Last week I was lucky enough to get two (two!!) friends into photos with me. I don’t actually care if they pose with me though, mostly I just like to use them as guinea pigs for portrait work.

Jen has appeared on this blog before in Friends in the Snow but doesn’t really like photos of herself, so I present you with a backtrait (portrait from the back). I can’t believe I got my 50mm lens to focus so great in these photos. That hardly ever happens, but the light was good that day, somewhere between sunny and overcast.

My 50mm doesn’t do so well with deep shadows at sunset though:

…

Read More »

So lately I’ve been thinking that I don’t actually want to wear most of the clothing I have. It’s been taking me forever to get dressed. I don’t know if I’m bored of it, or if I’m growing out of this aesthetic… or if I’m growing back toward the aesthetic I pursued when I first started seriously following fashion. The slightly vintagey look I have now is a result of study abroad in Japan + J.Crew/Ralph Lauren/Anthropologie/Kate Spade influence from college. But I’ve found myself less attracted to the J.Crew and Anthropologie catalogues this year, although I’m a huge fan of Free People August. I still like Kate Spade except the retail prices kill me.

Free People dess, LOFT double wrap belt, Bandolino heels.

I haven’t worn this dress all summer which is odd because it’s always been one of my favorites. It is, however, one of the few pieces that isn’t very cohesive with the rest of my wardrobe. When I brought it out though… I found myself thinking that this is the aesthetic I want to pursue, and stop buying all those Forever 21 dresses that always shrink after one wash no matter how delicately you treat them, and what are you doing with your random turquoise dresses and shoes with little flowers on them because this isn’t really… you. I feel like I’m playing dress up in my clothes, like none of it’s what I actually really wear. And most of you know that if I had $20,000/season for clothing and accessories all of it would be Alexander Wang, Helmut Lang, and Rick Owens with some Céline, YSL, and Ann Demeulemeester thrown in.

So I guess I’m due for a wardrobe update. I’ve always wanted to have a more pulled together style, I’m kind of all over the place.

Ippolita, ken + dana past collection, Dream Weaver by ken + dana, from Thailand (black pearls, gift from cousin), from Budapest (stolen from dad many years ago). 

This tangle of bracelets is also my submission for the Bloggers Do It Better Arm Party hosted by Pretty Shiny Sparkly. There are some lovely submissions of bloggers with parties on both arms, but that’s something I’ve never been able to do. I tend to wear bangles and they just get in the way on my right arm so I always take them off before noon. Maybe I’ll get some of those friendship-style bracelets I’ve been seeing lately. They tend to hug the wrist or at least be softer than bangles so I think I’d be able to leave them on.

There’s no time for photos when you’re the photographer! Over the weekend I was the paparazzi at attended an intimate baby shower with about twenty friends. The brightly colored poms were made by the hostess. I thought they were such a good decoration, especially because they sell for a ridiculous amount of money on Etsy. There was food and laughter (and wine) in abundance. It was a wonderful way to spend a scorching hot summer afternoon.