Who did it better?

West Elm and Anthropologie are currently selling essentially the same bedding. Guess which one costs $99 for a queen and which one costs $248?

Images from West Elm and Anthropologie

Dear Anonymous Googler,
I apologize for not ACTUALLY providing you with a list of the fifty richest men under fifty on this blog. Instead I would like to provide you with the following quote from one of my favorite movies:

You're much to young to be trading yourself like a stock on the Nasdaq to a man who will not be remembering your name... or his in the morning, is still married, and recently developed a very suspicious rash. Now go home, finish high school and reach your potential!

Kisses,
Sophia

Side ponytails? Really?

There is a long list of things I was happy to leave behind in the 80s, side ponytails are on that list. I have been somewhat surprised to see side ponytails popping up all around the city on very stylish girls. Where did this trend come from? I did a little research and discovered this look has been popular amongst starlets as well. Bummer, I am so not ready to revive this look! Side ponytails are a great example of "if you wore it the first time, you shouldn't have to wear it the second time." Eva Longoria, I'm talking to you.

Images on flickr

My love/hate relationship with Miuccia Prada

Miuccia Prada has been said to have a love/hate relationship with fashion. She grew up thinking that as an intelligent women she was above fashion, this is a common thought among intelligent women. Mrs. Prada later came to realize that design is what she loves, and now steers a highly successful fashion empire. It seems she still has a bit of internal conflict that is sometimes apparent in her work and in her reticence to engage in some areas of the fashionable life. I can respect her conflict, and admire the fact that she did realize that very intelligent women can still care about fashion.

My problem with Mrs. Prada lies in the fact that sometimes her anti-fashion roots come out as fashionably ugly designs, fashion that is purposely unattractive and meant to provoke. Turbans? Have those EVER worked? Knee high footless color block socks? Utilitarian black nylon bags? Why are these things popular? If these things showed up Bergdorf Goodman without the Prada tag they would be on 70% clearance and then on to the outlet malls. These designs often become the darlings of the season and the pages of all the glossies are flooded with ugly brown shoes and purses covered in leather robots. In the fashion media the ugly or odd designs are touted as thought provoking and evidence of Prada’s status as the thinking woman’s clothing designer. Ugly fashion does not equal smart fashion!

This title of "thinking woman's designer" is the real crux of my dislike for Prada. It is the media’s portrayal of Miuccia Prada as the patron saint of intelligent fashionistas that irks me most, something that is actually hot her fault. I resent the idea that a single designer should be “the thinking woman’s designer.” I also don't really understand what makes Miuccia Prada a thinking woman's designer. Is it because she herself spurns fashion in favor of a uniform that his been called "school marm" in the past?

That said, Prada and Miu Miu do turn out some stunning designs, but I don’t feel they are any more remarkable that the interesting and beautiful things turned out by every other major fashion designer. For me, the Marc Jacob’s Spring 2008 show was design for the thinking woman. The Jacobs show had fascinating psychological and surrealist references and was even staged in a though provoking manner. It was thought provoking, it stirred controversy and discussion and not because his designs were ugly.

I do on occasion love the Mrs. Prada's work, for example the florals of the Spring 2008 collection and the 1950s silhouettes that so often pop up in Prada designs. I just wish the media would drop the “intelligent woman’s designer” moniker and concentrate on Prada’s wearable designs.

Images from forbes.com, frillr.com, raffaello-network.com and style.com

Sophia Started an Online Store!

I've been thinking for several months about the best way to monetize my blog. I know Chic and Charming is a young blog, but I have been getting offers here and there via email. I never felt that any of my contacts provided an advertising arrangement that I was completely happy with. I really like the idea of having total control over what I am promoting, which is, of course, not the best approach earning money, but it is the approach I plan to take on Chic and Charming.

Recently, The Coveted got a face lift and added a book store. I thought this was such a brilliant idea! So, I investigated further and discovered that Amazon allows you to set up your own "shop" using their products. They host the shop for free and you get a small portion of any sale from your website. I feel this is absolutely perfect for Chic and Charming! I often post my favorite products and interesting finds on Chic and Charming, and now I will also post them in my shop to perhaps get a little return for making the recommendations. I promise not to change the variety of products that I share. I will continue to feature finds from independent artists along side more commercialized items that love for find interesting.

My shop will be updated pretty frequently over the next few days, and after that I will update every few weeks with new interesting products. I've started out with the following categories:

• Sophia's Recommendations: products Sophia uses on a regular basis and loves
• Chic and Stylish: fun accessories to make your life and your look even more fabulous!
  
• Charm School: Etiquette books, home keeping, cooking, stationary and more
• Chic Decor: Items to make your home more beautiful
• Buy to Be Audrey Hepburn: a section dedicated to accessories, clothing and home decor that Audrey or her most famous characters might have loved. There is also a curated selection of her movies!
• Buy to Be Marilyn Monroe: similar to the above category, but for Marilyn
  
• Chic and Charitable: chock full of items that support charity
• Chic and Green: leave a small carbon footprint and lead a healthy life with style
  
• The Charming Dandy: goodies for the guys

Image adapted from www.denness.net

FeedBurner must have been constipated

Apparently my frustration post pushed my original post through to the readers that were not getting my feed this morning.

I feel much better now.

Frustration

Is my feed broken? I did not get my morning post on Google reader. Let me know if you have Google reader, or read this feed on another service, if you got my AM post (Nominees for Sophia's Superstars)

Has anyone else ever had this problem?

Image from perfectlydysfunctional.lab-24.com

Nominees for Sophia's Superstars

I have accumulated a large folder of starred items since I started using Google Reader at the beginning of the month, which begs the question, what does one do with a folder full of favorite blog posts? So, I thought I would share a few of my favorites from around the blogosphere with the Chic and Charming Community and add a "Walk of Fame" feature on my sidebar. Help me decide which post deserves to be the first star on Chic and Charming's Walk of Fame by leaving a comment!

• Carolina Herrera's Romantic Vision from the Budget Babe
• Afford-a-Glam -- Pink Valentine's Day Dresses from The Glam Guide
• Dress with an Agenda a la Blair Waldorf from Miss Couturable
  
• Registry Bliss, a series of guest blogs on Perfect Bound

Images from the blogs listed above

Fabuless: DwellStudio at Target

Over the next two months a wide range of products designed by DwellStudio will be available at Target. DwellStudio produces several modern graphic lines under its own label, including products for home, table and baby. These products are regularly featured in many of my favorite decorating publications, including Blueprint, Domino and Elle Decor. The new lines at Target will reflect the label's traditional offering, with a Target DwellStudio Baby Collection, a Target DwellStudio Bedding Collection and Target DwellStudio Kitchen Collection.

The Target DwellStudio Baby Collection is the most diverse, offering cribs, changing tables, baby clothes and other baby accessories. Furniture for the DwellStudio Baby line at Target runs about $290 a piece, and it is rumored that it will only be available online. Overall, the Baby collection is full of cheerful graphic prints in calming pastel pallets. Any of these products would be an excellent baby shower gift! To give you an idea of what a fabulous deal the new DwellStudio Target line is: a crib set form the Target line will run you $80, while a cribset from the DwellStudio label is $384!

The Target DwellStudio Bedding Collection is fabulous and simple! These duvet and comforter sets would look at home in any bedroom, and manage to be both traditional and modern. I think what I like best about these sets is their equal appeal to both sexes. There is no need to make your husband sleep on a frilly, girly pink bed: you can outfit your bed with DwellStudio Bedding Collection's Baroque duvet set and both be happy (only $80 for a queen set!). I have not seen any details about thread counts or fabric content, but I will check it out after the release of this collection next month and give you an update.

Finally, the Target DwellStudio Kitchen Collection offers potholders, place mats, napkins and towels in designs similar to the bedding collection (might be perfect for a loft, where you can see both sets at once). I was a little disappointed with the lack of variety compared to the Bedding Collection and Baby Collection, but perhaps they have not released pictures of many pieces of the collection yet. I really prefer table clothes to place mats, so I wish Target would offer more cute table clothes and less place mats in these seasonal and designer collections!

Images from Apartment Therapy

Image from Marie Antoinette by Sophia Coppola...one of the best movies ever.

This cannot possibly be for real

Via Daily Candy...who apparently thinks Boston is a gas ridden city as no one else was informed of this essential accessory, perhaps it was because of the Boston baked beans? I'm not sure which is more bizarre, the Subtle Butt from Boston's Daily Candy or the Bird Turd kit from LA's.

Williams-Sonoma Spring Table Linens

Table linens are among my many collections (or maybe addictions would be a better word). I am quite in love with the spring table linen collections from Williams-Sonoma, as it happens I am usually in love with the latest seasonal linens at this shop, but I find this collection particularly inspiring. The collection is full of bright colors and preppy prints. The subtle pink paisley on the left would make an excellent table setting for a romantic Valentine's Day dinner. The table cloth on the right is linen and a bright, cheerful magenta. This table cloth is monogramable, and would make a fabulous modern heirloom.

Similarly brilliant, the Magenta and bright green toile table cloth and matching napkins are probably at the top of my wish list. Is the set a little loud? Well, yes. But, it combines my favorite colors in a fun table cloth that matches my apple green kitchen. I love it! I decided to round things out with a conservative piece...every girl needs monogrammed cocktail napkins and Williams-Sonoma makes a great set.

Images from Williams-Sonoma

Image from jcrew.com

Fiona Apple, inspiration for American Apparel

I was watching one of my new favorite brain dead background TV programs: VH1 top 100 songs of the 90s yesterday and was inspired yet again. One of the hosts started describing Fiona Apple's Criminal music video: 70s orgy? barley legal hot girl? partial nudity? awkward and sexual poses? Roll film...hmmm...sounds like an American Apparel advertising campaign to me. Check this clip out and see for yourself that just about every frame could be mistaken for an American Apparel advertisement.

While I am not a fan of American Apparel, I have been a fan of Ms. Apple since forever. When this album came it, I think it was all I listened to for months. Her songs are great to belt out in the shower, especially after an awful day!

Images from snap2objects

Charming Blogs: News from Fashion Illustrations

In the past I've made attempts to speak French. The last time I went to Paris I had such poor pronunciation that invariably the lovely shop owners and waiters took pity on me and switched almost immediately to English. Thanks to the internet and globalization I can now indulge many of my favorite French passions on this side of the Atlantic, but it is never quite the same. Macaroons are never as perfect as they are at Laduree, crepes loose some charm when not purchase on the street and eaten while walking along the Seine.

But, there are a handful of things that still maintain all of their charm, including my favorite French fashion blogs. News from Fashion Illustration allows me to get my French fashion fix through one of my favorite mediums, fashion illustration. I can often get a rough idea of what is going on in the text, but mostly I just admire the fabulous cartoons. Check it out, I'm sure you'll love it too!

Image from News from Fashion Illustration

Reason #432 I am not a Supermodel...

...is because the show "Make me a Supermodel" appears to mainly be about getting skinny somewhat attractive people to strip down to their undies. Tyson, you know you are beautiful, but do you really have to force these wannabe models to strip down to their underwear and burn their clothes to prove their allegiance to you?

P.S.: Tyson, I think any female contestant with less cleavage than you should be automatically eliminated. Let's face it, these days you have to be a Victoria Secret underwear model to be a REAL supermodel...and you are at least a C cup.

Images from Bravo

Bumble Bumble Brilliantine

What girl in her right mind would pass up the opportunity to purchase a hair product that promised that "languid, sexy, slept-in look?" After my breathtakingly fabulous experience with Curl Conscious (it turns my frizzy locks into movie starlet spirals), I thought Bumble Bumble just might be able to pull off all that they promised with Brilliantine.

Sadly, I was mistaken. Upon addition to freshly washed hair, Brilliantine did basically nothing for my hair. Upon addition to slightly dirty, very frizzy bead head there was some improvement, but not enough that I would actually leave the house without more extensive styling. What is somewhat more distressing is that Brilliantine is recommended for thick, curly hair or frizzy hair (check, check and check!). So, if it doesn't work for me, who does it work for?

I will be the first to admit that products work very differently in different hair types. For example, those with hair less curly than mine have ended up looking like they washed their hair in an oil slick after using Bumble Bumble Curl Conscious. I, on the other hand, would buy the product five gallons at a time if given the choice. Curl Conscious makes my hair look fab, it makes my sister's hair look fab, it makes my cousin's hair look fab...you get the point!

So, has anyone used Brilliantine to achieve the "languid, sexy, slept-in look?" If so, how did you use it and what kind of hair do you have?

Image from amazon.com

Is Johnny Depp Katie's Stylist?

• Red jacket--check
• Sleek modern bob--check
• Bug eye sunnies--check
• Pale, creamy skin--check
• Pale pink lip--check

Is Katie Holmes taking her style cues from Suri's DVD collection?

Images from x17online and lovefilm.com

Lost that Loving Feeling: Bijoux

Bonjour mon amis,
Don't you simply j'adore when people throw random expressions françaises into their writing and speech? Don't you find such people to have a certain je ne se quoi? Far from charming, I find this practice pretentious yet increasingly common. No one really cares that you know enough random French to pepper your English with elementary foreign phrases. The hip French word of the moment, at least amongst fashion journalists, seems to be "bijoux" which translates to jewels. Is it really that much more fabulous to say "bijoux" instead of jewels?

Kisses,
Sophia

Trivia

In 1956 Grace Kelly appeared on the cover of Life magazine carrying a Hermes bag strategically over her belly. It turned out she was masking a little baby bump. The photograph made the Hermes bag famous and the company named the bag in her honor.

Ten ways to be Fabulous

One of my favorite bloggers, Ashe Mischief over at dramatis personae, has put the following question out to her readers:

"What do you think makes someone fabulous? Who are those you admire and find fabulous traits and inspiration in?"

I've decided to answer her call Chic and Charming style with one of my top ten posts (originally inspired by flickr's 10things group and Ms. P&C). Here are a few of my tips on how to be fabulous:

1. Laugh at yourself, especially if other people are going to anyway. You might as well lead the charge.
   
2. Know when to be selfless and when to be selfish. Be selfless: volunteer your time with local charities, listen to your heartbroken friend rehash her breakup for the sixtieth time, always help your friends move, skip lunch and give your sandwich to the homeless man on the street. Be selfish: eat the last cupcake, sleep until noon, spend the extra money on a silk nightgown, refuse to wash the dishes for two days because you don't want to chip your manicure.
3. Read: Colette, Coetzee, Capote, Wilde, etc.
   
4. If your girlfriend says "Her-meees" instead of "'ermesz" when talking about a Birkin, correct her once the two of you are alone. While a fabulous girl never lets another fabulous girl embarrass herself, she would never want to point out a mistake in front of other people.
5. Don't be a label whore. It has been years since anyone looked fabulous carrying a Louis Vuitton Speedy.
6. Vote.
7. Plan to eat healthy, but don't be too hard on yourself when you slip up and eat four mini burgers topped with truffled mayo and roasted garlic, washed down with a makers mark old fashioned with extra cherries.
   
8. Entertain often and with style. Know how to mix classic cocktails. Use cocktail napkins and real martini glasses. Decorate your house with fresh flowers. Spritz your guest bed sheets with lavendar spray.
9. Send thank you notes for dinner parties, gifts and favors on bespoke letterpress stationary with lined envelopes. Shun evite in favor of the paper invite.
   
10. Don't follow the rules ;)

I don't remember my image sources as I've had these on my hard drive for a while. If one of these is yours: comment and I will give you credit. Obviously one is from the Marie Antoinette and one is from Amalie.

Dear Mr. DJ,

Please remix the already completely fabulous White Stripes song Conquest into the rocking dance anthem we all know it can be.

Kisses,
Sophia

Images from seattleweekly.com

Sophia Says:

Purse image from jcrew

Bandit?

So, if you were walking by one of your favorite local retail stores and noticed that they had put all their holiday merchandise out in the trash...

The dressy toga: Who did it better?

Who did the dressy toga look better? Audrey in what very well might have been a bed sheet or Katie in her gown?

Images from justjared and bbc

So fabulous it deserves two posts

Cuffington posted this link earlier today...you MUST go check out this Jezebel post:

Image from jezebel

The Met blogs fashion

The Metropolitan Museum of Art started a fashion blog on December 17th, 2007. The museum is posting one blog entry for each piece currently on display as part of the blog.mode: addressing fashion exhibition. The history of each piece is meticulously detailed in the blog post, along with a picture or two.

One would think the Met might have attempted to engage the fashion blogging community as part of this exhibit, they are after all jumping in our swimming pool. Perhaps I am being a blog snob, but frankly I get a little turned off reading some of the comments on each post. I am guessing that there is some sort of console at the Met as part of the exhibition, as several comments are from 6 or 7 year old girls talking about how they would enjoy wearing Vivienne Westwood's platform pink heels. In stark contrast there are some comments that veer off in an entirely different direction with a pretentious faux academic assessment of the posted article. Finally, there are a smattering of individuals posting their opinion that fashion is stupid or a waste. If it is so stupid, why did they waste their time looking at and commenting on the fashion blog??

I'm ambivalent about the whole project. I think the idea is intriguing...I have not been that impressed with the execution or marketing.

Image from the Met

How to be like Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffany

One of the golden girls of the silver screen, Audrey Hepburn, forever immortalized Truman Capote's Holly Golightly in the movie Breakfast at Tiffany. After meeting Miss Golightly, women all over the world wish that they could add just a little bit more glamor and spontaneity to their lives. I've come up with a exhaustive list of almost everything one would need to live like Holly, from where to sleep to what to wear. Enjoy.

Holly Golightly's Home:

1. A homeless Cat
2. Twin metal bed fame
   
3. Champaign saucers
   
4. Bath tub sofa
5. Liters of perfume and cake mascara on your vanity
   
6. Pinata smoking a cigar
   
7. a very large mirror leaning against the wall
8. Green stuffed parrot in cage
   
9. Zebra rug
   
10. Old fashioned black telephone to be kept in a suitcase
11. White rocking chair for those days when you are feeling domestic
    
12. Three piece white vintage luggage set
13. Old crate coffee table (obtain from your local grocer)
    
14. Pink pillows
    
15. Weather vane?
16. White cherub lamp
17. Vintage Brazil Poster
    
18. Wall mounted bull head
    
19. Red fleece blanket with Harvard written on it over a golden bread spread

Holly Golightly's Accessories:

1. Tortoise shell Rayban Waferers (or knockoffs)
2. Pearl chocker with broach pinned on, in fact you might want to buy matched broaches and wear the second in your hair.
3. Holly has loads of jewelry for all the fabulous parties she attends. You should invest in several pieces for large costume jewelry, such as these earrings.
4. Consider wearing a watch on your ankle with your cocktail dress
   
5. Black crystal and pearl bib necklace that looks something like this.
6. A guitar or failing that the soundtrack from Breakfast at Tiffany
7. Over the elbow black gloves
8. Pink ballet slippers, to be kept in your refrigerator
9. Inexpensive ring engraved with your initials
10. Carpet bag
11. Black coin purse, money is stored wadded up inside
12. White pearl studs
13. Black kitten heels
    
14. A handful of fabulous hats, including a large black one, a modish brown shaved mink one and a cute black pillbox hat with large white marabou puff decoration
    
15. Black patent leather bag with embossed croc pattern and chain handle, kind of Chanel-esqe
16. Knitting needles and yards of red yarn to knit your own ranch house
17. Cigarette holder
    
18. Audio Portuguese lessons

Holly Golightly's Nightclothes (well, actually just what one wears to answer the door as Holly sleeps nude):

1. Generic white bath robe, rolled up to your elbows
2. Eye Mask
3. Men's Tux Shit
   
4. Orange robe
5. Tassel Earplugs
   

Holly Golightly's Clothing:

1. A simply fabulous little black dress and perhaps a long black dress as well
2. Grey sweatshirt and demin capris with black flats for those days when you wash your hair
3. Classic Trench
   
4. Grey jersey full size flat bed sheet, to be worn as toga at the opening of your next party
5. Grey cowl neck sweater and black capris
   
6. Redish orange wool bouche jacket with a mock turtle neck type collar
7. Black tweed skirt with black t-shirt style shirt with buttons down the front
   
8. Black tweed sheath
9. Khaki sweater with black trim
10. Matching pink dress, cape and shoes to be worn with pink tiaraand white clutch
    
11. Or, you could be lazy and just get the costume
    

Holly Golightly's Associates:

1. Charming latin millionaires with political aspirations
2. Pudgy playboys from wealthy families
3. Drug lords and their cronies
4. Rats and Super Rats, all of whom shell out $50 for the powder room
5. Southern belle models
6. Hollywood moguls
7. Washed up writers with a taste for married women
8. Hillbillie ex-husbands

Holly Golightly's Hangouts:

1. Twenty-one
2. Burlesque shows
3. Tiffany
4. Five and Dime stores
5. Public library
6. Sing Sing

Holly Golightly's Wisdom:

1. Don't accept drinks from disapproving men
2. Keep extra perfume and lipstick in your mailbox for last minute touch ups
   
3. Combat the mean reds with a trip to Tiffany
4. Operate on a cash only basis
5. Steal things from the five and dime on occasion, to keep your hand in
6. Have a cookie jar, ie a man who pays for the pleasure of your company with out expecting anything physical...this generally only works if that man is in jail and using you to send messages to his drug cartel
   
7. Always know who the ten richest men under 50 are in your area
8. A trip to the powder room is an excellent exit strategy
9. Marry for money
10. People don't belong to people

Looking for more Audrey? Check out my Amazon store's Buy to Be: Audrey Hepburn Section

Image sources listed in the description of each picture on flickr

Lazy Martha: Trader Joe's Chocolate Croissants

Croissants are among the most challenging baked goods for the home baker to make themselves. It takes DAYS to produce the final result and even then you might experience failure...very demoralizing. Fortunately there is a genius working in the Trader Joe frozen food development department who had created frozen pan au chocolat. I knew after the first bite that I HAD to share these delicate pastries with all the world, and I am not alone...every review of Trader Joe's chocolate croissants that I have seen on the internet as been overwhelmingly positive. You simply place the frozen pastry on a cookie sheet at room temperature as you go to bed, the next morning you slip the miraculously puffy dough into the oven for 25 minutes. Viola! Delicious, hot and perfectly puffy pan au chocolat that rivals the from scratch pastries you might purchase in a French bakery IN PARIS. Yes, I am not exaggerating, these pastries are THAT DELICIOUS! I have absolutely no reason to ever make a weekend pastry run every again. I cannot wait until the next time I have an overnight guest, because I will be knocking their socks off by serving these perfect pastries for breakfast!

Image from heateatreview.com

Lazy Martha: Table Setting

You are planning an intimate dinner for six with a menu fit to impress an heiress, do you know how to set the table to match? What utensils do you use with the oyster appetizer? You plan to serve white wine with the oysters and red wine with the steak, how are you supposed to arrange the glasses? You can answer all of these difficult questions with the click of a button at BrightSettings Table Linens. Simply choose what courses and beverages you plan to serve by checking a box, click the "set table" button and a picture of your place setting pops on to the screen. What could be easier? The website also has information on napkin folding, table spacing and guest spacing at a table, making it immensely useful for the aspiring Martha.

Image from BrightSettings Table Linens

Alright ladies and gents...

I think the redesign is almost complete...please let me know what you think. Be brutally honest! Is it too busy??

Thanks!
Sophia

Ten ways to tell you are not yet a grownup

I often lament the fact that I do not yet feel like a true adult. For sometime I've been thinking about writing a column on the subject. Today I was motivated to put pen to paper, so to speak, by Ashe Mischief who has resolved to become a real grownup in 2008. I really admire her resolutions for the New Year, so much so I plan to adopt several myself. On that note, I raise a final toast to my inner girl...here is to hoping she grows up a bit this year. Here are ten ways to tell that you might also have not yet reached adulthood:

1. You never have more than $40 cash in your wallet at any one time, and in fact that number is usually closer to $5. When visiting the ATM you would never take out more than $60 at a time, and that is only because you owe your friend $20 for picking up the tab at lunch at that charming cafe that only took cash.
   
2. You don't balance your checkbook. In fact, generally speaking, you just check your balance every few days online to make sure you have about the right amount of money in your account.
3. Take out. It's what's for dinner.
4. Breakfast and lunch primarily consist of caffeinated beverages, and perhaps some carbs if you are feeling peckish. More often than not you might forget to eat breakfast all together.
   
5. You own four aprons from anthropolgie, which you wear to make Pillsbury slice and bake cookies. Thanks to Clueless you know that the log of dough should be sliced and not just plunked down on the cookie sheet whole.
   
6. Your hairdresser lectures you on the importance of regular haircuts during your annual or biannual visit. At this point in your life the only thing that would motivate you to make more regular appointments is the appearance of lots of gray hair.
   
7. All free food is good food...as a result you've made a meal of the bell pepper and lettuce garnish with a small bag of Lays potato chips.
8. Car maintenance, home maintenance, bicycle maintenance...these things tend to happen on an as needed, emergency basis. In fact self maintenance seems to be the on type of maintenance that occurs on a regular basis, even more so when one is dating.
9. You own sufficient socks and underwear to avoid doing laundry for two months.
   
10. At work, in large meetings, you rarely contribute productive commentary. You actually spend the better part of the meeting day dreaming about shoes, your birthday, your blog, Tom Welling...

Image from thkimdesigns.com

Chic Women: Eva Green

Eva Green is definitely one of my personal style icons. I think Green is absolutely stunning, and I hope to continue to see her popping up in interesting movies. My coloring is very similar to hers, so I often look to her for my makeup inspiration. I patterned my wedding makeup after her cover look for Tattler: rosy complexion, pink lips, smoky eyes. I regularly call on one of her favorite red carpet makeup looks for nights out on the town: subtle eyes and red hot lips. Her personal style veers towards the dark and slightly eccentric and I love her even more for having an independent style!

Image sources imdb, thecinemasource.com, glennkenny.premiere.com

Tragic!

During the redesign of my blog, I accidentally deleted my blogroll!! Yikes! I am doing my best to reconstruct it, but I'm not sure that I will remember everyone. If I've forgotten to add you back to my blogroll please leave a comment so I can rectify the problem.

Thanks!
Sophia

Voguing

Oh the thing you learn from watching VH1 top 100 songs of the 1990s! I suppose I am terribly behind the times, but I had no idea that voguing originated, not from Madonna, but from the the Gay Harlem dance scene. I immediately googled "vouging" to find out more. Voguing has evolved into a mature art form, with several different varieties of the dance, each referencing multiple other forms of dance and pop culture. Within the community there are multiple distinct "houses," many founded by superstars within the community. Competitions or "balls" are held regularly, but impromptu danceoffs also occur in clubs. The best article I found online was written Aaron Pierre Brown, you should go check it out if you are interested in learning more. I also found this you tube clip very helpful and I added Paris is Burning, a documentary on the 1980s voguing scene, to my netflix cue:

"Penetrating the tight-knit community of minority drag queens living in New York City, Jennie Livingston's acclaimed documentary was one of several films to be shut out of Oscar contention for its unconventional content, prompting the academy to reevaluate its standards in the face of critical backlash. The film offers an early glimpse at the art of "voguing," the underground dance style popularized by Madonna in her No. 1 single "Vogue."-netflix

Apparently there is another documentary called How do I look which chronicles the modern voguing scene, unfortunately this is not available on netflix.