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Impending Hurricanes: A Great Reason to Go Shopping*

Saturday, August 27, 2011

*As if I really needed one



So, Irene's a-coming. Which means: cute rainwear! Here's my shopping list:

1. Lipstick red patent rain hat. When hoods alone won't cut it.

2. Patagonia Torrentshell jacket. I love me a classic trench, but torrential downpours call for a a serious waterproof jacket. Picked mine up on sale at CitySports here in D.C.

3. Colorwheel umbrella. Finally! Some justification to buy this umbrella, which I've loved for years. The perfect antidote to a gloomy day.

4.
Maine hunting boots, LLBean. Yes, wellies are great. But these rugged, lace-up LLBean boots give instant storm-survivor cred, plus will be perfect should Snowmaggedon II descend later this winter.

Oh, and a flashlight, PB&J and a stockpile of movies. We're ready!

Satchel Obsessions, and Other Stories…

Friday, August 26, 2011



Ever since spotting the image above on A Cup of Jo, I've been dreaming of the bag on the far right: the perfect little satchel.

I've all but decided that it's going to be my go-to bag for fall (sorry, oversized totes). The question is, which satchel? These are my favorite candidates, thus far:



Clockwise from top left:
1. Rebecca Minkoff Covet bag in gray ostrich, $425. (Lately, I'm ostrich finish-obsessed as well.)

2. Alexander Wang strappy Kirsten suede satchel, $825. A fashion blogger can dream.

3. Coach Chelsea flagship small bag, $278. Oh, that curry color…

4. J.Crew Darlington satchel, $278. Possibly even big enough to hold my essentials. While I'm at it, I'll take the Rigby hobo too.

Votes? Thoughts? Fairy godmother-like offers?

Things I Can't Live Without: Beauty Essentials

Thursday, August 25, 2011



I don't write much about beauty -- truthfully, I can change my shoes three times per day, but I've changed my beauty routine about three times total. (When it works, it works!) That said, I swear by these six products. But tell me: What beauty buy do you swear by? (Because you never know. I might be ready for a change.)

Clockwise from top left:
1. Bare Escentuals BareMinerals powder foundation: I can't deal with heavy, sticky foundation, but I'm old enough to need decent coverage for splotches and blemishes. This powder foundation is as good as they say: Plus, top it off with a layer of their MineralVeil top powder for that dewy, flawless finish.

2. Nars Orgasm Blush. Another standby, but there's a reason for that: Nothing else gives me that freshly flushed look.

3. Bobbi Brown gel eyeliner in Black Plum Ink. Eyeliner is one of my more recent beauty discoveries -- I never realized before how a careful top smudge could really make eyes pop. I love the black plum ink color — somewhere between brown and black, and very pretty. Plus: No raccoon eyes!

4. Benefit Erase Paste. Boy, have I tried a lot -- a lot, a lot -- of concealers. Nothing works quite so well as this one for undereye circles.

5. Kai Fragrance Oil. I'm not a heavy perfume wearer, so a dab of this clean, pretty fragrance oil is just enough.

6. Soap & Glory eye cream. Just a touch of this creamy, slightly shimmery cream helps tired undereye skin suddenly glow. I'm tempted to smear it all over.

Now it's your turn...

Portland, Maine: Shopping Update

Wednesday, August 24, 2011



My week in Maine was fantastic. Rocky beaches, loads o' lobster, lots of friends, and a couple of rainy days to explore Portland's vintage spots and other great shops. Here's my list of my favorite Portland shopping sites, for those of you who are going to be in the neighborhood.

Encore, 521 Congress St., 207-775-4275. The scoop: Plan to spend some serious time hunting through the racks of this amazing vintage emporium -- it has everything from retro frame bags, gorgeous gowns, fantastic furs and more. It's not cheap (but definitely ask if the price can be reduced before you buy -- if an item's been there for some time, they'll drop the price a good amount), but the selection is outstanding. What I bought: Phenomenal made-from-an-Oscar de la Renta pattern ivory silk ruffled top and skirt ($40); vintage fur caplet ($100); silk knot belt in fuchsia ($14).

Pinecone + Chickadee, 6 Free St. The scoop: This quirky new emporium carries a mix of new handcrafted (Ferdinand's squirrel drummer tees; great kids items; cool jewelry) and vintage items, especially housewares. What I bought: Lipstick-red plastic serving dish/tray ($20), though I easily could've scooped up much more.

Find, 16 Free St., 207-699-4285. The scoop: This great little consignment shop has a mix of retro and gently worn new items. It's definitely worth a scour — and the sales staff is incredibly nice and helpful. What I found: Bright red vintage American Tourister round suitcase ($22, currently going for $100+ on eBay, likely due to the fact that it's also in the September Lucky mag).

Material Objects, 500 Congress St., 207-774-1241. The scoop: A large mix of gently worn new items and a sizable vintage selection make this one of the more popular shops downtown. What I found: Cropped lambswool vintage jacket ($45 — they go for so much more in bigger cities); newish alpaca vest ($15).

Blanche & Mimi, 184 Middle St., 207-774-3900. The scoop: Orla Kiely bags, stripy ribbon, vintage toys and more all come together in a perfect, eclectic mix. What I bought: Well, nothing, but I was pretty shopped out by the time I got there. There were many, many things I easily could've snagged.

Folly 101, 101 Exchange St., 207-773-5227. The scoop: Love, love, love everything about this carefully curated home store: The whitewashed furniture, the mix of colorful housewares, even the little polka-dot matchboxes they sell. What I bought: Oversized striped Baggu tote ($14), to hold all my other loot.

Happy Portland-y shopping!

{Photo from Flickr}

Fall Into the Gap … Again

Tuesday, August 23, 2011





Part of my quietness these past few months? I've been working hard on the fall campaign for Gap, one of my clients. Maybe I'm a weensy bit biased, but I absolutely adore this print campaign on the (see the whole set on Gap Facebook page) and the series of behind-the-scenes videos of the 1969 L.A. denim studio featuring on Youtube (the overview one is below).

Of course, working with a fashion brand has serious repercussions for my wallet. After seeing how they were crafted, I couldn't resist either the super-soft back-zip legging jeans or the wide-leg pintuck trouser jeans. Or the fleece moto jacket. Or the boucle tuxedo jacket. All in the name of "research," of course. Sigh. See what I mean?



WANT.* (*Karl Lagerfeld edition)

Saturday, August 20, 2011


I admit to being kind of meh over cheap-chic designer collaborations these days -- the waiting in line to be the first to get it, the so-so quality with the higher price tags, the fact that *everyone* has it/wants it/recognizes it. Give me a totally unique vintage dress instead any day.

Except! I had paid almost no attention to the upcoming Karl Lagerfeld for Macy's collaboration until I spotted the above ad in the September Vogue. Um, LOVE. He's done some classic, pretty dresses in black and white (below) and I'm tempted to camp out to get my hands on them when they go on sale August 31. (See the whole collection here.)


If anyone needs me, I'll be investing in a sleeping bag. (Hmmm… Karl Lagerfeld for North Face?)

Things We Want: Maine Edition!

Monday, August 15, 2011


We are currently on a little island off the coast of Portland, Maine, where we spent a lovely, sunny weekend with many of our favorite people in the world, and are now hunkered down for a few rainy days. Which means: Blogging! And, hopefully tomorrow, a shopping trip into designy, delicious Portland.

Of course, our first stop for shopping tips is the Design*Sponge Portland, Maine Guide, which we've used to narrow down our must-stops. Do you have any Portland suggestions? (Especially of the vintage/crafty/fashiony variety?) Please leave them in the comments. Very much appreciated!

In the meantime, we would now immediately like to own (clockwise from top left):

1. Angela Adams Seagull tray

2. Crayon rings from Eli Phant (Love!)

3. A realllllly expensive but totally awesome Barbour field jacket

4. A classic Portland Sea Bags Surf tote.

Please and thank you.

We Interrupt this Lull for Some Beautiful Things

Friday, August 05, 2011


I continue to be absolutely in love with BHLDN.com (that's "Beholden", fyi) — the amazing online wedding emporium from the creative minds behind Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie. I'm not anywhere close to getting married, and yet I find it so beautiful (and plenty of stuff for the unwed or already-wed… though, unfortunately, the prices are more for the about-to-be-and-spare-no-expense wed).

My latest obsession is the Continuum Jacket. I mean, I'd totally wear it TO a wedding. Some other goodies below. Their amazingly curated Explore section is all kinds of inspiration goodness.