My latest buy

... was kind of scary I guess, since it has a snake pattern, but not nearly scary enough for Halloween! I still thought I would share it with you guys though:

It's a pair of flats called Borneo, by the brand Dune (which I am not at all familiar with, but I guess I will be soon).
I got them on ASOS, since I am kind of intrigued by the snake trend you see a lot at the moment, but I don't really like snake patterns on clothes or bags, so to add it on shoes was the only option, really!

Another fashion Halloween favorite

A cute spider umbrella from Lulu Guinness (who I just adore!).

Happy Halloween! Again!

Happy Halloween!

I hope everyone has a lovely (yes, I know that's not really the point...) Halloween.

If you are still looking for a last minute Halloween costume, I highly recommend checking out all Heidi Klum's previous costumes from her annual Halloween party, she does this wonderfully. Or just try to re-create any random Lady Gaga outfit! (maybe not the meat one though...)

(pics from Wonderland Philosophy and Tiffs Blog)

Today I'm loving...

Tory Burch's Crystal-embellished leather ballerina flats.

They're just so pretty and so much fun! I love the classic shape of a ballet flat, but with something unexpected, like tons of crystals, added.

Thoughts on the Versace for H&M collection

I have blogged about the Versace for H&M collection before, and while it does seem a bit better now that I have seen more of the pieces in it, I am still not very impressed.
In all honesty, I must admit that I have never been a huge Versace fan (their style is just a bit too... flamboyant and obviously sexy for my taste), but still, it feels kind of strange that I probably won't be getting anything from this H&M designer collaboration.

You see, I have at least one piece (usually more than that even) from each designer collaboration H&M has had so far. But this time, I just didn't see anything I really, really liked.

Some of the pieces were just too weirdly designed...

A different color on each leg? Not a very classic look!

... others used the wrong metals for my taste...

The studs seem to be golden, gold never ever works for me, since silver is "my" metal. So anything with metal that I buy, has to use silver or silvercolored metal in it, for it to match my jewelry and hardware on my bag etc.

... while others just had details that seem very unnecessary and silly to me.

I just don't get those chains! And they are golden too!

The nicest pieces I have seen from the collection so far have to be:

A classic leather jacket is always useful. But I have way too many already!

This skirt is kind of cute. Perfect for Christmas festivities! But I feel I have enough sparkly clothes as it is.

This skirt really is classic Versace, and if it wasn't for the cheetah-print (I've never been a fan of cheetah prints, really), I would probably consider getting it, but the cheetah ruins it for me.

So nope, no Versace for H&M pieces for me, for sure!

What do you guys think of the collection? Are you as dissappointed as me, or do you like it?

(the pics are from Isabel's blog)

Why I think matching pieces is a good idea

Matching things in your outfit, such as matching your bags to your shoes and so on, was something a lot of women used to do in the past. In the 50s and 60s it was basically a must for a well-dressed woman, but at some point, fashion experts decided that this was old fashioned and should not be done anymore.

I think that’s a shame, because I think matching stuff really helps you pull together an outfit, so I have been a fan of matching sets, matching colors and all those things for years already.

That’s why I tend to buy matching sets when I have the chance (like when I bought both a Missoni for Target clutch bag and Missoni for Target ballet flat shoes), I don’t always end up using the whole set at the same time, but sometimes I do, and if you keep the rest of the outfit pretty plain, I really feel it helps polish up those whole outfit.

However, there are some things you should keep in mind if you decide to use matching sets when you get dressed in order to not make it look over the top:

Get sets with small pieces, and just a few of them

Lady Gaga goes all out and wears the same pattern from head to toe, but for most of us, that is not a good look. So buy matching sets of small items, instead of both a shirt, a pair of pants, a hat and shoes. Useful matching sets can be:

A bag and a pair of shoes

A belt and a pair of shoes

A belt and a bag

A top and a pair of shoes

And so on.

All these sets make sure the matching pieces aren’t placed next to each other in the outfit, which really helps make sure the set looks cute and well planned, but not costume-y.

Keep the rest of the outfit simple if the set is brightly colored or patterned

Neutrals create a nice contrast, if your matching set is colorful or patterned. Adding more patterns or bright colors might not work as well, so make sure the rest of your outfit is rather simple in order for the matching details to really pop.

Don’t always use the set together

Then your matching set becomes more of a gimmick than a fashion statement. So make sure you mix up the pieces from time to time as well!

(pics from Vythies, Zaffalella Shoes, Fabsugar and We Heart It)

Today I'm loving...

... these sequined Converse shoes. So cute!

In general, I love Converse high tops, but all the ones I have are kind of plain, so it would be fun to add a more unusual pair to the mix!

Wedding preparations... again!

As you may know, I got married earlier this year. But now it seems I will be planning another wedding! One of my closests friends is getting married, you see, and since she liked my wedding so much, she wants me to help her planning hers as well.
We have already been checking out dresses, custom envelopes and invitations, wedding shoes and soon we will start looking for venues as well.

And to be honest, I have to say that planning someone else's wedding is much more fun than planning your own! With my own wedding I was stressed that I wouldn't find the perfect place, the shoes I wanted, the perfect dress and so on (Of course it all worked out in the end, but I didn't know that when I was looking and nothing felt right)
With someone else's wedding, you don't feel the same stress and can just enjoy yourself. Plus, in my case I get to be the one who's already done it, and knows best, hehe.

(pic from Amy Antoinette)

What I have been doing in the past few days

Sometimes there is nothing more inspirational than just resting, enjoying peace and quiet and catching up on your reading. That's why I have spent the last few days in a rustic cabin in the countryside with my husband. Here are some random shots from the cabin:

Shopped: New cardigans

I'm weird in the sense that I actually enjoy shopping for winter and fall, because I love cozy sweaters, and more than anything: warm cardigans.
That's why I end up getting a few new cardigans every season. So far, I have gotten the Missoni for Target poncho of course, but also a grey cardigan:

and the same cardigan in black:

None of these cardigans have any buttons or zippers or anything, so I really should get some new belts to go with them, in order to be able to close them up a bit.
Because after getting these cardigans, I realized I really don't have that many belts. I think I just have 2 in total, and I never even use them.

So that's another thing that goes on my "Must get" list!

Don't miss the ASOS sale

If you are a fan of ASOS, like me, you should know that there is a sale going on there right now. So far I have gotten quite a few things from the men's section for my husband and a plain chiffon skirt for myself, but I plan to take another look to see if I can find something else as well.

Today I'm loving...

... this adorable, and very ladylike Bottega Veneta outfit. Very Miss Marple! (who I love!)

Too bad everything made by Bottega Veneta has to be crazy expensive!

Today I'm loving...

The Hanneli Mustaparta Net-a-Porter campaign.

Hanneli is one of my all time favorite fashion bloggers, and Net-a-Porter, as many of you know, is one of my favorite online stores. So I honestly think this is a match made in heaven. And doesn't she look adorable?

Versace for H&M

Some pics have been released of the pieces in the upcoming Versace for H&M collection.

(pic from Sanna)

I have to say I am not very excited about this collection, but then again, Versace has never been one of my favorite designers to be honest.
Still, designer collaborations at H&M are always fun, and I look forward to seeing the other pieces!