How to Build a Cult Following. Rule #1: Must have t-shirts

Well, clearly it all starts with the merchandising. Because how can your followers demonstrate their unfaltering support of you and your awesomeness if they can't wear the t-shirt? Tragically, and as demonstrated in previous posts, I'm way too lazy to actually "make" t-shirts, even for my faithful. Without hard-won (or purchased) symbols of their love for me, their devotion - and mine to them because of it - slowly faded.

But, now I have found a way around my laziness and can bring my sheep-like followers back into the fold! A friend of my brothers took this photo at a party. A few well placed Google searches (oh, Google, how I adore thee) brought me where I should have been the whole time: the Rockwell online shop. T-shirts and hoodies and satin windbreakers all with MY NAME ON THEM.

Fan-fucking-tastic. Clearly the stars are aligned for my plans to lead a cult a la Fabio in Bubble Boy. But my t-shirts are so much better. "Those who reject him will mutate and burn eternally on Planet PX41, and Planet PX42 if they run out of room." And we wouldn't want that to happen, would we?

The LBD Files, Part 3

I know, I'm totally monopolizing the blog, and for that I apologize.
This tale will be short, too. It involves a Little Brown Dress.

Firstly, this is another dress that looks far better on the waifish model, than it does on my roly poly* figure. But, it is tres comfortable! Really thin jersey and the empire waist tie is very adjustable. Plus, the straps are thick enough to cover my bra! Surprisingly, for me, it doesn't show cleavage! The drawback to this dress - it emphasizes my rather large posterior. We're talking "baby got back". But, I figure, it's my own fault so I needed to work with it.
Well, I decided to schlepp down to Great Scott in this little dress (with some teal flip flops and a teal bag) for The Automatic show. The place was pretty dead, but the dress was great because I was climatically comfortable (? Um, yeah, I mean that I didn't get too hot or cold) and I could still dance around to the Automatic. Nothing of much consequence happened, but the adorable drummer (thick-framed glasses and shaggy hair) did gesture for me to come talk to him and said, "You're not from Boston!" I was a little surprised by this statement, but then the roadie came up to me too and when I replied that I was from Southern California, they said, "Yep, you have a California accent." Whatever that means. Anyways, the long and short of it, I had the attention of some adorable Welsh boys until I was rudely whisked away by my protective friend Mike, who didn't want me to walk home alone at half past midnight.
Did I get the attention because of the dress? I'll never know. But, I'm glad I have this in my wardrobe.


*Thank you, Mindy Kaling!

The LBD Files, Part 2

I'm taking a poetic liberty here and using "LBD" to stand for Little Blue dress in this instance.
Previously, I extolled the virtues of the little black dress. We're going to detour a moment to talk about a particular little blue dress. (There will be stories involving the three other colors that I have this dress in).

Well, this past Friday, I had another "date" with the Professor. I had recently purchased another black dress that arrived in time for the date, but when I slipped it on, I realized two things: 1. It looks far better on the mannequin. I really looked like the "before" picture in a weight loss ad. I had some ideas to make it work, but 2. It's 60% polyester! The thick, non-breathable material was not working on the incredibly humid night we were having. So I opted for the blue dress.
In case I haven't mentioned it before - I love the Billabong Milena dress! It is so so so comfy and really cute. I feel that's it's casual enough to hang out in, but flirty enough to wear out for a day/night on the town. Well, unfortunately, I did not get to wear this dress out of doors last Friday as the Professor saw fit to pull it off me a mere ten minutes after arriving and we did not emerge from our "den of shame" for 17 hours. But, he did say that it looked really nice on me. :)

I end this rather short tale with a favorite quote: "A dress makes no sense unless it inspires men to take it off of you." - Francoise Sagan

The LBD files

For those of you not savvy: LBD = little black dress. Allow this tale to begin with one LBD and where it led me to. (Sadly, the dresses I am about to describe are no longer on the web, so I cannot provide pics) .

I ventured out one steamy evening in my black and gray Free People jersey dress. I'm going to try my best at a description: black jersey babydoll, knee length, with gray stitching that crosses the front and wraps around the empire waist and ties. Also, very low cut in the front and back - but would you expect anything less from me? Anyhow, I rocked this little number all throughout the winter with a pair of brightly colored leg warmers (courtesy H&M), my canvas maryjanes and a scarf. The jersey may have been a little heavy for a July evening in Boston, but I preferred to think of it as "summer black" and threw on a pair of Roxy flip flops and modestly wrapped a pashmina around my decolletage on the way to the Paradise to see Maximo Park. I accessorized with my "Bulletproof" necklace and a lovely maroon ribbon in my hair (a gift from Anne-Marie). Well, let's just say this dress worked it magic that night. I attracted the attention of numerous gents (even Dave Duncan, who is known in our tight knit circle my much less flattering names) and a gaggle of Brits. Out of the Brits, 4 stand out: Stephen (forever to be known as the Professor), Ollie (the Research Scientist) and Paul and Mike (the travelers). I managed to hold the attention of Stephen and Ollie throughout the night (with careful eyelash batting and twinkling smiles) but ended up leaving the club with Paul and Mike. Mike, audibly expressed how much he liked my dress and the way it showed off my assets, but Paul was the victor, as I took him home with me.
In addendum, I had a "date" the following week with the Professor and, in an effort to appear casual, wore my little black tank dress (mentioned in a previous post) with a white tank and red flops and the tree necklace from Laura. He later confessed to me that he rather likes my dresses, having only seen two of them.

The moral of the story - never underestimate the power of a little black dress.

SarahRock Must-Haves #1

So, as much as I love clothes and fashion, I'm kind of a slack-y dresser. I actually have no patience to put a lot of energy into an outfit. If it takes more than 5 minutes, I really can't be bothered. Thus my love for sundresses, because they are fun all in one. However, this is not a post about sundresses. This is a post about my favorite article of clothing, perhaps ever: The Hanes™ Men's A-shirt. Yes, a wife-beater is my favorite piece of clothing.

When the ribbed tanks came back, so to speak, I often found that layering two from Old Navy was too bulky. So I went searching for something else. And boy did I find it! In a 3 for $6 pack at Target. One thin wife-beater (such a terrible terrible name) with a fun pink one on top worked much better for me. And the uses began to pile up. These are great for that just-enough extra layer under a sweater on cooler days and perfect for lounging around the house when you should be doing something else or a bathing suit cover-up. Also, my office hovers closer to the casual end of the "corporate casual" spectrum, so you know, pop one under a jean jacket or a cardy and a skirt and I'm out the door. Plus, the boyfriend thinks they're sexy, and that doesn't hurt.

Magnets for your face.

In my lifetime, I've probably used over 5,239 different products on my face -- washes & scrubs, acne creams, moisturizers, masks, etc. I'm on a constant search for the be-all and end-all of each, and I have yet to stumble upon a single face wash or toner that I can comfortably use for the rest of my life. I'm assuming this has something to do with the fact that our skin cells change completely every seven years, or maybe I just have the most fickle complexion in the world; but regardless, I am a face product whore. I'll try something for a week or two, it won't work, and I'll move onto the next. That's just the way it goes.

However, due to a serious lack of funds, I've had to start looking back at products that I've bought in the past and maybe didn't really give a chance. Like this Natural Oceanic Clay Ionic Mask from The Body Shop. I bought this years ago because I thought it sounded neat: clay particles and sea minerals derived deep from exotic oceans that contain negatively charged ions that react with the dirt and oils in your skin much like the south pole of a magnet would react to the north. I'm no scientist, but I do know that sounds awesome.

You're supposed to leave this stuff on for about 20 minutes or until fully dry, then wash it off and see your pores magically cleared. Perhaps at the time of purchase I didn't leave it on long enough (I tend to be impatient when it comes to magically clearing my pores, so I'd just wash it off the minute it felt dry) but at first, I wasn't a fan of the product. Didn't really think it did anything. Recently, however, I decided to give it another go -- giving it the full 20-minute treatment this time. And now, with a new sense of determination, I realize that, with time, it does work: you can actually see the places where the mask is attracting the dirt as it hardens. Wow. Had I have been patient enough in the past, I might have been able to forgo years of acne agony and pore problems.

I use it about once a week, and I can definitely see a difference. While it doesn't help reduce the size of your pores (and I still get major blackheads on my nose), my skin does seem generally clearer, especially after the first few days of using it. It dries out your skin a bit, so I wouldn't recommend using it more than once a week, unless you have killer tough skin from living out in the Arctic for ten years or something. But if you supplement it with a moisturizer (I use the CVS versions of Olay's Regenerist product line) all is well.

I'm not quite ready to go out and become a model for a facial spa boutique, but I'm content, at least for the next seven years.

Escape from the Witch Shopping Mountains

Let me just preface this post with this: Shopping in Switzerland is terrible. You wouldn't expect that, with all the money stashed in those Swiss bank accounts, but it totally sucks. Even basic stuff is outrageously expensive and there isn't a range of stores, it's either H&M or Prada. Not that I don't love Prada. But I can't afford to go knocking on Muiccia's door everytime I itch for a new frock. And there is no sense of individual style here. The younger girls look like they just walked out of Hot Topic and as they get older their taste don't get more sophisticated, it just gets more conservative and more...beige. I've never seen such a beige city that claimed to be metropolitan.

So this weekend I escaped to London.

I had to get the fuck out of dodge, pardon my French. To some, London is a land of great culture and sights, but some of us know the true reason for its existance is shopping. I was taken by the hip outfits worn by the girls standing outside the pubs as I was driven into the city. Color! Funky patterns! I couldn't wait to get into those stores.

My first stop was actually the BlissSpa London and now I'm addicted to several products that I really can't afford on a regular basis. The Plum Plum Body Butter is SO creamy and yummy smelling. And the girl who waxed my eyebrows was pretty convincing that I should be using the body scrub so I'm sure that's important too...I tried not to make the pounds to dollars conversion as I signed the credit card slip.

Conveniently on my way back to the tube station, I hit Paul Smith. I walked in, looked at the jewelry cases, pointed at two things and had them rung up before anything else could start calling out my name.

Somehow I found myself on Oxford Street...kind of like 5th Avenue in NYC...only ickier. But it's where the big stores are, including the flagship Topshop. Which is where Kate Middleton shops. Ergo, if I shop at Topshop, then I too will date the future king of England. Or, dress like I can? Or whatever. But it did supply print sundresses, one of which scandalized my co-workers today because it contained more than one color.

Aside from the new Tina Brown book about Princess Diana, which supposedly is scandalous, and a couple of fun magazines, those were the highpoints of shopping in Londontown for the weekend. Not a bad couple of days, to be honest. Should stave off the shopping beast for awhile....

Style Warz

Something you may not know about me, although you may have deduced it, personal style is really important. Every piece of my ensemble should scream (or at least least whisper) "Christine". This doesn't mean I spend hours deciding on what to wear every day, but it does mean that I am a careful shopper.
I like to consider my style boho-surf-chic. I think it bespeaks my free-spirited nature and carefree/ready-for-anything attitude. Another little known fact I'll divulge, I secretly view every outfit as something I would wear to a book signing (when I'm a famous author). You know, to give my groupies their money's worth. ;)
I've got my wardrobe down. I have skirts galore, dresses aplenty, a plethora of tops and a closet full of shoes. My serious need is in the accessories category.
It wasn't until quite recently that I realized my total lack of jewelry. Sure, I've got my standard rings on my fingers and anklets on my ankles, but I had a bunch of crap necklaces that didn't really suit me and some goofy bracelets that didn't compliment any outfit. Plus, they did not scream "Christine". Over the past couple of years, my friends have helped me out.
Sarah first bought me my Jukebox Hero necklace at a sample sale in Los Angeles. I think of this as my fierce rockin' piece of jewelry and only wear it to serious rock shows like BRMC or Bang Camaro.
Sarah next bought me a little stainless steel (did I mention my allergy to nickel?) chain link necklace with an ID plate that says "Bulletproof". I wear this delicate but vampy piece of jewelry when I'm looking (in my humble opinion) especially vulnerable. It's the Gemini in me that has to show off my tough on the inside, soft on the outside duality.
Very recently, Laura (and James) made me the proud recipient of a silver tree necklace. This little gem gets me a ton of attention (as do the two previously mentioned pieces). The fact that it is a bunch of branches on the tree (which I'm going to say stands for knowledge) and it sits perfectly on my collarbone, really draws a lot attention to the clavicle area.
These three, with one other ropy Celtic pendant (a Guinevere knot) that I received as a gift for my 20th birthday, has made me realize that I do not know how to buy necklaces for myself. But...I believe I have found the solution: awesome and wunderbar. I think these pieces are fairly unique (it's not going to be one of those Urban Outfitters unique either where every other person on the T is wearing the same thing). I'm particularly keen on the twig bracelet from Erica Weiner (to go along with my tree necklace) and the Covet pendant from Ach Ach Liebling. (Don't be surprised if you guys start seeing pieces as gifts).
I believe, armed with the right accoutrements, you can take on any situation life throws at you. I will display further proof of this in posts to come with stories of the mischief I get up to in certain outfits. ;)

Kisses!

Of Pimple Cream and Cheap Eats

So I have been obsessively reading my way through the posts on Mindy "The Office" Kaling's blog and I pretty much want to buy everything she mentions. I would *so* go shopping with her in a heartbeat. Anyway, one of my favorite posts is the one about the Mario Badescu Drying Lotion, because it cracked me up but I completely sympathized with her lament about boys not understanding facial traumas. I am constantly trying new face products (name one and I've probably dabbed, swabbed, or rubbed it on my skin at some point) and am usually disappointed, but the price on this Drying Lotion was right ($17 ... not bad for a fancy-schmancy "designer" product) and Mindy raves about it so much that I figured why not give it a try.

So yesterday I look it up on the Mario Badescu website and discover that there are two places in NYC that sell it - one in the Village and one up near Central Park. I can also order it directly from the site, but paying shipping irks me (yes, I'm willing to spend $17 on experimental zit cream but not another $4 to ship it to me) so I decide to go trekking on my lunch break and track it down. The uptown location is a bit closer to me (5th Ave. and 53rd St.) so I set out for Henri Bendel.

Ok, now the name should have sent off warning signals right off the bat. I am not a designer clothes kind of person, and super trendy, snobby stores are not my thing. And yesterday was about 93 degrees out, and I'm sweaty, and wearing old sandals and jeans from Target. Perhaps Henri Bendel is not the place for me? But I'm picturing it as a tiny little boutique that I can pop into, grab the Badescu stuff, and pop out of. Yeah, WRONG. It's a big ol' fancy pants 3 level store with a bunch of 95 lb. supermodel salespeople staring at me as I wander around trying to find what I'm there for. Had the soundtrack of my life been playing, there would have been a giant record screech when I entered the store. I finally ask this one fabulously gay makeup counter guy where the Badescu products are, and he tells me they're on the 2nd Floor, but then tries to talk me into letting him apply some bronzer because "honey, you need some color". Uh, gee, thank you for making me feel even better about myself then I did when I walked into this godforsaken place!

Anyway, to wrap up a long, rambling story, I finally got the Drying Lotion and will provide updates on its effectiveness as I try it out. Damn stuff better be the best $17 I ever spent!

On a more pleasant note, check out Restaurant.com. It's this amazing site where you can purchase "gift certificates" for a bunch of local eateries at a fraction of the price (for example, a $10 GC for $3; $25 GC for $10, etc.) It's legit, according to several reputable sources (I haven't tried it yet myself), and seems like a great way to try out new places. One thing to watch out for, though, are the restrictions, which differ from place to place. But if you're flexible, then it seems to be well worth trying. And, through Sunday July 15, when you enter the code ALLSTAR you get an additional $5 off the $10 purchase of a $25 GC. Excellent!

When furnishing a new apartment, don't forget hand soap.

I'm still in the midst of moving into my new-ish apartment, and that means buying new things. How very appropriate, given this blog's purpose. But of all the random things I've purchased in the past month or so since I moved in--the cheap yet snazzy Ikea kitchen table with even cheaper bistro-style chairs, random items made of glass and retro '60s wall tapestries from eBay, a funky sofa from, well, funkysofa.com--this might just be my favorite (and actually, I didn't even buy it; it was a birthday gift): Sephora Purifying Hand Wash, of the Vanilla Frosting variety. Note that on the Sephora website the Vanilla Frosting flavor* is out of stock. Why? Because this hand soap smells so very much like a can of the Better Crocker stuff that you will for a fleeting second imagine that your hand is edible.

*Side note: Is it called a 'flavor' if its inedible? I don't know. But how I wish it was edible!

In addition to being tasty (yet tauntingly vicious in its indigestible state), this soap gets the job done without drying out your skin. My skin is incredibly sensitive, and my hands usually get dry quickly if I don't douse then in cocoa butter at least twice a day. But since I've been using the soap, I've decreased the dousing to a light coating, and my hands have been surviving the daily torments I put it through quite well. (All that typing and mouse-clicking required to check email for eight hours straight while doing nothing at work can wear on you!)

At $10 a bottle, it's a bit pricey for hand soap (considering that Softsoap can go for, what, $2 a pop?). But, it's worth it. The joy it brings to both hand and nose is well worth the money, I believe.

Having people to give it to you for your birthday isn't bad, either.

UPDATE: I just noticed that the soap is actually on sale for $6. Now more than ever, it's worth the price!

You can take the girl out of California, but you can't take the California out of the girl

My latest infatuation is sundresses. I simply cannot get enough of them. This crippling malady has begun to show itself among my wardrobe. First, one dress appeared. The Billabong Milena dress in Charcoal, to be precise. But then, it appeared again, on a different hanger, in Sky Blue. And then I realized I was seriously afflicted when it showed up in Grapefruit Pink and Brown. Now, with four, lovely, comfy dresses, I should have been set for a while. However, with all addictions, it was not enough. I soon discovered the much more reasonably priced little black dress at Tillys, which may be one of the comfiest things I own. I need to remind myself that I have a whole closet full of clothes to wear and give this little number a rest. The most fun thing about it? The fact that I have to wear a tank top underneath means I can mix and match colors (along with my bargain Old Navy flip flops -- 2 pairs for $5) to my heart's content!
What my girls should learn from these tales: 1. Think of Tilly's (they have a chain of these in Southern California) as a cheaper verison of Pacific Sunwear with more girly stuff!; 2. Being addicted to dresses that cost $40 a piece is better than being addicted to dresses that cost $140 a piece (as is my constant struggle with Free People).
Sadly, my dress lust is not over as I am looking for a perfect green sundress to go with my green nail polish (a birthday gift from Laura, thank you) and white or brown sandals with my awesome peacock bag from Sarah.

While I go off to do a little more on-line shopping, just remember, summer is a time for sales!

XO9

Inaugural post!

I am going to spend way too much time thinking of things to post here. :)

For my first post I have decided to share a glorious bath and beauty product line that I first discovered at one of my favorite NYC stores, Ricky's. It's kind of a combination beauty supply store/Urban Outfitters/sex shop and is one of those places where you can while away plenty of time just browsing around. There's one not far from my office in Midtown, and on Wednesday I went to the new one that just opened up in SoHo. We should make a visit the next time you come down, Christine!

Check out the Jaqua beauty line. It's the usual round of bath and makeup products (body wash, lotions, lip glosses, etc.), but the different flavors and scents are SO amazing. It's very possible that I have given one of you something by Jaqua in the past because their stuff is so fabulous. The Maple Syrup and Buttercream Frosting scents are are my favorites, but the Mint Chocolate Chip is not too shabby either. Ally claims that using the Maple Syrup body wash leaves you smelling like a delicious pancake breakfast all day ... I say bring it on!
Price: $8 and up, depending on the product

FOLLOW UP: The Jaqua website isn't listing the Maple Syrup flavor ... if they have discontinued it, I will be supremely upset!