cashmere & leather

Certain combinations become more than the sum of their parts: Champagne and oysters, Roquefort and Sancerre (which I urge you to try), hot cocoa and whipped cream, pretzels and dark chocolate…cashmere and leather.

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I am no avid proponent of cashmere, generally preferring softer cotton blends, but it is warm and in this crewneck sweater I found a price/texture/color combination that I like. I do like a crewneck.

IMG_9942So…cold…

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These color combinations are a flaunting of the oft-repeated guidelines not to pair navy or brown with black. Can anyone fail to notice that black and brown are in fact phenomenal together? That black and navy, too, can be entirely pleasing? Along with navy and any shade of gray? Navy and any other blue? Navy and taupe?

By all means, match your shoes to your belt if it comforts you, but these things really must be determined on a case by case basis.

IMG_9956Express jean leggings, AllSaints leather jacket, Everlane cashmere sweater, J Crew silk camisole, Steve Madden pumps, faux fur collar (eBay), fingerless mittens (eBay), Pearls of Joy 9mm studs. On the lips: Lipstick Queen Saint lipstick in Berry.

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tea time

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This is the famous and extremely pleasant Jade Tie Guan Yin tea steeped in a cast iron tetsubin. The tea is light and distinctly floral. I steeped it in a very inattentive way and still had no issues with bitterness or overextraction, though I added a bit of honey anyway, to emphasize the natural honey note and soften the green (leafy) element.

I got a selection of the most popular traditional Chinese teas from TeaSpring and am working my way through them, albeit at a glacial pace. I’d like to develop tea rituals and make an effort to drink more of it (and less coffee, or certainly less mediocre coffee).

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I love the glaze and the delicately fluted shape of this Japanese cup. It’s a bit ridiculous how much I think about cups and glassware lately.

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