bolo because, yolo

Yup.  That's a bolo tie.  Granted, I'm easing my way into this, tucking the leather strings (ties?) inside my sweatshirt.  But still, wearing this thing made me feel like a brave cowgirl.  In fact, every time I looked in the mirror I got this song in my head.  Wild west, the 80s, and Bon Jovi, all in one little accessory so neatly tucked into my otherwise unassuming outfit.  What's not to love?

Here's the details...

amulets

Been thinking about superstitions and lucky charms lately...

gild

These delicate cobwebs of silver are spun from the mind designer Sophie Teppema and handmade in her Amsterdam workshop for her line Gild Atelier.   I actually don't know which I like more, the intricate pieces of body jewelry themselves or these quiet grainy photos that showcase them.  It's all so beautiful, in a meditative sort of way.

If ever there was a time to wear these little treasures, I think it would be right now, at the height of summer's heat.  On the days when minimalist dressing is the only way to survive, it seems like the perfect way to add a little extra touch of beauty without weighing you down or heating you up.  And what could be sexier than a delicate chain against summer skin?

More beauty from Gild...

still summer

I'm on sort of a spending diet lately, saving up for some big expenses on the horizon, but of course that doesn't stop me from fantasy shopping.  Problem is, all my fantasy shopping leans towards fall: layered sweaters and button-down shirts, long pants, lace-up shoes...  You'd think that since this is just hypothetical shopping we're talking about, it wouldn't matter, but it conditions me to crave certain things, and then to be disappointed when I can't actually wear them.  So today I felt the need to remind myself of something pretty important: It's still summer.  You'd think I'd have no trouble remembering, since it hasn't dipped below the 90s here in over a month, but I still find myself looking wistfully at my favorite long sleeve garments thinking that maybe a light breeze will necessitate an extra layer sometime soon.  Not gonna happen.  And really, that's not a bad thing, you just have to embrace it for all that it is.

So just as a reminder, some fabulous summery things to covet...

another feather

I know I'm not alone in craving smaller, more delicate pieces of jewelry lately.  I used to wear all kinds of huge and crazy pieces, but now I just sort of want to feel light and breathe easy, and somehow small thoughtful delicate bits of metal are having that effect on me.

Enter Another Feather, a small independent jewelry line created and hand-crafted by Hannah Ferrara in Asheville North Carolina.  What I love especially about her work is that despite being minimalist and understated, it is still tough and edgy.  A fine line to walk.

More from Another Feather...

second nature

This lookbook from Elke Kramer's SS10/11 collection "Second Nature" is blowing my mind with its beauty.  If I'm being perfectly honest, I could care less about the jewelry, but the photography (Christopher Morris), the styling (Katrina Sheiles), the story, the overall aesthetic, it's breathtaking.

More from that lookbook...

colors & textures

image sources available on pinterest

Every once in a while I like to share some of my recent pins, in case you're not following me yet over on pinterest.  Pinterest is one online addiction that I think is truly good for me.  In the midst of even my most hectic days, it slows me down, refills my creativity, floods my senses with colors, textures, tastes, and travels, all from the comfort of my laptop.  Are you addicted? Are we following each other yet?

(ps - if you're on other social media platforms as well, so am I! Twitter here, and facebook here.  Just saying.)

cuffed

I've talked about ear jewelry before (here and here) so you know I love the stuff, even if it' not always that comfortable or easy to pull off.  I was over the moon when I stumbled into this piece, at H&M of all places.  Tough and unexpected but still totally wearable.  Nothing like a little bit of hardware to help you find your inner badass.  They sell them in pairs, which makes no sense to me, but at 5 euros a pop, I could care less.  Get one for yourself and give the second one to a lucky friend.

savage beauty

Whoa.  Take a look at these wild ear cuffs from Norwegian jewelry line Bjorg.

denim & bling

I'm all for the slightly masculine, minimalist fashion that seems to be defining us all lately, but every once in a while it's nice to undo those top buttons on our shirts, show a touch of skin and put on a little bling.  Contrast it with a simple utilitarian chambray shirt and you're good to go.  (Extra points for pairing this look with jeans, as I did today, for a head-to-toe texas tuxedo, or canadian tuxedo, depending on where you're from.)

dear santa

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11

Sometimes shopping for others leads to certain, ahem, distractions.  So in the process of putting together my gift guides and getting my christmas shopping done, I've come up with a little wishlist for myself.  These are the things, great and small, that would make me extremely happy to find under the proverbial tree this year.  Hope Santa reads my blog. 

The details...

litter

I often check in at Litter to see what those ladies are up to.   Sisters Rachael and Mackenzie make wild jewelry pieces for your head, your shoulders, your thighs and your shoes.  While some of their pieces can be harder to pull off, I absolutely love this metal collar.  It's such a nice twist on all the collar tips and collar necklaces we've been seeing this past year.  Also intrigued by this beautiful shoulder piece, though honestly I don't quite understand the engineering behind how it stays on.

entrapment

A break from my Vancouver posts to say, "Damn you, Madewell."

Seriously.  A few weeks ago in San Francisco I went in to browse and walked out with this blue striped sweater, but of course I tried everything on and fell in love with this shirt as well.  I was still pining over it a week later (which is always a sign that it's meant to be) so I ducked back into the store to pick it up.  But of course they had new things!  Which of course I had to try on.  Which of course I am now pining over, yet another week later.  Argh.  So, at the risk of boring you all (and myself) to death, in what will hopefully be my last madewell post for a long while, I present to you the pieces that caught my eye the second time around.

striped transmission tee - the perfect soft and comfy striped shirt with a bit of spunk in the pocket

biltmore felt fedoras - floppier and slightly rumpled in the store, like an old man's fishing hat

enticing jewelry - dangly earrings that are half elegance, half rock 'n roll, delicate neon rings for stacking*, and yes, again, the llama

*I know I saw a beautiful photo of someone who had slipped a thin neon ring in with her wedding and engagement ring, just a crazy pop of color in an otherwise very traditional elegant stack, and I absolutely loved the effect.  Can't now find it, of course, but if you've seen it let me know where!

madewell faves

Madewell's done it again, hooked me in with some wonderful pieces, perfectly styled, as usual.  I've got to unsubscribe from their newsletter, it's just so tempting!  Course, now that I'm in the states for a while, I could actually order some of my favorites, like this sweater, or one of these perfect chambray shirts.

Check out some of the other things I fell in love with after the jump...

cos II - blue

I warned you.  And I am a woman of my word.  Before I left Madrid I stopped in at Cos again and stocked up.  That place is dangerous in the best way ever.  By the way, I have no idea why everything I bought was blue; I didn't even realize it until after the fact.  I promise not to wear them all at the same time, I do not want to be confused with a blueberry.  Or a teletubby.

Zoom out after the jump to see what I snatched up...

cos

Cos, or Collection of Style, is big sister to H&M and has stores sprinkled throughout europe.  Oddly enough, I never thought to check if there's one in Madrid.  Well, there is.  Danger, danger!   The pieces are beautiful, minimalist, well-constructed, and the shopping experience there is totally and utterly enjoyable.  And yes, it is of course more expensive than its younger sister, but justifiably so, and I really think that each and every piece is a steal. 

And the t-shirts?  Can I just say that I'm no longer relying on Mr. Wang to supply me with perfectly draped silky soft Ts?  And that my new-found loves are half the price?  And can I also mention that while I still dream of having a VPL bra one day, this sporty number is bringing me all kinds of joy in the meantime?  These may seem like simple pleasures, but the quality is so great that I'm over the moon about it all.

Take a closer look at my first Cos Madrid haul after the jump...

hakei

Hakei is a spanish brand that started out as a small family leather-working business in 1946 and has since grown into a large brand with stores all over Spain (plus a few in France).  They do clothing as well as leather goods, nice solid basics, but to be perfectly honest, I always sort of gloss over the clothing because the leather pieces are just so stellar.  Buttery soft, solidly made, it's hard to go wrong with Hakei leather.  I have a number of shoes and a handbag from these guys and I'm sure I will own many more.

After the jump, some of the best bags, shoes, belts and jewelry from Hakei this season, (in a post that's taken me a week to prepare due to my achingly slow, but ever-improving, photoshop skills learned here) ...

neck candy

Zara is not somewhere I go for jewelry.  I go there a lot, for pretty much everything else, as I'm sure you know if you've been following me for any length of time,  but jewelry?  I honestly never even look at it.  Until now.

Wow.  I know statement necklaces have been all the rage for a while, but honestly I never would have expected to see something like this at Zara.  And I love to be surprised. 

This one's more subdued and delicate, but still a bit unexpected.  Check out some more outrageous neck candy from Zara after the jump...

grand bazaar, grand ring

The Gaia Repossi rings for Zadig & Voltaire are pretty cool.  But can I say that I think the ring I picked up last year at the covered bazaar in Istanbul is even better?  And it was most certainly less than the $320 they're charging for this one. 

I realize this is basically a gloating post, because I can hardly guarantee you'd be able to find this ring even if you made the trip to Istanbul tomorrow.  But you'd probably find some other wonderful gem.  And I guess what I'm saying is, shop online, yes, shop at net-a-porter, of course, but also hunt for treasures in unexpected, personal, out of the way places; both the booty and the process of finding it are often infinitely more rewarding.

more photos after the jump (can't resist playing with my new camera)...

kitty claws

To me these bizarre "rings" look like retractable claws.

I've never seen anything like them.  Could this possibly be comfortable?

I don't see how it would be, but I'm so intrigued that it might be worth a try.  Also never heard of Romwe, definitely going to have to do a little more research when life settles down. 

For now, here's some more intriguing jewelry from their site...