semana santa

This lovely lady stopped in front of my door today.  Literally.  And another lovely lady came out on a balcony above us and sang to her.   I'm not a religious person, but even so, I find semana santa in spain to be incredibly moving and powerful.  And aside from the emotional impact it's also just visually stunning.  

more after the jump...

suspension beds

Found these hanging beds at babble.com via a cup of jo.  They look so peaceful and summery and bring to mind lazy afternoons lounging in hammocks.  I wonder if they're better in theory than in practice though... would you get dizzy or constantly wake up your partner or fall off trying to get in and out?  I'm thinking they would make for the perfect nap but maybe not a full night's sleep.  Listen to me, talking as if I'm actually considering suspending my bed from the ceiling!  A girl can dream...

langoliers love

Just found this line via Refinery 29.  Isn't it incredible? 

more after the jump...

hanging low with g-star

  Loving these looks from G-star.  Some might say drop-crotch is over.  Some might say it never should have happened in the first place.  Maybe it's the spanish influence on me (they embraced this trend here like nobody's business), but I've come to accept it as a viable and even normal silhouette option.  I'm a fan.  You?

castañer b&w

castañer @ la garçonne

Gorgeous.  There's actually a castañer store not too far from my house, maybe this year's the year I actually take the plunge.  Those peep-toe wedges especially are killing me.  I'll let you know if I get to see them in person.  And also if they come home with me...

holy grail reconsidered

A few months ago I went on and on about how I'd found my hg foundation, which was actually a mix of two foundations that together resulted in a level of perfection that I thought meant I would never need to experiment again.  Well now I'm eating my words.  I've found a new holy grail foundation.  Apparently I'm fickle when it comes to cosmetics.  Go figure.

My new favorite: a mixture of Chanel Mat Lumiere (shade 20 clair) and Daniel Kern's moisturizer (though I'm sure any simple lightweight moisturizer would do the trick).

I've had the Mat Lumiere for a while now, but on it's own it went on a little too heavy, and I also found it oxidized a little dark on me.  I figured it would just sit on my shelf collecting dust until I gathered the guts to throw it out and forfeit all the money I'd blown on it, but when I hit bottom on my Armani LSF I thought I'd give it another shot.  So happy I did because I discovered that when I mix equal parts Mat Lumiere and my lightweight lotion, I end up with the perfect tinted moisturizer.  And the odd color problems are fixed too (maybe because it goes on so beautifully sheer and natural now).  I mix up a few days worth at a time and keep it in a little sample jar, and I just love it. 

I apply it with my foundation brush after my sunscreen.  Add a little cream blush in Penny Lane and a touch of Orgasm illuminator, both by Nars, and I swear, it's the best natural looking springtime glow you could ask for.

emerson made picks

Remember a while back I was searching for the perfect white blazer?  Well what about a lightweight linen tuxedo version?  Cute, right?

I've never ordered anything from Emerson Made, but it's been popping up a lot on my radar lately, so I thought I'd post some of my favorite pieces from their website.  The little cheetah belt reminds me of one I should have bought last year at J. Crew but didn't.  Still kicking myself for that one.

cheetah print belt, linen topper coat, black and cream tuxedo jacket, lion medallion

diy jewelry frame

I've had a jewelry storage issue for a long time now.  I've tried boxes and baskets and bags and cute little porcelain dishes.  I've researched all sorts of earring trees and racks online.  Nothing seemed quite right.  I wanted a way to keep things neatly organized, but still somehow on display.  If you don't have a good way to see your collection, you're never going to wear half of it.  Out of sight, out of mind. 

After years of messy ineffective dust-collecting solutions, I finally got fed up and decided to take matters into my own hands. 

I found this beautiful old wooden frame at the rastro (the flea market here in Madrid).  I actually had it set up, empty, on my dresser for months, and loved it even just like that, but I knew it was destined for greater things.

see more after the jump...