Cheap Thrill: A Sweet Grind

It's only a matter of time before I accidentally use this all over the chicken enchiladas instead of pepper. Still, I like having it around.

This crunchy melange of chocolate, fat sugar crystals and coffee beans in the pepper-imposter bottle is a fun way to perk up coffee or milk or even ice cream. It's only $1.99 at Trader Joe's.

Color Counts

When it comes to C & C California, I can't help but say si and si!

Pretty much every day is a sale, and free shipping is a frequent perk. What's not to love about cheap, well-constructed basics?

So, I bought a black, spaghetti-strap tank dress for next to nothing and when the price dropped even more a month later, I felt compelled to buy another.

And here begins the cautionary tale. I went for a pale orange. It's a fun, spring-y color. But while the black was sleek, this much lighter color showed off the pooch, VPL and that troublesome gluteal area. It highlighted all the bad stuff.

But it was so crazy cheap, it wasn't worth the $5 shipping to send back. So, I did what any self-conscious girl who can't afford a little lipo would do — I camoflaged.

The army-green Georgie vest hides my pooch and butt and thighs, but lets enough of the sunny color show through. Whew.

Outfit: Georgie vest; C & C California tank dress; Streets ahead cuff; random belt; Dolce Vita wedges.

Friday Shoe Haiku: Branchin' Out

You are not my type.
Oxfords are such a no-no*.
I think I love you.

Shoe n' Tell: Rachel Comey's cheap line for Urban Outfitters, Contributor By Rachel Comey, features these two-tone oxfords ($69). As a general rule, I loathe oxfords. They are just too heavy, too clunky, too man-y. If I wanted to look like a dude, I'd be a cross-dresser. This pair, though, maybe it's the textured canvas or maybe it's just the more narrow shape and heel, look quite fetching.

*for me.

Blingin' It Up

I've never been a fan of tattoos.

Ink just doesn't seem like a good idea. I mean, people gain weight, lose weight, skin starts to sag. What looked so good at 18 starts lookin' sad around 38.

Plus, ink's a serious commitment. Sometimes I don't even like to wear my bracelets all day.

So, I never got a tattoo. Or even wanted one. Until now.

But this fun, shiny thing is a temporary glitter tattoo. It'll be around one week, tops. I'm doing a story on it for work and while I was watching this model get bedazzled with shimmery stars and University of Arizona-colored pawprints (red and blue), I knew I needed — NEEDED — one.

Gadabout SalonSpas recently began offering the Body Shimmer service. It costs $12 per tatt, and you can pick designs ranging from cute n' cuddly (cherries, hearts with crowns) to edgier (skull and crossbones) and Chinese characters that allegedly say things like "I love you" but know some underappreciated, underpaid worker probably really wrote characters that say "Bad tipper" or "I smell like butt" as a way to get back at us Americans for being all up in their business all the time. Just a guess. Still, the characters, no matter what they really say, looked pretty cute. The tattoos are definitely a great, noncommittal, cosmetic pick-me-up.

Cool Label Name

An odd preoccupation of mine is coming up with names for things.

To wit, The Guilty Vegan (for a restaurant). Unused band names: Phat Girl Party or Lycra Wedgie. Oh, there are more, but I don't want to repel people from this blog so I'll stop.

When I heard about Girls We Hated in High School, I automatically thought about a few bleachy-haired, overmascara-ed chicks. Then I realized it was the name of Jeffrey Campbell's new line of purses. Funny, awesome. If fashion can't be fun, what's the point?

Jeans, Like You've Never Seen 'Em Before

Just when you think you've seen every kind of jean there is....Behold these two.

This is what happens when fancy-schmancy designers take on the ripped boyfriend jean — clean-cut slits. The Alexander Wang pair ($345) strikes me as something an uptight, not-quite-trendy-enough socialite would wear. I mock, but I kinda like 'em.

These Current/Elliott stiletto leopard print jeans. ($198) are fabulousness in skinny-jean form. Flat-out amazing. I don't have leopard in this form. Yet.

Easy Breezy Summer Dress

The search is over.

For months, I had been tracking the perfect slip dress. One got away from me at a swap party (silk, gorgeous, but alas, too big). I found this one at Buffalo Exchange. The perfect shade of emerald (loooove green), it has wide straps and an easy, straight shape. The lace gives a sweet, lingerie feel.

Outfit: J Crew cardi, Sparkle & Fade silk slip dress; Klub Nico flats; PaganoDesignworks rose ring; Sheila Fajl ring.