Last minute Christmas shopping, don't fret

For the woman (or women) in your life that give a lick about skincare- try Philosophy's Microdelivery peel kit (available at Sephora). It is $60.00 but will definitely make the woman in your life whom you want to get a "good" gift happy

Speaking of Sephora, this is a great go to spot for any of the females in your life that enjoy
a. Perfume
b. Makeup
c. Skincare

Most women care about at least one of the above, if not all, so Sephora is a great one stop shop for the women in your life.

Christian Dior has a string of successful perfumes that young women love

    A. Hypnotic Poison
    B.  Pure Poison
    C.  Midnight Poison
    D.  Miss Dior Cherie

Macy's is a great department store to shop at for the lovely ladies in your life. Depending on your budget, you can get a range of gifts, at different price points of course.

Remember, if you are feeling overwhelmed, you always have the option of a giftcard.  I don't know any person that wouldn't be happy with a card that allows them to put money towards any purchase of their choice. Some retailers have specials if you purchase enough giftcards from them. For every $100.00 in giftcards you spend at Albertsons, you receinve $20.00 towards your groceries. Something to ponder...


Itunes giftcards are a great idea- most people have itunes in some manner, whether its on their computer, through their phone, (or if they have an iphone). $15.00 on an itunes card can go a long way.

Boots!

One of the things I love most about fashion is how you can express your own sense of style and personality through clothing. Therefore, it is so interesting to me how many people follow the trends . So many people love to express themselves through art, music, writing, sports etc...why not express yourself through your clothes?

You do not have to become obsessed with fashion and spend tons of money...think about the overall image you want, and slowly make steady changes in your wardrobe.

Ie- throwing a scarf over your sweater/jacket makes you look *that much more* pulled together.


For wintertime, I find that my staple go to pieces are :  Jackets (coats) / Boots with skinny jeans. Such simple pieces. If you have black and brown boots and black and brown jackets- you now have several different outifts that are cute, yet easy to put together. I wear some of the same pieces several times a week, but because of all the different ways I mix it up and different things I wear these items with, most people never notice. For example, how I mentioned having brown and black jackets and boots, one day I may wear a bold red shirt under my black jacket with my black boots and skinny jeans. The reason I say skinny jeans with my boots is bc if you know you are going to be tucking your jeans in your boots, the last thing you want is that bunched up look, so I highly recommend skinny jeans when wearing them inside your boots.
The next time I wear that black jacket, I might just wear it with a frilly black skirt and heels to mix it up. These pieces are great because like I said, they are easy on the eyes yet very practical. A decent leather jacket will keep you WARM and so will your boots. Plus,  boots always make me feel sexy. Even the flat ones, as long as they at least hit the knee. Don't get me wrong, I have some short boots, and I like them- I just find that I hardly wear them. They aren't as practical, but that's just for me. I always find myself in the taller boots.  A good leather jacket and killer pair of knee boots never go out of style, anyway, so its a good investment to start picking up on these pieces.

Believe it or not but Kohl's carries respectable leather jackets for women, and cheaper leather jackets for juniors.
Macy's has a great selection (online especially) if you are willing to spend a little more. I have a great black trench coat I purchased from Macy's 4 years ago. I wear it every winter, and almost every time I wear it, I have someone ask me where I got it. It still looks great, the style is still the same as this year's coat, with minor adjustments (like the buttons, big deal). But my point is, this coat was a little pricey for me (I believe it came out to 160 or slightly more) but I knew it was a good investment. It was a heavy coat, made with the right material. I needed a good coat to keep me warm in the city, and this coat was perfect. I will be able to wear it for years and years, not just style wise but also wear wise, as I said, very durable coat/good quality.

Vera Wang faux leather jacket available at Kohl's (around $60 I believe)

I love love my ryder boots, these particular ones here are Madden Girl- "Zoiiee" boot

I love a boot with a heel, but these flats are great and easy for every day wear. I save the heel  boots for nighttime.

Project Runway angers me once again

Just like last season, this year's winner was the bitchy girl who you knew would make it to the top 5, but saw no way of her making it to fashion week. Or at least I didn't. I was at a loss for words when I realized my biggest worry of the evening was coming true- sweet, cute Little Mondo was runner up to know it all Gretchen. Yes, GRETCHEN won.

What really gets me is, things that the judges end up kicking other contestants off for - like telling Michael he used the same colors over and over again, making his clothes look the same., are things current contestants get away with.All of Gretchen's designs can be summed up in one word for me: 70's.  If you are wanting to dress like a Bohemian chick from the 70's, then yes, Gretchen has some things for you. But that's ALL she has.

The judges said she is always "right on trend". No comment on that.

At least Heidi and Jessica Simpson were in agreement that Mondo was the true winner, but Nina Garcia and Michael Kors got their way and so Gretchen was crowned.  

In honor of my favorite Project Runway contestant, Mondo, here are just a few pictures of some of my favorite looks of his. He is amazing with patterns and bold colors! There is no designer who produces anything close to his fun, yet wearable work.

 I sincerely hope to see work from both Mondo and Andy in the future.

Fashion Terminology - Skirts

Types of Skirts


A line-  This skirt is fitted at the waist and slightly flairs out at the bottom, giving it an A shape.  The skirt fits snuggly at the waist and lightly grazes the hips and thights.

photo by http://poshposh.com/200910/michael-kors

Ballerina -  a full skirt that stops just above the knees

Bubble- the hem is the same width as the waist, which gives the skirt a "bubble" appearance



     Bubble skirt right above the knee                                                                                                                                                                   Bubble Dress

                                                                              

Flared- same shape as an A line, but more of a significant flare at the bottom.

Tube- tight fitting skirt, especially around the hips

Picture from: http://coolspotters.com/clothing/stripe-tube-skirt-by-new-look

Tulip- given this name because its shape looks like an upside down tulip, this skirt hugs your waist then ever so slightly flares out

Pencil skirt, aka Straight skirt-  tailored for a tighter fit, this skirt falls straight from the hip down to just below the knee. This skirt has a long and slim shape.

picture from chicbuying.com

                                                                                     

Pleated- usually short skirts that are well above the knee, the pleats, or "folds" help reduce the flare of the skirt

 


Length names for skirts and dresses


Mini- Hemline is above the knee by usually at least 4 inches.
Micro Mini- you guessed it- even shorter then the mini
Midi- at the knee
Max- floor or ankle length
Tea length- a true tea length dress hits closer to the bottom of the calf. However, these days, anything that hits at least the knee and longer is considered tea length.

.Halloween Baking

I love Halloween and love baking cute treats for Halloween night. Here are some of the treats I made last year, and will make again this year


                                                      
                                     Blood n Bones    (Bread twisted at the ends to look like bones w/ Marinara sauce) 

                                    So easy to make- You can even use the Pillsbury bread that is ready for you to pop in the oven, just tie the ends in knots so they look like bones.






                            Ghost Bites   - Doesn't get any easier than this. Take Nutter Butters and dip them in white chocolate, then give Mini Choc. Chips for the eyes

                   

Beauty must haves

Aside from the obvious products every female should have (concealer, blush, mascara, eyeliner) here are some products I love and use daily.




High Beam - Benefit
A great highlighter- this gives your skin a dewey, fresh look. Apply to cheeks and eyebrow arches. My skin does not look as smooth and fresh without this, this is one of my favorite makeup products. I recommend the high beam for people with fair skin. For those of you with more color, I recommend the Moon Beam. (works better with olive tones)

   



Bronzer is a must have- for most of us, our faces don't tan as easily as our bodies do. I love a good bronzer that gives me color but still looks natural looking. I have a few favorite bronzers tht I have used before, one of them is by Too Faced



Caribbean bronzer- sun bunny






To get natural, (none of that orange junk) instant color, I recommend Jiffy Tan by Benefit. It goes on so easily, and the color is instant, therefore, you can fix any little mistakes you have. I put on a regular lotion a few minutes before this so that it goes on more smoothly. I haven't had any problems with this rubbing off on my clothes either, which is very important!

Colorful thought of the day

Say it ain't so

I sincerely hope these shoes don't become a trend...I'm still pretty speechless, but the craftsmenship is quite impressive!

Jeans

Straight Cut

Skinny Jean

Flare Cut

Boot Cut

Bell bottom