& today I am also loving...

... Nicole Richie's Louis Vuitton jewelry box. Isn't it cool?
(click on the pic to enlarge it)

Today I'm wishing...

... I was a professional poker player or something so that I could justify getting some of this supercute jewelry from Tous.

But who am I kidding? I don't know how to play any card games at all, and certainly not poker! Oh well...

(and yes, I do feel better today, thanks to those who were concerned!)

Today I'm loving...

... the style of Anna Mouglalis (a French actress and an ambassador for Chanel). If you are not familiar with her style already you need to Google her asap! Her style is French chic (Chanel style, of course) excecuted perfectly.

Oh, and I am still sick by the way, but I think I am getting better! At least I hope so!                                  

(pics from MyOpera, Stylerumor,  I like, I wish, I heart..., Magxone and Stylehive)

Sick, but cheered up

I've been sick for the past few days. I think I have some weird infection or something, because I am incredibly tired and have a high fever. I am trying to cure this by watching the American Music Awards and checking out the news on Net-a-porter. That's when I spotted this Effie cotton blouse by Marc by Marc Jacobs.

Isn't it adorable? Very Little House on The Prarie (which I used to LOVE as a child by the way!)

Love it!

More great stuff from Alice by Temperley

This is honestly an almost perfect version of the LBD. Such a classic shift, I love it!

Alice by Temperley really has the most amazing stuff at the moment!

Today I'm loving...

... something completely frivolous and useless again. Remember that Smythson passport cover I coveted a while ago?
Well, wouldn't this leather jewelry box match it perfectly when I travel?

I am seriously all about making every day items more fun! Smythson does it in such a great way!

Flawless

I am a huge fan of Natalie Portman. I think she is incredibly, incredibly talented, as well as beautiful, she seems smart and her sense of style is really amazing. Doesn't she just look flawless in this pic? (click to enlarge)

(pic from Just Jared)

Today I'm loving...

... this old Chanel ad. So gorgeous and classic, pure Chanel, seriously!

Today I'm loving...

... a cropped cardigan. Yeah, I know it sounds weird. And it definitely does not sound like something I usually like. But I actually think this Alice by Temperley Trophy knitted cropped cardigan is adorable.

Maybe the stripes compensate for it being cropped?

Today I'm loving...

... the Chanel Resort 2011 ads. The long maxi dress on the left is just to die for! (click to enlarge the pic)

(too bad it actually costs and arm and a leg or something like that. I think I might still need mine... Such a shame!)

Today I'm loving...

... these super fun Marc Jacobs headphones!

Aren't they just awesome? Funny, cute, but hip and cool at the same time.

At 55 GBP, these headphones are way too expensive (especially considering that I do not even need them) but I still want them in both colors. Am I nuts?

Today I'm loving...

... these gorgeous Erdem maxi dresses.

As you all know, I am a sucker for maxi dresses, but I think very few designers make good ones for winter. Erdem does, though, so kudos to them for that!

Facing a fear

Can you believe these photos have been taken at a swamp?

I have never really liked swamps, in fact I have always been rather scared of them, so I am amazed by how much I like these photos (from Decadence Party of Two). They are just beautiful, but not in a conventional way, which I love.
I mean, it is rather easy to make a castle look beautiful and romantic, but it is much harder to make a swamp of all places look attractive and suitable for a fashion shoot.

Today I'm loving...

... this lovely Sonia by Sonia Rykiel silk t-shirt.
Just the fact that it is a silk t-shirt is wonderful, I mean, isn't it the perfect way to make a very casual, rather boring garment into something luxurious? I love the idea!
But besides the material, the bow is really adorable too. The trick is really just to keep everything else very strict, and not add anything else very feminine.

Today I'm loving...

... this gorgeous silk-chiffon dress from Leaves of Grass. That really should not surprise anyone who knows how much I love the combination of black and white, but still. Who could resist putting such eye candy on their blog?

I also just moved some of my winter clothes out of storage, and that was actually a lot of fun! I found several pieces I had totally forgotten I had. So if you guys have anything stored away, I definitely recommend "shopping" your own closet or storage unit! I found several pieces I had planned on buying (including a grey pair of jeans and a black, short jacket). So now I can spend that money on some more statement making pieces instead!

Today I'm loving...

... these pics from the Zara November 2010 Lookbook.

I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Grey is great!

Ok, so I am honestly not loving Rihanna's red hair (or her bright lipstick, let's be honest!), but her grey clothing looks great! May she be an inspiration to all of us, grey is certainly not boring or depressing, it can be really chic too!

(pic from People)

And that is why I am seriously considering naming my future daughter Stella

Stella McCartney is one, if not THE, best designers in the world, according to me. I love her, I love her work, I love most things she says, so of course I also love her country estate.

I found these pics from one of the places that I assume inspires her on Catwalkqueen, and I have been swooning ever since...

For those of you who love Stella as much as I do, I highly recommend reading the whole Catwalkqueen post. And you can click on the pics to enlarge them!

Today I'm loving...

... these Roberto Cavalli dresses. They are from the same collection as the blouses I blogged about earlier obviously, and I am just amazed by how many gorgeous pieces this collection has in it.

Wardobe tales, part 2: The red cardigan

I was 11 or 12 years old when I learned all about the transformative effect of color. You see, my mother had gotten me a new, oversized (this was during the grunge era) cardigan, in a rather unusual color at the time (everyone was wearing oversized cardigans, but mostly in beige or grey and other neutral colors): red.

I was not too thrilled about it being red, but I wore it anyway. And I got so many compliments! From everyone!

That's when I realized that red was a really flattering color on me, and that wearing the right colors make all the difference. A lot of people realize this when they are much older than that, which causes them to wear extremely unflattering colors for years, and I am so glad the red cardigan prevented this from happening to me.

All the compliments caused me to learn more about colors and what goes with what, and most importantly: What suits me. So I have not been experimenting too much with colors for years. But I will still always remember that eye opening cardigan fondly (I still have it somewhere, but obviously, it is slightly too small for me now)...

(the pic is from Harper's Bazaar)

A maybe

I am currently looking for all sorts of things for my upcoming wedding. And one of the main things I am still missing are my wedding shoes. I have decided that I want a colorful pair, in order to make a contrast with the white dress (my fiancee thinks this is crazy, by the way, since "no-one will see the shoes under a long dress anyway" but I don't care.

This is why it makes me sad that these awesome Jimmy Choos are nude colored, otherwise they could have been perfect!

(I think I want a red or moss green pair. And if you get something other than white, you can also wear the shoes tons after the wedding too, which is great if you are cashing out on a pair of Louboutins or Choos anyway)

Today I'm loving...

... these gorgeous silk blouses by Roberto Cavalli (even though I am normally not a Cavalli-fan).

How I afford the occasional splurge item

I have always had champagne taste but I used to have a real beer budget before, when I was still in university. I used to hate it at the time, but having to budget taught me how to be able to afford luxury items even on a budget, which is something that still comes in very handy now that I am working.

I have tons of friends who tell me that they simply cannot afford designer items, and they always wonder how I do. Since I am guessing there might be others out there in cyber space with the same problem, I thought I would share my tips on how to be able to afford luxury items from time to time, with little effort:

1. I save all my change.
This really does not sound like it will make any difference, I know. I used to think that way too, but then I decided to try this old method (basically a piggy bank, but I put my coins in plastic bottles instead, because then I can't get the money out without cutting the bottles open) and noticed that all that change, that pretty much annoyed me when it was just in my wallet, weighing a ton, really adds up!

So if you start saving your change, every day, you might very well be able to buy something a little bit more expensive in a year.

2. I save small bills.
I also put aside small bills. The method is basically the same as with the change, but I like saving small bills too, since they obviously add up faster.

3. I have a small automated savings account just for splurge items.
You do not need to save a lot for handbags, shoes or whatever it is that you are into, because that does not make much sense, but even if you save $20 a month, it will add up very fast if you do it for a while!
I choose to automate all my savings, including my splurge savings, because then the savings are automatically taken from my salary when I get paid, and if I never even see the money, I do not miss it.

So I highly recommend automating your savings!

4. Shop the sales!
The online luxury stores have great sales every once in a while. Learn when they are, and only buy luxury items in the sale, since they really are so much cheaper then!

(the pic illustrates my dream luxury item, a Bottega Veneta bag, that I have still not gotten. But I am already saving up for it! The pic is from Butterboom)