Cause I’m Leaving, On a Jetplane

Ahh – all John Denver aside – I have to apologize. I know it’s been a couple of days since I last posted, and here I am with more bad news. I’m leaving, in a matter of hours, to go to the U. of Notre Dame for a summer program there…for two weeks. So the next post will definately be a long time coming.

Except the part where I have to be awake at obscene hours for two weeks, I am so psyched to go! The iPod was recently restocked with some goodies ranging from the Guillemots to Rod Stewart, so I’m all set for in-flight entertainment. What’ll keep me really entertained is if I have a hot seat partner. Mile high club, anyone?

However, I am not looking forward to paying the extra baggage charge. Being the queen of indescision, I over-packed to such an extent that I have to pay ridiculous fees for packing like I’ll be gone for four weeks, instead of two. (But I suspect this will be worth it in the long run – I got so many cute clothes into two suitcases, it’ll be almost like I have my entire closet in front of me)

Time-zone Hoppingly Yours

-A

 

Inspiration

I was recently asked to describe my style without comparing myself to a particular brand or celebrity. This flummoxed my mind and still weighs heavily on me now (my answer at the time was ‘If Lucille Ball and Johnny Rotton/Ramone had a love child at Woodstock”) However, after much pondering, I think I’ve managed to figure out a statement that describes me perfectly – Pattie Boyd as Meg Ryan’s character from You’ve Got Mail walking my dog, in England, before she hitchhikes out to a punk concert in a van full of hippies. Whaddya think? Confused? Me too.

Well, let me try to explain. For those of you not in the know, my Maggie is a purebred Clumber Spaniel (she’s sitting next to me, panting and eating baby carrots with me as I type this). Adorable? Yes. Useless? Even more so. They’re the type of dog that the British nobility keeps around because they are so dang cute and esoteric. Now, I am not nearly classy enough to own such a blue-blooded dog, so therefore I imagine I look like the hired help when I take her out everyday.

So I took the idea a little further, and here I am with some pictures I found that kind of extended this theme (these also gave me some ideas as to what to wear to the Kooks concert this past Wednesday. It was divine! I touched Luke’s hand and groped his thigh! I was also pretty much front row center, AND I made friends with a hot concert photographer. Talk about best night of my life!) On top of what my dog has inspired, I’m also pretty obsessed with the early London punk scene, but also with the Woodstock era too. To get even more contrary, I think the primness of Meg Ryan’s pressed blouses and wool jumpers in You’ve Got Mail (aka best romantic comedy of all time) is really subversely sexy. Phew.

So here goes:

God, what can’t Chloe make cool? Aside from A.P.C and maybe a few others, the Chloe brand is one of my favorites, simply for making pieces exactly like this one. It’s funky, it looks like a shift I might have stolen out of my grandmother’s closet (In my family that’s a good thing; my g-ma has the most incredible collection of Pucci scarves and Chanel flats that you will ever see) but at the same time, it’s incredibly modern. I want it now!

The above is very what I’d wear if I was a size two. It’s also the type of outfit that Maggie would ruin between the fistfulls of white hair she sheds and the drool she gives away freely. She does, however, approve of the shitkickers.

 

I think this outfit really successfully combines the secretary look with the schoolgirl look without losing its preciousness or sexiness. I don’t dig the haircut/glasses combo, though.

 

 

 I thought the above Jovovich-Hawk was fantastic – retro print and prissiness that could be so gorgeous if I toughed it up with a leather motorcycle jacket or something. Maybe combat boots or Doc Martins too?

I’ve had enough of torturing myself for one day; it’s time to go be boring and watch V for Vendetta yet again. I suppose I could keep going with this inspiration thing, but I wouldn’t want to bore you, or even worse, bore myself.

-A

Epic Scavenger Hunt Royale

Really, I am friends with some of the coolest people in the world. For the past two weeks, we have been ignoring finals and project deadlines to work on the piece de resistance of our teenage years: The Epic Scavenger Hunt Royale. This past Thursday various teams met (in the parking lot at Borders, much to their chagrin) to see the epic list of tasks. I though I’d post some of the highlights from the list (excluding the tasks which could get me in trouble from my school). Each team had from 11 in the morning till 9 in the evening to complete as many tasks as they could. Enjoy!

Epic Scavenger Hunt Royale ‘08

Official Task List

___ 6. Emphatically order a complicated Starbucks beverage from a Dunkin Donuts (+10)

___ 9. Drive down a main road screaming “The British are coming!” (+13) An extra (+17) will be earned if you are pursued by another car decorated with British paraphernalia.

___ 10. Wearing sunglasses, have the entire team follow a stranger for a block (+5)

___ 21. Get an elderly person to flip off the camera (+6)

___ 23. Serenade a stranger (+8). Celine Dion songs are worth (+2) extra.

___ 25. Get spit on by a llama (+25) Points will be rendered null and void if you are spit on by an alpaca, as they are not the same breed.

___ 29. Ride the bikes in a toy store (+5) Challenge other small children in the area to a race. (+5) Cheat in the race and tell the children you’re “preparing them for the real world” (+10)

___ 35. Have the entire team spoon on a bed in a mattress store (+10); an additional (+5) goes to the team who can all fit on a twin-size bed.

___ 50. Empty a jar of peanut butter using only your hands. You cannot eat any of it, and it cannot touch the ground (+6). What you do with it afterwards is up to you. Bonus points for creativity.

___ 52. Pretend you are an a capella group, put on a performance and get at least $2 in donations from strangers (+10)

___ 53. Post-it a car (+10) If it’s the car of an opposing team (+15)

___ 59. Start a game of Twister in a public place (+6). For each stranger you can induce to participate, you receive a bonus of (+24)

___ 60. Converse with a stranger while holding a cooler labeled ‘Human Head’ (+4)

___ 64. Put on or make a superhero costume. Save the day. (+9)

___ 73. Mummify a team member in toilet paper and walk through a convenience store (+12) If the team member goes up to the counter and says, “King Tut wants a slurpee.” bonus of (+9)

___ 76. Reenact the crucifixion. (+6)

___ 80. Go to McDonalds and insist on speaking to Ronald McDonald…immediately. (+3) Bonus of (+7) if you refer to him as a “Dirty Clown Pervert”

___ 83. Find a balcony. Reenact the “Stellaaaaa” scene from A Streetcar Named Desire. (+4) If someone is on the balcony, or comes out mid-performance (+6)

___ 84. Shoot a music video in front of a government building. (+7) For bonus points, us either explicit gangster rap or N’sync music. (+3)

___ 85. Begin an impromptu version of American Idol. Get passerby to vote contestants off (+9)

___ 87. Make a bouquet out of flowers in someone’s yard (+5) Ring the doorbell, present the lady of the house with your gift while speaking in a British accent (+20) If they accept (+5)

___ 89. Wrap tape around the frames of a pair of glasses. Find a stick and attempt to Avada Kedavra the muggle passerby. (+12) Draw a lightning bolt on your forehead and get (+3)

___ 96. Chase a small child with a furby. (+5) Bonus of (+5) if it is screaming “I am hungry!” while you do this.

___ 97. Find a coonskin cap. Walk down the street sowing seeds behind you and insisting that you are Johnny Appleseed (+9)

___ 98. Take your coonskin cap to a crowded place. Insist that you are Paul(a) Bunyon and that you have lost Babe, your blue ox. Ask if anyone has seen it.

___ 100. Build a fortress (a wall will suffice) in the spice aisle of a supermarket. Make a formal declaration of war on the rest of the world (flag necessary). (+100) Fortress walls must include 1 lb of sugar, 12 bananas, 2 heads of lettuce, 7 packs of gum, 4 boxes of Fig Newtons, 18 cans of some variety of a creamed vegetable, 9 boxes of frozen fish sticks, 6 loaves of French bread and 3 cartons of ice cream; vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry do not count. Bonus of (+20) if the items are collected in under 3 minutes.

Feel free to use any of these as inspiration for a scavenger hunt of your own! My team had a blast, not to mention we now have hundreds of incriminating pictures to use as blackmail.

Mischeviously yours

-A

No, Slouchy Chic Does Not Mean You Have to Look Homeless

I’m so sorry about the disappearing act I just pulled; I’m in the middle of finals, have two research papers to write, just wasted four and a half hours of my Saturday on a stupid standardized test, and my grandmother’s in the hospital. I’m entitled to a vacation, right?

Is anyone else sick and tired of the ridiculous waif trend thats so popular right now? No thank you, Mary-kate and Ashley Olsen, I do not want to look like I haven’t showered in three days, went temporarily blind as I went through my closet, or like I was recently run over by a large moving object. Sure, if you take a look at their wardrobe by individual pieces, it’s pretty mindblowing. Who doesn’t want Balenciaga galore? But I’m just sick and tired of opening every fashion rag and being told that to be chic now, you need to dress like a herion addict.

Thus, I am creating the anti-sloppy movement; here are some of my favorite looks that prove that while not every item in your closet needs to be tailored, neither does everything have to look like its four sizes too large/ripped/creased/etc.

If you ask me, no one nailed this idea better than Cynthia Rowley in her spring collection. In the above outfit everything works. The cuffed pants are on the immaculate side of slobbish, while the shirt hangs beautifully. I plan on replicating this outfit down to (what look like) braided necklaces.

 

 

Here’s a picture I loved when I saw it on the Sartorialist’s blog. I think it’s great; the fit of the dress is wonderfully slouchy, but the crisp tailoring of the jacket keeps the whole thing from looking entirely shapeless. It’s too warm now, (can you believe New Jersey is a scorching, humid 95 degrees today?) but I’m definately going to be stealing the ankle socks over tights look in the fall; how great would that look with a pair of chunky mary janes? Ooh, I can’t wait!

In four days I’m headed into the city to see a Kooks concert; only downside is that my friend and I are going to have to wait for a couple hours in the sure-to-be-blistering heat in order to get good spots in that infernal Terminal 5. Jury’s still out on what to wear, but the lazy part of me is encouraging just wearing one of my father’s blue Ralph Lauren button downs with leggings and my Frye shit-kickers. Either that, or I’ve been playing around with the idea of making a black tutu, and going all early 80s Madonna. Hell, I’ve got enough rosary beads after eleven years of Catholic school.

Blaspheme on!

-A

Are We There Yet?

I am a complete psycho. The time has come for me to embrace this truth and own up to my shortcomings. You may be asking yourself, ‘Why is Anna calling herself names?’, ‘What is she talking about?’, or ‘Why is Anna sitting in the corner talking to herself and crying?’ These are all excellent questions. I will now answer them. During a recent discussion with my parents (like 3 minutes ago) I basically signed my soul away to an enforced college death march. Get this – the plan is to visit 6 schools, which are in 3 different states, within four days. Shoot me now! The worst part of it is that the day before we leave, I will be coming home from one of my summer programs in Indiana, which leaves me with absolutely not a single second to unpack, wash clothing, and then re-pack for the trip that’ll demand all sorts of cute, appropriate outfits.

The very least my mother can do for me is lend me her credit card so I can go to J.Crew and pick up all sorts of conservative clothes.

Sorry about the short post, but now I need to go write five pages on Victorian Sexuality. Sounds like a party right? At least I only have seven more days of class!

-A

Call Me Anna…Wintour

A while ago, back in bleak November, I made an account on the ever-fabulous style.com, the Vogue website. I spent a giddy five days creating a glamourous alter ego for myself; one of those wealthy women who don’t seem to do much except be about New York and recieve free designer clothing. I then sat in front of my computer for a solid four hours and put together a lookbook of all the Spring 2008 Ready-to-wear creations I thought my fictional self would enjoy. I recently re-discovered the account, and amused myself by browsing through the forty odd pictures I liked back then.

Below is a Matthew Williamson outfit that I imagined myself wearing to Seattle to go record shopping in. I love the layering with the windbreaker and the delicate dress, and I think the sequins are truly inspired.

This L.A.M.B. dress I thought was really fun and playful. I don’t think it would have worked quite as successfully had the plaid fabric not been turned on an angle instead of straight up and down. I intended to buy it for my prom, but unfortunately I couldn’t go to prom this year since I had a performance that night. Oh well, there’s always summer parties!

 If you have the burning desire to see the entire thing, here’s the link, though I suppose not everyone has the time and patience I do for silly things like that!

Couture whore-ingly yours

-A

(P.S. – and may I say I felt instantly gratified to see the green/yellow Marchessa embroidered tunic that I had picked out so many months ago in the SJP issue of Vogue? It felt like Anna Wintour was giving my taste a little pat on the back!)

Buy Me Something Expensive, Sugardaddy

During a birthday gift shopping excursion to the mall yesterday, a friend of mine (henceforth referred to as ‘Nicole’) and I were distracted by the incredible good looks of one Robert Downey Jr. and went to go see Iron Man. All things considered (excepting Gynnie’s unfortunate hair color, the fact that she was named Pepper Pots, and the unfortunate fact that I’m not married to Mr. Downey) it was a pretty decent movie. However, it got Nicole and I onto the topic of hot older men that we would not mind being shut into a dark closet for an extended period of time with. Thus, the “Fuckable Fifty Plus” list was born.

Now, the fifty part of the title is merely relative, seeing as how I’m obsessed with the stylistic impression alliterations make, but I think this is a decent topic to discuss. Nicole and I have very different tastes in men, but here’s my abbreviated list of my favorite hot old fogues.

1. Robert Downey Jr. (Umm, duh?)

2. Colin Firth (My Jane Austen obsession might be putting words into my mouth here, but Fitzwilliam Darcy can be repressed with me anytime)

3. Bob Dylan (Ok, so he’s turning 66 this year…I refuse to think of this as a problem)

4. Gregory Peck (So what if he’s dead? A girl can fantasize!)

…and so on and so forth. The list is much longer, but I couldn’t be bothered to transcribe it all onto here.

But onto a change of topic – I had my Juilliard callback on May 21 and it went pretty well, I think. So now I just have to wait anxiously until June 10 to find out if I got accepted or not. Cross your fingers!

Debaucherously yours,

-A

 

 

Play that Funky Music, White Boy

So, today was my Juilliard audition for their pre-college program…and I am completely psyched to say that I got a callback! I should know by tomorrow night if I’ve been accepted. As I sat in the waiting room, I couldn’t help but notice some of the outfits other people were wearing; one girl had a hot pink J.Crew dress from this past spring/summer and those flats everyone has been wearing (and knocking off). Another seemed to have fallen into a weird slutty schoolgirl look, which confused me greatly. However there were a few cool things I spotted that I’d like to share with you.

One girl was wearing a burgandy dress and menswear vest with opaque tights and character shoes, which are comfortable heels worn on the stage. I know the shilouette has been out there for a while (see the Urban Outfitters website, I think they have a nice pair) but there’s really nothing like the comfort of a legitimate dancer’s pair. I’d post a link, but you can find them all over the web, so I suppose you don’t need my help. T-strap pairs are particularly flattering; they make your foot look longer and leaner.

Another girl wore a baggy Kurt Cobain-reminescent cardigan underneath a seersucker trimmed navy blazer. The cut and shape of the cardigan were similar to this one, at Anthropologie, but had buttons. The bagginess of the sweater nicely offset the structured shape of the blazer and the whole thing made her look like a very cool girl.

As for myself, I wore a cropped black corduroy mock tuxedo jacket over a geometric patterned blue and green sundress that I got up in Maine forever ago. For a little boost (both literally and figuratively) I had my killer pointy toe black pumps.

I’ll let you all know how tomorrow goes!

-A

Stay in School, Kids

So, I know that I’m supposed to be in class right now, but unfortunately I overslept and missed my ride; hence the sabbatical…which I am filling with infomercials, online shopping, and re-runs of Season 3 of Top Chef on Bravo. Is there a better cooking show on TV? I think not. I have a massive crush on the adorable and gawky C.J., and a little one forming on the delightfully acidic Anthony Bourdain.

While I drool over the chef eye-candy and munch on lime Tostitos, I’m also custom designing a pair of Converse on their website. I’ve already got a blue suede pair of high tops in the works, and I can’t wait to order them!

I’m also indulging myself with an at-home manicure and pedicure. I’m sure we’ve all witnessed the hype surrounding the new Chanel Roberston Boulevard polishes, and I for one, don’t think the excitement is worth it. But anyway, that’s of little consequence; the colors were obviously bought out by a bunch of pre-teen girls immediately. Better colors can be purchased at half the price with double the quality (with the Chanel polishes, they can tend to get too thick and chip very easily). If you want funky colors and great consistancy, look no further than any of OPI’s collections. I especially like the colors ‘Yoga-ta Get This Blue!’, ‘Lincoln Park at Midnight’, and ‘Green-wich Village’. However, their yellow; ‘The “It” Color’ is almost identical the the yellow that Chanel made.

School-skippingly yours;

-A

We Kinda Kicked It in the Chillout Tent…

Man, that title has absolutely nothing to do with this post, but I just haven’t been able to stop listening to the Hold Steady’s 2006 album, Boys & Girls in America, lately. The title’s from one of my favourite tracks that I’ve been humming nonstop, much to the chagrin of some friends.

So, it’s that time of year again, people! Oh yes, it’s time to begin the packing lists for my summer adventures. I am notoriously unorganized but I take delight in making extensive packing lists that I promptly lose, then panic, and then overpack to an obscene extent. However, I am looking forward to packing some delightful items to brighten up those dreary dorm rooms; and no one does funky and fun better than Funk and Standard, one of the few things to come out of my Garden State that I will deign to acknowledge. The website isn’t really fantastic, but I throughly encourage you to visit one of the stores if you are ever in the vincity of Red Bank or Westfield, New Jersey respectively. I don’t think there’s another store out there that sells those cute sock monkey stuffed-animals, rubber Jesus pencil-toppers, and Band-aides that look like bacon strips.

Speaking of my lists, during one of my vacations from vacations, I’m going to see Brett Dennen and John Mayer at the PNC Arts Center (one of them is super-talented, and the other is super-goodlooking. How can this be a bad thing?) and I’m going to be sitting on the lawn. Here’s my list of essentials for the outdoor concert venue, which can also be adapted for all those who are heading to All Points West or wherever.

1. Burt’s Bees Herbal Insect Repellent; 100% natural, keeps mosquitoes from making you an unsightly red and itchy lump, and also smells fantastic; like it had been picked out of the garden that day.

2. Urban Outfitter’s Sweetheart Sunglasses; inevitably a summer music festival will one day eat a pair of your sunglasses, and who really wants to risk having a pair of their Ray Bans or Guccis trampled underfoot while they’re crowd surfing. These heart-shaped glasses are cute and cheap, and besides, what could be more Lolita?

3. Birkenstock’s Kairo sandals; sure they’re a little granola, but they’re damn comfortable and they’ll last for twenty more music festivals to come. Plus, with the ankle straps, you can trust they won’t be lost (unless you take them off to dance barefoot, in which case I suppose the sandals aren’t at blame)

4. J.Crew men’s Madras shirt in Varsity Blue; good to have in your bag as a back-up in case of a wardrobe malfunction, spill, or just a plain chilly night.

5. Clinique After-Sun Rescue Balm - we’ve all had that nasty sunburn that lingers and stings for days, peeling the skin and making you look like an over cooked French Fry. This delightful little balm is here to make that recovery process go a little quicker.

Already longing for summer…

-A