Posts tagged ‘2012’
New Seasons, New Nostalgia
New York City is still getting its fair share of snow, but I am hanging onto the promise of spring (and summer). It’s in the first few days of a new season that I begin to get amped about what’s to come — hello sunshine, outdoor activities, and weekend getaways — and what’s about to disappear — goodbye couch, pale skin, and winter depression. Once that warmer weather hits and the afternoon light lingers well into the evening, I would much rather spend my time being productive than curled up on the couch watching another season of Sex & the City for the umpteenth time. For the record, this sense of “productiveness” can be utilized in the laziest of ways — i.e. lying like a beached whale on the grass with your friends eating lots of hummus.
Indeed, spring and summer are the seasons where the best memories are made. Songs played on repeat become forever ingrained as “the songs of the season”, every weekend becomes a venue for an impulsive getaway, and even the smallest things like happy hour become epic events because everyone is just in a better mood (gotta love that Vitamin D!)
But the start of the warmer seasons also bring an inevitable sense of nostalgia. Those songs of last spring and summer will never sound as good as they did those first hundred times. My plans to do exactly what I did the year before — music festivals, spring’s first barbecues, rogue trips — will never really be same. And that’s neither good nor bad, it’s just different. As much as we want to relive last year’s memories, we also want to make new ones. This year already promises new experiences starting off with a road trip down south, a bachelorette party in Miami, and multiple weddings come August. And while I have no doubts that activities like epic happy hours and last minute weekends to the Hamptons and Connecticut will generously sprinkle themselves into the next five months, I look forward to making the memories that I’ll be nostalgic for next year.
Worth the Wait
With each season comes a trendy silhouette; the satchel bag, the ankle boot, the wide leg pajama pants, etc. And under this silhouette “umbrella” reside specific must-have items: the Mulberry ‘Alexa’ bag, the Alexander Wang bootie, the Marc Jacobs pant.
Sometimes I stand beneath this umbrella, decorating myself in as many trendy silhouettes as I (a.k.a. my bank account) can manage. Other times, I stick my nose in the air and let the rain fall in, unmoved by the current fads. And then there are those times that I am so late to the trend that I may as well have been living in a mole hole for the past few years unaware of any popular silhouettes settling beneath a season’s umbrella. Such is the case with my recent acquisition of this green parka jacket.
The selling point for me after all these years was the furry hood. I love how giant it is, and that it sits upright and perky around my shoulders (wow, it really sounds like I’m talking about an erection here, but let’s move beyond my word choice).
Growing up, I loved watching old movies with women dressed in luscious fur coats that practically engulfed them with their volume and buoyancy — kind of like a squirrel tail. So, when I saw how this fur hood encompassed its model, I knew my search for the human eating furry parka coat had come to an end.
This trend may have been around for awhile, but I’m glad I waited until I found the exact parka I was looking for.
Minusey coat | Zara shirt | Madewell jeans | Acne boots | Proenza Schouler bag | Céline sunglasses | House of Harlow bracelet
//photos by Emily Malan
Holiday Gift Guide • Under $25
Finding a good gift that’s under $25 (and not completely kitschy) is far more difficult than you would think. Most of the nicer items are priced around $50 and up, but if you look hard enough you’ll find that there are some pieces out there that would make ideal gifts without making you look like a total cheap-o.
Below are those items, at least in my opinion, which is essentially why you come to this site.
1. Bedside Dream Journal – $16.99
• I have weird dreams all the time and have a tendency to burden my friends and family with weird disconnected recounts of them. This book is perfect for those mornings you wake up and think “holy shit!”
2. C.Wonder Suede Key Fob – $24
• I have one of these attached to my keys and let me just say that it makes finding my keys in the bottom of my crap-filled bag a breeze!
• Talk about a pleasant purr-filled slumber!
• Gold animals that double as magnets? Your fridge just got that much more appetizing!
5. Stag Bottle Opener Wall Mount – $14.99
• I know this guy is supposed to be used as a bottle opener (and use him as one I shall), but I can also imagine hanging my keys (with my suede key fob!) on him as well.
6. Tocca ‘Florence’ Candelina – $20
• This candle smells awesome and lasts a lot longer than you would think!
• I think calendars are a perfect gift. It’s something cute to hang on your wall and keeps you organized!
8. Deborah Lippmann Ruby Red Slippers – $16
• Deborah Lippmann makes amazing nail polishes in the best colors. I love this festive glittery lacquer even though it’s hard to get off…
9. Jonathan Adler Soap Dish – $24
• Soap home or catch all dish, this zebra plate is a must!
10. Happy Socks x Madewell – $12
• Everyone needs socks. Need I say more?
• My ears are constantly frozen in the winter. These would certainly keep them warm + they make you look like an eskimo, which is something I’m into. I don’t know about you…
12. As0s Pastel Chandelier Earrings – $21
• These earrings are gorgeous and are just the kind of accessory every girl needs to jazz up her LBD.
• Stacked with other rings or sitting on this own, this cat ring is sure to get smiles from cat lovers and haters.
Holiday Gift Guide • Under $50
Finding reasonably priced gifts is a work of art. The last thing you want is for the person receiving your gift to notice that you went cheap on their present (unless this is a person you hate, in which case I say hit up the dollar store). As the saying goes, “it’s the thought that counts,” so if you’re trying not to spend a lot then put some thought into what you’re giving.
I acknowledge that the majority of shit these days is astronomically expensive; the kind of expensive that leaves your jaw dragging on the ground days after you checked the price tag. But I’ve kept my word in finding gifts that are both awesome and affordable for this year’s series of gift guides, and today I bring you 14 covetable pieces under $50.
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• Making cheese plates is a talent of mine (as is making cheese), but far too often I find that platters ruin the presentation. Slate cheese boards not only provide a clean looking cheese plate, but you can write down which kind of cheesy delight you’re serving as well.
2. C. Wonder Initial Necklace – $38
• I come back to this year’s obsession with monograms. I’m into it. They’re pretty. And they give that extra touch of “I took that much more time to put your initials on this.”
3. Great Gatsby Sweatshirt – $43
• Another obsession of 2012, The Great Gatsby. This may not be the chosen novel of your Book Club, but it will no doubt get you extra points with your literary friends (and those who would have no idea who Gatsby is were it not for all the ridiculous press surrounding Baz Luhrman’s remake).
4. Jonathan Adler Phone Dock – $48
• Clearly I’m into phone docks this year, which is funny because I’ve never actually used one. But I love the idea of having a storage place for your phone, especially since I misplace mine all the time.
5. Folk Flora Rolling Pin – $18
• We all have that friend who loves to bake; and God bless her. Why not make her love of baking that much more joyful with a pretty rolling pin?
6. West Elm Monogrammed Champagne Bucket – $41
• Giving someone a monogrammed flask was the gift to give back in high school. Now it’s time to give something a little more tasteful, like a monogrammed champagne bucket. Whether a bottle of champagne ever makes it into the bucket is completely irrelevant.
7. Catbird Heart in Hand Opener – $14
• In continuing with the alcoholic theme, have you ever met anyone who couldn’t use an extra bottle opener? This one works great (someone gifted it to me), and it has a little heart on it. Cute.
• I’ve never met a balloon animal I didn’t like, especially when it can double as a bookend.
• Friends who love books has clearly become a theme in this gift guide. But come on, a book clutch? It may not be by Olympia Le Tan, but it’s adorable nonetheless.
• I don’t use coasters, but if I had these maybe I would.
• Candy lovers or not, everyone could use a little kitsch in their home.
12. BaubleBar Emerald Gardner Cuff – $32
• I’ve never met a girl who didn’t love receiving jewelry. Whether it’s a Cartier ring or a friendship bracelet from a sidewalk stand, bitches love jewels, myself included.
• And speaking of jewelry, every girl (and guy) should have a “catchall” dish. I dig the arrows on this sucker.
14. Topshop Leather Woven Gloves – $45
• Lastly, it’s winter and everyone needs a new pair of gloves. Have you ever approached winter with a pair of matching gloves? They’re like socks! One always goes missing by the time spring rolls around.
Holiday Gift Guide • Under $100
I love buying gifts for other people but it’s not always the easiest thing to do, especially when you’re working with a budget. For this year’s series of gift guides, I’ve decided to keep everything under $100.
Obviously my own personal tastes factor in to these gift guides quite a bit, but in my opinion who wouldn’t want a ceramic dolls head that doubles as a candleholder? Or a driftwood log that also charges your iPhone? Clearly I’m into things that have more than one purpose this year, but should that not suit your or your grandmother’s taste, a Diptyque candle is forever a win in the gift department.
1. Moschino Teddybear iPhone Case – $75
•I’ve had my eye on this gummy friend for a few months now. Perhaps not the best present for the man in your life, but everyone needs an iPhone case with it’s own personality. Am I right?
2. Diptyque Tuberose Candle – $60
•I reiterate the above statement: a Diptyque candle is forever a win in the gift department.
3. The Kate Moss Book – $85
•Another surefire A+ gift is a beautiful coffee table book. Extra points if it includes nudity, which this new anthology of Kate Moss does starting on the very first page.
4. C Wonder Monogram Box – $78
•I love how monograms have made an impact in fashion outside the world of Vineyard Vines and Lands End. These affordable boxes come in an assortment of colors and can snazz up even the dumpiest of dorm rooms.
5. Giles & Brother Skinny Cuff – $85
•Versatile jewelry works for any lady friend, especially in an adjustable cuff form so that it doesn’t slide around on the slender wrists or get stuck on the chubbier ones.
6. Horn Cups – $55-$65
•Everyone needs a toothbrush holder, a cup for pencils, or something to just stash random baubles in. Why use a plastic cup from Duane Reade when there are beautifully shaped horn ones just a mouse click away?
7. Little Joseph Candle Holder – $99
•I don’t see why anyone wouldn’t want this.
8. Kitty Cat Shoulder Bag – $90
•I also don’t see why anyone wouldn’t want this.
9. Driftwood iPhone Dock – $64
•This may be one of the coolest inventions I’ve stumbled upon on the internet. A lot of my friends gather driftwood every time we go to the country, so it’s about time such covetable pieces of nature were put to some good material use.
10. Estee Lauder Zodiac Compact – $70
•Much like a monogrammed box, zodiac accessories always make a gift feel more personal. Kind of like a reminder that you not only remember their birthday, but also their sign! (Just don’t tell them you had to look it up on Wikipedia.)
11. Gargyle Lab Bottles – $65
•Another undeniably awesome way to freshen up a dumpy space. Put a candle in these glass guzzlers or just scatter them around the apartment for a vintage-y cool vibe. Stepmoms would like this, I guarantee it.
12. Kate Spade ‘Gia’ Pouch – $78
•Perhaps not the best gift for someone in AA, but a statement clutch (literally), is bound to get a round of laughs. I suggest giving this to your kooky aunt or 21 year-old sister.
**MORE GIFT GUIDES TO COME NEXT WEEK!
