Nice Circles
If looking like you belong in a Dick Tracy comic is wrong, I don’t wanna be right.
Posts Tagged “red”
The Good, the Bad, and the Rainbow
The story of my first poncho, how it came to be mine, and who everyone says I look like when I wear it.
And A Happy New Year
Though this outfit may have temporarily blinded some unsuspecting party-goers, it was actually my insides that felt like they’d been coated with glitter.
Embroider Me!
I’m big on embroidery right now, not only because it suits the chilly weather, but also because it has me resembling a home-ec teacher from the 70s, which of course I really dig.
Bright Lights Big Stripes
Almost as if someone flipped a switch, Brooklyn woke up to fall! I decided to celebrate with a big splash of color.
Wednesday’s Ms. Green Jeans
Nothing-new insight #4: Embrace your inner child! There’s lots of evidence to support the position that maintaining a childlike perspective is a key to creative thinking.
Tuesday’s Calico Crazy
When I saw this dress, I knew I had to try it on. Since I’d never come across anything quite like it, I owed it to the thrift gods to give it a shot. To my shock, this became one of my favorite pieces of the entire week. I mean, what exactly is going on here? One part circus, one part artist’s studio, all parts nuts. All I know for sure is it’s a standout, and it was half price (originally marked $20, I got it for $10).
Nothing-New Insight #3
Fitting in is overrated. I spent a whole lot of my life trying to fit in and somehow be myself. JUST BE WHO YOU ARE. If you’re surrounding yourself with the right people, they’ll not only get it, they’ll support and appreciate it.
- red and silver scarf - $1 Palm Desert Revivals
- multi-colored dress - $10 Palm Springs Angel View Thrift
- cowboy boots - $19 Moreno Valley Goodwill
- TOTAL - $30
Monday’s Art Teacher Chic
I’ve always had a secret thing for smocks and smock-like clothing because it seems like the exact thing my 1970’s-high-school-art-teacher alter-ego would have gone nuts over. This smockish jacket selected for the second day of my Week’s Worth of Undies Project is handmade from a kitschy floral fabric and sports adorably mismatched buttons. Underneath I’ve got a shear, pleated, bright yellow blouse with button details and red pleated slacks. The slacks were missing their button, and while I could have sewn another on, it turned out faster to simply add a skinny red belt with a majestic little pony.
Nothing-New Insight #2
Color is powerful. It’s almost physiologically impossible to be in a bad mood when you’re wearing bright red pants. If you’re happy, you’ll attract other happy people to you. When you’re surrounded by happy people, life gets pretty fun.
- floral smock - $6 Moreno Valley Goodwill
- yellow pleated blouse - $6 Moreno Valley Goodwill
- multi-colored bracelets - $3 Palm Desert Revivals
- red horse-buckle belt - $3 Moreno Valley Goodwill
- red slacks - $3 Palm Desert As Good As New
- cowboy boots - $19 Moreno Valley Goodwill
- TOTAL - $40
Sunday’s Shiny Tigress
Here’s what I wore to kick off TED Palm Springs Week’s Worth of Undies Project. I loved wearing this gold sequin skirt because so many wonderful people stopped me to comment on it!
For the TEDYou Talk I gave, I paired each day’s outfit with an important life lesson I wouldn’t have learned if not for this crazy nothing-new adventure I’ve embarked on. So here goes the first…
Nothing-New Insight #1
You do NOT have to spend a lot to look great. You can always look amazing for under $100, and you can almost always look amazing for under $50. At $55, this was my most expensive outfit of the week.
- red jacket - $12 Palm Desert Revivals Thrift
- red disk necklace - $2 Cathedral City Angel View Thrift
- yellow and black blouse - $8 Palm Springs Angel View Thrift
- sequin skirt - $10 Palm Desert Angel View Thrift
- cowboy boots - $19 Moreno Valley Goodwill
- TOTAL $55 with jacket, $43 without
Who Wants to Show This Dress a Good Time?
It’s finally here! Happy Valentine’s Day! I’m wrapping up this week of red and pink with a color blast from the past. I can only imagine the fun this dress has seen since it left the rack for the first time in what I’m going to guess was 1986.
But the fun doesn’t end here; this dress is about to hit the road! Proudly presenting Lucky So and So’s first ever (drumroll please)...
Do you have a special occasion, dance party or walk in the the park coming up that’s crying out for some pink ruffley goodness? Share your idea for the dress and become one of its next wearers!
Here’s how I think it will go down: I’ll chose three people whose ideas for the dress I like, and they will in turn send me their mailing addresses. I’ll send the dress to the first person on the list who will wear it, document it, dryclean it and then be responsible for shipping it to the next person on the list. Kind of like clothing chain mail… or Netflix for dresses? I’m really into collaborative consumption, and I’ve been searching for some way to creatively lessen my closet’s load. So let’s see how it goes! Ideas will be selected based on creativity and whimsy and may involve a guest judge. To be considered, submit your idea as a comment to this post by Thursday, February 17.
The Weekender (in Red and Pink)
There was a lot to take care of in a weekend! Errands to run, work to catch up on, thrift stores, friends and art galleries to visit. For me, perfect weekend outfits mean comfort; shoes I can run in; plenty of pockets to stuff lip balm, receipts and cookies in; and color, lots and lots of color. This weekend’s color is in keeping with my theme for the week.
- magenta cotton dress - $6 Manhattan’s 23rd Street Salvation Army
- red tie belt - free (because vendor liked me!) Alameda Swap Meet
- red cotton tights - $10 The Sock Man on St. Marks
- heart-pattern Vans slip ons - $13 East Village Buffalo Exchange
- maroon corduroy jacket - $20 Brooklyn Flea
- TOTAL - $49 with jacket, $29 without
French Pinky Friday
One of my favorite parts of our workspace is that on Fridays, my Studiomate Skylar brings in his French Bulldog, Pinky. She adds so much joy to the studio, finding patches of sunlight for her adorable naps, jumping from lap to lap, and entertaining us with her games of fetch (or as Pinky interprets it, keep away). Since this week’s theme is red and pink, it’s only appropriate that today’s outfit photos include cameos of Pinky.
- red blazer - $5 Burlington Salvation Army
- pink blouse - $3 Starkville Palmer Home Thrift
- red belt - $2 Baltimore Salvation Army
- high-waisted jeans - $18 Sideshow Clothing Co. of Hudson, NY
- magenta Reebok high tops - $24 Etsy (seller Kasifoundthis)
- TOTAL - $52
Love Saves The Day Dress
I found this dress the day before the iconic East Village vintage toy and clothing store, Love Saves The Day, closed its doors for good. It was 75% off of $60, so I had to grab it, but until yesterday, I’d never actually worn it. I’m glad this week’s theme of red and pink finally provided the excuse I guess I needed, and now I’m addicted to swooshing around the studio in layers of crinoline and taffeta. This was a great dress for welcoming alumni and professors of the Mississippi State University Art Department to Studiomates for drinks. (In case you’re wondering, bourbon only increases the desire to swoosh.)
I miss Love Saves The Day, which I will go out on a limb to say is possibly the best name for a store… ever. I guess I’ll have to make a trip to its new location in, get this, New Hope, Pennsylvania.
- pink wooden beads - can’t remember… from college
- red cashmere cardigan - passed down from my friend Casson’s mom
- pink and red print dress - $15 Love Saves The Day on 2nd Avenue
- grey belt - $1 Starkville Salvation Army
- grey heather burnout leggings - $20 Alternative Apparel (link below)
- mauve Frye boots - $20 DUMBO Parent’s Association Stoop Sale
- TOTAL - $56
Tulips for Typekit
In keeping with this week’s theme of red and pink, I’m unveiling a brand new dress, found this weekend at the Brooklyn Flea. I was so excited to purchase this dress because while in theory I knew the tulip sleeve must exist, it is exceedingly rare. (I myself have never even seen a tulip sleeve in person.) I could barely contain my giddiness on the bus home from the Flea, and Creighton, goodness love him, actually acted just as excited. I guess it’s not hard to see why he’s the one for me.
Today deserves a very special dress because today is the first time an event (outside of Beer Friday) is being hosted in our Studiomates space! Two of my studiomates, Mandy Brown and Jason Santa Maria, are organizing a Typekit Talk with Tim Brown, and we’re expecting 75 attendees! Why wouldn’t I want to look my best?
- pink satin ribbon barrette - borrowed from my friend Casson
- pink beads - $2 Manhattan’s 23rd Street Salvation Army
- red wrap dress - $30 Jelly Roll at Brooklyn Flea
- purple tights - $10 The Sock Man on St. Marks
- tan slouch cowboy boots - $48 Etsy (seller PureVintageClothing)
- TOTAL - $90
A Perfect Valentine’s “Costume”
I’m kicking off the Week of Red and Pink with this, the outfit I wore last year on Valentine’s Day. We celebrated by having dinner at our neighborhood favorite, Vinegar Hill House. As we waited for a table and drank fancy pants cocktails at the bar, a sweet older gentleman felt compelled to tell Creighton, “You’re a lucky man. Your date has the best costume in the whole place.”
That’s right… costume.
- pink librarian’s sweater - $15 Jelly Roll at Brooklyn Flea
- red cherries - $5 Alameda Swap Meet
- plaid flannel skirt - $10 Jelly Roll at Brooklyn Flea
- charcoal heather tights - $8 The Sock Man on St. Marks
- brown peep-toe oxford pumps - $28 Etsy (seller PowBamBoom)
- TOTAL - $66
Scheme for the Week: Red and Pink
It’s grey and icy outside. My studiomate Rob commented that it looks as if someone turned down the contrast on the view from our windows. In an attempt to counteract this, I’ve decided to celebrate the week leading up to Valentine’s Day bumping up the saturation with one of my favorite color palettes: red and pink. So get ready; here comes a Strawberry Shortcake smack to the February blahs.
My Go-To Rainbow
If we’ve met, it’s likely you’ve seen me wear this dress. A favorite of mine for obvious reasons (hello rainbow stripes!), it’s extremely easy to wear due to its t-shirt-like top, elastic waist and full skirt. I love the buttons on the shoulder, the puff sleeves, and the fact that it leaves no direction of stripe stone unturned; it’s got vertical, horizontal and diagonal!
- rainbow-stripe dress - $20, Jelly Roll at Brooklyn Flea
- wooden beads - borrowed from Creighton, Maui Salvation Army
- red tights - $10, The Sock Man on St. Marks
- buckle pumps - $25, Alameda Swap Meet TOTAL - $65
Cherries Served Two Ways… What Should I Wear Tonight?
I’m riding a train on my way to a fabulous wedding in Baltimore, and I’ve got two nothing-new outfits burning a hole in my bag.
So what do you think… should it be Option 1: All That’s Fit And Print or Option 2: Peggy Sue With Cherries? Creighton usually helps me with these decisions, but he’s actually claiming to like them both! Leave a comment and let me know which way I should go. I’ll owe you!
Peggy Sue With Cherries
The color and cut of this dress reminded me of Kathleen Turner’s in Peggy Sue Got Married. So I decided to watch the movie as I sewed in a red petticoat to give the dress more of a 1960s silhouette. I’d forgotten what a great movie Peggy Sue is! Of course the premise that a woman would create an outfit to look like one of her high school dresses and wear it to her 25th reunion is right up my alley.
- blue matte taffeta dress - $28 Buffalo Exchange
- red cherries - $5 Alameda Swap Meet
- blue velvet ribbon - in my gift wrap drawer
- nude fishnet tights - $10 The Sock Man on St. Marks
- blue t-strap pumps - $40 Buffalo Exchange
- TOTAL - $83 (more than I usually spend… but I had to have the shoes!)
All That’s Fit And Print
What do I do when I’m slammed with work but need to find something to wear to a wedding? Well, this time I spent 40 minutes at Buffalo Exchange and another 15 at The Sock Man on St. Mark’s. In an hour, I ended up with two possible outfits and an irrational sense of accomplishment.
As a rainbow lover, I’d usually steer clear of a black and white number, but something about this bold print seemed to be screaming for a bright pair of tights. This dress originally came with a black belt, but what’s fun about that? I love, love, love that it has pockets. It’s made from brushed cotton, so it’s super comfortable and easy to wear.
I’m thrilled to acknowledge that the photographs for this outfit (and many more coming up) are the work of the ridiculously talented and overwhelmingly generous Erin Sparling. Erin is my hero.
- black and white mini dress - $40 Buffalo Exchange
- cherries - $5 Alameda Swap Meet
- skinny red belt - $1 Starkville Palmer Home Thrift
- yellow tights - $10 The Sock Man on St. Marks
- black t-strap pumps - $2 Starkville Palmer Home Thrift
- TOTAL - $58
