How to Win Finals.

Someone brilliant once said "You're on the road to success when you realize that failure is only a detour." Clearly this person is above average like me and probably understands the speed bumps on this road that I seem to hit going WAY above the speed limit. In a way, it's nice, these speed bumps. They slow me down; allow me to stop and smell the roses. Despite my navigation system constantly leading me down the correct roads, I like some detours.

But I've got NO time to stop and smell the roses this week. After a semester of procrastinating until the last minute to do anything (actually, everything) school-related, I barely have time to stop and smell the delicious Dunkin Donuts French Vanilla Coffee I've got a brewin'. I gots stuff to learn, people! I gots a half a semester of statistics to add to this head of mine! Thank God I took my extensions out or I'da had NO chance.

Ok, so it is a little ironic that I have no time for roses or coffee (I lied about the coffee, obvi) yet I have time to write a blog post. It's not my fault... It's totally my fault. But I couldn't just resist this genius flowing through my fingertips!!!! Here's how it started: I just returned to my cozy little apartment after ACING my advertising media final, switched on my Scentsy so the cinnamony smelling goodness reminds me that Santa is coming, and it hit me: I JUST DID EXCEPTIONALLY WELL ON THAT TEST!

I know that most of you are shacked up in the lib (Hannah, let me know if you need me to bring you a toothbrush or some shampoo) and probably trying to procrastinate studying just like I am, so I thought I'd give you some positive advice from the desk aka kitchen table of Meghan Fab Parrish..

How to WIN Finals

Bruce Jenner comes to mind when I think of Olympic Medalists. I'm not really sure if he actually won a gold, but for precious-study-time-being-wasted's sake, let's just say he did.

That was a tangent.. Bruce Jenner has nothing to do with how YOU can do your best this finals week. I, on the other hand, have everything to do with it. Let me tell you a little about the things that are helping me do my best this week:

My Lucky Shoes.

Although they are not lucky (actually, there is no such thing as luck, only blessings) they are in fact gold AND sparkly. I believe gold and sparkles are the answer to everything. Hopefully professor will think so too when he's grading my final. In conclusion, you should get some if you want to win.

BOREDOM AND FRUSTRATION OUTLETS

Attention. Deficit. What was I saying? It's good to have productive options when you need to take a breather. I like to shop for mansions and figure out what my monthly payment would be (not in my head, with the mortgage calculator, duh!)

Colors!

Ever since I was forced to stop killing brain cells, I have advanced from fine tip sharpies in neon colors to ball point. They get the job done.. and it makes it much more fun to write my study guides. By the way, my highlighter is sparkly. AND it has mini post its on one end. Such a great multi-tasking device made by 3M.

Smart Glasses.

Glasses make you smart, so I have some.

I'd like to quote another wise man: Your Highness--the rapper Ellie and I met in Santa Barbara 5 years ago who told me "Girrrrl, if you as smart as you look, that's a winning com-bi-nation," after which he proceeded to ask for our numbers. We said no. And no, he's not famous... yet.

Delicious Tangents (in other words, white chocolate chunk cookies that were a product of hunger/distraction/my trophy wife training)

You can't have my recipe because then you will have become my competition for eligible husbands and I want every single person who is reading this to win right now!

I'm sweet.

My feel-good, smell-good, favorite piece of home decor... Scentsy

Ode to the Scentsy: Thanks to you, my home has filled up with the aroma of pine cones, cinnamon sticks, and love. And although this is as close to a winter wonderland as I'd like to get, it's that time of year again... love really is all around.

Did I say love is all around? Well wouldn't you know, just in case I need someone to talk to, I've got a few of the people I LOVE AND MEAN IT on the Lazy Sue (miss you, 3 Hill Pond Lane/Rumson family)!!!! They keep me company, and if they bug, I can just spin them to the other side of the table! Oh the joy of modern day conveniences..

Just some of my boos lighting sparklers at Club Cielo..

She left me yesterday and my heart hasn't been the same since... So I'm pretending til I get to see her again in 3 days.

Finally, the costume I wear to win: Sweats.

Somehow... Santa allllways seems to bring me velour sweats... and I never have enough room in my PJ drawer to keep them. So Santa, if you're reading this, I already have plenty of derby days sweats to keep me satisfied. BUT, I would like a shiny red Cuisinart food processor..

Overall, I have spent 1 hour and 47 minutes doing nothing productive but nonetheless fabulous. I'm not going to lie, I needed to clear my head of today's advertising nonsense so that I can now progress to teaching myself the inside and out of the modern self and hear what alllll the fun philosophers and saints have to say about it. and now, you... lucky you.... have a glimpse into the mind of a glitter-veined genius. Sorry bout it Bruce J, I win the medal this time around.

Dear Religion Final at One O'Clock Tomorrow,

Bring it. I've got nothin' but time and a lot of fun things to keep me occupied.

Love, Me

Gift Implants

You can implant embryos. You can implant memories. You can implant breasts. and with my help, you can implant ideas... Christmas present ideas...

Have you ever received a gift that you wanted to throw on the ground and stomp on? How about a gift that the giver clearly thought you would LOVE when in reality you absolutely hate? Or an item that clearly was a last minute, no correlation to you whatsoever, "I have no idea what to get this person" kind of gift? Yeah, I understand that gift giving is supposed to be a simple, selfless act that comes from the heart and doesn't have to hold any material value, blah blah blah, but some gifts plain suck. I know it, you know it, and Goodwill knows it.

Each Christmas as a child, we were urged to send a list to Santa Clause listing what we want him to leave under our tree. Despite my always wanting something way cooler than Santa's elves could ever make (I never got my pink Barbie Corvette, Rudolph), my knowledge of St. Nick was shot down early on in life: I caught my dad in his undies tracking ash footprints from the chimney to the Christmas tree on Christmas eve when I was four. He tried to convince me that Santa had just left up the chimney and he was trying to clean up his footprints and cookie crumbs, but let's face it, dad, I was smarter than I looked (and still am, kinda).

Since that dark and dreary Christmas, I had to pretend Santa was real so my brother didn't cry (he was a bit of a pansy and still is..) I received gift after gift, year after year, knowing that Santa was a phony and my relatives thinking they were soooo convincing. Ha. As soon as the true identity of Santa was "revealed," I have noticed the devastating effects of not creating a Christmas list: horrible presents. Which is why I began my mental Christmas lists... in everyone else's minds MUAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!

Side note: Thankfully, Mark started giving me the things I wanted during the year (I like to think of them as random acts of kindness) so he didn't have to wrap a present or buy a Christmas tree (very practical.) No implantation necessary.

So, present implantation.

Implantation can be taken advantage of in a number of ways. The most effective approaches are as follows.. but first, a few things to know: 1. You have to want something. 2. You have to have someone to target (aka who will get it for you.) 3. You need to be very very sneaky. 4. Creativity is key in order to make the gift giver believe it is his/her idea.

Say you want a faux fur Spirit Hood (which I, in fact, do.) Unless my friends and relatives are psychic, they have no idea I want this. I could email out a notice, letting everyone know this is on my list, but no one is going to want to buy me a $130 dollar dead animal looking hat to wear around like a jackass. This is where implantation comes in. My boyfriend of the week thinks it would be nice to get me a Christmas gift but has no idea what to get me that is within his budget (hopefully budget wouldn't be a problem with a longer-termed boyfriend.) I have a few options. When he is over, I leave the site up on Firefox so when he uses my computer he sees it. Because boys are stupid and probably won't catch my drift, it's going to take a little more work.. so, in another window, I ironically have just sent a message on Facebook to my best friend saying how cute it is and how I really want one. If he STILL doesn't get it, I have to take further action: the Colleen Adams effect. If a girl's best friend tells you she wants something, get it for her. Unless you are Superman, you probably don't know better than she does and to begin with your girlfriend probably told her to tell you (implantation at its finest, duh.) Overall, gift implanting is truly better than making a Christmas list because a) they think it's their idea=empowerment=good mood, b) if they unfortunately get you something different you won't feel bad they didn't get you what you "asked for," and c) if you don't get it from the selected individual, at least your best friend knows you want it!

;)

My Kicks

I once started a conversation at a bar by telling a man I hated his dress shoes. He ended up liking me and oddly switching shoes with me so I could demonstrate just how Fred Flinstone they actually were. I'm pretty sure he still wears those shoes (even though he promised me he would buy new ones using my guidelines) but aside from that, it started a weird habit of me judging people by their footwear.. and it works really well.

Sitting in class today, I was admiring the footwear choices of the kid who sits next to me in Finance. His sneakers made me want to vom. Like, I understand people are on a budget, but is it really necessary to choose the most obnoxious shoes to wear every day until finally he decides to buy a new pair? I honestly could have found a nice pair of converse that would have looked better at his shoe's age for half the price of the annoying skate shoes gracing his.... ew, feet.

I can only imagine what his toes look like.... and his ankles..... and I didn't even dare look at his wrists.

Anyways, his shoes sucked, and it got me thinking about what I would wear if I were a guy.

So I did some research...

First off, being a young professional, it is important to have a fabulous pair of dress shoes to wear to important functions (I'll talk about how to dress for this occasion in a later post.) Typically, black would go with the most outfits, but the color doesn't matter if the shoe straight sucks. My rule? The toe must be significantly narrower than the base of the foot, but never pointier than an inch wide at the toe. A pair of men's dress shoes should be looked at like an investment... Buy Italian leather, look sharp and be rewarded in the long run, I don't care how old you are.

These melt my heart like a stick of butter

Dior Homme Penny Loafer

Ok, so if you pay $500 for a pair of shoes, you're probably not going to want to wear them to Main Street. Although I'm sure they would repel beer and cheap shots relatively well, unless you're hitting the financial district for happy hour after work I would slip my tootsies into a cheaper (but obvi just as amazing) pair.

I have never seen a guy rock a pair of boots like Hal and Kyle Billingsley and years of observing their grunge fabulousness have made me really keen on the look. Today, while Christmas shopping at Bloomies, I just might have found my "if I were a hot guy" pair... Of course to be worn with straight leg jeans messily tucked in and the laces loosely laced. I haven't thought about it at all...

Diesel Cassidy

I also realize that, although I would probably have all the Tens at my table, these boots probably aren't realistic for the average guy.. You know, because I'm above average. Anyways, for all the Frat parties and beer pong laden events (God help me, I never went through the cheap beer stage), I'd for sure rep some sick sneakers. Not to keep throwing out real life examples of Shoe gods in my life, but never have I ever seen a guy wear a pair of Nikes like Max Rose. Yeah, yeah, I know these are old school (Max, you've got to move on from the era of me giving you excellent gifts and get some new ones) but still, I say Nike trumps all other sneaker brands..

Loved these..

New Favs. Nike Delta Force

Finally, I'm not going to lie, there's something about a guy in Uggs that screams confidence. Granted, it's easy to tell if the Ugg wearer is a complete slob, but I would obviously be the more sophisticated, "my feet are legitimately cold and Uggs are more presentable to wear out than house slippers," kind of guy. Can you say rugged chic? Scruffy five O'Clock shadow, a Vince cashmere V-Neck sweater, comfy heather grey sweats, Chestnut Uggs.. Need I say more?

UGG Classic Short Bomber

The unfortunate thing about these delicious shoes is the fact that I'm a woman... and having a closet full of sky high heels in every color gives me much more satisfaction than knowing I could style you males better than your mommy.. Sorry I'm not sorry.

The Art of Rationalization

I'm not much of an artist. I can't pick up a paint brush and create a masterpiece on canvas. I cannot act, sing, or dance. I'm artistically challenged in most ways.

But boyyyy I can shop.

Instead of being blessed with some crazy talent that is going to make me rich and famous, I was simply blessed with the ability to rationalize everything. Don't get me wrong, I will still be rich and famous (of course happiness comes first), but until I have unlimited funds, rationalization is important in order to make the best purchases, cook the best foods, and believe I'm doing what I should be doing. It's kind of like budgeting in a more fabulous way; the style I prefer.

Just to give you a little background on my above average skill, I'd like to describe a hypothetical situation in which I might need to use rationalization...

Step-by-step rationalizing:

1. Take a want and make it a need

2. Make it appear practical

3. Convince yourself it's a genius idea

4. Physically take action

I really want a new purse. First things first: I have to convince myself that my want is a need. I think back to my last purse purchase (which has obviously been a long enough amount of time to be "old" because I make the rules to this game and I said so). Based on my last purchase, I decide a different color would be the smart thing to do.. Way to be practical. Since I spend hours upon hours doing style research each week, I know the color handbag I should own this season. Next, I shop. As I explained earlier, I do not have unlimited funds. I am on a "budget." Therefore, it is impossible to purchase everything I want (oops, I mean need). This is where I really need to rationalize. If the bag is inexpensive (not likely) the decision basically makes itself. Cha-ching. If the bag is not expensive, but enough to make me check how much credit is left on my card, I have to use a technique I've explained in previous posts (see here) and decide how much I would be willing to pay each time I carried the bag. If it is reasonable and I have paid off my CC this month, golden. In the case where it isn't reasonable, or my CC is maxxed (surprise, surprise), I am a good girl and don't buy it. But overall, if I have to have it, I will. I love making the rules!

I like to think my rationalization skills have been passed down by my favorite relative: Mark Parrish. Around 8 years ago, my amazing father decided he needed someone to cook for him. Rather than running out and finding a wife (which he eventually did... leaving me jobless), he decided to start an "incentive" program for me: he tells me what he wants for dinner and I make it. The incentive? Fifty dollars a dinner (and he bought groceries, duh)...... So I taught myself how to cook.

So, not only did Mark teach me how to rationalize early on in life, but he also taught me how to have an astonishing closet, the thrilling ability to cook like a pro, and a glimpse into the wonderful world of making enough money to pay your offspring to do stuff you could probably do yourself: rationalization at its finest.

girl:phone relationships

Silly boys, we know your tricks. You're shallow, too. You love fakeness and appreciate trash over class. The penis does the picking*. And you really don't know a good catch when you find it. Although I can't get in your head and take a look around (I would absolutely love to have the worldview of Patti Stanger, male genius,) I can at least take a stab at giving you a head start in your hunt for the scum of the female sex.. You can all use a little direction.

Take notes.

Research shows that until you (the male) turn 26, you suffer from a deformity called being an immature douche bag. You should not be dateable until you hit this minimum maturity level, however, until then, for some reason unbenounced to me, the majority of ill-informed females find it necessary to have intimate relations with you. Stupidity must be contagious.

But guess what? While you act charming, chivalrous, and are convincing us to like you, we are already head over heels in love and committed to a relationship with an object that will never betray us: our cell phone.

Here's a little peep (no, get your mind out of the gutter) at just what's going on in us girls' heads by the relationship we have with our cellulars...

Scenario 1: Her phone is constantly in hand, whether she is using it or not. She is needy. I don't care if she "uses her phone to check the time" or is "expecting an important call." Having a phone in hand at all times screams clinger. You can be sure that her textback rate (TBR) is less than five seconds (which is kind of scary and a little overwhelming). Her style is fashionable and she is pretty, but her outward appearance makes up for her lack of personality. She loves animals, and if you want a girl who is down for anything from sky diving to slumming it on the couch, this is the one for you.

Scenario 2: One handed texting, often. She is cool and likes her space. This is not the type of girl who forwards your call to voicemail and then texts you instead. She doesn't need a man, nor does she want one. She prefers to do most activities by herself and values her opinion more than anyone else's. Her TBR is anywhere from one minute to ten minutes (or she is ignoring you,) showing little clinginess. She is a leader, and people look up to her. Her style might not be up to par with Vogue, but she does the best with what she's got. She has a lot of male friends and will probably break your heart in the end; sorry she's not sorry.

Scenario 3: Two-handed texting within 1.5 feet of her face. She is obsessive. With a TBR of between one and five seconds, this is not someone you should not spend time with if you value your personal bubble. She does not have an individual style and is insecure, in turn needing constant affirmation that she is important to you (if you choose to have relations with her). On the plus side, she could be the girl of your dreams! 100% attention on you, 100% of the time. Get it, boo.

Scenario 4: Hand-held phone calls. She is confident and values human touch. While she probably texts often, she doesn't mind hearing a voice at the other end of the line and is not concerned about saying the wrong thing. This shows she has confidence in her friendships and in conversations with others. She is a go-getter. Even though she might be uber successful now, she is the type of girl who will be selfless in making sure you are always happy. She loves to cuddle. An S.4 in one word: sweetheart.

Scenario 5: Shoulder-held phone calls. She is busy and puts her obligations before her personal life (aka you). Getting down to business is not a bad thing, unless you are a needy boy (in which case she probably shouldn't date you either). With her, you can sit back and watch as she takes over the world. She is fun and likeable by all. When she goes out, it's "go big or go home," and then she will disappear into her hobbit hole until the next big event. She does not care what others think about her appearance, as long as she's content. Boys, watch out if her heels are pointy... She could walk all over you.

Scenario 6: Bluetooth/hands-free phone calls. She is wise, but don't confuse a Bluetooth girl with a goodie-two-shoes. While she might be abiding by the law and not chatting on a handheld while driving, this shows more brains than anything. She is therefore intelligent, and will probably leave you speechless with her sarcasm. She is important to many people, and is probably in some sort of clique. If you want a girl who talks when she should and doesn't when she shouldn't (aka arm candy,) this could be the perfect girl for you.

So there you have it: how to judge a girl by her cell phone. Now we're both shallow. Love you mean it, too.


*Credit: Patti Stanger

the savvy girl's guide to judging men the right way.

In no way am I trying to oppose the saying "don't judge a book by its cover."

Well, kind of. I think it is extremely important to weigh personality over looks; what a man lacks in his physical appearance could easily be made up for with a series of hilarious jokes, a great sense of style, or, say, a black card*. I think it is also important to note that sometimes, a cover is just wrong and the book should therefore not be picked up. Do not choose a "book" that has, for example, Ed Hardy on his "cover," or anything similar. A book that boasts designer labels on a clearly inexpensive canvas should be left on the dusty top shelf. Hard covers are classy. Finally, it is completely normal to read the back cover before you make the purchase (you can even do it on iPad, and Apple knows what's good).

To make up for what the good old saying lacks, I have created a possible alternative to help you lovely ladies make the right decision on your man hunt: Do judge a man by his cell phone (especially if he isn't wearing a watch and you can't see his feet).

What do I mean by this? Well, if you haven't noticed the variety of cellular phones people are carrying nowadays, you're ignorant. But if you have noticed, you will also notice the similarities between men of the same cell phone class. In my study, I have used the empirical research technique of observation. My methods? 1. See a man, 2. Rate him on the likert scale of 1-10, 3. Observe what type of mobile device he uses, 4. Enter data into my X/Y table, 5. Create a correlation coefficient in order to better describe the relationship.

I guess I do know enough to skip stats for a pedicure!

Let's get down to business. Following is a description of what to know about the [male] user of a certain cell:

1. iPhone: Not only is this a smart phone, but also a smart man. He is clearly technologically savvy, probably Chowhounds restaurants to see the best/most trendy places to take a girl to dinner (five stars for him,) and He no doubt has a Macbook on his desk at home. SO attractive. On the downside, He might or might not be a bit of a player (this does not apply to Mark Parrish) and probably doesn't think it's rude to answer a call/text at the dinner table. Be careful, however.. If His iPhone is a 1st generation or has a cracked screen, be worried. Seriously, men, if you refrain from going out with the boys one day a week (or just stop buying drinks for cheap, white trash girls at the bar), you could have probably afforded a new phone yesterday.

2. Blackberry: I know there is a bit of rivalry between the iPhone (wooooooooo!!!!!!) and the Crackberry, but regardless I will review it with an unbiased opinion. BBM is cool, so He is too. This fellow probably doesn't spend quite as much time texting, and He might possess more chivalrous qualities than the typical iPhone user. He might have Verizon (which means family plan, which means mama's boy, which could pose problems,) and therefore cannot have an iPhone (we don't want you on our service, anyways). Finally, He is probably an individual in the way he dresses and acts, even if it's bad.. I mean, Blackberries really don't think they're iPhones, and I appreciate that.

At this point I would like to quote an expert: "Boys with berries are girls" - Hannah Crockett

3. Droids, or other wannabe iPhones: {Stop pretending, you will never be up to the caliber of an Apple product} This man probably loves Miller Light and doesn't know how to appreciate a nice glass of Cabernet Sauvignon. He is argumentative. Where he dresses nice and could pull off a pink polo if he tried, he might not be the best kisser. Ladies, this is Mr. Right now, not Mr. Right.

4. Flip Phone: There are a few key characteristics to note about a Man with a flip phone.. 1. They suck, you should seriously get some sort of smart phone (cough cough, a different man), I don't care if you have Boost Mobile. 2. They are cheap, and so is He. 3. How is he supposed to Yelp where to take you to dinner with no internet connection??? 4. and No email??? He probably isn't that important in the scheme of things.

5. 2+ Cell phones: He is a smart businessman who prefers not to mix business with pleasure. In this case, a Blackberry is a nice choice (as long as it's the business phone). Microsoft properties of the phone make it easy for those men who use a PC (vom.. everywhere) to take care of business on the go, and you can have an iPhone too! He's a keeper.. Just make sure you like his facial structure, feet, and wrists before you give his genes to your children.

6. 3+ Cell phones: He is a drug dealer or sells organs on the black market. Stay away.

As I mentioned earlier, there are other, possibly more accurate ways to judge a man. Remember, keep your eyes out for nice watches (if you don't know them, Google them.. also know the bad ones**), know your CC's, and shoes are a tell-all.. And remember, if he can't make you laugh, you will in turn look bored at outings and therefore not meet your attractiveness potential. It is imperative to show off your fabulous smile and big eyes to all the other eligible bachelors in the room, or you might be stuck with Mr. Blah forever... sick.



*Business Amex is ok too, but take note: it won't get you into the President's Club at LAX. And watch out for frauds, I was recently accepted for a "Platinum" card that is black. I make no where near the minimum for an authentic Black American Express (exactly why I need a man who does).. If it's not anodized titanium, toot it and boot it.
**Fake watches are out there.. Pay attention to the sound the watch makes when he puts his arm on the table. If it sounds janky (not a nice, manly CLUNK), that Rolex was probably bought in Jamaica.

The Coolest People I Wish I Knew.

Some people are just born phenomenal.

I am one of them. Just kidding.. kind of.

But really though, regardless if a person is born in a small town and becomes a local celebrity for just being around (Arrow Grantham::SLO) or someone has super ritzy parents who help pave a way for them to stardom (Lourdes::Madonna), being super cool isn't that easy.

Storytime.

In 2003, I was a Freshman in high school and in the prime of my awkward stage. Just to enlighten you all who (fortunately) did not know me, I had braces, wore a double zero jean, and was as tall as I am now, meaning I wore bell bottom high-waters. Not to mention I was motherless and had no direction as to how to put on makeup, so I just did what I thought looked good.. It turns out I should have searched out a self-help magazine. But hey, I thought I was cool.. Fake it til you make it.

I would like to begin my rant by saying I am scared of fashion. Whether a collection was created in Paris with love or in a sweaty FIDM design studio in Los Angeles, couture makes me nervous. The first fashion house to give me sweaty palms was due in large part to a man I'm in love with named Nicolas Ghesquiere, the creative director of Balenciaga since 1997.

✔

In the words of Shae Savin, Nicolas is fierce. What I love so much about him is that you can see his inspiration in each collection. Coming from a family completely unrelated to fashion (his dad wanted him to be a gym teacher.. those would have been some fun P.E. clothes), he comes up with the most crazy/fabulous designs.. Some of my favorites of his throughout the years are below.


From left: Fall 2009 RTW (sophisticated glamour girl), Spring 2003 RTW (my favorite collection EVER-it's like, scuba inspired!), Spring 2009 RTW (I love how he incorporates shapes into his designs; see the heart?), and finally this year's Fall RTW (totally geometrical but SO much more fun than actually doing geometry).

Despite the fact I couldn't even pronounce Balenciaga until a few years ago, I am still extremely enthused by every runway show, and it doesn't hurt he's the last person on the catwalk.. I mean, hottie McFrenchman yes please!

Secondly, I would like to give props to my favorite blogger: Emily, better known by Ellie and I as Cupcakes. Cupcakes? Yes, Cupcakes. Short for Cupcakes and Cashmere.. Dot com for you dummies who don't already follow her.

She's adorable, right?

There are very few bloggers out there (trust me, I've done some research) that can put together an amazing outfit from anything super cheap to super classy. It's such a relief to see great outfits that don't cost 2 million dollars (no offense, Nicolas, but I'm on a budget right now). Also, she basically has my dream life: work at Teen Vogue, blogging daily, and amazing success. If only I could have more than 20 followers... and a photographer boyfriend to take my pics. Love you, mean it, super jealous of you Em.

Last but certainly not least, one of the most interesting people in the world: Iris Apfel. Not only do I have an obsession with fashionable old people (I have two amazingly fabulous grandmothers who completely passed on my shopping genes... and my color coded closet), but I also enjoy people with ridiculous styles like Iris. Did I say ridiculous? I meant brilliant.

See what I mean? Iris is da bomb..

One of the many reasons I find Iris so interesting is that she is her style. In an interview with Peabody Essex Museum this summer (one of the many museums who have exhibited her unique styles), she explained that her ensemble is incomplete if it doesn't scream IRIS! Whether this Iris touch is a pair of heavy matching bangles (one on each wrist), or her thick, round-rimmed signature eyeglasses, her style radiates her eclecticism.


Before I kick the bucket, I want to be cool.

"Dress gives you the opportunity to express yourself: who you are, who you think you are or who you want to be. So, take advantage of it. I hope that Rare Bird of Fashion will encourage you to be a bit creative, a bit daring and have more than a bit of fun." - Iris Apfel