When I Grow Up

Remember how I said that it’s a rare appearance to see me without any hair decoration? This is what my naked head looks like.

I feel vulnerable right now.

I thought I’d throw a curveball seeing as it certainly wasn’t expected after my previous explanation on how rare this sighting is. I felt comfortable doing so because I knew that I wouldn’t experience any hair decoration envy in the woods. Unless, unbeknownst to be me, it is an enchanted wood in which deer prance around in berets and bows and fa la la the day away. Should this be the case, I would certainly be bewildered and frankly, quite impressed, which would leave no room for jealousy, you see? Luckily (or unluckily?) it was a regular ol’ forest.

I titled this post “When I Grow Up” because I certainly don’t view fashion through the eyes of a grown up. I always loved playing dress up and that love has never disappeared as I’ve grown older. I seem to have the same eye for how to put outfits together and the same craving for a touch of theatrics as I did when I was a kid. I used to have a glorious dress up trunk, which I think I have been unconsciously and now consciously trying to recreate within my closet walls for years. Friends have laughed at the appearance of my clothing all lined up, because it certainly is visual eye candy as far as the amount of prints are concerned.


Dress: Used to be my grandma's
Plaid Jacket: Thrifted
Tights: Primark
Boots: Jeffrey Campbell

A lot of good outfits don't have to match and they don’t have to come from the trendiest clothing stores, says I!I have spent years of my life orchestrating and following through with what can only be described as rummaging projects resembling archaeological digs in attics, basements, long forgotten closets, and back rooms. I emerge myself into and consequently entrap myself in piles of boxes, bags, and bins, but I don’t care. I’m on a treasure hunt. I carefully sift through the junk waiting for hidden gems to reveal themselves. All of this effort is in the hopes of recovering clothes and accessories (and books!) to make new again, not mention to feed my ravenous appetite for nostalgic items. When these treasure are found, what a glorious victory it is! A lot of my favorite pieces in my closet are from the “Help Grandma Clear Out Her Old Stuff Project of ’08”. Luckily for myself, my grandma is a hip hip lady who happened to have saved decades of clothing, accessories, and shoes. In fact, one of those pieces is the polka dot dress above. I’ve been waiting for the right time to wear it, and at last, the time has come!

Oh Uncle Shelby...

BRILLIANT.

We're Gonna Dance 'Til We're Gone

I don’t like talking about the end of the world. Other than the fact that is scares the bejeezus out of me, it just doesn’t make for pleasant conversation.

“Hey how was that show last night? What’s the weather supposed to be like this weekend? Did you hear about the end of the world? I hear it’s supposed to be pretty gnarly”

Uhhhh… No Thanks.

So please don’t talk to me about 2012 or the four horses or anything of the sort! Just don’t. I’ll get all jittery and stutter-y and nervous and won’t sleep for days. Yet, somehow, Yeasayer’s song “Final Path” has been playing nonstop on my iPod lately and I find myself wanting to break out into some kind of tribal dance to the tune talking about that very subject I so disdain. The song was recorded for their Daytotter Sessions back in ’07 and is so damn good I forgot that I nixed the end of the world topic. This is quite a feat, boys. I decided I would do a post inspired by the mental dance party I have every time I hear the yelping of Chris Keating echoing through my skull.


The look I was going for here is a mixture of Theda Bara and a Brothers Grimm fairytale character. Unfortunately, not everyone was picking up on these references. One family member remarked that I looked like Elvira. So NOT picking up what I’m putting down. I’ve been looking for an excuse to do some kind of atmospheric photo shoot with this velvet cape and what better than a photo shoot featuring a pre-apocalyptic dance party in the woods, friends? As I type this I’m getting a little twitchy at the thought…


Cape- Used to belong to my grandma
Nightgown- Thrifted
Some might say I overuse the word atmospheric. Some actually have! This may be true but the truth is a lot of the things I enjoy are atmospheric. I am a big fan of atmosphere as it triggers the imagination and has the ability to transport you into a different time and place. Bring on the rolling fog, the silhouette of tree skeletons against a dark sky, a full moon in the black night, and the echoing sounds of Gregorian chants. Yes, Gregorian chants. I freakin’ love chanting. I’ve never done it myself, but it seems kinda fun in a creepy atmospheric way. Since I was a little girl I’ve loved visiting historic sites and pretending I lived back in those periods and exploring old cemeteries where I could imagine who lived here before me and what their lives were like. The great thing about atmosphere is that it allows you to tap into different parts of yourself that you ordinarily keep under wraps in your everyday lives. Think about a really great gig where the vibe totally overtook you and allowed you to lose yourself into the music and atmosphere completely. That is one of the best feelings to experience. Bottom line is- indulging in atmosphere is a form of escapism from the ordinary and I, for one, happen to think it’s necessary to do so every now and again. Ya heard? (Steps off soapbox)

Ain't That Somethin'! No Pants!

Petit Nuage used to be one of my favorite blogs until one day I discovered that it had up and disappeared. Her blog was very much its own weird little world and very unique from all the other blogs I read. As you might imagine, I was reluctant to delete it from my favorites. I left it for awhile, just to see if it didn’t suddenly appear the same way it had disappeared. It didn’t. Through savvy investigating (googling, let’s be real) I discovered she had a new blog. That also disappeared. Fortunately, my savvy investigating skills paid off again and I have discovered that she still has a flickr! How exciting! Is this getting stalker-ish? (I am what this society made me… I’m looking at you Google, Facebook, Twitter) The point is that I can now share some of her drawings/collages which I always looked forward to her posting.

The girl behind this blog is a mystery to me and I can’t quite figure out where she is from, perhaps Sweden? I tried figuring out what language she posts in, but alas, my savvy investigating skills have failed me.



Her artwork consists of childlike yet bizarre imagery that features cutesy unicorns (hoorah!), polka dots and flowers (hooray!), even ice cream cones (whoopee!) paired with naked people showing nipples and pubic hair (My! How scandalous!). This mystery girl also dabbles in collaged elements as well, where she pastes pictures onto her drawings or drawings onto her pictures. There is something so endearing and interesting about her style that I’ve never forgotten about it since her blog disappeared. She creates a bizarre world that I love to peek into. Sometimes I find myself smiling and sometimes I find myself cringing, but it’s always an experience! I love the mixing of the bizarre and potentially morbid with childlike imagery (I’ve actually been working on something playing with this idea and collaging as well)! Edward Gorey is the master of this concept with his books full of bizarre and morbid topics combined with children’s illustrations, even though he didn’t think his books were technically for children! I don’t think hers are meant for children either! I think this girl is really onto something cool and I will be curious to see what she does next!

To check out more: Kaffe med Kaka

Thoughts on Spring: A Post

With all of this talk about S/S 10 collections circulating, I couldn’t help but to start envisioning what I want my spring time to look, feel, and sound like. After consulting my own daydreams, followed by a very lengthy perusal of my inspiration folder, I came up with these images of some of my favorite 60's ladies. I want a springtime chock full of prints, color, and big messy long hair. This spring, I too, want to casually stand in a meadow of golden and lavender flowers in a floral dress and languidly lay my bubblegum pink arms across tree branches like Penelope Tree. I want to stare at the ocean waves washing over my feet while wearing stripes and sit in what appears to be weeds or a field at the side of the road and daydream in plaid… or whatever Anna Karina happens to be doing, that’s what I want! I want to play cards outdoors in ruffles and feed grass to friendly deer while sporting perfectly tousled bed head hair like Brigitte Bardot. All the while I want to hum along to my own spring soundtrack which will include these musical ladies of the sixties: Francoise Hardy, Brigitte Bardot, and France Gall. It will also have The Beatles,Vashti Bunyan, and this playlist: You're the smartest person I know. Sometimes I wish you'd put down your book, comb your fingers through your hair, and realize I'm in love with you




Source:Flickr(bluesforspacegirl)


ON THE OTHER HAND...

Whites, creams and dusty colors are appealing to me for spring at the moment as well.



Source: In Timely Fashion

Anne of Green Gables, one of my absolute favorite films from my childhood, has long been an inspiration for me. I even used the film’s wardrobe as inspiration for a design project where I designed a festival wear collection for Florence Welsh of Florence and the Machine (back before she was the enormous indie superstar she is now! Wow, did she blow up or what?!) using the pinafores, layers, and volume of the skirts to create a modern take on the early 1900s fashion. Lately I have been gravitating toward Victorian and Edwardian eras and am jonesing to incorporate trends of the two eras into my own style. I would love to find something similar to the pinafores, layers, and silhouettes as seen on the lovely Anne Shirley and put my own spin on it. Also, I want to walk through the woods reading dramatic literature aloud, dance the night away in puffed sleeves, and re-enact the Lady of Shalott while floating in a little boat down the river. How epically romantic is that scene?? I always looked forward to that specific scene the most as a child and still do. As I was checking my blog roll, I spied that the lovely Hannah of Hannah and Landon and I are TOTALLY on the same page for the spring. She listed Anne of Green Gables and Valerie and Her Week of Wonders as spring inspirations, which is exactly where my head is at.



Source: divided by notions, in search of soul

Valerie and Her Week of Wonders is a 1970s Czech film, based on a book of the same name published in 1935, which is simultaneously bizarre and beautiful. Without knowing much about the film, I found myself completely entranced by the stunning visuals and surprised by the very strange and at times eyebrow raising storyline, the first time I watched it. The story is basically about Valerie’s journey into puberty and how her new found sexuality changes everything in her world. The comparison of the film's vision of a 13 year old girl's "sexual awakening" and a real life 13 year old going through puberty makes me laugh. The film presents this beautifully made, surreal, symbolic story about puberty, while most stories associated with the “journey into adulthood” are more Freaks and Geeks-like tales of awkwardness where you can’t get anyone to kiss you, let alone everyone in your entire village including the creepy vampire guy. Anyhoo, it is most certainly worth a watch, not only for the film itself, but because of the fashion inspiration as well. The white, cream, and dusty blue dresses with the early 1900s silhouettes and detailing are exactly what I’m thinking about for spring! Now the journey for finding similar items begins!

Sketchbook Peek-a-Boo #1

Just Another Life To Lead

Jacket-thrift
Button up shirt- thrift
Skirt- H&M
Tights- Primark
Scarf- Vintage
Owl pin- Vintage
Boots-Jeffrey Campbell
Suitcase- vintage

There is a certain appeal to picking up and packing up one’s life and starting over again. The fantasy of going wherever you want and being whoever you want on a whim is something about which many a dreamer has fantasized. It seems so romantic being that free spirit girl who lives life by her rules and her rules only. She meets amazing people and sees exciting things along the way to wherever she’s going next, which could be anywhere, because she just kind of…goes. Well, that isn’t exactly how my life traveling back and forth is at the moment, but a girl can dream right? And believe me, I do.

This outfit holds everything I would say represents my everyday style. For instance, I rarely ever wear pants. Most of my wardrobe consists of skirts and dresses, but the appearance of pants has been known to happen. Most people nearly die of shock when they spot my legs covered up by something that is not a pair of tights, if they know me. Strangers, however, do not know that an unusual pants outing is happening before their very eyes and rarely ever appreciate it. There is a very similar phenomenon occurring if I appear out in public without some kind of hair decoration upon my head. I give it a whirl every now and again, but every time I pass a well dressed head I’m positive a green tinge gradually colors my face and makes a spectacle out of me. Again, the naked head, like my covered legs, has been known to happen but it’s kind of like a full moon. It comes around once a month and weird things are known to happen when it appears. The other element of this outfit I’d say will show up a lot on this blog is the mixing of prints. I love love love prints! I’ve never really been one for simplicity. Give me some stripes, polka dots, florals,plaid, whatev…just gimme! My favorite print is stripes (black and white preferably) and I generally like to treat them as a neutral and wear them with pretty much whatever I want. Why? Because I can. Don’t get me wrong, I do try to step outside the box of my usual outfits so don’t think you have me pegged yet! I never can tell what stage I’ll be going through next…

One more important thing, once I find something I love, I wear it to death until I have to unwillingly lay it to rest. So yeah, expect a lot of repeat items.

(1st outfit post- WAHOO!)

The City Mouse and The Country Mouse

I live a nomadic lifestyle where I’m always packing up and moving along to the next place. During the week I intern in New York and on the weekends I head home to the mountain. Sometimes it feels like a curse because I’m never in one place for long enough to completely settle in and it makes it quite hard to see the people I'd like to! On the other hand, I’ve been able to play into two very different sides of myself, the city girl and the hermit. I get to dress up and stomp around sidewalks with purpose, satisfy my street style spotting appetite, and feed off the energy of New York every week. Then once the weekend rolls around, I get to go home and completely immerse myself into my own personal creative endeavors with little distraction and much inspiration from my surroundings.

I put together two collages of my city photos and mountain photos. Just to give a little peek into my life!

The City


Some photos are from New York and some are from London. London has been a big part of my life the last couple of years, I’ve been back and forth there studying, working, visiting. It’s my favorite city! If I get the chance to live there, and trust me, I’ve looked into it; I will be on the first flight.

The Mountain


This is what I look at every weekend!

"What Did You Say?" Said The World

Hi! This is my first post as Chalk White Child so…hi. Did I already say that? Sorry, but the first post is inevitably awkward. I, for one, have never been good at first impressions. I’m more of a “give me a chance I get less awkward with time!” kind of gal. Unfortunately, this quality could leak into my blogging abilities, so please give this blog a chance, it’ll get less awkward with time? How’s about I give you a little rundown on what I’d like this blog to be, once it gets passed its awkward pre-adolescent stage (which somehow I feel like I never got passed and I’m 23!). When this blog grows up, I would like it to be a fun, doesn’t take itself too seriously blog that is about personal style, music, art, photography, books, and other random things I think are interesting. My tastes in all of these topics are pretty eclectic, so I’m sure my posts will be quite varied! I love discovering new things and I love sharing them so a blog felt like a good outlet. I am now venturing into the world of blogging, and hopefully other people will be venturing into the world of Chalk White Child. Let’s venture together, shall we?



So to kick this off, I thought a quote from one of my favorite people of all time, Shel Silverstein, was in order:

“If you are a dreamer,come in. If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar, a hoper, a prayer, a magic-bean-buyer. If you're a pretender, come sit by my fire, for we have some flax-golden tales to spin. Come in! Come in!”

Couldn’t have said it better myself, Shel.



P.S. I named the blog Chalk White Child because growing up I was always made fun of for being so pale. Since I’ve gotten older I’ve embraced it and now I actually like my pale skin! Imagine that. Just thought we’d start out with a lil sharing sesh.