safety orange

Me and my neon orange nails.  Remember these neon polishes I got a while back?  While I'm not in love with the magenta, this safety orange color is really rocking my world right now.  It's also fun because it changes so much depending on the light I'm in, going from an almost tame coral to a practically blinding tangerine.

 American Apparel neon coral nail polish

what i'm wearing - pink happiness

You may remember these pants, and no, I still haven't had them hemmed, but am wearing them all the time anyway, rolled up like I'm on my way to dig for clams. The bright color makes me so happy!   I think between these and my fuchsia lipstick, I may be a bit obsessed with pink right now.  Or just with color in general.  Or maybe just with being happy.

pants - Zara, tank - H&M, camisole - Calida, bralette - Urban Outfitters

ethnicon

Since we just got back from Istanbul, my thoughts are on gorgeous rugs.  My mom has a thing for them, by which I mean she could probably open up her very own textile and kilim museum, and while I didn't quite inherit the level of obsession love she has for them, these modern takes on the traditional rugs really do make me giddy.

 

Ethnicon in the covered bazaar - photo from Design Jungle

The folks at Ethnicon take antique rugs, cut them apart, and piece them back together in these ingenius patchwork celebrations of color and texture.  Each one is unique, though they have color schemes that they use repeatedly.  We got an eggplant one as a wedding, and though it manages to collect dust like nobody's business (it's the dark color combined with an old apartment that generates dust continually - no fault of the rug itself I assure you), I absolutely love it.  My mom has an apricot sunset one herself, it is utterly happy-making.  The wonderful thing about these is that they work as well in a modern home as in one filled with ethnic textiles; these rugs are for everyone.  You can get them at the covered bazaar in Istanbul, or online through Unique Rugs.

more photos after the jump...

almost bought - zara

Almost bought but didn't...  may have to rectify that later.

A linen kimono, a fresh and airier alternative to a linen jacket or blazer for the summer.  I actually liked the natural beige color better in person, though in the photos the cantaloupe looks perfect.  The fact that we're steady in the upper 90s here, hitting 100 this weekend though, makes me think the days of putting on a jacket, albeit a breezy linen one, are long gone.  Still, I think it's a great piece.

This striped cotton/silk blend blouse.  Love the mix of the pink with the nude beige tone, and I love the way it's so much longer in the back.  Now this I could wear in this heat.

latest beauty buys

I got a coupon in the mail the other day for 10% off my next Sephora purchase. Let's be honest here, 10% is nothing. That's not a real discount. What it is is a trick to get suckers like me into the stores buying more stuff.  And it works.  Well done marketers! This is what I picked up the other day.

Yes, that's my fuchsia lipstick there, and in case anyone's curious, I'm wearing it much more than I'd ever imagined and am loving it more and more each day.  I also picked up one of the new Make Up Forever liquid liners, in this gorgeous sparkly eggplant.  I love the way it goes on and the color is amazing, but to be honest I'm not convinced this is the best liner out there.  I've worn it a few times and it seems to flake off towards the end of the day.  I'm still trying to work out if there's some way around that.  If anyone out there has any insight I'd love to hear it.

Checking online on the US site I see that they don't carry these little spray scents in their bath and body line, which is too bad for you guys over there because they really are wonderful.  They're super cheap and smell delicious and clean and light, and are the perfect thing to throw in my dance bag for a little freshening up throughout the day. 

Also missing online are perhaps the most exciting part of this sephora spree: the nail stickers.  They're similar to the Sally Hansen ones that people are going crazy over.  I cannot wait to try out my leopard nails!  Definitely had to wait until after I visited my grandmother though...

twisted

Back from Istanbul, rested, recharged, and ready to go.  Funny how even on a vacation where you compress so much stuff into just a few days, it somehow revives you and fills you with more energy to attack your normal life.  I didn't take a single photo while I was there, but sometimes that happens when you're busy actually living the experience, so you'll have to forgive the lack of exciting photographic documentation.  I saw all my family, everyone, aged 2 1/2 to 90, and they were all beyond beautiful.  I ate everything I could get my hands on: kebabs, stuffed zucchini, cheesy pides, manti (like ravioli in yogurt), tahini pastries and almond macaroons.  Also even managed to squeeze in a quick trip to the covered bazaar, which is one of my favorite things to do there.  I will have to show you what I bought there another day.  Meanwhile it's in the upper 90s here in Madrid, and it's time to get your hair out of your face.  Here's a quick way to toss it halfway up. 

I just took the top half of my hair and split it into two sections, parted down the middle. Twist each section a few times around your fingers (like you're twirling your hair) and then bring them together in the center.  Instead of just pinning it like that which I often do, I gave the whole thing one more flip up and then down again in the back and secured it with one small butterfly clip.  Does that make any sense?  Reading though this I think maybe not, but hopefully with the photos y'all can figure it out.  Have to devise a method to take pictures of the back of my head, don't I?   Just play around with it, the idea is to just split, twist, twirl, and clip, quick as can be.  I like that it's a little different, there's volume and movement but it's messy and definitely unstudied.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend too!

thoughts of the aegean

The heat (up to 90 now! gone are the days of rain and trench coats!) must be filling me with all sorts of subconscious urges to be seaside.   Everything I buy lately seems to be in shades of Aegean, as if that would cool me down, or transport me magically to far away hidden vacation spots.



see what my purchases are after the jump...

istanbul bound

photo by Alonso Lujan

I'm off on a short trip with my husband to Istanbul to visit family and of course eat everything I can get my hands on.  Posting may be sporadic for a week until I return, but I'll do my best to not disappear completely from cyberspace.  In any case, I'll be back on monday.   Have a great rest of the week!

fuchsia

I recently took the plunge and bought myself a brilliant fuchsia lipstick. 

I originally had my eye on Nars Funny Face, but the idea of spending real money on a lipstick I wasn't sure if I even had the balls to wear was sort of off-putting.  So I did a little research and found some dupes, L'Oreal Color Riche No. 288, and Sephora Collection Mr. Lover (R10).  As far as I can tell, they're all pretty much the same.  In the states the L'Oreal one is probably the cheapest, but in Spain the Sephora lippie had the best price so I went with that.  I have no regrets.  And by the way, yes, it turns out I do have the balls to wear it.  Not only that but when this color fades, it does so evenly and leaves behind this gorgeous even pink stain.  Here's a more accurate shot of the color, laid on thick and rubbed out to a stain:

I highly recommend it.  Anyone else out there pushing personal beauty boundaries?  Fashion boundaries?  Life/love/work/adventure boundaries?  I say we attack this summer with reckless abandon in all things, big and small. 

cats & flowers

While not something I usually look for in clothing (in fact, the general rule is, see kittens, run away) , I am totally smitten with the cats and flowers on this blazer by Paul & Joe Sister.

I stumbled into it the other day at Pez when I was wandering around Las Salesas.  The printed linen literally made me smile, so I had to try it on, and once it was on my body I was done for.  It's funny and knows it, and that combined with the soft drapiness of the linen perfectly balances out the double-breasted slightly boxy formal cut.   It's bright and cheery but still somehow feels neutral enough to be wearable all time time.  And it reminds me of a china vase.  Am I delusional or would I actually get tons of use out of this?

I literally can't get it out of my mind, and it's been over a week since I tried it on.  I may have to go buy it.  What do you think?

what i'm wearing - linen & leather

This linen jacket was a total impulse buy from the Garden Party Collection last year at H&M.  I didn't wear it at all last year, I'll admit it.  And then I saw it on sale for half the price I paid and felt like kicking myself repeatedly.  No matter though, because this year it's getting nonstop loving.  It's perfect for this in-between weather we've been having lately.

julio romero de torres

One of my favorite spanish painters is Julio Romero de Torres. There's an entire museum dedicated to him in Cordoba, but unfortunately the few times I've tried to go it's been closed for remodeling. The women in his paintings are so mesmerizing, with their languid poses and piercing gazes.  The paintings are so spanish to me, not just in the subject matter of these doe-eyed dark-haired ladies with oranges and black lace, but in the level of intense drama that for me is so typical of spanish culture. 

More beauties after the jump...

a care package

The other day I got a care package!  I almost never get any mail at all, literally.  I could go weeks without opening my mailbox and I would only have flyers from Pizza Hut and the chinese place up the street, so a package from my loving mama in Wisconsin was above and beyond what I could hope for.  I was giddy like a little girl.  Inside I found my much sought after mesh Chuckies, gifted to me last christmas by my step-cousin-in-law (complicated family tree) and then sadly left behind in the packing madness that always defines january for me.  I actually fell in love with these shoes here in Madrid last summer, but of course I couldn't buy them because they cost 70 euros, which is over $100.  A hundred dollars!  That is insane.  At zappos they're $40.  So anyway, I had to wait, but it was well worth it.  They're plastic mesh, but all those little holes make them super breathable, and I love the lacelessness of them too.  And now they are finally mine!

Also in my package was a new T by Alexander Wang tank top.  I bought one this winter and fell madly in love with it, so when my mama saw it in this beautiful heathered blue deeply discounted at the outnet, she snapped it up for me. 

Seriously, what could be better?  Now if the sun would just come back out so I could wear the stuff...

brush your face

Thinking of starting a series here called Machines I Want.   This would be number one on my list (yes, there's an actual list, and yes, it's fairly long).  Anyone heard of/have/use/want/love one of these?

I'm talking about the Clarisonic Mia face brush, (and the larger more expensive original too), which has been endorsed and praised by everyone and their mother, including Queen Oprah herself.  I'm so curious and so tempted.  But it is a lot of money.  For an oversized electric toothbrush.  For your face.  And also it's not available in europe, as far as I can tell.  But come august when I go home for a visit, I might have to give it a try.  I'd love to hear if any of you out there have had experience with it.

In the meantime, I'm going low-tech and I picked up this little baby.

Haven't tried it yet, but will let you know if the results are the least bit exciting.  Any thoughts on brushing your face? 

j. crew wishlist

We all know J. Crew pretty much kills it every season with their lookbooks.  Even if there's nothing innovative about the layering (though there usually is), the styling is always impeccable.  Just look at this simple photo - her highlighted beachy tousled hair, her porcelain skin, her orange lips...  Of course I want the t-shirt; I want to be her!  Seriously, that's the effect these styled shots usually have on me.  The plain old catalogue shots however, not so much.  Regardless, here's some of my favorites at the moment.

Doria dress, embroidered top

more of my favorites after the jump...

what i'm wearing - rainy day

I feel like recently all my posts were declarations and celebrations of summer's arrival.  Well, it was premature.  It's spring.  Full on, allergy-ridden, rain-soaked spring.  And not just rain, but crazy torrential downpours, accompanied by thunder and lightening.  I actually love it, and find it oddly exhilerating every time there's another clap of thunder, like Zeus himself is sending me his energy, saying, "Go get 'em!"  But it definitely does call for a different wardrobe.

more after the jump...

oliphant

This weekend I took myself on a date and wandered around el barrio de las Salesas, the area between Alonso Martinez, Colón, and Chueca.  It's my old neighborhood and the best in Madrid for boutique shopping.  I found this sweet little swallow bracelet at Oliphant, which is one of my favorite stores in the area.   They carry all kinds of wonderful clothing from brands like Tara Jarmon, Stella Forest and Filippa K, but they also have beautiful things for the home, adorable baby clothes, and their own line of jewelry.  (You can also buy the jewelry online here.)

I'm so glad I gave myself this tiny gift.  Sometimes I think so much about every purchase that it sucks all the joy out of it, but I just knew this would be a good buy.  In fact, I think it's my new favorite piece of jewelry.  It's simple and lighthearted, and feels perfect for the summer.  I can wear it on its own for a more delicate look, or layer it like I did here.

turquoise bracelet from market in Santa Fe, chain bracelet from Oliphant, ring from covered bazaar in Istanbul

reinhard plank

Yet another post about clogs.  But these are different.  I swear it.  Reinhard Plank makes hats and shoes, but I there's something really really special going on here.  Take a look at the sculptural beauty of these his clogs.

Seriously.  What the hell?  These are gorgeous.  I wonder if they're as comfortable as your average clog.  I found a little boutique here in Madrid that sells them, maybe I'll have to go try them on.  In the name of scientific research, of course.

see more...

table music

Thierry de Mey is a Belgian filmmaker and composer, and, according to the website of Charleroi Danses, of which he is one of the directors:

          An instinctive feel for movement guides his entire work, allowing him to tackle and integrate a variety of disciplines. The premise behind his musical and filmic writing is the desire for rhythm to be experienced in the body or bodies, revealing the musical meaning for the author, performer and audience. He has developed a system of musical writing for movement used in pieces where the visual and choreographic aspects are just as important as the gesture producing the sound.

shades of blue

Baby blue nails and a dancer's best friend, the theraband.

Kiko nail polish #159