Paradise Found

I've been thinking a lot about traveling to some tropical places. Like those hotels in Indonesia where you have your own bungalow or jetting off to Aruba. Places where you never change out of a bathing suit and you eat fresh fruit for like a week.

Riiiight. I watch way too much Travel Channel.

I burn under the moonlight, so scratch the frolicking in the sun is out. I actually don't even own a bathing suit that isn't from 1993. And I practically have scurvy from the mistaken belief that I can get all my daily vitamins from ingesting 3 double tall skim lattes a day.

Sometimes I supplement with peanut M&Ms!

So, maybe my island getaway vacation is pure fantasy, but I recently re-discovered a product that makes it feel like I've jetted to paradise.

After a long bike ride on Saturday during an absolutely gorgeous morning, I was inspired to, you know, look good that day. Actual effort here, people! Be proud of me.

I dug around in my scads of bottles on the bathroom sink (oh, fiance's foot has been firmly placed down. get rid of some of the stuff on the counter, or else!) and came up with my long lost sample of the NARS Monoi Body Glow II.

I wrote about this before, but this is a body oil that smells like you've died and gone to heaven. An island paradise where no one ever sunburns type of heaven. I slathered myself with the oil, hoping it hadn't gone rancid in the year it languished on my shelf.

Two minutes later, my fiance showed up to see if I was making any progress on the getting dressed so we could get on with the eating of brunch.

(oh, also, for all the DCites in the house, the ONLY time to go to Two Amys is lunch on the weekends. Heed my advice or be cast down into Dante's lost tenth circle of hell where you will be forced to wait two hours for a table while being shoved by waiting pseudohipsters threatening to spill wine on you, have your toes run over by mammoth double-wide strollers and then smacked in the knees by the children who should be in the strollers but are walking and carrying toys in a restaurant. At 10 pm.)

He starts sniffing around. I think I yelled something about promising to clean the counter soon, but he cut me off.

"What smells so good?"

Oooh. How unexpected. My fiance typically only comments on smells when we are fighting about who will take out the trash this week, so I was pleasantly surprised to hear him comment on the Body Glow.

And the accolades continued! By Sunday, I gave in and ran down to Blue Mercury to buy a bottle of the Monoi Body Glow. I may have to forgo a few lattes this week to pay for it, but I consider it an investment in the future marriage.

And hey, he's stopped commenting on the products in the bathroom. And that is paradise to me!

photo courtesy of sephora.com

Afternoon Delight

I did a little late afternoon e-shopping today.

Picked up this kicking pair of flats from J. Crew to feed into my new obsession with anything-but-black shoes.

Oh, and to the ridiculous chatter on the Washington Post fashion discussion today, I absolutely do not plan on matching them to my purse, so deal with it.

In fact, I bought these just to spite you.

Well, also because I don't have a green bag.

photo courtesy of jcrew.com

Why Didn't Anyone Tell Me Nine Months Ago?

Well, crap.

I just got my July issue of Vogue, and apparently the manny is this season's "chicest accessory!"

Seriously?

Now I'm going to be all unchic this summer, because not only do I not have a manny, I don't even have a baby to warrant the hiring of a manny.

Dammit.

I'm just going to sit in my cube and wallow in blatant unchic mannylessness.

One more way to prevent Real Work from taking place

Let it be known that I am a huge fan of procrastinating.

In interviews, I say I work best under a tight deadline.

One of my newest favorite idle pastimes is checking out Project Beltway, a blog devoted to highlighting great style around DC.

Honestly, I think this site is so great for two reasons:

1. It shows everyone that people in DC do actually wear things other than layered pop-collared polos with chino shorts and Rainbow flip flops (I live in Georgetown...this applies to both men and women.)

2. It inspires me to get my lazy ass out of that Ann Taylor hole and actually put together an Outfit my crying out loud. Oh, and maybe actually do something with my hair for once in my life.

And for all of you outside the Beltway, see! We aren't all office drones all the time! Well...some people aren't.

Oh, and PS. I'm issuing a fashion fatwa on that guy I saw who was wearing not one, not two, but THREE Lacoste shirts in sherbert colors with all collars popped.

Your ass is grass, dude.

When Good Things Come From Very Very Bad Things

Like any card carrying member of the American cable subscribing public, I watch a boatload of Law and Order reruns.

Damn you, Dick Wolf, and your entrancing characters and sick twisted plotlines! I swear, if Fred Thompson forces the networks to pull my reruns for some pseudo-Red Lion reason, there will be hell to pay.

Anyhoo.

During my countless hours devoted to watching Chris Meloni snatch up bad guys, I was also forced to watch umpteen commercials for the USA Network "mini-series" The Starter Wife. And let's just say that it looks, well, to use a word...feculant.

Ok, I said it. Berate me if you will, but that thing looks awful. And it's like 8 hours long.

Spread over a month.

Ack!

But I did notice that Essie did a line of nail polishes named after that go-get-em-girl! spirit that the series allegedly embodies, like "Wife Goes On" and "Pink-ing Up the Pieces." The best one that I found was actually named after the series, a pale and very sheer pink.

I shamefully purchased it and applied it in secret. It's a fantastic shade. It gives your nails that shiny but natural look, almost as if you are not actually wearing nail polish but you just have really healthy and pretty nails. And it looks good when performed by a non-professional!

I guess that was the idea. If you get dumped by your millionaire husband in a community property state and somehow get no money and then are forced to live in Malibu and choose between two hot guys vying for your affection, you need to have a nail polish that you can do yourself.

Riiight.

Whatever, I bet Serena Southerland does her own nails too.

Also, I went on a little nail polish binge so there will be lots more Essie related posts to come.

photo courtesy of nymag.com

Soft Spot

I have an admitted weakness for certain types of clothing and beauty products.


I could delve deep into my psyche and tell you that these items fit into a mental image of myself that I want to outwardly display.


Or maybe they are just cute!


Well, my latest fantasy wardrobe obsession is basically the entire Tory Burch collection. From her ubiquitous and much copied logo flats to her adorable dresses and chic tunic tops, her clothes are perfect for the life I don't actually have, but really really want.


For instance:






I would wear this dress for a relaxed summer Friday at the office before jetting off to the Hamptons in my Mini convertable with my fiance, arriving just in time to meet our equally chic friends for a quick glass of Prosecco while we watch the sun set.

And...

This would be perfect for shopping around Georgetown with the Bush twins. We'd clean out Intermix, then head over to Leopold's for brunch and skip the Euro trash traffic jam out front. Oh, right, I never work out, by the way, these legs are a birth right, like admission to Deerfield Academy.

I would wear this out on a summer night for drinks on a rooftop party. That's right. In my fantasy life, I wear white pants and they never get dirty.

Seriously though, some of the Tory Burch clothes are really great as separates and her clothes are not cut teensy tiny and come in a range of sizes. They can be reasonably priced if you catch a sale (like the one going on now online). I have one of her dickie sweaters from fall and I just love it.

Yup, I giggle every time I say "dickie" too.

So, I encourage you to look beyond the logo flats (seriously, if I see one more person in those...) and incorporate a little fantasy life into real life.

Is there any designer whose aesthetic embodies your fantasy life where shoes don't ever give you blisters, the humidity never gets above 30%, and you never lack an invitation to a killer party or something to wear to it?

photos courtesy of toryburch.com

Wedded Bliss

I spent the past weekend in Michigan attending a good friend's wedding. This also marked the first wedding I've attended out of town where I was not a member of the bridal party and therefore required to participate in multiple events where I was told how to walk, smile, and breathe, so that I don't screw up my friend's pictures forever.

So, while I wandered around the small Detroit suburb of Birmingham with my sister asking people, Rachael Ray-$40-a-Day style, where we could get a pedicure for less than the Devil would pay for my soul, we stumbled upon Todd's Room, a fantastic little beauty shop.

The concept is pretty fantastic. They carry several high end makeup and fragrance lines, like NARS, Fresh, L'Artisan, Becca, and DuWop as well as some offbeat stuff and accessories. Then, in the back, they have makeup artists who do application and lessons.

(Unfortunately not shown on the website, but they have the most adorable graphics)

They also did have a nail technician, but we had already gotten our cheapie mani/pedi, where the technician had actually snipped my sister which lead to many panic attacks that she would get "rabies."

I graciously informed her that was pretty much impossible. Tetanus and staph, on the other hand...

The thought of lip gloss seemed to calm her down and we set about trying on pretty much everything in the store. We both settled on NARS Pillow Talk, a sheer pinky brown color with just a hint of shimmer...and after a scare where the salesgirl could only find one tube...possibly leading to an international family incident we both left with a new look for the wedding.

it doesn't look like this at all. but I love the little tadpole shape.

They also had some products on sale...so I snagged a tube of Essie's gloss-e in Vanity Fairest at half off! It is described as "very twinkly and pinkly" on their website.

I mean, who can resist that?

All in all, the wedding was beautiful and my sister and I had the best lipgloss around...the best part about NARS lipglosses is that they stick around through the tears at the glass smashing, the post ceremony cocktail, and the never-ending slightly awkward toasts. However, pastry flakes from pigs-in-blankets should be approached with trepidation.

photos courtesy of sephora.com and essie.com

I Ain't Seen Sunshine Since I Don't Know When

The word of the day is "jail."

Apparently it's the hot place to be.

Paris just checked in.

Scooter's looking at a 30 month stay.

Old "Freezer Cash" Jefferson is bound to be headed there.

And while I won't profess to know the first thing about incarceration, I can say that I feel Cash's pain when he talks about not seeing the sun. Seriously, if I wanted to hide at work, I could dress in all white and stand against a hallway wall and close my eyes. No one would ever find me then.

But the threat of skin cancer and uneven blotchiness keep me clear of the actual sun and sunless tanners. So, to my surprise, I found I really liked the Physician's Formula Shimmer Strips that made their way to my doorstep.

Much like the gorgeous Bobbi Brown Shimmer Bricks, the Shimmer Strip is a block of shimmer powders in a variety of bronze, gold and pink tones. They can be swirled together and used like a bronzer or you can use each color on it's own as a shadow.

I love the Miami Strip/Healthy Glow shade, it gives me just a hint of color and shimmer without being too muddy looking. I bet if they made a Boca Raton Strip shade, it would make you wrinkly with a visor and kvetch about the rising cost of Manischewitz macaroons.

I was also shocked to see the virtual WALL of Physician's Formula powders, blushes and bronzers at my local crappot CVS. They have so many varieties, you are bound to find something that works for your skin tone.

Also, it's always nice to find an affordable version of a product that I can only use for a maximum of three months a year. No one would believe I turn that color before Memorial Day or after Labor Day.

In the meantime, I will be in the prison of my own beauty! Ha! Right.

photo courtesy of physiciansformula.com

Why Me? Why Me?!?

Ok, I'm confused.

After hearing RAVES about DiorShow mascara from such trusted bloggers as Blogdorf Goodman, Faking Good Breeding and DaddyLikey, I eagerly plunked down my twenty-three dollars (plus the exorbitant DC sales tax...no taxation without representation!) and skipped home with my fat little tube.

But when I started using it, I was dismayed with the results.

First, the brush is literally the size of the one I use on my bangs. I was excited about that at first but then...

Second, I got the stuff all over my eyelids. Everywhere. It was like that Amex ad with Ellen DeGeneres. All manner of careful application and pulling and looking sideways and not blinking versus blinking does not alleviate the situation. Maybe I have fat eyelids??? (The horror! The shame! Seriously? How is this possible?)

Third, perhaps it is merely the vicious allergy season here, but I ended up with whore eyes (where the mascara leaves rings under your eyes, aka walk of shame eyes) like you would not believe. I think half of the Senate thinks I went on a bender over Memorial Day recess.

Fourth, even after I cleaned up the collateral damage, but before the smudging, I wasn't that impressed with my lashes.

So tell me, am I missing something? I have heard such wonderful things and I want to love this.

Help me! I have many functions coming up for which lush black lashes would be so perfect... I feel so lost, so helpless...

Ok, I'm just kidding, I just don't want to leave work and walk home in the pouring rain.

photo courtesy of sephora.com

Off Like a Prom Dress

A few weeks ago, I noticed something strange. On a trip to the mall (shopping, not National) there were younger girls three deep at every makeup counter. It was like the Front Page on the first happy hour of intern season.



My suspicions were confirmed when I saw this entry by Meg over at Faking Good Breeding...it's Prom Season.



Inspired by my own upcoming 10 year high school reunion, I became totally nostalgic for the bastion of American americana that is the high school prom. Mostly mine was so strange.



Let me set the scene.



I went to a private high school in New York. Our football team was embarrassingly bad. Most of our school sponsored events occured at the Bottom Line, not the school gymnasium.



Like a good child of the 90's, I diligently watched "Saved by the Bell" and "Beverly Hills, 90210," read the prom issues of both Seventeen and YM, and longed for that typical prom experience. Shopping for months for an expensive dress, hair in an updo, perfect makeup, disco ball on the cieling of a hotel ballroom, pancakes and coffee at our local diner hangout where the owner knows all of our names and which one of us will later buy in as a partner and turn part of it into a nightclub which will be the setting for many drug stings, breakups and a concert venue for so many crappy bands.



But, I digress.



That was not me.



I bought the first dress I tried on. (It was long...but as a vertically challenged person, I firmly believe in short for formal occaisons. I would wear a short dress to my wedding if my mother hadn't given me The Look of Death when I suggested that.)



I had my my hair done in an updo. Then I cried my eyes out the whole ride home because my hair was crunchy, stinky smelling and a thousand pins were poking me. I promptly washed the whole thing out and blew my hair out straight.



I did all my friends' makeup, mostly consisting of silver eyeshadow, because that's what I wore. We were far from perfect.



I don't remember a disco ball...



In short, not the prom I dreamed about (Zack Morris didn't show up and sweep me off my feet or anything), not even a particularly memorable evening.



But I do remember a girl in my class throwing up on her $3000 Bergdorf Goodman dress as soon as she got to the party!



That was totally the highlight.



Happy Prom Season!

Also, the whole experience taught me many valuable lessons about getting ready for formal functions, of which I have one coming up in a few weeks (it always falls in the middle of the NBA Finals) so check out my routine. I got tired just reading it.

Back to Life, Back to Reality

Ahhh, back in the warmth.


Seriously, who knew that Southern California could get so blisteringly cold in May? Apparently anyone who reads the weather report and doesn't think that it is simply lying.


Even though it got down to the frigid mid 60s during the day, it was quite a weekend out in LA.


I have no inside dirt on the Lohan Curbside Terry Stop, but I did run into David Hasslehoff browsing the men's department at the Barney's Co-Op in The Grove. I managed to totally OD on avocado and Iced Blendeds and managed to get a sunburn within an hour of arriving.


Productive, no?



On the beauty front, I took a spin around Fred Segal in Santa Monica to quell my beauty jones. While the draconian TSA rules prevented me from picking up too many fun toys, my friend snagged the 100% Pure Organic Dark Chocolate Mocha Body Cream for her mom who was on a quest for chocolate scented body lotion. I recommended checking it out after my positive experiences with the Strawberry Body Scrub from the same line. The lotion is very chocolately smelling, but not overpowering or mercifully lacks the candy sweet smell that so many lotions have these days.







While it was being wrapped up, I became intrigued by the Too Faced Lash Injection Mascara sitting idly at the counter. It looked impressively dark and sooty (that's how I like it!) and the brush looked like it could really give good lash for a night out in a dark club that serves degenerate underage starlets. Unfortunately, I walked away, remembering exactly how many mascaras currently line my dresser. But it did not go unnoticed that Sephora has a mini version available for purchase...

So...did anyone else have any fun beauty adventures over the holiday weekend? Can anyone give me the scoop on the Too Faced Mascara? And, does anyone know where I could get an Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf fix on the East Coast???

photos courtesy of sephora.com and bathandbodyworks.com

Ripped Off...and loving it.

There are lots of perks to working for the government.



The feeling you get knowing that someone twice your age has to suck up to you to gain access to your boss.



Savant-like knowledge of regulatory provisions and congressional districts by zip code.



Finding out confidential and sometimes even classified information, which no one else actually wants to know.



Hot ass ID badges.



However, earning the big bucks is not a perk I enjoy.



Don't believe me? Are you sitting there thinking, CapHillBarbie, you are so full of crap! No one would do your job and not get paid like a banshee! Oh yeah? Check out the salary of everyone on the Hill. Send money and care packages.



So, when I lust after certain high priced fashion items, I have two choices: (A) forgo rent and eat Top Ramen every day for lunch, or, (B) find a knock-off and work it like there is no tomorrow.



Thus was the case of The Chloe Flats:



On a trip around Bergdorf Goodman with my mom earlier this year, I spied a hot pair of Chloe flats for spring. They looked perfect for bumming around on the weekend, casual days at work in the summer, and would even work through fall! But when I took a gander at the price tag, my dreams of swanning around Dirksen in my cute shoes came to a screeching halt.

I still love you dearly, even though you are out of my price range.

So, I put them down (my birthday isn't until fall, so begging for an early present from my mother would have been fruitless) and tried my best to forget.

Until this weekend when I stopped into Steve Madden on Saturday (yup, that's right, I'm a masochist.) and found pair of flats almost exactly like the Chloes! The best part? About $400 less than the real deal. I snatched them up on the spot.

Let the swanning begin!



Another perk? Being able to provide a little technical assistance for this legislation.

Off to the Left Coast

That's right, boys and girls (who am I kidding? No men read this.) I am taking advantage of the Memorial Day recess and jetting off to Los Angeles.

As I've stated before, I love LA. Love it.

I love that everything come in a sugar-free variety, that everyone relishes that which is fake (even the frozen yogurt isn't really yogurt!), and that being proud of how you look (or how your car looks) doesn't lead people to believe that you are a Grade-A Moron.

Yup, that's right, I love it for exactly three days.

Then I want to scream, take public transportation, and talk about Chris Dodd's eyebrows with someone who knows who I'm talking about.

So, I'm about to run home, pack and get a few hours of rest before gearing up for my annual dose of sun, fun and of course...shopping for beauty products!

I'll have a full report when I get back!

I may even get a tan...fake, of course.

You Snooze, You Lose!!

Beauty products almost never go on sale, so make like a bunny and hop to the sale at Beauty.com tomorrow!



Here's the deal:



On Wednesday, May 23rd, everything purchased on Beauty.com will be 20% off.



They have an awesome lineup of brands, including Vincent Longo (no soulmate eyeshadow though...sniff), Red Flower, NARS, Paula Dorf and more.



Also, if you are ever squemish about purchasing makeup online becuase you are worried that when it arrives it will make you look like Gina Gershon in Ugly Betty, fear not. Beauty.com has a pretty sweet return policy too.



I'm thinking of using this opportunity to try out some Kevyn Aucoin products, or finally picking up the Monyette products that I've never been able to find in person...



What have you been wanting to try but putting it off?

Old Faithful

I am not a person who typically finishes a whole lot of beauty products.

I am far too fickle in my tastes, and therefore, most products turn clumpy or develop an off smell long before I hit the bottom of the case. But every once in a while I see the silver lining at the bottom of the eyeshadow and remember how much I love a certain product.

And then I find out that it is no longer available.

Awesome.

The product in question is the Vincent Longo single eyeshadow in Baby Love. I picked it up after reading a column in Allure magazine like a thousand years ago by the late great Kevyn Aucoin.

It's a shimmery taupe color, with just a hint of mauve and a gold-ish sparkle. I can sweep it on and be ready for anything. Seriously, it makes me look polished, but not like I'm wearing too much makeup. Add a little eyeliner or layer on a darker shade and I'm ready for evening. It never creases, and it's hard for me to feel like I've put too much on.

It's like my eyeshadow soulmate. Who went out for cigarettes in the middle of the night and never came home.

For some reason, the Vincent Longo of Sephora no longer carries the single eyeshadows, even though the company's website still has it available for purchase. I have been extremely remiss in my visits to Barney's and the Longo counter, so I don't know if they still carry them or if I should call the company and snatch up as many as I can.

Vincent Longo does this to me quite frequently. I once had to call the headquarters and cry on the phone to get the rep to sell me a bottle of foundation when they pulled it for reformulation. Actually, Longo products are usually the ones I actually finish....

So, scouts! Help me out...have you see this eyeshadow? Should I call the company and turn on the waterworks? Is there some sort of legislation we could get passed about requiring a comment period before discontinuing a cosmetic product?

Singin' the Blues

Wow, there were so many cheesy and cliche titles I could have come up with for this post.

As previously mentioned about a gajillion times on my blog, I'm kind of a sucker for the Next Hot Thing.

My name is Capitol Hill Barbie, and I'm a trend whore.

All together now, "Hi Barbie."

Sometimes this pans out, other times, not so much. So when I recently hightailed it to Sephora to try out the latest rage, blue mascara, I was anticipating a minor disaster. More George Bush referring to the web as the "internets," less Britney exiting a car on a Saturday night.

I was surprised with the result that it looked kind of cool. I sampled Benefit BadGal Blue, which is apparently EXCLUSIVE to Sephora. I noticed that it made my eyes a little brighter and whiter. I layered it over the existing mascara, so the look was subtle, meaning that my fiance looked at me like I was an escapee from St. Elizabeth's when I asked him how it looks.

Whatever! He was wearing sandals with socks when I met him!

So I was pleasantly pleased with the results. However, I had a little sticker shock when I checked the price tag. So I scoured Sephora for some other options, and found that their house brand (which I've been hot and bothered about lately. seriously, it's like Wet n' Wild for the yippie set.) makes a few options like the Triple Action Mascara and the Mascara Fantastic Color for a much more reasonable cost.

While I liked the effects of the blue mascara, I considered carefully that it doesn't really fit into my (working in a ridonculously untrendy environment) lifestyle, and I passed it up. And then I think I bought my 30th pink lipgloss.

Hi, my name is Capitol Hill Barbie and I'm a lip gloss-a-holic.

Once more, and with feeling..."Hi, Barbie."

photo courtesy of sephora.com

Invasion of the Swedes!

I think I could really do pretty well in Sweden.



I'm blond, I'm pale, I have 85 Allen wrenches from Ikea, and I love Marimekko.

Love it.

So, when I was invited to the opening of the new Marimekko store in Silver Spring, I was so excited. Then I realized that I would be an indentured servant to my boss until the end of days.



But as luck would have it, fortune smiled upon me and I was able to go to the opening!



Let's just say I was a little embarrassed the next day as to amount of champagne consumed. Embarrased and reeling from a pounding headache.



However, I did get some insight before I went loopy.



Marimekko is an adorable label, which was trendy in the seventies, yet remains totally relevant today. The patterns are bright, sweet, and fresh. It could punch up the most boring Pottery Barn apartment. I actually have a wall hanging in the pattern on this handbag which certainly livens up my sandstone living space.




The store is bright and airy, and the best part is actually the baby clothes and the housewares. Seriously, if any of my friends move or pop out a kid, they are getting a present from here.



The stores are rapidly expanding, so there might be one coming to a corner near you. If not, check out the goods at Marimekko.com and then when one does open, you can tell everyone you already knew about it.



P.S. With the opening of Marimekko and the existing American Apparel (LOVE love LoVe American Apparel t-shirts), Silver Spring has become a hot destination. There's even a Cakelove. Actually... that's how you know it's over, huh?

UPDATE: Okkkaaayyy...I'm a moron. Officially. Marimekko hails from FINLAND, not Sweden. But that's ok! I like Finland a lot too! Mmmm, vodka. I apologize for my stupidity.

They tell me I write a blog?

Ok. I have not fallen off the face of the Earth (although during my prep session yesterday I wish I could have) but I have extraordinarily lax about keeping up my blog.

But the forecast is looking sunny, and I hope to fill you in on the few bright spots in my life lately...makeup and store openings!!

Coming up, on Capitol Hill Barbie:

• New stores! Coming to the US! Coming to DC! Cool stuff! How! Many! Exclamation! Points! Can! I! Use!?
• A review of some of the oldie but goodies that have gotten me through the tough times when I lived far from a Sephora or was chained to a 1000 page bill (yes, Farm Bill. I'm looking at you.)
• Some products that will help you pretend that you've seen the sun in the past three months.
• A primer for newbies to the DC life, politics, and all the fashion conundrums that accompany life on the Hill, in government, or anywhere bureaucracy, short sleeved suits, power and copious amounts of alcohol collide.

Smooth Sailing

Holy Hearing Hell.

That's basically all I have to say about what's been going on with my life. Well, that and scotch.

My schedule has actually gotten so bad that I have to get up at the ass-crack of dawn to get to the gym. Otherwise, my daily exercise will consist soley of running from office building to Starbucks at Federal Center SW to office building to Starbucks on Pennsylvania Avenue to office building. While that may sound like it burns a lot of calories, I more than make up for it in sugary milky caffeine tainted goodness.

So my daily routine now consists of waking up from dreams where I am forced to enter a hearing and tell the Chairman that I am going to take over the gavel and put the government on strike, getting to the gym and sleep-ellipticizing through a workout, showering and finally dashing out the door to get to work on time.

You'll notice that this leaves exactly zero time for hair styling. However, since the weather finally decided to act its season, I can face the elements without worry that I will end up with icicles for locks. But it certainly doesn't mean that my hair won't be frizzy, fluffy and all kinds of whacked out wavy.

Biolage smootherapie Smoothing Gel to the rescue! A tiny dab of this worked into the ends of my hair before I bolt from my apartment and by the time I get there I have smooth, shiny waves. No blow drying, no irons, no nothing. Which looks much better on C-SPAN in my dreams when I burst into a hearing room screaming "Stop the madness!!"

Whiteout

The white shirt is a classic piece in any woman's wardrobe. Button-ups (or downs, depending on where you grew up) are also a staple in a starched town like DC. But so many of them leave you wanting for something a little more out there, a little unique, and a little special.

One of my most favorite places for a shirt with a little zip is Anne Fontaine. I'm also a little mad for anything French. While the woman behind the label is actually Brazilian, the style is classic French. The entire store is nothing but black and white shirts in the coolest, chicest styles imagineable.

The problem is that most of them are way beyond my staffer's budget. Even when they are on sale. Let's face it, even if I sold my soul to the Devil, they would still be out of my price range.

But I love the idea of a crisp white shirt with a little bit of a twist. Which is why I was super excited when I heard that Gap was partnering with three up-and-coming designers to do limited edition white shirts.

Seriously, I ditched work 15 minutes early yesterday to hightail it to a Gap.

Each designer; Doo.Ri, Thakoon, and Rodarte; took a basic white shirt and put three different spins on it. This sounds so much like a Project Runway challenge. The results are awesome, and quite affordable.

I tried on all of them, and, while the Thakoon ones look great on the models and the hangers, they looked ridiculous on me. The puffed sleeves were just too silly, but I could see them looking better on someone taller and more broad shouldered. The Doo.Ri shirts were very cute, much more angular, but the real winners for me were the Rodarte shirts.

I've been a fan of Rodarte for a few seasons, especially their work with big fabric rosettes. I snagged all three of their shirts, a little sleeveless trapeze top with a pleated mock turtle, a dress in a similar shape with pockets in the front, and the tank top adorned with what look like farfalle pasta bows.

All in all, I really think it's nice for Gap to jump on the designer bandwagon and put out something more interesting than a ribbed tank top, but given their history with fashion-fowardness (cough...SJP and Lenny Kravitz...ahem...no one wears their Gap jeans with Louboutins...cough) it might not fly.

So, until I actually sell my soul (know any lobbying groups hiring?) and can afford Anne Fontaine, I certainly plan on wearing my shirts...just as soon as the sun decides to ever shine again...

Also, next up from the Target Go International line...Paco Rabanne designer Patrick Robinson. I loved his revival at Perry Ellis and am eager to see what he turns out for Target.

P.S. Mom, despite the way the shirts look, I SWEAR they are not maternity clothes.