the western buckle

“Once he gave her a ring with a sphinx engraved on its stone.

‘What is it?’ she asked. ‘A sphinx?’

‘Yes,’ he answered, ‘and that sphinx is you.’

‘Is it really me? she asked and slowly raised her enigmatic gaze towards him. ‘Do you know that’s very flattering?’ she added with a slight smile, but her eyes still had that strange look.”

                                                        —Fathers and Sons, Ivan Turgenev

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I picked up this belt buckle while browsing for cowboy boots at Helen’s Leather Shop in Beacon Hill. It’s embossed with a delicate floral pattern. I like the western atmosphere a large belt buckle bestows, and I often like to take turquoise with my oversized buckles. And when I wear turquoise I want to wear white…you see what’s happened here. Oh, here’s a pair of the cheap sunglasses I mentioned.

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Love the shape of this skirt, long and high-waisted with a gentle fishtail effect.

I don’t mind at all mixing brown and black.* I don’t mind mixing the varying shades of turquoise here, either. Blue nearly always seems to look good with blue, no matter which shades.

*Honestly, I don’t have a black bag. Nor is a black bag anywhere near the top of my wishlist. This is one of those wardrobe ‘staples’ I simply cannot care about, and do not remotely miss. I take this as more evidence that I should keep on doing what I want.

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 Linen skirt from ASOS, Ariat tooled leather belt, J Crew tee, Mulberry bag, Steve Madden P-Heaven flats, Skagen watch, pearl shell drops (eBay). On the lips: Bite Beauty Matte Crème lip crayon in Blood Orange (this color is electric in person, have been hearing such good things about this brand and am impressed so far). On the nails: Wet n wild I Need A Refresh-Mint.

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links: earl grey oatmeal, obi belts, coffee, pioneer boots, the language of aroma, Dostoyevsky

1. Going to try making this earl grey oatmeal with cardamom cream this weekend. (I do have a thing for cardamom)

2. Often style tips strike me as somewhere between obvious and condescending, if not wildly incompatible with individuality, but these are quite rational.

3. I want one or possibly several of these suede obi belts. Trying to decide which colors. The rust, the mint? The black definitely.

4. Found interesting this intro to tea tasting language, applicable also to fragrance, wine, beer, chocolate, coffee…anything you can smell really. Useful to have these scent categories in your head.

5. Trying to decide between a Chemex and a Clever Coffee Dripper. Maybe will try both. Have been wanting to experiment with a pour over method, particularly if it means getting this adorable gooseneck kettle.

6. I liked these two wintry Dostoyevsky short stories berfrois posted just before Christmas.

7. Nigerian menswear brand Taryor Gabriels is doing sleek, beautifully structured suits with playful details. It’s impossible to guess how I might dress if I were a man—one of those hopelessly tangled hypotheticals—but maybe like this. I hope like this. Really I may dress like this anyhow. (link  from messynessychic via GeekOutsider)

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8. OK, Doc Martens Triumph 1914 boots (with vintage-feel floral print lining) vs. Steve Madden Troopa boots. Both have that turn of the century pioneer silhouette I so often like.

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1622453-p-4xTough call, right? Thoughts? Still debating.

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