Happy Memorial Day

 

          Happy (or dreary, rather) Memorial Day! I've always looked forward to Memorial weekend, considering there's no school, and my little town always puts on a cute parade with a cookout and ice cream afterward. However, this year it rained and rained, the parade was cancelled, and the idea of leaving the house was less than appealing. I did manage to throw together a little patriotic brunch for my family on the porch before cozying up on the couch to watch Back to the Future, and some  Southern Charm.
                                                                                                                                               Yours Truly,
                                                                                                                                                         Dionna

Homemade Pasta

 

           I love pasta of any sort, from a box- even from a frozen dinner. However homemade pasta not only tastes better- but it's also much more fun to make, feeding the dough through the machine, and hanging it on the rack to dry. There's a pasta making day at my Nonna's house every week, and whenever my brother and I can make it, we love to go. For once, the work that goes into it is equally as pleasant as the reward.

                                                                                                                                              Yours Truly,

                                                                                                                                                       Dionna





 

Lampshading ft. Vintage B.U.M. EQUIPMENT 1991

 

 

 

          Once again, a new trend has been brought to the forefront by a Kardashian Klan member, however this time, it was Kourtney. This look isn't completely new (my mom even sported it with a hockey jersey in the '80s), so I won't give Kourtney or anyone the credit for creating the look, but I will thank them for recharging the trend, because I for one am a fan of it. For my look at chose my mom's vintage oversized B.U.M. EQUIPMENT sweatshirt, a vintage Gucci crossbody, and the perfect Michael Kors OTK boots (see them here as well). I think it's a fun and unexpected look to try, but definitely calls for some mild readjusting throughout the day- so just be aware of that.

My Go-To Smoothie

         

 

          I can honestly say that I do not know anyone with a worse sweet tooth than mine. I cannot even think of a moment where I declined a piece of chocolate, or a scoop of ice cream (hey, your mental health is important too). However, because physical health is important, and I no longer have the metabolism of a 12 year old, I certainly have to limit myself, which is what provoked me to begin making smoothies all the time, and thus my addiction began. It's the easiest thing ever, however if you're looking for any of that new age kale-quinoa-granola-acai-something-or-other-dirt-in-a-cup type of thing, this isn't your kind of thing...one can only be so healthy. I always start off with a banana base because that gives it a thicker texture. I know I should use fresh fruit yadd

Happy Easter

 

Simply wishing everyone the happiest of Easters from myself, my family, and the cutest (and most appropriate) Easter accessory - my bunny, Leo. While my mother and my fashion commentary during Easter mass may have us in need of a trip to confession, in all realness what a wonderful reminder to be appreciative of all your blessings, and prepare for this spring. As important a day as Easter is, no shame in using it as an excuse to start transitioning into warm weather attire- after all, it is a celebratory day!
                                                                                                                                               Yours Truly
                                                                                                                                                       Dionna

 

OTK Boots

 

 

          I've been wanting some black heeled boots for quite a while now but it's much harder to decide on a pair than you might think. I finally found the perfect suede Michael Kors pair with a stack heel, and some gold detailing. Of course, like any girl who gets a new pair of shoes- I wore them immediately. I paired them with a short black shift dress, a glack Michael Kors coat (also, with matching gold detail), and gold chain jewelry. I finished off the lo

Keith Richards found Not Dead In San Fran Hotel

         

 

          Although this news is fairly old, I couldn't help but share this article, because it's such a fun read. As much as I love The Rolling Stones, I can't help but find humor in the whole "Keith Richards is a walking corpse" thing. So for anyone who finds this half as funny as I do, you most certainly should give it a read.

 

Read the article here: Keith Richards Found Not Dead in San Francisco Hotel

         

Why You Should Invest in a Fur Vest

 

          For some reason, girls are scared of fur. I think it's the fear of looking like Cruella de Vil that keeps some from ever wearing it. I for one, love fur, be it a blush faux vest, or a full length vintage silver fox coat, I think it's timeless, and makes any look instantly glamorous. No doubt fur is an elegant component of evening wear- however that doesn't mean fur should only be reserved for the night life.

Snow Daze

          I love snow, but even more than snow I love snow days, and I hate more than anything when we deserve one and they don't call it. You think you know disappointment, and then you wake up at 5 am thinking you're facing a lazy day on the couch by the fire. Instead you have literally drag yourself down the stairs. through a blizzard, and into the fiery inferno of infinity scarves and green Nike backpacks also known as high school. So anyway, here's a few little pictures from my non snow day snow day.
                                                                                                                                              Yours Truly,
                                                                                                                                                       Dionna

Ralph Lauren Winter OOTD

 

         I have to say, I think I enjoy dressing for winter much more than for summer. I find that in winter it's much easier to feel cozy, like you're still in your pajamas, and still look effortlessly chic in cold weather than it is when it's hot and sticky in the summer. With a snowstorm the night before, and the desire to stay in bed all day, I threw on one of my fave men, (Ralph), and topped it off with a coat, and grabbed one of fave girls (Kate Spade) and ran out the door. I finished it off with my personal favorite accessory; some retro, statement shades, which add an instant, and always necessary dose of cool to any- literally any outfit.

                                                                                                                                              Yours Truly,

                                                                                                                                                       Dionna

 

 

Axl Rose

 

    
          As random as this may be, I actually have various reasons as to why I decided I needed a little post dedicated to Axl Rose, so let's just cut to the chase. The first reason is the fact that it's his birthday, and so I've seen him everywhere today, so of course happy birthday to him, (not that he'll ever see this, but it's the thought that counts). But mainly, that only served as inspiration for the other reasons. When writing Saying Bye To Bowie, and recalling my friend and I's fabulous Freddie Mercury and Ziggy Stardust costumes, I was reminded of when my little brother (who's not so little anymore oh my goodness!!) dressed as Axl for "spirit week" at school, and it may be the funniest thing I've ever seen. He had everything from the mischievous smize, to the muscle tee, the long auburn hair (or wig rath

Finally Winter

 

       How one could live in New England and make it all the way to almost mid February without a typical blizzard is beyond me quite frankly, and while others may not have been complaining about the lack of snow, I certainly was! I absolutely love snow. Yes it's pretty, it makes you feel cozy, yadda yadda yadda- all true of course, but most importantly, it means no school. And it means it's perfectly acceptable to do absolutely nothing, but sit in your living room staring at the skylight with the Kardashians in the background while your entire family takes turns saying "Gee, it's really coming down". it also means that if there's nothing to eat in the house you're just gonna have to make do with some good ole chicken of the sea and blast-o-butter popcorn.

                                                                                                

                                                                                                                                              Yours Truly,

                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                                       Dionna

Snowed In Playlist

 

      I can't think of something that inspires me to be super productive and extremely lazy at the same time as much as a snow day. As much as I want to, (and certainly do) spend the day curled up sipping cocoa and marathoning Friends, I also get inspired to power clean, paint, put together outfits, bake, and thumb through stacks of magazines at the same time- most of which needs to be accompanied by music. While this snow makes it feel like Christmas, with the storm being in February, Christmas music isn't exactly what I'm in the mood for - not even my Rock 'n' Roll Christmas Playlist. There's laid back, indescribable sort of feeling snow days evoke. With no way of putting it perfectly, I decided to let the music do the talking, and put together this little playlist of some of my favorite low key songs.
                                                                                                                                               Yours Truly
                                                                                                                                                       Dionna

Saying Bye to Bowie

Ziggy Star(bites the)Dust... (still too soon?)

     In all seriousness, this is simply an overdue R.I.P to David Bowie, who lost his battle with cancer this past January 10th, and inspired this quick watercolor pencil sketch. Although I wouldn't particularly call myself a fan, I do love a lot of his music (don't tell me you don't dance when Fame comes on, or blast Changes in the car with all the windows down), and he's an incredibly influential chameleon of an artist. In eighth grade my best friend went as Ziggy Stardust and I went as Freddie Mercury for Halloween! However, what really gets me is the fact that yet anoth

Oh! Darling

     With all the hype surrounding The Beatles joining Spotify, I've been reminding myself more and more of the love I have for them. Truly, there's no one that quite compares. I really think they just might be untouchable. There's a Beatles song for every single mood, day, or situation- it's nearly impossible to pick a favorite. Oh Darling, does it sound better on vinyl- original of course, re-pros make me cringe.
                                                                                                                                              Yours Truly,
                                                                                                                                                      Dionna

Great Barrington




The Gypsy Joynt

      I love The Berkshires in general, but there's something about Great Barrington that I find especially appealing. There's unique antique shops, a music store, some delicious and quirky places to eat- even a patisserie. My favorite stops most definitely have to be Boho Exchange, and Gypsy Joynt. Boho Exchange, this vintage and consignment shop in this cute yellow building attached to an used book store. Anywhere I travel, I always make it a point to stop at a vintage, consignment, or thrift shop, and this one is one of my favorites. I absolutely love this bleach dipped oversized flannel I found there- very Kurt Cobain. Gypsy Joynt is this wicked cool (there's the New Englander in me) café with live music, great food, and fabulous bohemian dé

Jagger Portrait

     Out of all the rock stars and icons I've drawn over the years, I recently realized that poor Mick was missing, and so naturally I had to fix that situation, and it's as simpl
e as that. So here's portrait of a young, rebellious, "bad boy of the British Inva
sion" Mick, complete with his iconic pout. All that's missing is the chicken strut.
                                                                                                                                              Yours Truly,
                                                                                                                                                       Dionna

Happiest of birthdays to Eddie Van Halen

    

   
      I don't know what it is, but I have always had a soft spot for Eddie Van Halen. Of course, with Van Halen being the perfect marriage of rock 'n' roll and party music, who wouldn't love them, but there is something about Eddie in particular that makes me feel like I would like him as a rock star and as a person. It may be because of his fabulously cliché bad boy rocker marries America's sweetheart (Valerie Bertinelli) dream come true. Or the fact that they named their son Wolfgang. I honestly have decided I will be naming my son that. "Wolfie". Come on. It's adorable and it's cool. (Perhaps I'll be taking over Valerie's instagram handle "wolfiesmom" in the future...). Or maybe it's

A Little Late Night Coffee



                              

 

     I was at a Brimfield antique show (I go so often that trips become a blur), when snagged this gold and black coffee pot that immediately caught my eye when sitting on a table marked "$2", and I just love it. although coffee is generally a morning companion, something about the chic, understated, "Gatsby-esque" glamour of this piece (if you can describe a coffee pot that way) strikes me as something suitable for the evening. Tonight I'm in much