Lust: Crossbody bags

[nordstrom.com]

I'm loving crossbody bags right now. They're so non-fuss - you just throw it on and go. Sure, you can't carry the kitchen sink in it (like I usually do), but your shoulder will thank you.

I adore the 'Flapper' fringed clutch by Tory Burch for $395 at Nordstrom. The sweet grape color is lovely for fall/winter. It's also available in coconut and sand.

[cusp.com]

This red Matt & Natt bag at Cusp is a more affordable option at $165. It's also available in black, and there's a larger version for $185. The bronze chain and zipper detail gives it just a bit of edge. Another cool feature is that the tan lining is made from 100% recycled plastic bottles. How enviro-chic!

Zac Posen for Target

My heart be still! WWD is reporting that Zac Posen is creating a collection for Target that will debut this spring. The Go International line will be out from April 30 through May 25, 2010.

Target has yet to release the prices of the collection, but they are typically very reasonable. Celebs galore, including Natalie Portman and Gwyneth Paltrow, are fans of Posen's designs, which are currently sold at Bergdorf's, Neiman Marcus, Intermix and more.

Below are a few photos from his colorful Spring 2010 RTW collection.
[nymag.com]

Also, Rodarte's line hits Target stores (and the Web) on December 20. From what I've seen of the collection in magazines, it's going to be fabulous.

Poetic Licence 'Glitz & Glam Bootie'

[Nordstrom.com]

I've noticed lately that Poetic Licence has some very cute shoes. I'm particularly obsessed with the 'Glitz & Glam Bootie' ($128.95 at Nordstrom). It's available in black, plum and gold/silver. Plus, they have a Christian Louboutin-esque red inner heel.

Though I love all three colors, my favorite is the black. I would wear the satin/velvet booties to a Christmas party. They'd be perfect with a festive dress and tights.

"Fantastic Mr. Fox" indeed

Fantastic Mr. Fox is a fun, stop-animated film. I hadn't read the Roald Dahl (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) book, but I still enjoyed it. Wes Anderson (The Darjeeling Limited) wrote the screenplay and directed the film.

Mr. Fox (a very recognizable George Clooney) is a skilled chicken stealer, as many foxes are. When he and his pregnant wife, Mrs. Fox (Meryl Streep), get caught in a trap, he vows never to steal another chicken.

Fast forward a few fox years, Fox decides that he doesn't want to live in a hole anymore and wants to buy a tree house. His lawyer Badger (Bill Murray) advises him against it, but he does anyway. Meanwhile, his son Ash (Jason Schwartzman) is not like other foxes his age, and he's not very athletic. Ash's cousin Kristofferson comes to stay with them, and he is very athletic - which makes Ash jealous.

Eventually Fox gets the urge to steal again. He and the super at his tree house, an opossum named Kylie, decide to take on the three most successful farmers - Boggis, Bunce and Bean. They succeed in stealing the chickens, but they don't stop there. A comical thick-Southern-accented Rat (Willem Dafoe), a guard at the Bean house, can't keep them from stealing Bean's alcoholic cider. When the farmers decide to seek revenge on Fox, they destroy his house and put the lives of the other animals in danger.

Mr. Fox must then save his family and the other animals and redeem himself for getting them into such a mess. At times I wasn't sure if this took place in the United States or in the U.K. because Clooney was throwing me off, but then I knew once they had a show-down in front of the Nag's Head Pub (which I've been to in London). The film is witty and clever, and the stop-animation is incredible.

Michelle Obama wears Naeem Khan to State Dinner

[AP]

Last night President and Mrs. Obama hosted their much talked about State Dinner honoring the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his wife Gursharan Kaur. The First Lady's custom-made Naeem Khan (first discussed here) floral gown is gorgeous! Khan used sterling silver sequins to create the flowers, ohmygoodness. She paired the gown with beautiful Bochic chandelier earrings.

It's very fitting that Obama chose an Indian designer for the event.

[style.com]

Khan is an Indian designer who resides in New York. He's best known for his stunning evening wear like the above pieces from his Spring 2010 RTW. Well, one thing is for certain - Mrs. Obama choosing his gown will do nothing but help his career. His beautiful designs are available at 100 stores worldwide including Saks, Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus.

Sparkle and shine at H&M

Not since the days of Dynasty has there been such a love for sequins in fashion. H&M has so many affordable sequined items that are perfect to wear for holiday parties. They also have sequin leggings for only $12.95! That's the least expensive that I've seen anywhere.

One fabulous piece is this colorful jacket ($49.95). It would look great with black pants, denim, or black shorts and tights.

This black sequin jacket ($29.95) would be perfect thrown over a sleeveless dress.


This belt ($9.95) would look great over a plain LBD. It's also available in black. I may even wear this to work over a skirt and cardi.


This adorable bag is a mere $14.95. Umm, you can't afford not to buy it.


This gold scarf ($12.95) is another fun, sparkly accessory option.


I'm well aware that this tulle skirt doesn't contain a single bit of sparkle, but it's so cute and would look great with a sequined top that I had to include it. It's $24.95 and is also available in black.

I just wish you could order their stuff online! Check out more of the holiday collection here.

Lust: Valentino Shining Flower Tux Tote

[neimanmarcus.com]

Valentino's 'Shining Flower Tux Tote' is beyond fabulous. Sequins and rosettes united? Ohmuhgoodness. Plus, there are crystals and a leather bow in the center to give it that tuxedo look. This bag is big enough to carry to work, but chic enough to carry at night.

This baby isn't cheap though at $4,495 from Neiman Marcus. For those who can afford such a luxury, it's available for pre-order and ships near the end of January. *Sigh.

Fashion at those wild AMAs

[people.com]

How weird were the AMAs last night? First Paula Abdul's microphone wouldn't work then Jennifer Lopez fell during her performance (which she says she "meant to do," uh huh sure ya did) then Adam Lambert shocked when he kissed a guy on-stage. The whole show just seemed a little trashy to me.

Anyway, here are my picks for the best dressed...
-Fergie looked fabulous in a black Armani Privé zipper and diamond gown.
-Presenter Kristen Bell wore a silver Christian Cota bandeau and matching skirt. It had just the right amount of edge.
-Carrie Underwood and Nicole Kidman also kept it classy in one-shoulder dresses by Theia and Balenciaga, respectively.

In question...
-Rihanna wore a laser-cut black-and-white Marchesa gown. Marchesa's gowns are usually very flowing and feminine, so I was surprised by this edgy design. It suited the fashion-forward singer's style well though. Plus, designers have iterated that pants are out.

What was she thinking?
-Kate Hudson's skimpy silver Versace dress was a wardrobe malfunction waiting to happen and wasn't very flattering. On a lighter note, I'm looking forward to her musical Nine with Daniel Day-Lewis, Nicole Kidman, Fergie, Penelope Cruz, etc.

Heartbreaking "Precious"

Precious is a gut-wrenching film - the kind that leaves you feeling dazed as you leave the theater. The movie is based on the novel Push by Sapphire. There are many scenes that are hard to listen to and difficult to watch. The Lee Daniels-directed film was produced by Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry.

Talented new-comer Gabourey "Gabby" Sidibe plays Precious Jones, an obese, poor, illiterate and abused teen. It's the late 1980s in Harlem, and Precious has already had one child, and is pregnant again at only 16-years-old. The most horrifying part is that her abusive father is the dad of her children. Her lazy, despicable mother (Mo'Nique) is also physically and verbally abusive.

Precious feels hopeless until she enrolls in an alternative school taught by Ms. Rain (Paula Patton). In one touching scene, Ms. Rain asks Precious to tell the class about herself. She replies that she's never talked in class before, and it makes her feel "here." At the school, she begins to learn - starting with her ABCs until she's able to read. She most enjoys writing in her journal.

Eventually Precious is able to pull herself out of the abyss though it's not without obstacles and heartbreak. Sidibe and Mo'Nique both deserve Oscar nods for their fine performances. Singers Lenny Kravitz and Mariah Carey proved they have some acting chops too. Kravitz plays the kind Nurse John, and an almost-unrecognizable Carey is the compassionate social worker Mrs. Weiss.

Loving Wayfarer/cat-eye shades

[nordstrom.com/dvf.com]

I can't live without my Ray-Ban Wayfarers. I like the way they fit my face. I'm a reformed gigantic sunglasses lover since I hated the way they touched my cheeks and smudged my blush. Lately I've found myself wanting a new pair of shades to throw into the mix, preferably an updated Wayfarer shape with a slight cat eye.

I found two great designer pairs that are fairly affordable and come in fun colors. These MICHAEL Michael Kors 'Santa Barbara' shades from Nordstrom are fabulous and only $99. They come in black, tortoise and my personal favorite, peacock.

Diane von Furstenberg just introduced her eyewear collection. I'm not wild about some of sunglasses, but I do love these, the DVF115S. They are $145, and come in black merlot, brown teal, teal gold or hot pink granite.

New and improved: Twilight Saga's "New Moon"

I saw the midnight showing of New Moon last night. They added shows every 15 minutes up until 12:45, and they still sold out. I've you ever heard of such - what a phenomenon!

The film was fairly true to the book. Melissa Rosenberg wrote the screenplay again. Director Chris Weitz (The Golden Compass) did an excellent job. It had a completely different look from the Catherine Hardwicke-directed Twilight. Don't get me wrong, I really did like Twilight, but any fool can see that this film had a bigger bankroll.

New Moon is probably my least favorite book in the saga because it's so sad. However, I really enjoyed this film. Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen and Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan really are perfectly cast. I also think that Charlie (Billy Burke), Alice Cullen (Ashley Greene) and Emmett Cullen (Kellan Lutz) are also exactly as I imagined them in the novels.

Here are a few of my favorite things about the film...

-Edward Cullen. No one does tortured yet heartbreakingly gorgeous like Pattinson.

-Bella's birthday scene. I thought this infamous scene (where Edward decides to leave Bella) was very well done. When Jasper tries to kill Bella at her birthday party in the stunning, candlelit Cullen home after she gets a papercut, the drama ensues as Edward defends her.

-Jacob. Hello abs. It was evident that Team Jacob was in the house last night. Every time a shirtless Taylor Lautner graced the big screen there were collective screams. No, he's not quite a pro actor yet, but we sure do appreciate his strenuous workouts.

-Soundtrack and score. I was very in tune to the songs in the film, since the soundtrack has yet to leave my CD player since I bought it. The score by Alexandre Desplat was also beautifully done.

-Volturi scenes. The scenes in Italy with the Volturi are very cool. Michael Sheen was great as Aro - just as I imagined him. Dakota Fanning was good as the pain-inducing Jane too.

-Bella saving Edward in Italy. Having Bella run through a sea of red festival-goers in slow-mo to save Edward from showing his true self in the sun was a great touch.

-Werewolves. I was worried how this whole werewolf thing would pan out. The special effects were incredible - when Jacob changes into a werewolf mid-air to protect Bella from Paul, you just about get chill bumps. There's also a great scene where the wolves fight off the vampire Laurent.

-Time passing. One of the interesting things that Stephenie Meyer did with New Moon, was leaving pages blank with only months after Edward leaves Bella. I wondered how they would do it in the film. Weitz had the camera pan around a heartbroken Bella as the seasons changed outside - very clever, indeed.

Spoiler alert:
-The ending. As you know, Bella wants to become a vampire, and at the very end, Edward gives her an ultimatum. He'll do it if she marries him. Swoon.

Since Eclipse has already wrapped, we don't have long to wait until the next installment - June 30 to be precise.

Gossip Girl's star's questionable outfits

[people.com]

I'm a fan of Gossip Girl, though the plotlines of late have made me rethink my loyalty (Dan/Vanessa/Olivia threesome? ewww!). Despite this, the show has always had great fashion. Blair Waldorf brought back headbands for goodness sake. However, some of these well-dressed stars have taken a turn for the worse lately on and off-screen.

Leighton Meester wore this hideous outfit (above) to perform her new single "Somebody to Love" at the opening of American Eagle in Times Square. I've always admired her for her fashion-forward choices, but this is too far. There isn't a single redeeming quality to this outfit - those pants, that belt, the boots, the tube top, a dewdrop. Ouch, now I have a headache.

The outfit that Meester wore after her performance wasn't much better. The harsh makeup, and again, there she goes with the tube top thing.

[PR Photos]

Now let's discuss Blake Lively. She wore this atrocity to the premiere of her film The Private Lives of Pippa Lee. Has she never heard the cleavage/leg ratio rule? Those white pumps, shorts and jacket are awful. If she had to wear that jacket, it would've been better with a pencil skirt or pants and black shoes. While I'm on the subject, her clothes as Serena on GG are starting to starting to mirror her real-life clothing choices, and that's not a good thing.

Robert Earl Keen at The National

Last night I saw alternative-country singer/songwriter Robert Earl Keen at The National in Richmond. I wasn't very familiar with his music even though my dad and sister are fans. Despite not knowing any songs, it was still a fun show. Keen sauntered out onto the stage in what appeared to be a forest ranger's outfit.

Texas-born Keen has a unique and pleasant voice, and is renown for his song-writing. There was a mixed crowd from frat boys to drunk oldsters. Keen threw in a holiday tune in the form of his funny Christmas song 'Merry Christmas From the Family.' The lady sitting behind us kept trying to kiss our cheeks and tell us 'Merry Christmas' in a drunken slur.

Most of the crowd seemed to know the words to every song as they sang loudly and danced. I thought that Ryan Adams earlier albums may be channeling Keen's style. Charlottesville, VA-band Sons of Bill was the opener.

Lust: Tory Burch 'Isabella Pump'

[toryburch.com]

Tory Burch's new 'Isabella Pumps' are to-die. These satin pumps have a 1" platform and 4 1/2" heel. They come in black and plum. I love that Tory calls them "two fantastic neutrals" on her site. Plum as a neutral? Fine by me! They're $325. The plum pair is the perfect shoe to pair with a LBD for a Christmas party.

'New Moon' premieres in L.A.

[Getty Images]

Last night was the premiere of New Moon in L.A., the second film (and novel) in Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga. Tons of people were live tweeting from the event, so that was fun to watch. Twi-hards (like me) are getting excited for the film's release on Friday.

Robert Pattinson looked gorgeous in a simple black Gucci suit. Taylor Lautner wore a navy suit with a skinny tie - I'm digging that retro look. Kristen Stewart channeled her inner princess in a lovely strapless Oscar de la Renta gown with a bit of an edge. Robsten kept their distance from each other on the red carpet though.

Jackson Rathbone in a classic tux and tie, Ashley Greene in a red Prabal Gurung cut-out dress and Kellan Lutz sans tie posed together on the red carpet. Elizabeth Reaser in a Hervé Léger dress and a dark-haired Peter Facinelli (aka Esme and Carlisle Cullen) posed together. Nikki Reed in Burberry, Dakota Fanning in Valentino, Michael Sheen, Anna Kendrick and the rest of the film's stars also hit the red carpet.

A lot of people have mentioned the absence of A-list celebs at this premiere. Duh, who in their right mind would want to compete with the stars of this movie? They wouldn't stand a chance! After the premiere, the stars hit up the after-party. Check out Popsugar.com for more event pics!