Being Gwen

Let me preface this post with Mom, Dad, do not be alarmed, I will not be coming home with hot pink hair anytime soon, I'm simply admiring the following... :)

So lately for some inexplicable reason I've been OBSESSED with vintage Gwen Stefani and old school No Doubt (and well 90s music in general). But Gwen has just changed so much over the years and no matter how glamorous or how grunge she is she always looks SO SO SO cool!! And right now I'm obsessed with her in her hot pink hair stage... Sigh.... to be able to pull something like this off...

WAY extreme pink...

pretty in pink...

Pink- Gwen essentials...

Temporary hair dye from Hot Topic (cuz lets be honest, only Gwen can pull this off 24/7)

Doc Martens....in hot pink...grunge perfected.

Barbie pink lipstick...check!

AND it looks like I'm not the only one obsessed with pastel hair this season... Check out the celebs and models rocking the look over at Who What Wear.

And I also love angry bouncy Gwen...

Just A Girl essentials...

+ baggie track pants + cropped beater tanks + abs

who knew such a punk tomboy would turn into such a red carpet siren..

And the Oscar Goes To....

Every time I sit down to create a red carpet best and worst post I can't help but realize that my decision is heavily swayed by how I feel about that particular actress... It's easier for me to accept an actress I like in a bad dress than an actress I hate in a good one... I'm extremely biased. I admit it. Sooo I'm gonna break it down a little different this time...

People I love in dresses I love...

Cameron Diaz has always been one of my favorites. She's adorable. and if Rachel Zoe is still working her magic with her she's done it again! Loves!

Love Maggie... perhaps it's cause she went to my high school (although sadly her and her brother graduated before I got there) But anyway I think she looked so great!

such a cutie. haven't seen an education yet but I love her style...

Okay... I know I'm gonna get flack for this but I LOVE MILEY. She's adorable, hilarious and has catchy songs... and I think this dress is AMAZING!!! my mom hates it and thinks it looks awful on her but I really really liked it... maybe because I would steal candy from children to get to wear it myself...

does this even need a caption. I adore Nicole Richie and Joel Madden... and I think they look SOOO COOL and incredibly classic on the red carpet... not sure why they are there but I'm glad they were.

Rachel McAdams is adorable. So is the dress. Very romantic...

Diane Kruger is perfect. Enough said.

and just because Ryan Reynolds is oh so pretty...

People I love in outfits I'm not so sure about...

Love love love the top half... not 100% along for the ride on the bottom half.. but really close...

adore the dress. adore her. not loving them together.

Def one of my favorite actresses sooooo excited to see her at the Oscars. I think she looks stunning and so is the dress buuuuuut she looks a little too much like the Oscar statue...

I think she's so so cute and the dress is very romantic but she's a little to monochromatic overall...

People I love in outfits I don't like...

Way way too much...

People I hate in dresses I love...

I hate Demi because she's old and is married to one of the cutest boys on the planet.. Ashton what were you thinking?! BUT she's got Rachel Zoe's touch on her side so I can't hate her too much and she looks amazing in this dress.

I hate her. I hate Twilight. She always looks miserable. I don't get the hype. But she did actually look good tonight so I gotta give her props...

I have to admit I get great pleasure out of this last categorary... does that make me a bad person?

People I hate in dresses I hate...

I am sooooo not an SJP fan. I really dislike her. Her movies. Her TV shows. I know I know a fashion fan that dislikes Sex and The City. Sorry... I just can't get passed her... and I hate having anything bad to say about a Chanel but will not hesitate so say something bad about her. don't like this look. no no no.

Hahaha oy Mariah... why on earth were you there?! What made you chose this aweful dress?! Someone help buy this girl a clue.

And that's a wrap for this year! And now I'm going to continue watching the big show! Hope your favorites win! (Ps I think Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin are doing a GREAT job!)

POST OSCAR EDIT: oh my god oh my god! I'm so so so so happy Sandra Bullock won!!! I ADORE HER ahhhh soooo exciting! And Avatar didn't win best picture yes!!! perfect night!

photos from Just Jared and Coco Perez

Paper Dreams

A little known fact about me: i LOVE paper. like love love love paper goods. not paper towels and tissues paper goods but the fine beautiful stationary and heavy card stock paper goods and everything that goes along with it, pens, rubber stamps... i have quite the collection. So you can imagine my delight when someone tipped me off about an entire BLOG about PAPER!

It's totally gorgeous. I think I'm in love!!

http://beautifulpaper.typepad.com/oh_so_beautiful_paper/

now the first page didn't wow me, just save the dates that were too casual for my taste, but then when I got on to the next page it became incred! and the more you get into it the more beautiful, unique and stunning paper goods there are!!!! ahh!! am i in heaven?! someone pinch me I think I'm dreaming!!!!

First off, have you chicer ever seen a baby shower invite!

Okay it completely and totally warms my heart when I see non wedding/shower invites! It's so wonderful to see people NOT using facebook or evite... I admit, I do it too, it's so much easier, but ugh it's such a shame!

LOVE this save the date!

Okay, anyone who knows me knows how obsessed I am with my planner (and protective of...don't try to leave me cute notes there! It will not be appreciated!!). I've always stuck with basic black but these beauties might make me change my mind next year!

so CUTE!!

love love love!

OBSESSED!

so simple. so perfect.

all photos from Oh So Beautiful Paper

First & Ten

OMG OMG!! Only a few days left till SUPERBOWL!!! While I'm disappointed my team (San Diego Chargers!!) won't be there, my second favorite team is hands down The Saints and you can bet I'll be cheering them on! Since it's rainy and winter my wardrobe is predominately black at the moment. However, my jewelry is usually silver. But for these last two weeks, in honor of the Saints going to the Superbowl and in solidarity with my team I have switched it up and repped their gold and black colors (I mean it's not that hard when they have the best most stylish colors in the league!)

If you need some inspiration or need to spruce up your wardrobe let me help you get in the Saints spirit! (If you're a Colts fan I have nothing to offer you save for a tissue to help wipe the tears when we beat you this Sunday)

The basic, most necessary, MUST HAVE...

I mean, lets face it, there is nothing cooler than showing up to a Superbowl party in your teams jersey. However, if the Saints are only your team because you aren't a Colts fan, or if you'd rather show your spirit in a more subtle way just in case (God forbid) the Saints are losing you can slyly switch teams, here are ten spirited options to help you get on your way to a first down...

1. big, bold and beautiful this necklace is a statement begging to be made. Previously $330, Noir Jewelry's "Cosmic Cluster Necklace" is now $231 at shopbop.com and can be worked dressy or casual. I love.

2. Talk about making a statement! This skirt was born to cheer on the Saints! Haute Hippie's "Ombre Skirt" will set you back $365 at shopbop.com but thinking of all the fun parties you could go to together!!

3. Okay so maybe this Alice + Olivia dress is a bit formal for Superbowl Sunday but who knows it might be perfect! It's fun, sparkly and the cut is too cute. You can get it at, where else, shopbop.com

4. So I swear I wasn't lazy and truly did scour the web for the best in black & gold but shopbop.com is just soooo good and happened to be full of everything I could ask for. So, this bracelet isn't gold, but it does have the Saints signature Fluer de Lis and is a totally acceptable and subtle way to support your boys.

5. The most practical of the bunch, this Saints sweatshirt from the NFL shop was refreshingly simple and had such strong graphics that I felt it needed to be given attention as one of the greatest sweatshirts ever! And since it's just the Fluer de Lis it's totally wearable outside football circles and for $51 it's def a cozy fun black basic to have around.

6. CONFESSION: I put black eye shadow under my eyes as eye black for almost every game. However, the powder usually doesn't last all 4 quarters or have quite as dark as an effect as I would like. I contemplated buying pro-status eye black for my weekly ritual but decided that there just weren't enough games in a season to keep that stuff lying around. Smashbox's gel eyeliner available at Sephora seemed like the perfect solution. Heavy texture, can be used on eyes Saturday night and under eyes Sunday morning.

7. Okay, another seemingly overly dressy piece but hear me out. This sequent covered blazer by Torn by Ronny Kobo with a pair of cuffed ripped jeans and a white shirt would be SOOOOOO cute!! ($440 at shopbop.com)

8. More fabulous shopbop.com finds. Fluer de Lis necklace in gold = perfection. $85

9. smaller than the first necklace but still a killer piece, CC Syke's "Devin Necklace" incorporates both the black & the gold! loves! ($195 shopbop.com)

10. For the over the top fan I couldn't help but post this Kathrine Baurmann clutch! Not exactly "practical" but wonderful none the less. This rhinestone encrusted saints helmet purse will set you back a steep 3 grand but if it's your style, who am I to judge, as long as you're rooting for The Saints!

okay so this wasn't a planned part of the post but I'm sitting here with my feet up on the desk (obvi) and was thinking it's about time to take off the pedicure nail polish I got for New Years (gross I know...) and while I'm at it spruce up my chipped finger nails that has been tapping away on my keyboard to create this blog entry, when all of a sudden it hit me! by TOTAL COMPLETE I SWEAR 100% COINCIDENCE I have gold toe nail polish on and black finger nail polish. I'm even a Saints fan in my subconscious! that's hardcore!

I Got A Feelin...

Oh the Grammys... No one seems to really know what the dress code for the Grammys is. Some go all out with gowns as though it's the Oscars, some show up in jeans... but I think it's clear that these girls got it right.... it's music people, rock and roll! have fun with it. I just HATE when people wear their full length gowns on this red carpet...

Fergie and The Black-Eyed Peas and Miley Cyrus (as much as I hate to admit it) looked PERFECT. This is what the Grammys is about, short, fun, expressive and sassy. And well Marissa Miller looked gorgeous per usual. And then there is Keri Hilson, as I just ranted above I strongly dislike log gowns at the Grammys but I just love love love Keri Hilson and think she's adorable and has amazing style and she looks like a knock-out in this dress so I'll let it slide.

And then the gowns I can't let slide... Taylor Swift is one of my favorites and I think she is so adorable but I just couldn't get on board this blue sparkly number that just ugh I dunno, it was too formal, too blue... not sure. Kristen Bell is also usually adorable and it breaks my heart to put her on the hate list but the neck part of that dress kills me. And Rihanna?! She usually has a way of just looking so so so cool! and well she doesn't here. fail. And Carrie Underwood just looks tangled in that neckline...

moving on... what happened to Brit Brit?! I though she was normal now and the crazy, white trashy Britney Spears was over... sigh... Britney you break my heart.

But then there is Travis Barker and his son Landon... LOVE.. sigh how cute is this!!! Travis is one of my favorite favorite musicians (I'm a HUGE Blink fan and think all his other music projects are AMAZING!) But father and son looking too cool for school on the red carpet! loves it!

okay, Grammys are still going on in LA, gotta get back to watching!

Cinderella Style

Sigh, there is really nothing quite like ballet. Tonight I was lucky enough to attend opening night of The Jeoffrey Ballet's Cinderella. And it was MAGICAL! The dancing was beautiful, as were the costumes and sets.

The last ballet I attended didn't have a single tutu and I was heartbroken. Thankfully The Jeoffrey did not disappoint and now I can't stop thinking about tutus, tiaras, and glitter, every little girls dream. I felt as if I was watching a Degas painting come to life.

Next stop Norton Simon Museum to drool over their Degas collection! Especially my all time favorite statue, "Little Dancer." I remember as a little kid being dragged from museum to museum by my artistic parents and being enchanted by Degas from an early age. I mean, what's not to relate about his work. I think "Little Dancer" has been my favorite work of art since I was 4 and ballet class consisted of running in circles in pastel pink leotards.

After tonight, I'm also dying to order Harvey Edwards' prints to hang all over my walls. I remember his famous photographs from when I actually started dancing (ie not skipping in tutus but 1st position, 2nd position, plies and grande jetes) as they were hung all over the studio I danced at.

One year I had his calendar and it was BEAUTIFUL.... must find that and save the prints...

Anyway besides reminding me of all this art I liked, Cinderella also had me craving tutus and pointe shoes.
Sadly, I hung up my pointe shoes (Freed Studios to be exact) almost 5 years ago now so neither new ballet shoes nor tutus are quite practical anymore (although Louboutin heels aren't practical per-say but that didn't stop me... hmmmm)

After hours of exploring sites like Capezio and other dance stores looking for a wearable version of a legit tutu I gave up and wandered over to Bloomindales to see what I could find.

To my pleasant surprise they had quite a few ruffley, pastel and glittery pieces that popped out right away. I really love the first two! Although they look difficult to pull off I just adore how straight out of this version of Cinderella they look! (Well save for the fact that the skirts aren't horizontal but it echos some similar exuberance)

I was also enchanted by Cinderella's white ensemble which just re-ignited my hunt for the perfect white dress, which I have been searching for ever since this song came out a couple years ago... (The girl in the music video is inexplicably not wearing a white dress which boggles my mind, but maybe they had just a hard a time finding the perfect white dress as I've had.... so ignore the girl, it's just the lyrics and the song in general, the music video isn't all that exciting)

However, I feel my luck is about to turn around! Look at these cuties! I want all 3! Especially the Alice + Olivia (center) and the Herve Leger (right)... well actually top choice is def the Alice + Olivia one. Ugh and I love that Shoshanna one too (left)!!! ugh Shopbop just made it so easy, they have an entire "White Dresses" section. Brilliant!

And last but not least, the story of Cinderella wouldn't be the same without shoes!

Since I already own the perfect pair of ballet flats, I thought I'd share them with all of you. It's the Kate Spade Felice in pale blush and it's so chic and sweet. The color is identical to that of ballet shoes but the peep toe and black bow details help prevent you from looking like you've just rushed off stage. And check out those Louboutins!! Now THAT trumps a glass slipper any day! The shine, the sparkle! loves! I die!

Alright, that was a long blog full of tangents and extra thoughts but I hope you enjoyed it! Off to practice arabesques and bourrees (for those of you that don't speak ballet bourrees are shown in the video below and the same user has posted videos for all sorts of ballet moves)

SAG Awards

So since I'm on a roll I figured I'd keep it going. Yesterday, January 23rd was the SAG Awards. And there were some STUNNING gowns. Number one in my mind, which is no surprise, is Diane Kruger. She looks so flawless and glamourous in this gown! Complete perfection.

Next up is Sandra Bullock. If I had to be anyone, it would probably be her. 1) she's HILARIOUS and who doesn't want to be funny. 2) she's BEAUTIFUL. I loved how she looked in all the sleek, starch lines of The Proposal and the sleek lines reappear on this red carpet look. 3) She's also married to badass Jesse James. I mean, could she be any cooler. (I run a moto blog so it's no surprise that her legendary arm candy had to be included in this post). They're such a seemingly unlikely pair but they look so so so good together!

My next to favorites look almost statuesque and definitely took the "plunge" with their looks. Kate Hudson showed up in white again, and she pulls off the color well so why not. I MUCH prefer her choice here than at the Golden Globes. The backless gown is smashing on her. I'm not going to lie, I don't watch Glee so I had no idea who Lea Michele was, but her dress certainly caught my attention. The cut is so flattering and I LOVE LOVE the color. I just love the draping on it. I have an awards dinner to attend for my dad next week and I have a strapless dress in the turquoise color that I think I might just bring out for the event... although I was going to use it as an excuse to go shopping... hmmm

Anyway, award season is officially in full swing! Can't wait to see how this year progresses!

Golden Globes mini-wrap up

okay okay I'm a week late, but when you consider I haven't blogged for the last 6 months or so that's not bad timing! I have to admit I wasn't even planning on blogging about the red carpets this year since all my heart and soul has been poured into my new blog Lil Miss Moto (lilmissmoto.com). However, after receiving an email request on my opinions on this years red carpet gowns I went ahead and did an "email post". Well since the work's been done figured I might as well post it. So enjoy my super mini, four dress review of the 2010 Golden Globes..

I have to say I ADORED Penelope Cruz not only is her dress adorbs it looks smashing on her and she has my favorite accessory of the night, AN UMBRELLA! She's just so cute holding her own umbrella while the majority of people are just loitering under the poor PUHs (personal umbrella holders... can you say divas!)

I also like Jenna Fischer's Halston dress (and she has an umbrella too! coincidence? i think not!) BUT I think the dress is out of place and wrong on her. It was one of my faves of the collection but I envisioned it on someone tanner, with more bangles and jewelry and to be honest, not at the golden globes... I know it's a gown but I just envision that dress swirling around a FABULOUS dinner party by the gracious, wealthy and gorgeous hostess. Sigh, I can dream for the poor dress that had to be instead dragged down a wet red carpet.

Speaking of wrong dress, wrong time what was Julia Robert thinking?! The woman that brought us that INCRED vintage Valentino gown that has become so iconic chose what appears to be an off the rack cotton dress?! are you kidding me?! Jules, what gives?! She looks great but if she were going to a meeting or dinner or something... def not a red carpet moment.

And despite that I usually adore everything Rachel Zoe does and she is caring her own umbrella I just hate Cameron Diaz's dress... It's so unflattering! Both in cut and color... tisk tisk

So there you have it, my mini post... maybe i'll take some time today and take a look at some of those SAG Awards dress... hmmm