Tuesday, September 14, 2010

How would you carve your mark?

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What's Lovely for September 14, 2010:  Learning about the power of the carved word

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It all started with the purple eyes...
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No really, it did all start with the purple eyes. I wasn't being maddeningly cryptic or anything. I'll leave that to Nicolas Cage movies and conspiracy theorists. 


This is an example of an outfit I pulled together in a jam and I ended up halfway liking the flurried result. After slathering (OK, that verb sounds grossly inaccurate, more like... artfully smeared) on the purple eyeliner, I decided to base my outfit on hues of blue, purples and neutrals. Et voilà.  

About today's "What's Lovely," it really came as a little bit of a surprise to me how much I was taken by this. Today in class, we watched a video called "Final Marks: The Art of the Carved Letter." It chronicled the work behind one of the oldest stone inscription businesses in the country-- yup, that's right. They carve stone for a living. And this is when I flash my *geek alert* sign, because ... I loved it. 


I was also tickled by some parts of the film... Like how the music wouldn't be out of place of a quaint English pastoral scene... Or how this was made in the late 70s, so bell bottoms acted as a silent, yet ever present, co-star. Another attention-grabber was the fact that these artisans would write out their letters in elegant calligraphy by hand, into consistently perfect shapes. It was actually a little nerve-wracking to see-- what if they mess up?! 


But what's really fascinating is how the business is still running (the son of the man featured in the clip has taken over). I think in this thoroughly modern day and age, it's remarkable to see that something that's painstakingly done by hand is still in demand. After all, we all still have gravestones, memorials and museums. To me, it sounds like a loophole that granted these men the opportunity to do what they love. And I'm all for loopholes that do that. 

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Shirt- Aeropostale  ::  Scarf- Limited  ::  Cardigan- fever via TJMaxx  ::  Jeans- bought a few years ago at a sale, so.. magic?  ::  Shoes- Jeffrey Campbell 

4 comments:

Collette Osuna said...

LOVE the pattern with the polkas!!

Statements in Fashion

Elaine said...

Whoa, that is pretty cool! Definitely takes a lot of skill and patience.

Don't you love when hurried outfits work??

CLOTHED MUCH, a modest fashion blog

G said...

I love your polka dot scarf :) Great way to add color to an otherwise simple outfit. Keeps the looks interesting!

-Gayle from www.gayleisvolatile.blogspot.com

Sarah said...

Ooh I love the pattern that you added. And I've been looking for a pair of oxfords! Where'd you find yours?

http://wearingitonmysleeves.blogspot.com