Meow

Hello, I would like these Prada Rectangular Cat Eye Sunglasses.

I would also like these Dior Rounded Cat Eye Sunglasses.

Thanks!

...

There are over two hundred comments on the photo above on The Sartorialist. Usually when a picture receives an extraordinary amount of comments it's for an extraordinary shot, outfit, person, or all of the above. Some may disagree with me, but I don't think this shot is really anything that special. It's about the shoes. The shoes are the hoopla.


Dansko. Sigh. Several commenters love their clogged comfort. Several say "wait until you try them on!" But for me there is absolutely nothing this shoe can do to redeem its ugly factor. Ugly is the main adjective to describe these shoes and dominates any positive qualities the shoe may have. I understand if you must wear them for work - nursing, serving, occupations where you are forced to be on your feet all day and where style plays no part. But even if I were in one of these positions (and I have been in positions where I've been forced to be on my feet for entire shifts), I would have a very difficult time buying these. If I need comfort, a simple ballet flat will do. If I need even more comfort, I'll stick one of those Dr. Scholls inserts in them. These Danskos are rugged, wide, unfeminine, and fulfill a non-hetero stereotype for women.

I'm sure this is a lovely gal dressed in APC with sore and tired feet. But I cannot condone such unattractive footwear. I guess if anything, they're better than Crocs.

the story with no ending

The whole slew blossomed beautifully,
And I was beside myself
So I gave into your love
As you rapturously commanded
And this is like I have always dreamed:
Cobblestone and dusty feet
That's the way it should always be
Head over heels and deftly
Wonderful and healthy

Not my usual materialistic post. It rained all weekend and will continue to until at least Wednesday. I wish it would rain right through Christmas. It's not snow, but it's the closest weather I can get to a somewhat wintery Christmas.

Journals

Once upon a time, I used to write in journals. My first ones were Sanrio with big plastic locks that were easily picked with Bic pen caps. These were called diaries (is there a difference? Does a lock define a diary, and a simple open book with pages dictate a journal?). In my tweens, basic black and white Composition books housed my teeny bopper thoughts. In my teens, I had a brown one with books on the front from Costco. And then when I was 17, I had a basic black one from Barnes & Noble that I used for school, and filled up maybe 20 pages at most. Then, for some unknown reason, I stopped.

I guess I can think of possible reasons. When I was 17 or 18, I went through the old Composition book journal and the brown book one. It was embarrassing. How could I have thought those thoughts and written the way I did? They were both instantly thrown in the dumpster outside. I couldn't risk the chance of someone finding them and reading such embarrassing thoughts. There were some very angry entries with large spiky writing and lots of profanity and others debating about what to wear on picture day. Remember picture day? I had completely forgotten that even existed.

Around the time I gave up journals was also the time my friends and I decided to write in Xanga. I used this as a substitute to a tangible journal, and since then, never went back. I went through all of college and my early twenties without writing out of any of my real thoughts and feelings. How did I do it? I think boyfriends became the journals, and had they known they were the alternative, would have bought me a journal immediately.

So I've decided to journal again. Not blogs. Nothing online. Good, old fashioned journals. Pen and paper. Growing up, I found it very therapeutic. It's been at least a good seven years since I've last written in journal. I think I need it. As I've said before, a lot has died in me in the past seven years. Maybe journaling will bring these things back to life.

I would love a pretty one such as the Prospero Journal pictured above, but are my thoughts at twenty-five worthy of such an elaborate looking book? Will I read this at 35 and chuck it in the dumpster as I did at 18? Or are my musings more sophisticated now?

Karmenaf

I won't deny it. My taste in footwear is a bit traditional and girlish. I lean towards modernized classic shapes and styles. I'm not the edgiest when it comes to what goes on my feet, but how can anyone resist such a pretty, feminine pump?

Belle Fleur

I have the next two weeks to myself. I'm looking forward to it. I've been meaning to sit down with my thoughts and really clear my mind, but I always end up falling asleep. I'm also going to be unemployed starting January 7th, so I'll have some serious time to sort things out. Maybe I can revive that thing that died in me a few years ago.

On a lighter note, I went to the Monique Lhuillier sample sale this weekend with my sister. The line was 3 hours long, hot and sweaty, and we left with nothing. I DID try on this "Belle Fleur" gown above, though. It looked much better in real life, and made me feel like some fairy princess who lives in the forest. I would like it to wear around the house or to sit on the couch and eat ice cream. I wouldn't even mind R Kell's football watching if I were able to watch in this gown!

Watching Forever

This is why events unnerve me...

Back in college, I was so excited to see Marie Antoinette. I was enthralled by the images of elaborate pastel colored gowns, Laduree macaroons, and New Order's "Ceremony". Silly me, I was more wowed by the way the movie "looked" than the actual story. To my dismay, the movie lacked depth. It was just looks, and not much else. Despite its lacking story, I still found the costume and the way it was filmed absolutely breathtaking.



After watching the video above, I almost want to give the film as a whole a second chance. Great style and music has that effect on me.

... and I also love that Marie Antoinette had a pug.

(title of post comes from the song "Ceremony")

Current Favorites

There are certain styles I will be forever keen on, and there are other trendier ones that come and go. I don't know if these are as transient as I think they may be, but these are the trends/items I've been gravitating towards lately:

Furriness. Faux or vintage (I heard it doesn't count if it's vintage?), I want them in coats and jackets the most. I already have a couple, but would like more - like this one.


Beaded everything. Shirts, dresses, bags, all of it. Topshop and Kate Moss's Topshop has some great beaded dresses. I love the weight and the glamour factor of them.


Rachel Zoe-esque goddess gowns. Not so much the red carpet style, but the more casual. I got one at the Geren Ford sale and am waiting to find the perfect necklace for it. You can't see it very well, but I would give my kidney for the Fendi gown Rachel wears in the In Style article below. And the vintage Lanvin pendant Kiera Knightley has on.


Denim shirts. I've been very inspired by past Chloe runways, and I'm loving the khaki and denim combination. Also enjoy denim shirts with black, or used as a cardigan or cover-up.


Chunky heeled platforms. I read somewhere once in an interview that some fashiony person wished that platforms would go away. Why?? I dread the day! I'm not into feeling every pebble on the ground and hobbling around in pain in non-platforms. And they are great with all sorts of socks.



And big chunky rings. Because I think my hands are not the prettiest and most feminine (I have pinky issues and calluses from writing), I've never been a big ring wearer until recently. Not sure what happened, but now I want tons of big fat obnoxious rings.


This all of course, in addition to every other silly thing I'm always wanting.

Layers

Vogue Pug

This is the best picture Vogue has ever published. Imagine my delight to pick up the Best Dressed special issue to flip to the last page and see this squishy face with a YSL in its little mouth!

Let it go

Did anyone brave the rain, cold, and crazy bitches for Lanvin this weekend? I did not. I really love a few of the dresses, but I just couldn't wait in the rain overnight for it. And like I predicted (not that this is anything to be particularly proud of, it was basically a fact), everything is on ebay for double the price or more. Sadness. If only I could have just a couple of the dresses. Just a couple. The floral ruffle tired one from a previous post, the foufy red one (or black) with all the layers of fouf, or the purple one shouldered one. I guess I can see this "loss" in a positive light by knowing that every little fashion lover will own one of these pieces. So it's not completely original and unique. But I still lust!

Alas, I cannot have it all. So I let it go.

obsession

beauty abounds in the broken spaces
(for this is where you dwell)

I've never been that into poetry. I think 11th or 12th grade English ruined it a bit for me. All the analyzing, the scrutinizing of every word and space. Couldn't we just enjoy it for what it was?

But you know I love E.E. Cummings in spite of all the ruin. I first learned of his poems in college. His often confusing yet beautiful poetry must have repaired the damage high school poetry left on me.

And now I just got two more poetry books by Kylie Johnson. The poems are simple and sweet. No bombastic language. Just simple. And I am simply obsessed with them.

Update:

I found her blog. She is a poet and a potter. I love it. And I just decided to follow her blog, and so now she might read this. A little embarrassing.

Creepy

I often go to the thrift store near work for lunch on days I don't know what to do with myself. Sometimes I leave empty handed, but I usually find at least a couple things I like. Upon entering, I always veer towards their "designer" section which includes fur coats. I usually find a couple I really like, but the sizes are always way too big.

Anyway, aside from sifting through the racks of clothing, I also go through their home stuff. I came across this table today that had this lovely display on it:

Is this not the creepiest display of toys?! I would like to know the history behind these toy clowns. There IS a reason they were given up. You know that scary rope clown comes alive when the store is closed!

I left with a boxy red silk shirt (but hangs well) and a taupe-ish suede envelope bag for a grand total of $10 so I will be returning, clowns or no clowns.
Great finds > fear of clowns.

An Oldie

I found this picture from (I think) 2007. It was my sister's friend's wedding in San Diego, the last year I was there. Look at how long my hair is! And I would never again wear a jersey Rachel Pally dress to a wedding, though I guess it was alright then since the wedding was in the daytime.

My Teenage Bible

Before I made money to buy my own things, Seventeen magazine, along with YM, was the highlight of my life. I was satisfied with just a magazine with images of pretty clothes, and now a simple magazine won't suffice. I need the clothes in the magazines.

It was much simpler back then.

Providence

These were taken a few months ago at Providence. We got the five course and one of the courses was some sort of pasta where they brought out this huge ass truffle and shaved it all over my food. Throughout the meal I was threatening to take that truffle lump and run out the door with it. Nevermind that my shoes were difficult to walk in and such a feat would leave me in truffle prison.

I'm not really sure why I'm posting this here right NOW, but I've been in a funky mood tonight (I just typed "wood" instead of mood first, see?) so just accept it and move along...

P.S. R Kells always jokes about how big my head is, but is head is WAY bigger. What a jerk.

Dizzy

I had a more personal blog when I was 18, and I just revisited it. Reading it again made me realize how much I've changed, and not necessarily for the better. Sure, I have changed for the better in some ways, but in other ways I think I've lost myself a bit. I think I do less thinking now. And I really do feel like this daily routine of work has killed something in me. Is that strange? Does that even make sense? I used to be a lot more thoughtful. More girlish. I'd sit around and analyze things and wonder about my future a lot more. My friends and I used to drive around at night at home and talk about when we'd get our first boyfriends. We'd go to parks at night and as corny as it may seem, all the stars would be out and we'd talk about girly things, first kisses, boyfriends, etc. Now that I'm older and been in relationships almost 6 years straight (!), I may have lost sight of things that made me me. I used to write in journals. Now, never. I leave work at 5:30 everyday, but I still let it dominate after hours. It really does consume me.

R Kells is busy this week so I have the weekdays free. It's actually perfect because I need this time to focus on ME, and forget about all the other junk that's clogged up my life. It sounds like something typical girls would say at the end of relationships, but I'm still in one, and it really is necessary.

...Does LA even have stars? As in the sparkly things in the sky, not celebrities.

Simple

This is a horrible picture, but I got this basic long black dress today on lunch. It is one of the very few things I will miss about where I work.

Super basic and super comfortable, it's from my trusty H&M. There are no bells and whistles to it, when I describe it as a "basic long black dress" that is what it is. No shoulder pads, ruching, sparkle of any kind. Just a blank black canvas for me to accessorize and make interesting.

I added my big Santa belt to this for the photo, but most likely will not wear with it this. I have a thin double Linea Pelle belt that would go much better. As much as I hate to do this, since I was waiting for it to leave the trend scene, I may pair it with a ... faux fur vest. So trendy, yes. Purchasing this actually makes me regret the vest I saw at the H&M in Paris. It was long, coyote-colored, and came with a faux leather wrap belt. Perfect, now that I think about it. I held it up to the boyfriend and he gave me a "wtf" look. Maybe he did it because he wanted to move on to the boat ride we had planned for the afternoon (it never happened, we ended up at Galeries Lafayette instead) and didn't want to wait for me to pay for it. Down it went, and the regrets are still here. This is what I get for shopping with others.

Anyway, a faux fur vest, a denim vest, or as is with the belt and maybe a scarf. I was really close to getting the Alexander Wang one, but was glad I resisted and went for the less expensive one. My wallet is happy and I think I am almost as satisfied as if I had gone with the Wang version.

Furrrry

I need a reason to get this furry furry (faux, clearly) coat. Does a trip to NYC mid-January qualify? I think so.

Change... and Sequins

New season, new changes. Well, kind of. I'm waiting for the change! Anxiously waiting. I wish LA got seasons since fall is my absolute favorite. It would be very poetic with the current changes in my life.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I'm waiting for some major changes to happen career-wise. I'm in the midst of leaving my current job to pursue something that actually excites me. Except... I don't know when I'm leaving! I wish my company would get it together and hurry it up on finding my replacement. I don't think it's very difficult. I guess I can ride it out maybe a month longer at most, but this anxiety is killing me! I don't even have any real plans yet for what I'm going to do in my unemployed state, but knowing the date of my last day here would help. It's going to be liberating!

On another note, I love this J. Crew Drapey Sequin tank. I always go through my closet, saying I need more of this and that. One of these things is texture. I need more texture to liven up my outfits. I think this allover sequin tank is a perfect way to do so, worn as a layering piece with cardigans, blazers, jackets, or whatever thrown over them. I really like the "olive moss" colored one above. I wish I could find some great navy blue velvet pants to go with them and maybe pull off a Balmain fall 2010 inspired look.

I better get my retail addiction in check. Once unemployed, I'll have to think long and hard before making any sort of unnecessary purchase. The only downside.

The #1

photo via style scrapbook

The Number One Item (for me) from the Lanvin x H&M collection. It became Number One after I scrapped the yellow one shoulder from the list (too similar to another yellow one shoulder dress I own), and pushed aside the purple one shoulder to Number Two. I'm pretty sure I will not wait in line beginning at 4AM for this little number or brave THIS, and am also pretty sure I will not pay ridiculous ebay prices for it either. But we shall see.

Vampy

I don't have many pictures of me from Halloween, just these few. I'm excited to move the wine leather coat into my regular wardrobe. I purchased it months ago just for my costume, but wouldn't have if I knew I couldn't wear it as a non-costume coat as well. Actually, all parts of my costume were items of clothing meant for regular wear, except the hat. I was scared it would look like a normal outfit, so I threw in the hat and depended on heavy makeup to costume it up.

You can't see the bottom half of my costume, but it was just the rest of the length of my coat, matching wine colored otk socks, and black heels.

P.S. In the top picture you can see a bit of skin on a girl in bikini bottoms and not much else. I had to crop the rest out because the naked dancer chicks with huge exposed gazongas were going to steal the spotlight away from me in the picture!

Last Kate

While the hype today is centered around the Lanvin for H&M lookbook, I am mostly excited for the last major Kate Moss collection for Topshop. I want it all. I mostly love the gowns with the beading and the little dresses, and as expected, a lot of it has sold out! Not that it matters, I don't exactly have $300+ to throw down on a beaded dress to wear to a nonexistent occasion...

The collection also brings back some of her "iconic" pieces, such as the dobby dress, this time only available in black. Years ago when it came out, this was the dress of my life. Unfortunately, I craved it in yellow or white, not black. I also wish they would have resold the leather jacket from her first collection. The black round collar one with the asymmetrical zip. I still look for it many years later.

Although I do wish I could see many of these items hanging in my stuffed closet, I think I have to grow some balls and let it all go. I'm in the midst of becoming unemployed and going after what I really want, and I need to think of what's best for me in the "long-run". And as much as I love them so, ruffly little dresses are not it.

It's Out

The looks for Lanvin (heart) H&M. I actually am not head over heels over much, except some of the dresses. I love the yellow one shoulder one, except I have a yellow one shouldered one that is so similar by BCBG. It would be crazy to have two yellow one shoulder dresses!

Maybe the purple?

Enjoy the video above of "Fashion Show" - a promo for the collection.

You can check out all the looks at nitrolicious.

Hot Dog!

Piggie in her handmade (not by me) Halloween costume.

My costume was almost just as I envisioned it. I had a lot of problems getting the right hat and trying to figure out makeup and wasting money on things that I didn't need or didn't show up, but in the end it turned out pretty well. I'll post a couple pictures later when I upload them.

Rain!

It's cool and rainy here in Los Angeles... and I love it! I'm not very good with actual cold temperatures, but I sure am fine with 62 degree temperatures! This weather also reminds me that I am seriously lacking in the sweater department.

(the picture is Carrie in Paris, not LA, because there aren't many fashionable photos of rainy Angelenos)

First Look: Lanvin for H&M

All inspired by Lanvin runways, the first four looks of the H&M collaboration have surfaced. I'm very interested in the dresses. The blazer has been done a million times over, so that doesn't do anything for me.

Neapolitan

Do I look like a bowl of neapolitan ice cream?

This is the other dress I got but didn't have a picture for below. It definitely does NOT work for my costume. It's more lovey dovey happy than vampire, so I don't know what I was thinking. I don't want to be what the stereotype of a vampire is (all black), so I wanted to use lighter colors mixed with dark. But this dress does not work!

As a dress though, I quite like it. The waist was a bit big so I just grabbed a belt to cinch it in a bit. I think if I keep it I'd use a lighter color belt. An obi belt would probably be ideal.

High

I get a high from shopping. When I find things I really like, my whole day gets better, and there's a happy tone in my normally very flat voice. I even say genuine hellos to people who are bitches to me at work. The elation I get from shopping makes me forgive!

My dilemma with places like H&M, F21, and Zara continues, but I can't help when I really like their stuff! For instance, I found this faux leather shearling jacket at H&M for $30. That's almost $20 cheaper than the F21 version, and I loved it even more. I also found this leopard drapey flowy dress and I had to have it. It looks kind of frumpy in the photo and you can see my super sexy nude bra strap, but the picture does it no justice.

I also got a possible dress (not pictured) for part of my Halloween costume, but it's pink and too big. I've been picturing my costume with a cream color dress, so we'll see if this works, but it could be more Valentiney than vampirey. I got it just in case I couldn't find anything else.

Oh, and if you're looking for a shearling jacket but can't afford the pricier versions, the H&M one is one of the best since it's super affordable and looks great on.

Red white and blue... and leopard

I love this photo from The Sart.

Maryna

Another of my top favorite models. I don't know if I would remember that Belarus even existed without her.