Friday, July 10, 2009
A Conundrum...and an [Embarrassing] Plea for Feedback
When I first started this blog [a year ago!] it was an experiment. I had no idea how long it would last or how devoted I would become. As it turns out, it has been amazing, inspiring, fun, enlightening...and tons and tons of work! I have made friends with so many interesting and talented people from around the world. Sometimes I wish I had a magic wand and could make all of my incredible blog-friends appear right here, all at once, and that we could all sit around drinking tea and chatting about strange, beautiful things!
I guess that is kind of where the alienating part comes in though: while I have so many fellow "virtual" compatriots, I don't actually feel like I have anyone in my life to share many of my interests with. Now don't get me wrong, I have a wonderful boyfriend and fantastic friends, but very few people I actually know look at or give me feedback on my blog. So, I often feel like I have this separate little box that I keep my passions in, and when I'm around friends or family, I just set it aside, because I sense that it is not of interest to them.
My boyfriend reminded me the other day that I did not start this blog in order to create a stronger bond between myself and the people already in my life, but rather as a way to cultivate a new community of people out in the world that have similar interests. While he has a good point, I guess I just assumed subconsciously that the people I am close to would automatically take interest, because it was something that was important to me. What I did not foresee happening was that I would become so passionately attached and serious [in a good way] about the work and ideas I share here every week or that my blog would become such an important part of me, my daily life, and my self-perception. Because of that, I find myself taking it personally that no one I know seems 'impressed' or 'interested' by what I do [this is a Leo trait, LOL!]. While that is slightly embarrassing for me to admit, I feel that it is a legitimate feeling and I have to at least acknowledge that it is there [if not, at least, to overcome it].
So, I guess my question begins here: have any of you had these same issues or these same confusing feelings of fulfillment on the one hand mixed with alienation on the other? Is it reasonable to want the people close to me to take interest and give feedback or should I just come to peace with the idea that this project is a separate endeavor from my day-to-day life?
I feel as if on one end, if I continue to maintain this blog and delve deeper and deeper into my particular interests, that I will just feel more and more sad that I don't have a person in my life to appreciate and share my ideas with, but on the other hand, I feel as if I ignore this part of myself that I will just become disconnected, fake, boring, and unfulfilled. What a ridiculous conundrum!
Thanks so much for your kindness if you read this...I look forward to hearing your thoughts!
Cheers,
Tara
Weekend Reads: Links to the Strange and the Beautiful

♥ Need a new summer read? Here's a really fun tool -- get interesting, new book recommendations at The Book Seer.

♥ I'm a sucker for creepy old ruined buildings, and the abandoned man-made ruins at Artificial Owl are mesmerizing...I just want to sneak around in them looking for ghosts!

♥ Well-written, academic Fashion articles on Fashion+Film tackle historical and cultural topics relating to clothing and costume.

♥ Fascinating photo collages of favorite collectibles by Dragonfly on Flickr -- you'll want to copy this idea!
Thursday, July 9, 2009
"I have always thought of sophistication as rather a feeble substitute for decadence" : Bally, Fall 2009



Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Current Obsession: Lace-Up Ankle Boots


Jeffrey Campbell Leather Lace up boots




Monday, July 6, 2009
Things You Never Knew You Needed Until Now...

Repose Nesting Dolls by Belles Lettres


Josef Frank textiles and furniture at Svenskt Tenn

Vegan Handmade Perfumes by Sweet Anthem Handmade Perfumes

Victorian "Masterpiece Theatre" prints at the bazaarium
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Happy Independence Day!!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Yinka Shonibare MBE

The new exhibition of his work at the Brooklyn Museum of art is a major midcareer survey of work by the Nigerian-born British artist. According to the museum description: "Shonibare’s artwork explores contemporary African identity and its relationship to European colonialism through painting, sculpture, installation, and moving image. Working with visual symbols such as Dutch wax fabric (produced in Europe for a West African market) and headless mannequins dressed in brightly colored costumes, Shonibare evokes the complex web of interactions, economic and racial, that reveal inequalities between the dominant and colonized cultures of Europe, Asia, and Africa."

A key material in Shonibare's work since 1994 are the brightly coloured 'African' fabrics (Dutch wax-printed cotton) that he buys himself from Brixton market in London.
"But actually, the fabrics are not really authentically African the way people think," says Shonibare. "They prove to have a crossbred cultural background quite of their own. And it’s the fallacy of that signification that I like. It’s the way I view culture—it’s an artificial construct [Wikipedia]."

He has these fabrics made up into Victorian dresses, covering sculptures of alien figures or stretched onto canvases and thickly painted over.

Of course, the political and historical implications of his work resonate with the violence and racism of the past, of Western imperialism, and of the erasure of African culture in favor of European culture, art, and costume [which is still happening, many would argue].


The repetition of the missing head in many of his sculptures works to emphasize the erasure of identity and race, while the theatrical and decadent costumes create a polarity between the false and the real -- what is missing and what is being lied about? Does the costume represent the only identity that matters? Can the African identity simply be morphed and tailored into something else? The beautiful pattern and fabric decorate and cover a harsher reality.




For more information on Shonibare's show in Brooklyn, check out the museum site.
The 20's Cloche Hat








Monday, June 29, 2009
Shameless Plug: Huge Clothing Lot for Sale on Ebay!
Fernand Khnopff and the Symbolic Woman
I'm feeling a bit under-the-weather today, so instead of plotting an exciting new post, I thought I would just post some images I've been collecting by one of my favorite artists, Fernand Khnopff. Khnopff was a Belgian artist who had quite a cult following during the 1890's. In some respects he reminds me of Felicien Rops, another Symbolist artist I've written about previously. Both artists had a knack for portraying women as beautiful, yet strangely eerie and foreboding.
He was also fond of imagining his female subjects as animals, as you can see in his most famous image, "The Caress" [above]. It was not uncommon during this period to see women in art and literature associated with primal urges and bestial tendencies.
"Istar" [left], and "Listening to Flowers" [right]
"The Offering"
"Young English Woman"
"The Veil"
Of course, I particularly love this piece depicting a woman smoking a cigarette ["The Cigarette, 1912]. As I've mentioned before, there is something so fascinating to me about images of women and cigarettes from this period -- it would have been considered quite taboo at the time, because it was a habit only considered acceptable for men!
"Who Shall Deliver Me?" [from the poem by Christina Rossetti].
"Head of a Woman"
"Study of a Woman"
Or is it two? Doubling was a common theme among late Victorian artists, as well. Women were often depicted kissing, staring at, even fondling their own image in mirrors. Khnopff's version here seems ambivalent -- are there two women or is this a fantasy in which the mirror-image has a will of its own? Some critics argue that these double-images represent women as narcissistic, egoistic, and incapable of loving any person other than themselves...what is your take??
Friday, June 26, 2009
Have a Steamy, Sweltering Weekend...
* I am going to: listen to some Michael Jackson and reminisce / spend the day with my friend Sarah at the pool on Saturday /see some live music on Saturday night / go to a museum on Sunday.
* I need to: clean the house [*blah*]
* I really need to: catch up on reading.
It has been sweltering here in the Midwest [100 degrees!], and it is really making me wish I lived near a large body of water. But, alas, I am 9 hours from the closest beach, and I will just have to be satisfied with lounging by the swimming pool at my apartment complex. What are your must-have items for a hot day by the pool or at the beach? I don't need anything too fancy in my "beach bag" -- the key thing is to have items that keep my pale skin from getting fried. I also need a girly fashion magazine, some good summer tunes...and, yes, cold beer [do you find it as funny as I do that I put a can of Bud in my Polyvore collage?].
Here are my essentials:
♥ My cozy black Havaianas...that I've had for 8 years.
♥ A big floppy hat to keep the sun off of my face.
♥ My ipod classic.
♥ Some cute sunglasses.
♥ Yummy-smelling sunscreen with SPF 50.
♥ A cold beverage [and my monogrammed koozie -- have you seen these?]
♥ A floral sundress.
♥ An oversized waterproof bag to keep all of my stuff.
I've been dying to read these -- has anyone had the opportunity to check these out? [click for descriptions]
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Goodbye Michael...You Were a Wiz

Manhes Massun's New Collection, Fall 2010





Monday, June 22, 2009
Things you never knew you needed until now...
Woodland Fairy Tale Bed by Attila Design
Modern alchemy candles at Unica Home

Memory Lane Necklace by Red Heart 13

Southern Peach Lip Balm by Vintage Bella

Do Not Faint card by Yardia

Acai sugar Scrub by Live Laugh Love Soap

Raven Couple sculpture by Woodswise

Suitcase pillow by Olive

Tabac eau de toilette from Portland General Store
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Monday Mischief: In Every Father's House a Treasure
Just thought I would share a few snapshots of some of his current treasures [they are on an ever-rotating cycle]:



















All-in-all, a very fun day! And, yes, don't worry -- my dad got a present, too!
Friday, June 19, 2009
Weekend Reads...
* I am going to: attend a wine-tasting and post new items on my Etsy shop.
* I need to: go grocery shopping...and buy my Dad a Father's Day gift. Oops!
* I hope: I will have time to play a game of tennis with my boyfriend and watch "Fingersmith."
* I wish: I could go for a lazy float down the river with some friends and some cold beverages.
* I will probably forget to: read for my dissertation research. OK, so that's more of a conscious choice ;)

♥Un Siecle de Pin-Up at Au Carrefour Etrange features feisty 20's calendar girls.

♥ Nerd Boyfriend -- the absolute sexiest and most adorable men's fashion blog imaginable.

♥ What We Wore at Square America Archives chronicles all the wonder and randomness of regular folk's fashion through the years.
A Damn Fine Cup of Coffee...

Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Barbara Hulanicki and The Biba Girls

News of the upcoming Biba documentary could not have come at a more opportune moment! If you haven't seen the preview yet, you really must check it out. It will make you want to take a time-machine back to the 60's, and visit the original Biba store in London -- land of the Biba Girls, with their soft curls, big floppy hats, granny dresses, and 30's-inspired fashion...

Everyone from Twiggy to the gorgeous girlfriends of rock stars shopped at Biba. The look was decadent and dark, but with a playful edge -- deep, rich colors intermingled with chunky platforms, long lashes, and bright makeup. The Biba look consisted of what Hulanicki called "Auntie Colours" - Hulanicki described them as ‘look[ing] like a funeral.’ These colours were blackish mulberries, blueberries, rusts and plums.
Hulanicki herself was a marketing genius, far ahead of her time in her conception of the shopping experience: the store was marketed to a younger generation of women, and unlike the other stuffy, formal department stores in London, Biba encouraged women to experiment in the shop with makeup and to try on and play with clothing combinations.
The Biba logo also played a crucial part in Biba’s success; the logo was gold and black which reflected the growing taste in youth for art deco. The logo was designed by Antony Little. To create a look for Biba in the first store, Little painted the Biba sign above the shop and blacked out all the windows. The blacked out windows didn’t allow the store’s interior to receive any sunlight which was vital for the Biba’s art nouveau atmosphere [wikipedia].
I'm officially smitten with the Biba look, and look forward to incorporating more of the rock-n-roll romantic vibe into my wardrobe. Aren't the Biba girls just too gorgeous for words???
If you love vintage Biba as much as me, you should also check out Hulanicki's website, chock full of old photos and ads for the store in its heyday [as well as some of Hulanicki's new looks!]
Monday, June 15, 2009
New Vintage Postcards, Bloomsday...and an Award!

I also recently recived these two splendid prints from the very talented Sam from Matou en Peluche, who creates such elegant, quirky girls!
Sam also recently awarded me with the "Your Blog Makes Me Smile" award. I am so honored!! You should definitely check out her store and her gorgeous, inspirational blog.

And, drum roll please, here are my 10 picks for blogs that make me smile:
1. Progress on the Prairie -- a local blog, a great friend, and witty, clever, political commentary !
2. Child of the Moon -- the most amazing collection of vintage fashion and music photos.
3. Chintz of Darkness -- quite possibly the most dramatic design aesthetic ever!
4. Oh, Mishka! -- always inspirational art and decor ideas.
5. Poetic Oneirism -- thoughful, exquisite poetry, art, and music.
6. They Don't Call Them Lovers in High School, Leland -- hypnotic and surrealistic juxtaposition of photographs.
7. Pandora -- a modern-day style icon and art lover extraordinaire!
8. Lost in a Spotless Mind -- her posts are always thoughtful and full of excellent fashion advice.
9. Sea of Shoes -- how can her shoe collection not make you smile??
10. The Cherry Blossom Girl -- sweet, wearable, romantic clothes and mesmerizing photography.





















































