Inspired by Joan Holloway

I stumbled on What I Wore just this morning, and LOVE this outfit:



{image source}

The color, the cut of the dress, the tights, the scarf--everything. Perfect.

I'm also sort of loving the haircut. I wonder if my hair would do that....

Sky High

{Cupcakes and Cashmere}

Now, I'm the girl who always has a spare pair of flip flops in her bag and doesn't wear any heels that are higher than 1 inch, but oh my word are these YSL heels not absolutely gorgeous? I would most likely fall and knock out a couple of teeth if I ever attempted to actually wear them, but they are so beautiful I might just put them on a shelf and gaze at them, like art.

Bellezza

These two images caught my eye this week as being quintessentially Italian. It makes me want to go back in a bad way...(but what doesn't?).

{Garance Dore}

The dark hair, the olive skin, the red lipstick, the gorgeous green silk, the clutch, the newstand...perfection.

{The Sartorialist}

Again with the dark hair, that red purse, that skirt, that scooter....sigh.

Please note....

I just realized my last two posts have been tangentially wedding-related. This does not mean I have suddenly become enthusiastic about weddings. I just thought I would clarify.

Thanks for your understanding in this matter.

Sweet Dress

I saw this in the New York Times' Pursuit of Happiness blog, and I just think the dress is so sweet for a wedding. It's cute and fun, but still pretty. I also love the colored sash. Maybe not so much the tattoo, but we can't all be perfect.

The Wedding of the Century

As much as I've complained about Jim and Pam's relationship as of late(it's too cutesy, they never fight, they're sort of boring when not star-crossed), I have to admit that I'm really looking forward to their wedding and this Entertainment Weekly cover makes me smile. Also, even though I still maintain that the show could benefit from a little creativity with the relationship, executive producer Greg Daniels makes a good point in the accompanying cover story: "We didn’t want to do the soap opera-y thing and cheapen it. Besides, our ratings keep going up, so I don’t think anyone minds them being together.”

The special one-hour long wedding episode is set to air October 8, and I'll be watching (and let's be honest--I'll probably even tear up a little bit).

Vintage Esquire Covers

Grain Edit had a post today about vintage Esquire covers, so I popped over to their cover archive to check them out for myself.

Below, some of my favorites:











The most incredible thing about Esquire, more than the fantastic art direction, was the amount of quality writing in each issue. As far as I know, Esquire still has great articles--why can't a magazine for women feature the same calibre of literature and cultural commentary?

Back in the Saddle

I've been a blogging delinquent lately. In fact, I've been delinquent in nearly every area of my life these past 2 months. But I'm reasonably confident that, starting today, I'm coming back swinging.

I moved into a new apartment 3 weeks ago. So far, I love it. Most of the common areas are set up and unpacked, but my room is a disaster of haphazard cardboard boxes and piles of half-unpacked shoes, laundry, and other random detritus from my life that I can't quite bring myself to scrap(a pink wing from two Halloweens ago, floppy discs full of college papers, two Starbucks barista action figures [yes, two] I got as gifts back when I was working there). Furthermore, the walls of the apartment are that blank, creamy vanilla color that screams for something, anything to free it from its own boredom, and my roommate and I have yet to hang our art. In an attempt to feel less like a transient camping out in my own home, last night I sifted through the large still-to-be-unpacked box of my CDs and chose my favorite album art to hang on the sloped wall above my bed. I then carefully lined them up in neat rows, sticking globs of Scotch tape to the backs and pressing them against the plaster with my palms. This process took me about an hour, after which I proudly stood back and admired my handiwork.

It was about 30 seconds after I snapped this shot with my cell phone that the first liner note detached itself from the wall and quietly fluttered down. I resolutely plastered the backing with more Scotch tape and pressed it back into place. I then repeated this when the second booklet fell. And the third. By the time I went to bed, I had resolved myself to the fact that music and lyrics would be drifting down to cover me in my sleep, and I did wake this morning, the glossy pamphlets surrounding me like discarded flower petals. But I won't give up--I will get better adhesive (suggestions welcome), and by god, that album art will stay on my wall!

Even though it was ultimately a failed experiment, I had a fun time doing it. As I pored over those dusty plastic cases and bright album covers, and somehow managed to use up almost an entire roll of Scotch tape, I was transported back to high school, a time when I spent most of my hours in my bedroom, listening to those CDs and cutting pictures out of magazines to tape to the impressive full-wall collage I had adorning the bare plaster there in lieu of wallpaper or paint. Sometimes it’s good to get back to your roots, even if just for a little while.