#1 Brit Girl

I heart Kate Moss...

Number One Shop. Period.

I love Love LOVE Modcloth, an online retailer. Their designs are unique, varied, and exactly my type. I particularly like all their coats and jackets right now, so many other stores just carry the same old same old...

Check it out yourself! www.modcloth.com

So although we are now smack dab in the middle of summer and it's hitting almost 90 degrees on a daily basis, I'm thinking ahead to the next frigid Blacksburg winter and looking around for some yummy warm sweaters. I like this Burberry I found on net-a-porter.com. It would be sure to keep me bundled up on those expeditions across the drillfield!

Ummm?

I find this seriously creepy and disturbing- the commercial and the product both. What do we need a "jean" diaper for? And the tagline, "The coolest you'll look pooping your pants"...yeah, I don't even want to comment.

Check out the commercial here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQ0M9CBEkw0

New Creation

Hamptons anyone?

So Cool!

Sugar High

So for the first time 3 weeks into summer break, today I finally felt like I was on vacation! I went to the pool for the morning and early afternoon, came home and did a nice long yoga session, and decided to pamper myself too! I browsed online and found two great homemade body scrub recipes.

This brown-sugar based one I made today: Kahlua Sugar Scrub (#3 on the list). Sooo good! Given the "softness" brown sugar tends to have versus granulated white sugar, I was skeptical, but the blend made it very effective. My skin is now buffed and smooth as a baby. This recipe does make enough for a good few treatments, so I've saved mine in an old peanut butter jar. But you could always make smaller batches, just make sure the sugar:oil ratio is 2:1.

When that batch is done, I have another scrub I want to try out: a Coffee Body Scrub. The bonus in this one is that the caffeine in coffee reduces the appearance of cellulite! Plus I can carry the aroma of a Starbucks with me wherever I go (okay, hopefully not).

If you start looking around for other recipes, you will find a lot of them suggest adding essential oils for scents. Another option you have could be to add a bit of perfume instead. Just not body splash though--that's too watered down to really add anything without diluting the mixture.

College Couture

So naturally being a Hokie, school spirit is a vital part of everyday life. We wear our school colors on a nearly-daily basis, and find all kinds of ways to fly our flags. But of course the tried-and-true t-shirt is a central part of our Hokie pride. So I did a little shopping around and found some of what I consider to be some of the cutest college apparel from around the country.

Ohio State: adorable for us ladies who want a bit more options than a short-sleeve crewneck, and this style is available for a number of schools!

University of Miami: I do love this top, but I have to say if I went here I would love to see some school-spirit bikinis!

NYU: modeled after the NYC subway logo, how could you not find this clever, cute, and identifiably chic?

NC State: When I visited NC State senior year, it was on the college's first day of classes. And yet no one was wearing a bit of State colors! Having been sporting Tech T's since I was probably 3, I found this astounding. Then I went to their bookstores...and it made sense. Sorry, but the shirts were definitely lacking. I'm glad to see they have since been revamped. Love the flattering neckline!

The ol' Maroon and Orange: I mean, who else could I brag on? From the classics to the sporty to the fun and true, I definitely think that VT has the best graphics for their T's out of any school! That last shirt reads: "It's not the size of the Hokie in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the Hokie" Gobble, gobble b*tches! ;)

"The" Dress

In my coming of year of school, I am starting some undergrad research! What I am going to be looking at is the wedding dress. Here in our society, we often think of the long, white number as THE wedding dress. But it's not quite as traditional as we would think. Of course, there are a number of cultures worldwide that each embrace their own custom wear on the big day. Even the concept of white is only mildly planted in history (keep reading). And these days, as there are more cross-cultural weddings, non-religious ceremonies, and people taking a more individualized approach then ever, we are seeing new waves in the wedding dress lineups, such as colors, shorter hems, and more avant-garde construction. So in 50, 75, or 100 years, what images will "wedding dress" conjure up in our minds? That's what I am going to evaluate! And here are some fun facts I pulled off the web:

The concept of a white wedding dress came about in 1840, in the wedding of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe. Until then, blue had actually been often used to represent purity, but the queen chose white, which represented wealth.

The average amount a U.S. woman spends on her wedding dress is in the area of $1000-$1500.

The most infamous wedding gown? I didn't find cold hard facts on it, but I would say Princess Di's, at least in this generation.

Trends for the coming seasons in wedding dresses include pops of color, rising hemlines, and one-shoulder numbers.

The longest wedding dress train appeared in Bucharest, Romania in the April 2009 E-marriage festival. It measured 5180 feet and 5 inches!

Fashion + Function

One of the things I love about fashion is finding the quirky, funky, cool things amidst all the hustle and bustle. A perfect example is convertible clothing. I can remember being about 11, standing in front of my mirror with a silk scarf and trying to find all the different ways to wear it as a shirt (which reminds me, I should do a post on that! coming soon...) Just being creative and reinventing something is always a sure way to reinvent your wardrobe. Now there are pieces being manufactured specifically for such purposes. Here are some of my favorites:

Victoria's Secret Flirty Convertible Dress

American Apparel's LeSac Dress--a personal favorite of mine!

The Swacket from Harputs

And Free People's Convertible Over-the-Knee Boots--another fave! I wore mine literally practically every day this winter before our blizzard, and resumed my religious wearing as soon as the sidewalks were safe for them again.

What Inspires Me

1. The true RED red of kool-aid

2. My History of Costume book

3. Layers of sky, sand, and surf in

the SC beaches

4. Work from masters

5. Music, any and all.

6. Movement

7. Fabric-seriously, hand me anything and I can do a sketch within 15 minutes.

8. BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITIES

Yes I'm a Crazy Insomniac Tonight

Hey everyone! So life is super stressful and hectic currently, and I am finding myself on the brink of another sleepless night. So! I am making this a Stilettos&aSmile marathon night! Check back for tons of fun posts! If they stop, then yay that means I'm getting some shut-eye!

Alrighty, here is tidbit numero uno: Etsy. I have always loved this site for all the unique

handmade bits and baubles you can find for stellar prices. But tonight I have been perusing the vintage section, particularly for vintage designer bags. Score! Totally where I'm heading with my wallet the next time I have some spare $$$ to throw around or treat myself with!

www.etsy.com

Check this link to see my search results for vintage Coach items!

Delias Dresses

So Delia's has a whole section in their dress category for "The White Sundress"...what I want to know is, where in the world was this when I was a junior marshal and couldn't find a cute, modest, all-white dress to save my life?

Well for all the 2010 junior marshals...here ya go! :)

Delia's: The White Sundress

Sale Alert!

If you didn't already know, I'm here to tell ya, the Nordstrom's half-yearly sale is up and running! Tons of great deals await, and don't forget to pick up a present for yours truly!

Shop the sale: www.nordstrom.com