today i thought i’d share with you some of the items on my spring shopping list. this spring, whenever i try to create a definitive list of my favorite moods and trends , i get this feeling that perhaps i don’t really have much direction…. so i’ve been focusing on individual pieces that i really really know that i want and then hope that everything else will fall into place.

so let’s begin:

spring dresses: this is pretty simple. the other day i watched a rather bizarre movie starring peter sellers called i love you, alice b. toklas. the female love-interest and hippie love child with the great brownie baking skills, nancy, wore several adorable little hippie frocks that basically inspired me to add a few to my wardrobe. i like the updated take on this look from these two dresses i found at urban outfitters.

handbag: i recently realized that my purse collection consists of only vintage coach purses. this is not a problem, but they’re all worn and torn and tattered and i wouldn’t mind something a little bit more simple and modern. annabel recently posted a picture of this clare vivier messenger tote on her tumblr and i’m smitten! though instead of buying it, i think i’m going to be commissioning my friend with an industrial sewing machine to custom design one for me!

jeans: i’m pretty much on a constant search for the perfect pair of high rise skinny jeans. but whenever i think i’ve found them, something else pops up or i change my mind about what would actually make them perfect, and the search continues. i have a feeling that what this means is that i really just prefer the hunt more than the prize when it comes to clothes. but for the sake of this post, i’ll tell you that my ideal jeans are the j brand 210 oslo jeans in indigo. unfortunately, they’re out of stock and rather expensive at $187, so i’m holding myself over with two pairs of high rise cigarette jeans from urban outfitters.

socks and sandals: you guys already know about my infatuation with this look. i was tumbling so many pictures of socks and stockings yesterday that i felt a little concerned about looking like a fetishist. but whatevs, i like the look for spring. so besides the oh so desirable swedish hasbeens, i just read about hansel from basel socks over at fashion for writers and i think i need those little strawberry top crew socks! they’re reversible, too.

tank top: well, stripes and nautical themes will always be in fashion as far as i’m concerned and this pretty little bb dakota tank top looks like it will be just perfect paired with jeans, shorts, and cute little skirts. can’t go wrong!

i know this is a style blog and all, but for some reason, i never really write about beauty. i suppose one reason is that i don’t think women should have to feel like they need to wear makeup to look good. and another reason is that i just don’t think it’s nearly as interesting to write about makeup as it is to write about fashion and style. but it is a part of my daily routine nonetheless, so today i decided to write a bit about it!

i recently decided (for the millionth time) that i should start using more eco-friendly, non-toxic, non-comedogenic products on my skin. i suppose the reasons for that are pretty obvious, but it’s a hard rule to stick to when the beauty products sold at the drug store are far less expensive. and when the beauty products sold at department stores have such pretty packages, and conspicuous consumption lures me to buy fancy things. but i’ve found a happy medium in tarte cosmetics because they come in fancy packages but they aren’t nearly as expensive as chanel. so i managed to find all of my favorite products for my daily routine: oil-free tinted moisturizer, concealer, eye brightener, cheek stain, mascara, and liquid eyeliner. i’ve been using them for about 2 weeks now and have zero complaints with the switch!

and while browsing the tarte blog, i was also reminded of my need to switch over to some less toxic nail polishes as well. i was rather enticed by the deborah lippman polishes in creamy peach and putty grey, but i wasn’t convinced by the $20 price tag. and then i remembered no miss, a non-toxic polish that they used to sell at my old natural foods store. a quick search through the colors and i found plenty of chalky pastels, perfect for spring.

perhaps because i was just having a little fun entertaining the idea of a little pin-up photo shoot, i found myself rather attracted to these pretty vintage-inspired looks from an editorial in issue #112 of numero magazine. rasa zukauskaite by luciano val and franco musso. i’m particularly enamored with the amazing hair and makeup, but i’m also coveting some of those sheer black tops with poodle puffs as aptly compared in the image of a little ceramic poodle. i actually recently bought a sheer pink 1950’s blouse with similar little puffs and ruffles and have yet to figure a way to wear it. yet.

images via fashion gone rogue as scanned by carla-a at the fashion spot.

a thought is the blossom: playful girls playing dress up
if you have not seen these fun group photo shoots over at a thought is a blossom, then i suggest you hop on over and check them out. so many adorable ladies donning pretty vintage clothes, prancing around and having a blast. it’s got me excited to try coordinating a shoot of my own with some of my friends!

variacje: lodz cycle chic
alright, so this photo is not from last week or even the week before, but i just recently discovered this blog via tumblr. i can’t remember who posted about her, but i’m glad they did whoever it was! i’m in the market for a vintage bike to ride around town, so my eye has been drawn towards fashionable ladies riding equally fashionable bikes!

trop rouge: hometown walks
i just discovered this cool blog today while browsing through lookbook and i’m already in love. christina really knows how to rock a mini dress with over the knee socks. and she’s got the cutest pair of vintage coach buckle oxfords. i seriously need to get myself a pair like that!

dear beatrice: the daylight eludes me
i’ve been appreciating all of the outfits over at dear beatrice lately, but this week i was perfectly smitten with the classic pairing of knee high socks with those adorable t-strap flats and beautiful vintage-inspired dress that she scored at anthropologie on sale for only $40!

style like u: twisted classic – the khaki pant – day 2
i’ve been really enjoying the twisted classics over at on of my favorite style blogs, style like u. you might be familiar with the site for publishing video interviews with fashionable people. it’s the kind of site that sucks me in every time i visit, and i find myself entranced by the wardrobes and personalities of all the people on the site. but this week, i was head over heels for the cool and easy styling of these khaki pants!

esther from the sticks: rainy day sailor fun
i discovered this beautiful photograph after rosemud posted it on her tumblr, and i just had to post it this week because not only am i bike hunting, but i’m obsessed with sailor collars. and well, this lady has composed the perfect picture with both of these!