Gift Bags are Fabulous

Last night, I celebrated my birthday with most of my closest friends. We had drinks and dinner. It was wonderful. To thank them all for coming and being a part of my life, I made gift bags for a little treat to take home. Everyone loved them and they doubled as decorations for the table, too! They are great addition to any party, and are so easy to do. Here is my pumpkin themed adult bag from last night:

Blue Moon Pumpkin Ale: 12 pack for $7.99

Pumpkin Peeps: 2 for $1

Chocolate Covered Pumpkin Peeps: 3 for $1

Reese's, Kit Kats, and Skittles: 1 bag for $2.50

Peanut Butter "Eyeballs" and Chocolate "Zombies": 1 bag for $1

Final Cost: About $3!

As I mentioned above, these were adult goodie bags, so if you did not include alcohol they would be even cheaper. I do have a few tips for creating party favors. #1- Pick a theme or revolve your bag around one item. Mine was pumpkin/orange because I knew I wanted to include the pumpkin beer. (It is one of friends' favorites.) You can choose anything: a holiday, a sport, a color, a culture.  #2- If you can, plan ahead. There are coupons galore and candy sales all the time! If you know ahead of time what your theme is, you can pick items up as they go on sale, saving you money or getting your guests more stuff. #3- The bolder, the better. What ever you use to fasten your bag should be big and bright colors grab more attention. #4- Have fun!

PS: This is what I wore today:

Jacket: bebe

Thermal Tank: Club Monaco

Jeans: Paige Denim

Shoes: Guess

Sex and the City 2 DVD Out Tuesday!

The second movie installment of Sex and City will be released this Tuesday, October 26th, on DVD and Blu-Ray. I for one am so excited to see the new fashions once again! This film follows Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte to Abu Dhabi for a girls vacation in the lavish, excessive world of the Middle East resort lifestyle. 

The film, inevitably was compared to the first, and critics "killed it" (according to Chris Noth), but reviews were mixed amongst my girlfriends, as well. As far as fashion was concerned, I loved the over the top looks of the movie. There were a few glitches here and there (i.e. Charlotte's camel ride ensemble) but for the most part the jewels, accessories, patterns, and fabulous cuts were perfect. Sex and the City has always been a bit unobtainable, as far as clothing goes, and Patricia Fields, the franchise's costume designer, does a miraculous job and at matching the personalities of each character and giving the audience an escape to fantasy fashion. My more conservative girlfriends, especially the mother's, preferred the more translatable fashion of the first film, but that makes perfect sense.

I am a huge fan of movies, and I see quite a few, but going into the midnight premiere of Sex and the City 2, I was not expecting a film to change all films. 

This is what I wore to the premiere night:

On me (left):

Dress: Club Monaco

Belt: Ann Taylor

Shoes: Aldo

Clutch: Club Monaco

Earrings: bebe

On Amber (right):

Dress: ANGL

Shoes: Steve Madden

Belt: Forever 21

Cuff: Borrowed

It is a film about fashion, women's troubles, and sex. Yes, sex. It is not supposed to be serious. I was sad to see critics tear the movie to pieces when it was meant to be a fun gift to the fans. Sarah Jessica Parker answered back perfectly, "It’s less about the reviewers than it is about the audience, and they’ve been pretty true, so we tend to listen to them more than anybody else." The film does have its poignant scenes. I was almost in tears when Charlotte was in the pantry crying because she was dealing with two kids driving her crazy. And Carrie's struggles with Big and Aiden were realistic struggles that are more common than people might think. 

All and all, the film is worth the $20 to own, if not only for the witty conversation and fabulous collection of clothes. If you are really into fashion, pick up a copy of Sex and the City 2: the Stories, the Fashion, the Adventure. It breaks down every outfit, head to toe, and tells you where it came from. A must own for any SATC fan. 

PS: This is what I wore today.

Blazer: Hinge

Camisole: The Limited

Skinny Jeans: bebe

Boots: Nine West

Earrings: The Limited

Necklace: Forever 21

Cheap Halloween Thrills

Halloween is almost a week away, and if you are like me, you love holiday festivities. Here are some inexpensive ways to spend some time before the holiday and enjoy the spirit of the day of the dead.

Bake yummy goodies! Cupcake, brownie, and cookie mix is super cheap and there are always coupons in the paper or online. There are tons of ways to make them festive, as well. Martha Stewart Magazine is a great place for inspiration, but look no further than your local candy isle for some ideas. Holiday M&Ms, candy corns, and "chocolate eyes" are great. And everyone loves sprinkles! Target usually has holiday sprinkles in their dollar deals. For my first batch, I went for a pumpkin patch feel:

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing, 

Green Sugar Crystals, and Pumpkin Candies

Attend local fundraisers! A lot of schools and churches host fall festivals or Halloween carnivals. They usually have rides, games, haunted houses, and treat booths. The proceeds all benefit a local cause and usually $10 or $20 bucks will get you far. This is especially great is you have kids or other little ones to entertain. Make sure they always say thank you! The festival planners work very hard!

Carve pumpkins! No matter how old you are, pumpkin patches are always fun. If you go to a large patch, they may have hay rides, a petting zoo, face painting, and other activities. Also, the food is usually very yummy. I love warm apple cider and home made corn bread. Of course the challenge of picking the perfect pumpkin is always most important, and carving the image just right. And do not forget to save your seeds! Pumpkin seeds are delicious and so easy to make. Here is a recipe:

Preheat over to 400 degrees.

Separate seeds from stringy insides and clean.

Boil seeds in salt water about 10 minutes.

(1/2 cup seeds, 2 cups water, 1/2 tbsp. salt)

Spread a little olive oil on cookie sheet.

Spread seeds evenly on sheet and bake for 10-20 minutes.

Let cool completely before eating.

Enjoy!

PS: This is what I wore today.

Sweater: H&M

Camisole: The Limited

Tights: The Limited

Boots: Sam Edelman

Unisex Clothing

In the November issue of W Magazine, Lee Carter features an article "She's a (Fabulous) He" about sexuality, especially homosexuality, cross-dressing, and transsexuality being on the forefront of fashion right now. The article also showcases Luis Venegas' (Editor in chief of Candy publication) new trio of unisex blouses. This all struck an idea in me: in a culture where menswear is a leading women's trend, and men wear women's clothing, why not design a unisex collection? I am not talking of the ill-fitting unisex tee shirts of high school club days, but a cohesive trendy line of separates that anyone can wear.

I know countless men who wear women's pants, and Katie Holmes got a lot of credit for wearing Tom Cruise's jeans, so why not? Venegas' blouses are an example of the future of fashion, and how open mindedness can get you far. There's no word yet on an expansion of the line, but I sure hope so. Other designers should take advantage of marketing to a broader audience, and as long as the lines are trendy and well made, success is inevitable.

On a related side note, GLADD (The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) is asking Americans to wear purple today in support of ending anti-gay bullying. I recently posted about bullying and am asking everyone to help support this cause. Being men is never right, despite your personal views or opinions. All you have to do is wear purple. :) I had to work today, so I did what I could.

PS: This is what I wore today:

Purple Tie: Express

Purple Makeup: MAC Cosmetics

Resort is in Full Swing

The November issues of fashion magazines are arriving and resort wear trends are the topic of choice. Resort season always makes me smile because it is an escape, literally and fashionably. People all over the world vacation religiously during the months of January, February, and March to escape the winter blues and relax in the magical paradises that await them in the coastal fronts. Resort collections all bring along a playful disregard for reality, making statements with costume like looks.

The 2011 resort season brings back the ever classic gingham and nautical looks, staying modern by carrying on the ruffles and lace of fall's trends. The preppy look is being updated with polka dots and scalloped edges, and everything is being shown in the sweet shades of pastel pink, baby blue, and mint green. Floral returns, but with a soft edge, think peonies, freesia, and gardenias, and the silhouettes are retro and fabulous.

I am in love with the collections from Christian Dior:

 And Oscar De La Renta:

PS: This is what I wore today.

Sweater: H&M

Skinny Jeans: bebe

Boots: Sam Edelman

Crystal Flower Ring: Love Diva

Male's Fashion Confusion

A couple of days ago, I was telling a friend about She-Q. He proceeded to suggest subjects for future posts. His number one choice was "Tights are Not Pants." I was confused and said he was correct, tights are indeed not pants. The conversation continued and he explained that he meant he thought it was wrong when girls wear tights with just a tee shirt over them and call it a day. I was inspired. 

What my friend meant by tights was leggings. I explained that tights are sheer and require additional coverage (i.e. a skirt or a dress) for the private region. Leggings, however, can technically be worn without assistance. He never seemed to grasp that there was a difference, (he also needed thigh high stockings explained) which lead me to the conclusion that much of men's fashion confusion comes from misunderstanding terminology. Comparisons like flared pants versus bell bottoms scare men off sometimes because they think any non-straight pant must have a costume aesthetic and be worn to the local disco. 

Once we got past the vocabulary lesson, I expressed that I sometimes wear leggings with just a top over them, and that the style is very popular, and often very stylish, right now. I gave him a random example and he replied that that female in particular looked cute, so leggings and a top was acceptable. Point number two: men make fashion exceptions for women they are attracted to. A trend that he was appalled by moments before, became a "great look for a great butt" as soon as there was a pretty face attached. I agree not every look works for every person, but the chauvinistic approach does not work for trend analysis. I realize I am not unveiling some miraculous discovery, but the conversation made me laugh. And when it was over he said, "but tights are not pants." Indeed.

PS: This is what I wore today.

Dress: H&M

Boots: Nine West

Scarf: The Gap

Birthday Festivities Under Wayl

My 25th birthday is officially October 16th, tomorrow, however, in true girl fashion, I started celebrating two days early. Last night I had a fabulous dinner at BLT steakhouse on Sunset, per a recommendation from my manager. It was fantastic! We were lucky enough to have the sommelier, Mark, as our server which resulted in a great wine (Fiddlehead "Oldsville" Pinot Noir) and an even more fabulous port (Alcyone) which tasted like Tootsie Rolls. I was treated to dessert for my birthday (cinnamon donuts with espresso ice cream and peanut butter/chocolate mouse... to die for!) Everything was absolutely delicious, service was great, and the people at the table next to us even shared their appetizer (charred bacon strips).

This is what I wore last night:

Dress: The Limited

Shoes: bebe "Mariah" pump (See Designer Shoes for Less)

Earrings: bebe

Otherwise, I have some updates from previous posts for you! I took a trip to the Betsey Johnson outlet on Monday and picked up two pairs of earrings for $25 including tax! They are currently having buy one, get one free on all apparel, jewelry is an additional 40% off, and select shoes are only $59.My nail color of choice last night was "Bad Fairy" from MAC's Disney Villians line. It is fabulous! One note: apply three coats to make sure all the pigment is evenly distributed. And last but not least, I got a couple more free "birthday gifts" from my favorite stores. Victoria's Secret ended up send me a $10 gift card, and Pep Boys (not fashion, but a gift is a gift) sent me a $20 gift card. All went to good use!

PS: This is what I wore today.

Jacket: Hinge

Tank: bebe

Jeans: Paige Denim

Shoes: Guess

Owl Pendant Necklace: Forever 21