Totally! Awesome! Tubular!

Kate Middleton is turning 30 today and her dear sister Pippa is throwing her an ’80s themed bash! Pip, feeling overwhelmed from all the amazing decor options? From leg warmers to shoulder pads, any 80s party should have certain aspects that will make you and your guests feel like you’ve traveled back in time to the decade of neon, big hair and Billy Idol. As a baby of the ’80s, I think that I’ve compiled a pretty decent list of definite “must-haves” to make a royal ’80s birthday party a totally awesome and bitchin’ occasion!

It’s a little circle of love up in here.

Fashion, at it’s core, is all about constant recreation and re-invention. It’s a continuously evolving way to recreate wearable arts & crafts. Yes, many trends are timeless and never go out of style (I see you, Little Black Dress), but most trends are just re-thought styles of the past.

And right now everyone is re-thinking and re-styling 80s trends and glam rock. Neon is everywhere; you can’t go anywhere without seeing leather leggings; embellished boots have made a kick-ass comeback; and my ultimate favorite, embellished Michael Jackson inspired t-shirts, can make any girl feel like a smooth criminal (OK, so not actually a criminal, but they will make you feel pretty bad ass).

And you can make those bad ass shirts all by yourself! Here’s an easy and money-savvy way to rock the MJ inspired look without breaking the bank!

What You’ll Need:

Old plain t-shirt: You probably have an extra shirt lying around. If not, pick up a pack of plain undershirts at Target or any craft store for just a few bucks!
Tip: Use any color and style shirt you want, but white and black are the most MJ-esque and look the best with added embellishments.

Fabric glue: Find this at any craft store. For best results use fabric glue designed especially for gluing gemstones and other embellishments to fabric.
FYI: If you’re a natural born sewer, this project can be also be done by sewing, eliminating the need for fabric glue. But if you’re like me and end up pricking yourself with needles and therefore stay as far away from them as possible, fabric glue will work just fine.

Silver, Black, and Gold Embellishments: These will be for the shoulder area of your t-shirt. Packs of medium/and large rhinestones, chain, beads, sequin appliques, and other silver embellishments will make your shirt rockglamchic.

2 Fabric patches: Pick up 2 small pieces of fabric (in the same color as the shirt color you’ve chosen) from the same craft store you’re already at for everything else. These will be placed on the shoulders, so you’ll want to grab sizes (or cut your fabric to size) according to how big you want you want your embellished piece to be. You will glue (or sew) your embellishments to these pieces of fabric, which will later be sewn onto the shirt.

Shoulder pads: If you dare….

Needle and Thread: Same thread color as your shirt choice.

What You’ll Do:

1. Wash your shirt first. Nobody likes crafting with dirty clothes!

2. Cut your fabric piece to the right size and shape (I recommend having a friend help trace the size of your shoulder), then glue (or sew) your embellishments onto your two fabric patches in any design or pattern that you want, using your fashion glue. Let dry!

3. Sew (or glue if sewing really isn’t your thang) on your now-embellished fabric pieces onto the shoulders of your t-shirt. If you’re daring and want a true 80s silhouette, this is where you also sew those shoulder pads into the inside of the t-shirt.

4. That was easy as 1-2-3… literally. You’re done! Work it, baby! You can dress up your shirt by tucking it into a skirt or pairing it with leggings and heels, or go casual and wear it with jeans.

So, Express isn’t cheap. That is pretty obvious when you walk in and the hot shirt your eying for your birthday party is marked at $49. But every few months, they have a major sale. And I mean major. The kind that makes you giddy and happy and willing to sift through giant over-stuffed racks because the deals are just. that. good.

You see, Express marks their stuff down to really low prices and then gives you an additional 20% off of that! That is some serious saving on a lot of really cute stuff. It’s a frugal fashionista’s dream. And that dream is coming true right now.

I sifted through the (digital) racks for you and pulled 8 of my favorite pieces. They’re all under $20, so you can stock your closet without that annoying guilt getting in the way.

I love the whole 80′s look of this dress and the bright turquoise will brighten up these dreary fall days.  Belt it and wear some leggings and boots and you’re all set.

This cami is classy, but still fun & trendy with it’s large polka dot print.  And it’s versatile too; it’ll look great with a pencil skirt, jeans or black wide leg slacks.  And for cooler days, pair it with a cardi, boyfriend blazer or a tuxedo jacket for a variety of looks that’ll keep ya warm.

Sure, strappy heels make every outfit look instantly better, but they also make your feet instantly achy. Give your feet a break and your look a little punch with these sparkly gold flats.

You can never have too many leggings in your wardrobe and I love the pretty green of these.

Hats are a super fun way to liven up any outfit (and stay warm!). Not only is this an adorable newsboy style, but the tweed gives it more flair.

Another tank that’ll work (and look) great under fall’s best jacket trends.

This loose, flowy, boho-chic top will look great with a hot necklace and a pair of skinnies, or layered under a great boyfriend blazer for dinner with the girls.

Big, bold accessories add so much to an outfit. Just slip this wavy bangle onto your wrist and your look is instantly complete. And because it’s silver, it will work with just about anything in your wardrobe.

I have a love/hate relationship with Urban Outfitters. I fall madly in love with everything on the racks, but hate how much they charge for shirts, skirts and dresses that usually fall apart after a few go-rounds in the washing machine. But then I fall in love again when those trendy little Urban employees stock the sale racks with all that gorgeous goodness.

The Urban sale section might be one of the only ones I’m willing to elbow, shove and push my way through. They have some of the best deals around on some serious cuteness, much of it $19.99 or less! Here are some of my favorite pieces that are all under $20. The best part: you don’t even have to leave the comfort of your couch or tempt yourself with the rest of the overpriced items en route to the sale section.

This dress will look fantastic with some tights and a skinny belt around the middle. Mix it with an oversized cardi or sweater coat and you’ve got a super cute outfit for a night out.

I. Love. Tunics. They’re big, they’re comfy but they’re also painfully chic. You can pair this one with some leggings, a cozy sweater and some knee boots and look put-together yet totally comfortable for class.

I wouldn’t normally classify a sweatshirt as “cute,” but that all changes with this 80′s-inspired number. The shape and zipper give this comfy go-to an instant update, which gives your going-to-class look an instant lift.

Tights are an essential for fall/winter and colored, textured tights are a great way to brighten up an outfit without going overboard.

Purple and studs are both major trends this season, so this shirt (or dress, depending how you see it) is fashion perfection. Slip this on with some leggings, a pair of ankle boots and a leather jacket. Drool.

The perfectly worn-in tank. It’s super soft and comfy, but also slightly see-through and sexy. And if you feel like venturing out into the cold, it comes in lots of other fun colors in the stores.

While most people can’t really pull off a hat like this, I highly recommend you try. It’s pretty much the only hat I’ve seen that will keep your head warm in the winter while also being totally worth the hat hair.

An over-sized envelope clutch is not only a great way to carry all your goods, this one can really make your ensemble with its teal reptile print.

[Post courtesy of out friends at StyleBakery.com. For more awesome fashion, style and beauty news, check them out!]

Most of us who lived through the ’80s would rather forget the decade of big hair, big shoulder pads and all-around bad style. Well, don’t look now, many of those fashion don’ts are making a comeback – whether you like it or not. Here’s a rundown of some trends on the horizon that should come with a warning label: Wear At Your Own Risk:

Acid-Wash

Whether it’s called Ice Wash, Mineral Wash or Acid Wash, this embarrassing ’80s denim trend is back on fashion’s radar. Wear if you dare, or wait until this trend fades into oblivion, hopefully never to return again. Cheap Monday Tight Ice Wash Jeans, $63 at ssense.com

Ripped Jeans

Celebrities like Katie Holmes and Jessica Alba have been seen recently sporting expertly ripped boyfriend jeans. Denim designers like Current/Elliott and 7 For All Mankind have ripped styles for $200 and up. Our advice? Find an old pair of jeans in your closet and add a few strategic holes yourself – this way, you won’t be upset when the trend disappears by next season. Current/Elliott The Boyfriend jeans, $245 at net-a-porter.com

Harem Pants

Comfy, yes. Flattering, no. Bordering on ridiculous, possibly. The style that MC Hammer made popular is making a comeback for spring. Unless you want to add inches to your thighs, leave this trend on the rack. Pocket Harem Pant, $98 at freepeople.com

Jumpsuits

No doubt intended to simplify dressing by combining your top and bottom, the one-piece jumpsuit is far from a get-dressed no-brainer. Unless you’re a model or a risk-taking fashionista, it’s hard to look good in a jumpsuit. Skip this one-piece revival and opt for the ease of a dress instead. Ipanema, Satin Jumpsuit, $139 at ninewest.com

Boyfriend Jacket

Finally, an ’80s trend we can embrace! Long boxy jackets (thankfully, without the big shoulder pads) are this season’s newest silhouette. Whether you dig up an old jacket from your closet or invest in a new one, push up your sleeves and wear yours with skinny pants until the trend is passé once again.  Topstitched Wool Boyfriend Jacket, $229 at bebe.com

Oh, and I realized that this season of Project Runway is really sort of sucky.

The designers all suck. Most of them are horribly boring (hem hem, Jennifer) and the rest just annoy me. It is sad that the only ones that stand out to me are Suede (who talks in the third person), Blayne (who is neon orange) and Stella (who kills cows and uses their flesh for pants and vests). I used to LOVE the designers on the show and had a clear favorite every season.

This season? Well, I guess I sorta still love Tim Gunn.

Last night’s challenge was to get inspiration from NYC at night, which was just another creative way to incorporate product placement (cool cameras!) into the show. And how perfect was it that Blayne – lover of all things neon (including his skintone) – got dropped off in Times Square? Or that Stella managed to find the one piece of leather in the entire city, so she could take her inspiration from it?

The point of the challenge was to be inspired by NYC…not be inspired by your style during a photo hunt in NYC. (Strike 1,000 against this season’s designers. )

So, the designers take their pictures and return to the work room to make it work. Tim stops by to give a little insight, which, as usual, no one takes. Why, people? Why not listen to the Gunn-Man? He knows what he is talking about! He always does! Anyways, while Tim is in the room Crazy Blayne decides to get all ghetto on his ass (which looks so wrong) and teaches Tim some slang: “Holla at cha boy!” he says (as he waves his arms in the air). Tim makes him repeat it, explain it and repeat it again.

“Holler at your boy!” Tim calls, on his way out.

Tupac and Biggie rolled over in their graves.

It is eventually time for the runway and who could this week’s guest judge be? Which Hollywood fashionista did they get this time? Ooooh, maybe it’s a real famous designer like Marc Jacobs or Stella McCartney. Or maybe it’s Anna Wintour!

Nope, sillies! It’s Sandra Bernhard, DUH. I mean, she is a comedian/actress who has a one woman show touring in the Fall. She is PERFECT. I am sure she knows a ton about fashion, which you can tell by her hair and boxy pant suit she chose for the occasion!

And she did a fantastic time judging. She didn’t mess this one up at all. Kenley’s dress won and it totally should have; it was fun, flirty and would look killer with a pair of 80’s High Top Reeboks.

But the losing designer? Well, these are the notes I took during the show:

God I hope Jennifer loses. She should be designing for my grandma….

WHAT?! NO FU*&ING WAY. OMG. IS THIS FOR REAL? ARE THEY TRYING TO ATTRACT OLD LADIES TO THIS SHOW? WTF? I ACTUALLY LIKED THIS GIRL. WHAT THE HELL? FINE, KEEP THE SNOOZE FEST. KEEP THE LIBRARIAN! THIS SHOW TOTALLY SUCKS THIS SEASON. I HATE YOU PEOPLE.

Yeah, so I wasn’t quite happy with how the show turned out. I would totally boycott if I had something better to do on Wednesday nights.

Ugh. I hope it gets better.

“Hey. I can get you into the Bon Jovi concert at Madison Square Garden tonight if you can get down here in 20 minutes.”

I sat on my futon, Cheerios on my knees, hair tied into a messy bun, body exhausted from a typically exhausting Monday, and considered this offer. Am I a big Bon Jovi fan? Not really. But tickets for this thing were going for thousands of dollars, it’s Madison f*cking Square Garden, and breaking up my nightly pattern of Reality TV watching and cereal eating wouldn’t be such a bad idea. Plus, where else could I wear my acid-washed cutoff mom jeans? (Note: this last sentence is not true.)

After putting on my make-up as fast as I could (and hoping the lights would be in full “80′s glow mode” to keep the rest of my post-work face at bay), I slapped on some clothes and tried to tease my hair as high as it would go (Note: this may not be true). I then pushed past the milieu of yuppies on my block and jumped into a cab.

Once en-route, I chatted with the strangely friendly cabbie about where I was going, and he immediately offered $2,000 for my ticket. After telling him I did not indeed have the ticket on my person, he said he would “pull over at the Garden, park the cab, and get my ticket” with me, and then hand over the cash. I doubted he had $2,000 on him, and I can’t imagine how my friend would have reacted to have seen an old cabbie wearing a drug rug in my seat instead of me, so I politely thanked him, tipped him well, and ran inside.

This story could get mighty long if I continued to narrate the entire adventure, so let’s just list some of things I learned / saw once I was surrounded by Jovi mania:

1) Cutoff jeans are the official Bon Jovi fan summer accessory. Shirts with the arms ripped off are also fashion forward for a Jovi fan, as is platinum blond hair with crazy obvious roots.

2) Being a ticket-taker at the Garden during Jovi mania, and denying a few bedazzled teenagers access to the audience will get you a smackdown that sounds like this, “Whatever! We’ll just do whatever! You probably just want to have sex in your ticket booth or whatever! We’re gonna kick the window in! My dad is a lawyer and if he wasn’t vacationing at the Jersey Shore right now he’d kick your ass! F*ck you, you hate Bon Jovi!!“

3) If you stand in front of a woman with radical blonde highlights who is singing / screaming off-tune with John Bon throughout his entire set, your ears will sting real bad the next morning.

4) A guy who dances and moves his arms around exactly like Bon Jovi is weird, and will reveal his weirdness slowly throughout the night, staring at you with increasing intensity.

5) Jovi, as expected, will wear not only a black leather vest with no shirt underneath, but also a flowing red shirt unbuttoned halfway down his chest for his signature song “Bed of Roses” (a song which has the very earnest line, “With an ironclad fist I wake up and French kiss the morning“)

6) There will be people from all walks of life at this concert, but mostly, there will be people who somehow buried themselves in a time capsule dated “1986″ and left it for the sole purpose of seeing Jovi at Madison Square Garden

7) No matter how cool you think you are, it’s impossible not to throw your arms up and scream the chorus of “Living on a Prayer”

Last time, Heather and the exes tore through the house and stupid Megan finally went home.

Morning: The final four + Heather and Destiney’s hat remain and they all depart for Vegas in a learjet. I forgot that they did the Vegas thing during the first cycle of this show. No shock that they are staying at the Hard Rock. Good thing that everyone’s over 21.

Daisy’s neck tattoos are super prominent today. The girls suite has a table full of presents – what, no stripper pole?

Bret-o-gram – Jessica and Destiney have to change into some golf outfits and meet Bret downstairs. What a boring date.

Heather decides that they need to 80s it up. Seriously? Oh, she’s not serious. Ha. Even she knows that the 80s are out. They look re-f*cking-diculous.

Heather, Daisy and Ambre do what they do best and get wasted. Daisy says that she’s hooked up with Bret like “500 times.” Have you had time to hook up 500 times?

Ambre’s only made out with him. Daisy and Heather talk alone – she says that she doesn’t feel like any of the other girls are competition. She asks Heather who she thinks isn’t right for Bret and Heather says, “I don’t think any of you are.”

Heather and all of her jewerly then talk to Ambre, who admits that of all the girls left,she’d be most worried about Daisy going out on a date with Bret. Daisy’s admitted to being in debt from her boob job! Ha! I love Heather’s advice of taking down Daisy ROCKS.

So evening golf – as I said, they look ridiculous. Destiney is NOT hot, but Bret loves her. No one needs to stretch before golf. Stop it, Destiney.

Jessica is good at golf and, no surprise, Destiney sucks.

Destiney gets annoyed that Jessica keeps doing well and kissing Bret, so Destiney bends over in her skirt to get Bret’s attention again. Good thinking.

So the boring golf date ends, which will be followe by a date with Ambre and Daisy. Daisy’s rude to Destiney when she returns and so Destiney decides that they were probably never friends…yeah. That mind never rests, does it, Destiney?

Ambre is nervous and she’s gonna throw Daisy and her debt carrying tits under the bus. Bret says that he chose AJ’s Steakhouse for dinner because “the girls need some meat.” Oh, shut up.

Bret wants to ask some ex-boyfriend questions because he feels like someone is lying. Bret asks Daisy about living with Charlie – he doesn’t have a job, she does. Daisy doesn’t understand how this issue is not settled. How about because t’s freaking weird and you can’t form coherent reasons for you two to still be living together?

Daisy says that she hasn’t gone out with another guy in two years. But you have one night stands, right? Oh, you dont? Bret doesn’t believe that she could go without sex for two years. And we are in agreement. Why are you crying? Bret’s not yelling at you.

“We’ve been through crazy ass sh*t.” That’s your explanation?

“Well why don’t you tell me what some of that crazy ass sh*t is.” Thank you, Bret.

Daisy says that she was pregnant, had an abortion, and he stayed with her to make sure that she was okay…so that’s heavy. I feel kinda sorry…

Ambre brings up the $ for supporting him, boobs, the apartment.

Shockingly, Daisy makes awesome money dancing. But yet – “I have tons of debt.”

Back in the room, Heather tells Jessica and Destiney that Daisy doesn’t see them as competition. Heather riles up Destiney – which doesn’t take much – are you throwing a tantrum on the pool table? Haaa!! Where did you get that pink cowboy hat? Poison’s 1989 tour? Was that C.C.’s?

Date ends and the girls are all together. Daisy tells them how she had to talk about Charles. Daisy, why is it hard for you to tell everyone about it – like this situation makes sense in any way to someone who is not you?

Did someone tell someone else to STFU?

So Ambre and Destiney are going to make Daisy cry. Don’t mess with Ambre. Jessica is wearing one of Destiney’s hats and just listening to the crazy.

Ohhhhh, Ambre goe OFF on Daisy and I love it. She’s right – oh, Daisy don’t roll your eyes at Heather. What – did she throw a drink in Daisy’s face? Wooooah. I looooove this! This is what I’ve wanted all season!!!

Big John comes in and they are going into Bret’s suite for drinks. He’s got a private black jack table and everyone is too somber to – sorry, I lost track of that thought once I saw that Destiney has rhinestones on her hat.

Daisy tells Destiney to STFU and you don’t tell that to a crazy B*tch. Here we go. I wouldn’t mess with that level of psychotic rhinestoned hat crazy.

Bret calls Big John over to deal with their bullsh*t. Don’t BS to my Big John’s face.

Stop screaming and crying, Daisy. They are weak for believing Heather? You’re life is retarded.

Oh, Bret comes out pissed. He wants to talk to Daisy alone and he’s done. The rest go back to their room.

Stop crying. Time for Daisy to spill it.

She cries on Bret and I can’t believe that he’s falling for the tears. And Daisy reenters the snake pit. But Ambre’s done so I guess it’s bed time.

Next day – Destiney looks better without all of that make up. She looks good first thing in the morning – seriously. She’s worried about pissing off Bret last night. You should be, crazy.

Heather goes into see Bret to talk about the girls. Bret’s concerned about how aggressive Destiney is, he tells Heather that it’s too hard with Heather around to get to really know them from this point. So she’s leaving. What? I don’t think so.

She’s going to get a pass tonight, you watch.

Bret calls in Jessica – his doubt about her is that she’d get hurt in Bret’s world. What? Your world is cowboy hats, beer and tits. She’s actually there for YOU. Deal with it, Bret.

Daisy meets Bret and he doesn’t feel like he knows her whole story. SPILL IT, Daisy. A couple of years ago, Daisy had befriend C.C. – he was calling her? Befriended??? In what way? No physical relationship??? You lie. She’s totally a groupie. That’s no more to her than that. Daisy, what could you have done in your life that Bret Michaels would reject you over? He’s slept with 4389071895 women. Unless you’ve been with 4389071896 guys, I think that you’re fine.

They are going to Body English for eliminations. Was the suite not good enough?

Destiney drops the stupid hat for a fake flower in her hair. Better.

Daisy don’t talk and cry; you cannot do both and blink all at the same time.

He calls Daisy – and are you seriously keeping her? She is spasming – she looks even worse. I cannot believe that he did that. The sex must be amazing.

Ambre gets the second pass. Poor thing – she likes him so much.

Is this process that emotional that everyone needs to cry?

Down to Jessica and Destiney. He fears that Jessica’s young and innocent. Destiney has a quick temper – he fears that she’ll be crazy backstage and cause him to lose fans and deal with a lawsuit.

Don’t get rid of Jessica. Don’t.

Destiney is called down – I hate you, Bret. How could you do that to Jessica or to yourself? Jessica and Ambre were the only ones left who were there for you and NOT dancing and TV and bullshit.

Wow. Amber says, “It’s down to two rocker chicks and Ambre.” More like two groupies, but close enough.

I can’t believe that I’m wrong about Heather making a permanent return. Eh, I don’t count her out.

Next time: they are back at the house and the family comes to visit. And I bet Ambre’s going home next.

Ladies, when we show up to a party or a bar, we want to bring our A game, right?

There’s nothing like strutting in looking and feeling great, and I think the best way to get in the zone is to have a few pre-game rituals to get you going. You know what I’m talkin about. Start the party at home.

#1 Play dress up: You and your roommates will go through 25 different outfits while you’re getting ready anyway. Why not have a fashion show in the process? Dress each other, shop in each other’s closets, just have fun!

#2 Make a Pump-You-Up playlist: Put together all of your favorite girl jams—anything that will get everyone dancing. I always love to throw in some hip-hop, hard rock, and 80’s. Do I smell hairbrush karaoke? Might want to take it for the ride to the party too.

#3 Collaborate: Switch off doing each other’s hair and make-up. You’ll always have fresh looks and new ideas for next weekend. And who doesn’t like getting their hair and make-up done for them??

#4 Crack the bottle: Let’s not get trashed before leaving the house, but it’s always great to meet and greet with the glow of a mini-buzz upon arrival. I like to pick out new drinks every weekend, but if that’s not your thing, a good cosmo never fails.

That’s how I pre-game, but I want some new ideas. How do you pop, lock, and drink it?

On the rare occasion that I am feeling spunky, however, I will work out and take it to the Elliptical, a.k.a the Poor Man’s Treadmill, just like this hottie. But I cannot and will not work out, if I don’t have good music to help me on my sweaty, fat-burning journey. And that music best suited for my JOURNEY? 80′s music. Journey. 80′s music.

The New York Times just featured an article on the effect that certain songs have on us while we exercise, and while it’s not all that exciting or earth-shattering to read that faster songs correspond to a faster heart rate (NO SH*T, really?) it is pretty interesting to see some of the suggestions of songs to add to our playlists, to help pump us up and keep us motivated.

Self.com is a website after my own heart, as the NYTimes article mentions they chose Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go as a workout playlist hit. There is nothing like a good Wham! classic to really get me going. Which got me thinking of one of my personal workout faves which is also from the 80′s, called Baby I’m a Star. It was originally sung by Prince, but in my opinion, The Lil’ Soul Man does it waaay better. Plus, his backup dancers are rocking those shoulder pads, and his wig is amazing.

The article also touches on the fact that the messages behind songs could also provide motivation while working out. For example, the theme from Rocky makes us automatically want to kick ass.

Which, again, got me thinking of other motivational songs which just happen to be from the 80′s, that include Eye of the Tiger, Maniac and Footloose.

So really, if there’s anything to be learned from this NYTimes article, it’s not that we should find inspiration through music in order to become healthier people, or that there’s a certain tempo to look for in these songs in order for them to get our hearts to the proper rate (between 120 and 140 beats-per-minute, or B.P.M.).

It’s really not at all that scientific, and no, New York Times, I will not be adding Don’t Phunk With My Heart to my workout playlist. No thanks. I will listen to 80′s music when (and if) I work out.

Maybe then I will upgrade to the treadmill.