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Chic and Charming
a modern salon for
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30 June 2009

Word of the Moment: Unemployed


The picture says it all.

Anyone interested in hiring the most over qualified and simultaneously under qualified design/writing/art/blogging intern ever? No? How about nanny? Seriously folks. I need a job.

Now I have to go to the dentist. Could this day suck more?

Image adapted from www.dvorak.org

29 June 2009

The Luxe Series

So, after my little Twilight fixation you all know that I am not above slumming it in the YA fiction section of my local Borders. Therefore, I suppose, I should not be too embarrassed to reveal that I am in the midst of reading The Luxe Series of book by Anna Godbersen. I've been intrigued by the covers for months now, I am such a sucker for a good book jacket. Since it was on $9.99 and I needed something to do on the horrible red eye flight back from SF, I started out by picking up the first in the series, The Luxe. I read the entire book in one sitting and followed it up quickly by purchasing the sequel Rumours, which I just finished. I have been scouring the Internet unsuccessfully to find a plot summery of the next novel Envy, but I guess I will just have to buy the book to find out what happens next.

Now I am sure you are all wondering what is so great about these books? Well, they are pretty and fluffy reads just like all good brain candy should be. It is easy to get lost in the book and forget about what ever it was that was stressful about your day. The entire series focuses on the lives of four girls maneuvering in upper crust New York at the turn of the twentieth century to secure love and money whilst wearing beautiful dresses. There is the requisite back stabbing, social climbing, salacious sex, cheating, star crossed lovers, murder, scandal, secrets, etc.

The writing is a notch above Twilight and the characters are a bit better developed than in Twilight as well. One might make comparisons to Gossip Girl, but the series is even more soap opera-esqe that GG, believe it or not. In fact, if I had one complaint about the series, it would be that I like my brain candy books to be nice neat little morsels of fluffy happiness, and on this front The Luxe Series fails to deliver. The first book, The Luxe, more or less met this criteria, but the second book, Rumours, has a totally upsetting ending. I know this should motivate me to go out and purchase the next book, but frankly it kind of pissed me off.

I feel like my emotions have been shanghaied. It is totally brilliant marketing, of course, I now have to purchase yet another book, and I think that is part of the reason I stubbornly don't want to buy Envy. I hate being so blatantly manipulated. Based on my Internet search, I know that Envy also ends in a cliff hanger and I don't really want to spend another four hours of my life reading a book that will end in a cliff hanger that will not be resolved until the final book in the series "Splendor" is published. What can I say, I'm just not a very patient girl.

Overall I would have to say The Luxe series is very engaging, but if I were you, I might wait until the final installment is published to give them a read. I do recommend the books, especially if you go in realizing that each book ends with a cliff hanger and they have a good dose of soapy-tragedy woven into the plot.

Images from fanpop.com
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28 June 2009

Sourdough serves up some style

I had the great pleasure of meeting Annie of Poetic and Chic and Sourdough for the first time IN PERSON when I took my little vacation out to California. Annie was my first real interactive reader back in the day when I started out as Boudoir Betty (my first blog, and now my lingerie line). She was one of the reasons I decided not to totally give up on blogging and here I am, still online two years later! So, enough about what a fabulous person Annie is, now I want to tell you about her impeccable taste and creative talents, which she put to good use in her latest project the etsy shop "Sourdough."

I had the opportunity to check out her line of housewares, accessories and jackets during my trip to Cali and I am definitely in love. She presented me with charming tea towel and eye mask samples which I plan to show all of my girlfriends. Personally, I think the tea towel would make a perfect engagement or wedding shower present, especially at a kitchen themed shower.

I can tell you my hubby is definitely a fan of the eye mask...he used it on the red eye back to the east coast and slept like a baby. I'm betting it was the soothing lavender that Annie sews into each mask that lulled him into a deep sleep. I was super jealous! Having chosen the pinkest possible fabric for my eye mask I thought it would be safe from pilfering...the man has no shame!

But, don't just take my word for it, Sourdough has been praised my many other bloggers including: Little Gray Pixel, Daddy Likey, Wendy Brandes, Cuffington, sfgirlbybay and Leaves of Glass.

Images from Sourdoughf.com

27 June 2009

The Nebulous Kingdom Birthday Sale

I love the dreamy, moody quality of Anne-Julie Aubry's artwork which is rendered in traditional and digital mediums. Aubry was one of the first etsy artists that I really noticed after seeing her painting "Becoming a Puppet" featured on another blog. Now, Aubry's shop, TheNebulousKingdom, is having a sale in honor of her birthday! Through July 1st purchase any two prints and get one free! SUCH a deal :).

Image from The Nebulous Kingdom on etsy

26 June 2009

Matching Your Lipstick to Your Sunglasses

This photograph has made me completely obsessed with the idea of matching my lipstick to my sunglasses. I have been on a quest to find the perfect pair of true red sunglasses to wear with my lipstick queen red sinner lipstick. I'm even considering the idea of of also buying a pink pair of sunglasses to wear with some new pink lipstick!
image from taylor-momsen.net

25 June 2009

Charming Blog: igorandandre.blogspot.com



Today's Charming Blog, igorandandre.blogspot.com, brings together my love of blogging, fashion and illustration with a series of lovely illustration of fashion bloggers. Artist Danny Roberts shares his fashion illustrations through this blog, with works inspired by designers, fashionistas, bloggers and sometimes, it appears, friends. He has a link off the top to his "about" page where you can watch him draw his self portrait. I also reccomend checking out the link to his image diary and his shop. I've just put his Ladies of Dior 22 X 17 Prints on the short list for my next art purchase. Roberts also sells through etsy, where he lists quite a few more pieces than in his blog based shop.

Images from igorandandrew.blogspot.com

09 June 2009

The Cult of Converse




Converse shoes are everywhere...on hipsters, on celebs and chic Parisian women. They have almost a cult like following. Chuck Taylor All Stars, the most iconic of the converse styles, have been around since 1917 and they have fallen in and out of favor in the interim. Somehow, for the past decade or two they've been the casual, fashionable choice for ladies and gents a like.

Personally, I am just not a big fan of converse. As it happens, converse would actually fit nicely into my current personal style: grad-student grunge. Frankly, they would take my daily style quotient up a notch. I don't wear converse, I just don't find them particularly comfortable and they make my feet look like boats. They also seem to me self-consciously hip, like if I was wearing them I would be trying to look cooler than I actually am...and as you know I'm pretty damn cool.
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04 June 2009

Fabulous Squared

Watson and Guinness
Via Coco's Tea Party