Everyone Worth Knowing

Last night's DC Devil Wears Prada premiere confirmed a few things for me:
1.) Adrian Grenier is hot as hell. Not groundbreaking news, I know, but seeing him on a 20' screen confirms it without a doubt, even if his character was a bit predictable.

2.) Anna Wintour is a genius, and Meryl Streep playing her is brilliant. Maybe it's because I'm past the intern stage, but in the book, Lauren Weisberger came off as a whiny intern to me. She came off better here, but Anna/Miranda/Meryl still comes out as the woman on top who speaks the truth, knows that to stay atop the heap in that competitive of a field you need to stay 100% focused all the time, has no time for incompetence, and knows that there are cold, hard decisions to make that are no fun for anyone, and the one on top has to make them. Heartless, but true. And the older I get the more I realize it (although I'm still not sure if I want to be the person making those decisions or the one judging them).

3.) DC does have a burgeoning crop of fashionistas. And they're smart, fabulous, fun, decent women that are incredible to be around.

4.) The after party: perfection. It was, I believe (and confirmed by Kate Gibbs of Capitol File) the first Hollywood-style gifting suite staged in DC. It even included a raffle of the $4,000 Baume & Mercier watch (donated by Bailey Banks & Biddle) featured in the movie (and pictured above with my beloved Co-Op Platforms). Participants included Grooming Lounge, Graham Webb, MAC, Roche Salon, Parma Spa, Prada cosmetics, Twelve, Godiva and Mercedes who sponsored the entire event plus donated the fabulous seersucker shoe bags at the movie and the fab red gifting bags at the Suite. But you already knew that.

5.) Aba Kwawu is a damn genius. She's my hero for being the mastermind behind this extravaganza.

6.) The stats: about $5,000 was raised for Suited for Change, plus countless accessories were donated for the thousands of women SFC helps move from welfare to work by providing them with career wardrobes (combined with career and life skills training).

7.) You looked fabulous. Especially after having your lips done at the MAC lipstick bar.

In Tomorrow's Episode, The Role of "Chin" Will Be Played by Zelda

While reserving my spot for tomorrow night's festivites, I overlooked one thing...I didn't hold a place for my companion. She definitely needs her own rsvp-I'm surprised she didn't receive her own invitation. Who is this VIP denied an rsvp? She's the humongous zit that reappeared staged a coup d'état on my chin this week. She needs a fabulous name: let's go ahead and call her Zelda.

Zelda first came into my life on vacation a few weeks ago; she showed up with the nightly wine/toll house cookie entree that was the core of my diet that week (reward for dropping the last of the baby weight finally this year, not due to any exercise or sensible diet--just due to stress). I tried to bid her adieu, even going so far as getting sun on my face in a feeble attempt to tan her off (2 rounds of Renova and one round of IPL* be damned). No luck.

When I came home, she finally realized that she had worn out her welcome. For a short spell. Until a quick round of PMS and a bag of Utz Salt & Pepper Potato Chips downed in one sitting brought her right back out for an encore.

I've cleared out every cabinet trying to find the cure, some of which is pictured above: Kiehl's mask circa the late 90's; Pat Wexler scrub (damn you to hell for disappointing me again, Ms. Wexler); Rivage clay masque (the woman at NM told me Queen Rania uses it--how could I say no?); Calamine lotion (it says "drying" and looks like Mario Badescu's drying potion which my favorite store was out of--figured it was worth a shot); Tea Tree Oil; random Avon lotion with Glycolic Acid. (not pictured: Toll House Chocolate Chips; Evil Black Cloud of PMS).

So if you're there tomorrow night, be sure to stop Zelda and I on the red carpet. I'll be glad to introduce you.

*IPL was the equivalent of gathering $1,800, carefully stacking the currency just so, carrying it across the room making sure not to drop it, then flushing it down the toilet. My many, many procedures: a future entry, I promise. Trust me, there are MANY. It could be a blog onto itself.

The Party's Over
I skipped the Klinger Spa opening in Chevy Chase* last night (Did anyone go? How was it?), in lieu of a champagne reception at IndeBleu. A 3 hour "drive" (gridlock would be a more appropriate word) to traverse about 2 miles, but at the end was a magnum of Veuve Clicquot and some of my absolutely favoritest people in this whole town. So well worth it.

Today, I headed up to C-Mart for one final turn. Obsessed with a black Chloe pleated babydoll dress that they've marked down four times already. Is currently $485, originally about $1,600; thought it would look fabulous for tomorrow night's DWP premiere. I'd tried it on a few times before and thought it looked great, but there's something about that final analysis before you pull the trigger--and in that light, I just couldn't do it. So off it went in lieu of a cute brown Plenty number--for $79. Things are starting to get picked over--the Catherine Malandrino dress (Most Beautifully Crafted Dress Ever) now has buttons missing--and they're not easily replaceable, which was a bummer. I think that my just be my last C-Mart go-round for now (until their next shipment of fabulous!). But it was a good run, friends. Hope you were able to do a lap (and if you're in the area, it just might be worth a look).

Sales are starting to heat up here, too: Sugar/Sassanova's 40% off sale starts on July 1, and I just got word that Muleh will be doing a private 75% off sale in July. But alas, my head is already on to fall (seriously considering pre-ordering the fabulous Chloe Camoscio Booties--but can you wear them without that Balenciaga riding hat that would look pretty ridiculous on everyone NOT featured in a Vogue spread?).

*Side marketing note: great repositioning of their brand in my opinion. Ol' Georgette was getting pretty stodgy, even if she did have great facials! Their new product line seems good as well--I got a few samples at the Collections Launch last month and was pretty impressed.

Damn You, Lindsay
I headed back up to C-Mart today--all of their Intermix dresses were marked down to $79(!), and I have NOTHING to wear to next week's Devil Wears Prada premiere/Suited for Change benefit. Must look fabulous.

My partner-in-shopping-crime tried on and camethisclose to buying what could be the most beautifully crafted dress ever (save for couture)--from Catherine Malandrino--again, for SEVENTY NINE DOLLARS. It wasn't perfect on her, but would look great on you, I just know it. Their selection of stuff is pretty vast--still worth the drive.

Unfortunately, unless I was going to add in a $17,900 boob job, everything looked like absolute crap on me. I did get a really cute C&C tee ($20, orig. $59) a pair of Vince knee-length cuffed pants ($59, orig. $168) and a huge bottle of Kiehl's vanilla lotion ($15/$29).

And then, from across the ghetto dive landscape (riddled with racks of Carolina Herrera blouses and cases containing Luella purses--it's really a strange place), I heard a shriek and a saw a flash of red patent. The shriek was my friend B; the red patent was a pair of Fendi flats. With. The. Buckle. Only two pairs left, both half price, one in my size.

They fit perfectly. Would look so cute with my white Juicy Bermudas, and, well, anything.

And then the little voice in my head said "Liiiiiinnnnddddsayyyy." Said voice was accompanied by some 70's disco music, a few images of that creepy scene from Boogie Nights where Roller Girl* starts calling Julianne Moore's character "Mommy", and then 800 images from Star magazine of Lindsay wearing the Fendi buckle everywhere she goes. Purse. Belt. Not sure about shoes, but it was in my little mental montage.

And I slowly unbuckled The. Buckle. And put them back gingerly where they were.

Damn you Lindsay and your ilk, for overexposing a fabulous trend before it really had a chance to flourish. Goodbye, red patent Fendis, I hardly knew thee (as evidenced by the security tag in the picture above).

*Did H.G. have some kind of plastic surgery--an eye job maybe? She looks completely different, not necessarily better, but I can't place my finger on it exactly.

Cool Docs, Fab Weekend
Friday: Off to SilverDocs to see some amazing work:
1.) The Intimacy of Strangers, a 20-minute short featuring secretly filmed cellphone conversations dealing with love (yes, they received everyone's consent before including them). It had a sad, sad soundtrack, a cool color palette, plus the two filmmakers are incredible women.

2.) The Great Happiness Space, about a weird/borderline horrific topic: host clubs in Japan. Basically, there are clubs (about 100 of them in Osaka alone, according to director Jake Clennell), where women who can't afford it pay ridiculous money--$30, $40k a year in some cases--to attend/be lavished with attention by the male "hosts" (the women also buy champagne, etc.--not unlike bottle service here, I guess). I won't spoil the ending as it's going to receive US distribution, but know that that's the LEAST freaky part of the story. It was a beautiful film, albeit pretty unsettling.

Next, off to the SilverDocs lounge for a drink and Aireoke (air guitar kareoke, no singing), which is pure genius. You need no talent at all, you just need to be either mildly coordinated or completely wasted. Brilliant.

Saturday: The Ambassador's Cup/Courage Cup in Virginia. Beautiful day, beautiful scenery, the best company--the Liquid Muse and I headed out together--and really a great charitable cause. A truly well-executed event all around. Cap File used Star Catering: they're new and they're top notch. There was good people watching: it almost seemed a little Bridgehamptony, save for no celebrity sightings and fewer people (and no champagne splits with straws). Then the polo announcer got on the mic, and he had the most deeply-rooted southern Virginia accent I've ever heard, although he seemed quite knowledgable about polo. But it was hilarious and kind of brought the whole thing home.

Side note: we had the MOST refreshing drink, perhaps ever, in the Ambassador's tent: champagne on the rocks with a twist of lime. Sounds weird, I know (or maybe it's really common and I've never come across it). It was the perfect drink on a hot, hot day.

Sunday: Relaxing on Kent Island with family.

The perfect summer weekend.

R. Nichols Sale!
All notecards at my favorite stationer, R. Nichols, are 30% off between now and July 1 if you use the codeword SURPRISE. He's an amazing man, and even better stationer (if that's even possible), so definitely give his site the once-over if you haven't already. There's no better signature stationery to have than his.

He just added something new, too: single notecards, so you can amass your own custom collection!

Freak Parade
I'm trying to fill a number of positions in my department at the moment. Since my company is both cheap and in the sticks, however, pickings are slim. But if you're one of the, say, three remotely qualified candidates on paper out of the 8,000 resumes I've received, I'd like to offer up a few pointers before you head on in. Because I'm desperate, but not that desperate...*

1.) When asked a question, DON'T stop, clasp your hands, then close your eyes during the entirety of your answer. For every question. No matter how long the answer. I don't know what's running through your head during these exchanges, but here's my thought: "OPENOPENOPENOPENOPENDOITDOITSTOPFREAKINGMEOUT." Your answers could be comprehensive, insightful, they could be frigging brillliant, but I don't have a damn clue.

2.) DO notice my Chanel birks (circa 1999. They're more like Tevas, actually, and the soles are almost gone, but they kick ass). This was cause for an automatic hire during the last round (that plus the fact that she was a marketing genius, but her impeccable taste in shoes gave me the first clue).

3.) DON'T be my father's doppelgänger. Dude, I'm sorry, but a.) you look JUST like him and b.) I haven't spoken to him in 15 years, so this meeting is like an after school special that I want NO part of. I know there's really nothing you can do about it, so just accept my apology and heartfelt wish that your job search goes well. Elsewhere.

4.) DON'T try to make the six month gap between now and your last job appear more palatable by pretending that you've been a consultant since then. Or at least get your story straight before you use it as the headliner on your resume.

5.) When summarizing your past experience, DON'T start with a very long-winded explanation of your job straight out of college--when you graduated in 1985. In fact, it was at a record store, so you may just want to go ahead and delete that altogether.

6.) When I ask if you have any questions, DON'T pull out the sheet that says "Practice Interview Questions" in the header and read them, one by one, even if they've already been answered or they make no sense at all within the context of this interview.

Thanks--I'll see you in there.

*All of the above have happened in the past week. It's been a good time in HRville.

Um...really?
Okay, so I'm psyched that Mr. Louboutin is embracing the platform. And yes, he's an artistic genius whose experimentation is translated downward into fashions for the masses blahblahblah. But...is it just me or does this look like you're wearing a dyed poodle on your feet? Or a couture kiddie craft project?*

*The above observations mean that with, oh, say, 100% certainty, this will be the NEXT BIG THING, and I'll be the only stubborn one not wearing them next season.

Things I Learned On My Summer Vacation*
1.) Tory Burch has officially replaced Lilly Pulitzer as the leader in the category of Adult Garanimals.** The TRB online sale that's going on right now is fabulous--I could kick myself for not buying her embroidered flower tank before it sold out.
2.) Nicoletta's in Corolla is no longer the impeccably perfect culinary outpost it once was. In fact, it kind of sucks now and is no longer worth the drive. I think it must have changed owners. Total bummer.
3.) Going on vaca the week that Shiloh Nouvel arrives makes for incredibly vapid yet somehow deeply fulfilling trash magazine reading. Fantastic.
4.) Additional Great Beach Reading: Nasty by Simon Doonan, 4% Famous by Deborah Schoeneman. Mediocre But Still Enjoyable Beach Reading: Some Like It Haute by Julie KL Dam.
5.) The only person who really cares about the fact that you're on your summer vacation is you (...and maybe you. If not, then you can stop reading. Although you probably already have.).
6.) The person who, say, got a crappy raise from you this year because even though her work was good, your company is cheap and her attitude sucked 50% of the time, who decided to resign while you're on vacation--to your h.r. department, no less--and then call you after the fact, and again, do it while you're on vacation hence potentially throwing the remainder of your vaca into a complete death spiral, definitely does not care in the least.
7.) Packing platform shoes to a beach vacation, is, well, stupid. Good for photo ops, however. And when your far more fashionable sister is joining you on vacation, you're left with few options.
8.) Much like Virginia license plates, beach houses have officially run out of witty names. In fact, they may not have had any to begin with. So, listen: I'm really happy for you and your new purchase. But seriously, you probably had at least 60 days between the offer and closing. Could you not think of anything better than Seaclusion, Wade N See or Just Ducky? It's your house. And a million dollars, maybe more. That's the best you've got? And if so, how in the hell did you make enough money in any profession to afford not just one, but two abodes? And if you say "No Interest Loan," I'm going to beat you with the Cap'n's Watch sign you just had carved.

*Because summer vacation is all about learning. And smoking pot. But mostly learning.
**According to the Garanimals website, Garanimals,"make it easy for young children to select their own clothes, dress themselves, and through these small, successful decisions, develop early feelings of self confidence." If this doesn't describe Lilly and TRB, I don't know what does.

If you're in New York...
The DVF Sample Sale starts tomorrow morning! I will not be hunting down my beloved artichoke dress alongside you (you're lucky, because I fight to the bitter end at these things), as I'm in North Carolina at the moment. And am rather unfashionably drunk on a combination of bloody marys (a.m.), margaritas (happy hour) and red wine (p.m.), truth be told.

Rock on, fashionistas.