inspired by...

This daring transparent look. See-through tops and bandeau bras go so well together, like PB&J, like dog on a bun, like... eh, you fill in the blank! I like that there's still a bit of modesty here, with the high-waisted skirt concealing her tummy. (If the belly button is showing, we've gone too far south!)

(photo via stockholm street style)

love "pho"-ever

Feeling stressed -- must eat! Had the CRAZIEST past 24 hours, so my friend Mackenzie and I decided we'd eat away our feelings. Typical. Breakfast included chocolate, lunch contained cheesecake, and snacks were fruit popsicles (and more chocolate). But dinner was the best! I took Mackenzie to my favorite pho restaurant, and we devoured spring rolls, summer rolls, and lots of pho with all the toppings. It was awesome.

wish upon a suitcase

Recently bitten by the travel bug. New York is muggy and heavy -- what I wouldn't do to be transported to the beaches of Thailand or Ibiza!

Found this lovely J.Crew trolley case and had a little daydream that involved packing it up with frothy, colorful sundresses and sipping piña coladas with similarly colorful umbrella embellishment. I'm particularly partial to yellow, but the case is also available in black and with wheels. Are you traveling anywhere soon? Any vacation plans? Do tell!

oh crap!

I was definitely not planning on stumbling into these Sam Edelman studded suede boots on Gilt Groupe tonight. But let's be real: HOW could anyone NOT fall in love with these God's gift to shoe-lovers?!? (Look at the studs! They. are. shaped. like. stars! Like ****'s!!!) Obviously, leaping for the wallet and maniacal laughter ensued. I will be stalking the mailbox starting August 17th. Truth.

PS: Need a GG invite? Here you go.

we found an apartment!!!

In the East Village! With an elegant private terrace and brick accented walls! Gah! I am so, so, sooo relieved, since the past three weeks have been incredibly, dramatically stressFUL, with an emphasis on the FULL. Between balancing a full time job and apartment hunting (which itself is a full time job) and trying to keep sane, there hasn't been much else on my mind for the past month. Only this week have things finally wrapped up: work project - done; apartment -done; keeping sane - surprisingly successful.

Naturally, I'm moving on to the next big thing: decorating! My roommates Emily and Kelly and I have the same aesthetic taste -- shabby chic, artful, cozy -- so I know this apartment's going to get a lot of love. We've lived together before, so we're kind of pros at this now. (Just see exhibit A and exhibit B.)

We're moving in September, but until then, I will be browsing a bajillion antique stores and of course surfing Anthropologie online for inspiration.... !

(Photos via Anthropologie)

EDIT: Oh man, I spoke too soon! The East Village apartment fell through (the tenant changed their mind and refused to leave and is being taken to court! Eviction in NYC is pretty darned impossible) so we moved into our second choice, a cute three-bedroom in Little Italy. Still very happy, relocation and all!

maroon 5's misery - do or don't?

I've been seeing a lot of postings by my Facebook friends of this video, and I can definitely understand the buzz! Real life couple Adam Levine and Anne Vyalitsyna are pretty captivating in this relationship power struggle storyline. I love that Anne has such a powerful role, it's thrilling to watch her kick butt! Me-ow! What do you think of the video? Too aggressive/violent, or pure awesome?

almodovar amor

There's something curiously addicting about an Almodovar film -- the character evolutions, the tears, the family dynamics... the drama! I stumbled across a blog post on cinema for Tauruses the other day, and had to chuckle at how accurate it was. (Can't get enough of astrology sometimes!) As a Taurian myself, I love color and texture, aesthetically as well as within the personalities of characters on and off-screen.

Even more true to print, I adore Pedro Almodovar's films, especially Volver and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. A strong, complex female lead is such a pleasure to sink into, especially when the character seems so 3-dimensional and real! But is my Almodovar-admiration all chalked up to astrology... or is there just a whole lot to love about these movies? Do you find Almodovar films to be as addictively good as I do?

fragrance launch love

Awesome breaking news! (Well, sort of.) My friend and L'Oreal co-intern Skip from the Ralph Lauren fragrances team just helped launch the brand's new fragrance line, the Big Pony collection, which I'm totally in love with. The concept is fantastic, with the collection representing "the key passions of modern men: Sport, Seduction, Adventure and Style." Thus four different fragrances! Ralph Lauren has such a colorful personality, and I'm having so much fun observing this new launch! (Even though I'm even more psyched for my own team's launches - go Garnier Fructis, the "big green machine!". I won't say I'm not biased ;))

Also, One Republic's hit song “Secrets” is the theme song for the Big Pony Fragrance video which, no lie, I just watched about five times. (Can you say eye-candy?) I've been obsessed with One Republic since I went to a concert 3 years ago- back when "Apologize" was the biggest thing ever and people were still confusing the band with Timbaland. We've come a long way, baby.

PS: My "Polo" experience!

apartment parade

While apartment hunting this weekend (which has become an affair that is taking over my life - seriously exhausting), I ran into quite a few green sightings: wild flowers for sale, ivy-laced windows, and many more of nature's treats for the weary-eyed. Searching for potential homes in humid city weather is pretty stressful (and sweaty), but my roommate Kelly and I managed to keep sane by enjoying the fun sights along the way on our real-estate-instigated tour. That, and some Dunkin' Donuts coolatas + frequent rest stops in neighborhood gardens. Let the parade continue!

On the way, we met Eric (above), a dapper street-vendor entrepreneur who sells hand-painted light switch covers. Aren't his creations awesome?! He gave me his website address, but clumsy me, I lost the paper. Sorry Eric!

(photos by me)

little divas

Dear adorable children with super cute style:

Don't ever grow up!

Have a happy weekend, loves - kids and grown-ups :)

(photos by hanneli)

straight talk

“I’m a modern woman in the sense of I take care of myself, I’m fiercely independent and I’m really ambitious; yet I have these old-school thoughts ingrained in my mind. I do like to belong to a man. I love having a man in my life and being his woman at the end of the day. I know it’s a dichotomy.” -- Eva Mendes to W Magazine

Isn't that so honest? And so very true? Go Eva!

personal traditions

Goodness, this summer is almost half over - it's been a whirlwind! And I've been quite sporadic about blog posts, which makes me sad, because I used to blog every day in less chaotic times. I miss keeping up with all of you sweet blogette friends and other personal traditions! I've been pretty good at rekindling some fond habits like yoga and weekend brunch and lots of fro-yo breaks-- but I also need to work on a few. Writing is one of them. Reading is another. There just never seems to be enough time, you know what I mean?

PS: I love my Phileo yogurt photo - it's the simple pleasures people! :)

"Smell like a Man, man"

Oh my goodness, have you seen the new ad spots from Old Spice yet?! I seriously crack up every time -- they are hilarious! Read more about them here.

choptank + yummy crabs!

Friends, please indulge me and make a visit to Choptank if you haven't yet been. The seafood is delicious -- I worked up a sweat munching on these crabs, they were that good! Also, my meal arrived later than my friends' so my sweet waiter decided to take it off the bill, which was unbelievably kind. Restaurants in New York usually have pretty great service, but this is definitely my all time best customer service experience, no doubt. I was so touched. Have you ever had a similar experience?

a splash of polka dot

How pretty is this silky little suit from Bona Drag? I'd wear this poolside or out to dinner under a pair of jean trousers with a big straw hat.

happy friday + have a foodie weekend!

Somebody please tell me to stop eating like I have a 12-year-old boy's metabolism. (I don't and I wish.) Onion rings on top of meatloaf on top of even more mashed potatoes for dinner last night -- isn't that just a heart attack waiting to happen?!? Too bad I finished the entire thing- eeks! Yes, I had a food baby. Yes, it was like 3 months along.

So how was your week lovelies? I had quite a food-venturous few days (as you can tell), mostly related to my burning need to cross off more items from the Vanity Fair NYC Summer Guide (which is a must-read for anyone who's living in this vibrant city). Yesterday, I went after work with some intern friends to Press Lounge, which is a massive 3,000 sq ft roof deck on the Ink48 Hotel in Hells Kitchen that overlooks a stunning view of Manhattan's west side...

And tomorrow night, I'm grabbing dinner with some school friends at Choptank, a newish seafood restaurant in the West Village that I'm super excited to try out! But until then, I think I need to make like an exercise-venturer and have some alone time with my treadmill, a long lost friend indeed. Ciao, have a great weekend!

schick ads

Schick. Slick. Siiiick. Just some alliterative praise for these spectacular ads. Feeling very stoked about them. (Okay, I'll stop now - ha!) Off to dinner and then a Delorean concert with Kelly. Not too excited to be walking around in the absurdly humid weather, but I'll just have to suck it up. (All right, I'm done now. Seriously!) ;)

out of print

Your favorite literary classics + T-shirts = Out of Print Clothing. Now how come I didn't think of this?! So simple and genius. I need like, five of these.

veuve clicquot polo classic

Finally uploaded pictures from last weekend's Polo match on Governor's Island! I'm still tickled that I was able to go, since it was such a sweltering hot day and I had just wrapped up the first half of the day screaming and hollering on the Kiehls float at the Pride Parade (photos here!). But I'm obviously thrilled I got to experience Polo for the very first time -- and with Nacho Figueras (who is the face of Ralph Lauren fragrances) and Prince Harry (who is in the third photo, center, in white #1) on the field! Final consensus: horses are incredibly majestic creatures, Governor's Island is dreamy, and I will so be back. Have a lovely holiday weekend, friends from the States!

Mikasa Giveaway Disclaimer

*Disclaimer:
I am not an employee or affiliate of Lifetime Brands, Inc; and have received the items from Lifetime Brands at no cost. All the opinions in my blog are my own, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Lifetime Inc.