Skulls

A cute selection of skull-themed goods for getting into the holiday spirit: Loeffler Randall patent cut-out flats, Thomas Wylde skull-printed silk babydoll dress, and Lucien Pellat-Finet leather bag.

Cat Masks

If still undecided as to what to dress up as for Halloween, Luella's RTW S/S '08 Ghostworld-inspired collection and Sabrina Dehoff's Cat Mask Necklace offer a simple solution: go as an effortlessly sassy cat masked girl (wit and cynicism not included, yet imperative).

Smokey Black Quartz

Love the bit of gothic glamour and organic rawness that these smokey quartz accessories could lend to a space. Perfect for sophisticated Halloween decorating too.. Anthropologie votive holder and jewel box from Vivre.

Chignons

Pretty, textural chignons on the Fall RTW 07 Bottega Veneta and Thakoon runways. These usually simple hair styles look updated and intriguing using braids and crown hair combs to reference a sort of luxe medieval look.

Flora Hanitijo

Only a handpicked sample of Flora Hanitijo's lovely photography portfolio. I really love the seemingly effortless positioning of the girls amidst pitch-perfect vintage settings.. slightly reminiscent of the virgin suicides re-cast with brunettes (who are, in fact, the obscenely genetically-privileged pop group Au Revoir Simone.. all around pretty).

Blush Shop

Being that today marks exactly two more months until Christmas, I want to drop a gigantic present shopping hint and profile Blush, a precious little boutique in downtown Guelph, Ontario that I would certainly not object to being my sole apparel outfitter, from head to toe. Not only are the sweaters, cocktail dresses, heels and denim perfectly girly, but the ever-changing presentation in the shop keeps the small selection of goods fresh and exciting. Expect clever, and constantly evolving window arrangements and boutique displays upon each and every visit with clothing and accessories showcased atop bergere chairs, acrylic console tables, or against vintage luggage.

Rosaries

I found my childhood rosary waiting for me in a brown paper package when I checked the mail today. Pictured above, some beautiful rosary-inspired necklaces by Devon Page McCleary.

Zuckerman's Creature

Andrew Zuckerman's Creature is a collection of portrait photographs of endangered species shot against all-white backgrounds in his Chelsea studio. It is soon to be released in the form of a 300-page coffee table opus.. watch the promotional video (and sneak on some of the imagery) here.

The Cross

Ever since our most recent trip to Europe, I've been in love with a broadly eclectic style of interior decorating that I found prevalent in tiny home decor boutiques tucked away in alleys and sleepy tourist villages during our travels.. a style that melds eighteenth century opulance with clean geometric mid century classics, rustic vintage treasures, ecclesiastical elements and natural history relics. Vancouver's The Cross Decor and Design offers a stunning variety of elegant and vintage home decor pieces that remind me of some of the treasures I lusted after while frequenting all kinds of spaces.. from retail shops, to estate museums, to monestaries in Mallorca last winter.

Cowhide Rugs

My current number one interior decor lust: cowhide rugs. This photo of Carolina Herrera Jr.'s dressing room (via Domino) is especially exciting because of the eclectic off-balanceness the rug achieves in an otherwise opulent and girly boudoir.. it's as if the mid-century vanity and the cowhide crashed the otherwise orthodox girls-only tea party.

Over-the-Knee Socks

Over-the-knee socks seem to be cropping up all over the place lately. The tall slouchy styles are the most attractive paired with voluminous frocks, or layered over tights. Thankfully, they also seem to offer some forgiveness if your legs are slightly less svelte than the above model's (I'm sure sky high heels help a whole lot too). Photos of Samantha Treacy's Fall 07 line.

Twin Beds

Spending time racking my brain trying to figure out what to get my close friend's soon-to-be 2 year old son for his upcoming birthday party, I somehow found myself browsing children's bedrooms on Living Etc.'s gallery page when I should really have been looking for suitable Caldecott-approved bedtime material. This photo of a twin girls' room made me think Madeline would have felt right at home in one of those gorgeous upholstered red beds with horse figurines lining the window sill above.

James Hopkins

James Hopkins' Prosperity and Decay (2006) and Consumption and Consequence (2006), respectively.

"Hopkins’ work draws from the techniques of optical illusionism through which he involves viewers by teasing with their visual consciousness. His sculptures allude to Symbolist literature in their spin on decadence and the self-indulgence of dandy-ism: they recall the impermanence of objects and their persistence in memory, in a similar way Pop Art made use of iconic images derived from vain consumerism. His sculptures utilise everyday objects that are turned into impossible variations, even into sly commentaries of themselves." (Taken from maxwigram.com)

"...Hopkins rendered oversize Death's heads. These works are poetically succinct meditations on longed-for pasts and inevitable futures, the impermanence of objects and their persistence in memory. Prosperity and Decay (2006) operates similarly, but aligns itself more closely with Holbein's precedent, substituting middle-age, middle-class extravagances—a wine rack, bottles, and glasses; antique maps, clocks, mirrors, and a chess board; leather-bound literature and a violin—for the adolescent possessions used earlier. It is likewise a more subtle composition; whereas the earlier sculptures relied on tonal differences to outline the memento mori, this piece forces the viewer to navigate a complicated interplay of positive and negative space. Perhaps unwittingly, Hopkins has, by thinning out the arrangement, formally echoed his thematic concern; in the end, there will be nothing left to position on these shelves. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust." (Taken from Artforum's briansholis.com)

Well Revered

These beautiful medieval-inspired brooches and necklaces from Well Revered would be perfect accesories for tartan jumper dresses, preppy pin-striped blouses, and navy prep-school blazers. The product photography set atop mossy logs makes the pieces that much more intriguing and somehow seems to insist that the target customer is a horse rider, ammature archer, or fencing enthusiast with a penchant for alchemy.

Thread Social

The Fall/Winter '07 collection by Thread Social is an absolute dream.. so very many options for looking cute in the no-fail booties-opaque-tights-mini-dress uniform.

Vogue Sharing

Feel-good photos found while visiting the Share section of the Shop Vogue website where readers are free to upload their own photos under the categories of beauty, fashion, arts&culture, and lifestyle. Perfect daydream browsing material on, what is to me, the most depressing evening of the week.

Spirit If

I am currently enamoured with track 7 on the Broken Social Scene Presents Kevin Drew "Spirit If..." album. It would be especially non-decorous of me to mention the title of the track (har har).. but the whole album is pretty stellar in its entirety.

Wish Restaurant

I was first intrigued by the interior of the Bloor/Yorkville restaurant Wish when I found it profiled in the Phaidon City Guide to Toronto. The space, made up of an eclectic mix of antique doors, a rustic ebony bar, and more modern banquets and chairs, made me fall in love instantly. The pops of pink paint behind the bar and the dusty rose drapes add a soft femininity that stands at odds with the robust bar counter and the stark white minimalism. I like to think this is what I'd make a restaurant look like, if given the chance.

French Charms

This summer while window shopping downtown, I came across a precious bronze charm bracelet with a french pendent that read, "je t'aime plus q'hier, moins que demain". Due to the nature of the saying, I couldn't very well buy the bracelet for myself.. but that didn't stop me from looking for them online once I got home. To my pleasant surprise, I found quite a few similarly antique-inspired pieces on etsy (pictured above from sellers pequitobun and itsyourlife , respectively).

The Row

The Row Video

Watch the recently-leeked video revealing the holiday collection for the infamous platform-teetering, starbucks clutching twins' label The Row. Covet, covet, covet is all I can really say.. right down to that fur pelt blanket upon the bed.

Happy Thanksgiving

From the oven roasted yams, to the homemade cranberry bread, to the whip-topped pumpkin tarts, Thanksgiving dinners are one of the most wholesomely architected meals of the year. The communally prepared feast displays the most seasonal produce in the most decadent, and time-worn family recipes.. It makes me think the perfect setting for a fall harvest meal would be in a century's old stone farm house, furnished in rustic antiques, and set upon acres of orchards and sprawling farmland. Danish antique shoppe, Atelier September's product photography is just what I have in mind.

Autumnal Scents

Diptyque Candles, made from paraffin wax, are individually hand poured and can burn for up to 50 hours. For this time of year, any candle from the "boisées" line of scents would be perfect (cèdre, cuir, bois ciré, myrrhe, opopanax, santal, feu de bois, chêne, miel, cyprès). I'd imagine they'd be just as fitting around the holiday season (hint hint)!

Transitional Outfits

While this time of year one should be getting excited for cable knits, big buttoned peacoats and hand-knitted tams, our weather has been so record-breakingly above average that anything over 3/4 length sleeves is seriously overdressing. This Ann Stallion sweater tank from Torn by Ronny Kobo & these APC Black Leather Boots would be the perfect transitional outfit to wear while browsing the pumpkin patch.

Thanksgiving Weekend

I think spending the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend in this gorgeous modern glass cabin on Drag Lake in Haliburton, Ontario would make me just that much more thankful for everything I have. The imagery conjures up thoughts of early morning hikes through crisp cool air, pumpkin spice lattes, cozy merino wool knee socks, and smokey fireside late night card games with friends and family.

Read more about the unique cabin in Wish magazine (photos by Toronto Photographer George Whiteside).