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Lena Dunham – creator, producer, director, writer, and lead actress of HBO’s new series Girls – is brilliant. (She’s the one in plaid.) I’m three episodes in and totally addicted. And totally happy to be OUT of my 20s listening to their dilemmas! The cast and characters are eclectic in a way that almost keeps you from buying into their lives. But YOU CANNOT DENY their brutally honest dialogue is 100% flawlessly real.

People Magazine referred to Girls as the new Sex In The City. I get that, but it doesn’t quite fit. Dawson’s Creek came to my mind as a reference and then it fled. These characters are sharp without being fake. Maybe it’s a combo of both with a dash of Portlandia and hint of the The Office. Yeah, it’s got a lot going on!

At the end of every episode Lena reveals her sources of inspiration. The insight brings each storyline full circle in a way that makes you cringe and laugh at the same time.

Watch it, love it. I feel like Lena feeds off of our praise and appreciation for her fresh style.

This weekend is Dominique Sachse and Nick Florescu’s wedding at Becca Cason Thrash’s house and I have NOTHING to wear!!! I realize those names mean nothing to most of you, but let me put it this way, it’s the Houston event of the year.

Back in the day when I lived in NYC or LA, getting a dress at the last minute was easy because I could just call a showroom and have a few delivered.  Well, those days are LONG gone.  I would call local designer David Peck, whose designs I adore for their style and price, but I heard through the grapevine (aka my Mom) that the entire city bought at least one at his Tootsies trunk show.

Thankfully I, you, we all now have RentTheRunway at our disposal!

Last night I browsed through their selection of gowns (the wedding is black tie) and found two I like.  My absolute favorite was unavailable, but I love these for their classic silhouettes and bold color.

I’m leaning towards the first one – it’s a little more me while the second is a little more Julia. I guess it will come down to fit.  Thankfully they send 2 sizes.

But I want to hear what you think! If you would be so kind to leave your thoughts in the comments, I would greatly appreciate it!!

(Full disclosure: RTR is generously sending me the dresses for free in exchange for an honest video review. I’ve never tried the service before.  It seems like the dress will be wearable, but I’m hoping for amazing and not total disappointment.)

No workout gear for me today.  Love the dress to wear to a casual pool party.  The hat got me excited for football season!!

Use discount code GRANDSLAM and get 20% all clearance items. 

They have a good selection of tops with built-in bras right now!

After watching the Fashion Police review of the atrocious Met ball gowns last night, I think the actresses would have been better off naked!  Of course I’m kidding…

What I’m really implying with the title is that fashionable women are neglecting color and opting for shades of nude, combining creme, beige, khaki, gold, and pewter to create super soft and sophisticated spring looks.  It’s my favorite go-to right now.

My latest client, interior designer and Christmas specialist Regina Gust, strut her gorgeous stuff into our meeting wearing this flawless ensemble the other day. I love the draped silk and asymmetry of the Helmut Lang dress that she can reinvent a million different ways with accessories.  Here she’s paired it with a leather-woven pearl necklace, bracelets around her watch, neon pink nails, and python Choos for a casual and funky daytime look.  The women of Houston and Atlanta LOVE to “funk up” their classics.  That’s been my MO for years now; being a gypsy forces you to accessorize.  I have to say,  it’s refreshing to see women get dressed being fashion-conscious, instead of corporate scared, especially living in Houston.

Finally, I’m sure you notice her glow and confidence, the true beauty you can carry even in your workout gear, is her passion for her business.  Loving what you do makes all the difference in any and every ensemble!

I am a HUGE fan of group fitness classes these days because I just can’t motivate myself to go to the gym.  I never thought I would feel that way, but here I am, looking for excuses every day.  So, to combat this and get in a solid 1 hour workout, I carve out the time in my schedule for my trainer or a class.

GoRecess.com is a new site that instantly locateds the kind of workout you’re looking for near you.  You put in the type of exercise – yoga, cardio, bootcamp, spinning, etc – your location, and the radius you are willing to drive (or even better jog or bike!).  GoRecess then creates a detailed list like you see above.  Such a great concept because I’m always looking for a way to change up my workout.

Also, most studios will offer their first class for free, so if you’re on a tight budget, you can jump around for a while while you save up some cash and settle on your favorite.

If you’re in one of the cities I frequent, I reccommend these studios and gyms:

New York:

• SoulCycle - where I used to teach spinning
• Equinox - take the 30/60/90 class
• Physique 57 - Total body toning. Will get your booty tight!

Los Angeles:

• Soul Cycle - just opened in WeHo!
• Equinox - group classes are totally worth the membership
• UpDog Fitness - for spinning and yoga.  Take classes from Colin and Reilly.  Meredith for yoga.
• Fitness Factory - “garage” style hideout where celebs train. Sam Upton is the best!

Houston:

• Fit Gym - where I teach spin
• Next Level Fitness - smaller and more affordable gym. I train with Cederick and box with Jason
• Joy Yoga - my favorite yoga in Houston!
• Yoga One
• Cura Yoga
• Define - like Physique 57/barre method. Great for toning.

Atlanta:

• Blast900 – most intense full body workout you’ll ever have
• Eclipse 1 on 1 – training only.  I love Jeff and Julius.
• Stellar Bodies - SPX training
• Urban Active Gym

Austin:

• Pure Gym

I know I’m missing some; I can’t hit them all!  Please share your favorites in the comments below.  If you use GoRecess.com, let us know if you were pleased with the class you attend.

(P.S. Sorry for the blurry picture.  PC’s just don’t have the same quality of screen grab as a Mac.  I’ll replace it tomorrow!)

Hope everyone is up and at ‘em with a big smile today!

I have several reasons to be a sour puss – my luggage didn’t make it back to Houston and Delta failed to deliver it last night, I left my computer in Atlanta, I woke up at 4am and couldn’t go back to sleep.  Thankfully, I’m actually in a great mood.  And after the ride to Catalina coffee I’m just as cheery as Baxter (Leven’s sweetie pie dog I have the pleasure of cuddling with for a while).

Alright, off to the day.  Fitness post to come momentarily.

“…is he – there’s no sugar coating it – grown up enough to lead a public corporation that is more valuable than McDonald’s or Goldman Sachs?”

Get ready!!! Facebook goes public on Friday.

In the meantime, check out their new “App Center” on your computer or iPhone. You’ll find all of your favorite integrations – Pinterest, Spotify, etc – there.

Just go with me for a second.

When we go to their airport, we walk down an aisle of fast food and are forced to choose between the lesser of many evils – processed snacks, frozen and then fried meals, food infused with preservatives, sterilized or canned veggies, over-sized desserts, and candy bars galore.

Carrying my homemade salad, I pass by these “restaurants” feeling so bad for people who travel often.  They have no choice but to consume this crap.  Then I think about how uneducated people are surrounding what they eat.  Even if there were fresh options, would they chose them?  Finally I come to, it’s a shame this is all a money game.  Processed food lasts longer and is cheaper than fresh food so the margin is higher for the airport and businesses.  OR IS IT??!

Farmers produce TONS of crop they are dying to sell to sustain their business.  The airport has a high demand for food, turns it over quickly, and sells it at high profit margin.  What if the farmers created fresh meals everyday and came to sell them at booths in the airport?  Since they wouldn’t need a kitchen or much manpower, the airports would generate a bigger profit.  Travelers could then choose from a variety of fresh and healthy foods!

Put the current food vendors aside; they’ve had their hayday.  Imagine they’re gone.  All that is left are magazine stands and retailers.  Now, fill up the old McDonald’s and Taco Bell that used to be dishing out deep-fried fat with friendly faces handing over sliced meat sandwiches and tossed salads.  Baked potatoes, chilled veggie sides, and homemade pastries are other options for you.  Each booth has a different flavor:  Mexican, Italian, Greek, BBQ, etc.  Everything was locally grown  then washed and sliced that day before being made into a hand-crafted meal just for you.  Take your meal to a group of tables or a bar nearby and enjoy!

Now my mind is going wild with ideas of developing the area around airports to support this concept.  Farmers would plant their crops nearby; community kitchens open to prepare the meals; airlines join in and have their planes stocked with the local food.

Everyone wins!

A dream that will never be realized I’m sure, but my hope is that as mainstream America becomes more conscious, these changes will be welcomed and embraced by businesses.