Fab in Philly

Hello 2010

2010-01-03T18:17:00.000-05:00

Happy New YEAR!!!

2009 is now in our past and we are welcomed into 2010!! So far it has been a great year for me even though we are only into day 3. The new year is always exciting because you can celebrate the good from the previous year and also put behind the bad. A fresh start is here for everyone and then comes all the resolutions. I know a lot of people are against New Years resolutions but I like them. I'm constantly making resolutions for myself to try and be an all around better person. I thought I'd share some of mine with you.

1.) Cherish time with family and friends

2.) Continue to learn and grow in my job

3.) Make more time for prayer and church

4.) Spend more time with my little sister and volunteer

5.) Make more time to blog!

6.) Get out there and date

7.) Continue my healthy lifestyle and work out even harder

So there are some of my resolutions and those are things that I strive for all year round. What are some of your resolutions and how did you ring in the new year?

Fab Finds

2009-12-06T17:10:00.006-05:00

As Holiday Party season approaches at full speed its often the last thing we want to spend our money on. There are so many other gifts to be bought and things to spend our money on that finding a good deal is well good!

I spotted these two items at *clears throat* Wal-Mart and of course my favorite go-to place Forever 21.

This Miley Cyrus & Max Azria Dress comes in purple and black and is a steal at only $20.

The second dress is also from the Miley Cyrus & Max Azria Collection and is $20 as well.

And to finish off either dress a pair of ankle boots from Forever 21 for $24.80

Update on Me

2009-12-06T14:28:00.001-05:00

So I've completely neglected my blog due to my NEW JOB!!! I'm an Account Executive for a company called Promotions Execution Partners based out of Cincinnati Ohio. Promotion Execution Partners or Pep is a project management company with a focus on promotions. Their main client is Proctor and Gamble in Cincinnati and Boston. They also work with Heinz in Pittsburgh but their newest client is McNeil Consumers in Ft Washington and that is where I will be working. McNeil is owned by Johnson and Johnson and is the maker of Tylenol, Motrin, Zyrtec, Mylanta, Imodium, etc. I'm very excited for this position and feel like it will be the perfect fit for me. I also do not want to lose sight of my fashion side and blogging so bare with me because Fab In Philly is definitely going to stay in my radar and I want to still blog on a regular basis!

Taylor is actually finally leaving Rachel Zoe

2009-11-07T23:34:00.000-05:00

According to Fashionista Taylor Jacobson is finally leaving. An email was sent out to her contacts informing them of her departure:
“After four amazing years at Rachel Zoe Corporation, I’m saddened and exhilarated at the same time to announce my departure. After much thought and consideration, I have decided to take the challenging leap to go off and style on my own.”

What I'm Reading!

2009-11-07T22:08:00.000-05:00

Lists For Life is a new book by Rory Tahari. I am the most ORGANIZED, list making person you will ever meet but one should never stop learning. This book informs you how to get started on tackling life's big events such as: weddings, buying a house, raising children, and planning your funeral. This big will help you break down big events into simple small tasks!

New Hot Nail Color

2009-11-07T22:02:00.000-05:00

I'm a big fan of black nails in the past year I've went thru two bottles of O.P.I. Black Onyx polish and the year before that I was constantly in Lincoln Park After Dark. I wear a lot of black and black goes with everything so I feel like it is very chic. I started adding some color and painting my ring finger a different color like red or hot pink.

I'm actually ready for some bold new polish changes so I was so happy when I learned that the amazing Jade Green color that we saw on the Chanel Fall 2009 Runways is now in stores. The color was originally supposed to be blended just for the show but it created so much buzz that they decided to create it for off the runway as well. We saw Rihanna in a similar color during Fashion Week in Paris and other celebrities are jumping onto the trend. In the Chanel show the Jade Green color was worn not only on the nails but in the accessories as well with the black and white collection so this is something that will accent your basics.

Sports and Fashion

2009-11-07T21:51:00.001-05:00

Philadelphia sports are just as important to me as fashion. I live for the Eagles and absolutely love football season. The past two years I've gotten into baseball a lot more with the Phillies doing well and I'm falling hard for them as I did for the Eagles. Supporting my teams and my city is a fun thing to do but I'm tired of the oversized tees and jersey so I did some internet research today to find some more "fashionable" wears and I was actually surprised to find some cute things. I'm definitely upgrading my Jackson jersey and Victorino tee ASAP!

All of these tees and hoodies can be found at Dick's Sporting Goods and they are all made by Reebok!

Amber Rose showing her Philly pride

2009-11-07T10:27:00.001-05:00

Amber Rose was spotted at the Phillies World Series game last weekend showing her hometown some love. Her and Kanye are supposedly over so maybe that is why she has been hanging around more lately.

Fabulous Deals

2009-11-02T12:12:00.000-05:00

Shoes Shoes Shoes oh how we all love shoes .. here are two pair that are super trendy and affordable for fall and winter.

The first pair are from Baby Phat and called the Jacqueline and are only $93 but look very similiar to a much more expensive pair that Miu Miu has.

The second pair are from my second home Forever 21 and are only $32.80 but look very similiar to Alexandra Neel's boot that I've seen on a few celebs.

A message from Me!

2009-11-02T12:06:00.001-05:00

Welcome to a November and a new week! I can't believe how time is flying by. I have been officially laid off for two months. It is hard to explain how I feel about this. At first I was devastated because I was lucky enough to actually LOVE my job but then I realized that maybe there was something out there that I would challenge me more, and help to make a difference. I have stayed very optimistic and I still am. I have been lucky enough to be able to spend a lot of time reading, working on my blog which is something that is more fun for me than anything else, and also work with the Founder/Creator of Stylemom.com. I saw a posting that she was looking for someone to assist her with her schedule and calendar and I thought it would seriously be a perfect opportunity. The work is not full-time work but if it was this would be something I would love to do. I didn't mind Corporate America but once your gone and have more freedoms you realize the life that is out there beyond suits, meetings, and corporate culture. I have realized how much I really want to be working back in Fashion. It is honestly my true love and I feel myself yearning to be back there, although I'm still not ready to leave Philly :-( So I'm going to keep spending 5 hours a day searching over every job board possible, I'm going to continue to change my cover letters for the better, and continue to carry the same bag because I'm worried that I may not find a job by the time my unemployment runs out. Hopefully in the end I will be able to say God closes one door to open another and hopefully that other door will be pink, and sparkly instead of grey and drab!

World Series

2009-10-28T22:29:00.001-04:00

The World Series is here .. I'm nervously watching as we speak! But thanks to Mr. Utley were up by 2!! I hope we can keep the lead!

Jimmy Choo For H&M

2009-10-26T14:08:00.000-04:00

Saturday November 14th is approaching very fast. I've seen a number of pictures of the looks for Jimmy Choo's Collection for H&M and the shoes are FABULOUS. The over-the-knee boots are $345 I want a pair of these so bad but my question is will these be available in Philadelphia and what time will I have to get up to wait in line.

Sixers Dancers at South Moon Under for Charity Shopping Event

2009-10-26T13:17:00.006-04:00

Amber Rose in Philly

2009-10-26T13:17:00.000-04:00

Amber Rose was spotted back in her hometown at the Spaghetti Warehouse celebrating a friend's birthday. Even in sweats this girl looks fierce. Her stomach is also on point .. ladies please take note but lets stop with all the shaved headed copy cats!

Rihanna's New Single

2009-10-20T16:44:00.001-04:00

Rihanna's new single Russian Roulette featuring Neyo was released today. I'm not sure how I feel about the song, I'm sure it will grow on me .. Loving the album cover art though.

Cute Coats Under $100

2009-10-19T21:38:00.001-04:00

Fab Find Outfit of the Week

2009-10-16T21:37:00.006-04:00

So every week I'm going to bring to you my fab find out from my favorite store Forever21. A lot of people go back and forth with me on Forever 21 for different things such as them copying designers, and having such cheap quality clothing. Those are the two reasons that I love the store, you can get trendy, designer style clothes at such a cheap price that even if the quality isn't that great it doesn't matter your normally not paying over $24.50 for an item. For people like myself who want a variety of items and want to stay up with the trends but not in debt Forever 21 is perfect!

Fab Shoes at Payless

2009-10-16T00:16:00.001-04:00

Thanks to Mother (who called a pair of Alice + Olivia shoes to my attention) I decided to check out all the Designers that Payless had to offer. I found three pairs for $49.99 .. I really need to try these on to decide if $50 is worth it for a Payless shoe. I'm sure the designers are designing quality shoes and they are all super cute!

Christian Siriano

Abaete

Alice+Olivia

Patterned Tights

2009-10-15T16:57:00.001-04:00

Now's the time to get creative because this Fall Patterned Tights are in! Last Fall we saw brightly colored opaque tights but this year patterns are everywhere.

I'm dying for this heart pair from TopShop and they are only $16. Topshop actually has some really cute affordable patterned tights on their site.

Spanx has a few patterned variations like this "Birdseye" pair for $42 at Bloomingdale's

There are so many variations of the patterned tight out there and you can really get some crazy colors, styles, and patterns. This look can turn an otherwise casual basic outfit into something fun!

What I'm Reading!

2009-10-13T00:14:00.003-04:00

Who What Wear: Celebrity and Runway Style for Real Life

By: Hillary Kerr & Katherine Power (The Creators/Bloggers behind WhoWhatWear.Com)

Philly's Fashion Week Round-Up

2009-10-12T23:24:00.004-04:00

Philly Fashion Week came and went. Fortunately I had the opportunity to attend on Friday night. So it was held on 23rd Street at the Amory and it was actually the perfect location for this type of event. It was not what I expected but I kept imagining the tents at Bryant Park. So everything was all in one big giant room and there were about 8 "pop-up" boutiques (Matthew Izzo, Cristina V., Delicious Boutique, and Marina Makaron). There were a few jewelry boutiques, and Marina Makaron featured beautiful silk scarves that I would've picked up if I weren't unemployed. I was not expecting the people at the boutiques to be so pushy and selly but hey everyone is trying to make a dollar these days. I didn't eat but saw cheese, crackers, and sliders from Lucky Strikes. I did have a glass of wine courtesy of the open bar.

My fashion week partner Miss Shinsky accompanied me and we took our seats at about 4:30pm and waited for Philadelphia University Students to start the shows. I felt like a lot of the designs were street wear but felt the student show was great and showed some of the best designs. Street Star's Custom Clothing showcased glittery t-shirts showing the 7 Deadly Sins, Palmieri Jeans were not what I was expecting and I don't believe any of the pants had waistbands (need to research these further).

Be sure to check out Philly's Fashion Week blog for complete coverage of all three days, with pictures and blog entries!

I didn't like the long breaks between shows and think the music/entertainment should have been left for the end. Things could have been done a little different but everything is a learning experience and I've read a lot of news clips and blog articles that seem to think the show was a success so I'm sure it will be back next year!

Image: Anna Zhilkova Photography

Chanel's Spring 2010 Ready-to-Wear

2009-10-06T20:22:00.006-04:00

I promise I'm going to do a recap of all the New York and Paris shows and give you all of my favorite things from all the shows. I haven't had the time to anyalize like I've wanted to so that's where the delay is. I did however read up on my all time favorite designer CHANEL. As Rachel Zoe would say "I die" for Chanel, I admire Lagerfeld and everything he is doing with the fashion house and boy did he really out-do himself again for this show. The theme was a barnyard show right down to the Chanel built barn that the runway was built around. The models emerged from hay bails and had hay coming out of their hair as if they had been rolling around in it. "Lagerfeld's summing up of the season's tendencies—beige, ivory, and black; rough textures; transparency and lace—was spun into a collection so masterfully balanced between classicism and current fashion affairs that the whole thing felt delightfully sure-footed." Lagerfeld mixed fabrics, showcased a lot of chiffon and those double "C" clogs. Lily Allen had a surprise performance and looked fabulous in her Chanel dress.

Source and Images: style.com

Sonia Rykiel for H&M

2009-09-29T19:29:00.004-04:00

"H&M and Sonia Rykiel president and artistic director Nathalie Rykiel are proud to announce that Sonia Rykiel will be the next guest designer for winter 2009 and spring 2010. The French house founded by the “Queen of Knits” represents the distinctive, modern and impertinent spirit ofParis. This marks the first time that H&M has extended its designer collaboration to the world of lingerie and related accessories for women, with exclusive pieces to be launched in-store on December 5, 2009. The collection will be launched in 1,500 H&M stores worldwide and at the same time, Sonia Rykiel will make this lingerie collection available in Sonia Rykiel’s major boutiques around the world - another first for H&M."

“Sonia Rykiel is a true fashion icon who invented a signature style around femininity, Parisian chic and modernity - as well as functional, comfortable, wearable clothes. She has an attitude that inspires admiration among women of all ages around the world. We loved the joyful chic of Sonia Rykiel’s 40^th anniversary runway show - and in that spirit this collection is all about revelling in great lingerie for its own sake. This is a totally modern, new kind of lingerie look, and when we started to work together with Rykiel on it, we just couldn’t stop,” says H&M creative advisor Margareta van den Bosch. “It’s a wonderful highlight for our main collection.”

Over-the-knee Boots

2009-09-28T22:13:00.010-04:00

All of my friends have been hearing me rant and rave about over-the-knee boots the hottest trend in boots for Fall/Winter and a must have. Thigh-length, thigh-high or simply thigh boots are the ones that extend above the knees. We first saw them back in the Fall Shows but I wasn't sure if this style would really pick up beyond the runway. With this trend there is a fine line between wearing them properly and looking like a prostitute. Obviously Louis Vuitton and Emilio Pucci pulled it off on the runway

For the past month I've been scouring the internet for an affordable pair that aren't to Vivian or Kit in Pretty Woman.

The first pair I found is from Charlotte Russe for $44.99

The second pair is Chinese Laundry for $99

And last but certainly not least these Colin Stuarts for $169 from my favorite store Victoria's Secret

Fashion Week Comes to Philly

2009-09-28T22:09:00.001-04:00

FINALLY .. Philadelphia gets it very own Fashion Week mark your calendars because October 8th-10th will be all about Philadelphia Fashion. I'm so excited that Philly is finally getting put on the map.

"Philadelphia will be the newest city to get its own fashion week this fall. A three-day event that will take place October 8-10, 2009 at the 23rd Street Armory (23rd Street between Market and Chestnut streets), Philadelphia Fashion Week will each day showcase student, streetwear and contemporary couture designers based locally and around the globe. Fashionistas also have the opportunity to shop with retailers on site between shows."

"Philadelphia Fashion Week is about showcasing high fashion styles in an approachable, accessible setting," said Kristie Bergey, partner of CMK Entertainment. "We wanted this show to be about what we wear and what we buy in our city."

Confirmed designers include the following:

Commonwealth Proper*
Triple 5 Soul
Wrath Arcane
Park & Ronen
9 Days
Brooklyn Royalty
GAR-DE
Love Brigade
Delicious*
Strangefruit*
SA VA*
Street Star Custom Clothing*
S.LOVE

*Philly Based Designers

Philadelphia Fashion Week Schedule

Doors open each day at 4:00 p.m. Guests 21 and older are invited to shop at 12 pop-up boutiques, enjoy drinks and light bites and cocktails until the first show begins at 5:00 p.m. and headlining concerts will take place nightly at 8:00 p.m.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Student Designers Moore College of Art & Design	Designers Brooklyn Royalty Wrath Arcane Love Brigade Palmieri Jeans* Delicious* Kill City	Entertainment This is a Shakedown DJ Alan Astor DJ Tinypants Black Landlord* (headliner)
David Evangelista, red carpet regular, television personality and one of the nation’s leading hair and makeup experts, will be the emcee of opening night of Philadelphia Fashion Week.

Friday, October 9, 2009

Student Designers Philadelphia University	Designers Street Star Custom Clothing* GAR-DE Nine Days S. LOVE Triple 5 Soul	Entertainment The Model* DJ Bonics DJ Phsh* Tu Phace* (headliner)
Graffiti art installation by Dream Like Reality (DLR) Studios featuring “El Toro,” “Bob,” and “The Nose.”*

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Student Designers
Art Institute of Philadelphia

Designers
Strangefruit*
Commonwealth Proper*
Marina Makaron Moscow*
SA VA*
Parke & Ronen
Melani Von Alexandria*

Entertainment
Rivers Monroe
DJ Dirty*
DJ Jeff Ramos
The Hustle* (headliner)

Before The Hustle performs at 8:00 p.m., the winning school of the Student Design Award will be announced.

*Based in Philadelphia

Tickets
Tickets are now available online at PhiladelphiaFashionWeek.org. Advance purchase costs: general admission, $75 per day or $150 for a three-day pass; VIP tickets are exclusively available online for $500 per day or $1500 for a three-day pass. Only general admission tickets will be available on site for $100 per day.

Fabulous Deals

2009-09-27T21:16:00.006-04:00

You absolutely positively cannot pass this site up. While doing a little browsing I came across the 15 Dollar Store. Everything on the site is $15. I spent sometime to find out if there was anything worthwhile (my initial thoughts were no) but boy was I wrong. In today's economy a lot of us need to be cautious when it comes to the amount of money we are spending on fashion so I'm all about finding thrifty ways to save when it comes to clothes.

My first find was a Ruffled Floral Chiffon Blouse. This could be worn to the office or paired with jeans for a night out with a pair of black skinny jeans.

Need a pair of black skinny jeans? Look no further.

And last but not least (there are pages of items including accessories), was this long striped v-neck cardigan. Pair it with leggings and riding boots for a casual fall day.

Up and Coming Designer

2009-09-27T11:56:00.005-04:00

The reason I love Social Networking sites like Twitter and Facebook is because I always stumble across sites that I fall in love with. Someone that I follow on Twitter said to check out a friends fashion blog, and because I love fashion I bookmarked it right away.

My Fashion Distraction http://myfashiondistraction.blogspot.com is a blog written by Cristina Marie from San Antonio.
"An aspiring fashion designer striving to make her mark in this crazy world of fashion." I don't know too much about her other than her designs are simply fabulous and you must check it out. She is currently offering (although you must have your Paypal Payment in by today) 2 customized Bow/Bubble skirts for $100. If I wasn't currently unemployed I would so be on this. $100 for two skirts is a steal especially when you know NOONE is going to have anything remotely similar.

Be sure to check out her old posts to see more of her designs, I can definitely see these items landing in Boutiques very soon!

Who knew: Nails

2009-09-27T11:01:00.008-04:00

Say goodbye to french tips there's a lot of newness when it comes to nails. There's nothing like a fresh manicure and pedicure. I'm pretty basic with my nails, I keep them short and stay away from acrylics, gels, and overlays. I do play around with color but that is about as far as I'll go. In my glory High School days I had LONG acrylic nails and the craziest airbrushed design, nowadays I'm not even sure if Airbrushing even exists. But lately I've been bored and have been playing around with color and researching different nail trends. I found the most insane things going on with nails and really felt out of the loop.

Lets start with the most basic: Matte color. Basically Matte polishes come in a variety of colors but do not have the shine that we are used to with polishes. OPI has released six of their popular shades in Matte form.

My favorite fashionista Kim Kardashian had a fab spin on the trend and used a black Matte color but did the tips in a regular black shiny polish. I absolutely love this and as soon as I land my hands on a black Matte polish I'm definitely copying this one.

The next hot new nail trend is Minx. Minx is a solid nail coating that is applied to the nail using heat. Basically you can pick any design you want, or stick with the metallics that Beyonce and Lady Gaga have sported, a sticker like piece is heated and then put on your nail. Prices range from $45 for a manicure to $85 for a pedicure. I've heard many mixed reviews on the quality and the amount of time these last. A manicure should last for two weeks and a pedicure a month but some have complained that the stickers start peeling on the nails in about a week. For the price a regular manicure would last about the same amount of time. There are a few salons offering this in Philadelphia:

Signatures Salon & Day Spa
Marybeth Cross
4084 Higbee Street
Philadelphia, PA 19135
215-831-8477

Elite Nailz
Chenell Ellis

Island Nails and Cosmetic Tattoo
7619 Torresdale Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19136
215-331-7654

And last but certainly not least is the newest nail trend that has been brought to my attention thru many fashion blogs and the Marie Claire's September issue with an article on nail trends (which BTW I tore out every nail picture for inspiration). The Calgel is a long lasting, layered gel manicure. "Calgel won't lift, peel, chip, go rubbery or damage your own nails with harsh acrylics or drills. Calgel doesn't interfere with nailbed metabolism which is why it can actually strengthen your own nails giving you the nails you always dreamed about. Calgel can be used on tips or as a natural nail overlay, and is available in over 80 colors, so the days of smudging, chipping and peeling nail polish are over!" The Calgel manicure should last anywhere from 3 to 4 weeks. If you opt for a clear color near the base of your nail this will make your manicure last longer because the new nail growth will not be as noticeable. The cost for a full set is $50 and the only negative things that I've heard about Calgel is that it is not easy to remove if your doing it yourself but that goes for any gel or acrylic nail. After researching this I cannot find a salon that offers this in the Philadelphia area yet but if you know of any places, let me know!

Philly IS Fashionable

2009-09-27T09:00:00.001-04:00

"Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.” - Coco Chanel

That quote by Ms. Chanel is one of my favorites .. Fashion is everywhere but why does it always feel like Philly and Fashion don't go together. When you think of Fashion you think of Paris, London and New York, Philly rarely comes to mind. We don't have a fashion week, Topshop didn't have a grand opening on Walnut Street, and there really are not any mainstream Philly Fashion Blogs ... UNTIL now ... I'm here to put Philly back on the Fashion map. There are fabulous boutiques, fashionable people, innovative designers, and fashion events going on right here in the city. I'm going to scour the streets, the papers, and the blogs and bring it to you.