I'm Starting to Feel Like My Old Self Again

Chanel Chic by Mama Fashionista featuring Missoni

Items in this set:
Cowl neck knit jumper, 675 GBP
Brian Atwood Matrix leather boots, $1,170
City Bag, 1,045 GBP
Twisted Silver - Fine and Funky Jewelry Accessories, $40
Floppy Felt Hat, $19

So lovelies, I have lost 8 pounds... so proud/happy! Still have a LONG way to go to get back to my svelte figure of yesteryear (though truthfully, I'll never be a size zero again, my girls have gifted me with ample T&A), but I'm working my way to a smaller, healthier me, bit by bit. So the Polyvore ensemble above is a tribute to the sexy chic look that I gravitate towards when I'm truly comfortable in my skin. Notice the balance: though it is short, the boots cover a lot of leg, the arms are completely covered and there's even a chapeaux (I love hats!)! Lots of Chanel accessories (you can never go wrong there) and a lovely ring from Twisted Silver (LOVE those ladies; will blog about soon!). Notice that the bag doesn't exactly match. I often do that intentionally IRL, in such a way that some item I have on stands out (so that people may say "where did that come from, it doesn't really fit in with the rest") and thus sets me apart and makes my presence known.

Even the hubby doesn't get that little ism of mine; he wants everything coordinated and matching. He's very much into...not blending in... but not really making a splash by being different. Sometimes I have to remind him that if it were not for my being different from the norm, he may have never even noticed me. I've always been a bit of an oddball and kind of proud and very accepting of my idiosyncrasies. To be truthful, there may have been a time in my life when I was very overtly eccentric, it was actually very liberating. As I've gotten older, I've toned down a bit, but some of the old me is starting to shine through again. And I gladly welcome her back! I hope you all will too (some day :P )... 'Til next time...


Fashion Forever...


Quinn

PS-Don't forget the butter LONDON give away (you MUST become a follower and use butter LONDON nail lacquers in your entry (not just say pink and red)! I love the comments so far, thank you so much for being creative and telling a story with your collections because that is truly what fashion is really about! Also the 15% discount at Anique Michelle is still available. Get shopping! xoxo

OMG! RDJ as SH is OOC! *

*Translation-Oh my God! Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock Holmes is Out Of Control!

Give It Away, Give It Away, Give It Away Now...

butter LONDON GIVE AWAY! ENTER NOW!

Up for Grabs: Perfect Finish Foot Creme, Nail Foundation (base coat), Hardwear (top coat), HRH and Yummy Mummy (3 free nail lacquers)

butter LONDON stormed NYC Fashion Week

butter LONDON stormed NYC Fashion Week this season, with the introduction of British Racing Green. Hand mixed by our very own Creative Director Nonie Creme for the Vena Cava show, this shade has already been noticed by Vogue, W Magazine, Lucky, Ladies Home Journal, and Redbook.

butter LONDON Featured on The Tyra Banks Show!

butter LONDON nail lacquers were featured on The Tyra Banks Show - Beauty Across America!

Hardwear-Lock your lacquer. Our quick dry, ultra glossy, non-toxic topcoat protects your lacquer, extending the life of your manicure.




Nail Foundation-the flawless basecoat



Perfect Finish Foot Creme-Imagine a product that contains the same active ingredients found in your anti-perspirant, suspended in Shea and Cocoa butter. Add a touch of Camphor for cooling, some Triclosan to prevent microbial growth, and you are looking at one special foot creme.

No lovelies, my pretty pink net book was not hijacked by tricky, duplicitous advertisers. I just wanted to give a proper introduction to some of the fantastic products that can be yours (yes, yours!) if you win...MY FIRST GIVEAWAY!

That's right! Thanks to the lovely Nonie Creme, Creative Director of butter LONDON, I am offering my readers a chance to win a gift pack that includes: Nail Foundation (base coat), Hardwear (top coat), Yummy Mummy (a medium beige that is simply stunning on EVERY skin colour, 3 free nail lacquer, not pictured), HRH (a proper purple, 3 free nail lacquer, not pictured), and Powder Finish Foot Creme (all together it retails for about $92!).

All of butter LONDON's polishes are "3 free," meaning that they are free of the three toxic chemicals commonly found in nail polishes: Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP), Formaldehyde, and Toluene. Oh and (after such a serious statement as that this may sound silly, but hey) they give their lacquers the cutest, cleverist British names! HRH is short for "her royal highness" (as in Queen Elizabeth), which is perfect for the royal shade of purple. And Yummy Mummy is Brit slang for "impossibly slender, beautiful, stay at home mums," and you know I love that seeing as my goal in life is to be a yummy mummy and all ( I'm close, just gotta work on the "impossibly slender" part!).

"So, how do I get my hands on such awesomeness?"-you may be anxiously wondering. Well obviously by taking visit to butter LONDON's website. Or... you can win it here!

From the time I was about 8 years old, whenever I got to pick a treat or had saved some allowance, I always got Lee Press On Nails. I always felt so grown up and pretty when I had on those long, fake fingernails (albeit, they only stayed on until the first time I washed my hands and my mother had me petrified that they would stay on permanantly and suffocate my real nails if I ever slept with them on overnight). As I grew older (and my hand steadier) I would give myself a weekly mani/pedi and literally changed my polish with outfit (or mood). Then when I got my first job at 16, I began making regular trips to the salon to have my nails done professionally. So I guess you could say that nail polish (and lip smackers) is my first make up love.

Even now, when I'm not feeling my poshest, when I paint my nails, it's the perfect little pick me up. At any given time, I have on at least 3 different shades of polish (one on my toes, and two different shades on my fingers-a trick that I picked up from Greta's Guide!) My choice combination of butter LONDON shades is London Underground with Billy No Mates for my hands and Mariner for my toes. In order to win the marvelous prize pack from butter LONDON, all you have to do is become a follower of Mama Fashionista, visit the butter LONDON website and leave a comment here telling me your fave color combination for the perfect mani/pedi. Please pick two shades and specify which one you would use on your hands and which one you would use on your feet. Nonie and I will pick our favorite, most creative color combo and send you a lovely basket of goodies! Please include your name and email address in your comments (we won't spam you but you will be added to butter LONDON's mailing list to receive updates on new releases, and promotional offers). The contest is open to readers in the US only (sorry international people!) and will run until 11:59 pm EST October 31, 2009. The winner will be notified via email by November 3, 2009.
So have fun and best wishes! Remember to be creative! 'Til next time...


Fashion Forever...


Quinn


FYI-Your entry will count twice if you also become a fan of Mama Fashionista on Facebook. Just let me know in your comments!


PS- Don't miss out on your chance to save 15% at Anique Michelle on line! Use promo code "mama" at check out through October 31 for your exclusive discount.

*descriptions of the butter LONDON products and their pictures were obtained from Nonie Creme and www.butterlondon.com

Closing (in on) the Gap

My youngest daughter is the hubby's firstborn and spitting image. It would be the understatement of the century to say that he is utterly infatuated with her and has been since birth (as well he should be). So it was not a huge surprise when I realized that today is the one year anniversary of the first time we took her to have studio pictures done; in fact we have averaged at least one session a month since that first photo shoot.


Equipped with that knowledge, as well as the fact that we have been snapping pictures of her constantly (with both of our Blackberry's and the family digital camera) since her introduction to the world, it should also not be a shock to me that at this most recent photo shoot, my 16 month old daughter actually posed. And I don't mean the normal hamming it up for the camera that she's been doing for months now (though she really went to town this time; the hubby was playing her favorite MJ jams and she had an audience to perform for), but full on hand on her cocked hip, over the shoulder looking, head tilted to the side posing. Not to mention the precocious smile and animated dancing. Suffice it to say, it was a fruitful session, so much so the hubby wants to submit her photo for the Gap Casting Call.


Now of course I think she's a winner (we definitely have the makings of a little model here; not to mention her big sister, her photo session is next week) and obviously so does the hubby (he's ready to go out and get her a manager/agent). But I'll admit, we may be just a little bit biased. So I'll ask you, what do you think? Is she Gap material? Should we consider a career in child modeling? Let me know. 'Til next time...


Fashion Forever...

Quinn


BTW-All the clothes she's wearing in the pictures (including the headband and those adorable sunnies) are from GAPkids (we think that may improve our odds). Her jewelry (bangle in the first picture and earrings throughout) are courtesy of one of my lovely sponsors Bebe Bling. You'll be hearing more about them soon. Also, stay tuned...I'm starting my first giveaway tomorrow and it's HUGE!


PS-FYI: Though we really are entering our girls in the Gap modeling contest dealie, I'm so not a stage mom it's not funny. I'm my girls' biggest cheerleader in everything they do, but something about the baby/child modeling world totally skeeves me out. So take this post with a grain of salt; it was meant to be a bit tongue in cheek. Just don't want you guys to think I'm some creepy pusher. I'm just the proud, yummy mummy of two intelligent, precocious, thoughtful, beautiful girls! Okay... enough gushing. xoxo

Experiment

Date Night by Mama Fashionista featuring Alexander McQueen accessories

Items in this set:
Juicy Couture | Izzie leather shoe boots | NET-A-PORTER.COM, 305 GBP
Velvet Box Frame Clutch: Buy Moyna Handbags Clothing, $145
Markus Lupfer Studded jersey leggings, $360
Nancy Caten Chunky silver bracelet, $245
Brass Multi-Strand Necklace, 165 GBP

So this is my first attempt at using Polyvore on the blog. I call this set "Date Night." Let me know if you guys like it and I'll keep playing around with it. Polyvore is an absolutely awesome website. It's kinda like playing ultimate fantasy dress up for fashionistas.

I envision wearing this ensemble out with the hubby to our favorite tapas bar (Eclipse Di Luna) and maybe a little dancing afterward to sweat off the fabulous mojitoes (mango is my fave) and burn some calories consumed from the yummy dishes they have to offer (their paella is TDF). Oh to dream the dream. Here's to hoping date night (without the kiddies) happens sometime in my near future (with or without this outfit!)... 'Til next time...


Fashion Forever...


Quinn


PS-The 15% discount at Anique Michelle is good through October 31. Just enter promo code "mama" at checkout!

Lusitania or Titanic: You Be the Judge

When I made the decision to blog, I also made the decision to devote time to educating myself (to the best of my ability) on my chosen subject matter. To that affect, I immediately ordered subscriptions to several publications: Vogue, W, Elle, Marie Claire, etc. I anxiously began to check the mail everyday (who am I kidding, most times I sent PS out to the mailbox), in anticipation of receiving these harbingers of style, my connection to the world of fashion at large.

See, up to this point, my day, my life, my world has revolved around being a wife and mother. I live and breath for my family. Every month I got no less than four parenting magazines and Women's Health (in an effort to motivate me and give me direction as far as losing the baby fat). But my subscriptions to In Style and Glamour...I let those lapse. And somewhere along the line, I let myself lapse too.

Life is about balance. Recognizing all the things that you are (to yourself and others) and endeavoring to give them equal play in your life is a challenge we all face. I struggled in that race for equilibrium for a while. But doing this has helped to restore some of my balance.

Imagine my delight when PS came back from the mailbox with the first Vogue from my subscription (prior to that, I had purchased the September issue sometime in August and the October issue in September) and then my sudden dismay at discovering that, though it was October (and my subscription had been placed in late August), I had received...the September issue. Though slightly annoyed, I calmly called customer service and explained the situation and the nice lady on the phone was very sympathetic and understanding and resolved the issue to the best of her ability. All in all, I was appeased (though still slightly annoyed) and decided to give one of the copies to my budding fashion designer. Problem solved, right?




Not so much. A few days later, I am once again overjoyed when PS returns from the mailbox with a publication I immediately recognize because of it's distinctive size, W. While I had at a point in my life been a regular reader of Vogue, this was my first experience with W and I was beyond ecstatic to familiarize myself with it's sophisticated style. So you can bet I was crestfallen when I discovered that it is not the November (or even October) issue that one would expect at this time, but the September issue...




So I hop on the phone with customer service, once again, and come to a similar resolution, once again. Then I come to a realization-both periodicals are owned by Conde Nast. And the mothership is having issues, n’est-ce pas ? Six of their major publications have been discontinued in the last two months or so (Domino, Cookie, Gourmet, Conde Nast Portfolio and two of their wedding titles) and layoffs abound. So maybe I should just be happy that I received my magazines at all; they seriously have bigger things to deal with right now.

But now I'm worried. Are these beloved bastions of style and taste and fashion and pretty in danger? Will we wake up one morning to discover (probably on Twitter if you're anything like me) that the fashion Bible that is Vogue is no longer to be printed (though if they wanted to drop the guillotine on French Vogue it could be forgiven. I mean really, black face as an artistic statement, COME ON!)? Oh fashion gods, let that black day never come!

Well darlings, mommyhood is calling me, so I must be off. Do you have any suggestions as far as additional magazines I may be interested in? What are your must read monthlies? Let me know. 'Til next time...


(And don't forget, through the month of October, you can get 15% off at Anique Michelle boutique by using the promo code "mama" at check out!)

(Oh and the covers pictured here are both October issues and obtained from Conde Nast)

Fashion Forever...


Quinn