Holiday Gifts for...

I have many friends that adore make-up. When ever we hang out, at sometime I end up sitting on their bed while they experiment with all of the latest styles from the make-up world (This also usually involves flipping through each others' fashion magazines which can take hours on end).  I have gotten Katy-Perry-pink lips to Audrey Hepburn's Breakfast at Tiffany's glam look smeared onto my face, but we all love it. I do enjoy beauty products, but these lovely ladies are obsessed, and I love them for it!  Here are some items that are worthy enough for them, and that's saying a lot.

(going clockwise from top)

Stila Backstage Eyeshadow Quad

Sephora Color Wand

Sephora Travel Bath Set

Sephora Travel Brush Clutch

Stila Lip Glaze Set

OPI Mini Collection

A Couple Little Ideas

Even with Christmas over a month away, I know that that month will speed by in the blink of an eye.  Usually I think about presents once winter break starts (and by then, all the good gifts are sold out) and usually just give them a gift card to their favorite store, but this year is going to be different. I'm going to think about it way ahead of time and actually think creatively and really think about what they would actually want. Opening a wrapped box on Christmas is so much more fun then tearing open an envelope. So, (being true to my word) I'm going to do a series of gift guides, but here are just a couple ideas that are already on my mind. Hopefully this (and the ones coming soon) will be helpful this holiday season!

1. topshop.com 2. nordsrom.com 3. jaysonhomeandgarden.com 

GO International with Target

In March of 2011, GO International is teaming up with Target to create a capsule collection, bringing back dresses from the past, including a Rodarte number that I have had pinned to my inspiration board since it's original timing. They are going to have a total of 34 dresses from 17 of Targets past collaborations with designers. So if you missed a great dress the first go-around, or see a new one you love, be sure to check out Target in March. Lanvin is also doing a mash-up with Target real soon, and Mulberry is currently selling their pieces for Target right now (but if you really want one, be sure to buy it quick, because they are already out of stock online, and only a select few stores still have inventory). I just love when a big designer pairs up with Target, because I usually can't afford the actual brand. Now I'll just be counting off the days until March...

Marc Jacobs for Halloween

Store windows are always fun to look at around the holidays, and although my favorite are at Christmas time, Halloween window display are great too. Marc Jacobs payed a tribute to Alfred Hitchcock for his Halloween fun with inspiration from the movie The Birds.  He basically flocked his Bang! fragrance display with a ton of black birds. And it looked fabulous. What's your favorite Halloween display?

I heart it

Have you ever been stuck for inspiration and just don't know what to do? Well, I found this wonderfully delicious website called we heart it that you will just love. After reading some old posts from the blog lil bee I found this website and I instantaneously fell in love. Basically, anybody can post pictures of anything that they like and then you can go and "heart" it by clicking on the picture and add it to a list for future reference. The pictures can be found from blogs or a website, or you can take the pictures yourself. I have spent hours on it now poring through thousands of pictures and adding them to my heart.The quality of the pictures are amazing and you can't help but smile when you see some of them.  Here are just a few of the pictures that are "on my heart" right now.

Net-A-Porter

Don't you just hate it when you walk into a store and see something that has no hanger appeal at all and find something better (or so you thought) and then later see someone wearing that exact ensemble to realize it's gorgeous and then you experience some major clothing jealousy. Then, after you drive all the way to the store almost immediately, you see that this certain piece is all sold out, and you feel like an absolute idiot for not trying it on.  This happened to me a couple weeks ago, and really hadn't thought of a solution other then trying on everything in your sight that could have possible potential {enter net-a-porter.com}. I'm sure basically everyone that has a love for fashion has been to this website and I just love love love that you see the flats of the clothes, then when you roll over the picture, it shows you what it would look like on. I know this really doesn't solve your problems for in a store but I just adore being able to see where the hem would hit, or how high those dream boots really are, or how that it-bag would fit in your hand.  They have a gorgeous mini dress that was a new arrival for today, and I just love it, but I thought the hem would be a bit longer then it actually is. I thought it was a gorgeous flat, but it is even more amazing on a person (go figure).  Honestly, Net-A-Porter is just an amazing outlet for all the newest and latest on fashion and designers. Period.  They sell basically every brand you could want and have a virtual magazine to see all the newest trends to buy for. What more could a girl really want? (here are just a few of my favorite things)

A Miu Miu dress that I just adore, it was a new arrival today, and sold out today too. I can easily see this with a sky-high heel in nude or blush tones.

A J.Crew dress from their new wedding boutique. I saw this dress months ago and loved it, and now love it even more on this model's mocha skin. Heaven.

Again J. Crew, and just as fabulous. The green color is right on with the military trend, but fact it's a heel in silk feminizes the trend and takes it to a new level

Here is an example with the no hanger appeal, I saw this flat from Ashish and didn't like it much at all, it just hangs boringly and doesn't look very flattering, but on it takes on the roll of a comfy piece that you can dress it up just as easily as you can dress down

A great piece for layering loads of jewelry over from Tibi

Ankle Boot Heven

I've been fantasizing over fall clothes for quite some time now and I can finally get away with wearing most of it. I've dreamt of cardigans, boots, and pea coats since the beginning of school and now that's this dream time has finally come, I realize that I don't have any cold-weather clothes I've been drooling over lately. Today I went to the mall and picked up a much needed striped cardigan that is slouchy and light weight, perfect for the weather lately.  In July I obsessed over this specific pair of ankle boots that I saw in the Forever 21 (I do realize that name has become quite a cliche with me) window, and it being July, I wasn't ready to embrace the fact it would be cold in a couple month, so I didn't get them. They have since then sold out, and I'm left with ankle boots that are new, yes, cute, of course, but aren't just right for me. The just right pair always seem to be out of budget so I guess I'll just have to order them online, something I haven't done yet with shoes (I'm paranoid that they won't fit and won't be returnable).Here are pictures of shoes I've been lusting over lately.

Forever 21 twist booties 

 

                                                            Forever 21 Ankle Boots

{I do realize these aren't ankle boots, but i couldn't resist putting them in} See by Chloe lace up Wellington

                                      

                                                                    Kate Preston

xoxo