AndSheLivesHappilyEverAfter

The "WANT" vs The "can have"

2011-02-15T21:06:00.005-05:00

want
/wɒnt, wɔnt/ Show Spelled[wont, wawnt] Show IPA
–verb (used with object)
1.
to feel a need or a desire for; wish for: to want one's dinner; always wanting something new.

The word "want" is described as a verb indicating wish or desire. But want is a powerful thing. Anything that has to do with passion or desire has the power to balloon into this ginormous monster of need. When that happens the simple verb "want" becomes a thing, a separate entity known to me as "THE WANT".

Now "THE WANT" is not a thing to be trifled with, it can consume, "THE WANT" can lead to jealousy, coveting and a slew of unpleasant emotions. It takes various shapes and can come from a need for the emotional like love or happiness, something life changing like marriage or a child, something material like a car or home.
"THE WANT" can and will keep you up at night, it will turn you into a schemer, a planner, sometimes even a manipulator(of people or truths), "THE WANT" can and will wreck you at times.

I want to talk about THE WANT today, but even in this very exhibitionist/voyeuristic world dominated by social media I have to keep some things to myself. And while I admittedly have the "THE WANT" for some powerful and possibly unattainable things, I'm going to focus on "THE WANT' for material items. This is not to discount the severity of the "THE WANT" for material things, many a person has lost family, homes, even jobs in their search for more things. I have put myself in and find myself in a precarious situation due to "THE WANT" and my inability to tell it to FUCK off.

While I haven't bested the beast, I can trick him a bit. If I can't get that thing that I want but can't afford I'm going to find something like it that I can. This is especially easy to do when dealing with handbags.

I always look for the "Steal vs Splurge" sections in magazines where they profile similar items. However I'm frequently frustrated by the high end designer vs what is often a low end replica.

I think that when you fall for a bag you can't have you should look at the shape, texture, coloring, and then find something that offers a similar aesthetic in your price range. Not a replica so much as having something you like in common. My comparison is between high end designer bags and the more accessible yet also respected "contemporary" designers. In other words I'm talking about looking at bags in the Louis Vuitton price point vs bags in the Tory Burch price point (although I'm not going to look at those specific designers) :

Hermes vs Proenza Schouler

This is the iconic Hermes Birkin, you cannot just stroll into an Hermes shop and pick up this bag even if you did have the $10,000+ to buy it. Wait times for a Birkin can take years. This bag is all about exclusivity and is often thought as the Holy Grail of handbags. This bag is not me so its easy for me to keep "THE WANT" at bay. If I were to ever purchase this bag It would be a trophy "oh look what I have " purchase and I really don't want to be that person.

If you don't have $10,000+ or a generous significant other/friend/family member to buy you the Birkin I present to you the Proenza Schouler PS1 Keep All. Similar to the Birkin in shape and size, the PS1 is a very modern interpretation of a carry all. The front features a flap over and multiple cut outs and straps. The beauty in this bag is in the architecture and that it is not trying to be a Birkin or any other bag, the girl who carries it wants to be carrying a PS1. With a price tag of $1,275 it is not cheap in the least but it is accessible with some short term saving up or by using a paycheck whatever floats your boat.

Chanel vs Rebecca Minkoff

This is currently "THE WANT" for me. The Chanel 2.55 in lambskin. Nothing says timeless like Chanel. Coco knew what she was doing and her legacy will live on for a long time. Chanel is about the classic and the sublime. Its luxury personified. But that chain strap while lady like also brings a bit of the badass. And I live for a bit of the badass in my accessories. Chanel does not promote it prices on the websites of it's authorized resellers like Bloomingdales and Saks, which is a good indication that it's not for everyone. A typical 2.55 can start at about $2,100. Right now "THE WANT" for this bag has me doing all kinds of rationalizing and planing, like if I eat cereal for two paychecks I can put money towards the bag, if I find a friend who works at Bloomingdale's maybe I can get a discount, maybe I can do a good consignment purchase (used or vintage) reducing the price to $900. There is all kinds of plotting going on in my head for this bag.

While "THE WANT" forces me to do all my scheming and planning for a 2.55 I needed a stop gap. A bag to fill the void left by my non existent Chanel. I went on a hunt for a chain strap bag as that was the one element I wanted most. Enter the Rebecca Minkoff "The Affair" for $325. I did a ShopStyle.com search for chain strap bags and of the hundreds that came up "The Affair" was my instant favorite. While the bag has the similar quilting and straps of a Chanel, it's not a wannabe or poser Chanel. It may be Rebecca's ode to Chanel while maintaining her young and edgy aesthetic by using circular quilting, studs throughout and washed pebbled leather. She makes a great bag for a great price, while its not lambskin, the bag is made of quality Italian leather and heavy hardware. I bought this bag last week and looooove it. While it didn't annihilate "THE WANT" for the 2.55 it's definitely alleviated it.

Lanvin vs Kate Spade

I have spoken of my love of Lanvin recently so I will not dwell on it for too long but Alber I love you and your love affair with both luxury and femininity. This is all evident in his Amalia bag. This metallic leather chain strap shoulder bag sells for a pretty steep $2,195, And I won't lie, if I had it I would drop it on this bag in a minute as it is very inline with my aesthetic. But alas I don't, le sigh....

Kate Spade has done her own metallic , chain strap, bow embellished bag that I honestly think feels closer to an actual copy of the Amalia than a similar look. Lanvin made this line in various sizes, colors and shapes and the Kate Spade is similar to more than one. She used the same texture, straps and embellishment but has changed the shape making her bag a structured tote and by eliminating the quilting she changed it up just enough. If you love the Lanvin Amalia and are looking for something a bit more affordable and practical at $445 this is the way to go.

Now I know that these bags are still quite pricey so if you are looking for something similar to any of these three styles, Topshop has bags similar in style to or inspired by each of these three bags all for under $100.

Inside My Bag-A look into the Supermassive Blackhole

2011-02-08T01:40:00.002-05:00

I've seen bloggers and readers all over the Internet post photos of the inside of their handbags over the last couple of years and I've always meant to do it.

Today I'm sharing the contents of my handbag and the stories behind each item. When I decided to do this I promised to be completely honest and not add or remove any items for privacy or storytelling purposes.

Silver filigree pocket mirror- Was a Mothers Day gift 2 years ago from then 5 year old niece. My sister always jokes that I like to look at myself in the mirror so when my niece went shopping on her own at her school sponsored sale she picked this up for me not knowing my sister was insulting me. She is so pure of heart and her innocence and intelligence astounds me. And it's OK to like mirrors and making sure I look OK so it was a win win. It's actually one of my most prized possessions.

My taxes-The IRS is STUPID, nuff' said. They screw me over every year at least once a year.

I'm a gadget girl, it ridiculous how many gadgets I carry around on a daily basis. My Blackberry--I hate whenever this thing notifies me about anything, I do not enjoy structure. Digital camera--I never leave home without a charged camera, you never know when you will step into a moment you want to capture. I like to preserve every memory. Bluetooth ipad keyboard--the best accessory for the ipad I have come across hands down, MIFI portable broadband--This takes my wifi Ipad and gives it access to the internet anywhere, I'm still getting used to it and have encountered issues. My old iphone which no longer functions as a phone as I switched to Blackberry but I cant let go of it as my media player. You cannot use an ipad for music on the go, it would be like carrying a boombox. And I need music, constantly I can not stand silence and there is always an ever changing soundtrack to my life playing on my ipod.

February 2011 Vogue--This months issue features a profile on my favorite designers right now Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough who are the designers/founders of Proenza Schouler. A blog post on my love of their work is forthcoming. I like the direction that Vogue is going in wuth their cover models this year. January-Natalie Portman, February Kristen Stewart, March Lady Gaga and Rhianna is expected for April. Anna Wintour is focusing on talent and edge this year after devoting multiple covers to her protege Blake (look at my boobs) Lively last year.

Drawing by my niece-We had a small party for my nephew at home on his 3rd birthday the other day. My niece made up party games and drew pictures as the prizes. I won the beautiful butterfly drawing for pin the S on Superman(she also drew her own Superman). I love this chick.

Ticket Stubs to Tangled, Love this movie makes me want to walk around with a frying pan to chase off any Badguys!

Wallet and make up bag--Both of these come with me everywhere I go. I love that while its fairly simple the clasp and color of this wallet make it very mod and kind of spunky.

Accessories that I got bored of during the day. I love statement rings and wear a large one on my left hand ring everyday but sometimes get bored with it during the day. This one is from Puerto Rico and made with wood from the island and has a pounded sterling face. The barrette was bought at a vintage shop in Baltimore for $1, I adore it and hate that I lost its match.

This card came in my handbag, its hand written by the sales associate at Barney's. I cant really make out what is says but I'm oddly fascinated by it so I kept inside the bag.

Close up of my iPad which I have named baby. I carry it around everywhere and have fallen asleep with under my pillow often.

I enjoy cute things, I tote the owl coin bag everywhere, and my beat up Papyrus heart keychain.

Tarte quilted eyeshadow pallet--I have a highly suggestible personality, I was watching a how to make up video on youtube and this kit was being used, I ran out and bought it at Sephora the same day.

The bag---This an AW/2010 Navy Calfskin hobo from Lanvin. I came by this bag in a very serendipitous way. On the day before our office broke for the holiday break our team gathered for a holiday potluck, during which I was browsing Twitter when Barneys tweeted the start of their year end sale. I quickly shared the info with my office buddy and fellow handbag enthusiast. We both saw and loved the Lanvin hobo. This bag is expensive it definitely a luxury bag with a luxury price tag. But when I went to buy it it was sold out:( When we got back from vacation my friend let me know that the bag was too big for her style (its goes from shoulder to upper thigh) and she was going to return but held onto it in case I wanted it. I fell in lust that moment I put it on my shoulder. The quality on is amazing Ive never felt a leather quite so rich before. Despite it's price tag and the brands pedigree this is not an ostentatious bag at all. It's beauty is in its simplicity and timelessness.

It didn't photograph well in my poorly lit abode but here is a clear look at the bag in camel. I personally really enjoy the grossgrain trim along the opening. and the bonus wristlet it came with.

The thing with a purchase like this even though I love and enjoy it and even with the discount I can't help but feel guilty and I can't help but feel a bit sick. This purchase actually prompted a friend to send me information on Shopaholics Anonymous.

So there it is a look into my bag and my life because each item in here ties to some persons or thing. While the was nothing salacious or sordid in my bag, showing the contents of ones personal belongs is quite daunting.

On Guilty Pleasures & Vampire Copulation

2011-02-05T01:38:00.007-05:00

We all have our guilty pleasures some more embarrassing than others. I like any good Trekkie or Star Wars fanatic wear my geeky love out in the open........You see I'm a Twihard ( couldn't someone have come up with a better monikor?)
What's a Twihard? Well a Twihard is someone obsessed with the Twilight Saga books and or movies....me I love them both. The writing us crap and full if cheese but the story.....well the story is fuckawesome. I read New Moon is five hours because I had to see how Edward back, I rushed through Eclipse in a day because I needed the triangle with Jacob to be done, Stephanie Meyer with all her faults knew how to keep her audience desperate for what came next.

After I read the books well next step was the movies and they are as campy as the books which is good in a way because I'm seeing the same story not a retouched or flanked up version. While some of the casting is horrid and some if the acting is cringe inducing I became just as hooked on the movies as the books.

I go see the midnight premiers and brave the rabid tweens and Twimoms to get my fix. Scour the internet for the scripts, read all the blogs see the ibterviews etc. The final book in the saga Breaking Dawn is currently being filmed as two movies to be released over the next two years. Eeekkk!!!! Almost two years to see VampBella?? Unfortunately yes, Breaking Dawn part 1 will release on November 18, 2011 and Breaking Dawn 2 which features Bella living as a vampire and the vampire human hybrid Renessme will release in November 2012. Both movies are being filmed at one time to reduce actor aging and to allow for extensive effects.
This will be the longest time between the release of a Twilight movie, which is frustrating as the big things happen in breaking Dawn:

Bella and Edward get married (sorry team Jacob you lost)
Bella and Edward trade in their V cards and have headboard shattering, flying feathers sex in Rio
A vampire baby but fear not the producers are releasing
The bad guys come a callin' etc.

Now even with all these things to look forward to, keeping the interest of an aging and evolving audience for a year and a half is hard which is why over the last few months as the movies filmed the producers have been gifting the loyal fans with
small glimpses of what's to come first up:

This photo was released on Thanksgiving as a gift from Director Bill Condon. When this photo was released I laughed....I mean talk about knowing your audience. See that there is Bella's arm surrounded by feathers....and well the feathers the mean Bella and Edward had an interesting wedding night. I think this was marketing genius it was subtle ,tasteful and left you wanting more. Well played Summit Entertainment, well played.

For Christmas we got this lovely postcard pic:

Sent with a tag line of 'Happy Holidays from the Swan House to yours". Again well done, this pic of what looks lime an ordinary living room is a picture of the house used for Bella and Charlie's house in the movies. Now if we look closely we will notice three very important things:

1----we have 4 stockings hung by the fireplace
2----1 stocking is small and meant for a child
3----the picture of the little girl in the background

This pic is actually a taste of Breaking Dawn part 2 when Bella and her husband Edward (sorry again team Jacob) take their daughter to visit grandpa Charlie for Christmas.

And looky what they released just after the new year:

This is the first official still(a photo of an actual scene) from Breaking Dawn 1 and it's kind of perfect. Twihards the world over were all a quiver over this photo. Twilight is a love story and Edward and Bella are the heart of this story and these movies. This pic is perfect in that is beautiful and tender and portrays the devotion that was detailed in the book. A photo of Edward and Bella doing the bump and grind would have gone against what they've been portrayed to be. This photo is smoking hot and yet classy. Beautifully lit and cropped it was the perfect glimpse at the next chapter in the story. And the actors well they look good, these two have made the movies worth watching. Others things can and have failed in this franchise but Edward and Bella had to be perfect and this casting was spot on.

Now as great as the tidbits from production have been the non official pics are much more telling of the storyline.

Sparing no expense (actually they are a pretty cheap studio) Summit decided to film the honeymoon on Location in various parts of Rio, being an exterior shoot this allowed some fans and the ever present and disturbing paparazzi to get some exciting pics:

Filmed in Lapa these pics show Edward and Bella strolling through the streets of Brazil as the land in Rio. Can I just say I'm loving the look these two are sporting, the Cullens are filthy stinkin rich and we are finally seeing them dresses accordingly and the look lime newlyweds having a fun walk.

Ooh Edwards boat

Filmed in Paraty these are pics of various honeymoon beach outings, again love the styling here and that they spent the money to do this right as opposed to green screening a beach.

The chess board is a cool throwback to the book cover

I have to say I never thought they would put her in a bikini after she wore pants and two shirts in the Eclipse beach scene. These pics are from a waterfall stunt doubles apparently did a jump into the ocean but no pics were taken

These show a bit more of the waterdall location and are pics of the actors in between takes, this is obvious because Edward and Bella don't smoke.

Well there you go there's my look of what's coming in Breaking Dawn part 1. They are being much more secretive with what's coming in part 2 as the 2012 release date is so far off but I will leave you with the latest and most important addition to the ginormous Breaking Dawn cast :

Mackenzie Foy as Renesmee Cullen"

Again great casting at least visually speaking, while there no way to know what her acting ability is she certainly looks like she could be the daughter of the actors who portray her parents. The plan is to use the same CGI technology that was used in Benjamin Button to show her rapid growth. They will use Mackenzie's face and voice on the bodies of younger actresses. And her face will also be adjusted to show how she changes from infant to elementary school age.

PS: I couldn't leave this out, I love how much fun he's having here this is a downtime pic and it's made of win. I mean he's a super famous multi millionaire in his skivvies.

-Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:NYC

Back to Blogging...Because the UK rules!!!!!!

2010-09-01T23:59:00.006-04:00

OK so I've kind of been gone for a bit, the demands of real life took over and time was lost. But after a couple of mini vacations and some time to myself I am back to blogging hopefully uninterrupted.
For my first post back I wanted to share my new obsession, UK based online fashion Mecca ASOS.com. I do not use the term obsession lightly, this online store is quite literally owning my ass right now. I have in the last month placed four orders from them, three of these orders were in the last week and a half alone.
I am a social net-workers dream come true, as I update my Facebook or stalk celebrities on Twitter my eye catches the little adverts on the side of screen and I will from time to time click on them. Early in July I believe I was on Twitter when I caught sight of an amazing big pocket apron dress, I thought to myself I wish it came in my size but assumed that like always it would not. I clicked on the photo and was directed to ASOS.com. The dress was only $40 and they were apparently in the midst of a sale,
I however was broke so I bookmarked the page and went about my business. I drifted back to the site a couple of weeks later and looked at the full line and fell in love....hard!
I shop at many many stores so it's hard for anything to surprise me and that is what ASOS did. Nordstrom, Torrid, Macy's Bloomingdale's, they all have nice things but at the end of the day they are all selling the same thing. ASOS's plus size line is carrying items that I have simply not seen in plus sizes in the US and have only rarely in standard sizes in stores that are financially at accessible to me.

ASOS carries their own line as well as many lines by well known designers. In addition to having an array of great fashion collections, they also have a MASSIVE shoe department as well as beauty, accessories, men's and children's. It is simply one of the largest online stores I have visited.
The ASOS website is also one of the most user friendly sites I have ever used and it has amazing tools for the shoppers benefit, I shall list them for your benefit:

#5- Currency conversion-You can select which currency you would like to view prices in. This is great because you do not want to fill a shopping bag with items listed in pounds only to check out and have the amount of money you thought you spent double because of conversion to US dollars.

#4- Editorial content: 3 favorite items from new additions to the collections are selected by the sites editors and listed on the homepage. It's worth noting that the editors/buyers and directors of ASOS hail from some seriously respected sources such as Vogue. They also group collections of items based on of the moment trends so that the buyer can shop a specific "look". ASOS also publishes it's own high quality fashion magazine that can be viewed online.

#3- CLEARANCE ASOS has an extensive and constantly updated clearance section as well as an outlet section which has sale items that are not a drastically reduced. This dress was bought on 75 % clearance
This quick and easy dress was reduced from $70 to $14

#2 Flat rate shipping- Shipping to the US is fixed at $6 for standard shipping and $14 for 3 day express delivery. That is amazing I can not get those shipping rates from any store in the US, hell even Old Navy is fixed at $7.

#1-Catwalk, the "view catwalk" option is a video of a model wearing and walking in each individual item on the site. This is an unbelievable asset, items look very different in movement, something that appears blah in a 2d photo can become stunning when shown as part of full outfit and in it's actual scale. Also I find that colors in photos can vary greatly from the actual color shown in the video. There may be other stores with this option out there but ASOS is the first store that I have come across.

While my favorite pieces so far have all been party clothes, I do recognize that I do not go out all that often and I managed to build a new work wardrobe. I'm going for a retro 40's "Secretarial Pool" look, that has gone over really well.

But party dresses do own my heart and I could not stop ordering dress after dress. My recent birthday(yesterday) gave me an excuse to indulge and I made 4 costume changes through out the day, including the cage shirt which I paired with a simple pencil skirt, and what I like to call the swirly dress. I'm in love with both pieces which were from my first order from the site.

The swirly dress is amazing in person and made of knit cotton and quite comfortable.

Me in the swirly dress,

Lace dress worn to bday dinner:

The cage shirt is one of my favorite purchases EVER!

This draped shirt paired with jeans was my final costume change of the day:

But if I had to pick a favorite ASOS purchase it would be the cargo Parka featured above, the hood alone makes me swoon. It was also a clearance item purchased for $40. So Ive talked a lot about ASOS now you should go check out the site for yourselves, look, love and buy many pretty things.

I would like to thank the British at this time for recognizing that the overweight appreciate and deserve trend setting fashion. Since I am in a list writing mood I will leave you with my list of the top 5 fuckawesome things from England:

June 4th 2010, A pledge from Me---No Shoe Porn today

2010-05-19T16:06:00.010-04:00

There are moments in a persons life that are truly indescribable, they change you, they stay with you forever, they bring incredible joy, and in truth most of us will only have handful of these moments during the course of our lives. I'm 33 years old now and 34 is right around the corner, so far I have had two of these moments.
The first moment came on an early morning in October 2003 when my niece Kassie was born. The second that a delivery room nurse named Dora placed her in my arms I was completely gone. She's bright and funny, sweet and affectionate, quick witted and bossy, she is curious and kind. She's my mini me and loves to take pictures and dress up. She's a handful to be sure, but lights up my days.

The second moment came in the twilight hours of February 2008 when my nephew Nicholas was born, it seems that my capacity to love doubled instantly the second I saw the doctor literally pull him out of my sister. My little boy is mischievous and sweet, huggable and grumpy, adventurous and shy. He's my little buddy and he means the world to me.

Every week I spend hundreds of dollars of shoes, make up, cabs, clothes and handbags. These things bring me momentary happiness and while I enjoy them and shopping I know their effect is fleeting and in no way compares to what Kassie and Nicholas bring to my life.
Nicholas has an unidentified syndrome that has multiple attached medical conditions. Right now it seems we know all we can know from his current doctors and additional information is needed, which means trips out of state and out of the country are necessary. Now even though I throw money around like it grows on trees we are not in the position to finance these trips. The money I spent on shoes in the month of April alone could have paid for an upcoming trip to Washington for Nicholas. I am aware of that now, and I'm disappointed with myself at the moment. But it's all good, I can make a conscious effort now.
My pledge is to simply think before I drop my card down on the counter of a store or restaurant. I'm not in a position to come up with vast amounts of funds but I can certainly make small adjustments in my spending that can have little to no impact on my daily living but can add up and give me the ability to donate towards my Nephews travels, doctors and to help others.
I take a cab to work and home every day which costs me $25 a day, if I take the bus home I will have saved $62.50 a week that I can put toward charitable efforts. I buy a $4.00 iced coffee at work every day, if I get my iced coffee at McDonald's it only costs $1.50 which will give me an extra $12.50 a week. What I'm trying to say is it's the little things that can be cut out and provide assistance to others, it seems like such a small thing but every individual dollar can help.
I am very aware of that now, possibly too aware. The amount of change that we can make happen for those in need by making these small adjustments to our daily lives is great.
I'd like to ask you all to look at your daily spending and see if you can make any changes, then pick any charity that moves you and help in any way you can.

For those of you that are interested in learning more about my little buddy please visit his website:
http://nicholasalexanderrivera.webs.com/

I also want to take a moment to thank all those who have been helping us in our efforts, we have great people around us helping by making donations, planing fundraisers, making raffle donations and donating time to our fundraisers and spreading the word. My sister Nicholas and I thank you all very much.

Shoe Porn or Shoe Horror's? Wicked Wednesday 5/12/2010

2010-05-13T15:13:00.007-04:00

I'm switching things up again with this week's Wicked Wednesday installment. As I was surfing the internet looking for a pair of plus size bubble or tap shorts I stumbled upon a fascinating pair of shoes on torrid.com.

These wolf themed platform pumps by Iron Fist literally jumped out of the screen at me. The shoe features the image of a wolf with bloody fangs on the front peep toe and it's body is detailed throughout the body of the shoe, a dainty satin bow and red sole complete the shoe. They are appropriately called the "Wolfbeater" and are a part of a very varied and interesting range of bags and shoes by Ironfist.

So here comes the switcheroo, instead of talking up the shoe porn aspects of this shoe and relating them to a type of person as I usually do I'm posing the question "What do you think of this shoe?" Is is kitschy, innovative, avant-garde, scary or just plain ugly. I'm not really sure if I like this shoe, but I don't hate it and can of see how it works. It's falling in between kitschy and kind of ugly for me.

PS:I loved the responses I received to the shoe porn challenge and will be posting about it next week!!

Shoe Porn Challenge!--Wicked Wednesday 5/5/2010

2010-05-05T21:12:00.013-04:00

I thought I would do something a bit different with this weeks shoe porn installment. First I selected a shoe that differs greatly from my previous selections and secondly I want to ask you the readers how you would wear it.
I have selected a recently purchased brogue(or oxford if you prefer) shoe from H&M. I love this shoe and I absolutely think that although its a canvas flat it qualifies as shoe pron. It's different, it's bold, it's sparkly and hey if worn in a certain way can be sexy.

Now as much as I love this shoe I quickly realized that I could only think of 1 outfit to wear it with and that was skinny jeans and a tee. Now I'll be honest I own many many many many many things that I have only worn once but times are tough and I am attempting to get more bang for my buck and would love to use this shoe more than once. It's simply too cute to be a wear once and toss aside item. Also I think that it has more than one way in which it can be used I just cannot think of any. Which is where you come in lovely readers, I want you to tell me how you would wear this shoe. What outfit of your own it works with is OK, or simply a recommendation like what type of clothing you think would work. Details are important, I do not need to know the makers of any items but style, cut and color are crucial. I am a very visual person so I am asking you to paint me a picture, or if you want to link to pictures that good as well.
There is an awesome website that I frequent called Polyvore.com. Polyvore allows users to create wardrobe collages with the millions of photos of clothes, shoes, accessories and backgrounds that have collected. It a great way to virtual "window shop", below is one of my recent polyvore set's. Please feel free to send me a polyvore if you would like, but it's not necessary.

Rock & Ruffles by tania831 featuring Rock and Republic shoes

Now I'm not going to ask you to do work without a reward, so the poster of the suggestion I select (hoping that I actually get at least 1 if not more) will be a guest blogger on a future Wicked Wednesday. You can select and write up a shoe porn selection and describe which type of partner the shoe represents.

EDITED TO ADD:
If you are going to use polyvore you do need to include the shoes in the set. Unfortunately a photo of the shoes is not available on H&M online and it takes great difficulty to add a non online store photos to a set.

Eclipse!!!!

2010-04-23T11:57:00.011-04:00

The final trailer for Eclipse premiered on Oprah today. It is ten times better than the teaser which was so tame and not indictive of the action and suspense of the Eclipse story. However it is not perfect. I'll break down the good and the bad:

The Good:
The New Born Army -their plan to kill Bella is one of the two big plot points in the book(the other is Bella's decision to stay with Edward and turn vamp or go to Jacob and stay human). The arrival of the army culminates in a huge fight between the good vamps(Cullen's)and their new allies the wolf-pack vs bad vamps(newborns). It will be special effect heavy because of the wolves and action packed because of the physical fighting between the vamps played by human actors. It had to be included and the trailer and it worked well it adds an air of suspense and thrills as we get to see our gentile Cullen's kick some ass.
The scene of them emerging from the river looks amazing. Can't wait to see it on the big screen.

Bad Ass Edward-We see Edward fighting and after his storyline dictated reduced role in New Moon seeing him in thick of action if welcome and exciting. Love the scene where he knocks down the tree Victoria is hiding in.

The Cullen's-We missed the family in New Moon and they play a huge role in Eclipse by fighting to save Bella and protect their family it's good to see them back and appropriately featured in the trailer.

The bad
Where is the love?-While the teaser showed glimpses of the triangle and the love story this final trailer gives us almost nothing, although we do see Edward place the engagement ring in her hand. They needed to find a way to adequately merge these plot points together in the trailer as they make up the focus of the movie. The way it stands right now it seems that the teaser trailer was the "chick trailer" focusing on love and proposals and the final trailer was the "dude trailer" as it focused on action. Although I do love that they have not given away the actual scene where we see him propose and her accept that huge piece of the saga should not be wasted in the commercials.

Dialogue--As in where is it? The teaser had voice overs throughout but the dialogue in this trailer ends about 30 seconds into it which is seriously confusing as the trailer jumping from place to place, angry Jacob, the Cullen's, the fight, back to the Cullen's then Victoria. The films directors do not cut the trailers but maybe they should, as they better than anyone know the narrative of the movie.

Lack of Bella-Umm pretty sure this is Bella's story but we got more Jacob than Bella, only quick flashes of her face and reactions shots.

With less than 2 months until the premiere the production has come under fire recently as word has spread that last minute re-shoots are being filmed next week. Re-shoots at the 11th hour are not a good indication however Summit entertainment is stating that they are not re-shoots of crucial scenes but pick ups (minor add ons to complete existing material). I have no clue which is the true story but what I do know is that I like millions of other Twihards will be at the theater at 12:01 am on June 30th, bring on the Eclipse!!! And for goodness sakes get a freaking move on with the filming of Breaking Dawn, Rob Pattinson will be 24 on May 13th and the dude looks like he's aged alot since Twilight which doesn't work well for the supposedly eternally 17 year old Edward.

Speaking of May 13, the TWIFECTA (Rob, Kristen, Taylor or Edward, Bella, Jacob) will be on Oprah that day! Pretty hypocritical of Oprah if you ask me, considering that she has verbally written off the Saga on her show but is now seemingly saying hey lets get the actors on my show because everyone else and their mama has.
I'm a bit skeptical about this interview, we have seen the tree interviewed together in the past and they are usually good and funny interviews but we have also seen Stewart shut down under some interviewers. Oprah likes her exclusives and getting to the heart of the story, not sure how that will work for the notoriously guarded Kristen Stewart and Rob Pattinson, who have declared that they do not address their personal lives. Also not sure how her audience will react to non-typical starlet Kristen.

Wicked Wednesday 4/21/2010 Postponed????

2010-04-21T10:48:00.003-04:00

Hello All

Well it's Wicked Wednesday and I find myself with out access to my shoe porn photos or post details. I'm trying to get the information together or to come up with a replacement shoe, I would hate to miss a Wicked Wednesday in my first month of blogging.
Look for a post late this evening.

Party Time At TARGET!!!!!

2010-04-15T09:38:00.010-04:00

Today is THE DAY I have been waiting for for a few months now. At 11:00 pm a "pop up Target shop" (temporary store) will open for 24 hours featuring the eagerly anticipated Zac Posen for Target line.

Zac Posen is one of my favorite designers. His approach is very young, modern and fresh and Natalie Portman is a close friend and muse of his. While I do think he is designing for the very tiny, ballerina sized woman I still appreciate his vision. His designs are both of the moment and classically feminine.

The line for Target features the first full length gown and tuxedo made exclusively for Target and Zac's first swimwear line anywhere. The look book and prices are now available online to help you create your shopping list.

My personal favorites are the raincoat, gold lame dress, snap tape dress and tuxedo bodysuit. I have heard that their are accessories available but have not seen any photos yet. I;m actually hoping that there are because I'm not fitting one leg in one of the dresses.

I'm not sure about you all but I'll be online on 34th Street & 8th Ave. tonight with my fellow rabid frugal fashionistas!! If you are not able to make it to the 24 hour "pop up' the collection will be in select target stores nationwide on April 25th.

Wicked Wednesday-4/14/2010 AND An Ode to Southern Belles

2010-04-14T11:50:00.020-04:00

I am a child of the 80's and the TV shows and characters of the 80's (and a good portion of the 90's) were my babysitters, best friends and guru's.
While I was a big fan of Growing Pains, Who's the Boss, Saved by the Bell, and Full House I find that those characters had no lasting impact on the woman I that I grew into. The same cannot be said for the characters from The Golden Girls, Designing Women and Beverly Hills 90210, those women had a massive impact on me and my personal sense of style.

I will not go into my obsession with Brenda Walsh of 90210 (on this post anyway) but I do want to talk about the GREAT Blanche Deveraux(Golden Girls) and Suzanne Sugarbaker(Designing Women).

Blanche was the original cougar, with an endless string of southern gentleman making their way through her tropical themed bedroom. Her clothes matched from head to toe, she got married in red and called her father Big Daddy. She was the aged Southern Belle who never gave up her vitality, personality promiscuity or style. Blanche taught me a few major lessons, like never tell anyone your real age, you can set your own rules, it's ok to need friends.

Suzanne was simply special. A former beauty queen, she lacked professional direction but retained her beauty, spirit and a sense of entitlement yet she was a good person. She lived alone in a huge mansion and walked about her home in negligee's that rivaled ballgowns, had a maid that practiced voodoo and she paraded around Atlanta with her pet big Noel(a gift from Consuela the voodoo maid). While she was quite thin when the show first started she had a significant weight gain during it's run, yet you could not contest that she was the most beautiful big girl or not.
Suzanne was who I wanted to be, she taught me the joys of tiara's, the importance of shopping, that one could retain grace in adversity and that beauty could be found in all forms. I do not wear tee shirts to bed, I do not own pajamas with pants and I do think nightgowns or are only for special or romantic occasion, this is all because of Suzanne.

These women were amazing, I was entirely too young to be watching the very adult Designing Women and Golden Girls, I had no idea what menopause was, what it felt like to have an empty nest or to be divorced but I knew one thing for certain---these women were FANCY!!! They wore silk dresses to work, wore negligee's and peignoirs not pajamas, Suzanne wore tiara's and sat at a vanity to comb her hair and they wore heels every where. The sound of Blanche's heels clicking whenever she walked onscreen is ingrained in my memory as is as the sight of Suzanne's swirling layers of chiffon sleepwear. To me they were the very epitome of femininity.
This brings me to this week's shoe porn selection, the Rosazissimo sandal by Christian Louboutin. The moment I stumbled upon a photo of this sandal my mind instantly went to Blanche and Suzanne and the feather slippers they wore.

Very sleek and clean yet the Rosazissimo sandal features a slim heel, ruching and a feather adornment. To me they seem inspired by the marabou slippers that were popular in the 80's and that can still be found at many lingerie shops. They are a 500 times improvement on their predecessor yet the retain the whimsy and allure of the pouffy original. Also this is an actual shoe as opposed to the 80's bedroom slipper.

They are increasingly difficult to find right now but came in three colors, Scarlet, Cobalt and Ivory. My personal favorite is the cobalt. That shoe in that lovely shade of blue is the perfect wedding(and wedding night shoe) to me.

I do not own this shoe and I'm not sure that I'll have $795 to spend on a feather adorned shoe no matter who absolutely gorgeous it is. But I absolutely appreciate their beauty and the memories they brought of the brassy belles that I grew up watching. I would say that when comparing this sandal to a lover I would say it's the bride, she is lovely and soft yet has an absolute sense of whimsy and delight about her.

Wicked Wednesday's 4/7/2010

2010-04-07T11:27:00.017-04:00

When it comes to style I like to think of myself a hybrid. I can identify with the classicist(think Audrey Hepburn,Coco Chanel or Charlotte York)I have deep appreciation for the safety and chic'ness of black, enjoy pearls to no end and think that pieces that are beautiful because of their sheer simplicity can be worn throughout decades.
I'm also very much into remaining on trend, there are many trends that I just ignore but occasionally a trend will come about (or come back around ie leggings and oversize sweaters) that I just love like this year stud invasion---Thanks in big part to designers like Balmain and Jimmy Choo I developed a stud obsession as did many many many others :) Which is OK and where being a hybrid comes in handy because while the trendy hipster part of me was wearing studded shoes, boots and bags the classic part of me was wearing a lovely dress with them.

And style hybrid that I am I also have a deep love and appreciation for all things Kitchy!! You know purses shaped like houses, a telephone shaped like a kiss, a purse that is an actual telephone, ginormous flower shaped rings and hearts, hearts everywhere and on every fucking thing, especially on a shoe!!! Which bring us (finally) to today's Shoe Porn selection "The Melissa" by Vivienne Westwood for Melissa DragonHeart.

This heeled peep toe pump is made in plastic and it is one of the cutest shoes ever!!! This shoe looks like it belongs to Barbie or in my nieces dress up trunk but is made for us grownup's and I think I am in love with it. This isn't a super sultry shoe, it's a fun shoe but it's still sexy and it's different you are not likely to encounter another woman in your office( yes I would and certainly will wear this shoe to work)or dinner party party wearing this pretty pump. I love this shoe, it screams summer in NYC, sundresses and ice cream to me. It's completely impractical and that why it's wonderful.
I would say this shoe is like champagne, it just makes me happy and smiley. It's available in a few color combination's so that you can find the perfect level of cute for yourself. While it is not a part of my personal collection yet, it is currently on it's way to me in the Gold (the yellow which was my first love is no longer available) from the good people at Saks 5th avenue.

Finally to equate this shoe to a lover I would say that she is (this shoe is all girl, all the time) the Summer Romance Girl--The girl you meet at a party and she's wearing a halter dress or pink shorts while having drinks & dancing but you can also have a conversation with, because there are thoughts behind her lively appearance. She is fun and sweet and not at all lacking in sex appeal.

PS: I wasn't kidding when I said I loved hearts everywhere, here is a prime example of my love of all things, hearts, kitschy and shiny all wrapped into 1 shoe by the Queen of kitsch herself Betsey Johnson. These wedges are one of my favorite purchases from last summer.

Eclipse Spin-Off: Milking the Twilight Cash Cow or Reason To get Excited?

2010-03-31T13:51:00.014-04:00

Yesterday a press release announcing that Stephanie Meyer would be releasing a 192 page novella titled "The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner" based on a Bree a minor character from the third novel in the Twilight Saga made it's rounds in the media. Some Twihards are super excited about this, me not so much.
Stephanie Meyer is famous for maintaining close contact with her fans via her website, which includes multiple outtakes from the 4 books in the saga. Readers can also find the first 13 chapters of "Midnight Sun" on her site, for those who don't know, Midnight Sun was the planned 5th book in the Twilight Saga and is a retelling of Twilight from Edwards perspective. The first draft of the manuscript was leaked by an insider and Meyer decided to make it available via her site promising that her next book would be Midnight Sun.
Now it's two 2 years and 2 ridiculously successful movies later and just in time for movie number 3 she has decided to release this novella which is based on a character from book/movie #3.
The character Bree appears in one scene in the approximately 700 page Eclipse, part of the army of vampires sent to kill Bella she surrenders to the Cullen's who offer to show her the way but kick ass Volturi Hench-Woman Jane kills her instead. The novella will show her journey with the army of bad vampires(lead by Victoria and Riley) from Seattle to Forks.
It could be an OK story, but truth be told I simply do not care about the character(s). We all know why Victoria goes on her mission, we all read when Riley realized he was a tool in Victoria's quest for vengeance and we all read Bree describing how she and the other newborns were brought into Victoria's Army. All three characters die in Eclipse, we know who they are, what they do, why they do it, and we know how they reach their demise. There are an infinite number of spin off options and according to many online polls that were made after yesterday's announcement people would have preferred it if she wrote about anyone else.
Me personally I would prefer reading the completed "Midnight Sun", as the ""would be fifth book in the series it benefited from better writing and stronger story telling. It also let's the readers see the where Edward's darkness comes from.
My verdict is that this is not a reason to get excited but an example of further milking of the Twilight cash cow, you know the milking I'm talking about: Edward panties, Jacob ice cream bars, Bella lipgloss and a novella about insignificant characters.
On the plus side, it will be available for free online for a period of time and $1 from the 13.95 selling price will be donated to charity.

Wicked Wednesday-Shoe Porn

2010-03-31T11:10:00.013-04:00

In my post on my theory of "Shoe Porn" I stated that it would become a weekly feature, now Wicked Wednesday's has been born. Every Wednesday I will detail a new Shoe Porn find. Sometimes the shoes will be from my personal collection others will be online or magazine finds.

Today's shoe is a peep toe boot from my personal collection. I love this boot!! When the package arrived, I slipped it on and my worn down "work sucked the very life & joy out of me" attitude changed. I instantly felt the desire to go out and make something happen, it's was like shoe Viagra awakening the lifeless.

If I had to compare this particular shoe to a lover (see previous post) I think it would be a hybrid of a Dominatrix and a Bad-Boy. Similar to the bad-boy with it's air of the dark and mysterious(the stitched leather and zipper detailing scream biker boy) it also has a decidedly kick ass feminine aspect (the multiple straps and hints of skin are very "bondage" you almost expect a whip to be a part of the outfit, while the peep toe and skinny heel keep it approachable & sexy). It's a bit hardcore, a bit edgy and calls attention to itself.

The Epic Battle of: Fatgirl VS Skinny Jeans

2010-03-24T15:27:00.020-04:00

I have recently encountered one of the biggest shopping challenges ever...trying to find a pair of skinny jeans. Sounds easy enough right? Skinny jeans have been around for years now and are being sold by the millions in every shop imaginable. However let us not forget that I am in fact a fat girl, and that fact made the search for jeans 100 times more challenging than anything I had previously encountered (including the hunt for knee high boots that fit my calves).
So if it's such a challenge why bother? Why not wear regular fit jeans? Well I love shoes, boots, even sneakers and the best way to show off nice footwear is with skinny jeans or a skirt. So I started my search for a pair.

First there was a delay because it took the manufactures of plus size clothes quite a while to jump on the skinny jean bandwagon and once they did they managed to do it all wrong. Case in point below is a pic of me wearing my first pair of "skinny jeans"(HAH!). I purchased them online from an unnamed department store last spring...the manufacturer is calling these jeans "skinny" and I'm calling BULLSHIT!! A skinny jean should fit right on your ankle there should be little to no empty space between the jean and your skin around the calf and ankle. This jean is practically boot cut.

After that debacle I decided it was time to go shopping in person. I will admit that I had a bit of an issue strolling into stores as an obviously non skinny person and saying "oh I'm looking for skinny jeans", I always felt like I was being judged even though I never received so much as a raised eyebrow. Anyhoo six months and many stores later I have figured out a few things:

#1 Florescent lights are a bitch and a half. I know myself and I know clothes really well so I can go into any store pick up an article of clothing and know how it's going to fit without ever having to try it on. For this skinny jean hunt I ventured into fitting rooms for the first time in years, and found myself bouncing around tiny little rooms as I tried on jeans. I was sweating like a pig and fighting the urge to strip naked because of the heat from the ever present fluorescent track lighting. May I say that looking a hot mess never encourages me to shop so fitting room fail.

#2 As your jean size goes up so does the circumference of the ankle on the jeans so while you may find a true skinny jean in say a size 14 by the time you get to the top of the size chart which I believe is a 28 the ankle has increased significantly however not every big girl has thick ankles or calves. Case in point my nameless friend (who is a woman of size) was very excited a few weeks back when she ordered a pair of skinny jeans online and was very disappointed when they arrived and found that because of her slim calves and ankles her skinny jean turned into a straight leg. I warned her that would happen.

#3 Expensive is not always better. I detest buying work pants...you know beyond plain, un-fun, blah black slacks....because of my intense hatred I refuse to spend good money on them. I found that Ashley Stewart has line of "professional pants" that sells for $20-29. Now I do not like Ashley Stewart AT ALL, the clothes are usually tacky, poorly made and for some reason they are under the impression that plus size women like to wear massive amounts of leopard prints and pleather, but they make a good cheap "work pant". On a random trip to buy work pants I happened upon their stretch skinny jeans, and was shocked to see how well they actually worked. Unlike my $80 online purchase their 29.99 skinny jean was almost perfect and they come in petite which is great because I'm almost hobbit sized.
And they come on colors! Hot pink pants woohoo!! I think I want to get a shirt that says "Hot Pants" to wear with my pink jeans...kidding.

#4 Denim leggings are not skinny jeans but a close alternative. Both Target and Torrid offer denim leggings and they sell from from $20-$60. The Target version is very much a stretch jersey cotton legging stitched and dyed to look like jeans. Torrid offers a alternative by Z.Cavaricci that is a verrrrrrry verrrrrry light weight soft denim, and unlike the Target alternative these have pockets and button/zipper closures. I used the Torrid leggings for the 6 months it took me to find the Holy Grail of fat girl denim.

#5 Classics are classics for a reason....after months of searching I finally found a absolutely perfect pair of true skinny jeans in plus size made by non other than Levis. Perfect inside a boot or with pumps and cute sneakers. I had put off my search once I found the Ashley Stewart jeans but was surfing on Macys.com a couple of weeks ago looking for cropped "Boyfriend" jeans and peep toe booties when I my eyes caught sight of the "You might like" bar on the side of page and there they were, what looked like the perfect jeans reduced to $40 so I took a chance and placed them in my online shopping cart. They arrived this Monday and I literally screamed in excitement as I pulled the motherfuckers on (sorry, my jubilation has led to a potty mouth). I was shocked they are the perfect length and color, close fit from waist right down to ankles and they still managed to allow for a comfortable range of motion. I love them so....the Levi's Plus Ultraskinny jeans are currently available in indigo or black(I bought black).

So the fat girl emerged victorious in her quest to find plus size skinny jeans....my next challenge has yet to present it self but I'm game.

Shoe Porn

2010-03-23T09:44:00.022-04:00

I often mention Shoe Porn and no one around me has any idea what I'm talking about. So today I'm going to explain the wonder of shoe porn.
Your typical porn magazine provides visual fantasy for the reader, they look at the photos of highly airbrushed women in supposedly sexy poses and they...well lets be honest they use these images to get off. It's about looking at something they may consider beautiful, hot, sexy or naughty and using it to bring on a visceral experience(orgasm anyone).
Shoe porn is similar, but instead of ogling the pages of Playboy you ogle Vogue. While you can get a shoe anywhere there aren't many of us who can drop $1000 on a pair of fuckhawt Luboutin's, so they become an object of fantasy. Something pretty and unattainable that is fun to look at. And while admiring shoes does not lead to heavy breathing and screaming(unless you are kinky that way)a person who appreciates the beauty of a shoe feels happy after admiring the pretty.
And it can at times be a more tactile experience, because unlike the women who live on the pages of magazines and in DVD players you can easily purchase a shoe that makes you happy or feel hot.

This brings me to my next point the shoegasm. Similar to an orgasm, a shoegasm is the sense of euphoria that comes over a person when they find that perfect shoe. It can come in many forms, a big a loud "FUCK YES!" brought on by a hot stiletto, or a happy cry of "pretty, pretty,pretty, pretty" brought on my a girlie sandal, or a soft whimper of "oooooh" brought on by changing into an uber comfortable pair of Ugg boots after a long day of stomping the streets of NYC in heels.

Finally there is my comparison of types shoes & types of lovers---

This shoe is the equivalent of the Badboy---it's dark and dangerous and it makes you feel tough and hot by association.

This is the "I kissed a Girl" or the girl on girl shoe if you will, eternally soft, frilly, romantic and pretty it can not be tied to masculine energy in any way.

The Husband-Tried and true this shoe is the guy you have been married to for 20 years. he knows you and supports you and is reliable if nothing else.

This is the Musician-The musician is cool, sexy, slightly aloof, and adds an air of badass. You're the cool chick if you're hanging out with the band and you're the cool chick if you're wearing this shoe.

This is the Debonair shoe, it could be new or it could be vintage. It's kind of like the Pierce Brosnan or Sean Connery of shoes. It's classic and beautiful and just as good if not better 20 years down the line.

So that's my definition of shoe porn. I will frequently add a pic or post on new examples of shoe porn. So now that I sufficiently made myself look like some kinky foot fetishist (I assure you I have no such fetish) I shall sign off and get to thinking about my next topic of conversation.

Chhhhherry Bomb!!!!

2010-03-22T12:46:00.017-04:00

After months of going back and forth on getting this blog up and running I am finally making my first post. I think it is fairly appropriate that I am popping my "blogging cherry" with a review of "The Runaways" whose biggest hit was the song "Cherry Bomb". Eww cant believe
I just wrote that.
So I'm a big fan of Joan Jett....like a huge fan..."Bad Reputation" and "Little Liar" are two of my personal anthems. I'm such a big fan that I converted my six year old Hannah Montana loving niece into a Joan Jett fan.

When I read about the biopic based on The Runaways I was super excited especially when I heard that Kristen Stewart would be starring as Joan Jett because I think that girl is kind of a bad ass and if you're going to play the queen of bad ass you need to be one yourself.
Now I get that people hate Twilight but I really think that the actors should not be judged on the Twilight films, it's hard to make something out of source material that includes some of the corniest lines ever to be published.

But back to The Runaways, music biopics can be very good (Walk the line) but can also quickly fall into a kitschy costume piece that's more about big name actors wanting to play Rock N' Roller than about telling a story. The Runaways is a good movie, it's not epic and it wont turn the movie industry on it side but it holds it own which is not easy for independent movies in this day and age. Made for under 10 million dollars in the summer of 2009 the film rounded up a great cast, is visually gritty, honest and respectful of the story it is telling.

The movie serves as an inspiration/cautionary tale. Cherrie falls hard and fast, Joan stumbles but perseveres and becomes one of the biggest Rock N' Roll icons of all time(note I did not say female icons, Joan is too big for that, she is not a female rocker she is a rocker period.)
The strength of the film comes from the performances, Stewart as Joan Jett and Michael Shannon as the bands manager/svengali are the standouts.

Stewart serves as the spine/anchor of the movie and the band. She plays the role with the quiet intensity of the real Joan. She is vulnerable, open and I want to say raw in her delivery. In every scene that she is onscreen but not the focus of the scene you want her to be the focus. The role of Cherrie is undoubtedly more flashy and fun and has more screen time but the role of Joan has more depth (or is played with more depth) and more heart. Stewart literally becomes Joan, walking like her(like a boy), writing with her left hand, adopting an east coast accent, loses her own trademark ticks (lip biting and blinking) and taking on Joan's ticks.
An acoustic guitar player she learned how to play the electric guitar in 3 weeks so that she could do her own guitar playing and singing in the film. Her impersonation of Joan singing is so spot on it even confused me with her rendition of "I love Playing with Fire" almost identical to the original. For those who question her acting ability based on Twilight her performance in The Runaways is a great big fuck you....and an example of her believability and skill.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXE9W3Ryk6Q

Her standout moments in the film are fairly evenly dispersed but as Joan comes into her own toward the movies end so does Kristen. The breakup scene is my favorite, we see her in this dark studio looking OK and as things start to fall apart she angrily tries to keep it together. The lights come on and we see what time, drugs and life on the road have done to her. The moment where she jumps at the glass and finally says fuck you is one of if not the most powerful moment in the movie.
Other great moments include the her first appearance onscreen where she pours a bag of loose change on a thrift store counter and tells the shopkeeper" I want what he's wearing" pointing to a guy in a leather biker jacket we then see her running down the Sunset Strip as the title card comes up.
There are a multitude of moments and I wont mention them all because I want everyone to see this movie not just read about it.

Shannon is a scene stealer, I have not seen his previous work but dude owns the screen whenever he is on. His character could have become a complete joke because of his outrageous wardrobe, makeup and one liners but truth is Kim Fowley really is that out there. He is given what have to be the best lines in the movie and he delivers them flawlessly and dynamically like when he finds 15 year old Cherie in a club and knows he's found the final piece to the all girl band and exclaims "Jail fucking bait, Jack Fucking Pot!". He delivers his outlandish and sexists one liners without letting his character become the joke, examples of this brilliance are:

"You bitches are going to be bigger than the Beatles"
"You pussies showed those punks how to cock fight"
"I'm teaching you bitches how to think with your cocks"
'Men want to see women in two places, in their kitchens or on their knees. Not on stage with guitars"
"This is not about women's lib it's about women's libido" speaking to Joan about what they are trying to build together
"Do the death dance bitches" this is a scene where he pays teenage boys to throw garbage and poop at the girls so they can prepare themselves for hecklers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTcDyZJ5DOQ

OK so this getting pretty long so I'm going to say what really worked and what could have been better. What works:
This film is the first biopic of an all female band and it takes that honor seriously writer/director Floria Sigismondi weaves her tale well, infusing it with humor, heart and bad ass attitude. A music video director this is her first feature and her gritty yet beautiful imagery is stunning at times. Her musical performance sequences are amazing and casting the movie with two leads who could sing their own parts was a good move as no one wants to see lip syncing.
Wardrobe, for a movie with a limited budget they went all out,the pieces are true to the late 70's but they never come off as costumey (except the actual stage costumes).
The little details, the details that only super fans notice. They are plentiful in this movie, for example we see Joan enter the English Disco and we hear a cover of her future hit "Do you wanna touch me". Later in a moment of reflection we see her listening to music from the street, the song is The Arrows "I love Rock N Roll" which Joan covered and it became her first number 1. We also see her pick up a white Gibson guitar in her panties singing along to the song while jumping up and down on her bed, the guitar in question is a Gibson Melody Maker and it was her signature guitar during her rise to solo fame. We also see her in a bathtub reciting lyrics and writing a song, the lyrics she is reciting are to Joan's song "Love is Pain" That attention to detail really adds to the movie.

The title of the Runaways is a bit misleading as it is really the story of Cherie and Joan. However a bit more of the other Runaways would have good. Lita Ford only comes onscreen for about 5 lines(Ford would not sign off on the film) and the fictional bass player Robin Robins does not say one word in the whole film.

There are no clear notations of the passing of time but if you pay super close attention you may notice Joan's haircut changes subtly throughout the movie this is done to depict the passing of years, however very few will notice these details. It seems that mere months have passed when in fact the film spans approximately three years.
There is also an out of place sequence where we see Joan in a tub the image transitions to her body floating in an ocean. This fantasy sequence is odd because it is not a dream, hallucination or fantasy sequence.

Finally my thoughts on Dakota Fanning as Cherrie. Fanning has some strong moments, her drunken grocery shopping is a favorite moment of mine and she plays the innocent well. She also delivers in the musical performance scenes, like Stewart she does her own singing but does not impersonate Cherrie's voice which is good because Cherrie was not a good singer. But I don't think she was quite ready for this role. There is no difference in her portrayal of a drug free girl dancing in her room to a coked up girl dancing in a Japanese hotel. She shares good chemistry with Stewart and you believe in their friendship she also works well with Riley Keough (Elvis Pressley's granddaughter) who plays her twin sister.

So the good outweighs the not so good by a ton. Go see this movie! If not for the great music see it because it's about women, directed by a woman and executive produced by a woman.

There you have it my first ever blog post!! My next post is all about shoe porn and the shoegasm's it leads to.