Cannes I Go Next Year?

Some of the best looks emerge in the idyllic south of France every spring (Rachel McAdams's red Marchesa stunner, Elizabeth Olsen's head-to-toe homage to the flapper, Natalie Portman's white, structured confection), and this year's Festival de Cannes was no exception. With the help of designers like Dior and Calvin Klein, stars such as Marion Cotillard, Diane Kruger, and Jessica Chastain exhibited the annual fest's perennial penchant for all things summery and chic. And it appears that the #1 rule of Cannes is to dress to the nines but look utterly unperturbed doing so. Still one to gush over the mere idea of wearing lipstick and an $80 dress, it's no wonder I haven't received my invitation yet.

Still on my mind...

Marion Cotillard's gleaming golden belt and lemon heels

Jessica Chastain's neon coral

Kirsten Dunst's soft blue pleats

Naomi Watts's nude minimalism

Paz Vega's ankle-grazing tea length

Freida Pinto's pastel peplum and jeweled camo print

Salma Hayek's navy, sequins, and, er...cleavage

Marion's voluminous bun (wrapped in diamonds, no less)

Jessica's earring bouquets

...and her simple twists

The ubiquitous high slit (on Freida Pinto & Shailene Woodley)

Freida's retro, chevron two-piecer

Kristen Stewart's printed pants

And of course, everything Diane Kruger wore...

Lace-up + pleats

Seafoam + one-shoulder

Leather + studs

All-out glam + Old Hollywood hair

Lace + purple bloom

Embroidery + peplum (+ straight-off-the-runway Chanel)

Bold print + pointy toes

Feathers + killer heels

Checks + volume

Just chillin' (this is what she looks like just chillin', in case you were wondering)

All images via fabsugar.com.au and instyle.com

xo Heidi

Puppy Love

Some days just call for a major pick-me-up. Here's mine.
(I'll be back Monday with somethin' good!)
xo

Catty Girl

Cat-printed pleated silk crepe de chine dress, net-a-porter.com

In order to love this dress, it'd probably help to be a cat person, but being a dog person who just loves fashion is sufficient as well. I'm really into anything gamine lately (think style a la Felicity Jones and Alexa Chung), and the boxy cut and quirky print of this Victoria, Victoria Beckham frock deftly satisfies my keenness. I'd pair it with flat loafers and a breezy pony or braid throughout the summer, and come fall, I'd simply add black tights (textured or sheer) and a schoolboy blazer. Really, the only quandary that keeps this dress from being the cat's meow--I truly do crack myself up--is the $1000+ price tag. Solution? Forever 21, of course. Horses, cats...potato, pot-ah-to. You'll quickly forget species specifics when you score the following knock-off dress for a cool $27.50.

Tiny Horse Dress,  forever21.com

xo Heidi

[PRESS PLAY: "Road to Nowhere" by Talking Heads. Available on iTunes.] 

Honor Is (Not) My Middle Name

There's a fine line between what I would do and what I would not do for this Nina Ricci Spring RTW 2012 gown. Maybe it's the perfectly lavender hue of the dress or its sheer, bouncy flow that has me hooked. Maybe it's the golden metal trim highlighting the sweetheart neckline. Or maybe it's the way this cherubim grade gown would make anyone look like they fell straight out of heaven (never mind the fact that this model seems to be looking straight into your eyes begging for a cheeseburger). 

While ditching dignity for dresses is something with which college girls are very familiar (most just decide to do it by wearing them two sizes too small and 1 foot too short), I prefer going the extra mile when it comes to throwing my integrity out the window in the name of fashion. Really, it's all about finding the divide between wrong and super wrong. So without further ado:

A Lesson in Honor from Yours Truly 

Some Things I Would Do For This Dress:
1) Hold a worm for 1 minute
2) Eat a mussel or clam
3) Not speak for an entire day (or 2)
4) Give up Diet Coke for a year
5) Write someone a strongly worded letter
6) Kiss a stranger (and proceed to run away as fast as possible)
7) Bite the head off of a small insect
8) Drink 10 shots
9) Slap a nemesis (with harsh words at the very least)
10) Call someone a "douche-canoe"
11) TP a house
12) Get a tiny tattoo
13) Highjack a child's bicycle (and give it back shortly after)
14) Bungee-jump
15) Shoot a can 

Some Things I Would NOT Do For This Dress:
1) Hold a poisonous frog for 1 minute
2) Eat a dog or cat
3) Not shower for an entire month
4) Give up going to school for a year
5) Kill someone (I'm pretty very positively sure I wouldn't do this for a dress)
6) Do more than just kiss a stranger (even if I did proceed to run away as fast as possible)
7) Bite the head off a bat
8) Drink a whole bottle of tequila
9) Slap an elderly person
10) Call someone the c-word
11) Throw a brick at a house
12) Get a tramp stamp
13) Highjack a milk truck (imagine all the calcium-deficient customers who'd be after me)
14) Bungee-jump "Jackass"-style with homemade supplies from a local bridge
15) Shoot a Can-can dancer

As you can see, the yearning for couture can really mess around with a person's morals, and maintaining even an iota of self-respect can be difficult. Just remember where to draw the line, and you can be both daring and stylish (if someone was ever random enough to offer you a Nina Ricci dress in exchange for watching you humiliate yourself, that is). Also keep in mind that if you go to jail, you won't even have the chance to wear this fabric confection. You may be able to use it to buy yourself some inmate allies or toilet paper, though. Your call. 

xo Heidi

Sunshine Reading

[Currently trying to finish (I started it in the midst of finals week) 

Mindy Kaling's hilariousness in book form]

Now that my summer has officially begun--still can't believe it!--I'm doing tons of what I do best: list making. The longest list happens to be my summer goals list, which includes drinking more water and tea, exercising everyday, wearing more color, bike-riding more often, exploring Madison and Chicago, and reading a lot. After declaring my English major this past semester, I've realized how many dang books there are that I want to read. So, naturally, another list was born. Filled with works ranging from classics to contemporary lit, comedies to dramas, and quick reads to gotta-have-a-dictionary-by-you reads, my reading list is quite all-encompassing. But that's the kind of girl I am; sure, I like Shakespeare, but I'm not going to limit my literary intake to Elizabethan tragedies when Chelsea Handler's books stock shelves as well. 

Here's the start of my list:

-Emma, Jane Austen
-Dracula, Bram Stoker
-Twelfth Night, Shakespeare
-The Happiness Project, Gretchen Rubin
-The Girl Who Played With Fire, Steig Larsson
-The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, Steig Larsson
-The Fountainhead, Ayn Rand
-Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy
-War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy
-Are You There, Vodka? It's Me Chelsea, Chelsea Handler
-I've Got Your Number, Sophie Kinsella
-The Age of Miracles, Karen Thompson Walker
-Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
-A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens
-The Road, Cormac McCarthy
-The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot
-The Imperfectionists, Tom Rachman
-The Fault in Our Stars, John Green
-Major Pettrigrew's Last Stand, Helen Simonson
-Olive Kitteridge, Elizabeth Strout

What are you bookworms reading this summer? Any recommendations?

xo Heidi 

[PRESS PLAY: "Home" by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros. Available on iTunes.]

Weekend Wear

Right now, having just moved from my apartment to stay at home for a couple weeks, I'm taking on the weekend with a room brimming with clothes. Piles cover my floor and chairs, waiting to be sorted through and put in their rightful places. But somehow, I'm just not satisfied with my wardrobe (will I ever be?), and I sense a major closet clean-out lurking around the corner. I'm ready to retire that floral cardigan I haven't worn in 2 years, along with several dresses that haven't seen the light of day since before "Jersey Shore" was a thing. Some pieces I'd like to take the forlorn items' places? I've got many in mind, sixteen of which I've displayed above. If they happen to inexplicably pop onto my hangers in time for this weekend, I won't ask questions. Well, I will ask questions--and lock my doors--but not until I've giddily tried them all on.

Last-Minute Drinks: Shimmering Star Studs, $1.50, forever21.com// Limited Edition Twin Frill Dress, $170, topshop.com// Yellow Bag, $24.95, hm.com for store locations// Zigi Soho Lunar Metallic Pump, $59.95, dsw.com

Farmer's Market: Cherry Glitter Sun Dress, $72, topshop.com// Sandals, $24.95, hm.com for store locations// Baggu Elephant Print Bag, $20.87, asos.com// Dotted Straw Hat, $10.80, forever21.com

Brunch with Family: Co-ord Garland Floral Blazer, $130, topshop.com// Sliced Shapes Tank, $68, anthropologie.com// Jegging, $44.50, ae.com// ASOS VENUS Leather Flatform Sandals, $83.50, asos.com

Lazy Sunday: New York City Top, $12.80, forever21.com// Tie-Dye Knot Headwrap, $16, urbanoutfitters.com// Taha Loungers, $78, anthropologie.com// Minnetonka Tramper Flat Booties, $56, shopbop.com

xo Heidi

Obsessing Over...

...Kristen Stewart's chained chignon

Let's talk about Kristen Stewart. You either adore her or you despise her. Or, you sometimes love her style and mysteriousness but dislike that she rarely expresses emotion and stars in Twilight and its following flops. I happen to fall into the last category. But love her or hate her, there's no denying how fittingly princess-y she appeared at the UK premiere of Snow White and the Huntsman. And how fairy tale chic her bun entwined with a chain looked. While her Marchesa gown was, like Kristen herself, more of a love-it-or-hate-it situation--after much deliberation, I decided I couldn't like it because the bodice looks like a scary monster face--I think everyone can agree that a hairstyle so doable and edgily elegant deserves copying. Dig out an old necklace, twist away, and you'll soon enough resemble a character out of a bedtime story. A cool character from one of those European versions, though, so don't worry. As for you, K-Stew? This style earned you major points in my book.

Image via glamour.com

xo Heidi 

Fettucine & Asparagus

[Cooking Light's Creamy Spring Pasta: 408 Calories for 1 1/4 cups.

Olive Garden's Fettucine Alfredo: 1220 Calories for about 2 cups.]

Any one of my friends or family members could tell you I'm an ample eater...with "ample" being a bit of an understatement. I can out-devour almost everyone I've met, including guys. Although I've learned over the years how to temper my special gift, there was an instance a few years ago that was nothing if not disgusting (and slightly impressive)--I downed a whole plate of Olive Garden fettucine alfredo in literally 5 minutes at most. While I thoroughly enjoyed it, I soon discovered the nutritional facts of what I had so quickly and carelessly gobbled down, and for a while, I avoided alfredo sauce altogether. But when I came across this recipe from Cooking Light, I figured I could give it a whirl without having to toss out my skinny jeans. And I'm so glad I did; it's creamy as can be, perfectly garlicky, and contains veggies. Being the pig I am never felt so healthy. 

xo Heidi

A Novel Companion

[Emma Book Clutch, $325: Any English major or fashion enthusiast's dream]

Every girl appreciates the importance of a clutch; petite and handy (no pun intended), it offers a touch of whatever you're looking for--whether it be quirk, polish, vivacity--without competing for the spotlight. Needless to say, the "power clutch" didn't get its name for nothing. But a clutch that showcases your astuteness? Enter Kate Spade, much like counterpart Olympia Le-Tan, reaching new heights of design ingenue with the creation of the book clutch. Compact, unquestionably cute, and classy as the classic itself, this Emma version has everything you crave in a pocketbook. Except for the text itself, that is, which is kind of a bummer if you find it in your hands at a yawn-inducing event. 

P.S. Remember that all bookishness is lost when you whip out your phone for a time-killing session of Angry Birds.

xo Heidi

Inspired By...

...Audrey Hepburn, circa 1955

While most people picture Audrey Hepburn as the celebrated Holly Golightly in her little black dress that gave birth to the Little Black Dress, to me, there's something so much more appealingly classic about her real-life style. The connoisseur of striped boatnecks and cigarette pants, Audrey's everyday ensembles (though not Givenchy like her movie ones) were every bit as attainable as they were timeless and understated. But that isn't to say they weren't sportive to boot. Just take a cue from this mid-century snapshot of the icon on a bicycle; four simple pieces, one flawless outfit. If only it were that easy to achieve her dazzling, elfin looks as well. 

ASOS Gingham Pants (I love them in red, as well), $52.19, asos.com// Deena & Ozzy Pointy-Toe Skimmer, $39, urbanoutfitters.com// Kate Spade New York Sailor Stripe Yellow Silk Scarf, $64.99, zappos.com// Women's Pintuck Sleeveless Top, $22, oldnavy.com

Audrey Image via

xo Heidi

Got It From My Mama

[My mom and me, circa 1992]

Since Mother's Day is on Sunday and she's the woman who taught me how to shave my legs, drive a car, and make my bed (though I don't practice that last routine too often), I think it's imperative that I take this opportunity to acknowledge my mother for all she's given me. From encouraging my lifelong appreciation of The Sound of Music to dropping my forgotten lunches off at school to always lending a shoulder to cry on, my mom has provided me with more than I can express; I truly don't know who/where I'd be today if it weren't for her. Here are a few more things I can thank my mama for...

3. The hand-me-down sundress I'm wearing right now that's so obviously from the nineties--it boasts a midi length and has daisies all over. But everything old is new again, and honestly, I'm pretty sure I saw an almost exact replica at Urban Outfitters recently.

2. Home-cooked dinners for the last 21 years. They not only awakened the foodie in me at a young age (read: my mom is fairly adventurous in her cooking), but now that I have to prepare my own meals, I realize how very lucky I was growing up--and how much time my mom must have spent in the kitchen.

1. Patience and kindness: the two qualities that come to mind at the thought of my mother. She instilled in me the importance of empathy and is always attempting to find the good in others (even nasty past friends and grumpy teachers). 

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

xo Heidi 

Double Take

[Emma Stone at the 2012 Met Gala and Rachel McAdams way back in 2004 at the Young Hollywood Awards]

While poring over pictures from Monday's Met Costume Institute Gala, I was delightfully surprised. I couldn't help but notice how much Emma Stone resembled a young-and-rising Rachel McAdams. The cheeky red mini, the flippy updo, the generous smile--8 years difference didn't affect the spitting image! At 23 and 33 years old, respectively, they're omnipresent in Hollywood at the moment. Other ways they're similar? While Rachel played a love interest in the Sherlock Holmes franchise, Emma will be hitting screens in The Amazing Spiderman this summer. In addition to having penchants for action flicks, they both have proven their acting abilities in comedies and dramas alike and starred alongside the lovable Ryan Gosling. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a little red dress to buy.

Images 1, 2 

xo Heidi 

[PRESS PLAY: "Half Mast" by Empire of the Sun. Available on iTunes.] 

Samba Brazilian Grill

[Simple salad, curry chicken salad, sweet potato salad, rotini-feta pasta salad, roasted veggies, balsamic-glazed goat cheese, melon, & chimichurri]

I'm by no means trying to convert this into a food blog, gloatingly shove all my delicious adventures in your face, or take a noncommittal stance against anorexia (even though one should probably avoid that nonsense). But eating is such an integral part of my life, and I without a doubt daydream just as much about garlic aioli and banana wontons as I do Marchesa gowns and Current/Elliott jeans. Moreover, I really enjoy giving out advice on where to go, what to purchase, and what to cook, a big reason I started A Shoe or Two in the first place.

That said, this past weekend, I dined at Madison's very own Brazilian grill, Samba, with my family. Two things to know: 1) I sillily fear Brazilian cuisine ever since seeing Bridesmaids, and 2) I'm not a huge meat-eater. So a restaurant that boasts all you can eat steak, pork, and sausage-what-have-you isn't exactly the first place I'd go running to when my parents come to town for dinner. But Brazilian steakhouses are refreshingly different (and better) than your normal buffet-carnivore-haven in that they have amazing salad bars. Between the array of potato salads, the roasted cherry tomatoes and artichoke, and the mashed potatoes, I was already stuffed by the time the meat course started. Don't worry, though, I managed to fit in a little sausage and parmesan pork.

[Street view]

[Stick that indicates to the waiters whether or not the table is ready to be served more grilled goods]

[Garlic-spiced chicken]

[Uniquely un-American architecture & soft lights]

[Outdoor dining at Samba's downstairs cafe, appropriately named Cafe Samba]

[Arguably the best item from the rodizio: grilled pineapple dusted with cinnamon and sugar]

[Cheesy puff rolls]

[The (atypically extensive and delicious) salad bar]

xo Heidi