Queen Bitch

No, I'm not referring to myself (though I'll fully admit I am a Queen Bitch when need be) I'm referring to the David Bowie song. This song keeps coming up -- on a film advertisement (no clue which one, I get too excited hearing the song and jump up and dance when it comes on), on Pandora Radio (it was decided that a "bippity boppity hat" is quite desirable!), and the talk of "Queens" (immediately making me think of this song) on Wendy Brandes' Blog. Considering the inundation of the song, I figured maybe I should post a video. So here is a "Nostalgic Music" post for you to enjoy!

If you like live rehearsal video, this is a fantastic clip of "Queen Bitch" and my personal fav "Rebel, Rebel" ("naughty, naughty, naughty!) The Thin White Duke tour also features an acquaintance!

XXX

Jet

For Wendy B to Drool Over!

Here are those amazing over the knee boots I nearly had a heart attack over yesterday...


Go ahead and drool now, I'm sure you have a stylish hankie to wipe it off!
XXX

Early Valentine's Gift!

Since my Punk Glam King and I will be in different countries on Valentine's Day, he wanted to get me a gift early. That meant something I've been coveting from Wendy Brandes. The Isabella Wolf-Fang Earrings! I had fallen in love with them but was dubious because of the diamonds. I adore diamonds, but despise losing them! On our summer holiday the final act of the black cloud that was over only me out of our whole family (seriously, I nearly severed my ring finger resulting in a nasty break, had to be heimlich-ed in a restaurant, passed out from shock, and lastly...) I managed to lose one of my beloved diamond studs given to me by my Punk Glam King for our anniversary 8 years ago. A bit of paranoia set in, but I overcame it only to discover Wendy had done a new version without the diamonds. How perfect, she read my mind! Honestly it takes nothing away from their beauty, they still sparkle so you just don't miss them. And I feel much more comfortable wearing them. Due to the impending snowpocalypse my dearest was able to pick them up for me today so I have them in my greedy possession and love them so much I just had to share.

Close up of the Isabella Wolf-Fang Earrings in sterling silver. What gorgeous details! And I must say all of Wendy's jewelry has such a nice weight to it. There's simply nothing like the quality you get with fine, well made jewelry.


Wearing my "She Wolf of France" earrings with my "Barber" vintage faux fur ski jacket which looks exactly like her. Barber (I refer to her as Barbarella as she is so sexy with those icy grey eyes!) is my brother's Husky that is the sweetest love bug! (And my little Westie lets her know who's the boss, heehee!)

Slightly blurry shot of my left ear with my orphaned diamond stud above.

Close-up. Sorry for the blurriness, I just couldn't get a clearer photo.

Ack these were all taken sans makeup, I was too excited and managed just a quick slick of lipstick to brighten my otherwise dreary face! So there you have it, the Punk Glam Queen au naturale. (Ew. Sorry if I ruined anyone's appetites!) Yeah not too glam, eh?

I've mentioned before how much I love Wendy and her jewelry line (see my post on my Wendy B's Swear Rings), but I'd like to add again that if you are looking for quality fine jewelry, made in the US by a creative, intelligent, funny, and classy woman (and blogger!) do check out Wendy Brandes and don't miss out on this sale if you can. (Obvs I'm not suggesting you blow your rent or food money, use common sense!) These are pieces worth saving up for. I think of them as future estate pieces that I'll be able to hand down to my Punk Glam Princess (who has already expressed her desire for my earrings!) They aren't pieces you buy then toss in a jewelry box to languish, they are designed with intention -- each piece has a story to tell and is created with such care and attention to detail. As someone who used to sell jewelry in my old brick and mortar shop, I've learned what's "good" versus what you would buy on a whim and forget about (and I have a sad jewelry box filled with such things!) To me these are statement pieces, even the Teeny Genie or Little Woolf necklaces may be inexpensive but are lovely, and have such detail for their small size that they will bring joy for years to come (seriously, they're even 3-D with back detail!)

As mentioned in my previous post Wendy is hosting a Valentine's Day sale. If you can't make it do contact her at wbjewelry at hotmail dot com for a price list of what you are interested in and she'll ship to you. Hopefully the snowpocalypse won't put a damper on the actual sale Wednesday evening, but she'll be keeping an eye on the weather and will extend the internet pricing as well as reschedule the sale if it does indeed turn out to be blizzard conditions. I do hope I can make it to show my support for this stylish, smart, witty, and talented woman so I'm praying the weather reports are just scare tactics! Hell, I think a pendulum is more accurate than the weather reports most of the time, so perhaps I'll do little weather witching to see what's up!

One last note. The Teeny Genie necklaces will not be discounted. Proceeds from these are going to help out a fellow blogger who has had the recent tragic death of her husband, and has two small children to support. Wendy is contributing $35 from the sale of each Teeny Genie necklace to Janet of Je Ne Sais Quois until her current inventory is sold out. So by purchasing one you'll be helping someone in need, truly a lovely way to send a magical message of love on Valentine's Day, don't you think?

Cheers!

PS more to come about my upcoming trip, and the one year anniversary of Idee Fixe!

Special Wendy Brandes Valentine's Day Sale

Question: What could be better than a Valentine's Day jewelry sale?
Answer: A Valentine's Day sale of scrumptious creations by the inimitable Wendy Brandes!


Wendy will be hosting a Valentine's Day sale on 10 Feb. at Fair Goats and a Goat on the upper east side. The sale is to have Wendy's drool-worthy jewelry up to 50% off regular prices! So if you were planning to treat yourself and splurge on a gorgeous piece of fine jewelry, now is the time to take the plunge. Or if your sweetheart would like to buy you something unique but still in keeping with the tradition of Valentine's Day (not to mention much healthier for you than candy!) make sure to not so subtly send them the link!

If you're planning to attend, please RSVP to Libby at: Libby at lschmitz@rmtprmanagement.com, or RSVP via Facebook here (at the moment the RSVP feature doesn't seem to be working, but I'm sure that's just a glitch that will easily be fixed.) Because she's just that type of person, Wendy is also extending the sale to those who can't be there. Just email her on 9 Feb. at wendybrandes at hotmail dot com and ask for a list of sale items and prices as the sale pricing will not be shown online. Not all of her line will be on sale, so if you're interested in a specific item make sure to inquire about it. I've got my eye on a few different designs, so this is perfect timing for me. Yippee, I get to wear some yummy new jewelry at LFW! I'm planning to be there, are you?

Cheers!

New Year's "Yves"

Sorry for the terrible pun, how could I resist?

My YSL shoes arrived on the 30th and wanted to be worn immediately, however the weather didn't comply. So I wore them on New Year's Eve instead. The dress was picked up on the 29th when my friend Barbara & her daughter, the PG Princess, PG Husband, and I ventured to Manic Panic HQ so the girls could have fun buying dye and makeup. There just happened to be a sample sale clear-out of another friend and well we all came away with some great goodies along with our Manic Panic stash which I'll do a post about later this week.

Yes, more leopard. I'll never get enough of it! The dress is great, has chains for straps that connect with wee handcuffs and teeny little studs around the hem, armholes and neckline! Still needs a bit of taking in, but it was good enough as is for a house party. You can almost make out my Wendy Brandes swear rings on my right hand. I wear them nearly every day!

Voila! They are a slightly darker, more brick colour. So comfy too!

Side view. The toe and platform are closer to the true colour.

From the back. (Don't mind my crooked seams... champagne was being imbibed!)

Slightly better photo showing my antique bat pin worn as a necklace. I also had piled my hair into a messy top knot which included a black hair strip. I pulled some strands out and had them hanging off to the side. (Oh dear, you can really notice the few glasses of champagne when looking at my eyes!)

They'll also be worn tomorrow night to a semi-formal function we are to attend. I'll try to get more shots... I just love them and my Clinics (thanks to Queen Michelle!) both so very comfy and have great style!

Cheers!

Birthday Bellini's w Wendy Brandes and a Troll!

A few pics of some of NY's holiday decor -- the tree at Roc Center, the light show on the ceiling at Grand Central. And of course celebrating Wendy Brandes' birthday with some Bellini's at Cipriani's. The mini troll is the Punk Glam Princess who insisted on wearing the wig ALL day long! BTW, she adores Wendy, but who wouldn't?

The tree at Roc Ctr, with the angels in the foreground.

Look at that amazing Sprouse Jacket -- so jealous!

Can't make it out too well but they had a lovely light show on the amazing ceiling at Grand Central Station.

A sleepy Punk Glam Princes on the train ride home.

Had a fab day spending time with my UK friend Barbara and her gorgeous daughter Lily. All around it was a lovely day to wander around the city (with me cussing out a perfume counter B*tch! Hey, its me and my mouth after all!!)

Cheers!

Mon Idee Fixe: Rings!

I've had an obsession with rings since I was a little girl. I still remember my very first "real" ring, a golden topaz set in gold. When I lost it I was heartbroken. But that didn't stop me wanting more. And lately there are so many amazing custom jewelers doing beautiful designs (and some a bit risque... ahem Miss Wendy Brandes, no worry, you're my kind of gal!)

I recently purchased a few custom rings from the lovely Etsy seller, Renee Andriole. She hand makes the rings to fit your whichever finger you like and the designs are simple and elegant with a definitely tough-girl edge! Right up my alley. Queen Michelle turned me on to her and we both purchased the "sickle" ring. J'adore!

Photo by Rene Andriole in sterling silver Sickle Ring

My past life as a lingerie designer as well as "exotic wear" (we joke that since I'm a direct descendant of Betsy Ross, she's probably rolling in her grave -- the flag to g-strings? heehee!) her other design entitled "corset" really appealed as well. Renee is great to work with, as I didn't care for either the silver or gold lacing, and asked if she could do a gunmetal lacing. It came out not only unique, but totally me.

Photo by Renee Andriole, Corset Ring in sterling silver with Silver Lacing

A little about Renee in her own words "A little about me, originally from NY, then Miami, and now in Los Angeles. I'm a jewelry designer and artist. I studied fine art in Miami with a focus in small metal work. My medium is metal and I work mostly with sterling silver and create unique edgy designs that are as ever-changing as my mood. Everything is handcrafted by me from my studio here in Los Angeles California.
Life is a constant ebb and flow of contradictions and juxtapositions and living is riding it all out without going crazy. What do you do with all the crazy? I let it all out in the creation of things, with no rules, just crazy.....I get to just make it all up. And the design changes constantly like life, it's never what you expect..."

Wendy Brandes does what I would consider slightly more high-end jewelry with a definite sense of humour! A brief piece from her bio says "Wendy Brandes is strongly influenced by the stories of fascinating women, whether they lived in the 16th century or the Swinging '60s. She creates pieces that are bold and eye-catching, yet feminine and organic. Mechanical pieces that open and close, unscrew or twist are her specialties."

I'm completely enamoured of her "swear" rings. My potty mouth is enough to make a sailor blush, so perhaps I could just flash those rings instead?

Photo From Wendy Brandes, Swear Ring Set of Four, in sterling silver by Wendy Brandes for Christian Francis Roth

I'm also drooling (seriously) over her Onyx skull ring. That is one of the most unique designs I have ever seen. Made from 18K gold, onyx, tsavorites, diamonds. Um won't be purchasing anytime soon, in spite of the fact that I think Wendy used me as inspiration. (only half kidding!)

Photo by Wendy Brandes Onyx Skull Ring (oh please don't make me repeat the glorious that is this ring!)

"Santa Baby, I've been an awful good girl" Screw all that other shit Eartha Kitt asks for, just this will do me fine!

And since this is my damn blog and I'll blog whatever the hell I want in spite of the fact that the title is rings.... Here are two more of Wendy's divine, and humourous designs.

I LOVE Bats! Yes, I'm a bat-shit old lady, and have always loved bats! Lookie here a bat necklace!

Photo by Wendy Brandes Bat Necklace in sterling silver

I told you Wendy had a sense of humour (and an amazing sense of style, sigh.) Here is her "Virginia Wolf Whistle"! Made in gold, it opens to reveal a little wolf with diamond eyes. Best part the whistle really works!

Photo by Wendy Brandes Virginia Wolf Whistle in gold

And lastly one more "what the hell I can do what I want" a gorgeous chain mail bracelet from Renee Andriole. Tough, but something very delicate about it.

Photo by Renee Andriole Silver Chainmaille Bracelet in silver

I do apologize for the lack of photos of my actual Renee Andriole pieces. Camera went on the fritz and I'm waiting with bated breath for the new one to come! Once it comes I think I'll do a little collection post of all my crazy rings!

Links: Renee Andriole: http://www.etsy.com/shop/reneeandriole
Wendy Brandes Queen of the Potty Mouth (I don't care what any asswipe award says): http://www.wendybrandes.com/

If you're looking for unique pieces that will not only illicit compliments but bring great joy to those you gift them to (even yourself!) these fabulous jewelry artists will not disappoint!

Cheers!