Ode to Style

I have no Valentine this year so I wrote this love letter to my valentine- style of course! Here's my (original) ode to style.

Dear Style,

Why do you enslave me so? 

Your collections are invincible, but I'm sure you know.

With your purses, bracelets and dresses galore-

You fill my blog with Couture and more.

I'm a prisoner to my thoughts when I think of you-

I don't want to be be free though- 

Yes indeed, it's true!

From velour to neoprene to the charms and the fragrance-

You fill my wishlist with your stylish acquaintance.

The buckles and zippers of heels can't compare-

To the logo on the box that is always there.

The handbags are a dream, just truly amazing-

The unlimited accessories always keeping praising.

I'm perfectly okay with being your slave-

You're what I need and desire, like a man needs to shave.

So okay, I'm wrapped around your manicured finger,

 Always, dear style, your essence, will linger.

You are infinite, forever, determined, and nocturnal-

Because fashions will fade but you, are eternal.

I love you style! This is my Valentine to you. Ta-da! What do you think? What's your "ode to style"? Who's your special valentine? Comment it out!

Tiny Printer for Your Smartphone!

Here's your treat for this Monday. Isn't it cute? It's called the Little Printer. This is one I would definitely buy and use everyday. 

WHAT IT DOES:

• There's a smartphone app that you subscribe to different things to (like a daily sudoku puzzle, your current foursquare ranking, daily news, the weather for the day, a to-do list that you make yourself, the newest posts on your fave blog, and more)
• Everyday at a time you choose, the Little Printer will print out your subscriptions on a little piece of paper that can be as long as your scroll of subscriptions are
• The best part is, all you have to worry about is refilling the roll of paper, because Little Printer does not use ink! It is a thermal printer- meaning it uses heat to transfer an impression onto its special paper.

Any more questions? Looking to buy one? Visit the FAQ page HERE.

Check out the video below and be dazzled by its adorably tiny size but amazing printing power!

The only downer is, the Little Printer is not up for sale yet. Honestly, I'll probably not feel like waiting up for it to let you guys know but if you email me in a couple weeks I guess I could let you know its status. Or, you could click HERE.

Figure Flattering Fit n' Flare Dress

Try to say that title 5 times fast! Trend alert! Okay so I was doing my daily dose of online browsing for things to buy with my oodles of money (JK- more like 3 dollars, a corn flake, and lint!) when I found some interesting pieces.

Some dresses really stood out to me because of how they were put together. But I noticed a trend seeping through, one that I like to call Fit-n-Flare.

This is when a dress is tight at the top, has a seam near the waist, and then flares out at the bottom. These are perfect for flattering or evening out a figure and an adorable way to put a girly twist on a glam, sophisticated look. Even better, they look adorable with a belt resting right on top of that oh-so distinctive middle seam.

 

Pretty Paris Makeup Look

Since I'm in a let's-celebrate-the-early-spring mood, I decided to give you guys a new look! P&G Beauty Global Creative Design Director Pat McGrath created this makeup look inspired by the CoverGirl Blast Collection. It's perfect for spring and is ultra girly, which is the secret to ultra Parisian style! The best part about it, is that it's one of those very rare looks that can be flawless on any skin tone. Since it's from the CoverGirl website, the link will only use CoverGirl products.

What I noticed was the minimal shadow (neutral tones), brown sparkly mascara, matte-finished lips, and blush to contour the face. It was simple and fresh. Perfect for spring, or the special red and pink heart-filled day coming up on Tuesday! Try it out!

H&M: Collection for a Cause

      

This Spring, not only will it be a brighter place overall because of all the extra sunlight, but H&M has managed to make the world a bright place with their 5th Fashion Against Aids collection.

Now, I must give them props. These aren't some ugly no-shape-wouldn't-dare-to-step-out-the-house t-shirts or even rubber wristbands. I actually LOVE this collection. I like that it's proceeds go to a cause, but no one would know because of how amazingly cute these clothes are. They mostly have zany native tribal patterns, swirls, and unique things (the glasses are my favorite) like patterned band-aids, around-the-neck phone/iPod cases, and even bikinis! They even managed to make tie-dye okay to wear in public, and we all know how hard that is to do! So H&M, props, cuddos, and applause to you and congratulations on your 5th annual fashion for a cause collection.

The collection hits the racks on April 26th, 2012. I can't wait. Check out the collection in the pics. These are just some of the must-have pieces. What do you think?

Exclusive Collection @ XXI

This new collection at Forever is very random to be. I'm guessing that it flows with a sailor and polka dot theme, but there particular similarities between any 2 pieces. The video will be on the YouTube channel too. It's called the Exclusive collection.

Needin' the Neon Neoprene

J'adore cette collection de Juicy Couture! Sorry, didn't mean to go all French on you. What I said was "I love this collection at Juicy Couture!". It isn't very new, but their is always a new edition added to it. Neoprene material bags! There are about 14 ways this material comes into play including in a clutch, luggage tag, passport cover, tote, etc. Most of them come in a choice of electric blue, hot pink, yellow, and black. They all have smooth, beige leather trim. They all look best in the blue or pink in my opinion but you can check them out later on at the Juicy Couture website.

$68

$148

$58

$198

$178

$158

I love em'! Any favorites anyone? My personal fave is the one that costs $198, but in pink. I saw it on the site. Even better, do any of you guys have any of these bags? You know what words are next- send pics!

Choosing an Outfit in 1-2-3

If you thought breakfast was the important meal of the day, try getting your daily serving of Fashion! I know there's that point in the morning when you wake up, do whatever, and then you slowly walk up to the closet. You try not to let it intimidate you, but you can feel your eyes starting to twitch at the thought of (duh duh duuhnn! *scary movie tone*) TAKING OUT YOUR OUTFIT! What a bother! Don't worry, I'm here for you with tips to help you pick an outfit in the morning in a breeze. This should always be the best part of the day for a fashionista so hopefully I can help you to love it and make it as easy as it has become for me. It's easy as 1-2-3!

CHOICE #1:
Choose your clothes the night before! I know it sounds terribly cliché and you don't want to seem obsessive about an outfit, but I'm telling you, it helps! Take it out right down to separating your jewelry into right-hand-left-wrist (which hand to wear a bracelet or how you are going to part your hair). When your stressed in the morning, you move fast, but slow b/c of how many times you change your mind under pressure. Staying awake the 15 extra minutes at night is worth the 30 more you'll get in the morning.

CHOICE #2:
Keep a "style journal". Take pictures of yourself in your outfit and keep a journal of what days you wear certain things. Knowing what you already wore in the past month will definitely help you cancel out some items you may be wearing to much.

TIP: Never wear items in an outfit the same way. Change up how you match things together every time you wear it. This is also a great way to expand your closet without spending a dime!

CHOICE #3:
Dress around a focal item. Choose a great pair of shoes, a really flattering belt or pair of jeans to be the main or most complex part of your outfit. Simply dress so that every single object you take out highlights the best features in your focal item.

I hope I helped- Email me your relieved faces in the morning- AFTER YOU PUT ON THE OUTFIT PLEASE!  Trust me, I don't need to see any morning faces! Contact page has email details.

Madonna Wins the Super Bowl

Congratulations to the New York Giants for beating the Patriots in the 46th Super Bowl! I don't follow football, so I impatiently sit through all of the time-outs, field goals, touch downs, interceptions, injuries and tackles until the half-time performance. Speaking of the half time performance, this year Madonna performed with quick 30-second appearances from Nicki Minaj, LMFAO, Cee Lo Green, and M.I.A. But boy oh boy, did you see Madonna's beginning outfit? Check it out.

I LOVE it. The best part for me are the detailed embellished leather gloves, the over-the-knee leather gold buckled boots, and the astonishing detail on the collar and belt area of the dress. She kept her makeup simple, her mic matching, and her hair perfectly curled. Could you find ways to use this as inspiration for an everyday outfit?

Weird Stuff: Banana Phone

As always, I was browsing the web not only to research and find inspiration, but also to find cute little things that probably be pointless once I buy them, but would look good in a funny photo. I decided to make this a new segment on ROXYmodae specifically for Monday's. Yes, I know it's not exactly fashion related, but it'll make you smile and that's exactly what you need on a Monday! Surprisingly, all of these are actually on the market for sale from credible and secure sites! Who exactly thinks of these? I don't know but here's the first one.

The Cell-foam. A cover for your phone to look like you're talking into
a banana! You can't tell me you've never done that with a real banana for fun!

I think I would use this in a picture or two but never in public, off the web at least. Do you think you'll ever catch yourself buying one of these?

NY Photos

I'm in NY preparing for the Superbowl, but on the way, here are 3 quick photos I took. BTW, the Jason Wu Spring 2012 collection hits the Target racks today! Yay! I'm going to check it out...

Global Glamour: Turbans

I was watching YouTube when a hair tutorial featuring an Indian lady wearing a stunningly gorgeous sari popped up. It got me rolling on traditional Indian clothing and everything to do with it. They're always full of graceful bling, metallic fabric, warm colors, and all the detail in the world- which is why I call this new segment Global Glamour.

Now before I allow myself to write a 5,000 page post on literally everything they wear in the beautiful country, I'll stop at how to use Indian culture inspirations in your everyday outfits- specifically, inspiration on wearing a turban. Without the typical "how-to" or "style instructional", you can tie it up any way you want. and make it your own.

Send me pics- to be featured in a new page! ROXYmodae@aol.com

     

Studded Belt DIY!

I can't believe it's Fashion Friday already. As I promised, today is a DIY day here on the blog.

I was browsing the mall when I saw a belt that I liked as a simple everyday belt. It looked like the type I wouldn't feel too bad about wearing to the max because of it's simplicity. Prepared to whip out 10 bucks tops and skip to the line with a future new outfit post idea, I glanced at the price. That's when I went on some type of a fashion rage in my head saying "Pay $78.99 for a strip of leather and studs that look no better than thumbtacks?! I DON'T THINK SO!"

Boom! Lightbulb! WhheeeOOOOwhheeOOO! Fashion DIY Alert! That's right you guessed it! This post is about how to make your own studded belt using only 3 supplies, and NO tools! I'd wear it with floral (like the picture to the right).
SUPPLIES:

• A belt that you think would look cute with thumbtacks (I used a wide, elastic belt.)
• Thumb-tacks with your choice of color. They should have a very short point. (Gold or silver are the most functional)
• Optional: A hot glue gun (and obviously a stick of glue to put into it) and tape

STEP 1:

Lay the belt out flat onto a soft surface, like carpet. The soft surface would keep you from poking yourself if the tack's point is too long. You may want to work with the belt buckle facing away from you, vertically.

STEP 2:

Use a ruler to draw a straight line along the top, bottom, or middle where you'd like to stick the tacks in. Make small tick-marks to determine the spacing of the points too.

STEP 3:

Stick your thumbtacks where the tick-marks are, along your straight line. 

STEP 4:

Lift up the belt and check the back. If the backs of the thumbtacks stick out from the back of the belt, put little balls of hot glue on the pointy tips to keep them from sticking you. Let the glue dry, try it on, take pictures, and send them to me!

Mine ended up looking really good (surprisingly b/c I only tried it once) How did yours turn out?

The Groundhog- Has Spoken!

I woke up this morning and specifically turned directly to Good Morning America. I absolutely HAD to see this- that cowardly little ball of fur determines my wardrobe for the next 5 months! If the day is sunny and the groundhog sees his shadow, we have 6 more weeks of winter. If the day of the prediction it's cloudy, then he wouldn't see a shadow and would stay out of his hole, meaning an early spring for us.Quick question, why do we do this on February 2nd? Wouldn't we have 6 more weeks of winter either way?

--DRUM ROLL PLEASE!-- 

Chuck the Groundhog has decided that we have an early spring! Forget you Phil, you and your clashing prediction of more winter. I'm gonna have to trust the New York groundhog more than Philadelphia's Phil because one, Chuck is closer to me, and two, Chuck's prediction stats are on point!

A Belted Beauty

CONTEST! Can you guess how many there are?
(Email me for details and qualifications)

During last week's Fashion Friday, I stocked up on mostly accessories and a couple of shirts. The main accessories though, were all belts. I have a ton (and wear one nearly everyday) so I'm surprised I don't have a billion posts about them already. I'd say the best thing about them is the fact that they flatter figures, hold everything in place, and that they have extreme variety.

Wide, skinny, braided, plain, studded, patterned, sequined, leather, velvet, cloth, corduroy, and that's not the end. In addition to that, the buckles come in so many different styles, each of them all so unique. There's square, round, knotted, even light up or name buckles! (which btw, I always thought were extremely tacky)

With jeans, I stick to wide and solid colored belts. They pop with color, but aren't too much and wont pull farther than my jeans when I sit down. I hate that! Wide belts are amazing when you pair them with a jumpsuit, a plain tank and patterned maxi skirt, or a dress.

Now lets focus on my favorite- SKINNY BELTS! I love how slim, neat and cute these belts are. They make you look slimmer too! Stores always find a way to pack lots of fun into such a tiny package, like dynamite! (Don't worry. I'm not a psycho that plays with dynamite.) Anyway, I normally wear them with shorts, skirts, or fit-n-flare dresses. How do you wear them? Which is your fave?