My "Blogger Tool Kit".... I guess.

So this is the second project from IFB that I've participated in, and honestly, I don't really see how it's that different from last week's project, "What's in your bag". This wasn't something I had really thought about before, so I don't know if it's completely accurate. I just threw some stuff together that I thought helped me with my blogging a lot, and I guess I could call it my blogger's tool kit?

LAPTOP

Of course, what blogger could go without a laptop? I save all my pictures on here and I, well, blog from this laptop. It's an HP-something, I don't really know, because my dad got it for me. I tend to go for PC's rather than Mac's.

iPAD

I also use this white iPad 2 for the "notes" app. It's portable and easy to use, so when I'm watching an awards show I can quickly jot down the names of people I liked, and find the pictures on the web later. My laptop is pretty big so it's annoying carrying it around the house and it's a lot easier typing all this out on the iPad rather than my cell phone (but I might end up switching). I don't do any actual blogging on the iPad because it's not only mine, it's a shared iPad between everyone in my family. No one I know personally- family, friends, etc.- knows I am a blogger. I try to keep it pretty secret and not let anything lead back to me. So using a shared iPad would be a hassle.

CELL PHONE

As I said before, I'm an admitted textaholic. I really don't know what I would do without my phone. I'm thinking of getting a new one by the end of the month, though, because I've had my current enV3 for about 2 years now.

TEEN VOGUE

Oh my god, I am obsessed! Teen Vogue is what opened my eyes to the world of fashion and I can't get enough of it. Fashion magazines help you keep up to date with just about anything to do with fashion- the hottest trends, the latest up and coming people in the industry, and even what celebrities are wearing! It's always good for a blogger to read fashion magazines, whether it's Teen Vogue, Seventeen, Harper's Bazaar, or anything else!

The 2011 VH1 Do Something Awards

Honestly, I loved every single look that was sported at the Do Something Awards this year. There were just about 7 looks I found that shined above the rest.

Favorites

Kerry Washington rocked this look fresh off the Zuhair Murad Fall 2011 runway. What I loved most about this one was that the top had a kind of see-through black layer which gathered up into that really pretty detailing on the shoulder. Also those shoes are just gorgeous!

I'm a total Gleek, so when I heard that Jane Lynch was hosting these awards, naturally I was SO excited! And as hilariously "mean" she was being during the awards, she looked spectacular in this amazing print. Jane Lynch made a good move by opting for a long flowing dress rather than a short pencil skirt.

Bella Thorne looked fabulous in this cute pink Sue Wong dress. I loved everything about this dress, from the detailing at the top to the way it effortlessly flows into the soft skirt. Her Guess heels gave this girly dress a  much needed edgy twist.

Kristen Bell is looking fierce in her Etro dress, Casadei platforms, and Jimmy Choo bag. The bag is so awesome because it has these mini chain links hanging off the end of it! It takes her entire look a step up.

Another look fresh off the runway, Olivia Wilde is wearing this lovely dress from Chloé. Now, we've all seen a pleated skirt, but Olivia Wilde took it to the next level by having the pleats throughout the entire dress. I also love the gap in the middle of the top. (In a totally un-pervy way!)

I really loved Taryn Guerrero Davis' (founder of the American Widow Project) dress because of the texture, and also how the color complimented her hair and her eyes.

Demi Lovato looked stunning as she performed her hit single, "Skyscraper" This really was the perfect dress for her and I fell in love with it instantly.

Photo Credit goes to the following sites:
Zimbio
Red Carpet Fashion Awards
Ace Show Biz
CocoPerez Mobile

OK, So I'm a Bit of a Stalker

I took this picture a while ago, I think before I even started my blog. I was looking through some old pictures and I came across these darling shoes. I think I was at some multicultural convention, and I was there to watch my sister perform a dance with her friends. But while we were waiting there were a bunch of stalls where you could check out some awesome things from other countries. I saw a girl wearing this pair of shoes and a brown dress with pink polka dots on it and a giant bow in the center, that is, if my memory hasn't failed me. Well at first I had the same reaction you guys are probably having right now, "What is she wearing?!" But, it grew on me. And after a while I couldn't resist- I just had to get a picture.
How I got this picture is another story, because I'm quite shy and I felt totally awkward about approaching another person and asking if I could take a picture of their shoes. So I leaned back in my chair, sat the camera on my lap and discreetly turned the lens towards the girl's shoes, quickly snapping the picture when there was no one blocking the shot. Totally creepy, I know, but I honestly think the picture came out pretty good. No one is in the way, and the angle is such that it looks like she was modeling them for me. Now since I didn't approach the girl, she has no idea I'm putting this up, I don't know her name, and I have no clue where she got these shoes. So unfortunately, I have no one to give credit for this to. And if on the crazy and totally unlikely off-chance that you recognize these shoes are yours, let me know! It would be very interesting to find out who owns these shoes.

CFDA Awards 2011

OK, OK, I know what you guys are thinking. This show was over 2 months ago! But unfortunately I could not review it at that time for a various number of reasons, so I'm doing it now. Better late than never! ... Right? But I'll make it up to you by making this post extra long! (Well actually there were so many pictures to choose from I couldn't help but make it long- too many favorites!)

Favorites

Of course, Gaga comes first! She looks glamorous as always in her custom Thierry Mugler outfit and her sky-high heels.

I really liked Naomi Watts in this Calvin Klein dress because it's sleek and simple, with nude shoes to match. Her blonde hair looks beautiful swept over one shoulder.

I've always admired the bright colors and patterns in Proenza Schouler's designs. Liz Tyler shows this off perfectly.

In this picture, Sessilee Lopez stands with designer Zac Posen while wearing one of his designs. It fits her beautifully, and I love the way the gold stands out against her dark complexion. Another person who sported this gold dress-dark complexion look was Estelle (below):

Supermodel Karlie Kloss looks beautiful in Jason Wu, posing next to the designer.

Vera Wang is such a small (but beautiful!) lady and in this gorgeous Rick Owens dress she looks so dignified, I couldn't help but put it on my list. The draping is so pretty, and if you've seen any of my other reviews, you would see that I'm a total sucker for draping!

Elettra Wiedemann (left) and Monique Péan (right) are looking lovely in their J. Mendel dresses. They are also wearing jewelry by Monique Péan. I love these dresses because of the color, it's such a pretty shade of pink! But mostly because of how the dresses flow down to their ankles so elegantly and there's also a certain charm in how similar their dresses are- it draws attention!

Doutzen Kroes rocking a sexy J. Mendel number. She totally pulled off the blonde bombshell look!

Karolina Kurkova wore something fresh and different this year. While everyone else was wearing dresses, Kurkova was wearing this cute Diane von Furstenburg item with some lovely Swarovski jewels to go with it.

Marchesa really is a lovely brand for making things like this. Most dresses have pencil skirts or A-lines, but Marchesa is something else entirely! Hana Soukupova takes her hair back and wears minimal accessories to keep it all about the dress.

Emmanuelle Chriqui (right) and David Meister (left). Emmanuelle Chriqui looks dazzling in this bright yellow dress. It especially pops out against the purple carpet! I guess she already had the same idea, since she made the choice to go with purple shoes.

Seeing that I was almost done going through all the pictures, and knowing that I already had a huge list of favorites, I was just randomly clicking through the last few pictures when I noticed Lucy Liu wearing this Monique Lhuillier dress. That huge fluffy skirts is gorgeous, that corset-like top is so pretty, and the way her hair ties the look together is awesome. And all though I'm making it sound like it is, this look is NOT my favorite of the show. I'm not really sure what is, to be honest. they're all so amazing, I had a tough time narrowing it down!

This has nothing to do with clothes, but can I just say, I am LOVING Chris Benz's hot pink hair?!

Least Favorites
No, I'm sorry, I'm still not done yet! I told you this post would be long. But hopefully you're still with me like a good little reader? <3

Sorry about the bad quality of this picture. I cropped out Alexander Wang who was next to her because it wasn't him I was focusing on, and then I had to make it larger because it was too small. But anyway, this is Iris Afpel who decided she should just pile on every accessory she owned, including the Harry Potter glasses. No, scratch that, her glasses are bigger than Harry Potter's.

OK, so can some please explain to me what Hilary Alexander was going for with this outfit? The colors, structures, and textures of all the pieces don't match at all! It looks like she just threw on the first things she found in her closet. And normally it would be okay for an outfit to be so random, as long as you find a good and creative way to make it all tie together. She missed that step!

I love DKNY! You can even see from my last post that I carry around my DKNY shoulder bag a lot. But this dress, as pretty as it is, does not suit Donna Karan at all. She doesn't have the right body type for it, and it just makes her look larger than she is.

The only reason I didn't like Vinoodh Matadin's (right) and Inez van Iamsweerde's (left) outfits was because they were too casual. Seriously? Jeans and a blazer? That's something I would wear when going for a walk or during a casual weekend at home. Not to a fashion awards show with top designers, models, and celebrities! I'm not going to say anything about Inez van Iamsweerde's outfit because I don't know much about menswear. It still looks pretty casual to me, though.

I never liked Betsey Johnson's designs. Why? Because of things like this. Do I even need to say how ridiculous Betsey Johnson is making her own design look? And she's so old she shouldn't be dressing like that. She needs to be more age-appropriate and that's what I've always disliked about her. I do like her jewelry, though. She should stick to that.

Again with this leathery material! It makes it stiff and the animal print on this Rodarte dress isn't helping. I'm all for the faux-fur and zebra prints and whatever, but when you put it with this material it looks real. And the thought of putting real snakeskin on yourself (or on Sofia Sanchez... well anyone, really!) as a dress is repulsive, and honestly, kind of disgusting.

Do I really need to explain why Brooke Cundiff's outfit is weird?

The Mysteries of My Purse..... Revealed!

I joined the IFB Community last week, and I have to say, I'm impressed. It's everything I'd hoped it would be and more. This is my first IFB Project, so here it is!

I went on vacation last week, so of course I had to bring my trusty DKNY shoulder bag. It's the perfect size to fit everything I need, it's comfortable to hold, and it looks good! What more could I ask for? Here is what I have inside:

1. A very pretty fan my good friend got me from Spain.
2. My sunglasses. They're from Wet Seal. I don't wear them too much because I have a small face and oversize sunglasses don't suit me. Too bad I only realized that after I bought them.
3. Contact lens solution. I'm always scared that my contact lenses are going to fall out or something or the other is going to happen and I'm going to need it on the go. Too many bad experiences with that stuff last year, I guess.
4. My enV3, which I have with me at all times. I'm an admitted text-a-holic.
5. Hand sanitizer! Come on, there's germs everywhere. And of course, it's from Bath & Body Works. The scent is Coconut Lime Verbena.
6. Vera Wang Rock Princess lip gloss. I live on this stuff. I don't wear any other makeup (for my lips) because it's one of those 2-in-1 glosses, so I can wear one shade by day and one shade by night.
7. "Rock the Arts" chapstick from Hot Topic. The flavor is mint.
8. Some fortunes that came out of the many fortune cookies I ate. I went to so many Chinese restaurants during my vacation!
9. My very good Chinese friend got me this cute little set from China. It's a mini comb and a mirror, with the words "Happy to You" written on the back of the mirror and a cute boy and girl above it. It also comes with a cute little pink pouch to put it all in! The best part is, the comb is custom made to fit your hair type. There are combs for straight hair, wavy hair, and curly hair. So my friend got me the one to fit my hair type. :)
10. Hotel room key. The hotel name will remain unmentioned.
I would also normally have my camera with me, but I used it to take the picture, so obviously it couldn't be in it.

Do the contents on my purse describe the sort of person I am? Yes and no. Yes because it has a lot of unique gifts from my friends in it and as they say, "One [wo]man's junk is another [wo]man's treasure." No, because it has a lot of things in it that could be found in any woman's purse. Cell phone, makeup, mirror, hand sanitizer, etc.

Teen Choice Awards 2011

 Favorites
I must say, there were some pretty awesome dress choices out there last night. For example, the beautiful Avatar, Zoe Saldana.

Zoe Saldana rocked the blue carpet in this lovely Lanvin dress and gold Mary Jane pumps. This eye-catching dress instantly made my list and is by far my favorite of the night.

Officially the most important winner of the Teen Choice Awards 2011, Taylor Swift looked gorgeous as she went to receive her surfboard for being the Ultimate Choice. She donned a simple white Rafael Cennamo and Ranjana Khan dress with lovely shoes to match.
Next is the talented Selena Gomez, who I am a HUGE fan of. She wore this cute white cocktail dress from Erin Fetherston on the blue carpet, with a little hot pink clutch for a pop of color.

Selena Gomez also wore this daredevil number while performing her hit single, "Love You Like a Love Song."

 The Twilight Saga star Nikki Reed took a bohemian look to the TCA's this year. She wore this chic halter maxi dress by Etro, and her onyx earrings are to die for!

WOW! Look at Lucy Hale in this insanely sexy backless mini. Not only was the cut amazing, but the pattern was so abstract and fun, perfect for a night like this. And in case you couldnt tell from this camera angle, but her platforms actually had no heel!

This daring choice was jaw-dropping, and Lucy Hale definitely pulled it off.

 Troian Bellisario looked so sweet and innocent in this Maria Lucia Hohan dress. She made a good move by using almost no accessories, and the ones she did use were nice and simple. The half up-do really pulled the look together.

Least Favorites

I don't really know why, but I've always had a particular disliking for clothes made of leather. Leather jacket, OK. Leather purse, OK. But leather dress? NO WAY. It just looks so uncomfortable and awkward and it makes me feel like, "What was going through your head to make you wear something like that?" And it seems (to my dismay) that leather is in this season, because three huge celebrities walked down the blue carpet donning full-out leather looks. Who? The supermodel, Tyra Banks. The actress, Elizabeth Banks. And another actress, Blake Lively.

Tyra Banks wearing a Thierry Mugler jumpsuit. In my opinion, she was the worst-dressed celebrity of the Teen Choice Awards.

Elizabeth Banks in J. Mendel. Of course, the material was the worst thing about this for me, but also the little flaps on the side of her dress. Because it's leather, the flaps look too stiff and it's just plain weird for me. On the up side, however, I do like the way she matched her lipstick and dress perfectly. It gives it a nice pop, and stands out well with her fair complexion.

Yeah, yeah. I know what you guys are thinking. She was, by many many people, named one of the best dressed of last night. And in all honesty, she would've been in my best dressed list as well if it weren't for the leather. But hey, the material you make a dress out of matters. A lot. So even though I adore everything else Gucci did with this dress, as soon as I saw the leather, I tsk-ed. If that makes sense.

Photo Credit goes to the following sites:

New York Daily News

Fabulous

FabSugar- Australia

Us Weekly

Just Jared

PicOwl

Red Carpet Fashion Awards