A Programming Note

I'll be (mostly) off the grid until Sunday.  I'm traveling to a place I haven't visited in about a dozen years.

I have a feeling I'll have a lot to say when I get back.  I don't want to say where it is I'm going until after I've returned, so I'll let my destination remain a mystery for now.  You can always follow along on my twitter for updates and twitpics if you feel the need.  Here's one hint as to where I'm going.

So, as they say on the internets, bee are bee.

New Asterisk Article, Whump Whump

In the latest issue of Asterisk you will find my story on Ver Unica, one of my absolute favorite vintage places in the city. This is the food issue, and there were two different covers, one a giant hunk of steak and the other a blossoming cauliflower.

Why the dichotomy of meat vs. veggie?  This I do not know.  But if you come across it, give it a read.  If Asterisk is not in your immediate area, check out the online version.

Enjoy that Ver Unica article, dolls.  It will be my last story in there for a while.

Pysched Out!

There are oceans of 1980s rayon dresses out there that really borrow heavily from the 1940s.  I'd say this is one of them.  If it were a bit narrower up top (less fabric used during wartime was always a good thing) it would be even more convincing, I think.

Dress - vintage { 1980s }

Earrings - my godmother

Bag - Elliott Lucca

Sunglasses - Tom Ford

Shoes - Manolo Blahnik

Apple Blossom Time

Sweater & Skirt - vintage

Earrings - my godmother

Shoes - Salvatore Ferragamo

Weekend Roundup

Lots going on these past couple of days.  Mainly, time with my family and also Ted's birthday.

Ok, so I played this awesome trick on Ted. It was well established that we already had tickets to a Giants game this weekend.  But I also knew that he really really wanted to see Rush play when they came through town in June.  I got the Rush tickets in secret, and created an envelope that lead him to believe the baseball tickets were inside.

That's my co-conspirator Pete Campbell in his tennis sweater.

Here we are, slipping those Rush tickets in the baseball envelope. Muahaha.

It was torturous watching him open his other stuff first.  I had put the orange envelope at the bottom of the pile.  But finally, he opened it.

That's his actual reaction, not staged.  I totally fooled him.

We still went to the ball game though.  The concert is not for a couple more months.

My sister is in town, staying at The Mom's house.  She brought along my niece and nephew.

My niece loves shoes.  She clomped around in mine for a while.  

We blew bubbles in the backyard.

I love how when it comes to small kids, so much of the time the simplest thing is the most entertaining.

Easter Basket

Sweater & Skirt - vintage

Necklace - family heirloom ring on a chain

Belt - Eugenia Kim

Shoes - Christian Louboutin

Salted Caramel

Sweater & Blouse - vintage

Skirt - Kate Spade

Earrings - my godmother

Bag - Elliott Lucca

Shoes - Jimmy Choo

The Manolo Campy

The funny thing about shoe shopping, at least for me, is that while I'm half-passed out in the comfy chair, waiting for the person who is helping me to come out with some boxes, I am exactly at eye level with all the rest of the shoes.

It find this amusing because when I browse, I'm walking around, looking down on them, silently judging them, and then suddenly, I am one of them.  We've become equals, by virtue of a dramatic shift in my vertical stature.

I wrote about this last year, seeing something about a shoe once I get to eye level that had previously gone unnoticed.  As this horrid quality iPhone photo shows, the heel of this Manolo Blahnik stiletto is intentionally bent inward, however, the tip of the heel is leveled off so that it stands up straight.  I snapped this photo at Neiman Marcus last week.

There's something a little perverse, even fetishistic, about this heel.  It's a high one for sure, but the way it appears normal but upon closer inspection displays a definite off-ness calls to mind the world of Edward Scissorhands or even John Waters.  The presence of black patent and pale pink certainly helps.

Oh, and the name of this shoe? Campy.  The Manolo Campy.  Slap me with a pink flamingo and put me to bed.

The Pieces in Between

Dress - vintage { 1940s }

Belt - vintage { 1980s }

Necklace - vintage Bakelite

Earrings - my godmother

Bag - Elliott Lucca

Shoes - Prada

Flower Child

Sweater - vintage { 1970s }

Jeans - old Wranglers

Shoes - Miu Miu

Color Spectrum

Sweater - vintage { 1980s }

Necklace - Fenton/Fallon

Trousers - Helmut Lang

Bag - Elliott Lucca

Shoes - Christian Louboutin

Pin Pals

Last night, Ted, my cousin Jennifer, and I saw the Giants play the Dodgers. We're all life long fans of the black and orange, and choosing which pin from my small Giants pin collection to wear to a game is something I like to put some thought into.

The classic rectangular pin in the center is the one I've had the longest, since my early teens.  Rounding out the collection are two of Lou Seal, the Giants mascot, a World Series pin, a garlic fries pin, and a special pin with moveable parts - one side says 'We Won' and the other says 'We Lost.' Turn the wheel as necessary.

In the end, I went with the garlic fries pin, something Ted got me a couple of months ago.

See, here's the thing with garlic fries.  They are a special treat at AT&T Park.  I mean, I love a veggie dog with ketchup and mustard, but garlic fries are delicious, and kind of a thing. A Giants thing. So they made a pin out of them. Yep.

What a great game.  What delicious fries.

In the Early Afternoon

Here's what I wore to work today. Once I got home, a quick change was necessary, as I wouldn't be caught dead in the ballpark wearing blue and white. More on that later.

Blouse - vintage { 1980s }

Sweater - vintage Elsa Schiaparelli { 1950s }

Skirt - vintage { 1980s }

Earrings - my godmother

Shoes - Salvatore Ferragamo

Face! Face! I Give Face!

It's really funny how a windy day can up the ante and add unwanted drama to a simple outfit shot.

Blouse - vintage { 1980s }

Skirt- The Gap

Shoes - Salvatore Ferragamo

I Don't Believe I've Mentioned This

My online shop, Dronning Vintage, has it's own blog. I post previews of new items, vintage-related ephemera, and sometimes write special content that doesn't appear on Cuffington.

Thanks for giving it a look, and happy reading!

Mr. Blue Sky

I love the detailing on the collar of this dress.

Here's a close up.

Dress - vintage { 1950s }

Earrings - my godmother

Shoes - Jimmy Choo

Cake Plate Party at Crown & Crumpet

Last night I journeyed to Ghiradelli Square (I place I usually never go) for a special event put on by Cake Plate, a boutique in Napa.  The party was hosted at Crown & Crumpet, a tea and sweets shop, which gave things an Alice and Wonderland meets Willy Wonka vibe.

Cake Plate sells designers like Milly, Trina Turk, Lauren Moffat, and their own in-house line as well.

We noshed on finger sandwiches, cheese, grapes, savory little desserts and quiches, and sampled wine, too.

Did you know Milly has a children's line?  My niece's birthday is in a couple of weeks and it's a good thing I already got her present for her, because these Milly pieces were super tempting.

My friend Adelle was helping with the hostessing duties.

I suppose I played the role of Mad Hatter with my new (old) I. Magnin pink polka dot hat.

As things wound down I made my exit and walked through Ghiradelli Square, now all dark, still and silent.

Quite a fun evening.

All the Tiny Dots

Blouse - vintage { 1980s }

Jeans - J Brand

Necklace - Fenton/Fallon

Shoes - Jimmy Choo

Animal Planet

Blouse - vintage { 1980s }

Jacket - vintage {1970s }

Trousers - Helmut Lang

Belt - Salvatore Ferragamo

Shoes - Salvatore Ferragamo