Heart of Haute Blog

I can't wait until tomorrow night - Mad Men is finally back! My Sunday nights will again be filled with style, scandal and scotch on the rocks. One of the things that I truly love about Mad Men is the diversity of the characters, and the women in particular. Not all women want the same thing, or go about finding it in the same way. Many shows have explored this territory - 10 years ago, the question was; are you a Carrie, Charlotte, Samantha, or Miranda? Now, the choices are Betty, Joan, Peggy, or Megan. Heart of Haute can help you express your inner Man Woman! For the polished, traditional Betty, try the Ella Top by Mandie Bee - crisp cotton, sweet prints, and a prim bow. The structured Milan dress from HoH in the Katherine floral print is a retro style dress right out of Betty's closet. Joan's looks is sexy, but not overly revealing. She wears a lot of rich colors. The Vanessa Dress in a new green stretch sateen is a perfect choice, and of course every Joanie needs a great sexy high waist pencil skirt in a bright red. Peggy's style is a little more subtle, a professional mix of her youth and conservative past. The Beverly Dress is new Mint Lynette is soft without being too sweet. The Moxie Skirt in Black Plaid can go from the office to happy hour. Hip, well-traveled Megan Draper would love the striking mod style Doreen Dress in Black Plaid - great for a night out seeing your friend's band, or maybe an audition. The Tara Top in bold stripes is a comfortable 100% cotton knit, great for your long days of rehearsal and modern dance classes. I know that the new season of Mad Men will bring us excitement, intrigue, and loads of fashion inspiration. If you want to dig deeper, my favorite recaps that focus on the incredible visual style of Mad Man is the Mad Style series on Tom and Lorenzo. Happy watching - join me with a whiskey on the rocks tomorrow night! Mrs. V      

Dapper (adj.): neat and trim in appearance; very spruce and stylish There are two things that this particular Heart of Haute fan always has, and probably always will, love with every girly fiber of her being: Disneyland and getting dressed up (or as I like to say, “getting fancy!”) Thanks to the brilliance of a fellow named Justin, an event that combines these two loves of mine was created: Dapper Day.   [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Morganeli for Welton Becket and Associates, 1965 Tomorrowland[/caption] Inspired by the original concept artwork of Disneyland's designers, who portrayed park guests enjoying Disneyland's attractions dressed in their finest threads, Dapper Day is held twice a year (an all day event in Spring, and an evening affair in Autumn.)  It is also celebrated at Walt Disneyworld in Florida, and EuroDisney in Paris. A schedule of meet-up times is available, giving event goers a chance to meet like-minded stylish people, and make new fancy friends, (this year, they even had a singles mixer!) However, participants are encouraged to enjoy the Disney Parks at their own leisure. The Dapper Day events have also expanded to include a cocktail party called Folly, which is held in Los Angeles at different venues throughout the year.   While the Dapper Day website encourages participants to dress to the nines, they like to remind guests that this can mean anything from vintage to contemporary chic, and even dress uniform for those in active military duty, or retired military. I, of course, love to take the opportunity to choose from the Heart of Haute dresses I happen to own myself. Dapper Day has become an event that I keep in my calendar, and look forward to. I attended the most recent one last month, which marks my third Dapper Day Event. This time, I decided to rock the Beverly Dress in Peacock Dimensions (this dress never fails me!) as well as my favorite sunglasses of all time, the Ultra Lux cat eye sunglasses by Tres Noir in Pearl Horn.   Take a peek at some of the photos from that fancy, fun-filled day. (There were even a few Heart of Haute fans, showing off their Heart of Haute dresses!)   This lovely lady was spotted in our Monte Carlo dress!!!   And check out this Heart of Haute in our Beverly Dress in Cerise.   The Beverly really is popular. Here it is in the new Peacock Lynette!   I could go on and on about why Dapper Day has become so special to me, but I don't think anything I could say would really do it justice. There's something about being at Disneyland, surrounded by fellow fancy Disney-goers that's wonderfully magical. Whether it's the nostalgia for a time when dressing your best meant more than buying a skin-tight mini-dress at the mall, or the twinkling lights on King Arthur's Carousel at night as the backdrop for a picture perfect evening, Dapper Day has a way of enchantment that doesn't even need pixie dust (sorry Tinkerbell!)   With Love & No Regrets, Katrina Marie  >^.^<

 The month of Love is upon us and it is time for chocolates, roses, and maybe an edible arrangement.  Whether you are the Creative Cutie or the Last Minute Lover, you can’t go wrong with homemade treats.  I would like to share 3 pretty simple treats that you can make for Valentine’s Day. 

The first treat is Cookies!  All you need for this edible indulgence is

1. Cookie dough
2. Some heart shaped cookie cutters
3. A rolling pin (your hands will do too) 

Oh, and feel free to select any type of cookie dough, chocolate chip, sugar, they are all tasty delights.  Be as creative as you would like when it comes time to decorate, I just added heart shaped chocolate candies to make the delight double the fun.           

  The next sweet snack is Chocolate Covered Strawberries.  There are only two ingredients needed for this goody: 1.  Chocolate 2.  Strawberries You will also need some wax paper; the wax paper will help prevent the chocolate from sticking to the surface.  My suggestion is that when it comes time to purchase the chocolate, buy it with the microwavable container.  You can also buy just the chocolate, and heat it in microwave safe container from home. Melting the chocolate is a bit tricky. You will heat the chocolate for about 3 minutes in total, but be sure to stir the chocolate every 30 seconds.  Once you notice that the chocolate is creamy, it’s time to dip the strawberries.  Do not over-heat the chocolate because it will harden.  Make sure you rinse and dry the strawberries before dipping.  You can dip the strawberries and use a spoon to help even out the chocolate.  Once the strawberry is covered                                    place it on the wax paper.  Refrigerate for an hour or overnight.  If chocolate is not your favorite flavor, you can use white chocolate or mix them both.  A combination of some champagne or sparkling cider (for those that are not of age yet) and chocolate covered strawberries will be delectable.   

 

The last delicious morsel is a Cupcake.  You will need:

1. Cake Mix (Pick any flavor your heart desires)
2. Eggs
3. Vegetable oil
4. Milk

 I like to use milk instead of water because the cakes are more moist, but either one is fine.  Follow the direction on the box because different brands call for different ingredients, temperature, and baking time.  Cupcakes are perfect portions of love to give to anyone, so be inspired to decorate them with red sprinkles, heart candies, red frosting, and any other Valentine goodness.

These treats are excellent for that special someone or even for friends and family.  The best way to get into the heart of someone you love, is through their stomach.  Who needs cupid when you can make cookies, chocolate covered strawberries, and cupcakes? Signing Off, Alexis Your Heart of Haute Contributor 

        Everyone has an inspiration; it may come from lyrics to a song, or even the beautiful pastels of springtime.  Heart of Haute Fashion is inspired by 1950’s and 1960’s fashion.  Honoring our logo “Made with Love and No Regrets”, we create timeless designs that inspire women to feel as if they are part of the 50’s and 60’s era.     The eternal fashions of the 50’s and 60’s are classic, and some of the most iconic styles and silhouettes have become staples in fashion design.  Times have definitely changed since the “Good Old Days”, and it is becoming more difficult to find original vintage fashion.  As a vintage follower, I am able to find these rare pieces, but sadly one of the main problems with vintage apparel is size.  It is very difficult to find a particular size in, what is now, a one-of-a-kind garment.  This can be heartbreaking, but at Heart of Haute we can make your 50’s and 60’s fashion dreams come true.  Our styles and silhouettes can fit almost any body type, from the Pretty Petites (X-Small) to the Voluptuous Females (2X).     The sweetheart neckline was a classic shape in the 1950’s and in the early 1960’s.  From cocktail gowns to day dresses, this neckline was a very popular style.  If you are looking for a sweetheart neckline dress to add to your collection, look no further; our Sweetie Dress will certainly make your heart sing sweet songs.  Our Sweetie Dress in Fresh Cherry Blue is a perfect day look for the Spring and even for the Summer.      So we have the daywear covered, “What about evening wear?”, you ask.  We have that covered as well, from the Heart of Haute collection the Marseilles Dress in black.  We also offer the dress in red.  This ideal cocktail dress can be converted into a halter dress, or into razor back straps!

   

    Another ageless style is the Shirt Dress.  This dress speaks to the gal that wants to look classy for work and tasteful for lunch with the friends.  If your heart is going “pitter- patter” for this dress, then we have what your heart desires.  The Monte Carlo Dress from our Heart of Haute Line.  We offer it in a variety of colors, and can guarantee a comfortable fit!  We even offer it sleeveless, in our Milan Dress.

    And to our groovy mod gals, I didn’t forget about you!  To all the mod gals digging the mid 1960’s fashion, we too can contribute to your fabulous wardrobe! Let’s take a look at this little hot sleeveless number!

        Perfect for some fun in the sun, or for riding your scooter!  We now carry our own little mod version as well.  From our Mandie Bee Line, the Doreen Dress in Houndstooth is a great addition to your 60’s collection. We also offer this dress in a variety of prints.

    Here at Heart of Haute, we are always getting inspired from the timeless vintage and retro looks. With our guarantee of great quality, as well as a comfortable fit, you can’t go wrong.    Signing out Miss. A Heart of Haute Contributer   

Seasons Greetings Heart of Haute Fans, It is that time of year Ladies and Gentlemen for lights, decorations and most importantly of all, shopping!!  Oh, the gift of giving!  The possibilities are endless, but I wish my pocketbook was just the same.  When deciding on what types of gifts to purchase this year, I have made the conscious decision to look for one particular label on the products that I purchase this Christmas.  One that states: Made in the USA. ‘Tis the season to buy American made products.  Why?  The answer lies in an article that I read published by ABC News' Ben Forer.  The article gives some very interesting insight as to how American shoppers have shifted over the years from purchasing products made in the USA to products made in China.  During the 1960’s, 9 out of 10 Christmas gifts in this country were made in the USA (Forer) What struck me as fascinating is that American shoppers do not need to spend much on American made products to make a positive impact on our economy.  If each of us spends just $64 on an American made product for a Christmas gift this year, 200,000 jobs will be created in the USA (Forer). Here at Heart of Haute, we are very proud to deliver American made products to our customers.  We know because we make them here in San Dimas, California with love and no regrets!  We are happily committed in providing top-notch quality and customer service, all while being very fashionable, of course.  The Heart of Haute company wants to thank its customers for creating jobs while aiding the prosperity of the US economy - you rock! Signing off,                                                                                                                                 Alexis Heartbreaker Herald Contributor If you would like to read more on Forer's article, please visit http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/business/2011/11/made-in-america-creating-jobs-for-christmas/