On this season’s America’s Next Top Model, Cycle 14, host Tyra Banks wears a jumpsuit to each elimination round. So I thought I’d follow suit–all puns intended–and feature it in today’s FIMTSO episode. Just for giggles, instead of doing looks by occasion I’m going to see if I can do it by season! I’m pressed for time so will try to get modeling pics in another entry 
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Test Item: camel linen jumpsuit from Young Fabulous & Broke.
Spring: Spring is all about the cardigan, so here it is paired with a short-sleeved JCrew peach cashmere cardigan and bronzy/peachy lizard Manolos.
Summer: I actually like the idea of a jumpsuit in a breathable fabric when it’s warm…until I have to use the ladies’ room. And that’s when I realize why most people who wear jumpsuits to work every day are men. But I digress. I’m baring the shoulders and dressing up the jumpsuit with accessories instead. In the first look I’m using a vintage Chanel belt as a choker and wearing the Chanel black camellia sandals.
If I want to look less casual, I’d add my humongous rapper-fab patent Chanel belt and swap the flat sandals for patent Dior wedges:
Fall: Fall is really just summer minus ten degrees in LA, so all I’d need to do is throw a black lightweight GAP open cardigan over my summer look (btw we wear our summer shoes pretty much year round here!):
Winter: Santa Claus wears shorts to deliver presents in LA, so it’s hard to even entertain the notion of this wintry season. But for the five or so days of chilly weather here, I could actually break out a blazer/jacket. I find it ironically appropriate to pair a Chanel jacket with a very simple linen jumpsuit from a label called Young Fabulous & Broke! I’d probably wear my brown slingbacks with this outfit.
Accessories shots:
Tags: Chanel, FIMTSO, Gap, JCrew, Jumpsuit, Manolos, Young Fabulous & Broke
For days when I’m a bit jammed for time I’ll update my blog with Instant Gratification Items (“IGI”) that I pick up here or there in my pathetic attempt at a shopping ban. We can treat this both as a third of my series (besides the ongoing FIMTSO and FWTWYL series) and a challenge of sorts. Let’s just say these items have to be less than $50 a pop and I have to be able to take a photo of each item in actual use.
In other words, I can’t just buy cheap junk (that ends up unused) while treating my shopping withdrawals. You know what I’m talking about here…the hands start to shake, the mouth goes dry, and money seems to fall out of my wallet while I’m sweating bullets. And no, I am NOT allowed to photographically dissect a Chanel bag into 40 pieces and post about it 40 times in order to fall under the monetary cap. The whole idea here is to force myself to (a) not shop impulsively and (b) wean myself from the urge to use retail therapy as a way to de-stress. The nicotine patch doesn’t seem to work too well for smokers and I’m guessing this IGI thing I’m trying now will have about the same success rate. But what the heck, let’s give it a go. Maybe after the tenth IGI blog entry I’ll be shamed into a real shopping ban. Yeah, uh huh.
IGI 1: Liberty for M.A.C. makeup bag, $25. I had to go to 4 M.A.C. stores to find this and it’s sold out online. Hey, there are birds (larks perhaps?) in the pattern so I’m all over it!
IGI in use: here it is inside my purse! Isn’t it funny that Liberty is collaborating with everyone and their grandmother? Not that I’m complaining, but maybe I need some freedom from Liberty 
Exactly one year ago today I blogged about the arrival of my third niece. She’s since been promoted from the gạo to Lil A, though at the rate she’s growing, she’ll soon be Med A. She’s currently on her world tour and spending our birthday weekend with her maternal grandparents. I won’t get to see her for a bit longer so it will be some time before I can get that shot of us together in our matching Sonia Rykiel…
or Liberty…
or Stella wear:
As such, these pics will have to do for today’s blog until I figure out how to Photoshop us together. I don’t know about you, but I gotta go get me some of that one-year-old skin…and bottle it.
I know Mother’s Day isn’t until May around the world, but in my little universe April 18th is now and forever Mother’s Day. My mom became a mother for the second time when I was born on this day last century, and my little sister followed suit last year with her first child. Coincidentally, my aunt also became a mom on that day when my cousin Steven was born.
I don’t think I’ve ever liked the idea of making a big deal out of my own birthday. When I was a kid I couldn’t wait to skip them all and become an adult and rule the world. And learn to drive, wear high heels. Or drive while wearing high heels. If I could age two years at a time, that would have been fine by me. And now that I’ve been out in this world trying not to get ruled by it for more decades than I can even imagine, I wish I could un-age three years at a time–then in a few years I’d be the same age as Lil A and we could go shoe shopping together.
Did someone say shoes?!
Yep, Lil A sure knows how to rock those Stella espadrilles.
I’ve been told I’m not so easy to buy presents for, but I think for this year, I’ll collect it the next time I’m in NY….one big juicy kiss from that lil one. Happy (early) Mother’s Day everyone!
Tags: Liberty, Mother's Day, Sonia Rykiel, Stella
So the last 36 hours have been a total scramble for me. I was supposed to have company from Belgium starting today for 2 weeks, but Volcano Eyjafjallajökull sneezed and all my plans disintegrated into ashes. Larkie 0, Volcano 1. At midnight last night I was still on the phone trying to help reschedule flights, and as of this Saturday afternoon in California everything still looks so bad at airports everywhere. We are all going nowhere fast.
I’m keeping my fingers crossed this visit will still happen, but I think Mother Nature is pissed. Earthquakes of huge magnitudes in Haïti then China…merciless flood in Brazil…then now a glacier-topped volcano eruption in Iceland?? Mother Nature just called and she wants her control back.
Have we all done something wrong?
Immediately travelers are hit the hardest by this volcano but I wince just thinking about the ripple effect down the road. Anything of business to personal consequence will be impacted by the grounding of these planes. And the most frustrating part of all is how breathtaking the volcanic eruption looks. Have you seen pictures of the spewing lava? What a wondrous inferno! Even the ash cloud is a magnificent sight to behold.
Anyway, all frustration aside, there’s nothing to do but wait. And wait.
PS: here’s a great article I read about the volcano.
Tags: Eyjafjallajökull, Iceland, volcano
It’s tax day here in the US and what better way to diffuse the pain of getting socked by Uncle Sam than a little retail therapy? As expected, very little foot traffic at the stores but tons of customer service. I see lots of fashionistas loitering as opposed to buying; we are all anxious for sale season to start. It looks like the sour economy hasn’t sweetened up any…
…or so I think after walking around my favorite store for an hour, and until I run into a killer pair of Chanel boots that I think would look pretty cool under a few skirts or pairs of pants in my closet:
Before you make any gladiator jokes, let’s just say these hybrid shoe-boots have a way of lengthening the legs and shaping the calves like there’s no tomorrow. This pair is a size 37 and just one half size too big for me. My nice shoe guy is jazzed up about the prospect of pushing a $2100 (no, that’s not a typo) pair of boots but alas, after checking his computer system, tells me they are sold out across the nation in my size. Egad, is the shoe department recession-proof? So much for hoping to score these on sale.
Anyway, he’s locating these Louboutins for me instead…we don’t know if they’ll ever show up given the small inventory buyers are stocking their stores with these days:
NOT that I need more shoes!
