November Grey

Dreaming...

2012-02-15T09:06:00.000-08:00

Do you ever just dream that you were somewhere else? Anyplace, anytime, anywhere else? I've been having a lot of those thoughts lately. Don't worry, everything is fine and I will explain more later, but I keep wishing I could just close my eyes and and transport myself to so many other destinations... moments in time. Sometimes life is hard. I mean, tough. And while I'll be the first to count my blessings on both hands and express sincere gratitude for everything I have been given, I think that sometimes it's ok to just wish your days away...

Current dreaming:

Bali with my dear friend

Costa Rica with the hubs

Lake Tahoe with family

(More later...)

PS - this photographer, Aaron Fuller, who captured this particular moment in time is one of the best I've ever worked with. He's starting to sell numbered editions of some of his incredible work at Calypso St. Barth too. You must check out his stuff - visit here.

Happy Dreaming

Lipstick Winner + Happy Love Day

2012-02-14T11:30:00.000-08:00

Thank you to all who entered the drawing!

And thanks to Noa for such a fabulous Red Lip Tutorial here.

Have a wonderfully romantic day!

Red Hot inspiration - Valentine's Eve

2012-02-13T15:21:00.000-08:00

What will you be wearing?

See all of these looks here:  

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

We love you Whitney

2012-02-13T12:10:00.000-08:00

This was one of my very first albums... I used to play it over and over again. So much of my youth, if it could be summed up in music, would be a soundtrack by Whitney Houston. Thank you for teaching a young girl how to love the magic of a song...

(A favorite here.)

{Image - Arista}

Life is art

2012-02-10T09:11:00.000-08:00

{source}

Belt as a necklace

2012-02-09T09:41:00.000-08:00

On the heels of my tie-for-belt post (here), I wanted to share another fun cross-exchange.

I recently found this western chain belt at my favorite vintage shop and had plans of tossing it over a floral dress for spring, or paired with cut-off shorts and a tee, but found another purpose when scrambling for some jewelry in my closet that I wasn't tired of.

My statement necklace wardrobe still a bit lacking, I decided to give this a go for a dinner out with the hubs! And would you believe I got two compliments that evening, wanting to know where I scored such a bold necklace?

Now I'm wondering what else I can give new life to...

Tie for you, belt for me

2012-02-07T15:34:00.000-08:00

I love the LA rain... my favorite way to wake up in the morning is to the soft pounding of raindrops against my bedroom window. Since rain is a rare occurrence around these parts, and this year feels more like mid-summer seventies on most days, dressing for the weather can be a bit schizophrenic. Turtleneck, wide-legs and clogs? Why not?

I rushed out the door with more thought of climate comfort than fabulous forward (another rare occurrence), but realized my duds needed a little something more.

Luckily, my fashionable and talented friend was willing to offer a loaner...

From his neck to my waist.

What's even cooler? He made this tie! I've finally convinced him to start his own blog because in my opinion, there is a serious lack of male contenders in this fashion/lifestyle blogging world. I'll be sure to let you know when he's up and running! In the meantime, I'm going to try and feature more of my own personal gentleman muses here on November Grey.

And with that... I'm off and running!

Hope you're enjoying this day!

Turtleneck - Express (old)

Wide legs - Vintage $1 thrift

Clogs - Stuart Weitzman

Bangles - Vintage + Express

Tie/Belt - Jay Krift Designs

Red Lip by Noa Bolozky + Lipstick Giveaway!

2012-02-03T00:00:00.000-08:00

This is my girl, Noa B. You may recognize her name and pretty face from our joint blog and vintage redesign project Secondhand Star. But did you know that Noa is also one of the industry's top makeup artists? In fact, we met several years ago when I was acting and she was my makeup artist on a magazine shoot. To say I trust her opinion on beauty products is an understatement.

So I was thrilled when she agreed to do a guest post for November Grey and share her wisdom on creating (one of my signature faves) The Perfect Red Lip! Take it away Noa!

Thanks, T! I think at some point in their lives, every woman wants to try a traditional, red lip. There are a million brands, techniques, and products to choose from. Today's blog? The traditional, 1950's lip for today's modern, wearer.

{Some fun facts}
The 1940's and 50's saw an abundance of red lipsticks, in both orange and blue undertones. Throughout the war years, makeup remained fairly simple, emphasizing powders, groomed brows, long lashes, and a strong lip, (hailed as the "natural look"). Lipstick was the dominant makeup item for a generation of women who needed utility in war time and used a single product to spruce up.

Here's how to make it work for you: First, choose your red wisely. I like to stick to blue-based reds as they keep the teeth looking whiter. Some good ones to try are Becca Tatiana, NARS Vesuvio, MAC Russian Red, Elis Faas #103, and L'Oreal Paris Color Riche Lipcolor in British Red.

1: Start by exfoliating your lips. I like Philosophy's Kiss Me, exfoliating lip scrub, but a simple once-over with a toothbrush and some sugar water will do in a pinch.

2: Apply a neutral lipliner that matches your own lipcolor. Fill in the whole lip from edge to center.

3: Go for the gusto and apply the tube directly onto the lips--no brushes needed. Fill in all the way over the lip liner to the very edge of your mouth. This ensures that as you eat and drink, the stain of the red mingled with the natural tint of the liner will leave you with a soft, berry color instead of a red, hard outline.

4: Blot with tissue. Reapply lightly and blot again.

5: Add a soft blush, and keep eyes to a minimum. Red lips say it all, and a heavily made up eye will knock the balance right out of your face. I like to use gold-toned shadow and minimal mascara. For blush, use something soft like NARS Orgasm or Sex Appeal delicately to the apples of the cheeks, as well as a highlighter to brighten below the eyes.

Need a perfect red lip in your life? Noa has recently started her own beauty and fashion blog called Sunset & 5th, chalk-full of tips and tidbits and awesome beauty reviews. Become a follower of her blog Sunset & 5th and be entered to win this full-size tube of one of her favorite, universally flattering reds, MAC Russian Red!

To be eligible for drawing:

You must be a follower of November Grey ~ (if you are already a follower, let me know!)
Become a follower of Sunset & 5th then comment back here with your entry!

Open to international submissions

Contest ends 2/10/12 at 10pm PST

Winner will be drawn randomly & announced by 2/14/12 ~ Valentine's Day xx

Calypso Artemis Open Knit Pullover

2012-02-02T15:23:00.000-08:00

This is the first sweater I've seen in a long time that literally made my mouth drop. I knew it had to be mine.

Artemis Sweater - Calypso St. Barth

Necklace and wooden bangles - Vintage

Check back in tomorrow for a lipstick tutorial and giveaway! xx

Fuchsia pumps! (Zigi Soho Staple Suede Pump)

2012-02-01T10:27:00.000-08:00

A peek inside my shoe closet, which is really a hallway linen closet. But a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. A reader emailed me recently asking specifically about these suede fuchsia pumps I have that surprisingly go with everything! (See here, here & here)

My secret shoe shopping place is DSW. As you know, I'm a sucker for bargains and never pay retail price for anything. There's a DSW close to my house and I always head straight back to the clearance section. Everything is always 30%-70% off already marked down prices. Ob-sessed. And I never walk away feeling guilty about the money I've spent.

I found these shoes online for you here, and a similar pair here.

Happy Hunting!

Repeat Offender

2012-01-30T08:47:00.000-08:00

I realized I've been doing this combination a lot lately. Jeans, boots, cashmere sweater, and vintage blazer. These jackets have a similar look but are very different. (Both found via thrift for just dollars.) The one on {L} is made of wool and super warm, on {R} ~ light and structured, perfect for the warmer LA weather we've been having.

And the boots... don't even get me started. They were a "loan" from my sis and I'm dreading giving them back. They're a perfect, worn-in fit.

White Paige Denim - here, Calypso Taglioni Cashmere - on sale here, Vintage Blazer & Boots.
See deets from look on {L} here

Huset - A Scandinavian Jewel!

2012-01-27T15:04:00.000-08:00

When given the opportunity to visit and speak with the owner of this charming little store on Abbot Kinney, I was ecstatic. For one thing, it sits at the end of one of my favorite shopping blocks, just a stone's throw away from my own house. And for another, I was genuinely curious to learn about Scandinavian culture, something I admittedly knew very little about.

It's on these occasions that I truly love what I do, especially when I can pick the brain of a self-started entrepreneur like Huset shop owner, Holly Hallberg.

First, let me just say and get out of the way, that Holly is fabulous. She was sporting the most stunning green leather pants I had ever seen, and her flaxen blonde hair was loosely braided to the side as if to say "I care, but not too much" in that cool, sort of relaxed way.

I was given the chance to chat with Holly about her start-up and successes, while browsing the racks of some gorgeous clothing and accessories, exclusive to the US from Huset.

Such intricately detailed pieces, including this ostrich feathered skirt and handbag, both by Malene Birger, and both available at Huset online here and here.

The dinner and glassware had me swooning, while I simply could not take my eyes off of these two little guys, staring me down from a shelf full of goodies.

Turns out they're called "Mood Birds" and their tiny heads can be turned or tilted in several different directions to express any mood from happy to sad, to curious and alert. Hands-down, my favorite item in the shop. (Get them here at Huset-shop.com!) A-DOR-able.

The rest of this brightly lit and colorful store offers an array of furniture, gifts, clothing and accessories, not to mention, ridiculously cute and modern kid wear and toys.

It definitely won't be my last visit... But until then, I'll just obsess over my favorite looks at Huset online and try my best to curb my new Swedish appetite.

{1 & 2}

And now... a little Q & A with Holly Hallberg and a little bit of inspiration for all of our entrepreneurial hearts... (remember ladies, you can do it all!)

Your husband is Scandinavian and you had traveled there before, but how did the inspiration strike to create Huset? Since I grew up with a house designer/builder father and a architect/designer mother, I was surrounded by design from an early age. I've always been interested in beautiful design. I was always a huge fan of Bau Haus style and early modernism. It was a natural fit when I was introduced to Scandinavian design. Early in my and my husbands relationship I had said that I would love to eventually find an outlet to share this newly found design aesthetic that I discovered through my relationship with him.

Did you always know you wanted to work in design and fashion? I must say that I never thought of myself as working directly in the design industry, but I did own a childrens accessory brand in my early twenties, but I think it was more about being an entrepreneur and doing my own thing more than working directly with design. As I matured in my career and clearly after my Scandinavian discovery, I definitely wanted to share this wonderful aesthetic with others, so again it was more about the idea and concept about it, than wanting to work in the design or fashion industry. Luckily I think my upbringing helped with making it so appealing.

You have devoted followers all over the world who were ecstatic to learn that you were opening a physical store for them to shop in, in addition to huset-shop.com - How did you choose Abbot Kinney in Venice Beach as the destination spot? Before my husband and I were married, he lived in Venice and so I was very familiar with Abbot Kinney and I've watched with much excitement as the street has developed and become such a hip shopping destination. I knew long before I ever opened the store, let alone thought of opening a store, that Abbot Kinney was were I should be. Also, I've studied the demographics for this area and the fit was perfect for us.

You travel two to three times a year to collect all of these wonderful designs we see in the store, do you select based on what you personally like or what you feel best represents Scandinavian design? I think the answer to this question is a little of both. Most of the items in our store are things that I personally find appealing but I must admit that there are a few things that we have which are for a wider audience.

Being creator, buyer, merchandiser and owner of all things Huset, you wear many hats on a daily basis. What is your favorite part about what you do? Definitely the discovery of new design or designers. My favorite part of my job is traveling to Scandinavia and searching out new pieces for the store and our customers, I definitely get very excited when I return from my trips. I'm both inspired by what I see and feel such excitement to share my new discoveries.

Any advice for someone wanting to open her own store? Give yourself time to pull together your ideas, inspirations, write out a strong mission statement and stay true to it. I kept an idea book of things I loved, was drawn to and thought were very unique. By the time I started to think about opening the store my book was two inches thick. It was a great way to keep my focus sharp when you start second guessing yourself and the anxious feelings start creeping in. When I first started Huset, my main objective was furniture, textiles, housewares, lighting and other design related items. The fashion was an after thought after one customer requested some items from a Swedish fashion brand. The fashion side of our business really took off and I found myself learning more and more about Scandinavian fashion brands. So another piece of advise I would give would be to always be open to widen your business within your original mission statement. You may find a little "jewel" you didn't know about earlier.

Huset... a jewel indeed. Thanks, Holly! xx

"A little Annie Hall to my look"

2012-01-24T18:42:00.000-08:00

Hat - Vintage (last worn here)

Striped Shirt - Vintage Ann Taylor

Cashmere Sweater - Calypso

When I found this vintage striped shirt last year (see post from a year ago here!) I was so excited. It was just what I was looking for. But inevitably it found it's way to the back of my closet to be forgotten about... But then I was looking for just the right layering piece to add a little "Annie Hall" to my look and voila! It's found it's way front and center once again.

Camera + / Sunrise in Guadalajara

2012-01-23T12:27:00.000-08:00

Well, it's raining like crazy here in LA, but my mind is elsewhere... This shot was taken from a hotel window overlooking Guadalajara, Mexico. The amazing thing is that a simple iPhone shot can be elevated so incredibly by one simple app. And there are a lot of good ones out there. But my new obsession ~ Camera +. OB-sessed. Sometimes iPhoneography captures something a little more... something even my pro Nikon can't.

I'm reminded how much I miss photography and how I want to start showcasing it again here on November Grey. I'll still be posting my outfit choices you've come to know and love, but look out for more of what put the art, in Fashion, Art, Friendship & Love.

Snapshots

2012-01-19T18:54:00.000-08:00

Some recent looks, only captured via iPhone...

Calypso Sweaters (1 & 2) Vintage Wooden Bangles and one from Express...

A favorite yellow coat (United Colors of Benetton) - No doubt going into winter storage soon...

And these amazing vintage wide-legs, found via thrift for $1, but after drycleaning and zipper repair, they had me out $20 bucks. Oh well... sometimes this happens. It always makes me laugh.

{You can see all of my snapshots if you follow me on instagram}

A little bit of sunshine

2012-01-18T08:53:00.000-08:00

There have been moments of sunshine-y goodness over the past few winter weeks, and while I'm the first to love good snuggling weather, I'll never resist a moment to enjoy the warmth.

Top - Haute Hippie

Bag - Maison de Vacances

Pearls - Vintage heirloom

Earrings - c/o Momo's March

Allsaints Jacket

2012-01-16T10:04:00.000-08:00

Hi friends, I have some exciting stuff going on that's been taking up a lot of my time. I promise to share soon... In the meantime, check back in for more captured outfits and some coverage on my favorite new shop on Abbot Kinney!

Have a wonderful week!

Bookworm

2012-01-13T09:41:00.000-08:00

Late start today, but so happy it's Friday, and looking forward to finding a sexier way to wear this Crash & Burn dress over the weekend.

Dress - c/o Crash & Burn

Chain Flats - Gap

(No longer avail online, but I've been seeing them in stores on crazy sale, so hurry!)

Necklaces - F21 & Thrifted

Earrings - Momo's March

Sunglasses - F21

I think it's gonna rain today...

2012-01-12T08:05:00.000-08:00

Back to cold weather basics, which lately seem to include these favorite boots (last worn here), Calypso cashmere (worn this way, here) and some form of a blazer. I found this fitted wool baby last summer at Out of the Closet thrift for about $5 bucks. It's so warm and fits like a glove.

Remember that old Bette Midler song?...

Broken windows and empty hallways,
a pale dead moon in a sky streaked with grey.
Human kindness is overflowing,
and I think it's gonna rain today.

Scarecrows dressed in the latest styles,
the frozen smiles to chase love away.
Human kindness is overflowing,
and I think it's gonna rain today.

Let's do this

2012-01-10T08:38:00.000-08:00

Up and at 'em bright and early. Someone get me another coffee...

Silk Red Pants - Vintage via thrift, Check Shirt - Forever21, Blazer - Nordstrom Boy's; Vintage, Chain Flats - Gap, Hat - Vintage

Sunday find ~ Monday morning! (Major thrift score!)

2012-01-09T08:26:00.000-08:00

This is why I love thrift shopping:

Every once in a while you score. Big time.

I'm a HUGE fan of Allsaints Spitafields... have been for quite some time. So imagine my face when I found this baby, brand spanking new, with tags still on it, just sitting there.

IN-sane.

You can find it here. {But I scored it for about a tenth of the retail price.)

Thrift shopping: Good for the environment, good for the economy, excellent for your wardrobe.

Snapshots + Happy Weekend!

2012-01-06T08:30:00.000-08:00

This morning I'm all fashioned out in about six different colors of hair ties, a Hello Kitty barrette, leopard pajamas, and washable marker makeup. It's my day off with my little one and I intend to enjoy every second of it. In the meantime, some snapshots...

A favorite look from this past week, that I was too busy to shoot, but captured on my phone! {Vintage Hat, Calypso Silk Blouse, Wide Leg French Connection Jeans, Vintage Belt}

The back of our menu on NYE...

And dress decision making for that night {Vintage Red Redesign, Vintage Valentino & Black Halo Jackie O - the winner!}

The absolutely glorious weather we've been having in LA...

And the hopes for some more time to enjoy it.

And now... back to my little love.

Happy weekend!xx

2012 is looking bright (pink!)

2012-01-05T00:28:00.000-08:00

Calypso is doing these really yummy, giant cashmere sweaters, that feel like luxurious pajamas, but look pretty cool outside your bedroom too. I resisted the urge to get one in my standard neutrals of camel or grey, and thought this hot pink would punch things up.

Worn with white button up, Mother in Law's pearls, dark skinnies and Kensie Girl Leopard Mary Jane's.

Find sweater here

Back to work (in stripes!)

2012-01-03T08:51:00.000-08:00

Back to work after a much-needed four day break. I've been a little obsessed with wearing these white jeans lately... and loving this perfect striped tee. LA is going to be sunny and bright all week, so feeling a bit nautical for the new year.

Striped tee - Calypso St Barth, Jeans - Paige Denim, Blazer and Bangles - Vintage

Glam New Year

2012-01-02T08:31:00.000-08:00

Day two of a glam, spanking brand, new, new year! I'm always inspired to step everything up a notch in the first few weeks of a brand new year, and 2012 is no exception. I spent hours cleaning out my husbands closet over the long weekend, and we literally got rid of bags & bags of clothing he never wears, and streamlined everything to near perfection. It felt so good. My closet up next... which could take days, but I'm up for the challenge.

Side note - how was your NYE? Mine could have quite possibly been the best I've ever had. The hubs and I walked (yes, walked) to our friends house to a lovely dinner party. The hosts really pulled out the stops. No joke. It felt like attending a glamourous, fine dining experience but in the company of an intimate group of hilarious, creative, and wonderfully interesting people. My kind of evening indeed.

Jeans - Paige Denim (cuffed under, easy trick to create cropped look & show off shoes!) Heels - mrkt sandals on super sale right now at DSW, Cashmere Tee - Calypso St Barth (also worn here), necklace - H&M (from last year), Tuxedo Blazer - Thrifted (unknown), Sunglasses - Cheap Monday.