February- What a Strange Month

Ok folks- I've gotten moved in, but it's still going to be a crazy couple of weeks. I have my birthday coming up, my boyfriend's got a HUGE (read: turning OLD) birthday coming up, there's Valentine's Day, I might be having dental surgery- anyway, posting will be a little bit less than regular for the month of February. 

I didn't post my inspiration folder for January and it is bursting at the seams. Get ready for a very image-heavy post of awesome.

Karlie Kloss took a while t0 grow on me ( I hated  her her first season on the runway), but she's gained range over the past few years and now I'm really impressed. I also just realized she's in Rodarte in both of these, which may explain the love as well.

Maybe it's the influence of couture week, but I'm loving big poufy dresses lately.

Fantastical settings. If you haven't seen the editorial from Vogue UK that this Helena Bonham Carter photos is from, you should search for it ASAP. It's based on Roald Dahl's children's stories, and it's one of my favorites in a long time. I highly recommend it.

More inspiration in the next post!

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What Are You Doing Here?

IT'S COUTURE WEEK.

Take yourself over to style.com 

Oh, and I'm moving this week, so posting will be sporadic. 

Thought for the Day

I hate snakes. HATE THEM. I live in an area where snakes are fairly common, and my reaction on seeing one is to go into full crying hysterics and scream things like, "Kill it! Kill it with fire!". I even have a hard time looking at pictures of snakes. I recently found two pieces that are snakeskin that I actually coveted though. Can I actually have snakeskin that close to my body without turning into a shrieking mess? Will somebody buy these for me so that I can find out?

VBH python bag

 Prada whipsnake and python heels

I Smell Like a Man

Note: GAH! I wrote this post almost a week ago and pressed Save instead of Publish so I've just been twiddling along congratulating myself on posting more regularly and generally being a dummy! 

I've been wearing the same perfume for about four years, so when I had a little extra money after Christmas, I decided to head to Sephora to try some new ones out and maybe pick up some new makeup while I was at it. As I was wandering around looking for Dior mascara (note to ladies with green or green-flecked eyes: Deep Plum Diorshow Mascara is your new best friend), I decided to play in the men's cologne. It was my Goldilocks moment. John Varvatos cologne smelled like a very manly library on the test strip- too woodsy. Hermes Terre d'Hermes smelled like the forest- too outdoorsy. When I sprayed Prada Infusion d'Homme on the test strip, I was instantly intrigued. It smelled clean and fresh. I'm no expert when it comes to fragrance "notes" but this review on Now Smell This really gives a great summary for those who understand those kind of things better than me.

So there I was, wandering around Sephora, trying to figure out what guy in my life was going to be lucky enough to get some new cologne, when all of a sudden it hit me- dude, I wanted this cologne! I put a little on my skin, cruised around Sephora for a little while longer, and then took a sniff- perfection! It was everything I like in a scent: a little citrus-y, a little water-y, very clean, and yet not overly manly (or even worse in my book, overly girly) at all. I had to have it! 

I got home, and there lay the real test- what would the boyfriend think? Generally I don't wear perfume very often, and he's not a cologne guy either, so I knew that a new smell on me would garner a reaction. But would he think I smelled like another man? Or would he even suspect I was wearing cologne? Within moments of our first hug, he commented that I "smelled nice". Once we had settled in a little, I made him smell my wrist- and then couldn't get him to quit sniffing it! He really liked the smell that much. He was a little confused when I told him I was wearing cologne, but was still really into it.

Lesson for my ladies- go play in the men's aisles. Don't be afraid to try on their smells. Yes, some would have you smelling a little too much like your dad, but give it a shot- you may find your next signature scent there.

I've Been Gone WAY Too Long

Sorry for the unintentional extended absence folks- I got the stomach virus around Christmas time and then went to visit the boyfriend's family for the first time at the end of the year. (Note to self: thirteen hour roadtrips in the backseat with two large Labs are not so fun.) Anyway, there's a whole lot that I want to write about now that I'm back, beginning with an editorial from a magazine that is more practical than aspirational.

InStyle Magazine really hit the mark with its styling of Keri Russell in their January issue. I'm pretty bummed nobody gave me what I really wanted for Christmas (an unlimited lifetime shopping allowance- seriously guys, where were you on that one?), because if they had I would definitely dress like this all the time. It's the perfect mix of masculine touches with an overall girly feel. I'm going to try to look to this shoot for inspiration for my winter wear since its finally gotten slightly colder here in the Deep South. Keep up the good work, InStyle! Maybe you'll finally tempt me to get a subscription this year.