Poppy King, Lipstick Queen, at Target

I do adore Lipstick Queen. So, I was utterly thrilled to find that Poppy King (Lipstick Queen founder) has done a line of glosses and lipsticks for Boots No7 brand, which is currently being sold through Target. I immediately snapped up the lip gloss in "History"(the tube on the far left). The gloss is lovely on, silky smooth and glossy, much less sticky than my Lipstick Queen pot of Shine gloss in black tie. The consistency on the lips, and color actually, is somewhat similar to Medieval. I was surprised by the faintness of the color...I suppose I am used to wearing Lipstick Queen Sinner lipstick which is 90% pigment, so my expectations were probably off.

Technical Difficulties

So, my blog has been hacked. I reverted to the blogger version (on the theory Google has their shit together when it comes to blocking hackers). As my faithful know, its been kind of a lame year here on Chic and Charming, so you aren't really missing much by reverting a year.

I've Moved

Hello Readers!
I've moved off blogspot hosting. All your bookmarks and links should still work because I've kept the domain chicandcharming.com, as it was here. However, the RSS feed is being a bit tricky! If you are receiving this message, you might need to resubscribe to my blog by following this link:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/chicandcharming

XOXO
Sophia

Rationalizing Frivolous Antiques

This weekend hubby and I galavanted about the the region, checking out many cute local towns in Maryland and Virginia. In one particularly cute town, in one particularly cute store, we ran across a seven-foot-tall card catalog. Now, I've been obsessed with card catalogs for at least ten years. In fact, I already own one, comparatively small, card catalog that doubles as a TV stand and storage for my ostrich feathers, sequins, individually sized appetizer spoons and cocktail napkin collection. However, it pales in comparison to the magnificence of this latest specimen. Unfortunately, for all my frivolity, I do have a solid streak of practicality, like river of hot fudge in my otherwise whipped-creamy shopping self-discipline. Also much like hot fudge piled on top of whipped cream, which we can all acknowledge is generally a good thing, my practicality slowly seeps through and melts away the joy and the flimsy (yet fun) support for making such a purchase. Where am I going to put a seven-foot-tall card catalog in my one-bedroom apartment? Why would I spend almost 2K on a card catalog, when what I desperately need is a dining room table? Well, how about because it is totally awesome and when am I ever going to find a card catalog large enough to organize all of my craft supplies, or perhaps all of my accessories, again? Never! Imagine: a drawer for sunglasses, another for driving gloves, a third for compact mirrors and perfume atomizers. How divine! What is a girl to do?

Image from wikipedia

Parasol Protectorate Book Series

I recently stumbled across the Parasol Protectorate Book Series, which currently includes: Soulless, Blameless and Changeless. Soulless was on one of those featured tables at Borders, so given my recent fixation on books featuring supernatural charters, it looked like a good bet. I enjoyed Soulless so much that I went out as soon as I finished it and purchased the next book in the series, Changeless.

I would really recommend this series to those of you out there that like supernatural romances with a feisty heroine. Alexia, said heroine, has the interesting ability to neutralize the supernatural, but more importantly she is a total badass. As much as I love Twilight and True Blood, its so nice for the female lead to be incredibly strong willed, self-sufficient and intelligent.

For those of your out there that love steamy romance scenes, the first book in the series delivers with a red hot love affair, but, sadly, the heat seems to peter off as the series continues. I'm not saying that the lusty love scenes disappear in subsequent novels, they are just briefer and fewer.

Finally, one of my favorite elements of the series is the Victorian era setting with a steampunk twist. For those of you unfamiliar:

"Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction, alternate history, and speculative fiction that came into prominence during the 1980s and early 1990s. The term denotes fictional works set in an era or world where steam power is still widely used, usually the 19th century and often Victorian era Britain. It has prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy; and it often features anachronistic technology or futuristic innovations as Victorians may have envisioned them." -Wikipedia

Personally, I've always kind of loved the look of steampunk, which I first became acquainted with through etsy. The Parasol Protectorate Book Series is my first foray into steam punk literature (discounting, of course, the classic novels that inspired the subgenre - Jules Verne, H.G. Wells). I think I might follow up by checking out some other steampunk books.

My Christina Crush Continues....

"People have been saying some nice, wonderful things about me. Yet not one designer in town will loan me a dress, they only lend out a size 0 or 2. So I'm still struggling for someone to give me a darn dress."-Christina Hendricks

Personally, I would live to see Christina in something that makes her look beautiful without making her beautiful bosom look like giant inflatable balloons mysteriously floating up, up and away. It's almost like the top is always a little too small.

Source: New York Magazine

Sookie got side boob

Wow-zer look at the random, ridiculously copious side cleavage on Anna Paquin. On the subject of cleavage, I'm amazed Elizabeth Moss still has any visible boobage in that tight dress.

Image from tumblr

Yum Yum Apples

I personally cannot ever remember which apples to use to cook with or which apples to eat raw. I have no idea which apples are sweet and which apples are tart. Problem solved! Check out this nifty little chart.

Shopping my Favorite Blogs

Scrolling through my blog reader this afternoon I found my myself desperately wanting to buy just about everything I saw. SO many fabulous things to buy, here are a few:

Cynthia Rowley's darling tools via Black Eiffel
Ceramic Farmers Market Baskets via Black.White.Yellow

F. Scott Fitzgerald Penguin Classics...coming soon! via Lobster and Swan

Love this pink chair. I would use it at a vanity. Via Design*Sponge

Map and Planner Book via Black.White.Yellow

Dwell Studio patterned ceramic tiles via AphroChic

Link Love: Beer Popsicles

GENIUS. Need these for my next BBQ.
Check out both: The Kitchn Part I and The Kitchn Part II

Project Runway is Back

Do you still watch Project Runway? I have to admit that my interest has been waning. I think I was most into the show in 2008 due in large part to my obsession with Leanne Marshall, who I was a fan of long before the show through her etsy shop. The new season starts tonight at 9 pm. This might be my last season as PR follower, we'll have to see what kind of charcters turn up and if Michael and Nina are around for at least half the season.

Image from modelmanagement.com

DIY Minx at Sephora

As you all know, I've been obsessed with minx manicures for some time (thanks in large part to Wendy B). I recently discovered that Sephora has come out with a kit that allows you to do a minx manicure at home. While I am totally psyched to be able to give myself crazy-cool at home manicures, I am disappointed that the Sephora minx lasts 1-2 days while the salon minx lasts 1-2 weeks. A salon minx manicure runs $55, and the at home minx kit is about $15. I think I;ll stick with the salon version.

Image from Sephora