It's so nice, I wore it twice.

Now I just need to save up for this coveted little baby...

Gone Apple Pickin'

I look forward to Sundays all week, every week. Right now mostly because True Blood is back on...

But aside from that, it's the one day I usually have no commitments and nothing but free time. So of course my favorite thing to do is walk around town, headphones on, scouring secondhand stores for goodies. Because I'm so often asked about my thrifting adventures, I will share with you a few of my weekly rituals, just promise to use them to add only vital pieces to your wardrobe and not Ed Hardy crap. Seriously that shit is everywhere. Everyone collectively decided to sell/donate it at once. Wtf.

1. Have some good tunes at the ready. After all, most places will be playing Top 40's...from 1973. And although I do love the song "Bennie and the Jets," those musical morsels are hard to come by in your average secondhand shops.

2. Pick a day that isn't going to be crazy crowded. The number one type of person on my shitlist is the one who crowds me while I'm shopping. And they usually smell like urine or McDonald's. Or some kind of rancid combo. For realsies, step off.

3. Be patient and have a game plan. You're way less likely to find buried treasure if you aimlessly browse around. Pick a section and scour. I usually look at actual clothing first, then housewares, then shoes and bags, then jewelry. That way you can hit up the fitting rooms (if there are any) before you gather up anything that you can't bring in.

Which brings me to my next little tidbit...dress the part. A lot of times there aren't any fitting rooms, so wear things you can slip clothes over or slip off easily. Be comfy, but dress cute, perhaps in past thrifting finds. Call it "wishful dressing" or something. It can help inspire ideas.

(Lace-trim Tee - thrifted, High-waisted Shorts - American Apparel, Braided Belt and Platform Sandals - H&M, Black Patent Bag - recent thrifting treasure)

The tee and shorts are easy to slip on and off or throw something over. The bag is my "inspirational piece" because I loooooove it and found it for $4 in a thrift store. 

The sandals are comfy and slip-off-able, but can be easily paired with outfits, giving me some ideas in the fitting room.

And over-accessorizing my arms is just what I'm all about these days. Weigh them doooown.

Now, get thee to a Salvation Army!

The Training Birkin

If stealing intellectual property is wrong, I don’t wanna be right. Okay, well like…to a reasonable extent.

Patrice knows all about my quest for the perfect structured kelly bag. And yes, ideally it would be this:

But for the time being, I’m always on the prowl for my aptly named “training Birkin,” a title I give only to the worthiest of inspired-by bags. For instance, cue my Marc by Marc Jacobs Ozzie Square Lucy Bag:

But the little baby below was an ideal fit for this prestigious position — a perfect mini-version, by Neiman Marcus and a $4 thrift find. Whuuut. A little soapy water and some black shoe polish later, and we got a beaut — coming to a dive bar near you (well, depending on where you are…), on the shoulder of yours truly:

A Day at the Museum

I love it when my mom comes to visit. Sunday we went to check out the Chihuly exhibit at the MFA, and it totally quenched my current thirst for more and more color.

And then of course there was the WALL OF NAVAJO PRINT BLANKETS.



I kept wondering how obvious it would’ve been if I had just slid one off the wall…
As we were scoping the gold aztec jewelry section, my mom seated me on a bench and whipped out a small box. Inside:



And that made me feel the need to do a Senora Applecore arm tribute:


(Chain bracelet from Mali; Cut out bracelet from Toledo, Spain; Watch from Elgin)

I mean, I wouldn’t call her an enabler so much as…fashionably aware.

Sugar Fix

                              Isn’t everything better with sprinkles???

                          

Speaking of which, it seems I’m fully abandoning my usual all black, all the time ways for more and more color. I’ve got to have a sugar fix at 5 o’clock every day…and now I need more of this in my life:


Shoes - Haus of Price, Dress - Josh Goot for ASOS, Eye Glitter - Makeup Forever

Break the Rules, Even the Real Old Ones

When I get into something, I tend to go overboard. But that’s how collections happen…right? And I don’t wanna stop till this shit hits both elbows.

And I know, I know…

“Before you leave the house, take a look in the mirror and take one thing off.”
- Coco Chanel

Sorry, Cokes, just can’t stand behind you on this one.

She knows the deal.

Stranger Than Furnishing

This one’s on my list of awesome-yet-underrated movies. And although I love the plot and message behind the movie, probably my favorite aspect of watching is getting to explore the amazing abode of Maggie Gyllenhaal’s character. The renegade baker mixes florals, retro pieces, and a whole lot of colors to create the perfect kitschy residence I could only dream of inhabiting…

- Retro Diner Clock from Etsy seller MiesEnScene
- Beaded Chandelier from UrbanOutfitters
- Tree Branch Lamp from Shop.com
- Granny Afghan from ModCloth
- Floral Print Settee and Antiqued Seafoam End Table from HomeDecorators

And then of course there are these Flour Pot Measuring Spoons from ModCloth, perfect for baking warm chocolate chip cookies. They also reminded me of my favorite scene, when Will Ferrell’s character finally woos the woman of his dreams…

 

"I brought you flours.”

Brace Yourself.

Suddenly over-excited by all things arm-adorning...

I’ve never been a big bracelet fan, probably due to the inability of my puny wrists to hold normal-people-sized jewelry. Maybe it’s because I work three doors down from Alex and Ani, or maybe I’m simply starting to run out of things to collect (first bags, then shoes, and so on and so forth…) but now I’ve added bracelets to the shopping list.

Friendly Army

(Bracelets by Ettika, Chan Luu, Rebecca Minkoff, and Anthropologie)

Remember friendship bracelets back in the day? (Remember? Like back when you were 12 and had real friends?) Well, they’re back and better than ever. I’ve been noticing my friends lately layering on all kinds of bracelets – leather, silver, beaded, charm, even lanyards – until about four inches of forearm is covered. Gotta say I love the look, now I just need to build up my collection…

Chain of Jewels

(Bracelets by Kate Spade, Alex and Ani, Forever21, and Ann Taylor)

I’m currently obsessed with strand bracelets, whether they’re chunky chains or ropes of glitzy jewels. These babies making layering easy and effortless, and add a bit of pizzazz wrist-side. 

(Bracelets by Eddie Borgo Smile, Hermes, Urban Outfitters, and Citrine by the Stones)

Off the Cuff

Cuffs are oh-so versatile – they can go from being heavy metal rocker chic to strolling down Newbury Street. You can simply wearing your favorite cuff with a few other simple accessories, or go a little more over the top and wear one or more on each arm. I like to call this “the Cleopatra.”

And on that note, here’s this. Funny how some things come full circle, isn’t it?

The Marc Jacobs Diet

When I was in college I snagged this little baby on sale at Saks:

I was in love with the beautiful, lipstick red leather and the over-sized patchwork stitching. I still sometimes drool over it…reeeeeeddddddd leeeeeeaaaaatttttthhhhhheeeeerrrrrrr……….okay. Sorry.

Well, since then I’ve always lusted after Marc Jacobs bags, the Baby Stam in particular. So petite, so cute, so…out of my price range. In the interim, I’ve purchased two Marc by Marc Jacobs bags, both of which I love dearly, but no collection pieces. But then, on a thrifting excursion which was meant to rid my closet of unnecessaries, I saw behind the counter…a Baby Stam. In patchwork lipstick red. Authentic. Way underpriced. Fate.

So, clutch wallet, meet your big sister!

This is why people scour second hand stores. Now, I can still dream about the day I find a Chanel Classic Flap or Hermes Birkin behind one of those counters…hey, it could happen!

Keep on the Sunnies Side of Life

Vintage sunnies. Oh, don’t worry. There are many more in my sunglasses drawer. Does anyone really need a drawer devoted to sunglasses? Apparently.

Yup. Too cool.

It’s at least enough of an obsession to write this post for the salon blog!

The Pen is Mightier Than the Palette

I have fallen in love with a couple Holy Grail cosmetics in the past month. Not only are these two babies makeup miracle workers, but they’re both pen-sized – and can replace a whole myriad of products in your makeup bag, truly proving that good things do come in small packages.

YSL Touche Eclat

Part highlighter, part sheer coverage concealer, this gleaming gold tube offers something other products just can’t: a perfect touch of radiance wherever you need it. I’ve been searching for years for something that could give me that glowy, brilliant sheen that you see on models in the magazines, but I always ended up either looking like a shiny, oily mess or disco ball from all the glitter. This little guy basically makes you look like you’re being perfectly illuminated by a professional camera crew at all times. And because it’s sheer, you can ever layer it over concealer for an instant pick-me-up under the eyes. Just add a stroke or two here and there, and you’ll have a perfected complexion.

Revitalash Eyelash Conditioner

Okay, so we’ve all seen that commercial with Brooke Shields where she’s talking about this stuff her doctor prescribed her for her “inadequate, or not enough lashes,” right? And it sounded a little ridiculous but maybe got you thinking…is there something out there that can really give me my own permanent set of false-looking eyelashes? But then you heard the disclaimer about the eyelid-tinting side effects, iris spots, blah blah blah, forget about it.
Enter Revitalash. Same deal, no side effects, no Rx, and about a third of the price if you find a deal online. I’ve been using it for just about a month now and I’m starting to see some real growth on these stumpy, stick-straight lashes. One of my co-workers has been using it for several months and recommended it to me when I commented on what I thought were her FALSE lashes. So I remain confident I too will soon have enviable eyelashes – with or without mascara.