Celebrities rock the Romper Trend

(from the top left: Dakota Fanning, Blake Lively, Kate Walsh, Selma Blair, Nicole Richie, and Ashley Olsen)

From black satin to yellow floral print- the romper trend has been seen all over Hollywood. Check out our style profile on the Romper with cheap shopping finds here: Lust vs. Musts: The Romper Trend

Fashion Links a la Mode: July 30th

• Breakfast at Saks – Aschobi: Sierra Leone Couture
• Brick My Lane – Interview with Christian Joy, the genius behind the costumes worn by Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs
• by Hillary – Deciding if you really need to dry clean that dress that says “dry clean”
• Culturistas – The Culturistas find a ‘Lust vs Must’ profile of the Romper Trend!
• Fashion Cents – Can you wear the romper trend? Fashion Cents helps you decide if and how to romp around
• Fashion Hippo – Fashion Hippo is having a fantastic giveaway: Mary Frances “Mercury Rising” wristlet bag.
• Fashion in my eyes – Interview: Fashion editor at 17
• HiFashion – Tips for fashionable travellers
• Idiosyncratic Style – A round up of 5 cool projects that are perfect for summer vacation, because they are light on supplies and low maintenance.
• Independent Fashion Bloggers – Rhythm is Gonna Getcha: Maintaining Consistency in Your Blog
• iStyle – The Lazy Girl’s Guide to Looking Fab: A real-life 5 minute make-up guide with unedited photos
• Mademoiselle Robot – An interview with headwear designer Jennifer Loiselle about films, motherhood and independent designers.
• Only Style Remains the Same – Offer an outfit idea to win a pair of Current/Elliott jeans from only style remains the same and chickdowntown.
• Our Ocean – An insanely inspiring interview with Vivienne Westwood on Jonathan Ross
• Pursed Lips – Lara Stone, size 4, heralded as bringing “curvy” back. But isn’t the bigger difference her C cup bra, and not her weight?
• Rags to Reverie – A look at the Stella McCartney Fall 2009 ad campaign + a couple of deals from the eponymous label
• reLYME – It’s Beka’s birthday, and in the spirit of birthday giving, reLYME is giving away SIX China Glaze nail lacquers from the Kicks collection!
• Retro Chick – Can I wear it? Yes, I can! Retro Chick gives Harem Pants a try with surprising results.
• Style Amor – Check out why I have given up buying a wedding gown from a traditional bridal boutique.
• Sweet Fuzz – Score one of a kind fashion treasures at your local thrift store and check out the insanely cheap items I snapped up at mine.
• The Coveted – Amsterdam Fashion Week bridges the gap between fashion students and industry at Lichting 2009
• Unfunded – Unfunded collaborates with J. Money from Budgets are Sexy to learn what guys really think of the things we wear.

Restaurant Profile: Joe's

Joe's is a comfortable yet elegant restaurant in Venice that serves up delicious gourmet cuisine. It sits on Abbot Kinney Road which is a great beach-y area to walk around and enjoy the surrounding shops. Therefore you can't expect the restaurant to be too formal, judging by the inhabitants of the Venice community. This fact makes Joe's even more charming. The restaurant is far from pretentious but yet serves the same type of delicious and innovative food. Executive chef and owner, Joe Miller, even goes around to the tables to say hi and greet guests. Great touch.

Now lets get to the good part: The food!! Although the menu is small it seems that every dish is a winner. I was able to try the tuna tartar (fresh and mouthwatering!), the burrata appetizer (very creamy mozzarella and heirloom tomatoes), and the mushroom ravioli (exqusite!). The prime sirloin steak was also delicious (served on a bed of mashed potatoes and cripsy artichoke). The Jidori chicken was so tender and very subtle in its flavor.

Tips:
Parking is scarce so i'd probably splurge on the $5 dollar valet.
Make sure to get a table on the terrace/back garden
Skip dessert and take a walk on Abbot Kinney for ice cream.
Corkage is $20 per bottle but it still could be worth it to bring your own

Joe's

1023 Abbot Kinney Blvd
Venice, CA 90291
(310) 399-5811

www.joesrestaurant.com

The Frederick Weisman Museum: Los Angeles

[Photo: Sun-room of the Weisman house]

The Frederick Weisman museum in Los Angeles houses over 400 works of art, all by artists of the 20th century. However you will be surprised to know this museum isn't an ordinary museum in a building full of white walls- it is a house. A mansion in Hombly Hills to be exact. In fact it is the house Fred Weisman and his wife lived in. Even more interestingly is that they lived with these artworks exactly as they are shown today.

The house is open free to the public but only by appointment and guided tour. Inside the very 1980's mansion you will see art from the likes of Max Ernst, Andy Warhol (they have 10 Marilyn Monroe faces!!!), de Kooning, Rothko, Lichtenstein, Giacometti, Rauchenberg, Miro, Kandinsky etc etc. And don't be alarmed if you see oddly realistic sculptures of people throughout the tour. Possibly the weirdest encounter is the older lady in the foyer. If you didn't know any better, you'd think she was a straggler from the last tour. They are THAT realistic. Even weirder is that the Weismans collected so many of them and LIVED with them in their house that way.

[Photo: Andy Warhol's Marilyn Monroe]

This tour is a MUST see for any art lover. Instead of viewing art in the strict confines of a museum you get the chance to interact with artworks. And even more, you get to see how people lived with their art in such a personal way.

When you sign up to go on the tour they will fax you over pertinent information- such as the map and also a form you need to fill out and fax back. You are also not allowed to arrive any earlier than 5 minutes prior to your tour, since it is a house with limited parking.

Foundation Tour Hours
Days : Monday through Friday
Time : From 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM.

Advanced reservations are required.
Tel: (310) 277-5321
Fax: (310) 277-5075
Email: tours@weismanfoundation.org
Weismanfoundation.org

HAMPTONS SUMMER STYLE

If you are off for the weekend, it is more than likely that you are ready to relax. While we value high fashion and looking chic, the Culturistas are also strong advocates of comfort and dressing down. If you are heading to the Hamptons or some beach retreat this weekend take it easy and dress the part!

Shorts:$53 Topshop
Plaid Shirt: $15.80 Forever 21
Shoes: Converse high top Chuck Taylor $45

See you at the beach!

Comic-con 2009: Celebrity Fashion

The lovely ladies pictured above are just a minuscule proportion of the hordes of people that attended Comic-con in San Diego this past week. BUT they are some of the stand outs of Comic-con fashion! Eliza Dushku wore an adorable strapless mini dress while Scarlett Johansson wore a beige mini dress with black belt. Jennifer Connolly kept it very classic in a longsleeved navy dress. Kristen Bell and Hayden Panettiere sexed it up in tight body con dresses. Megan Fox wore a really cool cropped double breasted jacket with black skinny trousers and sheer top.

Enjoy Blueberry Buttermilk Sherbet!

Nothing is better than an ice cream on a hot sweaty day. I got a bit creative with the ice cream maker this past weekend and attempted Blueberry Buttermilk Sherbet. It was easy, lowfat, and absolutely delicious!

*Recipe yields approximately 4 cups

Ingredients:
2 cups of fresh blueberries
1 cup of sugar
2 cups of 1.5% buttermilk
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Preparation:
Place berries in blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Put the berry puree through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a large bowl, discarding solids. Add sugar, buttermilk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to bowl, and stir until well blended.

Pour raspberry mixture into freezer container of a 4-quart ice-cream maker, and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. After approximately 30 minutes the mix should be frozen and ready to serve.

Notes:
I want to adequately forewarn you about the possibility of foodgasmic sensations. This sherbet is DELICIOUS. Substitution of other types of berries or fruits can also be done. Don't be afraid to experiment! Anything that you think would pair well with the tartness of buttermilk will work. Next I'm trying lime-coconut!