Spring Awakening

For anyone unaware, I'm obsessed with shoes. Pretty shoes, ugly shoes, black shoes, floral shoes, shoes that kill my feet, shoes that make my feet feel reborn. On my birthday this past January, my gift to myself was my 100th pair.

So by now, if you don't understand that I'm infatuated with shoes, you need to have your pulse checked.

One of my favorite shoe companies as of late is 80%20 Shoes, a fairly new company that distributes to its sellers (REVOLVE, Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, amazon.com, ModCloth, etc.). 80%20's philosophy is great and anyone can relate to it. "We tend to wear out favorite 20% of our wardrobe 80% of the time. The smallest percentage has the greatest impact". Couldn't be more true. And if you check out the collection, you'll soon realize that all of 80%20's shoes have the potential to be your favorite shoes. Sick, isn't it?

Here were my favorites from the Spring 2010 Collection.

(Click to enlarge)

1. Sadie Classic, Grey

2. Molly Tea Party, Black Floral

3. Joannie, Black

4. Sophie, Natural

5. Marlee Tea Party, Black Floral

My favorites are thet Marlee Tea Party, Black Floral (5). I love the use of different fabrics and textures on the shoes. The contrast is beautiful and it eases us into Spring with the punchy florals, yet eases us out of Winter by keeping the leather and suede touches.

Plus, the designs are telling us that ankle boots are still going to be in style for Spring (and maybe even Summer), so I'm happy.

Enjoy 80%20!

xox

Single Wash $1.25

Due to the Winter Wonderland covering NYC today, I had to resort to taking pictures in my dorm's laundry room. And, even though the lighting wasn't spectacular, the pictures came out pretty well. And the comedy of the laundry room didn't hurt, either.

Trying to climb into the front-loader foot first.

Blue scarf, button down, and leggings (Forever21), Blazer (Coldwater Creek), Boots (Bass), Shorts (Unknown).

And yes, I know you're thinking "WTF Mate, my mom shops at Coldwater Creek!". Yes, so does my mom. We go together. It's cute. And they're great for some classics, such as this blazer. Plus, I'm a grandmother at heart, so don't hate on the G-Mas.

I love the angles created in this picture.

And here's my favorite from the day.

Special thanks to Anat's photographin' skills...and for putting up with me hanging upside down.

Stay warm in the snow!

xox

Dying to Get My Paws On Some...

THIGH HIGH TIGHTS!

And I'm not talking about the trashy, "I just want to flash some of my thunder thigh" tights. I'm talking about the new It item. We all know that tights are the fantastic Recession It Item because of their versatility from season to season and the various kinds of patterns, materials and colors. But now, tights are even making a slight change. A few years ago, black footless leggings were the must-have item for girls across the country. We all own them. Hell, I'm wearing them right now.

But instead of the fashion world completely abandoning tights due to the fact that leggings are a mass fashion now, we're simply ushering in a new silhouette of tights: the thigh highs. Okay, I know they're not "new", but they're cycling back, like every other style under the sun. It's just interesting to see how the tights are shifting from showing off one piece of skin (the ankles and lower-calves) to another piece of skin (the mid-thigh).

Check out the evolution:

From this...

To this!

I love the new change. This pair is from American Apparel ($17).

To get the look right, the thigh highs should be worn with a dress or skirt that hits the thigh a couples of inches above the tights. Don't be a hoe, ladies.

The style is a more risque, fashion-forward schoolgirl. I'm planning on snagging myself a pair (if my anorexicly skinny wallet can stand to lose $17) and wearing them with a button-down shirt and a blazer (sleeves rolled up), and a corduroy skirt that hits about 2 inches higher than the top of the tights.

Check out Urban Outfitters for some other great tights.

xox

Monsieur Butterfly

I've mentioned in the past that I used to figure skate. The combination of my past sport and my best friend's suggestion was the inspiration for this post. Oh, plus the fact that we're in the midst of the Olympics (Boo Canada!).

Now, more than most people, I respect the art of figure skating (I HATE ice dancing, but I love me some good figure skating). The strength and perseverance required of the sport are both admirable and inspiring qualities that champion figure skaters must possess.

Some of the less admirable and inspiring qualities? The ridiculous get-ups that male figure skaters wear. Don't get me wrong, they're beautiful! But I just can't help but say "OH COME ON, MAN!" when my eyes fall upon these, to say the least, mockable frocks.

I know you're probably all dying to see some of these absurd costumes, so here you go.

*Please note: When viewing these outfits, it is best not to be eating or drinking anything. Spitting on your computer is unkind, and is not the objective of this post.*

Great sit-spin, not so great costume.

My personal favorite. Wait, what's that? Was this costume inspired by one of Antonio Berardi's looks from London Fashion Week?

Leave it to the runway, boys.

And, of course, I have to leave you with an example of a great, classic men's costume.

Excellent example.

Hope you all enjoy!

xox

Busy Bee

I apologize for neglecting the Little Black Blog as of late. I've been super busy with classes and my internship. SO, to make up for lost time, I'll blog about what's been keeping me from writing about my one true love: fashion.

First off, the internship! I'm currently interning for Little Lime Dress, an online styling and shopping website. On a daily basis I'll manage Little Lime Dress' social networking, e-mails about partnerships with other companies, blogging (which is why the LBB gets a bit neglected lately), and my FAVORITE part of my job, adding to the website the merchandise we sell!

Little Lime Dress is so great and ALL OF YOU NEED TO CHECK OUT THE SITE because not only do you get amazing merchandise with great prices, a blog that keeps up with fashion week and the latest trends, and online styling, but if you purchase a styling service you get an ACTUAL human being putting together outfits for you, not just a machine!

Check out Little Lime Dress here.

And read the blog The Juicer here.

Next up, the Fusion Fashion show! I've been volunteering for Fusion since November and the experience has been incredibly enriching. For anyone who doesn't know about Fusion, here's a bit of history for ya.

Every year, FIT and Parsons face off at the Fusion Fashion Show and show their 5 best looks per designer to a packed crowd and a star-studded judging table. Students from each school apply in October with a portfolio of 5 looks they would like to create from start to finish, and the director of Fusion chooses 15 students from each school.

Okay, enough of the boring blah blah blah.

Fusion is going to be CRAZY this year! Obviously I'm rooting for FIT.

Take a gander at this year's designers here.

(And if you want to see me in my shining glory on the Volunteers' page, click here.)

Also, for some intrigue, Teen Vogue and GQ are two of the judges this year.

GO FIT!

Finally, I had to go to the MoMA this weekend for a report, and holy cowgrass I LOVED IT!

If you walk in there and you're not inspired by something, shame on you.

Probably my favorite piece was Ingo Maurer's "Porca Misiera!" Chandelier, made in 1994.

Annually, only ten of these are made. The makers build them by dropping plates on the floor or breaking them with hammers, and then they visualize the chandelier's final design. The title "Porca Misiera" is similar to the Italian proclamation "DAMN!".

Well, frankly put, DAMN. This thing is so DAMN cool.

It's inspired me so much that I'm breaking dishes to make a texture for one of my classes. Can't wait to destroy the floor of my dorm with some plates!

I promise I'll try to blog more often, guys!

xox

LBB

McQueen ruled as King

Devastation. Confusion. Heartbreak.

I am currently experiencing all of the aforementioned emotions due to the shocking news release of amazing designer Alexander McQueen's death. He took his own life this morning in his London home, the same day as the beginning of New York Fashion Week.

Enough of the same few sentences that every newspaper across the world is writing right now.

I'm so incredibly heartbroken at this news. McQ's designs were more than just fashion, they were wearable art. And what he created was more than just art, because the people fortunate enough to wear his creations are counted in history...especially now.

I'm curious as to what Lady Gaga will wear now.

And for anyone who wasn't already aware, McQueen designed the entire wardrobe for Gaga's "Bad Romance" video, which you can watch here.

Here are some of my favorite McQueen designs.

Rest in peace, Alexander McQueen. Peace be to the McQueen family in this time.

The fashion world will never be the same.

xox

Sweet Like Candy to My Soul

Life's been a little hectic lately, what with moving back to NYC and starting classes and starting my internship (which will be discussed in a future post!). First off, the birthday went so damn smoothly. Remember the solemates I wrote about? The Steve Madden shoes I found, only not in my size? I finally found them, in my size, on sale. They were my birthday present to myself. Ecstatic, folks. They're (surprisingly) comfortable and they look killer. In case you forgot what they look like, here you go.

I know. Try to catch your breath. Outfit post with these babies, soon.

Oh, fun fact, they were my 100th pair, so I had a little celebration.

Damn, I love these shoes.

ANYWAY, enough about those beauts. New eye candy?

Artifacts by Casey and Old Hollywood.

Both jewelry.

Both to die for.

Both being pined for by my jewelry box.

Here are some of my favorites:

Artifacts by Casey, $200

Artifacts by Casey, $320

Old Hollywood

Old Hollwood, $350

Old Hollywood, "Abe the Babe", $21

Old Hollywood, "Clide the Handsome Pug", $32

I love how unique and hysterical this jewelry is. Who thinks of a plug ring? Or Abe Lincoln earrings? Exactly, only these people. Absolutely in love with these two sites now. Thanks for the incredible amount of inspiration and creativity, Casey and Old Hollywood.

xox

LBB

Happy Birthday to Me!

Taking a break from blogging for the day to

celebrate my birthday!

xox

I've Got All This Time on My Hands...

Considering that my winter break from college was abnormally long, I had quite a bit of free time on my hands. Having the free time forced me to find ways to not waste my time, and here are some things I came up with. Enjoy!

Bake Cheesecake Cupcakes

I got the recipe out of "500 Cupcakes" by Fergal Connolly.

Ingredients:

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

5 tbsp. sweet butter, melted

2 cups ricotta cheese

2 cups cream cheese, softened

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries (or strawberries, or blackberries)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Farenheit. Place 24 paper baking cups into cupcake pan.

Put the cracker crumbs into a medium bowl and stir in the butter. Spoon tablespoons of the mixture into the cups, pressing firmly into the bottom. Chill until set.

In a large bowl, beat the ricotta until smooth. Add the cream cheese, vanilla, and confectioners' sugar, blending until smooth. Slowly add the eggs, blending well.

Spoon the mixture into cups.

Bake for 25 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Then remove the cupcakes and place on a cooling rack. Chill until time to serve. Top with fruit.

Makes about 2 dozen.

Here's the final product!

They were a huge hit. I thoroughly suggest hopping on a treadmill before eating them, though, because it's so easy to eat two or three in one sitting.

Okay, so the next activity? Pick up "Bloodsucking Fiends" by Christopher Moore. A love story about a vampire and a mortal, I was constantly cracking up reading this. It's a quick read and so enjoyable. If you hated Twilight, you'll love it. If you liked Twilight, you'll still love it.

Check out the full synopsis here.

So if you don't have time to make cupcakes or read an entire book, but you're still bored one night, check out the movie "The Soloist" starring Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr., an inspiring film that challenges viewers to be passionate about their endeavors.

Check out "The Soloist" trailer here.

Have fun not being bored, guys!

xox

LBB

Rebirth of Knee Socks

Yesterday's combination of God sobbing (aka torrential downpour) and my recent fascination with DIY-projects inspired one of my favorite projects yet: decorated socks. I know it sounds riveting (please sense my sarcasm), but the finished result actually looks great. This knee sock DIY is perfect for Catholic School alums, considering they're sure to have a plethora of knee socks in their top drawers (unless they've already burned them).

ANYWAY, here's what you'll need to get started:

*Note: Click on the images to enlarge.*

A pair of neutral colored knee socks, buttons, a needle, and some thread.

I sifted through a canister of buttons my beautiful mother's had since before I can remember, and I found this old mini-manilla envelope for extra buttons and was a little more inspired.

I chose buttons all within the same color palette as the socks, but you can obviously choose whichever colors tickle your fancy.

After about an hour and a half or so of sewing, here's how the socks came out!

Front view

Back view

Fun view!

Here are some tips if you're going to decorate your own socks:

1. Try to choose buttons (or beads, or crystals, etc.) that only have one or two holes to sew through. The four-hole buttons were a little more aggravating because you have to sew through the fairly small opening at the top of the socks; multiple stitches are annoying.

2. Choose a pair of socks with scrunch lines towards the top so you can accurately place the buttons in the same places on both socks without making markings.

3. Neutral color socks are best so that the socks make a statement, not a statement on the "Worst Dressed" page in People Mag.

What to wear these tootsie warmers with?

1. High-waisted a-line skirts and simple, clean-lined tops.

2. Shoes of the same color as the socks so the line of your leg continues through your foot; you won't cut yourself stumpy.

3. Layer them over leggings of the same color, a flowing or jersey knit dress, and a blazer.

Enjoy making the knee socks!

xox

Bubble Wrap Couture

Flat Stanley had the envy-producing ability to travel the world by being mailed in letters, and now with this Bubble Wrap Couture dress, you, too, can be United States Postal Service-friendly!

I'm slightly kidding, of course, but only slightly.

Last night, after work, two of my uber-creative coworkers and I wanted to have an arts and crafts project. We were going to go to Michael's to buy beads and crystals to make decorative knee-socks (which will be seen in an upcoming post!), but, alas, Sunday nights suck for retail.

We settled for Target, which was somehow open, but there were no beads. After scouring the aisles for about 20 minutes, we passed some bubble wrap, and someone came up with the brilliant idea to make a Bubble Wrap Couture dress!

Enjoy the visuals, kids.

Sketching plans for the dress.

The corset back!

Up-close front view

And the finished product! Eat your heart out, Lady Gaga.

Love the matching cuff we made!

I'm in absolute shock at how wonderfully this Bubble Wrap dress finished up.

The night felt a bit like Project Runway, the challenge being to make a dress out of three materials: bubble wrap, duct tape, and ribbon.

Tim Gunn would be proud.

Hope you guys love the BWC dress!

xox

LBB

Before They're Famous

Every once in a while, we meet people that inspire us, people that drive us, people that make us want to be better. In other words, the future world-shakers. Well, in the case of the Garcia family, there happen to be two world-shakers, Frank and Alex. Today, we'll focus on Frank (simply because of chronology). For those of you that don't know Frank, you should be upset that your paths haven't crossed yet. An NYU student studying Music Composition for Film and Media, Frank is in the heart of the creative entertainment industry, not to mention the fashion capital of the world, New York City. My three favorite things about Frank? His fearlessness to test limits, his uniquely creative sense of style, and his ability to give me an ab workout with how damn funny he is.

I know you're all curious to get to know Frank, so enjoy our interview:

Little Black Blog: Tell me a little bit about your internship.

Frank Garcia: I'm working at Paramount Pictures in New York doing publicity. It's been an incredible year. The office is right in Times Square in the MTV building and the people I work for are awesome. I'm the only intern in the national department so I feel like I'm really getting to know everyone and do more than just stapling and filing. I get to do research and find press contacts and work at film screenings and even meet the occasional celeb! It's a dream internship.

LBB: What does your daily life consist of?

FG: Hm, well, I have work and class 5 days a week so that keeps me pretty busy, but as long as I feel like I've done something even remotely productive that day on my own, I'm pretty happy. Usually, that means practicing piano - but more often than not, it's finding the shoes I've been looking for for three months.

LBB: Describe your personal style.

FG: Here's my philosophy on style: I don't care what anyone says, you are judged based on the way you dress on a daily basis, so it's important that you're aware of the image you convey, so take it seriously. That being said, it should be fun too! Otherwise we'd all be drab and severe looking. Personally, I love a sleek NYC/Parisian look. My go-to store is Club Monaco or Dior Homme. Their clothing is classic and yet anything but stale. I hate to blend into the blah-clothing-monotony but I also don't want to look like I'm trying way too hard and look ridiculous. I find the best way to avoid both extremes is to buy well cut, high quality pieces that speak for themselves. Add a little hipster flare (a symptom of being an NYU student living in the East Village) and I think that about sums me up!

LBB: Who do you consider the most influential person in your life?

FG: The most influencial person in my life, besides you, would have to be my sister. She's my best friend and I like to think we've grown up together, not just in the same house as a lot of siblings do, but actually learned from each other along the way.

LBB: Where do you find the wonderful pieces your closet consists of?

FG: My latest additions to my closet: a pair of suede desert boots from Saks, a few plaid buttondowns from Uniqlo (so cheap, so good), a long oversized cardigan from Top Man that I'm a little obsessed with, a new pair of Ray Ban Wayfarers, and more cashmere sweaters than anyone should own.

My staples: I always wear a few pieces of jewlery that are meaningful to me. I don't care about matching gold to gold or silver to silver really. I think of them more like tattoos than accessories because I wear them not to complete an outfit, but as a part of me. Clothing wise I have a collection of things I bought while traveling that I always try to wear. I'm absolutely addicted to traveling so whenever I go somewhere new I buy a piece of art that I can always keep as a momento, and some kind of clothing that I can wear to remind me of the place. The last thing I bought was a pair of custom strappy leather sandals from a shoemaker in Athens Greece.

By now, I'm sure you're dying to see Frank's style. Your wish is granted:

For anyone interested, Frank will be modelling in the Fusion Fashion Show in New York City the first weekend of March. Tickets are $10, and I'll be selling tickets shortly.

(More on Fusion in another post!)

Thanks for interviewing, Frank! Love, love, love!

xox

LBB

New Obsession: Mod Cloth

Today marked one month from that last day I was living in the city, and the day that I had fatefully returned. I'll be returning for keeps in a little over a week (though it feels like a century), but this is besides the point. Stepping out of Penn Station smelling the oh-so-familiar musk of dirty water hot dogs and more fume exhaust than the lungs could handle, hearing the relentless honk of every yellow cab on the one-way avenue, and seeing my gum covered sidewalks never felt so good. I missed you, New York.

ANYWAY, the point is that today, more than most, the city was inspiring. Inspiring for my curiosity, my fashion, and my exploration. So, naturally, what's a girl to do besides hook her internet up as an IV once she got home?

Well, in hooking up said IV, I found my new romance: Mod Cloth. An online vintage-meets-estate-sale retailer with some of the most unique finds I've ever come across. The owner seems like an absolute cupcake (I say this with great admiration for the owner, mostly because I adore cupcakes) from the looks of the "About Us" page.

Prices are pretty moderate, dresses range from about $50 to about $99.

Here are some of my already-favorites:

The Provocateur Dress, $64

Williamsberg Dress, $54

Eighth Wonder of the World Booties, $44

Time for Toast Clock, $24

I'm enamoured with the fact that ModCloth also has a suge selection of lifestyle accessories, like this Toast Clock. How original is that?!

They also seem to have a flare for kitten home decor, because there were plennnty of cats to choose from.

Have fun exploring ModCloth!

xox

A Very Important Date

Back in November yours truly had the pleasure of attending Stella McCartney's lingerie preview party in New York City. The crowd was swanky and the pieces were to die for, and ever since that night I've grown quite fond of Stellaaaaa (hopefully this reference is clear). Naturally, when I heard that McCartney is creating a line based on Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland my heart skipped a beat. My heart then skipped yet another beat when I learned that the line would be sold in her boutiques, one of which I live a mere fifteen minute walk from.

Below, a picture of one of the Alice-inspired necklace/bracelet duos.

Bracelet, $395. Necklace, $495.

I'm loving the charm-bracelet feel and the juxtaposition of the gold chains, wooden charms, and pearls. Beautiful contrast, Stella.

As for Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, check out the trailer here.

The film hits theaters March 5th.

Starring Johnny Depp (love), Anne Hathaway (love), and Mia Wasikowska.

xox

P.S. Season premiere of Project Runway tonight at 10 on Lifetime!