Shopbop January Picks

Been loving the Shopbop Shoptalk blog lately for inspiration.





















So decided to take a looksee at What's New on the site and found a handy dandy new feature that lets you "heart" items and create your own little visual wish list. Perfect for sharing on the bloggy blog.

Smart shopbop, lucky you.

Click on the image below and tell me which one of my picks you'll be stalking...

My Shiny New Toys: Circle Scarf

I've been a fan of circle scarves for a while. Been known to covet them on bloggers

And friends like Lauragami waaaay back in November of 2008
(LOOK AT MY PRE-BRAZILIAN BLOWOUT HAIR - UGHS TO THE UGLY!)

I sticky fingered one from my mom's closet and debuted it in May of 2009
(Look at my dreamy post-Brazilian Blowout hair - MUCH betta!)

And I cooed over them on the Missoni Fall 2009 runway

One of my college besties Mr. Peaches Baritone is a new convert. Instead of circle scarves, however, he calls them "snoods." I call him snooty.

He and I seriously spent the better part of November IM'ing each other with new snoody finds at Urban Outfitters, Etsy, Banana Republic and H&M. He must have bought half a dozen by the time Christmas rolled around...and encouraged me to do the same...to justify his problematic obsession. But since they really are more perfect for tough NYC winters than mild LA ones, I refrained.































A few weeks ago, I came home to find a package from Peach on our doorstep. I knew what it was before I even opened it. The irony is that I had JUST come home from shopping and had popped into Banana Republic to see if they had any snoods left. Love my psychic friends network!

And loving how seamlessly my new lightweight beige snood from Nana with the elegant gray trim works with a variety of outfits. Here's how I wore it yesterday as tornados and floods ripped through LA Country.



























































Let me tell you if you haven't tried grey tights with beige boots, you haven't lived. Just ask Jessica and Reese

For all of you Angelenos suffering through the next few days of bad weather, here's some inspiration. And for all of you in the rest of the country dealing with winter for a few more months, my condolences.

If you are looking for a circle scarf of your own, I hear Fashion Toast loves the one from American Apparel.

But I suggest you support small business instead of Terry Richardson and get some on etsy, here or here.

Shop on Melrose and Robertson with Me!

Fun news: Last week, I became the Melrose and Robertson Shopping Examiner. For those of you unfamiliar with these two boulevards in L.A., all you have to know is that they house some of the hottest (and my most favorite) stores: 3.1. Phillip Lim, Chanel, Christian Louboutin, Marc Jacobs, Diane Von Furstenberg, BCBG Max Azria, Intermix, Alexander McQueen.

But for my first post I decided to keep it real and me and cover the best resale shopping on Melrose for every budget. Please bookmark, comment and share. I get a few bones every time someone views my stuff and at the rate I'm going now, I'll be rich...in 2110...maybe. ;)

Mostly I'm just looking to increase the exposure I get as a writer and challenge myself creatively to deliver interesting, useful and stylish content beyond the blog. Hoping 2010 is my year.

Hope you had a happy MLK weekend, studied the trends at the Globes and donated to the relief efforts in Haiti!

Big kiss.

New Feature: Mommy and Me Matching

My mom and I are BFFs. She is my biggest fan and I am hers. We live to eat and laugh and shop - not necessarily in that order.

Over the last two years of blogging, I've realized just how often we end up matching. It's downright spooky. So I figured another new feature should chronicle our adventures in fashion ESP. Hope you enjoy tales of me and my mini me and how we're sartorially linked.

***

This is what I showed up wearing for Mommy Sunday last weekend: Forever top, sunnies and necklace paired with a BCBG skirt, Louis Vuitton flats and Gucci purse.































And this is what my mom greeted me at the door wearing: Hanes tank, Bloomingdale's cashmere cardigan, Theory slacks, Marc Jacobs shoes, Chanel purse and Valentino sunnies.































Can you believe we both chose the exact same beige and red color palette? That I wore stripes and she wore leopard - the two hottest prints for spring? AND that even the bows on our little old shoes matched???
























Sadly this similar taste in fashion can lead to problems. Like today we both fell in love with a Missoni sweater. Just 80 dollars resale and neither of us owns Missoni (well except those scarves I brought back from Century 21!) I spotted it first but ended up letting her have it. Because it looked better on her and because she now owes me one. 'Dems the rules of resale shopping with me. MWAHAHAHHAH!

























Here's some more red inspiration to feast your eyes on













































































































































































































































































































But my favorite: the red soles on these BARBIE LOUBOUTINS!








































The Louboutin barbie is the perfect belated Christmas present that you've been meaning to get me. I mean when are we ever gonna get FOUR pairs of Louboutins for $150?

Da Fashionista Super Sweet Closet Tour

I've been wanting to put together a video tour of my closet foreva. Have put it off for over a year because, well, I am THE AWKWARD OLYMPICS around video cameras. I'm the person at parties and weddings that just waves at them...like a deaf mute deer caught in headlights.

Enter Mr. Diabolina. To the rescue. Per usual.

He LOOOOVES him some video cameras. Totally ironic since in most social settings I'm the extrovert to his introvert. But he is a big shot litigator which requires theatrical flair and zero self consciousness. And one of his greatest regrets in life? Not submitting an audition video to the Real World. He'll deny it but it's true. Sad but true.

So after viewing a closet video tour I made on my own and declaring it "totally lame", Mr. Diabolina offered to help me shoot one. I resisted for days. I mean the only thing that could be more UNCOMF than doing a totally lame video would be doing a totally lame video with your mister. Shudder.

Then tonight I had a cocktail, watched some horrifying American Idol auditions and decided to succumb to The Auteur. I'm still SHOCKINGLY awkward in it but the pop up bubbles I added help break the tension. And major kudos to Mr. D for indulging me with the Q&A...and the blog... and everything else that's important to me. He is a prince.

Adventures in Makeup: Lauren Luke Youtube videos and Kim Karadashian Video Makeup Tutorials

New 2010 Feature:

Adventures in Makeup

I've always been a girlie girl.

I was the two year old on Halloween that refused to leave the house without red, bold, "look at me, boys!" lips to match her Little Red Riding Hood costume. By the age of five I'd learned interlocking C's meant pretty and would spend hours playing in my mom's small but fancy makeup drawer. She eventually nicknamed me "Queta" as in "coqueta" which means flirty/vain/girly in Spanish.

But as I grew older, my preening honed in on fashion not so much makeup. I had fun experimenting with clothes and accessories but I found makeup hugely intimidating. This probably had something to do with the fact that I grew up in Southern California where makeup typically consists of a swipe of lip gloss paired with a permatan. But more likely it was a result of having a mother with perfect skin and gorgeous eyes that never wore much makeup. (Ironically she worked for a Christian Dior make-up counter in her early twenties and those gorg eyes were on a billboard for her department store in Guatemala.)

Fast forward a couple of decades and I'm the type of woman that rarely wears foundation. I'll acquire an impressive collection of lotions and potions and makeup from party gift bags or friends in the beauty industry. But they typically sit in my bathroom, sad and forlorn.

However, in recent years, my interest in makeup has been growing. Maybe it's because by keeping a daily diary I've come to terms with the fact that my face is changing, slowly but surely. The fine lines are creeping in, the chin is starting to disappear into my neck. And I've realized that I should probably make the most of what I have, before it's gone forever.

So I've started dipping my toes in the makeup pool. For my 30th, 31st and 32nd birthdays, I got my makeup done professionally by the wizards at MAC. Tried fake eye lashes for the first time. And loooooved the results. Realized I can look like a totally different person - a hot mama kinda person! - with just a bit of effort and skill.
















While I was at home for three weeks caring for my mom after her brain surgery, I became addicted to makeup DIY videos on the Interwebs, specifically Lauren Luke. For months I had heard of the British single mom that has taken Youtube by storm with her makeup tutorials which led to her own makeup line at Sephora.

During the month of December, I finally watched one of Lauren's videos and then proceeded to watch a dozen more. LOVE Lauren's unassuming manner, how she breaks down complicated looks into a series of simple steps and the fact that she encourages viewers to have fun, experiment with color and not be afraid to make mistakes. It's what I've been trying to do with fashion and this blog for the last two years.











































At first I started recreating her more natural looks. A bit of silver on the eyes. Heavy eyeliner. Some contouring using her number three technique: swipe matte bronzer in the shape of a three on your forehead, cheeks and jawline. And a bit of highlighter - on the inside and outside corner of the eyes - to open up the eye area and emphasize the cheekbone.

As I got more comfortable and was having more and more fun, I tried my hand at the smokier looks. Learned the importance of starting with a good eye shadow primer and layering eye shadow colors for a more multi-dimensional look.

As New Year's approached, I made several resolutions. To get back in shape. To be tidier. To write more, shop less. To eat less, craft more. And to figure out my career once and for all.

I also resolved to make 2010 the year of the (cat) makeup. After all, true style is about the details, head to toe glam. I vow to experiment with wearing bolder makeup, to have fun with color and identity and femininity. To get my Kim Kardashian on, if you will.

I even found this three part video series with Kim's make up artist Mario and this blog by another one of her glam squad team members, Troy Jensen. Learned a ton about the exact products and colors today's It girls use. Even whipped up a "Kim eye for work" on my first day back in The Office. Seriously smoky by my standards. Ended up getitng quite a few "Ho much?" stares but felt fabulous so everyone can suck it.

In the coming months you can expect to see more posts about my adventures with makeup. Tricks I'm learning and products I'm loving. For now here's some gorgeous inspiration to help kick off a prettier new year of you.