Tuesday Mood Session

The weekly "where I'm at right now"

1. What's my mood?
Pretty darn good. Had a good day at work, then went to the cool new burger place Bill's for dinner. Came home to find packages from MAC (Warm & Cozy!!) and drugstore.com. Two days until Christmas is fantastic too.

2. What am I wearing?
Always Skinny Gap Jeans over tights (hey, it's cold!), a J Crew tissue turtleneck and a J Crew grey shell top with tissue down the front. Not fashion forward, but not hideous. Shoes today have been a mixture of Sorel Caribou boots, hiking boots, and J Crew flats, depending on what I was doing.

3. What am I obsessing over?
Christmas, so Williams Sonoma Peppermint Bark, my Whole Foods order (first time I've ordered a Christmas dinner!!), the fact I have to find or make stockings over the next 48hrs. Oh, and my MAC order sitting next door that I'll take pictures of tomorrow in the light, and how much I love some of the new collections planned between now and April.

4. How was my weekend?
Feels a long time ago, but it was great. Very couply. Husband and I went Christmas shopping on Saturday in the snow, got a great pair of boots and discovered my new Starbucks obsession - Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha. Kind of like Peppermint Bark in a cup.

5. What's happening this week?
Duh, Christmas. As we are orphans far, far away from our family, we have been invited to a friends for the big day. On Christmas Eve we're going to look at the Barneys, Saks, Bergdorf Windows, then have a Christmas dinner at home in the evening.

6. Go on, admit it, what did you buy last week?
Target for Rodarte is winging it's way toward me. I used my $20 voucher at drugstore.com to get a back up Philosophy Miracle Worker kit, some covergirl lipstains (post coming up soon!), MAC Love Lace Kohl Power Pencils in Raven and Sense of Style, and various things from MAC Warm & Cozy. Last week I said that I wasn't planning on buying anything, but that didn't account for the Rodarte collection, which had to be done. I'm fully expecting to return at least 3 pieces though.

7. Even after all that, are you planning on buying anything this week?
Champagne, for Christmas. That's probably it.

How about you? Make any big purchases? Looking forward to Christmas?

7,

Nails of the Week: China Glaze Ruby Pumps

Who can resist something red and sparkly at this time of year? This gorgeous shiner is China Glaze's Ruby Pumps, and I reckon just about every girl needs this in her polish arsenal. The camera didn't capture just how pretty the glitter is in this polish. I don't even really like reds that much, and really don't like glitter, and yet this makes me smile. I am super lazy about polish, so there is no base coat and only China Glaze's quick drying top coat. I put it on on Saturday, and there is only minimal chipping at the top of the nail which is barely noticeable. Really pleased about the strength and staying power of this one, but most importantly, the lovely shiny glittery redness of it all!

Clothing I Wore Holes In

I did a round up of my year's favorite make-up and beauty products here. It would be unfair not to apply the same amount of love and attention to my wardrobe, which has its equal share of success stories. 

1. Topshop Grey Short Sleeved Blazer

This is quite frankly the best thing in my closet. The cut is gorgeous - fitted, but slightly boxy on the shoulders and cropped on the sleeve to make the perfect shrunken boy blazer look. I picked this up in March, and I last wore it on Saturday night. During the day it's been perfect over ripped denim shorts, baggy faded boyfriend jeans, and cutesy floral dresses. At night, I use it to dress down my leather jeans, or to tone down a sequinned t shirt.

2. Slouchy Worn In Work Boots from Gap

These were such a random impulse purchase, and ohmigoodness they have definitely earned their place in my wardrobe hall of fame. Perfectly worn in and slouchy, these add the perfect androgynous rock girl touch to all outfits - skirts, shorts, the works, come rain or shine. The slouchiness makes them supremely flattering even on my less than slender calves. They look even better with chunky legwarmers worn poking out the top like extra thick socks. I'm really looking forward to rocking them with some of the Rodarte for Target dresses for that perfect girly meet grunge look.

3. Alexander Wang Pocket Tank in Mushroom

Actually, I don't know what the official color is, but if I were naming it, that's what it would be. This tank is has just the right level of slouch that gives the wearer an air of insouciance.  It does expose a rather large amount of cleavage and is quite loose, so I add an American Apparel bandeau top underneath to protect my dignity. I really love how long the tank is though - it hits my hips and pokes out below anything I wear it under. I've worn it a lot with denim hot pants all summer, and leather pants and my black peg leg trousers in fall. It's made of a rayon blend that makes it super soft as well. I mentioned at the top of this post that these were things I had literally put holes in. Well, I didn't put holes in this shirt, but my little puppy dog dig, when he chewed the bottom of it when I wasn't paying attention. Doh. Although I like to think that it adds to the devil may care downtown girl look.

4. Denim Hotpants Everywhere

I am not the first, nor the last person to wear these to death. I have a couple of pairs - some I picked up from Miss Selfridge a couple of years ago which are super big for me but have cut cuffs which are nice and flattering in length. They are hugely too big for me and I can easily pull them off without undoing any buttons, but I can't imagine ever replacing them. My other pair are a pair of second hand destroyed Levis I picked up in Urban Outfitters. They are all ripped and frayed, super short with the pockets poking out the bottom. Yes, every girl has them, but still, they look effortlessly cool. The only downer is that as they are vintage Levis, they are cut ridiculously high waisted, and they are less than ass-flattering. But you know, I can trade that for legs that go on for miles, for clothing that looks awesome dressed up or down (sequins plus denim shorts plus heels plus aforementioned boyfriend blazer = style heaven), and looks just as good with rocking heels or dressed down sandals. Happy happy times.

5. J Crew Mohair Cardigan

There are some things that you buy without really thinking about, and then before you know it, they have surged to the top of your wardrobe. My gray mohair cardigan that I got during one of my frequent "25% off everything must buy it all" J Crew hauls that leads me to receive huge boxes in the mail and then have to slink back to my local J Crew and return most of it. I swear they must think I have a weird obsessive late night internet shopping disorder, apart from I am willing to lay money on the fact that I am hardly the only girl who does this. This didn't seem like much when I first picked it up, just a standard gray cardigan, but somehow it just kept being added to all my outfits - suitable for work, snuggly for home, just enough upper east side to make my scrubby ripped up jeans a little less homeless girl chic, just enough homeless girl chic when I used it to dress down pretty dresses. I usually wear it with a skinny brown belt to give it a touch more shape. The best part is probably the three quarter sleeve length. My wrists are my favorite part of me - unlike my ankles they are pretty skinny, so anything three quarters length gets major thumbs up in my book.

6. Topshop (P)leather Jeans

Confession: I really wish I had sprung the $150 for the real leather pants when I bought these. Instead, I thought I was going through a passing fad, and would only wear them a couple of times, so should just stick to the fakeys. Oh, how I was wrong. I LOVE these. I don't know why. They are only semi-flattering (when you are off the athletic build rather than a stick thin model that is really the best that you can hope for!), but how much do I love the attitude they give me. Seriously, there is no bigger ego boost than putting these on. You just instantly become rockier, cooler, edgier. Highly recommended, although they must come with heels. Oh, and if you are thinking of getting a pair, I'd suggest looking for ones with pockets on the front to break up the front - much more flattering.

7. American Apparel Photo T Shirt

This is a slightly oversized (well, for girls anyway) shirt with a newspaper picture on it. I have no idea about the significance of the photo. For all I know I could be advocating some crazy terrorist activity. But the t shirt fits great, looks cool, and I've worn it with simple preppy shorts, rocking leather jeans, shorts, jeans, everything possible since I got it. There's something about the size of the arms that just makes me love it. Random, I know.

8. Topshop Red and Blue Checked Shirt 

This red and blue checked shirt came from Topshop at the start of the year. For the record, I started the year with 2 checked shirts, and finished it with 6. That's a 200% increase for all you math wizards out there. This year was all about the flannel/plaid/check print, bringing out our preppy sides all over. This shirt is a light enough material to be almost sheet, but at least incredibly light to wear, and so I was able to wear it all summer, and in winter with a white tank underneath it. The pattern and colors are lovely and big, and it came with those little hanging things that allow you to keep your shirt sleeves rolled up. They have a name, right?

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So there you have my items that got a whole lotta love this year. Maybe worse for me is the fact that there are heaps of items that just don't get the love they deserve. Next year I'll be working on bringing those to light and trying to get them the true recognition they deserve.

Puppy Shot of the Day

Hopefully this brings a smile to your Monday morning. Meet Moose, my 8mth old King Charles Cavalier Spaniel. He had been having a hard time the last couple of days because the snow and ice hurts his wee paws. Oh, and also we gave him a bath right after this picture was taken, so those grey paws are now snowy white. Poor wee baby!! 

New Collections From Topshop

I can't help it - I unashamedly adore Topshop. It's pure consistent love, all the time. I grew up with it, we have grown together, and we migrated across the Atlantic at the same time. If only I had undergone similar price inflation while doing so! I could easily spend all of my paycheck there every month, but have to show a measure of restraint, otherwise my lovely husband will literally beat me. Or at least make me give half of my overflowing closet to thrift stores. I'm not sure which would be worse...

Anyway, Topshop has their new spring collection information online. There are four collections: Parisienne, Saloon, Meadow, and Downtown.

Parisienne

This collection looks amazing. In fact, I was about to simply add that whole outfit to my shopping cart. I'm still considering it, but Topshop are supposed to be sending me a whole bunch of vouchers which is the only thing from stopping me!

Their words are:

Flirty, feminine and fun, fashion has always been in love with stripes, polka dots and pearls, so get ready to fall head over heels for Parisienne glamour with flouncy dresses, boucled jackets, embroidered tees and playful accessories that have the perfect dose of ladylike cool.

This looks to be the best collection out of the four. A good amount of tongue in chic fun, wearable but head-turning. Love.

Saloon

I love the promo image for this, and think the dress is absolutely amazing to die for. The rest of the collection looks interesting, but I have a feeling that if I go for it wholehearted I might end up looking like a 70s throwback. One to watch, maybe pick up a few key pieces here and there...

In Topshop's words:

Give your wardrobe a high-kick with cancan ruffles, saloon inspired frills, broderie anglaise, and delicate cutwork that's fit for a cowgirl. Teamed with indigo denim, beaten up leather and casual canvas, dusty colored tulles and sun-faded prints reflect the warm, heady nights of the Wild West.

Meadow

There's always one collection that Topshop puts out a season that I simply don't get, and this is it for me. All the lace and prints in the lookbook will look amazing on super skinny model types, but on my build, I'm running the risk of looking like a weird wedding cake. You never know, maybe I'll see it in store and fall in love...

Topshop describe it as:

Take a trip to the English countryside with billowing chiffon, bleached denim and delicate florals that conjure up a summer's day. Toughened up with studded waistcoats, lace-up boots and leather accessories, lace, crochet and intricate embroidery are given a harder edge for spring.

Okay, I do like the sound of studded waistcoats and leather accessories, so it is entirely possible that I end up checking this out when more pieces are released next year.

Downtown

This is Topshop's Alexander Wang collection. And that's not a bad thing. I love it. It's tough, angry, edgy, sort of wearable (I want to get my head around those harem pants, I really do), and so very very New York. It's as if all that time at Broadway/Broome has gone to their heads. It's very sporty, and chunky high heels are a must. Like Parisienne, I'm going to die for this collection.

Their words:

Mixing experimental fabrics, futuristic shapes and sporty detailing, Downtown has a luxurious, yet pared down aesthetic. With a laid-back urban edge, slinky harems with hidden zips, bodycon pieces in graphic prints and leggings with power mesh inserts are set to become your future classics.

Yes, yes they are.

Etsy Find of the Week

I adore looking through Etsy looking for kooky and stylish handmade finds. Pretty much anything you can dream of can be found here, and there is an amazing price range. This week I happened upon this amazing paper plane charm necklace from TheMIX. I love the simplicity of the design, and the price point ($15!) is very decent as well. Shame it won't get here before Christmas as I'd love to find it in my stocking!

Rodarte for Target Here I Come

For some reason unknown to me, I woke up at 6.30am this morning. I don't even wake at 6.30 on a weekday, but I'm not going to argue with my body clock when it allows me to go online and score a significant amount of Rodarte for Target. I got a blue tulle skirt, a couple of dresses, including the sequin leopard print, a couple of cardigans, and a lot of tops. The amazing skeleton dress was already sold out, as were the bow belts. I mean, seriously, did people actually wake up at crazy o'clock to get that stuff? I was too sleepy to remember to do the whole ebates click through thing. Man, I keep that thing open as a tab every day and it just taunts me, like an empty piggy bank. I don't have a Target near me, so I have to admit I have no idea how these things are going to size on me. Being 5' 8" and off a more athletic build, I could end up looking like a giant transvestite wrapped in tulle, but I won't know until I've tried it. As soon as it arrives (Christmas Eve!!) I'll be posting photos of me trying it all on, but in the meantime, I've posted taster images from the website.