Frocktails Featured on Secrets of the City

 

Summer of Dresses, which I helped to start last year is back for it's second season of prettiness. The kick off Frocktail party is tonight from 5-8 at everyone's favorite, Aster Cafe. If you're someone who prefers 'dapper' to dresses (or just wants to surround yourself with scads of pretty ladies), you are cordially invited to join us! Follow Summer of Dresses on twitter to get your fix of eyecandy. More info can be found in Secrets of the City's feature, too.

My Cheeky Valentine

As many of you know, we held a contest where we invited out clients to create the cheekiest sentiment for their Valentine's Day flower order. The winner of the contest received their flowers for free. While we had several quality submissions, there was a hands down winner. Originally, we were going to announce the name of the winner and keep the sentiment private, but with only a little prodding our winner is kindly letting us repost his card here for your enjoyment and inspiration.

Tied up in knots
a bite on the shoulder
i tugged at her hair
e’re my heart ‘gan to smoulder

‘twixt sheets, silken black
lo! - a spank on the bum!
nervous.. am i naughty?
mayhaps too tame?
mayhaps ho-hum!!

then, a crash!$%
my friends,
- a cloud of smoke! -
i hung from the ceiling
prisoner,
to gravity’s heavy yoke

and in this moment she approacheth
e’re my moment of despair
kisses to my forehead
gentle strokes to my hair

she cackled with delight
bit hard on my lip.
candles and oils…
- hey-o! what’s with the whip? -

t’would kiss her
would i could
like a great prince of yore
be kama to her sutra
make her cry out “more! more!”

my situation you see, was desperate but not dire
distance it seemed, sparked my heart’s russian fire

and so, i waited,
bound but still brave
to plot Act II
self cast
as Handsome Knave

So it will go,
through months and years
the drama will unfold
many climaxes - few tears

and as I gaze to the West
I wait for a sign.
for the curtain to rise,
‘tween me and
my heart’s rowdy Valentine.

She's got the whole world in her hands...

We have very little information on the whys of this huge mossy floral globe we bumped into at our wholesaler. We didn't make it, but it did make us snicker a little. To help orient you, that's New Zealand by Liz's right hand.

Their Knickers are Coming Down!

After a rude awakening by the dustman on this dark, drizzly morning, I checked my email only to be rewarded by an early access preview of the annual Agent Provocateur sale.  Now that we have safely placed our (shamefully large) orders, we recommend you stop what you're doing right this second, and do the same.  We heartily endorse the Nikita, Francoise, and Jenifer lines, but it's hard to go too far wrong with AP.  Go on, you deserve it.  And it only comes once a year.

White hot.

Kudos to Jimmyjane for redesigning some classics (the usual suspects) in pure white. Body safe and minimalist-friendly, these are just the thing for those of us turned off by bad design.

My Beautiful Laundrette

One of my favorite signs and the jolliest sunny-hued awning snapped out the window during lunch at Pop Restaurant, the only place in Minneapolis guaranteed to take care of a Nehi peach soda and caramelized onion fix.  I missed the shot I wanted which included a bright yellow school bus and flabby man in tank top with blue jug o'laundry detergent, but the gangly server just didn't understand my urgency, and got in my way. At any rate, the laundrette sign always reminds me of mid-eighties Daniel Day Lewis, and reminds Heidi that it reminds me of Daniel Day Lewis, which is slightly more involved than it simply reminding her of Daniel Day Lewis, directly.

And the dish ran away with the spoon...

Oh how we LOVE artist Mark Ryden and his creepy/wonderful sense of humor.  We can't stop singing this song.

Flying Purse

We did this bag-quet (get it?  like a bou-quet, but a bag) about a million years ago for a shoot for the Twin City Bridal Association.  We've been trying to round up the image ever since, and now lo and behold, they are using it on their site again.  It looks a lot like it's flying, which kinda works with the feathers...

Hare Doing Hair

Bastian+Skoog's own, Lindsey Borgerson, submitted an entry titled "hare doing hair", starring her bunny, Asko (or is it Olive? We can't tell them apart) to the 10 second film festival at The Soap Factory. Awesome. That bunny's got mad talent (and that Lindsey's pretty great, herself).

Meet Shelley

We have a new addition to the Bastian+Skoog team. Her name is Shelley. She's a Dyson vacuum, and she's bright white (thank God they finally gave us a non-purple option). We are absolutely appalled at what she pulled out of our carpet. Incredibly dirty girls are we, but things are looking up.