a little bit of sparkle

a sequin clutch or shoulder bag is the perfect way to incorporate a little bit of sparkle into any outfit. a sequin bag can dress up any look and make it feel polished. can't wait for a champagne toast and spending the new year with family and friends. happy new year!

sequins that sparkle

of course, last minute i'm putting my new years outfit together. i definitely want to wear something with sequins, and i'm debating between a sequin skirt or pants. a little bit of sequin sparkle goes a long way, and makes any outfit look and feel special. happy 2012! 

fishtail

adventure

paris street style

i was looking over the street style: paris fashion week photos (here) for the millionth time and was completely re-inspired, so i thought i would share. these photos were taken of runway looks on the streets of paris during paris fashion week in october. although i don't usually/ever wear gorgeous gowns and mui mui booties prancing around the park or wandering around the city, these photographs make me want to. 

love, pamela love

lately, i feel like i have been writing about nothing else but jewelry. (although this brings up a very important point,  jewelry/accessorizing should be part of your morning routine, ideally one of the first things you do in the morning, right after brushing your teeth). from dreamcatchers to eagle's claws, pamela love jewelry is innovative, distinct, and chic. my three favorite bracelets at the moment are the sun cuff, quartz crystal cuff, and claw cuff. the sun cuff has pointed spikes done in golden bronze, and has an edgy look to it. the  quartz crystal cuff, is a gold tone cuff with seven quartz crystals, and has a raw and  unfinished looked to it. and last but not least the claw bracelet, which is gold plated and created to look like an eagle's claw.  with a  rough textured finish to it, the claw cuff has a tough but polished look to it. i would love to have any one of these three bracelets, or even better, all three!

happy holidays!

christmas clutch

i was reading the VOGUE guide for holiday dressing (here) and i stumbled across this jimmy choo claire clutch. i love the small compact size of this bag, its perfect for running around to different holiday parties, and just enough room for a phone, lipstick, and mascara. but what i love most about this clutch is that it's chic with a vintage-feel. 

happy holidays! 

vintage vintage vintage

i religiously shop at vintage stores looking for vintage designer handbags and jewelry. good vintage designer bags are hard to come by, so i'm always checking my favorite vintage shops that carry chanel, prada, louis vuitton, and ysl. i'm hoping to find a small vintage chanel clutch or small shoulder bag, that's timeless and classic. 

vogue covers

anyone who knows me, knows that i love vogue. i have a large collection of vintage and european vogue magazines that i cherish. i stumbled across the vogue covers book (here), and i thought it would fit right in with my fashion and design book collection. 239 pages of archive cover illustrations and photos, vogue covers summarizes the visual ideals of the whole magazine. 

kitchen cabinets

i'm working on a project at work for a client that wants dark kitchen cabinets. the options are either dark grey or navy cabinets. although i tend to like everything white, i love how masculine navy cabinets and dark hardwood floors look. the look of dark cabinets can be softened by choosing glass or small polished nickel hardware fixtures, so they don't look too harsh. also, using glass cabinet doors breaks up solid cabinets in any dark color.   

stella & dot rings

i love the simplicity and elegance of band rings. i fell in love with the band rings by stella & dot. i have been obsessed with wearing the stackable, harmony, and eternity band rings.  the stackable band rings in gold (here), worn on my right ring finger, are hammered gold. the harmony band rings (here), worn on my right middle finger, are shiny gold plated bands with handset stones. and the eternity band ring (here), worn on my left pointer finger, is an elegant gold band with stones. the eternity ring is my favorite ring to wear on my pointer finger and pinky. i'm also wearing the stackable band ring on my right pinky finger. wearing a pinky ring can be tricky to pull off, but with the right ring, a pinky ring can look delicate and elegant. i prefer a pinky ring that is a solid gold band or a diamond band, like the eternity and stackable band rings. plus, i put one of my eternity band rings on a small gold chain and wore it as a necklace. 

do what makes you happy

pale pink

this week i treated myself to a new lipstick. i've been wanting a shade of pink, and i fell in love with the 'rouge voluté' lingerie pink by YSL (here). it's the perfect pale pink that i can keep in my purse and wear everyday.  

faux fur

i'm a huge fan of layering, especially when it involves a faux fur vest. i'm an animal lover, so i don't wear fur, but a good faux fur looks anything but faux. i love layering a blouse with a wool/cashmere cardigan, and a faux fur vest. it's worth finding the right fur vest that can be thrown over any and every outfit. it should be a go to piece that can add a little something extra to any look.  

thumbprint cookie recipe

thumbprint cookie recipe
1 cup of margarine (1.5 sticks or 3/4 cup), room temperature
1/2 cup of sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups of flour
pinch of sea salt
3/4 cup of your favorite jam (i recommend raspberry!)

1 cream the margarine and sugar on high speed for 2-3 minutes.

2 add eggs and vanilla extract to the butter mixture

3 add the flour and sea salt. mix until just combined. place the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes and preheat the oven to 350F.

4 roll the dough into balls about 1 inch in diameter. place the balls on no-stick cookie sheets.

5 press down with your thumb to make a small well in the center of the cookie. but be sure not to press too hard or the cookie will fall apart. fill with 1/2 teaspoon of your favorite jam.

6 bake for 12-15 minutes or until slightly firm. allow to cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet to firm up before moving them to a wire rack to finish cooling. two thumbs up!

*makes 2 dozen cookies

sheer chiffon

 i'm loving sheer blouses tucked into skirts, trousers, or over leggings and denim. i'm a huge fan of wearing a black bra that slightly shows through as long as the rest of the outfit is more conservative to create a sophisticated silhouette. the chiffon oversized button-up (here) by american apparel is a must. i recommend getting it true to size and wearing it a bit slouchy.    

bangles and bracelets

lately, i've been in the mood to wear tons of bangles and bracelets on my wrist. most of the time i just wear a couple bangles, but recently i have been matching, stacking, and layering on 5 or 6 bangles and bracelets on each wrist. the sunset bangle (here) by stella & dot is my favorite bangle to wear at the moment because of its bright colors and gold accents. the turquoise enamel and coral stones on the gold plated band make this bangle such a special piece. plus, each and every jewelry piece by stella and dot is exclusively designed in new york city, artisan crafted and hand finished. i have been layering the sunset bangle with the thin hand-enameled bangle, and the wide hand-enameled bangle by j.crew. and i ordered the stripe hand-enameled bangle (in neon azalea) before it sold out. an armful of bangles and bracelets, with a statement piece like the sunset bangle, can be elegant but still edgy.  

wool turban

it has been extremely cold this week and it has made me think about getting a knitted turban to keep my head and ears warm. there are different styles of turbans, and i have been looking at a couple from asos that i'm thinking about getting. first, the turban knot headband (here), a textured knit with a knot detail in the front. second, the wool turban headband (here), a chunky wool and twist detail in the front. third, the wool turban (here), a chunky knitted turban, with a wrap styling (but i'm not sure how i would look in it, and if i can pull it off). i think the wool turban headband and the wool turban are my top two picks, but i will have to see how they look on me.   

life is short

pink petal

i went into walgreens to get change for the parking meter, and one vogue magazine and 4 new nail polishes later, i had forgotten all about the quarters i needed for the meter. i usually prefer essie and OPI, but i was impressed with the new revlon color options. the pink petal (first color from the right) is the super feminine but still neutral, plus the electric pink (2nd color from the right), which is the perfect pop of color and it completely compliments the pink petal. i also purchased revlon red (a true red) and plum seduction (a magenta-ish), which i have purchased before and rotate wearing. but by far, i am in love with pink petal. it is so perfect for work, because it's more than a plain neutral color, but isn't super bright either.     

sex and the city

this is one of my favorite quotes from sex and the city. there is nothing that i look forward to more after a long week at work and an even longer weekend than lazy sundays, watching sex in the city while curled up in my bed. 

built in bookcases

a project at work has inspired me to post about built in bookcases. for homeowners that are limited on closet space or simply don't have the square footage for large furniture built in bookcases are the perfect storage solution. built in bookcases are ideal for displaying books, souvenirs, vases, antiques, art, candles, and chachskis. built in bookcases add character and substance in a way freestanding bookcases don't. custom or not, built in bookcases add class and poise to a room, while simultaneously creating space and storage. 

LBD

strong shoulder and sequins

long sleeves and empire waist

sweetheart and silk

i'm on the hunt for the perfect little black dress. a little black dress is perfect for the holiday party season. a classic black dress can be worn to more than one party if merchandised with different jewelry, belts, and accessories. i'm hoping to find a dress with a v-neck or boat neck if it has sleeves or a sweetheart neckline if it's sleeveless, and ideally the hem needs to be a couple inches above the knee. the perfect little black dress is a staple piece that everyone should have in their closet.   

my cup of tea

dressing room closet

i've had a hectic work week, so i am looking forward to having a somewhat low key weekend. i have a holiday party this weekend, but besides that i plan on organizing my closet, which is in dire need of some attention. i need to relabel my shoes which i keep in boxes, organize my dresser, and get rid of clothes and shoes that i never wear (which i plan on donating to goodwill. i have always dreamed that one day i would have a dressing room closet. a room dedicated to my clothes, shoes, jewelry and all other accessories, with a large armoire and rolling racks of clothes, and a seating area for a small vintage velvet couch, and a couple chairs. i love the idea of having clothes on display, hanging on rolling racks, and shoes on shelves. it's like looking at beautiful art!

hello, december

some of my favorite things about winter are peppermint, hot chocolate, holiday sugar cookies, camp socks, oversized knit sweaters, scarves and faux fur coats and vests! 

happy december!

maya angelou

life is not measured by 
the number of breaths we take 

but by the moments that take our breath away

maya angelou

turkey dinner detox

after thanksgiving dinner and eating my way through the weekend, i promised myself to detox this week. the last couple days my diet has consisted of turkey, stuffing, garlic mashed potatoes, apple pie, empanadas, lasagna, and not nearly enough vegetables. so, this week i am dragging myself to the gym and eating some of my favorite salads. here is one of the salads i will be making this week:


strawberry spinach salad: 
6 cups fresh spinach, torn into bite-size pieces
1 cup strawberries, sliced into halves
1 tablespoon onion, chopped
1/4 cup almonds or pecans, blanched


i recommend using a balsamic dressing with the spinach salad. here is a simple balsamic dressing recipe:
1/4 cup olive oil 
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

black friday

blythe blouse in extravagant green

thigh highs

wide hand-enameled bangle

i'm not a fan of black friday for several reasons, one being that i used to work in retail, so i planned on avoiding a mall at all costs. however, i did do a bit of online shopping on j.crew.com and stocked up on some of my favorite j.crew things. three of my favorite things to get from j.crew are the silk blouses, bangles, and socks/tights. i ordered the blythe blouse in extravagant green, which i own in 4 other colors (black, white, navy, and poppy) and it is by far the best blouse that i have ever owned. i also ordered a couple wide hand-enameled bangles, which i either layer with other bracelets on one wrist or wear one on each wrist. plus, i ordered the thigh high socks that i plan on scrunching down and wearing with boots. just a couple things to feed my black friday fix. 

M83 "midnight city" official video

VOGUE

happy thanksgiving!

thanksgiving is a time to eat stuffing, mashed potatoes, and apple pie with family and friends, but more importantly to be mindful of our blessings and be thankful for what we have been given. happy thanksgiving!