inspiration: summer edition

1) Old photo I took of my mom and cousin in Keremeos, BC [2007]
2) susan keegan
3) roses
4) laura letinsky

inspiration

La grève autour du monde

On my recent trip to Europe in May, I wanted to continue supporting the student strike even though I was across the ocean. My little red square travelled with me to London, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. 

LONDON

AMERSFOORT, NETHERLANDS

 In front of Piet Mondrian's house in Amersfoort ^

UTRECHT, NETHERLANDS

 At the Centraal Museum

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM

 Waiting for my Belgian waffle ^

PARIS, FRANCE

In front of Sacre Coeur in Montmartre ^

breasts

I'm just going to dive into the topic of female breasts today, okay? On CBC Radio 1's The Current this morning, Florence Williams talked to host Gillian Findlay about her new book Breasts: A Natural and Unnatural History. Williams was talking about how the topic of breasts is not often discussed. I was like, "Right on for writing a book about boobs!" In the past, even seeing a mother breast feeding in public made me uncomfortable, like I was witnessing something a little too intimate, you know? But like other body parts we're quick to cover up, isn't it about time breasts and genitals stop being taboo subjects?

It's summer now. Ladies are wearing less layers, more bathing suit tops, and baring more cleavage. I know that I personally stop wearing a bra once the heat sets in. Men love them, they can be comforting and sexy, and above all else, a source of nutrition. However, there has also been an ongoing campaign to prioritize large breasts over small ones, resulting in cosmetic procedures, distorted body image issues, and the hyper-sexualization of women in the media. So why isn't there a serious discourse about breasts?

Although their function is primarily for nursing babies post-birth, many anthropologists believe that breasts exist for men, to convey information to a potential mate about one's fertility status, youth, or health. However, many dispute this because it hasn't been proven that the man/breast love affair is universal! 

Williams' book focuses more on the health issues surrounding breasts, the toxins that can be passed through breast milk, and the easy absorption of environmental pollutants by the delicate fat in the breast, causing breast cancer and other complications.

Large, small, uneven, or disproportionate, I think we should all embrace our breasts. It's easy to consume the media's perception of what is attractive or not, but our breasts are "evolutionary masterpieces," and should be treated with care. 

Below: 

1) Diverted attention

2) Lactation Station by Jess Dobkin

Sources:

1) humongous boobs

2) marilyn monroe

3) crocheted boob

4) christina hendricks

5) madonna

6) posh spice

the sound of summer

Len, "If You Steal My Sunshine," (1999)

Secretly one of my favorite 90s tunes!

cute collars

Is there anything more twee and adorable than a peter pan collar? The collar is named after the costume actress Maude Adams wore in her role as Peter Pan in 1905. Since then, it has become a women's fashion item and is particularly associated with little girls' dresses. 

                                                                                                

I always think about the outfits Mia Farrow wore in Rosemary's Baby as the epitome of peter pan collar cuteness. 

The collar as a fashion accessory can be seen on the red carpet, decorating the necks of Hollywood's best-dressed, and, in my opinion, most endearing young actresses {via}

evan golf's spring/summer 2011 (so what if it was last year!) is super cute, using the peter pan collar and ribbon bow ties to create a preppy and quaint kinda look.

 {images via miss moss}

 -> Peter pan collar DIY here <-

Image sources:

1) peter pan

2) maude adams: here & here

3) madeline group

4) matilda

5) annie

6) hatty jones (madeline)

7) where's my steak

8) oh shit

my kind of exercise

This is probably what I look like when/if I go to the gym (never). These are images of model 

Pat Ogden at a "slenderizing salon" in New York in 1940. Using rollers and massagers on certain body parts was thought to burn fat. Reduce leg mass while making a sweater!

This pic is what I look like at the end of a workout, or a heavy night of drinking. 

(Photographs by Alfred Eisenstaedt for Life Magazine)

blue ribbons 'n bows

I have an obsession with bows. After this post I seriously began thinking of how adorable it is to tie a blue ribbon in your hair, and thought of all the places I've seen one before. Here is a small selection!

Clockwise from top left: 

1) Matilda's head

2) Oversized neon blue bow

3) Ariel of The Little Mermaid

4) Belle of Beauty and the Beast

5) Revengeful Matilda

6) Emma Watson in Ballet Shoes

7) Blue bow in the middle