Sunday, October 31, 2010

Sunday's Best.

So a mere half hour ago I received a call and found out I have to be at work really early tomorrow morning and this piece of news came in as I was enjoying some wine drinking with a friend... A major  let down during some delicious Sauvignon Blanc tasting!

But as soon as I got home I was looking forward to writing down my favorite (web-related) things from this week, so here they are:

- I really wish I could have been at the "Rally to Restore Sanity" this weekend. Since attending was kind of impossible this sign recap really made me lough out loud
- Further proof that art and inspiration can be found anywhere: Subway Art History Project
- One more article from the NYT, because they feature the most amazing houses!
-From one of my favorite sites out there comes Karl Laggerfeld's bookshelf (slash library!)
- And speaking of bookshelf/libraries I think Restoration Hardware create my dream one:


I simply adore the rustic feel of it... and that map! Siiigh, I am such a nerd, I love maps.

xoxo,
Pilar

Saturday, October 30, 2010

I am loving...

Victoria in  crimson red + pony tail.



dress and purse from her own collection... and the nail polish  as the perfect finishing touch, no?

xoxo,
Pilar                                                        
(images thanks to: justjared)

Wind Down: music + hot chocolate + beautiful photography.

After a grueling week at work, which included spending Saturday morning and afternoon back at the office, it's  just nice to sit down, put  relaxing music on, drink delicious hot chocolate and look at some gorgeous images (thanks to a new etsy find).

 
(all images thanks to: Yvette Inufio Photography)

I am loving the very young Dakota Fanning on the Rufus Wainwright video and the whimsical and peaceful feeling that Yvette's photographs inspire.

xoxo,
Pilar

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Far in the Forest.

Market Publique is a great source for vintage clothing and style inspiration, and their new lookbook for their Rock Paper Vintage collection is wonderful. Clearly, a match made in fashion heaven!

The lookbook, entitled Far in the Forest, was photographed by Connie Wang and styled by Pamela Castillo and Tiffany English. Such talented ladies!

    

       

        


(all images thanks to: Market Publique)

I covet the jacket in the last image! You can see their whole new lookbook, plus older wonderful ones, here.

xoxo,
Pilar

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

A small painting project.

This Sunday, it rained all afternoon and evening... that pouring rain that makes it impossible to do anything outside the house, so I took on a small decorating project. I found a little shelf left behind by the previous tenant in my back porch and I thought it was pretty cute but a little plain so I decided to spruce it up a bit.

The start: a shelf in the shape of a balcony + 4 small bottles of paint.

The inspiration: these are traditional Costa Rican carts, which people 
decorate with beautiful designs and really bright colors.
 

The Process: I love paint puddles! And apparently, my neighbor's cat 
does too... he was very intent on helping me paint.

The Finished Product: a pop of color for my dreadful walls! I liked 
the shadows cast in the gloomy and rainy evening.

xoxo,
Pilar

Monday, October 25, 2010

Monday Morning Inspiration: the Crew

J.Crew has some great inspiration for work wear that is anything but boring! Their pieces are often very classic yet retain a level of sophistication, clicking through their website is easy to plan an ideal work wardrobe.  Some of my top picks:

A simple silhouette
Neutral on neutral
Flashy details
Happy Monday!

xoxo,
Pilar

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Sunday's Best.

Here we go! A medley of my favorite things from the week:

If you are missing Mr. Drapper as much as I am, this slideshow will make you laugh and seriously gasp over the amount of drinking that took place in those offices!
-Matt is a foodie, a world traveler and someone who loves to stuff tortillas with anything and everything imaginable. We might be soulmates!
- And the logical step to follow up a food link is... a wine link! These wine stories are touching and truly remarkable... There's still a day left to vote for your fave.
- Still need some ideas for a Halloween costume? The folks at fashionista.com came up with some great fashion-inspired ideas.
- And how about some home decor inspiration, A Home in 600 squared feet... turns out 600 squared feet is plenty to make a fabulous home:




(image thanks to: NYT)
gorgeous right?


xoxo,
Pilar

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Weekend(s) Moments.

I  mentioned before that I recently moved to a new country... that country happens to be Costa Rica. Of course, it is always hard leaving family and friends behind but I feel very fortunate to get to spend a year here for work. My first few weeks  here I spent almost every weekend day outside the city (San Jose); I saw a volcano erupt lava, hung out at the beach and visited small towns in the mountains. But the past two weekends I have used to explore San Jo a bit more. 

I must admit that it is not the most beautiful place in the world but it does have some charming characteristics and because I live away from the city center I get to experience some of the wonderful small town feel, and nature, that the country is known for.

Hiking spot near my neighborhood
Little church on the hillside
At top of the hiking trail... Amazing views!
marking things off my to-do list...
...and enjoying a tasty treat at my favorite cafe

Sunday mornings at the market
dough making for arepas. Yummmm!
the flute band that plays at the market
and another round of sweet treats at one of the oldest cafes in town

xoxo,
Pilar

Friday, October 22, 2010

Pillow Talk (and a little more).

Unfortunately for me, my new rental place came equipped with one of the world's most uncomfortable couches. Yuck! So it is no surprise I have been giving pillows some major thought. A while back Gilt Groupe had a sale for home furnishing featuring American designers and there were some beautiful pillows, plus a few other wonderful pieces. Some of my favorites below:

   pillows by Edie Inc.


pillows by Kelly Wearstler.


I really love the texture and colors of the Edie pillows, very bright and fun, whereas, Kelly Wearstler's designs are of a more classic style. Kelly is well known for appearing as a judge in Top Design (and for some wacky outfits she wore!), however,  I highly recommend visiting her website for some great decorating inspiration- the work she did for the Trousdale residence is a great example of modern decor that manages to introduce antique pieces from around the world. Lastly, the Worlds Away mirror really reminds me of the one used in Miranda's apartment in Sex and the City. 

xoxo,
Pilar

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

I Am Loving...

SJP in a LBD.



The tights and oversized necklace totally complete the look!

xoxo,
Pilar

Monday, October 18, 2010

"And if they poured champagne, it must have been while I was pushing the mail cart."

Any  Mad Men fan will recognize that quote immediately. Joan, as usual, with her quick and snappy wit in one of the best scenes of Sunday's season finale.
And what an amazing season it was! I think this season re-focused on all the things that made me such a huge fan of the show: great story lines, Don's struggles and screw ups and of course the inside workings of Madison Ave. And as it is standard for this show, the costuming was spotless. So to commemorate the end of another great season here are a few of my favorite looks and scenes from the season.

       
      This is a picture from the first episode of the season. I really like Don's stripped 
      tie and dark blue suit. A nice change from the all black suits, and one to match 
the new agency.
       
And of course, who can forget Don's visit to CA? The whole scene was perfectly 
set up to stress Don's playboy charm: his crisp white shirt, classic sunglasses and
the red convertible.
     Although the character Bethany Van Nuys was a minor one, she truly stole the 
most glamorous crown away from Betty. This dress is simply beautiful and her
up-do makes the look really glam.
      
     The breakthrough star of this season was definitely Sally Draper. Kiernan Shipka, 
is such a talented girl! And I love this rather sweet plaid summer dress. Here's 
hoping that Sally will continue to get a lot of screen time on the next season.   
       I think this reddish-pink and softly printed dress was my favorite Joan look of the 
       whole season. She truly looks amazing wearing colors in the red-pink palette.
      
     I am a big Peggy fan, despite being occasionally too judgmental, I think
Peggy's search for herself and her willingness to stick to what she loves no 
   matter what,  is rather admirable. And while her sense of style isn't as attention 
grabbing as some of the other women's,  I really like her in this hat and the 
details on the collar of her coat are adorable.
   
The closing scene of the episode: The Beautiful Girls was pure genius! 
Three women in an elevator...sounds simple enough, but so much about
each of these women could be discerned from that scene. And a major part
of that is the contrast between their three outfits. 
Betty's wardrobe this season was probably the most strikingly different from 
seasons past. Gone were the dreamy and pristine dresses and gorgeous night 
gowns. Pretty much every outfit Betty wore this season hinted at one word: icy. 
The reason why I like this dress is because it is reminiscent of the old Betty (the 
shape and pleating) but the color palette is completely in tune with the new Betty, 
colder and perhaphs evens adder and more lost than before. 
  
   One of my favorite, if not my favorite, relationship in the show is that between 
  Joan and Peggy. So, it is no surprise that one of my favorite scenes from the whole
   season was the little talk the two women shared afterDon's big news. I really 
  love how they are both wearing stark and dark outfits which deeply contrast 
 Megan's bright coral dress during that same sequence. " Oh come on, that's 
bullshit" is probably in my Top 5 Mad Men moments.


(all images thanks to: AMC)


Awh, I am definitely going to miss all the characters until next season. Thank goodness for vureel! And to end this post the same way the season ended here is a little Sony and Cher... what a great choice for the closing scene of Season 4!

xoxo,
Pilar