frockstyle

Mayle Emmanuelle Jacket for Sale

2012-02-02T19:23:00.000-05:00

I've vowed to clean out my closets one item a week. So far, the Rachel Comey dress I posted last week is still available, but I'm adding to the list my Mayle Emmanuelle jacket from Jane's last fall collection (2008). I bought this as part of my Mayle collecting mania without thought for the fact I rarely, if ever, wear jackets. I feel the cold and usually opt for coats earlier than most and while fond of shorter coats, I don't wear jackets. So this is effectively unworn. I had someone ask about it last year and hung onto it for them but I'm putting it back out in the world. I'll take photos tonight and add to these, but, in the meantime here it is.

The jacket can be worn several ways and can have either a plain or a military look depending on how you do up the buttons or leave it open. It's a size 10 (runs a little small--good for an 8 or a small 10) wool gabardine--the same fabric as the Ludovine coat--and retailed for $755. I'm selling it for $225 including postage or best offer. If interested, email me at moya[dot]luckett[at]gmail[dot]com.

Capsule Wardrobe

2012-02-01T23:19:00.001-05:00

I realize this looks like I'm jumping on a bandwagon as many bloggers have recently posted about consumerism, quality and excessive spending on clothing--see here, here and here, for example. Last year I recognized that I couldn't carry on consuming clothing as before--I'd accumulated too much, at costs to the environment, our living space, my bank account, etc. While I pride myself on being a savvy shopper--not paying full price and waiting for sales, my discovery that I owned 85 sweaters and too many striped shirts was a wake up call. Investing in silk dresses when I live in a climate that's either too hot and humid or too cold to wear them doesn't make a huge amount of sense, so I've tried to build on what I wear a lot and avoid the dual ills of stockpiling and fantasy purchases. Still, I've not been that good--when things go bad, I buy. I'm also tempted against my better judgment by the Jason Wu for Target even though I well know that the pretty dresses in the promo shots will look cheap and scratchy in the flesh. But really what I need to do is stop, as the example below demonstrates. It's just that it's not that easy.

Whenever I go home to England, I travel light. I have had my baggage lost before and it's not fun. Also not fun--dragging heavy bags through airports, on public transport and across Britain. I usually carry a soft bodied bag that limits me to a few items and maybe one pair of shoes--in the winter, with heavy clothing, I can bring even less, especially when I'm also carrying Christmas presents. I do store a few things at home--I have underwear, nightwear, tights, a couple of dresses and a skirt or two. I think hard about packing--I wear heavy items (jeans, knits, shirts) to travel, and, if its winter, boots and a jacket or coat. I bring 2 or 3 dresses--generally one that can be dressed up, a cardigan, maybe 2, plain dark skirt and pants, maybe another skirt, a few tops--striped long sleeved ts, plaid shirt or 2 and a couple of more dressy tops. I may add another skirt, a few different color pairs of tights and, if it's winter, another couple of sweaters. Amazingly, I find I have more options with a few items. I never run out of ideas, I never find myself without anything to wear and it always looks like I have an extensive wardrobe. Back in NYC, I often struggle to find something to wear.

Maybe it's because the weather in England is more temperate that I don't need to worry about the same degree of temperature fluctuations--there's little chance of insane cold or blistering heat and humidity. But I think there is something to the less is more ethos, including the way it causes me to think about what I need to wear and how to put it together. Certainly, I bring some of my favourite items with me but there is more than that involved. I think the clutter distracts and prevents me from being able to see what I have.

So this year is a year to pare back. I still recognize I have the key problems of "investing" in those sale pieces I know I'll wear a lot, and often stockpiling those items (like J Crew cashmere boyfriend cardigans which really don't pill) in the even they will not be as affordable in future years as well as falling for some beautiful but perhaps unwearable/unnecessary items that capture my heart. I'm going to watch out for both weaknesses this year and marshal my willpower and discipline.

I set up Community Closet Sale partly for these reasons--I have lots of lovely clothing that I don't wear and maybe wore once or twice, if at all. I come back to the same favourites--three Rachel Comey dresses, my green plaid Rag and Bone Victorian blouse, my Lyell/Tocca blouses, my blue and white plaid Madewell shirt, my black Rag and Bone pants, my black Lyell box pleat skirt, my Earnest Sewn denim skirt and my cashmere J Crew/Club Monaco/Inhabit crew neck sweaters and boyfriend cardigans and my J Crew striped long sleeved tops. There are other pieces I wear a lot--and of course several of my Lyell (and Tocca) and Mayle coats get heavy wear--but not all of them. I'm also struck by how many of these items are several seasons or even several years old. Of course extreme weather (cold and hot) leads to major changes--the wide leg pants come out in the winter and the cotton dresses in the summer. But you get the point. This wardrobe itself is very much like the ones I bring home to England--not always the most exquisite items I own, but the ones I actually wear.

Searching the Vogue Archives

2012-02-01T17:57:00.000-05:00

One of the major advantages of working at NYU is the library--even though books tend to be missing from the shelves, the digital resources and interlibrary loans are phenomenal. This week, one of my students in my fashion tutorial notified me that Bobst had subscribed to the mythical and expensive Vogue archives database. Given that I'm writing this book on femininity, the news was most welcome.

This morning and early afternoon, I poked around and performed some key word searches. The first thing I noticed was the class address--in the 1910s and 1920s, Vogue really was not aimed at a classless audience. Hollywood stars were barely mentioned and its features and fashion displayed not an upwardly mobile fantasy but revealed an exclusive address towards old money and class elites. I wasn't really surprised--although it meant there was little that I could find for my chapter--but on their own, these omissions reinforce my gut sense about the importance of movies, movie fan magazines (many of them also digitized online) and other forms of mass market publishing. With Clara Bow, Gloria Swanson, Norma Talmadge and others largely absent from the pages of Vogue--even from its journalism--I have better grounds to mount much of my argument, which in some ways relies on these class/cultural distinctions.

Other than that, the Vogue database is a feast for the eyes. Here are a few images (sadly none from in colour) that I thought I'd share before going back to work. The first shows styles from 1917, the second features an ad with amazing 1924 dresses.

Feline Fun

2012-01-27T22:52:00.000-05:00

I take way too many pictures of my cats because they are beautiful and I love them. Here are some recent shots.

Peeps in a Piperlime box (from one of Evan's purchases)

Remy in the recycling.

Blue on Evan's desk

On Evan's lap

Going a little crazy

Celebrity Musings

2012-01-27T15:06:00.004-05:00

Reading celebrity gossip is one of my not so secret pleasures--from British tabloids (preferably in print but by necessity too often online) to US Weekly and online sites like dlisted.com, I enjoy the soap opera narratives, laugh at the imagination of some of the scribes and parse the cultural discourses that capture so many readers, most of them women. It's more than convenient that I'm also able to fold this pleasure into my own profession--I teach courses on celebrity culture (more difficult than you'd imagine as the material could so easily devolve into gossip and students often have no interest in its history or theory) and am writing a book on celebrity (along with another on femininity in popular media).

If you believe, as I do, that celebrity coverage involves a culture's efforts to understand itself (a self-absorption that itself reveals much about our society) two recent stories suggest we're at some kind of cultural tipping point--the kind that pulls together my not unrelated interests in femininity and fame. First there was the story of Heather Locklear's breakdown, which, like her career, was reduced to the margins. Second, and more visible, was the narrative of Demi Moore's collapse. Both offered opportunities for bloggers, commenters and the press to excoriate these women for aging in a culture that either expects women approaching 50 to become invisible or to package themselves into some limited niche (the quirky fashionista like Carine Roitfeld or Sarah Jessica Parker, or the actress who doesn't care about how she looks, per Meryl Streep or Glen Close). While it is purely coincidental that two women who not so long ago were being praised for their beauty, then their seemingly miraculous ability to shun the aging process are now being derided for their self-absorption while commenters crow on that they should be sent out to pasture, call them hags and lambast them for their narcissism (which clearly individualizes a broader social problem), the convergence of these stories speaks to far broader social issues.

Some of the literature on postfeminism (most notably Diane Negra's work) points to the time crisis within contemporary femininity--not just the idea that we are all swamped with competing pressures from work, family, technology and the care of the self, but rather the sense that women are increasingly compelled to do more in the brief period between their twenties and early-mid thirties. As she points out, youth has become not only commodified--ostensibly a blessing inasmuch as it is no longer the province of those in their 20s, but one that comes with its own sting. If youth is commodified, then there is a pressure to maintain it, and once those efforts start to fail or if the labour becomes too obvious, too extreme, then the woman is ridiculed, critiqued and scapegoated. Of course, her failure is our failure--if she ages, so can we, and that seemingly overnight change from an early 30-something beauty to a 40-something under pressure to maintain her effortlessly dewy looks might affect us all. Cameron Diaz is only the most recent celebrity to face these charges and she won't be the last.

It's easy to join these dots. It's also easy to opine that maybe these recent collapses might constitute a tipping point in a beauty and youth obsessed culture. Again, history suggests this will not be the case. Hollywood is littered with stories of fallen stars and starlets--this book makes sad and compelling bedtime reading. In the 1910s, Fannie Ward (pictured below) was praised not just for her acting but her youthful beauty--something she maintained with parafin injections and other experimental treatments--but even as the magazines wondered at how young she was for 40 when she appeared in The Cheat (DeMille, 1915), she was lying about her age and was actually 43. For the record, she does look really young and less plastic that today's stars. Significantly, she did not face the backlash seen today--even though she worked in an era where the 18 year old Lillian Gish decided to lie about her age when she started her career in 1912, knocking off three years that would remain missing until her death at 99. If there was ever a youth-conscious era in movies, it was the 1900s-1910 where rumours that film cameras could make babies look like old men proliferated--perhaps to mask the cultural standards and fears that really underpinned the social fascination with young women. 100 years later, I know see how insane these standards were. In 2012, it is evident that anybody born in 1993 is very young, that a starlet born in 1986 is not borderline middle age. Yet growing up reading about 1910s cinema (I was a very strange teenager), I took on that culture's values and was often staggered at the youthful appearance of a star like Marguerite Clark who was born in 1883, thinking how amazing it was that she could pass for a young woman or child in 1916's Snow White and a number of other successful films.

Historical digressions aside, the contemporary examples also came with some personal cultural aftershock. I've made no secret of my anger and frustration with my body and its inability to fit my own vision of what it should weigh and how it should look. As a very skinny child (my parents were often asked if I ate) and a very slim teenager and young adult, I didn't like the weight gain that the 30s brings. As someone who likes to eat, I've been torn--exercise and healthy eating haven't really led to any substantial weight loss and I can't diet--I know myself and I know it doesn't work. But these older stars--like Moore, several years my senior--seemed to have the magic secret. I assumed trainers, tiny portions of less appetising food (I really doubt she eats pad kaprow with vegetarian duck and sticky rice, or shredded potatoes and green peppers with spicy cumin fish, or salmon masala with garlic naan or vegetarian ham bahn mi). I suspected appetite suppressants and smoking. Maybe recreational drugs or adderall. But it turns out all of the above plus anorexia.

As a media scholar, I don't subscribe to the idea that we imitate what we see on screens or that we passively absorb what's around us--the processes are too complex and variable to be so easily dismissed. But I have realized that as I get marginally larger, the bodies I see get smaller. I do not for one minute want to be as skinny as Demi Moore--even on the teenage models I see around Union Square, that kind of weight is not attractive in real life. But there is something there--and it is sobering and perhaps relieving to recognize that such skinniness post-30 doesn't come naturally or easily.

On a personal level, though, I still believe I need to lose weight but my goal is only to fit into the clothes I wore a couple of years back (none of my jeans fit and I want that to change). But the issues around female visibility, aging and weight remain ones that I think should trouble us even as we celebrate beauty, glamour and the fun and diversity inherent within femininity.

Back to School

2012-01-25T13:15:00.000-05:00

I've been awol for a while writing syllabi and preparing for the start of another semester, as well as recovering from back to back viruses. First a bad cold, then a headache/stomach ache combo kept me out of circulation and out of the blogosphere (it's tough to look at a computer monitor when any light makes you feel sick). I'm annoyed that the time passed and the work didn't get done, but it is not too late to start afresh and try to get that chapter written soon. I just hope the remaining dull ache in my head finally goes away soon.

Found!

2012-01-19T21:23:00.002-05:00

My blog has been low on original photos for a while for two reasons. First I lost the camera cord so I couldn't download photos. Then I lost my camera. (Mislaid is perhaps a more appropriate term.) In the midst of one of my bursts of spring cleaning/throwing out/recycling yesterday, I found the cord but the camera remained awol. As I was waking up this morning, I remembered showing photos of Peeps to my grad students, which meant my camera was in one of my book bags. When I get to the end of the semester, I usually switch bags because the one I've been using is filled with miscellany, and this was no exception. At the bottom of the bag pile, I found the bag and my camera.

While this may appear the world's dullest post, I do have something of a point. Found camera/cord means I can post some of my surplus wardrobe and accessories for sale. Most are either unworn or worn once, and the pieces for sale include the Lyell scallop coat below, two pairs of unworn Mayle shoes/sandals, Mayle knits, jackets and possibly dresses, three Rachel Comey dresses, unworn Prada, Miu Miu, Marc Jacobs collection, Rag and Bone and other shoes and a variety of other pieces that either never fit or just don't fit my lifestyle, my climate or my style.

I'll be posting pieces here and on CCS on Wednesdays, in case anybody is interested.

Dear friends

2012-01-18T21:48:00.000-05:00

Cindy is in town, albeit not for long. I saw her all too briefly today and will get to spend a little more time with her tomorrow. It's so wonderful to get to have some quality time with such a dear friend who loves all too far away.

Shiny

2012-01-18T19:09:00.000-05:00

I got my new Rachel Comey shoes from eBay. Besides being comfortable, they are as pretty as I remember--far shinier and a much nicer colour than in the promo pictures. This picture gives some sense of what they look like.

Golden Globes, 2012

2012-01-16T22:52:00.001-05:00

Still kicking myself that both Evan and I assumed the other one would have set the DVR (we missed the first hour and effectively all the Ricky Gervais bits). As for the dresses/best dressed, it's almost too predictable who will shine on the red carpet these days. These were my favourites (from those I've seen so far). All the usual candidates are here--Michelle Williams, Natalie Portman, Emma Stone, etc.

Loved this Lanvin--the colour, cut and drape.

Again, the colour is fantastic and I love the feathery look. It's almost reptilian but it works.

Love the colour, love the headband. She really does always nail it.

I saw Jessica Alba in Sephora once and she really is stunningly beautiful. This dress is so

sweet and the color is just amazing.

Because I love the colour, because I love Revenge and because she looks amazing at any age.

I love the pink/red combination here. She always looks like an Audrey Hepburn princess.

I'm surprised about this one too. Normally she dresses lazily and boringly, but this dress really worked.

Tocca, Spring 2012

2012-01-16T22:21:00.001-05:00

Given the relatively low profile of Emma Fletcher's first collection for Tocca and its limited availability, I wondered if this collection would be a one-off collaboration. Not to say the clothing wasn't great--it was--but Tocca had previously opted for larger runs and wide distribution so it seemed possible that this was a tentative and limited experiment.

When I went to the store last week, my questions were answered. Not only was the new lookbook available as a series of postcards, but Emma is working on Fall 2012. Here are my favourite looks from the new season (I particularly like the blue and white blouse). One critique: the looks are a bit heavy on lingerie and leotards (from what I see here) but I anticipate that this isn't the full run. I'd like to get the blouse and possibly a dress, but as I am on a more limited budget this semester, that should be enough.

Vow

2012-01-15T22:05:00.001-05:00

Tonight we went out for a fabulous Thai meal at Ayada with Evan's family. Evan and I split a crispy catfish salad, chive dumplings, fried red snapper with basil sauce and pad kaprow with vegetarian duck. Then we all came home to eat sublime French pastries from Cannelle. I was showing Evan's mother some old photos, replete with evidence of my weight gain. Slim limbs, narrow hips, svelte torso--all proving that I wasn't always this size. I think I need to pull one of them and put it on the fridge, or scan it and put it on my phone. I can and I will return to that size by exercising in ways that worked for me in the past and by being more active and, yes, eating more protein and less carbs.

Making Way for the New

2012-01-12T20:22:00.000-05:00

So, I picked up my beautiful new Tocca coat today. Here's the one I bought:

It's warm and soft--the tweedy one I liked was thinner, a bit cheaper and not as soft.

In order to accommodate this new find I am going to have to sell my beautiful Lyell tweed scallop coat (a great regret as I love it). I just don't have the space. This one is sad but I can't keep both, especially as I have another brown tweed Lyell coat. I've worn it twice and it is in new condition. It's a size 10 but runs very small (as is typical of Lyell)--it's more like a 6-8.

If interested, email me at moya[dot]luckett[at]gmail[dot]com.

A Good Start

2012-01-12T10:58:00.001-05:00

After suffering mightily with this cold yesterday, I woke up today to some sniffles but to a spate of good news. I managed to track down one of my oldest and dearest friends last night and emailed her--and received a reply this morning. I cannot stress how good it is to be I touch with her again. We were teenagers together and I think about her often. Our bond is a special one and I am over the moon to know that I can talk to her and see her again.

Second, my book's editor and the series editor approved my response to the readers' reports. I have to do minor revisions and the book will be published within the year! Obviously I'm thrilled.

Finally! I just ordered my number one covet for the year, the navy Tocca Diamond coat. It was reduced but still pricey but worth it as itis gorgeous and will keep my favourite Lyell Girlie coat in circulation for a few more years.

I hope the rest of the day goes as well.

A First

2012-01-10T21:18:00.000-05:00

Today I had my first ever facial (other than those you do at home with friends or on your own). During the summer, I purchased a Groupon for a local spa--a vitamin C facial and pedicure for $40 (value $103, mostly for the facial). Time got away from me and I discovered that the spa was located in a gym far from bus or subway. But I lucked out--they moved to a stone's throw away from the 7 train so I didn't have to navigate the BQE, which may not have had sidewalks.

I'm usually cheap about these things--I don't spend money on beauty treatments on a regular basis. My last pedicure (and the only other professional one I've ever had) was in April with my friend before her wedding as an event laid on for the bride and bridesmaids. I was surprised then how much it relaxed me. My facial and pedicure today were both excellent--so much so that I'm going back next month for a cheaper treatment. I think my face looks nice although I don't know if there is an enormous change (there were many treatments involving coffee, blueberries, papaya, pumpkin, vitamin C, vitamin C masks, light, steam, lavender and electricity) and my toes are pink and glittery. But it was so relaxing and helped me recover from my cold--and allowed me to come home and work hard, so it all worked out well.

Finally...

2012-01-10T17:27:00.000-05:00

Sometimes an item just gets in your head and you can't get it out. I'm a sale stalker and usually find that waiting for a piece you coveted just causes the desire to ebb away. Occasionally the price drop makes the item more attractive again, but often not.

This year, I saw a pair of sandals/shoes I'd quite liked in person, so to speak, for the first time at the Rachel Comey sample sale. Still overpriced at nearly $250 (and more than that with tax), the crackle taper wedges caught my eye across the room. I'd liked them online--but not loved. But after pointing excitedly and showing them to Emilie and Monica, I searched through the boxes and there was nothing above a size 8.5. The next time I saw them on sale was on Christmas day at Saks.com. Just $125 this time (so with tax, we're talking about $135 or so, and probably another $9 for shipping) but only one snag. All the sizes were available except my size 10. Anthro had them in red suede (nice but less practical) but they sold out at about $250 in my size. An internet search came up empty in size 10--clearly the other girls with big feet liked them too, which might be a good sign, but it wasn't much use to me.

Finally, last night I searched ebay--just my general search for labels I liked--before heading off to bed. There they were--unworn, crackle, taper wedges, one pair, size 10, BIN $149 plus shipping (just a shade more than the Saks pair). So, I put them in my basket, went to bed to sleep on it, and there they were at 3.30 p.m. today when I checked ebay. So, I paid for them and now they are on their way. I just hope they are comfortable and that they fit.

Cold

2012-01-09T19:28:00.000-05:00

I suspected I'd get sick after everybody else I know came down with colds. Of course, it was only in hindsight that I realized that might be the reason behind my limited strength in pilates and my lack of coordination at zumba. After spending Saturday in bed with a splitting headache a cold was *just* what I needed. Realizing I was not feeling my best yesterday afternoon and then getting that tell tale feeling in my throat, I decided to do what I could to get some work done. So I stayed up until 4 am and submitted my article to a journal. Perhaps not the wisest step in fighting off a cold but that was already evidently useless, so I worked while I could and now feel utterly exhausted.

I managed to get some not-so-great writing done today (but it can always be edited later) and hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to deal with a couple of more important tasks. I am determined to get a full version of this chapter written in the next three weeks.

Sale Season?

2012-01-06T23:19:00.000-05:00

We're at that time of year where, under normal circumstances, I'd be alternately showing off my finds and worrying about having spent too much. It seems the topsy turvy economy--a recession combined with a still very affluent luxury sector--have combined with limited production runs to produce a dismal sale season. We are now into January--a month that usually sees 50 and 60% reductions quickly increased to 70% or more, yet many stores have at best offered 30-40% (as I write, Creatures of Comfort is at 35% off and many stores have announced final sales--i.e. final reductions--with less than 50% off). Inventory looks to be low so I'm not anticipating much more in the way of discounts, which is disappointing. I had my eye on a few pieces--admittedly not so many this season--but few of them have been reduced more than 30% and my newly reduced income doesn't permit much extravagance so either the sales have to improve or I'll have to pass.

It's still early in January (thankfully) so matters could change. But I have a feeling stores efforts to reeducate consumers away from the 70% or so discounts are now firmly in play. If I can get a couple of those very special basics, I'll be happy. And if my shoe repairs work out, then, maybe I won't need shoes even though I'm still waiting on reductions on a couple of items that have spoken to me from afar. And if I don't get anything, if prices stay high, that's likely better for my wallet.

Small Steps

2012-01-05T01:24:00.000-05:00

I'm now half way through the holiday and still dealing with the work from last semester. I had more grading this year than ever before and still have papers left to grade, all of them needing to be done by Friday. I have letters of recommendation still to write for students. I had a record semester there too and as each letter takes a few hours, I decided to go alphabetically. I'm up to S. Grad schools often ask for letter insanely early (files don't get looked at until mid-late January yet letters are due in early December--officially that is, but most of the schools don't need them until a month or six weeks later). It's tough when your time is so stretched, where you have to make the decision to write a letter or prep class/grade papers. The fact that I'm still in this situation doesn't bear thinking about, especially as I have a lot of my own work to deal with--a paper to finish, a chapter to write--and the impending deadlines associated with this work.

So, small steps. Today I nearly finished the paper--the conclusion is still unfinished and I hope tomorrow will see the end. I have to write an abstract and send it off this week. I have a conference paper proposal to write by Monday and a letter to write to my publisher. Perhaps the biggest step came tonight (ironically as I was changing the litterbox) as I decided which chapter to write next. While Evan was recording the introductions to the would be suitors from Monday's premiere of The Bachelor, I realized I could use the episode as an intro for one chapter, which catalyzed more thoughts, more structures (confessions, blogging, diaries, self-analysis) that made me realize I could write this thing without doing too too much new research, unlike the other chapter that I was considering starting. That one will get partially written in Feb/March anyway as I'm scheduled to present the first section at a conference in Boston.

OK, so I haven't dealt with some of the more major issues yet, like health insurance. But I will by the end of the week. I just have to ensure fear does not hold me back yet again. I also didn't get to the bank but I'll blame that on getting caught up in work (time always passes me by) and the frigid temperatures outside.

Little Economies

2012-01-03T17:42:00.000-05:00

I keep saying I need new shoes--some of this is true, some of it is a consequence of being so busy that I don't have time to get shoes and boots repaired. I realized how stupid this is when I nearly bid on a pair of black Rachel Comey Paypals with a missing heel cap. My initial thoughts were that my pair need to be repaired and these would tide me over. Then the illogic of the situation hit me--I was buying new boots that needed a repair because I didn't have the time to get my current pair repaired and was on the verge of wearing them down beyond a point where they could be saved. None of this made any sense.

So, as part of my New Year's Day clean up, I dug out all the shoes I loved that needed repairs and took them to the local shoe guy. Not only is he just below my apartment but he also has good reviews. I've got a few more pairs to take in but hopefully this will work out and save me money in the long run. I also reordered prescriptions before my insurance runs out (I think the new one will have lesser coverage) and hope I can get one more refill in after this. By tonight, I hope I'll have a decent version of my paper ready to submit to a journal and then I can start on the new chapter tomorrow. After all, it's so cold outside that staying in and writing seems the most reasonable course of action, although I am going to two classes at my yoga studio's new location tomorrow.

Starting the Year Off

2012-01-03T00:07:00.000-05:00

I am determined to make this year one to remember--in a positive way. So I'm going to try to start it productively--I read Ph.D. exams today, worked on a paper (one that I've worked on for way too long but is still giving me some trouble) and continued yesterday's spring, or rather winter, cleaning. Today I threw out old lecture notes, exams, photocopies, etc. and I'm planning to plough through more clutter in the next few weeks. While I didn't make it to yoga or pilates, that's on the agenda for the next couple of days--indeed, a miracle occurred and my yoga/pilates/zumba studio found a new location and has a new schedule that allows me to go to seven classes a week.

I have some horrible errands to complete this week and I am hoping that fear won't prevent me from doing them. I want to get them out of the way, finish some grading, write a conference paper proposal and start on a new chapter--a literal, actual chapter for my second book. Hopefully all will go to plan. With frigid weather on the way, I'll be staying home so I have no excuses not to write.

Happy 2012

2012-01-01T15:19:00.002-05:00

I hope everybody has a happy, healthy, fun, successful and joyous New Year.

After eating in Flushing, we stayed home last night and watched Hulu+. Evan was patient and tolerated The Only Way Is Essex, an English reality show that I'd been dying to watch that's equal parts British tabloid fodder, The Hills and Jersey Shore. I loved it.

Today, we're doing some early spring cleaning. I hope that if we leat out the old the new and the good can come flowing in.

And in that spirit I plan to photograph some Rachel Comey dresses, J Crew jewelry, some Mayle and some Prada, Miu Miu and Marc Jacobs shoes later this week as I clear out my closet. Watch this space and Community Closet Sale for listings.

A Perfect Gift

2011-12-28T23:17:00.001-05:00

December has been a particularly crappy month and the last week or so has been exquisitely bad. So this morning I was very pleased when the postie delivered this surprise gift from England. It was, indeed, the perfect gift for the girl who couldn't get home for Christmas and her Christmas Viz Annual and Cadbury's selection box (the part of my gift that Giles gets me every year to the same rapturous reception). I'm looking forward to ploughing through this one. There is nothing like a good laugh and Viz gets me (practically) every time. By the way, the contents aren't scatalogical, just the cover. Instead it's full of delightful parodies of British tabloid journalism along with lots of retro 1970s-80s bad British pop culture references. It's not as good as going home but it takes away some of the pain.

Meanwhile, this beauty is awaiting me at home, in Giles and Carol's cupboards. We're having a Christmas redo sometime this spring/summer, complete with crackers and presents (including the Viz annual below).

Christmas Sales

2011-12-28T13:07:00.000-05:00

I tried not to indulge in Christmas sale shopping but a couple of things made it difficult. The first one was the anthro sale but all I got there was the APC quilt and a couple of pairs of black wooly tights that were a mere $7.50 each. The other problem was that when I feel sad, I shop. And having gone through a ton of things last week that wrecked Christmas for me (one of my favourite times of year) and kept me apart from my family and my home, my resolve wasn't at its best. It could have been worse, I guess. I spent my Gilt Group credit on a black Phillip Lim dress and went mad in Club Monaco, not Barneys. That choice in itself limited me--there was far less I wanted and it was all far cheaper, especially as there was a 40% off sale on all reduced items. I got a thick v-neck boyfriend cashmere cardigan in a light tan color ($119), a black cashmere crewneck sweater ($74) and a cream cotton lace skirt for $41. With my striped J Crew bateau shirt and black tights, I have some new great wearable options. I know I got my money's worth but I'm just hoping I have no more major crises and set backs ahead in 2012, particularly three that land in my lap in one 24 hour period, as I cannot afford to spend like this right now.

Daphne Guinness at FIT

2011-12-27T21:32:00.000-05:00

In the midst of the rain, I walked over to FIT after acupuncture to meet Emilie, who had suggested we catch the Daphne Guinness exhibit. She was the perfect partner and we spent a happy hour looking at the formerly unseen McQueens and Chanel haute couture, Givenchy, Gareth Pugh, Alaia and assorted others. It was a pretty engaging exhibit, beautifully staged (six stages showcasing various themes--armor, exoticism, sparkle, chic, etc). One immediate thought--Guinness is skinny--she's 5' 8" but her thighs are the barely bigger than my arms. There has to be some major discipline involved as well as some fortunate genetics to stay that thin after 40, but there is no way someone bigger than sample size could wear some of those McQueen catsuits.

My favourite looks from the exhibit were some of the McQueens and, surprisingly, some of the Chanels (one black and gold beaded Chanel minidress was a standout, as was a black bias cut gown with beautiful rhinestone trim on the back and train). Possibly the most beautiful piece was the diaphanous ivory McQueen empire waist dress above that I thought would make a perfect wedding dress. Some of the most eyecatching work was also McQueen's (a black feathered cape over a gold rhinestone catsuit, some beautiful black dresses and, of course, the suiting).

But the strangest part was just how few extreme garments or looks were presented. One section of little black and little white (and gray) dresses had some nice looks but several pieces were very "ladies who lunch," including little suits that were conservative and minimally interesting. Her accessories were pretty incredible--as were the shoes, most of them heel-less, and all of them insanely high. Certainly, there was a clear presentation of her style, as well as some beautiful clothes, but I would have liked more detail on the garments and their narrative. That said, it was nice to see these clothes in a beautiful setting on a quiet afternoon where you could actually look at the garments without crowds. It's certainly an exhibit that you have to look at more than once--to see the clothes individually and in the context of their staging. And then go back one more time to see your favourite pieces once more.

Happy Boxing Day

2011-12-26T14:36:00.002-05:00

Remy hopes you enjoy the day as much as she does. This is evidently a particularly fine box.

Happy Christmas

2011-12-25T14:26:00.002-05:00

Happy Christmas from all of us. The cats dressed up in their festive clothing (Peeps being the sole kitty to do so willingly, even happily, as you can see). As you can see, it's a struggle for Blue but they want to extend their seasons greetings.

I want to thank all my wonderful friends, near and far for being such wonderful people. I wish I was home with family but am looking forward to seeing Alyssa later. In the meantime, listening to Rufus Wainwright, playing with my iPad (hello instagrams above) and eating Godiva chocolates.

Breaking from my miserable mood

2011-12-22T21:42:00.000-05:00

(And apologies for alluding to my personal disaster/crisis on this blog), I wanted to share the following link. I didn't have much time for Matt Damon at one point--a not so pretty pretty boy, he just seemed a little smug. Then I saw The Talented Mr. Ripley and admitted that, yes, there was acting talent there even if his looks left me cold. Then I saw him on TV (on Bill Maher, most likely) talking politics and he seemed pretty smart.

Flashing back to the last election, I was not happy at the selection of Obama. People thought I was crazy but something bothered me. I have a pretty good set of gut political instincts and an even better sense of how the public will respond to candidates (even if I don't agree), but something bothered me. Not as left wing as I would have liked for sure, but more that I sensed something ineffectual, naive and even a tad self-seeking. Hilary Clinton seemed a better option as she was the kind of battle hardened yet not cynical survivor who I felt had the better political instincts once in office--the kind of figure who'd end up surprising everybody and a person that would get things done. Granted, I'd have preferred entirely different options but they weren't available or were squandered (John Edwards). Now all this is old news and I feel vindicated if not happy with the way these events played out.

Which was why I was pleased to see this interview with Matt Damon today where he expressed similar thoughts. OK, it doesn't change anything but in a world where I feel more politically cynical than at any other time, it's good to know that I'm not alone.

Tough Day

2011-12-22T16:40:00.003-05:00

Today was one of those days that I don't want to experience again. Suffice to say, a lot of tears, lost hopes and frustration were not what I wanted at this time of year. Going through this in the run-up to Christmas when I still haven't finished grading makes things even worse. If I had received my A.P.C. quilt today, I would have wrapped myself up in it and hibernated.

I had bad news about my health insurance yesterday that puts me in a quandry. The one I currently have is ending sooner than I thought and I have to decide whether to opt for very expensive COBRA or switch to a less desirable one that my doctors don't accept and find new physicians. None of it bodes well, alas.

I didn't get anything at the Mayle Gilt sale either. While I liked the black lace dress, it sold out in my size and given my health insurance woes, I probably shouldn't be shopping anyway.

Shopping Season

2011-12-21T12:40:00.001-05:00

While I've been good recently, the sales have tempted me a little more of late, especially in terms of stocking up on shampoo/conditioner/shower gel/moisturiser and domestic items. While I am primarily interested in saving, a couple of investment buys had me loosening the purse strings for a few items of clothing. Yesterday I noticed that J. Crew's purple Hutton pants had gone on sale (surprising me as these were a collection item that just came in). I had tried them on and surprisingly the 6 fit best but at $249, there was no way I could get them. Reduced to $159 with 30% off they came in at around $120 with NYC sales tax but, of course, they were out in my size. The incredibly nice J. Crew sales associate at the Flatiron store called around for me and found none left in NYC, then put me on the red phone to search for a pair. I received an email today stating that the pants were found and on their way to me. Some of you may remember them from my post coveting them from the J. Crew 2011 fall preview--funnily then I liked them but not as much as the Teddy dress which I found very underwhelming. I also forgot how much I need pants in the winter, more on this point below.

I'd not normally splurge but I feel the cold badly which means I live in pants Jan-early March. I also own about two pairs of wide leg pants and two or three narrow leg pairs, which are usually less warm. These are slimming (I'm hoping it wasn't just the mirror) and warm and make a bit of a change from my black and dark tweed winter stalwarts that I've owned for several years now: the black are Stella McCartney for H&M and they are amazing and the tweed are Kulson, a short lived label that went out of business around 2005-6--so you can see that these are needed (says the girl who is trying to justify her expenditure). Both are in good shape but hopefully these will keep them in decent knick for a little longer. With the right blouse, they have a 40s feel. Without it, they'll keep me warm. I just hope the 6 wasn't mismarked and that they do fit as well as I remember!

Quilts

2011-12-21T12:29:00.000-05:00

With the amount of grading I have to do--I am in school today for a Gallatin colloquium--and the final appearance of cold weather outside it's not surprising that my thoughts turned to staying in bed. Or, more specifically, they turned to these A.P.C./Anthropologie quilts after I saw them on Joyce's blog recently. At nearly $600 with tax, they remained abstract objects of desire, when reduced to $150 I seriously considered getting one but at this time of year, even finding the time to get online and type out out my credit card info is sometimes not so easy. So when I saw that they were down to $75 (with the anthro 50% off sale on reduced items), I pounced and this beauty is in the mail right now (the corner lightness is a problem with the download, not the quilt).

I was torn between the one I ordered and the flying geese (below), but Evan preferred the former and we both thought it would be less likely to show cat fur than the other.

If I had a house, I would have bought both, but when you live in a one-bedroom apartment with limited storage you can't just jump on every bargain.

Sad

2011-12-18T12:39:00.000-05:00

I've been going to this amazing yoga, pilates, zumba and dance studio for 20 months now. The owner is incredible and holds events for charity, regularly donates money from one class a week to community causes, holds toy, coat and food drives as well as running a beautiful studio with a great slate of classes taught by first-rate instructors. While I haven't met the weight-loss goals that initially attracted me to the studio, I've learned a lot and realized I am actually good at pilates and somewhat better than mediocre at some of the other offerings. The studio is only two and half blocks from my house so it's a ten minute walk tops from our front door to their front desk.

The owner had already confided in me that the landlord was shifty--and that she had recently discovered that he did not have the correct occupancy permits for the premises. Even though the space had previously been a dance studio (and another dance studio before that), it was actually certified as office space. While she had the correct insurance, ran the business openly and in accordance with all the laws, it turns out that this paperwork threatened to put her out of business. The fault was the landlord's--and yet he didn't want to pay the tens of thousands of dollars to change the permits lest he wanted, at some point, to rent the premises as offices. The space was already laid out as a yoga studio when she moved in but she had spent a great deal of money on renovations, permits and the like, but all for nothing. Last night, I received an email announcing the studio's closure on December 30.

I'm sad and angry at the injustice. She set up a business that employed people locally, forged community, helped all of us improve our health, and donated to charity. She struggled for at least one bad year (many times in the summer of 2010 I enjoyed private lessons as nobody else turned up for classes) and finally reached a point where classes were full and new members kept joining the studio. The number and variety of classes expanded--today, for example, I'm heading off to Bollywood and pilates, and maybe restorative yoga--exposing clients to new things. I'm also upset because I was looking forward to taking more classes after this semester and getting back on track with my fitness, something that I couldn't do over the last few months because I was teaching so many nights. My membership expires late April and the fact that the studio is so close means I'd have braved snow and ice to get to classes, but now it will be a lot more of an effort as there really is very little else in the neighborhood--other options involve subways and a far longer walk, which makes a one hour class nearer three hours which, in turn, makes it less doable when I'm crunched for time. As for evening classes, I'm teaching nights and afternoons next semester and nothing will be open after I finish work. I've looked for alternatives but there really isn't much out there in reasonable distance (nothing at all that's walkable) and all of them just pale in comparison to the studio I'm about to lose.

So today will be a sad day--my last Sunday at the studio and likely my last weekend classes ever. I'll miss the space, the people, the instructors and I am so angry that a vital business is having to close because of another rule-dismissing, self-seeking, slimebag NYC landlord. I know people mocked the "the rent's too high" guy's platform, but really, it is. High rents and the corruption that's rife among powerful landlords that the authorities ignore hurts so many--and several people now will be out of work this Christmas and another small business shuttered, at great cost to its owner and its willing and ever-expanding slate of clients. And the one person not hurt by this is the one at fault--the landlord. I hope karma catches up with him but I'm pretty convinced that that will not be the case.

End of the Semester

2011-12-14T23:27:00.001-05:00

Amidst all the madness I've little time to write. But I want to put on record how much I like my students, their passion for the material and their warmth makes the job all worthwhile--even during the most insane and sleep deprived weeks, like the last two and the next one.

Muybridge

2011-12-10T13:23:00.001-05:00

Eadweard Muybridge was a pioneer of pre-cinema who was involved in motion studies through early serial photography. As a scholar of early cinema and a fan of early photography and photographic purposes, I couldn't resist this print from Jen Beckman's 20x200, a site offering affordable art. I missed out on an earlier Muybridge issue and was excited when I saw they had a print from one of his cat series today. Alas, all the smaller sizes appeared to be sold out (I'd been at pilates and zumba when the email went out). Miraculously as I was looking at another Muybridge piece, a cat print popped back and is now on the way to me. Here it is--I think it's a very appropriate purchase given our household's love of cats and its three feline inhabitants. Once it arrives I have to frame it and add to our burgeoning feline art gallery...

Grouponing

2011-12-08T21:10:00.003-05:00

Today as a good day for Groupons. My friend Nelson alerted me to a great Pilates deal--20 sessions for $49 at a place that also has the machines (normally $330). We're planning to go together so it should be fun, especially as Pilates is my favourite exercise.

I also redeemed my Body Shop Groupon ($40 for $20). Not just that put they were passing out scratch cards. Mine was for 50% off--and, yes, I could use the Groupon, which meant $80 worth of products of products for $20. Then I got a body butter for $1 which I donated to their women's shelter box. For the record, I got the coconut shampoo, coconut conditioner, coconut shower gel, gel eye mask, cranberry room fragrance defuser, vitamin c moisturizer with SPF 30, coconut hand sanitizer and the rainforest shampoo/conditioner travel pack. Pretty amazing for $28.

I need not buy toiletries until sometime late in 2012 as my Tobi order arrived tonight. I now have a veritable organic and natural product drugstore piled into closets. Lots of Panagea Organics, Red Flower, Korres, pure Fiji and Hamadi to seems through the year.

What?!

2011-12-08T20:55:00.000-05:00

This is more a work related post. I was just doing my weekly scan of TCM and next week is insanely good. Lots of premieres, including Page of Madness and, most unbelievably, Stanley Kubrick's Fear and Desire, a film that is not too good but has been out of circulation for decades, it's on next Wednesday, December 14 at 8 p.m. Set your DVRs...

Instagrams

2011-12-06T00:24:00.001-05:00

I don't own an iPhone but admired this app from afar, particularly after seeing some of Brittan's pictures. Now I have an iPad, I've got the app, and here are some of my early efforts--unsurprisingly pictures of my cats.

Here's one of Peeps. Isn't she a sweetie?

A Great Gift

2011-12-01T23:13:00.002-05:00

On Black Friday, I went to the Natick Mall just outside Boston with Evan's sister and his nephew and nieces. It's always fun to hang out with them and, as usual, Jesse had me in stitches and the girls and I bonded and laughed. We headed to the Apple store as Jesse was buying a MacBook Pro with some of his Bar Mitzvah money from a few years back. Apple had a rare sale and Evan bought me a combined birthday/Christmas present of an iPad 2. In one of my few spare moments this week, I'm playing with it now, downloading apps and even blogging. While I am not yet used to the keyboard it is a remarkable gadget--and one that will even allow me to take relatively low-res pictures and upload them straight to this blog rather than looking forever for my camera cord. And on that note, I'm going to download the instagram app right now.

Gift cards--a cautionary tale

2011-11-30T11:59:00.000-05:00

Evan's mother and stepfather are wonderful and generous people. Two birthdays ago, they asked me what I wanted for a gift and, as usual, I went blank. I did know that I'd want more Rachel Comey dresses and Surface to Air shoes so I opted for a gift card for an online retailer that sold both, offered free shipping and had a great range of eco moisturisers, shower gels, etc, tobi.com. I figured I'd most likely buy a new pair of Rachel Comey or Surface to Air ankle boots or shoes early in the fall when they offered their 30% discount. I wanted a pair of Mars booties and those were my default option. I'd purchased from the site before, had had good experiences, and knew that if all else failed, I'd find a great dress or top in their sales.

Alas, they stopped stocking both designers. I wondered if it was just a one season thing and thought I'd wait a little longer. After all, they also stocked Opening Ceremony and a few others, so I'd be fine. And maybe they'd see the error of their ways and restock the designers I liked.

But recently the store seems to have completely changed their brand. I noticed a lot of 30% offers on new stock, but then looked further--all were for cheap ($30-60) dresses and the site now charged for shipping items under $150. A closer look at their site revealed that they were clearly selling off the remains of the old stock (and not always at a big discount) and not restocking anything in the contemporary/independent designer brand. Even the Korres, Red Flower, Ren, Panagea Organics and other high end organic or natural brands and the Envirosax were the dregs of old stock. So, with my gift card lying in my in box and a 30% discount on full price merchandise this weekend, I pretty much cleaned them out of shampoos, conditioners, moisturisers and shower gels (a slight exaggeration, perhaps, but I got a lot of stock and many items were the last one). I now have a huge box coming to my house.

I've learned a lesson here. Don't sit on gift cards! The store may close, change its brand (here going vastly downmarket) or reposition itself into something that doesn't offer what you need or want. I thought I was safe given this site's visibility and its history of stocking what I wanted. But after an hour or so filling my shopping cart, I was actually hard pressed to find things I wanted (other than CDG wallets that cost more than on comparable sites). So I ended up with toiletries. I'm not unhappy as the deals were good and I'd have to buy them anyway, but my preferred fragrances and formulations were often sold out. I also don't know where I'll stock everything (and I still have a Body Shop groupon to spend), but I know that I can put the money I've saved on these items into some other trinket, dress or accessory. Had I waited another month or so, I would very likely have ended up with an utterly useless gift card or a lot of cheap lycra/polyester blend clothing...

Black Wednesday

2011-11-24T16:47:00.000-05:00

I'm on a frugality drive but I'm also low on sweaters. So far, this November has been mild but trouble is potentially ahead. So I jumped on the J.Crew 25% off promo and headed to the sale section this morning. The chunky cashmere sweater I want is basically perennially out of stock and much as I covet it (and need it), I know it's unlikely I'll ever own one. But I was pleased to get the grey version of the cashmere crew neck with buttons, having been so pleased with the navy. At $104, the price couldn't be beat.

I also got the heather henna crew neck henley sweater at $114. With these in my closet, I really just need one thick cashmere sweater to beat the cold, although I am sure if there are any great bargains this winter I'll just stock up. I've realized that I can't wear any other fabric because of my allergies to wool and basically I'll live in sweaters now until March-April.

Portraits

2011-11-23T23:33:00.001-05:00

After seeing Greasychickenface's original portraits of Turtle and Hector on Erica's blog, I had to order custom paintings of our three cats. Less than a week after I submitted photos, the paintings are done and I'm thrilled with them. At $78 for the three, these can't be beat and will soon be hanging together on our wall. Of course Peeps's colouring makes the challenge all the tougher but she has those patterns down--along with Remy's necklaces and Blue's stoic stare. Here they are:

Flushing

2011-11-20T21:27:00.001-05:00

In a break from my mad, mad schedule, we headed off to Flushing last night for dinner at the wonderful Dong Bei restaurant, Fu Run, and a bit of after-dinner shopping at a local Asian mall and J Mart (an Asian supermarket, not the South Park K-Mart).

As usual, dinner was first rate. Dong Bei is a Northern Chinese cuisine unlike most Chinese food found in America. We had what has become our usual selection--green been sheet jelly with red oil (a spicy and wonderful salad of nappa cabbage, noodles, cilantro, peanuts, garlic and the red oil), shredded potatoes with green peppers and garlic (the potatoes are nearly raw and look like vermicelli), triple delight vegetables (a more conventional but still yummy combination of potatoes, eggplant and green peppers in a spicy garlic-laden brown sauce), ma po tofu and a leek and egg pancake. The potatoes and green bean jelly are amazing and sublime--I wish I was eating them now.

After eating, we browsed Asian pop culture stores, beauty products and ephemera, then picked up a few basics--pocky sticks, hot oil, chillis in oil, dan dan noodle sauce. I took pictures of the beautiful packaging that may end up below. And then I went back to continue writing lectures and grading. As a consequence I dreamt about Turkish German relations in post-wall Germany and its cinema but that's another matter for another day--specifically Monday, 12.30-4.30 p.m.

Into the 21st Century

2011-11-19T14:21:00.000-05:00

I finally got a smart phone--a low end Android model--but I finally joined the 2010s in technological terms. While I really wanted an iPhone, the cost seemed prohibitive, particularly as I already have an iPod, iPod Touch, MacBook Pro and am on schedule to get an iPad soon. It's clunky in places and I've already sent one illiterate email message, but at least I'll now be able to access Yelp when there is no wifi or pick up emails from hotel rooms without paying for onerous internet access.

Oh J. Crew, Please Make This In My Size!

2011-11-10T23:53:00.000-05:00

I was flicking through jcrew.com tonight while catching up on work emails and saw these beauties. I wish they'd make them for adults--after all, I can't imagine there is that much demand for children's cashmere... I often wish stores would display the same flair and imagination they use for children's clothes for their adult designs. Certainly, I'm way too big to fit into these but if they were in adult sizes, I'd be delighted.

Surface to Air

2011-11-08T13:55:00.000-05:00

About two years ago, Cindy bought a pair of Surface to Air flats. I had never heard of the brand and almost squealed when I saw her grey flats with multiple straps and rose gold toe caps. Right there, I knew these were the shoes I'd been looking for. A few months later they turned up on sale at Lambs Ear in Seattle and after some discussion and thought (would they fit?) they were mine. They've turned out to be the most comfortable and beloved shoes in my closet. I wish I'd known about the brand earlier as I'd have certainly got a second pair in that style (it is not one that they've remade, more's the pity). I next purchased the classic multiple stripe wedge in black suede, which has been enormously comfortable, especially for a high heeled shoe. Then I got a gladiator flat on ridiculous markdown.

Despite my efforts at frugality, I had to go to the Surface to Air sale last week. Indeed, I was disappointed that I missed other of their sales, particularly given my continuing search for another pair of the buckled flats (for when mine finally give up the ghost) and a pair of the wedges in the leopard print--I curse the decision not to get them and a pair of blue and white oxfords I also missed (both were fall 2009 I believe). I hoped the backstock at the sale would extend that far back but a quick google search disabused me of any hopes in revealing earlier sales.

I couldn't go on the first day because of work (missing out on the $69 cork wedge sandals, alas) but I did get another pair of the strapped buckle wedges in taupe suede with a cork heel for $99 (these ran small and I sized up to 41) and the pair of open wedges in black that I wanted all summer (again $99 and this time I took a 40 as usual, but they were on the big size). The hunt for the other pairs goes on but I am happy. Now to find another pair of ankle boots and a flattish pair of shoes for winter.

Here they are:

Backsliding

2011-11-04T12:42:00.000-04:00

I'm trying to be good. Work hard, limit my spending, focus my efforts on the books and not waste time. I'm also trying to eat better. I'm generally pretty good but the spate of fall events--from the Jewish holidays (Evan's mother is such a great baker), a few birthdays, a wedding and Halloween--have all taken their toll. Yesterday I looked at my abdomen and I was appalled. Flab is returning and Christmas is around the corner. I wore some old clothes as part of my Halloween outfit (Dina Lohan) and the silk Jill Stuart top I wore was tight--I remember never wearing it, in part because it was too dressy, in part because it quickly dated (it was part of that 1930s retro from the mid-2000s) and also because it was so big. I bought it on sale and the L was the only remaining size--the S and M both would have worked far better. No longer--if anything it is on the tight side, as in near sausage casing. I'm disgusted with myself but also frustrated. I work out, I try to eat well and I'm even trying to reduce my wheat consumption (hence a spelt scone from Whole Foods the other day that was overly sweet) but I don't feel full unless I eat some carbs. Unless I eat a ridiculously restrictive diet and work out constantly, my body doesn't want to give up this new layer of flab. And I find it tough to concentrate when I'm hungry. But that doesn't mean I splurge on brownies, bagels or fries. I eat apples, hard boiled eggs with a single slice of multigrain sour dough bread (all organic) or a few nuts.

I don't know what's going on. I fear some of it is age--past 25, 30 your body changes. As the nights start to draw in, I think I'm going to have to take some more drastic measures and try some kind of modified Atkins diet (no bacon, meat, fatty foods, but certainly restrict my carbs and fill up on vegetables and select fruits).

Snow--and thunder--in October

2011-10-29T19:31:00.000-04:00

It was a good job we went to a small Halloween party (or, more correctly, gathering) last night. I dressed up in a blonde fright wig as Dina Lohan, Ben went as my daughter, Lindsay and Evan couldn't find a pink bow tie so he didn't go as Ron Donald from Party Down. The looks we got on the subway were quite interesting, at times scary, but the dressing up was a lot of fun.

Today, however, is a different matter. Snow storms, downed trees, stories about possible power outages and Jackson Heights storm damage on NY1. It's a day to stay in, write and watch Sister Wives episodes for the paper I'm trying to finish up.

Winter/Fall Wardrobe Updates, Part 4: Vintage Print Dress

2011-10-28T13:59:00.000-04:00

I've also added a few print dresses in different but simple styles to my closet. Some are from ebay or various blogs/friends, but one is from my Pittsburgh trip.

Other than friends, one of the few things about Pittsburgh I love is Eons vintage clothing store in the Shadyside neighbourhood (on Elsworth Avenue). They don't have a website, alas. It's run by Richard who knows more about vintage clothing than practically anybody and he finds the most amazing pieces. When I was in there last week, there were skirts from the 1880s, beautiful 1950s party dresses, 1940s tea dresses, 1950s/1960s deadstock cotton shirtwaisters and 1920s beaded gowns all in excellent shape. Some pieces are mint, some can't be as fabric does degrade, but everything in Eons is dry cleaned (no aged smell on your dress/coat/blouse/skirt) and in the best possible condition. It's also super-reasonable--I got Jane a beautiful and ornate 1950s frame handbag in Italian leather in mint shape for $30.

Of course, vintage clothing tends to run small, so there was a lot that I just had to look at and reluctantly leave. But I did walk out with a black and pale pink tulip print rayon 1940s dress with incredible buttons that fit me perfectly. Pictures to follow, but, trust me, this 3/4 sleeve beauty was a great find--and just $45.

Winter/Fall Wardrobe Updates, Part 3: The Gap

2011-10-28T13:51:00.000-04:00

I realize I'm looking awfully like a mall girl/boring shopper here, but, trust me, this is not the direction in which I'm going.

I've got a lot of non-basic pieces that I love--perhaps too many. Sometimes you need a good but simple skirt or pair of pants so you can wear that interesting blouse or showcase a pair of offbeat shoes. I'm usually good on numbers 1 and 3, but limited on number 2.

I was in the Gap recently to replenish some activewear (I get leggings, tops, sports bras there as they work out well for me and are usually on some kind of promo). While in there, I saw some skinny pants and a box pleated miniskirt (my favourite kind of skirt) and decided they looked interesting. But they weren't on promo and this is the Gap where everything ultimately goes on sale, or can be had with an online/email coupon. I didn't have the time to try them on either so I passed. But the germ of an idea had been set.

Sure enough, over Columbus Day, the Gap had an online and store sale and I received an email. After acupuncture, I tried on the pants and the skirt. Both were surprisingly nice and flattering and, more to the point, they also filled key wardrobe holes. I do have misgivings about the Gap and their labour practices, but I'm also aware that so many of the pricier brands aren't much better. I'll admit to ethical qualms here that remain, but that's a topic for another day.

I got the skirt. It was the same price in stores and online and the immediate gratification element blinded me to the reality of shipping charges that I'd now have to pay on the pants which were substantially cheaper online. It fits well, is lined (even though the fabric is not the best quality, it's not that bad) and has pockets. It would be better if the pleats went all the way round, rather than just the front, but that's what happens when stores try to cut costs. But it's so versatile that I'm happy to have it in my closet. Like crew neck cashmere sweaters, box pleat above the knee skirts aren't that easy to find for some strange reason. Here's the image from their website:

I also decided to get their skinny pants (or really skinny/ultra skinny/whatever) which were just under $30 with the promo. I decided to buy just one pair and swallow shipping (a resolution I'm applying to all stores rather than just buy things I don't need to save shipping--a false economy unless I really want all the items). They fit well and are really flattering. Again, I'd prefer a better fabric as these attract more cat hair than I'd like, but they will be a great supplement to my Rag and Bone pants and make those pair last longer. Here, again, is the website image:

Lesson--don't entirely ignore the Gap. Don't obsess over it either, but look in there occasionally for some wardrobe basics.

Winter/Fall Wardrobe Updates, Part 2: Leggings

2011-10-28T13:39:00.001-04:00

I have a three year old niece (who is totally adorable). Like many other little girls her age, she wears leggings under dresses, tunics, skirts and looks stylish, pretty, quirky and warm. She's also ready for any adventures that might come her way--and as she is a very energetic, smart and strong-willed young lady, she has adventures galore.

I've long admired her cohort for the way they wear leggings--as opposed to some adults out there who think that semi-sheer footless tights are pants. I've worn leggings as a tights substitute in cold weather for years (or rather, layered them over tights, then layered socks, boots and dresses/skirts over them), but I stuck to black.

Inspiration for a change came from a somewhat unlikely source, J. Crew's Fall 2011 preview, where a pair of rust/navy striped leggings were paired with a dress. Like my niece and so many 3-year olds, these leggings had visual interest, looked warm and delightfully offbeat. I wear bright coloured tights and sometimes add patterned pairs, so I decided these leggings would be added to my closet this fall. I adjusted this plan slightly when I discovered said leggings cost $80. I demurred further when I saw them in person--with no stretch, they looked like pajamas.

But the desire to have striped leggings (preferably in some kind of red-rust/navy combo) persisted. Ironically, I found the solution at a great price--and in far better fabric (a proper leggings cotton spandex) at the J. Crew factory site. At a shade under $15 each, I got the red/blue (alas in a large which is a little big as the Medium had sold out) and the navy/white. These work with patterned Rachel Comey dresses and with little box pleat skirts and boots. And they are warm enough for the early cold now coming our way.

Winter/Fall Wardrobe Updates, Part 1: Sweaters

2011-10-28T13:30:00.000-04:00

For the first year in ages, I've kept a list of what I need and what I don't as I update my closet for the season. For the first time ever, I'm also in the process of sorting out items to post on the new blog as I bring in the new and cycle out the old. This process has also taught me about some of my weaknesses when it comes to buying new clothes.

I tend to have somewhat of a magpie eye--it's not the glittery items that get me going but pieces that speak to me for some reason or other. I don't follow trends inordinately. Some items are always going to be a no for me, regardless of how hot they are--anything hippie (ponchos, fringe), western wear, safari (something that always spells lack of designer inspiration to me), Russian and tartan (ditto, unless you are Alexander McQueen) and longer skirts. But there are those pieces every so often that I think look impressive on others--friends, models, on the printed/digital page--and I decide they'll pep up my wardrobe. Only they don't get worn and I go back to the same pieces. I am also not the greatest accessoriser and I do fall into certain style patterns that lead me back to specific pieces each season.

All this makes me sound frightfully boring, I know. But I often find myself crunched for time and needing to get dressed in weather appropriate outfits relatively quickly. Instead of randomly acquiring pretty pieces, I've concentrated on replacing and supplementing items that get heavy use and are on their last legs (if nothing else, the supplements might eke a little more life out of these favourites). In the fall/winter, I wear a lot of crew neck cashmere sweaters and boyfriend cardigans. Both are surprisingly tough to find in good colours--why so many v-necks I wonder?--and at a reasonable price so those were my top priority this season. I have two Inhabit sweaters that I've almost worn to death and those are probably two of the most important staples in my cold weather wardrobe, so replacements/supplements were my top priority.

Fortunately, J. Crew ran several promos this fall, with two even overlapping. I invested in these pieces which I think will go a long way towards helping with my fall/winter wear.

I picked up this cashmere cardigan in both this color above and in a bottle green. It's super soft, doesn't look like it will pill much and is slouchy without being shapeless. I'm not always up for duplicates but I could get more of these and wear them for years or until they disintegrate. At a shade over $110 each, I think that's a decent investment.

I also found a cashmere crew neck with nice detailing (love the buttons on the shoulders and the slight yoke) on double promo, making it about 40% off. I got this in navy which will be incredibly versatile. Again it's nice and soft and will make its debut this cold weekend (snow in October seems wrong, but there you go).

Ironically, all three were J. Crew catalogue/online exclusives. I usually think of that label as being synonymous with dull and boring. Maybe I am getting older, but these seem to be classics in the best sense--items I'll wear again and again without looking dull and frumpy.

More of my fall finds to follow.

AWOL

2011-10-28T13:09:00.000-04:00

Sorry about the paucity of posts this month. The combination of teaching/grading/writing/letters of recommendation, a nasty virus and an out of town trip left me exhausted and scraping for time to get even the essential work done. This blog was one casuality. I'm not out of the woods yet but I am taking an hour to clean up and watch a bit of TV so this seemed like a good time to write.

Last weekend, I was in Pittsburgh for a dear friend's wedding to her beautiful girlfriend. If you know me, it's no secret that Pittsburgh is not my favorite place in the world. I lived there for a while and felt suffocated, buried alive, and out of sorts, so I don't go back often. But this visit reminded me that while Pittsburgh and me do not mix (I even felt some of that emotional suffocation as a visitor), the friends I made there were first-rate--which I already knew but it felt good to have it confirmed. The lovely Gina who I actually met in NYC met me at the airport and we spent the remainder of Thursday afternoon and evening together. I stayed with my dear pals, Jane and Kathie, and spent Friday with the girls and their beautiful cats, Nigel and Eloise, and then Saturday was the wedding and time to catch up with the irrepressible John and Patrick who I dearly missed. The ceremony was beautiful--held at the Phipps Conservatory, a glorious collection of indoor and outdoor botanical gardens--and the brides were so beautiful that John and I cried. The reception was amazing with some of the best speeches I've ever heard and so much warmth and love in the air, not to mention incredible food and drink.

I returned to NYC exhausted, pleased to be back and grateful to have such wonderful friends who will always be in my life.

Community Closet Sale

2011-10-28T12:51:00.001-04:00

The new blog seems to be up and running successfully--I've sold virtually everything I posted and had some great sale experiences. If anybody wants an invitation, please leave me a comment. The more buyers and sellers the better.

I'll be posting some more pieces soon from Mayle, Rachel Comey, Jill Stuart and others.

Cats in NYC desperately needing homes--including kittens

2011-10-21T12:59:00.001-04:00

I'm not on facebook and cannot adopt a fourth cat but if you are in NYC and are thinking about a cat, these poor babies, including kittens, are going to be killed if not adopted soon. I can't even look as I'm so sad about it, but please pass this along so that they can find homes. If you can't adopt, at least share the facebook link or post it on your blog/twitter to help them get homes not the death penalty.

https://www.facebook.com/nycurgentcats

Sick

2011-10-11T13:33:00.001-04:00

I was looking forward to this week. NYU has no classes on Monday and Tuesday (Columbus Day and a university wide holiday respectively) so rather than preparing classes over the weekend and teaching, I was free to write. Even better, a sunny warm weather forecast promised further inspiration and comfort.

Alas, the world had other plans for me. I developed a cold on Thursday which seemed to be passing by Sunday but yesterday evening the headache that had grabbed me all Saturday transpired to be something other than the sinus-related headache that comes in a cold's wake. Indeed, the achy knees suggested something more systematic.

So, yes, I got sick on the nicest week of August. But I have got some work done. I think I may have finished the proposal and sample chapter (once I copy over a few minor edits from my paper copy to the Word files). And I've started the work of carving a paper out of the sample chapter that I hope I will be able to submit to a journal sometime next week.

EDIT: It's October, not August which just (a) testifies to how lovely the weather has been over the last few days and (b) shows how much I don't want it to be this late in the year!

Lapping

2011-10-10T17:05:00.001-04:00

As I sit here working, two delightful cats (Blue and Remy) are eating an early dinner. I can hear the delicate stereo of two cats lapping up their soft chicken Wellness as I edit down this chapter (and hope that tonight will be the night that it's finished).

Mayle Danya Dress and Loden Jeanne Bag for Sale

2011-10-08T16:18:00.000-04:00

I've just posted my Mayle Danya dress and loden green Jeanne bag on the Community Closet Sale blog. If you are interested, please email me or leave a comment. Dress is $175 and bag $250 OBO--both include domestic/Canadian shipping.

Steve Jobs RIP

2011-10-06T14:19:00.000-04:00

Steve Jobs accomplishments would have been staggering had he lived to be 100 and enjoyed the greatest of health. But considering he suffered from what may be the worst form of cancer, they are mind blowing. Clearly I'm just preaching to the choir in acknowledging that he changed the world--in many ways for the better. It's just so very sad.

I type this on my MacBook Pro, I read about his death on my iPod Touch. I've been a Mac user since System 7 came out--the revolutionary OS that allowed you to use two programs at a time--and was so happy to have a speedy Classic II with a large 40 MB hard drive... I'd still have that computer if I hadn't left it in my office back in Pittsburgh (something I regret so much). I put a sticker on it--a pig that changed into a guinea pig--and loved it so much. But then I went to colour macs, then the clamshell iBook in orange, which I still have, having learned my lesson about keeping Macs where possible. I've had a blue iMac (which I had to jettison because of space issues), a PowerMac which I keep as a back up, a green iPod Mini, the classic iPod and soon, I hope, the iPad. I can chart my adult life via my Macs, their size, colour, capacity, etc. Never have I once considered going for a PC. In my office I enjoy my big screen iMac--all classics of design and function.

My brothers used to laugh at me for using a Mac, mistaking its elegance and simplicity for something more amateurish. Now one of them regrets turning down a MacBook Pro for a Sony laptop and is asking his boss for the Mac while begging his wife to let him buy a MacBook Pro for home. Both he and my older brother now own iPad IIs and iPhones so I'm no longer in a Mac desert.

Thank you, Steve. I admire your vision, hard work and bravery more than I can say in a small blog post. Rest in much deserved peace.

Recent Acquisition

2011-10-05T10:57:00.000-04:00

I've been really good recently--but I do have a list of needs that aren't pure wants. Obviously in the west, in post-industrial capitalism, it's tough to say that any of us really need anything--we could darn (I actually do this), repair and rewear. Still, by current western middle-class standards, these are needs--or at least needs-ish.

I may have a lot of cardigans (but these are in all weights) but I'm not so rich when it comes to sweaters. I'm not a huge fan of v-necks, preferring round or crew necks, and those aren't easy to find which always baffles me. During the winter, autumn and early spring, I've been living in two round neck Inhabit cashmere sweaters that I got at their sample sale in around 2008. They are basics--one is black, one is brown, both midweight. If you know me, you know these sweaters. Alas this year may be their last as they've started to show signs of losing their guts--I've darned holes and even taken to wearing one inside out (like Steven Alan shirts, they play with seams so this isn't as strange as it might sound). Sadly, it looks like they will soon lose their shape. I need to replace them, and supplement them with other similar woolies.

Last week, J. Crew had 30% off sale items, so I invested in this one after trying the navy, full-price version on in the store (no sale stock there). It fit and wasn't as short or boxy as the one in the online picture. It was soft, in a lovely green (one of my favourite colours) so I think it was a good investment. Here it is:

Busy, Busy

2011-10-05T10:47:00.000-04:00

It's been a solid few weeks of work, hence my limited blogging. So far, I'm keeping to my plans and writing for two days a week, even though it has been a little slow going at times. I'm hoping this week to finish the book proposal for number 2, and then the plan is to write the proposal and sample chapter for number 3 (on Celebrity). It should be doable--before Christmas I'd like to have three book contracts and that's motivating me to keep going. I've also realized the second half of my sample chapter for book 2 could be a stand-alone article so I may tinker with that as I start the proposal for Celebrity.

I have to say I haven't been so excited about my work since grad school days. Now I just need the time to write rather than prepare classes, which takes far longer than teaching them!

Closet Purge Continues

2011-09-27T14:04:00.000-04:00

I've decided to sell my never used brand new dark green Mayle Jeanne bag. Pictures to follow--the chain strap is still covered in the protective tissue. $250 including shipping. As soon as I have pictures I will post it here and on the new blog.

Tocca--Effectively Lyell

2011-09-26T10:21:00.001-04:00

Monica and I visited the new Tocca boutique on Saturday to check out the new Lyell collection. Most of the pieces from the lookbook were in--save a few sweaters, skirts and other items that are arriving this week.

Basically, this is Lyell--Emma's vision is not diluted. Alas, the sizing is Lyell too. While it goes up to size 10, in some pieces that 10 translates into a large 6 at best--as with anything with a narrow, fitted or pencil skirt. I had one size 10 dress on--or rather, partially on as it wouldn't even go below my waist. The simple shft dresses were a tad narrow on my hips in a 10, the blouses likewise were too fitted and a 10 didn't do up on my back. Even the coats were somewhat of a narrow fit around the back. I could get away with the coats, the black lace dress fit, as did the gathered blouses, but if you are even a true 8, sizing here could be very tricky indeed. It was my biggest complaint and is totally unnecessary--I even joked to the very nice shop girls that I was almost sized out of the store.

Prices and quality-wise, it was a little cheaper than Lyell--coats were $500-700, dresses $400-700, blouses a shade under $300 (except the lace which was twice the price), knits seem to be around $300-600 although it was tough to tell as several were not yet in. Pants around $325, shorts around $250.
Quality was good but not as fine as Lyell--the details were there but linings were acetate and the fabrics were not quite as fine as I'd like--some of the tweeds were notably scratchy. But overall very nice.

My main problem was really the small fit. There also doesn't look like there will be much stock, at least at first. I suspect they want to test the demand--to see if there is any shortage, to build buzz and test the market. There will be some limited online stock and limited number of items sold elsewhere but the full line will only be available in the store. Overall, it was lovely but nothing we haven't seen from Emma before, although it was a great distillation of a maturing aesthetic with some lovely delicate prints (the acorn was adorable) and some better colors. I hope they sort out the sizing as anybody who is tall and not a tiny, tiny frame will be sized out of some items which is perhaps not the best thing to do in this market.

Tiny girl-sized versions of the stock--plus a few other adorable outfits--were another great surprise. Very reasonably priced, these made me yearn even more for a little girl, even though there were perhaps too many browns for most 5 year old's tastes.

Nice store, airy, and lovely sales girls too.

New Blog

2011-09-22T21:36:00.002-04:00

Community Closet Sale is now up and running. No content yet but if you want to be added to the blog, please leave me a comment.

I'm thinking something very much like Law of General Economy. Basically, no fast fashion (H&M, Forever 21, Zara but J Crew, Madewell, Anthro are all fine), no price gouging--this is a place for those items that don't work for you and are in great shape and may be ideal for someone else at a reasonable price, of course. Here's the url. I hope to post some of my items soon--as soon as my crazy work schedule permits.

Caroline's Mayle for Sale

2011-09-22T21:29:00.001-04:00

Caroline is also having a bit of a closet clearance and has the following Mayle for sale. If you are interested contact her at csinderst[at]gmail[dot]com.

This is a great dress--I have it in an 8--but it runs a little narrow in the hips. This one is a size 4. Caroline never wore it because it was so small. This one is tough to find, particularly in the full color paradiso print.

This is also a size 4 and again runs small (it's quite rare and certainly is a dress I would have bought had they made it in the size 10 I would have needed). Again, Caroline never wore this as it was too small. SOLD

Somewhat worn in, Caroline did not specify size but I suspect a 6. This is worn in and has some pilling. $75 or best offer.

Jeanne purse in rare Tiffany blue, made solely for Ten Little Indians final sale. Excellent condition.

Please contact Caroline for all details, including prices, other photos, etc.

Mayle for Sale

2011-09-17T18:40:00.004-04:00

As our clothing rails are literally bending under the weight of my clothes, I'm going through items that I own but do not wear often enough to justify keeping. Some of these I'll be posting on ebay soon, but before I do that, I wanted to list them here in case anybody was interested.

1. Holiday 2007 cardigan--shown center in this image. Ivory and gold. Never worn--immaculate condition, no pilling. Size L but runs small--best for a medium or would even work on a S. I love it but it is just a little too small for me. SOLD

2. Fabienne vest in gray, size M, Fall 2008. Never worn--it wasn't me and I won't wear it so it's best to put it out in the world for someone who wants it. SOLD

3. Sonya dress in sky blue--size 8. I love it and it is extremely rare. If it doesn't sell, I'll just keep it, but if you are interested, this one is amazing. Worn four times and in mint condition. It's the fabulous blue/silver gray dress with puff sleeves, black and white buttons with red thread, and a square neck.

4. Coco clogs (?)--the new clogs from the pop up. Size 41, fits a 40 (runs small) worn once but they just aren't me.

5. purple ikat print dress--the short version of the one that Kirsten Dunst wore. Size 8 or 10 (forget which but runs small and fits like an 8). Worn once for an afternoon. SOLD.

6. Mayle Senna jacket, size 8. Never worn so I'm going to part with it.

7. Guinevre jacket (the jacket in the Elvira cotton). Lovely but again I've not worn it. Size 8 but runs a touch small so would also work for a 6. Image above is from the flickr pool, not my jacket.

8. Mayle Rosetta cardigan, size L. Never worn, in the tan colorway in this image.

Others to follow, along with photos. Email me if interested--moya[dot]luckett[at]gmail[dot]com.

J Crew Teddy Dress

2011-09-17T15:44:00.001-04:00

Recently, I've been trying to buy only a few items, investing in what I need (winter shoes are on that list) or items that are so special and so wearable that they will revitalize what I have and last for a long time. On those counts, the J Crew Teddy dress was near the top of my fall shopping list. It looked warm, had bracelet length sleeves and could be dressed up or down.

I was obviously not alone. Fellow bloggers Marti and Joyce both singled this item out as a must have and it sold out very quickly online. I've noticed that J Crew takes a while to get new items in store (even in New York, they can be up online for a month or more before making it into what are supposedly flagship stores). I would rather buy in person for a number of reasons, notably fit, but also because bodies differ in their angles and lines, making the flow of a garment change from person to person--I'm also not a 18 year old model who has had top stylists tweak the fit of an item first, then photoshop their pictures. The Teddy dress was also in a wool crepe--and I have an allergy to lanolin so a lot of wool items are totally out for me.

Finally, I heard that the Teddy dress was in stock in Manhattan and looked at it on Thursday after acupuncture. What a disappointment. It looks boxy and a little matronly not young and slightly 1960s retro (in a good, mod way). The neckline is trimmed with the same fabric and has a raw edge which just looks a little cheap. The color isn't saturated and looks very slightly faded and, most importantly perhaps, the fabric feels rough--so much so that the unlined arms would make me break out into a well known rash (one I've successfully avoided for years by refusing to wear woolen sweaters).

I'm not disappointed though. I feel I dodged a bullet and my money is safe. I'm going to try and invest in a few of the Lyell pieces but even if that doesn't happen, I feel I'm the winner.

It also reminds me, yet again, to be skeptical of J Crew's styling. Sure they do have some nice long sleeved t-shirts and sweaters, and I've got a couple of decent skirts from them, but the stock in stores is never quite as chic or interesting as the catalogues suggest--remaining boxy and a little bit too safe.

More Lyell

2011-09-09T15:44:00.000-04:00

These pieces have Emma's signature all over them and, if I had unlimited resources, I'd get them all. Her coats--as always--are irresistible.

This cardigan looks lovely (and probably is expensive) but I love good knits.

A perfect schoolgirl dress--something I always covet. Alas, it may not be large enough--I always have problems with Emma's sizing and have no idea if the Tocca line will be cut the same way.

Just lovely. And those purple shoes are wonderful (does Tocca make shoes)?

Love it.

Close to perfection (but it looks like a mash up of my beloved Lyell and JM peacoats so there's definitely a trend here).

So Lyell Returns

2011-09-09T15:36:00.001-04:00

I just got an email that wasn't a huge surprise. The last time I spoke to Emma, she mentioned that she would be back when her baby girl had grown a little. She's designing a collection for Tocca and if this image is anything to go by, it will be promising (I just hope the immaculate finishing and manufacturing standards Lyell was known for continues in this venture).

I've been increasingly reluctant to part with my Lyell as it just looks both fresher and more classic with each season. While I am not going to spend wildly, I'm very interested to see this collection and maybe judiciously select more key pieces for my fall wardrobe--not just for 2011 but for the years ahead.

Best In Show

2011-09-09T11:39:00.000-04:00

There's a new book I have to get when it comes out: Best In Show: Knit Your Own Cat. It's released in October and the Guardian has a preview today. I thought I'd share a couple of these adorable photos to brighten up this Friday.

Back to School

2011-09-08T00:48:00.002-04:00

Which is the reason for my sluggish blogging. I'm hoping to get the book proposal (for #2) off this week and then hopefully I can resume a little more regular blogging. Lots of things to talk about but so little time.

Possible new blog?

2011-09-03T19:56:00.000-04:00

I've been searching through my closet this last few weeks--both to avoid shopping and to see what I really have buried deep in there. Some treasures have been put into semi-regular rotation while I think others can have a new life when paired with other layers, worn under/over sweaters/cardigans and the like.

But others are immaculate, pretty and plain wrong for me. There are dresses I bought when I was a small size 6 that were slightly narrow then. I've barely worn them and know it is unlikely they'll fit me any time in the next few years. Others were just a mistake--great dresses that isn't made for my body type.

I wish I had a chance to list them on the General Economy blog but the waiting list is so long. I'm contemplating setting up a similar blog for those items that are great for someone else, but not for me, or some of you. If there is interest, I may go ahead--with help from friends, I hope.

Grunt Work

2011-09-02T18:13:00.000-04:00

Sometimes writing doesn't come easily, that I know. On those days, you either have to just plough on and hope that getting something done is better than nothing or just give up and play in the sun. I'd do the latter but we're now at that time where I can't. Free days are effectively few and far between so today, I took the morning off. Right now, I'm trying to write the very last chapter description for the book proposal and it's just slow work. I've spent hours today to write maybe two pages. But that's two pages I'd otherwise not have. I've fallen victim to the power of the chocolate chip cookie too, but sometimes it's better to indulge, feel guilty and then get back to writing, right?

And August passed and I didn't buy any dresses, shoes, sandals or striped t-shirts. A victory of some kind for sure--although those two anthro nighties, a cheap ($25) Madwell shirt, and the last of the J. Crew sale purchases means this was still not a pristine month. I am doing better, however. Now I have to withstand the Labor Day sales.

Countdown

2011-08-29T16:19:00.000-04:00

With one week to Labor Day, the new semester is almost upon me, and that means the end of crazy doing my own work days and the need to share my time with my students. I'm vowing this semester will be different and that I will accomplish big things. I will get the new book proposal out in the next couple of weeks and I will finish those almost done articles. I will get the celebrity book proposal out to the press by Christmas and I will write the second chapter of the femininity book. I will go to yoga, zumba and pilates, and I will not let the potentially endless job of course prep and teaching impinge on my publication schedule. I have no intention of neglecting my teaching duties but putting them in their place, conducting them efficiently rather than letting things slide into work days. As such, I'm declaring Thursday and Friday as writing days and teaching prep for Tuesday and Wednesday. Weekends can go either way, depending on my needs.

I want this to be a big semester for me and it will only be that way if I get my nose to the grindstone and use my time efficiently. Otherwise the sadness that always accompanies abandoning the summer months with their time to be used on whatever work I choose, will be truly deserved. I can't do anything about the cooling winds and shorter days (both of which make me a little sad), but I can keep an eye on the way I organize my time.

Damp Weekend

2011-08-28T20:31:00.000-04:00

Well, that was quiet. I woke up at 8 this morning and was relieved that there was little damage to survey, just some leaves on the ground. The marvelous tall tree opposite was still there--it was clear that we'd escaped lightly. Even the storm surge a few hours later was minimal. Sadly, it looks like some people upstate bore the brunt of the winds and rain, but other than having a rather tepid weekend working indoors on syllabi, I thankfully have nothing to report.

Waiting for Irene

2011-08-27T23:05:00.000-04:00

That pretty much sums up today. I went to zumba--the last class of the day (ending at 12.30) at my yoga studio which was running an abbreviated schedule like every other business in NYC. After showering, we went out to look for torches but there were none left in Jackson Heights. Then it was home until further notice. I wrote a couple of syllabi but it's an odd experience waiting to see if power and/or water will cut out, if the apocalypse will arrive or if the storm will be just a storm. Enforced inaction seems to have some kind of link to eating, which may account for all the crazy food shopping that many NY-ers engaged in over the last two days. Our form took cooking--I made a fish tagine which takes a while to cook, and Evan made chocolate chip cookies. The peaches in the kitchen were getting pretty ripe so I had two of them. I watched a of pre-Code film (got to maximize that electricity) and followed the storm's unbelievably slow progress online. Yesterday, it was predicted to hit NYC on Saturday around 2-10 p.m., now it seems that it will be nearer 11 am on Sunday.

As long as we have power and can work, we'll be fine. And water too, of course. I'm hoping all NY-ers will be safe and will keep power/water. But it has been oddly quiet everywhere today--no trains and very few people on the street.

Hurricane Madness

2011-08-26T15:37:00.001-04:00

About 90 minutes ago, I decided to take heed of the warnings saturating the media and went out to buy a few essentials for the storm--water, batteries, salad greens, fruit, cookie mixes (per Evan's request and the city's recommendations) and some batteries and a torch. I needed to hit a few local shops to pick up a few ingredients I need for a fish tagine I'm making this weekend if we still have power, and I also wanted to get a couple of Indian ready made meals from Patel Brothers supermarket to take into work for dinners (that way I *won't* grab bagels).

The streets looked deceptively normal--the weather is great--but then I hit the madness that was the local supermarkets. Patels was pretty busy but a lot of it looked like normal shopping. Then I hit Trade Fair and Met Foods which were nuts--so much so that certain items were already gone (bananas, cookie mixes). People were bulk buying meats and one woman clutched her canned black forest ham. Queso, salsa, chips, large quantities of nuts, soda and pet food seemed popular too, as did bags of sugar, peanut butter and jam. I figure people are going to cook tons of meat tonight and Saturday and eat that cold as and when we lose power. The fruit stands were also busy--again bananas seemed to be the big favorite, along with tomatoes and bagged carrots. I found some black figs and got three ($1) as a little pre-hurricane treat. Mixed salad greens were neglected and I stocked up as they may end up being our Sunday dinner in a salad with avocados, small tomatoes, cheese, walnuts and some eggs that I need to hard boil soon. I am glad I got some 12 grain and seed bread from Whole Foods yesterday as it is evidently insane in there today.

I hit the dollar store very close to home and managed to get three gallons of Poland Spring water and staggered back under the weight of all my shopping. We have 4 gallons of water now and maybe could get a couple more, but I didn't want to stockpile at someone else's expense. Already water seems scarce in quantities over 1 litre bottles. All this seems like madness--we still need to get a torch and batteries--maybe two--so we can read if the power goes out. I'm also charging ipods and laptops so I can watch movies--I think my Mac will give me about 4 hours of entertainment that way. Fortunately we already buy cat food in bulk as our three have rather healthy appetites so there's a lot of Wellness in the house--I just hope no windows blow out as I don't want to have to wrangle them into their carriers.

Hopefully, none of this will be necessary. But one thing is certain--I won't be going to pilates on Sunday morning as we're all supposed to be indoors from 2 p.m. Saturday till 2 p.m. Sunday. I'm not panicking and expect this will be more fuss over nothing--at least, that's what I'm hoping, but better safe than sorry.

Small Purchases

2011-08-24T13:28:00.000-04:00

I suppose if I'd thought about it twice, I would have been able to get through the month without buying any clothes. But I cracked just a little yesterday. Around the time of our monumental earthquake, I wandered into Anthropologie, more out of curiosity than anything. I tend to find their clothes monstrously over-embellished and somewhat overpriced--if I like something, I know it will never make it to the sales wrack, so browsing is usually safe. I see the things I would buy if they were cheaper or reduced, and if discounts are applied, their eager fan base nabs the items before I do. I'm not that worried about it as there are always other places to shop.

I am a fan of their nightdresses, however. They are pretty, comfortable and distinctive. I also refuse to pay full price. Of late, they have not been discounting them--or at least the ones I like don't go on sale. Again, I don't stalk this store so I could have missed out on a few.

Anyway, there were two nice ones on the sale rack. One reddish cotton jersey/t-shirt fabric with pockets at the bottom, and one short cotton woven one in a cream print. Both were $29.99 or half price and below the tax threashold. Both were comfortable and fit--the creamy one was even a little big but you don't want nighties sticking to your skin in hot weather. So I got both, figuring that these will last a while and replace ones that will soon be on their way out. I have a couple of anthro nighties that are old and will perish soon (I worked out that they are about 6-8 years old, to my horror).

But did I need them? A quick mental count today put my number of anthro nighties at 11, with one extra from Target (a cotton Liberty of London that probably won't last forever). So I guess nighties can now go on the list of unnecessary purchases--along with striped t-shirts, pyjama bottoms and tights. Unless they are spectacular, I do not need any more of the above items. And when I mean spectacular, I really mean I should not buy them unless they are so staggeringly wonderful that I'd regret it forever.

So we had an earthquake

2011-08-23T18:22:00.000-04:00

Or at least, that's what I was told. I went into Gallatin for a student colloquium today--the oral exam or conversation on a student's concentration that marks the end of their degree. This one was particularly fine--great student with a great topic (melancholy and romanticism) and a great committee. She also bought macarons, madeleines, strawberries and champagne grapes which I ate--colloquium food, like travel food, doesn't count.

After that, acupuncture. And supposedly the earthquake tremors--which I didn't feel. I must have been on the table or writing a check when it struck, or maybe I was walking down 17th Street, but I did see a bunch of people outside an office building--my immediate thought was sample sale (but the location didn't fit) or maybe some celebrity was signing something. It was only when I got home that I heard we reportedly had an earthquake.

I've never lived in LA or any earthquake prone area but the very fact that the subway was working perfectly and there were no delays on the LIRR or Metro North--as there are when we have a major rain storm--makes me amazed at the fuss the media here and globally are making over this event. Maybe some people felt something but I can only imagine from the people I saw and from my own experience that as far as NYC goes, this was truly a lot of fuss over nothing.

Neglect

2011-08-22T18:34:00.000-04:00

The last month has been dedicated to the new book. My writing mode is not one without consequences as I turn into some form of hermit. Any "what I wore today" posts would only document my descent into some kind of sloven. Pyjamas, nightdresses, yoga pants and anything that can withstand humidity would probably be top of my list. Scraped back hair, make-up free face, and whatever shoes I may need to break in around the house complete the attire. I usually make breakfast relatively early (oatmeal, berries, walnuts) and then pick at it until the bowl is finally empty some two hours later. Lunch (usually something like a salmon burger and one slice of wholegrain seeded bread) comes when I realize it's 3.30 because of the gnawing pain in my stomach or my general light headedness. Sometimes I also realize that it's 3.30 and I'm still in my nightie so while everything heats up, I grab a shower and something to wear. Dinner comes at 10 or so--after Evan finally tells me that he's starving and has to eat and thus ends the day.

Some days I decide to have fun--I put on an old dress to see if I can fit into it. Today was one of them. I found an old empire waist purple cotton Jill Stuart dress. I bought it for a baby shower (the friend's daughter is now 5) and didn't wear it again. I realized why today. It's low cut in a way that I don't like--I'm not Lindsay Lohan and don't want to pour out of my clothes, even though I am far from busty like she is. This dress is one of those that would have that effect on anybody which was probably why it was 80 percent off. Fortunately, I can still fit into it, but I think that's largely because it is an empire waist dress and so open (ahem) on top.

It's hard to believe that a week from now school will be in swing and I'll have to give up this solitary, messy and productive lifestyle. I love teaching but this book proposal really has to come first.

First Draft Done!

2011-08-21T22:58:00.000-04:00

So, the second book is now well underway. I finished the sample chapter tonight at 10.30 p.m., or should I say, the first draft. I'm still playing around with the argument, possibly wanting to add more material on Valley of the Dolls (really, how could I not given its utter fabulousness?) and I still have to cut it back. At somewhere around 80 pages, it is too long--50-60 pages would be better, but I think the topic of this chapter could easily be a book--and maybe it will one day. That topic is the female group film--and there are many wonderful examples--and equally many terrible incarnations (like Bratz--part of Ben's and my Saturday night viewing--it is as bad as you think).

But for now I have to leave it alone and return to my actual proposal. Again, it's way too long at 25 pages, and it also needs some work. But I'm getting there. I have a couple of interested university presses--so I'm hoping that I can get everything emailed off in the next two weeks. A few days away from the chapter will only help--as I work on the proposal itself, I"ll get the necessary distance to edit the chapter with a clear head.

Unfortunately, I don't think I can finish any of the three articles I was finishing off over the summer but hopefully that's what September and October are for. Even with teaching, I am determined to have these finished by Christmas--especially as one will effectively be the sample chapter for the third book, which I hope to have in by the semester's end.

Working

2011-08-18T00:47:00.000-04:00

I've been trying to exert some strong discipline over the last few weeks and, hopefully, I am still on target to get the second book proposal off to the press before school starts. As a result, I'm only blogging sporadically at best.

Two things of note--my black Pina resort 08 Mayle dress that was always a comfy fit and was too tight at the beginning of summer now fits again, although not quite as well as it did before.

Secondly, I have managed not to buy anything new in over two weeks and counting.

London's Burning

2011-08-08T17:05:00.000-04:00

In just a brief break from regular programming, I wanted to offer a few words about the London riots. While ostensibly in response to the police fatally shooting a reputed drug dealer who was certainly armed (not something that is legal), the arson, looting and generally thuggery that started in Tottenham (a mixed-to-poor area of North London) is clearly not about that kind of justice. Many looters are clearly stealing plasma screen TVs, athletic shoes, electronics and clothing out of greed; social media and Blackberries have clearly helped spread the violence and I'm sure in some cases there's organized crime and gangs involved. Some of the teenagers may just be guilty of being young, on an adrenaline kick and/or poor. Clearly policing has failed as the riots have spread in all directions, even leading to some looting in Tottenham Court Road in the West End, but some of this may be because new technologies and recent cutbacks make these riots very different from those in the 1980s.

I don't think that consciously many rioters have an agenda beyond smashing, grabbing, looting and getting high on being there. But besides the ingrained dislike of police in some communities, there are clearly broader cultural issues at stake. It's no accident that these riots have occurred as major austerity cutbacks have affected the poorest, including the loss of youth clubs that keep young, poor kids occupied, the loss of the Educational Maintenance Allowance and the tripling of University fees under this government of Old Etonians, aristocrats and other social elites, for whom my contempt is endless. Combine that with cutbacks in police manpower, public services and the collapse of the global financial systems--which have already created housing bubbles and disenfranchised the majority at the expense of the few--then rioting is to be expected. Of course, the younger generation have been most subject to these cuts, and suffered the most from the downward spiral in wages and the off-sourcing of jobs, so their anger--and their ability and willingness to act on it--should not be surprising.

But that kind of rioting--the kind with a goal that suggests a true collectivity--seems to be a more modernist phenomenon, one responding to the possibility for change coming from the people, and the desire to attain social mobility while still protecting the social good. This is more aimless, viral in the most cliched sense, but it doesn't mean that there is no social context. In a western culture saturated with greed, where identity seems to be dependent on having the latest consumer goods, this response should not be surprising. Sadly, it's likely that aimless rioting will bring no results--especially when the perpetrators hurt their communities and those of others, and are probably as unlikeable as their actions would attest. But it doesn't mean that these riots are just meaningless bad behavior. I don't condone them at all, but they are a product of a broader malaise, one entrenched in the financial system, the rapaciousness of increasingly global corporations and the international shift back to a world of a few ultra rich, a select, small middle-class and bitter competition among the rest for increasingly limited resources.

I'd hope to see these riots--in what is one of the safest, most beautiful and most prosperous global cities--as a wake up call: I just hope the British people, myself included, attach blame to those who deserve it--both at the micro level of finding and convicting ring leaders and looters, but also at the macro-level--the politicians themselves, particularly Cameron, Osbourne and Clegg, who with all their millions have cut off the resources to so many who depend on them. And, more importantly, I hope that the financial system and the neo-liberal corporate culture with which it is synonymous, is seen as one of the major forces behind these kinds of behaviors. The bigger criminals, after all, are those that would plunder communities, remove jobs and entire industries overseas while bribing us all with the allure of cheap commodities.

Carb Cutback

2011-08-08T15:30:00.001-04:00

While I don't have Marti's willpower, I'm doing a little weight loss experiment of my own here, cutting back my carbs. I was stunned that my morning organic oatmeal has nearly as much carbohydrate as some low carb diets recommend for a day (24 g), especially as I don't add sugar. I combine it with berries and walnuts so there's probably a little more carbs in there that puts me over the seemingly impossible low carb 30g.

As for the rest of the day, I'm cutting back to one smallish slice of 12 grain organic bread at lunchtime. My main fear is by mid-afternoon I'll be ready for more. I don't entirely buy into all the health benefits of low carbs (meat is a prime factor in so many illnesses from colon cancer to heart disease and vegetarians generally live longer as a result), but I'm upping my salmon, sardine and egg intake. I just hope I can still concentrate on my writing without as many carbs.

Now back to work.

Willpower

2011-08-04T19:31:00.000-04:00

Almost every day, some email now drops into my inbox about some sale that grabs my attention. So far, two pairs of coveted shoes have been marked down to just over $100 and I saw a coat on Gilt's 90% sale that I like a lot (even though it is nearer 75% off). I'm holding back for the time being. I have 11 coats of varying descriptions although this one would be a nice addition--it isn't like anything else I have and I know I'd wear it. But wouldn't I just wear one of the other ones instead? Why do coats always speak to me like this? I know NYC requires coats for 9 months or so but it's more than that--the image that a coat gives of being well put together, the warmth it provides and the way it seems like something more permanent than a cardigan, dress or shoes which will ultimately wear out.

As for the sandals, I need a pair of highish ones for summer events. My Miu Miu silver sandals turned yellow in places and are too high for anything other than real parties. I need something that is dressy but not too much. The Comey Chadwicks and the A Detacher Bellows are both on sale. Should I bite or should I just let them pass. And if I select a pair, which one to go for?

Facing Reality

2011-08-03T13:41:00.001-04:00

For the last two years, I've been really careful with my diet. I purged most non-organic foods, stopped drinking coffee, have had healthy breakfasts (organic oatmeal with water, a sprinkle of sea salt, organic raspberries, blueberries and walnuts with organic green tea or water) and I've tried to eliminate pasta and ice cream (successfully) and sugars (varying success) from my diet. I've cut out pseudo healthy foods like juices and smoothies that are actually high sugar calorie bombs. I've exercised five times a week (yoga, pilates, zumba, boot camp). Net result? I think I've gained 10 lbs although I have lost weight when I cut out all sweets (except fruit) and tried to stick to one bagel a week on Saturdays.

I used to eat chocolate all the time--at least once a day (English chocolate bought at home and carried back in my bag or imported from Fairway and overpriced English food stores) and I was easily a size 6. Now I'm nearer a 10 and some of my clothes don't fit (mainly jeans, shorts and pants but a few dresses and tops). The big increase has come recently, since I loosened my prohibition on sugars and deserts at celebrations (like birthdays) which meant my sweet tooth returned. It's a very limited sweet tooth--I don't like sweet drinks, I hate sweet and savory mixed so I don't like ketchup, sweet spicy food (cut the sugar and elevate the spice for me) but I know a bar of chocolate here and there is far from innocent. It's not just the calories, it stimulates more cravings and it causes inflammation of various body tissues.

I hate being hungry so I've looked at all the guidelines on healthy eating and so-called super foods that fill you up and even burn fat (claims I'm not sure I believe). Ironically, these are the foods that constitute most of my diet--oatmeal, black beans, raspberries, blueberries, wild salmon, whole grains, chilli peppers, cumin, garlic, onions, green tea, etc. I also get at least 8 hours sleep a night so I'm not putting on weight because I'm sleep-deprived. Indeed, if I look at all the guidelines about losing weight, I'm pretty much doing everything right unless I move onto modified versions of Atkins and cut out all carbs. I'm tempted but I can't do that--but I can cut out one of the two slices of organic 12-grain bread that I have on a lunchtime sandwich or with a bowl of soup.

I may be able to cut down on carbs and to fit in another workout or two a week, but I'm coming to the sad conclusion that I am not going to lose weight if I eat as much as I do right now. I'm not talking about starving. I can't work if I am hungry and I'm not that irresponsible. But I know I have a healthy appetite and even if I'm eating healthily, I'm obviously storing calories that my body isn't using. The sad fact is that women's metabolism slows after 35 and while I though I was immune, I'm not. And it's not just vanity (although that plays a role) or the frustration of realizing that the 20-somethings at the yoga studio who work out less than me and eat just as much, if not more, are visibly skinnier than they were in June while I'm a few pounds heavier. It's the fear that this will only get worse and the horror that I could be the big girl when I was always the tall, slender--even skinny--one.

Afternoons will be tough. I write intensely and then get hungry around 4-5. I've tried stopping the pains with a cup of green tea and that doesn't always work. I have to write so I grab something. It was one of the bars of Cadbury's chocolate that my brother and sister-in-law gave me, then, in an effort to be healthier, a banana sandwich. But I fear it now may have to be nothing--maybe a hardboiled egg at best.

Still, as Mum says, the stomach is a bag of muscle that can shrink or grow. I'm just going to have to shrink mine a tiny bit so I can shrink the rest of me back into shape.

Savage Beauty

2011-08-03T00:15:00.003-04:00

I took the day off today--well, almost. I read the necessary chapters in a not-great book that I just had to deal with to cover my bases. But the rest of the day was devoted to exercise, acupuncture and, for most of the afternoon, standing in line at the Met with Evelyn and Amy and then visiting the Alexander McQueen exhibit.

I've been a member of the Met and I have to say, I've never seen it so busy. I've been avoiding going at weekends and figured that Tuesday afternoon would be safe. But I was wrong. While the wait was listed at 2 1/2 hours (which seemed to be a standard sign) it was a little over 70 minutes, which was fine as I had good company and enjoyed the artwork the line snaked by (including my favourite Joan of Arc painting).

The exhibit itself was majestic. Not only were the gowns, jackets, hats, shoes, jewelry, suiting, dresses, etc. sublime, but it was masterfully curated. Different rooms were lit differently, had their own music, and were constructed in different materials to set different moods. Videos from shows played (both videos of the shows and the short films played at shows). Three dresses from his Voss collection were shown in a glass box that replicated the original show that the models couldn't see out of and the audience sometimes couldn't see into--just viewing their reflection, not the clothes (all depended on the light).

But the beauty of the clothes and the level of the work was what stunned me the most. I was lucky and could see them upfront (mostly that is--the elm prosthetic legs for Aimee Mullins seemed to evoke the most curiosity--it was only when I looked at the fabulous exhibit website that I worked out what was causing such a sensation as I couldn't get near them). I can't do the clothes justice here but the creativity, imagination, combination of techniques, the detail, the colours, materials (metals, mud, shells, balsa wood as well as more conventional fabrications), the craftsmanship, imagination, play with themes, intellectualism and artistry were stunning. The themes for collections and their staging were incredible and took fashion to a new dimension. I'd always heard about his stunning tailoring (which was on display, along with pieces from his student collection which were immaculate), but the historical references, variety of techniques and the play with form made this fine art. I was sad when McQueen died and knew a fashion genius had gone but I had no idea until I saw the exhibit that he was working at this level, and that he was so prolific and imaginative. It was the first time I saw couture gowns so close up (some of the pieces were from his Givenchy collections) and his runway work was at that level too.

Here, from said website, are a few of my favourites, although its tough to choose which ones were the best. And some of the pieces I loved aren't photographed online.

Temptation

2011-08-01T15:45:00.001-04:00

It's August and I stuck to my resolution and didn't buy a dress in July. Of course, that didn't mean that I was completely virtuous--the Office shoes, the gap gym clothes and the J. Crew splurge may have all been bargains and may have even totaled less than one dress, but I still have a way to go before I meet my goal of not spending anything on clothing for a month (and then I'll try for longer).

August is always difficult as the final sales wave temptation in front of my face in the form of deep markdowns on things I actually like, may even need or just fantasize about owning. Then there are those pieces by the designers I like, in prices that match what I'd love to spend (again deep discounts) that I don't actually need.

Of course, this all comes with some sadness when you miss that item that you weren't really going to buy but almost bought on a number of occasions. Case in point, this Rachel Comey Ether dress. I loved the fabrics, but don't need any summer silk dresses, particularly with spaghetti straps--it's also a shade too long for me too. I'm not sure the boning would have worked for me either. But it was so pretty and it was $168 plus tax and shipping (which may have been the killer as it puts it at a hair under $200). Too late now as it's gone, but I offer it up here as an example of what I didn't buy this sale season--and as a testament to my self-discipline if I might pat myself on the back.

J Crew Delivery

2011-07-29T18:57:00.000-04:00

My J Crew items just came--at long last--and I have to say, I'm pretty pleased with the orders. The shorts fit perfectly (which is a shame in a way as I went up a size but hopefully I will get back down to my fighting weight soon). I desperately need shorts, especially in this heat, even as this pair looked so large in their bag that I regret the cranberry corn scone I ate at the farmer's' market today (I'm guessing it was 500 calories) but I was hungry after a long morning at work.

The t-shirts are great (I got the Medium and could have even sized down, which made me feel good even if it just testified to vanity sizing), soft and well fitting. I'm particularly fond of the rust/blue striped colorway. The big hit is the striped sweater. I went up to a L to ensure the drapey look on the model and have to say it's fantastic. The cotton is light enough to wear on most summer days and it is as good as I hoped it would be on. My only doubts had come from the ready availability of this top in all colorways and sizes. I just think it speaks to the breadth of J Crew's customer base--I may not be looking for some of the preppy classics that many of the brand's fans love.

Another Dress

2011-07-27T22:57:00.001-04:00

That is, another dress that doesn't really fit me any more. This morning I decided to wear my blue cotton JM dress to lunch with my friend Diane. She lives in Ireland and I don't get to see enough of her so I wanted to wear something nice. Only the dress that was a little large on me a year ago is a little too snug today. Earlier this week, an old summer stalwart--a white woven cotton DVF sample--was a little tight (again, it was always on the loose side).

So, I'm contemplating the Dukan Diet. First, I'm going to try to up the amount of salads and veg in my diet, especially as it is summer. I'm going to try to eat more fish and follow the mantra of filling up on vegetables. My friend Brittan makes it look easy (and yummy). But if that doesn't work (bear in mind I am taking a minimum of two zumba, one boot camp class that includes dance and two pilates classes a week), I'm going to have to look at some kind of actual diet plan for the first time in my life.

Time Crisis

2011-07-26T18:33:00.000-04:00

It hardly seems possible that we are now 2/3 of the way through the summer break (I'd call it vacation but it isn't--far from it). In a month, I will likely be copying syllabi, setting up Blackboard accounts and dealing with student queries about classes, readings and admittance full courses. It's time to set up a firm schedule for the next few weeks while most of my goals are still within the realm of possibility.

First--the book proposal for book #2. A book proposal involves a prospectus, chapter breakdowns for each chapter, sample chapter and cover letter. I currently have a very long and somewhat dated prospectus that with a bit of tweaking may even constitute the prospectus and the introduction to the book, although some of the chapter summaries are way too short and some of the substance of the book has changed since I wrote this document some time ago. I have 80+ pages of a chapter--which is still unfinished. It will likely get much longer before I cut it to 45 pages or so but I'm not worried about that. Such is the way of writing, at least for me. Realistically, I can do this. I'm hoping to have the chapter in pretty decent form by August 1 (just typed April... wishful thinking!) and then spend a week on the proposal, another few days editing the chapter and have this baby off to the press by August 12.

Project number two is to finish two of the articles (one on polygamy and playgirls, the other on early film stardom) that I was editing and fiddling with at the end of the semester. I hope I can spend three days on one and a week on another and those can be submitted to a couple of journals.

Project three--write the book proposal for book #3 on celebrity. Palgrave sent me a form and this is doable (especially as they really want the book). As the sample chapter is the early film paper I mentioned above, this should be doable--even if it goes down to the wire.

There are three or four other papers I wanted to work on but those will have to be dealt with in the early parts of the semester when time is not so crunched. Once grading starts floating in, forget it.

As for my other goals, I have lost and piled back on the same 5lbs. I've got to tackle my carb-loving nature. Evan and I actually had salad the other night and it was really good--I mixed organic spring greens, a little cilantro, radishes, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, walnuts, hot smoked salmon (the stuff that isn't flat but more like a fillet of the fish) with balsamic dressing and it was really filling. If I can eat more like that and have less carbs (I suggested bread with the meal and Evan said we didn't need it), then maybe I can get back into the clothes that are now so tight.

Another goal is to clean up my closets and save some money. This week, not so hot--I bought several items from J. Crew's sale and, while I need them, I haven't seriously tackled the mound of clothing I need to photograph and post here for sale--and sort out the pieces I should turn into rags or donate to charity.

So, I have my schedule. Will I accomplish all of this? Likely not but at this point, there is still a good chance if I buckle down to work. I changed my Thursday acupuncture appointment to earlier in the day and hopefully that will help me get more done.

Shoes

2011-07-25T14:06:00.000-04:00

I recently got to a point where I realized I'd worn through the soles of two of my most comfortable pairs of sandals. Had I realized how worn they were, I'd have taken them in earlier to be repaired but because they are flats, the signs of wear you get from heeled shoes weren't visible. Future tip, if the soles of my shoes start bending back when they hit a cobblestone or raised paving slab, then the shoes are in dire need of a new sole. I did buy the Madewell sandals I'd liked but they seem to be the kind that will take some breaking in and may not be comfortable until next summer. Similarly, my Mayle clogs may not be the best for my feet.

When I went to England, I was in a tricky situation. Literally the only summer shoes I had that were comfortable and not in tatters were my strappy Surface to Air wedges--which were in dire need of a new heel and sole (thanks to Dad, that was accomplished at a small cobbler in Dersingham) and my green Mayle flats, which got soaked a couple of times and didn't work with all outfits.

As I got a train to Glasgow the night before my conference, mistakenly assuming the first panel was in the morning not at 4.30 p.m., I had time to browse the city and its stores. I came across the following pair of shoes marked down from £65 to £30 in Office. They were amazingly comfortable although I did have to size up and would work with dresses, pants, without tights and with. So I bought them and wore them for the rest of the conference.

Indeed these were so comfortable and answered a couple of needs (pretty mid-heeled shoes, something to wear with cropped pants, something Oxford like that didn't make my feet look huge) that I went back and got another pair in black on my way back. That pair are still at home in the UK, but the other ones are proving invaluable here. They are well made, relatively cheap and have stopped me from buying other, still overpriced pairs of shoes online. After all, the percentage of shoes that we buy that none of us can ever wear because they turn out to be horribly uncomfortable makes shoes the worst item to buy. The rare pair that is comfortable and pretty always turns out to be the pair you wish you'd bought in duplicate. I got two pairs of the Devotte sandals I'm probably going to have to toss and my only regret is that I didn't get four.

Hurrah!

2011-07-24T12:27:00.002-04:00

Today, gay marriage is legal in NYC. Congratulations to all the happy couples who have waited so long for this special day.

J Crew Sale

2011-07-24T12:26:00.000-04:00

I've been really good about spending recently--largely because I am trying to declutter and discipline myself. I did allow myself a J. Crew mini-splurge, however, as they currently have 40% off sale items and free shipping (on all sale orders). Most of what I bought were items I'd already considered buying and will be decent staples. Alas, I checked the sale late and most of the items I'd sought--mainly cashmere sweaters and cardigans--were long gone. Here's what I bought.

I got both these shorts (sans belt) and the t-shirt. I won't be wearing them together as in this picture. I realized I needed shorts in this heatwave and for $23, these couldn't be beat. I liked the t-shirt when it was on sale for $19 and liked it even more at 8. So much so, I got it in the other colorway:

I also bought a gingham shirt in violet (I could wear this in hot weather and layer in the spring/fall). Again, it was around $24.

I found the shirt and the ts by searching by size and suspect they may not ship as they were hidden items and may have sold out. If so, it isn't a huge deal but they do seem like good staples.

I got the following sweater in a larger size (to ensure it drapes I got the L). I've had it in my cart forever and wish I'd realized that shipping was free as I lost a cashmere cardi that I'd have also worn thinking I had to have $150 to get free shipping. This cost around $25 and will be something I will wear. Again, I realize just how much I love stripes...

My other sale splurge was workout gear from the gap--again it hasn't shipped (40% off three hour only promo so I got some capri leggings and sports bra tops that never go on sale). I have a feeling that it's another order that will be canceled, and it is one I need. I work out often enough that I really need to have more pants and bra tops but am cheap enough not to want to spend a fortune.

It Must Be the Heat

2011-07-22T15:56:00.001-04:00

Today is 100 degrees and I'm having some flashbacks to brutal heat waves of summers past. Summer is work time--the only time we academics get to do what we're really paid to do, which is research, write and publish. Teaching may take up our time but few institutions really value it, even as we spend a good majority of our time in the classroom, preparing to teach, grading work or other instruction-related activities like meeting with students, responding to emails, writing letters of recommendation etc.

Of course, summer is also the most brutal time of year to get anything done--at least for those folks like me who don't have central air and don't live particularly near campus. This heat may in part excuse two of the most stupid mistakes I've made in writing this book. Last summer, in the height of the heatwave, I spent a week slowly going over one of the central films for the chapter I'm currently writing, taking meticulous notes (in a very long file). It was not comfortable work as I had to be at home near my dvd player as my laptop screen isn't big enough to play discs and have open files. One afternoon I had a brainwave about another very minor film that might at best be a footnote--opened the file--added the notes and then realized that the file was wrongly named. I waved away the prompt asking me if I was sure, and then had a horrid epiphany. I had just overwritten my file on Valley of the Dolls by accident--a move that totally destroyed my momentum to finish the chapter as this was the film I was about to discuss. I am usually very good about saving everything to dropbox, emailing myself copies of files, and backing up to my portable hard drive but this file was completely gone because I'd just bought a new computer and was feeling complacent. Stupid, stupid girl--I should have remembered all the friends who'd had similar experiences, mainly with new machines.

Roll onto this summer. This afternoon I decided to print out the rather large 60+ page chapter draft from last summer, merged with some relevant material from my recent conference paper. I was surprised to find that I only had 15 pages. I checked all the versions on my laptop and all were the same. Fortunately, I remember emailing a copy to a dear friend, located the email where I'd referred to something I'd said on p. 47. Sure enough, I'd edited an old copy of the chapter and managed to delete/overwrite about 50 pages of text... At least I'd been a little less complacent about saving/duplicating work, although my dropbox version of the chapter was (sure enough) the older one.

It's just as well that I planned to upgrade to OS Lion, which reportedly does what the time machine function does (when you use it...). It stores earlier versions of files so overwriting isn't so much of a problem. I think this is a must for me, especially when most of my intensive writing seems to take place during these dog days of summer in a not-too-well air-conditioned bedroom.

I also managed to print the old version of the chapter about three times before realizing that I need to rename this sucker and move onto finishing it by the end of the first week of August so I can get the whole proposal to the press and move onto finishing some articles.

Summer Heat

2011-07-20T17:26:00.000-04:00

We're right in the midst of a heatwave here in NYC (and, from what I've heard, most of the US). When your skin is as fair as mine, dresses that cover the shoulders and the upper arm are a must to avoid sunburn, particularly given the destructive effects of humidity on sunblock. Given my resolve not to buy a dress until the end of the month (a vow that I've kept despite missing out on a coveted Rachel Comey frock on deep markdown), I've had to dig deep into my closet.

Here, however, I've had some pleasant surprises. I've found three dresses that fit my bill--cotton, short sleeves and loose enough to withstand extreme heat. I'm not saying I forgot about these dresses, nor that they somehow vanished amidst my overstuffed closet, but rather I tended to overlook them or had pigeonholed them for alternate uses/seasons/life stages.

Today, I'm wearing one of the Uniqlo Phillip Lim dresses that I stood in line for back in May 2007 (I can't believe it was that long ago). It's a plaid school girl-ish dress in cotton that was just under $50 and, like most of their early design collaborations, is far better made than subsequent lines. I think I'd decided to reserve this one for cooler days with dark tights and then it just became victim to being an older and cheaper dress. But it's actually quite delightful and has held up well with age.

Yesterday I wore my Lyell red dress. I remember that there were production issues with the fabric and dye in this one, and somehow when I got it I remember thinking it was a bit costumey as well as a little long. I still think it is longer than I'd like, but it is soft, bright and relatively cool for a dress with a fitted waist. So back in the rotation it goes. This dress is like new as I think I only wore it twice. It's even older than the dress above, being a piece of the only partly produced Summer 2006 collection.

The third item has the least design credentials. It's a cotton trapeze H&M dress in an orange and white floral pattern that was heavily inspired by one of the Chloe collections. Ironically, it's probably my favorite of the lot. It has pockets, cap sleeves, and is in a lovely 60s style print in a perfect crisp cotton. I have no picture of this one as yet.

Now the challenge is to survive the next few days. No dress can aptly deal with this level of heat as the high 90s are on the horizon but at least I'm doing well enough without splurging on something new this month.

Catching Up

2011-07-18T13:30:00.000-04:00

Three and half weeks away has meant several things, not least 5 lbs weight gain and a loss in muscle strength. I went back to zumba and pilates this weekend and boy did I feel the pain in my abs. I also noted a distinct lack of coordination with zumba, which meant I got less of a workout. I did take some consolation in the fact that it was my abs (and to a lesser extent butt and thighs) that hurt after pilates, which meant I was doing the exercises right--and, as for zumba, it was a new routine so that meant I could hide behind an excuse of not knowing what I was doing. But I still notice the pounds and the weakness--although I walked a lot at home and went swimming, it wasn't the same.

I've nearly balanced my sleep schedule into something workable--not waking up at 4 and falling asleep at 8, but 6.30-10. I can live with that and want to maintain something of that order as long as possible. The plan is to write like crazy in the mornings and afternoons, then go to yoga/zumba/pilates, then eat, rest, sleep. Again, possibly easier said than done.

I'm going to try to be organized. My mid-summer's resolutions are to cook more at home, using the fresh produce available at the farmers' markets and Whole Foods, cut out the chocolate/cookies and pastries I too easily consumed while home, work hard, spend less, and clean out clutter and closets.

Back in NYC

2011-07-14T12:44:00.000-04:00

What a trip! I can't quite believe I'm not in England (and my body can't either--I got up at 4.30 am). I've come back with a renewed sense of purpose and resolve but I have to give myself a day or so to recover from a late flight. I left London at 8 p.m. yesterday and got back here at 10.35 p.m. or so (I think the plane was late). Even though I got a cab (I'm usually cheap enough to use public transport), I still wasn't in much before 11.30 p.m. or, as my body knows it, 4.30 a.m. BST.

I like to ration out jet lag this end, eaking out each extra hour over the course of a week or two. It may be 12.37 here but I feel it is every bit of 5.37 p.m. I've really not done much today but starting tomorrow, those extra hours will be devoted to work or chores like cleaning up and going through my closet.

Which gets me to another point. After much thought, I've realized that some of my more coveted and rare Mayle dresses just aren't ones I wear. So I'll be posting some pictures in the next few days of dresses I'll be selling. Some are unworn (Josie romper in black silk, Katia dress), others worn once or twice. Once I've recharged my camera batteries--and my own batteries--I'll be listing some of them here. Some of the rarer items I may post on ebay.

More Pictures

2011-07-06T12:40:00.000-04:00

I'm having another great, relaxing day with the folks. Shopping in the morning (Mum and Dad, not me), coffee then lunch out, followed by a brief drive out into the country and now we're back sitting in the sun. I could get used to this--tomorrow, I'll meet with friends and do some work. Interesting things are going on with the press, with phone hacking, and issues of privacy/freedom of speech right now, as well as questions of media ownership as Murdoch is at the heart of it all.

Nothing like blogging in the garden, in the sun, while listening to Radio 4.

Here's Mum doing one of her favourite things--gardening (talking and laughing are also up there).

Poppies! Lots of them!

The Vyne--from day 3 of the holiday and my National Trust jaunt with Sue.

And some flowers from their garden.

Vyne hens.

And these are their names.

Home. Where I am right now.

Some Pictures

2011-07-05T16:21:00.000-04:00

Having uploaded my photos, I thought I'd share a few from the first part of my trip. Here they are.

Here's Dad in the garden this afternoon. We've been having pretty perfect weather--70s, sunny, warm and little humidity. Here's some from Glasgow.

Not a very good picture--I took this one near the conference after a very long train journey and a rather short night's sleep.

Here's some Charles Rennie Macintosh ironwork at one of his buildings off Princes Street, now turned into a rather small, semi-upmarket and pretty shopping mall. They had a Cos--the upmarket H&M--which had some lovely things but I am on a vow of austerity and refused to buy.

Some of the lovely scenery from Glasgow's West End, the University's neighbourhood.

Breakfast for one at the beautiful Palace of Solitude in London. As you can see, I ate it all up (wholewheat toast, green tea and an organic orange).

I think this young pig would have eaten breakfast for me if I'd let him. He lives in the Imperial War Museum.

And here's my great-grandfather's listing as one of the victims of the Blitz in the same Museum. The house imploded when a bomb was dropped on it--I remember my grandmother telling me about it but it was only years later I realised that the story was real.

Here's Mollie, my brother and sister-in-law's cat. She's fluffy, pretty and super aggressive. Don't let that furry face fool you--she's an attack cat who will rip a hole in your skin if you try to touch her.

My dad's birthday--my brother had us around for dinner. It was in the 80s and sunny so we ate outside. It was a perfect day with the most lovely people.

Here's what I wore that day--my current favourite Rachel Comey dress and my Surface to Air strappy wedges.

And here's a scene from their garden. More to follow.

Conference Report

2011-07-05T15:43:00.000-04:00

I have to say that I had one of the most enjoyable conferences yet. It's been a decade since I went to Glasgow so it was almost like going to a new city and I got a chance to look around before spending my time immersed in Cinema and TV studies.

The papers were generally very strong, I got to see some old friends and make some new ones. I also got to hang out with my fellow panelists from the US who were all lovely people (as well as giving great papers). One of them is one of my all-time favourite scholars and the paper she delivered was so beautiful, elegant and smart that it was a model of the best kind of scholarship. I had no email access which was actually rather nice--time to read, talk and engage with others. Plus the sun shone, which was evidently a first for Glasgow this summer. I look forward to going back next year and hope to see the same folks again.