Gimme Gimme!

I hate when the end of the month comes and my money is terrifyingly low. I always tend to see soooooo many things I love right when I can't afford them. Case in point....

Wishlist

Wildfox Couture - Indian Spirit - Unisex Tee - Shop Now, $77
Sheer Lined Sweater, $23
3/4 Sleeve Knit Tunic, $22
Halston Heritage Leather Hot Pants, $345
J-Brand Houlihan Skinny Cargo Pants Vintaupe, 298 EUR
Forever21.com - New Arrivals - 1082149919, $6.80
Surface To Air 'Buckle Ankle Boot' Mastic, 233 GBP
Jeffrey Campbell Suede Lace Up Wedge, $148
Women's Apparel: shoes | Banana Republic, $79
Forever21.com - Accessories - Jewelry, $7.80
Forever21.com - New Arrivals - 1086325691, $5.80
ASOS | ASOS 70s Floppy Felt Hat at ASOS, 22 GBP
ASOS Long Fantasy Fur Snood, $34
Forever21.com - - 2083729266, $23

If anyone feels so inclined as to buy me a present. That's my wishlist! ;)

-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! ;)

Wild Thing

After a morning of chaos and worry, a day spent soaking up the peacefulness of nature was greatly appreciated. As a newbie to the Austin scene, I hadn't yet been to the Barton Creek Wilderness Park. It did not take long to fall in love with the place, though. Within moments of walking onto the roughly beaten path a sense of comforting isolation swept over me. The dense trees, roots rippling through the dry dirt, offered me privacy and quiet from the urban noise just outside the parks border. I decided to abandon the path for a little adventure, and after a few near slips and falls (this was an impromptu trip and my ballet flats weren't exactly traction-friendly) I reached a perfect wading area of the creek. Sunlight was flirting with me from behind its leafy branch lashes, peeking through and out coyly to kiss my cheeks and nose. It was absolute perfection. 

The beauty, and often the humor, of being a fashion fiend is that no matter the setting or the circumstances, you are always thinking of outfits. As I sat at the edge of a rapid little waterfall and dipped my hot pink pedicured toes into the cool stream, all I could think of was how great it would be to go back there when the weather cooled down and cozy layers would be appropriate. As my surroundings so often do, this wild wooded park began to flicker a spark of creative fire in me. Visions of rugged, fuzzy flannels and chunky knit sweaters began to prance around my imagination. I started thinking of driving out to my family's farm to snag my hiking boots stashed in the drawer under the bed upstairs. Though I'd only ever worn them for practicality's sake while hunting, suddenly they sounded so trendy and desirable. Backpacks that hold a load and serve a look were etched onto my need-to-buy-when-I-get-a-few-bucks list! And in order to better fit the organic persuasion of my forest, I figured a watch would be a step closer to natural than my iPhone for the purpose of telling time. So now I will wait for the air to chill and the leaves to crackle so that I may run back to my new sanctuary. The coquette sun and the majestic trees will keep me company as I break in my newly inspired aesthetic.

Take a peek after the jump!

S.

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! 

Hobo Chic?

This is what I'd be wearing today if...
a.) I weren't living out of a suitcase, and
b.) it wasn't 90 degrees outside.

Wishful by slindig05 featuring lace jewelry

sequin racerback vest, 425 GBP
James Perse Knitted merino wool sweater, $325
Mid-rise bleached skinny jeans, $98
Surface To Air 'Buckle Ankle Boot' Mastic, 233 GBP
botkier Brooklyn Cross-Body Hobo, $348
Muriel Grateau 18k Blackened white gold lace ring, 1,085 GBP
Original Aviator Sunglasses, $140

S.

Jet-setter Jitters

As mentioned previously, I have been scanning the glossy pages of my newfound bibles that capture the street style in cities like New York and London and Stockholm. Now that I've completed a run through of both books about three times already, I'm feeling a little antsy. It's as though a little seed has sprouted inside the pit of my stomach and is growing larger and stronger every hour, inciting within me the desire to pack a bag and run away without a moment's notice. I want to buy a one way ticket to Europe and run around exploring the culture and history and life that a new and vibrant city has to offer. I want to hop on a plane to JFK tonight and make my way to Manhattan and never look back. One thing I noticed about the people of NYC through the comments they made is that no one is just one thing. Everyone in New York City is a dreamer. He's a philosopher and a DJ and a waiter. She's a model and a writer and a student. I am dying to get back to my city of freedom and ambition! Will someone please buy me a plane ticket?!

S.

*Courtesy of Virgin Media.

Bookworm

I just picked up The Sartorialist, by Scott Schuman, and NYLON magazine's Street View, at Barnes & Noble! I am so excited to dig into these. I've always wanted to do something like this. Maybe that will be my new pet project for my Canon. Austin is undoubtedly a great place to be to spot crazy and unique fashion. I'll report back after I've done a little more skimming and maybe a bit of shutterbugging... Oh and if you don't already have these fabulous books (honestly, I'm surprised I am just now making the purchase), you can get them at Barnes & Noble online. Both books are discounted by 28% online from the in-store listed price! And free shipping if you spend just $25! I wish I had known this before I impulsively bought them during one of my entirely uncontrollable bookstore adventures. But hey, can you blame me? It was raining outside on a Sunday afternoon and the cozy inside of a Barnes & Noble, paired with a yummy cup of chai tea, was all too appropriate!

S.

So Frocking Cute!

One closet staple I will never grow tired of is a classic girly frock. I've been perusing the stops in retail cyberspace and have fallen in love. These styles are the greatest and so so versatile! Wear them alone with flats or a pair of demure heels during the summer, and keep things going strong into fall and winter by layering up and adding cozy tights or leg warmers under some boots! ModCloth is a great place to start for this kind of dress. They have a wide selection and constantly get new things in (even some vintage finds everyone once in a while, though they don't last long). Their prices are deliciously reasonable too, so no buyer's remorse! And the precious names don't hurt either.

     

*From the top: Red-y and Rarin' to Go Dress, $69.99; You Were Mint for Me Dress, $49.99; Lipstick Labyrinth Dress, $64.99; Fan the Fire Dress, $94.99; Starlet of Style Dress, $94.99; Pirouette in Pink Dress, $79.99. All available at ModCloth.com. 

One other dress, a little more on the fancy side, I have been DYING to own. So so adorable....

 

It's available online at Forever Unique for 125 pounds. It reminds me of a vintage bedspread I used to own (Delilah made a snack of the lace overlay...).

I'm off to grab a bite to eat; I'm absolutely famished! Buona sera, bellisime. 

S.