Daily Inspiration

It's Monday! That means a daily dose of eye candy inspiration to get you through the week.

Style & Bargain Shopping

Hate her or love her, L.C. is a style icon. I first became a fan after watching The Hills, after which I became promptly addicted. I fawned over her glamorous dresses, the sky-high Christian Louboutins and a different designer bag  for every day of the week.  I have read all of the books in her L.A. Candy series and was excited to discover she had also come out with a style/fashion book. I received Lauren Conrad's Style book as a holiday gift, and I blew through the book in about a day. I first stumbled across it while browsing the book section of Target. I thumbed through the glossy pages and immediately knew I had to have the book. Lauren gives excellent style tips, offering outfit ideas for everything from work to play. She briefly chronicles her life, describing how her love of fashion first blossomed, via a trunk of vintage clothes from her grandma. 

What little girl wouldn't love a trunk full of fabulous dress up clothes like long evening gowns, fur coats and strands of pearls? I remember when I was little, and I would wander into my mother's closet (amazed at how large a rather small walk-in closet seemed back then!) and fit my tiny feet into oversized heels - and my favorite - a pair of vintage leather cowboy boots. I would wrap myself in her scarves, drape glittery costume jewelry around my neck and put on way too much of my mother's makeup. I had a special drawer just for my own dress up clothes: a purple genie outfit complete with silver sequin genie shoes my mother had sewn, pink princess dresses covered with tulle, plastic beaded bracelets and oversized Kentucky Derby style hats festooned with feathers. Over the years, I've learned to scale back on the costumes and stop wearing glitter mascara/eyeshadow/lipgloss/nailpolish. I've developed my own personal style, but I've incorporated a lot of Lauren's tips and tricks into my daily routine, while picking up shopping tricks of the trade from my mother. Being an avid deal-seeker, I've found a lot of online shops and boutiques that have "the look for less." I usually find great deals on the these sites (& have developed a bit of a shoe addiction - then again, what woman hasn't?)

One of Lauren's key pieces in her wardrobe? Christian Louboutin pumps. I don't know many college aged girls that can afford $800 shoes, so most would agree with me when I say to opt for the lookalikes (at least for now until we can afford to splurge at Bergdorf's!) The left shoe is a steal at $15.99 from  Ami Clubwear, a website offering an extensive stock of dresses, shoes and accessories. I usually only choose to purchase shoes from Ami because I tend to find their clothing either poorly made or on the slightly trashy side. Occasionally they will have very stylish pieces, which sell out at a moment's notice.

 

Another site where you can find everything from glam evening gowns to plain vintage style tees is Modcloth. Prices range from the low $20s to upper $200s. Items sell out very fast, so if you spot something you like, it's best to go ahead and order it. I could easily drop one or two paychecks at a time buying up every dress that instantly catches my eye, but I try to restrain myself with my Modcloth purchases. My dollar goes further at places like Urban Original or Make Me Chic. About 80% of my shoes are from Urban. It's pretty much shoe heaven! But much like Modcloth, you've gotta be quick with your mouse. The most common sizes like 7's & 8's sell out fast. Happy shopping!

All Things Gaga

Lady Gaga has been everywhere this month - Vogue, MAC, the Grammys, interviews left and right and the much anticipated release of her new single, "Born This Way" which I loved (although "Bad Romance" is still my favorite.) I have been checking newsstands for the new issue of Vogue featuring a pink, blunt-cut Gaga, but I don't think it's been released yet. Her cover look is definitely different, but then again, that's what we've come to expect from her. I've always secretly wanted to dye my hair pink. I think the kids at my daycare would adore me if I were to waltz in one morning sporting a head of fluorescent hair the shade of cotton candy. Long and wavy of course, because if I showed up to work dressed in full Gaga gear (spiky shoulder pads and all), complete with white eyebrows and lipstick the color of dried blood...well, I'd probably be fired and the 2 and 3 year olds would be hiding in a closet somewhere. I'll stick to my jeans and tshirts for work. After all, they just get covered in Play Doh & boogers anyway! Fashionable as I may be, in my line of work, it's really only smart to wear things to work you don't necessarily care about. Heels and child care do not mix - unless of course you're a Park Avenue nanny.

Gaga also is in recent collaboration with M.A.C. Sales from the new Gaga/M.A.C. line go towards benefiting AIDS research. Currently, you can purchase either the Viva Glam lipglass or the Viva Glam lipstick. The shade is a sort of muted plum/beige. I'm curious to try them both. The ad for the promotion is my favorite part. Lady Gaga looks absolutely stunning. If only I could look that fierce! I also watched her on Jay Leno recently, and she gave a good interview. When she sat down for the interview in that Batman-esque mask, I kept hoping she would take it off. It's so rare it seems we see a Gaga sans something covering her face, whether it be a mask, sunglasses, a lace veil, a huge hat or even just gobs of makeup. I want to see more of a fresh-faced Gaga ala Bad Romance. Sometimes I think all that makeup doesn't do her natural beauty justice at all. Most of the time, I wonder what she really looks like. If you haven't seen the interview, I've posted it below, as well as her new single, "Born This Way." I'm anxiously awaiting May for the release of her new album.

 

Show me how you burlesque

I've always loved lingerie & pretty vintage boudoir items. There's just something about a frilly lace bra or silky undergarments that can make you feel automatically confident & sexy, even in the dingiest of garb like that favorite worn t-shirt everyone owns at least one of & wears around the house with a pair of sweatpants. Via my internet travels, I came across FairyGothMother, a UK-based shop that sells corsets, lingerie and bridal items - all with a unique flair & a definite elegance. The burlesque section of the site had me instantly doing about 100 google searches for "burlesque" which led me to a lot of interesting sites and information. Prior to reading up on burlesque, I had limited knowledge of what it was other than my basic idea that it was essentially the art of striptease. I knew that Dita Von Teese is practically the poster pinup for it, but beyond that - what was it really?

American burlesque originated from early 19th century vaudeville, musical & theatrical parody that blended adult entertainment, satire and various performance art. Early acts were more than just striptease - acts could include firebreathers, contortionists, skits and music, all wrapped up in a colorful package. Burlesque is very much about costumes and flash. Rhinestones, crystals, glitter, feathers, color! The more elaborate the costume, the better. Burlesque isn't just glorified stripping - it's racy perfomance art. Early performers included women like Evangeline Sylvas (famous for dancing in an oyster shell and dying her hair mermaid-green), Lily St. Cyr & Gypsy Rose Lee.

Right, top: Burlesque performer Divena doing an underwater act / Right, below: Evangeline Sylvas smashing her tank in an unplanned act of rage.

While I've never seen a burlesque show first-hand, I would love to! From what I've seen online and in movies, the shows seem like an explosive act of glamor: elaborate sets, elegant & flashy costumes (who doesn't love pink rhinestone corsets!?) and beautiful women singing and dancing. While it has obvious overtones of sex - after all, these women are technically stripping - I find the whole scene alluring, which is part of the original intention. The mystery, the mystique, the tease. As Cher's character Tess from Burlesque would sing, "Show a little more, show a little less." I'm a lover of fashion.
I would go for the costumes alone!

Which brings me to my next point...Burlesque, the movie! had to see. The soundtracks is wonderful, but really - who can go wrong with the intense vocals of Christina Aguilera & the epicness that is Cher? Speaking of Cher & Burlesque, I went to a drag show over the weekend and witnessed an amazing performance of "Welcome to Burlesque" by a rather well endowed drag queen dressed head to toe in rhinestones. I would be lying if I didn't say that drag act slightly inspired me to blog about burlesque. But back to the movie... while the storyline may be nothing new (small town girl escapes to the city to make it big, blah blah, hot man friend turned lover turned boyfriend blah blah happy ending), the musical numbers and costumes are touted as the biggest draw for audiences. "But I am a Good Girl" was one of my personal favorites. The movie as a whole just made me want to go home, put on a pair of stockings, outrageous heels and start learning all the moves from the movie. If someone were to create a burlesque workout-slash-dance class here where I live, I would probably be the first to sign up. Does that even exist? I know there are stripper work out classes, but there's something about learning the art of striptease, complete with outlandish costumes, that just seems like the ideal workout. I mean really, who would pick a treadmill and weight lifting over donning a feather boa, corset and heels and training to be the next Dita Von Teese? I would be a lot more motivated to put down the fries and get my ass to "gym class!" And those costumes! I want to own every piece of lingerie from that movie. And we've come full circle, back to lingerie. Instant love! I knew from the moment I saw the previews that it was a movie I

I wish I could get a print of one of these vintage burlesque posters. Not only is burlesque fashionable, it can apply to interior design too! I think something like the above would look cute in my living room. I have a lot of vintage posters of Moet & Chandon and Martini & Rossi. I love that style. And to close out this post, I leave you with drool worthy lingerie & a video of the 2008 New York Burlesque Festival.

Burlesque corsets from FairyGothMother

Pinkalicious!

Currently, I work at a daycare. I'm practically still a kid myself so I am constantly subjected to games of make-believe, princesses & dragons and numerous children's books. One particular book I was first exposed to a few summers ago while working at an early childhood summer camp. The book was Pinkalicious, a whimsical book about a little girl who loves pink (obviously!) and one day eats a few too many pink cupcakes. I have had to read this book to the kids at camp and the daycare multiple times, yet I myself never tire of reading it. There is even a Pinkalicious Musical! I used to really hate the color pink, but now I have completely embraced it. While I would not want to be covered head to toe in a pink frosting shade, I do enjoy incorporating the color in a stylish way within my wardrobe. So today, I dedicate this post to all things pink!

Photos by Kristen Lane Pink Sherbet Photography

 Pinkalicious Inspired Look

Get decked out in pink! I am in love with the bubblegum pink peep toe heels.

My stylish friends Britney in a demure pink sheath dress & Jessi in a vintage accordion pleat pink slip.

Pink packaging! These are some bottlecap pins I made for Toot-Sweet featuring cute pinup cutouts & packaged in bon-bon wrappers.

Video Viernes

Finally, it's Friday! It has been a long week, so a fun weekend is very much in order. Since it's Friday, I'm posting some cool videos I've come across on the web this week. On Fridays I'm going to try to post a few videos I've come across that could be anything from fashion to food to something weird and crazy like flamenco'ing flamingos! Who knows. It's whatever the web has to offer that week. There are always interesting things I come across in my internet travels. Here's this week's lineup.

The title caught my eye. After watching it, I was pretty impressed! I can barely read the lyrics on the screen, he's speaking so fast! He's pretty good; check out his other videos. I think some of them are slam poetry performances. His look reminds me of Michael Cera but his style of speaking and the way he puts lyrics together reminds me of Buddy Wakefield, an amazing slam poet. Don't know

who he is? See below

Years & years ago when I was in high school, I performed one of Buddy Wakefield's poems for a literature night at my high school. I don't even remember how I stumbled across him but once I heard his poems, I was hooked. Not only does he exhibit immense talent for language but the way he performs his poetry and emphasizes certain words to shape them together into a powerful performance is amazing.

From "Flockprinter"

You

Are

Buttercups spraying out the mouths of doves

Fireworks stuck in the air

You're a freestanding landing pad held together by choir claps

You're a god

Not afraid

To walk with the saviors

Who ride monkeys around on their backs

Kicking up mercury

Spreading upward openly

Carrying breath

This video is from Stockholm and was an experiment of sorts. The majority of people take the escalator over the stairs when given the chance, so some people decided to make the stairs more "fun" & see if it influenced people to choose the stairs. So they turned the steps into a giant piano. The result? Pure awesomeness.

Homemade Spacecraft from Luke Geissbuhler on Vimeo.

And finally, a homemade space craft. This video is just incredible. The whiteout part is beautiful and serene. I've always wondered what it would be like to fly that high above the clouds. This video is probably the closest I'll ever get.

Mini Sliders

Sliders are great for a variety of events which is probably why I love them so much. They work well for parties, game days, quick lunches or dinners or even as a snack. I love the fact that these burgers are miniature - probably because I'm playing some psychological trick on myself in which I'm consuming less calories and tricking myself into thinking of them as "healthy." Truth is, burgers won't ever be recommended by doctors or dieticians as health food, but there is a way to make homemade burgers that are better than their fast-food cousins. I decided to make sliders the other day when I was having a flashback to the many summers I spent in Florida frequenting beachy diners and snack shacks (one of my favorites is Doc's All American in Delray Beach, FL.) While I'm all for people who are vegans or vegetarians, I never cozied up to the idea of a bean burger or soy patty as a substitute for real beef, despite the calorie and fat content. I opted for lean beef and some hawaiian sweet rolls. I shaped some small patties and cooked them on the stove and stacked them on the rolls with some spinach and small slices of swiss cheese. For the fries, I cut up a potato into wedges and tossed them with extra virgin olive oil and sea salt and let them cook in the oven. The result? Delicious!

If you want to make them at home, here's the recipe I used. It makes several sliders and a lot of fries, so be sure to you're cooking for more than one

Ingredients:

For the sliders:

1 pound of ground beef

1 package of hawaiian sweet rolls (or other dinner rolls)

1 bag of spinach

1 package of desired cheese

Lea & Perrin's worcestershire sauce

garlic powder & onion powder

For the oven fries:

2 baking potatoes

extra virgin olive oil

sea salt

For sliders, spray a skillet with nonstick spray and heat over medium-high heath.

Shape ground beef into meatball-sized patties & sprinkle with a pinch of garlic powder and onion powder and a few shakes of worcestershire. Flatten patties and cook 3 or 4 at a time, turning after a few minutes. Split each roll into two halves (buttered and toasted in the oven for a few minutes if desired) and assemble burgers with cheese, spinach and other desired toppings. Mini burgers

can be held together easily with toothpicks.

For the oven fries, preheat oven to 450. Wash potatoes and skin them if desired (I like to leave the skin on) and cut lengthwise into wedges. Coat a baking pan with nonstick spray and spread potato wedges evenly across the pan. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil all across potatoes to desired amount. Sprinkle liberally with sea salt and let them cook in the oven for about 30 minutes, turning occasionally.

Long Hiatus

I'm back and rebuilding the website from the ground up. I have a lot of ideas in the works, so in time Toot-Sweet should be able to grow and expand. Currently, I'm working on crafting ribbon necklaces, dessert rings, aprons, skirts and maybe some handbags thrown in there as well. For now, watch this space for updates and blog posts. I'm messing around with different comment systems for the site & hopefully will have a functional feedback system up and running soon.

We're already halfway through January and with spring just around the corner, I can't help but think about spring. Spring is one of my favorite seasons by far. The temperature is cool with just the right amount of warmth. Spring conjures up images of breezy cotton dresses, pastel hues and lightweight sandals and ballet flats. My perfect spring outfit would definitely include the aforementioned dress, preferably with lace detail, and some great accessories. I also like makeup that reminds me of desserts such as the cake gloss and neapolitan ice cream eye shadows below (when I was little, I used to think it was napoleon icecream!) While the set incorporates pieces that are both inexpensive and indulgent, it's a far cry from the designer chic $1,000 clothing and accessories I drool over at Net-a-porter. For now, I'll settle for thrifted vintage cream slips and Forever21 jackets until I've become a million dollar mogul and can afford to drop $2,000 on an Alexander McQueen dress