Funfetti Sweater Weather

Happy Monday!
This Monday actually feels like a joyful one because we're nearing the end of the year and the start of new beginnings! I cannot wait for tomorrow, NYE, and ending what seemed like the most stressful year of my life. However, I will say that this year brought me so much good (i.e. graduating college, vacations and weekend trips, amazing concerts, being in a relationship with my best friend, acting in a music video, rekindling old friendships, and starting this blog)!

Another great experience 2013 has brought me is this gorgeous Lush 'Make a Wish' funfetti colored sweater. Recently, a clothing company called For Elyse reached out to me about sponsoring my blog! I took a look at their website and was absolutely delighted to work with them. I seriously had the most difficult time choosing what I wanted, I love everything they have! After browsing their site for awhile this sweater caught my eye. It's incredibly warm, fuzzy, long (in which case I can pair it with leggings) and has really fun rainbow speckles throughout it. I'm already thinking about the billions of ways I can style this gorgeous top.

I wore this outfit over the weekend. It was BEAUTIFUL on Saturday so I didn't have to wear a jacket and busted out my purple Ray Ban 'Youngster' sunglasses. Ian and I decided to go take pictures, walk around, and read at a coffee shop. We both happened to buy each other books for Christmas. He got me Grapefruit: A Book of Instructions and Drawings by Yoko Ono and I've been obsessed with it!! This book is everything I could ask for: it's humorous and sweet, makes me smile and is constantly encouraging the readers to think more creatively or abstractly.

COLOR PIECE
Visual world not exactly shaped –
Sense of smell, anticipation, senses that
are not exactly shaped —
Dark shadows casted –
Rat colors with faint hairly smells and pale
dark spots like those on a transparent sheet
of celluloid –
Rose color with a glitter and softness that
is cool and motional –
The kind of color that does not exist by
itself but only when it is casted between
two moving objects –
The color like a remaining stain of illusion
on a moving object –
The color that only happens when movements
cut the air in a certain way and go immediately.
Use such color to tint your absent thoughts.
Have absent thoughts for a long time.
1964 summer -Yoko Ono

Thanks for stopping by!
xo,
maddie

Outfit Details:
Sweater: c/o For Elyse
Leggings: Bongo
Boots: Charlotte Russe
Messenger Bag: Aldo
Sunglasses: Ray-Ban
Necklace: Rainbow
Friendship Bracelet: Marc Jacobs
Midi Ring: Urban Outfitters

Home for the Holidays

 

Hey everyone!

I hope you all had a beautiful and happy holiday! This Christmas was personally the best so far. It was so full of love, happiness, thoughtfulness, and warmth. The highlights were seeing my best friend who came in from New York City (when we're together again it's as if she never left, I'm so happy she's in town for another week!), spending Christmas Eve with my boyfriend and his lovely family (they are seriously the nicest people, I feel so fortunate to know them), and going home on Christmas to see my family...I don't get to see them enough!! 

 These photos were taken back in New Castle, Pennsylvania where my family lives. My sister surprised me with this gorgeous cardigan as a Christmas present. I love absolutely everything about it. I adore the colors and pattern of this cardigan, especially the asymmetrical cut in the front. I layered it on top of a burgundy sweater and paired the look with my favorite Levi's jeans.

I finished up the look with my favorite pair of leopard print flats and these gorgeous earrings I got from Ian's sister and brother in-law. They are so beautiful! I really needed a pair of new silver earrings and these are the perfect ones.

Among this wonderful cardigan, I got so many other goodies. My parents bought me an easel, canvas, books, leggings, socks, a Carl Sagan pillow, and Euphoria by Calvin Klein. Ian's mom knit me a breathtaking infinity scarf, yarn and knitting needles, nail polish, lip balm, and so much more! Ian made me a gorgeous painting ( I cannot wait to hang it in my room!), bought me Grapefruit by Yoko Ono, a box set of Czech New Wave films, and a book about Icelandic folklore. My best friend from New York bought me a Marc Jacobs friendship bracelet (!!!) and my other best friend (who now lives in California) mailed a painting she made me. I received so many wonderful and beautiful things this Christmas but the best part was spending it with the people I love and realizing how extremely well we know each other. I can't help but feeling like the luckiest girl in the world.

Now I am so eager for New Years Eve and to start a brand new year! There are many changes I am looking forward to embracing.

How was your holiday?!

xo,
maddie

Outfit Details:
knit sweater: Roxy 
cardigan: Hollister
jeans: Levi's
leopard flats: Rainbow
earrings: gift

Greens and Grey

Hey Folks!
I went to the mall today with my dear friend Dominique for some last minute Christmas shopping and window browsing. She and I have been friends since 7th grade and I haven't seen her in a few months! It was so nice to catch up on what's been going on in our lives and walk around the mall like old times.

Since we were going to the mall I decided to wear something more casual. Lately I've been obsessed with beanies and I go back and forth between this comfortable grey boyfriend slouchy one from Asos and a slouchy neutral colored one. Today was a milder day in Pittsburgh so I opted for this hunter green anorak instead of my enormously large puffy jacket, which I think really compliments the grey beanie. I tied it together with a pair of green booties and this Aztec printed cardigan.

Thanks for checking in! I hope you're all having a wonderful Tuesday and enjoying winter festivities!
xo,
maddie

Outfit Details:
fluffy boyfriend beanie: Asos
cardigan: Charlotte Russe
sweater: New York & Company
jeans: Levi's
booties: O'Neill
anorak: eBay
scarf: H&M
earrings: Forever 21
bag: Vintage

Weekend Wishlist

weekend wishlist dec 13-15 by maddietoi featuring Topshop

Zara dress / Topshop ankle booties / Olivia Burton gold jewelry, $100 / Oliver Peoples sunglasses / NARS Cosmetics red lipstick, $30 / Marc Jacobs fragrance

Hello everyone!

I thought I would share my "weekend wishlist" with you. I have been obsessing over anything that has bugs/beetles on it and this Olivia Burton watch is the perfect accessory to me! As always, I can't get enough sequins or velvet so the Zara slip dress and Topshop ankle booties really caught my eye. I especially love the Zara dress because I feel like it's the perfect dress for New Years Eve! I am a perfume junky and Daisy by Marc Jacobs is one of my go-to scents. Another accessory I have been obsessing over is the Kate Spade book clutches. This one is a little out of my price range, but there are lovely and unique ones for sale on Etsy that I will definitely settle for haha. Although it's miserably frigid outside the sun is still shining in Pittsburgh (well...kinda) and everything from Oliver Peoples is so cute! Lastly, I don't think an outfit is quite complete without a stunning shade of lipstick and I am loving this red by NARS!


I hope you all have had an exciting/relaxing/productive week! I am so thrilled that it is the weekend!! I'm going to a rad event called Second Saturdays where dancers put on improvisational performances to live jazz music.

What are your weekend plans? Any items you've been lusting after?

Thank you for checking in!
xo,

maddie

Cats and Crystals

Hello Lovelies!

I hope you're having a great start to your week! These photos are from a shoot I did last week with my friend Carl. Our friend Stephen let us use his studio space since it's been getting dark so early lately and we have hectic work schedules. I'm fortunate to know a lot of sweet and creative people who are willing to offer their space/time for me.

One of the best parts about this shoot was the delicious warm tea Stephen made us and the presence of his cat in the studio. I mean just look at this cat...he totally knows how to work it in front of the camera.

What I love most about the pieces I'm wearing is how well the details tie in together. The embellished collar, scalloped cardigan, and paisley pants give this look a fun vibe. I feel fancy and whimsical in this outfit but also put together. I'll never forget the first time I met my best friend (she lives in NYC now, but will be home in 19 days!) and I was wearing a big tee with a rabbit on it and floral leggings with blue boots. She said I looked like I was dressed as a "five year old" or like I was from Alice in Wonderland. I actually take that as a compliment now....I enjoy having a cute and playful style every once in awhile.

You should check out the rest of Carl's fashion photography here! 
I hope you're all having a great Monday!

xo,
maddie

Outfit Details:
Chiffon Button Up- Forever 21
Scalloped Sweater Cardigan- Goodwill
Paisley Pants- H&M
Heeled Booties- Rampage

Neutral Narnia

Happy December!

Today is the last day of my Thanksgiving "vacation" from work. It has been both relaxing and eventful, and I realize I have so much to be thankful for. Ian came over on Wednesday, once the snowstorm had stopped, and just left this morning. We spent Thanksgiving day at his family's house and then Friday we drove to my parent's house and got to visit and eat with them. While we were home we got to play with my energetic pug and sweet little kittens!!! Friday night we went to see Ian's childhood friend who was visiting from NYC, drank a lot of wine and listened to a lot of Kanye and Smashing Pumpkins. Ian and I also spent this break by watching a mixture of good and terrible films (Safety Not Guaranteed vs. Troll 2) and I had the pleasure of seeing him sculpt in his dad's studio!! Seeing the people we love most and sharing the experience together was really special and left me feeling eternally grateful to have such beautiful, genuine, and understanding people in my life.

This is the outfit I wore to my Mom's house. It has been freezing cold outside recently so I've been wearing a lot of knee-high socks to keep my feet and legs extra warm. I just received this slouchy beanie from ASOS a couple weeks ago and it's been the perfect winter accessory...it keeps me warm AND my hair in place when it's especially windy outside. Personally, I love buying neutral colored hats or thick scarves so I can pair them with almost anything. The other accessory I've been obsessed with lately are these gorgeous vintage beetle earrings. I love the creepy/pretty vibe they give and I adore the tear-drop stone shape. I think they add a cute but funky flare to any outfit.

I hope you all had a lovely holiday!!

xo,

maddie

Outfit Details:

Slouchy Beanie- ASOS

Scarf- H&M

Beige Faux Leather Jacket- Material Girl

Chiffon Top- Urban Outfitters

Jeans- H&M

Boots- Charlotte Russe

Orange Thigh-High Socks- Urban Outfitters

Moon Earring- Brandy Melville USA

Beetle Earring- eBay

Messenger Bag- Aldo

Christmas Wishlist

Christmas Wishlist by maddietoi featuring French Connection

Zara coat / Staring At Stars pull on pants / Miista orange shoes / Marc by Marc Jacobs friendship bracelet / Velvet shawl / Calvin Klein black perfume / French Connection serveware


Hello Lovelies!!

I'm sorry I've been MIA for a bit. This month has been crazy busy with birthdays and preparing for the holidays! The colder weather also makes me very unproductive...I find myself just curling up and watching movies or reading books while drinking tea when it feels like I'm living in the tundra.

I am so excited for Thanksgiving and Christmas!! I get two days off this week and I'm spending it with my boyfriend and his parents and then he's coming back home with me to celebrate with my family (and meet my adorable pug, yogi)!! Once Thanksgiving is here then that means Christmas is rapidly approaching!

Here are a few things I've been obsessed with lately this season. As you can see...I'm really digging velvet and floral prints lately.

What is on your holiday wishlist?

Thanks again for stopping by!
xo,
maddie

Wishlist Details: 
1. Staring at Stars Pull on Pants- UO
2. Velvet Shawl- Anthropologie
3. Large Dome bag- French Connection
4. Euphoria- Calvin Klein
5. Tartan coat- Zara
6. Wild Rose Orange boots- Miista Amaya
7. Friendship bracelet- Marc by Marc Jacobs

Danger

Happy Wednesday lovelies!

The weather is absolutely gorgeous in Pittsburgh today (a very rare occurrence) and it's only a couple more days before an exciting weekend! I work a 9-5 office job throughout the week which can be incredibly monotonous. I live for the weekends where I can sleep in, accomplish things I've been putting off during the week, and spend time with the people I love.

Some days I just don't feel like putting a lot of effort into looking super polished at work...or I may just be running behind and need to throw something together. As a result, I decided to keep it simple with a white chunky sweater, grey jeans, and these gorgeous penny loafers. I feel like these loafers add a funky yet professional vibe to any outfit. I also found them for a steal when I was in Zara a couple months ago.

Pittsburgh weather is very strange, it's fall for a week and then BOOM hello winter! I don't want to bust out my behemoth winter jacket yet so I invested in this beautiful hunter green anorak by Weatherproof. It is my new fall essential! I found the anorak on ebay for so cheap and I've been wearing it constantly. 

What are some of your fall essentials? Office looks?

Thanks for stopping by!!

xo,
Maddie

Outfit Details
sweater: H&M
jeans: Wet Seal
loafers: Zara
layered necklace: Urban Outfitters
Weatherproof anorak: Ebay   

Halloween à la Pierrot le Fou

Hey Folks!

Yesterday was Halloween, my all time favorite holiday! There's just something so nostalgic about Halloween to me: the smell of leaves in the air, costume makeup, watching scary movies, eating caramel apples. It also means that other exciting holidays are approaching!!

Halloween is also one of my favorites because I have always loved dressing up in costumes!! I was one of those little girls growing up who would always dress up in my mom's clothes or wear plastic princess heels until they fell apart. I also model occasionally (mostly for clothing boutiques in the Pittsburgh area) and the best part is having my hair, makeup, and clothes look completely different than usual. 

This year my boyfriend and I decided to go as characters from one of our favorite French New Wave films: Pierrot le Fou. This film came out in 1965 and was directed by the legendary Jean-Luc Godard. It stars the stunningly beautiful Anna Karina and Jean-Paul Belmondo. Pierrot (Jean-Paul Belmondo) ditches his unhappy marriage and bourgeois lifestyle to be with his old flame Marianne (Anna Karina). They go on many crime sprees and eventually their relationship becomes strained. This film is just absolutely breathtaking, sweet, sad, and humorous. If you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend that you watch it!! 

Outfit Details:

Ian: red turtleneck and grey suit - Goodwill ($5 total!!!)

Me: striped bodycon dress - H&M; navy blue high waisted Liz Claiborne skirt - Goodwill

photos from: dinca.org, dvdbeaver.com, dryden.eastmanhouse.org, and tumblr.

What did you all dress up as for Halloween? 

Thanks for stopping by!

xo,

Maddie