Tumble me over.

Visit me now on tumblr.

gypysummers.tumblr.com

The blog will eventually be rekindled.

I just don't have an exact date yet.

For now, I hope my tumblr can occupy you.

Back again...

It's been a long time. A really long time to put it in even more honest terms. Yet, something brings me back to blogging time and time again. Is it the clothes? Is it the photography? Is it inspiring styles of my fellow college students? I'm not sure.

A couple things have changed since my last post; I am now a college student; I now live in the unfamiliar world of the east coast; I own Wildfox; I have considered wearing flannel. But, these are just minor details. I am still in pursuit of that ultimate chic and through blogging am hoping that I can come somewhere near it.

For the moment being here are a few pictures (all from Marchesa Spring RTW 2011) to keep the imagination at bay. Enjoy.

Ma vie a Paris

I am stuck in Europe because of this terrible (not actually that terrible) volcano in Iceland. I promise gobs of pictures and updates when I get home. As for now...enjoy the April sunshine (or rain) and get excited for the lazy days of May to arrive all too quickly.

Whenever I feel afraid I whistle a happy tune

I am officially the worst blogger ever. I don't know why, but recently blogging has just not made it to my to-do list and I feel terribly about it. Often times I start projects and never complete them and I desperately don't want this blog to turn out that way. To rekindle the flame I think a music post is in order. To be honest, I really have no authority in music posts whatsoever, yet nothing compares to the feeling that rises inside you when a really really good song comes on the radio and dramatically alters your mood. Also, nothing compares with the immense satisfaction of knowing you were the first one to listen to some indie artist when their music gets played on MTV. So here it goes, please enjoy.

Please Don't Touch - Polly Scattergood

And We Danced... - Macklemore

Brighter Than Sunshine - Aqualung

Toothpaste Kisses - The Maccabees

Introducing Palace Players - Mew

Golden Train - Justin Nozuka

One Week of Danger - The Virgins

Walls of Jericho - Animal Kingdom

Lights & Music - Cut Copy

Beach Baby - Bon Iver

Time On Your Side - Emily Jane White

Shout Out Loud - Amos Lee

Healing Hands - Citizen Cope

Rumble+tumble

I now have a tumblr. It's a bit of a work in progress and I am not completely sure how it works, but if my terribly long musings on fashion bore you, it is mostly pretty pictures I love.

Paying homage to the most fabulous sisters ever

I have been infatuated with the Olsens since I was seven years old singing the 'great Hope diamond what's in your brother's dresser drawers' songs to their little detective series. After that I hopelessly copied all of their mannerisms from Passport to Paris and When in Rome. When Mary Kate pioneered the 'hobo chic' look I wasn't all too certain how I felt about this extremely striking girl dressing herself in layer upon layer of thrifted sweaters and topping it off with glasses bigger than her face. What I did admire though was the panache these girls always have seemed to have for being stylistically different than most of their mainstream counterparts.

The evolution of their style is really something for record books as both of them went from label mavens to full-on bohemian goddesses. I also admire their prerogative to be individuals in their style. Ashley definitely has more refined, elegant taste and Mary Kate is a bit more rock 'n roll, but this is what makes them so perfect. If you don't like what Mary Kate wears to the after party, then you'll probably like what Ashley wears and vice versa. Basically, if you think you're too good for the Olsens you should really check this out and then reconsider your decision.

Why Vogue remains a necessity

Enough said. Her pale pink one shoulder Valentino dress is the 'if I could only have one dress in the entire world it would be this one' dress.

Boldness stands alone among the wreck

I get irrationally excited when my Urban Outfitters catalog arrives in the mail. The whimsical photography and wildly hip clothes are too perfect to not devote hours to appreciating. While right now I don't really have hours, let alone minutes, I will share my four favorites from the Spring 2010 catalog.

Also, if you're looking for some wonderful new music, I have been listening to Mumford and Sons as of late and they are wonderful. Try "Awake My Soul" and "Little Lion Man" as starters, I promise that you won't regret it.

Oh Sandy,

I distinctly remember the first time I watched Miss Congeniality; it was during my geek-to-hottie-transfomation-movie obsession (think Grease and The Princess Diaries) and I knew from the moment she snorted while laughing that this actress was not only brilliant, but fearless. From Miss Congeniality to Hope Floats to The Proposal Sandra Bullock has had me laughing and crying for years, yet something really special happened in The Blind Side.

Tonight when Ryan Seacrest intereviewed her, Sandra commented that she's incredibly pessimissitic when it comes to herself and that she's always the first person to "poo poo" her work. Incredibly pessimisstic or incredibly humble? Her performance in The Blind Side left me with tears in my eyes and hairs standing up on my arms. The poise and determination she exuded in this role should be an inspiration to aspiring actresses everywhere and a lesson that sometimes you must be silly first in order to be taken seriously later.

I also commend Sandra Bullock for her wise fashion choice tonight. She radiated a calm beauty with her incredible Marchesa gown that matched perfectly with her golden statuette. Also noteworthy was her hair which was center-parted straight perfection that lended the focus to the gown instead of some outrageous hairdo. I could not be happier that Sandra Bullock won the award Best Actress tonight nor could I be happier that she did so in a stunning, refined, and elegant gown that will have fashionistas everywhere trying hard to stop the drool from running down their chins.

Why tomorrow will be a good day

Not only are the Academy Awards tomorrow night which promises lots of beautiful gowns to swoon over and lots of train wrecks to make fun of, tomorrow the Jean Paul Gaultier for Target collection hits stores. A little preview of my favorite looks below:

Because I'm a gypsy...

A friend introduced me to this Shakira video and my combined love for Rafael Nadal and all things bohemian made me fall in love with it. Enjoy!

If Anna Wintour is God then I'm an atheist

The real star of The September Issue: Grace Coddington.

I just finished watching The September Issue and ended the movie with an all too quick proclamation of my love for, not Anna Wintour, but Grace Coddington. I used to view her as merely the lady whose featured picture in Vogue would also include a cat and a lot of bushy red hair, yet I now know her to be a woman of incredible strength with true knack for aesthetics.

The movie surprisingly was a type of tell-all for the Vogue set which depicted Anna in an excruciatingly honest light. The brutal cut-throat honesty of the documentary highlighted exactly why Anna is at the top of the fashion world; she takes no prisoners. Aliken her to that girl in high school that you hated for her better-than-thou attitude, but befriended all the same to ensure your place on the social ladder.

Working at Vogue, like living the sorority life, spills over with catty behavior and fabulous clothing. Contrary to the typical sorority girls though Vogue women are trained professionals constantly reestablishing the importance of fashion in a world that as Anna so succinctly sums up "most people fear."

Gilded and guilty

As I spend hours perusing all of the fall 2010 runway collections I must admit that more often than not I shake my head in disappointment at safe and typical collections that each designer seemed to settle for this season. Balenciaga elicited yawns from me, Nina Ricci failed to make me smile. Something obviously was wrong.

The exception this time is Balmain. Oh Balmain! Balmain evoked the devilish adolescent inside of me and made me want to immediately act out in immature and rebellious ways. While most designers appealed to an older age group with more office-appropriate garb, Balmain made his statement clear. What's the point of being young and fabulous if you're going to wear a butter yellow pinstripe skirt with a white skirt? There isn't one.

Balmain captures the grandeur of 17th century French royalty while maintaining relevance in today's society. The gold dresses were (of course) my personal favorites. If you're going to rebel and do crazy things because you can you might as well look as great as possible. And if you do decide to drain yourself of all that teenage angst you may need a little help from Balmain.

The powers that be

I started out February strong with so much enthusiasm about blogging everyday and whatnot. Posting everyday, obviously, didn't happen. So to end a month of lackluster blogging is hopefully what will be a luster-filled post of inspiration.

Pair this with "Last Leaf" by OK Go.

Pair this with "Floorplan" by Tegan and Sara.

Pair this with "Get It Like You Like It" by Ben Harper.

Pair this with "Aluminum Park" by My Morning Jacket.

Pair this with "Dancin' in the Moonlight" by Toploader.

The girl's got pizazz

I am officially declaring my love for the Korean Olympic skater Kim Yu-Na. When she skates she commands the audience's attention like no one else that graces the Canadian ice. Normally, I yawn in boredom at the music choices of the figure skaters. While they might be classical masterpieces, they fail to ignite any fire in the skaters. Yu-Na doesn't skate to Bach or Beethoven, she skates to James Bond, which in case she was lacking any fire before the music started would provide any supplemental.

She's a bonafide celebrity in her native Korea, something that we, as Americans, try hard to understand considering that we place our movie stars on national pedestals instead of our athletes. More than all of this though, she has the "it" factor that I spend so much time trying to comprehend. Just like that absolutely perfect spring trenchcoat you see at the department store, Kim Yu-Na will remain in our minds for a lot longer than the Olympics covers alpine skiing.

The luck of the stylish

Do clothes really bring us good luck? Some athletes have socks they wear for every game and others have that lucky pair of underwear that has never failed a test. I swear that I always play better when I don a certain white tennis skirt. Yet, whether these clothes really bring us luck or not no one will ever know.

On the other hand, can clothes bring us bad luck? A couple days ago my mom wore the same sweater that she wore when I had jaw surgery and, wearing that same blue and brown awfully knit sweater, she ended up having to spend a bit of time in the hospital again. We collectively decided to burn the sweater. Of course it can all be chalked up to a bizarre coincidence, but I certainly do not think that continuing to wear the sweater will do anyone any good.

Somehow, we allow ourselves to attribute bad or good luck to our clothes. After having the best college interview ever, I decided to replicate the same outfit to all other college interviews because, what harm could it do:? I desperately want to let go of my modish superstitions, but something, something that no one can quite seem to put a finger on, keeps us wearing the same pair of socks on game day.

When the legends die

I am still in a bit of shock that Alexander McQueen died. It seems as if all the real fashion legends are croaking, but at least they're leaving us with an inundation of young talent. Don't get me wrong this isn't a bad thing; the music world is paralleling the fashion world in this sense. What used to be the ten designers that ruled the world has turned into a broader array of a new generation who will succeed in their own little way.

Nevertheless, it's always hard to see someone as revolutionary as Alexander McQueen go. Everything he touched transformed from ordinary into fantastical. Yet, I have faith that his vision will live on in the clothes of this new brood of designers. Long live McQueen!

After seeing these shoes how can you not mourn his death?

In love you have loosened yourself like sea water

I'm pretty sure I may be the only person in the world who becomes giddy at the sound of the words 'bilingual edition,' but regardless this may be the best Valentine's Day present I will ever receive (ironically it is a self-gift); no more chalky, flavorless hearts. My love for poetry will overpower my love for any one person this holiday; and I'm not sure this is any particular form of a travesty.

Young adult friction

Music worth a listen (or two)...

Talking Hotel Arbat Blues- Handsome Furs

Before Destruction- Spoon

She Is Love (Acoustic)- Parachute

Stay Alive - Pains of Being Pure at Heart

Wait To You See Me Smile- Alicia Keys

Black and Gold- Katy Perry

Norway- Beach House

Here We Go Again- Angu & Julia Stone

Humming Bird- Born Ruffians

Jolene- Ray LaMontagne

Julianna- Audrye Sessions

Early Morning Rain- Richard Hawley

Love Song- Death Cab for Cutie

Song 2- Blur

Is Love Forever?- Spoon

Young Adult Friction- The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

Bookish pleasures

A complete bookworm at heart, I have a penchant for old books. So naturally when I found this Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll in my grandmother's house that is more than a hundred years old I became ecstatic. The worn edges and easy-to-flip pages conjure up images of children a hundred years ago sneaking away to their parents' study to read Alice. Also, with the movie coming out in March this find could not have more appropriate timing. I can only hope that the next person to possess this book can appreciate its sophisticated fun.

The sticker on the back of the front cover says it's from the private library of A. Florence Grant which was founded in 1889. It also says "Read slowly; pause frequently; think seriously; return duly' with the corners of the leaves not turned down." The nineteenth century elegance of the whole book just makes swoon.

I love this illustration with all the cards flying up at Alice; the newer edition I have of the book doesn't have this one. The details are hard to see from this distance, but the animals as well as Alice are running away from the cards.

Today and creme brulee

I made lavender creme brulee for my mama's birthday today and it was so delicious. I attempted to make a photo journal of the process, yet ultimately it transformed into more of a before-and-after shoot. Also, rocked my new pink blazer today. I used to think that pink was too girly to wear for statement pieces like this blazer, but obviously I've changed my mind.

Recycled relevance

Like any good art history student with a sense of style I without a doubt spend more time than necessary studying the clothing of the subjects of the piece. Tonight as I vehemently studied I noticed the very bohemian style of Boticelli's characters. In Primavera Flora, the goddess of spring, wears a dress that (with a few minor alterations) could be in my closet in a snap. Another great aspect of this painting that is extremely relevant is the Avatar-like figure on the right, Zephyrus. Was James Cameron an art history major? Highly unlikely, yet what the more relevant point of this piece is that our bohemian dresses are a lot more timeless than the "timeless Chanel tweed suit."

LOSTLOSTLOST

Charlie!

No tv show plays with my mind like Lost does. In tonight's season premiere two of my favorite characters, Charlie and Boone, were brought back. Needless to say I was pretty excited. If haven't already become addicted and/or obsessed with Lost, I would highly reccommend it.

The homework coma

Wearing: hand-made scarf, D&G glasses, Urban Outfitters sweaters and boots, tights and skirt from Nordstroms

Homework is like the sand bags they put in hot-air balloons so that they don't go too high. The scene in The Wizard of Oz when the wizard desperately throws the sand bags out of the balloon perfectly compliments this scenario. Without those sand bags we too could fly like the wizard. Or maybe the sand bags are there to hold us down until we learn how to fly: intellectual training wheels.

P.S. My goal is to post everyday this month...wish me luck!

Collegiate couture

I decided to take some artistic liberties and chose what college each pre-fall 2010 collection corresponds to...it's completely unrealistic that any college student would be wearing designer duds, but imagining is so much fun.
The feminine and elegant clothes of this collection could easily make its way into any fashion-savvy Vassar student's closet. The red lips are another nice touch that speak to Vassar's dramatic flair.

A paisely jumpsuit? Yes, it would indeed be Berkley student who would line up to purchase this look...if only it was made of recycled hemp instead of silk.

These clothes definitely have an urban minimalist vibe, and if you're student at U of Chicago the chances of having extraneous time to conjure up elaborate outfits would be limited, so Devi Kroell would be an excellent option.

The Chloé pre-fall just screams East coast preppiness, and what better a school than Princeton to find that nerdy sophistication? The jackets should have a minimum IQ requirement to avoid posers.

Young, fresh, and so L.A. ADAM's pre-fall collection could seamlessly weave its way into the Calfornian Occidental culture; too bad the bags are too small to hold textbooks.

The sunglasses, the too-cool-for-school looks, the bold fabric and color choices clearly belong in the city, New York City to be exact.
My absolute favorite pre-fall collection: Proenza Schouler can do no wrong. The clothes are trendy, yet preppy and translate perfectly for the senatorial internships of Georgetown students.