The Month in Books : July

I meant to post this yesterday, but it took me a little while longer to formulate my thoughts on The Wise Man's Fear, which I finished earlier this week. I loved it all the way through to the point that I tried to read it slower, to stave off its finish and make it last longer. Isn't it funny how you want to stay inside some books? Others like that for me include Harry Potter, I Capture the Castle, and I, Claudius. Me writing a review would mean that the book was truly over, and I wanted to put off that feeling. There was a 4 year gap between this novel and its predecessor, The Name of the Wind, and I hate to think I'm going to have to wait several years to hear the rest of the story.

All right, enough press for Rothfuss. :) Check out the rest of my reads this month on Bookwit:

The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough

Watchers by Dean Koontz

Ratking by Michael Dibdin

The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss

Photograph by Sabino Aguad.

A Music Mix: Good Times

A few weeks ago, Mallory of Where the Lovely Things Are offered to organize a mix cd swap for any interested folks. Naturally, I signed myself right up - new music and new bloggers? Um, yes please. The theme was "good times," and I was matched with Chau of Rickshaw (her blog is great - go check it out!). It's been a while since I've put together a mix cd, but I had so much fun I thought I would share the results. My criteria was only songs that put me in a good mood, and these never fail to do just that. Chau, your copy is in the mail, so don't peek... unless you want to. :)

Since it's no fun to merely read a track list, I also uploaded the mix to 8tracks so you can listen to it over there.

Good Times

Hound Dog - Big Mama Thornton

Everlasting Light (The Mummers Remix) - The Black Keys

Dreamgirl - Baldwin Brothers

Precious Star - T. Rex

Funnel of Love - Wanda Jackson

Lay Lady Lay (with Gemma Hays) - Magnet

My Boyfriend's Back - The Angels

Here Comes Your Man - The Pixies

Sugar Moon - Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys

Let the Good Times Roll - Shirley & Lee

Heavy Metal Drummer - Wilco

Dance Floor - Apples in Stereo

Major Tom (Coming Home) - Peter Schilling

Better Things - Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings

Heart It Races - Dr. Dog

Hello Lovely

Pretty knee-length dresses from ASOS. That sapphire number is seriously tempting!

People In Corners

I love these photographs by Irving Penn. It's interesting to see how differently each person inhabits the tiny, awkward space. A few wedge themselves in, but others (all the professional performers, naturally!) take full possession of the corner.

From the top: Marlene Dietrich, Ballet Society (1948), Spencer Tracy, Marcel Duchamp, and Georgia O'Keeffe.

Discovered via Everyday I Show.

Paroxysms

Clark Goolsby's work is a frenzy of color, geometry and energy. Beams shoot out from the center of the canvas, nearly swallowing figurative elements like flowers and the human form whole. They are almost battlegrounds of pigment, no?

From the top: Synthesis II; Critical Error I; Unknown Degradations; Untitled.

Happy Friday

Mmmm the weekend! I'm feeling extra excited about this one. Corbett and I are going to try a new restaurant with a fun drink menu (I might need to order the Wabbit Smash just based on the title alone), brave the crowds for Captain America, and hopefully jump in a pool sometime on Sunday. Have a good one, everybody!

Above: White Cat by Unexpected Tales.

Resort 2012 - No. 21

Just now getting to the resort 2012 collections. No. 21 has set the bar really high. Sculpted necklines, knee-length hems and kelly green? Sign me up, please.

Photographs via Style.com.

Cityscapes

I recently cleaned out my Etsy favorites of sold items, closed shops and things I can't explain why I liked in the first place (there was a lot of weird fabric. What was I planning?!). It was interesting to see how my tastes have changed in 4 years, but I loved that so many stores I marked early on still appealed to me. Artquirk is definitely one of those. It was one of the first Etsy shops that caught my attention when I got on the site and I still love the aesthetic. Nina Moscrip's slightly cartoonish paintings of European cities makes me miss those unique exteriors. I think the Paris illustration was my original favorite (I had just gotten back from there and so was extra nostalgic), but now I'm all over the Prague and Riga pieces.

From top to bottom: Street in Riga; Rooftops in Prague; Edinburgh Arches; A Bit of Paris.

Boy Crush

That top photo made me laugh out loud, but it's so true! Neville Longbottom is a stud. I knew all that nerdiness would come to something good. :)

P.S. - I think I need to make a Tumblr dedicated to unexpectedly attractive men from British series.

Images of Matt Lewis by They ate my tailor! and unknown.

Amira Fritz

There is something ominous in these photographs by Amira Fritz that I can not help but find attractive. It's playful certainly, but also ever so sinister. The bright bouquets seem at odds with the austere clothing, as though the flowers can't quite conceal the wearers' natural darkness. Check out the rest of the series, Alle von Denen, here.

Letterheads

Beautiful letterheads from the famous and aesthetically-inclined. Most are self identifying, but the series of houses is from Stephen King's personal stationary in the early 80s, and "By Owl Post" belongs to J.K. Rowling (isn't that perfect?).

All from Letterheady, via Corbett. :)

Can't Keep It In

For part of his senior portfolio, Patrick Sullivan designed these Harry Potter DVD covers for the Criterion Collection. Aren't they special? I love the Daily Prophet spread on the back! See the entire collection here.

My excitement for the final Harry Potter film overwhelms at this point (just watching the trailer makes me tear up!). Even though I know what happens, I still can't believe we're coming to the cinematic end of this series. Talking about it with friends, I realize that I've known the story and people of Harry Potter for over 12 years. That is an incredibly long relationship! I'm probably going to have to see The Deathly Hallows at least twice. Once to cry all the way through it, and another to actually observe what's going on. Are you excited for the final film?

Discovered on The Daily What.

Precision

A spirograph has just shot to the top of my art supplies list.

Photograph via Ffffound, by unknown.

Unusual Strands

The elegance of Liyen Chong's embroidered works is more than reason enough to take notice (I'm in love with the ouroboros! Please be mine...). But what really has me pressing my nose to the screen is the fact that she sews exclusively using human hair. Isn't that incredible?! I had no idea until I took a closer look at the credit lines on her website. Could you tell?

Row 1: The Spector (2009); Untitled (2006)

Row 2: Mortal Coil (2009); When they mispronounce my name, this is what I think I look like (2006)

Row 3: Ouroboros (2008); Hedge Maze (2008)

Discovered via Design for Mankind.

Wrist Focus

I love the range of bracelets and cuffs I've been seeing lately. A cluster of them piled on one arm is always eye-catching, but it's the simple, solo gold pieces that have really been doing it for me.

Top photograph by Phil Oh for Vogue, via Everything Fab.

Remaining photographs all from StreetFSN, seen here and here.

Class Portraits

It's a sort of bizarro Sweet Valley High, no? Anuschka Blommers and Niels Schumm (for Self Service) capture the barely suppressed tumult between teenage malaise and intensity in their series, Class of 1998.

So... anyone want to watch Heathers?

Yowza

This ad is brilliant.

I hope the rest of Chanel's fall campaign follows suit and keeps up the sexy, surrealist vibe.

Freja Beha Erichsen styled by Carine Roitfeld for Chanel. Via Fashionista.

A Fine Pair : Companions & Repast

Row 1: Amanda Labadie; Martha Stewart.

Row 2: Ffffound; I Am Baker.

Row 3: Sërch; My Baking Addiction.

Row 4: Barbara's Log; take heart.