Mason Jar Terrariums

While we were out in cottage country a couple weeks ago I saw these cute mason jar terrariums on the windowsills at a little coffee shop. I liked that the terrariums were filled with local plants, such as mosses, as opposed to the more airid desert type plants.

You can get a general idea from these pictures. These would be really simple and cheap to DIY.

Chelsie’s Decorating Inspiration

I’m no mad genius, but I’ve slowly been decorating my house, which we moved into last June, on a budget. The whole process started about two years ago, when we started blogging, and I started following decorating and other DIY style blogs. We were living in a condo in the city when I started finding items by the trash outside (the furniture trash found outside apartments and condo’s can bring you some great free finds, just like cruising the curbside on certain garbage nights – I would probably stray from picking up upholstered goods though, unless I tore the guts out of it outside before letting it into the house). First I painted a cabinet bright green for the television to sit on, then we found an old French door, being ripped out of a condo being gutted, and refinished it and gave it the stained glass treatment and hung it above the bed as a floating headboard.

Here is what my living room looked like when we first moved in:

And this is what I living room looks like now. The biggest kick start to pulling the room together was getting new couches, editing out furniture, and bringing different pieces in (like sewing machine tables for side tables):

The rooms in my house are by no means finished, and there are always little things that get on my nerves, but my goal is to find things I love, or see potential in, and jazz them up. Like an ornate piece of woodwork you usually find on a piece of furniture, like a hutch, painted and hung on a wall.  I also cruise the thrift stores a lot, go to garage sales in the warmer months, sometimes attend auctions, and visit antique stores. And I try to never buy things unless I actually need them, and even then I check for quality first – solid wood, dovetailing on drawers, quality materials, etc.

Initially my colour scheme started with a print I acquired five years ago, modern with bright avocado green, black and white, and kind of expanded from there. Personally, I’m currently loving mid-century modern, mixed with more modern prints. I like the simplicity and clean look of a good mix of whites and soft gray shades. Sometimes though you just have to make a list (I like to keep mine in my head), mull it over, and keep an eye out. That’s how I finally found curtains I liked at Wal-Mart of all places. Other times you just have to be creative. I could not find curtain rods long enough to hang curtains in my front window, so instead of buying a more expensive extension rod, I used an extra curtain rod I had, that was a bit slimmer, and fit it in the middle of the rod that was already there.

I have been finding if difficult to find fun, bright and modern prints, so I have taken to purchasing outdoor fabric, which I have found especially great for upholstering furniture, as well as its affordability. Its magical cleaning properties should also be noted – this stuff is tough. We had a guest spill red wine on a cushion and it came right out with a light wipe! The heavier canvas texture might not be for everyone, but it’s working for me right now.

Where do you get your decorating inspiration? Artwork, magazines, blogs…? I find posting things on Pinterest helpful. Are you also addicted to Pinterest? Do you always have a multitude of projects on the go? Me – GUILTY! I’m also guilty of reading multiple books at the same time though.

Chevron Madness

I have been obsessing over chevron patterns for the past couple months, but other than pinning pillows I like over on Pinterest, I just couldn’t figure out a way to incorporate the sassy zigzags into my house without adding more furniture. Enter the Seussically coloured armoire in need of a makeover (previously a bright purple with grey/blue framing), and it’s makeover back to white and terrible attempt at glazing (I wanted to give it that ‘antiqued’ look, but it went soooooo wrong!). Needless to say, I won’t subject your poor doe eyes to that atrocity, but instead regal you with my three day, 8 hour endeavor into the chevron armoire makeover!

Calculator and ruler – check! I measured and drew on this grid. After starting to tape the first half of the chevrons my arms got tired. I was also about 5 hours into this project and there was a lot of bashing in of walls upstairs, but the noise stopped, so I thought it might be safe to go upstairs.

The next day. House intact, no large holes in walls upstairs, but new wiring for entrance inside light going well, phew! Finish chevron taping.

Now on day 3. Paint in the lines my pretty silver chevrons. Silver paint from dollar store. Paint 2 coats, wait about an hour.

Taking off the tape while it was still damp I got some pretty clean lines. In some areas small amounts of silver paint peeled off, but those were easily touched up. Now that the paint is cured that silver paint is not going anywhere.

I may still have my grid in these pictures, but I used a white eraser and scrubbed all those marks off. I really like how it turned out. It’s still simple and elegant, not too busy as I feared. I wouldn’t want it to become a circus!

Step 1 in my basement spare bedroom decorating missing completed! Step 2? Painting the brass bedframe we found at a garage sale last weekend a delightful and happy peacock blue. Next step after that, finding a bed.

It has been a busy summer of home projects, and furniture makeovers. Currently our shed holds these projects: 4 antique doors, 2 chairs to be reupholstered, 1 bedframe, 1 frame… and I’m sure there is more.

Do you have a DIY fever? Chevron fever? Taking on too many projects? Busy upcycling, crafting, or addicted to Pinterest? Tell!

I Want to Wear the Ocean…Ironically

Are you tired of biology fashion posts yet? I know, I know, I’ve already gone on about lobster dresses and Charley Harper and dressed like a shark (three times) and styled myself as a bird documentary and found inspiration in slime mold and professed my love for scarves that look like marine tube worms…

But I only have four words for you: Giant Horseshoe Crab Pin!

Ahhhhhh!

This amazing piece of jewelry is the work of Hanna Bernhard, a husband and wife jewelry team based in France. I can’t afford any of their pieces, and I will probably have to settle for bedazzling an actual horseshoe crab and training it to sit on my shoulder*, but a girl can dream, right?

Or, I could go with the Blue Lobster Pin/Necklace…

*And I will name him Skippy, since that seems ironic** for a horseshoe crab.

**That’s totally not the right use of “ironic.”*** I blame Alanis.

***Let’s just pretend I’m using it the way hipsters do.

Love for Charley Harper*

*No, not Charlie Harper. Shudder. We shall mention that name no more.

This weekend, Brittney posted her new fantastic Charley Harper wall and reminded me just how much I love Charley Harper.

For those of you who don’t know and therefore don’t love Charley Harper yet (don’t worry, you soon will), Harper was a modernist artist famous for his simple, stylized and yet highly accurate illustrations of wildlife. The zoologist in me loves how precisely and perfectly Harper captured the essence of life with as few lines as possible, the fashionista in me loves the rich colors Harper used, and the goofball in me loves how much sass Harper could make everything from a raccoon to a Euglena have.

Most people know Harper for his bird pictures:

But I love Harper for how he took the animals most people don’t adore (grubs, lizards, waterstriders, etc.) and showed how beautiful they are.

I think the only thing better than having Charley Harper on your walls would be to have Charley Harper on your person (in a totally non-dirty way, of course). Design house Celine secured the rights to five of Harper’s prints and incorporated them into their 2009 resort wear collection. Biology and style, such a perfect combination!

The shoes have fish on them!

So what do you think? I’ve seen clothing inspired by Picasso, Monet, Polluck and Mondrian; does it work with Harper’s style? And who knows where I can find those shoes?

If I Should Have a Daughter… and Hiroshima

Ever since the earthquake in Japan, Sarah Kay’s spoken-word poem “Hiroshima” has been running through my head.

When looking for a copy of the poem to share, I came across her amazing Ted Talk and found eighteen minutes of beautiful inspiration and passion.

And I have to agree, Anderson Cooper is a gorgeous man.

Inspiring Feminist TED Talks

Thank goodness the world is full of such intelligent, passionate, eloquent and determined women.

Isabel Allende and her Tales of Passion

Courtney Martin, founder of Feministing, and the Revival of Feminism

Ngozi Okongo-Iweala and the Economy of Women

Nellie McKay (a favorite of Chelsie and Katie) performs her song “Mother of Pearl”

Katie Daily Style – Possessions, Copies and Thieves

• Grey trousers – The Loft
• White top – Target
• Purple blazer – thrifted
• Paisley scarf – Target
• Red flats – Hush Puppies
• Train pin – thrifted

I’ve just finished re-reading A.S. Byatt’s Possession. I read the book every 3-4 years, devoting at least two weeks to Byatt’s astoundingly beautiful ways with words.

There are things which happen and leave no discernible trace, are not spoken or written of, though it would be very wrong to say that subsequent events go on indifferently, all the same, as though such things had never been. Two people met, on a hot May day, and never later mentioned their meeting. This is how it was.

(Although, in the case of the photo below, it should really be, “Two turtles met…”)

Then, I (foolishly) went and watched the film adaptation of the book, and was left highly disgruntled. I suspect if I’d never read the book I would have liked the movie a great deal more, but knowing and loving the original just made the latter copy seem a pale impression.

And my thoughts on Possession got me thinking about my thoughts (yep, thinking about my thoughts – bow down to the meta-queen) on style blogging. Specifically, my thoughts on “style chains” and inspiration. We all do it, and the good ones of us give credit where credit’s due, but does it work? Looking at this outfit here, I can see how I was inspired by both Clare and Elaine, but I still prefer their takes on the cropped pants, t-shirt and a scarf look to my own. Can my copy ever live up to my original references?

Picasso’s rumored to have said that,

Bad artists copy. Good artists steal.

Am I a copycat? Am I a thief? Does it matter? And why aren’t there more giant reptiles available for me to sit on?

How do you interpret inspiration from others?

On a unrelated note, any idea how to interpret a reoccurring dream in which the guys who sang Macarena mow your lawn while speaking in Samoan?

Snake Dress (Don’t Look, Sarah)

If I can’t have my lobster dress, then I suspect I need one with snakes on it. So much cooler than snakeskin print, and I’ve already worn the actual snakes…

Katie Daily Style – What a Feminist Looks Like (Old School)

• Grey tank top – Target
• Black cardigan – Target
• Black embroidered shawl – little shop in Arizona
• Skinny jeans – Silver
• Shoes – thrifted

The following is my contribution to Fashionable Academics’ call for proposal: What Does a Feminist Look Like?

Growing up next to Concord, Massachusetts, I spent a lot of time at Louisa May Alcott’s house. Mostly because I adored Little Women, but also because her family home, Orchard House, sat on a silly, little,  hard-to-navigate rotary just past the center of town and chances were good you weren’t getting out after just one pass.

And there’s Louisa May Alcott’s house…and there it is again…oh, look, we’re back.

While there are many reasons Alcott will always have a place in my heart, today I love her because she begins my own story of feminism. It was standing in her hallway, on a field trip when I was twelve, that I first learned about suffrage and the fight for equal rights.

Alcott was a strong supporter of civil rights for everyone, and the first woman to register to vote in the town of Concord. It was Alcott’s story of suffrage, played out both in her life and her novels, that introduced me to the stories and words of the other suffragettes: Susan B. Anthony, Jane Adams, Amelia Bloomer, Lucy Burns, Lucretia Mott, Dr. Anna Howard Shaw, Margaret Sanger, Mary Wollenscraft and many others. These women astounded me with the strength, compassion, conviction and amazing bravery it took to try and change the world. And while I have since read many texts by the feminists who followed down the path those first fighters forged, it is always that early generation I return to. It is always women like Alcott, who believed in the beautifully simple yet immeasurably powerful idea that all people are equal and deserve equal rights, who stir and call my spirit to action, reminding me that I am a feminist.

I believe that it is as much a right and duty for women to do something with their lives as for men and we are not going to be satisfied with such frivolous parts as you give us. – Louisa May Alcott

I like to help women help themselves, as that is, in my opinion, the best way to settle the woman question. Whatever we can do and do well we have a right to, and I don’t think any one will deny us. – Louisa May Alcott

Women have been called queens for a long time, but the kingdom given them isn’t worth ruling.- Louisa May Alcott

In defining myself as a feminist, I must be honest and say that part of my allegiance and love for those first feminists stems from my own disagreement with some contemporary interpretations and reactions to feminism. I am frustrated with how the trope of feminism has been rejected by those who claim there’s nothing we need to fight for anymore, and I am furious with those who use “feminism” as an excuse and lazy scapegoat to propagate beliefs and behaviors that do not advance the fight for equality.

For example, I tire of the idea that equality for women means women must behave like men. I rage against declarations that the Girls Gone Wild culture is an example of positive sexual liberation and empowerment to be embraced. I become frustrated at critics who scorn people’s attempt to imagine a post-third wave feminism that combines traditions of womanhood with the advancements of equality. I roll my eyes when I’m told that my personal sexual choices mean I am supporting my own patriarchal oppression. And I want to pull my hair out when I hear those declarations made in the name of feminism. I refuse to participate in a feminism that decides acceptable and expected behaviors for women and judges and chastises those who chose not to subscribe. Feminism is meant to be empowering, not restricting. I know that these ideas and attitudes do not define the majority of feminists, but I go back to the first suffragettes whenever I need a palate cleanser to remind me why I believe in the feminist movement.

I am a feminist because I believe in absolute and equal rights for all people of all ages, abilities, cultures, sexual orientations and faiths. And I am a feminist because I believe it is the right of every individual to decide who they will be, how they will behave, and what they will believe. And I will happily agree to disagree with any other person on the smaller points of defining and interpreting feminism as long as we can place our ideas on that foundation of equality. And I think Louisa May Alcott would approve.

Let my name stand among those who are willing to bear ridicule and reproach for the truth’s sake, and so earn some right to rejoice when the victory is won. – Louisa May Alcott

The Glam, The Glitz, The Jillabeeya

There are few places I have been with a more skewed sense of reality than Dubai. From springs and green grass in the desert, to islands built in the sea, basically this is a place where limits only exist when the money has run out. But there is a beauty here. The newest buildings that tickle your mind with creativity, the perfectly turquoise waters that are warmly inviting but cool to touch, and the sand hills that match the camels silhouette. But for myself , one of the most beautiful sites to see in Dubai are the women who make up the small, but regal, Emirati population. Their style and clothes are like none I have ever seen elsewhere, a mix of both religious tradition and modern creativity. Now, there is a disclaimer here; I am no expert on this world of dress, and I am no expert on the religion of Islam. This is simply my general surveillance out of my times spent in Dubai, and of course, could never apply to each and every woman living in the UAE. What this piece is intended to be, is a loving observation (and slight jealousy) of how the Emirati women epitomize glamour, beauty, and class. So pack your camel milk, wrap up your dates, and float with me on a cloud of hubbly bubbly into a small but far from humble world in the middle of the desert…..

First you have to start with the abaya. This long black cloak drapes generously to the ground, with at least a few inches left to glide along the floor. The cloak is wide enough to hide any hint of a persons shape, but don’t let this fool you into thinking it is unflattering. If anything, this extra fabric literally flows around the women, giving off an air of mystique and curiosity that they are literally floating by you. Depending on the occasion or time of day, the abaya will be laced with embroidery, jewels, fabric or sequins. That’s not to say they whipped out the be-dazzler that morning, though nothing is wrong with a be-dazzler. The quality of these embellishments can be seen miles away, and the intricacy, colour, and designs are one way of taking a simple concept of clothing, a black robe, and making it that persons own (as any style lover does).

Details of the abaya, this one embracing some twilight love

More details, how much do you love these sleeves?

Secondly, you find the shaila or hejjab, the head scarf that covers the hair as per tradition. If the abaya has an embellishment, shaila will match it like an 80’s child’s shorts will match their scrunchie. It will be whirled up and set upon what I can only assume is a hair bun, to achieve a height at least a few inches above the head. Whenever I see the height of the shailas, I think to how I like to tease my hair to create body. So I suppose this method is what can been seen as the Emirati’s version of ‘oomph’. Also, while some women who adorn a hejjab will tuck in all their hair, Emirati women will leave a little bang peaking out, revealing their jet black hair. Oh, my jealousy continues!

Golden vision

 

Oomph-age!

Thirdly, because style goes beyond clothing, you’ve got to note the accessories! These are essential in completing the look, and again can add creativity and fashion to what can otherwise be a very simple look. Watches, bracelets, handbags, sunglasses and the shoes; these are blinged out and catch your eye like a fish on a hook. I don’t follow ‘high’ fashion by any means, so I cannot tell you if these are the latest Channel bags or Tiffany tennis bracelets. But I have heard that they likely come from the most famous fashion houses, and by all means they look as they could be. Its another element to the Emirati style that is not to be missed.

Perfect example: belt, handbag, earrings, sunglasses, and phone. Its all there and all necessary.

Speaks for itself.

Finally, and this is something I note with my Arab relatives as well as Emirati women, is the makeup. Unashamedly bold and flawless. The half inch black eye liner, rouge stroked cheek, and ruby lips put the final touches to an look that is alluring, classical, modern, traditional, extravagant, and unique.

Note how the lips match perfectly with the "fur".

I love the rainbow effect here, the colour is amazing.

But enough talk, more photos to further showcase the glitz and glam that is the Emirati style….

Literary Inspiration – Charles Darwin

The link in last week’s Thursday Links to a mix-tape for Alice (of Wonderland fame) reminded me that it’s been a long time since I created a “fashion mix-tape” inspired by my literary loves.

Today’s inspiration doesn’t come from fiction, but from the seminal text for the foundation of modern biology: On the Origin of Species. I re-read this book every few years, and slogging though parts may be, it never fails to inspire me and remind me why I think there’s nothing more amazing than the natural world.

On Saturday I wished Darwin a happy birthday and today I want to dress like him. Well, not exactly like him – the guy enjoyed a high collar the likes of which would completely obscure my graceful and swan-like neck – but the inspiration is there.

I think the 19th century naturalist would be proud of how my sense of style is evolving.

Girl Darwin by Interrobangs Katie featuring rain boots and a finch beak ring

There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and wonderful have been, and are being, evolved.

- Charles Darwin, On the Origin of Species

Getting Ready to Dress for Spring?!

Need inspiration? Try these forecasted colours for Spring 2011, chosen by New York designers.

Ladies:

Gentlemen:

They look similar enough, so I’m going to say they’re interchangeable.

Interrobangs Retrospective: Our Favorite Posts of the Past Year

Or, in which the Interrobangs kill two birds with one post.

One year anniversaries call for cake!

A year has come and gone, and it hasn’t just been a calendar year, but also the first year of Interrobangs Anonymous. Technically, our first post was on December 21, 2009, but with the hullabaloo of Christmas, Solstice, New Years, and Tuesdays, we postponed our celebrating until now. So here are our favorite posts of 2010/our first year blogging together.

This is how we really act

Style and Self-Image

• Going Grey in Your 20′s
• Thoughts on Having Short Hair
• The Leg Hair Question
• Fashion while Traveling
• Style Advice from Slime Mold
• No Makeup Podcast
• Gender Roles in Fashion Blogging
• Attractiveness in Academia
• Exploitation in Fashion
• Will I be Pretty/You Don’t Have to be Pretty
• The Prices of Things Part I, Part II
• Negative x Negative = Positive

Tutorials

• Shredded Jersey Scarf
• Mosaic T-Shirt
• Ruffled Collar
• Reverse Tie-Dyeing
• Cutlery Pendants
• Patent Leather Patch-Up
• Wearing Pins without Ruining Your Clothing

Resources

• Sticky insoles
• Natural Beauty Products
• Stores for the Long of Leg
• Stores for the Narrow of Foot
• Where Katie Doesn’t Shop
• Where Millie Does Shop
• Ditching the Shampoo

Series

• Fashion Timeline
• Sustainability

Pure Awesomeness

• Milliesaurus
• Is that a Tapeworm in Your Pocket?
• Clown Noses Make Everything More Fun
• Ada Lovelace
• Bison!
• What to Wear when Dissecting Squid

The past year has been so much fun. Thank you for reading, commenting, and being such an amazing community of fun, inspiration, and friends.

January Outfit Inspiration Calendar

Happy New Year, lovelies!

Another month is upon us, and that can mean only one thing: another edition of Kimberly’s Outfit Inspiration Calendars! I’m quite excited for January’s calendar, and not just because I’m in it (although there I am, January 13th!).

No, why I’m really excited is because so many other bloggers I adore are also featured. I already take way more inspiration from these ladies than should be legal, but now I have sanctioned days on which to plagarize my little fashion heart out!

Who am I looking forward to being inspired by?

• Tall Girl Blogging
• Daily Haiku
• Silvergirl
• La Historiadora de Moda
• We are Large, People
• T Minus T Plus
• Megan Mae Daily
• Fashion for the Economically Challenged
• And many others!

Along with being a great source of ideas, these calendars are also a terrific way to learn about bloggers that are new-to-you. So go forth, be inspired, and maybe make some new friends! And I expect you all to be dressed exactly like me come January 13th. I’ll be checking.

Child o’ the 90′s

8th grade was a good year. We read Beowulf in English class, took a trip to Washington D.C., and I got a pair of Doc Martens! Those were the best boots ever, and it broke my heart when I outgrew them.

Lately I’ve been wanting another pair . I won’t be getting them anytime soon, as they’re not that practical for what I do now, but if I got a pair I know exactly how what I’d wear with them. It’s an easy choice, really. All I have to do is look to two of my all-time 90′s icons.

First up, Lisa Loeb.

I waxed poetic about Lisa just last week, and my love for her remains true. Great songs? Check! Glasses? Check! Pairing Doc Martens with adorable short dresses in her music videos? Check!

I think the “Do You Sleep” silver dress outfit is so perfect that I’d basically plagiarize the whole thing:

Lisa Loeb by Interrobangs Katie featuring a chain tee

I mean, really, when isn’t a silver sequined dress appropriate?

And then there’s Daria.

Some people might argue that Daria has little place as an idol, being a cartoon character and all, but I just give those people one of Daria’s patented eye rolls and start blasting Splendora.

And then I’d wear this:

Daria by Interrobangs Katie featuring vintage shoes

Are any of you as in love with Docs as I am? Did you/do you still wear them? What other 90s style icons (Doc wearers, or not) do you have?

A Little Extra Dose of Thankful

Have you ever noticed that many people focus more on how their body looks rather than living in gratitude for all our amazing bodies can do?

In honor of Thanksgiving, people were what they were most grateful for about their bodies.

What part(s) of yourself are you thankful for?

Will I be Pretty/You Don’t Have to be Pretty

A friend shared this video with me today, and I knew I couldn’t wait until the Thursday Links to post it. Katie Makkai, veteran poetry slammer, dissects the word “pretty” and reminds us what a shallow goal it can be.

Katie Makkai – “Pretty”

This, this is about my own some-day daughter. When you approach me, already stung-stayed with insecurity, begging, “Mom, will I be pretty? Will I be pretty?” I will wipe that question from your mouth like cheap lipstick and answer no.
The word pretty is unworthy of everything you will be, and no child of mine will be contained in five letters. You will be pretty intelligent, pretty creative, pretty amazing, but you will never be merely “pretty.”

And to follow that, an oldie-but-a-goodie: Erin of A Dress a Day‘s essay on the same subject (excerpt below).

A Dress a Day – “You Don’t Have to be Pretty“

You Don’t Have to Be Pretty. You don’t owe prettiness to anyone. Not to your boyfriend/spouse/partner, not to your co-workers, especially not to random men on the street. You don’t owe it to your mother, you don’t owe it to your children, you don’t owe it to civilization in general. Prettiness is not a rent you pay for occupying a space marked “female”.

What Would Rory Gilmore Wear?

hotel internet marketing pretty

Artistic and Literary Inspiration in Bridal Fashion

high yield investments pretty

October Outfit Inspiration Calendar

small business tips pretty

Natural Inspiration – Lobster Chic

There must be something in the air that has people craving to adorn themselves with crustaceans, because people keep finding our blog by searching for “lobster dress.” The Anthro option is one (and check out Tania over at What Would a Nerd Wear looking very cute in her’s), but if you want to rock it lobster style (or just rock lobster it…groan), here are some other options.

For all those formal, black-tie, red-lobster events:

Elsa Schiaparelli Lobster Dress

For those occasions where subtle lobster is more appropriate. That’s right, I said subtle:

J. Crew Lobster Dress

For when you plan on there being nothing subtle about you:

Alexander McQueen “Lobster” Dress

For when you want to go big or go home:

Heal Lobster Dress

For the days when a lobster accessory is the final touch:

Isabella Blow in Philip Treacy

Lady Gaga in what she wears to walk the dog

And for when you want embarrassing photos of your children to blackmail them with later:

Lobster Baby!

If I ever have a kid, I’m putting them in this costume and carrying them around the neighborhood in a big pot on Halloween. Or on Thursday. Whatever.

Colette Patterns Contest!

Sarai of Colette Patterns is having a contest to celebrate her two new unmentionables patterns! To enter, you need to make an inspiration board for one or both of the two new patterns. Full details are here, her pattern shop with the new patterns is here, and the contest closes on June 16th. There’s a $75 gift certificate to her shop up for grabs, so you should all enter. Wait, no, none of you should enter, and then I’ll have less competition. Forget I said anything about it!

Natural Inspiration – Swallows

Every year, right around now, the Miller moths emerge in droves where I live, taking refuge in garages, sheds, cars, and on at least one occasion, my shoe (RIP squished moth. And stained shoe).

And when the moths come out, so do the swallows, and oh what a sight to see. The swallows aggregate at intersections, where high concentrations of Miller moths occur, and swoop in and out amongst the cars looking like a mix between acrobats and jet fighter pilots, never hitting the cars or each other but catching hundreds of moths.

So in honor of the swallows, here are some accessories that would be just perfect to wear during my morning commutes, watching the swallows swooping through the sky.

The birds and the bees headband

Swallow Brooch

Vintage Swallow Sweater Guard

Hope is a Thing with Feathers Necklace

I Liked Birds Before They Were Cool Pins

Katie Daily Happy – Green Porno & Seduce Me

Image

As a biologist for many years – scholastically, professionally, and now passionately, the natural world is a continual source of inspiration for me. The books I read, the movies I watch, the places I want to visit, the way I decorate my house and even the clothes I wear – all are, more often than not, inspired by nature.

I think that’s why I have such an appreciation for anyone else who finds inspiration in nature – I understand what a moving and powerful muse it can be. My latest appreciation? Isabella Rossellini and her Green Porno and Seduce Me series.

In Green Porno, Rossellini assumes the roles of males in different species during the mating process, and in Seduce Me, she takes on the roles of the females. Fascinating, disturbing, hilarious and often more than a little creepy, the episodes are biologically (and anatomically) correct and just fantastic! The titles may be about sex, but the narrative runs much deeper – biology, conservation, biodiversity – LIFE. And she does it all in 3 minutes or less!

To watch all the seasons of Green Porno, and Season 1 of Seduce Me, visit the Sundance Channel.

And check out the costumes and props – almost all made with paper. I sense my next design project coming on…