wednesday inspiration.

let's rock-and-roll!

The thing that I love about fashion is that it allows you to be whoever you want to be on any given day. Feeling girly? Bohemian? Preppy? Want to be Jackie O for a day? How about Carrie Bradshaw? Maybe Joan Jett? Lately, I have been feeling the rocker chick vibe. Studs, skulls, buckles, black leather boots, gray denim, and black tights are all showing up in my wardrobe. Don't worry, you aren't going to see me out in full rocker girl regalia, I am just working it into my normal, Madison-casual, everyday look. I took to polyvore.com to put together a mix of some great examples of things to work into your wardrobe if you are thinking you might be a rocker girl at heart! I also incorporated some girly-girl things like the color pink and flowers and sequins and polka dots just to balance it all out!

glory days by @chloe featuring Lipsy

Not diggin' the whole skull and chain thing? Have a particular look you want to inhabit for a day (or a week or a month)? Let me know what it is and I will put a set together for you like the one above! Then you can link up to all the items in the set and the websites where you can buy them. I try to keep the price point reasonable (under $150) but sometimes there is something so kick-ass that I have to put it in, even if it costs $1,352. We'll just find a knockoff somewhere!

oh glorious sunset.

On a whim I wandered down to Olbrich Park last week to take some pictures. It was a little chilly, but I needed a small dose of vitamin d after that string of rainy days we had (and now they are back ... ). I was so fortunate to capture this lovely, lovely sunset. Doesn't it make you feel like all is right with the world?

"a woman's face is her work of fiction." --oscar wilde

"art washes from the soul the dust of every day life." --pablo picasso

{Whites and Greens in Blue, Mark Rothko, 1957}

{Skull, Andy Warhol, 1976}

{Self-Portrait, Chuck Close, 2004-2005}

{The Rose, Cy Twombly, 2008}

{Cafe Terrace at Night, Vincent Van Gogh, 1888}

{Skull, Jean-Michel Basquiat, 1981}

{Music - Pink and Blue II, Georgia O'Keefe,1919}

{The Great Wave Off Kanagawa, Katsushika Hokusai, 1831}

need some new music?

These are some great artists that I thought all you music lovers out there might be interested in. They all have unique sounds and fantastic lyrics. Enjoy!

I was introduced to Blind Pilot by my friend Rena (who is always discovering great new music). Their album is called 3 Rounds and a Sound (buy it here or download it from iTunes). It is one of those rare albums where you like every song and can listen to it endlessly without getting sick of it. Love that!




I first heard Cory Chisel and The Wandering Sons crammed onto the tiny stage at Cafe Montmartre. I was there with a friend, neither of us with any knowledge of who they were or that there was even music that night. They blew us away! A local boy from Appleton, WI, check out Cory's website and buy his latest album called "Death Won't Send a Letter" on iTunes. His most recent EP Cabin Ghosts and his first album Little Birds are awesome too! P.S. These guys just made their television debut on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on October 9th.

Jim James is the man behind the band My Morning Jacket (who Rena also introduced me to a few years back). They have been around for awhile and have tons of albums. This song is an oldie (I tend to like their older stuff better) but it is my favorite. If you don't listen to them yet, I highly suggest you start to! Better yet, if you can see them live, DO IT! We saw them at Summerfest a few years ago and it was incredible.

The Treats are my most recent musical discovery. I saw them at The Frequency in Madison in late September. We knew some people who knew some people in the band so after listening to Cory Chisel at The Majestic we wandered over. It turned out to be an awesome show so I did a little bargaining with the lead singer, Andrew Isham, and ended up with both of their cds for $5 (all the cash I had on me). I have been listening to Reservoir Tales (buy it here or on iTunes) non-stop ever since (some favorite songs are Better Things to Do, Come Around, Like an Animal, and Ever Been Down?). I would call them a rock-and-roll band but there are so many other things going on that it would be hard to label them as such. Just imagine your favorite aspects of blues, pop, country, and punk thrown together with a heavy dose of rock-and-roll and you get a very catchy, authentic sound that is The Treats.

have camera, will travel: some of my favorite travel photos

{maui, hawaii}

{chicago, illinois}

{lahaina, maui, hawaii}

{fremantle, western australia}

{sydney, australia}

{wanaka, south island, new zealand}

{marlborough wine region, new zealand}

{maui, hawaii}

{chicago, illinois}

{bondi beach, sydney, australia}

{king's park, perth, australia}

{maori rocks, south island, new zealand}

{maui, hawaii}

my celebrity style crushes

This post is a little superficial, I am not going to pretend otherwise, but as a fashion follower I am always looking for a little inspiration. These ladies are always making fabulous fashion choices (in my opinion) and and have the similar qualities of being unique, interesting, daring, and ahead of the curve.

{Alexa Chung}

I love how even when she is dressed up she is casual. I like to dress up, but in Madison I always feel a little self-conscious in a skirt and heels. So, I love how she adds tee-shirts and casual cardigans to make her looks more accessible. And, of course, her casual looks seem effortless (such a cliche fashion term) but oh well... it's true.

{Ashley Olsen}

So, I think that most people either love or hate the Olsen twins. I love them. Particularly Ashley. MK's random, crazy fashion choices are so daring -which I envy - but they are not as easy for the average person to pull off! Ashley, on the other hand, while always ahead of the curve with trends, is a little more classic and cool. I like how she isn't overtly sexy, but yet very sexy.

{Kate Bosworth}

Kate, to me, is very underrated. Her look is so chic but a little wild at the same time:

sleeves/gloves with a feathered, sequined cocktail dress, hippie patterned dress with a scarf, and shorts with a blazer. It's not that everything she wears hasn't been done before but its the way she exudes such confidence with her choices. She can pull of the unusual because she has the balls to do it!

{Kate Moss}

The icon of all fashion icons, Kate Moss can wear anything. She has no boundaries, it seems, when it comes to fashion. Her fashion sense always suggests to me that she has an endless amount of personas that she presents to the world. I love how these pictures go from L.A. casual, to fashion-forward, big eighties shoulders, to fur-clad British hipster, to preppy cardigan and shorts and demure handbag. I love it.

Who are your celebrity style crushes?