Yay! It’s my very first Currently Obsessed post! I have a serious sweet tooth – as you will probably find out after subsequent posts – so I thought it fitting to relate all these items to mouth-watering sweet stuff!

1) Cupcake Car: When I saw these incredible “cars” capable of going a whopping 7mph, I actually screamed, in a pretty high-pitched voice: “Ohmygosh! They are soooo CUTE!” Because they so are. If any of you have $25,000 to spare you can get yourself the best Christmas present ever: a vehicle slower than a bike – but probably faster than your normal walking speed –  that is fully customisable so you can get a car that resembles your favourite cupcake! I’m dreaming of the day that I arrive to school in one of these…The only question that remains: Do I need a driving license for one of these?!!

2) Oreo Cupcakes: I got pretty obsessed with cupcakes this week, and these look SO delicious! I mean pink panda cupcakes that are made from Strawberry Milkshake flavoured Oreos! Can you get more mouth-watering then that?

3) Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain (Or just Amélie): I’ve just started my A-Level French course at school and my teacher said that we needed to expose ourselves to more French culture; movies, music, book etc. So I decided to watch a French movie – I’m so glad I picked Amelie! It has actually become one of my favourite movies of all time! Its about a kooky waitress in Paris who leads a simple life and decides to devote her life to bringing strangers happiness. It is the cutest movie ever – I know I overuse the word cute, but there is no other way to describe this movie! You don’t even need to speak French – watch it with the English subtitles!

4) Carmex Cherry Lip Balm: Cherry Carmex is the best lip balm ever! I have really chapped lips but this lip balm makes them feel all moisturised and smooth! Your lips actually tingle when you put it on AND it smells so good! Every time I reapply it people will go: Are you eating a sweet? What smells so good? It only costs £2 as well, I can’t find any downsides!

5) Nymph Costume: So Halloween isn’t as huge a deal here in The UK as it is in the US, but I still think it is a great excuse for fancy dress! How beautiful is this handmade, leaf-adorned tunic? I think dressing up as Greek Forest Nymph would make the perfect Halloween costume! It is obviously dressing up, it is a unique idea and its just really pretty and feminine! Too bad it’s not exactly scary!

6) Irregular Choice Shoes: Irregular Choice makes the wackiest most original shoes that I have ever seen! You need to check out their website! I love all the colours and prints and the different structures – can you use the word structures when describing shoes? – that all the shoes have, but, my favourite pair by far are the ones covered with little ice creams! I went and tried them on in the store and everything, but unfortunately I am completely incapable of walking in 6inch heels!

Inspired by Maria’s previous “What I Bought” post, and Mindy Ephron’s blog (things i bought that i love) (which is just as funny as the Office episodes she has written), I’ve created a post of things that I have recently purchased.  No, I’m not substantially aiding the economy with 25 cent animal figurines, but they make me happy.

• Mock me all you want, but I love Gossip Girl.  The dialogue is gelastic and completely delightful.  I could be in a foul mood, but then the lovely Veronica Mars will say something ridiculous like, “Hey Upper East Siders. We hear that World War III just broke out. And it’s wearing kneesocks. Choose your side or run and hide. We have a feeling this one’s to the death.” Harhar.  I can even determine if my Monday will be bearable, based on whether or not there will be a new episode.  The blitheness trickles throughout the week.  Tuesday mornings, I dash to NY Mag’s Daily Intel to read their episode recaps (Gossip Girl Reality Index!).  I piss away the rest of the week until Friday, when Daily Intel releases a list of the best viewer assessments OF the recaps.  I’ve been considering purchasing Season One since August, and when a couple of my friends promised to watch the show if I shared Gossip Girl DVDs with them, I concluded that this would be an excellent time to purchase the set.  Gossip Girl- The Complete First Season from Amazon, $24
• “Yo, us bears totally have to stick together to battle vegetarian dinosaurs,” exclaimed Poppy the polar bear.  Uncle Fun, a neat toy/knick-knack store in Lakeview, has card catalog drawers FILLED with magical little toys- perfect for setting up battles.  Plastic Critter Figurines from Uncle Fun, $0.25!
• I went through an entire tub of Trader Joe’s Mini Cafe Twists in less than a week.  And then, I bought a new tub.  Each twist is a puff pastry chunk, coated in cinnamon sugar.  Plus, they’re vegan!  Mini Cafe Twists from Trader Joe’s, $2.29
• THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING CARDS I HAVE EVER SEEN.  Everytime I see a picture of William Shatner, I can’t help but giggle.  A little.  Did you know he has a self-reflective album produced by Ben Folds? (totally a Pitchfork 7.5, yo).  I bought this card from one of my favorite stories in Chicago, Paper Boy, which is a member of the Uncle Fun empire.  Designed by Sara Hernandez (who works at Paper Boy!), this card is part of a glorious Gocco-screenprinted line.  I highly recommend that you take a peek at her Etsy: Give your thanks with T(om) Hanks, In love?, Smitten?  Amor?  Sara’s card line is available for purchase at Paper Boy ($3.00 a card), or HER ETSY- PAPERTIGERCARDS! ($3.50 a card).
• My fridge is spoiled.  There are two new additions to the mess of concert posters and pictures of my friends that hang precariously on my fridge.  Item One- A 1983 postcard that features the Beach Boys singing to their “number one fans,” President and Mrs. Reagan.  Yes, this picture is taken right before Dennis Wilson drowned (the postcard morbidly includes this fact).  Item Two- A silly “telegram” from summer squash.  Tragic vegetable love.  Both from Uncle Fun, $0.75

I have no idea why I felt compelled to construct two sentences with “yo,” but I’M NOT GOING TO DELETE THEM.

Okay, okay…this post has been coming for some time, but after getting the latest issue of Martha Stewart Living, I just couldn’t put it off any longer. Little known fact about Lorraine: I am currently obsessed with Martha Stewart. From her awesome packaging design (I would LOVE to work for them…are you listening Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia??) to her line of crafts, from her cute kitchen line at Macy’s to my recent discovery of her Martha Stewart Living magazine, I am in love. In love with the fresh colors, the helpful mom/grandma-like tips for ironing, and the easy decor ideas from her craft line. If I weren’t already a designer, I’d buy all of her wedding stationary at the first sign of an engagement ring. (It’s nowhere in site, but heck, I may just do that anyways for a party!)

So without further ado, Good Things I LOVE:

1. Her Logo. (I know, I’m a total design nerd…) I fell in love with it last fall while reading this Case Study on AIGA’s Voice blog. Check out the sweet logo patterned on gray at the bottom.
2. Her Packaging. Every time I walk into our Michaels, the Martha Stewart Craft line is right there inside the doors. Love the color-scheme, the polka-dots, how clean and organized, yet hip it looks. (again with the design-nerd-stuff…I know…) Love that they highlighted “ART” in “MARTHA”.
3. Her Crafts. I absolutely adore her crafts: hip, cheap, chic! Her craft page alone is enough to inspire, but then I saw the above Easter eggs on the cover of the latest magazine. Who knew eggs could be so hip? She also has a craft blog full of inspiration.
4. Her Kitchen Line. I’m totally jealous of my mom’s aqua colander that she got at Macy’s: it’s so cute! Seriously, the thought of a matching aqua kitchen set is almost enough to get me to learn how to cook. Almost… (I’ll get there one day, don’t worry…)
5. Her Decorating Ideas. I know these poof-balls are meant for parties and weddings and such, but I’m seriously tempted to decorate an apartment with them. You can get the kit at Michaels or just follow the instructions here. (They also come in aqua, so I could make it match the aqua kitchen I don’t have.)

And as the finishing touch, Martha reported on her visit to Prague in the latest issue of Living. Seriously: big brownie points in my book for featuring the beautiful capital of the Czech Republic. (Now if only she would just invite my grandma on to the show to share how Grandma bakes authentic Czech pastries such as kolaches. Yum!)

even the ones that are publicly declared as cute.  My hatred stems from many negative experiences with birds.  After a bird-poop-on-head incident three years ago, I cower whenever a pigeon gets within five feet of me.  Every time a pigeon disturbs my space, I contort my face in unsightly ways, and scurry towards the other direction.  My mother also cared for a ridiculous number of birds, which always smelled incredibly foul.  The bird odors did not dissipate until a raccoon mama and two raccoon babies got into the cages, and murdered the trapped birds.  Blood. Bath.

Despite my hatred towards birds, I seem to enjoy bird OBJECTS.
RECENT BIRD-THEMED ACTIVITIES IN THE LIFE OF TRICIA:

• I recently purchased this bird cage necklace from H&M.  It’s perfect, and I’m surprised that I’ve never seen anyone else have it since it is from H&M (Well, semi-falsitude.  Two weeks ago, a waitress on the Upper West Side told me she had the same necklace. poo poo.)  The best part?  The cage door opens!!!

• Furthermore, I’ve been making peacock headbands!  Above is my first more-than-three-feather creation.  It turned out okay; I think I need to figure out how to make the feathers more flat!

Inspired by my recent behavior, up-up-up above are bird objects that I, a bird hater, enjoy.

1. Poetic Home is one of my favorite blogs.  Run by Grace Light, a photo stylist (!), Poetic Home features perfect vintage and vintage-inspired treasures that all have a twinkle of grandeur.  (Grace has impeccable taste!  Look at her antique library card catalog!)  In January, she suggested turning old bird cages into lamps (GO LOOK!) The birdcage curtain is as adorable as baby bunnies.  Frolicking in a meadow. With chicks and tulips.

2. Good Morning! Vintage Bird Hairpins from Hella Good, $6

3. A CAST-IRON bird bottle opener.  What a whimsical way to open a 40.  I keed… Wonder Wings Bottle Opener, $9.99

4. For some reason, this cute bird reminds me of an old man who buys a ridiculous car…like a ferrari (I know nothing about cars), just to feel young again.  Apologies, I have a weird little mind.  barkingbirdart’s Etsy shop is adorable, and full with limited edition (numbered!) prints.  Bird Dressed As A Superhero print from barkingbirdart’s Etsy, $18

5. I want to be best friends with ohhellofriend.  First, my default phrase when I see a friend is…”hello friend.”  Cosmic?  Serendipitous? “FORESHADOWFORESHADOWFORESHADOW!!(?) I can imagine our (me and ohhelofriend) meeting; we would both say “hello, friend,” AT THE SAME TIME.  Second, she runs one of my favorite (no HYPERBOLE here).  Third, her blog is glorious. owl stud earrings from ohhellofriend’s Etsy, $3.50 (I would get these myself, but my ears not pierced.  I am afraid of pain. Womp womp.)

6. Early Bird Sugar dispenser from Anthropologie, $14.  There is also a matching birdie that doles creamer, but no thank you.  I drink my coffee black.  It reflects my soul.

7. Owl Warm and Cozy Mug, $15.99

8. My friend, Angelica, frequently wears a really lovely felt bird pin, and I’ve always wanted one for myself.  These pins come in three colors, which translates to three different ways you can present yourself to the world.  “I’m feeling romantically delusional today, I will wear my red bird pin.”  Little Bird Pins from Threekeys’ Etsy, $3

*For the purposes of this post, “birds” =  “the (prolonged) flyers of the aves class.”  I support penguins.

Since everyone seems to enjoy “Currently Obsessed” so much I thought I’d try out something called “What I Bought” which is like a Currently Obsessed except it’s Currently Purchased, which I don’t think is grammatically correct.

Anyway, I thought I’d switch this one up — instead of the normal copy-and-paste from various web-pages, I thought I’d draw my finds. Aren’t they pretty? Can we talk about how hard markers are to use? And how much they smudge? And how much I had forgotten anything about them? Alas.

I took a little old hike down to the East Village a few days ago because Tricia said I had to checkout UNIQLO. She was right. WALLS OF BRIGHT COLORS. Must do another post on that soon. Anyway, I walked from UNIQLO up to Penn Station and stopped in almost all of my favorite stores along the way, including but not limited to: H&M, Urban Outfitters, American Apparel, Barnes & Noble, The Strand, and Forever 21. I also managed to hit up a drugstore and a grocery store. Big work for one day.

Of course I had to behave myself (SO HARD). With my current budget most of the above purchases were considered splurges. Still, I feel I should be applauded for my restraint.

• I tried on sunglasses in Forever 21 for literally one half hour. I tried on those shown above (which I can’t seem to find on the web-page, but my drawing is accurate in that hot pink and checkers are involved) and these rose colored glasses (hahaha, I’m such a jokester, they have “floral printed frames”). All the glasses are under $6, so it’s hard to convince yourself that you only need one. I managed, though.
• Next in Forever 21: headbands. Rules: under $3. A piece of fabric should not cost more than $3 unless it has feathers coming out of it (and some do, and I wanted them). Anyway, my drawing really doesn’t do this highligher-green flowered-mesh-style headband justice, but the real thing does its job, which is to get my annoying non-bangs out of my face and not sticking randomly in the air.
• At UNIQLO, where I fell in love with and tried on several items, I only ended up with one purchase — and it was BLACK. Black tights! Of all the yellows, oranges, turquoises, greens, pinks, blues! Of all of the colors in that store! I got black! They were on sale for $2, and the other two pair of black tights I own have HOLES IN THEM. So, needed.
• I have had old tea bags sitting around my house (ie gross flavors I’ve had since college… oh! fail!), and I have been craving tea and avoiding the old tea bags, so I decided to get new ones. I love sampler packs especially when they are in fun flavors. I prefer Lipton over Celestial Seasons (though they do have delightful sampler packs themselves) because Lipton puts each tea bag in its own little sack which in my head means it is preserving freshness. Anyway, this Lipton: Collection of Flavored Black Tea (which apparently you can buy online) contains Blackberry, Orange & Spice, Honey & Lemon, Spiced Chai, Mint, and French Vanilla. (I sort of want to be cooler about my tea, and buy loose leaf and have one of those little metal tea balls with the holes in it, but I have to take my life one step at a time. This step doesn’t involve loose leaf tea.)
• When I went into Barnes & Noble to get a little work done, I wanted to sit in the cafe. To sit in the cafe you have to purchase something (edible). And, since I didn’t plan ahead and bring any food with me on my day-long journey into the bottom of Manhattan, I went for a double chocolate cupcake. It was good. I know, I was right there in Manhattan near all of the best cupcakes in the UNIVERSE and I went for a B&N cupcake. Don’t judge. I was really hungry.
• I have been using this free sample I got of brownish blush for about five months. Finally, I marched into the drugstore and picked me up some pink (“central park pink” blush to be exact). I chose the NYC (New York Color) brand because they are super inexpensive. (Alright, so maybe I’m not helping the economy THAT much.)
• And finally, the biggest purchase of the day: a light weight purple cardigan from Forever 21 for only $12! I love the color and I constantly wear cardigans because I prefer not to reveal my arms. Since it’s light weight, no one will look at me weird for using it in the summer.

As it turns out, Tricia & I know a boy who works at ModCloth, one of the most fabulous online clothing retailers in existence (TRUE). As far as I have been informed, Tricia & he served coffee and vegan brownies at the most delightful & artsy coffee shop on campus, while he & I shared stories in literary magazines and writing classes.

In conclusion, these anecdotes prove that Mod Cloth is a haven for we creative-types, thus, since we have spent this entire weekend turning all of the clocks in our entire house forward one hour (spring forward!), indicating the coming of spring, we three bloggers of S&D have chosen a total of 10 favorite spring items from Mod Cloth to get you ready for your sunny debut.

Maria’s Picks

1. Alright, so I’m an idiot and the Lo and Boho Pashmina in all of its turquoise glory and featured in my delightful collage above is SOLD OUT! But my reasoning behind its selection stays true for my second-favorite neck-thing (A Study in Scarlet Scarf, $27): They say March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb (for those of you not in the northeast, “lion” = “two feet of snow”). This will keep your neck warm during the spring in-between-season, but its bright colors (yay) still say SPRING pretty loud-and-clear.

2. The Classic Wayfarers ($10) Great for sliding across the floor in your socks and underwear (cough, cough, Tom Cruise). Or blocking the sun. Also, 90% cheaper than the Ray-Ban-originals.

3. Plaid Poise Dress ($65) Get ready to serve ice tea to your lawn-cutting husband, because you are now clothed in a dress cut for a prim-and-proper 50s housewife.

4. Rose Colored Tights ($30) I’m pretty sure these tights will inspire roses to grow. They are much better than the fruit ones I own (which are covered in grapes, oranges, bananas, etc without a single space for solid colors, so much so that three times while wearing them I’ve been asked a question about the “tattoos” on my legs leading me to believe that I should put them in Disney vault, so to speak — anyway, I don’t think these tights will recreate any Fruit Tattoo-esque Incidents).

Tricia’s Picks

5. Wuthering Heights Jacket ($48) This is perfect for spring-time ambulations in the park, and features the most glorious ribbon pin that I have ever seen.

6. Cycle Knee Socks ($12) Due to a decrease in sidewalk obstacles (good bye random ice chunks), spring is a good time to ride a bike!  One must only heed potholes!  (and sometimes small children…unless the children are ugly…then, i guess, concentrate on the potholes.)

7. Whistle Stop Boots ($170) These boots are good for the current transition period between winter and spring.  I really admire how the leather on these boots are cut to resemble a radiator grid!  Jeffrey Campbell always has interesting designs, and his shoes are extremely well-made and comfortable.

8. Nantucket Weekender Dress ($95) Ideal for adventures to Long Island’s North Shore, or in my case, to Lake Geneva.

Lorraine’s Picks


9. Everlasting Love Dress in Sky ($40) Just add fairy wings.

10. Ship Shape Tote (On Sale for $19) I’ve been eyeing this tote for a while now: wouldn’t it be great to take on a lazy day to the park? (Or a viking adventure?!)

Since I recently posted pictures of my work outfits this year, I thought it would be a good time to post about my fashion inspiration binder. When I get dressed, I’m not so good at just going at it (especially not early in the morning). Despite the two-pound models (ugh, it does get me though!), I love fashion magazines, and can’t help peaking through Teen Vogue and Nylon (I have found that these two generally have clothes of the brightest colors), and sometimes others, like In Style or Lucky. I even get inspiration from catalogs, like Urban Outfitters, or pictures of styled celebrities in interview articles.

(CLICK ON IMAGE TO SEE IT LARGER.)

For my inspiration binder, I cut or tear out pictures of fashions that I really like. Unless it’s something I’m totally in love with, I try to only pick things that I could make with my own wardrobe. I shop very, very thriftily (think generally less than $20 an item), so I don’t always have the exact latest styles, but usually you can layer something to make it look similar. Sometimes I’ll tear out a picture for the hair style, a good layering idea, a cool color combination, or seeing two patterns work together that I wouldn’t have expected.

In my binder I have a small hair and make-up section (the eye section is fun, perhaps I’ll post that another day soon), but it’s mostly full of fashions, and I even have a pocket in the back for “retired” pictures. Some things just get old or aren’t really your style anymore. Anyway, my binder is bursting now. Also, as you can see, I’m even actually a total dork when it comes to getting dressed!

It’s my year in work outfits! If you want to see them a tiny bit closer, just click on the image above (right click to open in new window, might need to click on it again in the new window to be sure it’s full size). Since that’s not very high quality, there are also larger, better quality photos in the individual rows at the bottom of this post.

If you’ve been reading for awhile, you might remember this project and wonder where it went. If you’re new, here’s an explanation: sometime early last year, I started taking pictures of my outfits everyday. There was a bit of a hubbub at work, at the time, about how many bright colors I wore and how ridiculous I sometimes looked. We had no dress code at work, so I took advantage of it. I crave a bit of creativity in every day, and getting dressed in fun outfits is one way I got it (until I started S&D). Anyway, I started taking the pictures just so I could see what people were talking about. And yes, as you might have noticed, I win some and lose some as far as fashion is concerned.

I continued to take these pictures every work day (and occasionally on non-workdays, when I barely get dressed in anything interesting). I stopped in November when I became unemployed, because I stopped picking out interesting outfits. (Yes, that last picture is from the very day I was laid off!)

The outfits are in order except for the first third got a bit jumbled because my camera wasn’t recording dates correctly (this is why my big, bloody knee injury appears and disappears at the beginning). I didn’t even consider it a chronology of time until later, when I noticed my weight change after I began running 20 miles a week and my hair change after I dyed it about five times and my wall change after pictures fell and re-fell and were replaced. Then I thought it was more interesting that they were in order and I could watch it all happen. (I also didn’t consider how cool it would be say “My Outfits Everyday for an Entire Year” which is why I skipped most weekends and vacations.) Anyway, I found it an interesting experiment. I got to see which pieces I used most frequently, how they end up in different outfits, and (most important, perhaps) which outfits to never, ever wear again. Also, if I’m having one of those days where I have no idea what to wear, I have a pretty good sample to choose from.

Row 1

Row 2

Row 3

Row 4

Row 5

Row 6

Row 7

Row 8

Row 9

Row 10

Row 11

Ahhhh! I love American Apparel for making so many fabulously cool, semi-ugly clothes that can become a billion different outfits! I just discovered this Circle Scarf ($28), which comes in ten colors and can be worn at least thirteen different ways. This makes me want to get my Bandeu Dress out of the archives, and I still want the Le Sac Dress. Le Sigh.

My cousin Lena (age 14) & I are hotly (or coldy, har har) debating our winter favorites. So, we thought we’d do a Winter War Post! : )

Winter Sweet
Lena: “Pecan Crescent Cookies because they’re yummy & crumbly.”
Maria: “Chocolate Chip Cookies when they are soft and the chocolate is melty!” (I go with the Nestle’s recipe.)

Winter-Wear
Lena: “Not all winter boots have to be bulky, especially when you spend most of your days wandering the city streets.” [Shown here: Canvas Cuff Boot, Urban Outfitters, $68]
Maria: “Fuzzy socks, because I spend my days wandering the living room. And it’s cold in here.”

Snowy Outdoor Activity
Lena: “I’ve always liked making little houses, things I could go inside of, out of snow.”
Maria: “I love making very creative snow structures, such as these Calvin & Hobbes-style snowmen. Freshman year of college, I made a snowman that looked like it was impaled by a tree.”

Winter Hats
Lena: “I am hopelessly devoted to 1920s style hats. It’s a strange obsession, I know.” [Shown here: Crocheted Flapper Cloche Hat, FlapperDashery on Etsy, $98]
Maria: “I know that at my age maybe I shouldn’t wear animal hats, and when I searched for them on Etsy I got mostly baby hats, to which my cousin promptly said, ‘Maybe they don’t make them for adults.’ But they do, because I have a knitted Monkey Hat with Monkey Gloves!” [Shown here: Grey Fox Hat, QuteWear on Etsy, $25]

Winter Drinks
Lena: “Okay, I never actually tried this, but I can imagine it tastes delicious. Anything with chocolate & coffee HAS to be good! It should be against the law if it isn’t.” [Starbuck's Espress Truffle]
Maria: “Combining alcohol and chocolate seems like the most brilliant idea since combining chocolate and coffee! (Seriously, these are super good! There’s actual liquid hard liquor inside the chocolate!)” [Liqueur Chocolates]