I'm Mod About You, 60s Girlies

Some pretty 60s girlies for your viewing pleasure, my darlings.

Curiouser and Curiouser.

I'm totally excited to see Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. I'm sure you've seen the photos, as they've been making the rounds on the blogs. It really looks like its going to be an over the top visual dee-lite. I was thinking about Alice and was reminded of that great photoshoot in Vogue a year or so ago. Model Natalia Vodianova portrayed Alice and each spread featured a different designer. The whole mess o' fabulosity was shot by Annie Leibovitz. Pretty good stuff.


Olivier Theyskens as Lewis Carroll photographing young Alice LIddell.


Down the Rabbit Hole: Faster, faster, faster she fell! Chasing Tom Ford's White Rabbit, our Alice disappears down the never-ending dark passage.


Drink Me. How was Alice to know the innocent little bottle would make her grow to such a size? As Helmut Lang watched from the wall, she curled her legs up and hoped the designer's organza minidress wouldn't be crushed by her startling height.


Advice from a Caterpillar. Clad in Marc Jacobs's ruffled chiffon minidress, Alice found herself engaged in an infuriatingly roundabout conversation with a mushroom-dweller. Where am I? she wondered...and how have I gotten here?


Pig & Pepper. It was a queer-shaped little creature, and held out its arms and legs in all directions, “just like a starfish.” Karl Lagerfeld steals the scene yet again.


Tweedledum and Tweedledee. “If you think we're alive, you ought to speak,” said the one marked DEE. Alice, in a Viktor & Rolf multilayered silk dress, stared as the Tweedle duo spouted nonsensical tongue twisters.


The Mad Tea Party. “No room!” The March Hare and Mad Hatter shouted. “No room!” But Alice plunked down, desperate for some biscuits after a long day of living backward. Christian Lacroix, dahling.


Who Stole the Tarts?. “My name is Alice, so please Your Majesty,” the young girl, draped in Dior Couture, said softly. “ You make me giddy!” screamed the Queen. Dior Haute Couture by John Galliano.


The Mock Turtle's Story. “What is his sorrow?” Alice, in Atelier Versace, asked the Gryphon. “Once,” sighed the Mock Turtle, “ I was a real turtle.” Donatella Versace and Rupert Everett.


Through the Looking Glass. Wrapped in ocean-blue Balenciaga couture, Alice perched on the mantel, longing to escape into the shadow world, as her black kitty purred nearby. Balenciaga by Nicolas Ghesquière

Style Files: It's August and it's freezing.

Would it surprise you if I told you we have been have chilly weather?? Yes, in August. You may have heard the famous quote attributed to Mark Twain, "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco!" Ain't it the truth Mark. Ttruer words were never spoken. I mean, it's August people and I was shivering in the fog yesterday!
(pssst... wanna know a little insider's secret? Mr. Twain never actually uttered those words—but the quote is so great we like to claim it as our own. Another insider's secret? No self-respecting San Franciscan would ever refer to our fair city as "Frisco." Now ya know!)





That last picture is a little ridiculous (what's with my dork expression??) but I wanted to show a close up of the groovy tee. OK Wardrobe Remixers, here's what I'm wearin':

+ Vintage brown and white polka dot secretary blouse
+ Lime green tee with Yoshitoma Nara graphic (from ze MOMA store)
+ Faded Black Jeans from Target
+ Brown and white vintage pumps, thrifted
+ Bone colored marc by marc jacobs bag

I have another product question for you guys...what do you use in your hair?? Any fave conditioners or leave-in smoother type stuff?? My crazy curls and I thank you!!

Vintage Kids: Art Seiden is the man.

Heeeee's baaaack. Art Seiden is one of my tippy top favorite children's book illustrators, and he's already made an appearance on Storytime Tuesdays. This book is a Wonder Book from 1960 entitled "The Romper Room Do Bee Book of Manners." For all you younguns, Romper Room was a kid's show that ran from the 50s thru the mid 80s. This book is so dang cute. It teaches preschoolers good manners ("Do bee polite and helpful!") but it's Art Seiden's illustrations that are really the tops.

How awesome are this little boy's clothes?? The stripey shirt...the groovy lil bow tie. I also love his little stance...check him out on the phone and then lifting that crazy strong man barbell!! Loooove it.

Here's to always being a Do Bee and never a grouchy ol Don't Bee!


Images: The Romper Room Do Bee Book of Manners by Nancy Claster. Pictures by Art Seiden. 1960.

Pretty birdies.

Though a tad ubiquitous, I still love birdies. And I always love when people mix graphic type elements with illustration. I'm also a sucker for doilies and mixed media. So it should come as no surprise that I thought this work from Melbourne-based artist Shuxin Liang was pretty tops.  Originally from China, Shuxin's work is "inspired by the conflicting and harmonious relationships the urban environment has with the natural world."  Sounds good to me!

Check out more work at the Sooooound Etsy store. Check out the Sooooound Revolution blog for behind-the-scene details.

Found via the lovely Steph at Bondville.

Vintage Vogue, Dahhhling.

To combat my slovenly weekend, bumming around, I present the posh world of Dior and Elsa Schiaparelli. Look how chic these lovely ladies of Vogue are! The fine gals over at My Vintage Vogue have an AMAZING collection of vintage Vogue magazines and kindly share the best of their photos with us. While I know that underneath it all they wore insane girdles and whatnot, it does make you yearn for the days when ladies were ladies, no? Look at these gorgeous gals:

When it Rains It Pours.

Hello lovelies. Have you ever had one of those weeks that was just relentless? Like, whatever could go wrong did? That was me last week. I honestly felt like I had a little gray cloud hovering over me all week!!

For starters, I had a reeeeally crazy work week (1:30 am anyone???) and our house was broken into. Say what? YES. Some idiot(s) broke one of our windows and climbed inside...thankfully our house alarm went off and scared them, so nothing was stolen, but it was such a violation. Blech. Not too fun. To top it all off, we were all supposed to go down to San Diego this weekend for the amazing Tiki Oasis and were unable to attend. (My amazing friend Doe and her hubs Otto throw this event every year and if you ever get the chance to go, you really should. It's full weekender of vintage tiki maddness—bands, tiki master classes (The Art of Tiki Mixology, lectures by Modern Day Tiki Master Bosko, The Devil-Ettes....I was weeping that I couldn't go!).

So needless to say after allllll of that jazz, I was definitely looking forward to finding a little time to relax. I started things off Friday night with my awesome pal Kelly. We had a super tasty meal of chicken sopes, in my old Mission hood at the Velvet Cantina (including insanely strong watermelon margaritas) and then we were off  to see Mortified at The Make Out Room.

Oh. My. God. Twas radical, I tell you. People get up and relive their most embarrassing junior high moments by reading from their original diaries, journals and letters. So hilarious and cringe-worthy.

Saturday I had to work a bit but then we went to a little gathering for incoming kindergarteners (I can't believe Wolfie is going to be in kindergarten!!).  I mean look at this...he looks like he's a teenager. Don't grow little boy!! (This is at a vintage shop, not our house...though I love that couch! And clearly so does Sir Wolfgang who made himself right at home with his Leapster...)

The weather was amazing all day and we spent some time in the garden planting flowers and checking out the veggies that Greg planted for us (squash, tomatoes, strawberries, carrots and pumpkins that will hopefully bloom by October!).

That night we had a fun BBQ with some friends and then went to check out the "Movie Under the Stars" nite at a sweet little local park (Kung Fu Panda never looked so charming or romantic my friends!). We brought blankets and snacks and snuggled up on the lawn. Really fun.

Sunday we went out for brunch and were walking around and saw the SPCA's puppy & kitty set up (they bring out a selection of sweet animals out to encourage adoptions). They had tons of gorgeous kitties but I fell in love with a sweet lil puppy and was thiiiiisssss close to adopting her. Oh lordy was she ever a bundle of cuteness. Part German Sherpherd and part rottie....oy, what a doll. I even filled out the application, but by the time we came back....she and her sister had been adopted. Waaah. My birthday is August 22 and I have dropped some major hints that a pound puppy (or dog) might be just the thing!

I hope you had an amazing weekend too. What did you guys get into??

xoxo,

alex