Decisions Decisions

My apartment is having a Mad Men themed christmas party (Appropriately titled "The Company Holiday Party") and I'm now faced with the age-old question: Betty or Joan?

I mean, Betty is the obvious choice.  Since I'm also blonde, and the opportunity to wear a full-skirt and apron to a house party sounds AMAZING. But maybe I should dig a little deeper?

Because Joan Holloway also sounds like a good option.  I mean, I do look GREAT in a pencil skirt (not to toot my own horn or anything...). And obviously I wouldn't be going AS Joan Holloway, just a Joan-esque secretary.  Ooh, then I could wear 60s glasses. Hmm...

But there's also the fact that my roommates are both redheads, so they'll probably go the Joan route.  And I already have a pretty amazing Anthropologie apron, and a very cute Anthropologie skirt I bought in high school (otherwise I would show you a picture of it) that I could probably throw some tulle under for volume.

Okay. Betty it is!

bad girl jewelry

I've been doing some research... if we can call it that... on how im going to shift my look. i think my first step is to alter my jewelry wardrobe. and where better to get as much jewelry as possible while spending the bare minimum? thats right- forever 21! here are the favorites:

its a fact: i need some BAMF jewelry to BAMF up my life. and i think these are the pieces to do it.

Treat Yourself

Holiday Themed Cup + Coffee + Whole Foods Hazelnut Creamer = perfect start to a morning.

Les Jeans

I am a curvy lady - and I don't mean "curvy" as a euphemism for chubby, I mean I have actual curves.  Small waist and some junk in my trunk (are you uncomfortable yet?)

Kim Kardashian would be proud.

Anyway, I have found the PERFECT JEANS! They're a mix of cotton, polyester and spandex so they're tight enough to fit my waist and hips, but stretchy enough to allow movement and fit my butt and thighs. Plus they have a HUGE flare at the bottom which balances out those thighs I was talking about.  Of course since I'm so short I needed K's mom to hem them, but now they're perfect!

Les Jeans

They're called the BDG Groupie Flare Jean from Urban Outfitters.  And I love them.

-m

Bacall Me Crazy

A few weeks ago I watched a behind-the-scenes featurette of one of my favorite movies, THE AFRICAN QUEEN.  First of all, everyone who hasn't seen AFRICAN QUEEN needs to, like, right now.  And everyone who hasn't seen this featurette needs to pop their DVDs into the player and watch it immediately! It was such an interesting story of how this amazing film got made (against all odds, of course!).  But you would never think that this incredibly successful, award-winning (Humphrey Bogart got his oscar for it!) film would have been made completely independently! And the John Huston stories are unbelievable. 

Fact: Katherine Hepburn is NOT actually a zombie in this movie.
Despite this picture.

But I'm getting sidetracked...

This post is actually about Lauren Bacall, because she was all over the featurette.  Now those of you I'm friends with are probably asking, "why, Meredith? AFRICAN QUEEN stars Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn!" Why yes, dear friend, it does.  But Lauren Bacall followed her husband all the way to freakin' Africa (yes, they shot mostly on location - not surprising if you've seen the movie, very surprising if you know anything about old movies!) where she literally lived in a hut and cooked for the entire cast and crew, when she wasn't fending off red ants and dysentary.  Seriously, watch this documentary.

Anyway, this featurette made me LOVE Bacall.  I've always thought of her as kind of cold...I mean, who doesn't when they look at pictures like this?


My hat is warm...my demeanor is not.

 But now I love her. So I want to start emulating her amazing masculine/feminine warddrobe (something Katie can clearly get behind!) her grace and her strength.  Shouldn't we all?  Maybe I should start by NOT making this post title a shameless pun. Just kidding, too late!

Plaid has never been sexier.



Love.

 -m

Makeover Update: inspirations

ok, so i'm not letting myself BUY anything... but that doesn't mean i cant look and make wish lists!!!
i've started making a general inspiration board for my refined look, and its shaping up to be pretty clear: i have coco chanel, the two hepburns, joan jett, louise brooks, debbie harry, and edie sedgwick (no, i couldnt be less original). so the verdict is pretty clear: minimal, clean, menswear inspired with feminine flare and baaaad ass accessories.

next step: weed out the weaklings in my wardrobe and make way for the fabulous.

Zut Alors!

My fellow Americans,

Laduree, the PHENOMENAL tea, macaroon and pastry shop from Paris, has FINALLY opened a store in the US!!!

Granted, this new store has opened in New York...and I live on the opposite coast (hence why this blog is called "Two Coasts..." get it now?) But that's still about 2000 miles closer than the Paris one*

 This place is actually Heaven.  I'm pretty

sure I saw God when I bit into their

Religieuse a la Rose pastry.


When I look back at my life, it will forever be split by a defining moment: Before I ate at Laduree, and After. 



Before: oh, what joy to come!



So, if you are in New York, do yourself a favor and go to Laduree.  And please, please please please bring me back a macaroon! I'm talking to you, Katie.



-m

*This math is entirely made up. 



OVERHAUL

I've been completely unhappy with my wardrobe for a couple months now, but i hit my tipping point this week. i hate pretty much everything i own. un problème, non?
with that in mind, i've been trying to nail down what i love about clothes. i think i'm getting it down: solids or stripes/ ikats, metallics, neutrals, jewel tones, and black- lots of black. i lovelovelove menswear on women, and the 1960s vibe dresses- shift dresses, twiggy dresses, sassy butt dresses. 
so with this in mind, i'm overhauling my closet.
so the new goals are:
1. get rid of anything i haven't worn in the past year
2. get rid of anything I'm not comfortable in when i feel my most disgusting
3. force myself to wear ALL of it in the next two months
4. assess my shoes- uuugh, my shoes are a wreck.
5. build an inspiration board and stick to it

you know what this means, kids: time to go shopping in my closet!