Book Review: The Diviners
Posted: April 25, 2013 Filed under: Book/Movie/TV Reviews, Clothes | Tags: beige, beige polka dot dress, black slingbacks, blue, book, navy cardigan, necklace, straw cloche 3 CommentsI’ve read the first two books in Libba Bray’s Gemma Doyle trilogy, and although I’m not interested enough to read the final book, I like her writing enough to want to check out her latest book “The Diviners”. For those of you who’ve read the Gemma Doyle books, the fantasy element here definitely has some similarities, but “The Diviners” wins in terms of setting: 1920’s New York City (which I tried to recreate in my outfit.) The heroine, 17-year-old flapper Evie, has a supernatural talent of reading secrets from everyday objects, so when the city is plagued with a series of occult murders, she uses this gift to help her uncle solve the case.
The setting is definitely one of the best parts of the story. It puts you right in the middle of NY in the 1920’s, with all the speakeasies and jazz clubs and flappers. The slang I find quite irritating (if I have to read the word “po-si-tutely” – as in positively and absolutely – one more time, I’d bellow like a bull) but it does add authenticity to the setting. The main plot is great as well; I always enjoy a good serial killer story, and this one definitely puts the shivers in my spine… well, the fact that I always read it late at night probably didn’t help. Evie is kind of obnoxious, but as a protagonist she’s fantastic, with interesting flaws to keep her from being a cardboard cutout.
The thing is, the author obviously plans a series around this book, so it’s filled with subplots and characters to set up a more complex mythology, but they’re only tangentially connected to the main plot at best. The main plot is a great standalone story all on its own, adding all the stuff on top of it doesn’t make it feel like a part of a bigger mystery like in, say, the first Harry Potter or the first Percy Jackson book. So it takes a while for the main plot to gain traction, and once it’s resolved we are left with a “Really, that’s it?” ending. Still, I enjoyed it enough to look forward to the sequel (sequels?)
I tried to dance the Charleston. Turned out I couldn’t
Dress & Heels: thrifted, Cardigan: Wet Seal (refashioned by me), Necklace: self-made, Hat: borrowed from my mom
Flash And Sequins
Posted: January 16, 2013 Filed under: Clothes, Style Imitating Art | Tags: belt, blue, navy cardigan, navy polka dot dress, purple, red, red t-strap heels, style imitating art, tights 2 CommentsHere are two things you rarely see on my blog – flash photography and sequins. These photos were taken inside our garage on a particularly windy and gloomy day, so I tried playing around with the flash to see how it turned out. The result was better than I expected, but you’re not going to see any Terry Richardson-esque photos on here again if I can help it. (Honestly, I don’t see what the big deal with that guy is. His most recognizable style – putting people against a mundane background and shooting them with flash – just seems so lazy and unimaginative to me. Not to mention he’s a total sleazeball.)
As for the sequined belt, it’s my attempt to translate the texture in Gustav Klimt’s Portrait of Emilie Flöge, and so are my shoes. I know the red doesn’t go with the rest of the outfit, but they’re the only thing I have in my closet that have a bit of gold on them. I’m not a glitter/metallic kind of girl at all.
Dress: tailored, Cardigan: Wet Seal (altered by me)
Belt: vintage, Tights: Kohl’s, Shoes: Steve Madden (thrifted)
Mountain Uniform
Posted: October 9, 2012 Filed under: Clothes | Tags: blue skinny jeans, blue striped top, gray cardigan, hiking boots, mustard cardigan, navy cardigan, navy skinny jeans, red striped top, tam dao, white polka dot scarf 2 CommentsThis is just to give you an idea of what I practically lived in during the past week – long-sleeved striped shirt (I do have a lot of those, as weirdly specific as that may sound), a cardigan, jeans, and boots. Sometimes with a scarf thrown in. Simple, functional, reasonably cute.
Red shirt: thrifted, Blue shirt: H&M, Scarf: Target
Cardigan: navy – Wet Seal, mustard – thrifted, grey – Forever21
Jeans: H&M and Forever21, Boots: Payless