Simple Pleasures

I find that as I get older I tend to appreciate the little things in life so much more. The slightest delights that use to go unnoticed and were perhaps even taken for granted are now the simple pleasures that add joy and wonder to each and every day.

For instance, those warm chocolate chip cookies reception gives you as you check into the DoubleTree Hotel never fail to appease me. I always wonder “How do they keep them so warm and freshly baked?” Do they have a little oven behind the desk? It’s a little taste of home away from home, and I as I sat in the lobby this morning eating my DoubleTree cookie the day suddenly felt a lot more welcoming.

Among some of the smaller yet equally satisfying things in life, the festive cups Starbucks coffee comes in this time of year. The little red and white winter scene complete with some inspiring words of holiday cheer, always makes me smile.

Nothing quite rivals a sweetly scented bubble bath! As a child you love this time of night, you get to climb into a mini hot tub and play with toys while someone else gently washes your hair. At the age of approximately 9 and a half you suddenly become “too old” to bathe and you much prefer a shower, after all you can do it yourself! Then somewhere in your twenties you realize the luxury of actually having time to take a bath and any vacant evening will welcome the chance to slide into an alter world of bubbles and relaxation for as long as your cell phone will let you.

More smile worthy happenings:

Finding a new pair of jeans that fit perfectly.

Hearing your favorite song  on the radio.

Coming home from work to homemade soup and a candle lit room.

Days when everything seems to just go your way.

Thank you day for being so wonderful!

What is happiness to you…?

XoXo cpFashionista

Watch This

I have long been a proponent of watch wearing, as I find it adds a certain finishing touch to any outfit that escalates the professionalism of the person wearing said watch. Not that I actually use my watch to tell time, in fact I still scramble for my cell phone to check the hour. None the less, the watch is a necessary accessory that enhances the outfit. It can also act as a stand-alone accessory to create color and vibrancy and really make a statement.

Here are some wearable winter trends to watch for.

Pink- Maintains a modern and polished look while staying feminine and strong. Ultra bold and catchy.

Contrast- Creates a simultaneously chic and trendy timepiece. Think gold with a bold black face, even gold with silver, or prints with flashy colors.

Smooth Shape-In an attempt to stay sleek and sophisticated the watch has gone stream line. Smooth lines generate a uniform fluidity that can be describes as almost gentle . No sharp corners or sudden lines, just a smooth shape to keep you in line.

Jewelry-  It’s a bracelet, no it’s a watch, wait…it’s a bracelet watch! Meant to be flashy and attention demanding. Playful and fun reminding you not to take anything, let alone the time, too seriously.  Think Juicy and Lucky Brand items and anything with charms.

Elite Croc Leather, $72

Perspex Pink Crystal, $367

Fossil Multifunction, $95

Michael Kors Black/Gold, $199

Michael Kors Tortoise, $180

Fossil Two-Tone, $115

Calvin Klein Bangle, $309

Coach Narrow Watch, $458

Calvin Klein Cuff, $467

Dolce & Gabbana Ring, $417

Alchemy Gothic, $88

Betsey Johnson Pendant, $95

Which one to choose, only time will tell.

XoXo cpFashionista

Interview: Miss New York Finalist

Last Thursday at a far too crowded Starbucks in Manhattan I had the wonderful opportunity to chat with the very motivated and beautiful Miss New York finalist, Jennifer Garcia.

She was kind enough to take some time out of her crazy busy schedule to meet and tell me what she’s all about. By the end of our quick meet and greet she had thoroughly warmed my heart and won me over, let me just say if I was a pageant judge, she would have won already.

From her picture I expected to be meeting with a glammed up city girl but as it turned out she was so much more than formal wear and crowns. She is driven and motivated with big ambitions and high (high) self standards. At the tender age of 18 I can confidently muse this girl is going places.

Name: Jennifer Garcia

Age: 18

Major: Double majoring in  Government and International Law (wow! beautiful and intelligent!)

Interviewer: You seem very acquainted with the city, have you lived in New York your whole lie?

Jennifer: I was born in New York but actually moved back to where my parents are from shortly after and was raised in the Dominican Republic. I moved back here for school and I know live with my grandmother. I really do like it here.

I: What is your favorite thing about New York?

J: I love the movement. People are always moving, doing things, seeing things, everything is always new because nothing ever stays still. The change is exciting. You have to move quickly, literally, or you’ll get lost in the crowd.

I: You must travel a lot, being in pageants and all, what was your favorite place to visit?

J: I have been to a lot of states. But Canada was by far my favorite. So refreshing, so…clean. Very different from the city in practically every respect.

I: What do you like to do in your free time?

J: Free time? There is no such thing in my life as of late. I have school every day during the week, starting early in the morning I catch the train into Manhattan where I attend class all day. I study from 4-8 everyday. So I don’t really have time for friends. I am very dedicated to my schooling at the moment.

I: So I guess fashion is out then, of very little interest at all to you?

J: For the most part. I do love shoes. And there are certain aspects of the competition that require a sense of fashion. It mostly has to do with the way I present myself, I obviously need to look respectable and put together, very professional.

I: Wow. I admire that sort of commitment, so what exactly do you want to do with your degree?

J: I am going to go to law school to become a lawyer.

I: So Miss America wants to be lawyer. Planning to solve world hunger as well I suppose. Just kidding. No but really why do you compete? What does a law student want with pageants?

J: There’s a lot I can do with that image. It’s a respected accomplishment that can open many doors. In essence it is a tool to other accomplishments. Winning Miss New York validates me in so many ways.

I: What would you do if you won?

J: Education has always been very important to me. Here in New York it is very expensive to get a good education. There are so many schools in unsafe areas that they really don’t facilitate a good education. I want to help kids on the street who don’t have the opportunity to go to a good school,  I want to make it easier for kids who want to go to college to be able to go. I really would love to be able to give back. My schooling and education has been so beneficial, I want to pass that on.

As you can see this girl is wise beyond her years and certainly a delight to converse with. I wish her the best of luck and Celebrity Pink will continue to sponsor her through her endeavours.

XoXo cpFashionista

City Slickers

In preparation for the colder weather of the East coast I spent hours dreaming up cozy outfits with super chic accessories and finally came to the conclusion I needed to stop. New York elicits such a sense of  stylish urgency I just couldn’t wait to be a part of it. It seems every component of a person’s ensemble has a distinctly decided purpose and everyone has a specific destination of the utmost importance to attend to.

 

I love the way blacks and greys are used to create an effortless chic look while sassy splashes of color seamlessly emphasize the posh affect. Taxi cab yellow pea coats and City Slicker bright red lipstick add dimension to a very monochromatic situation. The end result is flawless city style.

 

So here’s to New Yorkers and their impeccable sense of fashion.

 

Alberta Ferretti coat, $760

Miss Selfridge dress, $80

Arden B boots, $68

Forever 21 hat, $15

DuWop lipstick, $22

John Lewis umbrella, $54

XoXo cpFashionista

 

A Sign of the Times

Despite the fact that the New York standard of living has not decreased in the least bit, during my recent stint in the big city I did notice several instances that struck me as odd and also truly indicative of the times.

The first scenario happened at the very beginning of my jam-packed 3-day meeting extravaganza through Manhattan. Upon exiting the elevator on the ninth floor of the Conde Nast building the first thing I noticed was the emptiness. Where once several receptionists had occupied cubicles now stood a small end table and a phone with a directory, that’s it. A DIY approach to front desk service I suppose. While still slightly shocked and somewhat confused I attempted to locate the person with whom I was meeting, no such luck. After 20 minutes and several skeptical looks from a lurking security guard I was finally rescued. Needless to say, I am not so much a fan of the no-receptionist situation.

The second disappointment took place during the customary trip to the monstrosity known as Forever 21, dominating a full corner of Harold Square one would think they would sell pretty much everything. You would think. You would be wrong. I know, I was just as much in shock as you will soon be. For as I wandered through the tri level retail haven in search of the accessories floor I was greeted with nothing more than 4…only FOUR, measly racks of mostly gold  chain necklaces. Here I had my heart set on a whole new wardrobe of cheap accessories and to my dismay left empty-handed (from that department any way).

The trip was saved only by the large array of tutus I found to supplement the gap in the childhood themed section of my closet. But we’ll get into that later.

It still amuses me to see the undocumented ways in which the economy affects things we so often take for granted.

Thank goodness for LA Forevers!

XoXo CPfashionista

Good Genes

For the most part we have little to no say in the way we turn out, i.e. our genetic make-up. It is left to fate, and the predicting genes of our parents to ensure a “good” gene pool. We do however have complete and absolute final control over what and how we desire to clothe our genes. We can’t decide our genes but we can definitely choose our jeans! For this reason Genetic Denim has made it their mission to offer quality pairs of jeans to reflect each person’s individuality and to enhance their unique composition at the same time.

The press has been quite adamant about Genetic jeans being the celebrity favorite for their comfortable wear and easy fit, therefore making them the number one choice for traveling and flights. So I decided to give them a try on my million hour flight to the east coast today…I’ll let you know if it was worth trading my normal legging/ sweater wrap ensemble for.

New York City here I come!

XoXo cpFashionista

Frightfully Fun

With revenue figures comparable only to Christmas, Halloween has easily become one of the most anticipated and celebrated day of the year. Perhaps this is attributed to the brief moment when grown-ups can dress like children and in effect act like them as well. 

Month long preparations are just part of the overall experience. Between willfully scaring ourselves to picking out the perfect pumpkin, no detail is too small to forgo for this holiday. Weeks of perusing Halloween superstores for the perfect costume sometimes pays off, but most of the time everyone just looks like everyone else.

What are you?

 Oh, I’m a slutty sailor.

Who me? I’m a sexy pirate.

How did making something borderline pornographic suddenly deem it an acceptable public “costume,” I am not sure. But in any event today we played at work and believe it or not our costumes were actually pretty original! Among them Lady Gaga, Hercules, a plethora of trendy vampires, scary clowns, and even a cute little girl scout.

Happy Haunting!

XoXo cpFashionista

White Out

I would like to start by clarifying that when I say “White Out” I am in no way referencing the Kate Beckinsale box office disappointment nor am I referring to the common winter snow storm occurence.

What I have actually come to notice is that with the changing of seasons has come a certain shifting in demeanor as well. With “the most wonderful time of year” just around the corner and the holiday season itself already upon us in full force an affect reminiscent of good old fashioned love seems to linger in the air. Which would explain why fall weddings are more popular than ever with the number of October nuptials in specific increasing exponentially.

WWD was kind enough to support this trend with several bride-to-be articles including a sneak-peek at lust worthy white gowns from some of the hottest bridal couture designers, the likes of Vera Wang, Amsale, and Douglas Hannant. These dresses are adorned with enough frivolity to impress even the witchiest bridezilla. Apparently beading, faux flowers, ruching, and excessive amounts of tulle are dress components to be desired.

I’m sorry, did I miss the Cinderella revival?

XoXo cpFashionista

Blah Blah Blah

Ever have one of those days where everything just seems so…blah? Not necessarily sad, mad, or even upset in any way, just simply blah.

The weather is still confused, summer is fighting with fall for temperature control therefore leaving the season somewhat unclear. Resulting in my dress-with-boots ensemble that has taken over for the past, oh i don’t know, TWO weeks. My usual enthusiasm for cloudy days has disappeared for today.

It’s these kind of days where doing anything  seems like a daunting task, and getting anything accomplished is somewhere near the bottom of your list under”I Don’t care.” So for today I would like to just be allowed a moment of unaltered complacent pouting.

Blah blah blah all the way home…

Xx CPfashionista

City Love

You may or may not have been previously aware of my obsession with New York City, but in any event…I confess I am in love! There is just something about that city that makes me ridiculously giddy, like a little kid in a candy store. I want to see everything and go everywhere and I never want to leave. Which is why I am more than thrilled to be attending November market on a media tour of sorts. Between a gazillion editor meetings I should be able to squeeze in a little shopping and “city soaking,” don’t you think.

In no particular order, my favorite things about The Big Apple, which of course is open to additions:

1. No matter the duration of the stay I always insist on walking everywhere! There is no easier city to navigate and possibly no where else in the entire United States where you can get anywhere simply by walking there. Raining, snowing, sleeting (ok, maybe not sleeting) but I am so down to bundle up and  make my way through the always crowded streets.

2. And I mean always! Aside from the sun/moon thing, Times Square always looks like broad daylight…lights, people, taxi cabs, quite literally the city never sleeps. Which is why I continually wonder how they pulled off the whole Tom-Cruise-deathly-still-Times-Square scene in Vanilla Sky?!

3. Not that cupcakes aren’t currently the most trendy food accessory in LA but I do believe NY was home to the original cupcake-store concept. There are bakeries every couple of blocks boasting vibrantly frosted morsels of goodness and unique flavor combinations that are definitely to be desired, craved, and ultimately consumed. Among some of my favorites, Sugar Sweet Sunshine Bakery and Magnolia Bakery.

4. Frozen Hot Chocolate from Serendipity. A definite must!

5. Wearing peacoats and mittens. The only trouble being that the number of coats I want to bring and the actual number that will fit into my luggage are somewhat different. The favorite coat this year has to be my new eggplant purple Kristen Blake a-line, it is practically jumping out of my closet in anticipation of cold weather.

6. Friendly people. I know New Yorkers have a reputation for being cold and somewhat unamiable but they are really quite helpful people. If you stand on a corner and just look lost someone will ask you if you need directions, I swear I love these city folk!

7. Central Park. Walking through Strawberry Fields and any of the surrounding area you can’t help but get the feeling you are in a scene straight from a movie.

8. The view from your hotel room, or any building for that matter. Heck even from a cab. Taking in the lights and excitement the city exudes is simply breathtaking.

9. The nightlife. Here in Los Angeles going out feels so planned and so showy. The girls who look like they spent far too long getting ready, the lines of guys trying to get into the clubs to see these girls, the pretentious heir so many think they are entitled to, it just seems forced. But in New York you stop into a bar and everyone looks sort of natural, there’s a definite portrayal of confidence that SoCal definitely lacks.

10. The drive to succeed. People seem motivated and with purpose and it’s contagious. Just being there makes me want to write a novel or sing on stage (well not quite), but you know what I mean. You just want to DO SOMETHING!

Now I’m going to start packing…have a wonderful weekend.

XOXO cpFashionista