The lookbook images of the Sessún A/W 2008 have me swooning. The photography is gorgeous, and the clothing is the epitome of Parisian chic. I want it all! Then again, I am always trying however unsuccessfully to tap into my inner French girl (she must be in there somewhere, right?! :))


View the entire Sessún Fall 2008 lookbook here

My favorite Fall Looks From Sessún:

View the entire Sessún Fall 2008 collection here
or
View the making of the Sessún A/W lookbook video here

Anya Hindmarch's collection for Target will will be available at the Target stores nationwide starting on October 12th. Can't wait that long? You're in luck. We will all have chance to snatch up these lovely bags early at Target prices starting October 8th exclusively on Anya Hidmarch's website*!

See below for a sneak peak at the wonderful things to come!

View them all right here

*The collection will not be available in Anya Hindmarch boutiques.

Loeffler Randall never fails to produce beautiful, feminine, clothing, shoes, boots, and handbags. I consider their Fall 2008 look book one long wish list...


The entire collection is beautiful, but I really adore the gray cropped jacket with the ruffled collar (which is $545 @ Cusp).


Oh and I must have the shoes pictured below on the right...



They are to die for! Get the Berry Double Crisscross Pump $525 @ Shopbop.

To view the entire Fall 2008 collection click here

Purchase the Loeffler Randall Fall 2008 collection at Shopbop, Barneys, Revolve Clothing, Saks, Cusp, Neiman Marcus, Basic Boutique, Active Endeavors, Bergdorf Goodman, Singer 22, Pink Mascara,

The very talented, Camilla Engman, has just added a 2009 calendar to her shop! As always the illustrations are just lovely!




Purchase yours right here for $28 at the Camilla Engman Shop

As promised,  here are my next photos of M.A.C.'s Overrich Pigments. It took me a while to post about this collection, but It was well worth the wait.  I suppose it would be fair to say that now that I have 5 colors from the collection and can use various combinations I am not only absolutely hooked, but I can fully appreciate the shades and the formula!!

I love all of the colors. The photos below contain swatches of  Vintage Gold, Blonde's Gold (appropriate, no?), & Mauvement. Mauvement of course is not new to me, but after my samples of the pigment ran out I decided to purchase a full container of the hue.  This shade looks great with almost anything! It is quite amazing!




Purchase M.A.C.'s Overrich Pigments @ M.A.C. for $19.50 each. If you are new to pigments, or aren't sure about a color I HIGHLY recommend that you order a small sample of the color you're interested in from The Body Needs...they are fabulous!  I get pigment samples from there all the time & I've been more than pleased with their service and prices!

As for the tools and other colors I use with this collection...I use M.A.C.'s Painterly Paint Pot as a base, M.A.C.'s Shroom eyeshadow as a highlighter (or sometimes in Nylon) and I use M.A.C.'s 239, 219, & 217 brushes for my pigments.

If you are interested in seeing more Overrich pigment swatches check out my previous post about the Antique Green & Copperbeam pigments here! I should also be getting samples of the other hues in the collection from The Body Needs in a few days at which time I will post a few new photos that will include post application :)

I also wear the pigments with this blush from the Cult of Cherry collection. It is my new favorite blush to use for a dramatic eye or dramatic lip :):



Blooming Blush $18 @ M.A.C. from the Cult of Cherry collection;

I am loving Colette Malouf's Fall 2008 collection of hair accessories. They make me want to go out every night...

 

My nephew's 4th birthday is coming up in the next few weeks so I've been brainstorming gift ideas with the focus on books that he doesn't already have...for kid who loves being read to this is not an easy task! This of course got me reminiscing about books that I loved as a child. My ultimate favorite is "The Boy Who Fooled The Giant" by Tamara Kitt.

My mom loved this book so much as a child that even though it was out of print she made sure we had a copy on hand and each of us kids were read it a million times. It is such a clever story, and the illustrations are wonderful it makes me sad that they don't reissue it. I currently have two copies of my own that I "won" on ebay. You can usually find a copy around $3-10 depending on the seller. These easy reader editions are the most common, and as you would imagine, they fall apart very easily if you aren't careful. We like to have a few copies on hand for that reason.  I think it is such a great book, and since my beagle doesn't exactly appreciate books I thought I would capture the images and share them with you. Check out the slideshow below as I have diligently photographed the pages of this book:




For more of my favorite children book selections please see this "vintage" post from February of 2006. What are some of your favorite kids' books?

SNL had a handful of very funny bits, if you didn't see the show last night here are three clips that are a must see:

Tiny Fey nails it again on SNL...



Oh and don't forget Bill, he loves parties:




& Judy Grimes is just kidding...

I woke up super early to catch the live streams right here. It was totally worth it, I love the song. Now I just need it on my iPod STAT! Take a listen below:



What do you think?

Is someone trying to send me a message? In light of my brief comments on the dire state of the U.S. economy, a facebook friend sent me a link to these very clever billfold wallets with a simple messages such as "spend less" & "think twice" meant to serve as a reminder each time you go to take out money from your wallet. To which I say, point taken. And because we all need a little reminder now and again check out the wallets below:


spend less $25; think twice wallet $25; @ trees with knees

I am really digging the Fall evening looks in the Fall 2008 Bow & Arrow by Alan Del Rosario collection. The silhouette is simple and classic and I like the variety of textures and embellishments used on his version of the little black dress.




Watch the Fall Bow & Arrow looks on the LA Fashion Week Runway by clicking here


All images provided courtesy of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week

The wait is (ALMOST) over--just a few more hours to go! Britney Spears' first single from her upcoming album, Circus, will debut on radio early this morning! Get your radios ready!!! If you don't have a radio on hand, Britney.com will have the song posted online by 12pm EST, so you won't be missing anything. Also, check to see if your local stations will be streaming it live! Listen to the tune on Last.FM at 10am EST!


Check out the official lyrics after the jump...

WOMANIZER

Superstar
Where you from, how's it going?
I know you
Gotta clue, what you’re doing?
You can play brand new to all the other chicks out here
But I know what you are, what you are, baby

Look at you
Gettin' more than just re-up
Baby, you
Got all the puppets with their strings up
Fakin' like a good one, but I call 'em like I see 'em
I know what you are, what you are, baby

Womanizer

Boy, don't try to front
I know just what you are

Womanizer

Daddy-O
You got the swagger of champions
Too bad for you
Just can't find the right companion
I guess when you have one too many, makes it hard
It could be easy, but that's who you are, baby

Lollipop
Must mistake me as a sucker
To think that I
Would be a victim not another
Say it, play it how you wanna
But no way I'm ever gonna fall for you, never you, baby

Maybe if we both lived in a different world
It would be all good, and maybe I could be ya girl
But I can't 'cause we don't

{source: Britney.com}

Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen are on a mission to expand their fashion empire. With two high-end clothing lines, The Row, Elizabeth & James, and a collaboration with jeweler Robert Lee Morris already under their belt they are seeking to add shoes to their ever expanding list. This time the sisters will collaborate with Steve Madden for an early 2009 Steve Madden + Elizabeth & James high-end collection that will be sold in department & high-end retail stores nationwide. (I don't know about you, but I'm sort of expecting some YSL looking platforms!)

The Elizabeth & James Fall 2008 collection is presently making its way into boutiques, department stores, and web shops as well. I'm loving their high-waisted minis, cape-coats, blazers, and feather embellished looks!

Check out my favorite images from the Elizabeth & James rocker inspired lookbook:

(lookbook images via Elizabeth & James}


To purchase Elizabeth & James, see my selections below:


top: Elizabeth & James Car Coat $650; Elizabeth & James Feather Tee Dress $345; Elizabeth & James Plaid Olivia Poncho $695; all @ Shopbop

bottom: Elizabeth & James Plume Skirt $765 (iridescent green pheasant feathers); Elizabeth & James Elizabeth IV Blazer $395; Elizabeth & James Plume Skirt $765 (black & white spotted pheasant feathers); all @ Shopbop


{clockwise} Elizabeth and James Boiled Wool Military Coat $495;
Elizabeth and James Emerson Blazer $395; Elizabeth and James
Sylvie Dress $125 ; Elizabeth and James Emmeline Top $365 ; all @ Saks



{clockwise} Elizabeth & James Leather Corset Jacket $695;Elizabeth and James Feather Tank $225; Elizabeth & James Eliza Wool Tuxedo Vest $275;Elizabeth & James Gored Knit Trumpet Skirt $265; all @ Intermix

(Source: WWD)

I am a bit what you would classify a print-a-holic. I am constantly buying & hanging art prints in my home. Etsy of course is where I find the majority of prints currently adorning my walls, and lately I've been looking to update my walls a bit. Below you will find my current favorite etsy items from thirteen very talented artists. Be sure to bookmark their shops if you don't already have them in your web roll!

Groundwork by Danna Ray:

{clockwise} Good Company - limited edition print $28; Giving $20; Ferns $20; New Growth $20; all by Danna Ray.

Lindsay Brackeen:

A Feather For Her Hair ORIGINAL by Lindsay Brackeen $100; A Flower For Her Hair ORIGINAL by Lindsay Brackeen $80.

Amelia Mae:

a disclosure - print (tan) by Amelia Mae $15.



Dan-ah Kim:

All My Vices Come To Hunt Me $35; I Kept Missing Your Train $35; Heart is Deceitful $20; all by Dan-ah Kim.

Swallowfield:

left: munjoy hill archival print $18; bloom, pollinate - archival print $18;
right: 280 archival print $18; all by swallowfield.


The Black Apple:

top: The Unspooling Print $18; Mary and Mitten Print $18;
bottom: Chipmunk Coiffure Print $18; Bjork Girl Print $18; all by Emily Martin of The Black Apple.

I also want this handmade doll from the Black Apple...

{image via Ordinary Forest}
This would be beyond perfect as a Christmas gift for my niece! Check out The Black Apple's shop update this Thursday at 6pm EST :) (I can't wait to see what more Emily has to offer!).


Roadside Projects:

PRINT- The Trapeze Twins $14 by Jayme McGowan.

I always flock to Marimekko's prints as they always seem to brighten up my day. The Fall 2008 collection designed by Mika Piirainen is no exception. The "Rosetta" pattern in gold/yellow is drawing me in and who can resist the fun rain gear?! See below for my favorite looks from this season's Mika Piirainen collection:


top: Award Skirt ; Fleur dress; Kupla hat, Vissy Bag & Karen skirt; Kasey dress;
bottom: Nitza dress; Nitza2 dress ; Trinnu dress; Lovage raincoat


I'm also really loving the super bold prints designed by Samu-Jussi Koski for Marimekko's Fall 2008 line! Check out my favorite looks below:


{clockwise} Giulia skirt ; Reversible Paulene jacket; Sondra cardigan & Maris dress ; Nea dress; see more designs by Samu-Jussi Koski here

Ever since Abaete & Lela Rose started collaborating with Payless, I have made it a habit to drop into my local store every season to check out the designs in person. I have a policy that if I'm going to buy shoes at a discount chain I have to try them on and see them with my own eyes. I do this all in hopes of finding a shoe that costs very little but LOOKS expensive.

This weekend I dropped in my local Payless hoping that the shoes I had spotted on their website would fall into the cheap but expensive looking category. Unfortunately, I didn't find what I was looking for. Not to be discouraged, I dropped in to the 34th Street location this morning before work to give one last look around for shoes in my size. I lucked out and left with two pairs in hand--a pair of Lela Rose bow flats and these fabulous patent oxford booties that I wore all day. I couldn't believe how COMFORTABLE they were! I swear! These shoes are awesome and Sophie agrees...

Tate Oxford Bootie $24.95 @ Payless;


I also bought these shoes (which are much cuter in person): Lela Rose for Payless Sanborn Bow Flat $34 @ Payless

What a steal! :)

I'm completely obsessed with M.A.C.'s Overrich Pigments!! The colors are gorgeous, and the formula is ultra smooth making it easy to blend & apply. I recently picked up the pigments in Copperbeam & Antique Green, two hues I think are perfect for fall! Check out my photos below:



I also put Mauvement, Vintage Gold, & Blonde's Gold on order. I adore all of the colors, so I couldn't stop at just the two! Purchase your Overrich pigments for $19.50 @ M.A.C.


P.S. I do however feel a little bummed that my containers were not filled to the brim, which I am accustomed too judging from my other M.A.C. pigment purchases, but that all has to do with M.A.C.'s pigment density rule--a rule I relunctantly accept.

Phillip Lim's Spring 2009 collection certainly ranked up there among my favorite collections of the season. But the ultimate highlight of the collection for me was not the swirl of exposed zippers, bow belts, or spotted bags (although those were pretty great), but the SHOES. 32 pairs of Christian Louboutin creations strolled down the runway in leather, suede, snakeskin, metallics, pink, orange, gray, black, & camel. The ruffled sandals and pumps have left a permanent impression in my mind! I seriously would kill for a pair of these!


{images via Style.com & NY Mag}

I am really loving the visual archive feature Tumblr has. Looking back at all of the images I have collected over at We're Not In Kansas Anymore, I find myself inspired all over again thanks to the amazing artists & photographers I stumble upon everyday! Here is a mini peak at what I've been posting in that space...check it out in all its glory right here






Archives from We're Not In Kansas Anymore

I love the designs on these silk screened tea towels by Jenny Bowers. These prints are so wonderful they are worthy of hanging on the walls!!

1. Philosophy Gratitude Pomegranate Shower Gel $20 @ Sephora;
   
2. Fresh Brown Sugar Body Polish$65 @ Sephora;
3. Aveda Damage Remedy Intensive Restructuring Treatment $26;
4. Aveda Pure Abundance Clay Volumizing Conditioner $15;
5. Aveda Pure Abundance Volumizing Shampoo $15;
6. Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control, Power-Clear Scrub $7.64;
7. Philosophy Hope In A Jar SPF 20 $18 - $45 @ Sephora;
   
8. Mistral Green Apple Passionfruit Body Cream $26;
   
9. Harajuku Lovers G fragrance $25 - $45 @ Sephora;
   
10. Jonathan Condition Leave-In Gloss Creme $22 @ Sephora;
11. Smashbox Photo Finish Primer in Color Adjust $36 @ Sephora;
12. Nars concealer in vanilla $21 @ Sephora;
    
13. Aveda Phomollient Styling Foam $14;
14. Laura Mercier Mineral Powder Spf 15 in Tender Rose $35 @ Sephora;
    
15. Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler$19 @ Sephora;
16. Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in Chocolate Shimmer $21 @ Nordstrom;
17. Bobbi Brown Ultra Fine Eyeliner Brush $25 @ Nordstrom;
18. DÉFINICILS - High Definition Mascara$24 @ Sephora;
19. M·A·C Cult of Cherry Tempting Eye Shadow Quad $36;
    
20. Nars Blush in Mata Hari $21;
21. Sephora Brand Professionnel Platinum Angle Brush #22, $18;
22. Sephora Brand Professionnel Platinum Small Shader Brush #17, $18;
23. Sephora Brand Professionnel Platinum Natural All Over Shadow Brush #12, $20;
24. Sephora Brand Professionnel Platinum Natural Slant Brush #42, $32;
25. Sephora Brand Professionnel Platinum Natural Rounded Powder Brush #41, $38;
26. Neutrogena On-the-Spot Acne Treatment, Vanishing Formula $6.25;
27. Neutrogena Make-up Remover Cleansing Towelettes $7.19;

The Emmys was a snooze-fest! The fashion wasn't much better, but there were a few lovely dresses floating down the red carpet. Some of my favorites are pictured below:


{via Getty images}

top: Brooke Shields in a fuschia Badgley Mischka gown, Julia Louise-Dreyfus in a salmon Narcisco Rodriguez gown, Mariska Hargitay in a sunny Carolina Herrera gown;

middle: Eva Longoria in a short & sweet Marchesa dress, Christina Applegate wowed in Reem Acra, Heidi Klum in one of her many dresses by Armani Prive (she also wore a gown by Christian Soriano on stage that I adored!);

bottom: America Ferrera in vintage (I actually am not sure that I like the dress on her...too much fabric for her, BUT I do really like the dress) Hayden Pantenierre in Badgley Mischka (I wish she would have wore something more fun, young, and adventurous but sleek & sophisticated works), Sandra Oh in Oscar de La Renta, Tina Fey in David Meister (she looked great on stage and the details on this dress was quite beautiful!)



This pre-show bit with Jimmy Kimmel was probably the funniest bit the five hosts had all night. It was quite bad...the five of them didn't seem to have anything more than this, other than the good looks of Heidi Klum. We should have known it was going to be a boring show when one of the hosts has to resort to stripping! :)

For a list of Emmy Winners click here

John Derian's decoupage work fascinates me (the red letter series is my all time favorite!), but sadly usually winds up outside of my budget parameters (like most things), so I was thrilled when I heard that he was doing a line for Target. While I was able to see some of the pieces in person at the Bullseye Bodega, the items I was hoping to snatch up had already disappeared from the Bodega's "frozen foods" section once I dared to navigate the overcrowded aisles! Thankfully, I didn't have to wait long because John Derian is available at Target right now! Check out my favorite items are below!



{clockwise} Small Alphabet Tray $12.99;John Derian Large Butterfly Shadow Box $16.99;
John Derian Botanical Wall Art - Spire $24.99; John Derian Blue Butterfly Coaster Set of 4 $12.99; all @ Target

Bad news just keeps rolling in! This news might not be the worst of it* but it is certainly a disappointment that the Topshop's NYC opening has been pushed back to Spring 2009! Of course, we might not have any money to shop with this fall with the economy headed plummeting south and all. I can't say it doesn't make sense for the London based shop, but I am sad. It isn't a total loss though--the Topshop u.s. online store is open now and these images of Topshop's Unique Spring 2009 collection is full of bright 80s flashiness that will surely cheer you up as you stand by and watch your 401k diminish any hopes & dreams you might of had of early retirement.

Runway roundup:

{images via Coutorture}

Watch Peaches & Corey Kennedy cover the TopShop Spring 2009 show during London Fashion week for NYLON TV:



*(the fact that my bank is in dire trouble takes the cake on that one!)

I am head over heels in love with the new offerings from Madewell. The boots, leather bomber, dresses, wool blazer, scarves, pleated mini skirt, and plaid tunic top my long Madewell wishlist. There are simply too many things to love from this store!!! See below for my favorite fall looks from Madewell:


View all the fall looks from Madewell right here.

P.S. Sign up for updates, the Madewell online shop will be up & running soon!

I can't get enough of the gorgeous agate, gold, & silver jewelry from Stone & Honey! These stunning & colorful nature inspired pieces are a must for my jewelry collection!

{top} boris $150; garson $110; perdita $150; @ stone & honey
{bottom}dark brown & clear with honeycomb $225; freddy $65; multi with honeycomb $225; @ stone & honey