What I wore today 09/20/2011 (Fall Monochrome-a-Go-Go!)

I don't usually wear monochrome tan outfits, but prefer to pair the neutral with bright colors. However, in a fit of early-fall madness, I decided to go monochrome-a-go-go today. It was especially fun because I'd been recently inspired by some of my favorite fellow fashion bloggers posting fall outfits in shades of pumpkin and brown.

[Photo credit: bloomingleopold.blogspot.com]

[Photo credit: xrebelangelx.blogspot.com]

[Photo credit: abeautifulmess.typepad.com]

So, I slicked on some orange lipstick and piled on the orangey-brown.

By the way, here's a tip. If you want to wear flesh tones without washing yourself out (though, to be perfectly honest I sometimes think washed out looks pretty - call me crazy, but I do) then you should go a few shades darker or lighter than your natural color. For example, the dress I'm wearing, which is still in the flesh tones family, but isn't so close to my natural skin color.

P.S. I usually don't get all matchy-matchy, but sometimes I can't help it, (explanation here), and when I do dress matchy-matchy, I go all out. This means that, yes, my underthings are also leopard print today. It just makes me feel ultra pulled-together and a bit retro.

Skater dress: Asos

Leopard-print cardigan with variety of buttons - DELiA*S (forever ago)

Crisscross shoes - Forever 21

Kelly

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Happiness and beautiful things

I've been listening to The Happiness Project in my car and it's gotten me thinking about my own happiness, what I can do to savor it when it comes and what I can to to create more of it. It's an extraordinary power, the ability to make yourself happy.

So today, my first day of rest in a long time has been, in large part devoted to doing things that bring me joy. Of course this means a lot of sitting by the pool reading, but I've also been productive. I hung a belt rack in my closet this morning (Using a power drill honest makes me really happy! - something I discovered working in the scene shop when I was a drama student).

Another thing that makes me really happy is getting packages in the mail. I know I'm not alone there; after all, "brown paper packages tied up with strings" is a line in "My Favorite Things." So it just worked out that this was waiting for me this morning...

Mystery package . . . What could it be?

Here's what it was!

Don't you just love eBay?

Then, as I was doing some cleaning/organization/playing with power tools, I came across a pretty clementines box that I've been wanting to do something with. Then I remembered that I've also been wanting to find a more practical and aesthetically pleasing storage solution for my nail polish . . . and voila!

Now I'm sitting by the pool enjoying a talk glass of lime and basil sparkling water and a Marie Claire I've been trying to find time to read for ages.

Okay, I'm gonna jump in the pool now and get some exercise. Then, more Marie Claire. I hop you are all enjoying your weekends!

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Parisian Chic

Having a French name (the only one of my generation to carry on my French grandmother's heritage) must have set me up for a lifetime of francophilia, because I announced that I was a ballerina at the age of two (my mom had to beg them to enroll me in classes at age three - all the other girls were four and five and I was at least a foot shorter than them). By the age of seven, I was obsessed with the idea of becoming fluent in French (a lifelong goal I'm still trying to achieve). By age nine, my obsession had expanded to include impressionism and French food, and soon after I also took up French fashion and French films as major interests.

In fact, as much as I have grown and changed in my life, the one part of my identity that has never faded or changed is my francophila. Memé would be proud.

She and I went to Paris together (along with my father) when I was 15, and I went again last summer with Ryan. I am absolutely in love with the city.

I mean, what's not to love?

In Eat, Pray, Love, an Italian friend tells Elizabeth Gilbert that every person and every city has a word: one word that describes everything they stand for - what they seek, what makes them happy, their values, their goals. He says that Rome's word is "sex," Liz decides that New York's word is "achieve," and a Swedish friend announces that Stockholm's word is "conform." The Italian friend says that you will always feel at home in a city that shares your word. If you have the same word as that city, you will live in harmony there.

I spent some time thinking about what my word would be and decided that it's "beauty." Everything I seek, everything that makes me happy, does so because it's beautiful. That's why I love fashion, art, and poetry. It's why I come alive in nature and cities alike, as long as they're beautiful. Hell, it's why I've been so obsessed with Pinterest as of late. A few months after deciding on my word, it hit me: Paris's word is "beauty" as well. That's why I love it there so much.

So... because I'm a francophile(and specifically a Paris-phile), I've read a lot of books over the years about how to harness the essence of French-ness...

...But the other day (my birthday in fact), while at Joseph-Beth, I picked up a new one. It's called Parisian Chic and it's all about French style and beauty.

Written by Chanel muse, Inès de le Fressange, and featuring photos of her impossibly beautiful daughter, Nine d'Urso, the book touches on plenty of well-known French secrets (Stay away from harsh face soaps, etc.) as well as new and interesting ideas about style.

And some of the photos of Nine in outfits styled by Inès are just amazingly inspirational.

Hey, that's my bag on the left! (Well, mine's a replica, but same color and style)*

*A note on fakes: I usually don't condone them, but I made an exception in this case, since the price and waiting list for a Kelly makes it something I could never own, and I love the look so much.

***

So, my outfit today is largely inspired by Parisian Chic. How do you like it?

Blazer - Forever 21

Top - thrifted

Belt - vintage

Bag - online

Scarf - shop in Paris

Jeans - The Gap

Oxfords - gift

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Birthday wishlist

Tomorrow is my 23rd birthday. I'm going out for dinner tonight with my family to celebrate and then tomorrow Ryan is taking me to my favorite restaurant, Honey, for additional celebration.

I decided that for fun I would put together a sort of "birthday wish list" to highlight things I am currently coveting. I've seen some other bloggers do it, and I think it's a cute way to showcase your taste and inspiration.

1. Dress Frutti, Mango

2. Skirt Plisplis, Mango

3. Red Or Dead Dora Deep Bikini, Asos

4. Repetto Bolchoi Square-Toe Ballet Flats (the original ballet flat)

5. Shabby Chic Key Holder/Wall Vase, Etsy shop: OldNewAgain

6. Hermes Scarf Knotting Cards, Ebay

7. Wax Seal Monogram Reversible Lace Necklace, Etsy shop: afterhours

8. Ohio State Necklace (customized with heart cutout for Cincinnati), Etsy shop: IntegrativeCreations

9. Anatomical Heart Oxidized Sterling Silver Pendant, Etsy shop: MarKhed

10. Azure Stalagmite Ring, Anthropologie

11. Rustic Sea Glass Ring, Etsy shop: JewlLi

12. Tiki Ring, ModCloth

13. Rose Quartz Ring, ModCloth

14. Verdigris Couplet Ring, Anthropologie

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Designer taste on a budget: Hermes-inspired bracelets

If you, like me, are captivated by Hermes enamel bangles and leather cuffs, but can't justify shelling out hundreds of dollars for a bracelet, you need look no farther than your neighborhood Target.

It seems that Target has taken some inspiration from Hermes lately. Observe.

Hermes:

Target:

The quality goes down quite a bit, obviously, but it's still quite a find I think. After all, an Hermes-inspired bracelet is better than no bracelet at all.

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