POCKET LINT.

LA (THIRD ST & BEYOND): MORE SHAMELESS SELF (AND FELLOW BLOGGER) PROMOTION

Well, folks, another weekend, another loooong Oscar show (but worth it though for the Alec Baldwin/Steve Martin Paranormal Activity parody), another really bizarre dress and hair choice by Sarah Jessica Parker.

Yeah.  That's right.  I said that about vintage Chanel.  I'm not afraid.

Oh yeah ... and another LA Times story by me (not that there have been SO many), this time about the re-launch of Blackburn + Sweetzer as the bigger and better Mondette.

So, happy Monday, happy reading, happy you didn't wear that crazy pink and purple boob dress like Charlize.

xo - N.

NYC (AND BEYOND): THE BEST SQUISHY BATH MAT

 

I want this bath mat BAD.

Blame it on a love of all things spongy and an even deeper love of all things memory foam (bring on the Tempurpedic!).  Or blame my recent sleep deprivation for making me extra susceptible to suggestions like "BUY NOW."

Either way, I think this seems like the coolest Micro Dry bath mat ever.  And bath mats can be pretty cool, don't you agree?  I can just imagine my instantly dry feet sinking into its cozy depths.  Think of all that happiness for like $20.

On second thought, maybe this is a really lame blog topic.  If so, blame it on the fact that I recently threw out my old bath mat after my cat Mina unceremoniously puked on it and have bath mats on the brain.  Or just blame it on little old me.

xo - N.

LA/NY (BI-COASTAL): THE BEST LESSER KNOWN PLACE TO SHOP VINTAGE

Not to sound oh so bourgeois, but sometimes I get skeeved by vintage clothing.  I know I'm supposed to talk about how my wardrobe is this very artful, eclectic mix of vintage and contemporary la la la, but let's be honest: "vintage garments" is just a fancy way of saying "used clothing."

My mother and grandmother's clothing is, of course, another story.  I'll wear that amazing stuff all day long.  Know what I'm saying?

Anyway, I make an exception for shopping at Shareen's, which started out as a lesser known vintage destination at the Fairfax flea market.  Eventually, she got a warehouse space in a remote part of Mt. Washington (ISH).

I make an exception for her shop because going there is just a girl's shopping dream.  Even amazing finds are affordable.  A lot of her stock is leftover from costume closets from movies and TV shows, so it seems less creepy and worn.  She offers up water and snacks (because, let's face it, a girl gets hungry wrestling with clothing for a few hours).  She even stocks potential wedding gowns.

Best of all, there's a sign posted by the entrance that reads, "No Boys Allowed!"

Me likey.

The first time I went to Shareen's, I found the above gold sequin dress for like $40, which I love and have actually worn plenty.  Then, a year or so later, I wandered into Satine and saw the EXACT same dress for over $1,000.  Um.  Score much?  Olympic gold anyone?

Shareen admits that she under values the clothing sometimes, but she says she's not in the business of getting precious about her offerings.  And that strategy has really worked for her.

Though she closed her newish Venice annex, she just opened her first ever location in NYC proper.  Remember to check the website for hours because she doesn't tend to be open everyday.

Hey, you gals in NYC!  How about you show Shareen a warm welcome?  Lucky, lucky you.

xo - N.

P.S. Rumor has it the Mad Men costume folks come here for their wardrobe, so you can get all gussied up 1960's style too.

NYC (AND BEYOND): THE BEST PERMA-WALL ART

You know what I'm a fan of?  I mean besides pickles, olives and The Bachelor.  Yup.  I'm not ashamed.

Anyway, I'm also a fan of simplifying.

That's my new jam, since I made a bunch of Chinese New Year resolutions this weekend.  (I kind of missed the American one and the Jewish one is, well, who knows when).  So, while you all ate chocolate on V-Day, I ate some Shanghai Rice Cake from Din Tai Fung and now I'm good to go for this Year of the Tiger (not to be confused with eye of the tiger).

Anyway, I don't own my apartment, but, if I did, part of my new simplification strategy might involve covering my walls with one of Cavern Wallpaper's new Artist Edition papers by David Stark, Tom Slaughter, Miguel Fabrega or Julia Ziegler-Haynes.

See, you hang paper (like the above for instance) and then you really don't need to hang any additional art work, right?

Siiiimplify.

Not just a hat rack, my friends.

xo - N.

LA (CRUMPLED TWENTY): THE BEST WAY TO REACH MAXIMUM LETHARGY

The Best Link Today:

In case your Snuggie and Uggs haven't sapped you of every ounce of remaining energy, B + S reports on the final leg of your journey to totally mushy couch potato: pajama jeans.  Make no mistake folks: these elastic waisted sweat pants are just a bump on the road to nightly McDonalds and Hungry Man dinners, muffin tops, obesity and, finally, an inspirational stint on The Biggest Loser.

Maybe Jillian & Bob will even let you work out in them.  Dare to dream.

xo - N.

NYC (AND BEYOND): THE BEST WAY TO CONFUSE THE JUDGES (APPARENTLY)

I'm on the road again (on the road agaaain) on the east coast and have been sans TV since Thursday.  So, last night, while you guys were watched the Grammy Awards (why do you do that BTW?), I was watching this week's Project Runway.

While I enjoy images of Rihanna in 3-D glasses and Britney in, well, Debbie Allen's dance class outfit from the original Fame as much as the next gal, as long as I didn't miss Kanye doing something unconscionable, I don't feel like I missed anything.  Because I was watching bad fashion revealed too, but just on Lifetime.

Case and point is the above WINNING outfit from this week.  I cannot BELIEVE that none of the four judges (including this week's Matthew Williamson) acknowledged the beyond obvious resemblance to an Adidas or Nike tracksuit (and not a Stella McCartney one).

 

It's a bit hard to make out, but these above Nike running pants have that same white stripe down the side.  Michael Kors did mention a "nod to sports wear," but this is like the Tony Soprano special.

No, seriously, this above tracksuit was worn on The Sopranos and is being auctioned off at Christie's. Um, is it just me or is there a resemblance?  Like, I was wearing a baggier version of these pants on my couch, while I vegged and watched the show and drank Sleepy Time tea.  (I've gotten wild in my old age).

You all were probably wearing them while you watched The Grammys.

xo - N.

 

NYC (MANHATTAN): POP GOES THE SHOE STORE

Oh, you lucky NYC ducks. As of February 10, you can quack, quack your way over to LA accessory Mecca (owned by shoe designer Kristin Lee, Joe Cole and Brady Cunningham), TenOverSix, and you don't even need a plane.  For a long while, quirky NYC gift shop The Future Perfect has inhabited a permanent pop up space at TenOverSix on Beverly Blvd and now the relationship will go both ways.

No, not in the kinky "goes both ways" way.  Get your mind out of the gutter, bird brain (get it, duck, bird?)  You know what I'm saying.

Anyway, TenOverSix has a two month long pop up shop inside The Future Perfect's new Manhattan location at 55 Great Jones Street.

The LA shop is really great and this one looks pretty cool too.  You know what they say: If it looks like a duck and walks like a duck, then it's probably an awesome accessories store.

xo - N.

LA (AND BEYOND): THE BEST SPLASH OF COLOR FOR THIS COMING SPRING

I'm too tired to be charming.  I just got in from a weekend in Vegas (and boy are my arms tired).  See?  I've resorted to Borscht Belt humor.  And it doesn't even make sense cause I didn't fly home.  I drove.

Take my wife.  No. Seriously.  Take my wife.

Annnnyway, just thought I'd share some info on my newest wardrobe obsession: specifically the above Dylan George lavender and turquoise denim leggings, which je refuse to call jeggings.

I'm sorry.  But I have to draw the line somewhere.  Skort?  Maybe. Tankini?  Sure.  But jeggings?  Never! On second thought, maybe I'll change the name of my blog to PLINT.

Anyway, I always love when I can whole heartedly sing the praises of a local LA brand and j'adore these jeansamagiggies (that's a better name than jeggings, right?) with flats or boots or little sneaks without socks or whatever.  They're incredibly comfortable and soft and the colors are super vibrant.  They're not out quite yet, but I've been fortunate enough to preview a pair.  The company's founder, Danny Guez, is also the dude behind Justin Timberlake collaboration William Rast.

And, no, I am not going to make a "bringing sexy back" joke.  Jimberlake has been the butt of enough of those.

xo - N.

PARIS (NYC, LA AND BEYOND): THE BEST BODICE (TO AVOID)

Growing up, my sister and I obsessively watched Gigi.  We sang along, imitated scenes and gawked at this extravagant "French" world (where everyone oddly spoke English).  Our favorite scenes to mimic, though, were between Leslie Caron as Gigi and her agoraphobic, but elegant, worldly and snooty "Aunt Alicia" (A-le-Cee-A), who would coach her in everything from table manners to recognizing precious gems ("A topaz?  Among my jewels?  Are you mad?") to choosing the best cigar for a date.  She would criticize Caron's PERFECT face and go on and on about how "impossible" the task was of transforming this gawky young girl into a beautiful woman.

Yeah.  She's ugly.

Anyway, I will stop going on and on about the movie, but the point is that there is this scene (always my favorite), where Gigi tries on all of these incredibly elaborate dresses (most of which are amazing, but just too over-the-top).  Most memorably, one has such an absurdly large appendage at the bodice that it actually covers Leslie Caron's face.

In Golden Globe recapping last night with my sis, she couldn't help but allude to that very dress.  And I couldn't help but laugh and concur.  It seems that this was the year of the strange and unflattering bodice, especially the bizarre, stiff and almost avant-garde bodice with single dip in the front.  And the thing is that, while the dresses were almost cool, they were ultimately mostly super unflattering.

Case and point:

Anyway, in Gigi, she discards all the other beautiful dresses with crazy bodices and chooses a simpler one (see below) with sort of wild birds perched on the shoulders and it is just as flattering as can be.  I'm still learning from that movie today.  Maybe, in Hollywood, we should hold a free screening.

xo - N.

 

P.S. I would like to watch Ricky Gervais' introduction of Mel Gibson and Meryl Streep's acceptance speech like thirty more times.  LOVE!  Anyone else?

PALM SPRINGS/VA/MT/VT: THE BEST ARTISANAL RESORT PRODUCTS AND THE BEST WAY TO SAY ADIEU TO A YEAR WELL DONE

I know.  I know.  I keep apologizing and then being bad again, but I'm off on yet another jaunt and will not be LINTing Christmas week.  Actually, that's sort of not true.  I'll be LINTing in the sense that I'll be scouting new finds to share (though I still owe some Pittsburgh and NYC stuff), but I won't be posting regularly until January 2, 2010.

Anyway, I thought I'd leave you with a link to my latest little story in Travel & Leisure (see above) about resorts that farm or crush and create their own beauty and food products.  Short and sweet, just like me and my attention span.  And my patience.  And my fuse.  And my family.  And the time it takes me to devour french fries.  And the time it takes me to read a trashy detective novel.  And the time that will pass between now and my next post in 2010.

So, happy holidays of all kinds, folks.  Good tidings to all and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!  (I know I already have my sequined number picked out).  Well, I mean one only has so many sequin dresses from which to choose, right?

Love ya.  Mean it.

xo - N.