Belle’s Weekly Reading: August 29, 2013

You spend your entire career putting yourself in the right place, proving yourself.  But that doesn’t mean that that preparation will be enough to ensure success.  You don’t get what you deserve, you get what you ask for.  So if there is something that you want and it’s not materializing like it should be, grab the reins and go after it.  Ask for the raise, put in for the promotion, make the career change–but don’t think that just because you’re in the right place that guarantees that things will happen.

1) Tim Gunn is taking on designers who don’t see the value in making plus-size clothing.  He calls the failure to address those with specialty sizes, both petite and plus, “repugnant.”

2) This Quotation silk blouse with sequin sleeves is to die for.  It’s a great top to pair with jeans or with a pencil skirt.  I also fell hard for this dark grey Rachel Zoe sweater with a sequin sleeve.

3) Earlier this week, I was standing on a breathtaking mountaintop admiring the view and suddenly realized that every person within ten feet of me was looking at his cell phone instead of the vista.  It reminded me of that photo from Pope Francis’s introduction where nearly every person in the crowd has their cell phone out.  Is life really meant to be viewed through the portal of a 4″ screen?

Comedian Charlene deGuzman produced a short video about the topic of smart phone overuse that is both thought-provoking and depressing.  Maybe there are things in life worth seeing/doing/eating that don’t need to be shared on Instagram.

4) Somehow, I have a red wedge but not a red pump.  How this oversight occurred is anyone’s guess, but it’s time to rectify my mistake.  The only question now is, do I want these red suede Chinese Laundry pumps that my wallet will love, or these Kate Spade Karolina heels?  Neither.  I want these uber sexy Zara pumps.

5) Author John Steinbeck used the pigasus–a winged pig–as his personally symbol.  For him, it symbolized the fact that we are all “earthbound but aspiring.”  I have a winged pig in my office, and now you can too with this bank from C. Wonder.

6) I smelled the new fragrance from Jimmy Choo last week, and while I usually go for lighter scents, I loved the strong citrus and musk notes in this perfume.  So if you’re looking for a fall fragrance, put this one on your list to try.

7) Body language is incredibly important.  I once had a direct report who I could barely communicate with because she always had her hands on her hips like she was frustrated with the world.  American Express (of all places) has a great article on how body language can help or hinder communication and success.

8)  I spent all summer hunting for casual jersey dresses, now it’s time to put my camo on and go out in search of the perfect sweater dress.  I dig this leopard sweater dress from Velvet and this simple McGinn sweater dress in charcoal grey.  But if you need something under-$100, this BCBG ruched sweater dress is awesome.

9) One of my new favorite sites is a Tumblr called “That Kind of Woman.” It’s visually stunning and refined.  I can’t get enough.

10) Deborah Lippmann is out with a new collection of polishes called ‘jewel heist.’  I adore the dark, shimmery green, and the dark as night navy blue is spectacular.

11) Ever been stuck in traffic and you’re sure, sure, that the other lane is moving faster than yours, until you get in it?  Lifehacker explains the complicated science/psychology behind illusory correlation to prove that it’s all in your head.