Summer’s Last Hurrah!

Hi again! I’m coming out of my summer hibernation to announce that ModCloth’s “Summer’s Last Hurrah” sale (read: a whopping 70% off hundreds of fabulous clothes, shoes, accessories, and decor items) just started! (But I’m also working on a REAL post, I swear. *^_^* )

Here are a few of my favorite pieces on sale now. Things go insanely fast during these sales, so I suggest going on over to ModCloth ASAP. :)

Some deets about the sale: all items that are 70% off or more are final sale. A LOT of stuff sells out in the first couple of days (and those products are taken down from the sale page), but the sale should last for several days. And shipping is free in the U.S. for orders over $50. :) Of course, because of the huge number of orders, expect shipping to be delayed by a couple of days. If you have any questions, the customer care peeps @ ModCloth are great!

If you’re new to ModCloth, you can use this link for $10 off your first order. Or if you have a friend who has shopped at ModCloth, ask for their link so that they get a $10 coupon after you order too! (As an employee, I don’t get those coupons – but I can’t complain, since I get a discount. ^_^)

Celebrating 20 Years of Glamour by Louboutin

Sky-high heels. Extraordinary designs.

Red soles.

I can really only be talking about the fabulous shoes by Christian Louboutin.

Hot pink platform heel by Christian Louboutin

Neiman Marcus hosted a blogger event to introduce Louboutin’s 20th anniversary line, and I absolutely swooned over these shoes!

Check out these killer Louboutin boots!

Showing off a glittery Louboutin heel. Photo by Eli of Thrift Eye.

Cage-y heel by Louboutin

But the shoes that captured my heart? A pair of beige patent leather Pigalle flats with the word “love” spelled out in rhinestones across the toes.

In love with Louboutin's Pigalove Flats. Photo by Eli of Thrift Eye.

A closer look at Louboutin's Pigalove Flats in Nude

Besides admiring the shoes, I had a fabulous time hanging out with awesome SF bloggers!

Chandamheer of Pancake Stacker, Eli of Thrift Eye, and Sarah of Sarah's Ambitions

Sweet manicures by Angie of The Hotness Your Momma Warned You About, Adiel of It's because I think too much, and Eli of Thrift Eye

The whole crew! Photo from @neimanmarcus

So we sent up a toast to Louboutin, and a toast to fun people!

Cheers!

What I wore:
Dress: vintage Shelton Stroller dress (early 1960s)
Belt: vintage
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs (alas, no Louboutins for me – yet!)
Bracelets: black & white bangles from Senegal; the silver cuff was a gift

Scarlet and Sky

One of my favorite color combos is vivid red and light blue. So in celebration of a gorgeous, warm San Francisco day, I threw together a fun outfit featuring that combo — but to be honest, I wasn’t planning on taking outfit photos.

Until I ended up with this fantastic hairpiece that just happened to match.

Outfit and hairpiece.

I won it at the ModCloth Post Holiday Party, in a silent auction benefitting the Milo Foundation. The hairpiece was made by Mini, the Design Manager at ModCloth and also the mastermind behind Design by Mini. I didn’t realize I’d be getting it the day I wore this outfit, but I guess some things are just meant to be. :)

Close-up of Mini’s hairpiece.

And then when Santina and I went out to take photos, we happened across an old-school, sky-blue Mercedes-Benz.

I need to start buying cars to match my outfit. ;)

Kinda awesome, isn’t it? (If it had a convertible roof, it’d be perfect!)

(Rocky, however, is less impressed.)

And blue seemed to be the color of the day, because we also found a cool aqua-hued bike chained to a bench.

Alas, bikes to match my outfits are *somewhat* more in my price-range.

So, it wasn’t my original plan to take outfit photos (since the main components of this outfit have been featured in other posts), but I was pretty happy that the fascinator convinced me otherwise. :)

Hairpiece: Handcrafted by Mini of Design by Mini
Shirt: TARDamask by Rosemary Travale, via Threadless
Skirt: Essential Elegance Skirt, Moon Collection via www.modcloth.com
Belt: Calderon, thrifted
Shoes: Hot for Hemlock Heel in Crimson, Chelsea Crew via www.modcloth.com
Necklace: Big Wheels Necklace, Monserat de Lucca via www.modcloth.com
Bracelet: Chain Mail Bangle via www.modcloth.com
Purse: Cole Haan Valise Archer leather satchel via www.ruelala.com

Photos by Santina of Style by Santina

Pushing Boundaries

Sometimes, you just gotta step outside your comfort zone.

The outfit in question.

I always wear a-line or full skirts. Always. That’s been the case since… early college. Or maybe high school. It’s partially a practical choice: with straight skirts, if they fit in the hips they’re far too big in the waist, and if they fit my waist – well, they’ll never go over my hips. And it’s a comfort choice. And frankly, fit-and-flare shapes are super-flattering on tons of body types, including mine.

But I’ve been reading other personal style blogs and getting inspired to try something new. Recently, this post on The Hourglass and this post on Girl with Curves inspired me to try something a little more body conscious.

And guess what?

I kinda love it.

(I kinda love it.)

And with a skirt like this one by BCBG, fantastic heels are required.

The whole shebang.

A little outside of my comfort zone?

Yes.

But life’s more fun when you push boundaries!

D’Orsay at the d’Orsay Heels by Re-Mix.

Skirt: BCBGMAXAZRIA Scarlett Power Skirt in Black Combo
Top: Sheer Perfection Top, Knitted Dove via ModCloth
Shoes: D’Orsay at the d’Orsay Heel, Re-Mix via ModCloth
Purse: Cole Haan Valise Archer leather satchel via Rue La La

Photos by Santina of Style by Santina

Cabin Fever!

Alright, I’ll make this short, but since I work at ModCloth I just had to share: ModCloth’s fabulous Cabin Fever Sale *just* started! It’s 70% tons of awesome dresses, separates, outerwear, accessories, shoes, and apartment stuff.

Winter Wear in San Francisco

Today was “Grub & Garb” day at work. Grub & Garb is once a month, with a potluck and outfit theme. This month was chili for the grub and hats & scarves for the garb. I *think* the intention was that the hats & scarves be winter wear… something to do with chili for chilly days, maybe?… but I felt like wearing something a little more fabulous. And besides, since I’m in San Francisco now, I don’t need to get all bundled up for freezing weather! Best. Thing. Ever.

Not-so-chilly winter wear

The hat is from Hats from Oz, an Australian company specializing in Melbourne Cup (our equivalent: Kentucky Derby) hats. I had bought one of their hats at a boutique in Townsville, Australia when I was there for my honeymoon. Then, a couple of years ago, a friend (who’s originally from Kentucky) and I decided to throw a Kentucky Derby party… but she needed a hat. Turns out that those style hats are insanely expensive in the U.S. I remembered that my Australian hat was much more reasonably priced, so I googled the brand & found the Hats from Oz website. The best part? Since Australian seasons are reversed from ours, they have a good selection of warm weather hats on sale just as we’re entering summer! I found this hat when my friend was looking for hers and just had to have it.

Also, I have to show off my new purse. It’s Cole Haan, but I got it for $129 from Rue La La! I was looking for a basic black shoulder bag to replace my well-loved Un Après Midi de Chien bag – something that looks nice, fits a large camera, and can be packed for travel. This one fits the bill perfectly – I’m so pleased I found it!

Cole Haan purse – a fab find on Rue La La!

And as you can see above, Rocky was kind enough to model with me again. I happened to find a super cute scarf in the employee exchange rack today and it turned out to be perfect for Rocky. So even he participated in Grub & Garb day! (Though he probably would have been happier had I allowed him to eat some grub instead…)

Rocky models his scarf

Giving Rocky well-deserved attention

All together, I was going for something of a modern take on Dior’s “New Look”. What do you think?

Hat: Hats from Oz
Shirt: Lush via ModCloth
Skirt: Essential Elegance Skirt, Moon Collection via ModCloth
Scarf: gifted
Belt: Calderon, thrifted
Shoes: Hot for Hemlock Heel in Crimson, Chelsea Crew via ModCloth
Purse: Cole Haan Valise Archer leather satchel via Rue La La
Bracelet: Victorian mourning bracelet

Photos by Santina of Style by Santina.