Valentine’s day is kind of like New Years - overrated! Every Valentine’s in New York was bitter, bitter cold - one year I even had to trudge through 2 feet of snow in a pair of enormous Lanvin-esque platforms to find a cab. Behind every cynic there’s a disappointed idealist, I’ll admit - sure, I’d love to be whisked away to the Maldives, but those things only happen if you’re dating a 50 year old hedge fund something or other. Fortunately or unfortunately, the jury is still out - I prefer 28 year olds. It also seems I prefer 28 year olds with no income (also called business school), so why not do he and I a favor and go for Naughty Secretary Club over Tiffany this year? That’s LOVE!
And, I am a complete sucker for things like this: “What movie kiss are you?” from Quizfarm.com. I scored Mary Jane from Spiderman!
Naughty Secretary Club laser cut Austin heart $24
Victoria’s Secret tuxedo babydoll $88
Paul Pape “Wii Belong Together” chocolates $20
Marc Jacobs mirror compact $5
Just got home from the Austin Blue Genie Art Bazaar - and was able to get the bulk of the Christmas gift giving taken care of, thank god! Me plus the beau equals sometimes the most procrastinating pair. The Blue Genie is known to many Austinites as a rival to the Armadillo Bazaar - but to me it was a cutsey, warm and ultra original offering of Austin designers, painters and just good old artisans. As I’ve mentioned before, drinking & shopping is one of my favorite sports - so how convenient that a bar is at the main entrance. While there - I was able to view some blog friend’s booths - Amy Barber of Sweettooth, Jennifer Perkins of Naughty Secretary Club and Natalie Tischler of Ornamental Things. I actually ended up buying a gorgeous flower cocktail ring from Ornamental Things - but had to stop myself there because Christmas is the time for GIVING, not receiving - which is often hard for me to grasp in a venue full of such authentic style.
Regardless of my uninhibited spending habits - it was amazing how there was a gift for every genre, be it wooden spoons with pearl embellishments, Obama print lace napkins, or psychedlic pug art (for my mom). One of the great things about gift giving this year, and the next - is being able to chalk it up to being in a novel city bursting with eccentricity, and having it be so easy. Whatever city I live in next, I can’t use the excuse “oh we’re only in Austin two years” anymore to rationalize the spending. With any luck, I’ll be able to rationalize future shopping sprees while chilling in an apartment in Amsterdam, London - or even back in New York.
When: Thru December 24th -10am to 10pm Sun-Thurs, til 12pm Fri & Sat, and til 6pm Sun.
Where: The Monarch Events Center - 6406 North IH-35, Austin, TX
Visit www.BlueGenieArt.com
Being new to Austin - and so far away from the saturation of fashion my life and work were in New York, I’ve been searching for any form of inspiration I can get these days. While doing so, I was lucky enough to meet the brains behind Naughty Secretary Club - Austinite Jennifer Perkins - at the E.A.S.T. design tour this past November. (see post: Keep Austin Weird: E.A.S.T. Design Tour). After drooling over the website and reading her bio - I realized that she is a huge part of STITCH, an Austin fashion week of sorts that I had read about before moving here. Usually I would think, oh what a small world - but now I realize maybe it’s just leaving a city of 8 million.
Stitch aside (no worries it will make an appearance again), her pieces are kitschy chic and make you feel giddy just looking at them. The combinations of objects - leopard bow headbands with little dolls sewn on - you really can’t find anything like it anywhere else. There’s a lot of dichotomy & irony with the jewelry - not too serious but seriously adorable. Anyone’s design aesthetic that encompasses femininity, color, and eccentricity - I can’t get enough of.
The wearer of many hats that is Jennifer Perkins, has also begun carving a niche in the Austin art scene - with her fancy Fro Lady works of art. What’s a Fro Lady? She basically embellishes the hair (fro) of a vintage photograph with oldie estate chachkies. My friend who tagged along at the event actually ended up splurging on one for her bachelorette pad. Call me crazy, but I think that’s a pretty ideal response for your first stab at art in a city of artists.
Powder Puff Puss Hair Clips $14.00
Cigarettes Will Kill You necklace $18.00
Kissy Face earrings $28
Finally - the Fro Lady! Somewhere around $150 (art is an investment!)
Shop www.NaughtySecretaryClub.com
