booties.

I'm snug as a bug in... new booties

Up until today I couldn’t decide if this season’s booties are fabulous or fugly. When I had the flu last week I made various decisions that were a real gamble: online shopping, tomato soup on an upset stomach, diet ginger ale.

My little booties arrived today, & I love the over-large slouchy cuff & the hidden heel. Here are some of my other favorites. xo, m

specks.

I got new glasses. They’re made by French company Anne et Valentin, and they’re for men. I love them. Here are some fabulous French people wearing Anne et Valentin glasses. (The models may not be French, but it would be more charming if they were, so let’s pretend. Besides, the pics are pretty!) xo, m

This may come as a shock, but that's not a french model. It's me with a dog and my new glasses.

new scarf!

I try to knit one new scarf each winter since wool scarves tend to get raggedy with time. (Or maybe I just wear mine too often and don’t take proper care of them.)

I learned how to make the tassels here. Easy peasy.

This year’s is a bright red one made with thick wool. So toasty! Here’s the finished product. Matching hat to come… And maybe leg warmers too, but we’ll see how carried away I get. Wishing you a warm week! xo, m

bright & warm

tassel

I made it extra long. So cozy.

My next project will look like this but in red and human-sized.

marc jacobs.

Happy Friday AM. I’m just drinking some overly strong black coffee and perusing pretty clothes before doing real work. Wishing everyone a happy, cozy weekend! xo, m

le sigh.

I’m just a wee bit obsessed with the following shoes & bags by Anthropologie. And I’m posting them on here & gushing rather than going into debt. Enjoy, ladies, enjoy. Here’s to collectively swooning. xo, m

saturday night.

Favorite clothes to wear out. Cheaper version of the sequin dress available from Romeo & Juliet Couture. (I got a great one at Century 21 when I was in NYC. Woohoo!) It’s a lot of black, I know. Add a colored scarf & red lipstick. Then you’re set. xo, m

Sequin Dress by Chloe

By Topshop

Bomber Jacket by Silence & Noise

The best accessory?

lovely + affordable.

I like these looks from Ruche’s fall look-book. The collection reminds me of Anthropologie with more reasonable price tags. It’s earthy, feminine, & vintage-inspired. Enjoy, ladies! xo, m

adorable, in spades.

I’d never thought much of Kate Spade bags (boring, much?), but her clothes are adorable. My friend Angela posted a darling dress by Spade, & I had to have a looksie at the rest of the collection. I’m smitten. Very Zooey Deschanel, yes?
xo, m

cold weather.

Loving these autumn/ winter looks by Anthropologie… Dreamy. xo, m

balloons.

They’re tacky & cheesy, but there’s something about balloons that puts a smile on my face. And hopefully on yours too (afterall, it’s one of my favorite things to give people on their birthdays). I love these photos from Kristen Stock’s blog.

I’m having one of those days, and I think all I needed for a pick-me-up was to look at a few pictures of people having fun with balloons. Maybe that means I’m simple-minded. Happy Monday, everyone. : ) xo, m

ramona.

For selling such cute clothes, Ms. West & associate look so sad. Is this how to look cool? Smiling always seems like a better option.

I’m more than a little psyched that Ramona West has created her own site separate from Etsy. I love me some Etsy, but the site isn’t always the easiest to navigate nor is it well suited to categorizing items available from particular sellers. Just thought I’d share some of my favorite vintage goods from Ramona’s new site. My one complaint? How sad the model looks. Wearing fabulous & outrageous clothes should, in my humble opinion, inspire a smile. xo, m
PS- I couldn’t resist posting that kimono-like dress that has what appears to be a lightning bolt gleaming across the front. Amazing. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want this.

Long striped cardigan

Cropped jackets are cute

This dress looks like a dress for a doll. I like it.

See PS above

This dress is kind of ridiculous. I'd love to wear it to a party.

High-waisted pleated skirt

Silk dress

fall picks.

One reason to love autumn

So it’s almost October 1st. That means it’s fall. We’re entering the season of cozy cappuccinos, coats, and crisp afternoons. I couldn’t be happier. Here are a few of my favorite fall-related things to keep you cozy through October. xo, m

1. The Best Hot Chocolate Recipe. Hot Chocolate embodies autumn to me… Warm, cozy, nostalgic.
2. Fabulous winter coats. Now’s the time to get one if yours didn’t survive last winter.
4. Shoes. I really can’t get enough of ankle boots and red Mary Janes. Both are relatively impractical for rainy weather. Forgive me, readers.
5. Scarves. They’re just about the only thing I can knit. I’ve posted two favorites.
3. Gloves. I love gloves. They can add a punch of color to any outfit and they’re just so goshdarn adorable. (When did I become a grandmother? Mine says “goshdarn.”)

Mexican Hot Chocolate. Recipe below.

From J.Crew

From Mod Cloth

From Anthropologie. I'm not usually a fan of burnt orange, but this coat pulls it off.

Ankle boots by Free People

Mary Janes by J.Crew

By J.Crew

By Anthropologie

By Anthropologie

By Topshop

Convertible gloves by Urban Outfitters

By Topshop

Mexican Hot Chocolate
Recipe by David Guas via NPR
2/3 cup milk
1 cup heavy whipping cream
4 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/8 of a vanilla bean
2/3 of a cinnamon stick
1/3 tsp. almond extract

Combine milk, cream, cinnamon sticks and vanilla in a 1 quart stainless steel pot and bring mixture to a boil. Have prepared chocolate in a mixing bowl. Allow the heated liquid to steep (rest off the heat) for 5 minutes, then pour over the top of the chopped chocolate. Stir the chocolate mixture until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth.
Pour the warm mixture through a strainer and it is ready to serve. Serve immediately or refrigerate. To reheat, place chocolate mixture in a 2 quart stainless steel pot on low heat — do not let sit, or it will burn. Stir mixture until warm. Immediately serve and place in 4 oz. portions with a dollop of slightly sweetened, softly whipped cream and a light dusting of cinnamon.
Serves four.

flowers.

Loving these ceramic vases by Diana Fayst. I’ve always thought flowers were prettiest in a simple glass vase… I was wrong. Wishing you a sweet autumn Monday. xo, m

shoes that inspire jazz hands.

I’m back! During my New York trip, Karolina and I went to Saks to look at shoes and big, floppy hats. I found many to my liking, in particular a wide-brimmed blue hat that carefully straddled the line between fabulous and hideous. (Some might say it was clearly on the latter side; I’d disagree.) I maintained my sanity and left empty-handed save for the perfume samples that are as ubiquitous at Saks as candy on Halloween.

My favorite by far were the shoes by French designer Christian Louboutin. These little beauties run for too much, but they made me ooh and aw. And by “ooh and aw,” I mean they made me want to perform a choreographed dance complete with jazz hands.

Later I’ll post photos from the trip and regale you with tales of drinking with an ex-professor, going to Ellis Island (where I fell asleep on a bench, much like an immigrant of the early 20th Century), and of my brief encounter with Paul Dinello, who played Geoffrey Jellineck on Strangers With Candy. (It was so brief that it doesn’t merit mention, but it made me giggle. A lot.)

I hope you’ve enjoyed the beginning of fall. We’re entering the season of scarves, pumpkin pie, wool coats, cappuccinos, and beautiful leaves. I couldn’t be happier. xo, m

layering arts.

Loving these school-inspired outfits by Anthropologie. But given what I learned in a Home Ec, they’re off-limits. Oh, a girl can dream. As Woody Allen said to Annie Hall, I love them; I lurve them; I loff them. Now I’m off to New York… for real. Catch you in a couple weeks. Wishing you all a happy beginning to fall! xo, m