Bad Hair Days No More

Upcoming trend alert:  Blowdry Bars.  Like the new trendy braid bars, blowdry bars are a great way for a salon to expand its business and bring in some extra revenue, but even better on the other end for us girls.  Blowouts are now convenient and affordable, not just for that special occasion. Keep an eye out for a blowdry bar near you!  NO MORE excuses for a bad hair day anymore ladies ;)

Trend Alert: Blowdry Bars  

Bad hair can dampen your mood and kill your confidence. So can the nation's new crop of blowdry bars deliver more than silky, swingy 'dos?

By Erin Meanley

Are We Surprised?!

Reports surfaced today that Kim Kardashian has filed for divorce!  Oh wow, she and [hubby] Kris Humphries made it all a big 72 days.  I am not surprised by this news though, it seems to be the new thing in Hollywood - let's see who can have the biggest most elaborate wedding [make $$ off of it] and then end the marriage fastest. OOOO Celebrities ;)

Let's take a trip down memory lane and see some of the shortest celeb marriages!

Welcome to the Hostess City

This past week Jeff and I spent some time in the wonderful southern city of Savannah, GA.  We spent time walking through the cobblestone streets and down historic River Street.  We also took time to drive out to Tybee Island and played the ultimate tourist and did the Lighthouse tour. My fear of steps did not allow me to climb more than two flights into the Lighthouse before I had a panic attack, but as usual, my always adventurous not afraid of anything husband made it to the top and took some pictures for me :)

View from 178 steps up

Lighthouse view

Candy Connoisseur

Cheese Fries - Jeff says the were the best he ever had ;)

We also dined at the Bohemian hotel's Rocks on the River.  It was honestly the best meal I have had in a LONG time.  We started with cheese fries as an appetizer and then I had the nightly special [ahi tuna] while Jeff had a grouper sandwich. All it's "wonderfulness" was followed up with a brief trip to the candy store ;)

To Wear or Not to Wear...

90's accessory trends are finding their way back into the hands, arms, lips, and hair of many 20-something year old females.  Slap bracelets and scrunchies to lip smackers and mood rings. What is your favorite childhood throwback accessory?

What I am loving about fall....so far ;)

I have come across a couple MUST HAVE accessories for this fall and upcoming winter.  As you can all deduce from the title of my blog, I am an accessory addict - I like to have it all.  So here are a couple of my "must haves" this season:

Kate Spade's new line of mittens... adorable.

And the next must have accessory has been seen around the necks of celebrities like Jessica Simpson and Eva Longoria.  Check out Maya Brenner State Necklaces and Asymmetrical Mini Letter Necklaces.  I think I will take two or three of these ;)

    

KEEP CHECKING IN FOR MORE "MUST HAVES"!!!

Cinnamon, Spice, and Everything Nice

With Halloween nearing and Thanksgiving around the corner all of our favorite "holiday treats" are here!  I welcome the holidays with open arms and open stomach and I love trying new recipes.  My sister and I baked a pumpkin pie cake with cinnamon buttercream frosting - and I must say it was fabulous ;)  Here are the recipes - baked with love.

Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, room temp
• 2 cups confectioner's sugar
• 3 Tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS

Place the butter in a mixing bowl and mix on low until it turns creamy. At first it will stick to your beaters, but just let it mix for a few moments and it will start to soften. Add the confectioner's sugar one cup at a time, slowly incorporating with your mixer on low.
Add the milk, vanilla and ground cinnamon and mix on low until fully incorporated. If it is too thick for you, add a bit more milk, if it is too runny for you, add a bit more confectioner's sugar.

Pumpkin Pie Cake Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 large can pumpkin pie mix (has the sugar and spices in it)
• 1 large can evaporated milk
• 4 eggs
• 1 white or yellow cake mix

Instructions

Mix the pumpkin pie mix, cake mix, milk, and eggs together. Pour into 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Bake at 350F for 1 hour. Cool. Serve with whipped cream or frozen whipped topping, thawed. Serves 12 to 15.

Black or White?

"Black or White"...
This might be 3 words from one of my favorite childhood Michael Jackson songs, but it is also a choice many brides are making before their big trip down the aisle.  Vera Wang has debuted a line of black wedding dresses coming to you FALL 2012 - check out a sample of the new dresses!  Positive and negative feedback has been everywhere online - some women love these dresses [unique, modern, creative, expressive] and others just seem to think it is not [bridal and too far from tradition].  Personally, I think they are fun and a little bit quirky - I am not sure I could, with 100% confidence, say I would have walked down the aisle in one of these  frocks.  But I maybe I would put one on for the element of surprise as my "party dress".  Maybe I could throw a second wedding [just kidding Dad] .... or maybe I can convince one of my girls to rock this look at their own wedding ;) 

Forget Me Not....

It's the weekend!  I spent my Saturday morning volunteering with some of my favorite people [my husband, my mom, and my sister] for the 2011 Walk to End Alzheimer's - Columbia [a cause near and dear to our hearts].  The event went off without a hitch and we had a great turnout, and raised a lot of money $$$!  It was great to see so many people from the community there, from children to senior care centers to the Lady Gamecocks Basketball team.  I must add that I am impressed and proud of our Lady Gamecocks - they have pledged to raise $20,000 by February 2012 in honor of Pat Summitt [of the Tennessee Basketball family].

And speaking of the Gamecocks.... our football team is 6-1!  We barely defeated [but still it's a win] the Mississippi State Bulldogs.  GO COCKS.  Hopefully Lattimore [who left late in the game with a possible knee sprain] will recuperate with our bye week this upcoming Saturday and we can be fully loaded for our game against Tennessee in Knoxville.

I haven't had a more satisfying Saturday since... well I don't even know.  It felt great to give back to the community and get involved and the best part was sharing it with my family and knowing it will make a difference for our loved ones!  Check out this great article about how you can get involved volunteering.  And don't forget to go the Alzheimer's website to learn about the disease and get involved!

My New Obsession...

In the past couple months I have found myself purchasing nail polish like it's a necessity, not a want.  I bought 3 new colors at a trip to CVS just this past week.  My make-up drawer and dresser are cluttered with a rainbow of colors and I am beginning to run out of enough days in the week to change my polish.  I have been wearing the "new neutral" fall craze, different shades of gray and blue and beige. Shade after shade I have finally narrowed it down to three of my new faves....... DRUMROLL.... the winners are:

 

essie - power clutch [ a beautiful dark gray with green undertones]

essie - case study [nice alternative to a pink neutral with a hint of warm beige]

essie - mezmerized [ a captivating royal blue that can be paired with other blues in the series and get the trendy "demin nails"]

I refuse to pay over $20 for a bottle of wine - that may shock people that consider themselves wine "connoisseurs" or "wine snobs".  But I am always satisfied with the less expensive choices I make.  In fact, some may call this crazy, or maybe it's that I am a sucker for good advertising, but I usually try a new wine based on the art or logo of the  label and/or the clever brand name.

Recently, I have been into the Middle Sister Wines - this particular wine was developed by a woman, Terry Wheatley.  Wheatley had been in the wine business for over 30 years and wanted to bring a "female point-of-view to the male-dominated world of wine".   Inspired by the middle daughter of a close friend and with some help of an associate, Wheatley launched the highly successful and affordable Middle Sister Wines!

Being a middle sister myself, [older brother and younger sister],  I immediately was attracted to the brand.  The first wine I tried in the collection was Middle Sister Drama Queen - a fruity pinot grigio with a hint of apples and pears.  I was so impressed with it I tried the red blend - Rebel Red, which has a fruity berry taste and goes with a variety of foods including two of my favorites,  pizza and burritos!

Check out their website - Middle Sister Wines and get a description of each wine and great suggestions for foods to pair with each wine! Make sure to check out their philanthropic efforts and even take a quiz to find out which sister you are!

Think Braids... they aren't just for little girls anymore!

Those chilly fall mornings are upon us and the leaves are starting to change colors... Fall is FINALLY HERE!  I am most excited about getting my boots and sweaters out of their boxes and packing away the tanks and tees.  As with every season change, we are inundated with magazines and pop-ups on our computers about the newest fall and winter trends and this season's "must- haves".

Among the gamut of this fall's trends is one that has ultimately stood the test of time and is a seasonal chameleon, but it is also one of my all time go-to hairstyles...... THE BRAID!  Just this past week, NBC's The Today Show featured a segment on NYC's John Barret Braid Bar.  This trendy NYC Salon provides braiding for a variety of occasions and price points:

All braids – $45
Shampoo & Braid – $65
Shampoo, blow dry and braid starting at $120

Braids can be worn by women with short or long hair, young or [mature], and can be appropriate for all occasions. Braids can last several days and even tend to look better the second or third day!  So if you are all about being fashionable and in with the trends or you just wanna play around on your own - go get braided :)

  

Braided updo - courtesy of moi

Fishtail braid - created by me!

Red Hot Trend: How to Pull it Off? | MillionLooks.com

Red Hot Trend: How to Pull it Off?

Red is one of the hottest trends this season and since it can be hard to pull off we give some tips on how to wear it right. The first and foremost thing to do before wearing red is to find the perfect hue that suits you. It means it doesn't overwhelm you but brings out the best from your appearance.

Donna Karan Fall 2011 RTW

Red is a top trend this season. But it’s also a very strong color that attracts attention and can easily make or break your outfit. While you might be no stranger to rouge lipstick and pumps, or even statement handbags the clothes is just another thing. In order to pull off this hot red trend you need to know to wear it right.

Find Your Shade of Red

Again as with lipstick stick to red hues that look best on you. These bring out warmth in your skin tone and go well with your hair and eye color without overshadowing your appearance. Experiment with shades of red and find those that will truly make you look your best. This might be tricky but once you’ve found the perfect shade of red stick to it.

Gucci Fall 2011 RTW

Wear It With Confidence

Red is for those who is confident and like extra attention. If you are not sure about red outfits try some chunky statement accessories, footwear and handbags and see how it goes. A skirt, top or a jacket paired with black or gray can is a further step toward wearing red outfits. If you wear red with basic black then black pieces don’t necessarily have to be too plain, but also make sure they are no overdone so you don’t look garish.

Lanvin Fall 2011 RTW

Red Outerwear

Red outerwear makes you instantly noticeable so keep the rest of your outfit tame while placing the focus on the red outerwear. The black and red combo is hard to beat but you can also try midnight blue or gray in your outfit if you want to try something new.

All In Red

An all-red outfit is hard to pull off but if you must let it be a flowing evening gown or a streamlined pant suit or stylish jumpsuit with a cut that makes you look taller. A flowing midi dress is also a great way to sport this trend. Don’t be afraid to match your lipstick to your outfit but be sure your shade of red lipstick suits your skin tone and hair color as well.

*******************************

Finally, the world gets red! Red has been my favorite color since... well FOREVER. I am loving the different shades of red [everything from bright classic red to burgundy to bordeaux] - seen everywhere from the big stage at Fashion Week to the red carpet events to the streets of South Carolina :) What is your favorite way to ACCESSORIZE or DRESS with red this year?!

Red Carpet - Daytime Emmys

Michael Kors Fashion Week

Essie's New Fall Line in "Carry On"