The clock's counting down...

There is officially 13 hours and a handful of minutes left to enter The Contest!  It ends tonight at 12 a.m.  The prizes (involving bows, lockets and scorpions) were kindly donated by Flower Child, my favorite vintage store in Columbus.  Enter now!  Good luck!  

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3 New Things.

A new camera from my Baybeh...

Dress, belt, vintage Etienne Aigners: thrifted.

A new tripod from China...

Clingiest Tee I know: UO, Jeans: re-sale shop, Shoes: Etienne Aigner, thrifted, Scarf: thrifted.

It kicks so much ass. I got mine on Ebay for $2.50, but you can also find them at Urban Outfitters (they're called Gorilla Pods). Its feet are flexible enough to wrap around rails, banisters and tree branches, so you don't have to set it on a flat surface.

And the third new thing...


...A new cat!

Cat: thrifted.

My fiance and I decided we needed to see if we could keep something alive together, so we've been casually sussing out some cats over the last few weekends. We stopped by the Humane Society this weekend. She was maybe the third cat I saw, and I knew she was the one!

After panicking my way through a variety of pet-related disasters (I would prove to be wildly allergic and have to give her back; we would grow to resent eachother and she would start randomly peeing on things in the house like my friends' cat; she would destroy my clothes with her claws because I don't have a closet and they hang, rather curtain-like, from a clothes rack)... I decided to just go ahead and spring for it, because...

Check it out: She has one blue eye and one gold. I couldn't get her to look into my camera, so here's a photo from the shelter's website:

Babykins. Yeah. I know. Well I can't say that what I'm calling her right now, Kittytimes, is much of an improvement! We were thinking about Bowie on account of her eyes, but she is really a rather feminine cat, so we're also playing with Stella or Estelle for the names' Bowie-like cosmic connotations.

Any other suggestions? I'm usually pretty good at this, but Kittytimes has looks which foil attempts to name her...

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Leggings are the New Pill Box Hat

I've heard "Style me like Michelle Obama" at work enough times to make me take pause; well, take pause, research some of the many illustrious looks of the First Lady To Be, and then make a Polyvore.


One thing I like about Michelle's style is she doesn't shy away from bright colors. She knows that 50's silhouettes work for her and she rocks them with wild abandon. Here she is with Maria Pinto, who designs most of what Michelle is snapped in in public.



When's the last time a First Lady-ish type wore a graphic print? Right on. Apparently, wearing this dress caused a big kerfuffle because it was "only" $148 from White House Black Market--- they promptly sold out of the style after Michelle's appearance on "The View".



In this, my favorite photo, Michelle rocks her much-loved shrunken cardigan and--- leggings! I can't tell you how much I love that addition because of what it says about her--- interested in keeping up with the kids and young at heart herself.


So, keeping Michelle's love of 1950's-shaped dresses, graphic prints and bright colors in mind, I devised the following thoroughly*** Presidential Polyvore. Meow!



***according to my non-public tongue-wagging version of Presidentiality.



[Michelle images via The Black Snob.]

Yokoo.

I was Flickr Group-hopping yesterday and found Yokoo, an Atlanta-based fashion photographer with a thing for flannel, glasses and public spaces. She also makes these fabulous, ultra-chunky scarves sold here. Her shots have the most wonderful mysterious moodiness to them, as well as fantastic "Japan goes grunge" styling.

I love the outfit, but I like more the overall theme of taking ownership of public space.

Hiding while putting oneself on view. Here, Yokoo in one of her scarves that I MUST HAVE!

One of my favorites. The colors are extraordinary, and I love how the kinetic blue slide in the background contrasts the staticity of the subject and almost tired expression behind glasses that fall shy of fitting correctly.

I love this model's almost Renaissance-like "Madonna"-expression coupled with wind-whipped hair. You can almost feel the weather in this photo.

I love how Yokoo's photographs inject glamour into otherwise declasse ensembles; a great deal of her photos challenge the viewer to not find something beautiful about them.

I really connect with this clever photo because for me, the best predictor of "good people" is a sense of playfulness.

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Things that have been on my mind lately...

...burgundy skinny cords, motorcycle boots, floral Doc Martens...




I had the loveliest of weekends, I hope you all did too! If you've never been to the Banana Bean Cafe, please go and have the best breakfast of your life (corn and blueberry pancakes with mascarpone, goat cheese grits!)... later in the day, my babeh and friends went on some rollercoasters...



... my favorite part was riding this baby coaster while the end-of-the-night fireworks were going off... sometimes, the best things in life are $15 plus parking.

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Hooray!!

I've been uploading pairs of shoes to my store and to Ebay all day...

Some 1970's Lace-up Oxfords with Diamond and Daisy Cutouts on the sides...

1980s Navy Blue Ferragamo T-Straps...

Early 1908s Etienne Aigner Kilty Flats... sigh!

... when what to my wondering eyes should appear, but Missa from Thrift Candy has bequeathed me with this Premio award! Holy Frijoles!!! After buying myself some flowers and giving a teary-eyed speech to my mirror, I must now fulfill the duties of a Premio award winner: to pass it on to 7 other bloggers, leave a comment on their blog letting them know they've received it, linking them and the person who gave it to me (but of course!). The blogs I'm passing the lil' diamond on to are:

1) Brooklyn Bride: As an engaged girl who squirms at the overly traditional, yet is working on an extreme budget -- it's hard to find inspirations that aren't completely pedestrian and well, booorrrinngggg. Brooklyn Bride delivers, and the photos are just plain lovely.

2) Gilbea: I'm such a brute, I forgot to mention Gilbea's lovely post that she made about me and how to achieve my 'look' by buying completely from Etsy. She is an Etsy-surfing genius and can track down just about anything.

3) Petite Sophist: I love her outfits and her succinct, to the point posts that are fashion-oriented and intellectual.

4) The Clothes Horse: At risk of being like, the ten thousandth person to give this girl this award ( I looked and didn't see it though), I am really feeling this dour lass' unapologetically Hitchcockian glamour.

5) Blog Full of Jelly: Beautiful photos again, and quirky craft ideas, delicious recipes you can usually throw together with things you have around the house, and a blogger with probably the most covetable wardrobe of eclectic, colorful (mild) androgyny!

6) Fashion Haley Hits Home: One of my favorite new blogs, we share a love of flowered Docs, and her outfit posts are always inspirationally loud yet incredibly tasteful, all written with a cool, even tone.

Ohhhh!!! Help!!! There are so many wonderful blogs out there, I wish I could give one to everybody. Now I'm starting to feel rotten.

7) Already Pretty: Sal has spunk to spare, witty commentary, and some of the best practical tips I've read in awhile!

Just copy and paste the little award below and pass the love on!

Contest Time!!

I've been wanting to do a contest for awhile, and now the opportunity presents itself!

First, check out my new shoe obsession, the "Silhouette" flats by those heretofore producers of fug shoes, Camper (found 'em at Nordstrom).

Sigh!

I'm calling on you, dear readers, to construct a Polyvore, Photoshop Collage or other visual representation of how to rock these gorgeous flats! You can either link your Polyvore in the comments, or send your collages to spandexpony@gmail.com.

The winner gets a tidy wee box containing some very pretty little mystery vintage things! Contest ends at Midnight, August 1st!

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On Me Today

Here, a rare view of where I work...

Swing Jacket: Macy's. Ombre Dress: Thrifted. Tights: UO. Flats: Etienne Aigner.

Did you know that at the turn of the 20th century, there was a movement by the upper classes to pass a law that serving classes could only wear black? I used to work for a large department store, and the second day there, they announced that sales staff would have to adopt an all-black dress code. They claimed it was so customers could more easily identify staff, but whenever I visit that same department store, I find it difficult to spot staff because they fade into the background. I believed this to be the actual point of the dress code; so that the staff's appearance would not distract the shopper's eye from the merchandise.

I typically feel like more of a "brown" girl than a "black" girl, so being forced to wear naught but black day in and day out rather made me hate the color. Recently though, I feel like I'm reclaiming black and making it my own. I'm discovering that black is best worn when well-tailored, in striking shapes and unusual textures; and that the drama created by a few good black pieces is too good to completely exclude the color from one's wardrobe.

It really is the shortest-cielinged dressing room in the world! Don't make me sing "Trapped in a Box"!

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As Seen On...

A few folks that caught my eye while in Cincinnati...

Anonymous Teens, Mall-ratting.

I didn't get a chance to speak much to these two, as I was helping my dad pick out a new cellphone but, for such a young dude, this guy had such a clean, effortless aesthetic! The bag is at the perfect length, and a crisp navy blazer over a simple AA-style shirt is irresistibly classic! Dude had his muted color combos down to a science. I loved how this pair had matching "bike cuffs" on their jeans as well!

Warner, World Traveler

It's too bad I didn't get the details in this shot... the yellow charm on his bag from a Shinto shrine where his friend is a priestess, or the miniature Nehru collar on the shirt and toggled buttons to the neck.

"I designed this shirt myself. I made it with 3/4 sleeves because I always roll them past the elbow anyway; why bother with all the extra fabric?"


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Accessorizing the Mood.

My grandfather was a psychoanalyst, and full of one-liners and maxims on surviving the psychological ebullience that being a sentient being in a turbid sea of other sentient beings engenders. One of those was, "Avoid crazy people."

The statue of Freud that my grandfather had on his desk; now on my desk.

Another piece of advice (which brings me to today's topic) is of quelling a twitch: If you have a twitch in your eye, say, or leg, the best way to get it to go away is to exacerbate the twitch. If your leg is jumping, just flex the muscle with as much force as you can muster every time you feel the twitching sensation coming around; eventually the twitch will cease.

I follow this advice whenever I get into a mood -- I act out the mood to the fullest of its extent, to ridiculousness, and the feeling soon passes.

Turban: Vintage, thrifted. Shades: Vintage. Blouse: thrifted. Skirt: Old Navy. Shoes: Irregular Choice. Apple Pendant: vintage, thrifted.

Here are a few accessories I've scouted out on Etsy, to fully set the mood:

I just ordered these today from relishdress to wear when I'm feeling especially dark and literary. I love things with mysterious text on them and the stark black and white with tear-like presentation is wildly appropriate.



Whichgoose's Etsy shop is filled with ethereal, nature-inspired headpieces; usually in bridal white. This black one is the fussy hat version of a headband. My favorite aspect of this headpiece is that the vines its made from are left their natural brown, giving it a "when the fairytale turns sinister" vibe.


Choose your own "chained/free" metaphor! I love jewelry that features timepieces or keys. And, I've always loved the antique appeal of charm bracelets, but always found them too girly-girl for me. Jewelrybyvicki features this bracelet anchored by heavy, medieval-looking keys, maybe one leads to a secret garden, or chamber occupied by a bed-ridden albino child?



Because every black ensemble needs a little color. Adorapop has the best, cheapest pendants with spooky Brothers Grimm-type images. I love this pensive, Renaissance-ish rendition of Little Red Ridinghood.


By now, Paraphernalia is an internet fave for their iconic, anatomical heart necklaces. This chicken foot necklace stuck out to me, a) because of that episode of "Are You Afraid of the Dark" where two boys go trick-or-treating and receive an evil crow's foot that grants wishes in the most malicious way possible and b) chicken feet are like, the most black-magic thing ever. This pendant steers clear of pentagram territory by virtue of its two dimensionality and beautiful, extreme detail.

And, while we're on the bird tip, why not inject a little humor into one's ensemble with these earrings from Cut + Paste? What glum lass doesn't love allusions to Edgar Allan Poe --and whimsical, funny, anthropomorphized ones at that?

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Selma Blair.

When I think of women who can really pull off black, I think of Selma Blair. Selma has long been a style icon for me, principally for her bitchin' short hairdos. Secondly, however, she is one of the few who can wear black without it seeming like a safe, color-fearing fall-back.




Well, it's more white than it is black, but it is giving me a fashion contact high just looking at it!


Lace is always best when abbreviated.


Demure, and prevented from being funereal by virtue of the playful pumps.


Ow! My fashion hurts!

[images via style.com]

Spandexpony's Travel Tip of the Day

This interruption in my "Black" theme brought to you by a short jaunt down south to visit my parents.


If, like me, you find yourself hemming, hawing and doing everything except packing when you should be packing, because you suck at packing and end up putting everything but that which matches into a suitcase, or everything that matches into a suitcase except those shoes... daggit!
... Here you have my tip of the day:

Instead of stressing over what to wear on your travels, why not just stuff your laundry bag into a suitcase? When you arrive at your destination, simply drop it off at a Wash 'n' Fold and-- two hours later, you have clean, dry, folded clothing that you like to wear and matches, because you've already worn it. Bonus? No one in your new destination saw you wearing it last week, either.

[image via Lily'sDad on Flickr].

Who cares? All cats are grey.

... Which is a mixture of black and white. Long eschewed by yours truly, black and its evil cousin white are starting to grow on me. Well, re-grow on me. Black and I have a past. Damn. If looks could kill. Really.

Senior year, seriously in love with James Iha.

For better (writing more poetry!) or for worse (neighbors bothered by endless loud New Order), the goth in me is creeping back this summer.

creep, creep!

For your (and my) consideration, a few black, white and otherwise moody frocks to punctuate one's fear, anguish and ennui.

Everybodyisugly from Wardrobe_Remix.

Simple, sexy, cool (who knew Western clogs could do that?). I dig the shape of the sleeves and the bag hanging lower than the hem of her skirt.

via facehunter

Black and white can too often be graphic or crisp; this is gloriously neither thanks to the grey jacket and unobtrusively brown satchel (methinks the grey is the "bridge" here). The white stockings are innocent-looking, without being precious or childish thanks to the square, heavy shape of the bag.

Nubby Twiglet via Wardrobe_Remix

Easy and familiar shapes to wear, but the pure white of the top and black-black of the pants accentuates the contrast between flowy shirt and tight, structured jeans. A pair of sweet shoes and Oscar-Wildish neck-action don't hurt one bit!

tweexcore from Wardrobe_Remix

Simply adorable! And "normal" enough to wear in mixed company, but with a swipe of some red lipcolor and gel-slicked hair, instantly, darkly glamorous.

via facehunter

So unapologetically glamorous, and yet completely downtown and lowkey. I love the light denim in this context -- to de-white the bright white and recall hair metal fashions when paired with the black. The gold converse are a serious delight but for me, the real icing on the cake is the little clutch which takes the whole thing from being teenaged mix-and-match to elegant lady just trying to get her casual on.

Disconnected

Artist's Renditioning of One Week Without a Cellphone

"It's like... you're out in space, man, and all you can do is just wait and wonder who's callin' you and gettin' your v-mail all day and goin, "Oh man, I've been blackballed" and your jes' out there, man, like an... involuntary Thoreau...!"

Really, to be without a cellphone is to be completely disenfranchised. But I'm back in black! --(berry). Pardon me while I call everyone I know to let them know that they are neither on my "list" nor am I in little pieces in the trunk of a Crown Vic.

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