J'adore Paris

My favorite moment when I go to Paris is the first time I see the Eiffel Tower peek over the buildings and trees! It's the moment you know you have arrived.

In the metro; a very vital part of getting around Paris.
Everything you see in this window is made out of chocolate! Notre Dame, Statue of Liberty, even a dremil tool...What!?!
There is fog on my camera from how hot it was in Paris this day, but look how neat it framed the graffiti bus and wall! I love it.
More graffiti...it really adds character.
I promise I have not doctored this picture! You are now looking at my favorite place in France: Sacre Couer. It is the best place to sit and enjoy life. Can you really argue with me?

It was so nice to be in Paris again, there is so much inspiration here. Every corner brings new fun. I am sure there will be more to come this year from Hole in the Wall places that I find so stay tuned!

Vive la France!

So sorry to be gone for so long but life has been slightly hectic. I will be traveling over the next year and taking in all kinds of new experiences. Also, I will be learning French! I will leave more pics later but wanted to give you a teaser. Enjoy for now!

Music is What Feeling Sounds Like

I love music for its sole ability to speak directly into your soul. I am a huge music lover, and I am always surfing iTunes and other sources to find new music. Every once in a while I hear a song that hits my core and that happened to me when I heard this song by Kate Voegele. I have heard her stuff before (and actually already own 2 of her songs) and always loved it, I don't think she has gotten the mega-press she deserves. Regardless, I thought I should share this.

I think all of us have had that special person in our life, that we see so much potential in to be this amazing person, and we love them completely for that among many other things. But sadly if we're not careful we fall in love with the person that we WISH THEY WERE. I know I have had my heart broken from this situation and I was immediately brought back there when I heard this song. It has great emotion, truth, and melody...enjoy.

Key to My Heart

My friend has recently become obsessed with the new Tiffany & Co. Skeleton Key Collection. In honor of the upcoming trend I thought I'd showcase some awesome Skeleton Key trinkets for you to get your hands on!

I love this steampunk layered necklace. *Photo compliments of t8designs*
I love statement rings in general, so I would love to have a skeleton wrapped around my finger! *Photo compliments of dmfSparkles*
Guys can even get in on the trend in a rugged man kind of way! I've had my eye of this key cuff for quite sometime, if only I had a man to buy it for, I'd be all over it...and him once he was wearing it! *Photo compliments of UrbanHeirlooms*
And of course I always save the best for last. This absolutely one-of-a-kind tie was so awesome I could not believe it! Your eyes are not deceiving you, this is actually a Skeleton Key Necktie!! I would love to see a guy wearing this. This would be the perfect way to be fashionable, manly, and HOT all at once. *Photo compliments of ToyBreaker*

Chimney Rock

Spent a fun weekend in the mountains recently to support a friend...doing a triathlon! But that craziness aside it was a pretty side of North Carolina. The race was at Lake Lure (where Dirty Dancing was filmed) and we wandered around Chimney Rock on our free time.

This is Chimney Rock...its the closest we saw of it because it was $14 per person and by the time we got there, it was only open for 2 more hours. Bummer.
Really awesome gas tank outside one of the gift shops. I love old things!

We spent quite a while in the gift shops goofing off. There were plenty of toys, and mountain trinkets to keep us preoccupied! I like the sparkly stone that I found.
Our view of main street Chimney Rock while we ate dinner. What a nice way to round out the day!

*Photos compliments of Christy Collins. Check out more of her work at www.christycollinsphoto.com *

Puss in Boots

While running a quick errand through the mall, I found myself rubbernecking in front of the Nine West window. The culprit to the stop in my mission? These amazing Husky boots for the Fall/Winter line! I am in love with the new over-the-knee look in boots this year. I tried them on for fun knowing they would not fit with my athlete legs, but semi-unfortunately to my surprise they fit perfectly! Now this means they are on my To Buy list. Can't wait.

Photo compliments of www.ninewest.com Go find more cute boots there!

Fall. Fashion. Fabulous.

The time is finally upon us, as August is nearing an end, that the leaves will start there colorful artistic statement before they take off for the year. The time for pumpkin spice lattes, layered outfits and rich colors! My favorite time of the year! To celebrate the break from the sweltering heat I wanted to recap some of my favorite elements from NYC's Mercedes Benz Fashion Week back in February. Maybe we can catch the trends that will be on the racks in a matter of days!

My first overall impression of the forecast is a little dark. A lot of the runways consisted of black, and although creatively constructed, I look forward to this season for its fabulous color not its dreary funeral presence. Therefore, I am going to focus more on those.
There are many garments that contained this flowing wispy, romantic quality. It makes me feel like the lead in a period romance role of some movie. This dress by Jill Stuart makes me want to grab my vintage gloves and cocktail hat and go for a stroll through Central Park and then resting for afternoon tea! Which also brings me to a very happy note: many models were decked out with creative pieces from the millinery department (hats)! I say that its about time hats were incorporated back into daily fashion.
There were also many metallic pieces; more silver than bronze or gold, but regardless they were nothing terribly original. I feel metallic has been a trend for a while, and although I love the look, I feel the gilding can take a break for a few seasons...maybe be in the background in accessories only. I did however, enjoy the interpretation Georges Chakra took on the color palette. This dress has the structured pop reminiscent of the 1950s with a presence of the recent Ombre dying trend. I love the final product; well done.

Many garments incorporated the asymmetric neckline. I love this neckline, I feel its elegant and unique. I was hoping a designer would make it work for fall without leaving a jacket to do the job; I did not see this. I feel the best way to take this dress (or pieces like it) to the cooler months is adding a simple fitted long sleeve cotton top; crew neck. Keeping the undergarment simple will allow the top piece to be the statement and the play on the two-tone outfit will be fun to mix and match throughout the season. This dress by Christian Siriano lends a soft lady-like look from the chiffon and the ruching will provide the slimming figure we desire. The asymmetric line shows enough collarbone for sexy, and the cap sleeve seals the outfit with a touch of girly innocence.

Many tops and dresses for this season had the keyhole cutout on the bodice, but none were done quite like this one by Carolina Herrera. Leave it to CH to take a sexy cutout to an elegant respectable place. Fitted but covered, modest with a sexy sheer peek-a-boo; I love the final product. Also this color is such a vibrant hue, how wonderful is that??! The colors that were seen throughout most designers were of purple (mainly eggplant), dark Mediterranean blue, and marigold. With all the black, they were refreshing surprises for the eye.

Finally my favorite outfit of the entire Fashion Week! An eccentric blend of vintage and fun by Leifsdottir. One of my favorite colors of fall is pumpkin, and what a nice way to pop the outfit by placing it in the skirt? I love the patterned hose (its the only kind I wear). Then to top off the outfit with fun vintage pieces like peep-toe heels, a girly umbrella, and a French cocktail hat?...Perfection! This outfit makes me ready for fall in an instant!

*photos compliments of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week - find them HERE*

Gather your scarves, patterned hose, and cute jackets; Fall will be here before we know it...Yay!