still a little disturbing ... I love everything that Rob Ryan does.

Love Story (But With the Tragedy Confined to Fashion Choices)

Generally speaking, Oliver and I are a perfect match. Our personal styles, on the other hand, haven't always been in harmony.

Look at us in high school. Oliver was the ultimate 80s preppie, embracing sweater vests and layered pink and green polo shirts. Meanwhile, I was treating my high school to a parade of countless broomstick skirts and tie-dyed t-shirts. When I wasn't dressing in frumpy denim jumpers and turtlenecks. Either way, you would never have imagined the two of us together.

And then we went to two very, very different colleges.

When we met in grad school, we had settled into more individual styles. Oliver owned so many plaid shirts that once, walking into an Eddie Bauer, I was overcome by the sight of all the mannequins. They looked like a clone army of Olivers. I looked like a Victorian widow.

A few years later, we got teaching jobs, moved to Florida, and started dressing better. Faced with the Florida heat, I've traded in much of my voluminous black for little vintage-style dresses that are light on the fabrics, heavy on the polka dots. Oliver has essentially the same classic style he's always had, just a little more grown-up.

And look! We totally match.