classic little bow clutch purse

I'm finally finally starting to get settled in here. I'm still job hunting, but am getting into enough of a routine where I can start thinking about my shop again. Here is a darling little 1950s or 1960s black clutch purse I posted yesterday. It's so neat, it's actually two clutches that snap together in the back (one with a silver clasp, and one with gold), so there are actually three options of wearing it!

high waisted pants

I'm just sittin here on a Sunday night, sippin unsweetened soy milk and thinking about high waisted jeans. Am I the last one to figure this one out? The following are all from UO:

Silence and Noise High Waist Twill Pant

Silence and Noise High Waisted Skinny Jean (my favorite of these picks!)

Rapscallion by Samantha Pleet High Rise Skinny Jean

I've been pretty much living in high waisted skirts since the beginning of summer, and yet the possibility of high waisted pants did not until yesterday occur to me. I think, since moving back to California and back to my large overpacked closet, I have really rejected wearing pants. Pants (or shorts, which you possibly see more of in SoCal) have in the last few years of my life represented a lack of creativity and an acquiescence to reality (not having enough time to dream up interesting outfits). But now I've moved, my closet and it's contents are far slimmer, and my style is going to have to shift a bit to meet new conditions.

I only brought two pairs of pants with me (as opposed to, alright, let me get up and count: three coats, four cardigans/sweaters, eight skirts, eight dresses, nine pairs of shoes and 13 shirts/blouses), and as the lifestyle here is far less heels-and-dress than I had been living down south, a reintroduction of pants into my wardrobe might be in order. I hate to break down and buy something new (not vintage and/or thrifted), but pants are just one of those things.

If you've seen any pants like these that you'd recommend, please let me know! In exchange, only in case we've been living under the same rock, I send you now to pandora. Harkens back to the days when I actually researched to find new music I would like, instead of relying on my boyfriend to expose me to new stuff! Tut tut.

weekend

shirt- vintage (CA)
skirt- uni qlo (JPN)
boots- me too (CA)
bag- vintage (CA)

dress- gap (JPN)
bag- vintage (CA)
boots- me too (CA)
flower- (CA)

On the above day Hylton, a visiting friend and I decided somewhat spontaneously to hike to a eucalyptus covered area near the ocean where the monarch butterflies have migrated for the briefest breath of winter. Imagine bits of orange flying behind me.

the mission

I've been officially moved for a week now, and have one wardrobe remix photo to prove it.

Yesterday, at the mission with Hylton.
dress- vintage (NY)
cardigan- Rope Picnic (JPN)
belt- thrifted (CA)
tights- Hue (CA)
boots- Me Too (CA)
bag- vintage (UK)

I've been quite busy job and furniture hunting, and generally just getting acquainted with the area. I have moved enough before to know it is always better to travel with as little stuff as possible, which has given me the opportunity to spend hours every day trolling craigslist for bargains. I'm sleeping on the floor and am surrounded by boxes, but I have so far acquired a beautiful antique desk.

Lots more to come.

assorted

January 1st (early morning of), old friends!
[1960s Wool Dress, vintage shop]

January 2nd, boyfriend's show
[1950s circle skirt, Etsy]

January 3rd, rare public breakfast

The New Year

I've been a busy bee lately. I spent the holidays up in the Sacramento Valley, first recovering from a supremely inopportune 24-hour bug (what's a day-long car ride without some vomiting?), then board gamin' with family, and finally lots of reading and lounging. After that I spent some days in the company of Best Friend Who Has Forsaken Me For Brooklyn, who was visiting family out in the wilds above LA. Though all the expanses of Joshua trees would have made great photos, we mostly stayed in and watched Planet Earth.

Since getting home I have been scrambling to see friends while they were briefly in town, and in the past few days I have spent a lot of time staring at the contents of my closet and only hypothesizing about packing. But pack I finally did, and tomorrow I head for greener pastures.

For all the moving around I've done in the past few years, it is pretty amazing how just six months of hometown complacency have stripped me of confidence in my ability to start over. Tomorrow I drive a few hours up the coast to a new home, new friends, and new wardrobe remix photo backgrounds.

Here's to new beginnings in 2009!