Fashion Diet

I am on a fashion diet. I finally have a minute to catch up on this most amazing, whirlwind trip to Vegas a week and a half after my return back to D-town. And I am seriously on a fashion diet. Everything I can read, see, find, look for and notice in fashion - I am on it.

I've said before that I have trouble relaxing. I have spent so much time focused and stressed out that I actually don't know how to fully enjoy myself. I feel guilty if I relax because that means something isn't getting done that I need to do. But I'm starting to change that. And Vegas was a great start. And it was helped along by my meals.

Morning one began super crazy early at the Wynn with ENK. We were staying at the timewarp of the 90's, the Luxor. Do not stay there. It was a joke of a hotel. I needed a passport just to get to the elevator that only stopped on your floor every now and then. The room was bare essentials with plug-in ethernet. PS - computers built in this decade don't have ethernet slots anymore. No internet. No cell reception. Joke.

So we trekked over first thing AM to have breakfast at the Wynn. It is the best breakfast I've ever had. Peaceful, quiet, luxurious, full of fashioned elite. The coffee was great, the chaise lounge with puffy pillows definitely helped the relax factor. And PS - the best chicken apple sausage I've ever had. Total luxury. And the beginning of my fashion diet. Tunics and easy style. Resort wear at its finest. Metallic flats. It was Tory Burch heaven.

We left ENK for Magic and, let me tell you, a different vibe. Project and Magic were young and funky. LA vs the NYC of the other end of the strip. Skinny, skin tight jeans, leggings, tons and tons of denim, sky high wedges or super strappy flats. Men with skinny rolled jeans. Layers upon layers, totally updated 80s with scarves, fedoras, jewelry. Everything layered.

We were only there for 2 nights so night two we went for a nicer dinner. We ended up at Paris (after 6 restaurants were either booked solid or had a 2-hour wait) at about 9pm at Mon Ami Gabi. We had breakfast here back in October and I loved it. I love it even more now. Yummy champagne, amazing pinot noir, hangar steak with a bernaise sauce, window view overlooking the Bellagio fountain. If we weren't both about to fall over from exhaustion, it would have been so romantic.

Overall it was nice to get away for a minute, but even better to be inspired again. I know that I'm in the right industry and doing the right thing for my life. We met new vendors, opened new accounts, found what's different and new. I bought feather earrings, brought back bracelets from LA for the girls and the store, funky wallets - it was Christmas!

After all the urban finds, goodies, appointments, fun and amazement I was exhausted. I think I might finally be coming back to life again. And can't wait for the next one...

Straight from the Source

As I mentioned, I went to Vegas market. Seriously so fantastically amazeballs. I can't wait to go back already. But I wanted to share my new fashion wisdom. Below are the upcoming Spring 2011 men's fashion trends from each show via WWD:


Project:
Skinny jeans remained the key fit in denim, with variations on the style plentiful, such as looser fits toward the top, tapering to a skinny fit on the lower leg. Colored khakis and twill bottoms were abundant, as were nylon outerwear, deconstructed blazers and activewear influences.

PGA:
Technical fabrics still dominate, but fashion has found its way into the golf market. From argyle sweaters and bouncy skirts to polo shirts that change color in the heat, the industry has embraced innovation for spring.

Magic:
Military influences appeared on outerwear and cargo shorts, and plaid wovens remained a key item in many collections. Nondenim bottoms like khaki and corduroy added newness to denim lines and brands played with details on polo shirts, a staple of spring lines. Fedora hats were attention-grabbers for buyers seeking novelty.

ENK:
Darker, cleaner denim in slim and straight fits was the key direction at Paige Premium Denim, as it was at many jeans brands. “We’re moving away from destruction and have things with soft hands and stretch,” said Jonathan Geller, men’s sales director at PPD and stepson of company founder Paige Adams-Geller. “We also lowered our entry price point to $170, down from $186. Department stores are asking for lower prices to move merchandise.”

MRKT:
Woven shirts with contrasting patterns, hybrid coats, deconstructed sport coats and colorful outerwear were among the top-selling items. Although suits were available, most vendors focused on dress-down casualwear.

CAPSULE:
Swimwear was a key category, with brands such as Onia and Orlebar Brown offering modern, sophisticated takes on trunks and volleys in subdued solids. For the fashion-forward Capsule crowd, bold colors and prints were available at labels like Monitaly, where paisley shorts and blazers hung next to ikat-print shirts, as well as Riviera Club, which showcased a Baja-inspired collection perfect for après-surf — such as serape hooded pullovers and double-layer gauze shirts.

POOL:
Graphic T-shirts continue to dominate, but some of the labels made the move into woven shirts, jumping on the plaid and chambray bandwagon.

Magic Morning

I'm sitting at the store, cleaned and merchandised, on this quiet Wednesday morning. The door is propped open with a cool drizzle falling outside. I couldn't be happier right now. This constant oppressive heat has become depressing. I can't open the blinds in the bedroom (for months now) because just the intensity of the sun made the heat too much for the A/C to keep up with. It was a wonderful site to see the Walgreens parking lot this morning. Ha!

I lay in bed this morning, reading my most fabulous study Bible, listening to the drizzle outside the window. It was exactly what I needed to begin a long day the right way. Now the playlist is pumping the best of my favorites and for now, the air is nice enough to enjoy - rain and all.

He said, she said

How do you stop arguing when you're both predisposed to do so? How do you remove the hurt or stifle the sudden urge to defend yourself? And how do you know you should keep trying? These are just thoughts. Of course, our thoughts always come from our daily influence, so I suppose they're fairly important thoughts based on my current influences.

I just want to make sure it's possible to live together, work together, see each other all the time and still figure out how to appreciate each, separate one from the other and love being together. And stop arguing.

Lucky One

I crawled out of the shower this morning to the smell of coffee brewing and walked to the kitchen to see dinner already in the crockpot. I will admit that I do not always feel this way nor appreciate things, but I do have an incredibly amazing partner and I am a very lucky girl.

Let me tell you about this dinner. It's Scotty's Mom's recipe of crockpot roast w/ a jar of pepporcinis - juice and all. Throw in some cracked pepper and leave it all day. I am drooling already. Cannot wait!

This crampy girl needs some sleep and a day off. I haven't had a day off in over a week and won't for over a week. Now I need to drag my sore self around the store and get my re-merch on. Love this store!

Fashion & Food

My entire life has existed around fashion and food lately. It's like the most perfect two things ever. Maybe that's why I finally feel relaxed in life. (Or it could be my new girl I hired majored in psychology and is slowly unwinding my issues).

Tonight - a menu of pesto chicken on the grill and then baked with mozzarella cheese with a side of spinach and pine nut spaghetti made from skinny spaghetti , spinach, garlic, pine nuts and a sauce of chicken stock, corn starch and parmesan cheese. I made it up! I'm so excited. And last nights dinner was phenomenal. It's an Italian chicken and pasta a made a while back and it still was the best thing ever the second time around.

I also spent this last week in Vegas at market and abso-freaking-lutely loved it. It was like I was fashion starved and now I'm filled. More later. And then a fashion show/happy hour. I bought a new Kate style clutch, but for like $30. I mean, life is fantasticness in a bottle of wine.

I hadn't written in a while and have a tendency to be a bit dark, twisty and slightly moody so I thought a happy update was overdue.

Off to finish dinner, finish my bottle of Ruffino, snuggle with my honey and enjoy the foosball on the telly.

Cheers!

Calm, quiet start

I'm not superstitious, but I will say that every Friday the 13th things go wrong. It just so happens that way every time, but I'm not a freaky friday sort of believer. Swear. I think that this year, Thursday was my Fri the 13th. And since it was just yesterday, perhaps I'll have a great day today. After yesterday, I deserve it. Ugh...yesterday.

I'm sitting in bed with coffee and morning TV, cutting coupons and about to place a super important phone call regarding paychecks. Boo turned my alarm off and went into work for me and even told me not to rush! Ugh, amazing man. He takes care of me better than I could ask.

OK - phone call ready. Today is NOT going to be my traditional Fri the 13th. It's not. But just in case, that's why I haven't gotten out of bed yet.

Open letter to the lady with the dog

Seriously, lady? Seriously. I realize I walked away from my car for 8 minutes with the dog inside. And I was nearly in tears upon return. My poor dog, my sweet Misty, when it's triple digits outside. It was inhumane! Did I really need those lemons for dinner? Well, yes, but not at the risk of my dog. Which is why I parked in the shade and rushed through the store, using self checkout and literally running back to the car. 8 minutes.

You, however, are an idiot. A prize idiot. Your beautiful labrador sat panting in your backseat when I arrived and parked, dripped from its sweet tongue hanging out its mouth when I returned. And the next 15 minutes I sat and watched it slowly sink into the seat, panting and sweating. All the while you slowly strolled your busted ass around the store, picking up jars of pickles and aerosol hairspray - no regard for the animal you supposedly love in your backseat nearing heatstroke.

I'm not sure if you came out on your own or because the sweet cart boys were afraid I wasn't bluffing with 9-1-1 typed into my phone and paged you. I guess the picture I took of your license plate, next to the nice rusty dent in your fender, proved I wasn't kidding around.

It was nice of you to let me know that your dog is always hot and that's why it was panting. FYI - it's illegal to leave your animal unattended in the Texas summer heat for as long as you did. I'm glad I was there to inform you. Thanks for thanking me for watching your dog. Next time I'll hopefully move faster, dial the number and get your dog away from you.

Menu

I'm rocking out an eclectic, yet successful menu for myself this evening. The remainder of last night's champagne, accompanied with a steamed artichoke with dipping sauce, spicy tuna brown rice sushi and a caprese salad.

Super duper yumminess.

Positive Energy

A friend recently posted on her new fashion blog about how lucky she was. To quote:



It was just one of those days when you wake up happy. Not just content, cheerful, or pleasant but truly H.A.P.P.Y. I’ve been in LA for 2 months working on my Hosting career. I’ve been away from my “life” working hard, submitting myself, hustling, researching, meetings, headshots, auditions, traveling, editing, emailing, phone calls, making videos, follow-ups and more. But today was a GREAT DAY... It was a day when you get to lean back and say “ahhhhhhhhhhh” with a huge sigh. There is something so satisfying to see your hard work pay off. I know I’ll have tons more things to do tomorrow, the weekend, next wk, next month. But TODAY I will bask in my work being done.



So often I forget to be grateful, forget to be excited. I allow myself to focus on the next step and forget to celebrate the little things. And friends, it's all about the little things. I am an incredibly lucky, blessed, fortunate girl and there is no reason for me to not have a smile on my face each and every day.

This has been the hardest year of my life, preceded by the second hardest year of my life. I am tired of fighting and it is about damn time to start enjoying. So here's to a happy day of truly appreciating the moments.

I am excited to watch a fav show on the telly this evening: Bananas! I am excited that we are already past goal today in the store, that a friend happened by and loved the place, that I'm going to Vegas next week, that I'm styling a fashion show next week, that Misty spends every day at work with me, that I have an artichoke waiting in the fridge for dinner tonight, that I have a bottle of bubbly with my name on it next to the artichoke, and of course that I have a fabulous family and amazing boyfriend and my own business! Today is a day to celebrate!

Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will. - Zig Ziglar

El Doctor

Good news from the doc. No new cell growth, but the presence of disease - yes. She says it's totally normal. So I'm not in trouble. Back in January to re-check!

Two points

My feet hurt like I'm poor in NYC and hiking around like a tourist in heels. Every day. Serious pain.

And two, I am making myself super happy this evening with a bottle of champagne and a caprese salad with Sex and the City.

One, two, three, four

Budgeting is a beast. I have been counting pennies and writing things out, paying off bills and avoiding shopping for months now. For someone in fashion that loves style as much as I do, this is a very hard thing to do. But when you have no funds, you have no funds. No way to spend it. It's KILLING me. My solace has been the store. At the very least I can grab a cute top or dress here or there, albeit college or sports related. But it works. And if I really scrimp and scrap, I've gotten one something for under $40 every other month.

However, I have been doing some shopping lately. It started with shoes. I was wearing my 5" Cynthia Vincent wedges which require a change of shoes in retail, but forgot a change of shoes. So I popped into Nine West where clearance was an extra 20% off. I walked out with a tan strappy pair of suede flats perfect to go into the fall and a hot pink leather flip flop, total under $50. Then came the nail polish. The new color for the season is grey and a store in NYC makes the perfect shade. So I bought two colors and shipped them. And then came the extra 20% off VS end of season, so I bought a suit. Holy crap! I'm at $100!!! I do not have $100. But at least my nails and feet will be cute. And next season, my swim suit is fabulous and unworn. (neon yellow bottom and striped top, both of which perfectly match all 3 of my turq, pink and black swim suits).

OK, I'm cut off!

What to do, what to do

I don't remember the last time I was home alone. Normally when Scott travels I make plans; however, tonight those were canceled. I admit I'd prefer to be out doing something. It's actually kind of hard to make plans when you know someone else is just sitting at home. I suppose I need to get over that and just do what I want.

But tonight, I'm sitting on the couch in a quiet (clean) apt. It is very nice to have space to myself. A boy just takes up so much space. But this place seems downright huge right now. I'm loving it!

So I think I may make some caprese salad and pop some champagne. Have a real night! However, I could also just go to bed early and get to the gym early. But I believe I'm going for salad and champagne.

Have a great night, y'all!

Back to Life

I have been racing at 100 mph for months now. I could not be happier to slow down for a night. It's Saturday night, the laundry is going, dishwasher full, boy sleeping on the couch next to me and of course...candle lit and glass of wine. Cupcake. Yum.

My first PT girl started tonight and I seriously love her. She's so eager to learn and just wants to make sure she does everything right. She honestly asked me if there was a time I wanted her to leave the store at night, in case she felt like more customers might come if she stayed past close. Seriously? Forget children. I'm adopting her. Done. And my next one starts Tuesday morning! I must say, life is working out. It's damn hard work and I'm freaking tired and have no life, but yet, very happy and content.

Brace yourself, here it comes...Yiiiippppeeee!!!! (and I don't do that often). I mean, my nails are watermelon! Enough said.

My little secret

I have a vice from my past that is resurfacing as of late. It's not something everyone approves of, nor has even...we'll say enjoyed. I've had friends unhappy with my choice and definitely attempt to persuade me in a different direction. It might not be something I run around and proclaim, but I enjoy it.

And seriously, until you've been exhausted on a Saturday night and need something to pep you up, don't judge me. It's been very good to me in the past. I've been known to dance around the living room on a couch, stay up all night having chats with friends, even dance literally all night, possibly on top of the bar. This, my friends, is nothing but a happy, peppy vice. All nay-sayers can just shut it.

I actually may promote my vice to the world. Seriously? Yes, seriously. Shut your trap until you've taken part yourself. That's right. I dare you.

Next time you're sitting alone and your friends are all out waiting on you, but you have less than zero energy to get there, I will share my fairly non-addicting habit with you. Crank up some techno and, viola. There you have it - techno. Nothing will get you moving and shaking, pep you up for the night and keep you going until dawn like techno.

You know you love it and totally jam out in the car when no one else is around.

It doesn't get any cuter

Misty-Miss has had a couple days off work and recovered. Now she's ready to get there and greet some customers! After 3 straight long days, she was too exhausted to move on Sunday (as was I). So I let her work at home with Daddy for a bit. But now she anxious and back in the game.

Put me in coach!

I like this better over there...

My creative side is waking up this week. I've received some new shipments, requiring a little product shuffle and desired a new display and window. I forgot how much I love merchandising! It's been a couple years since I've been creative at work. (with the exception of all of my brilliant ideas...)

I merchandised the trendy 2,000 sq ft space I managed a while back - windows, floor sets and all. And my NYC job was fairly creative. And when my dragon boss wasn't sucking the fun out of the room with her fire breathing, it was fun! I played with fabrics and created design boards (which was initially fun, but the critiques with said dragon boss were HELL!), clipped trends and oversaw production and sales of accessories. Seriously, does it get any better for a job description? Once my company is super huge and handling licensing, I'll make sure I maintain that position within the biz.

But I am seriously enjoying flexing my brain a bit and feeling the ownership of the store. That and interviewing 20-somethings all week who look at you like an accomplished store owner. Man, my self esteem is on the rise!

*gleam*

My head has spent a lot of time in my past lately, both awake and asleep. I honestly couldn't be happier. I have managed to open my own boutique and I'm going to have some press coming out soon. And it's sports! I mean, 30 is my year.

But my head....maybe because life has gotten easier. Maybe because things aren't as intense as they've been this past year. Maybe because I have one dream realized that I wonder about the other things & people I've let go along the way.

I would like to say hello, sit down and have a drink and catch up with a few people. Then again, that's what I keep doing in my head. So maybe I just want to show them all that I've got it all now that, well, I do.

Bananas!