February 26, 2011

Straight from the pages of the March InStyle magazine:

 The Top 10 Looks for Spring:

1.  jumpsuit  (don't have one but would like to try it!)            

2.  sporty jacket

3.  top handle bag (not a shoulder bag), especially those with chain handles

4.  tunic top

5.  trouser jeans

6.  crochet sweater

7.  longer hemline in skirts

8.  shirtwaist dress

9.  suit (apparently a matching suit is back in style)

10.  short shorts!  (love 'em even if I am getting old)

Hair news:

2 ways to get your hair to shine

1) The day before a special event, soak your hair in  warm water, apply deep condition mask, then wrap hair in foil for 30 minutes.

2) Rinse hair in 1 cup distilled vinegar, 1 cup chilled water, and a few drops of lavender oil to counteract vinegar smell.

Miscellaneous:

Did you know brushing your body has benefits?  Using a body brush ($6 at Target) next time you shower, squirt body wash on the bristles and work your way from head to toe, brushing toward your heart.  This exfoliates,  increases blood flow and leaves your skin glowing as well.

Crows Over the Wheatfield

I just read a book called Crows Over the Wheatfield by Adam Braver.  This book intrigued me for a couple of reasons.

It begins as Claire, a professor of art history, tragically hits and kills a young boy while driving home from work one October evening.  Claire has spent her career studying the life and death of Vincent Van Gogh.  The story then parallels Claire's life, as it begins to spiral out of control with the often troubled life of the artist.  Claire, in fact, flees to France to work on her book about Van Gogh and escape the chaos set in motion by the accident.

One reason I was so captivated by the story is that it accentuates the fragility of life---how quickly things can change at a moment's notice.  It often forces the reader to look deeply within themselves at their own values, relationships, and life in general.

The other reason it captured my attention was the reference to Van Gogh.  It left me wanting to read more about his life.  Especially since the place where he painted "Crows Over the Wheatfield" and later took his own life was in Auvers, France-- only a short train ride from Paris.  It so happens that a friend/coworker and I hope to be visiting Paris soon courtesy of a teaching grant.  If we are lucky enough to get this tremendous opportunity, I hope to add a trip to Auvers-sur-Oise to our itinerary.

As I was later searching for more information on Van Gogh, I came across the video Starry, Starry Night by Don McLean.  I have always loved the song, but watching this video of Van Gogh's works while listening to this song is hauntingly beautiful.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dipFMJckZOM

Entry #1 February 8

Hair and Makeup

I recently got my hair highlighted and straightened.  As a result, I am on the lookout for products that will leave my hair sleek and shiny.  I found 2 products I want to try.
  Pantene Color Nourishing Treatment $3.99 at drugstores
  Aveeno Living Color Shine Glaze $7.99 also at drugstores

While in Walgreens today, I found 2 of the makeup products on my list so of course I bought both of them as well.
Wet n Wild H2O Proof Liner $3.99 at drugstores.
The other was not mentioned specifically by name.  I have read lately that your lip liner should be in a nude color so it serves the purpose of keeping lip color from bleeding through, but is not so matchy, matchy.  Of course, this saves you money in the long run as you have to buy less liner pencils.  I will keep you posted how it works.

Miscellaneous

The next tip is very timely with all the snow we have had of late.  You can remove salt stains from suede by  mixing 1 tablespoon of white vinegar with 1 cup of water. Soak a cotton ball in the mixture, and swipe it across spots.  I have not tried, but sounded interesting.

Websites
Now for a couple of websites that sounded helpful.

www.freeshipping.org 
You can get free shipping codes and coupons for a lot of different stores.
www.1saleaday.com
This is really neat...each day you will be offered a wide variety of one day sales...you must take advantage of them before the day expires.
www.pouchee.com
I have about 25 purses that I change frequently as I like to have my bag and outfit coordinated.  This item is 7.5"w x 5.25" h x 3.5"d and sells for $24.  The beauty of this is that you can move everything from one bag to the next in one move.  Sounds great!
www.justadrop.com
www.poo-pourri.com
Okay, how many of you have had the embarrassing moment of having to go to the bathroom in a public place, but hates to run into the person coming in right behind you.  The beauty of this product is that you put one drop in the stool before you sit, and magically, the odor is totally neutralized.  I have tried it and it really works!

That's all for now!

Books that sound interesting for February

  One Day by David Nicholls

            Emma and Dexter meet for the first time on the night of their graduation. Tomorrow they must go their separate ways. So where will they be on this one day next year? And the year after that? And every year that follows? Twenty years, two people, ONE DAY.

The Girl Who Used to Be by David Cristofano

            When Melody Grace McCartney was six years old, she and her parents witnessed an act of violence so brutal that it changed their lives forever. The federal government lured them into the Witness Protection Program with the promise of safety, and they went gratefully. But the program took Melody's name, her home, her innocence, and, ultimately, her family. She's been May Adams, Karen Smith, Anne Johnson, and countless others --- everyone but the one person she longs to be: herself. So when the feds spirit her off to begin yet another new life in another town, she's stunned when a man confronts her and calls her by her real name. Jonathan Bovaro, the mafioso sent to hunt her down, knows her, the real her, and it's a dangerous thrill that Melody can't resist. He's insistent that she's just a pawn in the government's war against the Bovaro family. But can she trust her life and her identity to this vicious stranger whose acts of violence are legendary? 


The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

            In a bourgeois apartment building in Paris, we encounter Renée, an intelligent, philosophical, and cultured concierge who masks herself as the stereotypical uneducated “super” to avoid suspicion from the building’s pretentious inhabitants. Also living in the building is Paloma, the adolescent daughter of a parliamentarian, who has decided to commit suicide on her thirteenth birthday because she cannot bear to live among the rich. Although they are passing strangers, it is through Renée’s observations and Paloma’s journal entries that The Elegance of the Hedgehog reveals the absurd lives of the wealthy. That is until a Japanese businessman moves into the building and brings the two characters together. A critical success in France, the novel may strike a different chord with some readers in the U.S. The plot thins at moments and is supplanted with philosophical discourse on culture, the ruling class, and the injustices done to the poor, leaving the reader enlightened on Kant but disappointed with the story at hand

What I'm About

This blog evolved from my obsessive desire to read magazines...style, entertainment, fitness, cooking, and self improvement...you name it, I love them all!  When I sit down to read my magazines, I find myself with pen and paper in hand to jot down anything I find interesting...from fashion finds at bargain prices, makeup tips and new product lines, recipes, books, movies, etc.  So I decided rather than jotting down these notes on papers which are forever getting lost or piling up on my kitchen table, why not keep track on a blog?  Who knows, maybe someone else will find my notes interesting or helpful as well.  So let's get blogging!