i'm sorry. but also you're welcome?...

those of you who know me know that i am the most oblivious person known to man. you could walk into the store wearing a cat as a hat and chances are i wouldn't say a thing but i wouldn't not be saying a thing due to lack of judgment, which, hey, if cats as hats are your thing more power to you but either way you wouldn't hear a peep out of me because i probably wouldn't have noticed your feline beret.

there is a point to this story and it is that i drove by the store this morning on my way to the bank, took a looksie at mod/nos, lovingly thinking, "look at our store. i'm so prou...wait, is that a package that the ups man left outside? why would he do that? why didn't he leave a note? what if someone walks by and steals it? why on earth would he do that? well if someone steals it i'm sure we can prove to ups that the man just left it outside and it was stolen. should i call someone to get it before a passerby burgles it? i wonder how long it's been sitting there. and why has no one stolen it yet? i'm so confused." and then i actually walked up to the store which means i walked by the windows and that was about three hours ago and it took until now for me to notice that we are not only in sale mode (entire store is 20% off today and tomorrow) but there are no mannequins in the window. it seems that Gladys has repositioned them around the store as though she's putting on a dress rehearsal for some sort of play that she wrote while we were at home wearing our santa hats, eating candy canes and cheers-ing giant steins of nog.

yes, all this can be yours at 20% off.

listen, the canon powershot is at the hospital so i have to use the iphone for the picture taking and although the new iphone is supoosed to be all high and mighty with it's built-in flash it's not all that it's promised to be. don't get me wrong though. i love my iphone. it's the only way. but i'm just sayin. and i know you miss the amazing pics i once took with Maria Sharpova's camera.

what have you taken from this pointless banter? let me know please because my head is spinning since someone made me go out last night.

oh, and the box outside...it wasn't a package from ups. or fed ex. or santa, which i did actually consider in the thought process as i almost crashed my car cursing the delivery man. it was a huge styrofoam thing that i'm sure protected someone's Christmas electronic something or other. it was not as exciting (or tasty) as the smashed can of chili we found last week. now that was a nice little gift to walk up to.

box this

sup ladies and gents. Gladdi-O here. i see that new mannequin person, Gwendolyn (i call her Gwench) thinks she's hysterical and posted something about how amazing her poses are something or other which i'm super unhappy about but will happen NO MORE because i snapped off her magnetic legs and hands and tied her old-school style to the tree she stood so proudly beside and now she has all of 36 hours to sit there and think twice about stealing my thunder ever again! hopefully by the time they find her Sunday morning all the flora and fauna will have gnawed off the rest of her limbs and she will regret setting foot in the new store.

anyhow, avoid your own drama boxing day and this sunday only enjoy 30% off your entire purchase. this sale excludes previous purchases.

p.s. i love bold font.

p.m.s. don't mess with the mannequin.

gone are the days of Gladys

so here i am bitchezzzz. out with the old and in with the new hot sexy stylish charming fascinating bestest-ever mannequin, as the saying goes. i've been hearing allllllll these stories about Gladys and the fame she gained from being the "it" girl on Allen but now we're on Hertel and it's my turn. after all, i'm the fly on the wall. i'm the captain that steers the ship. i'm the baddest girl in the bad girls club. i'm the Kim of the Kardashians. i live in the window at mod/nos hertel-style and that makes me the eyes and ears of the Avenue but yet no one has attempted to follow me around or hide in the tree that i stand beside and pop out to take my picture unexpectedly, almost dropping my baby or getting out of a limo sans underpinnings. no, i'm NOT a washed-up has-been so why does no one do a story about ME? the time has come to take matters into my own hands, future fans.

like i said, here i am, standing all bad-ass in the left side of the window if you're facing the store. all layered up, i'm guessing we're going for the snow bunny look which totally makes sense but only if i'm the kind of snow bunny who faux skis. instead you'll find me sipping hot toddies by the fireplace in the lodge while having the fireplace boy massage my bare feet, which is so because mod/nos does not yet carry shoes. or snow boots.

might i also comment on how sexily i stand here in the window, unlike Gladys the Bore. my left leg juts out just so, creating a beautiful silhouette for my size two (zero) frame. the way i stand makes me look like i am in motion which makes me a very spicy and dynamic mannequin, although i heard when you walk you swing left arm with right leg but ambulation is new to me so what do i know. i'm sure i'll learn more about that when i go to modeling school in the spring.

in closing, i'm going to go above and beyond my duties as a model and let you know that i heard the owners talking about a sale that is going on until sunday. holiday dresses are 25% off and since i know you all are party-ers i'm sure you're going to need something to wear before you drink so much of the punch that you are not wearing your party dress.

ciao for now...

i got this

what up bitchezzz! Gladdio here. when the cat's away the mannequin will play, as the saying goes. so here i am...by myself in the new store with free access to the computer and the Canon Powershot. well not alone, since there's an entourage of headless mannequins here at the Hertel location which those sneaks known as 'modern' and 'nostalgia' never mentioned which who knows why since i'm the most well-behav-ed mannequin i've ever met but it's turning out to work in my favor because i'm about to take these amateur 'quins under my fashion wing and show them what's up. we're about to become the next Danity Kane but with no Wizard known as Diddy hiding behind the curtain and pulling our plaster strings. no, i'm in charge of this girl group. 'm about to take my new employees out on the town and show Buffalo who's boss. the owners of mod/nos have finally promoted me and now i'm in charge of wardrobing these hussies who claim they once modeled for some place called Gap but all i've ever heard of is theGap but these clueless ones keep insisting that the 'the' is silent but i keep shushing them because i'm in charge. and since i'm in charge now which i may have mentioned but you may have forgotten, i have positioned myself front and center when you walk in the door of mod/nos Hertel-style so make sure you say hello next time (you know who you are) because I am the focal point. and i'm in charge.

anywho, here's the new biddies on the block:

i don't know their names yet because i haven't decided what i want to call them but the one in the middle is the accessories hussy and she better not try to steal my thunder cuz i'll call Coco. so make sure when you come in you don't go too crazy over these ammies. i don't want them to get big heads. just make sure you come see me. oh, and don't mention this blog post. while i may be in charge of the new girls, i'm not in charge of the camera. or the blog. if miss 'nos' catches on to my shenanigans i may lose all contact with you and i know you don't want that.

peacin' out. see you soon, minions.

modern/nostalgia turns one!

next Saturday marks the day that no mother ever forgets, unless you're one of those crappy crack moms from a Lifetime movie or A&E's Intervention. those women barely remember the excruciating birthing process let alone what day it happened. but not us. no, Bri and I are proud moms and fondly remember the day that mod/nos was conceived. and as with all human pregnancies, the stork delivers a baby nine months later. and that baby was named modern/nostalgia.

as with all children, it's hard to believe how quickly they grow! we've come a long way from a year ago and we're very proud of our baby's progress. so put on your birthday hats...a celebration is called for! to celebrate the week leading up to modern/nostalgia's growth progress, we will introduce an item of the day each day that we're open next week (new store hours: tuesday-friday 12-6 and saturdays 12-5). the items of the day are among our must-haves for the season. they're classic pieces that you will wear stylishly this fall/winter and will be just as excited to pull from your winter wardrobe storage year after year. some may even be multi-season, meaning you don't have to just wait until it's cold out to adorn it. they will be available to see each day on the blog and if you come into the store and mention the blog, the item will be available at a discount. Saturday (mod/nos' birthday) there will be an item of the day and also a gathering of our friends and customers (that means you) with drinks and food. (don't worry..these peeps weren't invited...http://modernnostalgiabuffalo.blogspot.com/2010/08/kegger-at-modnos.html). stop in and relax and preview new items of the season and maybe even sneak a preview of inventory for the new location, which reminds us...

some of you have heard but some of you haven't so you may be hearing it here first...we're expecting again! due to Bri's impeccable styling capabilities, we've been able to keep the newest addition a secret but the cat's out of the bag because we're ready to burst. our stock room on Allen is overflowing with merchandise that will find it's new home at 1382 Hertel Avenue. baby room is almost done and along with it comes modern/nostalgia's second location. modern/nostalgia is literally going 'modern' and 'nostalgic' on you. the Allen Street location (first child) will remain the same and will be our 'nostalgic' store. not much will change at all, aside from store hours which were listed above. the Hertel location (new baby) will be the 'modern' aspect of us, meaning fresh new store, lines that we haven't previously carried, etc. but no worries, touches of nostalgia will still be present through the decor and also some of our clothing lines, such as preloved which repurposes vintage fabrics in the form of new sweaters, mittens, legwarmers, etc. plus, our handbag lines are made from recycled leather. there will always be a bit of 'modern' and 'nostalgia' mixed in at both places.

keep checking the blog for the item of the day and we hope to see you at our birthday party!

look out Gladys...

there's a new girl in town. her name is Louise and she was ignored here at mod/nos for about a year now but since our goal is to make the Allen Street store a wee more "nostalgic" and the Hertel location will be a bit more "modern," we decided to steer the spotlight from old to new. but really to old because Louise has technically been around for 100 years which makes her label as "nostalgic" completely justifiable.

so here she is, Miss Louise. Louise will be taking a trip soon on some boat. she thinks it's called the Titanic. i have no clue. all i know is that she needs a fab outfit for all the cabaret-ing she intends on doing with hopes of meeting a nice lad who is not as well off as she but will make her feel alive again, unlike her nasty and pretentious fiance. so here is the modern-day version of what we would wear if we were taking a kick-ass trip and needed something to wear for tea time:



yes, when we drink afternoon "tea" this is what we wear paired with a pair of high brown boots and, if you're Bri, a pair of knee-high socks. basically what we have here is a sweater dress by Preloved, a company that takes vintage materials and repurposes them into awesome new clothing, such as the sweater pictured here. all pieces are one-of-a-kind so if you have taken a liking to this particular item, please know that it is the only one exactly like it and if no one buys it soon then Bri and i will punish you by buying it ourselves and will allow the paparzzi to photog us around town in it. layered underneath is a printed button down because mixing patterns and prints is very fresh yet so Victorian which comforts Miss Louise. also comforting her are the pearls that we have draped around her old neck. and then to tie it all together, literally, is an brown leather wrap belt. please take note that the lighting on this amazing photography is made to look intentionally like it was taken with this thing:


but then with a bit of doctoring courtesy of the computer programs that we're lucky enough to have today, this is what it really should look like:



so Louise is all set to sail off into the sunset with the help mod/nos' styling. Cal Hockley won't know what to make of it, but Jack sure will appreciate it.

line, dot, circle, square...we've got all shapes covered

so... we may be in a wee bit of a pickle here at mod/nos. Gladys is slightly traumatized from events that occurred yesterday while modeling for our latest photo shoot. we're about to introduce a new line at mod/nos and the plan was to do a photo shoot to show our dear readers. it's called Line & Dot and coincidentally it was featured in the recent July issue of Lucky as a "new and fabulous budget-friendly line." and all of the adjectives are true. and we were going to show you just how fabulous it truly is until...

Creeper:



imagine being headless and footless (as a passerby pointed out and suggested we get Gladdy shoes for her footless feet. other suggestions included wrapping a scarf around her feet. for serious. gotta love Allentown.) and to top it off pantless but also excited because you love doing photo shoots when out of nowhere some bearded CHiPS creeper assaults you with his squinty eyeballs and his hundred dollar grin and you get all excited once again because you love that show and you really love cops but then you realize that he isn't a real cop but in actuality he's the guy from Hero whom you've heard about but never been formally introduced to. and then you get stung by a bee. now i ask you...would you ever want to do a photo shoot again?

however, we did get this shot out of the whole debacle before Gladys threw a fit and threatened to storm off but then remembered she has no feet:




great dress, almost a two-in-one because the shell can translate into a basic little black layering piece or a cute black dress on it's own. belted, of course. or draped in jewels. or both.

in conclusion, Line & Dot is here and i think you can maybe see the great sequined top behind Erik Estrada's smiling fach. but as we always tell you, come play with us and see everything in person.

Gladys and her vacation time

you've missed us haven't you? we've missed you. it must be devastating every morning when you settle into your computer chair with your morning coffee, ready to read stories of Gladys and mod/nos adventures and...nothing. shameful on our part but there's a reason for it. it's all Gladys' fault. she's been on the go, traveling to large cities and countries afar...

darn Gladys. thank goodness she's free help.

anyways, Gladys should be back and settled completely by mid-week so i'm pretty sure we'll have some stories and adventures and, of course, great fashion to share. once again, sorry to scare the every living bejesus out of you from the lack of posting. we haven't gone anywhere...

(note: when all else fails, blame it on the mannequin).

it's hot out and i hate Gladys' arms

AND i forgot my camera so i basically just had a wrestling match with the feisty mannequin for NOTHING. new fall sweaters have arrived at mod/nos. Gladys got all excited and actually wanted to do a photo shoot so i climbed in the window wearing my three inch heels, pulled her down to ground level, undressed her in the doorway with weird men drooling while pumping gas across the street (gross because Gladys needs a tan in the worst way. and so do i), dropped her arm and chipped pieces of her un-tanned skin only to realize to my horror that the PowerShot is at my house because i thought it would be fun to take pictures of my friends and myself having dinner the other night which i never do but i realized that all my facebook pics were pretty outdated and figured that some new ones wouldn't hurt anyone but then i forgot that i even had my camera because i'm not the girl that usually photographs her every move like some people and which is why no photo opportunities were made so i took my camera out of my purse because i normally feel like i'm carting around a 25 pound bowling bag and that's not good for my back so for now the camera is sitting in my dining room, serving no purpose. and i hate Gladys' stubborn arms but i had to reattach them to her body since she is the star (for now) in the window but they're like impossible which is why when i dress her she looks like she has permanent shoulder pads which is probably why Bri never lets me style the mannequins now that i think about it.

the moral of the story is not to take pictures of people eating dinner while drinking wine. hopefully i'll attach my head to my body tomorrow and we'll have some visuals for you.

kegger at mod/nos!!!

i kinda feel like my mom is out of town. Bri left me alone for five days to tend to the shop all by myself. that probably means Trouble. so basically, i'll be throwing a RAGER and so many people that i've never seen or heard of before will be trashing the place and bringing their friends who have premature mustaches but legit fake ids so we'll be able to get wasted and then the rebel kids from the scary side of town (back in the day that meant Starpoint) will bring acid and shrooms which i will not do but i will watch others partake in and do shameful things such as taking off their pants and making out with mannequins. speaking of mannequins, here's who's coming so far:


he's sexy and the most popular boy in school so he's a shoo-in. and he has no pants so already he's a good time.


she has a half of a big rack so she can come. but she is not sleeping over if she drinks too much because her hair scares me. sexy-without-pants can drive her home.


he needs to work on his abs. but we're going to friend him because he's the one who didn't peak in high school but rather in his late 20s and one day he'll be making the big bucks and those are the ones to go after. just a bit of advice to the ladies in high school.

they look harmless. normally i wouldn't allow children but from what i've read you cannot separate this clan. and i'm very intrigued by inflatable mannequin families. (p.s. i believe these are blow-up dolls in disguise so that's really why they're invited.)


she's already doing 'the sprinkler.' need i say more?


don't be jealous. and she is my best friend so watch your mouth. oh, she will be giving a complimentary workshop later on for those interested.



how did she sneak in? she was not on the guest list last time i checked. i suspect that Gladys is kinda jealous of the other mannequins so i suppose i'll let her slide on this one. also, her sweater is kinda heart-stopping so that alone is her ticket to the party.

p.p.s. the discovery of these 'friends' came from the legitimate search for mannequins for our new store. apparently this is what's out there and what makes sense to some people. who? i'm not sure. but it would certainly make my day to walk into a boutique and see any of the above faces.

luvthathair

i found the most insane split end on my head today which reminded me that i need to get to my stylist asap. whilst making that phone call, Gladys tried to rip the phone out of my hand, claiming she needed her hair done as well. i looked at her in disbelief for obvious reasons. she began pouring her heart out to me about how all she's ever wanted in life were golden locks cascading down her stark white back. she doesn't even care that she has no head to put it on. but i personally find mannequins with heads very frightening. slap some hair on them and forget about it. you have created situation in which i'm pretty sure scary things happen upon locking the shop door at night. that is not a situation that i ever want to discover.

in order to take her mind off her lack of a head i decided to let Gladys do a photo shoot. i personally think it would be appropriate to wear these outfits to the market, possibly with a basket on one arm and Toto under the other while chatting with the food vendors about the quality of the giant limones they've imported from the Amalfi Coast. which i would definitely stock up on and use to make killer vodka lemonades, i mean afternoon tea, with Auntie Em.

let's check up on Gladys, shall we?


you've probably seen this dress before because i'm obsessed and have been wearing it all over Buffalo for the past three weeks. i'm sure the paparazzi have pics to prove it.

you've also seen this sweater before. the pics to prove it are in the previous post.


look at Gladys, trying to run away like a 6 year old who doesn't want to have the dreads brushed out of her long tangled mane before taking a bath after playing in the dirt under the gigantor pine tree with Mikey and Allison on a hot day in July (never happened). i tried to tell Gladys that that is what happens when you have long, lustrous locks. she no longer wants a wig. or a head.

Lady Gladys

we have to cheat on Gladys. well, not really cheat but she might take it that way. we can't help it...mod/nos needs new mannequins for both our new store and to model for the blog. it's too much work convincing Gladys to pose for a photo and then once we finally get her to agree, she must be removed from the window, there's a stuggle with her arms and then she has to be lifted off her post which she sits so highly on. once all is said and done, i feel like i'm dealing with a child and those who know me know that there are many words to comment on the formula of Nikki + child.

anyhow, Gladys just heard us talking about getting her a new sister and she's pretty unhappy. she wants a brother instead but i explained that male mannequins have parts that woman mannequins don't and the clothing would bunch up in odd ways, which some people wouldn't mind but we would and then we wouldn't sell things and therefore we would have to close up shop and be forced to sell her to mannequin slavery which is too terrible a fate to discuss.

so for now, we must disassemble Gladys and bribe her with gas station candy to make her pose in some new fall pieces even though it's humid as heck and the thought of putting on sweaters is making her plaster skin sweat. but They insist on fall in August so we must go with it.



adorable dress from a designer in London, paired with two mod/nos necklaces. Gladys tells us she'd like to be styled with the grey Frye boots Bri just got from ShoeFly. not sure how that's gonna go over. i'm just gonna slink out of that conversaton...


if this dress does not scream 'autumn,' then I'll change my name to Viv and start reading inebriated people's palms late at night on Allen Street while wearing a turban (which i actually really want to start doing. the turban, not the palms).

so into the delicate neckalces for the fall.


genius with the mustard sweater vest. if Gladys is good, I'll let her borrow my gold Michael Kors boots.

so this is just an itsy bit of our fall collection. more to come...

CinJ party

for my CinJ (Christmas in July, see previous posting) parties (aka weddings but I'm just going to pretend that all weddings that I attend this summer are really holiday parties, in which case I will make sure to carry around a mistletoe which is actually a really fabulous idea because everyone knows there are many quality, eligible single men at weddings, ESPECIALLY in Buffalo) I will be wearing this:


(even though i live in the world of pretend, i really will be wearing this tonight.)

but i kinda want this one too:


i think i'll save this one for the other holdiay party next month. or a trip to wegman's. because when you pick up something and say, "but where would i wear this?," my answer is always wegman's. people do NOT dress to impress for this shopping trip but they should. why is it any different for getting dressed up to go to the mall? or the bank? or Rodeo Drive? it's the same thing. you're no more invisible to the human eye at wegman's than you are anywhere else, so i beg of you, why the PJs in public? plus, i hear that many romances blossom at the grocery store. if you're already dressed for bed, you're going to give off the "easy" vibe to Mr. Right. i'm just sayin.

p.s. yeah, you've seen these dresses before. but you just needed to be reminded of their awesomeness. or i may have started this blog post two weeks ago and forgot to publish it.

Happy Holidays!

just sitting here, making my Christmas in July (CinJ) wish list which I'm sure you're all doing as well. I thought it was an awesome idea to publish it publically to make it easier on those who need to buy me a gift for this holiday.

CinJ comes but once a year and for those of you who don't know too much about the rules and traditions, I'm about to fill you in. I'm actually making up my own traditions. like right now. I've never technically celebrated CinJ before, but I feel like I need to be loved lately and what better way to do so than to accept gifts?

FIRST of all, don't bother googling CinJ because you'll come across pages that involve that a-hole up at the NPole and no one cares to see him until December because regardless of what you've heard, he's not flying his fat a*% around in a sleigh in 90 degree heat. if you think about it, how would he even air condition that thing? he doesn't because it doesn't happen.

anyhow, try to erase any visions that you have of crimson or clover or any other obvious holiday color because even though they're compliments of each other on the wheel of color, they kinda look uncomfortable together and should only be combined if you're an international flag. or anything Gucci. also, the cocktail of choice is vodka lemonade. yes, it's an obvious summertime drink but you'd be surprised how many bars do not provide lemonade as a mixer. like real lemonade, not that sour mix stuff someone tried to make my vodka lemonade with once. or maybe twice. I can't remember because as I've mentioned, I've never technically celebrated CinJ and I do NOT drink vodka lemonades on a regular basis.

speaking of Gucci, here's my list!:

1. Vintage Gucci!

yes, for realz vintage Gucci sunglasses. now I think this is an amazing CinJ gift. it's thoughtful for a few reasons. first of all, the concern for the shielding of the eyes from the hot ball of gassy happiness in the sky. second, they're VINTAGE so it looks like someone took time to rummage through Ester's estate sale, even though no rummaging was involved for these beauties. and third of all, I love them so it would be thoughful to buy them for me.

2.Vintage Dior!


hmmm. don't make me choose. I mean GUCCI vs. DIOR! what's a girl to do? that's like holding up a picture of John Stamos circa Uncle Jessie and a picture of David Bowie circa Labryrinth to me when I was 7 and making me choose who I would continue to have a crush on into my twenties (fine, thirties). I COULDN'T TELL YOU THAT THEN AND I REFUSE TO CHOOSE NOW! this one's being left up to my gift-giver. (p.s. I really love them both. oh, and two pairs of glasses never hurt anyone.)

3. an amazing handbag made from recycled leather parts that is almost like a circus pony because it actually does tricks:


isn't it magical? it can't decide if it wants to be fat or skinny. it's like a really great dress that looks amazing when it's all free and flowy in the wind, but then you cinch it at the waist with the emergency belt you keep in your handbag and it gives the dress a whole new look. this is the bag version of that dress.

4. I need these

sequins are year round embellishments and in the summer, what better way to include them than as a cutie little clutch that could also double as a makeup bag for the interior of the aforementioned bag. I could be so day-to-night! I'll show up at the office with my amazing magician handbag (#3 on my list) and then when Bri and I go heckle bar rats at night, I"ll amaze them by whipping out my sparkly number. they won't even know what hit them.

5. you're welcome

right now you're thinking two things. one being, "did Nikki take that picture? because it's eerily good." the second is, "thank you for adding such an affordable item to you CinJ list. even though I'm just the lady that sells you your cigarettes, I think you're wonderful and I wanted to get you something for this popular holiday." oh, and to clear the air, no, I did not take the picture of the amazing double-finger bird ring. Beth from Hero at 93 Allen did. she's amazing, you should know her. and I guess her husband Mark is pretty okay, too.

so again, you're welcome. I feel like I'm being ever so kind to my gift-givers because there's actually purpose behind all these possessions. AND because now the eternal questions of "what am I going to get so-and-so for CinJ?" is very simply answered here. enjoy the pre-holiday weekend!

the rain is not falling in Spain today

just another normal day here. i woke up, listened to Spanish guitar, took one of the mannequins for a walk down Allen Street. i was in NYC once and i saw someone doing this so i figured i'd bring a taste of the City to Buffalo. hopefully someone saw this and appreciated it just as i would if i saw someone taking a stroll alongside a dress form.

Spanish guitar makes me so happy, mi amigas. it reminds me of the time i didn't go to Barcelona and have a romantical midnight serenade by my 48-hour-5 o'clock shadow lover named Franciso. the music followed me around all morning and distracted me so badly that i forget to put on deodorant. that's how transfixing it is! and now it doesn't help that Spanish guitar is the only music that i decided i listen to until i become re-obsessed with Lady Gaga, which will for sure happen next week before, during, and after the concert in Toronto. more on that later. i'm too busy picking out my outfit for my midnight serenade.

this is me if it was 19th century Spain:


don't you love the dramatic angle that i have fashioned my left elbow? and also the suggestive way that i point my fingers and motion for my lover to approach so we can cut a rug, tango-style?

ok, but we must have a modern outfit for my lovers stroll along the promenade in Spain. and here it is:


girly-sexy, no? but i'm not sure this is going to make Francisco want to undress me. i think this might be more appropriate for my visit to the market where i will impulse purchase a parrot who speaks French, which will be very odd since i am in Spain.


adorable but i think i may save this one for tapas with las muchachas.



um, yes please. this dress may make Francisco want to skip the Spanish music and get right down to el love affair. but i will hold up my fingers as i did when i was in 19th century Spain and explain that patience is a virtue and being a pleasure delayer is what got Penelope Cruz's character hooked in Vanilla Sky just before Cameron Diaz busted up Tom Cruise's perfect life. but i know señor guapo is going to want to grab onto my sexy side chignon, rip the red flower out of my hair and have a passionate moment with me after we spend an hour gazing into each others eyes with Spanish guitar as our soundtrack.

wine/food/shopping/5 o'clock shadows!

you know what i was thinking the other day? i was thinking that i would love to join a group of fabulous women who meet once a month at a chic Buffalo restaurant to celebrate wine and shop local boutiques that have temporarily set up shop for seemingly my own personal pleasure, only to afterwards enjoy a delicious meal prepared by a fine chef.

you can probably guess what i was thinking next: i find such a club, i would totally wear this little ensemble:


obviously i'd bring a sexy lil jacket to put over it, since in my fantasy this shindig would be at Harry's Harbour Place Grille, which is right on the water and you never know with the weather in Buffalo. you also never know when you're going to need a belt to tie together an outfit, which is why every woman should carry one around in her giant suitcase of a purse for emergency purposes. let's take a looksie at what the marriage of this dress and a jacket and belt would produce:


wow, if this outfit doesn't scream Tuesday night-Ladies of the Vine-gala at Harry's-on the water-in July i don't know what does.



hmmm, this kind of this does too, so i have just proven myself wrong. well, if i had a friend, let's call her Gladys, that came to this dinner as well, this is what i imagine she would wear.




of course, Gladys needs a little something to put over her shoulders in case the wind picks up. this shrug does the trick, no? stylish and cozy at the same time. AND you can let the one shoulder slip down in a sexy manner when you wear it over your little black dress while having dinner at Fiamma with a hot international male model who has a 48-hour five o'clock shadow, which is NEVER not sexy.

let's have a drink to that, shall we?

from Texas to Memphis to Buffalo

so Janis Joplin pulled up to modern/nostalgia in her Mercedes Benz. she's turning over a new leaf and wants to add some pieces that are a lil more feminine to her wardrobe. at first i was so confused it knocked the breath right out of me...wha was Jan Jops doing in Buffalo? she quickly squashed my confusion upon showing me the amazing print of Elvis - head tilted back in croonsville with his delicious 'do wearing a white sparkly number with a deep v that is NEVER okay on a grown man but hey, I guess it is Elvis so we shall forgive - that she bought at the Art Festival this past weekend. but Jops was also bewildered...puzzled by the name of the store, as is the rest of the world, but pleasantly surprised upon walking in, which has been the case, i pointed her in the direction of a prize outfit that would win her many fashion awards on the red carpet in the afterlife:

http://modernnostalgiabuffalo.blogspot.com/2010/04/nikkis-picks.html

this is so her, no? but she wanted something a little more summertime. like something that isn't a jumpsuit with bellbottoms that was stolen from the museum of jumpsuit hell at Graceland (which is honestly very entertaining and enjoyable. but i bet it's only because we don't have to lust after men wearing that sparkly s%*# in the world known as today. but actually, i'm definitely lying...i've seen adult boys walking around Buffalo with bedazzled shirts. like recently.)

back to Janis. so she looked at me and said, "i want something that would take another little piece of my heart."

and so I came back from my mental trip to Memphis. and this is what happened:



she was like maybe.

and then i added this modernly nostalgic shoulder/handbag and some love beads and she started to cry, baby. (i know the title of the song does not contain a comma. however mama Jops said it was okay so we shall overlook).







me and Bobby McGee give it a thumbs up. and Elvis wants to know when to expect our men's shop.

dress discussion

Grey: "sup"
Blue: "ciao."
Grey: "nice dress."
Blue: "i was just about to say the same to you."
Grey: "look what my dress can do:"



Blue: "look what mine can do:"



Grey: "that has nothing to do with the dress. you just added a necklace. fine, look what mine can do:"



Blue: skeptical look
Grey: "too much?"
Blue: "Coco Chanel called. she's with you on both necklaces. but she says you went overboard with the belt."
Grey: "i don't care what she said. did she leave her number so i can call her back and tell her a thing or two about educating women on how not to literally take baths in no. 5?"
Blue: "where's that fame whore, Gladys, today?"
Grey: "i think she took off. something about a shopping cart and Florida."
Blue: "sounds like fun, um, you. what is your name anyways?"
Grey: "don't you worry about that right now. let's just stand in this window and look pretty, shall we?"