I’d like to introduce you to a friend of mine: the Baron Reginald von FancyPants. The Baron, as he’s known to friends and family, generally spends his days hanging out in my entryway, bedecked in his customary uniform of fedora and ironic necktie (or occasionally a tiara, when he’s feeling frisky). You see, he’s a bit of a clotheshorse (clothestiger? Anyway.). Since his love for sartorial adventure knows no bounds, today he’s agreed to be a supermodel:

Isn’t he a handsome devil? I know, you’re captivated…by that gorgeous scarf around his neck. It’s my bespoke photo scarf from Hayden-Harnett, which you all helped me pick out, and it arrived this very day! I’m so glad I trusted your opinions – it’s absolutely beautiful. Want a closer look?

I’m just so, so thrilled with how it turned out! The silk is so soft and sheer, but still has body to it, which is the ideal recipe for scarf tying perfection. The photo reprinted beautifully, with so many subtle color variations in the light from yellow to peach to red. And if you look closely, you can see one of my grandmother’s vintage Christmas ornaments reflected in one of the circles of light, which makes it even more special to me. My husband is even wowed – he said it’s one of the prettiest scarves I own (and believe me, I’ve amassed a bit of a collection).

If you’ve been on the fence about trying out this amazing service from Hayden-Harnett, let me tell you – it’s absolutely, completely worth it. I’m giddy with excitement, and can hardly wait to wear the bejeezus out of it this holiday season (and beyond)! My only sorrow is that you won’t be able to order one in time to have it for the holidays. But for those of you celebrating the Festival of Last-Minute shopping, a gift certificate for one of these babies is going to be high on my December 24th list of suggestions.

{EDITOR’S NOTE: You wise, wise judges have spoken…Christmas lights it is! I can’t wait to see it in person, and will – of course – let you see it the moment it arrives. Thanks for all of your help!}

Friends, I am having a serious crisis of indecision, and I need help! I’ve been obsessed with trying out Hayden-Harnett’s Bespoke Scarf service for the longest time, and I’m finally ready to take the plunge. But, as is usually the case, I’m paralyzed by indecision. So many amazing choices! I’ve narrowed it down to three, but I simply can’t go any further. And so, I’m leaving it to you stylish people to help me pick.

Option One: my adorable dog’s nose. Sentimental for sure, but I’m not sure how this one will look when worn…could go either way.

Option Two: a fun, graphic photo of our Christmas tree last year. Sentimental because it reminds me of a wonderful holiday, and I think the pattern will look so pretty as a scarf – like polka dots, but better.

Option Three: a beach photo from a vacation to Mexico. Still a bit sentimental, and I absolutely love the colors in this – I think it would be a great “mental vacation” scarf to wear on gloomy days.

So, friends – what do you say? Opinions in the comments section, please!

Every so often, I get a wild hair about a DIY project. I see something ( it’s usually jewelry), and I say to myself, “Self, you have to have that! But it’s $200/$400/$1,000,000!” Then comes the scary part. You know what’s coming…say it along with me. “You know, I could totally make that!”

We’ve all said it at some point, no? And then it goes into our mental DIY file, the place we put all those projects we plan to do, never to be seen or heard from again.

But, for once in my life, I actually finished one of these little DIY dreams. Can you imagine? And so, blatantly plagarized for your enjoyment, the Etten Eller necklace I couldn’t live without:

And my version:

What do you think, friends? Not quite as wonderful as the original, but it’s not bad for $50 in beads, I think. I do have some residual guilt about knocking off a designer piece, but the I-did-it-myself pride is doing a good job of mitigating that for me. Of course, if you factor in the 15 hours I spent hemming and hawing, finding suppliers, actually deciding to order the goods, and the relatively minor 45 minutes it took me to make the necklace once I had everything, I’m not sure I actually saved any money. But if you’re more decisive than I am, it’s definitely worth the effort!

On the off chance you get a wild hair about doing the same thing, I’ll give you a list of materials and tips after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

Friends, thank you so, so much for all of the birthday love this week. What did I ever do without all of you? I’m a lucky girl – and oh, so grateful. Since it’s the last day of my birthday week, I think I’m going to make the most of it by spending the day with a few of my favorite things:

{This photo was one of my all-time favorite birthday gifts, taken by my dear friend, A.}

{via The Importance of Salt}

{My cute little family…sans husband, as I think he’d be weirded out if I posted his handsome photo}

Have a great weekend, everyone. See you back here on Monday, another year older…and hopefully thinner wiser!

Welcome back, friends! I hope you had a wonderful holiday weekend. And a special welcome to the stylish readers of Corporette, where I’m filling in for the lovely Kat all this week while she adjusts to life with a brand new, bouncing baby boy.

It’s the most wonderful week of the year, friends: my birthday week! Long-time readers will know I take my birthday pretty seriously, so this is exciting stuff. I get to spend all week hanging with friends and loved ones, eating junk food and plotting fantasizing about all the presents that will be waiting for me when the Big Day finally arrives.

As always, my wish list is long…not to mention aspirational. Still, what’s the point of having a blog if you can’t use it to indulge a few retail fantasies? These are just a few of the pieces I’m hoping will magically appear at my house this week.

Kara Ackerman’s pieces are always high on my wishlist…she just has a way with me. This year, I’ll admit I’m mostly dreaming of her amazing Audrey disc necklace (so, so divine!), but I’d be tickled blue to see that perfect turquoise bangle appear, especially with a couple of her Bamboo bangles to stack alongside.

{Kara Ackerman bangles, $50-150 each}

I’ve been wanting one of these Proenza Schouler PS1 pochettes since they first launched, but this limited edition for Fashion’s Night Out (at right) has me more determined than ever. Best event souvenir ever, don’t you think?

{Proenza Schouler FNO wallet, $195 – photo courtesy of Vogue.com}

I’m fully into fall boot mode already, and these chic little Austin boots from UGG, of all places, are going to be an amazing transitional shoe. That Navajo detailing on the collar makes them right on trend, and they look infinitely pricier than they are.

{UGG Austin boot, $200}

There’s nearly always something from Vince on my birthday list…they do fall like no one else. This year, it’s the bouclé fringe-trim jacket, which takes just a touch of inspiration from the Chanel I so idolize, but with an edgier, youthful vibe (not to mention infinitely more affordable).

{Vince contrast-trim boucle jacket, $395}

Every fall I start craving a new coat. This year, the color’s red. The DVF version I’m lusting after is almost certainly cost-prohibitive. But this updated peacoat from Talbots (who is really hitting it out of the park this year) strikes the perfect note between sporty and sleek, and that deep cherry red is exactly what I’m after.

{Talbots Marmount peacoat in red berry, $245}

Lucky girl that I am, I did get one pair of beautiful Loeffler Randalls for my birthday already (proof that obsessive pining works!). Could I possibly be lucky enough to score a second? These patent black wedges scream classic, but somehow feel as perfect for jeans as they do for trousers. I’d be so, so happy to add these to the Loeffler collection in my closet.

{Loeffler Randall Risa wedge, $395}

A set of custom calling cards has always been a dream of mine – especially a set from Rifle Paper Co. Honestly, I’ve spent so much time thinking about what custom illustration I’d have them do…I could probably have just buckled down at work and paid for the cards by now if I were smarter. But where’s the fun in that?

{Rifle Paper Co custom calling cards, starting at $135}

And, on the more reality-based end of the spectrum, these pieces from Deep Dark Africa (fast becoming a new favorite of mine) are unbelievably affordable, impeccably on-trend, and manage to do some good for people far away. But mostly, they’re just beautiful.

{Deep Dark Africa horn & brass bead necklace, $29, and bangles, $10.50 (for a set of 3!)}

It takes a lot for a photograph to impress me…I spend most of my days looking at them, and I have a very talented photographer for a husband. So, when I tell you I adore this photo of Paris, and am dying to have it on my wall, you know it’s something special.

{Paris is a Feeling, by Irene Suchocki, $125}

Who says I’m hard to buy for?

Welcome to the weekend, friends! I fully planned on taking today off (really, it’s the last week of August…are any of us paying attention right now anyway?), but there was just too much to tell you.

First up, I’m on a boat! I’m in a book! I know, can you believe it? Me neither. But the amazing ladies at CRAVE deemed me worthy, so there I am. I went to the (extremely chic) launch party last night, and saw the book for the first time – it’s a stunner. If you live in Portland, want to visit Portland, or just want to know about a bevy of amazingly talented women who live here (plus me), check out their website to snag a copy.

I’m having a pretty serious Chanel affliction at present (wait…when am I not?). I’m a little late to the game showing you these pre-Fall ads from the house (pre-fall is so July, you know), but I can’t resist. It’s one of my favorite collections of all time – every model looks like a Russian princess. More of these beauties over at my Pinterest page…come visit!

In other very exciting news, Loeffler Randall is on MyHabit today. What else can I possibly say about that, except go…go now.

Speaking of deals, I spotted one of my favorite albums of the summer on Amazon’s $5 list today. If you don’t know Ellie Goulding yet, buy this – something tells me you’ll love it. And maybe Madonna’s Like A Prayer, if you’re one of the six people on the planet (besides me) that doesn’t own it.

That’s it, friends. I hope you have a fantastic weekend in store. I’m taking a train ride with the hubs, my BFF and her adorable son – can’t wait to see his little face get all excited! And, I’ll be playing around with some beads I bought on Etsy last week during a random crafty spree. I’m hoping to build a little something like this or this…I’ll keep you posted.

What do you have planned?

For those of you that hang out with me on Twitter or Facebook, you’ll know last week wasn’t entirely a vacation. In fact, I spent most of the week hard at work…but oh, it was a labor of love, friends. You see, I was editing a fashion shoot for a new magazine I’ve been writing for called About Face. For all the fun I have blogging about style day in and day out, there’s just nothing like a real live photo shoot to get you all giddy about fashion again.

Want to see a few outtakes? Of course you do.

Don’t worry…I left the real photography to the professionals, as it’s obviously not my strong suit. Hopefully seeing all of those clamps and assistants and positioning craziness will help you remember that the way models look in magazines is an utter fiction. Most of those girls couldn’t move at all once we got them rigged up!

But then, after all that madness, there was the beachy weekend I was so looking forward to. No internet, no email, no makeup even. Just husband, dogs, empty beaches, blue skies…absolute perfection.

How was your weekend?