A Rare Glimpse

Well these are from a few weeks ago as I've (sadly) not worn anything worth reporting on here since. My lack of especially intriguing outfits stems from the fact that I have either dance class or rehearsal (or both) every weekday, meaning my clothing options are basically limited to fitness clothing. And I don't find fitness wear particularly exciting. That and I'd like to save my better outfits for a better body. Of course I say that as I stuff myself full of cake, but for a number of reasons I have to lose between 10 and 20 pounds as soon as is possible, so come Monday it is back to full out healthy eating and daily gym attendance. Wish me luck!

As for this outfit, one lovely Saturday I had absolutely nothing to do and therefore fancied a trip to the music building to do a little singing. I dressed myself up, as one always sings better when they look their best, and made the trek uphill. Once there, I discovered that the practice rooms had white walls and lighting that was useful for picture-taking. Hence these photos.

I'm hoping to add a dash more of Lola (from Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins) or Charlotte (from that book this blog was named after haha) back into my wardrobe. And assuming I can find a location and the time, that'll mean more updates on ye olde blog.
Oh and Halloween is coming up! Not that I have any concrete ideas, but trust that I will be in costume.

xo F

Samson and Delilah

At 1am this morning I had the sudden desire to curl my hair. So I did. Two hours later...

In order for my hair to look as such I had to curl tiny pieces, no more than 10-20 strands of hair each. Since I have rather long hair, the weight of it tends to pull the curls out, especially when I curl in big pieces. I was hoping for a look a bit more like River Song from Doctor Who, with curls all over, even at the root of my hair, but it's too long and straight to accomplish that, unfortunately. Perhaps some day I'll cut my hair and be able to rock that look. Until then, enjoy the impromptu hair photoshoot.

Note: This was at 3:30am, sans cute clothes and extra makeup, so yeah the hair is pretty much all that matters.

Simple Pleasures

My apologies for not posting for awhile!

I'm at college and pretty accustomed to everything. Besides classes I haven't been doing much. No parties or anything for me. Although there is a Glam Rock party tonight and while I'm tempted to go I don't have a ride or outfit and I only know one or two of the upperclassmen going. So, unless I change my mind spur of the moment and go, there will sadly not be any pictures of a glam rock outfit on this blog.

I haven't been able to dress up as much as usual because my MWF classes all call for dance/fitness clothes and I have no interest in getting my nice clothes sweaty and disgusting. However, as it's labor day weekend and I have very little to do, I threw on a lovely little ensemble which I may have to repeat for a Tuesday/Thursday class.

This look is rather collegiate and basic. A light blue button-down, navy vest, khaki shorts (cuffed to shorten them slightly), brown platform sandals, clustered crystal necklace and a yellow flower barrette. Sorry that the pictures don't really show everything. Sadly I no longer have a backyard to take pictures in or a person to help me photograph.

Ah simplicity when nothing is required of you. Had a picnic on the floor of my dorm room, watched Doctor Who and painted my nails. Now I should probably do some homework if I'm not going to the party.

Until next time

xo F

Lolita

Twas a dark and stormy night...when I took these pictures that is, but a Lolita-inspired outfit calls for pictures (and perhaps some Lolita posing).

I'm a fan of many styles, but a lot of what I wear is very feminine or cutesy. I love bows, laces, floral, glitter, and while I also love leather and metallics, femininity usually prevails in my outfits. I'm also a reasonably petite girl with younger looking features, so my choice to embrace girliness with this outfit lead to a Lolita inspired look.

Of course a kitten was added to the equation. But hey, all's fair in fashion.

And for a touch of Japanese culture, add a pocky. Yum.

My mother claims I recieved some very interesting reactions, like an extremely snide look from a mother with her toddler, but for the life of me I can't understand why. Lolita is designed to be slightly suggestive, in that it's forbidden (as the wearer usually looks young) but I truly don't comprehend how this is worse than a crop top and Daisy Dukes. Let's be serious.

Seeing as I'm about to be a college girl on a very tight budget, I'm all for thrift store chic. Every piece in this outfit was under $20, I'm sure. Skirt and cami from Forever 21. Knee highs/thigh highs from Macy's. Blazer from Goodwill (I always find something insanely cute and cheap. I don't really give a damn about brands, usually.).

That's all from me today. I'm hoping to start posting outfits more in two to three weeks, once I get settled into university.

Oh yes. I now have a tumblr. http://thelostartofsecretkeeping.tumblr.com/

xoxo F

Jumpstart My Kaleidoscope Heart

HOW TO BE AN ARTIST.

Rule 1: Stay loose.

Rule 2: Learn to watch snails.


Stay loose. It doesn't have much meaning without context, but I tend to think of staying loose as setting yourself free from worry and stress, anything that inhibits creativity. This is something I struggle with and therefore an excellent opener to regaining a connection with the artist and child I am. I am often one of those people who worries herself into a tizzy with 'what if's and future scenarios instead of accepting and embracing the present. But I must learn to release myself from that tense shell.
The ways in which I stay loose are varied and a bit odd. Occasionally I mentally picture myself shedding a shell or snake-skin of sorts, often a dull, neutral color, to unveil a kaleidoscope of colors, an aura of creativity surrounding me. Yet I'm more likely to use some sort of meditation to relax. I am lucky in that I can control my mind if I so choose, from my dreams to clearing my head of everything until I'm standing inside my head, whose "walls" are painted in solid white or black. From here, I breathe. Simple as that. Or if I need to relax more than just my mind, I close my eyes and envision a pulsing tangled ball of color in my chest. I send this ball of energy and relaxation through my body, stopping at every muscle - my knees, my toes, my neck, my eyes, my cheekbones - until everything is warm and calm and light enough to float through the floor.
And that is how I stay loose. Through the power of imagination. Not a bad beginning on the road to becoming an artist.

Learning to watch snails is obviously about more than just staring at a snail on its daily journey. It's an exercise to teach patience and perserverance. It is also a way to escape from the hustle and bustle of daily life. For while I love the city life, the constant go, go, go atmosphere, it doesn't allow for time to stop and think. So by stepping away from the errands, or the television, or the computer (guilty!), and watching a little snail slowly glide, you are given a moment to breathe. The oxygen allows blood to flow to your brain and thoughts appear. And that is that.


For me, those "creative thoughts" insisted I photoshoot with my new camera. And what would this blog be sans pictures?

Until next time...

Artistry in Motion

As promised, I'm spending some time learning How To Be An Artist from SARK. A month in fact. A month that coincides with VEDA (Vlog Every Day in August) which I'm participating in on my YouTube channel. You see, I figured VEDA would be a pleasant way to ease myself into video-making, particularly since a large group of friends from a recent show (The Final Battle) are all doing it together. Yet when I point a camera at my face and turn it on I tend to babble pointlessly. Therefore I thought why not theme the videos around How To Be An Artist as I was already planning on blogging them? So I'm doing both. An artist's rule a day on the YouTubes and a post or two a week on this blog. Look forward to it.



If you're interested, my YouTube channel is fionaisabelle. The videos are quite amateur and ridiculous but fun.

The Grass is Always Greener

It's almost time for college and I've been blowing my money on all the best things: electronics (new camera and microphone), vintage clothes, pictures of Audrey Hepburn and a ukelele. Since I can't take my harp I figured I needed a new portable string instrument. And likewise for the camera. Until now I've been using my family's Nikon D60 when I needed something higher quality than my little Canon camera, but I'm now the owner of a (used, because you've gotta cut a few corners) Nikon D5000.
As it's brand new to me, I figured a test run was in order.

So far I like it. The colors don't seem as vivid as the D60, but it has HD video which is nice, especially if I discover a way to connect my external microphone to it. But any advice is appreciated!

Science Meets Feminism

Please read this. http://www.miller-mccune.com/education/making-science-girl-friendly-pays-gender-dividends-33777/

This is an article in which a researcher suggests that the female population could be convinced to enjoy science if feminine things like cosmetics were associated with it when taught in school. While I understand that this could convince a new crowd of girls to show some interest, as a female who finds science fascinating, this research/suggestion is rather disturbing. Although this article does not claim that females are useless at science or that our gender requires superficial incentives to participate in anything academic, I almost feel that it hints at that. Therefore I take a bit of offense.
Not all girls are created equal. Some are nerdy and love science, math, literature (or Harry Potter, comics, science fiction if we’re going non-academic), others prefer the arts and still others do focus mainly on more skin deep things like their hair and make-up. Yet there are those that embody all three stereotypes, like me. Basically, someone can love cosmetics and be inspired to like science through learning about the chemical make-up of their make-up BUT a girl can also enjoy science and, completely separately, curl their hair and wear lipstick. You can have A as well as B and vice versa. They aren't mutually exclusive.
Similarly, boys are not created equal either. Some prefer sports to science. Yet I don’t see any articles about boys needing encouragement to dive into physics by studying the force a baseball is hit with. Double standards.
Still, I do understand that males outnumber females in scientific fields and typically score higher on science exams. And while I respect researchers’ interest in evening out these statistics, they walk the fine line of calling females shallow and unintelligent and resulting in more harm than help.


Then again, I’m a feminist. And while I’m a math and science honor student nerd (I’ll prove my credentials: I took AP Calculus in sophomore year and AP Calculus II as a junior and passed both AP tests; recieved a 5 in AP Chemistry this year) I prefer the arts and that’s what I’ve chosen to pursue as a career. Perhaps that is the bigger problem. Girls often have a broad range of interests and talent in most of them, enough that they can choose many paths for their future.* And if science isn’t what calls to them the most then c’est la vie.

In short, while this article is attempting to gain female interest in scientific fields, they are perhaps going about it incorrectly by focusing on shallow incentives.


*Not to say that boys cannot have more than one area of interest as well. However, in my immediate experience, the women that surrounded me in school had more varied interests and were more skilled in each than their male counterparts, ON THE WHOLE. There were some very brilliant exceptions

Split

Update! I passed my driver's test. I know, this was such a monumental issue and the result was haunting everyone, wasn't it? Well now you have some closure.

And I had the realization that it's best to keep personal posts and more interesting or eloquent ones seperate. Therefore, I have two blogs. This one will stay true to its artsy nature and my other, Nonsensical Ramblings of a Would-Be Fairy, is exactly as chaotic as it sounds. Now back to this being solely an outlet for creativity.

Crying, for our last hope is gone.

Once again, a post sans pictures. This time 'tis not due to lack of a nice outfit (in fact I adore this outfit enough to wear it again on a day when I actually leave the house) but rather a sour Fiona. I have a confession to make to the world: I HATE DRIVING.
*Le gasp*
But you're a teenager who is ready to escape from her family and home, why don't you embrace the general feeling of your peers and absolutely love driving?
Why? I'm not even sure. It scares me, that's a fact, as I don't like being handed the keys to and responsibility for an extremely dangerous vehicle that could easily hurt someone or something. I don't trust myself to not cause anyone or thing harm. That's not to say I'm a horrid driver. In fact I'm rather good, save for parallel parking, which I've only attempted about three times. My main fault is that I'm TOO cautious.
Yet driving consistently reduces me to tears and ups my stress quota about a bajillion points, especially when my father is screaming at me from the passenger seat. And tomorrow is my driving test. Ohhhhh schnappp.
Despite having come to terms with the fact that I will fail (lest some miracle occur), I'm having one panic attack after another due in no small part to my anticipation of my parents' reactions to my failure.
Oh these stressful days. Terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days.

xo Fi

I promise to post something more uplifting tomorrow, even if I fail my test.

Currently reading: Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons once again because I love it.

Also, my blog post titles are almost always song lyrics so in addition to my reading list I think I shall post what each day is from.
Title lyrics from: The End of the World (Reprise) from The Final Battle by Lena Gabrielle

Start Driving. Keep Driving. Freedom.

A happy fourth of July, my American friends. 'Tis a day to celebrate independence and freedom. Woohoo! Not going to lie, it isn't an especially important holiday to me as, while I treasure the freedom and democracy that I recieve in this country thanks to our ancestors, I'm not the most patriotic person in the world. I prefer not to swear my whole-hearted allegiance to one place, particularly when that place and government is highly imperfect. Yet, America has been a pretty decent place to live for the past eighteen years.

Is there a point to this post? Not especially. Are there any pretty pictures? I'm afraid I must disappoint you. Yet I will post the enthralling information as to my current reading experience and future ideas for this blog shortly, so I hope that will inspire you to keep reading.

I never quite declared this, but The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets is to be a blog of life, with emphasis on vintage, fashion, art, knowledge and feminism. Sound decent? I hope so.
One feature that I'd like to mention is How To Be An Artist. HTBAA is a work of art/idea by SARK that is my most basic inspiration in life. Therefore, one line at a time, I intend to share that poster of sentences detailing how to be an artist, complete with pictures and what it means to me. Hopefully that will be a weekly thing among my daily posts. Assuming daily posts also continue. But there's that.

So with nothing left to say and fireworks calling to me, I bid thee goodnight.

xo Fi

Currently reading: The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff

Title lyrics from: Freedom by Kerrigan and Lowdermilk

You Can't Remember. You Try To Feel The Beat.

What I Like.

Teacups.
Clocks.
Watches.
Keys.
Locks.
Photographs.
Scarves.
Doors.
Instruments.
Birdcages.
Mirrors.
Picture frames.
Glasses.
Swings.
Umbrellas.
Gates.
Friendship bracelets.
Band-aids.
Pillows.
Blankets.
Baskets.
Greeting cards.
Vases.
Telephones.
Perfume bottles.
Fans.
Rings.
Chimes.
Teapots.

Always One Foot On The Ground

July 2nd and 3rd.

Welcome to Wonderland. Welcome to The Secret Garden. Welcome to the Land of Fairies.
Also, welcome to my backyard.


Outfit details.

July 2nd
Skirt - Goodwill
Necklace - Vintage

July 3rd
Cat necklace - Vintage
Shoe scarf (tied as bow) - Vintage


Title lyrics from: Fidelity by Regina Spektor

The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets

Keeping secrets certainly is a lost art in the twenty-first century. Yet more so than that, it's a symbol of many 'lost arts'. This day and age has certainly sacrificed many traditions and arts, so to speak, in only a decade, what with our desire to progress as quickly and efficiently as possible. Being an eighteen year old born into the age of technology, fast food, blue jeans and reality television, I am no doubt a part of this tumultuous "put in the least amount of time and effort needed to produce the best results possible" generation, but there's one difference between myself and the majority of my generation. I am a follower of lost arts.

By this, I mean that I was born into a family where imagination was valued and, as a result, imagination became my favorite toy, tool and weapon. As I grew I discovered art, most notably those of the performing arts variety, vintage clothing and developed a fondness for old and unusual things, people and places. Which leads me to this. A blog. Declaring my love for and life among the lost arts. So come one, come all to the spectacle that is Fiona and the blog that is The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets. Enjoy!

XO

A quick P.S.
I (questionably legally) stole this blog title from a favorite book of mine entitled (can you guess?) The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets. It's a lovely book and I don't wish to infringe upon any copyright laws. In fact, I wish it to sell quite well, so if the title peaks your curiousity, as it did mine, then you should indeed pirouette out and buy it. The two main female characters live frightfully intriguing English lives and there's plenty of old estates, fancy parties and charm to make it worth your while.
An additional note. If perhaps a Charlotte-ism or Penelope-ism is to pop up in these posts now and then, they would be from that book.