Lulu!

Yes... it's another post about Louise Brooks. Sorry, I can't help it.

The other night, I watched a biography about Louise. I learned even more about her that I never knew before. Ahhhh... she's so beautiful.

There was a clip from the biography of her wearing the cutest dress ever. It was black with a white dolly collar. Well at least it looked black, but you can never tell with black and white films. So I just knew I had to find out which film the clip was from so I could take just another gander at this adorable dress. And alas, I found it! It was from her 1926 film, "The Show Off." You know, just 82 years old. No big deal / NBD.

So just take a minute and feast your eyes on her bobhaircutness and her ridiculously darling dress.

I have already decided that I'm going to be her for Halloween. Oh wait, I decided that like 11 months ago. Hmph.

This is just me trying to make cool stuff.

This is a dress that I have been working on for the past week. And I'm finally finished!! I'm really obsessed with brocades right now, so I just had to make the skirt out of a gold and black brocade fabric. Oh, and I love lace and velvet... so I added some velvet trim and black lace at the collar and sleeves. It also has a cute little dolly collar. And hook-and-eye closures up the bodice (which are more visible when you put it on). Although it's hard to see in the photos, I made the bodice of the dress out of a gold and cream fabric that I've had for years, but for some reason, I hadn't used it yet. I used a pattern (which I modified a lil' bit) just for the front and back of the bodice. The rest of the dress was just made without a pattern, and me crossing my fingers that it would actually turn out (ahhh!). I made it a wee bit short on purpose, so that I can wear it with leggings or tights. I think this dress will go perfectly with my black oxford ankle boots from H&M. Maybe I'll take a picture of me actually wearing it later this week. I was having a bad hair day, so I figured I'd spare you the shock and awe of seeing me today.

Oh, and I can't stop listening to this song by Cathy Davey:

Oh hi. Do you like tea parties?

I know I do.

Here are some photos (among hundreds of others) from a photo shoot that I did awhile ago with my photographer friend, Jesse Draper. I really love tea parties, and wanted to replicate one in a photo shoot. We were lucky enough to find a really cool old house to take photos in for a whole day. Jesse took hundreds of fabulous photos... but these are just a few from our little tea party scene. I found the mini tea set at a local antique store.

We have done several shoots together. We always have so much fun. And the photos seem to alwayyyys exceed my expectations times, like, a billion. Go to his Flickr site right now. I can't even believe I know someone as talented as him. His creativity inspires me in so many ways.

Oh, and. Here is a picture of Lykke Li with a bob haircut. So cute.

Lykke Li!

For reals. If you know what's good for you, you'll watch these videos right now. They are both of Lykke Li.... who I think is so incredible, I can't even talk about it. I'm not kidding. Just when I thought my love for her was at its peak, I watched these videos ... and I really think my head almost fell off. The first one is a random street performance in Stockholm, and the second one is in a bathroom. Yes, a bathroom. She uses everything from her necklace, to her shoe soles, to spoons, to water for instruments. Anyone that can do impromptu performances like this and have them sound this ridiculously fantastic deserves... well I don't know... but something huge. She is a fabulously gifted young soul. A true musician, folks. There is another one of her performing in the street with Bon Iver too that I didn't post. Just search for it on YouTube. Oh, and, I adore her style too.

I just might wear pants this spring.

Me wearing pants is an event that occurs, oh, about once a month. Twice a month, at most. I wear dresses purdy much everyday. I haaaate wearing pants. They are soooo uncomfortable. And they just are wayyyy too far from feminine for me. And I like to dress ultra femininely, so dresses just happen to be right up my alley. I'm always overdressed. I guess I just feel comfortable that way, for whatever reason.

When I saw the Luella Spring 2009 collection, I was magically inspired to at least look into wearing pants this spring! Like whoa. That's kind of a big deal for me. Luella's lilac and gold brocade pants.... and black and cream plaid pants just really floated my boat. Because they're not just pants. They're ullllltra feminine pants... and if paired with the right blouse (with ruffles, bows, pearls and all), it might make me feel as though I'm wearing a pretty dress? I don't know. We'll see how it goes this spring I guess...

But then, I took a gander at Temperley London's Spring 2009 collection and was suddenly soooo tempted by this ultra pretty black and white dress! Um, are you serious? I'm in LOVE with this dress. And most of my wardrobe happens to be black and white. Ahhhh.... oh how I love dresses....

Oh, and I'm in love with Caleb Followill, and I can't help it.

Noses and mouths are soooo last season.

At least that's what I heard.

I'm a copy cat. And. A few months ago I copied an artist's picture of Louise Brooks, showing just half her face with no mouth or nose. I can't find the name of the person who did the original painting, but it's on the cover of Louise's book, "Lulu in Hollywood." I loved the picture so much, I decided to paint one of my own on canvas, and I hung it up in my apartment. But I decided to make her eyebrow and eye a wee bit more slanted.

This is the cover of the book:

DIY to the max, times your mom, squared.