Favorite things: Spring

It's that time again... time for warmth, flowers and all things green! April is one of my favorite months (though this year, March wasn't too shabby either), and this one is going to be especially fabulous. Here are a few things I'm currently enjoying or looking forward to...

Gorgeous May Glamour girls! (See Whit, LC, Lo, above, and Lea, below.)

Which also means... the return of Glee! The City! And the end of The Hills! Oh, my!

Glee returns on April 13th. The City and The Hills are back on the 27th. That same day, the author who arguably inspired said girlie reality shows debuts a new young adult novel-- the origin story of fierce fashionista Carrie Bradshaw!

Click here to read an exclusive excerpt!

I cannot wait to read this. I'll temper the wait time by listening to the latest Zooey Deschanel/M. Ward offering, She & Him Vol. 2.

Also in the retro-sixties spirit... Boho magazine's Parisian-inspired spring fashion issue. Love the nod to Brigitte Bardot!

I'm also loving Zara's spring/summer '10 look book. I would live in these muted, utilitarian-but-girlie clothes. Everything is so flippin' cute!

One last thing to love about April? Earth Day! Yes, it should be Earth Day every day, and here I talk about going green as a lifestyle... it's in my job description! But this year is notable because it's the official Earth Day's 40th Anniversary! Do you do anything special to observe Earth Day? Share your thoughts/tips/stories here!

In just a few days, I'll be heading to Boston's Down 2 Earth to cover an amazing all-green expo! I'm reporting for Jute & Jackfruit. Stay tuned for pics and interviews!

How are you celebrating spring's arrival so far?

Anthropologie, Naut

As promised, here is my little Anthropologie-inspired photo shoot. These pictures were snapped on a rainy night last week; the next day, the sun finally came out of hiding. Too bad I just couldn't wait one more day to shoot these outfits; the sunshine would have been a welcome addition (No need to adjust the brightness/contrast or hue/saturation)! Ah, well. I think the rain and indoor lighting add a certain moodiness to the... eh, who are we kidding? Anyway, I put these outfits together because I'm in love with the nautical looks featured in Anthro's January 2010 catalog, but cannot personally afford to buy anything from it. Maybe someday, when I am a wealthy lady who lunches (ha), I will waste oodles of cash at Anthro so I can buy just one more frill-adorned cardigan. Until then, I will continue to happily waste all my cash on Starbucks and shoe sales!

Wet Seal polka dot tee (from 4-5 years ago)
Borrowed pearl necklace (Thanks, Mama!)
Loft pencil skirt (last spring)
Target (?) tights
Jessica Simpson Mary-Janes

Loft ruffled floral cardigan & floral-patterned shorts
Old Navy striped tee & ballet flats
Charlotte Russe viscose scarf

Lately I've been experimenting with photo locales (hehe, mostly indoor due to less-than-favorable weather), but I'm not sure I'm crazy about this room with the dressing screen. I really like it as a vintage-y background, but I hate how posing against it makes my proportions look awkward! Photographing outdoors is always the preferred method, so I think I will just wait for sunny days before my next sartorial post.

Most of the looks seen here are comprised of a few newer Loft pieces mixed with some old favorites. But the last photo contains an H&M dress I snagged last week because I simply couldn't leave it at the store...

H&M striped tshirt dress
Gap ruffled scarf
Apt. 9 boots

There you have it: my interpretation of the spring nautical look, my official guilty pleasure for this month. Which items are you having a hard time resisting for spring?

P.S. Just read that Anthropologie plans to launch a bridal collection. New York Magazine's The Cut blog reported the story as "Urban Outfitters to Make Wedding Gowns," calling the would-be clients a whole new subculture of shoppers: "bridesters." But keep in the mind that the dresses will be Anthropologie, not Urban, and that the prices will run from $1,000 - 5,000. That's more than the cost of many dress styles at David's Bridal! My thought is that if the gowns are at Anthro, they will have to be pretty, not hipster-y. I can see it now: tufts of tulle, layers of lace, bunches of beads.... and I say, if they happen to be covered in ruffles, vintage-y buttons and nautical stripes, sign me the eff up! But what do you think of this development?