MY GOLDEN BIRTHDAY

Y'all, I have been busy. Like, so busy it's unreal. All with exciting projects, of course, but what else is new?

Well, I had a birthday this week. My GOLDEN birthday, at that! It totally sneaked up on me in between my Lucky magazine contest entries (see sidebar) and an event I'm planning with New York's #1 thrift shop, Vintage Thrift. ( Look at the awesome flier we made! Styled by yours truly!)

And now back to the birthday. I'm a very lucky girl in that I could totally not plan anything at all and still have a few loving friends who filled my day with all sorts of surprises. Just look at this cake! When I first sliced into it, I thought it was going to be strawberry, but as I kept going, so did the colors. Yep, it's a homemade pastel rainbow cake. Six layers!

My sis surprised me with gifts and treats galore, including this super cute new workout shtuff, caramel salty ice cream, rosemary/sea salt/and raspberry jam butter cookies (so yum), and these MISSONI FOR TARGET PIECES. I mean, how did she get them?!

Well, truth be told, my sister travels for work every week and happened to be in LA for opening day. Not the ideal city to be in, but perhaps slightly better than NY. After scrambling to three different Targets, she managed to scrounge up two pairs of zigzag socks and a gigantic mug (sorry, no pics, that one's already been moved to my office).

And this super cool bracelet was created by my friend Shelby, who also made the cake. Since I'm usually the one doing the gift-making, I was thrilled to get these awesome gifties. I think they are the first presents anyone has ever made me, save for a few valentines I can recall.

PREGNANCY TUNICS

No, there's nothing that exciting to report over here. Except that last weekend we invited some good people over for impromptu red beans and rice, a Louisiana favorite. The house specialty, however, was the creamed orange butter I whipped up. It's my secret recipe, and it is divine. We dabbed, smeared, and dolloped it on top of cornbread. I added mustard to my red beans, because that's just how I like 'em.

This vintage pregnancy lace overlay (think Betty Draper) has the best floral/rhinestone trimmed pockets. You can see some of the textural trimming taking over my arm there.

Vintage (vintage thrift) lace tunic, Mossimo black tee, Topshop bird shorts, Vince Camuto sandals

more of the lace skeleton.

FUTURE REFLECTIONS

Louisiana rules. Photo via

Exactly two years ago on this day I left my Louisiana and started building a home in NYC. I say my Louisiana because I had no idea just how beloved my home state would become to me. These last two years have been rough. BEYOND ROUGH. . . I've moved three times, had three jobs, slaved at three separate internships, and have often found myself in dire need of old friends who get me. There is not a day that goes by that I don't question whether I should be here, whether I can afford to be here, whether I want to be here. Needless to say, these past 730 days - like the never ending winters - have been dark.

I still don't have all the answers to those questions, and I'm not sure I wouldn't be living in the same sort of existential mania back at home. But at least now I have a thoroughly enjoyable, career path-type job(s), a (little) cash flow, and (A LOT of ) ideas. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, and I think I'm beginning to see it. Maybe you've noticed.

So. . . I apologize for dragging you through those past two years of blogging. Documenting my struggles has been hard; being totally conscious of this struggle the whole time was even harder. I'm working on resurrecting this blog because I know it's a good place for me. It's kind of like being home . . . and that's something I desperately need.

Onward.

BOX TOPS

Hmmm... this outfit is from a while ago so I can't remember exactly what I was going for, except for that I'm all about a box-y top and a girly, fitted bottom. This little cropped sweater has metallic aqua stripes running through it and appears to be vintage. The belt is leopard Saks (thrifted) and the skirt is that same Silence & Noise one I've been wearing since the beginning of time. It's that great.

I went lazy on the shoes: simple black flats. On the weekends, I'd lose the undershirt and go bare midriff.

feelin' sassy.

THE MET GALA #RIGHTNOW

Trendspotting at New York's Met Gala: mermaid looks (Kerry Washington, Rihanna's hair) 1940s waves (Madonna, Elizabeth Banks, Diane Kruger, Tara Subkoff) , Russian royalty (Naomi Campbell, Beyonce, Daphne Guinness -or maybe it's just all McQueen?), Grecian goddesses (Blake Lively, Eva Mendes, Kristen Bell) and long sleeves (pretty much everyone). Red and black&white seem to be especially popular color choices.

Some images of the Met Gala via NYMag:

Red hot supermodels Doutzen Kroes and Giselle Bundchen competing with the red carpet (and winning).

Hot pink Calvin Klein?

The Anna Wintour

Rashida Jones is so cute, I thought she was Maggie Gyllenhaal for a second.

Naomi Watts in sheer sleeves.

Personal favorites:

Diane Kruger; just beautiful.

Zoe Saldana; whatever this sculptural double-knit fabric is that keeps popping up everywhere is full of beauty + I'm really into yellow right now.

Of course I would like the one with birds on it. (Michelle Williams)

Emma Stone, my new fashion muse. This print looks very similar to an Express skirt I have. That should be the biggest insult, but I absolutely adore this dress on Emma. Beyond gorgeous. It's perfection.

While there are some truly great looks in this group, I think my favorite might be Vera Wang.

Did you know that Vera is 61? SIXTY-ONE YEARS OLD, PEOPLE. With that hair! and that color! She looks 24! UNREAL.

A.L.T., Jennifer Lopez, and Freida Pinto get a WTF. Sorry, because I really like you all. Really, I do.

P.S. Why is Fergie wearing a wedding dress?

P.P.S. Where is January Jones?

DOUBLE YOUR COLLAR

Taking a tip from Leandra at The Man Repeller --in the rush of getting ready yesterday (hey, it's been a busy week) I decided to double up on the unsexiest of elements, that is, the collar(s).

I've always been fond of distinctive neck encircle-rs, as evidenced as far back as here. This one is a 60's dress remnant, ordered from eBay, and worn backwards so that it's no longer a round mock neck, but a notched shirt collar instead.

It's actually quite detailed. At the base are silvery, long tubular beads (as in tubes, not an 80's form of awesome), covered by a thick layer of crochet lace, and then topped off by alternating rows of rhinestone and pearls. Stunning magnificence!

Laugh with me as I fall off my bed.

Allow me to show you what I'm working with.

Timex wristband and Gucci snake skin bangle. Thrifted!

vintage collar (eBay)/mossimo buttondown (thrifted)/ j+ for uniqlo cropped pants /timex watch & snakeskin bangle (thrifted)/lesportsac work tote (thrifted)

VERY VALENTINO

Today's attire is inspired by Valentino's Spring 2011 RTW (a collection so good that I want the slideshow to be never ending) and a complete lack of time.

My basic approach for a 25 minute get-ready is to throw on a dress (any of them!) plus some accessories, blush, and mascara, and then it's out the door for me. Oh, and a few strokes with an eyebrow pencil for good measure. If you remember one thing, it should be this: DO NOT FORGET THE EYEBROW PENCIL.

details:

Make your frock a vintage-y keyhole-d version and your shoes the be-studded kind, and suddenly you're Valentino casual for a Wednesday at the office.

I mean, that's what I did today. What about you?

old navy dress/vince camuto sandals/revlon lilac pastelle

[disclaimer: objects in photos may appear more pissed than they actually are, promise.]

THE TEENAGE GUIDE TO POPULARITY

I'm not really one for the grunge look, but this guy in the orange pants/baggy black sweater combo has me rethinking the whole thing.

Probably because his cheekbone length hair reminds me of every middle school crush I ever had.

INSPIRATION WALL

I have an inspiration wall where I post things I like. After a while, I retire the "keepers" into a sketchbook I've had for over 10 years (!). Over time it has become filled with everything from emotional journal entries and sketch paintings, to home inspirations and marketing ideas. Here's what I'm working with right now:

In there you'll find Bottega Veneta's The Birds campaign, Valentino's sheer keyhole dresses, PRADA (but of course), Dakota Fanning in a stunning nude gown, and spotted eggs (because I like their color & texture), among other little treasures.

I just like to surround myself with beauty, and live a beautiful life.

ONE IS THE LONELIEST NUMBER

Charlotte Gainsbourg, via Childhood Flames, a long time ago

Why, hello hello blog friends! Back again and this time I'm armed with some New Years resolutions. It's the start of the decade so let's make them count.

(P.S. this is the longest post ever.)

ONE: No more pity parties. When you're down in the mud, it's really easy to wallow in it. I've always been one to try to change my situation for the better, so I've got that part covered. This resolution has more to do with changing the focus of my mental energy all together. Is mental energy too new age-y? (Resolution 1.1: get more new age-y in the new year.)

TWO: Less black. Or more black. I can't decide which. On the one hand, black is dull, boring, and has the possibility of sucking the life out of my pale winter skin. On the other hand, everything I try on seems to work best in the black, or nearly black, version. I'll let the mirrors decide.

THREE: Sleeping by myself. Ha, this one doesn't mean what you think it does. Since I pretty much spend the hours of noon to night on this laptoppy thingy, at bedtime I am quite prone to simply sliding it off my lap and onto the adjacent mattress space just before the drool hits the keyboard. It's probably not the safest spot for my computer, and gee, I'd really like my bed back, technology, so it's onto the wooden floor for you. Plus, you're kind of making a rectangle shape indention in the mattress and that's not cool.

And now, the party stuff. Doing anything without serious planning and commitment always turns into a cluster eff, but by the time the clock struck 2011, all was right. I toasted to my new roomies, climbed up to our still-snowy rooftop, and caught firework shows from both the ocean (?) and East River sides. Very cool.

Then it was dance party time at a few local bars. I wore a turban. Like this:


Here's the whole look, Polyvore style:
Vintage Victor Costa emerald green ballgown that I had shortened several years ago, vintage Paola Conte sequined vest, Family Dollar turban (you read that right), H&M bib necklace, and the same two rings I always wear. For my legs I had black tights and platforms, which I later swapped for flats before heading out, because at that point I just didn't care anymore. There was no real inspiration besides sequins and gems, and none of it really made any sense, but when it came together it seemed to work.



Two hats are better than one.

What about you? Any New Years/New Decade resolutions?
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