Posts

Showing posts from February, 2011

Again on discipline.

After writing this post on the importance (or not) of discipline, I found this article (via Gala Darling ), very interesting and very true. I even wrote a letter to the director of Gioia , the magazine where I first read about Amy Chua, mentioning both the NY Times article and my post, and she was kind enough to publish my letter on the magazine. So, I got a comment from a lovely reader. She writes in italian, so let me synthetize it for non-italian speakers: she agrees with what I said, and writes she found herself more or less in the same situation after getting her degree. She reflects on the fact that her colleagues who were less brilliant school-wise, but have good networking skills, have had more succes than her in their careers. She is very "matter of fact", and did not write in a complaining tone: it's the voice of someone who just recognized how things work. I would really love to hear from people coming from other Countries. I wrote what I think about Italy

Link Love!

Image
I've got a small list this week, but these are very very good posts! Here you go. Fabulously Broke invites you to shop for clothes like a man . I agree on most of what she says, but I think it is important to look for clothes that flatter one's body too. I mean, if the flat front pants look better on me than the pleated, I am going straight to the flat-front-pants rack, without even considering the other ones. But I do find men more "pragmatic" when buying clothes: they go, look for what they need, try it on, and get out of the store as soon as they have paid. I am trying to be more like this... Thoughts? From the Simply Luxurious Life: an invite to work hard , and end-of-the-month financial celebration . How to seduce , from Fiona at How to be chic - notes on a magazine article. The Daily Connoisseur is continuing her series on her 10 items wardrobe, with her observations , and the extras (I am planning to buy an awesome trench coat too!) Have a wonderful wee

A couple of outfits...

Image
Sweater - Ruggiero Jeans - OVS Industry Boots - Refresh Necklace - Target Sorry for the lack of outfit posts, lately, but I was always so late in the morning, and so tired when I'd come home at night, that I didn't have chance to take pictures every day. This is Tuesday outfit (longest.day.ever). I wore jeans to go play with the band after work. It's a pretty basic and comfortable outfit. I didn't like it much while wearing it, but looking at the pictures, I think it's a good one. This is something that often happens to me, and the main reason I take outfit pictures: to see what is really working. Sweater - Conbipel Skirt - Promod Grey tights - Calzedonia Boots - Refresh This is my French Friday outfit. The color combination is one I really love, and I like to add a pop of color with a bag or some ear studs (as today). I love love love this skirt, it has such a ballerina feel... I feel pretty every time I wear it. And now, just for your pleasure, here&#

Monday outfit.

Image
  Wrap sweater - UC Benetton Turtleneck - random street stand Skirt - Conbipel Boots - Campanile  Necklace - Steph's mom I am so bored with my winter wardrobe, because, as you might have noticed, it's not too extended, and I don't know what to remix anymore! This is a combination of a skirt and a sweater you have already seen... Looking at the picture, I can say I quite like it. I like the feel of this wrap sweater   (it's cache coeur in italian, we use french words, which mean something like - heart hider? but it's more romantic in french!). It looks to me like a wrap a ballerina might have worn for years. Now the answer to the question Caroline aske me in a comment: the foundation is Essence, number 2, and the lipgloss is Fleur's, number 124. I think both are brands professionals use. I got a nice deal on the lipgloss because it was one of the last ones. I am happy to report that my skin didn't look better on Saturday only (the day I had the facial), b

Song of the day.

Image

Saturday outfit

Image
Sweater - Project for Upim Jeans - OVS Boots - Frau Necklace - Steph's mom Well... this is not my Saturday night outfit (I changed to go to dinner with some friends), but I wore it to run some errands and go get a facial. That's why it's just a comfortable outfit with nothing special. The shot was taken after the facial. I loved what the girl did to my face, and she applied makeup at the end!!! Here are more detailed pictures of my face: Sorry I look weird in the second picture, but I was trying hard not to laugh. She applied foundation so well that my skin looks perfect - without seeming too made up. I loved the color of the lip gloss so much that I bought one, and I like that my make up looks polished but not too heavy.

Lovely links.

Image
Sorry I didn't post my weekly links last Saturday... I'll make it up to you all today, with two weeks worth of awesome posts! From the Simply Luxurious Life (I might as well just post the link to the site, and tell you to go read everything she writes!): on the importance of focus , why not... watch less television (yes, yes! I have stopped watching TV when I left my ex-bf's place, and never looked back), an ode to patience , and learning in order to attain financial wealth . Plus, a guest post on how to incorporate luxury in your wardrobe . I practice all of her suggestions, and I can witness that these little tweaks really add something to everyday life. Rebekah at Cupcake Caramel wrote a series of posts on quality versus quantity. Check out part one , two and three , the conclusion , and some thoughts on wardrobe investing compared to equities investing . I admit her approach may be a little too structured for someone, but I like the idea of painstakingly planning a

Friday outfit.

Image
Dress - Pennyblack Black shirt - Intimissimi Arm warmers - Lunatica Tights - Calzedonia Boots - Nero Giardini Necklace - Target Sorry for the lack of posts, but I have been wearing outfits I have already showed... Today it's supposed to be French Friday. I would love to be like Rebekah at Cupcake Caramel , who spends her Fridays the chicest way ever possible, but my days are all so hectic and busy, that I often come home later than I should, not being able to do anything special... I whish I was able to take things with more calm. Today, though, after getting out of work and going grocery shopping, I set a nice dinner (with Modica chocolate as dessert...), and in an hour I am going out. Back to this outfit. I fell in love with this dress when I first saw it, while shopping the sales with my mom. It was 30% off. She mentioned that after a couple of weeks, she was sure they'd have the dress 50% off. I went back a couple of weeks later, and it was! There were two dresses left,

Monday outfit.

Image
Sweater - Lunatica Arm warmers - Lunatica Black shirt - Intimissimi Skirt - UC Benetton Belt - Sandro Ferrone Boots - Nero Giardini Today it is also Valentine's day, so I wanted to wear something sweet - and a bow was sweet enough for me. I like this outfit, I find it very chic and streamlined. My colleagues, though, said I was very elegant. Am I? Well, better to be overdressed than underdressed, isn't it? The belt was added at the very last minute, bacause the sweater made a too long line. I think it works well. it comes from one of my dresses. To soften a bit the "drama" of this outfit, I wore my animalier bag (and my black coat, of course - still cold here!). I find it so much fun: Happy Valentine's day to everybody!!! 

Sunday Best!

Image
  I am participating in Nina's Sunday Best (check it out: it's a very cool idea!) with Friday's outfit . What do you think?

Song of the Day!

Image

My outfit: Saturday

Image
Sweater - Ruggiero Skirt - Klixs Tights - Calzedonia Boots - Campanile Necklace - Target Wore this to run some errands, pick up a book and go get a massage (best 45 € ever spent!!!). It's basically the same outfit I wore here , with different tights and boots. Being a bit under the weather, I wanted something extremely colorful and happy.

Friday outfit.

Image
Turtleneck - Tezenis Cardigan - Lunatica Skirt - Conbipel Boots - Nero Giardini Necklace - Steph's mom This is today's French Friday outfit. I like because it is very simple but interesting - plus, it contains all the purple shades I love. The work day was all but chic, it was about 10 hours long, and I didn't even seem to find time to sit down for a minute. Plus, something that was reported to me right before leaving caused me a mini-meltdown in my car. I am still extremely frustrated, which together with my tiredness is giving me a bad headache. Oh well. I have a massage scheduled for tomorrow, plus some fun this weekendd with friends. I really hope I'll be able tor echarge before Monday...

My outfit: Thursday

Image
Dress - Sandro Ferrone Boots - Campanile Necklace - Steph's mom Not that different from Tuesay's outfit - only, this is another dress. it's the first time I wear it, and it has a very interesting neckline. Too bad I forgot to take a picture of it, and of the pattern - next time! I wasn't angry, even if my face says the opposite. I should try to smile while taking pics...

Tuesday outfit.

Image
Dress- Sandro Ferrone Tights - Calzedonia Boots - Nero Giardini Necklace - Steph's mom A really no-fuss outfit - well, actually all the ones that include dresses are no-fuss. This is one of my last additions to the dress collection. It's my favourite color, violet, and I like the print. Here's a detail: 

Monday ourfit.

Image
Sorry for the lack of posts of these last days... I was feeling a bit under the weather, and I didn't take outfit pictures (besides, a couple of them were just repeats). Here's today's outfit: Wrap sweater - UC Benetton Turtleneck - Random street vendor Skirt - UC Benetton Boots - Nero Giardini Necklace - Steph's mom This was quite an improptu outfit - I had planned to wear another sweater, but I didn't like how it looked with this skirt. So, I pulled out this one. I have had it for a couple of years, and I tend not to wear it for some strange reasons. It tends to need to be adjusted during the day, but it actually didn't give me any problems worn with the pencil skirt - probably it's when it's worn with jeans that it tends to creep up. I am promising to myself to wear it more often. It'll look nice with my other skirts too! This is the only pencil skirt I own. I like it because it makes me feel very feminine, and when in a store I now tend to c

Discipline?

Image
Image Source  While reading one of my magazines (Gioia, to be specific), I came across a little article about Amy Chua, who also released a book. I understand she is more known in the US than here in Italy, and from the short article her ideas come across as very controversial. Basically, her daughters have to study piano 7 hours a day, without interruption. They are not allowed sleepovers at friend’s houses, nor to have less than excellent scores at school. The logic behind it, is that Amy Chua wants to prepare her daughters for the toughness of the real world. She is not much concerned about her daughters’ happiness, she wants them to be ready to their future. I have been thinking about this “educational method” for the last couple of days. Please note, I am not a mother, so my opinions can miss some points. I am all about discipline. I am a very disciplined person in all that I think is important. I was brought up this way – sometimes I joke I grew up in a lager. No way I co

Link Love.

Image
Some posts I enjoyed reading this week... From the always surprising The SImply Luxurious Life , two really great posts: one on the importance of every little step we take towards our dreams (as opposed to wanting everything now!), the other , the third installment on taking control of our spending. The Daily Connoisseur shares the last of the top 20 things she learned when living in Paris. What else, if not living passionately? The Key to Manufacturing Magnificence . I don't want to say anything, I'd spoil it. Go and read it. NOW! Angie launches a question: What does it mean to dress in a feminine way ? For me, it is mainly attention to the details. You? I could have written this . It's when we don't allow our body to rest when it needs it, that it stops us right there! I have just experienced it! Megan at Charade wrote also this post on picking your luxuries over at Yes and Yes. Go check it out!

My outfit: Tuesday.

Image
Sweater - Lunatica Black tee - Intimissimi Arm warmers - Lunatica Jeans - OVS Industry Boots - Refresh Necklace - Target Didn't take a picture of today's outfit because I was running late this morning, but here's yesterday's. I like the color, the shirred sleeves and the bow of this sweater. It's sweet but not too cute, if I make any sense. I bought the arm warmers a couple of weeks after buying the sweater, at the same store, because I didn't really know how to weat it without them - a cardi would hide the bow, and that'd be a shame. Here is a detail: I like wearing this sweater with those jeans, because they "toughen it up" a little...

Two outfits.

Image
Sweater - Random store Jeans - Diesel Booties - Fiorucci    Pretty simple and casual outfit. I like both the color and the 80s vibe of the sweater, both for the dolman sleeves and the neckline. The only downside is that I can’t think of any kind of necklaces that would look good with it. Dress - Sandro Ferrone Turtleneck - Tezenis Boots - Campanile This is my “Mondrian dress”! It’s a 60’s style dress which I bought a couple of years ago and am still very happy to wear. The combination of pink and violet is one of my favourites.