I love style and design. Vogue, ABC Home, and Lucky Magazine are fine and well but slightly unrealistic for most of us.  Who wants to spend hundreds (or thousands) of dollars on something they will be tired of in a month?  I try to find items I love that work in a variety of ways, both in fashion and in home décor.  Here I discuss style in every sense of the word, as well as tips, tricks, and some of my essential pieces.

Color Combo: Navy and Coral

Last modified on 2012-07-15 16:23:12 GMT. 2 comments. Top.

I love love love navy and coral together, particularly in the summer. Navy is such a great base and the coral really pops against it. It looks stunning on clothes and even better in the home. A few of my favorite pieces from around the web.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

What’s your favorite color combo? Any of these pieces catch your eye? I love the Marimekko bedding and coral striped shirt. 

Polished

Last modified on 2012-03-25 19:16:22 GMT. 3 comments. Top.

The weather has been crazy-tempermental here in Mass but I guess that is March for you. It was 80 degrees a few weeks back then it dropped back down to the 30 to 50 ranges. I’m still excited to pull out my summer wardrobe of wedges and cute flirty dresses.

If you live below the Mason-Dixon line, Dillard’s has a lot of really adorable ones with equally nice price tags. The first coral dress in the picture below is from BCBG and looks great belted. The last one is from Cremieux and though you can’t tell from the picture is actually yellow and white seersucker. Anthropologie is a bit pricier but their dresses are always lovely. The red and white striped maxi dress in the middle is from there and at $148 is more moderate than some of their stuff.

I also like hitting up J.Crew, Gap, LOFT, and occasionally Urban Outfitters. Lilly Pulitzer and Madewell are a bit out of my price range but every season they come out with the most darling dresses as well.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Which of these are your favorites? Where do you shop for dresses? Do you have a summer wardrobe? 

Products Love

Last modified on 2012-03-24 16:28:18 GMT. 5 comments. Top.

As we hit warmer weather and head into Spring, I find myself craving simpler routines. The humidity is already amping up in Boston and I don’t want to spend an hour (or heck, even a half-hour) doing hair and make-up. I found a few products that make my morning routine just a bit easier and thought I’d share with you all. Care to check them out?

At $32, Moroccan Oil Hydrating Styling Cream is a little pricey, but I’ve had my bottle for quite some time so it does really last. It makes your hair so soft and shiny. I like that it hydrates without weighing your hair down or making your bangs look greasy.

I am fanatical about sunscreen, especially in the summer. This is super lightweight, and dries really quickly. The bottle is pretty big too, so it will last awhile. I also like that it is natural, doesn’t have a smell, and is made without dyes. You can find it at Sephora.

Supergoop! is an annoying name but clearly my go-to brand for sun care. I’ll admit I am not as fastidious about using sunscreen on my body every day when I’m just going to be walking to and from work, but these babies are pretty wonderful. They are completely dry so you don’t feel greasy at all and while I would use two if I was at the beach in a swimsuit, I feel like one is sufficient for general day use. Plus $5 is cheaper than almost all drugstore sunscreens.

 

There is nothing worse than makeup that runs on a hot summer’s day but who wants to use makeup that is as hard to put on as it is to remove? Make Up For Ever’s Aqua Eyes glides on smoothly but doesn’t budge, even as the rest of your face is pouring sweat.

I’ve written about Tarte’s Lipsurgence Lipstain in Lust before, but I think it is worth repeating. The product is absolute genius. The color is spot on – a hint of red but you can apply it without a mirror. It is all natural, which is always nice for something that is going on your mouth. The best part is the consistency, which is just like a balm. Perfect for summer days when you want that no-makeup look.

What are your Spring beauty must-haves? I’d love to know!

Loafing About

Last modified on 2012-03-20 19:04:23 GMT. 5 comments. Top.

As the weather gets warmer and we bust out Spring clothes, it is time to put away all those cute Fall boots and slip into something a bit lighter. I’ve spoken before about Commuting Shoes and you all know that while I love a good pair of pumps, it doesn’t work as well with my lifestyle here in Boston. My average commute is a little over a mile each way so I need shoes that are functional. But in the summer I live in cute sundresses, so I don’t want to be one of those girls in skirts and tennis shoes. I’ve made it my mission to find cute, comfy flats and wedges. Want to see what I came up with?

The Naturalizer has quite a bit of cushion and the toe-box is pretty wide. The wedge looks higher in the photo than it is in real life, and the neutral tones mean they match everything. Bonus! They are only $70.

I ordered the Clark’s Demure Flare based on the rave reviews and the “Advanced Comfort  Technology” and let me tell you, they really are incredibly comfortable. They look super chic with jeans and great with skirts. These are a little pricier at $95 but still reasonable for something as basic as black flats.

I ordered the Indigo Sky Pocomo’s last summer and practically lived in them. Once again, the wedge makes the heel height bearable and the strappiness just screams summer. They run $110 on Piperlime.

You can’t go wrong with a flat sandal and I like that these are a little dressier than most. The full back means you won’t be gripping with your toes to keep them from staying on and the open front shows off your cute pedicure. $70 at Dillard’s.

What are your go-to summer shoes? Do you commute in different shoes than you work in or wear the same ones all day? I’d love to know your staples! 

Color Crushing

Last modified on 2012-03-05 00:01:07 GMT. 4 comments. Top.

So much of my closet (and my home for that matter) is black and grey. On the one hand it is nice because it’s chic, it is pulled together, everything matches, accessorizing is a breeze. But with Spring just around the corner I’m definitely in the mood for some pops of color. Be it the bright yellow daffodils I picked up for $1.49 ($1.49!) at Trader Joe’s to the pink polka dot post-it notes on my desk to (of course) the Spring pieces I’m seeing in the “new arrivals” sections of all my favorite store websites. The other trend I can’t wait to wear this summer? Bright white. Yes it stains and is somewhat impractical but there is something so ethereal about white clothing in the summertime. A few of my favorite pieces from around the web.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Do you find yourself pulled towards any particular trends or patterns as the months move towards summer? Any pieces you are dying to add to your wardrobe? I’d love to know!

Home Improvements

Last modified on 2012-02-26 21:29:36 GMT. 2 comments. Top.

Truthfully I need to focus more on simplifying the existing pieces in my home rather than bringing in new things, but something about the coming Springtime makes me want to redecorate my apartment. Maybe it is all the lovely pieces I’ve been seeing around the web, so as we pretend traveled on Monday, let’s go pretend shopping, shall we?

1, 2, 3

1, 2, 3

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Where do you like to shop for home accents? I love Pottery Barn and Anthropologie, but I’ve been known to pick up lots of cute things at Home Goods and Target as well! Anything on your Spring Must-Have list? 

Transitionals

Last modified on 2012-02-20 18:08:45 GMT. 5 comments. Top.

I know I’m not supposed to talk about it but whatever I’m going to anyways – the weather in Mass right now is insane. In a good way. It is nearing 50 degrees in February and the forecast says it is going to stay that way (Wednesday’s high is 56!) for the foreseeable future. I know I can’t quite pull out my Spring clothes just yet, but it definitely has me longing to put away my sweaters and pull on a pretty dress. My compromise? Sleeved dresses with tights and boots. With a coat it is plenty warm and the sleeves ensure I don’t look seasonally inappropriate (God forbid ). I picked up a lace dress from Francesca’s a few weeks back and thought I’d share how I made it February-appropriate. Unfortunately the website doesn’t have the dress listed anymore, but I found some other cute picks.

 

Just take any of these dresses, add some accessories:

And a sturdy pair of boots!

Done and Done. What do you to do winterize your Spring and Summer pieces? Are you sticking to sweaters or dying to get into floaty cotton like I am? I’d love to hear!

A Few of My Favorite (French) Things

Last modified on 2012-01-21 21:02:48 GMT. 3 comments. Top.

So it’s the first week of classes and someone thought it would be a good idea to also schedule the French proficiency exam for this week. That someone was not me. Basically everyone in my program has to display intermediate level proficiency in at least one language. I’ve been teaching myself to read French and take the test on Friday. It is graded by high pass, pass, and low pass, and someone is looking out for me because a low pass shows up on your transcript simply as a pass. I figured since I’m knee-deep in practice translations and can’t do anything fun with it like, I don’t know, fly to France, I’d share a few of my favorite French items. Let’s call it festive.

Longchamp Le Pliage 

I don’t know what it is about these bags – something made of nylon and a few pieces of leather really shouldn’t elicit such fervor nor should it cost $120. The Le Pliage is great for an everyday bag, though, and is much less expensive than the other French bag I lust after.

Le Creuset

Le Creuset is the king of cookware and it is pretty easy to see why. The design is simple and elegant, but the pieces are sturdy and last forever. Some pieces, like their dutch ovens, are pricey but a lot of pieces can be picked up for a reasonable sum. I have a batter bowl that I use at least once a week and I’m planning on purchasing an oval baker soon.

Chateauneuf du Pape 

A red wine from the southern Rhone region of France, Chateauneuf du Pape is what I like to break out on special occasions. My graduate school budget cannot afford to drink this every day (it starts around $30 a bottle) but it is delectable. You can read all about it by clicking on the link above.

Camembert

Camembert is a pretty common French cheese (I’ve definitely picked it up at Shaw’s before) but delicious. Also to be honest most of my favorite cheeses are Spanish but I digress. It is creamy like brie and delicious baked then served with crusty bread.

Hermes Birkin Bag

The be all end all bag in my opinion. Also one I won’t be getting any time soon due to the fact that they start around $7,000. The Birkin is beautiful, large enough to hold your life, and most importantly, the exact same style as when it was first created. So it isn’t like “oh that’s last year’s version of the Birkin … gross.” It was named after Jane Birkin and can be seen on the arms of the world’s rich and famous.

Valrhona

A most delicious French chocolate that comes in a variety of flavors. It is rich and creamy and well, at the end of the day it is quality chocolate so can you really go wrong? You can pick this up at Whole Foods in the States.

A few of your favorite French things is a bit particular I think, so I’d love to know a few of your favorite things in general! Or is there anything you would add to my French list? Au Revoir.  

Closet Basics

Last modified on 2012-01-16 14:39:48 GMT. 3 comments. Top.

 

For day I run the gamut from polished to casual. My main uniform is skinny jeans, TOMS, and a sweater. To be a little dressier I switch to corduroys or khakis and blouses. I also love blazers. At my most casual, I live in LuluLemon. It is incredibly comfortable but fitted and more put-together than sweats. I didn’t put any cords or khakis on this list, but I’m a big fan of Kut From the Kloth (awful name) Diana skinny cords and Pilcro khakis. For jeans I love Paige Skyline, and the Gap Legging Jean is a great cheaper alternative.

 

Shoes

I realize I listed a lot of shoes here, but they all serve different purposes and I had to account for all seasons. I walk to and from work, so I need shoes I can walk distances in comfortably. In the summer I love strappy sandals or espadrilles, plus low heels for daytime. I also love loafers for spring, summer, and fall. In the fall I switch to Desert Boots and TOMS. For fall and winter I love black motorcycle boots and brown riding boots. For slushy winter days there is nothing better than Hunter Wellys and cable knit liners. For evening I love nude pumps and python peeptoes. I also like black booties, which aren’t pictured here.

 

What are YOUR closet staples? If you could buy only five pieces for the coming season what would they be? 

What I Want Now

Last modified on 2012-01-06 02:09:15 GMT. 2 comments. Top.

I know it was just Christmas and I shouldn’t need or want to spend money on more clothes. I also know that most stores are beginning to put out their spring collections and spring will be here before we know it so I should just wait. Regardless I am craving some new pieces to add to my wardrobe. And I don’t just want clothes for the sake of more clothing – I have certain things in mind. I want sleeved dresses and tunics I can wear with tights, dressier tops to wear to work, corduroy pants, and new shoes. I also want a new coat. Since I’m not going to drop a grand buying all of this stuff I thought I’d share what I’m lusting after. Maybe it will help me pick favorites to buy or inspire you to make your own fashion wish list.

tops and dresses wish list by rachelmarlena featuring extra long sleeve shirts

 

I’m also loving this coat from Land’s End of all places, these flats, and these pumps.

If money were no object what items would you be adding to your winter wardrobe? Also, have any fashion questions you want me to blog about? I’m all ears!

Season’s Greetings

Last modified on 2011-12-13 15:34:50 GMT. 2 comments. Top.

I love the holidays so much. Between baking, Christmas lights, decorations, snow, travel, family, and (of course!) presents there always seems to be a million things to do but all of them are so much fun. I think I’m too late to send out Christmas cards this year (maybe New Year’s cards?) but there are so many cute cards that I’m lusting after. Any excuse to buy quality stationery, right? I thought I’d share a few of my favorites from around the web. Click on the photos to see where they came from and order your own!

 

Do you send Christmas cards? Where do you normally get them? And which of these are your favorite? I’d love to know!

 

Sweater Weather

Last modified on 2011-10-30 19:48:38 GMT. 4 comments. Top.

Perhaps because it snowed (snowed!) in Boston last night, I am in the mood for cozy chunky sweaters. We’ve all seen bad sweaters happen to good people, however, so I thought I would showcase a few of my favorite styles and how to wear them. Ready? Click on the pictures to shop the sweater from the website.

Nothing says Mary Kate Olsen bag-lady-chic like a cape right? It doesn’t have to look like that, though! The trick is to keep the rest of your clothing fitted. I’d pair this with super skinny jeans and brown heeled booties. Keep jewelry simple – just a pretty pair of gold earrings and maybe a ring.  If you are feeling really trendy or just don’t want quite so much volume, belt it at the waist.

I love sweaters with fun detailing because they are that much easier to style. This sweater from Anthro makes your waist look teeny and the V-neck makes you appear longer. I’d pair this with black pants and metallic or snakeskin flats (like these) for an office-appropriate outfit. Outside of work it would look great with white jeans and over-the-knee black boots don’t you think?

Normally I am not that into belted cardigans or prints but I really like this one. It gives the Fair Isle vibe without a full-on Switzerland moment. I’d pair this with a navy or red shift dress and brown boots. Add chunky jewelry (think a leather cuff or wooden necklace) and you have yourself an outfit. It would look just as great with a silk blouse and heels.

This sweater just belongs in Paris, don’t you think? I don’t even want to fight the urge to tell you to pair it with a beret. Color is big this Fall and I think this would look fresh and unexpected when paired with a bright pair of pants – I’m thinking mustard or perhaps red. It would look cute with a collared shirt peeking out from underneath it and some flat riding boots.

I have such a penchant for toggles that I couldn’t resist adding one in here! Toggle sweaters are nice because they double as jackets. They tend to take center stage so I’d keep everything else low-key. This would look precious with dark brown corduroys or pants and simple jewelry.

What is your favorite out of these sweaters? What’s your favorite type of sweater in general? Do you have another cold weather go-to piece? I’d love to hear!

Strategic Seasonal Shopping

Last modified on 2011-10-13 16:59:54 GMT. 1 comment. Top.

Back in the day (read: every season up until this one) I would more or less buy a new wardrobe for the season. Twice a year, we’d go on an extravaganza and buy at least twenty pieces. This year my graduate student budget isn’t really allowing it, so I had to get creative. I wanted to stick by my rules:

1. Quality over Quantity

2. You must love it

But I also had two new goals:

Step One: Take Out Everything You Can’t Wear in the Coming Season.

This can be a little tricky. Yes we are in Fall/Winter but I still use my favorite tanks under sweaters and things. Use your judgement. I took out shorts, summer shoes, and any tops that screamed “I belong in the sunshine.”

Step Two: Divide into Two Piles

You likely don’t want need everything you just pulled out of the closet. Be realistic and be objective. If you didn’t wear it this entire season, it needs to go. If it doesn’t fit (but hey it might in three years!) it needs to go. If you love it, you wore it, and it is in good condition, it goes in pile number two. I use rubbermaid containers here and store them in my basement. If you don’t have this option, under-the-bed containers are great.

What are you going to do with all the stuff you don’t need? Make some money! I take my stuff to Poor Little Rich Girl. It is upscale enough to appreciate many of my items (and in turn sell them for a higher price than say, the Buffalo Exchange) but bonus, they donate what they don’t want/can’t sell to programs like Dress for Success so you feel philanthropic. Problematically, they take things seasonally so box up this stuff and label it. You can take it in to sell around March.

Step Three: Go Through the Same Process with Your Fall/Winter Stuff

There were some items I was holding onto for God knows what reason – well, probably because I felt guilty just throwing them away. And others that were too big/didn’t fit right. I put these in bags and made an appointment with Poor Little Rich Girl. The rest went into my closet.

Step Four: Look Objectively at What You Have

Clearly, my wardrobe is pretty stocked and I could get by without buying anything. This is excellent news since I don’t have a lot of money to spend and I don’t buy cheap clothes. I noticed two huge gaps immediately – I had no pants that weren’t a type of denim save one pair of black pants and 3/4 of my closet was gray/black. Neither of these are exactly emergencies given my day-to-day activities, but they are holes none-the-less. I also found a few legitimate holes (brown leggings) and a few wish-list type items. Breaking it down I wanted to find (in order of importance):

• Brown leggings
• Khaki straight-leg chinos
• Cognac Riding Boots
• 2-5 non-gray tops
• 1-2 Long-sleeved dresses
• Black flats

Now, instead of going to my favorite stores and picking things willy-nilly, I had and have a plan. Plus, I made some money on the clothes I didn’t want so I could feel less guilty. I picked up leggings and a blue top, as well as some new jewelry. Then my aunt and uncle came in town and so generously bought me boots and an emerald green cashmere sweater. I haven’t committed to any of the rest but plan on acquiring it slowly but surely. A few items I’m lusting after?

• Everyday Chino, $49.50
• Pilcro Chinos, $88
• Cashmere V-neck, $96
• Northern Lights Shirt-dress, $158
• Sweater Welly Socks, $40
• Revas, $195

Do you go through your closet every season? Buy new seasonal clothes? What is on your Fall wishlist? 

Owl City

Last modified on 2011-10-04 18:12:34 GMT. 3 comments. Top.

I’ve had a love for owls ever since I realized I wanted to be a Chi Omega in college. I don’t go so far as some of my sisters and love the creepy owls but I’m definitely down for a cute owl here and there. It’s Big-Little week at my sister’s school (LSU) and fall is the perfect time for finding owls so I thought I’d share some finds. Ready?

 

 

 

Find tons more owl stuff here, Chi Omega Owl stuff here, and my favorite subtle owl here. Leave it to Target to make Owl rain-boots. Oh and the owl children’s book my favorite eight-month old nanny charge has me read over and over.

PS Pippa Middleton is better than you.

What’s your favorite owl item? Is there a certain animal you are obsessed with for decor (I hear elephants are big these days!)? I’d love to know!

Fall Wardrobe Preview

Last modified on 2011-08-29 12:01:39 GMT. 8 comments. Top.

After some discussions texts and tweets from a few of my most loyal followers, I’ve decided to start talking about fashion a bit more. I can intuitively pick outfits for any body type, but until my trip to New York no one forced me to explain why I chose the pieces I chose and how to pick for different shapes. Instead of huge product roundups – though I will still do them! – I’ll be showcasing outfits both to buy and from my closet, talking in-depth about wardrobe staples, and get into mixing patterns, shapes, and textures. First up though? A little Fall wardrobe preview!

Fall is my favorite season to dress for and though it is still warm here in Boston I’m dying to start dressing for crisp Autumn mornings. I’ve collected some of my favorite fall pieces and divided them into haves and wants. I’ll also explain how certain pieces can function now vs. later and in myriad ways. Some of my fall staples?

Clockwise left to right: Plaid Bayou Tunic, $78; Pilcro Serif Cords, $88; Legging Jeans, $69.50; Harness 12R Boots, $228; Banded Ripples Tee, $68; Desert Boots, $100; Jersey V-Necks, $21; Perfect Shirt button-downs, prices vary.

I’ll wear the tunic belted with leggings and heels or ballet flats, depending on the day. When the temperatures drop I’ll pair it with a hip-length blazer or leather jacket and boots. You could also add a sweater to make it a mini-skirt look with the plaid peeking out at the color and cuffs. Both pairs of pants are actual pants but they fit like leggings – the Pilcro cords even have a fake button, you just pull them on! I love being cozy and chic at the same time and these are my staples for fall pants. I pair them with everything from t-shirts to button-downs to sweaters with boots, flats, TOMS and Chuck Taylors.

Frye boots are a splurge but the quality is amazing and the more worn-in (read: wear and tear) they look the better. I tuck pants into them or wear them with casual dresses and skirts. I do the exact same thing with the desert boots but I never wear them with pants pulled over the top – they look dumb that way.

The rippled tee is really a soft, worn-in feeling sweater that is so easy. Just pair with fitted straight leg or skinny pants.  V-neck tees (especially in stripes) are great for under jackets and sweaters, or on their own with a long-sleeved fitted tee underneath. The Perfect shirt fits great and comes in an array of prints and solids. I tuck them into high-waisted skirts, wear them on their own with pants, or layer them under jackets.

Next up are the pieces on my wishlist. My two greatest clothes shopping rules are quality over quantity and buy only what you love. I know I don’t feature pieces from the likes of Forever21 and Old Navy and I do this on purpose. Truthfully I would never step foot in either store but the quality is not there anyways. That doesn’t mean I drop a thousand dollars every time I shop though, either; I’ll often come away with just one or two pieces. A few things I love:

Adalie Wrap Dress, $158; Pilcro Straight Ankle Chinos, $88; Smoke-shadow Sweatshirt Tunic, $72; Felted Colorbar Cardigan, $118; Carson Harness Ballet Flats in Cognac, $148; Paddy High-heeled Loafers, $265.

The wrap dress is so cute and would work well into fall with long-sleeves underneath when the weather gets chilly. Remove the belt and add a sweater and tights to make it a skirt. The Pilcro pants in khaki (or any khaki straight leg!) is classic for fall and a nice break from jeans. The sweatshirt tunic apparently reminds the good folks at Madewell of their favorite cashmere sweater (cozy!) and long enough to be a dress if you are short. If not or it is cold just add leggings.

Color-blocking is a fun way to add contrast and interest with solids. You wouldn’t expect it but mustard and charcoal look great together, right? The ballet flats are a splurge but if their Harness boots are any indication, only get better with age. The color is perfect to wear with black, brown, or navy making them extremely versatile. Loafer pumps are trendy, but they seem to be a trend that comes back every. single. Fall. It’s kind of like calling plaid a trend. The heel height on these is perfect: high enough to not remind you of grandma pumps but low enough to make walking around the city all day possible.

What’s on your fall wish-list? Or on your “I already have and love these” list? If money were no object what store would you most want to shop in for fall? I’d love to hear!

Who Needs The Notebook?

Last modified on 2011-08-20 14:49:02 GMT. 1 comment. Top.

I’m still away on vacation but in light of recent events wanted to post something quick. xoxo

You know how much I love Porter Hovey’s site Kissssing, right? Well I asked my grandmother for some old pictures because my own mother keeps nothing. That’s not entirely true. She swears she has tons of photos that just “need to be dug out” but I’ve asked on multiple occasions and looked myself and have found nothing.

I knew my Papoo was bringing some photographs with her when we met up in Puerto Vallarta but nothing could have prepared me for the gems I received. It was hard deciding what to share but here you go. PS Pictures from Mexico and my trip to New York will be up next week.

Thanks for letting me share sweet readers! Have a great Monday and stay cute.

The Opposite of Fancy Nancy is …

Last modified on 2011-07-22 12:18:12 GMT. 2 comments. Top.

SO NOT ME.

You know by now that I am ridiculous. I’m hedonistic. I’m a food- liquor- clothing- stationery- you-name-it- SNOB. And I’m okay with that. My signature scent comes from London, I once equated Trader Joe’s to Wal-mart, and swear-to-god one of my two life goals is to own a Birkin bag. So two things are going to happen today that may surprise you.

1. I found a low-cost stationery store

When Laura tweeted me and asked if I wanted a new stationery obsession I must admit I felt a bit skeptical. I felt equally intrigued, however, as I have been searching for “casual” stationery for about six weeks. Here is my signature stationery:

I love love LOVE it. But admit it, it is a bit fussy, especially when you are writing a note that says “hey I’m running late but I’ll meet you by the river at 9″ (uhhh true story). In addition to stationery I’ve been looking for calling cards. Not business cards, calling cards. So with Dragonfly Dreams (don’t think the significance of the name was lost on me Elyssa, Jess, Sue and all you other Gilmore Girl fanatics) I accomplished both for a SWEET price. Seriously. And they shipped in just a few days. Thanks to Laura and her boss Robin for introducing me and enduring all of my pesky questions. I’ll be back for more! Here’s what I bought:

Now on to something still less Fancy Nancy but much more serious. Go back and read that first part. I’m obsessed with myself. I help others, I am big into community but let’s face it, 95% of this blog is something along the lines of, “Check out how awesome I am.”

I’m not going to change. But since moving to Boston and starting this adventure (both the “real life” one and the blog) I have learned a few things. Now is as good of a time as any to share, yes?

1. Just because someone labels you as something doesn’t mean you have to accept it as truth. I would go into personal examples here but it is a bit of a touchy subject. I’m just saying…people are going to call you a lot of names, some of them lovely and some not so much. Don’t let anyone else define you.

2. Continuing on that theme, avoid dependence in general. Let me clarify. You should adore other people and value your relationship with them but depend on yourself alone.

3. Fresh starts are feisty beasts. They seem exotic and exciting and in a way I suppose they are. But they can also be scary and isolating. Don’t expect a “fresh start” or a new location to make everything better.

4. You always have options. ALWAYS. Keep moving forward if that is what you need to do, but if it feels overwhelming then stop for a bit. You are not so important that the world will stop with you, but it will be there when you are ready.

5. The hardest one for me to learn and remember: it is the end result, not the timeline or methodology, which is most important in any goal. What do you want? Go get it. But be willing to be flexible with how and when.

And just in case you don’t want to listen to MY advice (understandable…) I’ve found a few gems on Pinterest.

What is your favorite stationer? It is okay to have more than one! What is your best piece of advice? Let me know! xoxo

When You Give A Mouse A Cookie…

Last modified on 2011-09-10 19:33:07 GMT. 2 comments. Top.

Or a girl a credit card to Bloomie’s … lots of outcomes are available, most involving spent money. I had a meeting over in Chestnut Hill today and while out decided to stop in Bloomingdale’s. In truth I went in because I have been mulling over some quality (read: ridiculously expensive) stand-out shoes. Even MY delusions don’t go so far as to warrant a pair of Louboutins right now, but I knew I could find a well-made pair of shoes that would stand out, were beautiful, and somewhat timeless. My style is somewhat Parisian so I wanted a neutral but not just plain nude. I ended up falling in love with my shoe guardian angel (seriously. Both seriously I’m sort of in love with him and seriously he called himself that). My purchase? A GORGEOUS pair of Bruno Magli Snakeskin pumps. They will match everything, I can take them to a cobbler for touch-ups as needed, and I’m going to wear flats if I am commuting somewhere and then change. This picture so does not do them justice but I’m too lazy to go get my camera so just deal with the iPhone shot I took and imagine them 10000% more stunning.

I decided to do the Bloomie’s card mainly because I could save money on the shoes, pay off the balance right then or as soon as it came in the mail, and receive other perks. I couldn’t let the day’s 15% go to waste but wanted to be reasonable so I decided to buy one more thing. I headed to All Saints to purchase a fabulous frock to match my fabulous shoes and ended here:

The one bad thing about All Saints? They are European sizes which kind of make you feel fat. If you wear a four congratulations you now wear an eight at All Saints. FML.

From there I stopped in J.Crew where (surprisingly!) I found nothing. I don’t really do sales and apparently it is their big annual. This gave me leverage to justify a stop in Anthropologie where I picked up the following (all photos from Anthropologie website):

I’m home now and hard at work. I want to wear my new outfit tonight but I’m just going to see a film, grab a bite to eat, then maybe stop by my favorite hipster’s DJing gig. I think I’ll pair the shoes with dark jeans, yeah?

What are YOU up to this weekend my loves? Let me know and I will talk to you next week – stay cute!

The WASPy Summer

Last modified on 2011-06-16 02:22:21 GMT. 2 comments. Top.

From Blackjack to cocktails on the deck, weekend jaunts to Maine and frolicking by the Charles, this summer’s forecast looks extra-WASPy. It isn’t all fun and games of course – we will also be learning conversational French and brushing up on our etiquette by schmoozing with professors at dinners. … Oh wait. In any case, when you live like a WASP you dress like a WASP (only better because many of them have heinous personal style). The staples carrying me through this season?

Clockwise-ish Left to Right:  J. Crew Favorite Tank in assorted colors, $18; Deletta Pinched Tunic (whatever it is totally a dress) at Anthropologie, $58; American Apparel T-shirt dress, $34; J. Crew Perfect Shirt, $72, especially this and this; Sperry Topsiders, $75; Sam Edelman Sandals, $60 at Nordstrom; Cole Haan or Tod’s driving loafers (prices vary); TOMS $44; Perfect Short 3″ inseam, J.Crew, $43; Lucky Brand swimsuit, $122; Becca Swimsuit, $132; Swimsuit Cover-up, Anthropologie, $78; Boyfriend Jeans, Gap, $70.

These choices are great for the beach house, picnics, and shopping but what about those days when the dress code gets a bit nicer? Nights at the Symphony or American Repertory Theatre or boating in the Harbor?  We simply add these things to the collection…

American Apparel Maxi-Dress and Belt, $58 and $34; Artist’s Rendering dress, Anthropologie, $188; J. Crew Rumi Dress, $118; J.Crew Castaway Dress, $90; Pink skinny jeans, Banana Republic $90; Milly Ruffle Cami, $212; Madewell Embroidered Dot Top, $135; Athena Blouse, $118 Ralph Lauren Cecilia Peep-Toe Raw Silk Espadrille, $79; Indigo by Clark’s Pocomo Strappy Sandals, $99; Cole Haan Stephanie Air Open Toe Pump, $299;

And of course we would be nothing without accessories.

Anne Klein Watch, in white for $55; Miller Harris Terre de Bois (an impossibly exclusive, unisex woodsy scent), $140; Mint Julep Indian Scarf, $72; Yurman Two Drop Infinity Gold Earrings (I DIE), $975; L.L.Bean Boat and Tote, monogrammed of course, $37.95; a big ass sunhat, Fiora Bella $112.

See you on the Coast!

What are you wearing and doing this summer? Have exciting plans? Do they look drastically different from my own (and would you like to do your own Summer Staples guest post?) I’d love to hear!

PS Want to get in on the fun? We are spending the Fourth of July cruising in the Boston Harbor with a full bar and the amazing and good-looking DJ T-Rex. It will be fabulous and I can get you tickets if I like you.

The Opposite of Fancy Nancy is …

Last modified on 2011-07-22 12:18:12 GMT. 2 comments. Top.

SO NOT ME.

You know by now that I am ridiculous. I’m hedonistic. I’m a food- liquor- clothing- stationery- you-name-it- SNOB. And I’m okay with that. My signature scent comes from London, I once equated Trader Joe’s to Wal-mart, and swear-to-god one of my two life goals is to own a Birkin bag. So two things are going to happen today that may surprise you.

1. I found a low-cost stationery store

When Laura tweeted me and asked if I wanted a new stationery obsession I must admit I felt a bit skeptical. I felt equally intrigued, however, as I have been searching for “casual” stationery for about six weeks. Here is my signature stationery:

I love love LOVE it. But admit it, it is a bit fussy, especially when you are writing a note that says “hey I’m running late but I’ll meet you by the river at 9″ (uhhh true story). In addition to stationery I’ve been looking for calling cards. Not business cards, calling cards. So with Dragonfly Dreams (don’t think the significance of the name was lost on me Elyssa, Jess, Sue and all you other Gilmore Girl fanatics) I accomplished both for a SWEET price. Seriously. And they shipped in just a few days. Thanks to Laura and her boss Robin for introducing me and enduring all of my pesky questions. I’ll be back for more! Here’s what I bought:

Now on to something still less Fancy Nancy but much more serious. Go back and read that first part. I’m obsessed with myself. I help others, I am big into community but let’s face it, 95% of this blog is something along the lines of, “Check out how awesome I am.”

I’m not going to change. But since moving to Boston and starting this adventure (both the “real life” one and the blog) I have learned a few things. Now is as good of a time as any to share, yes?

1. Just because someone labels you as something doesn’t mean you have to accept it as truth. I would go into personal examples here but it is a bit of a touchy subject. I’m just saying…people are going to call you a lot of names, some of them lovely and some not so much. Don’t let anyone else define you.

2. Continuing on that theme, avoid dependence in general. Let me clarify. You should adore other people and value your relationship with them but depend on yourself alone.

3. Fresh starts are feisty beasts. They seem exotic and exciting and in a way I suppose they are. But they can also be scary and isolating. Don’t expect a “fresh start” or a new location to make everything better.

4. You always have options. ALWAYS. Keep moving forward if that is what you need to do, but if it feels overwhelming then stop for a bit. You are not so important that the world will stop with you, but it will be there when you are ready.

5. The hardest one for me to learn and remember: it is the end result, not the timeline or methodology, which is most important in any goal. What do you want? Go get it. But be willing to be flexible with how and when.

And just in case you don’t want to listen to MY advice (understandable…) I’ve found a few gems on Pinterest.

What is your favorite stationer? It is okay to have more than one! What is your best piece of advice? Let me know! xoxo

When You Give A Mouse A Cookie…

Last modified on 2011-09-10 19:33:07 GMT. 2 comments. Top.

Or a girl a credit card to Bloomie’s … lots of outcomes are available, most involving spent money. I had a meeting over in Chestnut Hill today and while out decided to stop in Bloomingdale’s. In truth I went in because I have been mulling over some quality (read: ridiculously expensive) stand-out shoes. Even MY delusions don’t go so far as to warrant a pair of Louboutins right now, but I knew I could find a well-made pair of shoes that would stand out, were beautiful, and somewhat timeless. My style is somewhat Parisian so I wanted a neutral but not just plain nude. I ended up falling in love with my shoe guardian angel (seriously. Both seriously I’m sort of in love with him and seriously he called himself that). My purchase? A GORGEOUS pair of Bruno Magli Snakeskin pumps. They will match everything, I can take them to a cobbler for touch-ups as needed, and I’m going to wear flats if I am commuting somewhere and then change. This picture so does not do them justice but I’m too lazy to go get my camera so just deal with the iPhone shot I took and imagine them 10000% more stunning.

I decided to do the Bloomie’s card mainly because I could save money on the shoes, pay off the balance right then or as soon as it came in the mail, and receive other perks. I couldn’t let the day’s 15% go to waste but wanted to be reasonable so I decided to buy one more thing. I headed to All Saints to purchase a fabulous frock to match my fabulous shoes and ended here:

The one bad thing about All Saints? They are European sizes which kind of make you feel fat. If you wear a four congratulations you now wear an eight at All Saints. FML.

From there I stopped in J.Crew where (surprisingly!) I found nothing. I don’t really do sales and apparently it is their big annual. This gave me leverage to justify a stop in Anthropologie where I picked up the following (all photos from Anthropologie website):

I’m home now and hard at work. I want to wear my new outfit tonight but I’m just going to see a film, grab a bite to eat, then maybe stop by my favorite hipster’s DJing gig. I think I’ll pair the shoes with dark jeans, yeah?

What are YOU up to this weekend my loves? Let me know and I will talk to you next week – stay cute!

Aaaaand Procrastinate.

Last modified on 2011-05-10 14:28:43 GMT. 1 comment. Top.

If you have been spending all that time since my last post hard at work then CONGRATULATIONS! Holy Shit you have an amazing attention span and I am jealous.  You probably need a break.  If this isn’t you and you are in some combination of desperately trying to get your work done and desperately trying to find things to occupy you instead, you are welcome.

Some of my favorite links, photos, and Pins from Pinterest to brighten this Monday morning.
PS What is ESPECIALLY brightening my morning?  Well two things.

1.  All the Ghetto Rap I’ve been listening to …

Courtesy of…

2.  THIS GUH WHO I SEE IN THREE DAYS So jazzed.  Love it. Love her.

You all know how awesome she is in her own right, but these last few weeks she has been SUCH a doll in terms of stepping up the affection.  Maybe she actually misses me or maybe she just doesn’t like being publicly called out on my blog…either way I’m jazzed.  Three recent faves?

She also secretly kind of hates my dog, but she sends me pictures like these to make me laugh:

My personal favorite though?  This video…it already has 9,000 views.

Ummm B do you want to learn this with me while I’m home? I’m being totally serious….except we will wear sports bras.  I’ve seen white guhs do it too but this video is funnier.

Enough about that guh….moving on!

I know she wrote it forever ago, but I’m still obsessing over Katie’s Sashes.

And actually I am just as envious of Jess’ linen closet – hello real life Restoration Hardware!

Lisa I’ve totally been planning my wedding but this set of images looks so ethereal … SWOON.

From \”Hotter Then Hell.\” Please notice the incorrect use of “then.”  Love it.

He found it here.

And you probably need this…

Or maybe just this?

Because Betches Love Frenemies you know!

What was your favorite? Have any to share?  I’m drowning in papers, etc. but just received the MOST amazing e-mail from a professor concerning my work (thank GOD somewhere here thinks I can still produce shit worth reading) so in my twisted reasoning it warranted a blog break.  Talk soon and let me know what you’ve been up to.  Stay Cute!

Focus! It’s Crunch Time

Last modified on 2011-05-04 13:07:36 GMT. 2 comments. Top.

So I have the ridiculous ability to stretch X number of hours of work into about four times that amount by getting distracted with things like J.Crew, Betches Love This Site, Facebook, Tweetdeck, etc. etc. etc.  You don’t?  Welllll you are way more focused than I.  Or maybe you get more distracted by things like New York Times, Huff Post, and YouTube.  In ANY case, during one of my many semi-productive (but really non-productive hours) I was trolling Cal Newport’s Blog (study hacks…it is awesome).

His basic theory is that if you have periods of “hard focus” where LITERALLY all you focus on (and focus hard, hence the title) is the task at hand you can get stuff done way way faster…even if you are a post-doc at MIT (he is), pre-med, or a time-crunched grad student.

He heartily endorses this program called Rescue Time.  It basically tracks what all you do on your computer — not just individual websites like Facebook or Funny or Die, but programs like iCal, Microsoft Word, Excel, etc.  It automatically rates them from –2 (very distracting) to +2 (very productive) then will give you detailed summaries of what exactly you have been doing with your time.  You also have the option of changing the rating, too. So for me, Wikipedia is actually productive…I use it to know basic concepts of movements/groups not to randomly see what people are saying about Sudan.  It also allow you to enter specific sites and categorize/rank them.  It is kind of like Google Analytics but for your brain.  You can set goals – example “no more than 1 hour a day of “distracting websites” — and it notifies you when you have reached your daily limit.  It is completely free, though there is a pro-version for something like $6/month that will let you track time away from the computer, set times of “Extreme Focus” (or something like that) to work wholly on one project (with customized blocked sites, etc) and track your time away from the computer.  I have been using the Free version for about a week and really like it.

So why am I writing about this if it is supposed to keep me from being distracted? Because it is 5 AM and I was on RescueTime about to completely block Safari for the day.  Here is the link if you want to check it out –

Rescue Time Website

Have a good rest of the week and look for my Mother’s Day Gift Guide later in the day/early tomorrow (prewritten, my friends).  What is YOUR best productivity tip?  How do you stay focused when you have ridiculous amounts of stuff to do?  Sound off!

The Best Things Come In Threes

Last modified on 2011-04-30 15:21:32 GMT. 2 comments. Top.

Yes, she MADE these.  Aren’t they incredible!?!?!  So is she and I love her to death.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything sweet girl, and for somehow making my birthday just as special from 2500 miles away.

I think all my street-neighbors decided to plant tulips and daffodils by the dozens this year and they are GORGEOUS.  I want to get a ton in planters to put on my balcony with my hammock but that would require me handling dirt.  Ew.

I did point, shoot, insert for all three of the above images — no fiddling with settings, no editing on the computer and clearly the quality is bank.  AND the camera has hella-ridiculous amounts of settings that I can’t wait to play with once finals are over.

On this gorgeous Spring Day (at least here!) I would love to know:  What Three Things are you a bit obsessed with or loving?  Go!  And Stay Cute. xoxo

Weather Patterns

Last modified on 2011-04-25 12:18:22 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Just when I think we are FINALLY into Spring (umm hello, we are in the last third of April!) Boston throws us a day like Friday where it is in the 40s and drizzling.  And I can remember Easter always being “surprisingly” chilly (can it really be a surprise when it happens every year?) in Louisiana but then Boston changed again and we awoke to balmy weather.  I threw on these in modern red and took these two sweethearts to the park so the Easter Bunny could visit their house.  We were doubly lucky because the Ice Cream Truck swung by as well.

Originally I planned to talk about cute spring clothing ideas but my POS camera? It finally legit died on me.  On so many different levels.  Fortunately I had just placed an expedited order for my new kick-ass camera.  Happy almost-birthday to me!  So please bear with the lack of pics/iPhone pics for the next few days in anticipation of much better quality very soon.  Since I could not play model, I thought I would answer another appropriate and very pressing question:  How the heck am I supposed to dress in this weather!?

We all have those days/weeks/months where the calendar reads one thing but the thermometer reads another.  On the one hand, you want to dress seasonally appropriate — the linen sundress in February is only okay if you are on an island with a two-word name, first word being Saint.  And who isn’t ready to burn their wool and corduroy by April?  So how is a good-looking guy or gal supposed to dress for the current date while still nodding to the current temperatures?

I’ve created a handy little guide to help you dress seasonally appropriate without looking like a fool.  Because no one wants to be that girl wearing shorts and flip-flops when it is 45 degrees (and you don’t even want to get me started on the shorts + Uggs phenomenon).  It is all about transition pieces.  But don’t worry – I’m not going to tell you to “layer.” For one, what exactly are you supposed to do with all those layers as you shed them?  And unless you still have the thighs and waist you had at 7 stretched to fit the height of Blake Lively, four layers of shirts will not only make you warm, it will make you look about 15 pounds heavier than you are….much like high-waisted jeans.  Gross.

Fabrics and shape/silhouettes are the keys here. The easiest way to make an outfit fit the season?  Shoes!  Don’t wear barely-there sandals in February or early March!  Wear loafers, flats, desert boots, or peep toes.  Boots can be worn year round but stow away the Uggs (umm why do you own Uggs?), suede boots, and duck boots – unless you are SG (in which case you might need them for the plantation).

Believe it or not you CAN wear long-sleeves in April/May and tanks in March/October without looking like a fool – but choose your fabrics and colors carefully.  Long-sleeves in spring should be pale colors or a cute pattern.  I’m loving the J. Crew Perfect Shirts for spring – maxi checks, gingham, even some dock stripes.

Own.  Love.  Get your own here.

Tanks can be worn in “cooler” months, just pick a darker color and a bit sturdier, fitted fabric.  A cotton/jersey works well instead of eyelet and black instead of ballerina pink.  Put a cardigan/blazer/jacket over as needed.

A lot of Southern guys joke that the only difference between their Summer and Winter wardrobes are whether the sleeves on their Oxford shirts are rolled up to the elbow or buttoned at the wrist (be still my heart).  And while this is true to some degree, you should still be aware of fabrics and colors.  In general leave the pastels for March through September and keep the dark plaids (scarlet, hunter green, navy combined with dark colors) for October through February.  Seersucker should only be worn in the summer and flannel in late fall/winter.  Jeans and Khakis go year-round but wool work pants are fall/winter only.

I’ve created a Spring/Summer color palette to help you out.  Obviously it isn’t extensive, but these are the shades I’ll be wearing through August.  The perfect ballerina pink, a bright navy, a nantucket red, coral, and kelly green all made the list, as did ten others.

The vertical rows (1, 6, and 11 for example) all make great color combinations.  Other combinations I love?

1 + 8 + 13

4 + 7 + 12

3 + 6 + 14

8 + 11 + 14

1 + 12 + 15

What are you wearing this Spring and Summer?  Have a favorite color combination or go-to outfit?  Best tip for dressing seasonally appropriate when the weather isn’t cooperating?  Let me know!

Blitzkrieg! And not The Separate Peace Game

Last modified on 2011-04-04 12:32:48 GMT. 6 comments. Top.

Things were so crazy last week (let’s be real…things are always “so crazy”) did I even mention that Deb-Deb was coming in town this past weekend to wardrobe shop?  You may not have been around for the last time she came (with our friend Laura) but I wrote about it… it was The Lost Weekend.

This time around there was no Laura ( ), and I had schoolwork to do so it was going to be pretty chill.  It turned into “shop and eat and eat and shop and shop and eat.”  No but really. Poor Yodaman was supposed to go to camp Saturday morning and be picked up Saturday night…he is staying until tonight.  And then I am bringing him back Tuesday and Wednesday just for camp.  We kept getting sidetracked by things like Bloomingdale’s (out in Chestnut Hill where we had to go to get these dishes from Crate & Barrel) or 20% off at Lord & Taylor….and those two were especially bad because we have (ahem…my mom has) credit cards there that rather conveniently for us had been paid off quite recently so they were lonely and in need of charges.

I did discover that my mom did indeed inherit the sass that we thought skipped a generation — my Papoo is full of it and y’all know I am.  We saw opening night of Rent at the Footlight Theater in JP (GO SEE IT — sooooo good) on Friday night and when we arrived (really really late I might add…as in we walked into the theater at showtime) there were still a lot of empty seats.  We saw our seats but on the same row there were some center aisle seats that were better so we sat there.  That worked well and even better someone took our seats so we were golden…until an elderly woman and her top-of-the-kidney-transplant-husband arrived and showed us their tickets, politely saying we were in their seats (okay they really were nice and he probably isn’t at the TOP of the list but… he was medically…disabled.  I swear I’m not being catty).  Anyhow we stand up, walk the one step to the beginning of our rightful row and tell the three early-twenty-somethings that hey we need our seats here is why.  They literally just stared at us. Not rudely.  Not because they didn’t understand just….blank stares like, but um, we are sitting here now?

I think one said something about “well where are we supposed to go?” or…I don’t know basically they were trying to find a solution that involved us sitting somewhere ELSE that wasn’t our assigned seat (and probably being moved by the rightful owners) and then keeping ours.  Finally good ole Deb-Deb says, “I mean, I think we are just going to have our seats back y’all! I don’t see another option.”

If you know her, you know how funny this is…if you don’t imagine Julia Roberts in Steel Magnolias or…I don’t know… Reese Witherspoon’s precious mom in Sweet Home Alabama saying it in this sugary Southern accent with a tone of, “This is a terrible misfortune for ALL of us…goodness they really should have built this place bigger two hundred years ago in the event that this happened!”

It was AWESOME.  It is made way funnier by an experience a few years back at a different theater in London where, as we waited for the theater to open so we could go to our private box and watch Mamma Mia, this old biddy became very huffy at us “trying to cut in line.”  I mention the box mainly because we TOLD her – look, we aren’t trying to buy tickets we have them and by the way, they are sequestered from the general public so we can’t POSSIBLY mess up whatever grand plan you have of scoring seats.  Also, lest you think we are more ridiculous than we actually are, it really was an insignificant difference between good House seats and the box so we figured why not channel our inner-celebrity and get the box?  Anyhow this woman finally literally like, shoved us aside and got in front with her nose (and rather large ass I might add) stuck in the air.  So we start calling her “Queen Bee” (yes she can hear us) and reiterating to each other that we have tickets and the whole thing was, in addition to being tacky and LMC, unnecessary.  My grandma gets this look of disdainful pity (which if you are Southern you realize is the facial expression equivalent of “well bless your heart you can’t help it” … i.e. no sincere pity involved) and says loudly, “And her BLACKS don’t even match!!!”  Yyyyeah…. as in, the black skirt and black blazer “suit” she was wearing were two slightly different shades of black.  Such a faux-pas.

Anyhow it was awesome and there were lots of ridiculous Debbie quotes like, “Well this mall isn’t that big but it is good enough to drop a thousand dollars in.”  We also saw a Chinese couple do a Chinese fire drill (swear to god).  Oh and my car was towed….again.  Seriously do you guys have nothing better to do then tow my damn car?  It was such a #whitegirlproblem because it threw off our whole day and we didn’t get to go visit my friend Hilly at the bakery.

This is all to say that things are FABULOUS when Debbie comes because, though I pay for it later in late nights with little sleep, things are so relaxing in a way only we think is relaxing.  We don’t sleep a lot, no, but we get an entire new wardrobe and have really ridiculous things happen and just…do nothing of consequence.  I could never do it for a living but as a break it is ideal.

This looks very tame because (as she will quickly point out) Debbie was nice enough to fold everything very flat and stack it quite high.  This is my new Spring/Summer Wardrobe.  When we combine our powers (ummm monetary resources) we get downright dangerous.  I would like those of you who know me in “real” life to marvel and be proud of all the COLOR or at least lack of black and gray in this wardrobe.  There is coral, ballerina pink, even a few prints that are not stripes.  WHOA dream big.

This is my recycling bin (whomp whomp)…. the size of that cabinet is such that a full sized hamper can fit inside — maybe like, hip-height on me?

Aaaand this photo.  So last stop of the day is dinner.  I noticed when we were schlepping bags back into the backseat of the car at Chestnut Hill that Debbie had set a full cup of tea in my janky backseat cupholder with a straw and no lid.  Butttttt this is the same woman who legitimately at least once a week when we would go through Sonic would sigh in desolation when she realized there was physically no way to keep all FOUR of her leftover glasses of iced tea and have room for a new one as well as (my b) let me have one cupholder of my own…preferably the one next to my seat.  So far be it from me to question this decision.  We get out at the restaurant and … there is an empty cup.  But the shopping bags were on the seat and dry.  I looked under the seat and saw spillage thus concluded it had tipped towards the back and gotten all over the carpet.

Oh thank goodness! That could have been awful.  Grab my bag, sling it on my shoulder (after throwing my phone in it), and walk around to get Debbie.  She burst out laughing so hard she could not talk.  I KNEW why she was laughing too but didn’t want to look.  Eventually she got the words out.  Yyyyeah know where all the tea was?

Like I said, a ridiculous weekend as only ours can be.  Top if off with these two tidbits from other members of the fam.  The first is Leo.  He ran a 5K this morning in Carlsbad, CA.  He said he noticed earlier in the week that his leg was hurting and thought it was from running so much so he took most of the week off from exercise.  He was already signed up for the 5K and ran the first two miles great — something like 15 minutes for both.  He said he was keeping pace with this young girl and finally said something like, “okay I’ve got to stop sorry.”  She makes some comment that basically amounts to “don’t be a wimp!” and he tells her his leg hurts.  She slows a second so she can see the back of his leg where he points and shouts, “OMG something bit you!”  This is what it looked like:

Debbie says, “how the heck do you NOT realize something like that happened?”  But I totally get it….I have random-ass HUGE bruises so often and so badly that I legit went to be checked for leukemia (it was negative ghostriders).

The next escapade is even better.  So my lovely sister B, Brooke, Emily and seven of their closest besties (total 5 each girls and guys) have spring break coming up and rented a house at the beach.  You know how often you do this and each pick a day to be responsible for food?  Yyyyeah…. they put a PARENT in charge of each day.  No no…it is so much more ridiculous than that.  They called the parents in Shreveport (4.5 hours away from their school in Baton Rouge) and said, “Hey you need to make X for ten people and bring it down to Baton Rouge the weekend before we leave for the beach.”  The menu items were not like, sandwich stuff, but rather each parent’s “specialty.”  One is making chicken spaghetti, one lasagna, one breakfast casserole, one stacked enchiladas, … etc. etc. etc.  For real.  It is absurd that they came up with this “solution” but even more ludicrous that the parents all went along with it, no?

I’ll be doing some “Spring Wardrobe Idea” posts soon (aka “what I bought this past weekend) and I am almost done with a fabulous legit post…all about goal setting and an awesome way to do it but until then I must leave you with these silly anecdotes…it IS Monday after all!

What is the most ridiculous thing that happened this weekend? What items are you most excited to purchase for Spring?  Is your family as absurd as mine?  Just thought I’d ask.  Sound off!

P.S. I need a new camera…suggestions?

Last modified on 2011-03-28 02:30:38 GMT. 6 comments. Top.

As I mentioned the other day, I am often asked to play fashion consultant to family and friends.  I am far too pedantic (and short for that matter) to ever pursue a career in fashion but I love shopping and I love making people look awesome so it is a fun hobby.

The thing is though, I know better than anyone that if you don’t FEEL good and like what you are wearing, you won’t look as amazing as you are.  Where am I going with this? Well Laura called me last week with tales of her latest shopping debacle.  I won’t go into details because she already did… here.  The whole time she’s telling me the story (laughing) I’m thinking, “I would of said, “Get the F off me bitch!” … yeah I totally wouldn’t have said that.  Come on Southerners, I haven’t completely gone native up here!  Anyhow I promised her a post on belting and here it is.

Do you ever put on an outfit and think something is not quite right?  I mean it all matches,  it is cute, but it is missing…something.  That something is probably a belt. No but really.  I don’t belt everything I own, I really don’t.  But often a well-chosen and well-placed belt can completely change an outfit.

Most important belt rule:  There is no one-belt-fits-all

At least once an hour when we blitzkrieg (as we are doing this weekend!!!)  Debbie will say, “but don’t you already have a brown belt?”  To which I reply, “Not like this one.”  Different cuts and fabrics require different belt length and fabric.  Laura’s first response to my suggestion of a belt was something about “those stretchy belts.”

The best piece of advice I will ever give you (at least concerning these belts):

Those elastic belts are surprisingly NOT versatile.  They only work, generally, when the dress or tunic you are belting has a bit of volume to it or you have 2% body fat.  Otherwise they tend to grab the practically-non-existent fat immediately above and below the belt.  I don’t know why…they just do.  So remember the “this is what I wear when I have low self-esteem post” awhile back? That dress worked with a belt because it had volume.  Okay, next rule.

In general, the thinner/more voluminous the fabric, the larger the belt can be.

This rule is overturned by a “place” for a belt on the clothing.  WTF does that mean?  I’ll show you, but basically if there is a “belt” of fabric on the clothing that is 1″ wide, you will most likely need a 1″ belt to wear it.

A word on the lack of awesomeness in these photos

You may notice that I placed little-to-no thought into the “big picture” in these shots…my shoes don’t change ever and I’m barely wearing jewelry.  You may also notice that I sometimes look supremely awkward — I never realized how hard “photo shoots” are to do alone.  Oh and let’s not even mention my complete lack of make-up, k? That is the pink eye’s fault.  The rest of my severe lack of accessories, etc. is because ten seconds before this (and to be honest, ten seconds after) I looked like this:

You may notice that I never belt cardigans and such.  This is not because I don’t love it – I do.  Problematically I have no waist and the kind of ribs corsets were designed to break into submission so I look awful in regular cardigans/shirts belted at the waist.  Fortunately for you, Katie looks precious so she will give you a great example.

Okay remember the rule about “if the clothing has a spot for a belt?”  This dress is a perfect example.  If you want to copy me and buy it, it is the Jenny Dress from J.Crew.  For some reason it looks hideous on the website.  It fits more like …well you will see. Jennifer Lucas I WANT you to copy me and buy it so you can wear it for the engagement photos because you would look precious.  You can’t see in this photo but it zips up the back.  Oh and one warning — it is super sheer.  Lucky for you, I already did the hunt for perfect undergarments to wear with it.  If you have normal WASP skin, the Body by Victoria Demi Bra in Buff will all but disappear underneath.  If you are Latina, or Southern and thus spend plenty of time prepping your skin for melanoma in tanning beds, go for the Incredible by Victoria Secret bra in Nude.  They don’t sell the Buff/Light Buff of this in much stores but I just realized you can buy it online — this is a great bra in general.  If you have breasts, I would get the Demi…especially for this dress.  If you don’t or you’d like to enhance them a bit, go for the push-up version.  Just for god-sakes don’t get that ridiculous “increase by two full cup-sizes” bra…you are not fooling anyone.  For panties get the Victoria’s Secret Bare Ultimate Hiphugger.  No it is not lacy and fabulous but this dress requires utility.

This next dress is made of sturdier fabric and there is more of it.  Part of that is a sizing issue but whatever.  I purposefully took this photo from the side because I wanted you to see that this dress is awkwardly long on purpose — the slit up the side.  Also because a lot of the detailing (rolled sleeves, stitching) shows a little better from the side.  This belt is about five years old and from (gasp!) Old Navy.  Although apparently they just recycle old styles because I have a dress I bought my Senior year of high school that someone else told me they bought like, two weeks ago, so check back in the fall and they just may have the belt.  I like that there are no belt holes so you can customize the fit.  The width works here again, because we are working with more and sturdier fabric – this is oxford cloth.

This last dress was the hardest to figure out but I wanted to include it because it has such a dramatic drop-waist.  Normally drop-waist dresses have flowy fabric so you can use a stretchy belt but this would look horrible with an elastic belt.  I also wanted to show that you don’t always have to do a belt parallel to the floor.  I tilted this one a bit (as you can see) and it looked much better on me.  Don’t be afraid to play around with it.  This belt is ancient as well (obvi) because it is Fossil brand.  The dress is J. Crew’s Boathouse shirt dress in Modern Red; it is the color of perfectly faded Nantucket Reds.

As I said earlier, I hardly ever belt shirts but I had to throw this photo in for Laura because it contains her favorite clothing item in the whole world:  button-down oxford shirts.  I hate button-down oxford shirts.  No that is not true.  I hate that my breasts are disproportionate to the rest of my body in relation to the standards set forth by the clothing industry (can I get an Amen, sweet compatriot?).  I can never find button-downs that fit the rest of me as well as my “girls.”  I end up looking like I am walk-of-shaming home from some emo hipster’s house.

The best exception I have found thus far is the (you guessed it) J. Crew Perfect Shirt.  Leo would say I simply need to get shirts custom-made…and you wonder why I am so ridiculous?  But whatever, this works well enough for less than a Benjy.  The one shown is the Maxi-check in Blue.  The belt is one of my favorites ever and is 28×12.  I would usually never belt this shirt in real life only because of my body shape but it looks cute on a lot of people.

So that is that! Have any specific belt questions?  Have a way to belt things that you love that I failed to mention?  Have a style post you want to see next?  Let me know and as always, Stay Cute!

Also I made it the title because I know half of you prefer to just look at pictures.  But seriously…I took these using my camera and clearly, things are not cutting it.  I refuse to spend $1500 on an SLR (I’d rather buy more cute clothes and lingerie, k?) but there has to be something with greater clarity than my Olympus FE-280.  I’m so ignorant (do they make like, HD cameras that aren’t SLR?) so please help me out! I don’t want to spend more than $500 or so and mainly I want to take pictures that will show up beautiful and clear on websites.  Any suggestions? Thanks!

Instant Happiness

Last modified on 2011-03-16 04:11:14 GMT. 12 comments. Top.

It feels like Spring is FINALLY here, though we Bostonians have a somewhat skewed view of things as I texted my mom I was in a tank top because it was “a balmy 55 degrees!”  Relativity, yes?  You all know from the “How to look cute at 4 AM” post that I spend a lot of time in glorified, expensive sweats.  But while most people  slum it when they are having rough days or feeling ennui, I do the exact opposite.

When I know I’m adorable/having one of these days:

I often look like a hot mess.  Or, my version of a hot mess.  When I’m having a bad day?  A “fat” day?  A nothing-is-right-in-the-world-I-know-I’m-being-dramatic-but-I-don’t-effing-care-because-it-seriously-everything-is-all-WRONG day?  I do the opposite.  I fix my hair.  I put on some make-up.  I pick an outfit that always always always makes me feel like a million bucks.  And yeah, maybe that IS playing into our heteronormative, patriarchal, women-are-sex-objects society but you know what?  Sometimes to win you’ve got to play the game, no matter how abhorrent you find it.  And if you have FUN and change your mood into a  positive while you are at it, isn’t it kind of win-win?  All about perspectives.

I also am a HUGE fan of Katie‘s Style posts and decided I wanted to do some of my own…I mean I always talk about style, I always give outfit ideas, but I rarely feature myself in them and we all know how much I llllooovvvveee talking about myself, right? I’m joking…joking…ish.  Anyhow, my two favorite “turn that frown upside down” outfit ideas.  And then, just in case these aren’t making you happy, two things that should.

Also…I wasn’t trying to make these photos “artsy” … I was just point-click-shooting from the MacBook from too great a difference (and with the webcam…).  SO any suggestions for either how to make this better or how to set a timer on and tripod suggestions for my little Olympus FE-280?  Cool…

The first dress, unfortunately, is from a little boutique called Bella Bella in Baton Rouge, which is similar to Simply Chic if you are in Shreveport and Francesca’s if you are anywhere else in the States.  The belt is from there as well and the boots are from Aldo believe it or not (though they were like $200…WTF Aldo?).  The necklace was a gift.  I took a close up of the dress, belt, and necklace by being ghetto and pinning them to my wall.

The second outfit is made from basics so I’m not taking detailed photos.  Take a great-fitting pair of jeans (I love these), a blazer, a striped shirt, and your “go-to” jewelry, which for me is a black silk cord with this and this, earrings, and a ring.  Add Frye Harness Boots, one-of-a-kind hand painted Toms, or your favorite Jack Purcell’s.  The end.

If all THAT fails….come borrow Yoda.  Seriously…how can that face not make you happy?

Allergic to dogs?  Watch this:

Or listen to this:

Or just remember this!

Normally, I’d advise these if all else fails but ummm….(Laura don’t kill me!) I spent a good six weeks subsisting entirely those and easy mac and eventually these things catch up.  SO…moderation my sweets.  Or we could just go from the Quote of the Day from my lovely big:

Big:  ”Yeah she has this like, weird thyroid condition or something? It makes her weight fluctuate and sometimes she gets really skinny?”

Little:  ”Umm…known her for years Big, homegirl has an eating disorder.”

Big:  ”Really!?  I swear she really does have some thyroid thing!”

Little:  ”Oh she probably does, but that isn’t why she sometimes “gets really skinny”…that’s called anorexia.  It’s like me saying, “Yeah it’s so weird like sometimes, I feel like I ate too many calories and my body just rejects it and I puke! It’s soooo weird.”  No, it’s bulimia.  Let’s call a spade a spade.  She’s a super-nice girl though…”

Okay my sweets, off to the archives.  Tell me…how do I take better pictures on the Mac and/or set a timer on the Olympus?  What is YOUR feel-like-a-million-bucks outfit?  General day-turn-arounder? I’d love to hear!

The 4 AM Photo Booth Session, or How To Look Fab on 5 Hours Sleep and Too Many Milligrams of Caffeine to Count

Last modified on 2011-03-07 12:51:12 GMT. 3 comments. Top.

OMG…so I started multiple posts over a week ago…True story.  They clearly never happened.  I took my Hebrew midterm Friday, went to my massage (which um, I extended to a 90 minute.  It was incredible), then came home to shower because it had been embarrassingly long since I had taken one.  I had big plans for the weekend but I ended up basically sleeping/watching awesome films (errr…some Miley Cyrus movie and Greek)/sleep-texting (yyyyeah sorry about that people who received texts from me in a hybrid of Hebrew, English, and Russian)/and playing a little game I like to call “who can be the most worthless living creature in the apartment” with Yoda.  I lost because I got up to make Chinese food…which I then left on the stove and took a nap.  Yyyyeah.  The last 1/3 of my weekend I was either hanging out with awesome children or going on food-dates (brunch with friends, dinner with neighbors, etc. etc.).  I have never felt more useless in my life….and now I’m behind but whatevs.  It was apparently needed and it is done.  Back to our regularly scheduled ridiculousness…

It is ironic that I am sharing this after basically crashing (but at least not burning, right?) all weekend, but okay,  BEFORE that, I spent five days going on five-ish hours of sleep a night (maybe…) and an absurd amount of stimulants.  At 11 or so on Thursday evening I was burnt out so I set an alarm for 4 AM in order to get in more prep work.  Obviously, this week hasn’t been the most stylish.  I can’t very well justify full-on hair and make-up as well as carefully crafted outfits when I am barely sleeping, no?  So I didn’t.  But around 4:30 AM Friday I realized, “hey wait!  I look pretty damn good right now!”  I can hear a certain group saying oh. my. GOD.  Is she serious?  Yes…yes I am.  So I did the only rational thing to do:  open up “Photo Booth” and teach you my ways, darlings! If you haven’t figured out the rest of this post is for girls then….stop reading.  Go to sleep.

Part One:  The Clothes

The key here with the outfit is comfortable, FITTED layers.  You can indeed feel like a slob without looking like a slob.  So the pants are LuluLemon Athletica Wunder Under Pants.  Check them out here. I KNOW they are so expensive….and you are probably thinking they look just like leggings.  That is exactly my point, darlings.  They look (and feel) like leggings but are thick enough to wear as pants…and they are super super flattering.

I love the Scoop Tank from LuluLemon but this tank is a cheapie from Express.  It was $20.  And if you buy two you get the second 1/2 off, thus making them $15 each.  You can’t see my shoes but they are just low-top Chucks.  The top layer is the Scuba pullover from LuluLemon (they don’t have the pullover online but here is an alternate) and it was cold so I wore a North Face Osito jacket (so soft…so warm…so incredible) over it.

Lest you think this is just another LuluLemon blast, it isn’t.  We all know I am obsessed.  We all know it is expensive as hell.  So the brand is purely personal preference…the key is the layers and the fit.  Have a lovely narrow waist but kind of big on bottom?  Go for a camisole/fitted tank and some Boyfriend Pants from Victoria’s Secret or looser fitted black pants.  I know a huge slubby hoodie is supremely comfortable and I definitely do it (ummm can we reference the time I met Lisa at Nicky’s in total shacker gear when I was actually just coming from Deb-Deb’s house?) but fitted layers are soooo much cuter.  Check Old Navy or even Target for cute cheaper options.

Part Two:  The Hair/Make-up

So my hair had not been washed in FOUR days.  That is gross and I kind of understand if you ask me the next time you see me when was the last time I washed my hair.  But what is MOST important to focus on here is what my hair looks like in those pictures.  There is volume, there is shine…it looks pretty damn good.  Wait wait…go back up to the Photo Booth and look at my hair in the bottom left shot…that is volume, my friends.  Let me let you in on the secret of French girls everywhere:  dry shampoo.  What is it?  Exactly what it sounds like.  A waterless powder, spray, or foam that sops up extra oil and dirt and makes your hair bedheady and lovely.  Granted, you can’t live on it forever (or rather, you shouldn’t) but it IS wonderful.  I have used the drugstore brands before but honestly, I am in love with the Oscar Blandi in powder form.  The trick is to disregard the package directions, pour it into your hand, then use the fingers of the opposite hand to muss it into your roots.  I have a full-sized in my bathroom and a travel size that goes with me everywhere.  Yes, everywhere.

The make-up.

Five minutes, tops ladies.  What to do?  Go for the no-make-up look, but aim to look alive.  I used an illuminating tinted moisturizer (love this one) and my most favorite find in. the. world:  Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat.  It is incredible.  I know at $42 it is a splurge but can we go back to that close-up of my face?  It was 4:30 AM….I had gotten a collective 24 hours sleep over five nights.  There are no dark circles in that photo my friends!  My skin in general was not looking great after so much caffeine and so little sleep but these two products made it wonderful.

Then I smeared Tarte Natural Beauty Cheek Stain high on my cheekbones and on my lips.  I used the lighter shade in NARS Cordura (a warm copper) as a wash over my lids to the crease and Bare Escentuals Flawless Definition Mascara in Espresso..  Done.  Out the door.

Something tells me this is what I am going to be like alllll this week with all the stuff I have going on from my Lost Weekend (but not the good kind).  In other news, I WILL make time to finish these posts and get them up!  Look forward to another going-around-the-blogosphere post, two interventions (like MTV but less trashy…), and another I Heart Trader Joe’s post.

Now tell me about YOU my sweets!  I want to know everything.  Also, what is your favorite five second outfit, make-up, or hair trick?  xoxo  Stay cute!

Stylish Blogger Award!

Last modified on 2011-02-01 13:57:12 GMT. 3 comments. Top.

The always-fabulous Laura over at Becoming the Odd Duck awarded me (along with some other bloggers) this on Sunday night:

I immediately assumed she meant fashion-style (sorry…I am a bit obsessed) but I am just now realizing it could theoretically mean your blog style is awesome…whatever either way.  I love Laura to death and though I rarely rarely rarely see her in “real life,” we keep up with each other daily via blogging, Twitter, and the occasional Skype sessions.  Even though she always rolls her eyes at me for spending ridiculous amounts of money on clothes (including my beloved TOMS and Lululemon Athletica) we share a big love of neutral clothing with accessories that pop.  I was so honored she chose me!

Seven Random Facts About Me

1. I firmly believe in Quality over Quantity – I’d rather have one pair of Paige or Citizens jeans than ten pair from Target or American Eagle.
2. That said, I have delusions of grandeur — if I had the money my Quality bar would be way higher but I love academia too much to climb the corporate ladder.
3. Related to those two, I am all about balance in life, a gift from my mother.  I take my schoolwork incredibly seriously but take time to goof off, play hard, and be shallow.
4. Ironically though (doubly, actually…) I am as tenacious as a bulldog.  If I want something bad enough it consumes every fiber of my being.  It isn’t the healthiest thing in the world but usually these things fall more along the lines of a doctoral hood from Harvard than a new Explorer.
5. Speaking of my Explorer I am a walking paradox – I’m into saving the environment but I’ll never drive anything other than an SUV.  Other contradictions?  I’m a vegetarian from Louisiana, a Southern Belle who wants an outstanding career, and I love the Yankees and the Red Sox equally.  It doesn’t conflict in my head.
6. I don’t really get upset.  If you did something like kill Yodaman or…I don’t know, do something to permanently make me ugly (I told you I am vain…) I would be upset.  But when my car was towed the other day for no reason (Yeah I called them…it was LEGALLY parked.  I can’t appeal but I can sue the City if I would like.  Over $235? No Thanks…)??  It was an inconvenience and yeah, I missed my first flight but it wasn’t like I could do anything about it myself so why let it ruin a great day?  Or if you do something by accident (spill wine on the carpet, completely forget we were supposed to see that movie)?  NBD…seriously.
7. As I learned in Baton Rouge over the weekend, on the Enneagram Scale, I am a total 3 with a 2 wing.  WTF does that mean?  I’m an achiever, charming, and concerned with status/image.  Biggest fear?  Failure/Not accomplishing “anything.”  I knew it was spot-on when I saw one of the five key motivations was “to have attention” — I can totally see my family nodding their heads here.  So uhhh…Hitler was a 3.  But so are Paul McCartney, Oprah, Barack Obama, and Truman Capote.  The 2 wing just means I have some 2 tendencies.  2′s are helpers, empathetic, sincere…they want to love and be loved.  I’m guessing ole Adolf didn’t have a 2 wing — WHEW!

The charge was to nominate seven other bloggers for the most stylish blogger award.  I could only think of five who read my blog regularly (I think the actual injunction) so here we go!

JMOD over at Sister Time.  She will tell you that I am HER fashion consultant but girl can give Martha Stewart some major competition with her mad decorating skillz (she can decoupage like a pro and finds the coolest ways to use things) and even an anorexic couldn’t resist her famous Italian Cookies.

Lisa over at Everyday Elembee is a graphic designer and incredible at all things style.  I am forever jealous of her cool blog graphics and keep begging her to find me a program like um, PrintMaster (read:  an eight year old could use it) that will let me do cool stuff.  We also share a mutual obsession love of Sephora.

Marissa Sue, my Chi Omega Big, finally started her own blog so I can link to her!  She is stylish in a lot of ways, but again, I admire her mad crafting skillz.  Her blog is showcasing her photography since she just bought an SLR, so there is sure to be lots of awesomeness to come.

Brooke, is new to the blogging world and also my cousin (hey girl heyyy!) but she is very stylish.  I was tempted to not nominate her after this weekend when she completely took B’s side every time I asked to have something…even when said item was never used by B, but that would be petty (I said I didn’t get upset, not that I wasn’t petty, okay?). Brooke has a Cricut but even before that was making the most incredible canvases, shadowboxes, frames, and scrapbooks.  I haven’t received one yet but I always try to steal admire B’s.  My birthday is coming up, Brooke! ;P

Sweet Emily did take my side this weekend but just as that wasn’t why I almost cut Brooke off the list, it isn’t why Emily made it.  She has THE cutest style and she doesn’t even try.  She jokes that she never fixes her hair and that her mom has to beg her to put on make-up but she always looks adorable and her accessories somehow enhance her outfit perfectly every damn time.  Not that I am jealous…

Who would you nominate?  What is your most stylish tip (for outfits, blog, house, etc. etc)?  Worst fashion mistake you ever made? xoxo

Amor Omnia Vincent

Last modified on 2010-12-29 17:55:39 GMT. 4 comments. Top.

“Love doesn’t conquer all. And anyone who thinks it does is a fool.”

My favorite quote from my favorite book, The Secret History. It sounds super depressing but something about it speaks to me. Fortunately on this blog we aren’t trying to conquer all, we just share things we are loving this week! I’m having an absolute blast here in Louisiana –
it was the first time in YEARS all six Stevens have been in the same place at the same time and the first time in months I have seen
some of my favorite people in the whole entire world. I could gush about them all day but instead I’m just going to share a
few things I’m loving both in life and on the web.
 

Listography

You’ve probably seen those books at the likes of Urban Outfitters and Fred Flare and if you know me at all you know I
always have lists going (thanks Debbie for instilling that one in me). So when Heather guest-posted on Laura’s blog about the Listography website I nearly died. You can make lists to your hearts content and for an extra $4 sync them with your smart phone. You can also read
others‘ lists. Amazing. I also came upon Pink of Perfectionthe other day and already love it. Who doesn’t need tips on how to live luxe on a
budget? From pre-gaming cocktails to inspiring quotes to crafty decorating and gift-giving ideas, Sarah has lots up her sleeve.

Google Reader

HOW did I not know about this!? I heard mention of it but thought it must be superfluous.  I finally tried it only because I downloaded the Google app for iPad/iPhone (I know). I’m so behind but it is incredible. All the blogs you read (you can even get TFM and TFLN) go to one website, then you can read or click-through them.  If you want to comment just click on the Reader link.  Excellent.

Making new memories with old friends

Some of the people I’ve been visiting hung out in person up until the second that I left town, but even since then I’ve changed.  A lot of the people (like my great grand big Lisa) and I communicate more now through text/Twitter/blogging/e-mail than we ever did when we both lived in the same town.  Often we knew each other at SUCH different points in our lives and it is nice to merge the old and new.  I keep jokingly referring to my super-tight social calendar for my week in Louisiana but there are just so many people I want to catch up with. 

Finding ways to be ridiculous in the most ridiculous place I know.

I’m ridiculous always but here? It takes mad skills to stand out.  Seriously.  I sadly left my camera cords (except for the battery charger) in Boston so I’ll have to wait to share pictures but let us just say there will be an entire Facebook photo album dedicated to LA Shenanigans.  From the Psychic whose professional sign says “If we aren’t here call XXX-XXX-XXXX, we are only 5 minutes away!) to being dragged against my will to Bilbo Baggins Pub which I was certain would end with my body being pulled out of the Red River with concrete poured in my shoes there are somany stories.  Remember — the alcohol laws here are scanty at best and the population solidly entrenched in a caste system, so you can go to the nicest bar in town then drive three minutes down the road to get a “Playa” daiquiri handed to you out a drive-thru window from a man with solid gold teeth.  It’s awesome.

Stevens Sibling Satire

Yep, we made a fan page. It’s more convenience than big-headedness but we are big headed as well.  You can find us on Facebook doing our usual Attention-Whore comments but now in one place.  On that note, does anyone know how I can comment as myself and not “Stevens Sibling Satire”??  Kthxbye.

My favorite stowaway

I don’t know if you have heard but one Charles Patrick McDonald is heading back to Boston with me for an entire week. How we made this happen without a mandatory chaperon I have no idea – how shenanigans will NOT ensue is impossible to imagine. Together we are a dynamic duo and take everything to SUCH an absurd level. Boston be warned — I heard something about infiltrating the Liberal Stronghold and homeboy has a Grand Dragon in his ancestry and plantation-owning in his veins. God help us all.

Riki and Natasha go to Senegal

This has easily become my favorite video.  Riki and Natasha are joking in the sense that they didn’t actually go to Senegal to help fight malaria, but they aren’t joking in that this is how somany mission-minded (or uh, publicity-minded) people think.  Like yes you went to a developing nation, yes you did good things, but OMFG we really don’t give a shit.  Can you please talk about Keenan Cahill or Tron with the rest of us, not how different things are “where you came from.”  You were there for a year, not thirty.  You are not Jane Goodall.  Chill out with all that “saving the children” crap.  I know I know…I sound like the snobby bitch that I am.  And I don’t want you to think I am not grateful to people who help others.  But we have plenty of people down the street who need our help.  And no one intentionally wants the world to be a worse place than when they left.  So how about we all agree that we are all doing the best we can and learn a skill that will take you further than anything else in life:  How to Win Friends and Influence People.    Or just watch Riki and Natasha and vow not to act like them.  Either Way.

I’m headed back to Boston and am SO excited to see all my favorite Bostonians (and if they can handle it, introduce them to my favorite Shreveporter).  Will be checking in later — stay cute! xoxo

PS What are you loving this week?  And what are your plans for New Year’s Eve?  We have some ideas but nothing set in stone.  I’d love to know your thoughts on any or all of the above.

Last Minute Gift Ideas

Last modified on 2011-01-02 00:29:53 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

My darlings it is almost Christmas! Has it snuck up on you as much as it has on me?  I finished all of my finals and celebrated coming out of hibernation by doing SantaCon with some friends then meeting up with one of my Div School Darlings to finish out the night in Harvard Square.  It was reeeeediculous but so much fun.  I’m leaving for Louisiana Thursday and in the meantime am wrapping up things here (including trying to get my apartment back into some semblance of sane) and planning out all my Christmas visits with old friends.  I did a gift guide over on Becoming the Odd Duck for all the Health Nuts on your list, but with it being crunch-time I thought I would feature a few last minute gifts that are always a hit.  Enjoy!

Penguin By Design would make a great hostess gift, don’t you think?  Penguin covers are so distinctive and this has hundreds of covers.  I can’t imagine that any bibliophile wouldn’t love to receive this as well.

Nina mentioned a few weeks back how magazine subscriptions make the perfect gift — something I had never thought of but she is so right!  Most will cost you less than $20 but your recipient will continue to get the gift for the year to come and think of you every time he/she does.  There is a magazine out there for everyone and if you wanted you could even pair a little something with it (cute measuring spoons + a subscription to Taste of Home, anyone?). 

In our always “on” world of Twitter, iPhones, and Netflix we tend to just make a photo album on Facebook or send a picture message, but there is something to be said for *gasp* putting a print copy of a photo into a cute picture frame.  You probably have a picture of you and the person you are getting a last minute gift for, but if not, why not do something silly like put a Somee card in it. 

A nice bottle of wine, homemade baked goods, or a unique foodstuff all make perfect host/hostess gifts.  And the booze always goes fastest during White Elephant games.  At least, they do in my Louisiana family…:) 

I’ll be back later this week with a guest post from Laura, a packing guide for your travels home, and some fun links but in the meantime, what are your favorite last minute gift ideas? I’d love to hear!  xoxo

“I’ve got 90 friends on Facebook. 12 of them are pending but I’ve got 90 friends!”

Last modified on 2010-12-07 01:03:06 GMT. 1 comment. Top.

Happy Monday my dears!  Did everyone have a good weekend?  I spent a lot of time with some of the awesome kids I nanny, a lot of time doing Reading Period work, a moderate amount of time feeling under the weather, and not NEARLY enough time with a few of my favorite Bostonians.  As promised, posting will unfortunately be a bit sporatic these next few weeks. But just because we are all crazy busy does not mean time stands still, which means Christmas is closer than ever!  So how about we start this week off with another gift guide? 

Today our recipient is both the easiest and hardest person on your list.  They are SO easy-going, fabulous, and cheery that you know they will love anything you get them, but because they mean so much to you you want their gift to be awesome.  Who am I talking about?  Your bestie of course!  This guide is for your female besties (check out the Guy Guide if you need inspiration for the opposite sex) but guys have them too so it is not entirely exclusive.  You know this girl — she is the only one who understands that sending you random Texts From Last Night via text message will cheer you up much more than cupcakes or a sappy greeting card ever could.  She knows when to let you be ridiculous and just empathize and when to use her gentle voice of reason and let you know you are delusional.  She will join the Junior League with you, make fun of ridiculous people with you, actually get your jokes rather than stare at you blankly, and recognize that half your one-liners are from specific movies (PS like the title of this post…it’s from Due Date).  I am lucky enough to have two of these amazing ladies in my life and I know you all have them too.  We will call them:

Gift Guide Five:  For Little Miss Sunshine 

These cheery Kate Spade Taxi mittens will keep her warm on the coldest of days and bonus, will remind her of one of her favorite cities in the world.  Kate Spade, $65.

A Vera Bradley “Villager” tote bag, monogrammed (OBVIOUSLY).  Because you cannot be a true Southern Belle (or a Southern Belle at heart) without one.  Priced $49-72 based on pattern.

This pullover has got to be one of the chicest alternatives to sweats ever.  Pair with jeans or leggings, some boots and you look adorable but are SO comfy.  Forest Frolic Pullover, Anthropologie, $58.

 Cocktails-on-the-go Kit.  She would get that you meant it as a half-joke.  As in, yes it is silly but also damn useful!  The description says it is great for “everything from traveling to tailgating” but I bet she could come up with about ten more uses.  Find it at Uncommon Goods, $42.

Any spa wrap would be right up her alley but this one takes things to the next level by having a waist and that darling bow.  See it and about 12 other styles at Three Hip Chicks.  The above (including monogram) is $43.

I started the tradition of giving these key necklaces on a black silk cord to the important women in my life right before I moved away from Louisiana.  This girl definitely fits in that category, plus it goes with everything.  Key, Cord (sold seperately) James Avery Craftsman, $92.

Anything I left off?  What do you buy the easiest/hardest person on your list? 

Fall Essentials: Warmth on the Cheap

Last modified on 2010-11-28 18:05:35 GMT. 5 comments. Top.

Happy Official Holiday Season my sweets!  Or if you live in my family, countdown to Leo’s birthday (25 more shopping days left!).  Did you have a nice Thanksgiving?  I knew I was in for an adventure when a mere half-hour after arriving we had received at least twelve death stares on the T from my family’s choice of monikers for non-WASPs.  The most-PC of the bunch?  When he asked what was in the North End I explained to Jake that it was mostly really delicious Italian restaurants and pastry shops.  “Oh so it is basically Guido-town??”  Yes.  That said, we had an absolute blast as only the Stevens siblings can when we combine our powers.  I thought I would share a few pictures (we took over 100…of us.   We are all attention-whores) then get on with today’s topic.  Care to take a look?

So how the heck is this related to warmth on the cheap?  WELL…it is getting cold in Mass and I can’t be the only one needing some cold-weather gear.  After discussing it with my awesome gay uncle, I finally broke down and bought a real winter coat. Don’t get too excited, it isn’t a puffer.  But it IS a North Face and has a hood.  It also says “Climate:  Arctic.”  You can buy your own here.

I am taking my friend Maria’s advice (this is going to be her fifth winter here!) and not wearing it until I absolutely have to so that I will acclimate to the cold.  And it was a bit of a splurge, especially considering that it is that time in the semester/year when everyone seems pretty low on cash — for students there is another six weeks in the semester and nearly 12 weeks in general before we get our Spring excess cash checks from the school…for the rest of the world it is officially time to start Christmas/December birthday shopping, which can get super expensive fast.  If you know me at all you know I can hardly be expected to scour the racks of Goodwill, Old Navy, or Forever 21 for you…but I also recognize the absurdity of putting a bunch of super expensive clothes on the blog this time of the year (although, Christmas ideas! just sayin…).  In an effort to compromise, everything on these lists costs less than $100.  Ready? 

We will start with the guys this time.  I am not big on logos unless it comes in the form of a teeny tiny polo player or alligator on the left side of your chest.  I won’t judge you (very harshly) if you have big-ass “AMERICAN EAGLE” splashed across your sweatshirt, but you can find pieces just as comfy and well-priced without it.  

Essential One:  Jeans and Cords

A good pair of jeans or neutral corduroys will become a staple in the fall.  Dark wash jeans without a ton of details (whiskering, strategic fade, embellished back pockets) can be dressed up or down and can be found at a great price.  Leo always puts basic Levi’s on his Christmas list, but even a standard pair of Lucky jeans won’t cost you more than a Benjamin.  If you feel the need to splurge on high-end denim (Cam refuses to wear anything but and if I am buying classic denim I tend to lean this way as well) you will honestly be at less than a dollar per wear by the end of the season if you wear them four days a week — add in the fact that you’ll wear them for more than one season and often into spring/summer and you are down to pennies per wear.  But I promised I wouldn’t be ridiculous so you’ll have to e-mail me (or Cam actually) if you want some high-end recommendations.  Also, can I reiterate how awful baggy jeans look?  Not even sagging-well-below-your-ass baggy, I’m talking super relaxed fit/super-boot cut styles.  EVERYONE looks better in fitted jeans…everyone.  We shouldn’t be able to see the definition of your quad through them, but we also shouldn’t be wondering if our thighs are bigger than yours.

Essential Two:  The Plaid Shirt (or Striped, if you aren’t a plaid guy)

I’m not talking lumberjack, here, but a printed button down shirt dresses things up more than a T-shirt without being stuffy like your traditional solid Oxford.  It layers really well under solid sweaters or jackets, and can be worn on its own (sans tie) when the weather is warmer.  If you pick the right colors and fabric you can roll up the sleeves in spring/summer and wear it all year round.  Some options?

Essential Three:  The Sweater/Track Jacket/Fitted Pullover

There are those guys who will wear whatever you pick out for them and then there are the ones who are so set that they hate X because they had to wear (a most likely cheap, ugly, ill-fitting) one when they were 12 and never recovered.  I’m much more a fan of the former but in an effort to be civil (and not set off World War…not sure what number we are on now…in the comments) I won’t force all argyle on you.  In general whatever you buy should be fitted but not uncomfortably tight, and worn with a “real” shirt underneath…button-downs, thermals, or a T you didn’t find in a three-pack. 

And now for the ladies — top three essentials to keep you warm and looking fabulous, for under $100.

Essential One:  Dark Wash Slim Fit Jeans

Seriously….you will wear these ALL winter.  The dark wash ensures you can wear them dressed up, but the fact that they are jeans mean they go with everything (and you don’t have to wash them often ).  If you work in a strict environment consider Slim-Fit black pants or khakis with a hint of stretch…they will fit like your (new) favorite jeans but look more professional.

Essential Two:  The Striped Long-Sleeved Tee

The great thing abot this is you can find them so cheap and get a few.  Why is this so great? Because it layers under everything.  Pair it with tights, booties and your sleeveless little black dress to give the dress a brand-new feel, or throw it on under a basic cardigan to add a bit of contrasting.  Layer it under all those short-sleeved sorority T-shirts you have to stay warm or pair it with one of those sheer-lace tops that are so popular this year.  Are you beginning to see why it is so indispensible?

Essential Three:  The Fitted Little Jacket

Make no mistake, this is not to sub-in for your winter coat, though in the fall and spring months you might can wear it with nothing over.  We all know my favorite fitted jacket is the blazer but I’ll show a few different styles.  Like the striped tee this can transform almost anything already in your closet.  Zip it up over a dress to turn it into a skirt.  Pair it with jeans for what will soon become your weekend uniform, or throw it over an old t-shirt to make it a bit dressier.  Conversely, you can throw it over your sparkliest item to make it appropriate for daytime (unless your fitted little jacket is black sequined…then it is a little harder to pull off.  And yes, I do have one thanks for rolling your eyes).  You want something basic enough to match everything but distinctive enough to not just add bulk.  Some ideas?

We’ve talked boots and warm coats, and now great basics but I would love to know,what are some of your warm basics?  Also, are there brands you love (mainly under $100 per item but I’m open to any and all) that you love and I leave out?  Something blatantly obvious I should have coveed? I’d love to know!

Boston Not Common Gift Guide — Number Four!

Last modified on 2011-01-02 00:28:47 GMT. 1 comment. Top.

Happy almost-Thanksgiving, darlings!  I am taking the rest of the week off to play host to some fabulous Southerners, but thought I would leave you with another gift guide.  If you are ridiculous enough to do the whole Black Friday thing then more power to you but remember…some poor dude was trampled to death last year at a Wal-mart.  So who is this guide for?  We all have them, that person in our life who is kind of a hipster.  They may not be Look At This Fucking Hipster worthy, but they definitely consider themselves a bit more refined than most in terms of movies, music, books, and/or art.  Things don’t have to be expensive, just not terriby mainstreamed (they definitely do not share my adoration for the HSM trilogy – their loss!).  But they can often be really hard to shop for.  We will call them:

Gift Guide Four:  The Multimedia Fiend/Artist/Hipster 

20×200 has got to be one of the coolest online stores around.  Each week they unveil new artwork by up-and-coming artists (all different mediums) and have exactly 200 prints made of each.  The 8×10 size is only $20, and they have 11×14 for $50 and (what the heck kind of price gouging is this?) 16×20 for $200.  I have been in love with Jane Mount’s series of Ideal Bookshelves for some time now but if it isn’t your style I guarantee you will find something that is.  $20!  Frame it, give it…they will love it.

The MOMA store is one of the best kept secrets on the web.  You can find prints of famous works as well as all kinds of ridiculously awesome gifts.  These Ricardo St. Clair chalkboard bud vases are kind of awesome, yes?  At 8×8 they are bigger than you would expect and priced at a reasonable $40.  Sweet!

I mean really, what is more hipster than buffalo plaid?  As long as they are not a bleeding heart environmentalist this one-of-a-kind kitschy pillow will be right up their alley.  And at $32.50 you could add something to it.  It would go amazingly with those fleece blankets you make by tying two contrasting patterns together (know which ones I mean? They are huge in LA…my mom is bringing me one for T-giving!).  Find it here.

Arguably the two most awesome fragrances in the world, these transcend “types” but this friend will adore it because no one — and I mean no one — has heard of them.  Well…except me.  Because I wear Miller Harris and try to get the most important guys in my life to wear D’orange Verte.  Okay so here is the breakdown.  Miller Harris is a perfumery in London with the most unique scents on the market.  They are not for the faint of heart because they do not smell exactly like your standard Marc Jacobs Daisy/Burberry Brit/Clinique Happy/Juicy Couture Couture Couture.  But they do smell amazing and there will be one you love.  For guys I am a big fan of Hermes d’Orange Verte.  Again, this isn’t Polo…it is an incredibly unique scent but also a delicious one.  You can find both of these online. 

Aren’t these alphabet bookend awesome? Actually any unique bookends (you can find some super-rad globe ones on Etsy and I have Club Chair ones from, of all places, Pottery Barn!) are an awesome gift for this type.  These are here for $40, and Etsy always has cool vintage ones.

That is all I have for now! You can always go for things like a record player if they don’t already have one, anything flea-market-chic (oh HEY Anthro), or some awesome indie music/movies/random-ass books from other countries (like White Tiger). 

Have a Happy Thanksgiving and let me know – what is YOUR favorite gift for this type of person? Favorite gift in general? xoxo

All You Need Is Love

Last modified on 2010-11-22 18:31:04 GMT. 5 comments. Top.

Happy Monday my dolls — getting excited for Thanksgiving?  It is a short week and in preparation for the best day of the year to share things you are loving, I am sharing a few.  Because really, what is not to love about a holiday that was founded on giving thanks to a group of native citizens helping you survive by giving them blankets full of small-pox?  America at its finest.

Love One: Paige Premium Denim Skyline Jeans

Normally the hunt for the perfect jeans requires trying on dozens of pairs in a cramped dressing room and getting increasingly frustrated. They are too big, too small, too low-rise, too high-waisted, they fit but the wash is weird, or they fit but they bag at the ankles… On and on and on. So imagine my surprise when a recent visit to Nordi’s had me trying on five pairs only and walking out 15 minutes later with the perfect pair. Now granted, I knew what I wanted…a dark wash pair of skinny skinny jeans without stretch. I love my Seven For All Mankind super-skinnies, but they are almost a jegging so I needed something with a bit more structure. Enter Paige Skylines. They. Are. Incredible.

Love Two: Texting Marathons

I am big on text messaging anyways, but this week three of my favorite Louisianians (well one is from Arkansas but he went to school in LA so we will forgive the Arkansas hometown) and I have been having these conversations that go on and off all day long. We do everything from recount WTF moments, to copy and paste entire convos for analysis (yeah…), to picture messaging outfit choices for a wedding to debating the pros and cons of living somewhere where you can be in another state in half an hour. These three make me LOL and it has been so much fun catching up.  A close runner-up?  Texting the person sitting right next to you.  Especially when the texts are nonsense/could have just been spoken.  Ridiculous….or ridiculously awesome.

Love Three: The Insider’s Guide to Shreveport-Bossier

Did you know this existed? My friend David wrote it while I was the Departmental Research Assistant at Centenary College and I did some of the research for him. It came out in September but I received my copy just a few days ago. It really IS awesome. I’ve already admitted to missing some things about LA, but this book is kind of making me realize how ballin’ Shreveport is. Crazy, right?! Don’t get too excited, I don’t want to move back, but there are a lot of awesome places I had forgotten about that I fully plan on hitting up when I visit home.

Love Four:  Siblings

I know I talk about them all the damn time but two out of my three siblings are coming in TWO DAYS and I swear the energy coming off of me is palpable.  I cannot wait.  I love them so so much and whenever we get together the MOST ridiculous things happen.  Seriously.  People think I am outta control ridiculous, and apparently we have a fanbase in Shreveport that stalks our facebook conversations just to LOL, but get us together and in person things are taken to an entirely different level.  Get excited.

Love Five: Paintbrush Ponytails

B very sneakily tries to get me to grow my hair longer by saying things like, “I don’t think you should grow it long, I just REALLY liked it your Senior Year of High School.” It hit my collarbone then and what she actually wants is it to get that length so she can say, “oh just a few more inches.” I am not doing that but I have changed the style a bit and discovered the other day that it can go into a paintbrush ponytail! B was ecstatic. What is a paintbrush ponytail? It is about an inch long and there is not much more hair in than out but it’s cute in a messy way and great for when I’m lazy, which has been happening embarassingly often.

What are you loving this week?  More importantly what are you doing this holiday week?  Let me know! xoxo

Boston Not Common Gift Guide: Part Three!

Last modified on 2011-01-02 00:27:56 GMT. 3 comments. Top.

Happy Monday lovelies! Did you have a great weekend?  One of the hardest people on my list is not a specific person but an entire sex –men! Clothes can be good, but often men are either picky/specific or you get bored with this option.  Gift cards are the lamest ever, and really, how many iPods/subscriptions to Men’s Health/random desk accessory do guys need?  Many of my other gift guides (past and present) have items perfect for the guys in your life, but because I have such a hard time – and I am sure many of you do too – I thought it would be helpful to do an entire post just for guys.  Obviously not all guys are the same and have interests as varied as girls do, but most guys would appreciate any of the following gifts.  Let’s get started shall we?

For the Men In Your Life

Central Kentucky Tack and Leather is an old-school place specializing in everything equestrian (so if your guy loves horses check out their bridles, saddles, etc) but they also hand-craft leather belts.  They sent me a hilariously awesome brochure clearly made in Microsoft Publisher explaining the process and you can tell how much time and effort is put into their craft.  Prices vary depending on what details you want (stitching, creasing, etc.).  but all have an engraved piece for personalization.  I have seriously gotten these for so many people and they always love them.  Everyone needs belts and these are awesome!  Check it out!

Guys tend to do one of two things with their “stuff” — you know, keys, wallet, cards, Subway ticket, etc. — they either leave it in that day’s pants or toss it carelessly about.  Either way in the morning it is always a search.  So why not prevent the problem all together with something that looks very manly and is damn useful?  The Pottery Barn Colby Leather Valet can be monogrammed (I’m sorry I know I’m obsessed…no I’m not sorry actually…you don’t HAVE to monogram it!) and has a place for all his necessities.  The covered section is perfect for things like cufflinks he won’t wear every day, and it easily holds a phone, watch, wallet, keys, etc.  There are many different versions (and the Pottery Barn collection actually has multiple pieces) but I chose PB because they look so nice sitting out…you won’t want to shove them in a drawer out of sight.  At $39 this will hardly break the bank and it ships for free.   Here is the link to both the valet shown above and all the coordinating pieces.

The guys in my family love sushi…and deep sea fishing for that matter…so this gift would be perfect.  Why not let your guy try his hand at making it?  Pair it with a bottle of Sake or nothing at all, and worst case go out for sushi if it doesn’t work out.  The above kit is here for $30.  Not really into cooking?  Then how about this instead…

Of course I had to show you the monogrammed one, but there are tons of cocktail and bar sets out there and what guy (except for the tee-totaler or recovering alcoholic on your list) doesn’t like drinking?  You could make your own kit, pair it with his favorite spirits and some snazzy new glasses, or skip all that and buy him a nice flask.  I really like Filson\’s but there are no shortages of flasks.  As for cocktail items (don’t forget to add a bartending guide!) check Williams-Sonoma, West Elm, Crate and Barrel, even Target!

Converse now lets you custom-design Chuck Taylor’s and Jack Purcell’s! You could make him one-of-a-kind sneakers or buy a gift certificate to let him do it himself.  More of a runner/basketball player/gym dude than a hipster?  Nike ID has the exact same thing.  Check it out on their respective websites.

A few more standard-but-awesome gifts?  An iHome, digital camera, custom-made wall calendar for his office, equipment/gear for his favorite hobby, a really nice piece of luggage (or multiple pieces if you have the cash – think T. Anthony, Filson, Tumi).  xoxo

Your Love Is My Drug…

Last modified on 2010-11-13 17:40:38 GMT. 2 comments. Top.

Happy Saturday morning darlings! Have you had an excellent week? As promised today is a two-for-one so let’s start with the Love List.

Love One: Victoria’s Secret PINK Boyfriend Sweats

Okay so these do not exactly scream sex appeal….Aaaand you probs won’t snag a boyfriend in them. But oh. My. God. When I’m staying in and studying (and can guarantee I will not be going out in public) I tend to do so in Norts (umm these) but I somehow did not think this would fly in Boston winters, so I texted my favorite sorostitute B for advice. “Get the BF pants- they are Soooo comfy!” she texted back. I told my mom to get me some for Christmas but decided I didnt want to wait so I picked up a pair while going on a shopping spree buying a birthday present for a friend. She was right. They are super soft, the edges are rough so you can cut them to your perfect length, and they fit just like that old pair of your boyfriends that you sometimes steal, only better because they have (as only VS would call it) “a cute butt.” I like to pair them with a fitted lace-trimmed camisole and a zip-up fitted hoodie. Perfection. If I were the type to wear sweats in public I think I would live in these.

Love Two: Jacob Christian Stevens

My mom informed me the other day that it had been nearly two years since I’ve seen this dude… Then he and I got to talking and realized that January marks THREE years. This is crazy upsetting! Fortunately he will be in Beantown week after next and staying in my apartment so we can do some major bonding. “You missed my roly poly stage!” he tells me. Amidst all the crazy maybe he’ll inspire me to actually work out.

Love Three: Adriatic Fig Preserves

Ummm have you had this? They sell it at specialty food stores and the likes of Whole Foods Market. It’s a LITTLE pricey but soooo worth it. I make Brie and Adriatic fig preserve sandwiches embarrassingly often. Figs are so sweet that it contrasts perfectly.  If you have a panini press you should definitely try it out.

Love Four:  Gap Shawl Zip Sweater

This was another something I picked up while birthday shopping and I am having a VERY hard time not going back and picking up about three more.  They are insanely flattering and so so comfortable.  Throw it on with jeans, a mini skirt, cords…whatever!  And when I went to the website to snag that picture, I found out they are offering 25% off all online orders this weekend using the code GAPEXTRA25.  Did I mention they have free shipping on all orders over $50?  Is my life a joke? 

Love Five:  Alice Paul…no seriously, Alice Paul

Homegirl was ballin’ out of control.  If you don’t know who she is, Wiki her or something.  So I have had a mild obsession ever since my undergraduate honors thesis when I used her as a key subject.  It has only gotten worse.  You see, one of my graduate school professors (probably my favorite person ever at the school) has a forthcoming book on Religion and the Left.  We are using it in class and he maintains that Carrie Chapman Catt and her state-by-state referendums won the vote for women.  No way! I’ve maintained since the first day that it was Alice and her commitment to a federal amendment.  EVERYONE in the class is now like “So Rach what would your girl Alice say about this?” on a variety of subjects aaandddd I was invited to the Feminist Potluck Group because of her.  I’m knee-deep in texts on the dear old gal and thus she makes the love list.

Moving On…

What are you all up to this weekend?  Tailgating?  Studying?  Becoming a karate expert?  Confession?  I was supposed to go visit my prison mentee through the Harvard Prison Education Project (he is set to graduate in May from Boston University with his undergraduate degree — so proud!) this morning but I was SO sick.  Not sure if it was mild food poisoning, a bug, or just exhaustion but I was in no condition to ride in the car for an hour to Norfolk nor did I want to risk infecting anyone.  I’m feeling better now but I’ll be taking the weekend pretty easy.  I’ve got to make an appearance at a certain awesome now-5-year-old’s birthday party to give her (and her sister!) presents, though, which I am insanely excited about.  I love when the kids I nanny adore me because I adore them.

Some links for the weekend?

Lisa linked to Damn You Auto-Correct yesterday and I was laughing my ass off. THEN…I found this.  So back in the day my big sis Marissa and I were obsessed with silly church signs.  For Christmas one year I bought her this book. It was awesome.  So then when the Damn You Auto-Correct linked me to Jesus Gets Around.  I was in love.

Anyone else in Boston?  I kind of want to do Putt in Boston!  They rent out the entire second floor of Hennessey’s in Faneuil (“Hennessey Hills Country Club” if you will) once a week and teams of two tee off.  They guarantee cheap beer and drink specials, plus you get to socialize with other ridiculous Bostonians.  There are only a few more slots left so hurry if you want in!

As always, I am loving me some Etsy.  They send me a round-up everyday and I really need to unsubscribe but I can’t help it.  Seriously though, WTF?  The first thing I adore is this stunning ring then I find out it is $3500!?!?!?  From Tiffany, okay but Etsy??  These are more in our range and so cute.  I’ll take an R, M, and an S please and thank you.  You really cannot beat a beautiful lingerie bag.  And how kitschy are these upcycled drinking glasses?  And these look amazing, don’t you think?

The New York Times always has the BEST recipes and their Thanksgiving spread is no exception.  Of course I headed to the vegetarian section and now I am in the mood to make (or just eat!) pumpkin dumplings and zucchini boats!  Or you could skip the food calories and go straight for coffee cocktails… your choice!

And of course, another video from our YouTube master Camron.  “Yeah I’m 16 and then next year I’ll be…what?!  Um…17!”

Also because I can’t let another second going by without you seeing it, another video from Cam.  LEROY JENKINS!  I’m in love.

Have a sweet weekend and let me know what you are up to! I’ll be back Monday with another gift guide. xoxo

2010 Boston Not Common Gift Guide, Part Two!

Last modified on 2011-01-02 00:27:14 GMT. 4 comments. Top.

Happy Thursday sweethearts!  Never fear, the Love List will be making its appearance tomorrow in addition to the “What are you up to this weekend?” post…consider it a free-gift-with-purchase.  I don’t know about you all, but I have a lot of people on my list who have everything.  If they want something, they go buy it for themselves.  In addition, they have incredibly narrow parameters in terms of quality and uniqueness.  They would die before wearing a shirt that on a given day 50 other people in their city were wearing.  They would rather not own a watch than get a standard blue Fossil.  Are they snobby?  A little…but not in an annoying way.  They just appreciate quality and uniqueness.  Oh hey…it sounds like I am describing myself and I am but this isn’t a Rachel Marlena gift guide…this is for the people in my life who are like me.   Ready?

For the Love of Your Life Who Has Everything And Appreciates Quality and Uniqueness.

 

Nudo Italia has got to be one of the coolest things ever.  Even if your love hardly cooks, everyone uses olive oil.  But this isn’t just olive oil.  So the idea is you adopt an olive tree in Italy; you pick the grove and the particular tree.  They send the recipient a picture of the tree with its stats (much like the adopt-a-child-in-Africa, yes?).  Then, your love gets two different shipments of olive oil.  Spring harvest includes nearly two liters of olive oil from your very own tree.  The Autumn harvest contains one container of regular oil from your tree and two infused oils (chili and lemon — YUM!).  Isn’t this amazing? Check it out here.

Four words:  Tiffany Monogrammed Playing Cards.  Seriously.  Who doesn’t (especially Southern guys) use playing cards?  And how balling to have them monogrammed with your initials?  The cards themselves are $30, plus the monogramming.  You can get them from other places but Tiffany is the gold standard and really isn’t that expensive. 

Sticking with the personalization theme, how awesome are these cuff links?  At $90 they won’t break the bank andthey are one-of-a-kind.  Any unique cuff link will go a long way, but remember to always get solid cuff links (like those pictured above) rather than hinged.  The hinged are cheap, lower quality, and anyone on this list will recognize them as such.  Find these here.

Can we please marvel over the ridiculous awesomeness that is custom postage stamps? For one they are over-sized so they really stand out, for two you can put any image – and I do mean any image – on them plus text if you would like.  If they are a little self-absorbed (no shame!) put an adorable picture of them.  Do they love their dog?  Maybe they are obsessed with a particular fleur-de-lis or movie?  Put it on the stamp!  Postage starts at $18 for a sheet of 20 so while it is clearly more expensive than your standard USPS stamp it is highly affordable.  They offer free shipping on orders over $50 as well, plus these are just so much fun to make!  There are multiple companies who offer this service but I used  Zazzle and was incredibly pleased.

Maybe your loved one is more into customizing things themselves?  Not to worry, allow me to introduce you to Me and Goji and YouBars.  Both work the same way, but the former is for cereal and the later for cookies, trail mix, energy bars, and shakes.  You give a certificate and your loved one goes online to create their custom item.  They can see the nutritional stats before and after they add any item, adjust quantities, and even name their product.  Then it is shipped to their home and they can enjoy as they please!  A 30 oz box of cereal starts at about $6 plus shipping, but costs more the more ingredients you add.  YouBars cost $50/box regardless of type and variety of ingredients.  Bonus:  the gift cards can be sent electronically.

This is by far one of my top five gifts OF ALL TIME! Seriously, I need a new pair as I wear mine so often they barely have a sole and have multiple holes (not that I am hinting…). If your love thinks Toms are weird-as-shit (to each his own) why not do it with a classic pair of Chucks or Tretorns?  My girl JMOD started making a list of ridiculous inside jokes she and I had over the course of a few months.  She bought solid red Toms because I didn’t have any and mentioned I needed some, then proceeded to scrawl all over them.  You could use a fine-point marker or a thick fabric paint pen like she did.  Just let them dry then seal them.  I get somany compliments on these shoes it is ridiculous, and because I wear mostly neutrals they match everything.  Converses start at $40 or so, Tretorns for $55, and Toms $40-$60 depending on what style you get. 

These Penguin classics are so beautiful I have been wanting to buy some for awhile.  Wouldn’t they look stunning displayed on a desk or bookshelf?  Your Love’s favorite is bound to be included with titles as wide-ranging as A Christmas Carol, Jane Eyre, Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Treasure Island, The Odyssey, Sense and Sensibility, and The Picture of Dorian Gray.  At a mere $20 each (Anthropologie, Amazon, Barnes and Noble) you could pick up a few or add to that personal library kit I was telling you about.  Another option?  Pair it with this:

WTF is that? It is a custom embosser!  My dad and brother both have one that say something to the effect of “From the Library Of” in a half-moon around the top half of the circle and their full name in a half-moon around the bottom half of the circle with a large three-initial monogram in the middle.  You can (bizarrely!) get these at Staples/Office Depot or order one online here.

One final, no-fail gift for the person who has it all?  Jon Hart Design.  With everything from shaving kits to duffel bags, coozies to clutches, they truly have something for everyone.  They come in every color under the sun and are trimmed in light brown leather with a three-initial monogram available. They are incredibly gender-neutral and let me tell you, once you start it is hard to stop!  Check out everything at Jon Hart Design.

Alright dolls, what do you think?  Know someone for whom something on this list would be perfection?  Or for whom EVERYTHING on this list would be perfection?  Know of some other gift ideas in this category I left off?  I would love to hear! xoxo

2010 Boston Not Common Holiday Gift Guide Series!

Last modified on 2011-01-02 00:26:56 GMT. 2 comments. Top.

I am unbelievably excited about this.  If you know me in “real life” you know that as much as I love getting gifts (or attention of any kind for that matter #whitegirlproblems) I adore giving them.  I love finding the perfect items for people I love and I love making people happy.  In my family we showed (and still do show) love through food and gifts.  The food thing happens all the time and while I adore making food for others, most of us don’t enjoy obesity so I like to round things out with real presents.

Around this time there are “gift guides” popping up all over the blogosphere…everyone from your favorite hometown blogger, to Glamour Magazine, Men’s Health, and the New York Times has them and I lovethem but…they usually do not help me much for a few reasons.  The biggest problem is some of the gifts are “cutesy” but I would feel lame as shit giving them.  Like yes, the personal library kit is kind of ballin’ but I would never give that to someone as their only gift.  Two, a lot of the awesome gifts come with awesomely high price tags…and while my delusions of grandeur self wants to give out LongChamp Le Pliages and iPads to everyone on my list it soisn’t happening.  The third problem, which is all my fault, is I never like the “categories” I am giving.  Like yes, he’s a “tech geek” but no, I don’t want to give him Bose headphones or a jump drive that looks like a roll of sushi.  Well yeah, she “loves fashion” but not in a “would adore a bio of Coco Chanel” kind of way.  SO…if you can’t find something suitable make your own, yes?  Once or twice a week I will be bringing you a gift guide or two.  Some will be based on actual living, breathing loves of mine, some will be amalgams of a few people I adore.  I aim to make the categories broad-enough to appeal to lots of people but specific enough not to be generic gifts…and even if your person doesn’t match the description, you may find a gift you love for them anyways.  I also am trying to be price-conscious.  Ready?  GSE!

Gift Guide One:  For the Foodie/Entertainer-Extraordinaire in Your Life who Wants Fabulous Presentation, Unparalled Deliciousness Without 12 Hours of Prep Time or Ingredients That Can Only be Found in the Most Obscure of Markets.

He or she loves hearing “this is so incredible please tell me how you made it/where you got it!” and loves even more being able to say “oh it was the easiest thing!” and letting people marvel at his/her brilliance.  Ideas?

MikWright napkins are hilarious, cheap, and such a conversation piece when you have people over.  They make nearly 100 different styles and also sell coasters.  At $5 a pack you could throw a few in with a different gift or make like JMOD and give a gift basket of things to entertain with.  World Market has cute (and cheap) glasses (wine, scotch, champagne, etc), throw in Carr’s Water Crackers, a good cheese, olives, a mid-price bottle of wine and you have an amazing gift for less than $50.  Shop online at Mik Wright or find them in most home and kitchen boutiques.

Amazingly inappropriate, these “Gin and Titonic” ice cubes are sure to make people laugh…they also come in giant jewels and dentures (okay that last one is kind of gross)…  I threw these in to a going-away present for one of my besties and she got such a kick out of them.  At $12, they would be suitable to pair with a cocktail making book, a bottle of gin, or a homemade decoupage box if you are crafty.  I’m not, but I LOVE them…here is a guide from the master herself.  Find the ice cube trays at Amazon, Fred Flare, and again, your favorite kitchen boutique. 

I’ve waxed poetic about CatStudio before (read it here) but I am still in love and cannot say enough about it.  The glasses are $12 each and the pillows (which, btw, are ballin’ out of control) are $150.  Buy as many as you can afford or just buy a few and pair with other unique State-themed gifts (beignet mix and Tony Chachere’s anyone?).  Also in case you were wondering…one of my glasses broke and one is precariously cracked.  And I love the pillow.  Just sayin…

You know I am a sucker for anything monogrammed and cutting boards are no exception.  Confession? I actually own two.  Both this wooden board with cheese knife and another black and white glass cutting board were given to me as gifts.  The black and white one was found at Montgomery Interiors if you are in Shreveport and you can find the above here.  Also, can we pleasego all out and buy this from Williams-Sonoma?? It is only $40 and is quite possibly the most amazing thing I have seen all day.

Any unique, local mixes go over amazingly well among the entertaining set.  Life\’s Little Pleasures offers homemade soup, dip, rub, marinade, and spread mixes which are incredibly simple to make yet somuch more impressive than ranch dip from a jar.  If you go to the likes of Boutique de Noel or again, a chi-chi foodie store they usually sell them as well.  We have bought things as common as garlic cheese biscuits and as crazy as Chocolate Gravy (SO good). 

Any item you love most?  A unique gift for this type that I should know about?  Check in later in the week for a gift guide for your loved one that has everything but appreciates uniqueness and quality (we aren’t calling them a snob and even if we were there would be NOTHING wrong with it).  You know you have a person like this in your life!

The Rachictionary

Last modified on 2010-11-01 02:44:18 GMT. 10 comments. Top.

Happy day-after-Halloween, my dears! Did you have a fun weekend?  I will be posting some pictures later on this week but nearly all of my pictures are in someone else’s possession so I have to wait for them to be e-mailed.  On a somewhat silly note, I thought we would discuss idiosyncrasies.  JMOD over at Sister Time swears I have my own language.  I kind of do, but it is more abbreviations.  Also, I tend to pick things up from my little sister B or things I have read.  She suggested a dictionary to make things easier so here we go!  Also, she would like to point out that I will spell out words like paraphernalia but refuse to spell out words like obviously. In no particular order:

Jank (n/v) Something ridiculously ghetto and trashy.  Example:  Look at this jank-ass car in front of me.

Sketch (adj)  something questionable or suspect, particularly in regards to one’s moral compass.  Ex:  Showing up for breakfast in last night’s clothes from the opposite direction of your house?  Sketch!

STNshort for spend the night.  Mostly occurs in text message/Facebook…I don’t think I have ever actually spoken the abbreviation.

Back Park (verb/direct object) The style of parking where you back your car into the spot (backwards, basically).  We had to do this at my high school so B and I have gotten very good at it.

Photog (noun) The person taking the photographs for the group. Example:  B is the official photog since she takes about 3,000 pictures a trip.

Jeal (adj) short for jealous. 

OOC (adj) short for Out of Control.  Something completely ridiculous, over-the-top, or awesome.  Can also be derogatory, depending on context.  Ex:  That girl’s shorts were OOC…I have boy-short underwear that covers more.  OR  Our Halloween was OOC!

Ballin out of control (adj) a superlative of OOC but always denotes a good thing.

Wbu (question) What about you?  Example:  “How are you?”  “Well, thanks. wbu.”

HJNTIY (mantra) short for He’s Just Not That Into You…I say this all the damn time.  As Jess wants you to know, it is empowering, not a blow to your ego.  HJNTIY = He’s not worth your time, find someone who is.  Ex:  “So no I mean I think he’s really into me because he does x, y, and z but I hear from him pretty sporadically and our plans are usually pretty last minute.” “HJNTIY”

Biff (noun) best friend…taken from AS but it works really well. Ex:  I am so glad we are biffs.

Scaries (noun) people who dress up in full theater make-up and costume, act insane and try to scare the shit out of people who want nothing to do with them Ex:  “there were scaries chasing me all over the parking lot so I locked myself in the car.”

P.Lot (noun) Parking Lot.  Ex:  I am just chillin’ in the p.lot until the rain dies down.

Def (adjective/adverb)  short for definitely. Ex:  I def did not expect things to play out that way.

HSM (proper noun) The cinematic masterpiece known as High School Musical (1, 2, and 3).  Most of life’s conundrums can be related to the trilogy aaaand a song within it.  Bonus points if you know the dances or quote random lyrics.

Adorbs(adjective) short for adorable.  Example:  “You are so adorbs it makes me hurt.”

Probsshort for probably.  Ex:  “We should probs start running regularly if we are going to do a family Halfsie.”

Halfsie(noun) short for half-marathon, i.e. 13.1 miles.  Ex: “I want to run a halfsie in theory but I only run sporadically.”

AFA short for “as far as”.  Again, only used electronically.

GG (proper noun) can mean Gossip Girl ORGilmore Girls depending on the context.  Characters from both shows are often mentioned in every-day conversations as real people.  Quotes are also brought in regularly, though they go over most people’s heads.  Usually the “GG” part is understood.  Ex:  “I am so Blair Waldorf it is ridic.”

V short for very. Ex:  “It was v v v awkward.”

Ridic short for ridiculous/ridiculously Ex:  “My life is ridic.”

Hella  (intensifier) used in place of “very,” “especially,” or “extremely.”  Contrary to what a certain person may believe, I am not trying to sound like a No Cal hippie or a So Cal surfer…but I do say it a lot.  Ex:  “It was hella ridic but I had to have it!”

FBO (noun phrase) stands for Facebook Official.  A relationship isn’t an actual relationship nor does it need to comply by standard relationship rules until it becomes Facebook official.  This is much more a Southern thing than I realized but I firmly stand by it. Ex:  “He can’t be mad it isn’t like we are FBO.”

Wkend (noun) weekend. 

FTW  For the win! A battle cry of sorts…”Hebrew midterm FTW!”  “Halloween Pub Crawl FTW!”   

Tsm/tfm  taken from my new favorite website – totalfratmove.com … Anything specifically Deep South fratty (frat straps, polo/la coste, khakis, sperrys) or a part of the trophy wife culture.  Example:  “I don’t get mad when guys say go make me a sandwich – I make a damn good sandwich! TSM”

Nbd  no big deal…can be used in place of “It’s cool,” “don’t worry about it,” “calm down!”.  Conveys nonchalance. Ex:  “Are you mad? I feel like you are mad.” “No doll I’m not! It’s nbd.”

Buck Up– My friend J signed off an e-mail using this and it was so bizarre that I analyzed it for a good 10 minutes.  Then I realized its brilliance and started using it myself.  It means something along the lines of “quit making excuses and get it together.”  Ex:  “I’m just soooo tired…I don’t want to do homework.”  “Buck up!”

In Omnia Paratus– Latin for “prepared for all things,”  it’s the motto of a fake-now-real kind of secret society known as the Life and Death Brigade.  Membership is selective and determined by the upper elechon.  The call:  One person says “In Omnia!” the reply is “In Omnia Paratus!”

“Is My Life a JOKE?”  – Usually there is one of two choice adjectives inserted directly before the word joke but this phrase comes out of my mouth oh about….once a day, minimum.  As my brother Jacob likes to say, “I’m glad I can be entertaining but I’m no funny man…this is just my life!”  I tend to find myself in the most absurd, ridiculous situations but somehow, things always work out and it is a helluva lot of fun.

Any “rachisms” I left off?  Any words/phrases of yours I should start to use?  Which is your favorite and which do you find absurd?

The Art of Layering

Last modified on 2010-10-18 03:34:08 GMT. 3 comments. Top.

It is midterm season here at HDS which for some means three to four tests and multiple papers.  I had one of my midterms a bit early and one split into two parts, so I only have a few to prepare for.  Lucky for me since I spent the entire weekend frolicking.  A friend from Louisiana asked me to take lots of Autumn pictures (which I have been horrible at btw) but I did snap this one yesterday on my way to drop something off.  Isn’t Mass beautiful?

The weather has definitely gotten me thinking about layering.  You always see perfectly layered images in magazines, but I am cautious of too many layers as a) it can make you look about 20 pounds heavier and b) wtf are you supposed to do with the extra layers when you get hot and want to take them off?  I don’t know enough about things like long underwear (um, nor do I want to) to blog about it, but I do know a bit about basic layering skills.

Layering 101.1:  Keep Layers Fitted

Even for guys this is a most important step.  They do not have to be skintight, but pieces should still show off your figure.  A good rule of thumb is to be comfortable wearing that piece on its own.  Now is probably not the time to bust out the shirt-as-a-dress and wear it with jeans.  Nor is it time for the XXL sweatshirt. 

Layering 101.2:  Three Layers Max, Not Including Accessories

There are clearly exceptions to this rule, but it is a good one to follow.  If we were following Joanne Hackett’s model we would call them “guidelines.”  So you do a button-down, vest, and coat, or long-sleeved tee, short-sleeved tee, and zip-up hoodie.  Don’t try to do a camisole, long-sleeved tee, sweatervest, leather jacket, and peacoat…that shit only works on the pages of Vogue, Glamour, and GQ. 

Layering 101.3:  Keep Colors Similar but Mix Patterns and Textures

By far the easiest way to match but still looks awesome.  Neutrals with one accent color works very well.  Try khaki, black, and red (hey Burberry), emerald, chocolate, and navy, or plum, khaki, and black.  Though all thin cotton or all nubby wool won’t look bad, exactly, layers look much better when the fabric is mixed.  For women layering is the perfect way to introduce a bit of lace into your fall wardrobe.  Try a lace top with a cable-knit or a silk shell with corduroy.  For guys and girls, patterns are an easy way to mix things up.  A touch of argyle, plaid, stripes, or polka dots (if you can pull them off) make your clothes stand out so much.  If you are in the same color palette you can use more than one.  I love a buffalo plaid mixed with thick diagonal stripes or herringbone.  Pinstripes read as a solid so they are a fool-proof way to add pattern.

 

My favorite layered look (you’ve probs seen me in it 1000 times!)?  A printed tee, blazer, layered necklaces or a scarf, denim mini, tights, and boots (desert, motorcycle, harness, riding…).  It is foolproof, takes no effort, and always looks amazing.  Add a cute headband or hat if you haven’t washed your hair in a while.

Anyone out there a master at layering?  What is your favorite look?  Favorite color combinations?  Any rules I left out?

The Lost Weekend

Last modified on 2010-09-28 16:01:15 GMT. 10 comments. Top.

Good Monday morning, my sweets! Did you have a good weekend?  I was not planning on posting about mine, but too many funny things happened to not post.  As I mentioned Friday, my mom and her friend Laura came up to Boston for some sight-seeing and shopping.  I had never met Laura before this trip actually, but I knew we were soul mates when she mentioned that she was super upset at having to leave her Frye boots at home since they cannot be taken on and off nearly as fast as Chucks when shopping, thus making them a hindrance.  Girl after my own heart.  She is hilarious and made the trip magical (though she swears my mom and I are the hilarious ones, she is wrong.)  Laura was the official photog but refused to be photographed so I had to steal the following off of her Facebook page.  In real life she looks a lot like Sandra Bullock in The Blindside. 

Thursday evening they ate dinner at Giacomo’s in the North End – -Laura texts me that “our lives are being changed right this minute” (from the pasta).  They took a cab to my apartment to see Yoda and I and bring Mike’s Pastry.  Friday we ate a quick lunch at the famous Bartley’s and headed to Salem.

We walked through the Memorials of the Witch Hunt, went to the museum, found a Halloween costume (for me anyhow!) and explored the shops.  We ended up spending several hours at dinner as Mom and Laura are super slow drinkers.  They just did not understand why the waiter refused to let them take their margaritas/pina coladas in a to-go cup for the ride home.  Oh, Louisiana…I think we had the waiter sold on moving there by that fact alone. 

At this point we start telling stories.  Laura confesses that she never drinks more than one drink, but it is always enough because she did not start drinking until she was in her 40s.  “I decided I’m an adult, I am allowed to drink,” she said. “But I had teenage sons who abused alcohol and I didn’t want them to find it so I had to find a hiding place.  I decided on under the bathroom sink!”

We. were. rolling. 

The next morning I meet them at their hotel to hit the shops when they open.  It is a big joke in our family that whenever my mom comes to visit I am “conveniently” completely out of groceries, dog food, shampoo, etc. and that my bills happen to be due soon.  I really did receive my gas and electric bill via e-mail while they were there (which I mentioned).  So while I was waiting for them to get ready I made an appointment with my beloved-but-expensive hair stylist.

“Oh hey Debbie, interesting news — Shelly could not see me for another two weeks and by then your checking account will be replenished from the damage we are about to do.  Don’t worry, I happily accept post-dated checks.”

Laura found this ridiculously funny, but in truth my mom and I have these exchanges all the time.

In line at Starbucks:  “See Rachel, you are built like Jo [her future daughter-in-law] and have cleavage for days.  Don’t worry, I did not tell Jo that the first time I met her!” (Thanks Laura!)

We get to Boylston Street and spend a good hour to ninety minutes in Anthro.  We tend to go their first because at the beginning of the day when money is most available, it does not seem absurd to spend $90 on a thin cotton top (at least in our heads).

After a few more shops Laura and Mom were too famished to be excited by anything other than food so we stopped in a cafe for lunch.  I swear I ate more this weekend than I normally do in a full week.  Laura kept saying, “Hey do you want this? Hey do you want some cookies?  Hey hey hey Rachel why aren’t you hungry!?”  I wasn’t not eating, you simply must realize that Debbie and Laura need to eat at least every three hours (and really more like two) or they get cranky/their blood sugar drops. 

First stop at the Pru was Cheesecake Factory because there is a fabulous employee named Lyle who (is this sad?) remembers us and lets us store all our excess packages –and suitcases when we are ridiculous enough to come back on the way to the airport to grab one twelve more things we cannot live without–in what we dubbed “the secret chamber.”  At this point we had a ridiculously large Crate and Barrel bag (Parker Bowls FTW!), three Anthro bags, and three Thom Brown bags…the day was just getting started.  I won’t bore you with all the details but I will share some silly pictures and quotes.

Things were going really well, money-wise, until we hit Aldo. I know how that sounds…what could you possibly find at Aldo that would break-the-bank?  But they have been seriously stepping it up lately, especially with boots.  I wanted Frye riding boots but the new style for this year was a legitimate arm workout just to get them on.  For that kind of money it was not happening.  But then I found the most perfect pair of light brown leather riding boots that fit like a dream.  Plus they had literally debuted that morning.  I was in love.  But they were expensive and the day was young.  Next thing I know:

Laura:  Alright so I’ve got $30!  Deb…Deb what can you contribute?  Your face just lit up when you saw those boots on her you know she has to have them.  What are you donating?  [to the sales lady] How about you?  Do you see how amazing these are?  Want to contribute?

It was so out of control and ridiculous but only Laura could have pulled it off with charm.  I did get the boots and I will be spotted in them many days this fall and winter.

Things were going well and then I hit our last shop of the day…Sephora.  I know we cannot ever really say Sephora is a need, especially since Amber and I spent so much there just a few weeks ago, but I was not aimlessly wandering.  I had taken a second load to Cheesecake Factory but Debbie and Laura went to drop a third while I finished up.  Okay…I don’t like to admit when my ridiculousness has reached over-the-top but…the girls in Sephora straight up recognized me…like knew who I was, knew my first name.  WTF?!  The bright side is I got some famazing samples.  Laura took a picture but it does not do justice.

At the end of the night we hit California Pizza Kitchen for dinner because there was no wait.  I was cracking up about an exchange I had with B earlier in the week.  She was poking around about dry cleaning costs when finally I said, “B what are you needing cleaned so badly?”

“I just have all these dresses that other people spill beer on.  No seriously it is the other drunk people that spill it on me.”

Then I remember that the LSU game just started and they have been tailgating since morning.  Of course I cannot be nice and just ask how the game is so I texted her wondering if people were spilling their beer on her again.  She replies with:

“Having a freaking blast whoooo!!!!”

“Who is winning?”

“LSU Sistaaaaa!”

If you knew how reserved and unemotional B is (and some of you do!) you will get the hilarity of this situation. It was made even better by what came next…the retrieving of the packages.  First we walk in and Laura says, “OMG they let other people throw their bags in here! Ugh they are all mixed up and we will have to dig!”  No Laura, those are all ours.

Next quote:  “Great, Rach… now you are going to start World War Three because they [my siblings] will all think I bought you that stuff.”

The cabs would stop for us, see the packages, shake their heads, and drive off.  Finally we found a nice cab driver and made things worse by telling him we actually needed to keep mine separate as I was headed to  different location.  He was a great sport and we dropped Laura and Debbie off at the hotel and start driving out of the parking lot.  Suddenly we hear, “My TEA!!! My Ttttteeeeaaaaaa!!!”

Oh. My. GOD.  Debbie is so addicted to her unsweetened iced tea and I was holding the only glass of it she had for the evening. Unlike me, she is the least dramatic person ever so we had to turn around.  After we left for a second time I laughed and said, “Oh man they are ridiculous!”

“Oh REALLY??” says the cab driver. “I didn’t notice!”

It was a blast of a trip and we made so many memories.  One final, loving quote from Deb-Deb?:  “Okay so if you are cold…”

“Or die of hypothermia?” I helpfully interjected.

“Yeah…if you are cold this winter it is NOT my fault…I did everything I could!”

Please tell me funny stories from your weekend.  Or funny stories about Debbie and Laura if you know them?  Anyone…anyone…Bueller?

Fall Essentials: Boots

Last modified on 2010-10-05 13:15:04 GMT. 4 comments. Top.

This summer we talked a lot about summer staples, but of course there are staples for every season.  One of my favorite parts of fall?  Boots!  Unless you are made of money (and most of us are not!), you cannot buy loads and loads of boots each season, especially with prices easily soaring over the $150 mark.  All the more reason to choose your boots wisely, yes?  Let’s talk types of boots for girls and guys and the best places to buy them.

Boot One:  The Desert Boot

Clarks is the original here, but these days everyone makes them.  Though they are traditionally a guy’s boot, they can look SO cute on girls if you love the mix of masculine and feminine like I do.  For guys they pair well with almost anything but dress slacks.  I love them with dark denim or corduroy.  For girls they look precious with denim skirts and tights or your flirtiest dress. The one caveat is that traditionally they are suede — be sure to invest in good protector so you don’t ruin them in the ice/rain/sleet.  Don’t even know what I am talking about?

Boot Two:  The Riding Boot

This is most assuredly a girl’s boot.  Buttery leather, slim-cut calves, low-to-no heel, and a tall length are classic characteristics of the riding boot.  These look fantastic with dark skinny jeans or corduroys.  I also love them with short dresses and skirts.  Tuck in pants to show off the boot. Two options?

Boot Three:  The Ankle Boot

Though the name is girlie, this is actually a unisex boot.  For guys, this is what we traditionally think of as boots that are not cowboy boots.  They are a staple in fall and winter and pair with anything.  For girls this can be a little trickier to pull off.  They are often too short to tuck in pants without looking ridiculous, but if you are not careful they look like you are wearing some sort of clog-loafer hybrid under those boot cut jeans.  I prefer this style (again) with short dresses and skirts plus tights but do as you will. It probably goes without saying but guys never tuck these in.

Boot Four:  The Cowboy

I hesitate to even mention these because they are sonot my style but done right they really can look more Beverly Hills than Beverly Hillbilly.  The trick is to not go over the top.  No super pointy toes, no embroidery that rivals that of an altar cloth, and for god sakes stay away from the rhinestones.  Keep the heel pretty flat and keep the rest of your outfit simple — your boots are making enough statement on their own.  My picks?

Boot Five:  The Motorcycle

I kind of have a love-hate relationship with these boots.  Done right, they are badass and give just a bit of edge.  Done (horribly) wrong and they look cheesy and over-the-top.  The trick is in picking the right leather and not going for too many bells and whistles. A patent or shiny leather looks dumb on motorcycle boots…they should look like you have had them forever.  Dusty black or dark brown are your best bets color-wise.  As for details pick one — buckles, chains, OR stitching.  My picks?

There are other types of boots (ummm my Frye Harness 12Rs?) but we will stop at those five types.  What are YOUR favorites?  Is there a type you love that I missed?

The Lost Weekend

Last modified on 2010-09-28 16:01:15 GMT. 10 comments. Top.

Good Monday morning, my sweets! Did you have a good weekend?  I was not planning on posting about mine, but too many funny things happened to not post.  As I mentioned Friday, my mom and her friend Laura came up to Boston for some sight-seeing and shopping.  I had never met Laura before this trip actually, but I knew we were soul mates when she mentioned that she was super upset at having to leave her Frye boots at home since they cannot be taken on and off nearly as fast as Chucks when shopping, thus making them a hindrance.  Girl after my own heart.  She is hilarious and made the trip magical (though she swears my mom and I are the hilarious ones, she is wrong.)  Laura was the official photog but refused to be photographed so I had to steal the following off of her Facebook page.  In real life she looks a lot like Sandra Bullock in The Blindside. 

Thursday evening they ate dinner at Giacomo’s in the North End – -Laura texts me that “our lives are being changed right this minute” (from the pasta).  They took a cab to my apartment to see Yoda and I and bring Mike’s Pastry.  Friday we ate a quick lunch at the famous Bartley’s and headed to Salem.

We walked through the Memorials of the Witch Hunt, went to the museum, found a Halloween costume (for me anyhow!) and explored the shops.  We ended up spending several hours at dinner as Mom and Laura are super slow drinkers.  They just did not understand why the waiter refused to let them take their margaritas/pina coladas in a to-go cup for the ride home.  Oh, Louisiana…I think we had the waiter sold on moving there by that fact alone. 

At this point we start telling stories.  Laura confesses that she never drinks more than one drink, but it is always enough because she did not start drinking until she was in her 40s.  “I decided I’m an adult, I am allowed to drink,” she said. “But I had teenage sons who abused alcohol and I didn’t want them to find it so I had to find a hiding place.  I decided on under the bathroom sink!”

We. were. rolling. 

The next morning I meet them at their hotel to hit the shops when they open.  It is a big joke in our family that whenever my mom comes to visit I am “conveniently” completely out of groceries, dog food, shampoo, etc. and that my bills happen to be due soon.  I really did receive my gas and electric bill via e-mail while they were there (which I mentioned).  So while I was waiting for them to get ready I made an appointment with my beloved-but-expensive hair stylist.

“Oh hey Debbie, interesting news — Shelly could not see me for another two weeks and by then your checking account will be replenished from the damage we are about to do.  Don’t worry, I happily accept post-dated checks.”

Laura found this ridiculously funny, but in truth my mom and I have these exchanges all the time.

In line at Starbucks:  “See Rachel, you are built like Jo [her future daughter-in-law] and have cleavage for days.  Don’t worry, I did not tell Jo that the first time I met her!” (Thanks Laura!)

We get to Boylston Street and spend a good hour to ninety minutes in Anthro.  We tend to go their first because at the beginning of the day when money is most available, it does not seem absurd to spend $90 on a thin cotton top (at least in our heads).

After a few more shops Laura and Mom were too famished to be excited by anything other than food so we stopped in a cafe for lunch.  I swear I ate more this weekend than I normally do in a full week.  Laura kept saying, “Hey do you want this? Hey do you want some cookies?  Hey hey hey Rachel why aren’t you hungry!?”  I wasn’t not eating, you simply must realize that Debbie and Laura need to eat at least every three hours (and really more like two) or they get cranky/their blood sugar drops. 

First stop at the Pru was Cheesecake Factory because there is a fabulous employee named Lyle who (is this sad?) remembers us and lets us store all our excess packages –and suitcases when we are ridiculous enough to come back on the way to the airport to grab one twelve more things we cannot live without–in what we dubbed “the secret chamber.”  At this point we had a ridiculously large Crate and Barrel bag (Parker Bowls FTW!), three Anthro bags, and three Thom Brown bags…the day was just getting started.  I won’t bore you with all the details but I will share some silly pictures and quotes.

Things were going really well, money-wise, until we hit Aldo. I know how that sounds…what could you possibly find at Aldo that would break-the-bank?  But they have been seriously stepping it up lately, especially with boots.  I wanted Frye riding boots but the new style for this year was a legitimate arm workout just to get them on.  For that kind of money it was not happening.  But then I found the most perfect pair of light brown leather riding boots that fit like a dream.  Plus they had literally debuted that morning.  I was in love.  But they were expensive and the day was young.  Next thing I know:

Laura:  Alright so I’ve got $30!  Deb…Deb what can you contribute?  Your face just lit up when you saw those boots on her you know she has to have them.  What are you donating?  [to the sales lady] How about you?  Do you see how amazing these are?  Want to contribute?

It was so out of control and ridiculous but only Laura could have pulled it off with charm.  I did get the boots and I will be spotted in them many days this fall and winter.

Things were going well and then I hit our last shop of the day…Sephora.  I know we cannot ever really say Sephora is a need, especially since Amber and I spent so much there just a few weeks ago, but I was not aimlessly wandering.  I had taken a second load to Cheesecake Factory but Debbie and Laura went to drop a third while I finished up.  Okay…I don’t like to admit when my ridiculousness has reached over-the-top but…the girls in Sephora straight up recognized me…like knew who I was, knew my first name.  WTF?!  The bright side is I got some famazing samples.  Laura took a picture but it does not do justice.

At the end of the night we hit California Pizza Kitchen for dinner because there was no wait.  I was cracking up about an exchange I had with B earlier in the week.  She was poking around about dry cleaning costs when finally I said, “B what are you needing cleaned so badly?”

“I just have all these dresses that other people spill beer on.  No seriously it is the other drunk people that spill it on me.”

Then I remember that the LSU game just started and they have been tailgating since morning.  Of course I cannot be nice and just ask how the game is so I texted her wondering if people were spilling their beer on her again.  She replies with:

“Having a freaking blast whoooo!!!!”

“Who is winning?”

“LSU Sistaaaaa!”

If you knew how reserved and unemotional B is (and some of you do!) you will get the hilarity of this situation. It was made even better by what came next…the retrieving of the packages.  First we walk in and Laura says, “OMG they let other people throw their bags in here! Ugh they are all mixed up and we will have to dig!”  No Laura, those are all ours.

Next quote:  “Great, Rach… now you are going to start World War Three because they [my siblings] will all think I bought you that stuff.”

The cabs would stop for us, see the packages, shake their heads, and drive off.  Finally we found a nice cab driver and made things worse by telling him we actually needed to keep mine separate as I was headed to  different location.  He was a great sport and we dropped Laura and Debbie off at the hotel and start driving out of the parking lot.  Suddenly we hear, “My TEA!!! My Ttttteeeeaaaaaa!!!”

Oh. My. GOD.  Debbie is so addicted to her unsweetened iced tea and I was holding the only glass of it she had for the evening. Unlike me, she is the least dramatic person ever so we had to turn around.  After we left for a second time I laughed and said, “Oh man they are ridiculous!”

“Oh REALLY??” says the cab driver. “I didn’t notice!”

It was a blast of a trip and we made so many memories.  One final, loving quote from Deb-Deb?:  “Okay so if you are cold…”

“Or die of hypothermia?” I helpfully interjected.

“Yeah…if you are cold this winter it is NOT my fault…I did everything I could!”

Please tell me funny stories from your weekend.  Or funny stories about Debbie and Laura if you know them?  Anyone…anyone…Bueller?

Blair Waldorf Wouldn’t Be Caught Dead In A Puffer…

Last modified on 2010-09-28 15:57:05 GMT. 4 comments. Top.

…and neither will I!  The temps in Mass are a breezy 50-70 degrees Fahrenheit currently and I love it, but I know winter is coming and I am having some serious fashion anxiety attacks just thinking of it.  I have two super cute coats that were perfectly acceptable for winter in Louisiana, but they are going to be Fall/Spring coats in Boston I can already tell.

So here is my dilemma — I need a good winter coat!  I walk to and from school (about 15-20 minutes each way) and walk my dog, etc. but my classes are all indoors and heated.  And I refuse to wear a NorthFace/L.L.Bean/Columbia puffer jacket like this:

So what’s a girl to do? 

I have come up with a few different options but I would LOVE to hear from all of you (especially those of you who have experienced these ridiculous winters first-hand!).  My picks?

Because I am ballin’, I got a BlueFly personal shopper over eChat to help out.  I explained the predicament including where I live now, and she gave me this great option.  The only thing I am hesitant about is ordering a coat online — I’m super weird about ordering clothes online but if I don’t find one I like this weekend I may be taking my chances on Bluefly.

I am still not set on the whole long-underwear deal, but there are a few cold-weather accessories I am looking forward to wearing.

Spill it:  What are your Cold Weather must-haves?  I am going shopping this weekend so any and all advice is welcome!

Etsy Finds: Home Decor Gems

Last modified on 2010-09-09 19:28:05 GMT. 3 comments. Top.

I love me some home decor from the likes of Target, Anthropologie, and Pottery Barn…I do.  But sometimes I want things that are a little…different. One of a kind finds are usually kind of ridiculously pricey if you look at the places I do and I do not have the time or patience for flea markets.  The next best thing?  Etsy!  The problem with Etsy is that for every gem there are twenty pieces of shit.  Which is why I have taken the time to scout out some amazing pieces for you, all at amazing prices.  You are welcome.

Loving any of these items? I want to buy them all!  What is your favorite Etsy find?

Design on a Dime, The Furniture Edition

Last modified on 2010-09-02 21:13:15 GMT. 2 comments. Top.

 

There are always your basic options — Ikea and Craigslist.  In Louisiana we did not have an Ikea so that was no good, and Shreveport Craigslist never had anything worth buying unless you happened to catch the find-of-the-century (like my mom’s workman did with this gorgeous six foot by five foot mirror for $50).  In Boston both of those options are regularly available, as are garage sales but…what if you want something, well…more.  I have two options for you, one if you are crafty, one if you are not.

For the Artists:  Refinishing

Sometimes a piece of furniture is so ugly that it can be hard to see its true potential.  That teal blue dresser in the corner of Salvation Army?  Not so much.  But if you can spare a little extra money or have the skills to do it yourself, you can make a piece look entirely different!  Joanna Goddard of A Cup of Jo fame showed her newly-updated home a month or so back.  You can see all her pictures there, but I loved this vintage dresser her designer painted black (and that lamp is from a flea market!).

 One of my darling friends (and Big Sis!) Marissa found a not-so-fabulous table in Missouri and had it stained.  You could do it yourself if you have the patience and skill, but even with the cost of paying a professional it was still cheaper than a brand new quality piece.

For the Non-Artists:  RE Brand

Target and Wal-mart sell pieces of furniture that cost over $2,000…who knew!?  I was browsing their websites last spring trying to find some new pieces, as my furniture was all either hand-me-downs or too big for my new living space and was horrified.  Why would you pay $2,800 for something from Wal-mart…why?  Then I discovered the RE brand at Target.  It may not be the highest quality goods, but it certainly fit my needs and has held up.  They roll out tons of it in summer and early fall for prime dorm shopping, but there is always some around.

One of the best finds of this year?  The Cubby.  I needed more storage in my bedroom (even after two closets and a giant chest :/) but did not really want another huge chest.  I found this at Target for $50, plus each bin cost around $8.  They also featured it with some of the cubes left bin-less if you will, and filled with decorative accents or books.

Addendum:  Think (Slightly Outside of the Box)

I bought the most gorgeous bedroom set before I left town from a local furniture store.  That in and of itself is not surprising, but if you can catch them around a holiday you are golden.  I happened upon a Memorial Day sale and all of the furniture I loved was something like 60% off.  Combine that with the fact that I could pay in cash and I scored a ridiculously beautiful bed, chest of drawers, and nightstand for something like $800 including tax.  Labor Day is just around the corner so you might do some scouting.

Another option is to not be set on what a piece is “intended for.”  My mom’s parents gave her a gorgeous hope chest for her high school graduation in the 1970s that has been collecting dust in our storage for a decade.  She could not bear to part with it but did not have a good place to put it.  Turned out to be the perfect size and color for my living room and bonus, stores extra sheets and blankets for when I have guests. 

When we arrived here, we discovered that though my kitchen was a great size and that I hit the jackpot with my giant pantry, there was no counter space!  Our original plan was to get a microwave rack with shelves and a butcher’s block but they apparently do not make them anymore.  Seriously, we searched probably five different stores.  What I ended up with?

There are other cheap brands out there, but I find that RE from Target tends to look so much nicer than it actually is.  Behind this and my decorating “secrets,” you can have an awesome looking place on the cheap.

Anyone scouted some ridiculously cool furniture for cheap prices at somewhere besides the places I’ve mentioned?  Have design secrets to share?  I’d love to hear!

Drop Me A Line…

Last modified on 2010-08-31 03:42:28 GMT. 1 comment. Top.

This may seem more than a little sad, but quality stationery is one of my very favorite things.  Maybe it is just my delusions of grandeur talking and fine stationery is one of the few things that actually fall within my budget, or maybe it is my obsession with sending thank you cards, but either way I could spend hours browsing in a stationery store.  Today we will talk stationery at all price points, starting with my current favorite.

Embossed Graphics sells the most amazing personalized stationery.  I seriously spent at least an hour trying to pick my favorite and even then could only narrow it down to three.  Old-school stationery store Styron’s in Shreveport sells it, or you can order it online here.  My current stationery?

Embossed Graphics makes some less serious stationery (my sister had her name scrawled in hot pink on some otherwise plain cards and it was adorable), Minted is our next stop.  Minted makes every kind of stationery imaginable and again, their quality is superb.  One of my favorites?

All of these seem to girly for you?  I LOVE this masculine set from Minted.

But maybe spending this much on stationery seems ludicrous to you.  You don’t QUITE want to get your stationery at Target but at the same time, you are not spending $75 on a box of personalized Embossed Graphics.  No worries.  Allow me to introduce Paper Source and Crane & Co.  Paper Source is incredible for lots of stuff — my mom hand-made my graduation party invitations with a ballin’ heat embosser we found there.  If you are crafty you could buy their plain cards and envelopes, a stamp, a heat embosser, etc. and make your own stationery.  If you are not crafty (I’m not), they have a fabulous selection of premade stock.  Two of my favorites?

Crane & Co. often sells their stationery at stores like Papyrus, but you can shop online as well.  They sell a lot of boxed sets of cards, which are nice to just grab-and-go.  Two of my favorites?

I have not ordered from The Stationery Studio myself, but it came highly recommended and they have so many darling ideas on there.  Two favorites?

Any of these designs catch your eye?  Have a stationery collection you love that I didn’t mention?  Don’t see the point in stationery at all? 

The Key to Accessories

Last modified on 2010-08-19 16:10:44 GMT. 2 comments. Top.

Hey ladies, a few of you reminded me that we failed to cover accessories for you this week- not to worry.  Obviously I cannot cover everything, but (of course) I have a few rules that cover it all.

Rule One:  Quality over Quantity

Now before you get all “I don’t have the money to spend on designer gear” on me…that isn’t what I mean.  I adore the Birkin (and even the D&B bag I featured last week which is 1/20 the cost of a Birkin) but I won’t be getting either of them for a long while (unless someone wants to get me the D&B bag for Christmas…I could handle that).  But HOW many times have you bought shoes from Forever 21, bracelets at Claire’s, and purses from TJ MAXX because “OMG they were SO cute and only X dollars!”  Quit that shit, ladies! 

First decide your must-have items — you know those go-to’s you picked out on Monday?  The must-have’s compliment ALL of those looks and you cannot bear to live without them.  The most pared down version of my must-have list includes: riding boots, a go-with-all pair of killer heels, shoes I can walk all day in, a key necklace, a menswear watch, a statement ring, a statement necklace, a messenger (day) bag, a fab clutch, and a go-everywhere tote.  Got it?  That sounds like a LOT but think of how much mediocre stuff you buy…my pared down list has TEN items on it…total.  And that encompasses jewelry, bags, and shoes.  Wow. 

So think about your own must-haves list.  What do you absolutely need in your collection?  I am going to allot the most amount of money as I possibly can on those ten items because I know I will use them all. the. time.  Granted, I don’t own Louboutins…my killer heels are Max Azria (BCBG) and Kenneth Cole but I get tons of compliments on them.  Maybe the most luxurious brand you can afford is the Gap and that is okay! 

 Maybe you don’t mind spending mad money on a bag every season?  Let’s rethink this.  Even if you downgrade to a bag half as nice you could spend that extra money on shoes.  Or maybe you are content to wear flip-flops every day (please DON’T tell me if you are…I am cringing at the thought) but own 3,000 pieces of jewelry.  Buy pieces that will last you and that you truly cannot live without.  They should, as one Glamour blogger wrote, “make you do a little dance.”  Actually ANYTHING you buy should make you do a little dance.  I dance a LOT.

Rule Two:  Be Realistic

Before you buy anything ask yourself these questions:

1. Is this a reputable brand (at least in my price range)?
2. How many items do I own that it will match?
3. Can I justify this purchase?
4. Is this comfortable (shoes)?
5. Am I going to feel like an idiot using this in six months (cough last season’s emblazoned C Coach bag cough)?

Have you answered all of the above? Does it make you do a little dance?  Buy it sister!  But do not settle for five mediocre items when you could have one (or two) stellar ones.

Accessory One:  The Shoe

Oh my goodness how do we even pare down shoe types?  There are so many! My collection is super pared down and I own upwards of 30 pairs. If you live in a big city and your primary form of transportation (even to get to mass transit) is your feet, you must be able to walk in the shoes…for miles.  You must be able to walk in the shoes for miles.  If you are doing heels, go for 2.5″ or less and a wedge if you can swing it.  If not, think about getting a cheap pair of flats to commute in that you don’t care if you lose or they get tossed in the bottom of your pack…or you are just plain lazy and throw them away the second you get to your first destination.

If you live in the ‘burbs or even a biggish city that you drive in (Dallas, New Orleans, Atlanta) feel free to wear whatever you like but still follow the above steps before buying them.  I already covered my favorite commuting shoes (aka casual shoes) awhile back, so find that post if you need a refresher on my faves.  

Dying for a new pair of heels?  A neutral shoe (skin-tone) matches far more than black does and will make your legs look miles long.  My pick for the money?

Maybe you are obsessed with boots?  Go for a riding boot style.  They look equally as awesome with jeans or dresses and if you get a lightish brown (think copper/sienna/the color of milk chocolate) it will match everything you own.  My pick? 

Maybe you just want a great pair of flats?  Don’t buy them from Aldo — if you truly wear them all the time (and not even in a city) they fall apart SO quickly.  I literally had to re-glue the soles onto my favorite pair- they look like they are walk of shaming but until I replace them with something better I’m keeping them (they are black, white, and grey plaid…if you know me you can see instantly why I kept them).  I’m still looking for a perfect go-with-everything flat and I am pretty sure I just found them:

“But Rachel, all of the shoes you mentioned are at least $100.”  Yes…yes they are.  And they all make me want to do a little dance.  I would easily give three pairs (if not more) of Aldo/Gap/Shoe Department flats in exchange for the Jeffrey Campbell’s — they are well-built, would literally match every single thing that I own, and I adore them.  This is what I mean by quality over quantity.  Even if you have to buy three pairs of shoes instead of ten, or one instead of five…make it a great purchase.

Accessory Two:  The Bag

I used to have three under the bed storage containers — you know the ones that are five feet long by two feet wide? — solely devoted to the purses I could not live without.  Swear to god.  These days, there are three bags I cannot live without, plus the perfect backpack (that I spent months searching for, weeks putting off purchasing because it is expensive, that I went to buy and it is backordered FFFML). 

The clutch.  The clutch should be able to hold what is most precious to you.  Not “this is what I would save in a fire” (because otherwise mine would need to hold my seventy pound dog) but the basics – cell, keys, money, cards, etc.  If I wasn’t such a klutz and have to keep my iPhone in an otter-box, I would buy this in Blue Rhapsody or Hope Garden for $32 and be done.  Until they make a smaller waterproof/fireproof/throw-off-a-three-story-building proof case for my ridic expensive phone, however…it won’t fit.  I am a little glad (just a little) because I just happened to receive the most amazing clutch as a present.  It is a wallet/clutch, holds everything I need and more, and I promise you people stop me on the streets (in unfriendly Boston) to say “I love this bag where did you get it??”

My second must-have bag is a messenger/crossbody.  Whether I am schlepping books back to the library or just meeting a friend — I grow weary of holding something when walking miles.  Both of my beloved messengers are of the vintage persuasion (ummm I bought them in high school), and I would love a Vera Bradley Hipster (hmmm…), but if I were buying a messenger right now it would be some sort of distressed leather number. 

My final must-have bag is a go-everywhere tote.  I was equally fortunate in this respect as I received the most gorgeous leather bag from the incredibly generous McDonald family.  It has a padded sleeve for a laptop (or my iPad!), a ID case, tons of organizing pockets…it is everything you could want in a day bag.  I cannot even begin to search for one that is similar on the Internet.  The key things to look for here are comfort, classic style, and durability.  My vote?

Accessory Three:  Jewelry

My biggest jewelry rule is this:  Three pieces maximum.  Seriously.  Don’t be one of those — big earrings, statement necklace, watch, bracelet, three rings kind of girls.  Just don’t.  If you are married then okay, you can have a left hand ring and a right hand ring.  If you are decidedly single and loving it, buy your own damn right hand ring. 

I will stress it again here — quality over quantity.  You don’t need eighteen necklaces from Forever 21.  Chill out.  I would actually avoid buying jewelry from places like Forever 21 with the exception of something you are going to wear once or is super trendy and you’ll never wear more than for a season (like those hideous Lucite bracelets). 

Where to Buy Jewelry:

My favorite place to find jewelry?  Well…I have two.  I love buying jewelry on vacation from locals — the little Portuguese woman selling homemade bracelets or Chinese man selling charm necklaces?  SOLD.  I actually had a wonderfully tiny key necklace that I bought at Pike’s Place Market and wore every single day for years…I lost it in a break-up (don’t ask) but my point is the thing was BOSS…and I have yet to see one so awesome in all the years since (and trust me, I’ve looked).  Most jewelry in this context is not expensive, but it is incredibly unique and if you are choosy, very durable.  Plus you get so many compliments on it.  I have two necklaces — one from Exuma and one from an ashram in India (it is actually a japamala but whatev) that people brought back for me.  You don’t have to be the one traveling — ask your wanderlusting friend to bring you something back!   

The second great place to buy jewelry is anchor stores — think Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s.  Often they have sales and rarely are the pieces you want over $50 (unless your are chilling in the David Yurman section but don’t do that…everyone wears it and you want to be unique).  I have gotten some wonderful pieces that are still standing the test of time and again, that I get lots of compliments on. 

If neither of these options are available for whatever reason, why not scour Etsy?  There are great handmade and vintage pieces to be found there for every price-point and style. 

Specific Pieces

I hesitate to show specific jewelry because it is such a personal thing.  You wouldn’t think so, but buying jewelry for someone is a hell of a lot harder than buying say, a shirt.  The main thing I would advise you against is fake jewels — there is no shame in not being able to afford diamonds and pearls.  But don’t be that girl with big-ass cubic zirconia in her ears…just don’t.  A few pieces you might consider investing in?

1)  A Statement Necklace — it instantly dresses up your most basic t-shirt or dress and is such a conversation piece.  I only advise that you don’t go for a weird color unless you wear lots of neutrals.  That turquoise charmer looks beautiful on the rack but if most of your clothes are purple and olive green you won’t have very many occasions to wear it.  I have found great ones at places like Banana Republic.

2.  A Summer Scarf — if you are not a scarf person, ignore this.  But scarves can add personality to the most basic pieces (like the tanks my mom found on sale for THREE DOLLARS at the Gap).  I advise against wearing a scarf and necklace at the same time, unless it is a winter scarf that you are using to ward off the cold and take off once inside.  If you wear lots of color you might try a basic scarf/shawl in cream or black.  I once found a great one (still have it) at a random airport for $12!  It is cozy, big, and so so soft.  If you want something with a bit more punch, why not try a two-toned scarf.  You know the ones that look like two scarves but are really one. 

3) A Few Everyday Pieces — what they are depends largely on you.  My everyday pieces are a menswear watch, a classic ring, and a key necklace.  Yours may be a leather cuff or pearl drop earrings.  Maybe you aren’t an accessories girl at all (though you should be — they amp up an outfit).  Look at your go to items (again…you shouldn’t tire of this activity you LOVE those pieces!) and ask what would work best with them.  Maybe it is a peacock feather headband (must get around to buying one IMMEDIATELY ), maybe it is a long strand of pearls.  Don’t be afraid to not buy jewelry until you find something you love.

Spill it ladies:  What is on your must-have list?  Shoes, Bags, and Jewelry I know you love talking about them.  What is your style here?  Where do you shop?

 

Mastering the Art of the T-Shirt

Last modified on 2010-08-18 03:05:59 GMT. 9 comments. Top.

Mastering the art of the t-shirt, you say?  Aren’t they self-explanatory?  No no mon cheri!  First off, those things you get for free at sporting events and at school promotions?  Those are not t-shirts.  I mean, I guess technically those are t-shirts but you should not wear them anywhere.  Maybe the gym.  Maybe to sleep.  Or to paint/do household chores.  Do not wear those shirts out in real life.

So now that you know what is not acceptable, you should know that the right kinds of t-shirts are perfectly acceptable to wear for lots of things (I spoke of my love of them under a blazer a few weeks back). 

What the Perfect T-shirt IS:

• thin — not so thin that you must wear a second shirt underneath, but very thin.
• soft — none of that cheap stiff cotton that free shirts often contain
• fitted — it should flatter your figure, not make you look shapeless

Ladies, it can be over-sized if you are belting it and wearing it as a dress with leggings (or without leggings, no judgement).  A t-shirt needn’t be expensive.  For girls it is more about the cut and the way it flatters your body anyhow.  Guys by all means wear V-necks, but for Christsake shave your chest — you are not a hobbit.

 If you are into brands or novelty tees, then you will want to be a bit more picky — don’t buy a t-shirt from American Eagle, as you will see eight other people wearing it the same day you are.  But there also is no need to buy a $250 tee from The Row — that is ludicrous. 

Some examples?  Ladies first.

And for the men in my life:

Love most all of these.

Let’s chat.  Adoring any of these shirts?  Have a favorite brand or particular tee I missed?  Think any of them are hideous?

Black Tie Optional: The Dress Code, Part Two

Last modified on 2010-08-17 20:44:36 GMT. 2 comments. Top.

Back again with the dress code for men.  The original dress code I spoke of tends to be more of a girl thing in the South.  The guys there have an alternate problem — they refuse to dress unlike anyone else.  Seriously.  It’s all Lucky Brand jeans, Diesel shoes, and Ralph Lauren polos or button-downs.  None of those are awful in and of themselves (except maybe the Diesel shoes…HELLO 2002), but a little variety never hurt anyone right?  The opposite end of the spectrum are the kids who buy nothing if it did not come from Hot Topic or Pacific Sunwear.  The Boston guys who do have style have definitely been a breath of fresh air, though let us not forget laundry boy.  We’re covering three of the four topics the girls had:  Lounging, Date Night, and Semi-Formal.  We covered a lot of office wear yesterday in the general guidelines, so just for you we are adding a fourth category that guys SO often get wrong:  Accessories.  Ready to get started??

Scenario One:  Kicking Back

You’ve had a hard week brokering deals, patiently listening to nasty clients, or (god forbid) doing manual labor.  Now you want to chill out, maybe watch TV, drink a beer or two…sweet.  Or maybe you are actually leaving your house but cannot be bothered to put on real clothes.  No worries.  But there are still a few rules.

Scenario One, Rule One:  You Are Not LeBron (So Quit Dressing Like Him)

There is no need for sports jerseys of any type.  Are you about to go on TV and play basketball? Football?  Soccer?  No…so leave the jersey at home.  You can wear basketball shorts but again…are you going to the gym?  Why not invest in some comfortable pieces that actually look good on you.  You’ll notice the absence of t-shirts on here as we are discussing them in full tomorrow morning.

Scenario Two:  Date Night

You’ve been lounging, but now you are ready to go out.  Maybe you have a hot date, maybe you are meeting some friends at a local bar to watch the game…either way you want to look your best.  You never know who you might see.  As I told the girls earlier, dress like you.  If the dressiest you get is a polo, then wear the polo.  If you would never be caught dead in chinos, don’t start now.  This is about looking like the best version of you.  Some ideas?

Scenario Three:  Semi-Formal

Unfortunately, sometimes you have to wear clothes that just are not you and semi-formal attire is one of them.  If you hate ties and can get by in a suit with no tie and chucks (Hey Cam!), do it!  But do not not wear a tuxedo when the invitation clearly states they are required.  Oh and one other thing — do not, under any circumstances, wear just a tie and a button-down — you look like an idiot.  Go put on a jacket please and thank you.

Addendum:  Accessories

Do them right and accessories look amazing.  But we have all seen the guy with the puka shell necklace — don’t be him.  We’ll discuss a little bit of jewelry, then go into ties, scarves, and bags.

Addendum Rule One:  Don’t Be A Label Whore

We should know your scarf is Hermes by the cut or distinctive style, not because it has Hermes written on it in three-inch tall letters.  Most items emblazoned with the designer’s name are meant for sorry sops who think it makes them cool — don’t be that guy!  You can, of course, have an emblem.  We all know the little man on a horse is Ralph Lauren’s symbol, and you would drive yourself crazy trying to find accessories with NO mark on them.  Just don’t be ostentatious.  And if you are determined to be ostentatious with a particular brand, stick to that brand.  Don’t bust out the big-ass LV monogrammed wallet while your belt sports a huge G and your shirt’s front is covered with the words “Emporio Armani.” 

Addendum Rule Two:  Pick Three

Don’t wear a watch, cuff links, ring, necklace, and scarf all in the same outfit.  Pick three pieces (or less if you would like) and let it go.  And unless it is just for the biting wind outside, do not wear a tie and a scarf at once.  If you are not particularly stylish, you cannot go wrong with a watch and a good pair of cuff links.  They do not have to be expensive, just the same metal.  You might try places like Overstock or Bluefly for deals on certain brands, and Etsy for one-of-a-kind cuff links.

Addendum Rule Three:  Don’t be Ridiculous!

When it comes to anything, but I am particularly talking ties here.  Don’t give in to the Mickey Mouse tie or the five inch wide seventies throw-back number.  Just dont. 

Addendum Rule Four:  The Art of the Man-Bag

Repeat after me:  I will not wear a man-purse.  K thanks.  That said, I understand that you have stuff to carry around as well and you may not be a briefcase kind of guy.  No worries!  There are two other types of bags.

Rule Four, Type One:  The Backpack

If you can swing it, go for a luxury brand (like Tumi).  If you can’t, no worries.  If you want to be quirky and carry the Jansport you have had since ninth grade, do it!  But if not, try North Face, LLBean, and Land’s End for some adult-worthy packs. 

Rule Four, Type Two:  The Messenger Bag

The biggest rule for this type of bag concerns its size — you are a man don’t walk around with what could be considered a girl’s cross-body bag!  Go for canvas if you want, but distressed leather looks super sleek. 

Okay guys, any scenarios I left off?  Any go-to outfits for the above scenarios?  I’d love to know!

Black Tie Optional: The Dress Code

Last modified on 2010-08-17 16:18:28 GMT. 5 comments. Top.

One of the greatest differences between the North and the South is the dress code.  It is unspoken, but it exists.  In the Deep South, generally speaking, we go nowhere (not even the gym) without first “cleaning up.”  For the low maintenance among us this may simply be putting on a bit of eyeliner.  For the high maintenance this means going nowhere without first showering, blowing out our hair, and getting paparazzi ready.  In the Northeast, you are lucky if people’s clothing matches, let alone if it looks cute.  That sounds harsh but…it is true.  I went to wash my comforter the other day and there was an admittedly cute guy in a Florida orange baseball cap, a pale pink t-shirt, white rubber flip-flops, and thin gray shorts that were so thin and short they might as well have been boxers.  I have a photo, but the laundromat is terribly close to my house and if he happens to be a reader (or the friend of a reader)…this feels a little too Mean Girls for my tastes.  It is a fairly accurate picture to paint of my Boston fellows, however.

Today for Style Week, we are going to attempt a happy balance between these two cultures.  I don’t want you wearing bump-its and perfume to the gym…actually, I don’t want you to wear a bump-it EVER.  But I also think the Northeastern bar needs to be raised just a bit.  We’ll cover four different scenarios with a separate post for guys (of course).  None of these require spending money, but if after you feel the urge to go shopping, at least follow My Number One Style Rule first, and keep those things in mind as you shop.  Alright my lady lovelies, shall we begin?

Scenario One:  The Office

Largely this will depend on your office dress code.  Maybe you work for a music label and can go very fashionista (lucky girl), maybe you work from home and can work in whatever clothes you would like (or none at all), or maybe your office is super-strict.  The office I have in mind is your typical one — business casual.  Jeans on Friday but not on other days, but full-on suits are not required. 

Scenario One, Rule One:  You Do Not Have To Dress Like Hillary

You are young, fabulous, and you will be stylish.  You can be office-appropriate without looking like this.  Actually, my goal is to make you look office appropriate in a way that you want to wear your work clothes after work for cocktails, dinner, maybe even a date. 

Scenario One, Rule Two:  Dress For the Job You Want, Not the Job You Have

I take this rule all the way into the classroom and it has done nothing but helped me.  Yes, I’m a broke-ass student but this does not give me the right to wear pajama pants to my 2 PM lecture.  The job I want?  Tenured professor.  Even at my last job, which was the most casual place in the world, I dressed nicer than the owner 90% of the time.  Take pride in your appearance!  You don’t have to wear pageant make-up and perfect hair, but at the very least put on a bit of mascara and wear a low side-ponytail instead of a balled up mess at the crown of your head.

Scenario One:  The Fun Stuff

Okay so we know basic rules, but what about real life examples?  Remember yesterday when you realized what types of pants, skirts, and dresses flatter you?  Buy them in at least two colors.  I have two pairs of slim-fit black pants that I live in for work.  I also have four or five skirts in structured fabrics, and lots of dresses that are either office-appropriate or can be made office-appropriate with tights and/or a jacket. 

As for tops, it depends.  If you are wearing a jacket, you can probably get away with a tank underneath or perhaps a t-shirt (don’t wear one until tomorrow when we discuss the art of the t-shirt though).  If you need something dressier, try a silk top, or more of a blouse.  If you are not wearing a jacket, just wear the silk or blousy type tops.

For shoes stick with dressy flats or heels.  Save the Toms and Chucks for the weekend. 

Scenario Two:  Kicking Back

It might seem that I have a problem with lounge clothes due to my inability to wear gym clothes outside of the gym…I actually don’t.  I just do not see a purpose in looking like a hot mess.  Who knows who I will see even on my jaunt around the block with the dog (everyone loves bulldogs).  Plus it just makes me physically uncomfortable.  That said, even I like to take a break from my wardrobe now and again.  Here is how to do it without looking like you escaped from a house fire with nothing but a field day tee from 5th grade and your older brother’s sweat pants.

Scenario Two, Rule One:  Slim Cuts Are Your Friends.

I love a pair of men’s basketball shorts as much as the next girl, but you will NEVER see me wearing them outside of the bedroom.  Same with oversized hoodies.  Just…don’t.

Scenario Two, Rule Two:  If You Are Going to Slum It, At Least Invest In Cute Pieces.

No, I don’t mean velour tracksuits…gross.  Try the Victoria Secret PINK collection, Lululemon Athletica, American Eagle’s aerie collection, or Gap body for some comfortable pieces that look fabulous.

Scenario Three:  Date Night

So you finished the work week, lounged all day Saturday but now you have a date with the hottie from down the street.  What the heck will you wearing!?  Not to worry my doll, I have you covered.  Date night is a delicate balance — you want to be girly without sending the vibe “I’m as high-maintenance as Blair Waldorf” (close…very close), you want to show your style without him saying “WTF is she wearing??” but you also want to be comfortable.  For time’s sake, let us assume you aren’t doing something like Sky Diving or State Fairing on this date.  Dinner, movie, comedy club, bowling, museums, concert — you are covered.

Scenario Three, Rule One:  I WILL Dress Like Myself

If you are never caught dead in a dress, don’t start now!  Not only will you be insanely uncomfortable, but you won’t be you.  We all show our best side at the beginning of a relationship, but you still have to be you.  Likewise, if you hate the outdoors (ummm I do!) speak up if he suggests you go fishing or something equally outrageous!  And don’t run out and buy a pair of chucks because you saw him wearing them.  Be yourself and dress your style.

Scenario Two, Rule Two:  Think Go-Tos

You know you look great in them, you feel great in them…that confidence will shine through.  If heels are at all on your go-to list by all means wear them — they are an instant confidence booster.  But if your go-to list includes boot cut jeans and Toms — wear that. 

Scenario Three:  The Fun Stuff

But sometimes date night is a great excuse to go shopping and I completely understand that.  I cannot stress the power of great fitting, dark wash skinny jeans and a top that looks like you just threw it on (especially if it falls a little off your shoulder).  Low-key dresses are great too — like a t-shirt dress.  If you dress way dressier than this every day, why not try a cute pair of cigarette pants and a silk top?  A little black dress is always a win as well.  Some ideas?

Scenario Four:  Semi-Formal

It may be a wedding, it may be a ridiculously expensive restaurant, or the theatre, but we all have occasions where everyday clothes just won’t do.  I love these occasions because they don’t come around very often, but I also hate them because I usually end up spending money.  Not so much anymore.

Scenario Four, Rule One:  Borrow If You Can

Sites like Rent the Runaway are famazing — designer duds at a fraction of the cost, and they send you two sizes in case one doesn’t work.  I highly recommend it.  You can also borrow from a friend — I cannot tell you how many formal dresses my sister and I amassed between the two of us — and we were always happy to let people borrow them.  Often dresses are more forgiving then say, jeans so even if your friend is built differently the dress may work for both of you.

Scenario Four, Rule Two:  Shop Your Closet First

Sometimes a dress that seems casual hanging in your closet can be dressed up with killer heels, sparkly jewelry, and a shawl, scarf, or cardigan.  Make sure you don’t have something that will work before you go out and spend money.  And of course a friend might have those killer heels, jewelry, etc. for you to borrow!  This is about looking fabulous, not going into debt.

 

Alright ladies, any scenarios that I missed?  Any pieces you are dying to buy now?  What do YOU wear for any of these scenarios?

General Rules of Thumb: Men’s Edition

Last modified on 2010-08-16 15:45:03 GMT. 5 comments. Top.

Hey guys!  I know that this theme week is a little girly for you, but I will do my best to include guy-friendly topics — don’t desert the blog just yet!

Let’s start with some general guidelines.  You will find that these are more geared to white-collar work wear, but many apply to other occasions as well. I used to make a list for my dad about once a year — come to think of it he probably needs a new one! You don’t want to look like everyone else and I understand that, but you also needn’t look like a fool. We will go more into particulars and different styles later, but for now let’s speak generally.

Rule One:  Short sleeved button downs should have never been invented — period.

Unless you want to look like a used car salesman do not wear them, ever (even if you are a used car salesman). Short sleeved t-shirts and polos are absolutely acceptable, just not a button down.  If it is hot outside try a lightweight fabric and roll up the sleeves. Work in an office and this is not an option? Be a big boy and bear the heat — it will be cool inside.

 Rule Two:  Match Your Belt to Your Shoes

If you can get a legitimate matching set them by all means do it, but you needn’t have money to follow this rule- just make sure the leathers are the same color. If you are going cas with chucks or something similar, why not forgo a belt altogether? If this seems unbearable then try a canvas belt, or a casual leather one in a coordinating color.

Rule Three:  Socks Match the Color of Your Pants — Always.

Khaki socks with khaki pants, black socks with black pants, etc. Feel free to wear a patterned sock if that’s your style (I love it on guys) but make certain the dominate color on the socks match your pants. The only occasion for white socks is with athletic shoes and even then they should be either no show or hit below your ankle bone — trust me on this one.

Rule Four:  The Color Guide

These are not hard and fast rules, but when in doubt return to them and you will always look dashing.  Dark colored pants look best with rich saturated hues, while light colors look best with most colors, though sherbet colors in spring and summer look amazing.

Black pants look best with rich jewel tones – cobalt, crimson, and emerald are my favorites but they look equally as awesome with white or gray shirts. You can wear washed out colors but I advise against it.  Pale hues are best left to khaki or perhaps navy.

Navy pants are your best friend if you have a hard time matching, as they looks dashing with almost every color.  Try white for a crisp look or jewel tones to stand out.  You can also wear pastels such as mint, lavender, or goldenrod. 

Khaki and white pants look best with color on top – stay away from white shirts here.  You could pair them with black or navy, but in spring and summer they look wonderful with sherbet colors on top.

Awkward color pants (olive green, my beloved nantuckets) are standing out as it is, so now is not the best time to try out that cerulean Hugo Boss shirt. I find olive pants look stunning with a chocolate brown shirt or yellow. Pair nantuckets and other weird shades with rich navy, white, or chocolate.

Unless you are confident in your abilities or have a personal stylist on hand, you might want to leave monochromatic looks alone. They look best in neutrals and only if the shades are an exact match, or strikingly different (charcoal top, dove pants). Add in one accent color or mix it up with patterns. Speaking of which…

Rule Five:  A Word on Patterns

I love a good pattern on pattern but much like monochromatic looks, it is so easy to mess up. Your best bet is to head to your favorite personal shopper (or hire me!) and let them help you. You’ll want to have the predominant color matching to be WOW instead of WTF.

Just want to introduce a bit of pattern? No worries! The easiest is pinstripe – in addition to being fabulous it reads like a solid, so you can hardly mess it up. Checks and plaids are a bit more difficult- either go for buffalo plaid (see below) or small prints. A classic ghingam is a good choice. Also stick to certain colors. One will most certainly look like Farmer Dell in maroon or hunter green plaid. Go for black and white, navy and white, or go a little edgier with bolder colors, but anchor them with a neutral. When in it doubt find the most honest girl (with good style!) that you know– she will set you straight!

Want to wear polka dots but don’t want to look like a tool? Wear them on your tie — too much will look clownish, as will dots that are too big.  If you want them on a shirt you might try shadow-dots (that tone-on-tone look). 

Stripes look best vertically on a button down and horizontal on a tee or polo.  Why? I have no idea…I don’t question the truth.  Keep your vertical stripes at 1/4″ max and your horizontal stripes at 2″ max.

So there you have it my loves – some guidelines for dressing.  Later in the week we will be discussing men’s accessories (scarves, hats, ties, bags, jewelry) so be sure to check back.

Any guidelines I missed?  Any rules you don’t agree with?  Where do you shop?  I’m so curious!

My Number One Style Rule

Last modified on 2010-08-16 03:38:56 GMT. 4 comments. Top.

I often get asked to either help people shop or blatantly dress them.  My style is something I have carefully cultivated but I have never spent more than ten minutes throwing together an outfit or more than fifteen deciding what I will take into the dressing room of an average sized store.  The trick?  Know Yourself!

I can tell you that I have an overall gamine style with a touch of equestrian and a hefty dose of eclecticism.  What!?  Who defines themselves in such cut and dried terms?  Well…me.  And a lot of other people.  But don’t fret if you cannot think of a single word or style that describes you.  And don’t think I am too terribly self-absorbed (you would only be half-right)…there was a time as plenty who knew me can attest, when I thought Doc Martens were cool, and another in the not so distant past when my uniform was jeans, a hoodie, and bedhead (it was everyone’s…I wasn’t the only loser). Proof?

So…on to the steps, yes?

Step One:  Shop Your Closet

Pull out your very favorite items — the ones you feel amazing in, the ones people tellyou you look amazing in.  Not what you “should” love because you paid $200 for it, not something you “love” but never seem to wear.  We are talking your go-to items here.  Have them all spread across the bed?  Perfect, these should give you some hints.  Look for patterns.  Do you gravitate towards certain colors (or no colors)?  Do you love florals but hate stripes?  Are you into blousy, gauzy fabrics and cuts or sleek structured ones?

Because I have hard and fast answers to all of the above I can rule out 80% of a store with a cursory glance.  It is not about if an item is ‘too cute!’ it is about being you.  Want my patterns as an example?

Step Two:  Know Your Body

“Ugh but I hate my body.”  Shut it.  I have a ridiculous body shape — long thin limbs with linebacker shoulders and a short waist but 1) you can tweak your body (80% of what you look like is how you eat: eat shit, look like shit) and 2)  if you dress for the body you have you will look and feel your absolute best.

Because I know my body, I wear sleek, slim lines.  I am on the shorter side, so my shorts, skirts, and dresses hit a bit short.  My tops are fitted and cut longer to lengthen my lack-of-a-waist.  Knowing your body is half the battle.  You will never see me in an empire waist or something loose without a belt because loose clothes look bad on me. 

Are you super pear-shaped?  You are going to look your best in A-line skirts and wrap dresses to skim over your hips. 

Shaped kind of like a golf-tee?  Do not wear spaghetti straps, but tanks are your best friend — they flatter your super defined shoulders.

NO curves to speak of? Lucky, lucky girl — you can wear tierred clothes and exagerrated details to your heart’s content (like tulip skirts!). 

Guys — this is more of a girl’s topic, fretting about your body, but I know you do it too so I have a few guidelines.

1.  Pleats will make you look bigger (and uh, lamer).

2.  Shorts look best when they hit right above your knee and pants should stop 1/2″-1″ from the floor when standing (it is preference).

3.  Top of the tie hits the top of the belt.

4.  Don’t pop your collar if you don’t have a neck — I kid, I kid but no really don’t.  There are just so many more rules for girls.  You naturally look famazing in slim-cut jeans but don’t go too slim or you will look like homeboy.

Step Three:  Be Realistic!

I cannot stress this enough.  You know your go-to pieces, you know your body, now be realistic when you shop.  The polka dot shirt is going to stay in your closet because you can’t pull off polka dots.  You’ll wear the empire waist dress once and never again because someone took a picture and you looked fat.  Or whatever your “rules” are.  Look at what flatters your body, look at what you wear repeatedly and shop accordingly.  You will never ever ever see me in anything remotely bohemian.  I feel ridiculous, I look ridiculous…it just is not me.  My sister on the other hand, throws on a paisley print and lets her hair stay wavy and she looks like she stepped out of a Woodstock photo.  Seriously, look.  All she needs is a goofy forehead headband. 

Know your go-to pieces, know your body, and be realistic and you will have a defined style.  Still don’t know quite where to start?  Try cutting pictures out of magazines and make a inspiration board.  Maybe certain colors appeal to you, maybe a general theme (sailing, anyone?), maybe an entire outfit.  It sounds kind of ridiculous, and I guess it is a bit of a rainy-Sunday-afternoon kind of activity but the more you know yourself and your likes, the better you’ll shop and the better your style.

Let’s talk:  What’s YOUR style?  Do you only wear certain colors or cuts? Do you look awesome in everything (I’m jealous)? 

“Fashions Fade, Style is Eternal” — Yves Saint Laurent

Last modified on 2012-10-01 20:40:11 GMT. 1 comment. Top.

My dears New York’s Fashion Week is not for a few weeks but as the dear YSL says, we should be after style anyhow.  With the changing of the season and back-to-school advertisements showing up everywhere, I thought it would be a great time for a theme week — how to have style (and not spend your life savings).  We will talk general guidelines (for guys and girls), how to pull off different looks (looking at you man-purse and you plaid cape), and how to develop your own style.  My southern brethren know the fall clothes don’t really come out of the closet until early November, when the temperatures finally dip below 80, but my northern loves are already noting the temperature drops.  I for one am more excited than you could possibly know to not have to skillfully dress in-season without sweating my ass off — we have an Autumn in Mass!

And so we are off — first stop, my number one style rule.

Anything you want to see during style week?  Girl-specific, guy-specific, age-specific…let me know!

Design On A Dime

Last modified on 2010-08-03 23:49:30 GMT. 2 comments. Top.

We have already discussed how much I love to shop — my love for home decor is just as strong as my love for clothes.  Perhaps because home decor can be so much more expensive (it is way easier to splurge on a $100 top than a $900 couch), I tend to spend my money in clothing.  But I want a cute home as well, so I had to find ways for it to look cute without spending tons of money.  Keep in mind that I am not crafty, so nothing you see here was made by me — I literally picked it up off the shelf and brought it to the register.

Tricks for Finding Cute Home Decor

Trick One:  Keep Your Eyes Open

Cute decor items can be found in the unlikeliest of places.  I do not mean garage sales, in someone else’s garbage pick-up, or at Goodwill, though I know plenty of people who have found amazing things in all of the above.  Just keep your eyes open in general.  Example?

Want to know where I found it?  In the Christmas section of Michael’s Arts and Crafts for $19.  There is nothing remotely Christmassy about this wreath but who cares?  I once went into a chi-chi home design boutique only to discover they were going out of business and everything was dirt-cheap.  I bought a $50 picture frame for $12 and a $20 candle stand for $3.  Bargains are out there, you just have to scout around.

Trick Two:  Head to your local T.J.Maxx, Marshall’s, Ross

Call me snobby but I would not be caught dead in these stores usually.  It isn’t that I feel above them so much as I don’t like to dig.  I would rather pay full-price for the Michael Kors purse than dig for half an hour at TJMaxx for a factory-second.  But whatever.  If you shop there then you are already in a perfect store for home decor!  For some reason, their home goods are way more organized.  I have dug for nothing.  And I always come away with awesomeness.  My favorite secret bargain-spot?  Burlington Coat Factory!  Seriously.  I had never been in one before but my aunt told me to check out their Home Goods and I was literally awe-struck.  My best find?:

This piece costed me a mere $30

Trick Three:  Once a month Hobby Lobby has “wall decor” on sale for 50% off:

No coupon needed.  The trick here is not blowing your entire pay-check.  You think, “Oh but it is only $7! And this one is only $25!” and eighteen items later cannot buy food for the next three weeks.  Think about what you actually need and what matches what you already have.  The red and black artwork will do you no good if all of your existing decor is olive and brown. Some favorite finds?

  Trick Four:  Small Unique Pieces can be Grouped to Make a Masterpiece

A lot of small pieces seem silly on their own (and who wants a bunch of cluttery knick-knacks lying about?) but if you have a place to showcase them, do it!  A lot of times I see little items I love and even at more expensive stores (looking at you Restoration Hardware and home goods boutiques) they are affordable because they are not gigantic.  You can also scour online stores like Etsy for cool vintage finds. 

 

Any budding (and budget) interior designers out there? Where have you found great items for cheap?  Any tips for us? I would love to hear!

If You Buy One Article of Clothing…

Last modified on 2010-08-02 20:06:24 GMT. 2 comments. Top.

…make it a great-fitting blazer!  This is a unisex post as both guys’ and girls’ looks are instantly enhanced by a blazer.  They take the most basic of outfits and make them unique, as well as tie together pieces that are nothing out of the ordinary.  With so many options, this is definitely not half of Hilary Clinton’s famous pantsuits, or a look straight out of Corporate.  Blazers can be edgy, eclectic, or professional.  I know I sound like an infomercial, but I cannot express the importance of the humble blazer.  They can be a little difficult to get right but not to worry I am here to help.

Step One:  It is All About the Fit

An ill-fitting blazer will do you no good as once you see yourself in a few pictures, you will never wear it again.  The right blazer hits about a half-inch past your wrists and tapers a bit at the waist.  Make sure you can button it comfortably, but you do not want a bunch of extra room, nor do you want the buttons to pull.  For girls, the blazer should hit at the intersection of your hip and leg bone for the most flattering cut.  Guys aim that same intersection, or  up to eight inches below it depending on your height and build.  If you are long and lean go more eight inches, short and stocky more for the intersection. 

Step Two:  Look at Your Current Wardrobe

If you are buying one blazer, keep it basic.  Take stock of the clothes in your closet then pick a neutral color that matches most items.  My most basic blazer is the black with cream piping I showcased in the travel section.  You can buy one with a special touch or two (piping, a small pattern, a printed lining) but remember that it is easier to add personality than it is to remove it. 

Step Three:  Where Will You Be Wearing the Blazer?

You should also keep in mind where you will be wearing the blazer.  The frayed edges and uneven stitching might look cool in Armani Exchange, but if you need a blazer primarily for work or interview settings it might not be appropriate.  On the flip-side if you live in a warm-weather climate, do not give in to the woolen schoolboy blazer; pick something in linen or seersucker.

Some choices?

Guys:

In general, guys look amazing in blazers.  Add thick-rimmed glasses and slightly shaggy hair and I’ll be envisioning the Tiffany engagement ring you’ll give to me and planning our wedding in my head (don’t worry…it is about eight years away doll).  Seriously though, blazers can make a $10 cotton tee and old pair of blue jeans into a legit outfit.  Check out my top three choices below.

Then there are the guys who like to be a bit different.  Not to worry, I am the same way and I have just the blazer for you.  This would look awesome with a pair of high-top Chucks.

Finally, we have the classic blazer.  Safe enough for the office, but suitable for the weekend, this is your go-everywhere blazer.  My pick?

Girls:

Okay ladies, your turn.  The great thing about women’s blazers is you can find awesome blazers for so much cheaper than men can.  I think because it is such a classic piece for a man but for women it is a little hard to pull off.  My top three picks, as follows.

So you want a blazer with a bit more?  Me too.  I’m loving this jacket.   You could dress it up or dress it down…pretty much take it anywhere.

And finally, the classic.  This jacket is SFW, but can be worn anywhere.  Not pantsuity at all, but still structured enough for even the most conservative of audiences.

Have I convinced you to buy a blazer?  I know I’ve convinced myself that I need some of these, and I have plenty of blazers.  Which one of the above is your favorite and if you have a favorite at home, where is it from? I’d love to know!

Balancing Act: The Fleur-de-Lis

Last modified on 2010-07-28 19:29:29 GMT. 5 comments. Top.

I think I mentioned earlier that in Louisiana if I saw one more fleur-de-lis I would probably vomit?  That sounds dramatic but you must understand, this is what I was dealing with:

 In addition to clothing (and please, let’s talk about the tiger eye fleur-de-lis another time before I develop a migraine), fleur-de-lis design has also invaded home decor.  You know I love individuality but again, there is a balance.

So now that I have all of my Louisianians in an uproar because both of the above are “precious” and all my Northerners rolling on the floor laughing at the ridiculousness of all of the above, let’s talk about some acceptable ways to wear fleur-de-lis.

Style One: On Your Person

There are probably some non-bedazzled fleur-de-lis clothes out there that are really quite classy.  I have seen none but granted, I do not scour the Internet for this stuff.  The easiest way to add some Louisiana charm to your person without looking ridiculous is jewelry.  DON’T wear rhinestone fleur-de-lis jewelry either…just don’t.  I’ll show two options for guys and two for girls.

Cuff-links are the perfect way to show your Southern charm without being over-the-top.  They are an instant conversation piece and great for business executives.  But maybe you are not a business executive and maybe, like my brother Cameron, you think everything on my blog is entirely too preppy.  Not to worry, I have the fleur-de-lis piece for you.  It is from King Baby Studio which calls itself “half rock-and-roll, half outlaw-biker.  For the Chosen Few.”  That would be Cameron in a nutshell.  They sell it at Neiman Marcus, or you can order directly from their website.

For The Ladies:

 Alright ladies, your turn.  The main trick here is to keep it simple.  No rhinestones (no real stones either), no GIANT fleur-de-lis.  Just a nod.  As always, Tiffany is after my heart with the following fleur-de-lis from their key collection:

A more affordable option comes from classic southern jeweler James Avery. 

Another option is earrings or a ring.  Again, go with classic lines and nothing too big.  This ring comes from French Quarter Market and retails for about $75.

Style Two:  In Your Home

I have seen entire homes decorated in fleur-de-lis and it is not pretty.  I am going to go out on a limb here and put it on par with say, devoting a room to your favorite sports team.  Just do not do it.  But I also understand wanting to add a bit of fleur-de-lis to your adobe.  The trick here is to sprinkle it, not pour it.  One of my favorites?  The wall decal.

A second option for your home is to use fleur-de-lis as an accent but this is immediately followed by DON’T BE RIDICULOUS.  Fleur-de-lis does not work as a theme like say, roosters in a kitchen.  Just don’t.  But if you must add fleur-de-lis to your home, pick one to two accent pieces and again, keep them small and simple.  Some ideas?

So there you have it, how to use the fleur-de-lis without looking like a hot mess or a tool.  Most things you can never have too much of but use or wear too much fleur-de-lis and you’ll quickly find yourself the subject of a G&O song, like below.  PS it is NSFW.

How are we feeling about the fleur-de-lis ideas I listed?  Have more?  Sick of the Garfunkel and Oates videos or love them?  I’d love to hear!

Summer Staples: The Boyfriend Jeans

Last modified on 2010-07-26 20:54:19 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

If you are a guy reading this, it will be pretty much irrelevant as all your jeans by definition are boyfriend jeans.  But ladies, listen up!  The boyfriend jean can be your best friend.  Katie Holmes started this trend (like it or not, she totally did) by wearing LEGITIMATE boyfriend jeans and being snapped by paparazzi, then hitting all the tabloids.

When I first saw this picture I was not sold on the jean-trend whatsoever.  I actually thought it would turn into something like the high-waisted jean trend – cute on the runway, but you look like a hippo in real life (Oh hey there Jess Simpson).  I did love her haircut though, so I definitely took this picture to my stylist and am still rocking it.

But I digress.  Boyfriend jeans really do look good on everyone, provided you know how to style them.

Rule One:  Buy Actual Boyfriend Jeans…Do Not Borrow Your Boyfriend’s Jeans

See Katie above…it just does not work.  Boyfriend jeans made for women are meant to flatter a woman’s body, while making it look like she just threw on an old pair of her boyfriend’s jeans.  It is similar to the no-makeup trend.  You still wear make-up.  The point is to look effortless, not be effortless.

Rule Two:  Go To The Extremes

Boyfriend jeans look great styled one of two ways, both extremes. 

          Rule 2.1:  The Boyfriend Look

Make no mistake, we are not looking for androgyny here.  And if I can pull it off with short hair, you most definitely can pull it off.  The trick is fitted clothes elsewhere.  A slim-fit Tee shirt, tucked in with a thin leather belt, or left out, with sneakers and a menswear watch look cute without looking  tooboyish.  Also, remember — we do not wear athletic shoes except for at the gym, so do not try to pull off boyfriend jeans with your New Balances.  Stick to “sneakers” i.e. Chuck Taylors, Toms, or Keds.

You can also go boyish, but in a more feminine way, with a V-neck top, a cute necklace or scarf, and gladiator sandals.  Still effortless, still comfy, but no androgyny here.

 Rule 2.2:  The Girly Look

I tend to wear my boyfriend jeans boyfriendy and save my more feminine looks for skinny jeans, but this combination just might have changed my mind.  Lots of women pair their boyfriend jeans with chunky heels and a dressy, floral top.  I do not wear florals (ever) so that won’t work but here is a more feminine look for those who are convinced they cannot wear this style.

 

I know it seems a little unlikely, but nearly every woman looks fabulous in boyfriend jeans.  You would think they make you look bigger because they are baggy, but as long as you watch the rest of your proportions they actually look incredibly flattering.  My favorite thing about boyfriend jeans?  They are not entirely mainstreamed so unlike, say the latest American Eagle shirt, you won’t see ten other girls wearing them every time you leave your house.

xoxo

Do You Wear Boyfriend Jeans?  How Do You Style Them?  I’d Love to Hear!

Keep Calm and Carry On!

Last modified on 2010-07-21 20:25:22 GMT. 1 comment. Top.

During WWII, a department was created by the British Government to head all publicity and propaganda.  The first two slogans they created “Your Courage, Your Cheerfulness, Your Resolution Will Bring Us Victory” and “Freedom Is In Peril” were shown everywhere.  They were made into giant posters to hang on buildings, were plastered in subway stations, and hung on notice boards all over the country.  One more was made in case Germany ever invaded Britain.  The invasion never occurred and the poster never saw the light of day.  But in 2005 an old one was found by a bookseller, and a few duplicated kept in the National Archives.  It has become a bit of a cult slogan, made into T-shirts, bags, mugs, band-aids (yes, band-aids), and artwork.  The Slogan?

Something about it is just…perfect.  Keep Calm and Carry On.  The original site carries anything you could possibly want with the slogan.  My favorites?

What is even more awesome is that the artsy set of its cult following have completely recreated it on Etsy.  In addition to making different color schemes, painting it onto canvas, and making jewelry out of it, they have created all sorts of spoofs.  Now Panic and Freak Out,  and Keep Calm and Fake a British Accent are two of my favorites.  Check out all sorts of recreations here.

Love this? Hate it?  Feel the need to buy a print?  Let me know!

Summer Staples: Commuting Shoes

Last modified on 2010-07-19 19:24:23 GMT. 7 comments. Top.

Friend and reader Amber wrote me a few weeks back with a slight dilemma.  She knew I would have an answer because we both went through the same transition.

We used to live in the suburbs.  Right…who cares?  Well, no one.  But moving to a big city cramped our style, particularly our shoe style.  Amber is from Florida so she lives in flip-flops.  I am super into fashion and since I was driving everywhere, in Louisiana I could wear whatever shoes I liked and often bought shoes based on form rather than function.  My favorite warm-weather shoes?

Now that I walk, on average, twenty miles a week?  Those shoes are SO not happening.  I refuse to wear athletic shoes anywhere besides the gym, so that was not an option either.  Even my beloved gladiators just were not comfortable when walking all day long.  I still wear them of course, but I had to find some all-day shoes.  Solution?

On the off-chance that you have no CLUE what I am talking about, allow me to explain.  Toms are canvas slip-on shoes with a philanthropic mission:  for every pair bought, a pair will be given to a child without shoes.  Some people think they are kind of weird looking (guys especially) but I adore them.  My favorite pair?

They are SO comfortable and with tons of styles to choose from, there are bound to be a pair you like.  I have five or six pairs.  But maybe you hate Toms…okay, what are some other commuting shoes?

Come Fall, I’ll be rocking these Frye boots in brown (and lusting after some more) and feeling much more stylish but for now, it is all about the Toms, Chucks, Sperrys, and Keds.

Let’s discuss sweet readers! Love any of these shoes? Hate them?  Have a great pair of summer shoes that I could walk 4-5 miles in easily?  I’m dying to know.

Southern Living: How to Show Your State Pride and Still Stay Fabulous

Last modified on 2010-07-15 11:24:48 GMT. 5 comments. Top.

I have never been big on state pride (the whole Texas fetish is completely lost on me), and thus never liked any state or city specific home goods.  I cringe at the thought of fleur-de-lis engraved floors, and places like this tacky website make me vomit in my mouth a bit.  Just…no.  Do not decorate your house in full out state regalia and please do not get me started on people who have entire rooms dedicated to a specific sports team.

That said, I do endorse CatStudio.  High-end boutiques tend to carry their pieces, but it can also be found on Amazon.  What is CatStudio?  Only the coolest state/city paraphernalia ever.  Some family friends gave me these glasses when I moved and I use them nearly every day:

Now my main beef with them is that Grambling is included and Centenary is not (WTF, CatStudio!?).  But short of that mistake, these glasses are perfection.  They are a perfect size (highball glass size, holds roughly 12 oz no ice), and just SO unique.  You can point out where you lived in relation to say, New Orleans, you can explain various references, and with all the fun colors, you can make such a pretty place setting out of them.  They look vintage, like something one might find on Etsy, and not at all mass-produced.  In addition to state glasses, they also make specific city ones.  I think the Boston ones would be fun to mix and match with my LA set.

 The second thing they make are pillows.  The pillows have the same image as the glasses but they are hand-stitched on a 20×20 pillow and the stitching is all raised.  It is hard without seeing them in person but they just POP.  I wanted to buy the LA one before I left to match my glasses but they cost $150.  Between my slobbery bulldog and my tendency to spill everything, it did not seem like the best investment.  Now all I can think about is how fabulous it would look on my black couch. SIGH…

 They also make dishtowels.  Call me crazy, but I think the dishtowels would be awesome framed as artwork (in your kitchen of course).  It’s state pride but in a subtle way, not in a tacky ”Don’t Mess With Texas” kitchen rug ostentatious way. (Sorry…Texas is such an easy example!).  Here is the California towel.

 As I was trolling the web for examples as to why CatStudio is the most amazing thing ever, I came across the new addition to their line:  tote bags.  I adore big bags and as a student…this one seems like a need not a want.  I also have a semi-obsession with the Hamptons so that is why I chose it to show you but…they are making them for other areas too.

Agree? Disagree?  Would you own any of this?  Am I delusional for needing wanting a $150 pillow?  And how are we feeling about State Pride in the home in general?

xoxo

Rachel

Summer Staples: Nantucket Reds

Last modified on 2010-07-13 02:11:20 GMT. 11 comments. Top.

If you are Southern, you may very well have read the title and said, “Nantucket whats!?”  And you might find them hideous.  But today in Style let us talk about my favorite summer staple for men:  The Nantucket Red.

Nantucket Reds are chinos in either shorts or pants, that come in a distinct salmon red color.  They fade the more you wear them and unlike most clothing that fades, this only makes them more stylish.  Originally created by Murray’s Toggery Shop in Nantucket in the 1940s (above picture courtesy of their website), they have since become a classic staple in the Northeast. 

I have tried my best to convince nearly every man in my life to wear Nantucket Reds but to no avail.  I like to blame this on their geographical location as I have seen plenty of Nantucket Reds in Boston lately.  Their versatality makes them the perfect choice for bottoms as they can be dressed up or dressed down.  Below, a group of groomsmen wore Nantucket reds with pale blue linen blazers as an alternative to suits for a wedding on the Cape.

This image, courtesy of The Sartorialist (a style maven in his own right) shows them worn much more casually.

Nantucket Reds can be suited to your personal style.  I love them with a rolled sleeve gingham button down, and classic dark brown Sperry’s, but they look just as great with a T-shirt and flip flops.

I love this vintage navy “secret wash light-weight” shirt from J.Crew (I actually have the women’s version in yellow!):

 

http://www.jcrew.com/AST/Browse/MensBrowse/Men_Shop_By_Category/shirts/lightweightwashedshirts/PRDOVR~14905/14905.jsp

They would look just as fabulous paired with a classic Lacoste polo (or your favorite brand) and a preppy belt.

 

So my dears, weigh in!  Would you wear Nantucket Reds?  How would you wear them?  I kind of want to find a women’s pair of Nantucket Red shorts (even though they are traditionally for men), but so far have only found them in old-lady styles.