sunday surprises

mixed materials tee + military jacket + digital floral print rebecca minkoff mini m.a.c = 

my kind of a sunday funday

bag - Rebecca Minkoff Saks Exclusive
shirt - J. Crew
 jacket - J. Crew

festive pop o' color because holidays

Aqua red sweater for holiday sweater-weather

SOLD Design Lab distressed boyfriend jeans to ease me back into denim (i know leggings aren't pants. but still. i'll admit, i've gotten into the (bad) habit of choosing my waist-down attire based on ample stretch potential).

t minus 0! happy holidays!!

i know this is a rather cheesy/cop-out/womp womp finale, but really, hypothetical/actual wish lists are kind of whatever in the grand scheme of things. so long as you spent this day surrounded by 20 people or 1 person (or cat or dog or whatever) who hearts ya no questions asked, then: 

hope you had an excellent holiday :-)

t minus 1! grab-bag edition

because holidays are exciting and far from orderly, today's round-up is just a hodge-podge of wonderful things i wish to one day own (along with flimsy justifications as to the reasons why).

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because gilded eyes are gorgeous eyes (year-round, not just for the excuse-to-be-glittery holiday season):

Lancôme Color Design Eye Shadow in 'Must-Have'

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because it's officially winter and you obviously can't leave the house without a winter-appropriate rosy flush:

Clé de Peau enchanted Winter Garden Party in Rosy Frost

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because my hair hates me for all the times i've tried to make it best friends with my flat iron:

Kérastase Elixir Ultime

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because (especially in the winter) my lips hate me:

bareMinerals Jack of All Trades Lip Balm

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because if you're going to opt for the classic monogrammed accessory, you might as well make it edgy-chic instead of cutesy-chic:

Jennifer Fisher Gothic Letter Necklace

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because i hate bulky scarves but i also hate pneumonia:

Free People Lightweight Jersey Scarf

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because i have a well-established addiction to rebecca minkoff bags:

Rebecca Minkoff Hudson Moto Mini

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because yes:

SORACE/D Knuckle Oui Ring

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because flats should be funky, not frilly (and because they are on sale?):

Jeffrey Campbell Marti Cap Toe Studded Flat

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because who doesn't have a lucky number:

Bittersweets NY Number Ring

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because i am always in a...

Rebecca Minkoff 'New York State of Mind' Tee

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happy holidays eve!!

(t minus 2): mini-backpacks that pack a majorly stylish punch

what's old is new again, and that definitely rings true when it comes to mini-backpacks. before i delve into my wishlist items for this topic, let's take a quick strut down memory lane. 

so growing up, i was a total tomboy. i went to an elementary/middle school that required uniforms, which was fine by me, and my weekend wear consisted primarily of a yellow tshirt and overalls (sidenote: overalls are another item from the past that i'm coveting in the present). given that i wasn't sweating what to wear, it's little surprise that accessorizing wasn't at the top of my priority list. 

but then, cher horowitz snapped her fingers and said 'as if' and all of a sudden, mini-backpacks were everywhere. and that did it for me. goodbye, denim hobo bag from kmart (yes, seriously. but i assure you it wasn't as heinous as it sounds). hello, red patent leather mini-backpack from the department store. since then, handbags are my (fashionable) achilles' heel. 

flash-forward a decade or so and the mini-backpacks are back, and i'm so very glad about it. 

on to the round-up!

the olsen twins were the ones to get my really revved up about this style again. at the top of my wishlist is this classic beauty by the row:

i've recently discovered the accessories line KARA, and i am obssessssssed. this mesh & leather number is amazing:

and finally, because im a sucker for anything quilted, i can't not have this quilted style from pixie market:

(t minus 3): an ode to ear cuffs

seriously, my new favorite type of jewelry

this beauty is by feliks + adrik for of a kind. i have a ring by them too, and it's what got me back into the habit of wearing rings regularly - feliks + adrik really does offer the perfect, wear-everyday pieces, i think. really simple but unique, clean designs that have an edgy vibe.

some other cuffs that i'm coveting intensely enough at the moment to earn them a place on my wishlist include...

the least preppy way to wear pearls:

Emma Deux 14-karat Gold Pearl Ear Cuff by Sophie Bille Brahe

for the romantic:

Love Ear Cuff by Jacquie Aiche

classic bars x 3:

Large Three Bar Cuff by BRVTVS

(t minus 4): Lacquer Lust with Chanel

what's a holiday without some haute couture? at least for your nails...

given that my nail polish collection has been growing exponentially ever since i traded in those peel-off polishes of my childhood for their sleeker, grown-up counterparts of NARS, YSL, Essie, MAC, and obviously, Chanel, it's unsurprising that my holiday wishlist includes a nail polish collection to make any lacquer-lusting aficionado downright giddy:

L'Édition Ultime by Chanel:

as robust as the Chanel sub-set of my nail polish collection is (the most recent shade i snatched up was Magic, part of the exclusive Nuit Magique set that debuted during Fashion's Night Out, which unfortunately didn't happen in NYC. so i was all sorts of delighted when the shade was released online as well in December), there are actually quite of a few of these curated vernis shades that are missing. 

the top three included in this set that i've always had my eye on are Frenzy, a chameleon-like lilac-gray, Dragon, an unbelievably gorgeous shade of red, and Ballerina, a subtle shade of pink that's as sophisticated and sweet a neutral as you can get. 

must-have shades + a protective base coat + pampering hand cream = a top spot on my holiday wishlist

(t minus 5): i wear my heart on my tee

i like graphic tees/sweaters way too much. it's almost getting to the point where i'm hard-pressed to pick out a top that DOESN'T say something on it. my closet is basically full of mini-conversations happening at all times. 

i fully acknowledge this is a problem, because while i love graphic tops, i also think they are a style that's rather restricted to a fairly specific point in your life. a very playful point, i think. and i mean sure, i'm hoping that ill still be in playful mode 5 years from now, or 10, but realistically, how likely is it that ill wake up at say, 37, and think, man, today is a day to wear that t-shirt that declares 'sorry for partying' ? 

sidenote: i do kinda love that tee. and who knows what ill be doing at 37. maybe i will still be sorry-not-sorry for partying. 

anyways, with all that said, as of december 2013, if it's got something witty/cheeky/just-so-random-it's-brilliant scrawled across it, odds are, i want it. a few examples...

seriously, don't be such a mermaid. gosh. 

yes, i certainly do think all shirts should give good advice. kinda fits in with my general stream of consciousness here...

so on to wishlist theme #3 - GRAPHIC TEES! & SOME SWEATERS!

artsy option: i have been eyeing a deer dana tee for quiiiite some time...the sketches are so good. and the characters are even better.

voila: this song of style-eluxe collab one might be my favorite of the bunch, and it looks so cozy, so plus 10 extra points right there.

good girls/bad girls: im basically a really boring good girl, so maybe i can get this and wear it ironically?

book nerd: litographs is this amazing online store that creates totes & tees inspired by the actual words of classic novels. from far away, the shirts just appear to feature a print of some iconic scene from the book, but lean in and you've got the WHOLE text. at the risk of being totally cliche, i love the great gatsby one (tho the great expectations one is a close second):

lipstick lover: while i do love lipstick, im not sure i love it enough to spend $500 to wear it as a sweater. so it's probably a good thing this MSGM x Toilet Paper Magazine item is sold out:

NY Love: pretty self-explanatory.

(t minus 6) ohhhh snap: i'm a sucker for snapbacks

lately, i have been allll about snapbacks, which is the next theme on my wishlist. 

speaking of wishes, i wish i had snagged this one designed by theopholius london, before it sold out:

but i am really happy i got in on this one by ztheart

anyways, the snapbacks/snapback-inspired hat styles that have earned a spot on my wishlist are... 

1) the morris star hat by marc jacobs

lovelovelove the multi-colored stars and oversized greatness of it

2) maison kitsuné 'parisien' hat (and on sale too! is this a sign?)

3) and finally, taking a page from rihanna's epic style playbook...the 'BOY' cap

                                                           

     

holidays are a perfect excuse for countdowns & wish lists

it's officially t minus 1 week till Christmas, and i thought i'd take this opportunity to combine 2 of my favorite things: countdowns & roundups. specifically, roundups of wish list items, presented in countdown form. 

i've probably just made something rather simple sound immensely more complicated than need be, so the jist of it is...for each of the next 7 days, i'll highlight a theme from my (hypothetical) wish-list and highlight a round-up of potential goodies to fulfill each theme... it'll make sense once i get going, i promise. 

drumroll...today's theme...iPhone cases. so im about to be blissfully released from my 2-year contract, meaning i can upgrade to the much-loved/much-despised/definitely polarizing iPhone 5. for the record, i'm pretty psyched because a) my current iPhone 4 is moving more at a turtle-rather-than-hare pace due to the fact that i've held out on updating the software to ios5 or whatever it is, because the last time i did so, my phone book was deleted. and okay, to be honest, some of those numbers (*ahem*those belonging to particular male persons*ahem*) were waaaaaay overdue for being deleted. but still. in addition to chrome crashing and restarting without restoring previously opened tabs, an unceremoniously deleted address book is among my greatest technological fears; and because b) a new phone necessarily means a new case. 

i realize part of the appeal of these sleek 'n' sexy iPhone 5's are the gilded aspect and whatnot, but i am allllll about the phone cases. while i don't switch my case out anywhere near as frequently as i do my bags to suit my mood, i still like to have a couple different options in rotation. 

so as you might have noticed, my current case is this peek-a-boo style from kate spade:

it'll be a bit of a bummer to part with it, but i'm not especially loving the iPhone 5 winking version of those come hither eyes...

but true to form, kate spade offers some excellent options for the 5, such as this fortune cookie-inspired design:

i'm partial to it because for awhile, i had this one fortune i got wayyyyy back when that i was really into (it said, cryptically of course: your smile is a curve that can get a lot of things straight). and i kept taping it to any new case i got, but it got worn out and faded and frankly kind of gross. 

option 2 courtesy of kate:

but is it too precious? will i hate myself if i happen to be wearing pearls one day and then i pull out my phone and then i'm a girl wearing pearls texting on a phone wearing pearls? i feel like i might.

so madewell has been stepping up its game a lot lately i think, and they have a cheeky case that i think is pretty endearing:

 

get it? bien --> 'well' + fait --> 'made' = well-made = made-well

zing! that definitely deserves a wink 

next up, cynthia rowley. did you know cynthia rowley makes iPhone cases? i did not. tho i guess it's probably safe to assume most designers will have some sort of tech accessories collection these days since those sorts of accessories are rapidly becoming an integral part of your personal style, falling in line behind your heels, your handbag, etc...(at least i think so. i mean, i am devoting an entire blog post to phone cases after all)

so this case is literally a party. i mean, confetti is flying and everything.

and finally! i've had my eye on this for awhile now, because i think it'd just be a very sweet message to remind yourself of each time you glance down at your phone. 

decisions, decisions. it's gonna be one tough case to crack.

ps - terrible puns such as the above are generally my cue to call it a night.

maybe a grand reveal about which one(s) i chose will be made a week from today!

good luck charms of the day

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luxe leather

some days - and mondays most of all - you just want to channel your inner badass. the ultimate item to throw on and look tough? a classic leather jacket. bonus points if it comes with a hood.

winter whites

courtesy of chanel

happy friday the 13th!

it's frigid. so let's dress in as close to appropriate fashion attire as possible before heading out there, yes?

beanie: free people (similar style here)

fluted skirt: j.crew

merino tippi sweater: j.crew

vest: aqua

booties: steve madden (similar style here)

the perfect nude

the thing about nude lipsticks is that they seem deceptively simple. i mean, they're the "staple" of your cosmetics stash, right? and isn't it usually pretty easy to find staples for other aspects of your life? like your closet, your fridge etc...a neutral-colored sweater, a pair of classic pumps, milk, cereal...done and done.

but a nude shade of lipstick that won't make you look zombie-fied or put a hi-def filter on your lip lines and any signs of flakiness? that's a tougher find. if i had to equate it with any other staple item, i'd say it's akin to the elusive "perfect white tee." it can't be too sheer, it can't be too heavy. you just want to slip it on without a second thought and head out the door looking chic and put-together any day of the week.

so special shout out to dior for delivering not just one perfect nude lipstick, not just two...but eight stunningly natural nude shades that definitely deserve a spot as a staple in your makeup bag. get to know the dior nude rouge lipstick collection. my personal favorite? 'swan,' a subtle shade of pink that offers just the right amount of coverage, moisturizes and is an instant chic pick-me-up.

perfect pair: comme des garçons X converse

I searched far and wide for these bad boys (could never find my size, could only find the hi-top versions, could never find them in white, so many obstacles), and finally found my perfect pair - thank you Farfetch!