Aquatic Tea Party

My new obsession (yes, I'm a bit behind the times) is The Man Repeller. I honestly crack up...and at times double over...at the things this girl shamelessly puts out there. She basically says (and wears) everything the rest of woman-kind is afraid to.

One post in particular that got me to slap my knee as I pulled a loud, cackle-ish "HA!"...

{see here for original location}

Shoe Lust

Ah-Dorable.

I am not one to spend chunks of my paycheck on shoes...okay, maybe once upon a time. Well, all I can say is that once upon a time is gonna happen again real soon, because these cuties are just too good.

Oh, did you see these too?

Shoe lust is a dangerous thing.

Women in Menswear

Who ever said a woman can't wear men's clothes? Tomboys, unite.

{image via the sartorialist}

Sartorialist mini-doc

This is a fun/interesting little documentary done on Scott Schumann a.k.a. The Sartorialist.

Do What you Love (Baltimore!)

Ryan at Pacing the Panic Room has done it again....and this time in my hometown! Here is his latest installment of "Do What You Love" for the Gap. He profiled Jess, who is an employee at Charm City Cakes, and is also a (guess what?) nursing student at JHU School of Nursing! Jealous much? Granted, her life is probably a daily whirlwind, but if I could be a nursing student by day and bake cakes by night I would take it in a heartbeat.

Cocktail Party, Cyclists Only

How clever is this idea? A group of friends dress up in their snazziest suits and dress ensembles, then hop onto their bicycles to ride to their own cocktail party?





Top hats in place of helmets, and pumps instead of clip shoes. I love it. (I'm obviously ignoring the blatant disregard for safety here, but it's just so cute!)

{all images via LetsGoRideABike}

Emma's Short Hair

Emma Watson. I cannot get enough of her short-short hair.

{image via here}

Jewelry Maker Manoogian

Lauren Manoogian's handpainted leather bracelets, paper, wood, and leather necklaces are catching my eye today.

{via here and here}

EmersonMade for Fall

This woman knows how to woo me...Emerson, are you interested in providing us with discounts any time soon? Thanks for considering, Jackie.

Pants, please

This girl has the right idea. Comfy and classic, all in one simple outfit.

{image via here}

tres chic

Do you watch Gossip Girl? I do...and shamelessly so! I will also admit that my favorite character is brand new to the show- Clemence Poesy as Chuck Bass' new girlfriend Eva. Everything about her is pretty much why she's my favorite: her hair, her accent, her style, and her overall sweet self. Love all of it. I will even go as far as to say that she is my new girl crush (sorry, Audrey Tautou).

oh, and speaking of scarves...

xoxo (sorry, had to put this in here.)

Sweet Scarves

Who doesn't love a good scarf? I cannot wait to layer myself up in the winter with scarves of all different colors, patterns, and origins. Sometimes, I think I have more scarves than other clothing items...hmmm.

Blazer Lust

Once the cool breezes start to blow, I pull out my blazers. It's still too warm for jackets, but a nice blazer always dresses things up without making it too weighty. I spotted this 3/4 sleeve one on Modcloth.com. I love the grey piping :)

Oh, Jackie O.

I caught up on my "Project Runway" season 8 episodes last night, and my favorite one by far is the most recent Thursday night challenge, which required the designers to create a modern-day Jackie O. sportswear outfit.

I don't just love the woman because we have the same name (although, it is kind of nice). Her style is sophisticated, yet confident and relaxed. Her marriage may not have been perfect, but sometimes I like to think that her wardrobe was her coping mechanism and made her feel put-together and ready to take on the world. Isn't that what every woman's wardrobe should do?

{via here}

{via here}

{via here}

always a bridesmaid

I love this bridesmaid dress. Whimsical, carefree, and absolutely WEARABLE! (I'm also diggin' her sideways, messy ponytail.)

Hair, care?

I haven't gotten a haircut in over a year. What's more, is that I don't care much for styling my hair. I rarely brush it (don't worry, I shower every day, although I'm surprised it hasn't turned into dreadlocks yet). It's usually up in a messy bun of sorts. However, I'm looking to change all that...or at least most of it (sometimes, you just have to run and go with the messy look). I've been perusing haircuts/styles as of late, and I wanted to share my finds with you! If you're like me and you love your hair, but it's not a serious relationship or anything, here are some good looks for the best of the mess...






{via here, here, and here}

La-Di-Da, La-Di-Da

Joanna Goddard featured this poster on her blog and it made me squeal (just a little).

Have you seen the movie, "Annie Hall"??? If you haven't, you're missing out on an iconographic piece of American cinema! So get on over to your closest movie rental store and rent "Annie Hall" for your Friday night film of choice. I promise, you won't regret it. Diane Keaton is simply wonderful. Woody Allen, for all his real-life flaws, is pretty hilarious, too.

weekend casual

How beautiful does Audrey Hepburn look in this photograph?! It makes me want to have a nice, relaxing weekend in loose clothing...and maybe get a super-short haircut...

Okay, maybe not that short. Maybe just a haircut in general would be nice.

{image via here}

What are you up to this weekend?

Tomorrow I'm spending the day with my Nonna and probably seeing the film, "Eat, Pray, Love." I am not a particular fan of the book itself- based on others' interpretations, not mine, though. However, I L-O-V-E Julia Roberts! "Pretty Woman" has been my favorite movie since I was 10 years old (it was also the first rated R movie I watched without my mother's permission!) Then, tomorrow night, my Mommy is coming to visit and sleep over and play with her granddaughter (No, I didn't have a baby in the past few days. Oregon is her grand baby :)

Gwyneth much?

How does she do it?

{image via here}

A Working Woman's Dilemma: expensive handbags

Dear Worldly, High-End Designers,

This is a letter of controlled frustrations. I consider myself a financially responsible woman. I save up a fraction of my paycheck every other week so that I may afford a small portion of my nursing school tuition two years down the line. I tend to splurge on occasion when it comes to great food or a beautiful dress. However, I constantly find myself torn on the issue of expensive handbags. Year after year, I convince myself that I will go the extra mile and save up for a worthwhile, pricey leather bag with enough room for all of my essentials (plus not-so-essentials) and it will be the best splurge purchase I will make for a long time. I tell myself, "This bag will be worth it. It will last a lifetime and you will never have the need to buy another one again."

Then I go online and scout out the competition. My heart sinks- I look at the prices and suddenly realize, yet again, that I cannot afford this. $395 for a timeless, yet simple piece of luggage, which will probably meet the harrows of my possessions- pens that I throw inside without their caps, pastries wrapped in their wax paper that unfailingly slip out and scatter their crumbs to the bottom of the bag. I cannot do such a thing to such an expensive item!!! Furthermore, my conscious simply will not justify the action. $395 could buy a sofa from Ikea, 8 reasonably-priced outfits, 3-4 pairs of Jeffrey Campbell shoes; it could push my savings into the next "thousands," or pay for my groceries for the next4 weeks.

After adding 3 or 4 bags to my "shopping cart," I rip off the band aid and exit out of the window, never to see those hand sewn leather goods again until next year when this fever hits me once more.

This annual trial and tribulation brings me to my request: PLEASE make more reasonably-priced, affordable handbags! There are countless women out there who would adore a beautiful Marc Jacobs bag that would assure them a lifetime of reliable utility storage. It is not that we don't have the style or beautiful taste that other women who own these bags do. Rather, we just cannot afford them!

On behalf of all women out there paying off their loans, saving up for grad school, paying off a mortgage, paying the rent, buying slightly-more-expensive organic groceries because they know it's better for them...please, do us a favor and treat us for all of our hard earned dollars; treat us for the 8-hour days spent sitting at our desks wishing our paycheck would include a refund for the gym membership we must maintain in order to keep our bum from permanently forming to the desk chair we practically reside in! Please, tack off $300 from that gorgeous piece of iconography and allow us the opportunity to make the image of the working woman a little more beautiful without going broke with our only possession, in the end, being a purse with nothing in it.

Yours truly,
Jacqueline

Post script:
I understand there are many retailers out there who provide discounts on these fabulous bags, and to those retailers, I thank you for your efforts.