My . Much . Happier . Weekend

Since last week wasn't a stellar one, I tried not sit around acting all mopey over the weekend. Luckily there were enough really amazing things going on that I could keep myself busy!

The first:

Hillary Clinton was speaking in the tiny town of Grand Ledge, not 15 miles away from where I live!!



I had to stand in line for three hours to get a spot up front, and then stand in my spot for another hour before she arrived, but it was definitely worth it. She's a very personable and effortless speaker, and much more charismatic in person than I would have expected.

There were tons of people who showed up, including this little tot who spent the entire speech (on his dad's shoulders) showing his support ;)


The second:

Jewelry shopping at Express, which is now my go-to store for amazing jewelry that won't even come close to breaking the bank:




And of course, the weekend wouldn't have been complete without sushi from Sansu (my absolute favorite Japanese restaurant) and the first season of Gossip Girl on dvd, which I was surprised to discover is not a terrible show:



How was your weekend??

A . Smidge . Sad

Unfortunately it's been a rather sad week, so I might take a teensy break from posting. Hopefully things will get a smidge better soon, and I'll see everyone next week!

Ah . Chanel

The . Emmys . Best . Dressed

Brook Shields in Badgley Mischka; Mariska Hargitay in Carolina Herrera; Cynthia Nixon in Calvin Klein Collection; Debra Messing in Monique Lhuillier; and Sandra Oh in Oscar de la Renta.

I think that while Debra Messing has the prettiest dress, Mariska Hargitay has the best look - the chic hair, dark nails, bright dress - flawless.

Thoughts?

Have . a . Pretty . Little . Weekend

Spread a Little Sunshine Everywhere You Go

If you're a woman, read this now!

The coolest Paper Clips ever??

Pretty Little World loves Naughty Secretary Club and their Abe Lincoln Bracelet

October . Vogue

Rachel Weisz is featured in the Oct. issue of Vogue. Gorgeous.

Fashion . Find . of . the . Day . #2

I'll be honest, if I hadn't just spent way too much on a slew of other things, this vintage 1940s military cape would be on its way to my house! But I did spend too much, and so perhaps it will be headed to one of your homes instead!!


From, High Desert Rose

Fashion . Find . of . the . Day

Knee-length military coat. Comes in black, dark brown, or mulberry. And...only $69!! At Newport News

Five . Fall . Favorites

(1) My sunporch, which despite having windows on all sides, I am determined to keep warm throughout the fall & winter.


(2) New Uggs. I know, I know...but they're so comfortable!


(3) My gorgeous/slightly preppy plaid coat from Shop Good Grace, a lovely and favorite store of mine.


(4) My brand spankin' new Jenni Kayne Coyote fur vest. When I saw this on Rachel Zoe in the preview commercials for her new reality show on Bravo, I knew that I had to have it. (And no, not because she had one, but because it's so pretty!) It's just so bohemian and lush! By some miracle (albeit an expensive miracle) one popped up on eBay not a day after I first saw it!


(5) The color change and the lovely sound that leaves make when they crunch underfoot.



*The fall photo is taken from Daily Dose of Imagery. This Toronto photo blog/photographer has some of the most stunning imagery that I've seen -- including this one

**Got five fall favorites of your own?? Send me your list with pictures and I'll post some of the lists over the next couple of weeks! You can find my e-mail under my profile, and please also include the name you'd like posted with your favs!

Spring/Summer . 2009

Some favorite collections:




(1)Christian Siriano -- whose collection I was really surprised that I liked; (2) Milly (3) Vera Wang

To see complete collection from the three designers, visit Style.com

Pretty . Little . Fall . Flowers

I'm constantly surprised by the way even small things can be so breathtaking...and that flowers can still be this lovely even in the fall! Have a pretty little weekend!!

I . Heart . Max

I try to buy one piece from Max Azria's runway collections each year. The dresses are gorgeous and collectible. He also creates utterly feminine garments that will never go out of style.

With his Spring 09 runway show only a day old, I've already chosen what my next item of his will be:


The dress is unabashadly sexy, but with the yards of draped and flowing fabric, it never borders on obscene.

To check out the rest of his Spring 09 collection, go to Style.com

Angela . Singer

Angela Singer is both artist and animal rights activist, and it only takes a quick glance at some of her pieces to see where those two collide. She recycles old taxidermy (so nothing is ever killed simply for her work) and creates mixed-media installations/sculptures.




(Click the first rabbit installation for a better look at his "insides" - trust me, it's not what you might think)

Oh . Dansk

The Danish mag Dansk costs about $15.00 in the US, and it's worth every penny.

Do . You . Match . Your . Home?

For those of you who are thinking it, matching your home is not in the same category as "matching your pet" or "matching your spouse." Your house should be a reflection of who you are -- that not only includes your interests, but your fashion aesthetic as well.

Even if you're constantly changing your wardrobe (and who isn't?), you likely have an idea of what your best look is. It's the kind of look that you always get complimented on. It might be classic, bohemian, gamine, etc., but whatever it is, you just know when you find it. And when you do, let your house take a cue -- because don't you want to feel just as good at home as you do in your favorite clothes?


Photo from Domino

Write . Me . a . Story...

For some reason, the one thing that I absolutely cannot stop buying is journals. I have piles of them -- some completely filled, others untouched. So to feed my habit, it's a good thing that ETSY has a great crop of beautifully handmade ones:

(1) Scribble Suede Journal, by KreativLink,


(2) Tan Suede Mini Journal, by BindMe


(3) Pocket Embroidered Fawn Journal, by NowVember


(4) Green Patterned Blank Notebook, by InPrint

And . the . word . of . the . day . is...

Obsessed.

(This is my newest favorite word, and I fully intend on using it as a descriptive term in all circumstances. For example, "I am obsessed with how good this coffee tastes," or "I am obsessed with purple highlighters that can work as pens.")

I'm also obsessed with:



^^Birds. In particular, the new piece I made for our bedroom (I'm the least craft-y person ever, so potentially pretty bird fabric + canvas + a stapler could have = problems), and some of my other lovely bird images.



^^Apple green (the color of my new velvet comforter from IKEA and the color of the fainting sofa that I'm still lusting after, from Urban Outfitters)


^^Grown-up Goth looks for fall. This is so much more sophisticated than your typical high school all black look. Lush fabrics (velvet, velvet, velvet), draped garments, and opulent jewelry create a particularly savory style.



^^Vampires. The HBO series True Blood premieres this coming Sunday (yay!!). The show is receiving some early critical buzz, and hey, it's created by Alan Ball. The film version of Stephanie Meyer's Twilight also opens later this fall. I picked up the novel as light reading for the flight to Korea, and now I'm obsessed -- the books aren't exactly Dostoevsky, but they're pretty fun to read.

Elle

Personal feelings about Jennifer Lopez aside, her photos in an upcoming edition of Elle are stunning: