Dirt Chic

I Was a Free Man in Paris

I had to check a bag, as is my custom, apparently, in coming back from Colorado.  It was good, though - Ashley always has choice things for me, and she and Anne and I found ourselves at thrift stores, and yes, I found myself alone at a choice antique emporium, and while I didn't go nuts overall... I still had to check a bag. 

Anne and I made it to the Yves Saint Laurent exhibit.  No photography was allowed, but the images of certain garments are burned into my brain.  It made me realize that I'm really done with just amassing clothes.  Remembering the experience of making my feather jacket, I've decided to go into a kind of makeshift personal couture, shifting out of thrifting as a regular hobby. :) ...If makeshift couture is not a contradiction in terms....  

I'm getting rid of a lot of clothes, in fact.  A lot of everything.  Am in the process of mass purging.  I sniffle right now from the dust, but not sentiment.  Nostalgia is something I prize - when it has a kind of intimacy to it, a connection.  But collections?  ...I'm trying to move away from them.  Feeling much less curatorial.  Interesting that a museum exhibit would push me further in that direction, eh?

I didn't buy everything I saw, as some things are fun (see above two pictures) but not necessarily worth the effort of buying them.  By that I mean I like to look, I would maybe even like to buy if the item is truly inexpensive... but $28 for pajamas?  Nah.  $12 for a Carmen Marc Valvo dress that might or might not be from the 90's (my preference) and really doesn't quite fit me?  Nuh-uh.

I did buy these.

Jessica saw them and said, "those are weird."  She meant it the right way.  You can't see it, below, but I'm wearing purple socks.  And my black pants and H&M blazer and a 90's rayon shirt.  A student told me I was wearing a nice suit.  Loved it.  Le smoking rubbing off, as usual.  (Hey Anne.  Le smoking.  Pamplemousse. ;)

And you also can't see my heart necklace.  So, here:

Shoes: $18.  (And oh so comfortable, I just have to add.)  Shirt: $3.  

And I leave you with YSL's eloquence.  My souvenir. 

Scenes From Chi

A teaser, perhaps.

Anne flew in.  We conquered some serious seafood.  Crab bites, maki, ceviche... I'm getting a tear in my eye, thinking of it.

My $5 dress.  I've since tweaked it with my favorite black belt.  (Insert black belt joke here.)

Brioche french toast with macerated cherries (and something else, don't know what, menu didn't say), lime cream, pink peppercorns.

So photogenic. ;)

Cold Time, Winter in the City

Chicago.

Praise Sullivan, and whoever this German terra cotta relief medallion is of.

Rehearsal.

Wyoming or Bust

It's been an odd 24 hours.  And an odd week or so.  I was at camp last week, which was great, but hectic - and the internet was spotty and TERRIBLE for uploading pics, so those will be forthcoming.  Monday, a quick and violent storm deposited a tree branch on my windshield, smashing it into brilliant spiderweb patterns.  I was only displeased because it COST ME MONEY.  Otherwise, not a big deal.

Then, thanks to hailstorm damage, my flight to Colorado was cancelled.  Fine.  Be that way, weather.  But I got on the phone with the airline, and 45 minutes and a pledge to extreme niceness later, I had a slightly later flight.  Score.

So yesterday, I drove home from camp, re-packed, and headed to the airport.  My dad deposited me, and then I learned my flight was delayed until 12:15am.  And then I realized I had forgotten my computer.  My writerly profession/habits deem computerlessness a PROBLEM.  This is how I felt about all these new developments:

Whatever.  I spent 2 hours reading up on my upcoming biography commission.  Then I had entertainment ADD (watched some of Insidious, muted, over someone else's shoulder; read a sample of Bossypants on my phone; re-read bits of The Lost Continent; watched 10 minutes of Swingers on my phone) because I tend to be that way after 10pm.

Then I got in the plane.  I waited to get in the line somewhat near the end because my seat was 6A.  I board and walked a few rows up, and realized I was at row 12.  Confused, I looked back and saw the rows started at 8.  Mildly alarmed and secretly fearing I had a nonexistent seating arrangement, I asked the flight attendant where my seat was. Tired and a bit exasperated, she looked at my boarding pass and said, "You're in first class!"  Whaaaaaaa?

This is how I felt about that new development:

Ha ha, I didn't suddenly look groomed or anything.  But I was very pleased about it.  Turns out it just amounted to having a lot more room (I'm sure there were other benefits but I largely needed to benefit from sleep).  Still. 

So anyway.  Hopefully I'll get my computer back soon, but its absence "forced" me into enjoying the morning at my dear Anne's house.  Been reading magazines and grooming for the first time in forever.  By grooming I mean applying cosmetics.  I always apply deodorant, etc., if you think that I mean I have forsaken showering, etc.  Heading into two weeks of a good bit of inter-state travel, writing, and visiting (and if you read this and are in CO I certainly want to see you).  Today is a bit of research-travel to MY FAVORITE STATE EVER: Wyoming.  (Well, my favorite state that I don't live in.)

I'll try to post more, and will post camp highlights when I have my computer.  Have to document the inter-state style. ;)

Grandma's House

Extra-grateful today to have things to miss, that still exist.

Spring Break 2011: CHICAGO. Part Four.

Last evening, Anne and I took the train to Uptown, which I love dearly.  

I especially love the shuttered Uptown Theater.  I dream of it.  I lust after it.

I showed Anne some other spots - mostly old entertainment buildings that now house... entertainments (shows).  Such as the Aragon.  Which I keep calling the Aragorn on accident.  Where I saw Weezer.  And The Verve.  

Anne at Siam Noodle & Rice, the best hole-in-the-wall Thai place EVER.  (She agrees.  Ask her.)  

It was crazy good.  We got a huge amount of food.  (Hence, crossed eyes.)  We ate a lot of it there.  We ate more of it later.

Then we went to the Green Mill Lounge, which I have always avoided for one reason or the other.  Which, once we went in, I quickly realized was stupid of me.  It was RESPLENDENT WITH FANTASTICNESS AND MAJESTY.  

We took the train back.  We were tired and sore from walking all over the place.

But on the way back, at a store called "Material Possessions", we saw a buddy.

We went to Jewel and got Epsom salts and other necessary items (sidecar supplies, cheese, crackers) and watching "The Purple Rose of Cairo" (been a Woody Allen week) on my computer, while sitting on the side of the tub and soaking our feet.  It was truly awesome.

Next morning, I subjected Anne to a lot more food.  Her expression could perhaps be read as mild exasperation regarding my dining tactics.

Sad to leave our unimpressive but still-lovely room.

Walked downtown.  Took pics. :)  And pics of pics.

Went to the Skydeck at the Sears (Willis) Tower.  It's been over half my life since I last went.  

Nerding out on Edna Ferber - "Showboat" has made my life much, much better.  (It was already good.)

We went out on the clear ledge thingie.  Anne had to coax me out.  It was torture.  

The elevator.  Good thing it wasn't a Tower of Terror ride.

Lunch at XOCO (again!).  Can you tell I'm tired?

I bought a giant cherry gummy bear for $6.  I ate its face.  It's pretty sick.  But I've wanted one for a long time.

On our way to the airport, we took a quick "detour" through Oak Park and I showed Anne a few Frank Lloyd houses.  Our favorite.

I miss my dear Anne.  We have deluxe epic times together.  I bet she's as tired as I am. :) We earned our good times and now, our rest.  :)

Spring Break 2011: CHICAGO. Part Three.

I failed to note Anne's glamour last night.  We aim for glamour every night.  Glamour at the HoJo.

Glamour for going to Smoque w/the wondrous birthday boy Geoffrey, and eating RIDICULOUSLY amazing BBQ.  (I also pigged out on coleslaw, which is unlike me.)

Sunday in the Park... Wednesday in the Art Institute.

This made us think of the previous night's viewing of Woody Allen's "Everything you always wanted to know about sex * *But were afraid to ask".

The Mag Mile, of course.

Doing touristy things, and enjoying it immensely.  (Well, immensely enough.  I was extremely tired from eating too much lunch.  Loser."  At The Bean.

Ok.  A nerdtastic Arwen moment: taking a picture semi-close to the windows that say Pucci (but no longer house a Pucci store.  I think this is actually more appealing to me).

Yep. :)  Now, resting, then going to Uptown and eating the choicest Thai food imaginable.

Spring Break 2011: CHICAGO. Part Two.

Picking up where we left off...

...we had some choice cocktails at Graham Elliot's last night.  They involved muddled sage and creme de cassis and all kinds of other exotic, delicious business.  We also had popcorn with truffle oil, parmesan, black pepper and scallions.  Note to self: make this at home.  Then, we got McDonald's and watched Conan at the hotel.  Nice, huh?

Next morning (after sleeping in - bliss) we hit up Rick Bayless's (is it Bayless's?  I don't even know.) XOCO and ate RIDICULOUS AMOUNTS OF GOODNESS.  Such as some killer guac with two salsas.

And I was pleased because there was sparkling water on tap and a bowl of limes.

And I got an aztec chocolate drink (fresh-ground chocolate, allspice, etc.), and we shared some vanilla bean soft-serve with salted caramel sauce and bacon-maple praline thingies.  KILLER.

And a very spicy torta with pulled pork, pickled onions, and other wondrousness.  We're going back there again, for sure.

Then it was off to the Art Institute.  I was ready to pay for my $12 student ticket, but the dude convinced me to get a membership.  After deducting Anne's ticket price, I paid $22 for it.  This was an excellent idea - we are going back there every day, now, of the mornings.  Too much for one visit, anyway.  And I was dumb enough to wear heels, so I was worn out pretty quickly.

So, some highlights of us standing by some of our favorite things:

Anne and Chagall windows

Arwen and Louis Sullivan Stock Exchange room

Anne and Lichtenstein 

Arwen and... crap.  Not de Kooning.  Something else with a K.  (I am very tired)

Don't know.  But liked the mirror. :)

Not art.  I don't think.  (People were taking them.)  But awesome, all the same.

I'm not mad about this painting.  I'm mad that I don't always take good pictures.  Rothko.  Shoot me.

Anne and... um, crap.  We should've wrote things down.  Not Chagall.  Not Picasso.  Something else.

Um, not art.  But, another kind of bliss.  Then I spilled it on the floor. :)

Anne and Mondrian

And, finally, Anne and the Sullivan Carson Pirie Scott building.  

Now we are off to meet Geoffrey for his birthday dinner.  Yes, am wearing the feather jacket.  Unless once I get it on, I get crabby with something and go for something else.  It happens.

Spring Break 2011: CHICAGO. Part One.

Anne O'Connor, goddess, has joined me for a whirlwind half-week of fun and festivities in downtown Chicago, Illinois.  

I picked her up the airport.  She was a little tired.

She had only slept an hour.  I suggested a pick-me-up of buffalo nachos at R.J. Grunts.  If I had known, I would've steered us elsewhere - first meal of the day.  Hmm.  (But delicious, as always.)

We found our home in the HoJo Downtown - a "recently remodeled" mod gem w/attached cafe and attached middle-aged desk attendant in Cosby sweater.  (He was and is awesome.)  Our room "wasn't ready" so we moved in our stuff just for convenience.  Man, was it ever not ready.  The made beds, the vacuumed floor, the full selection of travel-sized bathroom items... yep.  Did they just need to fluff our pillows or something?

Next, I dragged Anne down Oak St. to both indulge in perfumery and take a pic of the disused and wonderful Deco-era Esquire Theater.

Then, because Anne has never been here before and I LOVE DOWNTOWN, we walked a bit of the (cold) Magnificent Mile.  And went in stores.  And didn't buy anything.  But I caressed the Pucci scarves at Nordstrom.

I also caressed my Frederic Malle perfume when we stopped for a "snack" (shrimp cocktail, crab dip, and Happy Hour libations) at Shaw's Crab House.  This stuff is $$$.  But I have discovered a way to basically get it for free (with a little work on my end).  Made me feel better, because we pass a lot of homeless people in Chicago and I feel like a jerk, buying pricey perfume...

Mmm.  Snack.

Anne snacks on the offensive celery.  She is contemplating our evening of trying delicious new places - on the cheap.  We did a column in our undergrad newspaper ("Cougar Trax" - ha ha) called "Frugal Foodies" for a year.  It was exactly the same format as now - I ordered too much, we enjoyed ourselves more than most any other adult human beings in the world, and somehow, Anne ended up paying.  

Tomorrow, we might have to get omelets in the cafe.

Spring Break.  Yessss.

P.S. Getting Dressed is handily embedded in today's post.  Can you find it?  (Hint: Mickey Mouse shirt - prize from Gizmo; Ol Faithful 80's belt, $3; Capezio red leather tasseled cowboy boots, $20.)

On the Road Again

I'm takin' off, soon.  Just for a week or so.  No updates here, but Facebook and Twitter should still see me around.  Well, this year, I am actually bringing my computer (MUST WRITE), but internet access might be iffy.  Eh.  I actually prefer this.  I don't want to be entirely off the grid, but a little bit is nice.  I am camping, and all.  (And there is a church parking lot with free wifi (WiFi?), heh heh.)

I hope to take more (bad phone) pics this year.  And yank the good ones from the guys' flickr's and all, when we come back. :)  In the meantime, some images from years past:

 

 

 

Hopefully, when I come back, I will have a full (one-act) play....