On Break

Sequins for Your Nails

Unless you're one of the sparkling cast of "The Real Housewives," you probably don't wear sequins on a daily basis.

Deborah Lippman's "Stairway to Heaven" ($18) lets you inject a bit of daily shimmer in a tasteful, non-cable TV way.

Despite the hokey name, "Stairway to Heaven" is a delicate, glittery polish with iridescent shimmer. It's like sparkly snow for you nails.

The polish is pretty all by itself and wears well. Because it isn't a solid color, as it slowly chips and fades away, the polish still looks pretty good. And it is better to just let it go because it is a bear to try and take off.

All Out of Love

Flashback: A year ago (see post here), I really, really liked these pants.

Now, I can't stand 'em.

Such is the fickle nature of fashion.

These J Crew chinos went overboard on the distressed trend — super ripped, paint-splattered — and when I pulled them out of the closet the other day and put them on, I felt incredibly.... silly. They looked goofy. That trend train pulled out of the station a looooong time ago. I feel like a nerd even putting them into the donation pile. I mean, is it obnoxious to donate ripped pants to the poor? I dunno, but it seems even more wasteful to chuck 'em. Perhaps I should sew up the tears.

But, we've all done it, right? Bought something uber trendy, only to turn on it later?

Friday Shoe Haiku: A Jimmy Choo Book

A Jimmy Choo book?
That's what I'm talkin' about
'Cuz I can't wear 'em*


*or afford them.

Shoe n' Tell: Jimmy Choo makes some beautiful shoes that I can neither wear (too teetery, usually) nor afford. A new coffee table book "JIMMY CHOO XV," though, seems way more my speed. It looks at the 15 most significant shoes from the company’s archives and reflects on what has made them hallmarks of the brand style and renown. Pretty pictures of pretty shoes? Sign me up.

Happy Gobble Gobble

In my family, Thanksgiving isn't a dress-up holiday.

We come to eat.

This seems like the appropriate way to be comfortable (stretchy pants!) and not look like a slob (stretchy pants!): Equipment twill shirt; Daftbird v-neck tee (my favorite, favorite, favorite white T-shirt in the whole wide world); Monrow silk drawstring pants; Jeffrey Campbell sandals (designed, obviously, before he got heavy into that overdone platform thing even '70s Cher would think twice about wearing).

Hope you all have a lovely Thanksgiving. I am coasting — not hosting — so it's off to the in laws and balmy Phoenix.

What the...? Wednesday

The Manolo Blahnik "Swan" is $1,295.

I don't get it. I just don't get it.

Every time I look at the pump, it gives me the willies because it looks like a spider creeping up onto an unsuspecting foot.

Bundled Up (for the Desert)

It's been feeling positively San Francisco-like, with the damp breezes and chill. It's wonderful, especially since it gives me a chance to pull out warmer stuff, like cords.

Outfit: Splendid moto jacket; Converse One plaid shirt; J Crew trouser cords; Doc Marten Mary Janes; random red scarf.

A Traffic-Stopping OOTD

No, it's not traffic-stopping because it's hoochie. It's traffic-stopping because of those bright yellow cords. They're as hue-riffic as a crossing guard's vest. Still, they make for good color blocking.

Outfit: Young Fabulous and Broke top; J Crew bootcut cords; Forever XXI rhinestone necklace; Etsy.com pyramid ring; watch ring; B Makowsky leopard bag; Jessica Bennett pointy-toe flats (that, truth be told, might be too pointy for me these days. Still trying to decide).

Friday Shoe Statement of Fact

They went on sale, so I bought 'em.

Shoe n' Tell: Two months ago, I started lusting for these Born "Kai" sneaks (read here). After seeing them in person and trying them on, I had to have. I still can't guarantee that two pairs of leopard sneakers is enough.

Big* Bags

*Yeah, the "big" in the post title refers to the price tags. Yowza. But boy I love a purty bag.

Topping the Best Bag List:
• This Botkier Eden bag's bright colors are fun and unexpected on such a classic shape. Now I'll just have to lurk the sample sales and hope this shows up for a fraction of its $595 original price.

• Put "Alexander Wang" and "bag" in the same sentence and that always adds up to triple digits. At nearly $800, the Jane bag is all that and two family-size bags of chips.

How'd She Do That?

This is the coolest look — style goddess Taylor Tomasi Hill knotted a men's shirt to wear beneath a mini skirt. Love that.

I keep trying to blow the image up so I can figure it out. Did she tie the rest of it at her waist? How come all those uber fashionable types are the only ones who can layer with reckless abandon and not have lumps and bumps beneath their clothing?

Shopping For Dudes

My husband rarely shops.

He finds the experience so painful (and when I'm with him, so do I) that he just doesn't do it.*

But, around this time of year, I feel charitable and so even though much of what I buy Mr. Picky Pants ends up getting returned (too stylish), I will still take a stab at clothes shopping for him.

This year, I decided to try cruising one of my favorite sites, Revolveclothing.com, for inspiration. But the dudes in the photos all look so.... goofy. I got distracted and found myself looking more at them and their odd poses (even they look like they feel stupid), that I couldn't take any of the pieces seriously. Doesn't the guy in the graffiti letterman jacket look just like he followed Joey's (from "Friends") "smell the fart" acting advice?!?!

*The one exception is Costco. Dude loves shopping at the big warehouse. But bringing home five years' worth of batteries and a pack of 80 pairs of socks doesn't count as quality shopping. In my book.

An OOTD....For Warmer Weather

The weather has finally turned — there's a nip in the air! Rain!

And, I'm completely short-circuiting about what to wear.

As it hovered in the 80s — in fall — I cooked up super cute autumny ensembles. Now that it's chilly, I'm drawing a blank.

I did, however, buy this ultra fab Alexander Wang blouse on sale (with a code on top!), and I had grand plans to wear it beneath a jacket. But the top is so great that it's a shame to cover it up. Tried everything — tuxedo jacket, long black blazer, short Chanel-ish, studded jacket. Nothing looked right. So, I shivered long enough to take this photo to remember to wear it....in March.

Outfit: Alexander Wang zipper detail sleeveless shirt; J Crew "Minnie" pants; Me Too sandals; Club Monaco studded clutch; Forever XXI bracelet.

Friday Shoe Haiku: A Follow-Up

So, what do you do
With traffic-cone orange tennies?
Well, wear them, of course.

Shoe n' Tell: I posted last Friday about these Tsubo sneaker wedges and was asked for an outfit. So, here's what I did: Line cardigan over a Forever XXI cami; Benetton long-sleeved gray tee; Mossimo Supply Co. cargos and those wacky orange shoes. The 6-year-old still thinks they're "silly." But, he also thinks plaid and tie-dye are a marriage made in heaven.

Shop — It's the Law

So here's a website I never thought I'd be trolling. It's for the U.S. Marshals Service.

This email grabbed my attention when it arrived the other day. This is the top of it:

Convicted Embezzler Sue Sachdeva's Designer Shoes, Purses, Clothing Being Auctioned

WASHINGTON – Hundreds of items, including designer shoes, purses, and clothing, formerly belonging to convicted embezzler Sujata “Sue” Sachdeva are being sold via an online auction by the U.S. Marshals Service through November. The property, which includes brands such as Armani, Manolo Blahnik, Brooks Brothers, Chanel, Fendi, Gucci, Donna Karan, LAM and Louis Vuitton, was seized and forfeited in connection with the criminal prosecution of Sachdeva, who was convicted of embezzling $34 million from the Milwaukee-based company, Koss Corp. Auctions will run continuously through November, with the current sale of 101 lots ending Nov. 10, at www.txauction.com. Nearly all of the items are new, many with tags. 

Well, hellloooo, Manolo.

Alas, Sachdeva's feet are bigger than mine, but if you're an 8.5, check out the site. Lots of Judith Leiber little bags, too.

Who knew?

There are also abandoned and impounded vehicles being auctioned off by the city of Austin, if that's more your speed.

Old-School Polyvore

Move over, Polyvore.

Love the site, really. In fact, noodling around on it is one of my favorite time sucks even though I'm so impatient that I don't really figure out nice ways to layout ensembles. So, I've gone old-school — as in, craft-store sketch book.

Call it Polyvore 1.0.

I've managed to collect a few folders full of ripped-out magazine pages — cool clothes and shoes, hairdos I want to try, beauty products to investigate. Problem is, with the outfits anyway, I forget what exactly it was I wanted to duplicate. Ah, the joys of rapidly approaching senility. So, I bought a sketch book and plastered its pages with all my ideas, using pens to point out exactly what it was I thought looked neat. The journal looks incredibly juvenile because I am not especially artistic, but everything is together — and I remember why I saved it in the first place.

Get A Lift

News to me: Neroli — aka orange — is a natural mood enhancer.

I'll take a double shot, thanks.

This time of year is a stresser with not one, not two, not three but four — FOUR — birthdays along with the holidays. Oy. I'm not even gonna think about how badly work will suck after a recent downsizing.

So, I've taken to huffing my lotion-slathered arms to feel less stressed. This is the cream causing me to do the quasi Mary Katherine Gallagher* routine — 100 Percent Pure's Blood Orange body cream ($15). It has that crisp, bright smell of a freshly cut orange. It's not too heavy and lasts just long enough for me to feel a smidge better about all the things that haven't been done yet.

Other nummy-smelling orange stuff:

•Evan Healy's Orange Blossom Facial Hydrosol. It's a tricky one to track down because it depends on the availability of orange blossoms. But, I have a rapidly-dwindling bottle, and now I'm going to use it quite sparingly. Nothing is more refreshing than a spritz on the face with this stuff.

•100 Percent Pure's Clementine Hand Wash ($11). Clementine, blood orange, it really all has that same brisk citrus smell, which is fine by me.

*MKG is an old "Saturday Night Live" character portrayed by Molly Shannon. Her main schtick was sticking her hands under her armpits and smellin' 'em. Almost makes "Dick in a Box" seem evolved.

Mad for Plaid

Plaid is so fun.

It means a nip in the weather and hot cocoa and the holidays.

Here is a little ensemble created from a recent swap party find — a little plaid dress. It's a little short, so I paired with tights. An H&M vest and Stuart Weitzman boots AND

my new favorite tiki necklace polish things up. Tiki Timo is his name, and that whitish powder means he glows in the dark. It's from a local glass artist Bronwen Heilman, who creates the coolest stuff out of recycled glass.

Friday Shoe Haiku: Sporty Heels

So, hip or goofy?
Gwen Stefani would rock 'em
I say so, so hip.


But, for a second opinion, my 6-year-old son says: "Silly."
Why, I asked.
"They're sneakers and they're high heels."
So, there you have it.
Shoe n' Tell: These Tsubo "Drilon" wedges were an impulse buy — $44 and free shipping and they're orange and they're sneakers with a wedge and...and...well, I needed them. Needed.

DIY: Cropped Pullover Shrug Thingy

So, I did it.

Made good on my threat to attempt to make my own, way-cheaper-than-Alexander-Wang pull-on shrug/turtleneck hybrid (see yesterday's post). Not too bad, huh?

This was an old J Crew turtleneck. I cut it just above boob level and did a longer shirt-tail hem in the back. Didn't even need to hem it because the ends just roll up (something to note so that it doesn't end up too short). Beneath the homemade shrug — a C & C California tank top.

Oddsession of the Week: Cropped Sweaters

Normally cropped shirts do nothing for me.

And yet, I love these cropped sweaters, especially the tan Alexander Wang — excuse me, the color's called "husk" — because it gives the appearance of a two-tone dress.

Perhaps the appeal lies in how these are cut — they're high, not right at the poochy belly — so it looks like a faux bustier. Cute. Also freakishly expensive — they're a third of a sweater but with triple-digit price tags. I dregged up an old black turtleneck and I'm gonna get all PS I Made This on it and see what happens.

Kevin Murphy Hair Resort — For That Beachy Look

And to think of all those years spent perming.

But, in my defense, big hair and spiral perms were all the rage in college. If I'd only known back then the only thing I needed was the right product..... Ah, hindsight.

But, I found Kevin Murphy Hair Resort Beach Texturiser (sic — love those Aussie spellings) and so I'm thankful now that I've got the nice waves back. After tossing all my hair products laden with bad chemicals, I've had a hard time finding something that's clean and can still make my hair wave properly. This seems to be the stuff.

Like a light gel, it has a slight tangerine-ish smell. Oddly, it's really pretty stuff, too — kind of shimmery. You can use it either on damp hair and then diffuse or use it to finish and lock in curl after blow-drying. Good stuff.