These Are a Few of My Favorite Things:

We all know the song- I won't even bother to quote it, but the cheesiness is relevant. Whenever I have a bad day, I gravitate towards the fun things/activities that cheer me up:

Reviewing the Spoils of Shopping!
I am trying to curb my love of retail therapy, so when I am down, I will rummage through my closet and find something that I haven't worn in a while. That way it feels new and guiltless. Or sometimes I will make a new outfit out of pieces I already own, or simply gaze admiringly at a great deal I snapped up. I got these little flower posts at Anthropologie a bit ago and love wearing them. Best part? $5!


Tasty Treats
I love cooking, (brace yourself for future photo-ops of making dinner), and love making desserts- thanks for the sweet-tooth, Mom- but sometimes a tasty drink and a snack can hit the spot. Should've had these Gin&Tonics with lime and pistachios on St. Patrick's Day in keeping with the color theme...


Vacations
Not well-traveled by any means, folks, but I love a fun get-away. Stress-free, sometimes impromptu, jaunts make me happy. I love driving as much as flying because although it takes longer, pictures on airplanes aren't usually very memorable. Or at least I will say this until I crash my car while snapping pics....


Jewels!
Most gals love a bit of sparkle, (hello, Anthro earrings!), and I like tinkering with the construction of pretty baubles. I haven't taken formal classes, but I have learned things here and there and make what I like. I usually give items to friends or wear them to work until I feel like making something new out of the parts... Below are two sets of simple/silly earrings I made for friends:



I will post some more jewelry photos of what I am envisioning for spring and summer wear next time :) Ever stop and think about the little things that make you happy? I guarantee it will brighten your day, and feel free to share!

Lil Spot of Sunshine...On My Face

Every year when the weather gets warmer, I ponder my winter skin routine and think about changing to a lighter moisturizer, adding higher SPF, yadda yadda. This last week it hit 80 degrees (Fahrenheit, mind you) and when I considered my skin regime, I took a good look at my face-- and gasped! I have a sunspot on my face under my right eye. It's not huge- think six freckles combined into one dot- but still, mid-twenties should be worried about zits, not aging! I live in a land of the perma-bronzed, but I gave up tanning in college after seeing the leathery effects of baking oneself by the pool. This made me even more indignant- how can I have a sunspot when I don't even tan?!

About five minutes later, my tantrum was over and- reminding myself that complaining is useless and results occur from taking action- I googled bunches of skincare products and different treatments and then had to google an optometrist because I started going cross-eyed. Kidding. My findings were promising- there are a lot of treatments out there and for a diverse range of skin types. New laser treatments can take years off and require little downtime, but seemed a bit drastic considering I am (relatively) young. Some of the most interesting products involve super-powerful antioxidants like Coenzyme Q10, (CoQ10). CoQ10 was originally intended for serious medical use, ie, cardiovascular health, but great benefits were found in the realm of dermatology and now CoQ10 can be found in common, over-the-counter products. Even more intriguing was the recent development of the synthetic version of CoQ10, idebenone. This new "it" antioxidant can be found in Prevage, which should come with a halo around it from all the positive newsprint it garners. Prevage seemed great, but a bit pricey and a bit thick/rich for my finicky combination skin....

Long story short, (too late!), I researched basic OTC retinol treatments to help with resurfacing my skin at night and a light-yet-potent serum to ensure the retinol doesn't dry out my skin. I picked up my ROC night treatment and Boots No.7 serum a week ago and although it is too early for visible results, my skin has taken to the products well and am feeling accomplished. (I will update after my next dermatologist visit if he says the combination will cause face-explosions or other disasters). Is there a new skincare product you've been researching? Are you switching your routine for summer? Has your face exploded from using retinols + serum?

Runway Report: My biased Fall 2010 musings

Fall RTW 2010 definitely cracked the patina of recession gloom that had crusted over the fashion world. Despite uncertainty caused by designers and houses parting ways, (I am thinking more in terms of Atwood than Lohan), and the sad end of the late Alexander McQueen, there were triumphs: Marc Jacob used models of mixed age, race, body type at LV, and things even made me smile (Christian Siriano for Payless is out now...claw platforms for the masses!)... How could the giant iceberg at Chanel not leave you will the confidence that fashion isn't a dying art form? Well, if that Jersey Shore girl actually gets Americans into her boob-slings, we'll be headed for disaster, but that's why they build bomb shelters, right?

Anyway, here are three chicks I dig:

Phoebe Philo for Celine:
I think Philo is rad and I was, like everyone else, interested to see what her first collection for Celine would be like and while I wasn't disappointed by any means, I wasn't wowed by anything. Maybe it's the west coast in me, but I want something fresh and new and fun along with my serving of serious. Something that looks adult, yet young and fabulous. She did a great job at restating the basics for Celine, which she needed to reestablish at the house, I completely understand, but the fun side of minimalism (not an oxymoron, I promise!) that I know Philo is capable of was not there. She had some great looks, though:




Stella McCartney:
It's fitting to follow with a feature of Philo's former friend, (alliteration! yea!), and McCartney rocked her collection. There was a lot of leg, but when pants appeared, they were both perfectly tailored and casual at once. In my own wardrobe, I am biased, (it's a blog, I am allowed), towards a great sweater/t-shirt and pants in a simple palette with pointed-toe flats. The punch factor comes in with fresh details, like a fun bag or jewelry, say cocktail ring or statement necklace. McCartney also played with sheer layers for evening looks and I want want WANT her one-shouldered, shimmery mini-dress. Interesting and completely wearable.




Isabel Marant:
It was the pointed-toe shoes that caught my eye at Marant, and my vision was held with the retro silhouettes of slim pants with sweaters and delightfully wearable obi belts. A lot of shimmer at this show, but it is decidedly fun, especially when paired with her stripes and prints. One print I especially loved reminded me of slices of agate and pepperoni pizza. "Like a counter top, but not in a bad way," my sister opined. Still, I'd wear it. Marant is a mind-reader because she took styles and individual pieces I already like and threw them together in a new, but completely wearable way.



I highlighted these chic ladies for now, but more to come! Also, I got the photos from www.style.com, so head there for the complete shows!
Any runway fav's from Fall 2010? Current trends worth adopting? Already have a classy Snooky by Ed Hardy by Christian Audigier boob-sling in six colors?

Growing to Love You...

Plants are a ....(long, exasperated sigh)..... difficult thing for me. I love plants- they brighten any space and add a fresh element to a room. Plants, however, do not love me. They seem to die just to spite my caring efforts. It seems that once I get attached to a plant, (convinced that THIS ONE will be the one to survive), it shrivels with a hideous laugh and wilts to nothing.

OK, I am being overly dramatic, but you get the idea. Plastic plants just don't have the same appeal, so I am set on maintaining the new succulents I just bought. My pops recommended cactus/citrus soil and pots that drain well, so I just need to refrain from drowning them and I should be fine...right?





I hope these cuties will survive! Am I the only one who has plant trouble?
Or maybe there are other nesting woes out there to be shared?

New Year's Resolution....it's a little late.

Dec '09 dialogue with myself: "I need to do a little more writing every day and get a little more tech-savvy. I think a blog will incorporate both of those things and would be fun. That's what I will do starting Jan 1st, 2010"...........

.....Don't know if you noticed, but it's MARCH and I have finally started on that resolution. Not the greatest of starts, but since I am the queen of procrastination and forgetfulness, it is practically early for me, right? Right?!

I wanted a blog initially just to showcase fashion finds and collections that rock, but I appreciate how art, music, visuals in surrounding environments, travels, and everything else that can be seen and experienced plays into how to construct your image. Usually the process is subconscious, but I think documenting it would help me discover my sources of derived-inspiration. And it's just plain fun.