paint it black

coffee with the hoebag at her apartment.  our complete lack of motivation to venture out into the rainy humid outdoors the past week has kept us inside, so we decided to go ahead and take some pictures right there.  we were worried that i would blend too much into her all black furniture, but decided that it wouldn't be a complete crime, since we both love black anything. i am wearing my new favorite nail polish, mac's jealousy, which is a deep nearly black forest green.  i didn't think that i would be so eager to jump on the green bandwagon, but the fact that it almost has more blue in it has made me a convert.  the only issue i have had so far is when i go to remove it for touch ups, somehow i end up with a mossy shade of green coating my hands and nails.  this pretty much guarantees that i will be wearing it all season because i can't apparently take it off enough as to where i can switch colors.  tricky, tricky.  have been rediscovering american apparel online again- after a brief fling in college where i discovered everything was affordable and completely cute, i havent shopped there in forever and this dress makes me wonder why.  i am still waiting with great anticipation for all saints to open their much-rumored about us website, but am happy to be saving my pennies until then. 

-dress american apparel, belt and shoes bebe, ring kenneth jay lane-

made for walkin'....

i. love. these. boots. and its finally getting cold enough to wear them. while overall, i am having a hard time adjusting to the cooler weather because i am a big big weenie, these boots seem to make it a little more palatable. i have also been pairing tights with just about everything as well, and i am dreading the day when it is cold enough that i am actually wearing tights under my pants (less as a fashion statement and more as just a means to keep warm). i am complete drama about the cold, but still anxiously awaiting the moment when i can pull out everything fur.......

- boots and skirt bebe, top white and black, bra h&m, bag cynthia rowley-

collections

some of my current faves: the shoes are all of my fall staples- have to love anything heeled (higher the better), leather, thigh high, embellished, or sparkly. also must love everything with a platform, which makes it a little easier to wear a heel while making me look a little taller in the process- always a plus. the jewelry box was- at one point- organized, but my daily accessorization (my method is to tear through everything until i am moved to wear something) two seconds before i breeze out the door has turned it into kind of a mess only loosely contained in the box. it has also started to spill out onto the dresser and has overtaken part of the bathroom; i am kind of under the impression that some of my pieces are having little jewelry babies in there because i don't remember collecting this much due to my own efforts. a lot of my favorite jewelry pieces are vintage pieces from my mom or aunts or weirdly unique artistic pieces i find randomly. in all the above pics, please ignore the large piles of dog hair and little bits of chew toy stuffing on the floor. it seems to dominate my house and i can never get on top of it, no matter how hard i try. i have started to think of it as an accessory for my home- and really, who doesn't love a good accessory?!

"look what you do oh, ruby blue"

the last official weekend of summer proved to be an appropriate denouement to the cold dreary season we have been experiencing. it stopped raining long enough during our trip downtown for lunch to shoot a few pictures before it started pouring again. i am still borrowing heavily on the 90's influences this week- note to self, do not wear a bodysuit when you go out for drinks, unless your idea of a good time is removing every article of clothing each time you have to use the bathroom. i was excited for the chance to wear my favorite scarf out- after lusting over one for several years i finally got it for myself this spring and it is just as marvelous as i had imagined it would be. outfits this weekend are some variation of the above- also the addition of tights under the shorts for the evening. a few things that i accomplished this weekend: late night trip to pick up hoebag, discovered marble pop, ate lunch at the coldest diner ever, realized my beer pong skills still leave something to be desired, smuggled a to-go cup out of a bar, shopping and discovering that the shoes i have wanted got marked down to super clearance today and they had one pair in my size left (it was fate), picked up some fall staples at the mall, watched a clip from "so you think you can dance" about 2 million times (black and white styling and choreography by wade robson to the song "ruby blue", amazing), snuggled with some dogs, and was too lazy to put on clothes this am so i wore my nightgown with pants/heels from last night out and received so many compliments (will not be repeated, but still kind of humorous). long weekends are the best.....now time to go back to work.......

-bodysuit urban outfitters, shoes michael kors, crochet top the limited, scarf alexander mcqueen, clutch banana republic-

flashback

during my gradeschool years (ok i may be dating myself a little here...), i had a black and gold leopard bodysuit that i wore with just about everything. my daily outfit would be some variation of that infamous leopard worn under jean shorts, some kind of t shirt (at that time the idea of matching colors didn't really come to mind, i was just going for overall concept), and a choice of my cowboy boots or pink la gear sneakers. while my taste in footwear has improved and tends to be more high heel and less hightop, i find myself revisiting the "saved by the bell" years and breaking out the bodysuit yet again. and it's just as fun as i remember.....

-shoes chanel, bodysuit urban outfitters, shorts arden b, rings masha archer and my own design-

lets hear it for the boys!

while i own and continue to re-read my copy of "influence", idolize all of the "kates" and their enviable effortless style, and tivo gossip girl so i can obsess over eric daman's genius, i find my closet looking like it was taken over a guy lately. and no, i'm not talking about the "menswear" style that has infiltrated every department store and boutique this season (while i wish that i could easily whip up a "boyfriend" style look that is so popular now, it sadly makes me look like i am about 15 and trying on my fathers clothes- not something to emulate). mickey avalon has long been a musical muse-slash-obsession of mine, but only recently did i realize that mickey and his contemporaries have been rocking the androgynous look for quite some time now- and that i am eagerly filling my closet to the brim with their wardrobes: studded belt? check! fedora (to be worn over just rolled out of bed hair)? check! black ripped skinnies? check! embellished vests and boots, loads of huge silver rings, and piles of greasy eyeliner? check, check, and check!! i have not only accepted that my version of "menswear" this season will be a little less office and a little more rock star, but i also eagerly anticipate the arrival of my topshop leather skinny pants next week (a nearly exact replica of the ones worn by russell brand as he serenaded kristen bell in "forgetting sarah marshall"). my take? rock on.

"life is short, but the summer is long, and we could get together a lot before the fall"

there is something about a flower nursery that makes me want to battle my inner voice that is cheering for the approaching cold weather ("yes! fall! sweaters! fur! jackets!") and makes me want to squeeze the last few drops out of my summer wardrobe. while this location was hotly debated (i love u hoebag for indulging me on this one), i think the contrast between the taupe/putty colored outfit and the colors of the shop are a win. these shoes are my absolute summer favorite for two summers running, even though i can practically hear my feet cry whenever i contemplate breaking them out. the vest will work nicely into fall, and it is in heavy rotation because as always, i love a good bedazzled piece.

Fall, you have my permission to move on in.......

-shoes bebe, vest limited, skirt h&m, ring frank gehry, bag cynthia rowley-