The Real Best Dressed on Oscar Sunday

Last weekend I threw a birthday party for my little sister. There would be five 12-year-old girls in my apartment, and while I was excited to host them I couldn't help but worry that they would work themselves up into a hyper frenzy and start bouncing off the walls I share with grumpy elderly neighbors. That never ends well, so I planned a roster of party games that involved sitting down, writing, doodling, maybe taking a nap, etc. (What? Don't all the best parties include naps?)

As the guests arrived, it became apparent that this group was actually deathly shy, and more prone to milling around awkwardly than screaming and bouncing. Twenty minutes in, the party was quiet and I knew I had to change my game plan. I stood on my couch and yelled, "Pair up! I'll be right back."

I disappeared into my bedroom and ransacked my closet, grabbing purple blazers and pink tutus and sequined dresses and about fifty colorful silk scarves. I gathered up high heels and big bead necklaces and an impressive array of sunglasses. Then I walked back out into the living room where the girls were standing, quite obviously under the impression that I had gone insane, and dumped the tangled mass of bright fabrics onto the floor. I ran over to the stereo to turn on the Spice Girls' Greatest Hits and told each pair to decide who would be the model and who would be the stylist. "The stylist will create an outfit for the model using the clothes in this pile," I said. "The model is not allowed to complain about her outfit. We'll have a photo shoot, then the model and stylist will switch places. Ready? GO!"

It totally worked--the stylists pounced on the pile of clothes, laughing madly as the models shrieked, "Please! Anything but that furry rainbow belt!" As you can imagine, the outfits they came up with were pretty amazing:








Favorite conversation of the day:

Me: You actually look like a model!
Girl: Why would a model wear a tutu over jeans with three coats?
Me: You've never looked at a fashion magazine, have you?
Girl: Nope.

Guest Post: Oscar Fashion Wrap-Up!

My lovely friend Sara always writes an Academy Awards Red Carpet Wrap-Up, and this year she's sharing it with Daddy Likey readers. Read on for her fabulous fashion recap!

With the rise of the Personal Stylist, we really can’t look forward to seeing anything like this slip onto the red carpet anymore:

Demi Moore, Academy Awards, 1989

Except, I forgot about Whoopi:

I mean, it’s nice to see Whoopi out of her oversized white t-shirt and ill-fitting vest, but really? Leopard-print Maxi dress is your next choice? I don’t blame you, Whoop. I blame your inner circle.

Strapless haute couture ball gowns with belts, one strap à la Michelle Obama (I’m talking to you, Reese Witherspoon), and shimmery petals, scales and napkin tiers were popular among the starlets, which is why the understated Tilda Swinton is always appreciated:

I’m pretty much in love with this beige top and black skirt from Lanvin.

I might be in the minority on this, but I would like to remind everyone that the Academy Awards Ceremony is not Prom 2009:

Miley Cyrus actually did wear this to prom last year.

Next up, SJP's Prom Queen with a little touch of Janet-Jackson-Superbowl danger! Watch out Ferris!


Most Improved goes to Dame Streep, who has had only 40 years and 15 nominations to get it right, and finally did with this awesome off-the-shoulder, soft putty loveliness known as Alberta Ferretti. Now, about that hair…


Best Dressed goes to Natalie Portman for this pretty-in-pink Rodarte:


I love me some Amy Adams in Carolina Herrera, breaking all those style rules with red on red and sporting a huge beaded necklace right in the middle of something resembling the Great Depression without the dustbowl or the hoovervilles. Ka-ching!


Umm, yeah. This is so incredibly weird, and I kinda like it:


Double-digit plastic surgeries, one-punch away from Alzheimer’s, and I still think you’re hot:

Keep rocking the Jean Paul Gaultier, but only while wearing a choker with a small photo of your dead dog around the neck. So sexy.

And finally:

The best dressed crew of the night. (Is that my cousin Todd standing in the background?)

An Imagined Conversation Between Myself and This GAP Model

Me: It appears that you're wearing two sweaters.

Model: So? It's cool.

Me: Actually it seems quite warm.

Model: It's "the new cardigan" from the GAP.

Me: Yeah, OK, but I kind of feel like you should choose one of these new cardigans, or at least mix up your layering with "the new vest" or "the new light jacket" or something. I mean, two of the exact same sweater?

Model: It comes in 22 colors.

Me: You're not going to wear 22 of them at once, are you?

Model: Maybe. I'm not going to rule it out.

Me: Are you from Chicago?

Model: No, why?

Me: Well, this one time I was talking to my friend Whitney, who went to college in Chicago, and she told me her routine for getting ready during the winters there, and it was absolutely horrifying. I'm pretty sure it included at least 23 sweaters.

Model: Twenty-three??

Me: Yes! You should have heard her describe it. She was like, "First I put on some leggings and an undershirt. Then a set of thermal underwear over that. Then flannel pants. Then a turtleneck fleece, a wool sweater, and a puffy vest. Then leg warmers, arm warmers, a ski mask, ear muffs, a rabbit fur hat, gloves, mittens, the sheepskin rug from my living room and my quilted down jacket."

Model: Jesus.

Me: Right?? And that was barely half of it. Her outfit description lasted for like ten minutes, and by the end she was stuffing her shirt with throw pillows to brave her walk to the bus stop and she was STILL COLD.

Model: I'm cold just thinking about it.

Me: God, me too. Can I borrow one of your sweaters?

Nope, not dead!

I'm back, I'm back! My trip to Hawaii was amazingly fun, despite a few unforeseen variables:

1. It was cold.

Beautiful, dark, freezing Hawaii. Don't be jealous.

2. I got sick. And remained sick until a few days ago. (This is why it took me an extra week to get back to blogging.)

3. We accidentally went to Honolulu during Pro Bowl weekend, which meant sharing the city with literally thousands of douchebags who had traversed an ocean to see a football game. Seriously, if there were a standardized douchebag test (surely Obama could institute this with a No Douche Left Behind Act?), the hulking, cat-calling, baggy boardshort-wearing men wandering the streets and beaches and bars last weekend would have scored in the 99th percentile. They were the cream of the crop.

Katelyn and me. I know what you're thinking--is that blue suit an Esther Williams? Of course it is!

So yeah, the fact that we still had an awesome time speaks volumes about the awesomeness of this trip--we went snorkeling in a frigid bay, cried in the back of a creaky bus as it careened up (and down) a mountain, and walked along rocky beaches until our feet were cracked and bloody and god this sounds horrible but I swear, somehow, it actually was awesome.

Speaking of awesome, I was so excited to see the enthusiastic response to my meme. Thanks so much to all who have participated thus far, and I hope to see many more of your Blog Spots in the coming weeks!

p.s. Please check out my latest post for National Geographic's blog--a synopsis of boy bands from around the world (the Pakistani Jonas Brothers lookalikes are my personal favorite). And click here for something my brother said about those Jonas Brothers earlier tonight that totally cracks me up.

Show Me Your Blog Spot!

So, you know those blogging chain letters/memes/whatever they're called that usually look like this? Well, today I want to start one. Here it is:

Show Us Your Blog Spot!

The rules:

1. Once you are tagged, post a picture of where you blog. This might mean a picture of your cozy bed, or your office at work (you naughty employee, you!), or a boring ol' desk like me. Feel free to be creative, but be honest--if your desk is usually covered in Ritz crackers and love letters to Rahm Emanuel, then show us!

2. Feel free to tell us a little about your space, or explain certain items in more detail. Or not.

3. Link back to this post.

4. Tag five other bloggers to show their blog spots.

5. If you are tagged and do not participate, you will become allergic to cabbage.

Here are a few other detail shots of my bloggin' spot:

Inspirational quote, kitten, peace sign.

My idol, Rachel Maddow, and something she said once.

Random friends, funnies, and pretty things.

My true inspiration--a signed photo of Sinbad hung on my window.

I'll start things off with a heaping handful of tags: Ambika from (Into) the Fray, Chelsea from Frolic, Sal from Already Pretty, D'Rae from Slices of Life, Mr. Wong from The Sunday Best, Rhiannon from Liebemarlene Vintage, Christine from Futurelint, Joanna from A Cup of Jo, Pretty Face, Punky, Lopi from Fashion Architect, and Princess Poochie from Shoe Daydreams. Also, anyone else who'd like to show their space and spread the word, consider yourself tagged!

Let's get this going--Don't be shy! Show us your blog spot!

p.s. Speaking of going, I'm going to be out for the next week or so thanks to a huge deadline followed by a much-needed Hawaiian vacation. But come next Tuesday, I'll be back, burnt, and blogging, baby!