No idle hands

There are just two weeks left before the big work odyssey. Almost two months away from home. I'll miss all the Mark Twain weather ("The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.") I'll miss you, Z.

I am struggling with having a job while starting to build a career. And learning how to take care of myself after spending 11 hours a day taking care of others. 

And I am struggling with this blog. What should it be...

Photo c/o the British Campaign for Wool. 

Last Summer and On and On

I have not updated in a year. It doesn't seem so long, and yet a world of things have happened since I last typed symbols onto a screen and uploaded them onto the web.

First, I'm living in Detroit. The Dutchman left and has been replaced by a tire mogul's son. Last summer began with a multitude of ambitions-knitting, reading, trips, moving across the Atlantic; ambitions that have been left incomplete.

I traveled to Germany, Greece, Seattle, Chicago, New York, Boston, Canada, upstate New York.

A college friend and I are discussing a joint blog, and I realized, looking over the old entries, how much I miss making collections of my personal aesthetic. I also miss having my own identity. I'm in grad school, as a future librarian or archivist. And after spending months wrapped up in my own despair, I've begun to make my way out of it...

L'Italia

I got back from my summer study in Italy. There was so much that happened that I'm not even sure where to begin...

I left my house Thursday June 11th at 7am and didn't arrive until Friday June 12th at 9pm (so 3pm East Coast Time). When I arrived, soaking wet from sweat, (the 5 hour train ride from Rome was in a train car without air conditioning, and it was at least 90 degrees outside) I was told that a room in the Bed and Breakfast I was supposed to be staying at was not available until Monday. I burst into tears and something was found in another establishment temporarily. When I was moved into where I was supposed to stay it was into the owner's childrens' room, at first sans children until one night when I was told and not asked to share a room with them. This situation in combination with being sexually harassed by the staff and owner's son made studying difficult. And so I left after being repeatedly told that I would get my own room and never being given one.

I went to my friend Chelsea's apartment (she was renting a room temporarily from an Italian woman). There the owner suggested that I stay with her, like Chelsea, temporarily. Being tired and always wanting what seems like the easiest situation, I agreed. This ended up being another bad decision, as it turned out the woman had no plans of welcoming Chelsea and I into her home, and instead desired to charge us as much money as possible, not give me a key, and then yell at Chelsea and another girl living there when I went out with them, saying that they were not allowed to associate with me unless they asked her permission first. I left for a friend's family apartment in La Spezia, and Chelsea decided to leave as well. This ended with the woman chasing Chelsea and her boyfriend and myself out of the apartment (even though we had paid in full, she wanted additional money from Chelsea), the only thing missing was a banjo playing in the background. She was able to hit, pinch, kick, and bite Chelsea's boyfriend when he went back for the rest of the suitcases.

Following these episodes I stayed with a friend in La Spezia, then family in France. I had to return to Pisa to continue my studies and so Chelsea and I ended up spending the last half of our studies in a campsite outside the city. There we met lots of other people and made lots of friends. At least the trip ended well. And I even found something from Holland...

Hopefully, it'll be able to make its way through customs to me. ; )

"No Talking, Just Head"

I love that title of the album by the Talking Heads minus David Byrne.

And right now I've been listening to this early version of the song:

It is rather amazing.

Today I went to a doctor who practices Chinese medicine. I'm not gonna lie, I'm a total believer in alternative medicine and the moment she put the tiny acupuncture needles in I felt a release of heat and illness.

For now I'm further procrastinating doing my laundry and packing, which is a horrible idea, but everything will work out ok. I just need to switch over my phone, fax some forms, and find a power adaptor...

Summer

I wanna look like this:

All I've got to do is grow my hair out longer, get some highlights, somehow push all my extra weight to my boobs, and go tanning. Yeah!

Thank you wildfox. lovin' ya lots!

Ryan McGinley picture

Via Tigermilk

Mitten

I returned back to the Mitten, and jumped immediately into work.

Every time I come home, 508 Linden is even more similar to the home in Running With Scissors. It makes me feel stifled, stressed, tired, and uncreative. This in combination with the collapsing state of Detroit makes life feel impossible.

I am determined to make something of myself, and to have an enjoyable summer. And I'm working on textile designs and such.

Tuesday because my little brother was in the hospital I took my little sister to Greenfield Village, I was a field trip chaperone.

And thoroughly fell in love with fabric all over again.

We walked into the weaving workshop, and I saw all the looms, and attached in another room all the knitting machines and I wanted to hop over the 1/2 wall and start setting up the machine and slide the punch card pattern back and forth.

My Favorite Today:

From Diabless. I love the dye of the skirt

Fabric Patterns:

From some random e-bay vintage store.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE:

From Mina Perhonen

Manoush

Charles Anastanse:

Sophia Coppola's Marie Antoinette is so over-played in blogs, but I couldn't help adding this picture:

I like how the florals seem almost like the same pattern, but clearly are not.

Another interesting floral:

I'd even like this as a wallpaper or on a chair or even as a pillowcase depending on the dimensions...

Details of Fabric:

From Liivian talossa

From some Swedish clothes site?

I like the detail and pattern of the lace in combination with the boots.

From The Sartorialist

I love her neckline, and in below as well!

From Play Like a Girl (I think...?)

Studs on a sheer silk, genius.

I'm not sure where this is from:

But I still like the quality of the fabric and the design and colour of the acorns.

The Sartorialist again!, only this time in Brazil:

Here as well...

I like the choice of material for the dress, from Schacci:

From Play Like a Girl, the colours here and dying of the fabric, and it's cut make me drool.

Vena Cava

The Sartorialist, Look at the amount of varying colours!

And the level of colour repeated in this sweater:

Hey Little Indians

I've been thinking of summer, like the children fast asleep in their beds before Christmas eve.

Instead of having visions of sugar plums, I have visions of the beach, and sand. Being warm, and dancing in the wind.

Summer brings out a freedom in everyone, a creativity, that the bitterness of winter can hide.

For now, I hope that everyone is making their plans and dreams, and that they will all come true.

This summer I wish to be a little Indian.

Here are some things that are inspiring me right now:

Magnolia Pearl

(She is Amazing!)

Mociun

Bat for Lashes

From Oak NYC

Russian Magazines:

FaceHunter?

Everything ended up looking more like fairies and princesses, but I guess that's about as rebellious as I get...

More/Better Later, when my Thoughts are complete.

Wink in a Blink

Tonight going to see Bat for Lashes

Happy Spring!

...Soon to be Summer

CaveMan-esque hair extensions

I wanna look like this, and spend my days on a beach with white sand with a hot boy.

Rain and Bicycles

Today I finally arrived at the Cranbrook Art Museum when it was open. And now I can proudly say that I work there. It may be for no money, but at least I get to give tours and touch anything and everything.

La casa - the Saarinen house- that I will give tours of:

Afterwards, since today was as hot as a whore in church I melted into my house. Brandon came by after work and we ate these drinks I made from a recipe that Giada showed me on Food Network. They were delish-vanilla ice cream, strawberries, raspberries, armaretto liquor in a blender. Mmmmmm.

Then the power started flickering and Brandon said he was going to leave and I would then be left all alone in the ghost house, in a thunderstorm, in the dark, by myself. Luckily, my crying skills are in better shape than my muscles and he stayed.

We sat in the window while it rained. Then we rode bikes in the muggy muggy air, all the way to downtown Birmingham and back, and now we're back here, melting all over again. What did people do without air conditioning? There is no way to sleep in this weather!!!

However, I will leave you with some favorite Lou Dillon things

Summer Essentials

I love love love this photo for a multitude of reasons. First, the socks with the dress; it's dorky, but still cute and even a little bit elegant. Second, the bicycle with the flowers all over it, talk about adorable! And perfect for summer freedom, weather, and riding, while still keeping it girly. Third the white fitted and flowing dress so you can still ride a bike and be girly, and it's even made of silk, how can it get any better? Last, the unstyled hair is realistic for a summer day. Who wants to waste time inside when you could be out in the sun? I won't bore you with further rambling, just more images of summer desires.

What could be better than this?

perhaps these?