My Christmas List 2011

Hey Guys! I am officially on winter break which means two things. 
1) I can sleep in 
2) I'm going to be cranking out these blog posts that I have been severely slacking on


Just because I won't have the option of doing this post until a year from now I decided I'd rather do it now (even though its kind of delayed) than wait a year. So here is my CHRISTMAS LIST!

1. New Uggs - Chestnut (this is super hypocritical because I'm working on a post right now entitled "Ugg Alternatives")

2. Fleece Welly socks for Hunter Rain Boots

3. Toms - Petal

4. Ray Bans

5. Be Delicious - DKNY

6. Diorshow Mascara

7. House Of Harlow Bracelet

8. House Of Harlow Necklace

9. Running Shorts

xo

Holiday Gift Guide 2011

It is that special time of the year (how cliché)! THE HOLIDAYS!! The holiday season is my favorite part of the year without a doubt. I love the atmosphere of happiness and the romanticism the holiday's stir up. One issue I have with the holidays, however, is gifting. It is the ever so tricky, if-you-play-your-cards-right deal breaker of the holidays. But it doesn't have to be. One simple solution is ask the person what the heck they want. In the case that its a secret santa gift, or the person reply's with the unhelpful "I don't know." here is your fool proof guide. Together we will get through this.

Secret Santa

Secret santa is an annual festivity among my friends and me (I? I need to learn my grammar). Usually we just pick pieces of paper with our names on it, and make up our own gifts. But this year we decided to put gift suggestions on the pieces of paper. This new system actually helps in two ways. One it makes shopping easier, and two it makes sure that the recipient of the gift automatically likes their gift.  

My friends suggestions (written on her paper) were:

1. Sourpatch Watermelon
2. Essie Nail Polish
3. Black Guys
4. Pillow Pet
5. Kit Kats

My suggestion for you is a gift basket, its unique and fun! Don't have any idea as to what to put in your gift basket? No worries heres your guide:

1. Candy

• Candy canes, Snickers, Hershey's kisses, Ghirardelli/Godiva chocolates, maybe even some freshly baked cookies (not really candy but whatever you get the gist of it)

2. Beauty Products 

• Nail polish, 
• Mascara (Lashblast or Maybellines falsies/volumin' always does the trick)
• Lip balm

3. Jewelry

• A cute ring
• A pair of earrings from Forever21
• A necklace

4. Bath Products

• Mini lotions (from bath and body works)
• Hand sanitizer (I got about 30 from my friends last year)
• Body wash/Bubble bath (but watch out, some people have very sensitive skin)

5. Miscellaneous 

• A glove/hat/scarf set
• Make-up/toiletries bag (this gift is good for any girl, whether they are beauty fans or not, because every girl needs a discrete little bag)

Your Best Friend

The options are endless, but remember you may know your best friend better than anyone else, so use your gut instinct when buying a present for your friend. Either way its the job of a best friend to be supportive, and I'm sure she'll be happy you even went out of your way to get something for her.

1. Anything from the Secret Santa idea's above. They all work for a best friend!

2. Something with sentimental meaning:

• A scrap book
• A picture frame with a picture of you and your best friend in it

3. A subscription to a magazine. Sounds kinda' weird right? Well I know that most of my friends, and myself would love to receive a magazine subscription, PLUS its cheap.

4. Since you most likely know your best friend better than your secret santa girl you have more options when it comes to style:

• A cute shirt
• A bracelet
• A chunky sweater (SO IN STYLE RIGHT NOW)

5. Something personal

• A poster of the movie star she's obsessed with
• The CD of her favorite singer
• If shes a photographer get her a photo album
• If shes an artist get her a paint set
• If shes a skier get her some ear-muffs 

**** DONT FORGET THE OBVIOUS!! Sometimes we make gifting so difficult, but it doesn't have to be. Make sure you think about peoples personalities/hobbies. 

That "Special" Someone

I have an intense gifting anxiety, and this is something that gets my blood pressure running. I struggle with what to get a guy (or girl, no judgements here) whether it be his birthday or the holiday season. Here are some suggestions I have for you (and myself) depending on what stage your relationship is at, the newer it is, the harder it is.

1. For the sports fan:

• A football/basket ball/new gear hes been raving about
• A shirt from his favorite team
• A throw with the team logo printed on it
• (Depending on how well you know this person) Tickets to a sporting event

2. For the style concerned:

• A fitted/snapback aka a hat
• A scarf
• A cardigan
• A solid v-neck 

3. For the techies:

• Headphones (so IN I see every guy walking around with them, and hey, its functional)
• A x-box game

4. For the reserved:

• A book
• A gift card to a local coffee shop
• A mix CD of your favorite songs

*Remember the holidays are all about giving and even if you give someone the wrong gift, its the thought that counts! I hope this guide helped a little, feel free to comment with any other ideas you came up with!

xo. happy safe holidays.

Heather

Trend Alert: The Double F: Fringe & Feathers

HEY GUYS! So after a short pause from blogging over the summer, I am back (hopefully for good)!
     I have been dying to write this post because it is one of my favorite summer/fall trends (it is slightly delayed since I was planning on writing it before the summer, but hey better late than never). I'm sure you have seen these trends all over the beaches and now in the school hallways. I decided I'd put them together in the same blog post because they go hand in hand, both with a very earth, boho vibe to them. Introducing:

FRINGE & FEATHERS

Look 1: 

Obviously I had to incorporate Minnetonka boots, they are the epitome of fringe. I honestly don't think it would be far fetched to say that they began the fringe trend two years ago when they first became a big deal. This is a pretty basic outfit which only means one thing: Accessorizing is KEY! 

Kimono (Forever21)

Minnetonka Fringe Boots

Jeggings (American Eagle)

Feather Necklace

Bracelet

House of Harlow 1960 Feather Ring

Flower/Dagger Ring

Stone Ring

(I would like to note that all the accessories match, the blue in the necklace and the bracelet match, and the continuous gold ties it all together)  

Look 2:

I must admit I borrowed the idea for this outfit from an outfit worn in a fashion show I was in over the weekend. I can't help it, this ensemble is so cute I almost keeled over (the weakness of the fashion obsessed...) when the girl walked down the runway. The earrings both match the shoe, and you get bonus points for wearing another huge trend: color blocking (on your feet). The earrings completely transform this outfit (obviously it looks better on)

its insane what accessories can do.

Dress

Color Block T-Strap Heels

Silver Bracelet

(Left) Earrings

(Right) Earrings

Look 3:

This is a good way to fake feather hair extensions, without actually getting them. This headband is fool proof, and very stylish. When paired with a simple outfit the headband acts as the statement piece of the outfit.

Headband

Shirt

Jeans

Cross Body Bag

Boots

Look 3

I broke this outfit into two different sides. The first side features boyfriend jeans which should be worn with a type of flat. The second side features skinny jeans which can be worn with anything (for the purposes of this outfit a pair of booties or boots). I absolutely love this fringe vest and it will be the complete focal point of this outfit!

Vest
Shirt

Necklace                                                                     Necklace

Boyfriend Jeans                                                            Skinny Jeans

Moccasins                                                                   Lace Up Booties

Glitter Flats                                                                 Boots

Halloween DIY Costumes: Peacock & Typical Tourist

I thought it was only right that as a fashion blogger I did a post on Halloween, a kind of right of passage type thing. Well I'm honestly rather lost with myself on what to do for halloween, but after a lot of arguing, 2 months worth, (my friends and I started planning early because we knew we'd never figure out a costume) we decided we'd be Boxers (the fighting champion kind, not the dogs, or the underwear). With that said obviously I like Boxers as a costume but here are some other options.

DIY

Peacock

To Recreate:

Get creative with the feathers and some glue, you can go very far with this own costume, plus its self made, which gives you brownie points!

Dress

Feathers

False Lashes (Not included in picture)

Earrings

Tights

Black Heels

Makeup Tutorial

Total: Roughly 82$ 

Typical Tourist

To Recreate:

This is actually what my friend wanted to be for Halloween, but eventually we decided against it. Regardless it is highly original, and very easily created. Just add your own sneaks and your good to go! 

(I'm aware all the links are to men's items, if you're a girl it just makes the costume that much more hilarious to wear guys clothes. This is golden, if anyone ends up doing it send me a picture I would love to see it!)

Floral Hawaiian Shirt

Shorts

Camera

Straw Hat

Socks

Total: Roughly 63$ (without camera, with camera 93$)

Fashion For A Cause: Breast Cancer Month (October)

Breast cancer is something very close to my heart. Many people don't realize what a big deal it is to me, but my mother actually died of breast cancer when I was 5, and my aunt when I was 6. The reasoning behind this post therefore, is twofold:
1. To educate you (women and men) about breast cancer and staying aware of your body.
2. To show you some of the amazing foundations created against breast cancer, and many of the companies that have teamed up with them in the fight against breast cancer.

First off I'll start with:

WHAT IS BREAST CANCER?

Simply put, breast cancer is an uncontrollable growth of breast cells. This growth can result in a tumor which can either be harmless (benign) or dangerous (malignant). Malignant tumors, if left untreated, can spread to other parts of the body. Which brings me to my original point: I cannot stress how important it is to check yourself for breast cancer, and treat it as a serious concern. Breast cancer has no limits, even men are at risk (though their risk is significantly lower). Breast cancer is also very hard to detect, which only adds to its severity. However, the most common symptoms are those of lumps in the breast, and abnormalities. If you have any concern at all, chances are something is wrong. After all you know your own body better than anyone else.

To learn more about breast cancer click these links: 

What Is Breast Cancer?

Symptoms Of Breast Cancer

My god mother, Bonnie, created an organization in memory of my mother, and is now currently in the process of getting a book published to help the friends of cancer victims. My god mother too had breast cancer, but the difference was her breast cancer went undetected for a while. However, she knew something was wrong and wouldn't give up, so eventually her doctor listened to her and they were able to get rid of her breast cancer!

Here is the link to her organization: Friends and Cancer    

Just one more quick group I would like to mention is GOPiNK. This is an organization created by two girls who attend Rye Country Day School. In the spring I was invited to their fashion show hosted by Bloomingdales. It really inspired both my friend and I to bring GOPiNK to our school. This year we made that dream come true and we are now co-presidents of GOPiNK at our school. You too can make a difference by donating to any of the companies/organizations mentioned in this blog post, or simply by spreading awareness. If you are really feeling motivated, why not e-mail Allie or Erica and ask them how you can start GOPiNK at your school? 

Official Website: GOPiNK Informational Website
Products: GOPiNK Products

Now on to part two of this blog post: FASHION
As previously stated many companies and stores have teamed up with Susan G. Komen to donate money during the month of October funding breast cancer awareness. Click on any of the links below to be taken to the website, and shop till you drop, while feeling good about yourself for making a difference in the breast cancer research world!
Forever 21 Supports Breast Cancer Awareness

Sephora Supports Breast Cancer Awareness

Dick's Sporting Goods Supports Breast Cancer Awareness

The National Breast Cancer Awareness Month Website

LOFT Supports Breast Cancer Awareness

Susan G. Komen Partner Companies

xoxo Heather

Product Review: Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray

Lately the beauty community (which is in direct relation with the fashion community) has been obsessing over Bumble and Bumble. I never caught on with this obsession because to me it was just over priced hair products claiming to do amazing things to your hair, which face it, just isn't possible. When I went to the city on Monday I quickly stopped by Sephora and there was a Bumble and Bumble section that had testers of their products. 

As Summer comes around everyone wonders how to get beachy waves and the Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray is what I see most of the beauty gurus recommending. Well I decided to try the product out for myself. I had my friend drench my hair in the Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray and heres what I have to say about this product:

This spray is amazing. It does exactly as it promises. It gives you beachy wavy hair and perfectly replicates the effect of beach water on your hair. It's almost as if Bumble and Bumble took beach water and put it into a container. 

The only problem is that it replicates the beach a little to well. The smell is very unpleasant (it bothered me a lot because I'm obsessed with the way my hair smells, weird right?) and it made me feel as if I hadn't washed my hair in days after going to the beach. You have to realize that this product is a lot like the actual beach. I don't feel clean after the beach so this spray made me feel a little gross because my hair was stringy and kind of crunchy, the way it gets after the beach. It made my hair tangled in the back and the thought of brushing through it was nauseating. 

With that said, the spray does its job of replicating the beach very well so if you like PURE beach hair, then this is the product for you! As for me, I'm going to stick with braiding my hair to achieve the beachy hair look.

To Purchase:

Bumble And Bumble

Sephora

Wear High Waisted Shorts, Without Feeling Like Urkel

Steve Urkel

It's no mystery that the thought of wearing high waisted bottoms is daunting to any person, specifically people who don't like taking risks in fashion. However, high waisted items can be very fashionable and completely casual (yes I mean school hallway casual) if worn correctly.

The Jean Shorts:

High Waist Jean Short (American Eagle)

Look 1:

Floral (tucked in to the shorts) is the most common look with high waist denim, but its cute and simple. 

Tank Top , Bag , Shoes

Look 2:

I like pairing ruffles [tucked in] with high waisted shorts because it is textured and shows off the high waisted-ness of the shorts better than any other top will.

Bag , Rather Expensive Orange Top , Orange Espadrille Sandals 

Taupe Tank Top , Wedges

Look 3:

This look is nice for those who love crop tops, but don't like their stomachs as much (ME!). You have the same effect of a crop top, without all the skin showing.

Royal Blue Crop Top , Crop Tank Top , David Bowie Crop Top 

Sunglasses , Sandals

I will be doing a high waisted pants (not jeans) blog later in the year as the weather becomes more permitting (since its summer right now and long pants are out of the question). 

Summer 2011 Travel: How To Pack For Over Packers

HOW TO PACK (From the personal experiences of an over packer):

1. Make a list of everything you are bringing. I promise you this helps. I had my list made by April because making a list last minute leaves room for mistakes. If you make the list before you go away and re-visit the list as you realize what you truly need then your list will have no holes.
2. Pack only what you need. This is where most people go wrong (including myself, trust me I know how it feels to need to pack your whole life and everything you own into one suitcase for a week, but I've gotten better at it). Start with necessities: undergarments, toothbrush, toothpaste, face wash, deodorant, ect (things you cannot live without, that are purely necessities). Then continue by packing clothes.
3. Consider climate and what you will be doing on your vacation. Will you be hiking in the Alps, or lounging by the pool? Do you really need to bring your uggs with you to California? or can you afford to leave them at home?
4. Consider the length of your stay. Are you staying for a weekend, or are you staying for a week, or are you staying for a month? 
5. Consider what you need most/your clothing habits. Is their a clothing item that you use everyday (for me its baggy t-shirts and soffe shorts which I wear as pajamas, I have a weird habit of wearing a new shirt and new soffe shorts everyday, which means I need to pack more of that than other items)
6. ROLL YOUR CLOTHES, don't fold. Rolling saves a lot of room in your suitcase.
7. Dont forget the weight policies when you are traveling by plane. For many/most flight companies an overweight suitcase is extra money, I've had to pay 50$ for a suitcase overweight even by 2 pounds.
8. Try and find a suitcase that isn't very heavy. It is true that the sturdier more reliable suitcases are heavier but there are many suitcases that are lighter which wont compromise the reliability factor. This in the end will help meeting the weight requirements if you are traveling on an airplane.  
9. Remember that no matter how much you pack you will most likely be missing something. BREATHE. Airports sell almost everything and even on some flights they sell items. If not you can always buy your item at a store in the country, unless you are traveling somewhere remote, or under-developed.

Picture 1 Credit
Picture 2 Credit

xo Heather

Trend Alert: Sheer Skirts

Sheer skirts have been seen all over the runway, off duty fashion models, and Lookbook.

(Abbey Lee Kershaw, courtesy of Altamira)

(Max Azira A/W 11)

Tricia G.

Joellen L.

Annie P.

With that said I'm not sure whether this is a trend that is only for the highly fashion forward, beauty bloggers, and runways. Or something that people will be seen wearing around the streets of your quaint little hometown. Regardless I thought I'd get this post up a.s.a.p because sheer skirts are becoming (by the second) a hot trend. While on my search for reasonably priced sheer skirts I realized they were sold out, almost everywhere. BUT I have found a few places where you can buy your own skirt and become a part of this sweeping trend.

Topshop
American Apparel
Asos
Akira

The skirt from Topshop and Asos and Akira comes with a slip/skirt underneath it but be aware that the American Apparel skirt is completely sheer. When wearing a completely sheer skirt you can wear a slip under it, or simply a body suit. Make sure that you are aware of this when you purchase your skirt, but fashion is an excuse to play around, so be creative with this skirt it leaves a lot of room for fun. Wear a slip thats a bright color under it, layer, wear fun stockings. The possibilities are endless!

Fashion For A Cause: FEED

For those of you who aren't familiar with FEED, it is a company dedicated to "feeding" the world. Through their selling of fair-trade/environmentally friendly products (including bags, bracelets, shirt, and stuffed bears) they do humanitarian work all around the world in places that have been hit by natural disasters (Japan), or places that suffer from extreme poverty. Their product descriptions explain exactly where your money will be going whether it be "providing 5 school meals to children through the UN World Food Program" (FEED Kenya Bracelet) or "supplying 500 children with a year’s worth of essential Vitamin A supplements" (FEED Our Small World Bag). 
FEED is doing a lot of amazing and inspiring work and has not been slow to catch on with the celebrities. People such as:

Reese Witherspoon

Jennifer Aniston

Rachel Bilson

Lauren Conrad

have all been seen carrying FEED bags. The most popular FEED item seems to be the FEED 100 Bag carried by R.W., R.B., and L.C. Now maybe its just me but anything thats functional, for a good cause, and being used by Lauren Conrad seems like a good buy.

  

This is the link to The FEED Website I will be ordering my bag soon. Will you?

Trend Alert: Bright Colored Pants

Colored jeans/pants are becoming a huge deal in the celebrity trend world, and the fashion industry. Designers/Fashion Lines such as Yigal Azrouel, Karen Walker, Prabal Gurung, 3.1 Philip Lim (all pictured below in order, picture credit from Refinery 29 (Click Here To Read Article) ) have sent their models down the runway in bright colored bottoms.

Many celebrities have also been seen wearing this trend such as:

Blake Lively

Nikki Hilton

Hayden Panettiere

Kim Kardashian

Victoria Justice

(Pictured in order below, click to make larger)

It seems though whether on the runway or on the street bright colors are being paired with basic colors such as black, white or gray. I like this trend because it adds some interest and obviously, color, more than a bright top or shoes would.

Heres how I would wear this trend:

(The sequin shirt in the middle is to show how easy it would be to transfer this outfit from day to night, the three different pairs of shoes on the right belong with the hot pink pants to show the different color options you have (obviously your not limited to these colors))

Where to buy:

J Brand (as seen on most of the celebs.)

m2f (also seen on celebs, the color is more pastel than bold)

Jade Colored (Akira)

Ocean Blue Colored (Akira)

Hot Pink

Yellow

Marble Nail Polish Trend: How To

Hey Girls and Guys. Yesterday I spent 2 and 1/2 hours trying to figure out how to do the marble nail polish trend. Eventually I figured it out, and I have some tricks and techniques and tips to share with you.

What You'll Need:

1. A small cup that you can get dirty (the nail polish will stain the sides)

2. Room temperature water (to put in the cup)

3. Two of your favorite nail polish colors (you can use more colors once you get the hang of it, for beginners I recommend two) (I used pink and blue)

4. Your base color, or a clear top coat, or nothing, which ever you prefer (I used white)

5. A stick/pen that you can get dirty

6. Optional (but very helpful): Tape

STEP 1: Apply your base color coat (I used white, but feel free to play around with colors, or just use a clear nail polish)

STEP 2: Apply tape around your nail so that if covers all the skin directly around your nail, but not the nail itself. This makes clean up a lot easier.

STEP 3: Add your first nail polish color to the water, it will expand into a blob as seen in the picture below (the pink) then add your second color on top (the blue) it will also expand

STEP 4: (You need to act relatively quickly so that your nail polish doesn't dry) This part gets a little tricky. What your going to do is angle your nail towards the nail polish blob, and the section you want on your nail. Then as if your scooping/pushing the nail polish down your nail takes the nail polish and is completely submerged in the water. With this said just leave it their don't move, and don't try and pull it out, just leave it submerged.

STEP 5: Now your going to take your pen/nail stick and put it in the water and allow it to catch all the excess nail polish still floating on top of the water, allow the nail polish to wrap around it, make sure you still have your nail under the water so that the excess nail polish doesn't get on it.

STEP 6: Now simply pull your finger out and you should have a unique design on it. The nail dries very quickly so it should be dry within the first few seconds you take it out of the water, but you should still be careful with it. Now remove the tape.

STEP 7: Done. You should now have beautiful, interesting nails. Below is what mine turned out like, its still a work in progress...

I hope you found this helpful, if you have any questions feel free to comment. Did you try this trend? Comment and tell me how it went!

Tips:

• If you are trying this for the first time, make sure you have time and that your not in a rush to go out, it may take a while for you to figure out. For people like me, its going to take 2 1/2 hours. 
• Also make sure to apply a top coat afterwards, the design chips very easily.

Still Confused? Click Here

Remove Yourself From The Flip Flop Cycle

Flip Flops are a good way to ruin a nice outfit (and lets be clear here I mean those rubber flip flops, yeah you know the havaianas). They are something that should be worn only with bathing suits, or to the beach/pool, or on lazy days. With that said Have No Fear if you have been sucked into the flip flop cycle I have some alternatives for you. These shoes all have no back, and are very flip flop-esque, they give the same feeling of wearing flip flops, but are more appealing.

Some Alternatives Are:

Jack Rogers Metallic "Navajo" (Click Me)

Abercrombie Leather Flip Flops (Click Me)

Nude Colored Flip Flops With Flower Detail (Click Me)

Dolce Vita "Dara" (Click Me)

Steve Madden "Bubblez" (Click Me)

Coconuts "Romaine" (Click Me)

BC "Octopus" (Click Me)

P.S. I wear flip flops. Dont get me wrong, they are great, when worn with a bathing suit.