I am obsessed with the new Chanel bag - the Mademoiselle collection with Blake Lively (a.k.a. "Serena" from Gossip Girl). The shape, structure, and design of the bag is superior to any purse I've seen lately. It's new and different compared to the gigantic tote bags of the year 2000, and is reminiscent in concept to the mini bag of the 90's.
I would snatch one up if only it was big enough to carry all of my daily necessities.
xoxo,
Sweet dreams to all,
Stella

It's been a long time...

Hey everyone,
So I realize that it's been a super long time since I've posted here, and for that I truly apologize. I do have an excuse, however.
I have been working on my sewing skills for my future in the fashion industry! I've been interning at the fabric store cloth and bobbin. So I recommend everyone to check out my flickr page - click here to visit my flickr! - to see pictures of everything I've been sewing. If anyone has recommendations for what I should make next, let me know in the comments!
xoxo
Stella

Check out my Etsy!

I haven't posted in a while since I've been busy interning at the awesome boutique fabric shop Cloth and Bobbin. The owner, Johanna Hertz, taught me how to follow a pattern, and now I feel more confident in my sewing abilities.

Click HERE to shop my current product line. I have personally designed and created all the items listed. I also display these items in the new side bar to the right.

You can also visit my shop by copying and pasting the following URL:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/bystella

A Special "FFU" Public Service Announcement

lol so funny! You have to check out this PSA featuring a former star from The Hills, Lauren Conrad.
I especially loved her take on jorts, or cutoffs. Sorry guys, but I totally agree with Lauren here - if I saw one I would probably start laughing because no one should ever wear them!

And please, if your friend is committing an FFU - a coined term I am going to start using - gently suggest better looks for them. It would do everyone a big favor.

Reversible Messenger Bag

Reversible Messenger Bag,
originally uploaded by Stella Kimbrough.

New! Custom made cotton bag! Roomy, cute, interesting, and yet functional.

my denim tote bag

my denim tote bag,
originally uploaded by Stella Kimbrough.

Voilà! Check out many more pics of this bag, which was hand made by yours truly in winter 2010, plus many more pics of my sewing projects!

I'm lusting after some mid-height boots, and came across these at zappos.com who is kind enough to provide these "badges" made especially for bloggers like me (& you).

I LIKE:

Lesly by
KORS Michael Kors

That's not all. No, no. This site intrigues me, especially after finding these adorable rain boots:

I LIKE:

Skerry by
Tretorn

I've never heard of Tretorn, but I'm sold on these perfect little rain boots.

We're Moving!

I'm in the process of setting up the web site! When it is ready you will know. But be prepared to change your book marks so that you can keep reading the new and improved stellablog!

Decades of Inspiration: We're Going to the 90s

As a fan of the CW's Gossip Girl I am always eager to see Leighton Meester's (a.k.a. "Blair Waldorf") fashion choices, however curiously chic, questionable, or just plain wrong they may be. Well, she's done it again...

Image from leightonmeester.us

It's a bit odd, you see some familiar pieces that are on trend: the black booties, the interesting skirt with a high waist, and the really cool bag. What immediately jumped out at me, however, was the cropped long sleeved top with her stomach showing. My immediate reaction: oh my goodness it's so nineties! But I do say very clever of her. Wouldn't you agree?

I think the reason why I had such a strong reaction to her outfit is because fashion has yet to trend back to the decade of the 1990s. A few years ago, perhaps, was too soon. But now in our distant memories we can remember it as a very different and specific time.

For fashion that would mean, if I can remember: grunge, Nirvana and "Smells like teen spirit," tailored functional work (i.e. power suits with sneakers), and my personal favorite pop and old school Britney. Remember the days when Britney Spears wore her school girl shirt tied so epically high above her waist in her video for "Baby...One more time"? I will go out on a whim and pinpoint that video as the exact moment when it became cool and sexy to bare your stomach in public. Because from then on everyone was doing it.

But going back to reality I have to commend miss Meester for such a provocative look. Now on to the nineties we go! (Well, not really. It will take some momentum and time but mark my words it is truly inevitable!). Anyone else exited to pull out your flannel? Or the old crop-top?

Cloud Poufs! A Little Pouf of Joy

My official launch of the one of a kind and hand made Cloud Poufs is upon us!

 Cloud Poufs amongst chicks and hens. L-R: peas in a pod, peaches, & garlic. Photo courtesy of Roberta Fallon

Last weekend I had the chance to add four original hand made pieces to the shop within Bambi Gallery, a very cool space here in Northern Liberties. My cloud poufs, as I call them, arrived just in time for the city's First Friday openings. They are small, round, and adorable coin purse-esque pouches made of cotton fabric printed with green peas in a pod, orange peaches, and white garlic. Each pouch can be turned inside-out to display the reverse side.

 Cloud Poufs with chicks and hens. L-R: peas in a pod, peaches, & garlic. Photo courtesy of Roberta Fallon

This is a design I had originally invented over the winter of this year, which I made for no specific reason other than to hold my laundry quarters. Currently my mom uses it for SEPTA tokens. Here is a picture of it:

It kinda reminds me of a one-eyed monster.

Anyways, I will be making more of these, and some will have new prints I picked up this week - corn on the cob and lemons.

I also want to thank Candace @ Bambi Gallery for putting them on consignment! It was so sweet - thank you so much!

Click Here to visit Bambi's website

More pictures below...

Peaches

Garlic

Peach & Plants

Click Here for more pictures

Click Here for even more pictures 

From Me to You: Link Love

Just for fun! Below are some other great sites I've been frequenting lately. I highly recommend checking them out!

• All Lacquered Up - reviews, pictures, and all that is nail polish
• Chic.tv - in-depth video fashion reports
• Coco Perez - news about celeb fashion and such
• Makeup Geek - fantastic makeup tutorials and videos
• Temptalia - news about makeup launches, reviews, and pictures

Enjoy! & if you want to recommend a site post below!

MAC Cancels Release of Rodarte's Controversial Collection

Here's the latest drama in the world of beauty...

I am relieved the edgy fashion duo Rodarte and its collaboration with Make-up Art Cosmetics, or MAC canceled their fall release of an ethnocentric (to say the very least) line of limited-edition products.

The names of the new products, including "Factory," and "Juarez," and photos, including an eye shadow streaked with eerie shades of blood red, emerged from a press release earlier in the summer. Rodarte described their inspiration behind the cosmetics as the designer's earlier road trip to Mexico.

Since then many have furiously argued whether or not Rodarte and MAC have crossed the line in terms of insensitivity to tragic conditions in Juarez, a town known for overwhelmingly high rates of death and violence.

It seems both companies used their collaboration to gain attention in the form of press. I find it hard to believe two major companies in an industry driven by media "accidentally" offended the masses. They certainly achieved their goal, and on the positive side it raised awareness of several things:
1) MAC announced a hefty donation to the women and children of Juarez,
2) more people are now aware of the turmoil in Juarez and Mexico
3) Rodarte is a young brand that blemished their name for the sake of edginess,
3) MAC, a veteran in the fashion and beauty industry, knows more about publicity than Rodarte and will most likely emerge from this scandal relatively unscathed.

Sure, both companies messed up majorly, but since MAC has a well-established reputation for being charitable and is probably the most respected and sought-after makeup brand out there. This misstep will likely only be a stumble for MAC, where as Rodarte will fall down flat.

But you know what they say about those who get knocked down: they get up again.

For more information about MAC and Rodarte, visit Temptalia

Hey! So if you enjoy watching the myriad of beauty gurus on youtube, you are probably familiar with the Favorites video. At the very end or beginning of the month hundreds, maybe even thousands of videos are uploaded by gurus proclaiming which products they have enjoyed for the past 30 or so days, whether they be makeup, accessories, appliances (usually related to beauty), beauty products, etc., etc.

I like watching these for a number of reasons, but mostly because I like hearing about what is actually worth buying. To a beauty guru, few things in life are worse than purchasing an unsatisfactory product, so they sometimes feel compelled to share that information with other like-minded people so they will avoid the same misfortune.

Enjoy!
xxstella

New Vlog Posted!

Hey check me out in the latest episode of the Fashion Vlog! I'd describe it as one part makeup tutorial, two parts silly, and all fun brain candy. Enjoy!



Oh, and don't forget to post your comments!
Love xx Stella

Just a Random Quickie

For those of you who might not yet know about Madelyn Roehrig's amazing film project (in which I play a starring role, obviously), Conversations with Andy, I highly encourage you to check out her Facebook fanpage. Get in touch. Volunteer to go and have your own special conversation with the great Andy Warhol at his gravestone/ shrine in his hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Yes.)

I write this to you because during my spring cleaning I found an old mix CD my friend made for me in high school that beautifully relates to Year One of the conversations. In the first installment my mom appears not once, but twice she brings Andy some Gas-X pills because she thought they both could greatly benefit from the OTC drug (the late Warhol was shot in the gallbladder, contributing to his premature death in 1987). Upon finding such a CD I immediately thought of Andy, and of why I hadn't remembered owning such a fantastic specimen!

The Extra-Strength Gas-X Mix

1. Wilco - "Kamera"
2. Nancy Sinatra - "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)"
3. Death Cab for Cutie - "Title and Registration"
4. Metric - "Combat Baby"
5. Pedro the Lion - "The Long Winter"
6. The Shins - "Saint Simon"
7. Rilo Kiley - "The Execution of all Things"
8. The Unicorns - "Les Os"
9. The Faint - "Glass Danse"
10. The New Pornographers - "The Slow Descent into Alcoholism"
11. Of Montreal - "Penelope"
12. Death Cab for Cutie - "For What Reason"

That's all for now. Talk to you later! xx

A special thanks to my homeroom buddy Nicole for providing the mix!

episode 1 available NOW on my youtube channel!

I think I shall name it Look Like. Enjoy! & there is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned & please subscribe to my channel at youtube.com/user/stellbellandco !!
&
Give my vids the thumbs up!
Leave me comments!

because it's so much fun!!
xx & co.
stellbell

Pic of the Day

 Image by & of Stella Kimbrough, 2010.

...thoughts?

Quickie

Hello! Here's a quickie about a couple things I've been thinking about lately, some of which I might elaborate on in the future. I'm also going to either mention it or do an entire vlog about it (see my new FASHIONVLOG)! I am still new to the whole youtube/ vlog thing, but I will for sure let you know when I've decided on a schedule for when I'm posting here or adding a video to my channel. Thanks so much for reading and I'd love to hear your feedback - whether you have questions, comments, ideas, tips, anything! Let me know down in the comments or feel free to email me! xo

1. Glitter furniture?
As some of you may know, I am a huge fan of DIY projects, and in the spirit of rearranging my room I now want to re-paint some pieces that I spray painted yellow last summer. So I thought, wouldn't it be cool to somehow paint/glue them in glitter?? It's so campy and unexpected, which are two things that I just adore. Have you honestly ever seen a wooden piece of furniture (i.e. drawers, book cases) entirely covered in glitter?? But then again, the whole thing might not turn out the way I envision it in my head, but it would be a cool experiment!

2. Dressing to compliment your skin tone.
This is something I have never really cared about because my mentality was always just to wear what I like and what makes me feel good, regardless of rules or sticking to a color palette that compliments my cool skin tone. I've now come to realize that indeed, wearing cool colors (blues, greens, purples, silvers) generally looks better against my skin than warm colors (reds, oranges, yellows, golds). And guess what? I own a LOT of warmer colors! I love red, orange, and gold (I will admit that I never wear yellow because it looks awful on me). So this is not to say that I won't be wearing these warm colors anymore, but I think it is interesting that when comparing side-by-side, cool tones actually look better on me! Who would have thought?


Alright so that was literally a couple things, but be sure to watch out for my vlogs when they are posted (either tonight or tomorrow, hopefully). I'll talk to you later!

Ciao bella!

3, 2, 1... blast off!

Get ready, people. Because yours truly has created a vlog on youtube!! I've already uploaded 3 videos, although the first 2 were supposed to fit into one video. I really could not, despite intense editing, fit the 20-some minutes of film I shot into 10 (I guess that's the maximum time you're allowed... lame!).

ENJOY!! And don't forget to subscribe to my channel - stellbellandco
:)
CLICK HERE to visit my youtube channel!





(part II below!)

Hi! So I just wanted to quickly share a few of my favorite ideas/ inspirations at the moment. Basically, this is a list of what puts a little skip in my step these days:



1) Mini notebooks. Oh my dear goodness, why on earth did I not think to always carry around a tiny little notebook before? I am constantly jotting notes down in random notebooks or on scraps of paper, which I will immediately forget about the instant I put my pen down. (I am somewhat not looking forward to the day when I look though my things to see the same notes written over in 10 different places). Right now I'm using this blue mini comp book (picture below!) which I usually have with my double sided pink sharpie (I adore sharpies, but I kind of always have so I can't put in on the list here)

If anyone has a suggestion for an amazing notebook they bought (I mean, besides this one), let me know!

2. Pearly, sheer nails. I've been wearing OPI's "Pearl of Wisdom" now for like a month, and it takes forever to chip! It's a pretty, low-key color for if you want something a little girlie but not too over-the-top. A.K.A. my new fave!

3. Pink lips. No further comment :)

4. Matching. Now, I am not a natural-born matcher. For most of my life I was blissfully unaware of even the concept of matching an article of clothing with an accessory. Once I was made aware of the fact that pink, in fact, does not match with purple, I went into a phase I would call matching deviance. I purposely wore atypical color combinations (and still do today). Well now, I am simply in love with the idea of matching accessories. It's so cute-sy and proper, and when I do match my clothes I get this giddy feeling inside, like a little girl who is about to go to a tea party with all her friends and teddy bears.

5. Fabric purses. I have always, consciously or subconsciously, chosen fabric purses. For some reason they really resonate with me as opposed to a leather handbag. I can't explain it very well, but I guess I could start off with the fact that it is more earth friendly (for the most part). Anyways, I finally finished making one today and will probably post pictures tomorrow.

So stay tuned!
xxoo
stellbell

Ruminations

The other day I was thinking about how I pick clothes to wear out of my closet, and improving how I get dressed. I guess the idea started when I was reading an article in this month's VOGUE saying how it's important to think about and plan your outfits six months in advance. To me this was an absolutely odd statement because I have never, ever thought about my clothes like that. Sure, I've bought clothes that I didn't actually wear until months later, and I've even had the occasional daydream about fall fashion in the spring because I like to look at the runway shows. I was always confused as to why designers show their lines for the opposite season because I thought, well who is going to buy these now? And apparently people do! In truth, I really love the idea of planning in advance because I do tend to be the person who puts everything off until the last possible minute. And when that moment finally arrives, I have no clothes to wear and feel so overwhelmed that I pick the first damn thing that feels comfortable for the weather. And usually by this time, everything is picked over! Tragic!
I was also thinking about how choosing the right clothes for the occasion can be so critical. And by occasion I mean anything really, whether it's going to class, running errands, lounging around the house, going out for drinks, or attending a nice event. I've found it is necessary to feel comfortable in what you're wearing. When I'm feeling over- or under-dressed or if I'm wearing something completely inappropriate, I feel really uncomfortable! And you know what? People can tell when you feel uncomfortable because it makes THEM feel uncomfortable too.
My advice (and I know it may sound cliché): no matter what you are wearing, carry yourself with confidence: shoulders back, head up! My favorite mantra for when I'm not feeling my best is fake it till you make it. It sounds weird but I swear it works. If you are feeling insecure then make an extra effort to project confidence. If you are feeling sad or angry then put a smile on your face. When you act like how you want to feel, you will eventually embody it. I promise.
xxoo
Stellbell

P. S. do you ever buy your clothes in advance? Leave me a message here or email me at stellbellandco@gmail.com

More Summertime Picks!

This is kind of a random side note, but I just saw a Starbucks commercial that got me really excited (you can watch it at starbucks.com). They are doing a Frappuccino happy hour 3-5 PM until the 16th, which I think is sort of funny and sort of awesome at the same time because I used to get them when I was a lot younger and this gives me a reason to order something other than my usual soy latte or regular coffee. The kid in me is jumping for joy, and not from being over caffeinated by the way. But anyways on to the real point...

For me, a visit to Old Navy can be either hit or miss. But I'm excited about what's in store for this summer! I'm seeing some pretty good colors and shapes, so let's get started...

1. Old Navy Metallic-Embellished Rib-Knit Tank in the color "Spitfire" ($12.50).

I would like to see this tank top in person just to take a closer look at the beading details because sometimes beading can look very different in person than from the picture. I'm like what I see here though - I like the punchy color, and it's hard to find good colors sometimes. But it also comes in a black (Black Jack) and a brown (Cocoa Powder) color, and I have to say I like them all. And at this price you can afford all three if you want!

2. Old Navy Mix & Match Ruffle Trim Bikini Top and Bottom in the color "Brown Dots" ($16.50 each).

 

Two words: so cute! It's a good basic color, and I love the tiny polka dots and ruffle details.

3. Old Navy Plaid Halter Cabana Dress ($29.50).

Ok, I've been really into plaid lately and this dress caught my eye. I love the pockets and that it's a halter. I would probably wear it with a belt because sometimes an empire waist can make me look a little bigger around the middle, but otherwise it's a great little daytime dress.

4. Old Navy Smocked Gauze Button-Tab Shorts in the color "Madagascar" ($12.50).

When I saw these I got so excited - they look comfy, fun, and cute! I have to admit I had a difficult time choosing my favorite color for these shorts because they come in six shades! I also love the kelly green ("New Zealand") and fuchsia ("Sizzling Fuchsia") versions. I just love the idea of wearing super brightly  colored shorts, and I will tell you why. You know we all have those blah days when you don't really feel like making too big of an effort? These would be so good for those days paired with a simple white tee or tank because the colors would instantly put you in a good mood! And the price? Come on, it's such a good deal.

I hope you liked my picks! xoxo

All images via oldnavy.com

A Few Summertime Picks!

Hey! So I was just browsing one of my favorite places to shop online, Shop Bop, and decided to post some of my absolute favorite picks for the summertime.

First, I adore anything cute and girly, so I started with the Juicy Couture section. They are most famous for their colorful terry and velour tracksuits, which may not be on the forefront of fashion these days (i.e. since leggings replaced sweats as the go-to comfy pant). I find that a lot of Juicy's other pieces are spot-on, and maybe even underrated! So anyways, I'll start off with these comfy looking green shorts:

1.) Juicy Couture Convertible Shorts with Repair Details ($98).

(I am not sure as to why they are called "Repair Shorts"). Now, I am always on the lookout for the perfect short, and these are definitely going on my lust list. Maybe I will try and find a more reasonably priced version, in which case I will post it here. But the reason why I love these shorts is because of their shape, details, and color. They are super flattering, and have an interesting ribbon belt that ties in a bow on the back.

2.) Juicy Couture Felicity Floral Bra Bikini Top ($85) & String Bikini Bottoms ($83).

I'm not usually a big floral person, but I will make an exception here. And the flowers are so tiny so it's not like one of those BAM, in-your-face, gaudy floral prints where you can see the flowers from outer space (I'm very picky about my prints!). This flirty bikini is interesting to me because of its details: strategically placed ruffles that aren't too over the top, and a flower embellishment on each piece. It's not too much or not enough, it's tastefully just right and potentially something that you will want to wear year after year (i.e. it's not too too trendy). And I honestly have not seen a comparable version elsewhere, so I would definitely pick this one up before it's gone.

Well those are my favorites from Juicy, stay tuned for more of my summertime picks!

All images via shopbop.com

I am seriously loving...

Lourdes Leon a.k.a. Madonna's 13-year-old daughter.

Every time I see a pic of this girl I am amazed by her sense of style. She is fearless in what she wears while remaining tasteful. Can't wait to see what this style prodigy brings!

(Quickie) How-To:

So while I procrastinate for my exam tomorrow morning, I randomly became inspired to talk about this new trend, of sheer, sheer fabric that is happening all over fashion lately. I've seen sheer done well, but...
(a.) It can be tricky to get it off the catwalk and onto the racks at your local mall.
(b.) I've seen some pretty high-end designers doing sheer in their collections, and frankly, most of these items I would ever wear in a million years. They tend to be frumpy, dowdy, or, on the opposite end of the spectrum, require exposure of what one is wearing underneath his or her clothes.

When I do come across an attractive sheer frock or blouse, I often have the thought that the particular item in question needs an additional something to wear under the flowing sheer cloud of fabric. For this reason I tend to shy away from sheer things, however tempting they may be, because they come with such a caveat. (Hey, I'm not an upper-east side heiress... unfortunately).

Despite my skepticism of sheer, I have also succumbed to the desire to have said item in my closet. In actuality, while I had this thought I realized I already own a sheer floral tube dress. Next came a confused progression of thoughts, such as, "how can I make this look fresh and new?" considering in the past I usually wore the dress on top of jeans.
This is the kind of piece that you can't just wear by itself, holding true to the nature of sheer fabric.

Here is what I came up with for this spring:

I may be a novice at vogueing (see: Madonna), but I wanted to be able to show the lovely sheer textile without showing my lingerie. I paired the sheer over American Apparel's convertible jersey dress in aqua. The underneath, I shall call it in this circumstance a slip, reveals a peek of blue straps tied in an effortless bow to one shoulder, with a tease of blue at the bottom. I would happily wear these pieces on any sunny, breezy, spring-y day without the worry of exposing myself to innocent & unsuspecting strangers.

In closing, let us sum up the moral of this story:
1. Sheer garments can be beautiful
2. You must choose your sheers wisely
3. Be aware of exposing parts of your body or undergarments to those who don't want to see them

(teaser)

Get excited, stellbells, for in the near future a groundbreaking, earth-shattering, never-before-seen new coalition launch will be covered exclusively on the fashionblog. *Hint: it may or may not include special devices used to expose underlying truths.


So stay tuned; you're going to want the 411 on this baby.
Until then, stay strong, employ your best graces, and always, be fashion.

xxoo
stellbell & co.

The opposite of green

Previously on the fashionblog, I mentioned playing with the newest hue of inspiration: Jade. Well, what began as harmless curiosity soon lead to an adventure of absurd proportions.

In the wee hours of the night I began my transformation from average college undergrad to... quasi chemist. I needed my Jade fix, whether or not that meant I had to recreate it myself. At the end of this story, I am left valiant with a Jade-inspired manicure in hand. (Literally).

Well, that would be the most simplistic way of saying: I spent hours in the bathroom with hazardous chemicals (read: of the acetone kind, and from my own personal hoard of polishes - and who knows what kinds of carcinogens those contain).

I mixed and blended until i was out of patience, polish to use, and a few brain cells. I even created a painting with the leftovers: 

I call it Asphyxiation, and I think it conveyed my feelings of that night to an accurate degree.

The overall result of this adventure, however, pleasantly surprised me. I was able to create 2 beautiful colors, one a sort of robin's egg blue with a hint of Jade, the other a dusty lavender. I shall call them Uranium and Mutation.

Featured in stelbell's spring 2010 RTW line

If you are interested in digging your nails into these new hues (pun intended, unfortunately), then that's too bad for you because these custom-made nail embellishment products are limited and one-of-a-kind. And there is no way in hell I will ever go through the trouble of doing that again.

See, Lagerfeld? My "Vernis" are more exclusive than yours. 

...But seriously, I wouldn't recommend mixing nail polish colors. Ever. To anyone.

xxoo

stellbell

It's not easy being green

I must admit, there is one particular trend, or shall I say frenzy, that has sparked my curiosity lately. For Chanel's Fall 2009 collection Karl Lagerfeld infused pretty pastel greens ("jade") and soft pinks perfectly with the classic blacks and whites of the Chanel aesthetic and legacy. It is always easy to find inspiration in Lagerfeld's collections, so what happened next only reinforced my adoration for all things Chanel & Lagerfeld.
But FIRST, take a gander of some of my personal faves from this collection:

Images via www.style.com

Now on to the juicy stuff...
In October 2009 the Chanel website and a few exclusive boutiques began carrying a limited-edition nail polish duo inspired by the latest collection, Jade & Jade Rose Le Vernis nail color. But let's focus on the true star here: a minty, pastel Jade, a color so unexpected and new it's refreshing, sold out in 40 minutes flat. The rest of the world had to suffer until someone found a worthy substitute. These days I hear Jade is still being sold on ebay for over $200, so I wouldn't hold my breath if you want to nab the real thing without going broke.
It's so unfair.

What recently brought me thinking about this travesty was during a trip to the drugstore, where I began to notice more and more green polishes slyly popping up, in their almost-but-nice-try pastels. The people have spoken, and they still crave their Jade fix!

I decided to try one out yesterday, and decided on one of the lower-priced versions, since I didn't yet know if green would live up to my expectations. And secretly, I really, really wanted it to. We're at the ideal point to bite a new idea in fashion: no one really knows about it yet, so you don't have to feel lame when everyone else starts wearing it cause YOU were the first.

Anyway, I chose a nice little bottle of "Lime Freeze" by Petites at a budget-friendly $1.99.

(WARNING: this is where it gets ugly)

The color certainly wasn't and Jade, but it wasn't completely awful, either (depending on who you ask). It had too much "lime" and not enough "freeze," and mostly the yellowish pale green failed to complement my fair complexion. The product itself didn't suck, and as we all know Petites comes in in more colors than ice cream flavors at Baskin-Robbins, so perhaps our 2-dollar relationship is worth saving (at least for emergencies).

So, being the ever-curious and somewhat shameless person I am, I began to play with my new toy. My reasoning, as a forewarning, was that I wanted to see if I could transform the garish lime green into something more useful.

Sorry to leave you hanging at such a moment of suspense, but you will just have to wait and see what I wound up doing! Don't worry, entertainment is a guarantee.

xxoo

stellbell

As promised...

Let me reiterate how much fun I had at the Playboy Pajama Party, even though Madelyn & I somehow missed the "pajama" memo, we both looked fab as usual. (Details below).

A few of the transvestites, & a few of the best outfits of the evening!

The two on the right seem inspired by Lady Gaga (including a darker version of Gaga's infamous hairbow)
I loved the (I hope) faux fur stole on the lady to the left - I believe her name is Desiree? She was playing with the dark bunny persona.

Playboy Playmate Laurie Fetter with the Twister coat-man

Me & Barbie. She is SO tall!

On a side note: why do transvestites have the most amazing legs? It's not fair.

P.S. major props for being able to walk in those shoes (although they aren't quite my style)

So gorgeous!
(& I'm thinking of getting that outfit for next Halloween)

What we wore:

• Madelyn was sporting her shiny new blue snakeskin clogs & a silver metallic scarf, which popped against & added interest her otherwise all-black ensemble.
• I wore a mid-sleeve zebra print-block mini dress with a cowl neck and exposed back zipper from the affordable Franchesca's in Shadyside. I accessorized with a white patent purse from Nine West (they have great non-shoe items too!) and black velvet ballet slippers from, gasp, Gap Kids. Hey, when you're small enough, why not?

Images courtesy of Madelyn Roehrig

Playing with Bunnies

Just got back from the Warhol museum with Madelyn for their Playboy bunny party. Met a couple fab transvestites, took a few pictures with a Playboy bunny/ playmate Laurie Fetter, sipped a couple free beers, and saw a whole lot of interesting get-ups. Andy would approve.

Will post pictures ASAP!

What's in Drugstores

I, for one, find immense pleasure in aimlessly strolling the aisles of drug stores. There, you find everything you need juxtaposed with everything you don't really need at all.

i.e. flower pots disguised as joyful, oversized tea cups (CVS)

Play a game: as your basket fills find how many items you actually need, and how many you have convinced yourself you actually need. If you, like I, are on a budget, now would be the time to slowly and shamefully return those items to their respective shelves. (Unless of course you really, really want them)!

That being said, I have come across numerous things in these stores that have brought me joy and fulfillment. Without impulse purchases, I never would have come across a few fabulous accessories. Case in point: hair accessories.

Allow me to introduce the Scünci product line. Every purchase from this brand (impulse, or not) has never disappointed me. In fact, I would go as far as to say I am dedicated to the Scünci brand while shopping for hair accessories (in a drug store). Their products are fashion-forward, well-made, and most importantly, highly functional.

I have tried the other brands available.... well, brand: Conair (I challenge you to find a company with a more extensive line of hair grooming products). This company simply has never satisfied any of my needs. When I say, "Dear Conair, I want a good brush!" they give me an aesthetically appealing piece-of-crap. "Conair, I want a good-quality hair straightener/ curling iron/ blow dryer!" they ignore my "good-quality" request and give me some sort of an appliance that may show promise to deliver on its claims, but give me results so baffling I don't even know how to describe how crappy they are.

Don't let their good looks fool you.

What does all of this have to do with fashion?
Well, I would like to share a recent purchase that is both functional, well-made, cute, and most importantly, inexpensive.

I have searched online for this product (no thanks to the um, dense website of Scünci), but have not yet found anything. Maybe you will have better luck? I'd like to help but these fab barrettes were never given a proper name at birth. I shall call them Vintage Metallic Genious.

These, my fellow stellbells, are exquisitely functional and fashionable at the same time.
Allow me to demonstrate (although there are many more ways one can use them!):

The mini-Snooki poof

Add playful twist to a deep side-part

Play, enjoy, and please, find them to add to your wardrobe!

What do you think about drugstore finds?

Cherry Pop

Hey! This is my first post on what will be known some day as a good, even great fashionblog. I claim not to be an expert, but a passionate lover of all things beautiful. I aim to share my sometimes unconventional thought, which may appear provocative to those who favor a narrower view. At the same time I am always open to new ideas, and love to hear your thoughts, whether it be constructive criticism or agreeable encouragement. Thank you, always, for reading!

xxoo

stellbell