Low Tide

I've been daydreaming about visiting the Monterey Aquarium for a longgggg time. Especially when I found out they had an entire seahorse exhibit!!!! Today was finally the day! A really awesome one too. I plan on over-loading this space with photos of sea horses tomorrow - but for now, I'd like to share a few nice photos from our special little pre-aquarium parking lot adventure. Actually no - not really a parking lot at all - but just free street side parking right near a cliff at low tide. And I think this might be one of the best low tide adventures to date!

So, this was the view from where our car was parked.



And this was me trying to get down to the beach. I'm trying so hard not to lose my shoes/slip on that rock. My boyfriend has deemed these ballet flats the "worst adventure shoes ever"... And I agree... even though I still wear them every day! They're horrible city shoes too and hurt after walking around for a few hours and they're so stretched out I usually lose one running across the street... So, they're 100x worse when paired with ocean water and mossy rocks and sand!



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Once you made it down there it was like a little mini aquarium! Fat slimy sear stars, hermit crabs, snails, sea anemone, and these small shy fish that swam so fast and barely came out of hiding!! So much life in every little place, each step you took across the rocks had to be carefully chosen.





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And then there was a rock of mollusks... Or, as I like to call it - the rock of death!!! (I'm realllllllly allergic to edible sea creatures... like epi pen style)





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I ended up stepping on something I shouldn't have and got my right foot drenched - but besides that our little time on the rocks was as perfect as can be!!



OH! And on our walk over to the aquarium there were sea lions!!! I wonder if any of those dudes used to call Pier 39 their home??? hmmmm...



** I took photos with my new lomo lc-a+ camera too! So, hopefully they came out and I can share the film versions soon!!

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A new addition !

Internet, meet our couch!



It's been a 3.5 month search for this thing. Craigs List... Flea markets ... antique stores. In the mean time lots of hanging out on the floor/excessive internet sessions in bed which lead to too much snoozing ... but those times are behind us now!!!



I plan on adding a little table behind the couch to turn into a nice area for plants and other curiosities. But in the mean time it quickly turned into the new headquarters for all hot chocolate, sewing, internet browsing, and 1385 business. (which by the way is updated for the most part!) But, now, I have to leave my office for a thrifting adventure. Hopefully I'll bring back some nice things!!



... and maybe some more monochromatic pillows!

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A box of sequins

The last time I visited my grandmother's attic I uncovered a box. A very, very special box... Filled with magic. The kind of magic I always hoped existed in her attic, but was never quite sure was actually there. So unassumingly nestled into a crawl space. Covered by some unmemorable junk - shielding the little beauties from dusty attic particles unknown.

Meet me, circa August 2007.



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And meet 5 very special traditional Polish costume sequin vests!



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That vest I'm wearing was found in my parent's basement a handful of years ago. I've had my eye on ebay/my grandmother's attic to find more ever since. I was hoping for one - never mind FIVE !



My 7 year old self would probably be cringing inside right now. If only I could dig up the photos to prove it. Little me, big ears, hair in braids posing by the rhododendron bush with a gap tooth smile and outfitted with my ribbon hair wreath, white lacey collar blouse, puffy white skirt and of course - the vest. A few good years and a set of braces later - who would have thought I'd develop an unending love for every part of that costume.

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I left the vests with my parents back in New England. To compensate for not bringing them back to San Francisco I went totally nuts with the camera. Like, baby's first birthday party nuts. So, I'll have to apologize now for the photo overload. I hope you'll understand but I just couldn't edit! Too many tiny details to look at!











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The under-working stitches are all covered by black satin, except for one... Which is lined in the most perfect chambray - and I think it's my favorite!! All the tiny details meant to be hidden away make me melt!





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(This post is dedicated to Miss Ginny Branch Stelling - the sweetest gal who's favorite color is shiny and who leaves a trail of sequins wherever she goes)!

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My Uniform

It's getting to that point... the Winter closet woes... for those of you who are familiar with this - it's bad. Very bad.

I'm a Spring and Summer gal - a dress, and shoes - that's it! No need to worry about the complications of wearing two pairs of tights under leggings, +/- a slip to make sure your skirt doesn't get all wonky with the friction of tights and then the sweater you wear with your normal clothes in combination with the sweater you wear under a jacket ... Then add a hat, scarf, and mittens and you get a very complicated winter wardrobe! ... And don't even get me started on the Winter Coat dilemma ...

You'd think living in California I wouldn't have to worry about this... except it's worse in San Francisco. It seems to always be this weird in between temperature. Never really hot, never really shockingly cold and not many places have heat. Do you know how complicated this makes things for me?!? In New England you bundle for outside and then inside you can kind of slack a little - heck, you can even have short sleeves if you want... San Francisco = dressing for the outdoors, indoors - all the time.

So, since it's only December I've been thinking of ways to cure my insanity before it gets ahold of me. What have I come up with? Uniforms... No, no - no oxford shirts in varying colors with pleated skirts and sweater vests. But, just a simple kind of outfit you wear every day. The type of thing that makes you feel nice and un-frumpy and comfortable... and it's also good for finding just a few pieces to be able to mix and match... My uniform ... ?

The Cream Lace Dress



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My favorites are the heavier lace 60's dresses (the two on the left) But - I can't deny I was happy to find that 40s lace slip which is the perfect thing for mixing and maxing ruffley blouses and fur trimmed cardigans.



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The one I'm wearing here is my favorite. Long sleeves and the perfect winter length (I always feel better wearing knee and mid calf lengths with bare legs in summer and then a shorter hem line when you have 3 pairs of tights on in Winter)



I think my favorite thing about this kind of dress is that whenever I wear one I feel like a cross between a sweet little 60's gal and a crazy old rich lady - all depending on the accessories of course. And I think both are very good things.

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1385 on the Full Time

I'll be focusing a lot more of my attention on 1385 over the next month. This is exciting, but frustrating because the light is so terrible in here! It was especially hard today because the Christmas tree blocked out so much light through the windows - but that's all different now... the tree has been re-located and in its place, a much needed and long awaited couch!

Anyway! This is a little pile of things (more or less) I managed to list today. There's certainly more for tomorrow, if I can manage to tackle my to do list, pack for a long weekend wedding trip to New England, and clean/re-arrange the apartment before flitzing off for almost a week!

(oh! as far as shipping goes - don't fret! If you order something I'm going to have everything bundled and ready to go before hand and I will have my lovely elf take it to the post office for me!)

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Weekend Hippo Hero Tales

Well, no - not actually. But, I've had that song stuck in my head since yesterday!!! How is it possible that I've never heard it until last night? It's quite possibly the cutest Christmas song, ever? Right!?

Besides vegetarian hippopotamusesses floating around my brain - I've been trying to put together a little Christmas cheer for this apartment. My over-excitement for Christmas came early this year. It was a few days before Thanksgiving and I blame it on channel 4 of XM radio. Normally 40's songs, but now for the Holidays its classic Christmas carols and when you're driving through New England on a cold grey day - it just hits the right nerve!!

So yesterday was tree day. And I wore this pretty little 50s beaded cashmere dress for the occasion! I wanted to take home a mangy little scrawny thing, and somehow we ended up with an over 6' Noble fur behemoth. It's lovely, but dang - we had to re-arrange the apartment around it!!! The decorating process also ended up turning into a 2 day ordeal when we quickly ran out of lights.



But I thiiiink all is set now! I'm sure I'll manage to find other little bits and bobs to stick into the branches over the next few weeks.. Last week I was a pom pom making factory, next week - a little bird building shiny nests!

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Pink Frills and Evolving Outfits

Well, I have a surprise day off! So - I'm going to scrounge around my closet and try and get a Big Cartel update together for later!!

Oh! And that blousey from yesterday!!! When I first found it I didn't have the slightest idea about what to wear with it ... so, this post is dedicated to the evolution of an outfit!!!

Pt. 1



This is my favorite version! I really like the pale pink with the faded green trousers. But, those trousers always need a heel, and when a gal has to stand on her feet for work, heels aren't always so practical!

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Pt. 2



Hat, meet flats!! I wanted to wear my hat because I was so excited about it, and thought the blue shoesies would be another nice introduction of blue into the outfit. But, I hate wearing pants and I start to feel weird and too self conscious in them... So...

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Pt. 3



The most practical 'me' version! A sweater because I'm always so dang cold! And my wool tweed Lyell shorts. Funny that wearing pants makes me feel weird, but shorts and tights are okay... Girls....

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And this one is just 'cuz. All practicalities forgotten! A sweet co-worker of mine leant the shorts to me because they're so dang cute and go perfectly with that blouse.... A proper photo shoot with that blouse/shorts duo is in order!

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