{whatever wednesday}

{Three Spooky Cocktails to Try this Halloween}

{Weekend Cocktail:  Macklind Mule}

A new wine bar called Grapeseed recently opened in my neighborhood.  After patiently waiting and longing to visit since before they finished construction, I finally made it there over the weekend.  Grapeseed has a very friendly and cozy, rustic atmosphere.  Not only was the Macklind Mule a favorite, the seasonal sweet potato and carrot Sangria was delicious.  If you are in the St. Louis area and looking for a place to check out, go to Grapeseed.

{Herbaria Chocolate Peppermint Lip Balm}

Sticking with the local finds, I finally visited the Herbaria Soap shop this week.  They're located in St. Louis on The Hill, make over 60 varieties of natural soap, and the scents come from pure essential oils.  I found this lip balm at the store, and after debating between the this or Chai, went with the Chocolate Pepperment.  Best beauty buy in a while, I honestly can not get enough of it.

{New this week:  Copper teapot}
I'm one to find happiness in little things and my new copper teapot was no exception.  Pretty, shiny, and whistling, it made tea time even more enjoyable. (Please ignore the topknotted person pictured in said teapot)

{Fashion Inspiration:  How These 13-Year-Old Girls Will Change the Way You Get Dressed}

DIY Halloween Costume

Inspired by one of my favorite movies of all time, Breakfast at Tiffany's, came my favorite costume of all time.  The ridiculously charming and sophisticated socialite, Holly Golightly, has been my go-to costume for the past few years.

Tuning in to your inner Ms. Golightly is pretty simple and can be created with things you probably already own.  Start with a black dress, black tank and skirt, or even a black tulle tutu.  Cat-eye sunglasses are a must, heels, the tiara and a glitzy statement necklace, possibly a pearl and rhinestone combination.  Black elbow-length gloves and a cigarette holder you can find at most costume stores.  Through the movie, Holly's orange tabby cat, Cat, plays a big role.  Cat was a fun addition to the costume (a toy cat, not real one).  Other optional accessories would be a lunch size paper bag with a croissant or danish of sorts, and an empty coffee shop style paper coffee cup.  Style your hair in a high bun, secure on your tiara and you've transformed in to Holly Golightly for the evening.

Do you have an all time favorite costume?  What do you plan on dressing as this year?

Holly Golightly by missallierae featuring a black skirt

Have a Happy Halloween!

peace, love, sparkles and flamingos,

Allison

Remembering Oscar de la Renta: An Homage to the Fashion Legacy

With the loss of the elegant legacy, iconic fashion designer Oscar de la Renta on Monday, the runways and red carpets will never be the same.  Always the gentleman, Oscar loved his ladies and his ladies undeniably loved him and his gowns.  His exquisite designs were the epitome of lady-like perfection and class.  A fashion genius, he lived a long and full life, but the fashion world remains saddened over the loss and what the next designs could have been.  Here's a look back at some of his most breathtaking gowns.

Mr. de la Renta, you will wholeheartedly be missed.

"Fashion is about dressing according to what's fashionable.  Style is more about being yourself"

{Supermodel Karlie Kloss in Oscar de la Renta}

"Known for his appropriate elegance, he always designed with the ultimate motivation that women must look and feel beautiful."- Andre Leon Talley

{Oscar de la Renta Fall 2013}

{Oscar de la Renta Ready to Wear S/S 2014}

{Oscar de la Renta Pre-Fall 2011}

{Oscar de la Renta Spring 2013}

{Oscar de la Renta S/S 2015}

{Oscar de la Renta Fall 2013}

{Oscar de la Renta Resort 2013}

{Amy Adams, Golden Globe Awards 2009}

{Emma Watson, world premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows - Part Two, London 2011}

{Emma Watson Noah Premiere}

{Cameron Diaz, Academy Awards 2010}

{Oscar’s first dress}

Made for Beatrice Cabot Lodge, the daughter of the U.S. ambassador to Spain, for her coming-out ball

Madrid, 1956

 {Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina}

Photo Credits:  Healthy Fashionista, Adorned in Armor, Dr. Marco's Movie Scans, Tumblr, Mashable, Instyle

{whatever wednesday}

// Missoni Home Perpignan Pillow //

{Glam Home Inspiration:  Missoni's Golden Age Jewel Print}

{Halloween DIY:  Sequin and Glitter Pumpkins}

{Little piece of happiness:  My vintage Italian scarf}
Upon spotting this scarf at a thrift shop a few weeks ago, I immediately knew it had to be mine.  With a price tag of $4, there were no questions asked.  I adore the boxy Ikat mixed with the checkerboard circles, while the burnt orange and caramel tan make it a perfect fall accessory.

{Color Combination:  Burgundy and Navy}

{Wednesday Wisdom}

{whatever wednesday}

{Halloween Things:  How to Create a Candy Bar}

I was lucky enough to win Game 1 Playoff tickets through an Instagram contest, thanks to Strange Donuts.  Clearly, I had to go through a ton of donut eating trouble to get those tickets.  With my dad as my date, we rooted on the Cardinals, drank beers, sat in the cold, wandered to the bar, joked around, laughed a lot.  He wanted to leave after the 7th inning (rightfully so, since we were losing), but I may have guilt tripped with the whole, "How often do you get to enjoy a Playoff game with your favorite daughter?!" thing...His response was, "Never." ((sorry, Melissa))  We stayed until the end and although we lost the game, it was great to spend one on one time with Dad.

 {This Quinoa Chili from Last Night}
We've been having a stormy, gross, gloomy week in St. Louis and yesterday, I had had enough.  Craving something hearty to fill the sadness, I decided to give my cooking skills a shot at some Quinoa Chili.  I followed the recipe above, altering the spices a bit, using chili tomatoes.  Also, I think the recipe called for a bit too much onion, half or a third would have done well.  Despite the overly-onion oops, I made enough chili to feed a small village and the craving hit the spot.

{Wednesday Wisdom}

{Song of the Week:  Jason Mraz - Living in the Moment}