My Chic Life

Hi Chic Readers,

As usual, the staff at Chic Events has differing opinions on what to wear to Thanksgiving dinner… hopefully our holiday outfits will inspire what you wear to grandma’s house tomorrow!!

Sleek and Casual

Erika Says: “I’m all about comfort and stretch for Thanksgiving Day. Leggings are a must! I definitely don’t want with a constricting waistband while I’m shoveling stuffing. Boots and a big ole’ sweater will keep me looking pulled together and cute without trying too hard. The best part… if I go in to a food coma from turkey overload, I can just kick off my boots and crawl into bed. zzZZzZZZZZzzz…

Preppy and Perfect

Ivan Says: “I love nothing more than to get dressed up for an event! Here’s how I plan on getting spiffed up for the hoilday… Understated yet fashionable levis 511, a great pair of boots or some pointy oxfords, and a colorful luxurious sweater (a necessary splurge!)

Damsel in Denim

Rachel Says: “I tend to be a little more casual when I’m spending the holiday with my own family… after all, my mom is happy to see me regardless of what I’ve got on… but that’s not to say I don’t still want to wear something pretty. I’m a denim feind, so I start with a base of jeans and pumps (to dress it up a bit) and then I pair it with a great blouse like this one from Tucker. It’s so flowy and pretty (so it’s feminine AND it hides the post-turkey tummy) and if I top it off with a scarf I’ll be just warm enough for the “frigid” LA weather”

KID SISTER

HELLO CHIC READERS! Happy Turkey Day! I hope everyone sleeps in, eats too much, and gets great shopping deals on black friday! This thanksgiving I’m thankful for our next artist, KID SISTER, who’s album dropped last week and is one of 2009’s new MUST HAVES. Kid Sister, or Melisa Young, is from the the Chicago Rap Scene where she was discovered hosting DJ parties in the early 2000’s and later landed a gig with MTV. Her Debut Album Ultraviolet is a mixture of street inspired Hip-Hop mixed with Club Anthem. She has also been called the Black Lady Gaga, but don’t let that discourage you, Kid Sister has been strutting her unique style and sound way before Gaga even wrote her first tune…. See for yourself…. CLICK HERE to see Kid Sister’s new video for Right Hand Hi… Then go download it so you and the family can GET DOWN this holiday season!!!!

SPF yourself

Some of you Chic readers may be wondering where I’ve been and why I haven’t been sharing my fabulous recipes or rad reviews (or you haven’t noticed or don’t care but …come on…humor me). Well here it is, the big reveal…I had cancer. Melanoma in fact. Yup. Here is my story and what I learned (Cliff’s Note’s Version).

I am not a moley person. I have maybe 5-6 total and they are all small. All except for one on my lower calf, which has always been pretty normal looking. But about a year and a half ago I noticed it growing…and growing…and getting darker…uh oh. So I did the responsible adult thing and had a derm check it out. They measured and prodded and told me everything was good and to come back in 6 months. When I went back and it was bigger, they said it was probably just growing as I grew and my legs got longer blah blah…which I thought was weird because I haven’t really grown much in the last 10 years. Hmmm

now I know my ABCDs

Finally I decided to have the darn thing removed. They numbed me up, scraped it off, and put it in a tube to send to the lab. Weee! So long creepy mole! I thought I was done. Nope. It was the beginning.

I got a call a week later from the dermatologist who removed my mole letting me know that the mole was in fact cancerous. I was diagnosed with the most deadly form of skin cancer, melanoma. Worst phone call ever. Great. Now what? Surgery to remove the area around the mole as well as a few lymph nodes was scheduled. I was scared.

Luckily, my anesthesiologist was amazing and the meds they sent me home with were even better (Mmmm…vicodin) and one month later…I am back in action. I’ll spare you the gory details (Frankenstein-esque scar, tennis ball sized swellage, lack of lymph node leakage) but I will tell you a few positive things that came from this experience. Read on…

What I learned:

1. YOU are responsible for your own health. If you think something is wrong, get it checked out. Ask questions. Be persistent.
2. Be grateful. I never realized how lucky I was to be healthy and able to walk until I wasn’t and couldn’t. Now I walk everywhere. Just kidding. But I do enjoy a nice stroll.
3. It’s okay to ask for help and lean on those who love you in tough times. That’s what friends and family are for, right? They can hold you up when your leg is bandaged and you can’t hold your own. Accept all of the soup, flowers, cards, and kisses you can. I know I did.
4. Survival is Chic.

Since Thanksgiving is quickly approaching, I thought now would be a great time to talk about one of the ways Xerox is helping us all say thanks. They have started their “Let’s Say Thanks” program, where anyone can go to their website and send a personalized message to the troops overseas. This is a completely free service and a great way to show your support for the troops, whether or not you agree with why they are there. We should all still appreciate the work each individual is doing abroad and take a minute to send them something so they know we are thinking of them during the holiday season.

You aren’t able to choose who gets the card, but you can write a personal message and choose the design for the outside of the card. I think this is a great and easy way to show our troops some love. Go check out their website and send one today!

Thank you!

I like to think of myself as a music buff of sorts and there is nothing I love more than to “discover” new music, whether it be an old band or an up and coming sensation. The other thing I love to do is share music with people, because a lot of times they’d never hear about it otherwise. Well Chic Readers, today is the day that I will share some of my personal favorites with you!

Now some of you may have already heard of these songs but perhaps there are a few among you who haven’t heard these songs…or bands for that matter. So gather round and take notes! Mind you, I take my music very serious so I feel like I’m giving away my children here, so you better listen!

The first band I’d like to introduce is the Sundays. They were huge in the early 90s when the whole Dream Pop genre was in full swing but they’ve since fallen into obscurity. Still, their music reigns supreme. Also, Harriet Wheeler’s vocals are so icy that it’s like no other voice I’ve heard to date. Their bigger hits were Here’s Where The Story Ends and Summertime, but I LOVE You’re Not the Only One I Know.The Sundays had an uncanny ability to churn out songs that were just delicious to listen to, so there is not one song that I’ve not liked. Truly amazing. Be sure to also check out Goodbye and I Feel.

The next song is Ugly Girl by Fleming John. The song is about a scorned ex girlfriend and her disbelief that she has been left for..well, an ugly girl. Might sound kind of mean but it is such a good track! Go onto iTunes and preview. I guarantee you’ll buy it.

Another amazing group is The Radio Dept. These boys hail from Sweden and they’re part of the Shoegazing phenomenon. This band to me is one of those bands that would be part of the soundtrack of my life. The music is so smooth and ethereal that it can transport you to any memory, place or time. Everything from the guitars, the vocals, and all the scratchy nuances on each track blend together to make this gorgeous sensory cocktail. I get a thrill when I blast them with all my windows down at night. The 30 second clips on iTunes don’t do it justice, so go on youtube and search for the album versions! Definite songs to listen to are Keen on Boys, I Don’t Like it Like This, Pulling Our Weight, and Where the Damage isn’t Already Done.

Finally, the last stop on our musical journey ends with something a little more upbeat. This band is not so obscure but they’re still not way mainstream. If you’re ever in your car on the way to a club or with your friends and in the mood to dance, MYLO is who you put on. His Destroy Rock & Roll album is a virtual club on it’s own. Super catchy jams and beats that will get your body moving. Songs to listen to are In My Arms, Musclecars, Drop the Pressure, and Rikki.

Caetano Veloso

Happy Tuesday Chic readers!!! Happy November! November is about bringing friends and family together so what better way to do that than with music. We are gonna travel to Spain this week with the 2002 release of a Spanish film called Talk to Her, directed by Pedro Almodovar. The movie was not only the best of its year but also features one of my personal Spanish favorites… Caetano Veloso. He has a voice like an angel and is perfect for mixers or even relaxing by a window getting drunk off a nice bottle of Cab all by yourself (unless that’s just me)…. Although he doesn’t have any “music videos”, this is a clip from Veloso’s brief appearance in the film along with some nice montages. I suggest this song with good speaker or head phones… Sit back, close your eyes, and enjoy Cuccurucucu Paloma… Then go to ITunes and download!!!

Ann + Heidi = 4 Ever

Oh Ann, you tease…

Today I walked out of my house to find a fancy black parcel on my front doorstep. This could only mean one thing… Ann Taylor is spoiling me again! Instantly filled with glee and in the hope that perhaps they’d sent me something from holiday jewelry line that H Klum has been showing off, but what I found was far better! So fantastic in fact, that I’m not sure if I’m even supposed to talk about it.

I got, the “Perfect Card”. That’s not a euphemism, it’s actually called The Perfect Card. It’s silver, and shiny and gets me 30% off any Full Priced purchase at the AT stores. Readers, I don’t know what I did exactly to garner all this love and attention from Ann Taylor, but I’m totally grateful!

Stay tuned for a full report on exactly how badly I bruise my bank account with this new little incentive… I’m no fortune teller, but I see cashmere in my future!!

If there is one thing I have noticed about most tastemakers is that they rarely ever seem to adopt their own influence.

What I mean by that is, most top stylists always look so grungy. Most top hairdressers usually have bad hair. I do have an exception, however, and his name is Tom Ford. I was afforded the privilege of standing two feet away from this universally reknown designer and all I can say is that he is breathtaking.

Not only was he so chic in his tailored suit, but he simply glides across the room with his elegant face and -surprisingly- friendly demeanor. All I could do was stand there and hope I didn’t look like an absolute dirt bag, because truthfully I became so self conscious at that moment. All joking aside, this is the man who revived the Gucci label and who brought back Yves Saint Laurent to the mainstream – to the point that we’ve abbreviated it “YSL”. A true genius Tom Ford is.