salute my shorts

it is about this time of year that summer vacation comes to a close,

and children grudgingly return to school,

despite the heat and humidity of summer that lingers behind.

for a few of the "luckier" children,

the return to school is delayed for another week,

and the buses that they board do not take them to their schools,

but somewhere else...

to camp.

this year, i will be joining them.

in approximately one hour i will be leaving for camp twin lakes

to spend an entire week sleeping in a cabin with nine twelve-year-old girls,

learning archery, canoeing, arts & crafts, and mountain biking,

just to name a few.

{yes i am worried about being a responsible counselor,

yes i am worried about missing k,

yes i am worried that all my campers will be taller than me,

yes i am worried that they will hate me and hate camp,

yes i am worried about shooting a bow and arrow,

yes i am worried about what i will eat,

and yes i am mostly worried about what i will wear.

but i figure it's too late now, so i'm not worrying any more.}

since i will be without internet access for the next six days,

i have arranged some outside talent to grace the pages of HiS.

these lovely ladies include my bestie, E, who is hands down the most fashionable person i know.

my girl, kindredly, who is not only stylish, but absolutely hilarious.

and two of my favorite college friends, the asiancajuns, who are a constant inspiration for me

so keep checking in as my fabulous friends take over for the week.

i honestly can't wait to read what they have to say.

see you all on Friday.

xoxo

copyright Hiking in Stilettos

{layer cake}

so last night k and i watched the movie layer cake, and i started thinking a bit about men's style.

there are men who can pull off fashion-forward styles,

men who look best in suits and ties,

the ubiquitous college man attire {plaid shorts and a popped-collar polo, gag},

and the rock and roll guys with their i-don't-care-attitude,

just to name a few.

and then, there are those men who fall somewhere in the middle...

not exactly fashion-forward, but definitely not american eagle prototypes.

they look great in suits, but their professions don't necessitate daily bests.

it is this last group of men for whom, in my opinion, dressing well is the most difficult.

enter daniel craig's character from layer cake,

his style is a mix of fitted jeans, sweaters {even a cardigan}, and solid color tees...

not exactly cutting edge fashion, but he looks great.

i think the key to his style is the fit of his clothes,

fitted but not too tight {we don't need to see every muscle in your upper torso},

and the choice of shoes {love the ones above}, but that's just me.

of course there are a few well-fitting suits, complete with a skinny tie,

and, let's be honest, who doesn't love a man in a suit?

but what sold the look for me was the leather jacket.

the simplicity of the jacket is perfect,

not too motorcycle-riding-bad-boy, but still manly and tough.

again, the fit is perfect. not too loose and not too tight.

{oh, and the movie was quite good, if you were wondering.}

so, dear readers, i will pose the inevitable question:

what is/are your favorite thing{s} for your man to wear?

and for any of you male readers, what do you wear to look stylish without being too overbearing?

i'm very interested to hear what you may have to say!!

xoxo

copyright Hiking in Stilettos

part of the crew

i am often asked to define my personal style, and well,

i find it quite a daunting task.

my style is somewhere where feminine-romantic meets 70s rock meets professional preppy with a few other things mixed in

{like i said.. kind of a daunting task}

i am often a jeans and t-shirt girl, and i like oversize accessories to spice it up.

there is definitely a hint of old school rock to my style...

think more almost famous and less ashlee simpson

and i adore mixing menswear pieces with frills,

especially blazers, vests, and button-down shirts.

as i move forward with my career, i find myself drawn more to structured pieces and less to trendy tees and tanks

{although i do still love the trendy tees and tanks}

i don't think i will ever find one store or brand that is 100% my style,

but the most recent jcrew catalog, east of eden, is definitely part of the fray.

i adore the romantic pieces, the pastel color palette, and the oversized, layered jewelry.

i would pair the pastels with a bright jacket, clutch, or peep toes.

i will definitely be perusing the catalog pages for inspiration come cooler weather.

way to go, jcrew. good show.

images courtesy of jcrew.com

copyright Hiking in Stilettos

weekend adventure no. 14: {high shoals, ga}

k and i recently enjoyed a weekend in the north georgia mountains
visiting some of our favorite friends.


our drive up was so lovely...
filled with rolling hills and country homes

once in the mountains,
we hiked down to a local water fall, high shoals.
the boys braved the arctic waters, while the girls took pictures

the river water was so cold!

my little feet were quite content to dip into the crevices of the rocks
without actually immersing into the frigid pool

overall, it was a lovely little getaway
the falls were beautiful and serene, and the weather was perfect.
we enjoyed our time together in the solitude of the woods
and sharing the day with our dear friends.




copyright Hiking in Stilettos

{dream home}

oh how i would love to live here

yes, please mr. mcqueen

i am obsessed with these booties from alexander mcqueen

seriously obsessed.

i dream about them {it's that bad}

24.7.09

old family photo {one of my favorites}




copyright Hiking in Stilettos

another daily read

i've just found another blog to add to my daily reads..
it is

{wait for it}
hilarious.

and the witty author, JennyMac, happens to be in my city.
so, hop on over to let's have a cocktail and check it out.


xoxo

a perfect combination

ever since my friend Lar of the AsianCajuns posted about her studded white toms,

i have been on the lookout for a great pair of shoes to add studs to as well.

enter my love of dancing and training in classical ballet,

and you have the perfect combination.

for those of you who don't have about eight pairs of ballet slippers in the back of your closet,

you can purchase a pair of these sweet little shoes here.

{it may actually be cheaper to buy them than make them yourself if you don't already own ballet slippers.}

i think i know one thing i'll be doing this weekend :)

stay tuned for pictures of the project and the final outcome.

images courtesy of bonadrag

copyright Hiking in Stilettos

searching {for solitude}

sometimes we all need a bit of solitude

a bit of time to ourselves to regroup

and to reconnect with ourself

and with our surroundings

images from rock.too.fast for.love

{constant} obsesison: retro red lipstick

image from W magazine

it's no secret that i love color,
that much is evident by a quick peek into my closet,
but something you may not know, is that i am obsessed with retro red lipstick.
{evidence here and here}

ever since my high school days of trying to be audrey hepburn,
i have been in love with the vintage, feminine, and classic look of red lips. just that pop of color can completely transform an outfit and change the entire look of the garments.

here are some recent inspirations for retro red lips:

image from GQ Magazine

image from W magazine

image from W Korea

image found here

image from GQ Magazine

what about you, my lovelies? what are some of your favorite beauty staples?
what do you do to completely transform a look?



copyright Hiking in Stilettos

feeling gilty

what do marc jacobs, vera wang, tracy reese,

alexander mcqueen, and diesel have in common?

they {among others} all have amazing pieces on major sale at gilt group.

gilt group is an online store where designer names are available at incredible prices. the sales begin daily at noon and last for 24 hours, and the site will email you day the sale begins.

you do have to be a member to purchase from gilt,

{don't worry, it's free to sign up}

so if you are interested, leave a comment with your email address,

and i will send you an invitation!

image credit

copyright Hiking in Stilettos

dear {soon to be} husband,

my life with you is one of such great happiness,
that i can scarce begin to describe.

our differences may cause us grief at times,
but in the end, they are so very small.

{drawers and hangers are overrated,
and messes may sometimes creep in}

i know you are not one for grand, romantic gestures
but simple, meaningful ones instead.
i know you do not shout our love from the rooftops
but i would not have it that way.
i cherish your deep, quiet way of loving me.

i await the day when i wake beside you and say

{good morning, husband}

just thinking of that moment

the warm fuzzies invade my heart all over again

a spiral of heat within my chest

and i feel how much you love me,

and how i love you in return.

i would always choose you to be mine

copyright Hiking in Stilettos

asian lettuce wraps {how-to}

i love food
and i love cooking food,
especially when it is both healthy and delicious.

last week k and i decided to try homemade asian lettuce wraps,
and they were scrumptious!
{and the recipe is oh-so-simple, added bonus!}
our {frozen} veggie spring rolls completed the meal perfectly


mince 1 clove of garlic and saute in olive oil,
add in ground chicken/turkey* breast & cook until no longer pink
add frozen edamame beans and a splash of soy sauce
{if using any other frozen veggies, add them in with the edamame}
once the beans have cook for about 5 min,
add in some chopped carrots (fresh)
stir in thai-peanut sauce until the veggie/meat mixture is well covered
let that cook for another 5 minutes,
and add in a couple handfuls of sliced almonds
simmer for a just few minutes to brown the almonds

pull off a few long leaves of romaine hearts,
top with the chicken/veggie mixture,
and enjoy!


*i used ground turkey breast, but i think chicken would be better
also, you could use a lean ground beef if you prefer.
for the lettuce, i bought stalks of romaine hearts,
but iceberg would work as well.


copyright Hiking in Stilettos

some {pretty} things

emma watson's teen vogue photo shoot...

{i'm still not over it}

exactly how i will be dressing for fall

vintage aqua bar stools from etsy

that make me think of an old soda shop

glass drinking straws from glass dharma

because they are so very chic yet so very practical

{and eco-friendly}

click here to see the rest of the collection

simple, fun, and adorable diy project from designsponge

{thinking i'll do a red and turquoise version of this for the kitchen}

paige black label greenwich jacket in navy

by paige denim

i hope you all had a very wonderful summer weekend!

xoxo

copyright Hiking in Stilettos