everyone loves a snuggle.

I really hate how much I love my snuggie. It’s a blue, poly blend, fleece nightmare, and I definitely shunned my boyfriend when he first proudly toted it home. But this particularly chilly winter threw the snuggie and I together in to a vortex of fate, and despite my best effort to stay away from the Tackiest Item of 2009, I developed a love for that awful thing.

It’s an embarrassing affair, like one between the homecoming queen and the president of the science club. He may give her everything she needs, but she’ll never admit she’s into it.

Blankoak is a snuggie we can all admit to loving.

It’s Icelandic (from Reykjavik, specifically, which tells me nothing because my knowledge of Icedanic geography leaves something to be desired, but it sounds cool) and made from sheep’s wool. The explanation for it on the website is “for January is cool.” Touche. Well played, Reykjavik-ians, well played.

cool clothes for cool girls

The Battalion was founded by two Echo Park, CA sisters who design minimalistic-yet-fascinating, simple-but-not-simplistic and modern-without-being-trendy women’s clothing. They’ve cited fascinating women and eras gone by as their main inspirations, and their interpretations of Anais Nin (SS 2009), the discovery of the New World (FW 2009) or ballerinas (SS 2010), have consistently been pretty great.

The brand got it’s start when designer Linda Wong began creating outwear from scraps of cashmere upcycled from rag mills, and it has managed to maintain it’s je ne sais quoi, bohemian appeal by never sanding down it’s semi-tough exterior. The Battalion isn’t a trend producer or a trend follower, it’s a brand that focuses on luxurious comfort and wearability for the slightly above-average woman.

Also, I want that fringe sleeve dress. So good!

ten good things

The other day, my (real life, like known her for years, lives down the street, got me to read Twilight, real life) friend jane-e from closet obsessions tagged me to list ten good things. Here goes:

1. Everything from All Saints. Note the collage to your left ladies and gentlemen. It's basically an illustrated wish list.

2. Springtime.

3. My chubby cat and his habit of never being more than 10 feet away from me.

4. The fact that the bell peppers in the backyard are thriving.

5. The new Broken Bells cd.

6. Bookstores.

7. Dusty coffeehouses, small diners and dive bars. So... living in Long Beach.

8. Sunday morning farmer's markets.

9. English breakfast tea.

10. Candles, especially Bergamot ones.

In perpetuation of this little list of optimism, I tag Rhapsody in Boots, Style Porn and Dirty Hair Halo. Have fun ladies :)

H&M Garden Collection

There are a lot of things that I find exciting; macaroons, especially pistachio ones, finding the perfect pair of shoes, the travelocity commercials with the jaunty gnome... My love for each of these things is neck in neck with my love of H&M. The store never disappoints. It rolls out new and sartorially inventive styles before most magazines even recognize them, and it makes them available in a price point that gives reverse-sticker shock. (For example, that striped shirtdress I was wearing in the last post? Yeah, that cost me $6.95. Really. Really really.)

Then there's this, and this makes me happier than pistachio macaroons, shoes and jaunty gnomes combined:

Thank you H&M, for embracing sustainable design and not covering it in burlap. Thank you, for having the brains to make something that is both desirable and wearable. And thank you, for making sundresses out of recycled plastic bottles, so that I can use the phrase "Yeah, my sundress is saving the world," and meaning it.

women's wear daily

cameras make ghosts out of people

ode to marie antoinette, cupcakes

all for the mountain

I'm having one of those days when I'm not really impressed with anything material. After a short while of ebay browsing, I feel yaaaaaaaaawn, nothing is really worth the clicking. Some time browsing online malls resulted in mmmmmmmeh, seen all this before. Seriously, my consumptive instincts are in a bit of a slump. I just want to be IMPRESSED with something, you know?

Hmm, something like this?

The entire All For the Mountain website is littered with stuff like this, little jewelry treasures that feel new and untired, all on backdrops that make me feel like I accidentally ingested some shrooms. Apparently, the cure to the ho hums lies in creative metal molding, photoshop and hallucinogens. *Just kidding, drugs are bad.

I want...

I've been rather good at not falling prey to the gimme gimmes lately. My shopping ban was almost completely effective, keeping me from buying everything but a few must haves (Chanel's Venom nail polish, 'nuff said), but now that my birthday season is coinciding with the weather getting deliciously cozy, I'm finding that old itch creeping up. Here's the short list:

American Apparel's Scoop Back Fringed Mini

The general idea of CovetShop's online consignment genius, starting and ending with these Bottega Venetas.

This fabulously collared winter coat from Urban Outfitters.

The ability to carve a mean jack of lantern would be good too.

And pretty much everything about this picture from the Sartorialist. I want to be her.

'Kay, thanks.

One day William, you'll be cool.

So sorry about the slowdown in posts over the last few days, but I've felt under the weather. More accurately, I've come down with the flu, so nary an outfit post is in sight, which is for the best since it would include pajamas and crumpled tissues. I'm off to rest and recover, and here are some editorial shots I can't get enough of. (Inspired by Almost Famous, one of the movies currently cycling through my DVD player.)

the ice is getting thinner

As much as I love summer, I'm ready for some real weather. Like winds and fog and chill, mostly so that I can wear my assorted furry vests and coats.

... In the perfect world, all this would be mine. I'll settle for those gloves, world. They should do.

Fendi Mongolian Sherling vest, Alexander Wang tank, Ralph Lauren Suede jodhpurs, Michael by Michael Kors gloves (FANTASTIC!!!!), Burberry suede wedge ankle boots, Alexander Wang Bianca vest purse, French Connection Double Trouble belt, House of Harlow and Me&Ro necklaces, Mesi Jilly ring, Tom Ford aviators, Essie "lacey not racey" nail polish, Tom Ford Tuscan Leather perfume, Jennifer Behr leather turban headwrap, and a moleskin for recording all my musings.

announcing...

I'm super excited to have created a couple of necklaces! They turned out even better than I had imagined, even the super finicky cat approves of them. The first one is a collection of staggered silver chains with feathers knotted on them, and the second is some leather laced gold chains with seashells dangling from them. I'm still playing with a few more prototypes, so check back for updates on those...

Soooooo, whatcha think?

let's play a game

I think I've lost my mind a little, or the stars have aligned... or the world is ending, because I've decided to challenge myself to not shopping for a month. GASP. I just walked through a store, saw about 5,000 things I wanted and not a single thing I needed. Then I came home and noticed a pile of newly purchased, unworn and not even untagged new merchandise, and decided to stop the madness.

Rules: No shopping for clothing/accessories until my birthday, October 14th. (I know, it's a little less than 30 days, but shush. This will be hard enough as it is.) Toiletry restocking is okay, new purchases are frowned upon. Books and home goods are passable. LET THE GAME BEGIN.

Also, why bother shopping if I can't have these pieces from the Temperley London show?

The feathers! The art deco patterns! The tailoring! The accessories! Easily, my fashion week favorite.

unite for sight

I stumbled upon this fantastic venture into the realm of humanitarian fashion quite accidentally-- I was looking for a pair of new sunnies. Something more durable than a pair of swap-meet shades, something a little less trendy than Ray-Bans. Something to hide the evidence of one too many margaritas from the night before, while channeling the glory of Jackie O's iconic style.

KAYU sunglasses combine form and function. They're cute! But what is extra cute about them is how world-friendly they are. Whenever a pair of these sunglasses is purchased, $50 gets donated Unite For Sight, a non profit organization that provides vision-saving surgeries for people all over the globe who can't afford necessary vision/health care.

80% of all blindness is preventable, and this translates to 36 million people suffering from a lack of vision in the world today. Unite For Sight has helped over 800,000 patients, and saved the vision of almost 22,000 people.

KAYU sunglasses are totally earth-friendly, made from sustainable bamboo, and they retail for $180. That's a smidge more steep than my usual 2 for $10 deal at the flea market, but in all honestly, most fashionistas wouldn't blink an eye when spending that much on a designer pair, so why not purge our hard earned savings on something that saves not just our vision?

And didn't I mention that they're CUTE!?

give me... with hearts in my eyes

As of late, I've been browsing the internet for for wish-list fulfillment as opposed to going out and finding them, purchasing them and showing them off. All in all, it's significantly better for my pocket book, probably healthier for my materialistic soul, and certainly more fun because this type of virtual shopping has no bounds. Another by product of my wandering is endless discovery, my current favorite being With Hearts In My Eyes, currently selling at bonadrag.com.

lace crop top

lace up back dress

black lace bodysuit

lace flair pants

knit dress

It's lovely... The innocence of the girly dresses meshes with the exaggerated silhouettes. Lace bell bottoms? Perfection.

give me... THIS

At the risk of sounding immature, or using this blog as a means of living vicariously, or growing even more hedonistic than I already am... I give you:

Insight brand is hit or miss for me, but the instant I saw this tank top, four times in one day, I might add, in four separate boutiques, I fell in love. It's a kitten! In a beret! Painting!

I WAAAAAAAANT IT!

give me... a permanent vacation

That headline is so apt, in so many ways. But besides my lethargy, the desire for a permanent vacation means, actually, the desire for the Permanent Vacation, Swedish wonder-brand. They do capsule collections that are quite simply based on whatever they're enjoying at the time. It appears that the summer of 09 is the summer of soft focus, filtered light and throwback florals for these Swedes. I love love love their stuff, and as much I'm enjoying the summer season, I'm also looking forward to their fall and winter debuts. Imagine all the cozy Nordic knits!

P.S. Many of you responded and said that that which you want most from a fashion blog is outfit posts, so I'll be trying to use more of those in the future. Look for more ME on the website, as well as some lifestyling guides as well, all in the coming-soon, as-soon-as-I-suck-it-up-and-get-to-it section.