Man Candy

I wasnt really crazy about the outfit I put together yesterday, so today, instead of an outfit post, I'm doing a post on something that's always been sort of puzzling to me. Menswear. I love men (can you tell I'm single?) and I love men who know how to dress. But shopping for men...well, that's always been a bit difficult for me. I know what I like and I know what I like to see men in, but somehow I've never been very good at shopping for them. In highschool my best friend was this incredibly stylish guy named Lu. Shopping for him was the hardest task I've ever undertaken. I'd stand in the mens section of whatever store I was in and just sift through things in that dazed, befuddled sort of way old people do when their trying to figure out their cell phones. It's not that his taste is particularly expensive or exclusive, I just never knew where to begin. A sweater? A pair of shoes? A tie? Shopping for guys has always been a real struggle for me. I wish I had had one of these extremely stylish gents along with me to help me pick out something for him.

I love men who dress like men. The "lumberjack" hipster look, in my opinion, is like the sexiest man-look ever. That navy sweater the gentlman is wearing above on the right is so perfect. Understated, uncomplicated, with just the right details (the pattern and the collar) to make it interesting.

As much as I love the understated look of a man in jeans and a t-shirt, there is something undeniably sexy about a man in a suit. Don Draper may well have ruined me for life with his skinny ties and perfectly cut suits. The image on the right is from Dolce & Gabbanas recent collection and I love the white-on-white (though I personally know zero guys who would be able to keep it that white). While the guy on the lefts use of color and accessories is probably better than some of the girls I know.

A floral scarf adds a level of interest to the gent on the rights otherwise simple and classic look.

Personally I love the use of the bungee chords as accessories. How unique...and potentially functional if you need to move anything while out looking shmexy. 

Fall Menswear Essentials:

1. Leather :: gloves, jackets, boots...it's manly. it's rugged. it'll keep you toasty warm.

2. Pea Coat/Trench :: adds a dash of sophistication to anything.

3. Chunky Knit Sweaters :: preferably with some sort of interesting detail; a unique neckline, a pattern, unique buttons.

4. Scarves :: when paired with the pea coat/trench they take jeans and a t-shirt up quite a few levels.

5. A Hat :: be it a fedora or pageboy, I don't care. It'll cover yo mop and keep you warm.

Remember guys, it's all in the details. A dash of color here, playfully mixing patterns there and lookit that, your a heartthrob in the making.

Ok, I'm gonna be honest....the majority of this post is just eye candy (I clearly have a "type").

{all photos via :: the sartorialist}

P.S: I have no freakin clue why nothing will align properly, but I just spent 45 minutes just trying to get the photos side by side so I give up. F you Blogger.

autumn leaves beneath frozen soles

Twice in one week! Two outfit posts in one week! Go me!

I'm really happy with the way these photos turned out. I drove up to the area around Fallen Leaf Lake, which is--much like the rest of Tahoe--beautiful. The sun was just going down and I waded through all that prickly grass and into this meadow behind a stand of aspen trees to get these shots. Note: this is not a good idea in tights...or ballet flats. I had so many stickers stuck to my legs by the time I left, but it was worth it. The light was gorgeous and it was so peaceful out there. Not a soul around for miles.

Ashley and I have an interview with a potential landlord tomorrow. I've spoken to her several times on the phone and she seems to like me. The house is so adorable, definatly a throwback to the 70's, but in all the best ways (green shag carpeting in my room!!). It's pretty big and only a couple blocks from the beach and some really great restaurants and it's totally affordable. So, hopefully, after Friday afternoon, Ashley and I will have a new house to move into. Keep your fingers crossed!

{blouse::thrifted}{leather skirt::thrifted}{grey tights::claires}{shoes::fergie::famous footwear}

Happy September, by the way! I know I was complaining about it just yesterday, but I love the fall. First, all my favorite holidays are in the fall: my birthday (the 26th of this month!!), Halloween, and Thanksgiving! Plus, fall is really beautiful in Tahoe. I love the changing leaves on the aspens, the delicate patterns the morning frosts make on my windows, the anticipation of school starting...it's all so electric with change. We're still supposed to have a few more weeks of warm, summery weather, but September is officially autumn to me.

Heres a lovely song about the fall by the marvelously shmexy Paolo Nutini. Can I have him for my birthday??

it looks like a rather blustery day

To call yesterday "a rather blustery day" is actually a huge understatement. It was crazy windy out! And cold, too! Fall, it seems, has set in with a vengeance here. And here I thought I was so ready for autumn and all the layering I'm all stocked up to do. But as soon as the temperature dropped I was all "Hell-to-the-NO!" Just a few more weeks of summer! Please! I still need a few more trips to the beach, just a couple more BBQ's and long, leisurely longboard rides around town! I love me some tights and cardigans, but, damn if I'm gonna miss those long, sun drenched days at the beach. It's supposed to warm up for the next few weeks, but I'm not sure if I believe it. Even the aspen trees have already started turning yellow at the tops in response to the sudden temperature change.

It was so windy when I headed out to take these pictures before work. I thought for sure every frame would be of me battling my hair and trying not to get blown over, but this little meadow at the base of Heavenly was so well shielded by the mountain on one side and the forest on the other that it was almost peaceful. Though you could still hear the wind howling through the trees all around you.

This outfit (excluding the shoes, which you can't see, so they don't count) is entirely thrifted. The skirt was found at the goodwill down the hill from South Lake, in Carson (along with a bunch of other awesome stuff). I love the elaborate tapestry print. My friend Jess was with me when I found it and told me it looked like it had begun it's life as someones curtains. So I bought it. And the top was found at the local thrift store, the Attic. The colors all off on this, mainly because I STILL cannot figure my camera out. Jeeze, I'm pathetic. But it's this lovely cream color with pretty flower detailing and cutouts. It goes with absolutely everything and is so soft and comfy. Heres a a detail shot. Excuse the errant hair. The necklace I've had for ages and I usually wear it longer, but I doubled it up this time to go with this tops neckline better.

Missing the summer,

L.

How To Be Alone

"Cuz if you're happy in your head than solitude is blessed and alone is okay."

sometimes you stumble upon something that rings in your heart for hours and hours. 

i am happy. this solitude is blessed.

rose tinted glasses

So much has gone on in the last two weeks, I've hardly touched my computer, let alone my camera so theres my sad little excuse for no outfit photos. I've had such an awesome/hectic/crazy last couple of weeks that I don't even really know where to begin.

I suppose I can start with last week. My really good friends Chanelle and her boyfriend Trevor came home from Hawaii, where she attends school/lives. They were in town for almost a whole week and it was just general insanity while she was here. Lots of parties and beach time were squeezed in between my two jobs and other obligations. It was so good to see her and Trevor, it's been almost 8 months since the last time they were up and it's gonna be almost another year before they come home again =(. I've known Chanelle since high school, we had dance and drama together our freshman year and by our senior year we were cutting chorus to go drink too many frappaccinos and shop. She's the first person I ever drank with and when we both moved out of our parents house for the first time we managed to find an empty duplex and became neighbors. I miss having her around all the time, being able to wander over to her house in the morning for breakfast or for movie and pizza nights. Her boyfriend, Trevor, and her have been together for nearly five years and their the funniest/cutest couple in the world. I miss them both something fierce.

On top of Chanelle being here I was still working at the coffee shop during the day and the pub at night, meaning I'd work all day and come home to a house full of reveling drunk people every night. It was fun and definitely amazing to get to spend so much time with her, but by the end of it all I was so worn out. I've been trying to take it easy for the last week or so to recuperate from all that insanity.

Unfortunately/fortunately my time at the coffee shop has ended. It's good because now I'm able to really start working at my moms gallery and I'm not working such insane hours (7am to 10pm when both the pub and the coffee shop needed me) so my sleep pattern is recovering. Its sad because the honest truth is that I loved that job. I had the most amazing collection of coworkers and customers and I spent the majority of my shifts their laughing and joking around with my coworkers. I still go in as much as I can, both to visit and get my fix of coffee seeing as I'm now addicted to the stuff. Currently sipping on a big steaming (ok, it's kinda lukewarm now) cup of the house blend. Yuummmm.

how cute is this mug?? thrift stoooorrreeee! (excuse the lack of makeup, I'm still getting going)

Other exciting news: Ashley and I found a house!! Yayyyy! No more attic dwelling for me! I'm so excited about the place we found, it's only four blocks from the beach (!!!), two bedrooms, one bath, nice big living room, a mud room, HUGE upstairs room, cute little kitchen, lots of closet and storage space, a nice little fenced in yard and all for only $850 a month! It's a little retro (ok, a lot retro) but thats one of the things I love about it. It has character. I'm so excited to move in and get it all decorated. I've been having crazy awesome thrift store mojo the last couple of days. I've managed to find two awesome 70's lounge chairs, one in that funky green velvet fabric that everything from the 70s seems to come upholstered in, and another thats white leather. We still need a bunch of stuff for the house, a couch a TV (though neither of us wants cable), a dining room table...the list goes on. Ashley is bringing her piano, which makes me all sorts of happy. Maybe I'll actually be able to teach myself how to play now! I started to teach myself last quarter at the college using their pianos but I was only ever able to squeeze a couple of hours of practice in between classes so having one in my house will make it a lot easier. I'm a little sad to leave this house, I love my roommates and love my room here, but it's just not a realistic living situation for the winter (the attic gets reallyreally cold seeing as it's, well, an attic). It'll be nice to have my own space filled with my own things and to not constantly be around so many people--there are five of us living here, plus a friend whose crashing on our couch, plus whoever else is passing out here for the night (there are currently two such people snuggling on our sofa). We should be moving in by mid September, just in time for my 22nd birthday and school to start.

Life is so good right now. I'm in such a positive place and everything seems to just be falling into place. It's so nice, after how emotionally draining this last year was. I finally feel like I know where I'm going and that everything I'm doing right now is actually moving me towards that place. I'm so excited for what this year holds for me and where it's taking me. I have amazing friends, an awesome house, a great job, and just a generally upbeat attitude about everything right now. My life is just so beautiful right now!

I need to go put my face on now, get ready for work. Hope your finding your life looking as rosy as mine is. If you want you can borrow my glasses.

lovelove and happiness,

L.

Arcade Fire - Crown of Love - (6 of 10)

This song makes me happy in a sad kind of way. if that makes any sort of sense.

sweet darlin', come hold me

Friday was payday!! Hallelujah! I will say this about working two jobs; it may be exhausting but every two weeks I'm reminded why I do this to myself. I am officially rollin' in the skrilla! It's been really hard to not immediatly go out and blow it all on all the things I've been lusting after but I'm trying to be savvy and save.

So, instead of actually spending all my money. I'm just gonna post a list of all the stuff I would get if I had unlimited moolah.

1. My Tattoo: I've been thinking about it and designing it for the last two and a half years. I'm ready for it to get on my body.

2. An Iphone: I lost mine last year and I'm still mourning it. For someone as disorganized as me, a pocket sized computer/organizer is a godsend.

3. Skates: I just took up roller derby and not having a pair of my own skates is really making it hard to go to practices regularly. If I show up late or anything I  get stuck with skates a size too small or just no skates at all.

This outfits been on constant rotation ever since I found this skirt at the Attic. It's just too perfect for the summer. The fabric is light and breezy and has great movement. I love the pattern of tiny flowers all over it too. 

{skirt | the attic::$3}{shirt | ross}{shoes | sam edelmen}{belt | vintage}

I love these shoes. Like, really love them. I get so many compliments on them and their sooo comfy and go with just about anything. I've had them for about three years but, for some reason, I've only really been wearing them for about a year. I think they were a bit uncomfortable at first so they got pushed to the back of the closet until I finally stopped whining and broke them in. Now their my favorite flats and I'm so sad that their wearing out so fast. The little buckles on the outer side aren't even attached to the edge of the shoe any more. I will be very sad to see them go.

I have to go play on the lake now. My friend sam is busting his boat out so I'm gonna go spend several glorious hours cruising around the crystal waters of lake tahoe. Have a great day!