Fashion Trend Predictions Spring 2012

I did a similar post to this last year and it is still to this very day my most read post ever! I decided to do it again this year :) How I do my research for this is re watch all of the runway shows that you can still find posted on many fashion magazine websites, I also go through various high end and more moderately priced store websites and see what their new collections consist of, I blend those together, pick a few out and present them here to you guys! Granted, this post would be entirely too long if I posted on each and every single trend prediction, I chose 4 or 5 that I could show you real life examples of :) Enjoy!

1. Pastels:  When I look at the collage I made above, I think of every color that was ever in my Easter basket as a kid, and that's actually absolutely right! haha Pastels are predicted to be huge this Spring season, and without a doubt I definitely agree.  These colors remind me of Spring anyway so I would probably purchase these colors without even knowing that I am sticking within some "trend". They're easy on the eyes, and remind me of the colors of the beautiful flowers that we see so many of during this season :) Something about pastels (although could definitely be worn by men as well!) adds the perfect touch of femininity to your ensemble.

 2. Hi Low Hemlines: These are often spotted on Selena Gomez on the runway, they have almost become a signature look for her! I really like these, although at first I felt that if I rocked this style, it would look like I couldn't decide whether I was hot or cold haha Fear not, however, this style can be worn not just in skirts, but in dresses and shirts as well! The whole crop top from last Spring and Summer has come back, I never really got into it because I am not one to let my midriff show, but layered as seen above with the purple shirt, you can definitely pull it off and still look classy :)

3. Citrus Colors (Orange and Yellow): Tangerine was a huge color on the runway this season and I do see a few stores stocking up on this coveted color, but not as many as I would have thought! I personally LOVE citrus colors (and I love these fruits too haha) I'm not too sure I would wear a whole array of citrus together for an outfit, but a little pop here and there is sure to scream Spring, in a good way! Check back to my color wheel post, which I will link below, to see exactly how to wear these colors without going too overboard and hey, if you are confident wearing these colors all together, do it, remember confidence is key in fashion!

 

4. Color Blocking: This seems to be a recurring trend each Spring season.  I wrote on this same exact trend last Spring as well. I definitely like it in moderation.  Something about it reminds me of those 50's girl Halloween costumes that everyone wears when they cant find another costume lol I do, however, really like it how it is worn in the skirt picture above, with a solid top to "line break" so to speak.  The orange and purple dress to the left  is a perfect blend of both warm and cool colors, I love! 

5. Peplum: This is yet another Trend that has repeated itself from last season as well.  This is a classic look, so I feel that it may "always" be in style.  Very reminiscent of something you see worn in those old Hollywood movies :) This is perhaps my favorite trend, it is definitely hard to find the right Peplum piece though being that I am a rather petite woman.  The waistlines never seem to line up with mine and then I end up having my Peplum waistline down toward my bottom instead, not very flattering! lol I am still on the lookout for the perfect Peplum piece because I love how elegant you can make this trend look.

There you have it, the 5 fashion Spring fashion trend predictions that I found to be pretty consistent in my research!

Here is the link to my Fashion Color Wheel post: http://alyseap.blogspot.com/2011/04/spring-2011-fashion-trends-fashion.html

Fashionably Yours,

xox

My Fashions of the Holidays: New Years, Xmas Eve and Xmas Day!

Although I didn't take pics for the sole purpose of OOTD's, I do have pretty decent pictures that show what I was wearing on these three Holidays so I decided to share with you all my three looks :) Some are more fancy, one very vintage classic and another super casual, my sense of fashion is SUPER versatile! Enjoy.

Christmas Eve:

Hymm..I guess I was really focused on something haha

Dress: Express $79.90 Can be found here: http://www.express.com/ruffle-front-dress-43101-22/index.pro

Jewelry: Necklace and Bracelet are some Fresh Water Pearls I was given by my Grandmother YEARS ago :) My earrings were simple diamond studs.

Black Opaque Stockings/Tights: Express $22.90 Can be found here: http://www.express.com/body-shaping-full-tights-1856-39/index.pro

Nail Polish: Essie "Size Does Matter"--A nice Holiday Red :)

Shoes (although unseen here): Plain Steve Madden black pumps that I bought like 4 years ago!

Makeup: LA Splash Eyeshadow Cream Color Base in Highlight with UD Sin all over my lid and some MAC Soft brown blended in the crease, L'Oreal Liquid Lineur Intense Carbon Black winged out liner, MAC Refined Golden Bronzer, L'Oreal Millions of Lashes Mascara, Neutrogena Moisture Shine Lipstick in Poppy Red with NYX in Hot Red as a base :) ---I tried to keep this look minimal because I was going for a vintage look a la Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe Times. The only really stand out color on my whole face was in my lips!

Hair: Side swept bangs and curled with my Conair infiniti curling wand :) I have a review of that already posted so search for it!

Christmas Day: 

Christmas day, since we travel rather far to visit my aunt (almost 2 hours away!), I decided to keep my attire rather casual.  I have tried the whole get decked out thing and it is NOT comfy while you're driving home at 11pm trying to catch a wink of sleep while your boyfriend does all the driving ;) haha

Blazer: Forever 21 in Navy --Not listed on their website anymore, but it came in black and gray as well and was around $24.80??

Jeans: My favorite jeans ever from Banana Republic.  I purchased these years ago as well and can't find them online anywhere.  They are in the petite section of the store, that is all I can recall.  They are fairly priced as well!

White Tank: Simple white tank from Target.  I have about 5 of these tanks in JUST WHITE, that's how much I adore them.  They are seriously the perfect white tank, and they come in other colors as well which I own, I just think a staple white tank is always necessary to have around.  You can view this online here:  http://www.target.com/p/Mossimo-Womens-Microrib-Tank-Core-Colors/-/A-13718928

Necklace (although you can't see it really): A friendship necklace given to me as a Maid of Honor Gift :)

Watch: Michael Kors Rose Gold Watch, can be found at Macy*s here: http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/michael-kors-watch-womens-chronograph-rose-gold-tone-stainless-steel-bracelet-32mm-mk5223?ID=452683&CategoryID=57374

Earrings: Simple Diamond Studs

Boots: Steve Madden Cowboy boots from years ago as well.  Can't for the life of me find these online anywhere either just to even show you all a better pic lol oh well, you get the gist here.

Makeup: L.A. Splash Cream Eyeshadow Base in Smoky (LOVE THESE!! Review to come soon) UD Gunmetal all over the lid, blended out with MAC Soft Brown or UD Smog, hymm I don't remember what exactly I did that day lol, L'Oreal Lineur Intense Carbon Black Liquid Eyeliner, L'Oreal Millions of Lashes mascara, MAC Melba Blush, NYX Lipliner in Pale Pink, MAC Blankety lipstick on top and then topped off with NYX Megashine Lipgloss in Gold Pink.


New Years Eve:

Jumpsuit: H&M a few seasons ago.

Belt: MY FAVORITE belt EVER!! My goodness I cannot express how much I love this belt.  It is the exact belt that Sarah Jessica Parker wore in the  Sex & the City 1 movie! I fell in love with it, I mean she wore it in almost every scene haha This belt was designed by the one and only Patricia Field, Love love love her as well.  She has such a funky edge to her! Needless to say, I sprung for this belt which was $120!! (Hey a girl's gotta do that a girl's gotta do!) They don't even sell this belt anymore on the website, but no worries, The Budget Babe did a post on a look for less which features an alternative cheaper belt here:  http://www.thebudgetbabe.com/archives/672-Look-for-Less-Carries-Studded-Belt.html#.TwW-yPkUO70

Jewelry: Evil Eye Bracelet (I am obsessed with these, c'mon you guys know this already) and some white gold Bangles.  I am also wearing some chandelier earrings I purchased from Macy*s for a wedding I was in over the summer.

Shoes: Nine West Mellitta (I DIE for these shoes!)

They run around $100 and can be purchased here: http://www.ninewest.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-ninewest-Site/default/Search-Show?q=mellitta

Hair: Triple Waved my hair with my new Revlon Jumbo Waver! I love this new gadget :) $ 24.00 Can be found here: http://www.target.com/p/Revlon-Jumbo-Ceramic-Waver-Black/-/A-13208687

Makeup: UD Sin all over the lid with MAC Painterly Paint Pot as a base.  Blended some UD Buck in Crease just to soften the look, UDhaha I actually really liked it though :) Also wearing winged out eyeliner with my L'Oreal Lineur Intense Carbon Black and my L'Oreal Mascara.  MAC Melba Blush and a little NYC SUNNY Bronzer to warm up my face.  Lips I have on UD Lip Liner in Naked with some Blankety on top and the same NYX gloss in Gold Pink.

Wheewwww that took forever to put together! I never realized how much goes into Holiday looks ;)

What did you all wear for the Holidays? If you did posts on the looks, please link them below!

Wishing you all warmth and happiness,

xox

Product Review: Olay Pro X Cleansing System

 

I purchased this cleansing system at Target for just around $30.00.  Comparatively cheaper than the Clairsonic Mia, which can retail for around $120, I figured this would be a better option for someone who was just looking to try this type of product out for the first time.  

This cleanser is supposed to clean your skin 6 times better than regular cleansing.  It has an exfoliating brush head to get a deep clean and clean out all of that unseen makeup/dirt etc.  The cleanser is water resistant and the cleansing head is replaceable. 

This is what the cleanser looks like, it is battery operated and has an on and off switch on the back.  The starter kit comes with a trial size of the Anti-Aging Pro X Exfoliating Cleanser.  Although you could really use this cleanser with any facial cleaning product that you are already using, I always like to use the one suggested, although probably just a great marketing ploy haha, to get the maximum results.  Having said that I purchased a big one when my little trial one ran out!

Now that we know what this product comes with and what it claims to do, lets get to the bottom line here:

PROS:

1. I love that I can easily use this in my shower and that it is water resistant, I wash my face most in the shower so this is very convenient!
2. I actually really like the cleanser that it recommends using it with.  It has tiny "exfoliating sands" and doesn't have a strong smell etc. 
3. The brush head is the perfect strength for me, not too rough and not too soft.
4. The price is pretty unbeatable for its comparison products!
5. Last but certainly not least, I love that I genuinely feel like it cleanses my face entirely.  I DO feel like I get a deep clean, and often times, I find that it does get makeup off that not even my makeup remover did!

CONS:

1. Head is smaller than lets say the Clairsonic Mia (this didn't bother me because I actually like this, but may bother some of you)
2. Over time I noticed that on my forehead I had a patch of VERY shiny skin.  This makes me laugh even typing this but honestly it looked like a small patch was "over buffed" and got soo smooth that it was shiny! Please do not mistake this for oily shiny, I had no oil in sight, just shine--very interesting lol Needless to say, I don't stay on that area of my face that long any more because maybe I was over cleansing it haha it seemed to minimize my pores in that area all together! Oh well, at least I know it's doing its job :)

There you have it, my personal unpaid or sponsored review of the Olay Pro X Cleansing System.  I love how inexpensive it is and I really love the results I get.  Give it a try if you can't quite bring yourself to invest over $100 on something like this, it will be well worth it!

Nice clean faces everywhere,

xox 

Vote For My 1st Blog Post of the New Year! :)

I am super indecisive and since I do this for my readers AND myself, I thought it would be helpful to get your opinion on this matter. What do you guys think I should kick the new year off with? Fashion/Cooking/My Daily Life/Beauty Reviews etc? VOTE below and if you choose other, please specify what your OTHER vote means in the comments :) Thanks so much in advanced!

What Kind of Blog Should I Kick the New Year Off With?

Happy Holidays and a Joyous New Year,

xox

Holiday Series: A Little Something for Those Unexpected Guests Around the Holidays!

Let's be honest here, if you are hosting any parties or dinners this Holiday season, you know that there are going to be a few people that show up that you didn't account for! This isn't necessarily a negative thing, it could even be a boyfriend/girlfriend of a cousin or niece or nephew who you just didn't think of at the moment. Well, as a good host should, you should have a few of these ridiculously easy to create, gifts on hand for those "HI!, nice to meet you (oh my goodness I have nothing for them) moments".

What you will need:

*Festive Mug (I found mine at the dollar store, and they had tons of different varieties!)
*Candy Canes (plain peppermint full sized ones work best for this because you can swirl them in the hot cocoa and make it a peppermint hot cocoa :)
*Hot cocoa (I got the one without marshmallows in case you end up giving this to a non-marshmallow lover.)
*Mini Marshmallows
*Tissue paper (the same kind you use when wrapping gifts etc.)
*Ziploc Snack bags (make sure they are the ones with the Ziploc seal!)
*Optional but cute- Ribbon or a bow

Let's get started:

1. Wash out your mug thoroughly, maybe just because I am kind of a germ freak, but I think gifting a cleaned mug is always better, even if it is brand new haha

2. Place some tissue in the bottom of the mug as pictured above, this assures that the candy canes etc have enough room to peak out of the mug and look all "purrttty". :)

3. Grab two bags of hot cocoa and place them in the cup together and curved a little (you will see what I mean in the end picture) toward the back of the mug.

4. Place a handful or so of the mini marshmallows into your snack bag and be sure to squeeze out all air and seal tightly.  place this in front of the hot cocoa packets and tuck any of the visible Ziploc seals down, this just makes it look aesthetically better.

5. Take two of the candy canes and place them on opposite sides of the mug and face them outward :)

**An optional step would be to add some fancy ribbon tied around the mug, I didn't have any more ribbon on hand because I used it for my decor already so I just used a gift bow and it looks very pretty.
**You can also include a little note card that states how to make a peppermint hot cocoa (pretty much saying you can swirl the candy cane around when its hot and the candy cane will melt and make your hot cocoa nice and minty.

Final Product:

I made three of these because I refuse to be stuck feeling bad when someone unexpected shows up. I love to encourage people to come over because I honestly love hosting and making little things like this, it shows time and effort and who doesn't like hot cocoa?!

Hot Cocoa Box: $1.99
Marshmallow Bag: $1.00
Festive Mug: $1.00
Ziploc Bags $0.00---Already had these lying around!
Gift Bow: $1.00 for entire bag!
Candy Canes: $1.00
____________________

TOTAL: $5.99!! --and I made THREE!

I even had enough of everything to make at least three more! Now, that's what I like to call a bargain, quick delicious gift :)

Pouring myself some hot cocoa as we speak,

xox

Holiday Series: SUPER Easy Treat to Bring to Holiday Dinner's/Parties!

Although many company parties have passed, my family and a lot of others get together for Christmas Eve.  Whether it be for a more formal party or just spending quality time with one another and sharing a warm meal, I know I always feel obligated to bring something, even if I'm not asked to.  Below is something you have probably all eaten at one point or another and I know I am not the only one who has posted about this, but this was my journey so come along if you wish :)

Peppermint Bark requires NO baking and you can even do it with children, which is another thing I absolutely love.  It pleases a lot of different people because its not too overpowering and has something most (minus myself!) love, chocolate.

Here's the super simple "recipe" I used---way too easy for me to even think of this as a recipe haha:

Things you will need:

*Parchment Paper
*Small Baking Pan (or large if you're going for a larger amount)
*2 16 oz. packages of chocolate morsels--NEVER bake with chocolate you wouldn't eat alone (good quality chocolate)--it just comes out bad. For this you can mix white and milk chocolate or do all of one etc. Totally up to you! This amount makes enough for a small baking pan. Adjust accordingly
*Peppermint Candy Canes or Candies
*optional*--Cute Treat Tin

Directions:

1. Line your baking tin with parchment paper, this makes it so easy to get the chocolate out after it's done.

2. Melt your chocolate in the microwave. I did one minute, stirred it and then did one final minute and it was perfect! You want to melt them separately.

3. In the meantime, grab a food storage bag/plastic bag and put about two handfuls of the peppermint candy inside. Place this bag on top of a cutting board and begin banging away. I used my rolling pin and it worked wonders. WARNING: The bag can tear a little if you go "Incredible Hulk" on it so beware and if you feel like you want to be extra safe, double bag them :)

 

4. After the chocolate for the first layer is smoothly melted, spread it around the bottom of the pan with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.  Try to get as even a layer as possible and smooth it down really well. Place this in your refrigerator for about 20 mins or until nice and hardened. --While you are waiting for this, go ahead and melt your white chocolate morsels :)

5. Spread the white chocolate in the same exact manner, right on top of the hardened milk chocolate.  Do this quickly because the cold from the milk chocolate will make the white chocolate harden pretty quickly.  The reason we want to work quickly is because we want to sprinkle our peppermint crumbles on and have them stick and set in the mixture before it hardens! (As you can see some of the peppermint pieces are bigger than others and some just look like peppermint dust, this is because some people prefer a nice chunk of peppermint and some like just a hint--this way you please everyone!)

6. Grab your decorative holiday tin and line the bottom with tissue paper.  On top of the tissue paper (just on the bottom layer) line that with a rectangle of parchment paper.  (this makes sure you don't have tissue paper directly on your food product.)

7. When your Peppermint Bark has completely hardened in the refrigerator (about another 25 mins to be safe) remove them from the pan and cut into little rectangles or squares, whatever you want. Nicely place them in your tissue lined tin and place another piece of parchment paper over the top before folding the tissue paper over to close.

8. Tape two candy canes on top and slap a bow on and you're set to go! This makes a great gift, is SO inexpensive to make and literally can be done without ever turning on your oven, does it get any better than that? Not to mention that I am not even a chocolate lover, but this my dears is delicious! I will be making this for a holiday party I am attending this weekend, and I can't wait to see how everyone likes it!

To stress-free & yummy Holiday treats,

xox

Holiday Series: My Holiday Decor (funny tree story too) !

Would you look at that, only just about 2 weeks until Christmas time and about a week or so until Hanukkah! Where has the time gone?! Unfortunately, my laptop has contracted a bit of a computer flu and I have been unable to post more regularly---I just got around to using my house computer this morning and wrote this blog up.  I much prefer using my laptop because I had to transfer alllllllll kinds of info to this other computer but that is besides the point, its up! haha This post will show you briefly what I have done to my home this Holiday season to spruce it up with cheer.  I LOVE this season because of the decor, everything is so shiny and glittery and bright :) This year, as you read on my previous post, I went to a tree farm and cut down my own 9.5 ft. tree! What an adventure that was to say the least! My tree was so big and so filled with decorations that it FELL OVER in the middle of the night!! Can you believe that?! Anyway, the pic you are seeing is a more toned down version of how it originally looked, unfortunately I had to either buy a new tree stand, which at the moment wasn't an option because my poor baby was lying on the floor, or take off some of the heavy decorations, so that's what I had to do.  I told my boyfriend that I wanted my tree to look like Santa himself  "threw up" on it haha gross I know. Lets get started!

SUPER EASY Holiday Wreath:

1. Clip on Poinsettia (pic of what that looks like below)
2. Festive Holiday Ribbon (spend a little more on this if you need to for better quality, it makes a huge difference!)
3. Gold pine-cones with long stem (this allows them to be held more secure when making the wreath, photo below)

This is what the clip looks like on the bottom of the poinsettia flower heads that you can buy. Makes them super easy to just throw on anywhere!

My "toned" down tree (still absolutely gorgeous!) :

1. Long stem Velvet Poinsettias with glitter (photo below)
2. Gold Locust Glitter Spray (photo below)

*other than those two things listed above, I just put lights and TONS of red and gold Christmas ornaments from Target/Pier 1.

Decorative Garland for Stairs:

1. Bows that my boyfriend's mama made from Ribbon that I bought :)
2. Pre-lit Holiday garland bought from Target years ago.
3. Poinsettia plant (real) --I have three or four of these strategically placed all over my house, the vibrant red color is so beautiful!

BONUS:

My boyfriend's Tree!! Blue and Silver color scheme :)

His matching wreath--handmade as well using just some blue and silver Christmas ornaments, silver decorative ribbon and a wreath!

**I love taking the time to decorate for the Holidays, it genuinely makes me happy to flip the switch at the end and see my whole home light up with Christmas goodness.  Although this post was late, hopefully if you are having family/friends over for the holidays, you can get some last minute inspiration.  It doesn't take a lot of money, just a lot of heart and inspiration to make your guests think you're a pro ;)

Sending you all Holiday cheer and love,

xox

**if you have posts on your holiday decor or a link where I can see your decor, please link it below, I love seeing things like that :)