Prim Pairing: Black and Gold

I spent the long, wonderful weekend visiting loved ones. I should note; My number of loved ones seems to rise exponentially every few months. Not long ago one niece was toddling around and now there are four small humans in my circle, all under the age of 4.

They are adorable and gooey and gloriously riotous. They are joyful and sweet and passionate about everything, even socks. They are loud and require constant vigilance. They sometimes organize coups.

I want some of my own, eventually, and sometimes very poignantly. Whenever I get those achy feelings I tend to look over at my cat and wonder, guiltily, if she's enough. Then she'll do that thing where she flops over so I'll rub her belly, and I remember that she's plenty.

During one of this weekend's more brilliant uprisings--a youth-led ban on the institution of bathing--I wondered what warm, fuzzy, soundless thing she was doing at home. Her eyes are hypnotic gold, and her favorite spot in the house is a yellow-gold chair that nearly matches them. I'm deferring to her natural fashion sense for this post: elegant black and gold animal accessories.
Fox brooch: $45, farfetch.com

Owl ring: $13.50, etsy.com

Rabbit necklace: $21, etsy.com

Prim Wish: Uniform Project Accessories Auction

As Sheena's full year of wearing one LBD comes to an end, The Uniform Project has raised close to $70K for the Akanksha Fund, and is hoping to raise a little more by auctioning off a year's worth of impeccable accessories through eBay Giving Works.

Please visit the auction. Bidding ends April 8. If you win, you'll gain an amazing one-of-a-kind statement piece and the gratitude of the kids you'll be helping put through school. Here are some of my favorites.

Flower barrettes, starting at $10.

Red quilted linen circles necklace, bidding from $20.50.

Navy ruffled tank, bidding from $11.50.

Vintage grey pillbox hat, starting at $10.

And my absolute favorite, a red tiered ruffle skirt, bidding from $68.


And the best news of all? You can order one of 365 limited edition U.P. dresses here!

Prim Whim: Key Largo

I watched Key Largo last week. It's a 1948 film noir filled with mysterious mobsters and a big storm a-brewing. What really caught my eye, of course, were the sultry leads, Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart, who were married in real life and smoldered on screen, without, mind you, one costume change.

Bacall is amazingly elegant as Nora Temple in a simple white shirt, dirndle skirt and espadrilles. I'm completely taken with her classic style and put together a Nora-inspired look.

Linen shirt: $24.50, Old Navy

Tie skirt: $40, Alloy

Gold espadrilles: $50, Jildor Shoes

Leather and rope belt: $7, Forever21

Revlon Colorstay Red Velvet lipstick: $10, drugstore.com

Prim Wish: Crochet Everything

Even when they aren't hosting a holiday, my mom and dad transform their house into a sort of whimsical outpost for anyone in need of a little festivity. This weekend it was Easter, interpreted by my parents as an impressionist mix of deep purple lace, ceramic eggs and woodland creatures.

In the process, my dad unearthed a nearly-ruined box in the basement, but he'd packed the contents in plastic. ("Because I'm neurotic that way," he said. I love it when family members recognize the strength in neuroses.) Inside was a set of gorgeous baskets my mom had macreméd from a waxy rope in the 80s. They got us reminiscing over all the crafting we did when I was small; ceramics, jewelry, clay and crocheting. Crocheting! It was like remembering an old friend who'd transferred schools. As a kid, being able to take a ball of yarn and create something unique was truly magical. It certainly still is, but I've lost the time or patience or maybe even soul needed to access that magic. I want it back.

As a first step, I turned to Etsy, via the fabulous Etsy Shops I Love blog for some nostalgic inspiration and was not disappointed. Meet Meekssandygirl.

Even though this Easter egg is cotton yarn, it takes me back to the days of real egg hunts, with actual hard-boiled eggs.

A crochet daffodil barrette is like eternal spring.

Unbelievably, there's a crochet Octopus's Garden with real freshwater pearls. The Beatles bring me back to Sunday morning crafting with my mom.

And this pink clover necklace is simply beautiful.

Prim Knickers Preps for a Bridal Shower

Is it okay to wear white to a bridal shower?

Because I have this great 80s dress, but it's white with a pink tea rose print. Probably not.

Showers are forever doomed to be celebrated in a fashion middle-ground: Somewhere between polite family affair and Friday night cocktails with the girls. It's enough to send anyone into an overthinking coma.

So if you don't see a new post in the next day or two you'll know I'm unconscious, barely visible amidst a heap of wrinkled H&M. But hopefully I'll pull through. I'm formulating an idea: beige. It's in and it's neutral without being boring. Perfect for almost anything. This Pictureshow Dress ($298) from Anthropologie would be a dream.

On the cute and more affordable side, there's the Bow Back Skater Dress ($45) from ASOS,

the Studded Woven Dress ($33) from Forever 21,

or, if you want to be truly one-of-a-kind, the sweet smocked-waist Boho Dress (starting at $10) from Twitch Vintage.

Invitation photo via Zazzle.

Prim Pairing: Chambray Sneakers and Stripes

The search for the perfect spring sneaker has begun. As much as I love sandals, I walk in this city, a lot; And I need a sweet little sneaker to pair with everything from cutoffs to flirty dresses for days when my feet just can't deal.

Thanks to the summer 2010 Old Navy preview posted by Nitrolicious I found what could be The Sneaker: canvas slip-on tennis shoes for only $16.50 that, as one commenter pointed out, look quite a bit like pricey Parisian Bensimons.
And since I can never resist the chance to pair tennies with a dress, this striped number is only $15.

Prim Penny Pincher: Vintage Cameos

The state of the economy has done two things for my style. 1.) Whenever I get an accessory craving, I'm more conscious of what's "trendy" versus what's "classic." 2.) I'm raiding my mom's jewelry box way more than I used to.

With that, I recently acquired her old cameo pendant. I'm not sure why I wasn't drawn to it earlier. Cameos are the perfect answer to looking refreshingly original with a style that's everlasting.

According to Anna M. Miller's book, Cameos Old and New, the cameo came to life around 300 B.C. in Alexandria, Egypt. That is some serious longevity. Although mine is a lovely Victorian lady in white on a coral background, there are vintage cameos of every imaginable kind on eBay for every imaginable price. A few of my favorites:


Brown on black lady ring: starting at $2.50, ebay.com

Goldtone lady pendant: starting at $1, ebay.com

Dove ring: starting at $4.25, ebay.com

Couple brooch: starting at $20, ebay.com

Green glass lady brooch: starting at $25, ebay.com

Flower brooch: $10, ebay.com