Happy New Year! (Almost!)

I keep thinking about 2011 and what I hope to accomplish... I don't have a very long list and although I have definite goals, like getting a new job and creating a definite fitness routine, (more like a "wellness" plan, such as yoga 2x a week and running or something active everyday, which just sounds tiring! hehe), a lot of what I want to accomplish isn't easily checked off a To-Do list. Things like recognizing what is really great about my life (focus on the good stuff!) and finding the positive in life's challenges (being at work a lot means I am not shopping, which is good, right?).

Last year I did alright: one of my goals was to start a blog, which I obviously followed through with (well, I got around to it in March...but that's besides the point). But this year, something wants me to make 2011 even better. Let's see how I do.

Another goal of mine is to create an outfit around these Steve Madden "Olympicc" pumps for tonight:

I love the pale beige/blush color, but although I have owned them for months, I have not worn them yet. They are my "poor man's" version of the Brian Atwood "Maniac" pumps that are fabulously outrageous. I am thinking dress + opaque black tights to contrast with the nude color...we'll see what I come up with :)

What is on your New Year's Resolutions List? And what ever you are doing tonight, either staying in or partying like it's 1999, have fun!

Drinks for Senior Citizens...

To celebrate my golden birthday (25 on the 25th makes it golden, I am told), I went out with the BF and my sister + her bf to Kazimierz, a favorite wine bar of ours that has turned into something of a birthday tradition. The wine is always tasty, the cheese plates are amazing and the ambiance -candles and a few wall sconces provide the only light- is relaxing.

It was chilly, but not freezing, so I opted for a drapey dress with tights:


I changed out of my holiday uniform of sweatpants at my Bf's house and somehow the belt for my dress got lost in the shuffle, so the belt you see is actually one of his ties!


I love this dress because the gray charmeuse fabric drapes only on the left side, revealing the black layer underneath. Kind-of like a giant, drapey pocket.

F21 faux-leather jacket (best impulse buy ever), Robert Rodriguez dress, borrowed tie as belt, Nordstrom opaque tights, Belle by Sigerson Morrison ankle booties

How cute is my sister!? (If you like home improvement DIY stuff, check out her blog here).
I love her new skirt (Rachel Pally via Gilt, I believe) and how she styled the pleated, bright skirt with a simple black sweater. If you could only see the snakeskin wedges that are hiding underneath!

Also, I don't know what our deal was, but there was a big problem with making eye contact with the camera....

Anyway, what are your birthday traditions? And do you get dressed-up or just wear a comfy, casual outfit?

How to I Wear: Lace-Up Booties...?!

My darling BF got me these Jeffery Campbell "Loggins" lace-up booties for my birthday:

(I liked them but thought they were too pricey to justify...and then these show up at my door...he's good).

I sent them back to exchange the size, but I am excited to wear them... but how?! I am used to wearing dressier non-lace-up wedge booties for evening, but I don't know how to wear booties for casual, everyday wear (AZ weather is more conducive to flip flops, not boots) so I scoured the internet for ideas. I found a few outfits with my specific boot and a few more with the same type of boot:

This girl took the initiative to post three different outfits with the "Loggins"!


The "Loggins" transition well from day-to-night:


You might have guessed I like chambray...naturally I love it with boots!


Keiko Lynn looking adorable with her boots + tights + belted scarf:


Gotta love a cuffed trouser!

(Click on any picture to link back to the original source)

I can't wait for the right size to come in the mail so I can experiment with outfits! How would you wear these boots? Any suggestions would be great!

Birthday Gift: Made By Hank!

By now, everyone knows I love Etsy (or click here and here to be reminded), and my friend (check her out here) loves Etsy as much if not more than I do, so it was no surprise that my birthday present from her had Etsy origins :) I had drooled over her Made By Hank purse a while ago and, being a good friend with a great memory, she snapped one up for me when the new collection came out! Each of the purses is handmade and the attention to detail is awe-inspiring. Check out the Made by Hank page here!

Without further ado, allow me to introduce you to my new Made By Hank zipper purse!


I love her little logo button on the back of the purse:

(I don't know why this is posting sideways, but I'm going to roll with it!)

The tiny floral pattern of the inside lining makes me smile:


Even the tag is adorable!


Thanks again, Emily!

Beyond the Pale

I saw this pic of Kate Bosworth shopping the other day and love it. Well, I am not sure about the acid wash situation happening on her getaway sticks, but I love that she can pull off a pale blush pink with her fair hair and light skin. I wonder if her earrings are from her JewelMint line? I also wonder how many of you are out there braving the crowds of shoppers today?

Merry Christmas!!

Aren't these guys cute?!

I hope all of you have a great Christmas and for all of you traveling-- I wish you a safe and speedy journey!
...Especially if you are in the West and have that whole rain situation to contend with... try a canoe instead of your car if you want to get anywhere in a timely manner...
Anyway, I hope you all get what you asked Santa for (I hope you are on the "Nice" list this year) and spend your day with the ones you love doing what you love...which in my case will be eating lots of Christmas cookies!

Are You Done Yet?

If you have waited until the last minute to start your Christmas shopping or if you are done with your Christmas shopping and now get to reward yourself, get thee to your nearest JCrew! They are extending their additional 30% off sale items until tomorrow, but the deal is only in stores, so get your coat on, feed the cat later, and get a move on! I am sure it will be slim pickin's at this time, but if I find anything that I have been oggling online, I will be estatic! And I will be saving Santa the effort of finding me a great gift, right?

I envision this tulip skirt with opaque tights....


Fun bling please, Santa!


Just in case a cocktail party comes up... Or maybe a NYEve dress?


"You love your grandma pants," a coworker tells me. Well, touche! I love a slouchy trouser!

Can't get enough of the school-marm-ish charm of these booties!

I hope everything is decorated, baked, bought, and wrapped in your neck of the woods so that you get to relax. (Or my version of fun: shopping for myself!) Any great finds?

Rain Drops Keep Fallin' on My Head...

...but that doesn't mean my eyes will soon be turnin' red... because there are more cute rain boot options out there than ever before! AZ isn't known for getting a lot of rain (or having water in any form in general) so I get a little excited when it rains. I have shoes that work well in rain, but no official rain boots like the ones you people with your "seasons" have, so I decided to look for some options. My favorites are simple and pretty classic:

Hunter Original Gloss Rain Boot in Graphite

I love the classic style and the mix and match possibilities when paired with the Hunter socks that tuck inside/fold over the top of the boot. The graphite color is a classic neutral that would go with leggings, jeans, etc, but is a little more unexpected than basic black.

Hunter Wedge Rubber Rain Boot

The classic Hunter boot gets a lil splash of chic with the slight wedge and equestrian-inspired detail at the ankle. The usual awkward chunkiness of rain boots is charming, but it would be nice to have something a little more sleek and refined sometimes...which makes this perfect!

Pour La Victoire Ted Boot:

How fun is this one?! The studs definitely up the ante and add a little bit of a rocker-edge to this darkest-of-green boot. This would be a great choice for a gal who thinks the plain boots are boring but doesn't want to be wearing giant plaid Burberry galoshes around town ;)

Jeffrey Campbell Voom Wedge Boot:

I am a big fan of the JCampbell camp and these boots are a great example of why I am an admirer. Super sleek and a tad futuristic, these boots would make your outfit instead of being a dowdy, solely functional accessory.

All of you out there in the rain, what are you wearing on your feet while splishing and splashing about? And are what are the most important things to consider when buying a rain boot?

Green Giving

I am starting to wrap the mountain of gifts that have yet to be nestled under the tree but I forgot gift tags on my last trip to the store (I make so many lists... and then forget to bring them- but I can blame it on the holidays, right?). I did a quick web search for places to zip out and snag some tags, but then came across a link to these bad boys:

They are gift tags made out of Trader Joe's holiday themed paper bags! How cute are they?! Another reminder that a little creativity can save you time...and a trip to the store... unless you wanted ice cream anyway. Sigh.

On the Chopping Block! (Part Deux)

OK, so I talked about my new hairstyle inspirations already (check it out here) and then plugged my nose and jumped in the deep end. It's not dramatic without a "before and after" photo compilation, so here is one I took of myself- myspace style, of course! ;)

BEFORE:
Honestly, there was nothing wrong with my cut at all. I like my hair long, but my appreciation of the Olsen-esque, boho-chic aesthetic (AKA, laziness) was not doing me any favors in the polishing-up-for-work dept. I found myself stuffing my hair in a bun quite often, and as I have not mastered the super-cute-yet-seemingly-off-hand technique, it wasn't cutting it (hehe).

(Banana Republic top from ages ago- love that their stuff is always wearable)


AFTER:
I now own a short lil bob. I took these pics after work and now think it looks a little flat (esp in the rightmost pic) but I am still figuring out what to do with it ;) I am also going to have to experiment and see what it looks like wavy...can't wait!
I had my hair gal darken it a little, too, since I am enjoying my brunette phase and the last glaze had faded significantly...

(Hinge sequin cardi, Alternative Apparel cowl-neck top, vintage necklace that has broken a billion times...thank goodness for pliers)

So, in short (hehe), the hair saga of life continues. Thank you so much for the product suggestions you gals left in response to the previous post-- looks like I have more to add to my Wishlist!
Happy Monday!
PS- Who is already done with Christmas shopping? You are my hero...

On the Chopping Block!

What's on the chopping block? That'd be my hair... (I wish there was a determined/nervous/excited emoticon to insert here)... and that is what my day will bring me at noon. Like a guillotine sentencing that I will carry out against my hair, it's time to get rid of it in one fell swoop! I recently colored my hair brown (I posted on the change here), so in a 6 month span I will go from long (Pocahontas would had approve), beach-blonde hair to short (well, medium bob length), brown hair.

Why? It's just time to change things up a bit. (And also because I feel like the trim I get every 2 months or so doesn't get rid of my split ends...they mock me in the mirror! I swear!)

Delusion aside, I looked on the web for inspiration, but since the trend these days is for lengthy locks, I didn't find much. But it's quality over quantity, right? Here are some of my fav hairdo's and style ideas:

Alexa Chung went from from a longer bob to a shorter, chunky cut but still kept her ombre coloring. I like that the ends are blunt, but that there is still a lot of texture:


At first, I didn't like this cut on Kathering McPhee. But then I realized I just didn't like the color on her (she looks better brunette), but I do like the simple style and how the her bangs add soft texture around her face.



Jessica Stroup has a great cut because she can wear it straight or wavy and tousled. I won't be going this short (barring an accident- eeps!) but I like the versatility of her cut.

(Click on any of the pictures to link back to its respective web source- where you can find more pics!)

How often do you chop those locks? And have you ever had a crazy hairstyle? Also, and fantastically amazing hair products out there (if you are willing to share your secrets!)?

Erin Fetherston for Juicy Couture

I am not a style snob (everyone should have their own style, that's the point after all) but I admittedly give an eye-roll to the gals who strut their Juicy Couture track suits tucked into Ugg boots with their acrylic nails bedazzled in garish crystals that match the ones encrusting their phones that are sticking out of their Juicy handbag made of creepy, 70's carpet-esque velour (or knock off LV or Spy bag) all while talking about how some guy they met out at da clubs won't call them back, etc, etc. (Shudder) That type of mental image is why I have not been a fan of Juicy Couture and why, when it was announced that Erin Fetherston was designing the upcoming collection, I mentally wished Fetherston good luck while wondering if she was committing career suicide.

BUT, I looked at the new collection on shopbop today and although the infamous track suit has not been killed off (sigh) there are actually some very fun pieces to check out:

A very sultry silk jumpsuit:


A cute little v-back dress:


A fun, printed tunic top:


A silk skirt with very holiday-party-appropriate draping:


Tiny little heart-shaped leaf earrings:


A cool metal headband:


Are you excited about the design change? Or are you the classic Juicy fanatic girl I described above? (If you are, let me know-- no really, you might be my neighbor)...

Green with...Admiration...

I certainly admire Flora Grubb-- she has the perfect name for her career and her job involves growing awesome plants and create really cool plant constructions! As I don't have a very green thumb, ("chartreuse" is pushing it), I love that she works with succulents because they are the one plant variety that the average chartreuse-thumbed gal can keep alive and her creations are so. ridiculously. cute.

Her upside down plants remind me of a Dr. Seuss illustration:


A living holiday wreath!


A little fresh greenery brightens the snowy holidays:


My favorite Flora Grubb creation: a vertical garden! Imagine watering your walls... ;)


Check out her company's website for more green-tastic creations! She also blogs on her website and provides instructions for creating her living masterpieces. After browsing on her site, I think there might be more things to add to my Christmas list....!

The One That Got Away....

Was there ever an item that you found, loved, and should have bought- but for some reason you didn't purchase it....and then you regretted it? The "failure to purchase," for whatever reason it occurred, seems like a black mark on your fashion savvy scorecard and haunts you whenever you create an outfit that seems like it's missing something.... oh wait, it's that thing you should have gotten.... Fail.

Maybe you don't have one of those items that got away- well that's great for you. The rest of us can sigh and think about that necklace/pair of stilettos/wallet/scarf that got away. And maybe have a glass of "whine" over it ;)

After all that build-up, here is my relatively simple, regrettably-not-purchased fixation:

This is the "Carina" bag by Isabella Fiore. Not anything crazy, but I love the hardware, color, and massive size (you could hop in there and have a nap). And although they are not common, I saw a lady with black version of this bag over her arm the other week and almost mugged her for it...

...but I didn't, which is a good thing or I would be writing this from jail.

Do you have something that got away....?

Current Etsy Wishlist: Rings!

I love shopping on Etsy.com. And by shopping, I mean looking because if I bought everything I wanted I would be typing this from inside my car...but then again, I would be living in my car with fabulous rings on every finger, so life wouldn't be so bad....

Anyway, I constantly blab about my fascination with Etsy and how much I love my onegarnetgirl ring (here and here), so she is represented in the selection, natch, but there are other favorites, too. I have a new favorite I found off of a link on exPress-o's blog, so thanks Diana! One thing I have noticed is that I never do anything halfway with my jewels...I either want super simple/understated or super bold/garish.

(Click on a picture to link back to its respective Etsy boutique)















What is on your wishlist? And do you shop/look on Etsy for anything specific?