I look better in inky technicolor

I know I have already raved about the genius that is the Argentinean high-fashion artist Andy K, but I  just have to do it again. Not only did he paint me this wonderful portrait, but he has also been busy in the lab producing even more of his amazing, expressive, colorful art.

I absolutely love my portrait, particularly the Coca-Cola reflected in my glasses which is very fitting for my Atlanta roots. I also dig the pale colors and the combination of pink with red which is one of those color-combo faux-pas that I love to flout in my wardrobe from time to time. 

His newest stuff is somewhat different from the peices I featured in my Delicious Brains post about him. I like the scrolls of writing on these with the simple sentences, as well as the bird-cage motif. They almost feel like old gothic advertisements for a freak show, and the subjects feel as trapped and desperate as I imagine those performers would have felt, constantly isolated and on display.

Notice the smear of red, like blood, in the bird-cage and the speech-bubble containing not words, but a bird. The subject is practically disappearing in the violence and rage of the colors that consume him. Absolutely stunning. 

 

This one is very interesting, a bit more hopeful than the previous as the subject is strong and un-caged with a kind of serene look of satisfaction on his face. I wonder what the significance of having the clock inside the cage is?

The drummer in this one reminds me of the subject of the first painting. The cage still appears in this one but this time it is the drum containing a butterfly. I love how the woman's face is turned away from us, perhaps towards the caged butterfly, and how the sentence contained in the scroll is abruptly cut off mid-sentence. I can definitely feel the chaos and frustration in this one.

I'm no art-critic but I do enjoy analyzing art... mostly I just use the skills I have from studying literature and apply them, but do any true art academics out there have any opinions on these pieces? I think they definitely leave one with a lot to think about. 

This was just a small sample of Andy K's impressive portfolio. If you're intrigued, be sure to check out the rest of it on his flickr! You can also see the interview I did with him in the beginning of February here. Also, if you have anything you would like to submit to the DELICIOUS BRAINS segment of the Zombie Lace blog, I am always looking for poetry, short fiction, art, reviews, and anything creative of yours to share with the world... or at least to share with my readers, but it's a start, right??

Edit 3:45pm on Monday: Andy just informed me that he will be selling prints and originals of his work, so now you really must check out his flickr! Send him a flickrmail or leave a comment on a particular piece to work something out with him.

Attention Atlanta Vintage Lovers

Vintage sale at 600 Memorial on the corner of Memorial and Boulevard, Thursday-Saturday starting at 10:00 am!!!

I love days that remind me that I really do have guardian angels, and that they want me to be well dressed. Today I was with my buddy Leon and we happened to drive by people setting up what looked like AMAZING clothing in the parking lot of an abandoned tire store called “Blessing Tires.”

Turns out, it was Clara Jackson and her son unloading vintage things from her warehouses; 

 

(the lovely Mz. Jackson)

She used to own a vintage shop on Edgewood and is now officially leaving the vintage business and getting rid of all her stuff. Out of her truck. On the corner of Memorial and Boulevard. Just waiting for the chance antique clothing fancier to drive by! It's like a lemonade stand, but much tastier.

Everything is between 5 and 20 dollars and she will be returning to that spot every day until everything is gone. It makes me sad that she is closing up shop for good... she started this project as soon as the economy took its turn for the worse, and she and her son couldn’t be nicer! He was picking things out to show me and  being my official zipper-upper and outfit-complimenter. I walked away with a wallet somewhat lighter in bills and arms somewhat heavier in vintage treasures. A trade I was happy to make.

Here is some of the stuff I came away with:

Brown canvas little-girl dress. I am going to wear it as a shirt.

40’s-50’s sailor inspired blue cotton dress.

Red sequined 80’s mini dress. I need a red dress for a Chinese wedding. This may be it!

20’s summer hat.

 

Blue and white striped purse.

Vintage earrings.

Hurry! It’s on the corner of Memorial and Boulevard in Down Town Atlanta!

Hat: Vintage, Blessing Tires Memorial and Blvd

White tank: Remixed.

Pants: Thrifted several years ago. I rolled them up a few inches when I was inspired by Painfully Hip's post about harem pants.

Purse: Vintage, Blessing Tires Memorial and Blvd.

Vintage penny loafers: Thrifted.

Belt: Antique.

Shorts and Sailors

There's nothing like fashion to solidify my belief in the Collective Unconscious. Isn't it crazy the way fads catch on simultaneously and globally with people not even sure where their inspiration is coming from? I have been dreaming up this post about my enthusiasm for shorts and sailor inspired blouses for the summer, and low and behold, two of my fellow bloggers Liebemarlene and StrawberryKoi have recently posted about similar fetishes! I thought about scratching my post altogether, but then decided that if these fashionable ladies are posting about it I must be on the right track!

Lately I have been pining over true vintage shorts, the high-waisted butt-hugging ones from the 30's to the 50's. I mean, look how good these Flickr stars look in their adorable shorts outfits!

Sally Jane from Sally Jane Vintage

  

Johanni and La Meow (I know I feature her all the time, but it's not my fault that she's just too damn cool!)

I did a frustrated Ebay and Etsy search before realizing that buried somewhere in my summer wardrobe bin I actually already have a pair of short high-waisted shorts in a cute loud checkered pattern! They aren't vintage (I got them at Forever 21 last summer) which is probably why they were so forgettable to me, but despite being newly manufactured they still capture the vintage feel that appeals to me so much.

      

Polo: It's Adult Swim, super sweet astronomer gave it to me today.

Tie: It's a cloth belt that came with something else.

Shorts: Forever 21

Shoes: This is the other pair of T-Straps I mentioned, Unisa thrifted in Cincinnati.

Maybe I like the little vintage shorts look so much because of my deep seated love for Pin-Ups... there's something about the dissarmingly sexy-innocence of the shorts that just screams "Masturbate to this boys on the front-lines!"

     

"Come home soon, fellas!"          "O-lah from Or-lando, gwa-poes!"

"He he, wish I was riding you... they made me take this to the factory to melt down for parts!"

"My, your Unit has such big rockets! Hehe!"

Haha, I know those are ridiculous but they are the best captions I could come up with. If you have a funny caption idea I'll put it up here! 

Don't mean to overwhelm you with T&A, but EVERYbody likes a patriotic well developed young lady, it's like loving America: besides spring and summer and shedding out of all this winter stuff is on my mind, which makes me think of blueberry lemonades on Six Feet Under's outdoor roof patio and flirty 50's cut-offs and red red lipstick.

       

It seems like every generation has gotten its taste of the sailor blouse on girls in fashion, all the way from the Edwardian period to 1950's sophisticate. 

  

Sailor looks good on everybody! Put it on your baby, put it on your girlfriend, put it on your middle school teachers...

(StrawberryKoi)

And our generation is lucky enough to be able to dabble in all of these as well as make it our own!

 

Anneso, Loou, and Anja Louise

Of course another part of my attraction to the Sailor Pinup Shorts Thing is due to my life-long love of the musical South Pacific, where Mitzi Gaynor runs around in the most adorable little shorts of all time

 and then dons a sailor outfit for the base talent show.

I think I've mentioned before that I got a lot of my best vintage pieces when I was little. Well, when I was about 10, I did Mitzi's song "Honey Bun" from the musical for a camp talent show, and me and my parents were perusing some antique shop along the way when we found me my own actual vintage sailor uniform for my costume! Of course back then it was huge on me like hers is in the movie, but now my blouse fits me pretty nicely (people really were smaller back then, men included!).

    

Sailor shirt: Antique

Scarf: Antique.

Shorts: F21

Blue pumps: Thrifted.

Clutch: Vintage.

Before dropping cash you don't have on the Summer fads, think recession and start with the recesses of your own closet!

Home again, home again, jiggity jog

What’s better than shopping in your own closet? Shopping in your relatives’ closets!! While I was traveling for spring break, I hit up Louisville Kentucky, a surprisingly adorable and liberal town for, well, Kentucky, most of the citizens posessing way more teeth than I expected! Just kidding all you Kentuckians, especially Aunt Ellen. I wish I had better and more pictures, but I had to make do with what was available. You'll see more of the stuff I got when I incorporate it into outfits in the coming weeks!

Speaking of my aunt, maybe a love for vintage is genetic because my aunt made sure to load me up with plenty of vintage treasures from her closets that she swore she couldn’t wear anymore. My favorite scores include two jackets from the 1940’s, a cute pink one with the classic vampish silouhette, and a beautiful asian-inspired a-line jacket that is so gorgeous and delicate that I’m almost afraid to wear it. I transported my suitcase at the airport with the care you might expect from an overwrought mother with a stroller.

This is a candid picture of me at an art gallery in Louisville. I'm wearing the pink 1940's jacket.

The local vintage shopping, while not free and from my aunt’s closet, was also nothing to sneeze at. When I visit Louisville I always make sure to stop in my favorite vintage shop Elizabeth’s to see what’s new (or old, as it were). Being what my family refers to as “birthday week” I paid for very little on my own, but came away with some gems, including this amazing hat which I wore everywhere to battle the cold, and these cute little 50’s slacks that remind me of Audrey Hepburn.

   

I didn’t just binge on shopping. Of course no trip to the North East is complete without a visit to the friendly neighborhood White Castle!

And before I knew it, it was time to go to Cincinnati to visit my grandmother and try to stuff even more food into my already cake-bloated body. Graeter’s Ice cream is the other traditional North East Must Eat, and you can see why with the size of this chocolate chip... 

...and the chips are soft and oh so melt in your mouth chocolatey. (By the way, I know I am biased, but as far as grannies go, isn’t mine the cutest?)

And is it just me, or do you love thrifting in other cities? I know thrift stores are all kind of the same in their method and stock, but I get true pleasure from exploring the Good Will’s of other towns and have a favorite thrift store near my Grandma’s house. And whether or not foreign thrift store superiority is all in my imagination, the Cincinnati thrift stores were generous in their bounty this trip. I found a dreamy pair of Unisa brand T-Straps that had never been worn, as well as this cute peter-pan collared blouse! Maybe it was just the birthday gods smiling down their birthday luck.

Blouse: Thrifted in Cincinnati

Cardi: target

Jeans rolled into highwaters: F21

Shoes: Thrifted

Despite all the shopping and eating and presents, it was a relief to be back home. Yet another pair of T-Straps, these ones vintage from Etsy, were waiting to welcome me home when I got there. 

A little lower heeled and more sensible for daytime than the Unisa pair, they inspired today’s sort of 40’s outfit... if only I could make my hair cooperate into a 40’s ‘do as well!

Shirt: F21necklace: Thrifted in Cincinnatikey pin: antique store in LouisvilleSkirt: Vintage, thriftedJacket: thrifted on a different trip to CincinnatiT-straps: Vintage from etsyPurse: Given to me by a friend who was sick of it.

This satisfying week behind me, I now look forward to catchcing up on all my favorite blogs and maybe finding a little time for some school work in there somewhere too!