Sweet Surprises

Yesterday was a day filled with so many great surprises. Not only was it my 2nd blog-o-versary and I received a bunch of lovely comments but I was also named a "Cool Blog about Fashion and Style" by Seventeen magazine! I was soooo surprised and excited.



Then when I got home I had a large parcel sitting on the table waiting for me...

What could it be?

Well about nine months ago, way back in November, I totally fell for Luella's Spring/Summer 2009 RTW collection after seeing it via a post by Miss Susie. I had to get something from this collection but I was especially smitten by the shoes! They reminded me of the whimsy of my Miu Miu teacups but in even more sugary colors.



I love that her influences for this collection were a bit mad, a bit aristocratic - "I wanted it to be a proper, ladylike character—but a bit psychedelic," Bartley said. "And I wanted color, but in a sort of sick way. When I saw it all lined up, I thought, Ew! Can we do this?"

Right up my alley, because, look at the shoes!



So I've been patiently waiting for months for the collection to come out and then the online store to open. Then I found out the shoes would not be sold online only via the UK shops. Why? Why? Why?!?!

So I finally called the store and they said that the Spring/Summer pieces were actually on sale and only a few left. Well I had to jump on it right then and there! I asked about any of the heart heels in any color in the smallest size they had. They started at 36 and they only had a pink/purple pair left. Not even being sure which ones they were I said I'll take them.

But there were more hurdles! They didn't ship out side the UK.

Noooooo!!!

Luckily for me, my lovely friend and penpal (and co-Cool Blogger per Seventeen) Mademoiselle Robot graciously offered to receive the package and then re-ship to me. What a dollface!

They made their way over the big blue ocean and landed on my table last night.

But then what to wear? I wanted to be equally eclectic and have the same frothy sugary fun with my outfit, that the runway outfits had. But most of my wardrobe is more streamlined and less patterned, if you can believe it.



In the end I pulled in pink, blue, fuschia, silk, tulle, damask and vintage pearls to create a look that I think captures the spirit of the collection using items I had already.

I wore a cropped damask jacket from a clothing swap I held, a fuschia cami, my new Liz/Isaac silk pink and white plaid skirt that has tulle and an underskirt so I'm a big meringue, a faux-pearl necklace and a vintage sweater clip.

I love this mix of colors. Oh! I almost forgot that I wore my new fuschia cropped gloves from Sermoneta.

They tied in with the cami and a stripe in the heels.

And here they are. I love heels with hearts. Is this number 3 or 4? Yikes!

I was so pleased when I saw which pair I ended up with. I think these are the best pair in the collection.

And did you notice the pretty distinctive profile shape?

Yeah, how did I forget/not know that these were made for the runway show for Luella by Georgina Goodman? I'm not that bright.

Now I'm doubly excited by these! Plus, they have little heart cutouts on the back too. Wheeeee!

I am not a patient person but I will stalk down shoes over time and space. Maybe I need to apply that patience to other areas of my life.

Luella Spring/Summer Ready-to-wear images via Style.com

Greener Pastures

It hasn't been that long since Isaac Mizrahi left us bereft at Target and moved on to new adventures at Liz Claiborne.

I for one was skeptical. I mean, wasn't Liz Claiborne the brand that was known for the bad taupe purses in the 80s. Right?

In spite of that Mizrahi has moved right in and brought his frothy pink and retro girly designs to life. The elements I loved at Target are now being made with nicer materials to go with the slightly higher price point.

I'm pretty cheap about clothes but I did buy a few of his new pieces via the online store.

First up was this silk shirtdress in a watercolor floral pattern.








I love the colors and pattern so much, I got the silk and knit cardigan as well.

But what I really liked were all of the great skirts on the site. This plaid pleated skirt came in pink and the grey. I'm going to wear this a lot over the summer with a grey tee and silver heels, but can pair it with darker grey or black tights in the winter too.

But why not get the pleated skirt in pink too, since I love pink? Well, I saw this and knew there was no competition. I had to have this gingham dirndle skirt. This skirt is amazing in person. The top layer is a watercolor gingham plain on whisper thin silk. Under that is a layer of tulle and then a stiffer liner that gives the skirt a frothy full shape. I twisted and swished and twirled around in it all day. It has such a 50s-ish feel, I just want to slip on a knit top or cardigan and dance.

I'm so excited that, even though he's gone from Target, Isaac is still out there making clothes that I can buy. I may not be able to get them as often but I hope they continue to be as fun as these.