Please pass the marshmallows

So, I know I'm going to be totally regretting this in February when we've had a lot of c-c-c-cold days and an ice storm or two, but I am really wanting the cooler weather to get here ALREADY!

Today it was 93 degrees. It's the end of September and it is 93 degrees. Can't it just be in the 60's or 70's for a while?

All I want is a large mug of warm hot chocolate. Not cocoa, real hot chocolate. The kind that is not much more than melted chocolate and crème.



Okay, hot chocolate, a pile of books, my sofa, a blanket and my snuggly puppy -



And if I have to go out, a pair of these to tuck my jeans into.


If you've only had Cocoa (milk + ground cocoa + sugar + vanilla + ground cinnamon), then you don't know real Hot Chocolate. The kind they serve at the famous Angelina's in Paris. And having Hot Chocolate in Angelina's should be on the list of things you do before you die, because it is To. Die. For.



In case you want to try and recreate the experience at home (and you should. Often), here's a recipe:

Angelina’s Hot Chocolate
The Angelina Cafe in Paris, open since 1903, serves a thick hot chocolate version in demitasse cups with a tiny dollop of mascarpone and whipped cream. They are famous for making hot chocolate from melted chocolate bars. Serve it in small cups or in 17th-century style chocolate pots and demitasse cups such as those sold in gourmet shops.

Be careful when you make it. I made a batch of French Hot Chocolate once for me and my husband. We drank it all because we didn't want to waste any of it. I never have anything with caffeine in it and started getting a racing heart beat and nearly passed out. It was a major caffeine overload. So pace yourself!

Ingredients
6 ounces fine-quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1/4 cup water, room temperature

3 tablespoons hot water

3 cups hot milk, divided

Sugar to taste

Real whipped cream, if desired

In a double boiler over low heat, combine chocolate and 1/4 cup water until melted, stirring occasionally; stir until smooth.
Remove top of double boiler pan from. Whisk in 3 tablespoons hot water. Pour into pitcher or divide among individual 4 mugs. Either stir 3/4 cup hot milk into each mug or serve milk in a separate pitcher.

Pass sugar and whipped cream in separate bowls; add to taste.
Makes 4 servings.

Le Sigh...

I have a bit of a Love-Hate relationship with Zappos Couture. I love that Zappos carries higher end lines and provides their same great service. But I hate the fact that they have such amazing things and I can't buy them all!

Just look at these gorgeous grey heels from Guiseppe Zanotti. I think he is becoming one of my new favorite designers.



The perfect shape and an a beautiful cool-warm grey suede that I just want to stroke.




What I love most is the crystal accent with the two leather leaves. I don't think you could find a place to wear these that they would not look perfect and amazing.



When is it again that I am winning the lottery????

Imitation = Flattery?

It's time for another blatant knock-off exposed!

Here's the Louboutin Criss-Cross Vamp heel. Lovely. Sophisticated. Elegant. A white heel that is classy and not trashy. And, as always, contrasted with the striking red sole.



And here's Steve Madden's "interpretation". He hasn't gone so far as to copy the signature sole color here, but he's got everything else dead on.


I am really surprised that Louboutin's company has not gone after the Steve Madden company. I've worked with companies that prosecute for this same type of infringement and the companies that copy end up having to pay restitution as well as destroying all the offending product. A very costly risk they take.

I like the opportunity to get a style for less money but I feel a little weird about buying such brazen theft of designs. Especially when the turnaround time is so fast. Louboutin barely gets their shoes in the stores when the copies come out.

I wonder if they have a spy....

Ensemble du Jour

The Outfit
Even though it was Friday, I was to have a meeting so I dressed up a bit. I wore a light grey pleated skirt and white v-neck knit top. I have a long necklace made of faux grey pearls and hematite beads. It's very long so I looped it tight around my neck and the then rest of it hangs longer down.



The Focal Point
Because the white and grey are so icy and cool, I wanted a strong contrast, so I went with my red Pedro Garcia round toe pumps. I love the distressed edges the most.




Happy Friday!

Get out your coats! Hell may be freezing over!

For a very very long time I have been a Payless-hater. I really looked down on their shoes as cheap (in the bad way, not the Target way) tacky, plastic and cardboard crap. To put it mildly. But I have to give them some credit. They are trying to update their image and product line and are taking cues from Target's capsule designer collections by pairing with the likes of Patricia Fields (stylist for Sex and the City, etc.), Abaeté, and Lela Rose.

And they aren't doing a bad job, either.

I really like the Abaeté line's Cabri Zip boots. And from some pictures I've seen, their Spring items, which will hit in February, look pretty cute.

But to keep my tailored menswear trend going - and to give me extra mileage for all of the cute cute socks I've bought, (I think I need some flat boots too, but that's a whole other story!), I was intrigued by they Lela Rose line at Payless. Now if you know me, you will know that this is like George Bush saying, "Hey, maybe that Al Gore does have a point about that global warming stuff." Shocking, unexpected and out-of-character. But, I try to be open-minded, ya know.

So anyhoo, Lela Rose. Capitol Hill Barbie brought these to my attention as I don't usually frequent the Payless stores or website. And I think they are pretty cute. Here are some of the runway shots -



One thing I did notice is that the runway versions are much more refined and look to be of a better quality than what they are selling to the masses. The red peep-toe for example is 1000% nicer than what I saw online. If the stores were selling that runway shoe with that heel, I would bolt right down there. But the heel on the actual product is much chunkier. So, a little deceptive advertising there, but what do you expect?

What I ended up buying were the three heels below. The black and brown versions of the Finsbury pump and the black Birchin t-strap.






I'm sure the material is very very faux, but at least I won't have to worry about them getting ruined or anything. And for $25 and $30 respectively, they are a good bargain. Shipping was free - or you can ship to any store for free and go pick them up. The good thing is that if you hate them, you can return them right there. The bad thing is that you have to go into an actual store.

; )

One thing I was surprised at is that not all the stores are getting them. Just as malls, some big box stores and department stores do, the "higher end" area Payless stores are getting the line while the rest of the schlubs are not. I can't believe Payless has the nerve to segregate product based on area household incomes. And where I live isn't a run-down area, but the store near me was not getting the line. It kind of ticked me off. How dare Payless look down on my area!

I can't believe I've been dissed by Payless. What is my world coming to?

Ensemble du Jour

Hey! It's finally time to pull out some of my tall boots. Around here, it just gets too hot to wear them most of the time. Plus, today is my wedding anniversary and I'm feeling sassy!

The Outfit
Black Anne Taylor v-neck top with 3/4 sleeves. Target dress denim pleated skirt, tall black Nine West boots that I've had for-ever! And my wedding rings of course!





The Focal Point
While the boots are, of course, HAWT, my focal point is my vintage Art Nouvou pin. It's big and excessive, which is why I love it. I pinned it front and center - right at the base of the v on my shirt.

It's very intricate and layered and the mix of metals enables it to go with a variety of colors.


You can't deny the power of iconic, sexy pieces. No matter how you are feeling or look, if you have a few key pieces you are going to still turn some heads. My outfit is pretty tame but the minute I put those tall boots on, I'm bound to get some attention. I was walking out to go to work and my hubby asked if I was taking the whip with me today? Ha ha ha!

Men soooo love the sexy shoes.

Ensemble du Jour

I have to admit that I have been kind of slack lately. Work has been going crazy. I keep having these presentations to do - fitting them in among all of the regular work that I have to do. The hours of the day seem to just fly by. Regardless, I resolve to post a bunch over the weekend.

The Outfit

I was doing a mix of high and low today. I paired a dark green silk-screened tee from Etsy with a jeans skirt and then my very glam Hype heels.



What I like about these heels is that they are very ornate in a great color. But what I love about them is the mesh/tulle that is wrapped around the toe of the heel (the darker areas in the image). The jewels are a very bright topaz color with a bronze-y setting.

The Focal Point

The graphic on my shirt is my focal point today. I love the color and the muted glam image. The green is a great color for me. I tried to play against the juxtaposition of the casual tee and skirt by using the fancier shoe and I pulled out some more ornate jewelry. I wore a vintage bracelet that has a large garnet stones interspersed with intricate links that have embedded pearls. My right had ring is set in gold and is an opal surrounded by dark rubies.



Very 200 years ago paired with a modern casual silhouette.

Eeeewwww!!!

We all know Mr. Lacroix is a mad genius (mad as the Mad Hatter!) but I think it is really some form of schizophrenia or multiple personality disorder.

We have the crazy deranged gaucho ...


Lacroix Oxide Derby shoe with gaiter (who needs a friggin' gaiter?)

Then there is the pretty fairy princess who wants to wear flowers on her feet and dance like it's a Midsummer Night's Dream. The one that makes me consider giving up my personal safety to own these shoes.



I know it's Lacroix (Lacroix, dah-ling, Lacroix) and allowances must be made, but I'm afraid of what insanity are we going to be subjected to next.

Ensemble du Jour

The Outfit
So it's finally cooled off enough to wear some layers. I have been wanting to wear my Libertine argyle skull sweater vest so I paired it up with my long sleeve white shirt and a pair of cropped black pants. For jewelry, I have a vintage heart pendant made of ebony. I thought it would be fun to pair the skulls with a black heart.

I know skulls have been kind of over done, but I think that how they are done in the bright green and paired with the argyle pattern is fun and quirky. At first you might not notice them, but then you see them and have to laugh. I actually rolled up my sleeves so I have more of a 3/4 sleeve going.



I was debating what shoes to wear. I have a pair of creamy off-white heels that are edged in the same pink. But then I was thinking low-heeled boots - which is what I should have worn. But I was in a rush so I grabbed my Patent loafers. The shine is enough to give them interest but they don't compete too much with the sweater.



The Focal Point
The sweater, of course! My husband calls it my "e-vil sweater". That's right, baby!
E-VIL!



But in a preppy-cute-fun kind of way.

What is the smell of rudeness???

These are the questions we must ask ourselves.

Are you Insolence or Apathy?

Ensemble du Jour

The Outfit
I wore my new brown skirt from Target and a light blue scoop neck sweater that I bought several years ago from Express. It's actually a 3/4 sleeve sweater and is a very soft knit. My necklace was this long tortoiseshell colored necklace that is two strands and made up of lots of little coral shaped bits. As always, these Polyvore pics are merely representative.




The Focal Point
My Lisa and Vickey by Glory Chen "Dolly" shoes. I bought these a few years ago from Zappos when I was going through an extremely funky shoe phase. These have a cow hide pattern, are actually furry (but it is very faux) and whip stitching and large stitches in blue and red. The colors of the stitching are reflected in a little blue suede and red flower.



I love that the insole is the same blue suede with little cut out hearts that are red from an under-sole.



They're funky yet the shape is classic so they are kind of a surprise for people. I think that's why I get so many compliments on them.

My heart's a-flutter

I know I don't need these. I know they are totally impractical, over-the-top, too girly to be believed but I want them.


Gentry de Paris Corset Boots

I know they are so over the top, but dammit, I want them. And just as much, I want this too:


Yes, I know I have no where now or in my foreseeable future to ever wear this. And yes it's a fluffy pink ostrich feather boa (a boa!) and no one in their right mind would really wear this out. But I-want-it.

*Pout*

Darn money!

Alice Temperly at Target

A new Go International collection at Target is always cause for excitement, and somehow this one crept up on me. I don't know how because I love the styles and the mainly black and white color scheme of the Alice Temperly line.

And you know this has to be big news because even Selfridges, the big UK high-end department store, was doing a special event around this launch on Tuesday the 18th.



A lot of the dresses and shirts have high collars, which I don't really like (I'm a v-neck gal myself) so I'll probably skip most of those. And the accessories are not thrilling me too much. I think they would go better paired with some of the Gothic Lolita options out there.

I do like this sweater. It's girly but the stripey sleeves have a Beetlejuice-quality about them. I like that its subtle, but there.



This petal dress is pretty and girly. I love the salmon pink color of the shirt and accents. I haven't seen the shirt yet, so I'm not sure how it will fit. But I bet I could find something similar if I needed too.




I really like this sweater coat the best. It sort of smoking jacket/cozy blankie and I think it will help to extend some of my lighter tops into the fall. Plus it will look kewl with my new short skirts and opaque tights.



I'm not sure about the sash/tie belt so I was thinking of getting this (also Beetlejuice-y) striped belt to wear with it. I think a nice patent dark red belt would be good too.



Overall, a very pretty collection. Not overwhelming amount of options that I am going to jump on but I like the details. I can't wait to see them in person to assess the quality.

I'm not feelin' it, Vera

Because Target has done so well with its capsule Go International collections, it's no surprise other department stores like JCPenny's and Kohls are going to find their own partners for limited edition collections.

I've never been in Kohls actually and even when I heard about the Vera Wang collection she is doing with them, I was not enticed. I've haven't really followed her designs or think much about her other than her wedding dresses (admittedly gorgeous) or, now, mattresses.

But in the last week or so, two of my favorite bloggers wrote about her collection. Daddy Likey was not overly impressed and didn't mince words, but Style Spy found some pieces that she liked. So, because I think you can find something at any store, and because I needed to go to Target which is right next door, I thought I would pop in and check it out for myself.

First off, when I step into the store - I hate it. I hate the layout and it just seems really annoying. Even more than I think a TJ Maxx usually is. Which means that right off the bat I am not in the mood to shop.

I saw this skirt which they have tried to glam up in the ads, but the hem looks crap-Y. And I think it would balloon out at my knees in a very unappealing way.



The dress looks o-kay in the picture, but on me, not so much. And that belt would have gone straight in the trash.



Tried on this skirt and a black pencil skirt with a satin "car-wash" pleated edge. This skirt didn't do much for me at all, mostly because the pockets bulged out. The black skirt was okay but it didn't get me jazzed, so I put it back.



I did like this black chemise from the intimates/nightgown area. I thought it could have made for a cute dress with a long sweater and tights. But after trying on all of those other depressing pieces and the general overall store negativity I had going on, I decided it wasn't that great. I really do want a pretty slip/nightgown/chemise, but I'll wait and get a really nice quality piece.



The only thing I did like there was this skirt (not Vera Wang) for $20. It was actually kind of satin-y but I have about 15 black and white patterned skirts. I don't need another one. So that went back too.



All in all, I didn't see the entire collection but I was not impressed. Hopefully, you'll do better, especially if you are a Vera fan.

Jewels at the Emmy's

I'm not a bit celebrity hound or fashion tracker, but I took a quick flip through some of the Emmy pictures and it was great to see so much bright jewel colors. They made everyone look vibrant and happy.

I think Heidi Klum's dress was one of the best. It's a great color and it totally suits her shape. Plus, I love that she paired this burgundy with dark purple shoes.



America Ferrera can tell Glamour to go stuff it. She looks great is this bold color. No retouching needed.



Helen Mirren is gorgeous, as always, in a regal purple (I know, bad pun). By the way, what's up with Sandra Oh? I think she has lost a ton of weight. I hope she doesn't go too far. She's looked so healthy and strong in the past.



Kristen Bell, I don't know who you are but I love your dress and its color. This reminds me of the vintage yellow dress Renee Z. wore a few years ago. It's drapey but she's obviously thin enough to make pull it off.



Mary-Louise Parker is very smoldery in a tight red (my favorite color for evening wear) satin dress. I hope she is comfortable enough to sit down though! Ilike her bag too.



Minnie Driver is another personal favorite and she looks surprisingly good in yellow. It's not a color I can wear and I'm surprised that she looks so good in it. At least in this photo. Andshe has a great cuff bracelet to toughen it up.



I'm sure there are the fashion commentators who would say that the red carpet has been boring and too safe, but I don't think there is anything wrong with looking pretty and making good choices. I can't pull any inspiration for dresses for me, but I hope some of the color works its way into the market.

Dear Neiman Marcus..

Dear Neiman Marcus

I love you very very much. You have beautiful clothes and a great cosmetics department. And you can't beat the shoes, of course.

But your folks tend to be a little snobby (as only a high-end store associate can) and false flattery. I mean, I know you aren't there for altruistic reasons, and I am probably not as fabulous as you exclaim that I am. So I'm not completely clueless.

I can, however, excuse your faults. I don't throw stones in a glass house. But what I can't condone is blatant ignorance and high pressure. Shouldn't you know your product backwards and forwards and shouldn't you be trying to seduce me and my credit card, not turn me off by pressuring me.

I mean, seriously.

I was in the NM closest to me last weekend. So I had to go to the shoe department while my corrupted husband was getting his Kheil's fix (that's a whole other story). I'd seen most of these shoes online already, but there were a few that I was admiring in person, including a pair of grey Prada's made for the 100th anniversary. I really wasn't going to buy anything that day so my usual "out" is that they probably won't have my size in stock. (Unfortunately this is true far too often.)

So when the snob-y sales assoc came over, I asked about the Prada's and mentioned that they probably wouldn't have my size. He, of course, said they may have some in the back. When he came out, he said they didn't (duh!) but to try on a another size for fit. I know he wants to make the $700+ sale, but if they don't fit, they-don't-fit! Geez!

Anyway, I try them on, annndddd they don't fit and I say "Oh, well". He says I wanted you to try on the "5 1/2's for size, blah, blah, blah...".

Um, those are 36.5's not 35.5's. So that means they are 6 1/2's in US sizes, not 5 1/2. No where near my size. Then, THEN, he pushes me to order some from another store because there are only a few left. How do I know he even can order the right size after that! I say, "Well, I'll think about it and call you back after we finish shopping" and he still continues to pressure me.

I got really cranky after that. Needless to say, I did not call Mr. Sales Associate back and I probably would not give him the sale the next time I am in there. So Neiman's, please train your sales staff better so the shopping experience can match the quality (and price tag) of your merchandise.

Luv ya,
Poochie

Hot Dog under a Heat Lamp

I was reading Gala's blog today and she linked to a post talking about a very young woman who died of skin cancer. It still amazes me how many people still layout in the sun A LOT and still go to tanning beds.

I can’t believe there are people who don’t know how horrible tanning beds are. I’m from Florida but extremely fair (aka Irish Chicken Meat skin), and, luckily, never got into tanning. It was way too boring to lay around like a hot dog under a heat lamp. I’ve since moved to North Carolina and it amazes me how many tanning salons are here. People are obsessed with it, and with getting tanned/burned.

Is the whole skin cancer message not getting through to people?



Why is tanning and being tanned still considered a good thing. Maybe we need to hand out some ribbons and hold some races to get it more noticed and generate more awareness about it.

Please please please don’t layout and don’t go out without sunscreen. Not only will you look younger and better, but You. Won’t. Die.

I also always ask if babies and kids have sunscreen on too. You would be surprised how many don’t.



Better yet, play up the whole lack-of-tan element. I love parasols. I have some vintage ones, a lacy one from Italy, a black kind of Goth black velvet one and some pretty Asian ones - in florals, red and white splatter patterns and rice paper. You can get some for less than $20 at Pearl River.



And there are pretty hats for all seasons. I love straw hats with flowers on them and then pinning vintage brooches, but there are tons and tons out there, especially online.


Don't wait until they have to cut something off of you. Wear the sunscreen and cover up. A tan can fade but a big biopsy scar will last far far longer.

Photos from Swan4 and KateMonkey - Flickr