Calling All Designers

You do not have to be a traditional design professional (that's the point). It's Garmz.com.

One of the advantages to feeling unwell is a stack of unread magazines. (Although--if W doesn't get better & this new editor doesn't stop putting naked Kardashians in an "art" issue, euwww, it is so over. God, what dreck.)

Vote on designs uploaded by others & winners see their garment manufactured & for sale online. I do not know how well they are constructed, etc. The site is in beta. There are some good-to-excellent illustrations. There are also some that look like I dipped into my Crayola box. If you were fairly early to Etsy, you know there was (is) some "real junk on there." (That was a friend before I gave her some things from Etsy a couple of years ago. In other words, sift sift sift.) It's the same with Garmz. There are some Etsy folk on there, too. Here's an interview with one winner, Lauren Reeser aka American Duchess. Here's Lauren's pretty Etsy shop, & wonderful historical costuming blog.

Go forth & improve Garmz. (designs/illustrations by Scarlet Movement & Anika)

Vote Now - Shabby Apple Design Finalists

Vote for your favorite Shabby Apple's Dare to Design finalist dress. There is a tech error that zee blogeuse at Apple a Day is working to resolve, but you can vote in the comments for now. Voting ends 15 November 2010. Vote only once. (I have seen this photograph many places. This particular version is from audrey hepburn complex via daily bits of beauty)

Dare to Design a Shabby Apple Dress

Shabby Apple's announcement of their second annual Dare to Design competition was in this morning's email.You do not have to be a professional designer to enter. I'd love it if one of you goes for it. Please pass this along to any friends who might be interested, as well. You have until 15 October 2010, 11:59 EST. SA partners in a micro-finance program in India. This is not a small thing to me when considering a purchase.

I bought a Marseilles dress a year ago & I still love it (stripes!). This summer saw a French-inspired collection (stripes again) & the new retro apron line, Boysenberry Pie. I'm selecting patterns & fabric lately, not designing a thing (although I used to tweak patterns). If you're not up to entering a competition or are looking to buy something ready-made, Shabby Apple is also having a sale. There's a dress for everyone. No fighting!

[Suzy Parker via myvintagevogue; collage from Shabby Apple website images]

Bad Apple

Mille grazie to Maria Caterina di Perugia for a wonderful day at her house. She even picked me up & brought me back; I'm rather tottery lately, so this was a huge help. Lovely lunch. Discussed possibility of trip to Bath, Wales, & Cornwall within a reasonable time-frame (well, you have to plan these things). MCat received a gorgeous red-fabric bound set of collected Jane Austen from the Jane Austen Centre for her first anniversary (yesterday). My haul: three kinds of tomatoes, little peppers, heaps of basil, rosemary, sage, black-eyed Susans, & marigolds. Yay. I look forward to house-sitting whilst they are away at the beach later this month. Birds, two cats (one being My Julie), breezy house, & garden. No weirdo neighbor with secret meth lab. (I'm only half-kidding.)

All clean & tidy & happy-ish, claws sheathed, I logged on to see (as I did this a.m.) where/why iTunes had not downloaded the second episode of Mad Men (yes, it is a priority...you should read & look at the stuff I have to, then you'd know why). Thought it was me; no it was not. That was no small sum I paid for a season pass. Bad Apple!

Hope you had a great Monday. If you're a Bachelorette fan, Joanna at Cup of Jo is holding a series finale confab, here. (Me? No, but have a good time.) See ya in the funny papers.

ciao-meow

[Natalie Portman photographed by Ellen von Unwerth, 1996 via bohema tumbr]

Week's End - Dachsie Dress

I'm running late. I know I always write that...let me be clear: I am not late for events or people. I'm one of those reformed people who are usually early. (Also, I'm too self-righteously indignant about The Late Bunch. Hence, the label personal character defects.) It's snowing, I'm coordinating a local group's little gift-wrap-for-donation at a bookstore this evening, can't find my snow boots, want to post pictures on both blogs about Tina Tarnoff, see here. And dozens of boring bits, including deadlines. So I play with the time/space continuum by posting this dated Friday, but it is Saturday. Because I can & the earth will remain spinning. If it doesn't, man will I be cheesed off. Because I would've gone to George Clooney's new film. Anyway, real Week's End will come up some time later this weekend & do justice to Tina.

When I saw Mary-Laure's darling dachsund Benjy the Oracle's photograph just now on AUREA, I knew this dress would be perfect for her. (Yes, I see that it's a skirt...that would mess up the alliteration, silly.) The photograph is via busy Jess's myvintagevogue. I maintain that she does not sleep, really. For you dachsund lovers, take a look at Liberty London Girl's hilarious find of a dachsund nativity set.

A rushed adieu....

Girls in Their Summer Dresses

It's so very hot. Perhaps I'll find one more summer dress (on sale). One that assures me it's a dress that does things for me. Well, why would I turn that down? Speaking of advertising, Leslie at Work-in-Progress (lower right sidebar under writers & readers) brought The Women Behind 'Mad Men' from WSJ.com to my attention. I couldn't read the whole thing because it was verging on spilling the end of Season 2. No cable, no show. The Netflix Fairy brought end-of-Season 2 today. And yes, I'm still reading & swimming & yoga-ing (om) & will post regularly & with more juice than lately. Soon. It's hot out, what can I say?

[vintage advert via myvintagevogue - which is a fabulous website]

Outside, looking in...the Tony Awards

Who am I kidding? This is an excuse to put in two photographs I like. Plus, I feel bereft (yes, you heard me) that I've not been to the theatre in some time (yes, here in DC & they're great...but I feel like being in NYC tonight).

These remind me of being little, or young, or inexperienced, & being allowed just enough of a peek at the grown-ups from the landing, from backstage, from the back of a room or a hall. In but not quite. I didn't realize then that I saw so very much more from there.

It's been a long, winding week & the upcoming promises more of the same (but a party & I want to go to it. Shocked, shocked), & I know many of you are in the same swirly, twirly, not-so-great, nerve-wracking present, so maybe this will cheer you up. (Someone looking in thinks, "how does she know?" Because they've told me so...)

The awards are on tonight--so watch some of it. I'm thinking of Natasha Richardson, suddenly. And a few others, gone way too soon, who I imagine will be remembered tonight in some fashion. Gulp. But....the show must go on, really, it must. And not just on stage...eh?

xoxo, belle

[LIFE archives: Chorus girls watching the Ed Sullivan show in 1958 by Peter Stackpole & AH as Sabrina, up in her tree, looking at the party. From the film, after which my favorite cousin--I have scads--was named via scan from copy of The Audrey Hepburn Treasures: pictures & mementos in a life of style & purpose (Atria Books). Here's the link. If you love her, you should have this book. Which is how, a few years ago, a friend put it: I thought of you, you must have it now. I didn't even wrap it. What was odd about it is that I really hadn't mentioned Hepburn to her in years. xo to Sasha who never looks here.]

Marseilles Dress in Blue & White

This may be the ultimate worlds collide post on bricolage (certainly to-date). But I just saw on a friend's blog (in sidebar) that there is a darling blue & white dress giveaway on a new-to-me blog called Grosgrain. Clothes for real women...it's too late, even if I win (I never win, c'mon), to have it for my June events-where-maybe-someone-will hire-me...but, maybe one of us will win it. (Male readers & bloggers, I know you're here: win for lady friend, sister, any female in your life. Or win & donate to a woman who needs a dress.) Update: 7 June 2010. I bought the dress on sale later that week. It's great & I recommend Shabby Apple without reservation.

The company is called Shabby Apple (I immediately thought of the big green Beatle's Apple), & the name is Marseilles. It's a spot-on name: blue & white, vertical stripes beloved of French women most everywhere. So go look, puhleeze. And, I read this very quickly, but Shabby Apple donates 5% of every dress sold to aid the women in India who make the dresses. I will investigate further.

This is not turning into a shopping blog but I really like this & I like that they help other women. So, here's the link one more time. Marseilles Dress SHABBY APPLE GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

The owner of Grosgrain, Kathleen, says swipe the pix & so I did But to indulge my vintagey look but also for pop-ups in LinkedWithin for the abstract future, I include a blue & white vintage dress in the first photo from Ladie's Home Journal, March 1960. I'm pretty sure that Shabby Apple will not be giving away extra fabric as a little carpet to stand on while you wear your Marseilles dress. But gloves will be required if you win. I mean it. I want you to put that sucker on & some white gloves, & send me the pix to publish. (first photograph via Jessica at myvintagevogue. Her tumblr blog is in sidebar, usually at the top. That girl keeps busy, wow!)

Back later for Week's End quickie & then big D-Day doings over weekend. I hope.

ciao belle.

Little update: I am unclear about the instructions in Kathleen's blog to link. I think I have to post with her title which includes many exclamation points (understandably for a giveaway). So if I post this & then a second with her title!!!! please do forgive. After there's a winner, I can delete one post. And then I may never, ever do this again.

Marseilles Dress SHABBY APPLE GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Marseilles Dress SHABBY APPLE GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

OK this isn't easy. It keeps being posted to Giulia Geranium...not the place for it. So bear with me. And I do realize you haven't a clue as to what I am saying. Just a moment, kids.