A Golden Night for Beloved Johnny

Johnny Depp’s amazing talent has finally been recognized after 8 nominations as he won his first Golden Globe for his magnificent portrayal of the Demon Barber of Fleet Street in Tim Burton’s “Sweeny Todd.” Depp won in the “best actor in a musical or comedy” category as the film also took home top honors as “Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy.”

I have loved Johnny Depp for so long and have sadly sat and watched his 7 previous snubs and all I can say now is that it is about time! He really should have been honored for his brilliant interpretation of the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates trilogy; without Depp, the films would have flopped.

Last night’s Golden Globe’s were announced Press Conference style due to the writers strike which is a shame because I would have loved to have seen him personally honored. My fingers will remain crossed for the upcoming Oscar nominations that will be announced on January 22. Here’s to hoping for another win!

Something Blue

You better toss that Black and Midnight Plum polish you’ve been sporting because the next big color trend for those short squared off nails yours is the deepest shade of blue you can find. Reminiscent of the color I once sported way back in middle school, Chanel introduced its new shade for 2008 that is sure to sell out. The limited edition “Blue Satin” by Chanel Le Vernis is a long-lasting chip-resistant formula that fetches $19 a bottle.

For those who would rather not fork out that much cash for a bottle of nail polish can still looks trendy by opting for O.P.I.’s Yoga-ta Get This Blue! ($8.50) which is set to release February 6 as part of their Spring/Summer 2008 “India” collection.

Green things come in small packaging

In the spirit of going green, CARGO became a beauty brand with a social conscious. The brand has merged innovatively designed packaging with a fabulously “green” beauty product for those who care about protecting our earth. PlantLove™ Botanical Lipstick is by far the most environmentally friendly beauty product available at the moment. The lipstick itself is created without the use of mineral oils and petroleums that pollute our atmosphere. So not only is it healthier for your lips, it’s healthy for our planet as well.

What quite possibly is the best thing about the lipstick is in its ground-breaking packaging. Instead of using the typical plastic lipstick case that adds to the pollution in our landfills, CARGO came up with a biodegradable, environmentally friendly tube made entirely of corn, a bio-plastic made from a widely renewable resource which is becoming widely popular among those greener folk. The outer carton is also made of flower paper and is embedded with wildflower seeds that are sure to brighten up your garden. Just add water and you’ll soon be admiring a beautiful bouquet of wildflowers.

I have been a lipgloss girl for as long as I can remember, but this little tube of lipstick just might make me a convert. CARGO is not only giving back to our planted but is also spreading love among our children. CARGO is donating $2 from each sale to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

PlantLove™ Botanical Lipstick is available in 17 fabulous shades and is available at Sephora for $20 each.

“The PlantLove™ seeds we sow today affect future generations so we are investing in the earth and our children for the future of the planet!”

Find out more about PlantLove™ at CargoPlantLove.com

Mafia vs. Jungle

I am not sure if it is because I am a huge Candace Bushnell fan or if it is because last night’s premier of the much anticipated new ABC series “Cashmere Mafia” failed to live up to it’s high “Sex and the City”-like expectations. The most drama of all invloves the show's producer and former “Sex and the City” producer, Darren Star, who seems to have borrowed the ideas of Candace Bushnell’s novel-turned-TV series, “Lipstick Jungle” which is due to air on February 7.

Whether it was coincidental or an intentional slap in the face for Bushnell, the characters of Cashmere Mafia are too starkly similar to those of the 2005 novel “Lipstick Jungle.” From being the top women in their jobs to the dramas involved in their home lives and the way in which they try to find balance between the two, “Cashmere Mafia” and “Lipstick Jungle” are almost a mirror image of each other.

It seems that former “Sex and the City” guest star Lucy Liu stole the spotlight in the pilot of “Cashmere Mafia” with her spot-on depiction of her character, Mia. However, the show failed to draw me in to the three other women and never really showed the true correlation between the ladies other than the fact that they were college friends and they finish each other’s sentences. There really was no chemistry between these four women.

Except for a few moments of in-your-face dialogue spoken by the ladies, the script fell short of really making its mark and drawing in the viewers. The pilot was mediocre and I have experienced more drama in five minutes of “Grey’s Anatomy” than in one hour of “Cashmere Mafia.”

“Cashmere Mafia” has left me eagerly anticipating the premier of Bushnell’s “Lipstick Jungle” next month and hoping that NBC can successfully pull of a transition from the book to the screen in a way that would fill the void that was left when Carrie Bradshaw’s sex left the city.

Sticking to a Fashion Resolution

There comes a time when you open your overflowing closet to pick out an outfit and you realize how much money you spend on looking fashionable. All this money spent on labels that will be tossed in the pile of last year’s trends in the blink of an eye. When it comes to basics wardrobe staples I wouldn’t think twice about spending a little extra cash on a timeless piece that will last through multiple seasons of wear. However, when it comes to the trends that rarely make it through a year I find it is futile to spend good money on these outfits. Besides, as a mother I have better things to put this money towards (i.e. Baby Fabulous’ college savings, family vacations…oh, and did I mention diapers?)

On a recent shopping excursion I had a mission to buy an outfit with only the $80 cash I had in my wallet. A few hours later, the mission was successfully accomplished. I had a 3-piece outfit ($27 silk top, $27 fully beaded cropped sweater and $22 trousers) with $4 to spare. With picky choosing I managed to find three pieces that look more costly than their actual worth.

One great store to find a steal on an ultra-trendy look is Forever 21. I have put together two of the moment looks (shoes and accessories included for under $136). Both outfits transition seamlessly from the office to the evening. The best part is, you’ll look like you spent hundreds on these uber-chic outfits!

The Look: Modern Victorian Romance

Total Outfit: $81.80 (6 pieces!)
The wide belt at the waist and patent accessories pull this classic Victorian look into 2008.

1. Top: $19.80 - "Victorian Ruffle Top"
2. Skirt: - $22.80 "Corset Skirt"
3. Clutch: $9.80 - "Patent Wristlet Wallet"
4. Patent Heels: $19.80 - "Jelena Patent Slingback - Tan"
5. Earrings: $4.80 - "Filigree Teardrop Earrings"
6. Necklace: $4.80 - "Monoca Necklace"



The Look: City Chic

Total Outfit: $135.40
(8-pieces!!)

An effortless look that includes the trendy cloche hat and a gorgeous graphic print bag.

1. Cloche: $18.80 "Cocktail Bowler Hat"
2. Baby Doll Top: $19.80 "Chiffon Baby doll Tunic"
3. Trousers: $27.80 "Satin Trim Trousers"
4. Patent Heels: $19.80 "Jelena Patent Slingback - Black"
5. Handbag: $34.80 "Valerie Faux Leather Handbag"
6. Gold Filigree Earrings: $4.80 "Metal Leaf Earrings"
7. Gold Filigree Bangle: $5.80 "Filigree Bangle"
8.Ring: $3.80 "Antique Flower Ring"


Both of these looks, plus many more fabulous and trendy pieces can be found at Forever21.com.

A world of Green

The other day was a very rare occasion where I found myself at the mall. I had Christmas gift cards to use so I wound up in the department stores. While browsing at J.C. Penney I came across a few Fabulous tee's that I just had to purchase.

Chaser, a popular California-based T-shirt company teamed up with the World Wildlife Fund to create a line of “green” tee's with a positive message. $1 from each sale is donated to the WWF fund. This doesn’t seem like much for a shirt that retails for $29.99 (I got mine for on sale $15 each) but the message makes it worth it.

What is even better is that each shirt is made with a blend of organic cotton that is grown without harmful pesticides and recycled polyester which is made from plastic bottles that have been saved from winding up in our landfills.

The many tees feature cute and powerful messages that are sure to make a greener impact. I am not a t-shirt kind of gal but I still picked one up for myself and a second one for my sister. Head to your local J.C. Penney to check out the many designs or shop online here.

These are the two I picked up:

Proudly modeling my new tee

12 Months, 12 Resolutions

People usually start a new year off with many unrealistic resolutions that they never wind up keeping longer than two weeks. You know, the “I will lose 60 lbs” and “This will be my last cigarette” resolutions. I have never been one to make a resolution for the New Year because I know I won’t keep them so I never saw any point. But now, in 2008, I am at a completely different place in my life where I actually have been seeing myself make many changes for the better. So I decided for once to make a few realistic resolutions that I will do my best to stick to.

I, JerseyFabulous, vow to do the following in 2008:

1. Take better care of myself.
2. Read More books.
3. Go Greener than I already have
4. Spend less on mine and my family’s fashions.
5. Give back in some way at least once a month.
6. Spend more time outside
7. Stop talking about it and take that camping trip to Maine!
8. Schedule MORE Ladies Nights Out
9. Go see more than 2 movies in the theater this year
10. Get comfortable with my new, smaller post-baby body that has found its former fabulous curves to be MIA!
11. De-clutter my life
12. Lose the writer’s block that has been plaguing me since the birth of BabyFabulous!

Seems simple, right? Here’s to hoping so!

a clean slate for 2008

It was 2005 when I started this blog as an online journal where I could rant about the going-ons of my life as I tried to make sense of it all. Now as it is about to be 2008 I can only reflect back on these few past years. Since the start of this blog I have experienced a great heartbreak, I met, fell in love with and became engaged to my Fabulous Fiancee, I quit my full-time job where I was miserable, I had a beautiful baby girl who has forever changed my life, and I grew up. I left the dating world and entered a life as a Mom and somehow managed not to lose who I am in it all.

Becoming a mother is the biggest thing I have ever done in my life and it honestly made me grow up fast. It was as if overnight I stop wondering about life and asking the question, "Why?" For some reason everything makes sense now. Don't get me wrong, I don't have the answers to everything but somehow everything seems much clearer. I've stopped living in my own world and can see the big picture now. It's kind of crazy how parenthood can do that.

My title is no longer that of a single, carefree girl skipping about town so I decided to start 2008 with a clean slate as I took down all my past posts. The blog will have the same look but the content will be much different because I live a much different and more domestic life now. I still love fashion, pink martinis and have somewhat of a night life, but I also love babies and all the accessories (and baby shopping) that comes along with them! Look out 2008, it's going to be a fabulous year!!