Want: Kirsten Dunst's Outfit

I think it's the plaid...

Lazy, Hazy and Dreamy

I stumbled upon this breezy Etsy shop earlier today and just had to buy this gorgeous print. The second I laid eyes upon Susannah Conway's image I was immediately taken back to every wonderful summer evening I spent in my aunt's giant garden, lying in the dirt and looking up through the trees.

Bridesmaid Dress!

The other day I received an email from my friend Linds (who is getting married later this year) containing her choice of dresses for her 8 (yes, 8) bridesmaids. It's pretty sweet:



Six of us are wearing this, and her 2 (yes, 2) Maids of Honor will be wearing a different version, with ruffles. The best part is that I can actually use this LBD again as a cocktail dress, for all of the super fancy cocktail parties I imagine I'll be attending in the future. Or for putting on when I'm halfway done cleaning my closet and "take a break" to sit on the couch and watch ANTM marathons and eat french bread. Or, you know, whatever.

In the Style of Oprah....

...I'm going to talk about a few of my favorite things. I've been on a sort of internet "detox" as of late, and I'm not even sure why. I've been spending most of my free time either snuggling on the couch with S. while watching old seasons of the Simpson's and Arrested Development, or gallivanting around my small town with two of my best friends, who are up for their Spring Break. And in the evenings I've been drinking tea and catching up on all of the reading I wanted to do during my last two years at University and didn't have time for. Which brings me too:

Dostoevsky. I've been pouring through The Brothers Karamazov like it was my last meal. I know the majority of people (that I've come across, at least) prefer to shun Russian Literature, but it really just has a bad reputation. Both his subjects and writing style are incredibly approachable. There's just so damn much of it that it ends up with a bad rap.

Ballet in the mornings. After spending all day at work I tend to spend the time between 5 O'clock and bedtime relaxing with S. I haven't been able to get myself to go to my evening ballet classes and it kills me. So I wake up an hour early every morning and do some simple stretches and barre work, and I am continually amazed at how much happier I am throughout the day.

Tea Tree Oil. After an intense skincare discussion with Mrs. R a few months ago, I decided to follow her (beautiful) example and add a little tea tree oil to my lotion every night, and, slowly but surely, I've watched my skin improve.


Images Stolen from: Cridiron, Natural Beauty and Photobucket.

Just a Little Secret:

I do this too. I very much enjoyed this weeks love-centered postcards on Post Secret.

Happy Valentine's Day!

I post this on my friend Lauren's facebook page every year, due to her love of the Simpsons and our love of this particular scene. So I thought I'd post it here to bring a smile to everyone, and to wish you all a happy Valentine's Day. I hope everyone has a wonderful, delightful day! S. and I don't really have any grand plans, other than to have a lazy morning in bed and then dinner with my parents, brother and sister-in-law (we're bringing grilled Brussels sprouts - yum!), and possibly watching Enchanted.



Images via: Toronto Mike and Le Love.

Gimme Gimme Tuesday: A Bit Late

Sometimes I wish I weren't so budgeted and minimalist, the last "exciting" thing I purchased was a weekly planner. But my goal is to stop buying (so much) useless junk that clutters up the apartment (even though it's so much fun) and buy only the things that I cannot live without. I have to catch myself trying to justify purchases that I know I don't need to make, and instead I post them here, sort of like an intervention.

Who could resist these sweet red ballet flats? I really had to stop myself with these, considering I already own countless pairs of ballet flats.

I really love the color combination in this Swan Lake Print from Etsy. Dark nearly black green is one of my favorite colors.

I don't know why I'm so drawn to these Bubblegum Cigarillos, but I know I would feel super cool carrying them around.

Mmm, Vintage Fryes- nothing more needs to be said.

Can Someone Tell Me When White Heels Were Even "In"?

I don’t wear a lot of make-up. And when I say that, I don’t mean that I restrict myself to just foundation, lip gloss, eye liner and mascara- I mean that I really don’t wear make-up. Aside from a brief stint during 10th grade where I wore face powder et. al. everyday for 6 months, I’ve been barefaced my entire life. And during high school I quit wearing any jewelry for some reason or another, something about not wanting to detract from my natural looks, but looking back it was more of a rebellion of the over accessorized look at the time; all of the fashionable girls wore armfuls of bracelets, gaudy necklaces and giant hoops.

I’m telling you this because of the recent memo sent around to the Bank of England (female) employees concerning a more stringent dress code:

“Look professional, not fashionable; be careful with perfume; always wear a heel of some sort — maximum 2 inches; always wear some sort of makeup — even if it’s just lipstick. Shoes and skirt must be the same color. No-no’s include ankle chains — professional, but not the one you want to be associated with; white high heels; overstuffed handbags; an overload of rings, and double-pierced ears."

I can understand the importance of dressing professional at the office, E.G. clean clothes and neat hair, but forcing women to wear make-up and heals seems a bit excessive. I’m a little torn about how I feel regarding this sort of dress code, because I do actually wear some make-up now:



In the early morning, after layering on the obligatory sunscreen, I'll pop on a bit of blush and some tinted lip balm. I also have triple-pierced ears, which haven't seemed to offend anybody yet- in fact multi-pierced ears are de rigueur at my office. Of course, I'm lucky enough to be working in the back office of a non-profit family practice where people come to work in anything from delicate dresses and cardigans to Carhartt's and scrubs. I could never follow the "No overstuffed handbag" rule, because I would never get through a day without needing my scarf, travel mug, water bottle, sweater, lunch, book and all of my other miscellaneous items that get me through the day- and I know this goes for all the other women I know.

But what about other people's offices? Are monochromatic outfits and full makeup more common? Does it seem fair to force women to wear heals (2-inch heals are not comfortable, I refuse to believe that bullshit line) while standing for a 4-8 hour shift and spend loads of money on make-up? I agree that it is a good idea to have a dress code, but the Bank of England one seems to be a step towards the Stepford area. Is it necessary to have such a stringent dress code for their female employees?

Article Stolen From: New York Magazine.

Sick Yet Again

"I think I'm getting a small cold" I mentioned absentmindedly to my boss this afternoon.

"Really"? She said, smirking slightly, "it will probably be one of those colds that hits you hard this weekend and then is completely gone by Monday morning"

"God I hope not" I replied, crossing my fingers.

Lo and behold, she totally called it. I got home and my health declined rapidly. So instead of cleaning and making an attempt at spring rolls with S., I will be lying in bed and spending some quality time with Edina, Pats and millions of books- all while drowning myself in mug after mug of tea.

Lacroix, darling, Lacroix.

If Only...

I wish American Vogue could be as effortlessly glamorous and intelligent as Vogue Paris- case in point: having the incredible Sofia Coppola on their cover.
Image via: {this is glamorous}.