Lauren Wolf & More Statement Jewelry

Readers of my blogs know how I love statement jewelry. I'm always on the look out for independent designers who have beautiful pieces at reasonable prices. Today I found some great items from Lauren Wolf Jewelry.

Here are some examples of her Bracelets:



This is one of my favorite of her bracelets:





My favorite of her Rings is below (They also have it in silver and gold with diamonds):





My 2nd favorite of her rings. I like stacking rings. So I would definitely buy several of these and wear them together:





From Barneys NY:



Rosanne Pugliese Morocco Lace Earring at Barneys New York $890


Here are some pieces I love that are more on the pricier sided (most from Barneys NY of course....lol):



Anaconda Rings at Barneys New York $2,575






Anaconda By Designer at Barneys New York $2,650



Lucifer Vir Honestus Green Tourmaline Ring at Barneys New York $5,985

This one is from Lauren Wolf Jewelry:

It is the One piece of culture everyone in the world participates in. Can you guess what it is?

I was reading an article in the July 23, 2007 New York magazine the other day. The article called, "The Sad Hatter", is about the sad life of Isabella Blow. Isabella lived a charmed life to outsiders but in the inside she was depressed and ended up taking her life.

"No one," says [Anna] Wintour, "had an eye like Issie. The more corporate of us look at everything differently than someone like Issie, so whenever I got a phone call that Issie said I should see something I would go."

And if you know Ms. Wintour you know that was a big compliment.

Isabella was a British magazine editor and international style icon. The muse of hat designer Philip Treacy, she is credited with discovering the models Stella Tennant and Sophie Dahl as well as the fashion designer Alexander McQueen. She befriended Andy Warhol and seemed to have been romantically involved with Jean-Michel Basquiat.

But she was also a self-confessed depressive. She had a fragile sense of identity and her insecurities had been excacerbated by the breakdown of her marriage to the art dealer, Detmar Blow as well as her inability to have children. (telegraph.co.uk)

Another big factor in Blow's depression was money and her inability to "find a home in a world she influenced", wrote Cathy Horyn of The New York Times on May 10, 2007. As one of Isabella's friends, Daphne Guinness, told Horyn, "She was upset that [Alexander] McQueen didn't take her along when he sold his brand to Gucci. Once the deals started happening, she fell by the wayside. Everybody else got contracts, and she got a free dress". According to a 2002 interview with Tamsin Blanchard, it was Blow who brokered the deal in which Gucci purchased McQueen's label. As photographer Mario Testino told Vanity Fair in September 2007, "She was brilliant at finding new things and could always find new ways of looking at things but it was hard for her to define her job, and it was hard to find ways to pay her. (Thanks Wikipedia).

All this brillance and all this anguish came to an end on May 7, 2007 when Isabella Blow drank a hefty dose of weed-killer. She died two days later in the Hospital. A sad tragic end to a vibrant artistic soul.

Ms.Blow contributed much to fashion and left an imprint on the fashion world that still reverberates today. But my favorite part of the article was the below quote that describes how she looked at fashion. I really like it because it describes how I too look at fashion:

"People think that fashion is all frivolity and done by people who can't do proper jobs," says the writer Adrian Gill, "but Issie understood that it is very, very serious business in terms of civilization and culture. It's the one piece of culture that every single person in the world participates in. Not everybody reads poetry or listens to music, but every single person in the world gets up in the morning and puts on something, and whether you like it or not, that's a statement about who you are."

Helpful things for underthings

Here is what the world is talking about from this company herlook.com. These Commando c.y.a undies were in O magazine. So you know if they were there, they must be good. And they do look awfully comfy. I will have to try a pair or two out. They come in several colors and two sizes. Look below for picture and description BUT DON"T FORGET TO KEEP READING because my favorite product from the company is listed next.




Now enough about Oprah....What about ME....Ok...Ok...Me and You and the thousands of ladies like us who are always on the go and often suffer a last minute snafu or slippage that we can't deal with. This product might be the little help we need to make the outfit we slaved over for hours (in my case) or minutes (in most normal peoples cases) fixable. Cause a Girl's Gotta make it work and show up looking Fabulous in order to choose whether she wants to eat or just have drinks ;) And I think this awesome product might help her do just that.

In fact, I could have used these the other day when I was wearing a wide neck silk shirt that kept slipping and showing my bra strap....(which is so 1980s ;) I decided to take myself somewhere low-key to eat and was never going to wear the shirt again. Then I saw this ad.

Don’t let your outfit go up in flames. To the rescue are matchsticks™. This purse-ready book of clear double-stick tape strips can fix any peek-a-boo bra strap, slipped-down slingback, bursting button-down, gaping wrap dress, fallen hem, dropped tube top or shifty skirt (and so on and so on)…Remember, only you can prevent fashion fires.

matchsticks $10.00

70s & 80s Jewlery flashback....With a BBF necklace thrown in

These remind me of the 80s when stud bracelets were in and Madonna was a Virgin (and so was I for a while but shhhh).

Fallon Circular and Square studded Brass Bangle at Barneys New York

Comes in Silver too.
$165.00





Fallon Pyramid Stud Earrings at Barneys New York
$125.00






Manon von Gerkan Claw Pendant at Barneys New York
$285.00



IN LOVE WITH THESE

These remind me of the Graffiti in the 70s that the taggers use to paint on the NYC Subways....ahhhh the Memories

Nishi "New York" Sterling Silver ID Cuff at Barneys New York

Comes in many other styles like Downtown, Uptown, Siempre (Always), Taken, Chelsea, East Coast, Brooklyn
$235.00



Nishi "Dame La Mano" (Give Me Your Hand) Sterling Silver ID Ring at Barneys New York

Comes in many other styles like Downtown, Uptown, Brooklyn, Contigo (With You), Single,
$155.00



And if you have a BBF you love and want to get something more permanent to show your BFF-ness than a Cosmo check these necklaces out:

Fallon BFF lyric necklaces at Barneys New York
$295.00

Sterling set of two "best friend" necklaces with song lyrics. "every time you go away" and "you take a piece of me with you."

Some other lyric: "wild women do" and "and they don't regret it."
"get out of my dreams" and "get into my car."
"she wants to lead" and "the glamourous life."

WhoWhatWearDaily shows a Marni cap toe Mary Jane style heel knock off by Nine West

When I was shopping at Barney's a few months ago I saw these Marni cap-toe Mary Jane style heels (as shown in the picture below on the right hand side). I fell in love with them but didn't get them. Now it seems as reported by WhoWhatWearDaily.com Nine West has a knock off of the shoes for $89! I'll have to go see them in person to see if they capture the same elegance as the Marni ones. What do you guys think?

In addition to the multi-hue shoes shown at Prada, other major fall
footwear trends include cap-toe detailing and mary jane style
heels—both of which were seen at Marni. While Marni pumps in Argilla,
Darkviolet (that’s not a typo), and Clay can be found at Marni’s
online store, the satin shoes are priced at $610 before shipping. We
found a slightly less expensive pair in Black, Brown, and Gold up at
Mona Moore in Canada ($573.28, monamoore.com) and a super bright pair at Browns ($600, brownsfashion.com).
However, if that price chaps your hide, fret not as Nine West also has
this style covered. Their satin Vasca shoe is a mary jane pump that’s
available in three widths and has 4 1/4 inch heel. Available in Dark
Purple/Fuchsia, Dark Green/Black, or Black/Gray, the Nine West Vasca is
very affordable and currently available for purchase. ($89, ninewest.com)

Celebrity Kids sporting fashion

When I was looking thru WhoWhatWearDaily.com I saw pictures of two cool celebrity kids. I feel old cause I can remember when their parents were younger and so was I. Ahhh the memories...LOL

#5 is Riley Keough. Lisa Marie Presley's daughter and Elvis's Granddaughter.

This picture is of her at the Calvin Klein Underwear Party Riley looked casually chic at the Hilary Swank-hosted Calvin Klein undies fiesta. Her black-and-white snakeskin Loubis are particularly sharp.

#9 is Zoe Kravitz. Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet daughter. She is so beautiful just like her parents.

This picture is taken at the Prada Epicenter Party. Lenny’s little one busted out her turban-headband for the Prada party—how appropriate. The easy charm of her white frock and strongly-strapped shoes held their own in a crowd of guests including
Julia Restoin-Roitfeld and Diane Kruger.

Avon really isn't your Grandma's Avon anymore.......Cynthia Rowley for Avon

I was purusing the WhoWhatWearDaily.com site when I saw something interesting:

Cynthia Rowley for Avon

In their first ever collaboration with a designer, Avon is just about to release a few limited edition beauty items created by the irresistibly darling Cynthia Rowley. Rowley’s fingerprints are all over the products, from the vine and floral packaging to the cosmetics’ colors. The hues are in the same tones as Rowley’s Fall 07 collection—mainly plums and mauves—and are sure to become collector’s items.


Cynthia Rowley for Avon Nail Enamel ($4, avon.com)

Cynthia Rowley for Avon Lipstick ($4.50, avon.com)

Cynthia Rowley for Avon Blush Stick ($8, avon.com)

How cool is that. Guess Avon really isn't your Grandma's Avon anymore. Check it out.

Skinny Actresses at the Emmys 2007 and beyond

As a follow up to the Emmys 2007 blog I worte the other day I begun to think about some of the pictures I saw and some of the Actresses. Many of them are too darn skinny. So skinny they make normal size women look BIG. The statistics indicate that 40 percent of the women in this country are size 14 or larger (from Cotton Inc 5/1997). Another report from Research group TC has the average American woman at a size 10-12. Granted you may think Americans are too fat but here are some of the latest average stats for women that I could find:

Average Size of Women From WonderQuest

Country     Weight       Height        Yr of Data
USA               155 lbs          5' 4"             2003*
UK                 147 lbs         5' 3.8"           2006? 
Canada         153 lbs        5' 3.4"             2005


*This info is from the Research Group TC as reported on MSNBC. We Americans have gained 20 lbs in the past 40 yrs. Damn we need to lay off the Burgers and Donuts

So if TV is trying to reflect the US/UK and Canadian public They aren't doing a good job. I know I know they are giving us a fantasy but does the fantasy have to be sooo far from reality.

Maybe my guy friends are biased but I have yet to find one of them who thought the below skinny actresses are as attractive as as if they had more weight on. Look at some of the Emmys 2007 Actress who I thought looked too skinny:

Ellen Pompeo

Felicity Huffman whose dress was pretty but you could see her chest bones where her cleavage should have been. Eat something at the pizzeria Lynette....sheeesh
I wasn't the only one who noticed it several of the celebrity blogs talked about it as did: Scandalous Candice

Mary-Louise Parker

Terri Hatcher at the Emmys 2007 was not so bad:

But earlier this year at the Screen Actors Guild awards she looked too skinny to me:




Now compare if you look at the above ladies next to the below Ladies from the same nite you would think the below ladies look HUGE but really they are average. I think this is more what America looks like:

Sara Ramirez

Chandra Wilson

America Ferrera

What do you guys think?

Not thinking Swimwear season? You should cause it is sale time!

I know Fall is upon us and everyone is thinking sweaters and boots but you should be thinking swimwear! Why? Because you can get amazing deals now. Not only for summer next year but also in case someone decides to whisk you away for a winter getaway to the sun & sand.

I try to do it every season especially since my Dad moved to Florida so Holidays are spent by the pool ;). But unlike a few years ago I don't look good in bikinis so I've been opting for tankinis which can hide a multitude of figure flaws (which maybe in my head but that is a whole nother blog...LOL).

So this year I decided to look into one pieces but not the frumpy kind your Mother use to wear. I've been on a retro kick of late so I was looking more for bathing suits your Grandmother might have worn in the 50s or 40s. I found a few I liked:

Nordstrom.com:

Juicy Couture Beach Halter One Piece
Was $155.00
Now: 92.90




Bloomingdales.com

Juicy Couture Beach Skirted Maillot
Was $164.00
Now $114.80


Carmen Marc Valvo Draped Tankini
Now: $99.99



Carmen Marc Valvo Draped Swimsuit
Was $150.00
Now $90.00



Carmen Marc Valvo Twisted Bandeau
Was 158.00
Now 94.80




I tried them all on and decided on the last one by Carmen Marc Valvo for $94.80. I look HOT if I do say so myself and reminiscent of a 40s/50s pin-up girl which was the look I was going for.

Emmy 2007 Fashions - My favs and my not so favs

Ok so I'll admit it, I didn't watch the Emmys. I watched the before and after shows on E! TV to see who wore what and who won. I know not good but I was busy watching The 4400 & the Dead Zone on the USA Network.

In any case here is my review of my favorite part of the show ;)

My Favorite Dresses on the Ladies for the Emmys 2007:



Heidi Klum in Dior
I love the color and her hair and the jewlery and the slit in the dress. It all works for me.



Marcia Cross in Georges Chakra
Marcia is one of the rare people with this coloring that can get away with a dress of this color. I think it is the striking balance of her pale skin and red hair that does it for me. I like the neckline if the dress as well with the deep V and sheerness. I LOVe the chance she took with the turquoise earrings. It worked for me.



Rebecca Gayheart in Carlos Miele
I like the unusualness of the dress, the neckline especially. The color was very nice on her as well. And usually I don't like matching accessories but the matching clutch bag works for me.



Teri Hatcher in Badgley Mischka
What more can I say? I LOVE Badgley Mischka and I LOVE Pink. She looked stunnning in this dress.



Katherine Heigl in Zac Posen
Again another what can I say? This dress is classic and beautiful. Zac Posen is one of those newish designers who just knows how to dress a woman.




Sarah Chalke in Monique Lhuillier
I LOVE Monique Lhuillier!. My favorite part of this dress is the back. The whole dress is unusual with the ruffles down the front but then she turns around and you see the back and it is like wowza! Sexy without being overtly so.


The Gentelman's Outfits that I liked:



Denis Leary
I really like the silver tie with the single breasted black tux.



Neil Patrick Harris (with partner David Burtka) in a Prada suit
I know many do not like black on black but I like this look on Neil. It maybe the bit of shine on the collar of the jacket and the waistband of the pants. Of course having a cute BF next to him doesn't hurt ;)



Eric Dane (with his Wife Rebecca Gayheart )
Eric just looks classic. James Bond like. The small bowtie and the slight salt and pepper hair all work for me. Again having a beautiful partner next to him doesn't hurt.

Who together make one of my favorite couple of the nite. My other Favorite couple:




Ellen DeGeneres in a Gucci suit & Portia de Rossi in a Azzaro gown
I love both of their outfits. Many didn't like Ellen's necklace but it doesn't bother me. I adored Portia's dress and the necklace embellishment on it. I love the fact that her and Portia wore matching colors. Since both of those colors were dark navy, which was unusual and sophisticated, it worked for me.


The Women's outfits I didn't like:



Becki Newton J. Mendel strapless tulle mermaid gown
The color doesn't work for me. Nor does the material and fluffy tiers. It is just all wrong to me. Maybe in a different color and without the waist peplum I might have liked it better but that is a big IF.




Hayden Panettiere in Marc Bouwer gown
Do I really have to say anything about why I don't like this? OK if I must. The color is not good for her but the part I really don't like is it is too big for her. Too much volume in the skirt. It swallows her up and makes her look pregnant. Did they need to save the cheerleader for another reason other than the world?;)...



Julia Louis-Dreyfus in Narciso Rodriguez gown
I like Narciso Rodriguez usually but I just don't love this color. It just doesn't work for me. I like the cut of the dress so maybe if it were in a different color.



Jenna Fischer in Zuhair Murad dress
OK the excuse for this dress was that she hurt her back and needed to be comfortable. I hurt my back and I understand having to be comfortable but I wouldn't have worn this dress. The bow is awful as is the tan color with abstract splashes of gold. It doesn't work for me.



Patricia Heaton
I don't like the color or the cut of the dress. And I don't like her dark nail polish with it. The only thing I kind of like are her earrings. I would have kept those and started the outfit from scratch.



Aida Turturro
This just looks like a bad prom or going to a wedding dress. It just doesn't work for me at ALL. And don't get me started on her hair....Ughhhhh


Gentleman's outfits I didn't like:

I have to admit this is probably no suprise and not original. I think we all agreed on this:



Terry O'Quinn
Hot Pink and a glittery tie.....Just WRONG!! Don't these people have stylists they pay too much money to?


And here is a poll where you can register your favs and not so fav.

Polls - Emmys 2007 - Celebrities - In Style