foxes: teacup candles and a lovely giveaway

one, two, three.


I'm rather in love with these darling little soy candles from Foxes. I'm also rather in love with Foxes itself. It's a charming online shop run by a gal named Jessica who is "passionate and dedicated to all things design and handmade" - and who, it would appear, has decidedly cool taste when it comes to choosing things to add to the shop. Check out the miracle and wonder print, the knitted bow necklace, the Ghost Huia postcard set, the porcelain fawn brooch...I think I've made my point.

And if Foxes hasn't completely charmed the pants off you already, they're giving away the most spectacular gift set on their blog! Take a look:



For details on the pieces and to enter, check out the giveaway entry on the Foxes blog. This set will be given away once their Facebook page reaches 400 fans. They're at 326 right now. So close! Be sure to become a fan and spread the word. You could win all that gorgeousness pictured above!


P.S. A few little things I've been doing around here: I've added a wee link back button in the sidebar, in case anyone has the hankering to put it on their blog. (If you do, please let me know - I'd be more than happy to reciprocate!) I've also added a little Freebies page with some Audrey Hepburn and other related (and non-related) graphics that you can feel free to use to decorate your own blogs. Hope you like them!

liu wen for vogue china

Liu Wen by Paolo Roversi for Vogue China, September 2010

If you haven't noticed, Liu Wen is unstoppably pretty. I love this set so much. The hair, the make-up, everything is so lovely here. The first Louis Vuitton dress fits her so nicely! I love everything about that shot. I liked the styling of the Dries Van Noten in #3 a lot more on Coco in the Nordstrom catalog, but I guess this one is much more editorialish. I'm in love with the Jason Wu in #7. How so pretty, dress? The colors in this entire shoot are so warm and interesting. Very fall-ish, but in a unique way. Oh, and I wish I could get my hair to do that whole Grace Kelly/Betty Draper wave thing. It's so chic and glamorous!

I haven't read my blogroll in a few days so that will be my project for the weekend, I think. Along with reading my book, which I also haven't done much of lately! What are you all reading at the moment, anything interesting? Hope you have a lovely weekend!

wishpot wednesday: my fall style

Victoria Jeanne of These Bittersweet City Streets did a fantastic post about what her fall style will be like and she tagged her followers to do the same, so I thought I might mix up my second Wishpot Wednesday post to fit it! I'm still working on my "fall style identity" as it were, and browsing around for pictures and answers to this tag really helped me figure it out. As if I hadn't been excited enough about fall before...

What will you be wearing this fall season?

nails:

Essie fall collection
I really love Essie's fall collection so I'd like to get something from that when it releases (September 1st).  I think I'd go with Velvet Voyeur, but I also like the uniqueness of Sew Psyched. And In Stitches looks very timeless, too.


bag:

Cherry Berry #17273: Bordo
This is my little dream bag by vegan designer Cherry Berry. I found it on a sample sale web site last week and by the time I made up my mind to buy it the little darling was completely sold out. Of course, it was more than 50% off. Shoulda coulda woulda. I'm just in love with the shape and colors of this particular bag.


shoes:

clockwise from top left: ALATE Almond Toe Cuff Lace-Up Boot at ASOS, Sofft Orlena in Nimbus Grey Suede at Zappos, Blowfish Wylie in Whiskey Relax at Zappos, Volatile Hollaback in Brown at Zappos
Boots! I haven't found the right pair for me yet so none of these are really on my wishlist, but I do think they're lovely. I think I'm looking for something with a little Victorian flair, a little more opulence. I do like the Sofft pair an awful lot, though.


jacket:

Wool Blazer in Mink by Eddie Bauer
Blazers! I have a lot of blazers that have been sitting in the back of my closet for quite a while, and I'm hoping to really utilize them this fall. I'm going to try to find new ways of wearing them. I think it'll be rather fun!

other outerwear:

Seasons of Mists Cape Coat by Ruche
I'm not always a huge fan of jackets in the winter, so a cape would be quite fun. I love this one, especially. The big buttons give it so much character and the tie at the waist adds some nice definition. It's like my dream cape!


eye makeup:

Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Sin and Twice Baked, Smoke Out Eye Pencil in Green Goddess, 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Crash
Earthy neutrals with pops of plum or green. I think I'll be doing a lot more of the smokey eye look in the fall. I tend to use only black eyeliners because I like that dramatic definition (and because my eyelashes tend to overpower anything else), but this year I really want to try to achieve a similar drama with browns and greens and plums. Something new!


lips:

Revlon ColorStay Soft Smooth Lipstick in Smooth Nude, Revlon colorstay Just Bitten Lipstain + Balm in Midnight, L'Oreal Infallible Lip Color in Terra Cotta
I'm leaning towards nudes and deep reds or plums. I've never tried any of these particular ones, but I'd like to. I've heard that the L'Oreal Infallible is quite good, but I'm nervous that it won't come off very well. (I ought to be investing in make-up remover anyway.) If anyone's tried it, let me know what you think?


jewelry:

A Dance in Paradise Pearl Necklace by Ruche
Pearls. I mentioned in my answers and questions post that I'm a fan of silver jewelry, but I do sometimes have a hard time wearing it with browns. (Somehow I grew up with the opinion that silver was meant to be worn with black and gold was meant for brown. Never the two shall mix, apparently.) Since I'm going to be trying to incorporate more browns and earthy tones into my wardrobe this fall I thought pearls would be a good thing to try. They're warmer than silver, cooler than gold and they can be worn with any color. I like this one from Ruche, it's so romantic and charming. It would make a sweet little contrast with a blazer, wouldn't it?

perfume or body spray:

Viva la Juicy by Juicy Couture, Be Delicious by DKNY
These are my go-to fragrances. Be Delicious is much older and I don't wear it nearly as often as Viva la Juicy, but it reminds me of fall. Viva la Juicy is lighter, it reminds me more of spring and summer. I don't often buy new fragrances (I usually ask for them for Christmas, ha!), but I am thinking that it might be time to invest in a new scent for the fall. I'd like to try something timeless like Chanel No. 5. I jump around so much with perfumes, but I wonder if it's because I always try newer fragrances. Maybe something older will suit me for a longer time? Does that make any sense at all?


seasonal favorite:

Pleated jacquard scarf in green by Coldwater Creek
I live in scarves in fall and winter, I absolutely live in them. I even wear them around the house. They're one of my favorite accessories.



Vanilla Pumpkin candle by Yankee Candle
I got this Vanilla Pumpkin candle the last time I was in Yankee Candle and I'm so incredibly excited to start burning it in the fall. So incredibly excited! I love candles and the scents that come with fall.


wish list items:

EYESHADOW Military Button Womens Top at Tilly's
I have Kristin of BonBonRoseGirls to thank for this one. This top made an appearance in one of her posts, Fall Fashion Trend: Military Chic, and it was love at first sight. Everything about it is perfect! The color is exactly the sort I'm looking to dive into this fall, and then there's the great detailing on the front with the buttons, and the cuffed sleeves and the gathering at the back... Gorgeous!


So there you have my choices. Everybody can feel free to take part in this - I'd love to see some of the things you'll be wearing and wishing for this season!

sweet charity

The lovely Jen of her waise choice introduced me to Patch, an online shop where you can name your own price and 100% of the proceeds go to a featured charity (which happens to be JAAGO, whose mission is to provide nourishment and education for disadvantaged children in Bangladesh).

I checked out the shop and the first thing I saw were these little darlings...






Aren't these prints by Dollgift just adorable? Click the images to go to their pages on the Patch shop. I especially love the "Dancing in the Rain" piece. It reminds me of my sister not just because she's a ballet dancer but because the quote, "Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about dancing in the rain." perfectly illustrates her philosophy in life.

The shop has all manner of things to choose from. I also love this Nonya Twist bag. The colors are so rich!

You can read more about Patch at Jen's post, which I really recommend checking out because she has a lot more information and infinitely better writing skills than I. :) Enjoy!

answers and questions

The ever-gorgeous Sienna Miller. Stumbling across this photo made my Sunday a little prettier.

My weekend of awards/tags/memes concludes with the brilliant Beautifully Invisible, who asked these questions...

If you weren't blogging about fashion, what would you be blogging about instead?
I have a lot of different interests - art, poetry, entertainment, etc. - and I'd like to eventually incorporate all of it into my blog, but I think right now I just happen to be slightly obsessed with fashion. I suppose my timing is good, right? Considering that it's September and all. I also think it would be pretty fantastic to be a travel blogger, though as I mentioned in my last post I don't do much traveling. You've probably noticed the different tabs on my layout, which are things I'd like to blog more about in the future; although we'll see how long it takes before that DIY tab comes down because I am the most un-craftiest person on the planet. I'm lucky if I can stay inside the lines of a coloring book.

Who was your most embarrassing crush?
Hmm. If we're talking about celebrity crushes I have plenty of embarrassing names that I could be tossing out here. I'm always drawn back to remembering the crushes I had when I was very young. Erik Estrada (yes, I was a CHiPs girl), Scott Baio, Dirk Benedict on The A-Team. Oh, the memories.

If you were stranded on a desert island and allowed one "luxury' from home, what would you bring with you and why?
It's going to sound really ridiculous, but...a nail file. I have very thin nails and whenever they chip or break they snag on everything and I cannot get to a nail file fast enough. I know, I wouldn't last a day in the wild. Shameful.

The last book you read was...
Stern Men by Elizabeth Gilbert


I found myself distracted and uninterested while reading it, so my opinion isn't the best and could possibly change after a second reading. Eat, Pray, Love is one of my favorite books so I was anticipating that I would really adore her fiction, however that didn't seem to happen. The heroine felt cynical and depressed, and it was hard for me to really connect to any of the characters. The times I felt most captivated were in the few flashbacks about the heroine's mother and grandmother.

If you could live in a different era, which one would you choose, and why?
The 1950s!


(MyVintageLove on Flickr)

There's so much to love about the '50s. Juliette Gréco, Chanel, Audrey Hepburn's early films and the rise of Givenchy, MGM musicals, I Love Lucy and some really monumental literature (The Lord of the Rings, Catcher in the Rye, Lolita, The Chronicles of Narnia...) not to mention the fashion.


(TimelessVixenVintage on Etsy)

Of course, in my version of the '50s I'd be attending lots of fabulous parties where I'd drink champagne and dance with Cary Grant all night. Naturally!


Where is your favorite place to shop and why?
Francesca's and White House | Black Market are two of my new favorite places. You can read a bit about White House | Black Market on my post on SHE. And then, of course, if we're not talking about fashion I need to mention Ulta and Barnes & Noble because I could really live in either of them. Then there's shopping online, which can just get dangerous. I love sample sale web sites, I've gotten so many wonderful things from HauteLook, RueLaLa and Modnique. Then there's ModCloth and Ruche and TopShop. So many lovely places.

Gold or silver jewelry?
Silver!


(White House | Black Market)

Silver is so chic to me. It goes with anything. I have a hard time pairing gold with certain colors, it just looks too busy (although other people seem to be able to pull it off quite well). Silver can stand on its own or you can pair it with other colors. Very versatile.

Your favorite drink is...
Vino. I really only drink reds. I like Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. I'm no connoisseur so I tend to go with an inexpensive favorite most of the time. Otherwise I drink coffee and water, not very exciting.


(WeHeartIt)

My mom, sister and I have an ongoing joke about this wine. We always say we're going to try it someday. We're a bunch of sillies.

I'm supposed to close things up by creating my own questions and tagging bloggers, but I'm going to leave them open to whoever wants to answer them!

01. If your life were made into a movie, which actor/actress (from any era) would play you?
02. What do you most enjoy about fashion blogging?
03. What's your favorite period of history?
04. Which fashion magazine(s) do you subscribe to?
05. Celebrity dinner party: who would you invite?
06. Which foreign country would you most like to visit?
07. If money were no object, what would you buy?
08. What inspires you?

If you answer them on your own blog please leave me a link. I'd love to see what you come up with. Have fun!

versatile bloggers and facts about me

Thanks so much to Porcelain Complexion for giving me the Versatile Blogger Award!

The rules are to list 7 facts about yourself, and also to pass the award on to 7 other bloggers.


Sadly, my little graphic is more interesting than any of these facts...

I've never been to Paris!
Actually, I've never left the States. I'm afraid of flying (and heights and spiders and...) so I'm obviously not much of a traveler. I wish I was! I have so many places I'd like to visit, most of which are in Europe.

I used to ride horses.
For a very long time I road horses and did occasional shows. For someone who was afraid of even the smallest dog as a little girl, I grew up to love horses and road some rather tall ones, too. I guess my fear of heights hadn't established itself at that point.

I'm a novelist...ish.
Last year I participated in National Novel Writing Month for the first time and won. (That's to say that I wrote 50,000+ words in 30 days.) I'm rather proud of myself for achieving it because I have so many stories and characters scrambling around in my head and I seem to lack the conviction or coordination to write them. NaNoWriMo showed me I can do it!

I wanted to be a marine biologist.
When I was very little and people would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up (which happened surprisingly often, or maybe I just told people without their having asked) I always said, "a marine biologist." I haven't the slightest idea where that came from and needless to say it didn't actually go anywhere, but it's something that's always stayed stuck in my head.

I've always wanted to speak French and Italian.
I don't speak any languages other than English, which is terribly sad. I've tried learning French, but it just didn't stick. I listen to a lot of French music and watch a lot of French movies so so I know some things, but I'd love to be fluent. Italian...well, it was always a dream of mine to move to a little Italian town ala Under the Tuscan Sun so it'll be nice to be prepared, right?

I prefer to teach myself than to be taught.
About seven years ago I got interested in designing web sites and rather than enroll in some classes I took to the internet. I taught myself the basics of HTML rather quickly and I got a graphics program which I also taught myself to use. A lot of people have done this so it's not a very exciting or unique fact, but it's something I'm proud of. I think this is why I haven't learned a language, though. Teaching yourself something like that seems like something that takes real time and technique, whereas I'm more of a speed-Google learner.

I always make wishes on 11:11.
I do. And I don't know if this makes me a compulsive clock-watcher or if I'm just lucky, but I almost always look at the clock on exactly that time. It's uncanny.


See? I told you. Terribly boring. I'm sure there's something more interesting about me, but I haven't been able to think of it in the hours I've been working on this post. Ha! So now I'll pass the award on to seven versatile and lovely bloggers:

A Spot of Whimsy
Beautifully Invisible
Cafe Bellini
Rosa-Fiona Bettina
Some Kind of Style
Those Things They Said
Tous les Garcons et les Filles

I hope everyone's having a lovely weekend! Oh, and all the clipart from the graphic is once again by Pugly Pixel. The Paris and horse pictures were found on Google and WeHeartIt, respectively.

sweetheart bloggers and things i like

I've received several awards and tags lately - thank you all so much! I'm extremely touched to know you thought of me. I was going to put them all into one big post, but then I thought it might be fun to devote a post to each. So that will be my project for the weekend. Get ready for lots of bloglove!



I'll start out with the Sweet Friends Award, which I received from Provocative Couture and minnja! Thank you so much, dears.

Rules of the tag:
1. Post who gave you this award.
2. State ten things you like.
3. Give this award to 10 other bloggers and notify them with a comment.

Ten things I like:



Audrey Hepburn, natch.
For all her beauty on the outside she was ten times more beautiful on the inside. Her spirit, her kindness and her honesty are things that resonate with me, things I admire. She had so much confidence in the goodness of others. It makes you want to run out into the world and be the person she knew you could be.


Making shapes in the clouds like Amélie.
Yes, I'm secretly still a child. Or maybe that's not so much of a secret. But I love doing this! It entertains me probably more than I ought to admit.


Fifi Lapin!
An adorable and fashion-forward bunny, what's not to love?



(image credits: one, two)
Castles
I like whimsy, clearly. I love fairytales and history and all manner of romantic things like that. So of course I love castles.



VivAndLarry.com and the VivAndLarry.com blog
My lovely friend Kendra owns and operates the most spectacular fansite for Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier. It's brimming with all sorts of information about the ultimate classic Hollywood couple, and the Viv & Larry blog is equally spectacular; Kendra has such a passion for classic films and she knows all manner of little details that I find fascinating. She even interviewed Robert Osbourne, the amazing film historian and host of the Turner Classic Movies channel! I can't recommend her blog enough, whether you're a die-hard classic film fan or you're looking to learn more. She's like a walking encyclopedia about classic films.



(image credit: one, two)
Novels
I love reading books and shopping for books and talking about books... A good fiction novel is my favorite, curling up with it on a rainy or wintry night. I'm as happy as a clam on nights like that. Jane Eyre and Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca are probably my favorites. I also started reading J.D. Salinger's work just this year and he has fast become my favorite author. I connect so much with his writing.
Like any good book lover, I'm on Goodreads so feel free to add me as a friend if you have an account!



Costume Dramas
Words cannot express the amount of fun I have geeking out over one of those long, detailed BBC costume drama miniseries. North and South (2004) and Jane Eyre (2006) are probably my favorites. They can never be too long for me. I get so lost in the world and I never want it to end. I also love Persuasion, Sense and Sensibility, Desperate Romantics, Little Dorrit, this year's Emma, Lost in Austen, Pride and Prejudice (all), Tess of the D'Urbervilles and the spunky old ladies of Cranford. Just to name a few.


I Love Lucy
I've seen every episode and it never gets old. I love starting my day with the shenanigans of Lucy and Ethel!


(photo credit)
Vintage Deer
I don't know where my interest in these little things came from, but I just love them. I'm constantly looking for them - the short ones with the great big eyes, especially - whenever I'm in an antique store or the like.


French Macarons
Confession: I've never even tried a French macaron. These little things are next to impossible to find in the States and whenever I've heard of a place here that will ship them out I'm always nervous that it won't be quite like a proper French macaron. I've heard they're almost impossible to make, too, so that doesn't help me. I've chalked it up to something that will just have to wait until I finally get my chance to go to Paris!

Ten bloggers I'm awarding as Sweet Friends:
Art-Pixie
Days in Mayfair
Gal with Curves
Honey Kitten
Kaleidoscopic Chrysalis
Loveaudrey
Mermaidens
Pens and Lens
Sprinkled Dreams
The Layered Pancake


All the clipart I used in my little graphics is from Pugly Pixel. She has the most amazing blog and the prettiest freebies! Go check it out. I hope you all liked this post. I've been seeing these awards going around a lot and I thought I'd try something slightly different with answering the questions. Have a lovely weekend!

wishpot wednesday

My little blog doesn't have any themed weekly posts so I thought it was about time to start one, and what's more fun than sharing a wishlist? Well, it's fun for me. I don't know how much anybody else would really care about seeing these things, but who knows! Maybe you'll find something you like for yourself. I thought I'd share some items that I've been adding to Wishpot. If you aren't familiar with the site, Wishpot lets you create an online wishlist from products you find all over the web and rate them based on how important they are to you. You can put a little button on your browser so whenever you're on a site you can simply click and add! It's a brilliant idea and so easy to use. I was in the habit of creating wishlists on multiple websites just for the sake of bookmarking things I was interested in, but Wishpot keeps it all in one place.


BDG Wingtip Pump in Brown by Urban Outfitters
These were love-at-first-site shoes. I think they're utterly charming. I love the color, and the style plays up the whole Mad Men/1960s/1950s thing. (Do you ever notice how Mad Men takes place in the '60s, but the style is always referred to as uniquely '50s? I guess it's because it takes place so early in the '60s, there wasn't much time for the decade's style to evolve yet.)


Pleat Long Sleeve Shift Dress in Burgundy by TopShop
This dress has so many possibilities! I could see it with tights or stockings, or with black leggings and little black ballet flats. I also love the sleeves. I think long sleeves create such a lovely silhouette, but sometimes they can be too hot so the sheer fabric on these is the best of both worlds.


Leopard Print Bow Headband by TopShop
I included this in my Fall Fashion Trends post on SHE. I think it's so cute, and a great way to bring in the leopard trend without investing a lot of money in a piece. Plus, it's not obnoxious. Sometimes it's impossible to find a leopard print that's chic, not cheesy.


Pretty Stone on Bead Stretch (Bracelet) by TopShop
The romantic in me loves this bracelet. The jewels, the little ribbon, the peachy color. So pretty.


Creame Lace Print Dress by Dorothy Perkins
Adore this! Okay, I had the biggest obsession with this print - I'll call it damask (is it a fabric? a pattern? will we ever really know?) - for the better part of last year and I still can't help but get excited every time I see it. Of course, it seems like its surge in popularity didn't happen until after I'd gotten over my obsession, but better late than never. This is another one, pair it with black legging and flats and it would be so darling.


Multi Paisley Tie-Back Dress by Dorothy Perkins
More of my black and white, I know. I love the shape of this dress. I think it would fit my body type quite well.


Navy Puff Sleeve Cardi by Dorothy Perkins
I always refer to this shade as "Chelsea's color" because my sister Chelsea absolutely loves it. Whenever I see something in this sort of deep, rich navy I think of her. I live for cardigans - and scarves; together they're my staples for the fall and winter months. I love the puffy sleeves on this one. It adds so much character! And obviously, the color is lovely.


Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M.: Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and the Dawn of the Modern Woman by Sam Wasson
The mind boggles at how many Audrey Hepburn- and Breakfast at Tiffany's-related books there are in the world. I can't even say that Tiffany's is my favorite of her films. (I do love it, but it's almost a case of seeing it everywhere so often that one can't help but tire of it just slightly in comparison to her other roles.) However, this book stands out to me. It seems to be an honest, intelligent look at what went into the making of the film, the mood on the set and the film's social and cultural impact. I can't help but think that it might be a slightly depressing read (from what I recall, it was one of Audrey's least happy filming experiences) but an interesting and informative one nontheless.


Texas Pink Cowboys Card Holder by 11:11
This is a just-for-fun add. I've always fancied cowboys! When you live on the edge of the west I guess you really don't have a choice, huh? I grew up on country music and old John Wayne movies, and I spent several years riding horses. My style has changed a lot since then but I still love cowboys and I still love pink, and that's all there is to it.


Now that you've had the chance to see how positively random I am...do you have a Wishpot account? If you do, I'd love for you to add me as a friend!