autumn.winds

the.secret.to.life

starry.eyed

flare jeans - loft, star blouse - express, mongolian fur vest - ebay

i.put.a.spell.on.you

party.in.the.back

love her - i may already have a man, but i still whip out a few man repelling outfits here and there - although admit it or not he's coming around to some of my crazy clothes and whipping out a few of his own. the boy tried to wear a cabbie hat (!!!???) the other day!

check out "The Man Repeller" blog HERE

brighten.your.day

brighten your day with this charming video

everything sounds better in french

embrace.the.crazy

Yesterday's post about Jenna Lyons really got me thinking about how lucky I am to have a creative job that allows me to never feel like I'm missing out on any of the things I love. Although fashion isn't part of my job, a lot of jobs today don't allow the kind of creative sartorial expression that I have. My office doesn't really have a dress code (other than "make sure you're appropriately covered"), and that allows me to have nothing off-limits - enter bright red pants. If these can't put a spring in your step, well, then nothing probably can. I didn't spend big money on these, as I usually try not to on super trendy things, although I have to admit that the thought of these going "out of style" makes me awfully sad!

Fashion isn't always friendly to those who have a sartorial responsibility. New York magazine says this about designer-of-the-moment Alexander Wang's aesthetic and secret to success:

"He’s built an approximately $25 million business on cool but benign day-into-night clothes for lithe, pragmatic downtown girls who all appear to work in galleries or PR or in fashion somehow themselves—anything vaguely “creative.” Wang synthesized the street-style-blog-derived notion of looking like a “model off duty,” a louche fantasy of effortlessly sexy living if ever there was one. After all, what exactly does a model do when she’s off duty? The Wang girl is, therefore, always ready to go out, dance with careful abandon, drink in hand, accessorized with a cigarette and a handsomely scruffy boy, swaying her hair around, pushing it behind her ears."

Now the last of that description certainly doesn't fit me - but "girls who appear to work in galleries or PR or in fashion somehow themselves - anything vaguely 'creative,'" is apparently a group that many woman would like to be a part of, because it's selling Mr. Wang's fur pom-pom accented heels & slouchy cutout sweaters like crazy.

Not that all woman can't toss a little personality into their work wardrobes. All I'm saying is to embrace the crazy you're allowed.

Life's too short to make your message "I wasn't inspired to wear anything fun today."

commander.in.chic

I've been going nuts over all the inspirational photos and videos of J.Crew creative director Jenna Lyons. Lately I've been loving a few things that were never a big part of my day-to-day dressing - sequins and glitter, denim & pants, leather & fur - and she's a great guide for mixing all that crazy with the best of basics. Which, of course, is exactly what makes her so perfect for her job at J.Crew. Check out the video above for lots of adoreable-ness - she dreams in sequins - (and try to ignore Jenna Bush's less than stellar journalism skills while doing so....)

diamonds.on.the.soles.of.her.shoes

In case your budget doesn't accommodate the $700 + Miu Mius, go for these.

They come in two colors, and the second pair is only $15 - so my budget decided I needed both!

I am going to have some VERY sparkly feet this weekend.

Available HERE.

everyday.sparkle

i wore this outfit last week on a quite rainy day (hence the topknot) and these booties proved they're going to be one of the more valuable finds of this fall!
not to mention - you can't beat these prices...

it's only 45 degrees outside (probably a little weird how excited i am by that) and i've decided it's finally time for chili - i'm heading to whole foods on my lunch break to pick up all the essentials and maybe there will be a yummy recipe post tomorrow - depending on how it all turns out! i've not made vegan chili yet, and although i had a FANTASTIC recipe for beef chili courtesy of my mother, i think i'm going to have to experiment with vegetarian versions for a bit before i find the perfect equation. wish me luck!

"Maybe if they all could be combined - art, rock and fashion. Those were always my favorite things."-Stephen Sprouse

tgif

over.the.top

funny how this time of year things start trending towards excess.

my closet has lately begun to overflow with cozy knits, suede heels, and LOTS of sequins...

"Maybe if they all could be combined - art, rock and fashion. Those were always my favorite things."-Stephen Sprouse

the.recipe

I don't think I've ever truly known the meaning of "Indian Summer" in the way that I've experienced it this year. I know a lot of people are loving it - 80s in October in St. Louis was actually pretty perfect for the outdoor beer festival we went to this weekend - but I'm really itching to break out my winter clothes, and the cozy is totally eluding my autumn.

So in lieu of the fact that it's not yet cold enough to make chili - sad face - I decided to play pretend and make this yummy bowl of happiness.

When other people are hungover from a crazy weekend, they order pizza.

I make soup. It's my favorite food - I know, I'm an odd bird. I also invited this pretty much from scratch, so I'm a little proud of it!

Roasted Winter Vegetable Soup

you need:
1 butternut squash - peeled, cored, and cut into four big pieces
1 sweet potato - unpeeled
1 apple - peeled, cored, and cut into chunks
1 large onion, chopped
4 cups vegetable broth
1 head of garlic - prepped for roasting, excellent instructions on that HERE
1.5 tbsp earth balance, 3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup soy creamer
1/2 cup soy milk
1/4 cup apple cider
dash vegan worcestershire
cumin
3 tsp sage
salt & pepper

step 1: preheat your oven to 425. wrap the sweet potato and apple in aluminum foil and place on roasting pan with prepped garlic. get your hands good and oiled up with 2 tbsp of that olive oil, and rub it all over the squash. then sprinkle with salt, pepper, and a mild smattering of cumin. roast for an hour, or until squash and potato or easily smushed with a fork.
step 2: melt earth balance with the last tbsp of olive oil over medium high heat, and sautee onion and sage for 5 minutes or so, until very soft. add squash, potato (skin on), apple, and roasted garlic (squish out the garlic from the cloves), and sautee for another 2 or 3 minutes. add vegetable broth, apple cider, a few dashes of worcestershire, and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper. lower heat to medium low and simmer for 23 minutes, tasting at 5 minute intervals to test for seasoning (i.e. more sage, salt, or pepper.)
step 3: add soy milk and soy creamer and stir, taste for seasoning. let simmer 2 more minutes.
step 4: puree soup in batches in a blender, food processor, or with an immersion blender. a blender will make a very smooth, creamy soup, a food processor a slightly chunker soup, and an immersion blender will really do whatever you want! then serve ad enjoy!

"Maybe if they all could be combined - art, rock and fashion. Those were always my favorite things."-Stephen Sprouse

so.sad

steve jobs - 02/24/1955-10/05/2011

"Maybe if they all could be combined - art, rock and fashion. Those were always my favorite things."-Stephen Sprouse

a.new.braid

"Maybe if they all could be combined - art, rock and fashion. Those were always my favorite things."-Stephen Sprouse

how.to.be.lovely

olivia will likely forever remain my #1 style icon - i just never get tired of her increasingly interesting ensembles

"Maybe if they all could be combined - art, rock and fashion. Those were always my favorite things."-Stephen Sprouse

the.outfit/10.02

My uniform lately has been my favorite jeans, booties, and a chiffon blouse. It really couldn't be easier - but for my October plans (orchards, staying in, enjoying the amazing weather) it also couldn't be more perfect.

Also - don't call it fall...autumn is such a prettier word.

top-nordstrom, jeans-madewell, booties-sam edelman

"Maybe if they all could be combined - art, rock and fashion. Those were always my favorite things."-Stephen Sprouse

love.this.kitchen

contemporary kitchen design by other metros interior designer Andrea Schumacher

"Maybe if they all could be combined - art, rock and fashion. Those were always my favorite things."-Stephen Sprouse

vintage.notebooks

Can be purchased HERE.

"Maybe if they all could be combined - art, rock and fashion. Those were always my favorite things."-Stephen Sprouse

vegan.eats

As a vegan, there are two questions I get a LOT. The number one question is "where do you get your protein?" and that's getting old, so if you are still wondering, check out the answer HERE.

Number two is "what do you EAT??," usually followed by the most obvious punch line, delivered by a bystander: "grass, duh..."

So here's what I do eat! To show some good examples I wrote down everything for 7 full days, and these are the most interesting, and most boring/unhealthy days, respectively.

the.outfit/09.27

Today we had some of that totally perfect fall weather, where a plaid shirt is just enough, and nothing else is really needed. I had fun getting to use my new Photoshop skills (thank you BlogShop) while working today, and got to enjoy the weather while running a few errands. For me right now, happiness is staying put - as much as I enjoyed New York this weekend, I have the entire month of October (my favorite month) completely free of weekend plans, which means I'll be getting in lots of time at home in St. Louis. I'm seeing lots of orchards, museums, movies, and pumpkin carving in my future...

plaid shirt-f21, wide leg jeans-alexa chung for madewell, watch-marc jacobs

"Maybe if they all could be combined - art, rock and fashion. Those were always my favorite things."-Stephen Sprouse

the.recipe

"Maybe if they all could be combined - art, rock and fashion. Those were always my favorite things."-Stephen Sprouse

all things cozy

"Maybe if they all could be combined - art, rock and fashion. Those were always my favorite things."-Stephen Sprouse