Pinning for you

Hey guys, this is a lazy post - but at least I'm posting! A sweet friend told me how much she likes what I pin, which was a surprisingly great compliment! So I thought I'd share some of what I've been pinning lately.

Hanoi Travel Guide - A Pair & A Spare



This Hong Kong- based fashion blogger usually posts creative DIYs, but I love her travel posts the most. Her recent weekend trip to Hanoi makes me want to pack NOW.

Better Home and Gardens Expedit Hack

With the ikat furniture, hints of teal and massive bookcases, I would pretty much just like to live here, please.

Franish - Oxford Under Sweater Trick

Now why didn't I ever think of that?

Stuff We Ate - Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai

We're on a major spaghetti squash bent over at our house. This was a fun switch up from the Italian recipes I normally do with the stuff.

Best Body Fitness - Fully Body Tabata


Wanna sweat? OH, child. this will do it. There's a million free tabata timer apps on the iphone, so get it going!

Fashion Moment

I don't post that often about high fashion, because - let's be honest here- the Gap sale rack is about as far as I go in the fashion world. But this was just too too beautiful not to share. 

As I may have mentioned a thousand times or so, I love India and one of the things I love most is the beautiful art the country produces. Textile-making is one of the oldest and most world-renowned of the Indian arts and designers and stylists in India are constantly searching for ways to utilize this traditional artistry in modern fashion. This video, produced by Vogue India, shows that when top design houses collaborate with Indian textile artists, the results are AMAZING.

While there are a lot of issues with this type of promotion - the incredible contrast between high-fashion and the lifestyles of the villagers in the video, the gross income disparity between the textile producers and the high-fashion designers, etc. etc. - I think the goal is a good one. Utilizing traditional art forms in contemporary fashion is one powerful way to preserve these traditions AND give opportunities to the artisans who make these products. It's exactly the same goal as fair trade workshops and cooperatives - using traditional skills to make new products that will attract consumers and keep artisans employed. So while there may be some serious issues inherent in the production of this video and these clothes, I think the effort of integrating high fashion and traditional crafts is a great step forward. Let's just hope it's not a passing trend.

And back to the fluffy: I would wear just about any garment in this video. Those shoes? I die. And I think I spotted my dream wedding dress, too -in case anyone can track it down on sale for me!  I'm also loving that they used Indian models - too often, I saw white girls all over the pages of Indian fashion mags.  So, overall, bravo Vogue India! Keep it coming.

Thanks to The Jade Bangle for the link!

Hermes

Ok, here's a post for the girls (and fabulous guys)....

Hermes.

You know, the iconic French brand of handbags and accessories that graces the arms and necks of practically every star, royal and dignitary worth their salt?

Victoria Beckham owns over 1.5 million dollars worth of Hermes.... can you blame her? here.

My mom has a mild obsession with Hermes, which she has passed down to me. Leaving Paris this summer, we almost missed our flight hanging out in the Hermes store, desperately wavering over an Hermes scarf (for Mom) and tie (for Dad). 

That's why I nearly screamed when I saw this message from her:

"Emily,   There is actually a Birkin bag on Shopgoodwill.com.   Take a look.  MOM"

WHAT??!! An Hermes Birkin bag donated to GOODWILL?!?

That's the stuff of urban legends. But... it was true.

It looked like this camel one, via Pinterest

When I looked at the listing it was going for $600 dollars. When my mom realized she had missed the final bid, the price was over $1,000. Sound like a lot to you? Remember: these bags retail for between $9,000 to over $30,000 and often times the waitlist is YEARS long. $1,000 dollars is a pretty fair price, given also that the leather ages to a beautiful patina almost more attractive than the newly minted bags. Am I sad that Mom missed the auction and that I will not be receiving a Birkin as my inheritance. Uhhhh, YES.

The Huffington Post snobbily wonders, with people like the Kardashians and other reality stars toting Birkins, have the bags lost their elite status? UHhhhh, no. Look at these images below (thanks to because i'm addicted), showing the painstaking detail and quality involved in the process of making an Hermes bag. Each bag is handcrafted, start to finish, by one exceptionally skilled craftsperson using exceptionally fine materials. Each bag is like a portable work of art....

So many great colors!

Swoon - that iconic gold hardware!

Anyways, I don't think I'll probably ever have the honor of carrying a Birkin bag. But it's awfully fun to dream about, so maybe that's ok :)

Pet Peeve: Hipster Kids

You wanna know my latest pet peeve? Hipster babies, or rather, parents who insist on dressing up their sweet bundles of joy in the hipster-est clothes they can find. 

This is Alexander Wang's niece, who he dressed for his fashion week shows.

A child model for the shoe line, keep (here)

Mason Kardashian Dissick (here)

I guess I just think fondly back to my days of wearing cat-printed leggings and crazy sweaters with pom poms and googly eyes and whatever else was just fun. I don't know how much thought my mom put into my clothes, but I'm sure she focused more on what was easy to wash, comfortable, and cute than what was chic. 

Kids don't need to be chic. 

Childhood is one of the few times in life where you can be blissfully unaware of what's cool and simply enjoy your body and your clothes for what they are - a means to help you  run and play and go through the world without people thinking your parents are total hillbillies. 

Once you hit puberty, you're basically locked into the vortex of fashion and societal norms and all that junk until you hit seventy and that child-like freedom returns where you feel absolutely no qualms about wearing every piece of jewelry in your collection at once or your knee high socks accompanied by your favorite shorts and sandals, 'cause who's gonna say anything? 

The indescribable Iris Apfel, here.

So you better believe my kids are going to dress like kids - complete with crazy colors, their favorite disney characters and hopefully lots of grass stains. 

And when I'm an old lady, whooweee, look out Iris Apfel ... I'm next!

Wardrobe Refresh

I have a confession to make. Today was one of those days where getting dressed takes multiple tries and results in half the contents of your closet ending up on the floor. We all have those days. But even worse was the fact that half of this mass of clothing dismissal was caused by broken zippers, holes, and worn out clothing. I must admit it, friends, my wardrobe is getting just a little bit shabby.

What my wardrobe feels like. here

I think I've fallen into a bit of a rut and I contribute this mainly to my budget-friendly, thrifty-store-loving shopping style. I tend to buy things because they are such a great deal and go to places (goodwill, salvation army, target, etc.) that mainly stick to my I -won't-pay-anything-over-$20-for-a-damn-shirt rule. In short, my clothes are half-way worn when I buy them.

This post by Sherry from Young House Love really made me think. She says she's able to convince herself not to buy something just because it's a good deal by thinking about the average awesomeness of her closet. If you only by things you absolutely love, your closet average is a 10. If you start buying things that are meh - maybe just an 8 on your scale - your closet average goes down. The goal is to be able to close your eyes, stick your hand in your closet and pull out something you love every time. And right now, I can't do that. There's too much meh in the way.

So this weekend's goal: clear out the meh, get it out of the way, and start shopping for some 10's. I want to love getting dressed again and not feel like I can't spend some money to look the way I want to. 

P.S.: I'll be taking style inspiration from these ladies:

Stripey lady - perfect sassy work look. here

Kendi knows how to do easy chic.

Gwyneth, obv. Gotta love those pants! here

Oh, and my stylish friend Mer who I want to publicly peer-pressure into having a style blog.

Wish me good shopping karma, friends!

Les Americaines en Paris

A funny thing about Paris is watching the people. Branded as the world's fashion capitol, Paris occasionally has the sort of vibe that makes you think you might as well not even bother -- just go ahead and wear that fanny pack, tourist, because there's no way you're gonna keep up. Not only do the French have some awesome style, the other tourists come prepared to make a statement - and their elaborate "French girl" costumes are sometimes even better than the original!

I have no hope of blending in while in Paris. It's either my midwestern looks or my accent, but something about me gives me away to cab drivers and concierges alike in about 2 seconds -she's American. A much more reasonable goal, I believe, is trying to follow in the ballet slippered footsteps of some fashionable American girls in Paris. Observe:

Audrey Hepburn (in Funny Face)

here

All black, boho outfit with comfy patent leather flats and a slip of bare ankle. Chic, easy and so travel friendly.

here

I won't be following any of Carrie Bradshaw's advice when it comes to footwear, but clearly stripes are more than appropriate for a day of sightseeing en Paris. Carrie's striped dress is perfect for spring - I'm thinking a tank dress or maxi skirt for our summer trip.

here

And finally, the Gossip Girls... Serena's footwear is ideal - flat but nowhere near the siren shoe of tourists --the dreaded white sneaker. A little dress, long strap bag and cute blazer? Parfait. Both ladies know a cute topper adds the perfect pinch of Parisian whimsy.

here

Oh and this gal? Might not be in Paris, but basically has the best travel outfit. Comfy skirt, sheer long sleeve top and some foot-friendly flats. Of we go!

I'm packing a classic black jacket (for rain and cool nights), slim jeans, plain sandals, layer-able blouses and a dress or two for fun. I'll share a snap of my packing later (once I've actually done it.) Now your turn - what do you wear while traveling?

Ho Hum

I was excited for the Oscars. So excited, in fact, that a sat down, armed with snacks and party favors, a full week early (whoops). But I finally go the date right on Sunday, and cozied up for a night of red carpet revelry with The Boy and our friends, C and A. 

Normally, I die seeing all the red carpet looks, yelling at the fashion criminals and cheering on the loveliest of ladies. But this year, fun as it was, the looks were a little underwhelming. Perhaps that's why it's taken me three days to sit down and write about any of them. So here are a few tidbits from the event.

Kate Winslet wasn't there:

 from here.

Didn't see this one, did you? And what a shame too. Kate didn't show up to the Oscars this year, so instead she rocked this doozy at the Cesar Awards. She is probably solely responsible for the Oscars being just a small bit dimmer this year.

The Crowning Glory:

from here.

Really, Gwyneth was the only one that made me gasp. Fantastic, fanciful....fabulous!

The Double Take:

From here.

Dear Emma Stone,

You are too talented and original to arrive to the Oscars in Nicole Kidman's hand-me-downs. Yes, you are both red-headed, maverick actresses but those similarities should not cross over to actual head-to-to looks. Please study your Hollywood history and do better next time.

Sincerely, 

Emily

PS You looked really pretty though...

The Remains of Kim Jung Il:

from here.

The funniest part of Sacha Baron Cohen's "look at me I promise I'm still relevant" shtick was this guy's experience of vacuuming fake human remains (it was actually bisquick) off the Oscars red carpet with Jason Segel hamming it up in the background. I hope this earns a spot of honor on his refrigerator.

from here.

I didn't get to watch the awards show but I caught the snippets of Angie's right leg, JLo's nipple, and Billy Crystal falling flat. And if you need an insight into the Best Picture nominees, check out their bitter facebook brawl.

Actually, given all this ridiculous, maybe the dresses aren't that important after all...

PS. I've added some new features to the blog, including a "follow me on pinterest" button and a list of new posts from some of my favorite bloggers. Hope you like the additions!!

I'll take one of each...

I could not really call myself a blogger in today's blogging market if I didn't at least throw in a cursory overview of New York Fashion Week. Don't worry, I will do so without using words like "amazeballs" or ending any sentences with "non?"

Just a few favorites here, that I'd be happy to own if anyone would like to make that happen:

Zac Posen

Nanette Lepore

Tracy Reese

Rachel Zoe

Naeem Khan

JCREW

Christian Siriano

Alice and Olivia

Marchesa

  These looks are too too amazeballs, non?

Whoops, I slipped.

* All Images via style.com

Let's be catty for a minute, shall we?

Ok, it's awards season. And although this has nothing to do with my normal selection of topics, and really no intellectual or moral worth, I am going to heartily engage in some catty dress judging.

Care to join?

Let me start off by saying: I am disappointed. Heifers need to pick it up before the Oscars. Most of the dresses were too boring to even mention.

But here are the good ones:

My best dressed for the night. Amazing color, great fit for the curves, perfect. A bit safe yes, but the right dress for her. Octavia, congratulations. Now, stand up straight!

What a dame, what a dame. This is how you dress, ladies.

Amazing. Tilda is super weird, but also super super cool.

Ok, finally one I like that's not in the in the over 40-division. Evan Rachel Wood hits it home in this multifaceted design. Thank you for restoring my faith in the youth of today.

I don't know who Kelly Macdonald is, but i like this dress.

One of my new favorites, Jessica Chastain makes even that 1980s hair look hot.

And the maybes....

Kate Winslet; how I love thee. But this dress does not. Do better by your body, babe.

Emma can do better. But this isn't bad; I like the color.

That's Aibileen? Not bad, but trying a bit too hard with that slit there, I think. And where's the necklace?

This one intrigues me. Gorgeous color on that girl from Glee. Kind of Rorschach-y, but I don't mind it.

And now, the Barf Awards:

Leah Michelle, really? It's like this Halle Berry dress and swamp thing had a love child. Doesn't that pose belong on a corner somewhere?

Is it really appropriate to show your panties at the Golden Globes, Jessica? Save it for Justin.

Come on, now. People should be tripping over themselves to dress Melissa McCarthy. So if they are, this was a bad, bad choice. And if they're not, then there is something very wrong with the world.

I saw a bit of the news coverage and Paula Patton was workin' this dress like it was paying her rent. Hate it.

What is up with barfy yellow dresses?? Stop it!

This one takes the awful cake. Sorry person I don't even know :( You lose.

So that's it. Enough bitchiness to last me for a while... or at least until the Oscars.

All pictures from People.com.