Just call me Annie Leibovitz

Jeans: Old Navy

Top: SYMS

Earrings: Ten Thousand Villages

Ring: Festoon

Shoes: Deb Shops

So last week there was an absolutely STUNNING day where I probably could have worn a skirt or dress, but I somehow ended up in jeans. I enjoyed this outfit a great deal, though. I love the combination of the bright mustard yellow pumps with the turquoise ring and the fuchsia earrings. The polka dots helped keep it cheerful, too. Anyway, I convinced my friend Ken to snap some more fun photos for me, but he also turned things around and I got to snap a few of him!

I'd like to take credit for my work, but I'll be honest. I probably took over 50 shots and these were the "good" ones. So maybe photography won't be in my future, but I sure had a lot of fun pretending I was good at it.

Rain rain GO AWAY!

After two perfectly glorious spring days, today was absolutely dismal. The air was chilly in the upper 50's and the rain made it even worse- you know that wet, raw kind of day? Well, that was today. But I decided not to let it get me down. I put on one of the most recent "Bouche" originals- a fun skirt in white and kelly green:

As you can see from the pictures, I am also wearing my newest accessory- a bright pink iPod nano. I am addicted to it! Although, after scooting around town with it all day, I discovered an interesting side effect of having all sorts of great music right at my fingertips. Once I realized this, I sent a text to my good friend Brance telling him of my discovery. Here's how our convo went:

Renee: Dangerous side effect to the iPod: singing out loud in public. Also, spontaneous dancing.

Brance: Not to worry. You did that before.

Renee: Not with apparently "silent" music (to strangers around me). Do iPod users just hold it in? Because girlfriend needs to bust a move like Beyonce.

Brance: Hold it in until you reach the front door. Then shake and sang what yo momma gave you.

Renee: This can not be restrained. I guess I'll just have to be that crazy lady.

Brance: Attabouche*

My neighbor saw me shaking my booty on the way to the mailbox. I was immediately embarrassed, but I got over it. Anyway, back to the skirt. Isn't this fabric fun?

It kind of makes me want to "find my way" through it, you know? The skirt is another circle-shape. It's really flattering, not to mention super comfortable, just like the white dress from earlier this week. Since it was a little chilly today, I layered my favorite Ann Taylor denim jacket over my cap-sleeve white scoop-neck tee. My legs were a tad chilly, but my toes were warm enough in my Maurice's brown ballet flats. I finished off the outfit with simple accessories including earrings from Ten Thousand Villages and my baubles ring from ShopKim on Etsy. A pretty simple outfit, perfect for running errands around town.

In addition to a stop at Barnes & Noble and CVS, I also stopped by a local gelato stand for some of the MOST amazing gelato of my life. Some of you may not know it, but started blogging with a humble little blog about ice cream. I sampled ice cream from as many ice cream establishments as I could find in Lancaster. Click here for my original review of Gelato di Babbo. The company is very successful on the wholesale side, but the owner struggles with the success of the retail side of things. A less-than-fabulous location for her shop, combined with difficulties in zoning with the town of Lititz and tons of competition from other previously established shops has made it very hard. It makes me sad because her product is truly outstanding- she's the Ben & Jerry's of gelato. I'm sure that's why she's so successful with the wholesale side of things. But she truly loves the retail side- she can offer flavors that you won't likely see in a grocery store in addition to all the regulars. Flavors like Peanut butter & jelly, coconut, blackberry merlot, chocolate Guinness, to name a few. Today I bought 2 pints of gelato and I have to be honest, it was hard to narrow the selection down. In the end, I got a full pint of pistacchio as well as half a pint each of bananas foster and cannoli. Normally, I despise things that are "banana-flavored." That's because I hate banana flavoring. But her bananas foster gelato isn't made with banana flavoring. It's made with actual bananas. Just like her mango sorbet is made with actual mangoes. And the chocolate Guinness is made with 3 pints of Guinness. And the blackberry Merlot? A full bottle of wine goes into that recipe. There is no "flavoring" in her product, only real, fresh ingredients, most of which are local to Lancaster county. If you're a fan of buying local, Gelato di Babbo will be right up your alley. In addition, she makes custom flavors for any event, although I highly recommend the three I purchased today, especially the pistacchio and the cannoli. There's real ricotta cheese in the cannoli, so the flavor and texture are spot on. It also has crumbled cannoli shell and tiny chocolate chips scattered throughout. "Yum," is all I have to say about it. Anyway, the reason I'm waxing poetic on dessert is because I truly want to see this brand succeed, if only for selfish reasons (I love to eat it). With such an abundance of chemical-laden foods out there, it's refreshing to see someone making something truly fresh and pure. So if you live in the Lancaster area, head out to Gelato di Babbo next weekend and sample some gelato and sorbet. Take a pint (or two) home with you- I promise you will not regret it.

*Phrase "attabouche" copyright Brance Cornelius :-)

Accessories Anonymous: Simplify

In a time when more is better, bold is the new black and over-the-top knows no boundaries, it's often nice to go back to the simple things- they keep us grounded, focused, reigned in, if you will. Statement jewelry is all the rage right now- huge bib necklaces covered in glittering rhinestones and beads, chandelier earrings so long they complete with even the most open necklines, bracelets piled onto forearms, practically rendering sleeves unnecessary in the midwinter, to name a few. While all these things are well and good and even fun to wear, sometimes it can be easy to lose perspective. Jewelry (and clothing and other accessories) don't have to be over-the-top to be special. In fact, a small, but beautiful or interesting piece can be just as impactful, if not more so. I'd like to show you some examples of simple pieces that make a quieter statement, but a statement nonetheless.

A bit of whimsy, Etsy, $22

Glitz Lariat, Etsy, $20

Soft Petals, Etsy, $18

Dangling Pearl Earrings, Ten Thousand Villages, $25.50

Metal Looped Cuff, Forever 21, $3.80

Avalon Earrings, Etsy, $18

The key to any successful outfit is finding a focal point. These days, new fashion trends go over the top on a daily basis. Have you ever seen a woman walking down the street (or down a runway) and felt like she had so much going on her outfit that you didn't know where to look? I've seen beautiful statement jewelry on women and then realized that the jewelry was so overpowering that I had no recollection of the rest of the outfit, or worse yet, of the woman actually wearing the jewelry. Always keep that in mind when trends like the current ones are so in vogue. It may be fun to wear huge, over-the-top pieces whether they be shoes, jewelry, a dress, whatever. But look in the mirror with an objective eye and be certain that whatever the focal point of your outfit, it always remains clear to anyone walking by that the true focal point is YOU.

LOST inspired outfits

One thing you are all most likely learning about me as you read this blog is that I watch far too much TV. And I don't just like certain shows- I obsess over them. My Project Runway obsession is already apparent to anyone who's been reading this blog with any regularity. Another of my absolute favorite shows is LOST. I am not one of the crazy die-hards who sits up on message boards and chat rooms discussing all the minutiae of each episode. I just really love the show- the story, the mysteries of the island- I love it all. Desmond is my constant.Oh snap!

In honor of the Final Season Premiere tonight, I present to you two LOST-inspired outfits. Enjoy!

First, nothing says "jungle" like a chic safari dress. This one from Guess is available in two colors and is currently on sale for $59.95:

Somehow, it's vaguely reminiscent of the Dharma Initiative's khaki jumpsuits, but I think this would be worn in the Dharma spa station I've dubbed "The Fountain." It's on the same side of the island as The Temple station, for obvious reasons. If only Ben had scheduled a weekly massage therapy there, things might have turned out differently. But I digress... Layer it over a pair of jeans, tights or leggings if you live someplace where it's actually winter and accessorize it with these:

Wooden Cuff Bracelet, Ten Thousand Villages, $12.00

Aqua Open Weave Scarf, Ten Thousand Villages, $24.00

Jessica Simpson Jonas Boot, Endless, $119.23

Or if you live somewhere warm, these instead:

Pour La Victoire Pascale Platform Sandal, Endless, $181.47

One of my all time favorite characters is Charlie. I admit, I cried when he drowned in the Looking Glass station. I loved his rocker style, so this next outfit is in his honor.

Start with these Gap Distressed Boyfriend Jeans as your base ($69.50 or free if you actually take them from your boyfriend):

Next, pull out an old fitted graphic tee from your closet like this one from American Eagle ($19.50 or a lot less if you're smart and shop vintage or thrift stores. Just make sure you wash before you wear if it's second hand):

Keep it girly and glam without losing the edge with a pair of super high cage sandals like these from Urban Original ($21.50):

Next, no rocker look is complete without the right accessories:

Alice & Olivia Leather Cuff, Shopbop, $58

Sparkling Cross Chain, Forever 21, $5.80

Grungette Hoop Earrings (the name says it all), Forever 21, $5.80

And of course, no Charlie-inspired outfit would be complete without some type of large metallic ring reminiscent of his "DS" ring:

 

Steam Gear Ring, Etsy, $165

It may not have letters like Charlie's but somehow this Steampunk-style ring reminds me not only of his ring, but also of the wheel Ben turned to "move the island" and the various Dharma symbols seen throughout the series.

Well, I hope you have enjoyed my LOST-inspired outfits. I can't wait to watch the premiere tonight! Whoo-hoo!

My funky earrings

So either NO ONE is reading this blog or the people who read it weren't particularly interested in guessing what my crazy earrings were made of. Remember these earrings from this post?

I blogged about them a few days ago and asked if you could guess what they're made out of. I bought them at Ten Thousand Villages and was shocked when the saleslady told me they were made out of FISH SCALES! For real! At first, I thought, "Ew- that's gross!" But I swear they do not smell at all like fish (which was my first major concern), and they look so cool! They're from an artisan in Peru who hand-dyes the fish scales of the Mero fish and then creates jewelry with the finished scales. Crazy, huh? I hope they ate the fish for dinner first!

Accessories Anonymous: Ten Thousand Villages

Today I realized how thrilled I am to have chosen to dedicate the topic of my blog to fashion and style because there truly is an endless supply of things to write about. Sometimes it's hard to choose one idea and really focus on it because my mind is bursting with lots of other equally fabulous ideas. In addition, fashion is an ever-changing art form, so no matter how long I continue to blog, I will always have a constant stream of topics to inspire me (and you)!

Today is also a gorgeous day outside- it's unseasonably warm (AGAIN!) and I took the opportunity to take a walk across the street to the outlets, specifically the Pepperidge Farm Outlet Store. (I was on the hunt for Parmesan Goldfish crackers for my friend Mindy as well as Crispy Dark Chocolate Nantucket cookies for myself.) A few doors down is a Ten Thousand Villages shop so I popped in for a moment. For those of you unfamiliar with Ten Thousand Villages, they are a non-profit fair-trade organization who works with un-employed and under-employed artisans in third world countries. Their goal is to provide fair income to these artisans that in turn will provide them with food, shelter, education, etc. There is more information on their website. Anyway, while I was there, I found the coolest pair of earrings on sale for $5. They are hot pink and really fun. I know I'm supposed to be mixing up my current collection as opposed to buying new things, but I couldn't resist these:

So now for the big mystery: What do you think these are made of? I don't think you'll ever be able to guess because I certainly had NO idea and when the saleslady told me, I was shocked. Leave a comment if you want to take a guess, or if you know the answer. I promise I'll reveal the answer in a couple of days, but for now, why don't you venture a guess? What do you think these could possibly be made with?