Random Goodness

There are some things you come across that you use and fall in love with.  Here are a few of my recent finds.

On the recommendation of Dani, I tried the Diptyque Feu de Bois candle.  She was right. It smells exactly like you are burning a fire in your fireplace.  It fills the house with scent shortly after you light it.  I have no fireplace, and miss having one.  The candle is so convincing that visitors to my house thought I did.  I can't wait to try some of their other scents.

I came across this sweater on the Forever 21 website and was reminded of Vince, Helmut Lang and Theory.  It's definitely inspired by all those designers.  Unlike many garments from Forever 21, there's no polyester and no acrylic.  It has a very thin and soft hand and drapes beautifully.  For a desert dweller who has chilly days but no real cold, it's the ideal weight. 

 

 

The reviews on this speak for themselves, there's nothing much I can add other than my recommendation.  My skin looks better than it ever has.

 

 



I am mad in love with these Proenza Schouler pumps.  I resisted the sales very well, despite the deluge of emails and catalogues.  I had a list of things I was hoping to find on sale and most of them didn't get marked down, or weren't marked down enough for my budget.  These ended up at 70% off after a second mark down and thankfully were still available in my size.  These may well be the most comfortable pumps I've ever put on my feet.  The matte leather is unique, as is the shape of the heel. Speaking of the heel, it's low enough to actually walk in while having enough height to make your legs look terrific, which is the job of a pump after all. 

Last but not least, an item that came to me after literally years of looking.  Two years to be exact.  I first spotted the J. Crew pony skirt on their site in 2011. It was too rich for my blood and once it hit sale it sold out almost immediately.  I had a personal shopper look for it, I stalked eBay, to no avail. Not imagining that I would have any luck, I posted in the Looking To Find weekly post of the J. Crew Aficionada blog. My prayers were answered by the lovely Tiffany.  After all the searching I worried that I might receive it and it wouldn't be as fabulous as I had built it up in my mind. Thankfully, it was.  Two panels of soft shiny pony bisect the wool knit body of the skirt. It pulls on, flatters the hip and narrows at the bottom.  The panels can be worn front/back, or on the sides, giving the skirt different looks.   

 Any random goodness to report?

Did you forget to send Christmas cards?

I don't know if it's because Thanksgiving was so late this year or I'm just looking for an excuse for my neglect. Whatever the reason, I did not send Christmas cards.  I'm not sure how I feel about this.  It is a tradition, something I've been doing for years. Not because I'm a big Christmas person but because for many of my old friends - and even some family - it's the one time a year that I contact them. 

I suppose it's not too late.  I could run out to the drugstore and get a few boxes. If I posted them next week, most would arrive before Christmas.  Do I need that kind of pressure?  Spending a whole weekend rushing through signing cards and writing messages in each?  Certainly not. I've got to devote that time to eating the baked goods that are abundant this time of year.

But seriously, I do want to send the annual missive that reminds people I'm still among the living and thinking of them.  Then it occurred to me, why not new year's cards?  Long after the Christmas cards have all been delivered and spent their time on the mantel, my new year's card will arrive in the mail boxes of my loved ones as a welcome surprise. 

Having convinced myself that this is an excellent plan, one that will allow me to procrastinate for at least 2 more weeks, I set out to find the cards.  I googled, and found that although there are some commercially prepared cards on the market, the biggest selection was the handmade cards on Etsy.

I love the clean aesthetic of these:

You can personalize these cards with your name, and different colors are available if pink isn't your thing.  Pink is not my thing.

How about these beautiful reproductions of a hand drawn design?

 

 

I'm not sure yet which of these I'll be sending.  I only hope that I make a decision soon and don't end up sending Easter cards instead.