oh, ann margret. this swedish-american actress and model was known for being one of america's 1960s sex-kitten sweethearts, and it's pretty easy to understand why. that smile, that voice, and damn, that hair. for mad men fans like myself, you may remember her charming song and dance from "bye bye birdie," but she also stars in one of my favorite dance scenes, from viva las vegas, where she nearly outshines the ridiculously charismatic elvis presley. prepare to be charmed.
if you were like me today, you may have spent the early part of your morning elbowing throngs of wild-eyed women who had clearly beaten you to the caffeine by at least five or six hours. the reason? missoni's collaboration with target launched today, featuring over 400 products in the brand's signature patterns and colors. what i had seen online, and what i caught glimpses of flying through the air in the store, looked lovely, and i was even able to *politely* nab a few nice things for myself (like the dress and heels above). the less cool part? the people who frantically snatched everything up this morning just so they could sell it for tenfold on ebay.
today fab.com featured some gorgeous refurbished vintage typewriters by kasbah mod and it took everything in my power not to snatch one up. even a simple note or letter feels more special as you click clack away on one of these beautiful machines, and they are so damned good looking that i'd feel obliged to pin up my hair and put on a pencil skirt if i was in the same room with one. granted, most of them are sold out by now, but a girl can dream anyway, one carriage return at a time.
when i saw the new lanvin fall 2011 campaign video, a huge smile spread across my face. beautiful caped girls, be-hatted boys, and a funky beat by pitbull? thank you lanvin, and especially you adorable alber elbaz, for not taking fashion so seriously. check out the collection here.
if you haven't noticed already, i'm a huge fan of hand-lettered type, and native new-yorker jon contino has it in spades. he has fully embraced the old-timey, suspender-wearing, wartime-patriot, beard and tattoos aesthetic, but because each piece so clearly has his point-of-view, it still reads as modern and fresh. the textures, the small details, and the imperfections make each piece so strong, it's no wonder he's such a success. these are just a few of his pieces - the guy is insanely prolific - so check out more of his work here. he's got a great blog too!
these are not your grandmother's landscapes and portraits. the pieces you see above are the work of australian mash-up artist tchmo, who clearly has an eye for unique texture and color. his mixed-media pieces have a gritty, photocopied-feeling that suggests something more worn, while the candy vibrant color feels like something straight out of an acid trip. either way, that's a trip i'd like to take. see more of his work here.
