Wild Flowers

I'm usually not the biggest fan of Nylon, but read it because I have a free subscription. I received the March issue yesterday, and for some reason I found it so much more delightful than usual! I devoured it joyfully.

My favorite photo shoot was the dreamy Wildflowers spread. It had an beautiful ethereal quality that made me think of Lula Magazine. Here are some (crappy) scans of the flowery photos.

Click for a larger version, pretties.

Gorgeous, right? I must get some flowers in my hair stat.

Some blossom-studded options:

1. Embellished Flower Barrette
2. Orchid Hair Clip
3. Teen Vogue DIY with Erin Fetherston
4. Wild Rose Hair Clip
5. Leather Flower Headband

25 Things to Do With Fashion Mags

I just wrote an article for Got a Crush, and I had so much fun writing about it (it really got my creative juices flowing!) that I feel I have to share it with you.

Anyway, here is the article:

"25 Things to Do With Fashion Magazines

by Kori Perten

A lot of people are of the opinion that regular magazines are being usurped by blogs and online magazines. I strongly disagree! I adore blogs and the online fashion world, but nothing can replace the glossy glory of a tangible fashion magazine.

Not convinced? Here are 25 great things you can do with fashion magazines.


1. Read them. Kind of a given.

2. Tear out your favorite pictures and hang them on your wall.

3. Get your favorite pictures blown up to poster size at a printing store and give them to your friends as gifts.

4. Paste pictures of your favorite trends into a notebook for fashion inspiration.

5. Cut them up and make a collage.

6. Cover thick bangles with words cut from a magazine and spread paint glaze over them for a glossy finish.

7. Make a magazine library full of your favorite issues.

8. Scan intriguing editorials and post them for discussion on the livejournal community foto_decadent (http://community.livejournal.com/foto_decadent).

9. Keep a folder full of articles that make you feel beautiful.

10. Fill a folder with articles full of things you plan to try; a healthier diet, tropical spa, or nail polish trick- anything that intrigues you! And then try them.

11. Write a blog that analyzes magazine photo shoots and styling.

12. Collect the little beauty samples that come in magazines. When you have obtained a large amount, put them in a basket and give them to a friend for pampering.

13. Photoshop your picture into magazine photo shoots so that you have an interesting background. Susie from Style Bubble (http://www.stylebubble.typepad.com/) does this regularly with great results.

14. Glue magnets to the back of words cut from magazines and stick them to your refrigerator.

15. Find vintage magazines in libraries and on Ebay to learn about the fashions in days past.

16. Keep a magazine in your purse to flip through in waiting rooms and (discreetly) during boring lectures.

17. Paste pictures you love to the top of your dresser and cover with glaze.

18. Submit a letter to the editor and (possibly) get it published at the front of the magazine.

19. Apply for a job or internship at your favorite magazine.

20. Sniff the inside of the magazine, because fashion magazines tend to smell delicious. (That’s not weird…)

21. Hide post-its with cute notes on them inside a magazine before lending it to a friend.

22. Study the poses of models in ads and photo shoots, then practice in front of the mirror. Switching between difficult poses can actually loosen and strengthen your muscles, not to mention the posing will make you feel like a million bucks. The posing may also make you feel slightly foolish.

23. Use magazine photo shoots as inspiration for your own photo shoots.

24. Wrap presents in magazine pages for unique wrapping paper. Recycling magazines like this is better for the environment than buying wrapping paper.

25. Swap your old magazines at places like http://www.titletrader.com/.

See? Fashion magazines can help you get in touch with your crafty side, define your personal style, and cheer up your friends. Plus, recycling them is good for the environment! I’m sure there are many other fashion magazine-related activities that I didn’t even think of, so be creative and have fun!"

Well, that was the article. At first, I just wrote down things I personally did with my magazines (I call myself an active magazine reader because my magazines always end up torn up and written on), but gradually I had to think more and more outside of the box. It was fun! Now I might have to go do some of these things.

What do you like to do with your magazines? Do you have anything you'd like to add to the list?

Jumeau and Old Navy

A reader asked for a picture of me with my new Jumeau bag so that she could get a better idea of the size.

Well, dearies, your wish is my command!

I'm taking the opportunity to show you my new Old Navy purchases in addition to le bag.

Here I am wearing my new Old Navy cardigan. It was on the clearance rack, and for only $15 I couldn't help myself. Cute, no? For the curious, I'm also wearing an Old Navy tank, black pants from Zara, and the Jumeau bag.

Here is a tank I purchased from the Old Navy urban explorer collection. The collection had a lot of stuff I really liked, but it just felt to early to be stocking up on summer items, so I only let myself buy one thing. I love the mixed prints on this though, and there are cute wooden buttons down the front. I'm also wearing Old Navy cargo pants I've had forever and my Jumeau bag.

I actually don't own much from Old Navy, but for some reason I'm representing in these pictures.

Jumeau Bags

Not too long ago, I received an email from Jumeau bags offering me two free bags to review. I responded with excitement. Jumeau has four collections in the Fall/Winter '07 line - the Institution Collection, the Now Collection, the Commando Collection, and the Green Collection. I was especially drawn by the Green Collection, because although it feels a little out of my means to always buy green, a bag "focusing on natural materials such as organic cotton, bamboo and natural dyes" seemed right up my alley.

So I picked the Keri bag from the Green Collection, opting for a cool blue acid wash color.

The second bag I picked out was never delivered (I don't know what's going on with that), so I'm not going to talk about it.

Anyway, here are my thoughts on the Keri bag:

I like it. It's not exactly my taste (as in I would probably not pick it out in a store), but I'm kind of enamoured with the dark acid wash effect. I gave it a test run today on a trip to Old Navy (more on that later), and found it very satisfactory. The bag is extraordinarily roomy, with plenty of handy pockets. The strap is comfortable, and doesn't slip from my shoulder the way the straps on other bags tend to. The fabric is quite sturdy, and I can tell that the bag is extremely well made. It will last for a long time, let me tell you that.

My only complaint is that the bag is on the heavy side. It's large enough to hold a ton of stuff, but I find myself avoiding filling it up because any extra weight will result in some shoulder discomfort.

But maybe I'm just a wimp.

Anyway, the bottom line is that I'm happy with my Jumeau bag. For more information, take a look at the Jumeau bags workbook, or got to http://www.jumeaubags.com/.

Poisoned Femininity

Aah, it feels good to be back in the blog loop. As I sift through the 1000+ posts awaiting me on my Google Reader (I think my homework is in danger), I am slowly getting back in that comfortable place where I know what's going on in the fashion world and blogosphere.

One of the wonderful posts that awaited me when I arrived home last night was Gala Darling's ode to the "Neogoth" look. It made me want to play with some of the elements of the look. The ideas that interested me the most were:

"Neogoth is about texture. Wool, silk, lace & leather. Wood, plastic & lacquer. Without texture there is no neogoth — just someone wearing lots of darkly-hued clothing. Some people wear black to hide themselves away, minimise themselves, appear invisible. Neogoth is about doing the opposite: making a statement, dressing it up, putting in an effort & looking fabulous."

"Colleen of Panic Industry coined the phrase “poisoned femininity“ to describe a lot of what she sees on the catwalk at the moment, & I think that is worth incorporating into the whole neogoth thing. It’s not just clothing, it’s about feelings & mood. It’s about playing up the elements of mystery, drama & intrigue. It’s about being delicate with a dark edge, being unexpected & a little sick around the edges. Kind of like that broken dolly thing from the 90’s, just more grown-up. "

I'm throwing away the "uber-modern" bit and adding a bit of a fairytale edge, so I don't know where that takes me. Into the realms of "normal goth," perhaps? Into a completely different area of style? I neither know nor care.

But I was inspired, and I experimented.

Note: I had some fun with this photo shoot.

I took the "mystery, drama, and intrigue" bit to heart, and kept texture in mind. The first look was all black, with a velvet skirt worn as a dress over a top that draped rosettes over the front. The second look involved a black top and deep, wine-colored skirt.

I think my pale skin and dark hair lend themselves to this style, but anyone could rock it.

I also think it made me feel pretty great. Maybe I'll let my dark side shine through a bit more in the future.

Hello From New Hampshire

I'm holed up in the coziest of houses, with a blazing fire casting an orange glow on frosted glass panes. With snow fighting its way inside on rugged soles, my style has reverted to gray fleece pants and flannel shirts, and my hair is always down to shield my ears from cold. When I put on my motorcycle boots, I felt kind of like a lumberjack.

I say this in the past tense because my motorcycle boots broke yesterday.

I'm very upset. Apparently one should not put their trust in Charles Albert.

I've tried to include some slightly fashion-y elements in this post, but with the scent of smoke wafting delicately through the air, I'm too deliciously drowsy to think much about I'm wearing.

It happens to all of us, sometimes.

Well, I'm not completely out of the fashion loop. I can't help but reflect on the fact that the rosy glow my cheeks get from a long walk beneath fairy tale-frosted pines flatters me more than any application of blush could ever do.

Take that, M.A.C.

I'll be home by Friday, ready to embrace fashion once more. Hopefully the Forever 21 sale that I read about as I scrolled through the subject lines of my email messages will still be going on then.

Up, Up, and Away!

I'm off to New Hampshire for the rest of the week!

I'm hoping to find internet access where I'm going, so expect (maybe) the occasional post.

I have some fun things in store, like product reveiws, plans for a second Blogging Society Challenge, and that kind of thing, so keep reading...

For the meantime, content yourself with my articles on Got a Crush and the wonderful blogs listed on my sidebar.