Beauty shortcuts

Two little shortcuts I've picked up in the last week:

Goody Spin Pins

Cool little hair tools that let you secure an updo with just 2 pins, instead of dozens of bobby pins. I tried them really briefly yesterday, and they held with almost no effort on my part. I will be playing with them more, for sure! They are about $6 at the usual places - drugstores, WalMart, etc., and come in blonde and brunette.

The other tip I can't really show you a picture of. It's from Bobbi Brown on The Today Show. She suggests, instead of using an eyelash curler, to use your finger to curl your lashes AFTER you put mascara on. When it is almost dry, just use your index finger to gently press your lashes up toward your brow, being careful not to   actually press them against your lid, or you will smear your makeup. It works great! AND takes one more tool out of your makeup case! If you combine that technique with one of the many lash-extending mascaras, the effect is almost TOO much, for daytime anyway. I've been using "Falsies" mascara by Maybelline and two coats plus the curling method gives you almost-fake looking lashes - in a good way. Give it a try!

Open House at Upstairs

I had a great time today at the Upstairs Holiday Open House, and enjoyed getting to meet owner and decorator-extraordinaire, Todd Richesin. I've been dying to see the major renovation he completed on a funky old building in Bearden, at the junction of Kingston Pike and Lyon's View Pike. It's a super cool space full of elegant and unique pieces for the home, as well as great gift items and even some jewelry (I managed to NOT buy a killer leather bracelet with horse-bit details for myself!)

One of many beautiful tablescapes

 Giant, lavish wreaths!

 Todd and me

 Papier-Mache bust made of newsprint: LOVE it!

 Fabulous little side table with "branch" legs

 Textiles, textiles!

I love the addition of blue to the traditional Christmas colors, and the stag's head!

 Have fun browsing Todd's portfolio, and be sure to stop in at the Open House: it's on all day tomorrow, too!

New Eye Candy

I'm in the process of updating my blog list (on the left), saying goodbye to some that just don't seem like a good fit anymore, and discovering some inspirational new ones. Check out Radiant Republic, Colour Me Happy and  The Zhush. They are new to me, but all three are colorful and stylish: fun!

Calling My Name

J. Crew has a sweater in the new September catalogue that I should probably get:

And to wear with it, a pair of these from Diana Warner:

The "Betsy" earring. I mean, temptation is bad enough without the stuff having your name on it!!

Pack Rat

As I start thinking about what to pack for Europe in a couple of weeks, I realize I also could use some tips on HOW to pack. I found this little article from Modelinia, which includes tips from supermodels, who of course travel all the time. It features Cheryl Tiegs, Christie Brinkley, and Elaine Irwin, among others. They all seem dedicated to the "roll it up" method. I'll try it, but I have a hard time believing everything doesn't wrinkle!

As far as what to pack, I'm definitely bringing my Infinity Dress from Hayley Starr:

This thing is amazing! I wore it to a wedding recently, and there are so many different ways to wear it. Ironically, the bridesmaids at said wedding were in a version of it, too, which was so cool because they each wore it to flatter their body type. Great idea for brides-to-be to consider!

The website includes a video on how to create some of the styles, so I just prop my iPad on the bathroom counter and follow along. Fun! Anyway, it can be anything from a skirt to a really casual strapless to a more cocktail-style with cap sleeves. Great thing to travel with!

Runs in the Family!

Look at this amazing chair that Anna Spiro of Absolutely Beautiful Things had her son draw on as a gift for his little brother. She took a thrift chair, covered it in white canvas, and let him go to town! Doesn't it look like she had a graphic designer do it to mimic little kid drawings? Love it!! Such a great gift idea and a memento that he can keep all of his life. Wouldn't you love to have that to hand down to your own child?

Friday Gorgeousness

There is really nowhere at all I can think of that I would wear this outfit; too casual for formal, too formal for casual, but I love it! The skirt is a mere $2,500 at J. Crew. Let's just enjoy it as eye candy!

Tuesday on a Wednesday

I snapped up these treasures at Tuesday Morning a couple of weeks ago:

An orange faux-bamboo nightstand for my son's room, which has touches of orange throughout.  It was $50 back in the clearance room because of a couple of scratches on top.

Pillow shams embroidered with an Aztec pattern. Not sure where I'm going to use them, but they are such good quality I had to grab them: for $12 a pair!

Kitchen Art

I'm loving my new prints from 20x200. They are limited editions by artist Jane Mount; she paints peoples' ideal bookshelves, and I picked two of her cookbook series for the kitchen. I put them in the Lily Frame from Pottery Barn.

Age Appropriate

 

I love how naturally beautiful this woman is. She looks her age (no insult intended), but is gorgeous and stylish. As posted by Scott at The Sartorialist.

Restore Me

Have you gotten the GIANT spring Restoration Hardware catalogue? Its overall feel is a little too neutral for my taste, even though I really dig Gustavian. But, there are definitely many pieces I can pick out and picture in rooms with a little more color; my style! This chair is beautiful; traditional but with the surprise of those curvy legs. And I love the look of using two different fabrics.

I've had a thing for quartrefoils recently -- this mirror is to die for.

The 17th Century Monastery Table has me thinking about refinishing the trestle table we inherited from my in-laws...

I've never seen wine bottles stored on their sides like this. This piece would MAKE a room.

 Reclaimed wood planters. Sigh.

They have baby furniture now! Love how the cribs convert to beautiful toddler beds.

Cast resin deer head. I don't know why I love these, but I do!

Happy Spring!

Beauty and the Beast

I'm not being very nice, but is this not the most hideous model you've ever seen? Maybe it's just a bad pic, but oof! On the other hand, the Valentino she's wearing is amazing! Via The Sartorialist.

Sole Society

Gilt Group has launched a new shoe-specific shopping site (how alliterative!) called "Sole Society." When you join, you take a brief style quiz so they can get a feel for your fashion profile -- mine was dead-on! Within 24 hours you can access your own shoe closet, tailored to your tastes. Six pairs of shoes will be available to you, each costing $49.95.  If you aren't happy with the selections, you can choose to put them back into inventory and new choices will be made for you. New members are given a discount of $10 off the first pair: pretty sweet!

I liked 5 of my 6 choices and am going to buy the cork-platform sandals with my discount. Join here and start shopping your own closet!

Oooooo so pretty! Rings by Pomellato.

Tory Does it Again

Everything is right about this picture. The nude color of the sandals, the pedicure against the tanned skin...

It's Been a Long Time

Great outfit from Anthropologie. Do you have a long skirt yet? Time to get a couple!

Control Freak

If you have thick, curly or wavy hair, you will love this shampoo and conditioner:

Ouidad, available at Sephora.com.  It has totally changed my hair - love it! Also, if you do have this type of hair, you shouldn't wash it every day. That is a real blessing, because at least a few days a week, you can skip the whole hairstyling thing, which seriously cuts time off the beauty routine!

Lastly, I finish up with this:

Leave-in Treatment with Argan oil by DermOrganic. Available at Amazon. This is my final step after drying my hair: leaves it silky with no frizzies, and it also conditions. Hope they work for you!

Chair of the Day

This is probably a bad title for this post, because I've never before posted about a particular chair, and I don't plan to have a special "chair day" in the future, but it's all I could come up with!


I saw this really great-looking chair in the March House Beautiful, and I honestly thought they had listed the wrong price for it. Or maybe I'm getting so used to overpriced furniture that I've lost my perspective. Anyway, it is $245 at Restoration Hardware. LOVE it!

It works with so many styles: the legs make it traditional, the shape and metal back give it a contemporary twist. You could really put it anywhere. Let me know if you buy it!

Weekend Bling

Loving this turquoise blue ring at Topshop. Only $18. Treat yourself!

Free People

Free People has some gorgeous pieces out for Spring. Even though they style their looks for teens and young-twenties, I don't think you have to rule out wearing certain things as long as YOU style them a little more conservatively. Click on the links below each outfit for info.

This black eyelet dress would be so pretty with little flat sandals, a straw bag, and not much else! You could also layer it over skinny jeans.

Sandals
Straw bag

This tulle maxi-skirt is sooooo pretty! I would wear it with a simple long tank top or t-shirt and ballet flats. I love it with this long tank below:

 

Ballet Flats

Loving these lace pants! I love the idea of the denim shirt but I'd keep it simpler with just a striking long pendant and great boots.

Tassel Necklace

Boots

By now you're noticing a big trend of lace and eyelet! This tank is perfect! You could put it over a maxi skirt or wide-legged pants: killer!

Two trends here: eyelet and the wide leg. I'd do these with a fitted t-shirt and sandals, or over a bathing suit at the beach.

 Bikini
Tan Wedge Sandals

These lace pants are a bit edgier. I'd try something like this silk top from J. Crew Collection instead of Free People's tank, and a pair of amazing nude sandals.

Silk top
Nude Sandals