Louis Vuitton Spring 2012-Inspired Nails

With spring in the air, I wanted to take a collection that felt like it really embodied the season. The sweet oversized eyelet lace in Louis Vuitton's Spring 2012 collection hit that mark to pastel perfection. To capture the look I painted a few nails with pastel shades and left a few bare. Then I painted different eyelet patterns on each nail. To get the eyelet, I made groups of flowers and teardrops--some filled in, some not. On the bare nails I went over the eyelet with sheer pastels to capture the different layers of sheer fabric that Marc Jacobs used.

Some of the polishes that I used are Migi nail art pens, Sally Hansen Smooth and Perfect in Air, OPI Hey! Get in Lime! and Essie Haute as Hello and Demure Vixen

Photos via Mark Iantosca and Vogue.com

Need: Safety Pin Earrings

There are a few reasons why it makes me happy to see more safety pin earrings hitting the market. The first is that I'm seriously considering a third ear piercing, the perfect spot for a delicate little safety pin. The second is that when I first moved to New York for college I went shopping with my mom in Soho. I dragged her into Kirna Zabete after years of reading about it in my favorite magazines and fell in love with a pair of Genevieve Jones safety pin earrings. She bought them for me as a little token of good luck for the year ahead. So, when I see safety pin earrings I don't think of punk rock, I think of the excitement of an 18-year-old embarking upon a new city for the first time and they always make me smile.

Left to Right: Genevieve Jones, Rachel Roy, Conroy & Wilcox, Tom Binns

Refinery29 Wrist Wear Feature

I was super flattered when I was asked to be in Refinery29's latest wrist wear photo feature. In the photo I'm wearing some DIY watchband bracelets, a Moveslightly camping bracelet and my two favorite Giles & Brother bracelets available here and here.

Also, check out my new blog section featuring recent press.

Inspiration 4.20.12

Clockwise: Creatures of Comfort top, Gabriela Artigas ring, classes at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, vintage street style, High 'n Dry cargo net, Kenzo bucket bag, Brooklyn Botanic Garden cherry blossom map

Just a few of the things I'm feeling right now include the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (I'm visiting the cherry blossoms and taking a gardening class there this weekend), beautiful vintage NYC street style snaps (before that term even existed) and rope accents at home and on my arm.

PS: I'm wretched at graphic design, but I do like posts like these

Need: Cosmic Wonder Light Source Geometric Necklace

Its not often that you see truly unique jewelry these days and this translucent necklace fits that bill. I imagine it adding a cool layer to almost anything because the clear panels are actually pretty subtle.

Cosmic Wonder Light Source Geometric Necklace, Maryam Nassir Zadeh

Flare Magazine Feature

I am so excited to share my feature in Flare Magazine's nail supplement for this month. I'm featured alongside fellow runway manicure mavens Fleury Rose and Miss Ladyfinger.

Oyster #98: Push It

This Oyster Magazine editorial featuring Anais Pouliot puts me in such a good mood.  It was styled by Stevie Dance so the clothes are of course impeccable.

Via Vain and Vapid

Giveaway: Miu Miu Noir Catwalk Sunglasses

I'm on vacation in California for the next week, but I'm super excited to announce that while I'm gone, I am doing a giveaway of Miu Miu's Noir Catwalk sunglasses! These glittery shades have been on the catwalk, all over editors, on your favorite bloggers and now on you. I've picked out my favorite color, grey glitter (!), to give away to one lucky reader with Smart Buy Glasses, who have a ton of great designer frames on discount.

To enter you need to do the following:
1. Follow @SmartBuyGlasses on Twitter
2. Like Smart Buy Glasses on Facebook
3. Sign up for their newsletter
4. Let me know how you'll wear the shades in a comment below (please make sure to leave a way for me to contact you--email, Twitter or blog link)
5. Tweet @ebmonson and @SmartBuyGlasses how you'll wear your shades!

I will pick one winner one week from today (on Monday, April 9) via random number generator. Best of luck!

**UPDATE: I am extending the contest one additional week. Winners will be drawn on Monday, April 16

**UPDATE: Shahneela is the winner! I will be contacting her shortly. Thanks to everyone for entering!