Tut! Tut! It looks like rain!

Living in New England is like riding a weather roller coaster. It's one of the things I love so much about it. You can be running about barefoot one week; in snow boots the following day, and in rubbers the next. You just have to be prepared. To help you out, here's a few inexpensive and downright-lovely items to keep you ready for anything!

I'd like to introduce the fantastic Galleria line, by eBags. They feature dozens of beautiful umbrellas (displaying fine art, stained glass, Venice and et cetera) along with matching tote bags, wallets, wristlets and more. And so reasonably priced - take a peek! :)

For some reason, whenever it rains, I always would rather be outside than indoors. Looking out the window at the insanity of the storm is depressing - being out in the midst of it; exhilarating. What do you think?

Today we are enjoying a regular downpour and the branches have frozen into hundreds of tiny icicles. If you go outside, grab a show-stopping umbrella and bring your fashion sense out into the wild weather. It's sure to carry some sunshine to everyone you meet. :)

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Saturday evening is the Golden Globe Awards and, although I never watch it, I am quite excited to see what everyone is wearing! I'll keep you updated and, if it proves exciting, show you a little bit of the good, the bad, and the ugly. ;)

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Christmas Recap

Well, before I dig into the loads of New Year style goodness, I want to share some fashion-y photos from our very Merry Christmas - we had such a grand holiday week!

Gifted Goodies:

I became slightly fanatic about chain mail jewelry in December and made up necklaces for three of the coolest guys ever: Josh (treasure island), Sean (medieval scroll) and Aidan (fiery dragon). I think it's so neat how both girls and guys totally love these and I'm hoping to make many more in the future (getting into more complex designs/incorporating different beads and crystals), possibly to sell. What do you think?

I simply adore making "Luck O' The Irish" necklaces, and this one was for Lydia, with green beads and a little "clover". On Anna's necklace, the little heart pendant was originally an earring that had lost it's mate. I love how delicate and mysterious it is (the picture doesn't do it justice) and it's perfect for my adventuress sis.

Lastly, I took it into my head to make Hanneke an owl, after browsing through lots of related items on Etsy and becoming mildly obsessed. It went together so easily - I just drew a couple of shapes, appliquéd them together and...ta da! I'm even more obsessed with "Ow-ull" (as Hanneke calls him :) now that he is made a reality, and she loves him, too.

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What I Wore For The Holidays:

We had back-to-back family parties at our house the weekend after Christmas. For the first one, Saturday evening, I pulled out a red top that I never seem to have any place to wear, a favorite black skirt (cause it makes me look extra tall ;) and the red & black jewelry I wore to the ball. The only damper was that, due to my recent back problems, I didn't wear my 3" metallic heels. *sniff*

Slashed-sleeve top - hiatus
Skirt - Banana Republic
Black Boots - Metroline by KHOMBU
Jewelry - Kohls 1928

I had my outfit planned for Sunday but, as so often happens, I didn't like how it looked when I put it together. :P So, after changing my mind a gazillion times, I decided to play it safe and be a "brownie" for the day. It ended up being so warm that I took off my boots before the party, painted my toenails red, and spent the day in bare feet. I just love how fickle New England weather can be. :)

Button-up Shirt - apt.9
Belt - Kohls
Sequined Linen Skirt - made by Melanie :)

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Happy New Year once again to everybody! :)

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Face It

Tips for clear, healthy, beautiful skin:

• Start the day by washing your face - Use warm water. I've heard that it can be best to end by splashing your face with cold water, to close the pores. And don't use regular bar soap for your face...unless you want to look like a leather hand-bag when you're 40. No matter what type of bar soap it is, don't use it on your face unless it says it's specifically for that.

• End the day by washing your face. Washing it twice a day really does make a difference.

• Apply lotion/moisturizers. I do this every night, but usually don't put any on in the morning if I'm planning to wear any makeup, since it tends to make the makeup behave differently. My skin is sensitive, so I tend to stay away from oily lotions, scented facial products etc. I use Cetaphil lotions, and it's generic brand counterpart of facial cleanser. My skin seems to like them (it was quite a challenge for me to find something that worked and that wouldn't make me break out, or get even drier skin), so I've stuck with them for several years.

• It's nice to exfoliate your skin once a week to remove the dead skin cells, and to rejuvenate your complexion. There are many exfoliating scrubs out there - you must decide which is best for you and your skin type. 

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Now, if you take care to keep your skin clean, but still have a problem with it breaking out, it could be a variety of things - don't just assume it was "something I was born with". I will note below some of the most common break-out causes below (however, you may be more likely to have it when you are an adolescent, without any of the things below causing it...that's just how life goes):

• Makeup - Many people are allergic to different formulas of makeup. If you wear makeup, and break out frequently, this could be one of your problems. To test it, you could go a week without any makeup, and see if your skin clears up. These days, there are so many different formulas of makeup, it's not hard to find some hypo-allergenic kinds, that aren't excessively expensive.

• Perfume - It's true, perfume - whether you spray it on, or it's in your lotion - can irritate your skin.

• Diet - Diet is one of the main things that can cause me to break out, now that I've gotten the right facial cleansers and moisturizers. For me, it's mostly just chocolate (do I hear some gasps of dismay?). Chocolate really does it. Too much of some other sugary things can cause me to break out too...but chocolate is the worst. If you eat a lot of chocolate, and tend to break out a lot...you may want to cut back on it. Also, gluten can cause breakouts in people who are allergic to it. These would probably be the type of breakouts that stick with people, and they think it's just genetic. If you have a regular "rash"/breakout on your face, you may want to research gluten intolerance ("Celiac disease"). The breakout can be a sign of something more serious. If you research it and feel it might be true, try not eating anything with gluten in it for a couple of weeks. If your skin begins to clear up, you may have found your allergy. Fatty foods as well can do it to people. Though there are many, many food allergies out there...these are just some of the more common ones.

• Touching your face - if you have a habit of resting your head in your hands, rubbing your forehead, running your finger along your nose, etc - don't! This will cause oil to be deposited on your face, which can potentially clog your pores and cause breakouts.

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I hope this may have helped you - here's to clear skin!

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Looking Ahead...

Well, it's the last day of 2008 and is really lovely outside. We're in the middle of a blizzard and everything looks so pretty! I'm going to have to take a walk in the woods later - nothing lifts my spirits like walking through that new snow; fresh and lovely. Ahh... yes. :)

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I got tagged by Blueberry Junkie a few weeks ago and I have decided to make the 6 Random Things not quite so random as usual. I decided to turn them in New Year thoughts! :)

The Rules:

(1) Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
(2) Share 6 facts about yourself on your blog; some random, some weird.
(3) Tag 6 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as their links to their blogs.
(4) Let them know they have been "tagged" by leaving a comment on their blog.

My 6 Random New Year Resolutions:

1. To be more domestic this coming year and become involved in preparing meals. Cooking is something I have always hated, but I think it's the large quantities needed, more than anything else. Now, with Rebekah leaving, I'm going to have to step in and give my poor sis Lydia a hand! I am prepared to watch a lot of Rachael Ray and freeze a million 30-Minute Meals. ;)

2. Grow as a musician and entertainer (hopefully getting in some good performing experience).

3. Be more diligent in my writing and try and get a children's book published. Ahh!

4. Work hard at whatever jobs I'm given and save for my London trip next fall!

5. Laugh more, worry less and give stress a good kick out the window! ;)

6. To grow in the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, learn to show His Perfect Love, and discover as much of His Will for my life as He will let me in on! ;)

I Tag:

Anyone who is reading this and wants to participate! :D

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Well, Jo-snazz just gave us an award - what a delightful surprise! Thanks so much - I just love it! Looks like a real Parisian fashion mademoiselle... ;)

Now I'm supposed to award ten blogs, but I always draw a blank at this point. A few did stick in my head as extra fabulous, so I'm awarding The Art Of Clothes, A Maiden's Musings, Pleasant View Schoolhouse, and Quaint and Quirky - congrats! :)

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I've got lots of updates and fun posts planned for the coming year (I actually had to develop an Editorial Calendar to keep track of them all! :) but that's it for today. I hope you have a wonderful New Year! We're watching "Wives and Daughters" tonight (love that movie! :) and will definitely sing "Auld Lang Syne" when the clock strikes midnight. :)

God bless...

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Judy and Mickey Style

I don't know about you, but any movie starring Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland is sure to put a big smile on my face; cheesy plot lines, actors, songs and all. Judy, so adorable and proper, always trying to get Mickey to look at her for just one instant and stop treating her like a kid. Mickey is even shorter than her, thinks he's a grown-up, and is always clueless. It's a match made in heaven. Oh, those good old days! ;)

Here they are this Christmas, showcasing their best holiday style. Judy is putting her "little black dress" to good use, topped off with a sweet, lacy collar and those adorable peep-toe heels (which probably bring the 4'11" actress up to 5'2" :). Mickey, in the meantime, has been decked out in tails, perfect for his first "high fashion" evening in New York City. Unfortunately, it looks like Judy ordered a hat that is a few sizes too small. lol.

You can see the video clip of this scene below. Don't know if half of you will enjoy it the way I do, but Judy 's "Alone" is just brilliant. I'm still smiling. ;)

I had a wonderful weekend (pictures coming soon!) and am now trying to pick up the house and straighten out my January schedule! Ahh! Can you believe the year has ended so fast? I have got to just stop thinking about it... :)

God bless your week! What are your New Year's Eve plans?

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Just want to say...

Blessings on your day! :)

All my love to you and yours,

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Dressing the Holidays

Here comes the usual round of Christmas parties (maybe you've had yours already) and let's admit that we want to look our best, especially if we're meeting friends and family that we don't see often. Although, these days, the only rule is that "anything goes", here's some ideas that will help make yours a very stylish Christmas.

Family Parties:

One of the things I love so much about family is that they can't dump you! Thus, when it comes to dressing for a Christmas with your family, you have room to experiment a bit. No one can say, "Oh. I don't like your dress. That's it - you're out of the family," even if they might wish it sometimes. ;) lol. Here's some ideas...

Colorful - Who doesn't want to look bold and full of life at Christmastime! This is a great time of year to experiment with color - everyone is doing it and will be more forgiving if you blunder. ;) While bright jewel tones are most popular they usually only suit those with a cool skin tone, so if your skin has a peachy glow, you'll want to grab something that is warm. If you wear red, go for a fire-y tone with orange in it - deep maroon shades suit a cool better. And if you want some sparkle, choose a metallic - gold for warm skin tones and silver forth rest of you cool girls. If you do go for this look, keeps accessories neutral and to a minimum - let the color do the talking!

Casual - Since they are your family, you have permission to relax a little bit. Feeling tired or under the weather? Or maybe you just want to stay warm and comfy all day. Well, casual looks are acceptable, so long as you keep it neat and flattering. A favorite knit top (you know, the one you get compliments about) goes great with some classic black pants. And "tis the season" for sweaters - just make sure that yours fits well and don't look dumpy. Remember, you can always dress this look up with a bit of accessorizing! Add color and interest with bags, shoes and jewelry.

Courageous - Tis aways the season to experiment, and what better place to try out a new look than on your family! ;) Have you always had a feeling that there was a fantastic outfit hiding in your closet, but were nervous about trying something "new" in public? If you live with your parents, it's a good idea to get a "go ahead" before you're out the door, or at least have an honest friend let you know that it is flattering and appropriate. Take the plunge! It's ok to look unique so long as it doesn't come across as gaudy or in bad taste. Try that long, romantic skirt and top or those favorite jeans (just please - no faded looks! Keep it dark and classy.) with your new jacket. Pair it with trendy accessories and you're ready to go!

Formal Parties:

When going to a formal party at work or with friends, you want to be a bit more careful. This doesn't mean that you can't have fun, but leave the crazy experiments at home. It's best to stick with something you have worn before and know is acceptable. Once you've got your basic canvas down, you can throw in something unexpected!

Classics - It's that "special event" and you don't have any clue what to wear. Pull out that "little black dress". It is acceptable anywhere and can be as casual or formal as you determine, just by playing with the shoes and accessories. For an afternoon party, you can dress it down with a pretty sweater, a simple slouch bag and beaded ballet flats. For evening, an elegant wrap and shiny clutch bring pizazz, and some delicate heels (either black or in a fun color) add formality. Remember that jewelry and the way you style your hair can help make a big difference.

Classy dress pants are another great option, as they are formal enough for evening but don't look out of place during the day (perfect for "after work" parties). Like the "little black dress", your choice of shoes, jewelry and accessories make a huge in difference in how casual or elegant you look. You score ten points with a beautiful satin clutch!

Colors - Once again, color is perfect this time of year, although probably best suited for an evening with friends, rather than a formal work party where you can't make any mistakes. You can keep it classy by pairing that favorite pencil skirt or dress pants with a lovely ruffled top in your favorite color. Or you can have fun with an entire dress in a bold shade. Once again, accessories play a key part in your look. Boots may not be appropriate for a cocktail party, but for anything informal they are a wonderfully comfy and stylish choice. Heels add elegance; ballet flats bring class. Play up your face shape with jewelry that flatters. Long ear wires add length to a round face, while wide hoops will bring softness to an angular one.

Lastly, it is acceptable to wear eye shadow colors, but make sure the shade suits you and doesn't compete with your outfit. Keep other makeup to a minimum (especially lipstick) - no clowns allowed! ;)

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This may be the last post for a little bit - the week looks crazy. We are hosting my mom's family's Christmas party on Saturday and my dad's family's Christmas party on Sunday! I can't wait. :) I love being with my family, especially during "the most wonderful time of the year".

I pray that you have a blessed Christmas full of peace and joy - and don't forget that JESUS is the reason for the season! God bless! :)

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