Wedding Prep Sneak Peek #1

Reception shoes?

Check.

I found them at a thrift store for $7.50. My reception dress (found via Etsy) will have a similar-colored sash (the designer calls it "turkey red!"), but I can't give away any more details about it!

My lovely bridesmaids are all currently dress shopping. I gave them a palette of oranges and corals, and an approximate knee-length guideline, then told them to pick out their own frocks. I wanted them to be able to wear their dresses again, and coral is such a flattering color on everybody that I think (I hope!) they'll actually find future occasions where they can wear them.

I'll be back in the near future with more updates!

*swoon*

Paige

My three new best friends: Betsey, Oscar and Adam

I have a few current obsessions that I will definitely (and sadly) not be purchasing anytime soon:

Betsey Johnson, Generosa $200

Oscar de la Renta, Oversized Silk Floral Coat $2,490 via Net-A-Porter

Adam, Belted Linen-Blend Blazer $425 via Net-A-Porter

Just thought I'd share!

*swoon*
Paige

Looks from Life - Paintbrushes

Today's Looks from Life inspiration comes from one of my favorite up-and-coming photographers, honey.huckabee:

brush.brush.brush.brush.brush by honey.huckabee

Focus on the little bit of shine and the little bit of matte, and you get this dress! A perfect rendering, I must say:

TFNC Tara Zip Dress, approx $74; Dolce & Gabbana Patent Stiletto Pumps, $439

And the black patent leather pump gives the right amount of glossiness, reminiscent of the black ferrule of the paintbrush.

*swoon*
Paige

Shopping for Good

My good friend, Celeste, recently introduced me to the Global Fund for Women's "Shop Your Values" site, which links to great sites on the web that donate part of their earnings to the organization.

Next time you need flowers delivered, instead of FTD, why not choose OrganicBouquet.com? You even get a free vase with your order!


Need new make-up? How about the all-natural mineral-based cosmetics by Alima Pure? Their products are never tested on animals, and neither are their suppliers'.


If you're like me, you need the occasional shoe fix. Check out Palo Alto-based In Her Shoes, which now also sells clothing and accessories. All proceeds above operating costs (yes, 100%!) go towards the Global Fund for Women.

Visit the site for more great shopping options!

*swoon*
Paige

Ooh, shiny!

I have always loved Venetian mirrors, especially extremely intricate ones paired with ultra-clean interiors. Unfortunately, Venetian mirrors are generally thousands of dollars, so I may just have to settle for this pair of shoes:




Shoes? you ask? Well, the moment I saw the pair above, it reminded me of an unusual Venetian mirror I had seen in a photograph on Flickr. The "etching" (stitches, really), and their reflectivity are obvious similarities; but the unexpected red accent on the underside of the high heel echoes the red coloring on the mirror below perfectly:


I love when fashion and interiors collide!

*swoon*
Paige

Shoes via My Theresa; Venetian mirror photograph via Vitor P.'s photostream

Looks from Life - Grande Cafe Latte

Even though I'm from Seattle, I'm not a huge coffee drinker; but I can still see the beauty in the beverage. This late foam art absolutely stunning!


It's truly an impressive talent, and I felt I should honor it with an outfit! Simple, yet sweet:

Ballet School Flats via Mod Cloth, $28;
French Connection UK wrap playsuit, $40;
Furla Printed Tote, $545 (or $85/month as a member at Bag, Borrow, or Steal)

*swoon*
Paige

Photo by baristahands.

Monday Shoes

I thought I would start the week off with this fabulous pair of shoes:

The Sartorialist

Happy Monday!

*swoon*
Paige

DIY Louboutin's

You might not think of yourself as crafty, but this project from ...love, Maegan (reblogged from Blah, Blah, Blahg) is totally doable and such a perfect and fun addition to your shoe collection for this summer! It would be a great project for the long holiday weekend:


I have some black strappy heels I can dig up at my parents' house that would be perfect for this! I can't wait to get started!

This also gets me thinking about somehow recreating these next...

*swoon*
Paige

Looks from Life - Stove Burner

Today's Look from Life title may have you a bit puzzled, but I found this photograph of a stove burner and immediately fell in love with the contrast of grit and grunge and the bright, shiny white enamel:

Tick-tick-tick-tick by Tian

How do you turn this image (in need of some serious Mr. Clean) into an outfit?


The heavy, dark grey-green cotton of the dress has the same weighty feeling as the grit on the stove. While I'm generally not a huge fan of booties, I think I could handle these; plus, the strappy cut-outs echo to the gas flame holes of the stove. For the white enamel, I chose a beige belt with white patent leather and silver detailing. The beaded clutch might otherwise be considered too dainty, and not fit in at all; but it has a beaded, "gritty" texture to it, and the colors tie in with the belt, making it feel like it actually belongs. This look could use a bit more of a brownish gray, though. How about a cardigan when it gets chilly at night?

Happy Friday!

*swoon*
Paige

Vivienne Westwood Anglomania Greek Dress
Nude teardrop clasp waist belt
Booties (via geekshoes.com)
Vintage beaded clutch (via shopcurious.com)

Rain, Rain, Go Away - Puddle Jumpers

Guess what... *sigh*

It's raining again. Typical Seattle drizzly mist. Ugh.

Rainy Day by Maka

And I have a hunch that this weather is going to stick around until late June. Those wonderful sunny days we had the past week were just a tease.

It's this kind of weather that makes me rethink a rubber boots purchase. I realize they were more popular for fall, but they're so practical; and with it being more of a trend now, it's easy to find adorable ones... but no matter the color or pattern, I think I would still feel like I was getting ready to haul manure from a barn. What are your thoughts? How have you successfully worn rubber boots? If you've chosen not to go the rubber boot route, how do you handle the springtime puddles?

Here are some cute boots (and yes, I meant to rhyme)!

(click to enlarge)

*swoon*
Paige

1. Green Hunter Wellington's
2. Stormy boot (via alloy.com)
3. City Scene Heart boots (via amazon.com)
4. Polka dot boots (via charlotterusse.com)
5. Nova Plaid rainboots (via target.com)
6. Celine with leather trim (via bluefly.com)
7. Chinese Laundry Swerve boots (via PiperLime)
8. Sporto Drizzle boot
9. Pink Hunter Wellington's
10. Burberry exploded check

Ruby Slippers

On Saturday evening I went to Seattle's McCaw Hall to see my friend perform in the Seattle Men's Chorus, "Singing... in the Rain" show, with special guest Debbie Reynolds. The performance showcased songs from the golden age of Hollywood musicals, and included some fantastic "choral-ography" and tap dancing!

One of my favorites was the classic tribute to Judy Garland, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," sung beautifully by Debbie, who, all the while, glamourously paraded around the stage in a floor-length red sparkly dress.

I hadn't thought back to her performance until today when a friend of mine mentioned that her next item she plans on buying will be some shiny red flats. The song immediately popped back into my head!

Take a look at these fun twists on the famous, magical slippers. Much more appropriate for everyday wear, I must say. They're a fantastic transitional piece from winter to spring. Also, the patent leather texture is perfect for sudden springtime downpours!

*swoon*
Paige

1. Dolce & Gabbana red patent leather flats
2. Marc by Marc Jacobs patent mouse flats
3. Seychelles Petticoat flats
4. Classified patent cut-out flats
5. Charlotte Russe belted patent flats
6. See by Chloe patent pumps with ID tag
7. Miss Selfridge red patent tassel loafer (via missselfridge.com)

No doubt about it...

...I LOVE THESE SHOES.

Tony Maticevski
(via Childhood Flames - I have a feeling this 14-year old girl is going to be famous someday...)

Sure they're a little over-the-top, but so perfectly so!

*swoon*
Paige

Would you ever? / Have you ever? - Gladiator Sandals

Gladiator sandals. Sometimes I think they would be so cool.


Celebs seem to pull it off... right?


However, I worry I would just end up looking like this:


Especially because I have large dancer calves.
(I mean, they're called "gladiator sandals" for a reason...)

And sometimes, they remind me a little of this:


You know, with all those leather straps?

Well, what do you think? Have you ever worn them? Are they comfortable? If you haven't worn them, would you?

*swoon*
Paige

1. Dolce Vita Marcel flat sandals
2. Giuseppe Zanotti Gladiator ankle boot
3. Brown Python Gladiator sandals
4. Gladiator heel (via Delia's - I actually think these would be doable. They're a little less gladiator-y.)
5. Dolce & Gabbana back zip-up sandals

Looks from Life - Vintage Hairspray Cans

I love perusing Flickr to get inspired... today's inspiration? Hairspray.

Hairspray, really?

Well, sure, the actual hairspray product itself may be a little random, and some people may have simply passed this photograph by; but the color palette is what immediately jumped out at me! It screamed spring, so I decided to go on a little hunt of spring wardrobe items inspired by these colors...

(click to enlarge)

I wouldn't combine these items into a single outfit, but I wanted to pick out a few pieces that incorporated the photograph's colors. I love, love, love the dress at the top, especially when accented with the little belt! And I just had to add a yellow umbrella to accompany the red trench. You never know when you'll need one with these rainy Seattle springs!

*swoon*
Paige

"Vintage Cans," by Saida da Concha
Peach belted dress, Red trench, Light blue cap toe flats, Dark blue blouse

Life in Plastic, It's Fantastic!

I know Barbie's 50th anniversary is so last week, but I still wanted to post about it today. First off, you can see the entire Barbie portion of February's New York Fashion Week below (it's like their own version of "Looks From Life"!):

I swear I had a Barbie & Ken duo from the late '80s that looked just like this (except my Ken had a white tuxedo with rhinestone-laden lapels).


I would put them together, naked, in a shoebox and shove it under my bed for awhile. Soon after, Barbie's tight top would be stuffed with tissue, and minutes later, out would pop a couple of impeccably-clothed twin Barbie babies! Oh, the mind of a four-year old...

Remember my jumpsuit post?


The hair on all of the models is just too perfect. And the pink stilettoes? Oh so classically Barbie.

I'd also like to leave you with this hilarious tidbit. Hopefully it will make for a better Monday! I hope your weekends were fabulous (I climbed a bunch of stairs!).

*swoon*
Paige

Oh so self-involved - The Grace Edition

Reader & friend, Grace, posted a comment the other day about not being able to find anything named after her. I guess it all depends on where you look... and it's all about persistence! I'm always up for a good challenge.

Let's see...


See, Grace? Plenty of adorable options! Granted, numbers 3, 6, and 7 are by designer Grace & Hart (I think I've found my new favorite collection - beautiful things!), but I think they still count! And that white dress - my ideal wedding dress for the party/reception half! Ultra-swoonworthy in my book!

*swoon*
Paige

1. Grace knit top (via Forever21)
2. Grace Kelly wrap by Francesca's Collections
3. Manila Grace mauve dress (via Yoox)
4. Metallic kitten heels by Aftershock London
5. Grace body wash, body butter, and fragrance by Philosophy (via Sephora)
6. Grey bustier drop hem cocktail dress by Grace & Hart
7. Creme cocktail dress with tulle and flowers by Grace & Hart