gift giving.

after michael and i indulged ourselves in the most delicious bowl of ramen at masu for our second annual valentine's day lunch, we dropped into the foundry home goods store in the north loop neighborhood. if you haven't been in this little corner shop - you're missing out on the most perfect rustic scandinavian setting. the ambiance just makes you want to curl up on the couch with ruby, the cutest shop dog ever.

we picked out our favorite gift items with the idea that gift-giving is not just reserved for holidays. why not shower your loves with goodies without the premise of a holiday that tells you you should? here are my picks(and later, jump over to millcitymen to check out michael's):

 for the well-cultured everything connoisseur: an issue of cereal, a quarterly magazine that delivers beautiful imagery in the pursuit of food + travel

 for the ice queen: showing off your jewelry with this ring holder that doubles as home decor.

 for me: because i'm a witch, had to put a broom on my list. no but in all honesty, as a person that lives in a studio that lacks storage space, i wouldn't mind if someone gifted me this broom/dustpan set that was meant to be shown off.

 i'm a huge collector of canvas totes and you can't beat the price + size of this one. michael has a couple, one in which he's dip-dyed for a little something extraordinary.

for the dapper dude in your life: this ultra cool shoe shining kit packaged in a reusable tote.

all photos by michael dodes of millcitymen

*also, i'll be announcing a winner for the gstar denim contest tomorrow, you still have tonight to enter here if you haven't done so already. 

*and stay tuned for a recap of an unofficial mspfw, but one of the best ones yet. 

what i wore: i am mpls.

photos by erin pederson of wild wasteland & millcitymen 

raglan sweatshirt: american apparel | sequin skirt: nastygal | necklace: c/o lionette by noa sade | shoes: zara

on michael: mel's sweater :)

sarah's wedding dress: designed by the talented emma berg

if you attended i am mpls, then you would know that it started off as a variety/fashion show & ended in surprise matrimony for two of the most inspiring people i know, congrats sarah & jared! even though, it was tough harboring a secret this big for the last couple months & being a part of the reception "committee" often ended in lots of sweat, tears - not to mention an abundance of glitter (jk), i was honored to have been a part of it all. love you both!

and naturally, everything ends in an outfit post on here: lionette by noa sade sent over this one-of-a-kind glamorized bolo tie for me to wear the night of the event. i've been obsessed with it since, pairing it with every outfit i put on - dressed up or down. thank you, lionette - hands down, my new favorite accessory. you can view a close-up of it here.