Fashion . Poll

This week has brought me loads of exciting news, as I just got a note from Katie at ETSY. They're having a vote for Favorite Fall Fashion Item (it's almost fall in some parts of the world!) and one of my items was selected to take part!!!



You can go and vote for my item (it's the brown traveling coat, near the bottom): HERE!!

Voting goes until April 6th!!

Easy . on . the . Eyes

Speaking of nice views, I believe that if I were ever to have an apartment in Paris, this would be a lovely view:



And to go with such posh dwellings, I'd need these fabulous shelves:



And this coolest of cool installations:



But probably not this staircase, because it freaks me out a little:



Pics from Design Tavern and The Paris Apartment

Inspiration . Board

Don't get the blues...



...unless they're this pretty!

Wouldn't . It . Be . Nice...

...to have this be the view from your bath every day?



Pic from Apartment Therapy

P . S .

I'm sorry that I've been blog-M.I.A. over the weekend (it might continue a bit through the week), but I've been really busy with something.

It's terribly exciting, but I have to wait until next week or so to share, so as I don't jinx it! Keep your fingers crossed for me

Thank . You!

...to Allen Company Inc. and It's All About the Cats for including my items in these loveliest of treasuries:

DIY

Earlier this week I was obsessed with these bracelets. I poked around on ETSY a bit, but didn't find quite what I was looking for - lots of pretty stuff, but everything was heavily embellished. So I thought I try making some myself.

I knew when I purchased supplies that this would be a gamble. Usually when I try to be crafty, it goes something like this:

That looks so cool!! --> I should try that!! --> I buy supplies --> Supplies sit in their bag collecting dust.

But not this time! They're not exact, but the bracelets fit the look that I was hoping for and they were ridiculously easy to make. Here's how:

1) Buy the following: (a) 7x11mm jewelry magnetic clasps, $2.99 for 6 (b) crimped necklace end, $1.29 for 16 pieces (c) leather/suede cording; I used Craft Designer 3mm x 3yds, $2.99 each.

2) Each bracelet will need 1 magnetic clasp and 2 necklace ends. Attach one half of the magnetic clasp to one necklace end; repeat.

3) Run the leather cord through one of your completed clasps so that if you're holding the clasp, the lengths of leather cord will be about equal.

4) Pull the open ends of the leather cord through your other clasp and tie tightly into a knot. Now each end should have a completed clasp:



5) Wrap the bracelet around your wrist and let the magnets do their work!!





I plan on making a few more in dark brown (and mustard yellow, if I can find it!), but I'm pretty happy with my start!!

When . in . Doubt . Draw . Flowers

As is frequently the case, ETSY is a source of great trouble for me. I find things each week that I'd love to have in my home or wardrobe, but unfortunately I have yet to find someone else to pay for all of them!

Though if I had to pick just a few stores to purchase from, When in Doubt, Draw Flowers would certainly make the short list. This lovely shop's collection includes lampshades, necklaces, lunch sacks, journals, boxes, and more! And all are made from the coolest vintage wallpaper!




I'm mostly desperate for a few of those floral necklaces -- not only would these look great worn out, but I love the effect of having them draped over a drying rack as a decoration! Going green has never been so chic!

Bambako

The other day I received an e-mail from the lovely Abigail at Bambako, and I found such a wonderful surprise when I visited her store:




The pages of the store are filled with headbands in all sorts of brightly colored ribbon and feathers! Any one of these would add a delightful "pop" to any outfit, casual or formal.

My favorite is the bright yellow -- I'm completely smitten with this color for spring!

10 . Best

After having just seen the first excellent horror film I've seen in some time -- and being such a horror movie fan -- I thought I'd come up with a list of the 10 Best Horror Films ever (according to Moi, anyway) -- and some fashionable outfits to go with them! (You still have to look nice when you go out to the movies, after all!)

10. The Blair Witch Project. This was the first horror film in some time that proved that great scares didn't have to come from a big budget. This film loses a lot when you watch it at home, but when it was first released, there was a kind of cool hysteria surrounding it. And it was terrifying in the theatre.

9. Saw. People won't agree, but this has to be included. This movie had clever dialogue, was ridiculously suspenseful, and was violent without being over-the-top. It also spawned an entire new horror sub-genre. (It also, unfortunately, spawned four sequels, which are some of the worst movies of all time).

8. The Devil's Backbone. This is one of Guillermo del Toro's earliest films and perhaps my favorite of his. He's a director who was gifted with an eye for cinematography and a real understanding of how to tell a story. Ghosts were never as well done as in this film.

7. A Tale of Two Sisters. This Korean horror film has two of the scariest moments ever put on film; I felt nervous stepping off of the sofa or the bed for weeks. Do not watch the American remake of this film - The Uninvited - blah.




6. Psycho. This one is on everyone's top horror flicks list and there's a reason for it. Hitchcock to this day stands as the master of suspense, terror, and tension. And all without a lick of gore. Genius.




5. The Ring. Perhaps the only successful remake of an Asian horror film, this movie still freaks me out, and I've seen it about 10 times. The creepy lighting, the isolation in a big city, the disturbing imagery -- I get shivers just thinking about it! Another film that proves you can have great horror without buckets of blood and guts.




4. The Last House on the Left (2009). As mentioned in an earlier post, I just saw this and loved.loved it. This one is on the violent side (though I've seen worse on some HBO shows), and it has all the trappings of an excellent horror film: terror, suspense, good characters, good actors, good story. And it's the only horror film I have ever been tempted to see twice in the theatre.

3. Audition. If you haven't seen this Japanese horror film, you must, though you need a strong stomach. The first hour or so actually seems kind of bland, and you might be tempted to think it's not really a horror film at all. But the last 30 minutes are the most intense, terrifying, cringe-inducing ever. Highly recommended.

2. Halloween (1978). Sure, Rob Zombie's remake is good, but it doesn't hold a candle to the original. Every time I see this I tuck my feet up and find myself yelling at the characters: "Don't go in there!!" This is also quite arguably John Carpenter's best film.

1. Night of the Living Dead. George Romero is the king of zombie films, and this one takes the crown. There's nothing flashy about this film -- it's simple and straightforward. It's well-shot and well-acted. The film terrifies because of the claustrophobic feel it creates: there's nowhere to escape to, anywhere, and forever. Perfection.




I know I've missed some -- and there are some great ones that I still haven't seen! What do you recommend?

Ruffles

Place des Tendances; Built by Wendy

I love these looks for spring -- I especially like the way the model on the left is a little goofy -- she completely rocks that floral dress and blazer!

Really . Martha?

Over the weekend my mother passed on a huge pile of Real Simple and Martha Stewart magazines. Both magazines have the cutest pictures and always really helpful tips for organization, decorating, and cooking. But Martha Stewart brings me equal parts joy and displeasure for these things. Her cooking "tips" cause me particular difficulty.

The February issue was filled with all sorts of cupcakes that you can just "whip up" for your valentine or for party guests. And the cupcakes are sooooo lovely:




But lets be clear: my cupcakes would not look like those in the pictures. There are about 20 different steps just to making that little marzipan bumble bee (and don't get me started on making/shaping/baking meringue flowers!).

I can make a tasty cupcake, but it's going to have a big pile of chocolate frosting on top (and maybe some that kind of drips down the side).

What can I say? Just another reason why I don't have my own cooking show and Martha does!

Confession . of . the . Day

Confession: While I've been happily.happily engaged to B. for a year now, seeing photos like this...


Pic from Le Love

...does give me that little twinge of longing for that first few months of a relationship where everything is perfection. Like being able to look at a guy's stuff piled all over as "cute" and "charming" rather than "messy" and "cringe-inducing." Or not leaving the house for three days straight and feeling all glowing and happy as compared just lazy and bored.

Le Sigh, if only relationships could stay like that forever.

What's your relationship confession?

Bat . for . Lashes

So as I was hunting for these crazy cool bracelets (I think I'll end up having someone on ETSY make them for me), I found quite a few other stunning photographs of Bat for Lashes:





Love it.

Happy . Sunday . (Spring!) . Morning

It's a bit on the cloudy side here this morning, though just a quick peek at this picture makes everything feel a lot more like spring!

P.S. I went to see The Last House on the Left and I highly recommend it! It was perfectly suspenseful and had really well-crafted characters filled out by some excellent acting -- both of which are rare for horror films. It was violent (don't take the kiddies) but not nearly as violent as everyone was going on about.

Overall rating: ★★★★★ (out of 5)

Pic from Canelle Vanille

Rocker . Chic

Le Fashion always.always has stunning pics posted -- it's a constant stream of fashion inspiration. So yesterday as I was browsing through her new posts, I came across this pretty little picture:



It's a pic of Natasha Khan from Bat for Lashes, and I'm desperate for the bracelet/series of bracelets she's wearing -- I'm totally smitten with this look!!

It looks like a series of leather cords, but I'm not sure -- can anyone else tell what this fabulous look is made up of?!!

I . Want . This . Too

So technically, I do in fact understand the benefits of saving money. But I also know that money sitting in the bank does not carry around my belongings, the way a pretty new purse does.

It's difficult to weigh the pros of saving when there's just so much good shopping to be done! For instance, my new Fendi should completely satisfy me for years, or something like that. And I love it. Yet, well, I'm already thinking about what my next bag will be.

At first I thought it would be a Chanel flap -- classic, and perfect. Now, though, I kind of have a taste for these buttery soft pieces of accessory heaven:



I didn't use to like Balenciaga bags much, but look at all of those yummy colors!! What's a girl to do?!

P.S. Against my better judgment, tonight I'm going to see The Last House on the Left. When I first saw the trailer, I couldn't wait for this film to come out. But now that it has, I've had to talk myself into it, as I hear it's pretty much super icky.gory.icky from start to finish...I like horror films, but not ones that are just gross to be gross:

P.P.S. Wish me luck and I'll let you know how this one turns out!

For . Grown . Ups

I knew exactly what kind of outfit this blouse would be a part of when I first saw it.

I think that I would like to wear this 3.1 Philip Lim blouse, with 3.1 Philip lim pants, and these cute accessories so that I could look a smidge like a Girl Scout, but without having to wear a skirt/jumper or badges.

...and maybe I could wrangle some free Girl Scout cookies out of the deal too!

P.S. Don't forget to enter the giveaway if you haven't already! I'll announce the winner later today!

Texture

I'm totally smitten with this variety of pieces with all sorts of interesting texture. Even just one of these in a room could really anchor a whole design scheme:



Though I have to add that the practical side of me is trying to imagine dusting one of these!

Floral sculpture from The Curated Object; Floral Pillow from Zara Home, via Design Sponge; Urchin bowls and Hydrangea tile from Element Clay Studios by Heather Knight

Giveaway!!!!!!!

One lucky winner will receive both The Pretty Little Giraffe Print (unframed) and The Adorable Little Giraffe Print (unframed)!!



Just leave a comment on this post between now and 12:00 noon EST on Friday, March 20th, and one winner will be drawn at random! Good luck!!

Update: One winner was chosen at random using the number generator on Random.org.

Congratulations to post #16 - Amy!!

Thanks to everyone for participating, and check back for more giveaways!!

Um . I . Love . This

BRUCE METCALF. American, 1949-
Deliverance from a Gilded Cage 1994
sterling silver, brass, 14k gold, Micarta,
painted wood
Collection of Nan Schaffer.
The Curated Object

Pretty . Little . Flowers

Dreamhouse has the cutest.ever Easter post, which contained a photo of vintage egg cups filled with pretty little flowers:



Even though they're intended for Easter, I think these would be smashing sitting atop individual place settings at a wedding reception!

And perhaps they would match this Lela Rose dress:



And go with this kind of an outdoor wedding (from Once Wed):

Crazy . Beautiful . Jewelry

When it comes to jewelry, I don't really care for delicate pieces. Sure, I appreciate how lovely they are, but I like to wear heftier pieces that command a bit more attention.

Yet it's the combination of romance and punk that attracted me to Marquis & Camus -- The floral touches feel delicate, while the layering of chains and gems make the pieces substantial as well:



Check out their site for more great pieces, and a 30%/50% off sale section!

Wedding . Ruffles

When I first saw the tiered Analisa dress from JCrew, I kind of liked it. The layers of ruffles are gorgeous, but something about the proportioning of the dress makes it look bulky.

So as I was browsing through ETSY yesterday -- a dangerous habit, to be sure -- I came across The Intrepid Evening Dress by Amour sans Anguish:


Amour sans Anguish Photography by Matt Fredrick

...I definitely fell in love a little bit when I saw the dress on ETSY (right). It has the gorgeous ruffles of the Analisa dress (left), but a far more elegant silhouette. And considering it's so pretty AND handmade, it's probably really expensive, right?

Nope -- the JCrew Analisa Dress = $3,000; the Intrepid Evening Dress = $398!!!

Which is your favorite?

Spring . Cleaning

I have tons of great new things to put in the Pretty Little World Store, and to make room dozens of items are being marked down to just $15-$20!!



The pink dress above was $42, now only $20!! Come to the store to check it out!

Let . the . Right . One . In

I'm a smidge on the obsessive side when it comes to vampire movies/tv shows. I recently watched the first season of Moonlight -- ugh. This show suffered from copycatting others (Angel, Forever Knight), bad acting, and bad writing.

So I was thrilled this week when the Swedish vampire film, Let the Right One In was released. I've been waiting to see this film since last fall, but it never came to a theatre around here, though it was certainly worth waiting for.

The film had stunning cinematography, great acting (two 12 year old kids way outshined most other adult actors whom I can think of), and it was haunting for the implications that were conveyed through great storytelling -- it didn't rely on gimmicks like so many Hollywood films.

I also loved that Eli - the little girl vampire - wandered around in fabulous combinations of vintage lace pants and baggy sweaters:





Of course, she didn't need to wear shoes (being a vampire and all), but these looks would look great with flat booties or sandals also!

Happy . Sunday . Morning

Do you have a cat to guard your coffee?

Yellow . for . Spring

Pics from Canelle-Vanille, Net-a-Porter, and Flickr