Friday is the light at the end of the tunnel for the regular work week and a springboard into the weekend.  Today I don’t have much to do other than some research for my project which still doesn’t have an investor and that’s about it.  I am really bummed out that the meeting I had earlier this week didn’t turn out as planned, but now I know exactly what I don’t want from an  investor.

Knowing what you don’t want out of a situation always helps narrow down what you do want and so even though I didn’t get funding out of the meeting, I did get a clearer picture of what I am looking for.

In the midst of emails and phone calls, I get a text message from Alecks asking me if I wanted to go have dinner at his house tonight.  Of course I agreed and that instantly put a silver lining on my day.  I knew what today was going to be about, a lot of research and leg work with probably little to no feedback right away.  Knowing that I was going to have a great night with Alecks made the work seem a lot less tedious.  So I spent the entire day making phone calls and trying to make connections with as many people as possible.  It is important to get a little buzz going on about my project so that I can get people interested in helping me make it come to life.  After countless amounts of emails and hours on the phone, I was done for the day.  I took a long relaxing shower and put on this super comfortable cotton BCBG dress and now it’s time for the fun part of the day.  I almost feel guilty when I hang out with Alecks because he always treats me like a princess, something I am not used to.  It’s definitely not a bad thing, actually it’s a magnificent thing, but I guess it just takes some getting used to, right?

cheers…

I have to confess something.

For some people this may be considered style faux pas but I love the worn in, oversized, extra layered bummy look.  I don’t know if it is because I was the youngest of three girls so naturally I would have their worn in hand me downs mixed in with some of my clothing that I have such a taste for this style.  For some people this may seem as though it is not fashion whatsoever but isn’t that what fashion is, the freedom to express yourself however you want, and this season one of my favorite designer’s did.

As I riffled through Marc Jacobs’ fall 2009 collection I realized that he took a look I absolutely love and ran with it.  Flipping through the runway photos I loved the way he brought high waist wide leg trousers, with thin belts, button down shirts, oversized tunics, scarves, tights, boots, hats, I am talking everything looked so comfortable and worn, but still so detailed.  It was beautiful, instantly it reminded me of Annie Hall.  Everything had so much character with flares of color in different places keeping it layered the entire time.  I know who is going to be taking up most of my wardrobe this fall!  What is your favorite style and designer for the fall?

cheers…

I have had this amazing personal project that I created from scratch, which has been on the back burner for months.  Aside from the everyday struggle to keep finding work, figuring out every aspect of my project has taken up most of my time.  It has been several months in the planning stages and now that I have almost everything down to the last detail, it is time to find some funding.

A great idea is only a great idea and there is so much work to do behind bringing an idea to life, money is one giant obstacle.

I have figured out everything from budgeting to scenic design and all I need is one hungry investor that shares my vision and is willing to money into a great project.  I usually work in production so as I have come closer to the end of the planning stages and moving quickly trying to make this a reality, I have spoken to some of my friends in the industry about helping me out and so many seemed excited to help out.  Sure enough someone asked if there was money behind it already and offered someone he knew as a possible investor.  After a couple of emails back and forth we decided that we would meet today for lunch so I could pitch him my idea and talk numbers.

I have to admit I am completely nervous and extra prepared because of it.  I picked out a this BCBG striped black suit with a crisp white Ralph Lauren button down shirt and of course armed with my power pumps.  My notes were all prepared and I had to keep reminding myself that this I wanted and kept asking for, now I just have to reel it in.   Even if this doesn’t work out, it could always be a preview of things to come, right?

cheers…

One of my good friends Sarai has had a children’s dance and theatre program going for a few months now and tonight is their first showcase.  Sarai is the type of person with solid theatre training from makeup and costuming to scenic design, Sarai can do it all and everything in between.  She can sing, act, dance, you name it, and so she decided as work got slower out here in LALA land, that she would create a program for children that could teach them all about theatre and dance. She and her students have been working on this showcase for months and it was all about tonight.

When I called her early in the day, she had been up for hours already tying up all loose ends before the doors opened later today.  The kids were going to arrive at the park venue at 5pm and doors were opening at 7pm.  Everything had to be set up and children in full costume and makeup within two hours, which seemed nearly impossible.  I couldn’t have been more wrong.  When I arrived to help at 5pm, all the kids were all gathering around asking what they could do and eager to have everything ready.   After about 45 minutes of hard work by everybody, Sarai and the kids gathered around for a break.  As everyone ate snacks and relaxed a while before getting ready, all I could see as I looked around were all the children practicing dance moves, reciting lines, and talking about the show.  They were so excited to be there and in that moment I realized what a great thing Sarai had done.  Who knows what she can inspire in these kids and what they can become, but for now, it’s show time!

cheers…

OK there’s so much to do I can’t even wrap my head around today.  I am prepping for this music video that shoots on Friday and although what the treatment calls for as far as wardrobe isn’t complicated, it is a lot of changes.

It’s a love song about this couple and you see them in the same apartment doing the same things they always do but on different days.  The entire video is literally a montage of this couple and their relationship every day, which means a lot of organizing to do.  I need to find a lot of pajamas and comfortable everyday clothes which sounds easy but when you are talking about 20 options for each, it starts to get to be a little stressful.  Although since I am going to be searching high and low for inspiration, the running around may make my day that much more adventurous.

I have a hit list of places I knew I could look including thrift stores and vintage shops, which always seem to have the most interesting character pieces that pop on camera.  Another important thing to remember to have an array of options available, so having fun with it is a must.  It’s so exciting to really go crazy and just pick out a million things that I would love to own, except at the end of the day it’s not really mine.

Oh well, I guess you got to take the good with the bad, right?

Since I have been living in California, I have celebrated quite a few birthdays of friends and acquaintances of mine, but no birthday has been more important than this one.  Today is Aleck’s birthday and because I care about him so much, I wanted to do something special.  The only problem is it takes money to get things done, and that’s something I definitely don’t have.  The great thing is that in planning something special, I have tried to be as thoughtful as possible and hopefully it won’t matter what I spend.  I just want him to have an easy and great day.   I decided that I was just going to spend the day pampering him every chance I get and cook him food all day.  Alecks fell in love with Cuban food when I introduced him to it, so I had the entire day mapped out with meal ideas.

In the morning time, I accessorized myself a cute little apron and heels and made Cuban coffee with homemade pastries.   After that, we both got dressed to go to the beach so he could spend the day surfing and I laying out in the sun.  The day was beautiful and as the sun set, we drove home with the windows down enjoying the breeze and listening to music.   We got home and as I started on dinner, Alecks took a shower and a nap. As I finished dinner, I took a shower and put on this sexy cotton dress. The special thing about this dress is that it is from the Runway collection, which means this dress screams high fashion.  With its soft material, built in pockets and its revealing, super low back, I can’t help but feel glamorous when I slip this one on.

When I woke him up, I was all dolled up and ready to serve dinner.  As he came downstairs and saw the table all set with all his favorite Cuban dishes, his jaw dropped.  We shared and ate everything while just enjoying each other’s company and met up with some friends after dinner just to top off the day!

cheers…

Finding a new job is never fun, especially if there is nothing that appeals to you.

Yesterday’s interview did not turn out to be the dream job I had hoped for so I was still on the hunt today. After a few hours and very dismal results, I decided to take the rest of the day doing everything possible to pick up my spirits.  I took a long shower and as I did my nails, I called up a couple of friends to get together tonight for dinner and a movie.  Hanging out with my friends is the best medicine for my bad days because having them around ensures me that everything is going to be okay.  Everyone has been slow lately but that is how this business goes, sometimes I just need that extra reminder from them.  Finding a job is important, but there has to be a balance to ensure that I don’t spend all my time stressed out about it.

Tonight that was exactly what I was going to do, forget about work, or the lack thereof, and just have an amazing night.  I have this Marc Jacobs dress that I think was specifically designed for days like today. Aside from the comfortable design, the print of different colored hearts all over the fabric make it fun and easy to match with any favorite shoe. It’s so versatile I just slip it on and pick whatever shoe I am in the mood for that night. With a little makeup I was ready to go, and with sushi and the movies on my mind, I knew it was going to be a good night.

“You can’t always get what you want,
but if you try sometimes, well you might find you get what you need…”

cheers…

Friday, the last day of the regular work week and today, luckily is going to be an easy day ahead of me.  All I had to do was make sure to wrap up the whole party that we hosted yesterday, make sure everyone was paid, and that the mansion was restored to the owner’s standards.  All the loose ends I needed to tie up before I could finish this job seemed as if it was not going to take the entire day to do.

With that in mind, I woke up around 9am to see if I could finish everything early and start my weekend as soon as possible.  At the mansion I had all types of crews working on wrapping out the house, a cleaning, crew, movers, lighting, I am talking everyone.  The owner of the house watched over as all these people work diligently to return his house back to normal, which for anyone can be quite stressful.  He had attended the festivities of the night prior and was impressed at the transformation of his home but, was also concerned if his house would ever be the same.

Of course, this is where I come in, as the bumper and the person to blame if something goes wrong.  I assured him that everyone had his house in their best interest and that every person on these crews is a professional.  The house was back to normal by lunch time and I decided to pick up some sushi on the way home.  As I sat down to eat my friend Sarai called me to see if I wanted to go out tonight to a bar or something, since it was Friday and we were both free.  Of course, I jumped at the idea and as soon as I finished my lunch I picked out what I could wear tonight.   I had this super hot studded shirt by Celcilia De Bucourt that I have not worn yet and tonight may be the night to rock it.  This top is the epitome of sexy with a completely exposed back and soft design.  I love the way the studs weigh down the shirt so that it stays in place on my body.  I figured that I would wear it with these wide leg American Rag jeans so that it can balance out the shirt.    So now what better thing to do with my extra time than to take a power nap to be ready for tonight!

“Men for the sake of getting a living forget to live.”

cheers…

I have recently helped put together a party for my friend’s production company that was about to debut their first film and today was the big day.  We had arranged to have this event happen at this huge mansion that we rented out and did not skimp on vamping it up.  We arranged for everything from furniture to catering, we had it all covered and I was excited to see how it would play out.

Since most of it was going to be outside because of the spectacular view and the amazing pool, I decided to wear this great cloth Marc Jacobs dress because the material dresses it down and makes it comfortable, but the design is classy and extremely cute.

I got dressed and headed to the location around 4:30pm just to make sure everything was set up accordingly and running smoothly.  We had an array of things happening, from a live band and DJ to different types of food set up in different stations throughout the property.   The food was definitely handled by me personally because, well, I love food and wanted to make sure that everyone was going to eat well.  Sushi, grilled meats, tapas, cheese, crepes we had the works, and truthfully that is what I was looking forward to the most.

Getting everything prepared was not an easy task and it was quite hectic up until we opened the doors at 7:30.  After about an hour into the party it was almost as if my job was done, because all I had to do was mingle and make sure everyone was having a great time.

Who says you can’t sample what every chef has to offer and mingle simultaneously?  Now if only my heels were as comfortable as this dress!

“Never be the first to arrive at a party or the last to go home, and never, ever be both.”

cheers…

There are some days when I wake up, that I just think about all my family and friends back home in Miami and can’t help but wonder what they are doing. Don’t get me wrong, I love living and working in Los Angeles, but Miami is the only place I ever knew and it is clear across the country. Sometimes I feel so alone out here, even though I have friends and work to keep me busy, there is nothing like having all the people you love close to you.

Luckily, today I had nothing much to do, so I planned to mope around my house all day, make a few phone calls, and pretty much do nothing. So because I had no certain time frame or anywhere specific I had to be, I decided to take my time to do everything and just really take it easy. After a big breakfast and possibly the longest shower of all time, I was ready to be a couch potato, flipping through magazines, and surfing the internet and tv. Hours passed and I was still attached to the couch, being extra lazy. My eyes kept closing on me for some reason and I decided to take a nap. Before I knew it, I was woken up by a phone call from Alecks.

I couldn’t help but have a raspy voice since I had just woke up and he was apologetic for waking me out of my slumber. He then invited me to go out to dinner with him around 7:30pm, so I quickly got up to get ready. I had slept for hours, and now it was 6 o’clock, so I needed to start getting ready pretty soon. I wanted something I could just throw on, so I decided on my bright yellow Alice + Olivia dress. This dress is great because between its color and simple yet interesting design, there is no much you need to glam this up, just a hot pair of heels. The great thing about the Alice + Olivia line is that they have so many dresses and shirts that have great materials and are SO comfortable to wear.

By the time I was finished getting ready, Alecks was knocking at my door. When I opened the door, we said our hellos and were on our way. In the car ride to the restaurant, he looked over at me and said that “seeing me looking so beautiful, instantly puts a smile on his face.” Needless to say, that instantly put a smile on my face. Now, don’t us girls just hate that???? ;D

cheers…..

I woke up this morning in an absolutely wonderful mood because today I was going with my friend Sarai to this great event we were invited to in Santa Barbara. Although it is a little bit of a drive away, we both knew it was going to be fun to drive up together.

The event was a charity auction that one of our friends had put together, which for me meant another opportunity to dress up for a great cause. I spent the morning making sure we had all the necessities for our little drive up such as food, drinks, and good music. Aside from that, since the event was about two hours away from where we were, we needed to have our hair done already and finish up all the little stuff once we actually get there. So, I took a shower and did my hair, threw on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt and I was ready to hit the road.

Sarai was not ready, as usual, but it gave me some time to do my daily phone calls and emails. By the time she was finished, I couldn’t wait to hit the road, aside from the actual trip up, I was excited to see how this event was going to play out.

When we got within 20 miles of the party, we pulled over to finish getting dressed.

Sarai decided to wear this beige BCBG dress that had this amazing material and hugged her curves, and she looked great. I decided that I was going to wear this dress by Miss Sixty that I have only worn like one other time. Now, you may know Miss Sixty as a brand that makes good jeans and jackets, but this white linen dress they designed is so sexy and airy, while still being completely comfortable.

I love this dress for a few reasons. One the dress is linen so it is a material that is airy and light. Two it is sexy with class, because although it is short, it doesn’t reveal to much. Finally the third reason, but definitely not the least, this dress reminds me completely of the famous dress Marilyn Monroe wore in The Seven Year Itch. You know the one I’m talking about!!! When the air blows up her skirt. Classic scene and this dress captures that flirtiness.

Together me and Sarai were ready and felt great about our amazing dresses. As we pulled up to the location for the event, there were people everywhere and looking fabulous. Everyone had dressed up and the barrage of designers that people were wearing was making me want to go on a shopping spree. I love it when I get inspired to shop, don’t you?!

cheers…

So after a nice long, lazy weekend, it was now Monday and back to the weekly grind. I had a my usual work that I needed to do from home, you know emails, phone calls and such, but today I had to go to a casting for a fashion show for an up and coming clothing line. I had discovered this company through a friend of mine that had shown me their catalogue a couple of weeks back, and I loved the style of clothing they designed. So, I did some research and wanted to see if it would be possible to work with them. After some time I got a response back saying that they were looking for some models to hire for regular work for their catalogues and websites, and I was so excited. This line is so dainty and classic looking, it is very pin-up which is a style that I not only love to see in photos, but actually love to style myself in. I like the pin-up style a lot because aside from be very lady-like, it is also flirty, fun and sexy all at the same time, something not easily done with other styles of clothing. I was excited and nervous because this was something I really wanted, and although the pay wasn’t going to be wonderful, I would be getting some great photos, having fun, and hopefully getting some clothes out of it.

I love when I find new outfits in the wardrobe hanging in my closet don’t you?

“It’s all there, you just need to look a little closer.”

As I woke up this morning, I took a deep breath and let out a giant sigh of relief. Today, was going to be an easy day and I was grateful for the break. I had a meeting with my great friend and partner in my personal endeavor, Riley, in the afternoon and dinner plans with Alecks. It was great, I planned to spend the day doing absolutely nothing but preparing for my meeting and making sure that I look really cute tonight.

I decided to start the more difficult of the two tasks and went straight to my closet to pick out an outfit that was tasteful for the meeting but cute enough for dinner. With these situations I always find it difficult because a dress is usually not the best choice and pants is sometimes not cute enough. The ideal would be an ensemble that could balance both, but what? Sifting through I came across this great skirt by Chaiken that I have that is not too short and the print on it adds a little character. Now since I love white t shirts, I always tend to pair prints with a white shirt and when it comes to finding the fillers, Ralph Lauren usually does the trick. I have this beautiful ruffled white shirt that when paired with prints gives just enough. I have to admit, I have a huge sweet spot for Ralph Lauren. Every line created by him whether it be RALPH, LAUREN, POLO, or just the great old Ralph Lauren, always hits the mark every time. No, I take that back, they are the mark. Not only do they excel in clothing but perfume as well. Anyways, after I chose the outfit winner, I went straight to preparing for my meeting.

After a couple hours of prep, a shower and some makeup, I was on my way. The meeting was exactly how I thought it was going to be which was easy and very productive. I love working with Riley because although we are close friends, whenever we meet for work it is always constructive and he is always so positive about the future. I was in a great mood, felt fantastic about my outfit and couldn’t wait to get to the restaurant because I was starving. You’ll have to agree, that having such a good day works up quite an appetite!

“Laugh as much as you breathe and love as long as you live.”

cheers…

A good friend once told me “that if something in you doesn’t feel right, then you are not making the right decision.”

Sometimes when I find myself in a situation where I am not sure what to do, I always take a second to think about what I would feel like after every option. I had an interview today that I did not to feel great about because it was a company I had heard some very unflattering things about. The interview was to be a stylist on a pilot that they were going to be shooting within the next couple of weeks and it would be a great opportunity to have some steady work for a couple of weeks.

As I walked into the offices, everyone seemed very busy, phones ringing, faxes going, music playing, and for such a small office it was filled with people doing all sorts of things. The interview lasted about an hour and 45 minutes and by the end of the meeting I was ready to get out of there. It was terrible, every few minutes we were interrupted and there was always something else going on as we would talk. By the time I walked out those doors, I knew that I definitely was going to turn this one down. I knew what working for these people would be like just within the time I was there because of all the commotion that was going on. There were people running around everywhere like if there was no direction and with the tiny amount of information he had given me, I knew the whole production was going to be this way.

With that I drove home, not minding the traffic and relieved to be ending my day getting ready for an art showcase one of my friends had put together. The only problem was that for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out whether I should wear like jeans and a nice top or maybe a dress or what. As I stood in front of my closet in no mood to find an outfit, I decided to go with one of my all time favorite saves : the little black dress.

I had just bought this dress made by Aqua that was short and black with this bow in the front and metallic zipper running down the back. I absolutely love this dress because it reminds me of something out of an old Audrey Hepburn movie and that was definitely the type of motif I go for when I wear this dress. After doing some hair and makeup I was ready to enjoy the rest of night enjoying all the amazing art!

“When in doubt, don’t.” – Benjamin Franklin

With my day half filled up with work and the other half open, I was hoping to get all the important stuff out of the way early so that I could do whatever I wanted with the rest of the day. It was a beautiful day outside, the sun shining brightly with a temperature in the mid 80s, so I decided my outfit was going to take advantage of all that. I put on this breezy little striped top by Roxywear with a pair of shorts by Rebecca Taylor.

I don’t know how many of you know of Rebecca Taylor, but honestly all her bottoms whether it is a pencil skirt, high waist pants, or shorts, always fit me the best. It is something in the way she designs the clothes and the materials she uses that just seems to fit right and work well with so many things. Aside from the bottoms, her suits are just comfortable and seem almost tailored to fit me. Anyways after getting dressed, it was off to do returns for the show I worked on yesterday.

Although all the wardrobe was taken from different places and I had tons of things to return, I felt like my energy was up and I was getting everything done fairly quickly. So on one of my drives in between returns I checked to see if my friend Haley, who lives in the area, to see if she wanted to grab some lunch. Luckily she was already out with another one of our friends Jane and with that we made plans to meet up in an hour when I was finished. As soon as I finished I couldn’t wait to my girls and find out what craziness I have missed since I have been working and to fill them in on what is going on with me, not to mention…to get some food in my belly!

“Can it be a mistake that STRESSED is DESSERTS spelled backwards ??”

cheers…