OMG You Guys, The Gossip Girls Graduate

Finally! I remember, back in the day, because I am of course an old lady now...the joyousness of graduation day. It just couldn't get any better, and Gossip Girl did not disappoint. Part of me had hoped that GG her (or himself?) would at last be revealed. However, it shall not be...for now. If you haven't yet watched, possible spoilers lie ahead...

I can't really argue with all of the wardrobe for the finale, even fabulous Upper East Side grads must don the traditional cap and gown, which, let's be honest, never look good on anyone. The one item I've been truly coveting: B's gold rope knotted headband. Love it!

Anyway, to recap quickly, GG dished the juiciest gossip she'd been saving to purge her mind of everyone's silly high school dalliances. B named Little J her successor, so we'll have to see if she will reign supreme as the new Queen B.

It is finally somewhat more clear as to what this whole Santorini biz has been all about: Carter Baizen revealed he knows where Serena's father is now.

Mr. Archibald's morals have somehow been renewed and since he know longer has affairs with cougars he decided to take V up on her backpacking adventure. While Lonely Boy Dan was ever boring (though it seems he has a stalker - obviously the half-brother he knows Rufus had with Lily and who they believe to be dead).

Last but not least, Chuckles, in a very sweet move, flew around the world gathering B's favorite things and at last, said those three magic little words...

'Til next season.

xoxo,
B

[Photo: IMDB]

Prom: The Left Coast vs. The Right Coast

K, I think it's about time we discussed the latest TV fashion happenings. Gossip Girl and 90210. These are two supposedly stylish shows, so what, may I ask, is going on with the prom attire? Is it me, or have prom dresses worsened considerably over the years? Yes, they both had a few bright moments, such as Blair Waldorf's lovely Marchesa gown.

However, S failed miserably. Honestly, what was her stylist thinking? The entire ensemble is an unflattering fit and much too frumpy for a fabulous socialite's all-important senior prom. Granted, the girl did clean up nicely after having just been bailed out of the slammer by Lonely Boy.





Moving on, can somebody please explain to me why Shenae Grimes constantly looks like she's just come back from traveling back in time to the '80s? Let's compare, shall we? Here we have Shenae (photo courtesy JustJared). Yes, that is what little miss sunshine Annie wore to her prom. Why? I have no idea. If I could have gotten to her before filmin I'd have cut off that horrid blue polka dot skirt and tried to reattach something at least halfway decent, because the top portion could actually work. Let's just be thankful she didn't drag those ugly Uggs to the prom as well. My point, however, is that her chosen prom dress looks rather similar to young Lily Rhodes aka Van der Woodsen on GG's '80s flashback:










On the positive side of 90210, I actually quite liked Naomi's simple, but pretty, emerald green floor length dress.



Perhaps this is because I absolutely adored Kiera Knightley's green stunner in Atonement, but I think I really just love Naomi's whole look, her hair looks elegant, very old Hollywood glamour. LOVE IT!

So, who wins? Left coast LA or the east side? Eh, perhaps they all break even at C, but I think we all know I'm partial to those Upper East Siders.

xoxo,
B

[Photos: 90210, IMDB, GG, IMDB]

I'm Baaaaack...

Hey! Yes, I'm officially back to blogging...I hope, haha. Sorry for my long absence, but I needed a little break for the holidays, family time and the like. And just generally, things have been crazy busy. C'est la vie, right?

Happily enough, all of my fave peeps (meaning TV characters, hehe) are back as well! Possible Spoiler Alert:

S and Lonely Boy are sort of, maybe, back together again. Of course with the minor issue of them sharing a half-brother. That could put a damper on all of their happy-go-lucky coupleness.

AND Mr. Zac P. graced Ugly Betty with his fantabulous presence last night. LOVE him.

Now I've recently started netflixing and am almost through Heroes: Season 1. I didn't really get into it when the show first started, but I'm quite liking it now. And I'm a little bit in love with Milo V. Seriously, why is he with H.P.? I only just realized how much younger she is! He and I would be much more suited to one another, hehe.

Anyhow, on to some fashiony stuff. I'm in the market for some new boots. I still love my tall black flat Anne Klein's, but everyone tells me they've had their day. The toes are scuffed up and now they also a sort of white line across the front from snow salt. Boo. So I'm looking at a two styles by Pour La Victoire, one being the Rosella Toggle Boot on Shopbop. On sale but still kind of expensive. I'd really like a pair of brown boots as well AND a new pair of rain boots. I've been eyeing these Aigle boots (that's eagle en francais mes cheries). I think they have a simple, classy look and would be great to wear on a rainy day without obviously wearing rain boots because they're styled as riding boots.

However, I recently came across these fab rain boots by Jimmy Choo/Hunter via FashionIndie. Soooo pretty. But not sure if I'm willing to fork over $395 to have them. Esp since I used to think I just HAD TO HAVE some Hunter boots, until I tried them on and realized not so much. I'm tall so I have big feet and oftentimes because of that the calf area of boots is just too big, and that was the case. Just looked ridiculous.

La la la, ok, must get back to work. Yay Friday!

Have a glorious weekend kids! Ciao.

-B

XOXO, Gossip Girl Recap

Hell hath no fury like a Blair Waldorf scorned...yeah, I'm pretty sure that's probably been used. So what? Gosh, I'm so glad to see that Blair was actually putting up a fight tonight. Last episode she almost seemed to just rollover in disbelief with no plan for revenge.

Spoiler Alert! Since I choose not to censor myself, fair warning that if you read on, details about tonight's episode will be given away.

So the GG crew headed up to visit Yale and the usual drama followed right along. I'll try to keep my summary short and sweet. Even though S wanted to go to Brown, she decided to prove to B that she was a smart little lady and so she wound up with the rest of the Yaley prepsters. Blah blah blah, this eventually led to an all-out cat fight between and S and B.

After calling it a draw they realized they simply couldn't part ways and they'd of course get together, rationalizing as many a teenager does that their fighting is all due to building insecurities of being separated once they leave for college.

Meanwhile, Dan the Man is told his Yale app gets an I for incomplete and has to come up with another stellar recommendation for his witty words on paper. His plans are almost foiled when The Skulls (due to Mr. Bass' craftiness) mistake him for Nate, whom they're none too pleased with for losing their precious trust funds because of the Cappie.

Mr. Bass thinks he's saving young Nathaniel's ass from the scary Skulls, but sadly for him, Nathaniel decides it's just so uncool of him to treat poor Danny Boy that way and runs back to St. Jude's now finding Dan to be A-okay.

Crazy father figure Rufus, after spending the day with Little J slaving away at Eleanor's, decides she can totally drop out at 15 and be home schooled by V, herself just now applying to college (shout out to NYU! hahaha).

I think that about covers the basics. So, critique. First, anyone else starting to wondering where Little Eric-a went? The boy has been missing for sometime now it seems. Perhaps he'll become Little J's design sidekick/backer for a fashion line. Nothing exciting for the adults this week seeing as Rufus hung out with his daughter and Lily, well, sort of just hung out with herself and Bart was nowhere to be seen, so I assume away on business as usual.

And of course, the fashion. I have to say it was rather uninspired tonight. I mean, I suppose the Herve Leger bandage dresses have been making a steady comeback on red carpets, but I'm kind of over it. They just aren't very attractive on most. She did have a cute striped blazer but the crescent on it seemd a little too Juicy for me. Blair wore her usual headbands which I like, and the plaid outfit at the end was sort of fun, but other than that, thought the fashion tonight was a snooze fest all around. I expect better next time! Ah, but I just love the show soooo much, so I'll forgive them this time.

Edit: Above, in reference to the Herve Leger bandage dresses, I should have specified "inspired" dresses, as the dress that Serena wore was not actually Herve Leger.

xoxo,

B

Photos [cwtv.com]

We're Not in Kansas Anymore...

I'm a little behind posting on some of Fall televisions recent premieres...I know, I know, and I was SO excited for Gossip Girl! I did watch, just been terribly busy. GG got off to kind of a slow, catch-up start, but hey, it was summer, right? As usual, the fashion was fab (loved B's Marc by MJ dress for the White Party!).

Anyway, what I really want to discuss is the CW's latest venture, the new 90210. From my various blog readings, I gather that most were underwhelmed, as was I.

On a personal level, the premise was sort of amusing, having a Kansas family move to Beverly Hills so that Dad can move into his mother's mansion to take care of her and take over as principal of the high school. See, I am actually from Kansas. I can't tell you how many times I've heard Wizard of Oz/Dorothy jokes/comments since moving to NY.

Character rants: First of all, not that I have anything against her, but what is Becky from Full House doing here? I'm just not sure about that. And did anyone else notice how much of a twig Shenae Grimes (who plays Annie, pictured) has become since her Degrassi days? Girl has seriously slimmed down.

The popular girl, Naomi, who likes to float about in tons of Chanel was not my favorite. Also, she and her coke-addicted-friend-who's-name-I-can't-remember-and-am-too-lazy-to-look-up are have terrible fashion sense...well, actually to be fair, it isn't just those two. They ALL have terrible fashion sense. Can we say boring? Uninspired?

To give them a little credit, while not fashionable like GG, perhaps this is an accurate portrayal of Beverly Hills high school students? One of my freshman year roommates was from Beverly Hills (she actually went to the high school where Clueless was filmed) and her daily uniform usually consisted of jeans, a tank and flip-flops almost year-round. So, maybe they weren't too far off. Of course, that is not what we, the audience, want to see. We need dramatic colors, trend-setting accessories and Chuck Bass-esque Cali style. How about a little creativity in the fashion department? Surely Californians are more fashionable than these kids appear to be. If you need help, I'd be willing to come on as a stylist.

Well, at least we have a little eye candy in the form of Ethan. He's your typical sports star (lacrosse) popular guy. Although he kind of looked either stoned or tired throughout much of the first two episodes, he is nice to look at.

While the premiere didn't thrill me, I think it's too soon to completely write it off. I'll be watching next week to see if things get more interesting. Maybe some of the olds (Jennie, Shannen) will see some more action in the future.

-B
Photos [IMDB]

Apartmenting

I know, I know...I've gone missing again. Terribly sorry for my lack of posting this weekend, but having Friday and today off from work, I felt the need to take full advantage of my sudden freedom.

Also, I've been super busy, running around the city looking for furniture and other assorted home items because I FOUND AN APARTMENT!!!!! Finally! I cannot begin to explain the nervousness/relief/excitement that I've been feeling. I have so many decorating ideas running through my mind now that my fashion thoughts have semi been put on the back burner. Hehe, ok so maybe not entirely since the only purchase I managed today was a dress from Anthropologie. I'll post a picture of it later (couldn't find one on the website), but it's a nice green, collared button-up.

Anyhow, with apartment decorating thoughts, I've been out and about looking at furniture (I found a couch!), but what I'm really having trouble with is an area run. Who knew they were so expensive? Ah well, what can you do...originally I liked this one:

Photo [Real Simple]

Of course, it's only $6,000. Ha! So, I've been searching and searching for cheap alternatives, but when you get up to a size 5' x 8' area rug, it can get quite costly. I think I've narrowed it down to these:

What do you think? I need help making a decision!

Have a fabulous end to your Labor Day vacay!

P.S. DON'T forget: The best show ever, Gossip Girl, premieres tonight at 8 (EST)! Also, the all-important NY Fashion Week is coming up (yay!) and GG will be incorporating this into upcoming episodes. Cannot wait!

-B

Frenchie, Gossipy, Fabulous

First up in news that I am super excited about: The first EVER stateside Comptoir des Cotonniers will be opening up down in SoHo in the next day or so. Just in time for me to indulge in a little weekend shopping, no? Haha, we'll see...More info via Racked.

Onto more exciting info: Passing Henri Bendel's on my way to work today, I noticed they have their new Gossip Girl window display up! Since I was on the bus at the time I was unable to get pics, but I will be sure to put some up ASAP. Ahhhh, I cannot wait for the Season 2 premier of the BEST.SHOW.EVER! How could anyone not love a show with so much fashion inspiration AND drama packed into it? Don't forget to watch September 1st!

Lastly for my updates, I submitted a few photos for the chance to model during Fashion Indie Week Brooklyn. The one to the left seemed like a decent "head shot" at the time, haha. Oh well, I also submitted two of the self-portraits that I've put up here so I won't bore you with repeating them again. Anyhow, I'll let you know how that turns out if I actually hear back.

I'll try to be better about updating this weekend, but hopefully I'll be out finding myself a new home (wish me luck!) so forgive me if I slack off a bit. Once I'm settled I'll be able to get myself more organized.

Happy Friday!

-B

Gossipy Fashiony Things

Hello this afternoon!

I love fashion and I love gossip, so naturally, I love love Gossip Girl, which as we all know, is the best.show.ever. The anticipation for the show's Season 2 premier (Sept. 1st!) is almost too much.

I am even more excited to discover that the show will be doing a fashion-week themed episode, as it should. The show garners as much attention for drama (OMFG anyone?) as it does for the fashion of its characters and their real life counterparts. Now I find out that designer and Project Runway judge Michael Kors will be doing a guest spot on GG. AND he's a fan!

More via WWD. Lunch time now!

-B

Pretty Little Things

Hey there!

Hope you're all having a lovely afternoon.

And now moving on. A few weekends ago I stopped into J.Crew. I know some of you probably find it to be rather uninteresting or too preppy, but I think it's great for basics and work-appropriate attire, plus they also just have some pretty cute things. It's all about how you put things together.

So while I was in the store I ventured over to their accessories, and quite liked some of their new hair pieces, particularly the below headband.

Photo: Headband [The Moment], Photo: Blair [Google]

Seeing this headband in the store reminded me immediately of something that GG's Blair Waldorf would wear. Okay, so she can probably get away with a more exaggerated version, but I love how simple and wearable this J.Crew piece seems. I had to try it on, and actually thought it looked quite nice, which is saying a lot for me. I've never felt headbands, hats or any other head pieces looked right on me. I don't know...maybe my head is shaped strangely? I couldn't make a decision about it right away, so instead I bought the below:

Photo [J.Crew]

For now, I felt this was the more practical option. My hair is very long, and I do wear it down often, but I always wear a hairband around my wrist just in case I feel like pulling it up. The above hairband is great for me. The pretty, shininess of the flower gives a basic hairband a little extra decoration but is still classy and it's nice to have something prettified to wear on my wrist now.

Anyway, I've been pondering this headband and then I came across this piece from The Moment. So, that made me love it even more, and I think it's simplicity lends itself to being mistaken for a higher end label.

Anyway, I thought this was a great find. I didn't see this style on their website, but they did have the above in the store, plus I believe two other color options.

What do you think? Would this make me look a bit too young?

Yours,
-B

Gossiping Girls

Good morning Sunshine!

Haha, so I got to work early, as I often do and decided to get in an early post for today. I happen to live on the Upper East Side (right now at least, currently looking for an apt for Sept. 1st!). No, not in some super fancy schmancy pad. It's your typical tiny NY apartment that I share with three, that's right, three other girls. Despite what certain television shows depicting the city, etc. would have non-New Yorkers believe, the UES can actally be one of the more affordable areas and apartments are often bigger than say, what one might find in the East Village.

Anyhow, there are still the amazing buildings I walk by all the time on Park or Madison or Fifth that are worth millions and incredible and yes, I wish I lived in them. So you can imagine the wealthy adults and kids that I see fairly regularly. Today while on the bus (I like the bus) on my way to work, I was sitting among three young girls. I'm not good at guessing ages, but I'd say they were young high schoolers. Let me tell you, I felt like I was on an episode of Gossip Girl.

These three, not particularly well dressed in my opinion, were criticizing another girl, we'll call her R. For not showing much of a sense of style themselves, they seemed to have no problem calling out R for hers. Apparently, her style is too "Miami" and "bright." They proceeded to discuss various "hideous/ugly" outfits that she wears to go out. Then, they talked about how they tried to go to The Plumm the other night. This is a lounge/club that I have been to before, partially owned by Chris Noth and Samantha Ronson among others, and that I was not impressed with. Needless to say, these girls did NOT get in. This, at least, is much more realistic than what GG would have people believe. No way would any of these "exclusive" clubs, lounges, etc. such as Butter and Socialista, would ever let in a group of 15 year old girls. I don't care who they're wearing or what amount of cash they have to drop. They would NOT GET IN.

I'm not saying they were wrong or right for their behavior. It's common for girls at their age to talk trash on other girls. As I'm sure we all know, girls can be mean, I think because we're very competitive. You know, I've always heard that, in fact, girls dress for other girls, not guys. I think this probably true. I mean, how many guys would even notice who or what you're wearing anyway? Besides, I'm not gonna lie, I can be pretty judgey myself. So, I merely wanted to share this because I found it quite amusing. Oh, high school drama...

Photo [NY Daily News]

GG premieres September 1st! I so love that show...

Ciao!
-B