Before we go any further…

There has been quite a lot of fascinating brouhaha this past week about bloggers, and freebies, and blog integrity, and everything else that goes along with that ongoing debate. We aren't one to delve into too much serious on this here blog – because it is our outlet for things that are pretty! and fun! and Zac Efron-related! – but we do want to be sure we are forthcoming with all of you. We are not exactly sure how we ended up on the Blog Shortlist – seriously, we've never even been offered a free lipstick, but somehow we suddenly became worthy of trips to Paris – but we've been extremely flattered that someone, somewhere thought enough of us to include us in some of these events, like this week's Gucci store opening and charity gala.

We have really enjoyed the opportunity to be part of a few of the pioneering blog-focused campaigns, to have this unprecedented access to some of the most creative fashion minds in the world and especially to meet other bloggers from around the globe (this week's happy find is the fantastic Elisabeth, whose comparison to all this as a "Kim in Bye Bye Birdie" moment rings true to our similarly Broadway-minded heart. But beyond that, she is a completely fun person and an excellent writer, and I know a lot of you are going to want to put her site on your blog list immediately.)

Where were we? Oh yes. We have always made it clear to our hosts upfront that our inclusion in such events does not guarantee good press, or any press, on our blog and that we will write what we want about the activities we participate in. It is a delicate situation, but we definitely wanted to thank *all of you* for being so completely awesome and congratulatory and encouraging (and not, for one second, rude or catty) as we test out this new phenomenon. We suspect that there are many more excellent blogs (see list at right, for starters) that will find themselves in similar situations in the near future, and we hope you are just as supportive to them.

When Gucci invited me to come up to New York, the only stipulation was that I take a photo of myself in my favorite New York spot as part of their festivities and fund-raising activities. (Which I did, and which you can see over here. Please ignore the fact that they've currently got me identified as Cory Kennedy, which is a little bit surreal. And yes, I did pair my Gucci with Chuck Taylors.) They've also included me in various other events, and I'll probably tell you a bit more about them as well (or at least, I'll tell you what people are wearing. My scribbled notes read something like "**groomed eyebrows**" {see above – there was a girl at one of the events with the most amazing cheekbone-enhancing arches} and "shrunken fur jackets – so cute!" and "Gucci CEO Mark Lee can really rock a slim-cut suit". We definitely do not expect you to run out and buy Gucci, but we do hope you enjoy the ride. It's been fun.

But we digress. We are done with being overly serious for the moment, and now we go back to our regularly scheduled content of being frivolous and fawning over celebrities. There is a party with Madonna (and Gwyneth and SJP and Timbaland and about a gazillion others whose outfits we really cannot wait to see) to prepare for, after all. And really, what's the point of fashion if it isn't fun?