gush gush gush gush gush gush gush

Can I take a moment to bare a little part of my soul here?

I love you guys. I honestly, truthfully love you guys, and I am always striving to figure out how I can make Adored Austin a better site. I've been trying to get back to my morning posting routine and amping up the quality and frequency of my self-style photos. I have been carving out time in my day to read everyone's blogs and to return comments and emails. I have big, big plans for next month, and in the sixteen months I've been doing this, Adored Austin has always been a delight to do.

I found out today that I was nominated for an Austin Blogger Award (for Best Fashion Blog) along with four other really wonderful local fashion blogs. I am floored. I will never, ever stop being surprised and overwhelmed with kindness at any recognition my blog gets. I am always shocked whenever someone recognizes me around town. I am always honored when a reader takes time out to email me or leave a comment. I suppose that's why I smile in most of my self- style photos. Doing this blog is a blessing and a joy. So thank you. Thank you from the very bottom of my heart.

As a meager gift, here is a photo of me as a child for you to laugh at:

See all the Austin Blogger Award nominees here & vote for your favorites here.

What's in a name?

Genius idea. Terrible company name.From The Heel Condoms "ABOUT" page:

The Heel Condoms have many perks:
+ Make simple shoes a conversation piece
+ Mix and Match with outfits
+ Great for travel
+ Easy to wear
+ Protect heels from damage
+ Reusable

When I think "condom" I do think "protect", but I do not think any of the other five selling points... specifically "conversation piece" and "reusable".

Comment of the Day: You didn't know condoms are re-usable? Guess that's why Jude's here. Lack of basic sex ed knowledge [...] THAT IS A JOKE. ONLY SHOE CONDOMS ARE REUSABLE. Go ask your mom about this stuff... Side note I love those things! -Jameil

I love your advice.

We had a great turn out for our Thanksgiving dinner! More than 15 people came by, including Elizabeth from Delightfully Tacky. She happened to be in Austin on Thanksgiving during her odyssey, so she arrived in Brave and brought her adorable pooch Little Bit. It was so exciting to finally meet her. She is an amazing soul, and I am incredibly thankful for the opportunity this blog has afforded me to meet so many new people over the sixteen months I've been doing Adored Austin.

I wore the same thing yesterday that I wore on Thanksgiving day. I didn't notice Thursday's sweet potato stains on my dress until I got home from lunch yesterday. Oops!
I tried Man Bites Dog for the first time.


I ordered the Buffalo Hottie (wing sauce and bleu cheese), while Hubs got the vegetarian chili dog.


I dressed all wintery in the morning, but by the time lunch rolled around it was 70º! Typical crazy Texas weather.


Y'all picked these boots for me, and I LOVE them!

date: 28 November 2010 (& 25 November 2010)
occasion: lunch at the South Austin Trailer Park Eatery with Austin City Life friends
dress: thrifted via Buffalo Exchange
sweater: F21
leggings: American Apparel
blouse: Express
boots: courtesy of Wanted Shoes

When Dana over at Wanted Shoes reached out to me to offer me any pair of shoes on the site, I was floored and a little overwhelmed. I liked almost everything, and the prices are right in my price range. I couldn't believe how many pairs of boots they have, many of which had several color choices. I narrowed it down to three pairs, and ended up ordering the Tower boots per your guidance. The perforations on them make them really unique, and they are a little bit western so they fit in well with my Austin-bohemian style tendencies. So, can I just say THANK YOU? Thank you to Wanted and thank you to my readers who, no doubt, have the best style, ever.

Since you've proven to have remarkable taste, what do you think of these?

[note: you can click on each dress to see it's specs]

Hubs has a fancy Christmas party coming up for work, and I need a dress. The invite said "cocktail attire", and I don't think I own anything of that ilk. I want to be a hot piece of arm candy for my darling computer nerd, but it is a party for his work. I don't want to set the tongues a-waggin' at the water cooler come Monday! I am thinking about renting a designer dress from Rent the Runway, but which one? Y'all are batting 1000, so would you like to help me out again? Please?

The shoes I got are nude leather wedges (via my Nordstrom Rack Groupon), so I think they'll go with anything. I'm partial to one and five, but Hubs likes two the best. At the risk of sounding old fashion, his vote should probably count heavily, right? Opinions?

Comment of the Day: If he works in a computer nerd farm, tradition suggests that his colleagues will not understand any non-dress-shaped dresses (such as dress 2). Maybe check with him if he thinks they might be baffled and think you are crazy? If so, go with 5 or 4 if cleavage is no issue. If not, go with 2! -Claire

New dress, new boots

I've been feeling the high contrast black/ white combo lately as evidenced by three of my last four outfits. I met Hubs for lunch today and tried out my newest frock:date: 23 November 2010
occasion: impromptu lunch date with Hubs
Disco Diagonal Dress: courtesy of Poetrie
boots: Minnetonka

Speaking of knock-offs, I had the Rue 21/ faux leather version of these triple fringe Minnetonkas, and Hubs hated them. After a year, the fake boots were still off gassing a strange chemical smell. Hubs always referred to them as my "Stinky Boots". I thought I'd do us all a favor and get the real deal, and I can already say that love them just as much as my other Minnetonka boots. In fact, Stinky Boots are already in the Goodwill pile.

[Poetrie is an in-kind partner of Adored Austin]

TOMS vs. BOBS: There IS a difference.

When I hit up Barton Creek Mall with Heidi today, we stopped in the Skechers store to check out some brogues, but this caught my attention:
These "BOBS by Skechers" looks identical to my beloved TOMS:The sales girl at Skechers insisted that BOBS were the same exact shoe as TOMS. In her own words, "The BOBS are made in the same place out of the same materials. We just couldn't use the name TOMS because these are the Skechers brand." To further convolute the TOMS vs. BOBS issue, there was a little note on the BOBS sign that said, "Designed in Manhattan Beach, CA". TOMS headquarters are thirty minutes away in Santa Monica.

All this seems a little, well... sketchy to me. As someone who has several pairs of TOMS, I can assure you that BOBS are not the same quality. The uppers are more flimsy, the soles are thinner, and the insoles are have less cushion. After a little online digging, it seems that Skechers makes a donation to Soles4Souls, a non-profit that gives shoes to needy children. It's not exactly like the One for One business model/ movement that TOMS uses. It's a lot less concrete.

I have nothing but praise for TOMS and its founder Blake McCoskie and senior account exec (and Austin local) Brad Otts. As I've mentioned on here before, I had the opportunity to hear Blake speak years ago when TOMS was brand new. He built his company with a true passion and heart to help the needy. He personally built the brand from scratch. He goes on the shoe drops himself, and every TOMS employee who has been with the company for two years or longer can go on the shoe drops with travel expenses paid, as well. Does the Skechers CEO do the same? Do employees of Skechers personally put BOBS on the feet of needy children?

Fashion design infringement is nothing new. Just ask serial copycats Forever 21 and Steve Madden. In this "do good/ feel good" economy, I can see how a team of folks over at Skechers thought that BOBS were a good idea. Blake himself even said that he hoped other businesses would follow the one-for-one model. No matter if you buy TOMS or BOBS, needy children benefit. But for me? I'm sticking with TOMS. There's only a $2 price difference between BOBS and the Classic TOMS. To me, BOBS and Skechers take unoriginality to a whole new level. Their marketing concept is a blatant ripoff of Blake's hard work and dedication and success of TOMS. Make no mistake about it: Skechers did this on purpose to confuse consumers and painted this one shoe in their vast company as a "charity shoe" whereas the entire TOMS company was built on a one-for-one model, which at the time of its creation was brand new.

[further reading at fastcompany.com: "How Skechers Shot Themselves in the Foot"]

Comment of the Day: "I've been working for Skechers for going on 4 years now, and even I have to admit that when these shoes came in I shook my head and laughed. For whatever the reason, the company thrives off imitations. Although I don't have a pair of TOMS, i've always wanted a pair and agree, I would go for the real thing over the BOBS. In fact one of the girls I work with just purchased her sister some TOMS the other day over the BOBS.

Skechers has since upped their "do good" and now claims they donate 2 pairs for every single pair of BOBS bought. Every time they release a new shoe concept I cringe and wonder who they copied the idea from." -Brittany

Update: According to my research, Skechers has been making donations to Soles4Souls before BOBS came on the market. Please understand that Soles4Souls is a wonderful non-profit organization and it's a partnership that makes a lot of sense. Souls4Soles takes shoe donations from companies like Skechers and collects shoes at shoe drives. You can sponsor a pair of shoes for just $1, which is awesome. And if you're Skechers, you can make a tax-deductible donation, piggyback off the success of TOMS, make a shoe that looks just like TOMS, come up with a similar one-syllable man's name, and claim that you're just like TOMS (but better!), too!

[note: though TOMS is an affiliate of this blog, no compensation was given for this or any other TOMS related posts]

No plans on Thursday? Join us!

If you do not have plans for Thanksgiving, please consider coming to my house. Hubs and I do not have family in town, so for the last couple of years we've had "Second Family Thanksgiving" at our place where others who can't eat with dear mom and dad can come eat with us. We cook together at noon and eat at four. Feel free to come for the cooking part or just the eating part. We have the turkey, sweet potatoes, and squash covered.
Don't worry if we haven't yet met. All friends were once people who didn't know each other, right? I've found that Thanksgiving is a great opportunity to meet new folks and make new friends.

Also, I'm super duper excited because Elizabeth from Delightfully Tacky, one of my all time favorite blogs, will be passing through Austin on Thanksgiving, and she'll be coming by, too. So far we have a host of other really fun loving folks joining us. I hope you'll also join us if you don't have other plans (and feel free to pass this along to others in Austin who may be alone on Thursday).

And now for something completely different.

Man, it's always been hard for me to summarize my style into a specific category, thus why I usually just leave it at "affordable fashion". It's hard to believe that this outfit shares a closet with what I wore yesterday, but I do rather like it. I'm especially enamored of my new fake leather paneled leggings:

I like "A" shirts. Just like someone else.


I got this fedora today on an impromptu shopping trip with my buddy Heidi. For the low, low price of $10 I can now rock the fedora. I hope no one thinks this makes me a huge Jason Mraz fan or some madness like that.

date: 19 Nov 2010
occasion: birthday party for Luke & Miranda Dodson
hat, shirt, and shoes: Urban Outfitters
leggings: Trouvé

Oh, and look! I wore flats again! Surprise, surprise. I briefly mentioned yesterday that I was thinking about giving up heels. It's not because I'm a mom, I swear. It's because my feet are a size larger post-pregnancy, and I have to get all new shoes. It seems way more practical to first stock up on shoes that I'll wear all the time. Right now, for me, I'm living in flats, but I do think that when it's date night or I get to dress up for something, absolutely nothing beats a great pair of heels. They're just a little further down on my priority list right now.

I'm doing way more laundry than I used to!

It seems silly to put on cute clothes when your kid is just going to spit up all over you!

It's still warm enough here to go bare legged!

Yellow is my favorite color to wear. Cardigans are my favorite article of clothing. This may have just become my new go-to item. Also, I like the puff on these sleeves.


Oh, look. Another pair of super comfortable flats. I am toying with the idea of giving up heels altogether.


I'm wearing this belt backwards. On purpose.


My newest creature.

date: 18 November 2010
occasion: couch potato-ing!
cardigan and skirt: Halogen
tank: Charlotte Ruse
studded belt: via clothing swap
ring and shoes: Urban Outfitters

I'm finding that if I just sit around in my pajamas all day, I get pretty crabby. When I get dressed, I find that I'm less likely to feel stir crazy being at home with Jude all day. Luckily all these pieces are machine washable... which is a great thing because this kid is a spit-up factory!

P.S.
(unrelated) Did anyone else get today's American Apparel Groupon (which will be available until Saturday)? $50 credit for $25? I was like, "Yes, please!", and I got two. By the way, if you're not getting Groupon and you want to, please feel free to use my referrer code to sign up. I get a $10 Groupon credit if you buy a Groupon, which is excellent because I use Groupon all the time. Thanks!

Google is my momma

This morning Google announced the launch of Boutiques.com, "a fashion website that lets buyers take an eHarmony-like compatibility test to figure out what types of fashion they like and then shop for shows, clothes, and accessories to their heart’s delight" [source].

Since I am secretly a tech news nerd and not-so-secretly married to a computer whiz, I zipped on over and made my own profile:
While there, I noticed that "inspiration photos" were pulled from various websites including Weardrobe and Couturious and I took a little quiz that was quite similar to one I took on Covet a while back. This made total sense to me since I knew that Weardrobe, Couturious, and Covet were all acquired by Like.com last spring. Like.com was bought by 'net giant Google in August. To review:
Weardrobe.com was bought by Like.com along with Covet.com and Couturious.com. Like.com was bought by Google who mixed them all into a big pot and birthed Boutiques.com and now Google owns it all.

This morning, a few folks wondered how Boutiques.com could use their style photos without their permission. This is a misnomer, because technically they did get permission a long, long time ago when we signed up to be a part of Weardrobe. Per Weardrobe's terms of service:

You retain your rights to any Content you submit, post or display on or through the Service. By submitting, posting or displaying Content on or through the Service, you grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license (with the right to sublicense) to use, copy, reproduce, process, adapt, modify, publish, transmit, display and distribute such Content in any and all media or distribution methods (now known or later developed).

Essentially this means this (as quoted verbatim from Hubs):

we (including any of our subsidiaries or owners) can do whatever we want with the content you upload, including making money with it, and you are not entitled to any remuneration (payment) or credit.

I like to think of it like this, though:

Some folks are mad that their photos are on the site, whereas others are bewildered as to why their photos are on there but are credited incorrectly. Because of the volume of Weardrobe photos, the incorrect credits are most likely due to a mistake in the code. Hubs points out that there is no way that someone went through every photo on Weardrobe and typed in credits. Most likely a computer code was written and it has some hiccups. These can be corrected easily via email.

Being a part of all these online style galleries is tricky. On one hand, I've made some wonderful friends through these sites and (let's be honest here) it helped me gain a little traffic and recognition when Adored Austin was first getting started. But on the other hand, it's a little disconcerting knowing that via each site's terms of services (which you have to agree to to sign up, whether or not you read them) I lose a little more control over my own images. It's a trade-off that one should seriously consider every time she signs up for a website (be it sites like Weardrobe and Chictopia or even just Facebook and Twitpic).

When it comes to shopping, we're very good at asking ourselves "Worth it or not?" but we really should start doing the same when joining online communities.

Two tutus

I like when the universe seems serendipitous. On the same day that my newest partner Poetrie sent me the aptly named "Bradshaw tutu",

My Name Necklace sent me their "Carrie necklace":

I tweeted earlier today that motherhood may have changed me. Or maybe it's just my age. Or it could be my weight gain. In any regard, suddenly all my heels seem too high and my skirts seem too short. I absolutely adore my Bradshaw tutu, but I felt I had to put another (longer) tutu underneath to make it a little more modest. I'm 5'8'' so short stuff is really short on me. Perhaps with black tights, I'll still keep my modesty in check and can go without the under-tutu.date: 16 November 2010
occasion: City Group
cardigan: BDG (UO)
denim shirt: Trouvé (Nordstrom)
white tutu: courtesy of Poetrie
black tutu (added for length): F21
shoes: Kimchi Blue (UO)
necklace: courtesy of MyNameNecklace.com

The following conversation happened Sunday regarding these shoes:

Friend: I like your shoes.
Me: Thanks! They just slip right on.
Hubs: Where are the laces?
Me: They didn't come with laces.
Hubs: What? Did you call customer service?
Me: No. Why?
Hubs: Because they forgot your laces!

For the record, they're not supposed to have laces. The tongue is elastic, so they stay on just fine. They're no Manolos, but I still like 'em.

[note: Poetrie is an Adored Austin partner]

Giveaway: $100 giftcard to Shopbop.com, featuring 7 for All Mankind

It all started when I worked at a department store during college. There was some kind of contest/ bang-up deal where I ended up with a $100 store credit. I had just finished up a hard semester, so I decided to treat myself to something I had always stayed clear of: premium denim. On my break from the make-up counter, I took the escalator up to the second floor and tried on jeans that cost five times as much as all the other pairs of jeans I had, and boy howdy, was I hooked!

Usually, I get a stomach ache when I spend a lot of money on single items. I don't own a lot of luxury brands that aren't finds from Buffalo Exchange or rescues from my mother's giveaway pile. The exception? Jeans.

One of the best places to get premium denim is Shopbop. Much better deals than department stores!

These are some of my favorites.

They carry perennial favorites like 7 for all mankind, Paige Premium Denim (my favorite!), and Genetic Denim. With the $100 giftcard they're giving away here, you would be well on your way to treating yourself to a pair of hoity-toity jeans. And if that's not your thing, check out the Shopbop on Sale section. I used to think that Shopbop's stuff was way out of my price range (and that $100 would *maybe* get you a pair of socks), but when I started perusing their goods a year ago, I saw that there were affordable brands like Mink Pink and BB Dakota, too. There's plenty to be had at all price points.

Shopbop is giving one lucky Adored Austin reader a $100 gift card just for being awesome. Want to try to win it? If so:
1. Double check to make sure you're following Adored Austin either on Google Reader, Blog Lovin', Networked Blogs (fb app), or simply like Adored Austin on Facebook.
2. By midnight Texas time Sunday, November 28th, fill out this form:

EDIT: Form removed. Entry period over. Winner contacted and announced.

Good luck, everyone! Like always, no need to retweet or repost or any of that for extra entries. Please, only one entry per person.
Please note: after the winner has been announced, I delete all your information from my inbox and server to ensure your privacy. I will never share your email address with others without your permission.

At last: a return to Savers

For the first time in months, I went to my beloved Savers last Thursday. My finds weren't that stellar, but it sure was nice to thrift again! Everything was 50% off!

1970's white silk blouse, Ralph Lauren chevron skirt, pink Nine West boots, 1980's black & white striped blouse, Banana Republic bubble skirt (to be rehemmed).


I don't know if I'll actually ever wear these pink suede boots, but because they were a perfect fit and were only $6, I couldn't just leave them there, could I?

The striped blouse I rocked right away:

date: 12 November 2010
occasion: date night to House Pizzaria
blouse: thrifted, Savers
skirt: thrifted American Apparel via Buffalo Exchange
belt: Savers
shoes: Kimchi & Blue, Urban Outfitters

As Hubs and I walked out the door about to embark on date night, he says, "You look like a 1980's business woman." And he was right on the money! All I needed was some pantyhose!

The Post-Pregnancy Shoe (Re)Collection Project: part 1, boots

Well, here we go again. Fall is here, and I'm on a boot hunt. Let's just hope this is more fruitful than last year's Great Boot Hunt of 2009. This season has ushered in a new endeavor: The Post-Pregnancy Shoe (Re)Collection Project. After giving birth to Jude, my feet haven't been the same. They are a wider, longer version of themselves, and almost all of my pre-pregnancy shoes no longer fit me. My midwife has confirmed that most likely they will not go back to their former selves. It's quite sad to me, as I really enjoyed my shoes. I am thankful, however, that I didn't have a collection of Manolos or Louboutins or Jimmy Choos. Most of my shoes are treasures from Buffalo Exchange and Savers, so at least there's that. On the bright side, I get to get some new shoes, and I've already started with four pairs of flats from Urban Outfitters.

In any regard, I spent an embarrassing amount of time last night pondering over boots at Wanted. I've narrowed it down to three pairs, but I really can't make the final call. Y'all have never led me astray when I've had you choose apparel for me in the past (see 1 and 2), so let's try it again:

notes: you can click on the boot to see its specs. Hubs likes #1 the best. They are no doubt the most versatile. The middle boots are inspired by the wintery looks on Ruche. Ooh la la! And lastly, if #3 came in my (new) size in black, there would be no poll. That's what I'd get. Alas, they only have my size in navy. They're the tallest at 21.25'' tall. Wow!


I totally trust you and will be placing my order in the next couple of days, so vote vote away! And thank you. I'm terribly indecisive.

Celebrities smell

Alright, people. Can we all agree that this is getting out of hand?

It all started this morning while I was watching Mariah Carey's new music video "Oh, Santa" (side note: it's catchy, but it ain't no "All I Want for Christmas"). I was momentarily confused as the video started with a faux-retro announcer-type extolling Ms. Carey's newest fragrance "Lollipop Bling".

Hold the friggin' phone there.

Lollipop Bling? Lollipop Bling? LOLLIPOP BLING?! Really?! Is that the name of her new fragrance? I'm just slightly surprised because last I checked, Mariah Carey was a FORTY YEAR OLD WOMAN, not, you know... nine years old.
I'm all for one being young at heart, but this Lollipop Bling advertisement looks like it was designed by Lisa Frank circa 1990. Is this perfume being marketed toward children? Or just women who love suckers and diamonds?

Then I started thinking about celebrity fragrances, in general. Lollipop Bling is definitely a contender for most absurd name, but let's not forget Jessica Simpson's "Fancy Nights":I have never, in my adult life, used the adjective "fancy" without a heavy dose of sarcasm and/ or irony. And what is with this ad? This does not look like a "fancy night" in so much as it looks like Ms. Simpson is vying to be an extra in The Vampire Diaries.

Speaking of crazy looking ads, did you see Christina Aguilera's ad for her perfume "Inspire"? No? Well, get a gander at this: It is clear that the inspiration Ms. Aguilera gets for her perfume is from Glinda, the Good Witch. I'm sure it must arrive via pink bubble. Now I'm inspired to watch The Wizard of Oz. Or to sing some songs from Wicked. One of those.

And have you ever noticed how perfume ads often show a grown woman swinging?
Does smelling good= field trip to the playground? And here's a question for Kim Kardashian: How in the heck can a perfume be described as "voluptuous?" How does voluptuous smell? I guess for $50 I could find out...

Last but by no means least, is Paris Hilton. She, oddly enough, is one of the perfume industry's most prolific celebrity scent endorsers. She has TEN fragrances out (second only to J.Lo and Celine Dion who each have 14), but in my opinion she reigns supreme in the ridiculous ad department:

For Fairy Dust she no doubt saw the new Tinkerbell movie. For Siren she saw "The Little Mermaid", and for Can Can she saw "Moulin Rouge". I really, really want her to watch "Apollo 13" and dress like an astronaut for her next perfume. Someone call her publicist or Tweet her and MAKE THAT HAPPEN, okay?

Anyway, you can see a Wikipedia list of celebrity fragrances here, but I urge you, my fellow females, let's put an end to this absurdity! Let's bring back the days of wearing Love's Baby Soft or Clinique Happy or something that, you know, doesn't need an absurd celebrity advertisement and endorsement to move units. Except "With Love by Hilary Duff". Leave her alone. It's awesome.

Psst...

Jude's photo session with Amber Snow Photography is up on The Wonder Love.

New duds coming my way! Thank you, internet.

I tweeted yesterday that I had a cart full of goodies in my virtual shopping cart online, but I was apprehensive to pull the trigger. I finally let go of my shopping inhibitions and reasoned, "Indi, you haven't bought anything for yourself in a long time. Go ahead!" So, one day later, I did it! I finally spent my birthday money and will be expecting these pieces in the mail in 5- 7 business days:

Urban Outfitters was having a massive sale (every piece I got was under $15). The chambray shirt, yellow cardigan, leggings, and green skirt are from Nordstrom, which is also doing a big sale. I am most excited about the shoes (all a size 10, now that I'm fairly certain I will never be a 9 again) and the leather paneled leggings. I really want to amp up my style. I was looking through my archives and realized that i have not had what I think is a great outfit in quite some time. Any suggestions on how to style the items I got?

Y'all know that I LOVE shopping at thrift stores and estate sales, but when it comes to buying new clothes, I much prefer shopping online vs. shopping in stores. Most online retailers have excellent return policies, so I have no qualms about retuning things that just aren't up to snuff. What about you?

Winner: Marc Jacobs owl bangle & Smashion.com giveaways

So when my computer broke last week, Hubs updated my iLife from '09 to '11, and now I have no idea how to use my iMovie! So alas, rather than sit here all night and try to figure it out, I thought I'd just go ahead and announce the giveaway winners via photo. Congrats, you two!

If you're not Brooke or Clare, no fear. There are more great giveaways coming soon! Thank you to everyone who entered and thank you to Chin at Designer Apparel and Vanessa at Smashion for putting together such great giveaways!

jewelry jackpot!

Last week I felt like I hit a small jewelry jackpot. My mother-in-law, who has impeccable taste and who really gets my aesthetic sent me this jaw dropping Alexis Bittar bracelet for my birthday:I LOVE it but I am considering trading it for a different Alexis Bittar bracelet with a hinge. Little known fact: though I have somewhat slender wrists, I have GIANT MAN HANDS. Bangles are sometimes tricky for me because of my huge hands! Once I slide 'em on, it's hard for me to slide 'em off.

I usually never have a problem with necklaces, and Judith from A Box From My Treasure has once again fed my insatiable thirst for animal jewelry with this adorable deer necklace:

This is the only deer I own even though I really love fawns. I have since decided that I need more deer in my collection. Oh, Judith, thanks for continuing to feed the obsession!

Review: Are you a Jackie or a Marilyn? & The Ellements of Personal Style

Because I'm breastfeeding Jude I have spent a lot more time tethered to my recliner than I had originally anticipated. I'm speeding through books like crazy, so I was super excited when The Penguin Group offered to send me two new books, both with a fashion bent, to peruse.

1. Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn?: Timeless Lessons on Love, Power, and Style
It's safe to say that no two women have influenced fashion like Jackie Kennedy Onasis and Marilyn Monroe. This book asks the age old question but applies it to dating, make-up, exercise, and career.

Review: The book starts off with a simple quiz to determine if you lean Jackie or Marilyn. Regardless of the result (I am, much to my surprise, mostly a Marilyn) the book insists that you may be more Jackie in some areas of your life and more Marilyn in others. My favorite part is the adorable illustrations:Author Pamela Keough knows her stuff, acting as a cultural anthropologist on all things Jackie and Marilyn. Packed full of personal anecdotes and little known trivia bits on both Jackie O and Marilyn, this was a quick and easy read.

Verdict: a must for those who love either of these stylish ladies or anyone who has aspirations to be a first lady or a Hollywood starlet. Because it does deal a lot with dating and man advice, this book is probably best for the unattached lady, though.

2. The ELLEments of Personal Style: 25 Modern Fashion Icons on How to Dress, Shop, and Live
It's been 25 years since Elle Magazine first graced the world with its fabulousness. To celebrate, Elle has recently published "The Ellements of Personal Style" featuring 25 fashion icons. These "icons" run the gamut: actresses young and old (Lea Michelle, Angelica Houston), singers/ performers (Fergie, Dita Von Teese), and even one legitimate fashion heiress (Margherita Missoni). The other icons include: model Erin Wasson, tv host Padma Lakshmi, actresses Ashley Greene, Tracey Ellis Ross, Christina Hendricks, Olivia Wilde, Katherine Pope, Kate Mara, Becki Newton, Milla Jovovich, and Charlotte Rampling, designer Diane von Furstenberg, singers Estelle, Alicia Keys, and Charlotte Gainsbourg, art world fixture Yvonne Force Villareal, author Candace Bushnell, Mad Men costume designer Janie Bryant, and director/ choreography Fatima Robinson.

Review: I loved this book! Every icon is photographed in her home (some in their awe-inspiring closets), and each of them put together inspiration boards, answered questions in their own handwriting, and even boiled down their style to just one item.I especially loved when the women would share photos of themselves from way back in the day. Above is Diane von Furstenberg's personal collage. Every page is full, and this would be an excellent coffee table book or a book to thumb through if you feel like you're stuck in a fashion rut.

Verdict: recommended! Would be a great Christmas gift for the every day fashion lover.

Special thanks to Casey and Anne at The Penguin Group for sending me copies of these books to review. I love non-fiction books, and I'd love to hear your recommendations so I can bulk up my library list! Suggestions?