8.31.2009

Monday Eye Candy











I couldn't stop with these images from the catalog belonging to Rice, a Danish housewares retailer available throughout Europe. Everything is so cheery and fun, and the colors make me immensely happy! There's so much more to see HERE.... have fun looking, and have a great Monday...

(All images Rice, via Desire to Inspire)

Rachel Roy at Macy's





Rachel Roy is one of my favorite fashion designers, so when I heard she was debuting a diffusion line at Macy's, I was definitely intrigued. Perusing the site for Rachel Rachel Roy, I discovered some eye-popping prints - right now I'm dying for the limited edition graffiti trench (they are each one-of-a-kind and tagged to order) priced at $250. What a great statement piece for fall! The bold, colorful dresses are super desirable as well, and perfect for a night on the town. But the most versatile piece (for me at least) might be that fab draped sequin skirt - it would be amazing dressed down for day with a gray sweater and black tights and boots. Yum...

8.28.2009

Must Have: Kate Spade Owl Purse



Ok, I want to make it very clear... I do not collect owls. For instance, you will not find a set of bookshelves in my house with a whimsical array of owl salt shakers, owl dolls, owl toothpick holders and so on. But having said all this, I do like owls very much! And this owl purse from Kate Spade makes me swoon with desire! It is so "luxe vintage/boho chic," but with a huge dose of playfulness. I absolutely must have it for fall, and I guarantee that it will be carried with everything in my wardrobe. The question is when it will be available on the website!! Hmm, maybe I will have to make a trip to NYC and stalk the Soho store. Anyway, here's Mister Owl again in all his glory...


P.S. Do you like the hippie fringe thing, but without the face staring at you all the time? How about this little clutch then, also from Ms. Spade...

Tres chic, and it's on sale too!  A good compromise, don't you think?

8.25.2009

The Sartorialist Book



How exciting that the first book from The Sartorialist's Scott Schuman has finally arrived in stores! Simply called The Sartorialist, the book features many of the iconic images from The Sartorialist blog. I have a feeling this book will be the perfect inspiration source for my fall style and beyond. And for a great review of the book and discussion of Mr. Schuman's razor-sharp eye, read here.

(Book image via Amazon)

8.24.2009

Winners!



Wow! What an AMAZING response you all gave to the GAP 1969 Jeans Giveaway! I was blown away by how many of you (91!) submitted comments... and they were so much fun to read too. There were so many fantastic ideas for how to wear the jeans... I'm looking forward to trying some of the suggestions myself this fall.

So, let's get on with the winners, right?Hooray for the following 5 people, each of whom will receive a pair of GAP 1969 Jeans in the style of their choosing:
#22 ~ Katie Carpenter
#52 ~ Amanda K.
#27 ~ Melissa
#46 ~ Kay
#6 ~ Whitney

And for the $50 GAP giftcard:
# 11 ~ Logan

If you are a winner, please get in touch with me via email at peacockfeathersphilly{at}gmail{dot}com, so I can get your goodies to you!

Thanks again to all of you for participating, and to GAP and Brand About Town for making the giveaway possible. Congrats, everyone!

8.21.2009

Happy Weekend + GAP Giveaway Reminder



Here's wishing you all a happy weekend! I hope it's full of sun and sparkle, like the glittering foyer pictured above. For now, I leave you with a few links to keep you occupied this weekend:
  • Anna Sui is the next Go International designer at Target... and the collection is themed after Gossip Girl! I'm not sure how much I like most of the pieces (it's a bit too teen for me), but hey, it's Anna Sui and it's fun to look... (via NY Mag)
  • Do you have a bicycle yet? If you live in an urban area and commute to work (or if you want a real looker for tooling around your neighborhood), then an Electra is for you! I just got the Amsterdam model (wait til you see it!) and it's amazing....
  • TULLE has such pretty little retro dresses, and for great prices!
  • Lisa Congdon prints at 20x200... I love the rosy-pink birch forest...

  • Do you like big, bold 80s vintage jewelry? I do. And Atlantic Vintage (Sea of Shoes' mom's store) has a great collection, like this amazing lion choker...
  • Can't get enough of the whimsical party ideas at Lolliblog!
  • And Urban has such a cute selection of rustic vintage accessories, like this little owl pitcher...
And finally, a big reminder: Don't forget to get in your comments for the GAP 1969 Jeans Giveaway! You have until 12:00 midnight on Sunday, August 23 to enter. I love all the comments that have been left so far, and can't wait to select winners! Have a great weekend!

(Top image via Living Etc.)

8.20.2009

The Glamorous House of Windsor Smith







I can't decide what's better in the beautiful home of interior designer Windsor Smith -  the girly pink sitting room, or the super sleek, navy blue-painted kitchen. Maybe I will just go with the checkered foyer with the tufted settee and call it a day...

8.19.2009

Hello, Gorgeous!



Say hello to my wedding shoes! Aren't they just heavenly? I'm trying to keep most of my actual wedding plans to myself for now, but you can't fault me for sharing a detail or two. These blush satin beauties were found just this morning on The Outnet, which happens to have a TON of Louboutins on big-time sale.  I would recommend stopping by before everything is gone...

8.18.2009

Love This Kitchen... Earthy & Modern

I keep coming back to this kitchen over and over again. I love the perfect combination of earthy, textured surfaces and more sleek, mod elements. There is just so much going for it - the row of baskets, the open shelving, the softly organic wallpaper, the playful sputnik lamp. Oh, and the subway tiles on the floor and the graphic black trim on the window are great too. If it had white carrera marble countertops, it would be my dream kitchen. This one is going straight to the inspiration folder...

8.17.2009

Born to Fit Party + GAP 1969 Giveaway!


Welcome to the party! (Oh, and scroll to the bottom of this post if you want to get to the really good stuff... the giveaway!)

Last Wednesday, I had the pleasure of hosting a cocktail party for my girlfriends in honor of the launch of Gap's 1969 Premium Jeans. As I mentioned in a previous post, I was approached by a marketing firm called Brand About Town to be a Brand Enthusiast for Gap. To this, obviously, I happily agreed! And I felt even better about taking on this role after trying on the jeans, because I can honestly say that they are great, combining excellent fit with a very reasonable price point. As most of you know my style is super girly, with lots of dresses and the like - but I can honestly say that these jeans have opened up a new world for me. The Always Skinny in particular are very sexy and fit like a glove, and provide the perfect base for a floaty top and some super high stilettos! 

Anyway, my main obligation as a BE was to host a party for my girlfriends. Brand About Town provided lots of goodies that allowed me to throw a top-notch soiree, the best of which was a ton of denim...


They sent me a full run of sizes in three of the most popular styles - Always Skinny, Real Straight, and Sexy Boot - and each girl was allowed to try them on and then pick out a pair to take home. What an awesome party favor! Tote bags were also provided so they could all carry their jeans home in style. Not to mention I was provided with a slew of Gap gift cards, in case any the girls were unable to find the perfect size or fit.





A party is no good without yummy food and drink, or without a lovely place to stage it. My dear friend Ingrid was kind enough to loan her fabulous brownstone apartment, which offered a large living room for mingling and a connected bedroom that served as a "shop"/dressing area. We created a cocktail buffet on her antique farm table and set it with our combined collection of white pedestal dishes. Some of the tasty treats included spicy ahi tuna tartare, crostini with prosciutto, mozzarella and basil, and watermelon salad with mint... all washed down with rose cava and raspberry lemonade. Oh, and I can't forget the amazing chocolate and raspberry pavlova, made by my sister-in-law to be!




I also had a great time creating custom signage that reflected the theme of the event. Using super-inexpensive picture frames from Ikea, I filled each with a piece of cut-to-measure wrapping paper in a fun, slightly mod red and blue floral print. Then I printed my text using a color printer and cut it all out with a pair of scalloped scissors. Scalloped edges makes everything look cuter!


Some pretty pink dahlias...

It truly was a fantastic party, thanks to the fifteen lovely ladies who attended and to Ingrid who so graciously co-hosted. And of course to Gap for providing us all with an opportunity to try out and take home their awesome new line of jeans.

And now, it's your turn to try them out for yourselves! I'm offering a giveaway to my loyal readers: 5 lucky readers will receive a pair of Gap 1969 Premium jeans... and another one of you will receive a $50 Gap gift card! Simply comment on this post and tell me what you are looking forward to wearing your new denim with this fall, such as sexy heels or a boyfriend blazer or your favorite team's jersey. I'll be selecting 6 names at random on Monday, August 24, so please get in your comments by then. Good luck, everyone!

(P.S. A special thanks to Lauren of Bloggerific Tales for acting as party photographer and for contributing many of the photos seen above)

Exotic Jewel Tones



All via here...

8.14.2009

Awesome Color Combos...


... and prints, and accessories, all from Sonia Rykiel....

I think I'm going to have to try fishnet anklets with my sandals and pumps this fall!