just in time for easter and spring--

darling new pieces from the animalheadvintage etsy shop. hooray! hurrah! 

i've got my eye on the yellow dress (the neckline with the bows and cutouts and the pleated skirt is like a fresh-from-the-egg chick) and my wallet open for the pink and green short-sleeved print dress. that neon violet 80s style dress is making my jaw drop and the pink floral dress is as pretty as an easter morning. 

golly -- can i have them all?

images courtesy of etsy.com

let's make it a pretty tuesday--

with pretty people, fresh faces, a handsome blazer, and fancy earrings that make me wanna party. because monday was yesterday, and we just wanna forget it.

images courtesy of jcrew.com

a walk down memory lane with j.crew.

my heart skips a beat when i see old pages of j.crew catalogs. growing up, they were a prized possession in my little world, a treat to peruse after finishing my homework, or on a sunday afternoon, dreaming up all the outfits i could create for myself if i had all the money in the world. i wonder what my little self then would say about the abundance of j.crew pieces in my wardrobe now.

i love this then and now j.crew post -- i'm filled with nostalgia. the navy blue suit of now is handsome, and the white blazer is classy and beachy. the casual look is easy and perfect, and who wouldn't want that hunky bearded guy showing up at her doorstep on wednesday date night?

images courtesy of tumblr.jcrew.com

let's have a pretty monday--

lovies, i hope you had a wonderful weekend. i was made an auntie. happiness! welcome, with me, my new niece, scarlet elizabeth. i can't wait to meet the little darling.

 

image courtesy of blog.madewell.com

i totally want that skirt, by the way. and the picture of the girl bundled up in the parka reminds me of my friend, rs!

oh, j.crew--

oh, j.crew

you tease me with your beautiful photos
you lure me with your seasonally bright colours
you tempt me with your sales and discounts
you warm me with your coats and sweaters

oh, j.crew
it's you

images courtesy of jcrew.com

this dress and this coat.

have the dress. want the coat.

images courtesy of zara

linda rodin--style icon.

her style is a little over-the-top and eccentric for me but i hope i still have my style look and uniform when i'm in my silver years like linda. and when my grays come in, i plan on wearing them boldly, like a rich red lipstick or an oversized printed cardigan. 

style on, linda. you're an inspiration to us to indulge in any trend at any time, to wear what we want -- what makes us feel good and empowered. and you do it without looking like a grandma that raided her granddaughter's wardrobe. kudos and brava! 

images courtesy of ruemag.com

i am a little envious of her silver locks. they are gorgeous.

i live in a pretty city.

photos my own

i love the fog of san francisco and its cool, misty air. it's my favourite weather. it makes me wanna go for an easy jog, cook a pot of chili, eat bread and cheese, bake cookies and granola, snuggle with suzy (or my husband-whoever is home and available) and read, and wear coats like madewell's city grid coat. i want it so badly.

pretty pretty swimwear.

i love that one-piece swimsuits are back and that there is an abundant selection across the board. these are all from anthropologie but you'll also find excellent one-piece swimwear from j.crew and madewell. 

images courtesy of anthropologie.com

colorblocked underwire maillot, $69.95 (i just ordered this one!)  /  lenny niemeyer geo-floral maillot, $149.95  /   ruffled halter maillot, $49.95  /  eberjey ruffled halter maillot, $159.00  /  ruffled halter maillot, $49.95  /  zinke starboard swimsuit, $132.00  /  seafolly summer garden boyleg maillot, $148.00

lakeside vs. oceanside--what's your preference?

i'm not much of a beach person. i get bored easily, have a hard time being without access to a bathroom, and become quickly irritated by the sand and mess of it. on the rare occasion when i can relax on the beach, my mind begins to wander and relax and i get ideas and want to write them down and long for my laptop which is miles away.

then again, what is summer without a trip to beaches of velvety soft white sand and water so blue the sky fades into it? caftan and all, emerson fry's images below are stirring up my desire to sit on the beach [for 5 minutes] and feel the summer sun gently toasting my skin.

  images courtesy of emersonfry.com

growing up, summers were spent at the city pool or lakeside at the family cottage in michigan. lakeside is my preferred way to spend a summer week. the lake water is cool and fresh. the bathroom is clean and only a few steps away. my laptop is inside but easily accessible for those burning ideas that i don't want to forget. sand is across the lake at the dunes and it's hot, buttery soft, and gets everywhere, perfect for an hour or two trekking with the babies and kids. best of all, it's quiet. chaos is minimal, and i'm surrounded by my favourite people--family.

where do you prefer--lakeside, poolside, or oceanside--to spend your summer vacation?

j.crew emailed me this morning--

which is nothing new. j.crew sends me at least one email a day announcing a new find or sale. but this email was different. it was one i was hoping to find in my inbox. they emailed me to tell me my review for their point sur hightower jean in epic wash was live on their site. 

what?! i gasped at the email like it was my professor praising me for a written assignment. j.crew went on to tell me they found what i wrote to be super helpful and thought other shoppers would, too. 

my review ended up like this, after 4 drafts and a few weeks of mulling ideas of how i wanted it to sound:

j.crew denim has never failed me-- 

wash. epic.
waist. high.
legs. skinny.
stars. five. 

over the last couple years i've been searching for a lighter wash to pair with my vintage tees and saturday sweatshirts. (i want to preserve my perfectly dark denim for delicate silk blouses and gorgeous merino wool sweaters.) i had specific requirements for this jean: no rips or tears; no fading; no patches. i tried on pair after pair over the course of time before j.crew released the point sur hightower jean in epic wash.  

my denim life has forever been altered. 

i've lived in these high-waisted, 70s-inspired, slimming and curve-defining jeans since that large brown envelope with j.crew stamped in bold black showed up in my mailroom. and i haven't looked back--except in the mirror, from time to time. (seriously, these jeans are incredibly flattering. the high waist cinches in my middle and brags about my curves.) 

j.crew denim has never failed me. 

images courtesy of jcrew.com

unlike other retailers, the j.crew staff reads the submitted reviews before posting them and they have a list of general guidelines, e.g., don't mention cost or customer service. sure, these guidelines lean in their favour but for someone like me who is an avid j.crew fan and customer, the process is exhilarating and motivating to dedicate time and thought to what i'm going to say. i wanted to tell a story in my review and not just rattle off praises about the fabric or cut or to j.crew as a whole--i'll leave that to other customers. 

will my [over-thought] review score me a job in their copy department? probably not. gosh, that would be quite a dream, one i've never dared but i think about it every time a j.crew stylebook shows up in my mailbox. but it was good writing practice nonetheless. and now it's on their site. i'm shamelessly smiley over it. 

.......

in all honesty, my favourite pair of jeans. they're priced a little high but worth every penny [to me]. 

either/or: erin wasson gave hers to madewell and showed up in their spring photoshoot--in malta.

images courtesy of fashiongonerogue.com 

madewell did an either/or list with erin wasson--l.a. resident, jewelry designer, tv personality, texan tomboy, model for their spring shoot. i wonder if madewell would accept one from a san francisco resident, aspiring copy editor and grilled cheese lover--me. here's mine:

jeans or leather  >  jeans
earrings or necklaces  >  earrings -- and my dainty brooks name necklace
gold or silver  >  gold
shrunken or oversized  >  oversized
secret keeper or open book  >  secret keeper
sinatra's new york or jay z's empire state of mind  >  frank sinatra
surfboard or skateboard  >  neither
girls or the new girl  >  i don't subscribe to either
keith or mick  >  mick
new york or l.a. ...or hawaii  >  hawaii
cold showers or hot baths  >  hot baths
dinner or dessert  >  dinner ...and then dessert, maybe
early riser or night owl  >  early riser
homebody or busy bee  >  homebody
big parties or small gatherings  >  small gatherings
storyteller or excellent listener  >  excellent listener
airplane, train or car  >  car -- i love a good roadtrip
presents you can unwrap or experiences you can share  >  experiences for sharing
phone calls or emails  >  emails -- phone calls are better but i'm awkward on the phone
central park or central air  >  wide open windows and a summer breeze
fresh flowers or great art  >  fresh flowers -- tulips, please
morning coffee or evening cocktail  >  my evening cocktail is a glass of milk
hats or sunglasses  >  sunglasses
flats or heels  >  heels, as in heeled booties
handshake or high five  >  high five
organized chaos or chaotically organized  >  organized chaos
foxy brown or li'l kim  >  who?
jay or bey  >  huh?
stones or beatles  >  stones
done up or undone  >  undone
desert or ocean  >  ocean
thunder or lightning  >  thunder -- i love the rumble

now it's your turn. go!

starting the year off right--

with hot creamy tomato soup, buttery crunchy toast, a juicy sweet apple, and j.crew's film collection, all the while ignoring the sale at anthropologie.com (unsuccessfully, i might add). oh, and i've made a few resolutions for 2014--eat more avocados (they're really good for you!), exercise more yoga (and try out a bar method class or two), dedicate honest time to developing my writing/editing career and working on my collective, spend more time outside exploring the many parks of california, frequent pretty high heels and hats more than i do currently, plan our honeymoon, smile more often and have a good time. 

happy new year, lovies!

images courtesy of jcrew.com and anthropologie.com

kyeran booties, $249.95  /  snowrose skirt, $159.95  /  andie chino, $89.50  /  ochre-rose trapper hat, $269.95  /  gathered pizzo turban, $28.00  /  snowdonia rancher, $49.95  /  deluge garnet drops, $129.95  /  paige marley moto jeans, $189.95

if you're browsing j.crew's film collection, be sure to check out shiny ponies. it's 2m23s of shoe beauty-ness.

the pretty emerson fry.

emerson fry doesn't lack for beautiful, classic, and modern clothes, nor do her fashion shots. the models almost look natural and the clothing is displayed in realistic environments. if only they were more affordable... if they were, i'd have a pair of her mick pants and the romantic camiknicker. swoon. so pretty.

images courtesy of emersonfry.com

these are sweater days.

31 days of sweaters by vogue--some deliciously cozy for stretching out by the fire with a good book and cup of tea; others picked for dressing up with pencil skirts and ponytails; and others, more elaborate or over-accessorized, are for the sake of "why not?"

images courtesy of vogue.com

bcbg max azria maylin cable turtleneck sweater, $198  /  nina ricci wool knit pullover, $890  /  rodarte hand-crocheted baby alpaca sweater with metal and swarovski elements, price upon request  /  salvatore ferragamo navy cotton knit turtleneck sweater, $990

i'd wear any of the four. today. right now.