Apr 8, 2011 
Hiding in Plain Sight
camera: iPhone 3GS
application: Instagram
filter: Hefe
behind the lens: Chris
The Gata typically comes to us when she's called. The only exception is when she is hiding under the bench in the entry. We call her and call her, but she ignores us and remains frozen under that bench. She can't see us, so she assumes we can't see her.
Hey Gata, I know you're there!
Apr 6, 2011 Often, little attention is paid to what the groom wears to the wedding. September 24, 2011 isn't my day, it's our day and I want Chris to look smokin' hot. I mean, er, handsome. When I say I want him to look handsome, that means that I think he should look classic and, more importantly, he should look like a man. No polyester satin vest and tie that matches the matching bridesmaids dresses. There's a difference between matching and coordinating, no?
I do have a couple hangups: 1. The ill-fitting, rental tuxes at the high school prom left a bad taste in my mouth for the classic tuxedo; 2. Menswear is a foreign fashion land to me. I know some basics, like the difference between a shawl collar and a notch collar, but that's where it ends.
In sum, my problem is that I apparently have a lot of opinions about menswear, but not enough experience to know exactly what's appropriate or where to find it.
I popped by Nerd Boyfriend this morning to get started. If you haven't been there, I encourage you to check it out. The blog, run by Roxana Altamirano, offers pointers on recreating ensembles worn by a variety of icons.
Above: Screenshot of Nerd Boyfriend. This particular post features Michael Caine.
After Nerd Boyfriend, I stopped by the only places I knew that offered great menswear Chris would like: J.Crew, John Varvatos, and Blackbird. Luckily, I was able to catch Chris on IM so we could go back and forth about what he preferred. Here are our favorite pieces thus far:
1. Ludlow three-button suit jacket with center vent from J.Crew in black; 2. Linen pocket square from J.Crew; 3. Silk basket weave tie from Blackbird; 4. Spring Fever bow tie by Forage; 5. Murray Dress Oxfords by John Varvatos.
Anyone have any formal menswear resources they'd like to share?
Apr 4, 2011 I'm moving a little slowly today, what with a busy, fun-filled weekend behind me. Chris and I had a crew over to our house last night for pizza (that's Chris's dough you see in the image above!). We found an aged whole milk mozzarella at Whole Foods that has become our new favorite. It melted beautifully and had a pull that any Slice post would feature! The favorite pizzas of the night were split between two white pies: the first, a smoked mozarella/roasted garlic and the second (my favorite), a kalamata olive/fresh ricotta. Hooray for leftovers!
In other, non-food news, I found a beauty of a serger at an estate sale on Saturday!
She sings, doesn't she? I can't wait to start sewing knits. Pictured below is Wendy Mullin's Sew U Home Stretch: The Built by Wendy Guide to Sewing Knit Fabrics
Happy Monday!
Mar 31, 2011 Lily 1
camera: likely my Canon Rebel xti
settings: unknown
behind the lens: me
Atop my spring cleaning list is "organize blog image files" because, in order to build some of the features of my new website, I need to locate and resize all Lavender Honey images to date. This may seem like a mundane, simple task and you're right, it would be - if I had been organized from the beginning. Not only are different versions of the same image saved on multiple computers, I've also been giving ambiguous names to photos, such as "cool lighting," "awesomeness," or "yum." Needless to say, my mindless spring cleaning task has turned into a puzzle.
I did, however, rediscover a few images along the way. These lilies are one such example. They live in our backyard, near the stairs to the deck. I remember photographing them sometime late last summer when their fragrance was at its peak. Lovely, aren't they? The smell of lilies reminds me of prom; not a specific prom, but many vague memories packed into one collective idea of what prom smells like.
Lily 2
***Photoshop Nerd Alert, Technical Discussion Ahead***
When I found the psd files for lily 1 and lily 2, they were untouched. Minimalist retouching is my taste these days, so both have very little adjustments. Lily 3 (below), on the other hand, has some more intensive retouching.
When I opened the file I could tell by the existing layers that I was using what I call my "Versace" Photoshop style. In 2006 Vincent Versace published a book called, Welcome to Oz 2.0: A Cinematic Approach to Digital Still Photography with Photoshop
Lily 3
Below is an animated gif that attempts to illustrate how each successive layer changes the image. Pay particular attention to the foreground at the bottom of the image...the subtle shift is nice, no?
Going through my images has been a lot like cleaning out my closet - there are always a few forgotten gems tucked away, begging to be rediscovered!
Mar 30, 2011 The Bolero. You're a curious kind of cover-up, aren't you? And for a late September outdoor wedding in Seattle, I need you don't I? If only I could find the perfect one.
Top: Alencon Lace Bridal Shrug by Elizabeth Dye for The English Department; Center Left: Bow-Topped Bolero (back) by BHLDN; Center Right: Bow-Topped Bolero (front) by BHLDN; Bottom: Rosemund Bolero by BHLDN.
Elizabeth Dye's lace shrug (top) is nearly perfect for my dress. I question, however, whether additional lace is something I'd want to see.
I like BHDLN's cover-ups, but either the detailing or the color throws me off. For example, their Bow-Topped Bolero (center left and right) has a nice bow in the back, but the two in front, along with the ruffles, are overkill for my taste. I have the same thought about the Rosemund Bolero (bottom): While I adore the drape, there too many flowers and the purple won't coordinate with the colors I'm working with.
Sadly, it's beginning to seem as though I may have to design a bolero for myself. I've accepted that. To get myself started, I browsed Etsy to see what vintage bolero patterns were available.
Top Left: Advance 5030 available at SelvedgeShop; Top Right: Butterick B5136 available at PatternPeddler; Lower Left: Advance 8087 available from OhSewCharming; Lower Right: Hollywood 1556 available from CatnipHill.
I enjoy the peter pan collar and the added drape in the Advance 5030 pattern (top left). Also, I'm interested in the Butterick pattern (top right) because of the closure in the back at the base of the neck. The second Advance pattern view 2 (bottom left) with the closure at the waist is nice as well. The gathered sleeves in the Hollywood pattern (lower right) seem exciting! I could play with those to make them more modern looking, right?
In the end, my favorite look was the McCall bolero (below), particularly view B. I'm unsure where I'll go from there but at least I have a good starting point for this project too!
Project Bolero to be continued...
