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Bonjour! I’m Erin.
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Monthly Archives: November 2011
Fashion. Design.
It’s not really a secret that I’m into interior design and decorating (unless you haven’t been paying attention or are new here, in which case, HI!). I’d rather spend $200 on a solid piece of furniture than a pair of jeans, but that doesn’t stop me from drooling over the J Crew holiday gift guide. It’s all pretty much the same thing, if you think about it: the same clean lines I love on a coffee table can be translated to a wool coat or a pair of matchstick pants. I like good, clean, functional design. I don’t want a hideous recliner because it’s comfortable any more than I want a pair of heels that are going to kill my feet and legs simply because they’re $500. There are more similarities in my wardrobe and my taste in interior design than I realized; nothing flashy, very simple pieces in all neutral colors. Except for that one bright yellow cardigan I own that I can’t wear if I’ve been out drinking the night before because it’s VERY LOUD. All of my furniture is either white or dark gray, and yes, all of it wears little furniture-shaped turtlenecks.
I got to looking around and couldn’t help but see similarities between home decor and fashion elements. I found a couple of examples, and they each have something in common with their counterpart, whether it’s a color, a look, or a feel. Look at me, pretending I understand what I’m talking about.
1. Pendant lamps / 2. Leather bracelet / 3. Star sculptures / 4. Spike headband
5. Bath mat / 6. Heels / 7. Capiz chandelier / 8. Sequin jacket
I want to put out there that I have no idea who would wear a headband made of medal spikes, but for the purposes of this post, it works. Also, that sequin jacket is toeing the line of something an old lady would wear to the casino with a matching visor. Clearly I do not understand fashion at all. Or math. But that’s neither here nor there.
Do you have any other examples you want to share? Maybe something in your own life? The crazier the better. Like, if you had a sweater that looked like an topiary or something, you’d win.
Tuesday Tunes
It’s official: I am out of macarons. Actually, I’ve been out since Saturday but I’ve been in denial about it. Thankfully, I’ve had experience in this sort of tragedy before so I know I’m equipped for survival, but it won’t be easy. (Sometimes I tend towards the dramatic when dealing with life or death issues like macarons. Can we start some sort of blog drinking game, where we do a shot every time I use the word ‘macaron’? You’ll need to pound a bottle to catch up.)
Moving on. This week was a real struggle in finding songs, so I fear these Tuesday Tunes posts have almost run their course. I always have Spice Girls or more embarrassing boy band music as back-up though (let’s hope for your sake it doesn’t come to that!)
Broken Bells is the duo of Danger Mouse and James Mercer from the Shins, a band I swore I’d never listen to again after one of their members was arrested on charges of domestic assault against his girlfriend, who happened to be an America’s Next Top Model alum (did you follow that?). This song is probably their most popular, so I apologize for not being all original and hip but lest you forget, this is a huge step upwards from last week’s New Kids on the Block song. I just like this song. But what I like more is all of the comments about it on youtube that compare the lead singer to Kevin Spacey (I don’t see the resemblance!).
Oh, you sweet thing. Agnes Obel is a Danish singer with perhaps the cutest little face and voice of all time. I’ll be honest, the first time I heard this song I didn’t think it was in English. This song is charming and lovely just like the rest of her album, Philharmonics, and I think I’ve found a new girl crush!
Okay, spill it: what are you listening to? Here’s an incentive: I might even post it next week if I like it! I’m starved for new music. And macarons. (DRINK!)
November 29, 2011 /
Tuesday Tunes /
LEAVE A COMMENT / 8
Inspiration: Lofts
So I’ve decided I’m moving to Brooklyn. Not tomorrow, and maybe not next year, but at some point in my life I’ll live there. Even if it’s just for a year-long stint, just to say I’ve lived there (this list also includes Paris, Stockholm, London, and about a million other places). I fell even more in love with the borough last week; all of the giant loft buildings in Dumbo really charmed the pants off of me. I’ve always had an affinity for lofts and for wide open-plan, industrial-chic living, and there’s something about giant loft windows that can’t be beat. To indulge me in my little relocating fantasy, let’s take a look at some gorgeous loft interiors, yes? Yes.
from here
I’ve featured this picture before, but it’s still 500 different kinds of perfect, so I’m posting it again. Only lofts have windows like that.
all 3 from here
from here
from here
all 4 from here
Location Department is a treasure trove of gorgeous, industrial loft spaces in Brooklyn and Manhattan. They rent spaces for commercials print and film shoots, and the majority of the lofts are actually lived in, and others are just beautiful abandoned spaces. Tell me how you could ever have a bad day waking up to that much natural light streaming in through windows that large?
There are a ton of additional pictures I could add here, but I have to stop because I’m making myself whine too much. I realize lofts like these could exist anywhere, not just Brooklyn, but it sort of goes along with the whole fantasy, don’t you think?
Where would you like to live if you could pick absolutely anywhere in the world? What kind of place? Loft? House? Castle? I don’t think I’m alone in my real-estate day-dreams, am I?
November 28, 2011 /
design /
LEAVE A COMMENT / 19
It rained. A lot.
And the food coma continues. I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving feasts (or had a good Thursday, for you non-Americans. hi Annie!). I’m still sort of anti-Thanksgiving (and Halloween), but it was nice to have the day off and not have to worry about anything except what portion of my stomach was available for cranberry sauce and turkey, and which I needed to save to finish off the last of my macarons. IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MACARONS.
I took exactly 2 pictures during my 3 day stay down the beach, and roughly 150 during my 28 hour stay in New York. How does that even happen? The beach was awesome, the whole town was quiet and empty and I got a manicure at a casino spa and ate lots of good food. Each night was capped off with a Malibu and Pineapple and a disc of old Office episodes. Fitz got to run around a fenced-in baseball field, but I was a nervous wreck the entire time thinking he would find a way to get out of the gate and into traffic (he didn’t, fyi).
I’m glad the beach was relaxing and relatively sunny, because New York was a crazy rush of trying to fit too much in and constant, cold rain. The hotel I stayed at was the oldest operating hotel in New York (Faulkner wrote his Nobel Prize acceptance speech there!) and had a resident cat named Matilda, a long-haired ragdoll kitty who perched herself on the counter at check-in and oversaw things. Other things of note: the wallpaper in the hallways was old New Yorker cartoons, and they charged me $6 for a club soda in the lobby bar.
Obviously, I took a cab to-and-from Ladurée in the pouring rain and grid-locked traffic to give them more of my money than I’m willing to disclose. I could have put that money in my savings account, but my savings account is not edible, doesn’t smell like blackcurrant & violet, and WHATEVER I’M YOUNG. I had dinner and drinks with friends Tuesday night and ended the night dancing in the Meatpacking District until 1am, woke up the next morning and had macarons for breakfast (they have a coffee flavored one, it counted). I’d always wanted to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, and finally got my chance Wednesday morning. Of course, it was overcast all morning, but the rain held off until the moment my feet hit the bridge and then skies opened up and wouldn’t quit. I hid for cover in an organic cafe in Brooklyn Heights, and then the rest of the afternoon was a symphony of opening and closing umbrellas as the rain clouds passed, in between gasps of delight at the views of the bridges and lower Manhattan. I also got to see Jane’s Carousel, even though it was closed. Rather than take the subway back across the river, I opted for the ferry, which was so quick I barely had time to sit down or take my lens cap off. The afternoon ended with a late lunch in the West Village and lots more wandering around, oggling real estate.
So now I’m out of macarons and feeling like I ate as though I’m carrying triplets or something. What is it about vacation that always makes you over-indulge? Coupled with Thanksgiving I don’t think I’ll ever eat again. Until I get a craving for Ladurée, obviously.
Have a great weekend! I’ve been such a bad blog-friend this week. How was your week? What are you doing this weekend? See you Monday!
In Motion
Pardon my brevity this Wednesday, but I’m in currently in New York living it up experiencing the biggest food coma of all time. You don’t want to know how many macarons I ingested yesterday. Or how many I’ve had so far this morning. Instead, let’s just look at some gorgeous, moving photographs. They’re called Cinemagraphs. The first time I stumbled across these on Jamie’s blog, From Me, To You, my jaw hit the floor. Well, after I realized I wasn’t having a stroke or seeing things. I definitely had a moment of, “Wait, did I just see that move?” Really, how enchanting are these of Coco Rocha (like she needed any help) :
More? Okay, never thought you’d ask.
Anna approves.
“We all get dressed for Bill.”
I’ve included this last, charming cinemagraph of Bill Cunningham, octogenarian bike rider and New York Times style photographer (or “cultural anthropologist”), because I just watched the documentary, “Bill Cunningham, New York.” As someone that’s been inspired by Bill’s work for years, it was incredible to watch. I’d definitely recommend it! It’s touching and fascinating and I’ll definitely be asking for a copy of it on DVD for Christmas (is anyone keeping track of this list?).
It’s almost Thanksgiving! Which means I likely won’t be posting tomorrow, given that I’ll either be making food, eating food, or sleeping off food, but have a very happy holiday and give thanks for all you have. Tomorrow I’ll have lots of photos. But I can’t promise they’ll move.
Tuesday Tunes
I’m on my way to New York this morning for a small getaway from my beach getaway before Thanksgiving. Hotels were insanely cheap, so I lucked out with getting the Algonquin in Midtown. In case it needs to be said, I’ll be loading up on macarons from Ladurée; I plan to buy double the amount I did last time (maybe even triple!) and a scented candle so the small, fat child inside of me can be satiated once the edible treats are gone. Also, I realize that in order to pull this off, I’m going to drop like, $100. On Macarons. I don’t need you to tell me how grossly embarrassing that is. To distract you, here’s the menu of flavors from Ladurée, isn’t it pretty?
I’m thinking about getting it tattooed. On my stomach. While I’m busy wiping drool off of my chin, let’s take a listen to today’s tunes.
This is the perfect song for right now. I’m on an oldies, jazz kick right now, and not only does this song epitomize my trip, it’s also my favorite version, performed by the incomperable Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. Don’t get me wrong, I like the Frank Sinatra version and originally considered using that one. But there’s just something romantic and special about this rendition.
If you were to make a composite of all the boys I dated between the ages of 14 and 17, it would look exactly like Willy Moon. Seriously. And his adorable dorkiness in this video aside (part of his charm, be honest), this song is so good! So catchy! I don’t know really much about Willy Moon other than that he wants to be my man, so I’m excited to see what else, if anything, he comes out with. I’m really digging the 50s vibe on this one. Fits perfectly in line with “Autumn in New York,” don’t you think?
Happy Tuesday! What are you listening to this rainy day?
Swedish Supermarket
So my obsession with Sweden is at an all-time high, and has perhaps hit the weirdest peak: Swedish supermarkets. It’s something about the packaging and how foreign even a bag of potato chips seems, and when I stumbled across Robyn Lee’s amazing album of photographs from a Swedish ICA, I couldn’t help but share them.
Aren’t they incredible? The colors are so vivid and each photo is so crisp. I’m so jealous! Don’t think I’m a weirdo, but the first thing I’m doing if I ever make it to Stockholm is heading right for a supermarket, camera in hand.
An interesting tidbit: the Swedish eat the most bulk candy per capita out of any country in the world. This excites me to no end, and I feel like I would fit in immensely well over there. Sockerbit, the Swedish-inspired bulk-candy store in the West Village, is definitely on my itinerary for later in the week when I head up to New York (oh! I just realized that’s tomorrow! Yesssss). It isn’t perhaps as authentic as wandering around an ICA in Stockholm, but it will have to do for now.
Friday Five
You have no idea how happy I am that today is Friday. This week at work totally kicked my butt and then backed its car over me. No, I’m not being dramatic. I am really looking forward to the weekend, because I’m heading out of town for a week for the Thanksgiving holiday. I’ll be going back to the beach for a few days (Fitz is SO PUMPED), then spending a few days in New York before settling in the suburbs for the giant feast. Really, you could give me a can of cranberry sauce and a pair of pajama pants and I’d be set. However, I’m trying not to be Scrooge about it, so I’ll say that I’m thankful for having some time off in honor of a holiday that indulges gluttony and greed in their most concentrated forms. Last year I ventured out on Black Friday, and let’s just say that is a mistake you only make once.
Anyway, I’m trying something new with this week’s Friday Five. Rather than having 5 separate pictures of things I want, I’m condensing them into one. I don’t know why. I don’t know if I like it or even prefer it over the old way. You tell me.
1. Capri Blue Mercury Glass Candle, Anthropologie – I’ve mentioned my love for this candle before, but I think it just skyrocketed through the roof with the new jar they’re selling it in. Don’t get me wrong, the standard blue glass is beautiful, but the speckled mercury glass treatment is just killing me. It also doesn’t hurt that it’s one of the best smelling things in the entire universe. It now also gets the title of being one of the most beautiful. Check it out when its lit! So beautiful.
2. Assiro Herringbone throw in Spicy Orange, Lands Downunder – So, I don’t know what rock I live under, but I just discovered that there is a “Home” section on Gilt Groupe. And oh. my. god. They were having a half-off sale of these gorgeous herringbone throw blankets, but of course every color I wanted was already sold out. The spicy orange color is so lush and warm looking, I can just imagine curling up with a good book and wrapping myself up in it. I’m adding this to my Christmas wish-list in either this color or the light gray. Please and thank you.
3. Essie nail polish, in “Wicked” – The color description says it’s a “dark and creamy sinister red” and they are absolutely spot on. It’s the perfect shade for the winter, and I can’t help but feel all fancy with it on. The best thing about buying it is that I can take it with me to the nail salon and then do touch-ups on any chips at home.
4. Classic Q Baby Groovee, Marc by Marc Jacobs – Oh, this bag. I’ve loved this bag for years. But I’ve never taken the leap and bought it. I think I’m more content loving it from afar? I don’t know. I had the opportunity to get it for 20% when Bloomingdales was having a sale, but I passed. I get the sweats about purchases that size. I love the shape of this bag and the lining on the inside. My friend Aisling bought a Marc Jacobs wallet that had the same lining and I drooled all over it (sorry, Aisling!).
5. Greenhouse, IKEA – This little glass greenhouse is so darling and so fabulously IKEA. I don’t think I’d put real plants in it, because plants wilt just by being near me. I’d love to put this on display as a holiday centerpiece, with some candles and silver-painted branches or a string of lights. Maybe some silver spray-painted pinecones, I don’t know. All I know is that on my next trip to IKEA, this guy is coming home with me. I’ve been eyeing something similar over at West Elm, but this is significantly cheaper.
Happy Friday! What are your weekend plans? Anyone doing any traveling to prepare for Thanksgiving? I’m trying to put myself on a self-imposed spending ban until I get to Ladurée, but Groupon was offering a $50 for $25 to American Apparel, sooo. You know how that story ends. Have a great weekend! I’ll see you on Monday.
Mind sufficiently blown.
Did I ever tell you that I wanted to be an astronaut growing up? I know, shocking that my aspirations weren’t to have a blog and the ability to stay up past 9pm (had I wished for the latter, I would be in a totally different position now). I was always obsessed with outer space. My dad put up glow-in-the-dark starts in the shape of the Orion constellation on my ceiling when I was younger; I can still spot that one in the sky at night. I loved watching Apollo 13 over and over again, going to the Planetarium, eating freeze-dried ice-cream sandwiches, or reading my book about constellations. Also, I really loved the Jetsons, and that counts.
Anyway, my dreams were dashed when it became obvious that my aptitude for math was on par with, say, my New Kids on the Block lunchox (YES, I’M STILL TALKING ABOUT THEM). Which never made any sense to me, because why do astronauts have to be good at math? Does anyone really expect them to solve differential equations while floating around without gravity and drinking lots of Tang? So lame. But you know what isn’t lame? This video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_MSEWUbhtw&feature=share
I watched the entire thing with my jaw on my keyboard. How amazing is that? It makes my heart swell up and I wish we lived in the future where everyone lived in space-pods near Mars or Saturn or something.
Also, it kind of reminds me of Christopher Kane’s Galaxy collection from a while ago. He took actual images from telescopes and printed them on dresses, shirts, and scarves.
The entire line is just so gorgeous and so dreamy. He also had a line of silk scarves, one of which had Orion on it. Because they aren’t carried anywhere anymore, I did some googling and found perhaps the most gorgeous alternative I could have ever hoped for. I gasped audibly when I saw it. If anyone wants to know what to buy me for Christmas, look no further:
from here
I mean, really. How gorgeous is that thing? It also costs way, way less than the Christopher Kane scarves, but I love it just as much if not more. And just as a bonus, galaxy nails!
So now I’m curious. What did you want to be growing up? And do you find yourself drawn to things that are related to that now, later in life? I can’t believe it’s Thursday already. I’ll be back tomorrow with a Friday Five.
(Also, did you notice that I tagged this post as “travel”? It counts, right?)
All That Glitters
So the other day I was stumbling around the internet looking for things to spend money on, when I found the most ostentatious, unnecessarily sparkly heels of all time, from Old Navy. Immediately, my pupils dilated and I thought, “BIRTHDAY SHOES!” And then I realized that I cannot function in heels and what limited ability I have is going to be completely voided by the number of girly cocktails I will hopefully ingest at said birthday. But still! Glitter! Sparkly! Rainbows! Amazing, but totally absurd.
Then, in looking for a dress to wear to my company Christmas party (I was really on a roll that day), I discovered that these glitter heels have a much more ridiculous, much more expensive twin. At ten times the price, these Kate Spade version give an all new meaning to “ludicrous.”
Sure, we could get into the merits of spending $350 on a pair of shoes that will give you blisters and make it look like a fairy princess threw up all over you in the process, but let’s just call it like it is: unless you are Carrie Bradshaw, you’re not spending that much money on glitter shoes.
But it got me thinking about how much I love sparkly things. And maybe since I am challenged when it comes to wearing heels, I could integrate glitter and sparkle into my life in other, less threatening ways. (What it really boils down to is that I want to spend money on something glittery and justify it in some way.)
1. Alexander Wang pants / 2. Jimmy Choo luggage tag / 3. Juicy Couture iPad case / 4. Deborah Lippmann nail polish / 5. Make Up Forever Glitter / 6. Aldo clutch / 7. West Elm Sequin pillow / 8. Topshop belt
What about you guys? Would you go for the more expensive heel or no glitter heels at all? I love living vicariously through those of you who can pull off heels.
