Monthly Archives: April 2012

30 April 2012

Simon Fashion Bow Wow

Hello world! So sorry I’ve been away for over a week from blogging. Thank goodness for Lar and all her wonderful posts. Last week I did nothing but study for my final every day after work and before that I was in Orlando for work. But now I’m back and have a whole month off before summer classes start and I’m going to blog every chance I get – woohoo!

About a month ago I was asked to be a judge at the Simon Fashion Bow Wow – a fashion show featuring designs by students at Bauder College, worn by local media folks, walking down the runway with adoptable dogs from the Atlanta Humane Society in the middle of Lenox Mall owned by Simon. Got all that? No worries if you didn’t, just scroll and look at the photos to get a better idea of what the event was about.

Here I am with the other two judges. That’s Jennifer Franklin to my right and Deena Poythress to my left:

Simon Fashion Bow Wow has a special place in my heart since we got my parent’s dog, Boo Radley, at the Atlanta Human Society.

The following photos were taken by the talented Kate Awtrey.

I loved the red details on this color block dress:

Emily Foley looked so chic in this Marie Antoinette-inspired poof dress:

I’m a sucker for anything that’s cut on a bias – and purple!

Would you judge me if I told you that I would totally dress up my dog in this striped shirt and beret if I had this dress? You would? Well, I don’t blame you, but that wouldn’t stop me from doing it.

I’m really a horrible judge because I wanted every design to win (the winning student received a $250 Simon Mall giftcard).

Below is the winning dress with the designer carrying a dog in a matching ruffle collar:

Gah! So cute!

Needless to say, I had a wonderful time and will happily volunteer to judge any future shows featuring ridiculously cute dogs and incredibly talented students.

I realize now that I didn’t take any photos of my outfit that evening (fashion blogger fail). For those of you who are curious, I wore my cropped black pants from Ann Taylor, BB Dakota sleeveless white Reeder top, Mettle necklace, a long black cardi and my nude Vera Wang for Kohl’s pumps. You can kind of see my outfit better in one of the photos in the Tastemaker Magazine article.

______________

Dearest Lar,

I wish you could have seen all the dogs in the show. Most of them were too overwhelmed by the crowds so they had to be carried out instead of walked. One of the dogs was a puppy and he slept through the whole thing!

I wish you could have a dog in Scotland. You know how we were talking today about how cold you always are in your flat? Well, you would be so much warmer with a dog sitting by you. Toby is pressed up against me as I type this and my whole right side is overheated. Of course it helps that it’s like 80 degrees outside.

You and Matt should come back to Atlanta for a week just to get warm again (hint, hint). Are you guys still using your hot water bottles? It seems so wrong to ask that since it’s practically May.

I’ll be sending you warming, sunshine-y thoughts this week!

xoxo, cath

Category: Cath's Style, Decatur/Atlanta
4 Comments
25 April 2012

Ethical Fashion: H&M Conscious Collection


The Good: H&M Conscious Collection blouse • Thrifted Reiss coat
The Not-So-Good: Madewell jacket and sknnies • AE belt • Hunter boots


The Good: Mettle necklace • H&M Conscious Collection tank
The Eh: Blank cords • Hunter boots • Fast Fashion sweater

Ever since my ethical fashion awakening a few months back, I haven’t bought very much. I’ve picked up a few things at thrift stores, but I want to learn to shop less and shop better (thereby chipping away  at the fast fashion industry and my own voracious inner consumerism monster).

That sounds all very noble and good, doesn’t it? Well the second I heard about H&M revealing their Conscious Collection, I felt the consumerism monster rub his hands together with glee. He and I had visions of vegan bags, recycled metal bangles, and pretty spring dresses doing a guilt-free conga line in my head. Da da da da dah. DAH!

But once I was faced with an array of green-tagged items, I took it a little slower and remembered that I should just buy what I really like and think I will use. If a main tenant of being more ethical and sustainable is buying less, than the conga line needs to stay a fun, fluffy dream.

If you do go to tackle your own ethical demons at H&M, make sure to look for the green tags and the pink-threaded label. They have their conscious collection mixed in with their regular duds, and it took me a bit of “Crap! That dress isn’t actually made of organic cotton” to realize that just because it’s in the “Conscious Collection” display does not mean it’s conscious — a bit tricksy if you ask me.

If you want to know what they mean by “conscious” here are a few quick bullets about the collection:

• H&M is the number one user of organic cotton world wide

• They aim to make all of their clothing from organic, sustainable cotton by 2020

• They work with Unicef to protect children’s rights

• 72% of managerial positions are held by females

• They have skilled workers programs set up in Bangladesh

• In 2011 they donated 2.3 million garments to charities

I’m really impressed by how much information (i.e. transparency) H&M have on their website about their different efforts to be a better company. Most brands will give you, if you’re lucky, their usual “we carefully inspect our suppliers and make sure they are following their country’s workers’ rights guidelines” answer, which means diddly-squat.

To read more about all their initiatives here are some links:

• H&M Conscious Collection

• H&M charity work

• H&M cotton sustainability

• How H&M are actually improving workers’ conditions

• On most of these pages there is also a link in the sidebar to their 2011 Concious Actions Sustainability Report 2011. I’m making my way through this 89 page pdf today.

I just think this is so exciting! When a mega-huge fast fashion company is working its way toward sustainability, others (i.e. the rest) can’t be far behind. As consumers, if we keep pushing for more ethically and sustainably produced fashion, we will get it! By buying less and buying only “conscious” labels, you really do make a difference. Pretty fantabulouso, me thinks!

Oh and just in case you’re wondering, H&M is not and has never been a sponsor. I wasn’t invited to the Conscious Collection preview or fancy opening. I found out about their collection through bloggers that were invited to said shindigs. So this is unbiased blathering on my part.

Okay and now to let your ethically-focused minds have a rest, I leave you with another cute photo of our neighbor’s puppy:

——

Dear Cath,

Good luck on your exam today! I will be thinking happy and very statiscally thoughts for you this afternoon/evening.

Miss you ooooodles and ooodles. Wish I could go H&M conscious shopping with you.

Love,

Lar

Category: Lar's Style
13 Comments
22 April 2012

Edinburgh Weekend

It has been a gorgeous and sunny (yet still nippy) Sunday here following a moody, broody, rainy Saturday.

Just as a side note: I totally apologize to you guys who are bored by “this-is-what-I-did!” blog posts. Cath and I use them to see into each others’ lives. It’s one thing to skype, but you can’t show everything you do and see via video chat. So it’s a way to keep my twinie in the loop, visually. If you get bored, I apologize — and make it up to you with photos of cute puppies. So on to “this-is-what-I-did”ness:

Daisies seem to like temperamental Scottish weather:

Matt and I have discovered kedgeree: a delicious combination of smoked fish, soft-boiled egg, coriander/cilantro, a bit of curry powder — deeelicious. It’s like comfort food. I call it British fried rice.

We made a friend in our courtyard (Brits call it a “common garden”) we share with the block:

I finally got around to making these Mibo owls:

Matt and I tried out a new local café in our ‘hood. I think all cafés should have leather wing-backed chairs. This is what Matt looks like when he is humoring me pre-caffeine fix:

I’ve been a bad vegetarian, but I love smoked fish of any kind — with eggs apparently (see also “kedgeree”):

A perfect place for coffee and books tomes.

We smushed our noses against the glass of our favorite German bakery:

And gave in and bought these (to hell with the diet! — furtive guilty looks —):

Another local café looking pretty against a budding tree and quitessential Scottish clouds (always threatening rain and teasing you with peeps of blue sky):

This weekend we really swore off any type of good eating: fish and chips! But you can tell we felt guilty enough to sprinkle some mung bean sprouts about and put it on a bed of spinach:

Me enjoying the sun. Can you see the clotheslines behind me? We had just hung up our sheets:

One last photo of our cute, furry neighbor — I love when dogs look like they are smiling (warms the cockles):

I hope you guys had a lovely weekend too! I swear Matt and I don’t always just frolic about eating greasy food and pastries. We were grumbly all Saturday for no good reason (rainy, cloudy weather perhaps?) and spent hours just watching Dr. Who and My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding. I doubt you’d want to see a grumpy Lar slumped on the couch eating ice cream staring at diamante wedding dresses.

—–

Dear Kitcath,

How was Orlando?! We haven’t spoken in almost a week! TOO. LONG.

Isn’t this puppy so cute?! She was so sweet and would just roll around in the grass looking so happy.

Matt and I finally saw that Dr. Who about the weeping angels. Uber-creepy.

Can’t wait to catch up with you! You need to do a “this-is-what-I-did” post soon for me — okay?

Love,

Lar

Category: Edinburgh
14 Comments
18 April 2012

Nerdy Post Alert: The Edinburgh Science Festival!

I moved from a city fond of its festivals (hello, Decatur!) to another city that equally loves to get its events party clothes on. Most people know about Edinburgh’s international Fringe Festival that happens the entire month of August, but few know about the (put your thick-rimmed glasses on) Edinburgh International Science Festival!

And, let’s be honest, I wouldn’t have had anything to do with something with the word “science” in the title if I didn’t have a mad scientist for a husband. But when Mr. Mustachio asked if I would like to go to a lecture on epigenetics (wha.?) I said yes because he so rarely asks for anything, and he looked all sparkly-eyed and the curls in his mustache twinkled.

Now before you think “Yawn! Who wants to hear more about science-y stuff?” let me just say that this festival knows how to cater to the scientist and non-scientist alike. Matt and I went to five different events, and I understood what was going on most of the time (pretty extraordinary considering that I took all of one science class at college). And you guys would have really enjoyed them too, I swear! Here are some highlights:

We were taught how to forage at the Edinburgh Botanic Gardens:

And then were served an incredibly delicious breakfast made from foraged findings around town:

We learned about the biochemistry of whisky.

. and then got terribly tipsy during the tasting research:

And I so wish I had made it to these two, but found out about them too late:


1 | 2

Physics and Fashion: how nanotechnology is being used in clothing to help people with physical ailments (sooo awesome! Read more about it here). Catalysed Kilts and Jeans: really this is the ultimate in green fashion. These jeans and tartan actually clean the air while you wear them! (Read more here).

I feel like Bill Nye the Science Guy saying this, but isn’t science so much cooler than you thought it could be?

—-

Dear Cath,

I hope you are having a wonderful trip down to Orlando today. Hopefully you can read this post on your way down. I know I talked your ear off about it, but now you get to see real live photos!

Miss you so, so much!

Love,

Lar

Category: Edinburgh
12 Comments
16 April 2012

Fun and Flooffy Bits


All things bought pre-ethical-guilt-awakening: Primark peacoat • Madewell jeggings • Mango booties

I realized my past couple of posts have been sooo wordy and thinky and angsty (ethical shopping! eating healthy! buying local!), that you guys might appreciate a little break from all that – heck! I would!

So this is just a little bit of fun and fluff, and things that happen when I’m not tormented about where to buy vegan make-up, shoes sewn by people earning a liveable wage, and where my sweet potatoes are grown.

Spring in Edinburgh! (So what it’s still only highs of 48 degrees when there’s blue sky and tenacious flowers):

It’s a gorgeous city, Edinburgh (view looking north over the Firth of Forth — a firth is like a bay and disappointingly not named after Colin):

Tea, and I don’t mean the drink. I mean mounds of clotted cream and scones, and salmon and cucumber sandwiches:

Here’s a close up for you:

Obviously scones and butter are the opposite of my vegan, gluten-free diet, but I have a hard time saying no to clotted cream. I mean, I can’t refuse a cultural experience, which is definitely what clotted cream is. Have you guys had it before? As far as dairy products go in the game of Britain vs. the States, Britain wins by a landslide.

Hope you guys had a wonderful weekend with bits of fluff!

—-

Dear Cath,

I hope you have a great week! For some reason it makes me sad that you are going to Orlando because that’s even further away than Atlanta! Next time you should have a conference in Edinburgh, okay? I’ll even take Toronto because the flight is much shorter (they go over the pole).

How did the rest of your paper writing go?

We need to start our August count down 😉

Love you!

Lar

Category: Edinburgh, Lar's Style
6 Comments
10 April 2012

Leon vs. Leon’s

Are you guys ready for an epic battle of Leon vs. Leon’s? London vs. Decatur? Singular vs. possessive?

Well then, you’re in for a treat!

Actually, it’s not so much of a battle as it is a comparison. You guys enjoyed our home comparison so much that when Lar told me she ate at a place called Leon in London, I thought, “Wonder how it stacks up to Leon’s.” Leon’s Full Service, that is. One of our favorite local bars in Decatur that we’ve mentioned in previous posts here, here, here, here and here.

Let the battle/comparison begin!

WHAT

Leon: (Lar) Located in London’s Spitalfields Market (but it’s a chain, so there are a bunch around the city).

Leon’s: (Cath) Located in downtown Decatur, GA at the corner of Ponce de Leon Ave. and Church St.

FEEL

Leon: (Lar) A light-filled new build with a slight vintagey farmhouse feel with a dash 1930s propaganda posters. Lots of communal farmhouse tables and book shelves with vintage items (lamps, boxes, books) scattered about. If you eat “outside” you are still covered by the Spitalfields Market roof (good for rainy London) and you have great people watching as you’re facing the market stalls.

Leon’s: (Cath) Formerly a shop and before that, a gas station. Lots of dark wood, Edison light bulbs and chalk boards. Even if you don’t sit outside on the patio, you can sit in the main dining area with large windows and feel the springtime breeze.

FOOD ETC.

Leon: (Lar) You might be weary because they call it fast food, but don’t be. The food is served just as quickly as your favorite McDonalds, but what’s put on your tray is nothing like it. It’s fresh, healthy (for reals) and delicious. I got the superfoods salad of avocado, broccoli, fresh peas, cucumber, sprouts, feta and lime juice with just a bit of cracked pepper. I also got a side of their waffle fries and freshly juiced apple juice served with lime and mint. I’ve heard tell that they do a mean brunch as well. Check out their menu here. Oh and what fast food place do you know of that has wheat-free, vegetarian, and dairy-free items? Three cheers for Leon!

Leon’s: (Cath) Wonderful, delicious cocktails and a great beer selection that can hold its own in a big beer-loving city. Pictured below was one of Leon’s salad specials that included sliced fennel and arugula. I also recommend the homemade candy bar for dessert and the flat breads on the late night menu.

SPECIALTIES

Leon: (Lar) I’m not sure what Leon is known for because we kind of just stumbled upon it in our travels and ate as much as our tummies could hold in one go. I was still on my vegetarian/gluten-free kick at the time, but next trip to London I will certainly try their baked goods.

Leon’s: (Cath) Cocktails! They just came out with their spring drink menu and I’m dying to try the Petal Pusher: Berkshire Mountain ethereal gin, lemon, elderflower syrup, strega, St. George absinthe, black pepper.

BRANDING

Leon: (Lar) They use this kind of 1920s/30s vintage poster art mixed with a rustic edge which I really like. It’s cheery and harkens back to thoughts of homemade foods from the days of yore, but of course the food has a modern very healthy twist to it. I thought I was over that kind of vintage wine poster look (you know that one that everyone used to decorate their kitchens in the early Naughts), but with this rustic farm house twist, I think they make it work without looking at all dated or too hyper trendy.

Leon’s: (Cath) Decatur’s “community-driven restaurant and bar.” Silverware and napkins supplied in a wooden box at each table, water served in reused wine bottles, and the famous Navy chairs at every table. Even the drink menu feels special with it’s leather spine and front metal plate.

OTHER

Leon: (Lar) Fresh, nutritious foods and sustainability are their big pushes. They try to source as much as their food as they can locally, conserve as much water as possible and get involved with their communities. Their meat is all British, their eggs free range, and they attempt to buy as much free-trade as possible. They continue to aim to recycle as much as they can and so far four of their locations compost all their food waste. Go, sustainability!

Leon’s: (Cath) Huge focus on locally sourced produce and meat. Bocce ball court in the side yard.

Cath: The verdict? Well, they’re both pretty gosh darn great. Leon’s in Decatur might have the upper hand because we’ve both been there. Maybe someday Lar and I will be able to eat at Leon in London together.

Lar: I hope Leon’s expands in the states and Leon expands in the UK (come to Edinburgh, please!). I love how both places serve delicious, fresh food in a wonderful atmosphere while pushing a message of sustainability. Really the Leons are doing what I think all of today’s restaurants should! So my verdict is win win!

______________

Dearest Lar,

Did I tell you that I played the Mega Millions a few weeks ago when it was at $550 million + ? Just like everyone else I was so sure I was going to win. My plan after winning was to fly over to see you. Then we could bounce around the UK together (including a stop at Leon in London) and visit all the Jane Austen and Downtown Abbey sites. Hell, we could have visited every great estate that has ever shown up in a Masterpiece Theater/BBC period drama in the past decade and still have money to spare. Better luck next time, I suppose.

I also meant to send you a pic of what I wore to a wedding recently: a sparkly TFNC dress from Asos, the Clare Vivier clutch you gave me and the gorgeous ring you got me in London. It always makes me so happy to be wearing something from you – it makes me feel like I have my twin nearby.

Is there a Scottish lottery? Maybe if we both play our respective lotteries our chances of winning won’t change at all will double!

xoxo, Cath

Category: Cath's Style, Decatur/Atlanta
7 Comments
9 April 2012

Eco-Friendly Finds with Shopbop

So when I started this hullabaloo about ethical dressing I had another twinge of doubt/guilt (along with the massive twinges of “I need to shop less and more conscientiously!”). Cath and I are low-key as far as blog sponsors go, but we do have a couple. And here comes the twinge. How could I be so hypocritical! We have sponsors and I don’t even know where their products are sourced. Tsk, tsk.

To rectify this (and stop the head twinging – ouch!) I got in touch with our affiliate sponsor Shopbop, and asked if they could send us a list of their eco-friendly lines. They have a handy list of designers on their site, but no page that groups all of the eco labels together and explains exactly how eco/ethical they are. So here’s a handy list and explanation for ya:

Cleobella: A California-based brand that was inspired by a year of travel to foreign lands. All of their bags are handmade in Indonesia and Bali by local artisans and many of the materials are recycled. Their website also says that their leftover fabrics and leathers are given to charities that support local Balinese villages. They mention Care on their site under “Philanthropy” — woohoo!– but they don’t specifically mention how this is connected to their business. A percent of their profits perhaps? For more info on Cleobella, click here.

Kora: Oooh I like these guys. They use locally-sourced and recycled materials from around Africa (Rwanda, Kenya, Ghana) and the pieces are made by local artisans living in developing communities. Kora’s philosophy is “trade not aid” — providing sustainable economic growth to these communities — so cool! “Kora” means “work” in Kinyarwanda. To find out more, click here.

A Peace Treaty: an ethically-produced collection of jewelry and scarves started by a Pakistani Muslim and a Libyan Jew (I thought the name was a bit cheesy until I read that). They work in a different region of the world each season to provide fair-trade work to out-of-work artisans and disabled and widowed women. On their site they say that each jewelry or scarf collection resuscitates ancient handmade textile and metalsmithing techniques that are at risk of extinction. To read more, click here.

Lizzie Fortunato Jewels: designed and operated by twins, so you know it has to be good (wink, wink — I’m so subtle!). They use reclaimed and found materials for many of their pieces. I love these beautiful and simple designs. They have gorgeous, larger statement necklaces as well, but they go a bit beyond our price range. I’d like to know more about where they make their pieces and who makes them, but I’ll have a hunt around their blog and see if I can find out more.

Alkemie Jewelry: talons and skulls, ooo lala! These guys can claim that 100% of their designs are made of reclaimed materials and everything is made by hand in downtown L.A. I really love when companies are truly trying to follow what they say is important: sustainability and caring for their employees and the environment. I feel like a lot of supposedly eco-friendly brands I read about just scratch the surface and ride the green wave. Read more about Alkemie’s philosophy and story here.

Chinti and Parker: clothes! A British company that is carbon neutral and they state on their site that they are the opposite of fast fashion – woohoo! The downside is I know they are a bit pricey — boohoo. But they do a great job of explaining exactly how they stay eco/ethically friendly on their site (click here): almost all of their items are made in the EU, they want to make pieces that stand the test of time (less buying), their packaging is fair trade, all of their materials but the bamboo jersey is 100% organic, and they continue to try to come up with ways to be even more ethical and environmentally friendly. Let the saving begin!

Woohoo! Lovely list, right? Now I know what you might be thinking if you checked out some of these designers on Shopbop — they aren’t cheap. I do feel the one (fairly major) downside to ethical and eco shopping is the price. I know these designers aren’t as easily attainable as our cheapy loves of yore (F21, Primark, etc.). I do find it frustrating not to be able to scratch my shopping impulse itches any more with just $20 (that’s shoes and a cute blouse at Primark). Instead, I find myself gritting my teeth and having to think “Okay, do you need this? How was this made?” It certainly isn’t as fun, but I swear (even as I grind my teeth down to stubs) it’s much more rewarding.

With that thinking in mind, Cath and I both saved up for necklaces from Mettle via Shopbop. We wanted statement necklaces that were very wearable (no feathers or bright colors – love that, but needed something more versatile if we were going to spend over $100).

What’s really cool about this choker is that it’s made from recycled metal formerly used in bomb shells dropped by the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. Now that metal is being used by a fair-trade, non-profit skills training project in Cambodia by Mettle. A horrible, dangerous thing now being used in a sustainable way. Thumbs up all around.

I’ll keep plugging away at this ethical “investigation” and I hope it helps you guys if you are interested! I know some of you might be like “hush up, Lar, we wanna just keep shopping for fun!” And believe me I totally understand that. Making this public on our blog is making me stick to it. So even if you are getting tired of these rambles, I still thank you for keeping me on the straight and narrow (let the teeth gritting continue).

—-

Dear Cath,

I want to see pics of your Mettle necklace too! I’ll make sure to take proper photos of mine, and we can do a twinsie post. Isn’t that cool that Chinti and Parker is run by twins? I think that’s why I envy the Olsen twins the most: getting to work together and live in the same city. Maybe we should work toward that, huh?

Miss you so much!

Love,

Lar

Category: Lar's Style
7 Comments
5 April 2012

What Do Harry Potter, Liam Neeson, Mel Gibson and I Have in Common?

We’ve all been here:

Maybe not this particular gate per say, but these hills by Ben Nevis in the Scottish Highlands have seen some famous menfolk. Harry and friends took the Hogwarts train through this terrain, Liam Neeson as Rob Roy bounded away from the English up that hill, and Mel (face painted blue and white) strode about in his skirt kilt here.

So while Cath has been inspiring you with her lovely outfits, I’ve been dressed like this:

Nice, huh? Columbia, North Face, Pata-gucci: brands that I didn’t know existed, or pretended they didn’t exist (down with the black North Face fleece!), until two years ago (the “ugly pants” in this photo debuted on this blog here). Not my favorite clothing (except for my Zissou-inpsired neon pink cap), but so wonderful when one is doing some serious hiking. That’s right. Serious hiking. Two more outdoorsy words that are new to my vocabulary.

You can hike in cuter clothes: lace-up booties, skinny jeans, properly layered and fitted flannels, some sort of felt fedora. But, ladies and gents, when you are scrambling up rain-soaked rocks, stomping through peaty bogs, and attempting to pee (out in the open- gak!) at high altitudes, you do not want to worry about wriggling out of good-butt jeans or slipping off a mountain in lace-up Frye boots.

Now you might ask yourself, so what is the point of not just the ugly attire, but the (serious-to-me) hiking in the first place?!

Firstly, you get to take a train (I love trains!). It is in fact the same route they use in all the Harry Potter movies:

We did not pass Hogwarts, but we did stop at the most remote station in this part of Scotland. The “town” of Corrour is literally made up of the train station and that wee green house you see in the background. No roads, just a train stop. Two buildings surrounded by large rolling hills and mountains for miles and miles:

Secondly, you get to see beautiful things like this: Scotland on a sunny day! We were staying in Fort William which gets the highest level of rain fall. for Scotland! And it was sunny and glorious:

Thirdly, sheep. I love sheep!

Fourthly, friends (and rainbows!). My lovely friend and sistah-in-law Pam is the one who encourages Matt and I to be outdoorsy. If you are of a similar adventuresome spirit as she (or would like to live such a life vicariously, like moi), read all about her life in Kigali, Rwanda on her blog Pam the Nomad.

Fifthly, sun and hills and mountains and tree stumps:

Sixthly, because wherever this guy goes, I go (isn’t that the 80s jingle for My Buddy? Matt doesn’t wear overalls):

Seventhly (not a word?), because you get a rest from me gabbing about ethical clothing (everything I’m wearing in this post is at least two years old except for the hat which I bought in a weakened state to make myself feel better about the rest of my sartorial trappings).

Between being momentarily outdoorsy, working from home in my work-out clothes (which I never work out in), and my ethical muddle, I’m finding it hard pressed to remember how to dress with a bit of je nais se quoi. It’s a good thing I have Cath to keep me inspired and remind me that I can look cute at some future date (one perk to being a twin, “ahhh, that’s how I use to look in pencil skirts and heels!”).

Tell me, do you guys own fleece and water-resistant trousers?

—–

Dear Cath,

Do you remember Fort William ever looking so sunny? Isn’t it amazing? I so wish you could have been there with us! I know we aren’t real hikers, but you would have loved the sheep and I would have bought you a matching neon cap — we could have hummed the Life Aquatic sound track as we stumbled around fields.

I do seriously mean it though, when I say you keep me inspired. Now that the weather is trying to be warm in Scotland, I will try to emerge from my layers of sweat pants and woolly socks.

I miss you so much. Why is this not getting easier?

LOVE,

Lar

Category: Edinburgh, Lar's Style
12 Comments
2 April 2012

Atlanta Magazine Blogger Love

Dah-da-da-daaaahhhh!!! Hear yee, hear yee! I’ve been waiting impatiently eagerly for the past two months to blog about this blogger style feature in the April issue of Atlanta Magazine. Check out page 52 (I may or may not have the page number memorized):

That’s me on the right (of course), standing next to Eboni of The Fashionista Next Door, Jennifer of Jennysue Makeup, and Mattie of Mattieologie and Atlanta Style Bloggers.

The image is probably too small to read, but you can see the full write-up online here. The paragraph on AsianCajuns is one of the best write-ups we’ve ever had. Cathy Anderson, writer and fashion blogger (Poor Little It Girl), pulled this feature together and has made the four of us feel like rock stars.

We spent one Friday afternoon in February at an office in Inman Park for the photo shoot. It was so great getting to see Eboni again and finally meeting Mattie and Jennifer in person. They are all so gorgeous!

We had to arrive at the photo shoot hair and makeup ready. Lar is much better at make-up than me, so she coached me over Skype and then I went to Drybar to get my hair done. I wore a necklace and top from Madewell, Target belt, H&M skirt, Jeffrey Campbell heels and my AsianCajuns name necklace.

One of the best things about hanging out with fellow fashion bloggers, is that no one judges you when you whip out your camera and start taking photos of everything. My outfit? Click! Your outfit? Click! Our business cards laid out on the conference table? Click, click!

Below are just a few behind the scenes photos.

Mattie filming Eboni:

 

Jennifer taking a photo of Mattie filming Eboni:

 

Eboni is the foreground, with the talented Atlanta Magazine team in the background. That’s Cathy with the bow in her hair:

 

After taking what felt like a million photos, we only got a glimpse of the results on the photographer’s Mac:

 

It wouldn’t be a proper blogger meet-up if we didn’t exchange blogger business cards:

After the photos we spent a few minutes in front of the camera talking about fashion blogging in Atlanta. You can watch the whole video – and see me slumping in my chair for nine minutes – here.

Apart from missing Lar like crazy during the whole process, this photo shoot has been one of my best blogging experiences ever.

A big thank you to the Atlanta Magazine team, our photogs the Raftermen, Caren West PR (a little birdie told me you guys suggested us for the feature), and to Jennifer, Mattie, and Eboni for being so incredibly fun to work with!

Category: Cath's Style, Decatur/Atlanta
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2 April 2012

Work Week Wear

Just a quick work-related post to get this week started. Unlike Lar who can wear sweatpants to work (so jealous!), I practically live in pencil skirts Monday through Friday. If I had more money, I’d write something here like, “I can’t seem get enough pencil skirts!” But really, with my limited budget (and apparent inability to think beyond this one silhouette for work) I only have about four skirts and a dress or two that I rotate throughout the work week. Here’s one of my standbys:

It’s a black pencil skirt that I purchased at an H&M a few years ago when I panicked at a conference and realized that I had forgotten my then-trusty black pencil skirt (an American Apparel jersey version that didn’t hold up well to washing). My other pencil skirt favorites include a denim one from J.Crew and a classic gray skirt from The Limited.

Outfit details: Primark shirt, H&M skirt, Simply Vera for Kohls pumps, Longchamp purse and necklace from Michael’s (yep, the craft store).

On a side note, I love these Simply Vera pumps. They’re the perfect nude color and make me feel like I’m about 7 feet tall. They’re not the most comfortable (I wore them to the mall this past weekend and ended up hobbling out to my car after 30 minutes), but sometimes you just have to go with form over function. Am I right? Fellow heel-lovers, back me up on this one!

I love the elastic detail on the inside of the heel that helps keep the shoe in place.

Now back to the skirt issue. I’m thinking I need to diversify my skirt options a bit. Mostly because if I keep wearing the same four skirts as regularly as I do now, they’re going to fall apart in the wash before the season is up.

I know I should embrace trousers more, but I can never find a pair that really fit well.

I’m itching to buy a pair of the summer jeans to wear on casual Fridays and maybe this knot skirt. My dream skirt would be this DVF patterned skirt – gray and black, my two favorite clothing colors.

What about you guys and gals? Have you fallen into a workwear rut? Has anyone ever bought the J.Crew Minnie pant? Is it as amazing as the catalog makes it seem? It’s the only pair of non-denim trousers that I’ve really been tempted to get.

_____________

Dearest Lar,

My skirt collection actually doubled when you left me all your clothes before moving to Scotland. However, like I mentioned above, I’ve gotten stuck wearing the same few skirts over and over again. I need you to come look at my closet like you used to and inspire me to throw something crazy together. Can you fly back to Atlanta and stay help me with my closet?

So glad you survived your trip to the highlands with all that walking/hiking and what not. I still remember feeling so out of shape hiking about the hills 7 years ago and I actually was kind of in shape back then! You’d have to drag me up those hills now. And I’m a little annoyed that there isn’t better wifi in the highlands. What, the cows and sheep don’t need to be connected to the outside world?! Next time you venture up north of Edinburgh, I advise that you stay in a quaint cottage with good internet service and just video chat with me 🙂

xoxo, Cath

Category: Cath's Style
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