Big Apple!

It's been too long since my last post. There has been a lot going on for me. Today was crazy because I'm preparing for a trip to New York.  It's Market week in New York and that means schmoozing and selling! I'm not worried about the trip business wise I feel confident everything will fall into place. But I do have two little issues with the trip. First off it's my first time in New York. Yeah I know, "How can you be in Fashion and never visit New York?!!!" Well first off I live in LA and I feel it's better. Of course I realize I can't say this without actually having visited New York, but I feel confident it's true. =P
I've lived in London, Los Angeles, and Atlanta. I feel as though I've covered the basics. I love L.A. and London the most because of the same reason. You can have your busy city but still within the city are quite areas that are more like Townes then cities. Here in LA I work in the Downtown area but I live in the Mountains, well sort of. My Neighborhood is Eagle Rock, I'll talk more about Eagle Rock in other posts, it's too fabulous to cover in just one post. But eagle Rock is very much a small town, filled with eclectic people, and quaint shops. I love living here. This is the only reason why all my friends agree I won't like New York. They know how much I enjoy a slower pace every once and a while, and from what I hear NY doesn't do Slow.  I can tell you I'm eager to see Central Park, the Met, and Empire state building. Super Tourist I know but you have to cover the basics.  I won't have much time during days so I'll have to squeeze things in at night, beginning of first problem. I may visit New York and not visit New York!! Boo! This is becoming a pattern with work. Visit all new places and never get to  really see them. Some day I'll do New York right but that probably won't happen during this trip.
Now for my second problem. Our director has urged me to please pack lite, so lite that he wants me to restrain my packing to one CARRY ON BAG!!!!!!!!! My blow dryer alone will fill a carry on. Don't even get me started on my shoes. I can't live without my fabulous shoes. I'm very nervous that he's serious about this and so I keep thinking of how I can possibly achieve this. Here are the facts: It's a four day long Sales Trip in New York! I will have meetings with big clients and so my appearance is important. Did I mention it's New York, I've got to show these New Yorkers how LA does it! I was thinking dresses but then I saw it's supposed to rain. I'm out of ideas. Can you tell I'm not the best traveler? I've done plenty of it but I always annoy others with my packing. I'm a work in progress.   I'll write from New York and I'll be sure to post plenty of photos!

Fancy Claws

    So not to toot my own horn but every once and a while I happened to catch on to a trend super early and am actually cool. No laughing it's not nice! Years ago I wore leg warmers on my arms, I had a friend who laughed and pointed while asking, "Do you have legwarmers on your arms?!!!". NOT a highlight in my life but then a few years later I saw the trend had actually caught on. So there! =P  OK not the coolest example but if you haven't picked up on it yet I was all hurt and then felt very vindicated when I saw my OH SO COOL trend on the pop super stars of Disney Channel. I said to stop laughing it's not nice!

    Well recently I had a similar moment happen but this time I was too lazy to try the trend for my self and now I just look like I'm jumping on the band wagon, instead of leading the charge! But anyway the trend is Japanese Gel Nail art. No big surprise that the Japanese are ahead of us on yet another trend. It's the same gel filling they use when you get fake nails just minus the Opaque color and the acrylic nail tips and add some glitter or color! Viola, great nail color and design that lasts weeks not days. Perfect for me since regardless of all the money I spend on my nails I still insist on using them to remove staples rather than a staple remover.  I don't know if it can be called a trend anymore though, it's become such a thing in Japan that now they have new television shows for nail artists to compete in. Almost every salon in Japan offers these crazy and Fabulous nail treatments. My fascination started a couple of years ago when I was looking for fun ways to decorate my nails. As I get older I find manicures and pedicures are becoming yet another way for me to express myself and the one feature I really love. I happen to be blessed with healthy nails that grow Very fast! Sorry to everyone else. I love the flashiness of glitter, but hate the glitter. Especially taking it off, Ugh! I did a google search and found a massive collection of photos all from Japanese salons and artists. It was heaven. So I did a little more research and found a nail salon in the Los Angeles area that did these Gel Nails. Unfortunately all of it's locations were a bit out of the way for me. So I kept saying, "I'll do it next week" and here we are years later and still no nails.

    Why bring  it back up? Well I was in an integration meeting this week at Stage 1901 when I noticed the Wardrobe designer's nails and I nearly choked. She had the Gels, and in a very cool style too. I was so bummed. She had glitter nails but with a three color gradient, gold to red to purple. Not very long but sharpened to a point. They would have been very scary if I wasn't so distracted by the glitter. She had claws, but really great claws.  I of course told her how fabulous her nails were and in true LA fashion she gave me a sort yeah "I know" reply. Once again I almost choked but this time I felt like choking her.

I got back to my office slightly envious but thrilled I wasn't her (being mean gives you wrinkles and makes you ugly!) when I noticed my coworkers new nails! Yup you guessed it Gel nails.  But she paid a fraction of the price I had been quoted and she had a place closer to me, SCORE! So now I'm thinking of all the fabulous ways to do my nails. I'll be sure to post a picture when they're done.



This is how the Japanese do it, please n=know this is considered SIMPLE




A little more my speed but still too much




Aren't they pretty?! OK so not very functional but still pretty.



This is closest to what I'm looking for.



Finally got my Gels. Best Part was my Salon had then and at an Awesome price!!!

Some times You just have to stop and Smell the Roses!

Today was a stress day, so much to do and not enough time to do it. But I had to take a second and breathe. Since there are no Roses in my office and definitely none in the surrounding neighborhood, I went digital.


This was the winner, this brought me back to earth



I liked this one but I felt like it was a little sad, What do you think?

Easter Dress

Ever since I was a little girl there have always been three holidays that have stood out above all the rest in my Family, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. To this day my mother still makes "baskets" for my siblings and I even though the youngest is in High school and the rest of us are grown adults. There Basket part has changed since we were young, now a days it's usually a gift box or pretty cellophane bag, the contents remain the same. We can always count on Candy, a Small gift, and a trinket to remind us of the "true reason for the season". It's great fun actually. Along with our baskets we always have a huge Easter feast followed by family pictures, this is the one part I dread. Being a Momma, Easter is a jam packed day and all my pretty tends to melt away by late afternoon. There are far to many not so pretty picture of me on Easter, and so this year I am determined to change the pattern.  To start I am going to make a real effort to find a Easter Outfit, I'm leaning toward a dress but the weather may not allow. And this year I am going to properly prep my face for Make up! As for Hair, well that always seems to be my krytonite, I'm going to try and find a way to make the Demi Bob work for me. Here are just a few options I'm thinking of.


Shoshanna



Lillet

Hive & Honey

Marbeled

Queen of the World- I love the name!

Clover-I am buying this one no matter what

Just a Thought!



Much more reasonable!



Cat Eyes!

Since Spring is in Full effect and Sunglasses are a necessity I'm finally looking for a new pair. I have a terrible habit of losing or destroying my sunglasses on a yearly basis. I was so happy to read in Both Vogue and Elle that Cat Eye shape is back! I've found that this shape works for my round face. The Large frame look gave me a Preying Mantis Look. Not flattering! So with great new styles to choose from I'm practically drooling! I also came across several Eco friendly glasses as well. I try my best to be green and so I gave those a gander, but so far I'm not in love. Here are a few that I did like and the One Sustainable eyewear brand I did like happened to be featured in Vogue and was WAY out of my budget,particularly when you consider my sunglass history. Se La Vie!


A Steal!!




Valentino




I can Dream!




Same as above but different Color! I'm still in love.




Same as above but different Color! I'm still in love.




"Waiting for the Sun" featured in Vogue



Girl's Night!

Every couple of weeks or so I try to get in a Girl's night. Usually just me and one of my girlfriends not usually a group thing.  Last night was Girl's night for me and my best Gal Pal Crystal. We catch up and usually have a Yummy Dinner with a few cocktails and then home. Last Night we did the dinner, Yummy Vermicelli at Lemongrass, then we did the cocktails and then it was like we were teenage girls again. Crystal always on the Cusp of every hot trend and my gauge for whats cool, had just purchased the Sally Hansen Salon Effects. She was wearing the 'Misbehaved" a Gold base with what looked like Fishnets on top. It was fantastic. I had seen them in the stores but wondered about how long they lasted and how well they worked. Crystal assured me I would not be disappointed and so after paying for our cocktails we ran to the nearest Target with 10 minutes left till they closed and we picked up a set. I chose the "Glitz Blitz" Golden Glitter, super cute. We headed back to my home and she did my nails. Not your normal Adult girls night but it was a blast and I got a very nice set of nails at the end of the night.

Last Minute Packing

Spring has finally arrived in LA. My Legs have come out of hibernation and are in dire need of a tan. My Sunglasses are on full time now. It's great. A few weeks ago we did our Spring Cleaning and I sorted out my closet and wardrobe and packed away all my winter clothes. This is a good thing, but this weekend we're getting out of town and well, we're headed to the mountains where Spring hasn't fully arrived. In fact there is still a good level of snow on the ground keeping all the new grass and pretty flowers from popping up.  It's kind of a ritual for me to save my packing to the evening before, but in this case I need winter clothes and as stated before they are in storage. So tonight should be fun.

Just got a call, it's not so snowy after all!!! Yippee Spring time in the Mountains thank Heavens!

Demi-Bob?

  Each day I try to visit Vogue.com for the Vogue Daily. And today I came across an article that was very interesting to me. According to Vogue the Demi-Bob is very much in style right now. A cut that lands "somewhere south of chin-grazing". Well I was extatic! This means there is hope for me after all. Now I just have to figure out how to style it the way Arizona Muse, Alexa Chung, and Natalia Vodianova do. No Problem, Ha!


Photo: Natalia Vodianova ; Arizona Muse; Sylvana Ward Durrett; Marko MacPherson