we have a map of the piano

a fresh new start

2008-10-09T16:11:00.000-07:00

I had been contemplating the idea of starting a new blog for quite some time.

I can't really explain why, but this one doesn't really feel exactly like me. Although I guess I could start shifting it into a new direction, I've always liked the idea of having a fresh new start.

So there, visit my new blog (I promise to be a better and more constant blogger). Please update me if you have me on your blogroll. I will be sure to link everyone I already have here on my list. Let me know in the new blog if you want to exchange links.

Much love. J.

- blue converse and back in business -

2008-09-17T13:54:00.000-07:00

I just got my blogger's bug all over again.

I don't know where it

had gone before, but lately, it feels like its back. Hopefully for a while.

I guess its because I feel my style is slightly c

hanging lately. I'm not as drawn as I was into cute skirts and blouses, but actually feeling like adding some colour to my daily wardbrobe. And wearing pants for a change! And.... Converse?

Never really thought myself as a converse wearing girl. Or as someone who could wear shoes this colour. But here you go. Times are changing and so am I.

(I think many changes are coming my way - not only clothes wise of course - will let you know if I sort them out, I'm just really thinking about them

at this point. But let me say this... big changes!)

Won't write much today - I've got a lot of things to hand in tomorrow. Hopefully I'll be able to post at least once eve

ry two days and hopefully someone is still reading this.

Love, J.

(there they are by the way. the bright bue shoes. whatya think? I knitted the scarf, its been a lifesaver this winter. I've got a thing for big chunky scarves... I've come to realize)

(by the way, it seems the picture quality is rather poor. i think you can click on the photos to enlarge them... oh, well. i don't know. my computer skills suck)

i love you, you imbecile

2008-08-12T14:12:00.000-07:00

Oh well. My camera died again (I haven't yet bought the camera I really want... I decided to buy a laptop instead!)... so, I don't know when I'll be back.

But isn't this song too cute for words?

Life-changing fiction

2008-08-07T19:27:00.000-07:00

So, I read about this on one of my favorite blogs, the girl who married a bear, which is written by Milla. (On a side note, if you haven't read her blog yet, do so, she's in my bloglist. It's just such a great escape when the 'real' world seems a bit too.... mundane).

Milla read about this on one of her favorite blogs, ran by author Lauren Groff. Ms. Groff narates something that happened to another author, Brendan Halpin. You can go back blog by blog to read the full story (told in a much more ingenious way than I could ever possibly dream of) but to make the story short...

Mr. Halpin had used the term "life-changing fiction" to refer to his own work in a post in his blog. To his, Milla's, Ms. Groff's and my surprise, he was approached by self proclaimed NY Times best selling author Karen Kingsbury who informed him the term was copyrighted and that it could only be applied to her own works (inspirational Christian writing if you were wondering).

Yup. That's right.

Life is, indeed, sometimes weirder than fiction. So, I'm joining the sabotage to Ms. Kingsbury pretentious attitude and dedicating this post to what I consider is truly LIFE-CHANGING FICTION.

I encourage everyone who was ever moved by a book created by someone other than dear Ms. Kingsbury should to join in.

So... here's my small contribution to the life-changing fiction cause (in my humble, young and inexperienced opinion). Some of the books I'm mentioning here were originally written in Spanish but have great English translations. I highly recommend them.

By the way, Dear Ms. Kingsbury, this is only a tiny fraction of LIFE-CHANGING FICTION I can think of, off the top of my head and having been sick for the past 5 days. I bet everyone I know could probably come up with their own list and we wouldn't even have the need to start repeating books. That's how many great books there are in this world of ours. That's how much life changing fiction has been written.

Los Detectives Salvajes, Roberto Bolaño.

(The English translation, the Savage Detectives has just come out and was chosen by the NY Times as one of the 10 Best Books of 2007. This book is what I would call ultimate life-changing fiction)

Ficciones, Jorge Luis Borges

So, what has been, in your experience, life-changing fiction? I'm dying to know.

2008-07-28T12:05:00.000-07:00

Ever since I saw this image on The Sartorialist, I fell in love with this girl (and her outfit, of course). Its simple and clean, yet with a certain edge to it. Unfortunately, I do not own such a fantastic skirt or such a great top. I can't really think why not, considering I live in the fashion capital of the world... (I hope my sarcasm doesn't go unnoticed here).

Yet, looking through my closets I managed to come up with my own (winter) version of this great great (great!!) outfit. Instead of stripes and dots I thought of horizontal and vertical stripes.

I feel terribly self-conscious in this top. Its way too tight for me, yet I've had it for a year and never worn it before, so I thought it was the right time to give it a try. I've got a fun party to go to now... I'm still considering whether to wear this to go. I feel weird wearing fitted tops.

Later alligator.

(Last minute edit) - I just realized, its winter. So I can wear a long vest over the whole thing to get rid of the tightness factor.

I'm late for the party, so no fancy photoshoping for this photo!

(currently listening to 10 contados - CéU.

check post below)

CéU

2008-07-28T11:44:00.000-07:00

I should be back blogging soon.

Meanwhile, you could listen to wonderful CéU and her amazing music.

- for the loneliness you foster, I suggest Paul Auster -

2008-07-17T19:26:00.000-07:00

(Sure. I like the flowers and tiny butterflies on this cardigan I thrifted for less than two dollars.

But what I like the most is the soft cashmere its made of)

Fionn Regan, by the way, is amazing. His lyrics are intelligent and heart warming. And I love how he mentions Paul Auster in the Put a Penny in the Slot lyrics. Auster is one of my favorite writers.

I love how Iago always finds a way to sneak into my photos.

Into the wild

2008-07-16T14:10:00.000-07:00

I just finished watching Into the Wild, a movie directed by Sean Penn. Many thoughts run through my mind as I write this. I had read the book several months ago and fell in love with it inmediately.

Although I'm more in tune with my mellow side on my day to day life, there is a part of me that knows some of the best things in life will not be found anywhere you can ride your car without any effort. I guess, like with everything in my life, I go through cycles. While I enjoy spending my nights at home, knitting, reading, drinking chamomille and writing, there is this urge that I can't really control (it may go away as unexpectedly as it arrives) to get out of my usual comfort zone. In the seeemingly masochistic act that renouncing to showers, hot food and a comfortable bed might be, there are great rewards to be found. Moreover, I don't think the insightful experiences one goes through when 'out in the wild' could ever be found without this uncomfortableness. It's not only about nature, it's also about leaving behind those things that make us fall into a dream-like state.

I'm not radical on this. I could never be like Chris McCandless, yet, I still think life becomes a whole different experience when one can appreciate sunsets in a deserted mountain or wake up in a cold morning next to a lake. Spend an afternoon on your own on a nearby forest or lake, its too easy to just sit and wait for days to pass.

I'm starting to feel the urge to get my backpack back on my shoulders, at least for a few days. I'll let you know if I decide to go away.

Meanwhile I'm spending my days in the park nearby my house, watching Iago run around in a mad happiness. Oh... and thrifting.

Will show my finds in next post.

By the way, I recommend reading the book more than I do watching the movie. The book is full of great insights by the writer that could, of course, not be captured on screen. Still, the movie is beautiful. Watch it if you get a chance.

This is not a love song

2008-07-12T22:20:00.000-07:00

(Long distance relationships are hard. I don't feel like going into detail today, maybe I will tomorrow.)

So tonight I'm going dancing with some friends. This is what I'll be wearing. My friends are taking too long to arrive, so I'm using this opportunity to snap a quick and painless outfit-photo. They are coming to my house first. It's already half past twelve and they are not here, so I guess it will be a late night this time.

A cigarette and a beer will do me good tonight.

(I'm sorry if the photo effects bother you. I hope they don't. I just discovered them so they are fun to use)

After Hours

2008-07-07T10:19:00.000-07:00

Being away for so long - it has been almost two months - made me think about the reasons why I started blogging in the first place. Going through some of my favorite blogs I can see different motives why people do so themselves. There are the creative and artistic bloggers, the look-what-I-just-found bloggers, the help-me-decide-an-outfit-between-all-these-options ones, the blogging-as-a-healing-process, the I blog as a way to gain more security on my unorthodoxal style sense.

So, why do I blog? I'm not quite sure if I fit into any of those categories, in fact, I'd say most people fit into more than one of those descriptions.

What is it about for me?

I'm a pretty outgoing person in 'real' life, yet I can't seem to get rid of this feeling of loneliness that I foster. I guess it's because my social persona filters a lot of my insecurities, dreams and contradictions and presents what she believes is a more appealing and interesting version of me.

I have read in a lot of blogs people saying that bloggers act and present themselves differently than in real life. I don't believe this means they are 'faking' the image they present to the anonimous world that is the web, on the contrary, I think blogging gives people the opportunity to experience and experiment with that side of themselves that they usually hide for various reasons. Is the self that you present on your blog more or less real than the one you show to the people you deal with on regular basis? I don't think its neither. I have always been a firm believe that there is nothing such a set and established self, but rather, different aspects of each person manifest in different opportunities.

In that way, I love the opportunity that this blog gives me. It gives me the opportunity to share a part of myself that I usually keep to myself and in that way, get to know who I am in a deeper sense.

Thank you all for the comments. A lot has happened in this month a half - lots of important decisions, I'll hopefully get to them eventually. I think my favorite item for this winter are my red tights. Also, taking this photograph makes me realize what a mess my bookshelf is. Hopefully now that finals are ending I'll have time to fully clean and reorganize my room.

(currently listening to: Kleider - La Capital)

This is not good-bye

2008-05-23T06:21:00.001-07:00

Well... It was bound to happen at some point. A few days ago, my digital camera (which wasn't very good to begin with), decided it was time to call it quits.

We've had a short but nice life together - she said - I jus't don't feel there's anything new we can give each other. Its time to go separate ways...

The funny thing is... This wasn't a total shocker. Things hadn't been going great lately between us and I was doing things I certainly felt guilty about. I wasn't really cheating, but I can't admit I hadn't been tempted. Maybe she had already realized what those late nights I spent looking at her meant. Maybe she realized my dissapointed looks whenever I looked at the photos and felt... well, that this wasn't going to be able to go for much longer. In that case, I understand, she wanted to leave proudly, instead of slowly fading into oblivion.

Bottomline is, she's gone. So this blog will have to be on indefinite hiatus until I manage to get my hands on that other camera I mentioned. It should'nt be so long since I've got quite a good editing jobs I'm working at right now that don't make me feel exploited.

I envy bloggers who can keep blogs up with inspirational posts, or presenting beautiful collection of photographys they find online, but I guess that's just not me. The intention of this blog was... well, to share different bits and pieces of my life, and the lack of a digital camera certainly complicates that equation.

I'll still make sure to check my favorite blogs regularly and to keep discovering new ones, and to let everyone know when I'm posting again.

Lots of love, J.

wandering in white

2008-05-16T18:52:00.000-07:00

Although I'll be really busy the next following days, I didn't want to leave the blog on its own, all left alone...

So here's an interesting video. A friend of mine is moving to New York to study film direction in a couple of days, and he did a video with fragments of his first three shorts. I was in his first one, so that's me, the girl in white wandering through an abandoned street.

Shooting it was a beautiful experience. Although I don't have the full video, I thought it would be fun to share this. You can't really see it, but where I'm walking is actually located in front of an amazing beach in Lima. It used to be one of the fanciest places to hang out when my father was younger, a place to see and be seen. Nevetheless, because its hard to reach there, it became extremly dangerous during the almost two decades my country spent under the opression and fear of both terrorists and military forces alike.

Now it is pretty abandoned. It never really recovered from those dark times. Yet, it is one of my favorite places in the city, it looks decadent and fascinating. Like time froze. My friend lives in the building right above where I was walking, he has one of the most fascinating views in Lima for next to nothing.

In the cold, cold night

2008-05-14T16:04:00.000-07:00

El clima empieza a cambiar en Lima y la neblina y el frio cada vez mas intensos, hacen que andar por las calles convierta instantes cotideanos en pequeños fragmentos de historias de nostalgia. Tardes cada vez mas oscuras, segundos que se alargan con el frio colandose por cada descuido que dejamos en nuestro atuendo.

Siempre me gusto el invierno, siempre preferí el frio, hay una parte mia que no encuentro en las epocas de calor que empieza a manifestarse cuando baja la temperatura. ¿Será por eso que esta falda, aunque de verano, solo se me antoja en el invierno? Quizá la delgadez de su tela no corresponde con como me hace sentir.

Winter is really here. Finally. Winter and the fog that always comes along with it are making my daily night walks become lovely nostalgic moments. Afternoons end sooner everyday, and every moment feels longer, as the cold air finds its way to reach bits of our skin we left uncovered in an unaware moment.

I have always prefered the winter. Could it be right to say I'm more of a winter person? I don't know, yet as the temperature gets colder, I start to rediscover parts of myself that seem to have been asleep during the warmer months.

I guess my life goes in an opposite direction as that of some animals. A part of me goes to sleep during the summer, awakening to enjoy the beautiful winter.

Winter means spending more time at home. And I love to stay at home, and drink some chamomile while listening to my dad's old vynils.

The skirt was made by yours truly. Its has three segments and velvet strips that divide them. There are little pleats over the velvet strips that my camera is unfortunately not good enough to zoom in.

The funny thing is, its a summer skirt. Yet I haven't worn it once during the summer.

Maybe something about it goes better with my winter personality?

Relooking: - The Denim Jacket -

2008-05-11T13:07:00.000-07:00

I remember commenting a few weeks ago in somebody's post about denim jackets. Apparently they are the new item everyone is wearing. I don't know... what I do remember saying was that I felt it was a trend I wasn't going to apply to my own personal style. I just... I can't really explain it, but denim jackets don't seem to work on me.

I know, they look great on so many other people. As I commented before on this blog, I don't really follow trends much, so I don't think I could give you the scoop on who is wearing what and how. Something I do know about this trend, though, is that you are supposed to wear them big, washed out and vintage.

I did everything wrong, its tailored, dark and brand new. Yet, I love it.

I think the belt at the bottom makes it look a little bit like a biker's jacket, which is great. I need things like this to take the 'princess' vibe out of some of my outfits.

After a very crazy week, things are finally settling back to normal. I was exhausted and severely sleep deprived.

Its funny though, taking the stress aside, I'm amazed with my career. I love it so much it actually feels wrong to call it that. Reading for my exams, discussing the lectures... I feel like I coulnd't be any luckier. Studying philosophy... well, sometimes it feel so right it makes me feel guilty.

Es curioso, pues a veces me he quejado de lo difícil que se me hace decir aquello que en verdad quiero decir manteniendo este blog en inglés.

Quizá por eso tomé la determinación de empezar a escribir en castellano y quizá posteriormente cambiarlo.Extrañamente, ese tampoco es el método que más me ha acomodado. A veces creo que mi mente funciona en inglés y en castellano de manera inesperada, corre de un idioma a otro sin avisar y vuelve y vuelve a cambiar.

There are some things happening, right now, that have me feeling very excited. I will share a bit more in the future, but right now I'm too nervous to say them outloud.

Brown all over

2008-05-05T17:55:00.001-07:00

Si existen los dioses de las compras de segunda mano... ¡este fin de semana se despertaron de muy buen humor...!
If thrift gods happen to exist somewhere... then I'm guessing they woke up in a very good mood this weekend!

Encontre un maravilloso par de zapatos marrones... I found the most beautiful pair of brown shoes.

Confieso que son un poco pequeños y que tan solo puedo usarlos con medias muy delgadas... pero, ¿son perfectos o me lo estoy imaginando?

Yes, they are a bit small, and I can only wear them with really thin socks... but I still think they are perfect, aren't they?

I really had been meaning to get shoes like this for a long long time

Encontre también esta cartera marrón, cómoda y espaciosa... Me recuerda a las que usa mi abuela, tan bonitas.
... Oh, and I also found this lovely brown bag, so roomy and comfortable. It reminds me of the ones my grandmother likes to wear... so pretty.

Finalmente... este collar que combina especialmente bien con uñas rojas y expresiones sonsas.

Finally, this necklace that I feel goes very well with red nails and silly looks.

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I have mid-terms this week so I don't think I'll be posting at least until the weekend. Have a lovely week and don't forget to come back soon!

Six Quirks

2008-05-03T00:05:00.000-07:00

When I was tagged to write the six unespectacular quirks about me I was happy, and thought I would do something special. I was planing on doing some sort of scrapbook with written notes, however, my mid-terms at uni and the five books on presocratic philosophy I need to read for wednesday have made me realize that to go through with my plans I would have to wait at least a week more before I could post it.

So... just written text and only in English this time!

Here's how it goes. Romeika (who I happen to think has a blog that definitely worth checking, with her great posts about great movies) tagged me. The rules are:

1. Link the person(s) who tagged you.
2. Mention the rules in your blog.
3. Write about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours.
4. Tag 6 following bloggers by linking them.
5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger's blogs letting them know they've been tagged.

My six unespectacular quirks are...

1. I drink chamomile. A lot of chamomile. And by a lot I mean between seven or eight cups of chamomile everyday. I even bought a gigantic cup just so I could drink more chamomile everytime I have one. Everyone knows its my thing, and everyone jokes about it constantly.

During the winter I even carry little chamomile bags in my bag so I can have a cup even where they don't have any.

2. On the chamomile subject... I know fresh herbs are supposed to be better than the ones on little bags, but I like the little bags better when it comes to chamomile. I usually don't add any sugar but sometimes I like to throw some mint leaves in and a small spoon of honey.

3. I still have a hard time knowing which one's right and which one's left. Everytime I'm asked to rise my right hand, take a left turn, etc. I pretend like I'm writing my name with both hands. The one that feels more natural is the right, that's how I can tell. I usually try to do it so nobody notices but sometimes they do and I get embarassed.

4. Sometimes I dress like Anna Karina in Bande À Part. She looks so adorable in that dancing scene, with that plaid skirt and the hat. Everytime I do it I really hope someone will notice and tell me I remind them of her.

Someone did once. Its still one of my favorite moments ever.

5. I cry a lot. In silly things. Like dog food advertisements.

6. I got a car, but never got a drivers license. I can't really drive. I gave the car to my brother and got a cute bicycle with a nice basket on the front. I take it everywhere and I haven't taken a taxi in months. In a city as chaotic as Lima, driving a bicycle is a real quirk.

And one more, just for the sake of it....

7. I actually think of my dog, Iago, as one of my best friends.

**************************************************************

Allright. There they are.

Here are the ones I'm tagging.

Diary of Thirld World Fashionista
Professionally Trendy.
Some Notes on Napkins.
Fashion Fake
A Mirror
Dotti's Dots

**********************************************************************

And just because it can't all be just text. A nice video, nice music, nice girl, nice dress.

white

2008-04-28T20:50:00.000-07:00

Recibí estas medias blancas como un regalo de mi abuela hace ya un tiempo... mi único intento de usarlas había sido mal recibido por parte de algunas amigas y eso me hizo esconderlas intimidada en el fondo de un cajón olvidado.

Creo, sin embargo, que se sienten ya quizá solas ahí guardadas. Ven como todas las demás, sin importar su color, salen a ver el mundo y a andar conmigo. Las rojas, las verdes, las marrones, las negras, las moradas... todas han conocido parques, fiestas y galerias. Algunas han visto anocheceres, otras me acompanaron hasta el amanecer.

Asi que hoy les tocó a ellas y timidamente salieron a dar sus primeros pasos. El mundo les gustó mucho y yo estoy emocionada de poderles ensenar más de este en el futuro.

This white tights were a gift from my lovely grandmother some time ago... my only attempt to wear them went very wrong in the eyes of some of my friends, who critisized them. The event made me hide them, feeling silly, in the back of a forgotten drawer.

I think they might be starting to feel lonely there, its probably no fun, being hidden in the back of a drawer. They have to stay there, and watch all the other tights go out, see the world and walk with me around the city. The red ones, the purple ones, the green ones, the black and the brown ones... they've all know parks, parties and galleries. Some of them have seen the night fall, and others have been with me watching the sunrise.

So today, it was finally their turn, and, although a bit shy, they took their first proud steps. I have to say, they liked it out here a lot, and I can't wait to show them some more of the world.

*******************************************************

The very lovely Romeika tagged me to write six unspectacular quirks about me... I'll try to have that done for tomorrow. I'm so excited!

Red and Black

2008-04-23T08:30:00.000-07:00

Pues... me he dado cuenta que a veces me provoca escribir en castellano. Después de todo, es el idioma con el que crecí, y en cuyas palabras se encuentran sutilezas muy personales y subjetivas que no soy capaz de transmitir en el otros idiomas. Es una pena, pues sentía el inglés muy cerca, (muchos de mis libros favoritos fueron escritos originalmente en inglés y de esa manera los leí) pensando alguna vez en la posibilidad de escribir en aquel idioma cuando lo hiciera de manera creativa. La experiencia de este blog, sin embargo, me dejó muy en claro lo difícil que es en verdad sumergirse en una lengua distinta a la de uno. Siento mis palabras en inglés más básicas, y veo frente a mis ojos los conceptos simplificarse, pierden melodía, fluidez, no corren.

Quizá si empiezo a escribir en castellano y después busco traducirlo al inglés no se pierda tanto de lo que quiero decir... quizá. Así doy por iniciado este experimento bilingüe.

Lately, I have realized how much I feel like writing and blogging in Spanish. It is, after all, the language I grew up with, and its words are full of very personal and subjetive subtleties that I have discovered I'm not really capable of finding or transmitting in other languages.

Its a shame since I used to feel English, as a language, very close to me (a lot of my favorite books were originally written in English and that is the way I read them), and I always thought about the possibility of writing in English when I did so creatively. Yet, this blogging experience has showed me how difficult it is to be truly soaked by a different language of one's own. I can feel how my words become more basic in English, and right in front of my eyes, I watch concepts and thoughts become simpler, losing their melodic rythm, they don't seem to flow.
Maybe if I start by writing in Spanish and then re-writing it in English then I will be able to capture better what it is that I want to say... maybe. So, this is how I will start this bilingual experiment...

Mi querida amiga Josefa estuvo los últimos meses llevando un curso de dramaturgía y hoy es la muestra final del taller. Para esto, todos los alumnos presentarán un guión que escribieron durante el taller en una ceremonia de clausura en la Alianza Francesa.

Josefa me pidió que leyera a uno de los personajes del guión.

Me pidió también que estuviese vestida de negro totalmente, aunque con algún toque de color fuerte, quizá una falda con estampados... En ese momento recordé una falda que había mencionado antes en el blog. Una de mis mejores thrifts... aquí está. Ahora que es más corta, me gusta muchísimo, y los bolsillos y botones por delante hacen de ella una de mis faldas favoritas.

My dear friend, Josefa, took a play-writing class the last couple of months and today is the final presentation of the workshop. Every student has been asked to present one short play or monologue they wrote during the class. Jose asked me to read one of the characters in her short play about two sisters.

When she asked me to dress in black, but with a touch of bright colour inmediately thought of the skirt I had mentioned earlier on this blog as my best thrift find so far. The silk is so smooth and the quality is amazing, and now that I've shortened it I love it. I specially love the side pockets and the fact that it buttons on the front.

Lima está ya mucho más frío, así que me abrigué con un saco rojo (nunca me hubiese imaginado! mi amor por el rojo es muy reciente) y una chalina que terminé de tejer hace una semana y que jamás me saco ahora.

Since Lima is already getting pretty cold at nights, I put on a red jacket (who would have guessed... it is only since very recently that I like red... used to hate it!) and a scarf I just finished knitting a week ago and that I can't seem to take off.

Si quisiese cambiar un poco el ánimo de este outfit, cambiaría las leggings negras y las botas por medias rojas y sandalias. Leí en algún blog the las medias rojas son la nueva moda... (la verdad no sigo la moda y las tendencias muy de cerca)... y estas las he tenido desde el invierno pasado, supongo que eso me hace una chica fashion forward, una fashionista! (quién se hubiese imaginado.. yo no!)

For a change of mood, I would change the black tights and boots for red tights and sandals... I read in someone's blog that red tights are the new big trend (I don't really follow fashion and trends much) and I've had these since last winter... I seem to be a fashion forward person now (who would have guessed!?)

Thank you for dropping by, xxx

pretty little things under the sun

2008-04-16T20:35:00.000-07:00

This weather is driving me crazy. A few days ago, the sunny sky and the lovely light seemed just right for this summer dress and today, I would have frozen had I not worn socks, shoes, trousers, a jacket and a light cotton scarf (which I finished knitting a few days ago and hope to post photos of soon). It makes dressing in the morning such a hard task!

I only put on the sweater for the photo, it was pretty late in the afternoon and it was getting a bit chilly, it was to hot to wear anything over the dress during the morning.

Anyway... these are my new shoes. I love them. And apparently bows seem to be what everyone is talking about lately, right?

Oh... catching on with the trends...

I wish I could show better photos of the dress, it was such a lovely day that I felt I really needed to take the pictures outside, unfortunately, I have no tripod, so setting the camera somewhere at a decent height was a rather impossible task.

There is Iago... as usual.

This bag has a special meaning to me. It's nothing special, but my mother used to wear it when she was my age and its one of the few things she kept (don't really know why...). I have traded a lot of my more stylish bags for this one, isn't it nice to wear things that belonged to the people you love?

I tried to take a photo of the whole outfit, yet Iago got in the way and my camera's battery died!

xx.

Holly stripes, Batman!

2008-04-11T16:05:00.000-07:00

Here's the deal. I love clothes. I love colour. I love fabrics.

I love fashion, but I've never really followed fashion shows or kept a close eye of celebrities' trends. There's no actual reason for this, its just the way its been. Clothing, to me, was always about expressing who I was, and most of the time, I couldn't really find anything out on the streets that I felt identified with. I marched at my own rythm. I gotta admit, this has changed over the years, and I now find some pleasure in experimenting with trends and trying to spin them in my own personal way.

Still, I don't really keep up with the latest trends and I've been rarely seen wearing the 'it' item of the moment. I usually catch up with those a bit too late. While inspiration may come from a variety of places, runways are usually the last source I turn too.

So I was quite a bit surprised about the fact of how much I fell in love with Luella's collection.

After seeing their beautiful florals I went on a flower hunt that hasn't finished yet and started craving for a Batman sweater or shirt. In reality, I knew the latter would be a desire quite hard to satisfy. I don't think Peru is gonna catch up any time with Luella's show and a vintage Batman item was going to be hard to find. Since I don't have a credit card, E-Bay was out of the question.

I kind of gave up. And then... well, I don't really know what happened. I guess the fashion fairies worked hard at night, because when I woke up a few days ago I found a Batman hoodie in my closet! I don't know where it came from. I asked my friends, my mother, everyone, and nobody knows who it might belong to.

I didn't really tell anybody about my Batman fantasy so I don't think it could be a mistery present from someone I know.

So... I don't know where it came from, but here it is! And... I guess it's mine!

I wore this today for a relaxed day at uni. I didn't really plan the outfit, just threw on pretty much the first thing I felt like wearing. I wasn't really sure where I got the idea of wearing my Batman hoodie with a striped top until it suddenly hit me. I had seen it been worn like this, here! Funny how we might not really be thinking about something at a specific moment, yet, it re-surfaces without us knowing!

Thank you for looking!

I have to run to work now!

...xx

expected to be in a certain way

2008-04-07T14:01:00.000-07:00

After reading another blog's post about vests, I realized maybe it was time to take mine out and wear it a bit more before they are definitely past their time. In my personal opinion, that is happening already. It's funny, vests should be one of those timeless pieces in everyone's wardrobes, but there seems to have been such a vest overdose in the last couple of years that my guess is that they'll have to be put to sleep for a long time to come before they stop being annoying.

But anyhow, I don't think that time has come yet, and then again I could just be completely wrong.

I decided to wear a bit more of my good ol'vest today and that triggered some conversations and thoughts. I've always been more a whimsical, femenine, vintage-dresses kind of gal. I knit, so my outfits tend to be accentuated by long relaxed scarfs, knitted berets and lacy items. That is, most of the time, the kind of look I feel makes sense with my personality and my personal and particular view of the world. When the city becomes just a bit to overwhelming, and the modern world seems too much likes its on a rush, it feels good to dress like you belong to a little cottage in the woods. I've been dressing like that for the last couple of years, specially while I was involved with my ex-boyfriend, a relationship that lasted 2 years. He has a very set and narrow mind on how women should be, and his ideas on what femeninity means, initially seemed very appealing and attractive to me. In an environment where most guys want bare skin, tight clothes and 'sexy' looks, its seemed to me so refreshing to find someone that was attracted to my usual style. In a country where most people dress the same, and there is one set ideal of beauty, it was encouraging to be with someone that understood what I felt and allowed me to explore it.

Nevertheless, I realized in time that what I thought was liberating, was actually quite restrictive. He also had a very narrow mind on what beautiful was, and I realized I couldn't really experiment with who I was or how I expressed myself. I was expected to be in a certain way, and anything else was me just being crazy or messing with myself.

So I ran into him today. And when he looked at me, his first comment was 'hey! that's not you! why are you dressed like this' and shaked his head in disaproval.

The thing is, I wouldn't mind him not liking my outfit. What seriously annoyed me was the 'it's not you' comment. What is it about people that makes them have the need to create a set image of everyone around them? Why should we be 'someone'? We should be able to be anyone we want, and one of the greatest things about human nature for me, is the way in which we can hold contrasts and contradictions within us. Clothes should be about expresing our many natures, being able to change and change again. They definitely shouldn't be about proving a point to anyone. Life shouldn't be about proving a point. If you are working so hard at trying to show everyone else what you want them to see in you, you are still acting for them.

Its true, the outfit here is not reflective of my usual style. But it is how I felt today, therefore it represents a true part of who I am.

Young Folks and... Pleats?

2008-04-06T20:07:00.000-07:00

Up until recently, one of the things I was thankful the most was the fact that high waisted pants with pleats were definitely (and for what I imagined for ever) out of style.

Photos like this are giving me a hard time keeping that point of view.

The great photography is, of course, from the Sartorialist.

Young Folks

2008-04-06T16:44:00.000-07:00

The Lousiville born-NY based singer-songwriter Dawn Landes is my latest musical discovery. I was lucky enough to ran into her Peter, Bjorn & John's "Young Folks" cover recently and kind of fell in love with it. Strangely enough, I found some parts of the song rather annoying when I first heard it (old folks singing out of tune for half the song in a rather off-setting contrast with her soulful and sweet voice), until they suddenly clicked and worked. Specially when I watched the video and realized they're sung by... well, old folks. Rather cute if I may say so myself.

So I really wanted to write this post, because hopefully, someone else will listen and fall in love with her music as much as I did. And there are not many things in life that, for me, compare to the pleasure of exploring and finding new sounds. While she puts a bluegrass spin on "Young Folks", she does an amazing job in delivering a traditional American sound with a modern twist through the rest of her album. Her voice is soothing and mellow, and melancholic yet cheerful and hopefull. I'm not really sure how well known she is in America (maybe she's old news for you folks already), but here in Peru, I haven't met anyone who knows her yet.

Researching a bit to write this, I found some photos and realized not only is her music beautiful, but so is her and her style. With a quirky yet understated style, she makes me think of places I haven't seen yet I long for.

No 'what I wore today' post tonight. I've got too much work to do to even try and find batteries for the camera. I'll do it tomorrow.

By the way, congratulations to Aisha from ColouredBlue for her first blogger's birthday!

xx.

Market Morning

2008-04-02T12:35:00.000-07:00

Its been such a beautiful morning. Although I recently wrote about kissing summer good bye, I've got to admit, the sun still seems quite reluctant to completely leave. Nights are a bit chillier than before, but the mornings still have a beatiful golden tone to them that just makes me happy.

So I decided to cut classes today and stay home. The thing is, its a 40 minutes ride to my university and while I like it there, its definitely not in the nicest of neighbourhoods. I'm glad I study there, and I realize how priviledged I am to be getting a great education in a country where most are struggling to survive and make it through the day. Not only that, but its a great university too. Not only academically, but I've met some of the most interesting people I know there, and I've made friendship I know I'll treasure for life. Although its called Catholic University, don't let the name fool you (although I've met some pretty cool Catholics so please don't take any offense in this comment), its actually known for being a very open-minded environment, with a diverse student body and a strong participation in the national's cultural and social development. But the thing is, I just couldn't make myself go there today. I wasn't really in the mood to sit in traffic for almost an hour, with all the pollution and the noise.

So I stayed home. Glad I did. I drove my bycicle down to the nearby market to buy some fruits and took my dog out for a walk.

Walking down the market, with the smell of fruits and flowers all around me, astound by the colours surrounding me was just what I needed. Sometimes people forget about the simplest pleasures in life, moments that don't really have anything magnificent about them, but that make life a more enjoyable experience. Everything's easier in the world today, its easier to eat, to move, to dress... If you're among the lucky ones in the world, things will be done for you by someone else. You can enter a supermarket, and there is everything, picked and packaged for you. Or open a magazine, to know exactly what to wear, take a care to the store, park as close to the door as you can and dress in the clothes somebody desgined just so they would sell well. It was nice, skipping class, taking the morning off and going to the market. It was nice, not to do much.

The thing is, I've started this new part-time job. It's at a restaurant, and one that I quite enjoyed eating in before my job started. It's like a cozy Italian trattoria, and quite popular. I have to dress in black, tie my hair back and take reservations, show people to their tables, manage the waiting list, etc. Its a good job, and the pay is decent (not saying decent as a euphemism for not bad at all - which would be a euphemism for pretty darn good- but just 'decent'). But... I don't know, I guess I"m just not used to doing something I'm not really feeling deep inside. Maybe I'm just a spoiled brat. But I can't help missing the nights I used to have just for myself. (its a night job, since I'm at uni during the day). The good thing is, now I'll be able to save money for a few things I really really want to do (I won't tell what they are, I don't want to jinx them...). Hopefully I won't spend it all in clothes!

After writing my last post, about flowers, I went through my closet again and realized I have PLENTY of things with flower prints. Specially skirts and dresses. Some of them are a bit too romantic and sweet for my taste, but some of them I still love. Don't really know why they had been thrown in the back of my closet.

I found this black dress like shirt with white flowers Ibought for about 1$ in a thrift market. I know I said something about punking flowers up, but this time I just felt like going for something easy and relaxed. Wasn't really trying too hard today.

Florals

2008-04-01T14:36:00.000-07:00

Florals seem to be appearing everywhere. I see them worn in so many different styles its impossible not to feel attracted to the endless possibilities they have to offer.

I got my *best* thrift find ever recently. I floral high waisted skirt with pockets on the side. The silk is so soft it makes me want to sleep in it, and I love that the colours and the print remind me of some tacky Miamiesque 80's skirt. Its a bit too long, which makes it just look outdated, but I'm cutting it today to make it shorter. I'll be posting soon on how it turned out.

In the mean time, here are some different floral combinations I've been running into. First two from Facehunter and the third one from Sally Jane Vintage. I tried to show a floral top combination, a floral skirt one and a floral dress one.

The thing is, I did go through a strong floral phase sometime... quite a few years ago. I was channeling my inner hippie through floral blouses and skirts, but I felt like those years were over for a good reason. I mean, no more peasant blouses for me please!

Nevertheless, after finding this beautiful silk skirt I understood why flowers haven't gone out of style after all these decades. It's their adapting potential what makes them an always-returning fashion. Although floral prints make me instinctively think of boho outfits and natural romantic long wavy hair, some have managed to give them a rather fun spin.

Look at Luella's collection for some punk-floral inspiration.

So... I'm now so convinced about the imperative need of finding some cute flower skirts and blouses. That will be my weekend mission it seems. I think I might go for overly cute/slightly tacky flower prints to try and punk them up a bit. I'll let you know how it goes. I've got a busy busy day today and tomorrow, but I'll try and get pictures of my silk skirt to show you soon.

xx

Keeping it simple

2008-03-31T07:53:00.001-07:00

Basics.

I've been finding quite a few articles in qute a few blogs on how important it is to understand the need of buying basics. I don't happen to be, as it seems, the only one who confronts their closet every morning wondering what to wear that striped skirt with or what the hell to do with that printed long blouse.

Although I love the mix'n'match that some people seem to effortlessly get in their daily outfits, time has told me I feel more comfortable and more like myself going for a boho laid-back look rather than all crazy. Don't get me wrong here, I love crazy and sometimes it is so much fun to make people turn their heads in disbelief or even in disaproval. It is also amazing to go for combinations that sound terrible on paper but that work oh so well in person. At the end of the day, clothes are what you wear as an outer expression of your inner world. It is my personal and humble opinon that everyone's style should never be determined by anybody but them.

That also makes me think about the blogs that have inspired me to start blogging. If there is one thing that I would celebrate about them, is originality. It is hard to be original. People around those who dare to act, speak, dress, think according to their own personal beat will always face criticism from those who feel threatened by them. I have always wondered how many great things haven't get done in this world because those who could do them were too scared to face the intimidating world that would be waiting them in disaproval.

I had been stalking (for the lack of a better word) quite a few blogs for a while now until I ran into Aisha's Coloured Bleu blog and decided to start blogging myself. The beauty of these blogs is that by posting in them, we reveal what we are about and become enriched by what others are. In that sense, I'm loving Fabi and her Diary of a Thirld World Fashionista. She writes and thinks about what its like to be herself in an environment that doesn't exactly encourage that. Her last post about the intolerance she faced at work when others discovered her blog and the way she decided not to stop that from doing what she loves to do. It's been really inspirational now that I've started blogging and I'd like to say thanks to her for that. If there's a strong sense of community between fashion bloggers around the world, I think its probably safe to say that that sense becomes even stronger between those of us who live among those whose idea of fashion is a top as tight as it could be and jeans and where its not about choosing what you want to buy for your wardrobe but finding something worthwhile.

Anyway... going back to the original idea of my post - Basics. I went shopping yesterday, with a very set mind on buying a few basics I really needed. I ended up spending a bit more money than what I had originally planed but then realized that since all these iterms were going to be worn probably quite often, they should better be made with good materials and I nice cut. I'm pretty happy with the results. I actually like them so much that I like how they look together, not a basic boring outfit in my opinions. I think I'm starting to grow up as a shopper, realizing the importance of quality over quantity and making more smart buys than before.

I ended up getting a pair of short flat black boots (Basement), a high waisted black trouser (Joaquim Miro) and a couple of basic single coloured tops by MNG. I'm terribly sorry about he boring unoriginal photos, I was actually kind of just testing with these ones but my camera's battery died before I could take some of the photos I really wanted (basics worn with non-basics). Oh well, I still wanted to post for the day, so here it is. I never imagined I would get so excited about buying such un-exciting clothes.

bye bye summer

2008-03-29T09:46:00.000-07:00

Looking at different blogs I've got to admit I'm starting to feel a bit jelous about everyone puting their tights away, showing legs and shoulders, looking a bit more cheerful and finding new sources of inspiration for the summer to come.

Down south its a whole different story. We just kissed summer good-bye a week ago and light cardigans and scarfs are starting to make their first appearances of the year. Sad thing is, I've got some thrifted items I'm not ready to put away yet. Like this dress.

I don't really wear colour usually. Everyone around me knows I tend to go for fall colours the most, although I am trying to add some bits of red, turquoise and purple lately to my wardrobe. This dress, however, is a different story. It's got neon pink and blue and white and black stripes. I think its a bit too much for me, but its still a fun dress to say bye bye summer in.

I wish I had something summery to do today. Instead I think I might clean up my room a bit, it gets pretty crowded with all kinds of garbage during uni.

LoveHate: Leggings

2008-03-28T14:14:00.001-07:00

I am well aware that leggings have been around for a while, I'd have to be living under a rock for the last couple of years not to. They've been everywhere, haven't they? In different lenghts, colours, patterns, materials (with the new lamé or latex ones being the new "it" item)... I don't think anybody suspected they would be around for so long. People wear them in winter, people wear them in summer. Some people wear them underneath skirts, some people wear them underneath long tops... and some, well some seem to think leggings are just like thin trousers (they're not! are least not in my humble opinion...).

Some people love them. Some people hate them.

I love them and hate them. For years now, I've been refusing to buy myself leggings. "It's just a passing fad" I would say to myself. "They look tacky" I would explain to people when asked about my refusal to accept leggings as acceptable clothing items.

Even though I hated leggings, I still had to admit some people could really pull them off. I specially liked them when paired with a laid-back boho outfit, rather than going all rocker-sexy. But my refusal to wear leggings continued. There were indeed times when I realized a nice pair of leggings would look rather cute with an outfit. What did I do in those tricky situations? I bought dark tights and cut the feet off. Talking about stuborn...

I've got to admit it, my disaproval for leggings wasn't really the leggings fault. I just hated how they looked in most people around me. I guess that's because this image became (and still is) a very common sight in Lima:

UGH.

But one day something changed. I'm not really sure what it was. I suddenly entered this store I've been going for ages (and they specialize in dark opaque leggings that I had until then hated) and saw what I thought was the most amazing discovery of my life. A pair of long black leggings.

This is my personal attempt at making them fit my style. I really do hope it turned out better than the picture above...

Sweater: Benetton, Tunic top: MNG, Leggings: Kidsmadehere

Sandals: random market

Jacket: Benetton, Top: random market and I sew the little mushrooms in it, Bag: Elle, Leggings: Kidsmadehere, Shoes: MNG

Hopefully my first attempts with leggings have managed to go slightly above the leggings-heels-miniskirt combo. I tried to come up with a combination for warmer weather and one that I can manage to wear now that winter is starting here in Peru.

I've got to say it, I love leggings now. They're versatile and fun, and quite quite comfortable.

I still haven't changed my mind about the usual combinations involving leggings, so guess that makes my relationship with them a love-hate one.

Winter in Peru

2008-03-03T19:19:00.000-08:00

Again... I guess not every blog entry can be about fashion.

As I said in my first post, I'm from and live in Perú. It is, in so many ways, a wonderful, interesting, colourful country, but it is also an extremly poor country, where living is hard and next to impossible for many. It is a country full of contrasts, and while life is easy and pleasing for many, racism and class segregation still exists in people's minds. Ever since the Spanish Colonial time, Peru has been divided into those who have and enjoy and those who lack and serve. This became obvious during our last presidential election, when Ollanta Humala, an anti-democratic candidate with homofobic and pro-war comments nearly won. With a radically demagogic approach, Humala became a strong political force at the time, praising himself as the new leader of the indigenous revolution.

Politics are not the only problem here.

Winters get terribly cold, not so much in Lima (the capital), but mostly in the Sierra (the long stretch of mountains that are the Andres). The living conditions most people endure in the mountains are close to those of extreme poverty. It gets a lot tougher during the winter, when their lands freeze, they lose their crops and their animals die. As you can imagine, the ones that suffer when this happens are the children. Every year children die because of the cold while those in a more comfortable situation stand in indifference.

You can read a bit more about it here.

I'm planing a trip to Cuzco (up in the mountains) for next week, and my and my aunt have been knitting several little sweaters for babies and young children that I'm going to leave a shelter there. I also plan to travel a bit to the more remote towns and give away some sweaters to children of families I meet.

So that made me think. What if I used the fact that I just started a blog to get people into helping Peruvian children during the winter? What do you think? If I happen to get positive feedback (I'm still not sure how to get this out there since I just started my blog and don't really know how I'm doing with readers), I'll be glad to give anyone interested my adress so they could send sweaters, scars, socks, etc. I'd be glad to go up to little towns in the Sierra to deliver them and make sure they really reach those in need. I could even take pictures of the children wearing the donations so everyone could see where their efforts are going.

This is a photograph of a little boy I took on one of my last trips to a small town near Cuzco. If you are interested in how to contribute, leave me a comment and I'll reply with my adress or any other information you might like.

Ferraby Lionheart

2008-03-03T06:07:00.000-08:00

I have to confess that, despite the subheading on my blog, I mostly want to keep it about fashion.

Living in Lima, Peru, finding interesting clothes and style inspiration is a hard task. I'm guessing this has to do with quite a few things, related mainly to the level of poverty a big segment of the country lives in, but I wouldn't blame it just on that. I would say it probably has much to do with fear. Fear of originality, uniqueness, and independence. In that sense, this post by Aisha, inspired me to start my own blog. I've never met her, even though we live in the same city and study at the same university, and I just discovered her blog today, but I share her views and impressions on Lima.

So, I said I actually intended to keep this blog about fashion, didn't I? But not today, not for my first post.

Today I'd like to talk about Ferraby Lionheart.

His music feels like getting home after a long tiresome journey. With a voice that is both soothing and strangely unique, he's quickly become one of my favourite finds ever.

With the large amoung of buskers trying to break into the musical scene, it's very easy, as a listener, to get lost somewhere between the good, the not so good and the plain mediocre. In that sense, Ferraby truly stands out as a true pearl. Thinking I might be exaggerating? Get his debut album, Catch the Brass Ring here or check out his myspace and decide for yourself.

If that's not enough to help you decide your mind, here's some audio-visual goodness for you.