I'm Back

After last week's hiatus, Minneapolite has returned! You know you missed me :)

Sorry for the break, but some new medication my dermatologist has me on caused some unforeseeable side-effects, mainly me being unable to move from the couch for the better part of last week. Between that and the holiday, not much time for blog-posting.

But, just barely enough time for shopping. I was able to make it out for Cliche's annual summer sale, and I was glad I did! Even though it was extended to Sunday, there was no way you were getting anything good if you showed up late. I arrived fashionably on time (i.e. 11:30 a.m.) and already the wait for a dressing room was 20 minutes long. Add another 15 minutes when I went over the 10-item limit and had to wait again (infuriating), and I spent more time waiting than shopping.

Even still, it was worth it. I picked up five new dresses and a skirt, and supported a few local designers (my favorite dress of the day was made by the fabulous Emily Weich). Maybe you'll catch me sporting them around town this week. I have lots of catching up to do after being out of commission.

Countdown to September 13

As much as I love Target, I have never been able to shop their clothing section (I know, I'm a terrible Minneapolite), that is, until now.

The lookbook for Anna Sui's Gossip-Girl inspired line for Target (available September 13) leaked this morning on NewYorkMag.com, and I was shocked.

I have always approached the high-end designer for low (low)-end price lines for Target with mixed feelings. I almost bought a bag from the Hayden-Harnett line, but my dilly-dallying about whether or not I wanted to buy a bag that not only everyone else would have, but that even those that didn't would know was PVC, left me with almost no selection. I'm glad Target (and the designers) are willing to offer the masses access to labels, but to me, most of the luster of wearing a designer dress is lost when everyone else is too. I will pay $300 plus for a dress because I know it will be the only one for miles around my closet.

But for this line, I don't care. I want them all. Yes. All. Or at least all of the Blair ones, and maybe even a Jenny and Serena. Vanessa has never been my style, so I won't pass judgment.

My favs are #'s 3, 5, 8, 17. Take a look at the slideshow, and let me know what yours are in the comments!

P.S. If you like them, you better be waiting in line, because for Target prices I might just buy every single one off the rack to ensure exclusivity. I think Blair would approve.

Where were you?

I was sitting at Happy Hour at Brits. I was in a bar when I heard the King of Pop died. And good thing too. The death of Michael Jackson deserved a toast (or five).

The regularly planned schedule of this blog was supposed to be a recounting of the HH with some fun new friends, but really the only thing that comes to mind about my night is thinking how weird it is that Michael Jackson doesn't exist in the same world I do anymore.

It's not that he had a huge effect on my life, or that I listened to his music everyday, or that I even really respected him all that much (the child abuse turns me off).

But, I will never forget my high school marching band's rendition of Thriller, out on the football field, and even the tubas were dancing along.

Admit it...You Know You Watched It

I can admit it: I watched NYC Prep last night. And you know you did too. (To save myself some dignity, I watched the 11 p.m. replay, not the first 9 p.m. showing.)

I read the reviews that said while the show was good, it was good in the “Oh wow… these kids are so ridiculous you just have to laugh so you don’t cry” way. And well… they were right.

Here’s my personal thoughts on each character (along with what Gossip Girl character they are imitating, because we all know this is Bravo’s GG rip-off):

Jessie: One part Serena’s hair, two parts Blair’s attitude, and one part Little J’s lust for fashion. Out of all the characters, I felt like she had the most reason to be on a the show. A senior with some level of maturity, she is trying to further herself from the high school scene and has some realization that the world doesn’t revolve around her AmEX Black (she even admits self-loathingly in the season preview that she doesn’t really know how much she spends each month.)

PC: One hundred percent Nate Archibald. He used to date Jessie, but now they are just good friends. Now he’s taking the younger girls under his wing. Only a matter of time before we find out his dad embezzled millions (billions?) and fled the country.

Sebastian: I seem glimmers of a Chuck Bass, and it’s obvious that’s who Bravo wants him to be, but at the core he’s 16 and just trying too hard. A common theme with many of the characters, the whole show he seemed like he was being forced by the producers into a new grown-up world and would rather be at home playing his Xbox and chatting with girls on AIM.

Kelli: Equal parts Blair and Little J. She has the authoritative attitude, but lacks the age to back it up. After Jessie, she seemed the most comfortable in her surroundings, but then again her old surroundings were nothing normal. She lives with her brother, sans parents, on the Upper East Side, and so the dinners out at fancy restaurants and event-going was nothing new to the girl with no one to make her do her homework.

Camille: If there were a sweet character in Gossip Girl, maybe Little J, she would be it. This innocent junior is focused on getting into Harvard, running a company, and having two girls and a husband by the time she’s 40 (talk about a 20 year plan). However, she was also the girl who was trying way too hard the whole time. “What Hampton do you have a house in?” she asked PC right after being introduced. Le sigh. She should know… PC has two houses in two different Hamptons.

Taylor: This poor girl is another Little J imitation. Grew up in a public school on the Upper West Side, has a mom who actually cares about her and what she does (gasp), and is trying desperately to break in to the Prep School Elite. As a fellow girl trying to break into a new social scene, I empathize with her, but unlike other newbies, Taylor defines “social climber.” Instead of falling into the scene through a connection, Taylor seems to be inserting herself into the Upper East Side for no real reason at all. Much like Sebastian, she gives off the vibe in most of her scenes that she would rather be downtown watching TiVo than Uptown hoping one of her “friends” will pick up her dinner tab for her.

Overall, a few other things annoyed me about the show:

- The BlackBerries going off every five minutes. This made it seem like the producers were trying too hard to prove to the audience these kids were “somebodies.” Yes, we know they are NYC prepsters with tons of connections and money, stop trying to prove it with annoying ring tones in every scene.

- Sebastian constantly saying in every interview how he is “too young for just one girl” and “Why have a relationship when you can hook up with lots of different girls?” Another instance of the producers trying too hard to characterize the cast.

- The idea that all of these kids have fake I.D.s and get away with it. Taylor is 15, and there is no bouncer in NYC that would ever mistake her for 21. Camille? PC was right when he asked them if she was 12 years old. If the producers are going to arrange for them to get into clubs for the sake of TV, fine, but don’t try to fool us.

So…what did you guys think of NYC Prep? Will you watch it again? Pour moi, I might partake in one more episode (or them all). Everyone needs a guilty pleasure.

I'm a Twin Cities Scenester!

Just a quick note today... but everyone should check out my post on Glamorama's announcement that Ne-Yo will be performing at TwinCityScene.com!

I am going to try to do regular posts for TCS on events, fashion and other things social, so be sure to look for me there.

I am also hoping to direct some traffic to this blog through them as well, so if you found me through TCS, welcome!

A Socialite's Weekend...Or Not

This weekend looked good for stepping out in the social-lite, but the best laid plans...

Thursday had me hopeful after the Vita.MN poolside show. My fashion-show buddy and I were a bit shocked at the sheer number of people (we expected a more intimate setting) but we took our row two seats at the end of the runway and tried to stay away from the masses, and the girl who backstabbed me in college standing (yes, HA!, standing) less than five feet away the whole show (except for when she and her friend tried to take two front row seats that were quickly claimed by people who actually paid for them.)

I adored so many of the looks they showed, it is going to be hard to narrow it down to just a few, but here are my favorites (all pictures taken by Alex Uncapher and provided by Vita.MN):

See what I mean? Masses of people.

The cover look. Love the pink top.

Absolutely Audrey.

So socialite.

Emily Weich design. I'm heading to Cliche this week to pick it up!

Perfect summer work attire.

Loving this Max Lorbach.

The teal and navy color combination was my favorite of the night!

(Pictures by Alex Uncapher and provided by Vita.MN)

I would have loved to stay for the after-party, but with a dermatologist appointment at 8 a.m., I wanted to keep my skin as fresh and non-boozy as possible.

Friday I had planned to spend the day with my mom, but some current family drama changed my plans, and so the BF and I spent the evening shopping for Father’s Day presents and dining with friends. Another early night for an early morning of…

Car shopping. Yes, that’s right. I spent my Saturday dealing with skeezy car salesman for my BF. Another greatest girlfriend ever award goes to Minneapolite. We test drove six cars at four different dealerships, and found a few that we liked. My favorite was the Acura TL, but BF didn’t see the point of spending extra money for useless toys (see how much I have to teach him?). He didn’t buy anything, so this week I am searching online for a TL with a few less bells and whistles and a better price.

Saturday night I was hoping to convince BF the Symphony Ball was the way to go, but nu uh, we were headed to the Hennepin County Fair and the demolition derby. Socialite ranking just plummeted. Although I spent most of the evening trying to cover my face (both from being seen and the mud flying everywhere), I did enjoy the crunching sounds of cars crashing just a bit. But not much. We also had a classic romantic moment when we took our post-derby Ferris Wheel ride and the fireworks started just as we reached the top. Cue the “ahhh”s and the sappy music.

Sunday was Father’s Day, and I spent the day with BF’s family watching the Open and eating hamburgers.

So the socialite ranking this weekend was low…but I still had (some) fun. There is always next weekend.

You Look New

Yesterday I promised a review of the production of “Singin’ In the Rain” I attended last night. While the play was wonderful and worthy of praise, my experiences with my fellow theater-goers inspired today’s post on a completely different topic: People who have no manners.

To give the people who sat around me last night the benefit of the doubt, it may have been their first time in a theater (or at least, I hope it was). I recognize that many people may not have had the opportunity to grow up going to plays and musicals, and therefore might not know what to wear, how to conduct themselves, etc. However… the rudeness of some of the people who sat near me last night was disgraceful, and in my humble opinion, completely out of line for even the most ignorant person.

I’ll start with the more petty things that probably only annoy me, and then work my way up.

BF and I almost arrived late to the show, and the curtain rose less than a minute after we took our seats. Just enough time to scope out the dress of those around me. Part of me wishes we had arrived two minutes later. The woman next to me wore flip-flops, and we’re not talking cute sandals, we’re talking worn out rubber flip-flops a la Target. I would have forgiven the shoe choice if not for her pick of dress, an ankle length brown rayon shirtdress. The couple on BF’s side was in jeans and nice shirts, not bad, except for the girl had a nice big knee patch on one leg. Finally, a young man sitting behind us was wearing a hoodie, ripped jeans, and tennis shoes, which BF had to politely ask him to take off of the top of his seat before he sat down. Call me snobby, but where do these people think they are? The Ordway isn’t owned by AMC, people.

Once the play began however, the real fun started. During the introduction of characters, a couple two rows in front of us (I later found out they were also wearing jeans and a jersey dress) began catcalling, whooping, and yelling for one character in particular. I assume they knew the actor, but if they did, they should have known better than to interrupt the play with their antics. Once again, Singin’ In the Rain isn’t a Vikings game.

Next, the two women sitting behind me started up. They talked THE WHOLE SHOW. And if they weren’t complaining about how bad their seats were (we were in great seats), they were howling with laughter that I swear people must have heard all the way in Rice Park. I finally glanced back at them with a look that said “please be quiet,” but rather than hush up they just got louder, now complaining about the “tight a** b$%*h sitting in front of them. Lovely.

The incident that took the cake came at intermission. The two chatter-birds behind me came in after BF and I had returned from our drinks, complaining very loudly about the “door Nazi” that wouldn’t let them bring their chocolate cake in the theater. Personally, with as slobby and loud as they were being, I wouldn’t let them have chocolate cake in the first place, much less bring it into the theater where they no doubt would smack their lips and spill crumbs all through the second act. Two seconds after they sat down, a man in a tuxedo walked by carrying some form of an alcoholic drink, and then they really started in.

“Did you see that? He has a drink! Oh My God! Why does he get a drink? We didn’t get our chocolate cake! What is this? Hummph”

Part of me almost turned around to politely tell them that when you dress and act appropriately for your surroundings, you would be surprised at what you can get away with, but I kept it to myself and endured the second act with them now complaining about how they would never come again and be “treated like this.”

Thank god.