Behind the Scenes

Stylist Kate Young posted these pics to her tumblr of helping her pals Michelle Williams and Natalie Portman get Oscar ready. I simply love the necklace that Michelle wore. 

Umbrella Envy

Umbrella envy ... is what people who pass by me on the street will be consumed with when they see this beauty:

Stripes. Ombré. And a beautiful red wooden handle. I canNOT wait for it to rain!

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twit pic 

Owl Sweater at Burberry Pre-Fall

Burberry really outdid themselves for pre-fall 2012 (whatever that means).

I know I'm not alone in coveting this sweater, so (obviously) I can't for the knock-off version. Sigh.

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1-4.  Garance Doré

5. Kate Bosworth via Upscale Hype

Downton Abbey // The Paper Dolls

I've heard that Downton Abbey isn't as big a thing in the UK as it is in North America. I've also heard that this might be because the class system as portrayed in the series hits too close to home to most Britains, in that it still very much exists, or something like that.

Whatever the case, I'm about ready to start watching Season 1 for the second time, but trying to pace myself because it will be a while before the third season starts. And Mad Men starts soon. In the meantime, I'm considering printing out these printable Downton dolls. I just love the dowager (and her assortment of emotions - what is a week-end!) and think that illustrator Kyle Hilton got them spot-on. I hope he's planning on putting out more of the cast...

He's also, I've discovered, done paper dolls of the Bluth family (Arrested Development...) and Ryan Gosling as The Driver in the movie Drive. They can be found on his tumblr.

Paint Splattered

I have a tendency to make grand sweeping statements based on very little data, like the time I once said that nothing much happened in the Middle Ages in comparison with the Renaissance for a first-year paper. And now I'm going to say that based on these two outfits at NYFW paint splattered pants are a thing. Printed pants (and skirts and dresses, etc) are certainly popping up everywhere, but artist studio-inspired prints of splattered paint or inkblot patterns have been catching my eye. Probably has something to do with an impressionist-style splattered print on a dress I bought off the sale rack at French Connection in the summer. It had just arrived in that morning from the SoHo store, and the sales guy was so pleased that I fell for it. 

1 & 2. Erin Kling
3. Claire Geist
4. Rhian Grimstead
5. 3.1 Philip Lim paint splatter drape skirt

Birthday Week

It's kind of a big one.

I'm turning thirty, which when written out like that makes me kind of queasy, so I'll refrain from doing that again. I'm not at all daunted by it and feel ready to leave behind my 20s, and to welcome in the new decade I'm trying to find the perfect cake recipe. Yes I will be making my own birthday cake, it's one of my great pleasures in life, and this way I get to choose. 

There have already been two birthday celebrations (and three birthday cakes) in the last few weeks, and since I've provided all three of them (happily), I kind of want to pull out all the stops for my own. Cake #1 was chocolate with peanut butter frosting, cake #2 was David Leibowitz's carrot cake, and cake #3 was gluten-free, chock full of dates and ground almonds and a LOT of chocolate - it was fudgy and soo good that I had to request my sister take the remainder out of the house because I was justifying eating it for breakfast, lunch and snacks (you know, because of the dates, it was healthy...).

Right now I'm torn between two routes: do I make the outrageously sugary and delicious-looking (and -sounding) pumpkin s'more cake that I've been eyeing since the fall or one of Babycakes' cupcakes, which is more in line with my new baking philosophy - also delicious-looking, but requires a slightly revamped pantry. I'm borrowing the Babycakes cookbook right now, and every one of her cupcake recipes is calling my name. I have no idea what half of the ingredients are and what they do (xanthan gum?!) but I love baking with coconut oil and almond milk, and am trying to eliminate sugar (so far fairly successfully, aside from the above cake list) and since Erin Mckenna, Babycakes founder, is the queen of vegan and sugar-free baking, and also so darned cute, I'm set on one of her recipes in the hopes that it will make me more like her.

I'm leaning slightly towards Babycakes' carrot cake, but am super anxious about the frosting. There's always a lot riding on the frosting, and in this case, being free of icing sugar and butter (eeek!) it could go either way. Updates and recipes to follow. Fingers crossed.

Domino Resurrected

Oh happy day, a day I've long dreamed of (for real), when Conde Nast would realize that they were too hasty in pulling the plug on the design magazine that was like no other, and that spawned countless online design magazines after it was gone.

Domino is back, alas not in its former monthly glory, but for now it's set to appear on newsstands as a special edition called Domino Quick Fixes in the Spring and Fall (and fingers crossed it will make it to a quarterly). I can't wait for April.

images via pinterest

Leopard Print Love

My new dress (an early birthday present). 

It's far from the neutral zone, being leopard print and all, but it doesn't actually deviate from my usual colour palette of gray and black. That's why I promptly went to MAC and bought a bright pink lipstick. Girl About Town. That's about right.

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lilian silk dress, club monaco

A Spring in Your Step

I currently have my eye on inspiring ways to incorporate colours other than gray and black into my wardrobe. First up: footwear.   

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1. unknown  

2. seychelles snapdragon heels in emerald