Monday, December 28, 2009

Ode to My Nalgene!

Ode to My Nalgene

I went shopping for a new Nalgene today. I had used for one a long time awhile ago before forgetting it in a classroom. Oops. It went everywhere with me, before I mistakenly left it.

There was a BIG scare about BPA (possible cancer causing chemicals) in the bottles in the past. So, now Nalgene produces bottles that are BPA Free, dishwasher safe, resistant to staining & retaining odors, and very durable. They also come in many different shapes, sizes, & color combinations (bottle & cap combinations).


















I chose my favorite color, purple, with a white top, in a wide mouth design, the larger size-coming in at 32 oz. I prefer the wide mouth version, its much easier to fill & I can get ice cubes it without having to smash them. Bliss. Some people don’t like to drink from this because of the way the liquid flows from it. I agree with them, so I got a splash guard, it fits right down inside the mouth of the bottle and controls the flow of the liquid. Most of the guards I have seen before were hard plastic. The one I got is a black pliable rubber, which I prefer.

Besides the bottle itself, what is in the bottle is really important too. I fill mine with water. When I had my previous bottle (before the sad, sad loss), I was drinking huge amounts of water everyday. When I didn’t have a bottle anymore I started drinking pop, juice, and other sugar-y liquids that are not so good for the body. I noticed a big difference in my body.

Everyone (your mother, sister, doctor, neighbor, grandmother, your mother’s twice removed ex-best friend’s aunt who everyone swears went coo-coo when her husband died....ok I’m sure you get my point) tells you that water is so good for you. Well, I am going to jump on that band-wagon.

WATER IS FANTASTIC FOR YOU, dRiNk It!

It made my skin moisturized & extremely clear. I was so much more energized. I lost weight. I just ‘felt’ better in general.

It did all of that for me and helped my body internally in many healthy ways. Besides that, it saved me LOTS of money, because I wasn’t drinking ‘bottled’ water, or pop, or juice anymore. Also, it is very green. Nalgene has partnered with Brita to help cut down on the plastic waste in landfills.

I encourage you to get a Nalgene and commit to drinking more water in this coming New Year. It will make you feel so much better!

Glitz & Glamour.
Kat

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Women with Glasses & Attitude

Women with Glasses & Attitude

Every woman I know likes to show their individuality in some way or another. The recent trend of the ‘nerdy’ glasses has come a great relief to those of us who actually depend on a real prescription on a daily basis. It allows us a couple extra minutes of ‘beauty’ sleep in the morning; without having to deal with the all too annoying contacts while being basically blind. We can go to work, out shopping, or out to coffee with the ladies in our glasses while still feeling chic & fashionable. Other ladies, who are blessed with fantastic vision, have the option of choosing from a vast array of fake glasses available in almost all different shapes and sizes. For these options try perusing,
*Ebay
*Forever 21
*Urban Outfitters
I love the picture featured above. She has so much style. From her sunglasses, to her haircut, to her headband, to her scarf. She has her own way about fashion. I had an eye doctor appointment yesterday. When was was choosing my glasses I was noticing how much each different frame made me feel. How you dress really does make a difference in how you present yourself.

Glits & Glamour,
Kat

Monday, December 21, 2009

Make Up Tips & Tricks


Make Up Secrets

I came across these great make up tips when perusing the latest issue of Cosmo. The tips are from the book: Cosmo’s Sexiest Beauty Secrets.

*For a bold, notice me eye effect, dampen your brush slightly before dipping it into the shadow. The water will intensify the color for a deeper payoff. [from the chapter on eyes]

“I have tried this, it works really well. It also helps spread the shadow more evenly across the eyelid.” ~Kat

*Light up your skin in a subtle way by adding a tiny drop of liquid highlighter to the tinted moisturizer you use on your face. [from our chapter on skin]

*The trick to a flawless lip-color application is to let your mouth go a bit slack. If you pucker up or tense it, you won’t get an even finish. (from our chapter on lips)

“In other words, don’t do the starlet pout you see in the movies! Do more of a sexy relaxed pout when apply your chosen color.” ~Kat

Sometimes it is not the quality of the make up (even though that does make a HUGE difference), but how you apply it. So, take these little tricks into consideration, add them to your knowledge arsenal!! Next time you are, ‘putting on your face,’ try one or two out and see if you notice a difference.

If you are interested in buying, Cosmo’s Sexiest Beauty Secrets check out www.bn.com


Also, be sure to check out www.cosmopolitan.com for more beauty tips & tricks along with fashion advice & celebrity pictures.

Glitz & Glamour,
~Kat

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Ellen Von Unwerth & Zooey Deschanel in Cosmo

On my most recent trips I gave in and purchased one of my (many) vices, Cosmo. While flipping through its many intoxicating pages I came across an advertisement that made me so happy, more because of the photographer then of its content. Also, the actress it featured Zooey Deschanel.
Ellen Von Unwerth




Beautiful?!
I am so taken by her use of black & white, as well as her use of color. She has such a great eye for angles and focus. Also, her choice of models for her shots is never ‘run of the mill,’ she has a more editorial feel to her style.



Zooey Deschanel
Zooey Deschanel is a wonderful actress who has managed to stay out of the tabloids & negative limelight that Hollywood seems to shine on so many of the young actresses. She has maintained her own image without giving into the cookie-cutter image of many of the Hollywood starlets and shows this in many of the characters she plays on the big-screen.

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Glitz & Glamour,
~Kat

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Things I Learned Today...

TILT-12/2/2009

  • Give in to your cravings (as long as they are healthy and legal). It doesn’t have to be anything outrageous. I have wanted chicken salad for days. I finally made some and it was delicious.
  • Burn a couple candles. They make a room feel warm and smell wonderful.
  • Take the plunge, switch from a PC to a Mac. I recently did & it was so easy! I don’t know what all the hype is about ‘the switch.’ My new MacBook Pro is wonderful and so much better then my previous PC.
  • Wear jewelry that means something to you. This way your memories/values will be visible on you at all times.
  • Take a moment from your busy schedule to pamper yourself. I went and got my nails done, which I hadn’t done in so long. It’s a little thing, but can make you feel good.
  • Invest in an automatic vacuum, i.e. a puppy. :) They are so good at picking up the crumbs. Sometimes they try to ‘vacuum’ the food right out of your hand, but they make up for it with how cute they are!
  • Play games with family this holiday season. It is a good way to interact with family while avoiding those awkward conversations about your love life, school, or work.
  • Shop for clothes out of season, especially the essentials. They will usually be on sale & you can get amazing deals. For example, right now is a great time to be shopping for swimsuits online. Victoria Secret and many other retailers are having big sales.
  • Wear a vintage coat this winter. They are so well made & beautiful. I found mine for $30 at a vintage store. It is a beautiful grey wool with a full fur collar, belted waist, full length, & fully lined. You can find them in resale shops or look on ebay.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Liza

War Correspondant

Liza

Liza is a hard-hitting war correspondent and photographer. She knows how to get the right angle on a story and then really send it 'home.' While at the same time keeping the facts true and her editor and sources happy. In other words she can walk a tight rope in pointed-toe silhouettes! She can live in a man's world without a problem, often traveling with American troops as they do their tours over seas. She also knows how to blend in well in other cultures, which is a major necessity to her profession.



Wednesday, August 26, 2009

A Comfy Yet Fashionable Outfit

My Mood for Today


So, you want to pull onsomething comfy, yet fashionable that will be perfect for an afternoon (or day)out with the girls, parents, boyfriend, etc?

Dear belovedsweat pants & trusty t-shirt,

You arejust not going to cut it today. So sorry (I am actually going to leave thehouse and go to more than just wal-mart). I will be back for some quality timethe next rainy Saturday and we will have many more special days to come, I amsure….JUST NOT TODAY!

Muchlove,

Me.

Out of the closet comes thebeautiful white, lace summer dress that you can always trust to be the perfectgo to essential. It makes you feel like a princess in the summer, right?! Tomake it feel a little more like personalized, add some accessories: chunkybracelets, chandelier earrings, bangles perhaps? In my case, I would addtiffany heart earrings, a chunky turquoise necklace, and a fun, funky bracelet.

You may be looking at that dresssaying it looks just like the last two-hundred times you have worn it. So, adda belt to it, skinny or thick (that is up to you), wrap a ribbon around it acouple times. Find delicate necklaces to wrap around the straps to add dimensionand dangle around your shoulders (or ribbon, or thread). Try things out, take apicture of yourself, look it over, if it doesn’t work try something else. If itworks, well, I am sure you know what to do; GO ROCK THAT LOOK!

Moving on to shoes, oh, one ofmy favorite subjects. I am sure you are going straight for your favoriteworn-everyday-pair. STOP. I know we are talking about comfort; we are alsotalking about fashion. You have to have more than one pair of comfortableshoes, right?! So, try other combinations before you head straight for theworn-out shoes already by the door. Boots are a great choice this season, nomatter what the season. There are also a great variety of sandals out there.Celebrate your feet, but keep comfort in mind! If you can wear heels and walkmiles and still be completely comfortable, I hate you, ok maybe not truly HATEbut still, come on. Keep in mind, the fashion magazines are great for inspiration,but put your own spin on things!

Mmmm, just as good as shoes,bags. As far as I am concerned right now there is only one possible bag to gowith my outfits, the Lucky Brand Abbey Road, in teal. You can choose whateveryou feel goes well with this outfit; messenger, hobo, clutch, etc. I am a bigsupporter of colored accessories. Especially bags. I think they bring a lot ofattitude to an outfit, and it you find one that really expresses your personalstyle, it really says a lot about you as an individual, in purely a cosmeticsense.

This being stated, I love myhair, I love doing it, but it takes FOREVER! So, I adore hats. I have all mylife. When I was little I wore pots on my head, wrapped scarves around my head,put diapers on my head (oh, yes…its true). I have been a lover of all things millinersince a very young age. So, for this outfit I have chosen a charming knit beretto add a pop of color. What is your favorite kind of hat? I am not sure I couldanswer that question myself…..but I am looking forward to your answers!

Last but not least, I alwaysgrab a cardigan or sweatshirt in case of cool weather or insane air-conditioning.This is usually draped over my bag, or in my bag so I don’t have to deal withit all the time. For this I have picked a light, knit purple cardigan that canbe worn over the whole outfit or belted over the dress for a more definedshape. There are so many choices when it comes to outerwear! My mom would tellyou all how obsessed I am with coats and other such things. Capes, caplets,trench coats, military jackets (the fashionable kind please), jean jackets,cropped jackets, etc; I could go on and on.

This outfit seems perfect for anafternoon shopping in SoHo. Followed by an early evening picnic with a charmingyoung man of cheese, sandwiches, wine, raspberries & chocolate; followed bya stroll with a puppy and a little game of fetch. Maybe back to his place for amovie??

What does your comfy yetfashionable outfit look like & where would you wear it?

Glitz & Glamour,

Kat

P.S. Good luck to all of thosestudents returning to class! I am just about to run all over campus to getbooks and things too, so I feel your pain.

Monday, August 3, 2009

Lucky Brand Abbey Road & NYC


HelloLovelies!

So I amsure you, my beautiful smart readers can guess what I am going to gush aboutfrom the lovely montage of pictures I put together for your viewing,, may Iintroduce the current love of my fashionista life (I love C so much more thanthis bag) :

The Abbey Road Hand Bag

By Lucky Brand

Oh, it isa beauty! It’s made of Iamb leather, with a cloth interior. Multiple interiorpockets to help organize, including a zippered pocket. There is also anexterior zippered pocket. The strap has many positions that it can be securedin, two different lengths of ‘messenger bag’ (or over the shoulder/across thebody) style & two different lengths for under the arm carrying.. As you cansee there are also handles to carry by hand or on the crook of your arm if youwish (it is also possible to slip this over your shoulder if you have skinnyshoulders), this changes the appearanceof the bag dramatically (the size also). There are a great range of colorchoices for this fabulous bag;: white, black, tan, purple, teal, cranberry,silver (I think, I could be wrong), and a brown & tan with a really coolleather flower on it.

My momand I were out on one of our many shopping trips together when we found thisgreat bag. We both instantly fell in love and couldn’t stop talking about itthe rest of the day. This talking continued on for months. We would pick outoutfits and then think about how perfectly they would go with the Lucky bag.So, eventually we both had to give in and each get our own. My mom got thebrown & tan bag with the leather flower. I chose the teal bag (the onepictured in the montage above). I LOVE IT. I am so excited to use it (I amsaving it for New York…more on that in a little bit)!

BuffaloPlaid is another one of my current fashion choices. When I saw the picturefeatured in the upper left-hand corner of the montage, I knew it was an outfitI was going to do my own personal twist on. I love the long-sleeves rolled upand paired with shorts, the boots, and of course I can’t get enough of thewonderful bag.

As Ihinted towards earlier, I will be going to New York for a couple days. My momand I will be going shopping, to a couple museums, shows, the Statue of Liberty(my mom has never been to it), and many other locations that I cannot wait totell you all about. I am so excited about the pictures to come and adventuresand stories I will have to share with you all.

I haveplanned out so many of my outfits already, I am traveling as light as possiblesince I can only take a carry on and one personal item (yes, I know…ouch!), soI have to plan ahead!



Here is my rendition of the outfit pictured inthe first montage. I will of course be accessorizing with my Lucky Brand AbbeyRoad bag in teal and usual jewelry which consists of my tiffany heart necklace(on a ball chain that can be worn long or short, I wear it all the time), hoopearrings (the earrings change with my mood), my blue cocktail ring, my romannumeral ring (from C), my tanzanite and diamond ring from my grandparents,& the wedding band of my great grandmother and grandmother (worn on mytiffany necklace). The shoes pictured are close to what I will be wearing…Icouldn’t find a picture of the exact ones, BCBG black patent with a gold zipperup the side. And of course big sunnies (sunglasses…we just had some guests fromNew Zealand, they taught me many new phrases).

Do youusually plan your outfits when you go on trips?

What bagare you currently crazy for?

Are youinto the current wayfarer sunglasses craze?

Wherehave you gone this summer?

Glitz & Glamour.

Kat