Funny New Year's Resolution #1: Become A Femme Fatale

She's dangerous. She's sexy. She wears patent leather...and not just on her shoes. She steals the scene in every badass Tarantino flick, you don't know whether to hit her or to kiss her. She's a femme fatale.

Me on the other hand, I'm the nice girl. I gravitate more towards the cute end of the spectrum of labels, and that's okay with me. I like being slightly naive and embrace my innocence. A petite, five foot two and a half-inch brunette with brown eyes and an irish nose.

So this year I want to work on nurturing my dark side. It won't be through a drastic haircut or color, I'm afraid with my coloring I would look like Samara from "The Ring" or Wednesday Adams from "The Adams Family".

No, it will be much more clever than that. The turn of the head, the bat of the eye, the click of a spiky-heel. Somehow I will nurture my inner femme fatale. And she shall be called...Natasha.

Sephora "Vampire Makeover" Contest from Beauty & the Blog

This is a post I created originally for the Courier Journal and then modified for a Sephora Twilight contest. I just got a notification that I was one of the winners! This is the post that I sent into Sephora...enjoy!

I have been suffering some strange symptoms as of late, and it all began after reading Twilight. I consulted my physician, and he gave me this thoroughly scientific explanation for my disease.

Twilightis: a highly contagious virus contracted through contact with the "Twilight" series by Stephenie Meyer. Anyone is susceptible to this virus, but the strain seems to be especially prevalent among young women, typically among the the teenage set.

Symptoms include: dark circles under the eyes from nights spent flipping one more page after one more page, frequent excursions to a book retailer to fill the void left after completion of one of the novels, obsessive checking of blogs and other web sites devoted to the series, defending to the death one's position on either Team Edward or Team Jacob, difficulty sleeping due to dreams about Edward Cullen, difficulty concentrating in an educational environment due to daydreams about Edward Cullen, difficulty paying attention to living boys due to fantasies about Edward Cullen

Remedies: While a cure is unknown, there are a few suggestions to bring the afflicted back to reality. This includes reading something unromantic and serious, such as a World History textbook. Another option includes finding a dark, damp hole in the farthest corner of the world where there is no such thing as literature, television, or teenagers.

Facelift!

A very special thanks to my dear friend Elise who, using her technological and creative savvy, created the gorgeous new banner using images from "Marie Antoinette". Perhaps this is the energy that my blog needs to blaze ahead...a new makeover!!

If Bella wore Soffe...

Okay, so yes I am obsessed with Twilight. I am currently re-reading the series and have seen the film twice already. In a nutshell, Bella Swan is the human girl who falls in love with a teenage vampire, the dashing Edward Cullen. To combine two of my loves (Twilight and Soffe)-I will now present to you what I believe Bella would wear if she were to shop at Soffe.

Juniors Valedictoria Crew Forks is a wet and chilly town on the Olympic Penninsula. I know if I were her I would be reaching for a cute and cozy sweatshirt all the time (especially cuddling up with a cold-as-stone vampire boyfriend).

Juniors Football Pant When Bella is chilling in her room with Edward, she forgets to bring her silky PJ's. Instead she pulls on a pair of sweatpants with a t-shirt. She still looks tempting to Edward though!

Juniors Football Tee Bella isn't much of an athlete, she wouldn't want to risk breaking ANOTHER bone, as accident and disaster prone as she is. That doesn't mean she wouldn't want to look sporty-and a football tee like this would do the trick.

A whole new world!!!

Well my lovely readers, I am diversifying. I will still be blogging for my baby (The Girl Who Rocked Versailles), my labor of love, but I will also be writing for the Courier Journal Hot Spot Blog. This is a big step for me because I will try my hand at writing on other subjects that are also near and dear to me, or that have a greater connection to the community and the world. I hope you all continue to read this blog, but if you are wondering about my alter-ego, check out the blog sometime...I will also be putting a link on this blog under "Favorites".


picture from the Disney Movie "Aladdin" courtesy of http://www.disney-vacation-time.com/img/aladdin/aladdin-4.jpg

Pinch me...I think I've died and gone to fashion heaven: My trip to Rebecca Taylor

On my recent trip to New York City, I was able to have a very unique opportunity to live one of my dreams and visit one of my favorite designer's studio, Rebecca Taylor. I have always loved Taylor's clothing. Although her direction is always fashion-forward, there is a distinct feminine aspect about her floaty fabrics and precious prints that is timeless. It is impossible to wear her clothes and not feel beautiful, let alone utterly stylish.

In the cab ride over to the studio in the Fashion District, I could barely hold in my excitement. I had been waiting for this since the moment the arrangements had been made for my visit. My mom and I walked through the doors of an unassuming narrow building, took the elevator, and watched as the doors opened into a room bathed in a soft light. I couldn't help myself but turn into a dumb little fan-girl for a few moments as I stood there admiring the space. Every inch of the loft was covered in some pretty little detail, reminding me of a dollhouse. A rack of clothing held the Resort collection nearby. Swirly patterns decorated the walls. Cat images, Taylor's signature logo, were sprinkled everywhere.

We were greeted by Frank Ricci, a sharp and stylish sales executive, who gave us the grand tour of the studio, including rooms filled with bolts of fabric, trims, buttons, bows, and all sorts of crafty materials that eventually are sewn, stitched, or embroidered to become garments. We were taken to a room filled with sketches for upcoming seasons, and I even briefly met Rebecca Taylor herself as she was fleeting down the hallway, and I was immediately taken with how she was so down to earth and did not put on any airs.

My experience at Rebecca Taylor was a delight, the cherry on top of the ice cream sundae which is New York. Thank you to all who had a part in giving me the opportunity to live one of my dreams! Maybe in the future I could be blessed with a career in such a fantasy world...

Summer Must-Have: FitFlops

I have a confession. I am a runner, and like to pretend that I am a hard-core-Spartan-athlete, yet I'm a very naturally lazy person. When I'm having one of those days in which I lack the motivation to do anything other than shopping or running errands, I reach for my secret weapon, my FitFlops.

Maybe it's the hype, maybe its the gimmick, but I can't get enough of these shoes. First off, they are incredibly comfortable and have just the right width to support your feet when walking. They are also supposed to tone your legs by tensing the muscles in your calves and thighs as you walk. I believe I can vouch for this because the first day I wore them my legs were sore by the time I took them off. This reassured me that there was "something" going on. Now even when I'm having a lazy-day I can feel like I'm somewhat of a Spartan, even if the only thing I am hard-core about is taking it easy.