California Love

My parents bought a house in Malibu yesterday. I love you, New York, and Chicago, you aren't so bad, but any place in which the temperatures are currently upwards of seventy degrees is fine by me. Plus, doesn't James Franco live there when he's not busy being angsty in Manhattan? Perfect. Now I can follow him EVERYWHERE. Just kidding! Kind of.

But now what do I do? Do I have to brush my hair? Squeeze some lemon juice in it? Stop wearing black and grey?  Don flip flops? Hug a tree? Actually, I think I can reconcile myself with all of these, so long as I get to see the birthplace of Snoog Dogg (in addition to James Franco sightings).


[photo cred, clockwise from left, to 1 via I Would Speak My Truth, 2, and 3] 

A Bit of Bubbly

I know that Valentine's Day is right around the corner, but I'm going to slowly back away from the reds and fuchsias... and into the arms of my new favorite hue of romance, champagne. It's sweet, subtle, and can make even a masculine blazer seem delicate. I'm down with all sorts of champagne too — extra dry, rosé, peach (my personal favorite), strawberry... then again, I'll drink anything as long as it's bubbly, sweet, and comes in a pretty flute.

Champagne hues work as a neutral (think an effervescent, shimmery version of camel or tan) or add a touch of metallic allure to an ensemble. Dresses and embellished underpinnings are the obvious go-tos for the shade, but I'm also loving the look of champagne with more androgynous jackets and frilly little extras, such as these J. Crew pouchettes available here and here. The best part? These purses are still big enough for you to tuck in a teeny flask of Peach Passion André for when the going gets tough, or when you get thirsty in between meetings. Or bored. Or when you figure that because champagne is a French word, it's perfectly appropriate to sneak sips during your French class. Raise your glass!

[photo cred, clockwise from top, 1 and 2 via Musings in Femininity, 3 via Patterson Maker, J. Crew, 4]

Hints of Yellow

I spent my weekend making fresh kale chips, checking my credit score, and reading a play by Jean Anouilh in French. I'm also getting into cooking really luxurious breakfasts (they are the most important meal of the day, after all), so I spent an awful lot of time chopping onions and mushrooms for my luxurious little omelets. I also made the most delicious bacon sandwich on Saturday, which I topped with tomatoes, red onions, and two slices of Meunster.

Then again, I also watched three hours-worth of The Office reruns while eating handful after handful of semi-sweet chocolate chips (I was too lazy to bake them into cookies) — just in case you were wondering what sort of girl I'd become. So tell me, how was your weekend? Did you watch the Superbowl? (Did you know that there's also a Puppy Bowl? My best friend and I were dying over this).

P.S. If you'd like to see me waxing poetic (awkwardly) and prancing about in my new Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent wedges, I did a short video here for Northwestern's fashion blog. I pop up at 0:35, frozen by stage fright and only smiling at the very end. Thus goes my dream of doing stand-up comedy alongside Aziz Ansari.


[photo cred, clockwise, to 1, 2, 3, 4] 

Say Yes...

...Yes to coffee dates with new friends.

Yes to marshmallows.

Yes to attending Superbowl games only for the drinks...

...just kidding. Kind of.

Yes to rainbow confetti and gold glitz.

Yes to inspiring recipes...

...and to an equally inspiring Italian style icon.

Yes yes yes to a glamorous weekend!

[photo cred, clockwise from top left, to 1 via Musings in Femininity, 2, 3 via Patterson Maker, 4]

Glitter & Gold

Let me begin by saying that ban.do is absolutely genius. Joy, of Oh Joy!, mentioned the photoshoot for their new collection a few days ago, and I am so, so into it. This video, which documents the backstage happenings at the shoot, is full of everything that makes me a big sucker for the brand's cheeky accessories — sparkle, glitter, bright flowers, rosy pink lipstick, adorable bows, and ethereal fabrics.

I already have a sequined starfish headband that I always wear when on flights from New York to Chicago and back, because I love it too much to risk squishing it in my carry-on. Now, I need to buy some gold confetti immediately and just sprinkle it around my room. Or, for a little less clean-up, I might indulge in these pretty sequined hair clips. ban.do is even having a sale: enter "sharkpig" at checkout for 15% off anything in their New Arrivals section.

How's that for busting some midweek, midwinter blues? February, you're looking up already!

Scrap Gold: This post is supported by Birks Gold Exchange.

Snowed In

I just made some noises that, unfortunately, sounded like a series of yelps. Northwestern has cancelled classes for the first time since my dad was a senior here in 1979. (See, I'm not a genius — I'm just legacy!). He probably spent his snow day designing biomedical devices and working out calculus problems for fun. Do you know what I'm going to do with my snow day?

1. Not my French homework.

2. Cook bacon.

3. Eat bacon.

4. Think about how much I love raspberry jam, too. Not just bacon.

5. Dream up the greatest idea ever: bakeries that deliver pastries to my front door.

6. Homework? What's homework?

7. Go back to bed.

Are you getting sick of my lists? I swear I'll stop once I get it out of my system, around the same time I turn thirty-eight. I hope that if you've been caught in the thundersnow, you stay safe and, hopefully, get the same luxury as myself!

[photo cred, clockwise, to 2, 1 and 3 with locked Tumblrs] 

February Wishes

Here's to hoping February will be a little brighter and more sparkly than January! A few ideas to help you last til spring:

1. Blow a charming little kiss...
2. ...while wearing a pale coral lipstick (my staple is Nars in Casablanca).
3. Brush up on a classic book, like The Great Gatsby, and pretend you're actually a flapper.
4. Get bejeweled — more is more, especially against a simple black sweater.
5. Add a delicate bow. Just because you enjoy imported beer doesn't mean you're not a lady.

Also, since I clearly love to write lists, here's my first piece for Listicles! In the form of a list, no less.


[photo credit clockwise to 1 via Musings in Femininity, 2 and 3 via Patterson Maker, 4]