Sometimes, a whole week will go by when I'm running around, getting it done, living my life, and then I'm like "D'oh! I've totally forgetten to blog lately!" {And then, I'll write up a whole blog post, and my computer will freeze and I'll be forced to write it again in the morning. As in today.}

In any case, rather than just talk about all the things I've been up to, I thought I'd offer proof. And so:

1.I finally got around to visiting my friendly neighborhood Arlington tailor (that's her workstation above), who hemmed my gorgeously drapey Phillip Lim gown (now, I just need someone to invite me to a black tie event!); fixed the zipper on my thrifted DVF dress (just in time for the big black/white surge happening in fashion); and sliced the sleeves off my thrifted boys tuxedo jacket, creating a very Wang-ish sort of vest. Hooray.


2.It got sunny! (Well, at least occasionally.) Much time has been spent wandering the flowery streets of D.C., sniffing beautiful blossoms.


3.Speaking of flowers, remember my idea to replicate those vintage flowery heels? It went swimmingly, if I do say so myself. {Notes: I'd suggest getting a wide, flat flower pin – mine were a few dollars on eBay -- and the kind with hair clips on the back for extra sturdiness.}


4.I now think everyone needs a giant rubber duckie in their tub.


5.My adorable friend Kevin *won* the Teeny-Tiny division of Apartment Therapy's Small Cool challenge! Fingers crossed he gets to meet Oprah. Also getting my vote: This Toronto pad (above) with the fab, enormous "C" on the wall. Fonts! Love.


6.I went to New York and spent hours wandering the MOMA. No matter how ubiquitous, Vitra's Algue never gets old to me.


7.I also went to the new Topshop. So disappointing! Maybe it's because I'm not on board with the current trends (acid-washed denim? No thanks.) or maybe it's my resolution to steer clear of cheap-chic, but I left empty-handed.


8.This iffy weather means I haven't done much experimenting with my own closet lately (basic uniform: American Apparel low v-neck tee; skinny jeans; Sally Tseng tuxedo jacket; very very high heels). But here's one thing I've always loved: The piled-on necklace. The mismatched strands of white (or black, depending on my mood) vintage beads have been collected from thrift stores over the years; I either load them up at the neckline or just do a few long strands depending on my mood (and outfit).


9.My kittens are adorable as always, if a little miffed I haven't had much time for belly rubs and snuggling.

10. Ack! I almost forgot! My fab friend Maggie saw my last post and decided to offer Spinach readers a special discount to her great eco-fash store, Modern Sage. Use the code "GOMSSPINACH" (cute!) for 30 percent off everything (one-time purchase only). Am now *seriously* contemplating galactic dress... Enjoy!

More to come!

Going Green(er)

The state of the world these days has had me brutally examining my buying patterns and consumer choices lately. It's a scrutiny that's long overdue: I've been slowly (and rather unsuccessfully) trying to cut back on my over-consumption and make more eco-conscious choices when it comes to beauty and fashion buys. I could wax on and on about how I think this recession we're in will usher in major, but hopefully positive, changes to the fashion industry — and the pastime of shopping — as we know it, but I think that's another post for another day. Instead, I'll reference a quote from author Tatiana Boncompagni from the May issue of W that really resonated with me: "I don’t think this will be remembered as another Great Depression. I think it will be remembered as the Great Correction.”

But I digress! One big change I've made recently is to stop shopping at "disposable fashion" stores like H&M and Forever 21. Too often, I come home with a bunch of $10 pieces that fall apart after a few wears and can't even be resold in thrift stores. With discount codes and sales so rampant, I'd rather spend that $50 on one well-made item from, say, Theory, which might not be so bright and trendy, but will last much, much longer.

Not that these ideas are anything new — fash experts have been touting "quality over quantity" for years. But putting it into practice, well, that's another story.

But I digress again! I've also been trying to add more eco-conscious websites to my regular roster of shopping destinations. One of my new favorites is ShopModernSage.com, created by my friend Maggie, which champions small, artisan-focused designers and stylish, eco-savvy lines. I'm dyyyyying over the Risto Bimbiloski Intergalactic Dress ($750) above — it's just so unusual, I imagine it's an instant compliment-getter — and Kerry Cassill's inventive printed shirtdresses ($145) below.


Also, every time I see these fab Beyond Skin pumps, I cannot believe they were made out of recycled bottle caps. Genius!

Newsflash: Devi Kroell is my Design Hero

Austrian-born designer Devi Kroell — whose debut ready-to-wear line you may remember I shamelessly gushed over last year — was in D.C. recently as the guest of honor for the grand opening of the very cool high-fashion boutique Hu's Wear. Her insanely gorgeous pieces were even prettier in person (I'm seriously contemplating rolling my Louboutin fund into a Devi Kroell pleated eelskin clutch fund). And Devi herself was just so sweet and incredibly well-spoken about style that she pretty much instantly skyrocketed herself into my top five favorite designers, right up there next to Mr. Elbaz.

I did a small q&a with Devi here, but here's one of my favorite parts:

Q: In a crowded fashion industry, how do you create something new?

Devi: One thing that really inspires me is architecture. I find more inspiration in architectural shapes than vintage fashion. I actually really hate vintage clothes.

Q: Which explains why your designs have a very modern feel.

Devi: The '80s are very trendy now, but I would never say, "Let's redo Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' jacket." No way. I'd rather look to the future.

So, sort of thankfully, there will be no Balmain-esque jackets in her future — just chic, airy, exceptional clothes, like these favorites from her spring collection. Including my oversized eelskin fantasy bag. Droooool.

Bottoms Up!

My parents came for a visit this week, and in between the walking around and enjoying of the blissfully warm weather, I devoured the catalogues and magazines they brought from home. My favorite: Anthropologie's "From the Hip" spring catalogue, focused on pants, skirts and shoes — basically, anything from the waist down. The concept was totally fun, and the photography was so inventive.

And of course, I also totally want Anthro's near-perfect harem pants now...

Your monthly dose of shameless self-promotion

I've been super-busy this week, as the new spring issue of FW — the Washington Post's fashion glossy, a.k.a. where I have my day job — just came out on Wednesday. The issue is packed lots of fun, fashiony things (New spas! Statement necklaces! Some exciting details about upcoming fashion exhibits in NYC!), but my favorite thing is the above image from our cover shoot. I've been pretty much obsessed with this swingy Nanette Lepore print coat since I saw it on the runway last September, and I'm just so psyched to have been able to use it in a shoot.

I'm also blogging for FW every day over here. There's lots of good posts in the pipeline, so click on over if you start to miss me. Aw.

Okay, must go enjoy the sunshine now! It's gotten so warm, I'm thinking I'll even get to rock a romper or two this weekend…

Tiny hats.

I'm prepping for my triumphant return to Nashville's notoriously awesome Steeplechase horse race early next month, and was thinking that — instead of the typical big, floppy, wide-brimmed hat — I might want to go with something small and quirky instead. You know, mix it up a bit.

Something like, say, the mini boater hat from Pixie Market, which I've been drooling over for some time. But at $48, it seemed an awful lot for a tiny straw hat that I'll probably wear a couple of times — no matter how insanely adorably cute it might be.

My budget-minded alternative: I ended up purchasing a doll's straw hat off of eBay. It hasn't arrived yet — my only concern was getting the right size — but I'm pretty excited. Plus: it was $4.50, including shipping. Which means I can put the other $43 into my Louboutin fund.

Ommmm... Cakes and shoes...

Those cute gals over at Fashionation turned up an old Vogue Girl Korea editorial I don't think I'd seen yet. Of course, I'm smitten... All those cakes and shoes remind me of Marie Antoinette, the movie!

An exciting day here in Spinach HQ!

Permit me to tell a tiny tale. One year and one month ago, I got a really nice note from a reader named Genevieve. It was full of unexpected compliments and stuff, and also directed me to Lagarconne.com, which at the time featured a mood board with the picture above. Did I know what it was?, she asked politely.

I did not. But I became obsessed. I even e-mailed the Lagarconne.com writer (who was nice and actually responded, but didn't know). I googled relentlessly. I gave up.

And then today! I was flipping through Laird Borelli-Persson's newest book, The Cocktail Dress (which is fab, and I'm not just saying that because I once got to hang out with Laird for a week at India fashion week and thought she was super-cool), and there it was. My picture!

And so, the answer, ladies and gentlemen: It's a photo called "Girls in the Windows" by Ormond Gigli. The backstory is here. I am smitten all over again.

My dream, in YouTube format!

I think I would die from happiness if I ever got to do something like this. Which reminds me: Did you ever see this spontaneous food court musical? My inner Broadway diva is *dying*.

Just a little Sound of Music to start your Thursday!

Bending the Rules

I am in a cleaning out/purging stage with my apartment, and am devoting all my free time to emptying drawers instead of blogging. The place has just been feeling a bit too cluttered lately, even by my own extreme-maximalist tastes. As a result, I'm trying hard not to buy things to add to all the stuff. Very, very hard. Like these shoes. Mmmmm… satin rosettes.

But! I totally caved when I saw the new magazine Uppercase, which looks to deliver the creative, clever, inspiring mix that is missing from so many mags. I bought a subscription instantly. I can't wait for it to arrive. I'm like a little kid who keeps checking the mailbox.

Your Monday Morning Beauty Report

There's something about the big-time beauty editors that infinitely intrigues me. No red lipstick fazes them, their bathrooms could pass for a Sephora, they know all the secrets of the world's most beautiful people -- and the people that make them that beautiful, too. And so, a double dose of purely pleasurable pretty-related reading: 25 Random Things About W's Beauty Editors and then, a lengthy Q&A with Teen Vogue's Eva Chen.

Photo from InStyle, which routinely has the best beauty product shots around. Love.

Spring Shopping List: Dressy Shorts

Longtime readers know that I am pretty vehemently anti-khaki, mostly because I can't understand how a fabric that looks unattractive on so many became part of our must-have-basics lexicon. Also partly because I, a product of a grade school with a dress code, wore way too much khaki growing up.

Of course, khaki does have its time and place, like on the golf course. And picnics. And on tiny children. But also on Chloe's rolled-cuff, super-voluminous spring shorts (at left), which I admit I drool over every time I see them in a fash mag.

I am pretty sure that Chloe shorts are out of my budget, but I'm intrigued by Express' similarly just-baggy-enough slouchy shorts (right), just $40. Tempting…

Current Obsession: The Slouchy Blazer

I love the way these instantly elevate a v-neck tee and skinny jeans, which is pretty much my uniform when I'm too busy to put together a proper ensemble. Isn't Madison Marcus' "Alliance" jacket (at left, $348) amazing? And I can personally vouch for Iisli's jerseyish "boyfriend blazer" (at right, $358), which I featured in a photo shoot recently and had to use serious willpower not to buy it immediately. It's really that perfect.

The Blog Post In Which I Eat My Words

My friend Holly recently confessed she'd ordered a dress from Chadwicks — and liked it a lot. I mocked her gently. C'mon, Chadwicks? That frumpy clothing catalog I'm pretty sure my mom has received monthly since about 1982? (Um. Sorry, mom.) And then, flipping through one of the fash mags this month, I chanced upon a Chadwicks ad featuring the floaty, punchy-hued Charlotte dress (above), and promptly placed an order myself. (Just $50! Not too shabby.)

Apparently, I wasn't alone, because it was backordered for some time – but it just arrived in all its bright pink, ruffled-front glory, and I sorta instantly loved it. (Note: I got the coral-ish "papaya", but in a Petite size – it seems to fit the same up top as the standard size, but lops about two inches off the bottom which I find to be a much better proportion.)

And so, a public apology to Holly. But really, what's next? Newport News? Hmmm… I do think this coat is pretty cute…

Isaac + Liz = Strong Reactions

After my recent mention of my love over the Liz Claiborne spring lookbook, I'd have to say you readers fall into two camps: those who are willing to give the new Issac Mizrahi-designed collection a chance, and those who — maybe based on some repressed memories about unstylish experiences with the Liz Claiborne brand in some less fashionable times — would never, ever be caught dead in Liz Claiborne.

But, I'm hoping we can all (or, nearly all) appreciate the clean, classic styling of the new lookbook. Even if the pieces aren't your cup of tea, the chic, easy, pared-down feel of these looks is easy to love: simple statement accessories, slim cuts, a bit of colorful quirk. And on a more personal note: Also possibly my new hair muse?

Erin Wasson dreams big for both of us

Model Erin Wasson had a garage sale (of Balenciaga shoes and other model swag) at her home over the weekend. The reason?

"If I'm working all day and I have a dinner or something, I'll go from jeans and T-shirt to maybe a simple black dress. Same heels. Same hair and makeup. I really like the idea of being utilitarian. My dream is to edit down my wardrobe and be very Japanese, where you have one rolling rack and it's like your four T-shirts, your five dresses, your two pairs of jeans. That's so not the case right now. I have so much crap in my closets. I love the idea of being super edited."

Sounds so appealing, doesn't it? I am so a minimalist at heart. And yet, I am so a maximalist in real life.

{Erin Wasson images from here, which sheds more light on her personal style.}

Flower Power

I instantly loved these rose-adorned heels on Some Notes on Napkins — so much so that I immediately purchased some big, inexpensive flowers pins on eBay and plan to attach them to an old pair of simple, strappy, dressy sandals. Stay tuned…

And speaking of color…

One of my favorite finds in recently memory is Canadian textile designer Virginia Johnson, whose gorgeous, printed, oversized cotton scarves are a great way to add some color to a classic ensemble. (I've been throwing my own hot pink artichoke-print scarf over a boyfriend blazer, white v-neck tee and skinny jeans, a la the always-polished Glamour writer Susan Cernek {third pic, in orange scarf}.) I first found the scarves in D.C. at Urban Chic (which also stocks her fab totes), and now they're popping up in more places, including Barneys.

And now, speaking of Susan, I totally heart this look too. So chic, clean and unfussy. Love the menswear influence. Perfect.

The Festival of Colors

Several years ago, I had the good luck to be in New Delhi on the day of the Hindu festival of Holi, where the entire country splatters each other with bold, bright, saturated color. I often say it was one of the best days of my whole life — right down to where we, dripping in colored paint, went out for a big fancy meal after the celebrations died down.

This year, Holi fell on March 11, and The Boston Globe’s awesome "Big Picture blog posted a bunch of images from the festivities. If these shots don’t get you in the mood for Spring's big, bright, punchy hues, I don't know what will.

Resurfacing for important Barbie-related announcements!

What, dear reader, could drag me out of my selfish, I'm-taking-care-of-my-own-needs blogging break and bring me back to the interweb?

Why, the Jonathan Adler-designed Barbie house, which debuts today, of course. I am kinda sorta completely dying over the Barbie mirror he created above.

In other news, I am fine! And busy! And ironically, thinking about fashion all the time! (I've also been under the weather since NY Fashion Week, but finally got a nice batch of antibiotics today and hoping that clears this pesky sinusitis right up.) Spring has sprung here in D.C. (at least intermittently) and that has gotten me all excited about sandals and jumpsuits and colorful scarves and adorably dressy shorts. I will return soon.

In the meantime, please feel free to discuss amongst yourselves:

+Did you not totally *die* over the Lanvin collection? Because I pretty much drooled all over my keyboard.

+I cannot believe my favorite purchase of the season (so far!) actually came from VictoriasSecret.com. But it absolutely did, so I will happily give credit where it's due.

+So, these shoes: Cute, or too Mandal-ish? I just got them, and I really cannot decide if I should keep them.

+It is taking a LOT of willpower not to purchase this bag. And actually, half the J. Crew spring collection, if I'm being honest.

+I am kind of obsessed with the Liz Claiborne advertising lookbook for the season (available in a fashion magazine near you, or catch a glimpse online here). Well done, Mr. Mizrahi, well done.