Miette
Miette is a French online store with amazing handmade jewelry. The prices are fairly reasonable for a piece of handmade art.
Check out this necklace made from leather. It reminds me of lichen.
Remember playing with spirographs when you were a kid? They always warranted the necessity for colorful ball point pens. (Play with an online version here.) These spirograph pieces are made from cotton and polyester and obviously treated with some sort of stiffening agent (starch maybe?). Love love love!
This transparent sea green necklace is made from PVC.
Formed paper make light as air rocks around your neck!
Some of the foam pieces look like they could make easy DIY projects. Really, most all of it could be recreated with a little bit of ingenuity.
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- Domo is at 7-11 for Fall. Adorable. I want a slurpee!
- I love all things cute and creepy and this plate from etsy shop Dark Vomit is wonderful!
- Another etsy find, I would wear the hell out of this “peacock cocktail ring” from Alisa Miller. Metalsmith.
- Love laser cutting and this “hive bench” by Arktura is powder coated steel and uses mathematical algorithms to create the intricate patterns. The same designer, Chris Kabatsi also did this “vortex table” made from carbon fiber. Science + design =wow
- Fanciful episodes of Jim Henson’s The Storyteller (series 1) have been making me happy. I only wish there were more.
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- High cholesterol. It runs in my family and they have blessed me with it as well. Two weeks ago, I went for my annual physical and received a newish blood test that doesn’t assess the typical cholesterol numbers but instead looks for the carriers of the bad cholesterol, the carriers that take it to your arteries and clogs them up. This is a measurement of LDL-P and mine were off the charts! Other than being terrified , I have had to seriously reassess everything that I put in my body. It looks like this self-proclaimed “meataterian” is going to have to gear more towards veganism.
- Everyone losing their mind over Alexander McQueen’s Paris S2010RTW runway show. Yes, it was accessible for anyone to view via webcast but does this warrant all the praise and hype? The prints on the dresses were absolutely stunning but the shapes were nothing to write home about and, I mean… seriously… the shoes?! Are you kidding me? I am not feeling this. (pics via)
these look like elephants to me
Alien vs. Predator anyone?
- My laptop has been sent off to get repaired which means I will have limited access to work on posts, check my reader, or tweet for a while. While I kinda welcome the break, I don’t want to lose momentum or miss anything fun!
- Football. Sick of hearing about it.
wishpot
You know registries – when a friend is about to get married or have a baby and have chosen all the things they want from a generous group of family and friends. Most people will let you know that they are registered at one or two places, and Target is usually an old standby. So, everything they want/need is supposed to come from 2 stores? This is incredibly restrictive and boring but easier than sending everyone on a wild goose chase for random items at random places with no way of knowing if it was already purchased or not.
Well, Wishpot is a place where you can create a wish list or gift registry for any occasion (or just for fun), from every store on the internet, all consolidated onto one site! It’s really easy and fun to use. You add a simple button to your bookmark bar and as you peruse the internet, you easily click the button and it automatically adds the item to any of your wish lists, without having to divert back to the site, much like Polyvore works for creating outfits.
I was recently asked to be a fashion “expert” for Wishpot. Me? Yeah! So, I created a profile (anyone can) and have already compiled two lists of must-have items. Many of these things have already been mentioned here but, it’s nice to have it all grouped together for easier shopping. You also receive price alerts when your coveted items go on sale!
Keep an eye out for a guest blog post I wrote for them, introducing myself and such. It should be up soon!
So, check it out!
PS – You can also follow them on twitter for giveaways and other offers.
oot and aboot
This past Saturday night warranted heels! My bff all the way back from middle school was in town for our mutual friend’s 30th b-day. Everyone was a bit too excited to be dressed for drinks. (2 moms, a 30th b-day, and times have been tight.) It was raining and I was half broke so I didn’t plan on staying out for more than 2 drinks (plus a drink before I left and a drink at the house we met up at). Drinky drinky drinky! Saturday night means packed bars in Richmond, crap parking and a bit of walking. We got pretty lucky but I still wanted to be comfortable.
Anyhow, I pretty much wore this. There you go. An outfit post of sorts. Basically what I wear every day but I threw on a blazer and heels.
J Brand dark skinnies. I live in my two pairs. The newer darker pair made an appearance.
2 tanks layered – grey and black – bought from the Target clearance rack for $2 each. Yeah! Seriously, these are the best tanks I’ve ever owned. Some were racerback and some regular. All are pretty low cut and longer in length and fit perfectly. Not too tight but not maternity style either. I went to 3 different Targets and scooped them all up. I think I bought 6 or 7 in grey black and white. They have a new style out now which is the same thing only they did that little Alexander Wang style tiny pocket on the front.
black blazer with sleeves rolled up – Last Fall I had a terrible time finding blazers. I just wanted simple black, 1 or 2 buttons, lined and well-made but not outrageously expensive. I hit a few department stores and was disappointed with everything I saw. They all had some stupid embellishment. I wanted sharp and fitted. As usual, the place that always has come through for me with simple basics at a good price was NY and Co. If you need some decent black pants, a pencil skirt or a blazer, they’ve got it. I got two $70 blazers from the clearance racks at $10 a piece! Hell yes!
My new trusty grey bag (not the one pictured)
I didn’t know the heels I bought were Sergio Rossi rip-offs. They’re grey snake (not pictured) and I like the cone heel way better. I saw this pair in TJ Maxx on 4 different trips and tried them on each time. No one was biting so I saw it as a sign and finally caved and bought them.
The usual jewelry I wear every day – silver hoops ($3 a pair that I throw away when they get funky), hammered silver band, Nixon watch (yay bf!)
A good time was had by all. It was nice to see my girls and get out of the house and feel like a grown-up.
etsy finds
I was browsing through Etsy and I found this shop India Y La Luna. Gaby, the artist, is located in Buenos Aires and I am in love with some of her pieces!
UNEARTHED is a shop that features exotic leather goods. This aqua stingray cuff is so luxurious! They have cuffs in all sorts of colors and leathers. The cowhide cuffs are custom sized.
And how about this double wrap leather bracelet from MK Wind!
twigs
Here’s that Elizabeth and James twig bracelet I mentioned a short while ago. I couldn’t find a picture of it anywhere online when I first saw it and was too lazy to scan it out of that disappointing September issue of Lucky. I’m not going to say it looks “organic” because I think that’s a cop-out term that appeals to the green crowd and I think it’s a crock. It’s just awesome, like it could whither away to nothing on your wrist. Smooth shiny silver, whether it be real or costume nickel makes me nervous. I want it to maintain that precious shine for forever, no fingerprints or tarnishing. Polishing silver sucks. I was forced to do my fair share of it as a child. That’s why I like rough worn silver pieces with lots of texture. It just makes life more simple and adds character.
fleas
I just read this fact in The Little Book of Bad Taste. I thought it was beyond ridiculous.
Queen Christina of Sweden (1626-1689), a controversial cross-dresser who refused to marry, amused herself by executing fleas with a miniature cross bow and tiny arrows! She also had a special 4″ flea cannon specially made. Apparently the cannon is on display in a Stockholm museum. I don’t know why but this has tickled me to no end. I can imagine a grown woman sitting on her big fluffy bed at night launching tiny cannons and arrows, believing she was waging an intense war against fleas! Hilarious!
I should get this cannon charm and say it’s for killing H1N1.
Now, I’m curious enough to watch Greta Garbo in Queen Christina.
maps
If you follow any design blogs, you surely saw Emily Fischer’s “Soft-Maps”, which are maps that have been embroidered into quilts. I can’t imagine the labor involved in her commission-only designs but the prices certainly reflect an enormous amount of work. Her stitches remind me of Sashiko which is simple but does take some getting used to so that it speeds along nicely. You have to be a special type of person to do this kind of work. Quilting is one craft I never got into since the traditional designs and old-fashioned fabric choices really don’t do it for me. It’s so nice to see an old art get a modern twist. Maybe it will inspire younger people to try their hand at it. Cold weather is creeping upon us and it’s the right time to think about starting a quiet evening/weekend project. This could easily be done in the form of a throw pillow or embellishment on a t-shirt, or something bold like your neighborhood slanted and incomplete at the hem of a blazer. Some embroidery needles and thread and a white or blue washable chalk pencil (to draw your outline) would cost less than $5.
I have been subscribing to the Hand Drawn Map Association for a while. They remind me of my childhood, when I would make up imaginary lands and draw detailed maps. Here is an interview with artist Shane Watt who also creates imaginary maps.
There are also companies that sell old aeriel photographs in various sizes to frame and hang in your home. You can find your hometown or a place you’ve always wanted to go.
This is one of many dresses by artist Elisabeth Lecourt. I don’t believe these are sold for wear though.
Totally wearable, I was turned onto Christian Francis Roth’s fun line of clothing Francis by gorgeous jewelry designer Wendy B. (her jewelry and her hilarious blog). She also writes for the Francis blog. Wendy helps the lost find their way in her map dress! This dress is too cute! (on sale right now!)
An etsy search for “map” revealed thousands of items.
Isotope makes awesome tees. I really like the graphic nature of maps on clothing. It’s a random geometric pattern that could be paired with just about anything and look chic peeking out from under a blazer or cardi.
Have you heard of Dream Heels? What an awesome concept! They are a take on Threadless where instead of tees, people submit and vote on which pattern of pumps they will make. This Parisian map concept is currently a contender!
This handmade decoupage plate can easily be recreated with some diy help.
Maps are also finding their way into jewelry. This pendant by XOHandworks is special to me since my dad is from Serbia.
grater
multi-purpose jewelry? I love this cuff by Alexis Bittar.
September
Here is a tiny selection of things that caught my eye while checking out the Sept issues of Harper’s Bazaar and W magazines.
Valentino
killer necklace from Oscar de la Renta
It was nice to see Gaultier again – ads and in an editorial. Love those shoes.
Hugo by Hugo Boss dress. Perfect pattern placement and fabric cutting. Really like this dress.
yum.
very Tom Binns
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