forgotten photos

I was just looking through my photo folders and I came across these! They were originally part of an article I did on thrifting back in February for StyleCaster. I guess I forgot to re-post them here — then again, that was back during my too-busy-to-blog phase. But never fear, I've found the perfect solution! I just cut out the whole sleeping at night thing and run on naps, thus I can blog as I am now, at 6.30 am.

-S. 

P.S. I could probably use a take two on the thrift store trip pretty soon, anyone wanna come with? Dress up is more fun with a friend.

coachella chic—and the not so chic

What could be better than a weekend of music, sunshine and a warm weather wardrobe? Well definitely not a weekend of thunderstorms and gray skies like we had here in New York. Nevertheless, I shall pretend and dream up an alternate reality in which I too basked in the West Coast wonderland that is Coachella this past Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Capitalizing on such a golden opportunity, I would've worn something appropriately bohemian and free-spirited. Maybe a bit of fringe, or some crocheting or feathers. 

"Live in the sunshine, swim the sea; Drink the wild air's salubrity." --Ralph Waldo Emerson

Take a look under the cut for some of my favorite looks seen at Coachella this year. And also, a few what-were-they-thinking moments...

Photo: Fashion Toast

Working Girl

Photo: StyleCaster

I start an internship program at StyleCaster today! The only thing I was specifically told to bring was my laptop.... Blast! My laptop?? I have nothing even remotely cute in which to carry my not-quite-slim-enough little Mac! So while my first-day outfit is unavoidably damaged by whatever oversized bag I have to lug around like a sloppy bum, I have already taken the initiative to add a cute briefcase to my Christmas wish list. Aren't you proud of me for being so proactive about the issue at hand Admirable, I know. ;) I'm thinking vintage designer. Nothing nylon or excessively bulky. Something with just enough room for a laptop, wallet, my Ray-Ban's, and a little Dr. Pepper Lip Smacker of course....

Happy Monday, from StyleCaster's newest "Junior Team Member"!

-S.

Daily Dress Up

Photo: Living a Better Life

I went to take Delilah out this morning, fearful that the gusty gale I'd heard rattling the windows all morning would sweep us up and away as easily as it did the dried and brittle maple leaves that darted around helplessly in it's whirlwind of fury. As I creaked opened the back door prepared for the inevitable icy blast to whip through my clothes and burn inside my nose, I was thrown off guard by the moderately cool air that playfully kissed my cheeks. The curls of wind invited me out onto the deck and the ferocious movement of the branches I had previously seen as violence revealed itself instead as cheerful dancing. I must say, I have mixed emotions about this kind of gentle climate still showing up in November. There's no way it could snow in with temperatures like these, and I am so desperate for a white holiday season! On the other hand, the moment it snows I will have to figure out an alternative method of transportation as my itty-bitty convertible Nissan 350Z is slightly more sunshine and speed than blizzards and black ice. Not to mention that it's fairly hard to complain when the weather permits you to step outside in cute outfits without the eskimo factor.

I finally have all my clothes and shoes put away as of today... or so I thought. Several boxes of my winter-wear and nicest shoes have vanished under my mother's watch. She claims to remember boxing them up when my parents cleaned up the house and put it on the market this past summer. A whole slew of things went into storage. This was allegedly where I would find my things. Not so. Thus, the search continues for the boxes that contain my super-luxe black cashmere cowl-neck sweater and my chalky brown suede fold-over cuff booties. I should establish a reward for their recovery! Perhaps that might incite little more urgency into the attention of the search party... Good news though! Though my precious treasure chest of apparel is missing in action, I did stumble upon my grandmother's vintage fur stole in one of the wardrobe boxes marked "Dress-ups." Hah! Dress-ups! Please, this puppy is meant to be worn in the real world. Don't you agree? 

For now though I am making do with the clothes I have and the weather I am given. A basic black bandage skirt (ok maybe not SO basic, the high waist and the ruffled texture add a little extra) paired with a loose and open-knit thin sweater is an easy ensemble that effectively toes the line between dressy chic and casual. I added a pair of sheer black pantyhose and my black American Apparel thigh-high socks to warm up my extra long leggies. My oxford-style booties are from Buffalo Exchange in Austin. They have a small hidden platform underneath the ball of my foot so they're much more comfortable to walk in than they look. The finishing touches to any outfit I put on usually come from a last minute stroll through my mother or sister's room. In this case, I stole my sister's nubby charcoal gray boyfriend blazer and snagged a vintage gold medallion tassel necklace out of my mom's jewelry stand. The chunky pink cocktail ring is my own, however, and hails from my beloved fashion heaven: Forever 21. 

Friends start coming home soon! I cannot wait! I have had way too much parental company and far too few margaritas to cope with it lately. Someone come rescue me! 

-S.

Click below for more snapshots...

Layered Confections

This week has produced some of the first genuinely cold days here in Austin. Maybe it's the start of November that has caused Texas to finally accept and acknowledge that autumn is here, or maybe it was the thunderstorms we had in the beginning of the week. Either way, I have busted out the black tights, the cozy jackets and toasty scarves to block the chill from my brittle bones. Personally, I welcome the colder weather. By the time summer is over I am dreadfully tired of cut off shorts and sandals and the craving for layers of luscious knits has planted itself firmly in my mind. I find that in the late fall and winter months though, a lot of people succumb to the temptation to just throw on an oversized and sloppy coat or sweatshirt to keep warm on their way out the door. Layers are without a doubt the best alternative as they will keep you just as warm if not warmer (depending on how many you pile on) and they are far more visually appealing! A tasteful mix of textures and patterns or colors creates an interesting aesthetic-- some of my favorite outfits in my closet happened when I just started putting different pieces on. As your flair for outfitting yourself improves, the layered look will give off that perfectly sexy, messy, "I-rolled-out-of-bed-looking-this-good" vibe. Effortlessly chic. 

Ever since I played personal shopper for Michael at the beginning of the school year this fall, he's been eager to get to wear the colder weather clothes we bought. Yesterday he came over to pick me up and take me to the doctor. When I opened the door to let him in I was incensed that he dared to look great while I was stuffy-nosed, and aurally infected, still bumming in my pajamas at three in the afternoon, and simultaneously impressed with his eye candy of an outfit. It was a perfectly delicious blend of fashion tastes resulting in a look you could call "playful hipster." He combined a well-tailored pair of black pinstripe pants with a sleek belt and vintage buckle. On top he wore one of our favorite Goodwill finds, a worn-in black Coca-Cola graphic tee written in Russian (I think), and added to it a standard blue-toned plaid flannel. To top off this layered cake with a bit of stylized frosting, he threw on a simple twill jacket with a skinny knit scarf and wore blue high-top sneakers. And of course, as Michael does every day, he wore his Swiss Legend watch and black Ray-Ban aviators that I got him. The look had a character and charm all its own. I've tried to recreate it below as best I could with similar items I found online (the original was better though). I think this is a very interesting but easy look just begging to be emulated. Enjoy!

Michael by slindig05

Heavy Flannel Check Long Sleeve Shirt A , 30 GBP
Gourmet Men's Nove Sneaker, $100
Bulova - Men's BVA Series 115 - 98A110 (Silver/Gold) - Jewelry, $503
Ray-Ban RB8041 Aviator Titanium Sunglasses | Official Ray-Ban Site, $215
Bedstu - Precious (Silver) - Accessories, $55
Cheap Monday Vince Checked Scarf, $24
Gap Pinstriped tailored pants (slim fit), $70
Fix Design, omaggio alla Coca Cola sulle t-shirt
Monster Vintage.com Vintage Clothing at its Best For Mens & Womens...
DJPremium.com - Detailed Images of JET LAG JACKET by Black Apple
JanSport Right Pack Originals - Imageview - Free Shipping & Return...

I'm shipping some of my clothes tomorrow and piling whatever can fit into my car. Michael and I are going to road-trip to New York starting either tomorrow evening or Saturday morning depending on how quickly we get everything done! If all goes as planned we should be getting in no later than Sunday. I just loaded a bunch of music on my iPhone for the drive. Anyone have any good playlist suggestions?? It's quite a long trip... Wish me luck! By the way, I made a new banner for my blog and my Twitter page. What do you think?

-S.

Thriller

Wow it has been quite a while since I've posted. I've been inundated with the responsibilities of finding a job and an apartment! Closing in on both, so I hope this phase soon shall pass.

Despite my busy-bee-ness as of late, I still haven't been able to keep my mind and my time off of the rapidly approaching holiday. Halloween! Every year I brainstorm for weeks about what to wear. And every year I change my mind the night before. Halloween is not really the same anymore since I've left home, though. My golden memories center on parties in my parents' creepy 100+ year old house with my high school friends. We would decorate the front porch like a haunted house and stick my poor grandma in a makeshift coffin, her face smeared with bloody makeup, to scare the party-goers who dared enter (and not sneak in through the back door...) through the dark cloaks that draped in a haunting array from corner to corner of my front porch. Nonetheless, I still refuse to abandon a holiday that insists I dress up. After all, dressing up is what I love to do. I have searched around for costume inspiration lately and thought up a few options that I like. My lack of funds will likely end in the ultimate purchase of your typical prepackaged sexy-something-or-other costume... but until then I will fantasize of the organically fashionable concoctions that my dream wallet can afford. Take a peek after the jump! 

S.

Photos: www.ohdeedoh.com; www.sodahead.com

Sleepyhead

As it has been since I was a little girl, sleeping is probably one of my favorite "pastimes." When I move to a new place I obsess over the details of my bed and the ambience of my bedroom. I layer my plushy pillow-top mattress with 700 thread count sheets and a five-inch thick goose down feather bed, finishing off the delectable dream cloud with a fluffy eiderdown duvet and a mountain of silk satin encased pillows. Everything housed by those glossy, painted walls invites you to relax and lounge. So it would seem only fitting that I might try to take clothes intended for under the comforter and put them out on the sidewalk. Now I don't mean you should take to the streets in your Nick & Nora flannels. (Not to knock them, of course! Mine are pink with shoes all over...naturally.) Instead, I'm talking about something a little more intimate and feminine: the bed jacket. Bed jackets were popular in the 1930's and 1940's, used to cover a woman's upper body while she sat in bed. They are generally short, loose jackets of decadent materials and adornment, ideal for the most languorous of glamour queens. Add a little luxury to your basic jeans and tanks with one of these luscious options. 

S.

**Where to buy? From upper left: Powder Blue Velvet; Vanity Fair Peach; Aqua Crepe Silk; Satin Pink Floral; Peach Pink Ribbon; Baby Pink Pleats; Coral Ruffles; Barely Pink Sheer Lace; Creamy Lemon Lace; Ice Blue Shimmer; Smocked Butter Pink; Ivory Lace Bubblegum; Blousy Blush.

If your mama didn't bring you up according to the laws of eBay like mine did, here are some non-auction options for you after the jump! ;)

I Heart NY

There was a certain topsy turvy feeling I had earlier today when my mom (happy birthday, mommy!) was talking about her paper due tomorrow and her upcoming test. I'm the 21 year old! Shouldn't I be the one testing and papering?? Honestly, at this point I feel a good deal of nostalgia for my academic days. Being a grown up is so terrifically overrated... aside from the ability to order the frozen margarita -- no salt -- that I did this afternoon at Spider House. If I weren't trying to settle in and find a job here I would probably take this phase of freedom to hop on up to New York for a tick. There are so many Manhattan itches that my dear friend, Austin, just cannot scratch. Just to name a few....

Bittersweet

WOW! What a weekend! After a long three weeks spent in Austin, I returned to Dallas to empty my apartment. Apparently though, the new tenants had already moved in. There were about a million new residents-- a million tiny, brown, buggy residents. Yes, ants. These little critters had decided to invade Delilah's bin of dog food and trail off in a perfect assembly line through my entryway, into my bathroom, around the corner to the bedroom, behind my headboard and my dresser, under the door and into my closet, finally exiting through a small corner in the back of my walk-in. Needless to say, I was livid and terrified and disgusted all at once. A quick trip to Walgreen's and two cans of super-charged Raid later, not a single live ant remained. Unfortunately, my vacuum cleaner was broken, leaving me no way to suck up the dead insects. Instead, my apartment looked like a gruesome battlefield scattered with Formicidaen casualties. 

This weekend, I boxed up my life and stuck it in storage. Foolishly, I put off the packing part of the process until less than 24 hours before the movers were to arrive. The final strip of tape was slapped across the last box around 6.15 a.m. on Sunday. The movers showed up at my apartment at 8.30 a.m.... not the best scheduling. After the three hour drive to Austin from Dallas, my things were crammed into the storage unit and I was left, once again, to live out of a suitcase. You see, that's the disappointment of this particular move. Normally, the hassle of scraping away at the tape dispenser when I accidentally let the tape stick to itself or the monotony of wrapping each dish in newspaper is compensated for by the excitement of getting into a new place I can start making my own. This time around I am deprived of the opportunity to nest just yet. And, to add insult to injury, I better not need anything from my storage unit before I move into an apartment because it is stuffed to the brim and there is no way I will be able to find or reach anything. 

So things may have been crazy, but now that I have adequately whined and vented I can admit that not everything has been all bad lately. See after the jump for the good stuff!