It isn’t often I read a work of fiction and want to learn more about some of the characters but that is exactly what happened after I finished reading ‘The Museum of Modern Love’(aka: MoML) by Australian author Heather Rose. Ms. Rose’s story uses performance artist Marina Abramovic’s 2010 MoMA retrospective “The Artist is Present” as the background against which her characters experience fear, sadness, doubt, loneliness, wonder, happiness, creativity, and love… Continue reading “Walks beside me…modern love”→
Each spring and fall I feature ways to re-create the top runway looks (past recreations can be found here, here,here and here) through sewing and some accessory purchases. Some of the hottest trends for spring and summer2019 include 1940’s and 1970’s inspired clothing, sundresses, jumpsuits, patchwork, and bold florals ( a perennial favorite of mine).
I am a sucker for a good dress so the Apiece Apart midi captured my attention, as it reminds me of a 1940’s English garden party frock. The Elie Tahari wrap dress is a classic design which never gets old and always flatters the wearer regardless of size.
Both dresses would be quite easy to make, requiring only minor pattern changes prior to sewing to achieve optimal effect. To make the blue-floral midi begin with the Butterick B6451 Version A dress pattern but purchase enough extra fabric for an additional midi skirt. Sew the side seams on each skirt, then baste both pieces together at the waist to create one double-tiered piece. From there, continue to follow the sewing directions to make your own version of the two-tiered peasant midi dress.
To replicate the Elie Tahari wrap dress, use the Butterick B6554 Version B pattern, and follow the directions until it gets to the tie part. Replace the waist ties with another closure of your choice (buttons and hook-and-eyes come to mind). Purchase extra fabric to make a 2-3 inch wide belt long enough to wrap around your torso twice with ample ends and voila! Runway re-created x 2. Happy sewing – happy spring.
It’s been quite some time since I posted but fear not, as two months focused on handling family and work matters is finally behind me and I am once again (hopefully) back to blogging twice-a-week. Not sure I’ll actually accomplish that goal but a girl can dream.
If I don’t make my goal this week at least I’ve got a good excuse, as my husband and I are headed to Miami Beach to seeNick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets Tour when it stops at The Fillmore Miami Beach. I got our tickets months ago when I first read about the show, and if the reviews are even halfway accurate we are in for an (inter)stellar night of classic old school Floyd.
We’ll be staying at CASA Boutique Hotel, which is close to the theater and the beach without being near the craziness of Ocean Drive. Besides the concert we plan on spending our days soaking up some rays, exploring Lincoln Road Mall (including Taschen Books), wandering the galleries at the Bass and the World Erotic Art Museums, grabbing authentic Cuban food at Puerto Saguaand ending our nights at Mac’s Club Deuce, a bar we used to frequent years ago. All in all, we’ve got a great mini-holiday to look forward to, and maybe 2nd post later this week too!
An exhibit from ‘Dior: From Paris to the World’ (image by James Florio)
Lately I’ve really been focused on the world of fashion. This might be due to some recent travel which saw me killing time with lots of fashion mags while waiting for one delayed flight after another. And while spring is just around the corner the Fall ‘19 New York and London Fashion Week collections may also be to blame. Finally, there are two exhibitions taking place which I NEED to see: the V&A“Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams”(through July 14th) and the Met’s “Camp: Notes on Fashion” (opening May 9th). ‘Camp’ kicks off with the Met Gala on May 6thand I can’t wait to see what the two High Priestesses of Camp, Rhianna and Lady Gaga, bring to the red carpet. I doubt I’ll get an invitation to the Gala, and travel to the Big Apple and/or London probably isn’t in the cards either, so I’ll have to be content trying on fashion-related articles I’ve stumbled, including…
I thought I’d be able to settle into 2019 focused on a year-long daily art project I am undertaking with any leftover time devoted to more frequent blogging. Ha! Turns out I’ve been spending most of my free time helping one of my children secure their very first ‘grown up’ job. That said, no matter how busy I am I always find time to read every day… Continue reading “Oh I talk too loose…..”→
This weekend I celebrated another birthday. I’ve never been a big party kind of person and prefer a more intimate day spent with those I love, sharing some laughter and a tasty home-cooked meal followed by the sweetest store-bought birthday cake I can find. One personal birthday tradition I have kept for many years is to wear something special to remind myself of how much I love clothes and dressing for an occasion (previous birthday outfits hereand here).
My husband, who knows I’ve developed a bit of pinball obsession, surprised me with a trip to an area arcade I had no idea existed. Best gift ever! We were the first customers of the day and had our choice of hundreds of machines, all in great working condition. We lost track of the time and finally called it quits when our wrists hurt so baldy we couldn’t play anymore. In keeping with my birthday outfit philosophy, and having an inkling of where we might be going, I dressed accordingly.
Do you have a gift you receive every year? Some item which if not received taints the occasion just a bit? For me, that gift is a book, or even better, books. Each Christmas my momma gifts me with a selection from my‘2b or not 2b read’list (past gift selections can be found here and here). My mom was a little under the weather over the holidays and so her 2018 gift was delayed, but no less appreciated when I finally opened my box of books this weekend. Thanks Mom.
I am not a big believer in New Year’s resolutions but last year I did decide to track how many books I read during 2018. I am part of a Book Club at work (with our current pick – Tara Westover’sEducated– up for discussion in January) and took part in a summer reading challenge, achieving ‘Reading Rockstar’ status. Turns out I’ve read over 130 books this past year…
I may not believe in resolutions but I am a big planner. I’ve got some personal art projects I am working on, a few art installations to oversee (including the January ArtLab and April ‘Autism Arts’ shows), and continued travel (Miami, Denver, Mobile, and Philly for sure with more day trips and weekend getaways to follow).
How about you? Do you make resolutions? What kinds of dreams do you have for the new year? Here’s hoping you achieve success in whatever you set out to do next year. All the best for 2019!
I had a number of gift guides posts planned for December but the technology gods decided differently. Two weeks ago, I opened my laptop to find the red battery of death, necessitating a visit to the computer doctor followed by a diagnosis of failed mother board. When my Pro was released earlier this week with a clean bill of health it felt like I had just received a present.
To be truthful, this past year has been a rough one and I haven’t been ‘in the spirit’ this holiday season. I know I am supposed to want to go out and buy, buy, buy but in truth the only thing I want for Christmas is for 2018 to be over and for everyone I love to be healthy and happy next year.
I hope the same for each of you who already follow this blog or have stumbled upon it. The best gift you could ever give – or receive – is the gift of time spent with those you care most about. Here’s wishing you and yours a lovely [insert whatever it is you celebrate this time of year here] in the company of steadfast friends and loving family. All the best for 2019!
Unicorns have been part of our world psyche since time began. We must be experiencing a resurgence in their popularity because wherever I look these days I see horned products on sale for young and old alike.
Over the next two weeks I’ll be posting gift ideas for aspiring cooks, fashion junkies, music lovers, adventure seekers, voracious readers and of course, unicorn lovers. If you need a gift for someone who is a fan of – or obsessed with – this mystical creature the 18 ideas pictured above would make for a magical present to give – or receive…
The Grey Goddess 