From Calla Gold: Spring Jewelry Trends

Watching the Oscars on Sunday meant a lot of oohing and aaahing over some pretty remarkable jewelry. I liked the long strand of diamonds around Jennifer Lawrence's neck and the beautiful design of Jennifer Garner's necklace. There were many, many stunners!

Calla Gold recently covered how Hollywood starlets set in motion some of the jewelry trends we are currently seeing. You can read her terrific piece here. I am in love with the spectacular earrings above, created by Calla.

Wardrobe Apps

Awhile ago I wrote about Cloth, an app I was trying out on my iPhone. Since getting Cloth, I think I have taken two photos of myself in outfits I particularly liked. That's all I've done. Perhaps I am underusing this app!

Click on this link to read a reviewer's thoughts about Cloth and another app called Netrobe. Do you use clothing apps? How do you use them? Do you find them super helpful?

Nifty Storage Ideas

I wish I could tell you where I found these images, but I cannot remember.  O Magazine? Real Simple? I am ashamed of myself. In any event, these seem like very practical and easy to execute storage ideas. Someone was thinking!

LOVE this Blog

Thank you, Debbie, for telling me about this astoundingly wonderful blog, The Art of Manliness. Tomorrow I am speaking to two groups at UCSB about dressing well "for interviews and beyond." I plan to quote from this blog and to share it with my male clients. It is a font excellent, useful advice!

Fashionable Person in Santa Barbara

Today I spied Kareem picking up his children from school. He was gracious enough to allow me to take his photo and seemed flattered to be considered a fashionable person. I told him how much I enjoyed his sharp outfit, and he gave me this big smile. Kareem made my day!

Getting a Deal

I read with great interest this article about the psychology behind shopping clearance sales  Are you a sale shopper? We all like to get a bargain, but if it is not something you really love, will wear, and that goes with your lifestyle and other things in your wardrobe, you are wasting your money.  In my Wardrobe Wisdom work, I  have seen closets filled with sale items, but nothing goes together and my client cannot figure out what to wear. This article gives helpful advice on how not to fall prey to clearance sales but instead how to make thoughtful purchases. 

Above is an example of what appears to be a bargains (10 pounds of carrots for under $5).  However, they were not such a great deal. though they were high quality and were priced well. Since my family is comprised of 4 people, not 50, these carrots went bad before they were eaten. One can only eat so many before turning orange.  I realize food and clothing are not the same thing, but you get my point. 

Makeup Brushes

As I have stated before, I am not a makeup expert. In fact, I need a lot of help when it comes to choosing and applying makeup. Therefore, I am delighted when others make this skill comprehensible to me, which Glow Skin and Beauty does on a regular basis. Go here to read its post about useful makeup brushes and when and how to use them. The brushes featured above are from Nordstrom and seem like a good deal for $38. But what do I know?

The Demise of the Iron

There have been some pretty big stories in the news this week so you may missed the one concerning the game Monopoly.  The iron playing piece has been retired and a little cat is its replacement. To read or listen to this story, go here. It seems that this iron icon and the act of ironing are becoming unpopular, at least in the United States.  Though I love cats, I feel a bit sad about the iron.

I liked the Monopoly iron for it represented a time in which people pressed their clothing regularly, making it look like they cared about their appearance. My mom was very big on ironing when my brother and I were growing up. She would say we looked "slovenly" if we put on wrinkled clothing. More than once I had to come back inside the house to have her press a garment I had hastily donned. When my girls were very small, they had a number of astonishingly adorable dresses, tops, and skirts. My mom did not like to see these clothes in a wrinkled state and used to iron them for me since ironing was not really in the cards during those busy days.

Over the years I have become quite lax about ironing, but this does not mean I do not appreciate a well pressed garment. It is just that I have chosen not to purchase much clothing that requires ironing. When I do iron, I try to do everything at once. My husband regularly irons his own shirts and pants and will iron a skirt or top for me if I ask. He likes to watch TV shows or movies while he irons.

If you know you do not like to iron, follow my lead and stay away from clothing that requires it. And by requires I mean that the clothing looks its best--the way the designer wanted it to look--ironed. Men can find shirts and pants that are "wrinkle free," and there are shirts for women like this as well. The chemicals they treat such items with causes me some alarm, but you can decide for yourself whether or not to wear them.

Me Again

The other day I was heading out the door feeling a bit blah. So I ran upstairs and added a necklace to my outfit. Ta-da! Now I felt complete and chic. Adding an interesting accessory to your ensemble is an easy way to finish and spice up an outfit.

Indian Summers

I have been working a bit at Indian Summers in Summerland. What a lovely shop! I like all of the T-shirts, jeans, sweaters, shoes, and, well, just about everything there. And now a lot of the items are on sale!