Blogging has Heart: Support Japan through Tragedy

The tragedy that has unfolded day after day in Japan has been unbelievable. As bloggers, everyday we set out to share a little of what we love with the world; forming friendships and discovering so much along the way. Blogging is a community that is driven by heart...not faceless corporations with agendas but real people with compassion.

Hearing of the tragedy in Japan was overwhelming, how do you even begin to make a difference for people so far away that need so much? I was so uplifted to see the blogging community reach out with their hearts the way they did. Friday, March 18th was a Blogger's Day of Silence in an effort to raise money for Japan.

Originally started by Ever Ours + Utterly Engaged HERE

For Japan with Love has grown exponentially and now has its own website.

Please join in helping Japan through 

this tragedy by going HERE. 

Every little counts.

An Irish New York: Happy St. Patrick's Day

I'm off to view the St. Patrick's Day Parade in New York today...maybe grab a green beer and generally enjoy the finer things in life. I love the Irish and I love that I am part Irish...even if only by ancestry!

{merci weheartit}

Here is an Irish language (Gaelic) tidbit for you to use today.

Today, proudly tell the bartender at your favorite Irish Pub:

Cead Mile Failte!

{kayd-mee-ul-fal-cha}

Which means A Hundred Thousand Welcomes!

Pourquoi Pas?

Why not have a Blog Feature mes cheries? Well here you go! I was so honored to be asked by the people of 24Blogazine on What to Wear for Spring...so hop on over and get your wardrobe Spring Fashion Ready!

The Embellished Life Feature

Photographer: Truc Nguyen

What will you be wearing this Spring?


Rather Interesting Event Experience
On a side note my darlings...not every event I go to is glamorous and amiable...this past weekend I attended a Trunk Show that I received an invitation to for Chloe & Reese.

Now let me sidebar to tell you I am a FIRM believer in never being "too big for your britches" for those of you not from the South, that means you should never act bigger than you are. I don't believe anyone, no matter how famous or what high end industry you work in, is EVER above being a decent human being. The unfortunate thing in NYC is it tends to attract many 'nobodies' that think they're 'somebodies' and feel the need to exert that on everyone else. You are NEVER above decent manners, people are people, and you should always treat them with your respect and attention. Case in point: Charlie Sheen and John Galliano... you are not above human decency no matter who you are.

So I arrive at the Chloe & Reese event expecting to learn about the line, mingle with the attendees and snap some photos for you. Boy was I wrong. I felt like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman when the Sales Lady on Rodeo Drive would not help her. These women running the event were like and who are you? And I happily told them I'm a blogger, and I received the invitation and was excited to learn more about the line. And the conversation proceeded to go like this...

Snooty Staff Girl: Oh no no no this is not a press event, this is a closed private event.
Me: Oh I'm sorry, I'm just always asked to cover events, so when I received the invitation I assumed it was OK.
Snooty Staff Girl: Hmm well this is a private "undergound" event and the people here know the designer personally, I'm not really sure how you got the invitation but this is not an event we are publicizing.
Me: um...OK well I just thought I would do a feature on the line, the invitation never mentioned any restrictions.

...and after browsing around the room at the pieces for a few minutes and generally being ignored, I grabbed my coat and left...awkward.

My fabulous blogger friend Nubia of Nubia's Nonsense had an even worse experience than me with this group of women be sure to check out her story HERE. I was appalled that they would allow such an image to extend from this brand, I am a marketing professional in my career and this behavior is NOT acceptable for brand management.
So just an FYI to all of you about the line Chloe & Reese. Beware.

Onassis Clothing: A Mens SoHo Boutique Event

SoHo is one of my crush neighborhoods of NYC, very quaint, and filled with adorable boutiques...whether I can afford the things in every store is a different question. There is one new SoHo men's boutique, Onassis Clothing, that carries a yacht chic line of Men's clothing that is classic Americana at its finest. I cabbed over to Onassis Clothing with a friend around Fashion Week for an event...Gentlemen's Night Out!

The store front to Onassis reads exactly what the clothing line is, so when you walk in the shop and are greeted with old boat paddles, and buoys amongst the clothing displays and even boats as shelving units you are in no way surprised. The clothing is casual and refined, and I saw a couple boyfriend sweaters that I wouldn't mind adopting for myself!

The event was very fun and proved to be very gentlemanly with cuts and shaves planned in the back room where there is normally a cafe. This SoHo men's boutique has set quite the precedent for New York shoppers! I can't wait to see what their next event holds!

Fashionspiration: Belly Bliss

Crop Top Bliss by fashiondiva304 featuring crop tops

Fall 2011 Fashion Presentation: Yoana Baraschi

This Fall 2011 Fashion Week in New York was an array of beauty as always, although this season I particularly enjoyed seeing color on the runway! The fashion presentation of Yoana Barachi was in the round and made you feel involved in the show. 

The difference between a fashion show and fashion presentation is a fashion show is your typical catwalk style parading of models, whereas a fashion presentation is more intimate. It can have the models posed or walking, but either way they reside in the center surrounded by the audience. From a photography standpoint I really enjoyed the presentations because the models typically look straight in your lens and you have the opportunity to get some great detail shots. 

A note from Yoana Baraschi:

Fall 2011 takes us on an emotional journey thru Virtualand, a familiar place in our dreams and on our computer screens. Here Faux Reality reins and transports us in a cinematic domain where 70's excess glam divas morph into virtual modern heroines. 

The beauty for Yoana Baraschi's line consisted of sleek-backed knotty buns, pale lips, and bold fuscia eyes!

The combination was simple yet fierce. 

It's like the 40's just jumped into New York Fashion Week, I love this dress!

The detailing by Yoana Baraschi was incredible, I lingered by each model enthralled in the mix of textures, layers, and embellishments!

Baraschi played pushed the limit with layers of textures and prints from reptile to polka dots. Voluptuous furs and knits mixed with sleek leathers further contrasted the juxtaposed striped and flora printed blouses and dresses. The perfect blend of classic and funky this Fall 2011 fashion presentation was a definite success. 

Be sure to follow The Embellished Life on Twitter @EmbellishedBlog to get 

to-the-minute fashion news!

Links a la Mode

Making it Your Own


Edited by Vahni of Grit & Glamour




Wow...I'm  a Links à la Mode editor...can you believe it?! So thrilled to have the  opportunity to discover new blogs and compelling posts to share with  all of you. That said, give me two minutes in the pulpit, and my "better  blog" sermon starts welling up, totally involuntarily. So allow me a  moment to share what I am looking for when I review submissions. It's  pretty simple: Be creative and original, tie your post into beauty or  fashion, use proper grammar and punctuation (spellcheck and proofread  before publishing), and credit your photo sources. Always.




And  on to the list...bloggers were in deep thought this week, pondering  ethical fashion and feminism, male gaze and Marthettes. But in case you  need to escape the heavy stuff, there is: denim! Happy reading, and as  you peruse and comment on this week's posts, why stop there? For every  comment you leave, why not check out the blog of the person who  commented above you and comment there too? It's a great way to expand  your mind—and your readership.

Links à la Mode: March 10th

• ALinetoZ: An Open Letter to High-Waisted Jeans
• Arash Mazinani: How ethical are you when it comes to fashion? A look at the hypocrisy often involved in being ethical in fashion.
• Beyond Fabric: Men's daily essentials—inside one man's bag holdall.
• Corinne Monique: Cellissimo: a music-meets-fashion photoshoot inspired by high fashion ad campaigns.
• Dress With Courage: Are you more likely to buy something if the model looks like you?
• Designed By Ann: Reading glasses are suddenly fashionable—so here are makeup tips for girls who wear glasses.
• Free Honey: On moving to wordress.org: 5 must-know tips for new bloggers.
• Fishmonkey: On The Man Repeller, the male gaze, and its role in shaping fashion choices.
• Grit & Glamour: Klout: What it is and Why it Matters
• Holier than Now: Spring's Most Beautiful Lace Looks—5 Ways for < $50
• In Her Stilettos: How to organize your jewelry while traveling—cheaply and stylishly.
• Made-to-Travel: Asos Africa—the incredible ethical makers of this gorgeous line—oh! and it's on sale!
• Melina Bee: Life and style tips inspired by Sophia Loren.
• Obsessive Coolness: On the relationship—or surprising lack thereof—between talent and success in fashion blogging.
• Oranges And Apples: Thoughts on Marthettes, blogging about 'feminine' stuff, and perfection.
• Pretty Shiny Sparkly: A chic and easy way to wear the double denim trend.
• Sidewalk Chic: Six ways to showcase accessories in outfit photos.
• Sugar and Spice: Natalie Portman is effortlessly eco-chic at an Oscars after-party—in an inexpensive dress that hits H&M next month.
• Trés Awesome: The weather may be crappy but that didn't stop people from being out and about with their bright and beautiful umbrellas.
• Try It On Me: The resurgence of the denim shirt—not just for cowboys!

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Shopbop Jeans: Citizen's, Seven's, Juicy, Joe's, Hudsons, Paige, James Jeans, Vince, True Religion, J Brand, & Siwy