Hips Don't Lie

A model on the runway at Charlotte Ronson's spring 2013 show in The Stage at Lincoln Center. Photo source:Fairchild Photo Services

Type-casting is a dangerous thing.  Take Ben Affleck;  when he first came on the scene, he was Hollywood's golden boy.  The kid had talent (decent acting abilities and an Academy Award for co-writing Good Will Hunting), loads of charm, and the tall/dark/handsome looks to match.  Pretty soon, Hollywood had him spray-tanned, teeth-whitened and bootcamp buffed straight into Leading Man status. Armaggedon, Pearl Harbor and even a Gwyneth Paltrow score followed and Ben was raking in the box-office dough. Then, Gigli happened. Suddenly, Ben had gone from promising young thespian to sell-out. He started dating J.Lo (or was it Jenny from the Block?) and a string of forgettable Jersey-Girl-esque films followed. It took the poor guy nearly 10 years to do damage control, during which time he married the lovely Jennifer Garner and had 3 perfect little kids. Wah. Wah. Wahhh. Seemed like this acting thing wasn't going to work out. Then, out of nowhere, dude co-produced, directed and acted his way back to Oscar gold with Argo. Boo-yah! In true full circle fashion, Ben Affleck is Hollywood's golden boy once again. We so did not see that one coming.

The peplum, as it turns out, is kind of like the Ben Affleck of fashion (it's a stretch, I know)...

For the rest of this story, and cute outfit inspo (ie.how to wear peplums for work, weekend, and a night out) read here  

PLAY: I.N.C International Concepts Striped Peplum, $79, The Bay; Lauren Leather Jacket, $388, Roots; B&W Bracelets, $15, ALDO Accessories; Super Skinny Zip Pants, $60, Gap; Leather Booties, $120, ALDO; NARS Lipstick in 'Schiap', $30, Sephora; Faux Leather Clutch, $20, Smart Set; Cat-Eye Shades, $12, ALDO

Originally posted in The CLOSET

Good Things Come in Threes

Printed Long Sleeve Blouse in Turquoise, Red and Blue, $39 each, Smart Set

Perforated Oxford in Oslo Gray, Yellow and Camel, $69.95 per pair, Gap 

Women's Stripe Rash Guard in Navy, Frosted Lilac and Positano Blue, $90 each, J.Crew

From a very early age, my mom taught me the value of threes.  Her style math boiled down to this: even = bad, odd = good.  Just for kicks, I would often offer to set the table if we were having dinner guests and would purposely put two candles in two candle-holders in the middle of the table.  Even if she was at the opposite end of the house, my mom could instantly sense the dissonance.  She'd beeline it to the dining room and stand in the doorway, a look of confusion, discomfort even, crossing her lovely face.  Out came the third candle holder, a little 45 degree turn to the right (to give the arrangement a certain je-ne-sais-quoi) and balance was restored. Ahhh..that's better.  Call it Granny's Mantel, matchy-matchy or classic feng shui but I have to admit that I feel the same way.  Good things always come in threes, don't you think? Hmmm...does this mean I should buy 3 of each?

Love, Actually

Girl holding balloons - photo by Jodi Miller Photography

Love might make the world go 'round but it also has the tendency to drive us mad.  In highschool, I remember crushing on a guy so intensely that I cried myself to sleep for the better part of 2 years because I 'loved' him so much.  When we finally went on our first date, he ate with his mouth wide open, bragged incessantly about his massive biceps and called me 'babe'. Crush turned to crushed, and that epic one-sided love story exploded in a fiery crash.  Then there was my first real boyfriend, who was a genuinely great guy but at 21, his Greek family was way more intense than I could handle. 'You marry my son, go to Greek school, make lots of babies. Done!'  Um, next?

I'm finally married to an incredible guy with two heartbreaking beauties and have experienced more love than I could imagine in the past few years.  And while I do love the odd OTT romantic gesture (see below for the ultimate), I've had a bit of a grown-up epiphany.  Love isn't all Tiffany boîtes and butterflies, and it isn't even about Ryan Gosling-style makeout sessions in the rain. Tiffany boxes mean we can't go out for dinner for the next 2 months, and kissing in the rain? I've tried it - bit of a mojo-kill when the kids are staring at you, pounding on the windows from the confines of their carseats.  Love is a rollercoaster of open bathroom doors and unwashed dishes punctuated by the occasional fizzy champagne pop on a Wednesday night.  It's about little Post-its left on the kitchen counter with those 3 little words.  And really, in the end, trite as it may sound, it's about loving yourself because once you can do that, everything else somehow falls into place.  

This little gift guide is all about treating you, with perfectly lovable presents you can buy yourself or oh-so-subtly suggest to your +1 (click on the thumbnails below for where to buy deets) Happy Valentines y'all! Whether you're single, hitched or somewhere in between, hope you're feeling the L-O-V-E x

Originally posted in The CLOSET

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Good Stuff: GAP Nabs INTERMIX

Photo: INTERMIX 

We love a good takeover, especially when it involves designer labels.  GAP Inc. just announced it has scooped up INTERMIX, a multi-brand luxury boutique based in NYC, for $130 million (aka. drop in the bucket)

INTERMIX - which has 32 U.S stores, 1 Toronto boutique, and an extensive e-commerce site - offers top luxury labels like Jimmy Choo, Chloe, Bottega Veneta, Valentino and Stella McCartney. Yum. Gap plans to expand INTERMIX’s network of stores, as well as improve and expand its e-commerce site - such great news for online shoppers like me.

“We’re thrilled to have found a partner that has the global scale and infrastructure required to support our vision for growth,” said Khajak Keledjian, co-founder of INTERMIX. “Gap Inc. shares many of our entrepreneurial roots, passion for innovation and customer experience. Together, we’ll continue to shape the future of retail by offering the most exciting fashion trends with the finest designers in the world.”

The acquisition will see the brand become part of Gap's impressive line-up of retailers, which already includes Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta.  Does this mean INTERMIX will start having Friends & Family sales, too?  A girl can dream...

Let's Dance

Image courtesy Vogue

Originally posted in The CLOSET

No matter how routiney or predictable we become, there's something about the end of the year that inspires us to believe; We believe we can get out of that massive rut, that we can tranform into that person we've always wanted to become, that we can change for the better. After a week-long binge-fest, I've already made some mental resolutions that I hope to keep, though I know that every year, sometime around January 13th, I'll likely slip back into at least a few old habits.

Regardless, a girl can always dream - and in my laid-back holiday state, as I lie here happily ensonced on my couch, watching piles of movies with my kids and trying to muster up the effort to hit the toboggan hill, I've already dreamt up some stellar New Year's Eve outfits. I figure by the time the 31st rolls around, I'll be very ready to toss aside my well-worn pajama pants and get back into my heels to kick in the brand new year. Here's to wishing and hoping and for all of us, a truly wonderful 2013.

xo sarah