the ultimate girly indulgence...

well, readers, i'm sad to report that i'm sick. yucky sick. for the third time this year.

and when i'm sick, what i really want to do is curl up on the couch and be totally useless for at least 3 days. unfortunately, i don't really get that chance, now that i'm a grown-up, and have actual work to do, even when i feel like dog meat.

but, if i could, i can tell you that i'd be spending tonight curled up on my couch, watching marie antoinette on DVD (if you missed it in the theatre, and like this blog even a little, i hereby command you to go out and rent it - seriously, do it for the costumes alone!) and thumbing through my new, 640+ page march issue of vogue. yep, that's right 640 pages...i'm practically giddy! with, of course, a 4-pack of sofias....because what's better than drinking the champagne that's named for the director of the movie (plus, if i'm being honest, it's all about the cute red can and the bendy straw for me)?

doesn't get much better than that, does it??

oscar update: anne hathaway

perez hilton has informed me that i was not NEARLY harsh enough on ms. anne, as i was bitching about her dress before i even saw the back. butt bow? seriously?? i mean, i'm not saying anne is A-list or anything, but i think she's come far enough in her career to have a stylist. if she does somehow have one, that person should be fired. loudly. because really, the only reason someone lets you leave a room wearing a butt bow is because they hate you. or because they're playing a really, really mean practical joke. but then, they'd have stuck the bow on themselves, like a "kick me" sign - and this bow matches the front, so that's not it.

anne, clearly your stylist hates you. hire me instead. really - i'd be great. i mean, even though i don't think you're necessarily oscar material, you seem perfectly nice, and i'd be happy to help.

PS - i posted the above picture because it's clear that, about halfway through her walk down the red carpet, anne realized her hideous mistake.....if only she had an extra hand to cover the back of her dress, this plan might have actually worked.

my mini-oscar review

i'm not even going to try to compete with the myriad oscar coverage out there, but since i went to a completely fabulous oscar soireee last night, i think the least i can do is share my personal favorites for hits and misses on the red carpet.




if you ask me, gwyneth (who bugs the tar out of me, but has great fashion sense) and reese really stole the show - both ensembles were my favorites by far. even though i didn't love the neckline on gwyneth's gown, the silhouette sweetheart neckline made up for it - as did the color and the pleating, both of which were SO perfect for her. it was so perfect, in fact, that i was even willing to forgive her for not having someone follow her around and iron those creases out of the gown from sitting. and reese....well, that girl can pretty much do no wrong in my eyes. that amazing grey chiffon just looked like it was made for her (which, given that she's reese witherspoon and it's the oscars, could actualy be the case). and her hair - i'm sorry, but she looks so cute with bangs that she's actually making me consider having my hairdresser bring back a hairstyle i haven't had since the 80s! (just the bangs, not the scary perm or the claw...promise!)

as always, the misses are much more fun than the hits....for example, i spent most of the evening wanting to pop the mysterious bubble on nicole kidman's right shoulder. i have to say, it irritates me when someone who could make a plastic garbage bag and some old string look completely fabulous wears something like that to the oscars. sensless crimes against fashion...that's what i'm opposed to.

other definite misses: anne hathaway should really have known better, after spending all of that time on 'devil wears prada' than to wear a dress with a big bow over the chest. really. and, as usual, j.lo. wore something designed to make her look like a greek goddess, which is getting a little old - but her real miss was her escort/husband, who looked more like skeletor than ever.

so, that's it. does anyone know who won the actual awards? i was way too busy straining for a better look at portia de rossi's gown (which was insanely gorgeous, by the way) to be bothered with such trivial details :)

Images courtesy of wireimage.com - thank you!

movin' on up.....

well, readers, it's a momentous day on this blog.....we've hit the big time!

the lovely folks over at shop it to me have put this very blog on their list of "trendsetters" - really, go check it out! this means we're in the company of some of the best fashion sites around, including daily candy and kristopher dukes. trés exciting!!

so, you may ask, what in the &*$% is shop it to me?? well, here's a shameless plug for you: imagine a website whose sole purpose in life was to make sure you never missed out on a sale item in your size, by the designer you love, ever again....pretty fabulous, i know. that's the idea: you sign up, give them your sizing info, your fave brands and shopping sites, and they stalk the sales for you - they'll email you daily, weekly, whatever you want, and show you everything that's new on sale in your size by your designers that day. it's gotten me in trouble on numerous occasions, i can tell you that :)

aaaaaaanyhoo....they think we're cool, we think they're cool.....it's all pretty freaking cool!

happy friday, everyone :)

deal of the day: two great shoes, two great deals....

okay, if any of you are a size 8.5 - 10, you need to head over to shopbop.com right now and pick up these gorgeous shoes. the tara subkoff for easy spirit line generally runs about $300/pair - and no wonder...they've actually managed the impossible: comfortable heels. these sky-high suede wedges would be the ultimate in versatile, and at 70% off, these babies come in under $90 (final sale, though). if they'll fit, you'd be crazy not to pick up a pair.







and, if those are the "neutrals that will go with any ensemble," these are definitely the shoes you'd plan an outfit around! i've been lusting after these babies forever...and they're finally marked down to a price i can get behind - $129 down from $248. also on final sale, these little ladies would make any outfit go from average to fabulous in 2 seconds flat! my favorite is the chartreuse, but that bright claret is really growing on me. get 'em now at jcrew.com

get out of town!

i'm all about fabulous overnight bags - i love traveling and feeling like a "jetsetter" instead of a tired tourist, schlepping second-rate luggage all over town. and, since overnight bags are really just a big version of a handbag, how could i not be interested??

this darling satchel by hayden-harnett just screams "weekend getaway in the country". in my little fictional world, where my husband whisks me off for a surprise trip to a little B&B in the heart of nowhere, this is the bag i'd pack. it's a bit pricey at $485, but remember - this is a big bag, coming in at over 21" long and 14" tall. plus, that fabric you see is a custom print designed by paule marrot, an amazing french textiles designer. hayden-harnett leather is fast earning a reputation for excellence at its price point - i think there's an argument to be made that you'd be smart to score something from this designer before their prices head north, as they surely will.

but most of all, this is definitely a bag that would get better with age...i can only imagine the patina this baby will have after a few dozen trips to the cape!

look what followed me home yesterday...

yep, that's right - only a year too late, i'm jumping on the tory burch ballerina flat bandwagon (wow, that's a mouthful!). they're SO pretty....i heart them. i was waiting to buy until i could actually try them on, and they finally hit my friendly neighborhood nordstrom store yesterday. have to say, i'm only 24 hours into ownership, but i'm in love! they're amazingly comfortable (much more so than most elastic-back shoes, which are comfortable at first, but incredibly painful after a few hours), and the leather is just sooooo soft - really, the only other shoes i have with leather this soft are my prada maryjane pumps, and those were twice the price!

and yes, i realize i'm totally ignoring the fact that all signs point to silver for spring. but these just felt so luxe and neutral...and hey, if it's silver for spring, it'll be gold again before we know it, right?

so, really, the only question is - do i order them in navy too??

jewelry designer profile: st. kilda

so, as you all know, i can be a bit hard to please when it comes to jewelery. but every so often, a designer comes along that just really "clicks" with my idea of what's beautiful.

i was turned on to st. kilda by splendora, a fabulous site whose friday emails have come to be something i look forward to all week (seriously, if you don't subscribe, you should). and literally, just about everything i found on their site was something i'd just love to have in my jewelry box.

take the gorgeous necklace featured above, for example. you might not think so at first glance, but that's a diamond solitaire. but i love how subtle it is - it's elegant without being too prim. and it's unique...even though it's a solitaire, the focus is on the whole piece, not just the diamond. at only $380, i think you'd be hard-pressed to come up with a better value for a diamond solitaire necklace with this kind of intelligent design.

another favorite of mine is the crescent necklace she features on her site in two different designs. the first is an iris design, in silver with a gold chain, which was inspired by her great-grandfather's garden, according to the site. look at the detail...i think it's just fabulous. and at $150, it's a piece you don't even have to feel bad about treating yourself to. the designer also features a gorgeous bird design for this piece (inspired by a scrap of vintage wallpaper, of all things), in all gold - though the $750 pricetag makes it less of an impulse purchase. completely gorgeous, though - the detail work is really incredible.

i'm also loving (no pun intended) this gorgeous cocktail ring, in silver ($110) or gold ($510). look closely....what does that scribble say??


and i think i might have to add these delicate little silver earrings to my slim collection. the picture above really doesn't do them justice - it's worth going to the site to get a better look. i absolutely love that they're just large enough to stand out a bit, without being as huge as some of the earrings that have been out lately. and again, the attention to detail on this piece is really remarkable. for only $75, that's a bargain any way you look at it!

how's this for a blast from the past? i want KEDS!

so, perhaps i didn't get the memo, but when did keds start putting out really, really cute shoes??? i mean, i've seen mischa barton in their ads, and raised an eyebrow or two at that (especially since the shoes were still fugly, even if they were on mischa barton). but now, all of a sudden, they have nanette lepore designing for them, and some rock art poster chick i've never heard of, and before i knew what had happened, i have two pairs of keds in my shopping cart!

it's madness....i don't think i've owned a pair of keds since the 6th grade, when i was pairing them with two pairs of socks (in different colors, scrunched down, natch - i was so hot). but really, when you think about it, darling shoes that make you smile for $40 (or $60 for the nanette lepore versions)? you could do a lot worse!

my picks: the pandas (above), the blue owls (right), and the black-and-white script print versions by nanette. if they'd come out six months ago, i'd be head over heels for the leopard print, but the animal prints just aren't singing to me these days...

poll: which one??

so, after almost a year of searching (yes, i'm the pickiest person on the planet), i think i've finally settled on a case for my iPod nano!

or, at least, i've settled on which brand to buy. still haven't picked the color. that's where you all come in!

i landed on the iPod "outfits" designed by magpie: vinyl-coated fabric, with contrasting color trim and clear plastic protecting the screen and wheel. this case really seems to have it all...more so than any of the million other covers floating around out there. for one thing, i like that the case is all one piece - you don't have to stick a screen protector to the face, or make a piece of plastic fit into a specific spot and stick there. i also really like that it has both a keychain-style clip (which is detachable) and a belt clip - i want the best of both worlds, and it's tough to find! plus, the belt clip is really slim & lies flat, a feature i really like, as many belt clips really bulk up the iPod (especially when you're outfitting a nano). the belt clip is also designed to hold the iPod upside down, which is perfect for being able to read the face of the iPod without unclipping it.

i just love intelligent design, and i think the creator of magpie deserves a little bit of applause from me for getting every little detail just right. plus, they're just so darn cute! and hey, if you're going to put a case on your iPod, and you're a true fashionista, cute is really the only way to go :)

now, the hard question....which design?? 6 darling choices, and i love them all. what do you guys think??

and speaking of spring...

okay, this is really "part deux" of my spring ode to anthropologie - but it's all home stuff, so i thought it deserved a separate post.

but really, when it's all flowery and warm outside for the first time in months, doesn't it just make you want to open up all the doors and windows, and redecorate with white linen and all sorts of pretty, bright colors? or is that just me?

if i'm not alone, here are some of my "if only" decorating ideas...if you're still single, do this now - no husband in the world would tolerate most of these ideas!

i think this sofa (whose name is "amelie"...how perfect is that?) is about the most fabulous thing i've ever seen - fun, funky, but grown up at the same time. if only because everyone knows you must be grown up if you're spending nearly $4,000 on a sofa. oh yeah, plus an extra $150 for shipping. but if you're feeling flush, you can pick yours up here.


now obviously, i don't think you can get both the sofa and the table...together, they'd be a bit much even for me. but i do love the table - i'm picturing it with some very girly and overly decorative white wooden chairs and this chandelier, which would be a great contrast to the very linear style of the table. if you love it too, it'll set you back $1,300...so, it's basically a bargain compared to the sofa! :)

and speaking of white linen....doesn't this just make you want to crawl into bed and never get out? these look so crisp and cool....aaah! i'm relaxed just looking at the picture! of course, in this fantasy, my butler is also bringing me fresh grapefruit juice and the latest 'vogue' to read in bed while i relax in complete silence. but hey, a girl can dream...especially in these bed linens! about $400 to outfit your bedroom in total serenity :)

just a little reminder....

to check out the fashion week coverage over at daily obsession's fabulous blog - i've covered a few shows for them during the week (like this one.....and, well, others). so it's like i'm in two places at once.

sort of.

item of the day: pretty red bag

in honor of J, who is sick this week, today's item of the day is this gorgeous red leather satchel, which would perk up just about any owner out there, even in the midst of the most yucky flu. it's just the right shade of red to make it a really flexible piece for your collection, and while i normally hate white contrast stitching, there's something i like about it here - maybe because it takes a very dressy style and makes it more casual.

$149 at jcrew right now - but it's final sale, so no being wishy-washy.

spring has sprung!

well, at least according to my new anthropologie catalog!

a few things i'm loving:


this t-shirt by guinevere just screams spring - it will look great with jeans while it's still cold, but when summer hits, picture it with white shorts or a great eyelet skirt and a pair of espadrilles. too darling! $78 in store and online.

for those of you that missed out on those loverly purple patent flats at jcrew in the fall, anthropologie has a great version for spring. granted, it's in suede...but spring is really the only season in which you can actually wear suede without stressing. and, it's a peeptoe wedge, which takes away the two "high maintenance" areas on suede shoes (for me, at least): the toe and the heel. plus, the bow and the semi d'orsay style are just too cute to pass up :) $128, but get them fast...i'm telling you, i was right about the last ones selling out, and these ones will too.


i have to admit, this next one looks dreadful in the online pic...but in non-studio lighting, on an actual human (as in the pic at right), i think it's just perfect! great drape, the perfect red color - it would definitely be my "go-to" ensemble for the spring. buy it for $128 - just don't trust the picture on the website!

look over there....

so, i'm off duty today for this blog, as i'm guest-blogging over on the daily obsession to help them out with their uber-fabulous coverage of fashion week for the fall '07 collections (can you believe it's time for those already!?). so, keep your eye out here for all the news :)

sales worth mentioning

a couple of sales that are too good not to mention:


maneater threads, a SF-based boutique, is having its online sample sale. items are marked as much as 50% off, plus you get an additional 30% discount on all sale items with code SAMPLER07. also, free shipping - or $15 for same-day messenger delivery within the city of SF (gotta love instant gratification!). i picked up a gorgeous blue silk tee by geren ford which was marked down from $205 to about $120 after the coupon. you have to check out their amazing silk kimono-style dresses by kara janx and the exceedingly cool necklaces by madley.


barefoot tess, a favorite shoe store of mine for its focus on stocking larger size shoes (don't worry, they carry small sizes too), is having a big inventory closeout to make room for the new spring stock - free shipping on 3 pair or more by checking "pick up at store" at checkout. i picked up these gorgeous dolce vita gold wedges (ending the gold shoe search...for now) for $69, down from $130. if you happen to be 7.5 or 8.5, i absolutely love these navy ruched flats, also by dolce vita - well worth their $45 price tag!

that should keep you all busy for the rest of the afternoon!