{A Sharpened Tongue: Dorothy Parker}

I first read Dorothy Parker when I was eighteen, and she was one of those writers who made me want to become a writer.  She had the perfect balance of irreverence and wit, and, instead of brooding about life's difficulties (particularly as a female), she simply made fun of them.  That's who I wanted to be. 

I know more about her writing style than her fashion, but I did find a few pictures below that capture her simple, no-nonsense style.  Short hair, black dress, nice necklace--easy and classy.   

  

“A little bad taste is like a nice dash of paprika.”

 

  “Take me or leave me; or, as is the usual order of things, both.”

 

“There was a reason for the cost of those perfectly plain black dresses.”

 

“If you're going to write, don't pretend to write down. It's going to be the best you can do, and it's the fact that it's the best you can do that kills you.”
― Dorothy Parker

{Coco Chanel on Life}

Coco Chanel is more than a fashion icon.  Her shrewd reflections on life, as well as her self-reliance and boldness, made her a woman who blazed trails for the rest of us as female's in art and commerce, giving us permission to be exactly who we want to be in the face of a heavily male-dominated society.

"Fashion is not simply a matter of clothes. Fashion is in the air, born upon the wind. One intuits it. It is in the sky and on the road."

"Elegance is not the prerogative of those who have just escaped from adolescence, but of those who have already taken possession of their future." 

“It’s probably not just by chance that I’m alone. It would be very hard for a man to live with me, unless he’s terribly strong. And if he’s stronger than I, I’m the one who can’t live with him. … I’m neither smart nor stupid, but I don’t think I’m a run-of-the-mill person. I’ve been in business without being a businesswoman, I’ve loved without being a woman made only for love. The two men I’ve loved, I think, will remember me, on earth or in heaven, because men always remember a woman who caused them concern and uneasiness. I’ve done my best, in regard to people and to life, without precepts, but with a taste for justice.”

{Marigold & Mod}

It was a beautiful Saturday in Minneapolis today.  A few nights of strong wind have left the ground blanketed with bright yellow leaves--such a treat for the senses.  As for the outfit, the navy and gold dress was a fun mod find from Saver's Thrift Store. I paired it with some old boots, old jeans, and an old necklace.  Style, for me, has always been more about making do with what I have than buying pricey new items.  This outfit is no exception to that philosophy.

{Island Getaway Wish List}

In a little over two weeks, I'll be in Old San Juan with my sister.  Here's a wish list I've gathered, which consists mostly of sales items.  Sun dresses are so much more fun to shop for than sweaters.

 

 

 

 From top to bottom: red dress: Modcloth; top: Free People; floral shoes: Urban Outfitters; bra: Free People; yellow shoes: Urban Outfitters; green dress: Modcloth

{Cheer & America}

I created this outfit around one of my favorite and oldest t-shirts, which was given to me when I was 18 as a random gift from a high school friend who found it in our small town's Salvation Army. Shorts were a sale item from Free People, tights from Target, shoes a gift from my grandmother, scarf hand-knitted by family, and dog from heaven.

 

 

{Grace by the Sea}

 As we prepare for winter's arrival in Minneapolis, South Africa's ushering in its summer season. One of my friends recently asked me to look for some high-waisted bikinis for her, so swimwear's been on my mind lately.

And who better to look to for beach inspiration than Grace Kelly? She makes being classy look entirely too easy. While Kelly isn't my typical go-to fashion icon, there are times when I'd like to exhibit the cool outward reserve and demeanor that she so effortlessly exuded with her style and personality.

 

"I avoid looking back. I prefer good memories to regrets." --Grace Kelly

  

Here are a few modern pieces that echo Kelly's iconic beach look:

 American Apparel:

Modcloth:

 Free People:

 

{Autumn Haze}

Today was one of those mind-clouded days where everything seems just a bit hazy and out of focus.  I've been wanting to wear this outfit, though, against an autumnal backdrop, and what a beautiful backdrop I found on a walk by the Mississippi River this evening.  By the end of the walk, the world had regained a semblance of sharpness.