Winter Sparkles, Studs, and Stones

The dead, wet funk of Connecticut winter has hit, and I still have a sparkle hangover from this past holiday season.  Saw this Marc Jacobs dress at Bloomingdale's in December with Liz and Marina and we all did a quick salivate-and-stare before moving away from the difficult-to-justify price tag and, er, less than pragmatic green-jewel-eyed panthers.

{Love the combination of bronze leather, high waist with a tie, and dressed-up nautical stripes here.  I'll probably never get over metallics paired with black and navy.}

{Ridiculously impractical rhinestone-studded black ankle boots that I keep trotting out because I'm addicted - F21.  Just slightly obsessed with such glitz in case I haven't been clear.  My husband apparently knows the depth of my fixation; he selected the Marc Jacobs "Rio" satchel for me as a Christmas gift, knowing I would never purchase it for myself.  With its spacious interior, buttery leather, perfectly shiny zipper detail, and (my favorite) pyramid studs subtly dotted along the sides and zip-pulls, it perfectly fills my bag fantasies.}

{Navy tipped with gold glitter: Sally Hansen Nail Lacquer in Spark; Traffic Stopper Copper from Sephora.  The picture is pre-clean-up.  Oh, who am I kidding - I never touch up my self-manis, just wait for the excess that's wound up on my skin to peel off of its own volition.}

The raw iciness of February is still to come, but all in all it's been an incredibly mild winter, for which I am immensely thankful.  I love all these sparkly studs and stones for their ability to add some glamour and inspiration to even the most depressingly blanket-esque wrap sweaters, collar pulled up to cover a chafed red nose.  Once it warms up, I tend to phase out the heavy metal in favor of a simpler aesthetic, but for now, I'm happy to match the weather, snowflake for stud.

-xo

Studs and Stripes at the Shore

I've been meaning to post about last weekend, when the hubby and I checked out our friend Dan's restaurant, The Oyster Club in Mystic, for a not-too-chilly, sea-breezy Saturday night.  [Photo credit: www.mobile.courant.com]  Without getting too far into it, all I can say is: go.  Go, go, go - especially if you're in the mood for romance, farm/ocean-to-table, and unpretentiously wonderful food.  The rustic, elegant, and cozy dining room was decorated simply and warmly with holiday lights, rows of wine on rough-hewn shelves, and berries in finger jars on the tables.  We had some tasty specialty cocktails (a twist on an old-fashioned; a dark'n'stormy-tini), and the Times was there taking photographs for their review. As a pretty ridiculous home chef/foodie, my husband has seen and eaten a lot of inventive and delicious dishes, but here we got some absurdly scrumptious and unique treats such as "moonsnails" in an insanely savory garlic-butter broth - a tender, salty, and delightful variation on the usual escargots ... okay, I'm making myself hungry.  Back to style.  I have been experiencing a remarkable resurgence of love for studded and punk/rock themed aesthetics, as I've mentioned, and wanted to highlight my much-beloved, oft-rejected, regularly-rediscovered punk-studded belt.  I think I poseur-ishly bought it my freshman year of college, when I was super into advertising my musical tastes [read: identity] through my clothing, hitting punk shows with my moody boyfriend, writing major-chord angsty love songs on my purple e-guitar (my 3-chick band played one glorious, sloppy show), and downloading obscure bands that "write great songs but suck live --"  ughhh, hiding face in hands in shame - good times.  Still love the music, just not the persona; ah, youth. That era does boast some awesome relics, i.e. a sweet over-sized Suicide Machines Warped Tour-merch gas-station attendant jacket with a name tag ("Lou") which has since found its way to my brother's wardrobe; also random band wristbands and a giant Rancid hoodie that I think I lost. 

What I Wore: I love this nautical, stripy Old Navy top - ideal for a place called "Oyster Club."  It has these pretty, clear sequins clustered at the shoulders and just enough slouch.  Macy's jeggings, T.J. Maxx Dolce Vita wedge desert boots, birthday bangle from my parents, F21 "linen" blazer and steel pyramid studs, Michael Kors bag.  Man, I love this belt.  So glad I could never bear to get rid of it -- now, must remember not to pair it with matching cuff, which I used to wear as an undergrad every. day. with. every. thing.

I haven't worn the belt since about 2004, but now I'm so ready to be buds again. Not only does it hold up hopelessly stretched-out jeans, but it also features two interchangeable buckles - I'm waiting to work up the nerve to rock the massively bad-ass silver winged-heart option. Awesome.

All this is making me lust idly after some sick studded Converse - either the lowtops or the dope (and slightly more subtle) leather Chucks.  Photo credits: www.styleetoile.com, www.converse.com.  I suppose I could DIY, but that's just sooo poseur.  Or is it punk??  Standards and semantics.  Too tiring for my grown ass.

-xo

Don't Desert Me - Desert Boot Me

Hooray!  My Steve Madden Damiann desert boots have proved to be one of the most gregarious, friendly, plays-nicely-with-others pairs in my closet.  I'd been longing to acquire shoes like this for quite some time and already own a high wedge pair; I read a great article by a woman who spent a year writing in Italy, and she commented that she would see these literally every day on scores of Italian people from the ages of four to eighty-four, styled in every way imaginable.  My understanding is that Clarks (in the 1950s) was responsible for the popularization of these crepe-soled, interpreted-for-civilians boots, designed to mimic the rough suede boots that British soldiers in the Eighth Army wore in Egypt during World War II.  Anyway, one of my pragmatic and stylish little students has been rocking hers from DSW on a near-daily basis with her uniform khakis (brilliant!) since September, and I coveted them so badly - to the point that I broke character [as a serious, no-nonsense educator, okayfinenotsono-nonsense]  to ask her where she got them.  I scoured the Internet for the right pair, and after all my research, I determined that the Damianns were just perfect.  From their smoky taupe color to the matching laces to the slightly high rise, I knew they would be ideal for neatly chilling out little boho dresses, ripped jeans, and even work outfits.  Flat, comfy shoes can go wrong on me, i.e. misadventures with Sperrys and menswear-inspired wingtip oxfords, but these chic, incredibly versatile boots have not failed me!  I strongly recommend that every girl I know scoop up a pair.  Here are some styling ideas:

Casual: the perfect shoes for a late-night grocery run.  Macy's jeggings, Old Navy oatmeal cable sweater, Forever21 hoodie, Elliot Lucca bag.

Work: Great for a long day of racing around to make copies, lecture, and circulate among students.  Marshall's long-sleeved tee, Ann Taylor pants, vintage studded belt, Tiffany jewelry.

I can't wait to totally bite this adorable look - especially the slouchy little black ankle socks.  Equal parts insouciant gamine and slightly grungy punk pixie.  She looks so cute!  Photo credit: www.gemfatale.blogspot.com

Lucky Magazine featured a little column on styling desert boots a couple of months ago; the writer was urging women to think outside the box and pair them with opaques and short, short dress shorts.  Scary territory, but I think I could get into this, especially with interesting tights, like the diamond-patterned burgundy Anna Suis I found at Marshalls for $4.99.  Photo credit: www.luckymag.com

Love how these  downplay a short-skirted, multi-layered outfit in a "I'm-not-even-trying" way.  Photo credit: www.mycolorfashion.com

You know it's good if SJP is doing it.  'Nuff said.  Photo credit: www.fabsugar.com

I love this beautiful stranger!  The boots look even better when they're a little beaten-and-grunged-up like this.  Denim cut-offs, as far as I'm concerned, are a wardrobe staple.  Photo credit: www.fashionbombdaily.com

After the ridiculously pandemic Isabel Marant Dicker boot craze, I lackadaisically tried on scores of imitations, but they're not for me.  Something about that cowgirl heel and vibe read 1980s Chinese immigrant (to my p.c. friends, no offense meant -- after all my mother/personal hero fits the above description to a T, it's just not who I am) in mom jeans.  I do love the mellow, feminine way Kate Bosworth styles hers, and the fact that she wears them everywhere and with everything:

Photo credit: www.bussbuss.com

Here's Kate in her appropriately scuffed-up black Dickers, presumably at Coachella or something.  Photo credit: www.celebrityfashion.onsugar.com

All in all, a great success.  I also like that the Damianns can transition between seasons with little to no effort and go with every ensemble imaginable.  Being the type of unapologetically girly girl who only dons sneakers to work out, I'm in love with a pair of flats that match ripped jeans as well as they match a '90s floral mini-dress.  Desert boots = just desserts.

 - xoxo

Ankles Away

{Long-sleeved tee, leggings, kind-of-awful ruffle skirt, and cardigan: F21; Kenneth Cole for Macy's multi-chain necklace, Elliot Lucca bag, and "Kamea" ankle boots from Target.}

A few weeks ago, I went into the city for a Holiday Dinner with Liz and Marina.  Being the sort of borderline-OCD, meticulous loser who loves the process of packing for trips, I had assembled the "ultimate overnight bag" a long time ago so I could be ready for assorted adventures at a moment's notice.  At any time, I'm ready to go with toiletries, pajamas, phone/camera chargers, Kindle, neurotic "just in case" case (instant stain-remover balm stick, Advil, batteries, PeptoBismal..), and even travel flip-flops.  Imagine my smug self-satisfaction as I slung said getaway satchel over my shoulder along with my every-day bag and and caught the earliest train right after work as smoothly as an 8th grader tells a lie.  My one extreme rookie move: wearing intense 5" wedge booties that are not, in fact, as comfortable for hoofing it around Manhattan as they are for racing around school.  The "these shoes really are comfy" subterfuge is, unfortunately, a self-deception characteristic of suburban gals who wannabe city gals.  Doh!  A zany bicycle-rickshaw-ride and painful night/morning of walking later and my feet were shot - to the point that I simply had to purchase totally superfluous travel flats at a discount place, my flip flops being out of the question in December.  So not ideal in spite of all my planning.  (Although dinner with my girlies at Spice Market was fantastic.)
Enter these totally random beauties from Target, where I've picked up a few surprisingly decent designer rip-offs for minimal dollars.  I first saw these a month ago for $32.00 and didn't pull the trigger, which worked out great since this week the last pair of 6's was lurking on a bottom shelf - and marked down to $14.99.  Score.  The price tags on Target shoes also state their "features;" in this case, cushioned soles!  At around 3.75", these Balenciaga/Tory Burch-feeling boots are - gasp! - actually comfortable.  (I swear!  I even did a test run and wore them to take my pup for a vigorous walk.)  I cannot believe how wearable and awesome they are, especially since I've been craving a rock'n'roll edge to my accessories these days, even going so far as to break out my 2001 punk-rock studded belt.

The front view is really the best - I love the aggressive combination of ankle boot, wedge, motorcycle styling, hook-lace-up, top-stitching, and faded black "leather."  This amalgamation would make for quite the multi-hyphenate!  From the side, the grainy rubber wedge is relatively cheap-looking - not that I'm complaining, what with the bang for my buck.  Comfort, height, style, versatility, and warmth are a great bargain for under twenty bucks.  I love accessories that inspire the exuberant over-use of commas.  Oh, and those button snaps?  They fold over to reveal awesome furry lining, should one choose to wear them so. 
So weird, funky, fierce and yet oddly classic (at least to me) all at once.  Love.
-xo

Farewell 2011 ... Happy 2012!

Happy New Year! I go back and forth on whether or not to make resolutions, as mine are usually the exact same goals January after January, demonstrating neither great imagination nor massive accomplishment the previous year (work out, save more money, do the dishes in a timely fashion, don't procrastinate, etc.).  Primarily, I'm hoping to manage my time efficiently and devote more energy to my loved ones and creative pursuits.  Achieving that ideal life balance might be elusive, but working toward it brings a surprising happiness in itself.

Here are a few highlights from this past winter:

{Celebrating turning 21+ and taking an obligatory tool-bag photo with my love Sarah, in party frocks, giant heels, and chunky wedges.}

{Celebrating the holidays with puppy and hubby in a bronze-sequined Calvin Klein tee (from Marshalls) and F21 snakey liquid leggings with ankle zips - I've been living in these.  Perfect for a stream-lined, quasi-rock'n'roll look in chilly weather ... plus I can't afford the actual leather leggings I've been coveting from the Row.  Perfect compromise for $15.80.}

{Meeting my beautiful, sweet, cuddly niece Avery - she looks just like her lovely mama Jennie.  Snuggling her is bliss.}

Finally, a huge congratulations to my BFF Marina on her engagement to her man Ariel!  Amazing couple, gorgeous girl, stunning ring.  I can't wait to celebrate with them.

No matter how my outlooks, attitudes, tastes, or ideologies change, the wonderful people (and dogs) in my life get me through it all.  Sounds trite, feels great.  Provided the world doesn't end this year (here's hoping), I'm so grateful for it all. 

xo