Greasy Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs & a Shoe Emporium=Successful Weekend Get Away!

Drais does Old Hollywood Glam meets Vegas

     Creating a suitable daytime theater look was not a small feat, after throwing on dozens of dresses, skirts, heels and boots and even digging through my roomies' closet, I was thoroughly exasperated and still in need of an outfit, not to mention my room resembled the aftermath of  a black Friday sale. I finally decided upon a chocolate brown bandage skirt that I have had for several years, and originally purchased to attend a classical music show at a martini bar and has since come in handy whenever I want to maintain some semblance of class. I put on the brown bandage skirt with a tight camel colored tee and finished the look with my favorite  thick brown and gold Betsey Johnson belt and brown suede boots..voilà... done and done. True to form, my two girlfriends and I arrived at the Pantages Theater just as the theater doors were about to be closed and ran for our seats while the curtain was coming up for the opening act, time management was never my strong point. Regardless, we made the show and even squeezed in a few cocktails during intermission, although a little theater attendant who I thought was in the show due to his hobbit like similarities slammed the ornate wooden door and told us we would have to wait another 10 minutes to enter. I had no idea theater was under such a strict time constraint, but then again the last time I had been to a live production besides our local Nutcracker was circa '98 for The Sound of Music and was still under the careful watch of my parents' clock. We stood outside the big wooden doors watching the play on the small video screen with its fuzzy characters running about stage and waiting anxiously for the hobbit to let us in.
 We thoroughly enjoyed the production, especially admiring the Wicked Witch's fabulous taste in men, her love interest knew how to fill a pair of tights and was looking bootylicious, now I know why my girlfriend brought her magnifying reading glasses. Our next stop during the girls weekend was the Grafton Hotel, which captured our aesthetic, with its black and white sensual pictures and Marilyn Monroe hanging above the beds, zebra print comforters, brightly [painted orange and lime walls, dance music and a beautiful salt water pool. I highly reccomend this spot if you are in the Hollywood area as it is reasonably priced  compared to hotels of its nature and is located in the heart of Sunset right across from the Saddle Ranch Chophouse. We made a pit stop there and were pleasantly surprised by their company policy to serve shots to all customers waiting for a table, I could definitely get used to this. After inhaling a rack of baby back ribs, buttery cornbread, veggies and sweet potato fries I was comfortably full and found a perky young server with a rhinestone bandana coming over to our table selling Saddle Ranch merchandise. This place kept getting better and better by the minute, first free shots for waiting and then shopping while I was eating, two of my favorite activities combined.I was even able to haggle the price of a cute horseshoe wife beater down to 30% off since they only had an XL, this was exactly my kind of place.

They gave us a room with a lot of T & A

     After much deliberation and texting as to the best lounge to visit, we decided upon Drais at the W Hotel, even though it has been around for a year the pictures and reviews online made it a place worth exploring. After surpassing the line and walking in with a group of girls who were on the guest list, we took an elevator that was soaked in red lights, which was more flattering than the typical fluorescent hospital-esque lighting. We were greeted by large pin up paintings in heavy gold frames,which is my favorite style of artwork...double bonus points right there. The pool area was flanked with cabanas, which seemed empty and there was an old black and white silent movie projecting onto the building alongside lush palm trees and landscaping. The go go dancers were wearing beautiful white tulle skirts with a jeweled bodice on top, we were all perplexed as we had grown accustomed to go go dancers wearing nothing but tube socks, booty shorts and doused in body glitter. They had brilliantly captured the Hollywood vibe and created an elegant and fun atmosphere, only problem was that it was not even close to being at capacity despite the line winding around the block, 12pm was probably too early for this type of venue. Our crew was growing weary and we decided to call it a night when Hollywood and Vine was blocked off due to a potential bomb threat, the only thing that would make the night worth it was a hot dog wrapped in bacon and smothered in fried peppers and onions. We all sauntered down Hollywood boulevard taking turns biting into the questionable meat and enjoying every grease filled bite as if it were our last meal. The $4 street vendor hot dog was the highlight of our night and reminded us all why we should take trips down to these parts; for the sheer indulgence of street food from vendors that may not have a food license but sure know how to satisfy 3 hungry girls at 3am.
     The final chapter to conclude our girls weekend was appropriately  at a shoe emporium, which I literally started experiencing goose bumps over upon being presented with rows and rows of stiletto boots, fringey boots, buckled Betsey Heels, purses and even a feathered contraption called "boot bling" to decorate ones' boots with. We spent a solid two hours pouring over the aisles of shoes and rating each others potential shoe purchases, narrowing it down so that I could safely fit the boxes in my car and still be able to see out the rear view mirror. Note to self: next time I take a girls weekend that involves a visit to a shoe emporium, I we will come prepared with a fork lift. 

This is what happens when 3 girls are set lose in a shoe emporium

When your fashion ego is deflated, 2 words: Neon & Feathers

I had a vision: black mini dress flanked with silver studs ( the best way I can describe these silver studs is to compare them to brads. You know those clever little gold contraptions we used in elementary school  to secure crayon picture books ). I had my heart set on the "Brad" dress, it was glamorous and sexy without being too obvious; the only time I had donned it was in Vegas for a bachelorette party and it seemed worthy of taking out for one more spin. I was excited about complimenting the dress with these new silver heels that I just purchased on Friday. I was a little confused, whenever I am in a fashion dilemma  I simply snap a picture of myself in the heels and forward to my mom the fashion matriarch, as well as 5 other fashion savvy girlfriends. The response was overwhelmingly in favor of the silver heels, but there was one text that was unsettling: My mom always tells it like it is and despite the poor fuzzy quality of the camera phone picture she immediately picked up on my doubt and did not think they were sexy. After much deliberation from the mass surveys I texted,  I began to interrogate customers and the sales associates asking if they thought the heels were sexy. The sales girls claimed they were the last pair and sold out fast, not sure if that was just a sales pitch but was enough to tip my confusion in favor of a definitive yes. I whipped out my credit card and became the new owner of the last pair of silver strappy heels. I guess it appealed to my competitive side, I didn't want some other girl to acquire those highly coveted silver heels, even though I wasn't completely in love with them. I could now sympathize with the guys on Storage Wars paying far too much for someone's used crap just to prevent a fellow bidder from obtaining it. I won the bid and strolled out with my new silver heels ready to take them for a ride with my silver "brad" dress. I slipped on the dress and heels and thought I had a winning ensemble, but upon further inspection I realized that my mother was right..... they weren't sexy at all. They were like the kind of heels a pianist would wear with some panty hose under a long navy blue velvet dress. Piano Recital was not the look I was going for on a Saturday night out with my girls to see a famous house DJ. I felt like Ralphie in A Christmas Story, who wanted that red Rider BB gun but was warned by his mother that it will only shoot his eye out, and ultimately she was right.  I should have listened to my inner voice instead of surveying all of the shoppers in Paseo Nuevo along with mass texting all of my girlfriends. I guess my fashion radar wasn't as sharp as I had thought. I tossed the silver heels off feeling defeated and made a run for one outfit that was sure give me that extra ooomph that i so desperately needed to inflate my fashion ego back. Two words: Neon & Feathers. I slipped on my neon yellow ribbed tank, black mini and a black thick belt to structure the outfit. Throw in some peacock earrings with turquoise & yellow from my amazing roomies' feather collection along with the black suede boots and my fashion confidence was instantly reignited.... when feeling down just go back to the 80's. Neon and feathers are always WINNING!     

A Post New Years Faux "Dream Board" Party

Just because the glitter plastered top hats have long been trashed and hangovers subsided doesn't mean the spirit of New Years Eve has to fizzle out along with it.  In honor of 2012, which I have deemed my year, I brought all my favorite girls together under the guise of a "dream board" party to collage our resolutions and images of places and goals we wanted to attain for the New Year. Although I provided a spread with veggies, brownies, hot appetizers and a grapefruit and vodka infused concoction in the bar area, the party had clearly shifted to my modest bathroom and 4 girls crammed into the fluorescent lit space that can barely accommodate 2 people.  The only artistic endeavor we embarked on at my "dream board" party was painting eyeliner, meticulously gluing lashes on one another and choosing color schemes from Ro's beautiful palette of shimmery eyeshadow.  Suddenly Bridgette pulled out  a contraption from her leopard duffle bag; a long silver device that resembled something from an S & M shop, it came complete with a black velvet glove that she slid on to prevent burns. I watched mesmerized as she expertly pulled and twisted the silver device around her hair to create the loose and sultry waves that appear effortless despite the heavy prep time . My new roomie brought in an astrology  book and sat on the edge of my bathtub reading our horoscopes as we all agreed in unison on the accuracy of it's predictions. The conversation was intense and simultaneously occurring amidst the bronzing, curling and lash application, providing further proof that women are the masters of multi-tasking. Before embarking on our journey to shake it on the dance floor we took a slew of pictures to document our faux dream board party also known as Girls Night.

Do the Polka...Dot!!! Thelma & Louise Style !!

Polka dots how I love thee~ I just came across this polka dot tie up shirt on one of my daily addictions forever21 and started becoming nostalgic for a simpler time in women's wear: this top became reminiscent of  two hot broads stuck in dead end relationships who hop into a 1950s' convertible and travel across the country in search of adventure and retribution, shooting the prick that tried to rape Thelma at a C & W bar. I love the whimsy and innocence that black and white polka dots evokes and the memories of warm summer days slurping down a lemonade icy. I found a pic of myself circa '95 rocking a similar red colored tie up shirt.

Pair the polka dots with red lipstick, pearls and funky heels you have got yourself one fierce look!  Not sure if my belly is ready for bearing in this polka dot top but it will provide the inspiration  needed to start that crunch routine

Jean Jacket Saga: a Troubled History

My relationship with jean jackets is a troubled one that dates back to circa '92....It saddens me to actually come to terms with the obscene amount of JJs (jean jackets) i have unwillingly parted with and lost to the abyss throughout my lifetime. At first it started innocently enough leaving them on the asphalt black top of the playground, girl scouts or slumber parties; oftentimes I was able to salvage them.  When I went away to college the JJ disappearing act became more complicated as alcohol was involved and my JJs were swept outside of frat parties amongst the cans of natural light beer never to be found again. As a young professional the problem still plagues me and I have had a solid track record of losing at least one JJ per year.  Last spring I was determined to find a replacement after I lost one of many JJs that my mom loaned me. I hit up Heritage, one of my fave budget friendly stores and an off-shoot of forever 21 to find my new holy grail jean jacket. After walking out of the store with the satisfaction and high that only comes with a successful shopping excursion, I jumped into the car with my co-worker Linh.. I went roaring out of the downtown shopping area but hesitated for a moment when I spotted a police car in front of me, just waiting to nab an unassuming citizen rushing back to work on their lunch hour. Sure enough I was pulled over for making a left turn during the strictly forbidden turning times and he happily wrote me a $300 ticket for an illegal left turn. Despite the $20 jean jacket, I added $300 to the tab totaling at $320. A high price to pay for something that I would inevitably lose within the next couple of weeks. Happy ending to the story: I ended up fighting the ticket and having it refunded, if you need tips on this just message me I am a pro by now with all the traffic tickets that come with living in a beach town with no real crime. Back to the JJ saga, so flash forward to a year later and I am wearing my beloved jean jacket for a night out bar hoping over a neutral tee and brown suede boots, the end of the night approaches and after toting it around while dancing I left it in a random cab never to be seen or heard from again. After all the memories we shared, I was attached to this JJ and even considered it lucky, it accompanied me over glam outfits to dress it down and on getaways to LA and Vegas. The only way to get over my beloved Jean jacket is to get right back out there and find a new one...what do you think about my latest conquest? How long will we make it?

Glitter, Sequins, Shine: NYE & Vegas are your Hall passes!!!

Oh how I love all that is glittery/sparkly and bright, what girl doesn't love to enhance their natural beauty with some extra shine, bling and va va voom?!!!. As an avid fashion mag enthusiast I know the rules of glitter and sequins: they are best reserved for two moments in one's life: the Vegas girls weekends and of course the Queen of all glitter holidays: New Years Eve. I borrowed these sparkly gold gems from my girl Ro and loved how they added an extra pop element to my solid black fringe sequined dress. Note: mixing black sequins and gold sparkles are completely acceptable on these 2 occassions and even encouraged, roll-on body glitter: do

big chandelier bling earrings: do. Unless you are Adrienne Maloof owner of the Palms in Vegas can you get away with rocking sparkly heels on a daily basis. Girl can effortlessly pull off the vegas new years va va voom look even when undertaking the most mundane of tasks like gasing up her car (okay scratch that, one of her staff would do this, but you get the picture). Use up those glitter, sequins and shine hall passes that Vegas and NYE afford, you've earned it.

Note: Photocredit: taken by self on a cell phone, displaying glitter heel alongside white porcelain toilet, gotta work with what you have.

Kurt Cobains Grunge Boots bred with Kate Moss's Heel=HeelBoot

I dedicate this post to my fave shoe aficionado...Kelly. If you haven't seen her video on youtube, it may possibly change your life in that you will be quoting it with friends for years to come.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCF3ywukQYA

Kelly shares my same enthusiasm for those brightly colored, neutral, glam, chunky, brilliant things called shoes, that can transform a girl for the better. Or in Kelly's case a lack of shoes in one's size can result in a screaming fit of rage.I find myself in sticky shoe sitches all the time, the other day I was perusing Macy's shoe department with my roll dog Mel. I was more than willing to accompany her to return a few things as I knew that I could satisfy my addiction for footwear. After expertly ravaging the sale racks,  I found a piece that piqued my interest and was a walking paradox: A work boot, decidedly rugged and masculine in nature yet feminized by a sharp stilleto heel. At first I didn't know what to make of this little walking contradiction. When viewed straight on it only looked like a plain hiking boot, complete with gold rivets to lace it up to the top. I wasn't feeling the straight on view, but when I admired the side it was a different story~ so sexy and sleek. It was as though Kurt Cobains' grunge boots bred with Kate Moss's sexy stilletos, this was their love child and I was still undecided as to whether I should keep it. Ultimately I came to the tough decision that these boot heels were better suited for someone more cutting edge than myself, a Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen fashionista who could rock the look alongside baggy duds and big sunglasses. These heelboots simply did not have a place among my mini dresses, cleavage bearing peek-a boo tops and skinny jeans....farewell heelboots, maybe someday we shall meet again.