etsy is awesome| forest bound.

Handmade tote bags and pouches courtesy of Etsy (!) shop Forest Bound.
Me likes.
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here's to growing up| save no prayer - dimepiece spring 2011.

Once upon a time I was a street wear enthusiast.

Like a crazed out Hellz Bellz wearing, Married to the Mob toting, Stussy repping FOOL.

I mean because who doesn't want to wear a in yo grill graphic tee between the ages of 17 and 21?

Somewhere along the line I grew up and realized that my style, just like my life, was changing, and my wardrobe was making a change with it.

That's when I started investing in staple pieces that would last me for years.

I started refining my ability to spot unique items I could hold onto instead of discard after one season.

And in a sense I feel out of love with a lot of street wear brands.

It's like they stopped growing...

Stagnant.

Lame.

Through all the breaking up with brands I've done over the last couple of years, I never fell out of love with Dimepiece because they've never stopped growing up. It's almost like they've grown and evolved at the same speed as my tastes and style (if that makes any sense at all).

Spring 2011 will be epic, just because of this collection.

Thanks for evolving Dimepiece.

Don't ever stop.

[more @ the avantguardian]

a arm. a leg. a left tit.| louboutin studded oxfords.

I'd give up just about anything for a chance to look at, let alone touch or buy these shoes.
No joke.

I'm not even a big fan of Christian Louboutin, simply because I think there are far more footwear designers that aren't (cough) overly hyped up. Seems like everyone has a pair (or at least a pair of knock offs) to call they're own. I may not be a complete believer in the CL dynasty, but these are heavenly.

someone knock these off already.

So I can finally stop thinking about spending $400+ pesos on shoes. I'm not the type to spend obscene amounts of money on anything. For one, I'm extremely cheap, and two I just don't see the point sometimes. Some items I have that I've spent no more than a hundred dollars on hold up better than the designer items I've saved for. But something about these Acne Spring 2010 sandals makes me want to blow some hard earned cash. Seriously. Dying over here!

a.r. trapp for jcrew.

I just got home from New York to find an email in my inbox about A.R. Trapp's Troubadour sunglasses made especially for J Crew's Spring/Summer offering. I've never been one to collect shades unless their absolutely worth it, so take this posting as my official stamp of approval. These are totally worthy of my face, but I'm not so sure about the $395 price point. The price by itself is making my palms sweaty and my head ache. That's like buying a new pair of reading glasses WITH my prescription. Should I splurge?

warby parker.

I'm pretty good at finding whatever it is my heart desires on a daily basis at affordable price points. To say I'm a decent bargain shopper would be an understatement - I'm a damn good one. If you haven't read the title of this blog, you might want to take a second and hit the refresh button. I can't afford to love the designer clothing I want to wear all the time (thank you Sallie Mae), so finding them at a lesser price is very important. After all it keeps me from living in a refrigerator box....

My latest find comes courtesy of my friend/coworker/drinking buddy Sam who happens to be a card carrying member of the "I Wear Glasses because I Have to, Not because They Look Cool" club, just like yours truly. After years of suffering at the hands of contact lenses and only wearing my glasses when I was feeling too lazy to stick a my finger in my eye, I've finally decided ditch the lenses and embrace my inner nerd.

Buying the right pair of glasses is infinitely more difficult than I expected it to be. It reminds me of my constant search for the perfect pair of jeans that will not only cover my ENTIRE behind, but also happen to make me look like I'm a size 2. Yes, it's that hard to find the perfect pair of frames, especially at a price that doesn't make me gag. So when Sam introduced me to the concept and website of Warby Parker I was not only impressed but eager to shop.

It's extremely rare to find boutique frames that come WITH your prescription for only $95. That's not only rare, but damn near impossible to find. Warby Parker not only shows you the frames on real people, they also give you the option to virtually try the glasses on yourself - a concept that is much appreciated, seeing as when it comes to something as personal as everyday glasses, you want to know what you look like in them before you press 'add to bag'.

I've already begun choosing which frames best suit my round beautiful face. I'm in love with the round frames that are black at the top and clear at the bottoms. They look like my Raybans, and I am in love. Thanks a million Sam!

o.m.g.

I'm pretty sure I'm the only person in my circle of friends that gets amped about Proenza Schouler. Like, seriously excited. No matter the concept, the colors, or overall collection, Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough never fail to inspire me. Proenza Schouler Pre-Fall 2010. I have no words for this. Proenza Schouler continues to reign supreme in my heart. Can't wait for the Fall 2010 presentation. If this is any indication as to what their collection will be like, my mind is about to be blown.

i can't wait to see this.

Nine is a movie about a film director trying to find harmony in his professional and personal life as he struggles with the relationships he has with several women. The cast list alone made me want to jump for joy with people like Sophia Loren, Judi Dench, Fergie, Kate Hudson, Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz and many more singing, dancing, and acting a damn fool throughout. Plus it's directed by Rob Marshall the director of Chicago, which happens to be a great film. It's no secret that the little Liza Minnelli in me is a sucker for a good musical and this is about to feed my appetite big time. In theaters worldwide Christmas day, this is definitely a must see!

sam edelman: the joss boot.

I tend to want things sometimes. Normally these things are far beyond my financial reach, inevitably causing disappointment, but eventually I get over it because 9 times out of 10 I find something else I want that I can actually afford, then just buy that. With that being said, because my career as a freelance journalist/writer/professional smart ass has been going extremely well, I'm able to buy the things I can afford and even sometimes the items beyond my reach. Enter: the Sam Edelman Joss Boot currently at $180 on Shoe Box New York. Dying!!!!! I love them. I want them. Add to fuggin bag.

ashish spring 2010.

Sequins to Ashish Gupta are what air is to those of us breathing on a regular basis: their essential to life. He creates the most ridiculously loud and obnoxious clothing I can only pull off in my dreams, but that doesn't make me love the designer and his label any less. His Spring collection was based around tourism, although the Nike influence does have me thrown a bit. Not sure what that has to do with tourism. It would have been amazing to see a I ♥ NYC shirt!

This just reminds me of how much I wanted his leopard print green and pink sequined harem pants from his Fall/Winter 09 collection REALLY bad. Seeing as the global economy is going to shit, people are still losing their jobs, oh yea, and the fact that I'm POOR, the chances of me even touching them is rather slim.

But that Just Do It shirt WILL BE MINE. Mark my words!

mademe fall 2009: tough love.

Today is such a good day already. Fashion week is in full swing, I'm going to a free concert tonight, and MadeMe unveiled their Fall 2009 collection, AND I LOVE IT!

A couple months ago I showed the preview for MadeMe and their Fall 2009 collection, and now because the Gods of retail are shining down upon us all, we finally get to see the entire collection. The collection, entitled Tough Love, is in stores now and is inspired by androgyny and the idea to move society forward by challenging what we all think is sexy. There is an abundance of rose print on tough items like that infamous leather jacket, leggings, and varsity tee's, depicting that you can be comfy and casual, but still be sexy. In my mind this means I get to dress like a little boy without anyone thinking I'm a lesbian (not that there's anything remotely wrong with that...) SCORE!

E Magee and Co pre-sold pieces from the collection when the preview dropped, but not suprisingly some of the pieces that weren't pre-sold are already sold out. This includes my favorite, the holey tee, which is just my luck, but I will find a way to get my hands on it, even if I have to do something drastic...like knock on doors or sit outside of Karmaloop in Boston and beg...

PS. That hat reminds me of Janet Jackson circa Rhythm Nation. Gotta get it!

Yay for Today!!!

zara fall 2009 lookbook.

There isn't a Zara anywhere near me, and unless I drive to New York, or until they create an online store, I'm pretty much stuck living vicariously through my friends and look books when it comes to Zara. My friend Katya is spending the semester in Italy and has fallen head over heels in LOVE with the local Zara there, and I can totally see why. I want everything in this look book. EVERYTHING.

damnit burberry!

I tend to obsess over expensive designer items (items = shoes) and then buy the knock offs or something similar and love them all the same, but this is getting ridiculous. Burberry made me fall in love with not only one pair of their Fall 2009 Prorsum shoes, but 5, and to add to my pain, I can't for the life of me find anything similar, which is killing me very slowly. Whats even worse is that I don't want anything similar. I want the original and I want them NOW.

If anyone see's anything similar, and for maybe a quarter of the price, email me and I will walk to your house and kiss you. No seriously...I'll do it. [carolinesmode]

home.

Don't be alarmed friends, this is not my house, although it would be nice if it was. It's actually the home of blogger Lily from Bleed for Fashion. I'm just posting these so we all gasp, point, stare, and discuss our jealousy together. Ain't I nice? [bleedforfashion]

absolutely. perfect.

I love these Burberry Prorsum F/W 2009 booties. And I mean LOVE! The only thing I'm less than lovey dovey about is the price tag; these are going for a cool $750. I've got about 5 solid outfit/scenarios in which these shoes would be perfection. Let the search for the Zara/Steve Madden/Aldo knockoff commence NOW. [fashionsquad]

ten toes.

jumper: Topshop/ shoes: Comme des Garcon/ earrings: Cubannie Links/ nail polish: OPI/ bracelet: Juicy Couture/ sunglasses: Chloe/
denim jacket: American Eagle/ bag: Givenchy

I WANT THOSE SHOES! I love Comme des Garçon for no other reason than their innovation in design. They send the most amazing things down their runway,stuff that may seem outlandish to some, but to me are strong creative statements. Those shoes are a perfect example of that creative statement. Now if I could just get my hands on $700...Hmmm.

let the church say, amen...

I've been a fan of Pierre Hardy shoes for some time now. I've actually had day dreams about the various senarios I'd have the opportunity to wear his stuff. No bullshit. Aside from the fact that his shoes are sometimes more interesting that other designers, he actually creates sneakers for women that are just as good, if not better, than his sky high heels. It can be a struggle for female sneaker fiends to actively indulge in purchasing kicks because Nike, Reebok, Adidas and any other sporting retailer, seems to believe that all women want to wear pink or some other combination of girly colors we haven't worn since grade school. If you have the funds, investing in a pair of Pierre Hardy is something I'd recommend. He never fails to amuse me...

german pancakes/the funnel cake of my dreams.

Just found this amazing recipe for German pancakes. Yes, I didn't know pancakes had a nationality either! Also called the Dutch Baby Pancake, this is a sweet breakfast dish similar to Yorkshire pudding, (which, to my understanding, is normally savory not sweet). It's made with flour, sugar, heavy cream and topped with fruit, sugar or cinnamon. I like to think of it as a funnel cake on crack. You can find the recipe HERE. [thibeault's table]

What? Don't look at me like that...

spotted: house of holland graduate tights.

I can always count on Henry Holland from House of Holland to create fun colorful items I always manage spending too much money on. I spotted these tights in black, white, and cream over at My Tights, but before I paid the affordable price of $14.00, I wanted to see them in the other colors (there isn't a preview on the website). Thanks to cuteness of Susie over at Style Bubble, I got to see the blue and purple in action.

jeremy scott x opening ceremony: troll or dare.

Jeremy Scott never fails to amuse me. His designs are forever entertaining, and this is no exception. Although he teamed up with my arch nemesis Opening Ceremony to promote the retailer opening a Tokyo location, I still love him. Forever the clever designer, and never failing to remind us of pop cultures past, these tee's are based on two things we've all been in contact with at least once in our lives: Madonna and Troll Dolls. Themed around the material girls documentary "Truth or Dare" and sporting a scantily clad troll on the front, these tee's will be sold in limited quantities at Opening Ceremony LA and NY. Like all JS gear, get it while it lasts, because once it's gone it's gone forever!