le rainy day

noreply@blogger.com (Marisa) — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 02:26:00 +0000

Oliver Barrett IV ...

I've been really excited about this post for a few reasons. As a product of both work and curiosity, I've been extremely interested in men's fashion lately - I'd even go as far as to say that I've been more interested in men's fashion than women's fashion ... I know, I never thought I'd see the day. I'm constantly amazed at how minor adjustments of cut and structure can make traditional prints and patterns different and new.

So, whilst flipping through the September issue of Details Magazine the other day, I came across this editorial spread by Dan Martensen and I was absolutely smitten. Entitled "The Best Clothes for Fall Weekends", the spread is inspired by the film Love Story {which I just so happened to watch the other week with my sister} and it totally captures the trendy meets trad vibe of the late 70s.

This photograph makes me swoon. He is perfectly dressed.

Apparently Ali MacGraw's wardrobe spawned a cult following and I can totally see why - I loved her many coats ...

Behold the genuine 70s stylings of Ali MacGraw and Ryan O'Neal:

And I can't help but feel that I was born about five decades too late. Le sigh.

Images via: Details Magazine, Google Images

noreply@blogger.com (Marisa) — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 05:46:00 +0000

oh goodness ...

Wow, I've been incredibly neglectful. I do happen to have a few very exciting/legitimate excuses ... excuses aside, I'm so happy to be feeling creative and constructive again.

With that being said, here are some lovely photographs from the new Missoni campaign - clearly, I'm obsessed. They're the work of Juergen Teller and I'm all about the laid back, family-centric vibe. I couldn't help but fall in love with the Missoni clan in all its glory. Enjoy!

Look at those sandals

Marghertia Missoni is stunning

There just so happens to be a M by Missoni sample sale on Ideeli ... unfortunately {and by unfortunately I really mean that I'm overjoyed} I just signed a lease and will be lacking in discretionary income for a while ... here's to chevron dreams.

Images via: Fashion Addict Diary

noreply@blogger.com (Marisa) — Tue, 04 May 2010 01:08:00 +0000

kelly dreaming ...

The beachy before, un petit yawn ...

($12.50, Old Navy)

The after, featuring some vintage gold buttons:

These shorts make me want to groove to Blondie whilst eating fondue. I'm continually amazed by the big differences seemingly tiny accents can make.

Images via nymag.com

noreply@blogger.com (Marisa) — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 22:07:00 +0000

patina is for champions...

This morning I ventured out to an estate sale ... I was seriously overwhelmed at first and just about to leave when I spotted a table stacked to the rafters with jewelry. I took some time to sift through the piles and managed to match together some awesome pairs of earrings. Antibacterial soap was in serious order to say the least.

I don't normally like red, but I loved this bracelet:

My favorite find:

I also re-discovered my grandmother's antique tin collection, some of which I'm hoping to incorporate in my new apartment:

Hello, Don Draper! I think that this will make for a lovely little jewelry box:

This could be a pretty stationery box:

I love the detailing:

To clean or not to clean?

noreply@blogger.com (Marisa) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 19:05:00 +0000

Brown Sugar Walnut {possibly any nut} Torte ...

My Grandmother Jean was not only an artist but a very skilled baker. She had a knack for expertly crafting swiss roll cakes {my sister and I attempted a Buche de Noel two years ago which resulted in a chocolate mousse explosion} but her Brown Sugar Walnut Torte was and still is everyone's favorite.

It's very simple but delicious and graces the table at every single holiday, from Thanksgiving, to Passover to Chinese New Year {we celebrate all three}. We experimented with toasted almonds instead of walnuts, and I think we may be onto something ...

The egg white beating process continually amazes me ...

Normally, I would post the recipe here but it's a prized family secret.

noreply@blogger.com (Marisa) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 18:14:00 +0000

Tosca Delfino ...

My friend, Tosca, is incredibly talented. She lived all over the world, went to fashion school in Milan, interned for Missoni {too jealous for words} and lived down the road from me in Bondi! She is a swimwear designer and will soon debut her collection at Sydney Fashion Week. Her designs are 70's inspired and embody a great balance of style, practicality {including a sunbathing hood on one piece} and quirk. Here are some preliminary images from her upcoming look-book:

I love her custom prints and cannot wait to get a new swimsuit for the summer ...

Her talent extends well beyond the realms of swimwear - here's a dress that she made for me and it's just about my favorite thing in the world {and by world I mean my closet}:

Her website will be up and running soon, you can check it out here.

Images via www.toscadelfino.com

noreply@blogger.com (Marisa) — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 18:27:00 +0000

carb of choice ...

Banana bread is just the best ... ever. It's so simple to make, it starts smelling insanely good after about 15 minutes in the oven and you can even delude yourself into thinking that it isn't that bad for you. Molly Wizenberg's recipe for Banana Bread With Chocolate and Cinnamon Sugar slaughters that delusion with one fell swoop {well, technically two} of chocolate chips, but it is indescribably good!

Some very ugly bananas

The addition of dry ingredients

Taking form ...

A sprinkle of chocolate chips and cinnamon sugar

Voila!

Banana Bread With Chocolate and Cinnamon Sugar

From Molly Wizenberg's Orangette

Ingredients

3 very ripe bananas

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups flour (for you, Uncle Dean)

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

For topping:

2 tbsp. granulated sugar

1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon

1.) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter or spray an 8" square pan.

2.) In a medium mixing bowl, mash the bananas well with a fork or potato masher. Add the eggs and stir well to combine. Add the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and vanilla, and stir to mix. Add 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips, and stir briefly. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and set aside.

3.) In a small bowl, stir together the topping ingredients. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the batter in the pan, and top with the remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips.

4.) Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.

* * * * *

As for my weekend plans:

"There are two places in the world I wouldn't want my daughter to be ... Vietnam and Colgate during Spring Party Weekend." -- Walter Cronkite, 1972

Ohh man ... this banana bread is going to be our sustenance ... can't wait to see you, Macocs!

noreply@blogger.com (Marisa) — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 04:26:00 +0000

some loveliness ...

Peonies are the prettiest.

Images via weheartit.com

noreply@blogger.com (Marisa) — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 03:39:00 +0000

slightly hazy ...

There's nothing like a collaging shindig via skype. Especially when top secret information transpires ... ohh man.

noreply@blogger.com (Marisa) — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 22:49:00 +0000

oh, how i love thee ...

Francoise Hardy

These photographs have inspired me to find a perfect trench, knit dresses and stripes ... lots of them.

Images via weheartit.com

noreply@blogger.com (Marisa) — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 20:05:00 +0000

everything is better when it's mini ...

Pleated Silk-Twill Skirt, Narcisco Rodriguez - $1,395

Crepe Pearl-Embellished Skirt, Moschino - $895

Silk-Chiffon Pleat-Knot Skirt, Jason Wu - $1,105

Juntas Cutout Mini Skirt, Diane Von Furstenberg - $345

Color-Block Cotton-Blend Skirt, See By Chloe - $290

Crepe Flared Skirt, Miu Miu - $775

noreply@blogger.com (Marisa) — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 16:20:00 +0000

Pencey ...

Pencey is an awesome New York brand famous for their edgy, feminine pieces. Incidentally, it's also the name of the prep school in my favorite novel. Here are some of my favorite looks from their Spring 2010 collection which are available for purchase on Shopbop.

This flirty top is adorable:

The kind of blazer I want:

Sweetest little white dress:

By far the coolest hoodie I've ever seen:

p.s. Word on the street is that Temple St. Clair and Tucker by Gaby Basora are the next GO International lines set to hit Target in September!

Images via pencey.com

noreply@blogger.com (Marisa) — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 02:25:00 +0000

bellissimo ...

Wow, it's been a little while ... things have been pretty hectic and I've been having total blogging withdrawl. So happy to be back!

Even happier that high fashion has dictated the imminent resurgencere of flares. Not to badmouth my tried and true skinny jeans, but I've been growing ever-so-slightly tired of them in these few past weeks. While flares might not tuck inside of boots as neatly, they're generally more flattering on everyone {longer, leaner legs} and they can even hide my disproportionately large feet ... two birds, one stone. Here are some inspirational pairs:

Behnaz Sarafpour

Balmain

{My goodness, I love Abby Lee}

Prada

Phillip Lim

Hanneli Mustaparta

And a few for le quasi-budget-conscious {I'd still classify these as splurges}...

Seven For All Mankind

Dojo Jeans

Current/Elliott

The Low Bell Jeans

Paige

Laurel Canyon Flare Jeans

Do I sense a total 70's revival? Well, I can dream. In fact, it just so happens that my last California purchase was a pair of flared Joe's Jeans which are incredibly soft ... they're being hemmed as I post! {Note to self: still need to muster the courage to debut my crazy Acne high-waisted flares.} So many flares, so little time.

Images via style.com & shopbop.com

noreply@blogger.com (Marisa) — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 00:08:00 +0000

badass ballerina ...

These embellished slippers are perfect for spring:
{1} Chloe, Leather Ballet Flats
{2} Capezio, Studded Ballet Flats
{3} Kimchi Blue, Swiss Dot Oxfords
{4} J. Crew, Rainy Day Ballet Flats

Images via weheartit.com

noreply@blogger.com (Marisa) — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 16:54:00 +0000

fashion stake ...

Fashion Stake is an exciting and innovative new concept: customers can browse the website for up and coming designers - customers can support designers by buying $50 stakes in their companies and in return the customer receives a clothing credit or even an invitation to a fashion show.

Customers can also contribute creatively by voting on which pieces designers include in their collections. I can't wait to see this new concept in action.

In other news, blogging celebrities / lovebirds Scott Schuman and Garance Doré are producing their own TV show! It's all happening ...

Images & info via nymag.com

noreply@blogger.com (Marisa) — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 15:43:00 +0000

all packed up ...

Tonight my sister and I are flying home to New York, "Bubble" in tow! I've been loving Southern California, but I'm also pretty excited about going back. Not to mention, my sister and I will get some bonding time in the city - we haven't had that in about four years!

I guess I'm also moving on to life after school, or to put it frankly, reality ... so many things to figure out! It's all a bit intimidating, but I couldn't be more excited - these next few weeks should be interesting!

Images via weheartit.com

noreply@blogger.com (Marisa) — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 15:54:00 +0000

"i have many leather-bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany" ...

There are few things {debatably nothing} that I enjoy more than aimlessly reading for hours and hours on end. I saw these clothbound Penguin Classics in Borders last Christmas and I was instantly enamored. I imagined the whole collection on shelves in my future apartment - something along the lines of this:

So I gave in and bought myself a Christmas present, Wuthering Heights {which, beautiful cover aside, was a truly amazing story}.

Here are some of the other available titles:

They are available for purchase on Amazon or Anthropologie.

Images via anthropologie.com & apartmenttherapy.com

noreply@blogger.com (Marisa) — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 02:28:00 +0000

chuckles ...

I found this through Beautiful Decay Magazine and it made me laugh. I couldn't help but post about it - enjoy!

noreply@blogger.com (Marisa) — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 19:13:00 +0000

well, speak of the devil ...

J. Crew recently debuted its Fall 2010 collection, and no surprise here, its been the subject of some stellar reviews. Jenna Lyons, how do you do what you do?

I especially love the shoes and outerwear this season - here are my favorite looks:

Must find a way to get those desert boots ... and a faux-fur vest ...

Images via www.style.com

noreply@blogger.com (Marisa) — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 17:12:00 +0000

big bijoux ...

J. Crew is one of my favorite brands, if not my favorite. In the past two years, creative director, Jenna Lyons has totally revamped its image and popularity - their collections are consistently swoon-worthy, and they've even begun to step outside of their previously preppy confines, case and point:

Fenton / Fallon for J. Crew

Carrington Collar Necklace

Carrington Center Fringe Necklace

Carrington Crystal Chains Necklace

I'm fascinated by anything / anyone remotely related to MTV's "The City". It's a sick addiction, but what can you do? Therefore, I'm obliged to include Olivia Palermo's recent collaboration with Roberta Freymann in this post:

Roberta Freymann by Olivia Palermo

Tribeca Necklace

Mitte Necklace

Le Marais Necklace

Hopefully this summer will continue to bring more interesting collaborations ...

noreply@blogger.com (Marisa) — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 15:31:00 +0000

ode de burger ...

Having grown up on the East Coast I never had the opportunity to experience In-N-Out Burger - it was a fabled happy place, made slightly familiar through cameos on The OC.

As mentioned in some earlier posts, I'm spending time in Southern California with my older sister, my brother and law and my incredibly adorable niece ... who likes to wake up at 5 am. Over the past two weeks I've actually come to embrace this ultra-early rise mentality, but breakfast at around 5:30 relegates lunch to breakfast's former hour.

So this is how we found ourselves at In-N-Out Burger at approximately 10:10 am on Thursday, ready to inhale our #2s (cheeseburger, fries and a diet coke). This was not only my first In-N-Out experience, but my very first cheeseburger. Crazy, I know.

This is a "Double Double" meal - I was intimidated by it.

I've never really been a big fan of burgers, especially fast food burgers, but this was seriously the best burger I've ever had before. I also didn't really feel like I was giving myself a coronary which was comforting. I love the simplicity of In-N-Out and the fact that they only have three items on their menu, not to mention the fact that they have a quasi-secret menu:

So I've decided to learn a bit more about my beloved burger's history:

{My sister's recommendation}

I just read a completely braindead book which was preceded by terribly traumatic book - I figure this will be neither braindead nor traumatic, just yummy.

In other news, Jen is here, as in Jen the Hippie, as in daughter of David and Florence Ella Marie Ferriola. It's all happening.

Images via www.in-n-out.com & www.amazon.com

noreply@blogger.com (Marisa) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 15:55:00 +0000

electric candlelight ...

The name of this game is effervescence.

This collage includes a picture of Sofia Coppola {my favorite director} working on a Miss Dior Cherie ad, as well as pieces from the Missoni Capsule Collection and an awesome Rebecca Minkoff cuff in citron! The girl perched on top of the cuff reminds me of Natalie Hughes' illustrations.

noreply@blogger.com (Marisa) — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 21:42:00 +0000

bliss blanc ...

I love little white dresses far more than their black counterparts.

Maybe this is due to the fact that they're harbingers of warm weather. I like to think it's because they epitomize femininity and grace.

These beautiful photographs are from an editorial entitled "Soft Focus" in the April issue of Vogue Australia. Nicole Bentley is the photographer, and the stunning model, Rosie Tupper, also graces the cover.

Apologies for my poor page-tearing skills.

p.s. I got a pair of these today! I've been wanting them for a while and they finally went on sale!

My pair is gold with a cream colored flower.

noreply@blogger.com (Marisa) — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 15:43:00 +0000

foreign find, vicariously found ...

I received an email from my little sister this morning that read:

"Oh boy, do I have something blog-worthy waiting for you in Athens."

Way too excited to wait until I get to Athens, I emailed her back immediately and heard all about Stavros Melissinos, aka The Poet Sandalmaker. She just so happened to run into him this past weekend.

"Aeolian II"

Melissinos, after serving in the Greek Army, became enamored with literature. His poems and essays are widely renowned (especially "The Rubiyat") and have been translated into English, French, German and Italian.

"Plato"

Melissinos also has a knack for hand-making sandals, despite his fame, he still chooses make sandals for celebrities and tourists alike in his small shop in Athens.

"Jackie Onassis"

In the late 50's and 60's Melissinos garnered a celebrity following, including The Beatles, Queen, Jackie O, Sophia Loren and Margo Fontaine. His designs and poetry are strongly influenced by ancient Greek Mythology - there are 32 styles available.

"Aeolian"

I love his simple, classic designs and the fact that they are handmade using authentic materials. I definitely plan on visiting The Poet Sandalmaker in person.

"Sophia Loren"

You can read up on Stavros and see all 32 styles right here!

Information and images via http://www.melissinos-poet.com/eng/index.html.

noreply@blogger.com (Marisa) — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 04:31:00 +0000

be still my heart ...

How did I not know about these?

So it turns out that Missoni (my absolute favorite) collaborated with Converse last spring and made these awesome Chuck Taylor Hi Tops in their classic Chevron print. They will be sold in Missoni stores and a few other high end boutiques as of early April and will retail for $200. I'm in desperate need of casual sneakers (well, really any closed toe shoe for that matter) and I'm smitten with the pair on the right!

However, with limited availability and a painfully high retail price, I doubt that I'll have any luck on ebay ... fingers crossed for now ...

Images and info via lostinasupermarket.com