Progress Report Thursday

Well, hello Thursday.

I completely forgot about you the last time. And it wasn't like the time before that, when there wasn't any progress to report about. Although I probably won't hit the deadline (I know! A shock!) I am making progress. I've written at least six more chapters and the ending is clearer once again. It's just around the corner... But I think I said that the last time.

There are changes in The Poisoned Apple. I'm bringing in characters that weren't there from the beginning and having them stay around for the entire time. There's a mystery subplot in the story that involves a murder, but I found it strange that a few of the characters came across the body yet it doesn't feel like a big deal to anyone. Plus, I think it's derailing much of the plot so I changed it a bit.

I'm also discovering a few new things about my characters, things I thought my character sheet told me. It's funny that when you actually start writing about them you learn new things, like what their personalities are really like.

I'm also finding out that I've been avoiding writing/author blogs. I think it's because, to me, a lot of it feels repetitive: How to write, how not to write; what to put in a query letter, blah, blah, blah. It's starting to get boring. Not that I don't enjoy reading them, I just need a break. Which means that I'm probably missing out on some good things :)

After Dark

There was another collection I was looking through while browsing Naeem Khan's fall ready to wear pieces a few days ago. It must be so, for I took the colors to be several shades darker than they were, not that they aren't dark. I've never heard of this designer, so maybe he does have slightly older women in mind when choosing these shades. I honestly don't know what to say about these, other than the fact that some of them reminded me of Persian carpets. Looking at my file, I see there are plenty of stuff that I actually love. One of my favorites is this slinking gray dress that reminds me of skyscrapers and mosaics. Another dress (wishing for a close-up) is a mesh of sheer and white fabric. Another is a simple, one shouldered dress with beaded work up one side.

I'm not sure if any of the above made much sense. To save myself some embarrassment, just look at the photos of my faves, courtesy of style.com:

The Lost Generation

Dust off your copies of "The Great Gatsby" for this post's heading for the so-called Roaring Twenties (roaring in the sense for those that were white and rich).

I've been a fan of fashion for awhile but I never actively sought out the designers. I was content enough to browse photos of fashion photography or watch "America's Next Top Model." But reading fashion blogs got to me and forced me to now seek these artists out. I first glanced at Rodarte's ready to wear collection for fall but was left unimpressed, save two outfits. Maybe I'll go back and look at them again with an open mind. I was too critical of Rodarte because of the fact that blogs often wrote them as being the "darlings of the fashion world." Those sketches for "Black Swan," however, are awesome! I can't wait for that movie to come out on DVD!
But anyways, I left Rodarte alone and decided to check out Alice + Olivia, a brand I first heard about from "Top Model." Needless to say, I'm in love. The collection started off well before it temporarily went into a more hippie vibe with pant-suits, fur (?) jackets and high waist-ed pants. So I lost interest momentarily until I noticed the flapper appearances of some of the outfits. And I've been craving the flapper inspired style since... yesterday night when I was researching the sixties and then switched over to the Roaring Twenties for some reason. Actually, it was the above photo of a flapper from an old textbook that got me obsessing over the look, but I digress. Back to the collection.
Glitter, some plaids, sheer fabrics all going for the more modern look. I appreciate the brand going for pants, but I was only feeling the skirts and dresses (some of the boots should have never been worn, though).

Afterward, I read the review and apparently the photos were taken at the Plaza Hotel which only made me think of the "Eloise" books and the new Eloise suite that I really want to go to even though I was never a fan of the books.

[source]

Anyways, here are my favorites, courtesy of style.com:

Grow Some Big Feet

Finally got around to watching "Where the Wild Things Are" a week or two ago. I loved it. Though, for a story about a boy playing around with monsters, it was really depressing. Everyone was so angry. It could have been a lot more fun. But as I said, I did love the film. The expressions on the Wild Things' faces were so real and, of course, the songs were awesome.

[ "Where the Wild Things Are" title cards made by Geoff McFetridge (first one and the second one) and movie stills (first and second); girls from lookbook.nu (in order: Capucine P.; Erika M.; Margarita M.; and Johanna M.) movie stills from "Ponyo" (first and second); a road made by a hobbit (discovered that photo awhile ago and it's still with me); Lyra and Iorek (sp?) from "The Golden Compass"; and a still from "The Jungle Book." I need to go on my own adventure.]

Material Girl

There's something about "A Pair of Silk Stockings", a short story by Kate Chopin, that I love. It's simple: Mrs. Sommers receives fifteen dollars and ponders for two days on how to spend the vast sum of money (my inflation calculator says it’s at least $300 today). It starts off promising; Mrs. Sommers decides that the money is best spent on clothes and hats for her children.
But as soon as Mrs. Sommers starts shopping, the plan changes. Mrs. Sommers, someone who was once well-off, finds a pile of silk stockings and purchases one of them. Soon after, Mrs. Sommers spends the rest of the day in a whimsical, semi-Cinderella fairytale. She buys boots and kid gloves and “high-priced magazines.” She eats and drinks wine at a high-end restaurant with “shining crystal” and waiters attending to pricey customers. The rest of the money is spent attending a matinee and taking the cable car back home. The story ends with “a poignant wish” by Mrs. Sommers for the cable car to continue forever.
It’s a story that a lot of us could relate to. We have to choose between paying for what we need to pay for or for paying for something that we want. I feel that the story ended the right way; if we were to learn about what happened to Mrs. Sommers once she returned to her former life, it would lose the magic. I get the sense that it wouldn't end like Cinderella, with a hot and wealthy prince. I'm trying to be deep about this story but find myself unable to.

[ vintage photo by star11950; Olivia L. from Lookbook; Montgomery ward vintage gloves; Bebe Z. from Lookbook; Vanity Fair and *Vogue covers; Kerry L. from Lookbook; A Bar at the Folies-Bergere; Sparkling champagne; A couple of Mary Cassat (love her!) paintings, One and Two; and a Casino de Paris poster

*I can't remember where that Vogue cover came from
**No progress report for Thursday 'cause there's nothing to report @.@