Smitten Saturday

♥X Marks the Spot Are you one of them? The individuals who rise early every Saturday morning in the hopes of finding a buried treasure of sorts at a yard sale? I’m not. I find that the misleading signs and dates posted around my abode are always incorrect. By the time I finally locate the yard sale in question, it has already been shut down for the day – all of the possible vintage finds having been scooped up or packed away for the next bombastic sale. It’s terribly disappointing; especially when you have your heart set on returning home with at least one unique trinket to show off to your friends. But we don’t have to end our day in a tear-induced saddening situation. There is hope. There is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. There is…Yard Sale Treasure Map. No longer will you drive in circles only to come up empty-handed. Merely type in your address, the day you’d like to shop, and how far you’re willing to travel (anywhere from 5 to 50 miles); click Search, and voila! Captain Jack Sparrow was obviously correct in his musings…X certainly does mark the spot, mes chéris!

♥A Continental Picnic I truly hope that my incessant chatter about picnics doesn’t drive you completely bonkers, lovelies. It’s just that I find them to be the most romantic things ever to be thought up (aside from piggyback rides, of course), and can’t help but gush about them at least once a day. But now ladies, a new idea has struck me. I’ve decided that a sole picnic may not be the picture of perfection I once thought it to be. No, once you find a cute boy to call your own, many picnics should ensue. All in different locations; or, even better, on different continents. In North America you could eat ice cream in Seattle’s Golden Gardens, or cuddle with cupcake’s in New York’s Central Park. Absorb Asia with a sushi snack in Tokyo’s Kasai-Rinkai Park. South America could be enjoyed via a bountiful brunch in Buenos Aires’ Parque Rivadavia. Have a BBQ for two in Australia’s Mandurah Foreshore. For Europe, you could devour crusty baguettes along the banks of Paris’ River Seine. Bundle up for a hot chocolate with whipped cream at Antarctica’s Antarctic Beech. And savor Africa with a safari-inspired lunch in Tanzania’s Arusha National Park. If all else fails, we don’t even have to leave the house – let alone the country. All you need is a blanket, a living room, and candles to have a secluded indoor picnic, just the two of you!

♥Chain Reaction It is all Coco Chanel’s fault. It makes no difference that she passed away in 1971 – more than thirty years ago – her influence on style lives on in countless ways; the first, in my book, being handbags with chain handles. There is something so subtly sophisticated about a chain handle detail that is seductive and functional all in one breath; a sultry little touch that adds just the slightest bit of bad to a look that is oh so good. But I digress, now is not the time to splurge on a Chanel 2.55, no matter how much the diminutive devil resting upon my shoulder urges me to. No, I must stay strong, and strive to indulge in a little chain mail in a more…thrifty way, perhaps. While anything but teeny tiny, the Deena & Ozzy Chain Tote is, without question, taunting me with its rugged beauty on a daily basis. The black and white contrasting colors paired with a chocolate handle and equestrian-inspired buckles; in addition to the antiquated chain hardware…let’s just say that Coco herself would be proud. Marciano’s Studded Satchel with Chain Strap is a piece right out of a daydream with the ability to transform from girly glam to raw rebelliousness with the mere removal or addition of its chunky sterling chain link strap. The medieval silver chain detail literally dripping from CC Skye’s Bridgette Chain Strap Turn Lock Bag in Black is enough to make me long to drape myself in leather and head to a biker bar for a few games of pool – Bridgette in tow, of course. And Charlotte Russe’s Studded Quilt Cross-Body Purse? Without a doubt the broke college student’s answer to the Chanel 2.55 dream. What’s your reaction to the chain, kittens?

♥Bump It Up! Please don’t think me vain, loves, but I’ve always been obsessed with the big, teased hair look. What I am completely not obsessed with, however, is the damage that teasing can do to ones fiery follicles; thus the reason why I have never attempted it. Now I don’t have to; at least if Bumpits are as fabulous as the infomercial leads me to believe. Yes, I’m completely guilty; guilty of being very easily influenced by infomercials – in fact, sometimes I find them even more appealing than the actual programs on TV. But this time I am convinced that the product will live up to the hype of the infomercial. I’m going to do it, kittens; I’m going to take the plunge and…buy a set. Are you ready to bump it up, darlings?

♥Baker’s Square My paltry skills in the kitchen truly have me down at the moment, darlings. Each time fall comes around, I find myself in a state of baking frenzy, wanting to whip up divine desserts from September through December; desserts that will make people coo as opposed to cringe. But it seems impossible. My lack of ability leaves me surrounded with disaster, not decadence. My concoctions fall flat, and end up being fed to the garbage disposal instead of family friends. Perhaps it’s not my fault though. I am certainly not attempting to place blame on anyone else, but I can’t accept that my bad luck in baking is solely my flaw. If you ask me, it may have something to do with my attire. I am lacking a proper apron. With a pretty Suzy Homemaker inspired apron, I am sure my kitchen skills will improve ten-fold; so that is what I need to invest in – an apron. Jessie Steele’s Bib Audrey Pink Poppy Fields Apron is a pink dream; plus it has a matching Pot-Mitt. The Big Frills Apron by Kim Soles is downright delicious for the girl who aspires to star on Mad Men. And I simply can’t help but feel that Anthropologie’s Syllabub Apron has the potential to make a splash as an apron or a flirty frock. We can’t forget, of course that we need all the baking help we can get; so for an extra pinch of luck in the kitchen, I’ll slip a Meringue Ring from Charles&Marie on my finger. Cooking foibles can’t possibly happen with something that sweet sitting on my hand!

What were you smitten with this week?


Fashionably yours!


Thanks to Couture Carrie and Urban Outfitters for the pictures.