A babble on loving luxury...with photos

Is it so bad that some of us are naturally inclined to love the silly frivolities of life? I'm very frivolous. It's not just because I was Raised that way...I'm sure that has something to do with it, but I also feel that the second I existed I was destined to love dressing up and playing with hair and being a GIRL and a WOMAN in the old-fashioned sense of those words. This doesn't mean I hate sports or the outdoors or not wearing make up occasionally. I am a human being with many inconsistencies just like everybody. But I love glamour and frills and lace and satin and underthings and tea sandwiches and beautiful old architecture and beautiful old everything. I buy chocolate regularly and think nothing of it.

I know that material things can not buy happiness, of course they can't. However, I swear that there is joy in the littlest things....like food and drink and a hot bubble bath and wearing something that makes you feel like a Royal in the 1950s....or even a prom date in the 1950s. A part of me feels silly for enjoying material things, and I do sincerely want to learn to DIY more. But another part of me feels stubbornly righted in liking the subtleties and intricacies of a "fine" life.

People sometimes say they don't have the patience to do pin curls, for example, and that's fine by me, of course, but I think that as a whole, we've lost the ability to understand that fast doesn't mean better in any way, necessarily. When I think about old novels...like Jane Austen, and the film adaptations, I think about these people, men and women alike, who put so much time into the subtleties of their appearance, detail by detail. Dressing for dinner. Stitching bonnets, learning haberdashery (I think I really want to get into millinery...this fabulous seller on etsy makes the most AMAZING vintage inspired hats but they are far beyond my budget at around $300 a pop). And then they gather together and go to Bath, and walk around the beach, and sit at candlelit dinners, and everything feels very slow, beautiful, languid, and they talk about poetry and travel and it's idyllic and lovely. Of course these people are wealthy and probably bored half the time, but I can't help but fall in love with the picture. I'm not fancy all the time, but I love being fancy, I feel more alive when I feel fancy, I feel like I can create some little fantasy to move around in. I think slow is fun. Guess I'm just crazy....but I don't think it's about materialism so much as a love of detail and effort and STYLE. A love of glamour. Is that so bad? I hope not.

Sometimes I see people like scientists in pictures on the NPR website, for example, and they're doing amazing work and wearing drab garments. And I just think....does this mean I'm a frivolous person who won't do any good in the world? Scientists and doctors and savers of the world probably don't go around in party dresses....not that I'm going to be a scientist or a doctor (giggle....yeah right) but I would really like to think I can be useful to the world one way or another.

And now...a lot of fantasy luxury shopping. See, I know it's maybe wrong to even imagine spending so much money on just...THINGS. But when those things are so beautiful???? I don't know.... Once I become a successful career gal, maybe I'll be less confused because I'll be able to occasionally indulge.

Extravagance. Agent Provacateur

Vintage-inspired. Kiss Me Deadly

Sturdy and beautifully retro.

Remix Vintage.

If I had a million dollars...

I'm REALLY craving a change up in my wardrobe. I think of myself as being someone who has some flair for personal style (at least when I feel like making an effort) but when I was in PARIS, looking at all these immaculately, artistically robed women, I couldn't help but feel like some ugly American dog. I'm sure I do exaggerate. One guy thought I was Russian, another thought I was Italian (?) so I must not have stood out as an American tourist TOO MUCH. I'm rambling. All I'm trying to say is: I'm bored and ready for changes.

Sadly, Paris took a Lot of the money that was to last me the rest of the summer. If I DO intend to shop, I must be Extremely prudent with how and where I do so. Hmmm....maybe I should get one of those weardrobe accounts and scrutinize all my clothes. It might be a wise summer project.

ANYWAY, to get to my first POINT which is SHOES.
I don't buy many shoes. I have a lot of high heels, two pairs of flip flops, both Havaianas purchased while in Australia, one pair is black and one pair is raspberry pink. I also own a pair of shiny red, slip on moccasins purchased from the Talbots outlet my mother frequents in Lynnwood, and one pair of black ballet flats with absolutely NO foot support. Oh, and one pair of purple Asics tennis shoes I ordered used from ebay which don't fit Perfectly. I currently cannot find the right shoe to the pair.

I've always been more obsessed with clothing than shoes. Trust me, I love shoes, but I can always be more tempted to spend $80 on a great dress than on a great pair of shoes. I am a dress fiend. I buy skirts and tops on occasion, but mainly if I'm buying something, it's a dress. But my feet are neglected. Sigh. One day, feet. One day I'll buy you some cute shoes that are also comfortable. I promise. If I were Very rich, here are things I might purchase.

Also from Modcloth.










Look at all the pretty things!! Sigh. I Must go thrift buying and selling before I go mad. MUST.

Shoes I will not buy....

Because I can't afford to squander millions of dollars if I want to eventually pay off loans or catch a plane out of this country.