Better Than a Burlap Sack. . .

If you are anything like me, you are constantly trawling shops to find that perfect place that sells things that are so you. Somewhere that you can always find something you'll love. Well, I haven't found that place in my town, but thanks to the magic of the intarwebs, I found plenty of things to brighten up my wardrobe.

This is Black Chandelier's Key Dress. I love victoriana and ephemera (and dresses!) so this is a perfect fit for me.

And since it pays to be prepared for chilly nights, they also have cute cardigans. (Yes. That's an owl up there. Can you beat it?)

I can never have too many striped socks.

"Really?" you might ask.

I mean it. You should see my sock drawer(s). The secret? I have an army backing me. Ok, well, not really. But every girl can dream! These are my favorite socks. Ever.

Not the traditional horizontal stripe, but stripey nonetheless, the knit pattern (Yep. Not printed. Knitted.) looks like vintage lace and seams. Fabulous with slip dresses, or cute skirts and mary janes.

For those days (or parties) when you need that extra edge, there is always Locher's . They have 16 designs, all guaranteed to shock and/or insult.

Love it.

Needing a less, um, forthright top? Supermaggie's has printed tees featuring some of my favorite things: bugs, plants, and octopi. Ahhhhh. Octopi.

All set? No?

If you need some basics as well, go here. You didn't hear it from me, and if you ask me later I will deny it. Well, I might not, but let's keep this between ourselves, shall we? A lady should always have a few secret weapons. Happy trawling!

Cyberpunk, Steampunk. . .Clockpunk?

That's right, people. For those of you who have been following boingboing's Steampunk trend, now there is something even more archaicly mechanized. I give you. . . CLOCKPUNK.

Little, White, and Orbular

I am usually not one for flocks of stuff dotting my interiors. I like simple, uncluttered spaces. But recently, I have noticed what I can only call a collection of white ceramics lurking on my tabletops and shelves. How did this happen? Am I going to wake up in a house filled to bursting with glazed vases? (And would that be such a bad thing? I could open a shop!). But with the fabulous bounty available online, I don't see myself stopping anytime soon. I was, however, able to trace the origin of this pernicious habit back to it's source.

When I was in Berkely a few months ago, I bought one of these --

for ten dollars at ACCI gallery. It was on sale as a second, but it looked perfect to me. (See? It starts with a simple, inexpensive purchase, and then grabs you like a pervert on a subway)

A few weeks later, I stumbled onto the sculptor's website.

I love her birds! She also has bowls and plates for those of you with less need for flower storage. If you already have your credit card out, or even if you don't, you should probably take a look here and here.

Also based in California is Kenneth Wingard Ceramics.

(California will be the death of my bank account. At least when I move there I will be spared shipping charges.)

I'm sure most of you have seen the orb planter at Sprout Home. The entire line is also available at Perch, including this cute Apron Vase:

So many vases, so little room! Having a monkey on your back isn't all bad.

(Down, monkey! Down!)

Something Wicked This Way Comes. . .

If you were wondering what kind of glowing-eyed savage runs my home, here you go.

Behold, the face of evil:

Also known as "She Who Must Be Obeyed"

. . . and her sidekick:

The Life of a Supermodel

"So after the photoshoot, we all went to Studio 54 and . . ."

OK, so not really. I did shoot some photos for a friend of mine, who produces a pet magazine. She needed some pictures with her new dog for the magazine bio page. We didn't exactly have a professional set-up, since it was a pretty last-minute request, but I managed to get a few good pictures of them both. Here is one of the test shots: Pythagoras in a rare moment of stillness.

Isn't he cute? He's a four-year-old retired greyhound, and he is huge. His head comes almost to my waist. When he runs full out, he can clear about 15 feet in one stride. Did I mention he won a lot of his races?

Ah, I got him to sit down for 1/500th of a second. I have proof:

When I got home, I thought my cat was going to have a heart attack. She could smell a dog -- a BIG dog. She was, shall we say, less than cheerful. I had to change clothes and bribe her with treats to stop her glaring at me.

The finger of shame points at me, for I am a slave to the disapproval of my kitty.

With Her Red Shoes On

I am relatively new to a colorful wardrobe, so you can imagine how surprised I was when I decided to buy these shoes:

Pretty snazzy, eh? If you run over here really, really quickly, you can dash off with a pair before they're all gone. These are from last season, so supplies are short. Yes, I know the British pound is kicking the dollar into the gutter and sneering at it these days, but that is no reason to let them have all the cool shoes. I love Irregular Choice -- not every single style, but when they are on, they are fabulous.

And I got them in four days. FOUR DAYS, people. This is serious customer service. I have mailed letters in my own city that haven't gotten to their destination in four days.

Aaaaand as long as we are discussing fashion, I should point you over to Daddy-O's in case you are having a Betty Page moment. They have almost the whole line of Stop Staring dresses and separates. I have one of their creations winging it's way to me in a UPS truck. (A winged UPS truck? Sure, why not?) I will let you know how well it works. Stop staring, indeed.

I Love Mondays. . .

Ok, well, not as such. But I am addicted to matcha shots first thing in the morning. Weekend days for me tend to start with pottering around fixing breakfast and nursing a cup of PG Tips. But during the week, I require more rapid caffeination. Enter: the matcha shot. Drinking powdered green tea mixed with soy milk is like mainlining sunshine. Or something. (Have I mentioned that mornings are not my best time?)

If you also need a quick boost to get the old synapses firing, here is my recipe:

Matcha Shot

1 tsp. powdered matcha

Ice

4 oz. vanilla soy milk (or plain soy milk with a teaspoon of sugar and a drop of vanilla)

Put the matcha in a cocktail shaker or any other closable container, and add a little of the soymilk. Stir until it forms a paste -- this is very important if drinking chunky matcha is not on your agenda for the morning. Pop in a few ice cubes. Now add the rest of the soymilk and shake until it's mixed. (See? This is easy enough that even I can manage it in the mornings) Strain into a glass and enjoy. Repeat as needed.

Happy Monday!

Update: If you happen to own a submersible blender, ditch the shaker and use the blender instead. Dump all ingedients into an appropriately tall container and zizz away. Handheld zen, at last!

In the Beginning. . .

Good morning, blogland. This is my new repository for things I like, things I obsessively research, stuff I do, and (because I know my weaknesses) stuff my cats do. The old blog is done and gone, or "lost from a safe" as they say in Washington. Don't worry, you didn't miss much. Mostly me agonizing about my art openings. So, off we go then!