Se Si Parla Italiano; Si Parla Moda

This is almost better than Christmas.

One of the best, almost edible (sometimes I can't help myself and end up eating paper) smells in the world-right up there with Vera Wang Princess-comes from the pages of a Vogue. What's even better, an Italian Vogue.

WHAT'S EVEN BETTER: AN ITALIAN VOGUE FROM ITALY WITH THE EXTRA PRIZE ATTACHED JUST TO MAKE YOU FEEL LOVED.

I love the extra prizes attached. They're like finding prizes in your cereal, except with these prizes one can slowly and admiringly take in it's beauty by flipping through the pages like I did when I was six with a picture book.

I'll try not to ruin their silky pages with my inevitable drool.

Oh No!

This is by far one of the most golden moments of my exchange (what am I saying?? It was one of the best in MY LIFE)

Imagine already feeling like you're as close as you can get to heaven on earth. I.e. in a department store in Milan, inhaling the scent of the purfumes, leather Louis Vuitton purses, and generally feeling like the entire world is a good place as long as you're in a place where there are at LEAST four stories of nothing but pure goodness to pet and admire and use as motivation to get a job...if you catch my drift.

Almost impossible to make this already blissful moment of pure joy any better, right?

Oh, how it did.

I would recognize that voice anywhere!

You know which one I am, obviously, the weirdo who makes the blowfish face.
Just to make the night perfect, I promptly went to Zara afterwards, sobbed a little to myself about being surrounded by so many beautiful clothes and not being able to buy them all, but did of course buy a pair of lovely derby shoes, which after I bought, brought them up nervously to my host mom to see what she would say. She looked at the shoes and had a look that definitely said she didn't like them but, then said that my style reminded her of some of the crazy ways the French dress. In the way of compliments (especially coming from my host mom), this made me feel like a shiny penny for lack of a better phrase. Definitely going to keep that one.

Dig Through Your Boyfriends Closet

Ahhh..my version of a pajama day: something lightweight yet, sophistocated. And with style of course. The perfect idea of "just throw on the first thing you see" when you wake up in the morning. The best part is that it looks good with bed head and a clean, smoothed back 'do, depending on wether or not I abused the snooze button that morning. A fresh, white, button down dress shirt wether it belong to a man or woman (or worn by either) can give class to a "slap it together, I just barely rolled out of bed to find I was 20 minutes late to school and missed the bus but I still want to look fantastic."



Doo. Ri., Spring 2011

Band Of Outsiders,Spring 2011

Balenciaga, Spring 2011 Akris, Spring 2011

Marc Jacobs, Alice Roi, Stella McCartney and Oscar De La Renta Spring 2006

Here's a quick (quick as in 5 minutes of some scribbling with Crayola washables and a fine point Sharpie) sketch of the first outfit that came into my head. Sorry its a bit smallish and pixely and the scanner completely squashed her head into an unrecognizable shape but, congratulate me on figuring out how to at least use the scanner in Italian.

© Olive 2010. All rights reserved.

-Starched, white women's button up, untucked

-Mini, preferably with either sequins (i'm like a racoon; I can't stay away from glittery things) or a 60's, 70's or 80's pattern

-Shoes: Dr. Martens boots (color depending on mini) such as....

Although, these kicks are pretty Bad-A as well.
I think I would like to try my hand at a pair of my own...

This post curiously went from white shirts to Doc Martens. Who says getting distracted is always a bad thing??

Send me fine point Sharpies or i'll die. I'll soon have to bury the latest that i've been abusing.

-Olive

The Menagerie of Beautiful Stuff

Just after New Years, there is a holiday celebrating a witch called, La Befana. During this holiday, children put out stockings (much like the ones Americans put out for Christmas) and in the middle of the night this witch, La Befana, comes and puts candy in the socks.
This holiday has nothing to do with Christmas, however...
I spent my first celebration of La Befana at a friends house in a town near mine. This house I can hardly describe in words.
The mess was magnificent.
It was like a menagerie. It bordered crazy cat lady house (hence the old people smell and my sneaking suspiscion that moths were going to come out of the closet in my guest bedroom and eat all my clothes) but, at the same time had a charm I couldn't deny. Almost every wall was covered in vintage art pieces and the apartment like build of the house made it feel even more like a maze of stuff much like how you would imagine The Room of Requirement. Old books were stacked everywhere and even the clutter was interesting. There were Truco cards, paper machet, arts and crafts supplies, candles, bottles, figurines, clocks, plants, and my favorite; hundreds of different creations all over the house due to the love of paper machet my friend's host mom has.
From lampshades, to furniture, to their Pianola complete with the words to music perforated sheets on the inside, almost everything could have come from the 1920's to 1970's

Of course I snuck around and took pictures.

My favorite!

One of the paper creations of my friend's host mom, featured on the ceiling to the entrance of the house.

Pieces in my friend's room

A bit tacky but, who doesn't love it? As well as a good shot of the paper machet.

The room I stayed in.