Down Undah

Australia has traditionally been known as a foreign land full of furry marsupials and rough, rowdy bushies. And, although most of us have special places in our hearts for koalas and Crocodile Dundee, I've gone a bit nuts over two imports from the land down under: the ebay store Claire Incorruptible and my new favorite tele show, Summer Heights High.

Claire Incorruptible features such titillating gems as vintage Givenchy, Chanel, Oscar de la Renta, and Cacharel. I'm immediately investing in a leather pencil skirt. But the item I really covet is that fantastic gold brick Chanel belt. Of course, it doesn't look like they're selling it...







Summer Heights High is an HBO mockumentary that follows the misadventures of Jonah Takalua (an illiterate 13 year old Poly), Ja'ime King (the bitchy private school exchange student), and Greg Gregson (affectionately known as Mr. G, drama "teacher"/diva). The trio of characters are all played by Chis Lilley, an Australian comedian. Raquel and I have gotten in the habit of constantly repeating our favorite lines to each other in Australian accents. Check it out, it's hilarious.

Costume International

I have always been a huge fan of anything over the top. Blame it on the ballet, maybe, but for whatever reason, sequins, lame, studs, and fringe have made my heart beat a little faster. Honestly, the hooker shoe trend had me jumping up and down and searching obsessively for the highest platform this side of El Cajon Blvd (San Diego's working girl playground, for the out-of-towners). Two inches is as high as I got, but I haven't given up. 

Fringe Benefits

Several designers are showcasing fringey looks for SS09, and I couldn't be happier. I've been so inspired by this trend that I've already done my own ombre fringe dress (pictures to come soon!) and I have plans for several other fringed pieces.

Eden dress, BonaDrag.com; White dress, Jil Sander SS09; Fringe blouse, Centimetre, PixieMarket.com

Hey There, Stud....

We were all teenage punks, right? My love of studs and spikes has stuck around and here I am, dying for Burberry Prorsum and Rodarte.

Cut It Out

I was getting kind of sick of all the cut out booties coming out, but there are a few which are truly beautiful. More and more labels are coming out with cut out clothing, something that makes me think of the big booty hoes in 2 Live Crew videos (Have you seen them? They dance around in parking lots wearing bike shorts with huge holes down the front and back!). A few choice pieces, however, have changed my immediate association with the phrase, "cut-out".

Photo from PixieMarket.com; Dolce Vita Cher bootie; Versace SS09 Heart Dress

It's Been Forgotten

I was just going through old posts and cleaning up the old drafts and shit and what do I find?

An awesome post Rachel didn't publish. Why not, little R? The Coven seriously rules my life!

Oh, Karl!

Been doing my research on other blogs, and I stumbled upon this:

Fake Karl

I've never read something so hilarious! It's totally weird and great and I feel like it could replace my dependency on shitty CW tv shows (90210, not Gossip Girl. Don't worry, I'm not a television snob) and it would be okay.

Peter Beard

Last night I was given a belated (but so totally worth the wait) Christmas gift. I had no idea what it could possibly be, but when I saw the name "Taschen" I knew it would be good.

It was a boxed set, encased in a navy blue fabric slipcover, engraved with a gold silhouette of an elephant and above that, "Peter Beard". I wasn't familiar with his work but from the first page I could see it was right up my alley...





Peter Beard is a photographer from New York City. He was born in 1938, and attended Yale. By the time he graduated, he was obsessed with Africa, and in his words, "escaped to" the dark continent. He spent decades in Kenya, documenting extreme conditions, from the population explosion to the tragic starvation of tens of thousands of elephants. He also worked as a Vogue photographer, taking legendary model Veruschka to Africa and bringing back future supermodel Iman. He toured with the Rolling Stones, made diaries with Andy Warhol, books with Jackie Kennedy-Onassis, embarked on more tours with Truman Capote, was Salvador Dali's living canvas, and on and on.





His book is a reissue, following the sell-out success of the first publication in 2006. The first volume is 500 pages of images, nearly 300 of them his collages. He kept diaries since childhood, and the volume is filled with them. The second volume includes a photo index, personal photos and interviews, and early work. Essentially a retrospective in book form, this is more than just an art book, it's a detailed history of fashion photography, African culture, and American popular culture.

New Year, New You

Ah, 2009 has begun. Not off to the best start, as my beloved Sidekick ran away, but full of hope nonetheless. Below are some New Year's Rezzies I will do my best to adhere to over the next 12 months:

1. Treat my clothes better.
This is probably one all of us can relate to. You know those awesome vintage boots you just had to wear right away even though the heel taps disintegrated, and now the heels look like crap? Or that expensive dress you didn't get dry cleaned often enough, and the stains from nights spent partying have set? We all have a story like that, as most of my shoes can attest to.

*Smart Heel makes plastic heel covers to prevent your favorite shoes from suffering awful scuffs and scrapes while in transit. At $11.95 a pair,they're not cheap but one pair will protect all your heels.

*Tide To Go is seriously made of magic. I'm pretty sure that's what their ingredient list is. Now this little stick of wonder comes in a mini size, to fit in your smallest clutch. You have no excuse not to have one. Drugstore.com has a pack of two for $5.99, with the second pack half off. Do your girlfriends a favor and get them some, ok?

2. Mind my manners.
Etiquette is always in style. Though I am a perpetrator of road rage, and occasionally get so frustrated with T-Mobile's automated customer care that I begin screaming into the phone, I must remember to keep my cool. As much as I love the stories of nutso supermodels trying to crack people's skulls open with their cellphones (Ahem, Naomi), my favorite icons are women of class. Or grace. Well, at least I imagine them that way. Regardless, to help me keep my craziness in check is....

*Etiquette by Peggy Post. The original version was written in 1922 by etiquette expert Emily Post, and revolutionized the genre. Sounds weird, I know, but until then, etiquette was for the wealthy, all stodgy and classist, and the progressive Post helped everyone realize it is for everyday life. This version (really, a tome, as it includes nearly 900 pages) has been re-written by Emily's great-grand-daughter in-law, Peggy, and covers everything from email etiquette to how to discuss STDs! A guide to live life by, for as little as $21. Thoroughly modern, I say!

3. Drink more champagne.
I only know a few people who wouldn't want this resolution on their list. Undoubtedly the most fun res, I am sure I can manage to make this one work!

*Sofia Blanc de Blancs is a delicious sparkling wine, created by Francis Ford Coppola, and named for his daughter, director Sofia Coppola. Just like her films, this beverage is effervescent, youthful, flowery and fruity. At only $19 a bottle, it's quite a steal. Better though, are the Sofia Minis! These pink 6.32 oz cans come with their own pink flexy straws, just like the juice boxes of our youth! $4 for a yummy grown-up juice box? Yes, please!


*Even better than champagne, however, is champagne splashed with St. Germain! This delectable liquor is made from Elderflowers in the French Alps. Packaged in a gorgeous Belle Epoque bottle, notes of pear and grapefruit make this light libation the perfect addition to a number of cocktails. $30 will make your friends wonder where your bartending prowess suddenly came from. Don't worry, we'll let you take credit.

4. Exercise more.
Several months ago, I could be found stretching and sweating a couple times a week at yoga, or jogging with my dad. Then I found excuses: I had to work late, I had dinner plans, I was just plain lazy. My skin suffered, my body cried for help, my energy declined.... Ok, I'm being melodramatic. But seriously, all forms of exercise are great.

*Bikram is my favorite form of yoga. The 90 minute classes are held in a room kept at 105 degrees, and special breathing techniques are employed. You'll do none of those repetetive sun salutation series found in regular yoga, because Bikram has 26 poses, each done twice. For the first time in my life, I felt that post-exercise high runners talk so much about. Check out the link for locations. My goal is once a week. At $10 a class, it's not highway robbery and the benefits are well worth it.


Those are my New Year's Resolutions. Here's to hoping I can stick to them!

Pardon me while I vomit.

This is truly hideous.  I didn't want to be alone in having my eyes pierced by such utterly disgusting advertisement.  What is going on here?  The shoes, the bag, the leg, the bracelets, the hair, the orange grass skirt?  And this is Marc Jacobs sober?!

BONNE ANNEE!

Balmain dress (beautiful). Perfect black boots. I want these tights. And the legs that are wearing them. If I were a doctor, I would perform leg transplants.

What a Drag

Bona Drag, meaning "nice outfit" in Polari, a secret language used by the swinging London gay set in the 60's, is my current obsession. Located in Encinitas, the site boasts some pretty awesome finds which won't break your bank (leather jacket for $98). Their snake vertebrate necklace (see second picture down) rocks my world and also, incidentally, reminds me of bacon. I'm also inspired by the sweet studded ballet flats...I'm going to fashion a pair with the studs I bought on ebay. If you're still looking for x-mas gifts, the site ships express until the 23rd for christmas arrival with gorgeous packaging. I've got my eye on the peacock necklace in case anyone's wondering.

Wizard Of AUS

Australian film director Peter Weir has captured our attention lately, not with a new film, but with some old ones. Born in Sydney in 1944, he attended school for art and law before moving on to film, at the University of Sydney. He made several films for the Commonwealth Film Unit before branching off on his own.

His first feature-length film was The Cars That Ate Paris, in 1975, followed by Picnic At Hanging Rock. In 1977 he made The Last Wave, starring Richard Chamberlain. His next film brought international attention to Mel Gibson, in 1977's Gallipoli. His most notable American films were Witness, Dead Poet's Society, The Truman Show, and Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.

The Last Wave is the first Weir movie I saw. This suspenseful tale follows an Australian lawyer who takes the case of a group of Aborigines, accused of killing a member of their group. Chamberlain plays the lawyer, who suspects the men he is representing are actually tribal Aborigines, who are believed not to live in the city. I was on the edge of my seat as I watched Chamberlain discover the secrets of this ritualistic group of tribal people. Psychedelic dream sequences, apocalyptic visions, and spooky music all set the mood for this thrilling drama.



The other Weir film I fell in love with is Picnic at Hanging Rock. Hanging Rock was adapted from Joan Lindsay's novel of the same name. On Valentine's Day in 1900, a group of schoolgirls traveled to Hanging Rock, a geological formation in Victoria. Mysteriously, every one's watch stops at noon, and an odd aura surrounds the area. Three of the most popular and beautiful girls, followed by their dumpy and desperate classmate, decide to explore the rock, though they have been instructed not to do so. Suddenly, Miranda, the leader, seems to fall into a hypnotized daze, and the girls wander up the rock. They pass out, wake up, remove their shoes and stockings, and wander on. Edith, the dumpy one, can't go any further, and screams for help. The three other girls are missing, without a trace. As the film progresses, we follow Michael, a young Englishman visiting the area, who becomes obsessed with finding the girls. Back at the school, hysteria ensues, and further tragedy strikes. Quiet diffusion, gentle Victorian voices, and the mysterious ambiance of Gheorghe Zamfir's pan flute add to the haunting tension of the story.