CapFABB Meetup at Madewell

Being a fashion blogger can be a lonely and discouraging hobby. You take pictures of yourself, agonize over logos, social media, etc and then wonder if anyone is actually reading. Unless you live in or near DC… Then you have CapFABB, where you can attend one meetup and suddenly have 50 like-minded friends.

While we have attended enough of these to know many of the attendees, we always find a surprise at each event. Elizabeth and Lacey do a great job organizing these events and everyone else does a great job of being social and supportive. This time was no different.

Our pictures:

Katherine of La Petite Marmoset is a cupcake enthusiast:

Alejandra of Alejandra with Marc and Jamal, these were our favorite outfits of the night, more on each of them soon:

Alejandra again, see detail shots of her outfit on Brightest Young Things HERE:

Katherine of La Petite Marmoset is also a shoe enthusiast:

Waverly of Pich & Roor, Cheralee of Lyle Style, and Allix of The District:

Allix of The District:

Love the tiny skulls on her bracelets:

We recently met Shen Dove at the Spicy Candy 2 Year Anniversary Brunch, her blog is Shen Dove Style:

Kate Warren of Go Kate Shoot:

Tamika watches as Kate does her Go Kate Shoot thing, with Cheralee by her side:

Detail of Tamika’s outfit, great necklace:

Bloggers travel in packs:

CapFABB co-founder Lacey, of A Lacey Perspective, with Elizabeth the other co-founder in the background:

Boundary Road Preview

There are few word combinations that invariably steal my appetite and, frequently, my foodie heart: Rustic, Simple, Uncomplicated, Passionate, Exceptional Quality is one of them. So it’s safe to say that Boundary Road had me at hello when owners Karlos Leopold and Brad Walker uttered those words in our conversation about the upcoming American bistro scheduled to open late January/early February on H Street NE. Chef Brad Walker also has Cashion’s Eat Place, the first restaurant in DC I fell in love with, on his pedigree, along with other favorites – Proof, Central, Fiola. A peek at their winter menu reveals exciting offerings like Quark and Black Pepper Pierogi, Foie Gras Torchon PBJ, Uruguayan Bresaola, and a Brick Chicken entrée with mushroom fricassee, farro and Brussels sprouts.

The interior space features a dramatic 2-story dining room with a beautifully rustic piece of artwork that serves as a statement chandelier repurposed from an antique metal spring mattress shell created by artist James Kerns of Corehaus DC, that I had marveled at months previously at the Submerge Art Exhibit. The perimeter walls of exposed brick are bolstered by reclaimed antique wooden beams and a long welcoming bar lines the sidewall. All the way in the back is the partially open kitchen and a short counter where they hope to feature a small chef’s table sometime in the future. Karlos, Brad and friends designed the interiors themselves, an early testament to their uncomplicated yet eclectic taste. 

Here are a few preview pictures we took of Boundary Road during construction. We have our fingers crossed that their permits process goes swiftly, I haven’t been this excited for a restaurant opening in quite a while….

General manager Karlos Leopold and chef Brad Walker, owners of Boundary Road:

A rustic/industrial steel girder chandelier hangs across from the bar:

A closeup shot of the bar surface, with great dovetail detailing:

We were happy to see this James Kerns piece from Submerge DC end up in the perfect place:

Spicy Candy DC 2 Year Anniversary Brunch

Spicy Candy DC’s two year anniversary brunch was a testament to Carlis and Katya’s infectious energy. The long dining table in the basement of El Centro was filled with some of DC’s most successful fashion bloggers, magazine editors and clothing store owners. We find it as no surprise that everyone wants to be around them.

The brunch also represented the formal launch of Spicy Candy DC’s new look. Now slick and sophisticated, the ladies are even better prepared to tackle their growing list of collaborations. If you own a fashion business in DC, you should probably contact them.

Congratulations Spicy Candy DC you deserve your success!

Carlis (left) and Katya (right) of Spicy Candy DC - Carlis’ skirt and Katya’s skirt + blazer from La Petite Marmoset Vintage:

Lauren of My Closet in Sketches descends into the basement of El Centro:

The seating arrangement at El Centro for the Spicy Candy DC 2 Year Anniversary Brunch:

Bracelets worn by Katherine Martinez of La Petite Marmoset Vintage:

Jewelry worn by Katya of Spicy Candy DC:

Jewelry worn by Ashley of La Belle Vie Vintage:

Cheralee of Lyle Style and Katya of Spicy Candy DC in a mysterious moment:

Behind the scenes - Caroline takes street style shots of Lauren from My Closet in Sketches for Refinery 29 DC:

Lauren of My Closet in Sketches, Allix of The District, and Waverly of Pitch & Roor:

Caroline and Allix reviewing street style photos for Refinery 29 DC:

Adorable sketches of bloggers by Spicy Candy DC friend Bidkart Malespin:

The lights on the upstairs patio of El Centro:

Jason Wu for Target

The Jason Wu for Target Collection has classic elements that would go well with vintages pieces. I could also see them given some edge, like the Pleated Skirt in Navy Floral worn with a brown distressed leather bomber jacket. The Sheer Blouse in White with Black Ribbon wouldn’t look out of place on Alexa Chung. Pops of bright color are still welcome to me, like the Pointelle Sweater in Red; I know we are coming out of the color-blocking trend but I still haven’t tired of those brights.

Poplin Dress in Navy, $39.99:

[Left] Pointelle Sweater in Red, $39.99 (web only), Pleated Skirt in Navy Floral $29.99 - [Right] Blouse in White (web only) $29.99, Full Circle Skirt $29.99:

[Left] Trench Coat in Black $54.99, Dress in Black with Nude Patent Belt $59.99 - [Right] Blouse in Blush $34.99 (web only), Lace-Printed Skirt in Blush $29.99, Lace Clutch in Black $29.99:

[Left] Textured Pleated-Front Peplum Top in Gold $32.99, Pleated Skirt in Black $29.99, Navy Floral Lace Clutch in Black $29.99 - [Right] Pleated Shift Dress in Blush Stripes $39.99, Woven Mini Saddle Bag in Cream $24.99 (web only):

[Left] Sheer Blouse in White with Black Ribbon $34.99 (web only), Pleated Canvas Skirt in Belize Blue $29.99, Front-Flap Straw Bag in Cream $39.99 - [Right] Pleated Sleeveless Shift Dress in Navy Dots $39.99 (web only), Woven Tote in Cream/Black $49.99 (web only):

Images from Target

Givenchy Pre Fall 2012

The Givenchy Pre Fall 2012 look book really stood out to us. We love how the composition of the photography echos the silhouettes of the clothing: structured, upright and strong. Our favorite element is the boots, with their slightly slouchy shell; they look like uptown elegant riding boots. Other highlights: asymmetric pants, giant bows, pops of color and prints.

See more at Vogue HERE

Photos from Givenchy:

The Glamourai + From Me To You + Kelly Wearstler

What happens when you lock super-blogger Kelly Framel (The Glamourai) in Kelly Wearstler’s Malibu beach house with photography/cinemagraph power couple Jamie Beck and Kevin Burg (From Me To You)? You get amazing visuals like these:

We loved the dramatic beachy dreaminess of Part I, but were absolutely slack-jawed by the sexy-luxurious-intimacy of Part II. If you love the visual arts do yourself a favor and click through to view the amazingness.

Part I - Part II - Part III

All clothing and jewelry from Kelly Wearstler’s jewelry and ready-to-wear lines.