Summer Inspiration: The Virgin Suicides

I suppose it's a bit typical of a blogger like me to cite The Virgin Suicides as some kind of inspiration, but I try not to apologize for the movies or books that I like. Despite it's popularity it's quite a good movie—not that it's world-changing or the greatest movie of the decade—but it's thoughtful and (to use a word used too-often) entrancing at moments. The book is heartbreaking not so much for it's obvious subject (although it is), but in the painstaking assemblage of passages and phrases that so clearly evoke a mood or sensation that any of us who fancies themselves a kind of writer finds themselves hypnotized and a bit envious.


(via Trauma Ben)


(via Ruth & the Magic Mirror)

The movie came out in 2000, just as I was graduating middle school and heading to high school, and perhaps that's the cause of a summer preoccupation with it. At thirteen, fourteen looming, I remember reading and watching it but feeling a bit odd because of the darkness in it. But there was a dreamy focus, a drawling voice, images of hot summer days that now seem so close to my own teenage-summers (minus the tragedy and debauchery). It spawned, to be really pretentious and begin giving names to things, The Cult of the Virgin Suicides.


(via r9m)


(via Ruth & the Magic Mirror)

I don't mean this in the way that girls of a certain age started wearing white dresses and flinging themselves out of existence, but rather that there are droves of us who post pictures from it, watch it, quote it, try to be strange creatures lounging around summer and make our lives more like the aesthetic of the thing. I'm sure someone, somewhere writes an important paper about the horrible-ness of this kind of thing, but for the moment I try not to complicate it and funnel the dreamy scenes into my interpretation of summer.




Have we photosynthesized our breakfast today?



(last three images found here, by plus_minus at film_stills on Livejournal.)

The Flea Market Dress.

A few weekends ago we took a quick weekend jaunt to NYC, staying with a dear friend in Brooklyn, to see a show and traipse around spending far too much money. At first I hadn't planned on stopping anywhere in particular--Anthropologie was expected, since there aren't any near here, and it would be only feet away from the show's venue--before I realized that the Brooklyn Flea was a very real possibility. Months ago mom and I popped down to the city, but were too busy at the Met to head to any of the fleas.

We went early-ish, so vendors were still setting up when we arrived there, and though it was a bit smaller than it looks in pictures I had to keep myself from pawing through the nearest piles and rubbing my hot little hands together with glee.

Thankfully, I restrained myself and did not fork over my dollars for the first dress I had a crush on. We wandered and poked about, and I kept in mind a few dresses and blouses that seemed suitable, until we were gearing up to go and I chanced upon this beaut:



I told myself that I would know when the dress I wanted would pop up, I knew I was only going to buy one since prices were heftier than around home, and I wanted it to be a special dress. I wouldn't say this is the most spectacular little number ever--but it's pretty darn good. It's cotton, 40s-styled, floral, mismatched buttons, with little pleats in unexpected places. It's the kind of dress I know I'll probably throw on all summer when the days are hot and unbearable.



So many times I read blog posts from people who have lots of huge flea markets, and I get a little bit bummed. There are a few in my area--one quite close--but I haven't found them to be terribly lucrative for my funny sartorial whims, and some of the larger ones are quite a drive away (worth it, but ugh, getting up early to hop in the car for two hours). It was nice to hit a flea and leave with a hole in my pocket and a dress in my bag.

I finally wore the dress yesterday for an afternoon checking out a local vintage store open only in the evenings. It was heavenly, one of the best I've been to in my area, even though I had to leave the most delicious dress on the rack and save my pennies for car payments. Crossing my fingers and toes and praying that it's still there next week!

(And a sneak-peak at my new haircut!)

Pictures taken by John M.