What Dreams Are Made Of

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One of my favorite gowns of all time: 

Elie Saab Spring 2011 Couture (also worn by Mila Kunis at the Academy Awards)

Oftentimes I've dreamt of clothes. In my deepest slumber, my mind's self will be awestruck and wandering around a certain sartorial Eden that brims with clothing: skirts, blouses, jewelry, handbags, coats, and dresses. And the garments are always so fantastic that I suffer a slight ache of heart when I wake up and realize that what I experienced wasn't reality. But maybe that's the thing about dreams: their unattainability, their splendor, their so-close-but-so-far facet, these are what make one want to fall asleep in the first place. And really, that's the thing about clothes too--the over-the-top whimsy of some couture pieces just wouldn't have such draw if they weren't so otherworldly and inaccessible. That said, I still believe that it's just about every girl's fantasy to wear that "dream dress," and that at least once in her all-too-real, terrestrial existence, every girl should get to do just that. At least this is what I tell myself when I'm rudely awoken from my silk-chiffon-filled reveries. 

Here are just a few gowns I've come across that seem to have been woven with dream threads and dream needles:

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[Silky texture + shiny tassel + scooping neckline + subtle floral print]

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[All-out sparkle + bateau neckline + elbow-length sleeves]

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[Scarlet red + volume + ruffles]

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[Plunging neckline + lavender + pleats + gold hardware]

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[Watercolor + translucency + gems]

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[Intricate beadwork + starburst jewels + sweetheart neckline]

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[Powder pink + high/low hemline + whimsical flow]

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[Crazily chained and jeweled neckline/sleeves + babydoll structure]

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[Diaphanousness + shimmery leaves + faux sweetheart neckline]

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[Jeweled buttons + prim ribbon + tiny ruffles + jeweled embroidery]

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[Grape + relaxed movement + plumed hemline (+ Diane Kruger)]

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[Beaded, sparkling lace + waistline flower + vintage-y, spaghetti-strapped neckline]

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[Big, soft flow + dropped back + off-white/purple contrast]

xo Heidi

Smoking Permitted

There are very few things in life actually worth dying for, but sometimes danger and its magnetic appeal can cloud one's better judgment. Enter the smoking slipper. With a name evoking ideas of forbidden action and a structure uniquely suited for pairing with anything from skinny jeans to full-on Hugh-Hefner-esque robes, this season's proverbial "bad boy" of shoes is alluring in the most satisfying way--the wearer reaps the best of both worlds, as these flats are safe enough to wear without fear of falling but just perplexing enough to feel that rush of bending the rules. Now that makes them a clear, cloudless choice if you ask me.

From top and clockwise: Miu Miu Embroidered Satin-covered Leather Loafers, Lanvin Bow-Embellished Patent-Leather Loafers, RESTRICTED Gloria Loafer, Steve Madden All-Over Stud Loafer, Steve Madden Elton Leopard Loafer, Jimmy Choo Wheel Glitter-finished Leather Loafers, Charles Philip Eula Marble Print Flats, Marc by Marc Jacobs Sequined Leather Loafers

xo Heidi 

Bits & Pieces

[My new jewelry keeper: a plastic toy giraffe that I painted gold]

As the end of summer approaches, I'm feeling rather ambivalent about what's to come. I'll be moving into a new apartment soon, a process that typically entails exciting planning, decorating, and (housewarming) partying, but this fall means a whole new--and full!--semester of classes. While I can't help but brood over the unknown--will I pass? will I fail? will I die from sleep deprivation?--I'm also positive that these next few months will be memorable if not some of the best yet. It's the final year of college for many of my friends, and although times are a changin', it's the little things, like randomly finding the china pattern I grew up eating off of in a thrift store, or simple mantras of perseverance, that keep me afloat. Those and my incredible friends and family, that is. I hope you view the transition of seasons as a time for positive change and growth as well!

[The beginnings of my Fall 2012 inspiration board]

[A card I got years ago that I keep taped to my mirror for easy viewing]

[Leftover blackberries from a coffeecake I spontaneously baked]

[UW-Madison's Library Mall at sunrise]

[Finding new uses for a vintage brooch]

[Urban Outfitters right before the summer sale's rush]

[I knew I recognized these thrift store plates...I fed off of them as a kid!]

xo Heidi