time to get with the times?


i'm especially fond of this look.

on a side note: i hate to seem embittered over something so trivial, but isn't it about time club monaco got hip to the 21st century and started an online store?

pictured ensemble
club monaco, $59-99 (available at your nearest brick&mortar store!)

how fascinating!

i know i haven't quite finished (or started) my skirts/ties/headbands projects yet, but i think it's time i got a move on putting together some 'fascinator' hats or hairpieces.

these by rebecca share | milliner are the prettiest i have found. the top right reminds me of a tasty chocolate shaving. my favorite is top left. and wouldn't bottom left be a beautiful wedding hairpiece!

so, my creations wouldn't be nearly as gorgeous, but i think they could easily rival what i'm finding on ebay and etsy.

among the ones that have caught my eye, though: this black one; this very interesting turquoise one; this daintier black one; this mini top hat; mini top hat #2; a gold one, of course; and this poofy lilac one.

also, these little gems are getting filed away in my mental wedding file (which, don't worry, will be pulled at a way later time).

but, back to the hats... imagine how fascinating i would be! at the grocery store! at work! at the park with nigel! at dinner! at the bookstore!

i'm the next philip treacy, i'm telling you. i'll be the talk of the town. hats are back, baby.

socks.

a great find from mighty goods.

since i always get super-stressed out when visiting this site, and they don't actually have the one thing i want more than anything in the world, i admire margaret's ability to find something that is not only great, but comes in a thousand colors.

my picks are: natural, dark brown, black, hunter, sky and charcoal (aka the most boring colors in the world).

o chevron over-the-knee sock
sock dreams, $10

there is no better time for j.crew than fall.

i cannot get over this blouse. as evidenced here, it is a great piece for layering...and i want it now. in chocolate and navy.

chiffon minidot ruffled blouse
j.crew, $98

viva la vivienne.

i love love LOVE this jacket and its wide and low neckline. sometimes, other jackets are just too stuffy.

vivienne westwood anglomania monday jacket
oak, $524

fit for a kennedy.

i'm feeling lots of love for this jacket and may have to seriously consider adding it to my wardrobe. luxuriously silky, i'm sure.

kennedy jacket
originalpenguin.com, $155

round toes + flats = much adoration.

all from zappos and all so cute.

[clockwise from top left: marc by marc jacobs, betsey johnson, nine west, nana, marc by marc jacobs, kate spade, marc by marc jacobs.]

shoe no. 384 of the week.

what's with me and the shoes these days?

this color is so... how you say... sumptuous? i want them now. they'd even look wonderful with dark dark tights.

nine west 'mary kate' pump
nordstrom, $74.95

ring, ring.

i'm telling you... i'm on a huge yellow kick. and there's something about a princess phone that couldn't be cuter...

p.s. the pillow selection on this site is amazing.

crosley princess phone
loft party, $45

[and thanks to covetable for the mention of this site. i look forward to exploring more.]

let's give summer the boot.

is it just me, or has anthro been going crazy on new items? i'm pretty good about checking their site with unhealthy regularity but it seems i see new things with every new visit. maybe i'm subconsciously saving some for the next time?

i am happy to stumble upon these tonight, though... and check out that price. very right.

how much do i love boots and, more importantly, how much do i love boot weather? let me count the ways...

gibson booties
anthropologie, $118

hot and cold.

i know... i'm going from scarves to bathing suits and back again. it's all part of my severe seasonal denial syndrome.

nylon tricot maillot-v swimsuit
american apparel, $45

cheap scarves just got cheaper.

eventually, i'll stop complaing about the heat, so please just hang tight until then. but, as i was saying...

IF it wasn't so grossly hot outside, i'd be sporting these daily. i'm a huge fan of the price and colors.

must-haves: heather grey, white, black, brown, orange, eggplant, olive and asphalt.

sheer jersey scarf
american apparel, $15

[use code getlucky for 25 percent off! via delight.]

oh, dearie.

also really liking this.

dearie dress
trina turk, $160.80

another great find.

i found this today in coral, which seemed great at the time. UNTIL, my friends, i found it in yellow (ahem, lemon), which seems to be most prevalent on the web. and, it's on a serious kind of sale. AND in my size.

i can't stop looking at it i love it so!

pixie bolero
trina turk, $136.80

let's cross our fingers for simplicity.

the urge to seriously consider buying a sewing machine hit me when i heard a while back that built by wendy had created a new pattern line for simplicity. i thought, 'i can be wendy!' and, so, i will be.

i especially like this cropped jacket.

jacket pattern
built by wendy, $14.95

stitchin' bitch.

i'm finally caving in to my soon-to-be-insurmountable project backlog (clutches, dog collars, skirts a million, etc.) and have decided to follow holly's lead on purchasing a sewing machine.

i'll be honest, though: i am not going to do much research and probably will go with the first cheap one i've seen... which just happens to be going on sale at target starting tomorrow (down to $79).

singer 30-stitch function sewing machine
target, $89.99

untitled.

i ran across this today and adored it. it's so vintagey and pretty.

embroidered & smocked crepe vintage dress
betsey johnson, $290

maybe i'm not ready for summer to go?

great with shorts or skirts.

via lucky's catch of the day.

steve madden baltiks
steve madden, $89.95

skirting the issue.

i got to check out the go international line at target a while ago. judging by what's listed on the web site, my store's selection completely sucks. but, i did grab this skirt up.

at first glance, i thought it was hideous but then i took a longer look and decided i loved it.

houndstooth skirt by paul + joe
target, $29.99

doh!

i really am such a kid when it comes to things like play-doh and crayons (crayola, of course). just the slightest whiff can take me waaaay back.

so i'm delighted to find this... the inner child in me thanks you, demeter. celebrate 50 years of play-doh, and huff it up.

speaking of huffing it up, the inner delinquent adolescent in me thanks you for your cannabis flower, glue and paint varieties.

limited edition play-doh cologne spray
perpetual kid, $18.99

striped.

ok, when i mentioned there's something i love about grey sweatshirts, i should have mentioned there's something i love about anything grey. and i think one great and completely underused color combination is grey & yellow.

and, as far as my blind little eyes can tell, that's what i've found here. how exciting.

french-stripe scarf
jcrew,$39.50

can't wait for sweatshirt weather.

there's something about a basic grey sweatshirt that i've always loved. i know it sounds crazy to love something so plain, but maybe it's something about the wide cuffs and hem.

i like the slim fit of this one from jcrew with the vintage-esque wash.

vintage fleece sweatshirt
jcrew, $48

what's up, tiger lily?

everything about this postcard is lovely, from the colors to the print to the type.

tiger lily postcard
elum, $10 (for set of 10)

pretty bird*.

would be pretty framed... also, easily my favorite letterpress site.

*inspired by my friend alex, the african gray, who's keeping me company today and keeps saying funny things ('pretty bird' included).

aviary limited edition letterpress print
elum, $28

dotting the eyes.

when i was a kid (in the 5 to 7 range), i had a pretty bulletin board on which i proudly displayed photos of school friends and family and the like. my mom made the board for me and used pink gingham fabric to cover it and a pink ribbon for the border. i even still have it hanging in my bedroom at home 20 years later.

sweet, no? yep. i was a sweet kid.

anyway, i thought it was such a riot to poke out the eyes from the photos with pushpins. friends, grandparents, pets, me. none of us had eyes. but it was so funny...

so... these people pushpins are pretty cute.

people pushpins
cb2, $4.95

mirror, mirror on the wall...

last night, i somehow found the patience to go through ikea's new nearly-400-page online catalog.

i first noticed this great round mirror, then began to love the black wall behind it. i've always wanted a chocolate wall, but might i be reconsidering for black?

anes mirror
ikea, $89.99

ready for fall shoes.

love the flash of red underneath.the purple is just enough dark to cut down on what could be too sickeningly sweet.the python print is kind of unexpected, no?


[i'm kind of lazy today, so click on shoes for more info...all from zappos.com]

hips don't lie.

i absolutely love this skirt, but there's something about wrap skirts & caroline's hips that just don't go well together.

a very close friend once told me -- in all seriousness -- that i had 'great birthing hips.'

now, i'm a very, very proportionate (though admittedly curvy) person (with no immediate thoughts of popping out children), and i had (and still have) no idea how to respond to something like that.

so, birth this, bitch...

...kidding, of course.

paul & joe (!*) silk wrap skirt
target,$34.99

* denotes my excitement over the new go international line by paul + joe.

cheap find of the day.

i found this today during an otherwise unsuccessful trip to old navy. actually, found the bottoms, then ordered the top. but i'm superexcited about it. i love end-of-summer swim sales.

striped bikini
old navy, $3.99 apiece

ay caramba!

i'm still holding out for the day when i can make an agent provocateur purchase sans guilt. meanwhile, for all you richy rich lingerie lovers (and lingerie lovers' lovers), the fancy underpants label is having a sale of up to 60 percent off.

among my favorites (in case you're in a benevolent mood): caramba (i love that top the model on the right is wearing. where is that?), love new, cardini (like a lot!), vanishing stripe, and all of the classics.

more fun at agent provocateur.

flats.



mimosa peep-toe flats
anthropologie, $78

pretty, pretty.



flower light garland
vanilla design ltd, £34.50

this is a stick-up.

get it... candle stick...

they'd be even greater melted down a bit.

romeo and julia candles
dedece+, $45 (set of two)

like this print & site.

via fashion is spinach.


'she has birds' print
one good bumblebee, $20

the anti-domestic.

my aunt accused me the other day of being domestic, which is something i oddly pride myself on not being. but i can be anti-domestic and wear an apron, can't i?

via outblush.

gathered apron
lotta jansdotter, $44

unique finds.

this is my new favorite site, perhaps... love every bit of the jewelry (that's as far as i've gotten!).

lone bird blackened necklace by amy shutt
day-lab.com, $36

sweet yet provocative.

i'm liking this very much.

untitled print by christina koutsospyrou
cosh, £75

ooh la lovely.

via outblush comes this very, very lovely design from sharilyn wright of, where else, lovely design in vancouver.

i love her use of 'found' paper...each card is different.

but back off, because the address files are part of a limited edition set of 1,000, and one of those has my name on it.



address file
lovelydesign, $75 (pack of 30 extra cards is $6)

unzipped.

when i threw out the old guess side-zips way back in the day, i never really expected to ever, ever wear another pair of jeans that exceeded my then-newly established one-zipper maximum rule. buuuut.... here i am. totally digging this skinny pair by gap.

skinny fit zip
gap, $58