Sunday Afternoons...

Formally known as Sunday Morning Blooms... I have decided to bring back a wonderful weekly feature of mine but with a new twist.  Perfection to me rarely comes in the form of an object but rather in a feeling.  A feeling that nothing really matters in the world but your own happiness and the happiness of those you love.  A feeling that life goes on no matter what, that God is always right there with you, that our world really is a wonderful place, and that beauty can be seen in the smallest and most unexpected places.  In my eyes such a place exist on Sunday Afternoons.  The air always seems a little bit fresher, the sky a tad bit brighter and time moves just a second slower.  Sunday Afternoons are the days when you can focus on yourself and your loved ones, read a good book, take a stroll in the park, or pick up some fresh flowers from the farmers market...the possibilities are endless. 

In this weekly feature I will highlight the moments that I think make a perfect Sunday Afternoon.  Some I may personally experience, so may be part fairytale, but with all I think at least one of you will be able to relate. My only wish is that when you stop by on Sundays you leave with a smile on your face and a warm feeing in your heart. I hope to inspire you all to take the time to pause this roller coaster called life and take the time to truly enjoy it.  

"Be happy for this moment, for this moment is your life"

-Omar Khayyam

Sunday Afternoons...

are for riding your bicycle down the road with the wind blowing in your hair and picnics in the park that last way longer than planned. Spring is in the air in NYC, which made for a perfect day to bring out my bicycle and ride to my hearts content.  How did you spend your Sunday Afternoon? Please do share...

Now I'm off for a mani/pedi... Here's to a fabulous week ahead!


{photos via: We Heart It}

500 Days of Summer: You Make my Dreams Come True

I feel as if I was the last person to finally see 500 Days of Summer, but boy was it worth the wait. I instantly feel in love with this movie. Im actually watching it again as we speak; I loved it that much. First off what a way to catch the audiences attention... The movie starts off with a "Legal Disclaimer" stating the following: "any resemblance to people living or dead is purely coincidental'....Especially you, Jenny Beckman. Bitch." I mean seriously, the director had me at hello... or I guess I could say he had me at "bitch". Instantly I was intrigued. (Read more about Jenny Beckman HERE) The the movie continues to impress me. I love the handmade quality of the sketches throughout the film and how it jumps back and forth throughout the 500 days that Summer had a hold on Tom's life. I love the way there is a story teller who provides you with the background information on each charter. How cute is the part about "boy meets girl"! "Summer Fin was a woman. Height: average, weight: average, show size: slightly above average... while she rides down the street on her fabulous bicycle. -Very 1950's, in both tone of voice, images on the screen and the black & white film when these sequences occur.

Overall I found 500 Days of Summer perfect in every way. The music was a joy, the script was outstanding and the editing of the movie was absolutely inspiring (especially the expectations vs. reality sequence towards the end). By far my favorite part was the dance sequence set to "You Make my Dreams Come True" . I mean come on, we all have those days when everything seems to be going better than planned... the sun is shinning, the birds and chirping, a smile is on permanently plastered on your face and you can't help but break out in to song and dance with all the passerby's on the street joining in. At least I know I do, in my imagination anyways. Check out the video below, its sure to bring a smile to your face even if you haven't seen the movie yet.

Spring Cleaning...

Well the time has come for a little 'spring cleaning' here at Fairytale Wishes, which came about as a result of this weeks homework assignment for BYW. Since starting my blog there were so many different directions I wanted to go, that it was kind of overwhelming. Especially when I started to follow tons of fabulous blogs almost overnight and each one has a quality that you would like to incorporate, not to mention on top of all of my own ideas constantly floating around my head. I wanted a blog that focused on fashion... no wait, photography... umm scratch that, how about DIY or sketching or writing or even home decor. You see what I'm saying the possibilities are endless which is a tough thing to deal with, if like me, you have a slight case of ADHD when it comes to creative projects.

With all that said, its time to focus and get back to the main topic at hand today, spring cleaning. Over the next few days you will notice quite a few changes here on Fairytale Wishes & Dreams. So far I have reformatted my layout. I've always wanted a 3 column layout and thanks to this lovely and very simple tutorial found here, I was able to tweak the html code myself and create one. (yay, go me!) I also simplified my header (which is still a work in progress I just needed a place holder for now). I will also be updating my blog roll and adding an 'about me' section, which I will be sure to keep you posted on . As you can see a lot of exciting things are happening and many more are in the works. So please stay tuned and for the time being enjoy these super cute photos I found on flickr via the extremely talented Agnieszka's photo stream. Be sure to check out her other photos, they truly are stunning!

Oh, and by the way... as all of these changes begin to happen please don't be to shy to share your thoughts with me. I would love to know what you all think =)

Sweet dreams...

xoxo,

Fallon

p.s. I almost forgot to mention, I also added a first reaction gadget at the end of each post. Please check it out and let me know how you like it!

{Photo Credit: Agnieszka's via flickr}

Fairytale Wishes I Dream Of...

"Life is just not worth living, without wishes & dreams..." -Fallon

About four weeks ago I stated this fabulous e-course, Blogging Your Way, taught by Holly Becker of decor8 & Leslie Shewring of A Creative Mint. So far the class has been absolutely fabulous as both Holly & Leslie have proved to be a tremendous wealth of knowledge and inspiration. I only wish that I could dedicate more time to soaking it all in, but with a high demanding job in fashion I have to fit it in where its able to fit.

Along with the class each week Holly gives us a homework assignment and I think most in the class would agree that Week 3 was the best one yet. This past week, we were instructed to create a inspiration board that best defined our style and that which we wanted to cover on our blog. Above is my creation... which I have to say I was very, VERY pleased with.

I want my blog to be fashion focused but from a whimsical, fantastical point of view. I want to share with the world the way I see it, the things I love and my personal style. I hope to inspire others with my creativity and the things that I choose to share. I would like to start incorporating more of my own designs... ie. sketching, projects, DIY etc. I would love to start exploring photography and sharing that with my readers as well as highlighting other artist/creative types that inspire me. I would also like to eventually open a Etsy shop of my own selling vintage finds and or my own designs and I would like to use this blog as a transition into that and a way of organizing my ideas and inspiration.

I actually found it kind of ironic that this assignment had us focus of what we what to accomplish with out blog. Just this week I received an email from a 9 yr old girl who just wanted to tell me how much she loved my blog. She had many questions about my job in fashion and NYC, some of which included: "do I sketch my designs?" "when did I know I wanted to work in fashion" and "can you send me pics of the fashion district". My heart literally melted reading this little girls email and at that moment I knew why I started this blog. To inspire others and in the process inspire myself. There are many fairytale wishes that I dream of that I would like to share, hopefully in the process I will inspire many along the way.

Below are a few detailed shots. I hope you enjoy!

*jump below for a behind the scenes explanation of my inspiration board**

"a great believer in fairy tales"

"It's just a piece of cloth,
but you have to bring some dream to it"

"Ever wondered what a million good ideas
welded together looks like?"

"Once upon a time"
... "name your own destiny, follow your own dreams"

"If you love to look pretty"

"Let you heart guide you"

Behind the scenes:

• In the top left corner the black & white image is a postcard my dear friend Yaz sent me from Paris circa Nov. 2008 She was there to marry the love of her life at The Palace of Versailles
  
• Next to that... the pretty young lady is my mother's high school senior pic... circa 1977
• Two Broadway tickets to Mary Poppins *childhood favorite* (as I would like to share my everyday fun experiences)
• A pic of my great grandma circa 1936-39ish... Love her style, even own many of her dresses.
  
• A modern take on a fairytale image (Dorthy & toto... *another fav*)
  
• Bella Pillar sketch (top right corner)
  
• Purple's my favorite color, in case you didn't notice
• Breakfast at Tiffany's <--- consent source of inspiration!


• The perfect yellow diamond ring!


• My experience in fashion... bottom right corner includes an invite to (formal employer) Cynthia Rowley's Spring show circa Sept. 2006 and the image of the model in the floral print dress is Michael Kors (current employer).


• The middle sketch (purple ruffles) is Alice Temperley Fall 2008 the other sketches are my own.
  


• FLOWERS! I love them and believe that fresh flowers on Sunday can brighten your whole week. I would like to start photographing my own each week hopefully soon!


• Grace Kelly, Marilyn Monroe, Sophia Lorean <--- "My daily muse..."


• I (heart) Paris!
  


• "Your hidden creative talents will soon be revealed" <--- received via a fortune cookie (bottom right corner)
  

*all of the above help to not only define my style but define what it is that I want to share/create with my blog.

Mona Lisa Smile...

Have you seen the new Mid Century, 50's proper collection for Anthropologie. As you know I absolutely love anything and everything Anthro does (for the most part) but I especially love their visual displays and editorial photo shoots. I love how they create a story (which you can read about here) and then tell that story in order to show out a new assortment of clothes or a new collection of Home Decor. To me it gives new store bought items a nice vintage twist by giving them a story or background if you will. When you put on this skirt above or the beret below you feel as if you become a character in a long lost book or as Anthro likes to put an actress in Mona Lisa Smiles... And did you see those platforms above... swoon!!!

(perfect for spring... the Painters Work Skirt)

(showcase effortless style in this Reed Shirtdress)

(click here to see the fabulous bracelet the model is wearing..
baubles, pearls and faucet oh, my!)

(finish your outfit off with the buckled cummerbund)

(love that clutch)

Now I just have to decide which pieces would fit into the novel of my life (ie. my closet)... Hum, I think I might go watch Mona Lisa Smile for a little inspiration myself. I've never seen the movie, but if inspired this spread, its sure to inspire me.

Ciao my lovelies!

xoxo,
Fallon

Click here to read Anthropologie's lovely inspiration behind their 50's Proper Collection

Love for Haiti

Love Cloud Print
by: claudiagpearson
12" x 9"
$20

Purchase HERE

*25% of sales will be donated to Yele Haiti, an organization raising relief money for the earthquake tragedy in Haiti.

Typewriter Dreamin'

I (heart) these whimsical sticker decals that can turn any boring laptop into a whimsical 2010 style typewriter. If only this fabulous company would ship to the USA I would be set.

{Photo via: Design Delight}

Fairytale Come True: Zac Posen for Target

A little bit of this and a whole lot of that. The new Zac Posen collection for Target is giving me everything. I'm absolutely loving the dress above and the bar top, skirt and cardigan outfit below is adorable, my only hope is that the clothes looks as good in person as the do in photos. Because honestly I can say the Go International Collections for target of the past have have all been lacking one thing; quality. But I guess the saying is true, you get what you pay for. I just hope this will be the collection where fashion, quality and price all decide to compromise. But who am I kidding, I sure there were be at least a few pieces I will HAVE to have.




Coming soon to a Target neat you... April 25th

To see the entire lookbook click here...

xoxo,
Fallon

{photos via here}

Style Is Eternal...

Have you seen this stylish Unknown Family of Style via The Sartorialist? If not, then your in for a treat. The Sartorialist, who is know for showcasing fabulous style from around the world, spent a lovely afternoon at the Chelsea Flea Market here in NYC (one of my favorite pastimes). While browsing through old photos he came across not one, not two, but six personal photos of a very stylish unknown family. What a fabulous find! Personally, I love the old photos, not only for the look and feel but for the stories that are behind them that you (the discover) get to create. Thank you for the inspiration Sartorialist! My next trip to the flea, I will be on the hunt for my very own treasure among the boxes filled of old photos. I can only hope one day I will be lucky enough to find A Unknown Family of Style...

xoxo
Fallon




{photos via: The Sartorialist}

Quote of the Moment: Spread Your Light...

"There are two ways of spreading light:
to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it."
-Edith Wharton

{photo credit: Holly Becker for decor}