Happy Memorial Day.

Be safe :)

phalaenopsis: my moth orchid

I have never been a fan of orchids, but am very much attached to this beauty that flowers for me every year. And every year she has more and more flowers. Her leaves are drying up lately, so I have re-potted (though you are not supposed to when she’s in flower). I’m hoping she will survive, and continue to light up my space with her blooms.

Hip Friday Links!

Beyonce's new House of Dereon ad for Brazilian TV (above).

Hello! I've been asking the same thing for the last few seasons. [WHAT?]

Check out MAC's new "To the Beach" line of lipsticks. [SEE IT]

What do you think about these platform bow sandals from The GAP? [SEE THEM]

Janet Jackson on the American Idol Finale in case you missed. [SEE IT]

Alicia Keys is engaged and pregnant. [SEE IT]

The Obamas have left the White House to spend Memorial Day in Chicago. [SEE IT]

Awesome rooftop hangouts in New York City. [SEE THEM]

Memorial Day links. Have a safe one :)

Gary Coleman Has Died. He Was Only 42.

via TMZ:
Gary Coleman has died as the result of injuries he suffered earlier this week, the hospital tells TMZ.

Gary's wife, Shannon, made the decision to pull life support early this AM. Coleman died at 12:05 PM MST. He died of a intracranial hemorrhage. Family members and close friends were at Coleman's side when life support was pulled.

He was 42.

Coleman was rushed to a hospital in Utah after he fell and hurt his head. He was on life support since Thursday. Sad. R.I.P. Gary Coleman.

Money Can't Buy You Class My Friend.

Countess Luann de Lesseps from the Real Housewives of New York has released an official video for her smash hit single (lol) "Money Can't Buy You Class" I really don't know why I'm laughing because the song has been stuck in my head for the last few weeks. If I had to judge, I think the video is pretty well done. Can't really be mad at her for trying.

RHONY Sneak Peek: Kelly Tries to Explain Herself.

Even after watching Kelly try and explain herself in the video above, I'm still not understanding her. There's not much coherence in what she's saying. IDK. I said on Twitter last week that I thought she needed help, and seeing this video is not making me change my mind.

via USWeekly:
On Thursday's The Real Housewives of New York City, Kelly Bensimon attempts to explain her infamous May 20 show meltdown -- but only leaves her pals even more confused. Sitting with Jill Zarin, LuAnn de Lesseps and Jennifer Gilbert, Bensimon, 42, says she lashed out at costars Ramona Singer, Alex McCord, Sonja Morgan and foe Bethenny Frankel during a trip to the Virgin Islands because they were gossiping too much. "From the minute we were together, it was everything that I hate – talking badly about people," she begins.

(Oddly, she then starts gossiping about Frankel, 39: "She’s, like, a cook and everything like that, and I’m thinking to myself, ‘I mean, not one person that I know has ever hired her as a cook.'")

Bensimon says she was "so over tired" and "feeling sick" when she snapped (among her quips: She called Frankel a "ho bag"). "I was drinking this wine – I never drink wine – and I was sitting in this room with these women. I just wanted to get out of there," she says. "... It was an out-of-body experience."

In the end, the ladies still had no clarity about what actually went down. Says de Lesseps, 45: "By the end of Kelly’s story about the trip, I was so confused. I mean, I just didn’t get it. I had to hear the other side of the story."

Hip Quotes: Iman

Supermodel Iman recently talked to WWD about being considered a style icon. She remarked,

"I'd rather have that than be, like, Us Weekly's best dressed. You know what I mean? No disrespect to Us Weekly."

Sandra Bullock Will Attend the MTV Awards in June.

via People:
Since her marriage crisis began Sandra Bullock has remained in seclusion while raising her new son, Louis. That will all change next month.

On Wednesday she was named the recipient of the MTV Generation Award "for her riveting and diverse contributions to the film industry," and her rep confirms, "she will be attending" the June 6 MTV Movie Awards in Universal City, Calif., though she won't be doing any interviews at the ceremony.

Bullock, 45, joins Tom Cruise, Jim Carrey, Spike Lee, Mike Myers and Adam Sandler, who've also been honored with the award.

SATC2: Patricia Fields Explains the Fabulous Wardrobe...

Sex and the City costume designer Patricia Fields explains some of the more fabulous and iconic looks from the movie. She explains the looks above below:

"It was a concern of Sarah Jessica’s that Carrie’s not a kid anymore, and so maybe we should change her style, but I said, 'No, she's not a kid, but she's still Carrie! She doesn't all of a sudden have a lobotomy and become like Charlotte, or become a designer-driven dresser.' In this shot, Carrie has a potpourri on." (This is the $50,000 outfit.) "That’s a Chanel skirt over a pair of jeans by the Blonds, the same design team that made Samantha’s dress. They have all these cuts and slits in them, behind which are Swarovskis and studs. And it’s just a simple blouse she’s wearing, I think it's vintage, which is classic Carrie. Charlotte’s wearing a vintage YSL that I found at a vintage dealer in New York. Here, Miranda's wearing an old Halston, which I used a lot of in the movie. It’s green, one of those colors that not many women can wear, but that looks great on her. I’m not sure what’s going on with her hair, though. I don’t like it curled up that way. Hair-makeup and wardrobe are two different departments. I love Samantha’s dress! It’s from a design team that I have a personal relationship with called the Blonds. They're both men, but one dresses like a woman, and they're like a couple. And Phillipe Blond was wearing this red dress at some event we were both at, and I said to him, 'Phillipe we have to have that dress for the movie!' ... You know how people talk about how Samantha is just like a drag queen? This was my little double entendre about that." Click to see a slideshow and more commentary on some of the fashion from SATC2.
Courtesy of: HBO/New Line Cinema

Hip Links!

Are you ready for the Cleavage Caddy? [SEE IT]

8 New ways to rock a braid this summer. [SEE IT]

Shocking? 10 Things you thought were Black Owned - But aren't. [SEE IT]

I complained incessantly about her on Twitter until they put her off the show. So yeah, I'm wondering the same thing. [WHAT AM I TALKING ABOUT?]

Where did American Idol go wrong this season? For starters, by having another season. [AM I WRONG?]

Naomi Campbell is Barely There at a Charity Gala...

via HuffPo:
Supermodel Naomi Campbell attended the NEON Charity Gala in Moscow on Monday with her boyfriend Vladimir Doronin in tow. Campbell wore a sheer, black dress with patches of strategically-placed strips of leather and lacy leaves. What do ya'll think of her dress? Do you like it? Hate it? Don't care? Would you wear it? I wanna know your style verdict.

Sex and the City 2 - Premiere

Finally the much awaited Sex and the City 2 would hit the cinemas this Thursday.


Till then, the pictures of the Sex and the City 2 Movie Premiere should contain the excitement. The SATC2 Premiere was presented by Mercedes-Benz And Maybach at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

Do SJP and Kristin Davis signal a new trend, i.e. Neon colours? Both the ladies were clad in neon hued gowns of neon green and neon pink respectively.

WHo looks best among the four? Kristin Davis was my favourite who was clad in Jean Desses silk chiffon pink gown.
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Related Posts:
Sex and the City 2 - Trend Watch
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Bra Knowledge: What to Wear Underneath This Summer.

Wonderbra Women's Wonderboost Convertible Strapless Bra. Click to buy it below.

Convertible bras, strapless bras, t-shirt bras. What's the best bra to wear underneath summer clothing? Watch the video below to find out...

Wonderbra Women's Wonderboost Convertible Strapless Bra 

Is Lauryn Hill Performing at Rock the Bells 2010?

The folks over at URB think so.

The official press conference isn’t until, but we’re ready to call this one like FOX News. Hip-hop enigma Lauryn Hill will be headlining this year’s Rock The Bells tour. The ex-Fugees songstress will be performing her classic solo album, The Miseduction of Lauryn Hill, as part of a complete album format that has become an increasingly popular way for legendary acts to draw attention to current tours. Also rumored to be performing a full-length at RTB2010 is A Tribe Called Quest. Perhaps they’ll join Ms. Hill in a rendition of Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly,” The Fugees’ most infamous hit, which sampled ATCQ’s “Bonita Applebum.” URB spoke to representative of Rock The Bells who would not confirm…or deny the booking.

Well there you have it. Wouldn't that be the hotness if this actually happens? Even hotter? Me being in town with a ticket and good seats to this thing ;)

RED CARPET: New York SATC2 Premiere...

Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker (wearing a Spring 2010 Couture Valentino) attend the premiere of "Sex and the City 2" at Radio City Music Hall on May 24, 2010 in New York City.


Click READ MORE HERE below for more premiere pics from SATC2 in NYC.



Kim Cattrall (wearing Naeem Khan) attended the premiere of "Sex and the City 2" at Radio City Music Hall on May 24, 2010 in New York City.



Cynthia Nixon in Carolina Herrera.



Jason Lewis.



Kristin Davis.



Chris Noth (Big)



Liza Minnelli will do Beyonce's "Single Ladies" in the movie.



Costume designer Patricia Fields. She does her thing and owns it. Not mad at that.



John Corbett (Aiden)

See Through Her Tennis Outfit? Venus Williams is At It Again.

Venus Williams returned the ball to Switzerland's Patty Schnyder during their first round match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Sunday, May 23, 2010. But that wasn't the big deal. The big deal was what Venus was wearing. When Venus Williams served Sunday in the first round of the French Open, photographers were down on the ground, getting as low as possible to get pictures up her dress.


[photos via AP Photo Getty Images]
What does it say about women's tennis, always dangerously balancing the sale of sex and sport, when photographers are shooting Venus' serve from the bottom up instead of the top down? "The outfit is about illusion,'' Williams said. "And that's been a lot of my motif this year.'' Click READ MORE HERE below to see what all the fuss was about.

Sunday's dress had a see-through front and skin-tone underwear. And the illusion Williams was going for, apparently, was that she had no pants on. That's fine, as this is France, after all. (By the way, she beat Patty Schnyder 6-3, 6-3.) Continue reading this article HERE.

crocheted

Photographs of collections of crocheted stones and pebbles: unexpected and exquisite. Found here.

three cheers for etsy

Etsy has grown into a very important community for me. I meet so many incredible people through this site, buyers as well as makers.

Shown above is one of my favorite “treasuries” assembled by a talented jewelry designer whose shop name is stönz. Not only did I discover inspiring ceramic artists, but also the work of the person who put this collection together. Three cheers for etsy for creating this amazing website where artists meet.

still life saturday with Maria Grossmann

Maria Grossmann is a stylist working in Hamburg, Berlin, and Paris. Visit Maria’s inventive website here.

Janet Jackson at the London Premiere of "Why Did I Get Married Too"

Janet Jackson attends the preview screening of 'Why Did I Get Married' at Brixton Ritzy on May 21, 2010 in London, England.



How cute is she?! Some people never lose their "cuteness" Janet Jackson is definitely one of those people.

Liza Minnelli Covers Beyonce's "Single Ladies" in SATC2.

Liza Minelli covers Beyonce's 'Single Ladies' for 'Sex and the City 2,' in which she makes a cameo. "It's a wonderful number," Liza told Contact Music. "We had a blast. It's rock and roll. Everything is moving! And I just got a whole new knee, so I can promise you everything is moving."

Hip Links!

Awesomely HORRIBLE denim. [SEE IT]

Awesomely bad fashion at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival [SEE IT]

Missed what First Lady Michelle O. wore to their 2nd State Dinner? [SEE IT]

Lauren Conrad's new style book cover revealed. [SEE IT]

In the most obvious news of the day, Jesse James admits he threw away his amazing marriage to Sandra Bullock (VIDEO) [SEE IT]
These people have no shame. [SEE IT]

In case you missed it. A recap of The Real Housewives of NYC's most insane episode ever. [SEE IT]

Find the best makeup for your skintone. [SEE IT]

ceramic feelings

A ceramic artist from Belgium makes stoneware “feelings”, a collection of 99 of them. I picked these four, which represent my range of emotions over the past few days. Please visit ArtMind on Etsy for more of the expressive “matryoshkas”.

The Making of My "Sabrina" Dress...

This dress started out as a fitted halter blouse that I re-drafted into a drapey, flowy swing dress. I'm always blissfully naive and excited when I get pattern ideas. It never fails. I always go into them thinking it's going to be a simple and quick re-do and it never happens for me like that.  Looking back, I really wasn't fond of any of my pattern classes when I was in design school, probably because it always felt like I could never win and get that "perfect" grade (you're penalizing me because I was off one/eighth of an inch? Seriously?) but I can honestly say that I truly appreciate the close scrutiny and the invaluable knowledge that I gained from those classes now.


Overall I'm very pleased with the way my "Sabrina" dress turned out. I especially like the way it drapes. It's a beach/poolside/cocktail party "I'm on a boat" dress all wrapped into one, lol. 

SJP on SATC2: The Four of Us Bonded in the Desert [VIDEO]

Beyonce Set to Perform at The White House State Dinner.

 Beyonce along with Rodrigo Y Gabriela and the United States Marine Band are set to perform at the White House State Dinner that the Obama's are hosting for Mexican President Felipe Calderón and first lady Margarita Zavala on May 19, 2010. Tonight's State Dinner will be held in the East Room of the White House. Performances will be held under a tent on the South Lawn of the White House. Other notable celebrities expected to attend are Salma Hayek, Whoopi Goldberg and Eva Longoria Parker. Click over to Michelle O. Style for more info on the Obama's 2nd State Dinner and other festivities.

IMG Models Signs Ariel Meredith & Re-Signs Tyra Banks.

You know, that Tyra Banks is turning out to be one smart business woman. I think a lot of people may have underestimated her business savvy. She is continually making moves to build and expand her media empire and her brand. Tyra has recently re-signed with her old modeling agency IMG Models, so if you start seeing her on more magazine covers, this is why.

And Ariel Meredith (who is she? See her here in SI, and here walking for LV Fall 2010) was just signed to IMG as well. She's a pretty girl with southern roots (born right here in my home state, Louisiana!) Congrats to both of them.

Vanessa Williams is Moving to Wisteria Lane.

Vanessa Williams 47, will be heading to Wisteria Lane next season as a regular on the show.
TV Guide reports that the show's creator, Marc Cherry, confirmed that Williams, who is best known for playing Wilhemina Slater on Ugly Betty, has already signed a deal to join the show.
Cherry said: 'I'm a big fan of Vanessa's work and I'm so excited that she'll be moving into the neighbourhood next season to cause trouble in all the ladies' lives.'

Now this is a good example of casting done RIGHT. I haven't watched "Desperate Housewives" in a couple seasons, but this new development might just draw me back.

Mary J. Talks About Essence Fest & Her Upcoming Projects

Mary J. Blige spoke to Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford about Essence Fest 2010, her foundation "Keep the Schools Clean" in Yonkers, NY, and her upcoming role where she'll be starring as the legendary Nina Simone. Watch below:

Is Curvy the new Sexy?

I've watched the piece below with Robbie Myers from Elle Magazine, and I don't know. Something kept rubbing me wrong about the way she was phrasing things (Model Elle MacPherson is not skinny? Really?). But that could just be me. Anyhoo, the trend towards curvy chicas has left the train station and is headed down the track full force! Don't believe me? See here, here, here, and here.

The Little White Dress: Summer's Must Have.

Ujena Sangria Dress in White
I think white is perfect for summer. It's clean, cool and crisp and really, you can wear it year round (so don't believe all the silly hype about the "no white after Labor Day "rule" because really. Says who? psh.) Anyhoo, just remember to wear the proper undergarments under your white ensembles. Nude colors that match your skin tone is always the way to go underneath white.


The Ujena Sangria Dress in white. Also under $100 and available at Amazon. Get it below!

Jennifer Hudson is Making Weight Watchers Look Good.

Jennifer is looking great isn't she? (on the left) Jennifer Hudson attended the Vanity Fair and Gucci Party Honoring Martin Scorsese during the 63rd Annual Cannes Film Festival at the Hotel Du Cap Eden Roc on May 15, 2010 in Cannes, France. (on the right) Jennifer attended the "Winnie" Cocktail Party held at the Martini Terraza during the 63rd Annual International Cannes Film Festival on May 16, 2010 in Cannes, France.



Jennifer Hudson posed with Terrence Howard in Cannes France on May 16th to promote the movie biopic "Winnie" based on the life of Winnie and Nelson Mandela where they'll both star. Could this be Oscar number 2 for Jennifer? I guess we'll see. But the movie already has it's share of controversy even before the start of filming. Hopefully everything will work out in the end.

Taking a Break

Sorry for my week long unexplained disappearance, everything is fine, I'm just overwhelmed by how much revision I have to do and is spending 9am - 11pm in the library!! Will be back when exams finish around early June, thanks to all my lovely readers for your understanding :)

xxx

Carrie Bradshaw's Greatest Style Hits [LINK]

Just in time for "Sex and the City 2" click the link below to check out some of "Carrie Bradshaw's" Best Looks Ever as chosen by series costume designers Patricia Field, Rebecca Weinberg and Eric Daman—as well as InStyle Magazine's fashion director Hal Rubenstein.
Tutu Number 2!
“That skirt was actually a slip under a gown. It was so pretty! I was like, 'Let me make this a skirt and put it with a T-shirt,'” Field said of the purple skirt and J’adore Dior T-shirt that Carrie wore in the sequel. “It had that same quirkiness as that short tutu from the series’ intro scene.” Click HERE to see more of Carrie Bradshaw's greatest style hits from InStyle.

Keri Hilson Keeps the Jumpsuit Trend Going...

Keri Hilson attended the Belvedere Pink Grapefruit "In The Pink" launch party at The Belvedere Pink Grapefruit Pop-Up on May 14, 2010 in New York City wearing a cute jumpsuit. JUMP HERE (get it?) to see more even more jumpsuits in action.