Clockwise from the upper left hand corner:
a) Illustrator Nell Brinkley’s women were the Roaring Twenties’ answer to the aloof Gibson Girl. Curly-haired, rambunctious and more than a bit naughty, the Brinkley Girls were a national sensation, referenced in the Ziegfeld Follies and copied by young women everywhere (they even spawned a popular line of hair curlers). Biographer Trina Robbins has worked hard to reintroduce Brinkley’s work to the mainstream, and her latest effort is Fantagraphics The Brinkley Girls: The Best of Nell Brinkley’s Cartoons 1913-1940, $29.99 (or pre-order it for $18.86 at Tower.com). You can read more about Nell Brinkley and her work at Paul Gravett’s site & the Ohio State University’s Cartoon Research Library.
b) We have gardenias growing outside our apartment, and they smell heavenly. Annick Goutal’s Gardenia Passion comes the closest, in my opinion, to capturing their scent; like most of the line, it costs, but online sellers like Perfume.com offer substantial discounts (30-40% off).
c) Shiny Squirrel pointed me to DearGoldenVintage, another wonderful Etsy vintage seller. I particularly like these red heels with flame detail ($44.00).
d) This J. Crew pleated lawn skirt ($59.50) makes me think of tennis matches & ice cream.
e) Every time Kid Cudi’s “Day N Nite” comes on the radio, I think “I love this song.” Also awesome: the video, with its trippy rotoscope animation.