Summer Staples 4:

Summer is not yet over!! Here are some staples that will get you through Labor Day weekend.

1. Chapstick, Lip goo, Lip gloss, Lipstick..whatever you want to call it. Your gonna need it. Your going to be dehyrated from all the drinking, making out and sun.

2. Don’t forget your whites!! Last chance to wear your favorite white things. Because once fall/winter hits it becomes “Winter White.” In the world of fashion..two totally different things. “Winter Whites” are more cream based.

3. Shorts. The temperature might get “hot enough” for shorts, but remember we are transitioning into fall. So if you still want to wear shorts after Labor Day, try the layering technique. Add a cardigan. A long sleeved button down/flannel 3 quarter shirt. (A 3 quarter length shirt is one that reaches your elbows). Or try a suit jacket/jacket. To keep it casual try one with a tee shirt.

4. Flips Flops. Just go with me on this. If you try to elimnate wearing flip flops earlier then your feet will thank you later. All summer most of the time we throw on flip flops. Well what happens when you need to throw on a pair of flats or heels? Blisters. Start to wear shoes with a back at least half of the day.

5. Anything strapless. After summer you can still wear your favorite dress/shirt but, I would start to transition it into a “fall look.” Again think about layering pieces.

6. Go easy with accessories. It’s still hot out. All that you have on is going to be sticking to you. Think light airy pieces. Or stick to accessorizing your hair.

-COUPE

Here’s a quick jean guide, fall is around the corner.

Basic Fits:
-Skinny-snug in the butt, thigh and leg
-Bootcut-slightly flared to fit over boots
-Flare-narrower at knee with flared leg opening
-Relaxed-looser than “normal” fit, but it is not as loose as “loose fit.” Also baggier in butt, thigh
-Straight-same width at thigh, knee, and leg opening
-Trouser-fuller leg from hip down, wider hem

(Some jeans do come in Petites, and Longs. Don’t forget about hemming. Dragging the bottom of your jeans is unattractive).

To find your correct inseam:
Lay a pair of jeans on a flat surface. Take a measuring tape from the crotch seam to the bottom of the leg.

Rise options:
-High-sits above natural waist, covers navel-11″ rise or more
-Regular-sits just below navel-9 1/2-11″ rise
-Low-below the navel-7-9 1/2″ rise
-Super Low-way below the navel-7″ rise or less

Women’s American/European Conversion Sizes:
0=24″
2=25″
4=26″
6=27″
8=28″
10=29″
12=30″
14=31″
*(if you have an odd size convert an extra inch or two)

Men’s American/European Conversion Sizes:
30=46
32=48
34=52
36=54
38=56
40=58

-COUPE

TIP: Wash your jeans inside out the first couple of times to save the color and to prevent the dye from leaking onto your other clothes.

My personal Fav go to jean look is with a white button down, tank or tee. (Fetching)..

“The Re-Invention”

It’s almost back to school time for you folks who have to still attend school. (My deepest sympathies). Many will obtain some new clothes, buy some shoes, get a new backpack, load up on some very expensive half used text books..etc. But what about starting off the school year differently? Don’t you want to do better than last year? Make some new friends? Join something. Start a new club? Get a new hair do? Save endangered species? Take these last couples of weeks to re invent yourself. Whether you are going back to school or not. Think of it as half way through the year for you guys who aren’t in school. Remember your New Year’s Eve resoultions? What have you done this summer? Make changes.

The following are just some examples:

Adopt a pet. Donate money/time..volunteer! (Make sure it’s something your interested in). Get a hair cut. Re invent your wardrobe. Compliment someone else. Give back to your community. Recycle. Buy something eco-friendly. Become a Vegan/Vegatarian. Spend time with someone who has no one. Walk/Ride a bike/Take public transportation to where ever you gotta get to. Plant a tree. Get a new job. Meditate.

-COUPE

Be sure to include things that include “Sun” this summer:

Sunglasses..Sunscreen..Sunroof..Sunbathe..Sunshine..
Sunporch..Sundae..Sundress..Sunflower..Sunrise..Sunset..Sunburnt..

The SUNRISE beamed through my window. I yelled out a curse word. Turned over in my bed yelling at myself for leaving the curtain open. Dang.. now I’ll never get back to sleep. But I did.. This is what I dreamnt…

I’m in the hamptons, Sunbathing on a lounge chair. Hickory (my corkie puppy) is chewing on my Sunscreen bottle. I yell at him, but I quickly take it back realizing that he probably wanted me to put some on. So I do. Because afterall, no one wants to look Sunburnt. I put the bottle up on the little table sitting next to me. I pick up my open bag of Sunflower seeds. After munching on some I realize that I had been outside for awhile. I set down the Sunflower seed bag and venture up to the house. I step into the Sunporch and glance at the clock on the wall, it was already 6:10 pm. Hickory scurries past my feet. I head up to the bathroom and shower. Got a date so I throw on my Sundress. Man I love Saturday’s I think to myself. I blow Hickory a kiss then head out to my coupe. I hop in, and open up the Sunroof. Cruising along I throw on some stunna Sunglasses. I finally parked the coupe outside of an ice cream shop. Jackson and I got some Sundaes. Afterwards we sat on the beach and watched the Sunset. Upon getting back to my car, I took off my stunna Sunglasses. I put my hand up to close the Sunroof when I notice a note. I go to unstick it. A purple string follows it. Ew. Someone was in my coupe, and someone was chewing purple gum! I open the note..

-COUPE

Summer Staples 1: Espadrille Wedge Sandals
They go with everything! They also won’t hurt your feet as much as your stiletto heels will. Careful wearing them in the rain, if they aren’t dried properly they will become moldy.

What’s an espadrille? Espadrilles are casual flat or high-heel fashion sandals originating from the Pyrenees. They usually have a canvas or cotton fabric upper and a flexible sole made of rope or rubber material moulded to look like rope (wikipedia).

What’s a wedge shoe? On most shoes, the “heel” sits under only the heel of the foot, but a wedge heel runs under the foot, from the back of the shoe to the middle or front. Wedge heels range from low to high, it’s the shape and the length of the heel that classify it as a wedge (about.com).

Some examples:

-COUPE

TIP: Where to shop-
Old Navy
DSW
Famous Footwear

True Story: Even though this does NOT relate to Fashion at all I thought I would share this.

At work..which is someplace in the capital region.. I believe there is a ghost. Perfect place for one to reside to I must say. I’ll call the ghost Mickey, (not sure if its a girl or boy yet) and by the way it’s 4 am. All of a sudden I hear beeping. The noise is constant for 30 minutes. I checked all over just could not figure where it was coming from. It finally stops, then outside the office window there’s a cat fight. The cat screams you can hear it run and dodge or catch something then nothing. So when it’s finally daylight out, I check outside the window. Thinking if there was a cat/animal rumble there should be evidence. Mind you this was at about 6 am. What did I find..nothing! Well at least both noises stopped right.

Incident #2: Another ex co worker claims that they heard heavy walking at early hours. Just up and down stairs or up and down the hall. On multiple occasions. Have I heard this as well, Yes! Does this mean that its a male ghost? Hmmm…

Incident #3: Many of us Staff members can’t seem to get the basement door to stay locked. Hmm.. Does that mean that the door needs a new door knob? Maybe but there seems to be nothing wrong with that or the frame. I mean I’ve tried slamming it shut. Nothing. Body slamming it. Nothing.

Incident #4: Electrical Problems. Everything in the place has electrical problems. There’s not one thing that hasn’t had to be replaced. Hmm.. could just be we all use the office equipement too much right.

Incident #5: Dark Shadows. WTF I’ve seen many. Enough said. One time it was like 5 am. Bright as the afternoon out. It ran yes ran by the window. I would have to say just under 6 foot tall. I even checked the door that I saw it run by. Friggin’ thing was locked. Mind you there’s a dead bolt on it. So either Mickey had to have gone through the door. Or it was someone already outside. But when people run you hear their footsteps/shoes. I heard nothing. Explain that.

I’ll keep yall up to date on anything else that goes on. Do I believe in ghosts and paranormal activity? I wish I didn’t but I’ve seen too much at work and outside of work to not believe. Plus there’s a ghost at my own apartment. See we all just dismiss that they are really there. But the key is to be more aware. They might just need help with something. Happy Sleeping.

-COUPE

..June is finally here! Along with some decent weather!! YAY!

April showers bring May flowers..So June brings..Weddings? I cannot tell you how many people have or are going to get married in the month of June.

This month The Limited dishes out their brand new “Weddings and Events Collection.”

Check it out here:
The Limited Wedding/Events

Whether your the bride or a member of the bridal party or attending. Dress shopping can be rather frustrating. So I thought I would give out some dress shopping tips.

1: Look for Inspiration first
-Check out magazines, books, websites.
-Be prepared if you don’t the sales people will just overwhelm you with every dress in the store.

2: Ask
-Talk with others who have gotten married, or have been in weddings. You’ll learn a lot.

3/4: Use what you know
-Now that you have somewhat of an idea, thats when you go and try dresses on. Bring in pictures and your new found knowledge to the sales people. It makes for a better overall experience for all involved. It’s better to have some what of a plan instead of walking into everything blindfolded. Less stress.

3/4: Try on
-Try it all on. Once, twice, three times whatever suits you. Your the one wearing it might as well be estactic about it!! Also bring no more than two people if you want opinions. Sometimes people can persuade you to get something you hate just to be done dress shopping. Ask if you can take pictures to help you and your entourage of helpers to decide which one is the best. Different styles look different on everyone. Check out every store too. Just don’t go to one store. Also if needed, bring a notebook to write down prices, sizes, the store etc.

5: Think on it
-Unless it’s the last one in the store and on the planet. Don’t buy on impulse.

6: Buy it
-Make sure they steam your dress as well.
-Don’t forget about alterations.

7: Get creative
-What can you add to it? Or what can you take off? If nothing comes to mind then its gotta be perfect!
-Go back through your photos that you liked. Maybe there were dresses that were too expensive. So you had to pick something else. If you go back through your photos see what it was that you liked about that one dress. Did it have color? Ribbons? Detailing? Beads?
-Check out your local fabric stores for inspiration. Those places are full of ideas!! It could be something as simple as buying some yards of sequins to attach to the bride maids dresses for a “Vegas” inspired wedding. Or finding some white flowers that look much better on the wedding dress than the original ones do.

*Thinking of hair pieces instead of a veil or hat?
-Ask a friend for help putting some together. They are so easy to make.
For a really simple one: Take a flower that you have picked out (real or fake). Clip it from the stem. Get a hot glue gun or wire or something else to attach to a hair clip. Attach the two. Want to make it sparkly? Put some glue onto a plate and dip just the top of the flower into the glue. Then dust on some glitter. (:
-If you don’t have any patience then go to the accessories aisles at any store. Most stores now sell all different sizes of flower clips.
-Also see if your favorite hair salon sells any.

*Shoes:
I know some people plan on having a beach wedding. This is the only time where flip flops should be worn whether your in the bridal party or not. Just don’t forget that pedicure!

-Another alternative for comfortable shoes are flats. They also look so much better in photos.
-Also with shoes, there are so many different heel heights make sure your feet are going to be comfortable all day or night. Get inserts if needed. Why suffer?
-Jazz em up! One idea is to dye them! (although the dye does sometimes run and looks streaky if it rains). (Rain usually means good luck on your wedding day!)

-COUPE

Tip: Don’t forget to take really good care of your dress afterwards. Ask the store or a tailor on how to preserve your wedding dress. Feel like getting dirty? Ask your photographer on how much extra they’ll charge for a “Trash the dress” photo session. This is usually done after the wedding and only if you want to trash your dress. Also see what you can do to alter your dress after the wedding so you can still wear it. Or if you don’t want to hang onto it anymore than donate it or sell it.

Okay so remember on April 30, 2010 I posted a blog called, “Building a Mystery?” Well I thought I would update yall on my progress. This will help keep me in check too!!

The following is a sneak peek. Nope I did not make these. Happy Memorial Day Weekend!! We all can now wear white!!

-COUPE

TIP: If your having trouble getting a pen mark off of your purse. Try using hairspray with a towel/washcloth/papertowel. If it’s cloth you can also hand wash it.

Ever since I was little I have loved dresses. Even in the winter I had to wear them. So last night on television I just so happened to have watched the Miss USA pageant! Now the talent portion of the show is always amusing to watch. But they never show it because of a time crunch. I mainly watch the pageant shows for the evening wear portion. My ultimate goal is to make dresses. (Totally not sure on where to start with that). I mean designing a dress for Miss New York would be totally cool.

In case you missed what went down last night is an article taken from the charlotte observer:

Miss USA 2010

I feel that pageant’s are a great opportunity for scholarships if you want to go that route. But when parents put their children in them far too young, for example when they are a baby. I don’t see the point. The parents are spending way too much money on an outfit or two, a talent of some sort. Possibly having to shell out money for coaches. I mean why have coaches when your child is already supposed to be talented at something. Then some dress their three year old to look like they are 40! I just hope that parents ASK their child if they want to do this. I hope they don’t demand them to do it. Sometimes I wonder if the parents put their children through pageants because they weren’t allowed or unable to do so growing up. Or maybe they loved it so much that they assume that gene was passed onto their kids.

Check out the following link from the WE television show “Little Miss Perfect”:

Top 5 Tips for a Little Miss

Remember the Jonbenet Ramsey Story? Cute kid, competes in pageants, ends up dead? What! Maybe she would have been Miss America.

The following is from the Denver Channel and there are a bunch of links to read on about the Ramsey case. If you click on the images link on the right side it is easy to understand the case if you have never heard about it before.

Ramsey Case

Don’t forget the movie, “Little Miss Sunshine.” Some parents and or families are willing to do anything to make someone happy. Which should be the ultimate goal.

The following is a trailer for it, in case you have never seen the movie.

Little Miss Sunshine

-COUPE

TIP: If you run out of shaving cream you can use conditioner. (I think it works better).

..”Men, Babies, Doesn’t matter we’re soul mates.”

Ever heard of the television show, Sex and the City? Well it became so popular after six seasons, they made a movie in 2008. Titled, Sex and the City Movie. That movie was so loved that they made a sequel, out May 27th. I’m actually re watching the six seasons now. (: The wardrobe was phenomenal throughout. Definitely do a look back for some inspiration!!

Sex and the City 2 Trailer

Sex and the City Movie Trailer

-COUPE