how low can we go?

you know i'm a fan of the high/low analysis, and just generally of finding accessible ways to try trends we like. don't get me wrong...i also like the occasional splurge, but we can't splurge all the time. so here, i found an even lower version of the yellow satchels i wrote about last week (admittedly this one's not neon, but still very yellow) and also a very affordable colorblock heel like the ones i admired here.

though i love the ones below for sure (mainly for color choice), i think the above version is a pretty good replacement, especially given that they're over $300 less. thoughts?

barely there

one of the most loved gifts i've ever received was this necklace from my sister and brother-in-law. i love it because it's so perfectly delicate and barely there, but has a little glimmer and falls just perfectly. because i love it so, so much, my husband bought me the matching bracelet as a sweet surprise for channukah. normally, i'm not one for matchy matchy or things in sets, but because these pieces are so subtle and quietly lovely, i love wearing them both. and i do...every single day.

 

i've been loving initial jewelry lately, and last week on a business trip, i admired this lovely initial necklace that had that barely there quality. i particularly love the way the certain letters (like the H and the N) which are suspended on a bias and looked just perfect. 

you can also get them with more than one letter (perfect for one's own initials or those of children), and also with numbers. and of course, the bracelets are as dainty as the necklaces.

while i totally love huge, flashy jewelry (i'll gladly admit that), my love for that kind of bling is rivaled only for my love of this kind of delicate perfection...like whispered bling. love it.

high/low...neon sachel

well there's this one for $155...

and then this one for $498.

save or splurge?

colorblock gone wild

obsessed with these all-in-one colorblock accessories. whole colorblock outfits can be a little...bold, so i love the idea of packing a bold punch in one piece like these. you like? 

shoe links here, here and here; bag links here, here, here and here

getting ziggy with it

i'm having a zigzag moment, majorly. since i'm dreaming of moving to a new place, it opens up all kinds of thoughts about new things...new colors, new patterns, new ways of mixing said colors and patterns...here are some of my favorite chevron/ziggy items right now.

there's the zig zag printed rug in so many fun colors, and it's so reasonably priced. i love the idea of the black and white one in a kitchen or entryway, and the serene light blue one would be perfect in a bedroom that dabbles in grays, whites and blues.

and then the zigzag duvet ... i love the gray version to be mixed with lots of white pillows and textiles, or the idea of the amazing saffron color in pillowcases against an otherwise solid or monochromatic bed.

and how about the ziggy chair? i love the thought of the navy one used in an otherwise preppy, nautical style room.

and then i die for this amazing print for a pair of x-benches or an awesome chair. does ballard designs not kill it?

obsessional over these gorg bangles...

 and of course there can't be a complete conversation of zigzag without talking about missoni...have you seen the missoni for bugaboo stroller? check it.

are you getting ziggy with me?

flex your wrist

have you seen flex watches? i love them! they don't ship until feb 1st but what a nice spot of brightness in the cold winter to look forward to! they're fun and playful, sporty and sleek. and they support good causes - eleven of them! 

the watches (only $30 each) come in eleven colors and each supports a different cause - gray is for imerman angels,  red is for mariners outreach, blue, which is my favorite, is for nika water. oooh and i love the black too. i love all of them, really. especially this light blue one. i guess i'd be a good candidate for the ten pack. the ten pack would be a great way to save $5 per for next year's holiday gifts or bridesmaids gifts. or for oneself. there's always that too...

they also sell just the bands for $15, so you could opt for the white or gray watch (silver face) and then get a few different color bands that would work with those faces. the possibilities are pretty much endless.

favorite

do you own an item that you just love so much you irrationally want another one? that's how i feel about the ikat scarf i got from h&m last year. i just DIE for it, over and over again, every time i look at it. when i'm not wearing it, i have it draped on my desk chair or over the side of the couch in my living room. the color story in it - blues, orange, pink, mustard...oh my god. i just can't. 

what good would having a second one do me? none. it doesn't even make sense. i just love it that much. although....now that i'm giving it some thought, if i had an extra one, i could use it to reupholster the antique bench i rescued from a junk pile...

image

layers of love

the isla layered necklace from sarah chloe is, i think, my very favorite incarnation of the initials-on-a-pendant look i've seen. i have to admit it's partially because you don't have to choose what metal tone to go with (white, yellow, rose) and can instead use any combination of them you'd like. i think a rose and yellow combo would be pretty if you only needed two charms, and then who knows, maybe you'd have a white one to add later on!

of course, these more typical versions are very lovely too. and then there are these diamond little boy and girl charms.  and i love love love the concept of this trio necklace because it looks collected over time and not too perfectly planned because of the way they overlap and touch.

do you love? i feel like sarah chloe is pretty much one-stop-shopping for all monogrammed and personalized jewelry. there's pretty much nothing in that realm that i've wanted (initial pendants, monogram pendants, even old-school nameplates in all different typefaces!) that they don't kill it on.

caffeine and inspiration

i found starbucks to be full of inspiration this morning...maybe i'm lightheaded from lack of nutrition, or maybe it just was that inspiring...first, isn't the color story of the christmas blend packaging beautiful?

and don't you know people who get such joy from the red holiday cups? i know i do. get the joy, i mean, though i also know other people who do. it's a sure sign that the holidays are here, and so i love the idea of getting someone an ornament of that very cup! it's as perennial reminder of the holidays for some as the idea of a christmas tree, so why not go for synergy? they come in a set that includes the plain old white cups, or individually as the red ones. paired with a starbucks gift card, this makes the perfect stocking stuffer or thank you gift.

 

i also love the new selection of mugs, including the classic line which are clean and graphic with the starbucks sizes emblazoned on them (clearly the venti would be my choice) and even include a teeny, tiny, totally adorable tasting cup at 3 ounces, known as a demi in barista land. this one is so cute for when you just want a sip...or to serve at the end of an evening with mini biscotti and chocolate covered spoons. or if you want to feel like alice in wonderland. 

i also love the ones with the sort of freestyle mug designs inspired by their italian roast. aren't they pretty? i like that they're so unbranded, so they'd look fine in anyone's home.

and how about this starbucks reserve mug that seems to be made just for me...at first, i was thinking "why would you buy this unless your last name starts with an R?" and then i realized, it doesn't matter, because mine DOES START WITH AN R!

p.s. did you know you could buy the starbucks flavored syrups? who knew?

wrapping in bold and brassy style

so yesterday, we talked about the cleanest, most classic papers i love from the container store for holiday wrapping, and today, i'm going in the other direction. as much as i love the festive and warm styling of yesterday's papers, i love the bold and brass of these too. i love how they engage some classic hints of christmas cheer, but they do it through a psychedelic, neon filter. do you love?

wrapping in clean and classic style

i know i've been atrociously bad about blogging recently, and it isn't that i haven't been thinking and dreaming about things to share - i have! i've just been pulled in many directions and my writing has fallen by the wayside for the last couple weeks.  i am promising here and now to be better. it's funny the things that move us to action, and in today's case, it's the simply beautiful wrapping papers at the container store. not that i've ever been a stranger to giftwrap porn.

first, i love the idea of mixing a few different striped papers. it's such a great way to be festive and add a little contained chaos, but in the most orderly of ways.

 

and i'm always a sucker for really clean, classic prints that are christmasy and festive in an old-timey way. with just the right combination of reds and greens and graphic christmas imagery, it's like the christmas fantasy i've always dreamed of (pay no attention to the latke grease on my apron).

i envision buying a few prints and wrapping all the gifts under the tree (read: menorah) in just those few papers. 

it's a fantasy, but an attainable one, don't you agree?