The girl really IS on fire!

I absolutely love Alicia Keys bob. The sleek style is super sophisticated but the curled style is absolutely smoldering!

Valentine's flowers 2013

Here are my Valentine's flowers from the Hot Tamale . . . a Prabal Gurung peplum blouse from the newly released line at Target and bright lime green ankle pants to go with it.

This new collection from Prabal Gurung is absolutely amazing. It nearly caused me to short-circuit because I didn't know which piece(s) to get. But this is the piece I chose. I love the peplum silhouette and the fit is so flattering on me. I was concerned about looking crazy but if I anchor the ensemble with black sandals and a small black crossbody, it keeps me from looking like a recent circus recruit. I also have a pair of royal blue ankle pants and several pairs of black dress slacks that pair well with the top. The Hot Tamale says that I look "chic" in this outfit. Mission accomplished.

Still yet another Patricia Field great

I love going to the Patricia Field website and just browsing. It's so much fun. I found this Hello Kitty Satchel on her site and it's just $37.50 - that's 50% off! It's classic black in a classic shape, similar to a Berkin, but has that little bit of added sass with the Hello Kitty quilting.

She has a lot of super crazy, over-the-top things on her site also but she has some great pieces, like this satchel, that can be worked into just about any wardrobe.

Another Patricia Field great

Patricia Field has done it again! Actually, I guess it would be Vivienne Westwood, the designer of Carrie Bradshaw's wedding dress from the 1st SATC movie. Either way, these Vivienne Westwood lace-ups are on sale on the Patricia Field website for only $50. They were originally $200. It doesn't say what they are made of but they appear to possibly be made out of rubber. How much fun and possibly even a little bit sassy is that?!?!?!

I think that these would look absolutely fabulous with a pair of tweed wide-leg slacks and a black concert t-shirt, accented with fire-engine red fingernails for a fun GNO or date night. Plus, who doesn't want something fun and fabulous designed by the creator of Carrie Bradshaw's wedding dress??

The not-so-cute side of the AngelBaby

As much as I love that little AngelBaby, she has a not-so-cute (or lovable) side. She's almost 2 so she's getting a jump start on the Terrible Twos. She can throw a MEAN tantrum, complete with purposely digging her fingernails into you, mainly on the face. The first couple of days that she was here, she behaved pretty well and was totally cute. But then, all hell broke lose. Just so you know . . . THERE IS NOTHING CUTE OR LOVABLE ABOUT A BROKEN NOSE FROM A 2-YEAR-OLD'S HEADBUTT ! ! !

Other views of Frankie's hair

I found a couple of other pictures of Frankie's hair from the front and side.

The Saturdays

I'm quite certain that if my husband ever walked into a business and these ladies were his greeting, he would never ever leave. These gorgeous secretaries are the members of a music group from the UK called The Saturdays. I was watching the Jeff Probst Show earlier this week and they were on the show. They all seemed so down-to-earth, funny and charming. They sang a cappella on the show and it was amazing. I have registered with their website so that I can start following them and maybe get the opportunity to see them on tour.

Just a little aside - I absolutely LOOOOOOOOVE Frankie's hair. IT-IS-HOT! It's kind of hard to see in this picture but the opposite side is shorter - sort of an asymmetric cut. This picture shows the gorgeous color so that's why I chose it. I also happen to think that out of all of these gorgeous ladies, Frankie is the most gorgeous. I guess you could call her my girl-crush.

Shades of gray

I recently purchased this gray knit skirt from Old Navy. It is so incredibly comfy.

Then I added these Steve Madden booties, which were a gift, along with gray textured tights.

Because of the neutrality of the bottom half, the top half can be topped with just about anything. A button-down topped with a denim jacket, a lightweight sweater or sweatshirt or even just a t-shirt. Just make sure that the top half has some color so you don't end up looking like a concrete statue.

The Angelbaby is a very stylish girl

Is this little AngelBaby stylish AND gorgeous or what??? This is a little winter outfit that I put together for her last winter. I believe that I purchased the entire outfit at Wal-Mart (but I'm not positive that's where I got the polka-dot tights). This is a lavender penguin onesie and a black tulle tutu with lavender polka-dot tights and topped off with a lavender headband with a large pink flower attached. She also had little pink ballerina shoes with pink ribbon laces that went with the outfit.

She's going to be our little stylish guest this weekend. COMING SOON TO A BLOG NEAR YOU - a puppy/toddler style & cuteness showdown!

These jeans are on my wishlist

I WANT THESE JEANS ! ! ! I know that I shouldn't but I totally want them. I have wanted a pair of dramatic, high-waisted jeans like these since I was a zygote. And I found them on the Patricia Field website for only $10 but OF COURSE they don't have them in my size. That figures.

These have got to be one of the most flattering pairs of jeans ever made. The high waist sucks everything in and keeps it there. Because the waist is so high, they make your legs look like they are about a pisquillion miles long. The dark wash is slimming. And the leg openings aren't too wide or too skinny. It's hard to see the actual length but, if they come to your heel, then they will be absolutely perfect.

These would look HOT with a simple white button down and red heels. CLASSIC!

The new little one

We had to put our sweet little dog, Roo, to sleep 9 days before Christmas. It was completely unexpected and totally devastating. We'd had him for nearly 11 years. It was the Sunday following the tragedy in Newtown and I always thought he would be a good TheraPet. Now he's getting his chance, with the 20 new little angels that arrived shortly before him.

We never thought we'd ever be ready for another puppy but, BOY, were we wrong! Meet our new little one, ANGEL. She's a 4-month-old chiweenie and weighs about 4 pounds. She's so sweet and so incredibly smart and we are so in love with her already!

The Hot Tamale chose her name. She is named in memory of her guardian angel, Roo, and the 20 sweet little angels from Newtown. We are planning on having her certified as a TheraPet for the local children's hospital, also in memory of the children who lost their lives in the Newtown tragedy.

Work them abs!

Aaahhh . . . internet at last! We recently relocated and it took FOREVER to get our internet turned on.

With the New Year quickly approaching, I realize that many of us will set New Year's resolutions to lose weight or to get in shape. I just want to share my experience with a new video from Jillian Michaels of "The Biggest Loser". The video is called "Killer Abs". I started out doing the first workout twice a week (There are 3 complete workouts on the disc). In the first week alone, I lost an inch off of my midsection. That's right . . . I lost an inch off my waist after doing this workout only twice. AH-MAZING. I highly recommend this workout if you want to see quick results.

If you decide to give this workout a try, just be aware that it is a difficult but effective workout. You'll want to start out slow and ONLY do what you can. You don't have to start out doing a workout perfectly. You should always just do the best you can. You will still see results. Stick with whatever workout you decide to do but be patient.

My nails for the weekend

I'm going on a short trip with the Hot Tamale over the weekend so I decided to do something fun with my nails. After much deliberation, I went with my "Splash of Grenadine" from Essie. I know it isn't exactly cutting-edge but it really stands out against my darker complexion, it looks very summery and I think it's totally gonna rock with my neon green blouse that I got from Charming Charlie's.

Have a fantastic weekend & remember to be unique!!!

Miley or Cyndi?

I had to do a double-take when I saw this picture of Miley's new 'do. For a second there, I thought it was Cyndi Lauper! The blond hair, the dark eyebrows, the red lips . . . a very unique yet classic look on either woman. I absolutely love the edgy hair on both of them. They both nailed the perfect red lipstick. And they are no where near the same age. I can only imagine that both women have red nails to finish off this classic look.

Miley's new do

I know that I'm a little slow blogging about Miley Cyrus' new do but I gotta say that I think this is perhaps one of the best hair makeovers EVER! I wish that she would have gone with a coppery or over-the-top crazy color like pink or blue rather than the blond. The light blond washes her out.
But what I do love about Miley's hair is the comment that she made that she feels more like herself with her new haircut. I love that the most.

And now . . . a word from Dr. Seuss

"BE WHO YOU ARE AND SAY WHAT YOU FEEL BECAUSE THOSE WHO MIND DON'T MATTER AND THOSE WHO MATTER DON'T MIND."
This principle can be applied to nearly any aspect of life, including your personal style. Fashion magazines place so many limitations on us, ranging from what our "ideal" weight should be to what makeup colors we should be wearing to what color our wardrobe should be this month.
SO . . .Be who you are. Express yourself. Go crazy. Life is too short to remain silent.

My Daddy is the bestest!!

I have been in such a nostalgic mood lately. I have been reliving so many incredible childhood memories in my head.

One of my favorites is my Dad taking us kids fishing. He would take us fishing during the summers at a lake where you paid for the fish that you caught by the pound. The other day I mentioned these fishing excursions to him and couldn't believe what he told me. We always baited our hooks with canned corn but, evidently, my Dad never baited his hook so that we could afford to keep all of the fish that us kids caught (which was alot).

How awesome is my Dad?!?!?!

Fitness video pet peeve(s)

I have some serious pet peeves about fitness videos. Actually I have several pet peeves but these all pertain to fitness videos. I do not consider myself a fitness expert by any stretch of the imagination. Just someone who expects perfection.

1. Fitness leaders who talk too much. There should be a tutorial at the beginning of the video so that they don't have to stop during the workout to explain the exercise. (Ellen Barrett, I'm looking at you!) Prompt us through the workout or count the reps.

2. Leaders who get out-of-sync or out-of-step with their music and/or prompts. (That would be you, Leslie Sansone!) Re-record it, if necessary. I expect perfection from this multi-million dollar industry so get it right.

3. Other leaders on the video who have extremely bad form. (I would again have to go with Leslie Sansone on this one.) These people are being paid to demonstrate the proper form and technique of the exercise. I won't say that all of Leslie's videos have this problem but there is one in particular that the form and technique of most (but not all) of the other leaders is appalling.

4. Lame music. Give us something that motivates us. Elevator music is not motivating, unless the workout is yoga.

5. No coordinated workout togs. For as much money as these fitness companies make, they could at least spring for some coordinated workout gear for all of the people in the video.

6. Mis-counts of the reps. I have a workout that counts out 18 reps of a move on the left and about 25 on the right. If you're going to teach fitness, at least know how to count.

I'll stop now before the fitness industry informs Wal-Mart to stop selling me fitness videos. There are some things that I do like about these fitness videos.

1. They're convenient. I can do a workout at home, whenever I want. I can take them with me wherever I go.

2. No one is there to see how uncoordinated that I truly am. If I trip over my shoelaces during a power-walk or if I dislocate my hip while doing the Proud Warrior pose in yoga, there is no one there to laugh at me.

3. They require little or no equipment. Most can be done with small hand weights, a resistance band, a towel or a strap.

4. You don't have to get all cutified before working out because no one at home cares what you look like during your workout. You can wear whatever you want (i.e. Naked Yoga). The same cannot be said for a gym or workout studio.

5. There are some excellent, affordable, studio-quality fitness videos out there. And, in this economy, who doesn't want a cheap, studio-quality workout??

6. You can customize the workout however you want to and no one notices or cares. If there is a particular move that is too strenuous for you, just modify it to suit your fitness level. Some videos will have someone doing modifications but not all of them do. One modification that I use is to wear those shaping/toning tennis shoes while doing a Power Walking workout.

I hope that none of this has discouraged anyone from working out. Keeping your body moving is key to your health and well-being. So take a 1/2 or 1 mile walk around your neighborhood or at the local park. Do a 20-minute yoga or Pilates video workout. Take your kids to play basketball or softball. Go for a family bike ride. Just do something.

More gifts to myself

My mother-in-law and sister-in-law got me another Sephora gift card for my birthday. I love that! It makes me feel special and it allows me to pamper myself a little bit. (Aren't they totally awesome???)

First up, we have the Clinique Chubby Stick, which I've been dying to try. I purchased it in Woppin Watermelon. I absolutely love it! It's a sheer pinky mauve. It's convenient. It's a very versatile color. It's moisturizing. I highly recommend it.

Next (and last) up, we have the Tokidoki gelato lip stain in Pink Martini. I do not like this one nearly as much as the Chubby Stick. The color is too bright and it isn't very moisturizing. I do really like the packaging.

I'm not usually one for gift cards because I feel that they don't require alot of thought on the giver's part; HOWEVER, in this case, I think that alot of thought went into the gift and I absolutely loved it!!!

Long-lasting eyeshadow

I have discovered a way to make my eyeshadows last longer. Even the cheapies.

I prime the eyelid with Loreal DeCrease primer. Then I apply the eyeshadow with a DAMP sponge applicator. Dip the applicator in a little bit of water then blot the excess moisture off of the applicator until it is almost dry. It will still contain enough moisture to put on the eyeshadow. Then just sweep on your eyeshadow. If it drips or takes longer than about 30 seconds to dry, you used too much water. You can just blot the applicator again with a tissue and apply more eyeshadow.

There IS one type of shadow that doesn't seem to work quite as well . . . glittery eye shadow. These are the eye shadows that have slightly larger glitter in them than you find in a shimmer eye shadow.

I have deep-set eyes so creasing is a problem for me. This trick has worked for me, even with the cheap eye shadows from the Dollar Tree.