Style Rivalry: April 2011, Part 2

It's time for another Style Rivalry post! 

Samantha wore a pink dress layered with a nude skirt slip for decency's sake.  (She's still on the search for a vintage cotton slip with somewhat more special detailing on the hem.)  She spent part of her day tending to her plants, taking phone calls, and intently studying her inner wrist.  She also enjoyed gazing out the window from to time to take in the sights: the Catalina Mountains, the cops investigating domestic abuse complaints next door.  Later Sam went for Thai food and frozen yogurt on a double date.  What a charmed life she leads!

{Dress:  purchased on Valencia in SF; shoes:  Dansko; hair:  Spin Pins; bracelets:  Anthropologie and a Santa Cruz street vendor}

Karie donned the following outfit on a recent rainy Saturday afternoon, which she spent reading The Help, cuddling with Charlee, and going to an intimate birthday dinner for one of her BFFs.  That night she played some old school original Mario Bros. at the party!  She liked the outfit so much it got a reprise on Sunday for hanging out at the in-laws' place, chatting on the patio and enjoying a beautiful sunny afternoon.  

{Tunic:  Dillard's; tank top: Old Navy; jeans: Kohl's; leopard print flats: Antonio Melani; purse:  Kate Spade in snapdragon}

I put this outfit together on a Saturday morning for a jaunt over to Sugarlump to study and  to go on some errands.  After hopping on the 67 to head over to the 24th and Mission corridor (one of my favorite areas), Cole and I got coffee (and chocolate chip cookies!) at Sugarlump and snagged a seat in one of the front windows.  It is such good people watching there.  Before heading home, we peeked into a couple of cool shops across the street, one of which is now a favorite of mine.  I accessorized this outfit with a yellow and white striped trench coat from Target that's perfect for spring.

{Slouchy sweater: Gianni Bini; jeans: Gap; flats: Nine West; earrings that you can't see: Anthropologie; statement ring: Charlotte Russe}

A couple of things:

a.  Don't I have beautiful and stylish sisters?

b.  If you don't have Spin Pins yet, you're missing out on one of the greatest hair inventions of the century.  I picked mine up a couple of months ago and made Sam a Spin Pin convert when she came to visit.  They make the easiest buns/updos ever.  And for those of us with thick hair, they somehow negate some of the pull that a heavy bun can have on your scalp.

c.  Sam's outfit this week is inspiring me to really bring it next time.  Maybe I'll follow her lead and get gussied up to go out for Thai food and froyo!

Butcher Paper Wreath

Last weekend I got a wild hair and wanted to try out a new craft.  This butcher paper wreath required nothing more than a wreath form, some butcher paper, and hot glue.  Plus it was fun to make!

Since it's monotone, I knew it needed to be hung on a painted wall to reach maximum potential.  Our bedroom proved to be just the place for it.

Before finishing it, I made a loop out of ribbon and hot glued that to the back of the wreath for a hook.  I then attached it to the wall with a tack.  Voila!  Hanging this was easy since it's so light.

I used so little of the $3.99 roll of butcher paper that I purchased that I could probably churn out dozens more of these.  I'd actually like to make a couple of larger ones and hang them together in a collection.

Here's how the wall looks now.  Note my previous project, the sleep masks, hanging from our lamps.  We've both tried them out now and they definitely do the trick.  Cole's came out looking kind of like E.T., which is a bit creepy.  Nothing like having huge felt eyes staring at you when you wake up in the morning!

*Apologies for the less than awesome lighting--it was raining yesterday evening and kind of dark when I took these photos.

Design Inspiration

Rifling through iPhoto, I stumbled upon these photos that I took this winter when I was getting to know my new camera.  I'd love to design a room around the colors here--bright turquoise to pop, with a rich brown, velvety grey, and just the tiniest bit creamy white.

I love the shadows of the branches too.  That would make a really cool treatment for a wall.

Listening To...

{image via}

...Destroyer's newest album, Kaputt.  Songs being streamed on repeat include Chinatown, Downtown, and Suicide Demo for Kara Walker.  It's no secret that I adore all of Destroyer's other albums and I am happy to report that this one has joined those ranks.

This excerpt from the Pitchfork review says it better than I ever could:

Kaputt ... goes as deep as you want to go. People can miss that Dan Bejar is funny as hell-- he seeds his music with lyrical and musical in-jokes, and everyone has their own favorite lines to pluck out of his songs and admire for their concise wit. He likes surprises-- few lyric sheets have as many exclamation points. But the essential quality of all his records is complexity. They are doing a lot of things at once. Kaputt feels rich.

For one, there is the surface beauty of the sound. Some less inclined to the pleasures of the music from the aforementioned era might have an initial reaction to its essential corniness, but once you've tuned in, it sounds beautiful. The songs seem delicate and glassy and shimmering, and Bejar has toned down his quirky voice and sounds relaxed and focused. So it's easy to enjoy bumping the wet, jazzy pop of "Chinatown", which suggests the rainy streets of an old city and new dramas unfolding around every corner. Or wallow in the simple and elegant hook of "Blue Eyes", the way Bejar voice works next to Vancouver singer Sibel Thrasher, a regular vocal presence on Kaputt who sort of serves as the Nicolette Larson to Bejar's Neil Young. But "Blue Eyes" also has sly lyrical references ("your first love's new order," "Mother Nature's Son") and funny put-downs ("I sent a message in a bottle to the press/ It said, 'Don't be ashamed or disgusted with yourselves'"). More than any other Destroyer record, you can just throw this on and it sounds good, and plenty will do well stopping there. But for those so inclined, there's more to explore. ...

Fit for a Picnic

A recent sunny, gorgeous Sunday afternoon saw us planning a picnic at Crissy Field, to be followed by a raucous hour of trampoline jumping at the nearby House of Air.

Samantha and I (OK, really just Samantha) dreamed up the perfect sandwich for this outing:  crusty country bread, topped with triple cream brie, fig spread, fresh arugula, and pear slices.

They were phenomenal, to say the least (and looked cute to boot, wrapped in wax paper with festive tape).  We enjoyed our sandwiches in the sun with some country olives, kumquats, and a delicious trail mix.  Little did we know we'd need every ounce of this sustenance to carry us through the energy-sapping (but ridiculously fun) experience that is trampoline jumping.

We'd brought Cole's hula hoop and she took a few turns with it.  Then, fatefully, so did I.  As a result, I lost my wedding ring, but about 24 hours later, with the aid of the Bay Area's premiere father-daughter metal detecting team, I recovered it.  Whew.

What's your favorite picnic food?  And your favorite spot?  Crissy Field is pretty much perfect--plenty of soft grass for a picnic blanket, the beach for walking, and an unparalleled view of the Golden Gate Bridge.

DIY Sleep Mask

As much as I LOVE the fact that the days are getting longer, the sun is coming up earlier and setting much later, and my body is not telling me to go into hibernation mode like it does in winter, I do not relish being awakened by stray sunbeams on Saturday or Sunday mornings when I want to sleep in.  Enter a sleep mask.  This is the only way I can stay in bed on a weekend during the spring/summer months, given that our bedroom gets morning sun that sets our yellow curtains ablaze with light.

I whipped up this little guy after doing a bit of Googling for sleep masks.  I think it's a major improvement over the existing pink satin one we have which proclaims, "Wake me with a kiss."  Ugh.

I give this craft an A+, as it was easy and satisfying to make.  The felt is really soft against the eyes and face, and with all of the layers not a drop of light is going to get through.

Next up:  a couple for overnight guests and one for Cole.  

Style Rivalry: April 2011

In a blatant ripoff of this series, I'll regularly be posting photos of my sisters and me (and, on occasion, my stylish niece!) illustrating outfits we've put together for life in Tucson, Peoria, and San Francisco, respectively.  Here goes!

Samantha is a second-year medical student living in Tucson, cooking up gourmet meals, and frequently turning up for dive bar book club.  The following outfit recently carried her through a lovely weekend, Day 1 of which was spent hanging out at a courtyard BBQ and then dancing at Festival en el Barrio Viejo.  On Day 2 of this outfit, Samantha went to breakfast at a local cafe and then took a leisurely drive through Tucson's historic neighborhoods.  {I love the way she added the unexpected white button down to this maxi dress, and knotting it made it look so cute.}

{Frye sandals, Target dress, H&M button down, earrings from Nicaraguan street vendor}

Karie is a NICU nurse living in Peoria who is enjoying maternity leave with her new daughter Charlee, likes any sort of design show, and is always up for scouring the Target endcaps.  She cooked up this outfit to comfortably take her through a lot of cuddling, feeding, and diaper changes, as well as hemming new white curtains for her living room (which look great, by the way) and having dinner with her husband.  Props to Karie for being a new mom and sleep deprived and still managing to look beautiful!  {Charlee is looking quite the stylish baby as well, in her pink and white getup with matching headband!}

{on Karie: top: Motherhood; jeans: Kohls; sandals: Dillards; earrings: Anthropologie}
{on Charlotte: Old Navy onesie}

I am a lawyer, part-time library science student, frequent crafter, and one of San Francisco's biggest fans.  I recently wore this outfit to work in the Financial District and then to do some errands on the way home, traversing the city on Muni and BART.  These Jessica Simpson flats from Dillard's in Arizona are surprisingly comfortable, even with their slight heel.  I've already worn the heels down once; my man J.J. on Mission reheeled them and they're good as new.

{Blouse: I Heart Ronson; skirt: Banana Republic; belt: Anthropologie; flats: Jessica Simpson; earrings: Anthropologie; glasses: Dior}

Do you have a favorite outfit or piece of clothing that just makes you feel good every time you wear it?  I definitely have go-to pieces--my Gap straight leg jeans, a navy cardigan, and those brown flats you see above.  I kind of have to stop myself from wearing them all too often.

Alemany Does It Again

A couple of weeks ago, when the weather finally decided to shape up and stop raining for the first day in many, we wandered down to the Alemany Flea Market.  Always entertaining, that place is.

I was specifically on the lookout for a cheap, metal fifties or sixties chandelier that I could spray paint for the dining room (we switched our living room and dining room this weekend and need a fixture for the new dining room).  I want the chandelier to be flowery and gaudy; something that will look cleaner and more modern when spray painted all one color.

While I didn't find the chandelier of my dreams, I did happen upon a kitchenware set with the cutest flower motif ever.  I haggled the vendor down by $5, which means that we got a 28-piece set for $25.  A nice man packed up the set, informing Cole and me that we were "good people"--an assessment that appeared to hinge on the fact that neither of us are native-born Californians, whom this man deems lazy.  Hmm.

This is techically a "coffee and cheesecake" set and came with coffee mugs and saucers, espresso cups and saucers, small plates, and shallow bowls.  We plan to use them for daily servingware in place of the vintage Franciscan Desert Rose dishes that I inherited from my grandparents.  While I love the Franciscan, I've been looking at that pattern for a large portion of my life.  These new dishes are a nice, modern change.