Fall? Fall, Schmall

End of summer?  Wait, let me get my culottes!

Grasping the end of summer outfitted in culottes, I took it way back to the glorious days of the early 80s.  Complete with big gold hoops, turban head scarf, and highest leopard heels, I am ending summer with a BANG!  

I spotted these linen culottes at my favorite vintage/second hand boutique and they were mine. They needed someone to swoop them up and glamorize the prep out them!  My gold belt from my grandmother, another prized piece, added a gold matte sheen shared by my hula hoops on my ears.  As culottes are boxy in nature, I had to keep my top close fitting with this sexy racerback tank.  Cinching the culottes at my natural waist helped to create an hour glass shape.

I felt like I need something else for adornment and none of my necklaces were making the cut.  I spotted my H&M silky scarf.  Black, gold, emerald green, with chains and panthers...of course, a turban!!!  And pulling in a current trend of animal print, I love any chance I get to wear these beasts!  Leopard print pumps-a definite must.

How to tie a turban scarf

I parted my hair down the middle, took my folded scarf, and started to wrap from the back of my head.  Then, crossed the scarf at my forehead, switched ends, wrapped them to the back of my head, and tied the ends in a double knot.

Head Scarf: H&M   Top: Madewell found here 

Bottoms: Vintage Linen Culottes

Belt: Vintage from my 'Nana'  Shoes: Steve Madden

Sunglasses: Urban Outfitters

Cheers!

Try a flashback of your own and let me know how it went.

Summer Night Frills

A Night at the Hollywood Bowl 

It was our last summer concert at the Hollywood Bowl with my family.  We went out with a bang with Earth, Wind & Fire!  It was a beautiful, warm evening.  You always want to dress up when going to "The Bowl," like when people used to dress to the nine when flying.  This light, frilly dress had such a relaxed, yet girly roaring 20s feel.  When spending the evening at "The Bowl," one has to keep in mind the involuntary hike up and down Highland from parking space to concert seat.  The not-so-obvious choice was my 'shoe-of-the-moment', the familiar, patent leather ox blood oxfords!!  Man, I loooove these shoes.  In the September Issue of In Style, Drew Barrymore was awesomely photographed with layered necklaces.  She was styled with one major statement necklace and another one draped around it as to give it this amazing frame.  Look below...  

I apologize for the 'fuzzy ifone fotos.'  Our real camera got quarantined until after the show, oops. 

Necklaces:  Forever 21 

Hint:  When looking for statement necklaces, seek out ones that look detailed and substantial.  I picked this one out last December.  I loved the combination of rhinestones and gold and the detail and size differences of the roses.

Photo Credit: InStyle Magazine found here
Photographer: Michelangelo Di Battista

Shoes: Urban Outfitters here   Dress: Forever 21

Light Linen Blazer: Zara (from previous post;)

Mmmm...wine & cheese.

Cheers to beautiful, warm evenings!

Thanks for stopping by!

School Boy...-Ish

Back to school and a first impression.

I started my doctoral graduate program this week.  Huh?  Yeah, no kidding.  Kind of overwhelming, but it is all about perspective, right?!?!  So, why not look cute and professional [bubbly], while I am stressed the eff out [grrrr] and running around like a chicken with its head cut off?

Selecting a first impression is a very careful process.  On the first day of school, I was to meet all of my 29 classmates and professors.  Striving for relaxed, yet professional, I still wanted to exhibit my personality.  All summer I was looking out for pieces to do just that.  The summer sales were calling my name...any sale, actually.

This was my thought process:  I wanted to keep it light with neutral colors-just too damn hot in Los Angeles, right now!  The inspiration was the menswear trend meets JCrew who had lunch with Ellen Degeneres.  Her style is crisp!  I really like the menswear trend.  It is so bold, yet sexy and powerful.  But, I have to be careful and make sure I add elements of femininity or else I look like a dude-a stylish dude, nonetheless!

Pants- Khaki ankle skimmers led the way.  Ankles are so sexy now a days.  I found these on sale, in store, at Club Monaco, for extra 50% off of the sale price-$50-so, I bought them in black, too.  OMG!  I love them so much.  They are priced cheaper at the store than they are online, where they are found here.
Collared Shirt- My blue pinstriped shirt from the GAP was neatly tucked in and buttoned up to the top.  Another sale item, of course.

Sunglasses- The ever so cool Ray-Bans.
Bag- This has been my school bag for the last few years.  It is so versatile for every outfit and big enough for my computer and a couple of books.  I found this L.A.M.B. beauty at Nordstrom Rack!  It was totally love at first sight.  It makes me smile.

Blazer- I scored this 'too cool for school,' linen blazer at the Zara summer sale for $39.99!!  Knowing I had a long day ahead in air-conditioned classrooms, I knew I needed a light jacket/blazer.  A sweater looked too matronly and like a grandfather all at the same time.  This blazer fit the vision.

Shoes- And for the pièces de résistance, my ox blood, patent leather oxfords!  A $40 buy from Urban Outfitters, found here, can you believe it?!?  They had them in black, as well.  I may go back to get the black pair...  My other flats just looked so boring.  Heels were out of the question, mainly because I need to get some non-platform, wedge-free, sans stiletto, professional heels.  Hmm...any ideas?

Poodle- Introducing, the most amazing Toy Pooodle in the universe, Murphy.  He is often addressed as Mr. Murphy because of his stately qualities and intellectual expressions.

Jewelry- A gold necklace with rhinestone detail from, where else, Forever 21, was just enough sparkle for school.  I placed it on top of the shirt under the collar, where it hung right under the top button of the shirt.  I have a lot of over the top necklaces with bigger baubles, shapes, and bright colors that would have been a bit over the top.  I had to wear a watch, so I did not get caught looking at my phone in class.  My ring is David Yurman, in Smoky Quartz, and my watch is Skagan, similar style here, both generous gifts I received for graduations from my very close family.  Sappy as it may be, I had my family there with me on the first day of school...tear, sniff sniff.

Nail Polish- OPI 'Catherine The Great' & accented with the glittery 'Pink Yet Lavender.'  Matching my nail polish to my shoes was an afterthought, I swear!  But, I do pay a very sick amount of attention to detail.  So much so, that I had to two people, whom I was interviewing for, say, "I could tell you pay a lot of attention to detail."  Each chosen outfit can speak volumes.

Cheers to new endeavors!!

See you soon, I gotta run to class!

Chop Chop Crop Top Part 2

Crop Top + High Waist = End of Summer Perfection, Day to Evening

Combatting the heat in Los Angeles, I knew this crop top was the perfect weapon.  A day at the salon was the ideal way to beat the heat on one of my last days off before my graduate program started.  EEK!  As you read in Part 1, my hair went through a bit of a transformation.  So, my outfit that had to go through its own transformation from day to evening!  Because I HAD to go out with my new hair!!!

DAY

Having a previous post about crop top and high waisted shorts, I love how feminine and sexy this style can be.  Since this crop top accented 'the girls,' I wanted to be more modest on the lower half and went with this full skirt.  I actually, bought this skirt years ago at Lucky Brand, when the clothes were more edgy, not that this skirt is edgy, well...never mind.  Thank god it has a drawstring at the waist, resurrection!  Since this skirt has a drawstring, I could have given you a belly dance- um, naaaah.  So, I went with a little peek-above the belly button.  

Crop Top: Forever 21

Chain Necklace: Forever 21 (worn doubled)

Linen Full Skirt: Lucky Brand

Handbag: BCBG "lust" version here "must" version here

Sandals: DV Dolce Vita similar here

EVENING

I just had to change my handbag to a clutch, BCBG, and flat gold sandals to red hot heels from ZARA, which I bought at their summer sale.  Somehow the chain necklace and the red heels really play off each other and bring the ethnic feel of the top out.  I feel as if I am channeling M.I.A.-gold chains, leather...to be a rockstar.  I digress.  Humidity was ever present which made a jacket or sweater unnecessary.   I was praying all night my new hair would not frizz up.  

Ah, color!!!  Enjoy!

ps-  Thank you for stopping by...

Chop Chop Crop Top Part 1

Hi-YA!!!  CHOP!!!  ...it off.

Going to back to school this week, I wanted a fresh start with a fresh new cut.  My hair was at my waist and a bit too long.  It was getting caught in everything-purse handles, my car doors, car windows, etc!  So, I went to my friend/fabulous hair stylist, Allie Paronelli at Jonathan George Salon in Beverly Hills, CA.  Always giving me the most beautiful cuts, Allie was the most excited to chop it off--mermaid hair long gone.

BEFORE

AFTER

Photo Credit: Allie Paronelli

 Allie Paronelli and I at Jonathan George Salon

THANK YOU, ALLIE!!

Underneath it [Over]Alls

 Overalls?!?  Really?!?!  Hmm... Okay, I will take that challenge.  

So, I was shopping at Anthropologie with my 'birthday 15% off postcard," when I spotted this silky number.  How cool are these?!?!  A sultry take on the denim overalls everyone has been styling lately.   The only question was, what the hell do I wear underneath it all-the over all?  I tried sweet colored tanks, but felt like a third grader.  I tried flow-y tops, but felt so frumpy.  So, I spotted this bandeau and loved how it was black and white, and an ode to ND's 'Rock Steady.'  You know, black and white is the new black.  

These overalls flipped a bitch on all of the denim osh-kosh, oh my gosh.  This wide cropped style could only be paired with the highest of heels, kick-ass DVF booties, actually.  Unless, I have to plans to party with some oompa-lumpas later on, the higher the better.

I decided to wear this outfit to The Los Angeles Times, The Taste.  We sampled all of LA's restaurants from STK to Border Grill-even said 'hello' to one of the Two Hot Tamales!!  Also, spirit and wine vendors shared their new flavors of Don Julio to Bushmills to Stella Artois to Francis Ford Coppola.  

Overalls: Anthropologie Elevenses
Booties: DVF
Sunnies: Ray-Ban Caribbean here
Necklace: Forever 21

The Los Angeles, The Taste

This was amazing!  I never have a taste for whiskey, but always have a taste for oysters!!!  The Bowmore booth instructed a whiskey/oyster shooter.

1. Take a sip of the yummy oyster without the meat.
2. Take a sip of the whiskey.
3. Then, indulge in the meat of the oyster.
4. Finally, go back to the final taste of the whiskey.

What a delicious TASTE:)

Here in the Don Julio abode, they were serving up Tajin rimmed cucumber margaritas-my favorite!!

Fun on the Paramount Studios Lot...

(forgive the blurry iphone picture)

On our way out, leaving our mark at The Taste.

CHEERS!

DIY Wall Art?

Sure, why not!  You made it, you may like it...or not.

My brother, R.J., gifted me Breakfast at Tiffany's wall art while he was in Chicago, at art school.  Little did he know it would cost him 3x as much to ship it to L.A. than it was to buy Ms. Golightly!  He scrapped the idea and started to fill the negative space with quips from his college days.  Who knows what the exact story behind each one?  Someday, I will find out.  Until then, like a true artpiece, I will gather my own story of his perspective.  So, he liked what it turned into and tore it down and brought it home to L.A. with him.  Although my eyebrows burrowed when I first saw it, i realized I was looking into my brother's random college days.  I loved it! 

My idea was to pull Audrey Hepburn's character together, the manic, imaginative beauty she was.  I wanted to use natural fibers in contrast to the flashy color, the randomness of each word and phrase, and the grandiosity of this fabulous screen siren.

• I chose a wrapped canvas big enough to have a border around the piece.

• Using Rust-Oleum Satin Spray Paint, I wanted to match the color of the canvas to the twine. 

Before:

After:

• When positioning the pieces on the canvas, I measured the borders and space between each part.

• I penciled in markings around each piece to maintain the correct measurements throughout the project.

• I picked natural colored twine to wrap, knot, and contain Ms. Golightly. 

• Lining up each piece is the hard part, especially as you are lifting each one to tie and wrap it with twine.  I would tie it around the canvas and some times I would tie it to the back beams. 

  

My new art piece!