mix-matched moments

These pictures seem to capture my state of mind perfectly. Dozens of eclectic and whimsical chairs arranged, waiting to be filled with people and/or activities that are just as interesting and festive. 

I have found life lately to be  a constant search between the extrovert or introvert psychology. As much as I desire one, I seem to find equal comfort and peace with the other. I classify under both personality types - meaning I am energized by spending time alone and by being around others. Basically, I am a social butterfly who likes doing her own thing. 

I think it's a pretty winning combination, but I may be biased :) 

At this point, the pre-party set-up is exactly how I feel things are right now. There is no denying it's a beautiful view with all things aligned for a fabulous party, but there's  a calm and serene moment before the chatter, dancing, and celebration. 

Is it lonely? Sometimes. Is it desirable? Sometimes. 

I think, more than anything, it's just acknowledging and making the time for introspect. 

And so, for those quiet moments...

"Proper idleness is the soul's home base. Before we plan or love or decide or act or storytell, we are idle. Before we learn, we watch. Before we do, we dream. Before we play, we imagine...

I'm convinced that time spent idle makes for a healthier state of mind. We want less and are more at peace when we get it. We sleep better and work harder. Simpler things bring us joy. When we daily observe our immediate surroundings, we are more grounded in our context, more attuned to the rhythms of whatever season or place we are in... 

Plus, the changing shapes of clouds need our attention."

via: Kinfolk

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the leopard clutch

Most of you may know that I work at a boutique a couple of weekends a month. It's the perfect gig. I have to admit that working in an office of 3 can be a bit challenging for my extrovert side, I miss the social nature of college. Working at Alligator Purse lets me continue to develop my social skills by interacting with the customers, but also gives me the perfect fashion fix. I am really grateful for my Alligator Purse crew!

Now that the background has been set... 

Last week, we received the first wave of "pre-fall" shipments. You read correctly, we received pre-fall merchandise before the summer solstice. One of the shipments was from Clare Vivier which included her iconic foldover clutches and a collection of new totes. One of the new arrivals was the leopard clutch. 

I have featured this clutch in my outfit post designs at least a half-dozen times and when I went in to update the Twirling Clare dream closet this weekend, I saw that I had the leopard clutch included not once, not twice, but three times. When I saw the purse at the boutique on Saturday, I squealed and put it on hold behind the counter - before I even unlocked the door. 

That afternoon, a customer came in and noticed the clutch behind the desk. She fell in love with it and was totally bummed that there weren't any more available. So, I made the generous decision and told her it was just on reserve for me and she could buy it if she wanted to. 

Well, of course she wanted to buy it. 

Hmph. Being nice can be a pain sometimes. On the bright side, I guess it validates that I have good taste since all three of the clutches the boutique ordered were sold in a day or two... :)

There's always a chance we'll order more into Alligator Purse, and if not, I could probably buy one of the three options in my Twirling Clare store! 

Oh, and if the bag wasn't cute enough...she even spells Clare the right way!

Happy Monday, Toodles!!

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A Day in Heels

A day in heels seems literally impossible. Yes, even if they were red soled. I purchased a pair of beautiful J.Crew Etta pumps last year, adorable red, white, and navy beaded heels. I have worn them twice - and it's been an utter joke both times I've worn them. To the extent that some security guard seriously got quite a kick out of watching this girl shuffle and wobble as she walked across his camera screen...
I am known for the occasional trip and spill, which makes flats the best option for my "imbalance curse." That said, I do like growing an extra three (or four) inches every so often...and that's when my favorite wedges come out to play! So, when I feel like teetering above my companions, I have found wedges to provide the best surface-area ratio, making my slightly aloof walking patterns slightly more contained.
In better news, my mom swears that removing my wisdom teeth last summer has greatly helped with my balance factor. Since I only had three wisdom teeth, there could, perhaps, be some truth to that!
Anyways, for those who are basically catwalk experts in their sky high pumps, or for those aspiring to be true city chic icons from head to toe - you must watch this video!
Filmed over Paris Fashion Week, fashion blogger Garance documents her day spent in heels.
Why does it look so effortless for some people? Ugh. For now I'll just be donning my Saturday evening wedges when the outfit deems worthy, or, more often than not, spend my time frolicking in espadrilles....Who's with me?

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Summer Retro Stylin'

I adore this outfit! Turquoise and hot pink are two of my favorite summer colors, especially set against black. These sandals are totally fabulous - don't you agree? I am absolutely having a retro-craving this month. From this look a couple of weeks ago to 60s inspired sheath dresses, I am in the midst of a mild "generation misplacement" crisis. It happens quite frequently. 

I'd love to know, what is your wardrobe craving this summer?! 

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend, toodles!

Shop the look:

Raoul Aria Dress

Kate Spade Square Stud Earrings

Lana Monogram Signet Ring

Banana Republic Flavia Foldover Clutch

Essie Haute in the Heat

Aminah Abdul Jillil Bow Sandal

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dressing for a drive

This spring, I made my first "big girl" purchase - a new car! I picked a cute, white VW golf. It's great. I like the size, the simplicity, and zipping around town in my little ride. It's everything I need and I am happy with the purchase...we'll see 5 years down the road... **fingers crossed**. 

It took me forever to finally buy a car, I was fortunate to drive my family's third car, but reality finally set-in that I'd be working and living in Cincinnati for at least a couple of years. Since my idea of subway travel and metropolitan walking was no longer in the imminent future, a car couldn't be held off any longer. To be completely honest, my delay was not just limited to big city living. 

Although I am not a big fan of driving, I have an affinity for classic cars. Cars with "character." Namely, a Grand Wagoneer, vintage Land Rover, or old school Mercedes station wagon. 

Yes, I thought it was totally reasonable that one of these would be my first car - because things like making sure my car didn't die in the middle of a highway wasn't that important in comparison to looking totally chic. 

When my head finally thought logically (at least in the transportation realm), I settled on a VW and found a golf that worked perfectly. It doesn't mean that I still don't have aspirations of having a car with the right "character" down the road...but in the meantime, I can live vicariously through my inspiration pool, toodles!

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The Original Pantone Color Guide

Each week I write a blog post for my company, Cristofoli-Keeling. Last week's post was particularly interesting and I wanted to share with all of you!

Color My World.
The Pantone Color Guide is the standard for visual representation of color arranged to be a source of inspiration for the design and décor industries, among other uses, including color matching on-press. All 2,100 colors are compiled in a flip deck, making it easier for creatives to manage their aspirations in a comprehensive and compact format – while perhaps giving others anxiety about how many different shades of white exist! The fashion, interior, cosmetic, product design, and home furnishing industries are influenced and reliant on the Pantone’s color standards. Pantone released its original color guide in 1963, but it was not the first to bring the color spectrum together as a guide and resource.
Last month, the “original Pantone” was discovered by Erik Kwakkel, tucked away in a French Library. Almost three centuries before the Pantone Color Guide was invented, an unknown Dutch artist named A. Boogert, mixed and described every color imaginable in an 800-page book, Treatise on Colors, now available online in high resolution.
Treatise on Colors was developed in 1692, intended to be an educational guide on mixing watercolors. The author thoroughly explains the use of color in paintings and how to change tones by adding different portions of water. In accordance with the descriptions, the artist documents hundreds of colors to show the variations in the color spectrum. The final project was the most comprehensive guide to paint and color of its time; and the manuscript is truly a work of art. Although the creation was most likely intended to be an instructional manual, there was only one copy of the book – seen by very few. Thanks to the Internet, the encyclopedic guide is garnering attention and awe the world over.
With this discovery, it’s interesting to look at how the use of color has changed since the hand-painted color guide over 300 years ago, to its more contemporary version, The Pantone Color Guide. The purpose ofTreatise on Colors was for artists to incorporate these practices in their artwork – for pure artistic renderings. The Pantone Color Guide is most commonly used, as a color selection tool for interior designers, graphic designers, architects, package designers and the like.  Today, a discovery of the theoretical approach might be exactly what the design industry needs. Graphic designer, John Herskind, has commented, “there are people who learn a little bit about Photoshop and now they’re a graphic designer without knowing anything that goes into good design…there are people now who call themselves ‘creative directors’ and don’t know how to use a Pantone book.” Maybe the resurfacing of this masterful work of art will re-inspire this modern wave of artists to not only reassess the implementation of resources like the Pantone Color Guide, but more importantly, to appreciate the artistic theory and creation behind the hues.

If you'd like to read more of my posts, visit Piehole every Wednesday. Enjoy - Toodles!

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the dancer

Twirl:, what a fabulous inspiration for Friday! 

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, toodles!

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Playing For Change

One of the coolest projects I have seen in awhile. Sara Bareilles is partnering with musicians around the world to record some of our favorite songs. Sara Bareilles is known for her recent hit, Brave, and one of my favorites, King of Anything. She has a quirky and clever, style but more than that, her songs are empowering.
I love that Bareilles is taking her message beyond the lyrics, and adapting her songs in a way to make the world a better place. Her upcoming album will feature 185 musicians from 31 countries. The project puts together the sounds of all the artists to recreate music, a global language. The goal: to unite people across all cultures.
The song below was premiered exclusively on Elle this week. Marvin Gaye is one of my favorite artists and I especially like What's Going On. This is a fantastic rendition - a beautiful collaboration.
If you are interested in learning more about the cause, you can explore the entire YouTube site and see other previews of the Playing For Change initiative.
The album, Playing for a Change 3: Songs Around the World will be out June 17.
Toodles!

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the white sheath

Nothing says summer better than a simple sheath dress, especially in white. 

My cousin is graduating from eighth grade tonight and all the girls wear white dresses, a Catholic school tradition. I still have my white dress from my eighth grade graduation, and miraculously - it fits! My wonderful mom sews and made some adjustments to the dress when I was in high school, but it's always excitng to rediscover old favorites that fit again! Now that I have a new item to outfit plan with, I have pulled it out of my closet a number of times to test different looks.

**Confession - when I can't sleep, I play dress up in my closet...

It is such a great staple for a classic summer wardrobe and I love the flexibility of wearing it with different colors and accessories. Today I am wearing it with a navy blazer, blue and white checked shoes with a big navy flower, and a white "Velma Flintstone" necklace. 

With a change in accessories - I can have a totally new look as well. The LBD looks so much better as the LWD with a golden glow and the summer sun! It's such a timeless look that will work for a multitude of occasions. I totally recommend investing in one yourself - stick with a classic and structured style that will last for years to come! 

Hope you have a fabulous week, toodles!

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