BlogHer Topic - Style - Editor's Picks

17 Tips To Organizing A Stress-Free Get Together

Get Buttoned Up — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 19:36:14 +0000

Question:

I want to invite friends over more often but I find I get overwhelmed by pulling together and hosting parties and get-togethers. How can I organize an event without getting so stressed out that I can't enjoy myself?

Short Answer:

Read on for 3 key points to remember and 17 simple tips for organizing great get-togethers that both you and your guests will enjoy!

If you are like me, you love the idea of throwing party at your house…one with lots of great family and friends, amazing food, and interesting conversation. However, when you are in the thick of planning a get together along with juggling everything else on your to-do list, pulling one off can seem near impossible. It is easy to let the thought of planning an event overwhelm or even stop you in your tracks. But if you follow some easy tips and tricks you will find that hosting a gathering can be simple for you and a fun time for your guests.

There are a few important things to remember that apply to hosting any event– big or small – formal or casual:

2. Delegate to everyone. When someone asks, can I help, say “yes.” Everyone can help and the more someone helps you out (be it other family members or guests, the less you have to do). Let people bring things or help out in the kitchen. Just know that having people give you a hand is not a sign that you are not a good hostess. It is, instead, a tip for making everyone feel welcome, involved and part of the celebration.

3. The 80/20 rule applies to parties too. In case you have not heard of this, the 80/20 rules says to focus on the most important 20% of a project and that will take care of 80% of what must get done. This absolutely applies to hosting an event. If you focus on what is most important to you for the event (e.g. food, drinks, theme) and then let the rest go, you will find your stress level will be lower and it will be much easier for you to enjoy the event.

But that is only the beginning. I come from a large family and often host our get-togethers. They range from a Friday night family dinner for 10 to our annual Dessert Night party for over 75. Here are my best actionable and simple tips for making sure your next event is a huge success and stress free. While they are in no particular order, it is a great list to print off and keep with you when planning any party you are hosting.

Set the table the day before.
Don’t unpack the non-perishable groceries you buy for the party. Just keep them out on the counter since you are going to use them in the next day or so.
Don’t put anything on the menu that will keep you in the kitchen while the guests are hanging out in the other room.
Remember to make or buy enough ice.
Empty your entry closet so you have room for coats. If you need to, put the coats from the closet on a bed. Make sure you also have hangers.
Don’t even think about doing the dishes while the party is going on. There is always time later that night or the next morning.
Don’t be afraid to serve pre-made, store bought items or even take-out food (e.g. think pizza for a March Madness basketball party).
Pick up some disposable plastic containers to let people take home leftovers. Makes sure you don’t give out dishes that you don’t get back.
Think about rearranging furniture so people have places to sit. Try putting extra chairs from the dining room table around the living room for more seating.
Pick a theme and put together your iPod playlist to compliment the theme.
Let guests mark their beverages. I like the wine glass charms but for disposable glasses, you can also just put out a Sharpie pen and let people mark their initials on their cups.
If the party is for a specific reason, think about an ice breaker game. For example, if you host an Academy Awards Party, give everyone the nominees and ask people to guess who will win and hand out small prizes.
If there are kids are the party, think of activities to keep them busy. Making friendship bracelets or an art project is a great way to keep them entertained so the adults can have time with each other.
Consider paper plates, napkins, etc.. for larger events. Makes clean up so much easier.
Let someone else (besides you) bar tend. Just means you have more time to enjoy the event. Remember delegation is a good thing.
Digital invites are the way to go. Need I say more?
You can never have too many garbage cans and bags out in all of the rooms. The easier it is for guest to throw away their trash, the more likely they are to do it which means less clean up for you.

The final and most important tip is to just remember to have fun. Relax and enjoy the party. After all that work, you deserve it.

What is your best tip for hosting a gathering, get-together or party that is enjoyable and stress-free for both the host and guests?

Be sure to enter the Life Well Lived Moments Sweepstakes for a chance to win a Kindle Fire!

Read more from Alicia here:
Twitter: @rockmore
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BLOG: getbuttonedup.com

Treat Yourself for Valentine's Day

theprofhypo — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 22:16:11 +0000

This Valentine’s Day, take some time out to show some TLC to the most important person in your life — you!

Schedule a relaxing massage, sleep in, or try a new look. Whether you’re staying in for a romantic evening or heading out for a night on the town, Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to pamper yourself and have some fun. Here are some must haves that are designed to put a smile on your face on this sweet holiday.

Big Sexy Hair Spray & Play
Available at Target, CVS, www.amazon.com
About $6

Mix it up for Valentine’s Day….or should we say mess it up! This product is a flexible, working hairspray that gives incredible volume and lift. It can turn your ordinary do into a red carpet version of the “just off the beach” look. As the name suggests, just spray and play.

Flirt-It Lash Duo
Available at Sephora
About $8

Mascara might work fine on a normal day, but Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to call in the big guns. These finely graduated, strip lashes enhance your natural lash line, without looking overdone. Use the half strips to give a cat-like lift to the outer corners of the eyes or the full-length strips for a full out flutter.

Bra-llelujah Lace Bra by Spanx
Available at department stores, www.spanx.com
About $68

You know Spanx has made it into mainstream consciousness when the stars started discussing the slimming undergarments on the red carpet during the recent SAG Awards. Now, Spanx has introduced a bra that looks too good to keep covered up. The latest version of Bra-llelujah is updated with a luxe lace overlay while still staying true to the original signature design that eliminates back bulge and underarm fat.

Flair Reading Glasses
Available at www.readingglasses.com
$26.95

Squinting at the menu during your Valentine’s Day dinner is not sexy … and neither is borrowing your honey’s thick, masculine glasses! Splurge on a new pair of readers that will make you feel elegant and stylish when you pull them out of your handbag. We like this style in cherry red.

Tory Burch Valentine’s Day Wallpaper
www.toryburch.com/blog
Free

Tory Burch made a splash in the world of design with her bright colors and graphics prints. Now, she’s showing her fans a lotta love for Valentine’s Day. Her blog is offering free downloads of her signature heart print that you can add to your iPhone, iPad and computer desktop. This way, your technology of choice will give you a sweet hello when you power up on the 14th. Follow this link to download:

http://www.toryburch.com/blog

Other ideas include a long, hot bath or indulging in chocolates. How will you choose to pamper yourself on Valentine's Day?

How to Wear Red for Valentine's Day Without Looking Like Santa's Helper

blackbird17 — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 06:57:22 +0000

Valentine's Day is nearly upon us. How will you celebrate?

Dinner with your sweetie? Candles and wine? Romantic cards? Here are five festive ways to use red without feeling Christmas-y.

1. Throw on an adorable little RED dress from JCrew.

* Wrapping and ruching is flattering. Keep accesories to a minimum (no necklaces with this special neckline) and try neutral shoes.

2. Bright and colorful pants and jeans are a mega hot trend right now. These are from Madewell and would be adorable with flats or heels.

3. Too much color for you? What about just adding pops of color with your accessories? Like red shoes, for instance. JCPenney is working hard to re-create their brands for a new audience. These shoes are sexy, fun and affordable

They'd be cute mini skirt or skinny jeans and flirty blouse.

4. Still too sassy for you? Go with another very popular trend and carry this exceptional red clutch bag from Etsy.

It's got a monkey fist knot on the zipper and I promise it will make any outfit feel more festive without making you feel like one of Santa's helpers!

My last trick isn't something to wear, it's an idea. Why not send HIM a bunch of red roses? At the OFFICE! With a sexy note...

Happy Valentine's Day, dear readers! I hope your day is special.

Blackbird blogs almost every day at say la vee.

Coffee Table Vignettes

netvignette — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:19:33 +0000

I love coffee tables not only because they're functional but because they're a great way to show off your personal style in a high traffic space. It's the perfect place for books on your interests, candles, vases with seasonal blooms, and other decorative objects that show off your personality. It's also a great way to introduce color into your room. As I mentioned in my previous post, trays can be a great way to organize your odds and ends.

source unknown

home-styling

brown button

db-style

source unknown

Made By Girl

* Please comment if you know the sources of the pictures I couldn't find!

How To: Find That Perfect Hairstyle

Maegan Tintari — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 01:22:41 +0000

Question:

I like to wear my hair away from my face, but I am bored of always tying my hair in a ponytail. How do I find creative ways of jazzing up my hair?

Short Answer:

YouTube has a great library of hair tutorials, but finding the perfect "do" can be overwhelming. Read on for simple tips on how to narrow your search results and find the hairstyle that will leave you looking your best.

Among the millions or billions of videos on YouTube, hair tutorials make up a large percentage of them. For almost any style you'd like to create or can imagine up, there's a how-to video there to help you out. But with all the trillions of tutorials at your fingertips, navigating through them all is some serious business.

If you already follow a blogger who does hair tutorials {like me ;} chances are you just watch hers without searching for anything more. But let's say you don't have a favorite hair tutorial vlogger or blogger and need to know how to do the latest up-do and can't for the life of you figure out how. Here are some tips to help you navigate the sea of hair styling tutorial videos on the internet.

1. Go to YouTube and do a search for the particular hairstyle you're looking for. Be specific with your keywords so the right videos pop up. For example: "No Heat Curls".

2. There are various ways to achieve curls without using heat {using my example above} so a search for "No Heat Curls" will produce hundreds of videos on the subject. You can watch each and every one until you find one you like OR you can narrow down your search even more.

3. Narrow your search down by being even more specific. In this case, try adding the words "twisted buns, sponge rollers, Bantu knots, sock buns, overnight" to get to what you're looking for quicker.

(Editor's Note: The great thing is that with a little bit of digging you can find a technique that will work for any type of hair. For example here are videos from Naptural85 whose hair is a very different length and texture than Maegan's showing how to get a similar look as Maegan in her No Heat Curls and 5 Minute Holiday Hair Side Bun tutorials.)

4. They say don't read a book by it's cover, but is the same true for YouTube video thumbnails? Sometimes it's best to choose from a photo of a hair style in a thumbnail that looks closest to what you're going for.

5. Choose a video that has 100,000 hits rather than 2,000. Chances are, the one with more hits is better, though not always. A hair tutorial doesn't have to be "professional" to get the point across.

6. If you don't like the one you've chosen to watch, there is a list of related videos down the sidebar making it easier to see something you may like and click to it.

7. Choose a shorter video over a longer one. 10 minutes is usually the max upload time but many women go on for a good 5 minutes before even getting to the hair tutorial. I get that they have loyal followers who actually care about what they are saying, but for our purposes, we're just trying to get to the gold then go and try it for ourselves.

8. If you're looking for a style you can do yourself, choose a video created by one person who does her own hair, so you can see exactly how her fingers are moving to create a "fishtail braid", for example. Some styles get lost in translation when you're watching someone else do it on the back of another faceless head.

9. DON'T judge a video by it's "likes" and/or "dislikes". There are many "haters" on YouTube who enjoy "disliking" videos just to be snarky. Avoid the comments as well, in most cases.

10. And if you like a particular how-to-er, subscribe to their YouTube page to get updates when they upload a new video hair style tutorial.

YouTube is getting more populated by the day so I hope I could offer some helpful tips to steer you in the right direction and get you Looking Your Best on the regular. Or you can ignore everything and just watch my hair tutorials and call it a day! {yes, that was a gratuitous plug ;}

Do you have a favorite blogger or YouTube channel for hair tutorials (ed: in addition to Maegan's, of course)? Do you create your own? What's your best tip for finding the best tips?

Be sure to enter the Life Well Lived Moments Sweepstakes for a chance to win a Kindle Fire!

BlogHer Style Editor Maegan Tintari {@loveMaegan} is a Fashion, Home & Lifestyle blogger in Los Angeles. Go to ...love Maegan for your daily dose of inspiration!

Matchy-matchy, no more!

sarahfish26 — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:08:18 +0000

Does anyone else have a mother who taught you when you were growing up that you must match your shoe color with your purse and belt? Did somebody tell you once that you can't wear navy and black together (If they told you you couldn't wear red and pink together, they were right!)? Or, have you ever been asked if you're a "gold" or a "silver" person? If you are like me, then you may have answered yes to the above questions.

Growing up in the 80's and 90's, my mom always accessorized with gold jewelry, since her wedding ring was also gold. She would also never miss an opportunity to wear her gold Anne Klein lion earrings when she wore her red Anne Klein blazer with the same gold, lion buttons. This theme of matching your clothes and accessories continued when I went to college in the 90's. Living in a sorority house-with 90 girls- you get to observe a ton of "getting ready", which by the way, is a phenomenon that my thirty-something girlfriends and I continue to love doing together. But back then, square, nylon Kate Spade bags were all the rage; if you had a black one, you wore it with black shoes. If you had the red one, you really only took it out if you had a "red" outfit on.

Nowadays, with all the color blocking, bright jeans, bold accessories and online exposure to a plethera of fashion inspiration, these hard and fast fashion rules no longer exist! Joy!!

Here's my take on mixing and matching:

1) It's totally ok to mix metals, when accessorizing with jewelry. For example, I have a gold necklace that I never take off because of sentimental value (charms with the letters of my dogs, Lily and Owen). However, I love silver and turquoise, chunky rings, and studded, beaded and braided bangles....all together!

As shown above, wearing your favorite items together can work really well. If you're jewelry is funky, your outfit should be funky too. Try wearing fabrics that look good with both gold and silver, such as denim, black or white- but throw a little splash of color in with a fun shoe or scarf. [Pairing colors with the same intensity is key! -Style Editor, Maegan Tintari]

2) Mixing navy and black is actually one of my favorite color schemes in the winter. It must be done correctly, otherwise you will look like a lifesized bruise, but it can be done. Find accessories that use navy and black in the pattern, like herringbone, plaid or striped. Also, finding a great dress that already has color blocks of both colors is an easy way to wear these classics together.

Image from: www.bellemel.com

3) Finally, gone are the days of needing to wear a black belt and black handbag if you've got your favorite black boots or heels on. Mixing leathers is not just ok, but its encouraged! See below:

Images from: www.gap.com

xoxo, WEWS

7 Deadly Skin Sins

Crystalkali — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 01:09:20 +0000

OK, so these practices may not be DEADLY, but your skin is your body's largest organ and the first thing people notice when they see you so why not take care of it? Your skin is with you all your life, constantly regenerating and changing (for better or worse.) While I may not be Ponce De Leon, I can give you some tips to keep your skin looking healthy and youthful.

Avoid these 7 skin sins and to prevent breakouts and blemishes, minimize hyperpigmentation and scarring, reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, help protect against skin cancer, and maintain healthy, glowing skin.

7 - Using Bar Soap on Your Face

Healthy skin is slightly acidic, with a pH between 4.5 and 5.5. This acid mantle on the skin protects it from bacteria and microorganisms.

Most bar soaps have a pH between 9 and 10, which means they are alkaline. Using bar soaps on your face (or your body) raises the skin's pH to an alkaline state which can lead to several side effects. In addition to making your skin a breeding ground for bacteria, bar soap can dry your skin out completely, causing patches and flaking. In reaction to this, you skin actually may start producing more oil to compensate, which can lead to more breakouts and blackheads.

SKIN SAVIOR - Use a facial cleanser followed by a toner to help balance your skin's pH to its natural level. You can also try a neutral pH product line. My pick is SebaMed's face and body cleanser. It has a pH of 5.5 (how about that? The same pH of healthy skin!)

Check out Sebamedusa.com for more info.

6 - Not Cleaning Your Cell Phone.

This may sound strange, but just think about all the germs, bacteria, and gunk that is in your pocket or purse when you store your phone. Or how about what is on your hands while you are texting, e-mailing, surfing the net, or playing Angry Birds while taking the train to work or waiting in line at the grocery store? What happens in the midst of all this when you ACTUALLY GET A PHONE CALL and all this stuff transfers to your cheek and chin? Yuck!

SKIN SAVIOR - Clean your cell phone at least once a week (if not daily!) You can use a commercial cleansing wipe or just slightly dampen a microfiber cloth with a bit of rubbing alcohol and wipe the outside surface of your phone.

5 - Over Exfoliating

Yes, exfoliation is important but it has to be done right and with the right products. Most of the commercial exfoliants and scrubs out there (say bye bye to your apricot scrub!) are way to abrasive and can cause microscopic tears in the skin, eventually leading to scarring and hyperpigmentation (dark spots on the skin).

SKIN SAVIOR - Use a gentle exfoliant, such as Aveda's tourmaline charged exfoliating cleanser. This product has perfectly round jojoba beads that wont tear your skin and will burst under too much pressure, releasing healthy natural oils into the skin. If you already have a cleanser you love, you can try Aveda's liquid exfoliant, available at Aveda.

4 - Under Moisturizing

Using a moisturizer is just as important for those with oily skin as it is for people with dry skin. If you have oily skin and do not moisturize, it can actually lead your skin to produce more oil as it tries to create a protective layer on your face. For dry skin, moisturizer creates a protective barrier and minimizes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

SKIN SAVIOR - Use an oil free moisturizer in the morning and before bedtime if you have oily skin. I like Aveda's Tourmaline charged protecting lotion (see below). For dry skin, it is especially important to moisturize at night before bed because your skin does most of its absorbing while you are asleep. Try Estee Lauder's Hydrationist Maximum Moisture Creme available at Esee Lauder.

3 - Picking, Squeezing, or Popping pimples

You already know that you shouldn't do this, but when you see that blemish in the mirror you still reach for it... STOP! Popping your pimples can lead to more breakouts as the pus and bacteria spread over your face. Not to mention, it can lead to scarring and discoloration on the skin as is heals, especially if you use your fingers or nails.

SKIN SAVIOR - I would recommend seeing a licensed esthetician for your extraction needs, but if you must do it yourself, do it the right way! First, use a warm compress or take a hot shower or steam your face over a bowl of hot water to open up the pores. Taking 2 cotton swabs, squeeze the sides around the blemish to get all the gunk out. Immediately exfoliate or use and astringent around the area to keep the bacteria from spreading. If you are having difficulty getting the pimple to pop, it is not ready. Do not force the blemish open as it may lead to scarring. Continue exfoliating the area and try again the next day.

2 - Not Washing off Your Makeup

After a long night of dancing, partying, and who knows what else, the last thing you want to do is remove your makeup and wash your face before bed, but you really should! Your skin does most of its absorbing at night while you are asleep so everything that is in your makeup (have you read the ingredients and do you know what they all are?) plus the sweat and bacteria that may have gotten on your face while you were out are seeping into your pores when you hit the pillow. This can not only lead to breakouts, but possibly bacterial infections and other skin disorders.

SKIN SAVIOR - If using an eye makeup remover, cleansing your face, and moisturizing before bed sounds like too much, you can use a makeup wipe (or 2!) to cleanse off as much product as you can. While this may save your skin on the weekends, I would recommend sticking to the full routine on the rest of your nights. You can spring for the MAC wipes which are$5for 30 sheets at MAC or pick up a drugstore brand for around $5.

1 - Not Wearing Sunscreen

Putting on sunscreen is another step in the morning, but probably one of the most important. As much as we love a golden glow on our skin, the sun's rays cause massive damage to our skin cells, even when it is overcast. Overexposure to the sun can make the skin look and feel leathery as well as age the skin, increasing the appearance of sun spots and wrinkles. The sun's UV rays also contribute to the risk of skin cancer.

SKIN SAVIOR - Use sunscreen every day (rain of shine) to protect your skin from aging, burning, and to reduce your risk of skin cancer. An SPF 15 will protect against 92% of the sun's damaging UV rays. This is good enough for your everyday activity, but you may want to bump it up to SPF 30 if you now you will be out in the sun. Make your life easier by using a product that is a moisturizer and sunscreen in one. I like Aveda's Tourmaline Charged Protecting Lotion available at www.aveda.com.

Does Fashionable Equal Confident?

Laine Griffin — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:11:10 +0000

As someone who is actually very strong and confident in so many ways, I feel awkward thinking and feeling this, let alone writing it for everyone to see.

I often wonder how people develop their sense of fashion.

I really have no sense of fashion. Mine is more like, sensibility. If it fits and is comfortable, I wear it. I am very bitchy if I’m uncomfortable. Who isn't, right?

I don’t really accessorize. I have some nice pieces of jewelry that I wear sometimes. I mostly wear the one same pair of earrings. If I remember. I blame this on my mom, because that’s just the right thing to do, right? She wore the same pair of earrings day in and day out for 20 years. But at least she wore them every day.

I always feel like I need to do more. To up the style. I mean, my sensibility works for me in a way, but I could look…nicer. Trendier. Not quite so blah, for lack of a better word. I might even dare say I would like to be “fashionable.” Whatever that is.

Part of the problem lies in the fact that I am totally uncomfortable with my own body and in my own skin. When it comes to that I have zero self-confidence, so when it’s time to shop, I feel like I have to skip on the trendy and go with the tried and true.

Which isn’t really so tried and true.

But when you feel shitty about yourself, you get caught in a rut.

Do you remember when I disclosed that I am a planning over-achiever and I bought some new clothes last year so I would actually get dressed in the morning?

I got a bunch of cute tops that I figured I would pair with skirts. In Upstate NY. In the winter. Fail. It looks like you have to have more than tops to make a wardrobe where I live. Pairing cute tops with sweatpants or pajama pants is just stupid.

What I want is jeans. They never go out of style! I would absolutely love to be able to find a pair of jeans that I felt looked good and were comfortable. But jeans are so…hard and uncomfortable. I hate having anything around my waist! I need something softer, thinner, and a little stretchy. But not the kind of stretchy that 20 minutes into wearing them they are falling down. I have that, and it is totally uncomfortable and unflattering too.

And so, I have not maintained my commitment to not looking like a hobo. If it weren’t for the fact that I’ve been working out, I’m betting I would not be getting out of my pajamas most days. Instead, I’m trading that for workout clothes, which is a close second on the loser scale. At least I’m working out, which will hopefully change how I feel about my body.

In the meantime, I need the perfect pair of jeans.

My other issue is footwear. I have Paris Hilton sized feet, but without the footwear budget to make them look hot. I have big, clunky boots, and big, clunky sneakers. That I wear when I work out. I have a hard time finding anything in my size. I used to have luck at PayLess, but lately that had changed, and now the local PayLess is out of business.

I don’t even know where to begin with the shoes, I really don’t.

Here is my issue with accessories. I don’t have a place that’s mine where I can keep them all but still see them. Our house is super tiny with very little closet space. My closet is in the baby’s room. My accessories are put away in a container on a shelf that is very small. They are buried under things like deodorant, lotion, and tampons. I kind of need to have things accessible and in my face to think about them. So where do I put my jewelry and scarves? I have a nice little wood and wicker shelving unit, but no place to put it. I wanted to put it in the bathroom, but it's too crammed and I got vetoed. I can put it in the baby’s room, I guess. And I can never be able to let her play in her room because she will get into it.

Will I ever have a place to put my stuff?

It seems I’m left with a to-do list and a lot of questions. Will any effort matter? Will I follow through with getting dressed even if I don’t leave the house? Will an attempt at being fashionable help me feel better about myself? How do I make the time to think about what I’m putting on? Why is this so hard for me?

Do you think being fashionable helps boost your confidence?

Laine blogs, podcasts, and creates awesome Wordpress customizations

2012 Decorating Ideas: It's All about Blue & White

Design Perspective — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 22:50:52 +0000

The word to describe blue and white color scheme--CLASSIC. Blue and white made a huge reappearance about 4 years ago, and it's never really gone away. Sure other color schemes have had increased popularity, but blue and white has since remained, coming back in a new, refreshing take year after year.

I absolutely love ALL things blue and white! Perhaps it has to do with staying at my Grandmother's house and eating off her Blue Willow Plates (which I now have) or her Blue Danube plates (which my sister has) and seeing all her blue and white Oriental vases/urns, etc.

Every year we see a new twist on fabrics, wall coverings, and accessories, and every year a magazine features blue and white schemes via photos of rooms or pictures of fabrics, wall coverings. Carolyne Roehm wrote a book, A Passion for Blue & White. If you don't have this book; it's a must purchase. Amazing! Here are the features that I've found in national magazines for the year 2012. I'm sure there will be more, and as there are I'm sure I'll post on the classic blue and white scheme again.

Traditional Home, February+March 2012 Issue

Photos of several different fabrics and wall coverings---traditional and modern. I particularly love the Blue "Ticking" fabric by Stark Old World Weavers. Fabrics shown are: Duralee, Ralph Lauren, Stark, Zoffany, Fabricut, Kravet---all can be Purchased through Vining Design

Traditional Home, February+March Issue

Study is clean, crisp, and casual. I absolutely love that for the trim work (crown, molding, etc) the designer, Chad Renfro, chose to use a navy and make the walls white. What a statement! Who says the trim has to be a white or cream color? Batik drapery panels with woven shades, deep navy chairs with contrasting blue and white welt are captivating.

Traditional Home, February+March 2012 Issue

This is a family room I could live in! Designer Lisa Erdmann, did a beautiful job. The cane chairs with white cushions and blue accent pillow with contrasting welt. Inside of drapery panels are finished with a solid blue trim. The Oriental cupboard is gorgeous. The combination of light and dark is perfect.

Traditional Home, Februrary+March 2012 Issue

Traditional Home, February+March 2012 Issue

Blue, white, and gold. The gold tones add a richness and formality to the color palette. While this space is traditional and formal in whole, the room feels very livable. Several accent pieces make the room feel a bit more casual. The tall blue and white vases are spectacular.

All I can say, "Those chairs are exquisite!" I'm in love with these, everything about them!! They are the show stopper in this space. I love that everything in the space has subtle tones of blues, and the deep indigo in the fabric on the gold arm chairs stand out.

House & Garden, January 2012 Issue

Here are some beautiful and varying styles of blue and white wall coverings. I love the houndstooth.

Beautiful bedroom with a deep indigo accent wall for a gorgeous gray tufted head board. Various hues of blue and patterns all work.

House Beautiful, February 2012 Issue

Here's another example of blue white, and gold, but this space is all casual country. I just want to walk in this space and sit on one of those sofas. I absolutely love the blue patterned pillows on each end of the sofas. Oh, I forgot to mention this light fixture...it's awesome. And I think the oversized acorns should go!

House Beautiful, February 2012 Issue

Perfect room for a boy....or a girl. Blue, white, & a pop of red. Modern and classic. Notice the dust ruffle fabric and the nightstands--Awesome! I want the light fixture in here too!! I can see this room in my house.

Traditional Home, February 2012 Issue

More fabrics and trim that are blue and white. The trims are Durale, Kravet, and Fabricut--all can be purchased through Vining Design

House Beautiful, January 2012 Issue

Look at this amazing rug - -love the chevron pattern! The rug makes the room. I love that everything else is mostly white, all except accent pillows and the wingback chair. The wingback chair fabric is beautiful. If you can't tell, but the drapery panels have a beautiful tone-on-tone patterned banding.

House Beautiful, Janaury 2012 Issue

This seating area is open to the above photo. Using the same patterned rug but changing the direction of the pattern is great way to give some interest. The sofa fabric is also used as pillows in the picture above. I think I would've swapped the chair and sofa fabric because the sofa fabric pattern is so busy.

House Beautiful, January 2012 Issue

Here are some other spaces that are blue and white. The bathroom wall covering sis fun and energetic. Notice the white embroidery detail on the bottom of the blue chair.

Veranda, February 2012 Issue

Wow-za! This room has so much going on, but somehow it works. could live with the walls being a neutral, but once you get past the business in the walls and the ceiling and just pay attention to the furniture and rug; it's a beautiful space. Notice, this room has navy painted trim work as well. Love the rug in combination with the large print batik chairs, and oversized white cocktail table.

Veranda, February 2012 Issue

Another blue and white bedroom. The modern fabric on the head board really pops against the traditional wall covering.

Veranda, February 2012 Issue

This room screams Ralph Lauren to me. Whenever I think of Ralph Lauren I either think of two color palates, red and black and white or blue, white, and brown. Midnight navy walls with a contrasting white ceiling are eye popping. The zebra rug lightens the navy rug. Game chairs frame the dining table.

The Simple Secrets to Audrey Hepburn's Style

newnoblewoman — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 08:58:01 +0000

Audrey was known for something which has disappeared, and that is elegance, grace and manners. —Billy Wilder, filmmaker

Audrey Hepburn came of age when film stars wore sultry dresses, were heavily made up, and had a cigarette in every photo. By contrast, Audrey usually sported clothing that was practical for the average woman's lifestyle. Plus, every woman could afford her style, since Audrey had simple taste in clothing, hairstyles, makeup, and jewelry. Much of her life is detailed in the book Audrey Style by Pamela Clarke Keogh. Fashion designer Vera Wang praised Audrey for the courageous move of following her true self while living in the world of Hollywood stardom that promoted different values:

The clothing she wore echoed her spirit and mind. In order for her to do it, she had to go out on a limb. It was pretty gutsy to turn her back on Hollywood.

But more than mere fashion innovations, Audrey’s distinctive style was marked by her gracefulness and compassionate spirit. Her distinctive grace was the result of years of training as a ballet dancer, and her inner grace developed from intelligence combined with empathy.

A Truly Noble Upbringing

Audrey’s mother was a Dutch baroness, and her parents divorced when she was still young. Born in 1929, Audrey was a young girl during World War II and experienced its trials. She wore handmade clothing during the war and some days had nothing to eat. With their money and ancestral home confiscated, she and her mother moved to London, where her mother worked menial jobs to pay for her daughter’s ballet classes. The rigors of ballet taught Audrey the importance of discipline, concentration, posture and movement, and gave her an inner stillness that was a large part of her grace. Producer Stu Crowner compared Audrey’s grace to that of a true noble class:

I remember reading something about people who were raised in Britain’s upper class, where they have been taught to be gracious, rather than in 1970s and ’80s America—whatever’s on your mind, go with it, totally unload everything! Audrey was very generous with her spirit and very generous with how you felt. In other words, she considered how you felt more than how she felt. I’m sure she took care of herself, her psyche, and her soul and all those things, but it wasn’t at the expense of her friends and colleagues.

Although she was a poor chorus girl in 1948, Audrey’s characteristic charm already was beginning to develop. It was said that she owned only one blouse, one skirt, and one pair of shoes, but 14 scarves that she used to fashion a variety of creative looks. Audrey suffered too much malnutrition during the war and was too tall (5'7) to be a professional ballerina. So she worked as a chorus girl and by her early 20s had starred in films and in the Broadway play based on Colette’s Gigi.

Photo: Audrey with Hubert de Givenchy

Audrey’s first starring role, as Princess Ann in 1953’s Roman Holiday, cemented her acting career, her reputation for refinement, and a lifelong friendship with fashion designer Hubert de Givenchy. She first met the French aristocrat when selecting clothes for the film. Givenchy was a little disappointed when he first met the starlet—she was so skinny, and was dressed in an unassuming white T-shirt, capri pants, ballet flats, and a gondolier hat—but he was won over after he saw her in some of his designs. By that evening, the new friends were sharing dinner and wine, with a budding amity based on their love of gardens and clothing, impeccable work ethics, and high standards. According to Keogh:

Audrey and Hubert recognized that they were part of a natural aristocracy, one that had nothing to do with money, power, or family placement and everything to do with talent, hard work, and a faith that somehow they would prevail. There was an ingrained grace about each of them that money could not buy.

The Essentials of Audrey Style

If you have grace and a kind heart, you’re already well on the way to establishing your own version of Audrey’s style.

Photo: Audrey Hepburn with her Yorkie in 1957

But if you want more tips, Audrey Stylehas some practical advice as well. The book suggests makeup ideas for several versions of the “Audrey look” and details some essentials of an Audrey-inspired wardrobe: a little black dress, a white shirt, capri pants, a dark turtleneck, ballerina flats, dark sunglasses, an Hermès (or Hermès-inspired) scarf, and simple jewelry. Some claim it was her Europeanness that made Audrey a hit in America—since she often wore black clothing and had a Yorkshire terrier that she took everywhere. Likewise, Keogh attributes Audrey’s timelessness to her European background:

A French shopgirl will spend an entire week’s wages for an Hermès scarf, or the "perfect" shoes that last for years. Audrey had much of this extravagant European frugality. She was born in a time when women owned fewer clothes, but they were of highest quality. A reasonably fashionable woman might have two dresses, a couple of suits, a handful of blouses, and (after the late 1960s) a few pairs of pants, but each item was meticulously chosen and perfectly tailored. Audrey’s fashion sense was rooted in this long-standing European tradition, where women invested in a wardrobe rather than bought scattered pieces.

Although a fashion icon, Audrey’s fashion advice to women centered on inner beauty. She stressed the importance of wearing your clothes, rather than letting them wear you. By developing an authentic and confident self, a woman can learn to let her clothing be in its rightful place, as an adornment of a more beautiful person.

Devoted to Marriage and Motherhood

In 1967, Audrey was at the peak of her acting career. She had starred in hit films like Sabrina (1954), Funny Face (1957), The Nun’s Story (1959), Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961), and My Fair Lady (1964). But she left it all behind to devote herself to being a wife and mother.

Photo: Audrey with her pet deer and pet dog

She and her family lived in a large, 1730s farmhouse in Switzerland, and it would be 12 years before she took another role (as Maid Marian in 1976’s Robin and Marian with Sean Connery). Audrey ended up divorced from her first husband (the actor and director Mel Ferrer), and soon after she met her second husband, a psychiatrist named Andrea Dotti. She cut back on her clothing budget to live like a typical doctor’s wife in Italy, but his affairs were publicized in the Italian society pages and they divorced when Audrey felt her children were old enough to live with a single mother. It wasn't until 1980 that Audrey the man she would call her "soul mate," the actor Robert Wolders.

Audrey Style in the Home and Garden

The happy couple settled in the Swiss farmhouse, called La Paisible, where Audrey spent hours in the vegetable gardens, herb gardens, flower gardens, and orchards. She loved to make healthy food (as opposed to “health food”) and had a penchant for homegrown-tomato sauce and fresh basil pesto. According to Audrey Style, the actress favored white in decorating: such as white walls and sofas, with colored accents. All of the decorating emphasis was on comfort and allowing sunlight to stream inside the house. Her clothing emphasized comfort as well—much of Audrey's time was spent in jeans and either ballet flats or gardening clogs. Audrey chose to not wear makeup at home, telling her guests, “this was my time.” And with so many activities like gardening and cooking filling her time, she rarely wore jewelry either.

Photo: Audrey and Robert on a UNICEF mission in 1992

Although she had amassed a large collection of designer clothes, Audrey chose not to hoard her belongings as she got older. Instead, they were donated to friends and private collections. “I cannot look back with nostalgia at a coat I enjoyed wearing years ago,” she said. “I was inside it and it kept me warm, but I am still here and the coat is something of the past.” For the last five years of her life, Audrey was a special ambassador for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and she and Rob took 50 trips, causing her to decline most of the fabulous social invitations she received. They never stayed away from home more than two weeks at a time, though, since they couldn't bear to be away from their beloved dogs for too long. Audrey developed a quickly spreading cancer while still relatively young. She refused to take chemotherapy and died in 1993, at age 63. Rob and her two sons have allowed her legacy to continue, through the Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund, which continues her humanitarian work. Makeup artist Kevyn Aucoin best summed up all the qualities that defined the life and style of one of the world’s most admired women:

Audrey had an angelic quality about her. She didn’t act like she was better than everyone, she just had a presence, and energy, a sort of light coming from within her that was overwhelming.

Audrey Style comes highly recommended, since it has a bit of everything: biography, fashion, style, and a variety of rare photographs packaged in an attractive layout.

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