My Chic Life

Tie Me Up!

Dirty Boy. Get your head out of the gutter!

I’m talking about real Gentlemen… Gatsby style.

I found this website that I’m kind of obsessed with called Social Primer, who’s tag-line is “Manners, Conversation, Style and Handling Your Liquor”. Ha!

I wish more men embraced this side of themselves… the seersucker suit wearing-gin martini drinking-Kentucky Derby side. God it’s so sexy when done well!

Feel free to peruse their blog for tips, or shop their store for fantastic finds like bright bow ties or custom cuff links. Love it!

Ohhh la la, Priscilla chic.....

Happy Tuesday everyone, (at least its not Monday)… Okay so we all have our vices. For some it’s chocolate, some heroine, but MY vice is pop music designed for 12 year old girls. Pricilla Renea is standing on the edge of super stardom with her first hit DOLLHOUSE. It’s catchy. It’s Fun. It’s just what we need to get us to Friday! Pricilla started as an internet sensation at the age of 20. Before you know it, she was in the studio with producers who have worked with Brittany Spears and Mary J Blige. Her Debut album, Jukebox, is scheduled for October 20th 2009 (I’m not sure if I’ll make it till than… OMG I could just die)….. She also does many of the guitar and piano solos in the album (THIS GIRL ROCKS)! Until then we can keep our Itunes on repeat and her new VIDEO for Dollhouse fresh on our Youtube faves!

Us ladies at Chic have had the priveledge of getting to know JP Quicquaro through friends and roommates. He is the male definition of Chic and has a job that most people would die for (assuming it doesn’t kill you first).

JP Quicquaro

1. What is your job title and company, and how long have you worked there?

I AM THE GENERAL MANAGER AT LES DEUX FOR THE DOLCE GROUP IN HOLLYWOOD. I’VE WORKED THERE FOR ABOUT 2 YEARS.

2. How did you get into your current line of work?

I FELL INTO IT.

3. What is your favorite part of your job?

HAHAHA WELL I REALLY ENJOY MOST OF THE PEOPLE I MEET WHO COME IN AND ARE LOOKING TO HAVE A GOOD TIME…I SAY MOST OF THE PEOPLE I MEET BECAUSE EVERY NOW AND THEN I RUN INTO RUNDE PEOPLE (WHICH IS THE ANSWER TO QUESTION NUMBER 4). I REALLY DO LOVE THAT OUR COMPANY PROVIDES A SERVICE FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE LOOKING TO HAVE A GOOD TIME. NOT MANY PEOPLE GET TO SAY THEY RUN A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE GET TO COME AND FORGET ABOUT THE DAY OR WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO TOMORROW. YOU COME TO OUR VENUE TO KICK BACK, RELAX, HANG OUT WITH FUN GOOD LOOKING PEOPLE, AND LISTEN TO GOOD MUSIC.

4. What is your least favorite part of your job?

THE LEAST FAVORITE PART OF MY JOB IS DEALING WITH RUDE INDIVIDUALS.

5. What is the weirdest think you have had to do at your current job?

I’VE SEEN A GIRL WALK OUT OF THE CLUB, PULL DOWN HER PANTS, SQUAT, AND START PEEING. I FOUND OUT THAT IF YOU STAND A GIRL UP SHE IMMEDIATELY STOPS PEEING (IT WAS LIKE TURNING OFF A FAUCET).

6. What is the craziest thing you’ve seen at your current job?

THIS CRAZY ASS CONTORTIONIST CHICK DANCED WITH A 15 FOOT SNAKE!!

7. What do you wear to work?

I SHOULD ALWAYS WEAR A SUIT BUT HEY, IT’S MY LA SO USUALLY I ROCK JEANS AND A SHIRT AND JACKET…ALWAYS WITH MY CHUCK TAYLORS.

8. What does a typical workday include?

DURING THE DAY, I AM IN AND OUT OF THE OFFICE MAKING SURE WE ARE READY TO GO FOR THE EVENING (I’M ALWAYS ON MY PHONE…YEAH I’M THAT GUY WHO NEVER LEAVES HIS PHONE). IT’S ANNOYING BUT IT’S NECESSARY. AT NIGHT I’M USUALLY AT THE FRONT DOOR GREETING PEOPLE AND MAKING SURE THINGS ARE RUNNING SMOOTHLY (YES I AM STILL ON MY PHONE EVEN AT THE FRONT DOOR).

9. What does the future hold for you career wise?

JESUS…UMM I DON’T KNOW. I GUESS THAT’S WHY THEY CALL IT THE FUTURE…BUT STAY TUNED IT SHOULD BE INTERESTING.

Alice Sebold

Alright readers, if you’re willing to scroll around the internet all day reading our blogs and spying on celebrities do yourself a favor and polish off a REAL book or two while you’re at it. I saw a trailer for the new movie Lovely Bones (coming soon to a theater near you) and I wanted to suggest that you read it BEFORE you see it destroyed by Marky Mark.

For those of you who are unaware, I am a book worm and secretly despise most book turned-movies! Time Travelers Wife, Brave New World, My Sister’s Keeper, The Scarlet Letter, The Dive From Clauson’s Pier, the list goes on and on of great books that were destroyed by their crappy movie doppelganger.

Lovely Bones is the story of a teenage girl watching her life, her family, her friends go on after she was murdered. It’s suspenseful, and magical, and mysterious, and sad and I promise you wont regret the read.

For all I know the movie will prove me wrong, but we can’t take that chance… this book is so fantastic I’d hate for you to ONLY see the movie and never know how great it really is. So please, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of this if you’ve never read it… it’s a page turner.

By the beard of Zeus!

ALL PURPOSE GREEK SEASONING!!!! This stuff is spectacular. Seriously. It takes so many recipes to the next level and adds a certain “kick” to otherwise ho-hum dishes.

Things I like to put All Purpose Greek Seasoning on include but are not limited to:

• Chicken
• Steamed Veggies
• Eggs
• Rice

This stuff is great on anything but, I saved the best for last. All Purpose Greek Seasoning is the key ingredient to my favorite home-made salad dressing. This dressing, one of my most sought after recipes, involves only four ingredients but it is healthy, EASY, tasty, and a definite crowd pleaser.

Greeksta's Paradise

EEK’s Greek Salad

Ingredients:

1. One bag of pre-packaged salad mix. Your choice. I like Sweet Butter Mix.
2. 2 tsp. Olive Oil
3. 2 Tbs. Seasoned Rice Vinegar
4. All Purpose Greek Seasoning

Instructions:

Wash and dry your salad mix then, put in a salad bowl. If you feel like adding other veggies like tomatoes, carrots, onion, kalamata olives, or a protein like chicken, salmon, or tofu, go for it. Whisk the vinegar and oil together in a bowl and add Greek Seasoning to taste. Don’t add too much!!! This stuff is pretty salty. Usually, I’ll toss the dressing and then taste it with the leaves. If it needs more seasoning, sprinkle it directly on the salad and toss again.

Allez Cuisine!

Best Face Forward

Learn it.

Know it.

Love it.

Even people who aren’t obsessed with Oprah like I am, still have appreciation for Oprah’s Favorite Things! I do have to say, even though Oprah clues me in on a ton of new things… I actually knew all about the Clarsonic Brush BEFORE she gave it away to loads of adoring guests on her Favorite Things episode.

The Clarsonic Brush (the first of it’s kind) is kind of like a tooth brush for your FACE. It only takes a minute (you hear a little beep every 15 seconds to remind you to move to a new location on your skin) and afterwards your face is GLOWING like a pregnant woman. It’s amazing! Ooooh, also they have different types of brushes so you can use it on your, ahem, “rougher” areas, like elbows or knees and scrub everything to a shiny hue.

They’re not exactly cheap, but I use mine every day (just keep it in the shower) and I think it was TOTALLY worth the expense. If you want more info, call my friends at Skin Haven (who use these brushes during every facial and turned me on to them) and hear how great they are, book a facial to try one out, or purchase one from them directly.

Happy Scrubbing!

BRAD PITT'S STACHE

Okay, so RACHEL is gonna hate this one, but whether she likes it or not, The MUSTACHE is back in business. Earlier this year I shaved myself one of these little flavor savors because I thought it would be funny, but actually thought it was boyish and classy. So it turns out, I was totally right and I just had to know exactly how to shape my style. After moving to San Francisco, I was dumbfounded by the amount of mustaches. From the STRAIT men with CHIC urban duds, right down to the fixie riding hipster… everyone is partaking in the fuzzy little landing strip! Teen heartthrob (and not so teen), James Franco sported a little painters brush style mustache in the Oscar winning movie Milk. This was a marketing overhaul for our lip warming friends. The list of celebrities who have been photographed with different variations of the stache include Brad Pitt, Jude Law, Robert Downy Jr.,Collin Farrel, George Clooney…. and the list goes on and on.

Now I know what your thinking, but just ask your parents…. The mustache has always been a form of male stature. The earliest mustache ever reported was on tablet drawings from ancient Greece in 300AD depicting men of stature fighting wars with nothing on but Sandals and a Handlebar. (I don’t even want to know how the treated razor burn in 300AD). In the 20’s, the mustache represented class, and status. Skip ahead to the 70’s and the mustache was a right of passage (hence the porn refrences) . In the 80’s Tom Selleck paired up with his furry little friend and fought crime once a week on the show Magnum PI. This, in my opinion, is where the world found its negative association with the mustache. The mustache has had a great vacation, but now after 25 years in hiding, its back and more diverse than ever.

MY NEW STACHE

Clearly the mustache is not for everyone but if you feel inclined to explore your face (or your mans face), check out the different styles you can choose from. Now, I know some women agree with Rachel and think, “no way on the stache “, but let your man give it a shot… It only takes a couple days to grow back. You never know, maybe your just scared because your excited.

Let us know what you think….

Davida Hall

I had the pleasure of getting to know Davida Hall when she worked with us on a webisode for Sugar Inc. She’s so lovely (inside and out) and her job is super hip. So, if you’ve ever wanted to know what it’s like to be a producer, especially in the fashion world, read on:

What is Your Job Title/Company and how long have you worked there?

PRODUCER, SUGAR ENTERTAINMENT. 4 MONTHS, OUR FORMER COMPANY WAS ACQUIRED BY SUGAR INC SO I WAS ABLE TO TRANSITION FROM EDITORIAL DIRECTOR AT SHOPFLICK TO A PRODUCER (OF WEBSHOWS) FOR THE SUGAR SITES (POPSUGAR, FABSUGAR, BELLASUGAR, SHOPSTYLE, ETC).

What’s does a “typical” workday include?

A WIDE RANGE OF TO-DOS! FROM CASTINGS WITH PROSPECTIVE TALENT AND SHOW HOSTS TO DEVELOPMENT MEETINGS WITH OUR IN HOUSE TEAM OF PRODUCERS AND EDITORS, TO WRITING SCRIPTS AND RESEARCHING FASHION AND BEAUTY TOPICS FOR OUR WEBSHOWS….NEVER A DULL MOMENT!

How did you get into your current line of work?

MY BACKGROUND HAS ALWAYS BEEN IN FASHION AND I WAS FORMERLY AT A FASHION E-COMMERCE SITE BEFORE OUR COMPANY WAS ACQUIRED. I LOVE SPREADING MY WINGS AND WORKING IN OTHER LIFESTYLE ARENAS LIKE FITNESS, BEAUTY, HOME. ENTERTAINMENT, ETC.

What do you wear to the office?

I AM PRETTY CASUAL AND THE OFFICE IS A BUNCH OF DUDES….SO WE WEAR JEANS, FLIPS, AND EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE I GET TOTALLY FED UP, WANT TO STEP IT UP A NOTCH, SO YOU’LL SEE ME ROCKING A LITTLE DRESS, SOME CHUNKY JEWELRY AND ALWAYS FUN SHOES!

How many hours do you work a week?

TOO MANY. WE DON’T DO THE 9-5 THING, PRETTY IMPOSSIBLE WITH PRODUCTION HOURS. WE WORK AT NIGHT, ON THE WEEKENDS WHEN NECESSARY–TRUTH IS, I FEEL LIKE I AM ALWAYS WORKING BECAUSE I LOVE WHAT I DO AND I AM THINKING ABOUT IT AND “IN IT” ALL THE TIME.

What is your favorite part of our job?

THE AMAZING, TALENTED, FUN, INTERESTING CREATIVE PEOPLE I WORK WITH. THEY MAKE IT FEEL LIKE A SECOND HOME.

What is your least favorite part of your job?

THE ROACHES I KEEP FINDING IN THE KITCHEN.

What characteristics do you have that make this job a good fit for you?

LOVE WORKING WITH PEOPLE, FINDING TALENT AND UTILIZING PEOPLE’S STRENGTHS AND SKILLS, WRITING, AND A KEEN SENSE OF FASHION AND TRENDS.

What does the future hold for you career wise?

I HOPE A LONG AND PROSPEROUS AND ALWAYS CHANGING ADVENTURE….

If you could do anything else for a living, what would it be?

PLAN AMAZINGLY LAVISH AND UNIQUE DESTINATION WEDDINGS! SHHHHH!