homecoming.

my husband has been in and out of town lately to california for work and i haven't been able to go with him the last few times because of my own job. the good husband that he is though, he took one for the team and brought back a piece of santa monica for me this weekend from my favorite shop, brandy melville. (it hasn't even been a year for us yet, after all, we are still in the newlywed phase!)

since most everything is one-size-fits-all it was at least a little easier for him to pick something out, and he surprised me this ruffled, sheer maxi skirt - the shannon skirt - in a purple floral print. he knows me well! although i was excited to have him home, this present was almost as appreciated.

side note: although not style-related, i thought you might get a kick out of another part of his trip. the passenger behind him on the plane handed him a little bag of mini reeses peanut butter cups with this note attached. it was too cute not to share. what a good idea! moms, take note...i know i am marking it down for the future!

fade away.

dresses, nail polish, cakes, jeans, curtains, sweaters, and now even hair.

i've been rocking the look for as long as i can remember. the favorite faded orange tank from abercrombie & fitch in middle school. my first-ever prom dress from jessica mcclintock my sophomore year that went from hot orange at the top into watermelon at the bottom...and yes, i just dated myself by saying jessica mcclintock. my dip-dyed, lime green dress from bcbg maxazria that i bought to wear to rush at fsu, but never put it to use since i realized halfway through the week that i wasn't a sorority girl (hundreds of matching ralph lauren polo dresses over forced spanx and identical ribbed tank tops paired with seven jeans...does that sound like me??). my white wedding dress six months ago with a touch of pink lace at the bottom.

shaded. faded. dip-dyed. tie-dyed. multi-colored. graduated. light to dark. two-tone. it is all the same thing and it's nothing new...the ombre trend.

i, for one, have always loved the "ombre" effect, but am really getting sick of the word and don't like seeing it get so played out. that being said, i felt it was necessary to touch on a few of my favorites and some of the pieces that might still be a fun or different way to wear it.

1. tights.

i saw these on the bzrshop on etsy through pinterest a couple weeks ago and adore them. i haven't seen anyone wear them in person yet and want to go for it myself, but just can't fathom spending $50 on a single pair of tights.

2. faded colors over other patterns.
i've typically liked shading in a more formal sense, but the most recent use of ombre that is a little different is dip-dyed patterned apparel, like this shaded, striped shirt i found on cotton & curls. i think i'm going to try one of the blog tutorials like hers and make my own soon.

3. sophisticated tie dye.all of my favorite stores for weekend apparel - urban outfitters, brandy melville and free people - are now offering more sophisticated twists on the typical tie dye. here are some i might cash in on soon:

dress from urban outfitters' kaleidoscope collection

levi's vintage rainbow sherbet shorts from brandy melville

the one i can't wrap my head around? ombre hair. it's actually been around for months now and you could say i'm sporting it now too... it's called letting your highlights or faux hair color grow out. i just do not understand wanting to spend money to color your hair to look like someone whose roots are showing! the exception...

4. cotton candy hair.
if i didn't work in a professional office and fear the looks of my boss, co-workers and clients, i would surely do the dip-dyed, mermaid hair trend with no questions asked. instead, i'm trying out the look in a different way, so stay tuned to find out more about my weekend-only hair color party. in the meantime, get inspired by the capitol with my past hunger games post, or check out what it looks like to use kevin murphy's "color.bug" below.

sew cool.

this past christmas my mom asked if my new husband and i had stepped out of a time machine, and rightfully so. the rock and roll fan that he is, i bought him a new record player - made to look and sound antique, of course - along with a couple queen and guns n roses albums. one of our favorite "dates" was heading to goodwill soon after and spending over an hour looking through hundreds of 45s to bring home.

and his gift to me? my first brand new sewing machine, which was one of those things i'd been telling myself i'd buy for a few years. although it is new like the record player, she thought it was funny that i'd want to step back in time to make my own clothes rather than just shop for them like normal people (which hey, let's not get ahead of ourselves. i am never giving that up).

well i loved the sewing machine so much that it didn't stop there. to add to our collection of classic 1970s cameras, video cameras and an old editing machine, last week we finally got a vintage sewing machine and cabinet, all for a steal from craigslist on the same day. at this rate, our home is starting to look like an allsaints store.


the sewing machine is a singer, of course, and i found out from the serial number that it was made in 1905. even better...it's still in perfect working condition. can't wait to test this baby out. that is, once i learn how to properly use my new brother machine first!

triathlete in training.

this time last week a couple friends and i were prepping for a shower to honor one of the absolute coolest chicks, along with baby catherine, a lucky little girl i can't wait to meet when she's welcomed into the world in a few months.

jen is not your typical future mom, and i love her for it. she's a kick-ass triathlete and probably the strongest person i know. teresa, lillia and i opted for a "triathlete-in-training" theme since i'm pretty sure every guest in attendance had that in common, but of course we couldn't leave out all the girly pastel colors and candy too!


one of my favorite parts of the planning was looking at all the clothes she could wear and deciding what to hang from our clothesline decor. mini tri clothes were a must, and in our research i found the best website for fellow swim-bike-runners, trix-gear.com. the somewhat new company offers cute triathlete-inspired lifestyle apparel for men and women of all ages, including some for the kiddie "elites" (and their moms!). i bought the matching "swim", "bike" and "run" onesie set for little girls, but the trix mobile was a close second on my list.

to keep with the theme, and satisfy jen's desire to hit the pool this summer with baby c, i also couldn't pass up the most adorable swimsuit found during a quick stop into gymboree at cityplace. the teeny pink, one-piece bathing suit featuring this smiling snail is not sold online, but i did find a similar design on the brand's website today, if interested.

for soon-to-be moms who are not as fitness-focused or just want a little more glam for their tiny tots, we've got a few options for you there too. i gave the book, "this little piggy went to prada: nursery rhymes for the blahnik brigade," by amy allen to another oh-so-stylish friend, chrissy, for her beautiful little girl, eliza. hey, you gotta teach 'em early!

not enough for your fashion fan-in-training? get her started on the bold lip trend with this "kissy face hand-painted custom pacifer" we found by piquant designs on etsy. made with non toxic paints, this is sure to be her hottest accessory.


this one's for the girls. check back in a few weeks for some ideas for all the future rock stars and prepster little boys in your life.

surprisingly stylish tweetup.

tweet tweet tweet.

no, that's not a little birdie in your ear, that was the sound coming from the clematis street tweetup last night, hosted at the brand new palm sugar by "a guy on clematis" the locally famous blogger for all things downtown. i attended with a friend/office vp, and all in all it was a good night with good people. i not only won the coveted sunfest tickets of the evening - and now need to narrow down whether i want to use them to see joan jett, passion pit (as long as i steer clear of the creed stage!!), snoop dogg or counting crows - but there was also some unexpected style in the crowd. on clematis? i should have seen it coming.

my co-worker, who is always on trend, not-so-surprisingly had on this cute blazer from anthropologie and nautical-themed pins to for an office-chic look, which i had to share. her cute heels added a nice finishing touch, but i didn't get the chance to snap a pic.


another fellow twitter user rocked this awesome set of seminole suspenders last night and i was a little envious of them. he told me his daughter is starting at fsu next fall so he had to represent. the "monday morning quarterback" in me needs to get a pair for next season's trips to tallahassee. paired with a plain white tee, some long & destroyed cuffed denim, and my new wannabe converse from h&m, i'll be all set to do the chop.


i like them for guys too, obviously, and can see one of the hundreds of preppy frat boys wearing them with their little bow ties and yellow chinos. i can't, however, see my black-wardrobed husband ever getting near these though.

other unexpected style of the night: i got to "tweet" a few new friends from downtown at the gardens and nordstrom rack in boca, plus we gave out a $25 gift card from my agency's client, cityplace (ok, that wasn't a surprise, but you get the idea!). can't wait until the next one!

not-so-casual friday.

it's been a while since i've been home long enough to do laundry, and i can't remember the last time i've seen the inside of a dry cleaner. so in searching for an outfit this morning from my near barren closet (well...in regards to clothes i actually wanted to wear anyway), i had to get a little bit creative.


that's when i noticed the sheer, gold-studded and floral embroidered bolero from anthropologie that i wore for christmas hanging among the similar colored vests and tanks i typically save for the weekends. it's a little flashier than something i'd normally wear during the week, but paired with a red racer-back and a pop of yellow lace peeking out, plus cropped brown skinny work pants, a pair of neutral summery heels and my favorite wooden l.a. skyline necklace, it was surprisingly perfect for a spring day at the office...and maybe a trip to happy hour afterward.

i like your style.

i went to a wedding a week ago today for the couple i mentioned a few posts ago, and style was all around. from the bride's lovely handmade gown from china and the purple and origami accents, to the music and brilliant outfits and hairstyles of the guests.

i just have to share the look of one of my fellow partygoers here. alex, one of my husband's newest friends he met at the bachelor party, had such a smashing look for a spring wedding with his pink button-down, periwinkle frames and plaid bow tie to match his exuberant personality, curly locks and scruffy but manicured beard. guys, want to get attention - in a good way - at your next event? sport this look.


my own bright getup probably matched his better than it did my husband's, as i wore a purple lip color, yellow chain collar necklace and pink sari-inspired dress from last summer by rachel from rachel roy. the rrr line might just be my new favorite "younger sister" collection because although more affordable, it still works with high quality fabrics and interesting shapes and patterns, unlike most other designers' second-tier fashions for big box and department stores.

it's a little off topic, but my point is further supported by evidence of the newly purchased leather-blocked pants by rrr i finally got to wear in nyc this week, for instance...

fashion capital.

i had a quick trip to new york for a conference this week, and in between my sessions and a dinner with a friend one night, i walked a few blocks over to what's considered one of the most stylish streets on the planet: fifth avenue.
while i much prefer the character of antique row in west palm beach or shopping along south la brea avenue in los angeles where my new favorite american rag cie resides, when in manhattan, a few stops on fifth ave. are a must.



h&m is part of an nyc tradition my friend and company vice president started me on, so that one was a no-brainer. i was a little disappointed in the selection this time, but bought a few staples i've been needing to work into my ever-growing closet.

the real shop i enjoyed visiting on fifth, however, was urban outfitters. the multi-level store is much more of what i'd expect from the company than its counterpart in palm beach gardens, with wooden floors, open ceilings, small designer sections and a special sale room.

another high point of the cold weather, northern store that you won't find locally in the sunshine state? this mini wall of tights with more colors and patterns than i could imagine.


another thing i was able to see in person, this sunny, pleated dress by silence & noise from urban's colorful kaleidoscope collection that i've been eying online for a while. and i must say, it's even more stunning in person...i just wish i had somewhere to wear it!

in-flight entertainment

not yet at the proper elevation to turn on my mac, or wanting to dive into the reads my husband gave me for the flight yesterday - charles bukowski's hollywood - i was relieved to see this month's cover of delta sky. with a cover story featuring jason wu and subsequent stories on a yves saint laurent museum collection and a "what's in his bag?" column on brad goreski, i was set.

delta may not usually come through for me like jet blue with tv, checked bags or carry-ons (yes, that's partially directed at you, mr. check-in guy who tried to argue with me about the size of my bag, which did indeed fit in the overhead, no thanks to you) but i can always count on delta sky for some in-flight entertainment.

next up: shopping along 5th and dinner with one of my most fashionable friends after today's sessions at the prsa digital impact conference.