Carolyn Braden's Comfort Christmas

Comfy Christmas outfit....stretchy for all the good food and
comfortable enough for playing hide and go seek with my niece!

Norma Kamali for Wal-Mart music note shirt, black leggings, low heeled
gray slouched boot, black and silver slouch socks, easy blue-gray
sweater by Delia's, earrings and Wizard of Oz ruby slippers necklace
by Tarina Tarantino.
;) Carolyn

Carolyn Braden's Style File!

A new year resolution.... Start a style
file! I am so tired of looking in my closet and seeing lots of
clothes but still thinking I have nothing to wear! I am going to start
documenting my "stylish" outfits by taking photos and uploading them
here and printing off a photo a putting it in my style file binder. I
am also going to put all those outfit magazine pages I have floating
around all over in my binder too! I seriously hope I keep this
resolution going!

Today's outfit: Buffalo peacock printed dress, pink Gap tights,
Report gray suede booties, and a Paper Denim jacket distressed by me.
Felt flower in my hair by me and flower crystal earrings by Tarina
Tarantino.

Carolyn Braden asks "Paris anyone?"

Paris is everywhere.  Don't know why, it just is.  It is showing up in fashion, make-up, and home decor.  I can't stop noticing the Eifel Tower.  I had a dream I was in Paris.  I saw the Eifel Tower all lit up at night.  Then, strangely, I saw Big Ben.  Weird.  

If I don't blog before Christmas, have a wonderful holiday!  Be fashionable.  Give crafty gifts this year if you can. I am.  I am making many things this year.  :)

---Carolyn 

Carolyn Braden......Dreamer of Style

I had a dream Tuesday night.  It was a dream about fashion.  I remember my dreams often, but this particular dream spoke to me about an upcoming style.

I remember Tarina Tarantino being in my dream.  She is one of my role models ever since I discovered her wonderful jewelry designs.  I won an essay contest she had several years ago.  It was about inspirations and I wrote how she was such a huge inspiration to me.  She continues to inspire me and I feel like I think in the same creative way she does.  I often will have an inspiration of some design, such as peacock feathers, coming into style.  Then I'll come across her website and see that one of her latest collections reflect what I was inspired by.  There must be a connection between all the creative people in the world.  I am waiting for the door to the creative world to open up for me......... :)

I was talking to Tarina in the dream and we were looking at huge rubies an emeralds.  These big single stones were the focus of her new designs.  I don't remember other colors, but I am sure they were there too.  So......that leads me to believe that big single stones are a great new style coming out in jewelry and maybe more. 

Other inspirations right now? 

Glittery decor.  I raided the Target dollar bins and found the glittery words "peace", "joy", and "wish".  I just bought vases that have similar words to these on them.  I will be using these things to decorate this holiday season.  Right now though, my decor is focusing on fall.  I have used red flowers and white peacock feathers in a large arrangement in my dining room.  I put shiny stones in the vase to keep it from falling over, but they look pretty too.  My placemats have a photo print design of stones on them too.  My bannister contains a "garland" of leaves I created.  I used oranges, greens, and yellows.   Love these colors together. 

My snow globe idea from months ago is out there everywhere.  I just bought my latest globe......a beautiful silver base with a silver Christmas tree inside.  Oh, the holidays.  I can't wait.  :)  "I'm dreaming, of a white Christmas........"  Get some stylish snow boots soon.  You may need them this year.  I am looking for moon boots.  Kind of Napoleon Dynamite inspired.  Where oh where am I going to find them?

----Carolyn

Carolyn Braden: Vintage is SOOOO in!!!!

If you were born in the late 1970's or early 1980's, you are going to know exactly what I am talking about. If you were born before then, maybe you still will know what I am talking about. If you were born in the late 1980's or later, you need to know what I am talking about!

Vintage is SO in. Vintage has been in for a while, but now it's in full bloom. Many of the artists in the cartoon, fashion, home decor, and accessory world is now about the same age as I am. They are bringing our old toys out into the new world. The things we grew up with as kids are starting to surface and it's bringing back all kind of nostalgia. Weird to realize I am now officially old enough to "reminisce"about things, but it's true.

When I've come across some of these "vintage" things lately, it's almost brought on some tears. They make me remember some of the most happiest times in my life and the tears are of joy. I loved playing with my toys as a child. Due to acquiring many of these old toys again, I have been told by a teenager recently that I am like a kid in many ways. That made me think; Is it so bad to act like a kid sometimes? I don't think so one bit. Currently teaching art to elementary school children brings it out in me. I am around 5-11 year olds on a daily basis. It's inevitable that they are going to rub off on me sometimes.

Here we go on the things that are making it back into our world:

The Biskitts
Rose Petal Place Dolls (Nastina really reminds me of Ursula from the Little Mermaid and Ursula really reminds me of someone I know.....Mom you know who I am talking about....he he. Isn't there always a "bad" character in every childhood story? I think that is true for our lives as well)
Hugabunch
Sesame Street (I blogged about this last year, but the world is slowly catching on to my idea)
The Wuzzles
The Popples (They make these again and they are so cute!)
Rainbow Bright
The Snorks
The Shirt Tales
Disney's Gummi Bears
Duck Tales
The Smurfs
Muppet Babies
Fraggle Rock (I showed my DVD of them to my first graders and their eyes were glued to the t.v. during the whole episode. We were studing puppetry and they made that connection I was wanting them to make. Yeah!)

Whatever happened to Hypercolor shirts? I am watching one on E-Bay. I want one again so bad!

Shirts with kid like designs. Wear them with a cute cardigan, jeans, and suede booties. That's my outfit I am wearing tomorrow and it will be so cute! My shirt has a cute white doggie face on it that is kind of ghost-like. I got it at one of my favorite local stores, Dot Fox, on Bardstown Road.

Doubling up your socks. This is 1990's. I found some sheer green socks and some Mary Jane-like turquoise socks to layer together. It will look cute with heels. I got this idea and bought the socks from Cherry Bomb on Bardstown Road. It just became one of my other favorite places to shop. The best vintage ties to wear as scarves are there to buy! Local jewelry artists have their stuff in there and their designs should be turning up in some high fashion magazines! They are so unique and in style! Speaking of Mary Janes, I am still trying to find the perfect pair. I wish I would have kept mine from high school!

Horoscope signs. I have a belt that has "Gemini" studed on the back of the belt. It is so old, but so cool right now.

Owls and toadstools. I knew about these designs in the spring. I have a cute ceramic toadstool in my backyard. These ideas are so 70's! My mom used to paint toadstools on slices of wood.

There are so many more things coming out in this fashion world right now. Try anything that makes you feel good. Layer things cause it's gonna be a cold one this year!

Until next time.........

C

Carolyn Braden: All fall style is in!

Fall style......very interesting.

Basically everything is in for fall. I mean it!!!!

Um...

Shoulder pads, check!

All colors for clothing, check!

Belts, check!

Tights, check!

Boots, check!

Versatility in clothing, check!

Leggings, check!

Trench coat, check!

Matte makeup to get rid of shine, check!

Matte anything (car paint, nails, etc.), check!

Draping and layering, check, check!!!!!!!!

If you have any kind of eye for style, wear what makes you feel good this fall and you will be in style. Really. I can't say one exact thing stands out to me because there is so much out there right now. It's as if the designers just can't come up with anything new so they just said "If it's old, it will be new again this fall!"

I do really like the draping the clothing is doing right now. I like a tight dress or jeans to show off the figure, but the draping is awesome. Some days, you just don't feel comfortable. I should explain it as "The Bloat." We all feel uncomfortable sometimes in our regular clothing so it is nice to have such beautiful, draping clothes to let our bodies breathe sometimes.

A somewhat rose scented perfume is nice right now. I just purchased the new Marc Jacobs perfume "Lola". Smells great.

Oh...try shopping at TJ Maxx. If you have one in your area and you feel like hunting for some good buys, go there. I love it. I know there are women who would rather just hit up a mall store, pay full price for something, and not want to go "hunting" for deals, but come on girls!!!! Money is tight. Shop the sale racks and be smart with your money. I believe bargain shopping is SOOOOOO in style!

---Carolyn

Carolyn Braden: What's Out: KANYE WEST

Here's my forecast for the music world and more.

Artist's that are out of style and should be a big "DON'T" for your Ipod:

KANYE WEST.

What he did tonight on the MTV video awards was not in style, never was in style, and never will be in style. See my Pammie Peacock blog for my full opinion on him.

Moving on....

Horoscopes and astrology are in style.

The moon is beautiful.

Dragons are standing out.

Horses are in.

Will blog more style soon. Be in style and be nice to others no matter what your opinion is. :)

Carolyn Braden says "What is it about.....?

There's something about Nashville, TN right now. It's everywhere. Could it be style coming up there? I am not sure. I do know that "country-western" style is popping up everywhere in the magazines so we'll see. It's really funny that cowboy boots and such are showing up right now because I remember reading in some magazine in the winter saying that style was "Sooooo out". You know what? I really think that you should wear whatever makes you comfortable. If you love something, truly embrace it. Wear it with your head held high and you will make a statement.

Oh.....I was in Border's the other day and there was the book I was referred to this summer......The Alchemist. It was #4 on their best seller list. Hmmmmm........ It's becoming popular once again. Very interesting. You should read it if you haven't yet. It's all about change, and we are really seeing that everywhere right now.

Good luck symbols are still popping up everywhere. Rainbows, pennies, you know, the traditional symbols. I haven't found my four leaf clover yet so I bought a "Grow your own four leaf clover" kit yesterday. It may or may not produce one, as the box says, so I will wish very hard for one to surface and maybe I'll be blessed. :)

Sterling silver. Get out your Tarn-X and get that silver clean! Wear 2 or 3 or more necklaces at a time and show it all off! Tarn-X cleans all kinds of jewelry, so I've been cleaning all mine recently. It is really sparkling right now.


Stud earrings. Yes, hoops and longer earrings still look great, but try some studs for a more simple style add on if your outfit is really bold. I love my pearl studs.

Monsters and scary stuff is popping up. Watch an Alfred Hitchcock movie soon.

LBD's. Get one and accessorize. (Little Black Dress). You'll always turn to it when you need something a little fancy, yet understated, to wear.

Red, purple and jewel colors. Try them this fall!

Mad Men Casting Call Contest: Carolyn Braden!

Trying to win yet another contest. Help me out! Click on the link below and it will take you to my voting page on the AMC's Mad Men website. Click on how many stars you rate my Mad Men Style photo (5 stars please, please, please!). Do it once a day per computer until August 11th and lets' see if I can win the walk on role on AMC's Mad Men and a $1,000 Banana Republic gift certificate.

Thanks lovely readers!

http://madmencastingcall.amctv.com/photos/view/1879

Get some Tretorns! Remember these shoes? I remembered them back in
March when I saw them at a store during spring break. Well, they
showed up again at a store in Orlando this summer and I couldn't pass
them up again. I wore these as a kid. They were fashionable then,
and they are fashionable now! I love the ones I got in a bright
yellow color. I love yellow. It's such a cheery color and it's alot
like red; No one misses you when you wear it!

Sent from my iPhone

Shoes and Fall Style 2009

Yep.

Here it is.

I just got the new issue of InStyle Makeover in the mail today.

It's so great to see......my ideas are right on cue!!!!!

The first style I saw that I was on top of is the SATIN SHOE. I have been in love with satin shoes ever since trying on my mom's toe shoes when I was a little girl. I have a pair of green satin shoes and a pair of gold satin shoes but I still was in need of my red satin shoes. You know, my Dorothy shoes. After searching and searching for the right red satin shoe, my efforts have finally paid off. I searched stores everywhere I went. Last summer I scoured the internet and stores in search of the shoe, but found absolutely nothing! I thought "Why in the world aren't designers making the red satin shoe???????" I thought maybe The Wizard of Oz people had some kind of patent on the red shoe that has the little bow on the toe. I kept finding red patent shoes, but I didn't want those! I gave up and just figured I was ahead of my time in the fashion world (again...it happens all the time!) and stopped my search.
Something told me the other day to try again. So, I typed "red satin shoe" into my Google browser and found my shoe! I found quite a few to choose from too! I ended up going with a cute sling back, peep toe, bow adorned 3 and 3/4th inch heels from Zappos. One of Zappos' hubs is in Kentucky, not too far from my home, so I ordered the shoes (FREE SHIPPING!) and had them in 2 days. The shoe is absolutely gorgeous. My husband called them my Dorothy shoes and told me those shoes should be saved for special places and I totally agree. Maybe if I click my heels together with these shoes, I can get to the home my heart desires. :)

What is it about shoes? I love them as so many women (and some men) do in our world. I figure they are great things to buy because it is the one thing you don't really outgrow as an adult.

Then, I was watching a show the other day and they showed Blake, the chief shoe giver, from the Toms shoe company. I've loved Toms shoes for a couple of years now. They are comfortable, stylish, and for every pair you buy, Blake and his company donates a pair of shoes to a child in need. He really does. They have a new style that just recently came out and I saw it on that t.v. show. (I think it was the Daily 10 on E or something) The style is a wrap boot. Look it up at Toms.com and see if you like it. I really loved it, so I ordered it and it came today. I ordered it in black and I can wear it now (it looks really good with shorts or skirts) and in the fall and probably all seasons. It's that versatile.

Be daring when it comes to your shoes. Try bright colors. So many women wear black heels with everything, but try a color the next time. Any bright color will make a simple outfit really look amazing. I did black shorts, a black tank top, a vintage scarf (in bold blues, blacks, golds, greens, and reds), and simple gold hoops with my green satin shoes a couple of weekends ago and it looked great and I was comfortable. I always dress in what I am comfortable in or else I know I will be miserable.

Now, I wonder where I'll get to wear my red shoes first.............................................

Coming for fall:

Do the silver nail. Try to pick one that has a small hint of gold in it. That way you can wear it with silver or gold and it will look great!

Grown out hair. Yep, the bob is growing out. Try braiding pieces to help in the growing out process. Use hair accessories like bobby pins, headbands, and barettes too.

Taking care of your skin. (Especially the face!) The summer days are coming to an end and it's time to ask yourself this question: Did I put sunscreen on this summer? I hope you did!
We are not getting any younger girls! Start slathering on the wrinkle cream in your 20's to keep your skin looking youthful. Don't think that you won't get wrinkles, because you will. My mom told me to really slap the creams on the neck area heavily. I use Aveeno age cream and it doesn't break my sensitive skin out. Since I started putting it on my neck, I have noticed a difference in a line that was on my neck. The line really has softened.

Keep wearing those sunglasses! Wear them in all seasons! They will protect your eyes and prevent squinting! (Eye wrinkles!)

Thinking you are beautiful. Who really cares what anyone else thinks!?!? God made you perfect. You know all those little flaws you think you see when you are putting on your makeup in the morning? They are all in your head! What's beautiful to one person may not be beautiful to another. So, I say, hang out with the people who see the beauty in all things. If you surround yourself with positivity, everything will be beautiful to you. The ones that pick on you? They are just jealous or just really insecure. Seriously.

Trees. There is something about trees right now.

More thoughts soon!

Just a Few Inspirations....

Top Gun. What is it about this movie all of the sudden??? I have a feeling about it for some reason. Maybe I should go watch it.

Boot sandals. I picked up a pair on sale a couple of weeks ago. These are ankle high, zip in the back, open toed, and have fringe on the top. They are brown leather. At first, I did not like these shoes!!! My mom encouraged me to try them on and they were so comfortable and looked really cute! Worn with the right outfit, they rock!!

Matte nail polish will be everywhere this fall. I knew it was coming! A while ago, I had my nails done and the polish turned matte for some reason when it went on my nails. I really liked the look. That polish, in particular, wasn't supposed to turn matte, but it made me think. Why not matte?? OPI is bringing it to stores soon so try it and see if you like it.

READ!!! I can't say it enough. Read a book this summer! I've read four so far and I'm going to pick out another one tonight. My faves right now are The Shack (William P. Young), The Alchemist (Paulo Coehlo), and anything by Sophie Kinsella (her real name is Madeleine Wickham). Kinsella has another book coming out soon! I have the new Alice Sebold (Almost Moon) on hold to read soon as well.

Scarves. Yeah, yeah...I know they've been around for a while in fashion now. But go find yours at a consignment or thrift store. You'll find some unique ones and won't spend a fortune. I was at a Zegna outlet recently and they had a scarf marked from $495.00 down to $35.00. Yes, a good deal when you consider the price, but wow! $495.00! Someone call me out if you ever see me say that I spent that on a scarf. Yes, some scarves I own may have cost that much once upon a time, but I didn't spend that much on them! They were incredible thrift finds. I promise!

Fall inspirations coming soon!

June things....feelings, ideas....

I had some thoughts while on vacation. Some more inspirations I guess.

The first thought I had when I came back was.....I want to go back to that beach. Of course, don't we all want to go back on vacation when we come home? I just love, love, love the beach. We went to Sanibel Island and I will say this as an idea for you all: Go there at some point in your life. No matter who you are, you could go there for a week and totally be unrecognized by anyone. It is, in my opinion, one of the best islands of the United States to visit. It is so peaceful, so serene, and so beautiful. Sanibel Island is known for their shelling, and no joke..................you find millions of shells! The shelling is almost like a scavenger hunt. You want to find more and more and more! Now, what to do with the three bowls of shells I brought home? Well, I am going to turn some of the Sea Fans into jewelry and hair pins. They shimmer the most beautiful colors. The conch type shells will probaly decorate my sea inspired bathroom. The rest? Who knows. Just looking at them takes me back to the ocean. Maybe I'll find a large glass container, put some sand in it, and then add the shells so I have a little beach of my own in my home. My mom gave me that idea last night. Shells are incredibly "in" at this moment. I paid close attention to the conch/nautilis type of shells. Something about their spiral type shape. I love holding the shell to my ear and hearing the ocean again. Remember doing that?

We also drove to Orlando to go to Disney World's Magic Kingdom for my June 11th birthday. (Gemini oh so much). It was free for me to get in because right now anyone that fills out their birthday form on their website and takes it to Disney on their birthday gets in free that day. A one day ticket to Disney runs about $75.00, so the free ticket was very welcome. They give you a birthday button with your name on it and then every worker in the park that sees it will wish you a happy birthday. It was fun and took me back to being a kid. I am totally a kid on many days of my life, and people tell me that all the time. I believe thinking like a kid, not giving a care in the world, and using your imagination as much as possible can be a good thing for adults. Adults often forget what being like a kid is. If we could connect with our kid like feelings again, I think things may be a little happier sometimes. Try Disney World or any other kid activity at some point this summer and see what happens.

While on vacation, I found the Burberry hat I wanted. Well, almost. We went to a magnificent mall in Orlando and the Burberry store had my hat on sale! It was unfortunately in the wrong size. I was so disappointed. But then, the sales woman asked "Would you like me to try to find the hat in another store?" I jumped on that opportunity! She found it at another Florida store and had it shipped to my house. At the sale price! So, here's a tip: If you ever find the perfect outfit or accessory but it's not in your size, ask the store to try to find it in another store and have it shipped to you. Even if it's on sale, you can still try to get it!

Try outlet shopping. Orlando had some good outlets, but I know there are tons of outlets out there in the world. Las Vegas has some of the best! Not all outlets have great prices, but try them out and see if you can find a deal. I found a Lacoste polo shirt for $25.00, and it was orginally $74.00. Try on everything you find if possible. You never know if the reason it ended up in the outlet was because of sizing, color, or past season. I really feel like designer things are way too expensive. Sorry design labels!! But, that's how I feel. I always think "Why is it marked up so high, but it always goes on sale for a reasonable amount?" I understand the concept......you know.....it's designer, so it's better, so it has to be expensive. But I just don't know about that.

When I came home from vacation, I immediately started organizing my home. I know people do their cleaning in the spring, but I am a summer cleaning girl. After spending the whole last week in a clutter free hotel environment, my stuff at home really got on my nerves! I guess this thought is happening because I am getting older.....wiser? But....my thought is, I don't really need alot of stuff. I was content having the few items I had on vacation and didn't miss the bulk "stuff" I have at home. I felt this way last year when my husband and I had to move into an apartment because we sold our house and didn't have another to move into immediately. I really didn't miss anything that was in our storage unit, other than my photo albums. I think constantly to myself, as long as I have my husband and my animals around, I really have all that I need. I know I talk about the things I want to purchase in this blog sometimes. I do like to shop, but I know there are more important things to living a life. I know we all need a roof over our heads, food, heat, etc., but the extra "stuff" is just that, STUFF. So with that being said, I am getting rid of a ton of stuff. I will be calling charities around town and getting rid of anything that hasn't seen the light of day since we moved into this house last July. I encourage everyone to do the same. We, for some reason, have an extra couch, dining room table, and dryer in our garage. It's going to be GONE soon. My old purses that I swore I would use again, GONE. That sewing machine that I wanted so bad because I swore I would be making all my curtains for my home, GONE. I will be selling some of the items and putting that money towards my home renovation, but everything else that is in good condition is going to charity.

I just read in Woman's Day magazine about people that spend more of their money on experiences instead of clothes, shoes, or material things, are happier. The article said we will never get tired of our good memories, but we will get tired of that pair of shoes you just bought. I like that idea. With that thought, comes an "in style" thing to do that so many people forget about. Go to the Drive-In this summer. My friend just did and had a great time. As we drove home from Florida, we drove many back roads to avoid the Bonaroo concert traffic. We passed two small towns and saw Drive-In's filled with cars in both towns. I will go this summer.

When we got home from vacation, my husband's father washed and waxed his car for him. (We took my little convertible on our trip instead of my husbands large car....I was so proud of myself for fitting a week's worth of clothes into just one duffle bag!). The wax he used was Turtle Wax Ice. It goes on clear, so you don't have to worry about getting it on the black areas of your car. The car looks brand new. While you are washing your car this summer, try giving it a good wax. You will be glad you did.


The color yellow really stands out to me. Blue is still great, but yellow is so happy. I love wearing the color.

The best snack that is selling out everywhere is Edamame. We have been eating it here at home for over a year now, and we love it. We buy it frozen, boil it for a couple of minutes, drain the water, sprinkle a little low sodium soy sause on them, and they taste amazing. We buy the ones in the pods, then pull the middles out with our teeth to eat them. I guess you could eat the pod, but I don't like to. Try them with Teriayki sauce or a little bit of salt too.

Look to the sky. I know I've had dreams about storms for a while now, but wow. The weather continues to be active. It has been incredibly active for almost a year now. I love looking at the sky. It can tell you so much. My Nani told me to always look to the sunset when you want to know how the weather will be the next day. She said if it was a beautiful sunset with many colors, the weather the next day will be wonderful. If the sunset is not so great, the weather the next day may be bad. I do this alot, and usually the sunset is correct in some kind of weather forecasting. The book I just read, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, had a character in it that paid very close attention to nature. He got very in tune with it and, well, good things happened.

Wow..........I had alot to say. This may have been my biggest single blog to date. Hope it didn't bore you too much. :)

---C

Just a quick thought............

I know I've said this before, but...............

The Sun. Pay attention to it. Sunsets, sunrises, the morning sun, the afternoon sun, the evening sun; They must be a focus for the next couple of months.

More...Carolyn Braden's May Inspirations

Here are my latest feelings.....

There is something about July. I don't know what, but something about the seventh month.

Ducks.

Pinecones. In fall decor maybe?

Sporto Waterproof Duck Shoes. Great to slip on and off this summer instead of the boots.

Google Eyes. They are funny.

The color blue.

Roses.

Rainbows. Again.

Balloons.

Of course this summer is all about the sun and the sand and everything that has to do with that. Such as.....mermaids, seashells, sand, sunscreen, sun hats, the beach, and whatever else that has to do with summer feelings.

New Thoughts by Carolyn Braden

Spring is here in a big way!!! Everyone is done hibernating and is out in full force. The rain is bringing on the beautiful green grass and things are starting to look good.

Here's my forecast for now:

Burberry. Something about it. I want a Burberry hat and I am searching for the perfect one. If you can't afford a Burberry hat, try any cute page-boy style hat. Baseball hats are fine, but try something with a little style if you want to turn heads.

The color white. You can wear it. Yes, if you are like me, you will probably get something on it (dirt, food, etc) by the end of the day, but it's fine. It happens to us all. :) Carry a Tide to Go pen with you just in case.

Buttons. Something about them is standing out in a big way.

Rainbows. Look for them everywhere. Rainbows are universal symbols for so much.

Water color. The water color look will show up in fashion and more.

Kangaroos and Austrailia. I don't know why, but they are standing out to me.

Pinecones? Just a thought.

---Carolyn Braden

What now?

As always, I never know how my ideas will be interpreted into the real world. All of my ideas come out in the world as fashion, in movies, on television, on commercials, in the stores. I don't know how, they just do.

Here is my latest knowledge:

Monkeys. They are showing up everywhere. Reminds me of that story/song "Monkey's Jumping on the Bed" and the game Barrel of Monkeys.

Patches are coming out. I am about to sew/iron on patches on my knockoff H&M Member's Only jacket I just found. Couldn't find a real vintage one, so this one will do. I am making it unique by putting the patches on it.

Something about the British right now. British comedy, food, or cars. It's something to ponder.

Bubbles. Real bubbles, glass bubbles, the form of the bubble is out there.

The sun. Can't wait for it to shine a light on my life.

The beach. My next vacation will involve one.

Cookies/baking. Try doing it with your kids. Let them experiment and mix some of their own ingredients in and see what happens.

Olive branches/doves. Maybe new symbols to represent what our world needs now more than ever....peace.

Reggae/tropics. I think this is happening in music. Love those steel drums. Just the sound reminds me of warm weather and the time I spent in Barbados.

Musicals. Try showing your children Annie. It is such a great one to see again and again.

Clovers. Could this be because they are green or because they are lucky?

Zippers. Try them in fashion. On hats/shirts.

Vintage tunes. Download some 80's or 90's songs to your Mp3 player and listen to them while you spring clean. Cleaning is always a little more enjoyable when you dance and sing.

Roller skating. Do it! It's great exercise.

Puppets. Use one at home with your kids when reading or telling stories. Kids love puppets.

Laughter. Try watching a funny comedy from the past. Watch some commercials instead of fast forwarding them because you DVR'd something. Some are really funny right now and people are talking about them. We all need to laugh a little more.

Knowing your brain. Are you right or left brained? Creativity, thinking, and intuition come from your right side and reading/writing/arithmetic (remember that saying), come from your left side. My right side is working double time right now. I just hope someone notices it.


Dreams. I love dreaming.

Signing off....

C

What's In Style for January 2009!!!!

Happy 2009!!!!!! Here is my first blog for style for 2009.
Here's what is up and coming in the style/television/music world:

The first two inspirations are some things I knew were going to be popular back in September 2008. Our local paper, The Courier Journal, did a quick little blurb about me and what I liked. I didn't know it quite then, but my style ideas were right on! I am starting to see these ideas in magazines right now.

Oils!
They are wonderful to mix in unscented lotions to make your own custom scent. I do this myself by picking some up at Whole Foods or go to Aveda and pick out a few scents for them to make for me there. It's actually really inexpensive and the all natural idea doesn't irritate my sensitive skin. I love the scent of clove mixed with Nivea Firming Body Lotion.

I really like my Vaseline Cocoa Butter scented gel oil. It's really good because it is in gel form and not as messy as regular oil. I got it last year at Walgreen's, but I am sure they still carry it.

My mother in law got me Avon Skin So Soft Whipped Body oil and I really like it too! Not only is it not messy, but it has a lovely, clean, almost baby like scent.

Flowers.
Whether they are the print on a shirt, dress, or you just have a bunch in a vase at your house, they are so wonderful! Having some fresh greenery or flowers around the house really bring the outdoors in for me.

Tye Dye!!
The current designer at Target has it all over his collection right now. I will be featured on HGTV's show "That's Clever" doing Shibori (Japanese cloth dying). They filmed the episode back in 2006, and the 400 series (my series) is finally on the schedule! Check out http://www.hgtv.com/thats-clever/show/index.html to see when my episode will air. I must have been onto something back in 2006! Thanks to my Fiber Arts teacher, Lida Gordon, for showing me how to do Shibori while I was an art student at the University of Louisville! I just bought a really cool peace sign (blogged about that a while ago!) t-shirt at Target for 10 bucks. It's really cool!

Eating healthy is ALWAYS IN STYLE! Try organic.
The prices of organic foods have really fallen over the past year. I know because my husband and I really pay attention to this. Woman's Day magazine suggested taking a spinach wrap (try a low carb/calorie one...they usually have quite a few calories if you don't watch it) and spreading a little low fat cream cheese on it. Then take some fresh veggies like carrot sticks or peppers or whatever you like, and put them in the middle of the spread out cream cheese. Then roll it up, cut it up like pieces of sushi, and voila! You have a healthy snack or lunch meal that looks really cool too! Try giving this to picky kids who only will eat food if it looks fun!

Try painting your own shoes!
My agent told me about a leather spray that you can spray shoes with to change the color. I always knew you could have shoes dyed, but never thought to spray them myself. I found a website, www.shoehardware.com, that sells NuLife leather shoe spray. They also sell Angelus Acrylic Leather shoe paint. I bought some raspberry and pink sparkle spray to paint my vintage fab rollerskates (been looking for some cool ones forever and my husband finally found some!) and I bought some neon red, neon blue, and neon yellow paints to paint the white areas of my Adidas Samba shoes. Oh yeah....the Samba is back baby! I wanted mine to look different, and the paints will make this a reality. Dying shoes is a huge process, so I think I'll stick to having a shop dye my dream scarlet red toe shoes for me. I just love scarlet red shoes. SATIN scarlet red shes. Toe shoes in scarlet red are really rare and the girl who wears them in any ballet automatically becomes the star. I am seeing Revive's Rite of Spring in April and the star will be wearing scarlet red toe shoes. Just beautiful. I just want a pair to put on display in my closet.


Old School Children Television Shows!
Did you know the Electric Company is back???? I am so excited! I don't know much about it yet, but it is back. I also hope that Sesame Street really gets a good media pump up soon. I loved that show as a kid and would love to be on it now as an adult. Who knows, right? Teaching has prepared me for many things, so maybe a kids show could be one of them. I know Sesame Street airs still, but not in my hometown, Louisville, KY. What's up Louisville? Get Sesame Street back!

Last, but not least: Watch these two guys called Mysto and Pizzi.
They are a young producer duo that are up and coming. They remixed the song "Somebody's Watching Me" for the most recent Geico commercial, and it is really good. They have already done re-mixes for Kanye West, Justin Timberlake, and Britney Spears, so they are going to do really well.

Wow...this was a long one! I had a lot of inspirations over the past couple of weeks. Thanks for reading!

Till next time,

Carolyn