It is very sad how I have been neglecting you....

Trife as Hell: Those who love me have been cursing me in public and in private. My sincerest apologies for leaving you all for so long. It is not that I lack inspiration, but that I am overwhelmed with responsibility, some of which I will share. (For those that don't know, "trife" is a little word we use in Texas to abbreviate trifling. See the 3rd definition of trifling in the Urban Dictionary.)

Needless to say, I love LA. I am recruiting my top girls to move here and it's looking good :) I have learned what it takes to please me: I love eating and I love being outside. In this wonderful city, I can eat outside at any restaurant daily. Tony Toni Tone never lied - It never rains in southern California! (ok, not exactly never, but seldom and when it happens, we get a few days of cute rainboots and then move on.) My two favorite restaurants are La Conversation on Doheny for breakfast and Caffe Primo on Sunset for lunch. I can be spotted at either usually twice a week. Oh, and when I am entertaining my out-of-towners who undoubtedly want to venture down Rodeo, I must eat the goat cheese and apple salad at 208 Rodeo.

How Do I Look? So, all of my "young adult" life I have been pretty convinced that I am cute. Seriously, all jokes aside, I'm a cute girl, no doubt :) What I have never believed is that I am sexy. I think all women can be sexy, and some even exude it, but for me, it has never been a part of my look or image. When I am out, I am often mistaken for 19, 16, even 14 once with my mom - WOAH, that's not sexy. Older women always say that when I'm 30, I will love to be mistaken for 24, so ok, it's all good, I get that. But for now, it ain't cool. I am 24 years old (important for me to state that because I went through a whole 6 month period where I thought I was 25 and you don't know what it feels like to lose half a year) and sometimes, I just want to look like it. I want to ooze maturity and sexiness - sometimes. Or I at least want to know that I can when I want to.

So, I felt that this all stemmed from my wardrobe. Over the course of a month or so, I picked up a few pieces to "up my sexy." I stepped up my new shoe buys in height and architecture starting with these D&G gems below (I have to talk in code hoping that my dad doesn't know what D&G means).
I also picked up a pair of the platform, yet delicate Fendi Runway Multi Sandal on supersale since the economy is bad or something :) Sidebar story: I saw them on Giselle in an old Bazaar in May, tore the picture out and kept it in my purse for 2 months before I finally gave up on owning them. When I found them on sale, they were less than half of the original price. It was serendipitous!

In addition to my SUPER shoes, I picked up an infamously body squeezing Herve Leger-style dress (knocked off by Bebe, inspired by Danity Kane's Dawn Richard on the left) and whipped out this little number to the right that I bought in 07 for Paris Fashion Week. I've worn it only twice and not even in Paris! (What a shame that the picture is so small. Just know that it is curve hugging and if you catch me in it, you are part of an elite club.)

The final addition to my sexiness - black eyeliner. Really eyeliner, period. I mean, I have always had a little fun with it at night, but then my friend, Shone (pronounced Shawn), discovered it and she wears it like it's going out of style. As a matter of fact, she wears blue eyeliner daily (not as 80s as it sounds). It's actually VERY cute and fun and flirty. Supporting evidence came when I watched SATC for the second time (we are so intimate that I am sure I don't have to spell it out for you). I was obviously able to pay attention to many things I had not noticed before. One such observation was that Carrie STAYS in eyeliner. In the movie, SJP always had perfectly defined eyes given her a sleekness to her look at all times. That was my next addition to my new more "adult" look. I have more frequently been wearing eyeliner and it is taking some getting used to. There's nothing I love more than a natural look (mascara, bronzer, lip gloss, and the very necessary eye brightening concealer), but the eyeliner just brings a definition that I really love. And don't rule out Shone's blue color until you try it on. Its adorable - yet sexified - and outside of the box in a great way!

In the words of Mary J., "My life, my life, my life, my life.....in the sunshine...." What's going on with me? School/workwise: For those that don't know, I'm studying film producing (different from production, people, google it or something) at USC and I absolutely love it. I love USC and my program for enlightening and educating me so much in just a year, but I have a year to go. I love my classmates to death and I am so lucky we all like each other. I just finished an amazing internship at an agency here in LA and I have optioned a book that I love and will turn into a film (more on that later).

As I mentioned last year, I welcomed the fear and fabulousness that moving across the country would bring and now, I couldn't be happier with the opportunities that I have had here in film and the fabulous people that I have met. I fall in love everyday with a new person or place in LA. I am a happily single gal thrilled to get up everyday and learn something new about myself or my loved ones. Not to say I don't have stressful and even lonely days with my people so far away (shout out to Wall street), but something about being on my own gives me a new perspective, and I think that is something everyone needs.

For your viewing pleasure, a little slide show of LA fun (here's where you get to see all of my wardrobe repeats).

Goodie Bags My friend and fellow blogger (like a real blogger, not like my trifling a$$) receives many goodies from God-knows-where and when there's excess, she sends them to me. Everything from lip glosses to lotions, perfumes, blushes (including something whacky called lip and cheek tint), and overnight skin cream. I am bringing this up for two reasons:
1) Shouting out Johnica for her delightful beauty treats!
2) Sharing with you all my most treasured item:

A little thing I like to call Hair Glue is a waxy substance used to lay down the flyaways. The Cutler Flyaway Control Stick is amazing! My hair is not tame enough - even when pulled into a ponytail - to be slicked back appropriately, so rub a little of this into my hands and it really smooths and shined my crazy little loose hairs. It is awesome when my hair is down too, because I - oh, I just realized I didn't tell you - I have theses awful, awful bangs that take up waaaaay too much space on my head and I basically try to hide them at every turn. Well, my hair glue blends them in a bit better too so they are more like whispy strands than the mullet they would prefer to be if left natural.






Vogue India: On ME Own As I have mentioned, I LOVE foreign magazine, particularly Vogue India which grows on me with every issue. I find Indian woman so beautiful and intriguing, which I could talk about for days but this isn't the venue. And I am of course obsessed with the country's fashion trends and how they are similar and different from ours. But I love reading the magazine because I honestly learn about women and their culture, not to mention it's a bit of The Fabulous Life of ....(enter Bollywood star name here). The January issue (which came out in June here in the US) discussed the rise of ME-centric lifestyle evolving among women in India as they learn to value themselves and develop an identity independent of their parents, husbands, and children.

"ME culture is set to thrive thanks to three changes affecting today's woman: greater access to quality education, social emancipation, and a thriving economy...Now we're exploring a side of ourselves that has nothing to do with the men -or anyone else- in our lives."

I was struck by the piece because it taught me a lot about where women are in the country and they are much further along than I was aware. But, as it discussed women in school, and women in the boardroom, and woman traveling the world because they can, it also touched on the woman who is simply learning to be on her own. It was truly a parallel to me, personally, but also to a stage I believe that all woman, have gone through, are going through, or SHOULD go through. I would encourage everyone to go out and buy the magazine, but it's expensive and I am the only one obsessed enough to buy $13 magazine. So, here is a highlight just for YOU:

"ME culture is like owning your own home: It isn't all fun and games. Identity and emancipation are all very hip and evolved, but traveling the world or buying yourself the latest Burberry bag requires the discipline to balance a cheque book, organizational abilities and time-management skills. It means putting in the work so that your company or business can manage without you for a while, but is happy to have you back. It also involves working on relationships, so that they don't disintegrate with distance. It means pursuing your dreams even when things get rocky. Finding -an being- yourself is hard work. Fortunately, we women are used to that."

Whew! Gotta love that. That last line is especially powerful. Lastly, the magazine gives recommendations "TO LIVE YOUR ME LIFE TO THE FULLEST" and one of them in particular just tickles me:

ON THE BOOKSHELF: Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat. Pray. Love: One Woman's Search for Everything. Part soul-search, part travel guide
IN YOUR BED: Manrico's cashmere sheets. Indulge yourself in luxury.
ON YOUR MP3 PLAYER: Destiny's Child's Independent Woman.
ON YOUR KITCHEN TABLE: Rosenthal's Andy Warhol home collection
ON YOUR OFFICE DESK: Prada Notebooks


Things I love....
My anthem: I Decided by Solange. The lyrics, the sound, ALL ME.
My summer movie: There are 3, yes 3. Sex & The City. Iron Man. Dark Knight. Woah. All of them. Each was a fantastic film, but SATC definitely made me whole :)
My fascination: Gladiator Sandals. I used to hate them, but they have totally grown on me and now I have a pair.
My mantra: Just Say No. Nancy Reagan is cool and all, but this has nothing to do with drugs. I have no problems saying no there. It's EVERYTHING ELSE. I am sure I am not the only one. It's time we learned our limits, people. You know who you are. Let's no longer stress about something we're doing for someone else when we should just learn to say "no" in the first place.

I think that's enough for today....happy to finally share...here's to trying to DO better!

BADassedness

Shout outs to my favorite show and my favorite groups - I mean bands- right now!

Cutting a Rug...

...on roller skates!!!
I used to LOVE roller skating, but like many of you, I am sure, I fell off. No, I didn't, like, fall off of some roller skates - that would be totally trife and I was a damn good skater. I fell off the sport (which was trife as well). But I rekindled that love with a workout on wheels early this semester. See above flyness for proof - that's not some random outfit I thought up. It was an 80's birthday party and folks were SERIOUSLY decked out. I am talking Cyndi Lauper/Madonna skirts and sweatbands. These people were not playing games. And I found out it was 80's nearly 2 hours before the party so I promptly cut a sweatshirt and paired colored tights with tube socks. Hey, nobody said anything about cool 80's, as long as it was 80's, and my hair was on only one side of my head so that counts for something, right?

So, the verdict is in and roller skating is just as bangin' in '08 as it was in '88. I LOVE it all over again. Apparently, I am not alone, because there is an abundance of 40somethings that pop in there round midnight on Sundays and Sinful Thursdays skating backwards and freakin each other on custom skates. They ain't playin for a second. If you thought ATL or ROLL BOUNCE was a joke, they didn't. Trust. Oh, and enjoy this little gem from the same night:We are 80's divas.

What Could Be Better???

There are a few things I am obsessed with: music videos, movies, and MAGAZINES. I am mostly obsessed with the dramatic covers - I adore beautiful portraits, but I noticed in recent years that there are some really enlightening articles too :) My favorite of the fashion titles is Harper's Bazaar. They consistently make me drool over their fabulous cover women and the colors they choose to highlight them with. Some currently in my collection (yes, I keep them for years) are:














Surprising to some, I am SO not impressed with Vogue (hope that doesn't bite me in the ass one day, but it's true). I know they hold the rep as the world's leading fashion mag, but in reality, that's all that's gone. That dead rep was solidified with JHud's wide open mouth last year, not to mention what Andre Leon Talley did to her on the Oscars runway (my bad, Dre, but it's true). Must I remind:












(Not that I would ever hate on JHud. Congrats for putting a black woman on the cover, Vogue, but just because she is a singer, does not mean her mouth must be open at all times. Ugh. Vogue should know better.)

But 2 weeks ago, some credibility returned to Vogue in my eyes. I am an admirer of British magazines because their articles are usually pretty funny and there's just something classy about anything from the UK, so I pick them up when I can (I even like UK Elle). They cost a bit more here though. At my favorite magazine stand in LA, I came across something new that I HAD to have. I saw a beautiful brown woman on a Vogue Cover and discovered that it was the 2nd issue of VOGUE INDIA and I LOVE IT. Take it in below. It is both Beautiful and Monumental!

This edition - written in english - highlighted the enviable careers of 6 Indian fashionistas living the Manhattan life, Hillary Clinton's traveling chief of staff, Huma Abedine, international fashion trends, great online shopping sites, and of course a story on cover girl Deepika Padukone, a 21-year old Bollywood star.

an excerpt from Vogue's website:

"Vogue's launch in India symbolizes India's arrival onto the global fashion scene," says Priya Tanna, editor of Vogue India. "India is ready for a magazine that is intelligent, sophisticated, and that understands the stylish, modern woman. Every issue will celebrate the women who define and influence the new Indian modernity with grace, style and achievement. We want our highly anticipated readers to fall in love with fashion, beauty, and celebrate their own personal style."

Vogue India speaks to women all over the world, covering India as a major fashion hub and exploring the lives of Indian women living conquering fashion in all countries. I think the magazine and its presence in the US is a huge milestone in sharing cultural influence with the fashion obsessed here. Of course, it's expensive more to pick this mag up in the states (mine was $11.99), but this is history, folks! Fashion history!

Also, this week Tia (come on, if you haven't heard of Shake Your Beauty by now, What Are You Doing!?) was covering NY Fashion Week for Fashion Week Daily and she noticed an influx of black models on the runway. Stereohyped highlighted the event as well. It seems like brown girls are running things! - sort of :)

Congrats to Vogue India and NY Fashion Week!

Learning to Love Reading

First, let me start off by saying that Halle Berry is the picture of nature's perfection as a pregnant woman. Obviously a gorgeous woman already, but she wears pregnancy with such beauty and a goddess-like quality.

Whether it’s Halle, J-Lo, Juno Spears, or another, this post is for the belly toting mother-to-be in your life. I have yet another amazing reading suggestion: A few years ago, I went through a little pregnancy obsession where I wanted to know the gross details of the miraculous transformation a woman’s body goes through, so I read this book, Jenny McCarthy’s Belly Laughs, and it was hilarious, honest, informational (subsequently disgusting), and I pass it along whenever I can. So if you're preggers (at first I hated it when people said that) or you are just looking out for a friend, it's a quick read so you can show your support by reading it together.


For a review of the book, check out this excerpt from Bookslut.com

Any chapter dealing with hormonally induced emotional changes, especially if it involves fights with her husband, is quite humorous. Chapters dealing with complete strangers feeling like they could tell her how to live her life just because she was pregnant made me fall over laughing. Also, perhaps predictably, all chapters dealing with bodily functions such as puking, peeing, farting or pooping merited reading aloud to whoever was nearby.

See the rest of the article here.

Finally!

I had to wait two whole months to share my joy!! I have fallen head over heels for the debut book from Ms. Kimora Lee Simmons:

Fabulosity - What it is and how to get it

What it is and how to get it, honey! Oh - I love it, every page if it! Seriously, no matter what you think about Kimora and her booming (or I've heard 'bitchy') personality, she is a confident business woman of color who has created an inspiring and comprehensive guide to truly living your best life (I am stealing Oprah's phrase), both socially and professionally, and from the inside out. She's a mogul and a mom and, undeniably, a glamorous woman - and her book has inspired me so much that I bought 13 copies as necessary Christmas presents for women I care about. I would have bought 20 more if I could afford it - That's how much I LOVE and BELIEVE IN this book. And don't even get me started on her E!/Style Network show: Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane. Love it!

And in the spirit of my new handbook, I must share my newest must-have beauty item. Prepare yourself for what it, to me, is an uncomfortable, or shall I say revealing, conversation on my part:
So, I had always had pretty nice, clear skin until about 2 years ago. For some reason, right after I graduated from college, I began to look like I was going through puberty, as in pimples, people - really bad, hide out in your basement, teenage puberty (not pretty, pretty eeeew). Disgusting and humiliating to me to say the least. And what's worse, I could find NO cause and NO cure and my cousin is a dermatologist! Nothing! Awful medicines that dried my skin out or required timed routines, I seriously considered Proactiv, but was discouraged by my doctor cousin. Anywho, suffice it to say, it was frustrating.

Well, in reading Fabulosity, Kimora gave a few tips on the importance of eating better - Nothing that she claims to have mastered, but like many of us, she recognizes that there are many things a woman can do to take care of her "Goddess" (ahhh, Kimora, you know what to say to a lady) and starting with what we put in our bodies is a good idea. Cut to the chase, right?! She mentioned POMEGRANATE JUICE. I began drinking it just as a way to treat my body better. I knew I liked the fruit, so I figured I'd like the juice, and something about antioxidants and such being good for the skin, blah, blah, I didn't really know what was going to happen. I found that it has been phenomenal for my little face problem. In three weeks of having 4-8 ounces (a glass) of pomegranate juice a day, I noticed that the unpredictable, untreatable little gremlins had gone and were staying gone. Even when I thought it was just a coincidence, I was traveling and stopped drinking it for 4 days and one of the little bastards (pardon me) popped up! I immediately took to the supermarket for my antidote and that sucker was untraceable in a few days. I have all of my friends hooked, because they were with me - they saw the "Thing" arrive and they saw it go and now I preach the antioxidant power of the POM. (If you don't like pomegranates or pomegranate juice, my dad - another doctor - says you can also take a multivitamin with antioxidants in it.) I must warn you, if you're like me, and are facing some serious skin issues, the juice is like crack. I am totally dependent on it now, I must have it in my fridge at all times and I must have about 8 ounces a day.

Kinky Boots

Not long ago, I blogged about some beautiful boots I was obsessing over. However, the price tag is ridiculous. Well, my sister searched for some affordable options and I will share her findings with you. Click on any of the pictures to get to their website: