what i wore:
Thrifted vintage striped dress (buy similar here)
Emma t-strap flats in black c/o B.A.I.T. Footwear (buy here)
Revlon Lip Butter in Wild Watermelon (buy similar here)
double amethyst necklace from Inanimate Objects (buy similar here)
amethyst triangle ring from Moorea Seal (buy here)
I stumbled across this mural in a photo on instagram, and set out to find it with my friend Alex today. It is located near Mars Cafe in the Drake neighborhood (exact location here). This mural was created by Jordan Weber, a local artist whose work is rooted in social activism that is portrayed through the use of recognizable cartoon characters (read a great article about him on Gestalt Creatives here). Not only is his work aesthetically interesting, but it also opens up discussion.
Once again, I am so excited about the emerging public art lately in Des Moines (1, 2). Although, I read here that the mural is only temporary, I'm happy that it exists right now and I got the chance to experience it. I can't believe I didn't even know about it until recently when it was done in 2011. Isn't that strange? Anyways. I hope to keep up more with public art, and hope to take more photos with everything I can! It's an exciting adventure.
So onto the outfit. I simply adore this vintage striped purple and gray puff sleeved dress. I picked it up thrifting one day and knew right away it would be a perfect light, airy dress for summer. I love the thin stripes and light gray. I've got to say, this lip butter is amazing. I like how it fades evenly and acts like a lip stain. It's perfect.
This day, I taught Alex how to sew a zipper pouch, we went to Drake Diner for dinner, I got the amazing veggie rarebit burger, crinkle-cut fries, and a strawberry milkshake of course. Then, we headed over to the Drake Neighborhood's Farmer's Market where I picked up some delicious cherries. After that we searched for the mural, found it, and spent a while there taking photos. Then we walked to Mars Cafe where I got some iced coffee, and headed to Creative Coldsnow to wrap up our day to look at art supplies where I bought a couple moleskin journals which I will attempt to use daily or at least weekly.
Other sources to check out:
Des Moines Greater Public Art Foundation
Street Art DM Blog
Jordan Weber blog
Gestalt Creatives
Thoughts about this mural? I would love to hear them.
