You’ve most likely spent the day desperately clicking refresh on the old Atticus blog wondering when we’d post our annual line-up of what we’re thankful for this very second! We’ve been so busy we almost forgot, but far be it for us to ruin anyone’s holiday weekend! Behold, deep thoughts from Kristin and Bekah.

What Kiki’s thankful for this year:

• My families – The Wild family, the Atticus family and my family of friends
• My Boyfriend Birk– And the fact that even though long distance blows, I’ve gotten to discover how rad Minneapolis is!
• My discovery of Raleigh – The city, the denim and new bfffs
• My new appreciation for fantasy football – Especially Antonio, Roddy and Reggie
• Rag&Bone
• Graze

What Bekah’s thankful for this year:

• Double Rainbows – Even on a stormy Friday the 13th, they’re a sign of good things to come.
• Adoptive Mom & Dad – Yes, they gift me Alexander Wang handbags and have paid for what amounts to a college education’s worth of brunches, but without their sage advice I would be lost. “General guideline: What you call ‘flirting’ is actually semi-terrifying sexual harassment. Maybe it’s time to revisit your definition.”
• Travel – Especially Raleigh and Minny for allowing me to add new friends to my creative commune with every trip.
• Shari 2010 – Words cannot even explain.
• Kanye’s New Album – Oh Kanye, you had me at serato.

When the universe speaks, I listen. And in my world, the universe and the fashion media are interchangeable terms. Last Thursday, an undeniable force was telling me that I needed to embrace the maxi dress. The style crosses my mind every summer, but I rarely see a girl under 5′5″ pulling off the look (except Nicole Richie and the Olsen Twins, of course).

The first sign came to me while I was groggily sipping my coffee and skimming the NY Times Style Section. The main article was entitled “A Long, Lean Backlash to the Mini.” Though the girls in the photos looked chic, and the first paragraph was a reference to the incredible Jean Rhys, I just wasn’t in the mood to read it. I moved on to my usually routine of weather, horoscope, CNN and Vogue and went on with my day.

After that the signs became more prominent. On my way to work I ran into my neighbor walking her Yorkie in a long black dress. She looked effortlessly phenomenal, and the dress was so simple. I declined an invitation to go out that night in favor of a date with the May issue of British Vogue. I opened it to find the first article was about none other than the new maxi dress. The styles they showed weren’t what I had seen before. They were monochromatic not boldly patterned and the models wore scarves tied around their waists not their heads.

Somewhere around the interview with Gwynny Paltrow, I realized that I was distracted by the thought of maxi dresses. I pictured myself wearing one dancing with a chic clutch, not walking through the farmers’ market with a tote bag full of vegetables. Could I actually pull off a sophisticated looking maxi dress? I quickly went back to the Style Section and carefully read the article. It was official, the new maxi was different. It was updated, cool and with the right accessories, forward.

The next day, I bought the Filippa K Long Dress, wrapped a long thin belt around it and went dancing.

The 80s have always had a special place in my heart. Since it’s the earliest decade I lived through, I enjoy being able to share first hand memories of power ballads, banana clips and John Hughes films. What I wasn’t aware of was that the 80s also happen to be the first decade that I will relive sartorially. Of course over the past couple of seasons we’ve seen an 80s trend here and there. There is the recent resurgence of Katherine E. Hamnett and Norma Kamali, Current/Elliott quickly touched on the splatter paint fad, and of course there was Alexander Wang’s tribute to spandex biker shorts on the Fall 09 runway. However, this past weekend, it became clear to me that my current wardrobe looks eerily similar to the one that once hung in the closet of my Barbie Dream House. Ten minutes before heading to a party in Minneapolis, my boyfriend checked his Facebook events only to find that the party was, in fact, a party with an 80s beach theme. Though my initial reaction was quite panicked since I only had a small weekend bag to work with, I quickly discovered that nearly everything I packed fit the theme. I threw on my shiny American Apparel biker shorts with a neon bikini top and an oversized muscle tank. I topped off the look with my cropped Acne jean jacket and a pair of neon yellow plastic Stunners I found on his floor, and I was good to go! Following are a few pics I snapped at the party. If you ignored the Footloose soundtrack blasting in the background, it didn’t look that different than a summer 2010 party. I’m digging the neon tee with the shorty shorts, and the guy in the blazer with shorts looks downright dapper! The last photo, however, serves as a reminder that some things (pleated acid washed overalls!!) are better left out the second time around.

Inspired by a few random acts of kindness, I decided to offer a fortuitous treat to you, loyal readers. The concept of a “pay it forward” campaign has always made me smile. I once pulled up to the Starbucks drive-thru to find out the kind stranger in the car ahead of me had already paid for my triple grande nonfat cappuccino. I’ll never know who decided they could spare an extra $4.18 to brighten my day, but I often think about how unexpectedly happy I was. I actually think I was supposed to continue the kindness by doing the same thing for the car behind me, but I was just too shocked to do anything except drive away in amazement! (editor’s note: I promise I paid for the car behind me on my next trip!)

This morning Summit Credit Union came to me with a similar campaign and left a ten dollar bill hidden in one of the Atticus fitting rooms with a message for the lucky finder to use it to help someone else. Moments later, a gust of wind knocked over a recycle bin on the curb in front of the shop and hundreds of papers started blowing all over the sidewalk. Stephani and I immediately ran out to help pick up the sudden mess, and within seconds we were joined by about 15 passersby who stopped to help. At the risk of sounding super cheesy, I have to tell you that I actually felt like my heart was swelling at the thought of so many people taking five minutes of their time to help clean up our street. So, setting aside the cynical humor you surely have become accustomed to as a reader of our blog, I want to remind you that sometimes it’s nice to give a random gift, or to help a fragile model if she happens to fall on the Prada runway.

Here is my random gift to you:

Use the code: PAYITFORWARD at atticusshop.com to receive 15% off your entire purchase (including sale items!!). If you’re in Madison, mention this post at Atticus to receive 15% off your entire purchase. This is only good through Friday, May 7th. So, hurry up before your luck runs out, and don’t forget to pay it forward by sharing the news with your friends!

Though most of the comments I make regarding my distain for wearing pants are facetious, I really have taken somewhat of a hiatus from wearing the garment. The pieces that I once couldn’t get through the week without wearing (Current/Elliott bf jeans, Acne skinnies and my old Gap camouflage cargos) were collecting dust on the top-most shelf of my closet while I rocked leggings, skirts and dresses for the duration of the dark season. Then came the fall runway shows, and suddenly it appeared the fashion world was once again obsessed with pants. Fixated on pleated trousers from Ann Demuelemeester, leather crop pants at Isabel Marant and velvet at Alexander Wang (which I’m sure I’ll come to love by the time they hit the retail floor), I was inspired to pull down my old faves and create some updated looks. In anticipation of what I’m predicting to be the summer of many things including pants, I am offering you a list of the looks I plan to wear in heavy rotation:

1. Acne Gin Chinos in navy rolled at the ankle with an Alexander Wang Classic T and driving flats

2. Current/Elliott Captain Trousers in army (coming soon!) with a beater and my C/E Bomber Vest

3. Splendid Harem Pants with a worn in t-shirt and my trusty Acne jean jacket

Someone who has always walked a fine line between being an admirable mentor and ruining my life once instructed me to add deer hunting as an interest on my resume. Whether he really thought it would be an interesting talking point for an interview or was hoping that I would humiliate myself, I’ll never know. Either way, hunting is definitely not an interest of mine. Sportsmanlike style, however, has always seemed to peak my interest. Not surprisingly, the first and only time I accompanied my dad on a deer-hunting trip, I was far more concerned with my outfit than the game. Choosing to forego the traditional orange attire, I wore my matching neon pink jacket and snow pants and carried an equally bright “handbag” filled with a thermos of hot cocoa, a rubix cube and a box of Girl Scout cookies. (editor’s note: I was in the fourth grade.) Neon colors and Thin Mints aside, I’ve found traditional English hunting clothes quite inspiring lately. The vests at Rag&Bone and Boy by Band of Outsiders for Fall 2010 are incredible layering pieces, and who doesn’t love plaid? In anticipation of the Fall trend, here are some hunting inspired pieces to start mixing into your wardrobe:

It’s usually a safe bet that any look deemed ‘effortless’ is anything but. Take for instance that perfectly destroyed Balmain t-shirt gracing the pages of every known fashion issue (see Daria at left). After a wasted hour of going at, and completely ruining, my favorite Marc by Marc tee with a scissors and cheese grater, I can tell you that this particularly disheveled look is far from effortless. And unless you’ve been blessed with a mane like our model, Rachel, that breezy Wang braid is nearly impossible.

Fortunately for you, this post is not about last Thursday’s antics which resulted in getting so wasted that certain members of my social group called in sick to work, fell asleep on the job or in one particular case, someone was asked to go home early. In case the homonym escaped you, this post is about belts and showing off your waist. I’m not sure if it’s the consumption of many a holiday treat or the fact that I have no core (according to my trainer), but my collection of expensive jeans has been shoved to the back of my closet and replaced with leggings, skirts and dresses. (Editor’s note: I’m not actually blaming my current refusal to squeeze into tight jeans on any sort of weight gain, but rather on a sartorial shift in the universe.) Anyway, my new clothing choices have given me the chance to rediscover one of my favorite accessories: the belt. I’ve started quite the collection, and these are my top picks:

My dear friend, Jessica, is tying the knot in a couple weeks. A wedding is always cause for much thought and overanalysis of what to wear, and the date of this particular fete is making my decision that much more difficult. Not only do I have to look extremely beautiful, happy and successful in the likely case of a run in with an old boyfriend or high school friend, but I must also cover more skin than I would like, thanks to the frigid temps. Surprisingly, I’ve come up with a few options that might actually cover all of the above!