Anne Finley Jewelry

Oooooo shiny! That's how I judge the extent of my desire for a piece of jewelry. Luckily Cath introduced me to Anne's gorgeous jewelry a few years ago at the Decatur Arts Festival and it's not just shiny, it's also handmade, well-crafted and so reasonably priced (reasons quickly spotted by Cath- the thoughtful consumer).
I know the photos are a bit fuzzy (we're still figuring out this hand-me-down camera). The top photo shows the silver cuff and pinkie ring I picked up at jewelry party she was having at a friend's house. The bottom photo shows a close-up of the ring, which is actually square instead of circular. The sides of the square hug my finger quite nicely... a perfect fit!
If you guys are in town at the end of May (Memorial Day Weekend), you have to stop by the Decatur Arts Festival. Anne and about 200 other extremely talented artist will be hawking their wares. Anne also has a website, though at the moment it just highlights one line of her jewelry. Keep your eyes peeled! I let you know when all of her stuff is up for grabs on the site.


LL

The Chair

We swiped this from Wordsmiths (amazing bookstore in Decatur... soon to rule the literary south east) when they were moving (new location on the square downtown. Locals, if you haven't checked this place out, you seriously need to hoof it on ovah!).
Doesn't this chair look kind of Eames-esque? Cath and I have lusted after these chairs since Wordsmiths opened last year (I have visual proof right here. We didn't swipe this black one because it doesn't go with our decor as well). What do you guys, think? We are excited that we have a cool modern piece in our home that might be older than the rest of our stuff form Ikea combined! Woot, woot!

LL

Happy Friday, Everyone!

photo source unknown

Dear Readers, We hope you have a lovely, enchanting weekend! Love, The AsianCajuns

Zooey Deschanel for Erin Fetherston

Move over Kirsten Dunst! Zooey Deschanel is the star in Fetherston's latest video. Check it out on the Style File blog. It's much shorter (only one song) and less self-conscious, which makes for a fun video. Deschanel just kind of semi-dances throughout, but the music, fashion and styling are well worth a look.

CL

The Return of Tie Dye?

What do you guys think? I had been hearing rumblings about the tie-dye trend returning (returning from the depths of my closet circa summer of 1989), most recently on Style Bytes. I was hesitant about this one. Well, I was until I spied this tank/tunic on the sale rack at Urban for $9.99- and I thought that was a price that makes it okay to say yes to tie-dye... again. So this time 'round I've foregone the purple plastic-beaded necklaces, Popples Perfume, and stick on earring, but other than that I feel much the same wearing this tank now as I would have when I was five. Those were the days....

tank: Urban Outfitters
dress (underneath): AA
tights: Tarjay
boots: Minnetonka

LL

The Gap Shirt

Cath picked up this shirt from Gap last weekend. Well done, eh? I love the detailing around the sleeves and the structured drape (is that an oxymoron?) of the cut. I think more of this fine tayloring + Gap is to come with it's partnership with a number of much loved designers this spring (3.1 Phillip Lim, Band of Outsiders, Michael Bastian, Philip Crangi and Threeasfour).

On Cath:
shirt: Gap
pants: Victoria Secret
shoes: Payless

LL

New Resources

After a delicious Easter meal with some friends, I spent the rest of the evening online window shopping. Below are a few new (to me) websites with reasonably-priced items that I bookmarked so I can revisit them on payday.

Tulle

I stumbled upon Tulle's website the other day. I've never heard of it before. It doesn't have a huge inventory, but I love how each piece has something kind of unexpected about it. Like the sweater below could almost be from Gap if it didn't have that great exaggerated collar.

Tulle's price range is around $50-$70, but the best finds are the items on sale (see the five images below).

Waffle Knit Funnel Collar Sweater $26

Cotton Voile Smocked Tunic $27

Herringbone Tulip Dress $31

Canvas Bib Jacket $32

Poly Knit Retro Dress $26

* * * * *

Etsy: Karen Hilton Designs

Lauren and I have been looking for some Union Jack pillows for our living room. Karen Hilton makes them in almost every color combination you can imagine. Other great Anglophile pillow designs from the store include the Queen Elizabeth II stamps (pictured bellow), flower power-theme and terrior dog portraits.

Queen Elizabeth II Stamp Cushion/Pillow $65

Pink and Green Union Jack Cushion/Pillow $60

* * * * *

Matter Matters

This website mostly has ridiculously expensive accessories and home wares, but there are a handful of affordable items that would make any home look like something featured in Dwell magazine.

Cristal Carafe $55

Still Life Fruit Bowl $95

* * * * *

Muji

I fell in love with Muji during my first trip to London. Every item seems so utilitarian and efficient. All the travel and desktop items make me want to be organized. The furniture and kitchen items make me wish that I lived in one of those scarily minimalist homes. So I was quite pleased to learn that the store ships to the U.S.

Cup and Saucer - Heatproof about $6

Square Face Watch about $60

* * * * *

Smil

As this cute, little German website states, Smil carries "accessories that make you happy." It's like a German Fred Flare. All the items are so endearing and the creators seem to have an affinity for dachshunds.

Teckel brooch in pink around $14

Air mail pouch about $27

My regular online window shopping usually includes a stop by CB2, Fred Flare, Heliotrope, Asos and Museum of Useful Things.

What are your favorite online window shopping sites?

CL

Happy Easter!

Just a little whimsy for an afternoon treat...
Our Mom (the Cajun half), she of the magnificent "eye," found these delightful critters for us in Maryland. We've brought them out for Easter.

LL

The Color Eggplant

dress: Gap necklace: Vivid Boutique belt: T.J. Max leggings: AA boots: Delias

I think Cath looks lovely in this aubergine dress from the Gap, and doesn't at all look like she is grappling with killer allergies or the-cold-from-hell... we haven't decided which yet.

LL

She's Wearing a Prehistoric Squid on her Neck!

Never thought a squid-round-the-neck would look so good, did ya?
Cath's latest purchase from Vivid Boutique (yup. that same Decatur boutique I gushed about when showing off my new vegan-friendly purse)! The necklace was made by Vivid's lovely owner, and very reasonably priced.
The stone is actually a pre-historic creature! This is what the very informative tag says:

Orthoceras:
Prehistoric squid which grew by adding chambers to it's shell, and may have reached 60' in length. This specimen was found in the Sahara desert and dates to the "Devonian" period, 350 million years ago.

LL

Fringe Benefits

scarf: secondhand (Decatur Estates) shirt: Urban Outfitters cords: Cheap Monday

My favorite purchase of last weekend: two fringe piano scarves, one in black and one in cream. I've already worn them three times this week. When I get bored, I take them off and swirl them around like a flamenco dancer (minus the ruffly dress and castanelas- ole!).

jacket: H&M scarf: secondhand shirt: Urban Outfitters skirt: Express (many moons ago) boots: Target

LL

DIY Brushstroke Dress

Alya of Pomegranate and Patchouli recently did a great post on the brushstrokes runway trend for this spring. YSL, Chole, D&G, Vince, Thakoon and Rachel Roy all jumped on the brushstrokes bandwagon.

Vince dress available at SAKs

The bad news: most mainstream retailers have not caught on yet.
The good news: Teen Vogue has a great DIY project this month where Jason Wu shows you how to create brushstrokes on your own dress - hurray!

You basically just need a cotton dress and some fabric paint (see the detailed instructions here) and...
...Voila! A lovely runway-worthy dress for less.

(I'm I just getting older or are fashion designers getting younger by the second?)

CL

The Sartorialist in New Delhi

I know any self-respecting fashionista out there regularly checks The Sartorialist- he of the amazing "eye." I love almost every single photograph on the blog. To me he is the "great equalizer." You see the same sense of humanity and beauty in his photograph of a house painter as you see in an image of Carine Roitfeld. I found this photograph particularly inspiring because she isn't trendy and looks stunning. I'm a definite culprit of trendy dressing (hellooo Urban Outfitters and AA), but I've always admired people who wear what they want and dress for their body and their personality... they always look more at ease.

LL

The Vegan Purse

I am sooo very pleased with my new bag from Vivid Boutique (in Decatur, GA). When it comes to food, I am neither a vegan nor vegetarian. However, I prefer most of my fashion frivolities to be animal cruelty free.
If any of you are ever this way, you must stop by Vivid. Apart from having a complete line of vegan-friendly purses, Christina (the nicest shop owner ever!) carries deliciously scented candles, gorgeous handmade necklaces (we own a few), aprons, monogrammed soaps, gift items, and small home decor. Incredibly it is all reasonably priced (almost everything is under $100... for handmade loot!). The store is also unabashedly and unapologetically girlie in a elegant/shabby chic way... which is a soothing respite from super trendy boutiques that we love, but tire of every once and a while.

LL

High Waist and a Bolero

I got this jacket over a year ago and never wear it. The soldier uniform detailing caught my eye when I bought it, but it was passe the second I took it off the second-hand hanger. But call it a bolero (roll that "r." Nice, huh?) instead of a jacket and it's good enough to resurect!

With my fresh-take bolero I wanted to try the high-waisted look. I pulled an AA skirt up over a tank and voila!

"bolero": second hand shop in Kentucky
tank: H&M
skirt: American Apparel
boots: American Eagle (on sale, 2 years ago... such a deal!)

LL

Study in Black and White

Cath with Mr. Matador
shirt: asos.com
necklace/lariat: H&M
skirt: Old Navy
tights: Target
shoes: Target

Shout out to JUMPING IN ART MUSEUMS!

Lar Art Jumping at the Dalton Gallery at Agnes Scott College. Painting by Jeremy Ray Chance

Cath and I adore the Jumping in Art Museums blog! So much of art, especially contemporary and/or postmodern works, tend to illicit rather negative responses in people: too easy, too weird, unapproachable, i-don't-get-it. I think the worse response though isn't any of these negative reactions, but no reaction at all. Apathy. The more I hear that art programs (music and theater too) are being cut from public school budgets I really do think that everything might be going to pot. That's a bit mellow-dramatic, I admit. But art is absolute necessity, especially in a culture that tends to be a bit cynical, or a bit bull-shitty, or a bit too selfish at times. Okay...done with my 2 cents portion of this blog entry- on to art fun!
Here's why Jumping in Art Museums is so fantastic:
• it's great fun! (though it also depends how much you like taunting the underpaid security guards)- try it... you'll agree.
• you feel like a kid! but a sophisticated kid who just bounded 3 ft. in the air in front of a Jasper Johns
• you can get your photo published on their spiffy blog and thus share your enthusiasm for art with the rest of the world
• you can stop taking those urinals/fountains on the wall (or anything for that matter) so seriously

So we jumped at the Dalton Gallery this weekend (see post below). Only now looking at the photos I realize how strange we look leaping so exuberantly in front of Migraine Guy and Bloody Skull. Juxtaposition is totally what we were going for...ermmm... intentionally.

Cath Art Jumping at Dalton Gallery. Mural by Sarah Emerson.

LL

Dalton Art Gallery at Agnes Scott College

Cath:

sweater: H&M
dress: Miss Selfridges
boots: Minnetonka

You should visit! It's truly one of the best galleries in Atlanta (and I'm not just saying that because we attended Agnes Scott and I majored in Art History... I mean it). Lisa, the curator, has a terrific eye. The art is always probing, intriguing and alluring. Even if you go to a show and you think "my cat could do that!" (the art historian in me cringes...ouch!), try to let those notions go and just look and keep looking. (Need some Art History 101? None better than Sister Wendy. Seriously. Check her out too).
Okay, not a contemporary art person (again, just give it a chance!)? How about architecture?!
The Dalton Gallery is in the Dana Fine Arts building on Agnes Scott's Campus. A c.1950s treat/horror. Very "modern" with an attempt to appease the traditional at the same time. Talk about intriguing. Here's a peep at the inside:


The current show at the gallery is entitled "The Possibility of Framing Infinity."
Cath strikes a few poses in front of a forest of possible frames of the infinite... (okay, maybe I don't always 'get it' either... still so fun! Or for Cath, contemplative):

LL

Sunglasses

I love stocking up on cheap sunglasses. I have about ten pairs and none of them are over $15. Below are two more that I purchased this week from Fredflare.com.

I've been eying these Swan Lake sunglasses for a while. In addition to the name (reminds me of my ballet days), I love the retro look to them and the color will work with black or brown accessories.


I have quite a few large-framed sunglasses, but these Victoria sunglasses (yep, named after Posh) take the cake. I love them - especially the "gold" detailing. At first glance they might seem a little over-the-top and they take up half my face, but at least they provide a lot of protection against the sun!
CL

You go to Target for soap and leave with...

It's the usual story: go to Target for bottle of laundry detergent, leave Target with $90 hole in wallet. How does this happen? Is anyone else afflicted with this $90-detergent-shopping-spree disease? I mean, it was all necessary of course: Jovovich-Hawk dress, peasant blouse, Domino mag, Creme de Citron lotion (ooo lala), "About a Boy" (only $4.50!), and my favorite... a Marimekko-esque makebag...ooooo...

LL

Fashion Week Street Style Trends

I remember when platforms made a comeback in the late 1990s. Every girl (including myself) wore thick-soled, fat-heeled, hideously ugly boots. Luckily this time around the platform trend has taken shape in a more lady-like, summery style. Instead of the cluncky, 6" thick soles (remember all those reports of girls falling down escalators due to their mile-high platforms?), the 2008 platform has a tapered and shapely base that enhances the long lines provided by leggings and skinny jeans.

Inspiration: Ashley Oslen wore brown platforms (close-up is pictured above) with black pvc leggings (come to think of it, her's are probably real leather). Rachel Bilson paired her brown/white platforms with skin-tight jeans.

Street style mix masters showing off their platform/legging combos:

I didn't do a thorough search of platforms online, but here are a few that I liked:
1. Victoria's Secret: Studded T-Strap Sandal $59
2. Cutesy Style: Steve Madden Casita Heels $84.99
3. Endless.com: Pelle Moda Satisfy Platform Sandal $66.89

In addition to the platform trend, I also noticed a lot of people in the street style blogs wearing looser, more relaxed jackets. I love this look, but it will be hard to pull off because the jacket should still be somewhat fitted. In my experience, it's usually impossible to find loose, but fitted items (Jackets, pants, shirts etc.). They're hard to come by in thrift stores because most relaxed fits from the 80s and 90s are boxy. I might have to buy a boxier version and take the sides in. The search begins...


Oversized parkas have been trendy for the past few seasons, but I love the way this girl paired it with purple/pink tights. The slouchy hoodie goes perfectly with black leggings.

The two jackets below are more sweater-like, but I love how their shapes completely change the character of the outfits.


Images from Just Jared, The Sartorialist, Altamira NYC, Face Hunter and Stockholm Street Style.

CL