Bailey Powell

Fashion. Lifestyle. Vignettes From My Dark Comedy Life.
December 11, 2012

Winter White

Ages ago a reader emailed me asking whether winter white was a faux pas and to address the rules that pertain to it, if any. Old school, season-specific fashion guidelines seem to have gone by the wayside but there are still some steadfast things to remember (find quick tips at the bottom of this post). Winter white has potential to be incredibly chic but fabric must be considered. For instance, while a white cotton sundress or flowy sheer top would be inappropriate for fall/winter the weight of a white tweed or angora works. Find some more ideas below.

Splurge

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Clockwise from top left: AKRIS Reversible Cashmere Robe Coat; Belstaff Dorchester 36 Leather Satchel Bag in Optic White; Worth Banded Bouclé Tweed Dress; SMYTHE Faux Shearling Bix Jacket; Michael Kors Chronograph Watch; rag & bone ‘Grand Prix Motocross’ Paneled Leggings Womens Winter White; Céline F/W 2012 White Pumps (similar)

Save

winterwhitesave

Clockwise from top left: Zalando Collection Cocktail Dress $72; Cream Bobble Knit Snood $25; Romwe Leather Spliced White Short Blazer $76; OPI Nail Lacquer in Alpine Snow $7; Fur Lapel Slim Wool White Coat $69; Mango Straight-Cut Suit Trousers $60; Wildfox Couture Cowskull Ring in Matte White $59; Tory Burch Cole Logo Stud Earrings in Ivory $68; H&M Leather Shoes in White $96

Loyally,

December 9, 2012

45 Stocking Stuffers That Don’t Suck

The title says it all. Here’s how to make stockings a big hit this year.

For Her:

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1. Deborah Lippmann “Christmas in the City” Nail Lacquer Trio $42

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2. Cookie Cutter Something cutesy for the cook. $1

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3. Mini Psssssst! Instant Dry Shampoo The most inexpensive brand seems to be the best, go figure. $3.50

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4. Fun Pair of Tights Help make winter weather dressing more fun. $21

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5. Mindy Kaling’s Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) I’m reading it now and trust me, lols are guaranteed. $11

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6. A Piece of Betsey Johnson Jewelry It’s whimsical. $51

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7. Urban Decay Lip Junkie Lip Gloss My personal favorite- it’s shiny without being sticky and “tastes like wedding mints”. I like Jilted. $19

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8. Lush Bath Bomb in Jingle Spells Luxurious, candy colored, and sparkly. $6.25

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9. Juicy Couture Faux Fur Ear Muff Headphones Give someone the gift of stealthy music listening. $98

 

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10. Tarina Tarantino Sparklicity Pure Perfect for highlighting your cheek bones or to give a little shimmer to the corners of your eyelids. I keep Opal on lock. $11

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11. Tory Burch Patent Robinson Tiny Jewelry Zip Case Because Ziplocs aren’t chic, and this is obviously completely necessary. $85

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12. Nike Legend Pants They make your hiney look good. $70

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13. Miniature Bottle of Pink Champagne You can find them at your local liquor store. $11.50

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14. Instax Camera Cute, small, and inexpensive camera for instant credit card-sized prints. I’ve heard great things. $95

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15. Wooden Initial A personalized touch that looks great free standing or hanging in a grouping. $10

For Him:

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1. A Copy of a Niche Magazine Whatever he likes, there’s a magazine for it. $16/year

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2. Febreze Car Vent Clips Because that gas station leaf-thing isn’t cutting it and you and I both know he’s not going to go buy this. $3

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3. Novelty Band Aids  Manly men get boo boos, too. $4

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4. Personalized Leather Money Clip Get initials, not names. $24

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5. Nips of Prestige Liquor Give him a taste of all the best without breaking the bank. You can find them at your local liquor store. $2-5

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6. Nail Clippers Because the pair you got him last year have since disappeared and he keeps using yours. $9

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7. Beats by Dre Powerbeats Sport Headphones Inspired by Lebron $150

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8. Richard James Colorblock Sock They’re trendy without being ridiculous or overly metrosexual. $52

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9. Mini Tool Set My brother said this would be cool. I’m unconvinced. I’m also female. $35

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10. Engraved Flask Because these get lost a lot and he probably needs a replacement… or back up. $26

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11. LED Microlight Key Chain It looks nerdy but it sure is handy. $3

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12. Slang Flash Cards In case you have a guy like Bennett in your family. $10

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13. Maglite Flashlight Everyone needs one, but men tend to be more particular. Get him a BA flashlight. $31

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14. iPod Armband $19

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15. Travel Size Cologne Keep him smellin’ fresh on the road without having to check a bag. $74

For Everyone:

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1. A Lovely Smelling Sachet Put it in your chest of drawers. $10

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2. Tube-Wringer This might or might not be the most exciting thing on this whole post. $7

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3. iPod Shuffle Perfect for the treadmill and inexpensive enough to have a single purpose. $49

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4. Massage School Certificate An inexpensive luxury.

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5. Bomb Foreign Candy You can’t find them in the U.S. but you can find them online so someone else can find them in their stocking. I hope my mom’s reading. $1

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6. Personalized Note Cards Men need them and women can’t get enough of them. Wins all around. $62

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7. Coconut Water Because we all know how dehydrating holiday parties can be and how magical coconuts are in general. $30 for twelve

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8. Boo: Little Dog in the Big City Don’t act like that pomeranian afro isn’t the most endearing thing you’ve ever seen. $13

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9. A Massive Stock of Gum or Mints Because stopping to buy gum every twenty pieces gets old. Stock piled gum is like HeyTell, you don’t know how awesome it is ’til you have it. $12 for twelve

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10. Payard Hot Chocolate Something to sip during the cold months. $15

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11. Festive Wine Stopper $14 for two

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12. Would You Rather…? Great for long car rides (see: Christmas). $3

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13. Starbucks Stainless Steel Tumbler We love these so much at my house that we have two. It’s big and keeps things freezing cold or piping hot for hours. I’ve had cheap tumblers before and there is a significant difference. Invest $20 you big spender, you.

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14. Chocolate Covered Gummy Bears They’re just so good. $11/lb.

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15. Ray-Ban Aviators Everyone looks good in them. $145

Happy shopping!

Loyally,

December 7, 2012

I Pledge Allegiance to Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge

Kate

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On April 29th 2011 Kate Middleton fulfilled every little girl’s dream by marrying a prince and effectively becoming a royal, tying the knot in the history-making Alexander McQueen by Sarah Burton wedding gown reminiscent of Grace Kelly. Following in the footsteps of Princess Grace as well as Catherine’s late mother-in-law Diana, the Duchess is adored by the masses with her every move emulated and her every high street ensemble sold out. Since Americans celebrate royalty vicariously through the British I am a part of the fan club, and the excitement surrounding Kate has only been amplified since the announcement of her pregnancy. To commemorate the time I wanted to share my favorite Catherine moments.

Read the rest of this entry »

December 5, 2012

The Beginning of Something Big

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I’ve got so many thoughts, all seemingly unoriginal and previously tried. However, isn’t that what people want to read, bits of familiarity dipped in articulation? An eloquent portrayal of an indescribable feeling, the simple satisfaction of knowing someone feels like you do? Essentially a temporary cure for loneliness, a comforting, warm bed in the shape of a book filled with people who couldn’t possibly disappear after a finite number of pages? I like to think of Harry Potter- hear me out before you label me trite- a magical world birthed inside of J.K. Rowling’s brain and transformed into something that people are desperate to physically delve into, to become engulfed by a fantasy. Tiny, untraceable ideas also dawn in my mind, each bearing the affectations of everything that passes through my irises and eardrums. I want these ideas to jump off pages and captivate readers. I want them to provide a temporary escape to a place absent of pretension, a place where the once mundane and trivial become bewitching and gripping.

endless combinations of 26 letters, endless possibilites

endless combinations of 26 letters, endless possibilites

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The open-ended nature of creativity is simultaneously the most daunting and exciting thing about it. I have enormous dreams and visualization is a regular and oftentimes involuntary practice of mine. I can’t help what I see and I don’t know when it will manifest but I do know how it will make me feel. There are things in life that I want desperately but have an innate awareness that they are not yet to be mine. A work of fiction is not one of those things. A book is not one of those things.

Loyally,

Bailey

December 3, 2012

5 Inexpensive and Hilarious Gift Ideas For the Holiday Season

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Tired of giving candles, novelty sweets from department stores, and ties? While all three of those typical gifts are safe, satisfaction-guaranteed options, sometimes it’s refreshing to mix it up.

One of the best things about the internet is the birth of niche market availability, meaning there are products for practically every obscure interest in existence. While this means the Crazy Cat Lady can find a feline license plate frame, a cat mouse pad, and a Maine Coon Keepsake box (naturally), it also means that you can find some truly personalized items to purchase for the loved ones you’re buying for this month.

As a person who receives the What On Earth? catalog on a regular basis, subscribes to the Cool Sh*t You Can Buy email newsletter, and ravages Skymall in a laughter-filled fit every time I’m aboard an aircraft, I’ve seen a lot of funny products. For this post I rounded up some of my favorites for gifts.

1. Put Your Face (Or Someone Else’s) On a Pillow

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Scary or funny? I think both. Whether the gift-receiver loves or hates the face you put on the pillow, there’s a lot of room for creativity with this one. At only $30 (shipping included!)  it’s definitely worth checking out.

2. Awkward Family Photos: 2013 Day-to-Day Calendar

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The book is nothing new, but 365 days of Awkward Family Photos? Count me in. This is for the person who is either a) appreciative of awkward people or b) awkward and aware of it.

Tip: Get a better price at Amazon instead of the Awkward Family Photos website.

3. Gangsta Greeting Cards

I’ve been eyeballing these for a while.

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Make someone’s note cards more memorable with an elegantly printed rap lyric on the front. This Etsy account has cards decorated with everything from Juvenile to Drake lyrics, and her tagline “letterpress greeting cards for people with personalities” really hits the nail on the head. Enjoy.

4. Pillowig

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Perfect for the narcoleptic in your life, or perhaps the family member/friend with a really developed sense of humor. I’m not even sure this is still available for purchase, but I think it’d be fairly easy to DIY.

…Who doesn’t need a Pillowig?

5. What?

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What? is a right combination of Balderdash and Apples to Apples. Speaking from experience, this game has laugh-until-you-cry potential. It’s the perfect gift for the light-hearted host/hostess or for a family with a lot of witty, extroverted members.

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Some people can be really challenging to buy for, especially if they “have everything” or you exchange gifts with them year after year and seem to have run out of fresh ideas. Try giving a humor-laden gift to those people this year. If it doesn’t work out you can always go back to the tried and true presents- they are popular for a reason, after all.

Loyally,

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