What I'm loving right now

Quick post about a few things I'm currently obsessing over:

Got this chain mesh necklace from Ann Taylor today



I don't usually shop at Ann Taylor (actually I never do), but I was at the mall with my Mom and she wanted to look inside, where I stumbled upon the necklace, marked down to $15 from $80! It's got this chain mail look to it, which ties in nicely with my whole fashion-forward-meets-history-nerd thing. I'm picturing it with a basic v-neck t-shirt and a high waisted skirt...

Second, and sadly I don't own these yet (in fact the skirt is sold out it's so popular) because they are a bit more than $15, are two pieces from J Crew:




(The skirt and the shorts)
The skirt looks like woven straw but then it's got these amazing neon pink stripes. I don't care for how they styled it in the catalog with the sweater tied at the waist, but in person it is CUUUUUUUUTE. And also about $158. So I must now forget it.
And the shorts are so chic and summery. Mmm.

I also returned the orange shoes and purchased some new ones which I will post a picture of as soon as they come back from being dyed (yes, people still do that apparently). They are very cute and I'm fairly certain will be comfortable.

Later.

The dress is good to go!

Finally picked out my bridesmaid's dress:



(But in "platinum").

Pretty, right? It has kind of a 50's flair with the full skirt and the sweetheart bust. I'm working on shedding some poundage so I can really look snazzy (as my grandfather would have said). I even found the shoes! I'm about 90% sure these are the ones, so I went ahead and bought them (but they can be returned)




The heel height is perfect: tall enough to make them chic and to my taste, but still comfortable to stand/walk/dance in. I knew I wanted a color, and while I had in mind something in navy, burgundy or dark green, I like the orange too. Kind of different with the silver dress, right?

In other news, I'm back from NYC for the summer and trying desperately to find work so I can afford to move back up to NY this fall. But the job market basically sucks right now, so I'm not having much luck.

Fingers crossed!
Vic

Absolut Limited Edition city flavors

I was over at a friend's apartment last night to get ready to go out and do some pregaming, and I was lucky enough to try one of Absolut vodka's limited edition flavors: New Orleans. The flavor is mango and black pepper, and it's AMAZING how much you can taste both. The mango is sweet and subtle, and then the pepper kicks with a bit of a burn. Upon checking out the wikipedia page on Absolut I found out that they also have a limited edition Los Angelos flavor too: Acai, Acerola, Pomegranate, and Blueberry. Yum! Pour me some of that on the rocks with any fruit jucie and I know it'd be a hit. Also, I'm a sucker for glass bottles and both limited editions come in pretty packaging. I just might have to order some LA Vod through the mail.

Danny Roberts

I hope that you've all trickled over to Danny Roberts' blog Igor and Andre' (http://igorandandre.blogspot.com/) by now, but if you haven't YOU MUST. I read multiple blogs that have talked about his work, especially since he did beautiful drawings of bloggers like Camille from Childhood Flames and Jane from Sea of Shoes. He also does fashion drawings and other imaginative illustrations, and they are so evocative and gorgeous.

Take a look...







Aren't they just IT? All of the above images are available for purchase on his etsy page, and while he has $100+ paintings, the ones above are all around $20! I definitely plan on purchasing some and putting them up in my new apartment (when I finally get one). They are the perfect mix of whimsical and haunting. God I just think they are great.

Vic

Hate to say it, but...

I was browsing the Jessica Simpson shoe collection this evening after reading this (http://daddylikey.blogspot.com/2009/04/five-mens-fashion-first-impressions.html) post on Daddy Likey and I gotta say, I'm definitely liking some stuff on there. It's all fun and flirty, and most of the heels are sky high of course, but for what it is (another celebrity designed fashion line) I gotta give it some props.

Here are my picks:



(clockwise from top left they are: geneviv, grace, scilla and delanco)

Now, none of them are so fabulous I'm gonna shell out $80+ for them, but still...I was a tad impressed...

Vic

The Great Bridesmaid Dress Search of '09

Ok, so my sister is getting married in October (WOOOOOT), and I'm the Maid of Honor! She's decided that instead of picking one dress for everyone to get, she's chosen a color and letting everyone pick their own dress. She picked gray as her color (which is oddly fitting since that's her middle name; the name of our father's father's mother), and since filling the order and tailoring the dress will take 3-4 months, my mom and I went to look for dresses this weekend when I was at home for Easter. We hit up two bridal boutiques, one of which is the one my sister's dress comes from, and also Macy's, Nordstrom and Jessica McClintock.

Here are (at the moment) the contenders. They're all available in some shade of gray, though not all the pictures are shown in gray.

From J Crew:


From Dessy:



(the navy one comes in a middle shade gray, and it's kind of hard to see the really pretty cross pleating on the bust, but it's there)

From Alvina Valenta:



(it comes in gunmetal, which is a kind of dark gray, and I love the chic cut and the pleated collar. I think it's so different!)

And finally from Adrianna Papell:




So that's it so far, but new dresses come out everday! I'll try and find a picture of my sister's dress to put up here; it's so lovely.

Vic

Heaven, thy name is Tord Boonjte

While gazing at the other lovely (and expensive) items for sale at the Museum of Modern Art design store with a friend the other day, I not only came across these adorable rings by Soop:

(which are meant to be stacked to create cute little farmyard scenes), but also the most amazing ceiling light I've ever seen. Even the name is perfection.

Behold: the Midsummer Light by Tord Boonjte



It's made of durable paper in all sorts of flowery, forest-y shapes and comes in yellow/green, red/white, purple/white, and just white. It's whimsical and delicate and so different. I think when I finally get a permanent apt. this is gonna have to be hanging over my dining room table.

Oh, here's another thing: The MOMA store has it priced at ~$100, but I found another site that has it for only $56: http://www.unicahome.com/catalog/item.asp?id=13772

I think Titania would approve of it.

Elizabeth and James

Ok, confession time: I admit, I do like the Olsen twins' style (not the bag lady look from a few years ago, mind you), and while I didn't quite get their line The Row, which is just expensive t-shirts basically, I love their latest line, Elizabeth and James.

It's effortless and feminine with just a slightly modern touch.

Ooooo YUM YUM YUM

Ok. There are some things that can be passed up.

And then there are others....

Well...if you haven't tried the deliciousness that is S'Mac (Sarita's Mac n Cheese) in the East Village, you probably have no idea what I'm talking about.




It's bascially an all mac n cheese place where you can pick and choose your own toppings to make your own perfect little creation. They have 14 kinds of cheese including chedder, goat cheese, pecorino and gruyere, and a bunch of other add-ins like hot dogs, fresh basil, chicken, scallions, andouille sausage and even figs. To make it even more amazing they also have whole wheat pasta AND gluten-free pasta. You can make your own combination, or choose from one of their amazing recommended combos.

My favorites:

All-American: the perfect blend of american and cheddar. Simple and delicious.

Cajun: "If you are looking for some kick, here it is. Cheddar & Pepper Jack cheeses, andouille sausage, green pepper, onions, celery, garlic and, of course, some genuine Cajun seasoning."

Masala: with Indian spices

and Mediterranean: "Be swept away to the Mediterranean Sea - Goat cheese, sauteed spinach, kalamata olives, and roasted garlic. You can almost feel the breeze from the water..."

Ok, so it's not exactly health food, but I always get the whole wheat pasta, and they even have Lite Cheddar, so you don't have to feel SO bad...right?


P.S. they offer a sampler of 8 of their recommended combos.



I might just die right now.

SNOW!

Ohhhh glorious snow. Don't you wish you could roll about in it like dogs!

(ten bucks to whoever knows what snowy movie that's from)

SOMEONE HAS FINALLY REALIZED

Ok. It's been annoying me lately how un-fashionable most of the designer/chain store ventures have become. With the exception of Target's Go International designers and their own in house crew, most of the other big name designer to create collections for cheaper brands have flopped. the Simply Vera Vera Wang collection at Kohls is about as boring as it gets, with such "noteworthy" items as these gracing the racks:



I mean really? How are those pieces any different from what you can already get at Kohls? They're boring and pointless, and if the issue is designers not wanting to get too "high fashion-y" for fear that no one will buy the pieces, then's what's the point to begin with?

But I think someone out there must feel the way I do, because after boring/ugly/nothing special collections from Abaete, Patricia Field, Lela Rose, and Alice + Olivia, Payless has signed on Christian Siriano to design a collection to come out this fall. The previous deigners Payless has brought in have completely missed the mark in my opinion. Abaete and Lela Rose weren't anything to talk about; mostly simple heels you can wear to work. Patricia Field designed platform pumps and boots for drag queens, and Alice + Olivia gave us human sized Barbie shoes that looked as cheap as they were. BUT, thanks to Project Runway's 4th season winner, we might finally get something truly fashionable.



EEEEE! They actually look like something you could find at Barney's or on some fabulous vogue editor's feet on Jak + Jil blog. Now, of course they won't be real leather, and yes, many a person has discussed the resemblance between them and Rodarte's shoes from a few season's ago, but for those of us who crave high fashion but don't have the budget, they just might be the perfect remedy.

Here's to Fall 09.

At school

Elloooo. This is a very long school day

Shoe porn

(Giuseppe Zanotti, Paul Smith, Dell'Acqua, Chloe, Alexander McQueen)

'Nuff said

HAPPY SUPERBOWL

http://www.polyvore.com/superbowl_09/set?id=6266338

The New Speakeasy

Ok. So remember that crazy time when alcohol was prohibited and people had to sneak around and find some secret place to get crunk? Well, thankfully those times are past us, but that doesn't mean that the mysterious, exciting world of the speakeasy is gone.

There are a bunch of so called "speakeasys" in NYC, which basically mean that you have to know where they are and how to get in, and some of them you need a membership (which you get when you're recommended by a current member). I myself have only been to one, and it doesn't quite fit the mold of the modern day speakeasy, but you wouldn't know it was there if you walked by it. It's called La Esquina and its in SoHo. You go in through a door in the back of this little Mexican restaurant, and after a short trip down the stairs you find yourself in a darkly lit room with Mexican masks and twinkly lights. I was introduced to the place on the night of my 21st birthday, which was a fun way to celebrate it.

Another hidden bar is PDT (Please Don't Tell), which I have the good fortune of living above on St. Marks Place in the East Village. If you manage to get past the delicious hot dog restaurant Crif Dogs which houses it, and find the telephone booth, you're almost there. Just pick up the phone, give them your name, and as long as you have a reservation the back of the phone booth will open and there you go, instant time machine. Haven't checked it out soon, but one of these days for sure.

The last one, the most famous, and the hardest to get into, is Milk and Honey. It holds a certiain urban myth-like reputation, but it has a website, so it's out there to a certain extent. All you need to get in is to have your membership application accepted (be warned, there's a waiting list). Oh, and pay a mere $584 membership fee. Which means I probably won't be seeing the inside of it any time soon.

Something about the idea of stepping into a hidden place full of other people who are in on the secret as well is so...exciting. I plan to try out a few more places and I'll give you the full review when I do.

Kisses,

Vic

Inspirations Galore

Man, does my internet deserve a whooping right now. Technically I can't be too mad since I've been stealing wireless from various sources since moving into my new apt. 4 weeks ago, and thus getting it free, but now it's stopped working for the most part. I am an internetaholic and get almost panicky if I go too long without being able to look up that restaraunt I passed in the cab or the new shoes I saw in Forever 21. BUT, Friday the roomies and I are shelling it out for a router, so it should be much easier to get a fix after that.

Anyhoo, I'm taking this opportunity to update on here, so off we go!
My two bigs inspirations/drool inducers of the moment are the S/S 09 Louis Vuitton collection, Tom Binns, and the Diorette rings. Shall we take a looksie at what exactly I'm talking about?

Aren't they GORGEOUS!!! The textures and patterns along with the feathers and chunky beaded necklaces are amazing. My favorite is the orange/purple striped shirt with the bronze skirt. Its such a bold choice for any woman to wear, especially with the shoes.

The two rings are Diorette and they're a beautiful combination of amethyst, diamond, and topaz. They're so perfectly whimsical, how could you not help but smile when wearing one of these on your fingers? The diamond necklace and the blue gem cuff are Tom Binns, which is a relatively new discovery of mine (not that I'm the one who discovered him). They are chunky and have a lovely mix of antinque and modern. I'm seeing seeing so many chunky, tangled necklaces in magazines these days, but Mr. Binns is by far my favorite.

Ok lovers,

Ta for now

Bonjour and my surprising new obsession

Hi! So...new year, new blog. My old one wasn't getting any attention, and I wanted to start fresh with a clear point of view and set goals. So here we are! I've been living in NYC for 5 months now and loving every second of it. There is currently the most gorgeous layer of snow on the ground and I've found myself standing on my fire escape in the freezing cold staring out at a white-dusted St. Marks Place.

But, getting down to business. In the past, I was never very attracted to really sculptural shoes. I appreciated them as art, but couldn't really see myself wearing them. But I've been frequenting more high fashion blogs like Sea of Shoes (seaofshoes.typepad.com) and I've TOTALLY changed my mind.

Right now, I'm basically drooling over Nicholas Kirkwood.

These remind me of Batman and a dragonfly all rolled up in a beautiful little whimsical/badass-y package.

And these: so deliciously hot pink with the classic little wedge platform under the toes...perfection

And these...if the Goddess Nike lived in Paris, she would wear these.

I think the idea of perfection would be to wear any of them with an amazing little black dress and minimal jewelry. Especially the hot pink ones. They are the only accessory you need and could completely carry a look.

Anyway. I haven't NEARLY the money to afford any shoes like these, but I can make outfits in my head and plan out where I'd wear them, right?

That's all for now, I gotta go watch the snow....

Vic