The ability to understand that sometimes elusive phrase- unconditional love

Putting politics aside, I look forward to reading Losing Mum and Pup in its entirety. Read an excerpt here, and listen to Christoper Buckley speak here.

Do diligence with elegance

Emma Cassi's perfect office - time to work on my work space

Stealing Beauty

The beginning of my love affair with Nina Simone and this scene is the apotheosis of my love for floral dresses. I've found an approximation of Lucy Harmon's dress here, but I fear it might be slightly ill-fitting.

Tell No One

I will tell nothing to no one, except to say, watch Tell No One.

Kittens at play

S. and J. took me on a birthday sojourn, to Atlantic City.  We sat by the pool, were massaged in the spa, ate lots, and touched nary a slot machine.  Do notice how nicely the attire of this gambler sets off her slot machine choice.  

Lepidopterist Rising

Vera and Vladimir Nabokov, on the hunt

Nabokov's final and unfinished work, The Original of Laura, has been spared the crematorium by his son Dmitri, and will be published on November 3. 

Fragile as Fingernails

Kartell Glue Cinderella flats, $135

concept art for Disney's Cinderella by Mary Blair, frm The Invisible Agent

I think I love the clear Glue Cinderella flats by Kartell. I have a perfect pair of patent leather slips on, accented by a clear panel above the toes that I've worn to tatters. I might have to have these for spring. (via UrbanDaddy)

Wolf by the Ears

image of Monticello frm

View of the West Front of Monticello and Garden, Jane Braddick, 1825

The Pulitzers were announced today and I will be reading The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family immediately.

My castle, my books.

pages from the sketchbook on an anonymous diarist who recorded makeshift memorials for Abraham Lincoln

frm Maira Kalman's And the Pursuit of Happiness

Reading Lincoln's Melancholy by Joshua Wolf Shenk. I'll let you know if I, too, fall in love with A. Lincoln.

Scenes from a party

I wore Swedish snow leopard and my favorite 5 yr old shoved Gabe in a closet

Because Teepee is a perfume purist

the newest squeak toy in Little's collection- thanks Lin!

Bless this Mess

The apartment is still in a state of dishabille from this weekend (evidence: photo 1), but oh it feels good to do what you set out to do!

Frederick Seidel

“So this is where you write?”
“My boy,” he said, “this is where I live.”

pleased to meet you sir, frm the Times Magazine

A shy pornographer at Nepenthe's

I'm irritable and tonight I think Big Sur is the answer. Maybe I'll meet the ghost of Henry Miller while I'm there.

Pick-pocketing

boldy and brashly. Image nicked (nay, borrowed) frm Pia. Expect to see paper lanterns with black velvet ribbon swaying to and fro if you happen by my place.

Yes, there's poetry, and the lost souls of the South, but I love him most when he makes me laugh

Bob Dylan and Albert Grossman

Bill Flanagan: The instrumental sections on your albums have a different quality than the usual rock instrumental sections. For instance, on an Aerosmith record, at least part of it is about Joe Perry's solo. While there's wonderful playing on BEYOND HERE LIES NOTHING, we don't hear the usual guitar soloing technique. Is there a special way you approach the instrumental sections on a record?

Bob Dylan: What can I say, if I had Joe Perry with me everything would obviously be different. As it is though, he wasn't there. Soloing is not a big part of my records anyway. Nobody buys them to hear solos. What I try to do is to make sure that the instrumental sections are dynamic and are extensions of the overall feeling of the song.

(interview frm here)

Now the strangest thing I've seen was a t-shirt turning green/In envy of a turtle dove

Quiet, quiet and I'm listening to the sounds of Laurel Canyon, where I've never been so this is what it sounds like to me (do you hear me, Lester Bangs?), watched Breezy a few days ago, and I envy Joni Mitchell wearing a backless dress, which I cannot,  I simply cannot.  Though maybe I will, anyway.

Jezebel in Time Out Chicago

Thank you, Time Out Chicago!

Day for Night

photo by Tim Walker

While I won't have a canoe doubling as a settee, I hope that similar detritus washes up on the shores of my birthday party on Saturday. There will be mustard fruit with mascarpone, pitchers of Bloody Mary's, a puppy in a party hat, and all sorts of people I love.

The Exquisite PRESENTation

Dear Erica Weiner sent me an early birthday gift. I found them in my mailbox last night after an evening's festivities, and wouldn't you know- I woke up wearing them this morning. Hand-cut sterling silver sequins from the 1930s really are the way to go.

Ode to a small thing (not Teepee) vol. 3

This blog of mine generally hovers in the world of fantasy, or at least reality viewed through very deep-rose lenses, but vague truth seems to have elbowed it's way in lately.  To wit, I would like to thank the dear waiter at D.O.C. Wine Bar who saw my tears the other night and slipped me a glass of red.  I aim to find the pearl in every oyster, no matter how rotten an oyster may seem, and his kindness was bright and shining, and not to hard to find.

Looking for photos for this post, I found a blurry shot of a girl wearing a dress that I own, with a haircut similar to mine own.  

Message

art deco ring frm doyle & doyle

A PLACE GREEN AND GROWING