Emmy Fashion-Best and Worst

This year's Emmy's red carpet was a little on the underwhelming side. There was a lot of playing it safe and there was a lot of boring gowns worn by usually fabulously dressed stars (Emily Blunt I'm talking to you). Two favorite trends of mine that were seen walking the red carpet were sequins (so fun and glam) and white (as Rachel Zoe says I love me a white moment). For those of you that were unable to catch the Emmys last night I have rounded up my pics for the best and the worst. Let's start off on a good note with the best dressed.

Best Dressed Women:

Jennifer Carpenter of Dexter

Normally I am not a fan of the asymmetrical long sleeve look, but I actually like it on this dress. This was by far my favorite look of the evening. The dress managed to be edgy while still being glamorous and sophisticated and it looked great on her.

Claire Danes of Temple Grandin

Claire Danes made just about every best dressed list out there for her Armani Prive gown. It's easy to why. The color is great on her and the strapless style is elegant and sexy without being too showy on top.

Connie Britton of Friday Night Lights

Another sequined look for Connie Britton who wore a sequined Burberry column gown. This one I loved for it's old Hollywood feel.

Brooke Burke of Dancing With the Stars

Brooke Burke took the classic glamour route with her white gown and it looked fabulous. The neckline was showy and accentuated with the statement necklace but the bottom of the dress stayed understated to tone down the top. Both the fit and the cut looked impeccable on her.

Julie Benz of No Ordinary Family

Julie Benz took the modern route with her white gown and pulled it off equally as well. The dress, jewelry and hair gave her a chic modern glamorous look while the beaded side cutout added a hint of fun to her Pamella Roland gown.

Best Avant-Garde:

While they might not have been the best dressed, these ladies still managed to look great AND take a risk.

January Jones of Mad Men

January received mixed reviews for her Atelier Versace gown. Some loved it and some hated it. I loved it minus the Madonna cone bra cups on top. The color and texture are fun and the cut of the bottom is youthful and modern. However, she really should have done something with that hair.

Rutina Wesley of True Blood

I looved the print of this dress. It was one of the few prints seen on the red carpet. (Kris Jenner also wore a print but I think it is better for her and everyone else to forget she wore it, since it made her look fat and terrible.) Rutina however looked fabulous and cutting edge in her printed gown. The full skirt gave the gown a sophistication to balance out the sexiness of the slit leaving to her look modern and glam at the same time.

Best Dressed Couples:

Jennifer Carpenter and Michael C. Hall of Dexter

She was my best dressed and he looked very handsome in his tux. Together they looked great and win my vote for best dressed couple.

Kevin Bacon of Crazy Stupid Love and Kyra Sedgwick of The Closer

Not only were they a close runner up in my book for best dressed couple, they were also a definite winner for cutest couple when she won her Emmy for The Closer that night. They definitely showed why they have one of the longest running marriages in Hollywood. And how can you not love Kevin Bacon?!? As for the clothes, he looked great in his slim cut suit and tie and while not the most exciting choice of dress of night, Kyra looked elegant in her maroon Monique Lhuillier strapless gown. Although I hope they had a big steak dinner afterwards as she looks to be in major need of nourishment.

Best Dressed Men:

Nicole Ari Parker of The Deep End and Boris Kodjoe of The Undercovers

As a man you know you've hit a fashion home run when you rock a suit better then Jon Hamm, and Boris left Hamm in the dust this go round, making him my best dressed man of the evening. The fit on the suit is great and the satin lapels dress the suit up for the occasion. If this doesn't make you want to watch his new show The Undercovers I don't know what will. I also like his wife Nicole's dress but her hair is not doing her any favors as it makes her look much older then she is.

Mark Salling of Glee

Mark comes in second on my men's best dressed list because he took a chance with the shiny suit and it paid off. Although most men could not carry a suit like this, his age and edgy good looks let him pull it off. I think I am one of the only people on the planet who has seen Glee and not liked it. I found Mark Salling's hotness to be it's only redeeming quality:).

Worst Dressed Couple:

Ty Burrell Of Modern Family and his wife Holly

All I can say about this is I hope it was meant as a joke.

Mindy Kalling of The Office

Mindy appears to have taken her 1980's prom dress out of the back of her closet and hired Marge Simpson's hairstylist to do her hair. This look is terrible all the way around except the shoes. The shoes are nice.

Christina Hendricks of Mad Men

Dear Christina Hendricks,

Please for the love of all that is holy if you do not have a stylist get one, if you do have a stylist fire that person immediately and hire someone new who will not dress you to constantly look fat and matronly. You are gorgeous and have a great figure but you would never know it from 90% of what you wear. Also, if you really want people to recognize you for more then your cup size you should probably refrain from showing your chest off to the degree of making it look like an overweight plumber's butt crack.

Sincerely,

Women all over the world

Some people listed this on their best dressed list. I think those people are blind. Christina Hendricks is 35 years old but this matronly looking mother of the bride dress gone wrong makes her look 55. The boobs are out of control , the dress adds at least 10 pounds to her and the feathers are terrible. I also cannot believe this dress was designed by Zac Posen as he normally makes women look great not tragic. Which is a shame since I think Christina Hendricks is great just terribly styled.

Sale Alert

J Brand Heartbreaker Low 19" Boot Cut Jeans

Today Hautelook.com has J Brand Jeans on sale for up to 70% off. Styles such as the Heartbreaker jean pictured above can be yours for only $69! But hurry sizes and and styles are going fast. HauteLook.com is a membership only website, so if you are not already a member let me know and I'll send you the invite. Best part is membership is free! The J Brand sale ends on Wednesday at 10am CST.

The Wish List Continues

Yellow is Gold by Sunshine & Shadow Silk Shirtdress

After a not so great summer line, Urban Outfitters is certainly back on track for fall. In addition to the purse on Monday I also found this dress online and am dying to have it for the perfect summer to fall transition piece. Dressed up with a straw fedora, wide brown belt and brown heels or flats the dress becomes not only comfortable but stylish and definitely on trend for fall. With the price tag of $78 it's a little over budget so it will stay on the wish list until it goes on sale or I find a discount. :(

Deal of the Day

Ecote Antiqued Metallic Beaded Clutch

Today's deal of the day is this clutch from Urban Outfitters. Since space in my closet is growing limited and money in my bank account is growing severely limited, this fall I am focusing on accessories to add newness to the the fall clothes I already own. Although my everyday purses border on carry on luggage territory, I love small clutches for evening looks. There is less to lug around and they add a little extra style to your look. The clutch above is my fall take on the gold sequined clutch that I already own (shown here). It is still just as glam but a little more subdued to go with all of this fall's neutral tones and military inspired looks. And just like the gold one, it's a steal at only $38.

Two for One Space Saver

When I moved into my first apartment back in St. Louis and started getting furniture the first thing I realized was that I was super short on storage space. Especially kitchen storage space. This sent me on a search for pieces that served as storage but didn't look like storage. First, I thought about getting a bar cabinet and using that as an extra seating area, but they turned out to be too big and too expensive. Then I found this end table from Value City Furniture. From the outside it looks like a drum shaped end table, but when you open it, it becomes a small liquor cabinet for less then a quarter of the price of a regular bar cabinet and it doesn't take up near as much room.

The fact that it is in the living room also gives guests easy access to help themselves to whatever they want during a cocktail party. Which is always a plus when you are running around the kitchen like a frantic mess :).

Fall Style Wish List

Banana Republic Heritage beaded flapper shell

Ann Taylor double strand necklace with Swarovski crystals

Ann Taylor pave chain link short necklace

Ann Taylor chain link pave ring

So far this week I have spent a lot of time on the couch. I was battling a terrible sinus headache and a cold on Sunday and Monday so I had some extra time to start going through all of the September issues of fashion mags I had piling up around the apartment. After going through over 1,300 pages from In Style, Glamour and Marie Claire combined I came up with good news and bad news for the fall season. The good news is pretty much everything from last fall and spring is still in for the most part aside from a few out there trends that no one really caught on to and the return of grunge this fall which I am choosing to ignore :). The bad news is the few items I came across that would perfectly freshen up the fall wardrobe I already have are a little on the pricey side. So I will be crossing my fingers that these pieces are still around come fall sale time.

Here is what is on my current wish list:

1. Banana Republic Heritage beaded flapper shell $98- I spotted this shell in an article about fall work attire and loved how it could be worn many different ways. In Style paired it with a black pencil skirt, brown cardigan, and red purse for work and removing the cardigan for after work cocktails. It could also be paired with jeans and flats for an everyday look, or skinnies, heels and a blazer for a night on the town.

2. and 3. Ann Taylor double strand necklace with Swarovski crystals and pave chain link short necklace $48 and $118- I saw these in an Ann Taylor ad in a couple of the magazines. Naomi Watts is pictured wearing both necklaces with an olive green silk camp shirt. It is a great way to put a little glitz into an everyday outfit. They would also be great as an addition to an evening wear look as well.

4. Ann Taylor chain link pave ring $38- When looking up photos of the necklaces above online I fell in love with this ring that matches the necklace above. With my affinity for chain link rings this one will be a definite must buy.

Product of the Week

As those of you that have been reading this blog can probably tell I am quite the fan of Trader Joe's, but then again who isn't. While most people, myself included, head to Trader Joe's for their tasty treats, great organic food buys, fresh flowers and even dog treats, it is probably not the first place you think of to go to for beauty products. The hygiene section of Trader Joe's is pretty blink and you'll miss it but they do carry a few Tom's of Maine and Avalon Organic products along with their own branded products including the fabulous find above.

I first discovered Trader Joe's Honey Mango Moisturizing Shave Cream on the blog The Cheap Chica's Guide to Style. Since my usual favorite, Aveeno Positively Smooth Shave Cream, had apparently been discontinued I was on the hunt for a new favorite, so I decided to give this one a try. After just one use I had already decided that I could not live without it. This stuff is ahhmaazing. For starters it smells like a tropical vacation and instantly leaves you yearning for a frosted fruity drink with an umbrella in it. The smell alone makes this product a must have, but on top of that it has aloe vera and vitamin e to leave your legs incredibly soft and smooth and since it is paraben free it doesn't dry out your skin like some of the fragranced aerosol brands do. It's also 100% vegetarian for those of you vegans out there. Best of all it is only $3.49 for an 8oz bottle. So the next time this St. Louis humidity has you wishing for a tropical getaway, treat yourself to a nice cool bath and a fruity drink, treat your legs to this shave cream and let your cares run down the drain :).

Hiding a Phone Jack-From Drab to Fab

Since moving into my new apartment in January I have been trying to find something to cover this terrible phone jack on the wall in my kitchen. It is a huge eyesore to begin with, then when you couple it with the fact that it faces the front door, making it one of the first things you see when you walk into the house, it is atrocious. The first thing I thought of was obviously a picture, but since a flat picture would stick out due to the phone jack that wouldn't work. I also couldn't use a canvas picture because I already had one on the other side of the wall near the corner so that would have been to much. Then one day after opening my liquor cabinet and having a bottle of wine fall out, since I had tried to cram waaay to many bottles into such a small space. I had a great idea.

Back in December a friend and I took a trip up to Chicago. Since she had never been to the magical world of Ikea we made a stop. While there I found these awesome modern looking wine racks that could me mounted to the wall or under a cabinet. I wanted to get them then but since I didn't know what my new apartment was going to look like yet, and I have absolutely no room for extra stuff, I talked myself out of them. And now that I had come upon the perfect use for them I was absolutely kicking myself. Since a drive up to Chicago just to purchase two $12 wine racks was out of the question, I waited patiently for my trip to San Diego to purchase them, and hoped that once I got them they would look as good as I had imagined in the space.

Needless to say I am quite happy with the look. They fit perfectly over the phone jack and bring a modern touch to my extremely out of date traditional apartment kitchen. The best part is it also provides a storage space. As I am sure most of you know space comes at a premium when you live in an apartment, and with as much stuff as I have it's at a super premium, so i am constantly looking for new ways to save space and have things both look great and serve a purpose. So for $24 I got storage, decor, a space saver and a disguise all in one. Now with my wish of something to cover my drab ugly phone jack granted, my next wish is please oh please can we get an Ikea in St. Louis! A girl can dream :).

Deal of the Day

Today's deal of the day is on one of my favorite things: fresh flowers. I am a huge fan of fresh flowers because they instantly brighten up a room and your mood. Plus, they are only supposed to last a week so I don't feel like it's my fault when they die like I do with the two plants in my living room that I constantly have to replace because somehow they always die on me.

One of my biggest pet peeves is when girls see flowers at my place and say "Oh those are so pretty, I never get flowers." Guess what ladies neither do I, I go out and get them myself, so do yourself a favor and don't wait for your man to get the hint that you would like flowers on random occasions go out and spend $4 to get your own, trust me your mood will thank you for it, and your guy may just pick up on the hint now that it is right in front of him :).

$4 is exactly what these gladiolas cost at Trader Joe's. I picked these up at the Creve Coeur location, but last month I also bought a bunch at the Schnucks by West County Mall for the same price. Gladiolas are great because they are usually cheap and due to their size they really make a statement. Another favorite statement making arrangement of mine is hydrangeas with peonies. Whole Foods usually has some really pretty peonies this time of year and a bouquet will only cost you about $12 which is pricier then $4 but much cheaper then a bouquet from a florist. You can find nice hydrangeas for between $4-$6 at both Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. I arrange them in alternating fashion in a regular sized glass pitcher (the one pictured is from Bobby Flay's line at Kohl's) and it makes the bouquet look like you spent a ton on it when really you paid under $20, and the peonies smell amazing but not so strong that they smell up the entire house.

So this weekend do something for yourself and pick up some fresh flowers, I promise you it will make Monday just a little bit better :).

Gifts from Anthropologie

Latte Bowls

Capri Blue Volcano candle

Nodding head drop earrings

Fleur-de-lys juice glass

Atlantian pitcher

Most people know Anthropologie as a clothing store with really cute clothes at not so cute prices (although there are some great finds in the sale section). One of the best things about Anthro though is their gift selection, especially in the housewares section. So the next time you are in need of a last minute gift whether it be for a birthday, shower, holiday, house warming or hostess gift check out Anthropologie.

Pictured above are a few of my favorites.

1. Latte Bowls- Every year someone I know gets these as a Christmas gift. These bowls are great for cereal, ice cream, soup you name it. They are also dishwasher safe and pretty durable, and the best part is they come in an array of colors that changes each season.

2. Capri Blue Volcano candle- This is another one of my go to favorites since it is perfect for a small birthday gift and comes in an assortment of sizes and containers ranging in price from $12-$25. I prefer the modern look of the blue glass but some of their other options in jars are equally as cute. The smell is an amazing citrus scent. If you have ever been in an Anthropologie store it always smells like these candles.

3. Nodding head drop earrings- I actually bought these as a gift for myself while in Vegas :) although mine are more of a yellow color. The earrings have a classic feel but with the modern touch of the drop hoops. They can be dressed up or dressed down and for $14.95 you can't beat the price.

4. Fleur-de-lys juice glasses- I have not yet found an occasion for these yet but always think they would be really cute as a shower or housewarming gift. They come in a few different colors so you can mix and match and are the perfect juice glasses for an outdoor brunch or lunch.

5. Atlantian pitcher- I picked up this cute little vintage inspired pitcher as a hostess gift for my friend in San Diego as a thank you for letting me stay with her for the week. It's not a huge pitcher so it is nice for small gatherings. My favorite use for it, as is with all of my pitchers, is a vase. This size is just right for a couple of small bouquets of flowers bunched together. During the week I stopped by Trader Joe's and picked up a few bunches of gerberas in different colors and arranged them in the vase and and it looked great. Another plus is a lot of people, including my friend, use the space above their cabinets as a display/storage area for pitchers, vases, pottery etc. and with the small size and vintage look it makes the perfect display piece. All of these uses and it is only $28.

Back to Reality

Encinitas, CA

After 11 blissful days of vacation in San Diego and Las Vegas I had to return to work today :(. Rest and relaxation gave way to mounds of emails, laundry and things to catch up on at work. So after a long day I figured I would relive a few of my vacation memories with you.

Since I was in San Diego for a wedding/bachelorette party/rehearsal dinner and a bridal shower, the week in SD was quite busy. I think I made about four separate stops to Target to get gifts the week I was there. As soon as I got off the plane, stepped outside and felt the cool breeze, I realized I had forgotten what warm breezy non-humid weather feels like. It was kind of a shock to be able to go outside and be able to breath and not be choked by the hot humid air we have been having here.

The first thing I set out to do was stop by a few of my favorite home stores that are not in St. Louis. The first stop to to Ikea for wall mounted wine racks and then to Z Gallerie (I was soo sad when they closed their Galleria store) for a couple of pieces to use at my annual Halloween party (more on all those items later this week).

Otis (How freakin cute is he?!?!?! )

The next day I drove to Newport Beach to visit an old roommate and her dog Otis who was basically like my dog too when we lived together and he is one of the cutest and sweetest dogs ever. As evidenced in the picture above he has aways thought he was smaller then he really is :).

Besides getting a speeding ticket on the highway in Newport like four years ago I had never been there. It was beautiful, just like it looked on the OC haha, even though that show was actually taped right down the street from where I lived in Redondo Beach near LA not actually in Newport or the OC for that matter. The drive up there from San Diego was really scenic and relaxing so I didn't mind the hour drive at all. We had brunch at a place called Billy's on the Beach which was right on the marina and had ahhmazing crab cakes.

Delicious goodies from Elizabethan Desserts

On the third day I had to make a stop at my favorite bakery for some tasty treats. I grabbed two berry buckle muffins which are these delicious old fashioned buttermilk muffins with blackberries, raspberries and blueberries with sugar crumb topping. They are so good my mom has been trying different recipes for a few years now trying to replicate them. Then I stocked up on an assortment of mini cupcakes to share with friends including black and white marble, passion fruit, strawberry, peanut butter and banana, chocolate toffee and my favorite red velvet that she makes the old fashioned way with beet juice instead of food coloring. I also got one of my favorite things there, her oatmeal raisin maple iced cookies which was warm when I got it so it didn't make the picture as I could not resist gobbling it up in the car on the way home. Then I had to get a piece of what she called St. Louis gooey butter cake to take back to give my friends a taste of St. Louis. Bad idea. I have had some rich gooey butter cakes in my day, Paula Deen's recipe is one of my favs although it is super rich, but this one was so over the top it was inedible. It literally tasted like I took a stick of butter, rolled it in powdered sugar and took a bite of it. Not tasty and my friend was not impressed, so the next time I visit I am going to have to bring her some real St. Louis gooey butter cake straight from the source. Other then the gooey butter disaster everything she sells there is soooo good so I highly suggest if you are ever in San Diego and happen to be near Encinitas area you stop by and try it out.

Goat Cheese "Queso Fundido" and margaritas from Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill

Once in Las Vegas I met up with my family members that live there and we went to eat at Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill at Caesar's Palace. Deciding what to get off the menu here was close to impossible as everything sounded delicious. Since I had trouble narrowing it down I decided to get two appetizers instead of one large meal and then shared some of it with the rest of the group. I settled on the smoked chicken and black bean quesadilla with guacamole and toasted garlic on top which was delicious and the goat cheese "queso fundido" or as I like to call it heaven in a cast iron baking dish. I found a recipe online that sounds like the same recipe used at the restaurant so I am going to have to try to make it at home it was that good. Everyone loved what they had which included the halibut, salmon and New York strip streak. At the end of dinner we all split the banana cream pie which was a perfect end to a great meal.

Atomic #7 menu

The process of freezing our ice cream

On my last day in Vegas I treated my aunt and grandma to ice cream at Atomic #7. Upon arriving at the shop you get a dry erase menu to mark you selections on. There are a lot of choices to make including milk or ice cream type, sugar type, flavor (create your own or choose one of their flavor creations), mix ins, toppings and what you would like it served in. They have so many options because your ice cream is made right in front of you. They mix together all the ingredients as if you were going to make your own ice cream at home in an ice cream maker, but instead of putting it in the ice cream maker they put it in a Kitchen Aid mixer and freeze it instantly right there with liquid nitrogen. It was very Bill Nye the science guy, the servers even wear lab coats. It was also probably one of the coolest ice cream experiences I have ever had. The best part was that they had a lot of healthy options for your ice cream. I ended up getting bananas foster and peanut butter made with yogurt, almond milk and agave sugar. Mmmmmm.

That is just a sampling of the fabulous things I got to do on vacation. It was soo much fun. Now I just have to deal with the wait before I go back next summer. :)