Home Ec: Jewelry Cubby Re-Do

As many know, I live in a very small space with Dr D and Otto.  Among some, our home is fondly referred to as The Horseshoe for its resemblance to said object.  We're talking less than 400 square feet.  Yeah.  It's cozy.  That being said, everything in The Horseshoe has to have a designated spot...well most everything.  Enter my jewelry cubby.  In our closet area there are some great built in shelves, drawers and a cubby where I store my jewels, perfumes and other odds and ends.  As you can see, it's a bit of a mess. 

Eee!  What a mess!

Maybe it was the lovely weather we had this past Saturday, but I was overcome suddenly to re-org.  There was a lot of stuff in that tiny space!  Here's the shortlist:

• An evil eye from Turkey, a gift from my mom
• Buddhist prayer beads my dad brought back from Korea
• An old family photo
• 12 bottles of lotion, of varying sizes and fullness...Seriously?!
• Flowers from Dr D that I pressed and framed when I was living in the UK
• 7 different perfumes, not including a Jo Malone sampler set of 6 different fragrances
• Random key to one of my vintage suitcases, don't know which tho
• A "Sex Bomb" badge, a "Rock the Vote" pin circa '00 and an "XX" pin off a pair of Genetic Denims
• A Mister Potato Brush from my lovely friend Linds
• 2 flattened pennies- 1 from Ellis Island and 1 from the Disney World Boardwalk

The list could go on and on and doesn't even include my jewelry, a myriad of necklaces, rings and bracelets.  I honestly never realized.  Undaunted by volume, I set to work and after about an hour, small garbage bag, several clear push pins and a bit of string, I have a lovely and well organized jewelry cubby. The best part, I didn't have to buy anything to organize the cubby AND I can actually find things now.

So clean and pretty.

5 Things I Love This Week

 Madewell's Rail Straight Jeans

These are the best jeans I have found in a while.  The lower rise and slim straight cut leg are super flattering and with a hint of stretch they are super comfy.  My personal fave is the Madewell wash (shown above) but they also come in Black, a medium wash, white and a light wash.  Check them out here.

 Sula Beauty's Natural Makeup

The Canadian smarties behind Paint & Peel nail polish are at it again, this time with a new line of paraben, phthalate, and petroleum byproduct free cosmetics.  The line features cream shadows, cheek and lip tints, blushes, glosses and lipsticks in a variety of pretty shades.  My fave is the lipstick in Quick Escape.  All products are $8 each and available exclusively at Ulta.

The Naked and Famous

I only recently discovered this awesome indie rock back from New Zealand.  Their debut album Passive Me, Aggressive You is chock full of fantastic music.  This is the kind of album that will get me through my super slow and quiet week ahead.

Yellow Owl Workshop

San Francisco based Yellow Owl Workshop creates lovely, hand-crafted paper goods and home stuffs.  Wife and husband team Christine and Evan have created a range of items that are fun, kitschy and eco-friendly: all paper is 100% PCW recycled and all inks are water-based and non-toxic.  From stamp kits, to correspondence sets to pendants, I've purchased things for myself and given an equal number as gifts.  Check them out here.

A Piece of Toast

This lovely lifestyle blog is co-authored by two sisters, Sally Ann and Molly Bernadette.  They post about loads of things...food, fashion, art, home stuffs, music...there is something for everyone.  They are witty and clever girls with a passion for the things that make life fun.  I would bet they'll become part of your daily reads once you check them out here.

It might be September, but...

Its that time of year again...the Spring Summer 2012 fashion shows are in full swing!  I get excited for the warm weather collections every fall, but this year, so far I have been underwhelmed. The New York shows came to a close this past Friday and I will admit to being rather underwhelmed.  Generally awful hair and makeup aside (what was going on?! did all the hair gurus go on hiatus this season?), I was still able to find some gems.  Here are my faves from New York.

 Fit to Print
There was an air of whimsy behind some of the prints on the runway this season.

From L to R:  

ADAM:  I love the mix of the polka dot and the delicate bird print.  The pleating in the top gives the appearnce of stripes, and since the it's all black and white, it works together nicely.

CAROLINA HERRERA:  Though I'm not a bird fan in real life, I do love a good bird print.  Ms Herrera had a few different colorways of this lovely sparrow print, but this one with the assymetric block of stripe was my fave.

PETER SOM:  Who doesn't love a kitchy zebra print?  I especially like the pop of color the cobalt belt creates.

VICTORIA BY VICTORIA BECKHAM:  Posh Spice's new, more youthful like of dresses featured this great retro-esque cat print.  So fun.

Rainbow Brights

Color, color, and more color!  With everything from citrus oranges to electric purples, spring will be a bright season.

From L to R:  

JASON WU: This pale coral is just plain lovely.

ALEXANDER HERCHOCOVICH: This tomato orange popped up in a number of collections, but this belted dress from AH was my fave iteration.

CAROLINA HERRERA:  Canary yellow never looked so elegant.

PETER SOM:  I LOVE hot pink.  'Nuff said.

ALICE+OLIVIA: The pairing of the bright tropical purple with the sorbet tones of the scarf are just lovely.  The belt and shoes also have the pop of tomato orange that I'm digging this season.

Pale and Pretty

Neutral relief came in all shades of white, gray and some lovely pastels.

From L to R:  

CALVIN KLEIN: Francisco Costa has a way with neutrals.  I love this peachy-nude

ALICE+OLIVIA: This white and nude ensemble feels so fresh and elegant at the same time.

VENA CAVA:  The subtle print on this gray-blue dress gives it a lil something extra, and the bauble necklace is awesome!

ERIN FEATHERSTON:  I love the pale yellow layered under the white lace and the black patent heels keep it from feeling too sweet.

ALICE+OLIVIA:  The soft peach of the cardi marries back nicely to the bubble gum pink of the pants.  I don't dig the green top, but overall the look yells spring in a very lady-like voice.

All the Pretty Dresses

Well, not ALL of them, just four of my faves.

From L to R:

CHRISTIAN SIRIANO: There were so many lovely dresses in his collection, but this dove gray one was by far my favorite.

MARCHESA:  These girls have skills.  This gown is just lovely.

JENNY PACKHAM:  The shapes and pattern of beading detail on this frock makes it feel edgy and vintage at the same time.

BAND OF OUTSIDERS:  There is something vaguely beachy and extremely feminine about this nude dress from BofO.

Tee Time

I LOVE t-shirts.  They are my wardrobe staple; jeans and a t-shirt are my uniform (I’m very lucky to work in a place where this uniform is considered acceptable work wear).  Enter Madewell’s Artisan Tee.  I discovered her last month when Madewell opened it’s first San Francisco store.    This tee is great!  It’s made from a super soft blend of linen and polyester, which doesn’t shrink in the wash, comes in a HUGE range of colors and stripes and is cute in a super flattering deep v that covers just the right amount of décolletage.  They’re on promo right now on the website, and I’m seriously considering stocking up on more colors.  Check them out, you will LOVE them, I promise!

I want to be here...

Today is one of those days.  I don't want to be at work.  The weather isn't particularly nice or particularly bad. I don't really want to do anything...it's just...another day.  I would, however,  LOVE it if I could be magically transported to the Swedish rooftop terrace in the above photo.  This sublime deck space is exactly what I would love to have for myself and I can easily envision spending hours on end here, entertaining guest, reading in the sun or even just taking a nap.  The apartment that is attached to this deck as also quite cute, I found it on From the Right Bank, a lovely blog you can check out here.  From there I discovered another website called Alvhem that has homes and apartment sales listings.   It's written in Swedish so I can't read it but it's more fun to look at the photos anyway!  Happy Wednesday.

An Update on the Uniform Project

One of the first posts I ever wrote for abretta was on the Uniform Project.  Started in May 2009, Sheena Matheiken pledged to wear one little black dress for 365 days to promote sustainable fashion AND raise funds for the Akanksha Foundation, a non-profit org that provides education to underprivileged kiddos in India. I was fascinated by Sheena's mission, and I followed her posts daily, looking forward to seeing just how she would reinvent her "uniform".

The UP was a huge success! Sheena raised over $100k for the Akanksha Foundation and gaining media coverage from a vast range of publications; The New York Times, NPR, The Guardian, PBS, the BBC and everything in between did a story on the UP.  Elle Magazine named Sheena 2009's Woman of the Year.  Pretty amazing if you ask me.

After her year in uniform, Sheena continued the UP in a new way.  Called the Year 2 Pilot Series, it featured a different fab girl each month wearing one LBD of her creation for a cause of her choice.  The dresses were great and the charities ranged from the big, City Harvest, to the small, Our School at Blair Grocery an alternative school, and everything in between, funds to help build a school in Ethiopia to the Phoenix House for alcohol and substance abuse treatment.  Even eco-model Summer Rayne Oakes got involved and wore her own LBD for a month!  Below are some of my fave outfits from the Pilot Series.

In February, Sheena gave a TED talk in Dubai about how the UP started, where it's going and the impact it has had. I just watched it and found it HUGELY inspiring.  This women is a role model for women and girls all over the world, myself included.  She is definitely someone to watch. I know I'll be keeping an eye out for her.

You can watch Sheena's TED talk here.

 

India was the first in the Pilot Series.  

With a couple of snaps her dress converted to a romper.

 With a plethora of buttons and snaps placed all over the garment,

Aki's dress was probably the most versatile of the Pilot Series.

 The dress Isis wore was probably my favorite, mainly for its simplicity.  

It had pockets, a button placket and in true UP style, 

could be worn front to back or back to front. 

 Jessica's dress was reversible as well, and had some great zipper details.

Summer's dress was lots of fun.  It could be worn long or short,

or as a romper, all thanks to some genius drawstrings and buttons.

Laying it out...

I'm going to be playing around with the layout of abretta in the next week or so.  I've put up a new header.  Let me know what you think!  If you like the old one, say so.  If you like the new one, tell me why!  I want your feedback!

xo.

Charmed Letter Pin, etsy.com

Block it All Out

Color blocking is all the rage this spring and summer.  Its also a super simple AND fun way to update the 'ol wardrobe.  Here are a my top 3 faves for the season.

 American Apparel tee; Jaeger silk dress worn as skirt; 

Office platforms; Benetton leather belt.  As seen in Elle UK, March 2011

 Top, skirt & bangles, Jil Sander; belt, Fendi; clutch, Prada.  

I forgot to write down what mag I saw this in...May issue of something we have 

at work, that much I know.

 Saving the best for last.  My personal fave of the bunch from the recently 

shown Gucci 2012 Restort collection.  I WANT this dress.

All Folded Up

I've been on a jewelry kick recently. A few weeks ago, I came across Origami Jewellery, the brainchild of French duo Claire and Arnaud. The two started making their pieces with paper and thread and branched into silver and gold when they decided the beauty of the origami shapes needed the delicacy of precious metals. Their creations are truly gorgeous, fun and modern...the only down side is they are not available in the US! Bummer. For now, I will be content to admire from afar.

Love the blue wings.

Bunnies!!

Pegasus what!?!

Oh deer.

The triceratops is my fave. :D

Check them out at OrigamiJewellery.com

New love...

I've always loved the look of a well polished nail. For the longest time, I never bothered painting my nails because all the pins and needles of design school wreaked havoc on a manicure. With a regular 9 to 5 under my belt now, I polish my nails about once a week...polish bin is getting a little crowded.

And now I have discovered Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Polish Strips. Holy moly, these little guys are amazing! They are essentially nail polish stickers that you can stick on and shape to your nail. So easy, and since they are made from nail polish, they come off with polish remover. The houndstooth is by far my fave (um, duh), but there is a huge variety of print and pattern to choose from; my co-worker is kind of obsessed with the metallic leopard print.

Seriously though, anyone can apply these little decals and in about 30 minutes, you have a full manicure. Plus, the strips are extra long, so if you have short nails like me, you can get two nails out of one strip. Check them out, they are fabulous!!

apologies

I have been a very bad blogger as of recent and there is no excuse. I will be back soon, I promise! xo.

Factory 20

Today I discovered Factory 20, thanks to my new coworker. Located in Sterling, Virginia, Factory 20 is "a multi-disciplinary art and design collective", that specializes in antique and vintage furnishings. OH. WOW. This site is amazing!!! I don't even know how to describe it. Tables, chairs, coat racks, display cases, petrol cans, light fixtures...there are so many items to choose from it's mind boggling. Honestly, if you love one of a kind pieces with history, you MUST go check out the site. Below is my short list of things I'm coveting...

1920s French Brasserie Mirror


1940s Fire Scorched Glass Liquor Decanters


1890s Brussels Chocolatiers Marble-top Confectionery Table


1890s Victorian Oculists' Wall Mounted Brass Accordion Lamp with Milk Glass Shade


1890s Dockyard Pursers Maritime Cast Iron Strong Box


1890s New Castle Boatyard Workbench with Cast Iron A-legs

This was the beauty look from Monday's Armani Privé show in Paris. Dewy clear skin, a single coat of black mascara on the models' own lashes (no falsies!) and rich plum lipstick. Plum lipstick? As in purple? Yes, that is correct, plum lipstick. Oh yes, and a little jewel on the corner of the bottom lip. Armani's couture collection was technically amazing with an other-worldly feel to the garments but I found it garish and kitschy. One could argue that purple lipstick would also fall under the "garish and kitschy" header, but there is something about this look I find insanely beautiful. I can't put a finger on exactly what it is about it either. It just looks beautiful. I personally am not going start coating my lips with shades of plum, but more power to the girl who does. I'll happily do my own version of this look with my lovely MAC lipstick in Craving...sans jewel. I'll save those for Halloween. Check out the rest of the Armani Privé collection here.

A foggy afternoon at the beach...

I was fortunate enough to have this past Monday off. Even more fortunate was the -.75 low tide in the afternoon, so Otto and I ventured to the dog beach. He LOVES the beach. The beach was massive!! Wider than a football field is long in some spots. It was also ridiculously foggy, which cast an eerie gray-white light over everything and muffled the sounds of the ocean. Otto was lovin' it, chasing the birds, fetching sticks and running his little puppy heart out. Fun times for him and for me, a cool place to test out my new iPhone app: Instagram. This app is amazing (and free)! Take a picture with your iPhone, pop it into Instagram, apply one of the many lomographic-type filters and then upload your pic to a number of sites like Facebook, Flickr and Tumblr. The newly filtered photo also saves to your phone, so if you don't want to share it, you don't have to. I am in LOVE with this app. Here is just a smattering of photos I took. Enjoy!

Nina Ricci Pre-Fall 2011

Peter Copping's pre-fall collection for Nina Ricci is gorgeous. The sweater skirts, the Japanese-made lace, the gowns, the delicious color palette, the 16 looks the designer put together scream luxury. There's no denying it, these clothes are lovely, but even more beautiful is the way in which the collection is photographed. I would have posted the entire line but decided that was overkill; after much hemming and hawing, I narrowed my choices down. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. Enjoy!