Cure-Couture

A friend of my Boyfriend and her partner have recently launched this great line of fun and functional hospital gowns, Cure-Couture.  And in honor of breast cancer awareness I wanted to share with y'all their fabulous products.

These girls are soooo sassy!  I just love that this is the picture on their home page!

They seem to be able to say it best so I have included the bio from their website,

Dear Friends,

     Life is a wonderful gift but at times can be a struggle. We all go through obstacles and challenging times, some more difficult than others. Even during these times, we know that looking your best can make you feel better. We bring to you an innovative design to make you look as good as you want to feel.

The original concept for what has now become known as Cure-Couture was the design idea of the late Linda Segal. Linda was a successful contemporary women’s fashion designer of more than 25 years. She was diagnosed in 2007 with breast cancer and began treatment with chemo-therapy. Her experiences in the chemo center at MD Anderson hospital inspired her to design a fashion forward, yet functional patient gown. Though she lost her battle with breast cancer in 2009, Linda’s idea lives on through us: her daughter, Ashley Segal, and her design protégé, Linsay Alvarado. This is our way of making a giant pitcher of lemonade from the lemons we were given.

     Why wear a boring patient gown that thousands before you have worn? Who wants to be just another medical record number? Not you! We have created a gown for anyone who wants to present individuality and their inner diva: whether you are going though chemo-therapy, plastic surgery, the joyous occasion of bearing a child, whatever your medical circumstance may be. These gowns can be worn in the hospital, doctors office, and even during recovery at home. When you wear a Cure-Couture gown you are giving yourself back some dignity and when you feel good about how you look you are that much closer to recovery…at least of the self esteem! You never know when McDreamy will show up as your doctor. Always be prepared and dress to impress with Cure-Couture!

I think it's such a beautiful concept and they haven't spared a single detail. Aside from the fun prints and designs, they really pay attention to what women need from a hospital gown.  Front openings in the chest area are great for those who are having breast surgery or breast feeding mothers.  They also have pockets for drains and many more features!

Personally, I would definitely wear one with my favorite cowboy boots!

Go check them out, like their Facebook, buy a gown for someone special and share them with your friends!!

Visit the website HERE 

Visit their Facebook Page HERE

Follow them on Pinterest HERE

Bra Talk

I am one of those gals that has like 100 pair of underwear, in every color and style.  I can't help myself, I just can't ever resist a cute pair.  When it comes to bras I think I am the exact opposite.  It may be because I have an average cup size and it's never been a real issue finding decent bras.  But I have heard a lot of buzz about getting fitted and that most women don't really know their size and often wear bras that don't fit.

Most of my bras are beginning to fall apart so I decided it was time to look at my next purchases more carefully. Bra's can be really expensive so for me it was about investing in some bra's that would last a long time and that were very comfortable.  Possibly due to their marketing, I always tend to buy bra's from Victoria's Secret, but I have found that I don't end up wearing them that often because they don't fit me right and they don't wash well.  

For my birthday I received a $10 off coupon to Soma.  Now, before I ever walked into that store I had always assumed that is was all granny panties and Mumu's.  A couple of Christmas' ago my boyfriend bought me a beautiful robe from Soma and I have warn it to a pulp.  After Christmas they also have a huge sale and so I bought some sleep pants.  Seriously they are the softest most comfortable sleep pants I own.  They also come in sleek, modern, and sophisticated prints so I don't look like I stole a 12 year old's pj's.  

Ok back to bras... So I went this weekend and let them fit me for a bra and I learned a couple things,  I am both a 36 B AND a 34 C.  Depending on the brand's or styles I fluctuate between a 34 and 36, but I didn't realize that increasing the cup size when you go to a smaller chest size is what I had been doing wrong all this time!  I tried on about 10 bras and honestly I could have bought them all!  I decided to purchase just 1 but now I am going to go back and by the strapless too.

I Purchased this Bra, the wire free vanishing back 

Seriously this is the most comfortable bra I have ever worn

Smooth Convertible lined Strapless, I am buying this one too

I also liked these styles as well

Custom Support Lara Underwire

Cool Nights Satin Sleeve Short Robe

Cool Nights Vintage Chemise

Caravan Cami and Shorts

Check out Soma's website HERE

I am also loving these nylon cheapo bras that you can snag at Wet Seal for $5.99!

They both come with removable padding and a rainbow of colors.

Belle Noel Jewelry

Tonight at Nordstrom's I discovered the costume jewelry line, Belle Noel.  As obnoxious as I think Kim Kardashian is, this line of jewelry is really fabulous.  This time I can not deny her and her design team's great taste.  The line has funky pieces that can be dressed up and  basic pieces with a twist that can be worn everyday.  Some of my favorites had a great hexagon and honeycomb pattern.  I also loved the chain link pieces that are so on trend right now.

This is the necklace that I bought, $48 

Hexagon and Honeycomb Bangle, $78

 

Chunky Chain Necklace, $90

Hexagon pave studs, $25

This collection is full of fun pieces and you can find a good amount of it in stores at Nordstrom or check out the line online HERE

Nail Polish Strips

Last night I tried Sally Hansen Nail Polish Strips and it was awesome! 

 I didn't do a perfect job, doing my right hand with my left was a little tricky but overall I am completely satisfied!  I think it just takes a little practice but overall it was really easy.  Basically they are stickers and the kit comes with about 15 or so stickers in a variety of sizes so you can choose the sizes that work best for your nail size.  You place the stiker ofver your nail, file the excess of of the tip with the file that it comes with and use the wood stick to trip around the cuticles if you need to.  It's supposed to last 10 days and you can take it off with regular nail polish remover.  At $10 bucks that's a deal!

I chose the color Blitz Glitz and it is funky but oh so fabulous!

Taking pics of glitter is difficult, but I think y'all can get the Idea!

There are about 20 or so colors to choose from and you can get them at your local drugstore:)

The shameless nitty gritty of body waxing

Today I am going to share a with you a type of craft that is a bit different from the norm here!  It can be a DIY, or a tutorial, a guide and a shared experience.  Today I am going to share with you the art of waxing.

There are many women who get waxed, even more that are curious about it but most do not talk about it.  Today I am going to get into the shameless nitty gritty of body waxing.  I have been there and done that and there is not a hair on my body that has not seen wax.  Not a one (you might say, “Well I bet you haven’t waxed your entire eyebrow!” and I will respond with “Oh shit yes I have girlfriend”… but it wasn’t on purpose!)

If you know me, you know I have a head full of voluminous black curly hair.  People are constantly telling how envious they are of my thick rich hair.  Girl please, it’s not just on the top of my head.  I am neurotic about maintaining my body hair.  Yes it’s a full fledged complex that was fueled by years of teasing as a child and embarrassing and painful razor bumps and ingrown hairs. 

I pride myself as being the first girl in the 5^th grade to shave her legs.  It was an emergency.  Those were the days that I used to pray to God every night for 1 thing, to shave my legs.  The day came in early spring.  I was sitting in church next to my mom and I was wearing white tights.  My mom glanced over at my legs, the light from the stained glass widow was shining.  It was shining right onto all my black hairs poking through my tights.  Yes, you can gasp or laugh.  It’s totally gross!  She leaned over an whispered in my ear, “Tonight you are shaving your legs!”  Halleluiah!! I could hear angels singing!

It was around this time my mom took me to wax my eyebrows for the first time.  I was 11 years old and I was constantly being teased about my unibrow.  My mother could not stand it any longer and off my unibrow went! OUCH!  It hurt and I dreaded going every few weeks but this pain was necessary!

And so began my waxing adventure.  It wasn’t before long that eyebrow waxing no longer hurt and I was already waxing them myself.  By the time my Junior year in high school rolled around I was shaving my wolverine arms and started waxing them.

Here’s the thing about waxing.  The first pull always stings… the pain after that is usually numbed by the adrenaline.

In college I tried waxing my legs and underarms.  To me these are not worth it.  First having to let my underarm hair grow out in order to wax it drives me nuts and second it hurts.  Same goes for the legs.  Plus it takes awhile and it gets pretty expensive.  As for waxing those areas… I have no problem applying the wax, but getting myself to make the first pull is almost impossible.  (insert alcohol here... then it's pretty easy!)

It wasn’t until I was 23 when I finally got the nerve to get my first bikini wax.  This is the worst area for me.  On top of having course hair, my skin is super sensitive…

Ok I am not holding back here girls so this might get graphic!

It was probably in college sometime when I started using nair instead of a razor to do my bikini area.  But the red bumps were still there and painful ingrown hairs too.  I was incredibly embarrassed about it.  And let me tell you, I have tried every post shave and ingrown hair treatment known to man and it still didn’t help.

So here I am 23 and a couple girlfriends of mine convinced me that it didn’t hurt nearly as bad as I was imagining.  The first appointment I was just going to do the panty line.  Oh it hurt but my girlfriend’s were right it wasn’t as bad as I thought so I did everything but a narrow strip and my behind.  I had enough waxing trauma for that appointment.

The results were amazing and the next time I went back 4 weeks later the hair was thinner and it didn’t hurt nearly as bad.  Finally after about 6 months of bikini waxing I decided to go completely bare!  I was terrified and thought surely I was out of my mind!  First off waxing your butt area hurts less than an eyebrow wax and going the rest of the way does not hurt so bad either.  You will be hooked after the first time. 

They key to the perfect Brazilian wax is a really good esthetician and your ability to relax.  Many people think it's embarrassing but its like going to a doctor and a good waxer will make you feel comfortable and keep up good conversation.  Once you get through the first visit it is easy to keep going.

Oh and sometimes you have to hold up your legs and hold your skin taught but again, after the initial visit you don't even think twice about it anymore!

 I have talked to many of my girlfriends about it and most of them have agreed that it hurts worse in your mind than the actual pain.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s not pain free I still flinch sometimes, but it is well worth the $50 and the 30 minutes.

Here are my tips and pointers

Do NOT get waxed close to your period… It hurts like 10 times worse than normal!

Take a pain reliever 30 min before your appointment

Wine helps too!

Don’t drink caffeine the day of your appointment

Take deep breaths and try not to tense up

Try to keep up conversation, it will keep your mind off the pulls

There are topical creams that help numb the skin,  I have tried a few and I don’t feel like they help that much.

After the wax use a product to help prevent ingrown hairs EVERY DAY (I keep mine in the shower and apply it right after I shower, or keep it next to your deodorant and put it on the same time you put on deodorant.)

Exfoliate the area with a sugar scrub twice a week.

Go every 4 weeks it hurts a whole lot less and makes maintenance a lot easier as well.

My favorite ingrown hair products are

 Prince Reigns

and Tend Skin

Your esthetician will be able to determine whether hard wax or strip wax will be best.  The only hard wax that has worked well for me was when I lived in Houston and went to European Wax Center

If you live in Tampa and want the best wax go see Angelica at Angelica Beauty and Waxing she is seriously the BEST and about $10 less expensive than most salons.  I have $15 off referral cards for any of you who want to make an appointment!

For those of you who are thinking about waxing for the first time... start slow and ease your way into it.  the more you do it the less it hurts.  If you try it and it's too painful... you can always stop.

Please feel free to shoot me an email if you have any questions.  I can go into way more detail but I think I have grossed y'all out enough for today!!!

Holiday Season Beauty Favorites

I want to share with you some of the products I can't get enough of right now!

First is the Burlesque Limited Edition Kit from Smashbox @ Sephora

This kit is bananas! It is only a whopping $35 and it is worth $112 if you were to buy everything individually. I have always loved Smashbox and they are my favorite makeup brand... aside from Bare Minerals. My favorite item in this kit is HANDS DOWN the liquid eyeliner pen! It makes putting on liquid eyeliner a breeze. The color pallet for the eyes give such a smoldering look that you can play down for day and intensify for an evening look. And the lilac shimmering powder has just the right amount of twinkle to it!

Second is Aveeno's Positively Radiant Daily Cleansing Pads

At $7 you can get these at any chain drugstore. I even cut them in half cause the pads are big and the suds up so much. Each pad has a soft side and a gentle scrubbing side. It's just the right amount of scrubbing to leave your face feeling fresh and clean.

Third is the Orchid Jojoba Soap from Carolina Natural Soaps

I love the fresh smell of this soap and it has wonderful exfoliating ingredients that leave your skin feeling soft and moisturized. It's a great deal too! $3 for 60z. and $5 for 10oz.

Restoration Hardware Gifts

I just wanted to take a minute and share with you one of my favorite gifts to give around the holidays. The first recipient of this gift was my boyfriend. The following year we gifted them to his parents and brother. This year I have purchased a few more as gifts as well.

It's the plush throw from Restoration Hardware usually priced at $59, this year they are offering it for a steal at $29 bucks! Rumor has it that this may be the last year they offer them though:( So looks like I am going to have to go back and by some for backups. It is hands down the softest and most durable plush for the price. Even at $60 I would have to say the same. You can throw it in the wash and it keeps its super luxurious feel. Unfortunately they have sold out online, but you can still get them in stores!

Another Item that I love and is on my wishlist is the set of Flameless Candles. Now, these come at a heftier price but I think the splurge is worth the investment. The Pillar strung candles plug into an outlet and they have a dimmer, but they look like real candles.

They are $103.99 for the set.

I adore this store. My entire House is painted using their paint colors. They have loads of other fun trinkets and stocking stuffers that are really great too. Even better, it all goes on sale after Christmas and you can score some really great deals on high quality items:)

Myers Cleaning Products

I have never really been a fan of the smell of traditional cleaning products. While I was walking the isles of the new Walmart by my house I came across the section of Mrs. Meyers cleaning products and decided to give the dish soap and spray cleaner a try in the Basil scent. OMG this stuff smells amazing. I will not be going back to those stinky chemical products ever again!! The price is a bit more expensive than traditional cleaners but well worth it!

Stop by your local Walmart and pick some up for yourself.

www.mrsmeyers.com

Shellac @ Crave Spa

Crave Spa located on Bay to Bay Boulevard in the Shopping center next to Pinky's opened a little over a month ago and I am so glad!!

They use all natural products and its the first time I have ever walked into a nail salon that didn't have a nauseating chemical smell. They offer a variety of services and I chose their Grand opening manicure and pedicure special for $29.

I get a overwhelmed at many nail salons, the smell, soap operas blaring on the tv, the robotic chairs vibrating and pounding away, and the jet whirlpool whirring water all around your feet. I have to give myself a pep talk and convince myself this is relaxing. I usually turn off the gyrating chair pounding away at my back and work at tuning everything else out!

Crave is a completely different experience. The atmosphere is soft and inviting and they take everything back to the basics. You sit in super comfy over-sized chairs and let your feet soak in a basin. It really is relaxing.

They also introduced me to CND's Shellac nail polish that boasts a 14 day chip free manicure. I am an artist and in the midst of a huge mural project among other art ventures. I thought I would give it a try and put Shellac to a real test.

It works! I had my hands and arms elbow deep in paint and chemicals for days and after scrubbing away in the shower a little rubbing alcohol got the paint right off my nails! Now I will confess it did not last the full 14 days but I know it would had I not been abusing the process! Any Manicure that lasts more than 12 hours is a miracle manicure for me and I did not have one single chip until day 8 and I credit that to some of the paint cleaning solvents I came into contact with.

I can't wait to go back again next week! Call in or walk in, stop by and check them out!

www.cravespa.com

Image courtesy of Dangermouse1810 on Ebay

Sweet Treats

Lately I have been indulging in some sweet treats without the guilt of splurging. Yoplait Delights and Jello Mousse Temptations. These are great for a snack or desert, really taste delicious and both at less than 100 calories each!

Sugar Free and only 60 calories! This mouse is so light and creamy you'll forget its healthy!!

Shown here is the chocolate and raspberry parfait. It taste like desert but has all the benefits of lite yogurt... I even eat it for breakfast sometimes!!

Zoku Pop Maker Update

So a few posts back I wrote about the Zoku Pop Maker from William-Sonoma and I got one for my birthday!!!! Yipee!!!

I so badly wanted to make a Popsicle right away the minute I opened it but you have to freeze the base for 24 hours.

This thing is great!!!! It works just as it says it does and it is so easy to use. Here are the flavors I have made so far... Strawberry- put some fresh strawberries in the food processor and added some sugar, Chocolate banana marshmallow- a mixture of mashed bananas some chocolate pudding a dash of milk and some marshmallows, strawberry jello pops- just poured in some strawberry jello but we need to use less water next time because they froze too hard into the mold and Banana cream pops- mashed bananas a dash of milk and fat free banana cream pie yogurt.

I plan on making a chocolate peanut butter one next! yum yum. I highly recommend this as a gift for yourself or a friend. not only do you get to make pops in any flavor you want any time you want them... BUT they are also really healthy too!

Sweet Splurge

Ok, so my birthday is around the corner and this frivolous kitchen gadget is at the top of my wishlist! Although, my desire to own this gadget may also be somewhat driven by the sweltering heat outside! I was thinking about it this weekend while we were sitting by the pool:)

It's the Zoku Popsicle maker that makes home made Popsicles in minutes! Available at Williams-Sonoma for $40 bucks it's not extravagant, but a little pricey for a popscicle maker. I am sure it's convenience will make the splurge worth the investment. I also think it's a great gift. I can think of a number of people who would enjoy it!

The popsicle recipe's are endless... and after watching a popsicle throwdown with Bobby Flay on TV last night I want it more than ever! I will keep you posted and let you know about all the glories of pop making I will enjoy! I am already thinking about delicious home made puddin' pops like i used to have as a kid;)

Check it out at Zoku's WEBSITE.

On the Rocks

Have your drink on the rocks...Literally! These stone ice cubes are made from Nordic rock. Simply place them in the freezer for an hour and you can kiss the days of watered down beverages goodbye! The rocks pictured can be purchased from a British website, Mocha. You can also purchase soapstone cubes from the states HERE. The cubes are reusable and just rinse them with water to clean. I think these make a great Guy gift!