wanting... randomly

How cute is this top?

1980s Orange Speckle Blouse

I haven't posted a lot of holiday wishes lately, and its certainly not Wednesday... but I could use a few tops like this!  Also, its so perfectly 80s, which I really love ;-)

<3 barb

PS- Do you follow Jenny at Frecklewonder?  This shirt is from her shop.  She has the cutest blog, which just got a major redesign!

wanting... shades of brown

Generally, I do not think of myself as a person who wears brown.  If I'm going neutral, I'm way more likely to choose black or grey than any shade of brown.  However, I noticed when I started putting my Christmas List together (yea, so what if it's October?) that many of the things catching my eye lately are BROWN!  Seriously, it's like my world turned upside down... while I try to figure out if I've gone colorblind or something, I figured I would share:

This BB Dakota Ombre Elegance coat is every shade of brown... but I think what really got me is what I'm going to call the "blanket factor". Chilly mornings on the ferry make me wish I was wearing a snuggie rather than a sweater, but this coat looks both snuggle-worthy and cute!

Nude? Tan? Light brown?  Who cares what color Swatch is calling it, I really love this Shiny Moccasin Watch.  It's over-sized but the color keeps it feminine, and its casual but polished for everyday wear to work.  Swatch gets me every time...

I once had a pair of loafers that I pretty much wore to death... or to the point that they were completely unpresentable.  When I saw these ALDO Tiff loafers I knew they would be on my radar, and they have been... note that they are now on sale... I will be stalking to see if the price drops even lower before they run out of my size ;-)

So, what color are YOU loving lately? Anything new?

<3 barb

fall wanting...

It's been a while since I did a Want Wednesday post, but I figured you wouldn't mind if I dropped one in here out of the blue... I also figured it would be good to put up SOMETHING, since I've been slacking and while I've got like 7 posts in my head right now, my iPad was dead this morning and now I'm just making excuses... sorry for that.
Anyway, we've been having some very fall days in NYC and while I haven't had a boot day yet, I know its coming!  Here's what I'm thinking I'd like to wear:

Zara

I've been searching high and low for a mustard yellow blazer (I'm trying to make my work wardrobe more fun)... and this one is EXACTLY what I;ve been looking for.

Shop Sosie

I love everything about this dress, especially the layering opportunities... with a blazer? yes... with colored tights? yes again... with brightly colored accessories, like a belt, bracelet, or necklace? count me in!
(PS- Liz is wearing this dress today! check me out in her sidebar)

Frye

The finishing touch? These boots... with some cute strappies and just the right amount of heel, I could live in these boots straight through winter... now if only I could save up my pennies to buy this outfit!

<3 barb

Tune Tuesday WANT!

Just to change things up this week I decided on a WANT post for this weeks Tune Tuesday entry.
Believe me there is plenty for me to want out there when it comes to audio equipment but these three items are definitely the cream of the crop.

First up are the Bose QuietComfort 3 noise cancelling headphones. I already have a home theater system, ear buds, and computer speakers from Bose and know the quality of their products and love their customer service, if you ever need any help, so it makes perfect sense to add this bad boy to my collection. I have absolutely no need for them but I'm sure a guy can find an occasion to put on noise cancelling head phones.

This sexy piece of iPod dock is the MC4 by Roth Audio. This is actually an amplifier so speakers are not included but those cool vacuum tubes add depth to music and make it sound absolutely flawless. I did, however, read one review that complained about the fact that it worked too well! Apparently, if you have a lousy quality song it really brings out the crappy quality of the song you downloaded. This device, then, is strictly for the fan of uncompressed music

Last and definitely not least is EVERYTHING by Bowers & Wilkins. The cool dock above is called the Zeppelin and it is way LOUD for such a small speaker set. I had the pleasure of having one in a hotel room when I went to Chicago many moons ago. The B & W products not only sound great but they look really cool and make for a unique focal point in a room.

Feel free to contact me directly for my address if you want to be generous and send me any of these items.

Thanks in advance ; )

-PJ (your e-panhandler for the evening)

i want SPRING!

Technically, its been spring for about a week now... we had a few days of really beautiful weather, but it seems that now mother nature is playing a trick on us.  When I look out my window I see sunshine and blue skies, but when I step out the door I'm wishing I had my gloves on!  What gives?
In any case, I've decided that the weather shouldn't stop me from picking out some spring faves!  Here are a few that I'm loving right now:

Do you love these? Because, I love these.  I tried them on last week, they are probably a 10 on the outrageously high heels scale, and they are beautiful!  Thanks ALDO, for the Affina wedge sandals... once again, you've stolen my heart with these perfectly retro but amazingly modern platforms! 

Did I ever show you the pretty cloche that PJ got for me this fall? No? Well, I meant to.  Apparently, cloche is the correct hat shape for me... I was checking out more springy hats last week and I realized that I look silly in a fedora (they're everywhere right now) but this braided straw bow cloche from Urban Ourfitters was just right! ...it's highly likely that I will be buying this soon...

Lastly, remember when I was wanting a new backpack a few months back?  Well, here I am, months later, with a giant tote bag full of stuff and it's starting to hurt my back... I never got the pretty backpack that I wanted.  But this rucksack from infusion (on etsy) looks both fashionable and bottomless!  It comes in other colors too, including a sweet stripe... and we all love stripes :-)

So, that's what I want.  Sadly, my birthday isn't for almost 2 months... however, feel free to get me an "I think you're really special" present/giftcard/monetary donation!

<3 barb

P.S. See? I promised that I would be back... I really did miss blogging!

finally, something i want!

If you're a regular reader, you may have noticed an absence of "want wednesday" posts.  If I may explain myself, it's not that there's nothing I want, it's just that after Christmas I was really happy with everything that I received and so I thought it was best to take a break from scavenging the web for awesome "stuff".  However, all that changed this weekend...
PJ and I ran away for the weekend again, this time for a few days of snowboarding in Vermont.  I'll spare all the details and just tell you that it was very cold and very windy and, although beautiful, was not conducive to picture taking... so that's why you won't see a full post about it.

Anyway, I digress... on day 2 of snowboarding, when I gracefully lowered to the snow to clip into my board (or I plunked myself down, either way) I noticed that one of the clips at the back of my binding was all busted up!  While it was still functioning for the time being, I knew that after a mere 2 years and probably less than a dozen days on the trails, my bindings were trashed.  And really, it wasn't even due to my own clumsiness!  There was no point that I can remember hitting or catching them anywhere!
So, those bindings will need a replacement, and I give you these beauties:

why, hello there sexy lady!

They're the Burton Stiletto Bindings... could you imagine a more fabulous name for a snowboard binding?  I feel like my riding will be more chic and sassy just *thinking* about getting them!  

Well, I should get back to work... lots to do before I leave today ::grumbles::

<3 barb

luxe wants... my over the top christmas list

Dear Santa,

What if I told you I've been very good this year? Like perfectly amazingly good?  Well, if that were the case, hypothetically, these items would top my Christmas list:

I mentioned this one already, but I more than love these Sophia Satchels from Coach.  And this color (Clover Leaf) would look good with pretty much everything I own... since I'm all about the jewel tones :-D

Did any other gLeeks fall head over heels for this coat worn by Miss Pillsbury? Yea, I did... it's the Studio Mona Coat by Kate Spade so obviously its beautiful.

This intricately detailed Rose Band ring by Gin and Butterflies (on Etsy) is so amazingly beautiful and special, and yet so delicate.  It was love at first sight!

I know Christmas is just days away, but since I haven't actually been completely angelic this year, I'll understand if these don't make it under the tree!

<3 barb

PS- Wondering whats on my much more realistic list? Check out my other want wednesday posts :-)

fab wants

I wasn't really sure what I was going to post this week, to tell you the truth, but this morning... I was inspired!  There's a girl who takes the same subway as me in the morning who is the GLAM MASTER, she always looks flawless, fabulous, shes a fashionista, and I wish I could steal her style.
Since style stealing is a punishable offense, obviously I'll have to do some re-interpreting of her style into my own:

Fabulous Necessity #1 - The perfect coat

I've been eyeing this Cocoon Jacket from Express for a while now, I think its gorgeous... why haven't I bought it? I'm just not sure it's practical (beautiful things rarely are)

Fabulous Necessity #2 - Killer shoes

I'm probably the last to jump on the ankle boot bandwagon, but I've been searching for something versatile... these Eylenja Boots from ALDO fit the bill - great color, not too high a heel, and convertible - cuff up or folded down!

Fabulous Necessity #3 - A Scarf

Its winter in Manhattan, which means it's freezing cold and the streets are like wind tunnels... ugh!  The Circle Scarf by American Apparel can be worn as a chunky scarf, a hood, a wrap - whatever you need to keep warm and cozy :-) 

So, that's that! I think I would give Fab Fashionista a run for her money wearing all this, don't you? ;-)

<3 barb

just some things i'd like

I've been getting a lot of "what do you want for Christmas?" lately... so I thought it was about time I got back to my usual schedule of Wednesday Wants...

Since this is probably the last week you can order things on a lot of sites (especially Etsy or Big Cartel shops) and still guarantee they arrive on time for Christmas, I pulled this weeks list from some of my favorite independent crafters and vintage vendors:

Obviously, I'm not a girl who can resist bright plastic accessories... these vintage bangles from Frecklewonder are so perfect!

This beauty has appeared before, but since I still don't have it... 

I would LOVE this vintage Polaroid Camera from 8bits, along with some film (below) from The Impossible Project 

I've also been casually browsing all sources for Washi Tape... but this Juicy Orange set from Happytape is my favorite so far!  Perfect colors to package items from my shop, and the patterns are really fun :-)

Wall calendars are a pretty standard Christmas gift item in my house, but this colorful poster by Melissa Design is anything but the usual... I love the bright colors, I love the way it looks like ribbons, and I love that there's still writing space to keep it functional... lovely.

If you're still wondering about what to get me after all that, or you think you'll procrastinate too long to get me any of this, I'll have more wants next week that are more easily acquired ;-)

<3 barb

PS- Want to know what else is on my list? Visit my want wednesday archive!

wanting COACH!!

So, i realize I'm a bit behind... and usually when i lose track of time and neglect to share things with you, i just let it go and wait for something else exciting to happen, which it usually does!  However, some things are SO worth sharing... like the Coach Holiday Event at the SoHo store :-)

Anyway, on Friday Nov 12, I met up with the fabulous (and newly engaged!) Lisa, who was to accompany me for this super fun girls night.  We had margaritas and guacamole, and then headed to Coach:

I was WAY too excited to meet Keiko Lynn!

Lisa LOVED this bag...

maybe I did too... in every color!

see? they're all really pretty :-)

However, they're not quite as pretty as Lisa and me!

We had an awesome time... everything at Coach was fabulous, Keiko was so sweet... and i MAY have bought myself a teeny little Christmas present!  For now, all the rest of the beautiful bags are on my Wish List...

<3 Barb

PS- I really enjoyed going to this event in the city... any other fun/ fashionable events coming this way? I'd love to meet up with my bloggy friends!

wanting... a reward!

So, I've been quiet around here lately, and theres a BIG reason why... a few weeks ago, I decided that while I may not exactly want to be an architect, I am not completely opposed to working in an architecture office for a while.
I do, currently, work in an architecture office... but its time for me to make a move, and it has been for a while.
Well... I got myself together, and I applied (with the help of some really awesome friends) for a few jobs in the Marketing Depts of a few architecture offices.  AND I managed to snag an interview...

Which led to  A JOB OFFER! WHICH I ACCEPTED!!!

As I'm sure you can guess, I am WAY excited about this (note all the CAPS)... and while I don't officially start at my new job as Marketing Coordinator until November 1, I'm already thinking of lovely things to reward myself with!

I confess, I have scarves and I rarely wear them... but THESE scarves, by SCARFSHOP, looked so pretty over on sfgirlbybay that I immediately put them on my "want list"

Then, theres THIS lovely over at Swatch.  I fell in love with it while wandering the airport in Cleveland... and it's exactly what I've been thinking I need.  Its big, but feminine (um, do you see the sparkley rhinestones on the face?)... its perfect!  Also, it comes in a bunch of different colors, the caramel being a close second favorite to the silver

Ok, I know I usually give you three, but I think I'll just stop there before things get out of hand!  I could, obviously do this all day :-)

In closing, YAY NEW JOB!  I'll keep you posted on how this goes!
<3 barb

PS... I was featured over on Seablanket last week! If you haven't seen it, you should head over and say hello, it was a really lovely post!!

wanting... more time?

Well, more time or a shorter ToDo list.  I'm having one of those weeks where I feel like I have soooooo much to do and not enough time at all to get it done.  I'll spare you to the details, but I've got travel, crafts, and job applications in my not-so-distant future.  And life too, which I guess includes all of that, but also lots more.

Anyway, I figured I would pop in and give you a super small glimpse of what I've been working on... I hope to get some awesome pics of the finished product this weekend!

SO thats that!  Keep in mind this is just the tinyest peek, and it has progressed a bit from here... but I thought this was a pretty photo :-)

<3 barb

wanting... edgy/ sweet

So instead of smushing together whatever I could find for my wants this Wednesday, I instead collected a few things throughout the week (probably how I should've been doing this all along).  Amazingly, they came together to create a really cute going out look... and I've impressed myself once again (haha, just kidding about being VERY impressed with myself)
Start with a little dress...

Its not a LBD, but I think this blue would be wayyyyy more fun... and the one shoulder? fabulous... Express is my go-to shop for dresses of  this nature

Add a pair of awesome shoes... I spotted these over at Keiko Lynn's blog, and instantly lost my aversion to open toed booties!  A pair of patterned tights would complement these just fine :-)  ...they're Seychelles, in case you were wondering

Last, accessorize! This ring is from Torch Song Metals (mentioned previously HERE)... its a bow, need I say more? I'll do it anyway... a bright dress and statement shoes don't need much jewelery, so this would be a sweet accent to an otherwise edgy look

Now that I'm all dressed up, I need somewhere to go!  ...And some $$ to buy the outfit... or good friends to gift it to me :-)

<3 barb

wanting (needing) a trim

I need a haircut.  I like to keep my hair short, and so it needs to be trimmed fairly often.  When I don't get it trimmed often enough, it starts doing weird things (like, all flipping to one side so that one side curls under and the other flips out... WEIRD!)... it's silly that I ever put off a haircut, since my cousin cuts my hair and it's always a good excuse to chat and catch up on each other's lives!

And so, here are some celebs whose hair I admire (covet):

I love Nicole Richie's hair like this... frequently, she has that long wavy boho thing happening, but this is so smooth and chic.. I love her bangs here too, the whole look is so polished

I <3 Zooey Deschanel's hair soooo much.  Sadly, those bangs only look good on her and would look completely ridiculous on me... While I'm on the topic, her whole style is pretty much awesome :-)

My favorite part of Ginnifer Goodwin's hair is how sometimes it's messy, sometimes its smooth, but its always beautiful.  And somehow, her haircut makes her eyes POP!  I think theres a small chance that my hair could actually do the things her hair does!

I'm going to get my hair cut on Friday, before running off for the weekend where I will hopefully take lots of pictures so that you can see the final result.  Do you have an hairstyle icons?

<3 barb

wanted... a backpack makeover

While I have expressed my love for beautiful totes, purses, luggage, and really any kind of bag imaginable... I am embarrassed to say that as a backpack, I carry a very large, somewhat ugly, North Face.  Yes, its true.  And its sad... because its really one of my very few horribly unfashionable items, but how else are you going to carry a 15" laptop everywhere you go?
If I had my way, I wouldn't do it.  My computer would sit prettily on my desk, and it would live there unless I was going on some sort of major trip.  In dreamland, where I don't have to lug this thing around, I would be free to choose one of these lovely backpacks:

{via hooray}

I instantly fell in love with this bag from Makr Carry Goods.  It comes in white too, but that would just be asking for a mess.  But, its simple.  The shape is nice, its actually pretty big (H) 18 X (W) 13.5 X (D) 5.75 in case you were wondering.  And lately I'm all about the contrast between canvas and leather.

{via blushing ambition}

Then theres this backpack, found on JCrew.  Its really too cute and, not surprisingly, meant for children.  It comes in all sorts of pretty colors, but for some strange reason I went neutral.  Maybe because I already have bags in bright yellow and orange?

I've confused you now, haven't I?  For some strange reason, I am very attracted to the Vera Bradley quilted backpack.  And while there are so many colors and patterns to choose from, I like this one because its a little more subdued.  

Maybe I'll just make my own backpack.  How hard could it be, right?  Obviously I know the shape I want, and roughly the size I want.  But I can never find exactly it.  Do you carry a cool backpack?  Feel free to share it with a comment!

<3 Barb

autumn wants

With Labor Day Weekend over, I'm looking at fall... you know, just like everyone else in the blogosphere.  In particular, I'm loving what I see in Gap's Fall lookbook, all sorts of layers in knits and denim, as well as a play on fit and length combos.  Fall is really such a snuggly but beautiful time for style.
Anyway... here are some things I'm looking at for fall:

This cropped trench from GAP would look so pretty layered over a sweater, and I really love pushing up the sleeves on a jacket like this

Mmm sweaterdress... this one from Victoria's Secret looks particularly relaxed, but still versatile enough to dress up for a dinner out

Last year I had a pair of tights like this... but I poked several holes in them... I'll need another pair because I really love how they look with a pair of thick-strapped heels, which I already have

Lastly, I need a pair of motorcycle boots... I have some boots that are a bit more dainty than these, but these have the right look, I think the ankle straps keep it feminine, don't you?

Its 80 degrees out right now, so there's no need for me to get these things anytime soon... which is good, I can wait until they go on sale!  Also, it gives me some time to decide if I'm truly in love with these items in particular, also good if I don't want to spend all my money :-)

<3 barb

workspace want...

With all the work I've been doing to prepare for this craft show, I've been a little MIA in terms of blogging... I 100% meant to show you updates, and I did begin a treasury yesterday (I'm working on it... I hope to finish it and post it tomorrow)... and today I was planning to show you all the warm fuzzy things that this cool, rainy weather is making me want... but as usual, I got sidetracked, and now I'm thinking about my future office/ studio... you know, when I have my own business designing/ crafting whatever I want, spending all day sketching (I rarely sketch... but in my dreamland, I'm sketching all the time)... ANYWAY, here's what I'm thinking I want:

Obviously, my very large desk will have enough space to warrant a lamp that swings and adjusts and moves around a lot.  This one would be fab, but I could easily be happy with a vintage one of the same nature!

Part of the allure of this desk is that it matches my color scheme already... dark wood, orange, teal... even the yellow from the lamp! And while I always tell myself that I need drawers and stuff to keep things organized, thats not true.  I really like to SEE everything in front of me... spread out, usually in piles...

A dusty teal like this would be really pretty I think... equal parts bright and soothing.  My room in college was teal stripes, and I loved it!  Likely i'll save the stripes for another room...

I love notebooks, organizers, etc... so it should be no surprise that I would want one of these on my desk... despite the fact that I generally write my ToDo lists on scraps of paper small enough to carry around in my pocket... haha

Obviously there are lots of other wonderful things that I would want in my studio... a sewing machine, for one.  But I won't get into all that now; I think the aforementioned items are a good start!

<3 barb

PS I can't take credit for finding the lamp and desk myself... they were spotted via design*sponge, which you should check out if you haven't already!