pink rickshaw

trend: neons and neutrals

"Miami beach is where neon goes to die."-Lenny Bruce

  

According to Aristophanes in The Symposium by Plato, humans originally consisted of four arms, four legs and a single head with two faces. Zeus feared their power and split them all in half condemning them to spend the rest of their lives searching for their other half to complete them. It seems, like all true soulmates, great pairings need some time to find each other. It was not until the early 20th century before meatballs found spaghetti, 1976 before Laverne found Shirley and this summer that neutrals have found neons.

Pops of neon combined with neutrals were first spotted on the runways for Spring and Summer in the Burberry Prorsum and Jil Sander shows and it is a very wearable way to incorporate this summer's trend du juor. The trend of brights first started with color blocking which is still popular and fashion bloggers have it down so well, but frankly, if I were to wear orange and hot pink together, I would scare most of my family and friends. Mixing in a pop of neon with neutrals is a lovely way to bring in some fun summer color without blinding anyone.

 

The trick to this trend is to keep it simple. Pick one neon item as your statement piece and temper it with neutrals like pairing a tan dress with a neon yellow-green necklace or a neon yellow-green tank with beige shorts. If this is all just too 80's for you, just dip your big toe into the crazy neon pool with some fun nail polish or shades.
1. Zara Mini Skirt with Pockets
2. Forever 21 sunglasses
3. ToyWatch Neon Plasteramic watch
4. Shimmi Bandeau Bikini
5. Forever 21 Neon Stripes Skirt
6. Zara Neon Canvas Platform Sandal
7. Essie (Braziliant) nailpolish
8. ModCloth Highlight-her Necklace
9. Splendid top
10. Jades24 Pleasure Doing Business Skirt
11. Zara Lurex Dress
12. Essie (A Lot of Shekels) nailpolish
13. Forever 21 Matelot Linen Shorts
14. Zara Two-Tone Dress
15. Lanvin Dear Danae Cabas Shoulder Bag

More inspiration:
Who What Wear: Looks We Love
College Fashion's Summer Trend Alert
Refinery 29's Tips and Tricks for Wearing Neon

image source: top image:(blog) atlantic-pacific.blogspot.com, (runway) style.com (Burberry Prorsum and Jil Sander), (Jessica Alba) whowhatwear.com (Getty image); collage: zara.com, essie.com, modcloth.com, net-a-porter.com, forever21.com, toywatchusa.com, jades24.com

-SD

cookie experiment: recipe two

"Sometimes me think what is love. And then me think love is what last cookie is for. Me give up last cookie for you."-Cookie Monster

   

For the second recipe in the great cookie experiment, I tried the simple but delightful sugar cookie cut-outs using this recipe. The possibilities are endless for fun shapes and colors which is why they are so popular for holidays and showers. There's just something whimsical and innocent about sugar cookies with colorful icing that it totally reminds me of being a little girl. So Pink Rickshaw sought the help of a little cookie monster named Bella for this baking project.The mission: to see if this recipe would get the mini-fashionista's thumbs-up. Would the cookies be kid tested, PR approved?

Some quick facts on our guest baker, she loves: cookies (obviously), painting her toy lamb's toenails and placing stickers on her extremities (who doesn't?) and flora and fauna (especially butterflies). So, naturally, we used these cookie cutters that were just the right amount of girly to celebrate the arrival of summer.

june super six

Merryweather: I'd like to turn her into a fat ol'-hop toad
Fauna: Now, dear, that isn't a very nice thing to say.
Flora: Besides, we can't. You know our magic doesn't work that way.
Fauna: It can only do good, dear, to bring joy and happiness.
Merryweather: Well, *that* would make me happy.
-Sleeping Beauty

Design gurus and innovators often say that when creativity hits a low, turn to nature for inspiration. To add some accents to your home or wardrobe this month, June's super six turns to our friends in the plant and animal kingdoms.

 
1. Flora: succulents
The minute I laid eyes on the man and woman busts with cascading succulents (via Oh Joy!), it was love at first sight or shall I say first succulent? Succulents are the perfect low-maintenance but interesting houseplant for the anti-houseplant gal like myself. It seems that they have really grown in popularity in the last few years for their ease and interesting shapes. I especially love the combination of sleek white vases and succulents..it's just so Cali desert chic.
1) Male and Female Bust Vases
These vases with succulent hair pieces from Floral Art LA have gotten the spot light in Joy's blog, Anthology magazine and on HGTV's Secrets from a Stylist episode. If you're in the LA area, you can actually buy the vases with the succulents potted but if you order them online, you can create the look by potting your own succulents. See #3 for more on that.
2) For inspiration, a lovely succulent arrangement on Main Street in Fredericksburg, TX.
If you're ambitious and have the backyard space, try this DIY vertical wall of succulents.
3) My own little baby succulents
This easy DIY centerpiece currently sits on my dining room table. I picked up a few small succulent plants at Lowe's. The gentleman who was helping me kindly reminded me "if you can't keep these alive, you do not deserve to live" Challenge, accepted, sir. It has been about two weeks and the little guys seem to be doing okay. I planted them in a white ceramic pot, similar to this one in cactus soil. You just have to water (spray bottle suggested) every ten days or so.

 
2. Fauna: antlers
I would normally cringe at the thought of antlered friends for home decor, but I have to admit that after seeing them in all the home decor blogs, they can be quite kitchsy chic. Think less taxidermy fright above the fireplace and more animal-lover friendly, touches of blissful Bambi.
1) Brass touches
Vintage inspired brass pieces are perfect for adding some fauna (and metal) to a bookshelf like these antelope bookends from Pipe and Pepper. On the lookout for a slightly similar look for years, but not exactly bookends, I found the brass gazelle above (or maybe they are deer? I have to brush up on my antler shapes) at an antique store in downtown Plano.
2) Cardboard fun
There seems to be two schools of thoughts when it comes to these cardboard animal "trophies": a) crazy town or b) an unexplained love for the irony. I picked up a white Buck at Red (also available at ModCloth and Urban Outfitters) and have to say it's pretty eye-catching. (Ladies, if you are co-habitating with a boy, you can justify it by saying it adds a great masculine touch to your space). Made by e-tailer Cardboard Safari, the recycled cardboard pieces fit together like a puzzle and you can jazz them up since they are flat pieces with decorative paper (like the one pictured in the kitchen above). It's always cool to see how people have incorporated them into their homes via Apartment Therapy such as in the kitchen or as part of a bookshelf display.
For a similar look in a different medium, try this porcelain deer head .

 
3. Flora: colorful prints
Floral prints from the 90's have gotten an update for this summer with bold colors and breezy silhouettes. Some current favorites are the Winter Kate Roque Shrug, Zara skirt and Parker strapless dress. I picked up the skirt above from my local Zara and I have to say the online picture is slightly deceiving in a good way. The skirt is actually made of a heavy cotton, which keeps its shape nicely and the best part is: it has pockets.