2012 Highlights & A Little About Moi
In honor of either (1) the impending apocalypse or (2) the end of 2012, I’d like to share some of my favorite posts from the year and a few things that you might not know about me.
In no particular order these are my favorite MCLV posts during 2012:
- Styling 101: Holiday Dressing – This collaboration has been one of my favorite to date, it was such a fun to brainstorm what we wanted to do, find inspiration, browse for dresses at Mystery Mister, and figure out the styling.
- MCLV Mange: Farmer’s Market Fare – This post marked the beginning of my MCLV Mange series and I’m really enjoying the chance to share my favorite healthy, easy recipes with you all a few times a month.
- 10 Day Style Challenge: Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV & Part V – This fashion challenge at the beginning of 2012 was the first time I shared photographs of my personal style on the blog – I’ve come a long way since then and am happy that I now have the opportunity to feature a MCLV Style post once a week!
- IFBCON – Trends, Styles & Inspirations & MCLV Style: IFBCON Day One – Attending IFBCON {Independent Fashion Bloggers Conference} in New York City this September was one of the highlights of my year. Not only do I adore New York – yes, even during the sweaty Summer – but I was thrilled to meet so many amazing, creative, like-minded women at the conference. I definitely made some cyber-friends for life!
- MCLV Style: Lady of the Night – This is one of my favorite personal style posts of the year – I’m living for pants this Fall/Winter but somehow I rarely seem to get those looks photographed – I was thrilled how great these shots turned out.
Les Confessions – Quartre
Sometimes I wake up and go to the gym, only to look around at the empty room & the dark morning outside and head straight to the shower!
I can’t watch horror movies because I get awful, vivid nightmares. Or read murder mysteries. Or read the newspaper if the topic is serial killers, ritualistic murders, or school shootings. Or read the PETA website.
I love brussels sprouts. I know it’s not cool. I know that it makes me weird. And I’m 100% ok with that.
I’ve started half a dozen novels since I was a teenage and have yet to let anyone read them.
I once had a nightmare about my kitten being sent by the bad guys to watch me and I avoided her for a month.
{Want to know more? Read: Les Confessions – Une, Les Confessions – Deux & Les Confessions – Trois}
Stars & Stripes
Whether you’re in the mood to celebrate America’s Independence Day or just the fact that you’re (hopefully) getting a day off, here are some fun, festive ideas, photos, and links to get you in the mood – From too cute for words patriotic pieces to creative recipes that are as pretty as they are delicious
Listing…
Everyone seems to be in the mood for lists right now. A handful of bloggers that I adore have published list posts lately: The Life & Lessons of Rachel Wilkerson’s What I’ve Been Eating, What I’ve Been Reading, What I’ve Been Writing, What I’ve Been Wearing, Holly Would If She Could’s 16 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Me, and SnackFace’s This Week’s Sounds, Scents, Sips, Snacks & Sights…
And with my hectic schedule lately, both at work and personally, I’ve been living and dying by my daily To Do lists. First thing in the morning I make a list of all the things that need to get done that day and before I leave the office for the day I take the list of tasks and put them in chronological order. Don’t worry, I’m not going to share my daily To Do lists with you. I thought I’d take a cue from my blogging idols though and share some of the details of what’s going on in my life these days.
What I’ve Been Eating:
I didn’t do a great job following a healthy diet in April or May, as I confessed, so I’ve been doing my best to rectify that over the last few weeks. Tons of fruits and veggies, and smoothies galore. Green smoothies, berry-based smoothies, and even peanut butter smoothies. Yum!
What I’ve Been Reading:
My boyfriend’s mother insisted that I read The Botticelli Secret by Marina Fiorato, and I ended up reading all 544 pages over the course of a weekend because I couldn’t put it down. Botticelli’s Primavera has been my favorite painting of his since I saw it in Florence when I was 21 so I was especially drawn to the storyline. I’ve also just finished Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think by Brian Wansink and was stunned by how much I related to each and every study that he discussed. Definitely keep an eye out for a Book Report on this! I’ve also just started Add More -Ing to Your Life: A Hip Guide to Happiness by Gabrielle Bernstein, which isn’t a self-help book – I swear – it’s a self-transformation book. 🙂 I’m looking forward to seeing how it impacts my daily approach to life as part of my #1 2012 goal to Be Positive.
Oh, and I have a serious fashion magazine problem. Like a – I need a 12 step program type of problem.
What I’ve Been Writing:
One of my goals for 2012 is to publish a piece of my writing and while this has been a personal goal for years, this is the first time I’ve officially written it down. Not to make excuses, but as a result of my spinal injury and my laptop dying earlier this year, I haven’t worked on this goal much so far in 2012. Hopefully this post will serve as motivation for me to start editing my first novel, I started writing it when I was 20 and wrote a large chunk of it while I was traveling around Europe by myself when I was 21.
What I’ve Been Wearing:
During May I submitted a handful of looks to a fashion challenge run by Definitely RA, you can so you can check out some of those looks – Mission: Put Together 2012 – Part I and Mission: Put Together 2012 – Part II. The challenge was great and I wish I’d had time to participate more, but even putting together a few looks was fun. And as part of my goals for June I wanted to make an effort to wear less black, especially on sunny weekends, so that’s been a major factor in choosing my daily looks. Definitely an adjustment not to automatically reach for the black pieces!
Some Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Me:
- I don’t actively follow astrology but I’ve always believed that I embody many of the traits of my Scorpio sign – Determined, loyal, suspicious, discreet, introverted, dramatic, passionate, possessive…
- I originally hurt my back springboard diving in college when I was 18
- If I could only eat one food for the rest of my life it would be sweet potatoes. There’s an endless number of ways to cook them… Chips, fries, baked, mashed, in pudding. They can be sweet or savory. Hmmm… Now I kind of want to spend a weekend eating only sweet potatoes and blog about all the recipes I come up with! 🙂
- Sometimes I forget that I don’t really “know” bloggers. I begin to feel like I’m friends with people whose lives I read about every day. Does that happen to anyone else?
- I have three tattoos.
And so that we can continue to get to know each other, I’m going to re-start my short-lived Les Confessions series, where I post some “confessions” about myself and my life on a regular basis.
Sounds:
I’ve been listening to 70’s and 80’s music non-stop. From vintage Bon Jovi, Kenny Loggins, and Twisted Sister to fabulous 80’s movie soundtracks – Footloose, Pretty In Pink, Breakfast Club. The upside is that it’s really upbeat music that wakes me up and makes me smile every morning, the downside is that I dance at my desk. A lot.
Scents:
I’m a peppermint junkie! Candles, air fresheners, essential oils… Whatever I can find. I’ve also been baking up a storm and I love the scent of raw cacao and carob powders as their heating up.
Sips:
Peppermint tea – duh – and I have to confess that my guilty pleasure these days is Cherry Coke Zero or Cherry Diet Dr. Pepper. My boyfriend is horrified by the red color from the syrup but I treat myself to one a week! I’ve also rediscovered the Synergy Kombucha drinks, and I laugh every time I get carded buying them!
Snacks:
I seem to have almost forgotten about hummus when the weather was cooler but now that it’s warming up I’m craving hummus daily. Carrots, celery, sugar snap peas, and radishes dipped in spicy hummus is favorite after-work snack. I’ve also been eating my bodyweight in fruit on virtually a daily basis – pounds of grapes, cherries, apples, and bananas. Just can’t get enough!
Sights:
This Spring was amazing with weekends in Sonoma, San Diego, and Sea Ranch, but June has been a gorgeous month in San Francisco and I’ve been really enjoying spending time in my favorite city. Walking everywhere, trips to the Ferry Building Farmer’s Market, lazy days spent shopping and wandering around the sun-drenched streets… Amazing!
So tell me, what have you been up to? Do you like to make lists to ensure that you get everything done that needs to be done each day?
Mission: Put Together 2012 – Week II
I’m here today to give you a Week II breakdown for Definitely RA‘s 2012 fashion challenge – Mission: Put Together (similar to Freckles In Aprils’ 10 Day Style Challenge from earlier in the year) – my initial post on Week I post was published on May 15th. Clearly I’ve had a hectic Spring, but I’m glad that I’m finally sharing these fun pictures.
Ready for some color?
Week #2 was about one thing – Prints Prints Prints! I went from a solid black girl to mixing patterned pieces like a pro, the very reason that I wanted to take on this challenge in the first place.
Summer Stripes:
I feel like I should preference this by saying that this is the first time I’ve worn shorts since JUNIOR HIGH.
Striped Top: Zara, Royal Blue Shorts: Zara, Sandals: Vintage, Black Bag: Chanel, Sunglasses: Christian Dior, & Jewelry: JewelMint
You can HYPE this look on Lookbook.nu, shop similar pieces on ASOS Style Finder, or click the hyperlinks above for some comparable pieces that you can buy.
I traded in my vintage sandals for MaddenGirl heels to grab a glass of wine outside at a cafe.
That’s right. Junior High.
And of course I paired these too-cute bright blue Zara shorts with fun zipper details with a basic striped T-shirt. We all know how much I love stripes!
Polka Dots:
Polka Dot Blouse: Zara, Pleated Chiffon Mini Skirt: Zara, Black Blazer: Aqua, Clutch: Chanel, & Nude Heels: BCBGeneration
You can HYPE this look on Lookbook.nu, shop similar pieces on ASOS Style Finder, or click the hyperlinks above for some comparable pieces that you can buy.
I was totally mad for this outfit! Every once in a while I put something together that makes me just plain excited to go outside. And this is an example of that. I was bouncing around like a sugar-crazed little kid while Sean and I were waiting to meet my parents for dinner that night. I couldn’t even wait until after dinner to take pictures, we ran across the street from the restaurant after placing our orders to take these shots.
People were definitely stopping to stare at us while we were taking these pictures in Washington Square Park. I think trying to figure out who I was and why I was posing for photographs on a bike path…
Graffiti Girl:
When I saw this dress I knew it had to be mine.
Geometric Print Dress: Mango, T-Strap Heels: Zara, and Handbag: Zara
You can HYPE this look on Lookbook.nu, shop similar pieces on ASOS Style Finder, or click the hyperlinks above for some comparable pieces that you can buy.
I have a bad habit of wearing dresses that aren’t ideal for my body type. For example, I absolutely adore 6o’s mod-inspired styles and shift dresses, which are better suited for someone with a boyish figure – a la Twiggy.
Flower Child:
What do you wear when it’s gorgeous out on a lazy Sunday morning? Go hippie of course! And since I wanted to stay true to the challenge, I made sure to pick a fun floral printed dress to run errands in.
While I adore this print, what really made this dress stand out to me was the crocheted strip around the middle. Such a fun, unique detail.
Floral Dress: Vintage, Sunglasses: D&G, Cross-Body Bag: BCBGeneration & Floral Cuff: Vintage
You can HYPE this look on Lookbook.nu, shop similar pieces on ASOS Style Finder, or click the hyperlinks above for some comparable pieces that you can buy.
Print On Print:
Who would have ever guessed that me, the girl who wore nothing but solid black for years, would be involved in something as crazy as pattern mixing?
I love this dress and I’ve worn it a few times this season, but it was really fun to try to pick out a great patterned bag to pair with it this time, something that I wouldn’t necessary choose during a random wearing.
Dress: Lilly Pulitzer via Bloomingdale’s, Sandals: Vintage, Striped Tote: Forever 21, Charm bracelet: Juicy Couture, Flower Ring: Forever 21, & Turquoise Ring: Asos
You can HYPE this look on Lookbook.nu, shop similar pieces on ASOS Style Finder, or click the hyperlinks above for some comparable pieces that you can buy.
Color. Prints. Mixing patterned pieces. This was a big week for me, I definitely stretched my sartorial muscles. I’m sure that you also noticed that these are all weekend after-hours looks. I included a number of work outfits in Week I and wanted to try to incorporate more street style type looks this week.
Do you like the idea of a fashion challenge that forces you to make new and interesting fashion choices? Are you getting inspired to try out some fun new looks for Summer?
Looks of the Week
Happy Monday!
I hope that everyone had a great weekend. I’ll tell you all about my amazing weekend in Sonoma tomorrow, in the meantime here are some great style pictures to jumpstart your Monday and get you in the mood for a fashionable week.
J'ADORE!!! I love the mixing of colors, patterns, fabrics, and textures here. It's simple in its composition, but the end result is a complex, well-put together, chic as hell look!
I love love love this look! The shorts and chic and fun, and they look great paired with the brightly patterned top. The floral necklace and the adorable day clutch are the perfect final touches. Absolutely great!
One of my favorite articles of clothing is a great dress. Something well-made, classic, stylish. Something that you can wear again and again, year after year. This is that kind of dress!
I love this delicate, girly, vintage-inspired lace dress. The contrasting collar is perfect and I love that she paired glittery flats with it rather than heels, it works well with the mod style.
Tribeca Film Festival 2012:
I love love love this photo! Karlie looks dazzling in Chanel and being flanked by the adorable Brant kids is perfect.
I like the glamorous but laid-back cool of both of these looks. I love little white dresses for Spring but I'm a sucker for stripes so I'm going to have to say that the look on the right is my favorite.
Lily Kwong looks stunning in Chanel, I love the black & white dress and her choice of accessories is right on - the pops of green and red are perfect.
Simple. Chic. Sexy. What more does a girl need for a night out?
The PERFECT little white dress courtesy of Reiss. A flattering fit and the perfect color against her skin - Camilla Belle looks phenomenal here!
Great Sass & Bide dress! It almost looks like Peter Pilotto, doesn't it? I like it paired with a basic leather jacket, very cute.
The 2012 White House Correspondents’ Dinner:
Kerry Washington decided to show us all the power of color for this event! A simple, streamlined look that popped beautifully against her skin and flaunted her gorgeous figure. Well done!
Anna Paquin's dress was dramatic and interesting for basic black, but what really stood out to me were her gorgeous earrings, bracelets, and clutch. Well done on the accessorizing. And her makeup looks phenomenal.
Kate Hudson was anything but a wall flower in floor-length purple sequins. Wow. Way to make a statement!
The top of this gown makes it anything but boring black. Paired with her beautiful retro waves and showstopping turquoise earrings Reese was quite the vision.
Elizabeth Banks has been kicking some booty on the red carpet lately during her Hunger Games touring and she continued her sartorial success in this Antonio Berardi gown. Now that's how to rock a peplum!
I've been LOVING shorts looks lately and this was is great. A little rock n' roll and glam, but still laid back and summery. Gorgeous!
Tomorrow is the first day of May and I’m planning to participate in Definitely RA’s Mission: Put Together – 2012, which is another fashion challenge like the one hosted by Freckles In April earlier this year that I really enjoyed, so expect some fun pictures in the next week or so.
Back tomorrow with some great pictures from my weekend!
MCLV Fashion & Lessons In Self Portraits
While I originally strove for the impossible here – i.e. decent looking self portraits – I decided to give this another attempt this past week. I’ve been having a lot of fun with my fashion choices lately and wanted to share it with you guys as best I can.
Pocket tunic - Express, Pants - DKNY, Sweater - Banana Republic, Boots - Can't remember & Jewelry - Vintage (Belle Cose)
A tunic over slim pants is one of my favorite silhouettes and I adore layering vintage gold jewelry so I really love this type of look. These boots, that I got years and years ago, are my current favorites – I like the thick heel because they’re incredibly comfortable, while the buckles give them a bit of a rock n’ roll feel.
Dress - BCBG, Jewelry- JewelMint & Vintage, Wristlet - Mango & Shoes - MaddenGirl
This colors in this dress are perfect for Spring while the subtle pattern is fresh and eye-catching. Styling it is fun because of the different ways that you can go – In January I went with a bright red coat, tights, and black pumps during the 10 Day Style Challenge. These new MaddenGirl shoes are really comfortable and I’m absolutely mad about them right now.
I always feel like Inspector Gadget when I wear bucket hats! 🙂
Coat - H&M, Booties - BCBG, Jewelry - Tiffany's & Hat - GAP
A belted jacket is such a great, classic look when its chilly out. No matter the occasion, day or night, a great coat can finish your look. It gives your outfit an overall air of polish.
Skirt - Zara, Tank - Anthropology, Booties - Max Studio & Bag - Givenchy
I love pleated skirts and excitedly picked up three for this Spring season. This black one is incredibly versatile, it can be worn with tights and boots when its colder out or with sandals and a tank during warmer weather.
Unfortunately we’re still suffering through day after day of rain here in San Francisco, so despite my desire to pull out all of my Spring clothes I’m still very much in winter mode from a wardrobe standpoint.
Have you switched to your Spring clothes & accessories yet?
10 Day Style Challenge – Part V
I bet that you never thought you’d see this day… It’s my fifth and FINAL post of the Freckles in April 10 Day Style Challenge! If you’d like to learn some background on the challenge or see the photographs and prompts that you’ve missed so far, check them out here: Part I, Part II, Part III & Part IV.
Day 9: Open To Interpretation
This is a slightly different type of prompt that Days 1 through 8, for OTI we were given an image (the one below) and asked to put together an outfit inspired by it.
I took one look and emailed Holly in a panic: “I don’t own anything teal – No clothes OR accessories.” Luckily for me though, you were just supposed to use it as an idea to draw from rather than an outfit to be recreated piece by piece. So I took another look and tried to be more creative in my approach. I realized that what I liked most about the look was the colorblocking aspect. So colorblock I did.
Top - Zara, Navy Sailor Pants - H&M, Cream Aviator Coat - Mango, Bag & Charm Bracelet - Vintage & Slingbacks - BCBGirls
I’m a big dress and skirt girl, especially at work, so I was excited to put together another pants look. One of the biggest impacts of this challenge for me so far as been actually wearing clothes that have been sitting in my closet untouched & unloved for – in some cases – years. I need to do a better job of wearing all of my clothes – Which I actually made part of my February goals.
Day 10: Something That Scares You
This one was suggested by Miss Nemesis toward the end of the last round and I filed it away in my brain box. I think most (if not all) of us have some trend or ensemble we’d love to try if only it didn’t scare us silly. We’ve tried it in the safety of our bedrooms only to turn chicken at the last-minute and change into one of our go-to backup outfits before walking out the door.
I was pleased to read Kayla’s comment about trying new outfits on and then changing your mind and changing your clothes before leaving the house. I’ve done that so many times and I’m thrilled that I’m not the only one who does that! I’m a complete coward when it comes to so many things that I didn’t really know where to start on this one. My number one fear for years and years was wearing color, but I’ve actually managed to embrace them over the last few months. So what did I decide to go out in public in for Day #10 despite my terror?
PUFFS!!!
I live in fear of puffs!
Confused? Understandable, let me explain. Puffy sleeves, draping tops, pointy shoulders, Dolman & batwing sleeves and cowl necks all fill me with childlike terror – basically anything that has extra fabric on top. And the insane part is that not only do I adore them on other people, I’ve even bravely bought a few pieces over the years after overly ambitious stints in dressing rooms. So I pulled a puffy-sleeved two-toned dress out of my closet AND a puffy-sleeved cropped faux leather jacket and headed to work.
Dress & T-Staps: BCBG, Cropped Jacket: Miss Selfridge, Belt: Zara & Jewelry: Vintage
While the 10 Day Challenge has ended if you haven’t gotten enough fashion you’re in luck, New York Fashion Week starts Thursday!
Moi Contre La Vie 