An AsianCajun Halloween

So this year I’m being a little lame and not dressing up or attending a number of wonderfully spooky social events, but Cath and my mom are totally making up for my lack of ghoulish merry-making.

My mom, creative genius that she is, decorated the dining room table this year with a darker theme than last year’s. She festooned this year’s table with bottles of (fake) blood, black netting, shimmery skulls, Spanish moss and black roses.

Cath is going as the black swan from the new Natalie Portman movie. This is kind of fitting for her/us because we spent years in the bizarre and unrelenting ballet world. Plus she already had the black pointe shoes.

You’ll see Cath’s costume within the next few days. In the meantime, here is what Cath and I wear when hanging out with googly-eyed pumpkins and stuffed crows:

On Cath: ombre shirt from Brazil, skirt from Ann Taylor, boots are Frye, bag is gifted from Saddleback.
On Lar: lace top from Zara, acid wash red skinnies from AA, oxfords are Capezio, and earrings are from I Heart Norwegian Wood.

I loooove these earrings. Cath got them for me in July for my birthday. We are both huge fans of Etsy seller Angie for her I Heart Norwegian Wood line. I have one of her corsets, but she is best known in the fashionista blogisphere for her harnesses. These tassel earrings are as light as a (crow)feather and add a little la-di-da to any outfit.

Tell us about your Halloween plans, readers! We love to hear ’em (and see pics if you are so willing ;). Eat some candy corn for me!

Northface is for Sissies

Cath and I brought nearly identical outfits to mountains last weekend: sunglasses, faux-flannels, skinny cargos/jeans, and Frye boots. You know I own a pair of Northface (ugly) pants and a practical fleece, but the thought of packing practically made my face do what it’s doing in the photo above right.

Here’s Cath’s version of chic mountainwear:

On Cath: flannel and tee from H&M? Blank cargos from Rockit Boutique (but you can also get them at Shopbop), Frye boots, gifted Michael Stars sunnies, gifted Saddleback bag.

My (Lar’s) version:
I have that crocheted poncho draped around my mountain outfit tableau (so natural, I know!) because it’s one of my favorite cold-weather pieces in my closet. Knitted by my uber-talented Aunt Lizzie, it keeps me very warm and puts most of my low-quality trendy clothes to shame.

On Lar/me: flannel and bag are thrifted, jeans are Blank, boots are Frye, sunnies are gifted Michael Stars, and the bracelets are a mix from NOVICA and AE.

Oh and I included this gratuitous shot of my sunglasses below because I love the purple/brown colors on the inside of the frames (the outside is dark brown). I love a little oo-la-la for the wearer.

How the AsianCajuns Do Outdoorsy

1) Go some place absolutely breathtaking like Cashiers, North Carolina during the fall.

2) Jump for joy (this could be for the clear mountain air, the splashy leaves, or the fact that you are staying in a hotel instead of a tent with stones cushioning your spine).

3) Eat. And eat and eat and eat and eat.

One of our besties from college invited us up to the mountains of North Carolina this past weekend. The leaves are just past their peak this time of the year – so gorgeous! I had visions of hiking up and down hill and dale, surrounded by reds and yellows swirling around. And I swear we did do a bit of that. But what I felt really helped me enjoy nature to the fullest was. the food.

Exhibit A:
Caramel apple (I prefer to brandish them accusingly at passersby before taking the first blissful bite)

(close up: note the sugar on the bottom)

Exhibit B:
Fried (yes fried) Mac and Cheese

Exhibit C:
Gigantic pumpkin cupcake with cream cheese frosting and pipping-hot apple cider.

And that was just what I caught on camera (did not include the pizza, beaucoup cups de cider, and some heavenly macaroons- the coconut kind not the marie antoinette ones). My arteries are crying for help and I feel like I could safely hibernate for at least three months and not starve. Thank gawd bathing-suit season is nine months away- muahahahaha!

Speaking of the great outdoors and food, Cath and I think you locals should attend this shindig:
A fancy schmany dinner on the soon-to-be-completed Atlanta Beltline! Georgia Organics and Parish (one of our favorite restaurants in the city- and Cajun!) are throwing this soiree to give you a preview of the Beltline while you eat some delicious food, sip some wine all in the great outdoors of Atlanta.

It sounds dreamy to us, and if we hadn’t spent so much on cider and cream cheese icing this past weekend, I would have saved for this event.

I imagine it will look like a larger scale of this (see photo below) or that scene in Chocolat where Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp slowly drizzle chocolate on everything while everyone at the table swoons by candlelight. Sounds delicious doesn’t it?

All photos by me except for this last one. You can find it here.

Zara and Saint James

Saint James and Zara. My baby name selections.

Hah! Totally kidding. Thinking about baby names totally freaks me out, and it really should if I even mostly-jokingly said St. James would be a decent name for a boy. Saint James made my shirt and Zara made Cath’s.

In the photo above I’m not actually crying as Cath looks on gleefully. I have fall allergies that cause my eyes to sting and burn right when I walk out of doors. Cath is trying to be all professional and hold a pose, but I couldn’t pry my eyes open for long (quasi-successful in the first shot).

Details:

I love the pleats and mini pom-poms on this gorgeous blue Zara tunic. It makes sense seeing as I bought it. I gave it to Cath when I realized she actually irons things (like this tunic) and I never would. I realized last night that half of the things in my closet were unwearable because I haven’t touched an iron in a year. So either I stop being woefully lazy or I hand over half of my closet to Cath.

Oh! Saint James! I know there’s been a lot of hullaballoo about these shirts of late. Madewell carries them online here, but I got mine discounted through the Refinery 29 store. These are the original nautical sailor shirts from Breton. Soft and slouchy and wonderfully woven – it’s my new favorite tee. Now everything else in the Saint James catalog is taunting moi . Et toi?

AsianCajun outfit details
Lar: hat form H&M, tee from Saint James, shorts from Old Navy (years old), boots from Target (also years old), purse from Moxsie.
Cath: tunic from Zara, pants from Ann Taylor, booties from Dolce Vita, purse from Vivid Boutique in Decatur.

My Topshop Jacket

When Lar and I studied in Scotland years ago we did a lot of shopping at Topshop, but for some reason, since returning to the states, I’ve never bought anything from Topshop.com. I have no idea why, but Lar revived my love for Topshop when she came back from her trip to Scotland last month with this gorgeous jacket for me.

Outfit details: Cassius sunglasses, Topshop jacket, H&M shirt and pencil skirt, shoes from Eviva Boutique, bag from Vivid boutique and necklace from Salon Red in Decatur.

Here are the other wonderful gifts Lar got me from Scotland:

Alice Temperley striped tote, Tunnock’s tea cakes, Tunnock’s tea cake tote, Scottish blend tea and a flapjack.

Postcards from L.A.

Outfit details: H&M top, AE shorts, J.Crew belt, Aldo shoes.

I’m a few days behind on this, but check out Dana Pop for my LA “Postcards.” I showed you a few photos from my trip already, but there are a few more on Dana’s blog that you can check out. And if you haven’t done so already, check out Lar’s Postcards from Scotland on Dana Pop. Two very different trips, but both wonderful. I’m determined that my next trip will include Lar and I going to the same place together!

Faux Fall Fur (and the real thing)

I’ve always felt a little hypocritical when I emphasize my animal-friendly purchases: faux fur, vegan-friendly (i.e. pleather) purses, etc. At least fifty percent of my footwear is leather and I eat plenty of meat and do not always buy the cage-free eggs. And the bacon that costs four times more because the piggies have been cuddled, loved and provided decent sties always gets pushed aside for the 2 for $5! cheapo crap.

I’m terribly conflicted. (Guilty glances abound) I like the way real fur feels when you pet it, I like the smell of leather and I looooove bacon. Does one faux fur item cancel out all the other carnivorous sins?

This fall faux fur jacket (fallfauxfur fallfauxfur fallfauxfur) is from one of our favorite local boutiques, Squash Blossom (Jinah works there!). The gingham shirt is thrifted from another terrific local shop called Poor Little Rich Girl (in College Park). The belt is J.Crew, jeans are from Rockit, boots are thrifted from Rag-o-Rama.

Okay, okay. I’m trying one more thing to assuage my guilt. Another photo of Boo Radley (with Troy and Cath) – the best real fur out there.

Transitional Weather

When it’s 40ºF in the morning and 80ºF by midday, how do you dress yourself? Layers, layers, layers . . . yeah I’ve heard that one before. But quite honestly, I find layering hard. A sweater or blazer over a tee, sure, got it. But to compensate for this much weather variation I’d have to pull a J.Crew layering magic trick (gorgeous, but only suitable for teeny tiny tall models – I find I look hobo-ish at 5’3 in tweed and sequins and fake flowers).

So what do the AsianCajuns do? Well my legs are really cold and goose-bumpy all morning and Catherine’s toesies freeze, but don’t we look . . . transitional? Say “transitional” slowly in a deep voice and it totally sounds like a sexy compliment.

You’ll see Boo Radley in a lot of our photos come winter. He makes a delightfully warm accessory. Real fur? Don’t need it. Live fur is the new fake monkey fur. Really. You heard it here first.

Speaking of cold legs and toes, another tremendously good (and not so original) remedy is a pair of boots. I have more boots than all the other types of shoes in my closet combined. Needless to say, I love boots. I would spend every day in a pair of boots if I could (damn you, Atlanta summers!). These beauties by Frye are the big purchase of the year(s) for me. I plan to wear them forever. or at least until Boo lets me wear him on my feet.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Cath and I are actually full of blogtastic going-ons: a social media panel at our alma mater, a fashion brunch at Serpas (yum and yum), and a photoshoot with this inspiring local blogger. What’s on your Sat/Sun list?

Cath: The HandyWoman

Lar titled this post for me. I like to think of myself as a handy woman, but my handiness is mostly limited to interior decorating. My drill has only ever been used to put together furniture and hang up shelves. Let’s just say I’m aspiring handy woman. The other day my friend asked me to stop by her new place to help her hang some photos so I thought I’d dress appropriately. All I need is my own tool belt!

Outfit details: Uniqlo shirt, J. Crew belt, Gap jeans, old Target faux cowboy boots.

Hard work calls for a practical hairstyle. I usually put my hair up in a messy bun when I’m too lazy to wash my hair that day. TMI? Hope not.

Happy Friday everyone!

Dear, Biergarten

This is what I do on a regular basis: slurp a liter of beer out on a patio in downtown Atlanta. By “regular basis,” I mean . . . once. I do like a tipple, but I’m (not surprisingly) a light weight and get tipsy on half a pint. But when in Rome (or Germany or downtown Atlanta).right?

So a few weeks ago, my friends and I tried out the brand new Der Biergarten right by Centennial Olympic Park. I put on my lederhosen (i.e. a romper from Bombay Gal Boutique in North Highland) and pretended I could drink an entire liter of Paulaner.

Guten Tag, Bf! He also dressed for the occasion, sporting a German army shirt from an army surplus store in Scotland for $6. (p.s. when he drinks beer, his mustache curls).

And do you know what goes really well with beer? Spatzle and strudel.

Ende.