Not a test.

Hey everybody, just needed to pop in and let you all know that I've been working 10-12 hour days every day these last few weeks, and so finding zero time to get anything done, much less blogging or being able to fly around on the Internet seeking new and exciting things.

And so-- I might not get any good, bloggy respite until well after the holidays, but that means-!! Dunh dunh dunh... missing my blog's 2 year anniversary at the end of this month. 2 years ago, I got a Mac from my Sweets, and decided that its superior computing abilities leant itself well to creating a little digital soapbox for myself.

I love reading your comments and visiting your blogs, but it's going to have to be on the back burner, at least for a little while. Take care, everyone, and enjoy the holidays!

PS-- It's the Solstice today, so it's only going to get lighter from here.

Yours,

Elissa.

Playing dress-up.

So, a decline in my personal health led to my week-long blogging respite, but now I'm back. I felt a bit like this flaccid woman, below.

Apparently, you can't just stop taking your thyroid supplements because you have decided that you're cured.

This picture comes as part of a perverse little series by fashion-photographer Giorgio Z Gatti. I found it on a site called "You Might Like This" and frankly I'd be scared to know anyone who "might like" this editorial consisting of a child dressing a woman, in one scene pulling up her underwear. Like, GROSS!

Seriously, I hate it when people twist kids' heads around like this just to make some kind of artistic impression. You can't tell me that the climate of this shoot was totally sanitary and they all had snacks and listened to Raffi.

Reminds me of this scene in Bruno where he interviews kids' parents to see what they're willing to do with their children to get them into movies.

GAH!

Til Later,

Elissa.

Sleep-blogging.

There comes a time, when a girl has freshly painted the dining room, and she's too exhausted to blog much, but she still wants to put something out there. That time is now.

Oh. Meow. Shirt: Thrifted. Pencil Skirt: NY&Co. Tights: We Love Colors. Shoes: Thrifted.

We've painted our dining room before, a light gray color, but it just wasn't too impressive. It was an antiques store in San Fran that spurred us onto this color (Valspar's "Rainwater", if ya'd like to know)-- a wall was painted a similar color as a backdrop to all kinds of gold, silver and crystal things. Yum.


Blue isn't usually among my favorite colors, but I'm certainly having a period of it. After seeing this picture on Lucky's site, I immediately decided that my office/crafts room had to have the exact color scheme above. And as for style? I've always loved bright colors and Rococo-fussy findings and furnishings, so I've been hitting up both books and Internet to fully hone my Hollywood Regency leanings...

[images via dearada.typepad.com]

And now, I retire. I swear. Painting. This, and my epic bathroom-cleaning episode. I'm out!

Zzzzz,

Elissa.

Fox me, Fox you!

There was a moment in between seeing this Wardrobe Remix image of tinytoadstool from dadaya....

The whole thing is wholesome and delicious, but are you seeing that scarf??

...and seeing this Rose Print by Marisol Spoon...

Red cape hearkening back to Little Red Riding hood, check; Painting of Blythe-like girl hearkening back to those weird little Seventies paintings of girls you see in cheesy vintage stores, check; fennec fox as hat??? Checkmate!!

...a desire to adorn myself in all things foxy has burgeoned.

Fake Won't Kill Tee by DesignersPlayground

I admire cause clothing. My favorite tee was one by Kenneth Cole that came out a few years ago that said, "In war, it's not who's right but who's left." I really wanted to buy it, but the truth of the matter is I hate having words on my clothing. They're out of my control. People don't have to interact with me in order to "communicate" with me (or rather, for me to force a one-way, reciprocation-undesired-and-unwelcome message) and it's just not my cuppa. I'm sure that my sticklerism for wordless tees have robbed some of my favorite causes of well over $6 in the past few years.

This tee, however, is many things, not least of which a message. To the casual observer, it just looks cool, to a less-casual observer, a vintage throw-back, to an arty observer it's a bit of trompe l'oeil and to the conscientious observer, the shirt demonstrates that you don't have to kill a fox to borrow it's foxy good looks, and that a hipster with a little cash can manage to look as good, if not better (by way of earning humanity points) than the biddy with her actual fox carcass accessory. All that for $14. I call a winner.

Cross Stitch Fox Badge by TreeFox

Though tiny, still covetable. I definitely don't go for the crafty aesthetic, but this is neat and well-made enough to earn a little nesting place on my cardigan for sure.

Silver Fox Stole Necklace by bbel

Gorgeous! Not sure how you'd wear it-- as in, if it has a closure, but if it truly is a "stole" necklace then maybe not. I love how tiny and detailed the cutouts are. So clever... clever like a fox!

Ginger Foks Short by Celapiu

This being the scarf showcased in the first photo, I can't get enough of it. It comes in a zillion colors and lengths (I'm stymied until I decide between short and long) and even a tiny child-sized version. In my parlance, "Adorbs!!"

Well, time to get ready and get outta here... stay foxy, ya'lls!

Yours,

Elissa.

Battle of the Long Sweaters

Sometimes, even to those of us who are vehemently non-duplicatory, we find an outfit that feels so right that it bears repeating. These occasions happen most frequently when we stay out late the night before and then get up really early the next morning. In my case, I truly get a crusty feeling if I wear the exact same thing as the day before-- as if I haven't let the previous day slip into the past-- and so, I switch it up ever so incrementally. Behold-- Fancy Dinner Outfit vs. Work Outfit.

Dress: Twelve By Twelve. Tights: Target. Tree that is the epitomization of all of my Christmas Fantasies: Target.

Same dress, same tights, same pose. Oh, you original thing! Fancy Dinner Outfit features one of my favorite Portland souvenirs, this ultra-warm and soft sweater coat with a ruffled edge from 3 Monkeys. Work Outfit features a wrap cardigan from Victoria's Secret that truly is the bomb. Soft, relatively machine-washable and oh so many iterations, this one got a work out last winter and will probably meet it's death by the end of this winter. Today, it's belted. Belt? Where are you from? I think this black, patent number may have come with a shirt I bought.

Necklace (left): H&M. Necklace (right): Gumball Machine.

Fancy Dinner outfit includes big, chunky wooden beads interspersed with little rhinestone charms. A souvenir from San Francisco's H&M, which, in the hour I had between Alcatraz and poisonous (although delicious) oysters, I descended on in a panic when my suitcase yielded entirely unsuitable jewelry. Work Outfit called for the more demure, golden ice-cream cone. Twenty-five cents very well spent, and I think it has a bit more mileage than both the fetid jawbreaker and deformed, gelatinous hand that were also available.

Fancy Dinner Shoes: Pink Duchess. Work Outfit Shoes: Etienne Aigner.

Well, Cat certainly has picked a winner here... she's a shoe-hoverer, for sure. These gray-and-black ballet flats are in very regular rotation, and, like many of my shoes are possibly a half-size too big. I chalk this up to the fact that I normally shop mid-day, when feet are known to swell. It's a cousin of the "wear your big pants to Thanksgiving" rationale.

Til next time,

Yours,

Elissa.

Gobblegobble!

Whether you'll be with the family today eating turkey, or merely riding one frantically through a cornfield, I wish you a very happy Thanksgiving!


Now, shut up and try my pie!

(That's what she said.)

Thankfully yours,

Elissa.

[photos via terr-bo and synthetic_tom, respectfully.]

Mastering the Art of Merchandising.

That an Ebay or Etsy seller posts photos that accurately portray their wares is "hallelujah" enough. But when those photos are that -- and, a foray into some seriously good photographic still-life, its quite a rare achievement. When I first came across JunkCulture's photostream, I thought they were just a nice bit of bright, shiny panachey pastiche-- but to learn that they are also product photos only doubled the appeal for me.






Check out JunkCulture's Etsy shop here--- many of these items are still for sale, and reasonably so.

Speaking of shopping, it's about that time of the year-- tomorrow I start at my new position, right next door to a Saks, so I think I'll see my fair share of it!

Yours,

Elissa.

Just when you need it.

Ahoy, ahoy! Today was our Thanksgiving.

Jacket: Dollhouse. Dress: vintage, thrifted. Tights: Target. Shoes: Wanted.

A friend of ours cooked 3 turkeys-- smoked, deep-fried, and roasted with hot peppers-- and invited about 20 friends over. Everybody brought the best sides: asparagus, mashed potatoes, potatoes au gratin (made with gruyere), sweet potato casserole, sour-cream-topped cheesecake and strangest of all (yet still mighty tasty), chocolate-chip bacon cookies.

Earrings: MrFilthyRotten on Etsy. Rings: Vintage.

It was awesome to be able to enjoy the holiday without someone slamming down the silverware in the middle and screaming, "Grandpa thinks I'm fat!"


Or, "Those certainly are some interesting shoes to wear to Thanksgiving." They are, Auntie, they are.


Yours,

Elissa.

Honeymoon Installment #6

After the bad-oyster episode in San Fran, we spent the night in Klamath, California, which is right in the middle of a redwood forest. The hostel we stayed at came highly recommended and was clean and warm, BUT. It was at this hostel that I was introduced to a new kind of personality; the reason why conservatives hate liberals. Hostile, self-righteously more granola-y than though types. We left very early the next morning and headed up to Portland to rendezvous with my cousin.

It was a windy day and the seafoam was blown by great gusts high up the mountain into the forests where it clung to trees and plants like great globs of snow.

Portland was absolutely amazing. Great shopping (I used Lucky's online guide), great food (we had Peruvian the first night and had some Voodoo Donuts the next day), and chill vibe. Let it be known that Oregon is hands-down the most magically beautiful state I've been to so far.


My cousin took us on a hike up a mountain along the Oregon coast, and I couldn't help but think of Milla the entire time, the place was so mystically northern.




The forest was filled with these little guys, fully 3-5 inches long.


Tree-bark that faced the ocean had become worn and gnarly. This one, in the shape of a heart. Cute, no?


A heavy fog surrounded us as we reached the top-- it was one of the hardest hikes I'd ever done; 2 miles uphill and steep, too.


It was worth it though... this is the view near the top. On our way back to Portland, we stopped at the Tillamook cheese factory and went crazy on cheeses of all kinds, and even dipped into some white licorice ice cream. I could easily, easily live here.

I just came back from my biz trip to Seattle today; Seattle was actually the last leg of our honeymoon as well, but we were sick as dogs (again). So, I graced this fair city twice in a week. This time around was a bit better-- I got to fit a little shopping in, so I'll be debuting my LEOPARD PUFFER COAT, yes, I know, paging the love child of Peg Bundy and Missy Elliott-- as soon as I catch some sleep.

Good lord, I hope not to see the inside of a plane again for at least a little while...!

Yours,

Elissa.

Honeymoon Installment #5

Lucky for us, a couple of our good friends have other good friends out in San Fran. We met Ian after a shopping jaunt of mine to CB2 and H&M and he took us to his favorite seafood restaurant, Bar Crudo.

Lace Dress: thrifted. Tights: Target. Shoes: MIA. Jacket: The Gap, thrifted.

Everything was raw, and so unfreakinbelievably tantalizing... I mean, butterfish paired with wasabi creme and some other fish with macadamia and pomegranate seeds, it was magical. I'd never had raw oysters, and they were amazing... I never thought anything could so accurately taste like a river.

I wore some of my wedding jewelry out. Pictured, Bracelet: vintage, Grandview Mercantile. Rings: Ruby Lane and Grandview Mercantile, both vintage.

...except for the last oyster I had, which tasted a little like wood.

The whole next day, I had the worst case of vom ever in my life. We had a schedule to adhere to, so we folded the seats in the back of the van down, spread out the sleeping bags and drove to Klamath along to my nauseous soundtrack. Lord. I dug through my camera to find that I had missed some beautiful scenery along the way....




Til the next installment,

Yours,

Elissa.

Honeymoon Installment #4

Early in the morning, we decided to take advantage of some lesser-known San Franciscan attractions. We came upon the Seward Street Slides, hidden in between the houses and built into the hill. I grabbed some cardboard and gave it a go, but found that just going down on your butt is a faster --though dirtier-- ride.


From relative obscurity to infamous ubiquity, we moved on to Alcatraz. We took a ferry over to the island.


Alcatraz was one of those things on our list that we "had to" see, though I didn't expect to learn and be held captive by (haha) that decrepit rock.


One of the more interesting things about the island is that after the prison closed, a group of Native Americans occupied the island in hopes that it would become its own reservation. A considerable population lived there for 19 months until they were removed.


Not only did prisoners live on the island, but guards and their families did as well. Some of the then-children they interviewed for the audio tour (highly recommended) recalled Alcatraz being a peaceful place to grow up, rather bucolic. They took a sailboat to their mainland school every day. Pictured above is the town hall, where there was a bowling alley and dances were held. Inside, the floor is overgrown with clover, and there are dozens of dead sea birds down there, reduced to skeletons except for their wings which are still full-feathered.


The prison is part of the parks system now, and many of the gardens that were tended by prisoners who had earned the privilege still exist. When Alcatraz first opened, it was nothing but a rock. Soil had to be imported to cover it before they could ever think about gardening.


I'm honestly amazed what kind of ruin buildings can fall into after only 40-some years of neglect.


Here, a little peep of the showers, complete with soap to drop --or not.

Bomber: Marshall's. Tee: Target. Jeans: NY&Co. Bag: Urban Outfitters. Boots: Gift from a friend.

Although firmly in vacation mode, I had the presence of mind to have my sweet do a head-to-toe, so that I could, for those of you completely disinterested in my travels, provide for you a personal style-related reprieve.


Oh my imprisoned sweet!! Let me re-enact a certain scene from The Cable Guy to warm the cockles of your intractable heart!!



Here, in the recreation yard, you can look out and see San Francisco. How tantalizing-- to be utterly locked away, but within sight of freedom, separated by only 1.5 miles of cold, choppy water.

On this day, a woman was breast-feeding an infant on the steps.


This story brought to you by a laptop that has winged its way to me here in Seattle. I'm sitting in the lobby of the Hilton enjoying a Hefeweissen and editing my photos. I'm attending a training to do some "experiential marketing" back home of a new, rather awesome new gadget. On the way here, an elderly woman was showing me her Kindle, and was surprised that I also didn't have one (while I was surprised that she did have one). I explained to her that I thought that doing away with tangible books and things made me a little sad, to which she replied, "That's old people thinking, and you have to snap out of it! If you don't embrace technology, you'll only be watching the world from the outside. This is your world."

Talk about experiential marketing.

Considering a Kindle now, but maybe after I finish The Orchid Thief,

Elissa.

Honeymoon Installment #3

Eventually, we arrived in San Francisco. After testing the van's suspension on the city's hilly avenues, we ended up at Golden Gate Bridge.


Like a postcard, no? I couldn't believe how many people were there, considering it is November, but it is quite the draw, and a pleasant-though-windy, sunny 60-degree day to do it on.


We explored the little military catacomb things in the hills adjacent...


And faced down a few ghosts.

Aww... bridge love.


Snagged ya! I wanted to cross the bridge, then cross back, but by the time we were done fooling around in the catacombs and we were half way across, we were already in danger of running out of time on our 4-hour meter! Glancing through the paper Tim had given us the day before, I saw that The Exploratorium was free on Wednesdays, so we headed on over.


The park in front of it you may recognize, but only if you're into terrible action movies, as the park where Sean Connery's "Mason" reconnects with his daughter "Jade" in The Rock. I only know because I'm actually watching it right now, ironically enough.


The outside of the Exploratorium is nearly as good as the inside...


Here I am pushing the boundaries of science, meeting with my huge-headed twin from Dimension X.


Here, you can watch ice crystals as they form from water you splash on the surface through a polarized lens.


I loved this scene-- upstairs are a bunch of sound-related experiments. Not sure what he's hearing, or if his hair is dry.


Afterwards, we checked into The Mosser (highly recommended, and only $50/night through Travelocity). I was feeling under-the-weather (I blame it on my cactus-eating foray) and we decided to hang it up and call it a day, but not after eating an amazing pesto pizza and taking pervy pictures of people through the bathroom window. Hey man, fair use.

As you're reading this, I bit the bullet and am in Seattle, but I'll return to my tale-spinning on Wednesday. Hopefully I'll have my wedding pictures back by then, but I guess we'll see!

Yours,

Elissa.