fashion fix

I am chillin down in miami thru the new year and just got the fab head's up that my new fashion blog on the hsn.com fashion homepage is up and running. I'd love to invite you to check it out and certainly and by all means, comment on my piece. not only will your hits and comments mean alot to me but I think you'll like the post as well so its a win-win. catch me and comment here.


looking forward to reading your fashion comments. grassy ass.
xo, jess

it's a wrap

my sis is home in new york from switzerland, me and the beau are at home with the parents on long island, the fire is on and the grappa is flowing. we've done a few gift exchanges in the last several days and its always such a pleasure for me to discuss the different ideas on presenting the presents. I have opted for a new york times theme with red ribbon and my homemade cards (also with nyt cut-outs). meg d. wrapped up my special something with hot pink tissue paper, twine from the 99 cent store and topped it off with a sprig of fir. fab! what are you planning to do?

travel tips

I took the AM flight yesterday from LAX to JFK on american. saundi flew virgin atlantic. for those of you flying this holiday season, look into the caselogic lightweight luggage. the airlines are not taking liberties with bags and will make you tuck, fold and cover every inch of your belongings, so be prepared. there are HUGE lines and bad attitudes at american, so be prepared. why don't they send their employees to the nordstrom school of customer service? I know the counter workers are treated poorly but that doesn't mean that have to treat customers poorly. it doesn't cost anything to smile, especially when I apying $500 plus for it. apparently, virgin america has a nightclub like feel, cool leather seats, movies galore and yummy food stuffs. american ran out of food on my flight, so be prepared. buy water after you get thru security. and when you can, sign up for the frequent flyer programs through your favorite airline to get special travel benefits when they are offered.

a very hollywood holiday

yesterday was the annual girl's xmas exchange. every year, my crew of girls do a fun secret santa drink thingee and toast our gratitude for the past year. I was very grateful for a chateau marmont one night stay I received in a RBK gift bag a few months ago. I figured it was a perfect opportunity to redeem my gift yesterday and host the girl's holiday party on the outside veranda. no better plan could've been, well... planned. I started out the day redeeming a burke williams spa certificate I had for a shiatsu massage (and saundi's firm swedish). we then checked into the chateau and took a cat nap. seven thirty came and we were all dolled up for the night's festivities which ended up being a lovely holiday affair. I had lisa anne as a secret santa of whom I gifted the ab fab dvd series from amazon.com and ironically she had me, for which I got a cutey-patootey betsey johnson tee. I also picked up the daisy marc jacobs solid scent and a fab bottle of wine. for my guests, I gave I Love New York (the city not the show) tees with new york baked black and white cookies. we drank the night away in style (that I'm still feeling today). cheers!

I'm dreaming of a green christmas

the green theme is big this holiday season. I don't know if its the melting icecaps or the barney's windows, but we are having a green christmas! I myself have gotten jazzed on the idea and have reconstructed and recycled everyday items to fit in with my gift giving...

wrap your gifts in fun newspaper, maybe the sunday comics? or my fave, the new york times style section.

when in doubt, go with a gift card. it saves time, paper waste and will give the giftee whatever they are wanting. iTunes is a fun way to go for the music aficionado.

if we're talking recycling, this trendster says re-gifting is a-ok! as long as it doesn't go back to the one who gave it. eek.

snake charming

check out style network's mystyle.com blog today. I'm talking snake accessory.

deconstructed earrings

I've been wanting to pick up a pair of gold straight dangle earrings for a minute now but since I've been spending so much cash on the christmas gifts, figured I'd wait until the new year to buy something for myself. low and behold, I had a pair of danglies from an H&M in switzerland. they had hearts on the, but I was crafty (and frugal) enough to find some pliers and twist the hearts off making for my perfect pair of earrings. crafts equal more cash for family and friend christmas gifts.

hot holiday gifts

I just got back from a very quick trip to new york where I did a satellite media tour with my pals vidicom on some hot holiday gifts. for those of you who don't know, an SMT is where the "host" or expert is in a studio and via satellite we do interviews with national morning shows promoting the brand we are hired by. for those of you who don't know what hot holiday gifts to give, here is a rundown of my gift guide:

for under $180. you can give one lucky travler, a beaufiul set of caselogic liightweight luggage. its made of a special material that makes it durable and extra light. plus its got fun features like a removable laptop shuttle and water bottle holder for hands free handling.

for the mom, dad or baby cousin, get a goose down vest from lands end. for $25, its comfy, colorful and comes in all shapes and sizes. perfect for layering over the sweatshirt or under the coat.

for the music lover, a truly unique gift is the exclusive, hand signed by THE EAGLES takamine guitar. all proceeds go to the walden woods project and only a few were made so its a gift that gives back, is one of a kind and rocks!

lastly, is the breville cafe-roma espresso machine from bed bath and beyond. it brews a perfect cup of espresso and allows the coffee lover to be a barista in their own kitchen.

all of these fun gifts can be found online at their respective online stores. happy shopping!

booty-licious

ever since I picked up a pair of vans-like checkerboards at rite-aid, I have not discounted the store for cheapie fun finds. my eye for pharmacy chic took me into the shoe collection yet again where I found a fab pair of winter footwear to kick around the house in. they're the brown clunky ankle-high booties much like an ugg but ugglier but oh! so comfy and apparently, outside of the oprah crochet, its the thing this winter season. for $9.99, grab 'em before they're gone.

in a galaxy far far away...

last week was house of diehl's style wars competition in los angeles at cinespace. saundi dj'd. the judges were myself, musician jody whatley from back in the day, jeffrey sebelia, last year's winner from project runway and handbag designer nikki chu. the competitors battled it out in live on stage style rounds such as bauhaus your body and denim use. it was an event that los angelenos rarley get to see and it was awesome and I'm sorry you missed it. for vidz and such, my bud possum came down and shot if for his gotv network. check it here.

trendster trend alert

people often ask how it is that I know about trends or what qualifies me to talk about them. I do what you can too. read magazines, check out fashion shows to see where the market is heading, track sales to see what consumers are buying but above all else is what sets the stylist apart from the general public and that is the artistic flair that we "style artists" apply our to oomph up a signature look. rachel zoe has her 70's halston dresses and today, trendster is bringing the sexy back. or rather, the hand corsage back. crazy as it may seem, I love the look and smell of the fresh flowers. the babys breath and carefully arranged carnations hearken back to a time of innocence. I've got the style wars competititon happening tonite at cinespace and I thought it would be fun to debut my debutante accessory at such a significant fashion event. the particular corsage I purchased was $15 from parisian flowers on sunset who serviced the hollywood industry for over fifty years including providing flowers commissioned by joe dimaggio to have placed on marilyn monroe's grave three times a year for ten years following her death. let's see if we can get this thing going, or at least let me lead the way and test the trendster trend out.

he's crafty

we gals sure love to deconstruct tee-shirts but did you know that men are sort of into it to? my bfriend loves to cut off the sleeves of his tees to work out in and I love wearing all of his tees, so it was a pure organic fashion experience that I put on an XL tee with the sleeves cut off and loved the look. saundi even took a couple of his smaller shirts and cut the sleeves off for me. I now love rocking the marissa tomei-ish inspired look of oversized tee with no sleeves, big hoops and leggings. go on and get your man (or woman) to work so you can work it.

modern girls on style network tonite!

got the thanksgiving coma friends? best thing to do is veg out, watch some teevee and let it pass. so if you're digesting in front of the tube later on tonite, the modern girls holiday special I shot a couple of weeks ago is airing at 8pm on the style network. fun ideas for xmas gifts and more! happy thanksgiving!
xo, jess

turkey patrol

tomorrow my parents come out from new york. we have decided to have thanksgiving dinner at S's since I don't have a large enough kitchen or seating area in my tiny apt. so we're taking it to the east side. thanksgiving dinner is a HUGE undertaking. weeks ago, S and I had to sit down and prepare what we would be buying then had to schedule out when to do what and what our tablescape would be (as sandra lee says). S put the turkey on hold the other day (turkey on layaway? what is this, marshalls?) and picked up the sweet potatos and green beans from the framers market, now today I will get everything else annnnd start to bake the pie, ready the appetizers and corn the cornbread for stuffing. we're going with a harvest motiff and took a stroll through griffith park to pick up the oversized pine combs that pepper the ground up there. we cleaned them the other night then painted them with clear nail polish to keep the bugs away. I even spraypainted one gold but S said it was too gaudy and Italian. what can I say? I'm gaudy and Italian. stay tuned for more turkey tales and good luck with yours!

trash to treasure

one of my favorite things to do is decorate.I love finding special curios and knick-knacks to place throughout my home (and others, according to my unwilling boyfriend). the other day on a walk back to my house, I came across a lovely tall, narrow wooden serving table. it was a great piece to help assist in the serving of the thanksgiving dinner at S's however it did not have a top. I carried that bebe home 1/2 a mile, cleaned it up then headed to home depot yesterday and got a wooden piece specially sized and cut for the top and voila! my and the S man have a brand spankin' new table. what started out as a piece of someone's garbage is becoming the centerpiece of our meal, so on ne sais jamais. the best things in life can be free.

the coolest event since star wars....

go knicks!

S. has an ol' college buddy in town this week who just happens to be the physical therapist for the new york knicks. they rolled into town to play the clippers at the staples center so we were cordially invited to check out the game and hang with the b-boys. I've never been to a basketball game before and it was quite the style spectacle. girls in chanel leather pants, men in gucci, suits and 35K cartier watches. what a scene! afterwards we hit up the reg bev wil where the teams board when in l.a. for drinks at the bar with some of the players. around closing time, the pistons arrived so it was nba city up in the lobby bar and plenty o' piston/knick fun!!

shop for a cause

blow(dry) me

I found an easy blowdry in hollywood yesterday. since it was veterans day, most salons were closed but I had an audition so I needed to straighten the curly on the quick and cheap. I stopped by the roosevelt hotel down the block to see if they had a salon and they directed me to sunset nails and salon on labrea and sunset. thirty dollars and a half hour got me a terrific blowdry. sol (who does the 'do) is at (323)467-3333. give em a holla if you're looking for a quick hollywood hair fix.

I voted

with your help, you've brought saundi from 178th place (where he was when I first wrote) to 52nd PLACE in the spin magazine music competition!!!!?!??!?!?!?!?! this is the last and final week so he'll really need that extra push to get into the judges circle of the top 20. you can only vote once a day but again, its quick, easy and FREE when you:

text the word SAUNDI to 628466
he's at saundi.musicnation.com if you want to follow the placing (since you are moving him forward and all). THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!! xo, jess

sweet pea shapiro

my good friend jackie jewels is having a baby! yesterday was the shower at the bungalow club on melrose and we had a super fun time stuffing our faces and playing wacky baby games. I even met a lovely actress (and new mother) AJ courtnay who was a breath of fresh air. mazel tov to jackie, jon and sweet pea shapiro.

nouveaux turkey

saturday night, saundi, a.p. and I headed into west hollywood to the warm and welcoming home of laura, saundi's iowa-bred co-worker. I don't think I've ever met anyone from iowa. they. are. nice. anyhoo, laura who is a wonderfully warm and creative interior designer opened up her home so that her roomie (also from iowa. two in one week!?) who works for bon appetit magazine could cook their foodie version of a thanksgiving dinner. the chef kicked off the meal with a turkey burger made with sage and rosemary and a cranberry mustard drizzle. scrumptious. her sides were sweet potato spears peppered with parsley. to cleanse the palette we were given hearty pumpkin shakes with caramel liqueur and to finish, cranberry torte worthy of a james beard award. it was a great time, great company, great food and great idea for the twenty-somethings that like to get creative in their holiday traditions. bon appetit turkey!

my pal, sally jessy raphael

a couple of years back my good friend jill pollack and I got involved with sally jessy raphael creating a style show pitch to tote around town. sally flew out to l.a. from her chateau in nice, france and holed up in the peninsula while we made the rounds to the networks. we had several entertaining breakfasts, spago dinners and a new york friars club lunch (of which she is the head president or something like that) and let me tell you, this lady is ALOT funnier than she ever let on to be.

closet control

it thursday night when me and S. hit up the tory burch store on roberston for the book launch party of closet control by the always fabulous barbra horowitz. it was a classy event (just like the author herself) and the friends and clients there to celebrate (including cutie filmmaker juan carlos) were a true sign of her loyal supporters. you can pick up the book on amazon (of which I'm on the dvd insert along with chelsea handler and jessica weiner). it has a great binder look and feel and the fashion advice is priceless.

bow to the alter of your space

last night I hit up tara home on melrose for a fab book event hosted by joely fisher in celebration of the spirtual design book, alter your space written by jagatjoti singh khalsa. it was an awesomely colorful event with a tight knit community guest list of sikhs also spotted at the party were sharon stone (who looks faaaab even when eating a ton of cheese from the food bar), adrien brody and strangely enough, bobby trendy who couldn't look less trendy in his carmen miranda-like get up. the space and its indian style goods were incredible and the book is worth the $30. buying price for the beautiful pictures alone. thanks to nicole (and her D.I.Y. chain link bag shown above) for the invite. and big ups to my old school nyc bud, brit mcadams who I was happy to see. om shanti.

dayum that's cold as ice

it has recently been revealed that designer stella mccartney, daughter of sir paul "I'm with the beatles" mccartney, made a one leg charm necklace as an attempt to piss off her ex-stepmum, heather mills. I don't know who is colder, heather mills who has been getting horrible reviews on her losing personality from such respected people as barbara walters or stella who blatantly poked cheeky fun of the handicapped, one-legged evil or not?

super deluxe sneak peek at l.a. trends, spring 2008

help a brother out

my bfriend is in the running for a spin.com music contest (think america's next top model but much music-ier). in order to make his musical dreams of producing with perry ferrell a reality, we need your help....

please txt SAUNDI to 628466

it'll take a second on your cell and you can do it every day if your karma and thumbs so feel inclined and for more info and saundi's music, bio and sexy pic (I took it in miami), you can click here: saundi.musicnation.com

thank you dearest readers for helping me help him help you help me.

get green!

here is a global trend update from my friend's at ubercool...

Al Gore's Nobel Prize is sure to further boost the world's growing attention on the plight of the environment and sustainability. The eco-chic movement is on a roll. Nielsen BuzzMetrics reports that the hype surrounding "green" and "sustainability" spiked 169% in the past year. And prolonged online buzz suggests this movement is more than just a passing fad.

The trend is reflected in the demand for organic cotton clothing, which doubled between 2005 and 2006, according to the Organic Consumers Association. But while it’s growing faster than demand for organic food, organic cotton still represents a very small percentage of the total market.

With Hollywood and real estate developers pushing the concept on the population at large, it's clear that the green trend will accelerate significantly in years to come.

present yourself in a bow dress

quelle surprise this morning to wake up and find that my bow dress beliefs were posted to the style network's mystyle.com blog. click on the link for the goods.

me want candy!

I seriously ate nothing but candy yesterday. and I. am. ok. with. it. I had gone out the night before and got a plastic pumpkin head to fill with hallow's eve treats (read: reese's peanut butter cups, butterfingers and gummi severed body parts). andi and jen invited me along for tricks at the west hollywood parade so I was prepared with a confusing 1980's cat-ish/punk ballerina and a head full of candy to give out. I met the crew on roberston and santa monica who showed up looking so cute in their swiss miss and twisted lil' debbie costumes. we had a ghoulishly wild time walking around and taking in vodka shots and all of the funky and scary and clever costumes. the trick or trend rather, that I saw most of was a ton of britney spears (and her kids crying for mama), priests and 1 out of every 3 had something to do with a man's private part. the most clever was two men dressed as heavy ladies holding signs for the lost ellen degeneres dog, iggy. when the turned around, the dogs were stuck between the cheeks of their butt. hahaha. how cheeky. literally. hope you had a fun and safe halloween.

i'm a barbie girl in her barbie world

OMG!!!! the queen of cool, patricia field who you may recognize as the woman responsible for the wardrobe of such pop culture icons, sex in the city and the devil wears prada previewed her new line this morning at directives west. in collaboration with our american icon barbie, patricia worked alongside mattel to create a line of real-life, real-girl designs entitled barbie luxe by patricia field. the collection knocked my barbie pink socks off!

mad about madden

wanting to build out his global brand, steve madden made a special appearance this morning at the directives west fashion show: time to shine california and unveiled his newest line of spring 2008 dresses. you read it here first - our fave shoe guru is now doing clothes. and cute ones to boot (no pun intended. heehee) but what else can you expect from this master?

look out, it's LA!

wowie zowie fashionistas - I just got a glimpse of the fashion future and it is fiiiine. people put so much emphasis on l.a. fashion week but the real gem is directives west held at the california market center in downtown l.a.'s fashion district which allows buyers to make their purchases for what will be in the stores, spring 2008. more than fashion week, we're seeing the creme de la creme of california couture. it is here that you are getting a first glimpse of west coast chic. lots of short dresses (get a good razor), purple, silver metallics, leggins in different colors, bright colors, bold prints, patent leathers and funky little english hats. my stand out faves include baby doll dresses from voom by joy han and re:volve tees with a globally green message. start global cooling and give peas a chance.

georgie porgie and mrs. p

I love the crafty fun that is associated with our american commercial holidays! each season brings kitschy kitchen towels and scented candles of the hallo-christm-easter kind. this halloween is no exception in finding some holiday fun. finola recommended a great pumpkin patch in calabasas that S. and I hit up this weekend. we came back with the two pumpkins you see here, georgie porgie and mrs. p (who is tre exotique with her third eye bindi). I then made a pumpkin pie from our pumpkin family's innards (completely forgetting the sugar making for a disgusting treat) and got some pumpkin scented candles annnnd pumpkin ale from the grocery turning S.'s place into a pumpkin paradise (or maybe hell? bwahahahahhha).

suspenders surprise!

my hair stylist and good friend andi and her good friend, jen roop got me the cutest pair of skinny suspenders from urban for my birthday. not one to have considered wearing such an accessory, I gave it a shot tonite paired with high waisted bitten jeans ($14.95) and a models and bottles tee. I like it. I'm all in.

shiny happy sneakers

as an inexpensive and sparkly alternative to the chuck taylor, check out this fun find.

modern girls, HDIL and fashion week, oh mY!

yes, l.a. fashion week was here... and went. I did catch the sue wong show at the top of last week (which you can check out the exclusive footage for on youtube) but because of a tre busy work with the style network I was unable to get any other good shows in. no matter, I can assure you sightings of california casually-dressed kim kardashian, nicky hilton and bai ling were what this l.a. fashion week was all about. while the hollywierd hotties did their wanna-be haute thing, I was happy shopping with jane buckingham for a modern girls guide to gift giving. make sure to check it out on its air date the day after thanksgiving. I also worked with finola and the gang on a vintage-inspired how do I look? more details on that to follow. so fashion week for me was all about dressing and gifting modern regular girls which I'll take any day over a starlet in sweatpants sighting.

wicked winter wardrobe

the season's change as quickly as time moves forward and although we are at the beginning-ish of the fall season, trendsters are already thinking ahead of what to wear for winter. I like how the look is moving towards something that is a bit more camp. a bit more vamp. a bit more womanly za-za-zoooo as carrie bradshaw says. think darkly colored nails of blue, purple and statement silver. rock a flapper 'do or a campy mascara circa liza 1972. dress as viciously as dorothy parker's round table and buy a corset just to be smarty (a lovely sunday activity is carousing through local thrift stores). go dark and remember this trend won't last too long past the new year so a have fun being a new you.

style warz

I got down with my old friends, top couture designers and art punks extraordinaire, house of diehl a couple of months ago to participate as a judge in their newest live and in your face fashion experience , style wars. two budding designers, five minutes, mad-max style competition to the designer death. read all about it (and catch their nationwide tour) at their website. are you tough enough?

internet killed the video star

I'm trying to do this style webisode thang. what do u think? I shot this at the sue wong show the other day at smashbox from my front row seat (complete with sue wong interview). my man, mister wilson did the music and zachary weintraub did the edit. try this one on for size, it's super deluxe style.....................

right or wong

just got back from the l.a. fashion week suites and shows. really loved the black with gold detail look of the boulevard bags in the design suites. also thought heidi merrick's line of clothes were country club cool with a twist. jack rabbit's chanel inspired handbags were so of the moment with tassles and buttery leather and hovey lee's eco-friendly jewels can save the world (or at least yourself from bad accessories). had a front row seat at the sue wong show. she is such a class act. most of the collection followed her high art eye but I was surprised to see so many pieces made for the young and thin. she certainly tried something new following the l.a. trend of colorful and interestingly shaped, but it was nothing a girl who needs a bra (or something to eat) could rock. ms. wong however is a stand out, stand up designer who I respect, so maybe next time she'll hit the elegant for everybody mark.

gooooooooal!

last night, S. and I were invited to a fab event for sassy shoe maker, faryl robin. faryl put together an awesome event that included the l.a. galaxy, martinis, posh & bex and her fab new line of fall shoes. we got to event suite 2 at the home depot stadium after kick-off (watch out for traffic if you're planning a trip there!) but that didn't stop us from enjoying the game, meeting new style friends or checking out the fabulous line of footwear that faryl robin has created. unfortunately, faryl robin was out sick and couldn't enjoy her own event but she did send her stylish vibes our way with frequent video visits on skype (get better!). inspired by fairytales gone wrong, her line takes on a vintage feel with a modern girls sense of fun fashion. great colors, buttery leathers and interesting heel work make this line worth a throw down with a wicked witch. a true statement for your tootsies, her shoes are uniquely one-of-a-kind and will have all of your seven dwarves asking, "where'd ya get that?". p.s. we did see becks, we did drink martinis and we did get to see the galaxy win over the toronto f.c. thanks to karyn, lia and lara for the invite!

purple rain

I did it. I caved and bought a trench. after all the stir I spit about not thinking it was appropriate outerwear, I found a really cute satin-y purple version at target for a very affordable $40. it's perfect for l.a. fall weather and really slims the silhouette. plus, its got the great collar I can pop. so, to follow the previous post, I highly recommend trying the trench on for size.

baby it's cold outside

having just spent the month in new york, I became quite acclimated to the brisk fall weather. I was able to correctly assess the temperature then successfully add the appropriate outer layer to my wardrobe. mets game in the nosebleeds - track suit. birthday dinner with friends - pashmina wrap. montauk weekend trip - my boyfriends oversized wool sweater. I came back to l.a. thinking I'd find an indian summer filled with cute button down sweaters and the occasional custo barcelona wrap. wrong! it's cold here. not what I expected at all for early october but then again who knows what the weather is doing these days. that said, what is a girl to wear in this semi-cold weather purgatory? here's a five point list of what one should consider to look extra cool in the (not too) cold...

1. love the swing jackets. those cute little 3/4 sleeve duster pieces that really play up shape and add as much or little color as you'd like. plus, it adds a high level hip factor to anyone's ensemble.

2. I love a double-breasted topcoat in a thin fabric for a form-fitting chic look. think jackie o. hits the new york public library. this season's jewel-toned colors like deep purple and royal blue mixed with plaid or houndstooth add a sophisticated pop of color.

3. a few posts back, I wrote of heidi klum in that lovely floor length kimono style sweater jacket. although we may not pull off (or find) such an item, an oversized wrap sweater in cashmere and gray is great for a luxuriously casual pulled-together look (and keeps you cozy to boot!).

4. I love a little bit of a rock n' roll so a fitted leather blazer or jacket that cuts at the hip creates a perfectly edgy rock star look.

5. anything metallic will surely have you looking out of this world. peacoats, a classic trench or leather bomber in silver, distressed gold or bronze is a trend wonder. a fun statement to add for this season.

et voiLA!

mercedes benz fashion week l.a. is coming in strong and for a first time in a while, I think they are getting it right. it's short, sweet and to the point with provocative designers showing from heatherette to randolph duke to jeremey scott. I hope to get a front row seat to give you all the good fashion dish. cali fashion week certainly stands alone with its casual vibe and loose rules. you better work, duuuuuuude.

first magazines first

I had a very fun photo shoot for first for women magazine in nyc today. it started off with a long island car p/u and a trip to the warren-tricomi salon for hair where I learned that the hair trend du jour includes bobs and cuts close to the head (think katie holmes' short 'do). I then hopped in a cab downtown to the loft 05 space on broadway where the shoot was held. the theme was holiday party makeovers and I had the pleasure of working with a terrific team including makeup artist sonia kashuk. we did up the ladies in deep jewel-tones and silver sparkles. I kept in mind a pants look, something to flatter the tummy (a wrap dress) and a really fun fuschia frock. they also caught this picture of me goofing around on the set. look for the story hitting stands everywhere, december 13.

sailin'

me and S. were in montauk for a wedding of a buddy of his from nyu baseball. since it was out east and at a yacht club, the boys decided to dress to the nines in yacht club chic. should you want the yacht club look yourself, stick with blue blazers with gold buttons for the boys and pearls for the girls.

party like it's my berfday

last thursday was my 31st birthday. I am no longer a twenty-something. I am a full grown adult and as my mother so lovingly puts it, inching towards my 40's. bring it on. anyhoo, I was fortunate enough to be in new york to celebrate and celebrate we did! my boyfriend, S. put together a spectacular day that was kicked off very early in the a.m. with presents from my parents including a kalologie on robertson gift certificate (laser hair removal anyone?), betsey johnson shoes, a victorias secret gift card and ralph lauren polo blue for men (I roll like that). from S. was a great I heart new york bag (coz I do), a one-of-a-kind hello kitty tank, a mixed tape and a book (found on our san fran trip). we then headed into nyc to the ettia day spa uptown for my facial/sugarscrub/massage birthday combo. wow! this place is not a well-kept, oprah approved secret for nothing. great services on a dime. afterwards we had lunch at the new york institution, tavern on the green. we then headed over to tiffany to pick up a trinket which was a gift from my sister (who was already back in geneve). I opted for a silver venetian link bracelet. the store , blue bag and jewelery piece were a terrific part of a terrific day. by now, we're exhausted but still had the piece de resistance to attend. saundi planned a dinner at cuba on thompson for 10 of my nearest and dearest new york family and friends and we got down with the hand rolled cigars, live music, mojitos AND A FUDGIE THE WHALE CARVEL CAKE!!! until we closed the joint. it was an amazing birthday filled with such amazing presence and presents. I am now 31. I am blessed.

maybe next time