Kate(Lindemann)Spade

I am thrilled to be Kate's first guest columnist! For my post, I wanted to blend Kate's style with my own and showcase how to mix the two. It took me a while to figure out how I was going to do this, but yesterday, on the way to the laundromat (with my laundry in a plastic trash bag over my shoulder, so classy!) I stopped in front of Kate Spade.



I have been loving KS's classic feminine style and am totally into her new line for spring! I love taking KS's ladylike pieces and mixing them with masculine/rock and roll inspired accessories and shoes to create a feminine yet edgy look. This formula is essentially:

Kate's Closet + Lavinia's Closet

My favorite piece from the fall line (all card's on the table here, I bought it, 75% off at Clinton Crossing Outlets after Christmas--- still on a budget!) is the briella ruffle dress, still available 'here'.

I pair it with my Stuart Weitzman studded booties.

I think the reason that KS's pieces blend so well with an edgier twist is that they are not overly girl-y. KS's lines are feminine, yes, but clean, classic and very versatile at the core. A true sign of design quality, for me, is this versatility. I do not want the clothes I am wearing to dictate my style; I want the pieces I choose to express a look that is defined by me and the slant that I put on the look as a whole. In this vein, I think I can look like myself whether I am wearing preppy inspired Kate Spade or crazy inspired Betsy Johnson. Every girl should be able to dress herself out of a friends' closet.

I wandered around the store, which is conveniently located a block from my apartment, and snapped some photos of the my favorites pieces in the Spring Line!

Absolutely LOVE these envelope clutches with the lucite/gold bow clasps. Think they would be the perfect accent to black skinny jeans and platform spike heels, like these babies below, by Alejandro Ingelmo (available 'here').

Love this perfectly round satisfyingly red bag. The leather was so soft to the touch and the red hue is very distinct, almost a red/coral combo. It would look great against any sort of neutral tan or flesh tone. I am loving the combination of brights/neons against neutrals for spring.

Do these really require any sort of explanation? I know this is a stretch, but I could totally see rocking these with some distressed jean shorts and a super casual tank...total glam/grunge combo. Obsessed.

These remind me of the iconic chain strap Chanel Purses, to whom I pledge my undying love. I have actually found TWO of the Chanel bags at flea markets here in the city- A-Mazing!!

I think Kate Spade's spring purse line drew inspiration from the classics. These also remind my of an iconic purse - the Louis Vuitton Speedy Bag, which I actually am not a fan of due to its total ubiquity, but these I think are great!

I noticed this book on my way out and was pulled in by its DIY vibe-- it is absolutely unbelievable!!! (Available 'here' ). It has the most amazing collection of classic, simple DIY projects, I am TOTALLY buying a copy ASAP.

Lastly, how cute is this iPhone case?


Hope this was a successful first guest post!!! Cannot wait to have Kate take her turn on mine! Visit me 'here' at ninehundredandfifty.blogspot.com!

XX L

Friday Morning Sprinkled with Sweetness

Friday has started extra sweet today with breakfast at the Firehook Bakery with my bestie, Emmy-where we dined on not the sprinkely fun above but egg and cheese bagel sandwiches and enjoyed our little tasty treats and some chitty chat. Then we metroed together to work. I was glad to have some girl time and it was a fun way to start my Friday. TGIF, everyone!

Girl Scout Cookies, Need I Say More?

It is that time of the year, that sweet, delicious, time of year that brings back my childhood recollections of girl scout cookie selling up and down our cul-de-sac trying to raise enough money for that special prize for the one who sells the most. Over the years, the cookies have come to mean so much more than just a yummy cookie. I have fond memories of myself in my daisy and brownie uniform doing crafts with close friends, going on camping trips, my creative mother acting as troop leader [look at her above, she seems overwhelmed by all of us silly girls and sure has her hands full!]-- they bring amazing memories, a smile to my face and stand as a reminder of my innocence and childhood.

{name your favorite}

{these have stood as my favorite for some time now but I think there is a new contender in town--B and I are crazy about chocolate/pb combos and love the tagalongsss}

PS I even ordered two boxes of the friendly pb and chocolate pair because my hunny is known to eat a box in one sitting :)

Happiness Meter

How happy are you? Just a fun little thing to keep yourself in check and help you realize if something isn't working in your life--what you need to change it in order to keep moving forward. Go out and live a little, and of course do all the things you love & make you happy. Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Gnight Bloggerville & Friends

"learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow." Albert Einstein

Bringing some Beauty into Monday

With the cold chill swirling around us and leaving my toes still numb (I've been in the office for an hour and a half and I can still feel my toesies windling around, trying to find some warmth) I have supplied you with some beauty, some glorious flowers with vibrant colors and some inspirational words (again, courtesy of my always thoughtful mother) to gear us full speed ahead on this freezing and bone chilling day with thoughts of warmth, sunshine, beauty and passion for living a life filled with doing things we love!

Friday Night Goodness

My husband served up the cassoulet he made (it took 3 days!) and it was so delicious and soul warming on this VERY chilly evening in the district--brrr. We walked across the street to see The Green Hornet with our many layers on and enjoyed the movie as we indulged in childhood favorites, B insisted on Milk Duds-haven't had those in years and I snuck some Twizzlers, yum...bonus of the night, we watched it with 3D glasses from the balcony of the theater, love that place--it was pretty empty and I loved all the space we were spoiled with tonight.

**PS-If you've never been to the Uptown Theater in Cleveland Park DC, I suggest you do, it is a fun experience**

We ended the night with Brad making wheat sourdough bread and me taking a luxurious bath which felt so wholesome and rejuvenating (my coworker was talking about picking up some Lush bubble bath products to indulge in her solo weekend trip away to Chicago and I think her bath idea rubbed off on me). Sitting in the steamy water was pure bliss, especially on this bone chilling night and wrapping myself in my kimono silk rope was the cherry on the top of my big ole sundae :-

{if you've never tried a Tocca candle, I suggest you run out to the store ASAP-and grab the "havana" one, you'll thank me later :)}

Gnight everyone...remember to....

Happy Friday~

Today's inspirational words sent by my Momma this morning. Love this one, make it a good one, everyone. happy weekend!

Chocolate Tooth

Help yourself to a few squares of dark chocolate to end the night with a sweet treat. I know I'm a sucker for chocolate but have to say I've turned into quite the chocolate snob, I like chocolate, real, real dark and if you enter our apartment, you will always find a few bars laying around, waiting to be tested, judged and the ingredients to be questioned.

Tonight, I highly recommend:

Normally I am not really that impressed with Lindt chocolate and think it is missing a richness in cocoa and instead has too much sugar or fake stuff hiding the true chocolatey essence. I have to agree with Gigi's Review below that the sea salt crystals play the perfect partner to the Dark Lindt Chocolate and I love the subtle crunch in there too.

I saw this commentary on the Gigi Review and thought it discussed what I was thinking pretty well:

"Keep in mind I am not a huge fan of Lindt. It's not that I find it bad or even substandard; it's just that I am just not usually wowed by it.
This bar, however, impressed me. It has a great aroma to it; a very rich cocoa. It's like the perfume of a million happy little Toll House morsels -- and I mean that in the best way possible. The chocolate itself is mild for a dark, probably because it's only 47% cocoa.Personally, it reminds me of a very deep milk chocolate. It's very creamy and has a fabulous melt.

The sea salt is the clear star here. As best I can tell, the salt seems to rest mainly on the top of the bar. There's not a lot of it...just enough to set off the chocolate beautifully. There is a savory element to it that I am not sure I can do justice to...about all I can say is it just makes the chocolate better. There are also little salt crystals mixed throughout the bar that add a nice, slightly crunchy texture. And I love the way they melt on the tongue.

This bar is so good mostly because it's so simple. There's no glitz, no excess, no edgy, super-trendy ingredient (yes, bacon, I mean you), but that's exactly the point. It's as basic yet elegant as the classic little black dress. It should not be missed."

Word Grouping Wednesday

Another inspiration word cluster for you all on this Wednesday morning. I love how each little pairing of words resonates with me on some level or another. I have my eye on two today-what motivates you to life a happy and fulfilled life?

TGIF

Meet Heidi, a cross-eyed opossum

if this doesn't get you smiling and end your week on a happy note, I don't know what will :-) For more about this funny gal, read here.

Pleasure Pieces

~Pieces of pleasure scattered through my days~

(there are 5 this week)

1.) Somehow when I dropped some of my water bottle in my driver's seat, my stereo and sound system got ruined... so lots of $ later it is now working and I am enjoying the sound of my own voice (despite how off key) and rocking out to my jams as I ride to work
2.) Starting the week off right with Sunday morning multigrain pancakes and fruit salad

{aren't blood oranges breathtakingly beautiful?!}

3.) Yes this is going to seem so minor but my co-workers M and L can agree with me that this is really so MAJOR--the sink in the women's bathroom is now automatic and it is so convenient, more sanitary and makes bathroom experiences so much more pleasurable
Notice how many times the word "pleasure" has come up in this post?! :-)
4.) Brad never getting the mail and letting me instead--he knows how much I love this mind-less activity and how much pleasure it brings to me to get fun magazines in the mail (they are such sugary surprises, love them) letters from friends (esp these postcard 'go postal' iphone application cards that Livvy sends me in the mail that arrive so unexpectedly) and when I'm really lucky--packages in the mail, like what came in the mail yesterday...be patient, more about that loveliness will come tomorrow!
5.) Being married to my hero in so many ways, especially in the kitchen. He inspires me to try to cook things without recipes, to practice my basics and lovingly reminds me that I too can cook well I just need to give it a try more often...(come on K8 confidence-kick it up a notch) I know sometimes I get intimated (oops, typo-intimidated..you know where my mind is at as a newlywed :):)) by my B's cooking skills but I've realized what a gift he has and I know he will make his print on the world through food in a big way...

{a vegetable frittata he whipped up the other night to cook up all the leftovers in the fridge}

{homemade pizza-the kind of crust you use really does make all of the difference in the world}

{Pork chops with rosemary and pearl onions, yummy}

Cute Word Grouping!

My mom has been sending me inspiring messages and quotes of the day lately and I have been really touched by her gesture. I know she has been trying to keep my spirits up and remind me to focus on the positive and all that I have in my life. Before I left home for the holidays I was given a huge momma bear hug and sent off with reassuring and sweet words, I know she is trying to give me support during a time in my life where I feel a little off balance and unsure of things (I'll explain more later).

Anyway, I love this word grouping she sent today and the line that stuck out to her and myself is--collect experiences, not things. Anyone who knows me knows that I like to hold on to old photos, articles of clothing, pieces of paper etc because they all have meanings to me etc but I am trying to be less cluttering, and also trying to buy less because I also have a big place in my heart for accessories, clothes, purses, you name it... so 2011 is all about finding inner peace, taking in all the greatness around me and savoring the memories with the ones I love.

My flowers are famous!

Yumiko at Hana Floral Design was my favorite person to work with for making our wedding come alive with my vision (and Momma C's vision too). She was a creative genius who couldn't have been more pleasant and sweet..she completely blew me away with her work. I love her and told her I needed to hug her in order to attempt to show her how thankful I was for all of her hard work. I love my mom's facial expression in this picture, pure contentment and excitement!

my beauties
I know I am behind in posting our wedding photos, as well as some from our mini-moon to Nantucket. The delay is nothing personal, especially because I was beyond happy with all of the photos and get excited whenever I look at them--it brings back to life the most memorable day in my life and I am forever grateful to have these pictures (and wedding video-soon!) and memories to re-live this very special time in my life.
I wanted to give a shout out to Brides Connecticut magazine because they did a spread on different floral arrangements and mine was one of them in the mix. You can see a small picture above of my flower arrangement-I was absolutely head over heels with them, they were magnificent!! I loved how unique and unusual they were and hope that my arrangement inspires other brides trying to capture a vintage-y, Anthropologie-esque, traditional, classy with a flair feel for their wedding :-)

Fun Sayings and Inspiring Quotes!

This weekend has been full of fun sayings I have seen across the many paths I have crossed and couldn't help but smile at the kind little words that are around us every day and make a woman like me have an extra skip in her walk.

At Whole Foods:

"hugs and quiches" and "just for the halibut" gift cards that I found oh so cute

At Bloomies:

"Couples that bathe together stay together" {in the towel section of the Home Department}

"Last night I dreamed that I ate a 10 pound marshmallow and when I woke up, my pillow was gone" {in the bedding section of the Home Department}
I felt like I was being surrounded by secret meanings and God was reminding me to have faith in the good in the world and in myself.


B and I watched the movie Bella-it was a beautiful film and definitely had a lot of substance and beauty. One of the beginning quotes in the opening of the film is, "If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans." I loved this quote and it really confirms that you don't know where your life is going to lead and you have to have faith in God and let things happen as they are suppose to happen.
Bella tells the story of a world famous Latin soccer star who sinks into oblivion after accidentally killing a little girl. His life is set back on course when encountering a pregnant mother in crisis. Bella is a life-affirming, award-winning movie. [source http://www.jillstanek.com/archives/2008/05/bella_dvd_goes.html] Check it out here

I remember a few weeks ago when I spoke with an elderly Hungarian woman I use to work with at the German Embassy House and she gave me advice on marriage and said to always remember to have "patience, nerves and humor" and also reminded me not to "let the love run out"
These little sayings, quotes and words of wisdom have been some sunshine in my life...I hope you don't overlook the little words in your life as you walk down the streets of NYC, grocery shop or just take in the world around you...

How long do you let your decorations linger?

Some people (like my mother, sorry Ma!) don't let the Christmas decor hang around too long after the holidays. I know she gives my dad a few days to let our Christmas tree glisten a little more in the corner of the living room and spread out the holiday season. How about you-do you stretch out the holidays and let the festive knickknacks, Santa hats and angel statuettes linger or do you sweep it all away right after New Years? I have to admit it's been hard to box up my ornaments, lights and move into the dreadiest months of winter...

Today

"Today I will be happier than a bird with a french fry"

Again, a special shout out to Lavinia who shared her favorite quote with me...I thought it was so appropriate for an uplifting line to make us all take in the day. Happy Thursday blogger loves~