It's the freakin' weekend

Kenny Chesney's cover of 'El Cerrito Place' had me going this week. Love me some Kennny.

Happy Saturday to everyone and more importantly, have an awesome long weekend!

"And all these pretty people up on El Cerrito Place

They all got somethin' in their pockets, all got somethin' on their face

They roll down to La Brea where it meets the boulevard

Singin' hallelujah while they dance over the stars

They all say they're goin' far"

Shoop

Some things are just meant to be shared, and this is one of them. 

My go-to karaoke song of all time. Why? Well thats obvious, because I can't sing but I can sure as hell rap.

Ellen is insanely cool. the end.

Pantone Profiles: Teals

I recently acquired this little lovely box of Pantone postcards and I'm really sort-of obsessed... in a healthy way of course. I bought them to use in my office for color swatch art, but my color palette is only 3 colors so the rest of the box is getting no play. I've also found that a lot of tumblr's that I follow are color coordinating their posts, so this gave me the idea to start doing a series that focused on a random color from my box and all the wonderful array of things that exhibit this shade.

Public Service Announcement: All photos are my findings from tumblr, Pinterest, Etsy and the expansive assortment of images on google. I cannot credit every single one, but know that I am in no way taking credit for a photo unless I say it's mine.

For the first post in this series we focus on the shades of Teal.

Large and in charge

Apparently Karl called Marc and they agreed on the 'biggest' trend yet - oversized accessories.  Chanel's hulabag has been the talk of the great fashion blogs for days now since it's debut earlier this week at Paris Fashion Week. When we didn't think it could get any more peculiar, Marc Jacobs floored us over at Louis Vuitton by sending out colossal sized duffels in highlighter yellow. I tend to think both are pretty wonderful... and as they say, "go BIG or go home!"

Join the fashion buzz on these voluminous bags.. tell me what you think, are they fab or just too bulky? Let's keep in perspective that this is fashion's take on art, so these designers don't expect you to actually carry these sacks.

Update: Now don't worry your little hearts, Chanel is offering their hulabag in a smaller scale for normal everyday use. Now you can show-off the trend in a more manageable fashion.

Whatta'ya Love? Weds

Photo via Cubiclerefugee

Trend Stalking: the ampersand

I've fallen hard for this little bugger. 

The ampersand has taken over my life and I suddenly see it everywhere! It has become quite the household trend in the most stylish of homes across the country, so I decided to get a closer view on what makes this little symbol so appealing...

You can see how the symbol takes center-stage in my own living room

Let's first start with where it came from. You know they say, "know from whence you came" so here are some fun facts on the history of the '&'  thanks to Wiki:

• Pronunciation: AM-per-sand
• The name 'ampersand' . . . comes from the practice once common in schools of reciting all 26 letters of the alphabet plus the '&' sign, pronounced 'and,' which was considered part of the alphabet, at least for learning purposes. Thus, the recitation of the alphabet would end in "X, Y, Z and per se, and". This last phrase was routinely slurred to "ampersand" and the term crept into common English usage by around 1837.
• The ampersand can be traced back to the 1st century A.D. and the Old Roman cursive, in which the letters E and T occasionally were written together to form a ligature.

Not only is it pretty and fun to look at, but I also believe the symbol itself has become a universal representation of 'togetherness' for people. Used frequently in big waaavvvy script for wedding invitations, its made its way onto pillows, necklaces, glittering signs, & desktop wallpapers. It spans across all mediums now and no one can stop it - Everyone loves the ampersand!

If you're like me and enjoy this 27th letter of the alphabet way too much, I've found some amazing finds to rep it. Check them out:

#1: All white melamine bookends that are dual-duty. Stylishly hold your books with these lovelies. I found them on OneKingsLane last week, but be sure to creep on them because they'll be back again.
#2: Designer much? Graphics play a big part in my life and maybe they do in yours. Who wouldn't love this '&' art hanging in their office? Limited Edition ampersand letterpress print from Douglas Wilson
#3: How cute is this ampersand desktop for dual displays? His and hers, maybe? Love. Find them from Veer HERE

#1: My heart flutters for this vintage '&' marquee light from Etsy seller AirthandOlson - Love it too? Buy it here
#2: For the crafty-folk, rubber stamps are like a good pair of shoes...you have to have them all. Why not go for this ONE  from Etsy seller annmarielovespaper
#3: Ampersand pillows are everywhere.. I suggest a DIY so you can make it any color you want. Just get a standard pillow and print the '&' from your computer onto transfer paper. Then just iron that baby on - Voila! Photo Courtesy of DesignSponge

#1: Maybe it really is near and dear to your heart. Wear it as close as possible with this Sterling Silver block ampersand necklace from Etsy seller christinakober
#2: If you're a true lover of the '&' you'll put it on your most prized possession.. your iphone. Head on over to Erica Jacson Curran's Etsy shop and show some Charleston, SC love!
#3: Jot down your life's biggest desires or better yet, take it to work. This hand-stitched ampersand moleskin notebook  by Etsy seller elizabethrosemond will make you want to take notes! Choose your color HERE
#4: Spread your love for the ampersand with these gift tags from Etsy seller 33PaperLane

and if you still can't get enough, check out this site solely dedicated to the one & only, The Ampersand

ampersand

Good day for a white wedding

Photo courtesy of : HuffingtonPost.com 

 Well, well ... The Bride Wars actress herself got married this weekend! In an absolutely exquisite dress by Valentino none-the-less.

Our Brooklyn girl, Ann Hathaway tied the knot to her fiance of a year, Adam Shulman this past Friday in Big Sur, California. The ceremony was at a private residence and was planned by Yifat Oren, who also happened to be Natalie Portman's wedding planner. Busy guy! The couple entertained around 180 guests and the rustic decor was just fitting for the venue.

But let's get to the good stuff now - What she's wearing!

Let's discuss the veil. If you all remember correctly, AH just chopped off all her hair for the role in the Les Misérables movie. So, in her embracing of the new pixie cut on her wedding day, (I give her credit that's kind of hard) she had the man himself, Valentino, create this custom magical headpiece-veil. Stop. It's beautiful! But, our bride, our stunning, most angelic bride, has Valentino hanging out in the dirt. I feel I need to cue Jason Aldean 'Dirt Road Anthem' here. I'm really trying hard to see her point of view. Is it just the fact that she wears designers of this scale all the time? Should I relate this situation to my own wedding gown that I took through the ringer; drug through sand, surf, and fiddler crabs? I just don't get it. But, I'll give her a pass on her wedding day and say that even in grainy stalker-esque photos, she still always manages to look flawless.

Now I know each and every one of us would kill to be in her dress for a minute... Glamour mag did us all a favor and chose 6-inspired wedding gowns that look just.like.Ann's. My favorite was this Monique Lhuillier stunner. 

Photo courtest of: Glamour.com

Congrats again to the newlyweds and happy honeymoon!