Wedges

Every mademoiselle should have at least one pair of wedges in their wardrobe. Out of all the different types of high heels you can buy, they are more often than not the most comfortable and most stable. This makes them great for work and everyday wear. Plus, you know, they're really cute.

I cannot get over how amazing these Cooperative wedges are. I can wear them for days in a row. Anytime someone comments on them, I direct them to the nearest Urban Outfitters and recommend that they pick up a pair immediately. They really are the most comfortable, walkable heels I've ever owned, and at $48 they are a great deal. Even if you don't have money to throw around, I highly recommend "investing" in a pair of these. Right now, they are available in-store in a nice sage green and black. I know other colors have been available (red, yellow, brown), but it might take a little digging to find them. The sales people at UO are usually pretty willing to call around to other locations if you are looking for something in particular.

In this series:
Vintage lambswool/acrylic sweater
Scarf from street vendor in London
City Fit pants by J. Crew
Cooperative wedges from Urban Outfitters

Focus

These next couple of posts focus on what I think are classics, but mainly they are just the things I wear pretty much non-stop at the moment.

First off STRIPES!
It's a common misconception that stripes will make you look "wide" and shorter people are always told to stay away from horizontal stripes. I think this is all a lark. Stripes are timeless and also very "IN". You see them everywhere, even entire dresses (I nearly bought one at Forever21 but I thought it might be overdoing it. Now I regret it). There is only one fact to keep in mind when buying stripes: Smaller stripes are always more flattering than large stripes, but this is not set in stone. Take for instance my top. I usually don't look fabulous in broad stripes, but this tank top with its minimal fabric is perfect in this bright aqua print. This brings to mind another thing to try: if you prefer broad stripes try them in light or bright colors. This minimizes the overwhelming boldness.

Next, nail polish.
This is kind of a "Well, duhh" thing, but never underestimate the power of nail polish. It can really bring together and outfit, or at least in your own mind it can. As classic as blood red nails are, I think pink is just as! It flatters all skin tones and isn't as noticeable when it starts chipping off (well, on light skin anyway). Essie is my favorite, they have an amazing selection of shades (innumerable pinks) and it seems to be more chip-resistant than OPI. If you don't feel like spending $8 on a nail polish, Revlon and L'Oreal make great polishes as well.

At least one more post to come, but I am starving so I'm gonna go make dinner.

More earrings

So I've had my ears pierced for 1 year and 8 months. The idea grossed me out so much that it took me 24 years to get it done! When I finally went in I nearly passed out. I am a big baby when it comes to needles of any sort. Do any of you have this fear?

So for the past year and 8 months I've been making nothing but earrings, because I have a lot of catching up to do in that department.

This pair I made with gold fill and Malachite.

Earrings

I'm a fidgety person. Always have been. I rarely watch TV, but when I do, I need something to keep me occupied, otherwise I just get up and leave. This is even true when America's Next Top Model is on (I've been watching the re-runs). Last night, I had already finished my dinner by the time it was on, so I decided to make my friend Ashley a pair of earrings. I made her a pair for Christmas a couple years ago and she has been asking for more. I made two pairs for her to choose from.

The first pair is made from Sterling silver, dyed coral, and glass beads.

The second is shell and Sterling.

The photo of me:
J. Crew cardigan
Chico design shirt

Simple

Simple is important, even to the biggest fashion-follower. Simple can be built up, decorated; it is a canvas. Or simple can be clean, poingant, and flexible. It can be interpreted in countless ways. Simple is basic.

In this photo:
J. Crew t-shirt
Vintage Guess? Shorts
Sam Edelman flats
American Apparel Sunglasses

Too much free time

Four jobs means I am usually running all over town, but this past month has been so slow. It's nice to have some time off, but I am running out of money. It seems like they all decided to stop giving me work all at once. I'm not sure what to do. I'm a little down.

In this photo:
Perfect Fit t-shirt by J. Crew
Denim pencil skirt from American Apparel
Canvas wedges by Cooperative

Work with what you got

I'm gonna totally nerd-out here and say: Did J.Crew go inside my brain and choose all their colors from what was stored up there??? All of the color schemes and combinations they feature are all my favorite colors, schemes, combos, etc. They are the correct shades too, seriously to the tee. Anyway, I am a huge dork. I like to collect paint color chips.


I tore this page directly from the catalog because I loved the make-up and accessories so much. The model wears A. R. Trapp Quadra Sunglasses that cost more than my Chloes, so I will have to be satisfied with my American Apparel frames. They're a great color, but I really wish I could magic them into tortoise shell.

Now for an unintended magazine-style product plug. When it comes to lip products and nail polishes, I buy Revlon pretty regularly. Why? Because they are affordable and come in great shades. Also, the lip products don't contain that noxious perfume that most L'Oreal lipsticks do. Revlon's Just Bitten Lip Stains have a Raspberry fragrance/taste, but it doesn't assualt your nose the entire time you are wearing the product. Be careful with the color you choose though. The first one I bought was suppose to be a scarlet color(it's called 'Flame')but turned out to be a bright fuchsia. I've replaced it with 'Forbidden' that looks like it might be a nude stain judging by the outside, but is actually a ruddy Merlot. Since I have very generous lips, I wear it as a stain on the inner portions of my lips rather then as a solid color. The nail polish is one of my favorites; I've had it forever. It's a bright coral color, appropriately named 'Craving Coral' #902.

Prices:
-A.R. Trapp sunglasses: $450

-American Apparel sunglasses range from $25 to $55 and there are two vintage pairs that go for $350 but they are stupid looking.

-Revlon Nail Enamel about $4

-Revlon Just Bitten Lip Stain $8.99

The only summer pants in existence

I didn't think it would happen, but we finally had a day too hot for American Apparel harem pants. Although, I must say I wasn't miserable. I wore them to work with a black tank top and gray ankle-strap sandals from Forever21. The cafe was crazy today, so I'm glad I wore something comfortable and with a lot (A LOT) of coverage. These pants are seriously one of the best things I've ever bought from American Apparel.

In this photo:
Yellow top from H&M
Vintage belt
Harem pants from American Apparel
Canvas wedges by Cooperative (urbanoutfitters.com)

Zut alors! What is zis?

“Oui, I am French, but only zees much. Et oui, I do look like a cartoon of a French person, merci.”

But seriously folks, my mom was born in Domremy. She was baptized in the same church as Joan of Arc. Perhaps my mother wore this same outfit as a school uniform. I shall ask her.

I want to name my children very French names, all ending in 'i' or 'e', but my boyfriend will not have it. We have compromised on very English names like Phillipa and Henry with a 'y'. At least I have a little niece named Mathilde, after my very-french great-great grandmother.

I found two of these perfect berets at an estate sale. Both 100% wool, both made in the Czech Republic. One is black, one is red, what else could you need?

In this photo:

Vintage wool beret

Tresics cardigan

Stripped top from a garage sale

BDG pants (urbanoutfitters.com)

Cole Haan loafers

Can't wait

I was thinking "I post way too much." But maybe that is not possible. I took these pictures earlier today and I like them too much to wait till tomorrow. By some magic, all the shots of my shoes match up perfectly with the waist-and-up shots. They look pleasantly juxtaposed.

In these photos:
Black, lots of it
Leotard from AA
Cropped Cigarette pants by BDG
Vintage wool beret
Shoes by Salvatore Ferragamo

In recovery

This past school year I had 5 jobs: nanny, tutor, barrista, property manager, and office manager. But when June came those jobs dwindled to 4-ish, and they're very off and on. It's nice to have the time off, but the flow of dolla bills is not as steady. So I've decided that blowing $300 on a pair of Chloe flats in the 2nd week of June may not have been the best idea, especially since about a month afterward I had to put $975 into my car. I am slowly recovering, but it is a painful recovery.

But OH! how I love my Chloe flats with the ankle straps!

In this photo:
Sheer floral top by Jo-Yana
Tank-top from Forever21
Brass Plum skirt circa 1990
Prince Calf gray flats by Chloe

Enchilada Pie

For now, this vintage sweater has been put back in my closet. It was in a give-away bag for quite some time, but now I'm not sure whether I want to give it away or not. It has such a nice drape to it, but I'm not a fan of the thickness. Sometimes it adds too much bulk. The chambray romper is such a gem. My sister and I found it down in Phoenix. If you ever get down there, make sure you hit up a Goodwill or two. They all have an amazing selection of vintage treasures!

In this photo:
Vintage cardigan by BASICS
Romper by Dreams
Mattene Lipstick from MAC in "Orange Dare"
Shoes are super cheap, thrifted

summer pants

Surprisingly, these are great summer pants. The fabric is light enough and loose enough to stay perfectly cool. It doesn't cling but is still stretchy enough to allow for conversions. So far, I've found 3 different ways of wearing the waistband, including high-waisted, folded down, and, like in this shot, pulled up over the chest to create a pantsuit effect.

If I had the money I would wear nothing but American Apparel and J.Crew

In this photo:
American Apparel harem pants
American Apparel leotard
Vintage necklace
Forever21 sandals

Lips

All of a sudden I'm very into lipstick, glosses, especially stains. I never wear them on a regular basis, but when I'm buying them I like to pretend that I will. I recently bought this lipstick from MAC. My plan is to do a just-bitten look applied with a lip brush, but I think I need a good matte nude lipstick first to wear as a base.

Just this last Sunday I bought a Just Bitten lip stain by Revlon. I was disappointed that the color was nothing like what it showed on the tube. It goes by the name "Flame" and it is NOT a coral-red it is simply bright pink. My boyfriend liked it, but I am not a fan. I might exchange it for a different color. Lip stains are lovely because they don't make me talk funny. I get so worried that I will mess up my lipstick that I sometimes feel like I have paralyzed lips.

In this pic:
Lipstick by MAC in Viva La Glam
Top is vintage, found at a garage sale

Blue is not my favorite color

But I wear it ALL the time. It seems to have neutral qualities to it. It's a calming color and also probably the most popular of colors, which is why it seems like a neutral: everyone is ok with it. Navy blue seems to look amazing on anyone, no matter what their coloring may be. It is, of course, exceptionally stunning on blonds.

I have wasted too much time on clothes and pictures. Now it is time to get some work-work done.

In these pictures:
Dress from H&M
Clutch from GAP
Shoes from UrbanOutfitters.com

Earrings and infinity scarf handmade by moi. Let me know if you would like to order similar versions of either.

Finally

Perfect, wonderful lighting. It's turned out to be a very bright day and I am home at the right hour to get some good pictures.

I want all of the old Coach bags. The vintage ones are just so sturdy and gorgeous. I keep almost buying all the black ones I can find on eBay. And have you seen them in Forest Green? Incredible. When I recover from my car repairs ($900!!!) maybe I will hunt down a nice one. The one I own I inherited from my step-mom and I'm very close to taking my mom's little black one as well. The classic designs are also still available through the Coach website! Just click this link Classic Coach

:(

I ripped my favorite skirt again. No more Nerf gun wars for me.

Also, I seem to be in a rut. Mostly I just get home so late that the lighting is never right for pictures. All the pictures I've taken recently just aren't up to snuff.

I am wearing my other favorite skirt, so that is nice. And I seem to be losing more weight.

In the photo:

Glasses are American Apparel

Shoes are Cooperative

Everything else is thrifted

lemonade and bourbon

I am not a whiskey person; doesn't matter what form it may be in, but man! Lemonade with bourbon is sublime, especially sparkling lemonade.

Anyway, my hat. I am also not a hat person, but I like this hat.

Believe it or not, I really have not even had a full glass of the lemonade and bourbon.

Jeans by J.Crew
Hat from Forever21

honey

I get pulled towards dark neutral colors. Of course they're slimming. Of course they make my hair pop. Half my clothes are navy blue, and then 1/4 is black. Needless to say, most of my outfits have little to no contrast. So I've been trying to bring more color into my wardrobe, especially in the pants and skirts department. I love this okra color, but it's sometimes hard to find unless you have $$$ to throw down at J.Crew (which sometimes I like to think I do). This knit skirt was a lucky find at a local Goodwill. It cost me a mere fiver. It's so lovely and warm like toast with honey and I think I want to wear right now. Yes, I'm going to go change for the third time today.

The combination of yellow and okra just barely works with my shade of blond; I might be a bit too golden-blond for it. This color combination would look stunning on someone with dark brown or cool platinum hair.

Top from H&M

Yes, I think I will just post pictures of myself. Maybe someday I will get up the courage to take pictures of impeccably dressed people I don't know, but until then I will just be very vane. How often do pro bloggers blog?

What's to come

I have no idea. This seems like something that might evolve into something with direction, but for now I will just be branching out from other sites. I am off to do some stuff, you know, bloggy stuff. Chictopia I love you, thank you for the inspiration, etc.

Dress from GAP