"I Bought All of These"

JK.  I haven't really mentioned it this year, but I'm attempting another no-spend first quarter.  Today I find myself browsing online for more art to go on my walls.  However, I'm basically just torturing myself.  But that's why God (or Steve Jobs) invented the Favorites tab.  The image above is called "I Bought All of These" by Kate Bingaman-Burt over on 20X200. 

Have you heard of this site?  It's been around a while, and they offer limited-edition prints, photographs, and more by all kinds of artists.  It's rather addictive.  Where do you find cool art?

Cute Specs!

I ran across this Land of Nod insert in a Crate & Barrel catalog the other day.  Isn't she just about as cute as can be, the way she's concentrating on those blocks?

I Spy Back to School For Grown-Ups

I ran across this cool Daily Candy list of products for "big kids" as the smaller ones get back in the academic groove.  Here are some standouts, at least from a visual perspective.

Um.  Duh.  :)  This is a magnifying glass, of all things!  Isn't it boss?  Well, I'm sad to say that the price (78 buckos) matches.  It is neat to look at, though.  And look through, I bet.

Aren't these reusable lunch bags graphically appealing?  They're normally sold in sets of 3 for $24, but you can get a deluxe set of 5 for $38, if you're so inclined.  I don't know how well these will work, as they are cotton, but they would certainly be a discussion piece at the break table.

Shady In The Best Way

Warby Parker is coming out with a line of sunglasses.  And just like their regular specs, for every pair sold, they'll donate a pair of glasses to someone in need.  Plus, soon enough they'll have prescription shades. 

I can't wait.  It will be the first time I've ever been able to wear sunglasses.  Ok.  That's a bit dramatic because I've always had options.  But they have not been up to par.  Not the case with Warby Parker.

Just Peachy

I spent a nice, long weekend in Atlanta with my pals Samantha and Jonathan, a fun married couple.  We went to Paper Source, Yeah! Burger, CB2, Lotta Frutta, Youngblood Gallery, Highland Row Antiques, The Beehive, Richard's Variety Store, and IKEA. 

I had a blast.  Here are some pictures.  :)

I want two of these stools.  Bad.

Cool succulents at CB2.

Random antique-y goodness.

The Beehive is really neat.  It's like an in-person Etsy.  That's how Samantha described it--spot-on.

You know I always have my eyes peeled for specs.

Here Samantha is chilling with her imaginary wine in a 67-cent glass.

We had an excellent time together.  Thanks again, Samantha and Jonathan!

I Can See Clearly...

Hey blog friends!  Thanks for bearing with me through the last couple of no-update weeks.  I had a few bumps (and ice) in the road, but I'm back.  And I brought specs-y with me.  (Sorry.)

The second collection from Warby Parker is now available!  These new frames just cause optical lust in many ways.  WP has also added a little feature where each frame's page tells you which face shape that style will work best on.  The prices have not gone up (about $95 for each pair), and they still donate a pair for every pair purchased. 

I'm going to keep rocking my Coltons most days of the week and spice it up with Thompson from time to time.  Has anyone else tried out Warby Parker? 

Iconoclastic Specs

Have you ever seen the show Iconoclasts on the Sundance Channel? 

It's great.  Robert Redford produces this show, which brings together two standouts in different fields who interview each other.  This weekend it was Cate Blanchett, one of my favorite actresses, and Tim Flannery, a fellow Aussie friend of hers who studies climate change.  This was right up my alley, but imagine my surprise when I saw Cate's crazy-cool specs.

I love them...and her.  Not everyone could pull off such a dramatic (ha) frame, but she is one of the few.  The show comes on Saturdays at 9 Eastern/8 Central, but they re-air episodes all the time.  The week before it was a re-run of Fiona Apple with Quentin Tarantino. 

Look out when Charlize Theron meets Jane Goodall.  It promises to be a (insert-clever-monkey-joke) time.  

Geek in the Pink

I'm mildly obsessed with Warby Parker and have been thoroughly enjoying my new specs.  Even though I probably won't be buying more frames any time soon, I still find myself perusing their website every few weeks. 

Here's the most recent discovery.



Isn't this awesome?  They've made a new version of their Japhy style in this nifty pink shade, and $50 from each sale goes to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.  Style and substance.  That's a rare combination these days.

Let's All Go to the Lobby...

...and then promptly back to our seats to revisit some classics, especially after seeing these reimagined movie posters on the unfortunately named EveryGuyed.  I love the simplicity and the graphic punch, and even for the few movies in this lineup that I haven't seen, I know exactly what they're getting at.  Yes, I just ended a sentence with a preposition.

I first saw these linked from Valet and then again over at Manifold Destiny, but that won't stop me from posting here.

A Visit Home/New Specs Debut

This past weekend I got to go home and visit some friends, including Lexie and James, Holly and co. (including Stella!), and my mom and brother.

Here is a picture of me with that sweet baby.  Isn't she precious?  She loves her Toms.  Sorry.  And those are my new Coltons from Warby Parker.

This is my other new pair, called Thompson.  This shot was back from the demo days, and I tried my best to doctor the picture within an inch of its life.



Originally I thought that the Thompsons would be the go-to, everyday frames, but the more I wear the Coltons, the more I like how they're just slightly oversized and funky.  My mom called them tiger.  She meant tortoise but wouldn't concede.  It wasn't worth the argument.  Believe me.

Aren't Hue Ready for a Quiz?

I had to.  This quiz was in my inbox today from Real Simple.  It's called What's Your Color Personality?.

I already knew what I would "score," but it was still fun to take the quiz and read the information at the end.  It only took about five minutes.  Give it a whirl, won't you?

It Doesn't Suit Me...

....when fashion houses go bananas. 

Exhibit A:

I saw this ad when flipping through the massive (for them) September issue of GQ.  What?!  This is an ad for Bottega Veneta, and although the bag and suit are very cool, WTH is up with the Colonel Sanders string tie, chunk-tacular police officer shoes, and go-go-gadget white socks? 

Well, that's not to mention this pose, which was last witnessed on that nymph during an especially confusing scene in 300. 

A few pages in, my style compass was re-centered. 

Thanks, Hugo Boss.  This is how you show a suit and neat bag.  Plus, there's mad specs appeal happening here.  Whew.

I get that fashion is not always supposed to be mass-market and wearable, but that first picture is just too much.  You have to draw the line somewhere.  I'd say Kentucky Fried Fashion is far enough.

The Tortoise Always Wins in the Long Run

Remember how I was smelling specs and candy once upon a time?  And then I felt quite defeated? 

Well, the day has finally arrived. 

Guess what was on my doorstep.

It was like Christmas in August.

Have you ever seen anything so glorious?

I had five pairs of tortoise shell frames, just calling my name.  They did.  They said "Tommy.  Tommmmm-eeee.  Wear us.  Wear us."

So I did.  Repeatedly.  From the pictures, they may look identical, but I seriously loved 4 of the 5 pairs I picked out to try on.  (Sidenote: You definitely need to get on the wait list at Warby Parker if you're interested.  I signed up a few months ago.)  I discounted one and possibly two frames because they're too similar to what I wear now, but the competition remains fierce. 

And let's just face it.  There's a really good chance I may buy more than one pair, at $95 each, plus a donated pair for each purchase.

My anti-blog friend Emily took several pictures of me in each style, but I couldn't bring myself to post them.  I think maybe it's the demo-only plastic lenses, but my entire eye area looked red.  Like Us Weekly red.  Like drugs.  It wasn't good. 

At any rate, I'm beyond excited.  I have four more days to deliberate, lean waaaay into the mirror (I'm blind), and lust over eyeglasses.  I will almost surely order from Warby Parker.  And I will blog about said purchase.

Thanks for reading, as always.

If Ya Want My Blogspot, and Ya Think I'm Specs-y...

...come on, sugar.  Let me know.

Wink! 

I want to thank the awesomeness known as Dapper Paper for working with me to design to a new blog header.  It's something I've had up my sleeve for some time now, and after considering several options, they were head and shoulders above the competition. 

They have great style and an excellent blog as well.  (The first link for them will take you to their well curated Etsy shop.)  Check them out the next time you need some graphics in your life.

Thanks, Elizabeth and Chris!

And bear with me as I tweak my layout.  I'm not the most tech savvy person ever, but I'm still having fun.

You Can Dust It Off and Try Again (Try Again)

Where have I been?  I meant to post about this a while back, sort of.  Here's the story.  A month or so ago, I was in my local mall and saw an empty storefront with the following sign above it:

Maybe you're now thinking what I did.  Ummm...WHAT?! 

I went shopping again this past weekend, on the prowl for some clothes (tax-free no less), and I noticed that this store is now open.  From the cool logo, I had really high hopes.  And the salesperson named Kathie was nice and definitely had a unique style.  I was the only shopper in the store, so she sort of pounced and started picking out things for me.  You should know that this is not my ideal situation.

She pulled a few pairs very similar to what I wear now.  Then she had me try on a round pair and a dip-dyed pair and a sort of cat eye pair.  I tried to have a few mini-heart-to-hearts with Kathie, but she was either seeing a makeover or dollar signs, so it was time to make an exit.

There were no Armani frames to be had.  Le sigh.  Remember how I had my heart set on Warby Parker?  They're so buzz-worthy that they've pretty much run out of everything for trying on at home, so that idea is on hold.  Lens Crafters was a bust, too.  Kathie said she's going to pull a few more options for me as they receive new stock over the next few weeks.  We'll see.  Ha.

One Year Aleady?

It's true.  I started Specs Appeal on June 30th of last year with the view from my post as a drive "thru" teller with an MBA.  (I'm a day late with this post.  Whoops.)  Look at me now.  Hehe.

This is a picture of me next to a crazy sign for a taxidermy shop on a mini-road trip with Ann Marie.  It's random and funny as hell.

I really can't believe it's been 366 days.  So much has changed since then.  I moved to Nashville and started a new job.  That was the major thing.  I discovered new TV shows and obsessions.  The rowdy upstairs neighbor got a little more friendly with the Metro PD, thanks to a late-night tip from me.  I've met tons of new blog friends in the process, and overall I am trying to enjoy life.  It's not always easy, but it's worth it.  And I'm glad you're along for the ride.

I just wanted to thank you for reading and commenting.  If anyone is "lurking," as they say, don't be shy!  Feel free to comment and/or follow if you feel so inclined.  I read every comment and appreciate all of the feedback.

Wall Plaque?

Of course they don't make 'em like they used to.  I ran across this poster on Hickoree's Hard Goods while browsing from a blog post the other day.  I am so tempted to buy this, frame it, and hang it up in my apartment.  But at a cool C-note, the price is a bit much. 

It is a good message, though.  Have a great weekend! 

And welcome to my new followers/commenters!  I see you.  :)  Thanks.

Crewcuts

I don't have kids, but J.Crew feels the need to keep me in the loop on their textile offerings for the little ones. Their e-mails are always so cool-looking that I never opted out.

This morning I got a picture of a neat bespectacled kid. Isn't this fun?

What Brown Did For Me

A few weeks ago I saw this awesome-looking book being terribly overpriced in Williams Sonoma. The pictures were enticing, but the amount on the sticker gave me that sinking feeling. But lo. The publisher's emblem on the spine? Delicious specs from Chronicle Books.

Are you familiar? You should be. It's a great publisher that sells all sorts of books and cool gift/stationery items to all sorts of stores and websites, but their own site is so much cheaper. Plus, if you sign up for their updates, you get seasonal sale notices. To wit, 30% off everything plus free shipping.

Yes, please. I'm so glad the first quarter is over. My order was delivered tonight.

I Smell Specs and Candy...Heah...

This is crazy. Warby Parker is a new line of eyeglasses that I really can't say enough about. I read about them in GQ and on Daily Candy a day or so later and had to check it out. I'm glad I did. Here's why:

They have a nicely edited selection of frame styles. They're VERY reasonable ($95 per pair, including prescription lenses). They will send you up to 5 pairs to try on for free (with free return), as GQ refers to them as "the Netflix of glasses." If you have a fancy webcam or want to upload a digital image of yourself, you can play dress-up right on your screen. AND they donate a pair of glasses to people in need for every pair that is bought.

I'm hooked, and I can't stop starin'. Ooo, baby, I wanna get witcha...and get refracted...