Mossy
A Saturday afternoon spent under the leafy canopy of the Washington Park Arboretum. It is so green here and that is exactly the way I like it.
Ether
Leave it to this Scorpio to turn her attention towards moody, abstracted prints in inky hues at the high point of summer. (In my defense, Seattle summer days alternate with 60 degree, rainy, trench coat weather like today..) Prints that resemble watercolors, constellations, animal skin, and marbles can’t seem to escape my mind. I plan to stock up on a few pieces to work as basics with just the right amount of visual interest.
From top: Shabd Midnight Mineral Shorts // Alternative Apparel Sedona Tank // Uzi Tie Dye Tank // Scout & Catalogue Constellation Traveler Tote // Wilfred Riviera Shorts in Watercolour Stream
Summer Sole
My repertoire of summertime shoes, a couple of which have already made appearances. Peep toes, platforms, wooden heels, and shades of sand — I definitely have a type. Unfortunately they haven’t seen the outside of the closet much because I recently sprained my foot and am hobbling around in a pair of Keds! Such is life.
Purpose
Seattle, WA // What shops in Seattle do well is multipurpose with meaning. It’s anything but a rarity to spot a storefront with an espresso bar off to the side – from Hawaiian BBQ joints to bike shops! I have been a fan of what the Blackbird umbrella of stores has been doing in Ballard, like throwing a garage sale at the Field House over the weekend. If you were looking for printed Pendelton bags, knick knacks, various weaponry of sorts, or a chicken coop, that was the place to be. I don’t recall seeing an espresso bar, but they do sell candy.
Bow + Arrow
Hermès Fall 2011 // When I pin items that catch my eye, I don’t ask why. Take this image from the Hermès Fall 2011 runway – is it the overall color palette? The unusual bearing of an ancient weapon? The mysterious yet strong silhouette? Then I found a new obsession in The Hunger Games trilogy and I get it – a brave and rebellious heroine with a mission is what I admire most of all. Images from The Sartorialist and Style.
Very French
Seattle, WA // A craving for macarons led us to Pike Place Market on a sunny afternoon. Le Panier is a few storefronts down from the original Starbucks and serves delicately flavored French pastries. I chose four macarons, including our must-have pistachio flavor, and BF wanted an almond croissant. I like my macarons slightly crunchy, with a creamy filling that is light in flavor, and so far Le Panier has been the only one in Seattle to meet that criteria.
West
West Seattle, WA // Just having a margarita-flavored macaron from Bakery Nouveau, on California Ave… only not feeling so L.A. since the rain and the clouds have returned to Seattle. Even here in the Pacific Northwest, I still don’t mind a break from the sun. But today the gloom matched the color of my mood, and I find myself taking comfort in darker denim, French pastries, and beautiful type spotted on local signage.
Era
Seattle, WA // Maybe because it was the decade my mother grew up in, but more lately than usual I find myself gravitating towards pieces from the 1970s. On one of my thrifting episodes last month (and there have been many – people don’t dig vintage here like they do in L.A.) I came across this bag in a most desirable camel colored leather. The Basic bag, which doubles as a clutch in a very Eastside L.A. manner, is a rare breed made in New York City when Coach was still creating bags in the good old USA in the mid 70s. The classic shape, the antiqued brass hardware, and the beautiful worn in leather. They don’t make bags like they used to, do they?
You can’t tell, I hope, that I rehabbed the bag from the grave with extensive research on the Purse Forum – it was marked with ink and pen stains, smelled like an ashtray, and was drier than the desert at the point of purchase. But I am glad I did, and, though I didn’t know it, at a time when vintage Coach bags are in demand.
The bag found a natural summertime pairing in Rachel Comey’s Bergen – a clog with a kiltie and lace up detail from her 2009 collection that I just never have seemed to forget about, but recently found in my size. I love her shoes, but not their price points, so it’s quite fortunate when I come across a pair that I can afford.
What thrifting finds have you come across lately?
