Whether you fancy Daniel Craig, Pierce Brosnan or Sean Connery as your spy guy, we all have a little Bond Girl envy in our hearts. With that in mind, I rounded up some cool gadgets that inspire my inner Ursula for CNN.com's latest edition of "Show and Tell."
Nothing wakes you up in the morning like a shot of superstar.
Natasha Bedingfield gave me the boost I needed this morning when I ran into her in the green room at the "Today Show." She was performing, and I was talking summer style.
I've met Natasha before and am happy to report that she remains one of the nicest celebs out there (I also loved her performance on the recent season of "The Bachelorette"...how cute is it that she serenaded the happy couple with "Soulmate" as they were falling in love! Awwww). 
Natasha looked hot in a black tank top, sky-high heels and skinny jeans...she even did a costume change before her second performance, and opted for a floaty white tank. Simple chic at its best.
Following my wake-up call, I showed "Today Show" viewers how to pack for a beach weekend getaway -- it's all about streamlining without sacrificing style.
Watch my segment here!
At least according to Cody Willard, co-host of "Happy Hour" on the Fox Business Network.
I was a guest on Cody's show earlier this week and was intrigued by his intense dislike of "Sex and the City.". The mere mention of this ultimate chick flick makes him feisty. He insists "Sex" is a fantasy world that no woman has ever truly experienced and therefore the premise of the series -- and its legion of followers -- is ridiculous.
To wit, his rant on his blog, The Cody Word:
"I hate 'Sex and the City.' Truly, as I blame it for confusing a whole generation of single New York women about the difference between reality and fantasy. Hey New York City girls, “Sex and the City” is a fantasy. Get a freakin’ grip."
Now truly, I love Cody (especially because of the ease with which "Manolo Blahnik" rolls off his tongue), but I have to call him out on this, because he is wrong on two levels.
First, we are talking about fiction, remember? This is not a documentary, thus there are going to be some fantastical elements. We have a freakin' grip, Cody.
Second, Candace Bushnell -- and many other women who have come of age in The Big Apple well before the "Sex" phenomenon began in the late 90s -- really have lived that life, or something remarkably similar.
Marcel Thomas/FilmMagic
In fact, I am one of those women and happen to be friends with many others, all of whom were a version of Carrie, Miranda, Samantha or Charlotte before those characters ever existed.
"Sex" is a story based on the real lives of real women. Many of those "New York City girls" Cody refers to have become "Sex" fans because they genuinely identify with the lifestyle and characters -- not because they are trying to live vicariously through a "fantasy."
Cody's co-host Rebecca Gomez (who is also one of "us") and I accused him of being bitter
because he's probably been burned too many times by "Sex"-y women. We were teasing him, of course, but he didn't deny the possibility.
My question is: Are men intimidated by strong, smart, successful, independent women? Or does it just bug them that we are all those things and also have time to shop for shoes? What's the deal?
Seems to me that Cody, and other like-minded, anti-"Sex" men out there, are guilty of confusing reality with fantasy.
Australian designer Jayson Brunsdon -- whose celeb fan club includes Naomi Watts and Hilary Swank -- got me fired up for Spring on the CBS Early Show this morning (watch the clip here) with this emerald green top and bamboo print skirt from his Spring/Summer collection.
Shop now for your own Brunsdon bamboo-print fix at Neiman Marcus
Not only did the ensemble make me feel festive, but the impeccable cut of the clothes made the outfit look -- and feel -- effortless.
Stay tuned for lots more Jayson Brunsdon in my TV wardrobe!
p.s.
Admittedly, I have a soft spot for Aussie talent...here I am hanging out with the locals on my honeymoon in Queensland!
Style Spy has been home sick in bed all week...BUT that doesn't mean you won't spy me being stylish. Even comfy PJs can be chic. My fashionable flu ensemble by Tepper Jackson (a gift from Mr. Husband several Easters ago) is still on-trend for the season (florals!) and has helped keep my spirits up...the psychedelic pattern has also kept me feeling grooooovy (or is that the NyQuil?!)
Image from PajamasSeenOnTV.com
Tepper Jackson Delight White Lounger Pajama, $125, available at PajamasSeenOnTV.com.
Speaking of being seen on TV...sick or not, Style Spy will be appearing LIVE on the CBS Early Show tomorrow (not wearing pajamas) in the 8:30am half-hour talking about transforming your look with accessories.
Be there or be square!
There's really only one word that adequately describes attending the Oscars: WOW.
The Golden Ticket was still golden....even though my seat was in the last row (no joke!)
It's not just literally brushing shoulders with mega-watt stars -- Cate Blanchett (I also shared a porta-potty moment with her at the Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday afternoon at the beach in Santa Monica); Marion Cotillard (those fish-scale details on her dress were quite something to behold as I walked into the theater behind her), Cameron Diaz (we both tried -- to no avail -- to grab a last-minute, pre-ceremony libation), Daniel Day Louis (incredibly tall and slim), Tilda Swinton (incredibly tall and slim), John Travolta (very gracious, even at the end of a long evening) -- but it's also the psychological rush that happens when your brain finally processes that YOU ARE AT THE OSCARS. Simply from a historical perspective -- this was the 80th, after all -- it is truly a mind boggling experience.
The closest I'll ever get to being Olivia Newton John in Grease
Working -- not to mention walking! -- the red carpet is always a rush.
Part of my job is to identify the trends as the celebs weave through the throngs of reporters (it's often difficult to get a good look at them) and instantaneously translate that to cohesive fashion commentary on live television.
With CNN Showbiz's AJ Hammer and Brooke Anderson overlooking the red carpet
Last night, working the arrivals with the amazing team from CNN, the top trends I spotted were:
1. RED
The color of the night! Ladies in red include: Anne Hathaway in Marchesa (above), also wearing $1 million worth of Harry Winston gems on her ears; Miley Cyrus; Heidi Klum; Helen Mirren; Katherine Heigl in Escada...to name a few
2. STRAPLESS
Forget cleavage -- it's all about the clavicles. Shoulder-baring A-listers: Mom-to-be Jessica Alba in Marchesa, Jennifer Garner in Oscar de la Renta, Laura Linney in Michael Kors, Keri Russell in Nina Ricci, Kristen Chenowith in Armani Prive, Amy Adams in Proenza Schouler, Cameron Diaz in Dior
3. ASYMMETRICAL NECKLINES
An instant way to score points for elegance and edginess. To wit: Hilary Swank in Versace, Tilda Swinton in Lanvin, Anne Hathaway, Katherine Heigl
4. THE STATEMENT NECKLACE
While many of the stars who went strapless kept their necklines unadorned, several of my fashion-forward favorites -- Nicole Kidman, Keri Russell and Jennifer Garner -- revived the statement necklace trend.
5. BACK IN BLACK
Black was also big (Jennifer Garner, Hilary Swank, Ellen Page, Nicole Kidman), and it felt fresh. Perhaps it was the near overdose of bright colors at the Grammys (which I admittedly loved) that made my style spy eye pop for the classic gals in black.
I chose none of those trends (yep, a fashion rebel, that's me), and opted for a stunning silk taupe J. Mendel dress straight from the Fall 2008 runway collection, paired with about $60,000 worth of Sasha Primak jewelry (Primak regularly collaborates with It-designer Erin Fetherston).
My moment in the spotlight!...sort of...this was taken by a valet parking attendant after the awards ceremony
I LOVED my ensemble, and it was the perfect way to show of the fruits of my Red Carpet Countdown labor. I felt fit, fabulous and fashionable...what could be better?!
Perhaps a solid chocolate, ten inch Oscar statuette covered with 24-karat gold dust (below), as conceived by Wolfgang Puck, adorning the top of the dessert platters at The Governor's Ball???!!!
I almost brought one home....but then what? I pictured a melted gold mound at the bottom of my LV luggage, and decided remembering the moment with a snapshot was a better idea.
Almost, but not quite.
Feeling like a star at The Academy Awards definitely takes the cake...er, the chocolate.
And that's all she wrote.
Until next week.
Style Spy is taking a much-needed spa retreat (I just checked in today, and got the inside scoop that there happens to be a major TV star chilling out here, too)...Check back next week to find out exactly where I escaped (there are hot springs involved), complete with pictures and decadent details, of course! See you then...
*all red carpet celebrity images courtesy of and credited on InStyle.com's Oscar photo gallery*
Three days ago in my HAIR CHRONICLES post I vowed that my hair changes would no longer shock and surprise, but as with most things, there are always exceptions...particularly when given the opportunity to get hair extensions from Adel -- arguably the best extension specialist in the country -- at Louis Licari's Fifth Avenue salon.
Adel meticulously applied handfuls upon handfuls of tiny strands (using keratin-infused bonding glue) to my short locks and -- five and a half hours later (the big, soft oatmeal cookies they kept bringing me ensured I stayed firmly planted -- don't tell my trainer!) -- the transformation was astounding.
Behold The Next Big Hair Trend: the long, blunt bob!
Here's where we started:
En route to the finished product:
The master and the new me:
So.....???? Say something! What do you think?!?
InStyle is teaming up with Fox 5's "Good Day New York" to bring New Yorkers an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at New York Fashion Week...live!
Tune in Friday (tomorrow), February 1st at 8:09am for a live, behind-the-scenes look at Nautica. We'll be back Monday, February 4th; and Wednesday through Friday, February 6th-8th at approximately 7:45am and 8:45am each morning for designer and celeb interviews, plus the latest news from Bryant Park, reported by yours truly.
And, of course, don't forget to check out InStyle.com (including StyleSpy) and MyFoxNY.com for up-to-the-minute coverage of all the fashion fabulosity.
P.S.
I will also be co-hosting Fox 5's Fashion Week wrap-up show with the lovely Toni Senecal...more details to come!
I suffer from hair sabotage syndrome.
My natural hair is straight, medium blonde, fine texture, but decently thick. Yet I always feel the need to mess with Mother Nature.
I have been platinum several times (most recently this summer)...
Channeling Gwen with Hannah Byun, designer of Hansel From Basel hosiery
Golden blonde...
Summer of 2006, weeks before the most recent short circuit
Strawberry blonde, red, brown and jet black (twice...don't ask)...
By Norman Jean Roy, 2001
I've had an asymmetrical bob (it was the 80s)...
1986 -- the other side was shaved!
A bob with bangs...
Spring 2004, on my honeymoon (guess where we went?)
A bob with no bangs...
Spring 2007
...and a buzz cut (in a last-ditch attempt to get rid of the black; all photographic evidence has been confiscated).
Not to mention all the awkward growing-out stages in between.
I tend to spend years growing it out to its most perfect natural state, only to ruin it all with a single snip of the scissors. I usually chop it after seeing a picture of Linda Evangelista, Mia Farrow, Twiggy or the latest model to shock the fashion industry by lopping her luscious locks (Anja Rubik, below, was my most recent muse).
Image from Polki.pl
Summer 2007
I'm an all or nothing person, so in-between lengths or safe styles are never satisfying.
Dramatic hair changes make me feel independent, strong, untethered, rebellious...for about an hour. And then I want my real hair back, and the cycle starts again.
I am currently mid-cycle. I have waaaaayyyyy too many layers, which makes me feel like I'm in purgatory.
Long layers are one thing, but for some reason scissor-happy hands always want to hack away, leaving me with cropped, choppy layers.
But as of today, I'm taking back my hair. I will no longer nod "yes" when I really mean "absolutely not" as the shears come towards my head. I will learn, finally, that photo shoot hair rarely translates into real life hair. I will resist the urge to shock friends, family and co-workers with a seasonal hair hacking (I am already hearing cheers up and down the East Coast).
Today I am entrusting my hacked-up head to the capable hands of Adel at Louis Licari (Louis himself brought my sad, weakened, bleached out summer locks back to life). Adel is more than a skilled stylist: He's also a hair extension guru.
I have never had extensions, but if there ever was a time to sit still for hours on end without fidgeting, it's now.
Not only will Adel limit my stay in layer purgatory, but he will shape my new head of hair into the Next Big Hair Trend for a Fox5 Fashion Week trend segment...now that may sound as if I'm going back to my old ways, but I have a pretty good hunch that the Next Big Hair Trend is going to be all about longer, sleeker, more natural locks.
If I can't be naturally natural, faux-natural suits me just fine -- especially if the words "choppy layers" are no longer part of my hair vocabulary.
Sorry, Twiggy!
Check back during Fashion Week for the big reveal, and set your DVRs to record Fox5's "Good Day New York" next week, where you'll get to watch the long and the short of it.
It's a good day when InStyle.com's "Look of The Day" features a gorgeous celeb wearing THE SAME TOP that you're wearing.
Like, for example, today!
Eva Longoria Parker chooses a Kenneth Cole Reaction cobalt silk blouse to wear while promoting her new film, Over Her Dead Body, in London.
Landov
Katrina Szish (that's me!) chooses a Kenneth Cole Reaction cobalt silk blouse to wear for her weekly appearance on CNN.com.
In fact, YOU can choose a Kenneth Cole Reaction cobalt silk blouse to wear wherever you want. Even better, it's on sale for $58.90 at Nordstrom.
Click here to watch today's CNN.com segment on Star Travel Tips!
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