8/29/11

Kate Spade Paper, Something Worth Writing For


Many moons ago, my sister bought me a set of flat cards by Kate Spade. I'm an old soul at heart and prefer to write my thank you notes and most correspondence by hand (I'd say it's a dying practice) so these were the best gift. They arrived in a slim, sturdy, green box and had just the right amount of whimsy to tickle my fancy.

click the picture to open her collection page w/ Crane & Co.
There were two types of cards, both done on white cotton paper by Crane & Co. One set had "How the devil are you?" in a beautiful, embossed, gold script at the top of the card while the back envelope flap had a matching embossed silhouette of a devil, complete with horns and pitchfork. The other set said "See you later, alligator" as a signature and had a cute gold alligator on the envelope. They were absolutely adorable and I'm SO sad I don't have any left but I did find several more that are already on my birthday and Christmas lists :) (ps- the boxes make great stocking stuffers...just saying)...

Wouldn't you love getting this in the mail?! 10 notes/10 lined envelopes $20/box


This confetti design can be an invite or a friendly way to spread some cheer. $20/box


That tiny print on the card is an embossed name --> personalized note, $4.17 each

One always needs Thank You notes, $30/box

There are several more playful and pretty designs to choose from, many hard to resist. And if nothing in the Kate Spade Collection strikes you (which would truly baffle me), check out Crane & Co.'s other pieces*. Some are truly lovely:

Fern Notes, $14/box


Some are just darn cute:

Birdy notes, $14/box

While others speak to my inner fashionista:

Leopard (rawr!), $19/box

There's something for everyone on Crane & Co.'s website. I can foresee this becoming an addiction in my future- virtual window shopping their store. I hope you all also enjoy it. Happy Writing!

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*My personal shopper's tip: 
Go to the website and hold the mouse over 'Stationery'. Look for the category "Boxed Correspondence" and under that click "folded notes". Tell me you don't get sucked in and find yourself yearning for a pen pal!






Image(s) courtesy of Crane & Co.

8/15/11

How-To Series: Stay Stylish When Your Weight Fluctuates


There is a never-ending war being waged between women and food. As a result, we bounce between 5 to 10 pound weight gains and loses all the time. Our constant yo-yoing forces us to scold the pastries for being so delicious while we begrudgingly attempt to eat all our greens. Why can't vegetables taste more like cake? I don't think I'm asking too much here!
...but I digress.


Amen Cookie Monster.
With our eternal cycle of being up and down in weight, getting dressed in the morning can be a bit tricky. "Tight" is rarely flattering and jeans are usually the first sign you've added some bulk when you find yourself on your back, lying on the bed armed with pliers so you can get the button buttoned and zipper up. (note for the fellas: there's a reason your girlfriend/wife has a pair of "fat pants" in the closet. We all do! They're our "in case of serious weight gain" emergency pants. Get over it). Just because things are feeling a bit small doesn't mean you need to suffer back-fat and muffin tops. There's not even a need to buy a whole new wardrobe. You probably already own a few of the items that work best (aka still fit) when you seesaw in size.

The Blazer. The structure of the jacket will hide your sides and front (when buttoned) while the overall style keeps you looking sharp and put together. Look for a two-button design whose lowest button meets just underneath your natural waistline. It will bring in your waist to help create an hourglass shape.

Stylist Tip: wear a flowy top underneath. The extra volume will hide your midsection.

The Shirtdress. Always a classic and a wardrobe staple. The length should be at a universally flattering length (at the knee, just above the knee, or just below the knee) and you should be able to create a loose or tight hourglass shape by belting at the waist.

Stylist Tip: don't be afraid to switch out the belt that comes with the dress for one with texture or color or both!


The Legging. The elastic waistband and stretchy materials will conform to your body when you're at your lightest and heaviest but always be super comfy. Keep your upper half in business-appropriate tops and jackets and you're good for work.

Stylist Tip: look for leggings with the construction details of pants (back pockets, fly front, and scoop pockets) and in thicker fabrics- they look more polished than those that you just pull on.

The Jersey Knit Dress. Designer Rachel Pally is known for her high quality fabrics, and beautiful, easy cuts. For our purposes, I choose a printed, empire waist dress because prints are distracting and will keep the eye moving. The empire waist will drape in a way to hide any belly bulge. Both are key elements to derision when you're feeling a little inflated.

Stylist Tip: when it gets colder, throw on your leggings, boots, and a jacket as long as the dress and you're golden!

The Tunic. A perfect topper to complete a look made from leggings and a blazer. The length should hide your bum to keep you decent and the stomach should either be hidden underneath the folds of fabric (like the example below) or be billowy enough to do the same thing. For a voluminous top, use a blazer to control the volume so you don't lose your shape entirely and wind up looking bigger on top than you are. That would be counter productive.

Stylist Tip: avoid tunics in materials that cling to your body instead of drape a/o skim. This example clings in the hips but has enough fabric to create bulge-hiding folds. The folds stack up on top of each other to create the illusion of a flat tummy. 

All these items should be in your closet. If they're not, start a shopping list. Having them means you're prepared (and well armed) should you wake up tomorrow morning feeling...not your best. And on your thinner days, use them as concealers for when you want to really chow down and enjoy some good food. A little visual manipulation goes a long way in war. Now if only someone could force broccoli to surrender and let the desserts take over...

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Image(s) courtesy of google image search, nordstrom.com, chicos.com, and nordstrom.com

8/11/11

San Francisco Symphony: Orchestrate Your Outfit


As much as we all say "you couldn't pay me enough to ever go back to high school"- and as much as I completely agree- there is one thing I do miss about it: the dances. When I was a teenager, the thought of billowy dresses with big hair and makeup inflated my spirits and shot me sky high when I slipped on the heels. My every-other-day high school life was spent in flip flops and tank tops. I was an athlete growing up in southern California so reasons to get dressed up were few and far between. But the dances...they were there to give your inner girly girl an night out. Now that I find myself well out of high school and even college, I've discovered "prom" type occasions are even more scarce. Apparently adults no longer want a reason to gallivant throughout the night in a fancy dress and sharp suit...unless of course it comes with a striking orchestration courtesy of the San Francisco Symphony (SFS).

The beautiful exterior of the Davies Symphony Hall, home to the SFS


Like any reasonable stylist out there, I love an excuse to play dress up. The San Francisco Symphony celebrates it's 100th season this year with an opening night fast approaching. You know what that means right? Time to ask your mom to take you shopping because you're going to the gala with the hottest boy at work and you need a new dress and shoes. And bag. Probably hair and makeup too. But it will totally be worth it because not only is your date going to look so cute in a suit, the night has the promise of magic!
But I digress...

The Opening Night Gala (held this season on September 7th) is the only night guests wear formal attire. Every other show you can wear business or cocktail clothing; however, for the opening show of a centennial season I think that throwing on a little extra shellack is called for. This then begs the question of: what am I going to wear? Lucky for you, Bloomingdale's has some pieces that are sure to be music to your...ears?

You can go bold...

Aidan Maddox, $440 (Go for an up-do to soften the impact of this dress)


You can go clean and classic...

BCBGMaxAzria, on sale for $104! (it has a beautiful cut-out back)

And if you're pregnant...

Halston Heritage, $495. (For this look, add a long earring to accentuate the neck)

For the hot date you're sure to be taking...

Theory, ~$700. There is nothing like a man in a suit...too bad this fine gent isn't free

Tickets to the symphony are more than affordable (they start at $15!) but if attire and ticket cost are still a concern, you're in luck. There will be a FREE concert the night after the Opening Gala in honor of the symphony's triple digit birthday. Festivities begin at 1130am but the concert starts at noon. September 8th is a Thursday but on the chance of a clear, SF summer day with free music, you might just find yourself skipping there.

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Image(s) courtesy of bloomingdales.com

8/8/11

Mad Men Style Sweeps the Nation: Are you a Betty or a Joan? A Pete or a Don?



With the 4th season of AMC's hit TV show Mad Men airing soon, they're doing a recap of all of the previous episodes to catch people up.  It's one of those shows my husband and I were never interested in until everyone starting raving about it, then we never started because we were behind.  Even if the show turned out to be crap (which it isn't), I would have loved it anyway due to the set and costume designs.

Now I've officially jumped on the Mad Men bandwagon.  (1) In my house- mid century modern is the one design style my husband and I can agree upon- and (2) in my closet because my curves love 1940-1950's era styles.  And I know I'm not the only one....


Banana Republic is showing their love by releasing a limited edition Mad Men collection in time for the fall season.  August 11th at 6:00PM (in select stores) you can shop the collection and drink a free "Mad-tini".  Receive a gift with purchase if you use your Banana Republic card.


Guys, they didn't forget about you...  "Are you MAD enough?"


Want something a little more literal?  Check out this Etsy shop for curvaceous creations that look like they came straight out of the show.
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Image(s) courtesy of Google search. Quote from Banana Republic marketing.

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