I think this is one of the first times that I've actually cursed having a Mac...usually I treat it in the same way as someone would their beloved spaniel. "What's the problem?", you ask. Well, when I first spotted this webcam designed to look like a vintage tripod camera my cursor started edging towards the "add to cart" button quicker than you could say cheese, then I read the depressing words..."not Mac compatible". Hence the aforementioned cursing...

"If you think about the history of Hip Hop we've had artist who can talk about from socially significant ideas to something as cool as sneakers." - Grandmaster Flash I'm not much of a sneaker girl...they always me think of 80's office women on their daily commute...power suit up top, running track down below. Having said that I am completely besotted with these Nike Dunks Low Liberty numbers. The combination of the floral Liberty print and the acid yellow has me smitten...even though I know that, if I bought them, they would probably never get worn...just displayed on a shelf as art.

Thanks to my recent splurges at the sales it will be a case of "look, but don't touch" for the near future. Which I'm not complaining about...not one little bit...until, that is, I see something like this Martin Margiela fringe necklace from the upcoming Fall/Winter collection that I stumbled across on La Garconne (I'm not even going to get into the fact that I don't really have any urge to see winter clothing when the temperature has finally got to the insufferably humid and sticky point...the only thing that a sweater makes me think at the moment is 'hot'). The necklace was black...and fringy...and looked like just the thing to jazz up lots of different outfits. It was, naturally, not inexpensive though so I clicked away before any damage could be done.

When I ventured back to the site...not because I am a complete glutton for punishment but I'd realized that I could probably do a reasonable "interpretation" of the necklace myself quite cheaply...it was gone. Obviously someone who was equally smitten had said "credit card debt be damned" or something similar and had snapped it up.

So now I'm faced with a new DIY project...after a trip to the fabric store and (hopefully) locating some slightly larger/clearer pictures to work from.

You know how it is...you go out shopping for one thing and mysteriously come back with something completely different. Yesterday's hunt was for plant pots and yet I managed to arrive back home with some rattan covered glasses. As a (somewhat) mitigating factor they were on sale...and I found them at a garden store. Anxious to use them...and thereby prove what a good buy they were...they became summer-y Chianti containers...and were used to toast the one really decent summer-ish pasta dish that I make. For anyone looking for an (exceedingly) easy...inexpensive...and very tasty...recipe I'm posting it below (serves two).

1/4 lb good bacon (i.e. more meat than fat)
1 lb ripe tomatoes (any kind will do, yesterday I used Romas from the farmer's market)
Spaghetti
Grated cheese (personally I like a shaved Grana Padano Parmesan)

Optional extras...
A finely chopped clove of garlic
A sliced white onion
Fresh basil (or any other herb you enjoy)

Cut the bacon into little strips (I use scissors) and fry until golden. Around the mid-way point add the garlic and onion (if using). While that's happening boil the water for the pasta and get that cooking. You can also take care of the gloriously messy portion of this dish...get a bowl and squeeze the tomatoes by hand into the bowl so that you get a bowlful of tomato mush (and wet sticky hands). Everything but the hard white center stem of the tomato should go in the bowl.

Wash hands...drain grease from frying pan...pour tomatoes into frying pan...and cook. The tomatoes will break down further as time goes on (5-10 minutes).

Drain pasta...pour into a serving dish...pour bacon/tomato sauce on top...add some thinly sliced basil and cheese on top.

Devour.

When people...okay, it's mainly Mr. Heb...ask me why I never throw anything out of my closet I generally don't have a snappy comeback. After all, I can't say I'm saving it for future generations (I don't personally plan on proliferating the species) and I can't (with any honesty) claim that every item is an incredible piece of design that should be saved for posterity because, really, there are some things in there that make me embarrassed when I think about the money I spent on them. Even the honest response that they (the good, the bad, and the ugly) are a part of me...friends from the past with whom I share a good many memories...makes me sound slightly deranged.

And so I usually fall back on the old standby "but I may wear it again...someday". Funnily enough, 'someday' doesn't come around too often for most items. It did, however, rear its head yesterday when it came to this embroidered floral men's waistcoat that I dragged out of the deepest darkest recesses of closet-dom. Originally bought from Paul Smith's sale shop when I was a mere teen...not for a boyfriend and not really for myself but because the detail work was incredible and I could claim that the vest was unisex but the matching suit wasn't. The waistcoat then sat in a closet (mainly unworn) and in a variety of storage spaces (definitely unworn) until I finally gave it to Mr. Heb. Only for it to become an item that he never wore.

Then yesterday, out of the blue, the urge hit me...and, together with an American Apparel grey v-necked t-shirt and a well-worn Nicole Farhi skirt, the waistcoat finally saw the light of day. Which makes it one small step for me...one giant leap for clothes-at-the-back-of-the-closet-kind.

From the Splendicity Community, comes this week's best in Beauty, Fashion and Shopping. Check out the very splendid best!

BEAUTY
Aging Fabulous tried out some anti-aging products from L'Oreal's Skin Genesis Line. Stop by to see what they were and what she thought.

NY Spender pampers herself with two new products that won't break the bank.

Beauty Bento Box tells us how important it is for us to give our bare legs a sleek, sexy and glowing look that's perfect for this summer.

Beauty Secrets Revealed shares a Homemade Lip Plumper Recipe

See how Beauty and Fashion Tech made her own mineral makeup using a Bramble and Berry Mineral Makeup Kit complete with pictures and swatches!

Viva Woman takes a look at ingredients that can cause your skin to become more sun sensitive.

Karen from Makeup and Beauty Blog shows you how to create an orange, gold and teal eye look with Nars Cosmetics.

All That & a got a fresh new design and has a review of Not Just a Pretty Face, a book about the dangers in our makeup and skincare

Krizia from Beauty Match meets Candace Bushnell author of Sex and the City.

FASHION
Style...a work in progress proves that hope springs eternal...and finally gets her sticky little fingers on Heimstone's Perfecto jacket...

Would you wear a red wedding dress? Just A Formality features this gorgeous Justin Alexander Red Bridal Gown.

Tops 2 Bottoms lets you in on the latest swimwear trend.

Kim atIndie Style File needs to be more graceful to be a ballerina, but at least can look like one with a tutu tank dress by ouma

Her Accessories wonders why we need camouflage Louis Vuitton? Pardon me, it's called "Monogramouflage" - for the urban jungle perhaps?

SHOPPING
CelebLOOK found some hot zebra print bikini's that will have you looking as hot as Lisa Rinna in hers.

Enter to win this M Z Wallace handbag valued at $335 at Glamour Gift Guide.

Shoe Blitz features an assortment of Prada boots that are perfect for fall.

Shopalicious is pining over these to-die-for python heels -- and they're on sale!

ShopDiary says you can pre-order Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale Beauty Exclusives now before the sale officially begins on July 18.

How vainly men themselves amaze To win the palm, the oak, or bays; And their incessant labours see Crowned from some single herb, or tree, Whose short and narrow-verged shade Does prudently their toils upbraid; While all flow'rs and all trees do close To weave their garlands of repose. Fair Quiet, have I found thee here, And Innocence, thy sister dear? Mistaken long, I sought you then In busy companies of men. Your sacred plants, if here below, Only among the plants will grow; Society is all but rude To this delicious solitude. The Garden - Andrew Marvell

Hopefully everyone is enjoying their 4th of July...or lazy Friday afternoon for those non-US readers...by stopping and smelling the flowers, grass, clover and all other summer-y, outdoors-y odors that lighten the heart and give you that whole "glad to be alive" feeling that you hear so much about.

Another day...another sale purchase...though I swear on my future dream closet that this is it. At this point in the current sale season I've racked up the vaguely avant garde (the Watanabe Humpty Dumpty meets MC Hammer pants)...the childlike and comfortable (Opening Ceremony's suede desert boots)...and the long-lusted after (Heimstone's Perfecto jacket).

All that was missing were a couple of basics...like this shirt and cardigan from Fred Perry Subculture...the cardigan will replace a similar black cotton number which I literally wore to shreds and the gingham shirt because, in my humble opinion, a girl can never have too many gingham shirts...even though Mr. Heb did some serious eye rolling as he said "what, another one?"

I'm thinking that it might be time to blow the cobwebs off my "Badge Factory" so that I can try my hand at a homage to these button/rosette hybrids by artist Tauba Auerbach. I'm also thinking that I need to come up with a less embarrassingly tween name than "Badge Factory"...perhaps a pseudonym is in order... "I'm going to be spending the afternoon with some geometric paper, ribbon, and Emerson..." Ah yes, much better.

Often, when looking at streetstyle images, there's generally one person whose outfit you zone in on...everything else fades into the background. When I came across this image of Lou Doillon shopping in Paris however I found myself, somewhat schizophrenically, lusting after her outfit (jeans, plaid shirt, and tweed coat) and the sales assistant from Chanel (black, black, and those incredible shoes with the quilted gold heel). Which, I suppose, goes some way to explaining why my closet has split-personality disorder...

Much as I like the distressed denim shorts from Alexander Wang's Fall/Winter collection...okay, I admit, they remind me of a pair that I wore to a New Year's Eve party many moons ago and therefore fall under the "nostalgic lusts" category...I was surprised when I received the attached e-mail from Satine Boutique.

I can't help but wonder, is the demand really that large for $300 denim shorts? Doesn't this completely go against the trend of buying well-made classics in times of financial worry?

It seems like eons ago...actually it's about six months...since I first verbalized my lust for Heimstone's Perfecto jacket. It was...perfection. The ideal combination of the lady and the tramp. Also, hideously expensive (thanks to the exchange rate) and very hard to find (thanks to...lack of foresight from US buyers?)...I had, sadly, given up hope. And then...just before my birthday...I was doing a little Googling and discovered the Perfecto on sale. A little more Googling and I found a discount code for the online store. End result...the perfect(o) birthday present has just arrived and (not only am I blissfully happy that it is now in my sticky little hands but...) I have saved Mr. Heb a tidy little chunk of cash (as this was his gift to me). Moral of the story: never give up hope and always search for discount codes...especially when it comes to small boutiques.

I have to say, nuts make me think of Christmas...thanks to childhood memories of the inevitable bowl of nuts in shells (brazil, walnut, hazelnut) and accompanying "festive nut cracker"...in a household where no one actually liked them...which accounted for the layer of dust that was gathered on them by New Year's. I assume that they were part of my mother's childhood and she felt the need to carry on the tradition but, to me, unless you're a peanut or cashew I have very little interest. Until now...when I have had to amend my list to include whatever nut was used to carve this vintage Barong mask ring. The Barong is a Balinese deity who is a "force for good"...the Christmas nut basket was, of course, a "force for evil"...together they equal each other out.

There are a myriad of uses for these frosty treat drawstring bags...I'm thinking of using them as shoe bags for when I travel...but whatever you do with them they're sure to make you smile...and have an overwhelming urge for an ice cream.

Okay, so not the best bet if you're on a diet...

T-shirts may be a summer basic but don't you wish that sometimes they just weren't so...basic? If, like me, you need a break from basic cotton get ready to say hello to Slow and Steady Wins the Race and their unique take on the humble white t-shirt. The shape we all know (and to some extent love) in ten different fabrics...including coated linen, panne velvet, leather, and (my particular favorite) lace. A nice little break from the norm, don't you think?

He may have banned Hadley Freeman from attending his menswear show in Paris but I'll always have a soft spot for Paul Smith's clothes...especially when I see something like this floral t-shirt dress. In an instant it makes me think of chocolate box lids...paintings on velvet...vintage jigsaw puzzles...and all kinds of other dated quaintness.

You may be familiar with Louis Vuitton's printed travel guides...I must admit that I've seen them in stores but never flicked through...now LV is moving into the arena of audio guides which you can download into your mp3 player or phone. It's an interesting idea though the website did leave me with more questions than answers...if only because of the disturbing way that actress Shu Qi tells me she's going to show me "her Hong Kong"...quite frankly the one thing that I don't need from an audio tour is that overwhelming suspicion that it's trying to proposition me.

My other issue is cost-related as, at $17 each, it's rather expensive to go for a walk in Beijing, Hong Kong, and Shanghai (the three cities currently on offer)...which is rather galling, in these times of rising gas prices surely a virtual walk should be relatively inexpensive?

I've mentioned my fascination with rubber shoes before and, gosh darn it, I'm going to do it again. I can't help it...the idea of having fashionable shoes that also allow me to go for a walk in the rain and keep my feet dry is too entrancing to ignore...I'm obviously part human/part waterfowl. My latest find are these black and white rubber brogues. Shoes so snazzy that I would brave the pound to dollar exchange rate to get them in my grasp...were it not for the fact that they're not available in my size.

These coin necklaces look like something that you'd find as you rummage through a box of odds and ends in an antique shop. Nicely worn and knocked around, comforting in the well-worn way.

What do you think...a penny for your thoughts?

As an EPP (exceedingly pale person) who spends the majority of the summer under a hat or parasol I am constantly on the look out for something new and interesting in the head-covering line. Like this (completely unsubtle) elephant hat...from the front, slighty wacky with a vague pith helmet feel...and from the side, 70's tourist souvenir.

If it wasn't for the price, which is a little high for what is admittedly a novelty item, I would be adding this to my summer hat rotation faster than you can say "in the jungle, the quiet jungle".

“Man may escape from rope and gun;
Nay, some have outliv'd the doctor's pill:
Who takes a woman must be undone,
That basilisk is sure to kill”

- John Gay

I seem to have a fascination at the moment with weapons made of unlikely substances, first the wooden knuckledusters, and now these felt weapons from mp industries in Berlin.

I obviously have some pent up aggression...that I want to relieve with objets d'art.

From the Splendicity Community, comes this week's best in Beauty, Fashion and Shopping. Check out the very splendid best!

SHOPPING

CelebLOOK tells you where to get the fab tee, for charity no less, that Courtney Cox has been sporting.

ShopDiary has invites to a Rue La La, an exclusive invitation only shopping site whose past sales featured Chloe, Prada, Hanky Panky, Juicy Couture and more.

Her Accessories has just launched a new jewelry blog, Gleaming Things - come and check it out!

Glamour Gift Guide talks about the Miu Miu Dragonfly Clutch.

FASHION

Come test your luck! NY Spender is giving away a beautiful Amelia Rose necklace worth more than $500!

Tops 2 Bottoms welcomes the new Black. Explore style options with Navy as it makes its comeback in the fashion scene.

Check out what Sasha wore to the Philippine Fashion Week over at Style Manila.

Style...a work in progress experiences monomania when she takes a look at Louis Vuitton's latest collaboration with Takashi Murakami.

Shoe Blitz shows you the Christian Louboutin suede booties with tonal leather stripes.

Viva Woman shares with you the DIY way to store and organize your hook earrings.

BEAUTY

Beauty and Fashion Tech reviews two good acne treatment products, the Bioelements and DDF Acne Treatment Masks.

Beauty Bento Box invites you to join the conversation on makeup and Asian skin and get the chance to win Artistry goodies!

Beauty Secrets Revealed asks Is Wine An Anti-aging Potion?

Krizia from Beauty Match discovers UnDamage free beauty samples specifically created for smoker’s skin

Cinnamon Kitten launches a string of upcoming contests with a contest giveaway for a goodie "box" stuffed with beauty products!

March Hare: Birthday? Hahaha! My dear child, this is not a birthdayparty!

Mad Hatter: Of course not! Hehehe! This is an unbirthdayparty!

Alice: Unbirthday? Why, I’m sorry, but I don’t quite understand.

March Hare: It’s very simple. Now, thirty days have Sept- no, when... an unbirthday, if you have a birthday then you... haha... she doesn’t know what an unbirthday is!

Mad Hatter: How silly! Ha HA Ha Ha! Ah-hum... I shall ellusinate! Now statistics prove, prove that you’ve one birthday.

March Hare: Imagine, just one birthday every year.

Mad Hatter: Ahhh, but there are 364 unbirthdays!

This happens to be my birthday...as opposed to all those other days which I celebrate as unbirthdays...and possibly the only time I could envision wearing Martin Margiela's gift bow ring. However, as the ring is a momentary whim, I will focus on the tapas and gallons of sangria...which, later today, will be a reality. Cheers!

When putting your new bicycle helmet upon your head...do not get all goofy. Otherwise the edge of the helmet slams into the bridge of your nose and you end up with a good-sized bruise...and everyone you meet assumes you've been hit with a club.

Yes, I am speaking from personal experience here...

How can a (relatively) rational woman conceive a desire for something based on a description and the associations created by her mind...finally see it and realize it is not the object of lust that she imagined...yet still experience a yearning for it? It's simply not the act of a sane person.

And yet, embarrassing as it is to admit it, I am currently in the throes of this monomania. The item? A piece of the latest Louis Vuitton/Takashi Murakami collaboration...Monogramouflage...which, in my mind, was going to be tough (yet feminine)...Sergent Benjamin meets haute couture...amusing and earthy and luxe...plus, a chance to add to my collection of Murakami ephemera.

Then I stopped by my local Louis Vuitton store and was...severely disappointed. Though I only saw a bag...and the object of my affection was an over-sized scarf...the colors were washed-out...sad. I left disillusioned.

And yet...and yet...a part of me still wants that (hideously expensive) scarf. What is going on here? The madness has to stop.

Though it seems a little earlier than usual, we have entered that magical time of year when items that you've been stalking...like a lioness on the Serengeti going after a particularly succulent wildebeest...are now slightly more appealing (pricewise that is).

Yes, the summer sales are here...and two items which I have been yearning after, but ignoring in a vague effort to be fiscally responsible, will soon be winging their way to me.

Item #1, Opening Ceremony's suede desert boots...because I need some comfortable shoes and my skirts and dresses need a touch of "Bridge on the River Kwai". Item #2, Junya Watanabe's reverse pants...or, as Mr. Heb said when I showed him a picture of them, "MC Hammer pants"...something which I naturally countered with "not just MC Hammer pants...Japanese-preppy MC Hammer pants". Which isn't the snappiest of comebacks, I admit, but it was that or start singing "U Can't Touch This"...

Having been pondering some knee-high fringed sandals from Topshop for a few weeks now I happened upon this picture of Elle Macpherson in a much more expensive (though remarkably similar) pair from Etro...yet another lesson that it's often best to stop and think before making the leap into the shopping abyss...because if these shoes can make "The Body" look stumpy what hope is there for us mere mortals?

Working on the theory that 'one out of five isn't bad'...even when it's applied to the five food groups...I once spent several weeks in Paris surviving on baguettes and red wine. Something which I can't recommend from a dietary perspective but is certainly a regimen that saves money for the necessities of life...ie, shopping. On the upside, it appears that I'm not alone in my love of the dough and the grape as I just came across this bread and wine bag...

When I was in my local wine store the other day I came across a piece...or should that be a drop...of my childhood...otherwise known as Babycham, the (self-titled) happiest drink in the world. Unfortunately it's also one of the chav-iest but, be that as it may, a small tingle of anticipation ran down my spine when I saw the bottle nestling on the shelf. A tingle which lasted until I opened the bottle. Because, as it turn out, when they say "you can never go back" it relates to liquor as well.

Even though I have a slight fear of flying...well, alright, to be precise it's not the flying as much as the crashing into the ground...I'm entranced by the idea of spending a vacation aboard Manned Cloud...the dirigible designed by Jean-Marie Massaud...which hopes to be the first luxury hotel in the sky. There's something about the idea of floating (relatively) noiselessly above the ground that is very appealing...and, of course, the restaurant, bar, library, and terrace wouldn't hurt either.

Monsieur Hulot, the character created by French filmmaker Jacques Tati, was a man of few words. They simply weren’t needed in his world where music and mannerism could express so much. With virtually no vocabulary Tati was able to comment on everything from Western society’s obsession with material possessions to France’s class structure and even the cold and often impractical nature of the space-age design that captured the public’s attention at the time.

Which makes me wonder how he would have responded to the Mr. Hulot’s Holiday scent created by Christopher Brosius for his company, CB I Hate Perfume. Brosius was previously known for his work at Demeter, which he founded, and whose scents gave the wearer the opportunity to smell like an idealized form of familiar, everyday aromas such as tomatoes, rain, or dirt.

With CB I Hate Perfume he takes that idea and moves it forward, instead of a single scent an entire memory or experience is evoked. Fragrances such as In the Library, which conjures up “Russian and Moroccan leather bindings, worn cloth and a hint of wood polish” or At The Beach 1966, whose “prime note...is Coppertone 1967 blended with a new accord I created especially for this perfume – North Atlantic. The base of the scent contains a bit of Wet Sand, Seashell, Driftwood and just a hint of Boardwalk. The effect when you wear (it) is as if you’ve been swimming all day in the ocean.” For Mr. Hulot’s Holiday Brosius combined “the salty breath of the breeze off the Mediterranean, driftwood, rocks covered with seaweed and the smell of old leather suitcases”.

Tati said of his creation, “His principal defect is inattentiveness which makes him unsuited to our functional age. Everyone has a bit of Hulot in them”. Now thanks to Brosius everyone can have a little Hulot on them as well.

After some restless clicking...some days visiting numerous websites in a short span of time can have a curiously calming effect...I ended up at Lucky magazine, where my eye was caught by the "cute outfit of the day" for May 30th. I always think that this particular length and style of skirt can be problematic...with a definite tendency towards dowdiness...so it's nice to see someone wearing one and looking, yes, cute. Maybe it's time to resurrect a few of these skirts which have been languishing in the furthest outreaches of my closet...

I'd never get a tattoo...due to a low pain threshold...and the over-riding question of what, say, a 3" blue M&M would look like on my upper arm when I'm an old age pensioner (a question which has to occur to Marc Jacobs at some point in time). I am, however, all for temporary tattoos...the cheesier the better...like this To Do List one...useful if you're anally retentive and like to write notes on your hands.

At first glance, this viewmaster from Belgian conceptual artist Wim Delvoye reminded me of the version I had as a small child. Then I delved a little deeper and all similarities ended. My viewmaster featured slides with, I believe, scenes from Snow White and Sleeping Beauty...

Wim Delvoye's version contains 12 discs of 3-D photographs of his "Cloaca-installations". Having no idea who or what a Cloaca was I decided to do some investigating. And I found that Cloaca are combinations of art and science which duplicate certain bodily functions or, to be more precise...

"Mini Cloaca is a tubular structure made of metal and glass, and composed of mechanical organs that swallow, grind, digest and defecate a given amount of food. The quantity of food ingested is equivalent to that of a French-style breakfast. The particular aestheticism of this machine, with its transparent organs and visible Archimedes-screws, is an attraction in itself." Apparently Delvoye tries to rid the figure of the artist of "the romanticism commonly attached to it". I think he's succeeded, how about you?

As I'm having some summer clothing "issues" you may have noticed that my mind is moving onto accessories...for the simple reason that no matter how much I may look like a wilted piece of lettuce after 5 minutes outside at least my bag/bracelet/shoes can retain their dignity (yes, the high humidity of summer has finally arrived and I'm feeling...limp). This pompom bedecked basket bag however looks crisp, yet fun, and reminds me of a summer that I spent in the south of France (where, thanks to the lack of humidity, I didn't feel as generally mauled by Mother Nature as I do at this moment).

It's a little tacky, I admit...in a weird kind of punk meets 80's Madonna kind of way...but I do find myself strangely drawn to Uniqlo's striped belt t-shirt. Thankfully their website doesn't deliver outside the UK, thereby saving me from any random acts of clicking...

From the Splendicity Community, comes this week's best in Beauty, Fashion and Shopping. Check out the very splendid best!

BEAUTY

Teri from Aging Fabulous has been testing the Lancome Absolue Premium bx Cloth Masks and the results are in.

Viva Woman takes a look at sunscreen ingredient Helioplex from Neutrogena and compares its Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch with La Roche-Posay Anthelios containing Mexoryl.

Karen from Makeup and Beauty Blog shows you how to get a silver and pink eye look with eyeshadows from MAC Cosmetics.

Beauty and Fashion Tech tries the Sally Hansen Natural Beauty oOundation, Concealer, and Powder and loves them!

Beauty Secrets Revealed is Giving Away Bramble Berry's DIY Eyeshadow Kit Worth $45

A Touch of Blusher's guest reviewer reports on the new Thierry Mugler makeup line .

Youthful skin is IN! Beauty Banter dishes on Jurlique's new anti-aging collection! After all, who doesn't want to look younger?!

Raging Rouge gets lipstick tips and tricks from the Lipstick Queen herself, Poppy King! You won't want to miss her advice, or information about her new book!

Krizia from Beauty Match Network highlights her Essie's Summer Neons!

FASHION

Style...a work in progress's husband has found his summer muse...but can they find the right pants? Find out why she says No white after Labor Day (and not much before either).

Snarkstress doesn't recommend taking Office Wear style cues from the ever-so-classy Amy Winehouse, but notes there are moments when the fashion forces of Kat Von D may take over - right, Charlize?

Petite Fashionista is all shiny and new and invites you to check out all the new features, plus to celebrate there will be lots of contests in the nest few weeks!

The Space Between My Peers describes three color combining techniques for blondes who want to wear black.


SHOPPING

Over at NY Spender, Bullitt the cat points you to some great online deals. This week he has found some cool bermuda shorts!

Shopalicious has found a place to score cute summer dresses for under $50!

Her Accessories is loving the vintage style of these metal and enamel pendants from designer Peggy Li.

Indie Style File is

ShopDiary has invites to The Top Secret, a private online sample sale site.

eye4style tells lucky readers how to get their hands on an iconic piece of Sex and the City movie memorabilia.

STYLEnosh asks readers to weigh in with their opinions on Wear or Return these heels5 Under $50 Father's Day gifts to show Fathers how we appreciate and love them this Father's Day

“Therefore, to be possessed with double pomp, To guard a title that was rich before, To gild refined gold, to paint the lily, To throw a perfume on the violet, To smooth the ice, or add another hue Unto the rainbow, or with taper light To seek the beauteous eye of heaven to garnish, Is wasteful and ridiculous excess.” - William Shakespeare

Though I'm having issues with certain aspects of my summer wardrobe after a little shopping expedition yesterday one thing is certain...I'm developing a fetish for brass bracelets (try saying that ten times, fast). It started with Old Navy's multi-strands of beads and is continuing with this Bonnie double-wrap bracelet from Club Monaco. I think part of this is regression (in years gone by I wore a selection of bracelets during the summer until, one by one, they disintegrated)...I was going to add that it makes even my pallid skin look a little tanned but clearly, and undeniably, after one glance at the picture above I have to admit that that is an optical illusion.

An added bonus is that, as the bracelet is designed to be wrapped several times around the wrist, it can also be worn as a long necklace or double wrapped choker...making it a nice little multi-tasker to take on my travels.

With no vacation plans on the horizon I found myself drooling over the Tokyo Rose editorial in the summer issue of 10 magazine. Not necessarily for the clothes...Marc Jacobs' deconstructed dresses not exactly being my cup of sake (though I wouldn't say no to the Anna Sui top and skirt above)...more for the general ambiance of the shots. A slightly surreal vacation, with suitably twisted sightseeing outfits, sounds fun right about now...and Tokyo is on my "one of these days I'm going to get on a plane and go there" list...but until that happens I will live vicariously through the pages of a magazine.

Having decided that a little exercise may not be such a bad thing (thanks to whatever boffin at Hagen Daz invented their Sticky Toffee Pudding ice cream) I dragged my bicycle out of storage and had it tuned up, only to realize that the majority of bicycle helmets out there are...hideous. I know they're necessary...I know they could save my life...and I know it's incredibly vain under these circumstances to want something that is neither pink, nor patterned, nor featuring various visors and fins but there it is. Thankfully I came across the Faction helmet, designed for use by BMX-ers and skateboarders it resembles a WWII motorcycle helmet and, in matte black, I love it. Which means that the only unresolved question is bicycle bell or horn...?

The world is a very unfair place when someone can look as good as this wearing a cast (even if the person in question is Erin Wasson attending the CFDA Awards)...and, to add insult to injury, she's wearing heels! Okay, to be precise, one heel...which, if anything, only adds to my awe.

As you may have noticed, I've been hemming and hawing over summer dresses for a deplorable amount of time now. So long in fact that fate has given me a reminder that sometimes a girl can take too long to make up her mind as...having finally narrowed down my selection to Wood Wood's lilac over-sized shirt dress...I clicked on the link I had saved and discovered...it's sold out. Yes, there's definitely a fine line between waiting to make the right selection and sitting on the fence so long that it develops woodworm. So, back to the drawing board go I...and at this rate summer will be over before I make up my mind...

I was taking a walk around town the other day and came across this sticker on a lamp post by the lake... Perfect for those days when you need a little affirmation (and aren't too proud to take it from an inanimate object).

Any frequent readers out there in the blogosphere may have noticed that my posting schedule has changed from a (hopeful) twice a day to a (slightly depressing) once a day...anyone visiting here due to a random search on Google probably just thought "why did 'bare-legged stewardess' or 'VEST FEEDING BEFORE BASKETING IN RACING PIGEON' (why all caps? why?) pull this up, this isn't what I was looking for"...

The reason for the change of pace is dual fold...firstly, an alteration in my work schedule...and, secondly, an increase in the number of places that I am writing for...I know, I know, I shouldn't whine...Susie Bubble posts at an astounding rate with nary a whimper...and here I am bemoaning the lack of hours in the day to get everything done...it's obviously a case of "not so much a bang as a whimper, not so much a whimper as a wimp".

If you are, however, a glutton for punishment and miss the additional posts you may want to take a look at 212DRESSINGROOM...part store/part fashion and art magazine ...for a chance to shop and read some more in-depth posts from myself and fellow bloggers (like Patricia Yagüe of bobble bee) similar to the one below...

When I glanced in the mirror today I saw a rather eclectic mix of an Isabel Marant dress, American Apparel t-shirt, Chanel cuff, and no-name shoes. A look that is both comfortable and an expression of my personal style but by no means fast fashion; thought and effort are required. And though, for myself, I love the thrill of mixing and matching, and dislike the accompanying knowledge that some days will be decidedly more “miss” than “hit”, I do occasionally yearn for the ease of ‘le tout ensemble’. But, in today’s society, is there any place for loyalty to a single designer or label? Especially when one considers that the very concept of wearing a solitary designer’s wares from head to toe seems dated and more of a uniform than a method of self-expression.

Initially I thought that a look at a roll-call of women with such fashion faithfulness may assist me, though both Vanessa Traina at Proenza Schouler and Lauren Santo Domingo at Nina Ricci fall under the “designer and their muse” category which, though I’m sure is pleasing for both parties isn’t possible for most of us. A glance at the socialite roster gives us Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy and her affection for Calvin Klein, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and her allegiances to Chanel, Givenchy, and Oleg Cassini (amongst others), and Babe Paley who regularly bought entire haute couture collections from major fashion houses. Once again, though this kind of largesse inspires envy it probably doesn’t help to answer the label loyalty question for the majority of us. Perhaps a perusal of history may help.

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Much as I loved the Mr. T meets Catholic goth looks that Riccardo Tisci gave us for Givenchy's Fall/Winter collection I know that they are so far out of my price range that it's laughable. In the same vein (and slightly more affordable) is this vintage Zandra Rhodes dress from one of my favorite online vintage stores,
Vagabond NYC.

An additional benefit, apart from the financial aspect, is the trompe l'oeil chains are much less likely to end up in a tangled pile in your closet...