dear readers, i’m so sorry to have been gone all week…let’s just say the universe took a giant sledgehammer swing at my head on monday, and i’ve been curled up in the fetal position for about 4 days now.  i haven’t quite recovered, but i’m hoping (dear lord, i’m hoping!) to be back to my usual chatty self next week.  for now, i’ll wish you a wonderful weekend and leave you with some photos from my absolute favorite new design book, hue by kelly wearstler.

i didn’t think i could love kelly wearstler much more than i already do – when i’m rich and famous, i’ve always planned to have her design my dream house.  but apparently, there was more love to be had.  the only thing missing from her older work was a nice big blast of color (previously, i’d planned for jonathan adler to come along and put the finishing touches of fun on that dream house), but her latest book, hue, shows that she’s seen the light – and it’s bouncing off a bowl of skittles.  this is one serious book of eye candy – i’ve been through it a million times since it arrived.  definitely a perfect addition to your coffee table, or your amateur interior design arsenal.

(oh, and all of these lovely photos are ©2009 courtesy www.ammobooks.com)

divine, isn’t it?  with that, have a wonderful weekend, everyone – i’m  hoping to see you all back here next week!

i think it’s a day worth mentioning when the weight on your driver’s license is no longer a lie…and may even, in fact, be a bit of an exaggeration.  amazing stuff, really.

for those of you on new year’s resolution diets, i don’t recommend my method of weight loss (nor do i think it would be possible unless you were lucky enough to contract some sort of rare south american tapeworm), but there is definitely some excitement involved in going down a size (or two…).  at this rate, i might even be able to wear mcqueen by the end of the year.  because, you know, size is the only thing standing between me and a $2,000 blazer.

in more realistic retail therapy news (see? you said you wanted more frugal finds – it’s like ‘i dream of jeannie’ in blogland), i happened on the rodarte for target collection on last sunday’s target trip, and ended up bringing their navy lace tee home with me:

(hmm, maybe my new hobby should be learning to take photos that don’t suck…)  it’s sold out online, but if you happen to spot one in the store, it’s a worthy buy, which is saying something, as i’d more or less given up hope on the entire target/designer collab thing after so many misses of late.

but lacy lingerie is everywhere for spring, and if i can nail the look for $16.99, i’m a happy shopper.  the layering options are endless – over a dark tank and under a cardi, under a summer dress, peeking out under a v-neck sweater or a menswear vest…you get the idea.  (i actually did take a photo of the layered look, but it makes the first one look like ansel adams.)  sizing was a little on the narrow side…buy like you’re buying juniors, and you’ll be safe.

with that, i’m off to take a few highly invasive medical tests.  but i have brownies waiting for me when i get home.  so that’s something.

{“kind intruder” by michelle arcila, one of my very favorite photogs!}

…to those of you who took a second to tell me what you love, hate and generally have opinions about for this little blog.  if you didn’t get a chance, perhaps you could do it now? leave a comment on this post, the original post, some random post anywhere on the blog…i’ll see it any way you send it.  or if you’re feeling especially chatty, getting emails from you positively makes my day:  editor {at} shoppingsmycardio {dot} com, if you’re so inclined.

and have a fabulous weekend, everyone!

wow, i certainly gave myself a nice long vacation, didn’t i?  good reasons, i promise.  the holidays, of course.  and then a trip to mexico, to escape the rain and gloom.  whereupon, mother nature promptly rained and gloomed all over my mexican holiday (well, at least as gloomy as cancun gets).

{the view from my hotel balcony.  life is hard, i know.}

see?  but still…sand, surf, all-inclusive room service.  hard to complain too much, really.

during all of that holiday-ing, i’ve been thinking quite a bit about this blog.  it’s hard to believe i’ve been writing it for three and a half years.  frightening, actually.  and lately, i’ve been wondering if it’s really still the blog i set out to write.

so, in the spirit of the new year, i’m going to try changing a few things.  i’m going to loosen up a little – posting perhaps less reliably but with better finds.  i’m also going to broaden my horizons a little when it comes to content, which may end up involving any or all of the following:  more snarky rants, less polish, more books, travel and/or food, and the occasional delve into my personal life (such as it is).  the goal is to just generally ease up a bit on my usually tight-as-a-drum blogging filter.  we’ll see how it goes.

in the midst of all of this, i’d like to very sweetly ask for your help.  i didn’t want to get all formal and serious with a poll (mostly because i hate blog polls), but could you consider taking 30 seconds to leave a comment right now, letting me know if there’s anything you especially love, hate, or miss about the blog?  want more designer interviews?  more reader questions (my personal favorites)?  more beauty coverage?  not another moisturizer review, ever?  more books?  do you prefer high fashion or low fashion?  if you’d rather, of course, feel free to send advice/input via email – editor {at} shoppingsmycardio {dot} com, day or night.

beyond today’s request, i’d love to have you keep on giving me input on what’s working for you and what’s not.  tell me when you love something.  tell me when you hate it.  if i post a photo of my dog, and you’d rather never see him again, tell me.  (though that would be weird…he’s freaking adorable.)  the point is that i’d rather know what interests you and what doesn’t.  just leave a comment, or even email me – i heart getting emails from you guys so very, very much!

i hope you’re all off to a fabulous start this new year, and can’t wait to kick things off with a bang!

~xo, becki

maybe i’ve been reading the bloggess too much, or maybe i just need to take a xanax, but i feel the snark rising up in my fingers, and i just can’t stop myself from the following.  i just received a press release from a certain company (which i adore, by the way), about a certain plaid shirt, featured in the following photo:

now, as i said, i love this company, and shop there altogether too often.  and so, i’m not going to defame them here when i’m really just annoyed about an entire trend (ahem, and actress).

first and foremost, i just think taylor momsen’s mom, or agent, or somebody needs to take her aside and tell her she is looking increasingly like some sort of homeless street urchin/crack addict hybrid, between the excessive eyeliner, the stringy hair and the oversized everything. she just kind of…well, she scares the holy living hell out of me, that’s all.

that said, my big gripe here is actually with the plaid flannel shirt in question. it’s just that my tolerance for the reincarnation of this particular trend is very, very low.  i didn’t much care for it when grunge was cool back in the ’90s, and it’s just one more decade i feel no need to relive (i’m looking at you, 1980s).

but even if i *did* want to wear a plaid flannel shirt, i’d want it to be trim, tailored, and just generally more chic, no?  i mean, if all i want is a baggy flannel shirt, i can get that at ll bean, target, or even sears for that matter, and probably for under $20.  i definitely don’t need to spend $140 on it (oh, did i not mention the one taylor momsen’s wearing is $140?  yeah.).

all that said, if this is a trend you simply can’t resist, allow me to offer a few suggestions that don’t, you know, make me want to throw things at innocent celebrities.

left is by mike & chris, on sale for a very respectable $75. it is not flannel. i think that’s a good thing, as is the very girly styling. i’m especially loving the farrah fawcett hair on the model (man, i am on fire today).  right is by steven alan, the king of the plaid shirt. i actually kind of love this one, and would highly recommend it.  even though it’s more expensive than the one i’m snarking about.  i know…i have no excuse for myself.

okay, snark over for now…but i’m right, aren’t i?

one more do-gooder…given my current state of mind, i just can’t resist this one. the owners of linda & harriett, which designs some of my absolute favorite cards, is having the most wonderful event today!  it’s “just because day,” in honor of designer liz’s mom, linda, who was apparently always very courteous and sweet, just because. how fabulous is that?!

to celebrate, just email lindaandharriett@gmail.com … uh, quickly (the offer expires basically right now (9 am pst), but i’m going to email their press rep and ask for a few minutes of an extension for y’all), and include your full name and mailing address. they’ll send you a blank card, absolutely free, for you to address and mail to whoever you like.  how sweet is that?!

dear readers,

i’ve been gone a while…and i’m sorry for that.  it turned out to be a harder few weeks than i could ever have anticipated, and to be honest, retail therapy just wasn’t doing it for me.  shocking, i know.  but i think it’s time to get back into the saddle, and so here i am.  slowly but surely, i’m sure we’ll resume our regular levels of retail gluttony in no time.

but for now, i want to thank all of you that took the time to comment, or email me privately, to convey your condolences and good thoughts about my nana’s passing.  i know we’re all just strangers out in the internet ether, but it meant so very much to me to hear from you guys.  believe it or not, blogs are not usually the moneymaking machines you’d think (or hope).  i sit down to write every day not because there’s a paycheck at the end of the rainbow (trust me, there’s not), but because i honestly love having you around, readers.  i like to think some of you get a kick out of my ideas on fashion and style, and that you like seeing some of the things i come across that i think are worth sharing.  that’s it.  so having a few of you take a moment to let me know you were out there, and sending me good thoughts…well, it made a difference.

i’m going to go ahead and unpublish the previous post…it makes me sad, and i think we’re going for “happy and fun” here.  but i’ll still be able to read it, and i’ll be going back to those comments and words of encouragement whenever i’m feeling blue.

with much love from your grateful editor,

becki

i’ve been a fan of fashion blogger garance doré for so long, i can hardly remember not thinking she was the coolest person ever.  perhaps even more than her gorgeous photography and hysterical fashion insights (both of which stop me in my tracks), i love love love her sketches.  i actually emailed her once upon a time, asking if she’d ever start selling them – but the answer was no (sadly, i only heard back from her assistant…how cool would it have been to hear from garance herself?!).

now, be still my heart, she’s released two tees bearing her lovely sketches for the gap’s 40th anniversary extravaganza.  perfect, right?  but no…still, they elude me!  problem one: they’re only being released in london.  problem two:  there are only 69 of each tee available for sale.  it’s like the universe is conspiring to keep garance and me apart!

and so, i’m just going to say it.  dear gap:  surely you can do better!  what about us poor saps in the states who, i don’t know, have been loyal, devoted gap fans (mostly) for the last 40 years.  how about some love for us?

think my plea will work?  sigh. me neither. but if you do happen to be in london for this amazing event, check it out on my behalf, won’t you?

readers, i don’t think i’ve done enough shopping this week.  frightening, i realize…but i just don’t have any particularly exotic, “must haves” on this random friday.  so instead, i thought i’d share the ‘must haves’ that have actually made it into my house over the last week or two.  mind you, this is no small feat these days, as my shopping account is in serious lockdown mode.

it’s been a long while since i walked into the gap and actually fell for something on sight.  but these shoes are just so cute in person, and such a great color & pattern for summer, i couldn’t resist.  the $39 pricetag didn’t hurt, nor did the fact that they miraculously run a full size large, so they actually had my size in the store.  i was a little wary of the bow in back, but i’ve decided it gives some nice detail, and keeps them from being too generic.

i’m fairly confident i’ve mentioned how much i detest hot weather.  besides my massive discomfort whenever the mercury hits 80+, there’s also the matter of my cheeks, which insist on becoming a very radioactive shade of crimson at the slightest increase in my internal temp.  literally, i’ve had people stop me during a workout to “make sure i’m okay.”  yes, i’m fine – i’m always that color.  given the severity of the problem, when i decided to test clinique’s new “redness solutions” mineral powder, i was skeptical…i was pretty sure painting my face yellow was not the answer.  but this stuff actually works – and somehow doesn’t settle into wrinkles like most loose powders.  i highly recommend it for those of you with fair skin that rebels in heat, or for the post-workout makeup routine.

and last, i mentioned recently how much i loved a new piece by emily elizabeth jewelry, and the designer was sweet enough to send it over as a thank you (yes, i know, my life is very hard).  honestly, i’ve hardly taken it off since it arrived…i think it might just be the perfect summer necklace.  because the chain is just a bit thick, and the leaves are a bit bold, it dresses up my ultra-casual summer style beautifully, and gives me just a dash of grecian goddess chic (who couldn’t use a bit of that?).

happy weekend, everyone!  i’ll be off visiting family for a few days, but should be back bright and early tuesday for more retail therapy.

as usual, today’s finds are a collection of the random lovelies i’ve come across in my travels this week.  happy friday, everyone!

it’s going to be a while before a $400 box to hold very tiny things is on my actual shopping list.  but this is so beautiful, i just keep going back for another peek.  by r & y augousti (of course), and constructed from vintage penshell and bronze.

my dishware fetish continues unabated, as does my love for grey/yellow color combinations.  they seem to have collided in this collection from up in the air somewhere, and i’m heartily crushing on the results.  i’m thinking my world would become so much simpler and more sophisticated if i could serve my morning juice from this pitcher and these glasses.

going through my etsy favorites can be depressing business…since most things are one-of-a-kind, it’s basically just a way of browsing all of the things i loved and missed out on buying.  so, i’m grateful for the ones that stick around.  i recently happened on lirola’s beautiful, made-to-order clothing line, and am patiently biding my time until i can indulge in the closest thing i’ll ever get to couture.

so, did you happen across anything especially lovely this week?  have a great weekend, everyone!