outfitting: gen art's fresh faces in fashion

American Apparel White Tee:
- Free from the Ford Fusion Studio D Tour
- See Go Army!

Wide Black Elastic Belt:
- $0.79 @ Baras Thrift Store
- See Cute Outfit Wasted on Lame Party

Black Taffeta Ruffle Tiered Skirt:
- $7.00 @ Goodwill
- Originally, this skirt was an 80's dress complete with shiny silver fabric. After I washed it, the elasticity of the top part of the dress was lost and the silver of the fabric was rubbed off. It looked horrendous. I didn't want my $7 to go to waste, so I cut off the top and ta-da!, a wonderfully beautiful tiered skirt! The tiered look is very senorita-romantic, but this version is more rocker chick.

Vintage Anne Klein for Calderon Black Patent Leather Clutch:
- $0.25 @ Holy Family Bazaar
- See Yo-ho! Yo-ho! A Pirate's Life For Me, Party to the Xtreme and Donna Graduates

DKNY Black Tights:
- $5.99 @ TJ Maxx
- Black tights are must this season!

Nine West Espadrille Black Peep Toe Wedges:
- $29.99 @ Marshalls
- See Donna Graduates and Team Aniston

Xhilaration Red Plaid Button:
- $2.50 @ Target
- This button is a simple way of adding a bit of plaid to an outfit. Plaid is all the rage this winter, but an overload of plaid is not good for the eyes.

AE Who Loves Ya? Button:
- Part of a packet of buttons @ American Eagle Outfitters
- This is my favorite button of the pack because it's the only one that doesn't have AE logos on it.

Lily Allen Blue and Black Checkered Button:
- Free from "MTV Conference Room Concert Series"
- Lily Allen performed only three songs while she was at the MTV Santa Monica offices. Other artists before her have played at least five songs and were way more engaged with the audience. Lily Allen's sound is all Brit-bubblegum-pop. I rocked her button to Gen Art Fashion event and coincidentally her song "Smile" was played during the runway show.

I was looking forward to attending Gen Art's "Fresh Faces in Fashion" all week and when Friday finally arrived I was not disappointed. The event is to celebrate LA's emerging fashion design talents. For most designers, this would be their first runway show and many designers from the show's past have upgraded to the runways of Smashbox Studios (i.e. Louis Verdad).

The event was held inside the massive Barker Hangar at the Santa Monica airport with an extra long runway, various makeshift cocktail bars and four installations exhibiting the works of four accessories/shoe designers. My favorite display was Hollie Ten's "Le petite écolière." The school room setting felt very girlie, innocent and vintage-inspired. I loved her Chanel No. 5 miniature perfume bottle necklace!

Since there were a total of 8 designers showing on the catwalk, the show was longer than any other fashion show I've attended. The menswear collections all seemed too bold for an average guy. Some of my favorites include the blue plaid dress and the men's vest and pant ensemble by Fremont, all the button details in the garments of Augustine and the periwinkle fabric in a few of Katy Rodriguez's pieces. Even though I wasn't super impressed with the showing, I thought it was rather interesting to see how diverse the collections were from each other despite all the designers being from Los Angeles.

Famous people we saw:
- Reggie! Reggie! (Emil was most excited about this sighting!)
- Macy Gray
- One half of Sister, Sister (I forgot which twin)
- The girl who played Fancy on The Jamie Foxx Show
- Project Runway's Nick Verreos
- A very drunk Surreal Life cast member: Traci Bingham
- Lost's Emile de Ravin

In the gift bag:
- Blackberry Pearl bag (three Blackberry Pearls were given out, but unfortunately I wasn't one of the lucky winners)
- Johnnie Walker t-shirt
- Ecru NY traveling hair care set
- Acura compact
- In:LA mints
- Pommery POP Champagne light-up pen
- Tree Hut Shea Body Butter
- Bawls Guaranexx Drink
- September/October Los Angeles Confidential Magazine
- Audio CD of "Wild Animus"
- Virgin Couture CD sampler
- Sample of Sexy Beast Dog cologne
- "The Rage in Placid Lake" DVD

outfitting: ymi royalty fashion show

Norton McNaughton Button-Up Striped Dress with Pockets:
- $1.50 @ Holy Family Christian Closet
- This is one of my favorite dresses at the moment. It's comfortable and can be thrown on quickly for a casual sophisticated look. I love the pockets and the cuffed sleeves.

White Leather Belt with Gold Chains:
- $1.75 @ Boys and Girls Club of Venice Thrift Store
- I like this belt's military-inspired look and how it cinches my waist. I feel like it's a one-of-a-kind belt because of the three chain drape.

White Patent Leather Clutch:
- $2.00 @ Baras Thrift Store
- When I go out, I don't really like to carry a large purses hence my love for clutches. They're the perfect size to tuck under your arm and have just enough room to fit the bare necessities. This is a fantastic white clutch to match with almost any outfit.

Xhilaration Gold and White Chandelier Earrings:
- @ Target
- The white beads are mod and combined with the gold squares, these earrings are geometric dangles of earlobe fun.

BCBGirls Gold Peep Toe Heels:
- $29.99 @ Marshalls
- See White After Labor Day, Milk Does a Body Good and Party to the Xtreme

I got an invitation to the "Hollywood Style" YMI Jeanswear party at Social Hollywood last night. My usual companions were too lazy to go with me, so I met up with John and his intern, Samantha. Social Hollywood looks like kind of like a warehouse because of its high ceiling and wide space.

The YMI fashion show featured the new Royalty line and was opened by Aaron Carter and his sister (the one that isn't blonde). I'm not really into embellished denim, but some of the stone washes were cool. The runway show closed with the designer and Miss Teen USA waving in the midst of rose petals that were thrown from the second floor onto the people below. After the show Adam 12 from She Wants Revenge deejayed, but the crowd was already dispersing to the front door to grab their goodie bags.

Rex Lee is a big of a party whore as I am because I see him everywhere! Tonya from Real World, Joanie from America's Next Top ModelAmerican Idol were hanging out a few feet from the bar. Birds of a feather, flock together. Samantha was uber excited to see J.Lo's ex, so we snapped a picture with Chris Judd (who looks way better than Marc Anthony):

and Kimberly Caldwell from
In the gift bag:
- YMI Jeanswear denim bags and tank
- Bed Head products
- Too Faced lip plumping gloss
- Izze Sparkling Fruit Juice
- OPI Nail Polish
- Orbit gum
- Jacqua lotion samples
- Splendora handheld purse assistant book

outfitting: museums free-for-all

Paul & Joe Wool Multi-Plaid Poncho:
- $59.99 @ Target
- I was glad that Sunday turned out to be a colder day with some light rain because it finally gave me the opportune time to wear this wool poncho! I like the different colors of the plaid fabric, which can be mixed and matched with tons of stuff. The sleeves can be unbuttoned for a cape look.
- See Right on Target with Paul & Joe

Levi's Boot Cut Stretch Jeans:
- @ Mervyn's
- I've had these jeans forever, so they're pretty worn in. They're stretchy, soft and very comfortable.

Levi's Green Denim Clutch:
- @ Wetseal
- I completely forgot that I had this clutch until I found it amongst other purses I've forgotten about in my big suitcase. Cleaning has its rewards! I love the green color and the Levi's signature durability.

This past Sunday (10/1) marked the second annual "Museums Free-For-All" event. Emil loves going to museums, so we each picked a museum to go to.

Emil's choice was the Autry National Center's Museum of the American West because he took an American West history class awhile back. He really enjoyed learning about Lewis and Clark and cowboys and Indians. The museum was small, but I liked being able to take pictures inside. The gun gallery was pretty neat and the Yosemite exhibit had gorgeous photographs and paintings.

I chose to go to LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) because I wanted to check out the "Breaking the Mode: Contemporary Fashion from the Permanent Collection" exhibit. I thoroughly enjoyed this exhibit, but it sucked that I wasn't allowed to take pictures. My favorites were vintage dresses from Karl Lagerfeld and Jean-Paul Gaultier. Emil thought that the jacket that was made to look like a Japanese futon (comforter) was pretty interesting. We were both surprised to see the ridiculously tiny waistline of a corset from the 1400s, which inspired Vivienne Westwood in the 80s.

outfitting: white after labor day

Free People Lurex Stripe Gauze Athena Embellished Dress in Ecru:
- $30.00 @ T.J. Maxx
- I like this dress because it has a lot of details including the hem that's trimmed with duchesse lace and the wood and milk glass beads embellished on the crocheted neck line. The dress is light and sheer, so the built in slip definitely helps a lot. And now I don't have to get a slip for my other very thin/sheer dresses. The dress definitely feels very Greek-like with its gold stripes. For a more casual look, the dress can be paired with gladiator sandals or my Jennifer Swii Greek lace-up sandals.

BP Nordstrom Lace Chain with Wooden Heart Earrings:
- $10.00 @ Nordstrom
- See San Diego County Fair

Beaded Ivory Clutch:
- $2.00 @ Baras Thrift Store
- There was an accompanying compact mirror I found in the clutch, which was such a surprise. All the beading is still intact even though the lining has rust marks from the mirror. The clutch feels very fancy and feminine.

Handmade Bracelets with Wood Beads:
- Gift from Di Hai
- Di Hai gave us a bunch of these bracelets from Vietnam. I like that they are adjustable.

BCBGirls Gold Peep Toe Heels:
- $29.99 @ Marshalls
- See Milk Does a Body Good and Party to the Xtreme

Liz, Sweta, Alex and I dressed up in all white to attend the St. Tropez-style nightclub party at the Friars Club of Beverly Hills hosted by Le Carre d'As on Saturday night (9/30). The invitation was in French and it said something about celebrating the musical producer work of a French ladies' man. I thought it was a rather strange and random invite, but what the hell....


Highlights of the night:

- The must wear white policy was broken by many, many people. I don't think the bouncer's stern "You must wear white next time, I am serious!" warning was very effective. Maybe it was the French accent.

- European folks use their entire body while dancing.

- They also like to dance on stilts.

- I didn't get to bring "Sexy Back."

- Men should always wear undershirts, especially if they are wearing sheer white shirts.

- Old men who try to hit on girls half their age are just gross.

- It is NEVER okay for a girl to be crying her eyes out over a lost compact and lip gloss. And stop using ghetto people as your scapegoats!

- I was flattered, but taking pictures of people you don't know is kind of creepy.

- Lingerie is reserved for the bedroom unless you are a super model.

- Sweta should've worn booty shorts.

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!

outfitting: cute outfit wasted on lame party

Button-up Striped Dress:
- $1 @ Holy Family Christian Closet
- This dress was one of the first items I bought at the Christian Closet and ever since then I've been hooked. Every time I wear this dress, I get a lot of compliments. It fits extremely well and accentuates all the right curves. The dress actually comes with a matching belt, but I like to wear it with different belts each time.
- See Purple People Eater

Wide Black Elastic Belt:
- $0.79 @ Baras Thrift Store
- You may have noticed that I own tons of belts. When it comes to belts, the more the merrier! This belt could cost me up to $30 elsewhere, so for less than a dollar I had to have it. I like the gold/silver hook buckle and how the belt has plenty of stretch.

Goody Black Headband:
- @ Target
- I think headbands are a princessy accessory because almost all of the Disney princesses wear one! They're the quick solution to top off your styled hairdo whether you decide to wear your locks up or down.

H&M Metal Bangles:
- @ H&M
- See Swinging in Tara Jarmon and Playing with Bits of Gold

Bronze Clutch:
- $1.99 @ Goodwill
- See Swinging in Tara Jarmon

Liz, Thoeun and I went out to Element to celebrate the birthday of Sujit from Skam Artist last night. It sucked big time! Last year, his party was at Prey. It was exclusive, sophisticated and had an open bar. This year it was annoyingly crowded (because it was open to the public), tacky and drinks weren't free. Things only got worse when I forgot to close my tab and the shithead of a bouncer refused to let me back into the club to close it or even have someone close it for me and bring me my driver license and credit card. He was rude and unreasonable. I hope he gets an STD, if he doesn't already have one. And if he does, I hope he contracts them all! EAT SHIT AND DIE!!!

the blonde plastic bombshell

Amy has a devout and very odd obsession with the #1 transsexual in the world, Amanda Lepore. Yeah, I can't believe Amy's related to me either.

When I found out that Kid Robot had just launched tiny toy versions of each of the Heatherette superstars, I knew I had to get Amy her very own Amanda Lepore.

I think the real life Amanda Lepore is scary, but this doll is fabulously cute and such a knockout hottie! I want to get a Heatherette-bot too! Hopefully they're not all gone the next time I visit Kid Robot.

the roof ain't the only thing on fire

To celebrate the upcoming Emmy Awards, GQ Magazine and Guess threw a party (sponsored by Bacardi, Coca-Cola Blak, Helio, Kodak, Budweiser, Trident and Treasure Island) on the roof of the Peterson Car Museum (infamous locale where Biggie was shot). The highlight of the party was definitely the featured performance by Lupe Fiasco. Coming in a close second was the ultra cool view from atop the roof; hence the party's name "Roof is on Fire."

Emil, Thoeun and I were right up front during Lupe's entire half hour concert. His performance was charismatic and solid, but I can tell he was struggling to get crowd response. The audience consisted mostly of folks that probably were there for the free booze rather than to see a rapper. Lupe closed his set with "Kick Push," which finally got the crowd singing and dancing along.

I had a delicious watermelon cosmo and tried a Coke Black (coke effervescence with coffee essence) that had a weird, unexplainable taste. The fries in paper cones tasted really good for some odd reason. There was also chicken quesadillas and miniature nacho cups. Bowls of bread and piles of gum packets were placed at the center of each of the tables.

The Helio room was starch white with glowing blue lights and the Guess room was decked out in denim covered couches and pillows.

Celeb sightings:

- DJ Kid Millionaire (Steve Aoki) was the night's dee jay.

- Travis Barker rolled in with his entourage and Jermaine Dupri

- Omarion and Marques Houston arriving separately

- All three of the Hills girls: LC, Heidi, and Whitney

- LC's ex Jason

- Shawn Wayans

- Derek Luke

- The Lakers' Brian Cook, who Emil pointed out to us

- We shared the elevator going up with Caroline D'Amore and her girlfriends

- Perez Hilton chatting with the aforementioned party gal

- Blu Cantrell

outfitting: good vibes surround aura

Tramp Flower Print Button-Up Shirtdress:
- $16.99 @ Marshalls
- This dress shrank a bit in the dryer, so I paired it with leggings. I like the simple, black rose print. The puff sleeves are cute and the button-up dress style is flattering on gals with wide hips (i.e. me). I wore red heels with this outfit because I think it's an understated way of adding a touch of color to an otherwise black and white outfit.

Express Black Leggings:
- @ Express
- See For You Blue

Black Patent Leather Belt:
- $0.79 @ Baras Thrift Store
- See Party to the Xtreme and Stoked at the Delfina

Red Stuart Weitzman for Mr. Seymour Heels:
- $5.50 @ National Council of Jewish Women Thrift Store
- See Birthday Dinner and Painting the Town Red

After work, I picked up Emil and we headed over to Santa Monica to attend a cocktail party for the grand opening of Aura. Aura is a stylish new boutique that carries designers like Zac Posen, Erin Fetherston, and Peter Som. The boutique's exterior is vacant of a store sign or awning, but inside the store is decorated with art from the Peter Fetterman Gallery complete with a modern/mid-century living room-like space in the center of it all. The party was hosted by Aura's owner, Kristin T. Eberts, and Amy Smart. Shiri Appleby was also there in a like Zac Posen black cocktail dress. She was running around taking pictures with her digital camera with her parents in tow.

We sipped on lychee and peach martinis, bellinis, and glasses of white wine and snacked on mini cheeseburgers, mini caesar salad cups, and goat cheese with nuts and grapes. The boutique was pretty small, so behind the store there was a small tent area set up for guests.

My favorite dress in the store was a doll-like black dress with pink heart-shaped buttons from Erin Fetherston.

death cab for cutie at the greek

My co-worker's friend got a pair of free tickets to the Death Cab for Cutie concert tonight at the Greek from one of her clients, but she fell ill and gave the tickets to me! Woo hoo (not her getting sick, but me getting to see Death Cab)!


Seeing Death Cab at the Greek was a really cool experience. The Greek is an outdoor venue, so it was a bit chilly but being in Griffith Park beneath the stars, tucked between the trees and listening to Death Cab was quite a treat. Death Cab sounded great live. They performed their songs in an upbeat tempo. They totally rocked out! People were out of their seats dancing along. They were successful in transforming their intimate, low-key sound to fit the large stadium proportions.


Working for MTV has spoiled me. I usually get to see performances from the pit, so I thought the seats were extremely far. I could barely see the band. I still enjoyed the show despite the distance. I thought the set lighting and stage background were gorgeous.

We (me and my roomie) missed Mates of State, but caught the tail end of Spoon.

outfitting: yo-ho! yo-ho! a pirate's life for me

Paul & Joe Berry Twist-Front Dress:
- $24.99 @ Target
- This dress looks way better in the ads than in person. The red is not as bright, the length is not as short, and the first dress I tried on had deformed bra inserts. I got the dress anyway because it had potential. With the right accessories, this dress can be a summer treat and in the winter it can be layered with a chunky turtleneck and tights. I do like the dress' empire bodice cinching feature and the jersey fabric is very comfortable.

Skull Print Scarf:
- $6.99 @ TJ Maxx
- Not exactly Alexander McQueen, but this scarf served its purpose. Arrgggh! I'm going to give one of my handbags an update by tying this scarf to it.

Ellemenno Multi-Chain Skulls & Hearts Necklace:
- @ Mervyn's
- The skull and heart charms on this necklace are really cute, but the chain of three strands often gets tangled and is really annoying to fix.

Vintage Anne Klein for Calderon Black Patent Leather Clutch:
- $0.25 @ Holy Family Bazaar
- See Party to the Xtreme and Donna Graduates

Sweta turns one year younger - pirate style baby! Yah! And look how freakin' sexy and booty-ful she looks! Seriously there's a picture where she is totally making love to the camera... check it out!

Drunk girls wearing tube tops should NEVER ride the Saddle Ranch bull. I'd prefer NOT to see your large, saggy breasts!!! Although, it was pretty funny! The entire time I was thinking, "Where are her friends? Do they hate her that much?"

outfitting: milk does a body good

A&F Tie-Back Cami:
- @ Abercrombie & Fitch
- This cami is one of my favorites because of the doily embroidered details and the babydoll cut. I love to pair it with different belts. I also really like this dark, rich teal color.

Purple Leather Belt w/ Gold Buckle:
- $0.79 @ Baras Thrift Store
- The color purple will be huge this season. The purple paired with gold makes for a regal color combination. I think the belt can work for both day and evening looks.

Loop NYC Straw Maryanne Clutch:
- $3.00 @ Marshalls
- See Easter Sunday

Marciano Grape Cordial Shorts:
- $19.47@ Guess
- I still cannot believe I bought these shorts for less than $20! Love’em!

BCBGirls Gold Peep Toe Heels:
- $29.99 @ Marshalls
- See Party to the Xtreme

Peacock Feather Earrings:
- I don’t remember where I bought these earrings. The Forever 21 in SF perhaps?
- I love the vibrant colors of the peacock’s feathers. They shades are bold and vibrant. And these earrings are literally light as feathers!

Lucky Magazine threw a party to celebrate their September issue and LA Shopping Guide last night at Milk boutique. I’m a shopaholic (duh!), so shopping parties are right up my alley.

Milk is a cozy, but spacious boutique filled with the most fashion-forward dresses and separates. The décor is vintage-inspired with clothes spilling out of suitcases and trunks and pairs of shoes sit atop piles of old books. One of the shop’s walls is the map of Cuba circa 1930 and another wall has a giant quote from R. Somerset Vaughn printed on it. The shelves are decorated with empty milk bottles and a park bench is set at the front window.

The party was brimmed with cutely-dressed gals, most with wine glass in hand and munching on brownie bites and miniature cookies. I’m not really a sweets person, but the brownies were yummy! Celeb sighting: Michelle Trachtenberg (her skin reminds me of milk, how fitting!), Zooey Deschanel (in her usual black tights/black shoes), Elizabeth Banks, Jeri Ryan, Shiva Rose McDermott, Shiri Appleby and Caroline D’Amore. I thought it was odd that Lucky's September cover girl, Eva Mendes wasn’t at the event. Perhaps she is somewhere promoting her new movie. The party ended early with gift bags being passed out by eight and the red carpet broken down shortly after. In the gift bag: a very large orange Lucky tote bag, September issue of Lucky Magazine, Lotus Green Tea Pomegranate lip balm, and Stephanie Johnson Sanibel Starfish zip pouches (3).

I fell in love with an Aquascutum dress, but its price tag was way out of my league.

outfitting: sd street scene day two

Xhilaration Sheer Purple Polka Dot Cami:
- $14.99 @ Target
- This is a great summer cami because it's sheer, light, and airy. I'm glad I had worn it on such a hot, sunny day. (I should've worn comfortable shoes with support though. Silly me for not thinking about my poor feet!)

A&F White Bermuda Shorts:
- $39.50 @ Abercrombie & Fitch
- See Casual Saturday

I was hoping to catch more performances on the first day of Street Scene, but it took us five hours (!!!) to get from LA to San Diego! Things got worse when Ashley got pulled over for making a left turn on a one-way street in downtown because a) I told her to and b) I thought Street Scene was at the Gaslamp Quarter. The cop let us go with a warning to be more careful and directions to Qualcomm, where Street Scene actually was taking place. It was an equally hilarious and embarrassing experience.

By the time we got to the stadium parking lot it was pretty late. The folks at the front didn’t give me a media/photo pass, but they let me and Megan inside to catch the last acts. Social Distortion’s set was really good. Mike Ness sounds awesome live! Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for Kanye West. His arrogance was obnoxiously obvious when he stopped the music to complain about the new lighting guy. Then later, in the middle of his verse, he stopped the music to proclaim that he had messed up the line. How lame can you be Kanye? Even American Idol wannabes know never to point out your mistakes! There was also a good five minutes (or was it ten? ‘cause it sure felt like it!), where he was nowhere on the stage and his band was playing random songs that weren’t even his songs!

Day two of Street Scene was an immensely better experience for me. I got a media/photo pass this time around and was able to hang out in the pit for the first three songs of each act. I managed to photograph most of the performers despite the expansive journey from one stage to the next. In between my treks, Megan and I stopped by the Myspace tent to get pictures with some of the bands. I’m so glad that I brought Megan because she’s actually a big fan of the bands and she lugged around the huge camera bag for me! I think it’s a pretty fair trade off … Haha!

Some of my favorites:


Editors’ lead singer/guitarist, Tom Smith, has a uniquely deep, intense voice that’s sexy in a brooding, mysterious way. His performance, albeit very fidgety, is swoon-worthy. They’re songs are hauntingly beautiful and watching them perform made it that much more convincing. I really enjoyed their performance. The guys were also super nice and friendly at the Myspace tent. I’m totally hooked! I must have their album.



The Futureheads rocked! But I wasn’t expecting anything less from an OC Mix band. They’re vocal harmonies were quite impressive live (everyone in the band sings!), especially with their English accents! I love their songs because they’re full of energy and urgency. This made for a very exciting performance to watch.



Charlotte of the Subways was adorable, even if she was jumping around like a manic monkey!



Karen O was stellar per usual. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ latest album is way underrated. It’s freakin’ genius!



Snoop lit and smoked a blunt onstage. Classic. I was a bit annoyed that he was at least half an hour late though.

Others I saw:

- Bloc Party
- The Shins
- Tapes N' Tapes (The lead singer was sporting a Futureheads T-shirt.)
- Donavon Frankenreiter (He seemed like a really chill guy when I met him at the Myspace tent.)
- New York Dolls (Why is that man … I mean girl… I mean man/girl soooo scary?)
- Mew
- Tool (I actually heard them from afar while waiting for Emil to pick us up. We were smart enough to stay far, far way from the madness.)

***ALL PHOTOS BY CHRISSY L. NGUYEN****