Lemonade

It's been rainy here in Chicago, meteorologists have been totally off their game (I know, I know, climate change is wacky, but I NEED YOU TO HELP ME DRESS MYSELF TOM SKILLING), and I've been struggling to deal with the fact that winter is eventually coming back to Chicago. Polar Vortex flashbacks... WHY GOD WHY.

I spent a couple of days feeling super blue about it. I always have a bit of heartache at the end of the summer season (not that it's really gone, yet)-- it's that little creeping feeling of the fun coming to an end. But really, we make our own fun, don't we? Seasons change, and especially here in Chicago, winter is going to happen (I am coming to terms with this by getting excited about furry thangs and boots, I fucking love boots. All of the boots.). So a couple of mornings ago I got up, and when I looked out the window into the gray haze/ tail of summer, I decided to make some fucking lemonade. 

This necklace is one of my favorite things (so is my back porch, and this antique oriental rug...). Instantly dresses up anything. I've worn it out dancing in Vegas, with a grey tee and jeans, to a black tie wedding, and...

When I met the monkey from The Hangover a few years back. He was really into it.
This necklace is from a zillion years ago... but this one is its beautiful bastard child. And, it's on sale through Labor Day!

I embraced my lemons. If I'm going to be a little tart about things, I might as we'll be bright fucking yellow as well... Don't ya think? I think. And the citrus bit has been one of my favorite trends this summer, after all. I love anything in fashion that demands you check your pretension at the door. Check it. 

I can't not smile when I'm wearing these! I am pocket-obsessed, too, which these are awesome for. I love when I CAN ACTUALLY PUT MY HANDS INTO POCKETS. None of this decorative coin pocket bullshit. REAL, hand-worthy pockets. It just seems to make the world turn more smoothly, you know? Pockets are some powerful shit. 

A little citrus, a little sparkle, a couple of comments from strangers/clients/passersby re: how gawdy my necklace is (I prefer the term AWESOMESAUCE) and the smile my lemons put on their faces, and voila. Lemonade!

I like my lemonade three ways: sour, alcoholic, and metaphorical. 

Summer, I hate to see you leave... But when there's fruit on your ass, I love to watch you go. 

Happy summer's end, chickens!

Xx.

Ash

Royal Jewels

I have had the feeling of a phantom ring on my finger for a little over a week. My engagement ring, as I trotted off to New Orleans, stayed behind for a little TLC (with the most amazing bench jeweler around). I wore another in its place, but every time I looked down at my finger I got a little sad. It just wasn't exciting enough. I'm obnoxiously, stupidly, helplessly, annoyingly in love with my engagement ring. It is like my pointy, sparkly, really old child. Now you know. 

And today... I got it back! Hallelu!!! 

Just totally fucking rad. M. did the best job ever. Reunited and it feeeeels sooo gooooood!           

I get lost staring into this thing. 

Aaaaand very fitting, because today is vintage wedding dress shopping day! Yeehaw. 

Sidenote: So far wedding dress shopping has made me want to turn all bridezilla and throw tiaras or whatever. It's a strangely uncomfortable thing to have people try to liquor you up with champagne and force all kinds of fussy, scratchy, sometimes terrifying garments over your head. Standing in my skivvies, bridal attendant pawing at me and getting zippers caught in my hair because everything gets caught in my damn hair, feeling weirdly vulnerable and totally not into it... That was my first bridal gown outing. And it blew hard. It was more like being cornered in a bar by the one really pushy drunk dude who is sure he can convince you you just don't know that you really do want to be dragged, caveman-like, back to his douche-pad... Today-- today will be different. Today I'm buzzing for no reason at all. End rant.

Anyway, when I was down in the good ole Big Easy (which is hands-down my favorite jewelry shopping city, because there's nothing like seeing the fantabulous estate pieces fallen from the tree of Old Southern Money... Plus OMG flea markets...), I found myself pining a bit for what felt like my missing finger. And I happened upon Royal St...

And then upon rows and rows of storefronts like this one...

ALL OF YOU! COME HOME WITH ME!

And then upon the most unique vintage ring I've seen in years (besides, of course, my kite-shaped lover)...

I have freakishly long ET fingers, and this is one of those pieces of jewelry that makes them seem totally necessary. By this logic, this ring should stay on my finger like, I dunno... permanently.I've never seen anything quite like it.

Art Deco Platinum ring with old mine cut center Diamond (1.10 ct, G/H, SI) with the cutest little culet, Emerald pears, and calibre cut Sapphires. I kept this on my finger for what was probably an uncomfortable amount of time for pretty much everyone involved. It was great.

I also got to play with this mutha trucka...

Sweet mother of God, there is just no way to depict how stunning this guy is in person. So, just go to New Orleans, and go to here.

Art Deco Platinum Diamond and Sapphire stunnah, 3.75 cttw.

And then THIS happened:

150 carats of antique cut diamonds in rich 22k Gold, from the magical land of (antique) Fred Leighton. This actually made my heart flutter. Probably because it's haunted by some freaking royal ass ghosts. Because, come on. COME ON. You're killin' me, Smalls...

Photos just can't touch this one. 

Thanks for letting me come and play dress up, fine folks at Valobra! Made my day. 

But hey, if (you are crazy and) don't like looking at stunning pieces of wearable art history, you want to see some seriously unique (and not in the price range of above life-changing bib of diamonds) jewels, or you just really fucking love flea markets like I do... To the French Market with you! 

I bought this Bone & Agate bangle at the market, once upon a time in another life. It's one of my very favorite pieces in my jewelry collection. Also, it's kinda heavy, so it's the perfect accessory to wear if you're out wandering through alleys alone at night. If you're into that kind of thing.
You do you. 

When I lived in NOLA, I found every excuse that I could to whoops suddenly end up strolling the booths of awesomeness at the end of the French Market. 

How to get there: 

1. Eat a beignet.

2. Buy some frozen booze-to-go.

3. Follow the smell of Alligator on a stick (which is mouthgasmic).

4. Roll on through. 

Or, I dunno, ask a local. I'm sure there are other routes.  

This time around, I picked up this ginormous Lapis Lazuli cuff (...which makes me feel like I could get into some Xena, Warrior Princess shit. Or be on Game of Thrones, which I have never actually seen an episode of, but their costume pros must have the greatest job.) --

Yeah, really looks like it's about to bust out some secret powers. It's kind of distracting-- really hard not to just stare at it like a goon while it's on my arm. Also, prices in the market are amazeballs. Go there. Said market is also the reason there is currently an Alligator head on my mantel.

Having returned home now, from my vintage wedding dress adventure, I am SUPER FUCKING EXCITED. Not only did the awesome gal who helped me not rush me for a second or make me feel like a freaking loose meat sandwich at a white trash garden party, I FOUND MY DRESSSSSSSS! I cried like a little bitch. It was beautiful. I could not be more thrilled about it. Vintage for the win!

Now, I can't wait to pick out my jewels! 

Keep on sparklin', chickens. 

-Ash

Mint is the new everything.

Random cut-offs I made... Like these
Cami
Sandals with Wings
Bobbi Brown Art Stick -- Harlow Red

People close to me will tell you that I am crazysauce for Mint green. From its pale sage beginnings to its seafoam heights, the spectrum is one of my very favorites. I'm all up in that spectrum. ALL up in it. I wore mint to not one, but two proms. I've been nursing a pair of mint Cindy Says kitten heels for like 10 years (BRING 'EM BACK!) that are starting to lose very relevant parts of their bodies. I consider it a neutral. Like denim. Or leopard. Or gold. And also I guess black.

I'm even marinating on the idea of a mint wedding gown. Gown or not, I'm sure the wedding will be mint-y. M. approves.

Maybe that's the reason I've always been so taken with the city of New Orleans? There is a mint detail in just about every corner. I'm totally on board. I love.

Walls...

Courtyards...

Facades...

Even the Fiats were mint :)

Doors...

The ceiling of Cathedral - Basilica St. Louis...

Details...

Ornate Entryways...

***

Let me come clean, for a minute: I am a sunglasses addict. I feel that the sellers of beautiful eyewear should have a hotline posted on every wall (...like those plastered about at the casino my grandparents like to take me to, sometimes, just for a quick go after breakfast on a Tuesday. For the record, my grandparents are the coolest people ever. Inarguably.). "If you suspect that you may have a problem, please call..."

But... I probably would not call. That's no fun. Then I'd have to get into it with the shoe problem, the entomology fascination, the soul-stirring book thing, et cetera. Not to mention jewelry. Who has the time?

Have you ever searched for an item, and found yourself on a personal fashion odyssey? Since I was a kid, I've thumbed through vintage images like these...

Hello, delicious glasses. Let's be friends. 

I'm into it. Even the wacky, unibrow flamingo thing glasses on the left.
I don't get it, but I still approve. 

...and fallen deeply in love with (the currently super trendy, which, awesome, because yay for options) cateye sunnie.

Noteworthy: I was always super into the idea of wearing poodle skirts as a kiddo, too. I watched Grease a lot.

Also, John Travolta's hair. 

Last week, in New Orleans, I stumbled upon an adorable boutique in the French Quarter (with equally adorable, helpful, and totally unpretentious sales associates, which is how ALL sales folk should be, just saying...) called Hemline (apparently there are a few in the South, but we Yanks are sorely missing their existence).  I was in search of my current fashion white whale (a whole different animal, and a blog post to come, involving the GREATEST BOOTIES EVER), having nearly forgotten about my longing for mint cateyes altogether. For the moment, at least. The lovely Laura greeted me with a bright smile, we talked NOLA fashion a bit, and then OH MY GOD there they were.

Krewe Monroe Glasses in Matte Seafoam

So this is all well and good, but now I am in love with these, too. THANKS A LOT, KREWE.

Here is the literal play by play:
I'm standing in the corner of this store, browsing adorable tops which I felt way too summer-gross to try on, and then all of a sudden the roof was torn away by some sort of otherworldly beings, which proceeded to shine a light upon a small display of glinting, angular objects. And I'm sure there was music playing, and the original cast of Brigadoon was wrapping the showroom in a soft serenade of "Till There Was You." And then I saw them. BAM. That is almost definitely the way it went down.

OH HAI GREATEST SUNGLASSES EVER!

I love them. I love them. I love them!

Also, they are designed in New Orleans (by Krewe). And they are (I am told...?) made in New Orleans. And locally inspired and manufactured ANYTHING is my complete and utter JAM.

Does it make sense to wear them at work? I might. And then I'll just tell all of my clients that I have to, because the diamonds are blinding me.

(I work with the jewelries.)

So, I put them on, and could not leave the store without them, and there ya go. One white whale down, one to go (I will find you, booties!). Who am I kidding. There are like... 700 to go. But, hey, "One day at a time," my lovely mother always says.

Then, as M. and I explored the city that day, I got all hammy for the cammy. (Yes. I really just said that... I know.)

Loving the fact that my shirt isn't touching me, and my glasses are the bees knees. 

Really into my shoes, at this moment. 

Working my corner, bahahaha... Dear God I love this city. 

Delirious and hot and acting a fool. 

Sometimes you find that one little something, be it a pair of shoes or a perfect whiskey or a painting, and it makes the puzzle of life feel a bit more properly put together. And even though that one little something is just a thing at its bones, it means worlds within worlds within a box/a bottle/a vision to you. That's what counts. No shame in chasing something that makes you feel like Ryan Gosling is at the finish line.

There is always a thrill in the chase... But, oh, what you find in the catch! :)

Hugs and Kisses and Minty Fresh Goodness.

-Ash