Happy Halloween from la Chalupa and friend

This week's wardrobe inspired by . . .

I am happy to be back in the season of layers. Each day is basically a question of whether to go with the Swedish street urchin, citified woodland creature, or Parisian fashionaut look, each of which is represented below.



How much do I want the above vest and boots?? Muchly.



I am pretty sure I wore this exact outfit, complete with white sunglasses, in 1992. Still like it.



The silhouette. The touch of dark purple. The shoes.



Every time I wear an outfit like the above I feel like Puck or Robin Hood. That doesn't stop me.

Not represented here (surprisingly) is my current hair inspiration/obsession. My ambition to be as blond as is Medusaly possible remains strong. In fact, given that I spend so much time a) reading Scandinavian fashion blogs, and b) staring at photographs of Kate Lamphear, it's a small miracle that my hair is not completely devoid of color by this point. I consider this platinum drive to be a reverse manifestation of the same psychological phenomenon that led me to dye my hair darker and darker and darker until I achieved the blackest of black just after I defended my dissertation and graduated. In other words, it has something to do with That Which Will Not Be Discussed.

The Thing

Voilà. The tenure application. Submitted and under review. I have become silent on the blog, because a) I do not know how to talk about the process; b) I do not think it is a good idea to talk about the process; c) I think talking about the process here would drive you INSANE; and d) I think talking about the process here would drive me insane.

Suffice it to say, it's not a done deal and there are some political obstacles. I won't know for quite some time. When I do, I will let you know. Until then, I want to blog. But can we agree to keep The Thing a big fat silent elephant on the blog? I promise to post about fashion and poems and runes and chihuahuas and love sweet love. Wish me luck, keep your fingers and toes crossed, and then let's talk about something more pleasant like the economy or Sarah Palin or the gout or . . .=)