Wilder Style: Window Shopping the NET-A-PORTER 50% Off Sale

The great thing about having a blog is that I get to write about whatever I want whenever I want to. That freedom means that if I'm lusting after oh, say, $10,000 worth of beautiful clothes from the NET-A-PORTER 50% off sale, I can just post about them instead of spending far more money than I could possibly afford. It's surprising how the act of posting about a dress or a shirt can make me want it less; by saying "I WANT THIS!!!" on TWT, I curb the craving in real life. 

The result is this: you get to see all of the beautiful things I want so that I don't virtually shake my bank account out all over the internet. Beginning with the Jason Wu dress above. Isn't it stunning? The cut, the black detailing on the gorgeous floral print, and the coral piping work so well together (more after the jump).

Wilder Pictures: The People of Paris

Well, dear readers, the time has come for me to post the last batch of photos I took in Paris. These are some of my favorites from the whole trip, and while I feel like I've said that about every photo I've posted, these ones feel a bit different. It's the intimacy of them; like the "sunshine at the louvre" post from last week, I stole a bit from these people when I captured them on film (well, memory card). None of them knew I was taking their picture, and that fact both thrills me and makes me feel a little guilty, a little dirty.

And I just realized why: in taking these photos, I was a voyeur, a photographic peeping Tom. Rather than stare into people's windows at night, I look at their faces on my computer. Less creepy (thank god) but still a bit disconcerting knowing the person on whose face I'm adjusting levels and saturation has no idea what I'm up to. And somewhat exhilarating, too, to know I have a connection with someone far away, someone whose name I don't know. It makes the world bigger (more after the jump).

10 Things I Like: Memorial Day Weekend Edition

I have been slacking on the weekly "10 Things I Like" posts, and for that I am deeply sorry. I don't know if you missed them as much as I did, but with a trip to Europe and some sweeping life changes going on, I kind of let it get away from me.

Not to worry, dear readers; we're back, and better than ever, with a Memorial Day weekend edition! Wahoo! Here, some things I like related to the beginning of summer (even though it's not officially summer until June 21, Memorial Day totally kicks it off). I'll be in Hadley, NY, spending some time in the woods and lakes of the Adirondack Mountains with no internet, no email, no cell service...in other words, bliss. I hope you all have something fun planned, even if it's just sitting outside with a book. Call me easy to please, but that sounds pretty close to heaven.

And now, 10 Things I Like (after the jump). 

Wilder Style: My Uniform as a Child (or) Commonwealth Proper, Beautiful Clothes for Men

 

There are few things I like more than soft, well designed T-shirts. This probably stems from the uniform of athletic shorts and a graphic T that I wore to school every day from 1st to 5th grade. Even in winter I'd occasionally refuse to wear pants and throw on my favorite green nylon shorts, the bottom half of my travel soccer team's uniform (I still today call athletic shorts "soccer shorts"). I'd roll them to get them so they'd be the exact right length and the bottoms would flare out the slightest bit. The T shirts I wore varied a little more; I had one with a soccer ball on it that said "Girls Dominate On The Field" (which is something one could only ever wear as a child). My favorite tee, however, was a plain white shirt with an illustration by Edward Gorey on it (drawing and great menswear after the jump).

Wilder Street Style: Sunshine at the Louvre

Some of the people milling around outside the Louvre were in school groups, most were tourists, and a few were French ladies out for an afternoon of art with their friends. Different languages swirled around me and the crowds suffocated me. The air was gray and humid and my feet were tired from the miles my mother and I had walked earlier in the day through that magical city. But as we walked away from the Pyramids that encased the entrance to the museum, the hot Parisian sun broke through the clouds and streamed onto the pavement. And that's when I snapped the photo above (more after the jump).

Wilder Style: Pamela Love for J.Crew (or) Gimme This Outfit (please?)

I know, I know, two posts in two days about a J.Crew collaboration? I'd apologize if those espadrilles from yesterday and the belt above weren't so totally awesome. Look at it; the leather, the studs, the chevron designs...it would lend a bit of rock n' roll spunk to whatever you paired it with. So what would I pair it with? Read on to find out.

Wilder Recipes: How to Crack and Roast a Coconut (or) When the Cat's Away...

My mom went to Maine this past weekend, leaving my father and me (and Rosie The Dog and Snug The Kitty) to our own devices. Even though he's a man of a certain age and I like to think I'm a fairly mature 23 year old, we nevertheless revert back to survival mode when the woman of the house vacates the premises. Friday night we went out to dinner and then stopped at Dairy Joy, or "the place where dreams come true," if your dreams consist of eating soft-serve ice cream encased in a hard chocolate shell. But the real adventures started Saturday, when we set off, Rosie in the backseat, to tackle some errands (more after the jump).

Wilder Style: 5 Awesome Espadrilles (and) 1 Ugly, Overpriced Pair

I've loved espadrilles since I first clomped around in my mother's at age 3. There's something inherently inviting about them; they look so casual, so summery, so easy-going. They say, "come hang out in my cabana with me, or stroll through an outdoor market in Bali." Or, if you're less exotic, they say, "I've got a great casual style." Unless they're ugly ones, in which case they say, "I can't really dress myself that well, but I'm trying" (more after the jump).

Wilder Street Style: Wedge Sneakers in Paris (or) Shoes I Want, Women I Want to Look Like

Wedge sneakers have been a big deal for a while now. I've seen both Isabel Marant's and Marc Jacob's versions a fair amount in NYC, a few times in Boston, and absolutely never in Maine. But I must say, that while I wasn't totally sold on the trend before going to Europe, I am now (more after the jump).

Beautiful Thing of the Day: How to Sit by the Water in Style (or) 8 Knots Knows What's Up

 

When the weather gets nice, all I want to do on the weekends is listen to country music (I've tried fighting it with no luck; I've been a sucker for twang since eighth grade) and sit by the water (ocean, pond, lake--anything will do) with a good book. The only problem is that sitting by the water often entails sand, grit, and all sorts of nasty little things that can ruin a perfectly good afternoon of relaxation. The beach towel, therefore, is necessary for any water-sitting expedition. And with these beautiful Turkish "pastemals" from 8 Knots, there's now no excuse to bring your mickey-mouse towel with the frayed edges to the beach (more amazing towels after the jump).

A Wilder European Trip + Musings: The End of Paris (and) On Connections and Reaching Out

Our last two days in Paris were a heavenly blur of museums, stores, walking, food, and friends. Strangely enough, a lot of people my mom and I know were in Paris at the same time we were; we had luxuriously long and butter-drenched dinners, bubbly flutes of champagne, and wonderful conversation with both our American and Parisian friends. The connections there showed me that while the world is big and wide and I can go to many corners of it, there are elements of home in every place. You just have to reach out to people and weave the webs (more after the jump).

Wilder Street Style: 2 Men at Cafes in Paris with Dogs

So the French not only know how to dress well, they know how to accessorize...(more after the jump)

A Wilder European Trip: Paris, Days 2 and 3

I’m good at shopping. This I know. What I learned in Paris, however, is that I’m even better at shopping in Paris. If you read my blog, you’ll know I’m obsessed with Bensimon sneakers and Isabel Marant…well, turns out they are literally next to each other on the Rive Gauche in the 6th arrondisement. I died, and then quickly bought a pair of tropical sneakers and the most perfect chambray shirt you’ve ever seen (that I'm wearing after the jump). It's even a shirt I wrote about back in January! Again, it's all coming full circle. And I like it.

We couldn’t go to museums on our second day in Paris because they were all closed, because it was a Tuesday (and apparently Tuesday means "closed museum day" in French). That being the case, we took it upon ourselves to do some serious wanderings and store-stopping-into (more after the jump).

Wilder Street Style: 6 Parisians, from Behind

While some may call Paris the city of light, I've coined it the city of people-watching; I'd never seen so many beautifully dressed citizens in my life. While this revelation isn't necessarily ground-breaking (I mean, there's a reason French women have the reputation for being the best dressed in all the land) it was thrilling for me to see for myself. I feasted my eyes on the fitted shirts, perfectly tailored suits, elegant heels, and terrific trench coats (like the one above). And, being the sneaky blogger that I am, I managed to capture quite of few of the outfits, and the generally stunning people who wore them, on camera. Here, to start off the Paris street style posts, is a collection of six photos I've aptly titled, "6 Parisians, from Behind" (after the jump).

A Wilder European Trip: The Chunnel to Paris (and) The Most Beuatiful Apartment in the World (and) Stained Glass Galore

Our last morning in London fed into our first afternoon in Paris; after a long, leisurely breakfast, we got ourselves to St. Pancras station. We boarded the train, I picked up a French Vogue (which there was no way I'd be able to understand), and we chugged out of the station. We sped through the English countryside; the fields were luscious and green, interspersed with yellow from the bright, bright mustard plants. As we got further from London and away from the industrial areas, I half expected to see Lizzie Bennet or Jane Eyre going for a stroll, parasol in hand, through the fields. Or even better, the entire cast of Downton Abbey off on a hunt (more after the jump).

A Wilder European Trip: London, Part 2 (or) Happy Birthday, Mama!

My mother’s birthday in London was absolutely perfect. After sleeping in (because we were jet-lagged and tired from the theatre the night before) we went down to breakfast and met Clelia, her friend Hugh (whom I hope is now my friend, too!), and his delightful grandmother. Sloane Club breakfasts are the funniest morning meals I’ve ever attended. This is what happens: pair after pair of old British couples stroll in, wearing all sorts of rumbled suits and strange hairpieces and looking, nevertheless, more put together than I could ever hope to be. They order their smoked fish and boiled eggs and generally say very little to each other. The dining room felt more like a library than a place of eating; this atmosphere ensured that when the alarm on my phone went off twice during the meal I felt, more than ever, like a big dumb American (more after the jump).

A Wilder European Trip: London, Part 1 (or) New City, New Sneakers, Old Friends

Hello my dearest readers,

 I am back! I couldn't post during the trip due to internet issues, but I think this was a good thing; being disconnected allowed me to really soak up the cities. It was an amazing trip filled with beautiful things, friends, food, art, and time with my mom. I missed you all, though; this is the longest I've gone without posting since I started seriously blogging. I'm beyond thrilled to be able to share the trip with you now!

 Over the next few days I'm going to roll out the posts that I wrote and photographed; some, like this one, I put together while I was in London or Paris, and some I've written since I've gotten home. I'm also going to post individual street style posts over the next few weeks, because I've never seen such well-dressed women and men as I did in France. Now, without further ado, le voyage!

xx, Charlotte

London, Day 1:

Forgive me, for I am about to sound quite ignorant, but I did not expect London to be as quintessentially British as it is. People look British, our hotel feels British, the whole culture seems much like the books and movies through which I've come to know London. So much so, in fact, that I feel like I've been here before (more after the jump).

Wilder Words + Musings: On London and Paris and Eleven Years Later

The question is, was John Berger, an English painter, correct in his above assessment of these two great cities? I wouldn't be able to tell you unless I were to visit both places...and, since I AM LEAVING FOR LONDON AND PARIS TOMORROW (!!!!!), I will have soon have the answer!

I understand this trip might seem to be out of left field. I haven't talked about it much in the past few weeks, namely because it has seemed far too good to be true and because I didn't want to jinx it. However, I did mention it when I wrote that post back in January about the places I'd be going this year and included these pictures I drew (more after the jump):

Wilder Pictures + Recipes: How to Cook and Eat an Artichoke

I remember my preschool teachers being slightly shocked when I told them my favorite foods were artichokes, lobster, and french fries (good to know some things never change, isn't it?). I guess that's what you get from a four year old whose mother had, far before Julie of Julie and Julia did, cooked her way through Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. The other day the artichokes in Whole Foods looked so amazing that I and said mother just had to buy them, and while they may seem like an intimidating vegetable to cook, they're actually really easy (more after the jump).

Wilder Pictures: Some Drawings Inspired by Chalk Art

I recently wrote another Behind the Design piece for Boston Magazine's food blog, this time on the new movement that seems to be sweeping Boston-area restaurant walls: graffiti. And you KNOW I love graffiti (here, too). While you'll have to go to Boston Mag's website to read the full piece and see all the photos, I wanted to put up a few of the pictures that had me breaking out my own pen and paper. Catherine Owens, a server at the restaurant Journeyman and an artist, did some amazing chalk drawings (lower photo above) on the walls of Backbar (about which I wrote my first BtD piece), Journeyman's spin-off bar. They made me want to draw, so, with Catherine's style as inspiration, the above piece and the one below are what I came up with (more after the jump).

Wilder Pictures: April from the iPhone, What I Did

I cannot believe it's May. This is the month I would reference, in September, when I would to say to myself, "oh, when it's May you can start worrying about ____." And mostly, that ____ would get filled in with "your future" or "the rest of your life" or "figuring out what the hell you're doing." Which means that as the month has turned, I've been having quite a flurry of existential crises concerning my future. Although I've been reminding myself my family and friends have been reminding me that I'm young, have done a lot already in my time out of school, and need to stop freaking out. I guess I'm just a worrier. Any other recent grads feeling this way? I'd love any thoughts anyone has on existential crises and/or the meaning of life and/or what it all means. But now, to veer away from the questions everyone has been trying to answer since the dawn of time and get back to the the point, I present April from the iPhone (after the jump)!

Wilder Pictures + Recipes: A Saturday Feast (or) Tzaziki + Oyster Mignonette Recipes

Saturday was one of those days when, after visiting old graves for a while, you walk into Concord Prime with your parents and buy scallops and oysters. It happens to the best of us, and the only possible outcome is to make a feast, especially when the fish is as fresh as it was. So make a feast we did, and even roped my boyfriend into coming over and making mojitos to go with it (with some really old Bicardi Silver we found in the cupboard). I whipped up a mignonette for the oysters, we made tzaziki for the scallops, a lovely salad of asparagus, avocado, and cucumber, and then my mom worked some magic with amazing Crepe Suzette for dessert. It was divine (recipe and photos after the jump).