Desert Girls Vintage: October 2011

Monday, October 31, 2011

Chocolate

Chocolate just sounds better than brown!

November 2011
That is a lot of chocolate for me, but it is beautiful and
it inspired my outfit.

Nate Burkus room: I like the white against the chocolate.

Sarah Richardson bathroom:
I prefer brown like this: wood tones as opposed to paint.

John Saladino room: Okay, maybe I spoke too soon! This
room is stunning. I might add, though, that this is a deep chocolate
with lots of grey in it.

In honor of Halloween and all of the chocolate that will be consumed, I thought I would spotlight this delectable color. I have to admit that when it comes to decorating, brown is not my favorite color, but hey, taken in small doses, chocolate is healthy right? I am loving the rusty browns of the season as an accent in my wardrobe and my home, mixed with a few hits of cocoa brown to mix it up. I also love that blue is lovely with brown and off-sets it's innate warmth (which, for me, can be stifling).

I always change out the throw pillows in my home for the seasons. I will
always have white furniture, so I can have fun with color on the pillows.

I always like blue and green, so my area rug has those colors but there is also
a ground tone of grey-brown as well as a warm brown accent--this makes it possible
to add the warmer colors in the fall.

dress, belt, tights, bow necklace: Forever 21
long necklace: vintage
boots: Giani Bini
purse: Banana Republic

This outfit works for me because there isn't a single
tone of brown throughout: the goal is not to look like
a baked potato! The cocoa dress has a dark brown leaf accent
(that relates back to the leather on my belt, boots and purse)
with turquoise flowers; I then paired it with rust tights. Gold
jewelry is a must with such beautiful, coppery tones.

Maybe I will be a chocolate convert! Or maybe I will just continue to love it in small amounts....as I certainly will tonight.

Happy Halloween!

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Equestrian Style

When I was in grade school, when most of my friends were more interested in recess than in what to wear, I was concerned with fashion. Certain looks dominated my wardrobe, including equestrian inspired pieces. I had this fantastic outfit that consisted of black houndstooth stirrup pants, a white turtleneck, black fitted jacket, black riding boots, and a derby hat. A derby hat! I think the whole outfit came from Nordstrom, and I felt very fashionable when I wore it. Not every kid in my class quite understood it, but I didn't care. I knew I was rocking that derby hat. Unfortunately, I cannot find a picture of me in that outfit. I can't provide you with that little treasure, but I can give you some of my favorite examples of equestrian inspired pieces that are pretty perfect for fall.

Asos equestrian midi skirt

Bit Bracelet
by rebecca ray designs

Massimo Dutti
fall/winter equestrian line

Cole Haan kids' boots

Ralph Lauren Leather Stirrup Wrap Bracelet

Ralph Lauren belt

~Lori

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Brambly Hedge

by Jill Barklem

As a child I loved these "Brambly Hedge" books (written in 1980 by Jill Barklem, born in Edding,UK). I must say that the stories themselves are not memorable or striking, but the images and the feelings they evoke are. The illustrations are incredibly detailed and creative. This time of year I am reminded of the cozy, sweet pages of these books.

There are the seasons books as well as a few other tales of the "Brambly Hedge"mice.

quietrebel

Beautiful play things that bring to life the "Brambly Hedge" world.

via apartmenttherapy

How perfect is this?

Woodland harp...we like cultured rodents!

I had to share this dollhouse I recently saw at a local antiques shop. Isn't it just so sweet! There is tons of detail on this Tudor style cottage. If my daughter didn't already have a dollhouse, I would have snapped this one up.

Look at the little hedges!

Gwenna enjoying her dollhouse. I think I might paint it white...what do you think?

"Calico Critters" dolls my daughter collects.

From my past...

My mom made me this "Primrose" doll from the "Brambly Hedge" books.
This doll means--and meant-- more to me than any fancy toy I might have had.
Not that I have anything against fancy toys!

Now that Spring is just around the corner I thought I would add to this post with some of the images from the books that obviously inspire us all!

Little Brambly mice tucked in their cribs.

resource for this adorable teacup here

beingamummy

Happy Spring in Brambly Hedge!

Friday, October 28, 2011

Stripes: The Devil's in the Details

photo by Kim Trzyna

Hair & Make up by Dots

I'm a stripes kind of gal. I'm drawn to clothing with stripes. When done correctly, I think they are timeless and chic. If you were to peek into my closet, you would see an awful lot of striped clothing hanging around. I have shorts, pants, skirts, dresses, cardigans, jackets, sweaters, blouses, pajamas, shoes... the list, believe it or not, goes on. I love them. Horizontal or vertical, but mostly horizontal. Skinny stripes and thick stripes, in all colors, but mostly, of course, in navy and black. As I'm writing this, I am wearing a blue pinstriped shirt, and my socks have black and white stripes (it was crazy sock day at school).

My obsession with stripes (I tend to talk a lot about my obsessions on here) got me thinking about their history. Why, I wondered one day (probably while wearing stripes, of course), do you always see pirates depicted in striped material? And why did prisoners back in the day wear thick black and white stripes? And burglars, in old timey references, wear black and white striped shirts to go with the black masks that shield their nefarious identities. This burglar question got me wondering when said burglars wised up and started wearing all black, and whether any burglars ever really did wear black and white, and did they refuse to burglarize on nights when their striped shirts were in the wash? As in-- Oh, sorry, Joe, I can't rob old man Jenkin's place with you tonight; my striped shirt is at the laundry.
Anyway, to answer all these questions (and more, according to reader's reviews), I need to buy Michael Pastoureau's book, The Devil's Cloth. Pastoureau is a French specialist in medieval history. While he was researching various medieval documents, he kept noticing that it was usually only the negative figures or characters who were depicted wearing stripes. This led him to research the history of striped fabric, starting with a "medieval scandal" in France and moving throughout history to the 20th century. I don't know about you, but I find this kind of stuff fascinating. That's part of the reason I love having a smart phone so much, because I have instant access to online research whenever a weird little question pops into my head. So this book is on my list, and stripes are on my mind. And in my closet.