Say Yes...

...to Friday's Fancies!

Alison has been one of my favorite bloggers for a very long time now, and with good reason. Not only is Long Distance Loving a fantastic blog that covers everything from fashion to, well, long distance love, but Alison is one of the sweetest, friendliest people I've had the luck to meet via the blogosphere. Every Friday, she creates amazing ensembles for her Friday Fancies series and was kind enough to do so for Mellow Fever while I'm away!

                                                                                                                                                                     
Hi! I'm {av}, the voice behind {long distance loving}! In Deanna's absence, she asked me to share my Friday's Fancies while she is on a {much deserved} spring break in Puerto Rico. For today, I pulled together my dream beach attire!

all numbered images are screenshots from the links below  |  photograph at bottom right: {av}

1) This shade of green sang out to me! Shoshanna nailed it with this Ruffled Bandeau Top and Ruffled Bikini Bottom. It also reminded me of the beautiful colors of Old San Juan--I visited Puerto Rico on my last college spring break! {see the bottom right photo!}

2) I'm an enormous fan of Milly. This Bead-embellished cotton and silk-blend tunic hit it out of the park for me! It adds a touch of glam to this versatile cover-up.

3) A beach trip isn't complete without a fabulous place to sit...and this Condé Nast House & Garden Beach Towel would certainly be a great seat on the sand!

4) Deanna and I both adore Kate Spade, so the moment I saw this hello sunshine willow tote, I knew it had to be included in my Friday's Fancies. In my book, Kate Spade + sunshine = pure joy.

5) Though I'd love to toss in a pair of wedges, I had to go the practical route with flats. {Who can walk in heels on the beach anyway!?} These Tory Burch Miller Logo Thongs are an easy complement to my dream beach attire. I love the gladiator look, but when I want to run into the ocean, I don't want to unlace my sandals!

6) I don't know what girl doesn't dream of Chanel sunglasses. Now that I've seen these Signature Ribbon Sunglasses, I'm sure they'll be haunting my dreams too ;)

What are your must-haves for the beach this year? 

{besides sunscreen of course!}

I hope you enjoyed my Friday's Fancies! Want to create your own? All you need to do is dream up an outfit you'd wear today if money were no object! Hop on over to {long distance loving} to link up—and check out a slew of other fun outfits made by bloggers across the world!

An enormous thank you to Deanna for having me post for her today—Mellow Fever has long been one of my favorites in the blogosphere, so I'm honored to grace her blog!
Have a happy Friday! xoxo {av}

Spring Escape

I've handed in my last final for winter quarter and now I'm frrreeeeeee, free as the wind free! For the next week and a half, at least. Tomorrow morning, I'm heading off to sunny (it'd better be sunny...) Puerto Rico to sip mojitos by the pool and go salsa dancing with my friends. I'm excited to return back about fifteen shades darker (even with sunscreen), because I tan easily and my skin tone in the winter resembles jaundice. We also had the luck to schedule our trip for the same weekend as a festival, aptly named "A Taste of Rum" (my parents weren't too pleased to hear this). Olé!

In the meantime, I have a SPECTACULAR line-up of guest bloggers, featuring Alison of Long Distance Loving, Carly of The College Prepster, Ashley of a {little} dash of ash, and Roxy of A Cup of Te! They're all fantastic and deserve a huge thank you for covering for me while I'm away. Have a lovely weekend (and a mojito, because livers need exercise too)!

[photo cred to Free People and Cooking Light]

Petals and Windows

The arches on these windows are so elegant and luxurious. Sunshine pours in, petals begin to unfurl, and it's a little easier just to breathe. Hope your Wednesday is sunny and bright!


[photo cred to 1, 2 & 3, all via Patterson Maker, and 4]

Spring Kicks

I just want to scoop up an armful of the new ballet flats from J. Crew and run. I'm already indecisive, and now I have to choose between snakeskin, Liberty florals, jacquard, studs, and tweed? Neon orange toe caps? Really, snakeskin?! I'm a sucker for snakeskin anything. LE SIGH.

French Vogue

How was your weekend? It was (finally) warm and springlike here in New York, so I played a bit of tennis and worked on my papers. I'm so excited to hand in my last final on Wednesday — I'm still a blur of studying and interviewing and networking. I just want to sit in my bathtub and drink some tea.

What do you think of Emmanuelle Alt's first cover for French Vogue? I adore Carine Roitfeld (although her near-pornographic aesthetic made my Catholic schoolgirl self squirm), but I'm digging the carefree, hippie vibe of this cover. Gisele looks gorgeous, of course, but the soft lighting and spring colors add so much more to it. I definitely want to pick up a copy (and finally put four years of French to good use!). 

[photo cred to Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matatin via Huffington Post]

Say Yes...

...Yes to springing forward.

Yes to bacon, egg, and toast cups.

Yes to 15 more pages before I'm done with winter quarter.

Yes to quirky wishlists.

Yes to dancing at your desk when a good song plays and no one is watching...

...or even when people are watching, because it's a good song, damnit!

Yes to waking up and actually feeling well-rested.

[photo cred to Model Love via Musings in Femininity]

A Bit of Bonne Chance

I have a job interview today! I don't want to jinx it, but I'll give you some hints: it's only a few blocks from where this photo was taken and I'm going to eat a good breakfast beforehand. These are actually really bad hints, but I swear, I'll tell you if I hear good news. Wish me luck, my dears!

[photo cred to Michelle Holden]