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!

The Good China

A lot of women have what I like to call "Don't Use The Good China" syndrome. They buy beautiful clothes (or china, for that matter) and decide only to wear the clothes for special occasions. In the china's case, the excuse is always "We'll use the china when the Pope comes for dinner". Unfortunately, too many women use the same excuse when it comes to gorgeous clothing. Too many women are holding their favorite clothes hostage and the ransom is an impossibly fancy occasion. If you're a woman (or a Mr.) who believes that every day is a special occasion, I applaud you. Flaunt it. Work it. Own it.

If you, however, are one of these women holding out for a ridiculous ransom, I challenge you to wear your favorite dress this weekend. Put on that fur coat. Hell, wear some argyle socks with your heels! All in good taste, of course. Stop using the "I can't pull that off" excuse or the "It's not the right time" line. Make a right time. And you can pull it off. Where the hell would we be right now if Coco Chanel said "No no, I can't design a little black dress. It's not the right time"? NO WHERE.

And with that, I challenge you to look your best even if you feel your worst.

If you aren't quite ready to step out of the box and you can only put a toe out of the box, try these argyle socks from J. Crew ($14.50).

xox

LBB

Quick Post

Nothing could possibly make me spit out my coffee faster than this commercial that was so forcefully thrust upon me this morning. My God, could Ricola please hire a better advertising team?

See what I'm talking about for yourself here.

More fashion posts soon to come!

xox

August Favorites

If these gorgeous looks are "Pre-Fall", I'm counting down the days to August. We're all itching with anticipation for February and Fashion Week, but here are some of my favorite Pre-Fall designers to whet your appetite.

Diane von Furstenberg piles on the layers while piling on the textures at the same time. And the hat gives the look that carefree, "I'm French" attitude. The feel is so luxurious, so uptown.

Nicole Miller brings a somewhat Pocahontas feel to the runway with a great earth-tone print dress with feathers on the hem. And the tie-up boots are the perfect finish.

My personal favorite, Lanvin. The perfect mixture of animal print and animal fur, a tough combination to nail. The hat and the clutch compliment the ensemble beautifully. And I love the photography, between the shadow on the wall, and the model standing on the cinderblock? Heaven.

I for one am excited for the earth tones and rich textures of Pre-Fall. They'll be a great compliment after the jewel tones of Spring and Summer.

Billy Jean

My style jumps around quite a bit because, frankly, I have way too many interests to limit myself to just one way of dressing. I mean, hey, a tiger in a cage can never see the sun. But every now and then, I find an outfit that epitomizes my style at a certain point in my life. Today was one of those times. The outfit? It's been described as a cross between Michael Jackson and Daisy Dukes. Um, hello, could any two more amazing styles have a love child? I don't think so. Have a look for yourself.

Military band jacket (H&M) with lightwash denim cutoff shorts (H&M), leggings, red scarf (Forever21), black boots (Bass), and my favorite Wayfarers :)

+

=

Obviously the two were made for each other!

Anyway, I hope my outfit inspires someone to find their particular style.

And, of course, to pay tribute, here's some "The Way You Make Me Feel".

Agony

I walked into my favorite mall this morning on a hunt for a new killer outfit. After bringing so many picks into the dressing room that my forearm had red marks from the weight of the clothes, I found my perfect outfit, which will be posted soon. But the kickass outfit is not the point of my story. On the path to finding the outfit, I stumbled upon my sole mates. Yes, s-o-l-e. As in, the shoes that were meant for my little piggies. Shoes so fantastic I thought I'd pass out if I so much as got a wiff of the box they came in. They're the perfect mix of ugly and badass, with a hint of figure skate in there as well (which makes me wonder if my love for them is based in my subconcious due to the fact that I figure skated for years). Anyway, without further ado, take a look at these babies.

Picture off my Blackberry, my apologies for the bad quality!

And here's the professional picture, courtesy of stevemadden.com

So why, you ask, would I not purchase these to die for shoes if I loved them so much? Sadly, a girl's gotta pay for the Blackberry bills. Sure, they were on sale, but still.

A girl can dream...

And an even bigger dissappointment? They were 50% off online, but they didn't have my size.

Hint* If anyone can find these beauties in an 8.5, my birthday's this month *Hint

While you're busy pining for shoes your wallet isn't quite fat enough for, at least lift your spirits a bit with Kelly Clarkson's "Don't Let Me Stop You".

Hidden Spot Spotlight

Two words: WISH LIST! I'm more than ecstatic to be able to share with the blogging world the works of one of my favorite women of all time. To say that Gail is "creative" is the biggest understatement of the century. Her combination of quite possibly the most creative mind I've ever encountered, a knack for finding exquisite supplies at the lowest prices possible, and hands that could transform a bundle of weeds into the most beautiful hat you've ever seen makes Gail the jewelry genius that she is. Presently, her masterpieces are not sold online or in store, but only through direct selling (but feel free to e-mail me at littleblackblogspot@gmail.com for any questions about purchasing). All of her pieces are handmade, and what's the best part? She rarely duplicates her pieces because, in her words, "It gets boring!". Know what that means? If you've got a piece of her jewelry, you're the sole owner. The one and only. The one woman in the room with all eyes on you (unless, of course, another woman is wearing a piece of Gail's jewelry!). If that's not every girl's dream, I don't know what the hell is. So, without further delay, here are some of the most beautiful pieces of jewelry you'll ever set your eyes on. Try not to drool on your keyboard, honey.

One of my personal favorites! How gorgeous is this baby!?

Necklaces by Gail, Shoes by Yours Truly

Gail painted this! The picture and the box. Isn't she great?

Same idea as the first necklace, in a different color palette. And yes, all of this is handmade!

This was my favorite picture of the day! See the full necklace below.

Once again, necklace and earrings by Gail, shoes by Yours Truly. And sorry, girls, but she loves this set so much it's not for sale! I know, I'm heartbroken too.

How could you pick just one of these?

Finally, fabric covered bead necklace (and my favorite cowboy boots). I think I died and went to jewelry Heaven.

Okay, wipe the drool off your chin. I'm sure you're all in love with Gail's jewelry as much as I am. And let me assure you, there's plenty more where this came from.

Email me at littleblackblogspot@gmail.com with any questions.

xox

Dying of Anticipation!

Today marks the first Little Black Blog photoshoot, however said photoshoot doesn't commence until about four hours from now. If it wasn't already painfully apparent, my excitement for this photoshoot is making me burst at the seams of my Urban Outfitters shirt. SO, to keep myself afloat during the waiting period, here's an appetizer (that has practically nothing to do with the main course that will be presented later on):

Do yourself a favor and watch "The Mirror Has Two Faces". I saw it last night for the first time with my beautiful mother and cousin, and I was serendipitously surprised with how much I fell in love with this movie. I'm almost never a fan of older movies, but this one was a perfect mix of awkward moments and slightly innappropriate jokes.

If you don't have time today for an entire movie (and make sure you make time some time in the near future!), at least have a listen to "Evacuate" by The Boxer Rebellion. Nothing like what I usually listen to, but I've found myself pressing play on this song quite a number of times since I downloaded it.

Until after the much-anticipated photoshoot,

Au Revoir!

Fashion Crisis: Football?!

Last night I got a call from my wonderful boyfriend asking if I'd like to accompany him to a football game viewing at a friend from work's house. I'd never met the friend from work, or any of his other co-workers that would be in attendance, so naturally my first reaction was "Holy crap, what in the mashoogana should I wear?!". I had to look great, but what the heck kind of outfit do you wear to this occasion? It's not a date, and it's not a party, but it's more than just a "hang out". Plus the fact that because I go to the Fashion Institute of Technology, I couldn't completely abandon my fashion sense all together! Long story short, I was up fashion creek without a paddle. SO, in an effort to help struggling girlfriends-that-need-to-look-great-while-meeting-boyfriend's-coworkers-yet-still-keep-their-fashion-sense-all-at-the-same-time (phew, breathe!), here are the options I came up with.

First of all, think simple. Football + men + buffalo chicken wings = THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND FASHION. So keep a simple trend, like this plaid button down ($15) from Target. Pair it with jeans, flats, and a headband. Plus, you can get away with some simple silver bangles with this. At least you can get SOME sparkle with those!

Second, you can get away with something a bit more fashion-forward if it's in a simple tone, take, for instance, black! Try this black graffiti shirt ($14.80) from Forever21. Throw on a jean skirt and some Uggs (or flip flops), and maybe a long necklace or scarf depending on the season.

Keep in mind that these outfits are within the context of a football game. They're not the most fashion-forward, but hey, they get the job done!

And, as per request from a reader and my recent fashion dilemma, I'm going to start a blog section called "Ask LBB" where you can request an outfit styling for a particular occasion, tell me your price range, and VIOLA! You'll have an outfit!

Thanks for reading,

Peace an' Blessins

My Crinoline Never Falls Flat

Ever since I was out of the womb, my mother couldn't help but to dress me in the biggest, fluffiest, froofiest dresses she could find (and believe me, if there was a way she could have dressed me up in her belly, she would have). And, save the four year period of my life when my style pulled a 180 to jeans, sneakers, and bandanas (I had two older brothers, so naturally I wanted to be just like them), I've always enjoyed some good crinoline. Which is why I'm tickled pink at the Spring 2010 trend: Sportswear with an explosion of crinoline. The look juxtaposes blazers and Chuck Taylors with giant crinoline skirts and shining accessories. The feel is very 80s, very fun. And when done right, the balance is perfect! Here is my favorite:

Cotton and Spandex blue blazer, blue skirt, and white skirt (Betsey Johnson - love her!), Sneakers (Converse), and Ring, Earrings, and Cuff (Joanna Laura Constantine).

For the look at home, hit Urban Outfitters for these pieces:

Embellished full skirt, $78

Strong Shoulder Blazer, $78

Chiffon Pleated Shoulder Blouse, $58.