Closets & Cocktails with Sparkling Footsteps

For this edition of Closets & Cocktails we are very excited to have the lovely Lynzy from Sparkling Footsteps! It's so nice to meet another lady on the red-soled brick road. And hearing Lynzy say she's "wicked tired" takes me right back to high school! Ah, the memories... So without further adieu, a few insights into Lynzy's fashion philosophies and closet confessions...

Lynzy from Sparkling Footsteps in her closet with her favorite cocktail!

What is your style motto? Wear what makes you feel most confident and most comfortable. Your personality will shine through!

If you could change one thing about your closet, what would it be? Well, that's an easy one... I would wish for it to be bigger! My dream is to have a closet like Carrie from SATC has towards the end of the last season. I want to be able to see everything I own! :)

Who's style, past or present, do you most admire? Well, I have to sat that I love Olivia Palermo, Joelle van Dyne and so many others. I get inspiration everyday from other fashion bloggers!

What is your most treasured possession in your closet?

If I Were a Rich Girl... LD Tuttle Boots

Boots by Ld Tuttle

Okay - like the leather J Crew leggings that I lusted after a few months back, these boots are very much out of my financial reach. But I lust after them nonetheless!

I spied them for the first time featured on Cupcakes & Cashmere and, having long been an admirer of Emily's style, I knew as soon as I saw them that they could make the perfect addition to my relatively boot-less closet. Could being the operative word... if I saved my pennies, I could snap them up. Though it would be a lot of pennies...

Love, P

Closets & Cocktails with Bay Area Style File

Our latest edition of Closets & Cocktails features the editor and founder of Bay Area Style File, Kasey Ellison. She is too cute, but I have to stop here and say 3 closets??? Yes, Kasey, I sure am jealous! - and that's coming from a girl who's closet is essentially an entire room! And I couldn't agree with you more about TS. So without further adieu, a few insights into Kasey's fashion philosophies and closet confessions...

Kasey of Bay Area Style File

What is your style motto? My style motto is definitely "Tomboy Chic", I'm a jeans and t-shirt gal at heart and 9 times out of 10, that's what you'll see me in. As for the "chic" part, I'm sort of obsessed with sequins, specifically vintage sequin jackets and tops. I have what I like to call an eccentric flair!

If you could change one thing about your closet, what would it be? Well since I technically have 3 closets (jealous, right?) can I change 3 things?

Lust or Must - J Crew Bracelet

J Crew Rainbow Bracelet $49 (down from $85)

This sparkler just might be the perfect addition to my summer wardrobe and as temps begin rise (thank god!), I'm thinking it will be the perfect summer wrist candy.

What say you?

Love, P

poll by twiigs.com

The Vintage Guide - part 2

So, I figured it would be a good idea to follow up last week's thrifting tutorial with a round-up of two pieces that made i it from the boutique to my closet. First up, the dress featured in my last post that had me going from "Yes." to "No!" to "Maybe...", and finally to "Yes! Yes! Yes!" Here's why:

Item #1 - Cream Silk Dress

1. It's made from raw silk!

2. The origin is unknown, but clearly vintage, evident from the precise construction.

3. I may not wear it often, but it's a special item to add to my wardrobe.

4. It's in excellent vintage condition. It will need only a slight alteration to the hem that I can do myself (therefore, no extra cost!)

5. I know I will never see anything like it again. And, the fit is superb! The cream color is also perfect for a Ginger!

At $45, with all these boxes checked, it was a steal.

Item #2 - The Trench

Closets & Cocktails with Couture Carrie

We are thrilled to have creator of Couture Carrie, Ms. Carrie herself, for this edition of Closets & Cocktails! I am both impressed by (the quadruple lattes) and envious of (the weekly arrival of packages from The Outnet) this lovely lady. So without further adieu, a few insights into Carrie's fashion philosophies and her closet confessions...

Carrie, of Couture Carrie (at left) with her fave cocktail - a martini!

What is your style motto? Dress to impress.

If you could change one thing about your closet, what would it be? The size... My closet is woefully small; so much so, in fact, that my entire bedroom has been taken over as a walk-in closet!

Who's style, past or present, do you most admire? Rachel Bilson, Blake Lively, Audrey Hepburn, Kate Moss and Sienna Miller.

What is your most treasured possession in your closet? A St. John coat that I bought with my first paycheck when I was a lawyer.

What is your greatest shopping regret?

A Salty Post by Claire Brosseau

Claire Brosseau is a very dear friend of mine who is undergoing a year of no herself. She has given up men/romantic love and is now in the home stretch of her s0-called Manbbatical (May 18th is her Manbbatical-aversary!). She is also blogging about her experiences (or lack there of!) and her posts are funny, heartfelt and, at many times, poignant. I wrote a guest post for her blog a few weeks ago; Love, Empowerment & Misery and she thought it fitting to return the favor. We're super glad she did!

When I first met P, it was love at first sight. We had many mutual friends & had seen each other around town for years, but one sunny day we decided to go grab a drink (just the two of us) on a patio. After a glass of wine (or two, tee-hee!) I knew she was a lady after my own heart. We had so much in common, in fact, that we’ve since had an on-going joke of removing our fake glasses from our faces whilst staring at each other saying, “Me?!” as if we were looking at our own reflection in the mirror. There are, obviously, some differences between us. P is very stylish. Not to down-grade my own approach to fashion, but P is one of those women who always looks polished & fresh no matter when or where we are going. That’s one of the reasons why I love her (& A!)’s blog.

Not only do I admire her fashion-sense, but also her drive & ambition, her sexy-brains & her fantastic laugh that makes my job feel worthwhile (I’m a stand-up comic by trade). P actually inspired my own project/blog, “The One Year Manbbatical” (I’ve given up dating & men for a year). P has been incredibly supportive over this abstemious year - helping me with everything from computer glitches, ideas & advice when the going gets tough. She obviously knows the pains of giving something up that you love, yet that you can’t quite seem to balance properly in everyday life. Now that her & A have lived through (almost) a year of completion of Fashion Rehab, lessons have set in for the two of them retroactively that I have yet to learn. P has been graciously sharing those lessons with me, guiding me through.

My year of he-tox is almost over, having little over a month left to go.

The Way We Wore - Writers Guild Awards

Le Outfit... Jeffery Campbell ticket wedges, Blank denim white skinnies, hand-drawn Kingdom of Sand tank (created by the lovely Jane from SOOS), Gap black jacket, Ginger by Sarah May necklace (aka Hunt. Gather. Fashion. & our featured guest blogger!), baby blue M0851 clutch (not shown)

Last night, Mr. Darling and I got all spiffed up and headed downtown to the Writers Guild of Canada Screenwriting Awards at Maro in Liberty Village. Hosted by the incredibly hilarious Laurie Elliott and filled with some of the industries finest scribes, we raised a glass, ate some nibblies and maybe even shared an impromptu dance (he's quite the romantic, my Mr. Darling).

The meteorological gods smiled down on us with an unusually warm spring evening, and I think it's safe to say a good time was had by all. And if not all, at least by me and my man!

Love, P

Lust or Must? Ciao Bella Serenity Sandals

Ciao Bella Serenity Thong, $40, Bluefly.com

As I prepare for my mini-mat(ernity) leave from 365FR I thought it only appropriate to ask your opinion on one final item before becoming a mother of (gasp!) two. (Special thanks to my BFF P for temporarily taking over full-time, to our special guest blogger Ginger Dame from Hunt. Gather. Fashion and to all the fab bloggers who will be strutting their stuff in our now-weekly Closets and Cocktails feature!) Originally I wanted to post a photo of a gorgeous wrap dress or a sleek pair of cropped cargos but it takes a long time to shed the extra baby weight and spending money on anything of quality right now should be reserved for accessories or shoes. All other purchases (like sexy dresses and form-fitting camis) will have to wait until I am well on my way to my desired post-baby weight. Hopefully that'll be sooner rather than later...

I think these cute Ciao Bella sandals are perfect for my LBC (lifestyle, budget, climate). Four-inch heels and a newborn don't really mix unless you only roll with a nanny and you never actually carry your baby (sadly, that is not me) so flats it shall be. Although I love these shoes, I can't help but wonder if they are a bit too safe? Let me know, ladies! It will give me something to ponder while I wait for the little lady in my belly to make her debut.

Love, A

poll by twiigs.com

Lust or Must - The Vintage Guide

For her inaugural post in her official capacity as featured 365FR Guest Blogger (on the eve of A's mat leave), Sarah May from Hunt. Gather. Fashion. gives us some insight on how to thrift like an expert (she is quite talented! I've seen her in action!)

Picture it. You are shopping, alone, and you lay eyes on the most fabulous dress/shoes/bag. The color is stunning, the silhouette is perfect. You try it on and decide that, yes! you and it are one - You. Must. Have. It. Then you make your way to the cash register and, suddenly, you are hit with THAT feeling. Maybe you don’t really need it; maybe you just really want it? Now, you have one of 3 choices:

You put it on hold, walk away and think about it.

You go for it! Why not? It's a once in a lifetime opportunity!

You leave it; decide it's only lust at first sight. Perhaps if you are still thinking about it in a week and it’s still there then it just might be meant to be...

But wait! This is no ordinary day of shopping, this is vintage shopping and ALL the rules are different. How do you know? Do you pull the trigger or walk away? There are no returns, no holds and it’s the ONLY one!

Having recently found myself in this exact predicament (with the dress pictured below), I have come to the conclusion that there are 5 questions one must ask oneself in order to clarify the vintage Lust or Must? conundrum.

Keep in mind this isn’t a fail proof recipe, rather advice from a life-long, self-declared thrifting maven.

Closets & Cocktails with Cafe Fashionista

For the next Closets & Cocktails installment, A and I could not be happier to have the adorable (I mean, are you looking at this photo?) Erika, creator of Cafe Fashionista as our latest interviewee. We especially love her "Hi, I Adore You..." series and there's no doubt about it - this girl knows her shoes! So, without further adieu, a few insights into her fashion philosophies and her closet confessions...

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The uber lovely Erika from Cafe Fashionista with her cocktail of choice!

What is your style moto? It's all about the shoes!

If you could change one thing about your closet, what would it be? Windows! I desperately want some sort of light to be able to enter my closet when I'm in there, as I spend hours upon hours going through things, and putting outfits together - all with the help of a single lightbulb above me. I want some natural light!

Who's style, past or present, do you most admire? This used to change all the time for me;

The 5 W's - Erika Anenberg Double Finger Ring

I lusted. I musted.

You voted. I bought.

Then, I engraved. Or, more accurately, asked someone else to engrave.

I am beyond thrilled with the results!

Love, P

Lust or Must? Danielle Stevens Earrings

Danielle Stevens earrings $27 at Bluefly

As I was cruising Bluefly the other day, you know, as you do... I came across these earrings and I exclaimed out loud, "Oh my god! There they are!". It's possible I startled Mr. Darling with my outburst, but I was just so excited! You see, my lovely Rehab Sister A owns a pair of these divine danglers and the last time I was in SF for a visit, I was totally lusting after them. I love the detail, how long they are and, most importantly, how comfortable they are; they are so light you could easily wear them all day - not the case with all shoulder-duster style earrings. Plus, the price is most certainly 365FR approved!

My lusting for these earrings brings up a conundrum though, one I am sure we have all felt at one time. A conundrum I am naming Inspired By or CopyCat? I know A will not mind one bit if I pick up a pair of these babies for myself, but I can't help but wonder if I am just ripping on her style. We have been BFFs for so long that our taste has converged more than once and we have a few duplicate items in our respective closets, but I thought I'd put this one out to you, loyal reader, and see what you would do?

A Lust or Must with a twist, if you will.

poll by twiigs.com

Love, P