steven alan sample sale

 

Lena and I went to the Steven Alan sample sale on Wednesday night and scored some awesome stuff.  The sale was amazing, and I even got some of my Christmas shopping done there.  It's not too late to go!  The sale lasts until Sunday.  But don't forget to save some of your Christmas monies for this fantastic holiday sale.

the magical thrift store

Any visit to see Elly wouldn't be complete without a trip to the magical thrift store.  If you follow Elly's blog, chances are that you know what I'm talking about already.  The magical thrift store is a secret place in Elly's neighborhood that abounds with treasures so dirt cheap that you won't believe your good luck.  Some of it is even free.  I don't know of anywhere else you could score a whole set of Herman Miller dining chairs for fifteen bucks or get the perfect plaid flannel shirt for free.  Just when I was starting to doubt that this fairytale place even existed, Elly let me in on the secret last week and led me there blindfolded (just kidding about the blindfold).  I was on the hunt for dishes, and I ended up buying everything pictured above plus more (minus the cupcake) for four bucks.  Four bucks.  I think the last thing I spent four bucks on was a MetroCard.

I've been searching thrift stores for awhile now, looking for some new dishes.  The patterns on these remind me of the delicate floral trim on Elly's beautiful new dress design.

sublet clothing photo shoot

I met Tara and Inessah of Sublet Clothing soon after I moved to New York, and a few weeks ago we got together for a photo shoot.  What's more fun than getting hair and makeup done and dressing up in beautiful clothing?  I loved every piece I put on, especially the Deborah dress, which is super comfortable and very flattering.  It's perfect for upcoming holiday parties.  The Delilah skirt is also very chic but so comfortable that you could sleep in it.  I kind of hate to model, but I would do about anything for Tara and Inessah because they're good people, and talented and hilarious to boot.  It was such an honor to work with them!  I'm a big fan of everything they stand for--not only their dedication to producing clothing responsibly, but also their passion for supporting the local creative community.

anna wolf

Speaking of marled sweater inspiration....isn't this image from photographer Anna Wolf beautiful?  Joe and I wanted to go apple picking last month, and it just didn't happen.  Seeing this photo gives me such regret!  The other day my friend Dan said, "Are you looking for someone to photograph your Spring collection?  Because I have this friend Anna Wolf, and she'd be great..."  I looked at her website, and WOW!  What a talented photographer.

bff cardigan

I just got back from a last minute trip to Montana to see my best friend.  For the first time ever we started a knitting project together.  We're both making a cardigan but sort of winging the pattern, trying to do something with a custom fit.  It's so cool to see how we both come at the same thing from totally different angles.  I've been kind of into black and white marled sweaters lately (top photo: me trying on cardigan at Madewell, bottom photo: cardigan from J.Crew), so I bought this yarn at Purl Soho in "Penguin".  I'm going for something completely cuddly, soft, and cozy that I can wear over t-shirts.  I already know that I'll never get rid of this cardigan (even if it ends up less than perfect) because it holds such special memories for me.

By the way, when I posted about selling my hand-knitted sweaters on eBay, my mom made her first blog comment ever!  She wanted to buy the sweaters herself to keep them in the family.  How sweet is that?  Unfortunately I had already sold them.

shop update tonight

Just a note about the Wiksten shop update tonight: the Indigo Stripe Dress is only available in size 6 currently.  However, the dress will be for sale in the whole range of sizes within a couple of weeks.  Another important thing to mention is that this dress has a very tailored bodice and is recommended for those with a B-cup bra size and larger only.  Several of these dresses will be for sale in my shop at 9 PM Eastern time tonight.

the knitting archives

 

Over the weekend I finally finished knitting the cabled cardigan vest I've been working on for awhile (top photo).  I had a lot of fun making it because I learned how to knit cables for the first time.  It's slightly too big, but I still like it I think.  When will I ever knit something that fits me?  I know how to fit wovens, but I'm afraid that when it comes to fitting knits I'm a total novice.

After finishing the vest, I dug out the other sweaters I've made over the last year.  It's kind of depressing because they don't fit me and have just been sitting in my drawer for a year, never worn.  So I decided to sell them on Ebay so that someone else can enjoy them.  I've listed them here.  I think both sweaters are really cute--I so wish they fit me!  I think I'm going to try to make the pocket pullover again in the smaller size, and I'm hoping to recoup some of the yarn money I spent on the first one.

playing dress up

 

 

 

I'm having some fun with my fall wardrobe.  What I would wear:

top- on a cold day.  (Wiksten indigo striped dress with Mociun leggings.)
middle- to a holiday party.  (Mociun dress with For Me, For You necklace.)
bottom- working in my studio.  (Dress made by me with Mociun leggings and necklace.)

There will be a Wiksten shop update this week on Wednesday at 9 PM Eastern time.  Stay tuned for more details tomorrow.

happy halloween!

Elly made me this adorable little pumpkin guy and sent it in my Halloween package.  Isn't he cute?

Hope you have a great holiday.  I'm going trick-or-treating with my nephews and then to a concert with Joe, followed by a day of Twin Peaks marathon/crafting with my girlfriends.

yarn jewelry

 

I used to always accessorize with scarves, but I'm starting to branch out and get a little more adventurous.  That's one thing I love about living in New York--you really have the freedom and inspiration here to get creative.  I've started developing a fascination with knitted and crocheted necklaces, and I've recently bought some that I'm in love with.  The top one is from Mociun (worn with my favorite t-shirt, on sale from Totokaelo), and the bottom one is from Wonder Wonder.  I blogged about Hikaru a little while back, and I'm so glad I ordered from her.  The detail and craftsmanship of the necklace are incredible and the packaging adorable.  I also love these delicate crocheted necklaces by Laura Normandin.

The other day I messed around with knitting an i-cord, and it was so fun.  Easy and addictive.  I found this great tutorial online for how to knit an i-cord necklace.  I like the braided one.

Top to bottom: Peter Jensen, VPL, and Rachel Comey.

Some beautiful things from Creatures of Comfort that I can't afford...

sewing class

 

I have some really exciting news!  I'm going to be teaching a sewing class at Lena Corwin's studio in Fort Greene, Brooklyn during the month of November.  It's for intermediate sewers who will learn how to make the top, dress, and skirt pictured above.  These are patterns I made before, but I tweaked and updated them for this class.  I'll be giving each student their own set of patterns and instructions to keep so that they can use them over and over again.  I had a lot of fun making these samples for the class, and I look forward to teaching my students how to give their garments a professional finish.  Here's the info:

four 1-1/2 hour classes

thursday evenings- 11/5, 11/12, 11/19, and 12/3

6:00-7:30 PM

$250 + supplies

We will also have sewing machines there in case you don't want to lug yours across the city.  Email info@lenacorwin.com to sign up.  Space is limited!  It will be a small class so that there will be plenty of one-on-one help.

i can't quit you, a.p.c. top

I sold one of my A.P.C. tops on eBay because it was too small, but I missed it so much that I had to make a replacement.  It fits!

red lipstick is a-ok

Inspired by a major fall trend, I took the plunge last week and bought my first red lipstick ever.  I'll admit that I was scared.  Some of my major fears about wearing bold lipstick are:

1) Having lipstick on my teeth.  Ew.
2) Being the crazy lady on the subway with smeared red lipstick.  I'd rather be known as crazy for other reasons, ha ha, like singing "Afternoon Delight" out loud in public.
3) Leaving lipstick marks on the cup I'm drinking out of.  There's a reason I don't share drinks with my mom though I love her dearly.

That said, red lipstick just looks too cool not to try.  Thanks a bunch for all your suggestions!  After testing out as many as I could find at Sephora and Bloomingdale's, I ended up buying Bobbi Brown Lip Color in Red.  Chili by MAC was a close second, and I had such a hard time deciding.

i think i just died

 

 

For this print, in these shapes, and in these colors.  Dang.  (All Mociun, from Totokaelo.)

opening ceremony

Found another pair of lace up boots that I'm dying for: Chloë Sevigny for Opening Ceremony.

Opening Ceremony has the their Pendleton stuff on the website too now, and it's so cute!

i love socks

 

Until I learn to knit my own, these ought to keep me cheery on cold autumn days.

how cool is this necklace?

I will answer that.  Very.  This necklace is from Etsy seller Wonder Wonder.  One of my favorite things about it is the designer's description: "It's warmer than a metal necklace too!"  So cute.

new obsessions

* Old-timey lace ups, like these Zeha-Berlin ankle boots.
* Lambs Ear Shoe Shop, a perfectly-edited boutique full
of accessories and shoes (such as the ones pictured
above).

i love paris in the fall

From the Fall 2009 collections of French labels: Cacharel, Sessun, and A.P.C. Madras.

Fall hair and makeup ideas (clockwise) from: hair_chameleon, Mary Kate Downes, Fox in Mociun, and Tsuyo.

Aren't these looks pretty for fall?  Messy hair with a bare face and red lipstick seems so French to me.  What is the perfect red lipstick?  Do you have a favorite?  My other French fall essentials are long sleeve striped tees,  a short sleeve black coat, ankle boots, and Liberty print button downs.

I've just noticed after sorting through my closet that everything in my wardrobe as well as most of my fall fashion picks seem to follow a color palette of black/gray, white, blue, and red.  It's kind of crazy, but I guess I just can't help it.

time to clean out the closet

Every season I go through my closet and sort through my things.  I like to be organized and well-edited at all times, so I try to get rid of the items that I just don't wear.  I've decided this season to open up an Ebay shop and sell whatever I'm removing from my closet.  It's kind of sad because i really like this stuff, but most of it is just too small for me now and not comfortable anymore.  When I hit 28, my metabolism kind of slowed down, and although I eat healthy and exercise, I've gone up a size.  I'm fine with it--that's just life, but it kind of sucks that some of my favorite things don't fit me anymore.  So here's a link to my shop.  Hopefully some of you will be able to enjoy the items I've treasured in the past.  By the way, there are shoes too!  The shoes fit me, but I'm selling them because I never wear heels.  Some of these might not show up in my shop yet even though I've listed them because I guess it takes Ebay awhile to group all the things together.

plaid market top shop update tomorrow

Since I got such a great response from the plaid Market Top, I made a few more for my shop.  I'll be posting them tomorrow (Friday, September 11) at noon, Eastern time.  I have two size 2's and two size 4's.  This shirt makes a nice layering piece for fall, to add a little pop of color and pattern to an outfit.

wiksten fall 2009 sneak preview

Indigo striped dress in 55% hemp/45% cotton, coming soon. Stay tuned for more details.

thoughts on yesterday's post

I wrote in my last post that I was thinking about making some more tank tops for the shop. I decided not to, even though Joe said, "Who cares?" The truth is...I actually do care. I thought it would be fun to make a few, but then I realized that I really didn't feel right about it. Why? I've been copied before by other Etsy designers who sold crappier versions of my designs to my own customers, at lower prices and without giving me credit. I wasn't too happy about it. I never brought it up before this because I didn't want to point fingers and create drama. It didn't seem right, but at the same time I never lost any business from it either. As time passed, it stopped being such a big deal to me. However, it would be hypocritical for me to do the same thing to someone else's company.

I was criticized by a few readers for my last post, and I deleted their comments. Why? I didn't use to delete negative comments, but after being hurt one too many times I got some advice from a few of the people closest to me. One person said, "Since mean comments always come from anonymous people, just never allow anonymous comments." Most of the anonymous comments I get are super wonderful though, so I didn't really want to do that. Then someone else said to me, "Just delete any hurtful comments immediately and leave them in the past. One mean comment usually breeds more." I decided then to make it my policy to just go ahead and delete any comment that makes me feel bad before I can dwell on it any longer. This seems to help. So if you notice that I deleted your comment, it doesn't mean that I'm trying to censor you or judge you as a person. It means that your comment hurt my feelings, and I just don't want to see it anymore. It's my blog yo. Maybe those commenters were just being honest, and maybe they were right. But I don't make my decisions based on what strangers think anyways.

pocket tank

Earlier in the summer, I saw this Sunshine and Shadow pocket tank in the Asteroids print online and really liked it.

Then when I was at Steven Alan with Elly, I noticed that they had it in a different print, and I tried it on. It was love at first wear. And it was on sale for $89. But still. I thought, "If I can't make this top, then I'm a total hack." So instead of buying it, I decided to try to make it.

I found a picture of the Asteroids print, and I searched online until I found something similar that I liked. I came up with this cotton lawn from Superbuzzy. Although not silk like the fabric from the original top, it was still a beautiful fabric and so easy to sew. This one was my second choice.



And here's me modeling the top I made. My husband Joe took the photos. Thanks, Joe! It has been freaking hot in New York lately, and this top is about the only thing in my closet that I can wear without wanting to die. It's so lightweight, airy, and comfy that it's just in the nick of time. Although I still really, really like the original Sunshine and Shadow top way better. Oh well, what are you gonna do? I saved money. Some day I hope to actually buy a piece from the label instead of ripping it off.

I ended up spending much more time on this pattern than I had planned though. I wanted to make sure the fit was perfect so that there was no gaping at the neckline (I hate that). Since I feel like all that work wasn't worth it for just one top, I'm going to make some more in other fabrics and sizes this weekend. I'll put them in the shop next week. More details to come. I was kind of worried about selling them since they're not my design, but Joe's response was "Even reputable artists put out cover albums sometimes. Just as long as you don't go from homage artist to Weird Al Yankovic." Haha.

samma necklace

photo taken by Elly

I went to Jumelle and tried on the Samma necklace I've been obsessing over, and here's a photo. I LOVE it. Jumelle carries other awesome Samma pieces too, but this is my very favorite. Carla, the manager there, is so nice. Jumelle stocks jewelry that is mostly from local designers, and she let me try on a bunch of stuff and gave me all the details. All of their jewelry is amazing. They also carry Aesa (local) and Polder (French), two of my favorites. I didn't buy anything because I need to pay the rent more than I need to bejewel myself, but that necklace will be mine some day.

In other news, Anabela wrote a really thought-provoking blog post yesterday in response to my post about Bodkin. Check it out!

Also, I made myself a new top yesterday. I'm feeling way too lazy to photograph it on myself today (I really hate having to do that), but I'll show it to you tomorrow.

bodkin + ankle boots for fall

photos from the Bodkin website

I love these photos from Bodkin's fall collection. The colors are beautiful. You know what's cool? The fact that the scarf in the third photo was dyed with only vegetables, fruits, and plants to achieve the most perfect shade of purple. (Read the description at the bottom of the photo for details.) And I love that all the fabrics in Eviana Hartman's clothing line are organic and sustainable, and not in a trendy, gimmicky way. Her blog details her search for ecologically friendly means of production, so you know it's for real. (Sometimes I get the feeling that some companies slap the word "organic" on products without even really investigating the source.)

I think these are the clog ankle boots that the models are wearing in the Bodkin fall look book. I've been searching high and low for the perfect high-heeled ankle boots for fall. These are really cute, but I'm not sure they're it.


I found some other clog ankle boots on the Urban outfitters website that I like even better. They're Swedish Hasbeens. So cool, right? I love them in both colors.

Now these Rachel Comey Penpal short boots would be the perfect ankle boots for me, but I'd really rather have them in black. I can't find them in black anywhere. But then again, it is only August. I guess I'm just anxious.

These black ankle boots are pretty sexy. I like the shape, but I can't decide whether they might be too rock 'n roll for me. Also I was really hoping for an ankle boot with a stacked wood heel.

Buying any of these boots would be an investment, which is why I have to make sure I get something that will last me for years. If money was no object I would probably get the Rachel Comey boots in black and the tan Hasbeens, so that I would have one dressy pair and one casual pair. Keep dreaming.

sprout home

When Elly was here, she and I took a trip to Sprout Home, one of my absolutely favorite stores in my neighborhood. You see, I have a problem. My apartment is where plants come to die. I recently had three tiny plants that belonged to the guy I'm subletting from, and well....they suffered a terrible fate at my hands. It's not that I don't try. I do. It's just that I never know what I'm doing. So I went to Sprout Home to replace my three dead plants with new ones. The guy at the store was so freaking nice. He helped me find plants that were easy to take care of and guided me through the care that each would require. I came out of there with the three most adorable plants I've ever had. That was several weeks ago, and the plants look great. No withering.

The store is beautiful too. Filled with air plants and terrariums, it reminds me of a place that Alyson would love to hang out in. I bought a good portion of my Christmas gifts there last year. If you don't live in New York, check out their website for a fantastic selection of modern planters and fun children's stuff.

mociun fall 2009

photos by Kara Healey from the Mociun website

Isn't it beautiful? I can't wait until it's here.

elly in new york

I guess I blogged this out of order because Elly came to see me in New York before we went to Connecticut. Elly had never, ever been to New York City before this! What an adventure, gang. I thought I'd share with you our day dorking around the city together. It was one of the most fun days I've ever had. Here's a photo of Elly in my kitchen before we left.



Here we are at Purl Soho. This place is the best. We asked the staff a gazillion questions about knitting and felting. I even bought a little felting kit for us to do a project together, but we never got around to it. What could be better than shopping for yarn and fabric with your best friend? We're both so obsessed with knitting, and Elly really inspired me to get back into it after a summer hiatus. She's much more experienced than I am, so I love asking her questions.

Elly bought Tova a beautiful dress at Makie, and we oohed and ahhed over everything they had. I was SO not allowed to take pictures in here. I got scolded. Big time.


When I said we were "dorking" around Manhattan together, I wasn't even kidding. We went to Muji, and I tried on this sweater/wrap thing, and I had no idea how to wear it. So I decided to try to make it into a diaper. In the middle of the store. Yes, I'm the biggest nerd ever. I kept expecting us to get kicked out because we were laughing so hard. Also, how cute does Elly look in that hat?

We went to Madewell and tried on some jeans and stuff, but we didn't buy anything. I really love that store.


We also went to Steven Alan! And got cupcakes at Billy's Bakery nearby! The perfect combination. Steven Alan is simply wonderful. The sales girls were so fun and joked around with us. I want that shirt I tried on so, so, so, so bad. I'll have to save up. Though I did happen to score a pair of very nice Isabel Marant jeans on sale for seventy-nine bucks. Can you believe it?

Shopping with Elly was a new experience for me, because since we're both seamstresses and knitters, we looked at the hems and seams of everything we tried on and discussed construction.


After a full day of shopping, we met up with Melissa back in the "Burg" and walked to Marlow and Sons for dinner. Melissa was very excited about having oysters but discovered, oops, she actually hates oysters! I think she had them confused with clams, hehe. I thought the oysters were pretty darn awesome. It was so cool to have dinner with two of my best friends who had never met before because it was fascinating to see each of them through the other's eyes for the first time. Elly told us everything about Sweden (where she lived for almost a year), and we also had one of the most interesting conversations I've ever had about marriage.

I wish I could have more days like this with Elly, but to quote Elly's daughter Tova, "Sometimes life is just hard, right Mom? When you have to say goodbye to your best friend?"

mountain poster

Caitlin Keegan is now selling prints of her "Mountain Poster", which I blogged about here. Yay! Can't wait to get one.

meryl streep is awesome

Awesome, I tell you. I went to go see Julie and Julia last night, and she was so adorable. Right now I'm in the middle of knitting and watching Doubt (another Meryl Streep movie we happen to have from Netflix right now). I had to take a break for blogging because she's just so good.

On an unrelated note, guess who I ran into at Whole Foods today? We had never met before, but we stopped and chatted. It was fun. Also kinda weird. I'm telling you, New York is such a small place. I'm always running into people I know. (Or in this case "know" from the internet.)

mystic, connecticut

I went away to the country for the weekend with Elly and Joe. We met up with Elly's husband Doug and daughter Tova at Doug's parents' house in Mystic. I've never been to Connecticut before and really had no idea what to expect. It was very quaint. All of the houses were incredibly old, somehow in a charming, non-"decrapidated" way. (Sorry, that's my sister's made up word for a mixture of decrepit, dilapidated, and crap. She's really cute when she says it.) I was almost expecting to see Benjamin Franklin peek his head out of a window.

Doug and his dad Dave took Joe out on the ocean for some fishing, and we ate the fish they caught for dinner. At dinner I accidentally said "That's what she said" in front of Doug's parents. Doug's mom Judy let us go through all her vintage knitting patterns (so fun!), and Elly and I walked around town during the art fair. My favorite memories are of running around the backyard with Tova, roasting marshmallows, and playing pinball in the basement.

If you're reading this, Elly, I really miss you already! And Doug and Tova too.

"actually, it's cute."

That's what Tova said when I gave her the bear I made. And, "It's so adorable I could squeeze its guts out." A rave review from a five year old! Score. I finally finished this crochet project over the weekend on my trip with Elly and Joe to Connecticut. I wanted the bunny that I made for Tova to have a best friend, and here they are together at last. The pattern is by Camilla Engman, and you can find it here. (I used this photo of Camilla's as inspiration.) I'll post more about my time with Elly tomorrow.

plaid market top

I'm really excited about this top! I think it's the fabric. I would love anything in this fabric. In my opinion, it's the most perfect shirting fabric, lightweight with a nice drape yet crisp at the same time. I tried this on, and I want to keep it. But it's not the right size for me, so into the shop it goes!

Elly is coming to Brooklyn tomorrow for the first time. She's been in Connecticut with her husband's family, and it didn't really work out with my schedule to see her until now. (Also, my cold is gone, and it stopped raining, yay!) But I am SO excited. I don't even know if I'll be able to sleep tonight. It's like Christmas. So I went to the store today to stock up on cleaning supplies, and I'm going to spend the whole rest of the day and evening cleaning the crap out of my apartment. I'm really looking forward to doing it, and I'm not even joking. I just want it to look really nice when she gets here.

On my way back from the store I got stopped on the street by one of my blog readers again. I was a little stunned to say much, and I think she was afraid of me because she ran away! But if you're reading this, girl on the street, thank you. You were so nice. I wish I could have gotten two words out of my mouth to talk to you a little more.

market top in the shop!

Hey, I rhymed. So this shirt is in the shop right now in size 6. I have a plaid one in size 4 too, but that will have to wait for tomorrow.

On a side note, I don't understand why Blogger makes my photos look so bad sometimes. When I upload them here, they lose so much detail. I can't figure that out.

new

There will be a Wiksten shop update around 7:00 PM (Eastern) this evening--"Market" tops in beautiful lightweight chambrays and plaids. Stay tuned for more photos and info.

jackson, johnston & roe + samma jewelry

I stopped by Jumelle the other day when I was running errands, and I fell in love with this dress from Jackson, Johnston & Roe. It's so beautiful in person. I didn't try it on because they didn't have my size, thank goodness. (I don't need to be spending money!) But it did lead me to peruse the label's website, which I hadn't looked at in a while. I really want to save up to buy something from the fall collection when it comes out.

The latest collections are styled with jewelry from Samma, by Hanna Sandin.   I want that necklace in the third photo SO bad! Yes, my jewelry obsession is getting out of hand.

P.S. I also stumbled across Riley Salyards' (the Roe part of the J, J & R trio) blog, and it's just gorgeous.

fingers crossed

I don't have much to share today. I came down with a bad cold yesterday, and it's been raining quite a bit. So I've been in bed with a good book mostly. And Arrested Development of course, which never fails to cheer me up. I'm so sad to be sick right now because my best friend is coming to visit tomorrow from out of town. I don't want to be sick while she's here! And I certainly don't want it to rain. Either way I'm sure we'll manage to have fun, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that all this clears up by the time she gets here.

new necklaces

I ordered two necklaces when Kate updated her Etsy shop the other day, and I love them to death. I got the brass drops necklace and the handwoven cotton necklace in cobalt blue, one of my very favorite fashion colors. I had to camp out in front of my computer to get these babies because they always sell out incredibly fast. Luckily I got just what I wanted, but it wasn't easy. This is the first time I've ever bought something on Etsy that sold out so fast. I really had to bring my A-game, which made me realize how sucky it's probably been for my own customers in the past when they try to order from me. I'm sorry! I will try to be more organized with my sales in the future. Anyways, Kate plans on selling more of these sometime soon, and you can always stalk her blog for updates or join her mailing list.

charley harper needlepoint

photo from The Purl Bee

Purl Soho is now selling Charley Harper needlepoint kits! Whoah, my mind is blown away by how awesome that is. They're crazy expensive, but then again they are hand-painted. And awesome. See how much my mind has been blown away? Now awesome is the only word in my vocabulary. Must buy thesaurus.

feather mobile

I saw this feather mobile at Lena's sale and thought it was really lovely, but I totally forgot to ask about it. Today while I was surfing the net I found it on Etsy. It's by Caitlin Keegan, and you can find it here. Have you checked out Lena's shop for other stuff from the sale?
Here is a beautiful painting by Caitlin Keegan too. If she ever sells prints of this I will buy one right away. Her blog has many other wonderful paintings and drawings to see as well.

haircut

Here are the results of my haircut! My stylist couldn't make it look exactly like the photo I gave her because I have such insanely thick hair (ugh, you have no idea), but I like it nonetheless and think she did a wonderful job. I'm not totally used to how short it is yet though! I do like how it feels--it's so much less bulky and less hot on my neck. All in all, my haircut date with Joe was super fun. Joe's hair looks pretty snazzy, but he's a little camera shy. One of the things he hates most in life is when I take his picture! Poor guy, I'm such a camera-a-holic. Now all I have to do is sit back and let the sun give me some free highlights.

black jeans research

First of all let me just say that you guys are awesome! I got some great tips on what black jeans to check out, so thank you. I went jeans shopping in Soho today, which is not exactly my favorite thing to do since it's always so hectic and crowded, but I did have fun trying stuff on. And what's a Wiksten shopping trip without documenting the whole darn thing?

Left: my own outfit- cardigan from Anthropologie, Generra dress, and Dolce Vita sandals.

Right: Uniqlo jeans. I love the way the legs look, and they scrunch up just perfectly at the bottom, but Cristalle, you're right! The 3D ones have WAY too low of a waist, which did not make me happy. I couldn't find any other black jeans there, which sucked because I had high hopes for Uniqlo. (You know, 'cause they're cheap!)

Left: Zara cobalt blue tunic. I love this color! Such a pretty top, but I didn't buy it. I was on a mission, you know.

Right: Zara jeans. These were basically like leggings, so I wouldn't be able to wear them with short tops. I'm not that confident about my bum!

Left: Club Monaco tank and double-pleated black trousers. I just wanted to try the whole slouchy pleated pants thing. I've gotta say--not good on me. I love them on other people, but I don't need to accentuate my wide hips! Extra fabric around that region just doesn't work for me.

Right: Madewell ex-boyfriend jeans. Again with the hips. But it's too bad because these were so comfy.

Left: Topshop jeans. I honestly HATE going into Topshop. Too. Many. People. It's all just...too much. But you guys were right! The black jeans were good. Although they were SO stretchy that I was afraid they would fall down all the time and show some butt crack. And I am a lady. Not Russell Brand. (Ha, one anonymous commenter joked about a Russel Brand-type situation going on with skinny jeans, which really made me laugh.)

Right: Acne Hex jeans in Cash. I really liked these. They were stiff and too long, but the adorable shop girl at the Acne store said they would break in and get really soft. And obviously they could always be hemmed. But they're so freaking expensive. Totokaelo has them on sale big time but not in my size, darn it.

Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner. Madewell '37's. I took the photos in the Topshop dressing room after buying them because I realized I forgot to photograph them. These are sooooo comfortable. The rail-straight ones were awesome too, but these were cheaper! $60. Good deal. But the best part is that they don't make my butt look half bad. Because we all know that's the number one criteria for a pair of jeans. I love Madewell. I purchased my favorite cardigan there two years ago, and it's the one I wear the most (like every day in the winter). I will definitely go back for more jeans in the future.

I got some suggestions for J.Crew and Built by Wendy jeans, both of which I love. I couldn't find any black pairs on either website, so I didn't go to those stores. Also, I was going to go to Barney's to check out the J. Brand's and to Urban for the Cheap Monday's, but I got tired and lazy after I found some good cheap ones. So instead I ran into Dean and Deluca for some caffeine. Phew. It was a lot of shopping for one afternoon.

his and hers haircuts

Joe and I both have appointments tomorrow to get haircuts at the same time! Fun. This is the first time either of us have had haircuts since moving here, and we're both a little nervous to try a new place. Okay, I'm nervous, I'm nervous. He doesn't really care. But I'm sure he will give me moral support. Or just make fun of me if it goes badly. : ) He's thinking he wants to get the "Daniel Day Lewis" (from There Will Be Blood), and I'm getting my hair bobbed, a la Freja Beha in the above photo. So basically there will be a 1920's theme to the day's haircuts, ha! I spent some time last night looking at men's haircuts on the Library of Congress' flickr photostream when the only description Joe could give me of what he wanted was an "old-timey" haircut. And then Joe remembered that movie. Daniel Day Lewis does look pretty dapper in that photo, doesn't he?

black jeans please

photo found here

I've been dying to get some new black jeans since I got rid of my old ones (too small). I want ones that are skinny fit, a tiny bit too long at the ankles so they're slightly scrunchy, and medium rise (not too low--no muffin top for me). Does anyone have a great pair? I've stopped short of asking strangers in the street where they got their jeans. I thought about getting a pair of Acne's from Totokaelo, but I heard the waist on those is super tight. Does anyone have these or these? What do you think?

sophisticated children's clothing

Aren't these pieces from French label Le Vestiaire de Jeanne beautiful? I love the way the outfits are styled, especially the black leggings with black canvas shoes under a white dress. (Maybe I need to get some Bensimon's or Tom's?) The French have perfected this look-- simplicity at it's best. Although I can't help but be a little creeped out by how much this little girl looks just like a tiny adult in these clothes. Oh well, just because I grew up wearing t-shirts and Umbros (remember those?) doesn't mean everyone has to!

la casita de wendy

I found another cute tie-front dress here and lots of other pretty printed dresses from the same designer, La Casita de Wendy.

adventures at bird

Darn this neighborhood! Yesterday I was walking to get some cat food, and I happened to pass Bird on the way. Naturally I was tempted to go in and try on a few things for fun. The green Sari Gueron dress was adorable! Just very lightweight and easy for summer. And of course I couldn't resist trying on the Mociun dress I've been wanting for ages. I really felt like I was wearing a work of art when I had it on. I didn't buy anything, but dang I wanted to. Shopping is great for sewing inspiration though, and these days I feel more inclined to make something than buy it.

one more

Oh, I totally forgot about this necklace! I went over to Bird today for some browsing after my last post and remembered it. Bird has some really exquisite jewelry. It looked like they had a lot more in the store than they do on their website.