08.08.2012
Gwen Stefani on the September cover of Harper’s Bazaar!

I love, love, love Gwen Stefani and really, any time she graces the cover of a magazine, I melt a little bit inside.  You can read the full article here and highlights are below.

On her body:

While she is (no pun intended) no doubt proud of her physique, it’s not Gwen’s favorite topic of conversation. “I hate talking about my body [all the time]; it’s ridiculous,” she says, referring to the number of times someone has asked how to get her six-pack abs. “There is no secret: You just have to eat healthy, work out, and torture yourself!” Jumping around onstage for a few hours for thousands of screaming fans is great cardio, and she says she hits the gym when her hectic mother-of-two schedule allows. “But it’s more for my brain than it is for my body.” Not that it’s all about mental health. On how she stays sample-size: “I like to wear clothes too much, so I try to keep focused.”

On her platinum blonde hair:

“Do you think Marilyn Monroe had to talk about this?” she asks, smiling. “Well, I heard she did hers with a Q-tip every 10 days, so I try to follow Marilyn’s rule.” I mention that she’s never been photographed with dark roots, and she points to the houndstooth fedora she is wearing. “And you’ll never see me with roots either.”

On why she’s in it for the music:

“We didn’t even do it because we were trying to make it. Now everybody wants to be famous. It doesn’t even matter what you do,” Gwen says. “Let me tell you how that first record happened: My boyfriend had broken up with me and I was devastated, so I wrote all these songs. I didn’t even know I could write. I was just a girl who was in love with this guy, then suddenly I’m a songwriter, and I’ve gotten you back so good. I went from being nothing, from being an ordinary, nerdy girl, to having power.”

08.06.2012
The Monday Rundown

Pier 1 Tierdrop Glass Vases: I’m loving these silver vases.  They’re super modern and chic.  Enough said.

J. Crew Zigzag Sequin Tee: I literally just tried this top on in J. Crew in size XS.  It fit but didn’t look good…I had the salesperson look up all the size smalls in the LA area and she could only come up with one store, in the valley. Grab this up in your size ASAP before they’re all sold out.  Obsessed.

Belvedere Pink Grapefruit vodka: I love Belvedere vodka and I LOVE grapefruit.  What’s not to like here?

Slatkin & Co. “Suntan” candle: A candle that smells like heaven is super rare and I looooove this summer “suntan” scent.

08.02.2012
Rachel Zoe Launches Debut Jewelry Collection

Rachel Zoe is undoubtably a force in today’s fashion world and she just launched (on Tuesday afternoon!) her first jewelry collection at Neiman Marcus, featuring bold, statement pieces – all of which I’m obsessed with.  My favorites (pictured above)?

Rhinestone Black Quartz Tassle Earrings: They’re very vintage-inspired and I’m a big fan of the gold and black combo.

Long Tassle-End Necklace: SUCH a statement piece.  Enough said.

Green Quartz Drop Earrings: You already know about my jade obsession so it’s no surpirse that I love these earrings.

08.01.2012
Coach ColorTag – you could win a gift card!

I’ve always loved Coach and over the years they’ve done some really fun and innovative campaigns that I can really get behind.  They just launched ColorTag to celebrate their new, colorful, Legacy Collection and are giving away more than 100 gift cards (ranging from $100 to $500) that will appear to my readers at random!

For a chance to win, just share the above on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. (roll your mouse over the green image)– I chose JADE as my color of choice.  Remember, “chic is where you find it.”  Here’s my Jade inspiration:

Kenneth Jay Lane Coral and Jade Cocktail Ring: I love the color combo and who doesn’t love a cocktail statement ring?

Amanda Rudley “Lollies” Emerald Jade Jawbreaker Earrings: These remind me of a pair of clip-on jade earrings that my Grandmother gave me when I was little.  They’re very vintage looking and I love the boldness of the stone.

Coach Leather Legacy Mini Crossbody: I love a bag with a pop of color and crossbody bags are so fun and wearable.

07.16.2012
Sunglasses and Why I Used To Be Obsessed with Wearing Glasses

Weird confession: when I was little, I always wished that I wore glasses.  Yes, it’s true.  (Un?)fortunately for me, I was blessed with better than 20/20 vision (thanks, Dad)!  I remember telling my mom a complete lie in the 3rd grade; I told her that I couldn’t read my books (lies) and that I also couldn’t see the blackboard in class (more lies).  So apparently I was near AND far sighted, according to my 3rd grade-self.  I was quite the little liar but since my mother figured WHAT KID IN THE WORLD actually WANTED to wear glasses, she took me to the eye doctor.  Even being the crafty nine year old that I was, I couldn’t fool the opthamologist and he promptly told my mother that I was one, lying and two, clearly needed more attention.

My mom confronted me and asked her little deviant daughter “Jamie Claire, why did you lie and tell mommy that you couldn’t read your books or see the blackboard at school?  The doctor told me that you could read a sign a mile away!”  My answer?  “MOM, I didn’t mean to lie but I REALLY wanted glasses…they look SO CUTE and all of my friends wear them!”  (Blogger’s note: this is just the beginning of my FOMO issues, just sayin’).

I mean.  My mother’s face at this moment…unforgettable.

Even at 29 (and a half!), I still don’t need glasses but I make up for it with my vast sunglasses collection.  While I might be able to read a street sign 3 blocks away (proven: NYC), my baby blue eyes are super sensitive to light and I honestly can’t be outside unless I’m wearing sunnies (and, of course, SPF on my skin, too!).  I digress.

I went to the Two Point Oh LA blogger picnic on Sunday and was introduced to a fab new website called DITTO.  What I love about this site is customers can try on the glasses (and sunglasses) to see if they fit/look good with 180 degree views before they buy them for the site.  They can even ask for friend reccos (via social media!) and ask a DITTO stylist for their advice, based on their face shape- it’s pure genius, really.  The site sells all of the best brands: Chloe (like my sunnies above), Ray Ban, Elizabeth and James, Jason Wu, Theory, Vera Wang, John Varvatos, etc. so you know you’re getting high quality goods…I mean, I always said that if/when I ever do need real glasses, I’d only go designer. Clearly.

Celebs wearing my Chloe Myrte sunnies:

Rachel Zoe, Lauren Conrad, Naomi Campbell

 

 

 

 

07.13.2012
My Debut On Clevver Style TV!

I had the best time filming a Trend Talk segment for Clevver Style the other day.  In my opinion, there’s really nothing more fun than sitting around with a bunch of cool girls talking fashion and beauty, right?  Make sure you watch my Clevver debut so you can hear us dish on Britney Spears, Demi Lovato (hint: I hated her hair), Victoria and David Beckham and, of course, the man of the hour: Channing Tatum.

You can check out the Trend Talk video HERE and make sure to comment and subscribe to Clevver’s channels and follow them on Twitter.

 

 

07.10.2012
Not Photoshopped with StyleCaster and Feel More Better

When I was asked to be one of the 28 bloggers participating in this Not Photoshopped campaign with Feel More Better and StyleCaster, I was genuinely excited.  We’ve all seen and read the tons and tons of press that photoshopped celebs and models have garnered over the past few years, and with the increasing number of eating disorders, especially among teens, I feel passionate about the cause at heart.  As women, we need to teach our children that there is no perfect woman; Barbie isn’t real, celebrity x doesn’t really have legs that great (unless it’s Gwenyth Paltrow!) and lastly, everyone has what they might consider “flaws” but it’s our flaws that make us unique and beautiful – I truly believe this.  I’ve blogged before about my body and how staying thin is a constant struggle for me…but regardess of weight, at 29, I’ve truly accepted my body shape.  I love the fact that I have curves.  I’m not a 5’11, 100lb. runway model, I’m a 5’6, 135lb. woman.

If you want your own “Not Photo Shopped” tee, you can feel good about your purchase, not only because you’re spreading a good message but also because the company donates a new book to an underprivileged girl for every shirt purchased.  And, if you feel really passionate about the cause, you can also sign the Media and Public Health Act, which aims to pass legislation requiring advertising and editorial that meaningfully change the human through photoshopping or airbrushing to carry “Truth in Advertising” labels.

Update: Here’s the link to the StyleCaster story!

photo credit: Preston