Autumnal Togs...

"togs?" you say...it's Brit for clothes! So what am I thinking of donning for Fall...some thoughts...
a canvas tiered skirt with wooden beads and embroidery...very autumnal!

Maple 🍁 leaf sweater

this little spotted number with a mother of pearl necklace...

I love the luminescence of the MOP!

I can see it with this blush floral necklace...

or perhaps this cocoa rose floral choker necklace...

or this tortoise shell link necklace...

a sueded paisley and carnation patterned skirt in rich chestnut tones...

this coffee duster coat...

khaki cateye sunglasses...

a yummy rust colored cross-over yoga top

these faux suede ginger / coral mules...

this rusty coral red roses floral choker necklace...

this yummy rust toned pouch, which was a gift...

and another gift, this time from Clinique, a gift with purchase...as their Marketing campaign says...

to lounge around in, a tracksuit in "Tiger Lilly" with a taupe top...

this gorgeous shawl that can be scrunged up into a scarf in rich maroons, reds and navy...love it!

a looong purple, black and white tunic top with white lace edged tights, with a plum hued lacey camisole underneath, just about peeking out...

paired with baroque amethyst choker and purple enameled bangles...
I would also team this ensemble with these purple SaltWater sandals...

and hey presto!, with this perfect purple jacket, this flimsy top is wearable in Autumn! perfectly plum!

these Miista purple holographic shoes...

and this purple enamel flower brooch over the lapel...

the tunic would go well with these violet hued eggplant jeans...

and perhaps these deep plum sunglasses...

WISH LIST

a gorgeous pink and mulberry leopard handbag by Mulberry!

The Perfect "Non Costume" for Halloween...

I think I've found it...something funky to feed the Sagittarian in me...

yes...I've found the perfect "non costume" for Halloween-a melange of leopard, peacock, cobalt, fall colors...you name it, it's got it...paired with a sequened mask in cobalt, of course...peacock earrings and my turquoise fossil bead and cloisonne necklace...

UPDATE: Eat Pray Love to be a MOVIE!!!

haha... ;-D They will turn it into a movie starring Julia Roberts as the main character authoress Elizabeth Gilbert! Cannot wait till it comes out in 2011...simply wonderful...

Julia Roberts on set here with James Franco playing guitar, in NY, Central Park...

Reading List Updated...

Elizabeth Gilbert ;-D hehe...what an amusing read...I LOVED IT!!!

Michael Baigent's book The Jesus Papers...thought provoking...I wish he'd written more about Puteoli(modern day Puzzuoli, near Naples or in the Bay of Naples, Italy) and the underwater villas from the ancient Roman republic...anyone know more about those...please do share...as well as the underground tunnels where the ancients gathered...I'll say no more...

Metamorphosis

The most extraordinary thing has happened this summer...

Last Autumn, these bright mauve or lavendar flowers were blooming late and I was absolutely delighted with them as the rest of the backyard was getting all golden in color and leaves were falling...

this summer the same plants have turned up completely different as reddish purple and white!!!
and here the new blooms are opening up nicely, showing the pinkish purple and pale pinkish white as opposed to last year's all bluish purple blooms...
hmmm...they're exactly the same plants but completely different in color...how could that be possible? They've somehow mutated of their own accord!

Roman Readings...

These days, continuing with my "Classical Studies" to include Rome, I'd like to share some of what I've been reading...my Colleen McCullough's "The Masters of Rome" series readings are progressing very nicely...I've always had an interest in Italy but reading these books, I find myself falling deeper for ancient ROMA!

THE FIRST MAN IN ROME

This is where it all started...the main characteres are Gaius Marius and Lucius Cornelius Sulla and their military and political entry into Rome's elite ruling class...

Gaius Marius

Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix

THE GRASS CROWN

In this book, one of the two men is awarded the ever coveted Corona Gramea or Grass Crown...

OK, don't laugh too hard, but I actually have my very own "Corona Gramea" or grass crown! hehe...right on my back porch...

FORTUNE'S FAVORITES

Now, I wouldn't want to give the plot away...but "Fortune" is referring to the goddess "Fortuna" or Lady Luck as we would know her...of course, all of the Romans as they went campaigning, were in the truest sense, "soldiers of fortune!"

I'm not exactly sure if this lovely illustration on the inside of the cover is Sulla and Aurelia(my favorite interpretation!) or Caesar and Cinilla...either would be fitting...hmmm...on second thought, that definitely is a Civic Crown, with oak leaves...so it's probably Caesar...

as ever, I am extremely intrigued by clothing and footwear in particular; these laced up shoes sported by the sultry gent caught my eye...

I was quite amazed to learn that I owned a pair of walking shoes which looked remarkably like the criss-cross shoe that is shown in the illustration above...this pair by Rocket Dog...

CAESAR'S WOMEN

Caesar's Women is really more about Caesar's political machinations and all the significant women in his early life; some pretty brilliant maps and illustrations as usual from McCullough...

The name "Caesar" actually meant "having a full head of hair," which this bust of him still shows, though it began to thin quite early in his life...

I was quite surprised to find that I had these two very classical looking ensembles!

Like this drapy, asymmetrical mint green and teal floral dress echoing the lines of classical tunics called tunicas...

and I want to wear this dress with this this teal rose floral choker necklace...

This navy blue chiffon blouse and skirt with a drapy neckline and layered skirt, so typical of the illustrations I've seen depicting what women wore in Rome back then...

and this pair of sandals will be just perfect with either... So I pondered, what would you actually say in Latin, if you wanted to pick up someone or whisper sweet nothings...and I find this $1.25 book at a local thrift store...as Luck would have it...

oh, they were forever referring to each other as "Domine" and "Domina" for Lord and Lady respectively, and I found this little domino in a grocery shopping cart left by someone's little darling no doubt, I mean really, playing dominos is all the rage these days with the little ones...

Oak Leaf Brooches

I have this sizeable backyard that is really an oak forest, with never a loss for oak leaves...so yes, I'm kind of wallowing in them... they did however inspire me to make this copper foil oak leaf cluster and jade acorn brooch from a partially broken green jade brooch - so literally from items I had lying around the home!

some gorgeous oak and acorn pins I just have to share with you folks...

too many OAK LEAVES...yes, I might as well EMBRACE them!!!

Grecian Sandals at Melissinos in Athens

I fondly remember seeing travel ads during my childhood in Australia that featured handmade leather Greek sandals. These Greek gladiator style sandals made by Melissinos in Athens, Greece are called "No 7 Cleopatra" sandals...

the No 7 Cleopatra sandals come with a choice of one ankle strap

or with two straps at the ankle...

I definitely prefer these taller Cleopatra sandals with the extra ankle strap...

Stavros Melissinos Sandalmakers of Athens

Their website: http://www.melissinos-poet.com/