Spring Fashion 2011!

Hey there...OMG, this is my first post for 2011!  What a great time to begin though, after all Spring is all about new beginnings. Everything is coming back to life and it's time for us to do the same.  Get outta of the house and go for walks to the parks or to your local ice cream shoppe....the smell of freshly cut grass (that's my fav), birds singing in the morning...and fun Spring fashion!

I want to share a few of the trends that are hot this season. So if you've got cabin fever and you're ready to shop...well then, here it goes...

Who Said Neutrals are Boring?
The trend is all about neutral, neutral, neutral with pops of color.  Imagine this, white on cream: white top & bottom, paired with a cream jacket, add a splash of color like a yellow necklace or red shoes or maybe a green purse.  But don't do all three, only pick one to accent as color.

Who wears Short Shorts?
Lets talk shorts, I personally don't like them but that's because I'm not a fan of my legs but if you don't mind showing them off, shorts are very in for Spring. Any length of shorts are acceptable just keep in mind, don't go too short. Keep it age appropriate, if your 45 wearing Daisy Dukes (regardless of how good you may look in them) you'll give off the perception of trying "too hard" to stay young and that's actually NOT flattering!

Here's the rule for shorts, whatever length skirt you're comfortable wearing should be the length of shorts you wear also.

Happy Prints
Prints, prints, prints and more prints...all together at once.  Yes anything goes with this style, however keep the colors of each piece in the same family, so that it's not too overwhelming.


High-Wasted Jeans
So, some of us really resented the fact that for the past 10 years or so, low-rise jeans were in.  If your mid section was anything less than Jillian Michael's, there was some serious issues going on there.  WELL BEHOLD BECAUSE HIGH-WASTED JEANS ARE SERIOUSLY HERE THIS SEASON!! Yep, that 70's-inspired look is back this season and boy are we grateful, lol! Tuck in a pretty blouse and add some wedges and you got yourself one serious, slim look going on!

So these are just a few of the trends going on here this Spring.  Do some Spring cleaning and shopping and get on these so that you're the hippest, chic chick out there!

14 Day Manicure...All the Craze

So, you're having lunch with your BFF and you noticed her manicure and how gorgeous it looked.  You're absolutely positive she just came from the nail salon as recently as this morning or at best, yesterday afternoon.  Not thinking anything of it, you give her a compliment then ask her what the name of the color she's wearing because that's almost half the fun, learning of the hilarious concoctions of names these nail lacquers have.

To your surprise she actually said her manicure was a week old.  Still in shock as to what you just heard and looking at these shiny, still completely in-tact, nails in front of you, she begins to explain.

A week ago, she had what is called a no-chip manicure, this is the term it has become known as. What it is exactly, is a form of lacquer combined with a gel base, made in a huge array of colors.


It is applied just like a traditional polish however each layer is cured inside of a UV light, which bonds it to the natural nail, therefore securing it in place for up to two weeks with a brilliant shine...and yes, NO CHIPPING!


How does it come off, then?  After about two weeks, maybe even three, see the technician that originally applied it and she will gently remove the gel by simply soaking each finger with acetone wraps for about 15 minutes.  The gel eventually breaks down and crumbles right off. 

Seeing is believing and this concept is amazing!  Call around your local salons and find out which ones are offering this service.  It is rapidly growing, so you should be able to find one without a problem.  The average cost for this service is $40.

One definition of revolution means a fundamental change in the way of thinking about or visualizing something...it's time we revolutionize our way of thinking, of what a traditional manicure should be...toss out the notion that it can only last a few days. There's a new Mayor in town and her term is...indefinite.

Contemporary Wedding Hairstyles

 

Born and raised in Chicago has given me an advantage in seeking and finding the most unique wedding hairstyles. The Windy City serves as home to the finest stylists in the world and it is my pleasure to be able to work with some of them. So if you're looking for something different when it comes to your wedding-day hair or bored with all the hum-drum styles you've been seeing in all those wedding magazines, then read on Ms. Bride-to-be...you're about to view the latest super-chic, ultra-modern wedding hairstyles this great city has to offer!

Ahh, that special day that you've been dreaming about since the days playing dress-up in your bedroom as a little girl. Fantasizing about the man that will one day sweep you off your feet and live happily ever after. On this day, you will transform into the most beautiful creature the world has seen! It's a day of very thorough preparation, made months or even years in advance. Every detail is accounted for to the table centers and gift favors to the special bustier that keeps the twins in place and that baby-gut-before-the-baby, nice and tight and right.

This day that I am referring to is YOUR WEDDING DAY!

So lets see, we got the man...CHECK...the ring...CHECK...the dress...CHECK...now it's time to complete the look. Aside from the dress of your dreams, one thing that is taken into great consideration is the hairstyle that you'll be donning as you're walking down the aisle...all the way to the stroke of midnight after some intense celebrating, that almost always includes alcohol and a little dancing. So one must ponder what style suits the dress and personality of the bride and can positively withstand the grueling activities associated which such a day.

Now, what I'm about to unveil (no pun intended) are some styles I picked out that fall under the category of modern-contemporary. There are short wedding hairstyles, long wedding hairstyles and everything in between... so let's get started!

 The first style I picked is a cross between 1st grade meets 20-something. It's basically a grown-up version of what is known as a "pig-tail".  The hair is parted and pulled tightly into two sections. Both sections of hair are piecy with straight and coiled  locks.  I really like this one!  This style is for the bride who will always have the inner-child in her, yet exudes sophistication and maturity.

Next up is a style that reminds me of The Princess Bride...remember that movie?  This is a very wholesome, innocent look.  It's best worn with medium to long hair lengths.  After damp hair is diffused, pieces of hair are curled toward the ends so that to leave hair smoother at the root.  The hair is tousled and slightly teased.  A middle part and and jewel-adorned pins on each side, complete the look.


This next style is like a 21st century, Bridget Bardot.  Again, made for medium to long hair types.  Big, loose waves are secured to one side by wrapping strands of hair around the "tail".  This is simple to achieve and works best with hair that is thicker than fine and is more wavy than straight...does that makes sense?






I have really short hair so it's only fitting for me to give you at least a couple short styles.  This one's super fun...and easy!  It literally looks like the hair is blowing in the wind...love Ashley Judd, too.

Alyssa's hair is long on top and short through the sides and back.  Long strands are curled and set off the face...hmmm, I'm getting ideas.

This style is pretty....elegant...soft-spoken...flirty...nuff said.

I saved the most unique style I found, for last. OK, so sections of hair are pulled up then painted...YES, I said painted...to add dimension and match the colors of the roses. Um yeah, this is pretty cool...what more can I say?

There you have it!  I hope that this serves as an informational tool to help guide you through the process of deciding, how should I wear my hair for the wedding?

Black Friday 2010!!

Thanksgiving is upon us once again and let me tell ya how excited I am to stuff my face all day long with a bunch of carbs and calories (ahem, pumpkin pie) and of course turkey!

I got a killer sweet-potato recipe, of which, I will be bringing to my Aunt's house this Thursday..it's more like a dessert however, it is very sweet!

So after "Brown-Thursday" (that's what I call it...get it?...turkey?...brown?...LOL) we roll into, literally at 12am, this thing we now know as "Black-Friday".  This is the day when all the stores have some pretty ridiculous sales on all the stuff you want (or others want) for Christmas.  For awhile there, I didn't understand why it was called "black" Friday (cuz numbers and money$ are not a favorable subject for me).  I get that concept now and for those of you that don't, well here it goes...

...Black Friday is when all the stores that are in the "red" according to their accounting records for the year, actually have a fighting chance to get off life support and out of the red and into the black...ah, where we all want to be...I'm still trying to get there...apparently so is our country...phew, I'm thankful I don't have their debt!

I must admit however, I have NEVER experienced this crazy way of shopping in the middle of the night with a bunch of others racing through the aisles at Walmart, Best Buy, Target or whatever your [drug]store of choice is.  I haven't done so yet becuz I never have enough capital this early in the game to take advantage of such great deals.

Yep, I'm one of those that waits til the last minute, right before Christmas...that last paycheck before and running to the stores to make my purchases.  It works for me though.  Don't get me wrong, I have a plan...I do know what I am going to get and for whom and I've mapped out my paychecks til then to know what I can afford.

The two big-ticket items I need this year are the iTouch and the PlayStation 3.  Once those are purchased, I'm pretty much home-free from there!

What I would like to know is, which one of you will be out bargain-hunting this Friday and what items are on your "to-get" list?

Successful or not so-successful stories wanted...and of course any of those stories of fighting over such items is always entertaining to hear also.    =)

Holiday Season 2010 Upon Us

It has been like three months since my last post...please forgive me, I've been having writers block.  I have returned however to discuss the Holiday season that is upon us.

It seems every year, Christmas decor goes up earlier and earlier and quite honestly, I'm thinkin of puttin mine up in the next week or so.  Cm'on, there's so much effort put into decorating for Christmas, why not get it up sooner and enjoy it longer?  I just love it when my Christmas tree lights illuminates my living room, it's such a cozy, peaceful feeling.

There's a lot of work in getting ready for the holidays, especially in my industry.  All of the holiday retail gift sets are to be displayed...holiday retail verbage are to be used in selling those gift sets...appointment books getting filled for all the holiday parties....shopping for gifts....getting ready for personal parties.....busy, busy, busy...

...But so much fun!

So let's talk about what's hot this holiday season...my specialty: NAILS!

Holiday nails don't change that much from year to year, just different variations of reds, golds, and silver.  Here's a few of my fav holiday collections this season:

China Glaze's holiday theme is Naughty and Nice.  Fun glitters like Party Hearty which is a combo of white, teal and crimson glitters;  Mrs. Claus , white and red glitter; Mistletoe Kisses, teal and white glitter.


If glitter is not your thing then you may like OPI's Holiday Reds collection, featuring some of their classics like: OPI Red, Big Apple Red, Affair in Red Square and Vodka & Caviar.


SpaRitual has three new shades for Christmas: Light, Radiant and Reflection...theses are shimmers (not glitters) of white, red and gold.

How about some gift sets that are non-lacquer?  Most of you know, I work at an AVEDA salon, so it's only fitting for me to discuss their holiday gifts sets this year.

Aveda's theme this season is Gifts Bright with Hope... supporting communities protecting the rainforests.

This year all of Aveda's gift sets are under $65!  Their least expensive set is the Shining Lip Trio, which includes three mini lip shines and retails $21.  The Sensory Treasures set includes Replenishing Body Moisturizer, Lavender Singular Note, travel-size Soothing Aqua Therapy Body Scrub and Chakra 4 Balancing Body Mist...all for just $62! Visit  Aveda for more details on the other gift-sets offered this 2010 Holiday season!

Hope your holidays are bright and filled with hope this year and every year to come...happy shopping!!!!!

Back to School

WOW, it's that time of the year again.  Like christmas, it always seems to sneek up on me and especially ths year.  My kids got out of school on June 8 and are returning August 16!  On June 8th, August 16th couldn't have come quicker for me but now that it is almost here, I am not ready.

Now you're probably thinking, "Is she nuts...kids are going back to school, your freedom is back!"  Well that may be so but honestly, I hate the routine.  I'm not a "routine" kinda girl.  I don't like schedules.  During the summer, the kids can pretty much go to bed whenever they wanted and woke up whenever they wanted.  Now it's back to setting the alarms for the morning, taking showers, eating breakfast and making lunches...all before 8am!

Then comes after school...here comes the routine again...snacks, homework, dinner, activites, bedtime...phew!

Also, school starting two weeks earlier than usual means having all thier supplies and some new clothes.  I don't go nuts in the beginning of the year with clothing purchases.  That comes over time, not all at once in our household.

So the easy-going days of summer has come to an end, enter the hectic routines of the school year.  Let's not even try to think about the fact that Christmas is FOUR MONTHS AWAY!!!  I gotta start thinking about that...now.

No worries, though.  Just like everthing else in life, the storm comes and goes.  For me that means, I will eventually succomb to the routine again and become it's friend and not it's enemy...I will become used to it all over again, as I do every year in August.

Now the fun part...this season's fashion trends.  Below are some trends I've been seeing for the upcoming Fall season..have fun and remember, don't stress...really, I'm not stressin. :-)

These are some of the top Fall trends, straight from Fashion Week 2010 in New York City...

                                                              Eccentric Ladylike

Urban Warrior

Conservative Glamour

Great Outdoors

Bohemian Rhapsody

Stay tuned for an enitre post devoted to Fall denim trends, comin soon...got your pair of jeggings yet?

Nail Art and Competitions

Okay, so I am on a serious revival-of-my-skill, journey, as a nail tech...or should I say, nail artist, that's what I want to be referred to as. I'm gona step it up a few notches!

Lately all I can do is sit on the computer and watch YouTube videos of "how-to" tutorials on various nail art methods...there are tons!!!! Where do I begin?

First, I need to update my supply of nail art products.  This means more acrylic, more gel...all colors, all glitters.  This means new brushes.  This means a variety of acrylic paint and brushes for that too...and a bunch of other stuff I want to make this a more successful journey, if you will...this means I need more $$$, lol.

I'm going to have to take it one step at a time though...buy a little bit of this now and little bit of that later.

There's so many nail art options out there.  One, that I always thought would be an impossibility to me was hand-painted art. This, I'm learning, is actually something I CAN do and do it very well...of course with a lot of practice and teaching videos, this will be accompished.

My mind is racing!!! I have so many ideas and I can't wait to show them to you and showcase my art.

Another thing I am going to pursue is nail competitions.  These are vital in the success of any nail artists' career.

I've been doing nails since '93 and I have only competed once.  I think it may have been circa 1996???  I actually did well, placing fourth out of 26 competitors...not bad for my first time.  My new goal is to win the Nailpro Cup within the next seven years!  That is like the Superbowl for the nail industry.  With that honor comes an invitation only, admission to the international nail competitions in Dusseldorf, Germany.  Only ONE competitor from each country competes for the title...pretty cool, huh?

So I have ignited a new flame and I am super excited to learn new techniques and practice, practice, practice...

...Wish me blessings!

Below are photos of other nail artists' work...this is what I aspire to become...