Sweetheart

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

(tutu: Kaiya Eve, tissue paper bow: me, bodysuit: Topshop, tights: sister's, boots: random cowboy boot outlet in Texas, black sweater: J. Crew)

Hope everyone had a lovely day!

-Ruby

Today

What I wore:

(dress: Rodarte for Target; scarf: Marc Jacobs; tie worn as belt: Target; socks, glasses, and bow: Forever 21, shoes: Mom's, bag: thrift)

A multitude of cheetah prints...

And the shoes! I love these so much! My mom never really wore them, so she passed them on to me. They are PERFECTION. The straps are a really dark denim and they are so espadrille-y, so... They rule.

You may have noticed the photo appearance of my furry toy, Andre, in the background who is currently being used to block pesky winter drafts from coming though the space between doors. He's a hard worker.

My favorite part of this Rodarte for Target dress is the bows on the back because:

a) I LOVE BOWS!

and

b) They have a sort of vaguely skeletal effect because they go up my spine, which I like.

That's my mom in the background now. She's also a hard worker.

When I went to look at the Rodarte stuff a Target, my reaction was something like "HEY! OHMYGAWDOHMYGAWDOHMYGAWD IT'S FINALLY HERE!" followed by a blank and slightly pitiful look from the woman who was in the next aisle. I was really excited for this dress, but they only had it in a size 7, so I have to belt it which kinda gives it structured hips like that Balenciaga S/S 2008 collection that everybody loved, so it's all good.

Anyway, I can't believe fashion week is here again! It feels like everybody is still talking about fall's shows, but I can't wait to see new ideas! I wish I could be back in New York with all the excitement. I mean, with all this (sweater skirts, grandma/schoolboy button-downs, arm warmers, and grey boots) going on at Richard Chai Love already, it's looking to be a good week.

Eagerly awaiting.

-Ruby

Bow Tie

So I've decided that I NEED one of these bows from the Marc by Marc S/S 2010 show... Not to mention all the clothes, but, uh, maybe I could get an allowance?

I LOVE YOU BOWS! Why don't you just jump off the runway on to my head? Sounds good? Okay, see you soon.

My feeble attempts at making one:

(kimono belt worn as bow: mom's, shirt: John Paul Gaultier Jr.)

Not quite the ultimate perfection that Marc crafted, but an old lady in a cafe told me she liked it and asked if my mother had put it on me so, score for me?

Well looky here, two posts in one day... I think I deserve (dramatic pause) a Marc by Marc Bow!

-Ruby

Surprise, surprise!

Well, well, well. I have been blog-ishly absent for quite awhile. Shocker. Disappointingly, I have such a bad, bad child that all my posts turn into brief, narcissistic recaps and outfit posts. Saddy face. So I promise that this will be the last one! (Umm, for now.) Let's play "Pretend it's the Holidays again so that these outfit posts make sense!" Or not, you choose.

Christmas Eve:

(top: Mom's from Sonia Rykiel, skirt: Thrift, headband: me+Hobby Lobby fake branches)

You can't really tell in this picture, but the skirt is actually plaid. And, no, I didn't go barefoot--I wore some studded heel-boots that I have yet to post pictures of. Oh, and my lovely sis is wearing a handmade hand-me-down from a friend.

Christmas:

(shirt: John Paul Gaultier Jr., tutu: Kaiya Eve, faux-pearl necklace (worn as belt): Marc Jacobs)

Speaking of which, how was your Christmas? Mine was splendiferous. Oh, what's that in my hand? Oh, nothing... JUST THE DIANA CAMERA I HAVE WANTED FOR SO LONG. NO BIG DEAL. Is it wrong that a camera is my new best friend? I SURE HOPE NOT.

And New Year's Eve:

To end 2009, I made an elaborate headpiece inspired by a futuristic beauty shoot in V Magazine. It was time-consuming (do you know how many magazine have black and white pictures? Apparently not that many!) but totally worth it. I attached the image to flimsy cardboard and then to a head band so that I could get the whole coming-down-over-my-ear effect. It kept sliding over my eyes, but I liked it so much I was willing to impair my vision. Small price to pay. And, yes, the Griswolds from "Vacation" are hanging out somewhere above my right eye.

Oh yes, yes. I got a haircut!

These were taken right after I got it cut so it looks nice and shiny and straight (not like I spent about 3 seconds on it and then frantically ran out to the car, like most mornings) but it's all together more like a bob. Very flapper-style. I like it a lot. Also thinking of dying my blonde bangs light pink after seeing a ton of pink hair in this month's Vogue. Opinions?

Well, my absence ended with a fun weekend with my lovely friend who also happens to have a very lovely camera... I wanted to share some of the pictures we took!

And a full shot of that outfit...

(jeans: sister's, t-shirt: DIY-ed Blondie+Marc Jacobs, peter-pan collar button down: uniform store, sweater: Rugby Ralph Lauren, shoes: Liberty Fabrics for Nike, green coat: Christmas gift, white coat: friend's)

I have barely taken off this Rugby Ralph Lauren sweater since I got it on Christmas, especially because I was DESPERATELY in need of something with varsity letters... Okay, maybe not, but this sweater has my initials and a bee patch-- LOVE. Also, this is a rare outfit because I am wearing jeans and a t-shirt, which almost never happens. The other day, my friend who I've known since I moved here about 2 years ago said that she had never seen me wear plain blue jeans... Ha! I am strangely proud. Also, I'm not throwing a snowball, but a shiny, white plastic apple which I plan on making into a headpiece. Very exciting. That's all for now-- and I promise the next post will be about inspirationz and lots of other not-so-much pictures of me stuff.

-Ruby

P.S. In my last post I mentioned black-and-white day with my sister. Here it is:

(on me- shirt: DIY, skirt: thrift tailored by me, leggings: sister's, hat: my Grandfather's hand-me-down. on my sister- shirt: Gap kids, pants: H&M, headband: Forever 21)

I've simply got to march, my heart's a drummer...

Well, well, well... yet again I promised to blog more and did not. So, for anybody who was wondering (ummm, nobody) here's what I've been wearing while gallivanting about town. NOT. Actually, I was studying for midterms. Ack, stress. But... WINTAAH BREAK! Hurrah! So, maybe (maybeeeeee) I will have more free time to post. Maybe.

So, let's play ketchup (ah, punny) with my outfits.

(harem pants: American Apparel, shirt: Scoop, jacket: Forever 21, shoes: Steve Madden, ring: Tatty Devine)

Yes, yes, tribal pattern mixing and whatnot.

(shirt: Ralph Lauren Kids, bloomers: Tracy Feith for Target, tights: Target, bow: vintage)

(sequined sweater: thrift, dress: American Apparel, bow: vintage)

What I wore on Thanksgiving in Nueva York.

(dress: J. Crew Crewcuts, top: Collective Concepts, belt: vintage, purse: thrift, tights: Target, socks: Betsey Johnson, oxfords: Steve Madden, scarf around wrist: thrift, glasses: Forever 21)

You can't really see all of the pattern in this shot, but I especially like this outfit because it involved my new favorite socks from Betsey Johnson:

I love you, old lady/rose garden/tea party socks.

And finally, what I wore yesterday:

(top: thrift, skirt: sister's, dip-dye tights: Target, shoes: Michael Kors, headband: Forever 21, necklace: gift)

All this pink delights me.

D-d-d-details of the headband:

Pay no attention to my mullet-esque hair, I'm trying to grow it out so I can have a very, very short kind of Amelie/Lynn Yaeger-like bob.

Anyway, this same day my sister happened to be wearing an all purple outfit, so we were matching pink and purple, which inspired us to make a, err, style challenge for ourselves this week to wear color-coordinated outfits (we're pretty much still two years old and want to wear matchy-matchy clothes.) Today it's black and white day, so be prepared for photos later.

(on my sister-- top: mine, skirt: American Apparel)

Awww, look, we (probably) love each other!

That's plenty of me...

Today while reading Oprah Magazine (let's not judge, kids) I came across this quote by Lynn Yaeger (whose style is AMAZING/LEAVES ME SPEECHLESS AND/OR LEAFING THROUGH THE SARTORIALIST BOOK TO FIND EVERY PICTURE OF HER) that really inspires me:

"People ask how I get the courage to walk the streets in, say, a shredded Comme des Garcons coat over a tutu, with metallic orange hair... Though some of my extreme choices have provoked laughter or incredulity, I also get more compliments than I could have imagined. This may be because I live in New York City, where a certain level of eccentricity is appreciated. But I like to believe that no matter where I lived, people would come to respect--maybe even like! admire!--the steps I've taken to create my own nutty, undeniably unique, and for me, deeply satisfying, look."

It's comforting to know that their are other people that want the same things from their individual style.

That's all for now.

-Ruby

Un-Sweet

Well, I am pretty much the world's worst blogger. I went to New York for Thanksgiving and sorta forgot about the old bloggity-blog. Sorry, blog. Hope everybody had a wonderful Thanksgiving eating yummy things and talking to their balding half-uncle and cooking string beans and dressing up as pilgrims or whatever one is supposed to do on Thanksgiving. I had a smashing time at my parents' friends' (one of whom is a shoe designer for Marc Jacobs, whose entire closet SOLELY DEVOTED TO SHOES I spent much time swooning over) house. Also, I spent lots of time with Martina destroying things in her closet with Sharpie at four in the morning, making quesadillas, applying black lipstick, and doing generally odd stuff... Well, well. I haven't uploaded any photos yet, so that pretty much proves that I am a BAD PERSON. And I'm not so good at this technology stuff. Anyway, back to New York... Did a little shop-a-hopping and ended up with some gray jeans (Martina got them too) from Urban Outifitters/BDG, a Marc Jacobs cheetah print scarf from my mom (I KNOW I KNOW, SO HAPPY), and some absolutely perfectly grandma-esque floral socks from Betsey Johnson, and a birthday bag full of amazingness (big bows, stuffed whales) from Martina. My mom also did a little thrifting back here at home, and found me a lace top and I used a skirt from this old suit as a floor-length plaid skirt--VERY EXCITING. I don't know why I felt the need to write all this, but expect to these in upcoming (hopefully soon) outfit posts. Well, this has been a rather boring, text-heavy post so to sum it up...

Comme De Garcons Spring 2009 (late, I know) Courtesy of Harper's Bazaar

THIS IS WHAT IS RIGHT IN THE WORLD.

-Ruby

Bad

Okay, okay... I haven't posted in over a month, but in my defense, I have been insanely busy. It all started on Columbus day when I went to New York for my lovely pal's birthday party! Unfortunately, I did not get much time in the city because we were up in Woodstock--but the weather was beautiful and OH MY LAWDY IT WAS SO MUCH FUN! I only have a couple of pictures, but the ones my friends to are AH-MAZING, so I'll see if I can post them.

At Storm King Sculpture Gardens. If you have never been, GO. NOW. Not that you can see what I'm wearing, but... (jeans: Forever 21, sweater: J.Crew, faux-fur vest: Target, shoes: Nike and Liberty Fabrics for Opening Ceremony)

Yes, I did end up wearing jeans most of the time, seeing as some of my other outfits sort of hinder my movement outdoors. However, I insisted upon wearing this beast of a vest all weekend.

(vest: Target, glasses: DIY Aldo, flowers: random nearby bush)

Oh my, that's a creepy face.

I had one evening in the city, though, where I made it to both Topshop and Kidrobot! Everything from Topshop was out of my price range, shall we say, but at Kidrobot I picked up this little ring from Tatty Devine.

It makes me happy.

Other than that, I have been incessantly rehearsing our school play-- Pride and Prejudice, I'm Miss Bingley. No really, pretty much every waking moment I've been in the theater memorizing lines. Tonight is closing night, so I'm quite sad...

My costume on nights when I'm an extra instead of Ms.Bingley. It makes me a ninja.

Also, also, also IT WAS HALLOWEEN! YAYAYAYAY! I believe I already explained about this is a SPLENDIFOROUS holiday. Not to mention, my friend Emma flew from New York to visit! My Karl costume was lovely, except I got Michael Jackson multiple times, along with Men in Black and Cool guy from the 80's. No, my suburban children, no. Karl frowns upon you.

Personally, I liked the subtle humor of this costume, but lots of people said they missed my labor-intensive giant squid costume from last year.

Hard to say, hard to say...

Emma and I had a wonderful time vintage shopping and frolicking about eating mega-chocolate-chip waffles. I recycled my Karl jacket the next day for this outfit:

(jacket: Forever 21, shirt: DIY Sonic Youth for Marc Jacobs, skirt: Topshop, tights: Target, shoes: vintage, bow: H&M)

Well, this been a sufficiently narcissistic and photo-heavy recap of the last month, so sorry folks. I promise to be a better blogger!

-Ruby