Classic Hollywood Archetypes: The Gamine

Audrey Hepburn

  "Gamine: a French word, the feminine form of gamin, originally meaning urchin, waif or playful, naughty child. In the 20th century, came to be applied in its more modern sense of a slim, often boyish, wide-eyed young woman who is, or is perceived to be, mischievous, teasing or sexually appealing."

The short hair is mandatory, in my mind, to achieve this feeling of boyishness, but only works in combination with features highly dictated by estrogen markers (anime eyes, nose and mouth).  Short hair alone, say, on a more sophisticated beauty like Isabella Rossalini or the lustier features of Angelina Jolie, do not a gamine make.

This hyper-feminine face is not in need of hair or make-up to prevent it's being confused with a young boy's, yet there is no mistaking it for that of a woman's - first and foremost the gamine requires fresh-faced youth.

Mia Farrow

Twiggy

Shirley Maclaine

Natalie Portman

Sinead O'Connor

Jean Seberg

Audrey Tautou

Winona Ryder

Emma Watson

Leslie Caron

Fashion Photography: Ode to the Zaftig

I am currently pretty chubbed out (but working on it).

My weight has always fluctuated drastically, with no apparent catalysts, so it's not as if I'm a "skinny person in a fat person's body"...I straddle both sides, with the accompanying double wardrobe.

Ideally (on my skinny days) I am a perfect sample size 8, but today (this week, this month....this year) is most certainly not a skinny one.

Being a size 10 [cou-12-gh] while working in a world of size 8 samples is frustrating. I can only imagine the pressure felt by those in the size 2 print and runway fashion world.

As a tribute to "non-waifs" (because, seriously, these girls seen on the street would not bring to mind the words "fat" or overweight in a million years), I've compiled a little spread of the Plus-size model.

Most of these photos are of Crystal Renn, the anorexic turned plus size model, who is one of the only accepted  mainstream print "non-waifs" (she is only a size 10 mind you). 

Even cute, chubby Marilyn at her heaviest Some Like it Hot weight (which was immediately after a miscarriage) was probably only a whopping size 6.

It helps put things into perspective when you are trying desperately to zip up that dress you are able to fit into only on your skinniest days. 

 

 

Monkey Room Make-Over #1

To begin the make-over of my boys' bedroom, I started with a color scheme that I knew they already liked: bright green, dark orange and medium turquoise.

I got a quart each of semi-gloss in the orange and the green, and a can of the turquoise in glossy spray paint. My paint was $14 each at Lowes, but that's way too much for the projects I was using it for...so next time I'd go somewhere cheaper like Walmart.

I first tried to find comforter covers or quilts in these colors, but was shocked to find out that no company offers affordable (less than the hundreds of dollars you might pay for something nice at Pottery Barn Kids) yet 100% cotton kids bedding.

To make the twin sized covers myself I bought 6 coordinating 100% cotton fabrics (2 1/2 yards each) from Hobby Lobby and sewed the solids ($2.99/ yard) and striped patterns ($6.99/ yard)  together for interest. Total cost of fabric: $65.00 for both. Total time for sewing: about an hour.

I was also having to work around their existing bunk beds which were hand-me-downs from a neighbor: red, yellow and blue metal.

I found a red, yellow and orange shag rug (made from recycled materials) at Big Lots for $30 (I felt like it cost too much! But I really liked it,  so I got it anyway. Maybe I'm just really cheap.....)

Their lime green metal side table was found at a thrift shop for $2.

I revamped their old thrift shop dresser (from the seventies?) which I got for $25 by roller painting the drawers and body separately, then spray painting the hardware (removed it first). 

The orange and green baskets are from Easter 2 years ago (I hate getting baskets that can't do double duty): $2 each from Hobby Lobby.

 I purchased the hanging Cubes unfinished (with hangers already attached) at Michael's: $5.99 for a pair of big and small.

 

After spray painting the cube I applied scrapbook paper (59 cents each) to the back with rubber cement (notching out a place for the hangers).

Green Ikea hanging organizer found at thrift shop: $2.

 

Quilt made by their Grandma Kathy from old shirts (flannel and corduroy). Chair from Big Lots: $20.

 
Poster prints from Baltimore Museum of Modern Art (gifts from Grandma).

Raw wooden shelf from Michael's: $9.99 (spray painted). I wanted to provide a place for night-time water and books while on the top bunk.

The boys requested a cactus garden, so I got the cacti at Lowes (about $4 each), and the plastic container at Big Lots ($1). Rocks are from my yard.

 

The chalkboard hanger was originally a black framed mirror from Pottery Barn which broke during a move. I painted the frame green and the backboard with chalkboard paint.  

I hung a trio of paper lanterns for reading on the top bunk: lanterns ($1 - $3) and lighting kits ($10.75 each) from Luna Bazaar. Curtain: $3.99 at Ross. Rod: $2.99 Big Lots. 

Dresser "BEFORE".

Lime garbage pail was one of this year's Easter baskets (the other one went in the bathroom).