MANIAMANIA

If you are anything like me, just the thought of wearing anything mass produced could induce unattractive hives. Nothing is as much an instant buzz kill as coming across someone sporting the exact same thing as you. However, these days unless you sketch and design you're own clothing, jewelry, accessories, etc., then being an individual can be quite difficult. It all comes down to the styling.

When time is of the essence, the easiest way to change the look of your outfit is by switching up your accessories. Introducing, MANIAMANIA, a jewelry label by Melanie Kamsler and Tamila Purvis. MANIAMANIA produces exquisite cuffs, rings, necklaces, earrings, and more made out of natural materials. Their pieces will be the perfect addition to your "where does she find this stuff" collection.

My favorites:






STALACTITE cuff

 


INITIATON necklace

 


LABYRINTH tri-ring

  



Crave more? Shop the full collection here and check out the film for their second collection, Dust, below.

Jimmy Choo and the Ugg Boot




Jimmy Choo for Ugg Australia

 
While women worldwide are no doubt (and with good reason) simultaneously shoving their Ugg boots to the never seen desolate corner at the back of their closets, founder and CCO of Jimmy Choo, Tamara Mellon, has decided to do a capsule collection in collaboration with Ugg Australia.

Tamara, through the brand Jimmy Choo, has an undeniable reputation for adorning women worldwide with incredibly designed bags, shoes, and boots. Because of this, it comes as a huge surprise that this collab has come to fruition.  At least we finally know what the merge of an Ugg and Choo would look like... basically, an overpriced Ugg boot with jeweled embellishment. This might has been a collaboration Tamara should have steered clear of.  

Judge for yourself here...

...it's the SOMB

Shopping for fun is great, but shopping for a cause is 10x better. There is nothing more apt to convince a savvy shopper to spend more than when a donation of the proceeds goes to a deserving charity. When I find fantastic sites that offer amazing fashions for an even better cause I feel it my duty to pass the info along to all of you. Shirt Off My Back, or SOMB, gives you the opportunity to donate a school uniform to a student in Africa with every t-shirt, sweatshirt, or pair of pants you buy. Their mission: "...to ensure that children are not denied an education simply because they cannot afford a school uniform."

I would get this men's lightweight pullover hoodie for myself.

A shot from the SOMB 2010 lookbook:

Designer Rachel Roy in her SOMB hoodie:

Get your SOMB apparel at http://www.sombstyle.com/

Morning inspiration...



I am far from being a morning person. Unless there is a large iced coffee with a dollop (very precise measurement) of half n half and 2 teaspoons raw sugar staring me square in the face upon wake up it takes quite a while to get my brain functioning normally. So, it is a treat to see these beautiful red roses when I open my eyes. Flowers, with their vibrant colors and intoxicating scents, can liven up any room. When given by the right person, they become something more valuable; something you try your hardest to stall the inevitable 3-5 day demise... in this case, they have become my morning inspiration.

Decadestwo.1 does Chanel...

I hope everyone has their favorite tailor on speed dial!!

I have my eye on these...

  Chanel - Pink Ribbon Tweed Asymmetrical Jacket

Chanel - Pretty Blue Long Ribbed Cardigan

Chanel - Yellow/Gray Ribbon Boucle Tweed Skirt

Chanel - Dusty-Mauve Sheer Knit Dress

Balmain...ia!!

You know the holidays are near when all you see on every storefront and every website in big bold lettering is: Sale, Sale, Sale!! The truth is the more I see the word "Sale" the more inclined I am to completely forget I'm supposed to be shopping for others and not for myself. My solution? Buy one get one... I mean if you're saving over 50% off retail then it's like buying two for one, no? We'll see what my bank statements have to say about that logic. In the meantime, The Outnet is having a HUGE sale on Balmain everything, at up to 80% off. Now mind you... 80% off of Balmain is still near or over the $1000 range, but a girl can dream, right...

New music: Flyleaf

I confess. Prior to Guitar Hero, my taste in music was limited to whatever records were in constant rotation on my favorite radio stations. Flyleaf, however, is one of the few bands I have always enjoyed. Their soulful melodies and meaningful lyrics are my go-to when I just want to kick back and get lost in the sound.

Flyleaf - Remember To Live



William Rast for Target

With all the hype of Lanvin for H&M, it's easy to forget the mecca for designer/mass market collabs Target (Tar-jay if you're fancy). Just in time for hysteric holiday shoppers, Target is gearing up to launch it's William Rast for Target collection December 19th. I was initially put off by the William Rast line, largely due to the fact that it was created by Justin Timberlake. Not everyone with a name and money can be a designer, although nearly all try... However, by keeping the details minimal and the cuts simple, William Rast is decidedly uber cool and wearable. Although in my opinion poorly styled (can we lose the bandanna? thanks.), the individual pieces of the Target collab are definitely worth braving the holiday crowd.

My Favorites:

 

Images courtesy of: Fashionista.com

Lanvin for suckers...

Remember when I did my Lanvin for H&M post here?? Well if you missed out on that auction, which donated all of its proceeds to a much deserving charity, and featured one of a kind sketches and designs, don't you worry. As many have suspected, the masses have taken their Lanvin for H&M loot to none other than ebay. Not only are the starting bids out of this world, but people are actually bidding!! We're not talking couture here either. What is the world coming to? Save your money, donate it to a charity, or invest in a few shares of H&M stock (ticker: H&M B). But don't, I repeat, do not, let someone who probably elbowed you out the way, stepped on your foot, and cut you in line, sucker you into paying $699 for this dress that probably should have been yours in the first place... Not to mention this, this, or these (hangers? really??).  

Current obsession...

I must admit, I have absolutely no need for a watch. With my cell permanently attached to my hand it serves as an acceptable alternative. However, that does not stop me from gawking at every leather banded, jewel studded, gold accented, etc, etc... timepiece I see.

Michael Kors makes the best everything. There is something so rich about white with gold accents and it looks great on everyone!

Betsey Johnson's accessories always have fun details. This watch accented with tiny skulls on a leather band and surrounded with stones will amp up any outfit!

I'm no huge Juicy Couture fan, but they often have surprisingly amazing jewelry! This watch is versatile and classic.

Confessions of a Sophie Kinsella Fan...

Since I was slightly disappointed in the Hollywood version of Confessions of a Shopaholic, I am excited to have another installment of the bestselling Shopaholic series: Mini Shopaholic :)

I can't wait to relax and crack open this book...

Find it here on Amazon.com

Brush your shoulder off...

With the holidays racing at us like a 1997 Porsche Boxter, it is imperative to begin the search for the perfect holiday dress! As much as I love my jeans and tees, I find excitement in having an opportunity to get fancy in a cute dress. My current obsession is the one-shoulder look. It is especially striking with one longer sleeve!

My absolute favorite is this Alice + Olivia I spotted on Shopbop... the white is so fresh, perfect for a party:

This pick, by Maggy London, takes the look to another dimension with a blouson sleeve:

If you have more than one party to attend, this dress, from Forever21, is much easier on the wallet:

Pair with cute knit tights and the perfect pair of booties, and go head, brush your shoulder off!

Take a ride... with Hermes

New music: Kanye West

Leave it to Kanye West to have an image of an odd looking, wine glass clutching, um, ballerina(?) on the album cover for his latest release, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy . With tracks having been leaked well before today's release, not to mention the nearly feature length video for his single Runaway, which can be seen here, the buzz for this album precedes itself. I have always thought of Mr. West as an innovative artist. You have to love a performer who is not afraid to stretch and break the status quo. This album does not disappoint. Classic Kanye. 

MP3 My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy [Explicit]

CD My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Oprah's favorites...

I must admit, I am not a huge Oprah fan. Actually I never watch the show. However you would have to be insane to not want to be a part of one of her "Oprah's Favorite Things" episodes where she surprises her audience with thousands of dollars worth of products, trips, and services that she herself enjoys. Insane. A few of her picks may have you saying "eh, I'd give that to my mom", but a lot of them are super cool and worth checking out. 

 Jay Z's new book Decoded is most definitley on my reading list. He is one of very few rappers who can be defined as an artist. There's more to the game then drugs and violence. He actually has a story to tell that many can benefit from reading.

I would pass on the matching tote, but this Tory Burch flannel ballet flat featured is now on my wishlist. The neutral gray ensures it will coordinate with virtually everything in your closet and it will no doubt be the most comfy shoe you reach for.

I NEED this camera!! With 14.2 mega pixels, full HD cinematic video, and 3x 18-55mm zoom, the Nikon D3100, is awesome! Buy this for someone and they will love you forever. Heck, buy it for yourself as another excuse to love you!

Product junkies, like myself, will enjoy this gift set. You can not deny that Oprah's hair is always fly. Using the products her very own hairstylist, Andre Walker, has created, yours can be too!

View the complete list of Oprah's Favorite Things 2010 here.

Lanvin for H&M

If I had a little extra money lying around I would definitely be utilizing it to bid on one of the amazing one of a kind haute couture sketches and/or designs Alber Elbaz of Lanvin has created for H&M. With all proceeds from the auction being donated to UNICEF, as part of H&M’s “All for Children” project, it seems like a win win to me! Only 6 days left to place your bid! Check out the website here: Lanvin for H&M.

My absolute favorite sketches:

In the meantime I am getting my game face set for the launch of the Lanvin for H&M ready to wear launch tomorrow at 8am... see you there!!

p.s... in case you missed it...

UPDATE: The line at H&M at Atlanta's Atlantic Station was astro(freakin)nomical well before I arrived at, get this, SIX in the morning! I love fashion but I love sanity and sleep much, much more.

Hated it!!

Every season there are a few trends that beg the question: What were they thinking?

The turban.

Didn't Naomi Campbell and Andre Leon Tally rock this look like 3 years ago during the hammer pant craze?? PASS.

Photo: Courtesy of www.jasonwu.com

The fat pant.

Why would anyone not in their third trimester want an elastic waistband???

PASS!!

Photo: Courtesy of www.urbanoutfitters.com

The high-heeled sneaker?

No words necessary. (...at least I really hope not)

"PASS" just isn't the word...

Photo: Courtesy of www.thisnext.com

Club Bosworth... & friend

Brought to you by actress Kate Bosworth and her stylist Cher Coulter, JewelMint is a monthly "jewelry club" where anyone who would like to become a member takes a "style quiz" and gets "personalized recommendations" on jewelry for, get this, only $29.99 per month. Call me a skeptic, but I don't buy it. Sounds like a lot of hooplah to make women feel like they're getting special treatment for what could very well be mediocre pieces not worth the price. I'd like to see the quality of these bad boys before investing, thanks.

Someone sign up and let me know how it goes? You can do so here and get back to me...

Olsenboye.. oh boye

Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen have recently launched their new line for JcPenney, Olsenboye. This line includes party dresses, tees, sweaters, shoes, and bags. When designers do lower priced lines for major department stores there, in my opinion, always seems to be a little something off about the designs, or lack there of. However, this line is actually really cute and perfect for little teeny boppers who can't afford say The Row but want to feel involved in this thing called fashion.

My favorites:

Top left: 'Camden' Faux Suede Knee High Boots
Top right: Stripe Sweater Knit Flyaway
Bottom: Foldover Convertible Cross Body Bag

See the full line here.

mission... launch.

Another favorite of mine: Thirty Seconds to Mars is set to launch their Hurricane Tour in the US for 2011!!! I will be there in leather, skinnies, and silk. :) Get your tickets and all info here.

Check out the teaser for the upcoming 20 minute "Hurricane" video...

Holiday 2010

Shopping at the mall during the holiday season is the most intimidating scene, ever; so when I wait until the last minute, which is usually the case, I do my shopping online. My top picks:

1. mark Clean Up Time Conditioning Bath Soaps $10

2. Urban Outfitters Cupcakes Keycaps $8

3. Magazine Subscriptions Lucky $7.97 and Nylon $19.95

4. Madewell cabana sparkle bracelets $18/each

5. Sephora DiorShow All For Your Eyes $24

6. Sephora ADORN Temporary Tattoo Kit $5

7. Urban Outfitters Spiral Notebooks Series $8

8. mark Rock The Box $28