CRYYYYY BABY!

I have to admit Cry Baby is by far one of my most favorite movies and when I seen that Who What Wear created a Cry Baby inspired look I had to share it with you! Although instead of sharing their picks to copy the look I am going to show you some more affordable threads and accessories that will get you the look without breaking the bank!

1. Faux Leather Jacket from Forever 21-$32.80
2. American Eagle Sweater- $39.50
3. Ann Marie Super Skinny from Denimocracy-$85.00
4. Kattrina from Steve Madden-$99.95
5. Cat Eye Sunglasses from Forever 21-$14.00

Ignore The Size

When shopping for clothes I have a tendency of ignoring the size label. I've realized that some things look better a little baggier or a little tighter. It all depends on your personal style and the way you feel confident in what you are wearing. I mean come on, no one sees the size anyways so there is no reason to be self-conscious!

Along with the idea of size, I want to share someone who I find to be a total inspiration that beauty is not determined by size! Crystal Renn started modeling at a young age and was pressured into keeping a constant weight of nearly 90 pounds, because of this Renn’s health began to dwindle. Finally she decided to take control of her life and make her body healthy. Renn gained weight and continued to model looking more beautiful than ever with a body she was proud of. She continues to be an activist for healthy bodies and embracing your curves.

Be Green Myth Busters

Everywhere you go you see natural products, people carrying canvas bags filled with groceries instead of plastic and a number of ways to save the planet and be green. This is great and we totally promote it but here are a few myth busting green ways that may not actually be so green!

1. People are encouraged to donate money to have trees planted which is a good thing. Although to help save the trees we already have why don’t we just start using more eco-friendly ways for traveling, such as walking, riding a bike or taking public transportation. If you think about it you hope but actually don’t know if your donation is actually paying for new trees but when you walk or ride your bike you know you are actually cutting down on gases!

2. Everyone turns off their appliances when they aren’t using them to save energy but even better is unplugging them! According to the U.S. department of energy, 75% of electricity used to power home electronics and appliances is consumed when devices are turned off! Obviously there are some things you don’t want to have to unplug since you will then have to reprogram them, such as your TV and cable box, but items such as your computer or AC will conserve energy and slash your electric bill too!

3. Don’t only support the green movement but flaunt it too! Good habits are contagious! Show your friends, family, coworkers and everyone else how easy it is and they are bound to follow.

Meet The Comforts

"In Memory of the Late Mr. and Mrs. Comfort" by Richard Avedon

These photographs tell a tale about love between a beautiful girl and a skeleton....LOVE LOVE LOVE it!

XOXO

Hoot, Hoot!

New line, We Are Owls, is here just in time for fall. They offer an amazingly creative range of 100% cashmere printed scarves. Here are some of our favorites, to see more visit www.weareowls.com

tip of the day!

Wash your jeans cold and inside out to keep the color or hot and the right way round if you wanna rock the trashed look!
xoxo

Operation Beautiful

So last night I came across an article about Operation Beautiful and completely fell in love with the whole concept of the movement. It was created by Caitlin Boyle who had struggled with weight issues and depression. After being fed up with negative feelings she stuck a post-it on a public bathroom mirror that read “You are beautiful” and left it there for other girls who were sharing those same feelings and needed a reminder that they are beautiful. She posted a photo of the post-it on her blog and since then hundreds of women have begun doing the same things in many different places. Caitlin hopes to end negative self-talk for women and help them become more positive because everyone is deserves to feel beautiful and confident in their own skin.

I hope after reading this you will all become inspired by her story and mission, and help spread the message that we are all beautiful just the way we are!

Check out more at http://www.operationbeautiful.com/

Holga Love

The holga camera is unpredictable and very exciting to use. These cameras produce whimisical looking photographs with vibrant colors. When using your holga camera free yourself from rules, embrace random results, and engage individuality.

Music Monday.

Let's slow things down...here's some music you can relax to!

1. Elliott Smith-Between the Bars
2. Led Zeppelin- Going to California
3. Margot & The Nuclear So and So's- Vampires in Blue Dresses
4. Meiko- How Lucky We Are
5.Coldplay-Yellow
6. The Postal Service- Such Great Heights
7.Rodriguez- Sugar Man
8. Lou Reed- Take a Walk on the Wild Side
9. The Used- Blue and Yellow
10. Yeah Yeah Yeahs- Maps

Falling for CCSkye

CC Skye is an L.A. based designer that fuses uptown elegance with downtown edge. Here’s some pieces that I’ve fallen in love with and I think are perfect for fall!

Get Energized!

Feeling sleepy or lazy? Well here's some tips for an quick and easy energy boost!

1. Green tea is a great way to get caffeine without getting the jitters! Even though it only has about 55 milligrams of caffeine it can also help get rid of withdrawal headaches too!

2. Believe it or not when you wear bright colors you project energy that is radiated back to you by the people you encounter! So wear colors like red, orange, fuchsia and bright blue!

3. Experts say that to maintain consistent energy throughout the day you should modulate your blood sugar. So fill your diet with high fiber and low-glycemic foods and start meals with protein.

4. Try to expose yourself to direct light between 1pm and 3pm which is when the body’s core temp drops and you become sleepy.

5. Keep mints handy. Pop a mint and it will induce wakefulness.

6. Exercise! If exercising wakes you up then you should do it after you wake up! Although if it makes you tired try exercising in the evening so then you can get a good night sleep!

7. Get citrus, peppermint or jasmine scented candles! They stimulate wakefulness and controls alertness!

InStyle, March 2010

What's Your Mood?

There is a new nail line called, In The Mood. They have 8 different fingernail polishes that change their color all throughout the day according to your body temperature, your surroundings, and, obviously, how you mood :) I think our nails officially just became as moody as we are!

You can get yourself some moody nail polish at www.themoodpolish.com

Also you have all probably tried Du Wop’s very popular and super-effective Lip Venom. Now they are introducing an addition to their Private Red line. This will include a mood lipstick similar to those in the 1970s, which includes ingredients that change the shade of the lipstick depending on your skin tone so that it’s your perfect shade of red.

Find it here, http://sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P244707&categoryId=C10477

SMILE

Not only do you look so much prettier when you smile, but it also releases hormones into your blood that actually make you happy!

1000 Journals Project.

I had briefly mentioned this project early but decided it was worthy of a full blog post!

The 1000 Journals Project was started in August of 2000 by a man that was fascinated with bathroom stall graffiti. He began by disposing 100 journals in San Francisco to friends, family and by leaving them at random places, since then 900 more journals have been passed around. The purpose of the journals is to allow people to be open and not fear criticism for their drawings, poetry, thoughts, etc. Once you add your piece of the puzzle to the journal you then pass it on to a friend or stranger. So keep your eye out for a lonely journal.

If you would like to view some of the entries there is a book available on amazon.
www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/0811858561

For more information on this project visit the official website.
www.1000journals.com

Tuesday Tunes.

Here's a little bit of everything...hope you enjoy! xo

1. Sufjan Stevens- The Dress Looks Nice On You
2. Lykke Li-Little Bit
3. Cat Stevens- Wild World
4. Rx Bandits-Sell You Beautiful
5. Bright Eyes- Wast of Paint
6. Thursday- Division Street
7. Elliott Smith-Pitseleh
8. Cursive- The Great Decay
9. Janis Joplin- Mercedes Benz
10. Shiny Toy Gun- Ricochet

Hidden Beauty

'When I stare at things or hear things, I think there might be some kind of beauty to them. I mean the little things, the way we make it through the day, experiencing pleasure. Trees in streets or a small bird flittering around the garden, paint flaking from the kitchen windowpane, dust motes in sunlight, the wind through poplars, the tram bell signaling departure. I'm alert, you might say, to the beauty of these things, the local nuances that bring life alive.'

-From Candy by Luke Davies

Twenty8Twelve

I just had to share this video for their fall/winter 2010 collection. Savannah and Sienna Miller are brilliant!

Friendship Month!

Celebrate Friendship month by buying a friendship bracelet from SCHOSHA & co. When you buy a friendship bracelet they will send one to your BFF for free! The bracelet is $25, I know a little pricey but all the proceeds from the bracelets will go to The Art in All of Us Art Pen Pal Program. This program promotes global cultural exchange using art and creative activity programs for children.

Purchase bracelets in their store or on their website at https://www.scoshanyc.com/shop-collections/scosha-signature/friendship-month-send-bracelet-friend

Read more about AiA Art Pen Pal Program at www.artinallofus.org/about-us/programs/aia-pen-pal-project.html

O'Reilly vs. Aniston

While promoting her film, The Switch, Jennifer Aniston expressed her feelings on having a child without a man. Her remarks angered Fox News anchor Bill O'Reilly. Here is what was said:

"Women are realizing more and more that you don't have to settle, they don't have to fiddle with a man to have that child.”
"They are realizing if it's that time in their life and they want this part, they can do it with or without that.”
-Jennifer Aniston

"She's throwing a message out to 12-year-olds and 13-year-olds that hey, you don't need a guy, you don't need a dad."
"That's destructive to our society."
"She's diminishing the role of the dad."
-Bill O'Reilly

If a woman is in a situation in which she is physically, emotionally and financially ready to raise a child I see no reason why she shouldn’t do it, even if it is by herself. A child doesn’t need a biological father to be a father figure to them; it can just as well be a grandfather, uncle, family friend, coach/teacher etc. Are two women or two men who decide to raise a child together destroying our society as well? I think not. Every family is different and unique in its own way. As long as a child is loved and cared for it doesn’t matter who they are being raised by.

What do you have to say about this?

NARS Fall 2010

Meet Daphne Guinness, the inspiration for NARS Fall 2010 collection. Francois Nars says that Daphne “is the ideal icon to capture Fall 2010’s old-Hollywood meets futuristic look.” Personally I find Daphne to be a very beautiful and bold woman, the colors for the Fall collection are just as bold and I’m loving it! As always Nars did a great job at adding some experimental colors to shades that you can wear every day.

A New Life

Nick Gentry creates beautiful pieces of art by using bits and pieces of media that are fading out of our existence. Gentry brings new life to decaying objects such as floppy discs and vhs tapes. Viewing Gentry’s art also brings up the idea of reusing things that we may at first see as garbage. So before you go to throw something out first think of all the uses that it may still have.

“Reusing objects can negate the need for waste, with a new function that also often has more charm than that of the original. Seeing art produced in this way can encourage a more creative approach to everyday objects that are deemed to be obsolete or useless. What brings the overall concept to life is that blend of the nostalgic and familiar, together with the freshness of a new form of expression.” –Gentry

For more of Gentry’s work check out his website at www.nickgentry.co.uk

Add a little edge to the office.

Another work week has just started but that doesn't mean you have to put your style on hold.

Which one of these girls do you think would rock the workplace?

What's your color?

OPI nail colors are amazing and their names are genius! I have to say OPI’s website is pretty fun as well! Before committing to a color why don’t you check out www.opi.com to try out all they have to offer! You can look at each of the different colors they have and even change the skin color of the hand to match yours to make sure it will look good against your skin tone! Pink-a-doodle and Plugged-in Plum are a couple of my favorites…what’s yours?

F.Y.I.-Do you enjoy painting your nails daring dark colors but then regret it when you realize it has stained your nails? Well here’s a quick fix so you no longer have to hide those stains! Try soaking your nails in ½ cup of lemon juice mixed with a ½ cup of olive oil for a few minutes. The lemon juice will lighten the stains while the olive oil moisturizes your nail to help prevent stains. If you have stains that not even this solution will take care of then try putting whitening toothpaste onto your nails, it will work on your nails the same way it does your teeth! After you rinse of the toothpaste buff your nails to remove the stains. To avoid the stains all together try using a base coat before you paint your nails, it will help protect against the stains.

Music Monday

After posting the Lollapalooza blog music was on my brain. So I've decided Mondays are a great day to come up with a new playlist for the week. It can be music that you may already love or new sounds to flood your ears and spill out of your mouth all week! Either way here are 10 songs you should totally listen to!

1. Glassjaw- Ape Dos Mil
2. Metric- Help, I'm Alive
3. Bob Dylan- Stuck In The Middle With You
4. Tegan and Sara- Take Me Anywhere
5. Hot Hot Heat- Goodnight, Goodnight
6. The Coasters- Down In Mexico
7. The Sounds- Tony The Beat
8. The White Stripes- Blue Orchid
9. Vendetta Red- Opiate Summer
10. Everclear- Santa Monica

Lollapalooza 2010

As many of you know this past weekend was the lovely Lollapalooza at Grant Park in Chicago. Many flock to the music festival to listen to all different genres of music and to be surrounded with others who also appreciate art and good tunes. This year included performances by Lady Gaga, A.F.I, The Black Keys, Dragonette, The Strokes and Against Me!, just to name a few of my favorites :) The festivies kicked off on Friday with a great performance by Semi Precious Weapons who had Lady Gaga make a surprise visit during their set and may I add she of course wore one of her eye catching outfits and even dove into the crowd while they played! She later stole the show with her performance but The Strokes did just as well on the opposite side of the festival. Day two was said to be just as good as day one with an unforgettable performance by Green Day. Not only was their performance amazing for the entire two and a half hours that they played but lead singer Billy Joe was even kind enough to give a fan his guitar at the end of Longview. A.F.I, Metric and Social Distortion were among the other bands that also played on Day two. The last day of Lollapalooza started off a little rainy but ended the weekend beautifully with performances by Arcade Fire, Soundgarden, MGMT, and Erykah Badu. Can't wait to see what next year has to offer! Also if we're able to attend Lollapalooza this past weekend share your stories with us!

Girl Up.

I came across this campaign for young girls by the United Nations Foundation that is working towards uniting girls to change the world! This campaign helps educate American girls and give them the information they need to help support girls in developing countries that don’t have a voice. They ask that we help raise money and awareness to support five keys areas that help is needed the most: education, health services, safety, leadership, and data collection. I think this is a great campaign and I love that it targets young girls to show them that no matter what your age you can help make a difference! For more information and to start making a change visit http://www.girlup.org/