Stylish Sophia Loren

Fashion Details-

Navy blue dress- Burberry

Sleeveless check dress- Christopher Kane

Ballerina flats- L.K. Bennett

Watch- Timex

Merino wool cardigan- J.Crew

Skirt- Marni

(Photos of Sophia Loren- Life Archive. Collage- Martha B.)

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From The Lips Of Sophia Loren

Quirky & Fun Bridal Looks…

…from none other than J.Crew.

A gold dress gets a casual leather belt and preppy loafers.

Forget the heels!  Wear your strapless dress with white brogues.

Replace the cardigan with a fur vest.

Grab Bag- Journals

Moleskin journals with sewn on vintage photograph covers. No two alike. $14.00 each.

Inspirational Blog- ‘Amateur Couture’

Art and fashion have always had a close relationship. Each often pulling ideas from the other. What a delightful surprise to find the blog ‘Amateur Courture‘ whose author puts a wide range of art work alongside designer clothing with some amazing results. I was inspired by what I saw there, so I tried my own combination with artist Elizabeth Bauman and designer Marc Jacobs-

Army Days

art: Elizabeth Bauman * fashion: Marc Jacobs

Vocabulary #46: Preppy 101

preppy 101- a person who favors or is viewed as favoring clothing style or behavior associated with traditional preparatory school.

Pre-fall fashion- Tommy Hilfiger khakis, A.P.C. crewneck sweater, Church loafers, Ralph Lauren button down shirt and eye glasses.

(Photo by Matthias Vriens-McGrath for Elle Magazine via Fashion Gone Rogue)

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Vocabulary series

Budget Bride #13

A series of posts showcasing bridal dresses under $700.

Budget Bride #13. Victorian inspired white dress with lace detail.

Available at Calypso- $195.

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Budget Bride #12

The Bride Wore…Flip Flops?

Grab Bag- Camera Necklace

Chain link necklace with camera charm.

Available at Urban Outfitters- Was $28, Now $1.99!

Garden Note #64: Belle’s Garden

A visit to my friend Belle’s garden is always such a treat. Her 18th century white farm house rests on a knoll which at one time overlooked open land. New homes have encroached upon it but once you start walking around the yard and meandering on narrow paths between flowering shrubs…the neighbors just fade away.

Belle has so many whimsical touches through out her garden. My favorite is this antique bathroom sink complete with taps that she uses as a planter.

When she and her husband bought the property it had a chicken house. They turned it into a storage shed and built their enclosed garden right up against one of the exterior walls. Every year Belle creatively plants flowers and vegetables together.

Another view of the enclosed garden shows a red canvas apron hanging from a vintage wooden rake.

A stone wall was once used to restrict livestock and designate the farm’s borders. Now it  provides the backdrop for perennials.

Belle’s garden is always in a state of flux. She’s always pruning, weeding and moving plants to new locations.

(Photos- Martha B.)

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Garden Note #63: Sarah Raven

Book- ‘Garden Structures’

Garden Note #6: Master Gardeners

Summer Khakis

Who doesn’t love wearing cotton khakis in the summer?

This simple 1998 photo shoot from Elle Magazine features the classic material in longer skirts with details such as cargo pockets and/or drawstring waists.

(Photos- Gilles Bensimon)

Note- These pictures were found on the blog ‘Ready Set Fashion.’ I thought I had a lot of magazines but this blogger has me beat! :)

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Summer Colors

Photo-A-Day

Photo-A-Day started out as a series of daily emails and photographs to my family in North Carolina. I thought it would be fun to occasionally post some for the readers of ‘Nibs.’

Mom, Dad & Sarah-

The rose bush bloomed in the yard this week and is absolutely covered with blossoms. I wanted to bring some indoors so I went down to the basement in search of a container and found this old coffee can. The only problem- it had S’s dry wall screws in it. Not any more! :)

Always,

M

(Photo- Martha B.)

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Photo-A-Day