Often, I feel insanely, incredibly lucky to have the day job that I do. Especially when it allows me to intersect closely with inspiring figures — like Michael Kors, who I sat down and had a chat with last week (he was fantastic! I haven't always loved him on PR, but in person, he was hilarious and adorable). Or the fabulous Isabel Toledo, who I got to interview at length for the summer issue of FW.

Getting such amazing access to designers might be my favorite part of the job — very rarely do I not leave the conversation with my head full of new fashion ideas and near-giddy with inspiration. (Of course, the downside — or upside? — is that I have a newfound appreciation for their works, which makes me immediately want to own a small snippet of their brilliance, which leaves me attempting to justify way-out-of-my-budget Michael Kors dresses. Sigh.)



In any case, at the top of my summer To Do list is a trip to New York: for the Avedon fashion retrospective at ICP, the Model as Muse show at the Met, and the Isabel Toledo retrospective at FIT (these photos are from the ad campaign for the show). NY Mag did a great pre-show preview video with the Toledos (below), which makes me all the more excited for the exhibit.

Shameless self-promotion: Fash chat today at noon!

So, I'm having one of those uber-busy weeks, not the least of which is that it was my birthday yesterday, which I spent hanging out with Michael Kors (really!) and navigating the shopping mall in search of presents. For myself. From myself.

Tonight (birthday part 2!), I'm catching a screening of "The September Issue" -- starring Vogue magazine! -- and maybe throwing back some grog at a pirate-themed restaurant.

And in between, the FW team is hosting a fashion chat! Today at noon, we'll be talking about how to pull of summer style (and not look sticky and sweaty), dishing on Michael Kors and helping you wrangle your wardrobes. Oh, and giving away free beauty swag. Come visit! (Or, if you miss us live, you can read the whole transcript post-chat.)

I'll recap my birthday finds next week... Let's just say the current 75 percent off sales did me proud!

Rock and Roll and Decorate

I know this has been written about before, but if you do a search for "concert posters" on etsy.com, you can really find some awesome handscreened graphic prints. Like (clockwise from top left): Jenny Lewis, The Decemberists; The Decemberists again (I just saw them last night, so I'm hooked); and Nada Surf. I so need more wall space.

On the mend…

Hello! I'm back! I will save you the whole long story on why it's been so long (in short: I was sick, then developed a staph infection, then got a slew of meds, all not fun!). I am, unfortunately because of the aforementioned ailments, also not away on vacation this week, as I was supposed to be, so I am back to my regular sporadic blogging schedule.

Being in bed for a good part of two weeks did give me a chance to catch up a little bit on the internets. I tried hard to refrain from shopping too much, but I did allow myself to pick up a few things. I was sick after all! It was easy to justify.

My small shopping list included the following:

1)American Apparel's super-sheer circle scarf ($39), in blue. I'm seeing this as summer's answer to the drapey cowl scarf I wore all winter, and a great way to break up the darkness of black daytime dresses and give them a bit of fun, summery color.

2)Calypso's braided-neck Kimberly tank dress ($130). Style Redux turned me on to it! Such a bright, breezy summer staple.

3)Alternative Apparel's super-comfy lightweight tank tops in shades of gray ($14), to wear under light blazers with draped shorts. Just so I'm not wearing a white American Apparel deep V-neck every day. It's getting a little ridiculous how much I wear those.

4)DV by Dolce Vita's Owen sandals. 'Cause a gal just can't wear flip flops all the time.

I'm all antibiotic'd up now, and waaay better, so the try-not-to-shop clause has gone back into effect. It was fun while it lasted. I might have to make a teensy exception for the gorgeous photo by Blissfulimages (above). It makes me feel better just to look at it.

Totally Drool-worthy: Kate Towers' Designs

I am still incredibly sick, but well enough that I can lie in bed, blowing my nose and scouring the Internet, thank goodness. Via Mrs French, I got introduced (and subsequently completely wrapped up in) the work of Portland-based designer Kate Towers and the photo shoots she's created to showcase them.

Kate sells her designs on etsy (sometimes) and at Seaplane in Portland, a boutique she co-founded with designer Holly Stalder. Whose name rang an instant bell, because in a weird twist of Internet fate, I've been stalking Holly Stalder's pieces on etsy for what seems like yeeeears, just waiting for the day when I can justify purchasing her gorgeous La Sylphide capelet… Perfection.

But I digress. Back to drooling over Kate Towers' designs. Really, though, I'd recommend clicking over to her site for the full effect.

Me, Elsewhere…

Just in case you're not keeping up with the FW blog, here are a few of my fave fashion tidbits of late…

+My swimsuit for the summer! (Love, love, love the retro bathing suit trend. Now if only it would *just stop raining*...)

+The quest for the perfect pair of strappy tan heels (I couldn't hack the height of the Vince Camutos, so I settled on the Nine Wests and they are pretty fab… Although now I sort of want the Joan & David Acosta. Sigh.)

+So in love with this season's easy chambray pieces…

+I'm kind of obsessed with ogling Michelle's outfits in the White House flickr pool (above). (Bonus news! A major motorcade sped by my building today as I was heading in. I was convinced it was Obama, but Henry the doorman thought it was Biden. Still. Exciting!)

Be Our Guest

Loved the gorgeously light feature "The Wedding Party" in June's Vogue, recapturing the wedding of model Sasha Pivovarova and Igor Vishnyakov. If only because it made me immediately want to go buy more vintage hats. Veils! Bows! Swoon.

Hi! {Sneeze} We Miss You! (Sneeze, gack}

We here at Spinach HQ have been stricken with a terrible cold (and, rather unfortunately, we find the older we get, the less colds we get — but when we do, they are real doozies. Sniffle.) Excuse us while we convalesce in our bed with bowls of oatmeal and doting kitties. In the meantime, this photo from Cannes makes us feel sliiiiightly better. That dress! We're such suckers for a mermaid hemline. Le sigh.

Blog Update, Take 2

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…