In an unexpected defer from my usual Monday-Thursday schedule, I stopped by my favorite thrift store today during my day of errand-running. The gods of fashion smiled upon me today in the form of a lovely deep blue shift, with origami-style folded detail. Unfortunately the sleeves were covered in rows of shiny blue beads making it too 80s in style for me, nothing a good seam ripper couldn't fix. 


I loved the detail of the body of this dress, which my mother lovingly referred to as "flaps" which added a great sense of movement to it. With most vintage finds, there was a slight defect in the form of unraveled threads at the sleeves which I turned into a style challenge. The beaded sleeves were distracting from the simple sheer cap sleeves so cut them off. 







The nine-year old in me wanted to keep some of the sparkle from the beads, so I left the neckline intact.







My camera doesn't do the dress justice, but here is a view of the dress after my less-than creative edits. This dress is a clear example of the adage, "less is more."


Upon further examination and a quick google search, I found out that my $7 project turned amazing evening dress was not vintage, to my dismay, but a creation by ark & co., a label sold on one of my favorite websites, piperlime.com. I can't deny the fact that I was somewhat disappointed; altering modern pieces can be quite simple and little fixes can make a piece more personal or appropriate. A true vintage enthusiast, or even someone who thrifts for the thrill of digging for their clothes, can understand the deeper satisfaction that comes from turning something old and outdated into an amazing and individual piece. Even so, this dress came out lovely and I am so excited to wear it out!


 bisous,

sorry for the delay, it's been awhile. as you may be able to tell by now, i am a fully established francophile writer who enjoys food. lunch time today was the perfect time to experiment with a recipe I had come across during my time living in a french home.

Came across these lyrically poetic bracelets by BCBG while killing some time online shopping.

There's tons of slang-related choices and different band colors. Which to choose?












bisous,

today i'll leaving you with a quick post today celebrating the lovely weather that we've been having lately! longer days are making my trek from the metro station to my apartment much more enjoyable. I snapped this photo of tulips that are in bloom on the corner of a street near the metro. These flowers border the outside of my favorite house in the neighborhood--the only "real person" house within one square mile radius. I love the bright burst of red petals against the green grass and street sign--very reminiscent of the Impressionist techniques of contrasting colors current the subject of my art history lecture.

Let's hope this lovely weather holds up in time for my birthday and backyard fête!

Last week was the closing of the bizarre collaboration of post-conceptual artists at the Stamp Art Gallery, which was replaced by works by MFA graduate students here at the University of Maryland. Again, it is an exhibition of pieces of different mediums: photography, installations and video monitors are all included.


The most centrally located piece within the gallery is my favorite--a work of plywood two-by-fours stacked upon bare wood saw horses. The bright hue of this stack comes from an ordinary household object: a ball-point pen. Artist Alexander Peace makes a bold statement about the strength of color and his use of a single shade is extreme. I'm most attracted to the natural shading and concentrations of color that are due to the warp and grain of the wood.


I can only imagine how much time this installation took to create, and I am in awe of the artists' ability to think creatively, meshing together fine arts with office supplies.



MIDPOINT runs from April 14th through May 13th and is located at the Stamp Student Union Gallery, at the University of Maryland.

3 hours and counting until the royal wedding and everyone here at the White House (our less than-Presidential suite off-campus) is ready to see the gown of the century. That may  be an exaggeration, but by the looks of the massive crowds lined up by Westminster Abbey, we aren't alone. Over the past weeks, Kate's style has been compared to the iconographic fashion of Princess Diana, a natural comparison between to women of grace and classic composure. In my internet browsing I came across this article with both women's most similar fashions. Clearly Kate has replicated some key details of Diana's style, but a classic piece is a classic piece is a classic piece, and this elements all seem like wardrobe stables to me.
Regardless, these serve as great examples for styling and show the perfect balance of refinery and risk-taking.

bisous,

Another Thursday discovery was made off of Connecticut Avenue, at BGR: the Burger Joint.
In the mood for decadent, over-the-top burgers to bring us back to life, we ended up at this fucky, music-themed restaurant and made the best discovery of the week: a futuristic soda machine with every flavor imaginable. 







The touchscreen was a surprise to me, and I ogled over the amount of choices, until I realized this was only the first of many screen selections.










My beloved Diet Coke was hiding a few more tricks up its' robotic-sleeves. I was boring and stuck with plain, but did sip on some Peach-flavored goodness. I wasn't brave enough to commit to 32 ounces of it though.








I was so intrigued by this contraption and a bit of internet research informed me that it was actually a 2009-dated invention, the Coca-Cola "Freestyle" with over 100 flavor choices.


Check out the Coca-Cola Freestyle machine at http://www.coca-colafreestyle.com/
Cure your hangover with a customized burger order at BGR burger, 1514 Connecticut Avenue, NW.