(thrift) finds.

some (mostly) recent (mostly) thrifted acquisitions:
from a secret east bay button mecca:

buttons!

looks latin american in origin to me. i like the animals, natch:

animal pin

from kridaracraft's etsy shop...a tiny thai patchwork bag that i absolutely adore:

thai patchwork bag

the black one is my most recent liz claiborne bag...i seem to have amassed a small collection of such over time. as my online pal swan diamond rose recently said in the comments on this photo over at flickr, these old liz bags seem perfectly right right now.

oh, liz.

there's just something about their bright colors and the geometry of triangular liz logo that seems relevant again.
i was happy surprised to find out the bust of this crazy lace number fit *me* in the bust area. shock and awe!

80s cocktail dress

i don't plan on wearing it as is, even though i'd like to (these girls need a bra!)...so i'll probably pair it with a tank top or perhaps even some kind of button down something or other.

reviewed by me for you: showing your colors

i love libraries! whenever i have time, i love to go to the local library and peruse the stacks.
my favorite library sections to cruise? the craft section (which contains the knitting, crochet, sewing, and fiber art books) and the fashion section (including tomes on style, fashion history, and the like), and the art, photography, science and history sections too. i especially love the older books (pre-1990s) because they often give a fun peek into the cultural and aesthetic norms of the somewhat-recent and sometimes not so recent past. i look at my local library (or libraries as the case my be) as a terrific an extension of my own personal book collection, there for the borrowing and sharing.
i'm really bad too: i always end up checking out huge stacks of books, intending to gluttonously OD on knowledge, and i struggle to get them home as a result! it's quite a funny sight, i'm sure, with me nearly dragging my stack along behind me and cursing myself because of the tremendous weight pulling down on my shoulders and back.
i think that we're so lucky to have libraries, really! they are undeniably a rich resource at our fingertips, ready to enrich our minds for *nothing*. thus proving the adage: some of the best things in life are free.

***

on my last library visit, i found this great 80s book, showing your colors: a designers guide to coordinating your wardrobe by jeanne allen, in the style section.

showing your colors: a designers guide to coordinating your wardrobe, by jeanne allen

as one might guess, it's all about coordinating the colors in one's wardrobe. it talks about the mixing of colors, the feeling said colors give off alone or when used in conjunction with other colors.

showing your colors: a designers guide to coordinating your wardrobe, by jeanne allen

showing your colors: a designers guide to coordinating your wardrobe, by jeanne allen

showing your colors: a designers guide to coordinating your wardrobe, by jeanne allen

it's really a fun way to see at a glance how colors sit with one another on the body in different proportions, and can help one ferret out interesting, unexpected pairings that might be fun to take for a stylistic spin.
suffice it to say: awesomeness overload for a color junkie like myself! worth a flick if you can find it at your local library.

(not so) random links

some interesting things of note around the 'nets i have noted: -sly mai of the fashioni.st managed to take a photo of me when i was out with her for a photowalk! i happen to be rocking a dries van noten (menswear?) vest i found for $4 at thrifttown. SCORE! also, it's interesting to note that i am one of many happy vest wear-ers around sunny SF this week!

-i am LOVING my aim is true's weekly fashion installment, fat fashion thursdays! amber has a very sophisticated eye and modern aesthetic, and reiterates what i believe to be a Truth (with a capital-T, thank you very much!): that scintillating style is not limited to the skinny.

-too cool: obsessive consumption is a compilation of drawings by kate bingaman-burt, wherein she details her daily purchases via pen and paper, resulting in the most revealing doodles. see also: kate's obsessive consumption blog and flickr stream.

-kayte of love forever's food softie sculptures are brilliant. the depth and texture she uses to make such work just perfectly to approximate the illustrated foods. you can tell me to buzz off, kayte, but it'd be amazing to see a whole dinner party spread or refrigerator full of these things. woo, an installation of faux food! congrats on the plush you show.