alovelybeing.com

If you’re in the Kansas City area, I hope you’ll stop by West Elm’s Country Club Plaza location to join me and several handpicked vendors for a little pop-up shop! The local makers we’ve selected are darling and you’re sure to love them (note: Christmas will be here before you know it… wouldn’t it be nice to get a head start on your shopping? ). If you’re not local, I’ll be instagramming and tweeting the event. Each vendor has an online presence, so if you see something you love from afar you’ll still be able to purchase :)

Is there a chicer (or easier) fall ensemble than a white men’s oxford, cropped dark denim jeans and classic loafers? My style icons Grace Kelly, Charlotte Casiraghi, Jane Birkin and the lot seem to agree. This season, I’ll be wearing a pair of brandless vintage black leather loafers, though ideally I’d be wearing these. As the photos show, they don't go out of style.

Have you ever wondered how a Dior Haûte Couture dress is fabricated? And Refinery 29 produced a short film to show us. Though I’ve watched this video several times, my utter awe of the process has not faded. The white lab coats, the hand-dyed ribbons, the way those pleats are made!

Designer and illustrator Lotta Nieminen currently lives in New York and has made it big time, but these photos were taken five years ago at her tiny Helenski studio. The bones of her home -- white walls, warm wood furniture -- are typical of many Finish dwellings. I can tell that she's a graphic designer: type, color and branded elements tie the space together. Truth be told I don't even mind the burgandy kitchen and bath (though you know if she had it her way, she'd make it clean and white! ).