Fashion Inspired by Dances With Wolves

I know its sad that I am just seeing this movie for the first time.  But that's why I am watching all the movies from AFI top 100, to make sure that I catch all the classics.

I was inspired by the simplicity of the colors and the attitudes of the Sioux people.  Being an animal lover, I was also inspired by the animals in the movie, especially the wolves.

Outfit #1

Forever 21 Wild Horses Top $11.80










Damselle Faux Fur Ruffle Vest at Nordstroms for $118

Cooperative Printed Skirt from Urban Outfitters for $38




 






                             Minnetonka 5 Layer Fringe Boot at Nordstroms for $97.95




Species by the Thousands Fox Face Ring at Urban Outfitters for $114

 






Urban Renewal Leather OBI Wrap Belt at Urban Outfitters for $28


Out fit #2

Nom De Plume Ya Ya Violette Tank from Urban Outfitters for $58
Silence and Noise Pencil Skirt from Urban Outfitters for $48
Dara Ettinger Kelly Knuckle Ring at Urban Outfitters for $105

Chinese Laundry Trust Me Over the Knee Boot from Nordstroms for $99.95




Pendleton Checkbook from Urban Outfitters for $38

Bloomingdale's amfAR Event

This Thursday, August 26th Bloomingdale's is having a "Fashionable Fundraiser" for amfAR, which is a research group that is "dedicated to ending the global aids epidemic through innovative research."  

They have a huge sale going on that day and it sounds like tons of giveaways.  But most importantly, Bloomingdales is donating $75,000 to amfAR, which is totally a reason to celebrate.

Go to Bloomindales.com for more info!  and see ya there!

Wish List

Whats with all the leopard print?  See JLO on the cover of Glamour?  Apparently Leopard print is a classic that is here to stay.  I love these Jimmy Choo Clue Pump for $790 new for fall from Nordstroms.  They wold give any outfit that pop of sass.

No matter how old I get I still love the Juicy jumpsuits.  They are perfect for airplane trips with a vintage tee or to wear around the house or running errands.  I especially love this one because it has a big bow on it which is huge for fall and the pants stop at mid-calfe, this is nice so that the pants don't drag.  The Bow-Print Velour Tracksuit is available at www.juicycouture.com, the jacket is $138 and the pants are $118.

I love the idea of interesting tanks or t-shirts under frilly cardigans or blazers.  Forever 21 is a great place to find tops like this.  I like the N.1 Heartbreaker Tank for $12.80 from Forever 21.

Like I have said before I am loving the Ballet Pink/Champagne Pink trend for fall.  Sequins are another great way to sport it.  I also love the mix between the army green cargos and the pink top.  The Sosie Sequin Tank is at J.Crew for $495.

Another must for this fall is a Camel colored Trench.  I like the Wool Cashmere Icon Trench from J.Crew for $325.  I have owned Trench coats before but none that are as classic as a tan jacket that you can wear anywhere.

Lastly, if you haven't bought an embellished tank for fall, then you must not have started shopping.  These are a must for back to school or for fall at the workplace.  I love wearing them to work with a comfy cashmere cardigan to stay comfy and warm.  These add personality to your outfit and are still very sophisticated for work.  Nordstroms has a great collection in their Point of View section but this one is from Banana Republic, its the Pleated Fan Tank for $59.50.

As Rachel Zoe recently said, "nothing is more hot than a gay man looking straight."  The trend this fall is the outdoors man meets the Ivy League Professor.  I am loving wool jackets, grandpa cardigans and flannel (did you ever think you'd see the day!)

Another huge trend for suits is matching the tie color to the shirt color but having mis-matching patterns.

Shopping Bag

Every time I go shopping I will share with you what I found.  I already told you that I bought the Vikings Hoodie and Gray T-Shirt.  Here are some of my other finds:

I found this Blossom Hair Clip in Ballet Pink at American Apparel.  Recently, I am loving things that remind me of things that I wore when I was a little girl.  Last spring, I bought a pair of Saddle Shoes that this Clip will look great with.  I am also loving Ballet Pink for fall.

I also bought this Chiffon Over Sized Button-Up.  I wore it the other night with a short lace white skirt and nude heels.  I think there is a certain sexiness when you wear a black tank and then an over sized sheer top over it.  Left open it looks sexy and buttoned up it looks vintage.  I love it so far!  Bonus:  Wear it out dancing, left open it gives you that feel of 80's dance super star!

 I have been looking for just the right lace top for this fall.  I didn't want something that was too sexy but something that I could wear over a tank with a cute pencil skirt.  I thought this was perfect because it looked so vintage.  I also love the color of the creme because it makes it look old.  El Salvador Lace Tee in Creme.

The next item is my new favorite thing for fall.  I have never been so excited for socks.  The Girly Lace Ankle Sock in white, black and pink are perfect for that fall trend of wearing cute socks with heels.  I love the idea because the socks will keep my feet warm! 

Skol Vikings!

You will rarely ever read me rave about Victoria Secret since I am a bigger fan of little boutiques and sexiness that every woman doesn't have.  But have you seen their PINK line for the Vikings?  I walked past the store the other day and I was so excited.  With all the excitement with Favre and the chance that they could truly win the Super Bowl this year, I had to get me some pieces.  By the way my dream is to meet Hottie Harvin in person.

  I got the Purple Zip Hoodie, because I felt like that would be something I could wear every Sunday once the season starts.  It is super comfy, the inside is that soft cotton that PINK usually uses to make their sweats so soft.  The fit is also really great, the sleeves are nice and long and it also looks chic to roll them up for that vintage look.  Although you can't see it here the sweatshirt does really have a vintage look to it, the sleeves have faded lettering and from the front you can't really tell its VS or Vikings, it just looks like a well-fit, purple sweatshirt.  I also like that the sweat shirt is so long because as you know the chairs at the dome aren't the most comfortable thing in the world and this makes sure you are fully covered.

I also got this Gray, Fitted T-shirt.  The Viking is all clear sequins to give the worn look a pop of dazzle.  Again, I have to say, I love the fit, the length is great.  I bought a shirt from VS for the Twins and I was really upset at how short it was, obviously they have changed for the better.  It is a little upsetting that on the back of this shirt it says PINK, but I guess what can you expect.  I also wanted to buy the purple pants to match the sweatshirt but I held myself back and said "no your ass doesn't need purple pants."

Some other things I love are the Sweat Pant Capris.  I have two pairs of these already and they are great for around house or laundry days.  Plus I love the Boy Shorts.  These are something I continually buy from VS since they are so comfortable and perfect for sleeping in.  Hint:  Super sexy to go to bed in just a cute pair of boy shorts!

Monte Carlo

219 3rd Avenue North

We have heard that the drinks at Monte Carlo are awesome, so we decided to hit it up Saturday night.

The location was great!  We were seated outside in an alley way with lights hanging from umbrellas.  Our favorite part were the red lights that added to the mysterious, hide-away feeling.

We were originally just given a wine list so we stared with wine.  When we asked for the drink menu we were upset we didn't try that first since there were a lot of unusual drinks on the menu.  I got the Hemingway 8 that was a mix of vodka, grapefruit juice and orange liqueur.

We also started out with the Calamari Appetizer which is pictured to the left.  This was excellent!  The best part was the spicy horseradish sauce for dipping. Little did we know that this would be the best part of our meal.

We also tried the Fish and Chips (but with red potatoes since I'm watching my weight).  This wasn't bad, but not the best and the potatoes were cold when they reached our table.  The fried fish is pictured to the right.

My friend L, tried the Crab Cake Sandwich.  She said it wasn't bad but definitely not as good as the Calamari.  The sandwich was served on pumpernickel bread, which L said really added to the flavor.  Below is the sandwich.  Note that we both tried side salads.  L had the main side salad with a specialty dressing that she said was really good.  I made the mistake of ordering the Cesar, which was horrible.  You may disagree, but why must restaurants put so much cheese on the salad?  There is already cheese in the dressing.

Summary:  If you find yourself heading to Monte Carlo after work or for a late dinner drinks.  Get an appetizer with a drink, or a salad with a glass of wine.  The food is just not worth the high prices.  The atmosphere is great and the drinks are worth coming for.

The Perfect Saturday

After an early walk around Lake Harriet there are a number of great places to grab a little brunch.  We ended up at GiGi's Cafe.  We sat outside and it was beautiful.  When you walk into the cafe your nose takes a journey from the fresh coffee, to the eggs and finally to the displayed pastries.  They offer breakfast scrambles with fresh fruit or for lunch panninis, flat breads and other special little finds.

We were told to try the Vegetarian Tamale Pie and the Ginger Peach Ice Tea.  The Tamale was a mix of extremely fresh vegetables on top of a wheat tortilla and served with tortilla chips.  We also tried the Four Cheese Pannini, which was also wonderful.  It had a unique flavor to it which had to be the spread that was used on the wheat bread.  It was served with tasty red potato fries which were seasoned just right.  One of the small jems of the place was the Ginger Peach Ice Tea, it had a fresh taste with a black tea.

The best part of Gigi's is how fresh everything tastes.  You will be able to tell there isn't a lot of grease, which is really refreshing.

When I go back I have to try one of the pastries, they looked too good to resist.

Inception

I recently read a Summer 2010 Bucket List and one of the things to do was to see Inception.  I usually don't rush out to see a new movie unless I was very interested when I saw the trailer.  But, I recenlty decided to head out and see it.  Everyone was right, it is the best movie I have seen in a really long time.  Go see it on a date and do dinner afterwords.  It is one of those movies you can't stop thinking about and need to talk out loud about.  Do not leave half way into the movie, it all comes together in the second half.  Extra bonus:  Leo isn't the only hottie, Joseph Gordon-Levitt is gorgeous. 

Uptown Cafeteria and Support Group

3001 Hennepin Minneapolis

This is a restaurant that I have given more than a couple chances to get right.  I love Parasole and was hoping that this restaurant would be just as good as the others but I was let down all four times.  

Go to the Cafeteria with a group and plan on getting sloshed, since the drinks are the best part!

For starters we were instructed to try the Warm Cheddar Drop Biscuits and Blue Chips.  Don't get me wrong they are both awesome!  But I couldn't help but think while I was eating the biscuits the caloric count or that they simply tasted like those Pillsbury rolls my mom makes when she didn't have time to go get fresh bread from the store.  Its also hard to think that you pay 6.95 for bread that would normally be included in your already pricey meal.  Too bland to be an appetizer by itself but would be good if it was included in the meal or with soup/salad.  The Blue chips are a home-made kettle chip with blue cheese crumbles, bacon and scallions.  These push "Man Nachos" to a whole different level, the only thing missing is the wing sauce and big screen.  The chips are very tasty on their own and the blue cheese and bacon put your taste buds over the top.  Very pleased to see an excellent new appetizer in uptown!  If you can get over the fact that they aren't the most healthy thing you could digest you will enjoy.

Now lets get to the best part!  The drinks!

The cafeteria's drink menu seems to be divided by sex.  Which is totally fine by us since for the most part our men drink different things than the women.  So I will start with the girly drinks:

First off, completely amazing that the Cafeteria took it upon themselves to understand the light weight females in Minneapolis!  They have a menu of "Good Girl Martinis" for $5 all day.  This is perfect since martinis can be so strong and so pricey to start with.  This gives us ladies the chance to sip a little bit of heaven.  If you need a vacation try the Bo Derek.  It is a tropical martini where the coconut melts in your mouth.  Plus you get introduced to Oprah's favorite flavor: Blood orange.  If you are a gin girl like Miss L try the Joan Collins, it is a light martini with a kick of gin.  Although the Uptown Girl sounds cute, the brandy is overused and definitely not a "good girl" drink to start out with.  Off of the Good girl menu there are some jewels as well.  Now listen to me ladies and listen to me good:  you can not leave the cafeteria until you try the F-Bomb martini.  It is a mix of "Effen Black Cherry, St Germain Elderflower, Triple Caff, lemonade and Cranberry" and it is truly a kick in the ass to start your night right.  May I also repeat that this is not a "good girl drink," two F-Bombs and your ass won't be able to get out of your chair.  The drink also tastes good, it reminded me of those cherry spritzers that we drank as kids.  The Pretty in Pink martini isn't bad but you will be able to tell that it isn't as awesome as the F-Bomb.  Also, the Fashionista is a disappointment especially when you are self proclaimed like my friends and I.  Again, I think they over did it with the orange vodka.

All men were pleased with the beer list.  As drinks go, all the men swore by the Whiskey Business drink.  It has "Ril whiskey, Southern Comfort, Goslings Ginger Beer and fresh lime juice."  From the look on the boys' faces the Cafeteria could survive on Whiskey Business and F-Bombs alone.

For the food:

-Monte Cristo- This is a great "man-which" if you will.  Very tasety.

-Grilled Cheese Deluxe- "Too much butter" I kept hearing.  And from the looks of it the cheese was litterally sliding off the bread.

-Grilled Chicken and Brie-From my opinion this is the best sandwich that the cafeteria offers.  Its fresh, there isn't much butter and its flavorful.

-As for the Burger, lets be honest, its probably good but if you are going that route get back into your car and drive to Burger Jones.

-PatPong Shrimp Pad Thai- First of all I'm not sure why this is served, its the only item that really doesn't fit with the rest of the menu.  It is a huge portion of noodles with three pieces of shrimp.  The sauce is excellent but the meal is overwhelming and looking at other people's meals you may sense some jealousy.

-Four Cheese Mac & Cheese- This was again very buttery but this time no taste.

-All you can eat Fish Fry (Friday Night Special)- I was thrilled when I found out that this was on the menu.  The fish wasn't that bad it was the overwhelming amount of fries that made me mad.  The price is $15.95 which didn't seem that bad at first but honestly, you are going to be paying for plates beyond plates of fries.  I got my first plate and saw that there were two pieces of fish and a plate full of crinkle fries.  I figured it was all right since the fish was all you can eat.  I asked the waitress for another plate and she brought out one piece of fish with another plate of fries.  After finishing the third piece and feeling ripped off, I ordered one more piece (which each piece took about 30 minutes) but I asked her to please not include any fries as I already had a table full now and I hate wasting food.  Sure enough after 30 minutes of waiting, one small piece of fish with a plate full of fries arrived at my table.  This was very disappointing especially since the fish was so good.

I can't talk about any shakes or desserts since we were all so full every time we went.

The atmosphere is nice, it has a retro feel and makes you feel comfortable.  If you get a chance check out the Sky Bar, the furniture is trendy and its a nice place to go after work.  However, do not go to the Cafeteria on a hot day, there is no air, the flies are horrid and worse yet your sweaty legs stick to the vinyl seats.

Summary: Go with a group, order the blue chips as an appetizer, order the F-Bomb or the Whiskey Business drink, and then order the Monte Cristo or Grilled Chicken and Brie.  And do not attend on a hot day.

Please feel free to leave a comment if your experience was different or you came across something I missed.

Pilot

This blog will be used to review restaurants, movies and events in the Twin Cities area.  There will also be posts about my crazy life and my crazy friends.  Enjoy!