Ten Things you need at IKEA: Summer 2017
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Ten Things you need at IKEA: Summer 2017
It has been quite some time since my last IKEA visit. Past visits included purchases for Office Projects, Kitchen Projects, Guest Room Projects, Custom Closets, and of course the general need for Storage Space!! I am no stranger to the arrow pointing on the floor to move in the right direction or head to the Marketplace.
This particular visit was to “just look” and get ideas for client’s as well as my own future projects. I had so much fun checking everything out and getting ideas for all of us!
Below are ten things I think are awesome at IKEA right now !
1.Mirrors– They have a wide assortment and of course great price points. These two were my favorite.
(Ikornnes Collection)
(Stockholm Collection)
2.Light Fixtures- I have always wanted the Huge Flower Snow Ball forever and it was still here to tease me.
There were new ones to adorn too!
3.Office Chairs-These were very comfortable and with color options!
4.Bedding Inspiration- IKEA always have fun fabrics and textiles- New Bed Linens and Duvets add a lot of bang for a little buck when you need a change.
5.Storage Carts that look cool!
6.Timeout Circus Tent! I am not going to explain
7.Book Shelves – IKEA has got this one down, no need to shop around
(Billy Collection)
8.Case Goods– Functional, Sleek, and beautiful. I love the new Stockholm collection
9.Plants and Flowers. Both real and fake they are beautiful! $2.00-$10.00
10.Barware– I got very excited when I saw these glasses! I just came back from NY and at the Bergdorf Goodman’s restaurant they had very similar water glasses!!! Thank you IKEA for bringing Bergdorfs to me at a price I can afford! $2.99 each
BONUSES:
A fiery red orange velvet couch! Jonathan Adler would agree!!! Take me Home!!!
A Tea Infuser pot! $9.99
And that concludes the Summer List Wants and Needs at IKEA!
An Afternoon at Bergdorf Goodmans
The way Audrey Hepburn adores a visit to Tiffany’s is how I feel about a visit to Bergdorf Goodman’s.
Gazing at the spectacular window displays gives me an immediate adrenaline rush!
I get so inspired by what I see, my love for fashion takes hold of me all over again.
Upon the revolving doors I know sensory overload is upon me . What I see, touch, hear, smell, and taste will all be wonderful.
I will see beautiful, extravagant, luxurious clothes, purses, and shoes displayed gorgeously.
I will touch exquisite fabrics of silk, cashmere, feathers, and satins.
I will hear music setting the mood. and I will smell bouquets of flowers with the latest perfumes.
I will taste a chilled bubbly champagne as it washes down my delicious meal!!
My appreciation in experiencing such luxury is so I can understand it and then adopt the look, and style into what I can afford. A luxurious lifestyle can be obtained on a variety of budgets. This formula has worked for me forever. Knowledge is power!
On this particular visit I was excited to experience a new pop up shop located on the 4th floor. Linda’s.
She describes it as a fantasy closet.
As I entered it was a cornucopia oozing with well just about everything of this and that! It was a little boutique exploding with colorful extravagant merchandise.
If the merchandise was not displayed with perfection it could have misrepresented all the beautiful items that we were to appreciate so much!
Also on the 4 th floor are many couture designers. Chanel, Armani, Oscar de la Renta, Celine and many more. I enjoyed gently touching the garments, seeing the cuts, and designs , embellishments, craftsmanship- in other words, seeing and touching the BEST!
The 7th floor houses home decor and the restaurant Bg. On previous visits, I enjoyed the Collection of Vintage china. It was mismatched and eclectic very similar to my own collection which I enjoy daily.
The restaurant is beautifully decorated by Kelly Wearstler with simple elegance. Chinoise birds and fleur wallpaper, white tablecloths, chic water glasses and place settings.
The gentleman waitstaff wore white jackets. Surrounded by all this beauty it was only proper to order a glass of crémant d’alsace, les natures champagne! I am always in celebration mode at Bergdorfs! As I looked around I felt as if everyone was happy to be there also!
My lunch consisted of two first courses: BG devilled eggs, baby arugula, crispy pancetta, followed by Seared diver scallops, artichoke ricotta ravioli, truffle beurre blanc, shaved truffles, warm bread and butter and one wrapped chocolate to satisfy my sweet tooth! It was an expensive lunch but I think it is necessary to treat yourself once in awhile and indulge!
The Shoe Salon was my last eye candy of the day.
Shoe porn is definitely happening at Bergdorfs!
And at the highest level you can imagine. $$$$$
I lusted as I always do at the beautiful shoes and enjoyed watching the participants in the act of browsing, trying on, and purchasing. Most amusing on all counts.
On a final note I had the pleasure of sharing this experience with my wonderful friend Melissa. It was her first time at Bergdorf’s and I look forward to my, our next visit!!
Ten Tips on Cool Summer Outfits wearing Comfortable Shoes
As promised, I am following up with a pictorial of outfits with comfortable shoes. For those just tuning in, I have been healing and nursing a neuroma on my left foot which has challenged me to up my style game with different outfits based on the shoes. I love and am use to wearing heels.
Tip 1: When wearing tennies I think it is advantageous to wear a little bit shorter ankle jean, I think it looks better and sporty! I paired my Lucky jeans with a J Crew white tee and Guess Navy vest.
Tip 2: Add structure to your outfit to give it a more polished look. I added a Ann Taylor white jacket. White Jackets are great to throw on a variety of outfits to give it an instant pick me up!
Tip 3: For those wanting to keep their outfit evolving, just omit the vest, and add different jewelry and shoes. Donald Pliner Kitten heel sandals and very comfortable!
Tip 4: Watch your hemlines of skirts and dresses. A little above the knee is more sporty and flattering for casual cotton dresses. If you have great legs go SHORTER!!!! J Crew Cotton Dress
SeaVees Canvas Sneakers
On the other hand if you are wearing the ultimate comfortable shoes and don’t necessarily want them the focal point at all, go for a maxi dress- down to the floor hemline!
Merrill’s
Tip 5: Accessorize with Statement Jewelry
J Crew Earrings, Dress purchased at Ross
Tip 6: Vertical Dressing. By dressing monochromatic it gives the illusion of a taller you!
Dresses are great for Vertical dressing and so perfect for summer. This dress is cotton and comfortable. I added a black pair of Donald Pliner Kitten Heel Sandals.
All White!! Tank purchased at the Parker Palm in Palm Springs, White Linen Blend pants at Marshalls
Another example of Vertical Dressing. Head to Toe all one color. I added the cardigan and belt for pulling the outfit together. Black Leggings J Jill, Zara black shell and cardigan.
Tip 7: A little peekaboo blouse showing off a pretty bra is a nice distraction! Also Fancy Shorts can add a Polished look rather than the basic Chino short. Ann Taylor Loft Shorts, Zara White Blouse, Journelle Black Lace Bra, Clarks Black Slides
A plunge deep V vest bringing the eye up with the addition of a pretty hat. Black Vest- Forever 21, Paige Denim Shorts, Hat by Gottex
Anne Klein Cream boat shoes
Tip 8: Know your colors! The more you know which colors look best on you the better you will always look! I paired a Zara Bright orange sweater with J Crew White shorts and Leopard Birkenstocks
Sam Edelman Slides
Tip 9: When wearing ankle straps look for small straps especially if wearing a Midi Dress (below the knee) . The reason is if your straps are bulky and wide they will steal your leg length and look chunky, which means you will look frumpy!! Red Ankle Strap Sandals- DSW, Cutout Dress -Zara
Tip 10: When wearing white shoes make sure they are clean!!! Scuffed, dirty, ripped shoes are going to bring your outfit way done in the polished dept!
The “comfortable shoe” ensembles keep evolving as I do with my comfort level in them. I will continue to share outfits and tips as the outfits come together!!! I know to look great ultimately you need to feel great which means taking good care of yourself and accepting what you have and work with it!!!
Personal Branding: Invest in Yourself thru Pictures
Personal Branding: Invest in Yourself thru Pictures
This is the age of photos and pictures. We see them all day and night on Facebook, Instagram, Emails, Blogs, Twitter, etc… We are hooked to our phones, tablets, laptops, and desktops. It’s hard to escape the incoming all day long. ( I am glad I grew up in the 80’s!)
Our photos are our calling card, and a visual image of who we want to be. We can use pictures to our advantage if taken well. If we have a bad shot it can actually hurt our image or slow down the path in which we want to succeed.
Whether it is for a Dating Site, Linked In, FB profile, or business profiles photos of yourself need to look great not just good. We have larger audiences with social media . There is no excuse and if you want to get noticed and stand out, having a great picture of yourself is a smart tool in your success toolbox.
It is statistically proven we are sized up in 30 seconds based on how we look so let’s learn how to present our best image forward!
I am a stylist, makeup artist and photographer living in Tucson. The following pictures I took, and styled the “afters”
9 Tips on representing yourself through pictures
Have 3-5 pictures of yourself. A good picture will help you stand out from the rest of the crowd! This includes a full body shot, face shot, action shot, and professional shot
1A: Full Body Shot No bother hiding, you need to be truthful and show yourself from head to toe.
1B: Face Shot – Up close and Personal
1C: Action Shot – No friends, no pets, no children, no exceptions!
2. Add a Professional Shot to your portfolio. Friendly and completely pulled together!
3. Use a photographer who knows how to take a good “casual” picture
4. Solo Shot: No one else in the picture
5. Your Photo must be current, it needs to look like you right now!
2012
2017
6. The right clothes, hair and makeup are essential for a photo to represent you. This picture does not represent her at all! The picture also adds 10 years to her.
After makeup application – WOW Factor!!!
Before Makeup Application
7. You need to be the center of attention with your picture and pay attention to what is also in the picture.
I would edit the brick wall out, so we see more of her. Too much distraction in this picture.
Nice background backdrop! Not to distracting. We see her first!
Notice the surroundings?? Not good for a photo to represent yourself and your house.
8. Be Camera Ready wearing a nice outfit, makeup, and a good night’s sleep for bright eyes!
9. Have a Stylist help select your outfits for your photoshoot. It is worth it!
10. When Smiling don’t overdue it. Your eyes will appear squinty and closed
Too Squinty!. Soften your Smile
over
No Squinting here, Lovely shot of her!
Another lovely shot
Too Squinty again, and bad lighting
I hope this was of value to you and if your living in the Tucson area and need some assistance, I am happy to help!
http://www.tenoutfits.com
Thru the Summer months I am offering special promotions for the Personal Branding Service. Contact me for further information.
Also stay tuned for Wardrobing with Comfortable Shoes. I will share great outfits with the emphasis of pulling it together with flat, low, comfortable shoes!
The Pursuit of Happiness- As in comfortable footwear
The Pursuit of Happiness- As in comfortable footwear
Fuck!!!!!! I have to wear comfortable shoes at the moment.
For those of you just tuning in I am a Shoeaholic! I admit it and I hope someone out there gets it and understands! Can we talk Shoe Porn??
BCBG wanna be Valentino Spiked Kitten Heel Pump
I love beautiful shoes and it would be fair to say I have been unpractical with quite a few show stopper pairs of shoes!!!
Aldo Gladiator Heel Sandal
Nine West Sparkle Heeled Party Sandal
I was a ballerina from age 6 thru college and I was taught there is beauty with pain and suffering.
Chanel Spectator Lace Ups
Emilio Pucci Velvet Multi Print Sling Backs
Sam Edelman Leopard Pony Hair Kitten Pumps
As a Stylist , I have helped countless women find comfortable shoes, heard their ailments and I thought to myself, someday that will be me and that day has come. F**** again!!! This will be temporary!!!!
So what’s the problem??
I have a neuroma on my left foot that is speaking loud and clear to me. Shooting pain to be exact going thru my 2nd toe and the ball of my foot. Throughout my life I have dealt with pain while suffering from heel spurs, bunions, plantar fasciitis, blisters that are bleeding, calluses that excite my pedicurist, and ingrown toenails. Shall I go back to explaining the early years of discipline in Ballet class???
So on that note you must realize how painful a neuroma is for me to hold up the SURRENDER FLAG!!
AS I am no quitter I made an appt with my podiatrist for a cortisone shot and he said it will help tremendously. He also said neuromas predominately only occur with women due to our shoe choices.
I also went to GOOD FEET to get arch supports that will shift my gate when I walk and hopefully improve the situation.
It was suggested I bring in a few pairs for proper sizing.
Olivia suggested I buy a Strengthener pair that will help heal the neuroma , and a Maintainer pair that I can wear with a variety of shoes to add some support and comfort.
Olivia was so helpful and I recommend anyone with feet issues to go see her and get some Arch supports. The store is located in the Crossroads Shopping Center. 4811 E. Grant Rd Suite 127 Tucson , AZ 85712 Local: (520) 327-3163
It has been a 2 weeks and I am praying to the shoe gods they work. The price per pair was $300. In the meantime I have been re-working my outfits and trying to re-work the system. I am not use to wearing flats at all.
My flat shoe collection so far:
Can I pull off a Kendall Jenner look?? Have they come up with leg extensions yet??
I love this look with sneakers!
And a few more looks I will try to mimic!
Fortunately flats are in so I will just have to do my best. At 5’3 it is just not my first choice.
Stay tuned and I will be working on Stylish Outfits sans heels but rather FLAT’s Also praying daily: NEUROMA be GONE!!!!
Behind the Scenes of Tucson Lifestyle Magazine June Swimsuit Issue 2017
Behind the Scenes of Tucson Lifestyle Magazine June Swimsuit Issue 2017
Photo shoots are so much fun but there is a lot of work prior to the “big” day to make sure that day runs smoothly.
This blog is a pictorial of what happened behind the scenes, building to the final spread in the June Issue of Tucson Lifestyle Magazine that was shot at Casino Del Sol.
Bridgette the lovely model was so awesome to work with. I asked her to come by my house for a dress rehearsal to make sure we were ready before the shoot. We had fun collaborating and figuring out what looked best on her. Not everything made the final cut.
As the stylist for the shoot, I was asked to produce a pictorial that illustrated a variety of swim trends. I came up with four themes: retro. boho, glamour and athleisure. A cover shot was also part of the assignment. The swimsuits, coverups, and accessories were borrowed from Dillard’s along with a few items from Marshall’s and a few items from my own collection .
LOOK 1: BOHO (2 SHOTS)
Before we begin I have to mention Bridgette looks good in everything! It was fun to watch the magic happen with all the themes. Also in between styling Bridgette I took as many pictures as I could. This blog is made up of my pictures with the exception of a few by Tom Spitz.
Boho is a bohemian, gypsy theme which is very trendy at the moment. The Vintage Burgundy Bottega Veneta Scarf was a perfect balance to the nude Kenneth Cole swimsuit. The “cover up ” purchased from Marshall’s is actually a wrap maxi dress.
The day of the photo shoot.
The Boho sexy hair and makeup look was achieved by Jacqueline Scordato. She truly is an Artist!!!
The magazine layout!
LOOK 1: BOHO 2
Sexy cut out swimsuit by Isabella Rose, (Dillard’s) Hat and Cover Up (Marshalls). Dolci is my personal property and she did not make the final cut!
The day of the photo shoot
Tom Spitz amazing and fun photographer, Jacqueline Scordato, talented Makeup and Hair Stylist, Joseph Boldt, Assistant to Tom, Matthew Kaufmann, Art director for Tucson Lifestyle Magazine, and Scott Barker, Executive Editor for Tucson Lifestyle Magazine were all so present and dedicated to making this layout beautiful. We got lucky the day of shooting because it was quiet around the pool and the temperature was bearable!
The magazine layout!
My favorite shot by Tom Spitz! OMG amazing and this didn’t make the magazine.
LOOK 2: GLAMOUR
Nothing says Glamour like a big brimmed hat! Add black and white and it is Mega Watt Hollywood! I love this suit by Michael Kors and the Jewelry to compliment. (Dillard’s)
The day of the photoshoot:
WOW factor !!! Sunglasses and hat from my private collection
Black Fan I found at Cost Plus. Perfect for the shoot!
The magazine layout!
LOOK 3: RETRO
Lots of ideas on this theme!! I ordered the vintage swim caps from Amazon. Indeed they were cute but in the end were not used. The umbrella which I loved was also not used.
In addition to the swim attire I had the idea Bridgette would be floating on a huge pink peacock . Thanks to Leslie’s Pools it happened!
It took Matthew over an hour to inflate it! Scott and Matthew are assisting Pinky to the pool!
Hey that’s not Bridgette!!!
Goofing off in between shots.
The magazine layout! (Gianni Bini swimsuit, Dillard’s)
LOOK 4: ATHLEISURE
The rash guard didn’t make the cut. My dog Dolci knew she wouldn’t be invited the day of the shoot so she had to make the best of it on dress rehearsal day!
This look did make the cut! Awesome pants by Lilly Pulitzer,(Marshall’s) and suit by Jessica Simpson. (Dillard’s)
The swimsuit ended up being in two fun shots. Both water elements with accessories to create two different looks
The day of the photo shoot:
Awesome action shot! Tom asked her to leap and jump many times to get the best look!
The swim cap from Amazon.
The magazine layout!
Note to self: Must wear sunglasses!
2ND LOOK : ATHLEISURE
Amazing!
Jewelry (Dillards)
Tom and Matthew making it work!
The magazine layout!
LOOK 5: THE COVERSHOT
I wasn’t sure on this final look but we were playing around and having fun. I knew I would be applying ten pounds of jewelry on her the day of! Dolci photobombing again!
My inspiration!
The day of the photo shoot:
Bridgette is officially now a Goddess! Jewelry and Hat from my private collection.
The Cover of the June Issue!!!!
The towel collection everyone wants!
I purchased these a few years ago at H&M and I knew they would come in handy one day! Perfect for Tucson!
The amazing team that I had the good fortune to work with!
From left to right: Myself, Scott Barker, Bridgette Slagis, Jacqueline Scordato, Matthew Kauffman, Tom Spitz, and Joseph Boldt.
In conclusion what a great day and great results! I hope this blog inspired you to go out and look your best this Swim Season! To have a look at the magazine go to:http://www.bluetoad.com/publication/?i=411165&ver=html5&p=1
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