happy hanukkah to all my chosen (and non-chosen) peeps

confession: i am an amazon fangirl. i definitely drink the kool-aid... it's my go-to online source for pretty much everything (and they really do have basically everything). it's really easy to meet the $25 minimum for free shipping, prices are almost always the cheapest around, and customer service is excellent.

i'm very particular about customer service, so that's a huge compliment coming from moi.
i'm especially fond of the "universal wishlist", which allows you to add items from basically any website to your amazon wishlist with a handy browser button. and i've become a little too fond of adding things to the wish list. it's so damn easy!

since the holidays are upon us, here's a sampling of some gifts on the wish list. feel free to send me any of them ;)

(store names in parenthesis denotes item is on a non-amazon website)

• Opteka Fish Eye lens
• Dolce & Gabanna Rose the One (Nordstrom)
  
• Conair Infitity You Curl
• Ray-Ban Clubmaster II (Ray-Ban)
• Alexander McQueen Faithful De-Manta large tote (Net-a-Porter)
• NOOKcolor (Barnes & Noble)

Do you use the Amazon wish list?
What's on your wish list?

There are only six nights of hanukkah left. GET SHOPPING, PEOPLES!

[to find anyone's amazon wishlist -just search for their name or email address]

Little Monsters, You Were Born This Way

Last night Tiff and I went to the very long-awaited Lady Gaga Monster Ball concert in DC! Of course it was absolutely incredible - but in my mind, Gaga can do no wrong!

Making Gaga-inspired outfits was very neccessary - when you go Gaga, you go hard. It took a lot of crafting + sewing but we looked FUCKING AWESOME, in my humble opinion.


We are SO ferosh.


My inspiration: Lady Gaga + Clark Kent


Flaming piano was badass, and Gaga was ROCKING the ballads. Her voice was definitely on point last night.


The outfit was incredible. It was motorized, and would GROW throughout the song.
Reminded me a lot of Hussein Chalayan's Spring 2007 transforming dresses collection

Farts & Craps

BIG NEWS:

Tiff and Tricia have officially moved to Charm City!

This is GREAT. Pretty much the icing on my Baltimore-life cake.

One of the best things is that Tiff and I can shop at fabric and craft stores together & then take those purchases home for Arts and Crafts evenings. LOVE.

I finally feel some of my creativity coming back! My current craft obsession: hair accessories.

My creations thus far:










Apparently my preppy side (that I was unaware I had) has been coming out in full-force.

You like? Dislike?
Pretty? Ugly?
Feeling crafty yourself? What have you been crafting lately?

How Could I Possibly Forget?

I almost forgot one of my best Anniversary Sale finds!



MARC BY MARC JACOBS 'Mr. Marc' Trim Fit Crewneck T-Shirt

Sale $49.90 After Sale: $78.00

mr marc is just adorable, love those suspenders.

unfortunately, the men who shop at The Rail in Towson Town Center apparently don't buy Marc by Marc, so i had to order this piece online. really excited for the package to arrive!

My Version of Christmas

THE NORDSTROM ANNIVERSARY SALE.
my favorite shopping event of the year.

allow me to explain: this is not your normal, end-of-season sale. it's a "reverse" sale, if you will. new fall merchandise is discounted for the duration of the sale (approximately 2 weeks), and then marked UP once the sale has ended.

so, instead of getting the last season's cast-offs, you are getting next season's merch at lovely discounts.

ben and i went last night (i couldn't possibly wait until sale day #2).

my haul:

Steven by Steve Madden 'Maryn' Distressed Leather Boot

Sale $179.90 After Sale: $269.95

Trouvé Ponte Knit Motorcycle Leggings

Sale $34.90 After Sale: $54.00

Hanky Panky Low Rise Print Thong (the. best. underwear. ever.)

Sale $12.90 After Sale: $21.00

i think i did pretty well (if i do say so myself)... and kept the spending somewhat in check. i definitely could have done some SERIOUS damage if i wasn't being careful...

there's a leather jacket that's haunting me....

Purple Nurple?

I think I've developed an obsession with lilac:

• O.P.I.'s Do You Lilac It? in constant rotation

• Blackberry Curve 8530 Smoky Violet (with matching silicone case, natch)

• Ray-Ban Original Aviator in Purple/Lilac/Grey fade (on their way from Nordstrom)

• Limited Edition Lilac PSP 3000

• Barney's NY Editions de Parfums En Passant (not actually lilac-colored, but the scent is pure Lilac)

I didn't go out of my way to match everything,
it just kind of happened.

What's your current color?

Fringe, It's Not Just a TV Show

disclaimer: I'm not the biggest Coach fan in the world...
yes, i have a few pieces (my favorite is my mom's City Bag from the 80's, but digress) and i really appreciate their leather quality...
but most of their products just scream "white trash luxury" to me - you know the ones I'm talking about (as seen in suburban American high schools).

however, this one really caught my eye:





$498 @ Coach.com [pre-order for june delivery]

not only is it a super-stylish bag, (not too hippied-out, but definitely laid back), it's inspired by the very talented Ms. Krystal Simpson from hipster blog What Is Reality Anyway? Definitely adds some serious cool points to even your most casual summer outfit.

not familiar? her blog is worth a browse.
let me know what you think.
about the bag, the blog, life in general.


{images stolen from What Is Reality Anyway? and Coach.com}

Do You Lilac My Mad Black Onyx?

i've been pretty obsessed with O.P.I. nail polishes recently, with the most random assortment of colors:


Do You Lilac It?


Mad as a Hatter (from the Alice in Wonderland Collection)


Black Onyx

and occasionally i take it to the next level with Essie Matte About You matte topcoat.

and as any beauty queen can tell you, O.P.I. really is the best.
the new Shrek collection is way too tempting.

what's your favorite nail color?

Why Hallmark Holidays Are Awesome

One of the great things about gifting holidays (xmas, father's day, etc.) is the beauty gift set deals at upscale department stores.

I've been coveting YSL's Parisienne for a while, and managed to hold out until the Mother's Day season for the gift set (perfume, travel spray + lotion).

$85 for all three items, compared to $85 for the 3.0 oz bottle solo.
(available at Nordstrom)

Loves it. Now I just need to find something lovely for the moms.

Who says you can't buy yourself presents?
Bought any for yourself recently?

2nd AngloMania Post of the Day

Yes, I definitely have AngloMania today. Maybe its the gray, rainy (Londonesque) weather. Or maybe it's my love for Punk Rock and the current library selection, London's Burning by Dave Thompson.

Regardless. I really want these Doc Martens 1460s:



The Union Jack toebox is just IRRESISTIBLE! Looking down on my little flag-toed feet would make me smile.

I already have a pair of white 1460s, but these might need to be my next boot purchase.

So kids. Do you love these boots? Hate them? Love the UK? Hate bad teeth?

[1460 Black Smooth, #841711004 available from the Doc Martens US Online store]

Sweetest Goodbye

I'm still not over the loss of Alexander McQueen.

But he did leave a gorgeous last collection behind.

A few of my favorite looks:







Do you think he knew that he would be leaving this world? And that this collection would be his last testament to those he left behind?

There are no words. I will let the clothes speak for him.

[view the entire collection over at NYMag, from whom I stole these pictures]

Bad Name, Great Style

so i'm catching up on my google reader, and Fashionista recently posted about a show at London Fashion Week for new label Paris68.

anyone heard of them? i don't know much, just what Fashionista says:

"the collection was designed by Marcella Lindeberg, wife of Johan Lindeberg (J. Lindeberg to you) ...the couple has played an integral consulting role in the William Rast label almost since its inception...."

i have to admit i think the name is pretty dumb. Paris68. Clearly the 68 isn't a reference to the brand's founding. and if they are showing at LFW, and their website lists an NYC address, whats the Paris connection?
Kinda sounds like it would be one of Forever 21's private labels. Just saying.

REGARDLESS. i really liked a lot of their looks. a few personal favorites:






(this is my #1 look, abso)

i love the neutral palette - yes, i'll admit that for a colorist i do love black a little too much. i'm also really liking the jacket silhouettes: asymmetry, strong shoulder, peplum waist. it's just a bit futuristic but not at all costume-y. all things i would wear in real life (if i could ever afford...sigh!)


Do you think the name Paris68 is dumb?
What would you name this brand instead?
Do you like the looks i selected? Do you hate them?

check out the full collection here: http://fashionista.com/2010/02/label-to-watch-paris68/

TR FW10 RTW = L O V E

My bestest best friend Tiff (from http://theirrationaltiffa.blogspot.com/) is a designer at Tracy Reese . . . and TR's FW10 show at New York Fashion Week was amazing.

Dresses were to. die. for.

Here's a quick look at some of my favorite ensembles:







Feminine, but not too girly. A touch of punk, thoughtful details, luxe fabrics and plenty of black - an absolute requirement for any NYer.

For the entire collection, check out NYMag: http://nymag.com/fashion/fashionshows/2010/fall/main/newyork/womenrunway/tracyreese/#
(also where i stole the pics from).


What were your favorite looks from FW10 NYFW?

Something New, Something Blue

So I got new glasses last week & had way to much fun taking pictures of them with my webcam.

You likey?

Oh Say Can You See?

FabSugar recently posted this poll:






I vote for me.



Mad props to Tiffa & Tracy Reese (of course) for the dress!

Cyber Tuesday

Yesterday was Cyber Monday (essentially, Black Friday for the internet). Bloomingdale's was running incredible sales: 40% off select regular-priced merchandise, 50% off sale merchandise.

Unfortunately, the website was totally f-ed up all day, making purchasing things impossible.

So today I called them and made it my personal Cyber Tuesday... somehow I was able to convince them to honor yesterday's 40% off deal and give me free shipping. And I'm very excited to receive new jeans! Hooray!



7 for All Mankind "Roxanne" Skinny Jeans in New York Dark

I promise they look better in person than on this awkward model.

Also, this might be the very first time I've ordered jeans online, since it's so hard to find jeans that fit. It just so happens that I have a pair of Roxanne's in black waxed denim...so I'm pretty psyched for a pair in the classic 7s color, New York Dark.

Dear readers, do you ever order jeans online?

[also available on the 7 website]

Love is a New Handbag

one of the many, many reasons why ben is so amazing:



image from LouisVuitton.com

Epic Win

HOLY SHIT KATE MOSS AND I HAVE THE SAME BOOTS



my awesomeness quotient has just improved 300%

(the Minnetonka Lace-Up boot, $75.95 at Nordstrom.com)

Can I Borrow $5K?

Jil Sander is one of the most incredible fashion design houses. Based in Germany, the line is appropriately minimalist. And minimalist in the best and most lust-worthy way (not the minimalist-is-just-a-nice-way-of-saying-boring way).

This particular dress struck my eye in a magazine ad not too long ago, and I haven't been able to get it out of my head since:



(A/W 08, model is Natasha Poly)

I was stalking the Neiman Marcus website, and the dress is available for online order! And there's only one size in stock - a 34/4 - which would probably fit with minimal tailoring.

Best of all, the dress is a mere $4,975.00

Can I borrow a few bucks?

Are Hipsters the Horsement of the Apocalypse?

Ben discovered this fantastic Adbusters article via Stumble. The writer argues that Hipsters are "a youth subculture that mirrors the doomed shallowness of mainstream society." Essentially, Hipster subculture is useless - it doesn't stand for anything.

Hippies wanted peace and cheap weed.
Punks wanted anarchy and loud music.
Hip Hop wanted social reform and louder basslines.

Those scenes (in their original, true, subcultural forms) no longer exist.

Hipsters want cheap PBRs, a new unsigned band every week, and a massive thrift store next door to American Apparel.

I'm not saying I don't want those Hipstery things myself, but the article almost makes me feel bad about it.

Read the article.
Tell me - are Hipsters bringing the death of Western society?