Umbrella, ella, ella, eh eh.

I know this is ridiculous, but I am completely lusting after this Kate Spade umbrella.

http://www.katespade.com/entry.jsp?source=PE&entry=3953478

Let me tell you why. When I was a kid, I got an umbrella almost exactly like this for Easter one year from the Easter bunny. I have pictures of me with the umbrella and I just loved it. I played with it and took it every where. It also probably explains my love for all things rainbow striped. Sadly, the umbrella met its demise one blustery midwest afternoon on a walk across the yard to my grandmother's house. This umbrella and that walk are also among some of my earliest memories. I was broken hearted when it had to get thrown away. I am not sure I can justify $75 for an umbrella. However, as the commercial says....Kate Spade Umbrella $75...bringing back old memories...priceless.

Maybe one of my many readers can talk me into it. :)

So I am firmly and finally (hopefully) rooted in Austin, my city of choice. I attempted to move here after law school and was thwarted at the time by the job market and I have returned. It only took five years! I am excited to be here and have been trying to check out new places that have been suggested to me by people who have been living here for a while. I am also hoping to get this blog up and running. Finally! There are a few things I have yet to figure out but like my move to Austin, I will get there, slowly but surely. For example, I desperately to figure out how to post photos. Now let's get on with it...

I got an e-mail today from The Outnet.com forecasting the top 10 spring trends. Here they are...

1. Harem Pants. Really? I keep seeing this trend on actresses and models and I love it. On them. When I consider putting this hot air balloon looking style on my own normal sized body, I shudder. Truly
2. Ankle boots. Duh. Is this a forecast? Or a statement of the obvious?
3. Animal print. My friend once said that animal print is a neutral and I totally agree. In my opinion, it never goes out of style.
4. Mid heel shoes. I am not really even sure what that means. But the word dowdy comes to mind....
5. Sleeveless jackets. Living in Texas, spring/summer will soon be upon me and so I love this idea. Although, I am gonna need a few more workouts to get these guns in shape...
6. Ruffles. I have been seeign this trend for several seasons now. I have tried it but simply cannot get on board and my ruffled tops just went to Goodwill in the last great closet clean.
7. Shorts. I think the statement was, the shorter the better. Again, in Texas, shorts are welcome 9 months out of the year. But let's keep the length within reason. Thanks.
8. Nude. Love, love, love this idea. Especially in shoes which lengthens the body.
9. Digital prints. Um...no.
10. Leather jackets. Again I love this idea but I will let you know how far into spring I get with this one in this climate. I am currently loving and rocking my Anna Sui for Target leather jacket. It is in constant rotation.

Something I have noticed in being out and about in Austin is the whole comfy, earthy, yet totally more hip than I could ever dream of being vibe happening. I definitely aspire to this. I will let you know how that goes.

Sequins and Animal Print

Lately I keep finding myself wearing outfits in the same colors and just adding different accessories such as scarves, chunky necklaces, big rings, and different bags. I tend to stick to pretty neutral colors with a few fun ones mixed in. Here is my basic color palette, black (duh), grey (both steel and heathered), navy, camel, and for a bit of color, pale pink (a la SJP), hot pink, red, purple and of course animal print (although my friend Kim once posed the idea that this may be a neutral). Of course I have to throw in some metallics. For me this is usually silver given all the black and grey but occasionally I like to mix it up with some gold. I saw some copper accessories in the JCrew catalog that I am dying over though. For some more pops of interest, I like to throw in a refined sequin. I have more sequins in my closet than I care to admit and have before this whole sequin craze that is currently sweeping the fashion world. As Rachel Zoe once said, you know I love a sequin. I personally have rarely met a sequin I didn't like. Unless of course, it is on a Christmas or any other type of tacky holiday sweater! I am pretty sure I should have been born a gay man so I could be a fabulous drag queen where sequins and glitter are the rule, not the exception.