Entrapment

Help! I'm going to be trapped inside today, unable to enjoy the beautiful, nearly 80-degree Seattle sunshine!

Amanda Pratt

I would much rather be doing this:

Kate Powers

Or this:

Oscar Falk

Or this:

Camilla Akrans

Le sigh... Can it please be summer in Seattle all the time?

I hope you all have a lovely weekend full of sunshine (and glamour!).

*swoon*
Paige

J.Crew Summer Sale!

J.Crew announced their Summer Sale today, and because I'll be starting a new job(!) soon, I thought I would purchase a few things to spruce up my work wardrobe.

Sweaters in summer? you ask? Well, Seattle summers can get still get a little breezy, and sometimes air conditioning inside buildings is just too cold!

I limited myself to three items (although it was very difficult):

Charmeuse pencil skirt in Bronzed Twig

Chiffon trim pocket cardigan in Shell

Merino Michelle V-neck cardigan in Glazed Pecan

(Where do they come up with these color names?)

Some people think J.Crew is too plain, or too preppy; but I think they have the perfect base pieces for any outfit. It's one of my absolute favorite stores. A lot of their items are a bit pricey for me unless they're on sale... but I don't feel as bad purchasing them because they're ultra high-quality, and they last forever in regards to both in durability and in timelessness.

*swoon*
Paige

Thrifted Thursday - Owl Paper Holder

I imagine this little wooden owl is actually a napkin holder; however, I use it as a place to store my current stationery and thank-you cards.


On its own (or against to knotty pine wood paneling), it could be considered dated; but I have it on my desk alongside various white ceramic containers that hold my other desk supplies - a milk glass mug for pens, a white ceramic plant pot for scissors, rulers, and X-Acto knives, and a Jonathan Adler-esque white ridged mini-vase from Ikea. The little wood owl pops rather nicely against the collection!

*swoon*
Paige

Looks from Life - Dandelion

The photograph on the right of the dandelion (by kiddishlycute) has been in my favorites file on Flickr for quite some time now. I stumbled upon this dress from Christian Dior's Spring Couture 2009 line yesterday and realized it captures the dandelion perfectly:



Her hips wavers slightly, like the flower's stem; and who could ignore that tufted, feathery hat?

Oh, how I love when fashion and nature collide!

*swoon*
Paige

The Grasslands

Dagg & Stacey are really speaking my language!

Remember my post on safari dresses?

Take a look at this Out of Africa-inspired spring/summer collection by the fantastic, up-and-coming Canadian duo:


I think my favorite has to be the first one, the yellow dress, simply because of the little flower detail and because it has pockets! I love dresses and skirts with pockets.

What a fun word. Pocket.

Check out the rest of the collection here.

*swoon*
Paige

Vintage Vogue Photography

I found this photograph on The English Muse. Such a beaut'!


Love the ballet-inspired pointed toes! Make me want to dance!

*swoon*
Paige

Typography - Little G

This is just one example of why I love typography:


A few weeks ago I went to a fantastic lecture on typography through the Seattle InDesign Users Group. The featured speaker was fontophile Thomas Phinney, formerly of Adobe, now of Extensis. He is a brilliant typographer, and if you ever get a chance to hear him talk, I highly recommend attending.

*swoon*
Paige

And the weekend comes to a close...

I don't think this past weekend could have been any better! So much sunshine, so many friends, and so much time spent outside!

The one moment The Boyfriend and I did relish indoors was our breakfast yesterday morning: A smoked salmon and vegetable scramble, apples with honey, and mimosas!

Our itty bitty dining room table. Hey, we make it work!
(Especially because I found it half-off in the as-is section at Ikea a few years ago.
I definitely couldn't pass it up!)

The only fruit we had on hand (Fujis), perked up with some honey.

Scramble: Smoked salmon, cherry tomatoes, green peppers, onions, and parmesan

We were joined by our salt-and-pepper bears!
(And just to the left, you'll notice we used the thrifted juice decanter.)

I also got to puppy-sit my friends' brand new, seven-week old puppy, Gus! Is he a heart-breaker, or what?


The rest of the week is supposed to be just as beautiful (with the exception of a few small showers tomorrow). It's supposed to get even warmer! Mid-70s!

I hope everyone had a wonderful long weekend. What did you do? Anything new and exciting, or just a bit of nice relaxing?

*swoon*
Paige

Looks from Life - Graffiti

I know most people are still away on vacation, and most likely are not sitting in front of their computers reading blogs on a nationally-recognized three-day weekend; however, I thought I would create a Look from Life because I haven't posted one in awhile.

Today's look is inspired by the colors of this piece of graffiti:

Matr - photograph by Franco Folini

I know some people (a lot of people, actually) have negative feelings towards graffiti - that it's just vandalism, that it stems from gangs, and instigates further violence in certain neighborhoods; but if you take a moment to look at it simply for its artistic value, it is truly amazing, and there are some incredible artists out in the world who might not otherwise get the opportunity to display their work.

I admit, the outfit inspired by this photo does not capture the same sort of grit present in the piece above; however, I did take into consideration the muted atmosphere, and tried to create a more casual look than most of my Looks from Life. I also wanted to keep it crisp and well-coordinated, trying to echo the attention to detail in the graffiti piece.


*swoon*
Paige

P.S. If you haven't seen the renowned, often politically-charged, works of street artist, Banksy, I highly recommend visiting his site.

SoulCal Tank - via Republic
Serpentine Shimmer Headband - via Anthropologie
Venice Beach Bolero - via Baur
Motorboat Trousers - via Anthropologie
Raf Simons Eastpack Messenger Bag - via Browns Fashion
Kenneth Cole New York Clean Cut Flats - via PiperLime

The Brambly Book Wood

I was going to call it a day and simply enjoy the sunshine, but then I remembered the art currently on display at the Downtown Seattle Anthropologie and I had to post about it.



There weren't any business cards left at the store (understandably so!), but I remembered the artist's email address and just Google-d it... her name is Celia Marie Baker, a local artist, and she is absolutely lovely.




Check out her website, and her blog to see some of her work! I'm definitely considering purchasing a piece, especially because they're so affordable considering they're original works. The pieces at Anthropologie were all painted on scrap wood and were so beautiful.



*swoon*
Paige

Brush Your Shoulders Off

It is absolutely gorgeous in Seattle right this minute and it's supposed to stay this way for awhile.

On top of it all, I have a four day weekend full of exciting events: the baby-naming ceremony for The Boyfriend's brand new niece, The Boyfriend's grandmother's 90th birthday bash, canoeing in the Arboretum, puppy-sitting, a colleague's performance at the Northwest Folklife Festival, Happy Hours, and friends visiting from out of town!

Perhaps a beach trip is in order, complete with bikini... or at least some off-the-shoulder blouse action!



I love the combo/contrast of the thick pearls with the longer necklace!

Have a wonderful weekend!

*swoon*
Paige

Styling Project - Call for Submissions!

So... I have an idea for a little project, but I'm going to need your help!

Do you have an article of clothing or an accessory that you absolutely love but have no clue what to pair it with outfit-wise? I would love to come to your rescue.

If you need fashion help, please email me a photograph of your item (on a hanger or on you, and relatively well-lit so I can get a good idea of the item). I will put together an outfit or collage of pieces that would work for you, and then feature it right here on Swoonworthy! You'll become an instant celebrity (and help me build my styling portfolio at the same time)!

If this is popular enough, I would love to do one each week to be published on Fridays as a little end-of-the-week treat.

What do you think? Can you help me out? I think it would be a great feature!

*swoon*
Paige

Windflower

My lovely friend, Melissa, sent me the link to this necklace yesterday and I literally gasped when I saw it. Instead of spending nearly $40 on it, however, I have every intention of recreating it this long weekend (or at least attempting to)!

Windflower Necklace, Anthropologie

*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

Thrifted Thursday - Longhorn Pendant Necklace

Whenever I wear this necklace, I get excited, southern-accented inquiries as to whether or not I'm originally from Texas. Nope, I'm a born-and-raised Seattleite, but I love this longhorn pendant.


I found the pendant at Value Village, a Pacific Northwest thrift store chain, and simply strung it on a thin gold chain I already had. I have no idea of its history, how old it is, where it comes from; but it always manages to add a little bit of kick to any outfit.

*swoon*
Paige

Chloe - Summer RTW 2009

Chloe has always been a favorite of mine (even the perfume bottles are gorgeous!), and this summer's ready-to-wear line only emphasized my love for the company.


The look above is probably my favorite in the entire collection. I would love to wear it on a hot summer's day, lounging around the house with all the windows flung open!




Metallic touches, like the bow above, keep it from being too dull.



The color palette alone is to die for (surprisingly fall-like in places), and the various detailing - such as the scalloped edges, and the belt-like bows - are perfectly sweet.

*swoon*
Paige

On Safari

One look that was subtly interspersed throughout the various 2009 Resort collections this year was the always-classic khaki safari dress... but with a few twists:

ADAM

Badgley Mischka

Derek Lam

Doo.Ri

Louis Vuitton

Luca Luca

Moschino

Ports 1961

I have a greenish-toned 1970's safari dress from my mom which I plan on updating for this summer! I plan on combining it with a thick belt, floppy hat, large sunglasses, and espadrilles. Maybe even a glamorous gauzy scarf.

Have you ever tried this look? If you can get your hands on any version, definitely try it out. It goes with nearly everything!

*swoon*
Paige

Diane and Her Technicolor Dream Dress

I would love to have this dress in my summer wardrobe. It's got a great '70s feel to it, and that huge tote completes the look perfectly! Belting it is also a fantastic style choice.

Diane von Furstenberg, Resort 2009

*swoon*
Paige

Alterations continued...

Okay, how about now?

Alterations

I was able to fix the coding for the layout, but the heading is going to have to wait for this evening.

How is the layout now? Similar to the original? Better?

*swoon*
Paige

"Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore..."

Don't worry, you're in the right place, it just looks a little different.

Yesterday when I was sick and grumbly, I decided to play around with a new header for Swoonworthy. I may change it every so often until I find one that I really like, and then brand my site around it. (One site that does this oh so well is coco+kelley, but I would expect nothing less from the fantastic Cassie who has a background in marketing!)

I would love to get feedback from you, readers! If there's something you particularly like (or dislike) - a color scheme, a certain graphic, a layout - please let me know! (Also, if for some reason the layout is oddly positioned on your computer, please, please tell me because I can only view things on my little laptop screen, and if my template coding is off it could bump certain objects around. Nerd alert!)

I'm currently channeling my post on orange dresses... can you tell?

Suggestions are always appreciated!

*swoon*
Paige

Once Upon a Time...

Three years ago today, a boy and a girl went on their first date. They were both very nervous.


She picked him up from his place and they drove to Alki Beach in the West Seattle area of Seattle. Did I mention they were both nervous? The more nervous people are, the more they tend to like the other person. And they were very nervous.

After parking the car, they walked up and down the street, talking and laughing, trying to decide what to eat for dinner. They finally settled on chowder from Spud. The girl insisted on paying for herself, which probably made the boy worry a little, but he had nothing to worry about. She was planning on sticking around.

They left Spud, crossed the street to the beach, sat on the pebble-coated sand, and leaned against a large log together. They opened up their chowder and conversation continued. The girl pretended not to notice that the boy could hardly eat. He was very, very nervous. She finished her meal in no time (nerves will never get in the way of hunger for this girl), and the boy put his away, saying he would save it for later, that he "wasn't very hungry."

Once the sun set, they went to his apartment and stayed up talking until five in the morning, and watching Weird Science (a really terrible movie from the '80s), but not paying attention to the movie at all because they were both freaked out as to what to do next. When the girl finally had to leave, the boy walked her to her car. She only gave him a hug because she was worried the chowder might have put on a show if she tried to kiss him.

Next time, she promised herself.


That "next time" has turned into a lifetime. That boy has stuck by this girl through it all - a year and a half of long-distance (including five months in India), living with her parents (yikes), and the hardest of all, cancer (my dad still thanks him for not "heading to the hills" after my diagnosis). The Boyfriend and I plan on recreating our first date tonight by going to Alki to get chowder and, if it's not raining, sitting on the beach until the sun sets. We'll probably nix the Weird Science, though. It's just too terrible of a movie.

*swoon*
Paige

Eugenio Recuenco

Most of his work airs on the creepy side, but Eugenio Recuenco's photography is really something to check out. One collection that really caught my eye included the photograph below on the left, capturing the art deco era, and imitating Tamara de Limpicka's famous painting, Girl in a Green Dress.


Another favorite of mine is his portrayal of The Princess and the Pea and other fairytale characters:


And I love the lighting of this one, but it makes me laugh a little:

"OMG. I'm looking through files. This is so dramatic!"

I guess it makes more sense when you see the entire collection and realize she's a glamorous detective. Too bad we can't all be pieces of art, fairy princesses, and Nancy Drews...

*swoon*
Paige