cheap fun on a sunday afternoon

i'm not sure if it's a good thing that i am so easily amused... i'm going to go with "yes".

this past weekend, my love and i decided to take advantage of the end of summer weekend feel that was in the air. took a nice long leisurely walk and browsed. people watched. popped into my favorite little local boutique BOC. (yep i have posted about it...) saw some fun fun fun jewelry there - but that will be another post. THIS is about my fingernails.

crossed the street from BOC and wandered into Ricky's. no real agenda - just felt like maybe picking up a cheap thrill to entertain myself for the afternoon. and oh baby did i ever. quick back story - (j., mel and karen will all testify under oath this is true) i am incapable of keeping on nail polish - only on my fingers. toes, we're good to go for as long as it lasts. finger nails? i give it 24 hours at best. i put it on (see post about Brucci polish - i love it - i do, i love it) and i admire how pretty it looks and how much more "finished" my hands look. then, invariably, a small chink appears. and i begin to pick. next thing i know, there are little peels of polish all around my general area. after i did my nails to look all pretty for the show i went to see on Thurs., i went to the Yankees game Fri. (walk off 3 run HR. AWESOME) and under the bright lights, i observed not only A-Rod's fine physique, but also a chip in my polish. and so i spent most of the game picking it all off. sorry to the guys who clean the stadium. that weird pile of sparkly brownish red stuff? yeah that's me.

my god i digress... SO - inside Ricky's i see a box of 100 fake nails. "that might keep me from picking at myself" i thought. $5.99 DONE. then i see this bottle of Essie mattifying top coat. i have been a bit curious about this whole matte nails trend. and i think "k - Sunday afternoon test drive". DONE. (i did also pick up a cheap-o brand of over-the-knee socks with skulls at the top. cute and silly and fun)

flash forward - 4 or 5 episodes of How I Met Your Mother later - and intensive decision making on the test color - (and because i'm a perfectionist, a rather exhaustive process of filing fake nails to look like my own) BOOM. color on - a nice burgundy. matte stuff? put it on like a top coat... i test one nail - sweep it on... it just looks like top coat, but... wait for it.... MATTE perfection. i fall in love with nail one and keep going... now, i know it's less than 24 hours, so i can't claim glory just yet. but i am LOVING what this looks like. (i still love my super shiny toes. that won't change) so if you're in the market for a cheap entertaining weekend - matte nails baby.

well, i never! (ok, ok i do all the time)

once more, the sales come a-callin! and who are we to say no? the way i look at it, it's always worth looking through a sale, because there very well be something that is on your list, that you had on a back burner. and if it's marked down, then why not front burner that thing, purchase it cheaper, and cross it off the list! that's what i call EFFICIENT.

i have in the past blogged about Chickdowntown - it's a good little boutique site that offers a nice range of designers at an equally nice range of prices. i have e-purchased a number of things from them - and they ship quickly, and they wrap every purchase with a pretty, shiny black ribbon, which just makes you feel nice when you open it. (you can make fun of me. i don't mind.)
this dress is just one of a whole LOAD of lovelies on there... looking at this i just imagine wearing it and feeling like i'm in Palm Springs hosting a party out back by the grotto, feeling summery and lovely and sipping a nice cool beverage...

ahem, anyhoo - they also have this great habit of having sales. which, combined with the whole ribbon thing, is just kind of like a little slice of heaven. right now, there is a site-wide discount - 30% off everything. for those of you who are not math whizzes, that's almost a third off. not too shabby, right? all you have to do is enter the code SEASON30 at checkout. so go on, have a look...

gnarly dude!

too bad you can't see me, i'm doing that surfer wave thing. (only on my first coffee, so it's still amusing to me)

i have a friend who was a long time NYer, who not-so-long ago transplanted himself to LA. he is like a pig in mud there - happy happy happy. before he left, before he even knew he was going, he began transitioning in his clothing... i am probably the only person among the group of people surrounding him that noticed it, but hey, that's just what i do. one of the items he acquired were these really cool surfer loafer type shoes, made by Sanuk. i became slowly obsessed with them.

they're kind of the ultimate cool man shoe, if you're not a loafer guy, if you're a sneaker guy but maybe need a shoe... if style and comfort fell in love and got married, and moved to the beach because it made them happy, they would be this shoe (they do make them for girls as well, and yes i have some- we all know me and beach, right?) i bought a pair for my bf, and he has worn them to within an inch of their lives, and i will be buying him some more. i love them on him. and come to think of it, i might need some more myself, you know for running around town between flip-flop season and boot season... a girl needs to transition...

the final countdown!

cue the music. i wish i had Gob from Arrested Development to jump out and be my mascot here... damn it, why can't things like that happen in the real world? it would be so much funnier.

this serves as the "final countdown" - a week left to go before my website goes live! i will be offering up services as a personal stylist, a personal shopper, an image consultant... and fear not, i will keep on blogging! it will all be interconnected!

so count down my dears - tell yourself, tell your friends, tell your lovers, tell your lover's friends, tell your friends' lovers... etc - just tell everyone! if you or anyone you know needs some styling - visit my site! i will shout it loud and proud on this page the moment we go live! stay tuned!

some do-good spending...

it's back to school time. even if you're not in school, there's still that same feeling. try and tell me you don't feel it when you open the September issue of the mags... right?

'member that time when i posted about do-good charity tote bags? well, i'm gonna step it up a notch this time. Bloomingdale's is doing a charity shopping blitz. they are pledging to donate $75,000 to AMFAR. so what could possibly be bad about shopping the site in order to help them reach the goal???? and they are offering up all sorts of sales and price cuts. that makes it both a cheap thrill AND a do-good shopping spree. someone you know and love must be deserving a present, right? so why not buy it here. hey, maybe the someone is you. no rules against that.

i have lectured you enough. i think you know what to do.

NAILed

haha. cracking myself up.

in the vein of cheap thrills... i was at the drug store the other day and bought my replacement "favorite of all time toenail polish" and as i painted the toes this morning i thought to myself, what a wonderful thing that this little bottle of stuff, that cost $2.99 - yes, that's right TWO NINETY NINE can make me feel so pretty and so happy. then i decided to paint my fingernails, as i am i going to see my friend's play in the Fringe Festival this evening. (i styled the female lead!!!) so i whipped out the box o'polish - and there in the corner was this little dude i had forgotten about - an AWESOME color for pre-fall... and again, the $2.99 thrill brand. so i must share.

Brucci nail polish. they actually call the product"nail hardener". simply amazing. the color range is to die for - and they always get on the trends right away - and have pretty much an exact match to the Chanel color du jour. i don't know if they have them everywhere - but for those of you who are NY'ers - they sell it at every Duane Reade. this product rocks my little world. let it rock yours for 3 bucks. rock it a few times, baby.

(ps - in case you're wondering - Golden Red on toes - CLASSIC. i remember to this day, at the airport about 8 years ago with my gorgeous friend Karen, whom i worked with and traveled the world with at the time - we were in line to check in, and she looked down and said "your toes are much fancier than mine. you have lady toes". and my dears - Golden Red... and the pre-fall, hell i'll wear it all fall and winter, finger color i'm a bit in love with? Ava's Ave. no idea what it means. don't care. it's a brownish tinted burgandy with gold flecks. love love love.)

well lookie here....

ye olde JCrew, purveyor of fine basic goods since ... well since a long time ago, gives good sweater. it's true. they do. they are excellent quality, they have an amazing color range and they are not over priced.

i decided today at some point that i was desperately in need of a LONG cardigan. now, i must say here that i have (and have always had) a lot of cardigans. my friend kim makes fun of me and calls me cardigan lady. i have always worn them regardless of whether they were in or out of "style" at the moment. what i do NOT necessarily have is a nice long cardigan. the craving kicked in today. i guess the ac made me chilly. to add to this - i got the new JCrew catalogue in the mail. and inside.... the perfect perfect perfect long cardigan. i would style it completely differently than in this pic - i'll be puttin this bad boy over tees and leggings and jeans; belting it - wide, skinny, you name it; chunkin on the jewelry. i love it. i might have to get a couple of them...

seek and ye shall find my friends. the force is strong!

ps -also some super cute bags and jewelry going on in the JCrew right now! check it out!!!

cute new site to peruse on your lunch break!

it's lunch time. and if it is not, by the time you're reading this, then who cares. the genius of the internet is that you can look at it all day long!!

as you may have figured out by now, i love the hunt for style and that includes new places as well as the old faves... today i discovered a cute new boutique site that will be finding a place on my "web cruisers" list of sites that i love. while i love a huge mega site where i can find anything my heart desires - there is something even more special about a boutique site. it's the interweb equivalent of wandering the streets of (NY) (Paris) (London) pick one - and happening upon a tiny little shop with some beautiful things inside.

all that said - check out this new site - Les Nouvelles. enjoy your lunch time (or not) shopping!

london towne

there is something about London girls' style... before the world was all contained inside computers it was more drastic a difference, but even now, they are just a little bit ahead of the curve. they are edgy and cool. they have the LA messy gorgeous casual mixed in with the NY slick - shaken, not stirred, into the perfect style cocktail. the quintessential example of this is the one and only Kate Moss. the woman just has it NAILED. there have been other "style icons" that the mags try and put upon us - but this girl just has it down. so it seems only logical that after a matter of time, she would design. she did a collection for Topshop (ah Topshop - i have waxed on i know, but i could again easily. just saying the word transports me in my mind to Oxford tube station - and the first glimpse of Topshop just across the street...) last year - and there were some very cute pieces - but nothing that rocked my world to the point where i felt the need to spend... this season's collection however, i feel it will most likely loosen my purse strings. the collection comes out soon - and lord knows it will go FAST. like hotcakes, as they say. hot fashion cakes. there are some "preview" pics online at the website, and i'm loving them a bit...in particular this little number, and the floaty butterfly piece... Kate, once again, you have done it right.

the interior of my mind

it's a little kooky in there, let's get that out on the table right here and now.

as a little girl i read books voraciously about princesses and fairies and goblins (my absolute favorite book - the princess and the goblin). castles with secret rooms, secret passages to secret gardens with labrynths and mazes - that formed the foundation of me. (add to this the annual summer trips to England to see the family - where there are real castles - dots connected)

back to now. as i have mentioned often, i see dressing as costuming. style reflects what you are feeling on the inside - it reflects your ideas and turns it inside out for the world to see. it is fun. every once in a while i get stuck with a theme. and it shows up in what i wear. about 2 years ago, i fell in love with the show The Tudors. fell. in. love. and it re-awakened my obsession with Elizabeth I. (and yes i watched the sublime Cate in both movies. my heaven.) obliquely connected to that i became obsessed with pirates. (you know - go plunder and bring me the riches of the bastard country that betrayed my third cousin 15 years ago, and so on)

i began braiding my hair all the time (and YES this was before it was "boho" to do it. i was doing it for princess reasons, thank you very much). i got a necklace with a tiny silver sword. i got some foldover knee high boots that felt very piratey. in short - i channeled my inner pirate and put a princess spin on it.

this is a rather long winded way of describing my LOVE of this Prada dress. every time i see the dress (or the coat in the same brocade fabric) it kills me. i love it so much it hurts. the likelihood of me ending up with the exact dress is slim... you know, self employed, recession, blah blah blah. but you can bet your sweet ass i am going to end up with something gorgeous and brocade, and i am going to braid up my hair and put on some boots and rock a slightly new version of my run-away elizabethan pirate princess.

and you know, if you feel more lady like, wear some brocade with some lovely pumps and well coiffed hair, and nice red lips. very proper, still gorgeous! you can style something in any way you feel - whatever is you. oh style i love you so...

summer is not yet gone!

i'm a bit taken aback by the fact i keep thinking of boots and i dared mention a sweater... so in an effort to keep summer here - for a bit longer (June doesn't count this year, the weather was crap - so i figure we are owed an extra month) i hereby declare i shall shift my thinking.

behold the cute summer-y dress! for all the mags that said maxi dresses were "out" this year - i say "BAH" to you. these babies aren't goin away - so deal with it. mix it up, i say. mini, maxi, rock it any way you feel when you wake up in the morning. a dress is a dress and they look nice. the one ms. jennifer aniston is sporting here is from Calypso. a dreamy store if i ever did see one. kind of an "i woke up on a tropical island where we all wear floaty things" dream. the best dream ever! there are maxi dresses abounding out there - one in every single price range. well worth looking for, and if you have any particular questions - of course i am here to guide.

i'm diggin on the fact she is carrying this tote bag as well. i saw this yesterday at Bergdorf's. (i was winding my way home from lunch with my love... and a particularly intense PT session). and i thought "i'm glad people are doing this more these days". as with the dress - there are charity bags at lots of places these days - a do good tote... Hayden Harnett is doing them, and have a new one coming out soon. whatever your cause may be - there is most likely a tote bag out there to support it!

that's my lecture for the day. do good. shop, but do good as well. good is good.

dream sequence...

my new most favorite show is "how I met your mother". I know it's been around for a bit - but I have just discovered it. and I am obsessed. beyond obsessed. like quote Barney all the time obsessed. what up!

anyhoo - my bf and I were watching last night (I believe we did about 4 or 5 episodes) and there was a bit about Lilly having a shopping issue. she shops when she is upset. she shops hard. and she buys shoes. I could see my bf giving me sideways glances... like "hey you're on tv". and then... this dream sequence. Lilly swimming in a pool of shoes. and I have to admit... my heart fluttered a little. it's like a little slice of my inner mind was brought to life before my eyes.

boots mcgoots part deux

now, as i pointed out moments ago, i am in no rush for fall. i am, however, deep into fall research. or so it seems.

boots... i have one pair missing from the repetoire. a flat pair of black boots. i believe i elaborated on this point a while back, and posted a pair of boots i will certainly not stop lusting for... in an effort to balance out the playing field, i am continuing the hunt. it's only right. (seeing as i am self employed AND it's still about 100 degrees, i don't have to rush).

Piperlime, oh Piperlime... you share the love of shoes... and you share the love of these cute Chinese Laundry boots... snap em up or snap em down... kind of freakin adorable... i have seen them in no less than 4 magazines this month, so clearly they are trying to get my attention....

ok, i give in...

i tried so hard not to - but i guess i have to admit that summer is in fact winding down... to comfort my sad summer soul, i seek solace in sweaters. pictures of them - dear GOD not the real thing. not until i MUST... but the pictures are ok.

for some reason i am a bit obsessed with grey sweaters. i honestly don't have any clue why or from whence it came. but it's there my dears, it's there. i seem to spend a large part of my search for warmth in the color grey... i scored a DOOZER of one last year, when Bendels (i know, i can't stop!) had the major yahoo of all sweater sales. every year, i get at least one sweater there for 80% off. it makes me tingle. so - last years sweater... big giant chunky irish fisherman cable knit cardigan - with big wooden buttons in gorgeous grey cashmere. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE. it is the most wonderful thing.

and not that i would ever put it in a secondary place in my heart.... but i just happened to see this little number here... and i just can't help but think that maybe it might need a home... you know, like a puppy that wants me to be its mom... right?

and not to go all sweater nuts or anything - but MAN do they have some perfect perfect perfect sweaters and cardigans at JCrew right now. it's a bit of the holy grail for basics - and what is more basic than a cute cardigan? that you can then completely UN basic by belting it over leggings, adding boots and putting on chunks and layers of bracelets or necklaces?

ok, maybe fall's not so bad...

what the?!?!?! oh, and discount too!

i'm not sure how it's even POSS that i missed a cute shopping website. i blame it on the humidity, it has clearly affected my brain.

that said... shoprumor.com... i think i might like it here! not a huge selection - but a good one, for sure. i perused the "racks" as it were, and there were of course about 50 things that made me go "OOH i like that." - but this little bracelet made me have a few looks... i am rather loving the dangling gold chain at the end. i seem to be very into the dangling fray of late...

they do also have the Pleasure Doing Business skirts i spoke of a while back - and i must tell you my dears - size UP if you decide to get one. these bad boys do mean business. they suck you in like there's no tomorrow - so don't go all "if i buy a small it will make me smaller". no - if you are not in fact a small, it will make you pass out. enough said. i will be wearing mine with colored tights and boots...

so go shop shoprumor.com - have a look at least, and if you enter the code People09 at checkout you will get 25% off!! see how great Fridays are???

spectacular spectacular!

one might say that Vogue is sort of the mecca of the fashion mags. there a gazillion of them out there, there are the few that are really good, and there is Vogue. it's like the super cool big sister of your best friend in high school, who answered all your questions, about everything... and she's pretty too. and what you want to be when you get there. that is Vogue.

so, the fact that a certain friend,of mine named Juniper Rose, with a certain amazing jewelry line called Falconiere, has her stuff on the pages of Vogue... that my friends, in a word, AMAZING. ok more than one word, SUPER FANTASTIC. seriously? amazingtastic. check out the 2nd model from the left - she is bedecked in the gorgeousness.

her pieces were picked up by Henri Bendel. so GO. try on...maybe buy, who knows? the stuff is drop dead amazing -- makes other pieces in its arena look like 2 dollar crap. i am blown away if you hadn't noticed. i will be wearing this magical stuff. and i will be posting more detailed pictures soon - i just wanted to get this good news out into the wwworld. (see what i did there?)

what a feeeelin'

ok, let's first get this fact known. i am not fully in support of the '80s style comeback. 99.96% of it was really pretty heinous the first time round, so honestly, why have another go?

that being said, falling squarely into the .04% that is worth another look is the whole flashdance, shirt sloping off the shoulder deal. that is sexy. was back then, still is now. in my opinion it doesn't work if you really ho it up, but something a bit on the classy side, but just a little "oops, is my shoulder showing?" is good stuff.

there are a number of pieces in the line Haute Hippie (yes, i do love name.) that are so cute it hurts me. and lo and behold, they do go on sale at times, so it hurts less. it's like a sale band-aid. this little number is one such. it's not my fault - i got a tweet on me twitter. it's like singer22 just wants me not to forget. next thing you know, i'll be getting tweets about the boots i can't stop thinking of. sigh.

there are tons of other options like this out there less pricey - it's well worth hunting... i just keep staring at this sweater, and felt compelled to share that it gave me "what a feelin'"...

extra discount on top of discount... yum

bluefly. one of the first, and still one of the best, discount websites... i bought my first extra naughty-expensive pair of shoes there, way back when. (and have bought a few pair since then...oops!)

anyhoo - today they are offering an additional 10% off handbags. as i waxed style-etic on, in terms of "investing" - the handbag, if you choose to, is a good place to do so. and if someone is offering you more money off said item, it bears thinking about, n'est-ce pas?

at the very least it's fun to look. i've spent the past 30 minutes doing so... your turn!

fantasmo site

this is a great site i have just stumbled upon. and so i share with you my dear style friends.
WhoWhatWear. pretty fab. just a little snippet for now. i shall be back in a moment with more blathering on about things stylish. for the moment i'm lusting after the bags in their article...

oh, and if anyone knows mind control, i'd really like to stop obsessing over the boots i posted down there a couple of days ago. for the love of mike, it's like 800 degrees out.

if you're feeling sale spendy...

let's discuss "investments" for a moment. in terms of style. there are (and any person you find in the fashion industry will agree with this) certain pieces in a person's wardrobe that are worth an investment. a good shoe, a good bag, a good coat. all of these are things that you will wear often, and for years and years. so if you apply the old "cost per wear" calculation, these things end up being more worth it than the cheap dress you buy that starts to look like crap after the second time you wear it.

now i am not suggesting you break the bank and go all carrie bradshaw spendy. all i'm saying is that it is well worth considering purchasing said items IF they fit into your wardrobe. (2 good guide - are there at least 3 things you already own that you would wear it with? are there 3 scenarios in your REAL life you can imagine wearing it?) and look for sales. an investment can certainly be made at a discount price. it makes it a more exciting investment if you ask me.

ok - so that is a style lesson for the day. the sale gods have spoken, and there is a pretty big selection of Christian Louboutin (the holy grail of shoe investment. seriously. amazing.) at the Outnet - at up to 70% off. (great sale site - sign up!!) even if you are not buying - it's worth looking to get ideas for another rainy day. it doesn't hurt to look at the menu, even if you're on a diet...

sale time! WHAT!

the hotter it gets - the deeper the sales get. it's like retail's way of making us feel a little bit less schvitz-encumbered. i, for one, appreciate the effort.

anthropologie. land of the pretty pretty things. every time i walk into anthropologie, my blood pressure goes down. it is a happy place. things for the house, things for your self - they have that. and when it's time for markdowns, oh the heart flutters.

if you happen to be in proximity to a store - i would say go. your soul will appreciate the pretty vacation. and if not - peruse the website and gaze at the prettiness on your screen.

see - hot and sweaty just got a little nicer, right?

hey stud

(can't help it - but that title makes me sing "you're the one that i want" from grease)

i think i'm goin on a binge. i have the tendency to binge. those who know me, know this fact. i have put certain demons to rest, but i allow myself some little demons. everyone needs a vice. i am diggin on the studs. i always sort of have - a bracelet here, a belt there... sandals... but it seems they are studding everything that isn't nailed down right now. some of it is too much for me. not really into the studded jacket or pants... not my thing, perhaps it's yours, and if is - ROCK it.

this little bad boy however, is not too much. either in the stud department nor the money department... seems mister Marc Jacobs is coming out with another lower priced line Jacobs by Marc Jacobs. (how i love these designers that do this for us mere mortals. thank you marc jacobs. i thank you)

i haven't been able to find it yet online - but there's a number to call for info 212-924-6126. and this cute little guy is a designer deal at $47.

boots mcgoots

i am a summer chick. i love the beach, i love sandals, i love wearing dresses, tank tops, floaty t-shirts... so i was kind of trying to pretend fall wasn't coming and not start the fall style blogs....
alas. i am also a reader of magazines. and try as i might i cannot ignore all the fall visuals that are being hurled at me. i even dared mention boots in my blog about the t-dress i bought... which got me on a trail in my mind.

boots. i loved boots a lot. they are the fall/winter equivalent of sandals. it's sort of all i wear. the idea of shoes confuses me when it's not summer (except for dressing up - simple. a pump) so i wear them every day. i have a few pairs of boots i love desperately. the one thing missing is the flat black boot. which seems like a pretty basic thing a girl like me ought to have, n'est-ce-pas? so i decided to poke and hunt a bit online. let's call it research. because home girl probably will wait until it all goes on sale...

now this is just the start of the hunt, but i do get a little tingly i have to say, when i look at these beauties. just imagine - a cute little dress, some opaque colored tights (maybe in a dark blood red)... and these. ok - back to reality. it's still 90 degrees (especially in my office, might be 100) so we won't go there just yet - but dare to dream... i have a dream....you get the idea.

oh ricky's you're so fine...

hey ricky!! hey ricky!

anyone who is a ny product fiend (insert alternate terminology if you desire) is well versed in the shop Ricky's. in a quick word - it rules. like, totally man. and now - yes, i know your hearts are pounding - they are opening up a website. for those of thee who either cannot be bothered, or can physically not get there. consider your world changed in a beauty kind of way. they have a killer selection of products - from the high end, to their own brand of hair doodles, like rubber bands, barrettes, etc. (and yes, i do have a drawer full of them)

to make these even MORE heart fluttery - if you enter "luckybreak" at checkout, you get 25% off everything you buy. um, yeah.... awesome. (shout out once more to Lucky magazine. i love you Lucky. i do.) click now, you won't regret it... come on, everybody's doing it...

a sunday post

(get it? like a sunday roast? hahaaha!)

i know i normally don't post on weekends, but hey, why not?

this weekend was the first in about 6 weeks that bf and i have not had massive plans involving trains, planes, or automobiles. so we committed to hunkering down and doing that thing called "down time". we decided to run some errands (well, he decided and to bribe me he said "honey do you want to go to your store?" so i agreed. he's good.)

a bit o' history, when we moved up here 2 years ago - i had to go through a major transition. i was downtown deb. for 16 years. i knew the vibe, the bars, and of course - the shops. but i was ready to change, it was turning into an NYU free-for-all in the old hood. so up we came to the lovely place we are now. happy happy - i bought plants, i bought house things, "nested" so to speak. but where to shop????? we went for a walk to get sandwiches one day and i happened on the super cute boutique BOC. (located at 491 Columbus ave., at 84th street) it is beyond awesome. they get a really cool selection of established (but edgy, and downtownish) designers, as well as new and up-and-coming designers. they have a fun collection of jewerly as well, and i have wandered out of there with a scarf here, a pair of shoes there... (also - jeans selection is amazing.) they also have a very nice habit of putting items on sale pretty much all the time. out with the old. love that!! the shop was recently listed in Lucky magazine in their NYC shopping guide, which is usually right on with great shopping tips.

it's been a month or so since i've visited, so i happily went on the "errands". bf patiently waited (seriously - he didn't complain) while i looked at almost every single new piece they have in. and there is some CUTE stuff in there!!! a ton of Alexander Wang T shirts and dresses, that i have of late become obsessed with. cotton as light as air, and comfy beyond all rational belief. and some really fun new jewelry and bags. and even though i wasn't entirely planning on it, i did end up getting a tee and a dress... it will last me not only through the rest of HOT summer, but into fall easily with a turtleneck and tights underneath, and my beloved grey boots... planning ahead. that's what i was doing. see how responsible i am?

oh temptation how you tempt me!

on this sunny friday... two things come to my mind, aside from the fact that i'm glad it's the weekend.

one - i LOVE love love this skully bracelet. i love leather jewelry, i love little beads, i love little skullys like the me&ro ring that i have. this is all things wrapped (literally) into one. sigh.

and two - how did i never think the shop Planet Blue would have a website? i've never been to the shop out in Malibu - but all the time i'm hearing that it's "so me" - all kind of luxe hippie yum yum gorgeousness. and i honestly don't know why it did not occur to me until now that i could shop there on the interwebs until the next time i'm in LA when i WILL go to the shop.

that's about all there is to say about that!

ok...a bit obsessed lately

seems i have developed a wee bit of an obsession with Halle Berry. she just looks so damn cute and cool all the time. and she's gorgeous - but that's another story for another day. the two things i am loving about this get up? the jacket - "OH M GEEEEE" do i want that jacket. i saw a cute little jacket in a similar style the other day, and i have been on the olde interwebs hunt ever since to find one that i can actually afford. this one makes me even further crazed to get my hands on it...

part deux of get-up-love: the belt. now i do love me some accessories. as you may have realized by now. and i am really diggin the way Mz. Berry does the off-center buckle. it doesn't look contived - and i've seen her do it a few times, and each time i nod and say "yes" in my head. (my secret stylie obsession inside voice.... it haunts me like a happy ghost)

proof again - play with the accessories and the whole outfit can rock.

gimme lip!

i distinctly remember the first time i bought Lip Venom. it was quite a lot of years ago, in LA. it was right when it first came out, and i was feeling very on top of it all. and to this day - the smell and taste of it, which is quite distinct, is tied to LA in my mind and my senses.

i love the stuff. i like the way it tingles - and it does plump up the lips a bit. i can never really tell how much, but it does work... at this point, Duwop has come out with a million other products - including lip glosses with the venom inside - and they are all pretty great. but nothing compares to the original in my humble opinion. BUT now there is something that may just give it a run for its money. there is a Venom called Twilight - that has a stain in it... it's like the reverse of the gloss with the venom. it's the venom with the gloss...more oomph, thank you(and yes, i'm obsessed with Twilight. books and movies. i know it's targeted to my 10 year old niece, but hey, i like it too.)

back to the venom...i will be stopping in Sephora tomorrow. and leaving there a happy vampire.

a little dealie

as you may recall - i waxed on about the boutique Intuition out on the left coast. it's kind of a great store. i kind of love it. but i don't get to go there too often, to see my bff OR go shopping. boo. they do have a website though - which softens the blow a little. and they have a lot of good stuff in there - they are always pretty much on top of what is going on. some cheap thrills, and some designer stuff as well. the whole shebang.

today - if you enter "PEOPLE" at checkout, you will get 20% off any item you purchase. and if you need a reason to shop - how about "it's only Thursday, i wish it was Friday" or "it's cloudy out"... i hope i have helped. that is what i'm here for...

happy lips

on first glance, "happy lips" might mean "mmmm- first cup of coffee". (yes - that is what i am doing. and i do say mmmmm every morning. it's just so good)

howevs - this is not caffeine related. this is color related. i am a bit challenged in the lipstick department. it's not that i don't want to - it's just that i am not good at it. i buy lipsticks (90 percent of the time, in the same color. a rosy pink. creature of habit i guess) and i try - but it just ends up off my face in about 45 seconds. i don't even know where it goes.

BUT - these little sticks are a different story. Lipstick Queen and Nars both make a really good-for-the-challenged version of the stick. and i love them both. these Lipstick Queen colors are brand spanking new - and apparently named for/based on the movie Chinatown. little trivia for ya. and LQ in particular - these babies last. they give you happy lips! (see how i tied it all up!?)

madame Chanel

hands down. most beautiful city i have been to is Paris. it is not just what it looks like. my god it looks gorgeous and amazing. it's also the feel of it, it has a pulse. i lived there for a year and loved every single second of my time there - i would often come up out of the metro and literally say "wow" out loud because of the view that met my eyes. i miss it daily.

anyhoo - or as i would have said then, alors - this is a nod to la mode francaise. they do like the beauty in life. all of it, down to the fashion. and one of the most mind blowing creators of these things so beautiful is Coco Chanel. there have been books a plenty written about her - she was way before her time, and she is a pretty fascinating woman. and now, there is a movie coming out with the ridiculously adorable Audrey Tautou as Coco. it's a win win sitcho my stylies. (i fell hopelessly in love with Audrey Tautou in Amelie, which was a love story during which i also fell in love with Paris all over again)

there are little snippets coming out here and there about the movie - and i'm getting un peu excited... and because sharing is caring - i share with you. i'm ready and waiting. je suis prete.

stack-tastic!

stack is back! (cue the AC/DC music)...

it's been a while since i have mused upon the stacking of jewelry... and last night i glanced down and saw my first little stack that i ever created. right there on my right hand. awwww. this stack all began with a ring from Tiffany (the silver with diamond) that my mom gave me for my 30th birthday. i love this ring - for reasons sentimental and aesthetic. but it felt alone on my finger, and so at that age of 30 i struck out in search of stacking materials.... and over the years i have gathered a nice little stack that is still near and dear to my heart. i feel totes naked without these rings on me every day. i'd rather leave the house in my bathrobe, as long as i have the rings!

the bottom gold ring is from Fragments, but sadly they do not seem to carry them any more. it was my first venture into rose gold and i love it. the next 2 are Tiffany rings. enough said, right? and the top 3 are my newest little babies from Jennifer Meyer. these little things are so sweet and delicate and pretty, you can't help but fall in love with them. i want to collect more of them with different stones. i bought one of the rings at Barney's, and the rest of the pieces (she also does earrings and bangles in this style - and i have the teenie hoops in my ears every day as well)... from Roseark in LA. they have an amazing sales associate named Brooke, who is beyond helpful and friendly. she did some hunting for me to find exactly what i wanted. i heart Brooke.

stack on, stack happy, stack and roll, stack attack.... you get the idea. stack my stylies!!!!

new sale site launching! tally ho!

if you look down and to your left (on the screen, not on your floor silly) you will see, in the "web cruisers" section of my favorite sites - Gilt Group. a super fantastic site where they post sales each week of heavily discounted designer things. the place is a goldmine. i have snapped up a coupble of absurdly low priced things. they have great designers - and they seriously do a hefty cut on price... having said that - they do some stuff that is uber high end - so even the-e-stylist here feels to guilty to spend. but wait! there's more!

as of noon today - they are launching a sister site, if you will, of lower price point items. Gilt Fuse is brands that are still in the "hmmm... i really shouldn't" while in stores - but once they hit the site, the price cut will have you chanting "yes we can!" it's a member's site - so you have to sign up, and they will send you emails each week with what sales are coming your way.

well worth the keyboard clicking my dears, well worth it.

in praise of costume jewels

even the word costume is fun. i was never a big fan of halloween (except for mine and mel's stellar, award winning turn as Lindsay and Sam last year) because, well, i get dressed up as something different every day. just to suit my mood. the daily costume, if you will.

and as much as i love the good stuff - the real deal, the sparklers, i also greatly appreciate the costume jewels. for obvious reason. they are much easier to collect without guilt. ergo, one can have more, and one can, if one is like me, stack happily without feeling too badly...

one of the places i like to go to acquire said items (because even in costume, i like it to be good quality. honestly, what is the point of buying it if it falls to crap in one wear? honestly) is Banana Republic. they make nice costume jewelry, it's a simple truth. so as i do, i was cruisin for pretties. and i came upon this little doodle. i have never really grabbed on to the trend of the bib necklace - i like the way they look, and i kind of play with the Elizabethan era-ness of it all in my mind. but i never have been struck to the point of purchase. until now - this is just user friendly, you can wear it with a ton of different things kind of fun. t-shirt and jeans? yes. black turtleneck and skinny pants? yes. sheath dress? yes. (i could go on, but i am imagining you get the idea)

costume up and face the day!

it's like looking into the sun

behold the hotness... it's almost too much to handle. but no - you cannot look away.

there is just EVERYTHING right about this. first off, the humans themselves. the most gorgeousness that eyeballs can handle. Brad Pitt makes me blush (that's hard to do) at the thoughts i have, and Angie... oh Angie. i love her so much it's absurd. she is the sexiest woman on the planet - hands down. and on top of that - she does so much humanitarian and charity work that it makes the head spin. i LOVE LOVE LOVE her.

ok enough of me lusting. let's look at the clothes here shall we? all black suit on a man? HOT. hot beyond hot. it's just sex on a platter delicious. (Bradley Cooper rocked it in the Hangover - with similar results) well played Mr. Pitt, well played. you look like perfection. and Angelina, my darling obsession... i do love the way you wear pretty things. because you look amazing no matter what... but this hearkens back to the roots - the bad girl that i fell in love with way back when. black leather, when done well - is both classy and hot. naughty hot. (i'm really diggin on the black leather skirt this fall - but that will be a future post) and right here my dears, it is done in its glorious best. strappless leather dress, but in a "i'm very decent, thank you" cut. she looks, in a word amazing.

deep sigh. ok let's just sit together and stare at how pretty they are.

sexy for a lot less

99.95% of the pictures you see of the celeb ladies in Herve Leger dresses, the comment you make, either out loud or in your head, is most likely something to the effect of "WOW". i'm pretty sure this man is a genius. the bandage dress idea is like no other - it just makes a girl's bod look BANGIN. sexy sexy beautiful woman-ness.

so, as the curious style hunter i am, i just had to try this for myself. lo and behold... it is not trick photography, it's not smoke and mirrors. these dresses really do make you look HOT.

one slight hurdle...the price tag. i'm not opposed to spending money for beauty. lord knows. but these do carry a hefty number on the ticket. i do, and will continue to, scour the interwebs and do my e-stylist hunt for these dresses on sale. and i vow to own one some day. until then - i offer to thee (and me) a substitute for about 1/10 the price. these skirts by Pleasure Doing Business are the same bandage design - and same principle for sexy. they sell them at a number of boutique websites, like Singer22, Chickdowntown, and RevolveClothing. sign me up!!!!

it's like if chocolate got covered in chocolate

in the category of "things i am obsessed with" - shoes is in the top 3. and in the realm of "best places online to find the best things i am obsessed with" - we find the website Piperlime. if you have perused this site, you will see it listed as one of my favorite sites. i visit regularly, even if i'm not in the market to buy, just to look at pretty shoes. this place is what one might call a goldmine. it has a great variety of designers, and an equally great variety in price range. love, love, love.

so imagine the flutter in the heart of your friend, the-e-stylist, when she found the news that Piperlime will be branching out into selling clothes. i think i may have drooled a little. coming soon - i believe round about the beginning of September - the door will fling open to a whole new world. ok maybe that's exaggerating a tiny bit - but it is pretty great. so check it out... i will!

they just keep on comin'!

oh guest designers, how wonderful you are. and this one is a good one. no offense to any of the others - but this one really looks like a doozer. of the best variety.

from September 13 thru October 17, Anna Sui will have a line at Target. (i'll give a little holla when the time comes 'round, to remind us all...) this ad is a little teaser for you... it certainly got my pot stirring. these dresses look all kinds of adorable and i can't wait to find out what else is going to be in the collection. (and i'll even have an excuse, because it's right around my birthday, so i will of course have to look pretty....)

hello, lovely!

that is to you, my stylies, and also to these rings...

every time i think i have "i have all the jewelry i'll ever need" - i see something else i fall in love with. i am a sucker for beauty. it is the price i must pay in life i suppose...

i saw these little gorgeouses in Glamour magazine - and spent a good portion of this morning scouring the interwebs for a good picture to put up here. alas, they all seem to be super fandango flash movie type things. so whatevs i say. this little pic will have to do in the mean time.

Dior jewelry is always kind of cute, but i've never swooned before. until i saw these rings. as the kids say "OMG". little and sweet and delicate and I LOVE THEM. the collection is called Mimi oui - even the name is cute. oh Christian Dior... you had me at mimi...

needless to say - i'm going to save up a few pennies and when i'm feeling flush, i'm heading over there and getting one of these little adorables... until then i will just stare and sigh.

Nicole Richie once more!

adorable? check. amazing style? check. great design sense? check. baby on board? check. (baby number 2, no less)

with a fun jewelry line doing well all over the place (Madonna wore a piece on the cover of her new album. and we all know i love the stuff), ms. Richie is now onto the next venture - which makes perfect sense now that she is with baby number 2 brewing - a maternity line for Pea in the Pod. as anyone with babies, or friends with babies knows - the store is a goldmine for great clothes for the pregnant lady. and now, even more to love!!

so have it my dears - if you are someone, or if you know someone, who is preggers - go check out the new line and look as stylish as always, even with another person in your belly!

more happy cheapies!

Coming soon...to a Target near you... guest designer Rodarte. they of the edgy styling, unbelievably gorgeous detailing, and celeb devotees like Reese Witherspoon, who wore them to this year’s Oscars. as of December, we mere mortals shall be able to grab a piece or two. not that it means we'll be able to attend the Oscars, but hey, it's a start, right? they will be doing a 55-piece collection for Target that is set to arrive on December 20. i, for one will definitely be diving in the deep end on this one. their designs are stunning. and who doesn't want a little bit of that in their life? (and closet?)

beach style baby!

two of the things i love in this life: my nieces and nephew, and the beach.

and, by way of introduction - i proudly present my soon-to-be guest blogger, my niece. she is a budding fashionista, to whom i read Vogue magazine as soon as she was born. (she preferred it to books - i swear to all things holy she would sit on my lap and happily page through Vogue and Bazaar as a very young baby) she is plannig on looking at fashion schools - and she is quite the miss thing, if i do say so myself.

pardon me for going on a bit. the reason for this whole blog is to present the perfect "after a day at the beach, let's go on a hunt for some beach-y bargains" style. voila. here it is!

(as a happy note to end this - i found two amazing skirts that i will soon be posting about - totes goin for the tube top - long skirt thing... at a RIDICULOUS low price. loves it. beach bargain baby, YEAH)

oops, i did it again

i bought a cute thing, got lost in the game, oh baby baby...

oh hello. perhaps you may recall the time i was going on about House of Harlow jewelry. i may have done it more than once, knowing me. but in all seriousness, check the stuff out. even my mom saw some of the bracelets online and said "oh i like that" in her little chirpie British way. fun for all ages.

and perhaps you may recall how i am a bit of a sucker for pretty things... especially in the form of jewelry. well, it's not hard to figure out the end of the story here is it people. i succumbed to it. i bent. i bought the ring. behold the ring in all its rock and roll 1970's i'm with the band glory. sigh. i think this is love.

casual cuteness

i am more of a jeans girl. always have been, probably always will be. but i admire when a girl can pull of the khaki thing and not look like they just stepped out of the preppy printing press.

yes, it does fall into the "hard not to look good when you are this person" category. it's true. the woman has the nicest hair on the planet, and a body that will not stop. ladies and gentlemen, the wonder of Jennifer Aniston... one of these days i vow to become less lazy and aspire to obtain this bod. i'll do it...in a minute...

the key here, as always, is accessories my dears. this outfit would crash without that belt. if i were to venture into khaki land - i would probably throw on a little jewelry here - but that's me... bottom line is she's pulling it off and doin it well.

red alert! SALE time!

it's the most wonderful time (la,la,la) of the year....

there are the January sales... it's true. slash and BURN of prices to dump all the "santa didn't get this for you" merchandise. however, that is winter. and i am far more of a summer gal myself. so MY favorite time is AUGUST sales. what what what!

all the department stores are doing it - and now the boutiques are joining in. check out this little goodie at Hayden-Harnett. gorgeous handbags, and they recently added shoes - which are super super cute, and they have some leather jewelry, upon which i waxed lustily a few posts ago. so all things considered - this sale makes me a little goose-bumpy! peruse, enjoy, perhaps buy!

yay august!