Diamonds are a girl’s best friend and a good investment when you buy them with the three C’s in mind: clarity, cut, and carat weight. Though Mademoiselle is much too young for diamonds, it doesn’t stop her from leading a blingalicious life.
I found this pair of pink bling shoes a few weeks ago:
Girly Galore Boutique sells these cute Converse embellished with Swarovski crystals. Check out the entire collection here.
Since more people are becoming aware of the damaging effects hazardous chemicals used to produce cotton has on the environment and growing concerned about the people forced to work overtime to stitch clothes for extremely low wages in Asian sweatshops, the demand for organic and fair trade fashion is increasing.
Our desire to do the right thing by buying ethical clothing has ignited a creative spark in the minds of designers, causing them to create eco-safe clothing that is stylish enough to even capture the attention of the not-so socially conscience.
Summer Bowen has made it easy to find social, eco-conscience clothing and jewelry designers by bringing them to BTC Elements, a site she started while “working in the fashion industry and studying social justice and environmental education at” the University of California, Berkeley, my alma mater. You can see the adorable jewelry and clothing BTC Elements offers here. Bowen also offers a limited amount of eco-friendly items for your home.
It was not an uncommon sight to see a large handbag on my shoulders during my teenage and college years. Too often, I used large purses to smuggle magazines in church on Sunday mornings and once to smuggle a freakum dress out of the house to change into at a college buddy’s home before going to a party during spring break. Now, of course, my purses served a good purpose too. I used them as a fashionable way to carry books to school because a backpack put the kibosh on my style.
As the years rolled on, my handbag collection grew to include some pretty unique bags. My favorite was a clutch that resembled a folded magazine similar to the Jimmy Choo clutch pictured above. It was definitely an eye catcher and conversation piece. I have to tell you, when I saw Jimmy Choo’s version of the vintage clutch, it not only sent me back down memory lane, but it also made me mad to think that I lost my magazine clutch, one that is probably worth much more now than what I paid for it back in the day. Oh, how I wish I still had that clutch.
I think Jimmy Choo’s version is cute and unique, a definite must-have. So, now I’m faced with a dilemma: Do I save my money or splurge to get my hands on this chic Pilar Bakelite Face clutch?
Phew! Where did the time go? Mademoiselle is growing by leaps and bounds. Can you believe, in a few short days, she will be 19-months-old? I can’t. Some parents often wish they could hold onto their babies, but not me because I’m excited about what the future holds for Mademoiselle. She is a fun, bright, intelligent girl who is already trying to write and spell her name. Isn’t that amazing! I guess you can say Mademoiselle acts more like a five-year-old because of all the advanced things she is doing now.
Also, Mademoiselle loves books and being read to. It’s really cute to see Lady O sitting, in a space she has created, pretending to read her favorite books. It is that sight of Mademoiselle reading to herself that has inspired me to create a special reading corner just for her. This area will be an adorable, cute space perfect for the ultimate girlie-girl bookworm, which will include the fabulous custom-made chair pictured above by KidsChairs.
The chair is made with a solid pine wood frame and can be upholstered with fabric available through KidsChairs or one of your own choosing. You can learn more about the chairs and the other things they offer as well as place an order here.
Chairs available for boys and girls of all ages.
My husband was touched by your comments regarding the loss of his father. It meant a lot to him, and for that I’m grateful for you and your continuous support of this blog.
I appreciate you!
It’s difficult to find the right words for this post, and so I’ll just say this: I’m taking time out to mourn the loss of my father-in-law who died last week. I’ll be back some time next week.
We’re really going to miss you, Big O.
*Big O with his grandson, my second oldest, at the Detroit auto show six years ago.
Christian Louboutin - Ernesta Plateau Sandals
I had an inkling, but now I’m convinced; the devil resides at Saks. When passing through the doors of Saks Fifth Avenue, I become incapable of thinking clearly and the word “practical” seizes to exist. I know there is some invisible, supernatural force lingering in the atmosphere that induces a hypnotic state of being whenever I’m in the store, seeing all those beautiful clothes, handbags, and shoes is mesmerizing. And, those highfalutin salespeople are evil, pure evil.
Here is a perfect example: I, with Mademoiselle in tow, stopped by Saks a couple weeks ago to pick up some Armani lip-gloss. It was supposed to be a quick trip, run in and run out. Nevertheless, I had to visit the shoe department and try on a pair of Christian Louboutin pumps. Before I continue, let me just tell you that no women were working on floor that day. NONE! How diabolical is that? There was nothing but male sales clerks whispering flattering words in my ear; telling me how hot I looked and how sexy my feet looked in the five inch Louboutins. As I stared at my image in the mirror with a dreamy glimmer in my eyes, I quietly repeated to myself everything those men said to me. It was as if they were holding a clear pendulum, asking me to repeat after them as my eyes followed the swinging motion of the pendulum. The salesman made me believe I needed a little Christian Louboutin in my life, and even though I looked like the twin sister of Frankenstein walking in the five-inch heels, trying not to fall and break my neck, I tried desperately to persuade myself to buy them. “I can buy the shoes and practice walking in them at home,” I foolishly told myself. It was a Frodo Baggins moment (Remember the scene in Lord of the Rings when he would slip into the dark side whenever he put the ring on his finger?) But don’t worry, I finally snapped out it when a female customer told me she had just returned the same exact pair of shoes because they were extremely uncomfortable to walk in. Today, I say thank you to the stranger, my angel and my saving grace because the devil almost made me do it.
Ladies, the next time you decide to walk into your local Saks Fifth Avenue beware; those uppity salespeople are out to get you.
Check out Christian Louboutin’s spring collection here.
Oh…but I want Eva Longoria’s Yves Saint Laurent leopard pumps.
I’m not a fan of the handbag, but the shoes are too cute. They’re available at Saks.
May I tell you a funny story? Several years ago, a few friends and I were at a club in Los Angeles, standing against the wall as usual, when this guy, looking like he just stepped off the cover of GQ Magazine, walks through the door. I swear to you, the angels were singing and lights were shining down from heaven upon his entrance through the club’s door that night. Girls were literally losing their minds when they saw him, Mr. GQ. It was as if his cologne was laced with some type of drug that caused women to fall into a trance when he walked by. Do you remember the poppy scene in The Wiz? It’s the scene closer to the end of this clip:
Though Mr. GQ was gorgeous, I thought it was hilarious the way my friends and the other females were acting; as a result, my friends dared me to ask him to dance. And so, I did. After the dance, we exchanged numbers. You should be happy I followed through on the dare because if I hadn’t I wouldn’t have this funny story to share with you.
On the night Mr. GQ and I decided to go see Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing, I made a decision that turned out to be one of the most embarrassing decisions of my life. Since I wanted to give my eyes a dramatic appeal, I decided to wear fake lashes even though I had never worn or applied them before that night. I thought it would be an easy task as long as I followed the enclosed instructions. Boy was I wrong. When Mr. GQ picked me up, everything was fine; however, after the movie is when things started to fall a part, literally. It wasn’t until we returned to the car that I realized the fake lashes were lifting away from my natural lashes, which explained why Mr. GQ had that stupid bemusing look on his face whenever he looked at me. I tried to be inconspicuous about the situation; I really did, but when you have a look on your face like this one:
That’s sort of difficult to do. You see, I was trying to hold the lashes together by opening my eyes as wide as I could, hoping they would stay in place. Mr. GQ probably thought I was a crazy fool, and I know he was laughing when he got out of the car to fill his tank with gas. Needless to say, after that incident I vowed to never wear fake lashes again.
Now, flash forward eighteen years later, and I’m ready to try fake lashes once again in order take my eyes to a dramatically chic level for my 20th class reunion. But this time, I have no intentions of applying the lashes myself; it will definitely be a job for the girls at M.A.C. Since Heatherette is designing two sets of lashes for MAC, which will be in stores next month, I am so tempted to try a pair before my reunion that’s scheduled to take place in August of this year. Most likely, I will buy a pair and hold on to them until the reunion. Although I plan to buy the ‘Good Girl’ lashes, I’m curious to see the fishnet lashes appropriately called ‘Bad Girl’.
At times, it’s hard being a parent, especially during those most frightening moments when your beloved child is caught in a life or death situation and you have absolutely no power to help her or to control the situation. It’s like standing behind a locked glass door, helplessly watching as your child is being viciously attacked and no matter how hard you scream or attempt to break down the door, you can’t prevent your child from being harmed. Can you imagine watching the child you gave birth to in distress and the only thing you can do is watch? It’s a rather heart wrenching feeling, a feeling I felt as I watched Mademoiselle’s little face transform into a face I could no longer recognize.
It was a routine trip turned nightmare. Mademoiselle and I left Wholefoods, I changed her diaper (she suddenly had diarrhea), I placed her twenty-two pound body in the car seat, I started the car, and I drove to the freeway. Ten minutes later, Mademoiselle started coughing and gagging. When I looked in the rearview mirror to check on her, I noticed Mademoiselle vigorously rubbing a slightly swollen eyelid. After a few short minutes had passed, Mademoiselle started vomiting and her eyes were close to being swollen shut. Let me tell you, I freaked out and was driving like a crazy woman on the freeway. The advice nurse told me to bring Mademoiselle in immediately to see the doctor. By the time I reached the office, her eyes were completely closed and her ears were also swollen. Mademoiselle’s face looked like it had been used for Laila Ali’s punching bag. Just when I thought the situation couldn’t get any worse, Mademoiselle broke out with hives all over her face and body.
Everything happened so fast at the doctor’s office. I was crying inconsolably as I watched Mademoiselle being poked and prodded. She was given a shot, a dose of prednisone, a teaspoon of benadryl, and a breathing treatment to open her airways. In my mind, I was trying to figure out what I had done wrong. I also attempted to mentally retrace my footsteps in Wholefoods. Did Mademoiselle come in contact with eggs or nuts; these are known allergens. Just then, I remembered an employee filling empty containers in the dried bulk section, an area where people can help themselves to nuts, rice, beans, etc. I’m assuming there was a large amount of dust particles from a variety of nuts flying in the air, and Mademoiselle and I walked right through it unbeknownst to me. Damn them! I wanted to sue Wholefoods, and if the doctor, who told me that Mademoiselle had a heat rash after I told him she was allergic to nuts at four months old, had said anything to me I probably would have kicked his a**. An allergist, a few weeks later, confirmed what common sense had already told me; Mademoiselle is allergic to eggs, nuts, and dairy, and trust me, I made it a point to remind him of that when he, Mr. Well-Known-on-the- Pediatric-Board-of-Medicine, came to Children’s Hospital to discharge Mademoiselle.
To make a long story short, we were transported from the doctor’s office to the emergency room at Children’s Hospital by ambulance because the doctor felt I was in no condition to safely drive Mademoiselle to the hospital. Since the doctor called ahead we did not have to wait to be seen by an ER doctor or to get a room. On the way home from Children’s after an overnight stay, Mademoiselle was back to her old ways; dancing, snapping her fingers, and mouthing the words to her favorite cd. By the way, I highly recommend Putumayo’s music for children series. Next to her favorite audio book, Skippyjon Jones and the Big Bones (love this entire collection by Judy Schachner), Mademoiselle loves listening to songs set to the rhythmic sounds of South Africa, Trinidad, and Italy among others. I guarantee you and your kids will love Putumayo’s music, and they make music for adults too. You can listen to snippets and purchase Putumayo’s music here.
Though Mademoiselle is finally looking like herself once again and the scabs on her legs and arms have finally healed, her eyes have yet to fully recover. She still has patches of eczema on the lids and around the eyes. But, she is doing well enough for me to return to the world of blogging. Did you miss me?
