Shop Seek Vintage.

If you're visiting my actual blog to read these posts, you may have noticed some additions to the sidebar of my blog. However, if you're one of my Google Reader readers, you probably haven't seen it.

I have had the idea for ages, but as I generally do, I procrastinated on the idea for about a year.  I finally opened a vintage shop on etsy called seek vintage. Right now, there are only a few items in it, but I've actually made a few sales! I've got so many more things to add, like a pile of vintage scarves, some skirts and dresses for those last weeks of summer, and as fall comes, some structured wool pencil skirts and blazers to carry you through the cool months in style.

So, if you have a moment to show some support, I'd be just thrilled if you'd:

* visit seek vintage on Etsy

* become a fan of seek vintage on Facebook

* follow the shop on Twitter

* heart the shop on Etsy


Or some combination of the above. That way you'll be in the know if I stumble upon that vintage treasure you've always dreamed about.

Two more reasons why I want kids one day.

Grady and Cyrus dress better as a 6 and 4 year old than I do as a 26-year-old. They are the cutest kids and I love that their dads chose such a unique way to capture their kids' growth. Both kids have such a great sense of style and I love that their parents have nurtured their individuality.

Look back on Grady and Cyrus's outfits every school day of the last year at their dads' blog, two dads, two kids.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

I read this book almost compulsively. It was dark and at times graphic and disturbing and I couldn't stop reading it.  The film was no different. I was a bit worried about how some scenes would be portrayed in the film, but it was incredible. I'm interested to see how David Fincher takes on the Millenium Trilogy. I'm hoping for great things.

Has anyone read the whole trilogy? I have yet to read The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest. I seriously need to get a library card.

Understated versus...overstated?...glamour.

While doing some thrifting at one of my local Goodwills this evening, I stumbled upon (and purchased) two dresses. I took some quick snapshots (the sun was setting, so it isn't really ideal light). They couldn't be more different:

The first dress has no adornments. It's simply a long black sheath with tiny cap sleeves. Its simplicity makes the back of the dress that much more appealing. The low, completely open, back is absolutely breathtaking in comparison with its rather conservative front.  (Though, let me tell you, this dress definitely hugs the curves.)

The other dress could not even remotely be described as understated. It's too...everything. Bright purple, beaded, sheer panels. The only word I can think of is "pizazz". While it's certainly not an everyday dress, I adore it. Putting it on, you can't help but feel fancy.

This is one of many things I love about thrifting. Every decade, every style, every type of taste, is all squashed together. And though these dresses are wildly different, I'm drawn to them both. Somewhere in time, two ladies wore these dresses to cocktail parties or weddings, and hopefully felt stunning. Because that's what glamour is supposed to do--whether with understated details or over-the-top beading, glamour makes you feel good.

Sweet summer.

Photograph by Alfred Eisenstaedt for LIFE, 1941



"I wasn't kissing her, I was whispering in her mouth." ~ Chico Marx

Sunday: A rosy outlook.

 Morning loves.

An afternoon snack.

In other news, check out my new Etsy shop!

Songs for a summer Saturday night.

This mix is best paired with a little dress, a smidge of a tan, a bubbly drink, and a wink across the room.

Pin it.

 Aurora Skies dress

Diane von Furstenberg Opal wedges

Balenciaga Paris eau de parfum

FujiFilm Instax Mini

I've been hooked on this site lately, called Pinterest. It's pretty addictive. It's a virtual pinboard for just about anything you want...inspiring images, a wishlist of stuff, a record of all the cool places you've been. Above are just a few of the things from my wishlist. Or you can check out all of my boards, or those of people a lot more creative than me.  Connect with me if you're on it too!

Donald Glover, marry me?

OK, so I'm in heaps of trouble. I'm turning into...a fangirl. Big time. It all started with the show, Community. It quickly became one of my favorites, especially the little sketches at the end between Troy and Abed. So...that's the first part. The way to my heart? Laughter. Always and forever. Then, time passes, and I start hearing about Donald Glover's album, which he offers for free download. Which led me to downloading his older mixtapes, where he reworks the likes of Grizzly Bear, Sleigh Bells, and Washed Out. Which led to me reading his blog (loves art, music, food, and has fantastic boy style) and following him on Twitter. Which led to me reading articles like this about him, where he references St. Vincent, The Cranberries, and Encyclopedia Brown. Needless to say, if I were 12 years younger, I'd be hanging posters of him over my bed.

Jay L. Clendenin  for the Los Angeles Times

I need to get a life.

Looking forward.

I think I'm over summer. I mean, it's great and all, but I am ready for the smell of the seasons changing and layering clothes and taking cool evening walks and making roasted chicken  and vegetables and drinking a good malbec and listening to wistful songs of love and loss and never-quite-having:



The shoot for Dace's Fall 2010 line sure helps me get into that autumn mood:

All images by André Paul Pinces

Jazz Age Party on Governor's Island

The 1920s might be my favorite era, so looking at the pictures The Sartorialist takes of the Jazz Age party on Governer's Island every year makes me nothing less than envious. Especially since I'd love to have a Gatsby summer. I have to go to this one year. I have to.

All images from The Sartorialist.

Sounds in the Holy City.

Anyone who knew me in high school knows of my love for Jump, Little Children. I would listen to songs like "Close Your Eyes" and "B-13" over and over (and don't even get me started on "Dancing Virginia"). Though the band is no longer together, it's so exciting to learn about the new projects they're working on as individuals.

I just learned that Jay Clifford (the former lead singer of Jump) teamed up with Josh Kaler (from the band Slow Runner) to form a recording studio in downtown Charleston called Hello Telescope (check out their sweet new website, designed by Fuzzco). You can read more about Hello Telescope and some of Charleston's other fab recording studios in this Charleston City Paper article.

And on that note, here are my two favorite songs from Jump's last few albums:

 



I'm so proud of this city and all the talented people that live in it.

"Howl"

I love all things Beat. So of course, I'm going nuts over this film about Allen Ginsberg and his anthem for the Beat Generation, "Howl":



And of course I can't mention the beats without a little nod to Jack:

"The only truth is music." ~Jack Kerouac

And of course I can't think of "Howl" without thinking of Florence + The Machine:

a weekend with C + D + P

This weekend consisted of:

* fantastic friends
* pups playing
* French press coffee
* strolling the farmers market
* shopping adventures and skirt purchases (except David)
* a morning yoga sweat-fest
* meal upon delicious meal
* beach trips
* sing-alongs on the sand
* lots of talking

Needless to say, it was a pretty ideal weekend. I was so busy having fun that I didn't think to take a single picture, so you'll just have to trust me.

All Summer.

Kid Cudi + Rastam Batmanglij from Vampire Weekend + Bethany Cosentino from Best Coast collaborated on this great summer song for Converse. Download it for free here.

What a great song to start off a fun weekend.

Cathy and David and their pup, Pepper, are coming down for the weekend. A trip to the farmers market and the beach, some shopping, and other fun things are sure to occur.

Berries.

I have a sweet tooth that is so serious that it possibly rivals a drug addiction. I try to keep it in check, but at times it's quite hard. For example, when I see Haribo Raspberries & Blackberries I have to fight a compulsion to buy (all of) them. Maybe it's because they look just like my favorite fruits, or maybe it's because their look, taste, and texture bring back the memories of all the amazing candy stores on my first visit to Germany--they were filled with different types of gummy candies in every shape and flavor. Now that I think about it, Germans must have some sort of predilection for sweets--sugar addicts run amok on my family tree.

Either way, when I see them, I have to have them (which is why I try to avoid the candy aisle at the grocery). One taste and I'm a little kid again.

Vive la France!

Today is Bastille Day. In honor, I could attempt to catalog the many French actresses, wines, cheeses, baked goods, French-speaking places, bands, fashion houses, phrases, etc. that I adore...but I won't.

Instead...here's just a smattering--

A French band:

(shout-out to Phoenix, M83, Air, Daft Punk, etc.)

Here is a video of the charming Marion Cotillard. Wait for the part when she speaks French and just try not to melt. I dare you:



Here's a list of popular French phrases that have infiltrated the English language (and others).


I want to go to France, tout de suite!

I don't know what it is about yoga--maybe it's the back-bends and headstands and high heat--but after class I always feel euphoric. I feel strong and centered and a little bit trippy. Walking out of class today, after a long day of dark skies and pouring rain, the sky was a hazy peach. On yet another open window drive over the bridge, "Shh" by Frou Frou came on and I got those spine shivers you usually associate with someone breathing on the back of your neck.



What a day, people. What a day.

P.S. 22 does it again.

I got all verklempt last year with the P.S. 22 chorus's version of "Landslide" among others but I hadn't really kept up with them. They got me again, those kids, with their version of Phoenix's "Lisztomania":

A Single Man.

A Single Man was gorgeous and heartbreaking. I was so impressed that Tom Ford not only directed this, but also wrote the screenplay, based on Christopher Isherwood's novel of the same name. What can't the guy do? In the making of the film, all the actors said that he showed up every day in a crisp white shirt, waistcoat, and cuff links. Now that's class. As is the film. 

On words.

I really think that my blog would be best served just regurgitating the daily Writer's Almanac. Today's poem makes me realize I haven't read ole Walt in a while, and I miss him.

"Once I Pass'd Through a Populous City"

Once I pass'd through a populous city imprinting my brain for future
         use with its shows, architecture, customs, traditions,
Yet now of all that city I remember only a woman I casually met there
         who detain'd me for love of me,
Day by day and night by night we were together—all else has long
         been forgotten by me,
I remember I say only that woman who passionately clung to me,
Again we wander, we love, we separate again,
Again she holds me by the hand, I must not go,
I see her close beside me with silent lips sad and tremulous.

In other news, I woke up with Pedro the Lion in my head this morning which made me feel the worst kind of unsettled in the best kind of way. While listening to a bunch of old Pedro and newish David Bazan stuff, I stumbled upon this cover. I love it.

The Thirteenth Tale

I'm kind of obsessed with Diane Setterfield's The Thirteenth Tale lately and keep rereading one particular passage over and over:

"How long did I sit on the stairs after reading the letter? I don't know. For I was spellbound. There is something about words. In expert hands, manipulated deftly, they take you prisoner. Wind themselves around your limbs like spider silk, and when you are so enthralled you cannot move, they pierce your skin, enter your blood, numb your thoughts. Inside you they work their magic. When I at last work up to myself, I could only guess what had been going on in the darkness of my unconscious. What had the letter done to me?"

What to do.

When I saw Dolce Vita's gray suede April platform pumps, I quickly fell in love, but the $130 price tag and the fact that they quickly sold out made the option to purchase a no-go.

Now, months later, Forever 21 has made a pretty decent rip-off that's seriously making me want to lift my self-imposed shopping ban:

 Only $25! Sigh.

The River

New to The Anthropologist is the short film, The River, by Derek Henderson.





Take a dive...perfect thing to do on a summer evening.

5th of July.

Earlier this evening I took the pup for a walk to experience some summer night magic. Everyone in Charleston has been reveling in the unseasonably cool breezes that have been blowing through town, keeping humidity and swarms of dreaded mosquitoes at bay.

Hampton Park provided every bit of magic I needed this evening. Cool and quiet...my own secret garden.

Fireworks.

On summer night covers.

I don't know if you all (y'all?) have checked out Levi's Pioneer Sessions, but it's pretty great. Levi's asked a whole bunch of musicians (She & Him, Dirty Projectors, Raphael Saadiq, Passion Pit, Nas, The Shins, John Legend & The Roots, etc.) to cover a song that inspires them, and then it's made available for free download. I visited the site today to download Ryan Bingham's cover of Otis Redding's "That's How Strong My Love Is" because I enjoyed Ryan's show last month and dang I love that song. I was going to share it here, but in good conscience I couldn't. Why? Because no matter how cute and scruffy and raspy Ryan Bingham is, summer nights call for Otis and Sam and Richie and Bill and Ray and Al and Marvin and giving it all up to summertime and sweaty clothes sticking to you and dancing a little too close. Right? Right.