#162. Absolutely Ridiculous Gossip Girl Video

#161. Headband Spree!

I went on another headband making spree tonight! Aren't they adorable? As if I didn't already have too many headbands...

They're not all for me, I promise!

#160. Really Really Cool Site for Etsy Fabrics

Click on the strips to view color groups of Etsy fabrics. Very cool!

#159. The Darjeeling Limited Luggage

It is no secret that I love Wes Anderson films. His last major film was The Darjeeling Limited. One of my favorite things about the movie was the luggage. Anderson is good friends with Marc Jacobs, who designed the Louis Vuitton luggage for the film. Jacobs created monogrammed trunks, duffels, and suitcases with aged calfskin, velvet lining, and a jungle pattern designed by Anderson's brother, Eric. Wilson, Schwartzman and Brody also wore Vuitton suits throughout the film. After the film, the luggage was auctioned off, with proceeds benefiting UNICEF and the Rawal Mallinathji Foundation.


Anderson's new film, Fantastic Mr. Fox, will be released in November.

#158. Libbiehome on Etsy

Check out Ruth Tucker Campbell's site on Etsy, called Libbiehome. Ruth is a Richmond native and has a variety of artwork for the home.

#157. Sohomode Tea Dresses

"vintage inspired clothing for the modern eccentric..."

Thanks to Modish, I discovered Sohomode's Etsy shop of dresses, bags and children's clothing. I especially love her tea dresses. They are so very Betty Draper. I want one!

#156. SJP's Twins!

Ahh! I love babies! How sweet!

You're Welcome #2

#155. My Flip Flopz Stationery and Labels

I found another great Etsy artist! Susie Bettenhausen at My Flip Flopz has the cutest stationery, stickers and labels! She also makes wooden signs and chalkboards. Check out her blog here.

#154. ...love Maegan DIY

...love Maegan is a great blog about fashion. Maegan has a fantastic do-it-yourself section featuring DIY handbags, jewelry, shoes, and clothes. Here are a few of my favorites:

1. Layering Necklaces
2. Braided Jersey Belt
3. DIY Headbands
4. Full Skirt to Bubble Skirt
5. Petal Sandals

...she's kind of a genius!

#153. MJ Video Mashup

Enjoy!

#152. My Newest Etsy Purchase

I purchased this silver poster today from sfgirlbybay on Etsy. It's a hand silkscreened reproduction of a WWII era poster and comes in a variety of colors. I'm going to put it in my bedroom. I love it!

#151. Arrrrrgggyle!

Halloween is far away (126 days to be exact!), but I'm always searching for the perfect costume. Today a light bulb went off in my head. I think I'm going to be a Preppy Pirate! I could have a shirt that says "Arrrrggyle!" on it and a madras eye patch! I made a little mosaic (above) for inspiration. What do you think?!

#150. Leanne Marshall

I'm a HUGE Project Runway fan. I've watched every episode multiple times and am not afraid to admit it. Few contestants have left me eager to see more, however. The only two I've kept up with are Laura Bennett and Leanne Marshall. Bennett now designs for QVC and is a regular contributor on The Daily Beast. Marshall has been working on a collection for Bluefly. She's also designing wedding dresses! I loooooveee her work and think she's very creative and innovative. Her pleating and folding abilities are amazing. Here is her blog and here is her Etsy store!

One of her wedding dresses

Gorgeous!

Another wedding dress

A dress available on Etsy

Here are some previews of her fall collection!

Aloha, Mrs. O!

#150. Anna Sui Designs for Target

Anna Sui has designed a Gossip Girl inspired collection for Target. The collection reflects the four main female characters: Blair, Serena, Jenny and Vanessa, and will go on sale online on September 13 and in 250 stores across the U.S. The collection will be available until October 17.

As you can imagine, I'm pretty excited about the "Blair" looks.

#149. Thriller

The news about MJ is pretty sad. I don't want to jump on the fan-crazy MJ bandwagon, but I have to say that "Thriller" is the BEST music video of all time. It's almost 14 minutes long and was released before my birth, but it's fantastic. According to the Guinness World Records, it's the most successful music video of all time.

#148. The Lively Charm of Lewisburg

My hometown made the Washington Post this week! John Thompson wrote:

Tucked in the rugged heart of the Allegheny Mountains, anomalous little Lewisburg is a town of fewer than 4,000 souls, where artists, retirees and shopkeepers live in Colonial and Federal buildings on neat, shady streets. Summer visitors browse herbal remedies and local crafts in boutiques. And instead of closing down at dusk, the town stays lively with fine restaurants and performance venues. I found all this out at the visitor center, where I also picked up a walking-tour map of about 70 historic sites and buildings dating as far back as 1770.

He also wrote about the Civil War:

Remember that West Virginia separated from Virginia in 1863, and the Southern cause had never been particularly popular in the mountains. But for most of the war, Lewisburg was a Confederate outpost, the seat of a county that attracted slave-owning planters to its mineral springs. Babcock told me that not one vote was cast for Abraham Lincoln in the county; on the other hand, lots of freed slaves lived here. Elsewhere around town you find portraits of Lee and other Confederate heroes, as well as black history memorials, and you get the feeling that modern Lewisburg shrewdly straddles the historical battle line.

....and about my church too!

The Old Stone Presbyterian Church, dating from 1796, served as a hospital during the Civil War. Today you can go in and enjoy its unadorned, white-walled sanctuary, should you need even more peace than that afforded by strolling the sidewalks. The adjacent churchyard occupies prime real estate, the dead getting the best location in town. I tried to complete the walking tour, but there were too many houses, and all the friendly benches around town made diligence seem pointless.

Here is his little bit about what to do in Lewisburg.

#147. Oxfam America

Oxfam America is an international relief and development organization that provides money and resources to those dealing with poverty, hunger and injustice. Oxfam reaches out to over 100 countries (including the United States) and is an affiliate of Oxfam International.

I use Oxfam America Unwrapped for Christmas and birthday presents. This is what happens:

Oxfam America works in 100 countries around the world. The catalog contains gift items that symbolically represent our work. The items selected represent project goals from grants disbursed by our seven offices around the world. The purchase of each gift item is a contribution toward Oxfam America's many programs, not a donation to a specific project or goal. Your donation will be used where it is needed the most--to help people living in poverty throughout the world.

Or, in down-to-earth terms (what you really need to know):

1. You purchase an item.
2. The card goes to your friend.
3. The gift goes to those who need it most.

...it's a pretty great idea!

#146. Poor Dook

The basketball team at the Durham University of Kustodial Education hasn't had much luck lately. First they lost Gerald Henderson and now they're losing Elliot Williams. I feel SO sorry for those poor dookies.



Wait....No I don't.



Neither does Dagger Twist.



Darn.

#145. The Uniform Project

Sheena Matheiken has pledged to wear one dress for an entire year "as an exercise in sustainable fashion". The project is a fundraiser for the Akanksha Foundation which funds uniforms and educational expenses for poor children in India. Click here to see and rate Matheiken's daily outfit.

Blog Award!

Thank you, Little Bow Prep, for the award!!

Here are the rules:

• Each blogger must post these rules.
• Each blogger must list ten random facts/habits about themselves and pass the award on to other recipients.
• The award recipients then need to do the same.
• Don't forget to leave a comment telling the recipients about the award!

My Q&A:

1. Depending on the scale at the doctor's office, I'm 5'10 to 6'0. I'm taller than both my parents and six inches taller than my sister. I'm also taller than all but two of my male cousins and uncles.
2. Like Little Bow Prep, I just started running again. The first year of law school took it's toll on my exercise habits, but I'm back and ready to go!
3. I LOVE peanut butter. I could eat it for every meal. It's great on ice cream and York peppermint patties. Because of my love for peanut butter, I have a peanut butter M&M problem.
4. In 2003, I was Queen Silvia LXVII of the Mountain State Forest Festival.
5. I've had the chicken pox more than once.
6. I've lived in the same house my entire life. My grandmother also grew up there.
7. I have an irrational fear of mannequins.
8. I'd rather sleep outside than inside. Falling asleep at camp is my favorite.
9. I had a radio show in college.
10.When I was a kid, I loved Rainbow Bright. I had this colorful dress that I refused to take off and I paired it with white snow boots or majorette boots to look more like my idol.

Award time!
1. Funambula
2. 2birds1blog
3. Dagger. Dagger Twist.
4. My Blue Blazer
5. That's Hideous!
6. Anne Douglas
7. Iva Messy
8. Frou Frou Fashionista

#5. Not Fabulous - Mark Sanford's Disappearance

South Carolina governor Mark Sanford has been missing since Thursday. Neither the governor's office nor the State Law Enforcement Division has been able to contact him since he left the governor's mansion in an SUV last week. The State has confirmed that Sanford is safe and should be back today. At least first lady Jenny Sanford isn't concerned, though she doesn't know where he is. If I were a South Carolina resident, I sure as hell would be concerned.

Take a look at this fantastic dagger twist.

UPDATE:

Turns out the governor was in Argentina visiting his mistress. Gross.

"I'm getting some Argentinian tail" sounds a lot like "I'm hiking the Appalachian trail".

#144. Grace DuVal

Tomato dress

Grace DuVal is a senior at VCU School of the Arts majoring in sculpture and extended media. Her speciality is wearable art. My fantastic friend Anne blogged about her and I'm dying to share her work!

Peacock dress

Wooden dress. The skirt is movable!

Rubber glove dress