Fashion Forward

Lately, I've seen this photo popping up around the web:

Photo source.

and was happy to find an article on Shine from Yahoo! about these futuristic heels. Designed by Polly Verity, I hope this model didn't have to catwalk in them. I would also be concerned about my poor toes falling out the sides.

The article/slide show also showcases eco-friendly shoes from Stockholm designers Naim Josefi & Souzan Youssouf that are made from only one material. And the Mojito shoe is like Birkenstocks, except not:

Photo source.

Designed by British architect Julian Hakes, the shoe molds to your foot. I'm a big fan of Rainbow sandals which similarly conform to accommodate the unique arch in each wearer's foot. I'd definitely try these on, but maybe just wear them around the house. For now, I think we're all safe in our pumps, flats, and flip-flops. Have you seen other futuristic fashion taking over?

Cheers, Kate

Wow

I wanted to share a few fun links today from across the web. The first is an interesting event blog called The Pink Toast. You can read about Danielle's Bat Mitzvah in 5 installments, but here's a sneak peak:


I can only imagine what this 13-year-old will grow up thinking about her wedding. I wish there was a way to check back in 10 or 15 yaers from now...

On to our next link, The Knotty Bride posted up a brief article on lingerie which was mildly inspiring. Alison led me to a great new online shop asos from the UK. They have dresses from £15 to £250 (about $30 - $500) I did find this cute jersey dress I'd love to have for the holidays:



and at £26, it's not at a bad price either. And along with this great jumpsuit (which doesn't look like a jumpsuit at all):

 

at £50, I'd sure make my British friends proud for at least stepping away from my pearls and cardis.

And of course, last night's Emmy Awards has people talking fashion. This Oscar de la Renta on Lea Michele from GLEE made me a little giddy and Emily Blunt's flowing Christian Dior one-shoulder dress wished I had my other half around to float around in a bedsheet pretending to be a Grecian goddess. InStyle of course has a great gallery up of photos from the red carpet.

 Hopefully this has give you a bit of inspiration for a happy Monday!

Cheers, Kate

Love is in the Air?

This summer has definitely been a big one for romance. In June, a classmate of mine Andrea got married in Greensboro, and yesterday Southern Weddings posted photos of her wedding shot by Abigail Seymour. I love the classic monogram:

and these adorable Elon cupcakes:

and who could resist these traditional North Carolina favors: Krispy Kreme doughnuts in adorable boxes reading "Glazed and delicious from the new Mr. & Mrs." So precious!

Next to their cute favor boxes, I just had to leave this great photo of Andrea throwing her bouquet. Check out more photos in the Southern Weddings post and on Abigail Seymour's blog. Congratulations! I can't wait to borrow some of your fabulous ideas!

In July, Adam and I went to Jake & Kim's wedding down in Durham. You saw a photo peek here, and here's a snapshot of me and Adam all dressed to the nines:

and I snagged this adorable photo of the happy couple off Facebook (all my pictures were blurry thanks to the ambient low lighting and my point & shoot camera) thanks to Brian Mullins Photography:

There are some amazing shots up on Brian's blog! I love how you can see the reflection of Kim and Jake in the piano. So classic! And to top it all off, the next day, Adam proposed in the Duke Gardens!

Then in the last two weeks, I had two sorority sisters get engaged as well. Congratulation Lisa and Alison! You can read Alison's adorable engagement story here. And to top it off, The Wedding Chicks are giving away customized DIY wedding invitations with this classic bicycle built for two design:

Photo source.

Just enter in your info, pick your colors, and each file will be emailed to your address. Get your invitations here.

So all this romance has to make a girl wonder, is there more in the summer air than just humidity?

Cheers, Kate

If It Comes In Pink

Photo source: Lil Bit Old Lil Bit New

My friend Chelsea just unknowingly introduced me to my new favorite website: Make Mine Pink. This is a great little place full of online vendors whose wares are, of course, pink! Be careful wandering around the marketplace, the system for searching these stores is pretty basic. But if you're looking for something particular, it's a great place to start.  

Some things I found that I love include these great Fleur-de-Lis bookends ($19.99) from Vintage to Vogue:

 

Photo source: Vintage to Vogue

this Alice in Wonderland style teacup bird feeder ($18) from Forget Me Not Dreams:

Photo source: Forget Me Not Dreams

and even these fun rose rings ($12) from CarolineAlexander:

Photo source: CarolineAlexander

These boutiques are a great place to find vintage and hand-crafted items of all sorts and at reasonable prices. There are even vendors for furniture! I'm sure Adam will love that. Happy pink hunting!

Cheers, Kate

Vogue Heritage Must-Haves

Last week, Vogue issued a list of 'heritage brand must-haves,' and I have to say I'm a fan. Jenna Lyons (my idol), the new president of J. Crew, sorted through some classics that have been around for quite a while. She put together a few looks using the J. Crew couture line. So if nothing else, you get to peruse through some exclusive, expensive items. Take a peek here:



And flip through the modern look-book of some of fashion's oldest brands including Timex, Baracuta, Barbour, and Saint James: Vogue Heritage Must-Haves.  Anything you felt should have been on this list?

Cheers, Kate

Pink Living

Sorry for the delay in posting, I've had a busy weekend. Adam and I went down to Duke for a wedding on Saturday night. We also made a pit-stop at the J.Crew Warehouse sale in Winston-Salem where I scored a few good items including:

the Impressionist Floral Silk Dress (which I wore to the wedding on Saturday night):

the Black Blossoms cardigan:

The silk Blakely Wrap Blouse:

As well as a pink haberdashery blouse, black skinny pants, and a perfect tan ruffle neck racket that I have been eyeing for a while. Some serious finds!

The wedding was beautiful, the bride very gracious and Southern, the groom his usual goofball self. We had salad to start, and I'm aching to find out the vinaigrette recipe, followed by delicious chicken and crab cakes for dinner, with a yummy wedding cake finish. I'm proud to say I'm one of the few ladies in attendance who kept my heels on all night.

On Sunday, we went to the Duke gardens for an adorable picnic lunch:

We went for a stroll through the grounds. Here, Adam asked me to go to his fraternity formal with him, and I was hesitant to say yes. Here, we played bocce and drank cheap wine in the middle of the day to relax from senior year stress. Here, we began our graduation festivities with a reception held for the Duke 2009 seniors. This place has quite a few fond memories.

And five minutes after this photo:

He got down on one knee and asked me to marry him! Then he even had champagne waiting back in the picnic basket. How perfect! My awesome pink engagement dress? A flirty INC floral jersey knit. All weekend I carted around my new pink Coach bag Adam gave me when he first got home last week, just to take my pink to a new level. My mom did tell me to wear something cute just in case!

Sunday night we went out to celebrate at Lauriol Plaza in Dupont Circle for lots of margaritas, another bottle of champagne and a few good friends. And, as if the phone hadn't been ringing enough all Sunday, Monday morning at 8:30 am I had my first "Wedding planning!" text from my mother. I'm glad she's so excited too!

My future husband is being sweet enough to let me use pink in our color scheme, and I'm going to try to ease him into the idea of letting pink be part of our more daily life. Today I found a great new photography blog for company Enchanted Dream Weddings & Affairs with some amazing interior design photos of how to incorporate pink into your lifestyle. This is my favorite:

Hopefully this helps make pink seem less intimidating, hunny. I'm so excited to start planning!

Cheers, Kate

'Obscene' Mannequin Upsetting Town

In the news this week, a naked mannequin upset a Nebraska town. The fake figure was seen wearing "a pair of pants around its ankles and wearing shoes but no other clothing." I would be interested to know if it had a head, arms, and legs, as most mannequins don't. Read the Yahoo! News article here.

While searching for odd or funny mannequin photos, I came across one adjusting her thong panties, two mannequins standing suggestively at forever 21, and an interesting store front display of mannequins begging to be rescued. Please be aware these are not kid-friendly photos.

I always find it interesting that we so easily ignore odd or bizarre things going on around us. I'd love to hear your stories of anything like this mannequin fiasco that you have seen or experienced!

Cheers, Kate

 Photo source.

J. Crew Extra 20% Off & Free Shipping!

J. Crew announced yesterday an additional 20% off their final sale AND free shipping on orders over $150! Click on the flier above to go to the J. Crew Final Summer Sale.

I think I might pick up a Palisade Cardigan:



the Silk Taffeta Wrap Dress in Caspian Blue:



and a Gabby Hobo bag:



What are you adding to your closet?

Cheers, Kate

Photos source.

Men's Style: The Black Suit Alternative

Style Me Pretty posted up a great post today of Sutherland Kovach Studio's black suit/tuxedo alternative shoot. These great styles prove that vests are still in fashion, and that there are great ways of matching unsuspecting colors. Take a peek at the post, any other great menswear you've seen lately? Pass it along so we can all make that special guy in our lives a little more stylish!

Cheers, Kate

Hot Colors, Cool Nails

InStyle Magazine  posted up a gallery of the top 15 nail colors this summer. I took a browse through them, and while I'm always astonished that nail polish can get so expensive, I did find a couple new shades I'd love to try. Here are my top four. Click on the picture to go get more information about that polish.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="399" caption="American Apparel in Summer Peach $6"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="400" caption="Nails Inc. in Eden Grove $19"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="400" caption="Illamasqua Nail Varnish in Blow $14"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="400" caption="TopShop in Parma Violet $10"][/caption]

 

 

DIY Removable Wallpaper?

Today I stumbled upon a new obsession: Oh Joy! a great design, architecture, and fashion blog run out of San Diego. There was a discussion from a few days ago about the prospect of wallpapering a rental apartment, along with lots of suggestions of what to do.



Source.

Readers suggested wallpaper designed to be removed, using starch and fabric, and putting up painters tape then attaching the wallpaper to it with double-sided take. Read the entry here. Any thoughts?

From Inspiration

Lately I've spent a lot of time perusing sites that might not be content-appropriate....wedding blogs. They are dangerously addicting. Like this fabulous post about a Nashville wedding on Style Me Pretty. The bride and groom counted their lucky stars as their venue was severely damaged by the recent floods but opened just 5 days before their event. Just remember before viewing these photos, real life isn't like this every day. But it can be some days.



Source.

Cheers, Kate

Hollywood Hair in Real Life?

I love Elle. It's like a 250-page piece of modern art encased in glitz and silk. An article today talked about how Hollywood is going long and luscious again.

I've been attempting to grow my hair out for almost a year now, and after a brief snafu (my last stylist cut my hair to a right-sided part instead of a left-sided part. oh well), I'm seriously debating extensions. I've never dyed my hair except for once or twice with wash-out dyes, so I'm not sure how synthetic locks will fit in with my own.

Of course the rich and famous, like Ashley Greene and Reese Witherspoon, don't have to worry about that problem.

Here's also a great Elle Video  about extension application. Maybe once they could use a blonde so I know what I'm getting into.

Have you ever tried over-the-counter extensions? Please share tips and recommendations for the chronically cropped.

Cheers, Kate.

A Silver Screen Soire

Clearly, I am working on being a bit more proactive about keep up with the trends. Today I became obsessed with Nonpareil Magazine's June 2010 issue: A Silver Screen Soire.

 

Source.

I am totally obsessed with so many of the ideas in here. There's a DIY for lanterns shaped like Lord of the Rings' fireworks, table settings based on The Great Gatsby and Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, and three pages of chocolate-based recipes. I can't wait to try out the Breakfast at Tiffany's hair style and maybe do some baking. Great edition for some classic inspiration!

Cheers, Kate

Derby Day

Today is the first Saturday in May. That means it is serious horse racing season. Races have been going on for the past few weeks, but with the Kentucky Derby this afternoon, things are really getting going.

After thousands of years, humanity is still searching for entertainment, for sport, and for competition. The ancient Olympics, the Coliseum in Rome, and even medieval tournaments haven't changed much. At the end of the day, there are a bunch of guys sitting on a horse going around in a circle. And it's so exciting.

Unfortunately today, I won't be at the races. Elon's DC Alumni Chapter is going to Gold Cup out near Warrenton, and I never got it together to buy a ticket. And someday soon I'll be making a guest appearance at the Derby, just once. But there will be races all summer in Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and good ole Virginia, so hopefully I can show up to one and get a good use out of my nice big derby hat.

A Tribute to Guy Harvey

I've been traveling or 4 months now, which is ironic to call it traveling at all as I've spent all but two weeks of that time in Paihia. Today, I found myself pulling out my sewing kit to repair another item that had been a victim to life in New Zealand. The sewing kit I have is from the Astor Hotel in Syntagma Square in Athens, Greece. Funny how trips connect themselves together...

While staying at the Mousetrap, I had the unfortunate duty of fixing my leggings which had ripped on the edge of my bunk bed as I fell off one night to brush my teeth. Now, I had chinos with a missing button from camping last weekend and the horror of finding a hole in my beloved Guy Harvey t-shirt while doing this weeks washing.

Guy Harvey has become a symbol of not only the boating world but a pride of the South. Several times I've gotten compliments from local yachties who recognize the artist even in little Paihia. Last year at Elon we had two fraternities do Guy-styled t-shirts for their formal weekends, it was quite the drama to see who was more Southern even though mos students at Elon are from above the Mason-Dixon line.



This shirt has a special place for me not for either of these reasons. I tracked mine down in a dark corner of a souvenir shop in Boca Raton two years ago on Spring Break with my bffs. Instead of a marlin or swordfish, it has the Florida lighthouses depicted: Cape Canaveral, Pensacola, Key West, Jupiter Inlet and St. Augustine. I lovingly patched one of my favorite shirts so now it looks a bit like an appendectomy patient. I'll have to spend some time searching for a replacement on eBay and a craft to save the threadbare fabric from Good Housekeeping when I get home. It sure would be fun if we could get GH to make a Bay of Islands line, the locals would throw him a pretty good party for it.

7(For All Mankind) LA Official Warehouse Sale

Today, fellow Eloner Kat and I checked out the first official 7 For All Mankind Warehouse Sale, hosted by thewarehousesale.com. They had the west room in the LA Convention Center and used every bit of space.











I picked out a few things from the racks and tried my hand at a few summer trends. The first thing I picked up was an awesome pink silk tank with a great ruffle going up one shoulder. I paired it with a blue and white striped denim vest and Josephine skinny jeans.


Out of the twenty-five feet of shoes, I tried on this awesome canvas pair with salmon stripes. They were definitely a hit, since they weren't very comfortable, and matched my J. Crew shorts perfectly.



I also found a pair of white distressed Roxanne jeans which I loved, but it's no longer summer so I couldn't justify buying them. I paired them with this awesome flowing top, in a delicate black and white print with a bow tied at the natural waist and cross straps in the back that I absolutely loved.





Somehow, these jeans didn't make me to be quite as leggy as the other pairs of ultra-skinny 7's I tried on.

I also tried this cute and trendy skirt with a flouncy sapphire blouse, with a fun bow under all the ruffles on the collar.



This was definitely a learning experience. After hearing about my college roommates adventures through the Lilly Pulitzer annual sale in PA, I came prepared for the communal dressing room and tried to keep an open mind. I love the first two outfits I put together and the shoes I pulled. If I wasn't headed down under, I might have splurged on a few pieces. Maybe I can find them on eBay when I get back!