Wonderland? Why?!

Now that we're on the theme of nails, I have to ask--Alice in Wonderland?! I can't wait to see the movie, but what was OPI thinking when they designed a whole line of polish dedicated to the upcoming Burton film?! Please, I know your in such a rush to go buy that silver/gold metallic mixture but honestly, this is an epic OPI FLOP! Spare yourself the humiliation.

Feeling daring? If you want to make a statement with your nails, a sparkling blue is not the way to go. Opt for a bold pink, lilac or coral color this season to make a classy yet bold statement on your hands.

Hong Kong Delights

It's finally here! OPI's spring summer collection has sailed in on an adorable little ship. The Hong Kong collection seems to feature bold "look at me colors" ranging from a rich red, to a plum purple to a zesty orange. I'm truly a "go by the name first, then pick the color" kind of girl. I get such a kick out of OPI's names for their polishes each season and the Hong Kong collection has some of the cutest yet. "Bling Dynasty," "Read My Fortune Cookie," "Pearl of Wisdom" and "Panda-monium Pink" are my favorite names from the collection. I always thought that must be a fun job to have--mixing colors and coming up with names! Have you seen/tried any of the colors in person?! Personally, I can't wait to test out that coral color on the bottom right!

Sweet Escape

Is it just me, or is anyone else absolutely taken by Alexis Bittar's spring line? From the moment that I saw the flower pins, I instantly imagined myself in the garden sipping tea and wearing a gigantic hat and a sun dress showing off one of the pins....(My daydreaming ends here-promise!) The iridescent colors she uses in her gorgeous lucite pieces combines the perfect balance of romantic and soft shades of light pink, lilac, cream, pale yellow and light green. Her use of various types of stone and pearl in her pieces add an interesting amount of texture to her jewelry that please both the visual and tactile side of the buyer. Also I noticed that, (especially with her earrings), there is a definite use of geometric shapes (specifically different shaped circles) that seems to be a common theme.

FEELING GIVING? If anyone wants to buy me anything, feel free to e-mail me asking for my address. I'm only kidding of course, but really--I'm on a mission to get that necklace and pin!

Master of the Arts

Over my winter break while I was home I was (of course) spending a wonderful amount of time catching up on all the things I love. One of the most important was spending time with my mom. She and I always complete each other with our similar sense of style and interest in seeing fashion as beauty and art instead of simply as clothing. She has taught me to appreciate the classics--a fine Hermes scarf, a beautiful bottle of Bond Chinatown perfume with Swarovski crystals placed carefully on each cherry blossom, or a timeless cashmere sweater (just to name a few). More often than not, we like the same things. However, it was over break that for the first time ever, we disagreed about a certain jewelry designer who she recently discovered.

Charles Krypell, as some of you may have heard of, was a sculpter before he designed jewelry. Hmm, well that's interesting. Don't worry, it was my first impression as well. But I have to admit, his pieces are absolutely stunning in real life. After much hesitation and failed attempts at trying to change her mind, I got my mom a sterling silver and gold Charles Krypell cuff for Christmas. The first time I saw it I was absolutely stunned. The detail and craftsmanship of the piece was artwork. “I want my clients to enjoy the piece at every single angle,” he explains on his company website. Well, trust me, he gets the job done. Above are a few pictures of some Krypell cuffs. DISCLAIMER: the pictures don't do his work justice-they are so intricate in person!

Moral of the story: mom's always know best!

Shoulder Girl

It's really taken me a while to warm up to Lady Gaga, but I have to say, after watching her interview with Oprah a few weeks back, she really has begun to grow on me. After watching her at the Grammy's last night, it seemed like the spotlight was on her everywhere she went during the show. It's no secret that she isn't a stranger to taking bold risks, but I also noticed something about her that goes beyond the clothes. She isn't afraid to show off and accent certain parts of her body that normally people don't think too much about. In particular, I though about how much attention she puts on her shoulders. Strutting around in her strictly Giorgio Armani Prive outfits last night, I noticed that she really tends to wear dresses that add character to her shoulders. Gaga wasn't the only one to stand tall last night either. Beyonce and Jennifer Hudson both sported dresses that made their shoulders worth noticing. Personally, I've never really thought too much about accenting mine, but I think it's a risk that can be done in a way without having to go too over the top. Don't worry, you don't have to be Gaga to rock this look.

These dresses are perfect examples of a "realistic shoulder risk" (for those of you who aren't ready to release you inner Gaga) for a night out to dinner with the girls...

I certainly think its a classy twist to spice up an otherwise (let's face it), boring dress. Definitely a look I'll be trying out for spring.

xoxo

Kisses from Tory

Anyone who knows me knows about my love for Tory Burch. I think her pieces exemplify the perfect balance of classic and chic. She pleases both sides of me and makes taking a fashion risk (like wearing one of her bold tunics) a statement that doesn't take away from the beauty of the person wearing the outfit. I think her looks are realistic to wear and aren't "strictly runway." She doesn't confuse being bold and making a statement with being tacky.

Recently, TB teamed up with artist Leanne Shapton to create two new patterns featuring lips and red...hmm, v-day gift anyone? The lips pattern has a very Andy Warhol feel to it, but I'm falling in love with it nevertheless.

Soul Searching Sunday

"We are shaped and fashioned by what we love."

-Johann Wolfgang

Seeing this quote really sparked my thoughts about something that's been bothering me lately that I haven't been able to figure out until now. Being a freshman in college, its so simple to get stuck in the bubble of school and forget that there really is a real world going on outside the gates of Fairfield. I really feel there has become a problem amongst people my age, (in particular, girls), with chasing after our dreams. We choose to obsess and spend our time worrying about the things in life that at the end of the day, really don't matter at all. It is sad to think and even acknowledge that young women who chase after their dreams and put their heart and soul into what they want out of life has be shaved down to a small minority of girls. Now I'm not saying that this is only true for women because men my age are certainly doing the same, but I'm going to specifically talk about girls. My question comes down to this-why does no one do what they love anymore? I come across so many girls everyday who simply do the things they think they're "supposed to be doing" as a college student and I ask myself, are they doing it for themselves, or for the sole purpose of fitting in and being accepted. If we continue to put what makes us happy on the back burner, then what really is the sense of living at all? As they say, life is too short. And if we follow Johann Wolfgang's quote from above, what is shaping young women today? I see so many girls putting themselves second and putting the happiness of others before themselves in hopes of gaining everyones acceptance. Since when did it become a law that everyone had to like and agree with everything you do?