Spotted: At the Steps of the Met

Darlings, for nearly two years now (since January of 2009), many of you have paid daily visits to Café Fashionista – my little humble abode on the World Wide Web. During that time, I have received an enormous amount of questions about myself, all of which have gone unanswered. You see, when it comes to fashion, music, and books I possess a little something called the gift of gab; finding it hard to hush in regards to three of my favorite subjects. Quite the opposite can be said when it comes to talking about…moi. Until now, that is. Oui oui, my loves! I am finally un-pursing my lips (currently lacquered with mark’s Juice Gems in Juicy Fig) to answer some of the questions I am asked most frequently by lovelies like yourselves, and to give you un petit peek into la belle vie that I lead. Fabulous, mais oui?

♥ Where do you live?
A. Southern California by way of New York City. I was born in Greenwich Village, lived in Brooklyn, moved to New Jersey as an infant (a place where I spent many a-summer traipsing along the boardwalk of the Jersey Shore begging my mother to buy me hermit crabs displayed in the storefronts), and, at the age of five, migrated to Southern California. Despite the fact that I spent only a brief time in The Village, I am convinced that it is responsible for my creative side – a notion only made stronger after reading Suze Rotolo’s A Freewheelin’ Time. If you haven’t read it; you must.

♥ What would your perfect day consist of?
A. Alone: People watching at Starbucks accoutered in Tigerlily’s Alis V Neck Sweater; or endless cups of coffee, curling up in By Malene Birger’s Baquilla Mohair Sweater, and watching non-stop episodes of Gossip Girl. Come to think of it, stop by on a Saturday afternoon, and you will find me doing the latter – sans the By Malene Birger piece, that is…it’s a bit too rich for my blood at le moment. With Friends: “The best kind of friend is the kind you can sit on a porch swing with, never say a word, then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation that you ever had.” What does that say about my perfect day with the besties? Anything and everything is fabulous!

♥ Who is your fashion muse?
A. Blake Lively a la Serena van der Woodsen of Gossip Girl. She effuses a bohemian free-spirit that I envy – yet does so in the most sophisticated of manners and dress. To put it bluntly, her style is so undone, that she appears perfectly put-together – if that makes any sense at all.

♥ What do you always order from Starbucks?
A. Grande Light White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino – No Whip. Have that awaiting my arrival, and I will love you forever. Seriously.

♥ 7 Passions:
A. Books, music, animals, friends, family, shoes, and….life!

♥ What are your obsessions?
A. Blogging. Serena van der Woodsen. Boots. Oversized sunglasses. Mix tapes. Gossip Girl marathons. Eloise. Writing. Twelfth St. by Cynthia Vincent. Almost Famous. Music. Lip gloss. Fairy lights. Sparkles. Peter Pan. Vanilla Bean Frappuccinos. Skeleton keys. F. Scott Fitzgerald. The Little Prince. Marie Antoinette. Sofia Coppola. Cocktail rings. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Coffee shops. Carousels.

♥ What is your favorite quote?
A. Given the fact that I collect quotes the way a bibliophile collects books, naming a single favorite is very, very wrong in my mind; nevertheless, I will leave you with my current favorite - “A wise girl kisses but doesn’t love, listens but doesn’t believe, and leaves before she is left.” – Marilyn Monroe.

♥ What is your favorite season?
A. Fall, fall, fall! The changing colors that accompany Autumn; crunchy leaves piled high to dive into; cozy, cable knit sweaters; boots; pumpkin patches; apple cider; hay rides; trips to the apple orchard; the arrival of the Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks; fireplaces roaring to life; the smell of cinnamon and spice in the air. I truly cannot imagine a more magical time of year!

♥ What is on your bedside table?
A. My cat! Gypsy does adore the cool breeze that comes in through the window above my nightstand. Sitting next to her is my 16GB iPod Nano (pink, of course!), along with my journal and BlackBerry Curve 8900. Sitting underneath her is the September issue of Town & Country magazine – please tell me I’m not the only one who adores what Stephen Drucker has done with it since he took over as Editor-in-Chief; F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Beautiful and Damned; and Choderlos de Laclos’ Les Liaisons Dangereuses - another thing Gypsy adores is lying on my reading material!

♥ What’s on your playlist?
A. Sway by The Kooks; Private Affair by The Virgins; Armistice by Phoenix; Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters by Elton John; I’m Not Your Toy by La Roux; Any Fun by Coconut Records; Wild Wolves by Athlete; Time to Pretend by MGMT; and Love the Way You Lie by Eminem feat. Rihanna – just to name a few. Every girl needs a bad boy in her life, mais oui? Presently, Eminem is mine.

♥ What’s always in your bag?
A. My iPod, BlackBerry, a small notebook, an assortment of pens (red ink is my current favorite!), Oliver Peoples Chelsea Sunglasses, business cards, wallet, and, being a typical girl, a cosmetic bag which houses a mix of mark Glow Baby Glow Hook Up Lip Gloss and Victoria’s Secret Beauty Rush Lip Gloss (for reference, I am the lip gloss queen!). I have tried to downsize numerous times over the years, but that attempt has proven unsuccessful time and time again.

Your turn, my loves! Post your answers to these very questions on your blog so that I can learn more about...vous. After all, you've just learned quite a bit about me; it's only fair. Besides...you know you want to.


Fashionably yours!


Thanks to la sister, Tiffany Sorocco, and Tumblr for the pictures.

Smitten Saturday

♥Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary…because every girl should feel like a fairytale princess; and she can…with ban.do’s She Lives A Fairy Tale Halo. Vintage berries, satin leaves, and velvet baby’s breath sit pretty upon a halo the color of rust, embellished with gold thread. Magic is in the air, my loves!

♥Baby Let’s Cruise...because summer is downright incomplete without a cute bike by your side perfect for impromptu beach excursions with cute boys. With VillyCustoms.com, you can create the one of your dreams. Choose your desired shape, colors, and accessories (a basket for me!), and bring the bike Santa never delivered on Christmas Eve to life!

♥Traveling Toes…because your feet shouldn’t be stuck in one place, even if you’re too busy for a vacation. Pretty Ballerinas’ Around the World Ballerina Flats bring travel to your toes via slip-ons adorned in the flag of ten different countries – USA, Italy, Spain, Germany, Britain, France, Canada, Japan, Argentina, and Brazil. Where are your feet off to today, kitty cats?

♥Tote for One…because, in the words of Marilyn Monroe, “…it’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring”; and being boring is completely out of the question with an Upcycled Street Banner Bag from Poketo! in tow. Street banners from Seoul, South Korea are morphed into shopping totes that are equal parts eco-friendly and fun. Plus…they’re one-of-a-kind!

♥In It to Mix It…because no girl should have to spend her time plucking unloved pieces out of her snack mix; and now she doesn’t have to. My Mixed Nuts allows you to create your very own blend of trail mix so that it suits your likes to a T – as long as mine includes M&M’s and raisins I’ll be happy as a clam!

What were you smitten with this week?


Fashionably yours!


Thanks to We ♥ It for the picture.


Don't forget to enter the Like A Glove Giveaway for your chance to win a Print Maxi Dress from Fashion to Figure.

Don't forget to enter the Footloose Giveaway for your chance to win a pair of Aerosoles Plush Around Wedge Sandals in Red from CSN Stores.

Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend

At the tender age of four I met a special someone who would change my life forever as I knew it; an influential person with a desire to show me the true ways of the female world – specifically that diamonds? In the words of Marilyn Monroe…yes, they most certainly are a girl’s best friend. His name? Diamond Jim.

Now believe me when I say, I am not kidding about his title. His name is no joke, mind you. Diamond Jim was an Atlantic City entertainer outfitted in a metallic silver suit with a diamond as a head. Yes, a large, sparkly bauble sitting pretty in place of a human face. After an afternoon of traipsing up and down the boardwalk in the hot sun, I would be taken inside various hotels to cool down, and that is precisely where we were introduced. To this day, his twinkling face and words resonate forever in my mind; which explains my infatuation with Abazias.

Oh kittens, you know me, I’m not at a point in my life where I’m looking at wedding bands or engagement rings. Far from it, dolls. But I can’t help but become completely lightheaded and ditzy when the thought of fashion rings and bracelets; necklaces & pendants, and even glittering watches come into play. Abazias, if you must know, has the crème de la crème of all of the above, and so much more. It is a virtual trinket tot lot for the accessory-loving girl – one in which I spend countless hours traversing each day.

Of course, while everything at Abazias is completely covet-worthy, you know me, never one to abstain from picking favorites, there are a few bits and bobbins that stick out in my mind. The 1/3 ctw Rose Gold Interlocking Heart Ring. I’ll be honest…I would love any boy with the good sense to bestow this beauty upon my finger forever and ever; especially if it’s accompanied by a picnic in the park. The 1/8 ctw Diamond Snowflake Pendant would be a sublime piece to follow an afternoon of stolen kisses snatched behind a secluded snow bank. And how on earth could I forget the Round Cut Diamond Studs – a virtual essential for the modern mademoiselle.

Loves, Abazias is quickly becoming the ruination of me; but I suppose I should permit such a ruination to take place – just this once, of course. After all, it was Elizabeth Taylor who said “Big girls need big diamonds,” and Abazias has some of the largest I’ve ever seen – most certainly what the Doctor ordered!

What Abazias piece has you up in arms, dearests?


Fashionably yours!


Thanks to Abazias for the pictures.

America the Glamorous

Glamour is my new favorite magazine. Why, you ask? This photo shoot. Everything about the "American Icons" editorial is downright fabulous – from the females of the past they chose to feature, all the way to the female celebrities of today whom they used to depict these historical greats. This is one of those amazing finds that you don’t see everyday, but can’t seem to get enough of. What a fantastically fashion-inspired way to end the weekend!

Camilla Belle as Mary Tyler Moore. Mary Tyler Moore was like the Carrie Bradshaw of the 70s, sans the closet full of Manolo Blahniks, apartment in New York City, and constant search for the perfect guy. She was a career woman with great friends, and an even greater wardrobe full of retro wrapdresses and flared pants. Which is why Camilla Belle is the ideal person to portray her. Camilla has a wardrobe that most of us would love to call our own, plus she is the face of Vera Wang's Princess fragrance. Basically, she has it all. Including a pink coat (pictured at right) that reminds me so much of Legally Blonde. Did you know that there's an actual bronze statue of Mary Tyler Moore in Minneapolis?

Emma Roberts as Audrey Hepburn. I honestly feel that Audrey's role in Breakfast at Tiffany's clinched her inclusion on this list, and for good reason - it was one of the most elegant, chic, posh films of the 1900's. Plus, Audrey was undeniably beautiful in a very simple, sophisticated way - much like Emma Roberts. This is possibly one of my favorite pictures on earth because: a) A bouquet of pink balloons are present; b) That black dress is one of the most amazing things I have ever seen; c) The backdrop reminds me of the secret garden.

Alexis Bledel as Rosie the Riveter. Up until this morning, I had no idea who Rosie the Riveter was, even though I have seen - and adored - her picture since I was a toddler in saddle shoes. I do, however, know who Alexis Bledel is. In fact, I fancy myself to be Alexis Bledel, or, rather, her character on Gilmore Girls, minus the admission to Yale, rebellious boyfriends, trust fund, and assortment of school uniforms. This picture somewhat reminds me of one of those retro glamour girl pin-ups, just a tad more rough and tumble. Did you know who Rosie the Riveter was?

Emma Stone as Carrie Bradshaw. I do not know who Emma Stone is, but she may just be my new favorite person, thanks to her depiction of everyone's favorite Manolo-wearing, Cosmo-sipping Carrie Bradshaw. Carrie Bradshaw is the girl that we all aspire to be, with her nameplate necklaces, fabulous headwear, handful of debonair boyfriends who slip in and out of her life on a weekly basis, and life in New York City. She is the fashionista of our dreams. I so want to be her.


Two people I think were missing from this list include That Girl (who on the planet didn't want to be That Girl when they were growing up?), and Marilyn Monroe. If you could revise this list, who would you add and/or remove from it?


Fashionably yours!


Thanks to Glamour for the pictures.