Style Inspiration: The Feeds, Accounts, and Pages Inspiring Me Now

I may not be blogging much lately, but I do still browse the interwebs. So I thought I'd share a couple of my favorites here. They inspire me in one way or another, so maybe they'll inspire you.

The newest addition to my twitter feed, the Victoria and Albert Museum. Seriously. How could one not want to dream about the exhibits and installations in this legendary museum? From the currently en vogue David Bowie exhibit to collars from 1600 (#1)...amazing inspiration.

Long a favorite, The Museum at FIT's facebook page (and Pinterest boards, for that matter) always manages to post an amazing Dress of the Day just when I need to see something beautiful and creative, like the Engineer top they posted on April 10th (#2).

True, H and I are currently in the middle of some major condo upgrades (painting, kitchen remodel, sorting and sorting and sorting, see #OperationPrettyHouse on twitter and Instagram), but even if I weren't, Dwell, the ridiculously covetable design mag, shares enviable furniture, concepts, and spaces on its Pinterest boards. I'm especially drawn to warm, clean designs like the Chair, Lovö. Designed by Axel Einar Hjorth for NK, Sweden 1930s in #3.

For a peek into the world of emergent fashion, I love following Young British Designers on Instagram and Pinterest. I'm regularly "liking" and repinning their posts. Just one of the reasons I'm addicted is the shoe designs - like #4, Joanne Stoker's Ankle Strap Wedge.

On the food front, there are lots. I've been trying to keep them aimed at #healthyme, but that's not always possible. One of my newest obsessions, though, is right up that alley. I'm inspired by the inventiveness of recipes and striking shots of simple, raw food from Emiliy von Euw of This Rawsome Vegan Life (on Pinterest, especially). #5 above is the shot that drew me in to her site, from this post (and yes, they're crazy good - and easy).

Where's your current inspiration? Online? IRL?

Winter Style: Brights in the Grey

I love winter. I think I might have mentioned that before. Nevertheless, it's really hard to rejoice in the brisk cold air when you're dragging with what seems to be the 537th cold, a stack o' DayJob deadlines, and a crankypants attitude that may or may not be well received at home.

So I don't have energy for much reading, but trolling - ahem - scrolling through Pinterest when I'm waiting in line at my morning Starbucks stop, or at Target picking up yet another glamorous package of toilet paper or paper towels seems to give me some short & sweet reminders that life is not only not that bad, but under control, manageable, and even gloriously bright. Oh yeah, and I'm steering the ship.

So here are some of my recent pins and how they spoke to me. Hope they brighten your already-sunny-but-crazy-windy-cold day.

We'll start with the night when I was feeling crazy overwhelmed and sick. Pinterest said this to me, which TrainerJen had emailed me, in not so many words, just minutes prior, changing my workout plan for the next morning to, literally: sleep.

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And then Pinterest said this. So I figured I'd better listen and go to bed. I did.

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Earlier, Pinterest had tossed this image my way. The coat, in its gloriously wrecked and punk sensibility, was in, and was the cover art for the catalog of, the Metropolitan Museum of Art's 2006 Anglomania exhibit. Later in the day, The Museum at FIT (one of my favorite places on earth, and one that gets far too little notice, in my opinion) posted an article from The Observer on their facebook page (like it now, please, for all of the amazing current and historical fashion they post). As the discussion around The Met's newest take on punk shows, punk is funny stuff, both musically and culturally. The sheer chaos that shows there is apparently bubbling up in the provenance of the fashion, too.

Once again, the Pinterest universe was speaking to me. Ok, the online universe. Quibbles.



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We're renovating our kitchen this spring, and are in final debates. We have a tiny, but not terribly tiny kitchen, so the "galley kitchen" stuff isn't quite right, but neither is the sweeping expanse of some things I find. I pin them nevertheless. I couldn't be more excited about finally getting a handle on our culinary world by taming our insanity known as our cabinets. I'm in love with a modern + rustic combo like this one.

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Once that's done, creating culinary masterpieces will be a cinch, right? Isn't that how it works? In the meantime, H's orthodox Christian tradition of an essentially vegan fast is coming up, so I'm grateful to Pinterest for helping to maintain the trendiness of veganism. I cook vegetarian often (but LURV a brilliant steak), but am lining up new tastes for the 40 days, like this mushroom ragu. You can bet I'll serve it over some soft polenta...or...

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And while I'm a Winter Girl at heart, still pinning away from the Autumn/Winter 2013 runways to get my fix of fur, coats, and scarves, and, well, fur coats and scarves (comma placement, anyone?),

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I've also started pinning and planning for #DownthaShore2013. Cannot wait to get a new bikini and maybe a retro suit (last year's don't fit!). Also can't wait to rock my best schlumpy Jersey Shore looks. Or, if I'm feeling ambitious, a crisp, clean (ha!) summer look like this one. (And gee, Bloomingdale's *just* pinned their version of the shorts, here)

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What's getting you through?