Ode to Black

I love color. I've always loved color. I like my colors bright with the exception of pink. I like my pinks soft and feminine. I've never been someone to wear head to toe black on a daily basis. I love to throw in some color, which is one of the things to love about black. Here are a few more reasons to love black:

• It goes with everything and works for everyone
• It's slimming
• It's timeless and never goes out of style
• It's the epitome of chic

Soon ready to wear fashion week around the world will be happening. The shows will bring out the lovers of fashion, those who buy, those who wear and those who work in the industry, many of whom will be decked in head to toe black.

So until they come up with a color darker then black, black it is. 

Don't grow old gracefully, grow old smartly

One of my biggest desires for changing the way I eat and living a healthier lifestyle was the realization that I am getting older and if I don't take care of myself now, I'll regret it later. My grandmother was a really smart woman. If I was smart enough to take her advice when I was young, richer woman then I am today. I'm no where close to rich by the way.
Unfortunately one of my strongest memories of her is her telling me not to grow old. I also have a vivid memory of her taking pills, or filling her TWO pillboxes of medications.  Taking medications to deal with one condition but reaction to the medication means you need to go on another medication and so on. To me, that is just not a way to live. I've never enjoyed swallowing pills. I also have this personal theory that putting chemicals in your body, slowing over time weakens your ability to exist without the chemicals in medications.
I'm making changes now so I don't have to be a multiple pill taker later. I guess time will tell if this worked. If I do become a multiple pill taker, at least I'll know I did everything I could to not become that way and hopefully, I'll only need one pill box.
Another reason I'm taking care of myself now is I want to live a long, vital life. People are living longer and I think I could very well live into my 90s with plenty of life and vitality. Here is some proof. This is an interview Jane Fonda did with a local morning news show, Good Day LA. It's a completely rediculous morning show. It's very LA mostly because of Jullian. Dorothy is equally annoying and tolerable. Steve and the field reports give it the balance and news. Back to Jane. She looks great and she is in her 70s. She admits to having some work done and she looks great. One thing years of living in this city shows you is plastic surgery has come a long way. People have learned it is best to do a little at a time. Madonna is a good example of this. She's verging on doing to much but so far, she's been smart about it. I like. I have friends who think she's still great and others who think she has lost it and needs to go away. Yes, these are mostly gay boys. The gay population are like Democrats and Republicans when is comes to Madonna. They either love her or hate her and they are completely divided on this issue.
Ok, now back to Jane. Jane at this point, might be best know for her fitness videos in the 80s, when she was in her 50s. Proof you can start improving your health at any age and it does pay off. This is a short interview and she has some really insightful things to say.
Her hair, makeup, and clothing are all age appropriate. The clothing color specifically. Yes she has a lot of money to spend on her appearance but she is a good example of things anyone can do to improve their appearance. Things Jane did well we could learn from:
1. Hair. She might be blessed with a great head of hair. I also wouldn't be surprised if this is a wig. Nothing wrong with it. What she did we can all learn from. Color combination. As you get older you don't want your hair to dark or to light. A nice combination like this is always good and a smart move as you get older.
2. Makeup and clothing color - She's a spring and she knows it. That seasonal thing is true. Take a look at the best answer given (the first answer) to this question to determine your season. These particular colors were probably chosen because they photograph well and look good on camera. These shades are also not to dark and not to light. Her eye make up is the only slip up I can see. A big trend right now is to take a really light shadow color, even a white and you add it to the inside of your eyes going out. Literally the same motion but the opposite side of the eye and the contour color. For Jane, it's to much, literally. It should have been a little subtle. I think her makeup artist got a little heavy handed.
3. Her attitude. She has a great attitude about life and growing older. I think she has some really good things to say.

The 70's & early 80's are coming

It has long been said that fashion - like history - repeats itself. We are heavily into the 80's currently and trending towards the 90's but look out because 70's and early 80's fashion is making a come back. In a few weeks, the new Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper movie, American Hustle is coming out. The movie is set in the early 80's when when men's lapels were still large. Rayon was everywhere. The flowy clothes of the 60's and early 70's became fitted and body conscious during the disco years.  Designers like Halston, Diane Von Furstenberg made the wrap dress became a wardrobe staple  and of course Missoni left it's mark on the decade.

Jumpsuits were very popular during this era, this one can be found at ASOS

Gucci Winter 2013

Designers and Style Makers of the time

Here is a Diane von Furstenberg Spring 14 look. This dress is an example of 70's style with the blouse sleeves Her classic wrap dress (also one of my all time favorite looks) originated in the 70's. With her classic print collections, you can have a wrap dress with a print originally used during the 70's, updated with a silk jersey fabric.


Stevie Nicks
A 70's style icon should be a muse for today's designers. Her look screamed rock goddess. You have to love doth her voice and her look. I'm still a fan.

Do you want to try this look? Do you have the following:

• Platform boots 
• Long scarfs
• nylons 
• bodysuit - if you are an American Apparel(AA) shopper you probably own a view.
• Long flowy skirt - A good item to have. If you don't it's a good item to add to your wish list. An a-line skirt works for every body type. A true 70's version would most likely be a wrap skirt. I feel in love with wrap skirts when I was a child and I love them to this day.

70s Fashion care of style icons of the day.

Ali McGraw

Diana Ross

Who Inspires Me

So who's style do I swoon over? Here's the short list:
Victoria Beckham

 

With her son Brooklyn at the Harper's Bazaar Women of the Year Awards at London's Claridge's Hotel on Nov. 5

I just love. On top of having an overall girl crush on her, I love her style. Which makes me enjoy her style ever more. She is smart, funny, a loving mother and wife and a damn good designer. Her personal style is so swoon worthy. Unfortunately I don't have the money or the body to pull off her look, I don't hate her for it. Like so much in the world of fashion, with VB, I'll continue to enjoy sitting back and enjoying watching her journey as a designer.

Diane Kruger

 

She's a former model and a good actress with amazing style (and an adorable SO). She looks good on the red carpet as well as in her personal life. She has great personal style. Her style is her own; effortless. Diane doesn't follow trends. She is my style inspiration.  

Audrey Hepburn

The definition of classic beauty. She exuded natural grace. Designers lined up to work with her but it was her special relationship with Givenchy. He created some of her most iconic looks, my personal favorite is her style in Breakfast at Tiffanys. That movie revolutionized the LBD. Her elegance, kindness, grace, as well as her classic personal style have made her a legend for a very good reason.

I'm back!

I took a break from blogging because I wasn't "feeling it". I've had a lot of thoughts about what I want the blog to be so I'm giving it another shot.
My focus these days is on my passion for fashion! My style, style I'm seeing in LA and style from around the world. What I love and inspires me. I hope you are inspired as well.

The making of a health foodie

Thinking back, I can't say I'm surprised I turned out to be a health food nut. It's not because I live in LA and it seemed the thing to do because that is not the case. This all started for me long before I moved to LA. I've heard Oprah say about making life changes, you tend to start out small. Dipping your toes in, then slowly moving more in that direction. I considered being a nutritionist when I was in college, one of the many majors I considered. I learned there was a lot of math and science, not my strong suits so I didn't pursue it. When I was in my 20's I used to find the local health food stores and wonder in. I definitely felt intimidated and at a loss for what I saw. The produce didn't look all that appealing, being that is wasn't grown or treated with chemicals.

At that time, I'd buy some fruit or maybe a nutrition bar. I didn't understand what millet or spelt was, let alone how to use it. Years later, after moving to California, I put on a lot of weight. I wasn't working out and I certainly wasn't eating well. I found this program on BBC America called "You are What You Eat". This nutty British nutritionist would put her over-weight clients on a boot camp type program. Serious diet and exercise changes and in eight weeks they would look a couple of stone (I don't know why the British use this system  for weight. All I can tell you is a stone equals 14 pounds). They would feel and look much better. For me, this struck a cord. I didn't like the way I looked plus I hated the way I felt. Knowing that I'm getting older, I realized I need to make changes now. I have such a vivid memory of sitting at my grandmother's kitchen table watching her fill her two pill boxes with medication, while she said to me "don't get old". I didn't want that to become me. Time will tell if my efforts will pay off and I'll be able to grow old while remaining active and healthy. Hopefully the "ounce of prevention" approach to my lifestyle will pay off down the road.

I decided to buy the books written by the host. Her name is Gillian McKeith. One of her books is a plan with recipes for a months worth of cooking. I decided to follow her plan for a month and what I learned is that health food isn't intimidating and can be quite good actually. The big realization for me was seasoning your food with herbs and spices, not salts and butter and sauces. I like to eat and I like my food to taste good. I can honestly say, a few years later, that I eat better now then I ever have. When I say better I mean the food I eat today really does taste good and is good for me.
Here are a few things I've learned on my health food journey.

• Most Important - Start slowly! I would not recommend making multiple, dramatic changes at once. For me I started with giving up all soda. I liked soda, I was never a fan of diet soda so giving it up was tough but not impossible. Giving up all soda, without making any other changes to your diet, will result in weight loss, I guarantee it. Weight loss that you will see. What you CAN NOT do is start drinking other sugary drinks.
• If you really want to loose weight and keep it off, you have to be willing to exercise. Yes, it is true, diet and exercise. I've tried just dieting and I've tried just exercising and neither really worked until I did both together. I will be the first person to tell you I do not enjoy working out. I hate it actually and I'm forever looking for excuses not to exercise but at the end of the day I do it.
• To loose weight and keep it off means no dieting, you have to be willing to make permanent lifestyle changes, like giving up soda, permanently. Diets are temporary, just like the weight loss you experience when on one. It's impossible to loose weight and keep it off if you go back to the way you eat before you lost the weight.
• If you really want to loose weight, you have to be willing to give up sugar. This was a tough one for me. I have such a sweet tooth. It was the last big change I made. I did it a year ago, in January of course. It was hard. I actually got headaches which is a sign of withdrawal. If giving up something gives you headaches, you were addicted to whatever that was. I did fall off the wagon once but I got right back on.
• Change takes time - 3 weeks for starters. Many recovery programs for serious additions last 22 days. This is the amount of time needed to get any element (sugar, caffeine, nicotine, etc) out of your system. It's the hurdle period. Making any change, you must be willing to stick with it for three weeks. After that, it will take work but it'll be much easier.
• 80/20 rule. I would be lying if I said I haven't had any sweets or sugar since I made these changes. Since sugar is my weakness, I'm not willing to give it up completely. In her books, Gillian talks about the 80/20 rule which is eat well 80% of the time and 20% is the guilt free time. Personally I've moved it up to 90/10. This doesn't not mean you should schedule weekly or month "free" days or meals. What it means is when the opportunity presents itself, you can enjoy your favorite items with no guilt. You also have to be willing to say no too. Just because there is a cake in the office, doesn't mean I need to have a slice. Unless it's a really good cake. I'm very picky now about the sweets I eat. I only eat the really good, high quality stuff. Nothing you buy at a checkout counter. My chocolate these days comes from artisanal bakers who use the highest quality ingredients. One of my rules these days is if you are going to splurge make sure it's the good stuff1

I hope my story helps. Please feel free to contact me if you have specific questions about what I did.

My Sunday ritual - shopping at the farmers market

Sundays have become a busy day for me. In a fun way. Every Sunday morning a friend of mine and I go to the Hollywood farmers market at the intersection of Selma and Ivar. I have heard it is the largest farmers market in Los Angeles, which is fantastic for me since it is close and convenient to where I live. This time of year the market is pretty crowded. Farmers market shopping has grown in popularity which is great. Fresh produce, grown locally, and cheaper then a grocery store. A triple win. And an added bonus, great people watching too.
Being LA, you do see celebrities. Most of them are there to do shopping with their friends or families and they are left alone. On occasion you do see the paparazzi and my best guess is they are called my the celeb they are following (Gwen Stefani, I'm looking at you).
I wish I was the type of person who could look in my cabinets to see what I have and then whip up some great meal. That is not me, I'm a recipe follower. So I'm pretty reliant on my shopping list. This also helps me from wasting money. There are plenty of times I purchased some veg because it looked so good. I end up throwing it away because I never used it. Having a list and sticking to it, helps me stay focused and only buy what I need so I'm not wasting money or food. I'm trying very hard to be less wastefully, cutting down on my carbon footprint and all. Plus it is a waste of money. Did I mention that? Like so many people, I don't have money to waste. That is not to say I don't still buy off my list. Those items are usually of the fruit variety and there is a good chance I'll have those items finished off in a day or two. Fresh, local fruit, yummy! I start off my trip with a fresh squeezed orange juice which is pure heaven.
Since I've been shopping at the market for a couple of years now, my friend and I have become friendly with some of our regular vendors. Many of whom are the farmers who actually grow the produce. Another benefit of shopping at the farmers market is the ability to speak to people who know their product. They'll sharing purchasing, cooking, storing and storing information. They make it very comfortable for us urban folk to say "what's this and how do I cook it".
Many farmers markets here in southern California also have food vendors. Some vendors purchase their food from farmers so it is another opportunity to eat local. I usually leave with one or two prepared items, that I usually eat within an hour of getting home. My personal favorite are the gourmet tamales. Goat, cheese, sun dried tomatoes and basil, or the sweet corn, barbecue chicken. Yum! I've seen people buy a dozen frozen tamales at time to bring home and eat all week. I've been tempted...
I'm lucky that living in LA means I have a farmers market that are open year round so I'm always able to buy local and fresh. This may not be true in other parts of the country but that doesn't mean you don't have to pay alot more money for your food and you can continue to buy locally.  What shopping at the farmers market has shown me is how to eat what is in season. Food that is in season, has been grown local to you so it's not being flown in from some south American country (the expensive of flying this food to you, you pay for in the end, plus the negative environmental impact that flight has on our planet), right there you will save. I've also heard that our bodies adapt to the environments we live in and one of the best things we can do for ourselves is to eat locally. As an example, if you live in the north east United States, you shouldn't drink orange juice in January. You should be drinking cranberry juice. I learned this because I experienced years of digestion issues. I hated feeling like crap, after eating. Regardless of what I was eating. Speaking with holistic health experts taught me this. Buy fresh and local. It's does a body, the wallet and the planet good.