valerie june

Start off the day with a beautiful song:



Isn't that lovely?  It's from Valerie June, off her new album Pushin' Against a Stone, and I can't stop listening to it.  The album as a whole is pretty eclectic, running from blues to pop to early country to r&b and back over to the Appalachian mountains, but her beautiful, strange, old time-y voice has me totally hooked.

A little bit more...

slow detox

The other day I mentioned I'm on a bit of a health kick; that includes good exercise, good eating, and also, a little bit of detoxifying life in general.   You know, all those sneaky toxins that you never really pay any attention to, like the ones in cleaning products, nail polish, and yes, deodorant.  It's actually a little scary once you start looking into it.

What to do about it...

lunar elements

In the last few months of 2013, fitness had sort of fallen away as a priority for me.  And that would be ok (I don't mind being a wee bit softer and rounder for a time) except that not exercising actually makes me anxious.  And that's not ok.  So in this wonderful new year, I'm trying to find ways to fit fitness (ha ha) into my new routines and habits. This means cutting back a bit from where I used to be, but I'm realizing, it doesn't have to be so all or nothing.  I can just do a little bit, every day; it's all about balance.

Here's what I'm doing...

going platinum

Happy New Year everyone!  Yes, I am about a month late to the party, but honestly, this little internet hiatus I've taken has been so wonderful.  In this hyper-connected world we live in, I feel like sometimes that's just what we need in order to breathe a little, grow a little, change a little...

And speaking of change...  I was threatening to do this before the holidays and I bet you didn't think I'd actually do it.  Hell, I didn't think I'd actually do it.  But now that I'm living in Blonde Town, I have to say, I love it here and I think I'm going to stay a while.

If ever anything warranted an onslaught of selfies I think it's this...

ankle layers

Ah, layers.  I grew up in Wisconsin so I like to think of myself as something of a layering expert.  In my early days I used to take it to extremes - in college I would often layer flannel pajamas under wool skirts to keep warm in the winter.  I'd like to think my layering habits have matured a bit since then (I really make an effort not to wear my pjs out of the house now), but I still rely heavily on the basic techniques.  And one thing that I've learned is to embrace the layer, rather than hide it.

So here I am, with my wool trousers worn over some cashmere and silk blend leggings, draped over the tops of my boots rather than tucked in.  I sort of like this backwards sock effect.  Sort of Dickensian, no?  Not something I usually look for in my styling, but I think it works here, so I'm going to go with it.  All winter long.

Do it yourself...

blondie

Been a while since I've posted, please excuse my absence.  I'm trying to focus my energy a little bit more and be a little bit more productive with my time.  Plus, sometimes you just need a break, you know?

Productivity, however, has been seriously thwarted by a major distraction this week though: Emily Weiss and her newly platinum blonde hair.

Obsess with me...

fuzzy wuzzy

I have always been anti-extraneous-fuzz in my clothing.  Mohair and angora items made me sneeze just at the thought of all those flyaway fibers getting near my nose, not to mention in my mouth.  But the other day, at Cos, I was overcome by a sense of adventure and bravery (possibly brought on by having my favorite shopping companion at my side - a rare treat!) and wrapped myself in this angora cardigan.

It was pretty much love at first touch...

big day

image from what katie ate

I see no reason not to shout this from the highest mountain tops: It's my birthday tomorrow!

I have no big plans, I think this year I will be snuggled up with Husband eating all sorts of decadent things and watching movies or something of the sort.  But sometimes quiet cozy celebrations are the best kind.

I do have a few birthday wishes, but like one does with all the best ones, I'm going to keep them to myself so that they come true.  If and when they do, I will let you know.

In the meantime, dear reader, go and eat a piece of cake on my behalf.  The more the merrier!

unexpected florals

File these shoes under Will Never Be Mine.  First, because they're for men.  Second, because they're from Dolce & Gabbana and cost 700 euros.  No matter though, I can just admire this work of art from afar.  Yes, those flowers are actually cross-stitched directly onto the suede brogue.  No appliques or trompe l'oeil here.

More eye candy...

clutchable

I have a new little purse, unlike any other purse I've had before.  I suppose you could call it a clutch, which is what they're calling it over at Zara, but it's pretty big for a clutch, and it also comes with a perfect little shoulder strap.  So it's a purse.  That you can clutch.  It's some magical size that works both in hand and on shoulder, and I'm totally enchanted.

I've never been much of a clutch gal, but after picking up this little guy last winter I've seen how useful they are when you're just running out the door and only need a few things.  But this, this fabulous hybrid, this is going to change the way I do things for sure.

More details...

doudoune

Hello little french puffy jacket, come to mama.

Oh, you're reversible?  Get into my closet now.

The details...

just cos

You all know I have a real soft spot for Cos, the more minimalist, higher quality sister line to H&M.  It's my go-to spot for most of my basics, and then some, and I'm especially enamored of their tailored wool pants and sweaters.  And their t-shirts.  And button-downs.  And purses.  Ok, fine, I get a lot of stuff there.

The thing is, until now, there's been no access to Cos in the U.S., a fact that saddens me deeply both on behalf of my readers located there, and also on behalf of myself, for when I move back.  Be sad no more!  Cos is moving stateside!

The details...

frivolous friday fun

I just recently discovered Ylvis, a Norwegian comedy duo made up of brothers Bård and Vegard Ylvisåker.  And they are cracking me up.  

Another hit from Ylvis and some bonus laughs...

smoke it

I have discovered the easiest, most fool-proof, flattering, fabulous and quick way to a smoky eye.  Easy, foolproof and quick because it's just two beautifully formulated products (3 if you count the brush), fabulous and flattering because of the magical color.  It might sound like I'm exaggerating a bit, but honestly, I've become addicted to this as my new lightening quick makeup routine.

Check it out...

nido

I'm loving this campaign from Argentinian knitwear label Nido for their spring/summer 2014 collection (found via Miss Moss).  It's a great example of thoughtful branding and marketing.  Not that I don't love what they do and what they stand for: hand-knit goods produced locally in Buenos Aires in small batches from Argentinian sheep's wool.  What's not to love about that?  But it is true that the individual pieces they produce are quite simple, and without the sweet story they're selling, they might just go unnoticed.

And that would be a great shame.  Things like branding and marketing have been on my mind for a while now, and I love to find examples where it's done tastefully and successfully without feeling manipulative in any way.  Nido nails it.  I'm more than happy to lap up the story they're telling; it does nothing but make me feel good.  And want to bundle up in a cozy lightweight sweater while I'm at it.

More from the Nido ss14 lookbook as well as some bits from their store and tumblr...

archival clothing

You may remember I have kind of a soft spot for beautiful backpacks.  An oxymoron, you say?  I think not.  More and more we're seeing brands that specialize in these super sturdy, super functional, super thoughtful, and yes, super beautiful everyday backpacks.  One of my favorite discoveries of late is from Archival Clothing, a label that actually started off as a blog where founders Lesli Larson and Tom Bonamici researched, field tested, and reviewed heritage apparel.  They eventually decided to start their own line, one in which every product would be up to the standards they used to evaluate everything on the blog, and thus Archival Clothing was born.

 More Archival...

simple pleasures

Sometimes the tiniest purchase can make a huge difference in your overall happiness level.  In my case, it was a pair of flannel pajamas for less than $20 that instantly elevated my mood and has continued to do so every day since I brought them home.

It might seem silly to be so enamored of simple pjs but...

what ali wore

Meet Ali.  He's an 84 year old Turkish tailor (formerly a doctor) living in Berlin.  He has 18 children and over 80 suits.   Ali's sartorial adventures are documented on photographer Zoe Spawton's amazing blog What Ali Wore.   Zoe is Australian and hardly spoke any german when she started photographing Ali, but after seeing him walk past her work every day at precisely 9:05, decked out so thoughtfully from head to toe, she asked in broken german and gestures if she could take his picture.  He consented (obviously) and they've had a very fruitful relationship ever since, winning all kinds of blogging awards and being featured on cnn and Huffington Post.

Ali definitely has his favorite outfits, usually based around a suit, but he's flexible in his style too, not one to be tied down to any one look.  This whole concept just brought such a smile to my face, and makes me think of fashion as fun and playful again.  This is street style at its purest.

I think there's a few things we could learn from Ali...

heavenly bodies

This weekend my awesome cousins came for a visit (four days of madcap touristing!) and one was sporting a new tattoo.  She now has 8 celestial bodies on their criss-crossing orbits (and a little beauty mark of her own that serves as a moon) making a beautiful cuff on her arm.  I love how it manages to boldly take up so much real estate but still be so delicate and airy at the same time.  She's a big astronomy buff as well so it's just the perfect thing for her.

mars attacks!

You may have noticed yesterday that my beloved Jamisons are looking a little worse for wear.  They have been little soldiers, standing up to pretty constant wear for almost two years.  And especially when I think about how little I paid for them, I'm impressed.  But they're dying and it's time to let them go.

Of course, that leaves me with a major gap in my shoe closet.  (My figurative shoe closet.  Wouldn't it be great to have an entire real shoe closet?!)