A Secret Chord

Outfit details:
Dress: Velvet Torch, via Nordstrom Rack, remixed as a dress, a skirt, and a blouse
Boots: Kmart, remixed
Necklace: Tibetan good-luck charm necklace, gifted
Wood ring: gift from best friend
Leather purse: thrifted from Goodwill

Where:
Work and Joe's birthday celebration extravaganza!

Joe turns 25 today, which is crazy insane. I asked him if he was ready for his quarter-life crisis and he told me that he wasn't a quarter of the way through his life yet. He apparently plans on being 116 when he dies (or older, I guess) so he can say he has seen three centuries. I told him that I hoped that he didn't expect me to stick around for all that.

I'm making him a variety of tasty treats for his birthday dinner. Our upcoming trip to Michigan (more on that later!) is really serving as his true birthday present, but I thought I should still make him a nice dinner. We're having slow-cooker chicken tacos (with lime, avocado, and cilantro), refried beans, Spanish rice, and homemade bread pudding. I'm pretty psyched about the whole thing (click-through for more photos of dinner-in-progress!).

I also wanted to dress up for the occasion, so I donned my teal Velvet Torch dress and Kmart boots (it's still soooo cold!!) and some of my fave wood/brown accessories. This necklace was given to me years ago and was bought for me by a dear friend from some Tibetan monks in Wyoming. Kinda random, I know. The seven symbols are supposedly for good luck, so I thought a birthday would be a perfect time to wear it. I wore it often in high school and college, but haven't as much in recent years. Seeing it today makes me want to wear it more!!

Title song: Rufus Wainwright, "Hallelujah" (this is Joe's favorite version of this song)

New Adorned Bag Lovliness.

A sneak peak of a couple of new tattered couture style adorned bags on the way into the shop. :)

In Style...

bonzie & ger

A side of baby carrots

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Know a website that would do Bent Objects some good with a possible review of the new book? My publisher has some copies it would like to send out for just that purpose. Feel free to leave your idea in the comment section or email me at BentObjects.blogspot.com .
Thanks.

The Gale that Fills Our Sail

Outfit details:
Navy t-shirt: Old Navy
Green shirt: thrifted, originally J. Crew
Linen shorts: Forever 21, remixed
Houndstooth tights: Target
Ankle boots: Bakers, remixed

Where:
Home, shopping, cooking

Long, long ago, before I had fully committed to this blogging thing, I wore an outfit very similar to this one and wrote about it in my then-unread blog. It felt like the most ridiculous thing I had ever put on, but I still kinda liked it. Since then I've been dying to break out the shorts-over-tights look again, but never found the right occasion. Apparently today was it.

This outfit is so weirdly comfortable to me. All the components are pieces that I love, pieces that are great staple items of any wardrobe. What makes it so bizarre is that it transcends seasons. Ankle boots for Spring, shorts for Summer, tights for Autumn, scarf for Winter. Although, to be fair, the past three months in Chicago have felt pretty transcendent of the "Summer" season. Also, I really love outfits like these because of how spunky they make me feel. I had a little spring in my step even when I was just picking up tomatoes and onions at the grocery store for ravioli, or carefully selecting a birthday present for Joe (which is tomorrow, FYI, so send some Wow-you're-25-already??!? birthday wishes his way!!).

Title song: M. Ward, "One Hundred Million Years"

I Don't Believe in Peter Pan, Frankenstein or Superman

Outfit details:
Shirt: Sears, remixed
Jeans: Old Navy, remixed
Jazz shoes: Seychelles, via TJ Maxx
Head scarf: heirloom from my grandmother

Where:
House-cleaning, happy-houring, movie-watching

It's the weekend! And, of course, I'm wearing jeans. Gotta get my denim fix when I can, people. Saturday was going to be a majorly boring day, and started off that way. I cleaned the apartment, top to bottom, inside to out, did every dish in the kitchen, hung up the weeks of outfits that I had thoughtfully delegated to the floor, ironed my silks, bought new shower curtains, and sorted through the mountain of papers that had claimed nationhood over our coffee-table. I was just settling in with September's issue of Lucky and a bottle of nail polish when Joe waltzed in the front door, home 6 hours early from work. We totally took advantage of the extra time together and went downtown for happy hour (only we forgot it was Saturday and there is no happy hour on Saturday) at Rock Bottom Brewery and then took in [500] Days of Summer. My girl-crush on ZD has now morphed into a mad man-crush on JG-L:


I already blasphemed this on Twitter, but here I go again: Zooey was adorable, of course, but I wasn't floored by her performance. It was fine. Little Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who isn't so little anymore, rocked the crap outta that movie, though. The crap. Was rocked. Out of it. By the kid from Third Rock.

In an attempt to keep this post from turning into more of an incoherent ramble than it already has, let's get to the outfit stuff. I love these new shoes! I've been lusting after jazz shoes, brogues, oxfords, and other retro lace-ups, but just haven't found the right pair. These Seychelles totally fulfilled that dream, and for minimum financial sacrifice. Plus they're comfy. Plus, I love them. I hung out in the bike room of our apartment building for my photoshoot. I wanted to be near my bike, since I still can't quite ride it yet. My right arm isn't strong enough to hold down the brake lever yet, and since you kind of need brakes on a bike, I haven't had the stones to risk it yet.

Title song: Queen, "Bicycle Race"

Take Only What You Need from It

Outfit details:
Black shirt: Old Navy, remixed
Cropped pants: B. Moss, free
Scarf: gift from parents, bought in market in Venice
Bronze pumps: Indigo by Clarks

Where:
Work

So, awesome story: I went to go get the laundry the other night and found a pile of stuff labeled "free to a good home". I've seen a pile like that before, and it usually has nothing good. But this one was a pile of hidden treasures!! I'm now the proud owner of a new button-down, a lovely plaid shirt, a scarf, a white skirt, a few other things that I have already forgotten in my excitement, and this pair of glorious cropped pants. They're actually two sizes too big, but I've been longing for some baggy pants, so I was pretty psyched to discover them. They're a great length, lovely fabric, and have totally wonderful detailing along the hem. Yay free stuff!

Happy Friday, everyone! I plan on staying in this weekend to get some sleep, read my new book (The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao - so far it's amazingly well-written, inspiring, and unbelievably clever), and clean clean clean! The next few weeks are going to be very busy with travels, visitors and family - more on all that later! - so I want to spend some time cleaning and getting ready for the business ahead. What are your weekend plans??

Title song: MGMT, "Kids"

High on the Sound

Outfit details:
Blue t-shirt: Old Navy
Gray knit pants: New York & Company
Sandals: Clarks, remixed
Necklace: Bakers, remixed

Where:
Work

So I totally got some work pants!! New York & Co. was having an amazing BOGO pants sale, so I decided to invest in a couple of pairs of pants for work. These knit numbers are unbelievably comfy, flattering, and better yet, come in petite sizes and lengths!!!

It has been raining like crazy in Chicago for the past few days, so my choices for photoshoots have been pretty limited. Plus, it was suddenly evening with the sun down and I hadn't taken photos yet, so I decided to go with the good ol' bookshelf fallback. I do love our bookshelf, though; filled with hours of delightfully indulgent escapes into fabulous fictional worlds.

Title song: Elliott Smith, "Color Bars"

Arena, Espuma y Aves del Amanecer

Outfit details:
Mustard shirt: Target, remixed
Vest: Urban Outfitters, remixed
Pencil skirt: Old Navy, remixed
Purple flats: Old Navy
Turquoise jewelry (ring and earrings): gifts

Where:
Work

Wow, sorry about the wrinkly skirt!! I hope it didn't look like that all day! But I'm so glad this skirt is back in rotation. Due to a recent "sitting accident", the back seam of this beloved pencil skirt ripped all the way to the crotch, rendering it completely unwearable. But, miracle of miracles!, Joe came to the rescue. Joe is far and beyond a better sewer than myself (a bit of a gender-bias that I would even think that was weird, but that's for another time...) so he offered to fix it. And fix it he did! The seam is now reinforced so that my apparently forceful sitting won't rip it again.

I'm really feelin' the colors of today's outfit. I've been lusting after colors like mustard, eggplant, and turquoise lately, and I love how well they each complement one another. I think using the gray/black neutral background let the variety of rich autumnal hues take center stage, which is exactly what I was going for. Sorry I didn't take better pictures of the jewelry, though. The ring is a silver/turquoise heirloom from my mother, and the earrings are gifts from my sister when she studied abroad in Argentina. Both are deeply loved (the people and the gifts).

Title song: Silvio Rodriguez, "Nuestro Tema"

Hamlet Was Nuts

Prints of Hamlet now available here.

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A Readiness of Things to Do

Outfit details:
Silk blouse: Old Navy, remixed
Coral dress: Soprano, via Nordstrom Rack, remixed
Bronze pumps: Indigo by Clarks, recently remixed
Wood ring: gift from best friend, remixed
Earrings: Etsy, remixed

Where:
Work

Sorry for the poor photo quality today. I forgot my camera when I went to work this morning, and was planning on just taking some pictures when I got home. But I found a cute little spot on the way home to do my photoshoot that I just couldn't pass up. Luckily the camera in my phone is decent.

I love this dress so much. It is unbelievably comfy, but looks so polished and put-together. It's a bit too low-cut for work on its own, so I have been brainstorming things to layer with it, and I was so excited when I came up with the idea to wear it with this navy silk blouse. The mandarin-style collar of the blouse perfectly plays up the girly vibe of the rest of the outfit. I paired the combo with brown accessories and shoes to bring out the coral color of the dress, rather than placing too much an emphasis on the hint of hot pink that would have been emphasized by black accents.

Title song: Wolf Parade, "Dears Sons and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts"

I Write Myself this Later

Outfit details:
Sweater vest (worn as tank top): Old Navy, remixed
Jersey skirt: Old Navy, remixed
Gold flats: Target, remixed
Belt: TJ Maxx, remixed
Bag: TJ Maxx

Where:
Work

After my exhausting weekend I needed something easier today. I've been wanting to remix this sweater vest as a summer tank top for work, but I couldn't figure out what to pair it with. I went with this super-comfy jersey skirt and gold ballet flats to help with the Monday blues (and yes, Winona, this is one of those "head-to-toe Old Navy" outfits). My first instinct was to tuck it into the sailor pants I wore the other day, but I'm still on the fence about whether those count as "jeans" at work. They're technically denim, so I've avoided it so far. Any ideas?

Oh, and this is the debut of my delightfully huge gray leather purse that I found for a steal at TJ Maxx yesterday. It fits all the necessities for work: a change of shoes, lunch, water bottle, band-aids (sometimes those work shoes are a pain, literally!), and all the other odds and ends I tend to throw in my purse. Yes, yes, a thousand times yes! I think I'm in love.

Title song: Tegan and Sara, "Monday Monday Monday"

Back in Action!

Hi Gals.........

Its been a crazy week!! We had a blast with our TV gig, and we are really looking forward to sharing that with you all when its screened. As with most media gigs, its not up for sharing just yet until the station have their go first but for sure we will be blogging it, facebooking it and youtubing it when it does air, so there will be lots of opportunities to see it.

Ger and I are generally very shy with regards to photos etc so it was a nailbiting experience to be filmed by a National TV station and we have been on a come down ever since.

We took our etsy shop off Vacation Mode and reopened for business and quite literally the floodgates opened up! *note to self : never a good idea to take a week off etsy!!! The week after is a minefield of convoing, catching up on orders, shipping and all out general mayhem while we catch up on ourselves again!

Oh, we also sent a big box of goodies up to an Irish Bridal Magazine in Dublin so we are very excited to see how that works out and we will of course be sure to share the results with you when they hit the shelves.

Meanwhile back at the ranch we got a fabulous email from one of our delightful clients, Carina ( yes that's the girl one of our boleros is named after!) and she recently had an opportunity to write a review in Viva La Moda magazine, we were blown away by what Carina wrote about her experience with us and it literally brought a tear to my eye to know that something we do with our hands can mean so much to others. Its a lovely reminder of how grateful we are to be earning a living with our creativity.

Thank you sincerely to Carina. xxx

bonzie & ger

Wake Up to Your Window

Outfit details:
White t-shirt: Old Navy
Multicolor skirt (worn as shirt): Forever 21, remixed as skirt
Black jeans: Gap
Tan jacket: Forever 21, recently remixed
Suede mocs: Kmart, remixed

Where:
Downtown

This weekend has been great but exhausting. I spend Sunday morning running errands, meeting my uncle for coffee before he flew home, reading in the coffeeshop, more errands and wandering downtown, meeting up with my cousin and his girlfriend for sushi, and finally, coming home to relax for a few hours before bed and work on Monday morning. I love that it was such an eventful weekend, between my blogger meetup yesterday and all the family time I've been having lately, but it has left me pretty worn out by Sunday evening.

I recently rediscovered the wonders of black jeans. I haven't had a pair since elementary school, and I was pretty resistant to the idea for a long time. But these puppies fit like a dream and will look absolutely killer with some great heels and a sexy blouse (neither of which I had the energy for today). I'm also really excited about the remixing possibilities for this skirt. I have been meaning to wear it as a tube top for awhile, but it was still pretty chilly today so I layered it over this white t-shirt. I rather like the result, which I think makes for a pretty interesting color palette and silhouette.

Title song: TV on the Radio, "Family Tree"

All Over Town

Outfit details:
Gray tank top: Old Navy Intimates, thrifted
High-waisted sailor pants: Kenneth Cole Reaction via Marshalls
Jacket: Forever 21, remixed
Scarf: TJ Maxx, remixed
Sandals: Unionbay via Kohl's, remixed

Where:
Breakfast, where I developed some major girl-crushes (see below!)

I've been lusting after a pair of high-waisted sailor pants for months now, but just haven't found the right pair at the right price. I was thrilled, however, when I found these divine Kenneth Cole Reaction beauts at Marshalls for a fraction of what they originally cost. Plus, they fit like a dream. This whole outfit was concocted for a very exciting morning event. I wanted to look polished, but still cute, fun and summery, for my brunch date. The weather didn't want to cooperate with the "summery" thing (seriously, Chicago's weather has been bat-shit-crazy this year!), but I actually felt more put-together with the jacket and scarf anyway.

Who was I meeting at this wild brunch, you must be wondering? Take a look for yourself:

Um, yes. That's correct. I had brunch with two of the most incredible, hilarious, fashionable, gorgeous, and sweet bloggers out there, Winona of Daddy Likey, and Jennine of The Coveted and IFB fame! We met for brunch yesterday morning at The Original Pancake house, one of my favorite Chicago haunts, and chatted for literally hours. Jennine brought her amazing husband, with whom she just moved from Germany to Chicago. It was quite possibly the most delightful brunch I've had. To sum it up here would be ridiculous, as many stories would involve edible purses, inordinate amounts of bacon, shaving kits, armpits, mandals (man-sandals), and Power Rangers.

And of course, we had to do a photoshoot! However, by the time we got to the photo-taking, we were just a smidge shy of crazy from all the excitement and coffee, so we ended up with some pretty silly shots (which, of course, are the best):

I'll save you from scrolling through too many ridiculous outtakes and give you the cutest one, instead:

It was absolutely the highlight of my weekend meeting these two incredible women! Jennine, Winona, you are madly awesome. Any other blogger within spitting distance of Chicago (or any other kind of distance; it doesn't have to be spitting...), seriously, look me up! I would lovelovelove to meet any and all of you!

Title song: The Jets, "Crush on You"

Warm Me from the Wind

Outfit details (day):
Dress: Lux, thrifted, worn as shirt, remixed as dress
Khakis: Old Navy
Metallic snakeskin platform wedges: Rampage, remixed
Belt: TJ Maxx, recently remixed
Glasses: Fysh
Leather cuff bracelet: gift

Where:
Work

My list of "things-I-need-for-work" is growing longer and longer. Work slacks are at the top of that list, since I currently only own these and the green pair that aren't denim, but blouses are high up too. I have a lot of plain shirts and t-shirts, which are okay when paired with fancier skirts or slacks, but look unpolished without that extra punch. My mom's coming to town in a few weeks so I'm looking forward to doing some "back-to-school/work/Clare's-first-real-job" shopping with her, but until then I'm on my own. So I thought it would be a good idea to remix this adorable Lux dress as a tunic, and I loved the result! Even though there was a lot of fabric bunched up around the waist, the viscose of the dress kept it from looking bulky. Plus, it made for a perfect work-to-play transition:

Outfit details (night):
Dress: Lux, remixed
Metallic snakeskin platform wedges: Rampage, remixed
Belt: Brazilian necklace, gift from my dad
Leather cuff bracelet: gift

Where:
Dinner, hanging with Joe on Friday night

It felt a little weird to basically just take off my pants to make my "evening" ensemble, but I was okay with it. I'm madly in love with this little dress, and now that I've worn it a few different ways I'm even more convinced of its perfection. It was a lovely evening, too, and I think Joe's becoming quite the photographer!!

Title song: Arlo Guthrie, "Chilling of the Evening"

I Had a Vision in My Backyard

Outfit details (day):
Plaid shirt: Old Navy
White knit pleated skirt: Old Navy, remixed
Black belt: TJ Maxx, remixed
Wedges: Naturalizer, remixed

Where:
Work

Loved this outfit but am tooooo exhausted to say much. This ne'er worn winter skirt became a wonderful summer favorite. And I'm loving me some plaid lately too.

Outfit details (night):
Plaid shirt: Old Navy
Skinny jeans: Old Navy, remixed
Purple flats: Soda, via GoJane, remixed

Where:
Sushi dinner with my uncle and Joe in Old Town

The "evening" version of this outfit was pretty simple...basically just throwing on some jeans (any excuse to wear denim is welcome now that I have a no-jeans job!) to meet my uncle for sushi with Joe. It was a lovely, and delicious evening!

Title song: David Byrne, "Nothing at all"

I'm Held Back by a Velvet Rope

Outfit details:
Shirt: Target, remixed
Tulip skirt: Forever 21, remixed
Heels: Coup d'Etat, via ShoeTrader

Where:
Work

So it's raining. I'm sure that's painfully obvious, but I thought I'd point it out anyway. I forgot to bring my umbrella to work, and I just barely managed to dash home before the first raindrops fell. But once they fell....holy cow what a downpour! And of course I pick that moment to go take pictures....

I've been trying to conjure up the perfect outfit for which to debut these new shoes. I love the shield-heel trend that's sweeping the fashion world, but I can't always pull off the sky-high platform look, so I was way excited when I saw these gray gradient patent leather numbers. Super sexy and super fun. And best of all: super comfortable! I had the urge as I was getting dressed to wear only shades of gray, but I fought the urge just enough to wear this shirt, which has only hints of gray. At least it's not totally monochromatic. I love the resulting outfit, and I felt so sexy and noticeable (if that makes sense!) all day.

Title song: Okkervil River, "Blue Tulip"

Slip and Slide on the Stay-Together Landmine

Outfit details:

Rainbow dress: Old Navy, remixed
Navy t-shirt: Old Navy intimates
Navy sash belt: from tie-front sweater, remixed
Navy peep-toe slingbacks: Impo, via TJ Maxx, remixed

Where:
Work

And the heat persists! Although I must admit I'm kind of enjoying it. The A/C unit in the apartment makes it just cool enough, so I have a refuge from the heat when I need it, but it's really nice to finally feel like it's summer.

This dress is so fun because it goes with just about everything. The last time I wore it I used my awesome red Seychelles to pull out the warm colors of this very versatile dress. This time I wanted something a bit more modest and work-appropriate, and different from what I did before, so I went to the other end of the spectrum. I really like how the cool navy accents make this fun spunky sundress a little more serious. It was perfect for the office, perfect for the heat, and perfect for my break from neutrals.

And now, for a bit of silly matchy-matchy fun, celebrating the most beloved piece of furniture in our apartment:

Title song: Wilco, "Candyfloss"

I Really See You Upside Down

Outfit details:
Ruffle shirt: Banana Republic, thrifted at Goodwill
Brown jersey skirt: Copper Key, remixed
Bronze pumps: Indigo by Clarks, via ShoeTrader.com
Plaid sash belt: from Forever 21 tunic

Where:
Work

Okay, can I just say how hot it is today??!? It's so muggy, and the whole day has been gloomy and ominous. It was not a good way to start the week. Mondays are hard enough as it is, but with super-dark skies and violent showers, not to mention physical therapy at sun-up, it was a pretty rough day to get through. But it's over now, and bedtime is just within reach.

I have apparently been leaning pretty heavily into neutral territory lately (and not in that good, non-violent Switzerland kind of way). I like these outfits, but I feel like I've been relying too much on outfits that are way in my comfort zone, color-wise. I did go out of my comfort zone with textures though. I wouldn't normally have thought to pair a more structured button-down blouse with a flowy jersey skirt, but I really like the outcome, and I'm a huge fan of the obi-inspired plaid sash, which I think kind of pulls the outfit together. Oh, and my new, 50% off Clarks?? Yes and yes!!!

Title song: Death Cab for Cutie, "A Lack of Color" (one of my old standbys)