"This worries me...."

Well, it took an entire season but after going home with the top 3 designers – Meana Irina, Giggles Hannah and Hometown Althea –  I think I’m finally invested in Project Runway. Though that might have nothing to do with what the girls are actually working on and more to do with watching Tim Gunn first in a flowery apron and then trying to work that old elevator in Althea’s building. Seriously, seeing the fear in his eyes as he stepped into that death-trap really made all the time I invested in this season worth it.

I mean, really, who says, “Gads!”?

Those Lifetime people really shoveled a lot of sh*t into last night’s one-hour episode. First Tim goes home to check in on the contestants, then the contestants come to New York, then they get feedback from Tim AND Nina AND Michael AND Heidi, then they do a model casting, then they get assigned a 13^th look and then Carol Hannah gets stuck with Christopher. Oh, and she’s barfy.

Whew. I get tired just thinking about it all. But I’m also super excited by everyone’s collections – yes, even Irina. But that might only be because I think her dog is super cute and I’m like a puddle of goo in the face of a little white fluff ball. Although I do think her whole t-shirt-under-something-chic idea rocks (even if I did do a fist-pump of joy when Tim made her re-do them all). What can I say? The girl’s got just as much talent as ‘tude. And that’s a lot.

Althea’s collection is a little different than I expected of her (did anyone expect her to go home and watch a lot of Sci-fi??), but I still sorta dig it. And I don’t care what Tim thinks about that sequined jacket-y thing; Althea made that a year ago and sequins are all the rage now. Either she can see into the future or homegirl is a fashion genius. Read More »

Much like my relationship with pie (love the pie…hate the 3 hours I spend in the gym after eating it), I am experiencing a bit of a love/hate with Irina. On the one hand, she’s a Jew (and a proud one, flaunting it in all its blingin’ glory) and we Jews gotta stick together. If we don’t support our own people, who will?

And homegirl sure knows how to make a faux fur vest. That thing was gorgeous. Although I might be biased considering it was a blustery 38 degrees and rainy when I got home last night. But, still, I wanted to make Irina my new BFF and cozy up inside that vest until April. Or, in the Midwest, July.

But, and there’s always a but, Irina is a big, fat bitch. She’s arrogant, she’s mean, she’s judgmental….and just like 40% of the girls in my high school. The girls I gave the finger to as I pulled out of the parking lot that last day and swore never to see again. The girls who pretend to be confident only to cover up some raging insecurity. Perhaps Irina hates the annoying way she talks? Or she was on the flag team in high school and never got over it?

I don’t know, but she’s a cold-hearted snake.

Although, I guess you can’t totally fault this girl for the things she says. She’s kinda like Kanye (minus the whole Hennessey thing); she is simply saying what everyone else is thinking. And maybe if she was a bit wittier in her insults (a la Michael Kors) we wouldn’t care who she was talking smack about.

And we all know there is plenty of smack to be talked with some of these designers. Read More »

After the judges decided to boot Ra’mon (the most talented designer on the show) last week, I really wanted to boycott Project Runway. There is so much other great TV on Thursday nights (Ace of Cakes, The Office, Community) that I didn’t feel the need to watch the same show that had turned its back on me the week before.

Also, I was invited out to the bar for some tasty drink specials. Clearly $1 beers would trump anything, even if Ra’Mon was still around.

So I went out for some drinks…and then came home to see what shenanigans the Project Runway designers would get involved in this week. And let me say – watching the show buzzed is truly the only way to go. I was wearing beer goggles and everything was just so much better!

The challenge was to design a look for I.N.C., a Macy’s brand. The designs had to be in blue and the designers had to work in teams.

As usual, the designers had to send their models to the Garnier hair studio and the L’Oreal Paris makeup room, and to use accessories from the Macy’s accessory wall which had been stocked with I.N.C. shoes.

I don’t know about you, but it seems like maybe these companies are paying to have their brands on the show. Could it be??

Anyways, the designers worked and sewed and bitched about their teammates. Epperson and Chris had a designer love affair in the back (which clearly blinded them to what the h-e-double hockey sticks they were doing), Nikolas whined about ruffles in the front, and Irena talked. A lot. Homegirl might be a good designer, but her voice is like nails on a mother effing chalkboard. She just needs to stop. Read More »

So, yesterday was a bad day. A very bad day.

My dog was put to sleep.

I had a feeling the time was coming – my little Bichon was 15 years old – but hearing my mother tell me that my childhood pet was gone was shockingly painful. And unfortunately for me, none of the hundreds of people that I saw as I walked from the library to my apartment could hear what was happening on the other side of the call…and only saw me sobbing/wiping snot from my face with the palm of my hand.

When I finally did make it home, I was numb. People were calling to check in on me, offering to take me out. I really wanted nothing more than to sit on my couch and cry into a box of tissues, but then I realized I only had paper towel and after a few rounds of sobs into that sand paper, I realized I needed to get out of the house. I needed to distract myself and the only thing that could do that was TV. Reality TV. Project Runway.

So, I met up with a friend for martinis and some quality PRW. I knew that Tim Gunn, Heidi Klum and Epperson could cheer me up, or at least keep my (now hazy, thank you martini!) mind off of things.

Yeah right. Fast forward 53 minutes to judgment time and I’m sobbing once again.

Last night’s challenge was to design a costume for a Hollywood film. (And, obviously, that weird L’Oreal Paris guy was there to pimp his makeup.) The designers had to choose from a few different film genres and create a character, a story and a look within that genre. Tim pulled names out of that little velour (of course he’d have velour!) bag of his, which decided what order designers could pick their genre.

One by one the genres were nabbed up. Last to be picked: Western. It was like the fat kid on the kickball team at recess. (Read: me.) Poor Western, no one wanted it. But it got its vindication later when both Shirin and Epperson created some kickass costumes. Read More »

Upon receiving my September Vogue, I settled in with my 587-page magazine to read about the excitement of the fall fashion world.  The only problem being that the magazine’s actual writing doesn’t begin until page 207 (no joke).  Luckily, the beautiful ads for Oscar de la Renta, David Yurman and Diane von Furstenberg are more exciting than words could have described.

Oh, if only I could gather the courage to rob a bank. Sigh.

Luckily there were also some ads for the fall’s amazing new perfumes that don’t require me to go all Dark Knight on a neighborhood bank!  No, they aren’t exceptionally cheap, but they are from great designers and smell wonderful. And they last forever, so they really aren’t that expensive in the long run. Besides, it’s about time I accept the reality that it’s nearly fall and put away my “Instant Vacation” perfume.

The new fall scents below are so delicious (and their bottles so adorable!) that the transition into fall will be an easy one. You might even start counting down to it.

Marc Jacobs – Lola: Marc Jacob’s Daisy perfume bottle is so pretty it almost doesn’t matter what delicious scent is inside, and the same can be said for his new perfume, Lola.  At first I thought it was a bit over-the-top, but on the right girl it can be simply lovely.  The notes include pear, grapefruit, rose, fuchsia, and geranium.  Right now it is exclusive to Bloomingdales, and is between $65 and $85.  It smells so good and will look so pretty on my dresser that I’m considering the hour-long drive to my nearest Bloomies. Read More »

OMFG.

Project Runway is finally coming back tomorrow night. They’ve kept us waiting for-freaking-ever and now it’s all coming back in a MAJOR way.

…with a few slight changes.

The show will still have supermodel Heidi Klum, fashion designer Michael Kors, and Elle fashion director Nina Garcia returning as judges, as well as the additional guest judge each episode. But after five seasons in pedestrian-friendly New York, the hit reality competition for aspiring fashion designers has moved to both a new city, car-jammed Los Angeles at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, and a new network, Lifetime. And now that the lawsuits between the Weinstein Company, NBC Universal (owner of Bravo), and Lifetime are thankfully over, we can enjoy our fashion porn in peace once again.

Like most, I was a little peeved when PR left Bravo, but the new star-studded L.A. setting has provided some amazing new opportunities: major guest judges such as Christina Aguilera, Eva Longoria Parker, Rebecca Romijn, and Lindsay Lohan and some fresh inspirations for new challenges. As Michael Kors has hinted, ”L.A. can be the most laid-back and the most glamorous. It’s the land of bikinis and gowns.” As such, this season the designers will take on challenges centered on the beach and the red carpet, and also create garments as a tribute to movies and Hollywood.

I am still not quite over the fact that I have to watch Lifetime (the same network my mom boasts as her fav), but I gotta say: I’m really excited to see what this new season has to offer. Read More »

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

This year, full skirts were seen on the runways of designers like Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, and Jason Wu. A full skirt will be a great investment this spring, since they can be worn throughout the summer and during fall. Feminine and sophisticated, this look is a great way to update your style to something more grown-up. Wear it to one of the many grad parties you’re going to have to attend in the upcoming months, or to the office for your summer internship!

Here are a few tips to keep in mind while rocking this look:

- Pick the best length for you: if you’re petite, a high-waisted style that hits above the knee works best. If you’re taller, pick a skirt that hits at or right below the knee. Any longer and you will look like you’re from the 1950s!

- Pair a full skirt with a slim-fitting top. For a more polished look, tuck it in.

- Heels always look better with skirts! But if you’re trying to pair it down a little, matching flat sandals can work.

Check out these cute options for full skirts: Read More »

They say April showers bring May flowers – so while we’re waiting for those flowers to bloom and for summer to mosey its long lazy days our way, why not have some rainy springtime fun? I know it sucks when it rains and you have to trek across campus with fingers crossed that your hair won’t frizz, but with these latest styles, at least you can put a little spring in your step. Read More »

Summer is just around the corner!

Err, well, kind of, anyway; it turns out that being home for summer vacation does not mean that it’s actually summer weather.  So, unfortunately I am not sitting on a beach (I tried, but the wind was cold and my leg hair grew back in 4 seconds) and went on a hunt to find fragrances that remind me of the beach (and that have super cute summery bottles!) instead.

So take a timeout from your finals, put on a bikini and spray one of these summertime fragrances. It won’t make the 80 degree days come any sooner, but you’ll smell so good you just won’t care.

Lilly Pulitzer Beachy: Nothing screams summer to me more than a Lilly dress, and the perfume is the same way.  It comes in an adorable bottle and includes scents of watermelon, citrus, and flowers. This scent will really take you from late-night-in-the-library to iced-tea-with-sand-between-your-toes in just one little spritz.

Mark (by Avon) Instant Vacation Costa Rica: This fragrance is worth more than its $16!  Its tropical fruit aromas can easily make you feel relaxed and take you away from your finals. In fact, this may be the exact thing to throw into that bag before heading off to the ‘brary for another all-nighter.

Michael Kors Fiji: Michael Kors has four summer island scents; Fiji, Hawaii, Bermuda, and Capri, but Fiji seems to be the best rated.  Fiji has scents of waterfalls, birch wood, mangos, and kiwis. A cheap “trip” to Fiji? Thank you, Mr. Kors! Read More »

Growing up on the East Coast, my friends and I were always unbelievably anxious to shed our winter puffies and throw on the denim shorts that were always too short for school (and for walking around, and going out at night, and everything, really…). We believed that once the temperature hit 45 degrees, it was time to swap boots for flip-flops and turtlenecks for tanks. Unfortunately, we ended up looking a bit foolish walking through the halls as if we were leaving that day for Spring Break.

When I moved to New England for college, and endured winters ten times more horrific than those in New Jersey (yes, that’s where I’m from, no laughs please), I began to learn how to transition from winter to spring more tactfully. Keep these things in mind and you’ll never look like beach Barbie when the flowers are still blooming. Read More »