8.31.2010

all that glitters is gold

Fall Fashion Week Favorites, drawing inspiration from look #3, an Oscar De La Renta gown that Cameron Diaz ended up wearing to the Oscars,

This was the easiest one to interpret- my inner gaudy grandma just loves using gold for sequins, sparkle and a little something special:

action

I never thought an editorial about new traffic laws would give me desk tears, but here I am getting teary eyed and emotionally attached to people I don't know:

You Know Those Scary Drivers Who Scare The Heck Out of You When You're On The Road?

More later today,

-Jac

to the news stand now

fancy at the shore

You can always count on me to post the latest Improv Everywhere mission. I really wanted to participate in this but I was out of town that weekend,

Black Tie Beach


More here

8.30.2010

2010 Emmy Review

I cry, I laugh, I complain, I comment, I cry, I admire, I remember, I cry:  Awards Shows with Jaci.

The 2010 Emmys were fun. Sure the mini series/movie portion dragged on, but that's expected. I think Jimmy Fallon did a great job; I watched the cold open a good 3x thanks to DVR- my favorite moment of the musical act was when Randy Jackson showed up on stage. I love that every now and then Randy J. reminds us of his Journey rock star glory days. He's more than man who wears insanely colorful outfits on American Idol each week.

I've come to terms with the fact that Steve Carell may never win his deserved Emmy. This frame of  mind is a lot easier than the alternate of me getting upset year after year. Speaking of snubs, I was sad that LOST didn't win anything. Many will argue that the season wasn't fantastic- but out of respect for it's genre bending story-telling I think it should have taken home a statue. I was so happy to see GLEE take some trophies, especially Jane Lynch. Conan in the audience was satisfying although an acceptance speech would have been stellar. I'm happy that Mad Men won again. I'll end my brief review by saying, I know I need to watch Modern Family. I'm going to do my best to make that happen.

Now for my Red Carpet favorites, let's run down a quick top 10:

 #10- Betty White, the icy blue 2 piece is flowy and fun- of course Betty, always the sex kitten, kicked it up a notch with red lips


#9- Claire Danes, I enjoy any variation of glimmering gold


#8- Kyra Sedgwick, I think this is so flattering with her complexion and hair. I know some people may say the fabric is a bit too old farty, I like that she contrasted it with long loose waves.  Also take note of her bracelets, they were stacked and colorful. She knew what she needed to do to make the dress more fun.

#7- Lea Michele, her necklace was incredible and the dress had huge impact. We've seen this style in black many times (see Penelope Cruz and Vera Farmiga here) Lea's decision to wear navy blue kept it young and fresh.

#6- Nina Dobrev,  another red carpet WOW from Zuhair Murad, Jennifer Lopez wore him to the MET Gala and took my #1 spot

#5- Jennifer Carpenter, such a knock out dress doesn't need much in terms of hair, makeup and jewelry- she plays it simple and in turn looked stunning


#4- Heather Morris, as noted above with Claire Danes, I love glittery gold. Morris ranks higher for her risk and overall look. I love the waist band and high neckline- bringing a mod vibe to such luxurious material. Heather, who plays ditzy Brittany on Glee, has never looked so glamorous.


#3- Elisabeth Moss, I'm not loving her hair but the rest is dynamite. Nude, draping, decoration- ahh, a bold look done right.


#2 Kim Kardashian, It's a classy take on the grecian goddess. Kim, who spared us her cleavage/legginess for an evening, chose something that still showcased her insane figure. It's sophisticated and unexpected- her hair and makeup were also perfect.

#1 Jayma Mays, Emma Pillsbury my-oh-my! The hair, the makeup, the jewelry and then THE dress. (Which was adorned with an exposed zipper down her back.) Such a long way from cardigans and grosgrain ribbon. The midnight blue and curve clinging cut are sultry- while her retro makeup and hair brighten things up. Ryan Murphy and Jane Lynch weren't the only big winners from the GLEE family last night.
 *all photos from InStyle.com


In mens fashion I loved Neil Patrick Harris' color choice of gray with black contrast. Jimmy's variety of looks were great- of course Elton was his best. Cory Monteith takes a surprising win in my swoon category- Finn looks damn good in a suit.

The show was a perfect appetizer for upcoming tv season- Glee, The Office and Greys all come back soon. I didn't realize how much I missed my old friends until I was reminded of them last night. And Season four of Mad Men is really picking up momentum, it is better and better each week. How adorable did little Sally D. look last night?

I'll leave you with this gem from Perez Hilton. Now that's a party I want to be at.

-Jac

8.26.2010

j'adore #4

So many things I swoon for in my #4 Fashion Week look from Rebecca Taylor: 

a) camel coats are a forever favorite of mine
b) I've been dying to wear a cape and the addition of a cinched waist makes it possible to do so without the tent effect
c) the girly over the top bow adornment.

This inspiration board starts with the camel coat in the top left and transitions to the bow details, I tried to stay within an under $200 limit for this one. If you can resist temptation ShopStyle the look and review pricier styles, there is some amazing stuff out there:

ready to go

How pimpin is Eric? 
He showed up in NY Mag's "Reader Look Book" - peruse it to find street style inspiration or to come across up and comers like this tot.

8.24.2010

embracing online

It's nice to hear about success in this otherwise stagnant financial state,

Nordstrom Links Online Inventory To Real World

It's extra nice when it's about the most customer service oriented department store there is. Just another reason why Nordstroms is THE example in both retail business and practice.

Read the article and be sure to check their revamped website this Saturday- it sounds like they've built their own internal Shop Style and they will feature editorial content including some that is consumer generated.

I mean I love them for merely leaving the register to hand me my shopping bag... this is the cherry on top.

I wanted an answer

I wish this article was shorter, I admit that I started skimming at the half way point:

What Is It About 20 Somethings?

Very relevant to me, consider it your hw for the long-winded blog post about my career path coming later this week.

the good juice

I recognize that Juicy Couture is responsible for the splashing of words on the velour clad buttoxes of women nationwide and I know that many have been offended when subjected to such terror. The brand is fully to blame for the demise of lounge wear in the early millennium.

At the same time, I ask you to forgive them for those sartorial sins for just a minute. Explore these handbags and accessories from the brand, I warn you may have a change of heart:



My watch is Juicy- people are continually surprised when they ask me about it and find that it's from a brand associated with spoiled girls in the "colored rubber bands on their braces" age demographic. I also have an adorable handbag from Juicy; classic in design and rich in color, it negates their stereotype of too trendy and flashy. You may also recall that I'm a fan of their perfume. Trust me- it took a while to move past my initial distaste. Maybe if enough of us embrace their better side they will stop producing things like this: 

A girl can hope,
-Jac

make your way

If you happen to be into d.i.y., crafts and such:
1) I envy you. My shaky hands and habit of 'over doing' make me a terrible artist.
2) you should check out this website, P.S. I Made This, sent my way via the lovely Carly

common denominator

Instead of failing on Joey, Matt LeBlanc should have waited to host "Between The Buns". A show fully dedicated to sandwiches, premiering on the Food Network this fall, I see no one more fit than Mr.Tribbiani to host it. Yes I said Mr. Tribbiani- I'd want LeBlanc in character the whole time.

Like Joey, I love a good sandwich. Most of my work at Cer té has been coming up with interesting sandwiches and sandwich oriented promotions, many of which have been well received.  As my days here come to an end (more on that soon, I promise) I'm starting to reflect on my year and a half of work here. The success from these sandwiches has always been a fun and rewarding aspect of my job. Midtown folks love their sandwiches- heck, everyone loves a good sandwich. I hope the show highlights the spectrum of insane tasty offerings.
(More on Between The Buns and other fall food tv)

My current favorite sandwich is from La Bottega, an Italian gourmet deli that has franchised on Long Island. It's a panini called The Prato: Chicken cutlet, red pepper cheese, roasted onions spicy artichoke sauce and sweet peppers on ciabatta.  I get it on whole wheat, with grilled chicken instead of fried and no onions. It's perfect every time.

Of course, I'm always looking for more sandwich variety in my life, so please do share-what's your favorite sandwich?

Idina, dontcha?

I'm seeing Wicked on Thursday and to get psyched I've been watching and listening to musical theater clips on YouTube (this is in part due to my friend Joe who has been on his own kick.) My down the rabbit hole search led me to this clip of Idina Menzel performing "No Day But Today," from RENT:


Beautiful.

Oh if only I could belt with such skill and talent... the thing about me belting is I THINK I can- but then my Mom and sisters look at my like they want to shove a sock down my throat. This illusion is particularly augmented during American Idol season, while listening to GLEE soundtracks and when I see Broadway shows. Steer clear of my path after Thursday evening to avoid eardrum damage.

also while I'm indulging- let me share this Wicked song, it's the one that gets me the most... we can be sure I'll need a Kleenex to quell my embarassing sobs when I hear it done live (An apology in advance to Munz and LJ, we're going together and they certainly will be embarrassed by me):

Tom Cruise's Cousin

new UCB Comedy video- an apt release, it coincides with the arrival of the full series DVD collection:


Life Beyond LOST: Ethan AdoptsUCBcomedy.com
Watch more comedy videos from the twisted minds of the UCB Theatre at UCBcomedy.com

8.23.2010

Give and Get is Here!

Give and Get is Here!: "Enjoy 30% off from August 26-29 at Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy and we'll donate 5% of what you spend to a non-profit."

*click link for coupon

the ins and outs

The fall fun continues with my F/FW2010 favorite from Oscar de la Renta- chosen for this incredibly decorative jacket,
My instinct was to search current retailers for unique jackets, see some of my selections below:
While these are all stylish, I didn't feel that they satisfied the originality quotient of the selected style; so I headed over to Etsy's vintage department and that's where I think I found items more of the same caliber:








Old or new, I hope you draw inspiration from the styles above and seek outerwear that is a little more outspoken this season!