the traveler

I had the most wonderful surprise recently... I won this darling Shabby Apple dress ("The Traveler") in a giveaway over on the beautiful blog Demure Folk!!! 

the velveteen habit

Forgive my absence! I have been having quite a hectic week, with a flurry of quizzes and papers before we were let free for Thanksgiving break, and a rather inconvenient little cold as well. Now I have a whole week at my disposal, so that's good. Here is a li'l outfit post for you.

Songstress Style: The Black Belles

Last Fall I became quite enthralled by the Black Belles' first single here; unfortunately, they seemed liked a mysterious flash-in-the-pan gimmick. How happy was I to find out that they are not only legit, but they have a whole album that just came out! I get the feeling Jack White is more than a little involved with production... but is that such a bad thing? Their goth-garage-girl group sounds are swell, and their dramatically witchy looks are nice as ice.

If you dig, buy their new LP.

PS: Happy 11-11-11!!!!!!!

she wears the pants

Have you noticed how I'm always wearing pants these days?! In the past, I'd shunned trousers; being rather small in stature with an hourglassy figure, I decided I "couldn't" wear them. How stupid of me! I can't believe all the fun I've been missing out on. Nothing's more elegant than sharply tailored Katharine Hepburn-esque trousers; styled right, they just ooze Old Hollywood glamour. Very practical, as well, given how bitter cold Vermont is about to get. And most importantly of all, gals of yore loved them some pants too!

So much to love about this one...

("Eatmore". Saddle shoes. The tough girl's smirk. Best picture ever.)

(I totally have the saaaaame Elvis record as Natalie!!) 

(They call him a "folk singer" on the liner notes which is sorta funny.)

the grand tour

Step right up! Come on in, if you'd like to take the grand tour!

Howdy. This here's my little world for the winter.
The worst part about college for me is the 2-year residency requirement. I hate living in a dormitory; it doesn't mesh too well with my aesthetic sensibilities. Haha. But I keep the place looking O.K. by filling it to the brim with little old knick-knacks.

I do like the ceiling.

Oh look, here's my latest $1 record haul (gracefully modeled by my hand-croched clown draftstopper). How these end up in the cast-off discount box is a mystery to me! Who doesn't wanna have a twist party with Chubby Checker?! 

It's cold out there, folks; it's time to Think Mink!
(Vintage, that is, I don't condone the killing of li'l critters)

Well, there you have it. Nothing special, but it's alright. It's a nice retreat from the overwhelmingly bland campus around me, that's for sure; my state university is not renowned for its vibrancy or diversity, to put it mildly. But honestly, it just takes a li'l Connie Francis and a chalkware lamp to cheer me up. And Joan Crawford sheet music.

season of the witch

Hallowe'en may be over, but I think November is truly the spookiest month of all. The days of ever-grey skies, the frosty moonlit nights, the barren fields and skeletal tree branches... it's just the right time to makeup your face like you're Pola Negri and slink around in eerily archaic black rags. Here are some pictures, and some music, along this theme.

✯ Clarence John Laughlin ✯

Sounds, Pt. I

✯ Ellen Rogers ✯

 Sounds, Pt. II

the willard asylum suitcases

1. Have a look at this wonderful photography series I just stumbled upon. These suitcases were found in the attic of an abandoned insane asylum in upstate New York; the contents are now being recorded in this stunning series of pictures. It's fascinating to see what got left behind, and the context makes it especially sad and a little spooky. You may read more about the project here.

2. This weekend it snowed (!!!) and we were plunged into the throes of midwinter :/  I am hoping the sun melts it all away sharpish, as it's much too early!! Look at this surreal picture of my yard:

Well, I hope you had a splendid hallowe'en!
(I didn't really celebrate it this year, as the combination of a blizzard-induced power outage and impending midterm exams left me little time for fun, haha)