We'll be Right Back After a Message from Our Sponsor

This week's a super-busy one offline for the CURB, kidpoos, so we're off for a few days. Don't change that channel just yet: we're back next week on Monday, March 15 with more hijinks, including reviews of some new products we're going mad for. As always, we'll be checking in on Twitter so get your fix live right here if you just can't wait. Ciao for now...

Snow Day

CURB APPEAL is following it's home city's suit and taking a snow day today.

We've got tons to catch-up on next week: New York Fashion Week Wrap-Up (we're so timely, I know), a preview of Chan Luu's Fall 2010 collection preview (I'm still in raptures), and the usual mash-up of style, pop culture, and whatever else catches our fancy.

Bon weekend to all...

...And We're Back.

"Are we on the air, suga? "

Well, we are again now.

After a hiatus that included one New York Fashion Week car accident, several freelance assignments, a few setbacks, and ____ (insert the garden-variety interruption of your choosing and you've got it: work, personal life, "Friday Night Lights" mega-marathons), your friendly neighborhood CURB APPEAL stoop-sitter is back on the block.

First, thanks to all of you who, despite the blog's relative infancy and unforeseen break, expressed your appreciation of it and kept asking that it to come back. Although we like to keep it semi-light and mildly inappropriate around here, I'm sincere when I say (write?) it's truly encouraging to know that people besides those on my payola roll are paying attention.

Second, the blog began rather ambitiously for one such as I (kept down by The Man full-time, juggler of multiple freelance commitments) with twice-a-day updates, and, unfortunately, it's not a frequency I can maintain right now given my schedule. So, until this baby starts pulling down the kind of cash that allows me to frequent Weezy's jeweler-dentist, it'll probably be a 2-3 post per week gig. But I promise to make 'em good and memorable.

Finally, the blog's credo is "Style Worth a Second Look," and style being the all-encompassing banner that it is, the content we feature will broaden to occasionally include pop culture, arts, news, and a random musing or three, in addition to the usual fashion and beauty detritus. It keeps it interesting for all of us and, really, how many times can I expound on the beauty of my signature pair of vintage Chanel clip-ons (Actually, it never gets tiring. Hence the accompanying photo).

There's a lot coming up: Grammy and Oscar fashion, New York Fashion Week (CURB APPEAL was approved for its first NYFW credentials ever - solid!), and nearly five months of saved-up fashion and beauty thoughts, observations, and misguided attempts [by others] to wear satin. Do call on us and check in at the CURB once again when you round the corner at Fashion Ave. online.

In the meantime: ya girl is back. Who else gon' help you understand a broad with a mean shoe game?

Let's Make 'Em Gag

Posting is hella slow today 'cuz the Curb's been in meetings tryna make good happen. It's the end of the first week and I'm so grateful for all of the support y'all have showed: thank you! Just thinking about it makes me wanna put a piece in my hair and twerk like the incomparable Leyomi Mizrahi. (if her moves and general air look familiar, Beyoncé's "Single Ladies" video: one big Leyomi homage)

You don't have to watch Dynasty to have an attitude.

Sesame Curb

From the ages of 6-8, I used to be on Sesame Street. Considering that I got to skip school and spend my time filming at the South Street Seaport, where I'd gorge on the Craft Services "buff-fay" and pal around the set replete in my favorite Kangaroos, paisley leggings, and petit 'fro, my break-dancing loving (ahem, left) little self balled 'til I fell--for a grammar schooler.

Sesame Street remains one of the best experiences I've ever had. I remember one take in particular where my co-star Steven (there are no last names on the Street) purposely kept kicking Oscar's garbage can, which we were just supposed to walk by for about 4 seconds. The director never broke a sweat, intoning in the same monotone, patient voice, "Steven, could you please not do that?" until about 12 takes later when Steven finally managed to control his violent urges and we got the shot. In addition, it taught me about tolerance, having fun at what you do, and befriending different kinds of kids, especially disabled children, around whom I'd never been for substantial periods of time.

Imagine, then, my delight at discovering this photo shoot Harper's Bazaar did with Sesame Street to celebrate the show's 40th anniversary, pulling in various top designers and models. Why the fashion angle? "Sesame Street is such an icon of popular culture, and also of New York, " says Bazaar's features and special projects director Laura Brown (also of The Fashion Show fame). "We wanted to see how we could reconceive those iconic characters in a fashionable way. Everybody we asked to be involved really jumped at the chance, because everybody — even the loftiest fashion designer — is at heart a kid who’s a fan of Sesame Street. Everybody becomes a child when they see or hear Sesame Street.” Included in the shoot are Oscar (de la Renta), Vera (Wang), Thakoon (Panichgul), Kate and Laura (Mulleavy, of Rodarte) and Diane (VF, and pronounced "Dee-ahn," thankyouverymuch). And I have to feel just a leeetle sentimental that one of the models catwalking on the Street, Sessilee Lopez, is a Dominicana just like me...

Here's a behind-the-scenes video of the shoot. When asked what he thinks about fashion, Elmo replied “Elmo loves it, but he prefers au naturel.”

Source, Image Credit: Harper's Bazaar, Curb Appeal

Blog anthem?

"A dame that knows the ropes isn't likely to get tied up." --(who else but) Mae West

It's either this or we "take chains off!!!"