Thursday, September 27, 2012

The winner is...

The winner for the $100 Shopbop giveaway is...


 wrigsbee1212!! 


 Congratulations! Please email me your contact info at lequaintrelle@gmail.com


 Thanks everyone for entering!

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Things From Around The Web

 
 
Finally a website where you can publicly shame your dog (but still not be able to get mad at them because look at that face!)

50 ways to tie a scarf  just in time for fall.

Some great pictures of Endeavour's final flyover over LA. (I admit, I cried watching the live news coverage of it SO SUE ME.)

More historical footage that made me cry this week. 

The Key to Parenting: Not Wanting Kids

My sister emailed me this at one in the morning where I proceeded to laugh hysterically by myself in bed.

Places my heart would be content.

A compilation of people walking into things.

I have an on-going joke on my instagram where I take candid pictures of my brother doing ridiculous things. I call it Look at this A-hole. It now has a Twitter.

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Happy Autumn!








Happy first day of fall! While summer definitely has its perks, it feels like it was just never-ending this year. Miserable heat waves and uncomfortable humidity, I am so ready for you to go. Autumn is by far my favorite season. If there was a magical place like Narnia, but instead of winter it was just perpetual autumn, I would go there and never come back. Even though everyone tells me that in California we don't have a true autumn, or rather, autumn doesn't really appear until well after Halloween, I still love it. Give me sweaters and scarves and boots and I am a happy girl. All I want to do is bundle up and drink hot chocolate and eat pumpkin pie. Is that too much to ask for? So even if I do have to wait several more weeks until autumn truly arrives where I'm at, I still have my scarves and boots on deck and ready for action at a moment's notice.

Book Report: Revolutionary Road



"Intelligent, thinking people could take things like this in their stride, just as they took the larger absurdities of deadly dull jobs in the city and deadly dull homes in the suburbs. Economic circumstances might force you to live in this environment, but the important thing was to keep from being contaminated. The important thing, always, was to remember who you were." 

I notice that every once in awhile an idea or concept or feeling or whatever pops into my head and I become completely enthralled with it. I start to watch TV shows and movies and read books that have to do with it until I get my fix on whatever it is I want to know/feel/act like/learn about. A couple weeks ago I got this weird feeling that I wanted to read about life in the 1950s American suburbs. Or perhaps the disillusionment of how perfect everyone seemed to have thought it was. Immediately Revolutionary Road By Richard Yates came to mind. I had already seen the Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio film adaptation and I really enjoyed it. I bought the book years ago and it had just sat on my bookshelf while other books took priority. Now after finally reading it I have no idea what took me so long.

If you haven't read the book or seen the movie, it's about a young couple Frank and April Wheeler who, like everyone else in the post-war 1950s, move from New York City to a Connecticut suburb to start a family. After two kids and several years at a mind-numbing job in the city, the couple starts to get restless and nostalgic about what their life could have been like--or could still be like. April comes up with the idea of packing up and moving the family to Paris. To her, Paris is where people really live life, unlike Connecticut where people just go through the motions of a life they think they're suppose to have. The book chronicles what happens when the couple tries to achieve this life that they think they're missing out on, and trying to keep it together when things don't go according to plan and everything starts to unravel. 

To me, one of the most amazing things about this book is that it was published in 1961. It wasn't published 50 years later when time had passed and people had forgotten what it was really like, or when nostalgia of the good ol' days had crept in with its rose-colored glasses. It was contemporary for its time--truthful and honest about how people may have felt while trying to adjust to this new concept of "suburbia" and this new way of life. The country was prospering but there was still a new generation of young people who were trying to find their spot in it all.  They were torn between living a life of passion and adventure, traveling and experiencing all that the world had to offer or succumbing to the "Leave It To Beaver" lifestyle of backyard barbecues, PTA meetings and bridge games.

The thing I loved most about this book is the dialogue between characters. A lot of the time when you read books from 50 years ago, the dialogue seems so unrealistic, that you couldn't imagine anyone ever talking that way. But this book is the complete opposite of that.  April and Frank's conversations and arguments are so believable that you could apply it to any couple today and it would still seem relevant.  And isn't that the ultimate feat? To have something still be relevant half a century later?

I was completely engrossed with this book, not being able to put it down and still thinking about it once I did. It was one of those books where I would read something, my jaw would drop and I would immediately think "I need to discuss this with someone." It was a book where you just wish someone was reading it right there next to you so you could look over to them and say, "Can you believe that?!"

So if you're looking for a book to read, a book to take you to a different era that still feels eerily familiar, that lets you eavesdrop on a couple that is both passionate and delusional, and that makes you love and hate the characters simultaneously, then I cannot recommend this book enough. And if you have already read it: what did you think about it?   Did you love it or hate it? And what are you reading now?


Wednesday, September 19, 2012

A Few of My Favorite Things



1. Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. I've mentioned this on here before, but I can't help that I love it so much. If you don't know what it is, it's a weekly web series by Jerry Seinfeld where he and another comedian go out to get coffee. If you've ever wondered what two famous comedians talk about when they're together, this series answers that question. You, as a viewer, are essentially just a fly on the wall to two extremely funny people's conversation. New episodes come out every Thursday but there are only a couple more episodes left. I would highly recommend catching up on them if you haven't already.


 
 
2. My Stella & Dot off-center cross necklace. I have a couple of different cross necklaces, but this one is my new favorite. I wear it literally every day. I know that sideways cross necklaces have been around for awhile now, but this one can be wore with the cross sideways or up further so it's right-side up but off-center around your neck. I just really like the different design of a traditional necklace. It's also dainty so I can wear it with everything, and it's sterling silver, which is a major plus. Bottom line: it's pretty much the perfect necklace.


 
 
 
3. Demi Lavato's skin. Have you guys been watching X-Factor? I watched it the first couple nights, and all I got out out if was how perfect Demi Lavato's skin is. I haven't been this obsessed with someone's skin since Cate Blanchett in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Yeah, yeah I know that it might just be a really good makeup job, but regardless, it's flawless. And next to Britney Spears, it's looks even more perfect. Don't get me wrong, I love me some Britney, but it always looks like she slept in her makeup or she just got done crying. Or maybe that's just me. It's probably just me. Does this post make my jealousy look big?




4. Coin Dozer. Let me just preface this with saying: I do not play games on my phone. Other than my previous addiction to Angry Birds, I am not one to download game apps. My co-worker got me onto Coin Dozer though. There really is no point to the game other than to try and knock coins off of the ledge with other coins and win prizes. Not real prizes, but fake game prizes that help you, essentially, knock more coins off the ledge. I don't know what it is about it, but wasting my free time playing this ridiculous game has become one of my favorite things to do lately.



So those are just a few of my favorite things as of right now. But I'm always in the market to become obsessed with new things, so what's your guys' current addictions?

Friday, September 14, 2012

Win a $100 Shopbop giftcard for Vince Clothing!


With summer coming to an end isn't it time you got your closet ready with some new clothes for fall? And how much easier would that be with a $100 giftcard to Shopbop to get you started? You could stock up on anything from Vince clothing to Elizabeth and James coats to boots from Freebird by Steven.

All you have to do is comment below by Tuesday September 25th to be entered to win! This giveaway is open to international entries as well. Don't forget to fan Shopbop on Facebook and good luck!

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Hat Trends for Fall

                     CHECK THE BEST HAT TRENDS FOR FALL- 2012

 A great addition to your attire for the evening, hats can be both trendy and protective. For centuries women have used cloth to cover their heads out of tradition, culture or maybe just to protect themselves from the heat or cold and this has developed over the centuries into hats. Today hats have become an important fashion accessory that most women can’t go without. With the release of the Fall/Winter 2012-2013 hat collections, more women just couldn’t go without a hat to fit their evening look. The following is a list of the different kinds of hats that are in style this season, with a few tips on how to wear them with your dress:


                                                             Image Source: http://makeupandbeauty.com/

  • FEDORA HATS 
Fedora hats were initially designed for men in the 19th century, but later it evolved into a hat type for both sexes. This is a hat that goes with anything and everything, looking great for anyone. It would give you a feminine look if worn with a printed dress or a rough look when paired with trousers and a shirt. Fedora hats would bring style and class to your outfit.

                                                   Image Source: http://www.lookbookfashion.com/

  •  FUR HATS 
 Fur hats are a perfect choice for the winter as they not only protect you from the cold but are also beautiful and luxurious. A popular type of hat among women of all ages, the fur hats come in a variety of colours that are designed to attract attention. Fur hats are most flexible when it comes to wearing them. You can pair it with nearly any style of outfit and footwear.


                                                       Image Source: http://www.glamcheck.com/fashion/ 

  •  CLOCHE HATS 
A hat that is all feminine. Cloche hats bring you a great attractive and sexy look. This season brings back the cloche hats from the 1920s that made women look most graceful and beautiful. A cloche hat would look its best with woman dresses like skirts, trench coats and chic coats and is a great choice to add to your outfit for weddings and parties.


                                                             Image Source: http://fashion2012-2013.com/ 

  • TOP HATS 
 Top hats that were worn only as an accessory with drama costumes, has made its way to the hat line this fall. Although it cannot be called a versatile hat and cannot easily be paired with anything, it would definitely look good for an opera or a themed party. Remember to never pair a top hat with a tuxedo.


                                                         Image Source: http://www.loveandcowboys.com/

  •  COWBOY HATS
 Bring a little western touch to your attire by paring your outfit with a cowboy hat. This season is all about paring your cowboy boots and cowboy shirt with a pair of cowboy hat to finish your look. Remember to wear them with bright cropped jackets and leather gloves or any outfit with zippers. Also make sure to use edgy accessories.


                                                          Image Source: http://fashion2012-2013.com/

  •  GAUCHO HATS 
Gaucho hats can nicely compliment any women’s feminine look, they are stylish and exquisite. Although a gaucho hat cannot be paired with all kinds of dresses and cannot be worn to all occasions, this season’s hat line brings gauchos as an experiment to the fashion world. Gauchos look best when paired with strapless cocktails and trouser suites. As you have seen this fall brings you a line of great hats. Rather than just plainly following the above advices, always bring in an element of your style and creativity when it comes to wearing a hat. Only you know what suites you the best.


 Author’s Bio – Suzy Walsh is fashion expert and stylist with ‘The House Of Elegance Fashion’ and has contributed to some of the prime fashion blogs of the globe. She has an innate sense of fashion and is known to offer the best style picks for her readers.
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