A few weeks ago, I almost tackled down and hugged the FedEx courier to death when he delivered a gift from the Conde Nast and Versace press offices. It felt like Christmas and my Birthday rolled into one hot Summer day, but without sitting on a Santa’s judgmental lap. I rapidly tore into the box to find a buttery soft black leather hobo bag by Christopher Kane for Versus Spring/Summer 2010.
 
As I stroked and petted my new beauty between the Oohs and Ahhs from the discovery of all the gunmetal chain mail hardware and shiny zippers. I couldn’t help but research all about the line and season filled with a simple and classic color palette of reds, blacks, and a slated green grey. The accents of lace, chain mail, safety pins, grommets and piercings reminded me of that famous safety pin dress Elizabeth Hurley wore in the 90s. Kane was quoted saying “I was inspired by the early Nineties and I really looked into the heritage of the company – like the safety pin details and the lionhead.”
 
Donatella Versace tapped into Christopher Kane’s talent a season earlier to revive the Versus line. Kane brought a fresh new aesthetic with sexy and feminine silhouettes without the overt fetish look. ”It is emotional for me,” Donatella Versace – who enlisted Kane’s talents for a capsule accessories collection for autumn/winter 2009-10. “He’s a volcano of ideas. He knows how to dress a woman’s body and he looks at young people and the young world, and that’s the future.”
 

 

Thank you Conde Nast & Versace for the new arm candy. <3

Daisy Lowe for British Esquire (i-pad size if downloaded) from Greg Williams on Vimeo.

Wicked behind on posting since my mind & body are still on vacation mode, but here’s a little Thursday treat leading you into the weekend. Not only do I love this song, but I’ve got a mad girl crush on Daisy Lowe. She’s got a body to bite at; compared to all the skinny minis that haven’t bitten into food in years. Can we bring back the T&As? Just sayin’…

If anyone knows how to throw a party, it’s my Twinkie and best friend, Stephanie. Every year her family graciously hosts and throws an amazing fete in honor of the HP Byron Nelson Championship at TPC Four Seasons Resort Las Colinas.  While I’m definitely not an avid golfer (I’ve thrown out my back on the driving range, and sadly thrown my clubs in a frustrated rage);  I do love a good social scene with my a margarita or mimosa in tow.   The Byron Nelson has been a longtime Texas tradition I’ve been partaking in since high school when I am in town, but it does get increasingly better with age.

The Ramirez’s have a sick house on the 17th tee, thus making the Byron Nelson experience far more enjoyable. This year golden wunderkin Jordan Spieth, a 16-year-old Jesuit junior, made the finals with the veteran old timers. The energy was beyond electric for the young hometown hero.  Even though Spieth didn’t win it all the way, he did finish at 16th place in a seven-way tie, six shots behind winner Jason Day.  You can certainly bet Dallasites will proudly support him for years to come.

After many rounds of double fisting mimosas and margaritas, paparazzi style picture taking between windy gusts, and committing carbocide on some delicious Blue Mesa catering; we moseyed on down to the Pavilion.  Le Freak was doing classic covers of sing-a-long 80s & 90s jams and  we ran into some of the most interesting characters. For example, the matchy match Bachelor party group in white polos and red seersucker shorts, cougars on the prowl, dirty old men, cute guy doing the trash sweeping dance, and everyone in between. Dallas is a friendly place, so with a just a smile, you’ll be sure to make about 20 new friends.

If you’ve never been to the Byron Nelson before there’s a few things you should expect and here’s a few helpful tips:

1. WEAR SUNSCREEN! Try 1002394872384 SPF, and you’ll probably still get burned.
2. Hats will shield you from the intense sun and help cool you from the heat. Nothing will keep you from sweating though.
3. Girls, forget the heels, and yes this is coming from the girl who refuses to wear anything less than 4″ at all times. You may be able to get away with wedges, but I’ve seen some nasty ankle breaking accidents on those hills. You must remember it is in Las Colinas, quite literally meaning “The Hills.”
4. Dress comfortably but please still casual chic. If the golfers can wear put on a collared shirt, then hey Mister, so can you!
5. You will need a pass to walk the grounds and access the Pavilion, that is unless you have a friend that lives on the course or if you are a girl with big boobs. I think the latter trumps the first though, just sayin’.
6. You’ll most likely being drinking from dawn to dusk, so party hardy, but please remember it is a actual tournament and respect the players while they are swinging those sticks.
7. The Pavilion serves both beer and hard alcohol, accepting both cash or credit in exchange for tickets. Buckets of beer is usually the best bet and easy to share with your friends.
8. Lastly, if you do decide to sneak on to the green, do it at night and stay off the painted areas. Even the most talented dry cleaners can’t salvage those threads. Trust me on that one.

You can view the rest of the pictures on Facebook… eventually.  And a very special thanks to Stephanie and the whole Ramirez family for all your hospitality.  Much love.

They say “it’s like riding a bicycle”, you know, you’re suppose to never forget this little old skill you picked up along the way. I’m sorry, but I’m no elephant you see. I recall the first time my training wheels were removed and my Daddy giving me a heave-ho push off as I pedaled my scrawny stems off; right into some thorny rose bushes. Insert hysterical crying here.

Never wanting to give something up, I later in life gave it another go around; however, this time around the old neighborhood with my younger brother. Oh I was in bliss, I could actually ride from here to there! Here to there consisting of a straight shot, and the instant there was a bend around the corner I fell; bike and all. Mind you I was 21 and getting my ass laughed at by my skillful younger brother. I didn’t know what hurt more, my bruised ego or my bruised body.

Alas, my now-ex boyfriend decided he missed his old reckless riding days and some part of me is a glutton for punishment; so we headed to Bikecology in Beverly Hills. Two shiny new Treks later, an uber dorky helmet (hey, you have to protect the goods!), and a LA bike path map in hand; I had a new outlook on life.

No longer do I fall when there’s a break in the road, though I still can’t jump a curb without yelping that I just injured my ladybits. You can catch my long locks blowing in the wind on the Santa Monica bike path; now freed from the prison of the unstylish helmet since I’ve deemed the path safely mastered through profuse practice. Though through the mean streets of LA traffic, you will definitely not want a chance encounter with me. That is unless you want a mess of tears on the hood of your precious BMW, only then to roll off and kick the shit out of your car.

 
Pedestrians, drivers, doggies, et al… Wake Up!  You have been warned!

Dear Future Fiance,

It’s been another 4 years, amazing how time flies isn’t it? For some reason, men become rabid beasts fueled by a soccer craze when the World Cup rolls around. Kinda hot, yet frighteningly scary at the same time. Please step away from the body paint and vuvuzela horns; it’s really not a good look.

Anyways, I’ll gleefully watch every World Cup match with you without complaint; only if it involves amazingly hot bodies like Mr. Yoann Gourcuff. However, I cannot promise that there won’t be uncontrollable drooling and oogling. You know I have a soft spot for the Frenchies.

So sweet Future Fiance, if you can attempt to have a body like Yoann (or even better, BE Yoann Gourcuff), then I will try my darnest to have a hybrid body of Gisele, Megan Fox, Beyonce… (errr pick your poison).

xo.
Me

P.S. Ladies, who are your Top 5 World Cup Banging Bodies?

Somehow time on Thursdays always seem to escape me, but I wanted to take a moment to share this song with you that’s been been the soundtrack for today.  Sam Sparro is an Aussie turned Angeleno artist that mixes his sultry vocals with some sick electro-pop house beats to get an eclectic, yet smooth sound.  If his vocals aren’t charming enough already, he’s got a face to match… but as they say, “The cute ones are always gay.”  *sighhhhhh*

Sam Sparro – Black and Gold

If the fish swam out of the ocean
and grew legs and they started walking
and the apes climbed down from the trees
and grew tall and they started talking

and the stars fell out of the sky
and my tears rolled into the ocean
now i’m looking for a reason why
you even set my world into motion

’cause if you’re not really here
then the stars don’t even matter
now i’m filled to the top with fear
that it’s all just a bunch of matter

’cause if you’re not really here
then i don’t want to be either
i wanna be next to you
black and gold
black and gold
black and gold

i looked up into the night sky
and see a thousand eyes staring back
and all around these golden beacons
i see nothing but black

i feel a way of something beyond them
i don’t see what i can feel
if vision is the only validation
then most of my life isn’t real

’cause if you’re not really here
then the stars don’t even matter
now i’m filled to the top with fear
that it’s all just a bunch of matter

’cause if you’re not really here
then i don’t want to be either
i wanna be next to you
black and gold
black and gold
black and gold

Damnnnnnn homie, Mr. Alexander Wang is killing the accessories game. Stepping up his mean shoe game with some Dree Fringe Booties, which are appropriately named after my girl crush, Dree Hemingway. Also, can we talk about the envelope perfection of a clutch, Jena.

GET IN MY LIFE NOW! *sigh*

Both available at Kirna Zabete, for $615 and $475, respectively.

Pic Credit: VOD Twitter

So when the crafty side of me convenes with the Asian in me, of course a nail DIY would happen. Done with Essie Fiji as the base color and Essie Bordeaux for the leopard spots and Essie Good to Go for the top coat. It’s a nice change of pace from my normal red nails, but I don’t think these will be accompanying me to the Opera on Friday. However, they’ll look perfect with an agave margarita in one hand and a tequila shot in the other on Wednesday.  Rawrrrrrrr baby rawrrrrrrr!

You know when you hear a song and it just resonates with you for a while; possibly to the point of jam dancing in undies nonstop?  Well, The Black Keys “Next Girl” is wearing out my speakers.  Their new album drops on May 18th, entitled Brothers.  It will have their classic twangy, rock with bad ass beats signature sound mixed with a bit of Danger Mouse, who again is producing the album like their last, Attack and Release.

Quite possibly my favorite song at the moment… just replace girl with boy and it’s the story of my life.   Enjoy my loves.

02 Next Girl – The Black Keys

“Well, the look of the cake, it ain’t it ain’t always the taste

My ex girl, she had such a beautiful face, I wanted love

But not for myself, but for the girl so she could, so she could love herself

Oh my next girl, will be nothing like, my ex girl

I made mistakes back then, I’ll never do it again

Oh my next girl, she’ll be nothing like, my ex girl

It was a painful death, nah, I got a second chance

Oh her beautiful face and her wicked ways, and I’m praying for her beautiful face everyday

All that work, over so much time, if I think too hard, I might lose my mind

Oh my next girl, will be nothing like, my ex girl

I made mistakes back then, I’ll never do it again

Oh My next girl, she’ll be nothing like, my ex girl

It was a painful death, I got a second chance.”

I have hated clogs until the day I laid eyes on these beauties.  My Anti-Clog stance disappeared as these clog + bootie babies appeared on several fashion blogs, and now I’ve been clog crazeeeeeeed.  I cannot get them out of my head and yet no one seems to know who they are by.  Help my poor little clog-converted soul and let me know which fabulous designer is responsible for this obsession!

P.S. Check out the Bachman Sparrow blog and enter their giveaway! Once entered into the raffle, you can win a $50 giftcard to a clothing store of your choice. She will also include one of my favorite products, CO Bigelow’s Mentha Vitamin Body Wash (for both guys and girls) and personal style consultation.