Product branding at its best!

Christian Louboutin, the french footwear designer has done a remarkable job of branding. I am not a fan of big designer logos on products, and Louboutin has created a way for everyone to know the shoes are his, his signature shiny, red-lacquered soles. Brilliant!

It seems it was a bit by accident though...
"In 1992 I incorporated the red sole into the design of my shoes. This happened by accident as I felt that the shoes lacked energy so I applied red nail polish to the sole of a shoe. This was such a success that it became a permanent fixture." - CL

Lacoste: Colección Moda para Mujer Primavera Verano 2010

Lacoste Spring Summer 2010 - New York



Lacoste es una compañía francesa, fundada en 1933 por René Lacoste, que fabrica ropa, relojes, perfumes, zapatos, cinturones, maletas, y muchas cosas más. Su producto más famoso, es su camisa Polo, hecha de material piqué. La camisa Polo fue muy famosa en las décadas de los 70 y de los 80 en América y Europa. Ahora, esa misma moda está regresando.

Su icono más reconocido es el cocodrilo verde, que está mostrado en casi todos sus productos.

Treasuries: Coffee Stains

This is my latest Treasury, titled Coffee Stains. I kinda threw this one together on the fly because the treasury was just about to open and I didn't have any sort of theme in mind, but I'm still relatively pleased with how it turned out. I found some great pieces in some great shades of brown and black, so even though it was very last-minute I think it still looks great. But I digress...



Victorian Black Lace Bib Necklace
By acommonthread


Snap on Escape Suit - Vintage Houndstooth Dress, Corset Back
By Minxshop


Valentine Mother Bird Nest Necklace
By byemma


Noelle Feather Headband
By LiveInStyle


Cream and Coffee Fabric Rosette Necklace on Brass Chain Bib
By Brydferth


Some Grass
By BrittanyReagan


The Gathering Winds - 11x14 Fine Art Print
By laurenbishop


Raffina Cream and Brown Sleeveless top and skirt.
By UrbanGirlNW


Baroness - OOAK Steampunk Silk Ruffle Cuff w Lace and Vintage Button
By Folk


Vintage Map CUSTOM Solid Sterling Handmade Cufflinks
By AnneHolman


Rococo Shawl - Luxurious and Elegant Knit Cotton and Merino Wrap - Custom Colors
By TickledPinkKnits


Owl Cup 8oz
By miekongo

Wow!

Just saw this movie. My sister recommend that I see it, so it has been on my list for a long time. It was really good!

It is pretty shocking what happened to them after Natalie made the Bush comment. Bill O'Reilly said "These (Dixie Chicks) are callow foolish women who deserve to be slapped around". They were called bimbos and worse.  What is up with that? It's okay to threaten violence or trash someones character, but not to give your opinion on a president. Interesting.

This movie made me really like The Dixie Chicks! Especially Natalie, for sticking up for herself and not backing down.

Does anyone know if the country radio stations ever played them again, or are they banned for life?

PAETÊS

..Vendo que a tendência mais forte do verão 2010 é o brilho, principalmente dos paetês, fiz uma sessão especial só de paetês .

 Os paetês podem ser desde os clássicos prata, dourado, preto e branco , até os coloridos.

 Aposte nas regatas de paetês, dá um ar mais glamouroso ao look e, mesmo se esfriar um pouquinho no final da tarde, é só coordenar com uma jaquetinha e pronto.

Eles são kits de sobrevivência!

Juntei todas as minhas peças de paetê para vender e coloquei aqui.

Abaixo estão algumas propostas para você criar looks com as peças de paetê .

Top off white de paetê.

MARCA: Le Lis Blanc

TAMANHO: M

PREÇO: 70,00 + frete

Top colorido inteirinho bordado à mão.

TAMANHO: M

PREÇO: 120,00 + frete

Top branco de paetê com strech e zíper na lateral

TAMANHO: M

PREÇO: 70,00 + frete

Top de paetê transparente pintado à mão com strech e zíper na lateral.

(também fica ótimo em cima de camisa branca)

TAMANHO: M

PREÇO: 90,00 + frete

Calça marrom bordada à mão de missangas e lantejoulas

( o quadriculado é de misangas e o miolo de lantejoulas douradas).

MARCA: Single

NÚMERO: 40

PREÇO: 120,00 + frete

Vestido off white bordado com missangas e paetês pequenos.

Acabamento da saia em lenços de crepe.

(usar esse vestido com uma calcinha cor da pele ou chocolate. Aqui eu não coloquei porque a foto era apenas para o blog).

MARCA: Le Lis Blanc

NÚMERO: 40

PREÇO: 210,00 + frete

........

UH-UH's FLASHBACK FRIDAY [iii]

Once upon a time there was a woman name Uh-Uh.
Uh-Uh liked to glam it up.
Uh-Uh liked to shop.
Uh-Uh had a strong appreciation for the color white.

Some of you may disagree with me and my Uh-Uh about white not being a color and instead a hue... BUT once you set foot in my Uh-Uh's [old] Condo or raid her wardrobe you will be a white-as-a-color converted individual.

Please excuse my ramblings if they don't make one bit of sense this evening. I'm working off of 4 hours of sleep between the past 48hrs [all my own fault and completely WORTH it, and also the reason why this Flashback is on Saturday evening and not on Friday... my bad.]

Back to the business of my Uh-Uh liking the color white:
My Uh-Uh lived in a white walled Condo with white carpets and white couches and white linens.
Everything was WHITE.
But everything sparkled. There were large windows and lights in every room. When I would visit I would always get in trouble for turning all of her lights on in her house. I loved the way her spot lights on the ceiling would make the items in her china cabinets shine.

The shining and the lights and the white-ness of everything in her house is one of the main reasons why I was so drawn to the item of today's flashback.

The white (more creamy colored with age, wear, and old stains) of this dress reminded me so much of my Uh-Uh. Yes, I know the dress belonged to her, so obviously it will remind me of her, but it's more so the White-ness of it, the flow of it, the elegance and air around the dress.

It screams Uh-Uh.

[In the good way of course]

Now, on with the show:

[My Uh-Uh liked her white dresses]

[My Uh-Uh liked to alter her clothing... this dress was pinned in the front. She obviously didn't want to show the world her 'goodies'--My Uh-Uh is a classy lady.]

[Here is a close up--as close as I can get with my busted camera--the dress is silky, pleated (all OVER), and has this added belt to cinch the waist.]

[Here is the back...]

[This is NOT how my Uh-Uh would parade around... not with her lacy slip showing to the world--no siree-bob.]

[I pulled the back down on the dress, pulled up the waist to make it more empire. I like both ways.]

[These are my Uh-Uh's boots... I confiscated them a few years back. My Uh-Uh was a stylish lady back in her day!]

[More of Uh-Uh's dress and her boots! Hollar!]

If you don't know what next week's Flashback is about:

Boots!

I love me some boots! And so did my Uh-Uh!

:)

SAIA EMPORIO ARMANI

OPORTUNIDADE ÚNICA !!!

Saia exclusiva do Emporio Armani.

Trespassada no quadril em tecido "gazar" com aplicações em flores e franjas.

Na foto não aparece o quanto essa saia é charmosa e feminina.



Pode ser usada com uma blusa mais chique em um casamento, como também mais descontraída com uma regata ou camiseta (como na foto).



MARCA: Empório Armani

TAMANHO: 38/40

PREÇO:  apenas 190,00 + frete



.....

I FEEL THE BURN... I SWEAR!

I just completed my first 20minutes of Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred...

Kill Me Now!

Now that I've put my workout 'business' out there... out here on my blog... it means that I can't back out of doing my workouts. I've not told the blog about it, so I have to go through with it. Not only to save face, but to fit into my KILLER RED DRESS I bought for S&S's Wedding in July.
I'm not one of those girls who buys clothing that doesn't fit and swears that they will work out to fit into it. I know myself. I wouldn't do it. And then the dress would just hang there in my closet for a year or two until I finally decided to give it to Goodwill or to a friend who could fit into it.
Well this time I found a dress, retail for over $100, on SALE and then discounted on SALE for a whopping total of $14... Yes I said $14 from over $100. Hollar!
It's a one shoulder beauty. Eh, here is a picture:

It's quite fitting...
Gives me a waist, makes the ladies look good, shows off my collar bones, and has a nice pencil skirt shape to the bottom...
I heart it.

Now let me clarify my above statement about buying clothes that don't fit... This dress fits me, but in my mind it doesn't look perfect on me. If I bought a pair of Spanx I would be happy with how the dress looked then, BUT I refuse to CHEAT that way.
This is where Jillian comes into play... well not really play. She kicked my ass for 20 minutes today and I hate that bitch. I told her so on Twitter... but I won't hate her tomorrow morning when I am physically unable to stand up when I get out of bed or when I am unable to walk down the stairs without a death grip on the banister...
BECAUSE I LIKE THAT FEELING AFTER A WORKOUT!

I'm sick, I know.

As much as I gripe about working out, the feeling I have the next day is the best. My body is sore and tired. My legs and arms feel like J-E-L-L-O and I could barely scrub the soap out of my hair or shave my pits in the shower (TMI I'm sorry) but damn if I don't secretly LOVE that feeling. It means that I actually DID something and my body is reacting to it in a positive way! Woo!

So Jillian and I are working out together for the next 30 days... alternating her workouts every other day with individual workouts in between and days of rest in between.

After today, Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday this is the image I will keep in my mind:

Umm, and this:

[Ugh, Bitch!]
But I heart her!

Her picture on the DVD is not what I see... Not her smiling at me with her 6pack and her tan. Bitch please. You are a mean, mean woman who makes my arms burn and my thighs and knees shake from exhaustion and what you call "the burn". Eff that. Maybe after my first week I will like you a little bit more. Probably not. After the first week (or week and a half) I move up to level 2. I'll probably hate you then, and once again after I move to level 3.

At the end I'll love you a lot. I'll confess my love for you and sing your praises... but for the next 30 days:

YOU ARE A MEAN, MEAN WOMAN! DAMN YOU!

But thanks... in 30 days :)

Happy Birthday to my sister!

                                                                         c.1968

Happy birthday sister.
I hope you have a great day!

COLETE ESTAMPADO

Colete em matelassê de seda estampada.

TAMANHO: M

PREÇO: 40,00 + frete

CLUTCH VERDE

...

        

Clutch verde de Cetim.

NOVÍSSIMA!!! NUNCA FOI USADA.

PREÇO: 140,00 + frete



.......

I'll take it!

The new Apple iPad

I have always been a Mac user, and I am really excited about the new iPad, it sounds really fun! It’s slightly smaller than a magazine, weighs 1.5 lbs and is 0.5 inches thin.

• Internet
• Mail
• Photos 
• Books
  
• Movies
• Almost 140,000 Apps

 

Starting at $499. Someone needs to get this for me, because unfortunately, I don't have $500 lying around.

Calvin Klein: Colección Moda para Mujer Primavera Verano 2010

Calvin Klein Spring Summer 2010 Womenswear Full Show



Calvin Klein Inc. is an American fashion brand founded in 1968 by Calvin Klein. Currently, it is owned by Phillips-Van Heusen.

Like other fashion brands (Coco Chanel "CC", Louis Vuitton "LV", Dolce & Gabbana "DG", etc etc) Calvin Klein established a world famous Monorgam, the "CK" emblem.

But only 2 fashion houses (CK.com and HM.com) succeeded to be in the VB.com Internet Hall of Fame owning their Initials as a two letter domain name.

The company's headquarters are in Midtown Manhattan, New York City.

TheStalker! IS BACK!

He hasn't given up hope!
He just texted me today!
Argh!!!
I'm posting updates regarding TheStalker! via my Twitter (link is on the side bar in case this link doesn't work).
Check it!
Stay Tuned for instant hilarity and stalker-mania!

Oy!

My workspace:

I've been reading on the Etsy forums about resellers, and though I have not (and hopefully never will be) accused of such wrongdoings, I thought I'd post some pictures of my workspace here to prove I am the one who makes the jewelry in my shop. Although, I did not take a picture of myself and my workspace... but I have several witnesses that see me work there every day so you can ask them if you like.


Yes, I do know it's messy. The scary part is that I've only been using this space for a few days and it already looks like this. I used to have everything on the desk in my bedroom, but when my sister left for college I moved everything over there and I no longer have the incentive to clean it up every night since I don't have to look at it unless I want to.



A work in progress... see the finished product here.


That little shelf is where I keep all of my bead boxes. I also do all of my photography in the window or on top of the table. Fun stuff.


The entire space takes up like half of the room. It's a really small room...


I always listen to music while making stuff... Vampire Weekend is a personal favorite.

A Necklace for a Buddy 'o Mine

My best friend Janell asked me to make a necklace for her using an awesome topaz stone she got off ebay a while back, and I of course agreed. We went to the bead store together (since she wanted gold findings and I have none of those) and we had fun picking out all the things for the necklace.

It's a different style then I usually make, but I think it turned out quite fabulous if I do say so myself. I was foolish, however, and forgot to take a picture of the back because I added a cute little gold key and Swarovski crystal next to the clasp.

So here it is!

SOME PEOPLE SMOKE CRACK... I BAKE PIES.

This morning/afternoon I whipped up a pie.

Then I got a little crazy and whipped up 12 mini pies!

Obviously I'm losing my mind!

Sue me. I don't have a day job... I need something to keep me entertained until 5pm when I have to go to work. I realize now that some people smoke crack... and I bake pies. We [myself and the crack smokers] will both probably die around the same time and our teeth will probably rot at the same rate. Me from obesity due to all of the sweets I've been baking and eating... them from all the crack they've been smoking. It's really a win-win-lose situation.

But anywho... skipping past the rest of my rant/reasonings for why people smoke crack; I present you with the newest pie to my recipe box of deliciousness:
The Lemon Meringue Pie
(I used a combination and variation of 2 recipes. Emeril and Paula Deen are to thank for today's Pies.)

[My creative Pie Circle]

[My creative Flower Pie]

[Emeril said I could add a little something extra]

[The big pie!]

[The big pie from the side]

Are you Hungry yet?!

...

Because you should be!

For both pies I kept the method and ingredients from Emeril's recipe (for both the pie and the pie crust), but then for the mini pies I used pre-made graham cracker crusts (1 recipe for filling filled 12 total crust shells).
Both recipes are a little quirky with their final directions for baking.
After I filled the shells/crusts with the custard filling I baked the pies then covered them with meringue and torched the white fluffy stuff (Yes, I said TORCH! A little kitchen blow torch to be exact. We don't mess around in Cecil County. When we want to torch something we bring out the big guns... I didn't use the easy broiler method like the recipes called for. I'm a rebel.) (Not really, I just really wanted to play with the torch!)
The big pie I baked for about 20-25 mins, the little pies for about 10-12 mins, until the custard was set. Then I applied the meringue topping.

The big pie goes to my friend Grant, who suggested/requested the Lemon Meringue, and the little pies stay here with the family. I might end up taking a few down the street to my neighbors. They like my pies :)



Now time to get ready for work! And to ponder what my next baking/cooking project will be.