It . Girl

{ Interview Russia via tFS }

Lana del Rey's new album (first album??) hits iTunes today, and I'm honestly pretty excited to give it a listen. About a month ago people were all crazy over her SNL performance, as though it were the worst ever. I loved it though. It was weird.lovely.amazing. She's kind of like the songstress version of a David Lynch film. So, perfect, even if you don't understand all of it.

Dream Rooms: Bathrooms That I'd Kill You For

{ All Images Are Linked }

Seriously. I would probably murder people (multiple people!!) to have one of these bathrooms. And then I'd never leave (of course, the police would probably drag me away. you know, for the murdering and what not.).

But aren't they just gorgeous? The first one is my favorite. So much prettiness!

Haunted

{ Wendy Bevan for Italian Marie Claire }

I know this shoot (the rest of which can be seen here) is simply mimicking an older style of photography. But to me it seems more like an incredibly fashionable group of ghosts hanging about and having parties.

The Last Week (or so) In Instagram

♡ a very blustery day ♡ crème brûlée ♡ butternut squash soup w/extra vegetables ♡ a trip to market ♡ mosaic glass mural ♡ shopping ♡ green beans w/garlic, salt, and pepper ♡ arm candy ♡ arm candy ♡ thai food ♡ Nico, bird watching ♡ a pretty package from Sally Jane Vintage ♡


P.S. - Is it bad that most of last week seems to be food?

Striking

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I've had these images sitting on my desktop for awhile now, waiting for the perfect post in which to share them. Well, I haven't figured out what that post is, so I'm just sending them out there for people to see!

I hope that everyone's Mondays went okay! My day was strange and random:

- woke to all of our snow melted
- had coffee
- went to Staples for bubble wrap
- packaged orders
- watched a few episodes from the final season of Secret Diary of a Call Girl (I could watch this show a million times over - sooo good!)
- went to the post office
- went to the grocery store (fifth day in a row! ugh.)
- picked up the dry cleaning
- came home to find that boy had actually (and accidentally) made me decaf coffee in the morning. seriously. no wonder I was ready to rip people's heads off!!
- made REAL coffee
- listed some pretty vintage kimonos
- now: going to make the boy pick up Thai for dinner. Hey - he's got to make up for the coffee mishap somehow!

Neon

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Neon is still looking like it will be quite big for spring, and while neon is probably not what you'd call "classic", I'm certainly glad that it's sticking around for awhile longer.

Neon brights are flattering on absolutely everyone, no skin tones excepted. When thinking about what neon color to choose, you want to stick with the same color palette that you'd normally wear: if you have paler skin / hair, and yellow isn't normally great on you, neon yellow isn't going to look any better. (Notice how in the last two pictures, you notice the brunette first & then the sweater, whereas on the blonde, you almost only notice the dress.)

If you have a lighter complexion and hair: pinks, reds, and blues.
If you have a darker complexion and hair: greens, yellows, and blues. and reds. and pinks. (you can pretty much pull off anything.)

P.S. - I'm hoping to snag a pair of these Audrey Silk Mules, also from Acne.

The Finer Things

I don't have a lot of what you would call "nicer jewelry." I almost always go for piling on costume pieces - especially when it comes to earrings, as I lose those like mad. Every now and then I have the inclination to grow the nicer part of my jewelry box, but, you know, it's expensive. So I thought that I'd introduce the handful of fancy pieces that I do have.

This first two are my favorite and also most special. This is my engagement ring:



The boy did really well with this one (of course, he knew ahead of time that I just loved this ring - but he remembered! sooo important.) It's a Deco Style platinum diamond ring from Tiffany & Co. It's not traditional, but I love the design and the way that it sparkles.

The next is my maternal grandmother's engagement ring:



It's so delicate and pretty. Sometimes I pair it with my own engagement ring.

Then there are my "still nice, but not diamonds" jewels. This necklace is a one-of-a-kind necklace from Ayala Bar. I bought this at a teeny jewelry store when I was in Stratford, Ontario ages ago:




The beading on this is just exquisite - it looks marvelous with a simple t-shirt and a dark blazer. The next piece also comes from the same jewelry shop in Ontario, though it was purchased a year earlier:




It's a floral cuff from Israeli designer Michal Negrin. It was even custom made to fit my wrist! The brand's service is also impeccable - if one of the Swarovski crystals were ever to fall out, I'd need only to send in the bracelet, and they'd repair it for me!

The two rings also quite special. The first is an amethyst geode and sterling silver ring that I got out west:




The second is a ring that I got in Insadong, Seoul, South Korea. Except for a few other trinkets, this was really the only thing that I bought while we were there:




P.S. - This post was meant to be up earlier, but when I Googled my grandmother + grandfather's wedding date for the post (1946), I ended up finding loads of genealogy information on my mother's side of the family -- I got all of the way back to 1735!! It was super interesting to read about - I may do a post on it down the road, when some of it's a little more organized.

Nestled

This pretty little house is tucked away in the hills somewhere in Australia, and it's kind of wonderful. The house has clean, simple, and chic design. But then you toss in those views - I mean, amazing, right?

If I don't stop looking at real estate listings in Australia, I'm going to have my bags packed and be on a plane before I even know what's hit me.

Kimono

Country Living recently had a feature on how you should be lounging around the house in a pretty kimono instead of an old bathrobe. Most of the pieces in their story were new, though I can't help but be drawn to the feel, patterns, and look of antique silk kimonos instead.

This or That

DIY

or


Metalware

What's your poison??

Bag Closet: Alexander Wang

While I occasionally wander into other obsessions - like with these and these - handbags are my first and last accessory craving. The right color or style can completely change an outfit, and what fun is fashion if it isn't a bit changeable?

My purse collection isn't as enviable as some people's - I mean, Victoria Beckham probably has an Hermès Birkin for every day of the year - but it's not a bad little grouping either. So I'm starting a new feature - "Bag Closet" - in which we'll take a look at my own and others' bags, as well as some tips for starting and growing your own collection!

First up: Alexander Wang




The craze around AW bags started a few years back when MK and Ashley Olsen started carrying a black studded Rocco, but no one knew what it was, as it hadn't been released to the public yet. Of course everyone went all cray cray, and when people found out who made the bag, mile-long wait lists began.

I think that AW bags are pretty to look at, but their real appeal is the leather. Bubbly. Smooshy. Buttery soft. A little distressed. Perfect. If you've never seen an AW bag in person, run to your nearest Barney's NY. Just to touch one. Seriously.

I have a "Diego" in Forest Velvet Cut Leather and a new-to-me "Rocco" in Ocean. (Both special release colors sold only at Barney's). I have both basic black and brown bags that I use more regularly, so the AW purchases seemed like great places to add color to my collection.

Alexander Wang bags are also not a bad place to start a designer purse collection. The price point isn't cheap ($450 - $900 for bags), but it's not as bad as Chanel, where you're basically deciding between a car or a bag (Jumbos are up to a whopping $4300).

You can find AW bags in a variety of places online (the designer's own site, Barney's, and Shopbop all have great stock). As well, you can find some really good bargains (or out-of-stock colors) on eBay. Though when you're shopping second hand for designer anything, you always have to be careful about authenticity. Before clicking that "Place Bid" button, make sure to post any AW auctions in the "Authenticate This Alexander Wang" section at The Purse Forum. The lovely ladies there will help to make sure you don't walk away with a counterfeit bag.

I hope you enjoy the new feature, and happy bag shopping!!

Couture

via I Know What You Wore Last Season

Most beautiful ad campaign I've seen in some time. Plus, those dresses! Swoon...

(The images in this post are large/long; depending on your monitor size, they may look best if you use the command/minus keys to toggle out.)