more Fair

Almost missed this couple as they flew by.

Minnesota State Fair

Right at the gate, you realize The Fair is not the place for subtlety.


She is getting ready for her dance in the talent contest.

Demonstrating the fine art of chill.

Totally my fault for making her look into the sun, but she nonetheless rocked a tall drink o' cool. I particularly loved her high-heel lace-up boots. They look vintage but are simply worn out from love, she says. Those boots were not necessarily made for walking as the heel was lofty and one was in the process of coming off.

Deutsches cowgirl

So I was in Berlin for nine days and several unusual things happened. Or rather, didn't happen. I took this one (1) rootin' tootin' street style shot, and I did not buy so much as one shred of clothing. These phenomena are so odd, I feel I must explain.

Lack of street style photos was due to a combination of lack of confidence in my high school German, the fact that I was so often steering my rented fat tire bike, and the fact that I didn't encounter jaw-droppingly stylish folk. The urban cowgirl, above, was a server at a beer garden.

As to the lack o' finds, I'm going to admit right off, I did not devote myself to the cause. Three hours, tops. Of course, I located KaDeWe but only toured the 6th floor food world. Also took a swing down nearby Mommsenstrasse and the delightful consignment shops on several leafy blocks but they were a tad rich for my Savers-thinned blood (180 euro frock = too many USD). With high hopes, I visited three Humana shops but they were no Salavation, and I left with scant Goodwill. I tried one other nameless thrift shop in a promising immigrant neighborhood and while they did have the only pair of lederhosen I saw on the whole trip, nein. Nichts. Here's a good one-- I lured Dennis up to the suitably gritty-thus-trendy Prenzlauerberg area in former Ost Berlin (pretext: Zionskirche, Dietrich Bonhofer's former church). In a stunning parallel to New York's Lower East Side, the groovy "vintage " shops had scooped up their stock in one trip to a US Salvation Army and marked the stuff up to the point of ridiculous. I went in one establishment, beguilingly named Thrift Store, and found a several seasons old Mossimo sundress marked 30 euros (at least $45). It did not have the European flavor I was looking for, so I bid Thrift Store tschuss!

Syndicate & Randolph, St. Paul

Love the texture of the bracelet and beads, and the coffee-and-cream theme looks so easy and put-together.

more Irish Fair

She sais she dresses this way all the time.

Manly, aye, but I like it too.

Irish Fair, Harriet Island

Trader Joe's St. Paul

Yes, poor photography, but even that could not dim her beautiful smile and happy madras shorts/polka dotted rainboots look.

U of MN

Fanciful and graphic at the same time, this perfect summer dress is Marimekko.