happy friday!  hope you all had a wonderful week!  sorry for the lack of posts this week, launching our new site & traveling is taking more out of us than we thought!  BUT, the weekend is here folks & here’s a fun find to kick it off…Tatty Devine.  and Devine it is!!  fabulous cheeky accessories (handmade in England) with it’s main mission “to make you happy”…OK, i’m sold!  I’ll definitely take happy where i can find it  i’m partial to their mustaches (clearly!), but you must check out their name plates & punctuations, modern love tokens (for valentines!) and their blog…all too much fun!  have a great weekend!!!

can you stand it??  all so captivating & all so much fun.  all the elements i soo love in artwork…ink, watercolour, colour, portraiture, fashion.  thanks to izziyiana suhaimi’s beautiful work you can now also add knitting & embroidery to that list  check out her blog to see what the amazing talented izziyiana is creating next.

found via wool and the gang.  images via here.

This time of year is all about the outerwear. Well, let’s be honest. In Chicago, it’s outerwear weather about 9 months out of the year. But I digress.

With a trip to San Francisco coming up this weekend and Fashion Week right around the corner, outerwear is an all-consuming obsession for me right now. The right coat/jacket/cape/vest is THE thing that everyone is going to see. Keeping in mind that I probably won’t have the opportunity to “check my wrap at the door” and show off my impressive layering and accessorizing skills, I’m gonna have to figure out another way to impress. Enter the coat.

So many options.

I’m sorry, but you can never go wrong with a parka. Always ready for whatever unexpected weather might come your way.

Black. I like a black coat to have some texture or an interesting shape to make it stand out.

Fur (faux or real) always gets me. And a coat that sort of winks at the 60s often finds its way into my closet.

And what I never really thought I needed, a printed coat. This one from Dries Van Noten makes me want to squeal with glee. Can I have it please? Pretty please? With whipped cream and a cherry on top?

1/2l/2r/3l/3r/4

there is so much pretty in loeffler’s resort & spring collections this year.  i’ve always felt that pretty is what jessie does so well…oh yes, and also love her take on flats, platforms, rain boots, boots and bridal.  this season, loving the pop of spicy orange with the soft pastels and that raffia wedge has me already dreaming of summer

i’m not one to wear them, but i sure do appreciate them…their pure whimsy & surprise always puts a smile on my face

all images via love magazine

image 1 - stella mccartney; image 2 - marc jacobs; image 3 - jil sander

i’m beyond delighted to be typing this…we’re headed out to san francisco!  there’s going to be a lot of {enjoyable} work & lots of {exciting} meet & greets so needless to say, i’ve started planning & packing my sf ‘kit’.  i like playing around in my closet & packing is more easy peasy than a big deal.  here’s what works for me when packing for a trip….

lastly, creatively roll, fold, squeeze & compress into one suitcase

images 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9

I’ve been diligently attempting to catch up on the Pre-Fall collections and I have happily come across one of my favorite trends: RED!

Actually, I should say one of our favorites. Someone recently asked Arlene and me separately what our favorite color was and we both said red. Don’t look so surprised. We’re dressed alike more often than not.

{all images via Style.com}

this editorial is buzzing around the tumblrsphere right now.  shot by steven meisel for vogue italia more than a decade ago, yet still captivating & current.  amazing cut & shape standing the test of time.

maggie rizer, erin o’connor & others photographed by steven meisel // fashion editor brana wolf // vogue italia, july 1997 //

i have been dreaming about a new kitchen FOR-E-VER, but 2012 is the year  as i flip through my {monster} kitchen folder, i instantly take to the kitchens with the mismatched cabinets that still feel simple, modern & warm…

so sorry to say, i have had these images for so long i have no idea where i pulled them from : /

It’s that time of year again — Fashion Week is just around the corner. I’m gonna need to look awesome [obvs], so I’ve been surfing like a mad woman for inspiration.

When it comes to traveling, I always try to think about comfort and versatility. As much as I would love to be rockin’ heels all over NYC, it just isn’t a reality for me. I do not feel sexy when I’m not wearing heels — especially during Fashion Week — so I’ve got to think about ways that I can feel stylish and attractive, yet still be comfortable. (Something else I’ll tell you is that when my feet hurt, it is all over. I am no fun, I am uninspired, and I’m a royal pain in the ass. Just ask Arlene — she’s known me for years and has seen me through many a my-feet-are-killing-me-I-have-to-sit-down-get-me-the-hell-out-of-here moments. Not fun.)

So, I’m turning to the maxi. Be it dress or skirt, it’s the perfect solution.

A great cashmere maxi dress…

…is like a blank canvas. Layer it, wear some awesome flats, and look awesome!

And a great maxi skirt (my recently acquired vintage skirt looks a lot like this, but with a center panel of chiffon)…

…can be perfect this time of year. With a chunky sweater, a blazer or motorcycle jacket, it’s the epitome of effortless chic.

Now I just have to pray for good weather. Snow (or rain) and maxi anything definitely don’t mix.

{image sources: the shop, Phillip Lim pre-fall12 via Style.com, The Sartorialist, Mr. Newton, (clockwise from top left) found via ModernHepburn, LFW by Krisatomic, Milton Greene found via Anne Sage on Pinterest, Streetpeeper}