♥ happy halloween!!

if you're like me, with no costume to wear this halloween,

and no party to attend-- it doesn't mean you can't get into the holiday spirit

even just a little bit :) here is some nail-spiration from around the web:

images via pinterest 

♥ text message.

how romantic are these buntings from esty shop, oh albatross? 

they are made up of vintage letters clipped around a simple piece of twine.

i love the black and white font and the messages on each of them!

wouldn't they look darling pinned up over a bed or mirror?

i think i need ALL of them.

♥ she's a real head case.

for those of you who may have missed yesterday's google doodle, 

dedicated to the hollywood's illustrious edith head, here you are.

though i am a big fan of old movies and write quite a bit about the fashion

 inspiration i draw from the actresses in these films, i must admit that 

i know very little about edith head, and probably fail to give her 

due credit whenever i write one of my posts.

because, if you didn't know, edith head dressed the likes of

barbara stanwyck in double indemnity, kim novak in vertigo,

grace kelly in to catch a thief, and audrey hepburn in roman holiday.

...just to name a few :) here is a video of ms. head talking about how

she transforms lead actresses into characters through costume:

and here are a few tidbits:

she was nominated for 35 academy awards and won 8.
the most oscars of any women, today!

she is the only costume designer with a star on the hollywood walk of fame.

she referred to her job as a "cross between camouflage and reconstruction."

although she divorced charles head early in her life, the name remained
with her throughout her career.

when she was hired as the costume sketch artist for paramount pictures,
she admittedly used another student's sketches, claiming them as her own.

she would have turned 116 years old, yesterday :)

♥ and the winner is...

the winner of the iphone case from iconemesis is:

#4 ALEXANDRIA HUBBARD!

congrats, alex!! and thank you to all who entered :)

♥ be-witched.

 this weekend, i watched a handful of 80's halloween movies.

my favorite? teen witch (1989).  the tulle, the shoulder pads, & big hair

are all too inspiring! and almost as good as the song, top that.

ps. did you know the main character, louise, is blake lively's

real life older sister-- robyn lively!

♥ faux real.

loving these kate spade knock offs from forevs.

would you wear them or do you prefer the real thing?

i tend to mangle my winter accessories,

so these faux cheapies would do me just fine :)

♥ tickled pink.

during my trip to the boston MFA last week to see the hippie chic show, 

i also spent some time at the museum's latest exhibit, think pink!

read more about my full experience on the well-appointed catwalk,

where i am pink pinch-hitting for marissa for the day while she

honeymoons with her new hubby in anguilla :)

congrats again, marrissa & avi!

♥ "the human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter." ~mark twain.

nick's best friend, will noonan, is fast becoming one of boston's greatest comedians.

(even the boston globe says so!) he recently filmed a few commercials for

 staples and they are hysterical and a bit adorable. 

i just had to share the laughs :) enjoy!

♥ GIVEAWAY!!

for the most part, i never give my phone a second thought.

i use it to perform basic functions like messaging, emailing, facebooking,

 and instagramming- and that is about all i need it for.

i used my last one, a smashed-up google nexus, until it's buttons

stopped working and i could talk on using only speaker,
and one day it shut off and never turned back on.

but today, i am sad that i never considered an iphone, because i was
contacted by lifestyle brand, iconemesis- to receive or give away one
 of their super-cute phone cases, designed by some of britain's most
beloved artists-- and none of them fit my big samsung galaxy :(

but luckily enough, my loss is your gain, iphone users!!

this week, you have the chance to win your very own case.
here are some of my faves! (sigh of longing & regret...)

to enter the giveaway:

please like iconemesis on facebook,

and leave me a comment about which case you

 like and an email address where i can contact you!

 a winner will be chosen next monday!

good luck :)

♥ the grand budepest hotel.

nick and i have been unimpressed with the offerings at the movie theaters lately.
i think we were just waiting for a new wes anderson film to come along.
thankfully, our favorite director answered our prayers!
the grand budepest hotel looks too good :)

♥ i got that hippie, hippie chic.

last night, i met up with a group of beloved blog friends that

i haven't seen in ages, and we spent much of our evening in this

fantastic space. the hippie chic exhibit at the boston mfa is

a colorful, three-dimensional, seventies extravaganza

that is not to be missed. (it's running until november 11th!)

broken up into different types of hippie-- for example,

the retro hippie, the ethnic hippie, the craft hippie, 

i was blown away by how many different

versions there were of what i have thought 

to be just one category: 

the quintessential hippie.

i was so wrong. and so happy to be wrong!

just look at those dresses. and the hair styles! OMG!

 according to my friend, "these are the kind of clothes you hope to find

at a vintage store- but never do. and if you do- they're way too expensive."

they brought back 1940's style in the 1970's. did you know that?

it boggles the mind.

♥ retro lips.

this fall, i have been living in red lipstick.

some of my faves? nars dragon girl, mac's all fired up, 

and sephora's it girl. do you have a go-to red?

one that i would love, love, love to try is lancome's re-issue

 of a 1955 red called rouge entincelle, which is due out just in time 

for the holidays, and will be encased in a sparkling swarovski crystal-

covered tube. can you picture anything more glamorous?

 now, if only i had an extra $75 in my budget for a lipstick.....

ps. my friend, courtney, almost went the whole year 

wearing red lipstick every day. read what she had

 to say about it  here!

♥ so a girl walks into a bar...

on friday, i had the opportunity to pop into boston's newest hot spot- 

 drybar, and have my hair washed, dried and styled to

 perfection by lovely stylist, vanessa b. :)

i tried the mai tai, while sipping hot coffee, watching 

how to marry a millionaire, poring over fashion magazines

and chatting with some of my best blog friends.

...it really was a magical night!

straight, chinese hair + drybar styling = MAGIC

♥ halloween couture.

now that i am almost in my thirties- dressing up for halloween doesn't 

elicit quite the same amount of excitement it once did. this year, 

i would gladly turn in an itchy, plasticy-smelling costume 

for one of these chic headpieces or lace eye masks 

from arturo rios. now i just need a halloween

party to go to...