Promised post: Art & Jewelry Display

Post & pictures coming soon!

Jack's Widow. A book review.

I just finished reading Jack's Widow by Eve Pollard; a novel about Jackie O.
It is my opinion that those who are historical fiction authors are the least acknowledged (and appreciated) for their incredible talent. Certainly not all, but a great many of these literary artists perform the daunting task of both being historians and researchers - which takes a knack for facts and an infinite attention span - AND creative and believable - because they are charged with making true facts more interesting, while maintaining believability, while intertwining pure fiction.
One thing I really like about Pollard is that she speckles her story with great descriptions of Jackie's clothing. "All her lingerie, the tulle, satin and organdy, even the silken threads that held them together, was hand-dyed in Paris to match her skin to perfection." "...she bathed, fluffed up her hair, slipped into a pair of cyclamen-pink tapered trousers and a dyed-to-match cashmere crewneck." You can see her, can't you? Jackie, in all her glamour (and, according to this tale, all her torment) still managing to pull off chic perfection when it comes to her appearance.
USA Today was right - I did get sucked into the hijinks and loved every minute!
BUT...Who is the real Jackie?
This curiousness on my part has led me to finally getting a library card! I just checked out a biography on Jackie Kennedy Onassis as well as on Coco Chanel. This plastic card is one I hope to melt rather quickly from overuse!

Just to whet your appetites...

I have a very lovely blog all planned out--even handwritten on an empty envelope!
I sat down to type it up just now, and realized I left it in my subject's binding at The Tenor's home.
Curious?
Stay tuned....

It's been a month...

since my camera worked!!!
Which is probably why I'm not blogging as much. I had all of these grand ideas for taking pics of things I see that are inspirational or wonderful or frightening...and they are all captured (without a way to escape!) in my camera.

Re: The dress/shoe conundrum:
I found a gorgeous pair of dark fuchsia (magenta, perhaps) suede (I know, I know, not Spring/Summer appropriate, even if it's evening) ruffle-topped peep-toe pumps that were PERFECT. I then paired that lacy LBD with a pair of understated (yet GORG!) Judith Ripka pink quartz and pink sapphire with white diamond earrings! A very new-to-me Judy also came into my life the night of my friend's wedding--Judith Leiber! A coworker purchased the pink Swarovski-d bag a while ago, and while she won't allow her own daughter to borrow it, I've proven my ability to appreciate care for the expensive. :)
I'm waiting for the photographer to post her pictures so I can steal them and repost.

Meanwhile...what questions do you have for me? Summer is around the corner--any fashion faux pas you want to avoid? Wondering about white, linen, rafia, or cork? Comment your questions and I'll get to them!

Help, please?

I now enlist you, faithful fashion followers, to help me find a great shoe to go with this dress! It looked fantastic for runway and winter with tights and black suede booties...but I want to wear this dress to a wedding on May 2! The reception will be at the House of Blues, so chic and stylish is a must! Images are below (click here if you need additional pictures).
This will be my dress' debut, so I need it to be fabulous! (Not to mention the party I am attending will be chock full of stylish gals--including the bride who is wearing a sassy Melissa Sweet dress with cobalt Kate Spades!)
I have pewter python Tahari strappy sandals...but I they are way too much texture for the already sensory heavy dress. I don't want to do boring and black (but I will break glass in case of emergency).
So...what say you?

Personal Shopping!

Are you having a hard time finding the style that work best for you? Are you overwhelmed with the assortment of trends, and how quickly they change? Would you like to have someone shop with you (in your closet and abroad) who will give you honest opinions and advice for improving your look?

I’m a retail therapist, and I’m here to help!

Equipped with a Texas license in counseling, and years of retail experience, I’m ready to help you bridge the gap between your mind and reality when it comes to how you want to look.

Starter Kit – You and I meet in your closet. You tell me what you wear and what you haven’t touched in five years, but can’t seem to throw out. I tell you what you should and shouldn’t be wearing from your closet, what shapes, styles, and colors are most complementary on you. You let me know whether or not you want to see me again. $75 (1 hour increments)

Personal Shopping – The basics. Includes shopping for events, interviews, work, day-to-day, vacation, weekends, etc. Think of me as your incredibly honest friend, but with more style. $75/$50 (1^st 2 hours/hourly thereafter)

Re-do! – Are you a jeans and tshirt kind of person who needs a little polishing? Did you just graduate and need help dressing for the corporate world? From consult to shopping, I’ll help you get from where you are to where you want to be. $125 (consult + 1^st shopping)

SOS – For those who need to purge their wardrobes, need a total makeover, don’t know what treasures they have, and want someone else to make the major decisions. My only requirement? Donate whatever you don’t keep. $100 (2 hours)

The Organizer – You know you had that one scarf that looked fantastic? And those shoes that looked perfect with that pencil skirt? But you can’t find it? I’ll get your closet organized in no time—by season, by genre, by whatever makes most sense to you. $150 (3 hours)

Style File – Let’s digitally archive your looks (and hard work!) to give you fingertip access to your wardrobe and all its potential. Notes will be created to give you alternative accessories, shoes, etc. so you won’t feel stuck in a rut. Time consuming to create? Sure. Time saving when you look in your closet and see nothing to wear? Definitely. $250 (start to finish)

Judith Ripka!!!

Picture this:
It's the last night of the Dallas Opera for the Lovers and Scoundrels season, and for the Dallas Opera to perform at Fair Park Music Hall. I have to work all day, and have decided to wear my evening outfit to work, with evening updates in my bag. Grey menswear pinstripe modifiedsweetheart neckline strapless dress ( BR). Pewter python Tahari strappy sandals. My great-grandmother's lambswool with mink collar evening jacket.
My jewelry was work appropriate and fun for the evening--every strand of pearl I owned!
It was not, however, glam. Or Judith Ripka.
While at work. the very sweet Katie came in to shop. She was wearing a fabulous green amythest Judith Ripka ring--and when I complimented her, she suggested I swing by the store. When I mentioned that it was Closing Night, she told me to come over to borrow jewelry.
That's, right. She was offering the glitz that lay inside the glass cases!
As I (shakily) walked over to the store, I thought about what could possibly lie ahead: a JR ring, perhaps the JR necklace I talked about before, maybe earrings?
What happened was more than I could have imagined!
Katie asked that I take off all the jewelry I was wearing. She then began handing me bauble after bauble, an earring, a larger earring, a choker, a drop necklace, a cuff, a ring, a different necklace...
Before I knew it, I was wearing $60,000 worth of Judith Ripka 18k white gold and diamonds!
Katie asked for my phone number and asked that I return the jewelry Sunday afternoon. That was it! She trusted me to properly represent the brand (and promote it if given the opportunity)--which I was happy to carry!!
To mark the occasion--for myself and for posterity--my very talented Tenor, Steve, did a photoshoot of me and the jewels against the artful backdrop of Deep Ellum.
Enjoy!

Reader's Choice

Which blog would you rather I upload first?

• Last night of the Dallas Opera season, and last night at Fair Park
• Judith Ripka loaned me jewels!
• Dallas Summer Musicals at The Majestic Theater

Comment with your choice! The blog that has the most votes will be up by Thursday!

Antique Adventure

Before I get started, there are a few definitions I would like to supply to provide clarification as you read:

Antique mall: (n) large indoor space, subdivided by dealer. The mall takes a percentage of the sale from the dealer, which is why you will find items marked "firm" (the dealer has proportionally more money sunk into that item than in others, which he is able to discount, have a percentage taken, and still profit from).

Dealer: (pronoun) one who is knowledgeable about a certain set of collectibles, scours the globe for them, cleans them up, and sells. Dealers can be found at antique malls, flea markets, antique shops, and dark alleys.

Antique shop: (n) a store of varying size which sells antique and vintage things; one owner and one seller, although you can often find things on consignment (usually from a collector who is needing to prune their personal cache)

Flea market: (n) usually an outdoor event which requires a quick set up for the dealer, a willingness to wake at incredibly early hours (for all parties), and fantastic haggling skills. Beware of reproductions, damaged items, and other crap.

Auction house: (n) can be an indoor or outdoor space, in which items are divided into "lots". These lots are brought up by auction assistants for the auctioneer to call. Items are usually boxed by similarity, although things can often wind up in strange combination. Auction houses are great places to get a lot of stuff for cheap (if the crowd is uneducated or uninterested in your items of choice).

Antique show: (v & n) a group of dealers selling items from a specific theme, time period, or mode. I participate in Antique Elegance (Richardson, TX), which is a pretty good mix of bigs (furniture, etc) and smalls (jewelry, dolls, ephemera, etc) from the Victorian period through the 1940s.

Also, for purpose of preservation of trade secrets, I have intentionally left out the names of all of the places we visited. Know that we were in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. If you have further questions, or are interested in going on such an adventure, please contact me!

Antique adventure

Day 1 3.3.09

1-auction house

2-auction house 2 - Picturesque drive down to 95 and them into the city. Under the Ben Franklin bridge and past the old night clubs and perhaps the future Trump towers and casinos of the downtown docks.

3-auction house 3 - one of the best auctioneers I've ever heard. His calling is reminiscent of oooold country music. Melodic. Rhythmic. Interesting.

Day 2 3.4.09

8a on the road! This Hwy thru PA reminds me of being on the autobahn through the German bath towns.

1-antique mall - Lots of everything

2-antique mall 2 - Huuuge antique mall. Bring a coat.

3-antique shop - very expensive, small selection. Car picnic!

4-auction house 4 - lots to choose from! We came on a good auction/consignment day, but things seem to be going expensively. The auction starts at 2p and is scheduled (by lot and room) through 8p. The auctioneer has a rather annoying/grating call--difficult to understand and he has the tendency to contiue speaking in the rhythm and tone after a bid is over. Also, there isn't much order to the way he's pulling boxes. New caller. All in the fam? He looks like the first caller's dad. And now another caller--another annoying one--this one too young to know much. (three hours pass) Ok. We've moved to the garage. They have a table on wheels with a stand for the auctioneer. They move the scaffolding with auctioneer along the perimeter of the room. Hahaha!! But this group of people could use a good scrub down!

Day 3 3.5.09

7a let's go!

1-auction house 5 - all indoors so warm :) There is a snack stand with delicious egg and cheese and sausage sammys. Nice layout--very clear; however the books and folk art are in a separate gallery while china and smalls are going. Bad decision-making to do both simultaneously. The concierge reports that the auctioneer goes about 80-90 lots per hour--so at a good clip. There are auction books that are beautifully photographed for the jewelry and fine arts show next week--compete with full descriptions and approximate value. Attractive crowd that has showered lately! Auctioneers & staff are in suits--things look and run very smoothly. And quick! These folks mean business! But the caller is having a good time and is joking around. Yay!

2-tour guide's basement - Although not open to the general public, Pat's had a lot to offer my mother--mostly because she loves to dig and sort. I certainly found a few good things, too!

Day 4 3.6.09

Late start! But for a reason: we needed to pack the FedEx boxes to ship the goods purchased so far, and we are slowly making our way to the big flea market tomorrow! We'll be hitting shops the whole way down, so it should be an interesting trip.

1-FedEx - There's a bathroom in the basement that you can sweettalk the lady at the desk into giving you.

2-antique mall 3 - don't drive too fast down George street or you'll miss it! This mall was obviously severla different establishments before the mall--the rooms are disjointed and there is not a good flow through the building. We just found an entire back hallway full of great stuff--that we found by getting lost!

3-antique mall 4 - set in a fabulous old farm house, the tiny doorways and severly twisting stairs open to rooms full of beautiful handcarved furniture and glass cases full of surprises. If you close your eyes and tune out the sounds of traffic outside the windows, you can picture a warm home full of laughing childrren and hardworking adults. People perhaps taking respite midday or from the hard toil of battles and war inside this safe haven. I'm reminded by these nonexistent hallways, low ceilings, and tiny walkways that we are a much larger people than those who came before us.

On to Maryland!

4-antique mall 5 - meh.

Across the Potomac and on to Virginia (it's for lovers!)

Day 5 3.7.09

1-flea market - 6 hours later.... It's worth the $10 admission only if you know exactly where you're going or if you're willingto dig for what you want.

2-antique show-cranky people. Maybe because of Richard Wright's death, but who knows.

Day 6 3.8.09

4am let's go!!!

1-flea market 2 - bring a flashlight! This place starts EARLY (there is a Dunkin Donuts nearby) and people are packing up by the time the sun makes her debut.

2-flea market 3 - bring a flashlight but there's a huge indoor section. And restrooms! The best deals are certainly outside, especially because all of the merchandise is staffed with it's dealer--inside you run into dark or roped booths that you cannot look at or purchase from because the dealer is not there.

3-flea market 2.5 (indoor market) - 4 hours later and the flea is totally cleaned up

4-antique mall 6 - cranky staff, but decent selection of smalls.

All who went on this adventure bought incredible things. My jewelry and smalls have already made their debut at Forestwood Antique Mall (ask for showcase 374). I'll be posting pictures soon.

It was exhausting, it was educational, it was definitely worth it! If you are interested in going on your own Antique Adventure, please let me know!

Antique Adventure

Sorry for the delay on posting--I've been in the NorthEast, hunting for vintage goodies to sell! I'm working on editing the daily journal of the trip--look for the post soon!

Shecky's photo op

Last little bit on Shecky's--they do make you feel like a celeb.

Have you Shecky-d?

I forgot to mention that I made my bi-annual trip to Shecky's Girl's Night Out. It's a great way to find out about both local and up-and-coming clothing and jewelry designers--for a fraction of the cost--with goodie bags and free drinks!

Spring's shopping event was held at F.I.G. in downtown Dallas. Though it was a little difficult to get to, the Fashion Institute Gallery is certainly one of the cooler modern spaces nestled into the heart of the city. We were greeted by security, photographed on the pink carpet (pic to come soon!), and got our pre-ordered tickets and wristbands. We walked in to a shopper's paradise! Women were certainly the en masse, Shecky's staff members and drink waiters were all men-and didn't seem to mind being out numbered! The goodie bags were worth every penny of admission, and came in great Louis Vuitton-inspired nylon zipper bags (hello: grocery bag!). We wandered around and I rediscovered the joys of browsing and shopping-without-intent-of-purchase. It was lovely! My girlfriend picked up a cute silver cocktail dress (that I'll have to borrow, in exchange for her picking through cocktail-gate '08) from a local designer. All in all, with the XRated Flirtinis and committment free perusal of wears, it was a delightful evening!

Check out their website and see if there is an event near you!

Lent & Confessions of a Shopaholic

"Lent, in some Christian denominations, is the forty-day-long liturgical season of fasting and prayer before Easter. The forty days represent the time Jesus spent in the desert, where according to the Bible he endured temptation by Satan. Different churches calculate the forty days differently. The purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer—through prayer, penitence, almsgiving and self-denial—for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, which recalls the events linked to the Passion of Christ and culminates in Easter, the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ." (wiki)

Confessions of a Shopaholic: As you could probably infer, I have a problem. However, this problem is relatively noninvasive and has been kept successfully at bay for a little over a year. (Yay!) I have replaced the urge to purchase with the urge to window shop and try on--usually in stores that are rather out of my league. I have had a flew slipups (see: cocktail-gate of 2008), but have since recognized the cues and triggers and put steps in place to avoid future misbehavior.

I will be observing this Lenten season with two things: The removal of one thing, and the doing of another.

• I will be removing ALL unnecessary shopping. Forget just clothing, I'm talking about the impulse candy in the checkout line at the grocery store, eating out when I have food at home, and careful consideration in all gift buying.

• I will be doing more exercising and being much less of a lazy slug. Becoming complacent with my figure has turned on me as of late, and I want to prevent further movement in a direction that is rather difficult to reverse.

I will do my best to update daily. They will be short and sweet. For example, today's entry would read:
"Went to the grocery store today and purchased bread and butter. Although I could probably use to restock the fridge, I have plenty of food that I have held hostage in my pantry and freezer for far too long. I passed the candy aisle on the way to the checkout and noticed that Robins Eggs have already made their seasonal debut. I feel the same way about Robins Eggs as I do about Candy Pumpkins: they are just as dangerous as heroin. I was very proud of my ability to walk in and out, and enjoyed a lovely supper. I thought about exercise tonight-and that is a step in the right direction!"

Tomorrow: window shopping while walking around the Village at lunch time.

Antique Elegance

Happy weekend to you!
Today and tomorrow are dedicated to Antique Elegance--a fantastic show in Richardson, Texas.
There was a fabulous fashion show this morning that spanned from the late 1700s through the 1960s. Pictures to come...
If you haven't had a chance to come by, you still have from 10a-5p tomorrow.
I'll see you there!

If you don't have a chance to make it, I'll have a writeup with highlights next week.

Ack!

How has it been a month since my last post?!

Resolution 2: Blog more!

And I'll definitely be keeping this one!

Pretty in Puce

A quick look at First Lady Obama's Inaugural outfit tells us a few things about her personality that we previously may not have known:

1. She is not afraid of some daytime sparkle. (Yay! Let us all follow suit!)
2. She is brave enough to try colors previously only worn by Pixar characters (see: Mike Wazowski in Monster's Inc.)
3. She does not have to wear schmancy designer labels to feel fabulous. (Isabel Toledo dress, JCrew gloves, Jimmy Choo shoes. See also: interview with Leno outfit)
4. She is classic with a twist. (Like Jackie O. meets an Uptown girl)
5. She plans on keeping us surprised with her fashion choices throughout the Presidency.

I, for one, very much look forward to what fashion wheels she will get turning and what fads she will lead.

Resolution

An explanation about my intention for New Years resolutions: I think you should make as many as necessary, to be amended as needed, added often, and the list completed by the end of January (which is the end of the retail year; how appropriate!) or, at the latest, the last day of February. Resolutions are meant to be kept; though, as with all rules, some bending does occur (sans penalty). Resolutions are to be held in high regard by friends and acquaintances, whether or not agreement is achieved (or sought). Resolutions are non-binding and certainly non-legal. Resolutions usually have a reason; however, no reason must be evident, apparent, needed, or given.

So, without further ado, a resolution:

I will not buy another cocktail dress (this year) no matter how good the sale (and employee discount), the reason (another opera with The Tenor), how magnificent I look and/or feel in it (expensive fabrics always make me feel delicious), or how I may try to convince myself otherwise (remember: Masters in counseling).

Absent but not Gone

Hello my magpies
I'll apologize for my absence, but I don't think an apology is really what you are looking for. An explanation may provide a bit more useful: I work in retail and the holidays caught me quite by surprise this year (although the Christmas music starting November 1 should have been an accurate cue). Then it was time to go home and spend the Holiday with my lovely family and boyfriend. New Years quickly came (as it does every year, without fail), and here we are at January 13. I should mention that I was full of grand intention of blogging much sooner than today; however, I fell rather ill on Friday and spent the majority of the past five days in bed or on the floor of my bathroom. However, with the help of The Tenor (for kindness and TLC) and CityDoc (for 2 liters of IV fluids, Phenergan, and assorted antibiotics), I'm finally in the seated position. I will be bringing you my 2009 predictions as well as the usual banter that fills these pages.
Until then, ciao!