today i'm loving: sprouse + above allen

If you liked this:

Then I'm guessing you would love to sip a cocktail and shake your booty in this place:

We partied here last Saturday to celebrate my dearest friend Céline's birthday and it was pretty fabulous! My designer friend Kate and I spent a chunk of our evening hatching diabolical plans to smuggle out the Stephen Sprouse couch covers ... well until "Sexy Bitch" came on and distracted us, at least. It was a dreadful night to be out in New York, what with whipping winds and constant rain ensuring everyone got good and drenched. But it made our stay at Above Allen pretty great. The bar was nicely full without being overly crowded, just perfect for swigging G&Ts and dancing our butts off. This terrace bar is on the 7th floor of Thompson Hotel on the Lower East Side, and has some pretty stunning views of the city:

It is however, only open to members, hotel guests and whomever the doorman deems suitable, so look your best if you're going. I'd leave the Sprouse Neverfull at home though. You wouldn't want to blend into the upholstery.

today i'm loving: sock theory

It's been raining and freezing all weekend, and all I've wanted to do is stay curled up under my duvet, all warm and cozy. That could be why I am just loving Sock Theory today and all the cozy, adorable socks they have for sale. The ones I ♥ the most are these zip-up over-the-knee socks. They're just $5! Shipping might be more expensive. Must stock up on about a dozen then?

How cute are these pencil socks? It would be such a giggle to wear these under my staid black boots at work.

I'm also just enamored with these Japanese arm/leg warmers. Only thing is, I don't quite know how to wear these with shoes! Scrunched up over Maryjanes?

Man that last picture has me pining for green grass and sunshine. Spring, hurry up already!

get your groupon: $79 sailing lessons

I love today's Groupon deal: $79 for two sailing lessons with Hudson River Community Sailing (valued at $180)! I think this would be such a great summer activity for couples and families. I zipped around the Hudson a few summers ago on my buddy Randy's speedboat and it is just amazing on a summer day. I can imagine that sailing would be sheer bliss!

I have to skip this deal because I have to focus funds on my 30 Before 30 Project. But I wanted to pass this on to my dear readers since it seems to be a pretty fabulous deal. Purchases are limited to two per person but you can buy multiples as gifts. It would be such a perfect gift for a boyfriend, hubbie or son, don't you think? Groupon has gotten enough buyers for this so the deal is definitely on, you just have to whip out the credit card and get yours! If you haven't signed up for Groupon yet, click here. I will have to be content with daydreams of sunning myself on a sailboat on this frigid and rainy New York Saturday!

alice in wonderland

I spent a nice chunk of change to take my niece Nikki to see Tim Burton's Alice and Wonderland last Sunday, and truth be told, the only thing that thrilled me about the movie were Alice's outfits. I adore the blue, ruffled up, frothy concoction below. And I really loved the Vivienne Westwood-esque red dress she wore when she was working the court at the Red Palace. I was so obsessed I must've spent an hour scouring the Internetz for a picture but all I found was a sketch on WWD, as well as an interview with costume designer Colleen Atwood. Hats off to her!

Speaking of hats, I really badly wanted to like Johnny Depp's portrayal of the Mad Hatter. But I just couldn't. My friend Anne-Cecile put it best when she said he pretty much acted the same in Sweeney Todd, and I'd imagine it wasn't too different from Willy Wonka (if you just took out that lispy, Scottish accent). And that futterwack was just whack. Other than the amazing outfits, I found the movie rather dull to be honest. The most gripping character for me was the Queen of Hearts, portrayed wonderfully be Helena Bonham Carter. She still has me wanting to yell, "Off with his head!!!" at pretty much anyone who ticks me off.

Oh well. We'll always have the fashion ... 

thank you details

It's been awhile since I last obsessed about Robert Pattinson. I actually haven't touched the Twilight DVD in maybe half a year, and I didn't even cough up $14 to watch New Moon. I kinda forgot about him, really, while I went about with life. But when I saw this cover of Details magazine at a subway newsstand, it all came back full force. Sweet Jesus, he is one ridiculously good-looking kid. Though I'm still not coughing up the cash to watch his new flick, Remember Me.

Now, if you have nieces and daughters who are in love with Edward Cullen, I suggest you steer them clear of the Details shoot pictures. Quite risqué, definitely NSFW and styled to fascinate men, not teenage girls. The interview is actually a good read but I'm not posting the link here because I don't want my little sister clicking on it (I know you're old enough to know how to use Google, Katie, but DON'T DO IT). For all you adults out there, Google and read away.

Now to have sweet dreams of this bloody handsome fellow. Good night!

today i'm loving: sandra bullock

How can you not love a woman who can graciously accept an Oscar and a Razzie all in the same week? There are quite a few Sandra Bullock movies that I'm not too keen on (*cough* The Proposal *cough*) but I've always liked Sandra herself. And after seeing these two acceptance speeches for getting Worst Actress and Best Actress awards in the same weekend, I love her a little extra.

today i'm loving: alice by temperley

I've long loved the exquisite clothes and accessories by Temperley but the prices are just too far out of my reach. Alice Temperley is a London-based, Central Saint Martins-trained designer who debuted her line back in 2000. Scarlett Johansson and Keira Knightly are just some of her celebrity fans. Temperley's highly embellished creations cost a pretty little penny with dresses starting at about $895. To cash in on a younger, contemporary customer, Temperley has created a diffusion line called Alice by Temperley. While Temperley has a more feminine-vintage vibe, Alice by Temperley veers more towards a rock-and-roll meets vintage aesthetic.

I am seriously lusting over the red polka-dotted minidress and navy polka-dotted skirt from the collection but damnit, even the diffusion line's prices are out of my reach. The cheapest item in the collection (a jersey tee) ringing in at $95. Those with fatter pocketbooks might find these a bargain but I'm sadly not at that point yet.

I would love to have that entire outfit on the left to wear for a summer day at work that progresses into a night out in the city. And the red dress would just be lovely for a dressed-up Sunday brunch. A girl can dream right? 

get your groupon: $45 for 4-week dance class + 4 dance socials

If I wasn't on a spending freeze, I would totally jump at today's Groupon deal: $45 for a four-week dance class and four dance socials at Dance With Me. I've been wanting to learn the Argentine Tango for years now but never took lessons. I was actually thinking of putting "Dance the Argentine tango in Buenos Aires" on my 30 Before 30 List but due to the lack of a dancing partner, I thought I'd save that for the 30 at 30 List that I'm almost positive I'll end up making!

As of 9:42 this morning, the deal is on with 100 people already. You have 6 hours to get your Groupon! You can only buy one for yourself but can buy multiples as gifts ... maybe for a potential dancing partner?

Have fun!