In Love with Conversation Pieces

My friend Audrey has one of the most adorable little online boutiques out there... I would say so even if I didn't think she was a super sweet gal too! It's called Conversation Pieces and her offerings include different brands and looks. Audrey is super specific in her merchandising and is wicked good at it. She carries a range of dresses, tops, accessories and more all with a lil' bit of sass.

What I love best about her is that she has a keen eye for things with a little bit of vintage sophistication. I have multiple "conversation pieces" and they fit my wardrobe for work and for play. Plus, get a load of the sweet little packages she sends!

 Some of my favorite vintage inspired pieces right now are dresses (surprise, surprise) and they make me think of my Grandma (when she was rockin' in NYC in the 50's) and also a little Mad Men-esque. Of course, us modern girls could kick with some fierce pumps and edgy accessories. In summation, I am a fan of Audrey and her Conversation Pieces. I really hope that you guys check out her shop and fall in love with her as much as I have!

Spots of Fun Dress, Green with Envy Dress, Miss Peachy Fine Dress

Vintage Patterns, a New Old Frontier

Whilst visiting the future Mother in Law at her home in the Pennsylvania woods, she brought to be what seemed to be a treasure trove of vintage patterns. What do you mean, Vintage patterns? Well guys, I mean vintage patterns as in these little beauties were printed in the 60s and 70's and were, swoon, well preserved. What do you think made this situation better? MIL told me that I could have my pick of some patterns to take home and try out myself!

Old patterns have a soft spot in my heart. If well preserved, these can offer a fantastic way to bring "vintage" fashion back into your life while using new fabrics and prints, therein modernizing them. The treasures that I ended up bringing back to the homestead included the following patterns that I thought I could #1 make work in my modern woman wardrobe #2 would not be too hard to make or learn to make and #3 were my size people!

Oscars 2012: Best and Worst Dressed

Hello people. Did you watch the Academy Awards last night? I told the man that I only wanted to watch the Red Carpet and then the opening buuuuuut you know I watched the whole thing, causing us to have to record The Walking Dead...oh well. The show itself was lackluster, Billy Crystal made me cringe and there was feedback through the whole show but I did pick my best and worst dressed! Wanna see?

BEST:

Jason Merritt/Getty Images North America

Project Runway All Stars, Episode 8

So I am back with some thoughts and such on Project Runway All Stars and it's happenings. I missed last week's post because my Thursday night was very hairy, as was my Friday... I didn't even end up watching Episode 7 until Sunday at some point. Anyway, that episode made me sad, as we bid farewell to my lady Kara Janxy poo. According to the judges, she just wasn't the caliber of designer that the rest were, or something like that. She was extremely disappointed and frankly, she just seemed exhausted. My poor pumpkin. I love her designs dating back to that wrap dress from her season.

Obsession Alert: EA Burns Jewelry

I cannot stop thinking about these necklaces by EABurns. I saw them a couple of months ago, so long that I can't remember exactly where it was that I first laid eyes upon them. All I do know is that I bookmarked the Lizzie Burns' page and have been dreamy-eyed about her pieces ever since. I have actually been meaning to write this blog post since the moment I saw them.

Did Betsey Johnson Bring Clueless Back?

Betsey Johnson's Fall/Winter RTW 2012 show debuted last week. It was classic Betsey; fun, fanciful, flirty and a little wild. I have read reviews of her newest collection and everyone is getting pretty much the same vibe: pumped up 60's mod with a futuristic edge. I totally agree with those reviews but you know what I also see? Clueless, early 90's Clueless. Fashion from the movie Clueless (starring a one Miss Alicia Silverstone and the hunkalicious Paul Rudd) has hopped in a time machine and asked Miss Betsey Johnson for another chance.

Jewelry from the Runway: Ben-Amun

This fashion season, I was all about reporting on not necessarily the most covered shows (although I did choose a few of those as well) and was actually surprised that a few reps from jewelry designers contacted me about the shows that they were included in. I did coverage on Corey Lynn Calter, and soon learned that Ben-Amun provided all the jewelry for those looks that I loved so much. I feel bad that I hadn't even tried to do the research, because this jewelry is pretty fantastic.

Thick Gold Bangle, Gold Hinge Cuff, Portofino Gold Ivory Bead Earrings, Molten Gold and Black Earrings, Hammered Gold Necklace

My Top 15 Looks from New York Fashion Week

New York Fashion Week is over, le sigh, but that does mean that I get to do a roundup of my favorite looks of the whole lot. There were some outlandish fashion choices as well as some simply drool worthy ready to wear stuff. I have to say that I was not disappointed with the copious amount of eye candy, from my favorite designers as well as from designers I was not expecting (or had even heard of).

The following 15 looks are not in any specific order and I love them all for different reasons, so how could I rank them anyway? You won't hear fancy words in my descriptions, just plain how I feel about ma clothes.

Milly Mike Coppola/Getty Images North America, Rodarte Neilson Barnard/Getty Images North America, Badgley Mischka Yannis Vlamos / GoRunway.com

While some might argue that this dress by Milly is not the newest kid on the block, I am in love with the yellow piping that separates the white and black blocks in this dress. Plus, ready to wear in real life? For sure. The Rodarte piece on the the other hand (pun intended) is not so RTW but I just thought this had to be one of the most imaginative looks of the season, hands down. Of all the fur-tastic looks from this season's runways, I have to say that I loved the tailored Badgley and Mischka jacket the most. Plus, I loved the styling.

Laura Mossop Art, In Love

So I have been looking for an illustrator for awhile now. No one famous, or super expensive but rather someone who could create an image for my blog that #1 I loved, #2 represents me but also #3 looks a little fantastic. I wanted an artist so I put a post on the Independent Fashion Blogger's community board. It's for members only so I know I would probably find a fashion illustrator. Wellp, no one responded to me, not right away at least.

After I had sort of forgotten about it, Laura Mossop contacted me and asked if I was still looking for someone to do an illustration/portrait. Of course I was! I took a look at her site and she incorporates traditional methods of painting with contemporary digital methods.... so cool. 

She asked me what I was looking for and I explained that I wanted something similar to a portrait but with creative elements included all to tie in with the blog. She requested a few pictures of me and somethings that I wanted to incorporate into the painting, because that is how she rolls. I sent her the following 3 pictures. The first is one of my favorite pictures of Marylin Monroe. She looks beautiful in the photograph, the coloring, her pose, just everything to me is appealing. The second picture was one of my favorite looks from the Nanette Lepore Spring 2012 line. The orange, the lace, the funky fun attitude and then finally there was a photo of my with my new favorite haircut, something I obvi needed to include.

Laura almost immediately responded with a rough sketch and to me, rough is the wrong word. The first draft was already awesome. She asked that I make tweeks and let her know what I would change or add. What direction did I want to go in?

Prabal Gurung, Ugh Extravagance!

One of my most anticipated shows of the season had to be Prabal Gurungs Fall 2012 line, mostly because he has had me obsessing over Rooney Mara's red carpet looks (see many previous posts on Rooney Mara and how much I heart her) and also Zoë Saldana has been sporting him recently (she sat front row at this show). His clothes have been daring, his prints imaginative and more importantly, the clothes are just plain pleasing to the eye...


Style.com described this collection as "Hell and heaven. Prabal Gurung's Fall collection made that journey, starting off all black, traveling through a blue period, and culminating in a finale of gold and ivory worthy of the pearly gates". I couldn't have put it any better. 

Photos: Marcus Tondo / GoRunway.com

Sleek, sexy silhouettes, sheer cutouts and masterful beading were some of my favorite aspects of the line but there were also elements that I was not a huge fan of. Take for instance, his high fashion sweatshirt. Now don't get me wrong, I love me some sweats, but on the runway, this look just threw me off. I know it may not be actual cotton but it looked like a run of the mill Hanes with an applique. Paired with gloves and the shine of the royal blue skirt, I thought this was a miss.

My Respect for Whitney Houston

The man and I were absolutely flabbergasted this past Saturday night when we found out (via Twitter of all media) that Whitney Houston was found dead at the Beverly Hills Hilton, where she was scheduled to attend Clive Davis' Pre-Grammy party. It actually, truly and honestly, bummed me out. No, I did not know Whitney personally, nor did I have any real connection to her...but her music, well her music really was a huge part of my formative years.


As a young child, I can remember Whitney Houston. In those years where things you remember are few and far between, I have vivid memories of borrowing cassette tapes (yes, cassette tapes) from my friends at school and then making my own copy of them. Whitney's first album was one of those tapes. "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" and "So Emotional"  were staples of my young music loving career. 


The early 90's and middle school years brought The Bodyguard soundtrack that I, to this day, listen to. "I Will Always Love You", "Queen of the Night", "Run to You", geesh, all of her songs of that album were hits. I can remember my sister and I trying to since just like Whitney Houston on this album.  Just last week, this album still sneaked itself into a Twitter conversation, a banter back and forth naming songs off this album.

Jason Wu has a Big Week

Jason Wu had a big week this week. His Jason Wu for Target launch was successful (as expected), driving people to Targets nationwide and Target online handled themselves much better this time around. Add Jason Wu's Fall 2012 collection to the mix (which was all up in my Twitter feed today) and you have a banner week for the main man.

Photos: Monica Feudi / Feudiguaineri.com

People were raving about the militaristic jackets, the smoking silhouettes and the fabrics, oh the fabrics. From Wintery greys and blacks to red Chinese inspired prints, the collection was cohesive and had a voice. Even in colder months, this collection would keep a girl warm and looking fantastic. Ugh (in a good way).

Tadashi Shoji Fall 2012

Tadashi Shoji's Fall collection was different from the looks that I have dug so far.(see Nicholas K and Corey Lyn Calter prev.). The vision was dramatic for sure but in a different way. 

I am smacked in the fashion face with lace overlays, tasseled fringe, lush velvet and upholstery like prints (in a good way). The vision, and what I assume was the inspiration, was the Roaring 20's era, flappers and maybe a dash of The Great Gatsby? Any way you slice it, I am moved... to want to buy it for the imaginary black tie event that I have on the schedule.

Photos by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images North America

 Let's just say that I have never been so inspired by velvet. I am serious. 

Project Runway All Stars, Episode 6

Ah yes, another episode of Project Runway All-Stars has come and gone... We laughed, we cried and we sent one designer packin'! As always, if you haven't seen the episode, then this post will ruin the outcome for you.

Last night really irritated me; the designers, the judges, the lame challenge. Angela announced our challenge with 8 different handbags and I am thinking, cool they are designing to match a handbag. Nope, she passes the bags out, our designers take a slip out of said bag, and are assigned a season: Spring, Summer, Autumn or Winter. They are to make an outfit suitable for a weekend getaway (them justifying the weekend bags) and they are going head to head with another designer. One will have a high score and one will have a low score. Bleh. Austin and Kara have Spring, Kenley and Mondo have Summer, Mila and Rami have Autumn and Jerell and Michael have Winter. And we're off!

Nicholas K Fall 2012 Cowboys Up

Nicholas K's collection came out with guns a blazin' today for the Fall 2012 runway show. Bad ass hats, ponchos, holsters in dusty grays and browns, all made their way down the runway at The Studio at Lincoln Center today.


The styling was rough and tumble, the make up rusty and dark. My boyfriend would be proud of me for having the following thought: The collection summoned the world of The Dark Tower series by Stephen King. Cowboy mixed with a sort of post- apocalyptic thing. Yes, I know how strange that sounded and yes, I know only nerds will get my reference.

Photos by Mike Coppola/Getty Images North America

However literal some of the elements in this collection were, there were also details that I thought were clever and imaginative. Take for instance the turtle shell necklace that some of the models donned. The pieces were not part of the Nicholas K line but rather were designed by Jewelry by Matt out of NYC and he is sure to get some much deserved attention for these gooooorgeous pieces! Not something that I would personally wear but in this collection, it really made an impression because the shells themselves were an interesting enough piece to draw the eye and compliment the designer's vision.

Corey Lynn Calter Fall 2012

Today was the first day of Merceded Benz  Fashion Week Fall 2012 and down at Pier 59, the collection that stood out most to this blogger, was under way. I am talking about the goods from designer Corey Lynn Calter. Her presentation was like "BOOM, here I am!" not just in vibrant colors but in the interesting prints and, subsequently, the pairing of the two. What I really, really loved most? Was that if worn with confidence, any regular gal could pull off these looks. These really are ready to wear.

Joe Kohen/Getty Images North America 

Positve Reinforcement a la Creative Fashion Design

So last night, I had my third Fashion Design class. I am obviously trying to still manage the stress of trying to be "competitive" and "creative", being back in school, wondering if I am good enough and all those insecurities that I have, that really, no one but me can understand. The drive in to Boston after work on Tuesdays has just begun to be irritating because contrary to what I believed to be true, traffic goes both ways at rush hour. Also, sitting in work clothes for another 6 hours is uncool. Do see where I am going here? I can certainly pick out the negative in any situation.

Last night's class, we were going to do a few different things. On the docket was learning to use the school's sewing machines (home and industrial sewing), a worksheet on color blocking and also having individual consultations with our teacher about our non-textile projects (what we planned to use, our design, possible difficulties). I was not the first to go up to talk to teach about our plans. What I was hearing with the first few people were negative negatives... "That material will be hard to work with", "This is boring", "I am expecting more from you in this class", "I don't like this design"... I don't know if it's because Tuesday is my teacher's "long" day or if she was just plain cranky, but she was not hiding her feelings at all. I was pretty much freaking out that I just signed up for a class that I wasn't good enough for.

OM: Spontaneity? Yes Please.

I know I should take more time to voice what I am thankful for, heck I need to take more time to remind myself what I am thankful for.  I always want to share my "One Moment" of the week but lately it's turned into sharing my One Moment of the half year. I am getting bad. Anyway, if I am forgiven, please read on.

This moment (or collection of moments) is something that I am totally proud of me and the man for. A good friend of ours called us up in mid January to tell us that she was going to be in Sacramento for a Wine Symposium for work. Her husband (also a good friend) was going to fly out to meet her and they were going to make a long weekend of it, hitting up Napa and San Fransisco. They wanted to know if we would be interested in going along. My immediate reaction? Ummm, no, are you kidding?! That leaves us no time to plan! Flights, hotel, rental cars, things to do... we would be flying blind and fast! I knew the man would feel the same way... fast forward to about a half hour later. The man, gasp, grabbed a Virgin America post card out of the trash (this granted us a major discount on flights in January, basically 50% off) and proclaimed proudly, let's do it!

So what's up spontaneity? We totally booked flights and worked with our friends on hotels, the rental and all the things that we did on this trip just this past weekend. We totally crammed in, yet enjoyed, a lot of sights and sounds. From the Redwood Forest to Wine Tasting to some Pier/Sea Lion action and on to Chinatown, we certainly made the most of our trip for sure. We even fit in a little retail therapy (hello Chinese Mary Janes, new spices and olive oils mmmmm).

So while we aren't always spontaneous (hey being a planner is fun too!) it is pretty exciting when we can pull something off and "Live Life". We have a lot of planning ahead of us with this wedding in a little less than a year so I guess in spreading a little spontaneity around, we can feel young and fancy free if only for a few moments.

OM is a weekly meet up that promotes living in the moment. Whether funny, sad, ridiculous, or banal, actively looking for and sharing these moments will promote balance in our lives. 

Yep, I'm Still Watching Project Runway All-Stars

Yes, I am still watching Project Runway All- Stars. I didn't write about it last week because while it was airing, I was literally in the air. Being that a trip was underway, I didn't get a chance to watch PR All Stars Ep 4 until a little before Ep 5 aired last night. I will recap episode 4 in the shortest paragraph possible then work on highlighting last night's episode.

Episode 4: Most Boring Premise Ever... designers were challenged to create a look inspired by... Gelato, yes, the ice cream like frozen treat Gelato. Were the producers sitting in a conference room somewhere pondering what would be a fantastic idea for a show, tossing ideas back and forth only to land on Gelato? It was an awful and uninspired episode. The only highlight for me? Seeing whiny, ungrateful April Johnston go home. She had blueberry flavor and created a monstrosity, end scene.

Last night's episode... well, it picked up some steam in comparison to the episode prior. Our designers were brought to Union Square park and tasked with #1 finding a muse  #2 convincing people to let them, literally, take the clothes off their backs #3 Use their "street" clothes for at least 50% of their look. Now we're cooking with oil. It was in these park scenes where I remember why I love Anthony Williams so much. Favorite line of the night? Anthony yells, "Hi Hot White Guy!"at a very fit gentleman with no shirt on. Austin then remarks that he was the one who got Hot White Guy's phone number... well, well, well...cheeky designers.

Elisa Palomino Autumn/Winter 2012

I was pouring over the most recent runway collections, mainly Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Madrid, Autumn/Winter 2012 and I was absolutely floored with the Elisa Palomino show. I, admittedly, had never heard of Elisa Palomino and if I had? Well, she didn't stick in my memory. After this collection, I don't think I will be forgetting any time soon.

Photo by Jasper Juinen/Getty Images Europe

Fresh and colorful, the contrast of colors in the accessories, garments and even the makeup, make this collection hard to keep your eyes off of. While I won't be wearing florescent pink blush any time in the near future, the pop of color completely makes the look for me. Just looking at Elisa Palomino's Autumn/Winter 2012 collection really leaves me inspired to work with bright colors, and even pull some bright colors from my closet this week.

Photo by Jasper Juinen/Getty Images Europe

I don't think that fashion always has to be wearable. I think that if you make an artistic statement, like Elisa did with this line, that there is room for it, especially when it is inspirational. Since we are in such a visual age, why not push boundaries or have no boundaries at all...


What do you think of the collection? Is it wacky in a good way or tacky, throw it out bad?