i want: shoe & accessory table

what an awesome way to store & display your fave jewelry/perfume/shoes!  i seriously want this cool table in my room.  then maybe my jewelry wouldn't be scattered all over anymore! --

cute & oh-so practical!

from lonny, discovered here

pretty pictures: amanda seyfriend - interview mag

there's something about amanda seyfriend that i just love.  maybe it's because whenever i see her, even in a serious role, i hear: "there's a 30% chance that it's already raining."  or maybe it's because she will always be known to me as lily kane [instant friendship if you catch that reference - before googling it of course!].  whatever it is, i just love her.  and can NOT WAIT for red riding hood ~ 

anyways... she is in a gorgeous editorial in this month's issue of interview magazine, looking, well, gorgeous.  these are just my 3 fave shots:

a total natural beauty.

photographed by Mikael Jansson [via]

read more from the interview, conducted by JT, here

friday faves: 2.25.11

due to having 2 days off in a row for the first time in months, i've posted a lot this week.  so if you want all of my friday faves, just go over the past couple days' worth of posts, both here on my blog and also on my tumblr.  regardless, here is my compilation of faves today ::

~ braided/twisted hairdos ~

 

fun twists (catch the wordplay?!) on a simple ponytail/bun

[first image via; middle found here; bottom compilationby diane @ a spot of whimsy]

~ pink suede this + that ~
even though it's from a few weeks ago, i still can't stop obsessing over this pink suede this + that.  i desperately want both the bag & the couch!  lovely.


~ floral on black ~

lots of love for this outfit -- super fem, super flattering,  super me.  wish i knew how to acquire it! [via]

~ a funky rennovated caravan ~

 i want me one of these. that way i can load up my things and go on day trips and have picnics wherever i please. doesn't that sound ideal... [via]


~ a huge turquoise mirror ~

i'm not sure i would put it next to a bathtub (just not my thing), but regardless, i love love love this intricate turquoise mirror

from Casaviva magazine, photographed by Winfried Heinze [via]

~ swirly-whirly fonts ~

it's known as Gillian font & i want it embossed on everything i own!
major typography crush. 

~ a very useful chart ~

 (as if i needed some fancy chart to tell me to just wear long pants 24-7!!)  -via-

~ my madre ~

 

not just because she it the most beautiful, intelligent, and inspiring woman i know... but also because she bought me a "treat" (her cute words!) to reward me for all my hard work at my job.  what's this treat you ask?  oh, just certificates for 4 days worth of spa treatments!  i get: a haircut, manicure, massage, and facial.  i'm seriously shocked.  still!   

~ great giveaways ~
$50 credit to minted from simplified bee. 
if chosen, i would get these cards to send to my far-away friends -

but if you're getting married, i would suggest these awesome thank you cards! -

oh, and i almost forgot to mention...

~ AdvK tweeted about ME!! ~

holy man!! color me shocked! and totally, totally, honored.
if i did the tweeter thing, i'd def follow AdvK's page!
coolcoolcoolcoolcoooool!

this is how i feel ~

i have a crazybusy couple days and can barely think straight with all the stress...
- but -
i'm going to keep thinking of these pretty pretty things : braids to try out, a talented fashion designer giving me a shout out, my mom treating me to loads of spa treatments....
and that will get me through it all.


* and one last link -- best week ever's hilarious & tongue-in-cheek awards for the runway looks at NY fashion week

pretty pictures: fred & ginger in vogue nippon

gorgeous model raquel zimmermann throws on some designer gowns and goes dancing in this incredible editorial shot by inez vinoodh.  check it --

i just can't get over how incredible the fabric of these gowns look here... wow.

incredible modeling, incredibly styling, incredible photography.

all the elements of an incredibly fab photoshoot!

vogue nippon march 2011

via

look i love: coco rocha as coco in motion

model coco rocha photographed by guy aroch in an editorial for WWD called "coco in motion."  basically, i love this look [styled by priscilla polley] ~ soft but sensual.  long, mostly-straight hair with a bit of a wave, mostly-sleek yet a bit disheveled.  love the makeup - heavy on the eyeliner but light on the lips.  effortlessly sexy.  although i personally can't pull it off, i seriously do love this look ~

completely beautiful photography, too.

from WWD beauty biz in 2008

images via

pretty picture: eva mendes in W magazine

eva mendes editorial in W magazine, july 2010.

love her dolce & gabbana dress, love her styling, but most of all love the retro effect of this photograph.

photographed by Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott

styled by Alex White

[via]

etc: a new look for pretty things!

i finally caved & spent some money to make my blog prettier.  i mean, i need to live up to the blog's title!!  my dumb budget restricted me from doing a whole makeover, but lucky for me there are some incredibly talented women (and i'm sure men) out there who offer great deals for smaller projects.

after researching my options - can't do anything without researching! - i decided to go with the fabulous debby from inspired design.  she has a great blog boutique of pre-made headers for only $15! woah!  after what seemed like hours of debate, i settled on the beautiful header that you see on the top of my page now.  debby was the greatest - fast, efficient, and sweet as can be.  she even added my tagline to the header when it didn't originally have one!

i'm in love! ~

i also made a few small changes, mostly with the font of my blog.  i'm unsure how i feel about my new font - i like it because it looks more like my handwriting, making the blog seem like my online journal (my goal), but part of me doesn't like it because it looks a little juvenile and doesn't fit with my professional lifestyle.

your thoughts?  on the font, the header, etc.?  let's hear it -- i love feedback!

wedding wednesday: a winter wonderland wedding

in honor of what is hopefully the last chicago snowfall, i bring you an absolutely incredible [although absolutely freezing] winter-themed wedding.

outdoor ice bar -

the bride passed up chic heels for warm boots - what a smart woman! -

her bridesmaids also donned boots for the outdoor photo op -

gorgeous winter-wedding love shots -

 

the beautiful & theme-perfect wedding day gift from groom to bride - 

photography by Orange Girl Photographs [via]

celeb style: dita von teese's shoes

as i've mentioned, i personally don't tweet, but the fine people at jezebel do.  and then they share the highlights with me.  it's totally awesome.

anyways, what jumped out at me today was a post by dita von teese, whom i, along with the majority of the human population, find perfectly and enviably sexy.

obviously i was intrigued!  must.see.custom-made.louboutins....

extravagant, indeed!

i mean, sparkly ruffles?? YES!!

i'm guessing this little "twit pic" doesn't do the shoes justice, so i can't wait until the ever-fab DvT wears them out & i can see more!

a personal post: future shelter

i know i'm going to be one of those women with numerous careers.  i can't help it - i just have numerous dreams!  one of those potential pie-in-the-sky dreams is to have my own funky little store, selling home decor, jewelry, art prints, stationary... whatever catches my eye!  there was a little store like this in iowa that i frequented when studying there.  not only would i waste pretty much all of my spare money there, but i also wasted pretty much all of my spare time there.  my friends and i would sit on the crowded floor and read aloud from the hilarious and totally unique books they sold.  we'd try on all the jewelry and clothes and model it to each other.  we'd look at all the art and funky decor and dream of a day where we had our own house and could afford such beautiful things.

anyways, one of my dreams is to have my own of these stores.  that's actually why i started my tumblr ~ to keep track of the kind of things i'd love to sell.

so when i saw this adorable shop highlighted on the blog see me everywhere, i was instantly inspired.  it's called future shelter, it's located in australia, & i'm in love.  take a look ::

bags, stationary, & tons of books.  yup, that's why my store would have.

psst - the store also has a cute blog.  obvs i'm the newest follower.

discovered here

fashion: addy van den krommenacker - PaP 2011

i love how fashionising describes this collection, shown at Amsterdam fashion week, so pithily: glam warrior.  i think this dress proves this phrase perfectly ::

the article's writer, linett kamps, continues her description, saying that "the designer [is] opting for a stronger design aimed at women who are willing to show off their figure."

what i personally love about this collection is that it is different.  typically i go for looks that are feminine and classic with a touch of quirky.  sometimes vintage, sometimes a little fashion-forward, regardless, i still have a fairly defined fashion aesthetic.  this particular collection is just different than my usual.  prints, shine, somewhat random ruffles, interesting hemlines and layers - it just pulls me in.  most of these looks would be considered a bit risky for a celebrity to wear on the red carpet - hello, sequin polka dots! - but i sincerely hope i get to see some of them soon [alexa chung, carey mulligan, leighton meester -- are you listening up?!].

here are some of my fave looks ::

minis ~

gowns ~

what i'd most likely wear in my real life [at a wedding, party, etc.] ~

well, minus the train.  it's pretty, but just not practical.

what i'd most likely wear in if i went to galas and red carpet events [dream] ~

oh and i gotta say, i love these models' facial expressions!

 so rarely do designers allow models to show this sort of personality -- love it!

congrats, AdvK, i love your collection!

all images via, where you can also see the entire collection [although i included nearly all of it!]