#7 The One Thing You Should Never Trend

Of all the trends to try, and don't ever be afraid to try them, the one you should never follow is an "eyebrow trend."  Thin or thick, arched or straight, long, short, etc.  just don't do it.  Simply clean your natural shape up a little, a little eyebrow powder to even out the color; pow! beautiful.  You will never find yourself looking at old pics and saying "what was i thinking?!"  At least not about your eyebrows:)  

Defy trend and stick to your guns, er ah, brows.  Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly all defied the trend of thin brows of their time and they are considered the most beautiful women of all time.  Think about Elizabeth with thin brows, she would have lost so much of the sensuality in her face, her brows made her face more appealing and interesting to look at because they were unique and gave her face a little more of that indescribable something that made her that fall out of your seat gorgeous.  

If you were not born with Elizabeth brows, don't try to get them

 Think Cate Blanchett.  Gorgeous, right?  Though not so gorgeous if you imagine her with brows like Taylor, and vise versa.

If you are thinking about trending your brows, stop and think.  Sometimes you can't get them back.  Over a period of time, plucking and waxing destroy the hair follicle and the hair can never grow back.  Then your brows could be stuck in a trend from 20 years ago and you can't really do much about it.  

Capture It

#6 Always carry a blank book and a camera




amazon

 

As an artist i find this to be very important.  You never know when inspiration will strike; or you are like me and you think that you'll remember it later, only to find i've forgotten what it was that i was suppose to remember in the first place.  I've tried writing on my arms and hands, but that really doesn't help these days when you're trying to make a professional appearance.  i have a little notebook in my purse i always keep there for sketches, notes, grocery lists, and my own thoughts.

by Burnedinthebrain on etsy

As for a camera; I couldn't count the number of times i've been riding along, saw something, and wished desperately for my camera.  it's not just a recording device for the things you want to remember it's best use is in capturing those inexplicable moments in life that come and go so quickly you are not alway sure what it was you saw, you just remember it was damn funny.







Cameraoldies on etsy



The Nutcracker

December 23 my family and i went to see BalletMet's production of the Nutcracker. 




photo from This Week

 
I have to admit, i wasn't really feeling very holiday-ish this month, but going to see the Nutcracker always does the trick.    And to help it along i wore a dress from the late 1930's that i had bought from my fav vintage shop this summer specifically to wear to the ballet.  I love this ballet and my family tries to go every year, and they put on a beautiful production, as always, i think i am going to try to catch one or two of their winter productions.

Cookie Day

My family has a tradition every year around this time of getting together and spending a full day doing nothing but making cookies.  Yesterday was cookie day and I still have a cookie hangover, lol. Here is a little peak at a box of cookies i got to take home with me.  And because this tradition is so strong in my family i also got this handmade recipe book from a shop at Etsy to fill with all the cookie recipes we collect.  It's very sturdy and held up really well in the midst of flour, oil, eggs and such.

Going to go snack on some cookies now.  Later lovelies.

The LWD

#5 The LWD

Everyone knows about the LBD, I just bought mine this week, but very little attention is paid to the LWD or little white dress. 

Here are some gorgeous examples of the LWD, starting from top left; two looks from Dolce & Gabbana's new line, which is almost exclusively white; top right are, of course, the lovely Sarah Jessica Parker in the white Halston dress she wears in SATC 2 and the lovely Kate Hudson in that slinky but gorgeous white dress she wore on the red carpet.  In the middle we have Rachel Bilson looking fresh in a white cotton dress.  Next to her is possibly my favorite dress, designed by Sarah at Welcome to the Good Life.  She made this gorgeous white dress from a vintage skirt, and it won the Shabby Apple contest last month :) congrats Sarah! (i voted for you:) you can see more images of her dress here.  Finally, the two dresses on the bottom are from a seller i found on ebay called grape-apple and i simply adore their clothes.

White dresses are not just for wedding days.  Whether it's fun, flirty, glam, casual, vintage or modern every woman should have a LWD, it's just so much more fun than black :)

Silk for my Pillow

#4 Silk Pillow Cases

I am so glad i finally found some silk pillow cases; sounds extravagant to some, maybe, but it is very important, especially for women with long hair.  You see, cotton sucks all the moisture out of the hair causing it to dry and break more easily.  A silk pillow case will keep the moisture in the hair; less dryness, less damage.  Some women choose to sleep with silk scarves tied around their heads, and this works just as well, but for me I just don't like the feeling of my head being wrapper while I am sleeping. 

Surprisingly, there are very few retailers who make silk pillow cases, at least where I live, though Daisy  Fuentes bedding line at Kohls has some.  However, they are very easy to make ;) Just find a couple silk scarves that you like, try places like TJ Maxx for discounted ones, and sew them together on three sides, and viola, you've made your own custom pillow case.

A little side note; because the fabric is more delicate than cotton wash them in a laundry bag to keep them from catching on things in the washer and dryer :)

Later lovelies

The Rest in no Particular Order

#3 If You Can't Find It, Make It

I am a jewelry fanatic, it started with my grandma's own very large collection.  Anyway, I was looking for a better way to store my dangle style earrings then the lackluster earring trees I was finding in stores and I came up with this.

I got the idea while watching the Nate Berkus show about a woman who collects old window frames and used them around her house. 

It is so simple to make.  I just took an old picture frame I had, nailed some large head nails into the front, then strung different strings and wires across.  The result is so much more interesting and charming than the plastic display trees in the stores, and it functions as a constantly shifting work of art.  What do you think?

Knitting, sewing and crocheting



Gorgeous dress sewn and worn by the very elegant casey

 #2 Learn how to do at least one of the following: Knitting, sewing or crocheting.  I know many people, too many really, who feel that these skills are beneath them, and for the life of me I cannot understand why.  These skills are indispensable and irreplaceable.  They are among the most valueable weapons in life's arsenal. 

Nothing beats the satisfaction you get from making a garment and wearing it beautifully, except the feeling you get when someone compliments you on that garment. 



Butterfly dress by Charles James

And the possibilities are only limited by your own vision.

Knitting and crocheting are great for those creative types who need to keep their hands busy on the go.  Once you get a couple of the basic stitches down there is so much you can make.

And sewing is the most demanding art form ever, yes art form.  It is an art that begins in three dimensions, has to be broken down into two dimensions, is built usually entirely out of two dimensional materials, but in the end it has to stand in three dimensional form.  It is the only art form that requires you to break it down and build it back up in differnet dimensions.

And in this day, in this economy, these skills will save you so much money and could even make you some.  If you are looking for inspiration just check out some of my favorite blogs in the side bar.

Be Back Later :)