What I'm Summer Lovin'

TV: My name is Diabolina and I'm a Mad Man addict.  Got through three delicious seasons in a few days with only breaks for food and sleep. Can't wait for the new season: Drapers Do Divorce.  

Shoes:  Have also suddenly and inexplicably become Dutch.  Cannot get enough of wooden heels. They're  as close as I will ever get to the clog trend, which MERCIFULLY is on it's way out.

Color: Army green has become a real problem too. Pants, dresses, jackets - I've got em all.  Private Diabolina reporting for duty.  

Hair:  Move over Blair Waldorf, there's a new hair accessory in town. She's a silk scarf slash turban slash hot mess of a do rag and I heart her.  

Buying: Been snatching up ankle length skirts AND short shorts. Like a schizophrenic fiend who loves her legs one minute and hates them another. But seriously, long hemlines are going to replace hoochie coochie lengths by fall.  You heard it here first.

Wearing: Been living in gladiator sandals and jaunty hats and too many rings.

I look like a Panamanian pimp vacationing in Greece. Hot.

Experimenting:  Been TRYING to rock braids and side boobage - trying being the operative word. So far been feeling old and poseur-like whenever I do. Pictures to come for your laughing pleasure.

Coveting: Dear Birthday Santa, there are four shopping weeks til my birthday.  Nothing says 33rd/Jesus birthday like a yellow dress and bucket bag.   

Nails: A Miu Miu swallows mani/pedi? One word: Amazeballs. 

Makeup:  Bright brighter and brightest lips. Pairing a whole lotta lip color with a little bronzer, a smidge of mascara and a hint of liquid eyeliner.  Focusing on lips is really the lazy woman's trick to looking like you put in some effort.

Music:  Like every other Cali born and raised girl who is fine, fresh, fierce and gots it on lock, I heart Katy Perry's California Girls. Actually maybe I just love anything Snoop Dogg does.

My take on Katy's style of late?  Blech. Talk about hoochie COOCHIE.  I blame that Russel Brand.

Movies:  Can't wait for Eclipse and Eat, Pray, Love.  There I said it.  Why can't I releate to teenagers AND the perimenopausal?  They both take themselves waaaaay too seriously so it kinda makes sense.   

Books: Already finished Bushnell's The Carrie Diaries (almost as bad as SATC 2!) and Gilbert's Committed (a very interesting take on why marriage might just be passe for the modern woman!). Currenly reading The Girls of the Revolutionary Cantina by one of my former and favorite coworkers Mike Padilla. 

Actually I'm rereading it.  You see, Mike gave me the manuscript to read almost three years ago before he sent it to his publisher.  He wanted a female Latina perspective.  Since that's what the book is all about.

Being trusted to critique a REAL writer's soon-to-be published book was probably one of the highest compliments anyone's ever paid me.  And it changed my life. 

It was one of the things that inspired me to own my voice again.  It was one of the reasons I got back to writing about the tough stuff and eventually started this blog to write about the fun stuff. 

So I think we all owe Mike a kiss.  Or at the very least a book purchase ;)   

Channeling Posh Spice in Forever 21 & Giuseppe Zannotti

When Mr. Diabolina and I met, his youngest sister Felicity 2.0 wasn't even a teenager yet. Can't believe she's now engaged to be mawied. 

The wedding will be later this summer in Maine so last month her parents

hosted a little soiree to celebrate the happy couple in Cali.

It was a lovely event filled with some of my favorite things - blue eyes, boozing and pigging.

Oh and there was my peplum dress.  My ladylike, flattering, retro, sexy secretary, panda-riffic peplum dress.

 The dress is from Forever 21.  It has an unfortunate name "Reminiscent Career Dress" (WTF, Changs!) Thankfully it had the very fortunate pricetag of $27.80!!

I nearly keeled over when I slipped it on in the F21 dressing room. The piping was elegant, the material substantial and the fit impeccable.  And the peplum (that's the short overskirt) pulled a total fashion MacGwyver: creating a waist on my straight-up-and-down middle while disguising that good ole stomach poochieness.  A+ And not surprising that the peplum originated in ancient Greece - all those Bacchus-gobbling types WOULD need a bit of mid-section magic.

One woman who has zero need for sartorial optical illusions is Victoria Beckham.  And yet the peplum silhouette is one of the signatures of her 40s-era designs.  It's frankly why I bought the dress.  I knew I wouldn't be plunking down several thousands for a Posh Spice original any time soon.  Forever 21 would have to do.

Was worried black would be too somber for an engagement party so added a neon pop.  A neon pop of hot sex on a silver ice pick.  My Baribie-meets-Blade-Runner Giuseppe Zannotti heels.

You would not BEElieve how these shoes flummox people.  Man, woman and child.   Love the shock factor. It's good for people. Makes them think twice about the same old, same old.  

Learned it by watching Victoria

And PYTs like Mr. D's baby cousin. This child KILLS me. From the gilded shoes to the on-trend braids to the unbridled hogging, she is a kindred spirit.

And did I mention "Bad Romance" is her favorite song!  LOVE!  Here we are discussing some Gaga  costume options for Halloween with her mama. Do you die?

I seriously needed to summon all my self-restraint to not gobble her right then and there. FOR REALZ, you have to be careful around me and your babies. I WILL eat them and just wear a peplum dress to disguise the belly. You've been warned.

p.s. Congrats to Miss Mae of The Valley Girl.  She won the $100 Shopbop giftcard!!!  Kiss you all for entering.

Vintage YSL, Jason Wu Sunglasses and 'Staches

About a year ago, my mustachioed fashionisto of a friend KBro surprised me with a pair of vintage Yves Saint Laurent glasses (among other fashionable, funny trinkets.)   Best.thrifted.gift.EVER!!! 

This summer I FINALLY got around to making the old granny glasses into new GLAMMY shades. What took me so long? Well, I can be a cheap bastard. Most Lens Crafter-type places took one look at the YSL logo on the frames and quoted me over $150 to change out the lenses. F that.

 Thankfully, a few months ago Sable Crow had lasik and let me know that his optometrist Dr. Chung in WeHo converted all his fancy glasses into sunnies for under $100.  Thank god cuz I loved all his frames - especially on me - and that was just the price range I was looking for my YSLs ;)

Just $75 and one week later, I had the retro-yet-of-the-moment sunnies of my dreams. LOVE! 

Nearly pooped my pants when I opened up a European magazine and saw that impeccable Camilla Belle sporting a nearly identical pair of yummy.

Did my homework and found out they are by First Lady favorite, Jason Wu.

$275 a pop. Available at Nordstrom's among other fancy places.  Simply gorge. Get them NOW!

Debuted my vintage pair at the perfect vintage event: Kbro's 80th (or thereabouts) birthday. Also donned a 'stache to honor the man, the myth, the Kbro.  So did Mr. Diabolina. We were quite the hit at the otherwise normal Silverlake restaurant.  Love bringing the facial hair spectacle.

Good to know that if I stopped waxing I'd look like Sadaam. And Mr. Diabolina, well, he should NEVER grow a mustache.   

Also good to know that Kbro and I are always on the same fashion wavelength. Like both rocking vests on  his bday!!! Hot chick JINX!

My mom and Jean Bean are the only other pretties I typically match. That boy really is one off my best girlfriends. 

p.s. STILL on the prowl for low cost versions of these REDIC Alexander Wang cat eyes. Let me know what you see out there, kitties.  Gracias in advance ;)