Happy New Year's with a little Anthro on top!

I hope 2011 is a sweet year for all of you!

To keep things smelling sweet and looking pretty for the New Year, I'm currently wearing the Joya and Vane Solid Perfume Locket. Joya is an NYC based creative collective that specializes in fragrance and does many collaborations, while Vane does jewelry and accessories, and this locket is essentially their baby lol

I love the smell of the Moro Blood Orange. It's light and citrus-y but also warm because of the vanilla. The bonus of wearing the locket is no need to spray and re-apply to yourself!

Here is the locket pinned to my sweater so you can see what it looks like on clothing. I prefer to angle the pin for a modern, asymmetric touch.

$38 at Joya Studio or $19 on sale at Anthropologie

Item of the Week: Peter Jensen Court Shoes

Frilly red leather just brightens my day! These court shoes by Peter Jensen have a bit of Marie Antoinette in them with some modern Mary Jane flair! I wish they came in a more petite size 5 but alas, I can only admire them instead.

$227 at Farfetch

What I Love Now! - December Brrrr

Oh the weather outside is frightful,

But the fire is so delightful,

And since we've no place to go,

Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

Inspiration. December sure is a chilly month, but nothing some good fashion can't cheer up. I'm so delighted that bright colours and prints are coming back into play for the Spring/Summer 2011.

For some inspiration, I am currently in love with Aquilano.Rimondi, an Italian brand that does a gorgeous sophisticated job of prints and brights.

Aquilano.Rimondi 

Ruffle Shirt and Scarf Print Turn-Around Skirt

$405 and $550 at Neiman Marcus

And look! The skirt can flip around if you want a different pattern (two in one!)

Lippy Love. I love plummy lips during winter months. Like many girls, I am paler during the winter, and I use darker lips to get that English rose look with pale skin and dark hair. One of my faves so far is the Fresh Sugar Tinted Lip Treatment in Plum. 

Don't be shocked by how dark it looks in the tube because it is a sheer balm like texture!

$22.50 at Sephora

The Ultimate Tee. Also this winter I have discovered the 2 ultimate soft cotton turtlenecks to keep you warm. There's so many places out there that sell turtlenecks made of rayon, polyester, acrylic (which will never keep you warm) and other horrible manmade materials that break down after washing. Or I love this, when the material stretches out and it becomes more like a tent you can camp out under.

First, love the J.Crew Tissue Tee Turtlenecks and the vast variety of colours it comes in year after year. It's 100% bias cut cotton and feels amazing. The tissue tee weight is a bit lighter, so it makes for a great transition piece staple. I buy mine in XS as J.Crew tends to size a bit on the larger side for petite gals.

J.Crew Tissue Tee Turtlenecks

$19.99 and up at J.Crew

Second, I recently discovered Talbots does turtlenecks in 100% pima cotton, which feel like silk. The thicker, denser pima cotton will keep you toasty when the weather really gets cold. And there's plenty of colours to choose from too. I bought mine in Petites P which fit perfectly.

Pima Cotton Turtleneck Tee

$10.47 at up at Talbots

Links a la Mode: Flash Forward

Flash Forward

Edited by: Holier than Now
With mere days left in 2010, it's time to make that *other* holiday list and check it twice. Continuing last week's countdown to a beautiful new year, our favorite bloggers create a veritable "gift list" of tips, suggestions, and inspiration. In those lazy days before work and school start up again, peruse ways to end the holidays on a charitable note, own your own greatness, own less stuff, make more money, and build a better blog. It's enough to make you put down your hot chocolate and get started on 2011 already!

Links à la Mode: December 23rd

• Awakened Aesthetic: Fashion Inspiration (and Nostalgia) from Shel Silverstein
• Bon Bon Rose Girls: Lace: The Alternative to Sparkle
• Brunette Blogging: Holiday Season Survival Guide
• Button Owl: The Intricacies of Male Heartbreak
• Dramatis Personae: Black Swan: A Glimpse at the Costumes and Artwork, plus an Interview with Make-up Artists
• Grit and Glamour: 12 Days to a Better Blog in 2011
• Holier than Now: Toxic Friendships: Ditch that B*tch for 2011
• Honey Pie: New Year, New Beginning, New Hairdo
• Love Brown Sugar: Turning Hobbies Into Hustles for Extra Cash in 2011
• Independent Fashion Bloggers: Negative Reviews and Feedback on Companies - Join the Debate
• Liv Lux Mag: 5 Tips to Get Shopping Done Fast
• Lust Love Lose: Making a Vintage Bag New Again
• Misplaced Sequins: A Simple Staple for the Vintage-Modern Mix
• Perfect Midnight: A Touch of Faith, Hope and Charity for This Season
• Searching for Style: Real Women Belong in Real Life: Exploring Solutions for Diverse Model Casting
• Soy Child: You're Not Stuck Up if You're Great: A Self-Esteem Lesson
• Style Bizarre: Fashion is Overwhelming. Are You Staying True to Yourself?
• Tres Fly: 5 Wardrobe Staples
• View from 5 ft 2: Wedding Attire Do's and Don'ts
• Yeah It's Shyy: Is Change Good? A Look at One Designer's Evolution

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Hello sweet reader! I hope you are having a lovely time - unfortunately I've been a bit sick with a cold and hence haven't been posting as much. But once I'm back up and running I will have more posts for you. Promise!

In the meantime, peace, love and happy holidays!

Cody Foster Peace Wreath

Leifsdottir Extended Free Shipping

In addition to the already fabulous Anthro sale that will commence tomorrow (see Roxy's post), Leifsdottir is extending it's Free Shipping so you'll get your package in time for the holidays.

I totally love it when retailers crumble in the Holiday game of chicken - more deals for us consumers!

Links a la Mode: Stylish Priorities

Stylish Priorities

Edited by: Jennine Jacob of Independent Fashion Bloggers
Nothing like the end of the year to get you thinking. The holiday season is not only a time for giving, it's a time for reflecting. Whether your giving lavish gifts or wondering if shopping takes away from the spirit of the season, or just plain having fun with all the holiday parties (it's time to dress up!) this weeks links run the gamut from profound thoughts. Some of my favorites were how fashion has no age limit and just in time for New Year's Resolutions, will losing weight make you happier? Of course there's some excellent posts about fashion blogging, questioning reblogging and content ownership along and balancing your blog with your life.

Links à la Mode: December 16th

• 365 Fashion Rehab: Confession of a (Reformed) Shopaholic
• A la Modest: Quit Wearing That! You Can Still Look Good in a Potato Sack!
• Beango: A sketchbook that's a dream gift for a fashion designer
• Button Owl: Will losing weight really make you happier?
• Dirty Hems: DIY Sweater Leggings
• Fashion Limbo: The Rant - Christmas shopping, I hate you
• Fashion Lover: Q&A Interview with Tex Saverio, Indonesian fashion designer extraordinaire who was dubbed the "Indonesian Alexander McQueen" by the internet.
• Fete a Fete: Guerlain Sur Mes Lèvres: Spring 2011 Makeup Sneak Peek
• Finding Tokyo: There's no such thing as a fashion age limit!
• The Fashion Pawn: The B.O.B Series: The 8 Commandments of Blogging
• Grit and Glamour: Friend Friday: Let's Stay Together
• Holier than now: Her story is history: the vintage-inspired mood board collages behind my Market Publique/Erstwhile Style vintage holiday lookbook
• Independent Fashion Bloggers: How to promote your blog with an event
• Whit & Whimsy: Gift Guide from WIT & Whimsy featuring several IFB members
• Little Miss Makeup: ROCK CHIC: Runway-inspired smokey eyes tutorial
• Shrimp Salad Circus: Reblog content controversy . quality, quantity, or just crap?
• Stylebizzare: New year, new wardrobe? 7 tips to restyle your closet
• the Citizen Rosebud: Inspiration real citizens
• Taste & Style Files: If you're neglecting your hunny, well then this one's for you, babe! A reminder to stay in focus & in touch amidst our blogger frenzied lives
• The Coveted: Pimp your style with a feathered hat.

Anthro Secret Sale - Bellis Brushstroke Dress

Leifsdottir Bellis Brushstroke Dress

style #933136

$69.95...was $298

Time to check your wishlists or try clicking the link above! This morning, I found the above dress available once again in my wishlist in a size 0, which I ordered and got the additional 25% discount on (insane considering Leifsdottir rarely gets marked down so steeply). Let's hope it looks as great in person as on the website! The link above should show a size 2 now available as well.

Also just had to show the cute back of the dress:

Anthro and Terrain Deals

Anthropologie and sister-site Terrain have just released some fantastic last minute deals!

Anthro sent out an email with 25% off nearly all jewelry (just go to the jewelry & accessories portion of the site to see the markdown items) and an additional 25% off sale items. Combine that with the free shipping on any orders over $150 and you have a pretty sweet deal.

Not to be outdone, Terrain (also owned by the same company) sent out a separate email with 20% off and delivery within 3 days with the code EXPRESS.

Happy holiday shopping everybody!

Leifsdottir Free Shipping for all US Orders

Leifsdottir just announced via email that is has begun Free Shipping (apparently without a purchase minimum!) for all US orders from Dec 15-17. It appears that the free standard shipping does not require any codes and is automatically applied during checkout.

Enjoy!

AG Everett vs AG Stevie Cords

I was so excited this weekend to see AG Everett's on sale. Now, you'll know from my previous reviews that I love the fit of the AG Stevie's. By the way, the Stevie's this year are just as good as last year's, and now in new colours!

AG Everett Corduroys

$49.95 orig $168

Style# 18767004

I had completely expected the AG Everett's to have the exact same fit as the Stevie's, except with a wide leg rather than a skinny and the same plush corduroy that can't be found anywhere else. Wrong. Completely wrong. Unlike the Stevie's which huge the waistline beautifully, the Everett's tend to gap and fit more like J. Crew pants - which happen to fit horribly on me. The corduroy is still soft and the colours are pretty, but doesn't seem quite as plush as the Stevie's for some odd reason.

Verdict: The Everett's are a no-go for me. They may better fit girls who are a bit less curvy and if you can fit J. Crew pants these may be the ones for you.

Update: I managed to find one pair of freak Everett's that actually fit me! So a little hunting may help though I would still recommend the Stevie's as the better pants overall.


For now, I'm coveting another pair of Stevie's either in white or the lush burgundy purple I've seen in stores. Also, I'm a bit curious to know how the AG Angel's fit in comparison - if you know, please do tell in the comments!

AG Stevie Corduroys, $158

Style#18679779

AG Angel Corduroy, $158
Style#18731687

Links a la Mode: All Kinds of Everything

All Kinds of Everything

Edited by: Florrie Clarke of Intrinsically Florrie

There's such lovely variation amongst the links submitted this week. We are fashion bloggers- of course we like things that are pretty things from expensive handbags to quirky DIY jewelry- but the dedication to great content and a passion for good causes is what really stands out with this week's posts.

Links à la Mode; December 9th

• 55th Street: A new take on Street Style through my eyes
• Analogue Chic: Drama with my mama: being my mom's personal stylist.
• Any Second Now: Remembering the fashion of 1980's Duran Duran and how it inspired a fashion pictorial that includes giant Rubik's Cubes. Gotta love the 80's!
• ashley4emergy: Tea Party and Vintage Fashion Exhibit with Socialite Ms. Lana Turner!
• Awakened Aesthetic: Six Impossible Things...by BirdQueen Designs.
• Big Girls Browse: Dressember begins - a different dress every day for the whole of December
• Broke & Beautiful: Jeffrey Campbell goes pink...but for what cause?
• de la pen: Balenciaga: The Spanish Master by Hamish Bowles
• For Those About to Shop: Callous comments can be life-threatening
• Haute World: Not your average designer collaboration: Fashion giants show their charitable side by creating dolls for UNICEF
• Independent Fashion Bloggers: Tips for Holiday Gift Guides & Giveaways
• Intrinsically Florrie: On DIY customising my own unique rings
• lowefactor: Ever notice why pre-fall collections get lost in the holiday shopping press shuffle?
• Lust Love Lose: An easy guide to applying red lipstick that will last all day.
• Mrs Bossa: Blogs with Soul: Mrs Bossa raises a glass to the talent of the blogging community
• Oranges and Apples: Interview and GIVEAWAY with photographer and jewelry designer Marie Bee of the Blue Balloon
• Pocket Rocket Fashion: Debating with fashion photographer Diana Thompson the problems of plus fashion brands using models smaller than their range to promote them.
• Searching for Style: Fashion 101: Why Luxury is Expensive. The making of an Hermès bag.
• STREET STYLE: PICS BY POLKA DOT: One woman's journey to get credit for a piece Spanish Elle did using her photographs without her knowledge, or consent. A cautionary tale!
• The Coveted: Winter Vacation Tory Burch Resort 2011
• two for the clothes: Our second "Freaky Friday" post, in which her outfit for him turns out badly.
• The Fashion Pawn: What a business card can do for you

Anthro/Polyvore Contest

Hello sweet reader! Anthropologie has released a contest with Polyvore for fans of both to win a $500 Anthro gift card.

Below is my personal entry I created - hope you like it!

I Dream Too Much by sweetarchivia

Have you entered the contest yet? If so, link your entry in the comments so we can all see it!

Dressing for Downward Dog

Let's face it - for those of us living in suburbia where a yoga studio/store isn't found on every other block, it's a bit difficult to actually find places to buy good yoga gear that's still stylish. I found that I had to do a good bit of research to figure out what was worth buying:

1. Amazon really does have everything.

For petite women, Moving Comfort Alexis A/B is apparently considered the Wonderbra of sports bras. I have found it to be very comfortable and entirely suitable for any yogic twist or turn, but also lightly padded such to be figure flattering and modesty preserving. I ended up buying one in white in a S, which on the tag is for 32AB-34A cups and did not find it necessary to size up or down.

Personally I found Amazon to be the cheapest source (at only $24 a pop), whereas at places like REI or Nordstrom it retails for $34.

Moving Comfort Alexis A/B Bra, $24.43

Amazon also has lots and lots of yoga mats to chose from. My personal one I bought a few years ago is a 1/4 inch thick printed yoga mat made by Gaiam which helps provide additional cushioning and has a pretty bamboo moon background. Although the exact same design is no longer made, there's plenty of similarly thick mats out on the market.

Also any printed mat from Gaiam will unfortunately have a plastic-y smell to it when you first unwrap it, but letting it breathe for a couple days fixes that problem quickly.

2. Barnes and Noble has yoga supplies?


Yes, believe it or not if you don't want to wait for Amazon to ship you something and like to see things in store, Barnes and Noble is a great resource. Their yoga display will not be huge and it may be tucked in an odd place like with the CDs, but it will have all the basics and various kits. I found it was a great place to pick up my yoga strap and they also have plenty of yoga blocks as well for those who like additional support.

Gaiam Natural Cotton Strap, 6', $9.99

3. American Apparel has endless yoga pants in almost every colour

American Apparel 8300 Cotton Spandex Jersey Yoga Pant, $35

Yes there are fancier lines out there, but unless I win the lottery I won't be spending $100 on pants just to workout in. I usually buy mine in a S as the pants tend to run fairly tight initially, but do stretch out a bit over time. For the best deals, if you can find an American Apparel outlet, those will often run at half price or less - often for being "too short" by factory standards which for me means "no hemming required!"

Links a la Mode: It Gets Better

It Gets Better

Edited by: The Sunday Best

As  we head full on into the "holiday" season, with its unbridled  consumerism, endless head-whacking charity pleas, and weird tie-ins, I  expected the links list to be inundated with shopping guides. Instead,  many dealt with what can only be considered harassment or, terribly,  abuse; several looked at blogging as a cathartic experience, others as a  rallying cry. I was lucky enough to be raised in an openly affectionate  household with two strong female presences in my mother and sister, and  this has undoubtedly affected my manner and attitudes as a married man.  Since I can't go around changing men and society, no matter how cool  that superpower would be, I offer this reminder, in what I believe is  the spirit of the season (when that spirit is allowed to express itself  unfettered): respect is the bare minimum we owe each other, and the bare  minimum we should expect from others. Respect is not necessarily  agreement, but it is always acknowledgment. For those who are struggling  this season--financially, emotionally, physically--I can only echo the  words of Tim Gunn, George Takei, and others when I say, "It gets  better." Happy Holidays.

Links à la Mode: December 2

• Analogue Chic 1 step forward, ten steps back: Skinnygirl by Bethenny Frankel
• Be Fabulous Daily Women at work: An immodest proposal
• Crimson Rosella My safe haven
• Finding Tokyo Why Paris is no longer the fashion capital of the world
• Independent Fashion Bloggers: The Comment Challenge
• Melina Bee How to host your own clothing swap in five easy steps
• Mrs Bossa Friend Friday Guest Post: Size Matters
• My Heart Blogged Losing 40 lbs., and what I've learned
• Oranges and Apples An ethics code for bloggers
• Piewacket Hot off the press
• Statements in Fashion My Alex, My Dragonfly
• Style Eyes A fashion bloggers mini guide to psychology
• The Button Owl Control freak
• The Chic Curve From the author: "Fat Bitch"
• The Coveted Nicole de Carle: Subversive Architectural Lingerie
• The Demoiselles Can't stand the hate: Cutting Bridalplasty down to size
• The Elegant Bohemian The sisterhood
• The Laugh Slut Giving thanks
• The Sunday Best Give him scotch
• Vogue Vintage The future of fashion blogging
• Wearabout Streets on the runway