ALL FERN EVERYTHING

 
Spent last weekend in a beautiful, magical, fern filled land catching fireflies, reading books, taking photos, cooking foods. Spent this week suffering from severe post-paradise depression.


(photos by Cass, to whom I owe it all)

INTO THE WOODS

Trying, with heavy heart, to make the most of my last few days here. Two weeks couldn't have been enough if it tried, and it did try! I spent some time in the sun with a cat and two sleepy chickens this morning, making my way through short stories by Beryl Markham and exploring the Nebraska grasslands as they were circa 1975 thanks to my personal time machine aka National Geographic. Dagmar's woods are full of surprises.

WINTER HOME

Now that we've made it through February--and even the first day of March!--and now that Accuweather is showing proportionally far more 4's and 5's across the board than 2's and 3's, it finally, finally is beginning to feel as though we're on the upswing. So it occurred to me that I had better get my ass in gear and share with you more of the photos from my visit home in January, before I enter fully into denial that winter ever happened in the first place.

The first photo was taken from the window of the plane on the second leg of my flight, from LA to Seattle. Looking out over the Sierra Nevada mountains, I found myself truly overwhelmed by just how breathtaking the West is, and just how much I miss living in that special, incomparable part of the country. Back home, there is always a mountain on the horizon, and I miss my own familiar giants (Baker, Rainier) every day. Here there is city and more city, and then flatness and swamps, and when you do come across a mountain, it is all the wrong shape. Here things are round and sloped, there they are jagged and rough and conical. I actually have a real theory about the shapes of nature in the East versus the West--but that is a lengthy dissertation for another day!

(all photos taken by me, using Fuji 35mm 400 speed film on my Canon AE-1 Program)

balmoral

Speaking of winter-time color: I just love this photo of Diana and Charles at Balmoral. Although, haha, apparently it was taken on May 6th (by Tim Graham). Nonetheless, I do love her sweater. It looks a bit faded here, but in other views you can see it was a rather shocking pink! I wonder where she got it, and why it is she chose to wear it to this particular photocall. Anyways, I'm totally digging this whole outfit, really.

P.S. I still have a copy of the Elton John "Candle in the Wind" single...on cassette! Those were truly sad times for a thirteen year old Anglophile. (Edit: Ok ok, I do know it's still quite cold in May in the UK--I was a teen Anglophile once, remember!)

fly fowl

Dagmar is a lady AND an expert chicken wrangler.

I'm back in New York tonight, and missing this face (and this pack of jungle fowl) like nothing else. Somehow it only gets harder and harder every time I have to leave after a visit. I've always gotten horribly homesick, even when I was a little kid, even when we'd only be a few miles from home. I wish I could outgrow it, but I fear I never will. I've got that ache-y, break-y feeling. You know the one.

messing about in boats

A few shots that Dag took during our overnight boating/camping trip to Patos, a small outer island (even smaller than the one I grew up on!) We slept out under the stars to look for meteors, hiked to my favorite little cove, and tooled around a bit in the bright sunshine on the blue, blue sea. I'm headed back to New York tomorrow, and even though I've been out here for four weeks, it feels like the blink of an eye. Where do the days go??? I miss home already.

siren festival

antique handmade Russian blouse/Cheap Monday shorts/Saltwater Sandals/second hand bag

Saturday afternoon, I made the train trip down to Coney Island to see the Pains play at Siren Fest. This blouse usually hangs on my wall, it's so pretty and ancient. But every now and then I like to take it off display and out into the real world for some fresh air (and, in this case, plenty of sweat.)



Honestly, as far as the festival was concerned I was mostly excited for the endless array of tasty foods available (final tally: one fro-yo, one corndog, one soft serve cone, one lemonade.) In the end, despite all the sugar in my system, the day was bittersweet since Alex and the band left right after playing for a five week European tour. I wont be seeing his pretty face again for over a month! Which sucks ass. At least I'll be spending the better part of that time in Washington where many cats, ducks, chickens and various forest creatures await to sooth my sorrows!

cockles and mussels

I'm kind of obsessed with these scalloped shorts from The Queen's Wardrobe (and I think maybe you know why...) even though I'd probably look all kinds of frumpy in them! Ever since I saw them on Alix though, I just can't get 'em out of my head.

getting back

Tomorrow, I begin the painful process of re-integrating myself into general New York society. I would say I started today, since we technically got back Saturday night, but since I spent all day in bed sulking and only left the house long enough to buy the necessary ingredients for yaki soba, well, today didn't really count.

I know, I can already hear you telling me that, of all places, NYC isn't exactly the worst to have to reintroduce oneself to. You're right of course, but I have to say that being away from the city for so long, and in such strange and beautiful places, made me realize just how bummed out I've been by living here for some time now. However, since I haven't got any better plans up my sleeve, my task at hand is to find a job--so I can start saving up for my next vacation.

Part of the shock of coming back to Brooklyn was having to go from the sweet, mild, seaside summer of New Zealand to piles of greying snowdrifts and temperatures back in the 30's. I know spring is right around the corner, but I'll tell you, it sure doesn't look like it outside my window. Seeing this pretty editorial, styled by Camille Bidault-Waddington, is giving me a flicker of hope though. In fact, I've got all sorts of Spring inspiration and wishlists lined up.

My photos from the trip should be developed and ready to go by early next week I expect. Until then, I'm gonna start dreaming hard about a spring filled with mixed florals, shirt shorts, cat prints and red lips.

(photos by Max Farago for Elle US March 2010, found here)

two diy ideas

1)

(image via Anywho)

It was love at first sight when I found these vintage tap shorts over on Anywho. Knowing that they exist for sale in a boutique somewhere in Madrid makes the fact they will never be mine all the more painful. But it got me thinking, maybe I could just make a pair myself? I've actually done a fair amount of beading work in my day, and while it would be incredibly tedious, it wouldn't be all that difficult. I figure, start out with a pair of these, do some creative tailoring, buy a crapload of cheap fake pearls and go for it!

2)

(image via Nast Magazine)

Ok, so to be fair, the DIY aspect of this one might only extend so far as me begging my mom to knit up a bunch of tubes that I can then braid into whatever amazing head wrap/hat/yarn hair extension is going on here. Seriously, what on earth is this amazing thing?? Also, on a side note, I'm really stoked to see Nast back in business!

skjorta av min drömmarna

Recently, a friend returned from a trip to Sweden spinning tall tales of the most epicly amazing, soft, thin, perfectly cut wolf t-shirt she had ever seen in her life, but had neglected to purchase. After some accidental super sleuthing, I deduced that this shirt is in fact from the store Grandpa in Stockholm. I also deduced that it was the shirt I have been waiting to own approximately my whole life.



Above is a photo of the shirt in its natural habitat, courtesy of Marion Rocks. Glorious. The only problem is, besides not having 96 bucks laying around the spend on a t-shirt, Grandpa doesn't ship to the US. This whole situation is just too heartbreaking to handle. We'll run together in dreams across the frozen tundra, wild and free, you and I.

the sea inside

I think I would literally weep salty tears of joy if someone gave me this beautiful Unearthen necklace. The little vial contains drops of Pacific Ocean water (it also comes in crude oil and holi powder versions.) I never ever stop missing the West Best Coast, but the holiday season can be especially rough on the ol' heart strings.

Of course, this has also got me thinking about ways I could just DIY one for myself next time I'm out west where I belong...uh, anyone know a good home tutorial for hermetic sealing??

(photos via Bona Drag)

bye bye love

Sorry to get all sentimental on your collective asses, but the Pains left for a three week Spain-France-UK tour yesterday. Meaning, I wont be seeing this handsome face again for way, waaaaaay too long.

His absence happens to coincide with what, I hope, are to be the last few weeks of my school career for(knock on wood)ever. I anticipate a lot of time spent alternately feeling extremely sorry for myself, procrastinating like I've never procrastinated before and, theoretically, knuckling down and writing a masterful paper or two...or five. The last five papers I will ever write in my entire life. Knock on wood.

Dagmar it's your birthday...

...happy birthday Dagmar!

It was my best friend's birthday yesterday--well, technically it still is where she lives, several thousands of miles away from me on the other side of this big stinkin' continent. Happy big 2-4 Dag, I miss you!! Hopefully I'll get your present sent off before Christmas this year.

start your engines

Uuuuuuh...how insanely jealous am I that Maya got to attend the Rachel Comey S/S 2010 presentation? I'll tell you: PRETTY INSANELY JEALOUS.

Ladies and gentlemen...it's freakin' fashion week!!!

(beautiful photos courtesy of NBC New York)