I've just returned — only sliiiightly worse for the wear – from my ponytastic long weekend in Nashville. I'm sorting through the hundreds of pictures I took (and the hundreds of e-mails people sent me while I was away {sigh}) but should be back later with plenty of stories.

Also: Next year, I've definitely got to step it up, hat-wise. I mean, *just look* at this amazing homemade horse hat. Now why didn't I think of that?

Gossip Girl Skewers L.L.Bean, Tinsley Mortimer and Tom Cruise

Can you believe we finally just got around to watching the new Gossip Girl this afternoon? That's a pretty good assessment of how busy we've been this week. (And how busy we'll continue to be for a little while. Bear with us!) Still, it was well worth the wait. And of course, a more concise recap is available over here, for those of you who like their rehashing to be shorter and also include superlatives. (And – be warned – there are spoilers in both!)

1:00pm: Shoes! Colors! Headbands! I'm not down with Jenny's evil streak, but this clique-y face-off seems to inspire way adorable color combinations.

1:03pm: Serena! Cute vest. Cute layers. Cute red cuffs! And your jacket seems to actually fit. For a change, we say: Looking good, S!

1:04pm: Vanessa has new earrings! They're not cute, but still: Hurrah! The gold lips necklace is not cute either, but I'm just happy the door knockers are gone.

1:05pm: Jenny, you ARE insufferable. Even your adorable bright yellow jacket is not helping things.

1:08pm: Ooooh. Rapid cuts. Artful close-ups. A pulled tie! I smell scandal. Yep, scandal!

1:11pm: Here's Lily, looking cutely matronly in oversized clip-on earrings and librarian glasses. Stuffy-chic is back. I like!

1:13pm: OH SNAP! An LL Bean pants dis.

1:15pm: Hmmm. Blair's navy, white and red (bright red tights and long-sleeve shirt, B?) is a bit much/patriotic, no?

{Oops, sorry, hold on; I have to take a phone call.}

1:26pm: Still digging Lily's conservative-chic look. And that pale blue birdcage wallpaper in the background of the wedding store is very sweet.

1:27pm: OMG. A Zac Efron dis!

1:27pm: OMG. A Page Six dis!

1:28pm: I don't like that all this activity is taking place on the same day. There are not enough outfit changes!

1:29pm: OMG. A Tinsley Mortimer dis! Wow, they are really pulling out all the obscure reference stops. Love it.

1:30pm: OMG. A Katie Holmes/Tom Cruise dis! They are really upping the rapid banter to Gilmore Girls levels.

{Commercial fast-forwarding begins now.}

1:31pm: Lily! Wedding gowns! Fun!

1:32pm: What, no gratuitous gown shot? We want to see all the ruffly goodness!

1:33pm: I like how the nerdy girl has become the Token Asian Sidekick, now that the other Asian has left the show. Still: Those round red glasses are pretty cute.

1:35pm: Guess I was wrong about that Asher. He went from cutie to jerk in a blink of a pink plaid shirt and striped grandpa cardigan.

1:36pm Hey, is that an arrangement of ranunculouses (ranunculi?) on Serena's dresser? Pretty!

1:37pm: Hmmm, Lily, not entirely sure about that royal blue belted dress. And you'd been doing so well.

{Sorry, another phone call. Hold on...}

1:47pm: Wow, has anyone else thought that Tom Welling (who I used to play on the same Little League team as, fyi) looks an awful lot like Rufus, at least in these new Smallville commercials?

1:48pm: Jenny, that striped cardi? Ew. That purple floral dress, though = seriously cute.

1:50pm: What's up with Georgina's gross purple blazer? Is it *polyester*? Really, G, if you're pushing someone out of the closet, the least you could do is be appropriately well-dressed while everyone stares at you all agape.

1:53pm: Time for some tough love, Serena: That gold mini-dress is NOT flattering. And the weird lanyard necklace? No, no, no!

1:54pm: Coming out, however, is very flattering on Eric. He has a nice glow. And his hair highlights-streaky bits are looking much better these days.

1:55pm: Wow, I guess Madras is waaaay in. *Everyone* is sporting Madras patchwork shirts. Asher: A Madras tie and a Madras shirt? Bold move!

2:00pm: Jenny, that purple dress is ah-may-zing. Blair's pearls aren't my favorite, but revenge does look very good on her.

2:05pm: Jenny, we know you own a cute yellow trench. Why must you pair that brown patchworky thing with that purple dress?

2:10pm: Serena, that silver jacket with that gold dress? Doubly uncute, and way too uncomfortably short for you.

2:11pm: Oh, the big secret has been spilled! Mike has just announced: "Shark. Jumped." We'll see…

Gone thriftin'

I have some familial obligations for the next few days, and so things might be a little quiet around here. Unless I score big time at the thrift store tomorrow (yes, there is a family thrifting trip planned) and then I'll probably have to post immediately about all my finds.

In the meantime, I've decided the ranunculous (above) just might be my favorite flower ever. That's right: Move over, Gerbera daisy. Image and insight via Aesthetic Outburst.

Eeeee! Fun package day!

After months of handing out business cards with all my now-irrelevant Singapore contact details, the sweet and incredibly talented graphic designer Wendy Frink (who, as you may remember, once surprised me out-of-the-blue with the fabulous header that you see above) agreed to help me design a new one. She sent over a ton of gorgeous options, patiently finalized the idea after I picked out exactly one element of each of those great options (they were all just so cute! how could I choose?) and did lots of handholding because I know absolutely nothing about things like bleeds or eps files or anything else that goes along with actually printing something.

I ordered the cards from PSPrint.com (which they said would take 10 days, but which actually took about three) and they just arrived. And they are *perfect*. A sunshine-y yellow graphic circle design (with the reverse on the back), and so sweetly pretty, and also no longer claming I live in Singapore. Oh, I am so handing these out all over town this weekend. Thank you, Wendy!

Not surprisingly, Commander Robot totally approves.

Me me me me me me me me…

In case you just cannot get enough of me (hi mom!), be sure to check out my mini-photo shoot over on Righteous (re)Style from the DCScout party last night. Maria did a great job styling me (the stripey dress under the flouncy dress? cute!) and, although my eyes kind of look like they're about to bulge out of my head in the evening gown, it sure is purty (again, I blame the lung-constricting size—but it was the only one left in stock, and I was determined to squeeze into it!).

Oh yeah, and also:
+I'm going to be painting schools tomorrow (hopefully in pretty colors) as part of the DC Cares Servathon. It's not too late to donate a couple of dollars to sponsor me in the name of a great cause and some fab educational hues. (Ahem. Mom.)

+New shops and fashion-y events around town (I'm thinking of heading out to Timothy Paul's new housewares shop later today… I caught a glimpse inside the day before it opened, and it looks really, really cute. See also here.)

+Cynthia Rowley makes me seriously covet a pink garden hose, even though I do not have a garden. Or a lawn. Or even a houseplant.

+The Marymount student show recap should also be up later today is now up(!). I am personally besotted with designer Lynn Matthysse's gorgeous super-exaggerated skirt ensemble (below left) and Farah Jafarzadeh's amazing sheer black lace peasant sleeved dress, which this photo is just not doing justice. There were lots and lots of cool items and great styling; check it out if you can.

Lots of new faces…

I have to say, the dressing room walls at the Georgetown Barney's Co-op are pretty gosh-darn awesome. Even better? Every little silhouette is named and has a funny identifying characteristic.




So tonight was the big DC Scout anniversary party, which turned out (for me) to also be a big fun blogger meet-n-greet. After months of reading their blogs, I finally got to actually meet Pandahead and DC Celine and Righteous (re)Style and BabsieD and Project Beltway and they were all as much fun as they are online. (Em and Johanna, you were missed! And discussed!) I'm sure some fun pictures will surface -- Maria in particular had me trying on a bunch of cool eco-designs (including a gorgeous and I-can't-breathe-in-this!-teensy Phillip Lim gown) for a mini-photo shoot around the store, which was definitely a good time. (I mean, running around Barney's in Phillip Lim? She definitely didn't have to ask twice.)


Tonight's outfit included the following: lace-ruffle-front vintage cardigan (a $3 Goodwill find years ago), patterned vintage circle skirt ($10 from Park Slope flea market), skinny belt (2 for $5 at a wide variety of Singapore street stalls), my favorite patent purse (Goodwill) and quilted patent peep toes (Steve Madden, when the near-identical Calvin Klein version proved to be too uncomfortably tall to actually wear).


(Sorry about the poor lighting. It's late! The bloggers, naturally, were the last to leave the party.)


Oh and also these Jessica Elliot "natural" stacked rings, from the May 2008 Lucky. (Plus! You get 25% off with the Lucky Breaks code "lucky02".) *Love.*

Shades of summer

On my thrifting excursion the other week, I came across a slew of beaded necklaces. They were all individual pieces, but just happened to be sorted by complimentary colors—shades of pinks and purples together on one hook (like a gorgeous Bali sunset) and pale blues, green and gray on another (so cool and calming). I loved the hues together and so after I bought them (for about $1 each) and got them home, I hooked them all together to create two big necklaces that I could easily throw on whenever I wanted. I think the results are really pretty—and, as they say, the price is right.


Pardon the plain white tee. I could tell you that I wanted to show them off on a basic background, but the truth is, I haven't bothered to change out of my jammies today.

A great show of spring fashion

So they're really keeping me busy over there at Washingtonian.com. Up today is the first part of my coverage of Marymount University's senior fashion show last week—snaps of some of my favorite outfits worn to the pre-show reception and luncheon. (Can you believe that maxi dress at the bottom left is from Victoria's Secret? And on sale? It seriously looked amazing in person. Also, I may have come home and ordered one for myself immediately. {Update} Unfortunately, the dress they sent is not the one that they had pictured on the page before. {It appears the link has since been updated since my order.} Maybe I missed the fine print somewhere? In any case, boooo.)

The whole event was great fun: I got to swap stories with Cynthia Rowley (my Q&A with her will go up tomorrow) and catch a really cool runway show (which will be posted about on Friday. Several of the designers created great tulle pieces, so I was pretty deliriously happy.) Oh, and did I mention that Christian Siriano was there? He is so incredibly tiny and seemed like tons of fun. (Plus! He and Nina Garcia will be on Ugly Betty tomorrow night. It looks hilarious.)

Better late than never! Live-blogging Gossip Girl

Ah, yes. Well. Due to some technical difficulties, we are a little behind on this, but we do think our style points are still valid, and so, here you go! Those of you who would prefer a more concise version of our personally selected GG highlights can find exactly that over here.

8:01pm: We start with a frenetic SAT montage. Wait, producers, you're going too fast for me to see the eye candy! Ooooh! Cute vocabulary flash cards alert!

8:02pm: Oversized headband count: 2 (gold with a big bow, basic black)

8:04pm: Headband count: 3 (red with a oversized brooch above the right ear)

8:05pm: Chuck's bright orange coat is slightly overly day-glo. The color works way better on Serena's fingerless gloves.

8:06pm: Headband count: 5 (textured silver, bright yellow)

8:07pm: The triumphant and much-anticipated arrival of Georgina, aka Michelle Trachtenberg! We dig the bold blue scarf, G. (It's not unlike the one the Sartorialist was sporting around D.C. when he was here for his gallery opening. Is a bold blue scarf the new black?)

8:11pm: On even closer inspection, Georgina's makeup is really incredibly flawless.

8:11pm, part 2: Headband count: 6 (skinny this time, with a little purple accent)

8:12pm: Cute boy alert! Cute pug alert!

8:13pm: I love Vanessa, but I've never been a fan of the gold door-knocker earrings. We get it. She's Brooklyn. Let's move on to something fun and cute and significantly subtler.

8:14pm: Well, apparently, big earrings are back for everyone. Georgina's rocking some seriously distracting huge royal blue hoops as well.

8:15pm: Headband count: 8 (purple silk, skinny white patent). Also Blair's humongous polka-dot bow-neck blouse is faaaabulous.

8:18pm: I'm definitely digging Chuck's kelly green and white striped v-neck sweater (and the clashing plaid peeking out from underneath). I guess bright colors are in for boys this spring too.

8:25pm: Chuck is now rocking the bright red! I dig it, Chuck. You go with your colorful self. (Spotted in the background: Super-hot pink tights! Swoon.)

8:26pm: Headband count: 10 (green and black striped with bow)

8:27pm: Headband count: 12 (embellished red, wide black). Also a very cute bright yellow umbrella.

8:28pm: Nice cape, B! We love the plaid lining. But that diamond-pattern sweater? Ew, not so much.

8:29pm: I generally find that electric green a really bad outfit choice, but Vanessa is still managing to look pretty cute in the diner. I particularly like her rosy, flushed-by-flirting cheeks.

8:30pm: Georgina is wearing some seriously fierce heels. Also some less fabulous rubbery-looking leggings. Serena continues to look uncharacteristically uncute. What's up with that blah mint green bead necklace?

8:35pm: Embroidered purple sweater, short leggings and exposed red bra strap, Jenny? Hmmm…. not so much. But the sleek bob you're sporting now is fab.

8:36pm: Headband count: 13, 14 & 15 (goldish, white, black)

8:38pm: I am enjoying Vanessa's shrunken black leather jacket. Plus, she and Nate make a really cute couple. Ooooh! Kissing!

8:39pm: That Michelle Trachtenberg can really rock a smoky eye and a glossy ruby lip. Buffy's little sister is officially all growns up!

8:47pm: If my hair looked as good as Serena's when I rolled out of bed (after being roofied and subsequently partying all night to boot), I'd be a very happy girl.

8:48pm: Nate rocks a cute double-breasted navy blazer! Vanessa rocks… those door-knocker earrings again. Really, we were over them back when they were on Sex and the City. Yes, she's so urban! The point has been made!

8:50pm: Headband count: 16 (knotted hot pink). Boy, those kids really dress up for their SATs. If I recall, I wore my field hockey uniform (we had a game immediately afterwards). Still, I do think my pleated hockey kilt would actually go over well in the Gossip Girl costume department.

8:54pm: I take that back. Blair's neck brooch and buttoned-up blouse is more grandma than groovy. But is that Balenciaga we see? I actually like the cream and white contrasting blazer. An unexpected color combination, but it's kinda cool.

8:55pm: Chuck rocks the vibrant purple cardigan and the daffodil yellow pants. (Wow, they're really going overboard with this new signature look, aren't they?) And also a pastel color-block gingham oxford that I'm pretty sure I owned a similar version of back in 1989.

8:57pm: Oooh. The drama is distracting me from the fashion. I do like Serena's gauzy white scarf, however. I guess they decided that Georgina always wears royal blue.

8:58pm: Cute boy alert again! So far, I like this Asher. Very clean-cut. Plus, he loves hot dogs. How can you fault a guy that loves hot dogs? And actual dogs?

9:00pm: Remember how great "Scenes" clips were at the end of 90210 and Melrose Place? The Gossip Girl editors definitely need to take a cue from that and give us more meat to look forward to. Particularly now that the secretly gay character has been openly revealed in the gossip columns. (Oh, you didn't hear? My lips are sealed, but it's an easy guess.)

9:01pm: Also, can they just kill One Tree Hill already? I don't watch it anymore, but I feel it's suffering a long, painful, ridiculous dramedy death.

Can Chie Mihara do no wrong?

Obviously, she cannot. Do any wrong, I mean. Because just look at these gorgeous Boutonniere Sandals, via oh happy day.

{The only thing that is disagreeable is the $328 price tag. But finally! Have I at last found a DIY project for all those flower pins I bought years ago?}

In which I discover a tiny slice of sewing heaven

If you managed to click over to my Bethesda vintage/thrift store piece, you would know that the highlight of my trip (after the slew of really awesome finds—the $8 record player? amazing!—and trying on real, actual YSL vintage) was discovering the Bethesda store Accessories of Old. I literally stumbled upon it while walking around the neighborhood, and I'm so glad I did. Honestly, if there was a special heaven for sewers that loved vintage, this would be it.




I've never seen anything like it. Everything in the store—from the buttons to the ribbons to the various accessories, like barrettes and brooches—is authentically vintage and often in the original packaging. The owners, Andrew and Lisa, have filled the store with the huge amount of leftovers from Lisa's grandfather's sewing supply store, which opened in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1918 and was stocked with gorgeous items from Europe and beyond. For those of you who don't have Bethesda on your current travel radar, they also sell online. (Etsy crafters, take note!)



We are personally making up a shopping list for a major return trip soon. First up: All of our favorite cardigans are getting a makeover with vintage buttons. Next up: We are definitely making retro cocktail rings out of some of those really elaborate buttons! And then: We will learn to sew something that requires trim. Lots and lots of amazing trim. Sigh…

Glad about Gladiators*

I hadn't been particularly feeling the gladiator trend so far this season, but this Stuart Weitzman Gladio version ($265, in silver or gold) might have just made me change my mind. Gorgeous! Via the DCGF.

And while I'm at it, I might as well throw in these lipstick red heels ($299) too. Such glossy, fire engine-y, super-fierce goodness. Drooool.


*Yes, this is really the best title I could come up with. It's been a looong day.

Is it just us…

…or is this Mike & Chris trench possibly the most perfect coat ever?



This $330 piece of extreme goodness is via our good friends over at Fashion Binge.

More vintage goodness (if I do say so myself, which I do)

It was still balmy on Saturday when we headed out to dinner, which was good enough reason for me to break out another floral dress. (Good thing too, because the rains began a few hours later and it has been chilly and damp and dreary ever since.)


This one's from a small vintage shop in Delray Beach, FL. But my favorite part is really the oversized black patent vintage frame bag, a Goodwill find. Can we just talk for a second about how awesome this bag is? Because it is really awesome.


I also ended up throwing on a few extra-long strands of shiny black beads to spiff up the neckline a bit. You will just have to imagine.

I'm back to being bundled up in jeans and raincoats for the time being. Looks like things might warm up by the end of the week to sundress-appropriate levels again – here's hoping!

In which I finally get my tulle

I know I've been pimping my new string of Washingtonian.com style pieces, but really, I just think you'd like them! Like today's round-up of Bethesda's best secondhand/vintage/thrift stores (complete with synopsis of what I bought during my reporting excursions. Like this faaabulous vintage tulle skirt! I'm thinking of chopping off about 10 inches to make it more Agyness-ified. Thoughts?)


Incidentally, my awesome new "These Pancakes Don't Run" t-shirt is from local D.C. company T-shirt Insurgency. They set up shop every weekend in front of the equally awesome Capitol Hill Books (just steps from Eastern Market) and also sell their highly irreverent, somewhat political, very funny designs online. Plus: purple!

Your vintage dress o' the day

For some reason, I took about 12 pictures of this dress and not a single one of them was clear and/or particularly attractive. Sigh.


Still, it was too cute not to post. Longtime readers might remember when I purchased this particular item from eBay back in '06. Since then I've chopped it short and added a belt, and it's quite the fun patterned mini-dress, if I do say so myself.

The Napa Valley sandals from Aerosoles are my new summer heels, and even though they make me about nine feet tall, I couldn't pass them up. Cute and comfy!

Oh, but this was not the only vintage I sported this weekend! Stay tuned for more…

Yay! Bikes!

For a change, D.C. happens to be at the forefront of a new trend: shared bike systems. (Well, sort of. Uh, 120 communal bikes for the whole city? Doesn't that seem a bit… low?) Still, I happened to be in Paris soon after they launched the Velib system last year, and it just seemed like such a cool idea (not to mention something Parisians were completely proud of).

Truthfully, I have some serious desires for a bright pink bike of my very own (with a Carrie basket, natch) to ride around the city this summer, but if that falls through, then SmartBike DC seems like a good backup plan.

In any case, I'm definitely aspiring to Sartorialist-worthy bike style.

ISO a poufy, pony-worthy dress. And a very large hat!

One of my favorite moments in movie history is the gorgeous Ascot scene from My Fair Lady. Costume designer Cecil Beaton's amazing black and white dresses and oversized, fully plumed hats (plus gray morning suits and silky top hats for the men) come together to create an incredibly drool-worthy fashion moment. (And oh! The perfectly precise choreography! I can't find the whole scene online, but you can get a short glimpse here.)


My love for this scene is probably one of the reasons why I jumped at the chance to join my friends in Nashville for the annual Iroquois Steeplechase in a few weeks. I'm told that large hats and fun race day dresses are encouraged. (And I definitely need some spectator binoculars!) My thrifting eyes are peeled until then. I can't wait!

Little snippets of my apartment

I've mentioned I'm not *quite* ready for the Big Apartment Unveil – for starters, it would mean removing the cat-protecting sheets from the couches and keeping Commander Robot distracted long enough so he doesn't immediately roll his overly hairy little body all over them, which just seems kind of exhausting – but there are a few little parts of our place that always make me smile. I do love my Petrie, but sometimes, the tiniest touches end up being the best ones.

Starting with above: Bold matchbox (in a tiny bowl from Spin in Beijing). I picked up a slew of these in Thailand; I love the colors and graphics.

Then we have:
Vintage owl collection!


Old-school telephone (from Mustafa, the legendary 24hour little India department store in Singapore):


A nicely folded pile of vintage floral sheets in the linen closet:


My growing Font-emblazoned Kitchen Collection:


A yellow Melamine full tea set:


And finally: Albert, my robot coat hanger, from the cutest children's shop in Paris.

Albert is entrusted with holding my red quilted vintage housecoat, which is what I wear around the apartment most days. With slippers. Seriously. I'm a few haircurlers and a half-finished cigarette away from being a perfectly retro disgruntled housewife.