A happy bloggy birthday!

Today is the 1st anniversary of Ip & Audrey. I can't believe it's already been a year since I started this blog! Ip & Aud began as a fashion class assignment. I wasn't sure where it was going and began by writing fashion essays, a few book and runway reviews, and finally started "style blogging" in the winter.

As many of you know, the title of my blog is a reference to Audrey Hepburn and her pet deer, Pippin ("Ip" for short). I have many style icons, from Birkin to Bardot to even Bilson, but Audrey will always be my favorite. I know many of you feel the same-- there's just something about her timeless elegance that could never be surpassed. When it came time to think up a blog title, there was simply no better inspiration.

I'm happy to join the ever-growing network of fashion and style blogs. A few months ago I received this sweet award from Emily that fits Ip & Audrey perfectly:

I'd like to pass it along to Sarah, Jessica, Sophie & Raquel. You're all wonderful and lovely!

Thanks to everyone who keeps stopping by. More fun, summery posts coming soon!

Backyard safari

I think it's safe to say that, after weeks of almost nonstop rain, the sun has finally come out of hiding. And hopefully it's here to stay! It's been nice enough for me to photograph outdoors a few times a week... and live in nothing but dresses. I wanted to wear this shirt dress to the beach, but wound up spending a lazy evening in my backyard. We just put up a new tent-- perfect for a little "safari" adventure. Notice, also, an extremely deadly jungle cat prowling about... >^.^<

Mrrrrreow!

That vicious little beast will never find me over here...

... Umm... I just realized this entire outfit, barring the sunglasses, comes from Kohl's. One stop shopping, I guess! The sunnies are from Ann Taylor Loft.

Here are a few shots of my vegetable and flower gardens. I love my greens. I've been munching on our lettuce all week! Green beans are coming up next. I can't wait to sautee everything in olive oil. Mmm....

And luckily for me, the ferocious jungle cat stayed sleeping!

Looking forward to more sunny summer days...

Boots to the beach

So there was a gorgeous day this past weekend, the first truly gorgeous, sun-shining, blue sky day in a while, but I was feeling blah. Still, in an effort to evoke the summery day, I slipped on a bright sundress and ventured to the beach. My feet were clad in my emergencies-only, stranded -in-the-frozen-tundra boots, hurting from one too many stiletto-ed weekdays. I had zero plans to appear in any of my photos, but fate (nay, my mother) intervened. She said my boots were "cute." Fugly faux-Uggs only a mother could love. Forgive me, fashionistas, for I have sinned.

Dress, Sunglasses: Ann Taylor Loft
Offending Boots: I've no idea; let us never speak of them again.

For this major faux pas, I beg your pardon, and offer a few scenic shots as penance:

And the following pics are shared simply because I like the weird alien-like glow the sunset lends my face... the closest thing I'll ever have to a tan.

Ah, the hilarity of it all...

Sweet land of liberty

Let music swell the breeze
and ring from all the trees sweet freedom's song;
Let mortal tongues awake,
Let all that breathe partake,
Let rocks their silence break, the sound prolong...

Happy belated Independence Day! These photos look patriotic, but were actually taken a few days before the 4th. I decided to snap these Americana-inspired shots before all the craziness of Plymouth July 4th festivities went down. Believe me, it turns into a madhouse around here! But it is, after all, "America's hometown."

Even though I'm a local, I've never taken any pictures in front of the Mayflower II. Two other tall ships are in the harbor right now (and have attracted many the tourist), but the Mayflower especially resonates with me. My mother's side of the family is, for the most part, first-generation American (her grandparents immigrated from Ireland and Portugal); but my father's side has been here since before the Revolution (Betsy Ross is my relative!), making me an ethnic hodgepodge: Irish, English, Scottish, German, French... in other words, a Mayflower mutt. I'm proud of my Euro-mix heritage, and I know so many who feel the same. That's one thing I love about America: within every family tree is a massive melting pot. Variety is, after all, the spice of life!

Dress: Wal-Mart, purchased during my Illinois days!
Layering tank: Target
Jacket: Kohl's
Shoes: Payless
Sunglasses: Ann Taylor Loft

Ahh, gotta love cheap-chic retail. That makes this outfit all-American, too!

I hope everyone had a safe and happy 4th. :)

Magazine maven

I should not be blogging right now; I should be sleeping! But after trying on outfits I wanted to photograph and post, I began cleaning my room. This hour of night? Bad idea. I just couldn't stand the clutter, particularly my glut of fashion mags. All. Over. My room. Eek! My collection began innocently enough - I subscribed to a few, bought a few more monthly - but now it's gotten out of hand. I mean, plenty of people are bibliophiles; seems I'm a fashionzinephile. That's not so bad, right? Surely my piles and piles of Vogue, Elle, InStyle and Glamour mean that I'm poised to become a world-class fashion editor? Or... maybe I'm just plain obsessed.

Lately, I've tried to buy less American mags. I've grown sick of the same coverage in virtually every publication, and even sicker of the same celebrity faces gracing every cover. Whatever happened to models actually, you know, modeling in/on magazines? Isn't that what models are for? I don't want to see Scarlett Johansson or Sandra Bullock or Miley Cyrus on one more mag! I'm going to flip my lid. Yeesh. So I've developed a fascination with foreign publications. Marie Claire UK is amazing, and j'aime Vogue Paris. My most recent, gleeful purchase? Vogue Nippon. I was so ecstatic to finally find it! Feast your eyes:

This spread is gorgeous, even more so with the glossy pages right in front of you! The look screams free-spirited, yet polished, bohemian. I just love the use of neutrals with citrus-colored lips. And you know I'm a sucker for the perfect trench! These Burberry clothes photograph beautifully. See? This is what models get paid to do! One caveat: why such a blondie-blonde in Japanese Vogue? I know Vogue is a European publication, but generally there are very few Asians pictured in this issue. Hmm... methinks that's another post for another sleepless night.

*Photos from fashionrising.com & magxone.com

Down the rabbit hole

Okay. So I may not be much of a goth (um, just look at me), but I've always harbored a love for the gorgeously dark, Victorian-inspired worlds created by director Tim Burton. Movies like Edward Scissorhands (and its haunting, sweeping score by Danny Elfman), The Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse Bride (I so wanted to be her for Halloween), even the merry slasher Sweeney Todd, manage to keep me equally entertained and mesmerized. So when I heard rumors that Burton would reimagine the classic fairytale (and often Gothicized) Alice and Wonderland, I knew to expect an entirely new, twisted, magical vision that only the wonderfully wacky team of Burton, his muse Helena Bonham Carter, and his go-to goth Johnny Depp could muster.

Images were released this week, and they do not disappoint:

Pretty intense makeovers, right? But I've saved the best for last:

To see more shockingly awesome photos from the upcoming Disney (yup, Disney) film, see Wired.com.

Une lazee Sunday

It's still pouring here, but I'm enjoying the quiet peacefulness of a drizzly day. To celebrate father's day, my dad and I kicked back and watched a Vincente Minnelli marathon-- An American in Paris followed by Gigi. Bliss! I adore all the colors and musical sequences in each film. Inspired, I made this little collage in Polyvore:

Une Parisienne by erincathleen featuring Lulu Guinness bags

If only these divine clothes were a little more affordable! Perhaps if I search diligently, I can find some suitable vintage equivalents. Le sigh.