The Fashion File: A little extra time

Now that you've determined your "season," it's time to create some fun outfits with of all of the clothes, shoes and accessories in your closet. Janie Bryant suggests taking a few extra minutes each morning to finesse your look and the outcome can be remarkable.

You know those mornings when you press snooze one too many times and then you're rushed to get yourself out the door? Or you pull a million things out of your closet and nothing seems to suit you? Those are the days where I'm always off kilter. It's never a good way to start your day. I know a lot of people don't have the time or energy to get home from work and worry about what they're going to wear the next day; however, it pays off in my book. If I pick out my outfit the night before I'm always better off in the morning. There are also times where I decide what I'm going to wear as I'm pedaling away in my 6:00a.m. spin class. Either way, it gives me a little extra time in the mornings and I don't feel rushed.

Your outfit itself is the base. Janie suggests ten ways to create your personal style and to take an ordinary day to extraordinary!

1. Animal print

Whether it's feathers or faux fur it will instantly add a bit of drama to your outfit. No one is suggesting you have to wear all animal print, but a simple belt, scarf, or pair of pumps will do the trick.

Jcrew

Bluefly
This top can easily pull double duty. Wear it under a blazer during the work day and remove the blazer and you're set for happy hour!

2. Hair

Take the time to fix your hair. I know everyone has a day where all they can manage to do is pull their hair back in a ponytail, but don't do it every day. Your hair can make or break an outfit so whether it's a sleek blowout or chic updo take the time to complete your look.

Hair styles

3. Shoes

This could easily be the most important accessory in my book. High heels always polish off any look and there are many options. Don't wear a sleek dress with a pair of flats....unless you're walking to your car, or in my case back and forth to the Capitol! ;)

Endless

4. Handbag

I've never splurged on an expensive handbag because I like to switch mine up at least twice a year. I rather carry a different handbag every few months than invest in one that I'm going to have to carry for years. That being said, if you have the money go for it. As Janie mentions, a nice handbag is the ultimate arm trophy, especially in a bold color or design.

Nordstrom

5. Make-up

I love make-up and feel it's always worthwhile to take a little time to do yours each morning. If you want the glam factor for a special event or evening, go for a smoky eye or bright, red lips- either or, never together! If you go for a smoky eye keep the rest of your face/lips natural. If you go for bold red lips keep your eyeshadow neutral. You never want your eyes and lips to compete with one another so choose one and run with it!

Suggestions: read this previous blog post.

6. Tights

Colored tights and patterned stockings are always fun. Sometimes it's hard to switch things up in the winter but this is the perfect way to add a little glam to a pencil skirt or sheath dress.

Spanx

7. Hats/hair accessories

As Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding approaches we're hearing more and more about hats and hair accessories. They seem to be very fashionable at the moment so if you're bold enough, go for it. They'll definitely be a conversation piece.

Kate Middleton

8. Gloves

Gloves don't always have to be associated with the ones you wear in the snow. Opera length gloves add sophistication to any evening gown and what could be more Mad Men than a pair of two-tone driving gloves?

Mad Men

9. Jewelry

I own just a few pieces of really nice jewelry- all thanks to my wonderful husband and parents. But I own A LOT of costume jewelry and wouldn't trade it for anything. I never, ever wear the same pieces of jewelry on a daily basis (except for my wedding ring and David Yurman bracelet). One of my favorite things to do is pick out my jewelry in the mornings to go with my outfit. Whether it's several long chains, a bangle, chandelier earrings, a strand of pearls or a cocktail ring, have fun with it!

Stella & Dot

What season are you?

For my birthday this year Chris gave me the book The Fashion File:  Advice, tips and inspiration from the costume designer of Mad Men. I'm a huge fan of the show Mad Men and love the classic/vintage fashion that Betty, Joan and the ever so handsome Don Draper pull off on each episode. The book takes a sneak peek into the dressing room of Mad Men and the process behind each character's look. It also provides suggestions on how to embrace your own personality through fashion.

Inspiration:

As we move into spring I thought it would be a good time to focus on color. Everyone has a color that looks great with their complexion and it's important to find the right color scheme that suits you best.

I love bold colors. I think they make a difference in the way I feel once I'm dressed. It's why I'm so excited that spring has finally arrived too. My closet drastically changes color once spring rolls around. I actually spent Saturday packing up my heavy sweaters and winter clothes and swapping them out for my spring/summer attire. My closet finally looks cheerful again! Everything is yellow, purple, pink, teal, white, green....bright colors.

I feel confident and happier when I'm wearing bright colors versus dull, dark colors. I always seem to have a drab day when I throw on a black sweater and gray pants and stroll to work. As Janie Bryant mentions in her book, she would never put a depressed secretary in a bold colored dress or try to downplay a cheery housewife in a shade of pea-soup green. Color shows emotion! So the next time you wake up and it's pouring rain outside and you feel a dull day ahead of you, pick the brightest color in your closet and see if it makes a difference.

"The best color in the world is the one that looks good on you." Coco Chanel

So now you need to determine your "season." Johannes Itten was a Swiss expressionist painter, designer, teacher, writer and theorist associated with the Bauhaus school.  Itten's work with color is said to be an inspiration for seasonal color analysis. He was one of the first people to associate color palettes with four types of people and had designated those types with the names of seasons. To determine your season you can visit Color Me Beautiful.

Winter

If your hair and eyes are dark and you have a fair or olive complexion with cool blue or pink undertones, then you're considered "winter." Colors like navy, black, dark gray, white and jewel tones compliment your complexion.

Autumn

If you're a redhead or strawberry blonde with golden or yellow undertones with camel, dark blue, or hazel eyes then you're considered "autumn." Dark brunettes with auburn highlights are included. Clothes in camel, orange, peach, taupe, copper and cinnamon favor your complexion.

Summer

If you have blonde or light brown hair with fair skin and light colored brown, green or blue eyes then you're considered "summer". Soft blues, pinks, yellows and greens look nice with your complexion.

Spring

If you have strawberry blonde or light brown hair with light eyes then you're considered "spring." Your complexion is fair with warm, golden or peach undertones and you may have freckles and rosy or ruddy cheeks. Salmon, aqua, teal and lime green look nice with your complexion.

Your next question may be, how do I determine my skin's undertones? One of the common methods is looking at your veins on the underside of your wrist. If your veins are green then you have warm undertones. If they're blue you have cool undertones. And if they're purple then you have neutral undertones.

You may already have a favorite color or you may notice when you receive compliments while wearing a particular color.  I have noticed that I usually get the most compliments when I'm wearing jewel toned colors- bold greens, purples, blues, etc. I love these colors so I guess I should stick with them!

What season are you?

Cinnamon Doughnut Muffins

I highly recommend you take a few minutes one Saturday morning and make a batch of these. They are some of the best breakfast treats I've had in a long time, and they're easy to make! I came across them at the Noble Pig and gave them a try this past weekend. It takes just like a jelly filled doughnut.

Noble Pig

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup milk
Jam (pick your favorite flavor!)

Topping:
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

In a large bowl, sift flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon; whisk to combine.

In another bowl, combine sugar, oil, egg, and milk.

Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients just until moistened. 

Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups half-full; place one teaspoon jam on top.  Cover jam with enough batter to fill muffin cups three-fourths full.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Place melted butter in a small bowl; combine sugar and cinnamon in another bowl.  Immediately after removing muffins from the oven, dip tops in butter, then in cinnamon-sugar.

Enjoy!!

I had full intentions on baking these, eating one or two, and bringing the leftovers to my co-workers. Funny thing happened; I woke up on Monday and there were only four left! Unfortunately there weren't enough to bring into my office so Chris and I had to finish them. Bummer! ;)

My toast to Sarah

One of my best friends from childhood, Sarah Burrill, got married last Saturday. It was a wonderful weekend full of friends, family & fun! I dedicate this post to the new Mrs. Stewart.

One of the first things that popped into my head when Sarah asked me to be her Matron of Honor was my toast. I do not like speaking in front of a large group of people. It is one of my biggest fears and even though I had to do it several times throughout high school and college, I've never fullen gotten over my fear. So for months now I've given a lot of thought to what I wanted to say and how it was possible to sum it up in just a few minutes.

The first time I wrote my toast it was close to three pages long. As the weeks went by it grew shorter and shorter because I knew I couldn't bore Sarah and Clark's guests to tears with a recap of our friendship over the past fourteen years. As of last Thursday when we boarded the plane to fly home to Charlotte I still hadn't finalized my speech. I worked on it during the flight and told myself that I would make my final changes once I got home and had an opportunity to jot some bullet points down on an index card. Well what do you know, that moment never came. From the time we landed in Charlotte I went full speed ahead and before I knew it I was standing in the ballroom at the Charlotte City Club Saturday night staring at Mr. Burrill as he gave his toast.

Wait a minute. How did this moment get here so quickly? I'm not ready! I didn't realize that once Sarah and Clark were introduced at the beginning of the reception that they would cut the cake, have their toasts, dance their first dance and then have the best man and matron of honor's toasts. As I mentioned at the beginning of my toast, I thought I'd have a little more time to have a few glasses of wine and get a little "liquid courage." I stood by Kim absolutely freaking out. I must have said I wasn't ready a million times. I think Kim was close to kicking me to the front of the room by the time Mr. Burrill finished his toast. I honestly can't even remember half of Mr. Burrill's toast (except the words "then I heard she slept with a lobbyist!") because I was so nervous. So as Mr. Burrill closed, I took a deep breath and headed to the front of the room. My saving grace was the fact that the lights were so bright I could hardly see anyone in the crowd, except for Sarah. I locked eyes on her and she eased my way through the entire thing. She laughed when I wanted people to laugh and she made comments all along the way that eased my nerves.

As I got towards the end of my toast I started to choke up. My heart started racing and I knew there was no way I could finish without bursting into tears. At that moment I couldn't remember what I wanted to say and I can't really remember what came out of my mouth. All I know is I wrapped things up as quickly as possible and walked to the middle of the room where Sarah was standing.

Since I wasn't able to give my entire toast I would like to take this time to do so.

Here we go......

I'd like to take a minute to think back to 1996. The cost of a gallon of gas was $1.22. Bill Clinton was elected to his second term as President of the United States. The 26th Summer Olympics were held in Atlanta, GA. The Yankees won the World Series. The Cowboys won the Superbowl. Some of the movie hits that year were Twister, Mission Impossible, Romeo & Juliet and Jerry Maguire. The Spice Girls took over the music scene,  but most importantly it was the year Sarah and I first met.

That was a little over 14 years ago. I didn't realize it had been that long until I started thinking about what I wanted to say tonight and began counting back the years.

Sarah and I first became friends running the hallways of McClintock Middle School as ninth graders. Eventually those hallways led us to East Meck where we graduated together with the class of 2000. We made great memories over those years but nothing brought us closer than college.

Some of you may be surprised to know that neither one of us wanted to go to NC State. For various reasons we had our hearts set on attending different colleges but thanks to our parents we both ended up packing our bags and heading to Raleigh in the summer of 2000. I believe it only took us a matter of hours before we first met up on campus. We rushed the same sorority that fall and were so close that we had the same big sister. We lived on opposite ends of the campus but Sarah's roommate's boyfriend went to a different school so she left every weekend. I would pack my bags every Thursday and hike across campus to stay with Sarah in UT. We learned to incorporate Chick-fil-a into at least one meal a day every day of the week, except for Sunday. We were so desperate to go shopping one afternoon that we decided to take the city bus to the mall. Lets just say that this wasn't the brightest idea because we didn't return from the mall until 9:00p.m.

Our sophomore year Sarah and I moved into the sorority house and lived in a room the size of a shoe box. If you know either one of us well you know that we love clothes and shoes, so how the two of us managed to live in that room together with all of our belongings and make it out with everything is a miracle. The two of us always looked forward to Mr. Burrill's big, white truck pulling up because we knew were finally getting to go to a nice meal out! We also mastered the art of tailgating and learned it was a necessity to invest in a good pair of cowboy boots.

Our junior year we thought it would be a good idea to live on Brent Rd. We also managed to sweet talk both of our Dad's into paying for our spring break trip to Acapulco and if you were to ask us to this day if we would return we would both simply tell you, no.

And our senior year, lets just say that we managed to go out every single night of the week for most of the year. With that said, we did graduate in exactly four years! As you can see, Sarah and I did everything together for four years. We graduated and moved back to Charlotte and tried putting off getting a real job for as long as possible. Sarah was the first one to take the leap and I eventually followed but in a completely different direction. I accepted a job opportunity in Washington, DC and moved away in January 2005.

I think most people would agree that distance is a true test to any relationship. If you can be seperated by hundreds of miles and still remain best friends then you know what you have is special. Even though Sarah and I may go days, weeks or months without a phone call we can always pick up right where we left off.

Sarah and Clark, I am so happy for the two of you. I wish you love and happiness over the months and years to come. Sarah, thank you for being such a wonderful friend to me over the years. I love you dearly and I promise that one day we won't have so many miles seperating us.

I love you both. Cheers to Sarah and Clark!

Make-up junkie!!

I would like to start off by apologizing for disappearing over the two months! Between the holidays and work I honestly have no idea where the time has gone. Life has been good, but going at lighting speed. My goal is to try to balance everything a dedicate a little more time to my blog! :)

I thought I would dedicate this post to make-up. If you know me well you know that I'm OBSESSED with make-up. I believe this obsession began as a little girl when I started dancing competitively. We had to wear very heavy make-up in order for it to be seen from stage. I started learning the make-up process all within the walls of Pat Hall's Dance Unlimited. False eye lashes, bright red lipstick....you name it! My Mom and I had it all down to a science, including all my crazy hair-do's. It really was a special time in my childhood that I will always cherish. We were on the road usually 2-3 weekends out of the month so it consumed many years of my life, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. Here is just a little glimpse of one of my all time favorite performances, Baby Elephant Walk (and as you can see...heavy make-up!:

Now back to my make-up obesession. If I read about a new lipstick, gloss, blush, mascara, eyeshadow, and/or foundation I am headed to the store to give it a try. I LOVE IT! I love doing my make-up, most days, and I love doing other friend's make-up. I like to experiment with different things, colors, and textures.
I have an impressive make-up collection. I have one drawer devoted completely to lipsticks, glosses and chapsticks. I have a second drawer that has many fun eyeshadows, liners and blushes. I also have 2 shelves of the cabinet in our bathroom where I keep most of my day to day make-up. A dream job of mine would be to test new make-up products and report back to the readers and consumers. Maybe one day.

I'll take some time to mention a few of my obsessions these days. These seem to change on a monthly basis. I love the website bluemercury.  I also take advantage of the "special events" that Nordstrom will have from time to time at different make-up counters. It's a great way to discover new products that compliment your complexion or a way to learn different ways to use the make-up you already own.  Please let me know if you have any beauty favorites because trust me, I would love to try them!

Primer
I think it's a great product, but I definitely don't wear it on a daily basis. If you're going to buy one get Smashbox's Photo Finish. It's the best. It's very lightweight and doesn't clog your pores. You can definitely tell a difference when you wear it too. Your make-up goes on flawless and it also camouflages wrinkles!

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer

Tinted moisturizer/Foundation
I'm not really to the point where I think foundation is necessary. I'm a tinted moisturizer kind of girl! I wore Stila's for years and years and loved it and still do. I decided it was time to change things up a bit, especially after reading in several magazines about Laura Mercier's tinted moisturizer. It continues to get rave reviews so I thought I would try it out. Verdict? Love it! I just bought my second tube so I think that sums it up.

Stila tinted moisturizer

Laura Mercier's Tinted Moisturizer

Eyeshadow
I get all of my powder eyeshadow from Bobbi Brown or Stila. Bobbi Brown has great classic colors that are perfect for the work week. Stila has so many FUN colors to wear and they go on very well and last all day. There is nothing worse than getting an eyeshadow that basically disappears when you place it on your eye. I want something where the color stands out and will last throughout the day. I'm not one to carry my make-up with me to work, or out for that matter, so I want something long lasting.

Bobbi Brown and Stila both make great little compact sets that usually come with 3 or 4 different colors. One color is usually your base, one for the crease of your eye and the third for your liner. Some of these sets will also come with a complimentary blush. I love these sets and have many of them.

Here is a portion of my eyeshadow collection.

Here are my essential make-up brushes.

Bobbi Brown Eye Palette

Stila Eye Shadow



About a year or two ago I discovered Benefit's cream eyeshadow. Now I can't live without it and use almost every single day. They have several different colors to choose from and the best thing is that it doubles as an eyeshadow primer. When I don't feel like a big make-up day I will simply sweep a little of the color on my eyes and I'm ready to roll. I always use this cream eyeshadow as my primer too. I bought a very neutral color so it works well under all my eyeshadows without changing their color. It holds your eyeshadow in place all day long.

Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow-liner

Blush
I love to play with different blushes. Right now my two favorites are Nars Orgasm (looks great on everyone) and Tarte's cheek stain. Tarte's cheek stain is especially nice in the winter when your skin is drier. It adds a nice healthy glow that lasts throughout the day.  I also have a great classic pink blush from Bobbi Brown that I use occasionally. I have heard many wonderful things about Chanel's blush so I think I may have to splurge on it soon. I've debated for well over a year about whether or not I should try it out and I just haven't done it. Maybe this spring I'll try out a new color from their line.

Nars blush

Chanel Blush

Tarte Cheek Stain

I recently read in Instyle magazine that a cream blush or highlighter is good to use. A Nars expert said to put the highlighter on your cheeks before applying your foundation or tinted moisturizer. I was intrigued by this so I went out and bought the Nars Orgasm Illuminator. I love it! It's very subtle but gives you just the right amount of shimmer.

Nars Orgasm Illuminator

Bronzer
I used to be hooked on Cargo's bronzer until Sephora stopped selling it. I just noticed a few weeks ago that Ulta carries the line now so that made me very excited. I like a bronzer without shimmer. I feel like between a liquid highlighter and blush that's plenty of shimmer. Cargo has a great matte brozner that doesn't make you look too dark. When Sephora stopped selling it I ended up buying Nars' bronzer which has done the trick too.

*Here is a trick when applying your bronzer. Squeeze your lips together like you're making a fish mouth. Using a contoured bronzer/blush brush apply the bronzer into the hollow area under your cheek bones. It will go on a little dark, but after applying release your lips back to normal and blend. Then place your blush on the apples of your cheeks, above the bronzer.

Cargo Bronzer

Nars Bronzer

Eyeliner
I'm a huge fan of using my eyeshadow as a liner. If I want a defined line I will wet my liner brush with a little water, but mostly I just use a dry brush. If I don't use my shadow then I love Bobbi's gel eyeliner.

Long Wear Gel Eyeliner

Mascara
I will have to say I'm torn between two mascaras. If you've never tried Lacome's Cils Booster XL and Definicils mascara then you're missing out. The Cils Booster is a super enhancing mascara base and the Definicils is a high definition mascara.  The combination is simply magical. A sorority sister of mine first introduced me to this combo and it's hard to go wrong with.  I can promise you that it will look like you're wearing false eyelashes. I always get compliments on my eyes when I wear this combination.

Definicils

Cils Booster XL

My second favorite is Dior's DiorShow mascara. It is fabulous, just fabulous. It's a big, fat bristled brush and it never clumps. Heavenly!

DiorShow Mascara

As far as drugstore brands are concerned, it seems like they're always coming up with a new mascara that is supposed to be bigger and better from all the others. Who knows....they don't excite me all that much because they always, always clump.

Lipstick
I love Chanel's Rouge Coco lipsticks. I usually don't wear lipstick because I feel like it drys out my lips. Some of them have a bad smell to them too. Chanel's new line is a classic, lightweight creme lipstick that features a Hydratendre complex that helps soften, soothe and condition lips. I bought my first bright red lipstick last year in this line and it really does look great.

Rouge Coco

I also like Nars' lipsticks. You can choose between satin, semi-matte, and sheer. I bought the sheer lipstick in Damage and have enjoyed wearing it. It's a perfect, subtle color for the work week. .

Nars Sheer Lipstick

At some point last year I came across Dior's 'Addict' High Shine lipstick. It's a very luxurious lipstick that adds the perfect finishing touch to your look. I purchased it in Raspberry Rush and love the way it looks, especially in the spring and summer months.

Dior 'Addict' High Shine Lipstick

Lip Gloss
Bobbi Brown! I love her little lip gloss tubes. There is one thing I can't stand and that's sticky lip gloss. You know the kind where you turn your head and your hair gets stuck in your lip gloss....ugh! Bobbi has a great lightweight gloss that comes in amazing colors. I must have 10 different ones!

Bobbi Brown Lip Gloss

Maintenance
If you're going to wear all this great make-up then you have to make sure you take care of your skin. As I've mentioned in posts before, I'm pretty much a carbon copy of my Mother and Grandmother. Fortunately they've always taken wonderful care of their skin and I've tried to follow in their footsteps. I know I didn't do myself any favors all those years that I was a tanning bed junkie, but that's all behind me now....well the tanning BED part. When summer rolls around I spend basically every Saturday and Sunday lounging by our pool. I realize that it isn't good for my skin but I do wear sunscreen these days instead of slathering myself with tanning oil.

I have always been very particular with my bedtime routine since high school. If you want to ask anyone about it, talk to Kim. :) No matter how late of a night we had back in college I always washed my face, put on my moisturizer and brushed my teeth! It may take me awhile to get ready for bed, and get myself ready in the mornings but I truly believe all my hard work pays off.

My new moisturizer of choice is Philosophy. When it comes to a moisturizer, you get what you pay for. I realize that many skin care lines can be very expensive but I do think it's worth investing a little more money into products these days. Philosophy has a wonderful line in general and for Christmas I received Hope in a jar. It has a great clean, lightweight smell and texture. I'm hooked!

For my eye cream, hands down the best I've used so far is Bobbi Brown, but it is expensive. It's $65 for a tiny little jar. Granted, that little jar will last you about 6 months I know that's a heavy price tag for a little jar of cream. I realize most ladies probably don't think they need a separate eye cream but YOU DO! Walk to a mirror right now and take a close look at your eyes. I guarantee you that most folks have little crows feet around their eyes. Maybe even some of you have dark circles. Ladies, these are only going to get worse as you age. Do something about it now because if you haven't started already then you're behind the game. If you can't fork over $65 for eye cream then there are plenty of other options. I have tried L'Oreal's Revitalift and Neutrogena's and they're both great.

On a side note, if you're looking for a good self tanner that doesn't stink give Clarins a try. It's great and it works well on your face too. I bought mine at Nordstrom's.

I hope you've enjoyed my ramblings about make-up! If you're fortunate enough to be outside today I hope you're enjoying this wonderful weather!