Last Gasp

Now that September's here it's totally sinking in that summer (sadly) is just about over. Although I'm super excited for fall: new clothes, pumpkin flavored ANYTHING & crispy weather...I'm bummed. So in a pathetic attempt to cling to summer I'll be playing my Summer '09 Playlist repeatedly until September 22, 2009 at 5:18pm (first day o’ fall). Maybe even beyond that.

The playlist consists of the songs I found myself playing over & over these past few months. I love how you can listen to a song and remember a certain time of year, person, event etc. This eclectic mix of old & new fav's will always remind me of Summer ‘09 :)

Coconut Girl - Brother Noland

The Ocean - Led Zeppelin

Summerboy - Lady Gaga

Sunday Morning - No Doubt

It’s A Good Day - Peggy Lee

Hot Pants (I’m Coming) - Bobby Byrd

The Greeks - Michel Colombier

Tennessee Jed - Levon Helm

Twenty Five Miles - Edwin Starr

I And Love And You - The Avett Brothers

My One And Only Thrill - Melody Gardot

Volare - The Maguire Sisters

40 Day Dream - Edwin Starr & the Magnificent Zeros

InVestigating

I usually write about fashion trends I thoroughly enjoy. Not the case in this post. I'm reluctant to accept the vest as a likable trend. In my opinion vests are silly. I’ve never been able to take them seriously as a wearable item of clothing. Probably because most of my vest associations are comical...

Ferris Bueller wearing a white t-shirt and knit leopard print vest. With a baseball jacket. God 80’s fashion was TERRIBLE! Only Ferris had the personality to pull it off that atrocious look and remain so darn likable.

Back To The Future. A 1980’s Marty McFly walks into a 1950’s diner. He’s wearing an obnoxiously puffy vest. With a button up shirt. AND a denim jacket (again TERRIBLE!). The cook promptly says to him “Hey kid what’d ya do, jump ship?”

And a great quote from Mean Girls. Such a hilarious movie! In one scene the mean girls discuss their wardrobe rules to obey. If they don't obey the rules they are banned from the cafeteria lunch table. The queen bee Regina is about to be banned and arguing the wardrobe rules aren’t legit. Her drone Karen is pissed.

Karen: Those rules were real that day I wore a vest!

Regina: Because that vest was disgusting!

Finally, I asked my Dad. Because he's the only regular vest-wearer I know, that makes him my go-to guy to uncover the allure of the vest. Here’s how our phone conversation went:

Me: Hey Dad, you still wear vests, right?

Dad: Yeah I have about four. Two that I wear for work and two suede vests, one black and one brown.

Me: So clearly you’re a vest fan. What do you like about them?

Dad: I like a vest because if your shirt sucks you can still look good.

Style words of wisdom from Mike Cicalese everyone.

There are a variety of vests out there, not just in Mike’s closet. Fur and faux fur vests are supposed to be super hot for fall. Celebrity stylist and author Rachel Zoe (whom I love but most people can’t stand!) will be debuting her line of fur vests on QVC very soon. Denim vests are also quite prevalent. They are so 80's to me I just can't accept them! But below are some vests that don't make me violently ill:

Corduroy vest, Old Navy $24.50

Leather vest, Express $88

Nylon Lace, Urban Outfitters $68

So will I be purchasing a vest anytime soon? Don’t hold your breath. But never say never.



Step Aside Mr. Hines.

Ah, brownies. So simple yet so delectable. Did you know that the brownie dates back to the late 1800's? It's said that the first brownie was invented (like many other enjoyable American snacks!) at the Chicago World's Fair. A high society broad named Bertha Palmer attended the fair & coveted a dessert that was small and easy to pack in a picnic lunch. She made her request known to a chef at the famous Palmer House Hotel and voila, the brownie was born.



I've made many a boxed brownie in my day, but never from scratch. After realizing how simple it was I decided to give it a whirl. I had heard that adding espresso powder to the batter heightens the flavor of the chocolate and gives the brownies a wonderful richness. It's true they were delicious, far superior to boxed brownies! I'm now a from-scratch brownie convert.

Brownies

Ingredients:
8- 1 ounce squares of unsweetened chocolate
1 cup butter
5 eggs
3 cups sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1-1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tbsp espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 13 pan. Melt chocolate and butter in a saucepan over low heat; set aside. In large bowl beat eggs, sugar and vanilla. Add chocolate mixture, then flour and salt. Finally add espresso powder and cinnamon. Pour into pan & bake for 35 minutes.

Are You Tough Enough?

When I envision a leather jacket, a variety of men usually come to mind. The T Birds in Grease. Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator. James Dean (who interestingly enough never wore a leather jacket in any of his movies - how about that!) And of course the Fonz- eyyyyy! Well step aside gentleman. This fall the leather jacket is huge trend for the ladies. Or should I say for chicks. Yeah that's more like it.

A leather jacket is much more than a disposable trendy item. It's really an iconic piece worth investing in. A couple of years ago I decided I needed one. After some shopping research I found out that duh - leather is expensive! Most of the jackets I had my eye on were in the $300-400 range. At the time too rich for my blood. So I settled on a faux leather biker-style jacket from Target. Super cute, you'd never know it wasn't real leather - shhh! I would love to buy a real leather jacket for fall but unfortunately it's not in the budget....so the plan is to rock my old faux friend for a while. But my eyes will be peeled for a good leather on clearance!

If wearing a leather jacket makes you feel like you should be stealing children's lunch money, don't fret. There are ways to wear this tough style without looking like a delinquent.




Pair with something sweet: A floral print dress, ruffle-y top and girly accessories all contrast fantastically with the toughness of a leather jacket.







Opt for brown: Black leather might be too much for the meek at heart. A lighter, buttery brown is less severe but still makes you feel like a cool cat.








Age appropriate: A blazer style is more a traditional take on a biker or bomber fit. This is a classic for all ages!






P.S. No lie...not five little minutes after I finished writing this post I received an email ad from Urban Outfitters titled "Leather Report" featuring their new selection of leather jackets, which are adorable! Check them out!

Eternal Summer

Summer is without a doubt the best season. What's there not to love? It's all about BBQ's, the beach, the hot sultry weather, sundresses, sandals & taking it easy! Although it's my favorite time of year, by mid-August I'm usually itching for fall (mostly so I can shop for new clothes!). But of course when the bitterness of winter rolls around I'm once again longing for summer. To curb that longing I’ve put together an Eternal Summer Survival Kit. These affordable little indulgences will give me my summer fix....all year round!

#1 The Body Shop Coconut Body Butter ($20 for 7 oz) : It smells like coconut suntan oil and is especially wonderful to use in the winter when your skin is at its driest. The thick, creamy texture and heavenly smell instantly transports you to warmer and more relaxing days.

#2 Bliss’s A Tan For All Seasons Self Tanner ($36 for 4.4 oz) : A vacation in an aerosol can. I’ve tried many self tanners and this the most natural-looking, easiest to apply AND best smelling out there. Pastiness be gone....forever!

#3 Yankee Candle Sun & Sand (about $20 for 22 oz) : If you light this candle, close your eyes and take a deep breath you’ll swear you’re at the beach. No lie.

#4 Bobby Flay's Burgers, Fries and Shakes Cookbook (about $20): Summer grilling only? Nah! A juicy burger hot off the grill will be perfect after a tough day at work, any time of year. This cookbook has a great variety of out of the ordinary burger recipes (and fries and shakes). The Philadelphia Burger with provolone, onions & peppers is a tasty cheeseteak alternative.

#5 Red nail polish (less than $5) : I typically only bother with pedicures in the spring/summer months. But how lovely is it to look down at your toes and see a bright splash of color when outside it's dreary & cold? Not to mention red toes look fabulous with a tan (see # 2!). There are so many shades of red out there, but my fav is a cheapo drug store brand Milani in Feisty Flames.

Enjoy!

Sophia vs. Jayne

It just so happens this is another boob-related post. I didn't plan that. But recently boobs are EVERYWHERE. Over the past few months I attended a myriad of weddings. Exaggeration....five weddings. But five within a short period of time feels like a myriad. So anyway, while observing the female guests at said weddings, I noticed that there are 2 types of women. Those inclined to blatantly show off their bubbies (my new favorite slang for boobs – thank you Real Housewives of NJ!) and those who prefer to cover them up. And when I say “show them off” I’m not talking about moderate cleavage. I’m talking the bubbies are at full salute, in a big shiny display case. Clearly, this is not a ground-breaking observation. But I think it makes for an interesting topic of conversation.

There are some famous examples comparing these two types of women. Marilyn Monroe & Jackie Kennedy is the most obvious. Ginger & Mary Ann (Gilligan’s Island) isn’t a bad one either. But for this particular discussion I’m going to focus on Sophia Loren & Jayne Mansfield (pictured above). This is one of my all-time favorite photos. Circa 1957, it was taken at Romanoff's a famous Hollywood restaurant and features the two contrasting sex symbols in their prime. Sophia Loren, the sultry rising star of Italy vs. Jayne Mansfield, the Playboy pin-up turned box office beauty. Two very different dames playing poster-girls for two different types of sexy.


Sophia “The Lady” - Apart from her hilarious disgusted glare, she clearly has class. I love her jewelry, her hair & makeup....the whole package is perfection. And I love how she’s still gorgeous at 75! Side note: Sophia Loren actually has quite sizable bubbies, as you can see here:



But she knows how to show them off in a sexy, not tramp-y way.

Jayne “The Tramp” – She really was gorgeous. I love her glam, teased hair! But how can you notice anything else about her ensemble....her cleavage is ludicrous! It’s not really even cleavage, it’s beyond cleavage. It’s a full-on bubbie buffet! I can image how scandalous this was in 1957. If the neckline of the dress was about 3-4 inches higher she would have looked radiant, not ridiculous.

Just in case you were wondering which category I fall in....I’ve been a Sophia my entire adult life. Lots of cleavage always made me feel rather silly. This for a couple reasons: my bubbies are on the small side and I’m not about to strap on some type of “Miracle” bra to play tricks on everyone. And I lack that overtly sexy confidence. It’s just not who I am. I’d rather show off some goods that sparkle & shine as opposed to.....you know, my actual goods.

So do I look down upon girls who show a lot of cleavage? No, I do not.....to an extent. I think there’s the classy way to display the goods (show as seen in Sophia’s pic above) and an inappropriate way....the Jayne way! And I do not recommend the Jayne way. Especially if you’re attending another lady’s big day. If you’re at the bar or in the boudoir, by all means show them off! But leave something to the imagination. Please.

As Seen On TV

There's nothing that gets under my skin more than a seemingly adorable outfit ruined by a very noticeable imperfection. A cute pair of trousers that are too short in length. Someone's granny-panty lines staring you right in the face. Wearing a chunky beaded necklace...with dangly beaded earrings...and beaded bangles. But there's nothing I dislike more than exposed bra straps. This is one wardrobe malfunction I struggled with often. When wearing certain summer tops it's just inevitable the straps will show. Unless you constantly wear a strapless bra....but who the hell wants to do that? To try & solve this problem I to use a big safety pin to keep the straps from being exposed. But this method was both uncomfortable and constricting. Not to mention you could run the risk of the safety pin opening and stabbing you in the back. And that’s never a good look.

I'm sure many of you have seen the advertisement for Strap Perfect on TV. It’s the little circular piece of plastic with cutouts designed to keep your bra straps from showing. In the winter months when I first saw the infomercial, I scoffed. Who the hell would pay money for that? But by the time summer rolled around, I was having bra strap woes galore. While perusing the As Seen On TV section in Walgreen's one day I saw Strap Perfect for sale. Six “Perfects” for 15 bucks.....dare I? I’ve spent good money on far stupider things. Like the time I was drunk in a bar & gave the bathroom attendant $20 when she gave me a sob story about her dead beat baby-daddy. And that time I bought sandals that were 2 sizes too big while shopping in Capri.....also drunk. But in Walgreen's I was sober (and curious), so I gave them a shot.

In short, it ended up being a great purchase! The “Perfect” is easy to attach and very easy to adjust the placement. My bra straps always stay perfectly in place. I'll even wear it when I don’t need to, just to avoid the annoying strap slippage that can suddenly occur. Strap Perfect gets the Gina seal of approval and I recommend it to all. Who have boobs of course.