Linktastic Monday!

Oh, yes. The links are too good, and just keep coming. You all spoil me, you know?

First off, I don't know how many of you ARE fans of Simon Winchester, but I know how many of you SHOULD BE fans of Simon Winchester (that would be "all"). He just sent me a link to him talking about his new book on YouTube, and that link would be here. If you ever have a chance to hear him speak in person, grab it (and if you need help figuring out when Simon's coming to your neck of the woods, you can sign up to stalk, I mean track, his readings here). He's tremendously entertaining (and so are his books).

Rita sends me this perplexing novelty-print dress:



Where do you think would be an appropriate place to wear this? I'm thinking either the Kentucky Derby (if you're clueless about what to wear to the Derby, i.e., you think "The Derby's in the South ... this has Southern belles on it ... perfect!") or perhaps the funeral of your hated ex-husband Rhett. ("What? It's black!") I'm happy to entertain your theories in the comments (and if you think "It's perfect! I must have it! Now if only Rhett would die!" click on the image to visit the ebay auction.)

And remember those Liberty-print Jack Purcells? Ronnie sent me a kind email letting me know that they're on sale now, online at the Converse store. You have to click on the "online outlet store" image to get to them, as they don't seem to come up in the search. But now they're only $57, instead of $100. (I got a pair from my lovely husband for Christmas, and plan to wear them constantly now that it's not friggin' SNOWING all the time.)

Cherie at Shrimpton Couture is hoping to get your feedback to improve her site ... and if you give her some, you'll be in the running for a $100 gift certificate ...

Stephanie asked if there was a dressaday tag on Flickr, and there is. My Dress A Day Flickr stream is here, although I've been lazy about uploading stuff to it. If you want to tag photos "dressaday", please do so and I'll set up a feed to see them! I also set up a Dress A Day group. Go nuts. (And if you want to send me pictures, sending me Flickr links is a great way to do that! Especially if you license them under the Creative Commons!)

Have I linked to the COPA (Commercial Pattern Archive) yet? It's at the University of Rhode Island. There are some broken links AND their CDs don't work on Macs (!) ... but it's still pretty neat. I wish there was a way we could hook them up with the wiki ... the wiki right now is about 25% of the size of COPA, which has 25,000 patterns dating to 1868.

Kristy (at Lower Your Presser Foot) sent this marvelous link to some Ikea dressers that fit patterns perfectly ... so perfectly that her husband thought that she had GOTTEN RID OF SOME PATTERNS. (Ha! Never!)

Eva made a gorgeous dress of Liberty babycord. And she's says it's all my fault. (Who, me?)

Also, Eirlys points out that there's a new exhibition coming to the V&A in May: Story of the Supremes - performance costumes from the Mary Wilson Collection, which means all the sequins your little hearts desire. There's ALSO a good chance I'll be in London the weekend after this exhibit opens -- Saturday May 24 -- would anyone want to do a Dress A Day meetup at the V&A? And possibly go either fabric-shopping or to tea afterwards? Leave a comment, let me know ...

Linktastic Tuesday, All-Pockets Edition

The pattern above (click on the image to visit the eBay auction) is not only a great, easy dress, but it also inspired me to post some pocket links, or quasi-pocket links. (The one above is a B32, but there's also two B38s on eBay right now, too.)

Michelle (of Green Kitchen) sends this great link to Bitter Betty's site, where she posts a pocket tutorial.

This (sent by Mary Beth) isn't actually a pocket, but I think they're missing a significant use case by not including a stealth pocket in it. Considering how many women do keep things in their bras, why wouldn't you add a pocket to a bra accessory? Seems like a no-brainer to me. (Of course, I don't think I'd ever buy one of those things, as they seem uncomfortable and liable to wiggle around, but hey, I admire their problem-solving gumption.)

Also in the thing-that-should-have-pockets-but-doesn't category, Pretty Bourgeois posted a link to a dress that looks like the LL Bean Tote Bag. Too bad there's only one monogram option.

I missed the original auction for this one, sent by Ginger Lane:




But if you click the image there's a B34, sans envelope, up on the 'bay right now. I'd rather not have the envelope -- for some reason, the pictures on that pattern creep me out.

And one more pocket link, from Summerset. Seriously, this link, which explains how to put a pocket and an invisible zipper in the same seam, changed my life. Do you know how many 1950s side-zipper dresses I can put pockets in now? EVERY ONE OF THEM.

Linktastic Friday No. 4: The Return of Linktastic Friday

Tina at What-I-Found sent me a link to the pillow above; I need to put it on my couch and sit next to it wearing my letter/number dress, don't I?

Dilly sent a link to these sewing-themed shoes from the UK chain Office, which makes it very difficult for people to grab their pics. I guess you'll have to click on the link if you want to see them.

Remember those "Four Yard Line" patterns? There's also a One Yard Line line: check out this skirt and blouse pattern (Butterick 9475), sent by Myra.

Ann sent a great link to a post by Babazeka, where she quotes an old sewing manual about how to be properly dressed when you sit down at the machine. Priceless. (Ann also sent a link to Donate My Dress, which passes along gently used prom dresses to girls who need them.)

Hana in Brno sent a link to this dress -- a wedding dress made completely of dollar store materials. It looks pretty good!

I know I haven't said much about the wiki lately (I think we need to have another contest), but we have another seller who is happy to have her images loaded up into it: Vintage Swampcrone.

Blogreader Carol has a wonderful blog about papercraft. Check it out!

Kristine sent this, which is up right now on eBay (click the image). Isn't it cute?




Doug (yeah, I said Doug) sent this link to a site called Unraveling Histories, which features dresses made from silk RAF parachutists' maps. The site is hard to navigate and even harder to pull pics from but it's definitely worth a link! And there's a Dutch version.

Lee (at when she was knitting) sent in pictures of her Duro! And it's her first dress! You should click the link and check it out, her color choice is beautiful.

Stephanie sent in this Whole Food halter dress, in the front of her local WF in Oakland:



The *very* funny Jonathan Caws-Elwitt has made up these t-shirts (click the image to visit his CafePress store):




Whew! I think that's it for this Friday. Wouldn't want to break the internet ...

Linktastic Friday No. 5

Wow, it's linktastic Friday again. Where does the week GO?

That Duro dress up there is Ann's -- remember her Shwe Shwe blog?

It's snowing here in Chicago today, but Lisa sent me a link to a pink shirtwaist dress that I wish I were wearing today. Outside. On a picnic. Without snow.

This dress would be an excellent picnic dress, too. With those pockets, you wouldn't need a basket ...

Nora sent me a link to this alphabet fabric, but I ended up buying this one. Although now I think maybe I should have chosen this one, instead. Ah, well.

Another tape measure bracelet from Lisa ... sold out, but I bet if you emailed the Etsy seller she'd make you another one. Ask nicely, now ...

Did everyone see this stunning (and stunningly expensive) Claire McCardell pattern on eBay? This one, while not as dramatic, certainly went for a lot less ... and ooh! Check out this pattern, it's quite nice and looks very easy ... thanks to Jeanette for the pointer to the second Claire pattern!

Completely Magnificent Dress from Sugardale.

Theresa sends a link to StyleShake, which I haven't had a chance to really play with yet. It's another one of those "choose your own adventure dress parts, and we'll sew it for you!" sites. Which generally I'm in favor of. As proof they'll make anything, though, I present to you this:



Whoa, that's it for this Friday, even though I have more links I really should post ... maybe next week will have two doses of linktasticity. You never know.

Oh! One more thing: Jen at MOMSPatterns.com is having another 20%-off pattern sale, now through midnight Monday. (I don't know what time zone Jen is in ...) Use coupon code 'slacker20', she says, because she's been slacking this month.

But, before I forget, this blog was given a very generous writeup in a new craft mag, Make It Mine! Thanks!

Linktastic Friday No. 4

Candy at Contentment Farm has a bunch of patterns up on eBay right now, including the one above. Don't you love the soft pleats on the skirt?

Eirlys sends dice-shaped tape measures, guaranteed to make sewing more of a crapshoot than it already is.

Totally make-you-want-to-learn-to-knit vintage patterns for short-sleeved cardigans at Little Grey Bungalow. [from Sewretro List]

Paper wedding dresses that look as if you can actually dance in them (instead of standing very very still so as not to spill dress-melting champagne on oneself). [From Lisa at Miss Helene's, who also reminded me about the Duck Tape Prom Dress contest.]

And speaking of paper dresses, Theresa found a link to a paper Warhol soup-can dress. It's long sold, but the lovely folks at Memphis Vintage left the image up for us to wonder at. Thanks!

If you're not signed up for the Museum at FIT's email notifications, you might want to ... they have some really interesting exhibitions (Madame Grés!) coming up.

I hate (and I mean HATE) St. Patrick's Day (when your name is Erin you hate St. Patrick's Day -- damn it, I'm Scots, doesn't that count for anything? Keep your green-beery hands to yourself!) but Mary Beth (of The Lazy Milliner) sent this, which is both St. Patrick's-Day themed and Obama-related. Just don't spill beer on it, okay?

Brenda (at Cast On, A Podcast for Knitters) sends this link to an exhibition on homemaking at Cornell. She points out the boggling fact that the Home Ec department used to RENT ORPHANS for the students to "practice" mothering. Rent-an-orphan. The world is always weirder than you think it is.

While you're thanking your lucky stars you're not a rentable orphan, check out this 1930s video about the fashions of the year 2000, sent by Leia. Weirdly enough, there's no mention of Prada OR Marc Jacobs.

I know nothing about this; I haven't even visited the link. But it was pitched to me as the "First Fashion Blog in Uzbekistan", and I'm afraid that if I visit it, it will turn out to be a parody site, and I want to Believe. Let it be Uzbekistan: fashion forward! (And not a bunch of bored college kids auditioning for The Onion.)

Marion sent a link to Spoonflower, which had a survey up (closed now, I'm sorry!) about what kind of on-demand fabric printing you might want, at what price. Needless to say, this URL is on my watchlist. If any of you feel so inclined, you might want to email them and tell 'em you want it too!

Jen (at MOMSpatterns) sent this vintage-patterns-themed bracelet (from Etsy seller The Other Sister).

I know I've mentioned REMO t-shirts before, but now they have this offer where you can get a free t-shirt!



You DO still have to pay shipping (from AUSTRALIA) but their t-shirts are so wonderful; they have really good women's sizes, and they wash beautifully ... I'm even wearing one right now!


And one last thing before I forget, this has nothing to do with dresses, but it's the funniest thing I've read all week: Paul Ford does six-word reviews of ALL 763 SXSW mp3s. And I mean "laugh-out-loud" funny. (See how linktastic Friday lets me thwart the constraints of this medium?)

And that's all for this linktastic Friday. If you're going to send me a link (which I encourage!) and you want me to link your name to a site, make sure to include your URL ... if you're sending me a link to Your Own Stuff, that's fine, but make sure you tell me that. Also, I (and my inbox) greatly prefer LINKS to large images, rather than the images themselves ...

Enjoy your weekend ...

Linktastic Friday No. 4

So I was thinking about not doing Linktastic Friday today, and posting the dress I made for last weekend's American Crossword Puzzle Tournament instead, but I'd have to IRON that dress and that seems just too overwhelming this morning. So maybe Monday you'll get to see that dress.

I am disappointed, though, that by NOT putting off Linktastic Friday I don't get to say "Linktastic Friday falls on a Monday this week" because that pokes my funnybone. (Don't worry, I'm sure I'll re-use that joke at a later date.)

But, without further ado: on to the links!

The image above is a really nice shirtdress in a larger size from Born Too Late Vintage ... thanks to Marge for the link!

I don't remember where I found this link to Uniform Studio, so if it came from you, please take credit in the comments. I really like this aesthetic (which may surprise some of you -- although who doesn't want to dress as if they're sweetly androgynous operatives from the future?). Check out, especially, the "gathered line dress". Wonderful.

Robin sent me the link to this beautiful and very, very, very expensive architecturally-themed fabric collection from Finland. (42 euros! = oh noes!)

And while we're drooling over expensive fabric, Kristin sent me a link to Waechter's Silk Shop, which is based in the US and has Liberty at $36/yd. (Mostly the florals, though.) Jane Ellen sent a link to Peggy Anne's which is selling some of the more classic florals at $29-something a yard.

Also, Heather found this yellow-and-gray newspaper-printed stretch knit at Fashion Fabrics Club. Or maybe you want a dress-form print silk hankie in the same colors? (Sent by brokentemple -- but snap that one up quick if you want it, it's a Buy-It-Now).

Have you all seen this shoe-storage wheel? Sent in my sister, who knows me too well ... and speaking of shoes, last week's tape-measure lamp reminded Kate-in-England of these shoes. Pinstripes and tape-measure cockades, oh my!

Gretchen sent this link to a dress made from 41 pairs of recycled Levi's 501s. It's *amazing*, and exactly what I would wear to a Costume Institute Ball honoring Ralph Lauren or Calvin Klein. (Scroll down past the scary baseball-jacket Pierrot costume to get to the jeans dress.)

Liana draws a paper doll every day. Some of them are dresses. Works for me!

Cranky Librarian T-Shirts (and other stuff). Makes me want to be a librarian even more, so I can have a license-plate cover that says "I am a librarian ... and I WILL shush your ass." Sent by Paula, who has a blog about those loop-loom potholders. Awesome.

Some company called Mippin (it's official: the internet has now completely run out of domain names) has done some fancy scraping to make this blog work on your mobile phone. I think. I haven't tested it, but the mobile url is supposedly http://mippin.com/dressaday. Feel free to try it out, it doesn't cost me anything (it may cost you, depending on your mobile web-access plan). Blogread responsibly!

Janet at Lanetz Living is off skiing in Colorado, but she's having a sale at her site while she's gone: 20% off, just use the coupon code "ski20" when you check out. (That's why the internet is the best; how could you have a sale at your brick-and-mortar store and be off skiing at the same time?)

And I *thought* I'd posted about this before, but I can't find it, so here it is again:




Thanks to Eirlys (who does not even live in the US) for finding this at Antique Dress. Too bad it costs ... wait for it ... $ 1,485.

That's it for this Linktastic Friday! More links next week ...

Linktastic Friday No. 3

Carmen sent a link to the lamp above -- made of measuring tapes! So cool.

Cel sent this link to "Make It Yourself": Home Sewing, Gender, and Culture, 1890–1930 by Sarah A. Gordon -- really worth looking at.

Jay at CLMP let me know about Sonya Naumann's great art project: Thousand Dollar Dress. Sonya is taking pictures of a thousand different people wearing her thousand-dollar wedding dress! Genius.

If you want to make the world a better place for women, I can't imagine a more satisfying place to put your money: Goods4Girls gives reusable "sanitary supplies" (that is, menstrual pads) to girls in Africa, because if they don't have them, they can't go to school. (And regular paper products, when they can get them, can't be disposed of safely.) I suggest donating a week's worth of pads, if you can; they don't take direct cash donations but offer a list of suppliers who will make them and send them to Goods4Girls for you (they also offer instructions to make your own).

"The untidiness men find repugnant ... the carelessness men can't stand ...". Thanks to Deborah for the link (and check out her magnificent coat on the cover of Vogue Knitting)!

Nikkie, the curator the Fort Morgan Museum in Fort Morgan, Colorado, is looking for help; they are having an exhibit this fall on the WPA (Works Progress Administration, later the Works Projects Administration) and its impact on Morgan County. One of the local WPA works in Morgan County was a Sewing Project, where simple, serviceable apparel was made and then distributed as part of the relief efforts. If you have any of the standard patterns used for the WPA program, or any finished clothing items, and would be willing to lend them to the museum, would you contact her through the link above?

Jezebella sent in this skirt. Please click that link to see the best and most hilarious pocket ever.

Julie sends in these very nice paper dolls ...

Rita made a vintage-patterns video!

Hilarious 1950s Atlantic piece on the sameness of women's magazines ... [via Faking Good Breeding]

Elisa (aka The Mad Fashionista) was in the NYT! Congratulations!

Nora sends a link to Etsy seller Jane Bon Bon who makes GORGEOUS skirts and dresses, including plus-size. Marvelous appliqué. She makes stuff to order, with no extra charge for plus-size and her prices are very reasonable for custom work!


Remember, if you want to send me a link for Linktastic Fridays (no promises!): 1) email me links to pictures, not the pictures themselves, if at all possible; 2) if it's your auction/site/whatever, please disclose; 3) tell me if you want your name (and how much of it) attached to the link and linked to your site, if applicable. Thank you!

Linktastic Friday No. 2

So apparently, in the 1980s, French newspapers were (occasionally) printed on fabric. Who knew? (And more to the point, why didn't I know THEN, when I could get some?) [Thanks to Robin for the link, and click on the image to visit the Etsy auction for this dress made from said papers.]

Rita at Cemetarian sent in this pocket-licious pattern. I would CLANK when I walked if I made it (because I've never seen a pocket I couldn't overstuff), but I'm still tempted ...

Carolyn sent a link to this astounding crochet UNO dress (But wouldn't you always lose in a UNO dress? You'd never get rid of all your cards!)

Great story in New York magazine about people who only wear one color ... and it's not black. Plus, bonus points for including Stephin Merritt.

[Another] Erin sent me a link to ceramicist Sunny Shultz and her clay dresses. The grayish-brown clay and all the layers make them look very post-apocalyptic. (Which is a GOOD thing, in case you were wondering.)

Tracy sent me a link to these vintage pattern lightswitch covers.

BeSewStylish has a downloadable glossary of spelling terms (PDF).

Charles Savoie sent me an email asking me "[are you] sure you want to recommend that title [Fashion is Spinach (now online free at the Internet Archive, btw!)]? The author advocated men wearing skirts". To which I reply "Wha huh? And that is bad why?" I do not discriminate on the basis of gender; if a guy wants to wear a skirt, dress, muumuu, whatever, it's totally fine with me. But, gentlemen, if you're really so easily swayed that my merely recommending a book will put you into non-bifurcated garments, may I recommend the Utilikilt? (Warning: last link has video/audio at load.)

I should really put this on the other blog (and I will in a minute) but I couldn't resist the urge to make Semicolon Appreciation Society T-Shirts (and stickers, so you can "edit" faulty signs).



Here's the back (on the white shirts only, no back printing on black shirts):



And oh, if you're only going to visit one of my links today, you should really make it Invisible Magnet, a new blog about perfume. Personally, I'm not very knowledgeable about perfume (or adventurous, either -- I wear Fracas, which is really just a very expensive upgrade from Love's Baby Soft), but I have a feeling that after a few months of reading this new blog, I will be. It's written by Ana (whom I know & love) and Liz (whom I'd REALLY like to meet) and they are covering the whole spectrum: the chemistry, the personalities, the packaging, and that I Hate Perfume guy who makes stuff that smells like burning leaves. Also they do that great blog thing where they post their conversations. (For what is the use of a blog, without pictures, or conversations?)


[Housekeeping notes: if you send me links for this now-regular Friday feature, do let me know 1) if you want your name included, and if so, how MUCH of your name, and 2) if you want me to link your name to your blog, send me that URL. Also: I reserve the right to ignore your link if it's something I've already posted about, isn't appropriate for this blog, is obviously over-the-top self-promotion (minor self-promotion is fine), or if I just get absent-minded and forget about it. Please don't send me huge images via email; send links instead! The little elves that run Thunderbird thank you for that courtesy.]

Whew! That's a wrap on another linktastic Friday, folks. See you on Monday, have a great weekend. Courage.

Giant Friday Link-o-Rama

I have been feeling mildly guilty because you guys have been sending me so many great links -- much more than I could ever write about individually, even if I posted with BoingBoing-like frequency. BUT: they are so good that I don't want to deprive you of them, so I'm thinking about doing Linktastic Fridays. What do you all think?

First off, Jen sent me the awesome comic image up above. Who needs a two-timing guy when you have an outfit that great, I ask you?

Also: everyone's heard that Isaac Mizrahi is leaving Target to go to Liz Claiborne, right? I'm so excited about this; I really want to see what he can do at a slightly higher price point and a bigger collection. And I'm hoping maybe he'll choose some fit models that aren't so dern long-waisted ...

Check out this ADORABLE corduroy windowpane-check jumper/dress (thanks to Lisa for the link). This one might show up as a Secret Lives someday, I think.

NYTimes reports on (recycled) juice box dress! Yes, I said juice box dress! (thanks to Barbara for the link)

Lisa at Miss Helene's found this great Home-Ec quiz in a pattern. Some of the questions stumped me, for sure. Try your luck ... or just get a hit of sweet nostalgia off the mimeograph format.

Laura Skidmore of the Vintage Fashion Library was featured on CNN! And she gave a shout-out to Dress A Day! (And her hair in the picture is perfect ...)

Robin sent a link to this truly terrifying 1970s jumper dress with the worst case of crotch-pocket I've ever seen. It takes quite a bit to make me dislike a pocket; this dress succeeded in doing so where so many others have failed.

And two sales for you: a bunch of sellers at Specialist Auctions are having a Vintage Blowout Sale -- everything $19.99 or less! It started yesterday but I'm sure there's a ton of great stuff left (including lots of large-size patterns). More details are here ...

If you have been looking for the original version of the Butterick Walk-Away Dress (6015) Jen has a copy right now (B30) available AND has a different shirtdress-like version with a narrow skirt! (And if you use the coupon code love15 you will save 15% off any sized order through the end of the month!)

Whew. Did I forget anything? If I did, that's why Blogger made comments ...

Spoiled for Choice

I'm so sorry I didn't post yesterday -- there were some internet-connectivity issues, and then there were some "I have to give a talk downtown" issues (compounded by the snow issues), and then there were the "back from a long weekend" issues. I guess I "have issues." (Except for issues of the magazine, which are the only issues I want to have. THOSE are still at the printer!)

Of course, any day on which I don't post is NOT a day in which I have NOTHING to post -- I usually have the OPPOSITE problem, as in, I could post so much every day that I would do nothing else. For instance, just in the last 36 hours or so, I was sent links to:

-- this incredibly cute squirrel-print sundress (sent by Julie)
-- a reminder that PurlSoho has new Liberty cottons in stock (from Rebecca)
-- a link to a wedding-perfect satin dress WITH POCKET (from Kai, and let's just see a picture of that pocket, okay?)




-- some paper art dresses (sent by Theresa)
-- an Anne Fogarty polka-dot midriff-emphasizing dress on eBay (sent by Robin, and let's just peek at that one, too, shall we?)





And there were several more links that I will save for another day. Aren't I the luckiest blogger in Blogdom? Thank you (and keep 'em comin')!

Post-fundraising drabble #3

Believe me, I've had a full life. I've been places, and I've done stuff. But there's been gaps. I've never seen a snake. I've never seen a peanut-butter sandwich. I've never seen an airplane. I've been told about them, but I haven't seen them. I've never seen snow. I have trouble even believing in it. As cold as ice cubes, but teeny-weeny and somehow fluffy? And it falls from the sky slowly, like feathers? And piles up like sand dunes, so high you have to shovel it away just so people can walk? I just don't buy it.

[dress, on ebay now -- click it to go to the listing -- from Jumbleaya]

Linkishness for today:

Elaine sent a nice link to a dress on London Daily Photo. What can I say to motivate you to click? How about "enormous polka dots"? That do it?

Advance warning: I'm going to take the days between Xmas and New Year's off from blogging -- a combo of not having a lot of internet access and not having a lot of leftover energy. But I'm planning to do some Serious Sewing in that time ... wish me luck.

Question: is it cheating to do a drabble from a pattern, and not from an actual dress? Or should it be in the voice of the pattern? Tell me in the comments, please, if you have an opinion either way.

A quick Friday hodge-podge

First off, if you are planning to download yesterday's pattern from the V&A site, you might want to hold off until Monday -- Cassie, the web content manager for the V&A site, made the dress herself, and emailed me to say that she is going to upload slightly tweaked instructions sometime today. (Also, I forgot yesterday to link to link-sender Catherine's web page; it's here.)

Also, if you are not reading Rostitchery, why aren't you? Today (or maybe last night) she linked to a bunch of sewing machine accessory videos. I really don't like watching tutorial videos (I'm too impatient) but I was TRANSFIXED by seeing this binding foot in action! I want one. I need one. I must have one. Can you say "contrast bias hems for the rest of your natural life"? I can. (There's a slightly scarier-looking one here.)

And one last thing (maybe your Dress A Day Moment of Zen) -- Laura bought a copy of a 1958 McCalls Pattern magazine, and uploaded a few images from it. Here's an ad for a particularly wonderful dress:



I find looking at vintage dress ads almost exquisitely painful; the whole idea of advertising is to get you to covet the product, but the product, here, is almost fifty years gone. The chances of me ever finding this dress, in my size, in wearable condition ... well, they're vanishingly small. Which means I will just have to redouble my efforts on the time-machine-development front, right? And just enjoy looking at the picture.

A pitiful excuse for a post

Just links today, no Actual Content. Expect Actual Content to resume next week. I've had what looks to be a hard-drive failure (and of course I do backups on Fridays, so I've lost a week of Very Hard Work, including a new "Secret Lives" ...). Any of you who have intercessory powers with the spirits of computing, would you use them to plead for me? Luckily I have backup computers all over the house (that's only a slight exaggeration) so I am not cut off from the Internet ...

Check out Lisa's Fashion 101 Rules ...

An article from the WashPost about a truly horrific handbag, which costs $52,500. Yes, that's right, FIFTY-TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS. (Thanks to Jonquil for the link.)

I, um, gave a talk at TED this year (and wore a Duro). If you want to see me talk about the Future! of! Dictionaries! you can check it out here. (Warning, starts playing immediately, with sound.)

And Liz Tran, whose art you saw here earlier this year, is doing a daily dress art project for the next month. Lovely!