{ The Most Swelle Blog on the Block }

This gorgeous blog, The Swelle Life, was one of my inspirations to start my own blog. It's joy.

And it meets... nay, exceeds... the highest of expectations for a fantastic site.

The author is a cosmopolitan Canadian-turned-Brit (check!), freelance fashion writer (check!), with amazing photography skills (check!), and an eye for fashion and all things fabulous
(ch-ch-check!).

And she has this thing called "Cupcake Monday."
For REAL.

Every Monday, she features luscious cupcakes in various states of dress. I'm always surprised at what I see. Mondays are definitely more fun for me because there are new cupcakes-in-costumes in it.

Cupcake Monday: Floral Edition;
Cupcake Monday: Handbag Edition; and
Cupcake Monday: Manly Butch Edition, just to name a few.

Unless otherwise noted, all photos courtesy of The Swelle Life.

It was on her blog I got my first look at Alexander McQueen's final collection.












Her blog introduced her great weekly column that pays homage to the art of accessorizing.

FROM THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 2010:
ACCESSORIZE THIS: THE PERFECTLY SUITED
SCARVES OF MARGO PETITTI

FROM THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 2010
LONDON FASHION WEEK:
ACCESSORIES TRENDS
TREAD LIGHTLY

FROM THURSDAY, JANUARY 4, 2010:
ACCESSORIZE THIS: THE LITTLE THINGS

So it's not suprising that this avid reader of The Swelle Life-- who happens to love free stuff-- immediately honed in on a new post that included the word "giveaway." A proud member of the I- never-win-anything-club since 1989, I didn't think I had much of a chance. Truly, I stopped stuffing boxes with strategically-crumpled slips of paper when I was about 9.

But, when I saw what she was giving away, I just had to try.

Archie Grand notebooks!

Photos courtesy of Archie Grand

They're kitschy, cheeky, and delightful. I've wanted one forever. Little notebooks great for list-making or jotting down random thoughts. Tres' cute when pulled out of a tote bag. They have a matte satin cardstock cover and inside are 160 blank pages of Lessebo Linné paper with sewn signatures.

The only thing you had to do for this giveaway was visit the Archie Grand website, which I enjoyed, and become a fan of Swelle Life on Facebook, which I already had. You could also Tweet about the giveaway.

Seeing as the amount of space this entry has taken up, either I'm an extremely good sport and can lose with total grace and dignity...

Girl, please.


We all know I'm writing this because I won!!!

Thank you to the lovely Denise of The Swelle Life for your generosity!!! I am beyond excited about my win and appreciate it so much. Thank you also for your always delightful blog, it never fails to brighten my day. It really gives me something to emulate and enjoy in the process.

{ Camillia. Wisteria. Vermillion. }

Since I'm heading to the West Coast to visit a friend this week, I thought I'd put a spotlight on one of my favorite decadent, color-loving, somewhat divisive, California-sunshine designers, Kelly Wearstler. I found out about her through a feature on the always impeccable Habitually Chic blog.

I love her style for being florid and opulent while still embracing the clean lines and luscious yet strict color palette of Modernism. Hip design meets "Hollywood Regency." If you gave up sweets for Lent like I did, the eye candy in her books (Modern Glamour, Domicilium Decoratus, and Hue) are a great substitute.

Bring on the Frappaccinos and Uggs... I already love L.A.

All images courtesy of Kelly Wearstler's Official Website.

{ The Original Designer Label }

The other day my boyfriend and I were watching Pawn Stars on the History Channel. (Yes, Pawn Stars. That's a whole separate post.) If you're not familiar with the show, essentially people come into this Las Vegas pawn shop trying to hawk their treasures. I've seen everything from a quilt made of over 200 patches of celebrity autographs, to a faux Renaissance jousting lance. The employees then decide if they'll buy, and how much they'll pay. (The guys that work there totally play up to the reality TV of it all... they'll crack a joke and give a sideways glance to the camera, and you just wait for the "Did ya get that?") There's a grumpy grandpa that owns it that never says anything nice. And there's this guy named-- Arthur-- or something? But they call him "Chum Lee." Because he's of Asian descent. Really?)

But I digress.
On one episode, a guy brings in a gorgeous, weathered, and very antique Louis Vuitton traveling trunk. He had apparently bought it for next to nothing at an estate sale, where he said it was in the basement to be thrown away. That trunk encompassed all that I love about antiques-- you can let your imagination run wild with scenarios and stories where your piece is a character. For this particular trunk, I picture its owner as a Gibson Girl-esque shipping merchant's daughter, who wears long gloves, and hats with feathers, and smells like lavender and soap.

The trunk was covered in LV's signature monogram canvas, and the corners and lock were protected by beautifully patina-ed leather. The best thing about it, in my opinion, were the faded stickers from cargo holds around the world. Oh the tales it could tell.

I found this to be a great opportunity to educate my boyfriend on the history of Louis Vuitton. As his eyes started to gloss over, I told him that:

LV was originally a high-end luggage line and began in the mid-19th century.

And, Did you know that the famous monogram canvas design was inspired by Japanese art?

ANDDDD, That it is the most counterfeited brand in fashion history? (He proudly stated that he knew all about Louie-vee-tie-wans. Sigh.)

Then he cut me off. So I will take the rest of this little lesson on Louis Vuitton here, to my happy place. Because to me, Louis Vuitton is the epitome of timeless style and luxury; deserving of so much more than to a sad plastic hook in a van on Canal Street... or worse, this.

The real Mr. Louis Vuitton was born in 1821 in Jura, France. At the age of 14, he literally walked 200 miles-- on foot-- to Paris, where he became an apprentice of a luggage maker. By 1854 he opened his own high-end luggage shop, and gained international recognition after winning at multiple World Fairs. (Fun fact: Vuitton made some of the first flat-topped trunks; prior to this, trunks were rounded and thus could not be stacked on top of one another.)

It was for one such exhibition that Vuitton created a beige and brown stripe design, to hinder counterfeiting... which was already becoming a thorn in the LV brand's side. After the death of Louis, son Georges Vuitton took the company worldwide; by 1896 the monogram canvas as we know it today had evolved, and the Louis Vuitton Company soon saw stores everywhere from Buenos Ares to New York.

By the 1930s Gaston-Louis Vuitton, grandson of Louis, was heading a company that was broadening its product line. In the 1950s the canvas leather was revamped in order to better accommodate production of smaller leather goods such as wallets and handbags. Audrey Hepburn was a fan-- and there's really no more powerful definition of chic than that.

In 1987, the Louis Vuitton of my generation was formed: LVMH. Moet et Chandon (champagne) and Hennessy (cognac) merged with Louis Vuitton to form the luxury goods conglomerate. Purses & cocktails... rhythm & blues... Fred and Ginger.... they just go together.

The Louis Vuitton brand has managed to stay afloat in the ever-changing drifts of fashion trends. It has been translated into the languages of fashion geniuses such as Marc Jacobs and Takashi Murakami, resulting in cherry blossoms patterns and Crayola-splashed graffiti. But underneath the sparkle of Amarante, Pomme de Amour, and Perle Vernis lies the same simplistic brown symbol that covers the trunk owned by my Gibson Girl.

Thank you, Mr. Vuitton, for making that 200-mile hike to Paris. We sure are glad you did.