Corsets or Comfort?

If you choose comfort...and it's the comfort of sweets, I'm suggesting...you'll probably need a corset. That would be a win-win situation for me. I happen to love them both. While many of you commented about breathing restrictions and the feeling of being jailed, I have to admit that these were thoughts that hadn't occured to me. I'd always thought of the corset as a ballet costume sans crotch and tutu, and I'd worn so many of those that the loss of a few layers of tulle felt like freedom to me. But, okay - that was then and this is now.


I went to my lingerie drawer (the one I never open) and searched for my corset. It was there, underneath those masterpieces of construction - the Dior and Valentino bras - wrapped in tissue paper as if it was some curated, historical document. It is, in fact, a historical document. Not because it was once worn at the court of Versailles. No, no. Au contraire, my friends. It is historical because for me - it is history. History - as in - it will never hug this body again. All I could think of as I looked at this tiny size 4 construction and those lacy 34AA's was - "My cups runneth over". I rewrapped my corset confection and romantic memories in the sheer, delicate sheets of tissue paper and went in search of comfort.

The power of suggestion: Tissue paper, strudel...strudel, Austrian...Austrian, Marie-Antoinette ...Marie-Antoinette, corsets...corsets, comfort (?)...comfort, apples. Can you imagine that the very garment worn to give the illusion of a perfect figure led me to bake my first strudel?

Light, delicate, beautiful, and subtly sweet. Comfort wins, hands down.

Follow-up to last post: Although I didn't wear a corset while on the computer, I did tighten a tuxedo cumberbund around my waist. It worked - in that it was a constant reminder to sit up straight, but the annoying pain is still there. Less time on the computer is what works best.

All Rights Reserved. Photos C. Andrako 2010

What To Wear (While on the Computer)

Perhaps if I wear one of these while I'm on the computer I'll learn to sit up straight. Too many hours on the computer this week (slumped over, no doubt) have left me with an excruciating pain across the back of my shoulders. From one side to the other, it feels as though a row of thorns was imbedded into my shoulders and set on fire.

It dawned on me (while immersed in the world of 18th century hatmaking) that a corset would be the fix. What could be better for keeping the back taut and elongated? You couldn't slump if you tried. I could use a new one, anyway. One like this, from the Victoria and Albert Museum would be perfect. Wouldn't you rather spend your money on a corset now, than have to give it to a doctor later? Well, I may still need to see a doctor...but at least I'll have a stylish infrastructure. I'll see you later in the week and let you know how my own brand of medicine panned out.

Photos - Victoria and Albert Museum

A Matter of Perspective

Several of your comments made me realize that the handmade hats for the Giveaway appear to be tiny. They are, in fact, six inches in length, which would be approximately from the crown of your head to your forehead...the perfect size for a high 18th century wig. I've added these photographs for a better perspective.

I'm creating two new ones for the giveaway (winner takes both) which is open to anyone with a blog, so let me know if you would like me to add your name. Sorry about the spatial dyslexia!

Photographs2009 All Rights Reserved C. Andrako

An Update on the Steinlen Strange Coincidence

For those of you who follow this blog, you might have been wondering if I ever received information as to why, within one hour, 45 people clicked on to the post about the artist, Theophile Steinlen. The original post is here, the post about this particular strange coincidence is here.

I received a comment that there is a documentary about synchronicity coming out in June, and I was led to this website and this forum. If you have an interest in synchronicity, these are two sites that may be of interest to you. The film is titled, 'Wonderland', and strangely, this was to be the title of a group of photographs I'm working on that came about because of synchronicity. Life is strange. I still don't know exactly why everyone clicked on when they did, or why it happened to be on the same date of the post from one year ago - and honestly, I don't want to know. I like a little mystery. Don't you?

Poster by Theophile Steinlen

One World, One Heart

I'm joining the fun and camraderie of fellow bloggers everywhere and taking part in this wonderful annual event - One World One Heart - hosted by Lisa at A Whimsical Bohemian.

To read more about the event, or to become a part (the event begins today - Jan. 25 and ends on Feb. 15) click onto the One World One Heart banner on my sidebar.





My giveaway is two of my handmade (made by me) paper tricorne hats with fancy trim. They'll be perfect for your next party, or tea with a friend, or - if you're eccentric, like me - you can wear one with your silk loungewear pajamas. Or display them on your vanity. You do have a vanity, don't you? And hat stands?

To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment below with a way to contact you if your ID doesn't link back to your blog. You have until the 12th of February to enter and I'll announce the winner on the 15th. I will ship to wherever you may be in the world. I look forward to meeting lots of new bloggers...even though I'm a bit late entering the event. Good luck everyone!

Concerto for Tulips in Three Acts

ADAGIO

ALLEGRO

INTERMEDIO

CODA

New life for old things. I play magician on a Sunday morning. A broken figurine performs a concert at the base of a rusty old French clock case made of tin. I added the round frame and a picture from a magazine and filled it with the first tulips of the season. These are things that make me really happy.

And now I'm off to make some French Onion Soup, a plump Roasted Chicken with a grapefruit, pink peppercorn sauce, and a few carmelized banana tarts. Don't you love Sundays?

All Rights Reserved. Photos C. Andrako 2010

This, that.....and Chanel

It's been a busy week. I'm still tackling the closets and the stacks of magazines in between working on various art projects. I don't see an end in sight. And then there's all that other stuff- that dreaded house maintenance stuff: cleaning, and washing clothes, and stacking the dishwasher, and emptying the dishwasher, and grocery shopping, and cooking etc. etc. etc. Not to mention (but I will) the absolute worst of all - the computer unknowns which have had me into the depths and dark dungeons of my machine for hours and hours this week as I've tried to figure out what's wrong, what I need, how to add memory and what kind, blah, blah, blah, and bore, bore, bore.

And then the mail arrived.

Who was it that said, "A friend in need is a friend indeed?". It was the perfect day to receive my giveaway prize from Ingrid Mida - the very talented artist and author of one of my favorite blogs, "Fashion is My Muse". Do go visit her and peruse her archives - They're a wealth of information on couturiers, museum exhibits, books, Paris. Very interesting posts.

The book is "The Gospel According to Coco Chanel" by Karen Karbo. I haven't had a chance to curl up with it yet, but while browsing I discovered that, unlike me, Chanel didn't have to do all the daily drudgery that keeps one away from one's 'real' work. She had assistants for that. I need an assistant.

If I don't pop in to visit as often as I'd like to (and I do hate it when I miss so many of your posts) it's because I'm just so busy these days.

And like Chanel said, "There is time for work, and time for love. That leaves no other time."

Another strange coincidence - I was searching for, and found, that little Chanel Gardenia perfume bottle in the photo, on the same day that Ingrid notified me that I won the giveaway. I'd been looking for it forever!

And today in history - (This via The History Channel) - Producer Samuel Goldwyn announced that he contracted Coco Chanel to advise the United Artists costumers. The move indicated the power that Hollywood was beginning to have on American fashion trends.

Teapot with gold crown is from the vintage china shop Fishs Eddys in NYC. It's originally from the Helmsley-Palace Hotel. My tea mug is an old shaving mug (sanitized, of course!) with the name, Bouvier, in gold. Bouvier, as in Jacqueline, that other icon of fashion and wearer of Chanel.

All Rights Reserved. 2010 C. Andrako

I don't know what happened to my link to Ingrid and her blog Fashion is My Muse - or the next three sentences... so here they are -Do go visit her and peruse her archives. They're a wealth of information on couturiers, museum exhibits, books, Paris. Very interesting posts.