Advice?

Although I have had this blog since March, it has only been in the past few weeks that I have actually gotten into posting regularly and commenting on the blogs I have been following. I think that in order to make a better fashion commentary/ fun stuff kind of blog, I will need to post pictures of myself in the outfits I create, but I have been hesitant to do so....which doesn't really make sense as I just linked this up with my facebook account (which is full of personal pictures). So now that I have established that I am a dork, I have two questions for those far-more-blog-savvy peeps who have stopped by to say "Hi":
1- What else should I do with my blog to get more exposure ->to get feedback (just got the google friend thing and Bloglovin figured out--interesting!)
2- Any general advice you can give me?

Thanks for reading my blog in the baby stages :) and I look forward to seeing where this will develop!

Also, here is a pic of my Vince Camuto peep-toes that I have not made an outfit with yet. I am dying to give these puppies an outing soon!

Happy Halloween! (early)

Here is a peek at part of my lil' homemade costume:

A very non-intimidating snow leopard :) The ears turned out well considering they are made out of black swimsuit top triangles and the backs are covered in leopard print fabric. I hope I am not too old to be dressing up, but I didn't really do anything last year, so there is a little extra excitement going around!
I hope everyone has fun this weekend!

'Net Savvy- OneGarnetGirl on Etsy!

You gotta love a girl who enjoys some sparkle! I am big into rings and OneGarnetGirl's store on Etsy.com always has the cutest cuts, prettiest colors, and yet has an unfussy, simple style. She makes cute necklaces and earrings, too, but the rings! Here are a few of my favorites:

I own one of her rings that I wear constantly, but with the holidays coming up, I am trying to decide on a new ring to ask Santa for... but narrowing it down to one is hard! I love rings, esp stackables, and can't leave the house without one, but what what is your go-to piece? A watch? Necklace? Earrings?

Spring RTW 2011--Sophie Theallet

If you have ever met Azzedine Alaia, I am interested in talking to you. If you worked for her for 10 years, I want to study you like a botanist would study a new species of the Venus Fly Trap from some exotic region of the world. So yeah, I kinda want to befriend Sophie Theallet. The chance to observe her working in her "natural habitat" would be pretty awesome, but looking at her runway show is the next best thing. This season's collection was supposed to be inspired by Latin culture and famous Latin personalities, but I got more of a retro vibe...

Simple, belted satin coat? A must..!

The bottom layer of this skirt makes me smile.

You know I am a sucker for draping! Plus that vintage glam and a great color = timeless.

I wish the photos were better because my favorite part of Theallet's work is in her attention to detail, but this is enough to cause some vintage-inspired outfits for work this week!

*photos from style.com

The Little Things

After being sick this weekend and not being able to eat, this salad (tomatoes, cucumbers, lil' balls of fresh mozzarella and a little basil and oregano) seemed like heaven. Not only was it was light and refreshing, but I just feel better when I eat something that is healthy and delicious. As silly as it is that this salad made my day, I think it's good to remember that the little things that make you happy are important to note.
What little things make you happy?
Have a great Monday!

Free $20 credit at Rue La La!

I am pretty sure everyone and their mom (literally) has a Rue La La account, but in case you don't, click here because through the 25th of this month (10/25/2010), when I invite friends, they get an automatic $20 credit to their account! (Don't worry, I get a $10 credit when a friend I invited places an order, so I won't be left out of the fun!). Today's boutiques include a specially curated collection that will benefit The Breast Cancer Research Foundation- there is a cute pink dress I am debating on and a Philosophy bath set amongst other goodies.

Hope everyone has a great weekend! Happy shopping!

What a Sparkling Personality!

When I saw these boots, my reaction was part disbelief and part admiration. Sequined over-the-knee boots?! That is just craziness and yet, why haven't I seen loads of these before? No need to pile on the jewelry with these disco balls on your feet :) What fun, glamorous, night-on-the-town-ready boots that definitely make a statement but keep you covered...Can sequins beget modesty? These sparkly numbers would certainly not be for the faint of heart, but on the right girl, these would be a guaranteed fantastic night out!

Available at a variety of retailers, but head to Zappos for lots of close-up shots.

Sweet Dreams

I checked in on fashiontoast's blog and instantly fell in love with her picture of a Hudson Furniture Inc. bed. I love nature-inspired furniture with organic lines and texture and this bed does not disappoint. The marbling in the wood grain is awesome, but my favorite part is the rough-hewn headboard. Sigh. The picture immediately sent me into a daydream about how I would redecorate my room around the bed....

To soften the massive bed, I would add these decadently fluffy neutral linens from CB2, textured knit pillows like this one from West Elm, and the warm glow of light from this chandelier from Anthropologie. With this set-up, I can guarantee that I would be in bed on time (if not early) every night! :)

Favorite New Thing!

Like everyone else, I get into a rut with my work outfits. I try to mix things up, but when your work is always freezing and you are on your feet 8 hrs a day, your combos dwindle to something like: pants + flats + sweater/blazer or skirt/dress + flats + tights/leggings + sweater/blazer.....Day after day after day...Not that exciting. Lately, I have been throwing in some different, inexpensive accessories to get my daily dose of inspirational pizazz. This week, I got a scarf at this ultra-exclusive boutique you might know as Forever 21 (hehe). I am a fan of prints, but animal motifs are a little unnerving in large doses, so this scarf is the perfect amount of fierce for me. Paired with black skinny pants and drapey cardi and some gray pearls, this scarf kicked the outfit's intensity up a notch while remaining cozy.
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The color is a bit more vibrant in person, which is fun, and the price tag ($8.80) was waaaaay too good to resist :) What do you do to prevent the "Office Outfit Rut"?

Spring RTW 2011-- Lanvin

I am a sucker for draping and pleats (as I have mentioned before here). As this is one of the things Lanvin's Alber Elbaz does best, it's pretty safe to say that I like the creations he churns out season after season. This season was not much different, but I appreciated his use of color, the addition of texture and prints and a little sparkle. Nothing was outrageously inspiring, but I figure that if Elbaz can maintain a signature style for the house, tweaking it slightly each season to keep it fresh, and make them tons of money, he's probably doing something right ;)
Here are some of my fav's:

I love the yellow and grey combo and the fitted top VS flowing skirt contrast.

Flattering draping + nature-y prints = every woman will want one to take her from poolside to party when the weather warms up...

Texture on both top and bottom! Sparkles! Exclamation points! :)

Have a great Monday, everyone!

(All images from style.com, where you can see the full collection)

Ring Around the Rosy

Let me preface this post with--I am not getting married, don't get too excited about this. I am not even the type of girl who plans for her big day and has lots of dreams and wishes and blah blah blah. But, occasionally in life, you notice something special and decide to bookmark that something in your brain for the future because it is perfect. Alex Sepkus makes rings with an antiqued, quasi-cloisonne look that is somehow contemporary. My favorite examples of his work balance being cute and chunky while remaining small and delicate in appeal. These in platinum/while gold would be an amazing little engagement ring that would be unique, but not overly trendy and not something everyone else you know would have.


Alex Sepkus has a lot of other cool pieces, too. Check him out at his website and at French on Main

Is there a style/type of ring you are in love with?

Oh, the Possiblities!

On my latest trip to Last Chance, I stumbled upon (what I thought was) a crazy blue/purple jacket. The sleeves are short and ruched, but the length is longer, to the knee, so I thought it would snazzy with a black shift dress and other fitted outfits. The tag was labeled "S" for Small, but it looked a little big, so I looked at the inside tag, which also said "S," so I thought maybe Ted Baker was making jackets with a boyfriend fit or something and, since it had no imperfections other than a missing belt, I gleefully pranced to the cash register. When I got home, I did a search to see what my jacket's original belt looked like and this is what I found:

Yeah......it's really a wrap dress. And I forgot that Ted Baker sizes are 0-5, so what I assumed was a S was really a 5, so that's why the jacket-now-dress is way too big... Rather than get discouraged over buying something (non-returnable) that is way too big, I thought, "if I initially thought it was a jacket, why can't it be a jacket?" Maybe it just needs a few changes and a little tailoring. Let me know if you have any ideas and stay tuned for the (hopefully) successful outcome!

Where Have I Been All Day?

Holy handbags! I don't know what I was doing yesterday or how I missed this fashionologie article on Helmut Lang handbags...?! I am a fan of the Helmut Lang aesthetic, esp during the winter (who doesn't want to be swathed in luxe knits and paperweight leather in a decadent-yet-minimalistic way?) and wondered why the brand never had handbags. Now I don't have to wonder anymore and can just stare, blissfully at the slideshow on fashionologie.com.

I love the color, slouchiness, and scale of this hobo. Sigh. Now I just need a second mortgage to own one ;)

Spring RTW 2011-- Jil Sander

It isn't even cool enough for me to wear a jacket yet, but I am already looking ahead to spring. I am still really digging fall trends for this year (some of my favs will be in future posts), but something about spring fashion is so appealing... There is a lightness about it and an ease that is not always present in the dark and heavy dramaticism of fall presentations. One collection I especially love for spring is Jil Sander. I loved that she used different silhouettes (maxi skirt, tailored pants, mini dress) and had a lot of fun with color, thus creating statement pieces that will transition into your current wardrobe seamlessly.
Here are some of my fav's:

Love the skinny, tailored trouser contrasted with volume/color up top!

Draping is always flattering, esp in such an awesome hue!

Wearable art....I want to go scuba diving for some reason... ;)

*All images from style.com

'Net Savvy- New Store!

Have you ever been in a store that is just ridiculously cool-- a store that seems to know exactly what you've been looking for? Like you had picked everything you like to be in a store, but much, much cooler? When I discovered this internet collaborative boutique, it made me want to hang out with the owners-- I bet they are way beyond my chic-level! Magpie and Rye is based out of San Francisco and it is very evident that the owners carefully curate their collection of offerings. A well-edited display of accessories for person and home greets you on the mainpage and it gets even better as you delve into each category. I love the hand-made, high-quality pieces--here are my fav's:


From left:
Desert bag, Hexagon ring, Fragment Light No. 2

I am in love!