On the market for a new Etsy obsession?

I have already publicly sung the praises of MaruMaru and Works in Progress (whose site is sadly no longer up), but if you're looking for some new handmade delights, check out Anna Victoria Martinez. I actually have a stunning pair of her earrings myself:

Black and pink is my favorite color combination anyway

Knowing full well that I would stick out like a sore thumb against all the neutral-colored Parisians, I decided to wear my new brightly-colored cardigan today:
Huge surprise coming up here-- none of the strangers I saw gave a rat's ass about my burst of color. No shocked stares, no angry mobs, no cries of "Oh la la!" or "Mon dieu! Elle fait quoi alors?!" Looks like I wore a bright magenta cardigan in the heart of Paris and lived to tell about it.

cardigan- Zara

scarf- ?

hat-Loehmann's?

dress- American Rag

leggings- American Apparel

boots- Target

L'Arc de Triomphe...

... was the landmark of choice today
I also bought a bright magenta cardigan on the Champs-Elysees, which was apparently a HUGE faux pas, considering the French only wear shades of black. But I'm going to wear it anyway :) I'm not French yet!

jacket- Zara

leggings- American Apparel

bag- NY&Co

gloves- Anthro

hat- Chrismukkah present

scarf- random shop in the Latin Quarter

Solidarity

I would feel self-obsessed doing a normal style post today when there is currently so much suffering among the people of an entire country, albeit one that I know nothing about. Forgive my ignorance. Over 100,000 dead in a day. My heart is with the people of Haiti.

Click to donate.

Quelques photos de mes premiers jours a Paris

Some pictures of my first days in Paris (en Francais!):
La Tour Eiffel
A la Sourbonne
Au Pantheon au quartier latin

Mon echarpe
Ma bague

coat/manteau- Zara

scarf/echarpe- ?

hat/chapeau- Forever21

boots/bottes- Target

jeans-Nordstrom

bag/sac- Urban Outfitters

gloves/gants-Anthropologie

ring/bague- ?

La Tour Eiffel

I've been so busy unpacking my life, cementing my class schedule, getting to know my classmates, and trying to find a normal sleep schedule I haven't been able to do any outfit pictures; that is, until yesterday when my friend Danielle and I braved the cold at the Eiffel Tower:

I literally took my huge sleeping bag jacket off for 30 seconds, she snapped the picture, then I put it back on. It wasn't off for very long but it was for long enough to elicit a few "bravo"s from some skeezy frenchmen. Ahh, Paris.

cardigan- F21

top- Anthropologie

skirt- Charlotte Russe

tights- Hue

necklace- Urban

beanie- Chrismukkah present

Off I Go!

Well, this is it-- my last night in the States! My flight to Paris leaves tomorrow afternoon. I'll start blogging again in a few days once I've settled in. See you guys on the other side!

via

PKS

I recently got an email from a woman named Gretchen Peters. She saw my "10 things" post and emailed me to learn more about my sister, Lauren (or Lolly, as I like to call her). Gretchen has a 5-year-old son, Simon, who also has Pallister-Killian Syndrome. She has helped put together a non-profit organization for families of PKS children, called PKS Kids. What an incredible resource the internet can be!

Lauren and me around New Years 2009

Since the syndrome is so very rare I doubt anyone who reads this blog knows anyone affected by PKS, but if you do, I would recommend checking out this website. And if any of you have family or friends affected by any mental handicap I would love to hear your story!

Art supplies for the decidedly un-arty

Four years ago, I convinced myself I was an artist. I confidently signed up for IB Art as my elective class, ran out to Michael's and bought a bunch of art supplies, and immediately began dreaming of the day when critics would stare thoughtfully at my paintings and pencil sketches (which would be so lifelike, mind you, they would appear to be photographs) on the walls of the Hirshhorn and the Louvre and declare me a revolutionary. A genius! The greatest painter of our time!
Unfortunately there was absolutely no method to my madness (or knowledge, research, skill, conviction, etc.) and I learned far too late into the semester that art was not really "my thing". This was also apparent to the IB representative on the day of my final presentation when I failed to explain any of my random, half-assedly executed sketches, paintings, and sculptures to her liking.
So what's a non-artiste to do with the 10,000 sketchbooks she bought earnestly with every intention of filling them with portraits, landscapes, and collages?
Well, if that non-artiste also enjoyed fashion maybe she could let them rot in her desk for 4 years, stumble upon them in her drawer while looking for something else entirely, and use them as an inspiration/idea book for herself!

Images from LUCKY

She could paste in photos from magazines she's read (along with witty commentary)

Images from LUCKY

She could make illustrated wish lists (along with witty commentary)

It's wonderful albeit totally fortuitous when the cutest umbrella design just pops into your head...

She could put her ideas down on paper (along with witty commentary)

And in doing so she could even practice her sketching (maybe along with witty commentary?). Looks like this little rebel could be an artist after all! What do you guys think of the idea? Do any of you have an idea book?