I might have a wee girl crush on Zooey Deschanel and her giant eyes. This video (Don't Look Back by She & Him) is definitely a nice stylish romp from start to finish with lovely colors and quirky, retro looks.

In case you didn't notice from last week's post featuring this dress, I'm in love with this little number. It's a great investment piece because there are so many ways to wear it and it has a timeless quality (plaid will always come back in style). I especially enjoy how it looks with my bright tights and heeled oxfords; perhaps a little Nancy Drew-ish?

My absolute favorite purchase in 2010 has to be this Triptych dress which I got at The Olive Shoppe. It's a perfect example of my style: classic lines, but with a quirky/off-beat detail (in this case the growling panther). I've worn it many, many times and always a little different. I think that is the key to stretching your wardrobe: don't be afraid to repeat pieces, but don't forget to be creative when you do! Here's a sampling of how I've worn the dress in the past year.

Where has the time gone? January is speeding past me and sometimes I feel like I'm running in quicksand trying to keep up...but mostly I'm happy to let time flit by because there are so many exciting things coming. February is going to be a mad, mad month, but in a good way. With so much going on and so many possibilities for this year (still deep in debate over law school), sometimes I just step back from all the things I should be working on and just do something I enjoy. My sketchbook is filling up faster than it has in months and I keep shooting my silly stop motion videos. Both activities require concentration on the task at hand and nicely distracts my mind from my scrambling thoughts.

The Pre-Fall collections have been bursting forth lately and it's all quite inspiring...I mean the whole purpose of Pre-Fall does seem to be for designers and retailers to make more money, but they do provide some new ideas (or remind us of old ones; right now I'm glad for the number of skinny belts I have lying around). These are a few of my favorite pieces and collections this season.

I'll admit it, right now I have more coats than necessary in my wardrobe. But well, anyone who has more than one coat probably has more than "necessary," my wardrobe certainly isn't an example of minimalism. Anyway, a very basic black coat was missing from my collection. I'm so glad I found this one because I think it looks so lovely with my vintage, teal hat.

There's nothing like the combination of vintage fur and creamy lace to make me feel all fancy and posh. Outfits like this are exactly what I love to wear, but they also make me feel like I'm masquerading a bit. Most days I feel like an awkward nerd, not some...oh, I don't know upper east-sider? Whatever I'm channeling visually it doesn't really change my homebody, old lady habits of lengthy book reading and puzzle making.

I bought this buffalo plaid dress while I was in Japan on a bit of a whim; it was cute and cheap, so why not? It's definitely one of those pieces that has really been worn to bits in the past four years! I find it so versatile and the lightweight material makes it perfect for layering. I think anyone looking for a great clothing item to remix: a shirt dress is a good place to start.

If there was ever a film that served as a warning against corporate life and a few other so-called American ideals from the “golden age” of history which people are want to remember overly fondly, it is The Apartment. Comedic actors Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine decidedly lighten the bleak portrait of then-contemporary society painted by writer and producer Billy Wilder.
At first glance the film seems to revere patriarchal ideology and capitalist work ethic, but the method of success seems solely to be prostitution of one’s self and exploitation of others. Lemmon loans his apartment to his superiors who use his bachelor pad to entertain their mistresses. MacLaine is the quirky and witty elevator operator who always falls for the wrong man; this time it’s a scoundrel higher-up with the perfect family in the suburbs (played by Fred MacMurray). Lemmon begins to climb the corporate ladder, but sink ever lower in self-respect.
The entire movie plays with comedy and drama, light and dark. The somber tale of Lemmon’s character’s suicide attempt with a gun is lightened by his offer to show MacLaine the scar and she refuses saying, “the fellows in the office might get the wrong idea about how I found out.” We shake our heads at Lemmon’s weakness as he can’t seem to say no, but then cheer his moments of strength; we are never made entirely cynical.
In the end, the characters only manage to morally rise above their situations by escaping the firm in which they both work. Their boss, the perfect example of corporate success, maintains his position of power and control. The message is clear: you can lead a moral, happy life, just not in the corporate world.

I visited an old college friend (okay, not so old but I love being able to use that phrase) up north a little while ago. Sadly, she came down with a bad cold while I was visiting, but it meant just spending much of our time indoors under a pile of blankets watching movies…which in my world is never a bad thing. One of the films we watched was Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain (it’s rather an obvious favorite of mine, no?). In honor of the lovely Amelie, I thought I’d share some things that make me smile and others that make me scowl.

One of my favorite blogs to read lately is Tick Tock Vintage. The lady behind the blog, Veronika is seriously stylish with rad color-mixing skills and an eye for amazing vintage pieces. She graciously took aside some time to do an interview for me and so I had her plan her dream dinner party complete with eclectic guest list and a delectable menu.
What type of party is it?