... Whereas This Parrot Skirt Is Awesome

TWO parrot posts in one DAY? Are parrots the new peacocks?

($84, Where Are You Now Josie, Asos.com)

This bright blue-and-bright-pink (one of my favorite color combos, btw) parrot skirt is the cutest thing I've seen all week, beside surprised kitty.

Oh, and speaking of skirts, I just bought the following foil leopard print skirt from Asos.com. I posted about it not long ago after finding it on Oli.co.uk -- and lamented that site's no-USA-shipping policy -- and a friendly FashionBinge reader alerted me to its availability on Asos.com. Each one teach one, i say!

($59, Rare, Asos.com)

Peacock Maxi Dress For Tall, Lanky, Hippie Chicks

($178, VaVa by Voom, Unique-Vintage)

I am not tall, lanky, nor a hippie, but I seriously fucking LOVE a peacock... On me, this peacock maxi dress would probably make me look like a 5'1" human-peacock hybrid with boobs and curly hair, but if you're tall and leggy, go for it. It's by VaVa by Voom.

More maxi dress loves:
+ Isabella Oliver jersey maxi dresses
+ What Comes Around Goes Around Copa maxi dress
+ PEACOCKS!

The $1 Million Peacock Wedding Dress

I don't really care if the ENTIRE PEACOCK POPULATION needs to be become extinct in order for me to own this peacock dress, exhibited at a wedding expo at in China. I just WANT it. Main factor deterrent -- I don't have 2000+ peacocks. Other issue: I don't have $1.5 million dollars. Minor setbacks. Actually, no, I don't want it. It's sorta scary looking, and it makes me feel like we all owe peacocks a major apology. I just wanted to make that joke about the entire peacock population becoming extinct to make one dress.

Witness the horror yourself at LuxuryLaunches. Or, check out more reasonable peacock fashions, dresses and accessories.

Matthew Williamson For H&M Is Like ALL PEACOCKS, ALL THE TIME!

(Image via: Whatshewears.ie)

BLAST AND DAMN! Matthew Williamson's H&M collection, which hits stores RIGHT THIS FUCKING MINUTE is ALL FUCKING PEACOCKS, practically!!! (And you KNOW how I feel about PEACOCKS!)

The collection is in 200 H&M stores worldwide including these three NYC H&M locations, which are accordingly mobbed.

You've seen Matthew Williamson's peacock dress on Katy Perry, and, for better or for worse, Nicky Hilton.

(Image via Fabsugar.com)

That peacock clutch alone is making me cry real little-girl tears out of grown-up eyes. As is the tiger-print dress below. Weeps of a million.

Best Bow Necklace!

($213, Shaoo, Letrainbleu.com)

I love this super-statementy 19th century Deco bow necklace by French designers Shaoo (Wen Wei and Ho Yuk). The white bow is made of leather, which makes it all the more luscious, and pairing it with bold red lipstick is pure perfection. I'm also convinced that the necklace has magic powers -- like, I'm pretty sure that if you wear it, you can conjur peacocks to magically, amazingly just appear in the walkway of stores called Peacocks.

A Peacock Walks Into A Store...

(Image via Ian Peacock/ PeacockShock.com)

FOR REAL, A REAL PEACOCK walked into a STORE... called PEACOCKS! In Scotland, where apparently peacocks come equipped with the mental capacity of rocket scientists. THIS IS THE GREATEST SINGLE DAY OF MY LIFE! I'M GONNA LIVE FOREVER! THIS IS THE BEST, MOST AMAZING THING EVER!

And speaking of amazing, apparently so is Ian Peacock, who not only has written for a billion great publications but LOVES Persian cats (my first kitty was a glorious Persian named Romeo, hallowed be his name. He lived to be 19 and was an angel amongst kitties, even when he graced us on this very earth, for which he was always too good) AND is actually named "Peacock." I think I'm in love.

+ More of my peacock obsession as it relates to fashion and accessories here.

Also, these peacock Keds are cute if not a little too literal. But okay for you maybe? I didn't mean that in a bitchy way. We're still cool, right?

($63.55, Keds, Zazzle.com)

My Pade Vavra Wild Horses Necklace Is The Best Thing I've Ever Purchased Ever

Yes yes, ladies. Believe it. Not one, not two, but THREE horses, and they're all currently draped around my neck, frozen in mid leap tableau. It's by L.A. jewelry designer Pade Vavra, and here's how it all went down.

A few weeks ago, I went to the VIP Lucky Shops preview party with Beauty Blogging Junkie's Amber and my fiance, who I thought would want to leave in 14 seconds, but it turned out he wanted to see Leighton Meister (smart move!), and after indulging in several of the many free beverages, he graciously held my bags and coat while I tried stuff on, because he is awesome, which I already knew.

Anyway, I passed by Pade Vavra's table, and of course, being an aficionado of miniature horses and ponies and horse jewelry, her amazing Wild Horses necklace immediately caught my magpie eye and held my attention. But that night I was doing the "I'm not buying ANYTHING" thing (which didn't last, because I bought that Charlotte Ronson sweater), yet I could NOT stop thinking about that necklace. Matt graciously reminded me that um, I recently acquired some very nice jewelry (erm, an engagement ring and a pair of diamond earrings... riiiight), however, the necklace kept trotting through my materially obsessed mind.

So, after several rounds of rationalization -- I recently got promoted, I'm good at not making LOTS of major purchases, I deserve it, I'm already in debt so why stop now, I'm an idiot (see prior rationalization), etc etc -- I emailed the address on the site, and Pade herself ended up emailing me back. She ended up selling me the necklace herself over the phone, and we chatted like pals about our favorite shops in New York. I probably sounded like a creepy stalker (or just a Jap), going on and on about how much I love horses and peacocks and jewelry, but I'd pretty much marry Pade at this point (that's her below), because she designs amazing (and reasonably priced) handmade pieces involving horses, peacocks, and feathers and precious and semi-precious stones along with strong, rough-hewn, organic elements with an end result that's not too prissy, not too hippy-dippy yet not too overly modern or overdone. The only bad part? I want just about every single thing she creates. (To my point about sounding like a stalker.)

Anyway, so after not being able to stop fixating on the horse necklace, like I said, she sweetly sold it to me, it arrived just a few days later, and it's even better than I'd remembered. And for real, I've gotten about 15 billion compliments on it. When I wear it (every day) it's like I'm freaking Oprah Winfrey or something -- practically getting mobbed when I walk down the street. All I gotta do now is open a school somewhere and start giving away cars. And I would if I could.

Check out more of Pade Vavre's gorgeous pieces:

Buy all Pade Vavre's jewelry online (if I don't first), or see where you can buy near you.

My Quickie 'Mad Men' Purchases From Target!

I popped into Targz when I was home the other week (and by the way, I must say, the Hilltop Virginia Beach Target was spifftacular to begin with, but with its recent facelift, it's even nicer!), and I picked up a few items to hopefully make my outfy more formal-looking when I attend a wedding this Sunday (at Steiner Studios!), which I just found out is formal. EEk!

Firstly, I'm wearing this Christopher Deane dress:

($163, Christopher Deane, Revolveclothing.com)

The dress is much more fanco-lookin' in person -- silky and pretty pretty. But I still fear it's not necessarily formal attire, you know? So, these are the Target items I hope to fance it up a bit with. They sorta Mad Men-inspired (Mad Men being my second biggest style obsession next to peacocks!), but hopefully not TOO costumey.

($44.99, Anya Hindmarch for Target)

Impulse buy of the CENTURY, but it's certainly beautiful and certainly worth the price. From the VERY same Anya Hindmarch line that MkHo DISPARAGED!

($44.99, Mossimo, Target)

Usually I DON'T advocate the tenty swing jacket for myself at least, but this one has a cute little cinched waist, and it's a nice heavy wool, for in case it's Arctic out, like it is tonight.

($21.99, Target)

These are far daintier and cuter in person.

ALSO, I've got an appointment to get mah hairs all did up nice by Matthew James at Sam Brocato Salon (formerly Oscar Bond) in Soho. The doll-faced Amber at Beauty Blogging Junkie has gushed like a volcano over this man, so I can't wait to see what he achieves with my hair.

Hopefully the whole look isn't too costumey -- the jacket and gloves are just for transporational purposes. It's just mainly going to be the dress, the bag, and the fun hair. Not like I'm gonna roll in smoking a cigarette from a long holder, and wearing a pill box hat, waving like Jackie O... OR WILL I?

Anyway, thoughts, pleaze? Is the outfit formal enough for a black tie-optional wedding?

Damn You, 'The Hills' Girls!

Like you, I am probably way too old to watch The Hills, and I'm certainly too old to relate to them. But I accept the fact that fashionwise, it's Sex and the City Lite. Unlike SATC, however, I would actually wear some of the casual-cute stuff the girls wear, and I can actually afford some of the stuff too. To be clear, I condone these pieces regardless of the fact/ despite that, not because, they've been worn by The Hills girls.

A few examples:
Damn you, Lauren Conrad! Here you are at the MTV Upfronts in a PEACOCK dress, WHEN YOU KNOW peacocks are my thing solely and exclusively!

($385, Elizabeth and James, Shopbop)

And it actually looks cuter on Lauren than this chick.




The red carpet dress Whitney Port wore to the season finale of The Hills is apparently one of her own "Eve & A" designs. There's something super glam and '80s, in like a Robert Palmer girl/ Dynasty-but-refined sort of way.

Speaking of Whitney's clothing line, here's a snap from the upcoming collection:
The 20-piece "Eve & A" collection launches this fall. And by the way, in case you were wondering, Whitney's dad is Jeff Port, who owns the apparel company Swarm, which manufactures a young men's line called Shades of Gray, so it looks like she already has some exposure to the biz.


Granted, Audrina's matriarchs never passed down to her the "no-white-bra-with-darks" rule of womanhood, nor the "thou shalt not matchy-match" rule, but I love the shoes:

($175, Kenneth Cole)

Appropriately enough, they're called "Hill Top."

($89, Kenneth Cole)

Another cute Audrina pick... again, one I like regardless of the fact that a Hills chick has toted it around to Le Deux. Actually, this is probably WAY not fance enough for Le Deux, but it is perfect for Urth Cafe, no?

($79, Torn by Ronny Kobo, Intermix)

Lauren likes this one, and it's cute, but not as cute as its striped sister:

($85, Torn by Ronny Kobo, Intermix)

Hee! Check out the snake around the anchor! And check out the designer: she's like just a few injections away from being the next Lisa Rinna.

Pony Necklace: A Tribute to Thumbelina, World's Small Horse

Real quick last post of the day...

I saw Thumbelina this weekend -- the world's wee-est horse! She's only 60 pounds and apparently likes to sleep -- probably because she had kids (um, and grown-ups... guilty) gaping, hemming and hawing at her all day on Saturday, when I saw her at the Natural History Museum's opening day celebration of their new exhibit, The Horse."

Apparently she travels around in the "Thumby-mobile," visiting sick kids and melting hearts in her wake with her freakishly adorable teensy stature. She's only about a foot high! Eeee!

Sadly, I didn't get to see her for long, because I was surrounded by pushy children and even pushier prototypical New Yorky parents, and I felt bad for her (the horse, that is), so I snapped the above pic and scurried away, but her sweet, sleeping mini-horseness will live on in my heart forever.

To commemorate her, check out this horse necklace:

($34, Frozen Peas, CandyStoreCollective.com)

Sweet, and cute, like Thumby herself. Won't somebody think of the kids -- i.e. me -- and get me this? Please? I barely even got to see Thumbelina!!!


... More cute stuff:

($40, Pony Attack, LittlePaperPlanes.com)

By the awesomely-named San Diego duo Pony Attack.

($24, Caitlin Keegan, LittlePaperPlanes.com)

The rare piece of non-wearable art -- "Horse Lady," by Caitlin Keegan. I like to think of it as "Me + Thumby = TLAAF!"

And, sorry to OT for a second, but I also love this one:

($24, Caitlin Keegan, LittlePaperPlanes.com)

Peacocks! My second-fave! (Don't worry, Thumby! You'll always be first!)