outfitting: bonding time with the cousin

Xhilaration Banded-Sleeve Garage Girl Shirt in White:
- $14.99 @ Target
- I needed a simple white button-up and picked this one because I like the ruffle details of the sleeves and the flap pockets.

Ezekiel White Cindy Shorts:
- $12.99 @ T.J. Maxx
- Dean has made me ga-ga for Ezekiel gear. First it was all the stuff he gave me (how can you not love free clothes?), but then I was at their booth at ASR (which looked fabulously chic and regal) and I wanted everything! They have really nice stuff coming out this upcoming Spring ‘07 for gals and guys! I found these shorts (probably from the past Spring/Summer ’06) at T.J. Maxx and had to buy them. Even though they’re white and probably not appropriate for the Fall/Winter, I had to have them (and look, I’ve worn them already!). The shorts came with an extra-long light yellow belt.

Blue Leather Belt:
- $0.79 @ Baras Thrift Store
- Another belt to add to my collection. I finally bought hooks to hang all of my belts and I underestimated the amount of belts I have because I have to return to Target to get another set of hooks.

Brown Wedge Sandals:
- Borrowed from Amy
- I never really plan on going clubbing when I’m home on the weekends, so I never bring any heels home. My sisters don’t any heels, Thoeun’s feet are too small and Amy wears one size larger than me. Last time, I just ended up wearing flats to the club. Luckily, Amy found these wedge sandals that have straps so even though they were loose, the straps kept them secure on my feet. I like how these look and I bet I’d love them if they were in my size!

A last minute Saturday night outing to On Broadway with the cousin turned out to be a really good time boozing (a bottle of champagne and a few cranberry vodkas) it up and dancing to techno beats. I loved hanging in the empty room because sweaty people weren’t pushing up on me and the DJ played The Killers’ “When You Were Young” technofied!

The one bad thing that did happen: Seeing Twit’s fobby homegirl. How embarrassing… and ewwww!

expensive haircuts here we come!

Emil and I were planning to attend a press screening of “Jet Li’s Fearless” at the Chinese Mann in Hollywood on Wednesday night (9/20), but we were still stuck in traffic 15 minutes into the movie. Since we missed the movie and was in the area, we decided to stop by the grand opening party of Laurence Michaels Salon.

We didn’t stay long because everyone was packed into the salon like sardines and I don’t really enjoy strangers, especially smelly old men, touching me, even if it is only accidentally and briefly.

In the midst of blaring music and various Hypnotiq concoctions, customers who booked appointments prior to the evening’s events were getting haircuts and hair treatments at 50% off by the salon’s staff. There was also an artist, Food One, outside painting on pieces of plywood.

In the gift bag:
- Kerastase hair products (3)
- Bumble & Bumble hair powder spray
- mini bottle of Hypnotiq, matches and mints
- Five Four hat, beanie, dog tags and tote bag
- LF coffee travel cup
- 20% off coupon for Antik Denim
- A bunch of one-time use samples
- $50 gift card for Laurence Michaels Salon

Laurence Michaels has numerous other services including: hair removal, eyelash application, chemical treatments, corrective skincare and hair maintenance, enhancement, and coloring.

Once Emil’s hair grows out, we’re going to head over to the salon to get haircuts. Men’s haircuts start at $55, so Emil is excited to get his first expensive haircut.

outfitting: the manhunt continues...

Free People 3/4 Sleeve Top:
- @ Macy's
- I'm not quite sure how to describe this top. The fabric is sheer and resembles a combination of eyelet and thermal. The neckline is v-shaped and ruched with a tiny bow at the top. It reminds me of the Hanes undershirts I use to wear when I was a little kid.

O'Neill Brown Denim Mini:
- @ Marshalls
- This denim skirt is unique in that the denim looks like tweed.

Calderon Yellow Belt:
- $1.25 @ Baras Thrift Store
- Yellow isn't exactly the easiest color to wear, but I think it's fun for accessories and will pop against white or black.

Chinese Laundry Suede Peep Toe Heels:
- $24.99 @ Marshalls
- Heels tend to be much more comfortable when they have straps. I guess that's because it supports your feet better. I call these my autumn shoes because they remind me of the color of leaves when they begin to change to shades of orange and yellow.

Yellow and Brown Wood Bead Bracelet:
- $1.99 @ Urban Outfitters
- I like the oversize wooden beads of this bracelet and it was cheap, so I was forced to buy it!
- See I Scream for Ice Cream

Yellow and Orange Striped Clutch:
- $0.50 @ Holy Family Christian Closet
- This "clutch" is really a holder for a stationary set. It's made out cardboard and covered with thick linen fabric. I probably can't tote this around in the rain, but it hasn't rained in Southern California for awhile now.

On Tuesday night we went to EA's launch party for "The Godfather" game for Xbox at Stone Rose lounge inside Sofitel Los Angeles. The lounge's atmosphere was really chill and relaxing. The interior is filled with comfy orange-colored velvet couches and outside there are large, private cabanas and a fire pit. The u-shaped bar is run by gorgeous bartenders in super tight black dresses.

The bar was open all night and there was passed hors d'oeuvres. Various XBox 360 stations were set up with "The Godfather" game for our playing pleasure. I was semi-buzzed trying to play the game and sucked. When Thoeun and I returned from one of our bathroom trips, we found Emil intensely playing the game with some random chick sitting barely millimeters away from him. She left once she saw us.

At this party, Thoeun and I discovered just how much we love "Prison Break." We are completely infatuated with Wentworth Miller, but apparently we didn't expect our love to extend to the rest of the "Prison Break" cast as well. We first saw Sucre and both exclaimed, "Prison Break!" Then a few seconds later we saw Tweener! We were both very excited and giddy (never before have we displayed such behavior). Emil kept on pushing us to go take a picture with the guys, but for some unexplainable reason we were too shy to approach them. They left a few minutes later and that's when it hit us. We are dumb. Why did we pass up the opportunity to meet the guys from our favorite TV show? Dumb, dumb, dumb!

Other celeb sightings:
- Emil took pictures with Marshall Faulk and Smush Parker, which he'd like to title:

Emil Runnin' w/ Marshall and Emil Ballin' w/ Smush
Notice how no one in these pictures are neither running or balling.

- Taye Diggs
- Golden Brooks
- Rex Lee
- "Boy in Motion" Michael Copon
- Andy Milonakis
- Navi Rawat
- Courtney and Ashley Peldon
- One of the guys from Numb3rs
- The guy who plays Kyle XY
- Disney Channel's Zenon

The place was filled with other celebs that we may have not spotted, but me and Thoeun didn't care because we were sulking over a couple of escaped convicts.

first h&m opening in la and i am NOT there!

In less than 30 minutes, the first Los Angeles area H&M store will open in Pasadena! And here I am stuck at work! I heard shoppers were in line since 3am hoping to be the first 100 customers who will receive free gift cards worth $10 to $300.

Over at Losanjealous, there is a clock counting down the minutes until the store opens and will most likely have tons of pictures and reviews.

I am disappointed in myself for not ditching work and camping out the night before! I, obviously, am not as hardcore as I thought I was. Hey Liz, maybe I really should look into drugs? Haha!

outfitting: warning!

Speechless Empire Waist Pleated Dress:
- @ Marshalls
- I bought this dress a long, long time ago. I wanted to wear black and it turns out that I only own two black dresses. (I need to find another, possibly strapless, LBD.) I like the pleats of this dress, but I think the length should be shorter.

Units Gold Quilted Belt:
- $1.25 @ Baras Thrift Store
- Quilting isn't just for handbags. It looks great on belts too!

Emil, Thoeun, David (LA party virgin no more!) and I headed over to the Friars Club of Beverly Hills on Friday (9/15) night to attend the Warning Magazine Official Launch Party. The Friars Club is a pretty swanky place. They had a really cool fish tank built into the wall with all different kinds of bright-colored fishies. I flipped through the premiere issue of Warning Magazine and decided that it sucks. The coverage is low quality and even the pages are flimsy. It resembled a low budget, poorly made high school yearbook/newsletter.

There wasn't an open bar, but the food was plentiful and delicious. We were all full after gobbling slices of pepperoni, vegetarian and bbq chicken pizza, teriyaki chicken, coconut battered shrimp, sate beef skewers, tomato and mozzarella kabobs, peanut chicken skewers, tuna tartar, egg rolls, and meatballs. This place was not shiesty with their food. Even after we were stuffed, the waiters were still offering us more food!

The fashion show, which should've started earlier because we stood around for a good hour and half doing nothing, featured Uber Warning models in Tag Jeans, Uber Vintage Tees, and knitted scarves by an unknown designer who was very pregnant. Nothing stood out.

The fashion, the magazine was all very blah. But at least the food was good!

goodies in the mail

I love getting packages in the mail! Today I got my copy of Isaac's Style Book and the Geluscious reusable gel terry booties and gel gloves I had won from a Coutorture giveaway.

I usually post Coutorture giveaways in the sidebar underneath the Google Ad table. Scroll down and enter your email address to win free goodies. Yes, it's that easy! Right now there isn't a new giveaway, but check back soon because I'm sure once Olympus Fashion Week dies down, there will be stuff to win. You should increase your chances of winning by entering everyday!

Isaac's Style Book is like the Nicole Richie of magazines. It's super thin and the photos are pretty to look at, but the content is rather dull. For the next issue I will be picking up my copy at a boutique instead of paying the $3.25 postage/shipping.

I'm really excited to get my feet nourished and moisturized by the gel booties, but I'm waiting for when my feet has suffered a long day of walking or a night of dancing in heels. I bet they will feel amazing. I can't wait...

abaeté arrives

Back in May I blogged about Abaeté shoes that will be exclusively available at Payless in the fall. Fall has arrived and so have the much anticipated (by me at least) Abaeté collection. None of the colors I had wanted earlier seem to be in stock currently, but I will keep checking online. I'm also going to stop by a few stores to scope out what they look like in person.

outfitting: officially an angeleno

Paul & Joe Short Sleeve Pintuck Shirt:
- $19.99 @ Target
- I love all the features of this top: the rounded collar, the pin-tuck panel and the puff sleeves. These details give the shirt its retro schoolgirl feel. The soft ivory color is feminine and the sheer cotton fabric can be paired with dressier items.
- See Right on Target with Paul & Joe

Mossimo Red Skinny Jeans:
- $19.99 @ Target
- These jeans are well worth their price. They run small, so I had to buy one size up. The stretch in the denim help these jeans feel comfortable and wearable all day long. In fact, I wore this outfit to work and then straight to the party! I like the detailed back pockets that are shaped like tulips and the zippers at the ankles.

Isaac Mizrahi Leopard Valentina Ballerina Flats:
- $29.99 @ Target
- I lost count of all the people who thought these shoes were super cute! They're the perfect animal print item to own because they go well with mono-colored clothing. The grosgrain bow and the wood heels distinguish these from all the other leopard-printed shoes from other designers. You wouldn't believe these cost only $30 because they're extremely well-made.

Vintage Robert Bestién Red Leather Purse w/ Gold Links:
- $1.25 @ Baras Thrift Store
- I found this purse in absolute mint condition. The red leather is shiny, the inner lining is clean and the gold links aren't even faded. There are no signs of wear and tear. The strap is a little too long, but great for wearing across the chest. I did some research and found that Robert Bestién handbags were sold at New York's Henri Bendel during the mid 70's.

During my search for a roommate, I met a really cool gal from Miami. Things didn't work out because she had a puppy she didn't want to leave behind and my apartment building doesn't allow dogs (I'm also not a big fan of dogs or cats or any other furry pets). Earlier this week, she emailed telling me that she had finally found an apartment and a job in LA and wanted to meet up for drinks at a magazine party on Friday. We didn't get to talk much at the party last night since we arrived separately and she was preoccupied with her boss. Nevertheless, I had quite an enjoyable time.

The party was thrown by Angeleno magazine in celebration of their seven year anniversary. It was held at H.D. Buttercup in Culver City, which is quite an unusual setting because H.D. Buttercup is actually a warehouse filled with high-end furniture. Even so, I thought the location was a great place for a party. There were plenty of things to look at and plenty of seats to sit in.

Four bars were set up throughout the warehouse serving Belvedere cocktails. The different drinks were classified under the night's sexy seven themes: passion, desire, flirtation, indulgence, lust, seduction and temptation. I had a lemon drop martini and then a vanilla moon cosmo (white grape juice and vodka). The bartenders were certainly not cheap with the alcohol because both of my drinks were very strong and tasted like cough syrup. The tastiest drink I had that night was the large glass of ginger ale I'm modeling in the picture. Waiters from Adonis passed trays of mini éclairs, chocolate truffles, fresh fruit, cookies and fruit tarts.

I spotted fashion designers Trina Turk (with bright bubblegum pink hair) and Luis Verdad. Also in attendance were: Caroline D'Amore (who played DJ for the night), Kimberly Stewart, Efren Ramirez and Kim Kardashian (Nick Lachey's quickie fling). We were sitting right behind Kimberly Stewart when she was being photographed, so Emil was "discreetly" edging closer so that he would show up in the background. These photos are poor quality, but you can totally tell Emil is in them.

In the sexy seven gift bag: Boscia restorative firming treatment, Pantina lipstick in nude shimmer, Pantina nail lacquer in Paris, Pantina bronzing powder in sun goddess,
$250 off of a $500 purchase at H.D. Buttercup, Jiti Bedding miniature bags, $50 gift card for Unici Gallery, A. Papier 20% coupon, Pulp Factory 25% coupon, the Circle Indie Designer Studio 10% coupon, LAButler.com 7 day concierge service, Blue Tattoo tank, Goody Stayput headbands, $100 gift card for Sama Eyewear, complimentary consultation for Beverly Hills Rejuvenation Center, Guinot self-tanning cream, and a box of Bubble Chocolate.

the roots and dj z-trip at the roxy

MySpace peeps invited me to their MySpace’s The List presents The Roots with DJ Z-Trip special concert at the Roxy last night. Getting in wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Emil and I sort of squeezed our way to the front of the line and were in the Roxy within seconds. The Roxy is a small venue, so the performance did feel very intimate and exclusive.

I’m not much of a Roots fan, but I really liked ?uestlove’s percussion opening (maybe because I played the snare drum in 5th grade). Black Thought, the lead MC, wasn’t engaging but he was sweating profusely and had a crazy look in his eyes.


The best part of the night had to be DJ Z-Trip. His set was totally amazing. The audience was really into his mash-ups. People were bopping to the beat, singing along and urging him to up the bass. Z-Trip’s use of records (no mp3s here!) felt like we were experiencing a genuine old school DJ performance.


On a side note, people who make out during hip hop concerts are freakin’ weird and gross. If you insist on fondling and groping each other, please take it to the back of the room. I’m sure the performers onstage would agree with me that the front row is not the place for you to be fornicating. It’s disgusting and rude!

get isaac's style book free now!

Isaac Mizrahi takes on the magazine business with Isaac’s Style Book.

“Isaac's Style Book has everything you expect from a lifestyle magazine, but here’s how it’s different: Every photograph you see in our pages is unstaged, filled with real people, really getting dressed, really cooking, really performing, and enjoying themselves immensely. No airbrushing in this magazine, no retouched reality. Just people making use of what they have and making mistakes.”

The biannual title can be ordered here for free, but you have to pay for shipping. You can also pick up a copy (while supplies last) at these boutiques.

outfitting: you may now kiss the bride

BCBG Max Azria Dark Camel Plaid Taffeta Bubble Dress:
- $258.00 @ Macy's
- The light and poufy silk taffeta fabric makes this dress truly a party girl dress. I like the silhouette that the bubble hem creates. The dress can be worn as a halter or strapless. The camel plaid print is perfect for fall and is neutral enough to be layered with autumn hues for a warm, cozy fall look. I thought the color and style of this dress was the perfect combo to wear to an end of summer wedding.

Bronze Clutch:
- $1.99 @ Goodwill
- See Cute Outfit Wasted on Lame Party and Swinging in Tara Jarmon

Urban Renewal Ring:
- $1.99 @ Urban Outfitters
- I love the crafty quality of this ring. Its funky design is an eye-catcher. The brown and gold stripes match with this dress perfectly and I think the red sequins ties the entire look together. Plus, red was the wedding's theme color.

Nine West Elirissa Leather and Wood Platform Sandals:
- $29.99 @ Marshalls
- These platform sandals are actually really comfortable because the heel is wide and the sole is slightly padded and curved, so that my feet sort of roll forward in them. I love shoes that give me height without hurting my feet. This pair is a Chloé look-alike, so they would also look great with socks!

Larry's wedding was held in the Santa Monica mountains above Malibu at Calamigos Ranch. Yesterday evening's ceremony was set underneath a large oak tree next to a cascading waterfall. It was fairytale beautiful and happily ever after romantic.

Of course, Larry's bride was gorgeous in her wedding gown. She also has a killer bod, so I'm sure any gown would've still look fab on her. The bridesmaids' dresses were deep red and each dress was slightly different from one another. I loved the bouquets! I think they were made of calla lilies. The bright yellow, with reddish/orange blotches, color of the flowers were a perfect match with the bridesmaids' dresses.

Baby Otis was at the wedding too! He wore cute little baby blue knit shorts and bright red shoes. Omigosh, he was adorable! He was playing hide-n-seek with me! I wanted to gobble him up (is it weird that I keep wanting to eat babies?)! I wish I had taken a picture with him.

I had a wonderful time and am very thankful to have shared in such a joyous occasion. Congrats and great big hugs to both Larry and Carrie!