The Funtini of Life

Smoochtastic Ensemble

2010-05-28T10:35:00.000-07:00

Sometimes in life it's the dress that finds you...and this is exactly what happened today when I ran across this amazing and literally "Smoochtastic" dress on modcloth!!! I mean it has seriously Made My Day--I must own it, I mean all of those different colored fabulous smooches on dress--I agree with my plus one Jenny, it should be renamed "the Leigh-Ann"...ha, let' start the campaign now!

And as if things could not get better the sassy Miss Mandy comes along and suggests these equally smoochtastic earrings to "complete the look"...can I get a an "Amen" people!!

And who can have an outfit without shoes...I think these red hot numbers would be the icing on the smoochtastic cake!

All I need to do is apply some red hot lipstick and be out the door with this fierce ensemble--caution Men things WILL get REALLY steamy as I strutt by... :)

Mucho Smooches!

Madame K

Being Liptastic

2010-05-11T12:01:00.001-07:00

Apparently I am not the only one who is crazy about the usage of pouty red lips, they seem to be popping up all around me, shoes, cosmetics and not to mention clothing galore! I love the signature red lips because they are bold and were a statement back in the 20s and 30s when women were fighting for some independence and R-E-S-P-E-C-T, amen to that!

"Red is just an empowering color," said Meg Cohen Ragas, co- author of "Read My Lips: A Cultural History of Lipstick." "It really makes a statement and can really change your mood. If you're not wanting to be noticed, I wouldn't recommend putting on red lipstick. Someone said it's like the exclamation mark at the end of a sentence."

"Red lipstick requires the wearer to feel comfortable in her skin, said Sandy Chandler, owner of Toni & Guy Hairdressing Academy in Colorado Springs. It requires a foundation of confidence and may reward the wearer with a certain something. A mystique, maybe, or a subconscious attitude boost."

So on my journey out and about I actually happened to run into a shoe company called Two Lips shoes, how crazy in that? Granted they were only at DSW but I felt they were a sign, like the red lips had found me, LOL! I liked the shoebox more than the shoes I tried on truth be told :)

I also came across a product line called Soap & Glory at Target of all places that has a great liptastic product line. Get this they sell lipstick called "Sexy Mother Pucker"--ummm can we saying amazing name? I have both heard and used this product before back in January and it sure does plump up your lips, and quick frankly it stung too much. I much prefer the Victory Secret's lip venom. Both you should use after a martini or 3 to take away the sting. Beauty hurts ladies, pucker up!

Also for a tutorial on how to wear red lips check out this blog posting from Super Kawaii Mama because a lady should never leave the house without her lips!

Smooches!

Madame K!

How To Be a "Heavenly Hostess"

2010-04-05T07:55:00.000-07:00

I think I am one of those people who was a "natural born hostess" from day one, I mean I really love meeting new people, introducing them to others and of course cooking for people...I can credit some of this to being half Italian and following in the footsteps of my amazing Grandmother, but the rest I guess just sprung up in me :) Needless to day I am ELATED right now that I finally have a dinning room table to host dinner parties, (its like Christmas and my birthday all wrapped in one), and to boot I put the table and chairs together myself, granted it was just tightening screws here and then but I did it all by my non-mechanical self, HOORAY! The days of dating men to ask them to put something together for you are SOO long gone not gonna lie.

So you ask what does one need to be heavenly hostess? Well this question has been swimming in my head since I moved into my new apartment so here is what I think the main ingredients are...

1. Stylish Apron-I know some of you might think this is should be last on the list but if you don't dress the part you won't wow your guests and nothing says amazing hostess like a fabulous apron...case in point this website I found called Heavenly Hostess (which I subsequently stole the name from for this post). I mean these aprons are so fancy smancy I thought they were dresses at first, I want to prance around town with one of this girls on--it just gives new meaning to sexxy housewife...I have picked out two aprons are I am currently drooling over....

Ok for obvious reasons of me loving animal print this apron works for me, I also like the sheer fabric and copper colored fabric underneath it just has whimsical yet flirty feel to it..and did you check out the awesomely HUGE bow in the back, its stunning! I would feel like a present every time I put it and I honestly think this would make my cooking better, LOL!

2. Signature Cocktail-When guests come in you want to first greet them and then hand them a drink in my opinion, so why not make it your own? I mean you are the one hosting the party so your personality should be inter weaved with the look and feel of the party to make it a smash hit...bringing me to the signature cocktail. Now at my last apartment I created a signature drink called "The Delano" named after the apartment that was martini with equal parts stoli vanilla and white cranberry juice, a splash of Chambord, shaken up and topped with some champagne..and I would occasionally throw in a cherry for a fun garnish too. It was a smash hit by all patrons who were lucky enough t to try it, which is why I am bringing back another fabulous drink..."Popicilous Punch"...this will be a fusion of X-Rated Liquor, white and red cranberry juice, Passion fruit rum, pineapple juice and splash of OJ and soda water to make it POP! I might even throw in champagne as the night goes on...its going to have its debut on Saturday April 10th at my housewarming party so I will post up comments later.

X-Rate Liquor is "distilled seven times in small batches from delicate French wheat and roseberry grain, which is grown on Reunion Island off the coast of Madagascar. The 100-percent organic vodka is then micro-oxygenated and charcoal filtered. The final 80-proof product has an alcoholic aroma, but no alcoholic bite. The spirit has a silky smooth texture, which causes a band of warmth to trend down from mouth to stomach. There is a slight hint of vanilla to the flavor, and no harsh finish. "

3. Anti pasta Bar-for those they aren't good cooks or just those that want just an all around "crowd pleaser" when it doubt go with an anti pasta bar. I talking about putting out bowls of all sorts of marinated olives, a plate of roasted red peppers, marinated artichokes and some pickled Italian veggies (one of my favs), crusty bread, and of course heapings of rolled up meat and cheese (fresh mozz and smoked)--you CANNOT go wrong with this spread trust me. And please remember you cannot never have too much prosciutto, its the nocturne of the Gods people.

This picture says it ALL, Deliciouso!! Just look at all of the colors and textures on the plate, its a piece of edible artwork...

4. Place cards-Now I know what you are thinking using place cards sounds a bit on the cheesy side but the way I am using them is not to assign people seats but instead to announce the food or drink that they will be tasting and also to add my personality into the mix. I have already named the punch in the bar as the "Popolicious Punch" and will also be serving the following:

"Italian Stallone Spread" (this is my anti pasta platter)

"Panache Purses" (phyllo dough stuffed with a nutella and mascarpone cheese with roasted hazelnuts and bananas, taken from femme fatale Giada

"Unleash the Meat" (sausages wrapped in puff pastry)

"Sinful Spinach Dip"-classic Knorr's recipe spinach dip that gets inhaled whenever I make it, it must be the water chestnut secret ingredient :)

I was racking my brain thinking where in the world am I going to find place cards, but then my friend, the fabulous Miss Bare, came to the rescue and told me she had a slew leftover from hosting company events--Yeah! I am going to display in front of the food and beverages using wine corks, how funky and fun right?

5. Contest/Theme-lastly a party simply isn't a party without some kind of fun theme or contest to partake in..this serves two purses 1) Gets people in an automatic party mindset when they have to dress up for something specific and 2) narrows down the wardrobe choices or in my case gives you "an excuse" to buy something totally outrageous and frivolous, like some wild and fun PUMPS....since this is my house party I went with this "fabulous shoes" theme and yes it was only for the ladies so next time I must include the men in the contest unless I want to get labeled a feminist (yikers), but I figured the men would totally profit from seeing hot women prance around in sexxy high heels, and I will choose one lucky guy to "be the judge" so everyone wins!

These fushcia PUMPS are dreamy!

Glossy and saucy!

Smooches,

Madame K!

The Look for Less

2010-04-01T12:14:00.000-07:00

OK so you all know I use to be a huge fan of the "Look for Less" on the Style network a few years back and although its sadly gone off-the-air, I figured I would share some of my favorite online "looks for less" with you all for the Spring!

Dresses
Swell is great for the perfect lil sun dress..they feature surfy Cali brands like Billabong, O'Neill, and BB DaKota. I am also a fan of LuLus to find the perfect sassy frock to go from office chic to totally martini-licious! Spoiler Alert, although Modcloth is by far my fav and staple for fresh and fabulous frocks I recently discovered that they hike up the prices a bit on LuLus items, I mean not that much, just a few bucks or so but still why pay extra, ya know?

I call this dress "the Spring Fling" if you can't get a man with this on you better move to another planet :) This dress can be found at LuLus...Don't you just love the dreamy "man-catcher" hair here too (*credit goes to Miss Bare for coining this phrase)?

Icing
Most people agree that icing is the best part of the cake, very much like accessories are the BEST of an outfit in my opinion...if you have a sparse belt, necklace, earrings and scarf collection stock up ladies, little accents can either Make or Break an outfit! One great Internet sensation that is hotter than hot is Etsy, specifically their spotlight blog. They have really great and unique homemade and one-of-kind pieces which add a nice touch to make you stand out in a crowd.

I really enjoyed this particular blog entry with drawings that spotlighting the pieces, it made the whole look come alive!

If you are like me too you don't want to pay an arm and leg for a colorful or trendy piece of cocktail jewelry that you are Jonesing for,I suggest turning to Sam Moon Trading. Honestly the prices are crazy cheap, necklace and earring sets as low as $7, and they have alot of trendy pieces on this site to choose from.

I liked this sliver set below, the mingling of the of delicate sliver chains with the large circles in the middle gave it this simple but "fluid" feel to it.

If you have time and feel like taking a local field trip I am a huge fan of Eastern Market! Its set up like an outdoor flea market and there are wonderful vendors there with all kinds of antique and vintage jewelry to dig through--especially if you like to barter :)

Just the other week I found the most amazing vintage dress doll to display my jewelry on-in one word INCREDIBLE! Its amazing too that I am now able to display all my accessories, even the bracelets at the bottom. I can also clip almost anything on her since she has a wired frame not to mention and how unique and fun this piece is-Welcome to my Boutique!

Currently in love with the throw back vintage look of the 30s and 40s I found my cravings fulfilled at Unique Vintage...I was even able to find a pair of long elbow length black stain gloves that I have been searching high and low to find, I feel so Madmen when I wear these with a little black dress and pearls!

So the moral of the story is that you don't have to pay more to look amazing, doing your style research and investing time in searching for bargain websites (or going on field trips) will do wonders both on your wardrobe and budget....not a sermon just the facts!

Smooches,

Madame K

Style File Picks March...

2010-03-29T20:05:00.000-07:00

Like most fun, fearless, and fabulous women out there I have what Stacy and Clinton from "What Not To Wear" would 100% approve of, a larger that life style file. My file is chalked full of amazing outfits, jewerly, shoes, etc. that I find in magazines, hear about on tv or just experience live while out and about. I figured I would take time here on my blog to post up some of my fabulous finds since I seemed to have become a point person for finding the perfect look for friends and family.

On one my adventures home to PA I found this amazing modern yet vampy wedding dress at Prisilla of Boston that I went ga-ga for...everything about this look enticed me, the cinched waist, dramatic ruffling and also the simplicity of the cut at the bottom. I also liked how they made it a bit throw-back with the three stringed pearls and jeweled necklace..it was so vintagy it whisked you off the land of the Great Gatsby--take me away (a girl can wish can't she?)

Next up on the fab list are these AMAZING flower endorned shoes that cough, cough I get to wear as a bridesmaid to a wedding--and YES Jenny might be the MOST AMAZING and fashion forward bride I know, but seriously people these shoes are a dream come true! I want them in every color, particulary the fuschia ones (so va-va-voom), and to boot they are comfy. Granted I have only strutted around in my apt with them and they have been dance tested but so far so good..Also to plug Zappos here I ordered them and literally got them in 24 hours, it was amazing service, that is hands-down my favorite on-line shoe store!

Lately I have been letting my locks grow and have been at amiss on how to wear my hair...that is when my super stylish and long and curly haired lil sis comes to the resue. While home a month ago she suggested that I try a trendy loose braid in the front of my head as to frame my face and just overall "soften" my look. Apparently I am "too DC or corporate" with the super straight bob look, ha, but I didn't want to go my sister's route of entire Brooklyn fashionista so this braid worked for me. Cheryl twisted it up in two seconds and secured it with a few bobby pins (I don't think that girl leaves home without them) and then also just blended into my hair. I haven't been able to recreate it exactly the way she did but then again I am not use to braiding my own hair...I never masted doing a French braid to my hair in Girl Scout's so I am blaming in on that..needless to say those in need of new long locks idea I would say give this one a whirl..

I lastly though it neccessary to end this post on a hot note...which is exactly what I got when I discovered this "Jump Up and Kiss Me" hot sauce. Not a surprise I was attracted to this particular hot sauce becuase of its smoochtastic label display, but I got to be honest that make a great passion fruit hot sauce flavor that is incredible on fish tacos! I am usually totally intimidated by all of the hot sauce choices at California Tortilla but this is now going to be my staple...

Until next month's style file keep your pumps HIGH and your pout GLOSSY ladies :)

Smooches,
Madame K

Decal-La-Pollooza!

2010-03-29T19:55:00.001-07:00

I recently moved into this amazing one bedroom apartment that has spured my creativity full on! I wanted to spruce up the walls but did not want to paint them so I found myself doing some decorating research online with different blogs for ideas...everything seemed pretty normal with the wall hangings, shelf displays, yada yada but then I came across an article in Lucky magazine that talked about how the French use of decals for their interior decorating was "all the rage." I figured if the tres chic are French are down I have to give this ganger, resulting in me finding this amazing website Dezign with a Z.

Peach Cherry Blossoms

The Peach Cherry blossoms was an easy pick for my living room...I have a whole jungle theme going on there and I liked how I could customize both the color of the flowers and the branch to my liking. It was also easy to put on the wall even for a larger decal, you simple press down the decal like a sticker on the space you want to stick it, go over the entire decal with a credit card so there are no air pockets and then pull off the clear pastic sheet--Ta Da, you have a fabulous wall display! I must say this one in particular looks like I painted it on the wall.

I also decided to put up a spray of bamboo leaves close to the entrance way of my apartment, it sets the scene for "entering into the jungle" and of course the vibrant pop of color is nice to room that decorated with a chocolate brown accent rug and a large mocha colored selectional.

Then came the item that really sparked this entire endeavor the HUGE RED LIPS or my signature SMOOCHE! I seriously could NOT resist buying this it just SCREAMED Me, Love it when you find things like this in life :) It also goes with my whole martini girl theme in the dining room...I have the smooche placed as an after thought below my martini girl (soon to be girls when I order the other two) and I must say it looks devine :)

The final or I should say first decal that I put up was this one in my bedroom of a jeweled baroque style chandelier..believe-it-or-not I found this at Target randomly, or perhaps it found me! I think the attached jewels could have gone glam or tacky and I am thankful to say they got the "glam" vote from me...I have showed this picture to sooo many people and they think its a really chandelier, how funny!

Not sure if I can attest that I started a fade here or that "decals" are the new "Andy Warhool" must have art, but what I can say is that I love my decals and I am glad I got to try something new out to add that certain "je ne sais quai" that the Diva Den needed..

Smooches,

Madame K

No Sparks Email

2010-02-03T07:46:00.000-08:00

So many of you know that my infamous "no sparks" email template has become quite popular these past of couple of years. Like most multi-tasking women I thought it was appropriate to conjure up an email template to write to a guy who you just didn't feel "the spark" with after the first date or two. Its just a considerate way to let them down and be honest with yourself. In this day in age of online dating and technology let's be real, we need something like the "no sparks" email, its like our own personal "cheat sheet" for dating! I feel like this should be one of those "modern girls guides to living rules"...# 131 When it doubt type the "no sparks" email out...So I have decided to post my latest and great version of this email for you

Version 1: After a First Date (or could be used after 2-3 dates)
Hey (insert name),
so first and foremost I have to say that I really think honesty is a virtue and I want to be honest with you moving forward because I think its the right thing to do. Although I have had a really great time hanging out with and getting to know you, I would be lying if I didn't say that I feel like there is something amiss, you know "the sparks". I don't believe in playing games or wasting anyones' time so I wanted to come clean with you about this before this progressed any further. Simply put, you deserve the best and all of the sparks this world has to give and so do I....

I am sorry if I led you on in anyway as this was never my intention. I truly wish their was an easier way to put this but I don't think hallmark has made a card for it yet ;P Regardless, I wish you the best in the pursuit of your plus one.

-Insert your Name

Version 2: Dating after 4-5 weeks...

Hey (Insert Guy's Name)
Thanks again for last night you are truly a great guy, and although I did have a good time with you I wanted to come clean and just say that I don't think the spark is there like I thought. I truly apologize if I led you on in any way but know that this was never my intention. At the end of the day I just feel that we are in different places in our lives and want different things. Its neither good nor bad just the reality of the situation. What I can say undeniably is that you're going to make some girl very, very happy someday but I think that day is too far away for me.
I hope we can still be cool if we run into one another - I've definitely had fun with you!

-(Insert Your Name)

Verison 3: After dating for a month or 2....

(Insert Guy's Name)
I wanted to write you this email to clear the air about a few things.....listen our relationship was what it was- a fun, carefree, unexpected series of events, nothing more and nothing less. I am sorry if I have hurt in any way that was never my intention, and honestly I thought things slowly died and all was well.

We are just worlds apart and need to go our separate ways. I wish you all the luck in the world finding your plus one..you deserve the best.
-(Insert Your Name)

Smooches,

Madame K!

Doppelganger Alert

2010-02-02T14:12:00.000-08:00

OK in honor of Doppelganger week on Facebook I am posting pics of Sandra Bullock. If had a dollar every time someone said I looked like her I would be rich! Its a great compliment though, who doesn't love Sandra?

Smooches,

Madame K

Olive Oil Gelato-Yum!

2009-11-04T12:48:00.000-08:00

A few months back I was in NYC attending a little house party that my sister hosted and little did I know that night that one of the guests would be bringing my newest craving, olive oil gelato! Yes I know what you are all thinking, what a funky combo right? That' s the thing though that if you really think about its a dreamy combo, because the smooth texture of the olive oil pairs beautifully with the silkiness of the gelato, and then you garnish it with fresh pressed olive oil and some sea salt and its a cravers delight, believe me!

Here's a shout out to a fellow blogger who posted the reciepe for this gelato if you dare to make it. If you are like me and aren't at that level of expertise yet you can always enjoy the stuff that Mario Batali has crafted up in his kitchen, although this would require a visit to NYC.

Smooches,
Leigh-Anndra

The Quest of a Lifetime

2009-07-29T07:47:00.000-07:00

Love is passion, obsession, someone you can't live without.

If you don't start with that, what are you going to end up with?

Fall head over heels.

I say find someone you can love like crazy and who'll love you the same way back.

And how do you find him?

Forget your head and listen to your heart.

I'm not hearing any heart.

Run the risk, if you get hurt, you'll come back.

Because, the truth is there is no sense living your life without this.

To make the journey and not fall deeply in love - well, you haven't lived a life at all.

You have to try.

Because if you haven't tried, you haven't lived.

- William Parish, Meet Joe Black

Smooches,
Madame K

Elton John and Billy Joel: The Concert of a Lifetime

2009-07-15T07:14:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I was one of the lucky ones that scored a ticket to the ulimate in rock showdowns...the "Billy Joel and Elton John concert". Legends in and of themselves, combined they are simply a symphony of bliss, that of which I wish never ended although they did play for 4 hours, I could have listend for 10..15...20..forever ever :)

Some lyrics that spoke to me by Billy...
"I said I love you and that's forever
And this I promise from he heart
I could not love you any better
I love you just the way you are."

-Just the Way You Are

"I don't need you to worry for me cause I'm alright
I don't want you to tell me it's time to come home
I don't care what you say anymore, this is my life
Go ahead with your own life and leave me alone."

-My Life

"She's got a smile that heals me
I don't know why it is
But I have to laugh when she reveals me
She's got a way about herI don't know what it is
But I know that I can't live without her anyway..."

-She's Got a Way

"You may be right I may be crazy
But it just may be a lunatic you're looking for
Turn out the light
Don't try to save me
You may be wrong for all I know
But you may be right."

-You May Be Right

The Making of My Chinese Qipao Dress

2009-06-13T13:18:00.000-07:00

So I just returned from my amazing trip to China and I wanted to share the story of how I got my Chinese qipao dress made. It was a darky and stormy night in Shanghai, just kidding, actually it was a beautiful and airy night in Shanghai and Whitney and I were strolling down the streets of the French Concession area when we stumbled on row of traditional Chinese qipao dress shops. After hearing about how amazing Whitney's customized qipao dress was that she had made in Beijing I had really wanted one and now, here in Shanghai with only 3 days to go before I left, fate brought me to this street--yes life was was good!

So we choose this one store to go in and the rest was history...I choose the red and gold traditional print after seriously considering this print with the geishias (which are Japanese by the way). I communicated in English and my dress makers in Chinese but somehow all this worked as I explained to them that I just wanted the frog clips at the top of the dress and also wanted it to fall just below my knees.

I went in the next day to get my fitting so that everything was perfecto and I was lucky enough to have my friend Sunny with me, who is Chinese and could assist me with the language barrier. Overall I was very impressed about the workmanship of the dress and during the fitting was pretty amazing how they could turn this dress around so quickly. Geesh this would be incredible to have a dress-maker like this in states, can you imagine how much fun it would be do pick out your own fabrics and have everything customized to your body? Oh well I guess I will have to be rich and famous to have this here but alas I will have always have China to fall back on.

The final result, an amazing customized qipao dress, now I have to figure out where to wear this thing? LOL!

Smooches,
Madame K

A Hankering for Katz

2009-05-10T19:02:00.001-07:00

So in my adventures to NYC this weekend I was lucky enough to indulge my craving for a savory pastrami sandwich, cornbeef stacked reubin, and homemade matza ball soup. Don't worry I didn't eat all of that food by myself, yikers, who could with the huge slices of meat they give you-Dan and Cheryl were there to help out on this challenge.

Was it worth the hour wait and bouncing around from line to line to get this meal, you betcha, although I could have done without the supreme bloated feeling the next day from all that sodium in the meat, oh well you only live in once!

Dan was a super trooper posing for me...LOL!

Stacks O'Meat

Smooches,
Madame K

Jenny's Amazing B-Day Gifts!

2009-04-24T13:11:00.001-07:00

So my friend Jenny is pretty much one of the most creativity, quirky, and smart people I know who is 101% amazing at finding the perfect present...case in point can you believe she found this chocolate smooch bar for me? I mean what is the probability of finding such a thing--and its HOT PINK, with my signature lips on it--I heart it!

She also snagged me this amazing "Lolita" martini glass that a recipe for what else but a "flirtini" on the bottom of it--to dye for baby!

So the shout out of all that is "smoochtastic" officially goes out to Jenny this month for purchasing the most prefecto presents of all! You make dreams come true....

Smooches,
Madame K

Frozen Yogurt and Sea Salt-I LIKE!

2009-04-24T12:47:00.001-07:00

So this week I made a wonderful discovery upon indulging my frozen yogurt craving one dark and stormy night after yoga class. The revelation is this : sea salt and frozen yogurt are awesome together! Yes I know what you are thinking, this sounds outragous but just trust me and try it, its tangy, sweet, salty and just amazing (especially if you are craving all 3, LOL)! I strolled on over to Mr. Yogoto's frozen yogurt joint on P Street on Tuesday night and discovered this new topping..you see I was rather intrigued after receiving my cup of original tangy yogurt with strawberries and fruity pebbles (my favs) at then I looked around to see all of the other random toppings that were on display. I mean everything from cumin to sea salt and paprika, can you believe people are putting all of this stuff on their frozen yogurt? Oh I should also mention here that I did drizzle some honey on my frozen yogurt after adding the sea salt. It mixed beautifully with the sweetness of the strawberries and fruity pebbles and cut into the salt rather nicely.

Needless to say this girl was "one happier camper" and I am looking forward to experimenting more with random toppings on frozen yogurt, perhaps the next time around I will try a little basil and thyme combo with grapefruit, who knows?

Smooches,

Madame K

I Heart Rosie!

2009-04-15T07:15:00.000-07:00

So I came across an article this morning in ElectWoman.com entitle "When There's Trouble in the World, America Turns to Woman." This article talked about the recent election of Hilliary Clinton to Sec. of State, Susan Rice as the Ambassador of the United Nations, and Janet Napolitano, as Sec. of Homeland Security. It highlightened the leadership positions that these woman have recently been elected to. I was intrigued to read more about what it is about woman and how they lead that the US feels comfort in appointing them instead of men (since I thought this was the point of the article), but alas this article didn't answer this question at all. So I thought it was a big tease and then I starting thinking about the impact of woman in leadership positions and how perhaps subconciously we as a people are attracted to electing them in trying times becuase of the connation that woman have with putting care in how they lead. We talk about care and being mindful alot in my graduate school classes as often as the "soft skills" that most woman are more amp to display in a professional environment as its more a societial "norm" for them then for men. So factoring this in I am wondering will men in leadership position? Can something good come out of this whole mess?

I think there does lie alot of opportunity in chaos and that heros are born and found in the most surprising places and in the most inpredictable times for that matter. Just look at Rosie the Riviter, she was the symbol of strength and female solidarity in WW II. I love this picture of the action figure I that I posted up here because I think we need to bring her back, to give us hope and faith that we need as a country rightnow. "We CAN do it!"

Smooches,
Madame K

Feathers

2009-04-13T17:52:00.000-07:00

My sister Cheryl has tapped into her creative talent and has been crafting up these beautiful feather head pieces lately. Regularly priced at $45 for a clip at Urban Outifitters Cheryl thought that this was way too expensive to buy something that she could make for half the price. (For most of us this would be hassle but for Cheryl it was an adventure). So luckly for her living in NYC everything is at her finger tips so she went off shutterbugging around to get the supplies and then back to the workshop to weave up the magic. I love this one that she is wearing, its very 20s throwback and has that peacock feel to it with all of the reflective colors...very ciao bella!

Smooches,

Madame K

Spring Flowers

2009-04-13T12:01:00.001-07:00

So the weather outside is still frightful and its April but I must say that the flowers have been making a galliant effort to bring on the spring :) I was wondering about the city and caught some petals that really spoke to me, their colors, shape and sometimes just the way they hit the sunlight just drew me to snap away. I can easily understand how artists, designers, writers etc. can get their inspiration from flowers, just look and see what I am talking about..its a whole world of vibrancy to embrace

The Hot Pink Burst

Purple Passion

Smooches,
Madame K

The Story Behind the Funtini

2009-04-10T11:03:00.000-07:00

Greetings and welcome to by blog, "the Funtini of Life", I would love to take credit for this creative name but alas my sister pulled through on this one and gave me the funtini name--thanks Cheryl! This all came about when I was talking to her on the phone at a happy hour and telling her about how I was catching up with some fabulous femme fatales and drinking dirty martinis (my fav). I told her I would send her a picture of the scene and low and behold I send it along and she texted back the most perfect word for this event: "funtini," brilliant! I liked it so much I decided to name my blog after this for I want this space to serve as a creative outlet for me to express thoughts, imagines, quotes, music and overall just moments that inspire and make life FUN!

"If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change."
-Buddha

Smooches,

Madame K