For The Love Of Accessories

With a relatively new line of Men's clothing and a collection of accessories called For Love 21, my favorite southern California-based cheap chic retailer, Forever 21, is gradually evolving into a lifestyle brand. As I browsed the new For Love 21 site, I noticed that they expanded their normal accessories line to include items such as luggage tags, cosmetic bags, watches, books, small gifts, and pins. Over the years, I've acquired quite a collection of necklaces and rings from Forever 21, but I admit to rarely buying their handbags, earrings, or belts. As someone who loves to occasionally splurge on of-the-moment, inexpensive accessories, I'm looking forward to seeing what the line has to offer. In addition to their expanding accessories, I have also noticed a growing selection of footwear in many of the Forever 21 stores that I have visited over the past few months. While the selection can vary greatly from store to store, it pays to peek around and check the floor displays or under the clothing racks, as the footwear is not always merchandised in the most compelling way. Below are some of my best picks from the For Love 21 collection.

1. Luggage tag, $9.80, 2. 1001 Ways To Save The Earth book, $9.80, 3. Cotton cap, $8.80, 4. Color thread teardrop earrings, $5.80, 5. Fern pin, $6.80.

Photo credit: forever21.com

© 2008 Fashion Trend Guide

new york, new york...

I'm in town to visit the Oyster Dress, wander Central Park, and raid Century 21 for a good pair of boots. See you Sunday with photos x

Back to My Bracelets!!

Serendipity strikes once again! A set of lampwork beads, oddly coloured with tones of brown, beige, olive and purple, carelessly placed on a desk next to some new strands of beads, and voila, a combination I may not have otherwise come up with. This matching bracelet and necklace (earrings will be posted soon) contains ametrine, moss opal, amethyst, and tiger-eye beads as well as those pretty, but oddly coloured lampwork beads. This necklace is very versatile (yes, despite the purple) because it looks great with neutrals such as khaki, black, browns, camels, and tans. I'm not selling them as a set, but I did make them together using all the same elements in each piece.


I've been making some bracelets this week (well, among other things); the unique bracelet above is one of my favorite combinations with the last of some of my favorite lampwork beads by Robin Weber. Fire agate and aqua Peruvian chalcedony may not sound like the perfect match, but with these lampwork beads - I'm in love! This is only the second time I've used this combination, but I think it's going to become one of my classics. Below is another classic: the labradorite bracelet with two strands - two strands so that there is always some blue flash showing! I choose my labradorite pieces carefully when I make a piece of labradorite jewelry so that each piece has "flash" and the stronger, the better. But even so, labradorite flashes with movement (the reason it's so great for dangling earrings and bracelets).
Below is a rainbow moonstone bracelet - also double-stranded for the same reasons as the labradorite bracelet. This one also has great lampwork beads in white and clear with a slight iridescent quality. I'll be making more moonstone jewelry since the modern birthstone for June is the moonstone (the traditional birthstone is the pearl).


jewellery accessories jewelry fashion shopping braceletsbeads handmade beaded jewelry beading helmi gioielli smykker tak? juvelen lampwork beads The Jewelry Blog jewelry trends accessories jewelry handmade bracelet unusual jewelry

there and back again

I'm back after a rocking west coast trip and straight into night shifts to recoup my travel bank. Photos will be up in the next few days.

P.S. I had the honour of meeting Jasmine from Pike/Pine on Capitol Hill last week- click for a photo (scroll down to 3/5/08).

evintage blog tag - Halters

Its Blog Tag Wednesday at the eVintage Society!.

Temperatures are rising and its time to show some skin! The halter neckline is a great way to leave a little to the imagination while exposing enough to stay cool and stylish. Lets talk halters!



1) Show us your favorite halter dress or top in your inventory

For an evening out on the town, I have this Black Velvet Halter Dress with Rhinestones







2)Marilyn rocked the halter bodice back in the 50s, but it came back big in the 70s…..which is your favorite era for the halter?

Def the 1950s, glamorous and sexy! The 70s make me think of hippies with saggy titties and hairy underarms! (just kidding hippie girls) Although 1970s Disco halters were pretty hot.



3)Bare backs are vulnerable, what’s your suggestion for protecting skin from the sun?

A little shawl that you could let slip off your shoulder now and then. A pretty parasol if you are outside most of the day. Or yummy coconut smelling sun tan lotion.



4)Halter as top or dress, whats your preference?

I like the look of both. I've always had a hard time wearing a halter though. One because I refuse to go without a bra and also because I have a big squishy mole on my back.



5)A bra can be a challenge…..best suggestion for support?

A challenge indeed. I never go out without a bra, so this has always been hard for me. Strapless bras uusally leave me pulling them up all day. I bought one of those bras with clear plastic straps from Victoria's Secret a few years ago. But the plastic is shiny and very obvious looking, so I never wore the bra. I need a halter that has built in support that doesn't move around. I bought a halter bathing suit top from Old Navy that does have cup support and I actually wore that out in the yard this weekend, leaving me with a halter strap tanline!





Check out the eVintage Blog Tag every Wednesday. Follow the links to read the posts from all of the participating blogs. I was tagged by Vintage Joy and now I'm tagging Diary of a Mad Vintage Addict

It all stops here 1

As you know, I've been following the cotton crop for the past three years in the It All Starts Here series. This year, my plans were thwarted when the acreage was bought by another concern who decided to plant corn rather than cotton. Wahhh! Foiled, I thought the agricultural series was doomed but then I realized that the trend of rising prices for corn causing cotton acreage to shrink was important considering rising costs of energy.

First an update to the local field. It was being irrigated when I went by but Piporro and Juan were nowhere to be found. It was about 5:30PM so I imagine they were fetching dinner. I was pleased to see the new owner had invested in infrastructure updates. Up and down the length of the irrigation side of the plot, new water gates have been installed. A considerable expense, these were very nicely done.

Why you so cagey?

*Cue biggest evil laugh ever* Wuhahahahaha! Angie Montreal is collaborating with me to co-ordinate the mass world domination of the cage skirt. Behold, as she offers the cage skirt on her Etsy in black, heather grey, brown, floral and possibly more. It can be any length you want. You can have studs, pearls or nothing at all. The zippers can be metal or plastic. Oh and there are buttons galore as she has many many options. Have a wee Etsy convo with her and groovy magic could happen. In the meantime, I'm going to get up to some renegade tricks and start hanging up some cage skirts sneakily in Topshop Oxford Circus Cheap Date style...

Get caged, people, get caged...

Days of Miracles and Wonders

Every time I worry that we are, in fact, in the end times (trying to remember if those wackaloons have bred their red heifer yet, and then beginning, ridiculously, to wonder what exactly would be the best thing to wear to the Apocalypse -- certainly it would need a lot of pockets, and of course if you are facing the Apocalypse surely you wouldn't care about eventual lung cancer, but could use asbestos cloth ... and would red be too matchy-matchy?) I remember that, even if we are rapidly approaching the time of Peak Everything; there are consolations; even if the world is running down, we can make the best of what's still around.

Like, for instance, the Internets. Which lets me, with the click of several buttons, browse through an exhibit from the Met back in 2002 -- Blithe Spirit: The Windsor Set, and see the dresses of another time when some had it that there was no use planning for the next year, much less the next decade; a time when they were going to party like it's 1939.

It always surprises me that mere electrons can manage to carry such treasures to me through wires and waves; treasures nearly as ephemeral as those electrons. How improbable, how ridiculous! What petite main in Vionnet's studio would believe it, if she were told that some American woman would, seventy years in the future, look at this dress--basically over the telephone? She'd stick you with a pin, and tell you to stop wasting her time. The woman for whom this dress was made would snort -- she'd believe that in a year, maybe two, her dress would be hopelessly out of style, and not worth anyone's attention.

This dress is black silk satin and black silk net, with sequins. (A dress made of wet toilet paper would probably be less fragile.) And yet -- it's still here. Its maker is gone; its wearer is gone; every man who guided it through a foxtrot, long gone: but it's still here. Still here, and since it's in a museum, safe and protected from everything from excess humidity to violent video games, likely to continue to be here, and through various generosities and some very clever engineering, we can up our brass periscopes outside our daily concerns and just, for a moment, look at it.

It might be taken (black birds, so ill-omened!) as a memento mori, but it might also be taken as kind of defiant monument: if something so delicate could abide through such terrible history, why shouldn't we? I'd like to call this a reverse Ozymandias; no "look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!" but instead, a quiet invitation to rejoice.

how to chop wood in high heels

These ensembles from Ulla Johnson's fall 08 collection remind me of the clothing my Finnish grandmother wore in the 1940s. A photograph ever present on my inspo board shows her perched on a rock in the middle of dense forest, wearing a simple, expertly hand sewn outfit and high heeled lace-up shoes, her lips and nails painted dark red. I still wonder how she managed to cultivate such a glamourous appearance in an isolated place where Saturday night out consisted of naked saunas and ice fishing (and still does).

I became an Ulla devotee after discovering the "sadie" cardigan last year. Can't wait to see what she comes up with for 2009...

Ghost Ride The Celebrity Whip: 25 Stupid-Awesome Vehicles [pics]

When you make millions of dollars yet get everything for free, it can be challenging to figure out just how to spend your fortune. But these stars have it all worked out. They just blow their greenbacks on tricked out cars outfitted with more TVs than are commonly found in a five bedroom McMansion. Here are some of the more ridiculous celebrity car habits out there today.

1. Jay Leno: Jay Leno, host of The Tonight Show, is legendary for his love of unique automobiles. While the exact number of cars in Leno's 17,000 foot garage is unknown, it's said to be well over 100. Leno's car collection represents 100 years of automobile history, and he definitely has a penchant for cars with unique features. Consider his 1956 Chrysler Imperial that has a record player installed beneath the dash, or the Blastolene Special, a 21-foot-long roadster with an aluminum body and the same v12 engines used in an M47 Patton Tank. Leno is said to drive all of the cars he owns, and he takes a different one to work each day.


2. 50 Cent: 50 Cent, also known as Curtis Jackson, took part of the fortune he made off his successful rap career and sunk it into a 2006 Rolls Royce Phantom, which he then had turned into a convertible long before the car company began offering drop top models. The conversion was said to cost him almost as much as the car itself – about $350,000. 50's Phantom also has TVs inside it and came “fully loaded.” No word on whether he had it bulletproofed as he did his other vehicles.


3. Simon Cowell: The American Idol host has a love for fast, flashy cars, which he proved by purchasing a $1 million Bugatti Veyron, a sleek bullet-like car made by Volkswagen. The car has over 1,000 horsepower and can go faster than 250 miles per hour, going from 0 to 100 in 2.5 seconds. And it's not the only fancy car in this TV mogul's garage. He's also the proud owner of a Rolls Royce Phantom and a Ferarri.


4. Lebron James: When Lebron James turned 18 in 2003, his mother gave him a platinum Hummer H2 for his birthday. The ostentatious car was just incredibly splashy enough to spark an investigation by the Ohio High School Athletic Association about whether James accepted the car as a gift inappropriately before he started in the NBA. But five years later the controversy has been long cleared up and James' career is flying high. In 2007, the show SPEED did a makeover of James' Hummer adding in several extra features. James' car now has three TVs, leather seats embroidered with the words “King James”, a new grille, and the latest in all technological features. The base price for Hummers is about $55,000, but the value of James’ car is said to be three to four times that amount.


5. Donald Trump: Just days after one was delivered to the White House, Donald Trump ran out to buy his very own Cadillac DTS Presidential Limousine. Trump was the first lay person to purchase the car, which seats six and comes with a magazine rack, humidor, 22-inch flat screen TV, DVD player, and wireless laptop computer, among many other things. Perhaps one of the most luxurious limousines on the market, the amount Trump paid to be cruising around in presidential style is certainly high though the price has not been revealed.


6. P. Diddy: Not only does P. Diddy own a few outrageous cars of his own, but he's also the brainchild behind the Sean John Navigator, the bling-heavy SUV he designed for Lincoln. The cars retail to the public for $85,000 and only 100 of them exist. They come replete with tinted windows, satellite radio, heated and vibrating leather seats, six TVs, three DVDs, and a Playstation, among other things. And Diddy can boast rights as first owner.


7. Britney Spears: It's really not at all surprising that Britney Spears would have a multitude of outrageous cars, and guess what? She does! Recently, her father was awarded the responsibility of figuring out what to do with her current fleet of seven luxury vehicles. She seems to change rides more than her underwear. Oh, wait … that may not be the best comparison. Anyway, one of Spears' most outrageous cars was her 2002 pink Hummer H2. It had a 6-liter V8 engine, but really who cares? Surely, the most important feature to Spears was the Louis Vuitton upholstery on the inside. The exact value of this vehicle is unknown, but, like James’ car, it could be triple the $55,000 base price, if not more.


8. Busta Rhymes: Wild and crazy hip hop star Busta Rhymes is known for his brash vocal style and his in-your-face lyrics. Car junkies, though, may regale him for his taste in automobiles. Rhymes is the proud owner of a metallic silver Mercedes G500 with all the amenities available. But perhaps the most notable amenity is the studio-quality sound system he had installed by Unique Autosport in New York. Rhymes swears the sound quality is the same as being in a recording studio and that it serves as a perfect testing ground for his music, since he can hear every click and crackle that was picked up while he was recording his tracks. Prices for the G500 start at $89,000 and go up to $111,000 for all the amenities. Rhymes audio installer Will Castro typically charges $40,000 for an install, and you can bet Ryhmes spent a little extra on his flashy rims. Simple mathematics would put this car's value close to $200,000.


9. Flea: Flea, the edgy guitarist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, made news when he purchased a brand new Tesla Roadster, a completely electric sports car that was first debuted in 2006. Currently, fully-loaded Teslas run about $109,000. Flea said he had to have the car when he saw it and that he was motivated to purchase it mainly for its environmental benefits. And in a posting on Tesla's blog Flea wrote that it drove like a dream and made hardly any noise at all. More specifically, he said it made his Porsche feel like “a golf cart.” This car, developed in part by Lotus, is definitely no golf cart. On a single charge of its battery it can go as fast as 225 mph and gets from 0 to 60 in under 4 seconds. The 100 prototypes made in 2006 sold out quickly; in 2008, the 650 planned also sold out. In 2009, Tesla plans to make 1,500 cars.


10. Tony Stewart: Car racing great Tony Stewart drives fast cars for a living and even owns a Lamborghini. But the vehicle that really turns heads is his 1984 Cadillac Hearse, tricked out by the same folks who brought you Lebron James' car. Installed in the funeral-ready car is a motorized TV wall between the front and back seats that takes a standard limousine-like window and cranks it up a dozen notches. Instead of a solid piece of plastic, backseat riders can stare at a 32-inch flat screen TV. The front dash was completely ripped out and in its place a command-center arrangement was installed that includes two 12-inch TV monitors, a DVD player, video iPod hook-up, and a top of the line speaker system surrounded by black leather. The sound system features six amps and the designers even installed a hidden mini bar. Luxury and fist-pumping sound throughout makes Stewart's hearse a hands-down one of a kind.


11. Scott Storch: Hip-hop producer Scott Storch has a cavalcade of fast and fancy cars at his Miami home, which has eight garages to hold all of his beauties. While he counts a Ferrari and an Aston Martin as part of his impressive fleet, Storch's favorite car is a Bugatti Veyron 16.4 – the fastest street-legal car in existence. And with a $1.7 million price tag, it should be. When Storch bought the car in 2007 there were only 70 in existence, part of the reason that he bought it. “I live the shock value,” he told a reporter. “People don't get to see these cars.”


12. Funkmaster Flex: This longtime hip hop DJ made a name for himself spinning records on the radio and building a music empire on his name. Now he's lending his moniker to something else – pimping out cars for celebrities. Following a lifelong passion for cars, especially Chevys, Flex launched a Spike TV show called “Ride with Funkmaster Flex” and enlisted a host of celebrity clients from Queen Latifah to Eminem to Ludacris. And of course this entrepreneur has his own collection of tricked out cars, including a purple 1970 Plymouth Duster and a 1966 Red Impala SS 396. In addition, Flex released his own 2008 Ford Expedition that comes in a red and black two-tone paint job and black leather seats with red interior. Other features include 20-inch chrome wheels, a 340-watt Audiophile Sound System, third row seating, computer navigation system, and TV with DVD player in the back. Starting price: $75,000.


13. Snoop Dog: It would be wrong for Snoop Dog not to have a pimped out car. Thankfully, he does. “Tha Doggfather of Rap” has several cars, but perhaps the one most fitting for his personality is his 1967 Pontiac Parsienne Convertible painted in gold with purple trim – the colors of Snoop's favorite sports team, the L.A. Lakers. The best feature? Hydro pumps that let the car jump and bounce up and down and from side to side. The system is controlled by purple and gold zirconium-encrusted controls implanted onto Snoop's dashboard. Snoop declares his heritage on the back window, which is emblazoned with “Tha Doggfather” and “Crip.” The car was designed by Snoop's personal car builder, Big Slice, and their partnership has also resulted in the Snoop DeVille, a customized Cadillac Deville that sells for $80,000.


14. Green Day: Green Day had a 1968 Mercury Monterey customized for them to use in two music videos – one for the song “Holiday” and “Boulevard of Broken Dreams.” The car was of course painted green and outfitted with custom leopard upholstery on the interior. You won't find any TVs in this car, but you will find some pretty impressive hydraulics, a silver chain link steering wheel with a skull shifter, and the band's name on a cursive, metal emblem on the front hood.


15. Ludacris: Ludacris rolled up to the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards in a shiny black 1975 Convertible Pontiac Granville with some ostentatious detailing that brought this muscle car to a whole new realm. While these classic cars are available on the used market for as little as $33,000, you can bet the southern rap star paid a hefty sum to make his look so amazing. First off, the 24-inch wheels were installed so that the car rises four feet off the ground. Second, the interior upholstery was done all in black leather and the black and multi-colored Louis Vuitton print, the same fabric used for the drop top. The rest of the car is somewhat bare bones compared to some of the others on the list, though it does have a decent stereo system. But there's not a whole lot of need for extras when you're cruising in classic simplicity like this car.


16. Shaquille O'Neal: The NBA superstar is well known for his affinity for fancy cars that come with a personal flare. He's got a 1991 convertible Mercedes-Benz Diesel that has the Superman emblem embroidered into his seats and steering wheel. But perhaps one of his most sought-after vehicles is his Lamborghini Gallardo – Lamborghini's most popular sports car that, as of 2008, is the only one to use a V10 engine. Shaq's final price tag is unknown, but the base models can run up to $263,000. He surely paid more than that to have his 2008 model stretched to fit his 7-foot-1-inch stature. The car had to be outfitted with custom doors, a roof, and special windows to lengthen the car by 12 inches.


17. Paul Wall: Paul Wall, the Houston-based rapper known for his signature grill of silver teeth, is now making grilles of his own for cars. He teamed up with Zenetti to make a custom line of “iced-out” grilles and rims that are covered in cubic zirconium and will come available to fit Cadillac Escapades, coupes, Dodge Magnums, Chrysler 300s, and other SUVs. Wall has his own 2007 Chevy Tahoe tricked out with his flashiest grille and a set of 26-inch, ice-encrusted wheels. The interior features classy two-toned leather upholstery, a state of the art sound system, and diamond-stitched paneling. No word on the total price tag and the Texas resident says the Tahoe isn't even his favorite vehicle. That honor goes to his 1976 Convertible Cadillac El Dorado.


18. Wyclef Jean: The former Fugee has a collection of flashy cars that includes a Ferrari 360 Spider. But his pride and joy is a 543-horsepower Pagani Zonda C12-S that sells for $350,000. The Italian-made vehicle is often described by automotive reporters as being “ultra-rare,” since few people have heard of the brand and even less own one. No more than 25 models have been made each year since the car was released in 1999. The car goes from 0 to 60 in 3.3 seconds and can reach a speed of 215 mph. But while Jean loves himself a flashy and expensive car, he is embarking on a new project to build replicas of cars like the Zonda that regular people can afford.


19. Dwayne Wade: This Miami Heat basketball player loves automobiles as much as his teammate Shaquille O'Neal, and in 2006 he was even crowned the “King of Bling” at the GM All Car Show – an invite-only affair where celebrities and car enthusiasts showcase their most over-the-top vehicles in a competition for the most ostentatious. Wade's white 2006 Hummer H2 SUT took the cake that year. The base price for that vehicle is about $53,000, but it's assured that Wade wouldn't have taken home the award he did without putting at least that much extra into tricking out the truck. In addition to the Hummer, Wade owns a pearl blue Cadillac Escalade EXT that sits on matching 26-inch wheels. Wade was also tapped by Lincoln recently to represent the Navigator in TV ads.


20. Missy Elliott: Missy Elliott, who is said to own 1,000 pairs of Adidas sneakers, seems to be also madly collecting something else, as well – cars! In fact, her car addiction is so bad she told reporters that her mother has begged her to stop purchasing them. In addition to her 2004 Aston Martin V12 Vanquish, 2004 Rolls Royce Phantom, and 2004 Lamborghini Gallardo, Elliott also has a 1979 tricked out, bright purple and chrome Ford Mustang. Elliott says it's the car that gets the most attention on the street. Her fleet of automobiles is easily worth more than $1 million, if not more. She confesses to have purchased more than three cars in one year, including a $5,600 upgrade to a scooter that she rode once, crashed, and then trashed. Disposable income just took on a whole new meaning.


21. Stephon Marbury: This Knicks player took his love for cars so far that he even invented his own automobile, the Viant SLV 365, which is a luxurious SUV combo of a Cadillac Escalade and a Rolls Royce Phantom. The 500-horsepower engine is included for those looking for power, while other features cater to the child in us all – such as the Playstation 2, satellite TV and wireless Internet. It even has a wine cellar and humidor. At a price of more than $300,000, the Viant is not made for laymen, but Marbury does count celebrities like Mary J. Blige and Jay-Z among his clients.


22. Edward Norton: Edward Norton is no Nelly. He doesn’t have a bunch of big-wheeled, chrome-covered vehicles. But he was selected by BMW to be one of the celebrity drivers of the BMW Hydrogen 7, the very first hydrogen-powered luxury sedan. The car is driven by a combination of hydrogen and fuel and emits nothing but water vapor. There are only 100 models in existence and they’re not for sale. The German car company has tapped notable celebrities, like Norton, to drive the car in a huge PR push. While some auto bloggers contest just how environmentally sound the car is, since it isn’t; a zero emission car and does have its challenges, BMW contends it will be the future of automobiles.


23. Magic Johnson: The former L.A. Lakers sensation is just the latest in sports stars to design their own cars. Johnson joined forces with Lincoln and DUB Magazine to create the “Magic” Dub Edition Lincoln Mark LT, a luxury pick-up truck rthat has 24-inch rims, suede and leather interior, a 15-inch flip-down TV, as well as TVs inset in the back of each seat’s headrest. It’s got a 5.4 liter, V-8 engine with 300 horsepower. The car was auctioned off to benefit Johnson’s charitable foundation for education, but suggested retail places it in the $65,000 range.


24. Fergie: Fergie, the only girl-member of the hip hop group The Black Eyed Peas, received a pretty tricked out Hummer not too long ago that came with a custom grille by Grillcraft Sport Grilles and drop-down steps with her name engraved on them in Old English. The car came with the works in the audio and visual departments, and some pretty sweet leather and suede upholstery. But alas the Fergalicious one deemed the Hummer not her style and put it up for auction in 2007. It brought in almost $70,000, which she promptly donated to Global Green USA.


25. David Beckham: When your salary is a whopping $250 million, a $400,000 car isn’t going to put much of a dent in your savings. Which is exactly why David Beckham of the L.A. Galaxy recently purchased a Porsche 911 Cabriolet for $200,000 and then put another $200,000 of upgrades into it, like custom upholstery and a special all-black exterior. The car comes with a 3.6 liter engine and an overboost function that can make it go even faster. Oh, and there’s a compartment for extra luggage, which his wife Victoria “Posh” Beckham can use.