A Beautiful Way to Blow Your Tax Return

So tax time has come and gone, and that means tax returns are being deposited into checking accounts all across America. I know a lot of people find tax time stressful, but then you start to hear stories about little splurges that area being made thanks to said tax returns.  I must admit that I splurged on a new purse (I went ahead and bought this Dooney & Bourke), and I've been spending a little more while shopping than I normally would.  Considering I want to replace the  flooring in my house this summer, I had better put the big spending on the back burner.
But if you've finally found yourself with a little extra cash in your account, why not treat yourself?  Go on.  Just please make sure to come back here and tell me about it, so that I can live vicariously through you!

Michael Kors floral pleated dress / Michael Kors sweater / Michael Kors sweater / Burberry coat / Donna Karan nightgown / Barbara Casasola black straight skirt / Burberry stripe pencil skirt / Dolce Gabbana cami / Michael kors shorts / Dolce Gabbana panty / Kate spade handbag / Kate Spade studded handbag / Burberry black shawl

I hope that you are having a fantastic Monday!

Required Reading

Italian Phrasebook / Peter Pan / Maps / The New York Times 36 Hours: 150 Weekends In Europe / Coco Chanel: An Intimate Life / An Extraordinary Theory Of Objects: A Memoir Of An Outsider / The Best Things To Do In Los Angeles / Storyland Cross Stitch / French Phrasebook

Here is part two of my little list of books.  There isn't really a theme here, other than that they are all gorgeous!
I've got to say that I am so glad that gift lists are popping up all over the place.  I know Thanksgiving hasn't even happened here in the US yet, but that doesn't mean that we can't start getting our Christmas on!
I love a good list, don't you?  I thought I'd share a few of my favorite lists so far.

Looking for the perfect gift in gold?  Head on over to Johanna's Gifting Color: Gold over on 101 Things I Love.

This collection from The Glitter Guide isn't a gift guide, but it is full of lovely gift-worthy gorgeousness.  And guess what?  It's all gold.  Hmmmm.....

Gloria from Little White Whale (the genius behind our beautiful web design) put together this gem of crafty goodness.  I want everything on this list.  Especially the cross stitch family portrait from Scarlet Pyjamas.

Here's one more gorgeous gift guide for you, this time aimed at hosts.  This one comes from Glitter Inc. and contains suggestions for gifts to give to hosts and hostesses that you actually like and appreciate, as opposed to my suggestion for the host you don't care for.

I hope your week is off to a fantastic start!

The Epitome of Chic

I first saw this picture of actress Ziyi Zhang in the October issue of In Style magazine and fell in love with the outfit.  I adore it.  I love the crisp white blouse paired with those black and white plaid pants.  Would we classify them as knickers?  Whatever you call them, I say, please, sir, I want some more.

image via

I hate that when I was trying to search for this outfit online and I had typed in "Chanel" with various other search words that Miley Cyrus came up time after time simply because she was carrying a Chanel bag.    Now, I know as well as the next girl that certain pieces can class up any outfit, but cut off jean shorts with your (forgive me) ass hanging out?  Not so much.  It makes me think that poor old Coco must be spinning in her grave right about now.  I know that in recent years Chanel has become more edgy, but I still like to think of it as a classicly chic brand, and I don't think good ol' Miley is really about the classic or the chic.

Anyway.  I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Chanel's Classic Black Jacket

One thing that is definitely on my wish list is a Chanel jacket.  Coco Chanel introduced the now infamous tweed jacket in 1936.  Tweed was a relatively inexpensive fabric, but she upped the value by having the jackets produced at the Duke of Westminster's factory and by lining the jackets with fur.  Brilliant.  (You can read more about that here.)
The little black jacket has been remade and revamped through the decades, but the essence of the jacket has not changed.  A book, put together by Karl Lagerfeld and Carine Roitfeld, entitled The Little Black Jacket: Chanel's Classic Revisited is due out in August of this year. It chronicles and celebrates the iconic jacket.  A behind the scenes look at the actors, musicians, models, etc. that appear in the book can be viewed here.

Anna Wintour, from the book
image via

Vanessa Paradis in the classic jacket
image via rare vintage (where the dress in the pic is from- gorgeous!)

Theophilus London
image via Lisa Price Inc

image via

classic boucle suit
image via

1 650,00 €

vintage Chanel  at Catherine B.

1 650,00 €

image via bag snob

So, since the real deal is out of my price range, how about some more affordable versions?

Moschino Cheap & Chic-sadly, this is sold out

Zara Fantasy Fabric Blazer

Zara Fantasy Fabric Blazer in black

 

Kate Spade, on sale
This would definitely work!

There are plenty of knock offs out there to be found, and while none will even hold a candle to the real deal (although some do a really good job of coming close!), I guess they can hold a place in my closet until the day comes that I can spend a month's salary on a single piece of clothing.

~Lori 

Stripes: The Devil's in the Details

photo by Kim Trzyna

Hair & Make up by Dots

I'm a stripes kind of gal.  I'm drawn to clothing with stripes. When done correctly, I think they are timeless and chic.  If you were to peek into my closet, you would see an awful lot of striped clothing hanging around.  I have shorts, pants, skirts, dresses, cardigans, jackets, sweaters, blouses, pajamas, shoes... the list, believe it or not, goes on.  I love them.  Horizontal or vertical, but mostly horizontal.  Skinny stripes and thick stripes, in all colors, but mostly, of course, in navy and black.  As I'm writing this, I am wearing a blue pinstriped shirt, and my socks have black and white stripes (it was crazy sock day at school). 

My obsession with stripes (I tend to talk a lot about my obsessions on here) got me thinking about their history.  Why, I wondered one day (probably while wearing stripes, of course), do you always see pirates depicted in striped material?  And why did prisoners back in the day wear thick black and white stripes?  And burglars, in old timey references, wear black and white striped shirts to go with the black masks that shield their nefarious identities.  This burglar question got me wondering when said burglars wised up and started wearing all black, and whether any burglars ever really did wear black and white, and did they refuse to burglarize on nights when their striped shirts were in the wash?  As in-- Oh, sorry, Joe, I can't rob old man Jenkin's place with you tonight; my striped shirt is at the laundry.
Anyway, to answer all these questions (and more, according to reader's reviews), I need to buy Michael Pastoureau's book, The Devil's Cloth.  Pastoureau is a French specialist in medieval history.  While he was researching various medieval documents, he kept noticing that it was usually only the negative figures or characters who were depicted wearing stripes.  This led him to research the history of striped fabric, starting with a "medieval scandal" in France and moving throughout history to the 20th century.  I don't know about you, but I find this kind of stuff fascinating.  That's part of the reason I love having a smart phone so much, because I have instant access to online research whenever a weird little question pops into my head.  So this book is on my list, and stripes are on my mind.  And in my closet.

by Michel Pastoureau

Audrey Hepburn

Audrey Hepburn

Loft

from the book Parisian Chic- if you don't have this guide yet,
please do yourself a favor and go get it!
image via

Love. from polyvore

perfection (via pinterest)

image via taste-ful.com

Pete Yorn and Scarlett Johansson-her striped shirt

and tousled hair are fantastic in this video

~Lori