Look of the Day: Floral Maxi

 I redeemed this beautiful dress from Last Night using my Chic Points on Chictopia. That's right, it was absolutely free! And it came with this lovely handwritten note from Stephanie, the fashion brains behind Last Night. I feel really lucky to be one of the first to wear something from the site.

The site is so new, I had never even heard of it until I redeemed the dress. I just went on gut instinct. I liked what I saw, so snatched it up! Now, I'm trying to decide on the next piece to get from Last Night! I'm leaning heavily towards this white maxi dress. There is just something about a white maxi dress, and I love that the pleats run the entire length of the dress. It's the same for this floral one I'm wearing the photos. Pleats create the nicest movement and flow. Honestly, I'm just in love with it. I was a little apprehensive about the one-shoulder, but now it doesn't even matter. I'm hooked.

Last Night Floral Strokes Maxi Dress - Harmonic Shawl Cardigan (similar) - vintage Coach bag - MIA flats 

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Look of the Day: floral peplum + denim

I took these photos a while ago and wasn't totally happy with them, so they've been in the "draft pile". The peplum top and harem pants just seemed like too much.

Well, I've changed my mind again. I kinda like the outfit. Maybe it's just the denim jacket, though. It's my favorite thing to wear right now.

GAP denim jacket - American Apparel harem pants - Forever21 Peplum (similar) - Vintage Coach bag - thrifted leather belt (similar) - MIA Limited Edition Audrey flats - tortoise shell bracelet (similar)
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6 Ingredients or Less: Easy Appetizer Recipe

Gourmet food doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. Stick with in-season ingredients and look for sales.  I've  been developing simple, yet delicious recipes that are fancy enough for entertaining and easy enough to make any weeknight. Here's a starter for starters ;)

Fig & Goat Cheese Hors d'Oeuvres

 I've you're not a fan of goat cheese, try it with plain Greek yogurt.

Ingredients:

4 slices of nice, crusty bread

4 oz. goat cheese -or- Greek plain yogurt

6 to 8 fresh figs, sliced

2 Tbsp honey

Directions:

Spread goat cheese or yogurt on the slices of bread. Top with 4 to 6 slices of fig. Drizzle with honey. Enjoy.

I'm so in love with this little fruit.

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Look of the Day: Cheetah+Neutrals

Not much to say today, mainly because I'm not supposed to be typing. I've developed yet another overuse injury. This time, it's in both of my wrists and thumbs. Must rest! For that reason, I will be skipping the links to blazers, trousers, etc. that are similar to the pieces I'm wearing. If you need help finding something, just let me know!

xoxo, Catie

Don't forget to enter my latest giveaway!! 

You have a chance to win one of two notebook sets, perfect for blog brainstorming!

H&M Blazer - Vintage fur stole - thrifted oxford shirt - thrifted leather belt - Forever21 trousers - H&M clutch - MIA Limited Edition Audrey Flats

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Look of the Day: Pants Season

The weather has cooled down a bit, so it’s time to break out the crazy pants. I always seem to wear them around this time of year. I think it’s probably because in the Spring I’m sick of pants and excited about wearing skirts and shorts. Now, the tables have turned, and it’s pants I’m excited about!

What are you excited to wear this Fall?

Don't forget to enter my giveaway! It ends in 4 days!

CLICK HERE!

H&M Coat - Vintage striped shirt - Diesel denim vest - Vintage abstract print jumpsuit (similar & cuter) - Forever21 sunglasses - Vintage leather satchel (similar)

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And now for my poor, neglected feature, Friday Fashion Facts!

Friday Fashion Facts:

As of 2011, American Vogue had a readership of 1,248,121. That's about half of Glamour's readership!

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Blogger's Tool Kit: 4 must-haves & a giveaway

BLOGGER TOOL KIT by fleur-d-elise on Polyvore

Here's a short list of the basic items in my "blogger's tool kit". They all help me stay organized and encourage the flow of ideas.

1. Notebooks & Pens
I keep a notebook and pens with me so I can write down post ideas or make notes on things I read in magazines.

2. Page Markers
Great for marking pages in those huge September issues! This set from Semikolon comes with page markers in 12 different colors; perfect for color coding! You can also write on them.

3. Calling Cards
These are so important! They're key to promoting your blog and networking. You can make them yourself or order a custom set. Pixelimpress on Etsy has some great options at a reasonable price (50 cards for $25).

4. Magazine Subscriptions

I treat these like textbooks. Actually, better than textbooks. I actually read them! A couple times a week, I pack up my "tool kit" and the latest issues of Vogue and Bazaar and head to a cafe to "study". If you're not a fan of the traditional magazines, like Vogue, I would recommend Nylon, PaperMag, or Lumiere.

And now for the giveaway!

I have two (2!) prizes this time! 

How to enter:

1. Like Fleur d'Elise on Facebook +1

2. Leave a comment telling me which prize you prefer +1

3. Tweet about the giveaway +1

Make sure you check off each entry on the Rafflecopter Widget below! If you don't, I won't be able to count your entries.

Sorry, the giveaway is only open to U.S. and Canadian residents. Postage is too expensive :(

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fashion Week Favorites

Here are some of my favorite images (so far) from the Spring 2013 collections and the various fashion weeks around the world:

Jason Wu S/S 2013 (source: Fashion-OCD)

Rachel comey RTW S/S 2013 (source: Lyst.com)

Source: MBFashionWeek.com

Erin by Erin Fetherston S/S 2013 (source: pinkmemo.com)

These next two are, by far, my favorite. I'm so excited to have discovered Josep Font. His designs are breathtakingly beautiful.

Josep Font S/S 2013 (source: Elle.es)

 Josep Font S/S 2013 (source: Elle.es)

Tanya Taylor S/S 2013 (source: Fashionologie.com)

Tanya Taylor S/S 2013  (source: Fashionisgreat.com)

AND here's a picture of me from The Sartorialist...

Just kidding!! It's Elisa Nalin. The glasses and red lips look pretty familiar, though. (source: The Sartorialist)

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What I Wore: FNO in Seattle

I'm gonna be honest, Seattle really needs to work on its FNO. Fashion's Night Out is about encouraging people to come out and support local businesses, which seems right in-line with the Seattle lifestyle (we're all about shopping local), but every year the participation is lacking and the coverage is mediocre. Half the time I can't even find information on going's-on for the current year and a lot of the articles I read only mention a couple events or store promotions. One store I went into, which was supposed to be participating, had balloons on the door and that was it. There were no promotions, no refreshments, none of the employees even acted like anything was going on. How boring. Downtown it was $75 for cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, and a department store fashion show. Just exactly who are you trying to encourage to come to these events? It's nice the proceeds went to charity, but I still can't afford it!

Instead, I bought a delicious and stylish cupcake from Trophy Cupcake in Wallingford.

 OK, that's enough complaining. I still had fun, but I just want Seattle to try a little harder. I want us to be great; I want this city to be respected by the fashion world. We're slowly getting there. Nordstrom calls Seattle home and we have spawned some amazing, internationally-recognized bloggers and designers. For instance, Adam Katz-Sinding of Le 21 Arrondissement is from Seattle, and Stella Rose Saint Claire, who you may recognize from Lanvin's F/W '12 Campaign, grew up in our fine city. See, we're not born with a love of Polartec, we only succumb to Polartec. Don't give up Seattle!

There were quite few great businesses partaking in the festivities, Like Trophy Cupcake who made special designer cupcakes featuring Chanel, Hermes, Burberry and Louis Vuitton logos.

Madewell had a braid bar and gave me the opportunity to have my very first macaron! It was just as delicious as I had expected :)

Sensing a theme? My FNO centered around baked goods, as opposed to fashion. I did, however get pictures of what I wore.

My husband hates these pants, which doesn't bother me one bit. After reading a couple articles about pants and interviews with The Man Repeller's Leandra Medine, I've decided that ridiculous pants are my generation's burning bra. They're rebellious and with the right attitude, they project quite a lot of confidence and independence. Also, you can pretend you're in a secret club, because most people, both male and female, just don't get it.

Zara top - Madewell earrings - Vintage pants (similar)- Vintage Nordstrom sunglasses - Forever21 bracelet - Tortoise Shell cuff (similar) -Vintage Coach Station bag - MIA Limited Edition Audrey flats

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