Jumat, 17 Juli 2009

Weekend Links

And a little Jane Austen news: Quirk Classics, the creator of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, is unveiling their new twisted classic take with Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, out September 15th.


Also, win a copy of Amanda Grange's new book, Mr. Darcy, Vampyre, at Debbie's World of Books.

Links a La Mode: The Independent Fashion Bloggers Roundup


Make New Friends, But Keep the Old…


Edited by AsheMischief
Because fashion bloggers love both silver & gold!

Okay, that was a bit of a cheesy, childhood song for those Stateside, but I did notice one thing this week– fresh new faces and old familiar ones. From long time contributors like Mademoiselle Robot and The Musings of Ondo Lady, to new (-to-me) Our Ocean, Links á la Mode is an amazing way to meet new bloggers and discover new territories. Think of today as Make a New Friend Day on Links á la Mode…read new blogs for a fresh dose of inspiration and revisit your favorites to remember why you love them!

As always, we’ve got a delightful mash-up of posts, too… from how to score review samples to a thoughtful post on The Uniform Project and lots of great summer clothes and jewelry. Be sure to check out the forums too, as there are several great contests going on!

Links à la Mode : July 16th



  • 39thandbroadway.com – NYC vs LA – The Fashion Week Debate

  • Fabulous Finds Gal – Who doesn’t love a gorgeous pin-up? The pin-up poet’s gorgeous and creative new amazing book and insightful interview with the author.

  • Fashion Dare – A Nautical Nod

  • Fasshonaburu – Everyone has a list like this, places to go before you turn 50, a “bucket list” of things to do before you kick it, etc. Well, it sounds shallow and superficial (and by “sounds” I mean “is”), but I have a list of things I want to buy before I enter my nex

  • HiFashion – The Lazy Girl’s Guide to Good Health

  • Hong Kong Fashion Geek – Wide-leg pants and how to make them work for you

  • Independent Fashion Bloggers – Not Buying It: How has the recession affected your fashion blog?

  • Mademoiselle Robot – A London Girl’s shopping guide to Stockholm.

  • Meilily – Island Style Pick: Wood & Bead Bracelet

  • Our Ocean – A colourful review of the clothes in An American in Paris.

  • Retro Chick – Lulu Guinness Holiday Resort 2009 Collection

  • Shop Diary – 2 days ago 1stdibs.com, the renowned antiques site, just launched a vintage couture, fashion and accessories designer section.

  • The Capitol Fashionista – Modern Fashionista Travel with Vintage Luggage: What better way to add a little touch of class than packing it all up in vintage luggage.

  • THE COVETED – Gorgeous New, More Affordable Denim from A|X and a $500 A| Gift Card Giveaway

  • The Fashion Planner – ShoeDazzle – Review of Kim Kardashian’s shoe club.

  • the musings of ondo lady – Mention the word Biba and you can bet that any decent fashionista will go all starry eyed. This is because along with Mary Quant, Diane von Furstenberg and Twiggy, Biba is right up there as one of the iconic fashion brands of the 60s and 70s.

  • The Recessionista – 2 days ago Essential Summer Style Tips–Tips for essential summer wardrobe staples: Tips from The Recessionista Blog and Jones’ New York Style Guru Lloyd Boston

  • Think Thru Fashion – Agate Accessories: Find affordable ways to wear the trendy crystal.

  • threadbared – How the Uniform Project highlights fashion’s one constant — the tension between individuality and standardization

  • tickle – Fresh Catch! tickle grills the designers of Delirius, a line as flirty as NY girls

  • Unfunded – All Eyes on Hayden Panettiere and Lace!

Kamis, 16 Juli 2009

Ann Arbor Art Fairs

Just got back from cruising the Ann Arbor Art Fairs, where hundreds of artists are displaying their goods through the end of the week.  Liztech Jewelry caught my eye right away with their stunning metal jewelry.

Iona Handcrafted Books, which displayed thick, beautiful, leather books with hand-torn pages, was a book lover's dream.  A quick stop at The Cupcake Station brought on a sugar high as a inhaled a cookies and cream cupcake.  Just entering the bakery sent my senses swirling. 

The find of the day was definitely Aunt Agathas's, a cute bookstore stuffed to the brim with mysteries.  There I purchased two books from the Being A Jane Austen Mystery series, Jane and the Ghosts of Netley and Jane and the Barque of Fraility, by Stephanie Barron.  

All in all, a good way to spend a summer day.

Selasa, 14 Juli 2009

ShoeDazzle

I've been hearing a lot about Kim Kardashian's ShoeDazzle, a shoe club that sends you a pair of new shoes each month.  After taking a survey, which features pictures of celebrities and runway looks, and filling out your credit card and shipping information, ShoeDazzle e-mails you five different shoes picked out by their stylists for you to choose from.  The club is $39 a month and includes shipping plus free exchanges; however, there is a $5.95 fee if you just return the shoes.  July was my first month, and I settled on the "Sunida", a black gladiator sandal.  Shipping was not particularly fast.  It took them a week to process my order then three days from the time they shipped for me to receive the shoes.  So the shipping experience was average.       
  

The flip-top cardboard box included a pink shoe bag but the pashmina promotion I heard about on other blogs must be over because I didn't get one.  I anxiously tore open the box and unwrapped my shoes.  


The "Sunida" is made by Dollhouse and features a toe thong and wrap around ankle straps.     Trying them on, the shoes were surprisingly comfortable with a tiny bit of cushion, and rather stylish.  But lo and behold, they were too wide!  Ahhh!  From the pictures, it looked liked the straps that fed around the foot were adjustable, but they were sewn into the shoe, so there is no way to make this shoe fit a narrow foot.  I called ShoeDazzle's customer service and was told that they only carry regular sized shoes but that there might be a wider selection of shoe widths when they start their own shoe line in the fall.  Unfortunately, the person I talked to didn't know if they carried any styles that ran narrow.  So, now the big question is, do I get a credit for next month and hope I pick a shoe that fits or just pay the return fee and go to the mall, where I can try on shoes before I buy?        


For more about ShoeDazzle, here is an interview with one of their stylists, Michael Bassolino.


Jumat, 10 Juli 2009

Weekend Links

Links a La Mode: The Independent Fashion Bloggers Roundup

Links a la Mode

Summer Staples


Edited by Jennine

In the midst of Summer many of us take refuge by the fan and some of us miraculously make do with the heat in all but the best ways. In this roundup we’ve got Summer Festival tips on Unfunded, Hong Kong Fashion Geeks Resort Redux, Krislyn’s chic summer essentials, Fashion Cent’s essential white jackets. And on the indie front Dramtis Personae finds eco friendly clothing for people of all sizes, and Oh Canada…Tatiana’s showcases Canadian Indie Designers. And last but not least… Twins… mode.ulation wonders if are they the modelings industries next new thing?

Links à la Mode : July 9th


Kamis, 09 Juli 2009

Rabu, 08 Juli 2009

Everything Austen Challenge Update

Austenprose has upped the ante for the Everything Austen Challenge, so here is my updated list of 12 (!) Jane Austen inspired books and movies to finish by January:

Movies
Sense & Sensibility (2008)
Pride and Prejudice (1996)
Lost in Austen

Books
Pride, Prejudice & Zombies by Sean Grahame-Smith
Jane Austen's Sewing Box by Jennifer Forest
Jane Austen for Dummies by Joan Klingel Ray, PhD.
Mr. Darcy, Vamprye by Amanda Grange

Selasa, 07 Juli 2009

Rehash Clothes

Looking for a way to save money and get new clothes, I came across Rehash, a site that lets you swap clothes with other like-minded individuals.  Once you join the site, you can post pictures of items you want to trade and can negotiate which items you will swap with another member.  Rehash is simple to use, and the rating system helps you to know who to swap with and who to avoid.  I've already completed multiple trades this summer and have had a good experience overall.  It is important to keep in mind that while swapping is free you still have to pay to ship your items, so it is not good to go overboard trading everything in your closet if you do not have the time or the money to mail your stuff.  Happy swapping!  

Senin, 06 Juli 2009

4th of July Weekend



Went to a Mud Hens game this weekend and saw lots of fireworks afterwards. It's been so long since I've been to a baseball game, and it is so much more fun being there than trying to watch the game on TV. If you didn't get enough fireworks this weekend, this clip is from the end of the game. I shot it with my new Flip MinoHD camcorder, which I totally love. The camera is about the size of a cellphone and shoots crisp and clear video. It's so simple to use it is practically idiot-proof; to record, all you need to do is push the can't-miss-big-red-button on the front and then you're rolling. Uploading to YouTube is easy, too, with Flip's easy sharing software. Ah, life is good.

Sabtu, 04 Juli 2009

Happy 4th of July!


Do today
Read: 1776 by David McCullough
Watch: The Patriot
Eat: Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, and Apple Pie


Jumat, 03 Juli 2009

Weekend Links

Kamis, 02 Juli 2009

DIY Wedding - Craftzine


A great source for DIY Weddings is Craftzine.  There you will find ideas from all over the web such as the Layered Pearl Necklace Tutorial, the Bird's Nest Ring Bearer Pillow & Flower Girl Basket, and the Tree Pedestal Cake Stand.  The site is definitely worth browsing if you need ideas for wedding invitations, party favors, and cake toppers.

Rabu, 01 Juli 2009

Clueless

It's the first day of the Everything Jane Austen Challenge!  Clueless, an adaptation of Emma, is my Jane Austen pick for this month.  Can you believe this is the first time I have ever seen it?  It's a cute movie, and I am sure that if I had seen it when it first came out the movie would have been the reference for my school years.  Check out Neon Bible's post about her love of Clueless.