Bibliophiles Anonymous

It's amazing how, to some people, stories stay in the pages of the books in which they are written while, to others, they became a tangible and powerful part of reality.  Last night, Iris and I were engaged in a dialogue about book quotes because of an article we found on Buzzfeed.  We were both totally overwhelmed with excitement every time we came across another beautiful quote, even if it came from a book we hadn't read before (many of them did...), and then I mentioned the quotes to some other people, and they thought that they were very well-written but didn't succumb to butterflies and euphoria the way that I did. 

 

<3 Frances

Monday Music, Almost August

July 2015 is in its last week, and we're pretty much halfway through 2015.  Crazy, right?  I'm still wrapping my mind around the fact that the fall will be here soon, bringing with it back-to-school (SAT time, woohoo!) and Halloween and crisp red leaves.  September 23rd (the Autumnal Equinox) may seem far off right now, sure, but it's almost August.... I need to get my school bag together and turn my academic brain on again. I've studied this summer, done a lot of writing, found some time to read (I'm working on Les Miserables now), and worked on my youth Spanish teacher intern-gig-thing, but thinking about my graphing calculator isn't exactly my mental default mode.  I should probably have a sit-down with it and ask it to reveal its secrets to me.  (Sum of an arithmetic sequence? Tell me how, TI-84, please!)
All that said, though, music is always helpful in any situation.  Here's today's playlist:

Lykke Li: "Little Bit"

Alt-J: "Bloodflood"

Cat Power: "Metal Heart"

Bjork: "Venus as a Boy"

Happy wishes for everyone today!

<3 Frances

Inspiration: Mexican Folk Art

Art has an amazing ability to bring a wide range of feelings and memories to the surface simply by sharing itself with you.  Language, I've found, can have a similar effect.  When I was little, my grandmother, who passed away a few years ago but continues to be a huge part of my life, bought the book First Thousand Words in Spanish.  Flash forward a little over a decade later, and I've taken all the Spanish classes available at school and love practicing it.  Am I fluent?  Not at all!  But I'm working on getting better, and I've even had bilingual dreams ("sueños").  Anyway, the reason I'm talking about Spanish and art is that this post is about Mexican folk art, which I find incredibly beautiful and colorful.  It also always makes me think of Dia de los Muertos, which not only falls on my birthday but is also one of my favorite holidays because it is all about communicating with and celebrating (not mourning) dead loved ones.

 

Espero que ustedes tengan un dia divertido :).

<3 Frances

Songs on Repeat

I can't stop pressing replay on these songs....

Nick Vallee (Folly & The Hunter): "Set This House On Fire"

M83: "Outro"

The Antlers: "Sylvia"

<3 Frances 

Friday Music

Friday is a good day for dance-y music, even if you're under the weather (which some of us here are).  Here are a few songs to add a little dance to your day.  (Note: Be prepared for a dose of 1983.)

Katrina & The Waves: "Walking on Sunshine"

David Guetta: "Titanium" (ft. Sia)

Jet: "Are You Gonna Be My Girl?"

Of Monsters and Men: "Little Talks"

Fun: "We Are Young" (ft. Janelle Monae)

Michael Franti & Spearhead: "Life Is Better With You"

<3 Frances

Time Travel: 1910s Style

Yay!  Time for going back in time via photography again!  I think these pictures from the 1910s are really interesting because they're somehow capable of being both timelessly beautiful and somewhat eerie (you know, like Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children).  When we think "vintage fashion," we often end up thinking of the swing dresses of the 1940s and miniskirts of the '60s, but the 1910s had a unique fashion sense all their own that can totally be incorporated into modern day outfits.  Hobble skirts, of course, are 100% optional.  

 

I'm sending strength for everyone's week!

<3 Frances

For the Love of Blouses

For some reason, saying the word "blouse" makes me feel incredibly fancy and vintage-y at the same time.  No, this isn't a shirt...it's a blouse.  BAM.  I'm all of a sudden imagining some sort of crossover world between 1930s/1940s New York City and the old cathedrals and libraries of the United Kingdom.  But blouses can take you other places, too, like the neon streets of Tokyo or the bohemian scene that is Coachella.

Happy Friday!

<3 Frances

Tuesday Soundtrack

For your auricular enlightenment today....

Florence + The Machine: "Over the Love"

Lykke Li: "Breaking It Up"

We Were Promised Jetpacks: "Conductor"

Atlas Genius: "Symptoms"

<3 Frances

1950s Fashion Inspiration

It's always fun to revisit style's past lives, and the clothes of the 1950s (as well as those inspired by them!) are instantly recognizable. 

<3 Frances