I went to see John Mayer at Madison Square Garden last night and what a great show it was! Although the stadium wasn’t completely packed, it was filled with the bustle of fans ranging from drunken teenagers to cute elderly couples watching the show holding hands.
Mayer started off with hits from his new album, Battle Studies, before going into different versions of his classic hits like Daughters and Gravity. His guitar riffs were amazing – he delivered as expected. Mayer usually likes to create his own version of a classic song by American singer-songwriters for concerts; his version of Free Falling by Tom Petty from his John Mayer Trio tour is one of favorite covers of all time. He chose Ain’t No Sunshine by Bill Withers this time for his Battle Studies tour at MSG. At the risk of sounding extremely sappy, I have to admit that John Mayer made the song cry with his guitar and my eyes might have been a bit on the watery side towards the end – but was that because of the music or all the smoke in the air at the garden? Despite the drunken teens with their fake IDs and grinding dance moves (yes, at a concert – they had to be from the Jersey shore), the screaming JM lovestruck women and a very smokey atmosphere I am not complaining. I loved every minute of it. After all what else can you expect at a concert by the guy that sang “Who says I can’t get stoned…”
Looking for a fun drink to serve at your next party or event but don’t want to play bartender all night? At a recent press event I went to at the Crosby Street Hotel in SoHo, instead of having bar tenders slave away behind the bar spilling, clunking and churning together drinks, the hosts served only champagne. Only is an understatement because guest got individual bottles of Pommery Pop Rosé mini champagne with straws!
Definitely an upgrade from individual sized wine bottles, these funky little champagne bottles are wrapped in reflective pink foil and can be sipped straight from the bottle with a straw. Champagne with a straw? Some might roll their eyes on this, but it’s a new and fun way to sip on some bubbly!
Pick up a single bottle for $12.99 or a four-pack for $43.95.
I saw this couple shopping at the Zara in SoHo over the weekend during Fashion week. They must have just come from one of the shows, or were headed there, because they were dressed and styled up fabulously. The mink, red Chanel fanny pack, turban-ish hat and heart patterned tights and white pumps on the girl and the skinny pants suit, navy scarf and blue thick rimmed glasses on the guy really stood out in middle of a store. I couldn’t stop peeking at them from behind clothing racks so I braved up and asked to take a picture to share with you!
I got my very first business cards for my blog last week! It feels like another step towards The Stylester’s credibility and (hopefully) rising popularity. I’ve learnt a great lesson since starting TheStylester.com: Fake It Till You Make It! With that, I raise my card to making it!
I used Printsmadeeasy.com to get the cards printed. It was easy and delivery was a lot faster than I expected.
I am so excited about the Theory sample sale! Clothingline.com holds the best sample sale for Theory at least twice a year (for the Fall and Spring collections) and I have gone to every single one for the past two years (thanks to my friend Clare who got me addicted) and bought something each time. The items are generally in the best condition, with white garments wrapped in their own special protective plastic covering. Clare once bought a full suit from this sale that fit her as if it was made specifically for her body, at under $200. The retail value for this suit was around $800 including tax. She just told me today that she loves to wear her Theory suit and not only on interviews. Four out of my five blazers are Theory and I love them all.
Go to this sale and pick up your own must have Theory blazer, blouse and trousers or pencil skirt to match. My advice to go as soon as possible to get the best pick of sizes and samples, but if you are looking for a bargain, wait till the end because there is a good chance that the sale will offer a deeper discount towards the end of the sale.
What:
Theory Sample Sale – Men’s and Women’s samples & irregulars
When:
Feb 23-27, 2010 (Tuesday – Saturday)
Tuesday February 23 11:00 am – 7:00 pm
Wednesday February 24 11:00 am – 7:00 pm
Thursday February 25 11:00 am – 7:00 pm
Friday February 26 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Saturday February 27 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
I’ve been noticing Minx nails from Fashion mag insiders like my friend Amy and on celebrities like Beyonce since last April and have been dying to try them on myself. My wish came true at the IFB conference last Monday, Feb 15th.
Expert manicurist Tracy Lee was on site, giving quick 20 minute manicures with one nail on each hand adorned by Minx. It normally takes 40 minutes to apply a full set of Minx.
What are Minx nails?
Minx is a polymer – a heat activated solid film that takes on any shape when heated. When applied on nails, it molds to the curves and stays put for anywhere between 4-8 days. It can only be applied by nail stylists, so don’t try it at home although, an insider tip from Tracy was that to take them off at home on your own, just heat up gently with a hairdryer and pull off from the cuticle side.
Reaction to Minx:
My review: I’ve had my Minx for 5 days now and they are still holding up well. I haven’t been particularly cautious with them but the glue hasn’t come off. I have noticed the tips bumping up slightly which Tracy had warned me about and had recommended warming just the tips slightly with a hairdryer to smooth it out.
Public reaction has been positive. Friends have definitely noticed the Minx on my nails and I’ve noticed girls squinting at them on the subway. A cashier at the drug store yesterday even asked to touch them and asked what they were made of.
I will definitely get Minx’ed again and I am sure they will show up more and more around NYC. To try them for yourself, find a salon near you that carries them using the Salon Finder on their site. You can also go straight to Tracy Lee at Damone Roberts Salon, 574 5th ave, between 46th and 47th. 6th floor, 212-764-4755. They regularly cost around $40-$50, but keep an eye out on Lifebooker.com for deals like this. Some of my favorite Minx patterns are the silver and black fishnet, golden lightning and the golden lightning studs.
What: John Mayer at Madison Square Garden
When: February – Thursday 25 and Friday 26, 2010
Where: Madison Square Garden, NYC
Ever since becoming obsessed with John Mayer and his music around the time that I wrote this post here, I’ve been waiting impatiently to see him in concert. I am extremely excited to go his show at MSG on Thursday the 25th. There are still some tickets available on LiveNation, Craigslist and Ticketmaster. Snap one up and join me in the pleasure of having John Mayer croon to you, entertain you with his witty/charming/flirty commentary (I wonder whether he’ll mention his recent racy interview with Playboy) and blow your away with his guitar skills.
TheStylester.com was proud to be an active participant at the first Independent Fashion Bloggers Conference during the Fall 2010 Fashion Week in NYC. The conference was held in the beautiful open space of Helen Mills Theater, steps from Fashion Avenue (7th ave). Organization was spot-on for a free event (with a suggested donation of $20), the organizers and facilitators were very professional and style was everywhere to be seen.
Apart from mingling with some of the best Fashion bloggers from New York and many who flew in from around the country some of the highlights were Minx manicures, insightful panel discussions on Topics such as The Business of Blogging and reputed panelists like Shubankar Ray – Global Brand Manager of G-Star, Clark Hoyt – Public Editor at New York Times, Tavi Gevinson of Style Rookie and Bryanboy.
After a long day of panels, discussions and networking, the conference ended with a delicious cocktail party, complete with a mountain of sliders and more opportunities to discuss the panels with fellow bloggers like Kalyn (especially the last panel with the celebrity bloggers du jour) sponsored by the brand new site Couturious.com. The site is currently invite only, however, please email me and I’ll do my best to forward an invite to you.
All in all, the IFB Conference (hashtag #ifbcon on Twitter) was a great success. It gave out an open invitation to eager independent fashion bloggers, many of who are less than a year into blogging and provided a space for dialogue. The standards were set high, after all an editor from NYT and BryanBoy were there, and inspiration and admiration was free-flowing around the room. The bloggers had a lot of love for each other as we went about @tweeting each other and swapping cards, compliments, advice, scoop, experiences and encouragement. Well done Jennine Jacob, and IFB for putting together this great event!
Beyoncé got a lot of heat on the blogosphere for wearing a jambalaya of patterns in a video shoot she did with Alicia Keys in Brazil. I sipped on the hate-orade too, but in my defense, just look at the photo below.
Then I found a photo of her on the Style File blog which made me fall right back in love with B. The photo of Beyoncé below was taken as she donned a To Haiti with Love tee by CFDA. B looks great dressed down! Very girl next door, almost too much like Taylor Swift in You Belong with Me.
Savvy Co. sample sales is featuring Jodi Arnold this month at their sale in SoHo. I’ve gone to a couple of Savvy sample sales but only purchased something once. The discounts aren’t as deep as some other sales, but the collection is usually great. The buyers for Savvy have good taste and bring key items to the sales.
