The Great Gatsby Fashions
Thanks to Baz Luhrmann for bringing The Great Gatsby to life on the big screen. Stylists, like myself, can revel in the gorgeous 20's era fashions of beading, feathers and fringe and the men dressed dashing and dapper in well-fitted suits, tuxes and seersucker. So whether you choose to be Daisy or sporty Jo or slip on a suit as stylish as Jay's, just up your fashion quotient and dazzle 'em. Leornardo DiCaprio certainly knows how to wear a tux. And who doesn't love a feathered fascinator in their hair and a chance to shimmy and shake?
Check out the fashions I styled inspired by the film.
Dresses by Sue Wong available at Neiman Marcus and Saks.
Menswear from Klein, Epstein & Parker, which is a men's custom made to measure experience.
Nail Sleek Sticks
While I LOVE the look of polished nails, I rarely get a manicure because, quite frankly, I'm impatient with drying time and they usually chip within a day. The nail sleek sticks from Essie were super simple to attach and file to the top shape of my nail. And they lasted several days-woohoo! Plus I was able to peel them off in about two minutes while watching TV rather than spending time over the sink with polish remover and cotton balls. The collection has multiple choices of patterns and colors from words to sparkles to polka dots. Now I just need more subtle solid color choices to commit to wearing these more often. (Hear that Essie?)
Christina Moffitino, is our resident nail devotee and comes to the office with a different nail look every week.
Here's her review:
Essie nail wraps are not only cute and stylish but super convenient! They sure beat the days of waiting for your nails to dry and hoping they don't smudge. I got so many compliments from my girlfriends and they all had have their own set. I'm crazy about all the unique patterns and textures I want to try them all!
Lauren Scharf has a special place in her heart for stickers so the moment she saw the packages she exclaimed, "I'm in!"
Her review:
These nail decals stand (or stick) above the rest. I absolutely love these designs; they're a bit more eye-catching and versatile than Sally Hansen's nail appliques. The quality is much better too, since these are less likely to chip than the appliques, not to mention a regular nail polish. I'm going with the word on my nails next.
*names of our sleek stick choices are our captions.
DIY - Transform a Chair with Bold Color and Lace
We turned an ordinary chair into more of a show piece with a custom tint stain and lace.
Reinvent an old chair into a show piece meant to be seen rather than stored. Sand it down to start with clean wood. We stained it with a Cabot Custom Tint in Amethyst.
We stained the lace with a dried lavendar tint and then applied the lace around the back and seat edge of the chair with a spray adhesive.
Friday Favorites - April 19
Rainy Days
Rain drops on roses and whiskers on kittens are some of Maria's favorite things and Gene Kelly loved singin' in the rain while BJ Thomas would sing, "Rain drops keep falling on my head." And, of course, the old saying, "April showers bring May flowers" is more than enough reason for us to make this Friday Favorites all about what we'd wear whether running for cover from a downpour or splashing in puddles. And the references keep coming -- "If you like pina coladas and taking walks in the rain..."
Alison's Pick
Tretorn Plask Mid Boot, $63.99 Zappos
Think high heeled galoshes. This wedge adds a touch of sophistication to sloppy, rainy days. The fitted ankle cut is slimmer and more feminine and can work with your skinny jeans or boot cut styles. When they say rain in LA it may mean sprinkles for five minutes or a down pour for an hour so these don't leave you looking silly if it's the former. Plus they're kind of edgy even for a day of walking when I'm back in NYC.
Christina Wright's Pick
Target Polka Dot Rain Boots, $30 Target
People are always saying, "It never rains in southern California." Well, they lied. It does. Just maybe not as much as other places, and not as often. Which is why people in California can never drive in the rain and also why the only rain gear I actually own is a simple travel umbrella I keep in my car, an adorable little trench coat, and these super cute rainboots from Target. I know there are the more expensive versions out there, but honestly these are more for fun vs. a huge necessity. Plus they keep my feet dry and looking cute while out running errands or walking my dog in the rain!
Christina's Pick
Henry Ferrara Professor Rainboot, $35 Little Black Bag
Luckily for us Angelenos, we never really have a rainy season. But when the rain does start to flood the uneven paved streets its always good to have a pair of rain boots to keep your favorite shoes from socks from getting soaked. These rain booties are super cute and perfect for those rainy LA days. Pair them with your favorite skinnies and a sweater and you can even wear them in the cooler evenings.
Lauren's Pick
Vintage Butterfly Umbrella, $30 Artist Gifts
Why wait for May to say Spring has sprung? This adorable umbrella brings light to my rainy days. Designed with a unique, vintage collage from artist Heather Myers, it stands out above the rest. No better way to stay dry than with a little reminder saying "No worries, Spring is on it's way!"
DIY - Frame with Paint Chip Art
A Frame with Flare
We've been finding numerous ways to use paint chips in our DIY projects from Halloween costumes to Christmas ornaments. This time we created paint chip art work for a vintage frame I puchased at the Rosebowl flea market in Pasadena. I wanted to create a way to display bold colors in a frame without more brush strokes. And voila, a fun display where you can add a message with an eraseable marker (that can be changed as often as you like) for those entering or leaving the house.
Watch our DIY Diva series for the process:
Bought frame from flea market for $5
Sanded and then stained the frame with Cabot Pecan satin finish.
Created a color block design using paint chips (free).
Had glass cut to fit frame approx. $10.
Bought backing and easel back for frame approx. $10 from Aaron Brothers.
Added message with an erasable marker—You can change the message as often as you want.
Hottest Prom Dresses for 2013
Prom season has arrived and much ado about what to wear is in the forefront of many a teen girl's mind. We wanted pretty and enchanted for the girls. Dresses that gave a girl a chance to dress up without trying to skip ahead to their late 20's.
Mariana
Black cocktail length dress with polka dot sheer top and poufy tiered bottom. Pearl by Georgina Chapman of Marchesa, available at JC Penney, $110
Silver strappy heels by Chinese Laundry, $70
Imani
Soft pink strapless long dress with poufy skirt, reminiscent of Carrie Bradshaw in Sex in the City - Pearl by Georgina Chapman, available at JC Penney, $250
Blush heels by Chinese Laundry $130
Christina
Sea green strapless, multi-ruched dress with slight sheen by Dalia MacPhee
Available at Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus, $328 at Nordstrom
Dress is also is vegan (no creatures harmed). This dress was recently spotted on Dancing with the Stars’ Samantha Harris and Tennis Champ Serena Williams.
Black and silver heels by Shoemint
Marcos
Looking handsome in his own suit.
Kristel
Blush colored strapless dress flower embellishment with higher hem in front dress by City Triangles available at Sears, $118
Cream faux snakeskin strappy heels by Shoemint
Autumn
Green long dress with crystal stones and sparkly embellishment (looks like cut glass) strap that crosses over one shoulder by David’s Bridal, $199
Silver heels by Shoemint
Most jewelry by Jewelmint
Autumn also received the Locks Lab "Falling in Love Service" hair styling service.
Thanks to The Private Room in Beverly Hills for the beautiful hair styles on our models.A luxury boutique salon in Beverly Hills, known for the Color Ppop and Bang Station and their new quick change extensions service "Locks Lab."
Behind the Scenes
My dress from H & M is part of their Conscious Collection, $129
Friday Favorites - April 12
Ladies love their technology, too, and there's nothing better than finding an app or gadget that makes life simpler while keeping it stylish at the same time. Today's Friday Favorites is all about the technology we can't live without, that makes our lives simpler, better and more rockin'. These helpful and hot selections will show you ways to keep it all together, manage your media - and your life - and look good doing it in 2013!
Alison's Pick
Play 3 Speakers, $299 Sonos
Smaller AND sexier. Yes, I'm talking about the Sonos wireless speaker system. With this gadget package you can stream your entire music library, music services and radio stations. Control it all wirelessly, even from our phone. Put it anywhere in your house either vertical or horizontal. It's just that simple and discreet. Tuck it in a corner and get ready to blow off the roof!
Christina's Pick
Iphone Scuba Case, $85 Tat7
The beautiful warm weather means long days at the beach and lounging at the pool. And of course you've got to instagram all the fun! No need to stay taking "selfies" on the sand, instead your phone can go with you underwater. The scuba case allows you to take your phone up to 100 feet deep! It's the perfect gadget to take scuba diving, the beach or if you're staying poolside. Great way to capture all the blissful summer moments.
Lauren's Pick
Kindle Fire HD, $200 Amazon
I call this my pocketbook computer because it's got just about everything and it's so compact! I use it for email, Facebook, Pandora, writing notes, and of course, what the Kindle was made for, books. The best part is you can download free samples of books if you're not sure which novel is your cup of tea, and all books and magazines are stored for free in the cloud. If you're admittedly not much of a bookworm, that's where the 16GB memory for movies, pictures, and loads of apps comes in. Synchronizes easily with your desk or laptop when you're traveling or on the go, and the battery life is much longer than that of an iPad or other tablets.
Christina Wright's Pick
If you are as iPhoneography obsessed as I am, you must download the PicTapGo app immediately...trust me, you will thank me later!! It makes it super easy to edit your iPhone pics and upload them to social media. Love how you can custom mix your filters, and it will even save your favorite filter mixes. And don't get me started on how many bad lighting shots PicTapGo has saved of mine already!! You will never need another photo editing app after you fall in love with this!!
Box Subscriptions for Everything
Sometimes the best things arrive in a box. It's like a special holiday or birthday when a box arrives at your doorstep and you get to be surprised by the contents. I researched the best box subscriptions and other companies that specialize in sending you curated items from jewelry to dog treats to kids crafts to wine. I checked out an array of items and I shared them with Marie Osmond on Hallmark Channel.
-Kids projects for ages 3-7 that celebrate kids’ natural creativity and curiosity.
-Each box comes with the instructions/inspiration and materials to create the project covering a number of developmental areas through art, science and imaginative play from gardens to dinosaurs to creating butterfly wings.
-$19.95 a month or $220 a year with one month free. Each box contains 2-3 projects each month.
-They curate a box based on the size of your dog.
-$18 a month—four or more carefully selected products and presents for your dog—anything from bones and treats to leashes and innovative gadgets.
-Monthly, 3 or 6 months plans available- free shipping
-Each month 10% of proceeds go to a different local animal shelter they sponsor
-Lot 18 has rolled out a first of its kind wine club, called Tasting Room.
-Members taste and give feedback before they commit to a full case of wines.
-They receive 6 mini bottles (4 red, 2 white) for $9.99. Members are given instructions on how to taste via an online tool that asks basic questions about likes and dislikes.
-Once the tasting is complete a taste profile is created and the first shipment is created with a case of 12 full size bottles. Four annual case shipments per year. First shipment is $84.99 with free shipping ($7 a bottle) and after that it’s $149.99 for a case ($12.50 a bottle).
-True and Company has reinvented the way women buy intimates. By taking a fit-based approach to online bra retail by replacing the uncomfortable fitting room experience with an online two-minute fit quiz and risk-free home try-on.
-Take trueandco.com's 2-minute online quiz and create your own personal bra shop of best fitting styles. They use your current bra size as a starting point and then diagnose your true size taking into account your shape, pain points and common body image issues.
-Their algorithms then recommend and sell only the styles and the sizes that fit a woman’s specific body shape in a personal bra shop created just for each customer.
-For your initial home try-on box, get your 5 favorite styles (you pick 3, their experts pick 2) sent to your home.
-You then have 7 days to try on the bras. Pay only for what you keep, return the rest.
-This is not a subscription service, but you can try it as often as you like.
All bras start at approximately $45. Shipping and returns are always free.
-Why spend over $100 for that designer blouse when you can have designer-quality blouses and tees delivered to your doorstep each season for $30 or less.
-Get a box of one, two or three shirts delivered every 3 months at the beginning of a season. Three tops are just $20 each.
-Neutral colors so they match with items in your wardrobe. Quality fabrics. Fashion forward. Styles similar to Alexander Wang, Theory and James Perse.
-Every month you receive 3-5 items of the top jewelry and accessories trends based upon the box you choose-Boho, Luxe or Mixe for $30 a month or just try it once for $40.
-Receive up to $100 worth of jewelry every month.
-You can also shop Mynt without joining.
-You can try Misto Box for just $5 with free shipping. Subscriptions cost between $12.50 to $15 a month depending on the length of the subscription.
-Misto Box has a team of coffee experts who taste and evaluate more than 50 coffees every month from different artisan roasters across the country. (Think local favorites.)
-Each box contains four 1.7 - 2 ounce samplings of premium single origin coffee from four different artisan roasters. You’ll get to know each roaster and coffee intimately with included tasting notes and coffee info.
-Gourmet food delivered to your door for $10-12 a month depending on the plan you choose.
-Each box contains 8 or more gourmet foods.
-New flavors each month curated with a different theme.
- For every box sent, a meal is donated to feed 1 in 5 hungry children in America. In one year of business, Love With Food has donated more than 50,000 meals. They donate a meal to a hungry child via efforts with Feeding America and Share our Strength.
-Their motto is “Make Tummies Happy.”
- Love With Food frequently works with celebrities to curate the boxes, e.g. Thanksgiving 2012 box was curated by Amy Roloff of Little People Big World of TLC. Upcoming April 2013 box is curated by Andrew Zimmern of Bizarre Foods on Travel channel.
DIY - Vintage Sled Becomes Dog Bed
Penny's new view point from her fabulous DIY sled to dog bed. Watch the video for more info.
Picked up this vintage sled from the flea market. I thought it was a long bassinet, but the owner corrected me when she showed me where the rails had been. We stripped and sanded the wood and then stained it with Cabot Polystain in Dark Oak.
Then I created a pillow for comfort with a remnant from a fabric store and foam padding from Michaels. I screwed on caster wheels from Home Depot so I could move the bed to different parts of the house easily.
DIY - Vintage Tool Boxes Become Pretty Garden Boxes
I turned two vintage tool boxes purchased inexpensively at the Rosebowl Flea Market in Pasadena, CA into beautiful garden boxes perfect for gift giving.
The vintage tool boxes before their transformation had been painted an ugly mustard color and were beaten and scratched up. Next steps were to strip and sand down the wood and get it ready for staining.
I chose to stain the tool boxes rather than paint them. I knew the stain would preserve the wood better and with a protective coating the newly created garden boxes could be left outside on a patio or porch to give the new blooms some sunshine. I decided to stain the boxes two colors in similar hues, the main body and handle are Horizon and the sides are Sedona Sun. Both are Cabot Custom Tints. As little decor choice I added the flat wooden birds, purchased from Save On Crafts and stained them each Cabot Ready Mix in Brown Mahogany.
Add in some gardening tools, gloves, seed packets and small pots and voila, you've got a great gift to give!
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