Following Rabbits Blog — buy it

clockwise from top left: mix n' match alphabet earrings $36 pair, twist arc earrings $30, horsetail necklace $55, reminder bow ring $40, reminder bow earrings $50, horsetail drop earrings $70

I love the simplicity and elegance of by boe. All of the jewelry is handmade in New York City by designer Annika Salame using 14kt gold-filled, sterling silver, and a few vintage bits here and there. The vintage-inspired line is coveted by celebrities and is a favorite among fashion editors (they have been featured in In Style, Lucky, Cosmo, People and Nylon to name a few). Pictured above are my very favorite pieces- I'm especially smitten with the horsetail necklace and earrings. Shop online or swing by their brick and mortar downtown at 172 Prince Street.

Last week I had a wonderful birthday surprise- I won a silk flower pin from Simply Luxurious! This blog is packed with fabulous home decor, fashions, recipes, and little bits of wisdom to help you live luxuriously. I habitually read it for my daily dose of lovely! The giveaway was sponsored by Michele Syre, of The Blue Online Marketplace- a collection of boutique items all curated in one webstore for you to shop.

This silk peony is made by Dulken and Derrick, of SJP fame. It's fixed with a pin on the back, and is a gorgeous addition to a dress or jacket or as a hair ornament. I love having one big accent accessory in my outfit, and this is perfect. I'm thrilled to have won this- BIG thank you's to Simply Luxurious & The Blue Onion Marketplace!

over the rainbow bag, snotty crowned bird cushion cover, petit critter wristlet, wanderlust passport sleeve, sleepy critters eye mask, stumpie seat/floor cushion

Trees, clouds, and woodland creatures- just in time for Earth Day. Inspired by fairytales and wanderlust, Lynda Lye of Little Odd Forest creates whimsical clothing and accessories in a rainbow of candy colors. Essentially a one-woman powerhouse of creativity (although she does have a few helper elves and her mum at the sewing machine from time to time) Lynda started LOF in 2004 and has been creating fun, smiley pieces ever since. I really love the bright colors and kitschy prints. Super cute for spring and summer!

It's looking like I'm going to be spending my birthday solo this year... but for the sake of pulling together all these fun items, let's pretend I'm going to have a fabulous birthday party with lots of friends and family there to help me celebrate! I turn the big 2-7 next Monday and these are some of the goodies from my most wanted list:

1. Some people refer to me as Alice, which I usually just go with, unless I’m planning on meeting them IRL. Survival of the Hippest makes necklaces with your Twitter name! I'd rock @FollowRabbits with style. They also do hashtags. #Brilliant

2. I've been flipping through Paris guidebooks at the library, but I could really use some of my own that I can mark up and keep. I'm also in desperate need of a new French-English dictionary so I can brush up on my francais! 

3. I start every day off with a cup of tea in my pajamas, usually in front of my computer. This heart teacup and saucer set is the cutest! Would make a cheery cup of tea to kick off a productive day.

4. I've been lamenting the demise of the Polaroid. This Fujifilm Instax Mini camera is pretty sweet. Spits out credit card sized instant photos and the film won't break the bank. Fun!

5. Last year I launched a clothing line, Loyalty II Royalty. I've sadly let the project go to the wayside a bit, but this past week I've been cooking up a new t-shirt design, hoodies, scarves, baby shirts, and tote bags. I need more Yudu screenprinting supplies to keep up with the creativity!

6. Alice's Tea Cup offers picnic boxes to take to nearby Central Park! The box is filled with their afternoon tea service: 2 scones, 2 sandwiches (cut into tea-sized thirds), a piece of cake and assorted cookies, along with 2 teas- hot or iced. A birthday picnic is almost as good as a mad tea party, no? (Don't forget a candle for the cake!)

7. I got a laptop for Christmas and have since become very attached to it. (I'm surprised I haven't named it yet...) With all of my projects, websites, blogs, twitter, fb, etsy- I like having it with me at all times! This AiW laptop bag is small enough to bring on the rush hour train without people giving me the stink-eye (trust me, it happens) but has space for my power cord and mouse. Extra pockets are nice since my laptop bag also doubles as my purse when I carry it.

8. At risk of having Mario make another Jersey Shore joke at my expense, I'm going to openly admit that I really want new Ed Hardy sneaks! I have a metallic pink pair that are so beat, and they're my fave for kicking around the city in. (And I don't have a spray-on orange tan or talk about myself in the third person, so it's okay, right?)

9. I'm lucky enough to have great big windows in my apartment that face the Manhattan skyline. I'm unlucky in that I suffer from frequent migraines and sunshine quickly becomes my enemy numero uno. I've been meaning to pick up a sleep mask for such instances, and this one is adorable!

Truthfully, what I'd really love is someone to spend my day with. I had friends and family around last year and we made a whole weekend of my birthday- Coney Island, beers and baseball at Professor Thom's, dinner at Sweetie Pie... was so great! A nice dinner at my fave Italian spot downtown and a trip to the top of the Empire State Building would be grand... alas, maybe next year.

My alarm went off 90 minutes earlier than usual today, but for good reason. The Zac Posen for Target pop-up kicked off at 11pm last night for a 24 hour run... or until they run out of pieces. I knew it would be madness last night, so I went to bed early and crossed my fingers that they'd still have some good stuff first thing in the morning. I got there at 7am, and was not disappointed.

*These photos are from my stoneaged phone, and the lighting was dark in the shop area and blazing in the dressing room. I'll update this post tonight with better photos I took with my actual camera.*

The brocade dress that everyone was fired up about didn't really grab me... which was cool, cause there were only sizes 3 and 5 left. I snatched up the tuxedo jacket, a pink skirt, the black sweater dress, and the black party dress with removeable ruffle layer (so chic!). I brought them all up to the dressing room in an effort to narrow down my choices, and managed to fall in love with every piece. The party dress is absolute perfection- fit like a glove. The detachable ruffles make it a super fun and versatile dress. The skirt is bubblegum pink- very flirty. The tuxedo jacket is beautiful- again, fit supremely well. The sweater dress is very clingy, but it's pretty lightweight. Overall I'm really impressed with the quality- nothing felt cheap, and the attention to detail is evident in all the pieces I bought. The skirt, jacket, and sweater dress were all $49.99, and the party dress was $79.99. Really great prices considering Zac Posen's pieces usually go for thousands. 

The sale is on 8th Avenue at 34th Street- you can't miss it. There's a big entrance set up with "ZAC" emblazoned on vinyl siding, and two burly doormen in tuxes who warned me: "Hope you brought your credit card." Indeed.

Here are the better quality photos that I took with my camera... didn't have the means to upload them at work! (And the party dress with the ruffles attached! woo!)