A mental break

Sometimes I like to take a little break, sit back with my coffee and browse photos that inspire me. Whether they remind me of fashion, home, or my own wonderful life it's nice to take a sip and think.

Weekly Mock-off Round Up

Happy Friday everyone! Here are this week's new mock-offs:

Celebrities:

- Kate Bosworth steps out in her Spring best

- Mix military and boho with Alexa Chung

Designers:

- Head on safari with Balmain

Requests:

- We found mock-offs of Alexander McQueen Cuff Ankle Booties

Single Mock-offs:

- Blue Bandage Dress. Herve Leger ($1560) VS AmiClubWear ($30)

- Silver Slingbacks. Jimmy Choo ($650) VS Asos ($68)

- Military Vest. Asos ($44) VS Forever 21 ($10)

- Zipper Pocket Skirt. Richard Chai Love ($385) VS Forever 21 ($11)

- Studded Belt. HTC ($310) VS Kohl's ($22)

Oranj you glad you came?

A few weeks ago I was invited to attend the grand opening party of Oranj studio, a new concept salon/art studio in Portland's hip Alberta district. The studio, which officially opened in January, was the brain child of Portland stylist Tamara Dayton, who brought her love of the color orange to a whole new level. Upon entering, I was immediately impressed by the bright decor and clean, minimalist use of the space. (Side note: I have never sat in a more comfortable salon chair.)

Oranj also displays Tamera's husband Eric's art pieces, creating a unique environment that fits perfectly in the heart of Alberta's arts district. Starting soon the salon will be showcasing new exhibits every last Thursday.

Salon services start at $55. For a complete list of services please check out the Oranj website.

April Showers - Contest Winner

WOW! The recent Target gift card giveaway was a great success! Between Facebook, Bloglovin and Twitter we had 1946 entries! Our winner was selected at random, using random.org.

Drumroll please.

The winner, a twitter entry, is @Leannegip from California! Congratulations Leanne.

Thank you to everyone who entered! I will be holding another blog giveaway very soon so stay tuned.

Weekly Mock-off Round Up

It is the last day of the $50 Target gift card giveaway. I will be accepting entries until 9PM PST tonight! Good luck!

This week's new mock-offs:

Celebrities:

- Jessica Alba gets down to Urth

- The orange carpet glows with Zoe Saldana

- 90210 star Jessica Stroup rocks a moto jacket

Designers:

- Work wear gets glam with Dior

- Jean Paul Gaultier goes Military

Single Mocks:

- Ribbon Tote. Lanvin ($1585) VS J Crew ($228)

- Snake Print Dress. Tory Burch ($395) VS Asos ($30)

- Glitter Platform Shoes. Miu Miu ($595) VS Guess ($50)

- Military Vest. Asos ($44) VS Forever 21 ($10)

- Agate Bib Necklace. Allison Schiller ($575) VS J Jill ($33)

Get Your Geek On

I won't lie, I'm a nerd at heart. I geek out to superhero movies and Joss Whedon shows with my husband (Once More with Feeling, anyone?). I heart techie blogs, polaroid cameras and Jolt cola and I am currently reading Jim Butcher's Dresden Files books. Between my husband (who writes a web comic) and I we are a bona fide nerd household.

Because of my love of fashion and my love of all things nerd, I am thrilled that geek chic is creeping into the fashion community. I thought it would be fun to put together some cute, nerdy must haves. Enjoy my friends (and live long and prosper, or whatever...)!

More Urban Outfitters...

Weekly Mock-off Round Up

I want to say THANK YOU to everyone who has entered the Target GC giveaway. The amount of entries have been overwhelming. You are all so great! Only one week left to enter!

On to this week's mocks!

Designers:

- Flirty fun with Blumarine

- J Brand's hipster revival

- Shoe powerhouse Bally goes on Safari

Celebrities:

- Reader request for Nicole Richie's hippie style

- Taylor Swift's casual date style

Single Mocks:

- Double Zipper Bag, Temperley London ($1095) VS Steven by Steve Madden ($200)

- Snake Print Dress. Tory Burch ($395) VS Asos ($30)

- White Cutout Platforms, Gucci ($990) VS Report ($140)

- Clear Beaded Necklace, Michael Kors ($695) VS Kenneth Jay Lane ($90)

Inspired by Me

I love magazines. At last count our household gets 27 subscriptions. Yes, its a lot for our mailbox (and mail carrier) to take, but to me they are essential.

The mags aren't just a read once or twice, pile on the coffee table and discard in a month type of deal. I use them to breathe a little life into my everyday.

My obsession started when I was 12. I used to cut out words, not pictures, and tape them to the front of my writing notebooks. The words inspired me to write and sparked countless ideas for my short stories. This process continued through college, when I finally transitioned from cutting words to cutting pictures. I created notebooks full of inspiring shots, sorted by mood, color, label, celebrity, trend...anything you could think of. I still keep all of my old notebooks and look through them every once in a while. They help me remember a time in my life when I was full of creativity and vivacity.

My notebooks have now transitioned to wall art. Seasonally I sit down and churn out a mood board. The process is much more organic than it used to be. I simply put up photos that jump out at me. Here is the board I created last weekend and my Winter board:

These boards showcases a wide range of things from my love of books and aviator sunglasses, to my desire to own a home, visit NYC and watch Twilight for hours on end. Each time I look at the board I feel jolted - in a good way. These are pictures and ideas I love to surround myself with.

Do you have a "mood" or "inspiration" board? What sparks your creativity?

Win a $50 Target Gift Card!

It's raining. It's pouring. It's time for a trip to Target! With so many great designer collaberations out including Liberty of London, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Dwell Studio and more to come with Zac Posen, Cynthia Vincent and Caldera, Target is as good a place to shop as ever!

Mock-off.com is giving away a $50 gift card to the mega retailer to one lucky reader.

Entering is easy! Simply do one or more of the following. Each task is worth one entry into the contest.

1) Become a fan of Mock-off on Facebook.

2) Follow @mockoff on Twitter and retweet the following (limit one per day):

Win a $50 Target giftcard from Mock-off! Follow @mockoff and RT to be entered!

3) Follow the Mock-off Blog on Bloglovin.

Entries are now closed! I will be randomly selecting a winner later today (Tuesday). Good luck to all and thank you for entering!

Weekly Mock-off Round Up

Here are this week's mock-offs:

Celebrities:

- Tyra Banks rocks coral on the orange carpet

- Starlet Vanessa Hudgens hits up ShoWest in Las Vegas

Designers:

- Get Fendi's whimsical and flowy look

Single Mocks:

- Zipper Tote Bag, Alexander Wang ($795) VS Old Navy ($20)

- Ruffle Zipper Bag, Susan Farber ($550) VS O'Neil ($49)

- Baby Blue Satin Dress, Walter ($268) VS Arden B. ($25)

- Fringe Necklace, Annie Costello ($350) VS Forever 21 ($13)

Be sure to check back next week for your chance to win a Target gift card.