If I had the Chance, I'd ask the World to Dance

Hey Dolls, I just wanted to acknowledge that I've been a bit neglectful of the blog this past week... things have been un petit peu difficile in Caitlin's world, but I'm feeling like next week things will be turning around! in the meantime...

Dancing with myself, oh oh dancing with myself.  Well there's nothing to lose, and there's nothing to prove.  
I'll be dancing with myself.

(Clémence Poésy + Jane Birkin... dancing by themselves)

xo Caitlin

Working on the Weekend

As I put work off all weekend I told myself, with determination, that today, Sunday, I would buckle down, be super-productive, transform into a quick-thinking, incredibly focused genius girl, and complete every task I've intended to all week.

My desk looks something like this one... but without the chandelier, and the dress is probably from H&M, and the champagne is Trader Joe's...

I have often wondered how those who work from home manage to get anything done.  I can be so focused working out of a loud, busy coffee shop, but entirely unproductive working from my desk at home.  Or, how at work I can whip out a seemingly boring administrative task (data-entry anyone?) with gusto, then ask for more, but at home I'll write one sentence before my mind wanders.

I think of a thousand things I need to do before I start working, excuses that often make some sense, but always take me away from the task at hand, maybe for an hour, maybe for a day.

Sitting at my desk my mind wanders... maybe I should shower now, I might as well be self-tanning while I'm sitting around the house, a snack might do me good, I should head out for a cup of coffee, I probably deserve to watch a little tv...

  

Another tendency I have, and have had since I was a kid actually, is to redecorate, rearrange and reorganize my room... I should organize my books, I need to de-clutter these shelves, how could I possibly be productive with my desk facing east??

I found this article on creating a productive home office had some good tips.  But then again I'll start in on the remodeling, maybe take a trip to Ikea for a proper desk lamp, consult a book on Feng Shui...

  

I HAVE to organize my closet, and my dresser top and jewelry is a mess, a lovely view of my apartment will certainly do me good... obviously I need to do a little remodel.

In the midst of writing this post I got up to shower, use a hair mask, and apply self tanner, then went out for coffee... ohhh the power of suggestion.  Somehow I managed to stop myself from rearranging my jewelry.

How do you who work from home manage to stay on task?  Does anyone else use redecorating as an excuse not to work, or is that just really weird (it sounded kinda weird in my head as I typed it just now...)?  I know most bloggers work from home, how do you do it?

I hope everyone had/is having a maaaarvelous weekend! bisous, xo Caitlin

Images: 1, 3, 4 Dress, Design, Decor, 2 Oh! You Pretty Things, 5 Sterling Style, 6 Cherry Blossom Girl, 7 Oh, Hello Friend, 8 Cupcakes and Cashmere.

Lovey Sundays! George + Patti

I've always been somewhat fascinated by stylish couples. Couples wherein the lovebirds are stylish respectively and as a unit - probably because I've never really been a part of one. 

Actually I don't know if I'd want to be part of one, or if I'd like it.  In my personal romantic history I've always been the one into fashion and clothes, while my sweetie either has no interest in the matter, or his taste varies enormously from mine. 

Truthfully, since my middle school days I've been helplessly drawn to the boy wearing oversized jeans, Jordans, gold chains... you know ghettofab, thuggish-ruggish, generally in the music industry in some capacity. It's pretty funny, especially because my style has been described as Alice in Wonderland/Strawberry Shortcake. 

Anyway, I usually end up dressing these boys in Banana Republic and Lucky Jeans, also funny because that's really not my style either... but oh they look so cute!

Anyway, Style Couples! Like George Harrison and Patti Boyd!

I love these pictures.. they express so perfectly those blissed-out, passionate, puppy-love, so-sweet, honeymoon days...

 Rumor has it the George wrote Something, the super beautiful Beatles tune which, at the time Frank Sinatra called the greatest love song in 50 years, after Patti.

Something in the way she moves,
Attracts me like no other lover
Something in the way she woos me
I don't want to leave her now,
You know I believe and how

Wonderful, Sunday kind of Love, Lovey Sundays, my Loves!

I'm sorry I've been MIA recently, I actually felt dreadfully guilty about being so neglectful.  Even if no one reads or notices, I really genuinely like I have a responsibility to my blog and it's maintenance.

Bonne Journée, Lovers!  xo Caitlin

Pour L'Amour's 1st Award!

Yesterday I learned that Simply Luxurious awarded me and my little baby blog 2 blogger awards! I almost shed a tear I was so honored. It isn't easy to establish yourself in the ever-expanding fashion blog world, and any recognition feels really amazing.

With the awards came this question: If you were to attend the Blogger Academy Awards, what would you wear?

This gave me a wonderful excuse to peruse the most glamorous Oscar-worthy gowns, and come across this one, which absolutely took my breath away:

Penny Cruz at the 2009 Oscars in a 60-year-old vintage Balmian butter-white gown.  Some critics called this dress too bridal for an awards show, but I think it is completely magical.  The exquisite detail, the beading, the lace... Magical!

For jewels, I don't know what she's wearing, but I'd wear those.  She's accessorized perfectly.

and because in such a dress the shoes aren't really visible anyway, and because this is my fantasy, and because they are amazing, I would decorate my footsies with these out-of-control amazing Loubs!
(Christian Louboutin Studio 120 Peep-Toe Pumps.)  

POUR-LA-MOUR! JA-DORE! ETC.!

Now it's my turn to award awards... And the BloggerOscar goes to:

E COLLECTIX; one of my new faves!
hilarious, and nothing do I like better than hilarious.

WWEPW - What Would Emma Pillsbury Wear;
because I want to know what EP would wear to the Oscars, ha.

Haute Design; for showcasing the haute-est of designs.

Fazed-Girl; because I too am perpetually tying to get dressed,

and I don't want her to discontinue her blog!

...and Bachman's Sparrow, for the best DIY,

and because now that I am one I gotsa work those alumni connections! haha.

Congratulations Lovers!  What would be your (or Emma's) Oscar outfit?  and don't forget to pay it forward!  xoxo, 4eva, 143, etc. Loves, Caitlin

Penny via socialitelife 

Loubies via Net-a-Porter

Installments?

Earlier tonight, over 24-hour diner pancakes, I expressed to a web-savvy friend how frustrated I was with myself for not getting blog posts out as promised.  I get so involved in a subject that the material keeps growing and what should have taken me an evening turns into days.

He advised me to put out what I had, when I had it (...not to put out, there was no putting out, despite the 24-hr nature of the dining); to keep it constant, to keep it moving, and to keep it short.  A blog post doesn't need to be epic, it needs to be relevant.  I'm not authoring a novel, I'm writing a blog.  And my subject isn't historical; it's the present and it's dynamic.

That's the nature of fashion, it doesn't just stop once the shows are over.  Trends evolve over the course of a season, new ideas are realized everyday, and everyday that I work on a post I have new ideas, and I find more and more I need to include.  But really, when I come to a point where I am overwhelmed with material, I need to just start putting it out, and think of each post as a progression, instead of a main event. 

Anyway, I've been talking about this "underwear as outerwear" post for days, and it's about time I got on with it - starting from the beginning:

READER MAIL!

Hi!

I dont know if you are interested but I came across this article on wearing underwear-as-outerwear http://www.stylecaster.com/news/7987/1-piece-5-ways-bustier-top .  I know you wrote about it before and with the hemline rising on tops (crop-tops!!!) and the undies-worn-out trend, I have been thinking about how this would play out at work or without looking like a total flooze-fest. Enjoy my little fashionista friend!

XOXO, T

First of alllll, I love Reader Mail! Second of all, since this post has clearly taken on a mind of it's own it's going to happen in installments; but believe me babies, it's going to be good (I don't know why I keep hyping myself up like this, so stressful!).

Tonight (morning): how they wore it on the runway: 

S/S '10 shows, images via Fashion-Allure, collaged by PourLamourdeFashion

Next up, styling options and how to wear it in real life, including the workplace "without looking like a total flooze-fest".

Stay tuned mes lecteurs fidèles. xoxo, Caitlin

ps... here's a sneak peak at tomorrow:

oh la la! mon dieu! c'est possible? oui, c'est moi et mon soutien-gorge! j'espère que vous l'aimez, xoxo bebes

A Blog is Born

It's true there's no shortage of fashion blogs spanning the web, and, while the addition of another may seem unnecessary, I aspire for mine to make a unique contribution, and to convey the inspiration I find through my own constant fashion scavenger hunts to my readers.

Obviously I still have a lot of work ahead of me before this endeavor is fully up-and-running. Still, this is my first post and should convey my objective. I’ll conclude with the stunning and always inspiring Kate Moss: my absolute favorite contemporary fashion model, and maven in her own right.

Fashionable
in the tub

Fashionable
in the car
(and only a beret!)

Stunning in the mid-nineties when she emerged in these
provocative and controversial Calvin Klein
ads (I definitely had this picture, an ad for CK Obsession, torn out of a magazine and up on my bedroom wall for most of my middle school years).

Stunning, and just as relevant, now 15 years later. Here, Kate is featured in the latest issue of Harper's Bazaar, marking her 8th cover for the publication spanning her iconic career. (Harper's Bazaar, March 2010)

_____________________________________

In my mind, what really sets Kate apart, and cements her style-icon status, is her own exciting, innovative, always ahead of the trends, inspiring personal style. Looking at the way Kate styles herself, and puts certain pieces together inspires me, personally, to experiment, to take more risks when putting together my own outfits, and to be more creative with what is already in my closet.

In jeans: Making skinny and wide-leg look good

Running around London: I love this mini-dress, opaque tights, leather jacket look. The patent leather shoes are glam and girly, the shape of the dress keeps the outfit playful, and the jacket gives it an edge, the juxtaposition making the outfit all the more interesting and personal. One wouldn't need Kate's body type or financial freedom to mimic the ensemble either.

At the Glastonbury Musical Festival: This short-shorts, Hunter boots, low-slung belt are combination classic Kate. So effortless! So cool!

"Model is not really enough of a word to describe Kate Moss. Even supermodel is similarly wrong, in spite of the fact that she is one of the few with legitimate claim to the title. When it comes to cool, Kate Moss is simply on a different plane than everyone else."
-New York Magazine

___________________________________________

Anyway, that concludes blog entry #1, which seems to have turned into less of an introduction, and more of a tribute to Ms. Moss, which, in a way is fitting: Seeing the outfits and style choices of someone like her can make fashion so exciting, and even though she's a supermodel there are ways to interpret and then translate and the concepts and ideas of the outfit as a whole, really making the look more accessible than it might seem.

It's also a great way to discover individual pieces that can refresh your whole wardrobe, and deal with those dreadful 'ihavenothingtowear', 'ihateallmyclothes' feelings. Seriously, I know. I often decide that I hate all my clothes, but then I'll start putting things together differently and buy a new belt or something, and suddenly I feel amazing and stylish and proud... See, studying supermodels can actually do wonders for ones self-esteem!

Anyway, it seems blog entry #1 is in fact a novel.

à la prochaine fois mes bébés! xoxoxo