sugar + spice

starbucksandjane

grey

tfs

memorial day weekend

unknown

Runway Zombie Day

Hello my Friends,
how are you doing today?
I'm currently living as a Zombie!
Wait a sec, that might be an oxymoron...
i guess Zombies can't be living....
i guess I'm currently existing as a Zombie... haha

Well, last night, my really good friends
flew in and we picked them up at 1am at LAX,
and by the time we were settled down to sleep, it was far too late.
So basically, today I'm running on way too much coffee! ahhaah

The painting today is one from way way, way back.
It's just a basic water color and pen painting i did back when i was in school.
It is of Gemma Ward walking on Chloe's Spring 2007 runway Show.
I have to say, this was my favorite collection Chloé has put together.
It has such simple and complementary style.
I hope you like the painting,
and how's your Friday going???
;)

Dream Bicycle List - Let's Go Shopping!

This is my dream bicycle wish list. These are bicycles I have dearly coveted for one reason or another. This list of mine was kept on Stylehive and was started Jan 2008. The location of this list became a little too user unfriendly for you the reader to see because it required you to join Stylehive first. This made it all way too buried and cumbersome for you to find and use it. So, I'd been wanting to simplify and bring the list to live here...just never got around to it until now. I've also added my newer finds too. So Voila!

Pashley Princess Sovereign
Recommended & Ridden by Girls and Bicycles
Update: Pashley direct link

Jorg & Olif the Scout
(the only model still being offered)

Velorbis
available via The Dutch Bicycle Company (Velobris is currently being phased out, limited stock)
update: Copenhagen Cyclery in Chicago is the new US dealer
Recommended & Ridden by Drunk and In Charge of a Bicycle

ABICI Women's
available through pedlars

Bakfiets
(I like the cargo pick up model)

Breezer UpTown 8

Calfe Ghana
(the greenest, eco conscious bike on the planet, supports Ghana village bike builders)

Henry Work Cycles- City Bikes

Elecktra Amsterdam
Ridden by Super Model Agyness Deyn

Flying Pigeon
Recommended & Ridden by Righteous Metal Broad

Azor
available through CleverCycles
Azor Oma -Recommended & Ridden by ChangeYourLife.RideABike
update: also available through Dutch Bike Chicago

Retrovelo
available through CleverCycles

Comptoir des Cotonniers
picture & info via Harper's Bazarre Editorial (very hard to find bicycle)

DiamondBack Kalamar Women's Hybrid
(I'm not so excited anymore, but the price is outstanding!)

Atala Città - Women's
(my most recent discovery)

Batavus
Recommended & Ridden by ChangeYourLife.RideABike
Recommended & Ridden by LetsGoRideABike
Recommended & Ridden by Stylocycle

Gazelle

Dutchie

Biria

Violet Crown Cycles
(can you custom order a ladies, step through frame?)
UpDate: You can indeed order the step through frame, the Ma Ferguson!

Bobbin Bicycle
(my fave is the Bronx Vintage)

Kronan

Simple City

Giant

A.N.T. Bikes
(the Boston Roadster via reader suggestion!)

Rivendell
(the Betty Foy via reader suggestion!)
Recommended & Ridden by LetsGoRideABike
Recommended & Ridden by Gentleman's Bike


** This list is alive and open for revisions and additional notes and comments!

***** As a final note:
Try buying local first. Buying local supports your local economy and your Local Bike Shop will appreciate your business! Also that way you can personally test ride a bicycle first. If you know for a fact the bike you want is not stocked locally and can not be ordered through your LBS, then you will have to go through a distributor and/or purchase online. I have no personal experience buying a bicycle this way. I would feel far more certain about making the right bicycle decision by test riding the bicycle first! More about this later.

********* If you know of anyone who rides any of the bicycles off this list and who is willing to recommend their bicycle, then I'd love to include that info and link back to the happy owner.

Too much info, too fast, don't know where to start? You may find this post 'Tips - Buying a Fashionable and Stylish Bicycle' relevant and helpful.

Update Aug 25th: A New Post you may find helpful - The Top Chic, Most Stylish Bicycles from Designers & Retailers.

Listen To Music Riding Your Bike...Beach Cruiser Bum

(music balloon via LikeCool)

What a great way to listen to your ipod while riding your bike! I just have to get one of these Music Balloons.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Off Being a Beach Bum...

(cut off's are heavily seed-beaded & thrifted Calvin Kleins, cuffed gladiator sandals UO, T-shirt just begging to be shredded, tiedyed or artfully painted to cover up the ancient old stains on it, my Murray beach cruiser 'freebie')

Sometimes you just wake up, don't bother brushing your hair, throw on some cut offs and the first clean t-shirt you can find and head off to the beach on a super low profile, rusty beach cruiser. Nothing could be simpler. 'Louche' Chic.

My sweet kitty, Lazslo who meowed to get into this shot, AND who has never agreed to get in my bicycle basket.

Have a Great Friday everyone!

{late summer nights}

Who knew layers & layers of fashion/costume jewelry could be such fun? And even more so with a mix of real & faux pieces for everyday -- paired with a white tank for a sultry summer afternoon, or with black for a cool, sexy summer night . . .

{images: marie-claire, photography by andrew durham; via twitter}

FRIDAY

tfs

relax + have a drink for me

sharp

it's her minutiae

free spirit

fashiongonerogue

lady friends

altamira

muse

fashiongonerogue

Babe on Bicycle -- Babes in Bicycle 'Chic'ville Land

(photo of Ellie by her Mom Emma)

According to Emma, her daughter Ellie is emphatic about choosing all her own 'riding attire' and does this entirely without any input from Mom... so here we have Ellie off for a bicycle ride. Quite the little cycle chic miss! Ah, and did you spot the matching pink fingerless riding gloves Ellie is wearing !!!!!
Thanks Emma for sending in this Darling photo!!

Also quite amazing are all the new Babes in Bicycle 'Chic'ville Land who all have very recently launched blogs. Listed below in no particular order or sequence... Let's go to each and every one and pay a visit!


Change Your Life. Ride a Bike
Bikes By The Sea
Charleston Cycle Chic

If you know of any other Bicycle 'Chic'ville blogs that are newly launched, please let me know! I want to help welcome everyone! Let's help bring to the world a uniquely feminine and dare I say non athletic, whimsical, perchance bohemian, and certainly enjoyable and softly pleasingly aesthetic to the existing Bike Culture as we know it.

kitty

wildfox

come out, come out

forgot source :/

{summer whites + links}

{a few fun links:}
♥ anna wintour on 60 minutes
♥ favourite hello
♥ tie sequins in your hair
♥ fun picnic blanket {via decor8}
♥ lovely summer whites

{posts from the side project you may have missed:}
♥ photography + illustration
♥ pretty + girly at jenny packham
♥ early morning
♥ summer's sexy little one-pieces

{beautiful editorial from Vogue Korea via Luphia loves}

christel

henrikbulow

lovely summer look

superfantasticpicturetime

The Heron and The Heron

The Heron and The Heron....

( my 1970's vintage bicycle)

Until I can purchase a proper upright commuter bike like the very popular Batavus... (You know THE ‘must have’ bicycle as ridden by several of the cycle chic cognoscenti), well until then I ride my beloved 'PrettyBritty'. I've never seen another ladies 1960's Raleigh step through like mine around town. And by around town I mean Berkeley, San Francisco and now Santa Cruz my latest hometown. My bicycle is unique and a head turner, and so very recognizable. The artisanal helmet cover prototypes which I am always testing out always get heads turning as well!

I am a lollygag rider. I have no bike to work commute to speak of. I mainly work out of my home studio. Occasionally I work with a hi-tech start-up. Either way I have an indecently short bike to work commute.

So where do I go when I do ride my bike? I go for leisure rides to enjoy the beauty of the place I live in. I go downtown to partake in my favorite activity which is to frequent the excellent thrift stores in pursuit of recyclables for use in the making of my helmet covers. I also primarily dress from vintage and thrift store finds so I’m always on the hunt for a new vintage frock to wear! I go downtown to shop the art stores for supplies, downtown for café outings, downtown for Farmer’s Market, and so forth.

I am still in recovery from the ‘nervous nellies’ after several close encounters with near death while city bicycle riding some years back, PLUS caring for a friend after a head injury sustained from a bike accident with a car. So to cope, I began to seek out walk-able and bike friendly communities as a priority as to where I would be living ultimately. Now when planning all of my bicycle routes, what I do is to take the LONG way. I chose the quiet back roads. Here in Santa Cruz there are beautiful dedicated bicycle path ways. That’s what I am sharing with you in the pictures you’re seeing today. The bicycle path you see in the photo goes along the San Lorenzo River. It takes you downtown, though from the photo you'd never guess you were a just few short blocks away from the heart of downtown!

*****
Update: An anon reader over at Thom's Old Bike Blog suspected my bicycle was circa 1970's.

Anon...I bumbled back here and found your comment last night. Becoming OCD driven I researched and researched. Oh my gosh, you're right!

I purchased this bike off SFCraigslist. In the ad it was advertised & listed as circa 1968. I totally trusted the previous owner's word...he worked his entire life in bike shops and had a major collection of various bikes going back 30 plus years. He himself bought the bike from American Cyclery in SF in the early 90's, at least that's what he said anyway.

So What is the telltale identifier? It's the Raleigh lettering. Slanted (like what's on my bicycle) means it's from the 1970's and later and upright lettering means it's from the 1960's or earlier. So there you have it.

For about 2 hours I was really upset and thought about recontacting the person I bought it from. I decided against it. I like my bicycle, so that's that.

Thom... I guess if you want you can change the title of this post to reflect the correct age of this bicycle.

{inspiration: two lovely ideas}

. . . vintage lace in designer Pearl Lowe's home as featured in The Style {with the Times on Sundays}

. . . handbags as artwork in model Liya Kebede's Upper East Side apartment as featured in InStyle

{images: 1 - via Secrets of a Butterfly; 2 - via make fetch happen}

The Altamira Interview

Hello Hello Friends!
how was your day?
I'm excited for tomorrow got a fun day of Painting ahead of me.
A Few months ago i did an interview with Altamira Magazine Indonesia online magazine.
I Hope you enjoy the interview. if you can't read it let me know and i can post the plain text below.
:) have a wonderful night!