Sephora Buys!

I need to be stopped! Spent the other day hanging out with the lovely Rebecca (mastermind behind the Reflections events I've been a designer at) and used that time for much needed shopping ventures. My favorite buys of the day are above. So girly and so awesome.

First we hit up FRESH MARKET and I bought chia seeds for smoothies and wanted to buy acai powder, but this medium sized can was $27... so no buy because I already knew I was spending too much on Easter chocolates for my mom & sister and coffee.

After a quick snack, we headed to the mall for the destination we talked about all day - SEPHORA

Hadn't been there in ages and still had a gift card from Christmas (present from my lovely assistant Connie). What to buy? What to buy?

Didn't really need make-up, but then again when do you not need make-up? I did restrain myself and only bought the one perfume and grabbed a lipgloss that was surprisingly on sale. And just when you think you've made it to the counter all set, you grab one of the nail polishes en route to the cashier.

MISS DIOR CHERIE - I had received a sample before and loved it. So I was excited to finally buy a the real deal. Wanted Madame by Gautier, but they didn't have it.

HELLO KITTY LIPGLOSS in LOLLIPOP - It looks like the color will be thinker when put on, but nice sheen and it's Hello Kitty, so completely adorable.

BETSEY JOHNSON for OPI 'It's My Pink' - I really don't need more pink nail polishes, but it's Betsey Johnson and check this out - it's scented! Her 'Too Too' fragrance (by the way, the bottle is outfitted like a stripper ballerina) I tried, but didn't care for, scents this nail lacquer. Turns out after two nights, a smelly concert and tons of hand creme, it still smelled like the Too Too fragrance.

So excited to do all my nails in my new polish, spray on Miss Dior Cherie and pop on a coat of Hello Kitty lipgloss with my new sailor print dress. Plus, I got a sample of the Purity face wash by Philosophy.

Madonna - Girl Gone Wild

Oh my Madonna, I have offended thee by not getting your new album yet.

But I do LOVE this video. It's classic you. Black and white, static-y and fabulous dancing. "Vogue," "Justify My Love" and even "Human Nature" come to mind.

I haven't been searching for it, but I so know people are going to complain that you're taking from Gaga who had men dancing in heels in her video for "Alejandro," but that was done by Steven Klein and who has shot with him way before that? You. And can we have a moment for just one of the amazing spreads featured in W Magazine?

I'm still mad I missed that installation. And I'm also mad at why men (well, the men in the video) move better in heels than I do!

Kitty vs. Kitten

For two weeks, my sister's cat will be living with us. Her name: Dusty

But do not be fooled by her cuteness. She has stayed with us before and developed an arch-nemesis. Her name: Kitty

Kitty has been living in our house since 2004. She runs this place. So when Dusty decided to be adopted and travel from Philadelphia up to North Jersey for her mommy's winter break, Kitty was not happy.

They hated each other in the beginning and Dusty would stay upstairs and Kitty remained irked downstairs. Slowly, Dusty ventured downstairs and Kitty would hiss, but Dusty wouldn't care. Dusty would follow Kitty around, learning on how to be the cutest cat ever and Kitty would just roll her eyes and keep moving. But in the end, they learned to deal with each other.

But Dusty would soon return to Philadelphia for the start of the Spring semester and Kitty would rejoice and stroll around the house without fear that this other feline would not be too far off.

Three months would pass until Dusty would make a return. Kitty was stunned! Why? She meowed, she hissed, she gave looks that could kill and she also took to the web. For the next two weeks Kitty will be Twittering at The Sibyl Vain Twitter about her troubles not being the only cat.

(and yes, I have lost my mind in doing this, but it's fun)

Not Your Mother's Little Black Dress

Added new items to the Etsy shop the other week!

Sibyl Vain Etsy

p.s...the second to last dress has been sold!

Addicted to CUPCAKES!

I felt like an addict last night. After dinner at INOTECA down on Rivington in the Lower East Side, which is amazing and you need to go if you haven't. I think I've gone enough times where I don't have to read the glossary they include alongside the menu. I am in love with the tuna and capers sandwich, which is so simple and plain, but delicious. And thank goodness I'm writiing this because I was reheating my mozzarella en carozza from last night and it almost burned. It is SO good from this place. It's basically an epic grilled cheese.

Great wine and appetizers are always the bruschette, which most are so delicious and do change up with the seasons.

But here's where I go nuts...

I want dessert to take home. I was craving a cupcake from BABYCAKES, but also I am IN LOVE with the icing on the 'sexy red velvet' cupcakes from SUGAR SWEET SUNSHINE. We go to Sugar Sweet Sunshine and I'm buying six cupcakes for $10.50 for me and my friend. This place is so cute and the cupcakes taste homemade/box cake and SO yummy. Then I go for my vegan cupcake at Babycakes and spend $4.75 for one (though I think she over charged me a dollar, but I felt already weird by having her put the cupcake in my bag with the other baked items).

Above are my buys!

Babycakes vanilla spelt cupcake: always good and the icing is amazing that I was scraping the bag for the icing that stuck to it
Sugar Sweet sexy red velvet: the cake is nice, but the icing is like real whipped cream and holds up perfectly the next day
Sugar Sweet goodie goodie: simple chocolate cake with light peanut butter icing

I Wrote A Letter...

As I sit here and watch my currently silly movie obsession, MY FAKE FIANCE, which actually has me more excited to get an apartment than get married. Though if a guy like Joey Lawrence asked me to get 'fake married,' I don't think I could turn him down.

But it's making me put aside my embarrassment and explain a little 'purge' I did the other day.

There's been movies made of what's been going through my mind, other women have been in this same situation, songs have been written about my feelings...but it still didn't stop me from feeling like I was the only person ever to experience this. Ever fall so hard for someone and not know why, but you feel as though it was fate that made you cross paths? Oh yeah, that was me for about two years, no wait, almost three. It sounds so pathetic writing and I've told myself that over and over, but these thoughts didn't go away.

Here's why I had to get over this person...he just got engaged to a girl I know he's been dating probably since I met him. It's wonderful, but now I REALLY need to stop thinking he could ever be an option.

I had always heard when you're mad at someone to write a letter, but not send it. That'll help with your venting your frustrations and get over it. So I thought the same might work for these feelings and with a little help of wine, I filled a pretty gold envelope with 8 pages of everything in my mind. Mind you the paper was like 3 x 5" so it's not like I wrote a novel.

Sealed and hidden away in a box of old mementos, my plan is to one day re-read it when I'm older or come across it when I've thought I've forgotten all about this. I figure I've have a big laugh about how silly I sound and how he was only a pre-cursor to the one I'm really meant to be with.

We'll see. I encourage anyone else to do this too so I don't sound so strange. However, I've still got this kid on my mind.

Punk Rock vs. Posh Life

Sometimes I feel I live a double life. Most people would say I'm one of those weirdos who has pink hair, wears all black clothes and goes to a lot of rock concerts. But then there's some that will look at me and think I'm this artsy spoiled brat who drinks during the week and dines on the weekend with several trips to go overseas lined up.

But I think what I'm really trying to figure out is not what others may think of me, but where the hell do I think I fit in?

You would think one would have things figured out after college, but sometimes that's not the case. Even with two degrees that should have sent me into teaching or art curating, I still wanted more. So following the leads of so many other sewers/designers, I decided to try to sell my designs on eBay and Etsy and try to get photoshoots set up. Then the next step would be making millions and on my way as the enxt Betsey Johnson.

Not the case.

I'm on the road to a new career dealing with wardrobe and it's so exciting. But until then, it's my social life that can't be ironed out.

It's like, one night I'm out with my fellow punk-rocker seeing Orgy play at Irving plaza (which was awesome as hell) with all the goth kids. All black clothing, pinkish-purple hair and Converses. After, we headed to one of the best bars in town, Otto's Shrunken Head and got glow in the dark drinks and got our pirate on. Plus, the music was perfect Interpol, Smiths, chill dance. After, we hit the diner next door and got disco fries. My new guilty pleasure.

But then the next day I'm off to my friend's birthday celebration. She's this picture perfect Anthropologie hipster and have a fun night around Union Square. We grab food before at Maialino in the Gramercy Hotel. It was snobby older people in suits, dresses and even the hipsters look intimidating. But the food was so good.

After we went to Pierre Lotti Wine Bar and sat outside being the weather has been so nice. The waiter was rude and we all joked about it. But the wine and drink menu was awesome. Had the nicest port wine and two of the people in our group got these absinthe and bourbon drinks called The Ramsey or something and were in love with them (and ready to sleep). PLUS! They had Jacques Torres Chocolates and we ordered a bunch. Perfect compliment for the drinks.

So, that's the two sides of Union Square : punk rock at Irving with pirate rum drinks and disco fries that didn't break the bank and then posh food and drinks that were worth the price, but you have to be aware you'll get looks for the hair color and tiger print dress. Pick your poison.

New Etsy

Listing new items in my Etsy store tonight, March 5th.

Trying to get all old stock up in the online store and yes, I FINALLY will have t-shirts I had made for the past two collections up in the store next week.

Oh, and cross your fingers this week for me! I got denied for vending at this one event, but hoping for confirmation for another, which they're supposed to make this week.

Futuristic Barbarella

How insane are these images?

It has been a long time in the making for me and Elli Fox to finally work together and I couldn't have asked for a better opportunity! She asked for futuristic pieces and immediately I thought bodysuits. I mean, you say future and I think like Star Trek and the weird uniforms they wore. I had some really cool material already on hand and I also bought some really cool hologram material I hadn't worked with before to create pieces for Elli Fox to choose from. Then to my surprised, she shot them all!

photo - Francisco Castro Photography
model - Elli Fox
mua/hair - Amy Ockermand
jewelry designer - Serket Jewelry
clothing - Sibyl Vain: purple laser cut bodysuit, faux sequin leotard, hologram bodysuit

Smoothie Overdose!

Wake up every morning like I work at Jamba...
(see what I did there? haha)

So continuing on my health kick - though I'm not eating an uber amount of healthy stuff - I make fruit smoothies everyday, usually for breakfast. Well, brunch really, being as I don't wake up until 11:30am. Some days I've been having two and while it's not super low calorie, it's a better option than ice cream or cookies.

I start each with a liquid: vanilla soy milk or juice, which I love pomegranate juice
A binder: vanilla Greek yogurt or banana
Fruit!!! Honestly, it's hard to screw up which you pick. Raspberries are my favorite and of course one of the more expensive fruit.

Anyways...Here's my recipes (which change depending on how much you want, you may need to add more while blending, etc)

4 oz. Pomegranate juice / 2 tbs. vanilla greek yogurt / big handful of frozen mango, pineapple & strawberries

4 oz. vanilla soy milk (LOVE Trader Joe's brand) / 2 tbs. vanilla greek yogurt / good helping of whatever frozen fruit

4 oz. juice or soy milk / 1 banana / good handful of frozen fruit, blueberries and strawberries are great

4 oz. juice or soy milk / 2 tbs. vanilla greek yogurt / frozen raspberries & strawberries / 1 - 1 1/2 tbs. choc. chips

I also sometimes add flax seed oil like 1 big tbs. of it into the non-soy milk based ones. I also want to get soy protein powder, but the jars are all huge, so yeah. Looking into chia seeds, agave, super foods and coconut oil.