GLOSSING OVER IT

fiction. fashion. food. frivolity.

Vintage Advice

At a flea market this summer at Madison’s Fete de Marquette festival, I purchased a used copy of Amy Vanderbilt’s Complete Book of Etiquette, first published in 1952. How could I pass up a book that covered such wide-ranging topics as Monogramming, How to Eat a Maine Lobster, and How to Write an “Angry” Letter? [...]

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Baby It’s Cold Outside

I live in Wisconsin, where below zero temperatures for days in a row are not uncommon. Many midwesterners suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD). I have discovered that SAD has an ugly cousin, FAD. FAD stands for Fashion Apathy Disorder. It’s a disease that strikes downtrodden souls during the winter months, encouraging them to just [...]

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Runway Fashions for Rent

Have you ever looked in your closet before a big event and concluded that you have nothing to wear? If you said no, you’re lying. Choosing clothes for holiday parties, weddings, and other special occasions can be stressful and expensive. And after you’ve gone through the trouble of finding something acceptable to wear, the sad [...]

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Four Centuries of Fashion

I’ve been doing a lot of research on vintage fashion for a novel I’m working on. I recently came across a treasure trove of information on the website of the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Perusing the photos of garments from the 1600′s through today is like taking a walk through time–albiet [...]

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Vintage Vixen

I have not been posting as frequently in the last couple of weeks because I’ve been working like a crazed woman on my second novel, Gently Used. The novel tells the story of a fictional vintage clothing store, the women who work and shop there, and the garments that come through the door. It is [...]

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Come See Me at Style Maniac

Today I’m guest posting on vintage fashion over at Style Maniac– a blog by the fabulous Doreen Creede about decorating, dressing, reading, eating, and entertaining in style.  Hmmm, all of my favorite things… it’s no wonder I read it religiously. I love how the internet makes it possible to collaborate on projects with creative people [...]

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Rock Star-Worthy Looks

Stars put on a great show on Friday night at the Barrymore, complete with multicolored lights, bubbles, and a keyboard kazoo. And guitarist and vocalist Amy Millan wore sequins, just like the last time I saw her. If I were a rock star, I would wear sequins every night. Seeing all of the beautiful young [...]

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Everyone Needs a Photographer Friend

It is absolutely essential to be friends with at least one good photographer. Seriously. The person doesn’t need to be a professional–anyone with a decent camera, preferably a digital SLR, and knows how to use it, will do. In these days of constant life documentation on Facebook, Picasa, Flickr & Tumblr, you might as well [...]

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