Veteran's Day

Please take a moment to pray for those who are serving our country in the Armed Forces as well as those who have lost their lives while serving. Whether or not you believe in the fight, you have to believe in the men and women who put on that uniform every, single day so that you and your family members don't have to.

These shoes are incredible!

Aren't these shoes incredible?!?!?! I just love the boldness of them. I believe they belong to Leighton Meister from "Gossip Girl". I could be wrong. But I love them, regardless of who is wearing them.

I would wear them with a 40's-inspired tweed suit, maybe in gray or black. Or perhaps a dove grey short suit. Or a purple jersey wrap dress. And, of course, with jeans.

I actually have a pair that are shaped like these, but they're solid black patent. I got mine at Target. They're by Isaac Mizrahi for Target. I purchased them several years ago but I still wear them all the time. Believe it or not, they're not all that uncomfortable and they can go with almost anything.

Just imagine the possibilities!

This would look amazing on my sister too!

As I was browsing online a couple of weeks ago, I stumbled across the top 10 haircuts of the decade (or something like that). Gwyneth Paltrow was on that list. Gwyneth's hair looks so healthy and full. This hair looks amazing on her and would look amazing on my sister, Wonder Woman.

Cheap update for your shoes

I wear these shoes alot. They're comfortable. They go with just about anything. And they recently got a cheap update.

I purchased the shoes several months ago at K-Mart on clearance for $5.00. A month or two ago, I was browsing through Target and stumbled across these shoe clips. The price? $4.00! The shoe clips are made from black and silver zippers so even though it's a flower, it's still edgy. You can buy several pairs of different shoe clips and take them on trips with you to change up your look. I also stumbled across a really fancy beaded pair that I've had for years that I can use to dress up these same shoes. Talk about packing light!

I found it!

I previously blogged about how much I loved Demi Moore's taupe nail polish. I was seeing the taupe nail trend in magazines and online. I absolutely fell in love with the color. I'm not exactly sure what my attraction is but it is a great neutral shade because it seems to pick up the undertones of your clothing.

So I went to my local Wal-Mart to scour the shelves for a great taupe polish that would compliment my skin tone and not look chalky. I looked at different brands and compared them side by side before I made my selection. I have a winner ! ! !


"Taupe Drawer" Pure Ice Nail Polish by Bari Cosmetics, purchased at Wal-Mart, $2.00
It is affordable and easy to find. It's got slightly more purple than gray or beige so it looks great on cooler medium skin tones. It's not too dark or too light. It doesn't attract too much attention so it would be great for the office.

Everyone should have one really great neutral polish that will work for anything and I have found mine.

I think I need rehab!

There are indeed 87 bottles of nail polish in this picture. It includes 20 bottles of clear polish - base coats, top coats, strengtheners and a smudge corrector. It also includes 4 of those little Bon Bon polishes that you can get at Wal-Mart. I actually have a large make-up case just for my nail polishes. It does not include any makeup. The case weighs about 12 - 15 pounds and also contains nail implements, cuticle oil & remover as well as french manicure guides.

I may need therapy for my nail polish addiction before my collection becomes worth more than my house ! ! !

Hairstyle makeover

I just returned from helping one of my friends surprise one of her friends with a little makeover. This friend of a friend had been wearing a wig while her hair grew back and she finally had some regrowth but didn't know what to do with it. My friend thinks that I'm the short-hair expert so she called me in. It was the easiest hairstyle second only to my own.

Her wavy hair is approximately an inch and a half long. I had her wet it down and then just threw one squirt of Sleek and Shine anti-frizz serum from Garnier Fructis. I worked this in with my hands then combed it into a style. She looked so sophisticated. Unfortunately she wouldn't let us take any pictures.

When you have curly or wavy short hair, you don't really want to use alot of gel and other products on it. I normally only put a serum on my hair and let it air dry. Curly/wavy hair will do what it wants to do. It's the cut that determines how it looks.

This would look amazing on my sister!

Everyone knows that I love me a good makeover. So when I saw Kiera Knightley's new do, I fell in love. (Not with Ms. Knightley of course) It makes a gorgeous frame for her face. It makes her look so incredibly sophisticated and chic. It makes her neck appear to be a pisquillion miles long. Her hair looks so thick and healthy. I'm also just guessing that the new cut makes her appear to be about a foot taller and about 20 pounds thinner since shorter hair draws the eye up and in.

I have a sister, who I will call Wonder Woman (she amazes me), who would look absolutely fantastic in this hairdo. Except with Wonder Woman, I wouldn't take her hair quite this dark. I would take her hair to a dark, rich caramel-y brown with some lighter caramel highlights. Wonder Woman currently has looooooong blond hair.

So if anyone is considering a makeover, GO FOR IT ! ! ! ! ! It's only hair . . . it will grow back.

Great makeup

I absolutely love this makeup look. The contrast of the navy blue, smoky eye to the peachy blush and lips really makes the eyes stand out. This look would probably work better for a date or for evening but could also be lightened slightly to work for day.

I think that I would lighten the blush just a little bit and perhaps use a slightly lighter blue or a medium gray on the eye to make it appropriate for the office. The lips may be a little bit too glossy so I would switch to a less shiny lipgloss or a tinted lip balm. I also probably wouldn't line under my eyes.

If you lighten the look, you can always add to it to take it into the evening.

Edith Head was a genius!

Edith Head may not have looked like she had much fashion sense herself but that woman was a genius! I would have to say that she was the best costume designer to ever live. I watch alot of old movies. I love them. I adore them. I especially like to watch any old movies with Audrey Hepburn or Doris Day. I always watch the opening credits (they're always at the beginning instead of the end on old movies) to see if Edith Head did the costumes. If she did, they will always be guaranteed to be amazing!

Grand Canyon Skywalk report

I DID IT!!!!! The Hot Tamale and my Baby Bro actually got me to go out on the Grand Canyon Skywalk. I even have a pink camo t-shirt to prove it. We had our pictures taken while we were out on it. The whole experience was pretty scary for some reason.

But the big surprise was when Baby Bro treated me and the Hot Tamale to a helicopter ride above the Grand Canyon. That was totally awesome! I thought I'd have a really hard time with the heli ride but I actually didn't. Once we were off the ground, the helicopter pilot banked a hard right and I was hooked. I totally recommend it!

If I had to choose between the skywalk and the helicopter ride, I would totally choose the helicopter ride. It wasn't long but it was so worth it.

7 outfits - one shirt

I do not remember where I saw these pictures at but it just amazed me that you could do so much with just 1 shirt. Naturally, the purple outfit is my fave but the rest are amazing as well. Now if I just had a blue oxford . . . as well as everything else shown above.

I'm terrified of heights!

In just two short weeks, I will be here with the Hot Tamale and my Baby Brother (I was out-voted by all the testosterone).



We will be standing on a piece of U-shaped glass & metal, dangling 70 feet out over the edge of the Grand Canyon and 4000 feet above the rushing waters of the Colorado River. This frightening adventure is known as the Grand Canyon Skywalk.

Why would one come up with something this scary????? I am absolutely terrified of heights and the Baby Brother says he's going to go out to the bend of the "U" and jump up and down. Why? Why would he scare me like that? I guess that's a Marine for ya, always livin on the edge.

My idea was to ride the Grand Canyon Railroad train to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and have a nice lunch at the El Tovar Lodge. I guess it wasn't adventureous enough for the guys!

Audrey quote

As you may be well aware, I love Audrey Hepburn, so I thought that I'd share this quote with you. She says alot in just a few words.

Did you know . . . ???

Alot of people may not know this. It's a very useful piece of information that I got from someone I once knew.

Did you know that you can clean your sterling silver jewelry (or any tarnished metal) using a pencil eraser? Its true. I have cleaned many pieces that were showing some tarnish by just rubbing them with a regular pink pearl pencil eraser. It makes the jewelry look brand-new. After rubbing the metal with an eraser, you may want to rub it with a soft cloth such as a soft washcloth or old t-shirt and Voila! Good as new.

P.S.

P.S. Her makeup does color coordinate to my current blog background, though. And I didn't even have to call her to arrange that!

Maybe . . . . .

Maybe if the Hot Tamale sees this picture of Rihanna's hair, it wouldn't scare him quite as much. Of course, her makeup might. It makes her eyes look like she's been crying . . . ALOT. I still love the haircut.

Pre - remodel

I was browsing through a 2nd-hand store a couple of years ago when I stumbled across this skirt. Of course, it attracted my attention because it was purple and the fabric was fantastic. It's obviously too big for me and way too full for me. But I could see its potential to be something better so I went ahead and purchased it (for approximately $3-$5). Its been laying around my house, doing absolutely nothing. I'm trying to decide what to make out of it. I'm thinking something like a pencil skirt with a high waist, very fitted, below the knee, very Audrey. I think that would look amazing.

When I've decided and I actually do something with the skirt, I'll post pix of the post-remodel.

He no likey!

So I had the Hot Tamale look at the Rihanna haircut that I had posted back on the 17th on my blog. He didn't like it very much. I think it may have been over-the-top edgy for him. Anyhow, I guess that I'll be coming up with a different idea.

AAAAAHHHHH . . . bubbles ! ! !

I took one of my super-relaxing bubble baths last night. I drew my bath and poured in a few drops of citronella and orange essential oils (the citrusy scent brings out the fragrance of the bubble bath) as well as some lavender oil and almond oil. Next I threw in some dead sea and epsom salts. This was followed by my CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRY TRUFFLE bubble bath from Avon.

I turned off the lights, lit a citrus cilantro candle, plugged in "Breakfast at Tiffany's" on the portable DVD player and sank into my completely decadent bath. By the time I climbed out, I felt like a strand of wet spaghetti and I was craving chocolate-covered strawberries.

Try it! You'll like it!

Here are 2 more "after" haircuts that I love

I absolutely love Lea Michele's long hair with bangs (Don't care for that one long piece of hair hanging though). I think that it is so sultry. I wish there were more women who would wear bangs. Bangs shave years off of a woman's age in so many instances. But not the overly curled under bangs. I don't like those either - they are dated.


Hayden Panettiere's hair took her from a girl to a woman. It made her look so much more sophisticated.

I myself have decided that I am going to try to grow just a little bit more hair. I'm thinking of growing the top long and cutting (but not shaving) the underneath similar to Rihanna's previous haircut - not the red bowl-cut that she has now. But I won't be going blond. I'll keep my dark burgundy hair color. This particular haircut would almost give you the best of both worlds. It can be really edgy or really classy depending on how you style it.




What do you think???

I don't know who this girl is but I LOVE her "after" hair!

I don't actually know who this girl is or what she's in but I absolutely ADORE what she did with her hair! Her "before" hair just looks kind of strange and flat. The "after" hair is absolutely amazing. It's so sophisticated. The slightly darker haircolor really helps bring out her gorgeous eyes. I also love her eye makeup in the "after" picture. It's so sexy and sophisticated.

Demi's digits

I like Demi Moore's fingernails. They look so classy. I probably couldn't pull this particular color off myself but it looks great on her. I like that she paired such an edgy color with her white lacy dress. It's classic with an edge . . . just like me!

This is NOT how ya do it ! ! !

This is NOT how you do short hair!
I love, love, love short hair. But not this one. If you cut and style your hair and it makes you look like your washed-up older brothers, you may want to reconsider. I like Janet Jackson's "before" hair but put a pair of dark aviators on her in her "after" picture and she looks exactly like Tito.

She could always smooth her short do out a bit and have a more Halle Berry-esque do.

Aren't these nails absolutely hideous?!?!?!

Why would one do this to their fingernails? Why?!?!?! I absolutely hate Fergie's nail shape. I've also seen pictures of Beyonce wearing her nails in this shape. Why would you do this? Why would their husbands go along with it?

This nail shape looks like something out of a very bad "B" horror movie. They look like a weapon. I'm pretty sure that if you worked in a prison or were visiting someone in a prison, they would make you cut your fingernails at the door!!!

I will, however, give Fergie props for her choice in nail color. The beigey-pink is very flattering on her and would look incredible on shorter, squoval shaped nails.

Latest addition

These are the latest addition to my shoe wardrobe.

These sandals are made by l.e.i. and I bought them at Wal-Mart for only $20! They look like they wouldn't be all that comfortable but they actually are. I wore them for 3 days straight and my feet NEVER hurt. The soles are rubber so they provide cushion. The highest part of the heel is 4 inches but the platform is 2 inches so it's like wearing a 2-inch heel.

Let me put it this way - I walked from our underground parking spot to our bleacher seats at Chase Field for the Diamondbacks game and my feet never hurt. Now that's a great shoe!

I love this hair ! ! !

I absolutely LOVE Rihanna's hair. Not necessarily the hair she has right this instant but this particular hairstyle.

In case you couldn't tell, I'm a HUGE fan of short hair. So many girls and women have long hair or the same A-line cut and everyone starts to look the same. With short hair, it shows more individuality. I'm not suggesting that everyone go as short as me - that's not it at all. Just try to express your individuality by not looking like everyone else.

Le fauxhawk

I was OBVIOUSLY bored the other day, so I styled my hair into a "fauxhawk".



Personally, I think it turned out great - fun & a little bit edgy. The Hot Tamale actually liked it.

Makeover #1

This is my good friend, "Timbri".
She is a 30-something "stay-at-home" Mom to 5 little girls, ranging in age from 10 to 3 months. She also cares for other children in her home. Needless to say, she is a VERY busy woman.

"Timbri" has shoulder-length hair that is very dry and thin and she very seldom wears any makeup. She wanted to change that, so this is what we did:



1. We started by lopping off 10 inches of hair. We then took the hair clippers and, using an extended No. 8 guard, we cut the rest of her hair to all one length.

2. We darkened her hair about 1 to 2 shades from her natural color. ("Timbri" is very light-complected and the darker hair will help highlight her face.)

3. We shaped her eyebrows, which helped frame and define her eyes.

4. We then applied her makeup. We first evened out her skin color by mixing an ivory liquid foundation with some face moisturizer ("Timbri" has very dry skin). We went back over it with a dusting of mineral foundation to help set the foundation and make it last longer. FOR HER EYES: we curled her top eyelashes, applied a medium brown eyeshadow on the lid, lined the upper eyelids ONLY with a navy blue eyeliner pencil, applied brown-black mascara to the upper eyelashes ONLY, applied a gold eyeshadow under her eyebrows for highlight and filled in her eyebrows with a light blond eyebrow pencil. FOR HER LIPS: we applied a pearly pink tinted lip balm as a base and topped it with a melon-colored lipgloss.

As you can probably see in the pictures, "Timbri" is very fortunate to have a gorgeous natural flush to her cheeks, making blush unnecessary. Her lips have a nice, even shape so we did not need to line them.

You may be wondering why we only applied the eye makeup to her upper eye and left the lower eye bare. That is because we did not want any mascara or eyeliner smudging under the eyes, thus creating dark undereye circles. Our reason for using brown-black mascara on "Timbri" instead of the standard black is because she is so light that the black would look too harsh.

Her hair now takes just about one minute to take care of and her makeup only takes maybe 5 or 10 minutes and she looks more sophisticated and confident. Doesn't she look amazing?!?!?!

Thank you, "Timbri", for this fabulous opportunity!!!

Coming soon . . .

I was given the opportunity to do a complete makeover on a close friend of mine yesterday. I will be posting the before and after pix here soon!

I changed my mind . . .

Okay, I went back and looked at my "improvised" outfit from my March 3 post and I've changed my mind. I don't like it at all - improvised or not. My black ballet flats look wierd. I'm sure it's the way I'm standing, but they just look wierd. The sweatshirt is pretty bulky and my skinny jeans also look wierd. Again, probably just the way I'm standing. Oh well . . . hindsight is always 20/20!

The Hair Part Theory

Today on MSN, there is an article that discusses the perception of various aspects of hair in the workplace - style, color, part, etc. The article on MSN only has excerpts of another complete article on elle.com. Well, this whole idea fascinated me so I went to elle.com and read the article.

What I found most fascinating was the Hair Part Theory done in 1999 by a brother and sister by the names of John and Catherine Walter. They theorize that a left-sided part "draws unconscious attention to activities controlled by the left hemisphere of the brain—i.e., logic, problem-solving, linear thinking, etc.—and that politicians with left parts historically fare better. In a 2001 New Yorker article, the Walters even supposed that Al Gore’s right part was the reason for his losing to the left-parted George W. Bush, pointing out that only three elected American presidents had a right-side part."

They further theorize that with a right-sided part, "unconscious attention is drawn to activities controlled by the right hemisphere of the brain—i.e., visual, artistic, and musical skills, nonlinear thinking, etc. “The best writers, eggheads, and artists tend to part their hair on the right,” noted Washington Post writer Henry Mitchell in 1979, who hypothesized that Jimmy Carter—a president plagued by unpopularity—switched from a right to left part midterm in hopes of separating himself from this elite and regaining a “populist image.”" (Elle.com, 2010)

The Elle.com article also says that a center part is considered to be more edgy and bold.

I currently have supershort hair (think crew-cut)


(no, this is not me)
in a deep burgundy shade (#36 from Loreal Feria - chocolate cherry) and it will only "part" on the left-side. Does that mean that I'm going to be the first female President of the United States?!

She approved!

I received confirmation this last week that the Mini-Fashionista loved her birthday outfit! Yesssssssss! I guess the good thing is that she actually wore it out of the house.

Parent approval

The Parents approved of the outfit for the Mini-Fashionista. Yeah!!! Now let's hope the Mini-Fashionista approves. The Dad says that she definitely has a style that is all her own. (Hmmmmmmm . . . sounds like someone else doesn't always like to follow the rules!) But to me, that's what makes us individuals.

The mini-fashionista

For my niece's upcoming birthday, I wanted to send her an actual gift that required some thought. So, I consulted her parents and was extremely excited to find out that she is VERY into fashion. A mini-fashionista, if you will. I was totally psyched to have the opportunity (or shoportunity) to shop for a mini-fashionista. Here is what I ended up with:


I HOPE SHE LIKES IT!!!

The outfit consists of an uber-cool tie-dyish/ombre t-shirt with a tattoo-style butterfly print, light wash demin capri pants, white studded gladiator-ish flip-flops and a sparkly turquoise purse stuffed with all kinds of goodies that a mini-fashionista will love.

HAPPY 8th BIRTHDAY TO THE MINI-FASHIONISTA!!!

My improvisation

When we went on our minivacation a few weeks ago, we were not prepared for the cold weather they were having. I attended an event to which I wore flip-flops. As we arrived at the event, it began to rain. After standing in a vendor tent for about an hour and a half, we left to go get something to eat. While we were out and about, I stopped at the dollar store and purchased socks. I don't even want to confess this . . . but here goes . . . I wore black argyle socks with a pair of silver flip-flops. I know, I know . . . Stacy and Clinton would not approve!

The next day we were going to be attending a different event so I dug into my husband's suitcase to improvise a suitable outfit. I already had a purple polo shirt, skinny jeans, black ballet flats and a mauve canvas conductors hat. I knew that wouldn't be warm enough so I borrowed his black hooded sweatshirt and his black leather belt. I don't think it turned out too bad. I stayed warm and I think it looked pretty good considering it was an improvised outfit.

Welcome to the dollhouse!

I have stumbled across a fun website. It is www.polyvore.com. It is basically like an online dollhouse. You can register for a free account and create your own "sets". The site has various clothing and accessory options (that most of us could never afford) that you can use to create a look, including makeup and perfume. My favorite "sets" are (of course) the Audrey Hepburn looks that have been created.

I will eventually join the site and start creating my own "sets". Right now, I'm just a lurker.

My new perfume

I have started wearing a new perfume. It's called "Halle by Halle Berry". It smells wonderful! It's warm and soft, maybe even a little woodsy with a dash of spice. I don't know how else to describe it.



Now if using the perfume would just make me look like this . . .



Or perhaps this . . .

It REALLY doesn't hurt . . .

I went to acupuncture yesterday. It really doesn't hurt as much as one might think. It just kind of feels like you took a pair of tweezers and very quickly pulled out a single strand of hair. Seriously. I think the needles themselves are only about as big as a strand of hair. Alot of the time, you can't even feel the needles at all. It is soooo relaxing and has so many health benefits. You should try it at least once!

Random ramblings

I exfoliate my skin several times a week. It makes my skin sooooo soft! I use a loofah, a bath brush or exfoliating gloves and sometimes, I even use a body scrub. I have found that it helps my skin retain the moisture better. I have horribly dry skin so every little bit helps.

I have a wierd obsession with dollar stores. My two favorites are Family Dollar and Dollar Tree. Dollar Tree is my favorite because everything actually is a dollar.



Have I mentioned that I love Audrey Hepburn?! She was just such an amazing human being. Anyhow, I have this exact picture hanging right here in my "office". It's poster size in a black frame.




My favorite flowers are lilies. I really like the purple calla lilies that come out around Easter as well as the stargazer lily.







And, in case you couldn't tell, my favorite color is purple. I actually wear alot of purple. Alot of people make comments about how much purple I wear. I guess it's a little bit like Elle Woods and her obsession with pink in the "Legally Blonde" movies.

In closing, I just want to point out that I LOVE Holly Golightly's pink dress from "Breakfast at Tiffany's".



P.S. Her hair is absolutely amazing in this movie as well!

The Tub

The Hot Tamale and I headed out of town on Thursday to visit his brother for his birthday. He lives in another part of the state. Crappy birthday present . . . I know. We had lots of fun. I was able to do a little bit of shopping at Target. But the best part of the trip was "The Tub".



This 8-jet jacuzzi tub resides in one of the most amazing bathrooms on the planet, perhaps in the universe. It was amazing! Just added a couple drops of Bath & Body Works pink grapefruit bubble bath along with some oil and a couple of candles. (There was also a trio of rubber duckies involved!) I got to spend a very relaxing and totally uninterrupted 2 hours in this amazing tub! BEST VACATION EVER!!!

A portrait of class and elegance

I think that I may have previously mentioned that I love all things Audrey. She was such an amazing woman. She wasn't perfect but she still had the ability to inspire.



I received this book as a Christmas gift one year. It is written by one of Audrey's sons, Sean Ferrer. It includes so many poignant pictures. It tells her life story from the very beginning to the very end - from a bad case of whooping cough at 6 weeks old that caused her to stop breathing, to her work with the resistance during World War II, through her extensive film career, to her work with UNICEF, on through her death and everything in between. She was such a remarkable woman. She truly was "An Elegant Spirit".

Thermal therapy

My husband says that I need to seek therapy for my addiction to thermal tops. What can I say?! I love thermal tops. They are so versatile. I've purchased 4 in the last couple of months and I intend to purchase more. They go with just about anything from jeans to dresses. They can be dressed up or down.



(upper left) I've paired this thermal with a multi-colored stone statement necklace from Avon (received as a Christmas gift). Lavender scoopneck thermal top, Highland Outfitters, purchased at Family Dollar for $3.

(lower left) I've paired this thermal with gunmetal chain earrings and a gunmetal multi-strand chain necklace that I've double-looped (both purchased at Target). Gray scoopneck thermal top with ruffled front, Bugle Boy, purchased at Family Dollar for $5.

(upper right) I've paired this thermal with a 5-strand multi-colored freshwater pearl necklace (purchased at Blossom for $20). Cream scoopneck thermal top with ruffled front, Bugle Boy, purchased at Family Dollar for $5.

(lower right) I've paired this thermal with a simple silvertone disc necklace (it actually came with the top!) and a chunky pink mother of pearl and sterling silver ring (purchased at K-Mart). Coral v-neck thermal top, Op, purchased at Wal-Mart for $8.

Just throw on any of the above with a pair of skinny jeans (or regular jeans) and a pair of ballet flats and you are ready to go. I also wear any of the tops without the accessories with skinny jeans and black ballet flats and get out the door. So simple yet casual chic!

They just don't make hats like they used to!

I love all things Audrey! I'm especially envious of all of the GORGEOUS hats that she got to wear.





The three hats below are by far my favorite.



The hat on the left is from "My Fair Lady". This hat is breathtaking. If I ever attend the Kentucky Derby, I will wear a hat just like this one.

The hat in the middle is from "How to Steal a Million". This hat is the essence of cool when paired with the oversized white sunglasses and white convertible.

The hat on the right is from "Breakfast at Tiffany's". This hat is so sophisticated.

I wish that ladies still wore hats. Why don't they?!