Style Secrets: Melissa Walker

Kitty cats, long before my discovery of i heart daily (my morning obsession read by the harsh blue glow of the computer screen before the sun has so much as deemed it appropriate to spring into action), I was convinced that IHD co-creator Melissa Walker was the best friend I never had.

As the author of the Violet trilogy (Violet on the Runway, Violet by Design, and Violet In Private) – a book series which I instantly think of whenever I hear Coldplay’s Violet Hill; in addition to having worked as ELLEGirl’s Features Editor, and Editor of Seventeen Prom, I can’t help but to think that Melissa may just be one of the coolest girls on the planet.

Dolls, if you weren’t already aware (though I truly hope you were!), Melissa knows precisely how to be stylish and have fun all at the very same time – case in point, jumping into a pool while wearing a Luella Bartley for Target frock (as seen in the picture above); a dress which not only survived such immersion, but still lives on today. Thus the reason I find it of the utmost importance to learn her number one style secret; and lucky for us, my loves, she was kind enough to share it!

What is your number one style secret and why?
MW: My style secret is just one thing. But in truth, it's hundreds of "one things." What I mean is, whenever I'm going out, I try to wear just one thing that makes me feel special. That could be Bright Coral Lipstick or the perfect clutch or bright blue tights or my grandmother's vintage sweater with a cardigan clip - these are my FAVORITES lately.

Some days I have time for my special thing to be a whole ensemble, but other days it turns out to be electric blue mascara. Because even with a t-shirt and jeans, electric blue mascara can make you feel like a queen. Know what I mean?

Oh, I know exactly what you mean, Melissa! My “one thing” today is my Lola and George Reef Ring. Tell me, darlings…what’s your one thing?


Fashionably yours!


Thanks to Melissa Walker and Etsy for the pictures.


Don't forget to enter the Quick Fashion Fix Giveaway for your chance to win an Adjust-A-Button from bristols6.

Don't forget to enter the Time After Time Orient Automatic Watch Giveaway for your chance to win a watch from Orient Watch USA.

Smitten Saturday

♥Beauty Sleep Dolls, I wasn’t just educated in the power of the little black dress courtesy of Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Nor did I leave the film only with a desire to spend countless hours gazing longingly and lovingly upon the breathtaking baubles displayed at Tiffany’s. Non, there was something else that I took away from Audrey’s glamorous, beatnik character; and that was an appreciation for sleep masks.

I know, I know…it’s best to allow the skin to breathe come nightfall; but there’s something quite enchanting about perusing an ambrosial little mask during your moments of slumber, which has led me to seek out one of my very own. The question is…which one? Should I channel my inner Hepburn via Fred Flare’s Holly GoNightly Sleep Mask? Invoke visions of cupcakes from New York City’s Magnolia Bakery with the dainty Lily Satin Sleep Mask in Light Pink from Mimi A La Mode? Or hope for my princess-inspired dreams to come true courtesy of Loretta’s Intimates Mary Green Princess Sleep Mask? Decisions, decisions…how do you get your beauty sleep lovelies?

♥Do You Believe in Magic? You know me, loves…I’m obsessed with all things fantastical. I quote Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland in real life situations; and to a certain extent I have stars in my eyes – at least in terms of imagination. So why wouldn’t I fall head over heels for a cosmetics company that sports one of my favorite mythical creatures – a unicorn – as their mascot? While I typically embrace a neutral palette in terms of makeup, Lime Crime is my new obsession. Bright, somewhat impractical yet completely playful colors with names like Cosmopop, Styletto, and No She Didn’t mingle upon ones mouth; while knock-em-dead shadows known as “Magic Dust,” and harboring titles such as Pink Poodle, Shoe Addict, and Dragon Scales hover about ones eyes to truly make your pretty peepers pop! Don’t be shy, kitty cats; it’ll be our little secret…do you believe in magic?

♥Parcel Post I don’t believe that there is any phrase more magical than the sublime “mail call!” Oh, I quite understand that it’s merely two little words announcing a delivery, but it’s the thoughts that infiltrate your mind at the thought of what the delivery holds that has the power to send giddy shivers up and down your spine. Will it be for you? What is it? Clothes? Jewelry? A gift from a secret admirer? Or, less chichi, the one that often finds its way to my doorstep – textbooks. Sorry for getting sidetracked my pets…nothing beats getting mail, plain and simple. Ergo, my petite delivery-loving heart is completely spellbound with Parcel, a whimsical little shop straight out of Montclair, New Jersey which specializes in darling inspiration boxes full of crafty surprises that bring out the creative mademoiselle within.

For the Francophile there’s the Paris Is for Lovers Theme Parcel. For the Cinderella-loving girl longing to attend a Masquerade Ball there’s the Magic Theme Parcel. For the wannabe princess there’s the Faerie Wonderland Theme Parcel. But that’s not all; there are many other variations of the splendid parcel, enough to make the heart of anyone and everyone skip a beat. Was that the doorbell? Perhaps there’s a parcel for me!

What were you smitten with this week?


Fashionably yours!


Thanks to Tumblr and Beaut.ie for the pictures.


Don't forget to enter the Quick Fashion Fix Giveaway for your chance to win an Adjust-A-Button from bristols6.

Don't forget to enter the Time After Time Orient Automatic Watch Giveaway for your chance to win a watch from Orient Watch USA.

Quick Fashion Fix Giveaway

Kitty cats, as the glittering glamazons that we are, we know far better than others that one does not need to have just stuffed themselves with pumpkin pie and loads of cranberry sauce at the Thanksgiving table to feel that unmistakable bulge about the waistline that signifies…a fat day! Of course there is no truth behind such an idea; nevertheless, it makes us feel frumpy – and no fashionista wants that! Enter Adjust-A-Button.

Darlings, Adjust-A-Button proffers the ease of inserting a simple pin, with the ability to add or reduce up to one-and-a-half inches about the waistline of your denim du jour – and now one (1) of you lovely ladies has the chance to make it your very own.

Just in case you haven’t guessed already, I’m going to open up the vault and let you in on a little secret…Café Fashionista has teamed up with bristols6 to bring one (1) of you fabulous femme fatales an Adjust-A-Button all your own. Save the muffin tops for your morning breakfast, my loves – this clever little contraption will take your wardrobe to new heights!

To Enter the Quick Fashion Fix Giveaway:

♥For one (1) entry, leave a comment on this post between now and Thursday, March 11, 2010 at midnight PST.

♥For two (2) entries, follow @Bristols6 on Twitter, Twitter about this giveaway, and leave a comment on this post between now and Thursday, March 11, 2010 at midnight PST with your Twitter URL.

♥For three (3) entries, become a follower of Café Fashionista on Blogger/Google Reader/Google Friend Connect, and leave a comment on this post between now and Thursday, March 11, 2010 at midnight PST (if you are already a Café Fashionista follower, please say so in your comment).

I will randomly pick one (1) name out of a hat (who knows, it could be yours!), and announce the winner on Friday, March 12, 2010.

Good luck everyone!

This Giveaway is open to U.S. Residents!


Fashionably yours!


Thanks to Adjust-A-Button for the picture.


Don't forget to enter the Time After Time Orient Automatic Watch Giveaway for your chance to win a watch from Orient Watch USA.

Thrifty Thursday: Tom Ford Claudia Sunglasses for Less

Darlings, I don’t know about you; but personally I see nothing wrong with indulging in multiple pairs of sunglasses. Many feel the need to place all of their adoration on a single pair that will see them through late-night bonfires on the beach, sticky summer afternoons spent amongst fellow music lovers at various concerts in the park, and early-morning people-watching sessions that involve peering at cute boys atop the terrace of a chichi café from behind dark shades. Not I.

I prefer to switch up my sunny personality on a nearly daily basis, depending upon my current cravings; and, at the moment, I’m coveting un petit tête-à-tête with Tom Ford’s Claudia.

I know that I have said it time and time again about various accoutrements, accessories, and forms of footwear; but this time there is no question about it…I truly believe that Claudia may be my sunglass counterpart. She is, without a doubt, destined to be my new partner in crime.

A sinewy little seductress who sports not chunky, overbearing arms to support her oversized round frames, but rather twig-like tentacles showcasing a subtle strip of gold plating that takes on a look synonymous with a gilded piece of bamboo; Claudia is every bit as posh and sophisticated as the girl about town aspires to be. Hence the reason why it pains me to say that she is also the bearer of a price tag just as glamorous and urbane as her aesthetic.

Kitty cats, given the fact that I change my sunglasses as frequently as I change my undergarments, I am obviously not in a position to spend the $249.99 required to make Claudia my own. Never mind the fact that she has graced the face of my favorite Spice Girl from childhood (Baby Spice, for your information), it’s simply not going to happen. As for Old Navy’s Women’s Bamboo-Frame Sunglasses, however…I’ll take a pair in black, purple, and light brown – please and thank you!

At $9.50 a pair, I find myself incapable of resisting Old Navy’s affordably amazing answer to Claudia’s chic-tude; thus, I will be spoiling myself with all three colors. After all, a girl can never have too many pairs of sunglasses peeking out of her handbag!

Which road are you traveling today, dolls? Tightwad or spendthrift?


Fashionably yours!


Thanks to hi Sunglasses and Old Navy for the pictures.


Don't forget to enter the Time After Time Orient Automatic Watch Giveaway for your chance to win a watch from Orient Watch USA.

Why Don't You...?

♥…unearth your packed away treasure trove of vintage fashion magazines and reacquaint yourself with the styles of yesteryear?

♥…forget what mommy dearest told you and indulge in dessert for dinner? Replace colorless chicken with Chocolate Mousse Cakes from Dean & Deluca; forgo a side of carrots for Cannoli Minis; turn your nose up at soggy mashed potatoes and instead spoil yourself with Apple Strudel. As long as you share your dessert with me kittens, your scandalous behavior will remain our little secret.

♥…cast all thoughts of buyer’s remorse aside and splurge on that Foley + Corinna Jet Setter Jr. Tote you’ve been eyeing for so long? Tuck it in to bed next to you for safekeeping during slumber, admire it in all of its elegant equestrian beauty, and wear it with pride. Why? That’s easy darlings…because you’re worth it!

♥…take a fashion-inspired mental health day? Ring up your place of employment or call in sick to school, stock up on Yummy Cupcakes, and settle down for a girls’ day in with Carrie Bradshaw, Samantha Jones, Charlotte York, and Miranda Hobbes.

♥…tuck your sparkling baubles into the dark depths of your dresser drawer and replace them with yummy accessories that you can eat? Nibble on a necklace in between your hair and nail appointments; savor a sucker styled as a ring while waiting in line at the supermarket; chomp on a charm bracelet during cram sessions. Go ahead darlings; spoil your sweet tooth and your craving for playful panache!


Fashionably yours!


Thanks to We ♥ It for the picture.


Don't forget to enter the Time After Time Orient Automatic Watch Giveaway for your chance to win a watch from Orient Watch USA.

Tightwad Tuesday: Pleasure Doing Business 5 Band Stripe Skirt for a Steal

There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it dolls, a bandage skirt is to a girls wardrobe what waffle cones are to a heaping scoop of Ben & Jerry’s Turtle Soup on a sweltering summer day, what hay rides and apple cider are to the first day of fall, what the red cups at Starbucks are to the holidays…an iconic necessity that one is completely unfulfilled without.

It doesn’t matter if it rarely sees the light of day, or only makes appearances under the harsh fluorescent glow of a nightclub dance floor during an outing with your besties; simply knowing that your wardrobe harbors such an essential accoutrement provides you with the peace of mind required to accomplish any obstacle that may be cast in your direction. Hence the reason why I am clearing a space in my closet specifically for Pleasure Doing Business’ 5 Band Stripe Skirt.

The typical navy blue and white sailor stripes have received a rebellious makeover, my loves; for the 5 Band Stripe Skirt flaunts a duo of midnight hues mingling side by side in the form of navy blue and ebony shades – a delightful black and blue mix that would look just as striking with a simple boyfriend tee tucked into its waistband, as it would paired with a sparkly tank speckled with a haphazard mix of shimmering embellishments.

Snug in its aesthetic, the 5 Band Stripe Skirt plays into the bodycon trend, coiling itself around your shape bandage style to hug every last curve; yet maintaining resilience courtesy of the elastic construction. All necessity, sassiness, and adoration aside, however, the 5 Band Stripe Skirt, while gentle and flexible in its design, is extremely rigid and steep in its price tag.

Sorry darling, you know I love you Pleasure Doing Business, but I do not love your $99.00 asking price for such a simple style. Forever 21, on the other hand…welcome to my world!

At $14.80, Forever 21’s Banded Stripe Skirt looks nearly identical to Pleasure Doing Business’ pretty, with the simplistic difference of enormous savings!

Tell me, kittens…will you be a big spender and go for Pleasure doing Business, or be thrifty and spring for Forever 21?


Fashionably yours!


Thanks to Singer22 and Forever 21 for the pictures.


Don't forget to enter the Time After Time Orient Automatic Watch Giveaway for your chance to win a watch from Orient Watch USA.

Play It Again, Sam

Darlings, whether we feel compelled to admit it or not, we are all well acquainted with that song. The one that instantly makes us want to sashay up and down the sidewalk like models on the runway, garnering bizarre glances from those around us which go completely unnoticed as we are, unquestionably, lost in the music.

Perhaps All Time Low said it best in the song Hello Brooklyn with those eight simple words… “Heels on the sidewalk begging for a backbeat.” After all, life is a runway; and, as you have heard me say time and time again, every moment in life deserves a soundtrack. Therefore, please welcome Play It Again, Sam, Café Fashionista’s newest weekly series devoted to…you guessed it, petite playlists designed to get you through whatever craziness life throws your way. Happy listening, kitty cats!

♥I’m Not Your Toy - La Roux
♥All the Right Moves - OneRepublic
♥And the Boys - Angus and Julia Stone
♥Bathroom Gurgle - Late of the Pier
♥Skeleton Boy - Friendly Fires
♥The Story I Heard - Blind Pilot
♥Undercover Martyn - Two Door Cinema Club
♥Take It Like A Man - Dragonette
♥Giving Up the Gun - Vampire Weekend
♥Seasons May Change - Afternoon Naps
What song has left you with the urge to say Play It Again, Sam this week, my loves?


Fashionably yours!


Thanks to Tumblr for the picture.


Don't forget to enter the Time After Time Orient Automatic Watch Giveaway for your chance to win a watch from Orient Watch USA.