Zou Bisou Bisou

Late one night last week I found myself dancing around the house to 60's french girl pop music in nothing but some sexy lingerie and it was The. Best.  I woke up the morning after feeling what I can only assume is the hangover of such activities, causing me to want to dress in a way which I would imagine a french girl would dress (stereotypically, I suppose, according to my brain).  I just need a cigarette hanging from my fingers to complete the look, but since I don't smoke I didn't feel like going out and buying a pack just to fulfill my french outfit desires.  I did sit outside a cafe sipping on a tasty beverage in a fancy mug and writing in a journal, though, so perhaps that makes up for it.
I always imagine the stereotype of a "french girl" to have that sort of undone, disheveled chicness.  She doesn't care if her hair is messy or a bit greasy, has runs in her tights, and doesn't care if her outfit is chosen from a pile of dirty clothes on the floor.  She hangs out at cafes talking with interesting people, drinking black coffee and smoking cigarettes, and scrawls her deep thoughts in nondescript journals.  I love scrolling through The Sartorialist and seeing the interestingly dressed guys and girls he captures with his lens.  I think it'd be cool to roam the streets of Paris or Milan trolling for interesting people to photograph.  

top + scarf/h&m :: vest/thrifted+diy :: jacket/courtesy of asianicandy hat/nordstrom :: skirt/thrifted :: belt + boots/target  bag/courtesy of handbag heaven :: tights/courtesy of modcloth
This whole "oxblood" trend thing seems kind of silly.  Since when is cranberry/wine not a popular fall color?  It's definitely one of my favorite colors to wear in the cooler months because it's so rich and saturated, the opposite of the grey days we have here.  I have about three or four pairs of cranberry colored tights, but as I was looking through my closet the other day I realized I don't have any dresses or skirts in the color.  Perhaps I just like to accessorize with it?  Well either way, I guess it's good to know I'm accidentally totally on trend this fall!  
Having a style blog means I get asked questions about trends relatively frequently, and I always sort of feel bad when people ask me about my favorite trend, or what trend I'm looking forward to, because I really don't know much about trends.  One of the reasons I dropped out of my fashion journalism masters program was because I realized I had absolutely no interest in reporting on or creating trends, and it seems like most of the fashion industry feeds off of such things.  I definitely feel the blow back of trends, as they are interpreted by my fellow style bloggers and as they trickle down to stores like forever21 and H&M, but if you asked me what's gonna be hot for spring 2013 I'd probably say something like, "florals?"  because... aren't florals always on trend for spring?  Honestly I think I'd rather be a follower than a leader when it comes to trends.  I just like wearing things that make me feel good, and if that's on trend or ahead of whatever trend is about to hit, then that's cool I guess, but it's definitely not on my radar.  Maybe this is just a symptom of growing up in Alaska where all the trends hit two years late anyway, so I'm used to being behind the times.  Besides, when you're behind the times, you get all the old trends on sale!

mokkafiveoclock giveaway

Hello everyone, happy Monday!  Today I'm bringing you a giveaway from my sponsor Mokkafiveoclock, a great etsy shop that makes custom fitted, vintage inspired dresses!  Yup, that's right, they make every dress according to your measurements.  Pretty fancy.  Today you've got an opportunity to win a $100 gift certificate to Mokkafiveoclock so you can get your hands on one of their beautiful pieces!
To enter: Leave a comment on this post letting me know what dress you'll get if you win, plus a way for me to get in contact with you in case you win.
For a second entry, like Mokkafiveoclock on Facebook and then come back and leave an additional comment on this post letting me know you've done so!
The giveaway will be open until Saturday, Oct 27 at 9pm PST.
*my intensedebate commenting went down, so if you previously entered through my intensedebate comment system, don't worry, your entry is still there!  No need to enter a second time :) *
The winner of the Lovenell giveaway is...

Congrats!

no bake cookies

The other night I was having a craving for a sweet little morsel of something or other and wanted to make a quick and easy cookie.  I thought about making some sugar cookies, but they aren't really my favorite, and then I remembered no bake cookies.  Ah, so easy, so quick, and because they have oatmeal in them I can pretend that they're healthy.  Huzzah!  Dan and I have been eating one for breakfast along with cup of coffee, probably not the best breakfast in the world, but it's real yummy.

(recipe adapted from food network)

Ingredients
2 cups sugar
1 oz (1 square) bakers chocolate
1 stick butter
1/2 cup milk
1 cup peanut butter
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 cups oatmeal
1 cup craisins (or just regular raisins)

1. Throw the sugar, chocolate, butter and milk in a saucepan and bring it all to a boil.  Let it boil for 1 minute then add the peanut butter, vanilla, craisins/raisins and oatmeal.

2.  Drop spoonfuls of the mixture onto a sheet of waxed paper on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer until hardened.  I like to leave mine in the freezer or fridge so they stay nice and solid, but they should stay hard once they've cooled to room temperature.

Easy, quick and so great.  I've made two batches just this week...

Get Fancy

1 // 2 // 3
Lately I've been looking forward to celebrating our first anniversary, and while one year isn't really a big deal, necessarily, I'll take whatever opportunity I get to have an excuse to dress up.  I feel like after your prom and wedding the opportunities to get fancy start to drop off significantly, which is really a shame, because it's such a great feeling to get primped and fancy and feel like a total bombshell.  And a bombshell dress is exactly what I've been craving for this anniversary.  Something slinky and sultry, please!  I'm pretty sure I want something in red, but black is so very demure as well.  Most of these come from Pinup Girl Clothing, which is my go-to shop for finding sexy pinup inspired clothing.

1 // 2 // 3 I've got a red dress quite similar to the ones pictured that I thrifted a couple years ago for Dan's "old hollywood" themed birthday party, but it's full length so I might try hemming it to the knee to get more of the wiggle dress look.  Red lips and false lashes are definitely a must, now I just have to figure out what to do with my hair!  Maybe something smooth and vintage like the hair in the second photo in the red dress set, or the third photo of the black dress set.  Or even like this if I could figure out how to make my hair behave.

featured sponsor // a wild tonic

Lauren runs both a blog and vintage shop by the name of A Wild Tonic, and she's great.  Want to get to know more about her and AWT?  Of course you do!  Lucky for you, I did a little interview with Lauren so you can do just that.

{ We know you've got an awesome vintage shop... what don't we know about you?
Thank you! Not many people know that I went to school for Arts Administration. I wanted a career in gallery management, and even worked in a few galleries during and after college, but since then my goals have shifted.

{ What made you want to start selling vintage?
I started selling on Etsy because I had quite a large vintage collection I wanted to pare down. Once I started making sales and hearing how happy my customers were with their new-to-them pieces, I began to actively hunt for vintage treasures for the shop.

{ What is your favorite thing about vintage clothing/things?
There are so many benefits to owning vintage items, but I think my favorite thing is the uniqueness of it. From clothing to home decor, I think it's so great to own something that few other people, if any, also own.


{ What is your fall outfit staple?
Vintage leather, specifically boots and jackets. So classic, comfortable, and already perfectly worn in!

{ What are you most excited for now that Fall is almost here?
It seems like so many people love fall for many of the same reasons, and I'm fine with being one of them. I love drinking cider (with whiskey, sometimes), going pumpkin picking, everything about Halloween (specifically watching "Hocus Pocus"), and of course, the excitement of the upcoming holiday season. Oh, and not sweating every time I go outside. Haha!

{ You've created an awesome series of wanderlust-inspired quote prints on maps, what's your favorite place to visit thus far on your journeys?
I just returned from my first "real" road trip, which was incredible. My boyfriend and I went to Maryland, then down to New Orleans, to Disney World, and back home to New Jersey. What I love most about road trips is getting to see what regular life is like for people in different parts of the world. I'm not too keen on touristy places, but I enjoy local shops, restaurants, and bars.


{ What do you love most about where you live?
New Jersey gets a bad rap most of the time, and more so lately thanks to "Jersey Shore," but I vehemently defend my home state whenever someone talks trash. Sure it's crowded and some parts aren't that nice, but there's SO much to see and do here. From the shore to the cities, mountains to malls, we have just about everything. I also really love that we're only a short car ride from New York City, Philadelphia, D.C., New England, Baltimore, etc.


1 // 2 // 3 // 4
Thanks for sharing a bit about yourself and your shop, Lauren!
If you want to snag yourself some of the unique vintage items that Lauren stocks in her shop, you can get a discount by using the code "TACKY25" for 25% off!  Snazzy.