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Friday Frocks: 2013- Fun While It Lasted

By Kirsten|December 20th, 2013|Friday Frocks|

The hardest decision you will be forced to make in 2013 is probably what to wear while bidding it adieu. Oh? You spent 2013 choosing a graduate school, getting engaged, and curing cancer? Well, the last eleven months have been slightly less impressive for me. I still have two halfway written novels collecting dust, a never ending to-do list, and a closet that’s needed to be cleaned out since 2011. We’ll chock this one up to reacclimating to the East Coast. Writing this post has actually just sent me into a miniature shame spiral much like when Facebook keeps asking if I’d like to see my year in review. No. Absolutely not. I lived it. No need to do it again.

But back to what really matters in the grand scheme of life and what will be posted all over your Facebook timeline come January 1st… your party dress! While some still feel that the last night of the year is the best and most appropriate time to wear a dress strictly constructed of sequins, others feel the onslaught of nausea and would prefer the “anti-sparkle dress.” I straddle the middle, but am more likely to wear sequins to Duane Reade on a random Tuesday to buy toilet paper than for a specific occasion that calls for them. That said, there is a happy ending in all of this and its name is metallics. I think a metallic frock is a much more modern take on shine than the oh so standard sequins. So, look for something laced with lurex or punched up with patent to get the look sans gagging.

Hm… now that I’ve taken all the trouble out of finding something to wear, now you’ve got an even harder decision? Who will you plant those luscious lips on at the stroke of midnight?

1. Jonathan Simkhai Colorblock Boucle Dress, 2. Capitol Couture by Trish Summerville Laser Cut Patent Leather Dress, 3. Oh My Love Metallic Surplice Dress, 4. Opening Ceremony Hope Deep V Dress, 5. Roland Mouret Malha Lamé TTD, 6. KNT by Kova & T Backless Metallic Halter Dress, 7.Milly Laminated Flare Dress, 8. Sass & Bide Here & Now Beaded Silk Minidress, 9. Free People Golden Chalice Maxi Dress, 10. Motel Cherry Pie Metallic Mesh Top Dress

On to the next.

xx,

WhyDid

Beauty Buzz: Find the Light

By Kirsten|December 18th, 2013|Beauty Buzz|

During the holidays and especially with New Year’s Eve quickly creeping ’round the corner, some of us look for ways to amp up our standard makeup routines for swanky evenings out on the town and special seasonal celebrations. Some may opt for the classic statement making bold lip (good choice) and others go for the more “Golden Girl” approach (also a great choice). But beauty beware: there is a big difference between glowing like the lights of Paris (the city, not the socialite) and glaring like the neon signs of Las Vegas. Let’s keep glitter where it belongs: on art projects, Halloween costumes and strippers. Strippers can wear glitter.

Come to think of it, a guy I was dating once showed up late one night after work, which should have been reason enough to dump him, but he was covered in glitter. Seeing as he doesn’t work at a Michael’s craft store, he must have procured his shimmering accents somewhere. Hanging out with another lady is bad enough but, hanging out with another lady who dons glitter is grounds for permanent exile. But I digress…

To achieve a glowing holiday look, invest in a few beauty products with flecks not flakes of shimmer in them. You could go for a dramatic foil for your lids, a metallic manicure or something as simple as adding some extra shine to your tresses. Be sure not to go overboard with your gilded look though. A gorgeous glow is one thing, but looking like a greased up walrus won’t get your dance card filled up any faster… if at all.

1. Caudalie Divine Legs, 2. ELLIS FAAS Light, 3. Ulta Metallic Automatic Eyeliner, 4. Kevyn Aucoin Set of Four Loose Shimmer Shadows, 5. Philip B Oud Royal Forever Shine Shampoo, 6. Ilia Gold Box Illuminator and Lip Gloss, 7. Formula X for Sephora Sparklers in Light My Fire, 8. Illamasqua Liquid Metal Cream, 9. RMS Beauty Living Luminzer, 10. Stila Magnificent Metals Foil Finish Eyeshadow, 11.Leighton Denny Hynotic Nail Polish

xx,

WhyDid

image via

Why Did You Wear That: Clutch Call

By Kirsten|December 17th, 2013|Why Did You Wear That?|

I normally carry a bag so large it’s a wonder I haven’t exacerbated my adolescent scoliosis. I mean, one never knows when one may need a notebook, business card, energy bar, or rape whistle (one must always carry a rape whistle). On evenings out, especially in the northeast when the weather turns to slippery slush and we are relegated to bundling ourselves in massive coats of wool, fur, leather, and cashmere to merely tolerate the bone chilling cold in hopes of drowning our sorrows with overpriced cocktails, space which is already at a premium in a city like New York becomes exiguous. Sure there are coat checks and clever cubbies cut into the backs of banquettes, but do you really wanna cram your Céline into a dark cavern alongside some chick’s Canal Street knockoff in the off chance that yours will mysteriously go “missing”? Just like when the meathead at the bar asks if he can buy you a lemon drop, the answer is, “No.” Instead of carrying your everyday bag that could double as a carry-on (and on occasion has), opt for the handheld version commonly called a clutch. Just be sure to hold onto it rather than leaving it in a puddle of condensation on the table credit cards et al.

1. Charlotte Olympia Gold Scent Clutch, 2. Saint Laurent Letters Metallic Leather Clutch, 3. Marni Jewel Embellished Clutch, 4. Marc by Marc Jacobs Ravenheart Metallic Leather Clutch, 5. Kotur Margo Animal Print Minaudiere, 6. Claire Vivier Flat Printed Leather Clutch, 7. Serpui Marie Klimt I Clutch, 8. Jimmy Choo The Candy Lip Print Acrylic Clutch, 9. Givenchy Bambi Clutch, 10. Sondra Roberts Scattered Bead Box Clutch, 11. Nina Beaded Heart Box Clutch, 12. ZAC Zac Posen Claudette Scale-Embossed Tassel Clutch, 13. B-Low The Belt Kenzy Clutch, 14. Santi Floral Sequin Clutch, 15. Mango Crystal and Bead Box Clutch, 16. Jonathan Adler Electra Bond Clutch

xx,

WhyDid

image via

Why Did You Wear That: Metallica and the Monterey Musical Melee

By Kirsten|December 16th, 2013|Personal Style|

In case you haven’t heard (or read WhyDid in the the last 6+ moths), the 90’s are having a renaissance. And with the revival of 90’s trends like babydoll dresses and brands like Birkenstock, 90’s musicians are also feeling a lift in their royalties. I understand that stores like Urban Outfitters and Forever 21 shill out shirts with graphics of “vintage” bands emblazoned on them and some of you have only heard of these bands during drunken stories told by your nostalgic “older” friends or when a song comes on in a dive bar and all the “middle aged” patrons go wild. Well, here’s a pro-tip (talking to you children of the 90’s): be sure you know something about the vintage band t-shirt you are wearing because people will ask you about it- much like the friendly man who checked me out at Nob Hill. Fortunately for me, I was schooled, partially by osmosis- partially against my will by my older brothers who wore weird clothes, had long hair, and played their instruments at ungodly hours at decibel levels usually reserved for freight trains in the guesthouse above our garage.

I don’t think any of us will soon forget the roadtrip from Monterey to Los Angeles that nearly came to bloody blows when I demanded in my pouty teenage cheerleader way that we listen to Backstreet Boys and my metal loving brothers were more inclined to jump out the windows of the moving vehicle before allowing their eardrums to be tainted by such pop hypocrisy. I don’t actually recall who won, but I do love my poor damn dad for dealing with all of us without wrecking into a guardrail in the midst of the melee. I believe we ended up taking turns, but I have to take a moment and thank my brothers for their efforts in a musical intervention. You saved me from myself… and the Backstreet Boys.

In my tradition of nomadic travel (meaning I am incapable of booking roundtrip plane tickets and prefer to take things as they come), I didn’t pack enough clothing for my extended stay. However, I enjoy raiding the closets of those that I’m visiting and incorporating their wares into my gypsy wardrobe. This is when I stumbled upon my father’s 1971 military fatigues (which he has informed me as I write this were referred to as OD, olive drab). What a perfect way to top off my Metallica tee and maxi skirt while watching the sun set on a sunny day in Monterey.

earrings: Soho street find (similar here), jacket: Dad’s (similar here), t-shirt: Bravado, skirt: Brandy Melville (similar here), bag: Amrita Singh, boots: All Saints (similar here)

Sleep with one eye open.

xx,

WhyDid

photos by Richard (Dick) Smith

Gift Guide: Pet Project

By Kirsten|December 14th, 2013|Gift Guide|

It’s no secret that a grandparent’s main duty is to spoil his/her grandchild. Well, it would seem that my father has taken this task a tad too seriously by overindulging his namesake and my dog, Smitty. My furry friend and I flew out to California a few weeks ago to celebrate Thanksgiving with my darling dad and middle bigger brother, Andy. I was not surprised when Smitty got more than his fair share of our turkey fueled feast. We all love Dick Smith, but being the softy who always gives in to Smitty’s sad begging eyes certainly doesn’t hurt his standing in the race to becoming the dog’s favorite family member (other than me, of course). I’m now immune to his cuteness, but Dick is still a sucker. A few days after Thanksgiving, ol’ Smitty wasn’t feeling so swell and on the following Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, I awoke in sheer panic when my baby was sick as a dog- literally. Many people find my easygoing personality a bit annoying as I don’t have the strongest sense of urgency- but this is exactly when that character feature/flaw comes into play. As I roused my dad from his serene slumber, I started to cry and dear dad had no idea what to do with me. He doesn’t have a pet and therefore nor does he have a vet. It was also 5am and as we know, most vets are not open until the decent hour of 8 o’clock. Calm Kiki took a breath, pressed her passcode into her iPhone as her fingers were too shaky for her fingerprint and proceeded to find the closest animal emergency room.

We arrived at Monterey Peninsula Veterinary Emergency & Specialty Center 20 minutes later and Smitty was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis. He was held overnight with an IV and we retrieved him the next afternoon. After being home for a short time, I knew there was something else wrong with him. My normally perky pup was merely a shell of himself and other than myself, there’s no one I know better. We took him back to the vet and they gave him more medicine and some under the skin hydration and sent us on our way. Again, we were only home for a little while before I knew this was not just a case of an inflamed pancreas. I’m no vet (I don’t like blood), but my diagnosis was there’s something else happening. We got back in the car and I held my best friend in my lap, praying that he could hang in there, but thinking about how I would deal with losing the equivalent to my left arm. Another doctor was on duty when we arrived and he immediately knew there had to be some sort of blockage. Smitty was given barium and they X-rayed his teeny tummy every two hours for the next six hours and sure enough, it was clear that Smitty had indulged in something other than Thanksgiving stuffing. We were given the scary decision of whether or not to operate on my poor pooch and after deep deliberation we gave the go-ahead for him to go under the knife.

I didn’t sleep until the doctor called to tell me, my little man was doing okay and in recovery and almost three weeks after leaving New York, Smitty is healing nicely. Needless to say, Smitty has accounted for his share (and then some) of our holiday budget, so he’s just gonna have to settle for an extra long walk and maybe a belly rub as his Christmas gift. My mom has deemed him, “The Dog Who Ate Christmas” and I’d say that’s fairly accurate. In his defense, you really can’t put a price on life- unless you’re a hitman. However, if your pooch or pet has been better behaved than Sir Smitty Smith, show him how much he/she means to you with a little something more than Pupperoni or catnip.