Things I Love: Fun Frocks

Like most ladies I love myself a fabulous party dress. I'm somewhat of an avid dress collector. There goes Barbie influencing me again, I mean, she pretty much exclusively dresses, so of course I would grow up beliving that dresses are what what Pretty Women wore.
My collection is currently pushing 150 dresses, so naturally Debbie Reynolds' collection of famous Hollywood frocks is the envy of my eye. Debbie Reynolds was a smart lady, she knew how special a dress can be. Dresses can hold meaning just like a song can change your mood, you can put one on and feel like a whole new women.
Since I haven't purchased a new dress in awhile this morning I went 'window shopping' to see what is out there and to inspire my own dress designs. Because to me there's nothing more fun to wear then a Party Dress!!
I just adore the sweet angelic details of this Alice & Olivia number.
click pictures for details 

Alice + Olivia Jazz Center Drape Dress

Alice & Olivia has long been my go to for the perfectly detailed & girly Party Dress. The ones I have from years ago still warrant compliments now. I could see myself having a blast dancing away in this dress.

Alice + Olivia Alison Ruffle Beaded Tank Dress

The subtle sexiness to this Opening Ceremony is my kind of thing. I'm not a big flaunter but I guarantee I'd turn heads in this number - I'd LOVE to add this to my collection.

Opening Ceremony Flocked Mesh Pleated Dress

Fun angles and unique cuts are something I find essential to make a LBD stand out.
and STANDING OUT is something I rather enjoy.

James Perse Bare Shoulder Dress

Now this dress seems to match my new age of Thirty perfectly. It's a total #GAW dress that I could totally see myself glamorously rocking it OUT here in Hollywood.
Oh suburban life, I do not miss you.

Bcbgmaxazria Keya Halter Gown

But my newest dress obsession is Three Floor. I cannot wait to add one of their dresses to my collection. Those British lines seem to really get bloggers and what we are loving these days. I'm kinda obsessed with them. Too cute!

Three Floor Adolescent Sister Dress

And if you like my dress picks make sure to follow me on Pintrest!

And put on your favorite dress today, even if it just to spin around in the mirror. Everyone loves a dress that twirls! 

Style Icons: Sweet Valley High

Living in LA has been a life long dream of mine. As long as I can remember I longed to be a Malibu Beach Barbie, wrecking havoc in Hollywood a 'La 'I Love Lucy' style waiting for my Prince Charming to climb up my balcony and save me Pretty Women style
(and I'd save him right back obvi).
But I do believe it was fellow Gemini's (with a birthday just one day before mine) Jessica & Elizabeth Wakefield who served as my two biggest SoCal Style icons and inspirations to be a SoCal Valley Girl.

Long before I was introduced to Brandon, Brenda and Donna Martin I spent many a summer vacation day getting lost in some good ole southern California drama.

Seriously, I would go to the Library and gets stacks and stacks of them and devour them. Not sure attempted date-rape, DUI's and excessive cheating was the best content for a third grader to read but I reread them over and over for years.

And I turned out just fine... I think...

All I dreamed of was being beach blonde, with blue-green eyes, with a perfect size six waist, driving a jeep around SoCal. Oh and i mean, besides fantasizing about having a dreamy Southern Californian boyfriend like the ones Jessica & Elizabeth had.

I always related and identified to Jessica and her schemeing boy-crazy/bad-girl ways but I longed to a be an Elizabeth. Either way i loved those twins and their carefree California living ways.
And here I am now in LA living my SoCal dream up...
Can't wait to plan a Board Game night & bust out the Sweet Valley High board game, so i can steal Bruce Patman from Lila for a bit...

Were you a Sweet Valley High fan? who was your favorite?
And have you heard that a new series of an adult Jessica & Elizabeth is now out  called Sweet Valley High Confidential.  Can you guess which twin is divorced and already on her second marriage??
See, I always knew I was a Jessica.

Weekend Recap: Two Point Oh LA Royal Picnic

This past weekend I had the honor to attend Two Point oh LA's Royal Picnic at Griffin Park. In attendance were some of LA's most fashionable bloggers and collection of brand sponsors.
Kelsi Smith of Two Point LA did a fabulous job putting together the event. The Royal tea party was adorable the attention and the to detail was top-notch. We're talking down to the cucumber sandwiches and the scrumptous scones made by British-born Kelsi, herself.
Not went unnoticed, down to the "Keep Calm Blog On" swag bags.
My sister had some fun in the Photobooth!


There were gifting suites sponsored by Guess (One To Watch), Ditto, Sole Society and Sebastian Hair products.
All are amazing brands and are so willing to work with bloggers, definitely check them out!
I was more then excited to chat with the brands, pick out sunglasses from DITTO and shoes from Sole Society.


It was perfect picnic and I am more then happy to have the Two Point Oh LA ladies in my life, they have made my transition to moving to LA a fabulous one and it's lovely to be connected to so many amazing bloggers & new creative friends.
Myself & The Wear To Go Girls.
LOVE them!!

Thank you Two oh Point LA, Ditto, Guess (One To Watch) & Sole Society!! All in all it was a fabulous day!

Things I Love: Watch The Throne

yesterday day i wrote a post about where i was a year ago and how I had grown. in the midst of writing it i went to link my divorce announcement post only to find that the post was gone.
it was deleted by someone who was in or connected to past,
a hater.
all i know is that people in my past life were upset that i was mentioning them....
In my eyes I don't mention people, I mention my life, my emotions and how my past affected me.
And I have the Freedom of Speech to express that.
in any case, the only thing i can do is not listen to what people say or how they control me ... all i can do is control myself and i have decided that a year has been long enough for me to close that chapter in my life and my old life no longer deserves a mention (unless I FEEL it necessary) on my blog.
I was married. FACT. I got divorced. FACT.
and I've taken that time and those lessons I learned and MOVED ON.
You can't hurt me now... Like Riff Raff I have castles around my heart.
But this princess is living it UP here in LA and I can't wait to share many more of my adventures down here with you!!

I got to spend the Fourth of july on the beach, in Malibu. 

Now that's something I've always wanted to do! Malibu Barbing the place UP? My kind of fun!!

They had a Taco Truck at the beach house, all I can say is that it as the best Fourth of July I've ver had.

good people, good times and a beach!!

and Speaking of Riff Raff & my new life here are a couple of the fun things I have been up to down here!!
I made cameo in one of Riff Raff's video's:

Cassandra & I also spoofed on of his videos:

still trying to get used to being on video...
here is me showing my room and how to clean my closet before I got furniture in it.
I need to make a new one now lol.

I have some of the best friends down here I could ask for. Everyone is motivated fun and the energy & creativity thrives down here. I LOVE it.
Looking forward to looking AHEAD. I've spent far too much energy looking back.
Jay z & Kanye said it best ... Middle Finger to my old Life... #WhoGonStopMe
Cuz I'm Definitely in my zone #WatchTheThrone



Male sure to check out my Instgram/Facebook/Twitter giveaway to win a pair of SeeEyeglasses!! SWEET!

Things I Love: CHANGE

Tomorrow marks one year from the day I had to do the hardest I have ever done.
It also marks one year since I left my old house, and, well the last time i've gotten any...
one final time was all i needed.
Last July 10th I woke up at my old house, left and never looked back.
it hasn't been easy but it's been worth it.
shannon & i this past weekend in Hollywood

this time last year we were one month away from our 5 year anniversary, with a fabulous trip to Spain booked for August but by that time the communication in our marriage had been reduced to fights, arguments and tears.
He was tired of me,
and i was tired of not being myself.
Vanessa & I in Hollywood July 3rd 2011

A spur of the moment trip to LA and a WhiteBoy rapper encounter along with the guidance of my friend Vanessa (and perhaps a bottle or two of wine) gave me the strength to finally tell my mom how I really felt about my marriage and the courage to ask her if i could stay with her while I sorted my life out.
it was a rough day alright.
The night before i had been out late at The Dirt Nasty show in the San Francisco, my husband wasn't exactly all that stoked about that, understandably.
myself, simon rex AKA dirt nasty & vanessa july 9th 2011

I hit the farmers market that Sunday morning, doing anything I could to not be at my house.
at that point it seemed like all i did there was fight with my husband or drink until I was blacked out.
Yet no one seemed to know how I really felt.
Burdening others with my own problems or complaining about them has never been my style.
I avoided my house that day not knowing what to do.
our communication was no longer getting us anywhere near happiness, whether we were happy together or apart. At that point we were both miserable. The things we each wanted in life, and the people we had become were no longer in alignment.
Going home didn't seem like it would do anything but continue the cycle we had fallen into, so that day my friend Vanessa urged me to talk to my mom.
It was by far the hardest thing i've ever done.
i was embarrassed, ashamed, and broken hearted.
but it's clear now it was the right thing to do.
I will say announcing my divorce to my friends, family and readers was the second hardest thing I have ever done. But I am more then proud I stayed true to myself during this past year, sharing my ups & downs all along the way.

if a year ago i was sleeping alone on a futon pad in my mom's house while crying myself to sleep every night and now I sleep in Hollywood in a princess bed happy & thankful every single day & night i can't wait to see where i will be in another year.
never be afraid to be yourself, and never be afraid to change your life
it's NEVER TOO LATE.

Things I love: INDEPENDENCE DAY

Tomorrow I will celebrate not only our fabulous country of ours.
But I will also be celebrating my INDEPENDENCE.
roll the stone away.... it's independence day
and my independence something i have never celebrated before.
i didn't get divorced all that long ago (filed last august official this past Valentines Day) but to me it feels like a lifetime ago.

and although my new life can get lonely, when the feelings of loneliness creep in I remind myself it's not lonely i'm feeling rather it's INDEPENDENCE and that's a feeling i haven't all that much in my life.
I mean at 22 I did move out of my childhood house to move into a house I purchased with my then fiancé.
Furthermore, I had signed a thirty year morgage for i life I thought i wanted at that age.
a life i had never dreamed of before but somehow i seemed to had landed right smack in the middle of.
this apartment i live in now is only the third place i have ever lived in, and it's the first time I have lived on my own.
and it's the first time i've ever lived in a CITY!!
and i REALLY LOVE IT.
strange to think at 22 I willing locked up my next 30 years in suburbia, and 2 years later I pledged eternity and my life to a person i thought i knew and loved.
either way Ex-husband I wish you and your new family the best...
cuz i'm doing DAMN WELL

i mean i should have known it wouldn't work when he put an END to a personal parade i was having in Tahoe some odd july fourth ago.
so you KNOW tomorrow i'll be getting my personal parade on dancing and LOVING my FREE life that I'm making for myself.
I've never been prouder or happier to be just plain 'ole fun LOVING PARTYING ME!!
and I live and celebrate that EVERYDAY!!

THANK YOU to all my friends and family who have stood by me & allowed me to change my life from a structured one to a free spirited me. Because we all know I'm SO much the latter.
Never let anyone put you firework (OR PARADE out), because baby you are a firework.

and celebrate your independence no matter what form you have it.
You always have to be okay to just be YOU.
even if you have to change to get back to YOU
... that's what I did!!

Style Icon: You Have Mail

i'm a romantic at heart.
i want to believe in love.
i want to LOVE and to be loved.

isn't that what everyone wants?
i mean i grew watching Disney movies always beliving my Prince Charming would come rescue me and sweep me off my feet.
plus i played barbies, pretty sure they got married everyday in my world.
when you give Amber a Wedding Barbie Doll she going to want to get married...
no wonder i ended a bride.
but romance is about more then marriage and playing pretend; it's about a real connection between two people.
and i'm still on a hunt for that.

this week the world lost Nora Ephron, a legend here in this town I live in now.
and one of the ultimate artist in depicting romance and how the relationships of two people is created, formed and evolves.


plus she had an affinity for upcoming things and a deep respect for the ever-evolving internet (a focus of several of her movies).
and clearly the Internet place that i for one hold close to my heart.
Nora Ephron saw how the power of the internet could lead you to not only the love of your life, but  to the destiny of your life.

interesting I feel the same....

Nora Ephron, you shall be missed but your stories, lessons and movies will live on.

wow maybe LOVE can be eternal!
all i know is that LOVE will never go out of style,
now HATE you're a little too passé for me.

Things I LOVE: REFLECTIONS

Change isn't easy.
And I can say that first hand.
I mean a year ago i was waking up on the couch, hung over as heck every morning.
I was hating my life and i had no idea how to get out of it or how to change it.
Furthermore, I had NO IDEA WHERE I WAS HEADED.
and all the while i put-on a happy face (with FLASH ANGER outbursts...)
every single day.
A spur of the moment trip to LA may have just been the WAKE UP CALL i needed.
If you ever get a wake up call LISTEN to them.
I DID.
This time last year Vanessa & i  road tripped down to LA.

we stayed at the Mondrian (my new hood now).
that was the BEST 29th birthday present EVER from my sister. SHE IS THE BEST. Wouldn't be here without her & her boyfriend, Dustin.

we listened to only TWO songs the ENTIRE trip (Andre Legacy Mondrian & Mickey Avalon What do You Say).
Seriously, TWO SONGS. The WHOLE TRIP.
We loved it though.

we partied like Rockstars.

and we hung out with cassandra & mollie.
you know you want out of a marriage when you choose not to wear your ring on vacation.
during that trip cassandra my old time  high school friend helped me booby-trap my ring by braiding my Hanky Panky panities together in order not to loose it.
Cassandra is now my best friend here in LA.
funny how things happen.  (Even funnier see how WEIRD Cassandra and I on this video... #YouShouldDoACleanse #LemonCayanne)

most importantly on that trip, I saw my new destiny.
and I followed it.

And I am proud to say I have arrived
.
and look I have to continue to look forward and I have a LOT more changes and goals I need to work on.
it's QUITE the process i must say.
and it won't be easy but I am well aware of that.
It's actually weird to reflect on my life, but i have to reflect in order to keep continuing forward.

and forward is where I'm ALWAYS headed,
but I can never forget to LOOK BACK.
Here's to changes and challenges.
So what are you going to work on changing?
Big or SMALL.
I for one am going to get back to writing more, I miss that craft of mine.
Crafts too!! I need to get back into those!
Let's Make a Steal anyone?

Things I Love: I'lll Be There For You

Let's talk about Friends.
Can you believe Rachel is having Ross's baby?!
Oh wait that old news? Shoot...
Okay let's talk about REAL FRIENDS.
And friendship.
I for one, cherish friends and friendship cherish DEEPLY.
I love my friends -- ALL of them.
My real-life friends, my blog friends (SF BLOG CREW HOLLA) & JS LADIES - You know what's up.
And hey, what about you lovely blog ladies that I've contacted with over the interwebs.
This little place is such a nice to place to meet people you've never met and stay connected with people who otherwise might be untouchable.
Anyone who has touched my life and connected with me on some level I will always consider a friend furthermore I tend to think friendship doesn't have a timer on it.
Whether I met you when I was five, at an event. or for a moment at a show -- I remember those connections.
ALL OF THEM.
But there is something about relationships that you've had for YEARS.
Those ones are close to my heart.
I'm a talking about the people who were there with me through elementary school, middle school, and high school.
They were the ones that literally saw me transform from Amber Lane the slightly dorky, teachers pet into the Honda Civic driving, music blaring, camera having on the neck, boundary pushing,  rule breaking, party animal instigator, teenager-on-the-lose Amber.
And somehow after losing MYSELF I've  come full circle back to being totally completely, well, SLAMBER.
Okay FINE.
SLAMBER with a side of #GAW.
I am thirty and all now...
oh about that..
Thirty has been one heck of a celebration and I got to celebrate with those friends and family that saw me through multiple life transitions.
And I think we can all agree this has been my best transition thus far and I was so glad to share and show my new life with my best friends. .
It was literally a birthday dream come true to have them all there to celebrate with me!!!
My sister, Cassandra, Mollie, Val, Sara, Nicole and I all went out to Supper Club.
I was a bit of a Birthday Brat and might have spoiled the fun but it was kinda fun I hope!
My friends were amazing and supportive none-the-less.
I managed to dance my brattiness away -- a bit.
I was a #BirthdayBitch for sure.


On my Actual Thirtieth Birthday my Sister took me out to lunch at Pink Taco.
Margs, Dos Equios and chips & salsa?
My kind of Birthday lunch for sure.
She also brought a cake & candles over for me to blow OUT!
You know I wishing & dreaming away when I blew those candles away.
This lady lives for dreams & wishes come true.
and I'm coming after YOU: DREAMS & WISHES.
In fact, my wishes immediatly began to come true when I attended the Young Hollywood Awards Red carpet, Pre Party and Ceremony as a correspondent for The Chic Spy.
It was an amazing tonight, but unfortunately this Secret Agent underestimated her phone battery on her 30th and was unable to document most of it.
Big Fail for this Sartorial Sleuth.
However, I am very impressed with some of the new talent and direction that some of the young risk takers are taking and it was nice to witness them being honored.
And I was STAR STRUCK to be there, perhaps I should chill on star struckness now that I live & WORK here.
Big THANK YOU to The CHIC SPY.

the next day my best friends Vanessa and Jen surprised me and we all went to Disneyland together.
It was jen's FIRST time there & I was SO happy to be with there for her first time there!!
We've talked about going together for years and it was so fun to actually DO IT!! #JUSTDOIT
The new Star Tours ride was RAD!!
I mean how can you not love the Happiest Place on Earth?!
Doesn't every girl dream of being the happiest Princess on earth?
Prince Charming and a castle included, duh.


I spent the rest of my weekend celebrating with my Mother, Sister & her Boyfriend Dustin, Sara, Jen, Vanessa,  Owen & his sister Shannon, and Cassandra.
It was QUITE the weekend and i felt so blessed to have so much love surround me!!
We're one hell of an old school crew!

My pretty Mommy!!
I need posing lessons from her, my Paris Hilton elbow pose is getting old...
My mom can work it!

The fam: V, Brother, Sister and Mom.

Thank you to everyone that sent me birthday wishes, celebrated with me and showed me some LOVE. I was showered with it and I am SO THANKFUL for it ALL.
I'm a lover who loves LOVE -- giving AND receiving it-- and I was more then grateful to receive some LOVE excess in the form of friends and family this weekend.
Thank you all again.
Dad and Rena: I can't wait for you to meet 30 year old Amber -- she's *KINDA* rad ;)

http://thechicspy.com.