Shining Like Billy's Crystals

As you know, the Oscars were Sunday night and they definitely did not disappoint.  First of all, thank God that Billy Crystal saved us from last year's debacle when James Franco was too stoned to host and Anne Hathaway came down with that terrible condition otherwise known as "musical theater kid."  The Cirque de Soleil performance was pretty fantastic, but what I want to know is, how can they justify cutting off acceptance speeches when they'll allot almost five full minutes to people flinging through the air?  It seems rude doesn't it?

But let's get to the most important part.  The dresses.  I have to say there were many more hits than misses this year, and maybe that was because the looks seemed to be a bit more dialed down than in years past.  There was a lot of hair down, the glamour was a bit more subtle, and no one missed the mark too badly.  I love the Academy Awards - everyone always remembers to bring it.

Angelina Jolie in Atelier Versace.

Angelina looked beaaautiful in the dress because, well, she's Angelina Jolie.  But that leg always jutting out of the slit?  Stop it.  What is this, Pop Goes the Thigh? We get it already. You are as hot as the surface of the sun, but stop being so damn arrogant.

Gwyneth Paltrow in Tom Ford.

The Editor in Chief of GOOP looked stunning.  A minimalist white column AND a cape?  Perfection.

Viola Davis in Vera Wang.

This kelly green hue is my favorite color and it literally pops against her skin.  I really respect her going wigless but I do not respect her smushing those ta-tas into that awkward neckline.  This look was thisclose to being perfect.

Michelle Williams in Louis Vuitton.

I love this.  I love the coral and I love the peplum.  It seems so perfectly her.

Emma Stone in Giambatista Valli.

A lot of people hated this neck-bow but I thought it was fantastic (especially because she has a long, skinny neck made for high-necked-bows).  I also adore when a red head wears red.

Jessica Chastain in Alexander McQueen.

This was a really edgy choice for her and I love that she didn't overdo it with a severe updo and too much jewelry.

Stacy Keibler in Marchesa.

Now that George's award season has come to a close, the clock is really ticking on Stacy's moment.  She  looked gorgeous in gold and at least Clooney got to take a beautiful, Oscar statue home with him.

Tina Fey in Carolina Herrera.

Apparently Carolina only wanted to dress one person for the Academy Awards and she went with Tina. This was the very best that Tina has ever looked at an award show and the fact that the cool nerdy girl was chosen over all of the gorgeous popular girls makes my nerdy high school self feel pretty victorious.

Big Mac Attack

As someone who spends a lot of time on my Mac and hates working out without my iPod, you can definitely say that I'm Mac obsessed.  Steve Jobs' legacy was positioning the company as an absolute game changer and that's obviously been reflected through their product line.  One of the important lessons that he taught his company (and us) was that the most enduring innovations marry art and science and he once pointed out that the original team working on the Mac had backgrounds in anthropology, art, history, and poetry.  This has been the difference in the look and feel of their products as well as the overall soul of the company.  A perfect example is in their advertisements below and the visionaries they chose as representatives of the brand.  How can you not be inspired to think differently?

What's the Dish?

If you were to look at the top of my dresser right now, you'd notice that it's cluttered with jewelry and perfume bottles.  My saving grace are these amazing lucite bracelet stands and a fab vintage necklace display, but I have nothing for my earrings and rings.  They are just....everywhere.  I keep trying to look for an earring tree that doesn't look like it belongs to a fourteen-year old girl, but I'm starting to think something like that just doesn't exist. 

Imagine my surprise when I was trolling around my usual blogs today and found the perfect DIY solution from Honestly...WTF.  I have a weakness for those decorative little ceramic bowls and her step-by-step tutorial on how to make your own faux porcelain dish is something that I need to do immediately.

What You'll Need:

• one small and one medium ovenproof bowls
• a baking sheet or wax paper
• a paper lace doily
• a rolling pin
• 2 ounces of polymer clay
• knife
• oven
• nail file

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.  Even though most polymer clay is non-toxic, all the surface and tools that comes in contact with the clay should be strictly used for crafts and not reused with food.  The first step is to condition the clay.  Knead the clay in between your fingers, until it becomes softer and more pliable.  Then, start rolling out the clay on a baking sheet or wax paper.

The clay should be rolled out to a thickness of 1/4".  Place a paper or fabric lace doily over the clay and make an imprint with the rolling pin.  Gently peel the lace doily away from the clay.

Turn a small bowl over and place it over the clay.  Using a knife, trim away any excess clay from the perimeter.

Carefully lay the clay circular piece into a larger and shallow bowl.  Place the bowl onto the middle rack of the oven and bake for approximately 15-20 minutes.

Allow the bowl to cool completely before removing the clay dish.  Use a nail file to smooth out the edges.  It looks adorable all white, but you could definitely paint it shiny gold or silver.  

Images courtesy of Honestly...WTF.

Best of the Best of the Best

Now that I have about thirty seconds to breathe before I start my day, I wanted to quickly chat about some of the best looks from the New York shows.  I know, I know, I know that it's a full week after New York Fashion Week closed but....sue me.  Work has been busier and more consuming than I have ever experienced and all I pretty much have time for is work, sleep, and dinners that come in take-out cartons.  Glam right?

What actually is glam? The trends that emerged on the runway this past week.  YUM.  There was a lot of winter white (which I love), leather EVERYWHERE, gold metallics, and pantsuits.  When I say that scary word "pantsuit," keep in mind that I'm talking more Mick Jagger (with the slim thigh and flared ankle) than Hillary Clinton.  Every model was working a Penny-Lane-meets-Jerry-Hall aesthetic and there is just nothing cooler than that.  All in all, it looks like fall will be very sexy.

Here are some of the best looks from some of my favorite collections:  

10 Crosby Derek Lam

J. Mendel

Derek Lam

Victoria Beckham

Naeem Khan

Chado Ralph Rucci

Rachel Zoe

The Great White Wall

I have this huge, white wall above the sofa and it is making me CRAZY.  I pride myself on being a good homemaker aka apartment-decorator-extraordinaire and this big white space needs something amazing on it.  The problem is that the options are unlimited.  As I have smaller photos and prints framed throughout the apartment, I feel like I need something big and abstract with a really muted color palette.  Whatever it is though, it's gotta be good. There might be nothing worse than a big, ugly canvas of paint to come home to every night.  What do you think of my favorites below?

Take It to the Streets

Aside from the great runway shows and ridiculous parties, the amazing street style is probably the third best thing about fashion week.  Now that the FW12 shows have come to an end, scrolling through Tommy Ton's images for Style.com help to prolong the fun...and induce serious wardrobe envy.

Bacon and Boobs

Most of you know Chrissy Teigen as John Legend's fiancee and the stunning Thai swimsuit model, but did you know that she also writes an adorable food blog?  So Delushious is all about the low carb dishes that she cooks at home with John, amazing dishes they have at restaurants around the world, and her great love of bacon.  As someone who spends a lot of time around models and actresses, there is something very refreshing about a supermodel who admits that looking that stunning comes down to a lot of hard work...and no bread. 

On that note, I think I'm making her Boursin and Bacon Stuffed Chicken Breast tomorrow.  YUM.

Boursin and Bacon Stuffed Chicken Breast

Ingredients:

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 pkg. Boursin herb & garlic cheese

4 slices thinly cut bacon

4 slices proscuitto

1/2 lemon, juiced

salt & pepper

1 cup chicken stock

10-12 cherry tomatoes

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Lightly oil the bottom of a deep oven pan.  Place one piece of the chicken breast on top of a piece of Saran wrap.  Cover the breast with another piece of Saran and gently beat it with the rounded end of a metal ladle.

Pound the chicken breast until it is fairly thin.  Repeat with other piece.

Generously spread Boursin cheese onto each chicken breast.  Lay two pieces of bacon across each,  cutting if necessary.

Roll from the short side in.  Wrap two pieces of proscuitto around each chicken roll making sure not to overlap too much.  Place onto lightly greased pan.  Season with lemon, salt, and pepper.

Pour chicken stock into bottom of the pan, toss in cherry tomatoes.  Bake on middle rack for 55 minutes.

Make sure to spoon juice onto tops of chicken every 10-15 minutes.  Slice diagonally and serve with sauteed spinach.  Enjoy!

Images courtesy of Chrissy Teigen.

Tone Deaf

Maybe it was because the Grammy's fell on Fashion Week Sunday - the same time as Zac Posen - and the girls on the red carpet thought they could go undetected.  "Wear something outlandish" they all BBM'd each other that morning, stupidly assuming that the fashion bloggers were too consumed with runway commentary to catch them in their see through dresses and weird costumes.  Maybe it's because the Queen of the Night, Whitney Houston, passed away tragically the night before and everyone was too distraught to think clearly... Who knows.  What I do know is that last night was not pretty, friends.  It was not pretty at all.  

Worst Dressed

Nicki Minaj in Versace.

I get it - she's desperate for attention.  But Nicki, YOU ARE A FAMOUS RAPPER.  You get more attention in one week than some people will get in their entire lifetime.  Stop wasting that tiny waist and that pretty face on these outlandish frigging costumes.  I love Halloween as much as the next girl, but you've got to stop.

Taylor Swift in Zuhair Murad.

I'm sure you are asking yourself why this stunning gown on this beautiful girl would make my worst dressed list.  Well...let's see.  It's gold, it's sparkly, and it's on TAYLOR SWIFT.  Aaaaaaaaaagh.  It's too much.  Can someone style this girl?  Please?  Make the lambs stop crying.

Fergie in Jean Paul Gaultier.

Let me start by saying that I love this color and I love the lace.  I just wish it had some kind of nude lining underneath and not those chunky, black undergarments that chop up this look.  And also, you shouldn't tease vampires by wearing a couture map of the circulatory system right next to him.  Look at him,  he's so thirsty he's forcing himself to look away.

Robyn in....some old scraps.

This is just so many different kinds of wrong.  I don't know where to start so I might just let this picture say it all.

Sasha Gradiva in Leonid Gurivich.

First of all, who the hell is Sasha Gradiva?  Call me old school, but I don't think you get to start dressing absurd and avant garde until the general public knows who the hell who are.  Gaga at least had enough respect to become an international superstar before she dared to wear that meat dress.  

Best Dressed

Rihanna in Giorgio Armani.

Rihanna is walking sex.  That's just all there is to say.  With the exception of the Glenn-Close-in-Fatal-Attraction wig that she's wearing on top of her head, she looks stunning.  I overheard her say in an interview that she "helped" Giorgio design this dress.  I mean, that's like "helping" Monet paint.  She is too fierce.

Kate Beckinsale in Zuhair Murad.

Can we all just thank GOD for Kate Beckinsale?  This woman has never worn a wrong thing on the carpet and has a body that makes me literally green with envy.  Every actress/singer/reality star should go to the Kate Beckinsale School of Style.

Adele in Giorgio Armani.  

Adele is back and looking healthier and lovelier than ever.  It's almost impossible to not be over-the-moon happy for her and the famous pipes that have not changed one bit.