trompe l'oeil

proportions are everything.

a chubby faux fur vest works

wonders for example. offsetting

any little bit of worry one might

have about the size of their bum

or hips. black leggings don't

hurt either. nor do heels.

have been eating my way through

this holiday season & yet, i do

what i must so as not to feel

like a lard a$$. by playing with

proportions. exaggerated accents

might just make everything else

appear on the diminutive side.

trick the eye, baby. trick the eye.

love,

sunlovey

cold snap.

it's not every december that us girls in FL get to play winter dress up. we've had a couple such weeks this year thus far though. and that creates a new level of fashion challenges and choices. am getting to be a pro at concocting eclectically matched looks that serve to keep a lovey warm too.

i ♥ layers.

long sweater tunic - victoria's secret

plaid rosette cardie - boston proper

dark wash skinny jeans - forever 21

oh oh oh! & the southern kitchen & fab decor galore christmas road trip is set! west palm beach >>> savannah, georgia >>> asheville, north carolina >>> charleston, south carolina >>> jacksonville, florida >>> west palm beach. i vow to blog from the road, kids. stay tuned.

lastly, i still feel like i need to amass mas gifts this christmas. i love the thrill of the 'this is so perfect for him/her' hunt. have you satiated your own desire to play santa? i can't stop...

hope you're reveling in all this festive chaos.

i leave you with Ultra Music Festival's initial line up (3/25 - 3/27, 2011). am mad for it. have bolded faves:

TIËSTO

DEADMAU5

THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS (LIVE)

DAVID GUETTA

CARL COX

EMPIRE OF THE SUN

CRYSTAL CASTLES

CUT COPY

RÖYKSOPP

TRENTEMOLLER (LIVE)

ERASURE

MSTRKRFT

BOYS NOIZE

CHROMEO

FERRY CORSTEN

STS9

KLAXONS

CSS

BENNY BENASSI

RUSKO

SIMIAN MOBILE DISCO (LIVE)

STEVE AOKI

WOLFGANG GARTNER

!!!

CLAUDE VONSTROKE

SANDER KLEINENBERG (LIVE)

SKRILLEX

HYBRID (LIVE)

GUI BORATTO

MARTIN SOLVEIG

JORIS VOORN

MR. OZIO

NERO

CHRIS LAKE

HOLY GHOST!

TINIE TEMPAH

SUPER MASH BROS.

AFROBETA. 

happy weekend!

love,

sunlovey

sparkling & baking

toss on a total-sequin dress & no matter how under the weather you're feeling, you'll shine so much people won't even notice (was sick as dog in this photo, sequin dress & glitter shoes saved the day).
in other holiday frenzy news, i decided i'd throw my hat into the cookie baking ring this year when i got inspired by a self magazine article. so far i've whipped up coconut orange stars and peppermint-iced snowmen & trees.

the cookie dough recipe

(get out your cookie cutters!!!

have none, get some.)

you'll need:

2 egg whites

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 tbsp softened unsalted butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

soooo...

combine flour, baking powder, baking soda & salt in one bowl.

combine butter & sugar in another, whip it, whip it good. then add egg whites and vanilla whip that up too.

add flour mixture to butter/egg mixture slowly, stirring stirring stirring.

roll this fab dough into a log, wrap in wax paper and chill for three whole hours.

once three hours has passed, take out dough, half it, roll it out and start cookie cuttering. bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes.

the icings (so easy)...

orange/coconut

1 cup shredded coconut (lightly toasted)

2 tbsp orange juice

zest of one orange

a ton of powdered sugar

mix OJ, zest & sugar until lovely and smooth. dip each cookie top side up in icing then, dip iced cookie in coconut 'til it's nicely coated. let cookies set and then prepare for orangey, coconut heaven.

candy cane icing

four candy canes beaten to a pulp

a bit of water or skim milk, you're call

a ton of powdered sugar

mix sugar and water/skim milk 'til smooth. again, dip each cookie top side down into icing then into crushed candy canes, let set. then prepare for minty loveliness.

love,

sunlovey

hello, december!

this month is hectic, a flurry of activity. non-stop go go go. thus, the blog suffers. so sorry, loveys. i thought the least i could do was catch you up with some of the things i've been wearing amidst it all.

POPS

of red & plaid

ruffly top, forever 21. plaid shoes, betsey johnson.

if i lived in colder climes? i'd add tights and a major faux-fur coat.

PATTERN PLAYS

& over-the-knee boots

dress is forever 21, tights are anthropologie, boots, shoes.com.

CABLES & STRIPES

am living in sweaters, even on my legs! striped sweater leggings from H&M ('cuz yeah, we HAVE H&M now = YAY!) long cable cardie is boston proper, metallic stripe fingerless gloves: forever 21.

GOLD GLITTER

sparkle-encrusted hot damn-ness doesn't come easy... you're looking at at least six coats of OPI's twist of fate. hope your holiday season is ruling the world. give love.

cherish your family & friends.

listen to killer sound all the while.

this saturday's my wine & cheese party.

can. not. wait. to show you what i'm wearing.

love,

sunlovey

hey, don't hate.
i #love gossip girl.
it's one hour a week i can immerse myself in over-the-top drama wearing fashion i covet (hard) to a soundtrack i often glean new mp3s from. haters be damned, you know not what you miss. last night's episode featured this track. i bought it 1st thing this morning, it's by two guys from oregon called mackintosh braun. check it. if it doesn't make you want to dance then i feel sorry for you.

love,
sunlovey

THANKFUL.
while i'm without a doubt thankful for a plethora of substantially more important things (family, health, love) in the lead up to thanksgiving, the fact that cut copy's 2nd track from their upcoming zonoscope album sounds like the cut copy we know & dance to is definitely worthy of my gratefulness. check it. #YAY.
Cut Copy - "Take Me Over" (Radio Edit) Premiere by modularpeople
happy thanksgiving, loveys!
love,
sunlovey

do you have psychic powers? why not?

this track is so #love. a must-download. like, NOW.
in fact, upon further delving, every sound coming out of psychic powers is ab fab.
so grateful for rcrdlbl.com on days like today.
happy friday, loveys!
love,
sunlovey

devil may care.

i used to mix patterns but i was oh so careful about it. making certain colors lined up just right. now? no. now, i find that tossing on this pattern & that without rhyme or reason is mad liberating. and strangely enough, when i'm mismatched i feel the most myself.

inexplicable really. but, c'est moi.

i dare you to try it, take two of your wardrobe faves that have jack to do with one another & put them on. now, leave your house.

be brave. be free.

love,

sunlovey

garlic = #love.

i waited tables in a tasty little italian restaurant my last two years of college. & said ristorante had its own brilliant way of serving bread... hand-tied bread knots fresh out of the oven came with a petite bowl that contained a piping hot roasted garlic bulb cut in half for easy access. as a patron you were welcome to eat your garlic, clove by clove or... your server could whip up a little somethin' somethin' out of that bulb of garlic for your eye-roll-back-in-head pleasure. customers fiended for this stuff. annnnd, working there, eating it myself more often than i'd like to admit, i never ever ever got sick. go garlic. you're love.

ROASTING GARLIC

you probably ought to roast a few bulbs at once, because they're going to go fast. so, get your hands on three or four good-sized garlic bulbs. wrap each of them loosely in aluminum foil, make sure these little foil pockets are sealed tight. toss them on a cookie sheet and throw them in an oven preheated to 375.

let those babies fester, for at around 45 minutes. as they approach completion roasting, your entire dwelling will begin smelling like heaven.

THE INFAMOUS MIXTURE

while you're waiting, round up your extra virgin olive oil, your balsamic vinegar & some fresh grated parmesan. you can use the parmesan shaker too, but i advocate fresh grated...

douse a serving bowl with something like a 1/3 cup vinegar and a 1/3 cup olive oil. then, add a half a cup of cheese to the bowl. set this aside.

BACK TO THE GARLIC

carefully take one foil pocket out, and with oven mitts or a dishtowel carefully peel open the foil and give the bulb inside a little squeeze. if it's squishable, they're done, take the others out. if not, put it back and give it a little more time. blah blah blah fast forward....

unwrap the foil pockets, carefully remove the bulbs without burning your hands. slice the bulbs in half and again, carefully squeeze the soft cloves within into the mixture you set aside in your bowl. stir it up and have at it. spread it on bread and prepare to melt.(and to be super healthy!)

NOTE:

don't eat this alone. everyone you encounter post eating it will think you stink. eat it with people you love. and that love you. even if you smell super garlicky.

happy birthday kristakins!

love,

sunlovey

bringing the trouser back
in my own little world. spent an hour and a half trying on pants in my own closet on a laid back sunday afternoon and came to the realization that they're hot. and i'd forgotten. there's something to their clean lines, their tailored nature, their sleek, polished fit. trust. skinny jeans and shiny leggings are my heart. but i am vowing to revisit the pant and reinvent it in my own wardrobe. exhibit A: happened upon this marabou feather scarf with satin tie at the sketchiest of flea markets over the weekend. totally vamped up my pale blue trousers. love.









nitzer ebb in photos
i last saw nitzer ebb when they toured with depeche mode for violator. i was in junior high. and i was SHOCKED. what the hell was this music? banging, beats, shouts. erratic, yet rhythmic. who was this guy flailing around energetically, with a powerful, sometimes menacing voice? i loved it. instantly. fasssssst forward to this past saturday night. i was seeing them again. gone were their baggy shorts, t-shirts and trainers, douglas mccarthy's wildly curly locks (i did know this about douglas as i saw him as 1/2 of fixmer/mccarthy a year or two ago). replaced with dapper newsboy caps (on bon harris), suspenders with trousers (on jason payne), mccarthy in an insanely well-fitting suit. but not gone: that bloody energy. the banging, the beats, the cacophony of industrial brilliance that grabs you, pulls you in, implodes you, causing involuntary stomping & frenetic dancing. the vibration from the speaker beside me compounded the experience. that & grand central's LED screen. and actually, seeing nitzer ebb again has made me rock-bottom sad. there's just not new sound out there that comes close to theirs. raw, jarring, beat-driven electronic with pulsating percussion that dominates the atmosphere. there's not. you won't convince me otherwise.

highlights for me are likely obvious: hearts & minds, let your body learn, murderous, control i'm here, blood money, join in the chant... oh, all of it!

i did manage to snap a few cellphone photos amidst the bad a$$-ness, crumpled set list courtesy of grand central's facebook page.

LEARN. CHOOSE. BUILD.

love,

sunlovey

today i am grateful.
some days what you're
wearing can really
jack your day up.
today was one such
day. this ruffly, lacy
sheer shirt to the rescue.
am grateful as heck i
work at a place that
fun clothes are just
laying around.
today, #love is
@boston_proper.
happy happy friday
to you!
love,
sunlovey

it's alright to shine.

toss on an all-over sequin blazer or cardigan when you're look leans to the dark side. even as a huge advocate of black & grey i sometimes find myself feeling like my gothy sad high school self when i'm in head to toe ink.

thus, sparkling cross, chandelier & lightning bolt necklaces and my silver sequin boyfriend blazer. oh! plus the killer sparkling wings ring @kris_1 gave me.

miss you kristakins!

love,

sunlovey

LISTENING TO...

how about a random little collection of sounds i've been tripped up on recent days & why:
Starfield- The New Division

i just love it. beautiful. atmospheric, like literally, you might picture the sky, crickets, waves, listen...

A Little Respect - Erasure (listen via hypem.com)

because andy bell was spotted at the robyn show in tampa, fl this past monday by one friend and DJed someplace in manhattan last night where another friend was in attendance, erasure's just on the brain.

The One - The Radio Dept. (download it via pitchfork.com)

O.M.Beats! and a seriously lovely & nostalgic vibe. and why ever is this track so short i want more more more...#love.

Bikini - 04 (listen via hypem.com)

a fuzzy, youthful anthem full of layers, chanting, heartfelt melodies—you'll dance to it as much as you reflect to it.
Fun to be had - Nitzer Ebb

1st time i saw nitzer ebb i was 13, they were opening for depeche mode on the world violation tour. i got a beer spilled on me. i fell in love with industrial music. am seeing them again this saturday in miami and well, there's mad fun to be had, loveys.

Ghost in my head - Niva

this track is like a dream you don't really want to wake up from. and yet, it still makes you a little melancholy. there are underlying beats that remind me of london jungle music in the mid '90s. and who doesn't have a ghost or two in their heads?

happy listening!

love,

sunlovey

vegetarian shepherd's pie, y'all.

i essentially took one of those classic '70s-ish casserole dishes our mum's used to make us & tweaked it a bit so that when i'm feeling the need for comfort fare, i can enjoy this "classic".

get your hands on:

a bag of veggie crumbles (morning star or boca burger are common brands)

a bag of frozen mixed veggies (the kind with corn, peas, carrots etc.)

a bag of red russet potatoes (wash, then quarter like 6 of them, don't peel)

a couple cans of cream of mushroom

sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

a cup of milk or whipping cream

three cloves of garlic

next up:

put a pot of water on the stove & get it boiling.

add potatoes once it is.

sauté the veggie crumbles in a pretty large pan.

add frozen veggies to this pan too.

then add the 2 cans of cream of mushroom.

do this for like 10 minutes.

then, layer this mixture in the bottom of a casserole dish.

back to the potatoes.

once they are tender (check with a fork) drain them.

then mash them.

add cream or milk & chopped or pressed garlic cloves.

mix well.

then layer these creamy, garlicky potatoes over the veggies.

smother with shredded cheddar.

if you want, grate fresh black pepper on top.

then bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

until the delectable cheese on top is melted to your liking.

let it sit for a bit or, it will look like the mess in the photo above.

but trust, that mess tastes fab.

love,

sunlovey.

catching up with sunlovey forever

yeah it's been a minute since i've posted. here's what's been on...

WEARING...
eeek, i actually wore this diagonal sequin-stripe lace print tunic on it's own a few months ago. holy what the HECK was i thinking? much better with my boston proper ponté legging and ancient granny military boots from nordstrom.
kids, THIS is my favorite cardigan under the sun, acquired at the boston rugby store. i dig how the combination red/white stripes against blue remind me of a union jack. my imagination led me to pair it with a red-lined leopard sheath dress. annnnnd, my utmost fave brown victorian boots. a sparkling scarf made the look all the more eclectic.
i wore this mini-dress in september when it was still blazing outside. to celebrate our recent "cool" front i tossed my shaggy black faux fur vest (recently snagged at filine's in boston) on over it, pulled on cobalt blue tights and my major fringe boots. i figured the fringe and the shag would balance out proportions. and turn heads. am still dressing like a nick cage sound suit lately, i can't help it.

LISTENING TO...
Starfield- The New Division
The One - The Radio Dept.
A Little Respect - Erasure
Ghost in my head - Niva

04 - Bikini
Fun to be had - Nitzer Ebb

INDULGING IN...
vegetarian shepherd's pie
michelle bernstein's oceanfront restaurant @ the omphoy

whole crisp bronzini served with wilting greens, crushed fingerling potatoes and charmoula

JUST BACK FROM...
boston, cambridge & salem

and yeah, i'm still not in a place to tell you more about that. but i endeavor to...

love,

sunlovey

happy friday loveys. yay it's a wee bit chilly!
not feeling so sparkly since my return to FL. however, i'm forcing it.
feeling down? ramp up your state of being with sequins. crystals. rhinestones.

download now: me and the moon. twin shadow remix. the drums. because it's fun & oh so '80s. #love.
be safe.keep calm & party on.
love,
sunlovey

november? is that you?
november has crept up upon us once again, this time, perhaps more sneakily than ever, ever before. autumn months make me so reflective. which is why i think i've latched on to wild nothing's golden haze out of nowhere. get it here, it's quietly beautiful:
Wild Nothing - Golden Haze
perhaps you're wondering "why the photo of the dark crystal's kira on your post?" well. i insisted upon wearing a sweater-dress today despite it being stupid hot. and well, the hood of it keeps making me feeeeeeel like kira. i swear. laugh. i don't care. i can't count how many times i watched that film. my little brother & i loved it. i think he was obsessed with aughra.
i really ought to post about boston, and trust, i'll try. just wanted to make sure i communicated with you today no matter what though. i missed you.
love,
sunlovey

bonjour mon ami!
je suis fatigue.
but oh well. last night i finally got to catch MGMT live. two years later than i would have liked ("This is the first time we've played miami. Its pretty. The people are pretty." -Andrew VanWyngarden), and in support of an album i did not love. the hippy-esque love children of miami were out in full force. girls with faux flowers in their hair galore. when they played tracks from oracular spectacular the crowd exploded. the room danced & buzzed. when they played most of the tracks from congratulations, the room smoked pot and chatted. the graphics behind the band compounded by a mild contact high were hypnotic. thank GOD kids pulled me from that strange daze. am quite glad i did finally see them. they were brilliant live (when they were playing songs i love). ok so...

la robe
("vintage" boston proper)

bijoux
(skeleton key, online crafting site. framed blooms, stitch rock 2009, chain, michaels)

des bottes
(frye, last year)
oh & am parlez-ing frances because i'm beside-myself-thrilled about tonight's phoenix show at fillmore, miami beach (wavves is opening, YAY! too). i groveled like mad for this show on twitter for days on end. sorry followers. finally, it's here.
phoenix, please play this & oh and bring daft punk with you again? ha.:

am off to boston & salem in the a.m. won't be blogging but WILL be tweeting.
look for me on twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/#!/sunlovey
love,
sunlovey