One Wonderful Thing

I can't even remember what it was yesterday that gave me pause. Something caught me, made me stop and bask in a moment of wonder. It was fleeting, apparently, but it gave me an idea. I got to the office, crammed through a day, spent a lovely afternoon and evening with No.2 while his big sister was off at a flute concert rehearsal, and crashed hard by 9pm.

The idea was only that yesterday, an idea.

And then, this morning, as I shuffled partially caffeinated towards my office building, the view made me stop. It was simply beautiful. On the surface a planned, out-too-early (it was up before Thanksgiving) retail "seasonal" marketing scheme (read: make the area so pretty that folks can't help but "get in the spirit" and buy their friends and family lots and lots of Things), I wanted to wrinkle my nose at it.

Instead, I chose to let it wake up a joy - a wonder.

As a Christian, this Advent season is about just that: wonder. We wait, and we anticipate. We know of the great wonder coming. It's central for us. In our home, we're trying to counteract the giddy anticipation of ALL THE PRESENTS that's had No.2, especially, wired and on hyperdrive since before Turkey Day. We're looking for ways to give Baby Jesus his best birthday present ever by showing his world some love and kindness. But that's a story for another day.

Today, I ask you to join me in the wonder of the season. No matter what your belief system, there is a something in the air. Let's notice it and capture it - and share it. Let's see what we can create. At least once a day through January 6th (more is ok, because, let's face it, there are so many moments out there right now), capture One Wonderful Thing and share it on the social media platform of your choice (I'll be on Instagram, Twitter, and facebook), tagging it #1WonderfulThing.

There are no definitions for that wonder - or even for what constitutes a "thing." That's part of the point. Whatever catches you, whatever brings you a moment of joy - spread that wide. Tag friends and convince them to join us, and let us raise our spirits to the true spirit of the season.

Bridges, Boxers, and the Blues

Dateline: Sunday morning, home alone

“Two steps ahead of the county line...

...Everywhere I go, I get slandered, libeled,

I hear words I never heard in the Bi-ble.”

I straightened up and sang along, instinctively, belting it out the full lyrics, dancing in my seat.

“I barely learned the tune, so soon, so soon.

I remember Frank Lloyd Wright

All of the nights we’d harmonize til dawn...”

The mood shifted to languid, easy, and rolled across the fluid tones of the bossa nova flute melody.

I knew the words to every line of this one, too. Every single word.

I don’t think I’ve listened to Paul & Art for years. Maybe I’ve had a song or two pop up in a Pandora or Google Play station, as I do love my pseudo-retro-folk, but I can’t remember the last time I put on my “Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits” CD. (Yes, I’m still mostly on CDs, people. Working on that digital thing.)

I see my teenaged knees, bare and pulled up to my chest. I held the album cover, its dulled corners showing love, front down. The back had lyrics written in a teeny tiny font. I’m aware of the simple “indoor-outdoor” carpet my parents put in my new room over the now finished garage. The pull and force of “The Boxer’s” quiet power must have spoken to me in my youthful angst.

“...til he cried out in his ang-er and his PAIN...”

There may have been a contrast to the sunny yellow paint I’d picked out for my trim. It wasn’t pink, decidedly. I was too old for even the sophisticated ballet pink of the childhood room I’d shared with my 7-years-younger sister. The stenciled tulips, poppy red and kelly green, though, belied the dark, tortuous self I wanted to be. Yeah. Not me - despite the occasional - ahem - deep poem I’ve since unearthed.

I poured over those lyrics. I listened to the album over and over, until I knew them all. The LP spun on my parent’s castoff stereo, complete with wood paneled receiver and massive speakers. When they had upgraded, I claimed the system faster than my pubescent tears could even flow.

The air. I can feel the air. I can sense the fluttering eyelet valances. The early fall afternoon light - not unlike the tinged filter we’ve been getting here the last few glorious days - settles over me.

The orchestra rises beneath the acoustic guitar, and “heeeeeeeeere Iiiiiiiiiii aaaaaaaaaaammmm...” Every. Single. Word.

I must’ve been 12, maybe 13. That makes it 30 years, give or take a muddled memory. Mind and memory are a wondrous thing. Every word. A sense of belonging I still carry with me from singing The Boxer in harmony with a middle and high school friend. I haven’t seen her since maybe graduation. Word has it that she’s now a Buddhist nun. The music brings me back to her and the closeness that we all crave, especially in those tender years.

Truth is, that closeness can still be elusive. We connect, and we reconnect. Sometimes, there are missed connections. Today, when I pressed play on the “Bridge Over Troubled Water” album, I reconnected with myself. I felt tied to family, and I touched old friends and sweet memories. I started to write today because I fell back in love with the idea of lyrics written on an album cover. I realized that my children might not get that, but as I typed, fully aware that what I really needed to do was pick up a pen and write longhand (but that’s another piece), the memories flowed, and the webs somehow wove themselves back together and into a lovely, sweetly tender image.

The balance has been particularly difficult to find lately. I’m teetering more than usual. That gentle pain that bubbled up through the vision and the music is somehow helping to rebalance me. We need those touches. I need those touches. The little pricks open up things dear to me and tie me down to what I know and believe. The feeling of The Boxer and my friend remind me of those I’ve chosen. Bridge Over Troubled Water, on the other hand, brings my parents’ relationship and our family of five back up. Played at their wedding, and now, decades after they understood they couldn’t be married any longer, it holds in it the hope and support that even separation can bring.

Support and strength come from places we often don’t expect, and sometimes don’t want to accept. Today, a worn LP and its cover, long-lost, brought the emotions I needed to recognize to the surface. They’re here, and I acknowledge them. I’m letting them flow out over that water, as corny as that metaphor might sound. I’m trusting my senses and my self, built and molded over nearly 42 years.

Style Inspiration: Light in the Dead of (Romantic) Winter

I've said it before, I'll say it again: I'm a Winter Girl. I'm the one disappointed at the measly dusting DC got from Juno. I'm the one happily digging out her hand-me-down fur hat on a bitter cold day. I'm the one looking forward to a cup of hot chocolate - while sitting outside at a café on that brilliantly sunny January afternoon.

But it hasn't been sunny, really, and January brings an onslaught for me at the DayJob. It's all I can do, some days, to keep my head above water (never mind wash my hair). Our annual weekend down tha shore over the Presidents' Day holiday couldn't feel farther away.

In between deadlines and dance class (the Bean's, not mine), though, I sneak a hungry peak at facebook and Instagram, following along with others' adventures - and their daily lives. I love seeing the normal, the regular, through others' lenses. I also love seeing the beautiful and striking. I've discovered a few new folks to follow recently, though, and thought I'd share. Maybe you'll find a little inspiration - style or otherwise - in their snaps of their worlds.

Kirsty Larmour's images of her family's travels are stunning. Breathtaking, even. For me, the aesthetic (how does she capture that light?) heightens the connection. I can only dream of taking my two Beans on the travels she and hers are experiencing. Of course, being based in Abu Dabi doesn't hurt. I discovered her just as they were traipsing through Armenia, H's - and therefore my Beans' - ancient homeland. And in case her Instagram account (@kirstylarmour) isn't enough for you, you can follow along on her blog, too. Image via her Instagram account.

I met Simon Alcantara before I knew his work. In the whirlwind of my first trip to New York Fashion Week, Jessica Quillin introduced us over lunch at Henri Bendel. But really, that isn't the important part. His Instagram account (@simonalcantara) is as delightful as he is - and as his work is elevating. Like Kirsty's travel's Simon's jewelry designs are aspirational for me. This silver and cotton (yes, cotton) creation from his Odyssey Collection was the first thing I saw online one dreary morning. It's stuck with me. Image via his Instagram account.

Ulyana Sergeenko's Instagram account (@ulyana_sergeenko_moscow), my newest guilty pleasure, is splattered with celeb sightings at her Moscow atelier. She is married to a billionaire, afterall, and is a couture client and couturier. But it's these deliberate shots (sometimes part of a film shoot, sometimes a photo shoot) that have me longing for this life gone by (or perhaps that never really existed). The feed captures a rich, velvety sense of the most decadent Russian salon you can imagine. Given I carry a copy of Anna Karenina around on every major move (both my years in Austria and Germany, college, group house, you get the picture), it's no wonder I'm drawn to these pictures. Image via her Instagram account.

I discovered Champagne Tarlant's Instagram account (@tarlant) after a World Champagne Day (yup, that's a day. for realz.). I suppose I have Polly Wiedmaier to thank for that (and her kind invitation to join her at Marcel's for a tasting a few years back). While I can't drink champagne every day (or can I?), I can certainly lose myself in the elegant mists floating over the French countryside and between the vines. I suppose my not-so-secret Romantic is showing. Image via their Instagram account.

What are some of your favorite Instagram accounts? Where do you find online inspiration? I'd love to hear more.

And if you're on Instagram, and not following along with me, join me (@dcceline). It's a pretty real life. I hope there's a little beauty and fun in it.

Healthy Style: Pretty Is as Healthy Does

I believe strongly that we each have to find our fit, healthy, happy point, and I believe strongly that it looks so different for every body.

But somewhere in the social media universe (ok, on Instagram), when documenting and sharing my #healthyme journey out there, I started using a hashtag: #prettyisashealthydoes. It just popped into my head recently.

It's true, for me. I feel better, I look better, end of story - for me, that is. But I don't want to push the idea of being skinny. I don't want to push the idea of beauty only. I want other women to feel strong, confident, and beautiful for themselves. It's part of why I started this blog in the first place (the other reason being my writing love).

It's such an odd place to be in, that our confidence is tied so closely to our physical appearance. It makes me uncomfortable. We're not supposed to want to look pretty, but we spend time with makeup and such. We spend loads of money on it, and clothing - as a culture, anyway, and some of us as individuals.

Maybe I'll look back in a week, a month, a year, and think "what was i thinking?!" for now, though, I feel like this is it. Pretty is as healthy does.

image via

Style in Print: What I'm (Not) Reading Now, Stylish and Otherwise

I've been a reader as long as I can remember. As long as I can remember, I've had a mile-high stack of books next to my bed. Back in the day, I would finish every book I started. Every. One. Even if I hated it. I was That Girl who finished her whole summer reading list, even circling back to James Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man the night before school started and read all night, heavy as it was, to finish it. I took two books, at least, wherever I went, wherever I moved. Anna Karenina and The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson went to Austria, to the University of Maryland, to Germany...you get the picture.

Don't look now, but our room is CLEAN.

As I've gotten older, busier, and have different priorities, books are still my escape, but I don't finish them all. I still buy them almost indiscriminately - even more than fashion - intrigued by a title, an author, a subject. Since starting the blog way back in 2005, I've tried to read more fashion history and style perspective.

My favorite L.L. Bean Moon Beam alarm clock, which wakes me with flashing light before going to a classic bell, No.2's self-portrait, various "gifts" from the Beans, a lavender candle (I always have lavender by my bed. always) I think I found last year at Salt and Sundry, and a bookmark with Emily's line, "The pedigree of honey does not concern the bee. A clover, anytime, to him, is aristocracy." (Politics & Prose)

The stack is high, and the list is long. But just its mere presence is a stabilizing force for me, as comfortable and safe as my favorite riding boots and cozy grey scarf.

Here's what's next to my bed, hoping, hoping, hoping to be read. Just for kicks, books I've cracked and in which I've read at least a few lines? Italicized. Books I've actually finished? Ye Olde Asterik.

On their end, top left, a stack of Janet Evanovich novels*

The Awakening, Kate Chopin,* a favorite from that summer before senior year of high school, and subject of my college essays

Woolgathering, Patti Smith (yes, that Patti Smith)

Night Soldiers, Alan Furst, which someone on twitter recommended if you love spy and suspense, which I do

Insurrections of the Mind, 100 Years of Politics and Culture in America, edited by Franklin Foer, which I found through Brain Pickings' (go sign up for and support this amazing site, if you read - ever)

Atemschaukel, Herta Müller, the German version of the Nobel-Prize-Winning The Hunger Angel, built of absolutely arresting prose, and from which I was blessed to hear her read at the Library of Congress a few years ago

The Artist's Way, Julia Cameron, which I tried to start when Allie led this venture, and the Moleskine notebook I bought to do my daily writing

The Truth About Style, Stacy London, which she signed when she told me she loved my (faux) reptile dress (swooning still)

Coco Chanel: The Legend and the Life, Justine Picardie, a long-overdue tome I absolutely must get through by a wonderful fashion storyteller

Fashion is Spinach, Elizabeth Hawes, a seminal work for anyone who gives a you-know-what about Fashion with a Capital "F," recommended by "Ms. Spinach" Betsy Lowther, brains behind the blog of that name

A German notebook, unfindable here in the States, and way better than any notebook, even Moleskine

Indian Cooking, Madhur Jaffrey, for my odd obsession with Indian flavors

Marc Forgione: Recipes and Stories from the Acclaimed Chef and Restaurant, which is an homage to the power of the internet, bought almost solely because I "know" its editor, Olga Massov of Sassy Radish

Andrew Wyeth Looking Out, Looking In, the catalog from the National Gallery of Art's recent 60-work exhibition on this pivotal American artist. Also, I'm a homer.

To the right, on their end, an old daily notebook I bought when I started my current job, and a stack of German language classics I bought in the bargain bin in Vienna

In the basket, left to right

How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Kids Will Talk, Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish, recommended by our wonderful St. Paul's Nursery School preschool director

CLEAN, Alejandro Junger, MD, which led my first foray into clean eating over a year ago

The Asylum, Simon Doonan, who is one of the funniest voices in fashion

My Nook,* which I never thought I'd like, but I do. I keep less important works on it, things I'd probably give away down the road.

The Book of Life, Deborah Harkness,* for which I waited not-so-patiently, as I'm a sucker for vampires and smart, kickass heroines

Train Like a Mother, Sarah Bowen Shea and Dimity McDowell, who host a podcast to which I've taken a liking on this newfound running hobby of mine

The Golden Calf, Helene Tursten,* a fast-paced Swedish mystery I found recommended on Politics & Prose's shelves

The Woman Who Died A Lot, Jasper Fforde,* from one of my absolute favorite authors, and smartest writers out there, the latest installment in the fantastical Thursday Next, "literary detective" series, which all literature lovers should read

My favorite cozy socks. I don't wear socks at home, 99.9% of the time, but when I do, it's one of two pair of L.L. Bean ragg socks (these are cotton, but I love wool ones, too). I have red and black.

There. That's at least part of my list, and a lot about me. What's on yours?

Style Inspiration: What I'm Pinning Right Now

The seasons have changed, and I'm a happy mama. I come alive in this brisk, clean air. I perk up when the wind whips a little and swirls the leaf kaleidoscope. Our lives have changed a little at home, too. A lot, actually, and we're adjusting to new routines, new responsibilities, and new worlds. It's all good, if chaotic, but we're finding our structure.

In the middle of it all, I'm peeking back into the interwebs for a bit of inspiration. I dipped my toe back into the fashion world Saturday when I got to meet Debra Rapoport, one of the Advanced Style blog, book, and film stars, and the film's director, Lina Pliopyte. It's positively impossible not to be inspired by these two. When I last saw them, they were ducking out of the brunch in their honor to go hit Buffalo Exchange for some thrifting.

5 minutes of glorious conversation with Debra Rapoport? Priceless. (Thanks, Allie, for the invitation and the photo!)

So I took to the interwebs a bit this morning, in hopes of getting back in the swing of things. I went to Pinterest because, well, easy access to images. I played around a bit, and here's what I'm using right now.

My top boards - where I'm focusing at the moment.

Winter Girl - give me a slouchy, big sweater, and I'm a happy camper. Bring on the wool and the plaid and the cozy flannel. Throw in a blustery day, and I'm all eyes-rolling-back happy. Right now, I'm just over-the-moon to see that J. Crew brought back it's Big Turtleneck sweater.

#HealthyMe - the journey I started 3 years ago next February is a lifelong journey. At the moment, I'm doing a 3 week, nutritionist-led cleanse. Because it's about nourishing my body with nutrient-rich foods, and it's fall, so our Washington's Green Grocer "healthy box" comes full of autumnal goodness, I'm searching for recipes almost daily. Yesterday, it was for celeriac, and I found this creamy deliciousness.

Weekends Around Town - while lately, I've been in running gear and schlumpy sweats to train for the Philadelphia Marathon half and to clean up our crazy home, but I'm a sucker for easy casual goodness, a la Carolyn Bessette Kennedy's classic black turtleneck and retro cords.

Carry All - some folks have the lives for quick fall getaways. We don't, but we do have some travel coming up: an overnight for the USMC Birthday Ball, a weekend in Philadelphia for my half marathon, and then the holidays. We have to pack for the whole family, but it doesn't mean we can't carry well. This bright orange overnight bag would have room for the Bean and me to stash our duds...and maybe for the boys, as well.

Bells on My Toes - somewhere in the past 6 months, my beloved investment shoes, my Stuart Weitzman black patent and python pumps are both too big for me. I've tried every pad and trick in the book, to no avail. That means I'm on the hunt for new pumps. ASAP. These might not fit the practical bill, but they. are. amazing.

Other things on my mind in the next while: party planning (Halloween), organizing our home, my continuing obsession with rock star style, writing, updating our home's design, and galas. A girl always needs a gala.

Style Inspiration: Starting 2014 with a Little Electronic Help

Yup, it's 2014. And with the new year, I, like so many others, have made resolutions. This year, they're twofold:

Slow down

and

Focus.

The way I see it, the two work off of each other. They work in concert, and they are even cyclical. If I slow down, I can focus, and give things - and people - the time and energy they deserve. If I focus, and give things the time and energy they deserve, I can slow down, and enjoy the life with which I'm blessed, in all of its big and small glories.

Part of both of those is, for me, this blog and my writing. So to honor my commitment to myself, you get one, too. You get a commitment from me to be here, to write, and to share the pretty, stylish, and maybe even thoughtful things related to the pretty and stylish. I may not write often, but when I write, I will give you that which inspires and speaks to me.

To focus, I've started to organize my thoughts. And as trite as it may seem, in addition to the 1000 lists I adore making, I've spent a little time lately reorganizing my Pinterest. You see, I really do use it. Sometimes, it's a to-do list, sometimes it's a note-to-self, and sometimes it's - wait for it - inspiration.

So without further ado, here's where I'm spending time and energy to start my - our - year. May it be a lovely one for you, filled with success and achievement and adventure - and the joy and peace to enjoy them all.

Find all my boards on my Pinterest profile

#HealthyMe - If you've been reading a while, you know about the journey I started in 2012. Well, after reaching my goal weight in September of that year, I lost my way somewhere around Easter Candy 2013. I keep trying to get back there, and this is my reminder to myself to keep it right in front of my face. Recipes, thoughts, exercises, and healthy inspiration.

Practical Style Lessons - not that there aren't a 101 - ok 10,001 - style and fashion blogs out there that proffer advice, but truth be told, that's part of why I started this blog in the first place. So it's back up front, in focus, with both found-on-the-interwebs advice and my own thoughts on how-to.

I Just Need a Gala... This is one of my favorite boards. I'm fairly certain I was born into the wrong social class. I should be attending gala after gala, in gown after gown. And while I wasn't, and am not, I still get to go once in a while, and being that the gala season isn't over yet, I still have to find a little inspiration. Maybe you will, too. After all, sparkly, dramatic, and twirly dresses? Yes, please.

Of Pen, Paper, and Pages - When I started this blog in 2005, it was because I wanted to write. I love to write - and that's why in between the advice and the Pinterest pictures, you'll find my more essay-like posts. I've named 2014 My Writing Year, so I've moved this board, full of writing instruments, places, and thoughts (never mind a few pictures of amazing libraries) onto the top row.

Winter Girl - I am. So if you're not, ignore this board. But if you're at all like me, and find joy in the cozy, the fresh, the crisp, and the chill, there are currently 147 pins full of tartan, blankets, and wintry scenes.

The Face - If 2014 is My Writing Year, it's also the year in which I Will Learn to Take Care of My Face. I'm using the makeup, skin, and colors here to keep my eye on the prize. The prize in which I fully embrace my fair skin and blue eyes and relish it.

On top of my head - I also want to take better care of - and learn to do - my hair. In 2013, I gained bangs for the first time since middle school, and it's opened up worlds of options for me. I even asked my (16-year, exceptionally trusted) stylist for a recommendation on a - gasp! - flat iron. On this board you'll find hair how-tos, pretty styles, and, my own personal fave, hats & scarves.

Home is Where the Heart Is - Part of slowing down and focusing is time with H and my Beans. We've been working on our home for the last year or so, but still have some work to do. So in amongst the paint colors, you'll find design inspiration (yes, I'm fully on the midcentury bandwagon). And a few more libraries.

Where My Heart Wants to Go - Maybe this board should be first. I spent two separate years as an exchange student after high school and during college. My first year was outside of Vienna, Austria, and it changed - quite literally - my life. This year, after almost 15 years, I'll return for a visit - with H and the Beans. I cannot wait to show them (H has been, but it's been 15 years for him, too) where Mama lived, played, and learned to be herself. Oh. And the board has a few other travel ideas, too.

Weekends Around Town - as much as I love a gala, I love me some jeans and slouchiness. This is my ode - and my shopping to-do list, in large part - for the classics and trends I either already or hope to rock when not in the office.

The Best Things in Life Are... In DC - a fledgling board, this one pays homage to some of my favorite parts of what is now for this formerly Pennsylvanian girl, home. DC is an amazing city with so much to offer. Keep an eye out for more here.

Borrowed from the Boys - for both work and weekend inspiration - heck, even for those galas, I've always been drawn to menswear. There's just something so outright sexy and practical and gorgeous in women in menswear.

Things that Sparkle, Gleam, and Twinkle - I'm a sucker for sparkle. Especially completely out-of-reach sparkle. Sure, there are a few costume pieces on here, and I adore Alexis Bittar, but, well, the better the gem, the more the sparkle.

Written Inspiration - no surprise, I'm a bookaholic. Even with my newfound love of Nook, I can't stop buying hard copy books (just last night, I went into Politics & Prose for one thing - which they have on order - and came out with another - Simon Doonan's Asylum, if you must know - it's now on top of the massive pile o' books and magazines on my reading list). But really what they are is inspiration for me for my daily life. I find that my style comes from what I read. And I'm not just talking about wearing turn-of-the-20th-century-like frocks because I (still, and always will) love Anne of Green Gables.

There are more, of course, but these are the ones "up top" right now. I'm sure they'll shift as I do.

So what inspires you? If you use Pinterest, what do you find popping up there most? Is it true to what really speaks to you, or is it a more functional tool?

And what is your style inspiration for 2014?

Style Inspiration: DC Celine and the Fashion Week Runways

I've been a bit silent lately. Reasons? Some of the usual, but also, well, let's just say that I've had my first taste of daily posting. If you remember, I started writing for Glass magazine a while back. Well, Glass News does regular fashion week coverage, and as one of the contributing writers, I was a part of that, covering New York, Milan, and Paris (Glass is based partially in London, so there was loads of coverage already).

Marc by Marc Jacobs, via Style.com

I'm thrilled to have had this opportunity - can't tell you how much - and all it's taught me already. I've always been a fashion geek, but there's a lot I don't know. So in researching and writing the show reviews, I've learned about Vichy prints (in Olivier Rousteing's Balmain show), the ins and outs of Scottish highland dress (and how an entirely of-the-moment designer like Phoebe Philo can appropriate them in the loveliest of ways for Céline), and something as critical to fashion history as the Dior Bar jacket (is Raf Simons able to do anything wrong in the fashion world's eyes?). I've explored a legendary technician like Yohji Yamamoto and another who calls Patti Smith a friend (Ann Demeulemeester).

I've had a ball.

Céline, via Style.com

What does this have to do with the Everywoman, you ask? How the heck am I supposed to wear Vans with a skirt entirely made of netting to the office? You're not. Never mind that the shows are labeled "Ready to Wear," or prêt-a-portér. 99.9% of what you see there of course doesn't make it to the racks at Macy's or even to a higher end place like Nieman Marcus. What you will see, aside from the one or two looks you might actually wear straight from the runway, is invention, beauty, ingenuity, and creation. And then you'll see trends. Oh, the trends.

Emilio Pucci, via Style.com

The trends will hit us like a ton of bricks. There will be some that we'll love, some we'll embrace, some we'll hate, and some we'll try on and realize, though we hated the idea, and said "Never," well, we did. But the runways are one of the places our everyday clothing pulls on.

That, and it's really, really cool.

Alexander McQueen, via Style.com

If you haven't clicked through from my facebook posts to read the reviews already, and you're interested in reading what I thought of some of the most watched collections for next spring, they're lined up here. And please do check out other writers' reviews. There's a lot of talent sitting over there at Glass news.

Style Inspiration: Knowing What Suits You

We all have them. The ensembles in which we feel phenomenal. The ensembles in which we walk taller, stronger, and with more confidence (which is, of course, the ultimate accessory). The ensembles in which we get more compliments that we could ever imagine.

Lexa of Lemmonex Instagrammed this pic of her Thursday outfit. "Default," read the caption.

"If that's your default, wow!" I commented.

"Easy dress and leopard is always my fall back," she responded. This is it for her. She knows what works for her. She knows what makes her happy. That means it suits her.

Leopard might not be your thing, and you may hate belts, but you have something in your closet that suits you.

When I compliment someone, especially someone I know well, on their clothing, I try to use something along the lines of "I love that dress on you. It suits you." In my mind, it's the highest compliment I can pay someone about something relatively superficial. In my mind, I'm trying to tell that person that she is shining through. It means that the clothing she chose for that moment is highlighting the best things about her. Those things, in my eye, aren't really the physical things, either (though they're often enhanced), but rather a person's being and personality is brighter, clearer, and easier to see with the naked eye.

So with this post, I challenge you. Figure out what piece in your closet lets your best you shine through. Then wear it tomorrow.

If you're not already wearing it, that is.

Summer Style: Managing the Final Vacation Countdown with Eye Candy

1 week to go.

1 week.

1 week until I load up the Beans and hit the road Down Tha Shore. (H will follow one day after us.)

This year, we're only managing a week, really. Something about The Bean being in school and truancy laws. Both Beans have been changing into their bathing suits daily. It's our new end-of-day ritual, eating dinner in our bathing suits. They're a tad bit excited.

So am I.

Truth of the matter is, though, I'm 100% overwhelmed by everything that has to happen between now and then. You see, right after we get back, H's cousins (and the Beans' godmother) arrive from Athens. So I'm making lists, and trying desperately to keep myself focused and in control of the craziness, which includes everything from packing to #OperationPrettyHouse, all on a strict deadline. We have to, in no particular order:

Order (and receive) The Beans' summer togs (swim shoes, suits, rash guards)
Finish painting our bedroom, install our bedroom lamp, hang pictures in our bedroom
Clean our bedroom
Finish painting and putting away our kitchen
Clean the living room and dining room, which is supposed to include buying at least one new rug. Really.
Clean those bathrooms. And I mean scrub.
Clean and prepare our guest room, which is currently a kitchen-renovation-storage-closet
Try and repair our home computer, so I can download my pics from my phone and actually make it work faster than a snail
Pack for the Beans
Pack for H
Pack for me
Do everything under the sun at the #DayJob so I don't have to even peek at email while we're gone. That's a list unto itself.

See? That list doesn't seem quite so crazy, now, when I write it out. But let me tell you, when I walk in the door tonight, and see the cacophony-like mess in our home, I'll feel all overwhelmed again. It's no wonder I haven't bothered with hair or makeup, and barely with presentable ensembles, for weeks now.

My one little joy is still pinterest, and seeing all the pretty suits and waves. I've still not decided if I should get a new suit. The one I stressed over last year doesn't fit (boo, sadmama), but ones I got ages ago and barely wore, do. But I've had them for ages, and there are pretty, pretty suits out there. Here are just a few that caught my clearly retro-inspired eye, along with some other #SeasidePoolside eye candy.

Is it June 19th yet?

Surf mavens, via

Lenny Niemeyer Ruched Halter Maillot

Hermés, via

Rita Hayworth, via

Michael Kors High-Waisted Bikini

Shades, via

Sparkling Peach Sangria, via

Metallic Bikini, via

Style Inspiration: Easy, Effortless Glamour for Summer

Pinterest is a little bit of distraction in an insane life. Pretty pictures to inspire me for projects down the road. Pretty pictures to inspire me through the day.  Pretty pictures, just because.

When I pinned this sleeveless top and palazzo pant ensemble to my Creating a New Closet board, I noted "effortless." This. Is. Easy. Glamour.

The caption on the site where I found this photo read "Giovanna Battaglia is Cannes glamour personified." My thoughts, precisely, when I saw this glorious elegance. That, and I may or may not have a new obsession with maxi dresses and kaftans.

Cheeky scowl. I wouldn't call myself a huge Jennifer Aniston fan, but a girl's got to admire her. Strength, humor, and glamour, all in one shot. Image via

This is what all red carpets should look like. By far my favorite red carpet shot, perhaps ever, Gisele Bundchen has that relaxed spirit of fun that would make so many "stars" shine that much brighter if they used it. And the rest of us, too.

It's not glamorous, but it is easy. Over the Memorial Day weekend, sandwiched in between crazy DayJob late nights, I forced quiet time, and stayed up too late reading. It was an "easy" book, a summer read. And I enjoyed and relished every stinkin' minute of it. As Ms. Rowling says, the power of a good story, well-told, is always transporting. And to get all fashion-y on you for a moment, I suppose that's where the best fashion emerges: out of a good, well-told story. Image via

Remember how I suggested you pin and pin and pin, then step back and see what emerges? Yeah. Just did that. I set out this morning to just show you a few things, no order, no rhyme, no reason. Clearly my psyche has other plans: effortless glamour mixed with a healthy, humorous dose of chutzpah seems to be the order of the day.

My challenge to you - and myself - this week? Meet your obstacles with that same sense of easy glamour I realized I pinned over the past few weeks. Pull out a favorite piece of clothing about which you just don't have to think - and rock it because you feel amazing in it. Then channel that inner Rocker Chic(k), tell yourself a joke in your head, and the world will be your oyster.

At least that's what I'm telling myself right. now.

Style Inspiration: Defining Your Style Using Pinterest

"You have a lot of dresses."

"This is so ladylike, I want to sex it up a bit."

"You like earth, don't you?"

All three of these statements came out of DC Style Factory's Rosana - directed at me - last Wednesday afternoon.

As we plowed through my overflowing, unmanageable closet, things made themselves clear. There's more to share, and I'll give more of a blow-by-blow on our experience (hint: we. had. so. much. fun.) soon, I promise, but the crux of it is:

Now that my closet is culled, I can see clearly.

I can see clearly what speaks to me - or rather, what has already spoken to me. It's in my closet. Perhaps I'm an unusual client, in that respect, as I do have a sense of what I like. That being said, I didn't think I knew myself as well as I apparently do. Not only is it on my hangers and in my drawers, but it's also on my boards. Even as I started to pin things for my emerging #healthyme body last year, I knew. I may not have known what size would fit, and I may not have known which new silhouettes I could try, but I knew what I was drawn to.

Then I looked at my Pinterest boards. It was all there. Right here. I have  loads more boards, but the essence of it is there, methinks. (Rosana might take issue with these, but I'll let her tell me I'm wrong.)

So if you're starting to redefine - or even define - your style, my biggest piece of advice, akin to the old-school "cut-pictures-out-of-magazines-and-take-them-to-your-salon" schtick? It's in four parts:

1) Get thee to Pinterest and start a board for your new style, your new closet, your new drawers. Whatever you want to call it, your New You.

2) Pin. Pin anything that catches your eye. But here's the catch: make sure you don't just pin with wild abandon. Note in that comment field what speaks to you. Is it the cut? The fabric? The color(s)? The overall sense of the picture? I usually use a simple formula - literally - to note it (like + like = like).

3) Step away. Don't pin for a while. A few days, a week...let it stew.

4) Look at your boards again. Notice what's there. What pieces, what colors, what broad styles show up? For me, I realized that, after the closet culling, it comes down to 6 elements. Maybe that's too many, but it's a start for me.

When I looked, these boards weren't all together. As I looked through things, and remembered what Rosana said, I saw where my style heart was pulling me:

"Buy Less, Choose Well," a la Vivienne Westwood: This is my new closet mantra, and will, from here forward, define my "Creating a New Closet" pursuits.

Weekends Around Town: I need and want to look and feel good on the weekends as well as during the work week.

One and Done: Dresses: See Rosana's comment above. Dresses are an overworked mama's best friend, with virtually no thinking involved (provided you've shaved your legs recently, of course).

Rocker Chic(k): Personally, I'm drawn to leather and punk. I'm drawn to concert Ts and jeans. This is my indulgence, so to speak. It may not be yours.

Borrowed from the Boys: It may be trendy, but when Rosana asked me to name my style icon, I paused ever-so-briefly, and said "Katharine Hepburn." Need I say more?

Ladylike: I was kind of surprised when Rosana called me out on this. A bunch of the pieces I tried on for her needed "sexing up" or "toughening up" to balance their girly, ladylike look. Then I looked at my Pinterest boards, and there it was. [Hand slaps forhead.]

For me, this exercise alone - using Pinterest to notice my own personal trends - has been helpful. Try it, and let me know if it's working for you. Or if you've found another "style definition" trick, share with us, please?

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?

Style Inspiration: Of Beaches, Bedrooms, and Blue Trousers

In between deadlines, thoughts of beach living, a newly painted home, a renovated kitchen, and a clean, organized, and streamlined closet with only clothes I absolutely love are keeping me afloat. Thank goodness for Pinterest, and its infinite inspiration.

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I dream of an afternoon with a book, a magazine, a chaise lounge, and a pool. In a new bikini and massive floppy hat, of course.

 

 

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I dream of the beach when it's not quite warm enough to go in the water - at least not without my boots on.

 

 

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I dream of the day when the bedroom painting project rendering our walls a deep, luxurious grey, and that was supposed to take a week will be done.

 

 

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I dream of a kitchen that is sleek, new, and still warm and comforting. And where all my pantry supplies and cooking utensils fit.

 

 

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I dream of a closet where I can find things, and where I don't need to find them, because I have only amazing, straightforward pieces that fit me and I love wearing.

 

These, my friends, are my current, and almost attainable dreams.

 

More of what I'm pinning (so addicted to the Pinterest app - I can pin ANYwhere!) over here.