Nuts and Bolts

I went to Home Depot yesterday. I know, I laughed out loud too. Don’t worry, I’m not doing any major home improvements or anything like that. I’m making bracelets. Really rad, hardcore bracelets that require a trip to Home Depot. And the only thing funnier than me in Home Depot in the first place, is the initial lap I do thinking I can find whatever I need on my own. Which is dumb, really, because there are so many eager men waiting to assist you. Maybe it’s because a majority of the usual patrons are the rugged, construction type, but I get the feeling they aren’t used to seeing many gals in Jeffrey Campbells looking for bracelet materials. Which was fine by me because with assistance, I found everything I needed to make this bracelet in a matter of seconds. If you can manage to keep your fingers untangled and the nuts in their respective holder as opposed to all over your shag rug, as was not the case for me the first time around, it really is simple. And it looks super cool, if I do say so myself. For a full tutorial, click here. 

photos via honestly, wtf

Today was a fairytale

I love Taylor Swift. I’m not embarrassed to say it. And I know everyone thinks they can relate to her songs. Oh my goodness, it’s like she’s reading my diary! But, I can relate more. Or better. Or whatever. She reads my mind and writes songs about my life. Sorry. Someday, I’ll be living in a big ‘ol city. I mean.

That's Taylor, RIGHT BEHIND US. I. die.

me. madeline. lexi. whitney. so. stoked.

My sister, Madeline, really loves her too. In fact she just flew to Nashville for the weekend to see her. But before that, she came down to Los Angeles to spend her twentysecond birthday with Taylor Swift, two of our closest friends, and yours truly. Except remember when I had pneumonia? Yeah, that was no fun. I’m sure it was exactly how my sister wanted to spend her birthday. Not. But I made it through half of the show before melting into a 102.9 degree fever puddle in the aisle.

This is the third time my sister and I have seen Taylor Swift together. Two years ago, Maddy came down to visit me in Santa Barbara. One of two trips she managed to make in the four years I lived there. Not that I’m mad about it or anything. Anyway. Maddy, my friend Whitney, and I had a blast. Whitney and I took her to the beach, to a Dodger game. And we saw Taylor Swift. Touring for a second time later in the year, we couldn’t miss out, the three of us reuniting in LA to see the show again, his time bringing my mom in to join the fun. Becoming sort of a tradition, and falling on the weekend of my sister’s birthday, we just had see her for a third time during her Speak Now tour, replacing my momma with our dearest friend Lexi who missed out on the action for rounds one and two.

With three concerts under my belt, I’d say I’m a pretty seasoned Taylor Swift concert goer. Here are some things I’ve come to expect.

1.     Taylor will wear at least 17 different sequin dresses. All with black boots.

2.     If you plan on wearing a sundress and cowboy boots, you won’t be the only one.

3.     Drinking Coors Light is entirely appropriate and encouraged. Don’t forget you’re at a country concert, after all.

4.     Taylor has the most diverse fans in the world. Among many others, common stereotypes of people you can expect to see are as follows: 12 year old girls in homemade t-shirts with the number 13 painted on their cheeks, parents of said children who would be there anyway but use their children as an excuse, creepy fathers of children who are crushing on Taylor, girls who think Taylor knows exactly how they feel, boyfriends of girls who think Taylor knows exactly how they feel who were dragged there, Ashton Kutcher, no joke he was there, and other celebrities who are trying to be cool and relevant.

5.     Yes, Taylor really will be so gracious and humble and shocked that people actually came out to see her it will make you want to vomit

6.     No, she still can’t dance, but she’ll flip her hair enough times and awkwardly move her lengthy body enough to make up for it.

7.     Anticipate some kind of special guest, or one of her friends as she puts it. Especially if you are seeing her in LA. One year it was John Mayer. I cried. No joke. But obviously we know how that worked out. I have a feeling he won’t be making any more special appearances.

8.     There will be some sort of wedding. Because, I mean, why not? She’s a hopeless romantic, after all. 

The Blabbery

Hi friends. This is Heidi. Heidi, these are my friends. I know I’ve told you about Heidi before. And your waistlines have certainly been introduced to her tasty treats. Here we are together. Maybe the second is a more fitting photo of our friendship.

Heids and I met five years ago on a study abroad trip to Australia. Cool, huh? I knew we’d get along famously when walking to the neighborhood gelato shop became an after class ritual. Crazy to think it was five years ago, when it seriously feels like just yesterday we were walking across the top of the Sydney Harbor Bridge, watching the New Years Eve fireworks, and suddenly developing an Australian accent after a few vodka tonics. Here’s a picture of us from down under, with authentic aboriginal face paint. Obvi.

Heidi and I later took our friendship to Spain for a summer. Yeah I know, we’re super worldly. Living in Madrid, we traveled all over – fell in love with San Sebastian, danced in discotecas in Barcelona, got lost in Sevilla, camped at a music festival in Benicassim - all while drinking tinto de verano, attempting to learn Spanish, trying to tune out the Spanish telenovela that was our multicultural flat, and only speaking to each other after we’ve had our morning café con leche around noon. Hey, when you’re as close as we are, you know what works. Here we are in Galicia.

So you’re probably wondering why I’m telling you all about my dear friend. Well for starters, she’s one of the most stylish people I know. She has an incredible eye. And I let her know every time I raid her closet. If only we wore the same size shoe. Can you imagine the terrible influences we are on each other in a Bloomingdale’s dressing room? Unable to keep her mouth shut, Heidi - my traveling companion, my friend, and often times my voice of reason - has started her very own blog, The Blabbery, and I highly recommend you head over there immediately.

Even if we weren’t always the most stylish pair…

Two Headed Monster
Halloween 2007

Ryan Gosling

I wanna be on you. For reals. 

I just saw Drive. Have you seen it? Probably not, it just came out last night. I highly recommend it. And the soundtrack that I’m downloading as we speak. A super unlikely recommendation coming from me, I’m not generally a fan of action movies. But I am a fan of Ryan Gosling. Boy oh boy, am I fan of Ryan Gosling. 

Really well done, I seriously held my breath the entire movie. When I wasn’t covering my eyes, I had my arms crossed, shoulders in my ears, sitting on the edge of my seat. It’s like this crazy combination of thrilling and haunting, yet super sexy and romantic. And I totally fell in love with mysterious, dangerous getaway driver, Ryan Gosling. His character doesn’t even have a name. How hot is that? And the things he does for the girl he loves - my heart’s racing just thinking about it.

I swear, there’s something about him. And the movie is really superb too. Action for boys, and Ryan Gosling for girls, it’s probably one of the only movies my roommate Austin and I have agreed on. Two thumbs up.  

So. Um. Yes. This post is entirely devoted to my love for Ryan Gosling, disguised as a movie review. So what. Can you blame me? I mean, seriously. 

Missoni Impossible

Out of outrage, ideally I’d choose to have no comment regarding the Missoni for Target collection ordeal - but when I tried to keep my opinion to myself, steam literally shot out of my ears and my eyes nearly popped out of my head. Keeping my opinion to myself has never been my forte. Did you score any Missoni for Target swag? I didn’t. And I’m refusing to purchase any of it on eBay either out of defiance. With mark ups so crazy, I’ll wait until I have a boyfriend with a bank account to support real Missoni.  And besides, according to my mom, Missoni print resembles the afghan blanket my grandma knit for me. 

Ok so, honestly – I didn’t even try. I knew my efforts would be futile. Standing outside in the cold, amongst crazy Missoni hungry mommies, waiting for those red doors to open like its Black Friday is not really my idea of a fun morning. Surely I would have been trampled. I can see myself on YouTube now, being plowed over by crazy people, in one big signature Missoni zig zag patterned blur. Can you imagine? I die.

With absolutely nothing left on the shelves, it appears I’ve missed the Missoni boat. Not that I checked three different stores in an attempt to find something, anything that had been left behind, or anything like that. Because that would just be pathetic. So I guess I only have myself to blame. Next time a designer collection is released, I’ll have a game plan. I’m thinking I’ll need a team in order to cover more ground. Obviously we’ll have studied floor plans. And we’ll have whistles. And walkie talkies. And maybe helmets. Yeah, definitely helmets. Let me know if you’re interested. Fashion sense preferred, but not required.

But, had I been able to get my hands on the collection, this is what you’d find in my cart. How gorgeous, right? Paired with thick sweater tights and boots. It almost makes me wish it was Fall in Los Angeles. Almost.

True Love

If this music video had credits, at the very bottom behind kraft services, coffee girl and second assistant to the assistant production supervisor blah blah blah – it would read, assistant to the stylist, Samantha Wyman. No joke. It says it on the call sheet. And yes, I kept it. Obviously.

My friend Alex is pretty cool. He’s super modest too, so Alex – please don’t kill me for bragging on your behalf. Alex has a rad job. He produces music videos. Cool music videos. Like music videos that win VMA’s. Like this one, for example. Alex is also a super friend, and helps out the little people like yours truly and hooked me up big time. Biiig time. So thanks, Alex.

Alex worked on a project for these girls, sisters Destinee & Paris, who in my opinion are going to be huge. Maybe I’m biased because their first music video was also my first music video. Or maybe because the song will forever haunt my ear drums after listening to it 7823461034 times on set. But they’re opening for Britney Spears, so I doubt I’ll be wrong. And the song is super catchy. Like suuuper catchy. Helping me score a killer first job on my stylist resume, Alex introduced me to the talented Maya Krispin, who I was fortunate enough to follow like a shadow, hoping to absorb just an ounce of her brilliance.

So check out the close ups on the shoes. I painted that bow gold. Check out their toes while you’re at it. Someone was hired to paint them. Seriously. Pay attention to the accessories I placed ever so delicately on those tiny pop star fingers. And the gold chain belts I re-pinned after every take. Really. I still dream about those gold chains. And those killer shorts. I mean. I die.

I still can’t believe it really happened. So fortunate to be able to pursue something I love so much. And so grateful to have the friends to help me do it.

Karl Lagerfeld told me guilty feelings about clothes are totally unnecessary. A lot of people earn their living by making clothes, so you should never feel bad. So I don’t. Actually, he didn’t tell me personally, but he’s quoted saying that on the internet, so he probably said it at one point, or something like that. So if some people make a living making clothes, others wearing clothes, why can’t I make a living styling clothes? I mean, it’s working for Rachel Zoe.

So, my current revised list of dream jobs are as follows.

1.     Zac Efron’s Girlfriend

2.     Iron Chef America Judge

3.     Advice Columnist

4.     Stylist