zipped into zara

On my way home from class today (yes, class, on a saturday) I ducked my head into Zara for a few minutes.  I found myself taken with the oddest assortment of items, most of which are totally impractical and irrelevant to my life.  Leave it to Zara to make you think you might just need a sequined blazer.

Or a snakeskin clutch.  Cause I totally need one, right? 

This scarf, on the other hand, I might actually get a ton of use out of.  Never mind that I have an entire bookcase at home filled with scarves.  The weird combination of the heavy tweed-y print and the lightweight gauzy texture is screaming my name.

Coming tomorrow, more Zara.  I just can't help it.

our satchel

I know, I know, these bags from Cambridge Satchel Company have been all over the fashion blogs and magazines for ages now.  I liked them, but I honestly couldn't get all worked up about them.  That is, until I was in London a few weeks ago and saw the special collaborations available at Pedlar's in Selfridges.  They had them in silver, gold, a beautiful robin's egg blue, and the one that really blew us away, black patent leather.*   I say us because my husband fell madly in love with it too.  So of course, we had to buy it.  We're "sharing" it.  I'll let you know how well that works out, I have a sneaking suspicion one of us might abscond with the goods, though I'm not sure which one.

*image here is of a special collaboration with asos, a slightly bigger version of the one we bought

viva mexico

Since I didn't have time to do any shopping in mexico I'm doing it now and pretending I'm still there.  Long live the internet.

I'm loving these vintage embroidered pieces from Aida Coronado's etsy shop.  She also has a separate online store with over 350 pieces which ate up a good chunk of my morning.   

Check out a sampling of the collection after the jump...

high altitude weekend

Mexico City doesn't quite look like this anymore, though to be honest the only part I saw at all was the Casa del Lago in the Chapultepec forest, where we were performing and teaching.  It was a whirlwind and utterly exhausting; we basically flew 24 hrs to be there for only 48, and the madness of the supremely disorganized festival combined with the jetlag was pretty brutal.  Add to that the fact that Mexico City is at an altitude of 2240 meters (7350 ft), which I had no idea about until someone saw me shaking after the performance and said it was normal.  I was glad to hear it actually, I'd thought maybe there was something seriously wrong with all of us!   I will say though, that as far as the food goes, these mexicans really know what they're doing.  Every single meal I had in Mexico was finger-lickin' delicious.  Chicken gorditas, tacos dorados de arrachera, hamburguesas de camaron... amazing.  All in all, it was a wonderful trip, made so not just by the food but by the lovely ladies that I got to share it with.  I don't think I've laughed so hard in a long time, besos a todas!

distrito federal

Tomorrow I'm going to Mexico City!

image from wegolas

I'm guessing there won't be fireworks celebrating our arrival, but I'm excited nonetheless.  Mexico!  Well, in theory that is.  The festival organizers still haven't bought our tickets.  Yup, leaving tomorrow.  Incredible, right?  Any of you work in an industry this disorganized?  We're feeling optimistic though, we've been rehearsing all week and are ready to go.  By which I mean, ready to eat tons of delicious food.   I'll only be gone 5 days, so I'll have to really pack it in.  Be back with you guys on the 8th, hasta luego!!

back to basics

A few weeks ago I found myself desperately craving a new everyday silhouette.  No skinny, no pencil, no flare, no wide-leg, just a nice slim basic straight jean.  Now, I don't usually shy away from premium denim; as a woman with fairly substantial curves I find that the higher priced jeans just tend to fit me better.  Maybe it's that there's more selection and variety in terms of fits and cuts, or maybe I'm a bit of a denim snob.  I'm a huge fan of J. Brand and my recently discovered Mother jeans pretty much never left my body throughout august and september.  And yet I recently found myself sorting through the stacks of jeans at Gap.  How did I get there?  I don't know, muscle memory from high school days maybe?  Result?  Jackpot.

Yeah, they gape a tiny bit at the waist, but it's nothing that a good belt (or tailor) can't fix.  And I'm so relieved to be in comfy jeans that are a bit more relaxed than my skinnies that I'm beyond thrilled with my new purchases.   I bought them in two different washes; at this price, who could resist?  I liked the straight cut so much I also picked up these pants in black:

They've got them styled as your typical work/office pants, but I tell you, these babies are multi-taskers.  Tailored but still with quite a bit of stretch to them, I've been wearing them with everything from sneakers to motorcycle boots.  Glad I gave Gap another chance.  Maybe it's true, the 90's really are coming back.

a little lamb

One of my sweetest little necklaces is the black patina version of this:

I love the intricate laser-cut pieces and the delicate wallpaper motifs.  Hannah Lamb also makes these mismatched earrings in the same collection:

I think they would be a nice alternative to a simple stud or a small hoop, don't you think?  Check out more of her work on her website here.

carin wester

I'm not sure what Urban Outfitters is doing selling stuff in this price range, but I'm so happy to have stumbled onto the work of Swedish designer Carin Wester.  This adjustable backless dress makes wings out of your own skin, and its billowing shapelessness combined with the sexy cut-outs intrigued me so much I had to investigate further.

She's got sweet 60's coats and flowy chiffon dresses, along with beautiful tailored separates and slouchy comfy jersey pieces.  She's pretty much go it all covered.  These are from her own website, but it looks like she's got a few collaborations going with both Urban Outfitters and Asos.  Lucky us.

more after the jump...

ymc

No, not YMCA.  Just YMC, as in You Must Create.  A British brand that's been around since the mid-90s, I discovered them on this last trip to London, wandering around the Brick Lane area.  A quirky homey layout enticed me in and it ended up being one of those stores where you have to walk around and touch everything.  Nothing fancy in terms of design, but its simplicity and earnestness won me over.  This waxed cotton motorcycle jacket, a collaboration with Lewis' Leathers, was one of my favorite pieces.

See more after the jump...

squished

Our newest drinking glasses:

image from uncommon goods, also available at pedlars

No, they're not plastic, they're ceramic, and they fool everyone!  Why do I think it's a great idea to fool people into thinking our nice drinking glasses are really just crumpled up pieces of plastic trash?  I don't know, I just do.  The crumples also make them super fun to hold, though a word of warning: if you put hot liquids in them they become decidedly less fun to hold.

a new edge

I fell in love with all the oxfords and brogues at Church's in London, literally visiting them every day after class to try on different styles and colors (the store on Regent St. has tons of women's styles, even though online there's only a few to choose from), but I ultimately failed to make a decision before my time ran out.  I had been under strict orders from my mama to get myself a birthday present there, so, rather than incur her wrath, on my actual birthday I went to the Church's store here in Madrid.  They have styles and colors that they didn't even have in London!  (And vice versa.)  I went there planning on walking out with some wingtips, but instead I fell in love with these bad boys.   Meet Ketsby:

image from net-a-porter
 

Rock 'n roll menswear power boots.  They are unlike anything I own or have ever owned.  I don't want to anthropomorphize these guys too much, but I was really awed by how much they affected the way I felt about myself when I slipped them on.  That's the power of fashion, people, don't underestimate it!  They bring out a side of me I didn't even know was hiding in there.  And so they're not just a new pair of boots, they're part of the new me.   Pretty exciting stuff.

rebirth

I'm back from my trip to London which was wonderful and amazing and inspiring and exciting and everything else I'd secretly hoped it would be, and which I will tell you all about later this week.  In the meantime, I hope you'll understand as I take one more day to myself to celebrate my day of birth.  Yup, it's my birthday!!!

image from look pictures

 

Sometimes birthdays come and go and feel special because we make them so: we plan a party, we eat cake, we open a few presents, but the day itself often holds little weight.  This birthday feels special; it really feels like a big one.  I can just feel myself opening up and the world opening up to me in response.  I know it sounds cheesy, but just indulge me, I'm feeling a little cheese balls today.  All I'm saying is, today truly feels like the beginning of a personal new year, and I'm celebrating big time.

london town

Guess where I'm going tomorrow!

image from wallpaperpimper

Tomorrow I leave at the crack of dawn, (before the crow eats its sh#^, as my dad used to say), and I have a few days to bum around before my short course at LCF.  I have no idea what to expect, but am literally beside myself with excitement.  I'm sort of trying to manage my expectations for this class, but I can't help but be giddy with anticipation.  I'll try and keep posting from there even if it's just quick updates, but if I can't manage it, know that I'll be back in just 1 week.  Now I have to go deal with the real question: what do I pack?!

blood sucker

Last night our bedroom was invaded by an Evil Mosquito.  She tortured us all night long, with her buzzing, blood-sucking, poison-injecting ways.  At some point I looked over at husband, who had covered his entire face with the blanket, and I worried that he might suffocate to death, but my primary concern was still surviving the night myself.  Eventually I got up and turned the living room light on in the hopes that she would go to the light like a lost soul, and I think it may have worked because I did get a few hours' sleep towards dawn.  But when I woke up, my right eye was swollen shut.  Seriously, why would she bother?  I mean, how much blood can there even be in an eyelid?  Got up, looked in the mirror, and a monster stared back at me.  Not much I could do at that point except whine and complain, take some benadryl, and put on some fabulous sunglasses to hide behind.  Thank goodness I have these:

Rag & Bone vespa sunglasses, in a beautiful subtle green, available at Twigs for 50% off the original price.  (Again with the good shopping in Madison, what's up with that?).

Hideous bulbous eyelid concealed.  Now I just have to go take a nap from all that Bendaryl.

reed krakoff

Give the man some leather, he will make magic.

Possibly the perfect elegant slightly dressy everyday shoe?  Part loafer, part oxford, part bootie, all beauty.

In black and also in umber, at net-a-porter and saks

But that's not all.  No, the man will whip you up amazing gloves and bags too.  Yes, he also does fabric, but it's the leather goods that are calling out to me.   See what I mean after the jump...

flowers powers

Ever think you're too old to start something new or to make a drastic change in your life?  Think again.

DJ Ruth Flowers, breaking all the rules, and sipping tea all along.  You may or may not dig this kind of music, but I think she is an inspiration to us all.  Rock on, granny! 

stackable

I love the idea of these sets of stackable rings from Ioselliani.

The weird irregular shapes make them layer so nicely.  Also available in a blingier version (yes, blingier is now a word.  Cause I said so.)

See more stacked rings (even blingier yet) after the jump...

perse

James Perse, known for making lovely t-shirts, makes other stuff too.  How amazing would it be to cuddle up in this hooded poncho?  I'm sure it's highly impractical, being so chunky and bulky all the winter layering would have to be done underneath it, but it still seems like perfect snuggly goodness to me.

Lots more James Perse goodies after the jump...

olé

Who else but Rick Owens could take a traditional spanish peineta and make it dark and edgy?

Available at forward by revolve.  Ole. 

fall chies

Been a while since I mentioned Chie Mihara, which is odd, because I'm sort of obsessed.  I tried on these laceless oxfords and fell a little bit in love.  So cute, so comfortable.  Neutral enough, but still a little glimmer.

But of course I couldn't leave well enough alone and had to go online to see what else she's doing for fall.  Like these sandals:

Fall sandals?  What a great concept!  And yes, I think these are it, can't you just picture a little sock under there?

See more temptation after the jump...