Stone Fox

Well continuing right along in my dark mood... Monday was grey and rainy and oh-so-Parisian. I decided to spend the morning wandering around and taking photos in the 18th and 19th arrondissements, near some of my favorite metro stations. These areas are a bit grittier and industrial, full of train stations and an ABOVE GROUND METRO. My favorite.
So, I started off at Pigalle,


This sign is usually bright red at night. I love seeing it in the morning light, black and stark.



Where Line 2 meets the light of day. At Barbes.


Train stations.


Stalingrad.


Near Point Ephémère, a super cool club/bar on the Canal St. Martin. I can't wait to take my bestie, Sara, there for her February visit!


An abandoned movie theater. And hey guess what?! Apparently I can doodle on my pictures. And apparently I have no doodlin g skillz.

So that was Monday. Tuesday was nostalgia. I caught some sort of scent, something really transitory that smelled like the office at the Diesel store on Guadalupe. I got this sort of aching, longing feeling for painting my nails with Sara, Starlite on Saturdays, Beauty Bar, Whole Foods, Tess, Jo's Coffee, South Lamar, 1st Congress, Feathers, yoga with Juan, Barton Springs, the Greenbelt, visits to Katie and William's place, BMX boys, music festivals, wheat-free beer, Tex-Mex, and all of those little things that make Austin so Austin-y and so special.

I guess that this little moment of nostalgia was also triggered by the fact that I found out that I'll probably be in Paris until 2011. Whoa. That's a scary though, in a way. It's exciting, and I love it here, but I guess it's strange to think of really really settling for a few years here. I'll be back in Texas in April to renew my visa and to visit friends, family, places, etc. I think I'll take an NYC trip to see all of my New York babies and my favorite city. I'm excited to have some time back home, especially if I ending taking the PLUNGE into long-term Parisian living.

Strange animal

Some weeks just pass by uneventfully - work and French and meetings and interviews and metro and photo shoots in les toilettes at Le Ritz... A circular shaped bathroom, with a mirror on each stall door, I mean, c'mon I HAVE take advantage.



This outfit has ruled my life - an old H&M coat, Diesel boots with perforated leather, and an huge and epic bright blue scarf.

This week was full of early mornings, which means getting ready in the dark. Well c'est pas grave, because I've been in a DARK mood. A good "dark" mood - a campy/creepy, Rick Owens, Japanese Ukiyo-e (aka prints) - state of mind.
So anywho, I figured that Olivier Theyskens could contribute to this current inspiration, so I decided to rock this top that he did for Nina Ricci. It's a combination of gauzy white material and dark grey wool, with some zipper details.



Nina Ricci + The Cure, New Order, and Interpol, and I'm ready to greet any rainy Saturday.

One life here with me and it's magic

Monday Monday. This was a hectic one, which started off with a mal-functioning alarm clock, running around the city for interviews with graduate schools, then meetings with Japanese clients, then yoga, then crashing in bed.
I was so tired all day, in some sort of sleep-deprived haze. Two espressos and a mid-day cappuccino didn't even make a chip in my delirium.
Oh well, it's done.
At least it started off with a bit of a bang:


M.A.R.G.I.E.L.A.


The boyz.


And I ended the day with my favorite form of therapy, paintin' the nails.

Do you wanna disco?

Sunday afternoons are always good for playing dress up. Today was sunny and clear and good for photo taking. I've been in a disco mood, maybe it's the new hair. Maybe it's Mein Disko parties at Le Regine. Maybe it's my new vintage dress. Whatever it is, it's making the winter feel perkier and not so gloomy, and it's giving me some good fashion inspiration.

If the sun comes up

Lace and flowy white slips make me want to listen to Fleetwood Mac while wearing a crown of daisies. Soft, girly pieces are a refreshing contrast to structured winter coats and boots.


The infamous lace one-sie.


A London find.


Morning scenes.

Anywho, it's Friday, people, and I've got some buddies coming into town. We're going to Le Regine to dance to Italo Disco until the wee hours of the morning. I'm thinking of wearing a ruffly Topshop dress, lamé tights, black booties, and pink and purple princess-y rhinestoned necklaces. I don't know, though... i might have to throw some neon in somewhere.

Withdrawal symptoms

My love obsession with Martin Margiela has come full circle thanks to the Paris "soldes"" (sales), and an outlet shop that carries a few Margiela pieces. I woke up early, the first day of the sales and waited in the cold to get my little hands on some lux. The results:


This cool Margiela, asymmetrical poncho in a great fuschia color.


And this Margiela piece. I'll have to take some pictures of it on, because it drapes so beautifully in the back (one of this Antwerp designer's great trademarks). It's so soft and comfortable, as well. I have to get all dressed up for an interview with some Japanese clients on Monday, and I'm planning on pairing this with Wolford back-seamed tights, little black Frye booties, and my bow cuff.

Some other little goodies:

I bought this hideously wonderful poncho in a vintage shop in Berlin, much to the chagrin of my shopping partner, Kurt. Sorry dude, but I can't resist massive things, especially in the freezing winter!



This sweater comes from a great luxury vintage shop here called the "No Good Store". I am crazy about the oversized grandpa sweater paired with lamé tights and Docs. This piece has a great kitschy charm and is covered in names of major cities: "Tokio" , "Rome", "Berlin", etc... How can I resist that?


A gift from my brothers. I'm not a Jolie fan, but my gosh, this shirt is kickass.


A belt? A necklace? I don't know. I dug it out of a huge bin full of random found objects. The color, the fringe, the 80's "Dynasty" appeal... I like the idea of wearing it with a drop-back dress, as a necklace, with the tassels down my back.

Self-fulfilling prophecies

So I apparently have to live in my Docs for the next months because my good 'ol Frye boots don't work so well on icy streets. I fell today. Like, wiped out. Fortunately I was on a quiet, 8 a.m. cobbled Monmartre street so I think that it was unwitnessed. For those of you who know me well, you know that I have a PARANOIA about falling, probably because I slip often. Let's see, there was that time on a beach in Washington when I slipped on a sandy, wet log and somehow ended up in seaweed brush. Oh yes, and when I fell onto the dirty beer-soaked floor of Beauty Bar. One time I just fell while I was standing straight, not moving at all, at Diesel. Then there was that rainy street in NYC. All this to say, "Thank you Doc Martens for existing".





And on an unrelated note, here are my new hairz!!!:

Paired with Betset Johnson coat, vintage fox fur throw, and a vintage silk button-up.

Exquisite rare miniatures

As I've said before, I'm an accessories freak. I like conversation pieces, typically represented by oversized forms or in the little details of belts and bracelets, necklaces and tiny handbags... My recent
finds:


Ooh la, I'm in love with this piece. It's got a over-the-top, Disney girlishness to it that I'm really loving. Just bought it from work and am planning to rock it in Japan come February. I picture it with knee socks, chunky heels, bubble gum (haha). For now, it's accompanied vintage frocks and Docs!


This little trooper has tagging along to those 6 a.m. dance parties at Le Baron. I found it at a fabulously crammed 3-story vintage paradise here. There is a whole room of vintage slips, corsets, etc. I also picked up two lace ones-ies that are epic. I'll add pics soon.


At least I've got someone's hands around my waist in the winter...


This little belt is a gem. Bejeweled koi fish?! Kill me.


I love the Southwestern/80's glam rock vibe of this one.


And some Texas flair.

I swear, for the love, I cannot handle these pics being cut off by Flickr any longer. SOMEONE HELP ME.