Nails: The Deep Blue Sea

I've never been big on painting my nails -- namely because I'm impatient when it comes to the drying part -- but this summer I couldn't help but fall in love with the jade polish trend that seemed to complement every clutch from here to NYC.

Since jade is more of a warm-season tone, I winterized things a bit by framing it in a deep sapphire blue. I'm quite fond of the result -- it perfectly captures my renewed love for all things 80s, and inspired me to rediscover some of my favorite cool-toned accessories!

Monday Muse: Anna Sophia Robb

Okay, I feel like I can finally bring this confession into full light, because with the recent success of The Carrie Diaries, it's liable to get a lot more trendy. I have had a girl crush on Anna Sophia Robb probably since that Samantha American Girl Christmas movie came out. It increased about tenfold when I discovered Bridge to Terabithia. (Perhaps this might just turn into a post where I admit to all the kiddie movies I secretly watched and adored over the age of fourteen...) Seriously, though: I cared maybe 10% about the characters in that book when I read it in fifth grade, and somehow Anna Sophia had me sobbing over Leslie nearly 20 minutes after the credits rolled. It was then I knew this young actress was going places.

And then, this past weekend, in an attempt to forget a very long work week, I pulled up The Carrie Diaries on Netflix -- and now I'm hooked.

Besides her perfect-as-a-porcelain-doll face, fantastically styled Carrie curls, and incredible New Wave wardrobe, Anna Sophia admirably carries (haha) an previously developed, much-beloved character with tremendous strength and attention to detail. Right from the pilot episode, it was evident the actress had done her work on studying Sarah Jessica Parker's iconic mannerisms and channeling them into her own version of Carrie Bradshaw. And much to her credit, Anna Sophia's Carrie is already a million times more likeable. She doesn't wax cynical about her perfect little life, nor does she spend her day drinking and whining about bad sex. She acts like a normal (albeit impossibly beautiful) sixteen-year-old girl, with an innocent charm akin to that of (dare I compare?) the great Molly Ringwald.

Mark my words: Anna Sophia Robb is going places. Meanwhile, I will continue to obsessively screen-shot every last 80s-inspired outfit that graces the screen in this new guilty pleasure:

Patterns!

Dat purse.

Some seriously great sweaters happening in this show...

Loving Larissa's fierce accessories and patterns. These eyelashes are totally absurd.

I even have a soft spot in my heart for this raccoon-eyed Cure fan.

 

Weekender

Even though the above outfit was directly inspired, I don’t have an inspiration picture to share with you... because it would make me a total creeper.

Last weekend at the gym, there was a whole passel of kids scrambling around the locker room. As I twiddled the dial on my locker, I caught a pair of brown eyes staring curiously up at me, beneath a crop of straight-cut flaxen bangs. She looked both shy and fixated. She could’ve been a seven-year-old version of me.

I smiled and she smiled slowly back, as children are wont to do. Finally, she took her her mother’s hand and exited down the hall. And that’s when I noticed her totally hip outfit.

She wore a light gray cable-knit sweater and a pair of denim leggings, which she'd tucked into a pair of brown cowboy boots. The best part was that they looked totally authentic -- as if this girl actually lived on a ranch. They had a slight gloss to them, with indented designs, and they were somehow lovingly worn-in (even though at this age the girl's feet were no doubt zooming through sizes on a monthly basis.)

Thanks to Polyvore, I was able to recreate this fabulous get-up in adult-size, and I added a few accessories to complete the look. Cowboy boots scream for a saddle bag. A neutral lipstick seemed fitting for my inspiration source. The Julep nail polish is called "Candy Corn," cause I haven't quite knocked out my craving for the October treat!

I wish you the very best of weekends.