fringe benefits

tis a previously posted fact that i am in love with my JJ Winters fringe bag.  i put it away for the freezing winter and have recently put it back into rotation full swing for the nice weather months. these little boho babies seem to be popping up EVERYWHERE now - and i'm feeling the pull of temptation to add a little more fringe into the mix!  wearing fringe just feels good, it swishes as you walk and it just makes you feel a little bit more sass in every step.  LOVE it..  you can run the gamut on what you spend.  in the interest of fiscal responsibility, i will skip the lovely fringed bags by Jimmy Choo and Givenchy.  there's a fantastic mid-range with from JJ Winters, Charlie My Love and Susan Farber.  AND you can also go the route of the super cute bag my niece got at H&M, or this cute Forever21 bag... get swingin' dolls!

small things make big happy

some people are of the major blowout birthday celebration variety. me, not so much. i prefer to have my attention paid to me one on one or in a small group. people may feel free to press lavish gifts upon me - i have no problem with that, just without all the hub-bub. that established, yesterday was rather perfect as a birthday. i had my hair cut and styled, ended up a bit fabulous. then went and had nails done - (more on that in a mo... )

then J, my love, came home early to me bearing gifts and cupcakes from Crumbs. a gorgeous wrap cardi in a gorge cobalt blue, and a HOT cream colored turtle-neck sweater dress. love them both and will be wearing the cardi to within an inch of its life, i can tell already. however, the best gift (aside from his love) was this pair of earrings. bit of back story here. he is not the biggest fan of picking out gifts, so in the past i have guided him to what i might like. but the times when he picks things out on his own - those are the ones that make my heart smile. (one of my faves - a bathtub shaped soap dish) anyhoo - back to the story at hand. now we all know i loves me some jewelry. it's just a fact. so, i open up the clothing, love it, and then he hands me a little fabric pouch which i instantly recognize from Anthropologie - and i said out loud "ooh!" because little fabric pouch equals jewelry. math people. simple math. opened up the pouch and therein were these beautiful, intricate swirly earrings. right up my little boho alley i must say. and a happy birthday to me indeed.

i can't quit the junk

apparently i am having a hard time kicking the habit today... not that i've even tried... but it's feeling like a product-y day today kiddies!

check out InStyle makeover issue. i'm never a fan of the full-face makeover in stores - but it is always fun to try on a new face at home, and see what really stirs your noodles style-wise. i personally always always always end up with the boho look - any time i try ANYTHING else i have to wash my face ten minutes later. my friend melody can rock the bombshell look. jealous!

nieves lavi - me lovee

ye shall learn, as we go along the stylie path together, that i am obsessed with Nicole Richie. not the too skinny hot mess girl she was, but the woman she is now. cute, cute mommy with a bangin' body and a fantastic bohemiam, luxe-hippie style. i love her.

a couple of years ago, i was cruisin the mags, as is my wont. and i saw her wearing an oh-so-adorable mini dress. i did my hunt and it turned out the dress was from Nieves Lavi. so i went on hunt part deux. found myself at Saks, before taking my visiting niece to American Girl (or as i now know, "little girls addicted to dolls like they were crack") for a special birthday tea and shopping spree. anyhoo - i grabbed some Nieves Lavi pieces and hit the dressing room with my little lady in tow. tried on the first dress - and she said out loud "wow - that is so flattering". two things here - one: how cute is that, and i love her two: if a 10 year old says that - it's real. they don't know enough to say "no that doesn't make you look fat". dress was purchased and my love affair began. they do sell on their website, and also have a list of other retailers and websites who sell them.

most of their pieces are silk - and so ridiculously light and comfortable, and yes, flattering that you could live in them. they do also do cotton pieces. i hunt and i scour, because the-e-stylist likes things on sale. i'm just that way...and i have collected a few dresses and tops that i LOVE. they feel like air on your skin and as a special bonus, you get to feel just a little bit Nicole Richie bohemian luxe-hippie for a day. it's a win-win sitcho my friends.

stack attack - starring the neck

i am a stacker. i am not sure where it comes from, perhaps from my weird emotional attachment to pretty things, breeding a desire to pile them all upon myself until i collapse in a heap of beauty... dunno. i stack my rings, my bracelets and my necklaces. because i love them.

today i'm feelin' neck-y, so we will go there. this is my latest pile of passion. (it will vary depending on mood, and the mood can last for varying amounts of time. there may well be future neck-y stack posts)
it stars Me&Ro, Tiffany, and a sweet little flower from Fragments. this is just my own personal neck - i strongly urge ye gals to stack away out there with what lovely things you have in your own jewelry box. it's fun and pretty and an easy way to make a plain outfit look dressed up boho style. (a running theme in my life)

i was wearing three of these little lovelies when i purchased the fourth, and the woman at Tiffany said "i love the texture you're creating with them". i'm not entirely sure what she meant with the texture, but hey, a compliment is a compliment so i said thank you and check please.

the teeny flower pendant is from Fragments. i'm not sure of the designer (sorry designer - i love your flower!! it was just a long time ago!!) but it's a lovely store to wander around with loads of beautiful sparkly things to make a girl feel giddy... and pretty.

the two bezel set stone necklaces are Tiffany... from the "diamonds by the yard" collection. they have just added sterling silver to the mix - which makes it far easier on the old wallet! online they only show diamonds, but in the store they also sell the collection with aquamarines, which takes down the price even further - and it's really pretty. good + good = "super fantastic"

the longest necklace is from Me&Ro. i am OBSESSED with their jewelry. i have a couple of pieces, (can't go too nuts with collecting, as i'm not raking in a ton of money at the mo, and it's a bit pricey...but god is it gorgeous and worth it.) including a ring giftie from the bf. and i plan on adding bits and bobs as i can afford. it is beautiful, bohemian-tastic, and i love it. in the show Weeds, Mary Louise Parker's character Nancy Botwin wears PILES of this stuff, and it always makes my eyes go wide and my heart pulse with envy. in case you didn't get the point, i like the stuff.

phew. that was a bit long. sorry my dears. the point of the matter is - PILE IT ON. collect things that you love, and don't be afraid to wear them together. mix and match, have fun and look beautiful doing it!