Fabulous kids

Okay, I admit that I may be a little fabulous greedy. My son spends most of his time in mismatched sweats and sesame street tees. How can I possibly have time to get us BOTH glammed up? Fact is I don't, which is why I LOVE the products from Itzy Ritzy. They have an amazing line of stroller covers, car seat covers, reusable snack bags, and blankets that are in cool hip patterns. They are perfect for covering up my son's pizza sauce covered tees, and therefore distracting from his less than perfect get up. My favorite new fabric is Whale Watching Blue, perfect stroller cover for our summer trip to Nantucket! Their most popular new item is their reusable Snack Happened Bag, definite upgrade from those boring plastic baggies (plus they are eco-friendly)!

I recently did a piece for their Company Newsletter, picking out mom's five must have's for Spring. Check out my picks and their great new fabrics at ItzyRitzy.com.

Staying Fabulous

M.I.A...

Part of staying fabulous is taking time to yourself! Sorry for my neglect, but I was so lucky to be traveling with some good friends. I was able to get a dose of fabulous medicine in the hot Florida sun with some incredible ladies from Los Angeles.

We dressed up, laid out, ate fresh catch and drank greyhounds on the beach. Oh, and of course did a little shopping! We ventured to Worth Ave in Palm Beach for a day of lunching and shoe hunting. Where we hit up Saks for some jelly Valentino flops that would make Minnie Mouse jealous, a pair of Jimmy Choo wedges that would make Cinderella drool, and snagged the new and very hard to find Mademoiselle lipstick by Coco Chanel.

Here are some of our fashion picks from the beachy weekend, Enjoy!

Bye-bye trapper hat

Hey Park Slope, Davey Crocket called, he wants his hat back. So glad that winter is over so that I can get over the fear of seeing those damn trapper hats all over town. I mean really. I was somewhat impressed when I first saw how warm they might keep me on a cold day. But then I noticed that the trapper hat was the hat equivalent of the black down coat! IT was everywhere. Honestly, some days I thought that Park Slope was being taken over by the NRA. I was looking for the riffles and the coyotes to come down from Prospect Park. There was a point where I was considering granting them fabulous status, I saw an adorable mom with a moncler jacket and a HUGE white rabbit fur trapper hat. I almost fell over with delight that a mama in town was willing to take the risk of being shunned for fashion. But after some more thought, and further inspection, I realized that she was fabulous. She was fabulous in Aspen, not so much here on the street of Brooklyn. Although I would defend fabulous hot mom’s honor, I might save the hat for a stroll to the Hotel Jarome. So bye-bye trapper hat, hello Spring!

love-love

Loving the jackets from Isabel Marant's Spring line! So jealous of her in general, her hubby is an incredible handbag designer and she lives in Paris! Damn, why can't I get my husband to design something for me? If he did, I bet that he would design a head to toe green Adidas jumpsuit for me. One Christmas, he gifted me with about 10 matching sets from the Adidas Outlet. No Joke, I was like umm, am I fat or did you get me mixed up with some one who actually owns sneakers?

Chores?

The other day I told my hubby that I had to run into the city to do some errands. We had some friends that were coming into town in a few hours and I had a lot to get done. I had to go to the grocer, make the guest bed, and go into Manhattan to pick up a package at Saks. At the mention of heading into the more fabulous part of the city to go to 5th Avenue my hubby says “ugh, you need an assistant.”

First of all, I’m pretty sure that it was a jab at my bitch’n about all the crap I had to do. Second, he hadn't seen the lovely frock that I was picking up and therefore I assume that he could not understand the butterflies in my stomach from all the excitement. I looked at him in confusion, I said, “that’s the part of my ‘job’ that I LIKE!” I have been waiting all week to have some time to get into Manhattan and do the 'chore' of picking up my YSL grey spring coat that I had ordered. Actually, they had offered to send it to me. However, I wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to go to the store and collect my prize, all while having the pleasure of being around all those luxurious fabrics, and perfectly tailored lines.

I just plain like being around beautiful clothes. I don’t need to ‘have’ everything, just to be close to it, to touch it, and study it is enough. Okay, it’s not always enough, but today I knew that I was going home with a high collared 'glamour-shot' coat. So, I braved the rain and felt at ease as soon as i walked through the doors of the mecca on 5th. I literally could feel the stress of life, roll off my shoulders. I walked in, smiled at the perfume pushers, admired the Fendi Peek-a-Boo Bag that I’ve been coveting, and took the long way up the escalators. I patiently waited the arrival of the coat, and checked out the new YSL leather mini ruffle dress eyeing me from the corner (wow, sex on a hanger). After that, I went up to the top floor and enjoyed a lovely salad and chardonnay at the bar. On the way out I even stopped at the Chanel counter and bought two new Coco Rouge lipsticks (I’m over lip gloss, soooo last season). Painted my lips red and hopped back on the subway to Boogie Down Brown Brooklyn.

Now really, does that sound like something you would want to pay someone else to do for you? Damn, if so I think that I’ve found myself a new job. My current boss, has been a little demanding lately….”mommy, sit!”

Finally something different

As much as I love my regular stomping grounds, net-a-porter, shopbop, etc. I am in desperate need of something different from the standard Philip Lim and Alexander Wang pieces that have saturated the market. I love myself a good sequined vest or holey sweater, but I was seeing the same stuff every where.
I went on a (short) hunt to find something 'new', which is really just 'new to me' i realize. None the less, I turned to Splendora.com to find their top rated New York Boutiques. I came across Built by Wendy. They have a website and a store in both NYC and Brooklyn (it's in the self proclaimed more fabulous Williamsburg). Wendy has developed different and low-key pieces in some interesting fabrics, I especially love their china plate pattern. Grandma's dishes have never looked so fabulous! Built by Wendy also features a section on sewing patterns you can purchase, Build by Wendy or Built by YOU! Oh, project!

Fabulous found in Park Slope

Fabulous found in Park Slope.

I was struck with relief when I walked into a Park Slope apartment on Sunday night to find a room full of colorful heels, sequins, fur collars, and sparkly baubles.

Granted it was a Glam Girl’s Oscar Party, but I’ll take it anyway I can get it. The party was just what I needed to pick me up out of the Park Slope Blahs. The sun was finally shining and the neighbors were coming out of black-coat-hibernation. Still, I knew that I would be the only person walking down 5th avenue in a floor length beaded dress, and figured I had nothing to loose so I topped it with my fur coat. I was actually hysterical laughing at myself. I looked Fabulously Ridiculous.

I arrived at the party a little nervous; I only knew a couple of the girls (one being my SIL, and she has to be nice to me). As I topped the fifth flight of stairs in my cotton candy pink Manolos, I saw the red carpet. Yes, you heard me, there was actually a ‘red carpet’ in Park Slope! I strutted my stuff down the runway and into party.

Upon first glance, I was worried that I missed the memo about it being a LBD convention. As I blew in with my colorfully sequined dress, pink shoes, and layered rainbow necklaces, I realized I may have over done it (nahhh, never). But upon closer inspection, I noticed the incredibly bold one shoulder green dress on an attendee, and fun red tights on another! The hostess was sporting a mega mommy cleavage full of shiny glass black beads, and hot red suede shoes. Then over in the corner…Spring 2010 Greissimo bright multi striped damask platform Louboutins. Gasp! Right here in Park Slob?!

The girls were giddy with delight over the guest of honor…the pair of fabulous sky high Louboutins were my greatest competition for best dressed. They became the ‘show.’ It was right out of a scene from Sex and the City. Each girl took her much anticipated turn walking the catwalk in the 5 ½ inches of pure sex appeal. As my sister in law put it, they are “art for your feet.” It was a rare sighting here in Brooklyn; definitely an exhibit worth seeing.

The hostess’s husband waited on us hand and foot; damn it’s hard to find good help these days. We dined on tenderloin, fine wine and decadent chocolates, talked about fashion, babies and celebs. Ahhh, I’m ‘home.’

Fabulous Goes Frumpy

Shame-shame Fabulous.

Okay, I get it Park Slope Sloppy Mamas. It happened this morning…

My adorable toddler has developed a thumb the size of a cocktail wiener. He insists that his best accessory is his thumb, sucking it madly. So off we go to the emergency room this morning to get it checked out. This is when things went terribly wrong with yours truly. I was in a mad rush to get him fed and stuffed into the stroller so that we could walk to the hospital and beat the Sunday hangover crowd in the ER. I didn’t even change my pajama shirt, I threw on a hoodie, jeans, uggs and my long black down coat.

By the time we were done having his giant thumb examined it had turned into a beautiful warmish Spring day. People were out in their Sunday best; bright colors and SMILES! So Cash and I headed to the playground to join our newly happy neighbors of Park Slope. That’s when I looked down, and realized that I was as unfabulous as I had accused others. Horror came across my face as I looked at the little blond mom in her skinny jeans, tortoise sunglasses, fringe vest, and equally stylely hubby…then back at my long black coat. I took off the coat as fast as I could, and grabbed my big Jackie-O sunglasses in hopes of redeeming myself if at all possible. I was able to get hip dad with the cool fedora to talk to me, but only after my son tried to steal his daughters toy car with his hotdog thumb.

Well, I now empathize. There are days that being fabulous just isn’t an option. Although, I’ll have you know that I darted home afterwards and put on my school boy blazer, florescent tank, and topped it with an emerson-made flower before heading to lunch. Okay, full discloser, Uggs too.

No Thanks.

How can this pass for a shirt?

I thought it was a fluke the first time I saw this 80’s inspired belly baring shirt. Then today checking out ‘what’s new’ on Shopbop.com it came up again!

Really? Half shirts?

Umm…no thanks. As much as I adore taking part in the trend madness of a new season, I’m going to have to sit this one out. Out of respect for others, not necessarily because I don’t like it.

This stomach stretched out to house a 8-pound baby 19 months ago, and now it’s never going to be an appropriate look for me. Brit, take notes please. I’m all for showing a little skin, tight skin. An off the shoulder top? Yes please! A mini? Maybe. One of the most important parts of being fabulous people is knowing your limitations.

I realize that the draped look is in for spring but I’m pretty sure that the skin on my belly wasn’t what Donna Karen had in mind.

New Arrivals

Does this phrase make any else’s heart skip a beat?

As a stay at home mom I am often subjected to shopping online more than I would like to. As a result, this is the type of email (from Barney’s) that makes me giddy with delight.

Man, they got it down. They could put a polyester jumpsuit (oh wait that might actually be in style) and I would go ballistic trying to get my computer to load the “new arrivals.” NEW? You mean that, I might pioneer these fabulous new spring pieces? If I just act quick enough I might be able to be the first one to walk down 7th Avenue with those amazing brand spanking new Chloe mid high gladiator heels? Ha ha, trick question…I’ll not only be the first, i'll be the only one.

Regardless, I do love to check out what’s hot off the press at my favorite stores. It keeps me current, even on the days when the “newest arrival” is a poopy diaper.

I want this life...

The new Ferragamo campaign has me wanting to desert my rain boots and turtlenecks (as if i didn't enough already) and head for Capri. This is the life that I want. I want to sit around in my luxurious bedroom surrounded by fabulous shoes! I want to have my hair coiffed every morning, and dress in all white chiffon and stare out the window contemplating Hemingway. I want to get on a boat in heels and a gown while the wind blows through my scarf wrapped hair!
Oh why God?! Why am I stuck here in the land of slush?! Calgon take me away...