Molly Bloom knows style

Retail therapy works. I know it’s not right, and you can’t buy happiness blah blah, but when you’re traveling and you’re maybe a little lost or feeling like you haven’t gotten into the spirit of the place, there’s nothing like a $50 purse to lift the spirit. Or a little orange wallet. Or a cheap scarf with a Provençal print. I’ll share photos once everything dries out.

There’s a cute pink-walled supermarché a few blocks from my apartment. I bought a baguette, cheeses and a bottle of wine there for lunch. One of the cheeses smells like a dirty sock in a wet barn. The other cheese was made by angels, from the milk of cows who eat exclusively four-leaf clovers, underneath a rainbow.

You know what brightened my gray day? This ad for a store’s new spring dresses. Mais oui, little piggie!

I’ve been in Paris since yesterday. And let me say: Paris, I love your shoes. I plan on buying all of them tomorrow.

So far I haven’t done much shopping. I saw the cutest store of all time but of course it was closed on account of it being 10 p.m. Which reminds me of the concept store I’ve yet to open. It stocks chic, slightly overpriced wares and is open from happy hour on. Because you know you buy more stuff when you’ve been drinking. A little wine, a little impulse spending. Like bread and butter, baby.

I did do a little shopping today but cannot share the booty just yet because my purchases are gifts. I was heading through the Hotel de Ville Metro station when I saw a display of flashing lights and duct tape. My people! So I headed into the light and cuteness of all cuteness, there is a hardware store in the Metro station. Srsly. Too much. Here is a picture of the dog I met there.

OK… I don’t want to short-change you. Here is another shopping story, back at the hardware store. I was in line to pay for my stuff and was secretly flummoxed that I wasn’t in the buy line but was instead in the return queue. A gentleman a few places ahead of me approached the cashier with his basket. A great jangling started and soon became a cacophony. I looked up to see him uncoiling a giant chain from his basket, like a cartoon. People started exchanging glances and the chain just kept going. By the time he paid for his chain and started coiling it into a bag, I almost wet myself.

If you’re going anywhere with white sands, blue lagoons, nautical-themed piano bars or taxidermy swordfish, this bag is a winner. You can carry it in St. Somewhere or the South Pacific. You could go matchy-matchy and pair it with wedge heel esparadrilles; go casual with sandals or beach-appropriate flip-flops. This purse looks big enough for a small camera, trial-size SPF, wallet and room key. And “room key” is one of my favorite words.

The Jovovich-Hawk for Target beach cover-up doubles as a clown robe. I may also wear it over a black slip-dress in warmer weather. I’m taking it to France so I can wear it while I do my toilette like a fancy French lady. I’m not sure if I’ll wear it on the beach this summer; it’s made of nylon, which doesn’t scream sun ‘n’ fun to me.

The cover-up must have sold like beer on St. Patrick’s Day because it’s off Target’s website; check in stores.

Today I’m washing silk before turning it into a cute-ass top (it’s pink, it’s dotty, it’s a cute-ass top). I found a great tutorial about washing silk — in this case Hermes scarves. It’s an easy process but you have to be diligent. Ironing the damp fabric will bring it back to its original texture and dry it completely.

The blouse I’m making will be hand-washable because the fabric has been treated before sewing and shouldn’t shrink at the seams. A lot of silk garments are washable; look for ones without embroidery or lots of seaming or structure. I agree with the article that using a drop of dish detergent is better than Woolite.

Oh hai. More LOLVogue models courtesy of Jezebel.

I bought these shoes the other day. They were described as athleisure. I previously labeled this sort of sneaker/shoe as a hybrid. A quick internet search tells me that athleisure may be catching on in the industry. I’m not sure if I like it. It sort of smells like advertorial.

If you read this site using a feed reader you may have missed some posts. Something went kerfluey. It’s been fixed.

You’ll notice the “See me speak at SXSW” button is gone from my site. I spoke on panels in 2006 and 2007 but decided not to return to Austin this year. I like SXSW. They have free beer there. I need to concentrate on the fashion thing for now. Also: Paris!