Mary Van Notes

Blouse and shorts: F21
Socks: Target
Shoes: Vivienne Westwood + Melissa
Vintage scarf with Western motif: Vintage Pink, Portland, OR

This is my entry for the forever sweetheart contest over at chictopia. I just joined the site and I’m digging all the inspiring stylish peeps.  I’m obviously eager for Spring with this outfit.  You can’t see the sign I’m holding but it says, “GAVIN NEWSOM will you Be Mine?”

I made this video a couple hours ago.  Don’t worry, I’m not as depressed as you think.  Not yet, at least.

Starting now, we’re in Mary,Don’t Get in A Funk watch.

This SNL Digital Short cracked me up:

p.s. I love you Jon Hamm.

I flew down to Los Angeles to see the Pee Wee Herman Show live.  I was able to do a set at my favorite show in LA, the Tomorrow Show, then flew out early the next morning.

I wore this outfit on the trip, and changed into a 60s dress when I performed.

Jean jacket: thrifted
Vintage Pee Wee shirt: ebay
cut-offs from old work pants
tights: F21
Boots: Paolo

The Pee Wee Show was really good.  If you didn’t already know, Pee Wee Herman is a big comedy influence of mine.  I loved Pee Wee’s Playhouse as a kid and Pee Wee’s Big Adventure will always be a favorite movie of mine.  When I saw the HBO Special of the Pee Wee show a couple years ago, it blew me away and completely inspired me.  So when I heard about the new live show I got a ticket pronto.  Unfortunately my day job cut my hours and I thought I wouldn’t be able to afford to go down to LA, but I did it anyway.   My only complaint was that the show wasn’t entirely new.  There were a lot of new characters and bits (which were awesome) but the main story of the show was the same as the original HBO special.   That was a bit disappointing for me.

Nevertheless, I will always be a Pee Wee fan.  I got a picture with Paul Reubens when he was here in SF for Sketchfest in 2007:

Photo from Johnny’s in the Basement blog

Every once and a while I get a song stuck in my head. I had to look up the lyrics on the web, because I forgot the name of the artist.  Then I found him.  Vic Chesnutt.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the song available on YouTube (I was looking for the song titled “Bug”).  When I looked further, I found out he had died on December 25, 2009.  This SF Examiner article does a good job of describing how inspiring and talented Chesnutt was and also the sad state of our health care system.

I first heard of Chesnutt when I took a southern lit class in college.  Our professor made us mixed cds with southern music.  Vic Chesnutt’s song “Bug” was on the cd.  I would play that track over and over again.  I remember loving the melody and his haunting voice, the storytelling lyrics.  Vic Chesnutt, you will be missed.

Vintage wool skirt: thrifted
Vintage blouse: ebay
Sweater: Mervyn’s (RIP)
Tights: Target
Boots: Paolo
Bag: custom bag made out of my Dad’s army shirt by UnderWing Designs (super special! I’ll totally do a more deserving post on UnderWing Designs once her etsy is up)

I’m stoked about the new Final Fantasy album.  I was super bummed to find out Owen Pallett was playing at Bottom of the Hill the night I was performing at the Punch Line.  I still haven’t seen him live, and it’s a damn, sad shame.  Here’s a single off his new album (I heard it playing at Urban Outfitters.  The dude is blowing up!)

Another song I’ve been playing on repeat is this one by Nat Baldwin.  I’m a sucker for strings!

And I just viewed all the looks from John Galliano’s Dior couture show on style.com via Gertie’s New Blog for Better Sewing. These were some of my favorites:

HOT! WANT!

Into it…

Totally into those mustard gloves.

And how can you not be into a collection when the designer himself gets into it?

I put my hair in pin-curls today.  I’ll be sleeping in them for a hot date I have tomorrow.  And when you know you’ll look slightly ridiculous anyway, I guess it gives you the confidence to wear stuff you haven’t thought of wearing together.  Sock garters on top of tights underneath shorts?  Totally.

Blouse: Found it on the street
Shorts and tights: F21
Sock garters: thrifted
White socks: H&M
Shoes: Delia’s

Alright, I put major effort into my hair yesterday.  I straightened it, then put it in curlers, and suffered through walking into Walgreen’s looking like a Russian grandmother with a scarf around my head.

The outcome?  I looked damn good… pardon me, DAAAMN good.  But I didn’t get any shots, but my friend Sylvain took this neat-o one of me.

I wore the same dress I wore on NYE, because where else will I be able to wear it if not at a vintage event I’m performing at?  I performed again tonight, and I figure I gotta try and milk this hair for all it’s worth. So here goes my first attempt at the ol’ 40s-inspired victory rolls via Strawberry Koi’s video tutorial.

I think it turned out pretty good for day-after hair.  This dress was the one I wore in my most recent vlog.  Ah, isn’t it dreamy!?!?  I love it!
Dress: Shareen Vintage in Los Angeles