In with the new...

I'm very partial to black but I think it would be lovely to wear love, at least for summer...Such a clever sign by The Love Shop on Etsy (via Design is Mine).

See you in the morning dolls.

The Blog as a Force of Nature

Looking for an afternoon pick-me-up? Check out this blog, Trend Land. Have you seen it yet? It's a fantastic, dizzying experience. Sort of like seeing a blog in 3D on high def.

Monday

Ah, it's Monday again. It's been so dreary here in Los Angeles. We've been suffering through a thing the weathermen call "June Gloom." We've had rain for the last few days, which I think is illegal. It's never supposed to rain in Los Angeles after March. .
I'm hoping for puffy clouds giving way to blue skies this week.
Hope you have a lovely one.


PS: This photo is one of my favorite sky Polaroids, taken on an early morning in San Marino recently under better weather conditions.

Ms. Muse gets a Facelift

My dears, after spending days neglecting my fashion/celebrity blog, Ms. Muse, I decided to spend a little time working on it today. I made a new header and added a couple special features. (One involving George Clooney!) Check it out and let me know what you think!!!


I spent most of the day working on the art for the header. (see above) It was wonderfully relaxing, except for photoshop with all its complicated steps and routines. ...I eventually gave up. I'm off tomorrow to find a photoshop book, I would have suffered less aggravation cooking one of Martha Stewart's (complicated) recipes for dinner! O well! ox

Anne Hathaway, Katarina at Lolita

I'm always dazzled by the images Katarina at Lolita finds for her blog (Lolitas.se) and her tumblr, Tatielle. It's one of the most original collections on the Internet. I love this image (above) on Tatielle of Anne Hathaway against a Fornasetti backdrop.

I met Katarina, via email, when I first started blogging and she was wonderfully helpful and kind. Recently, Sophie at Fix on This did an article on her. She is beautiful (photo below) and immensely creative. She's been studying theatre in Stockholm (she's graduating next week) and talent runs in her family (her mother is a fashion illustrator.)

Here's the link to her interview.


Katarina at Lolita.


More about that Fornasetti wallpaper over here.

10 Magazine Names Top 10 Blogs, etc.

Ten Magazine's summer issue is out on newsstands this week with an article listing the fashion tome's top ten favorite blogs, twitters and email addresses.

Writer Richard Gray asks: "Is blogging the new crack? Twittering the new caffeine? Virals the new, erm, Fendi Baguette?" (I've never tried crack but I drink lots of caffeine while blogging, so my answer would be, well, YES!)

I thought it would be fun to share with you the blogs/twitters/emails that made the cut. Some of them I've heard of, others were completely new to me. Have fun exploring.

Here they are:

katelovesme.blogspot.com

jackyblue.com

disneyrollergirl.blogspot.com

stylesalvage.blogspot.com

showstudio.com

machocity@googlemail.com
(They send out Wednesday emails with details about parties they're holding in London on Thursdays)

tavi-thenewgirlintown.blogspot.com

graziadaily.co.uk

thefashionspot.com

twitter.com/Karl_Lagerfeld
(more on Karl here.)

Also, here's the link to the magazine.


PS: The picture above is from 10 Magazine. I love the tiara on the sunglasses. Although the expression on the model's face was probably similar to the one I had upon discovering that I had been left off 10's top ten list. Maybe next year! xoxo


(The sunglasses are by BLESS.)

Weekend Plans?

Do you want to go to the mountains, the village, the ocean, or the shore?

(I'm living vicariously through Eames Daedelus' vacation photos from Nicaragua at the moment. I really need a getaway!)

What are you doing this weekend?

Tricks and Secrets

One of my projects for the summer is to explore the art of Lomography. And I love the idea of using 35 mm film in my Holga camera, which usually takes the more expensive 120 film. I came across these amazing photos recently by Stephanie Kac on flickr. I'm amazed at how she got the double exposure of the Eiffel Tower on 35 mm film! It's genius!

It seems easy to convert the camera to the smaller format film (it involves a couple of sponges and some duct tape.) Has anyone out there done it?

Imagine the surprise of the photo clerk who develops the film! There's lots of photography secrets and tricks on the Lomography.com website. Dazzling inspiration.

Combat Boots and a Tiara

I love this photo by Hanna L. Everything about it is fantastic: the boots, the stars, the skirt, the girl and, of course, the tiara. It's whimsy exemplified.

You can find the clever Ms Hanna {here}.

Hope everyone is having a nice Wednesday. The sky is rumbling in Los Angeles. Any minute it's going to rain.

Audrey Wallpaper

The umbrella post reminded me of this Audrey Hepburn photo. It's one of my all time favorites. For awhile I was using it as the wallpaper on my laptop. It looked gorgeous. I saved it large on my flickr account if you want to use it as wallpaper too! xo

The link is here!

Rare Umbrellas

There's this amazing place in Seattle called Bella Umbrella where you can rent vintage umbrellas online...

For every occasion...

Their photo gallery is so gorgeous...

...Makes me want to throw an afternoon party. No one will care if it's too rainy or too sunny...

Design Crush

I'm crushing on London illustrator/photographer Kat Heyes. Her watercolors are so charming, it's impossible to pick a favorite. And her photography is really wonderful too. (She did a lovely book with her sister-in-law called The Happy Campers. It brings back so many fond summer memories for me.)

Heyes, a girl from mid Wales, also has an impressive list of clients: Gucci, Vogue, Elle, Calvin Klein, Marie Claire. It's easy to understand why!

She has a beautiful website {here}.

The International Society of Girls in Flats

Hello everyone, It's been several months since we started the International Society of Girls in Flats to celebrate beautiful -- and comfy -- shoes. (You don't have to give up your heels to join.) The group has now grown to more than 400 members on Facebook. (Katrina Tan of Pugly Feet is serving as the Doyenne of Flats.)

Check it out here!

I hope you have a lovely Tuesday. I'm fighting off a cold. Such a bummer.

PS: The photo above is by the talented Irene Lamprakou.

Also: An early post on the group's logo by Tina Tarnoff!

Neon

Old signs from the Las Vegas strip

Are put to rest in an odd sort of cemetery

Where the glittery excesses of the past are left to decay.


I love these photos by Chick Pea Studio of a Nevada neon sign graveyard. Beauty is fleeting even for Vegas marquees


UPDATE: Here's a link to a gorgeous shot taken by Maia at Une Envie de Sel. Thank you Maia! I want to organize a trip to visit this place!!

Mädchenblogt

Katarina at Lolita discovered the most fantastic German blog called Mädchenblogt, by the lovely Nicole Kellmann. Nicole is constantly traveling through Europe (and posting the most beautiful photos). Here's a little sampling above. I love the "don't take it serious" sign. That's going to be my new motto!