Almost time!!

Today was the rehearsal. My uncle came and bestowed on me a beautiful pearl and marcasite bracelet and brooch that was my grandmother's.

I got my nails done-- all pale pink, except for the ring fingers I had done in silver.

The wedding is in less than 24 hours, and we still have some last-minute crafting to do. I can't wait to see everyone! And because we're heading out to San Francisco right after, I'll be resuming blogging in about 2 weeks.

Wish me luck! And thanks everybody for your support!

Yours,

Elissa.

Tying up loose ends.

Today, I paid the caterer. I think there are traces of my tight-fisted tears on the check. Le sigh!!! It is a good feeling, though, to see things become solidified and know that The Guests Will Be Fed. I also got my dress back today from the alterations place and I am pleased as pie... this lady knows what she's doing and my dress looks 1,000 times better. After poisoning myself with countless episodes of Say Yes To The Dress, I had become convinced that I hadn't picked "the One" and having bought my dress without input from friends and family meant I didn't have the adoring eyes of a mother or sister to confirm my opinions on the dress. Whatever.

I put it on today and was re-sold on it. That's what great alterations can do!


Lately, I've been enjoying taking photos of the trees around town. Usually I find that fall colors look better on trees than on me (seeing as I'm rather religious about sticking to my "season", which is summer). Today, I've worked a little maple red and gold into my ensemble...

Just as I snapped this picture, UPS dropped off a couple of gifts mailed to us from our online registry with Amazon. I highly recommend it; you can pick from any store at all online. Peacoat: Macy's. Blouse: thrifted. Jeans: The Gap. Shoes: Pink Duchess. Socks: my dad?

I love wide-legged jeans with cropped jackets. And, pairing wide-legged jeans with a platform, sparkly shoe gives me that special feeling of starting up school... when your jeans are dark and your shoes are fancy, exciting things are afoot for sure.

I love these shoes... I stopped off at a Gabriel Brothers for the first time ever a couple of months ago and scored these beuts for $9.99.

I love this blouse's drapey neckline. It can be difficult to rock an unusual neckline when you're working with a larger chest, so this blouse of mine is a valuable find!

With everything pretty much ready to go, now I've gone into overanalyzation mode and feel the desperate urge to ransack every antique store for sapphire-blue rhinestone jewelry...

Three more days...!

Yours,

Elissa.

Irregular Bites.

Last night I caught "Reality Bites" on TV and, a) wondered why Janeane was always stuck playing the gawky, ugly one (maybe cuz she believed it? Sometimes I think "The Truth About Cats and Dogs" is actually semi biographical) and b) began to love her bad Nineties vintage wardrobe-- especially those chunky shoes.

That's our girl... third from the left. Are you telling me she wouldn't be perfectly in sync on Wardrobe Remix?

This spurred me on to a visit to the lay person's Giuseppe Zanotti (and then some), Irregular Choice. Lord, get me a job, so I can give these beautiful damn shoes a loving home.
I love unusual heels, and I think you'll begin to see a pattern here. These are unique enough to be different, but in a reserved enough hue to be versatile. I love the paper-bag top and the seemingly tiny toe.

In the perfect shade of bubble-gum pink, and patent, too. These seem like one of those wild-card "musts" that you're grateful you own when you pull them out to wear every six months--- for the next 20 years.

True fact: I spent a short stint working as a beer-maid at the Hofbrauhaus, smocked peasant top and knee-highs included. If only these were part of the uniform... all that's missing is a lonely goat-herd.

Lady Gaga came to mind when I saw these works of architecture. Like there isn't an occasion to wear these? How about every occasion??? Or howabout just a short trench coat and some mean-ass sunglasses?
Ok, Danny Sullivan, STFU. These are like sartorial magic. It's like if fire and a tranny went toe-to-toe in the ring. Tee-kay-oh.
Again, with the heels, I know. This one reminds me of a teetering stack of books, and I feel that librarian-esque garb --sweater, tortoiseshell glasses, tweed skirt-- would be absolutely apropos.
Why the hell did I pick these? Why can't I stop staring at them? They're so disturbingly stultifying, and yet... there are some things in life that I look at and think, "These are for Rumi, and Rumi only." Girl, get these. Wear them with denim shorts and a fur jacket. Can't fail.




As if these lovely cantilevers were made just for me. I'd put them under a bell jar and just stare at them all day, then get my Ginger Rogers on in 'em at night.

Irregularly yours,

Elissa.

Entrepreneurons.

I have some pictures from this weekend, but my camera's getting a little wild and wooly with me so I'll settle for showing you today. For someone with so few dressy clothes, I sure can create quite a range of interview looks for myself these days. Gray. It's versatile.

Jacket: Macy's. Dress: Vintage, thrifted. Belt: thrifted. Tights: Target. Shoes: JC Penney.

I'm always fascinated by entrepreneurs, and I love to work for people who own their business. This one was a super upscale baby clothier-- I wish I'd taken a picture of the interior of the store, but it was all navy blue with natural wood and a giant, dark-colored chandelier right up front.

I rarely get a chance to wear these shoes, but I love them. Also, I got them at an end-of-season clearance at JC Penney for $6. Seriously!!!

One day, this girl's going to have her own brick and mortar. I already know what it's going to look like, what'll be sold, the music, the windows, everything... and I'm toying with a name pulled from an Elvis Costello song, so what's not to like? It'll probably take 5-10 years to get it going, but I've had an entrepreneurial spirit since I was little-- I used to try to rent out my bedroom to family members as a bed and breakfast!


This queer photo demonstrates about a billion things-- but most importantly, the chalkboard we just put up on the front of the house. For demonstration's sake, I put our house number on it (smart, Elissa) but our hope is that our friends who live in the neighborhood can leave messages on it for us if we're out, or we can draw some leaves on it for fall (as I did, faintly) or Ho Ho Ho's on it come December.

That disgraceful jack-o-lantern used to be a rather accurate likeness of my husband-to-be. To be in like.... 5 more days...!

Yours,

Elissa.

Look what I found!

Cruising around Ye Olde Freeway-side Antiques Barn last weekend, I happened upon the perfect cake topper...

[image via Marysholidaysps.com]

These mildly creepy, yet achingly adorable figurines are actually salt and pepper shakers. I'm so in love with them, I had to share!

Yours,

Elissa.

Takin' it Caj

Today's outfit solicited a compliment from not 1 but 2 mens, a rarity I'm sure in any girl's world. My fiance thinks that this is what I ought to be wearing to interviews, because the color and fit of the jeans gives them a more formal air. However, I still firmly believe that jeans at an interview will get you a swift "we'll call you". What do you think??

Blazer: thrifted. Shirt: F21. Jeans: Cheap Monday. Oxfords: thrifted.

The next few days are going to be filled with wedding-craft doing. I'm wrapping some pens with silver thread and topping them with white feathers (sounds a lot more Girl Scouts than it looks!), then it's on to creating the guest favors. Pictures to follow, I swear, but I don't want to spoil it... Speaking of "spoiling" and weddings, I've been thinking about what to do on here for the two weeks we'll be gone on the honeymoon-- we're going on a drive up the Pacific Coast!

Orange is my favorite color, and I love these earrings from World Market, esp. in concert with blue and khaki.

In other words, I want very much to not let the blogging go dry, but the thought of constantly tweeting and uploading photos throughout the trip seems neurotic to me. But I do want to prepare something special for all of you...

The shoes, oh, the shoes.... thrifted. I love anything woven and leather, and especially with cute little ties! Ivory to me seems very fresh for fall right now, as well.

I'm in love with "Secrets of a Happy Marriage" series that guest writers did for Cup of Jo while writer Joanna was off on her honeymoon. We'll see! We'll see... I've got a couple of ideas on the burners here.

Yours,

Elissa.

Mad Mental about Hermes.

If you've been watching Mad Men, then you know that a couple of weeks ago, Peggy received an Hermes scarf from a rival employer courting her copyrighting with couture. I was reminded that I wanted to do a little post on their Spring 2010 show, but it was so springy as to be obscenely unseasonal. But, like Peggy, I do what I want.

I have an extreme sweet spot for tennis-inspired clothing, and this collection has me hanging on every thread.


It doesn't get much more classically tennis than this. I'm still not sick of socks and sandals, and now I have a new item for my "want" list-- a sweatband. I'm curious to know what'll pop up if I Google "sexy sweatband".


Perfect, especially if you tend to arrive to your early-morning, mist-covered tennis lessons on the back of a white stallion.


Sassy, edgy and very wearable. But aren't aviators a bit done? Just sayinz all...


I loved the burnished red Gaultier used throughout, a nice departure from the now de rigeur, high chroma red.


Get a load of the color and quality of that leather. If only we could all pull of leather shorts! How cool is this, though? Thrown on and rather reminiscent of a sexier version of a leisure suit.


Of course I love this, in a certain aspect it reminds me of what I wore in high school: gigantic men's Izod sweaters, mini skirts (my favorite had a French news-print on it) and knee-high boots. I think this look is definitely worth another turn.

This Stevie Nicks-ish look, the only real departure in the whole collection wins with me as well, because of the leather visor-- hello! and the sports bra. I can very well imagine doing a bit of poolside lounging in my matchy skirt and bikini top, only to throw on an armful of bracelets and a dip-dyed chiffon robe for a languid, sunset dinner.


If you're an austere, classic beauty and you know it, clap your hands! If I looked like Audrey Hepburn or Jackie Kennedy, I'd wear this every damn day.


I love it. Reminds me of boxing, except with a bit of--- I'll coin a term here --- flappervescence.


And here we arrive in full blown Halston territory, salted with a little YSL. Simple, simple simple, and gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. Hot damn, I love navy blue.



I felt compelled to post this picture, as well, I love the models running behind him with tennis rackets, and Jean-Paul looking like he just "dropped the mike". Booyah!

In other news, I've got 11 days. ELEVEN DAYS!!! Holy criznap. So many things to do.

Yours,

Elissa.

[images via Style.com]

Black and White.

Here's a quickie post-- it's two weeks to the day tomorrow, and I have to drop off the rest of my flower monies. Today, I went on another interview. My ensemble evolved into one in black and white.

Suit: Macy's. Blouse: Dress from F21. Crochet Tights: Target. Shoes: Steve Madden.

I reduxed the keys necklace. I once read in Tiger Beat (a long, long time ago) about a certain actress who would wear the exact same outfit she auditioned in to any call backs, because, if they liked her enough to call back in the first outfit, why not come back in that fortuitous frock?


I love these tights. Fishnets are too smarmy-looking for me, but the subtle crocheted pattern in these is just right.

Ring: The Emperor's Newest Clothes.

Off I go yet again... this time to watch "Leprechaun: In the Hood" with friends. While I do that, feast your eyes on this masterpiece--



Slappin' my troubles away,

Elissa.

Currently craving...

I recently discovered the French jewelery site Miette and wish I could collect everything on there! Their spirographic collection first caught my eyes, but their imaginative use of organic forms throughout their line is simply a sight to behold. It also doesn't hurt that Miette is dangerously affordable...



I'm a huge bright-colors fan. I love how the child-like hues are used in a necklace of such complex design.



Reminds me of so many daisy-bedecked 1950's and 1960's day dresses, but the pure size of this piece changes it up. The shapes remind me more of gears than flowers.


Absolutely beautiful and intricate... you could spend hours exploring this broach! And in my favorite hue as well...




This rocks necklace makes me rethink my hatred of ball-chains. The necklace is reminiscent of Hussein Chalayan's infamous Fall 2008 show. The rocks are made of paper, so the necklace has the added advantage of being quite light.


I have a special place in my heart for the Pearl Skyline Neckpiece, because it reminds me so intensely of the Bjork song, "Oceania" off her Medulla album. "Every pearl is a lynx is a girl..."

Tonight I'm going to catch the opening night of "Where the Wild Things Are"... I feel like I've been waiting forever! Such a perfect kick-off to the Halloween season, no?

Yours,

Elissa.

Post within a Post.

On a mission to find a bookshelf for my new office, I wound up, inevitably, at the thriftstore. Of course I found a bazillion amazing things, all of which adhered to my Fall Wants List: brocade skirts, high-waisted long skirts, 1930's-style, feminine sweaters and frilly, lacy slips.

Today's outfit was themed on success. I had an interview to attend and instead of worrying if I looked pulled-together enough in just the right way (which, in case you're wondering, that way doesn't actually exist, I only futilely try to emulate its ghost), I decided to pull together a few things that have lucky charm-like qualities to me, regardless of their affect on total impression. A black blazer (thrifted) exudes strength to me, so it was a natural choice. Coincidentally, I've half-way decided to use it in lieu of a bridal wrap, because my get-up is already so feminine that anything else seems treacly in comparison.

But as I stood there, weighing which should stay or which should go now, I thought to myself-- I don't need need any of this. And inexpensive as everything is, I told myself at the beginning of the month that nary a penny will go towards anything not completely necessary. Which means, bills, food, and the wedding. Feeling powerfully resolute, I left everything there. I doubt if I've ever done that before.

This particular position involves a stroke of sexiness, and I always feel reservedly sexy in this geometrically-printed, gray dress (Banana Republic). The bag (Urban Outfitters) just happens to hold everything.

The guy who's our officiant is a good friend, and is marrying us in the Dudeist tradition. After all, it was a mutual love of The Big Lebowski that brought my Sweets and I together. Besides this, we haven't given a whole lot of thought to what we want to express/accomplish during the ceremony, because that's the boring part, man.

Green is the color of money, so I unabashedly swathed my legs in the success-reminiscent hue. The tights are from Target, the shoes are Steve Madden.

I haven't been to many wedding ceremonies myself, and the few that I have been to have been relatively by-the-book. I love the sentiment of traditional wedding vows, and the words themselves are beautiful as well, but neither of us adhere to any traditional religious customs besides, so it would be... ehm, non-customary for us to begin now. We're writing our own vows. We have our work cut out for us, for sure.

And lastly, I put on the old keys necklace (thrifted), because keys symbolize access, entrances, beginnings and security.

Til then, I at least have an idea of how I'd like to go down the aisle. Fast-forward to 2:02. (Warning! This clip is ever-so-slightly NSFW).

Coming along.

I'm going to tell you now that the wedding business is a racket! Here I am at David's Bridal where I indeed bought my dress, absorbing the news that they would like $99 to take it up an inch, while wearing a culotted frock that I ironically (?) took up myself with a pair of scissors for free.

I don't think so. Blazer: thrifted. Dress: thrifted. Tights: Target. Shoes: Steve Madden.

Reason #547 to get acquainted with a smart seamstress in your neighborhood (and to have an Internet-capable phone). As soon as I heard the news I thought, "Oh, honey, no" and whipped out my phone, looked up the alterations lady down the street and gave her a call. $35. Now, there ya go. Also, in the unlikely event in this case that I'll get what I pay for, let's face it. She's working on the bottom of the dress, which no one will ever look at. Well, now they might now that they've read this. Yipe!

And now, by popular demand, a couple of pictures of the new place as it's coming together. We painted the living room a kind of retro green color -- it's Dutch Boy paint, which I love because it has a handy twist-on cap and pour spout and usually covers in 1 coat. The color is "Green River". I think it fits the period of the house well, and complements both the orange in the chair, and the orangey cast of the brick and woodwork in the room.


The dining room, which you can see in the background is painted a light, putty gray called "Versailles", and is still a work in progress, but will contain wood, chrome and crystal elements with some yellow for good measure.

And here, another snack of a view... we love how the teal couch and matching chair work with the paint as well... that the Godzilla monster happens to fit the scheme as well is just an added bonus.


20 more days til the Big To-Do...

Yours,

Elissa.