STONE RIDGE PART II

The first half of the first roll I shot while back home was all from our daytrip upstate this fall. I ate so many apples in the weeks afterward, and, well you know what they say. Oughtta make up for not having health insurance, right??

All photos taken using regular old Fuji 400 speed film on my faithful Canon AE-1 Program

BOXING KITTEN

Back when Chioma was wowing us all in her amazing Boxing Kitten jumpsuit, it certainly never occurred to me that I might be meeting with its creator on a rainy November afternoon in Chinatown. But: life is frickin' weird. For the February/March 2011 issue of BUST Magazine, I had the immense pleasure of interviewing designer Maya Amina Lake, who happens to make clothes that are almost as rad as she is.

TARANTULA SISTERS

Even though I'm too broke to buy, I'm totally in love with the styling of Tarantula Sisters on Etsy. So simple and cute and a little bit off, just the way I like it...plus, their model is adorable, and reminds me so much of Miss Zippora Seven, always a favorite.

CARLO MOLLINO

One of the first things that struck me when I discovered the photography of Italian architect Carlo Mollino was how much it reminded me of the work of Egon Schiele. The colors, the shapes, the delicate translucent layers of petticoats and sheer stockings, the contrast between inside and outside, what is hidden and what is in plain view. And as with Schiele, many of Mollino's subjects were young prostitutes, whom he dressed, posed and lit himself. The results are haunting, alluring, both sensual and sad.

BIRKIN AS DIOR'S PIERRETTE

Jane Birkin, from the pages of Vogue UK March 1972. Ever since dressing as a Pierrot for Halloween, I've become a little obsessed with the costume (and the idea of someday trying it again, only with more prep time and attention to detail.) She makes an awfully chic Pierrette here, and in Dior to boot!

I found this image over on Youthquakers, one of my very favorite sites to browse. It reminds me of the time I spent on Work-Study at McHenry Library at UCSC, not-so-subtly sneaking off during my shift to pour over their huge collection of hard-bound vintage US Vogue magazines. I still have stacks of the pages I photocopied, Veruschka and Marissa and Penelope et al.

ANSEL ADAMS/NATIONAL PARKS USA

This gorgeous series of vintage circa 1968 National Parks posters, all featuring photographs by Ansel Adams, just went up over on Arbor Vitae (along with a bunch of more wearable goodies!) I wish I could hold on to every last one of these for myself. Might not be the best cure for my Western wanderlust though...

STONE RIDGE FARM

A few photos from a trip we took this fall upstate to go apple picking. Alex took these with his Yashica,which doesn't have a light meter, and he really nailed the exposure, especially on the first one. I'm so proud! Stone Ridge Farm is a good two hour drive north from the city, but it's definitely worth it (especially if you have a loyal companion to deal with the messy driving part...) It was quite late in the season, but it meant that the few trees left with leaves were really going for it foliage-wise. As soon as I get back to NYC I'm getting my own roll from that day, which I finally finished while at home, developed as well.

(photos by Alex)

MEET KIRSTEN

I have to admit that, after seeing Somewhere right before leaving town, I'm officially jumping on the Elle Fanning bandwagon. Besides being a very talented young actress, it doesn't hurt that she:
a) bears eerie resemblance to my second favorite American Girl, and
b) has awesome hair, which in the above photo reminds me of these soon-to-be-reissued Robert Clergerie shoes.

(photos via tFS and Paper Mag)

SHE SELLS SEASHELLS

Leaving for the airport in a few hours. I hate to fly quite this early, but as always there's not only a plane but a shuttle bus and a ferry ride between me and my destination. I'll try and keep up while I'm away, which shouldn't be too much of a challenge--my parents love the internet almost as much as I do!

(photo of my backside at Rockaway Beach, summer 2010 taken by Alex)

PAGE TURNER

Hemingway/Waters/Kinski. Some books I'm very much looking forward to reading on my "winter vacation" (cold days + long nights = plenty of time in bed or by the fire with tea, toast, book, hopefully a cat or two.)

What's on your reading list??

THINK WARM THOUGHTS

This time last year, I was gearing up for a trip that would take me from winter in one far away place, straight through the equator and into summer in another far away place. Now instead I'm getting ready to fly across the country to a place that's just about as cold as it is right here, and probably damper. Nor'easters and snow (more snow!) are in the forecast, and any thoughts of another mysterious warm snap cropping up in January are quickly being quashed. Not to say I'm any less excited--I don't daunt in the face of a little wind and rain. But for the time being, I'll just have to depend on soaking up the sunshine in my mind...

(Chloë in Miami, Nicole Bentley for Vogue Australia, personal)

NEW YEAR/NEW LOOK

2011: time for a clean break. I've been wanting to change the layout of this blog for what feels like a very, very long time now, and over the last few days I finally sat down and got to properly hacking away at some serious html. It's still not perfect, not by a long shot, and I still need to go back and re-format as many posts as I can stand (a project worthy of SEVERAL rainy afternoons, to be sure...) but I feel so much better already! Now we've got some space to move around, ya know? No more bumping elbows, knocking knees. I feel like standing on my tippy toes and shoving some jazz hands at the sky!

In the spirit of transformations, I bring you a photo of two dudes dressed as Ana Wintour and Grace Coddington, respectfully, from Candy Magazine found via frockwriter. Not too shabby, not too shabby at all.