Versace for H&M

Designer collaborations are everywhere. It's a great way for designers to introduce themselves to markets that may be unfamiliar to them. After the Missoni for Target debacle, I'm weary. (Although I still managed to land both my flats, and the heels at a later date at my local Target!)

Versace for H&M was much talked about, and well...now that it's available online (way earlier than expected, I should add). I'm not loving it. Donatella is innovative. These pieces just don't call to me. Let's look.

$199

$99

$129

$149

$199

$249

$49.95

$79.95

$129

I like the colors in the bustier top, but not at that price...and I'm not much for bustiers. Had it been a tank, or even a floaty top, I'd probably be mildly interested. Instead, I'll be sitting this collab out. This is just a small touch of what's available. To check out all the flops, head on over to the H&M site.

What's your take on collaborations?

A week in pictures

Trying out something new here. I take a lot of phone pictures, but don't often tweet/share them. These pictures reflect what's been going on in my world, and I'm experimenting with sharing them almost photo diary style.

Things are going to get sparkley!

A nice delivery!

Coming soon to my shop!

Magnetic nail polish (please disregard my awful cuticles, it's dry here!)

Honeycrisp apple season!

Close call. (My husband would not approve!)

Today's outfit. I'm in love with these shoes!

 Happy Friday, everyone!!

Shoe Imposter: Miu Miu Glitter Bootie

One of the big pairs of shoes making its rounds are the Miu Miu glitter bootie. Lets take a peek.

Miu Miu $890

While these shoes won't work with my wardrobe, I have to say, there's something sexy about the curve of the heel. We also all know how much I love all things sparkle. These shoes are kitschy and scream high fashion and have the price to go with it. If Sex and the City were still on the air, I'd imagine Carrie Bradshaw would rock the hell out of these shoes. And really, if anything, this shoe is awesome shoe porn.

I then came across these on Endless. (Which I then found on sale on the Steve Madden website...ladies let this be a lesson, always shop around on the interwebs!)

Steve Madden Hastt $100

These...well, they're still not working in my wardrobe, and scream a bit Gaga meets Elvis meets Go-go dancer, are close to the Miu Miu's. They are T-strap, not cross strap, beige not a pinky coral shade, and have a major platform. Far less sexy, and not at all what I'd consider shoe porn but if you were drooling for the Miu Miu's on a smaller budget, these bad daddies are for you.

Lets close out on one last look at those Miu Miu's, shall we?

DIY: Bow tie necklace

I've been coming across a lot of bow tie style necklaces lately while browsing stores online. I am loving them. Bow ties are huge right now. Headbands are adorned with them, shoes are bedecked with them, and the pussybow blouse is having a moment. It was decided. I, too, would take on the bow.

The inspiration:

1. Asos 2.Max and Chloe 3. Modcloth

What you'll need:

1 Bow (I found this at JoAnne's)

Chain (to the length you want)

Clasp

4 small open jump rings (I used 3.5mm)

2 slightly larger open jump rings (I used 4mm)

1 closed jump ring (I used 5mm)

Pliers

Bead reamer (or pin/needle)
I happen to have jewelry making supplies on hand, but Michael's and other craft stores sell these supplies.
Be aware most craft stores won't have sterling silver, which is my preference. You'll most likely need to go to a beading store for sterling, or order online. 

Pierce hole on the side of your bow (for the connections).

Repeat on other side.

Open your larger jump ring. 

Using both pairs of pliers, find the seam and push/pull in opposite directions.

Place smaller jump ring on the open one.

Attach through the hole you made, close jump ring.

To close, repeat how you opened it, be sure to make sure there's no gap.

Repeat Step 2 and 3 for other side.

Measure your bow.

Based on the size of your bow, determine the amount of chain needed.

I wanted my necklace to be about 16 inches, so I cut 13 inches of chain.

Be sure to keep in mind the clasp will add some slight length as well.

Cut the chain into 2 equal lengths.

Open smaller jump ring and attach a piece of chain, then close tightly.

Repeat for other side.

On one side, attach another smaller jump ring and your clasp.

Close tightly.

On the other side, attach the smaller jump ring and the closed one.

Close tightly.

Voila!

And on. 

Please pardon my no makeup'd Sunday crafty self.

If you do this for yourself, I'd love for you to share it with me! What's your stance? To bow or not to bow? I'm excited to wear this with tees, button ups and dresses. I mean everything is classier when you're wearing a sparkling bow tie necklace, right?

Dress this way

I've said it a few times here, I've said it a lot of times on twitter, and so much more to my friends and family.

Purr

I love Steven Tyler. Love. Love. Love. Love may even be an understatement. My husband knows and accepts that the other man in our marriage is Steven. He may have nixed naming any future son we have Steven Tyler, but that's about all he can control. He may not understand it, but he accepts it.

You could only imagine my excitement when I heard that Steven Tyler was teaming up with Andrew Hilfiger (Yes, Tommy's brother) to create an Impulse for Macy's clothing line, Andrew Charles. (Just recently Karl Lagerfeld had an Impulse line with them as well.)

This joint venture meant one thing. I could dress like Steven Tyler. Steven Tyler could dress me. This is exciting!

A lot has already sold out online, and I'm praying that my Macy's is one of the 100 stores carrying the line. For those of you in the NYC area, Steven will be posing with his daughters Chelsea and Mia in the window of the Herald Square store so check it out. (I will ask you to take pictures, I won't ask you to lick the glass for me.)

Here are 2 of my picks based solely on what I've seen online.

$89

$79

The prices are reasonable, but the material is polyester, so prepare to get warm if you're rocking these at an Aerosmith concert. (Aside: Please come back to Boston soon!).

If you're interested, WWD has a fun little interview with my man Steven and it's certainly worth the read.

Boston Fashion Week Sip and Swap

Picture from Betsy

Last Thursday, my friend Betsy and I attended Boston Fashion Week Sip and Swap hosted by the Swapaholics. We met before the event to grab a snack at Meadhall before heading over to the Microsoft NERD center for the event. The weather that day was tricky. Much like fall in New England, it was predicted to be warm(ish), rainy during the late afternoon, and then either humid, or cold afterwards. Planning the outfit and where to eat was a task. As I walked to Meadhall, it was bright. When we left, it was raining. Then, it was pouring. We had umbrellas, but thanks to the wind...we were soaked. The NERD center was filling with fashionistas soaked to the bone. You would have thought the drowned rat look was "in".  We dropped off our swap items, registered and headed for the bathroom to try to save the hair.

 

Slight improvement.

 Then we went right to the bar! The event was being sponsored by Magners, along with other local women-run businesses (Open Runway, Spreedia, and a few others).

Hard Cider Saves. (or causes you to forget the hair woes)

 After some chatting, and a few hard ciders, the crowd started to flock towards the clothes. Having previously been to a swap, I knew what to expect, although this crowd was much larger. There was still about 10 minutes until we were let loose, and this is the crowd we were behind.

Lots of ladies ready to book it.

 From previous experience, I knew to avoid shoes, dresses, and jewelry/accessories. Clothes were flying off hangers, and minimal elbows were thrown. In comparison, this is a slightly mild version of the running of the brides. I say slightly, because these ladies probably didn't have a bridezilla factor working with them. As the crowds broke up to check out their stash and start trying to trade, Betsy made a last ditch effort to find an item that's near the top of her Fall shopping wish list.

Any tweets with #bfwswap made it to a board, so cool and techy.

She still had no luck. If you have a blazer you're looking to get rid of for 3 pennies, be sure to hit her up on her blog. She'll appreciate it.

As for the outfits, Betsy and I have very similar items in our closets so we decided we'd share what we were wearing with each other beforehand. They sounded (and looked) very different, but when I share the deets...well...you'll see why we're such good friends.

From the Swapaholics Facebook

On me (the left, obvi) Sam Edelman Caper flats, Gap Skinnies, Anthro top, JCrew Jackie Cardigan, Petal &  Pink necklace and earrings, glasses no-name brand from the eye doctor (yes, my glasses serve an optometric(is that a word?) purpose).

On Betsy (the right, duh) Tory Burch Reva flats, Gap Skinnies, JCrew Camisole, Anthro Cardigan, Petal & Pink earrings and bracelets. 

I managed to get some pretty good items from the swap. I knew that if it looked interesting to just throw it in my bag and worry later about size/condition. I think my best finds were a DVF top and a striped sweater from the now defunct Martin & Osa. I also got a few tops that are brands from Target, but in awesome condition and will be great. I'd share pictures of my loot but to be honest, they're still sitting in the trunk of my car waiting to get done with my laundry.  

After my first swap, I'd said I wouldn't do one again, but I'm glad I came to this one. It was much better than the one I went to over the summer, I met some great people and have some new items to add (and most likely keep for a while) to my closet.

50 years ago today...

He's all right! Aren't you, cat? Poor cat! Poor slob! Poor slob without a name! The way I see it I haven't got the right to give him one. We don't belong to each other. We just took up one day by the river. I don't want to own anything until I find a place where me and things go together. I'm not sure where that is but I know what it is like. It's like Tiffany's. 

The little black dress became an icon. (Hepburn was Givenchy's muse.)

The lyrics to "Moon River" made its debut. (And later won an Oscar.)

A jewelry store became synonymous with Audrey Hepburn. (And entered all our homes.)

A kiss in the rain never felt so romantic. (Or a soaking trench coat so cozy.)

50 years ago today, my favorite movie was released.

I remember watching this as a young girl and thinking "wow". As I watched this movie with my grandmother, I was enamoured by Audrey. Her free-spirited character, the style, the lifestyle, everything. It kicked off what would become my obsession with Audrey Hepburn.

If you're interested in Breakfast at Tiffany's I'd certainly recommend Sam Wasson's 5th Avenue, 5am it covers all of Truman Capote (Tiffany's is based on a novella of his), making the movie, Audrey and how she became Holly Golightly (beating out Marilyn Monroe among others), and the set. It's a great, easy read. Although don't blame me when you get Moon River stuck in your head throughout the duration of reading the book. Also, there's also a 50th anniversary DVD release featuring improved video/audio quality and bonus features. (I happen to like my version, where there's a photo gallery of Audrey as a special feature.)


You know what's wrong with you, Miss Whoever-you-are? You're chicken, you've got no guts. You're afraid to stick out your chin and say, "Okay, life's a fact, people do fall in love, people do belong to each other, because that's the only chance anybody's got for real happiness." You call yourself a free spirit, a "wild thing," and you're terrified somebody's gonna stick you in a cage. Well baby, you're already in that cage. You built it yourself. And it's not bounded in the west by Tulip, Texas, or in the east by Somali-land. It's wherever you go. Because no matter where you run, you just end up running into yourself.