GOING TO THE CHAPEL

Yes, yes, finding the man of your dreams is important. And yes, the vows are important,, the food, the dress. Uh huh. And I know you're young and pretty just the way you are. It's all true. But here's the thing,, when you're at the beach with your J.Crew shorts and tank top on, lip balm and sunscreen cut it. They're appropriate, you're cute and it works. But, when you're wearing your designer white gown, surrounded by floral arrangements galore, gussied up guests, and bridesmaids who have starved themselves just as much as you have for the Big Day, you better be wearing makeup.

I am a big believer in looking like yourself on your wedding day,,, just the sparklier version. Healthy looking skin, twinkling eyes, fresh. I DO.

GET A SHOE

If you do nothing else this season, get yourself a shoe. A tough, chunky, plat-formed, strappy, kick butt shoe. It will give a boring cocktail dress edge. It will give a floral feminine dress some guts. It will de-preppy those khaki pants you wear every summer. And with a skinny jean or leggings it's like summer's answer to the Bootie. But they come with a warning. Make sure you're practicing your balance poses in yoga class,,,, because while tough girl shoes kick butt,,, you could potentially land on your ass if you're not careful.

www.shopbop.com

KEYED UP

Tiffany & Co. will soon be coming out with a key collection complete with gold, silver and diamond encrusted key talismans. They're certainly pretty and I'm sure they could unlock a fabulous treasure for what they cost,, but in these economic times I thought of an idea for the budget conscious. Why not just use the key from grandma's old armoire and hang that around your neck? It may not open the pot of gold but it will sure keep some of it in your pocket.

CUFF ME

Remember when you jumped around the house with bracelets made of tin foil and red stars painted on them? Come on! I can't be the only one. Besides the Sugar Plum Fairy, Wonder Woman was another huge inspiration. She had a crown, THOSE CUFFS, and a see through jet. Awesome.

Cuffs can be colorful, sparkly, natural, metallic,, doesn't matter... they make a statement and give any outfit an edge. 

SNOW DEVILS

Kids are cute. Most of them, anyway. Sometimes mine aren't but that's another post. Anyway, dressing kids should be fun and can be. I only have a few rules about dressing kids and they are as follows: 

1)Just because they are kids doesn't mean they need to be covered in footballs, cutesy bows, Sesame Street characters. 

2)Dressing them in colors that an adult would wear is OKAY, as long as it's not head to toe black. 

3)Sometimes it's fun to mix the masculine items on a girl, and mix the feminine items on a boy.

My last and final rule would be,, throw out the rules and let your kids dress themselves as soon as they have an interest in it. I know some of the combinations wouldn't be your choice,, or mine,, but that's not the point. Give them the freedom to express themselves and cultivate their own style. 

WHAT A DIFFERENCE WHITE PAINT MAKES

Cabinets, trim, walls, floors. I've painted them all in white. Vanilla Ice Cream white to be exact, by Benjamin Moore. High gloss/oil based for the trim, semi-gloss on the walls (even though every painter tells me not to). It brightens up the dullest of surfaces without looking grey or powdery and reflects the light which adds just the right amount of.......Sparkle.

WHERE DID YOU GET THAT BAG?

I keep getting asked the same question. "Where did you get THAT BAG?" It seems that no matter how I wear it, people seem to want it. I have worn it with jeans and a t-shirt (duh), I've worn it with leggings, cashmere sweater and Converse Sneakers. I've worn it with a cupcake frothy lettuce green dress. The bag, The Larissa,, by Jolan, is versatile AND it's affordable.

  

www.lovejolanb.com

LESS WRINKLES,,,,,SMASHBOX HALO

First let me just start by saying that powder is not my thing. I am 37 years old and looking dry and chalky is usually not the look I'm going for, for myself or my clients. However, there are times when applying a powder foundation is the easiest way to get your weary self out the door and for those days, Smashbox Halo powder is amazing. It actually lives up to its claims. While I'm still not wrinkle free (it will take more than just makeup for that) it does give a glowier, softer look than any other powder foundation I've ever used. Smashing.

www.smashbox.com

WHAT IS STYLE?

I wish I could say style was always tasteful but it's not. It isn't always current either; some of the most stylish women I know haven't shopped since 1982. It's definitely not about spending a lot of money, and it's not about matching your purse to your shoes. Sometimes style doesn't even look good. True style can't be copied and there's no formula for it. And no matter how much money you throw at an un-stylish gal she still won't have "style"--she'll just have on a nice outfit. Style implies something about the woman herself, an authenticity that doesn't come from a label. Stylish women can wear a paper bag and make other women want to wear a paper bag too.

Kids have style. They dress for themselves and delight in their choices regardless of what Vogue says in the latest issue. When my 3 year old comes downstairs in a pink tutu, orange sweatshirt, wrinkled tights and boots I wonder why I didn't put it together that way. 

In the end, real style is about the woman, not the clothes. Confidence. Effortlessness. Guts. Vogue put it best when describing Coco Chanel in 1954: "the essence of The Chanel Look was Chanel herself." I couldn't agree more.