charming bows & cherry blossoms

If you haven't already browsed through The Cherry Blossom Girl blog, you should do so ASAP. Her site is a pastel confection of all things cute and girly. It's a daily stop on my blog-roll! So naturally, I think it's simply divine that she has collaborated with Etam to design a collection of lingerie. Think French chic meets Lolita. I've posted the video campaign that accompanies the first two released themes of the line below. It's adorable. Oui?

Continue on for the rest of the images from 'The Cherry Blossom Girl pour Etam.'

-S.

long story

I am so so so into maxi dresses right now. It's amazing how a dress that is so forgiving and so comfy can be so sexy and dramatic at the same time. Perfect combination! Whether long sleeved or sleeveless, a print or a solid, dressed up or casual and easy, the maxi dress is always stylish. (Did I mention that I am SO into maxi dresses?) Here are some of my favorites... and sorry, but I have a lot of favorites. :)

-S. 

Skinny Strap Chiffon Maxi Dress, ASOS

Missoni Rona Jersey Maxi Dress, Net-A-Porter

My Fair Lady

    

Please pardon the delay in posting... I suppose it does not speak well of my commitment to my baby blog but I assure you it is justified! I have been in New York for less than a week and spent the majority of my time mapping out my academic and professional career plan for the next five years. It has been a struggle lately to establish a clear path for myself. Taking this break in New York has allowed my thoughts to sort themselves out and I have officially created a plan!  I'm excited to move forward now, which hasn't been the case in a while. Things are going to get busy in the near future so I hope I manage to keep on top of things. Wish me luck!

During one of the few moments I was able to drag myself away from my to-do list, I went to the Dutchess County Fair in Rhinebeck, New York with my parents. Normally I would be a very cranky camper waking up after an hour of sleep for the hour and a half car ride to the fairgrounds. Lucky for me the weather was absolutely brilliant. I have forgotten what the Northeast is like in the fall. Right around my birthday there is a noticeable shift in temperature, coupled with a pleasant drop in humidity. It's like the air is whispering sweet nothings into your ear every time it breezes by, letting you know that sweaters and apple picking and newly-sharpened pencils are right around the corner. I love county fairs in the autumn. They are the perfect farewell to summer, and the Dutchess County Fair in particular was quite exceptional. We weaved our way through barns of livestock and plants, into a sea of people pausing to watch a thin German man juggle with fire, and continued into row after row of craft booths and vendors. The air was ripe with the warm aroma of fried dough and grilled hotdogs and the growing lights of the carnival rides were brilliant against the fiery sunset backdrop as evening neared.

 

I had the chance to get a little snap happy with my camera while I was there. The content of my photographs is poorly balanced though as I became increasingly fatigued and took fewer and fewer pictures into the evening. Looking back through my photos and my memories a couple days later now, I was inspired by the unusual mix of sweet nature and glitz that exist in the county fair setting. There is something quirky and fresh about playing with demure laces, distressed fabrics and pastel florals added to bold colors, sequins, and graphic prints. It'a almost Lolita-esque: a youthful, feminine tomboy quality, sexed up with a racy, more daring edge. Stick to letting one style or the other dominate the look to avoid appearing overdone and conflicted. The alternate look can complement the main theme through accessories and touches of adornment.