The Monkees, Milk and Cookies

Just had to share this little clip that brings me back to my 70's childhood. I was saddened to hear about the death of Davy Jones today at 66. He will forever remain in my heart with this sweet song and so many others that remind me of those times. I couldn't wait to get home from school, grab my Oreos or Chips-Ahoy and milk and sit down to a Monkee's episode. This clip is especially cute with the little dance Davy does and I love the end where they're crowding each other out. I can still see them running down the street with the bed...

Oscars -The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Gwyneth Paltrow in Tom Ford.  Her simple hair, dress and makeup were beyond pretty.

Is it just me, or were the Academy Awards just boring tonight? I think part of the blame has to rest on the fact that very few good movies were released last year. It seemed like they were hurting for real stars tonight. I mean, why is Jennifer Lopez a presenter and in the front row? This isn't the Grammy Awards!
No offense to Jennifer, but I can think of a lot of actors I'd rather see.

Gwyneth's pony.

Well, on to the fashion. My favorites were Michelle Williams and her dark tangerine dress, and Gwyneth Paltrow's Tom Ford getup with cape. Penelope Cruz was beautiful too.

A few of the highlights for you. First, some ugly I'm afraid. Not loving..

Sandra Bullock's dress. The top was baggy. Also, her severe pony just showcased her botox and fillers. She really would look younger without it all.

Sandra. This dress was prettier from the back, boring in front.

Has Angelina Jolie never worn a dress with a slit before?
You don't need to stick your leg out like Wonder Woman all night.

Viola Davis. I don't like her new lighter hair with the green, nor the green eyeshadow.

Now a bit of good. I'm loving the white on everyone!

Shailene Woodley in Valentino. People said this was too old for her,
 but it was a gorgeous dress.

Octavia Spencer was perfect- the hair, dress, earrings.

Rooney Mara. I liked her gauzy dress for a young woman.
She was sans accessories and is a bit of a snot in interviews.

                   

                              Now a bit of color..

Presenter Louise Roe looked very Downton Abby.
I liked this unique look and her hair.

Penelope Cruz's hair and makeup was so pretty.

Melissa McCarthy -love this girl. She looked so pretty in this color too.

Jessica Chastain. Like the colors on her, but not sure about the dress.
It was ill-fitting and cut into her.

Meryl looked great I thought, not old or frumpy.
The gold was great on her skin and hair.

Stacey Keibler lovely in gold. I'm not loving this side swept hair many ladies had.
 It looks strange and bit artificial.

Michelle Williams was just darling in orange-red Louis Vuitton.

Tina Fey looked great in this peplum style blue gown and
a pretty bun in her hair.

                              

Kelly Osborne needs to lose the lavender hair.

Jane Seymour in red. Always love Jane.

Natalie Portman in Dior is perfect!

Now for some more bad..

Berenice Bejo, a bit frumpy. Not loving her hair and she's a beautiful girl.

Penelope Ann Miller. Something about this is making her look old.
The hair is very scary.

Young Anna Faris looks like a 50 year old in this dress and hair.

And good..

Rose Byrne, on the other hand, looked chic in black sequins and almost the same hairdo.

Okay tell me everything! What did you think? I dying to know what you all thought about tonight! 

Please comment!

Kim:)

How to Look Like a Million Bucks

Jackie O with her children in Greece.

I love Michael Kors.  I love his very American, but glamorous sportswear. He is a very funny guy too.  I recently found an interview with him I had torn out from Allure in 2005. It's great advice and so true still! I posted it on my inspiration board and I thought I'd share it with you too! I've included some of my favorite images of Jackie Kennedy Onassis and her sister, who Kors says is a big inspiration.

- How to Look Like a Million Bucks

An Interview with Michael Kors

Fashion designer Kors lives in New York and vacations in Capri.Looking rich isn't about owning a yacht. It's appearing as if you've just stepped off one. Once you've nailed the basics, like having killer shoes and great hair, it is all about the upkeep.

 

Jackie and her sister Lee Radziwell. escapadeblog.com

 

 Disregard the weather. Strappy sandals in winter, sunglasses on a cloudy day, these are signs of the glamorous life. If you look like you should be in St. Barts in December, then you are above the elements. But if it's snowing, wear mink gloves for goodness sake.

Fake it. Start every season with a stack of little black tees. Whenever you put on one, you'll feel like a Bouvier sister. Then find a good pair of cubic zirconia studs and rings. It will seem as if someone gives you great gifts, you can afford them yourself, or they were in the family. All work in your favor.

Jackie and sister Lee.

Own it. Buy an expensive dress, and wear it often. It lets people know that you didn't borrow it. Classic socialites, such as Nan Kempner, went out in the same gowns over and over again because they were, in fact, theirs. And save up for brown crocodile pumps. They can be worn with everything, and unlike black, brown croc develops a patina that looks better with time.

In the red. A woman with money has beautiful skin. So make sure yours has a little natural shine and stick to makeup in neutral shades, such as taupe or slate. The one exception is red lipstick. Wear this with nothing else for a full Katharine Hepburn moment. It should look very nonchalant, very throwaway like you just woke up, washed your face, and went out with red lipstick.

Polish up. A rich girl always has beautifully manicured hands, but doesn't act like she thinks about them. This means no French manicures or bold colors (pick soft pink or beige tones instead). Keep the nail length short enough to suggest you go horseback riding.

habituallychic.com

Head for broke. Nothing sets you apart like a gorgeous mane of hair. You want fabulous color and lots of shine so if you aren't a whiz with the blow-dryer, spend the money on a blowout. And when you pull your hair back, use a tortoiseshell comb or barrette. It's the scrunchy of the rich.

I love that last sentence! 

Kim:)

Bouvier sisters again. escapadeblog.com

   

Jackie Kennedy taking son John to school.

In Greece.

Reprinted from Allure Magazine, November 2005.

Tennis Style

My first memories of tennis were watching Chris Evert on TV. My Mom always loved how feminine she was, with her bows, pretty dresses and hoop earrings, compared to most players of the day.

Here in the Bay Area, it is the week of the SAP Tennis Open. It's always an exciting time if you are into tennis. We all play tennis in this family, and so on Friday night, the four of us got to go to the quarter-finals and see Andy Roddick and some other very good players. Besides Roddick's usual bad behavior, we had a fun night.

Last year, my oldest son, Jackson was a ball boy and that was fun to watch too. I also was a ball girl for the ladies' Avon tournament with my high school team, a thrill at the time. I still have my Prince racquet cover with autographs of Chris Evert and Martina, whom I ball chased for!

 I didn't play tennis in college and kind of stopped for a long time. Almost 25 years since graduating from high school, I started playing again. I am thrilled that my boys like tennis as much as I do. Watching them gave me the courage to start again. It's been about 4 years now, and I play on a USTA ladies team. I am not by nature an athletic type at all, but I forgot how much fun it can be to play a sport. I am having a ball, meeting the nicest people and working on my game. Reminiscing with my son about my own experiences made me think about how much tennis has changed in the 25 years plus, since I was in school.

Borg and McEnroe. Don't you love the headbands?

Tracey Austin 1980s in a pinafore dress. Love the pom-pom socks! We all had those.

Vitas Gerulaitis, was a wonderful player. The white Nike's with blue swoosh are classics.

 When I was 7 we moved to a very suburban track home neighborhood, that had a little tennis club within walking distance. Dunnett's Tennis Club, sadly no longer exists and was inexplicably bull-dozed to make more parking for an a rental car office. The little club will always live in my mind as a special place.  My Mom walked me over there when I was in fourth grade, to sign me up for lessons. My tennis pro was named Bonnie and I adored her. I remember buying her a mug with her name and a rose on it. For my classes, my grandmother sewed me two custom tennis dresses, that I helped design. One was a white swing dress with blue and red piping and ruffled pants to match. The other was a white pique halter style with crossed racquets on the collars. I still have one of these somewhere.

I loved everything about tennis and being at the tennis club. Even at age 9, I remember the exciting people who seemed to belong there. There were dreamy boys who drove MG Midgets and green Triumph TR7 convertibles and glamourous ladies in elegant tennis ensembles. I drank it all in. This was not my reality. We were a middle class family, who played tennis at the local park and who did not belong to clubs. Something about this lifestyle was then and still now so appealing to me.

Borg in graphics.

I continued off and on with my tennis. When I went to high school, my friend Monica convinced me to go out for the school team. We did and loved it and I'm so grateful she talked me into it. High school was the early 80s and the age of Swedish hunk Bjorn Borg, (who adorned my teen-age walls), Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova,  McEnroe, and so many other amazing players who dominated the game. When I look back to those times, they all look so clean-cut and preppy. I love the whites and stripes and sweaters that they all wore. The headbands,sweatbands, jackets and sweaters were their colorful accessories to the still mainly white wardrobes. I still admire those styles!

Borg again. Love his style!

 Conners and  Gerulaitus. Love his sweater and white shorts. What a funny and amazing guy Vitus was. After  finally beating Conners after a 16 match losing streak,  he famously said, "Nobody beats Vitus Geralaitus 17 times in a row!" :)

Today, whites are almost nonexistent on the courts! Friday night's SAP players sported brights in clothes and shoes. I am the first to like bright colors, but there is something about the formality and tradition of the whites that I miss. It made tennis seem a little more gentile than other sports and it was one of its great appeals. I love that they could dress like ladies and gentlemen, but still be some the greatest athletes in the world. In honor of the past champions, here's a small gallery to inspire you, whether you play tennis or not.

Borg and Conners.  nedgallagher.com

x

Jimmy Conners

Evonne Goolagong of Australia, 1970s. Love her scalloped dress.

Ivan Lendl in argyle.

Bring back the tennis cardigan! Virginia Wade with the Queen, Wimbledon 1977.
Her sweater was monogrammed.

Arthur Ashe, gentleman and American legend. Wimbledon, 1975.

Chris Evert still ladylike in the 80s. Check out that wooden racquet.
All the girls on my high school team wanted that one.

x

Yannick Noah. My son cannot believe how short the men's shorts were in the 80s.

Arthur Ashe 1968. His short shorts and glasses set new trends. Kspace.com

Margaret Court 1970s. An Australian mom who quit tennis to have kids and came back.
She has won more titles than any other woman.

Bjorn Borg 1976. Loving the pukka shell necklace too.  via theselvedgeyard.wordpress.com

Borg after defeating McEnroe, 1980 at his fifth Wimbledon title. 

Arthur Ashe in a Rolex advertisement.

Martina Navratilova in a cable knit sweater.

No one in the world of men's and women's tennis still has a better win/loss percentage than Chris Evert. She personified grace on and off the court and still does.   News Flash! She recently agreed to design a new line of traditional whites for Ellesse Tennis to be out in 2012. Everything old is new again!

Etsy.com

Kim :)