on the cheap: prada

remember that one time i did a post on ballet-inspired designs?...

well, prada did these shoes earlier this year and even though they're on mega-sale at yoox, you can get them for 1/3 of the sale price at sam edelman. love it.

prada

sam edelman

still (p)interested?

obviously slacking on the blog-front.

but i have recently become obsessed with a new site

where blogs meet tumblr...

check me out on:

pinterest

it's photo-blogging for the laziest of fashionistas (that's me!) but it is wonderfully addicting.

join & follow me! but don't say i didn't warn you

summer lovin'

seriously missing the summer life

so i've compiled a list of my summer obsessions to snap me out of this gloomy, wintery funk

1. chloé scalloped shorts

i've been dreaming about these for years, and chloé just keeps making them in more styles and colors so i think this is it.

tis the season.

i don't like this girl(chloe sevigny), but i must admit that

she is rocking these shorts.

i would wear every one of these outfits

(sans that hat)

and i am loving everything about this

2. a big ol' floppy hat

3. a white lace shift dress

temperley london

mini sebille silk-blend lace dress

4. the perfect floral sundress

still inexplicably yet hopelessly obsessed with this

rebecca taylor kew gardens dress from last year

5. a breezy, silky, maxi dress

halston heritage

pleated chiffon long dress

6. outfits a la clemence poesy on gossip girl

7. nude strappy sandals

jimmy choo

miles leather and mesh sandals

loeffler randall

paige criss-cross sandals

peace, love, & sunshine

(net-a-porter, transientexpression, styledon, fashiontoast, zappos, net-a-porter, stylehive, shopbop, the girl of bows, net-a-porter, footnotesonline)

pro-nun-see-AY-shun

whilst living in the beautiful city of Milano,

i have come to realize that my american accent is a disgrace,

especially in the fashion district of Montenapoleone

(which, by the way, is way too many syllables for one word)

so here are some brand names i have been told i pronounce

"like a stupid american"

Moschino

once though to be "mo-SHEE-no"

is actually

"mo-SKI-no"

Ermenegildo Zegna

making beautiful men even more beautiful since 1910...

yeah i didn't even try this one

i usually stop at "erm..."

pronounced

"air *roll the R* -mene-jill-dow   tzEG-nuh"

that may have actually made it more difficult.

ps - CHANEL is the same in any language.

swan princess

oh, have you heard about natalie portman's new movie,

black swan

?

first of all

yes, it was incredible

yes, natalie portman deserves the oscar

yes, it was gory and disturbing

but can we just stop for a minute and talk about the COSTUMES?

Rodarte designed 20 original costumes for this film,

each one even more intricate and beautiful than the last.

this designing super-duo was the perfect choice for the movie,

as it seems they have had ballet on the brain for quite some time

since their inception in 2005

photos from Rodarte's fall 2008 collection

a piece from the Rodarte for Target line in 2009...

...of which natalie portman, herself, was a fan

________________________

following the trend of ballet-inspired designs,

i would like to draw your attention to the

J Mendel

resort 2011 collection

mr. gilles mendel produced the costumes for the

New York City Ballet's production of Call Me Ben.

needless to say, some of his designs crossed over

to his resort collection. and i LOVE it.

click through the slideshow on nymag

and check out some of these amazing shots

from couturesnob.

and wipe that drool off your face.

(coolspotters, nydailynews, stylethroughhereyes, ellestocked, nymag, couturesnob)

i would like this in my closet right now please

elizabeth and james

draped hooded suede jacket

ok, so it may or may not have been (but definitely was) featured on fashiontoast.

shutup.

girl crush

is it weird to blog about a blog?

rumi neely a la fashiontoast

might be my idol.

i want to hate her, but can't because not only is she stunning, fashionable, and well-traveled, but she is also smart. her style is everything i wish mine could be (though i'm sure it would be easier if i had designers sending pieces from their collection to my front door). she is also a respectable photographer, and though a majority of her blog is just photos of herself, i'm not mad about it, because the shots are just so stunning and inspirational. she has such a witty, sarcastic sense of humor, that i find myself just as excited to look at the pictures as i am to read what she's written about them.

she also has her own jewelry line sold exclusively on tobi

the piece i need right now:

fashiontoast x DANNIJO siamese ring

the pieces on my wishlist:

uhh...everything else

suspiciously reminiscent of low luv x erin wasson

but i'm ok with it

and, of course, she models/styles/designs for my all-time favorite socal brand:
rvca

in another life...

cannibal

i just like this picture

and felt the need to share

just because you're the daughter of rock royalty,

georgia may jagger,

doesn't mean you can pull off a gold bullfighter jacket and a feather hat.

oh wait, yes it does.

also, on a completely unrelated note...

listen to ke$ha's new album: cannibal

you can hate on the girl all you want,

but the beats are catchy.

listen to this song and you'll find yourself movin yo shoulders a little bit.

everyone needs more dance parties in their lives. period.

and anyone who can help make that happen is ok in my book.

enjoy this crazy beautiful world

and turn up your speakers!

bittersweet

wearing my new leopard print booties,

listening to girl talk,

and packing up everything i own.

making moves to milan

winter's dumbest/chicest accessory

quite frankly, i'm not sure why anyone would want these boots.

they seem incredibly impractical and though warm,

i'm pretty sure my feet would be numb with pain from the height of the heel

before my toes would freeze from the cold.

alas, the highly coveted

burberry prorsum

shearling-lined aviator boots

$1,095

are sold out everywhere

lucky for you, i came across an equally impractical

(and almost equally as fabulous)

pair of knock-offs at aldo.

enjoy all the pain of trekking through muck and slush in 5" heels

at only a fraction of the price!

aldo

griem shearling boot

$140

(burberry prorsum, aldo)

on my list

christmas is a time for love and joy and selflessness,

for blasting vince guaraldi jazz music and sitting by the fire with family,

roasting chestnuts and gay apparel or whatever...

but it's also about hitting up your friends and family for awesome swag

so here is my 2010 christmas wish list

enjoy, be merry, and always remember to say please and thank you.

and here's a little background music to get you in the mood.  one of my all-time favorites

1. marc by marc jacobs  ozzie lucy tote

love at first sight.

this bag is an amazing, faux ostrich print, it's the perfect size, the perfect neutral color to mix and match with anything (though my closet is a sea of neutrals), but within a few hours of putting it in my online shopping cart it was sold out.

what a tease.

2. proenza schouler  kaleidoscope dress

(rental).  let's get serious.

thank you, renttherunway.com

thanks to my beautiful and talented actor friend, paloma, for finding this gem of a rental site.

if you haven't heard of it, rent the runway is a site that makes dreams come true.  rent designer dresses for 2-4 days at around 10% of the cost.  and it's invite only, but don't worry, i've got the hookup.

ps check out the hilariously honest blog of miss paloma at

young talented & broke

3. chunky-heeled shoes

i'm sort of into the ode to the 90's/marc jacobs-style chunky heel

louboutin bibi 140 suede

aldo baisley in bordeaux

also, i'm only slightly ashamed to admit that i am loving the velvet trend.

as cheesy as it is, if done right, i think it's so swanky.

and it doesn't hurt that boys will wanna be rubbing up against you all night.

too much?  whatever, i said it.

4. beach cruiser

obviously not fashion related, but it's still on my list

who cares that i live in the midwest and would only be able to ride it three months a year

ok, so the list is short, but i hope it's given you some inspiration!

happy holidays

(m by mj tote, rent the runway, louboutins, aldo)

i want to live in a j.crew catalog

i can't get enough of the coral lips, wispy hair, chunky jewelry, and adorably awkward poses

well done, j.crew. well done.

fancy schmantzy

with the help of my beautiful and talented friend

mitzi dick

(real name)

i have constructed a photo collage to promote a wonderful chicago clothing boutique called

AKIRA

check out ShopAKIRA.com for some seriously amazing pieces,

and if you're in the chicago area make sure to stop by one of their many brick and mortar locations.

loads of denim and a massive selection of incredible dresses,

and there is always a ridiculous sale going on.

best of all, use online discount code

SSM15

for 15% off until december 31st!!

be sure to check out mitzi's brilliant blog

fancy schmantzy

for your daily fix of vintage prints, craft ideas, and adorably delicious recipes

on the cheap: urban outfitters

bdg fisherman cardigan $68

=

heritage1981 cable knit sweater $28.90

i cannot be the only person who has discovered this:
urban outfitters & forever21

use some of the same distributors, so you can find some identical items at both stores at very different price points.

uo is brilliant for inspiration and vintage-feel jewelry, but before you buy, please put down the bdg top or silence+noise sweater and check xxi's website.  i'm just sayin..

then you can spend all those extra moneys on cupcakes

(urban outfitters, forever21)

stella for kids

on a scale of 1 to 10, how embarassing is it that i want every item in stella mccartney's kids collection?

cutest interactive site and rollover lookbook ever.

they are aware that the children, themselves won't actually be purchasing from their website, aren't they?

who cares, it kept me entertained for a good hour.

i could totally fit into a boy's size 12, right?

(stella mccartney kids)