Hear the Blues

Went out with friends to hear Chicago's blues.



This is one of my mother's coats. It is reversible, wool to silk with watercolor details. I don't know anything more about it, though I wish I could tell you its story.



Leather Skirt: thrifted
Top: Eskell via
Shoes: Sam Edelman
Coat: vintage
Scarf, Bracelet: From Budapest

Back in the Saddle

It's been a while since we've seen each other; this time I've missed you.



I'm also full of vintage: the purse, belt, and jewelry were my mother's. The skirt is making multiple appearances on this here blog as one-half of an Evan Piccone for Saks Fifth Avenue set that I bought back in September at Encore Resale. As a weekly volunteer, I can tell you there is a constant flow of similar treasures to be found. My shirt is Club Monaco via Buffalo Exchange and my shoes are Basque brand Pare Gabia.



The temperatures are heating up here in Chicago and I am desperately hoping this is it, winter is gone. Wishful thinking? Perhaps. But a girl can dream.

Have a lovely weekend, wherever you are. Bisous.

Guten Tag

With no lederhosen to be found in my closet, I improvised to create this particular outfit. After a night dancing away to Flogging Molly, I couldn't bring myself to wear heels:

Shawl, necklace, & blouse: vintage from my mom's closet; sweater: Arancrafts via eBay; purse: vintage Coach via Encore; thrifted shorts, via Encore, scarf from Comptoir Irlandais in Dijon, France; Clarks desert boots

Guten tag, or the German schoolboy, as my boyfriend puts it. My response?



Yes. Man Repelling one pair of flat desert boots at a time.







I have also started playing with a tripod and remote control. These pictures are the result.


I also like to pretend that the lamp is my studio lighting. I suppose I feel the need to show you all the different light, hence the 10 photos. I swear.


Today we saw German documentarist Werner Herzog's latest film, Into the Abyss. The world always seems a bit different walking out of one of his works and this was no exception.

I hope you had a lovely weekend, here's to an easy start to another week. Gros bisous.

Socks & Desert Boots

Inspired by the New York Times Readers' Street Style theme of last week, I wanted to show my socks, too!






Full disclosure: I tried to sneak these pics in before they posted but 5 pm on a sunday is too late for Monday publishing. In case you didn't know. Then we watched the superbowl. Well, I made soup and listened.

Hope your week started well, hoorah for the weekend nearly here.

Bisous.

Also, pics of me by Tim.

When Italian leather comes into your life.

How can you resist? I have been volunteering at Encore Resale in Hyde Park, Chicago.

Today, someone donated Prada shoes and the above Moschino boots. I don't think the brand ever intended for cheap and chic to be quite so cheap.  $15 cheap.  I'm guessing these are mid-90's? Anyone have any ideas?  The jacket is Woolrich, also an Encore find.

I feel quite Sea of Shoes & American Saloon gal in these.  A look outside of my normal zone but I am excited for this new expansion.

The belt, also Encore, $1.

This outfit may soon reappear.

Hope you are all gearing up for a lovely holiday season. I am taking advantage of treating myself.

Bisous,
Catherine

Waiting Waiting Waiting Waiting Waiting By The Phone

Want to make sense of the post title?  Press play!

 

An ode to my shoes, that have sat in my closet since my gnarly ankle bid them adieu in April.  I spied the clutch in my closet on my way out to see Harry Potter and realized, "Hey, these match.  YES!"  One of my first vintage purchases, I think I paid $12 for the clutch in 6th grade at Mars on Telegraph Ave. in Berkeley (before it was bought out as a member of the same vintage chain that sold me my red leather skirt).  I used to walk past after school on my way  to the bus stop.  Also, it is a coincidence that my yellow nail polish has faded to match the purse.  I promise.

Do you have a story about your first vintage purchase?  Please tell me about it in a comment!  Bisous. 

*Full-length photo by Tim - Thank you, Tim!*

Shoes: Sam Edelman

Jeans: Levi's (Boyfriend's - authentic tears)

Camisole: Dior - maman

Sweater: Comptoir des Cotonniers

Necklaces: Ethiopian Hinged Cross - gift from my French host mother, vintage silver beads, mom's black & pearl, blood coral from vendor on Telegraph Ave.

Louder than sirens, louder than bells...

Florence and the Machine come to the Greek Theatre in Berkeley!  And she was louder than sirens and bells.  And so glamorous in what may have been Gucci?  And I love Gucci.  I am lucky to have seen her, she has a voice for the ages.  Press play for a listen:

In high school, my mom took me to a consignment store in a ritzy neighborhood of San Francisco called Pacific Heights.  There,  we stumbled upon a $30 Emporio Armani dress that I wore to prom.  And guess what?  In honor of Florence Welch's couture leanings, Armani made an appearance at the concert:

The dress is one shouldered so I just threw a slouchy sweater over it.  One of my mom's, of course:

Vintage purse from Inside Out, in Lille, France - store also mentioned HERE

Florence, not taken by me:

Source

A little of what we saw, from a little further away:

A much better recording:

Tune in for more photos soon... I took plenty.  Sorting through them is turning out to be a two-post ordeal.  

Any good concerts you've seen lately? Any planned for the summer? 

Gros bisous.