My Pinspiration

 Apologies for being MIA.  Could we say it was an extended bout of bloggers block?  Or perhaps it is like “Boy Meets World” where Cory’s little sister Morgan disappears for at least two seasons.  I can’t even begin to explain all important things that have happened since I’ve last penned so here are some quick highlights:

1.       I fell in love with field jackets

2.       I found the perfect pair of boyfriend jeans

3.       I bought my first real pair of boots that I will own for the rest of my life (this is probably the biggest commitment I’ve made since I got a dog)

One of the major things that has happened since I’ve last blogged is the rise of Pinterest (yeah, I know , it’s not even remotely a new thing).  When I first heard of it, people were telling me it was a site that only college girls loved, so I was a bit turned off.  I’m not really sure how it is a college girl thing when half of the posts are about dreamy weddings. 

The only mildly frustrating thing about the site is that sometimes I find that perfect thing that I just have to buy, but then I have to go through this whole song and dance to find out where I can buy it, and I inevitably experience an immense wave of sadness when I cannot locate the item, or fall into even deeper despair when the item is no longer in stock.  I experienced this Pinterest panic last week when I found the perfect non-frumpy, chic sweatshirt.  I became determined to immediately buy this cozy side zip hoodie. 

The Elusive Jacket

After pinning it onto my board, Fashionista Style, I clicked on the picture to find the original pin.  It linked me to another fashion blogger, but she didn’t list the hoodie’s origin.  I Googled the item, and sure enough the picture from Pinterest came up, but the item was nowhere to be found.  This sweatshirt became the golden snitch, seen by me, then released into the internet ether.  I read through the comments on the bloggers website.  Two other girls were obviously also suffering from Pinterest Panic.   “Does anyone know where I can buy this hoodie?  What brand is it??” one comment read.  Another sufferer wrote, “I have to have this, where is it from?”  Then finally a comment from the original pinner with a link to a random Korean wholesale website.  I immediately went to the site.  I held my breath as I clicked on the image.  Then those three crushing words, OUT OF STOCK.  Gone.  Damn you Pinterest.  You have created a supply and demand problem and I was enraged, but did not give up.  I noticed the website had an online help chat option.  I immediately started the chat.  Experiencing the same nervousness I did in junior high when I’d log on to AIM hoping to IM my crush, I waited expectantly for the chat to begin.  Skipping the pleasantries, I got straight to the point. “When is this item coming back in stock?”  “Item not soon, maybe never.” the help desk replied in broken English. 

The elusive side zip hoodie got the best of me, but I did experience some Pinterest triumphs.  It wasn’t always easy.  I found one of the dresses I pinned in a random Santa Monica boutique on the post holiday sale rack.  It was like running into an old friend.  I fell in love with the dress on Pinterest long before I bought it, so there was really no wavering on my once I realized it was a perfect fit. 

So here’s to Pinspiration.  While sometimes finding the item in real life takes perspiration, the victory of owning the item in real life is sweet, and so much more satisfying than just having it on a virtual corkboard.

Pinspired by this Romper 

Found it!

gURL Power - my favorite accessories website!

There is nothing that excites me more than successful women.  That probably sounds a bit creepy, but it is totally true.  I voraciously follow the careers of women that I admire such as Melanie Cook (female entertainment attorney extraordinaire) and Chief Justice of California, Hon. Tani Cantil-Sakauye.  I’ve been fortunate enough to meet both of these women and soak up their awesomeness in person. 

While perusing the latest issue of Forbes, I came across a blurb about two fashionistas that started my favorite website for buying unique and trendy accessories at killer prices.  Daniella Yacobovsky and Amy Jain are the masterminds beheld Baublebar.com, the site that sources jewelry from high-end designers and sells it for a steal.  I am officially a fan of these two Harvard Business School grads.  Because of their genius, there is no need to wait till the end of the season for your favorite necklaces from Athropology, J.Crew, and Banana Republic to go on sale.  If you are into any of the latest accessory trends (e.g. rose gold, statement necklaces, or preppy monograms) I guarantee you will find something on this site you’ll love.  Even if you aren't in the mood to shop for yourself, these accessories make the perfect gift.  You can get semi-personalized necklaces for bridesmaids or earrings to go with bridal party dresses.  Check out these pics of some of my favorite choices.  Subject yourself to their emails and get $10 off your first purchase!  

Hitting the Thrift Store Jackpot

The other day I was wandering around a thrift shop killing time and looking for nothing in particular.  I browsed rack after rack and found a few cute designer skirts, but nothing that was really worth buying.  My annual New Year’s resolution is to stop buying clothes just because I can get a good deal (unless, of course, I can get a really, really good deal), and strictly to buy pieces that I just can’t live without.  As I was walking toward the exit empty handed, I got distracted by something shiny.  A pair of gold stack heels caught my eye.  I examined the specimen with scrutiny—the top of the almond-toe pump had a woven metallic pattern with a thin gold platform and gold piping.  They were in great condition, and just like any metallic shoes, these really do go with everything.

I held my breath as I flipped them over to see if they were my size.  At this point I was already in deep and head over heels for them (ok, yeah, that was a terrible pun).  They might as well have said “eureka!” on the bottom of the soles because they were stamped with those two magic words, “vero cuoio.”  Translation: REAL LEATHER.  It's the stamp of the trade organization of Italian tanneries, indicating Italian-made leather was the material used to construct the sole.  In the current world of cheap, trendy, and disposable, I found quality metallic pumps in my size—I experienced the gold rush.

I just had to get over the fact that these shoes belonged to someone else first.  This thought alone totally weirded me out until I contemplated all the gross places my bare feet have been…Venice beach, sweaty dance studio floors, and of course, that time in college when I lost my flip flop at a foam party then walked the whole way home.  In the grand scheme of things, a lightly-worn “pre-owned” pair of fancy shoes isn’t that big of a deal. 

If you aren’t lucky enough to find your own pot of gold at the end of the thrift store rainbow, here is my pick for the best vero cuio pair of metallic pumps (JCrew Everly Mirror Metallic Pumps).  They are a significantly more than the mere fifteen buck bargain I found, but they pretty much go with everything.  You can pair these with skinny pants (of every color), pencil skirts, and even flouncy dresses.  Give your nude heels a break because these too go with every color and pattern!

My Favorite Warm Weather Winter Look

This is such an L.A. thing to say, but yesterday I actually went to the beach.  It was over eighty degrees outside and it is the end of January.  Although I can’t complain about the unseasonably warm weather, it does put a damper on the joy of bundling up in cozy cashmere sweaters or accessorizing with fun winter hats and colorful scarves.  Even though it feels like summer, it just doesn’t seem right to bust out the sandals and sun dresses, so to keep things seasonal, yet temperature appropriate, I’ve been really into pairing black shorts with tights. 

The black on black keeps winter colors at play without sweating to death.  It seemed like the perfect option for many of my evening outings in the past couple months (e.g. with an ugly Christmas sweater for a theme party, with a sparkly shirt for a concert or trendy dinner).  My favorite somewhat casual paring is with a chambray button down and a bohemian, lightweight scarf.  If I’m feeling particularly hipster, I’ll add a fierce red lip or knit cap.  To make the shorts dressy, I usually wear black booties or sassy metallic pumps. 

For those of you who are adverse to shorts (I am generally one of these people), black tights with black shoes makes the look slimming overall.  I tried on quite a few pairs of black shorts before finding the right ones, but this look is best with a “fancier” black pair, so look for something with dressy details or a heavier fabric.  

The Statement Necklace – Taking an Outfit from Drab to Fab

Usually my favorite part of the day is getting dressed in the morning because I love the challenge of putting together something interesting to wear.  I really don’t do it for anyone other than myself because I work in the type of environment where track pants are totally acceptable.  It almost seems like shoes are optional and t-shirts are the standard uniform.  It doesn’t matter to me that 95% of my meetings are on a conference call, putting on something fun or unexpected keeps me entertained.

Yesterday I had a serious case of the Mondays, but I didn’t want to dress the way I felt.  I reached for a boring plaid shift dress and thought to myself that I could get dressed on autopilot and accessorize in a totally predictable, put together manner (i.e. dress + neutral cardigan + skinny belt over cardigan + nude pumps), but instead I thought, why not do something totally unexpected and accessorize with a colorful, modern statement necklace and a neon yellow cardigan.  I was totally impressed by the way these unexpected pieces worked together.  

Any boring or neutral dress that is sitting in the back of your closet can be revitalized by a bright bubble necklace, collar necklace, or other statement piece.  The one I chose was embellished with all sorts of bright colors and a little bit of bling.  Any necklace that may look too over-the-top on its own is probably perfect to transform a basic dress or top!

Here are a few that I totally love: 

For a great bargain, try etsy!

Shopping on Wheels

I can’t even tell you how many random goals I have set for myself these past few months.  Unfortunately, I never seem to keep them.  They usually sound something like this:  (1) write every day, (2) run every morning, (3) try a new restaurant every month (4) take a dance class at least once a week, (5) bring lunch to work every day, (6) eat the food in the fridge before it gets moldy, (7) don’t buy clothes every weekend, (8) contribute more to my 401K, (9) spend less on…well, everything. 

Even though the New Year’s resolutions have come and gone, I seem to keep treating every day like it is January 1^st.  I enrolled in a 5 week boot camp that starts at 6:30 a.m. and started making myself those green monster smoothies packed with spinach.  I also have made a ridiculous commitment to cut out bread, pasta, and rice for the next three days.  The problem with setting all these unrealistic goals is that it is virtually impossible to implement them all at once.  If I eat healthy, like to buy a little something for myself as a reward.  Then I end up being successful on goals (5) and (6) while blowing goals (7) and (8). 

The problem is that temptation is everywhere.  For example, one Saturday morning I decided to run to the beach.  Three and a half miles later I reached my destination and stopped to take in the amazing view of the waves.  Then it hit…the ultimate distraction.  It was a fashion truck, not a food truck, but a fashion truck—something I had never seen before, but only heard of.  The myth is that a magical fashion truck scours the Hampton homes of the rich and famous and buys up the gently used goodies to resell in Manhattan.  I had never heard of a comparable West Coast rival.  Spotting this fashion truck was like finding a unicorn. 

While I did not know that I would come across this powder pink, whimsical boutique on wheels, I knew there was a possibility I could succumb to the temptation of shopping while on a morning run. As preemptive damage control I purposefully did not bring a credit card while jogging.  Even though I knew I didn’t have the ammo so there was no risk of pulling the trigger, I still wanted to give the truck a shot.  Le Fashion Truck had a unique spattering of vintage and new clothes and accessories.  I definitely tried on a couple of bangles and flipped through the racks, but my foresight prevented me from picking up any souvenirs to commemorate this rare occasion.  Although I walked away empty-handed, I was actually quite full of hope that the fashion truck fad would catch on as fast as the L.A. food truck craze.  

The Art of Hunting for Exotic Shoes

Shopping is like hunting, sometimes you return with significant bounty, and sometimes you starve.  The most fertile of hunting grounds is Downtown L.A.’s garment district.  In a random store off Santee Alley I spotted a five dollar bin of sparkling shoes.  It was so unreal that I thought I had been entranced by some sort of shopping mirage.  Could it be that these exotic creatures were really only five dollars?  It couldn’t be—they were hand beaded and genuine leather.  These are the type of shoes that retail for at least $45 at Anthropologie.  I was completely in disbelief.  I crept up slowly to the vessel containing the shoes as though rushing toward them would alert other size six shoppers of my magnificent find. 

Once I was face to face with the bin, it was like I was staring at a gaggle of gazelles, cocked gun in hand, patiently waiting, eying them to choose which one I wanted to take under my submission.  I was searching for the right fit, and suddenly it hit me.  I knew exactly why these exotic slippers had been relegated to the five dollar bin.  Each shoe was truly unique.  There was no standard size or even a left or right foot.  This was the type of shopping akin to hunting rare birds while sitting in a camouflaged tree house for days on end.  My challenge was to find two shoes that fit me, and that happened to be a true pair.  In a bin filled with shoes of all sizes and varying shades, this was exactly the type of shopping challenge that would scare the average buyer away, but not me. 

Rising to the occasion, I developed a methodical plan to hunt down my perfect pair.  I tried on each shoe that looked like it fit until I found one that did.  I discarded all oversized shoes in another bin to avoid trying the same ones on over and over.  It was so easy finding one shoe that fit, which left finding its complementary shoe completely agonizing.  After trying on virtually every shoe marked size six in a fifty gallon barrel filled with imported, sparkly flats, I managed to emerge victorious with one silver and one peach pair.  When I came home with my bounty, my adrenaline was still pumping after the thrill of the chase.

The next day I sported my silver beaded slippers with a pair of jean shorts and a breezy, white button down shirt.  I accessorized with a beaded teal statement necklace to add color, but to keep that safari look.  I also love the shoes with my silk, floral flouncy skirt and just about everything else feminine in my closet.  They are beautiful, delicate, and elegant, so naturally I adore them.  My mom took one look at them and said, “Ooh, can you get me a pair so I can wear them around the house?” “Around the house?!” I exclaimed.  Clearly she did not recognize the painstaking effort that went into finding these shoes.  Perhaps one day I will be that woman who only wears designer shoes and sends her daughter articles entitled, “Spending more for good shoes saves in long run.”  Until that day, I will continue to wear my five dollar shoes everywhere like a proud hunter displays her conquered game.