knock on wood. ...then put your lipstick in it.

I've been away.
Sugar-glacé kisses to make up.

I've also been thinking of a suitable title for this post for almost three weeks; my punny skills are waning—pun intended. Funny?? eh (not so much)... a bit to make you smile, I hope. I marvel at the genius of using wood to create these clutches. I mean trees are certainly one of the most versatile resources on our planet, I'm completely intrigued by its uses in our everyday lives...
And thinking re personal aesthetics; just genius!! Well, that is, until I remember clogs!! They're atrociously frumpy, especially the Danish ones, and I'm yet to reconcile the fact two of my most devilishly yummy treats come from this clogs-wearing breed.¹ No offense to the Danes. Ever. Read footnote #2. *yummy kisses*

These clutches are made by Ports 1961—a brand that reminds me of a casual resort elegance. This season, the shapes (of the dresses) remain classic, and yet, there's a comfortable futuristic element that makes them very modern. With a simplicity that intensifies a stylish essence, these clutches are alluring. A little part of me, though, yearns for something to add a little more ummph. Perhaps, a huge bauble or two, artfully recessed or raised from a corner on the vertical plane of the clutch—technical much??—without eliminating the simple lines. Do you know what I mean?? Or maybe I just need to temper my affections for Devi Kroell's gem-embellished purses. Hahaha.
The purses (and clothing) are available on Ports website, as well as at Vivre. Clothing only: available at Saks.





Baublicious kisses.


Footnotes:
1. Two of my fave treats: Danish butter cookies and Danish men; Danish men have the second largest population of tallest men, after Dutch men in the world. How do I know this?? Fly KLM and enjoy the bliss of gazing at most men at the airport (and in Amsterdam) at least 6'!! And I did a little research to see if there might be some truth to this—other than my adeptness at picking out men over 6', of course—turns out I'm genius!! Ohhh joy!! *blush*

i'm thrilled!! (i don't need a title...)

I'm in a fashion Shangri-La, and here are the biggies on my anticpating/to-do list:
• culminating review of NY fash week in the next two days
• LFW is in full effect: Double Whoop!! for provocative designs—half of which are, of course, completely unwearable. Oh wait... it's S/S!! Unwearable is usually reserved for A/W!! Chichi chic all the way!! Review at the end. And, of course, following LFW is Milan fash week, then Paris, et cetera; does it ever stop?? No!! Bliss!!!
• speaking of London, I've also been anticipating the Swarovski Fashion Rocks (for the Prince's Trust.) It'll be hosted by Samuel Jackson on Thu, October 18th. I just know it'll be baddd!!¹
• I've been itching to mention her name: Zulema Griffin!! Whew!! Now wouldn't I loove to have been one of Fela's wives??!! (figuratively, of course!! I certainly don't do harems.)
• The lack of color on the runway—indeed the fashion industry—and by that I mean BLACK women is making headlines. I'd begun to think the reason everyone looked ummm... white was because I was going color-blind!! I'm thinking a thorough analysis of the subject... (not that we really need one, anyone who sees the shows can see, can't they?? I do, however, like to know what I'm talking about in its entirety.)
• Coco-mademoiselle.com, if you haven't been in...
• And, in completely unrelated fash news, I am crushing on tons of indescribably handsome—even beautiful—and, of course, huge men, (umm.. ten yrs later, how did Timbaland get soo huge) who naturally don't even know I exist. Joy!!
• and, oh, awards show tonight!! Gowns galore!!! (And yes, I can't even be bothered to remember the name of the awards.)
• finally... buy. these. shoes!! One of them, or both. Or not. I wouldn't want us to end up with the same pair (*GASP* simultaneously!!) BTW, if that ever happens, we could just (re)establish our bond as best friends because we just have such elegant tastes!! Kiss me Christian Dior. The polished chicness of the left shoe is beyond words and the heel on the second—fierce!! (Go Tyra!!)

Left available at Saks. Right available at Neiman's. Online.

Of course, I went unto Dior, to see what else I could possibly be missing and there's the silver color, which would be a crime for me to purchase because I've just gotten two silver/gray shoes; and there's the feather-birdy shoe, the heels and soles of which I completely adore; but the vamp... NO. Please let us leave the feathers to the birdies. Still love you, Mr Dior.



Excited kisses!!
Enjoy the awards, or the dresses, rather.


Footnotes:
1. Baddd was supposed to be a play on Brit slang, but now, it also seems something Mr Jackson would say as "Shaft." My goodness, so witty am I!!

follow your nose ...and try and catch me

I have a thing for scents.
Okay, I'm terribly sorry for one of the most appalling understatements of the year.

My love affair with (pleasing) scents very much encompasses all of my five senses; it's decidedly difficult to verbalize its perception. Actually, I'm pretty certain the sense of smell is the most important of the five senses in mammals and other classes of animals—as recent studies now show; the smelling or olfactory organs and neurons exerting considerable influence on the paths of neuronal activity of the other senses. ¹ Yay!! Bio!!
So, you see, I'm not completely nuts!!
Alright, I am; but only very slightly.

While, the influence of smell cannot be disregarded in our daily lives—although its perception might be misplaced or misinterpreted²; I think in my case, it goes a tad overboard. I mean I had the Pucci Vivara Eau de Parfum mailed to me from Harrods, after I smelt it on my sis at the start of spring. Never mind, when I fell head over heels in pulsating, impassioned lust upon seeing that bottle!! They (Harrods) lied that they had the fragrance exclusively. Umm... no, it's certainly available everywhere!! Now, at least!! But, then I had to have it!! Please save that 'perfumes are commonly delivered within the UK, madam' speech. Besides, does my profile not say I'm a "miss"?? Also, kindly overlook the fact that I couldn't reconcile the particular scent in that bottle with the seductive concoction I'd just smelt on her; because really who wears just one scent?? More like four in my case. Sometimes more?? *Yiiikes!!* An alluring trail of scents—hinting—meandering all over me; a spritz on the inside of my wrists, behind my ears, just below my belly button, my hair, décolletage, around my legs and ankles... I mean the possibilities are endless. But be warned, lest you think the scents overwhelm me. The rationale for my chicsimplicity is ...a penchant for balancing the delicate nuances of style and refinement... So, it's a certain je ne sais quoi, and very light fingers!! Hahaha. The thing is, each scent arouses a feeling that begs a complementary emotion, so spritz number two; now I feel a little more elegant, add a hint of seductive playfulness: spritz number three and we could go on and on.

[A woman should use perfume] wherever [she] wants to be kissed. ~ Coco Chanel. I take this quotation very literally. Haha.

Speaking of, that's one of my huge dilemmas when I have to go away for a weekend—what scents to pack??!! Cue: dinky-crisis, but thank the Lord for mini-scents and sample bottles!!

I awoke to a bleak fall-like morning, perhaps, heralding what would be the somber mood of this historic day. I closed my eyes. I needed to feel a more pleasant emotion. I remembered my baby brother's smell. He's really a sweet mish-mash of EVERYthing, but it's simply energetic and beautiful like he is. He's back home for school now and I'm not crazy enough to want him back so quickly, but... My mind evokes more smells, two seconds later, my senses are full throttle into overdrive.
Bliss. (...and the inspiration for today's post.)


Again speaking of—in this case—glorious NY, I meant to write a piece on the Bond No. 9 NY Saks Fifth Ave scent, which debuted at the beginning of September. It was the long weekend coming up and I didn't write. I am sad, I know. I haven't tried it yet, but the bottle is charming, natch.







Loving, pleasurable kisses.
P.S. THE 50TH ANNUAL EBONY (TRAVELLING) SHOW themed "GLAM ODYSSEY" starts tomorrow, SEPT. 12TH!! Click the title to view show-times in your cities. *muah*



Footnotes:
1. Do I have to provide references from research studies?? Haha. I'm not in class!!
2. In fact, about seventy percent of what we perceive as taste is really smell. This is fact, as well. *Coy, fluttering lashes*

cavorting with just cavalli

So, while I'm enraptured with the sartorial bliss, and, equally delicious mayhem, that is NY Fash week, especially for the Spring Collection;^1,2 other events are, apparently, taking place.
Seriously.

You'd think we all know better than to schedule events during Fashion week!! And although, it is one of my beloved designers—one through whom I'd be made whole simply by grazing the intricately sewn hem of his custom-made jacket—Mr. Roberto Cavalli, I just can't excuse this behavior!! (Mr Cavalli or his people do not even know I breathe, so I can say whatever I please. If I ever met him or one in his posse, I'd be back on here to erase this so fast, just in case he ever deigns me worthy of an outfit. Aahh... delusions of life with some of the greatest designers on the planet. See why my life is fab—I live in my own world and you can't tell me jack!!)

Anyway, I was on style.com, when I saw the pic of Mr. Cavalli and Mary J Blige. Thinking the man who's turned snakes into iconic fashionable images may have attended Fashion Sucks Rocks³, I clicked the picture to see the story, but it turned out to be a scoop on his Just Cavalli flagship store opened on Friday on Fifth Ave. (See, I'd totally have missed the news, there's nothing going on but Fashweek!!) And, I just keep kicking myself that I'm not in NY this weekend, if only to be the hanger-on of a fashionably gay groupie!! To say I'm ecstatic about the store opening would be an understatement. Mr Cavalli designs beautifully bold clothes that fit women's bodies perfectly!! Let me relay an anecdote of my last manic must-get-it-or-die Just Cavalli dress...

Still surrounded by the grad students social circle, and needing to succumb to the pressure to be able to say I've been on one; I was slightly anticipating my first ever (and last) frat booze cruise last April??? ('Twas fun, but like I've decided, if it's not a privately-owned boat for a max 20 people, then I'm definitely not on it!!)

Anyway, naturally, I knew this cruise was happening way back when, but I left it until about a week before to think of what I'd be wearing. I looked everywhere and I just wasn't captivated by anything. Well, that is, with the exception of a particular dress, by Roberto Cavalli for his less expensive "Just Cavalli" line. Still the dress was a pretty penny, and I was hesitant about getting it. (Please save your sarcastic comments about my shopping habits.) Love you still. I asked one or two non-judgemental friends who turned out just the opp, judgmental, haha—they're still the bestest—they agreed the dress was lovely, but... Yeah whatever. My id was two light years ahead, I was getting that dress and my consciousness just needed catch up.

Now the only two stores that had the soon-to-be-mine, divine dress were Neiman's and Eluxe and not unexpected, they were out of my size. So plan B: I called the R. Cavalli store in NY after finding the number on the webbie. It was later in the evening; they were closed. No problem—I'd call the next morning. A surprisingly nice voice tinkles at the other end of the line when I call the following day; that is until I describe my dilemma: I am actually looking for a Just Cavalli dress. The repressed, but well-honed NY-er sales gyrl voice surfaces and promptly clues me in to the fact that the salon is for R. Cavalli only.⁴ My heart raced, then I think it paused for a quick nanosecond. For the umpteenth time I wondered how some designers could afford not to put every single design of theirs in NY, and even more importantly, why they were not embracing the wonderful world of the internet shopping.⁵
I resigned myself to not going on the cruise.
I panicked.
Yes, it can get that serious!!

Back to plan A. I'd just have to get the size 6 (42), the smallest size available on Eluxe, have it expressed and to my tailor ASAP. (The only size at Neiman's was a 10.) It would have been nice to have my size, but oh well... I place my order... A couple hours afterward, I'm on Neiman's—pleasurable distraction, you know—clicked down the size and there's a size 36 aka 0!! Unbelievable. Umm.. yes, I placed that order with lightning speed and then called up Eluxe to cancel the other order. [Say "other order" really fast!! I'm genius, making up tongue twisters.] Oooh my love affairs with clothes. And, I sure as hugs and kisses wore that dress. Quite well, I hope. *bashful smile*
So you see...






Pretty kisses.


p.s. Well, I guess, I should put up the dress, huh?? (I didn't take a full-length standing pic, it seems; don't think I ever do.) I hope my lovely luvluv doesn't mind being in the pic as well. Kisses. Avec beaucoup de cerises on top.

And I hope you're enjoying the VMA's.





Footnotes:
1. Spring collection fash week is always a Godsend, coming aptly when I'm doing my best to avoid the darkness that's taking over the stores for winter.
2. In addition, it's still warm enough to be clad in near-nothing while making the party rounds because it's oh so not Feb!!
3. I, not-so-much-watched, but anticipated a climax throughout the show; musically and especially fashion-wise. It never came. Very disappointing. The dualism in the preceding statement has not escaped me, I'm just ignoring it. Haha.
4. Why do many NY sales-people fail to realise that they are simply sales-people for crying out loud!!
5. If you've been in the Loubou stores in NY, you'll find that they pride themselves on using a pen and paper to scribble down your invoice/receipt; Lord forbid they use a scientific calculator to add up your items or calculate your sales tax!! I love Loubous, and there's this sales man (at the Madison store) whom I love and who loves me back for my "impeccable manners and home training," he said, but writing my invoice in one of those booklet things with the duplicate sheet is sooo 3rd century. Not cute.

primp, pretty up, and preen ...and abit of news.

Of course, I'm completely drenched in the feverish excitement and headiness that is NY fashion week!! I gave up some tix because I had a Dr's appt yesterday. No comment. I've blissfully accepted denial and will not acknowledge the repercussions of that decision. *inane smile, blinking back mini-tears* I'll do updates right after the shows!!
Meanwhile, one word (from ongoing fash week): PREEN.

Pictures courtesy style.com

And in some news, as you may see, I've sold out and am now sporting one ad on the left side of my memoirs page. I think this will be as much as I can handle. Ever. But, in all earnestness, I am tremendously excited and appreciative to become a part of the GLAM network, and the ad is really a small price to pay (again, denial is bliss!! haha) I've been writing for just over six months, and to become part of this celebrated network, the number one site for women, is really an honor. Again, I am sincerely thankful.





Glamorous Kisses.
Glamorous!! Glamorous!!

Your LBD?? I don't think so...

Look, admire.
Lust, desire.

Designer: (Swedish) Helena Hörstedt, www.helenahorstedt.com Recent collection Stockholm fashweek A/W 2007-8

Previous collection



[Each picture's worth a thousand words;] impress the pureness upon your heart. ~ Yours Truly
"When I say beautiful things, I'm not necessarily living them; when I live them, the beautiful thing is that words aren't necessary." ~ Brock Tully

Read Story: vogue.co.uk There isn't much American press on Ms Hörstedt's work at the moment, and it's driving me bonkers!! I mean seriously. Not to mention I can't even dream of trying on her clothes in a store or boutique.
So... I sent her an email.


Meanwhile, I've got a couple stilettos ready, just in case I get to do one or two fashion week rounds.




Sweet, sugar kisses; on the lips, eyes closed.