The Scene
Up by 5:30 this morning. In San Fran by 8:30 am. Though extremely bleary eyed, I still managed to spy this glorious sight. Right across the street from my hotel!!! I'm home, I thought ;)



Work all day. Booth set up - not brain surgery. Everything goes smoothly. Bodes well for the rest of the tradeshow. I am da bomba.

When I'm done for the day, head straight for - you guessed it - Forever 21. It's ginormous with TWO sets of escalators that look like they reach up to heaven. Unfortunately most of the stock is not heavenly. Loads of crapola.



I buy exactly one multi-chain necklace, two sleeveless wrap sweaters (black and gray) and a BONKERS black jersey harem pant jumper - none of which I've seen in L.A. and all of which are very Erin Wasson does Alex Wang. Who am I?

Then I go exploring around Union Square. I peep the SF Chronicle where I imagine I'd have interned if I'd gone to Berkeley as planned for j-school. Being in Nor Cal always makes me nostalgic for what could have been if I'd been a Golden Bear. Sigh.







Then I discover store after amazing store. Neiman's, Nordstrom, Barney's



Louis Vuitton, Anthropologie, H&M






Even a Goyard store!! All within a four block radius. I've died and gone to heaven. Spend an hour just roaming, window shopping, taking mental notes.



Head back to the hotel, send some work emails and then meet up with Scotty 2 Hotty and his two hottie coworkers for dinner. He's in town packing up the last of his things before moving back to L.A. So excited to have him back soon.

Great first day of the trip!



The Outfit
Forever 21 dress and sweater

The Accessories
Zara belt
Forever 21 necklace
Marc Jacobs pumps
Louis Vuitton Damier tote
Fashion District spike bracelet
Fendi watch

The Grade
B




The Commentary
Wore the F21 little black dress and gray sweater with London Sole flats on the plane. Comfy for travel. This sweater inevitably gets lots of looks/comments. Today is no exception. It's the perfect lightweight knit for Cali. I think it looks like alot of chic shopbop sweaters that cost five times what I paid for mine.





Added the heels and belt for dinner. LOVE this belt! My mom got it for me this weekend. $30.





Belting this dress wasn't the best idea. The pleating bunches a bit with the cinching. But the sweater did a good job of hiding some of the awkwardness.








Also wore the F21 necklace that I bought today. Adore the tough chic of it.

Very Givenchy. For just $6.









Here are some of my delish LBD inspirations for fall - work, casual and evening






























































p.s. Guess what I found at Neiman's today. Sold out everywhere in the US, my ass ;)

Diabolina Digs

Having cool chick readers.

Last month, Nololos aka Wizzie emailed me from Kona, Hawaii. She just wanted to let me that she and her BFF Elle "love [me] and to keep the pics and blogs coming...[they] are reading all the way out in Hawaii!" Adore.

Over the ensuing weeks, have found out that Nololos is a fellow thirtysomething curly haired Louis Vuitton fiend. Adore even more.

Last week, she sent me this Dear Diabolina email:

Hey girl,

Still reading the blog and loving it! So I know you are totally busy and everything but I had a question about Forever 21. Me and my girl Elle (the one who got her hair japanese straightened) are flying over to Honolulu on Tues. for a shopping day!!!

This is so big and exciting I feel like I'm gonna pee my pants! So...I have never (gasp!) been inside a F21 store. I've only shopped online. Can you help? Maybe if you have nothing to write about one day (yeah right) you could do a pointers to shopping in this store? A plan of attack? Key items to look for?

Of course we are going to hit the new Nordstroms and Banana and Lucky etc...but what we are most excited about is F21!!Maybe if you don't feel like writing anything...could you...would you...pretty please maybe ask your lovely fab readers what they think?

Is this a totally random question? I just have this one chance over there and don't want to come home with bags of bad choices and spur of the moment horrible ideas.

Thanks girl...if you can't no biggie...just thought it would be cute.I'll get a pic in front of the store if you want!

Aloha,Wizzie (and Elle)

Crazed with getting ready for my business trip, I wrote back this short Dear Diabolina Answer:

V. exciting. Yes, please take a pic and send it.

You are in luck because I've kinda already written some F21 advice most recently in June and also back in April.

Most of all tho beware of what I call The Frenzy. Buy only things you love. Whether expensive or F21. It's the best way to really define your style. And not go broke ;)

kiss,
D

And here's Nololos' "Kona girls in the city" report - it pretty much made my week:

Us in F21! The girls were soooo nice and happy to take our pic. Ok so, Lucky jeans, Fighting Eel tunic, Versace glasses, Louie cammo bag, Roxy wedge flip flops (That's totally for comfort.) Elle had on Jo jeans, Coach bag, Dior glasses, Free people tank and Anthropologie shoes. And her adorable jacket is from jeans warehouse (our version of F21) and was only $9!

We had so much fun. F21 was over the top. we went twice. Once to take it all in and make mental notes and then went back for the kill. I spent only $70 and got a ton of cute things. Stayed mostly in the khaki range so I could add pops of color. Great idea and fun to figure out later today when I go thru my loot!

Please note the fab pearls on Elle and the HUGE statement ring on me. Both found within the first 2 min. when we walked in the brand new Nordstroms. Kinda set the tone.

Also I was channeling Rachel Zoe with the extra large Starbucks. I also (shy voice) tried to make my pose casual like you...I gave you total props btw.

Lunch was sushi an a conveyor belt! We were feeling very "Hills."

One more thing.....I have to mention we were dressed not only for cuteness but knowing we were going to try on a million things. It was a tricky combo but I think we pulled it off. We got to Honolulu at 9 am and flew out at 7 pm and still didn't have enough time! :0

Ugh how much do you love her guest post? I think in addition to being a fashionista and adorable, Nololos may also be a bit of a natural writer :)

Any other readers who want to share successful shopping tales, I am all ears!!! Your emails and comments really brighten up my day. Keep em coming.

The Scene
Final prep for a big business trip. To San Francisco. Nervous but excited. Haven't been to SF in over five years which is unacceptable considering it's so close to LA.

Soothed my pre-conference jitters with Monday trash TV: Gossip Girl (So Poppy is a socialiate, friend of Marc AND life coach? Why aren't we watching The Poppy Show?) and The Hills (Did you feel bad for Heidi's mom? I did. Did you feel bad for Stephanie "Crocodile Tears" Pratt? I didn't.)

7 am flight tomorrow. Ughers. Wish me luck.



The Outfit
Forever 21 stripped sweater
DKNY tank
Theory capris

The Accessories
Me&Ro necklace
Louis Vuitton earrings
Gucci bag and flats
Forever 21 headband

The Grade
Pass






The Commentary
Comfort was the operative word today. Needed an outfit for running around like a chicken with its head cut off. Pants quickly emerged as the best option.



Confession: I have officially become obessesed. Am thinking nonstop about high water pants. Where to get them, how to wear them, how magical and European life will be when I wear them. Sigh. I really need to get a life ;)











Apparently, so do John Galiano

















and Nicolas Ghesquiere









Both of them showed ankle grazing pants in their spring 2009 collections for Dior and Balenciaga. I am telling you, high water pants, my dears. It's a thing. A thing your eye will acclimate to over the next six months even if you aren't so much digging it right now. It's how the multibillion dollar fashion machine works. Just watch Devil Wears Prada and that genius "cerulean" scene again.







Now I realize that the pants that I picked out today are more capris than cropped, more beige than black, more linen than luxe. But today's inspiration was more reference point than literal. Plus it's been hotter than Richard Gere in the Valley so I wanted to wear something that would breathe. Unlike these AMAZING gold leggings. They look like a dream on but would never work on a sweltering Indian summer day.




Paired the capris with the neutral, new F21 wrap sweater. Remember when I bought it all I could think was Freddy Krueger? Well all I could think of today was rugby. Felt very Sporty Spice. BTW, did you know that Ralph Lauren owns rugby.com? Genius brand/domain fit!!




Realized half way through the day that the stripped sweater was actually perfect for Blair Mondays. Very preppy. Very all American scion.


But added the headband just in case it looked more butch than Blair.










And the Gucci ballet flats. See the rubgy like red and green stripped bow? Perfect use of GGs to round out my very GG (Gossip Girl) look.











p.s. Speaking of GG, one of my favorite fashionistas Chic Intution just blogged about this stripped sweater that little J will wear in an upcoming Gossip Girl episode. Remember when I loved that sweater last month?
Further proof I should be styling TV's hottest fashion show :)

The Scene
For you non-Angelenos, you need to understand that The Valley might as well be another planet to most Westsiders. We don't know much about it except it's always hotter there and it seems sooo far away. Oh and that celebrities have been known to murder their wives there. Not great recommendations.









So there's probably only one person that could lure us out to The Valley today: PopTart's adorable 91-year-old grandma.

When PopTart informed us her Lola would be visiting this month, my mom demanded an audience - Pope style. This morning we worried she might not remember us. Sure I was her granddaughter's bestie from the ages of 7 to 17 but that was all a million years ago. Even PT has a hard time recalling some of our shared childhood memories. F.

But Lola assured us she could never forget us. After all, she told me, I was always PT's tallest friend. Love that badge of honor :) Though I would prefer to be remembered as her funniest friend. But that's just me.

After a lovely brunch, my mom and I watched Nights in Rodanthe. While Richard Gere sets my loins aflame, he doesn't do much for her. And yet she LOVED the movie. Even teared up. Think the thought of lost love really resonated. Ugh the volumes I could write about my mom's tragic love life.





Dinner pepped us up. Mr D barbequed





While my mom kept him company. Adore.








A lovely night got even better when K to the B called with good news. The company I used to work for - that K to the B and a dozen of our friends still work for - had a HUGE success today.





We are talking against all odds, long time coming, historical implications, this is only the beginning HUGE.








That job was such a mixed bag. It was a start-up so it ran me ragged. Wore five different hats. Have never worked so hard in such a high pressure environment.








I've also never had the privelege of working with so many brilliant hilarious GOOD people. And the intensity of our work helped forge bonds that will stand the test of time. I just know it. There, I gained not only work friends but a family - wonderful human beings I would never have met otherwise and can't picture my life without.







































And today that company gave me something else. Something important at this juncture in my life. It gave me faith. Faith that smart, hard working people can finish first. Faith that it does pay to risk big. Faith that sometimes the universe is fair.

It also gave me validation. Validation that I have been and continue to be surrounded by greatness. And that maybe some of that greatness resides inside me too. That just maybe I need to trust myself and own that power more. Do great things with that greatness.


The Outfit
Fashion District halter dress

The Accessories
Fashion District sandals and bracelet
Chanel necklace
Louis Vuitton bag
Urban Outfitters feather hair clip

The Grade
B

The Commentary


Today was all about word association. The Valley made me think hotter than hell which made me think flowy chiffon halter. Enter this $40 dress which you've seen before under a work appropriate jacket. Glad I could get one more wearing of it in before Fall.


As I was putting it on, for a split second the material and the print made me think Rodarte.









Which then triggered images of flowy maxi dresses from Gucci's Spring 2009 collection.






The print also made of think peacock so I added this feather hair pin.







Which reminded me of this SICK Hermes bag







And all the other feathered trinkets I saw in Elle recently.








All the skin made me think I should add jewelry and that only Chanel would do.







My Chanel accessories got me thinking about those two tone Chanel tights that I've been coveting since March.





So today my mom and I drove by the Chanel store on Robertson and there they were, my beauteous tights, beckoning from the window display. Asked for them only to be rudely told by a rude woman that the tights were sold out. All over the US. Forever. Sorry. Goodbye.

Ugh. Being told no just made me want them even more. F. They will be mine rest assured. Oh yes, they will be mine.