mad about moss

I've spent the better part of a year growing my hair out. The emergence of sock buns was my inspiration. All of my girlfriends in Chi-town have long hair and I was mildly envious. Everywhere I looked ballerina buns mesmerized me. My goal: to grow my hair long enough to put a bun on top of my head.

A few weeks ago, perfectly aligned with the Mad Men Season 6 premiere, GQ published a piece on the fabulous Elizabeth Moss. I saw the pictures and my desire to keep growing my hair out all but evaporated.

After a few heartfelt discussions with my best friend, co-worker, and mom, Tuesday night I took the plunge. I chopped off over four inches. Lucky for me the girl I got at the Aveda Institute was fantastic. I couldn't be happier with the results!

A woman's hair is an interesting beast. I've found that the decisions we make about our hair often represent inner emotions and feelings. I love the fact that I'm brave enough to chop off my hair. It makes me feel brave and fierce. And yet, sometimes I think having short hair makes me different in a negative way. I crave the perceived safety and security of long hair.

Hair is funny business. Complete madness at times. Thank you Miss Moss for inspiring me to make a change. Right on que.

P.S. I never tried an actual sock bun but I did make my goal. Leave it to a haircut for me to break my blogging silence. I'm back!

Elizabeth Moss photos via GQ

The Oscars

Sunday evening I accompanied my dear friend Irish to an Oscars viewing party at Rockit Bar & Grill, hosted by Michigan Avenue magazine. Irish is interning for Michigan Avenue right now and asked if I'd be her plus one. Naturally, I said yes.

We navigated the altered red line route and arrived right on time. Rockit has an urban, rustic feel accented by rich, dark wood and antler chandeliers. Upstairs in the lounge, flat screen TVs lined the perimeter. Mini Oscars statues graced the tables and booths. One may or may not have come home with me.

Irish introduced me to her coworkers and found a quiet back wall to people watch and down the delicious appetizers brought out by waitresses in tight black t-shirts. Slider cheeseburgers, truffle fries, crispy shrimp salad. We tried everything. No shame.

Famous film critic Richard Roeper hosted the event with Billy Dec, Rockit's owner and CEO. Twitter was a big part of the night's festivities promoted by the hashtag #rockitoscars. I took to the twittersphere and was re-tweeted by Rockit a few times. Kinda cool.

I wore kitten heels and my feet were killing me after less than two hours. I don't know how the stars do it. I read on Twitter that the first thing Adele did when she walked off stage after singing Skyfall was kickoff her stilettos. My kind of girl.

While we enjoyed the event, Irish and I aren't big party girls or late-nighters. After a few hours we headed back to her apartment, grabbed Cheetos and ice cream at the 7-Eleven, and watched the rest of the Oscars from the comfort of her bedroom.

Oscars Highlights: So happy Jennifer Lawrence won. Could she be more adorable? Anne Hathaway's first dress was HORRIBLE but I'm happy she won Best Supporting Actress. Adele rocked it. Loved the Les Miserables performance. I definitely need to see Life of Pi, Argo, Lincoln, and Silver Linings Playbook.

P.S. I love the red carpet. In my online perusing I stumbled upon this awesome project by The New York Times. Check it out!

Jennifer Lawrence image / Oscars logo image

I'm dreaming of a J.Crew polka dot Christmas...

J.Crew Collection Cashmere Polka Dot Sweater

Today when I opened my email what should appear but a J.Crew discount code bringing holiday cheer!

If only I could afford my dream item: the cashmere polka dot sweater. Even though it's on sale and an extra 30% off with free shipping, it's still not within this hard working grad student's budget. Sad day. I'll just have to keep on dreaming.

What's your dream present this Christmas?

Style Files: Meredith Grey

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

The moment I saw the Tequila Is Not My Friend tote from Kate Spade I immediately thought of the one and only Meredith Grey.

If you're a Grey's Anatomy fan you know tequila is Meredith's kryptonite. After a hard day's night she and Cristina dance their troubles away accompanied by their favorite bottle.

While I don't drink myself, I completely relate to the need to blow off steam and cut loose. In college my roommates and I had epic dance parties courtesy of Pitbull's "The Anthem"--the best dance song ever.

 Meredith, you take your tequila, I'll take my diet coke. Dance party tonight. It's on!

P.S. Combine this tote with classic pieces and maybe you'll find your own McDreamy. A girl can dream.

winter dreams in red, white, and blue

snow / moss stitch / fair isle / zigzag / striped

Hats are a major winter necessity here in the Windy City. Even if the temperature seems mild, gusts of wind regularly materialize seemingly out of nowhere. The city has definitely earned it's nickname.

Lately my winter hat musings have taken on a red, white, and blue theme. I particularly love the snow hat from Target. I think it's very Kate Spade (and at a fraction of the cost)! 

Cozy Nights...

polka dot pajamas / leopard socks / blanket / breakfast at tiffany's / monogram mug

plaid pajamas / owl socks / blanket / you've got mail / owl mug

The weather has turned cold here in Chicago. Over the weekend temperatures teased us at 60 degrees but by Monday we'd dropped into the 30s. Time to pull out the hats, gloves, and scarves!

Cool temperatures also make me long for cozy nights at home bundled up in adorable pajamas, a soft blanket, and warm cup of cocoa watching a fabulous chick flick. Who doesn't want a PJ set after watching Meg Ryan in You've Got Mail?

All of these items are very affordable. I'm a grad student so I'm always doing things on a budget. The mugs are $10 dollars or less and the pajama sets are both $25. At those prices you can afford to get the whole ensemble!

What's one of your favorite chick flicks to watch on a cozy night in?

fantastic dresses to brighten a monday morning

photos via InStyle

It's a Monday if there ever was one. This morning I woke up an hour late. Then, when I went to catch the bus I found out it wasn't running due to construction. Can you say awesome with a capital 'A'?!

To brighten your morning and mine, here are my favorite looks from last night's Emmy's. Julianne Moore wins best dressed hands down. The color. The flowing skirt. The laid back hair. Elegant simplicity at it's best. Moore's ensemble emitted the same tone and splendor as Emma Stone's Calvin Klein frock at the 2011 Golden Globe Awards.

Ginnifer Goodwin's magnificent tangerine Monique Lhuillier confection was a close second for me. And although Julianne Hough resembled a shiny mermaid, I found myself completely on board with her look. Strange but true. It must be her fabulous hair.

What looks were your favorite?

Polka Dot Persuasion

This fall it's all about polka dots! J.Crew's Fall/Winter 2012 Lookbook set the tone and rightly so. Kate Spade has also unveiled it's fair share of polka dot inspired pieces, but like J.Crew, they fall in the category of unattainable when it comes to my grad school student budget. Luckily, other more affordable retailers are following suit. Hooray! 

I've already scooped up a boatneck sweater and tank from Old Navy, top from Forever 21, and a dress from Land's End Canvas that looks strikingly similar to the J.Crew dress I've included above. It was a major summer sale steal at only $27 (originally $130)!

Obviously the collection above are my dream purchases. Below you'll find more affordable options that I'm currently coveting or have already purchased. Have you embraced the polka dot persuasion?

The 25 Most Fashionable Films of All Time

Today, I stumbled upon Vanity Fair's photo essay of The 25 Most Fashionable Films of All Time. While the images are fantastic, as you'll see below, I was completely charmed and impressed with the intimate, colorful copy that accompanied each photograph. The caliber of writing is superb and reveals thought provoking details about each movie, its iconic actors, and the clothing that is as relevant and poignant as the movie's storyline. Costume designers are indeed remarkable artists whose confections possess the power to reveal the souls of characters.

Here's a portion of the feature introduction to spark your interest:

"Since the beginning of movies, the clothes that characters wear have been part of the draw and thrill. Well-designed costumes not only concealed the physical flaws of actors and actresses, they delineated character and added texture to a scene...the presence of models and beauties doesn’t necessarily make a film fashionable...there are those movies distinguished by a totemic piece of clothing." READ MORE

Audrey Hepburn - Breakfast at Tiffany's

Marlene Dietrich - Morocco

The Best of Everything

Faye Dunaway - Bonnie and Clyde

Mia Farrow & Robert Redford - The Great Gatsby

Richard Gere - American Gigiolo

Jimmy Stewart & Katherine Hepburn - The Philadelphia Story

Audrey Hepburn - Roman Holiday

The Statement Necklace

Adding a statement necklace to your ensemble is an easy way to be on trend without spending a lot. There are plenty of wallet-friendly options that mirror the high-end versions you love.

Forever 21 and Target are my favorite places to shop for affordable accessories. I also recently discovered Bauble Bar. Their pieces are amazing! Anna of In Honor of Design also prompted me to search for deals on eBay.

I've been lusting after the J.Crew Bubble Necklace all summer but it's price tag of $150 definitely doesn't fit my grad student budget. After reading this post by Anna, I went to eBay and searched "J.Crew Bubble Necklace". I found a kaleidoscope of color options for under $20 including shipping! My yellow bubble necklace, which I bought for $16, should be here on Friday. Bauble Bar also has a great version for only $38.

Whether you desire a piece echoing ladylike simplicity or funky originality, here are several comparable necklaces sure to fit a variety of tastes and budgets. Check out my Pinterest board for even more options!

J.Crew - Bubble Necklace $150                   BaubleBar - Violet Princess Bib $38

 Forever Now - Kathryn Necklace $29.99                   Forever 21 - Horn Fringe Necklace $12.80

 Kate Spade -Moonlight Pearls Necklace $378      Forever 21- Pearl Rosette Necklace $14.80

Bauble Bar - Beaded Link Collar $44                   Target - Glass Bead Link Necklace $19.99

I wrote about statement necklaces for The DePaulia: Weekend Edition last week. Click here to read my article!