Unpretentious Bouquet of Parentheses

February so far

2012-02-22T22:12:00.000-05:00

February so far:

Being gifted:
-Songs From A Room, by Leonard Cohen - from my boyfriend
-The most perfect nude silk camisole, and a tinted lip balm - from my mother

Crafting:
Finally getting around doing more collages, I think I needed a tangible excuse to start doing them again. This one was sent here :)

Finding:

-Gloves I bought in Florence, Italy when I was 15, forgotten and found at my parents' house

-The most wonderful 60s velvet Oscar Wilde-ish coat at my favourite thrift shop

-The first pair of sunglasses I have ever bought for myself (almost free at Local 23/the girl working there said: "girl, what have you been doing all that time?" and indeed, what have I been doing?)

-The perfect turquoise ring, after years of searching (from here)

Listening:

P.S. I'm quite happy to finally getting around blogging again after my poor old computer got repaired--again. Hope you're all well!

I'm getting around giving my much neglected flickr account a second chance, and I'm cleaning up a bit around there. I would like to use more of my own content over here, so we'll see how that goes. My flickr's pretty empty at the moment, but go have a look if you'd like!

Giving Sir Paul some credit

2012-01-29T23:17:00.002-05:00

As I've mentioned before, I was once (and still somewhat am, those things never fully go away) obsessed with the Beatles. Still, I was never really interested in much related to Paul. His voice was my least favourite (too pretty!), his songs often seemed bland compared to John's and George's (Ringo is another story altogether).However, I recently came across two Paul-related artifacts that somewhat reconciled me with him.
First, this song. I'd recommend skipping to the middle, and then coming back to listen to the start:

Second, this silly interview with my 17 year-old favourite, Peter Doherty (those things never go away, although I'm a bit annoyed at some of the stuff he says in the interview, but that goes for McCartney as well!).

Still, one highlight, about Wilfred Bramble, who played Paul's grandfather in A Hard Day's Night:
Sir Paul: Dear old Wilfred. Later you start to realise he's an actor, but to us he's like a magic person. Now I can see that he actually got up in the morning, shaved and did stuff, but then he was just this magic guy. Wilfred was a fantastic actor but he would forget his lines sometimes. To us he was a God, and it was sort of embarrassing for him, but in a way it was fascinating.

At the moment

2012-01-17T20:26:00.000-05:00

Here are a few things I like/wouldn't mind having/enjoy/admire at the moment.

via

By Style Sightings, via.

An ochre-coloured velvet jacket.

Fieldguided's upcoming silk scarves.

My friend/acquaintance Claire Milbrath's illustration blog, Poor Gray. I find her illustrations beautiful, that's all.
*Claire, if you see this, I hope you don't find it too creepy. I came across your blog in a legitimately uncreepy manner, I swear.

Kids in the Hall, the comedy show with the best soundtrack (and drag), amongst other things. I'm pretty late on this, especially since many of my slightly older friends used to watch it on TV a good -hum hum- 15 years ago, but well, if you've never watched this show, please do so now. It was really hard not to post a good dozen (or two) of skits here.

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T23:45:00.002-05:00

via

After two false starts in terms of New Year's Eve plans during the day, I finally settled down with renting movies to watch with the cat while waiting for 2012 to arrive. The sparkling wine is waiting in the fridge, and all there is left to do before the year ends is to wish you a Happy New Year, and twelve months of new interesting encounters and discoveries! Thank you for your presence, and see you tomorrow!
xo,

Camille

Christmassy

2011-12-24T01:18:00.001-05:00

I have two pretty fantastic Christmassy things I needed to show you before heading off for the holidays. I'm in the middle of packing for the weekend, and while my personal belongings cause no problem watsoever, packing this year's amount of presents (plus presents I've bought for other people to offer them, because I live in the 'big city' and have access to more variety) still needs to be figured out before I leave early this (!) morning.

All screencaps by me, from La vie heureuse de Léopold Z.

Yesterday I watched a film which went straight to my favourites list, Gilles Carle's La Vie Heureuse de Léopold Z (1965). You can watch it online legally, since it was put on youtube by the NFB/ONF, the Canadian national film board. Unfortunately, it is in French only (perhaps with three sentences in English) and I couldn't find it with subtitles, but it's still worth a look just for the ambiance and the beautiful black and white images of the Montréal Winter. Above are some stills from one of my favourite scenes visually speaking, about 58 minutes in. Even if you don't watch the whole thing, this scene is very much worth it, it's beautiful and it reminds me of being driven around half-asleep when I was little, after the Christmas réveillon.
You can watch it below:

A second Christmassy thing I wanted to share with you is A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector, which I discovered through Cheapskate Chic (I must agree the title sounds a tad threatening). I'm pretty tired of listening to Christmas music since I've heard so much of it over the past few weeks at work, but this 3-sided album just feels like fresh, awesome 60's girl-group music (which it is). Listen to the first side below:

Have a happy, safe, and relaxing Christmas and holiday season, and thanks to all of you for still hanging out with me here.
x

P.S. I will respond to comments when I'll be back!

Catching up/At the moment

2011-12-22T20:26:00.000-05:00

Well, dear readers, it has certainly been a while. Since last post, I have finished my exams, written about 40 pages in less than three weeks, and decided it was the very last time I was putting off doing everything until the last minute. We'll see how that goes, oh dear!
In the meantime, I have also accumulated many images that should hopefully help me go through the winter (sartorially speaking), found new enticing tunes, watched enough episodes of comedy show Kids In The Hall to annoyingly quote them (I'll spare you), started taking care of a stray cat in my neighbourhood, and had my hair cut even shorter than last time (now that I have had my short fix, I just want it to be a little longer--should be perfect in a month).

Without further ado, here's the first part of the long list of things I like at the moment:

Fashion
Interesting outerwear, because it's getting pretty cold outside.

I very much like how sleek and undistracting her hair is. Her outfit is composed of almost exclusively black, yet the textures of the different materials and the trench coat keep it from the "Vogue editor" look, and bring it nearer to what I associate with well-dressed artists and spies from old movies.
by Stil In Berlin

Although I just praised a good use of black, I also very much like a combination of different darker colours. I'm not too big on bright colours, but I find that many darker colours can be mixed with a harmonious but subdued effect. And the turban! You know I'm mad about turbans!
by Hel-Looks

This look combines two of my favourite winter wears: the colourful wool scarf to keep both ear and neck warm (something I've taken up doing last winter), and simple black riding boots. My riding boots are tan and my winter coat is black, so I walk around like a reversed version of this, but I'm tempted to get a second pair of boots, in black, similar to these which are not unlike Ukrainian cossack boots.
photo by Vanessa Jackman

Talking about turbans... I bought this Good Night, Day simcoe headband earlier this fall when the amazing Tara-Lynn visited the Puces Pop fair in my town. It is incredibly soft, and makes going out in the cold much easier. It most certainly is one of my best purchases this season, as I wear it very often.
photos via Good Night, Day

It's been such a long time, how have you been? Any new winter looks you've been into?

I'm on a short break from school, so I'll post again very soon (I'm on a good blog-related idea roll)! x

Gigantic Post About Music

2011-11-21T19:43:00.001-05:00

I recently came across this very interesting musical project made in the late 1990s by artists Komar and Melamid with the help of composer Dave Soldier. Together, they set to record the most wanted song and the most unwanted song according to criterias determined through a survey distributed to 600 Americans. The results are interesting, but also surprising: it is with great difficulty that I listened to the most wanted song (to tell the truth, it is very close to my idea of the song I want to hear the least), but did not have as much trouble with the least wanted song, which was quite entertaining. Perhaps not for the full twenty-five minutes it lasts, but I must say it is worth listening to just for the rap-opera (and the accordion, and the bagpipes, and the children's choir...).
The Most Unwanted Song (part 1):

You can listen to The Most Wanted Song here.

I find this project very interesting since it really demonstrates the objectivity of music taste, and how much it is influenced by culture and exposure.I have been trying to make this experiment on myself by listing elements I like and dislike in music, but with little results. I suppose that unless I am directed in pointing out specific elements, my lists really can mean anything. I bet no one could, only by looking at my lists, pinpoint my very favourite song (also because I have many favourite songs which aren't alike), or the song I despise the most (because there are many songs I dislike).

Anyway, here are my lists just for fun:

Like:

-low notes

-syncopated rythms

-songs close to being off-tune (using bemols and dieses in unexpected ways)

-sharp ending

-voice organically mixed up with instruments

Dislike:

-fade-outs

-"80s" saxophone

-misused drum machines (very objective, I know)

-long solos that add nothing to the song

-harp in pop ballads (and pop ballads in general)

Clearly, this doesn't lead anywhere. I'll just leave you with a few songs I enjoy, (which might or might not exemplify what this post is all about, oh dear):

(Thanks to Fashion Forestry for linking Daphne Oram and her work, remember Snow?)

What about you?
I would be very interested in seeing your like and dislike lists, and feel free to include links!

If you can't find it, make it II

2011-10-16T22:03:00.002-04:00

I have been a very infrequent blogger since I went back to school, and this is only due to lack of time and not lack of want. I still very much enjoy writing this blog and finding new things which will hopefully interest you as much as they interest me. Just so my almost random blogging habits do not get more confusing than they already were, you can now subscribe to this blog by e-mail (have a look at your left!).

Now, here's what I really wanted to tell you about.
Remember in the Spring when I found an old pair of cowboy boots and turned them into a pair similar to those IM boots (you know the ones/also, I did manage to make the ankle narrower but forgot to take photos)? Well I 'worked' (it wasn't actually work, and it took me about 1 minute) on a new project of the same taste recently. That taste being that if you look hard enough and own sharp scissors, you will save a lot of money and still own good quality clothing. Anyway, on with my project!

Last Summer, I fell in love with this peach-coloured silk blouse:

By Montmarte

After seeing this photo over and over again, I decided to do a little research only to realise that the blouse was in fact for sale.

Via Anaïse

The only problem was that the shop in which I could somewhat afford it (Anaïse) no longer had my size, and while La Garçonne still had it in stock, their price was simply too steep for me. So I turned to vintage, and found a beautiful peach-coloured silk blouse for under 20$.

I cut its collar off...

And that's the extent of my project.

Oh yeah, and I took lots of photos because I was a bit too proud, and quite happy with my new acquisition.

The only non messy part of my room at the moment...

Too lazy to set my camera's timer again, and reflection of aforementioned mess.

What about you, have you been working on any home-made projects lately?

Make Way For Tomorrow

2011-10-04T00:07:00.001-04:00

I recently watched a movie, Make Way For Tomorrow, about which Orson Welles said: "It could make a stone cry."

Cry, yes, of both joy and sadness. This movie came out in 1937, towards the end of the Great Depression. Its plotline was thus very actual, as it shows an old couple being unable to finish paying off their house, and losing it consequently; none of their grown children are either willing or able to take them both, and they have to part ways for the first time. Make Way For Tomorrow is a sentimental film, but mainly because it is naturally acted. Victor Moore and Beulah Bondi are particularly believable as the Cooper couple, and their complicity is so realistic that watching them reminiscing on their honeymoon, for instance, feels like eavesdropping on elderly family members. This familiarity with the characters' personalities is the main element which made this movie so moving and so beautiful to me. And, as you must know, I did indeed cry.

Old & New, Archives & NYFW

2011-09-20T18:20:00.000-04:00

Jill Stuart S/S 2012 by Erin of Calivintage

"Psychic" by Jody Rogac

Karen Elson (wearing handpainted Dior coat) by Ellen von Unwerth, Vogue US Nov. 1997,
via The Vamoose

by The Sartorialist

I'm quite a fan of proper pyjama dressing (see this fantastic collage on Discotheque Confusion-- bonus points for the Jeeves and Wooster still), and my love for well-styled, well-cut pyjamas has only expanded after seeing photos from this past NYFW. I have especially been pleased by the appearance of simple, feminine but not girly bed jackets as outerwear. While they don't seem too practical in their intended incarnation, I'm very much into the way they add just a little bit of easy old Hollywood glamour to most outfits. Plus, they're all you find in antique shops when going through the lingerie basket so a good one shouldn't be hard to find. I am also increasingly interested in the bed jacket's more useful and less forgotten counterparts, the chic kimono, the silky dressing gown and the velvety embroidered lounge coat (in other words, surprise surprise, anything that looks like jackets and coats from the late 1910s and the 1920s).
I'm not sure yet how or if I will introduce such garments in my wardrobe, but I am currently contenting myself by reaching out for my flowy silk and rayon shirts and pairing them with my black jersey skirt, a much more playful (and comfortable!) look than what I usually go for. I particularly enjoy when I get into something apparently new, and then realise I can reproduce and reinterpret it with what I already own -- even though it took me writing this post to see it in this case!

Connie Converse

2011-09-17T19:31:00.000-04:00

Must find a way to fund this project.

(Found via winesburg, ohio)

Fashion Ramble

2011-08-31T01:30:00.000-04:00

Fall is quickly arriving, and while I usually find the resurgence of wool cardigans and long pants enticing, it is not the case this year. You see, as you probably already know, I have been confined all summer to a freezing workspace; I stand all day 2 meters away from a line of open fridges, 5 days a week. While I don't have much to complain about the job in itself, I can shallow-ly complain about the lack of wear my shorts, sandals and flimsy blouses got this summer. Outside of my usual two days off, I have, in an absolutely avant-garde manner (hum-hum) been dressing in my Fall attire; no needs for mothballs this year.
Because of this, I am feeling a bit restless fashion-wise this August, and have (ridiculously) forced myself to shop, just to see if anything outside of button-up shirts and high-waisted pants interested me. I came back home after putting down poor replicas of items I aready own, in my bag one single pair of pants (pant-buying is a rare event with me, note it down!), which I had been eyeing since last Winter and 'miraculously' happened to fit.
Still, I am tempted to try more dramatic silhouettes to break out of my shirt-tucked-into-pants-covered-with-cardigan habit, but I am yet to find the proper items to try it with. What I call the 'old-fashion artist' look(classic pieces mixed with prints, embroideries and semi-precious jewellery) still appeals very much to me, but I have been lazy about really achieving it my outfits often resulting in a too sanitized look for my taste.

Going through the Parentheses Archives, I have been feeling that seeing other people wearing things I already own is what inspires me the most at the moment-- it's a bit of a reminder of why I filled my closet with said items intially, and the ensuing shopping costs are practically inexistant. The best solution is probably to step away from fashion for a little, and not force inspiration and fun associated with it to come-- they'll come in time, I'm sure of this.

You've never seen anything like it!

2011-08-10T12:05:00.001-04:00

I recently watched Guy Maddin's My Winnipeg and have been haunted by its strange beauty ever since. It is an oddly touching hommage to a lost version of Winnipeg which perhaps never really existed, Guy Maddin's personal vision of his hometown. Watch it for the ballet séances, the otherwordly frozen horse garden, the Citizen Girl I wish I could transplant to so many towns, or simply to hear the song "Wonderful Winnipeg".

Irene & Irene Vintage shop update

2011-07-26T20:52:00.000-04:00

1950s Lemon-coloured pleated blouse (S)

1980s Midnight wingtip oxfords (6.5/7)

pre-1950s Dandy vest (M)

1980s Pleated polka dot skirt (S/M)

Sunset seashell decorative belt (XS)

1970s Coral blossoms crop top (S/M)

Here are a few items that have been recently added to the shop. I'm hosting a secret sale until August 5th, so if anything strikes your fancy, don't forget to enter the coupon code PARENTHESES20 at checkout to receive 20% off your order!

Summer? Summer.

2011-07-21T18:59:00.000-04:00

By Danny Lyon, via the ugly earring.

via superbomba on flickr.

by Jeff Luker.

Are you melting already? I am.
Earlier today, I unsuccessfully attempted to trick myself into believing I was on a lakeside, reading with my feet in the water (... while I was in reality in my bedroom with my feet stuck in a tiny bucket). How are you coping with this heat?

Zbigniew Rybczynski

2011-07-19T23:58:00.001-04:00

Excerpts of short films by the amazing Zbigniew Rybczynski. Please watch all of them, they're all excellent in different ways.

Housekeeping

2011-07-19T01:29:00.000-04:00

What weeks I have been having! I am currently working full time as an unglamourous 'fine' grocery store cashier, and all my time and energy have been sucked up by my job. I should eventually get a better schedule which should allow me to do other things, like answering e-mails, or cook good meals for myself for more than two days a week. Although I have no idea whether I will have children or not, or whether I will be freelancing or working from home --or have anything in common with those women, actually!-- in the future, I have been enjoying reading the balance posts on A Cup Of Jo. If those women can take care of themselves, of children and have some kind of a balanced life, so can I with my little job! I should be able to water my houseplants properly, feed myself good food, get some rest and still have time to discover interesting things. I am working on making the most out of my days, and writing more frequently on this blog will be part of that.
Nancy has passed on to me the "7 things about my style" award (is it called an award, or is it a quiz?), and I am pretty excited about sharing some of my favourite things with you as soon as I can get some properly lit photos.
That's what's up, what's been going on, and what's coming next! xo

La Conga Blicoti

2011-07-08T01:46:00.000-04:00

Don't worry, I'll eventually stop talking about that movie... eventually...
In the meantime, here's one of my favourite songs from the soundtrack, by the amazing Joséphine Baker:

If you have seen Midnight in Paris: I must say I am still puzzled as to why her character dances to her own record though... Any thoughts?

Note to self and other projects

2011-07-08T01:24:00.001-04:00

I went to see Midnight in Paris for a second time tonight --you know, under the excuse that I might NEVER be able to see it again in theatres and all and all, excuses excuses, but well, this movie left a particularly great impression on me-- and I once again came out of the cinema with a very optimistic view of life in general, of the worth of hard work, and a taste for starting many projects. Amongst those projects, repairing my sewing machine in order to work on this little piece inspired by the movie:

(Stills from Midnight in Paris)

Of course, I'm no great seamstress, but I'll be satisfied if I can produce some kind of a ribbon-trimmed knee-length shift dress without a pattern. Wish me luck (or let me know where I can find a basic pattern on which to base my dress, so I need a bit less luck hehe)!

Also, American expats in Paris in the 1920s:

Bernice Bobs Her Hair

2011-07-05T00:51:00.002-04:00

(Albert Levy, via Nearness of Distance-- I cannot find any info. about him, but more of his work here)

(By Jacques Henri Lartigue)

(Awkward crop of a future etsy update)

(I had started writing this post weeks ago, waited to have photos to show you, forgot about it for about a month, let my hair grow back a bit, remembered it and well, here it is finally because you guys all know how much I like talking about my hair dilemmas as well as hearing about other people's hair dilemmas.)
Ever since reading about Claire's hair dilemma some time ago, I had been feeling like a haircut was in order; nothing drastic, just refreshing my usual collarbone-length bob. I hadn't visited a hairdresser for some time, and had had friends cutting my hair for me or did it myself. But when I walked by a hairdresser announcing "haircuts for 18$, walk-ins welcome" I thought, why not? Well, I was quite wrong. Really, I should have cut my hair myself. With my eyes closed. Using a swiss knife. The hairdresser was lovely, but the cut she gave me, not so much: she cut my hair a good three inches shorter than I had asked her, which would not be so bad if she had cut it well- I had been tempted to try a shorter hair style for some time, but could not decide to take the plunge. It looked so choppy, that I kept trimming bits everyday until I gave in and got some good hairdresser (also known as 'Lesbian Haircuts for everyone', I kid you not) to fix it for me.

A bit of a Bernice Bobs Her Hair kind of story (you can read it here, please do!), although it was no life-changing experience for me, oh well. I'm now aiming towards something like this, if I can figure out how to get some kind of a wave in my pin-straight locks (any recommendations?).

Have you ever been forced into a hairstyle you ended up liking?

Colours and Dancewear

2011-06-25T01:51:00.000-04:00

Now that I started at my new -awesome!- job, I can now allow myself to think about which things I have been coveting I can consider get a closer look at, and perhaps procure myself. Two things have been dictating my clothing choice as of late:

(By Egon Schiele)

(By The Sartorialist)

(By Egon Schiele)

(Reminded me of the previous painting, dream 1920s dress at Prance and Swagger on Etsy)

(Audubon's Passenger Pigeons, which I found in an old National Geographic and pasted on my wall-- let's disregard his means, and appreciate the result for the time being)

I have really been into doing a reverse of Miss Moss's colour comparisons, or getting inspired by colour combinations in paintings. I am pretty much a grey, blue and white type of girl (so I can get dressed in the dark while being sure everything matches hehe), and I'm attempting to be more adventurous in my colour combinations. A lovely mustard-coloured wool cardigan is the key element I'm considering adding to my wardrobe, an easy little colour pick-me-up. The transparency and vibrancy of Egon Schiele's colours as well as Audubon's natural shades, especially in this particular painting depicting Passenger Pigeons, are my main sources of inspiration.

(By Francesca Woodman, via Le Portillon)

(from here, via The Ugly Earring)

(By R. Mapplethorpe)

(photographer Lee Miller by Man Ray)

(Valentina)

I've been back into anything that has to do with dancewear as well. Not legwarmers and tutus, but character heels or flats, scoop-necks that give you a swan's neck, long, narrow skirts that make you look like a column, and anything that is made with nice, heavy but flowy jersey in the tradition of Valentina.

What have you been into as of late?

Vacation...

2011-06-19T22:20:00.003-04:00

Sorry about the silent past two weeks, I was forced to go on a blogging vacation since all the computers I could have used broke one after the other (I'm starting to believe I'm cursed!). Mine is now repaired like new, and I now have the leisure to go through my almost neatly organised photo archives in a perfectly comfortable manner. Expect some image-heavy posts in a very near future!

Photo by Fatma Gultekin, via here.

My New Year

2011-06-06T23:32:00.006-04:00

I turned 21 Sunday the 5th, and the days surrounding my 'new year' were particularly interesting and enjoyable. Friends of my boyfriend visited us from out of town unknowing of the event, and we ended up eating delicious food (piri piri chicken and a kouign amann for birthday cake!) and drinking beers on the front porch.

Upon coming back from a precipitated visit to my parents at the end of last week, I went to see Woody Allen's new film Midnight In Paris, which appealed to me in a way no movie had in a long time. I can see why some do not consider it to be one of his best, but so many parts of it resonate with my tastes and personality that seeing it made me excited again at working hard at doing what passionates me. My response to it is more emotional than rational, but I believe this is a good sign - does this happen to you as well?

I received beautiful, unexpected gifts. Amongst them, a portable record player, a record by Bridget St. John, whom I didn't know but cannot stop playing en boucle now, and Patti Smith's Just Kids which I have trouble putting down - I have been surprised by a sudden hunger, having lost notion of time, forcing me to finally put it down after I don't know how many hours of still reading. It's having a very similar, emotional effect on me as Midnight In Paris, and I am now looking forward to the months to come no matter where I end up working or what I end up doing with myself.

My 21st year is starting in a great manner, hopefully a sign it will be a great year.

Literary Style

2011-05-29T04:50:00.000-04:00

My poor old laptop broke last week, but fortunately for me, my boyfriend kindly installed internet on his "writing computer" -a giant machine of yesteryear- which revealed to be much faster than my tired portable. It's not so bad since I now spoil less time online (its setting is not the most comfortable), and I haven't lost much in the wreck thanks to my last minute file transfer; also, as you will notice, I can now access Polyvore without problems.

So, to get to the point, today's long overdue installment of Literary Style is on Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises. It was one of the first books I had in mind when I started the (still short/slowly expanding) series but I couldn't remember whether it featured actual descriptions of dress or if I had been picturing Brett to be quite stylish; it made me very happy to realize it was actually suitable for this column when Lin suggested it.

via UBOParentheses

"Brett was damned good-looking. She wore a slipover jersey sweater and a tweed skirt, and her hair was brushed back like a boy's. She started all that. She was built with curves like the hull of a racing yacht, and you missed none of it with that wool jersey." (22)
"He was standing with Brett, who was sitting on a high stool, her legs crossed. She had no stockings on. [...] Brett gestured at him from the bar with her cigarette-holder and wrinkled the corners of her eyes." (78)
"'You are a lovely lady, Brett. Where did you get that hat?' 'Chap bought it for me. Don't you like it?' [...] Brett pulled the felt hat down far over one eye and smiled out from under it." (79)

Making my heart sing

2011-05-10T17:49:00.000-04:00

Things I enjoy at the moment (it's a quite long and eclectic list, be prepared!):

-Overcoming fears. I sung karaoke for the first time last week, and although I was very nervous at first, I ended up enjoying it very much. I think that the contrast between being almost terrified to sing in public and hearing a song that I like makes the feeling of accomplishment all the better.

-Salade niçoise, with tuna instead of anchovies, and sundried black olives instead of capers. Enough said, miam!

-Seeing classic movies that I kept putting off watching, namely The Big Sleep and Cat On A Hot Tin Roof. After a nasty virus took over my computer (and my throat) over the weekend, I finally got around getting the right cord for my dvd player (I used to find all my movies online, hum-hum). How have I lived without a tv-dvd set all that time? At the moment, it still feels quite luxurious.

-That's not something I'm really enjoying, but I'm slowly wrapping my head around wearing less pointy, more 'sensible' shoes. I have mentioned before that I danced ballet for many years, and I'm now paying the price for dancing on un-healed injuries. The only way to correct my foot now is through surgery, so I'm doing my best not to make things worse. Were pointe shoes really worth it? I'm not so sure anymore. Take care of your feet before it's too late!

-Buying records on an impulse. I'm so happy I finally got Nico's Chelsea Girl!

-I just finished F. Scott Fitzgerald's Six Tales of the Jazz Age and Other Stories and I highly recommed it. If you only have a few stories to read from it, you should have a look at "The Camel's Back", "The Lees of Happiness", "Hot and Cold Blood" and "Gretchen's Forty Winks" (actually, read the whole book, the stories are all very good!). You all know I have a soft spot for the 1920s' culture, but besides that, I found that so many things on which F.S.F. comments still ring very true today.

What's been making your heart sing as of late?

The Look

2011-05-10T11:08:00.000-04:00

I have really been into watching Bacall-Bogart movies as of late. I had been admiring Lauren Bacall for quite a long time (Humphrey Bogart as well, but you already know that!), ever since I saw her in a glossy Paris Match book which included a piece about her relationship with Bogart, but I had never gotten around to actually watch any of her movies. Fortunately, I was not disappointed: what transpired from the photos and the text was magnified by seeing her on the screen. Upon my first introduction to her, when I was about 14, she incarnated everything I aspired to be. She seemed sure of herself, confident, the incarnation of cool. I later learnt that she was extremely shy and nervous when she made her first movie, but that makes me like her even more, and it proves what a good actress she was and is.

So far, my two favourite movies featuring the pair are Key Largo and Dark Passage:

-I found Key Largo particularly interesting for its storyline as well as the way tension is held throughout the narrative. The acting is more subtle than what I was used to, from American cinema from this era anyway, and I really appreciated the way sections of the story are implied, and not announced to you point blank.
-My interest in Dark Passage is more due to the filming techniques used to convey the story than the intricacy of the storyline itself. Yes, the storyline is thrilling, but as an afterthought, I was more impressed by the camera play and how part of the movie is seen through the main character's eyes.

I highly recommend both, as well as To Have and Have Not. I am yet to see The Big Sleep, has any of you seen it? I'm very much looking forward to watching it, but I keep putting it off since after that, I'll be done watching all the films featuring both Bacall and Bogart. Oh well, I'll just have to find another cinematographic obsession!

What have you been watching as of late?

Photos via here.

Irene & Irene Vintage

2011-05-08T15:08:00.007-04:00

As of late, I have been telling you I was quite busy with a little project. Well, it probably won't surprise you to learn that I'm opening my very own vintage shop on etsy, Irene & Irene Vintage (it is named after my two grandmothers!).
I thought I would wait until I had listed all my items to share this with you, but since I have already made a few sales overnight, I figured I would tell you as quickly as possible.
I am thinking about making occasional shop updates on this blog while of course keeping talking about all the things that catch my eye and interest. I don't want to overload you with shop-related information, so please feel free to let me know whether it interests you or not so I can see how to dose it.
Oh, and one last thing: if you happen to buy something in the shop, please let me know that you read this blog so I can send you a little extra something with your purchase. I'll be constantly adding new items, so keep checking back to see what's new!

Grey, blue and new.

2011-05-03T22:46:00.001-04:00

Full-time sartorial inspiration: blue, grey, shirts and high-waisted bottoms. The first photo, by Jacques Henri Lartigue, is one I never tire of. I especially enjoy how similar, but incredibly different the girl is to to the three men in front of her. They wear hats and carry bags but represent very different ideas through their appearance, the old and the new.

P.S. I'm finally done with school for the semester, and have been working quite hard on a few projects- but more to come on that in a few days. I am currently having problems with Polyvore, so I will have to postpone the Literary Style posts for a longer time than I had planned to. Worse comes to worst, I'll simply do my collages by hand, oh well!

Photos: 1 (J. H. Lartigue), 2, 3 (K. Hyams), 4.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T09:00:00.003-04:00

I am currently visiting my parents, finishing my last paper and having a good time in general. I will answer all comments upon my return, and in the meantime, I wish you a great long weekend and happy Easter!

Photos: 1 (via This Is Naïve), 2 (via The Snail and the Cyclops?).

At the moment II

2011-04-22T23:45:00.000-04:00

Here are some of the photos that inspire me the most at the moment--I hope they will inspire you as well.

Photos 1 & 2: I find the lines formed by the bodies in both photos very compelling, but what I like even more (or equally) are the very clean and sharp hairstyles. I've been keeping my hair around shoulder-length for about six months now, after years of mainly having long hair, and these photos make me want to go even shorter. I probably won't, but these still inspire me to have a more polished but still a bit scruffy (if that makes any sense) hairstyle. The second photo, of silent actress Bessie Love, is definitely amongst my favourites.

Photo 3: This photo of the Bauhaus Dessau school students has been going around the blogs for a while now, and I can't help but stop and stare at it for some time every time I stumble upon it. Of course, it inspires me to dress in a more intersting way, but it also pushes me to be more creative in other parts of my life. On a side note, the blurry woman in the velvet dress, in the center, looks very much like my maternal grandmother.

Photo 4: Do you recognise it? It's the back of Leonard Cohen's Songs From A Room. I cannot dissociate Leonard Cohen from the romantic idea I had of Montreal before living there, and I always thought my apartment would look a bit like that (although I recently learnt this photo was taken in Greece). I picked my first apartment because it had large windowsills--that was pretty much the only nice part about it though.

Photos: 1(?), 2 (Scan from James Abbe's Stars of the Twenties ), 3 (Bauhaus Archive, Berlin via The Guardian), 4 (taken by L. Cohen, photo of Marianne Ihlen--yes, that Marianne!).

7 Things About Me

2011-04-21T22:34:00.006-04:00

Supah star Nancy (that's what she calls fellow bloggers, I think it's pretty awesome!) gave me the Versatile Blogger Award. Thank you so much, Nancy!

In return, I have to tell you seven things about me. I originally thought I'd tell you about my favourite books, or favourite bands, but that's pretty much all I usually write about... So here are seven things you would probably not guess from reading my blog:

1. I love goat cheese. Not only love, I simply cannot live without it. Every time my parents visit me, they bring me a wholesale-sized package of goat cheese.

2. I have a bit of an odd accent, no matter which language I speak. I was born and raised in Quebec, but I have already been asked if I had a work visa because I apparently had a French accent. When speaking English, I have fooled people many times into thinking I'm Eastern-European. I've deeply disappointed this lovely Polish lady who worked at my favourite fast-food stand in Ottawa (Sasha's, on York St. if you're ever around!).

3. I have an oval birth mark on my right arm. Someone at Summer camp already tried to slap it off thinking it was a fly.

4. I'm an only child, but I come from a very big family. I have so many older (from 4 to 30 years of difference) cousins that I am yet to meet someone my age who has attended as many weddings as me, including two on the same day(!).

5. I have a swallow tattooed on my back.

6. I used to be obsessed with the Beatles, especially in their Hamburg period, which is a bit silly, really, considering there's barely any recordings from that era but plenty of photos!
(On a side note, as I didn't speak or understand English that well when I started listening to them, I learnt all the lyrics with occasional slight variations such as "For the benefit of MYSTIC EYE". I also thought that "fixing a hole" meant staring at a hole since "fixer" means "to stare"...)

7. I can make a mean sucre à la crème with sea salt topping!

And I would like to pass on this award to the authors of the following blogs:

Lola Is Beauty

Fieldguided

Are You Awake?

The Ugly Earring

Ringo, Have a Banana!

Hannah + Landon

Discotheque Confusion

Photo: self-portrait taken with disposable camera. I'm wearing my mum's old dress from the 70's!

At the moment I

2011-04-17T16:12:00.000-04:00

I haven't posted series of photos that inspire me for a while here, and I missed it. I thus scoured through the 'Parentheses Images Archives' (and trust me, they deserve such a name, they are quite extensive) and chose the photos that represented what inspires me the most at the moment. In fact, I found so many of them that I'll have to cut this post in a few sections! On with the first series...

I. Bookshelves, or how to organise books

As you might already know, even though my first langauge is French, I am an English Literature student. You might also already know that I live with my boyfriend, who also happens to be an English Lit./Creative Writing student (but he does not speak French fluently hehe). Another thing you might know is that I'm quite a good thrift shopper. Something you might not know is that so is my boyfriend. Especially with books. Whatever knowledge I have of fabrics, he has of publishing houses: I can recognise real wool in miles of acrylic, he can spot the 'good' publishing houses amongst a sea of harlequins. We have no problems storing clothing, that's fine and alright, but we're starting to have a little 'book problem'. This means that we've been attempting to squeeze a third bookshelf in our tiny living room for the past few days, and no matter where we put it, our living room looks like an over-stocked bookstore. I've been thinking about putting shelves up to the ceiling and down the corridor as well, but I'm pretty sure we'll have to move out in a little over a year (our roommate, his brother, might move out) so it probably wouldn't be worth it. Any suggestions (other than getting rid of the books--we do both read and lend them enough to own them, I promise!) about dealing with massive amounts of books would be welcome.

P.S. Does it show I'm almost done all my papers, and have one whole free week to write my last one?

Photos: 1?, 2, 3?, 4?, 5?, 6?. (If you know any of the original sources/photographers, please let me know-I would very much like to give credit where it's due!)

Weather, of course!

2011-04-11T23:01:00.005-04:00

Today was one of the nicest days of this year so far. I am slowly getting over my mountain of essays, and writing papers and reading when the window's open and that the air smells like Spring and falling in love really isn't so bad. I stopped at my Uni's library in the afternoon, barefoot in my flats for the first time of the year. Scouring through the film criticism and literature sections always delights me; I want to take everything home with me. This afternoon, to add to my delight, the old books were smelling better and stronger than ever, you could smell them just by quickly passing by the shelves. Anyone else rediscovering everything as the weather gets nicer?

Photo by me!

Two

2011-04-03T22:28:00.007-04:00

Two--unrelated?--things I appreciate at the moment: 1. My new coat (thrifted, from the 60's, 'proudly union-made' and 3$!) and its lining:

The lining is too beautiful to hide, don't you think?

2. Graham Greene's The Third Man, the movie. I read the book last summer and recommend it as well. Both the screenplay and the book were written by Greene--he adapted the book from his original screenplay--but while the movie concentrates more on the action and the plotline, the book format allows to give the story more background, more information on postwar Vienna. The movie is available in full on youtube, if you would like to see it:

If you can't find it, make it!

2011-03-26T16:46:00.005-04:00

Last week, I received a beautiful pair of vintage Dingo boots I found on etsy, and immediately 'created' some spare time to work on the little project I had planned for them which I thought I'd share with you. I had wanted a nice, comfortable pair of ankle boots with a little heel for some time: a few years ago, I had gotten my dream pair of black ankle cowboy boots only to realise the left one was too tight (thank you years of dancing ballet...), and impossible to save no matter what my cobbler did. I thus decided to take the matter in my own hands after years of unfruitful search.
They arrived like this:

And I made them look like this:

I gasped when I cut all that fringe off, but I don't think I could have pulled it off on a daily basis (I kept it, I might make a removable insert like this). I dyed them with olive oil, and asked my favourite cobbler to hem them. Voilà! The leg openings are a little wider than I expected, so I'm currently trying to think of the best way to taper them; I'll post more photos when I'll have that figured out.

What about you, have you ever ended up taking the matter into your own hands when it comes to clothing/accessories? I would very much like to hear your stories!

Nothing but blue skies do I see

2011-03-20T13:19:00.005-04:00

Well well well, Spring is on its way, and so is my free time hehe! (That was not supposed to rhyme, but oh well) I'm currently writing a mix of mid-terms and finals (will be done in less than a month) so please bear with my unusually un-wordy posting. I have a few rolls of film and other projects coming along that I'm looking forward to share with you, but until then, songs and videos will have to do. See you on the other side of essay mountain : )!

Photos: 1 (Lina Scheynius ), 2 (Bobby Doherty), 3.

Don't Look Back

2011-03-14T19:45:00.004-04:00

One of my favourite parts of the Bob Dylan documentary, Don't Look Back. The tension between Dylan & Baez is noticeable since they were towards the end of their relationship when this was filmed, but I still think a beautiful moment is captured here, a natural, unpolished interaction.

I really wish there was a recording of Joan Baez singing Percy's Song (the first song she sings), it's beautiful.

P.S. Did you notice Marianne Faithfull's brief appearance?

Ways of Seeing

2011-03-12T19:13:00.003-05:00

Again, found via Miette, a blog I recently discovered through Winesburg, Ohio. Both are favourites of mine, you should go have a look at them!

***

À nouveau, trouvé via Miette, un blog que j'ai découvert récemment à-travers Winesburg, Ohio. Tous deux sont parmis mes préférés, vous devriez aller leur jeter un coup d'oeil!

Le film à venir

2011-03-12T16:55:00.004-05:00

Le film à venir by Raùl Ruìz, that I just discovered; do you know him? It makes me want to explore all of his work...

Also, might the first scenes of this movie have inspired Jean-Pierre Jeunet?

***

Le film à venir, de Raùl Ruìz, que je viens tout juste de découvrir, vous connaissez? Ça me donne bien envie d'explorer toute son oeuvre...

Aussi, les premières scènes de ce film auraient-elles inspiré Jean-Pierre Jeunet?

via Miette

Just like Josephine!

2011-03-10T00:21:00.005-05:00

I was having a look at photos from fashion month earlier today and was struck by this amazing Prada banana mini skirt sported by both Giovanna Battaglia and Julia Sarr-Jamois:
***
Plus tôt aujourd'hui, comme je jetais un coup d'oeil aux du mois de la mode, j'ai été frappée par cette fantastique mini jupe banane de Prada portée par Giovanna Battaglia et Julia Sarr-Jamois:

Still, it reminded me of something I had already seen...
***
Tout de même, ça me faisait penser à quelque chose que j'avais déjà vu...

...Don't you think it should be renamed the "Josephine skirt"?
***
...Ne pensez-vous pas qu'elle devrait être renommée la "jupe Joséphine"?

Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4.

Happy Birthday Parentheses!

2011-03-07T18:13:00.003-05:00

Yesterday marked one full year of existence of this blog, so Happy Birthday Parentheses! I was planning on writing a special post for the occasion, but it'll have to wait as I am stuck with tons of papers to write... Still, here's the essential: I would like to thank all of you who read this blog, put up with my irregular (let's call it 'surprise frequency' hehe!) posting, and take the time to share your thoughts!

Love,
Camille
***
Hier a marqué un an complet d'existence de ce blogue, donc Joyeux anniversaire Parenthèses! J'avais planifié d'écrire un billet spécial pour l'occasion, mais ça devra attendre comme je suis prise avec une tonne de dissertations à écrire... Tout de même, voici l'essentiel: je voudrais remercier tous ceux qui lisent ce blogue, endurent l'irrégularité (appelons-la 'fréquence surprise' héhé!) de mes billets, et prennent le temps de partager leurs pensées!

Bisous,
Camille

Photos: 1?, 2?, 3?. (Tell me if you know!/Dites-moi si vous savez!)

Literary Style II

2011-03-05T17:05:00.003-05:00

Time for another installation of Literary Style!

I first read Djuna Barnes' Nightwood as part of one of my first literature classes at university, and it left a great impression on me. I cannot pretend I understand it fully yet, but I would like to read it again a few more times; it's one of those books that does not unfold itself to you after one reading, or even after having a few classes on it. Still, I think that it is very much worth spending time on: it is beautiful and terrible, charming and ugly all at once.

This description of Robin Vote comes back to me very often. Many different things I appreciate are encompassed within this description, not only because of the images it directly presents, but also because of the feeling that surrounds it.

Nightwood by UBOParentheses

"Her clothes were of a period that he could not quite place. She wore feathers of the kind his mother had worn, flattened sharply to the face. Her skirts were moulded to her hips and fell downward and out, wider and longer than those of other women, heavy silks that made her seem newly ancient. One day he learned the secret. Pricing a small tapestry in an antique shop facing the Seine, he saw Robin reflected in a door mirror of a back room, dressed in heavy brocaded gown which time had stained in places, in others split, yet which was so voluminous that there were yards enough to refashion." -Djuna Barnes, Nightwood p. 46

Coming next: Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises, as kindly suggested by Lin.
Feel free to tell me of any character or book you would like to see here! I will finally have time to read books that aren't school-related in about a month, and I would be glad to receive your suggestions!

Love/hate, once again

2011-02-27T21:33:00.007-05:00

I found this very interesting article about Urban Outfitters and its founders, and I thought you would enjoy it as well. I'm not very good at writing opinion pieces as I usually try to see and explain all sides of the matter, but I really wanted to share my thoughts with you so please excuse the holes in my argumentation.

So... the article validates my reticence to shop at UO while confirming how well their marketing tactics work, as they sell items that appeal in design to consumers who tend to be more liberal/leftists while keeping prices very high, quality often low, and producing in sweatshop factories.
I was a bit surprised to see how the chain started out, in 1970, as a modest thrift store named The Free People's Store which even had a charity bin containing free items. It was more of a community, student store while today, it has become a capitalist enterprise with no social goal. I think that what is bothering me the most in the light of my knew knowledge is how UO exploits (fashionable?) leftism as means to make a capital, and that we all fall for it: the artsy, vintage aura of the company is only a cover, a marketing technique that still keeps appealing to informed customers. But Urban Outfitters is not responsible for all the moral challenges they create; yes, I do feel manipulated by the fact the company produces items that appeal to my aesthetic tastes and sells them in a somewhat misleading environment, but I am still responsible for my purchases. I'm under the impression I would find this situation much less challenging morally if the company and its president, Richard Hayne, were upfront with their Republican and capitalist ideals (see the last page of the article for examples) while now I feel cheated by myself, divided between my love for pretty fabrics and my ideals.

Obviously, I am no saint and continue to purchase items from chain stores, made in poor working conditions, but I still make a point of being fully aware of what surrounds my consumerism. I do not think I'll stop buying from Urban Outfitters anytime soon -they ironically (I mean, they are not being ironic on purpose haha!) have sales at thrift store prices (my latest purchase being a Madras silk skirt for 6$, yes), making them fulfill once again their initial purpose amongst students...- but I am glad to be much more aware of what I am doing.

Let me know what you think of all this!

Talkies

2011-02-22T23:57:00.003-05:00

Not too long ago I finally did something I hadn't done in about two years: I visited one of those big cinemas, the ones that screen the most recent movies. I had forgotten about so many things, such as all those previews, the sound in 'super' stereo, and how big the screens are... Well, it's good to step away from things in order to appreciate them more: it nearly felt as if it was my first time at the movies.
The film I went to see was the Coen brothers' True Grit, and I decidedly did not regret my choice. I am yet to see the John Wayne version so I cannot provide you with comparisons between both, but from what I've heard, the initial version was more of a family adventure movie while I found that the Coen version is closer to classic -Sergio Leone- westerns such as The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly and Once Upon a Time in the West.
If you haven't seen it yet, please do, I highly recommend it!

***
Il n'y a pas très longtemps, j'ai finalement fait quelque chose que je n'avais pas fait en deux ans: j'ai visité un de ces grands cinémas, un de ceux qui projettent les films les plus récents. J'avais oublié un grand nombre de choses, telles que les bandes-annonces, le son en 'super' stéréo, et la taille gigantesque de l'écran... Eh bien, il est bon de prendre un peu de recul par rapport à certaines choses afin de les apprécier davantage: c'était presque comme si c'était ma première fois au cinéma!
Je suis allée voir True Grit, des frères Coen, et je n'ai décidément pas regretté mon choix. Il me reste toujours à voir la version avec John Wayne, je ne peux donc pas vous fournir de comparaisons entre les deux. Néanmoins, d'après ce que j'ai entendu, la version initiale était plutôt du type film d'aventure familiale alors que j'ai trouvé que celle-ci était plus proche des westerns classiques -de Sergio Leone- tels que The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly et Once Upon a Time in the West.
Si vous ne l'avez pas encore vu, allez-y, je le recommande fortement!

Can we talk?

2011-02-20T13:57:00.005-05:00

Can we talk? Can we have a bit of a silly, fashion-related discussion?

The time has come again for me to buy new jeans. I dread buying jeans so much that I usually wear my favourite pair until holes appear in places where they are no longer 'charming' (i.e. when there are chances my underwear might be seen). As I wear jeans on a practically daily basis, choosing the perfect pair is no light business, and my last purchase was the most satisfying I have experienced so far in my jean conquest: dark blue, skinny, high-waisted Cheap Mondays and I am currently inclined to try to find the exact same pair.

BUT... As much as 'I dress my own way' and all that, the one trend I usually follow is the flare of jeans, and I'm mostly fine with the look of any type of flare as long as the waist hits around my natural waistline.
And...
-I've been seeing more and more beautiful and impractical (but what wouldn't we do in the name of fashion/have you ever tried to ride a bike wearing them?) 70's inspired flared jeans;
-I've been collecting (a very small collection of...2 pairs) second-hand Levi's 501s that I usually wear during summer, with rolled hems, but that might or might not eventually transit into my all-year wardrobe...
-The option I find the most appealing (and neutral) would be to get cigarettes jeans, but they are quite difficult to find.

In other words, what I am afraid of is that if I buy the same pair again, my favourite jeans will seem out of date before they start wearing holes.
Dear readers, what do you think?
Are we seeing the decline of skinny jeans, or can tight and flared co-exist, or should I simply only wear skirts from now on instead of worrying?

Photos: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4.

Not too crazy

2011-02-14T17:43:00.004-05:00

I'm not too crazy about Valentine's Day. There, I said it. I'm in a very happy relationship and all that, and I do enjoy being surrounded by little heart decorations and flowers everywhere I go but I think that Valentine's Day and I are not made for each other. Why show your love only one day a year? Or why not use that day to show your love as well as all the other days? Well, it's more that I dislike optional celebratory days, they can get very awkward when it comes to decide whether or not to celebrate them. Discussing all the reasons for joining the celebration or not complicates things as well, and while Valentine's can be seen as a commercial holiday, sometimes I think any good occasion to celebrate should be welcomed, and other times I tell myself I'm this "cynical, modern woman" (hum-hum haha!) who doesn't need official show-your-love days.
I had a lovely date at the movies last Friday (I hadn't gone to a big movie theatre in about three years, I'll tell you more about that later!) but when I woke up on this 14th of February, I simply wished I could skip to the next day.

But let's not leave things like this; to end on a happier note, I hope YOU had a lovely day! xo

Photos: 1?, 2?, 3, 4?, 5?.

Happy things

2011-02-06T13:17:00.001-05:00

Happy things at the start of February...

-The beautiful midday light that shows Spring is on its way;
-My new Audrey Cantwell turban that makes me want to go outside just so I can wear it (One of her acquaintances stopped me in a café of my neighbourhood a few nights ago to tell me she lives a few streets away from me, how funny is that?);
-Reading Jacob's Room by Virginia Woolf;
-Finding a forgotten coat at the bottom of a box (which happens to be the same as this one but in navy);
-Just thinking about Spring in general!;
-Going to DJ nights where I can't stop exclaiming my love for the music played;
-Thinking about learning a new language (I am yet to decide which one... maybe German?);
-Barley-cabbage-tomato-lentil soup with feta topping.

What helps you keep your spirits up these days?

***
-La superbe lumière de mi-journée qui montre que le printemps s'en vient;
-Mon nouveau turban Audrey Cantwell qui me fait vouloir sortir juste pour le porter (Une de ses connaissances m'a abordée dans un café de mon quartier la semaine dernière pour me dire qu'elle habitait à quelques rues de chez moi!);
-Lire Jacob's Room par Virginia Woolf;
-Trouver un manteau oublié dans le fond d'une boîte (qui se trouve à être le même que celui-ci, mais en marine);
-Juste penser au printemps en général!;
-Aller à des soirées DJ où je ne cesse d'exclamer mon amour pour la musique jouée;
-Penser apprendre une nouvelle langue (je n'ai pas encore décidé laquelle... peut-être l'Allemand?);
-Soupe orge-choux-tomates-lentilles garnie de feta.

Qu'est-ce qui vous fait garder le moral ces jours-ci?

Photos: 1 (Jess Gough), 2 (me!), 3, 4, 5 (Siri Thorson).

Literary style

2011-01-29T21:05:00.001-05:00

About two years ago, I came across a book entitled Tales of Beatnik Glory (by Ed Sanders) in a secondhand bookstore. I bought it on an impulse, not knowing anything about its author but being quite intrigued by its cover and the Allen Ginsberg and W. S. Burroughs reviews.
It ended up uncovering me a large part of the New York beatnik underground of the late fifties and early sixties, the end and height of this movement; Tales unveiled the lifestyle, the language, and the musical inclinations of a whole artistic group.
Ed Sanders, "the bridge between the beatnik and the hippie generations", was (and is still) part of the band The Fugs, one of the most ridiculously irreverencious bands I have heard from this era so far. Ridiculous, but amazing at the same time as listening to them proves to be a real eye-opener when it comes to consider what rebellion and activism meant at the time.

Most of the stories Tales contains often describe the life of extravagant artists, some taking themselves too seriously, others not enough; one of my favourites is this man who spends thirty minutes in his bath every morning wearing scuba diving apparatus. One odd thing Sanders captures very well, to my delight, is the importance so many of his characters put on style, providing very inspiring, detailed, and often tongue-in-cheek descriptions. I thought I'd share them with you:

"The day they met she was dressed Being & Nothingness ballerina beat. Her long blond tresses were pulled back into a bun, and there were wonderful golden bangs in front. She wore black dancer's stockings and black high-heel spikes with those stylish spear-toes. Her brown leather vest, with laces up the sides, was the rage of Bleecker Street, worn over a tight black turtleneck with no brassiere, the ultimate of boldness in 1959. Her eyes were Nefertiti'd with great Juliette Greco streaks of kohl and lots of green eyeshadow." (p. 4)

"Louise liked to wear long-sleeved blouses with drawstrings at the sleeves and at the neck. Discovering Ukrainian clothing, as made by craftspeople of the Lower East Side, was a joy. She must have ordered ten of those blouses, many of them sewn with flowered patterns, from Madame Braznick, a manufacturer of dancing boots and Ukrainian attire on East 7th Street. [...] She bought an armload of canvas and extra supplies and a pair of red dancing boots from Madame Braznick." (p. 94-98)

Inspiration through unsurprisingly uninspiring times

2011-01-24T18:17:00.000-05:00

While I've always preferred more classical pieces of clothing, seeing so many around has left me a bit uninspired as of late. I think that what has been missing from all the images I have been looking at is a bit of personality. I realised that what I was looking for was more or less classic style, but with a bit of quirkiness: I would like to see more of odd/ thrifted/ old/ untraceable articles on people that could be their 'signature' item, or that let their personality see through a bit. The first photo is what triggered this reflection: while I've seen the Lou lookbook a bit everywhere around the blogs, I am still really pleased by the combination of cowboy boots and patterned rug with a very classic, well-cut outfit. I have to admit, I have a soft spot for anything cowboy in a small dose.

Actually, I think it's just that the infamous uninspiring time of the year has arrived, and even my little winter moodboard of a few weeks ago is having trouble to keep me afloat. I went as far as throwing all my fringe-growing resolutions out of the window and ended up giving myself a haircut yesterday, resulting in some kind of an early 60's bordering on Anna Wintour/Cleopatra but a bit longer (ok, Françoise Hardy) cut! Now, I will put away my scissors and see how it grows back (including the fringe, we've been hanging out for too long her and me - although Irina up there is giving me a hard time), just for a change. My inspiration will be back in a few days, I promise, and I'll be back with much more interesting and focused posts!

***

Bien que j'ai toujours préféré les vêtements plus classiques, en voir tant dernièrement m'a laissée sans inspiration. J'ai l'impression que ce qui manque à la plupart des photos que j'ai regardées est un peu de personalité. Je me suis rendue compte que ce que je recherche en fait est un style plus ou moins classique, mais avec une touche un peu particulière: j'aimerais voir plus de gens porter des articles hors de l'ordinaire/seconde main/intraçables qui pourraient être leur 'signature', ou qui laisseraient leur personalité transparaître. La première photo est ce qui m'a menée à cette réflexion: bien que j'ai vu le lookbook de Lou un peu partout parmis les blogs, j'apprécie toujours la combinaison d'un ensemble classique, bien coupé, avec des bottes de cowboy. J'ai un faible pour tout ce qui est cowboy, mais en petite quantité.

En fait, j'ai l'impression que le fameux temps de l'année déprimant est tout simplement arrivé, et même mon petit tableau d'inspiration d'il y a quelques semaines a de la difficulté à me tenir à flot. Je suis allée jusqu'à jeter par la fenêtre ma résolution de laisser pousser ma frange et j'ai fini par me couper les cheveux moi-même hier, résultant en une espèce de coupe du début des années soixante limite Anna Wintour/Cléopâtre mais un peu plus long (ok, Françoise Hardy)! Bon, je vais maintenant mettre mes ciseaux de côté et voir comment ça repousse durant les prochains mois (incluant la frange, ça fait trop longtemps qu'on se tient ensemble elle et moi - bien qu'Irina ci-haut rend les choses difficiles...), juste pour faire changement. Mon inspiration va revenir dans quelques jours, promis, et des billets plus intéressants et moins brouillons s'en suivront!

Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4.

A very special gift

2011-01-15T20:14:00.003-05:00

My dear friend Leona, who lives in Dublin, sent me the greatest package over the holidays. It contained, amongst other things, the above autograph that she got for me when she met Vashti Bunyan at an intimate show/documentary screening the latter was giving last November. I was very moved that Leona thought of me when she went to the show, and on top of that, according to her Ms. Bunyan is very lovely and charming in person!

***

Ma chère copine Leona, qui habite Dublin, m'a envoyé le meilleur colis durant les fêtes. Il contenait, entre autres choses, l'autographe ci-dessus qu'elle m'a obtenu quand elle a rencontré Vashti Bunyan à un concert intime/projection de documentaire que cette dernière a donné en novembre dernier. J'ai été émue par le fait que Leona ait pensé à moi quand elle est allée au concert, et en plus, selon elle, Ms. Bunyan est particulièrement charmante en personne!

The Shriek

2011-01-15T16:01:00.007-05:00

Here's a sample of my newest favourite online discovery: Internet Archives. I've only had a look at the 'moving pictures' section so far, and I'm sure it'll take me years to get a good grasp of everything the archives contain as they are ever-expanding and are already such a large bank of information of all sorts.

My first use of them was to watch the quintessential classic The Sheik (1921) with Rudolph Valentino (which you can watch here). I think that anyone with a passion for cinema and its history should watch it, but should also read up on it a bit beforehand. I was initially put off by the somewhat stereotypical ethnic representations, but consoled myself by thinking that the movie was from another era, was made 90 years ago (can you believe it???). BUT, I soon realised that the contextualisation is essential: The Sheik was an unusually liberal movie whether it comes to the representation of sexual desire or its anti-racist subtexts. The British explorer is shown to be faulty in her colonialistic approach while the supposedly 'Arab' Sheik (no nationality indicated) is in fact of Western European descent and has been educated in Paris, this cancelling the original notion of 'middle-eastern stereotype'.

I can say I fully understand why it has been dubbed "The Shriek": Rudolph Valentino definitely has a magnetic presence that I can't get enough of.

Puzzle completed!

2011-01-11T22:57:00.003-05:00

Well, I suppose you've guessed by my prolonged absence that I've been back to school for about a week now!
One of my earliest and most distinct book-related memories is flipping through a book telling a sad story about a balloon; and until a few days ago, I thought it was only a book illustrated by old photos, a vague memory of a thing that might not have even existed. So when I came across the movie Le ballon rouge, on which my famous book was based, it was like finding the last piece of a puzzle but, I don't know, with a texture? with the photo of an animal I can actually pet as if it was real? Well, it was simply much better!

***
Eh bien, je suppose que vous avez deviné par mon absence prolongée que ça fait environ une semaine que je suis de retour à l'école!
Un des mes plus anciens et plus distincts souvenirs littéraires est de feuilleter un livre racontant l'histoire triste d'un ballon; jusqu'à il y a quelques jours, je pensais que ce n'était qu'un livre illustré par de vieilles photos, un vague souvenir d'une chose qui n'a peut-être même pas existé. Donc quand je suis tombée sur le film Le ballon rouge, à partir duquel mon fameux livre a été fait, ç'a été comme de trouver la pièce manquante d'un casse-tête mais, je ne sais pas, avec une texture? avec la photo d'un animal que je peux flatter comme s'il était vrai? Trêve de plaisanterie, c'était simplement beaucoup mieux!

Winter is far from being over dear!

2011-01-03T17:01:00.009-05:00

I don't care about what R29 told me this morning, about those Spring colours, as it's not because we're a few days into the new year that it isn't Winter anymore. No, in fact, we have not reached the middle of it yet, so I believe a few inspirational photos are in order to go through what's to come. I do not mind winter, but I do get the blues when shorts and sandals and sand are presented to me when there are so many cold days to come during which I can sip tea wrapped in my 'horse blanket' while reading. I want to take things as they come, because what's the point of constantly living in the future? Also, I have found that mixing the more bohemian pieces I usually reserve for summer with thick wool sweaters very much helps (so far) to beat the cold and the dreariness. That, and wool underwear and vitamin D hehe!

***

Je n'ai aucun intérêt dans ce que R29 m'a dit ce matin, à propos des ces couleurs printanières, comme ce n'est pas parce que nous sommes quelques jours après le premier de l'an que ce n'est plus l'hiver. Non, en fait, nous n'avons pas encore atteint son milieu, donc je crois que quelques photos inspirantes sont en ordre pour passer au travers de ce qui s'en vient. L'hiver ne me dérange pas, mais je déprime un peu quand on me montre des shorts et des sandales et du sable alors qu'il y a tant de jours froids à venir durant lesquels je peux siroter mon thé enveloppée dans ma 'couverture de cheval' tout en lisant. J'ai envie de prendre les choses comme elles viennent, quel est le but de vivre constamment dans le futur? Aussi, je trouve que mélanger les pièces plus bohémiennes que je réserve habituellement à l'été avec des chandails en laine épaisse aide beaucoup (jusqu'ici) à combattre le froid et la monotonie. Ça, et des sous-vêtements en laine et de la vitamine D héhé!

Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5?, 6, 7?, 8?, 9, 10.

Details

2011-01-02T15:02:00.000-05:00

Todd Selby's photos taken during his visit to Jeanne Lanvin's personal library took my breath away and made me as giggly as a little girl. I cannot take my eyes off those beading samples and those embroideries lining her book collection, thinking of the time and attention that went into their creation. Every book is covered in an intricate pattern of thread; someone, somewhere, in a not so distant past, payed a deep attention to the details etching themselves against their covers. It's a thought that amazes me.

The last images also reminded me of this:
I cast my heart into my rhymes,
That you, in the dim coming times,
May know how my heart went with them
After the red-rose-bordered hem.
-W. B. Yeats, "For Ireland In The Coming Times"

Photos via The Selby.

Proof!

2011-01-02T14:13:00.004-05:00

Here's the visual proof of my succeeding into being more creative! I'm very proud I have finally stopped procrastinating and finally made something again. These necklaces are the ones from the new collection that I kept for myself; unfortunately, I had taken photos of the ones I sent to Victoire on a friend's camera, but I never received them.

***
Voici la preuve visuelle de mon succès à être plus créative! Je suis très fière d'avoir finalement arrêté de procrastiner et d'avoir finalement fabriqué quelque chose de nouveau. Ces colliers sont ceux de la nouvelle collection que j'ai gardés; malheureusement, j'avais pris des photos de ceux que j'ai envoyés à Victoire avec la caméra d'un ami, mais je ne les ai jamais reçues.

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T18:41:00.003-05:00

I would like to wish a very happy New Year to all of you! May it be filled with good times, good meals, discoveries and pleasant encounters! See you in 2011!

x

***
Je voudrais souhaiter une bonne et heureuse année à vous tous! Qu'elle soit emplie de bon temps, de bons repas, de découvertes et d'agréables rencontres! On se revoit en 2011!

x

In the past ten days...

2010-12-31T18:33:00.000-05:00

I'm very glad to see you all seem to have had fantastic holidays! For my part, it was not as expected as my family received bad news a few days before Christmas and consequently spent our time planning visits and visiting my aunt at the hospital. I am currently taking my last days off to relax.

On a more cheerful note, guess who received a digital camera (and a stock of film rolls)? This means that you will have to bear with me as I adjust to my new gadget and present you with a few slightly self-centered posts! I am very happy to have written down a list in November and would recommend it to any of you who are toying with the idea of making New Year resolutions possible to keep. I have been very good at fulfilling my creative aspirations regarding collages and jewellery; I have started a small book of collages (I'm supposed to add one a week) and I have finally sent a new collection of necklaces to Victoire (pictures coming!). So here's my first "show-off" post, I really wanted to share my new collages with you! xo

***
Je suis bien contente de voir que vous semblez tous avoir eu des fêtes fantastiques! Pour ma part, ce n'était pas comme je l'avais prévu comme ma famille a reçu de mauvaises nouvelles tout juste avant Noël et que nous avons conséquemment passé notre temps à planifier nos visites et à visiter ma tante à l'hôpital. Je prends donc mes derniers jours de congé pour relaxer.

Sur une note plus joyeuse, devinez qui a reçu une caméra digitale (et des rouleaux de film)? Ceci signifie que vous allez devoir me supporter pendant que je m'ajuste à mon nouveau gadget et que je vous présente quelques billets légèrement égoïstes! Je suis heureuse d'avoir fait une liste en novembre et le recommende à quiconque désirant faire des résolutions du Nouvel An possibles à garder. J'ai bien réussi à combler mes aspirations concernant collages et fabrication de bijoux; j'ai commencé un petit livre de collages (je suis supposée d'en ajouter un à chaque semaine) et j'ai finalement envoyé une nouvelle collection de colliers chez Victoire (photos à venir!).
Donc voici mon premier billet "démonstrateur", je voulais vraiment partager mes nouveaux collages avec vous! xo

Photos: my collages/mes collages.

Camille's Christmas message

2010-12-21T16:44:00.004-05:00

I would like to wish a very merry Christmas to all of you who are reading this.
I will be leaving tomorrow for my parents' place, and then to visit my mum's very large family. We celebrate what I have been told a few years ago is a "very French-Canadian" Christmas, meaning that it lasts a very long time: réveillon (an over-night party starting late on the 24th and finishing in the early hours of the 25th), then Christmas day with a family dinner at night. We usually all see each other in a more casual way on the 26th and eat all the leftovers! But the thing I have been told is the most unusual of my holiday festivities is the lack of Christmas stockings: we all have New Year stockings filled with clementines and sweets. When I was still living with my parents, we would also extend the holiday season until January the 6th, the Epiphany (they still do it, but I have been unable to celebrate it in the last two years; hopefully, this year it will be possible). Although none of us is particularly religious, the celebration of the Three Wise Kings is still deep-rooted in our habits, but has become more of an excuse to eat good food and a "galette des rois", crispy pastry filled with cream and a bean to determine who will be the king of the night.
And what about presents? Well, the family is so large that we do a gift exchange, and only give personal presents to the closer family (in my case, only my parents as I am an only child!).

How about you, how will you spend your Holidays?

***
J'aimerais souhaiter un très joyeux Noël à tous ceux qui lisent ceci.
Je pars demain pour la maison de mes parents, et ensuite je vais visiter la très grande famille de ma mère. Nous célébrons à ce qu'on m'a dit, il y a quelques années, un Noël "très Canadien-français", signifiant que les célébrations durent très longtemps: réveillon (une fête nocturne qui commence tard le 24 et finit dans les petites heures du 25), ensuite le jour de Noël avec un souper de famille. On se voit habituellement le 26 d'une façon un peu plus décontractée, et nous mangeons les restants! Mais la chose qu'on m'a dit qui est la plus inhabituelle de mes fêtes est l'absence de bas de Noël: nous avons des bas du jour de l'an remplis de clémentines et de sucreries. Quand je vivais toujours avec mes parents, nous allongions la saison des fêtes jusqu'au 6 janvier pour la Fête des rois (ils le font toujours, mais j'ai été incapable de la fêter ces deux dernières années; avec un peu de chance, ce sera possible cette année!). Bien qu'aucun de nous ne soit particulièrement religieux, la Fête des rois est tout de même implantée dans nos moeurs mais est plutôt devenue une occasion de bien manger et de déguster une galette des rois (une pâtisserie feuilletée remplie de crème et d'une fève pour désigner le roi de la soirée).
Et les cadeaux, eux? Eh bien, la famille est tellement grande que nous faisons un échange de cadeaux, et ne donnons des cadeaux personnels qu'à notre famille plus rapprochée (dans mon cas, seulement mes parents comme je suis fille unique!).

Et vous, comment allez-vous passer votre temps des fêtes?

Photo: 1.

My type

2010-12-20T23:55:00.002-05:00

The Index-Israeli Blue.

Cannot stop listening to them.

***

Je ne peux cesser de les écouter.

A Christmas message from Reverend Tendril

2010-12-16T14:37:00.003-05:00

Rev. Tendril has spent most of his life in colonial India, preaching to British expatriates. Upon his return to England, he keeps on reading the same, now inappropriate, sermons. The Christmas one is the paroxysm of this phenomena:

"'How difficult it is for us,' he began, blandly surveying his congregation, who coughed into their mufflers and chafed their chilblains under their woollen gloves, 'to realize that this is indeed Christmas. Instead of the glowing log fire and windows tight shuttered against the drifting snow, we have only the harsh glare of an alien sun; instead of the happy circle of loved faces, of home and family, we have the uncompreheding stares of the subjugated, though no doubt grateful, heathen. Instead of the placid ox and ass of Bethlehem,' said the vicar, slightly losing the thread of his comparisons, 'we have for companions the ravening tiger and the exotic camel, the furtive jackal and the ponderous elephant...'"

Evelyn Waugh, A Handful of Dust, p.61

Photo: 1.

A philocalist's thank you note/ Une lettre de remerciement de la part d'une philocaliste

2010-12-16T13:36:00.004-05:00

Remember when I was drooling over the A.P.C. Madras fall/winter collection? Well, I would very much like to thank the girls of my city, Montréal, who share my shape and size but not my taste. You see, as a job-less student, buying new clothing is a luxury. I only indulge in my vice through second-hand shops (and sometimes wait for their monthly 50% off day) or through exchanging what I already have for credit. But, once in a blue moon arrives a day when chance is on my side, and that day was yesterday. I stumbled upon the two blouses above at more than 50% off. In my size. And they fit like a charm.
All this to finally tell you that if you had been eying them for the whole fall like me, they are on big sale at UO.

***
Vous vous souvenez quand je bavais d'envie devant la collection automne/hiver d'A.P.C. Madras? Eh bien, je voudrais remercier les filles de ma ville, Montréal, qui partagent ma taille et ma forme mais pas mes goûts. Vous voyez, comme étudiante sans emploi, acheter des vêtements neufs est un luxe. J'entretiens mon vice seulement à travers les magasins d'occasion (et j'attends parfois leur événement mensuel où tout est à 50% de rabais) ou en échangeant ce que je possède déjà contre du crédit. Mais, très rarement, arrive un jour où la chance est de mon côté, et ce jour était hier. Je suis tombée sur les deux blouses ci-haut à plus de 50% de rabais. Dans ma taille. Et elles me font comme un gant.
Tout ceci pour finalement vous dire que si, comme moi, vous les avez regardées tout l'automne, elles sont en grand rabais chez UO.

British Rail's dedication to blizzard-battling

2010-12-12T23:54:00.003-05:00

According to the description, this demonstrates "British Rail's dedication to blizzard-battling", 1963. The soundtrack is fantastic, simply fantastic.

***

Selon la légende, ceci démontre "Le dévouement du British Rail à combattre le blizzard", 1963. La bande sonore est fantastique, simplement fantastique.

Bright Young Things

2010-12-12T23:17:00.004-05:00

After reading only one of his books, A Handful of Dust, I think I can declare Evelyn Waugh is currently one of my favourite authors. Of course, it does help that I have a soft spot for 1920's-1930's everything, but Mr Waugh writes in a manner that appeals to me very much: it is impossible, or very difficult, to feel any sympathy towards his characters. The air of shallowness most of his characters present is what makes his style, in a way: the story is narrated in a very serious manner, but the ridiculous of the characters' futile personalities and egoist actions overcome anything the narration could counter.

Last night, when I came upon the movie Bright Young Things, based on his book Vile Bodies, I was sold: it was beautiful, well-acted, witty and... ridiculous. Oh, and now I really want to watch it again!

***

Après avoir lu un seul de ses romans, A Handful of Dust, je crois pouvoir déclarer qu'Evelyn Waugh est l'un de mes auteurs préférés en ce moment. Bien sûr, ça aide que j'aie un faible pour tout ce qui est années 1920-1930, mais Mr Waugh écrit d'un façon qui me plaît beaucoup; il est très difficile, sinon impossible, d'éprouver de la sympathie pour ses personnages. L'air de frivolité que la plupart de ses personnages présentent est ce qui fait son style, d'une certaine façon: l'histoire est narrée très sérieusement, mais le ridicule de la personnalité futile des personnages et de leurs actions égoïstes défait tout ce qui pourrait être contré par la narration.

Hier soir, quand je me suis par hasard retrouvée devant le film Bright Young Things, inspiré de son roman Vile Bodies, j'ai été vendue tout de suite: c'était magnifique, bien joué, intelligent et... ridicule. On n'appelle pas cette époque "les années folles" pour rien! Oh, et maintenant je veux vraiment le regarder à nouveau!

In the mood

2010-12-04T13:47:00.002-05:00

Ready to get in the mood for the holidays?

***
Prêts à entrer dans l'esprit des fêtes?

Photos: 1?, 2 (Jocelyn Catterson), 3?, 4?, 5?, 6?, 7?.
(Please let me know if you have any idea where those photos come from, even TinEye cannot identify them!)

Let's go to the museum!

2010-12-04T12:35:00.004-05:00

Not too long ago, I went to see the Otto Dix exhibition, entitled "Rouge Cabaret", at the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal. I had read about the artist but had seen very little of his paintings; nevertheless, what I had read was enough to get me going. A first element that surprised me is how affected and inspired by the two world wars Otto Dix has been, being German. He participated to the first in order to see what it was like, for the experience, but came be horrified by what he had seen. This is reflected in the first series of paintings and sketches at the exhibition: pacifist pieces depicting the dead, the deformed and damaged civilisation. Before, I was used to see glorious war depictions, with soldiers presented as heroes; it is not the case here.

The section I spent the most time in was the 'prostitute room' (that contains others things too!), which was the most fascinating to me. Dix made a series of nude and semi-nude portraits of prostitutes, and chose as models only the ones that had something artificial or strange about them. Many are naked women in their state, but are so covered with makeup and hair dye and trying to hide their real self and their age that they are still fully dressed in their pride. What also interested me in this section was the 1920's jazz music and the movie extracts from the era that were presented, such as Metropolis, The Blue Angel and Pandora's Box (that I would really like to see!).

The following section was full of portraits of intellectuals and personalities. They were all unconventional in the way that the subject's personality was also depicted through the colours and proportions employed.

The final section showed landscapes. Otto Dix was highly affected by the Nazi regime: his art was deemed 'degenerate', he lost his position as an art professor, some of his pieces were destroyed, and he was forced to move away from the city. He was then banned to paint in his characteristic style and found refuge in innocent landscapes. The historical and technical value of Otto Dix's landscape paintings is undeniable, but I daresay I found it a little bland as I had been really impressed by what I had seen before. Also, if you go, you don't really have to watch the final film: it is great to see his son and his house-museum, but the production is quite poor and I found that the music used was overly dramatic. In other words, I found that the movie clashed with the rest of the exhibition, but you can see it if you want.

My final word? If you are in town, please go, it's really worth it!!

A little touch-up

2010-11-29T20:59:00.004-05:00

I rarely wear makeup but I find this tutorial from the 1940's more informative than most articles I've ever read in the beauty section of magazines. I like how it can be applied to anyone wanting to look more polished as it is a look that suits everyone. Moreover, now I understand how to use those tiny 'rouge' brushes (let's say it took me a long time)!

***

Je ne porte du maquillage que rarement mais je trouve ce cours des années 1940 plus informatif que la plupart des articles que j'ai jamais lus dans la section beauté des magazines. J'aime comme il s'applique à n'importe qui veuillant avoir un air plus soigné comme c'est un look qui va bien à toutes. De plus, maintenant je comprends comment utiliser ces minuscules pinceaux à fard (disons que ça m'a pris du temps)!

And a second one just because it's fun.

***

Et un deuxième juste parce qu'il est amusant.

List update

2010-11-29T16:07:00.000-05:00

I'm quite proud of myself: it has been over a week since I made my list and I have been good at sticking to it so far. Here are the items I have been able to tick off:

Clothing (sheer luck was on my side!):
-perfect beaded cardigan;
-lavender wool cardigan.

I got those two items with the store credit I had at my beloved Local 23 (it is a really friendly place hence the word 'beloved'!/they have a store credit in exchange for old clothing system). I mention this to give myself an excuse as I actually have no business spending on myself...

Life:
-I have visited the Otto Dix exhibition at the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal; if you are in town, I highly recommend it. I will give it a proper post of its own in a short time!

Now, back to my essays!

***

Je suis plutôt fière de moi: ça fait un peu plus d'une semaine que j'ai écrit ma liste et jusqu'ici, j'ai réussi à m'en tenir aux éléments qu'elle contient. Voici les éléments que j'ai pu barrer:

Vêtements (la chance était de mon côté!):
-parfait cardigan perlé;
-cardigan lavande en laine.

Je me suis procuré ces deux pièces grâce au crédit que j'avais à mon Local 23 adoré (c'est un endroit très chaleureux d'où le mot 'adoré'!/ils ont un système d'échange de vieux vêtements contre un crédit en magasin). Je mentionne ceci pour me donner un excuse comme je n'ai vraiment pas affaire à m'acheter quoi que ce soit...

Vie:
-J'ai visité l'exposition Otto Dix au Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal; si vous êtes en ville, je vous la recommande fortement. Je lui donnerai son propre billet, quelque chose de plus convenable, dans peu de temps!

Maintenant, de retour à mes dissertations!

Photo: ?

Radio Days

2010-11-22T21:56:00.004-05:00

I recently discovered an online radio station that only plays music from the 1920's to the 1940's, day and night. How fantastic is that? The 1920's Radio Network broadcasts from Chesapeake, Virginia (and according to their website, their studio is deep in the woods!). Just a technical tip before you tune in: go to the middle of the page and select from the available streams, the main link did not work for me (but maybe it will for you).

***

J'ai récemment découvert une station de radio en ligne qui ne joue que de la musique des années 1920 aux années 1940, jour et nuit. Fantastique, non? The 1920's Radio Network est diffusée à partir de Chesapeake, Virginie (et selon leur site, leur studio est au fond des bois!). Juste un conseil technique avant que vous ne vous branchiez: allez au milieu de la page et sélectionnez l'une des diffusions offertes, le lien majeur ne fonctionne pas de mon côté (mais peut-être qu'il fonctionnera du vôtre).

A little cold

2010-11-18T23:02:00.000-05:00

Ready for a little winter-related rambling?
Every year, around the middle of November, my perception of almost everything changes. I feel an urge to look more feminine, to reinvent myself in a certain way, to experiment new situations, to jump on occasions to see and discover more. Often, this ends up being only theoretical as I think a lot about those things, but do not achieve them. This time, I would like things to be different. I'm already seeing elements in my life I would like to change, and in order to make things feasable, I believe lists are in order.

Clothing-wise, I am often tempted by many things during the winter and often end up spending on everything but what I really want and would wear very much. This year, I intend to keep to the following (a bit shallow, yes...) list as I don't really need anything:
a)to find a nice, warm, subtly coloured cardigan, preferably like the pale purple one above;
b)to stop getting tempted by all those pretty shiny things and find myself the perfect vintage beaded cardigan I've been thinking about for a few years;
c)to find a used fur or a soft faux-fur jacket (I passed on one, last year, regretted it and kept seeing the lucky girl who bought it every few days - we didn't even know each other);
d)to find a colourful a-line skirt (yes, a lot of colour in this list!);
e)to use scarves to keep my ears warm like the lovely girl in the last picture!
f)to get an extra pair of wool tights.

Life-wise, I would like to...
a)get back to producing more collages, jewellery, and maybe developing my own photos;
b)get better at actually going out of the house, yes, even if it's cold, and stop missing exhibitions and movies, reasoning with myself with seasonal excuses;
c)get better at waking up early and be punctual to my morning classes;
d)start baking cakes, cookies and to learn how to make pies: I still haven't used the full potential of finally having a working oven in my apartment!

Finally, remain cheerful and happy, and remember that that's the most important, no matter what's on the lists!

How about you? What are your seasonal resolutions? Do you make such lists?

Photos: 1 (Gordon Parks), 2?, 3 (James D. Kelly), 4?, 5, 6?.

10 to 10

2010-11-15T20:02:00.000-05:00

Why, hello there! That was quite a long absence, but necessary for me to finish my pile of mid-term papers (I'm especially thanking my professors who required two essays for one class...). In the meantime, I have received the "I love your blog" prize from Claire, which is truly an honour especially coming from someone whose blog is amongst my favourites. So here are my answers...

1. Why did you create the blog?

When I started writing this blog, I was finishing my first semester at university, and it was my first time going to school in English. I had more or less proved to myself, through my essays, that my writing was presentable enough to be shown to other people and I finally set up to open the blog I had been thinking about for a while. My goal was to create a blog I would enjoy reading myself, only posting when I had something of interest to present. Another thing is that blogging allows me to share some thoughts and talk about subjects I wouldn't be able to touch with most of my friends, especially when it comes to clothing and fashion.

2. What kind of blogs do you follow?

I mainly follow blogs written by people who let their personality show through their words. I do like photos and images (a lot!), but I also like being told about discoveries and stories. I think it is the conversational aspect of blogs that often attract me. The first blog I followed was Ringo, Have a Banana! and it still is amongst my favourites.

3. Favourite makeup brand?

I really like makeup although my approach to it is quite minimal. From rummaging through my 'beauty box' I came to the conclusion that most of the beauty products I frequently use are from Clinique (I wear the powder foundation and the black honey sheer lipstick almost everyday), but I also like MAC for their eyeshadows (especially in satin taupe and graphology, the latter as eyeliner) and NARS for the infamous velvet matte lip pencil.

4. Favourite clothing brand?

Most of the clothing I buy is vintage or second-hand, but I realized that the brand that comes up the most often is, surprisingly, Gap! And most of what I own from there is from the shirt variety and second-hand, go figure! But if I had a job, the new clothing I would buy would mainly be APC, their collections really appeal to my taste.

5. Your indispensable makeup product?

I have two: Dr. Haushka's Normalizing Day Oil and Burt's Bees Pomegranate lip balm. The oil drastically changed my skin. It originally was dry and prone to acne and is now comfortable and presentable without makeup.

6. Your favourite colour?

Burgundy/Maroon.

7. Your perfume?

The only perfume I currently own is Kiehl's Essential Oil in Grapefruit. Two perfumes I would consider wearing (I am yet to make my decision) are Dior's Diorissimo (my mother's perfume, it smells like lily-of-the-valley) or Diptyque's Olène as it smells of jasmine. I do like perfumes that have a natural, recognizable, subtle scent.

8. Your favourite movie?

That's too difficult! I'll say Sunset Boulevard because I like everything that's nostalgic and old Hollywood, but if you ask me tomorrow I'd probably say something else, ha!

9. What county would you like to visit and why?

It's not very 'exotic', but I would really like to visit England. It started with my fascination for the Queen when I was 3 and has never left me even though I don't have much interest in the royal family anymore (ok, ok, it's an off and on guilty pleasure!). Other than that, I'd be very interested in visiting Russia as I find it's a country that has a very intriguing history and architecture.

10. Make the last question and answer to yourself: Camille, why do you keep talking about getting a cat, stalking your neighbours' cats, but not getting a cat yourself, you cat-lady?

Ok, ok, I will!

And I am sending my love to:

Indian Summer Vintage

My Favorite Color Is Shiny

Ringo, Have a Banana!

An Apple A Day

A Clock Without Hands

Capture the Castle

Discotheque Confusion

bbNY

The Vamoose

Are You Awake?

Halloween II

2010-10-31T13:10:00.005-04:00

Seville Theatre

York Theatre

Eaton's department store (has been renovated since/a été rénové depuis)

The Queen's Hotel

Harpell Press

I have a certain passion for abandoned buildings, witnesses of a past history and use that will never be repeated, that are destined to be forgotten. I've recently discovered that about ten years ago, a Montrealer has classified and photographed a certain number of those buildings including some that have since been demolished. They are a bit like urban haunted houses, perfect for today's theme!

***

J'ai une certaine passion pour les immeubles abandonnés, témoins d'une histoire, d'une utilisation passée qui ne se répétera jamais, qui sont destinés à l'oubli. J'ai récemment découvert qu'il y a environ dix ans, un Montréalais a répertorié et photographié un bon nombre de ces immeubles, certains ayant été démolis depuis. Ce sont un peu comme des maisons hantées citadines, parfaites pour le thème d'aujourd'hui!

Photos via Montreal Abandoned Buildings.

Halloween I

2010-10-31T12:06:00.007-04:00

Confession: I adore Halloween, and even if each year I tell myself it's not that important, I adore dressing up. Last night, I was supposed to go out (which did not happen) but I still managed to wear three different costumes in my apartment (ballerina-Annie Hall-Greta Garbo)! In fact, I only layered a bunch of things I already had, but it counts anyway, does it? I really wanted to dress up as Twin Peaks' Log Lady, and was a bit too proud of it, but that didn't materialize.

***
Confession: j'adore l'Halloween, et même si chaque année je me dis que ce n'est pas si important, j'adore me déguiser. Hier soir, je devais sortir (ce qui n'est pas arrivé) mais j'ai tout de même eu l'occasion de porter trois costumes différents à mon appartement (ballerine-Annie Hall-Greta Garbo)! En fait, j'ai seulement empilé des trucs que j'avais déjà, mais bon, ça compte quand même, non? Je voulais vraiment me déguiser en Log Lady de Twin Peaks, et j'en étais même un peu trop fière, mais ça n'est pas arrivé.

Photos: 1, 2(Helen Levitt), 3(Meredith Phipps), 4(Ellen von Unwerth), 5?, 6(Aimée Brodeur), 7?.
P.S. J'ai décidé d'écrire ce blog en français aussi bien qu'en anglais, ça vous plaît?

Found Objects

2010-10-24T18:00:00.002-04:00

Let me urge you to have a look at one of my new favourite blogs, Found Objects. Everything's in the title, it's like a treasure trove of all the things you've found in pockets of old coats, or tucked behind books at your favourite second-hand shop. Moreover, it is updated very often, and everything is well selected. Oh, and please listen to Busy Streets, it's hilarious!

Running after pigeons

2010-10-24T13:18:00.003-04:00

Fooling around with a disposable camera again! I really enjoy how they are like those surprise bags: I have no knowledge of what they contain exactly, but am always excited to get my hands on one. I have my eyes on a nice, old, light (!) camera from the nearest brocante which I would be able to carry everywhere I go. Having it in my possession would probably mean I would stop taking bleak photos of my apartment and surroundings and introduce people to my film!

It is currently mid-term essay season for me, but everything should get back in order very soon. x

My new favourite song!

2010-10-17T13:00:00.004-04:00

I can't be bothered to have one, only one favourite song (why limit myself?), but more of a list of favourite songs to which I add new ones as I discover them. Johnny Remember Me is my new favourite song, sung by John Leyton and produced by Joe Meek (a growing obsession).

Oh, and the way he says "Darling"!

Revolving around my mind

2010-10-16T16:10:00.005-04:00

Michela Heim's photos have been constantly revolving around my mind recently. Her aesthetic revolves around nostalgia, but also in the stillness of the subjects she captures, making them appear as if they had always been there and will remain there after the shutter has closed, a notion of permanence even in movement. It is that permanence that makes them stick to my thoughts so much, driving me to see my daily life through her lense, falsifying colours and making images truer to life by involving a mood and not only a clear representation of reality. This is what photography is about, the past and the immortality of a moment, and she represents both perfectly.

For more fantastic photos, visit Michela's blog and flickr!

A bit of silk, some dark lipstick

2010-10-11T17:35:00.005-04:00

Even though I do follow what's new during fashion week, it is usually with a desinterested interest: most of my personal inspiration is historical, cultural, 20th century menswear classics, although I suppose that said like that, it all comes round to the same to a certain point. But sometimes, history and runway meet up, a look of a present season reminds me of something else and it makes me like it the better. This is why I got very excited when I saw the Vuitton collection which reminds me of the 1910s-1920s, partly inspired by what comes in mind when talking about early 20th century Chinese imports. The essence of this look is something so elegant and frivolous at the same time, it makes me weak in the knees, shiver with eagerness for a nightly outing. Marc Jacobs, no matter what he does, has been keeping me excited about fashion since I first opened a fashion magazine.

Photos via style.com and The Sartorialist.

How have you been?

2010-10-11T11:15:00.004-04:00

Wishing: for more time to see dear friends that moved here recently, or that I haven't seen in a long time.

Hoping: that APC is not well-known in Montreal so that I can get my hands on an eventually reduced Madras blouse from the special selection at... UO (I told you it was a quite a relationship, but my shallow self's reasoning is that no one else carries them).

Reading: Virginia Woolf's To The Lighthouse, and Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth (book report will be on its way as soon as I'm finished).

Listening: to Joy Division, Bob Dylan, Glenn Miller, Leonard Cohen, a seasonal reflex.

Watching: Telstar; early sixties images and fantastic music produced by Joe Meek can never be wrong.

Gifted: a pair of burgundy gloves from Madova, Florence, and a pair of sandals tailored on my dreams from Rome, both from my parents. They have amazing flair when it comes to gifts, even if they don't believe so.

Visited: Hull & Ottawa, been to the Victoire shoes & lingerie party (but didn't buy anything), had vanilla tea and butterscotch square at the Tea Party.

Started to write again, what a relief.

Photos: 1?, 2, 3, 4, 5.

For you, my dear

2010-10-01T14:22:00.002-04:00

A flat elephant and other wonders from the American Museum of Natural History.

I find the photographies of the preparation of those exhibitions as fascinating, if not more, than what we are invited to visit. I also have an odd interest for dioramas as the simple concept they are based upon is so strange. Better than a wax museum, they display usually real (taxidermied) animals in action, as if we were surprising a frozen parcel of their daily life; like a multi-faceted photography, or a single dimension of real life.

On the subject of dioramas, the first time I heard it was the name for those compositions was when my boyfriend was writing a poem about Dale Guthrie, the archaelogist who ate a piece of perfectly preserved prehistorical meat... what a story!

All photos via the American Museum of Natural History.

To Nadya from Natalie

2010-09-30T13:45:00.002-04:00

July, 20th, 1970.

Dear Nadya,

Hi! How are you. I am fine? I hope you are coming to the movie to-night. I don't know what time it will started. I'll see you very soon. Nadya do you have a nice time that you went boating with him, in the lake. I hope you are very busy to-day. I love you very much. Nadya yes-

terday we had a Baseball game team are Expo we won we have 16 & the other team are out they had 15. My mother & father are coming in July 26 at 1 o'clock. I think you will see me very soon. Nadya I feel sorry for you I alway say hi! to you that I know you are working very hard. Good-bye Nadya see you very soon.

Love Kisses

Natalie

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Letter found in a copy of Leonard Cohen's Beautiful Losers at Salvation Army. Integral text and form have been conserved.

Photos: 1, 2?.

Trusted and cherished

2010-09-25T12:58:00.001-04:00

After reading about Madelene's attachement to her beautiful navy trench coat, I kept thinking about the few items in my own closet that hold such an important place, that are an achievement in themselves. Of course, there are blazers and boots that were made or bought for my mother numerous decades ago, but there are also the practical but nonetheless beautiful finds that, while depending on sheer luck, fulfill a daily need. My short laced-up boots belong to the second category. Reminiscent of antique ice-skates with their eyelets and brown, well-worn leather, they are the most comfortable piece of footwear I own. I have had them for almost two years, and I regard with fear the day they will fall apart, probably ending up displayed on a bookshelf as a witness of past days. After months of almost daily wear, their cut-out details and tassels still fill me with pride everytime I look down. They are familiar, trusted, but also kept together by my skillfull cobbler, who asks how they are doing whenever I visit him with other enquieries.

How about you, do you own items you constantly replace, or couldn't bare parting with?

Photo: my own.

Enlight me

2010-09-21T18:45:00.003-04:00

Has any of you ever tried Clinique or NARS pressed powder? I need to make a decision, since the last powder I used left my face extremely dry, and cannot make up my mind* between the two of them. Thank you!

*Pun not intended but highly appreciated.

Painting, Gustav Klimt.

A misadventure

2010-09-19T14:59:00.002-04:00

We are told not to trust strangers, but I believe we often can count on them. I was rescued by a young couple yesterday when I almost fainted on the sidewalk.
Thank you.

Photo from unknown source.

Book report

2010-09-14T18:09:00.005-04:00

It appears I'm back to university... I am extremely busy, the very few breaks I have I mainly use for sustaining purposes such as eating and sleeping, but I am happy. The 'book report' section of this blog will benefit from my return, having to read two or three novels every week.

Books recently read:

-Simone de Beauvoir's Les Mandarins (first volume)

I finished it the day before starting school, and was quite sad I won't get to read the second volume until Christmas holidays, being so busy. I recommend it to anyone interested in learning about the intellectual response to the after-war already having a certain knowlege of the situation. It is intended to be an 'evocation', and I got more caught up in it after doing more research about the author; it adds another dimension to the novel.

-Henry James's Washington Square*

Beautifully written, James has a surprisingly true view of a young woman's intimate life, although not a book I would have chosen to read by myself.

-George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion*

The play on which My Fair Lady is based but with a different (and more interesting, I think) ending. I would be very happy to see it performed, with all the characters' different accents as language and pronouciation have a great importance in it. It is also very interesting to read as Shaw wrote sections for the reader that would otherwise be missed as they do not include any dialogue.

*Readings required by school

September

2010-09-11T17:33:00.003-04:00

The September page on my calendar! Thanks Papa for choosing such a funny one!

Keystone, 1971.

A date with Bogart.

2010-09-11T12:34:00.003-04:00

Anyone living in Montreal or planning to visit Montreal? Well, here's a reason to: from September 10th to the 26th, the Cinéma du Parc will be playing a plethora of Humphrey Bogart movies, a few of which I will hopefully be able to attend.

Bloody amazing

2010-09-08T00:02:00.004-04:00

This is what my murder mystery addiction lead to: isn't it amazing? (The bass player and vocalist is Pauline Moran, the actress who plays Miss Lemon in Poirot Mysteries.) I am now looking to purchase an album by The She Trinity, that's goodness!

Love/Hate

2010-09-07T23:21:00.004-04:00

I happen to have what one could call a love/hate relationship with Urban Outfitters. I am inspired by the clothing they sell when I see it on pictures, but I very rarely bring myself to buy anything in store. Yes, they sell some beautiful clothes, but the fabrics and cuts are too often of poor quality. Nevertheless, I enjoy receiving their newsletter because the pictures are inspiring... they inspire me to find copies, preferably used, of what they sell. I believe this is called anti-publicity, ha!

I would like to own and wear everything the girl at the right is wearing, and I would like to visit the countryside. I'm sure I would wear that jacket and that dress to pieces, they are perfectly in the colours I like to see and to be seen in. Also, I wouldn't mind having hair like that.

Concordia, here I come!

2010-09-06T18:49:00.005-04:00

School starts tomorrow for me with an American Literature from 1865 to 1914 in the morning and a cup of hot coffee. I am excited to retreive a somewhat normal schedule, but not to be terribly busy and overwhelmed by work. It is getting quite cold here, as a matter of fact it went from humid, melting to windy, rainy, cold overnight, literally.

Wishlist for the fall semester:

-to be organised;

-to stop procrastinating;

-Bic 0.5 blue and black pens;

-a pair of thick tights.

I am pretty broke, so I'm keeping it simple.

Photos: 1(ph. Lauren Marek), 2, 3 (found via Lola is Beauty), 4?, 5?.

Another short visit

2010-09-04T11:00:00.000-04:00

Into my closet.

Photo is mine.

A short visit

2010-09-03T17:58:00.004-04:00

Self.

My neighbourhood, St-Henri, Montréal.

And my room.

Most of my furniture has been given to me be my parents and has been in my family for many years (in this picture, the dresser belonged to my mum's family, and the telephone -it's not only display!- was my parents' first phone in the 70's). I have a passion for objects with history; my drawers are lined with old wallpaper from my parents' room. It has an art deco pattern.

All pictures are mine.

Goodnight.

2010-08-31T21:49:00.005-04:00

I've got the lady from Baltimore stuck on my mind.

I meant to put on 'Magdalina's Dance' from the same album but couldn't find it.

Feeding my eyes

2010-08-31T16:43:00.004-04:00

Not my photo; I just bought this shirt in a charity shop.

A guilty pleasure; found amongst pictures of the Beatles' years in Hamburg, featuring photographer Astrid Kirchherr.

Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Mademoiselle, je vous aime

2010-08-24T22:09:00.005-04:00

Simone de Beauvoir has been in a good amount of my thoughts lately: I am currently reading Les Mandarins (another book I recommend!). Also, a week ago, I came across Les amants du Flore on television during a sleepless night while visiting my parents. I'll say it right away, I don't approve of the actor playing Sartre, but I can't take Anna Mouglalis as Mlle de Beauvoir out of my mind, whether it be in her actions and ideas, 1930's and 40's clothing or spending time in cafés, working, thinking. Her portrayal left me with a great impression. So here's to Simone de Beauvoir, Les amants du Flore and also, to throw in esthetics, her signature turban that I've been sporting for a few months before knowing this fact. It is now a key reference.

A small something inspired by Les amants du Flore's images.

Also, Simone de Beauvoir on Daily Routines.
Photos: 1.

Book report

2010-08-23T11:25:00.000-04:00

Graham Greene's The Third Man: a detective fiction which made me discover an after-war Vienna I didn't know a thing about.

George Orwell's A Clergyman's Daughter: Orwell has an efficiency in his way of describing human nature; I find his lack of fioritures as beautiful as some others' poetic works, as if bareness and fullness met in one point. His writing is truthful, that is the best way I can decribe it even if it may sound uneasy.

Photos: Penguin.

Some favourites

2010-08-22T15:47:00.003-04:00

I happen to really like cosmetics and the ritual that surrounds them although I don't use that many. I thought I'd share some of my favourites with you.

1. Dr. Hauschka's Normalizing Day Oil.

What can be an inconvenient with Dr Hauschka cosmetics is that they work better together, meaning you're stuck using only their products. For once, my lack of fussiness over cosmetics saved me: as I don't use anything on my face (not even soap) but the Oil and occasionally a little makeup, it works perfectly.

2. Lemons.

The magic beauty product. Rinsing your hair with the juice of half a lemon makes it shiny, soft and dandruff-free. Also, it has a good taste if you happen to swallow some.

3. Benefit's Dr. Feelgood.

It makes your skin feel soft and look flawless.

4. Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap.

The multi-purpose soap. It works wonders with your skin, as well as with wool, silk and delicate underwear.

5. NARS Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella.

It is a non-drying, matte lip pencil. I like it better than lipstick as it stays longer and it doesn't look messy. The colour is a beautiful, flattering red which can produce from a subtle hint of colour to a glamourous Golden Age Hollywood mouth.

En passant...

2010-08-15T20:33:00.003-04:00

My picture was taken for Clin d'oeil magazine's streetstyle blog in June. I was quite surprised, and a bit shy: I lived right around the corner (at the time) and was only out for a chocolate bar! I must admit this is a bit uncharacteristic of what I usually like to wear...

A new point of view.

2010-08-08T12:56:00.002-04:00

After reading about these photos on Victoire yesterday, I couldn't take them out of my mind. It's that seeing colour photographs from an era (1939-1943) where it was an uncommon practice that are showing daily life subjects gives me a complete new image of what life was like at the time. Colour brings out textures and facial expressions in a real, almost crude way; what black and white photos forgive, colour enhances. All photos were taken by the Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information. You can find the whole series here.

Dream furniture

2010-08-02T20:11:00.003-04:00

Illustration by Russell Patterson.
"Where there's smoke, there's fire."

As I was having a look on Craigslist at furniture I don't need, I stumbled upon these gorgeous and incredibly cheap (compared to my previous researches) 1920's vanity and dresser that are kept at literally one streetcorner from my apartment. Anyone interested before I do something crazy?

(This image would make a great tattoo, don't you think?)

Important futilities

2010-08-02T15:50:00.009-04:00

It looks like I have touched a futile, but sensible issue many of us have in common with my last post. Thank you for all your comments, it's great to read other people's opinion on the matter!

Also, I am waiting for pictures of my new apartment to get developped, I'm quite excited to show them to you as I am particularly proud of my new flat.

Photos: 1, 2?, 3?, 4?.