Coco Before Chanel - movie recommendation!

I just watched the movie Coco Before Chanel (2009) in which Audrey Tautou portrays the early life of the fashion legend. There are so many cool things I never new about Coco Chanel! She has such an interesting story!

A few things I didn’t know that I bet you didn’t either (Spoiler Alert!!): her real name wasn’t Coco; she was an orphan; she worked as a not-so-talented cabaret singer; she never intended to be in fashion but sort of fell into it after other failed attempts at fame and wealth. If the movie’s depiction is accurate, she also lied a lot about her past, was the mistress of a wealthy man in exchange for financial support, and suffered the loss of the only man she ever loved. 

Having known very little about the late designer I could not have guessed that Coco was very much a hippy of her day. She refused to wear a corset and frowned upon the extravagant accessories that gilded every other woman's attire. Instead she was inspired by mens wear and tailored for herself a wardrobe of what was the beginning of today’s European prep. 

The movie captures the timelessness of her style. Much of what she created for herself, although bold for the time, is still in fashion today:

Stripes are everywhere right now and they've always been a clean and classic look. (Upper left: Coco Chanel introducing the chic stripe in the 1930's; upper right: Audrey Tautou as Coco; Lower left and right: clothing from Anthropologie - I love the dress!)

Here is a pleated top with cinched shoulders (I'm not sure if this is actually Coco or someone replicating one of her outfits), I actually think it's much cuter than the current examples I've found:

(Audrey Tautou as Coco on left, Anthropologie top on right)

And finally, Coco in her elegant black dress, with pockets no less! 

                    "Luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it is not luxury."  - Coco Chanel

Two things I love around my home...

I'm so glad to join in with Two Things Tuesday at Bacwoods Fern again! I'm looking forward to sharing the new things I find or create while trying to make my place more homie and... just me. Here are my two, somewhat small, things:

I went to buy a small pot for this bright little plant and right next to the pots were these colorful mugs! So I got one of those instead. I think it's sweet, aw.

I went to a vintage shop recently to get a gift for a friend and could not tear myself away from this little mirror. I thought, I could make this, it would be so easy to make this! Then somehow I ended up thinking, oh, whatever, and I bought it. As it turns out, the store manager made it herself! Well, I guess it will just be in my room to inspire me... and help me with my morning make-up and various other mirror responsibilities. Ain't it cute?

What are your two things? Link up at Bacwoods Fern or post a comment. You know... it doesn't have to be a Tuesday to share... technically it's Wednesday by now anyway. Yikes! Bed time!!

Coveting a Kitchen...

On this gloomy Sunday I have been thumbing through the April issue of Dwell magazine: Prefab Today. A particular home is featured that has left me drooling over it's beautiful open living space, check it out:

I love the mix of concrete with warm wood, and the openness of the area. I love the shelves in the concrete couter, and the slab of wood with the storage underneath, and the interesting branch piece above the table.. and... and... I love it all!!!

Here are few more pics:

I really like the collage of frames above the day bed. And isn't this a perfectly beautiful fireplace? Sigh

Decorating!!!! Sound the Trumpets!!!!

I have been biting my tongue, rolling my eyes, muttering under my breath, waiting for soooooooo long for the time in which I would be able to have CONTROL over my living space and decorate, clean, whathaveyou to my liking! That time has come!!!!!!!!!!!! BLAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!! (That is me shrieking and jumping for... well, I think mostly relief.) Yes folks, you guessed it, I cannot lie to you.... I no longer live with my mother!! No, no I did not move out, she did. Truly, I am very happy for her. She fell in love and is starting the new beginning she's always wanted. And truly, I've missed her sooner than I'd expected.
But that is the reason behind my lack of posting recently. I have been digging through junk and fixing things that have been broken for the last decade. I've realized that where my mom always kept our spices was a terribly strange place - under the sink. Hmm. I've also learned that our second shower, which my mom has used to store shoes since we moved in 13 years ago, actually isn't broken, as she had informed my brother and I. In fact, her stacked shoe boxes were hiding some very cute turqoise tiles that I plan to show you once I figure out how the heck to get the grout non-very-brownish.

I have a new friend that will be moving into our spare room and I can't wait to make this place feel different. One of the main things I really want to do is to find some interesting artwork to put up on the walls. I made my first purchase the other day. It's just a print and I've been having a hard time deciding what styles I like, but something about it kept drawing me back to it. So I got it!!!  It's by Ali Cavanaugh, an extremely talented painter. Doesn't it look like a photo?

Tell me what you think!! I love the colors and the minor details, like how the girls pink strap is twisted a little.

I was also recently told about a really cool site called 52 Editions. Each week they post a piece of photography from an up and coming artist and they sell it at a discounted price, just for that week. It's a great opportunity to collect some unique work without having to go broke!

I also totally gave in and bought a canvas print from Urban Outfitters that I felt was a little overpriced. But, I actually really like it. But that's it, only two pieces so far.

I've been browsing through a really cool decorating book to get ideas. It's a great source of inspiration and design techniques: Domino: The Book of Decorating

Friends! Help me find new art for my house!!! Post a comment and share your favorite artists or places to find interesting pieces. I would really appreciate it!!!

Nelly's know-how to... Consign Clothes!

That's right! Consignment! As one who has been a dedicated consigner for two years now I am always surprised by how many of my friends have never tried it and know nothing about it. Consequently, they are just as surprised when I tell them that I have made hundreds, yes hundreds of dollars from consigning my clothing. It is far too worthwhile to pass up so I am going to share my consigning tips with you to help you make a few extra bucks while freeing up a little room in your closet. Weeee!

Consigning (in case you don't know) is when you bring your lightly used clothing, shoes or accessories to a second hand clothing shop; they sell it for you and once the clothes sell the shop keeps a small percentage of the sale and the rest of the money goes to you!

Tip 1: The best places to go are high-end consignment shops. They usually take mostly brand name or designer items. I know what you're thinking - I don't have a bunch of designer clothes! Neither do I. But you probably have things that someone else might find cute or stylish that just don't suit you anymore. Most shops suggest you bring in everything because you just never know! Keep in mind, consignment shops prefer clothes that apply to the current season; sweaters during winter, tank tops during summer, etc.

Tip 2: What one shop won't take another likely will. If you're in the Santa Barbara area you are welcome to follow my consignment pattern.

    First stop: Renaissance Fine Consignment. Their demographic tends to be middle aged women but they like to have a wide variety of styles. I like to go there first because they tend to get you a bit more money for your clothes, have an easy policy and the people are pleasant to work with.

    Second stop: The Closet. They're demographic is younger so they accept more trendy items. They don't require appointments so you can go straight from Renaissance to The Closet with your bags of clothes!

    Third stop: Jessica Consignment. I would make this my second stop but Jessica requires a bit more effort. They wants your clothes ironed and all on hangers, bleh! In their defense, they often accept a larger quantity of clothes, get you a good amount of money, and sell your clothes really fast, meaning you get your money sooner! So, they're definitely worth stopping by.

After that point I'll usually donate the rest, although you could take them to thrift shops who will buy them off you on the spot for a lesser amount.

Tip 3: Don't forget to check the status on your clothes! Most of these places won't contact you when your clothes have sold so you have to check in to see if they have money for you. Also, the shop will give you a report of what clothes they took from you. I recommend keeping track of that everytime you find out something's sold so you know what is still left. 

Tip 4: Remember your expiration date! Consignment shops usally give you about 1-3 months for your clothes to sell. They'll give you a date by which, whatever clothes of yours have not sold, you must pick up or the shop will claim permanant ownership of them. Again, the shop will not contact you to remind you of this so you must keep track of your expiration date and pick up your left over clothes in time.

Every shops policies are different so it's best to find out before you commit to it. A lot of shops require you make an appointment so.... what are you waiting for!!!

P.S. Don't forget to look around for something for yourself at a consignment shop. You can find great one of a kind or designer pieces for a great price.

Have you had a great experience consigning? Have any more great tips? If you're going to try it for the first time, let me know how it goes! Good luck!

tuesday's two things I love around my home...

I found this super cute blog of an acquaintance which has caused me some considerable Blogger's envy. Every Tuesday she has fellow bloggers "link up" (new blog feature for me - eek!) and share two things they they love or appreciate around their home. I thought this was kind of a nice idea so this is my first ever edition of Two things I love... around my home from Bacwoods Fern:

1. My little antique photo hangers. I think they are so sweet and a nice alternative to a picture frame. I found them at one of my favorite vintage shops called Punch. It is now moving to state street in Santa Barbara and I can't wait to go back and see what else I can find!

2. My lime green bath towels from Anthropologie. They're super soft and cozy and I love how colorful they are! I've considered painting my bathroom wall to help them pop, but that's quite an undertaking for towels... we'll see. 

What are your two favorite things? I linked up kind of last minute today, but feel free to play along or join in next week, link here. I think I'll try and join each week if I can!

Masterpiece and Master Scam

I've added another song to my playlist. This is an older one as well but I recently stumbled upon it. It is called "Saeglopur" by the innovative and astoundingly beautiful, Sigur Ros. If you haven't heard of them, well, get to it. This particular song I think is literally breathtaking. It gets a little loud half way through but the beginning... I recommend turning it up and closing your eyes to soak up all the intricate layers of sound.
Another track on my playlist, "Gobbledigook," is from their latest album which contains several more upbeat tracks.

Totally separate topic:
I went online to purchase a subscription to the magazine Real Simple as a gift to my close friend. I deeply, deeply love this magazine. I cherish each issue that comes out and read it cover to cover, flagging all the fabulous ideas, crying a few tears and laughing like old friends with each months heart warming feature article. A topic often featured among it's shiny, broad pages is how to save money and avoid uneccessary or hidden costs. Well, today, after completing their very simple (duh) and clear online form, I was flabbergasted when the following message appeared on my screen: "Thank you for purchasing 12 issues of Real Simple with automatic renewal." Automatic Renewal???? The fine print on this form must have been so microscopic that I don't even recall seeing it hidden amidst the brightly colored submission form with text large enough for the legally blind! Oh, Real Simple!? How could you do this? Betray such a faithful follower! Really! I expected more from you, Real Simple! I... I can't believe I am saying this... I... I am disappointed in you... Real Simple (sniffle).

Sincerely,

Disheartened and jaded reader.

Mark It With An "N"

Hello to my mmm, I think, three remaining readers. It's true. I confess, the twelve followers below is a bit of a deception. I bullied most of them into clicking the "follow" button and they probably haven't returned since. If you look closely you'll see that one of the twelve is me. On another note:

A William Sonoma catalogue came in the mail today and my heart gave a little flutter when I spotted this beauty. I have to say it, OMG! Can you imagine all the lovely little things I'd bake and wrap with pretty ribbons and label with this oh-so-cute embosser! And the sweet little cards I'd send with my embossed emblem on the back, and the darling wrapped gifts I'd give with the embossed tag! Can you imagine it? I can, I am right now and it's wonderful!  But, one thought interupts my dreams of crafting bliss and that is, truthfully, what if my last name changes??? Uh, okay, I know... this is so embarrassing and rediculous of me, but I can't help it! I wouldn't want to waste a whole embossing template on a last name I'll never use again (God help me)! And I wouldn't want to count my chickies before they hatch so... I'm thinking this is a great engaged or already married item to purchase. Hmph. Oh, if only I could know which name to order right now...ahem! Okay, just kidding. Maybe I could order some with just my first name... or a nickname... ooh, or an alias. It would be perfect to have before Valentines day. Can you imagine the scrumptious Valentines I could send with my little embossed envelopes! Sigh.

A Modern Thank You Card

I just added a new song to my playlist. Actually, it's an old song that I used to love. Something reminded me of it recently and I couldn't wait to hear it again. It is Little Star by Stina Nordenstam. You may recognize it from the movie Romeo & Juliet. Back when the movie came out I would listen to this song and imagine what my first kiss would be like with Leonardo DiCaprio. Surprisingly, that is not what drew me to it this time. Simply put, it's just so darn pretty.

Speaking of lovely music, I had a birthday recently and decided that I would forego the sentimental homemade Thank You card for a modern upgrade: a mixed CD. I wrote little messages on the disc and will wrap each with a pretty ribbon. I think it gives an otherwise predictable Thank You letter a little flair and something to give back. Oh how creatively ingenious of me, brag, brag, brag! Pardon me, I'm a bit excited about it. The truth is, I have been very lazy about reading and writing lately but have devoted much appreciation and dwindling of time to music and longed to share my favorite songs. Some might even say I force my music upon others... but I don't feel that's accurate.

I will have to try and pick up a book or back of a cereal box or something this week to help with inspiration; I'm afraid, though, my grammar has fallen beyond repair.

Time for bed! Today at work I came dangerously close to drooling on my keyboard and succumbing to the ever-threatening hunchback, due to lack of sleep. I'm hoping tomorrow our bookkeeper will give my fresh face a sweet complement rather than a concerned, "you look tired..."  Goodnight!

Deck the Halls...

We've had a few weeks of butt-cold weather. I won't miss an opportunity to sport a festive scarf!

In terms of decorating, well, it's sort of taken a back seat, but I spangled up my fake palm tree. Classy.

And of course, a holiday ambient staple: candles flickering with Christmas spirit. And Rudolph.

In case you were wondering, yes, I did paint these Christmas baubles. I'm quite fond of them.

The star I am using as my tree topper I slyly retrieved from a gift basket that came to my work. I was too lazy to dig for our usual ornaments but I think this does the trick.

Merry Christmas!!!

p.s: Christmas music with a fresh flair to come!

Proud Runner...

A few months ago I posted running a marathon as an item on my list of achievable goals. I’d like to inform you of adjustments/progresses in regards to that goal since the time of its posting. To be completely honest, when I first penned the goal I was unaware of exactly how many miles a marathon was. I had, for the most part, never ran (except for in grade school when you have to run the dreaded annual mile.) I’m not sure what I expected, but upon hearing it was the some-kinda-insanity 26 miles I quickly downgraded the goal to a half marathon. It didn’t take more than moment more for me to acknowledge that, yes indeed, that means a half marathon is 13 miles. Barf. Due to my ignorance, I decided to train for the next half marathon. It was a late Saturday morning, I had a steady, 90 year-old-ish hobble going down my street. A mere 3 blocks later I was whimpering from a fresh bee sting on my ankle and, having stopped to nurse my wound, suddenly found that I felt extremely nauseous. I had a moment of panic. I felt like my stomach was going to empty itself in both directions and I was going to die of thirst at the same time. I frantically scanned my surroundings for a drinking fountain, none. Though I was within five minutes of my house I folded onto a patch of grass in front of a huge Graham Cheverolet sign on the corner of an intersection, sucking in deep slow breaths. As the damp grass soaked into the seat of my pants two other joggers moved gingerly up the sidewalk. I tried to hide the distressed expression on my face and fidgeted with my shoe laces as they swiftly passed me. It was then that I realized that I didn't have a clue and 13 miles is a lot. So again, I downsized my half marathon to a marathon relay with three other people. I requested the shortest leg, 4.7 miles. Amazingly enough, since that dreadful morning, I have managed to run four miles with some regularity. In part because four miles is the exact distance from my house to my boyfriends and back. That way I can burst through his door and demand to know his plans for the night while having a little water break and showing him that I‘m athletic. I know what some of you are saying, “Pah! Four miles? I did that when I was five! I run 15 miles a day!” And to you I say, you are crazy and need to get some other hobbies. But truly, I don’t need that. I am so proud of myself for actually saving my brownie till later, shutting off the reality TV show, putting on the insanely tight sports bra and stretchy pants, all to go sweat like a pig and run like a sissy with my mouth gaping open for four triumphant miles as my neighbors drive by and wave.

Having said that, I must tell you that the marathon relay I was planning to run in is this Sunday. Have I trained? Yes. Have I resolved to getting up at the ass-crack of dawn in thirty degree weather? Yes. Unfortunately, my teammates are not in the same boat. Maybe it’s because they’re all married and so aren't in need of an excuse for a surprise visit to their boyfriends house. I don’t know, but the race for team Runners Up is officially off. You may think I feel pretty disappointed. But I don’t. As I said, it is a miracle in itself that my running shoes even see daylight. Cheesey may it be, but I feel like a winner. Plus, now I can enjoy the open bar at my company Christmas party this Saturday night.

Runners Up has decided to try the run again in May when it’s not so cold at 6am. My leg has been upped to about 7 miles. Yes!

Tidy Ribbons and Such...

Anyone who is a crafter knows about the amount of stuff you acquire in order to be well prepared for whatever inspiration or crafty conundrum may enter your day. Paper, embossing gun, yarn, ribbons galore, several types of glue, beads, stamps, glitter, fabric... just to name just a few. I recently attempted to downsize my numerous craft storage boxes and was immediately overwhelmed. So, I focused in on the area that seemed most chaotic: the tangled and severly intertwined, yet splendidly colorful, ribbons.  I hunted for a better form of containment and found a rectangular basket of my moms that wasn't really being used. Then I detangled, diligently, just like the good 'ol days when your yo-yo string got in a knot, times twenty... nine. My cat padded by pretending to be disinterested until it struck her that this was the best project ever and she became relentless in trying to participate. With little thanks to my cat, I ended up being quite pleased with the final result.

I had the brilliant idea of tying the smaller scraps of ribbon onto the handle of the basket to keep things somewhat orderly. Nice, right?

I got a little distracted after organizing the ribbon and my ever searching attention turned to color sorting the books on one shelf of my bookcase, yes, just one. I noticed of friend of mine had done this and I found it curious, so I thought I'd try it out. I've been undecided for about a week but I think I'm leaning towards... liking it! It looks orderly, wouldn't you say? My boyfriend pulls all his books out a bit so that the binds line up evenly, creating a smooth look. I think I'll try that next.

P.S. I got some little glow lights from IKEA. I think they give my room a romantic flair (wink).

I heart big jewelry...

I don't know if anyone has noticed a recent trend in big, chunky, statement jewelry... I have. And I really, really like it. I was browsing the website of my favorite clothing store, Anthropologie, and I came upon this lil' beauty:

Isn't it gorgeous! I can only hope it will last long enought to go on sale. It's about $48 and I'm a bargain shopper. Plus, since I have too much clothes and accessories for my tiny closet I can only justify a new purchase if it's an incredible deal. But $48 isn't bad for something like this, eh? Take note: add to Christmas list!

As far as the sale selection goes, I found this little interesting piece for $19.95:

What do you think? I kind of like it, paired with a simple black top for a night out. Please fashionistas, let me know your thoughts.

*click on images to enlarge

A Quote to Hopefully Propel Me...

"I want hard stories, I demand them for myself. Hard stories are worth the difficulty. It seems to me the only way I have forgiven anything, understood anything, is through that process of opening up to my own terror and pain and reexamining it, re-creating it in the story, and making it something different, making it meaningful - even if the meaning is only in the act of the telling."
-Dorothy Allision

I have yet to learn to do this, but it's something I look forward to.

I know I owe my three readers an update on my goals and so forth; stay tuned...

Sew! Sew! Sew!

I've recently been in a sewing kick, much thanks to my Biff. For my birthday he bought me a snazzy, computerized sewing machine, the Singer Advance. This thing makes sewing foolproof. It has about twenty buttons to press that create different stitch patterns. I can press a button, push down on the pedal and the sewing machine will create a detailed vine stitch, or a stitch with stars, a floral stitch, or a wiggly stitch. And I can say to people, I sewed that. It ups my sewing cred quite a bit.

Since I've been so excited about it, I signed up for a sewing class and splurged on some fun new fabrics. A friend told me about, fabric designer, Amy Butler, at www.amybutlerdesign.com. She makes the prettiest fabrics! Her website is full of fun sewing ideas and she has free patterns you can print out as well. I ordered the Fresh Poppy fabric in Ivory (pictured) to make a half-sized robe. A little tip: you can find good deals on her fabric on www.Etsy.com. I'll let you know how the sewing project goes.

P.S.

The only problem with having my fancy Singer Advance is that my sewing class uses ancient, heavy duty, manual sewing machines. Eek! I'm a little scared of those suckers.

A Few of My Favorite Things

I feel it is important to make your surroundings a place you enjoy being. For me, the place I go to relax at home would be my bedroom. I love coming home from work to a room that I like and is pleasant. I achieved this by adding little details to things I already had, like adding pretty knobs to an old, dull dresser. Here are a few of my favorite little details:

I love these little photo hangers I found at a vintage boutique!

Whether cleaning or reading a book, I like to burn a sweet smelling candle to make the experience all the more enjoyable. My favorite is Santiago Huckleberry by Voluspa. And they come in pretty jars!

If you're like me then you probably have photos displayed on every wall, tucked into the corners of your mirror and frames. Pictures are very important to me but I also don't like a lot of clutter. So I took all the pictures around my room that lacked a proper home and made a photo collage above my sewing table. (That's my lovely sewing machine under its cover in the left corner.) The photo collage was inspired by a Pottery Barn catalogue (wink) and makes for something cheerful to look at while brainstorming sewing projects. Love it!

These are mercury glass votive holders. It's nice to have a little something shiny here or there.



A dear friend sent me a post card with this poem by Robert Creeley on it. Isn't it sweet?




And finally: Nothing beats a friendly companion.