Wardrobe Must-Haves?

Hello beautiful people!

Claire called me today and declared that it was high time for a thrift shopping excursion! The main goal in this upcoming adventure is to find awesome wardrobe staples that can easily be found for cheap.

What is a wardrobe must-have in your book? Share your thoughts!

-Berit

p.s. a thrift store review post coming up for the seattle thrifters! :)

WATCH

My little sister told me,

"I hate when you blog and you tell people what to do."

But you know what?

Thats cool, I'm a big sister, I'm bossy, whatever.

stick that in your pipe and smoke it.

Watch THIS

and then go HERE

My little sister also told me,

"Why do you feature your FRIENDS but never ME on your blog?"

kissies galore!

<3

Claire

Alterations Are A Girl's Best Friend

I cannot stress how useful alterations can be. Whether it be a pair of jeans that are just a little too long or an old dress that can be updated via a quick slash of a hem, having your clothes professionally altered can make a neglected piece in your wardrobe your most loved one.

Some of you magical ladies out there are rockstars with a sewing machine, but let's be honest... some of us (including myself) can hardly sew a straight seam!

Prices are often extremely reasonable and worth the money. I found a pair of Seven for All Mankind jeans at Value Village in perfect condition but never wore them because they were too long. After I had them hemmed for $15 using the original hemline, they are one of my favorite pairs!

Here's a cool pair of trousers (LOL, trousers!) that again were too long and thus thrown to the back of my closet. I had them hemmed into a skinny fit ankle pant a la Audrey Hepburn and LOVE them!


I also just had an old prom dress that belonged to my cousin hacked apart for prom (round 2, lolz) this weekend, pictures to come! Get out there and get a-hemming!

-Berit

Darth Vader: Fashionista

Say what?

Yeah, thats right!

Anakin aka the interstellar Sex God

has taken a turn for the better!

How you ask?

In the form of the Vader Project:

Beginning in 2007, the Vader Project is an internationally renowned exhibition

featuring 4 installments of 100 iconic Vader helmets

re-imagined by notable artists such as

Dalek, Paul Frank, Tokidoki, Suckadelic, Mister Cartoon, and Ecko.

And this summer will be the last installment

!!!!!!!

I'm thinking this is a TOTEMO entertaining and innovative way of celebrating art culture.

Here are some of my favorites!

black velvet and an exposed brain? AWE-GASM

terrifying.

actually, fun fact:

My AP English 12 teacher Andre Berkbigler (HUGE sav.)

pointed out that the Vader helmet shape combines two elements of design that made it especially menacing to the American public at the time the movie was released-

the back mimics the samurai helmet of Japan

and the top looks just like a Nazi combat helmet.

The fusion of these two represented a subconscious fear our society had of these two cultures.

yeah

...

anyways, here's another one:

can you say haute couture?

i can't help but think of weed when i look at this one...

AREN'T THEY WONDERFUL??!!

To see more pictures go here

If you like the pictures enough, order the catalog here

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I love the world-

and that includes

ALL OF YOU!!!!

<3

Claire

p.s.

driving fast

makeup wipes

flower pots

espresso machines

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

chicken yakisoba

homemade cookie dough

Birthday Money!!!

Cupcakes: Fashionable Food

Okay, so in all honesty I created that title just so I could have an excuse to blog about cupcakes. I PROMISE I'll keep it to a minimum... ;)

For those of you that love to bake, here's my new favorite cupcakes to date:

Banana Walnut Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting!

The recipe for the cupcakes can be found here and the frosting here! I changed the recipe by not making the "nut topping" for the torte- instead I just added about a cup of chopped walnuts and it was perfect!

The cupcakes are light enough and taste just enough like banana bread to allow for tons of delicious, light-as-a-cloud frosting. YESSSSSSSSS. Heaven.

-Berit xoxo

P.S. Claire just had a demo with MAC today everybody, KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED!! If anyone is perfect for such a job, it's her!

Fun in the Sun!

Best Sun Safety Products,

in honor of my favorite ginger:

Gingie Pegasus

This goes out to you my wonderful!

MD Skincare:

Powerful Sun Protection SPF 20 Lipbalm: protects against UVA and UVB rays,

and removes excess iron from your lips

cruelty and paraben free.

La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL:

Contains Mexoryl and, even though it is a little pricey,

offers possibly the best protection in the world.

Bull Frog Superblock:

My father grew up in Hawaii, and this is still his go-to sunscreen.

But don't just trust my daddy, trust me!

This stuff is amazing, you can surf all day and never get a little pink.

Dr. Hauschka Skincare Sunscreen:

I love Dr. Hauschka,

her organic sunscreen is amazing for your skin and offers great sun protection

*****UPDATE****

this product has been discontinued

California Baby Sunblock No Fragrance:

This is the best product for sensitive skin, and was rated as best sunscreen by the Environmental Working Groups Cosmetic Safety Reviews.

Little known to most people, Coppertone and Banana Boat are among the worst sunscreens in terms of both protection and harshness on skin.

*Tip: mix a tablespoon of sunscreen with a cup of water, mix well in a spray bottle and spritz all over your hair. It protects your hair from sun damage and also gives a great beachy texture!

I send you forth into the sunshine!

<3

Claire

GREAT IDEA

A while ago I was cleaning out my dorm room,

and I realized how many magazines I had just piling up.

And I started thinking about what a waste of paper magazines are,

and how most people don't recycle them.

:(

And THEN I found out about The Power Player Magazine.

Check it out!

Its absolutely exceptional, with articles about designers, artists, products, etc.

that contribute to an even MORE wonderful fashion industry.

AND THAT IS ONLY IN THE STYLE SECTION!

There is also entertainment, news, health, food, and sports sections,

all with the same goal in mind!

The official statement of the magazine is:

Our visionary, innovative E-magazine focuses on powerful individuals who continue to make a positive and significant impact in the world today.

So, my lovely readers,

clickity click on the link and browse the site,

its positively revolutionary

<3

Claire

p.s. COMING UP: a list of the best sunscreen products for this summer!

p.p.s.

i mentioned pertrilude before

(who has a great miniseries about being a drag queen),

but i love joshsource too!

look here!

p.p.p.s.

Haute or Not: Results

The Haute or Not post was absolutely intended as a fun way to spark conversation about the fashion industry and design plagiarism. I hope that no one took it as a personal opinion of Claire or myself regarding the conduct of Forever 21!

And so, the results...

1) Haute: Alexander McQueen's Silk Jersey Harem Trouser

2) Not: Forever 21 Wild Harem Pants

3) Haute: Dolce & Gabbana Leopard-Print Bustier Dress

4) Haute: Mara Hoffman Romper (post on her in the near future!)

5) Not: Forever 21 Multi-Color Crochet Vest

Claire has been working on some humanitarian/fair trade/awesome posts that might relate to this topic, so keep your eyes peeled!

Off to enjoy the sunshine!

-Berit xox

P.S. The birthday girl at her birthday breakfast (made by Brooke and I)! It felt weird making a post without any photos...

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLAIRE!

ATTENTION EVERYONE:

On this day, nineteen years ago, my best friend was born!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLAIRE!!!

Via Ace of Cakes

Thank you for gracing us with your pretty face, kind heart, wonderful laugh, unconditional love, and mad makeup skillz! We raise our glasses to you, girlfran :)

(Soon she'll open her present from me and hopefully like it and post a review of it!)

-Berit

p.s. 'Twill post the results of our haute or not game in the next 24 hours!

Forever 21: Haute or Not?

I know that Forever 21 gets tons of flack for blatantly ripping off designs from even the biggest houses of fashion. I know that I still like to shop there. I also know that sometimes when I'm browsing the website catalogue, I think to myself, "DAMN, that is tacky/extremely lacking in taste."

But I wonder... if you DID see one of those atrocious things walk down a runway with a designer label slapped across it, would you suddenly see it as a work of art, a daring poke at society, or merely craziness that you "can respect"?

Let's play a game: five images that are NOT judged as tacky or fashionable or anything by me personally, but are undeniably out-there in their designs... can you tell what's haute and what's not? ;)

Post your answers in the comments! And no cheating!!

1.

2.
3.

4.
5.

-Berit

J Crew: How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count The Ways...

J Crew. Where do I even start? How often do I lust after clothes I cannot afford? All the time. How often am I as in love with a label's styled advertising as I am with their designs? Not all the time.

J Crew has always conjured up images of expensive, plain t-shirts and slacks (slacks have a decidedly negative connotation in my mind, but I feel that if they were named something else I would feel differently... let's stick with pants or trousers, shall we?). However, since Jenna Lyons took over as creative director at J Crew, the company's collections have begun to show a wonderful intermingling of the classy and plain and the classy and the... noticeably less plain and classy. And the styling in their catalogues is absolutely to DIE FOR.

Think slouchy linen cargo jackets paired with a feminine blouse and loads of accessories. Picture business-minded blazers married to fluttery floral maxi dresses. Imagine a world where business casual and classic ladylike looks meet with some sequins thrown in. This is the newly evolved face of J Crew:
;LKAJKSKLCAOUIQO;;MLAF'PAFJHWEFL;!!!

Here's a clip from a feature Oprah did on Jenna Lyons, an excellent display of a day in the life of a creative director.

-Berit xoxo

Fini: Awesome Seattle Shops Pt. I

Seattle has some great shops. It's also got a lot of really, really weird stuff. Pike Place Market has a splendid mix of the two, so I thought I'd blog a little bit about some of my favorites in the extremely diverse area!

My mother and I were downtown this past Saturday for the CHEESE FESTIVAL. The fantastic weather, the 3 cruise ships docked in the Seattle port and the CHEESE FESTIVAL seemed to be enough to draw 3,000,000,000,000 people to the market. It was INSANITY. Cheesy insanity (who knew WASABI CHEESE existed?!).

In an attempt to escape the crowds, we left the market and found ourselves in a little courtyard belonging to the Inn at the Market. An then we found Fini. Quaint, well-lit, and cluttered in a most charming way, Fini is a boutique that features accessories that are suitable for any age group, picky friend, or even a little self treat ;)

The shop's blog features new items in the store narrated by the charming ladies at that wonderful place... sassy yet unassuming! Hooray!

-Berit :D

Robot Unicorn Attack!

If you don't know, Robot Unicorn Attack is an insanely addicting online game, with a GREAT theme song.

This weekend, one of the frat's hosted a Robot Unicorn Attack party,

and I did my roommate's makeup.

I'm not super pleased with out the makeup on the starry side of her face photographed,

but it was so much fun to create!

also, I started packing up my dorm today!

<3

tootaloo-

Claire

Two Procrastination-Fueled Looks

As this week was finals week, I did not study much.

Here are two looks I created.

This was inspired by Petrilude's drag queen look

I don't really like it much,

but it was fun to play around instead of working on my essay:

I was watching Glee

(WHICH I EFFING LOVE)

when I did this next one,

and the combination of Glee and makeup almost resulted

in a mind explosion of amazing glitter love bunnies.

OKIE DOKIE

I love you all

Clairissimo

p.s.

some great things about summer:

the smell of sunscreen

sun freckles (bad bad bad but oh so cute)

eating fresh fruit

staying up all night

pheromones

the sound of fans

swimming!

<3

Marc Jacobs USB Hub

Lovely.

Tess Bates, Collage Goddess

My friend Tess from school knows I harbor a miniscule obsession with Jake Gyllenhaal, and I received this in the mail today:

It makes me feel like a starstruck stalker, but I DON'T CARE. LOOK AT IT.

-Berit

p.s. I miss Claire. It is time for summer shenanigans!

Seven Ply Turns Thrash'n Into Fashion

A shop on Etsy by the name of Seven Ply has taken recycling to a new level of extreme awesomeness by recycling old skate decks into a myriad of jewelery! From rings to necklaces, they've pretty much got everything a green-minded girl could want- and the best part is, they don't cost a lot of green!

A T-REX?!?!? YES!!!

Support small business and encourage recycling- you can roll your eyes, but I call dibs on the mustache necklace!!

-Berit

Weightless

LA is hot. Practically all the time. You walk from class to class some days hating the sun, wanting to strip down to your nuddy-pants and jump in the nearest pool. During this el Nino year I'm told that Seattle is about to scorch it up, and although I love the heat, some appropriate attire must be had!

Fashion fiends all over the world look forward to summer for light, floaty dresses that can be thrown on (lol, I just typed thrown up on accident!) and worn to the beach or a dinner out.

Eskell 'Luna' Dress, $284.00, Refinery 21 Shops

Black Label's 'The Summer Lovin' Dress,' $158.00, Planet Blue

Rosy Lace Dress, $24.80, Forever 21

-Berit

Floral Frenzy!

After living in Southern California for most of the year, it is easy to forget what seasons are when every day is sunny and dry. When I came home to Seattle for the summer last weekend, I was so rejuvenated by the crisp breezes and green colors. Although Spring has pretty much passed me by, I feel like I’m finally getting a taste!

My grandmother bought this flower pin for my mom, who isn’t a flower-pin type of person… and neither am I, for that matter. I usually associate flower pins with old ladies (no offense, grammie!) or as tacky accessories pinned to big hats.

Something about this flower pin is just right, though. I think it’s because of the neutral gray color and the matte effect of the tweedy material. It’s understated, but it’s size is bold in a youthful way.

Here’s to spring! Or my late attempt at it, rather :)

Here's some more fun floral accessories!
Tasha Flower Statement Necklace, $58.00, Nordstrom'sDitsy Corsage Headband, $16.00, Topshop

3 Strand Headband W/ Flower Clip, N/A, Vintage Dreamz

-Berit

They're Coming...

SCHOOL IS FINISHED!!! SUMMER IS HERE!!! I HAVE PLETHORAS OF FREE TIME (FOR NOW)!!!

Hence, I've been jotting down every litte idea I have for blogs...

So watch out, everybody! For now I'm going to go enjoy the sun :3

-Berit

(In honor of the previous lipstick post by Claire)

Colored Lips

Hey Lovelies!

As I mentioned, I love Cover Girl Outlast Lipstains!

And I have had some free time lately,

so I thought I would do a look with my personal favorite color,

Wild Berry Wink

Now, to make a brighter lip more wearable for everyday,

I recommend a very simple eye and OF COURSE some great brows.

So here is the initial look:

and here is what it looked like after 5 hours!

this is why i love lipstains!

(Please forgive my photography, I

don't have a real camera)

This is a much more profesh version done by Ronaldo Escobar.

AMAZING.

(eyebrows?)

ALSO

the Met Costume Gala just happened!

and the dresses were lovely.

Here are my favorites:

Jennifer Lopez in Zuhair Murad (loooove his gowns)

Diane Kruger looking classy as folk

Zoe Saldana and her lovely ballerina body working that midnight blue

Anne Hathaway-Gorgeous!

I hate her hair, but the dress is fantastic on her. VERY costume Gala.

and SJP looking like a moonbeamy sixties maven.

oh how i love beautiful things.

<3

Claire