The Legwear Trilogy

I should have known.  Forever21.com has all the tights and socks my greedy little heart could ever want.  I just hope the eleven pairs of tights I bought for under a $100 last me more than a few days at work and a night on the town.  Forever21 your name says forever but we were not expecting forever just for your clothes to last a few years.  I must say though I do love the way you make fashion accessible to everyone.  You are the Jean Nicole of my day but on crack. 

Pretty Polly Funcsextional Legwear

Smashonistas as you can see from my last post, I have become obsessed with hosiery, socks, tights, and the likes.  Once again on my very voracious hunt for nude patterned tights which I have still yet to find, I discovered Pretty Polly and the House of Holland tights. Want to put a little avant garde, sexy AND functional (haha sexy and functional in the same sentence) into your boring work wardrobe or that hot date?  Then try these Pretty Polly 'House of Holland Super Suspender' Tights.  It's all the dazzle without the hassle.  It's like putting on the Ritz without Fred Astaire and Park Avenue.  It's like having your own little secret without that annoying Victoria. 

Shameless Thigh High Socks

I'm such a sucker for functional clothing.  Why wear tights when you can wear thigh high socks!  I'm a die hard fan of dresses and that is usually what I wear to work. In the winter thanks to this horrible autoimmune crap called hypothyroidism I inherited, I am always, always cold.  I hate the double underwear feel that wearing tights gives me and I just don't have the nerve to go commando anymore,  (regardless of the tights).  So my answer to going tightless is thigh high socks.  I did my homework and read some reviews.  Guess what? American Apparel manufactures thigh high socks that don't fall down!  $18 my Smashonistas, $18.  Plus they looked really hot on that chick in the Indie film, Shame.  Oh wait there were a lot of chicks in that movie.  Shame on you Brandon, but thanks for the inadvertent fashion tip.  I happen to like the nude looking ones myself. 

One last Shout Out to Summer

One last Shout Out to Summer by smashonista featuring a stripe t shirt

Day to Night

Day to Night by smashonista featuring retro sunglasses

Go Green!

Go Green! by smashonista featuring skull handbags

FNO Yes Again!

FNO Yes Again! by smashonista featuring suede booties

Fashion Night Out NYC

Fashion Night Out NYC by smashonista featuring teardrop jewelry

Solid Gold Fantasies

I am going nuts smathonistas.  Nuts about yellow gold.  I have been a die hard white gold fan for years.  But one day I woke up and realized I love yellow gold. I really really do.  So recently I went on this low budget shopping spree of buying gold toned items to satisfy my lust for all things gold.  Check out the monogram gold ring above.  Not in my budget yet, but will be my new "wow you never buy me jewelry" card.  Okay I did buy the three graces gold ring pictured above as well as the Swatch Watch.   Both priced under $125 each.  

Barbecute

So it's finally summer Smashonistas and time for family reunions, picnics and backyard barbecues or balcony and front yard barbecues for some. (Hey I live in LA we have to work with what we got). While your cousins and friends may be content in their cut o...ffs, tank tops and flip flops you my Smashonista will be taking it to the Rachel Bilson level (yes I still love her style although she seems to have dropped off the face of the earth except for those crazy magnum ice cream ads) in these double button shorts and this cool flowy top. Top it off with some fabulous accessories such as this chunky gold watch, adorable wedges, floppy straw hat, jade earrings and cat eye sunglasses (that's right they're back)! My philosophy Smashonistas, if you are going to do ANYTHING, do it with style. Even if it's only grilling on your balcony.

Barbecute by smashonista featuring summer hats

Feeling Some Boho?

Feeling Some Boho? by smashonista featuring a cord necklace

Smashonistas, chambray is usually associated with preppy, but add some turquoise baubles, a Sam Edleman Espadrille wedge, a leather corded wheat necklace and you got you some Boho. And just for a little edge a Rebecca Minkoff orange cross body bag. Perfect for Brunch, a hot date or those obligatory baby showers.

Smashonista: Harem Pants: why aren't you gone yet and didn't w...

Smashonista: Harem Pants: why aren't you gone yet and didn't w...: "Smashonistas, I fear we are entering an era of fashion, a slippery slope if you will, where we are going to look back and say 'what was I th..."

Harem Pants: why aren't you gone yet and didn't we learn anything from Mr. Hammer?

Smashonistas, I fear we are entering an era of fashion, a slippery slope if you will, where we are going to look back and say "what was I thinking."  I am such a slave to fashion that sometimes I don't see this coming.  Remember the mid to late 90s when everyone was wearing those terrible black sandals a la "Rachel Green" that looked like someone had thrown a glob of rubber on your feet.  Remember? And curiously enough we couldn't get enough of them. Or what about those horrible Holly Hobby dresses from the 80s that my much OLDER sisters used to fight over but now claim they never wore.  I am not going to lie, I love the 80s and 90s influences I have observed of late but I draw the line at MC Hammer pants.  Didn't we learn anything from Mr. Hammer?  I know people claim that supporting his 40 something member entourage's outrageously lavish day-to-day lifestyle is what forced Mr. Hammer to start living out of his car but no my Smashonistas, I say it was the pants.  Sadly, Mr. Hammer assuming filing bankruptcy was a reality check, the entourage may be gone but your pants will forever haunt you. Seriously, what's next Birkenstocks and overalls? Of course no real Smashonista would ever be caught in Birkenstocks that's the equivalent of Uggs, modern day fashion suicide.  Look I know these harem pants have been circulating around the fashion world again, for the last couple of years "08" to be exact.... but I thought they would be LONG GONE by now.  Alas no.  And apparently some genius had the great idea of throwing in a print.  Yikes.  Wonder if the Olsen twins had anything to do with this?

Lights, camera, lashes!

Listen up my Smashonistas who love and adore makeup.  I fell in love with this certain mascara by Tarte.  This magical wand delivered everything it promised and more.  Do you want what Tarte calls a push-up bra for your lashes?  It's a 4-1 (lengthening, curling, volumizing and conditioning) and clinically proven to increase lash volume by 424%.  Really 424%?  Who comes up with these numbers?  They had me at lengthening and volumizing.  Is volumizing even a word? who cares.  I love it.   For those of us with underdeveloped, puny, barely there eyelashes this is a God send.  I tried this wonder stick and I'm a believer.  Best of all it's cruelty free!  Not tested on animals and dead animal by-product free.  Yay Tarte!

Vote! For Olivia (Smashonista)

Refinery29 is having a contest! 

It’s a hunt for the next BIG STYLE BLOGGER! I really would LOVE to even have a chance at this and in order to do so, I need YOUR votes! Every vote counts, as I can only vote once.   

Click this: http://refinery29.com and search for me.  You have to sign into your facebook account first and then click on the pink heart next to my picture.

xoxo Olivia aka Smashonista

Salvage Baubles: Upcycling Done Right

Leave it to the coolest, hottest mama to be, Natalie Portman to start a new trend, salvage baubles.  I just love her and apparently I am not the only one, nothing says love like a $35,000 engagement ring. Her talented hubby is not only light on his toes but designs jewelry, for Natalie anyways. Mr. Millepied designed the intellectual gone actress an engagement ring made of recycled platinum and an antique center stone.  Can somebody say gorgeous. I have been collecting vintage baubles for years but I love the thought of upcycling these pieces into gorgeous, fresh works of art.  And guess what my like minded readers, in the spirit of Natalie, salvage baubles can be yours too with just a click of a button.  Fall in love with OverTheTop, a tiny store on Etsy.  This designer has taken salvaged beads and the like and has come up with some fantastic pieces with some paying tribute to Natalie's character Nina in The Black Swan.  Most of the pieces featured have a vintage feel to them, but wait! If you are a minimalist snob,I have a suspicion it won't be long before some talented designer starts pairing these salvage baubles with some modern-sleek-earthy designs.  Loving it!

Oh That Betty Crocker Never Looked So Hot!

One of my aprons from Anthropologie

Natori Gala Robe

Smashonistas, how did the holidays treat you?  I know, I know so anticlimactic.  I'm not complaining though, I'm blessed.  Today I found the baby Jesus in our Rosca de Reyes cake.  Some cultures just know how to milk this holiday thing. ahem... Now to debrief. I got to do some of my most favoritist things this holiday season and I got to do them together.  Spend time with my family and cook with drink in hand (thanks Kirk for sharing your central coast yummy wines).  I did it all with style I must say Smashonistas.  What's hot right now in the world of home economics you ask?  Aprons baby.  All kinds of aprons. I whipped out my holiday apron, and all my other cute little aprons I have managed to collect. My first apron was an all white with scalloped lace edges that I bought about 10 years ago, back then it was difficult to land a halfway cute apron kind of like how difficult it is to find an adorable robe these days. Just call me Olivia Crocker.  I also managed to spread the joy of aprons to my two sisters.  I bought them each a darling apron to bake, cook or do whatever they want (now, now settle down boys), from Anthropologie.  Now that I have satisfied my thirst for aprons I move onto robes, formerly known as dressing gowns. What happen to the glamor days?  What happened to those beautiful peignoirs? I love my house and I like to spend a lot of time in it and sometimes I want to feel stylish and sophisticated while doing it.  Is that too much to ask?  Hey you're talking to a girl that has a dressing area with a vanity adjoining my closet albeit however small.  Okay so fine, most of the time I just throw my clothes on my vanity (don't judge me) but it's always there when I want to sit down and untangle my hair and put my face on.  So there you have it Smashonistas for all you aspiring homemakers, and housewives and for those of you that just want like to look good while begrudgingly cooking and picking up after your loved ones, I give you the apron and its counterpart the dressing gown.  Always be stylish.