Photo Friday: Fall Opulence

Oh they are laying the jewels on thick for this coming holiday season. If you haven't checked out any fall 2012 fashion editorials yet it's possible you haven't seen it, but oh it's there. Get ready to be encrusted in gems and gold. Don't get me wrong, I am very, very happy about this. Cover me in feathers and jewels. It's on.

Monday Design: Living on LSD

This house holds a special place in my heart because it's right here in Chicago and I walk / drive/ ride by it frequently. And yes, you can too! It's very interesting looking from the outside. The exterior is entirely modern with clean lines, large windows, and protruding levels. The architecture is really something to take in, but it's also surrounded by greenery with a park right across the street. The modern facade is masked by large trees making this pretty imposing building something that you could easily pass by without a second glance. Luckily, I glance at all buildings.

Photo Friday: Take Me Back in Time

Oh this week. I am ready to call it quits. I need some hot chocolate and a good long nap. Unfortunately, I've had little to no time to stare at my Google reader and discover awesome new artists this week. So in an effort to get back to something easy and simple, how about some pretty retro imagery just for a brain break today? Well, they're pretty to me, but you know how I feel about both rustic and retro ;)

via Flickr

What I Wore: The Magnificent Mile Edition

Oh Chicago, you manage to steal my heart again and again. Maybe it's been the weather getting slightly cooler and the fall items hanging in all the shops on Michigan Ave, but I've been loving going downtown and walking around the city. It's reminded me how lucky I am to live in such a fun and dynamic city. And that I love hot chocolate.

Tuesday Trendspotting: Fashion-gasm

Fashion-gasm is the only way I can appropriately describe this SS13 collection from Julien Macdonald. It's hard to not think ahead and stay focused on being excited about tweed and pumpkin spice lattes with New York fashion week just behind us. I have so many favorites, but I really hate jumping ahead so much when I've only just started shopping for fall. However, this collection really caught my eye. Something about the severity of the model's hair and make-up against the long flowy dresses instantly made me fall in love. I mean one of these dresses actually looks like it's on fire. How fun would that be on your next night out?

Monday Design: White and Brown Interiors

Ah white wall inspiration. Ever since I decided that I'm going to repaint my technicolor apartment and just make the walls white again, I've been scouring the internet for white wall interiors. I do love color, but I guess there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Can you believe it? Well I have to repaint my apartment if I'm ever going to move out anyway, so I figured I might as well do it while I have the chance. But I've become obsessed with the idea of having white walls with wood trim, just like most old Chicago apartments do. Alas, inspiration for white interiors with brown details!

via

Photo Friday: Two for One

I am in love with every single one of these prints by artist Tang Yau Hoong. Every single one. I've always been a fan of art that masterfully plays with perception and negative space, but these are also kitschy, fun, and whimsical. I love the idea of playing with all of the space visually instead of leaving some empty. It always gives your eye two different world to look at. Anyway, hope you're having a happy Friday!

What I Wore: The Office Edition

Dressing for the office when it's hot out is difficult (especially if you sit in traffic for an hour in a car with no air conditioning). But somehow, I've got to do it. This one is probably my favorite to the office outfit for the summer. It's light and fun but classic and office appropriate at the same time.

Monday Design: Perfect Pastels

I am growing increasingly tired of the color on my walls. When planning painting my apartment, I did an incredibly poor job of figuring out how the rooms would play together. And now I can't stop dreaming about getting the original white walls back. Finding this simple and stark apartment while real estate stalking did not help one bit. I think I'm going to have to repaint soon and bleach my couch cover. Does anyone know if that's safe to do on couch fabric?

Photo Friday:Vintage Books Brought to Life

I am a book nerd. It's not a secret. I will say it loud and proud. My friends used to (okay, still do) make fun of my by saying I would become a librarian and the truth is, I thought about it. I mean my personal library probably comes to something like 500 books now - that I still haven't read. So whenever any one makes "crafts" from old books by tearing out covers and cutting holes, I have a mini panic attack. Fine, I have a major panic attack. However, I do have to give credit where credit is due and I think this work by Thomas Allen  is pretty sweet.

Vintage Finds: Fall Ready

I don't usually talk about my Etsy shop on here even though that was the entire reason I started this blog in the first place (go figure). There are just so many other fun things on the internet to talk about that my own stuff falls through the cracks. But today I just had to. Why? Because I have so much new (vintage) stuff that's been listed or marked down for fall! 

Orange floral tunic and 90s blue jean grunge dress.

What I Wore: The Summer to Fall Edition

I've already been gushing over fall for weeks now, at least as far as fashion goes. Now that the weather is jumping up and down, it's time to start preparing for that style limbo. dressing for the weather has always been my biggest challenge. Is it hot out? Is it cold? Do I wear pants? How did it get 20 degrees hotter in 2 hours? This is where my light sweaters and bright colored pants come in. I'm not quite ready to switch to a fall palate since it's still 80 degrees and sunny some days, but the nights are getting chilly so my favorite thing to do in this type of weather is to throw on a light sweater with a tank underneath. This way if it gets too hot I can pull off the sweater, but can still be comfortable. And as much as I love summer, I am ready for sweaters and scarves!

Tuesday Love: Nach Jewelry

Awesome jewelry collection alert! I'm drooling over Nach Jewelry. Each piece is a handmade out of porcelain and most of them are tiny animal figures. I love animal jewelry, it's kind of sickness, so of course I was all over this pretty, colorful collection. If you've been following along, you know I'm a big fan of accessorizing and I love finding new pieces of jewelry because jewelry always fits and it can sit in a drawer for years and come out being a brand new on-trend piece. Perfect, no? The pieces are a little pricey for my budget, but they're gorgeous and on my wish list for sure. I know I'll be on the lookout for cheaper, knock off pieces in the stores this fall. Anyway, don't take my word for it, check them out and tell me what you think in the comments!