Clones

Can you figure out which is the real Rachel Marie?

Winner gets 1,000 points.      

 Outfit Details:

T-shirt//Hand-me-down
Necklace//Vintage
Skirt//Vintage, Alfred Dunner
Belt//Vintage
Shoes//The Quirky Poet
Ring//Antique

Cheater Cheater Pumpkin Eater

The EBEW assignment: to wear black and white. And I tried. I really did. But I have no black shoes! (Aside from this hideous pair of black combat boots that I only wear for utilitarian purposes.) Such an atrocity, I know. But here is my black and white outfit...with a sneaky pair of brown flats. (Please don't give me an F!)

How does an avid shopper like me end up with no black or white shoes? Well, I think I just get too distracted by the oddball shoes. I wear peach shoes with tassels on them. I'm the quirky poet, after all. I'm drawn to strange things by nature. Most times it takes effort for me to incorporate basics in my wardrobe, let alone an outfit compiled entirely of basics. It's a miracle that I have a LBD and black tights in my possession!

Mixing patterns and textures is easy for me. (Check out this pattern frenzy.) Wearing solid colors alone? Not so much. Part of me thinks I ought to work on this...another part (a larger part really) thinks that I should just be me and not worry about it.

Besides, if all these photos were in black and white, you wouldn't have been able to tell that I cheated.

Details:

Photos taken by Josh.

Blouse//Vintage, 1970s
Dress//Vintage, 1990s
Tights//Worthington
Shoes//Vintage via The Paraders
Handbag//Antique, 1950s
Bracelets//Charlotte Russe




 

Everyday Vintage

There is no sweater I adore more than this cozy friend. I live in this sweater. I've been informed that it is "the frumpiest sweater in existence," but I beg to argue that this is what makes it so perfect. Its over-sized, draping goodness is unmatched.

To some, vintage clothing seems inaccessible as everyday wear. But this sweater is proof that vintage can be everyday. It is possible to find vintage that is comfortable and soft. Not every vintage piece is dry clean only, scratchy wool, and made with shoulder pads.

The plaid dress and shoes in this ensemble are vintage as well. Amazing that a dress from the 1970s could appear so modern. Fashion is cyclical, so it's a wonder that more people don't use vintage in their wardrobes.

Incorporating vintage into your life becomes easier with practice, and after a while, it becomes difficult to go a day without wearing at least one vintage item.

Special thank you to Steffy of Steffy's Pros and Cons and The Paraders Vintage for the giveaway which earned me this delightful plaid dress! <3

Details:

Photos all taken by Josh! Isn't he so talented?!

Dress//Paraders Vintage, 1970s

Sweater//Vintage (Thrifted) 1980s

Pocket Watch Necklace//ModCloth

Tights//Target

Shoes//Paraders Vintage, 1980s

Rope Ring//Charlotte Russe

Cross-stitch ring//Antique

 

Featured Poet: Courtney Rose Kendall

the smell of death still lingers
on the tip of my tongue,
oozing from bloodylips
wafting purple, cold.
i wish i could die
before i reach my grave,
i.want.to.destroy.every.thing

I once fell asleep in the
honeyfields, alone and afraid
where you promised
(you promised!)
to take me away
salty ocean spray
burning in my eyes
my hair floating
on the ice cold water--
adrift in your oceans
of (broken)vows.
the ones we told ourselves
blanketed in velvet night,
the moon swallowing up
the hill, our bodies, our kisses
transforming words into motion
(upon the earth’s sad face)

I want to cry out to the birds
and the rocks and the fields
and the wild sun(rays)
of the fury you have spread
— wildfire in my bones—
I want to crush you, curse you, hate you
yet the corset that we tied
when i whimpered and longed for you
is unsnippable

one day i stitched
the sheets to the mattress
divided the bed right down
the middle in scarlet thread
in my emptiness, I drew
a line dividing our room
in half and stole
the segment of my soul I gave you
that night I loved you under the autumn leaves
the wind breezing through my hair
and the moonlight glowing on golden skin

I snatched a glance at the photograph you gave me
snipped you out and left you lying on the floor
a beautiful frame of that dreadful night
you poured my happy heart into your glass of wine

i am only a memory. a shadow. a grey, grey memory.




_________________________________________________________________


Featured Poet: Courtney Rose Kendall is a very dear friend of mine and the sister of my sweet Josh. Over the years it has been so wonderful having someone with whom I can exchange poetry. Her writing is very passionate, so it's no wonder she is a part of the slam poetry movement. I love her style. It always inspires me. Her imagery is always so strong and so poignant. "Corset Bound Heart(s)" is my most favorite of her poems. The mental pictures of stitching the sheets to the mattress and the unsnippable corset have been permanently printed on my mind. (Hence, my little heart doodle.)


To read more of her work, visit her facebook page and her blog.


_________________________________________________________________

Are you a poet? I'd love to feature your original work!
Submission Guidelines:
Subject matter is not limited, though profanity is discouraged.
You must be a follower of The Quirky Poet.
You may send your poems to rachelmarie@thequirkypoet.com.
All work is subject to editing if I deem it necessary.


Thanks for reading!

Rajesh's Sweater Vest

For those of you who have not yet seen my “Soft Kitty, Warm Kitty” post, this is probably news to you: I’M OBSESSED WITH THE BIG BANG THEORY. Picking a favorite character is impossible since they’re all incredibly brilliant and have their own distinctive styles, but I have quite a fondness for Rajesh Koothrappali. He’s just so endearing. 

Along with our mutual affection for sweater vests, Raj and I have a lot in common. The most obvious similarity is our pouty, puppy dog, brown eyes. Aren’t we precious?

In social situations Raj is usually the fourth wheel on the tricycle, poor baby. I too end up the wall flower in most social scenes, not that I mind much. Actually, I prefer it. That’s where Raj and I are different.

Though Raj is from India, he hates Indian cuisine. I don’t care much for it either, but I don’t care for the spicy, burn-your-taste-buds-off kind of food anyway.

Raj does practice Hindu religious principles when it suits him, and he practices yoga. I practice yoga on a semi-daily basis, too. Like Raj, I like to use yoga to calm my mind in uncomfortable social situations.

Raj is frightened to death of women. He uses yoga techniques so that he can stand in the same room as them “without urinating.” I’m not afraid of women (considering I am one), but the tiny, angry Vietnamese ladies at the nail salon my mom likes frighten me just a little.

  

And I should mention that Raj is a brilliant astro-physicist. Well, I’m no physicist, but I got a B in my astronomy class last year. So we could talk about solar flares and other space stuff if Raj had consumed enough alcohol to make conversing with me comfortable.

What I'm Wearing:

Earrings//Vintage

Sweater Vest//Vintage, 1960s

Blouse//J. Crew, Thrifted

Owl Broach//Antique

Cameo Ring//Antique

Jeans//Target

Shoes//Payless

 

 Photos of Kunal Nayyar (aka Rajesh Koothrappali) are credited to the makers of The Big Bang Theory, which airs on CBS.

Goals, Promises, Resolutions

This is the first year I've made resolutions and documented them. I can see why people enjoy it so much. Optimistically laying out plans for the next year freshens and inspires the spirit in a way. So here are my resolutions for 2012 (though I prefer to think of them as goals or little promises to myself).

A lot of this is to do with time management. Being a college student is taxing on personal time. I always promise myself not to allow college to subtract from what I love or to subtract from how many hours of sleep I have each night. Nothing is so important that it should deprive me of my life.

What are your goals for this year? I have a feeling mine will extend far beyond this little list. 2011 was a rather challenging year for me, so I'm sure 2012 can only be better!