Polka Dot Parade

I was recently reading that polka dots are thought to bring good luck on New Years--or more accurately that round objects are thought to symbolize prosperity and as an extension of that belief polka dots are a popular pattern to wear. It's interesting since I usually picture a pile of sequins as New Years attire and polka dots as more day wear. There are so many fascinating tidbits to be learned about patterns and their sources or usages--the way one color or pattern is traditionally used in one country and the way it can be viewed entirely differently somewhere else. Anyway, I'm not sure this dress would work for as grandiose a night as NYE, but the sheer fabric with tiny gold dots is quite festive.

Outfit details:

H&M cardigan

dress c/o Bebop

Seychelles flats

Foley + Corinna purse

Bloglovin | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Instagram

Sands Of Time

File this under places I would give my eyeteeth to visit. These photographs by Alvaro Sanchez-Montanes enters abandoned houses in the Namib Desert to reveal a serene lost world being reclaimed by nature. Komanskuppe was formerly the site of a diamond mine and these dwellings were built by German colonists--hints of their style remain in the blue-tinged walls and printed tile and border details. When the mines stopped being prosperous all the inhabitants moved on to other homes and now only a ghost town remains. The homes have been transformed into surreal landscapes that look like something out of a dream.

Physics Of The Impossible

This Super 8 camera was a gift from my boyfriend, Thomas, and despite the fact that it likely doesn't work I couldn't be more excited about it. Vintage cameras can become my collectibles--taking up dust on my shelves and looking pretty when film's too expensive to buy or the camera itself no longer functions. The thing I enjoy most about this one though is how it feels like a weapon in my hand. It reminds me of some futuristic from the 1970s ray gun; the sort of thing you'd find in Buck Rogers or Star Trek. Although I don't dress that style--retro-futuristic is definitely an aesthetic I enjoy. There's something so fun and even hopeful about vintage photographs of people dressed as astronauts or old movies with our out-dated concepts of how space travel would work or how technology would advance. You can't really be too disappointed that our imagination outstripped science in terms of the ray gun when we still have discovered so many amazing things...

Outfit details:

vintage cardigan

MADE for Macys dress

Ferragamo Vara flats

Bloglovin | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Instagram

Manipulerte Historier

Artist Katrine Kalleklev turns old portrait photographs (the sort we all know from parents or grandparents photo albums and dressing tables) into something more intriguing by adding manipulating people into animals. There's something so intriguing to me about human bodies with animal heads--from polaroids of children wearing masks to a menswear site featuring nearly every creature in the animal kingdom, I'm really drawn to this theme in art. Is it something about the animal inside of us, or the supposed similar personality traits we see across species? It might be just be the good old Greek creepiness of the Minotaur and similar creatures--the bestial nature of man himself, the monster within all of us. Whatever the reason I really can't get enough of Kalleklev's manipulated stories.

Middle Ground

I quite like being able to shoot through spring blooms (or autumn leaves in fall); I like the sense of depth they add and it takes me back to my Elementary art classes when we started to learn about foreground, middle ground, and background. What a giant leap my paintings and drawings took that year--it was a totally new concept to break up the image and show the perspective. With outfit pictures your body is usually the foreground and middle ground and the "rule of thirds" isn't always applicable. There's also less to shoot through in summer or winter as all that flora wilts or completely dies away. It is hard to guess where your body will be behind the flowers when you're setting up a shot using your purse as the focus point though. I ended up with a couple of sets of images where my face was completely obscured by a white blur, which I found rather pretty on its own but not the best for a personal style blog. There's always this balance between more arty shots and what will properly display your outfit from head-to-toe.
I'll probably try to shoot another video showing my photo-taking process this summer as my old one is quite out of date and people usually seem curious about the whole thing. It's honestly comical to watch someone run back and forth for a tripod--which is why I usually shoot myself on dirt paths in the middle of the woods where no one can see me...

Outfit details:

vintage dress

UE necklace

Shop Ruche flats

Zara purse

Bloglovin | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Instagram

Schoolgirl Chic

I never get tired of a school girl inspired look. I mean, you shouldn't be head-to-toe in your old uniform, but a prim blouse with a pleated skirt and oxfords never looks bad. This picture is a bit old (especially in Internet years), but I keep coming back to it for spring inspiration. The leather coat adds just the right amount of edge to the classic look--as if Sandy was able to channel her inner bad girl without completely losing herself in Danny Zuko...
via and via

Balanced and Beaming

I don't like to linger too much in the past or blog about past blogs or blogging in general, but just a general thank you for the positive response on Monday's afternoon post. While I wouldn't describe myself as overly self-conscious nowadays I still am quite shy (I don't see anything negative in being shy or introverted) so sometimes I err on the side of not sharing quite personal things. Anyway, it was nice that my post was appreciated and not misunderstood or something. It's quite ironic timing for that post since I've been feeling quite positive and optimistic lately--warm weather has that effect on my mood.

It's also interesting when I reflect on the nature of sharing, or rather my openness with a daily image of myself online when in day-to-day life I'm awkwardly shy meeting new people and I don't share much of myself until I feel quite close with someone, a process that usually takes months. Yet, here I am blogging away: talking about uncomfortable memories and posting pictures of myself like it's no big deal. It is probably a sense of control that makes me more open online--editing and choosing pictures, presenting myself in a very specific way, writing drafts and then editing them before publication. I have been trying to make an effort to be more open in my "real life" and I suppose it's beginning to extend to my virtual one as well...

Outfit details:

Cheap Monday sunglasses (sold out, similar here)

ASOS jacket

dress c/o Modcloth

shoes c/o Modcloth

Foley + Corinna purse
*pictures by Jon

Bloglovin | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Instagram