Fashion Me Fabulous

Jael, Becca--how did the two of you become friends? When I was in college, I started my university's writer's group. Pen nerds need a place, you know. becca came to our very first meeting and did not come back because I was intense and college is full of things shinier than pen nerds. becca in Italy in 2006. (I stole this from her Facebook.) In March of that year I secured funding from the university to send eight people to a writer's conference. I emailed everyone on our sparse mailing list and got a response from some freshman named Rebecca. Great. Freshmen. So on the day we leave, I decided to take the freshman in my car as she knows no one and everyone else on the trip is a friend of mine as they're the only people I could brow-beat into sticking with writer's group. She tells me she still needs to put on make up, and I tell her I hate her because it looks like she's already wearing makeup. As we're driving, we start to talk about the music we...

Blazer from yesstyle . Here are our answers to your burning fashion questions: How do you wear a blazer without looking stuffy? The important parts are the shoulders and fabric. If you want to wear a casual blazer at work, pick a soft fabric that can be scrunched up on the sleeves. An unpadded shoulder also goes a long way toward unstuffing. Bright colors help, but bright colors plus padded shoulders are rather 80s. Good rule of thumb: If Emma Pillsbury would wear the blazer, it's not stuffy. Headscarves: What are the rules? In my area, there is a healthy population of Amish, Sikhs, and uber conservative Pentecostals, so my hard and fast rule with head scarves is to make sure your hair shows lest people start asking you about your religious affiliation. (I've been asked this question merely because I prefer skirts to pants.) If your want a glam 70s boho look, check out our post about Beyonce's head scarf in Dreamgirls .

$150 Challenge: Rock'n'Roll New Year by fashionmefabulous

$150 Challenge: Classy New Year by fashionmefabulous

$150 Challenge: Teal Goddess 2012 by fashionmefabulous

I'm Dreaming of a Black Christmas by fashionmefabulous Our posting will be light over the next week, but we'll still be hanging around so you can ask us (nearly) any question you'd like . Whatever it is, comment with questions. We'd love to hear from you. Party! We've rounded up party shoes , and found this fun clutch that can go from brunch to cocktail party . If you're craving an unique party look browse amazing indie designers on Not Just A Label . Like: Get cute and casual with this T-shirt pick of the week from Jael's bunny . Cuddle up in cozy knits from KittyDune on Etsy . And tell us what you thought of Project Accessory 's premiere season and winner . It's Christmas: Tell us how festive you dress for holiday parties . Grab last minute Christmas gifts under $20 , even if your on your way to the party.

We plan to have a light week of party posts between Christmas and New Years, but we also wanted to spend some of that down time just hanging out with you. So if you've ever wanted to know something about us -- how we met, what's becca's favorite food, why I have rabbits -- now's the time to ask. Put your questions here and we'll answer them in a post next week.

Last night was the season finale of Project Accessory . The Project Runway spinoff put accessory designer to all the classic Runway tests. Overall, I enjoyed the season, but I never got all that invested in it. That could have been because I was still overwhelmed from finishing a season of Project Runway , but I think it had more to do with the fact that it was almost exactly like Project Runway . The accessory designers had to create runway looks, which never felt quite right. The pieces are better seen up close and I often felt that the challenges required them to over accessorize in order to show all the pieces they needed to show. The challenges could have been zanier too. I don't remember most of them, and except for the week they had to make shoes, the designers didn't seem to be too stretched by the challenged. Having designers with so many different disciplines was tricky too. Some mostly did shoes or handbags while others only worked with metal. Sure, making them wor...

When it comes to Christmas parties I tend to decorate myself almost as much as my Christmas tree. I like to wear my green suede shoes, white tights and a red dress. I look like an elf. Even if I tone it down, I tend to mix red and green a lot or wear a lot of sparkly things to holiday parties. It's festive and fun in my opinion. Some see it as a bit over the top and prefer subtle details or just a pop of holiday color. Others appear to go for more year-round party options. Do you go for holiday theme dressing for festive parties or do you prefer or a more subtle approach? poll by twiigs.com

While I waffle on party bags, I will gladly drop a chunk of change on party shoes. Perhaps that's because I'll wear party shoes any day of the week, but it's more likely that I can't say no to shoes. Shoes sort of own me. Any of the below would do a great job livening up jeans or a little black dress too.   pink ribbon and rhinestone heels, Betsey Johnson on Zappos $97.99 (sale!) gold lace bootie, Betsey Johnson "Graciey" at DSW $109.95 purple feather pump, Enzo Angiolini "Thaddea" on Piperlime $129 silver glitter peeptoe, J. C. Penney's $39.99 (sale!) blush rhinestone peep toe, Steve Madden "Cycile" $99.99 (sale!) lace and feather pump, Two Lips "Ali" at DSW $69.95 (sale!) rose gold pump, Ivanka Trump on Zappos $99.99 * (sale!) hot pink satin pump with rhinestone heel, Steve Madden "Partyy-R" $129.99 floral mesh booties, Victoria's Secret $79 (sale!) sequin platform pumps, Newport News $59 (sa...

Shop: KittyDune Why We Love It: As "It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas", I must say that, "Baby, It's Cold Outside". But go ahead and "Let It Snow", because these cozy knits from KittyDune will keep us nice and warm while we're walking in a "Winter Wonderland". Price Range: products range $20 to $50, patterns are $5 Links: Facebook / Twitter / KittyDuneCuts (another Etsy shop with party supplies) Favorite Items: Slouch Hat $3 5 (pictured); Fear of Commitment Cowl $50 ; Chunky Man Cowl $50 ; Boot Cuffs $30 ; Headband of the Leafy Kind $20 ; Purrr Hat $35 ; Women's Fingerless Gloves $38

Do you love great design? Has the lack of innovation and fabric drama disappointed you these last few seasons of Project Runway ? Does Lady Gaga appeal to you simply because you know she won't be wearing a mermaid gown? Then you need to discover the time-suck of Not Just a Label , a website selling the work of independent, avant garde fashion designers from around the world. Dinu Bodiciu Mira Hayek     Iimuahii Anomal Couture Joanna Hawrot  Ana Every First Kiss Fannieschiavino If you're interested in supporting independent designers, there are some more affordable items but otherwise your pockets had better be generous. Looking, however, is free.

By now you've probably finished most of your holiday shopping. If, however, you find you've checked your list and come up short (or been presented with an unexpected gift exchange situation) do not panic. Here is a round up of sure-to-please gifts easily found at major big box stores and malls*. They all come in at under $20 so they shouldn't stress your holiday budget. You can pick them up on the way to the party and plop them in a pretty box for maximum impact. Last Minute Gifts Under $20 by fashionbeccafabulous 1. Burt's Bees Tips & Toes Care Kit, Walgreens, $12.99 If you've ever been on your way (late) to a party an realized you forgot to get a gift, you've probably experienced the drug store gift dash. Thankfully, even Walgreens can come through. Burt's Bees makes natural products that many people swear by. At $13, the whole set it a steal. . 2. Tech Touch Gloves, Target, $9.99 Most touch-screen-friendly gloves cost at last $30. Target is selling t...

My rabbit has excellent taste in shoes. by fashionmefabulous I heart t shirt $30 - modcloth.com

Party clutches have always seemed like a waste of money. They look great, but are so expensive for the size. $143 for a stiff, shiny box? Really? If you're in the market for a new everyday bag (assuming you want a bag and not a suitcase), try one with a little sparkle. It will add interest to your outfits, and you can keep using it for evening events. Bourne's "Jennifer" convertible clutch has actual depth to it (take that envelope clutches!), has a strap option, is made of real leather and is nicely trimmed in a reptile print. It's currently $83 on Endless, half off the original price.  If you don't want your everyday bag to be so festive, tuck the party in your purse. A couple years ago, I bought a studded wallet that's large enough to pull out of my everyday bag and use as a clutch for special occasions. (It's on our Facebook page if you want to take a gander.) Style & co.'s geometric gold wallet , now on sale for $19.99 at Macy...

Winter Berries by fashionmefabulous The Ghost of Christmas Past: Jael Paris takes a look back at the trends we loved in high school , and celebrates the return one of her favorite trends, chokers . The Ghost of Christmas Present: Tis the season for shiny clothes , party dresses , cozy clothes on the cheap and giving to others and charities like Soles4Souls & Clothes4Souls . The Ghost of Christmas Future: Look forward with innovative designs on Etsy like bug-inspired jewelry and planters made from platform heels .

Last night, the Project Accessory designers were challenged to create accessories for a red carpet look. As a twist they were taken to an oddities shop and instructed to choose a creepy crawly bug as inspiration. Nina, is a brave woman and chose a spider, which nearly earned her a win. But the beetle stole the show. Rich created eye catching, but almost too realistic beetle jewelry. His brooch (below), necklace (right), earrings and ring would probably only be sported by a brave and interesting celeb. I loved the idea of bugs as jewelry. (Even though I hate the very idea of bugs). Which creepy critter from Etsy would you consider red carpet ready? Egyptian Beetle Wing Earrings by Never4gottenFantasy Garden Spider Brooch by ElizabethKhoury Beetle Wing Necklace by silentcheesecake Insect bracelet and Spider ring set by HelloDIY BOOK origami beetle pin by catamation Spider Web Necklace by andVAddicted Real Butterfly Wing Necklace by PoPkO poll by twiigs.com