Neon for Summer

Summer is around the corner and I love getting my bi-weekly mani/pedi's. I also enjoying wearing cute Havaianas and bright colored nail polish. Fashion Weekly Daily reported that the new Essie Neon collection will be available in colors: Mini Shorts, Bermuda Shorts, Short Shorts, and Shorty Pants on June 1st. Say bye-bye to the dark nails!

Please Consider the Environment

I am a magazine fanatic! I love subscribing to magazines that deal with fashion, beauty, life style, parenting and GOSSIP! Last year I had too many subscriptions and I was backlogged 3 months. I decided this year to only subscribe to mags that I am committed to reading as soon as I receive it in the mail and focus on reading more thought provoking material.

The magazines I decided to continue reading are Domino, Harpers Bazaar, Elle, Elle Décor, Glamour, O at Home, O – Oprah Mag, Real Simple, In Style and Essence. A few new magazines I’ll add to my list is: Martha Stewart Living and Rachel Ray. I am very upset that they got rid of Blue Print – it was such a great magazine.

I know this will sound very crazy but I decided not to continue with Lucky. Don't get me wrong Lucky is a wonderful magazine and my co-blogger swears by them, however it doesn't do much for me. I love fashion but it is 1) too much "style" information in one in magazine and 2) it only pisses me off when I can’t buy the things I’ve tagged! I have over 12 mags with tags of things I want but let's be realistic, how often do you buy the things you see in magazines?

Anyhow, the point of this post is that my renewal to Elle is due and I didn't realize digital subscriptions were available. I can purchase the digital copy, download it and watch it when I want. No more worries about my magazine arriving late because as soon as the monthly issue is ready to be release it is in my inbox, now that’s awesome! Having a digital issue is eco-friendly, saves trees and my boyfriend will be happy to see less magazines around the house. The only problem with everything being digital is it deprives me of touching the glossy pages, tearing out the article that “moved me” and being able to carry my mags with me wherever I go.

I guess if I want to help the environment, I will subscribe for the digital subscription, download it and start carrying my Mac book with me, guess I solved my own problem.

Interested in a digital subscription? Check out Zinio, you can get a free magazine to download.

Rogan For Target

The Must Have Eco-Tote

Just ordered this cute Papyrus Canvas Bag, that is available online for only $9.95! This eco-tote can be used for practically anything. I enjoy shopping at Farmer's Market, so this maybe my new veggie tote but then again I can also use it at the beach. Hmm... decisions.. decisions.

Need a new laptop sleeve?

I am always on the hunt for a new laptop bag and/or sleeve. I found this chic Redmaloo Felt Laptop Sleeve in In Style magazine that I can use for my MacBook. I like the fact that I can use any tote bag and put my laptop into the sleeve to protect it from any scratches. The cool thing about this sleeve is it functions as workstation with an integrated mouse pad. It comes in a range of colors and traditional kimono fabrics.

Mrs. Meyer’s - Best Household Product

Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day products are amazing! Last night I spilled soda on my carpet, so I poured a drop of the solution on a rag, rubbed it on the carpet which created a lather and wha-la the spot was gone! It’s not only a great spot remover, it is environmentally friendly, biodegradable, chemical free, and cruelty-free. The products come in 6 awesome scents: Basil, Lavender, Geranium, Baby Blossom, Clary Sage Chamomile and Rhubarb. I just ordered the hand soap, detergent, all-purpose cleaner and used the Daily Candy 30% off discount code (DC30) for extra savings. If you sign up you can receive $5 off an order of $25.

Elle asks designers to create Sigg water bottles for charity

I'm all about finding products that are best for the environment and for my family. The Sigg water bottle is eco-friendly and reusable aluminum. I can purchase a few bottles for my family and save on the cost of buying water bottles that end up being half used. Now, I need to just get a water filter for the house and we can fill up and go!

Earlier this month Elle magazine asked designers to create Sigg water bottles for charity. Some of the fashionable names that created one-of-a-kind designer bottles were Stella McCartney, Diane Von Furstenberg, Zac Posen, Michael Kors, Philip Lim, Tommy Hilfiger, Brian Reyes, and Chris Benz. The proceeds will benefit, StopGlobalWarming.org

My favorite bottle is the Anna Sui and the lovely Diane Von Furstenberg!

For the full story: www.fashionweekdaily.com

Want a Sigg? www.mysigg.com

Audrey Hepburn Beauty Tips

Below is a wonderful poem Audrey Hepburn wrote when asked to share her 'beauty tips.'

It was read at her funeral years later.


For attractive lips, speak words of kindness. For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people. For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry. For beautiful hair, let a child run his/her fingers through it once a day. For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone. People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone. Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms. As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands; one for helping yourself, and the other for helping others.

I have been in Georgia for over 5 weeks now and I am amazed by how little I need to feel satisfied in my day-to-day life. I must admit that I miss being around my things. My books, my clothes, my toys, my stuff are all part of what make home, home for me. Still it is unrealistic to think I could take everything with me while I stayed in my mom’s guest room. Not only do I have my things to consider but all of Isaiah’s stuff as well. This life-changing move has been nothing if not an opportunity to learn and grow. One of the really interesting lessons has been how I am able to look stylish with only a fraction of my wardrobe on hand. This has been a challenge for me not only because I don’t have access to all my clothing but also because I am still trying to find my way when it comes to dressing casually. So what have I discovered? As long as you have some wardrobe staples such as great fitting jeans in light and dark washes, black pants, a denim skirt, striped shirts ( I love stripes), and some tank tops, you can build a great casual wardrobe. On top of that foundation you need to layer an interesting jacket, sweater or shirt. In addition, accessories are the statement-makers when the rest of your outfit is so basic. I love colorful flats, earrings, and a chunky watch. For a dash of color I sometimes add a scarf around the neck or tied to my handbag. When I follow these guidelines I feel put together, comfortable, and appropriately dress for running around during the day. I wonder where else I can apply this new “less is more” philosophy…

Corno

Corno is one of my favorite artists, her paintings are so sensual. I found out about her through a BFF on Splendora.com. It's something about her art that makes me feel so sensual and exotic! I would love to get a self portrait from her.

You can check out Corno's art here in Los Angeles area:

Left Coast Galleries
12324 Ventura Boulevard
Studio City, CA 91604
818-760-7010

www.akagallery.com

What is Ideeli?

I just joined this fabulous members-only shopping community for trendsetting young women called Ideeli. They offer authentic luxury items for 50 to 90% off their original price, plus give-aways each week. Membership is by invitation only. If you are interested, please send me your email address to mavensociety@gmail.com and I will send you an invitation code.

www.idelli.com

Happy Shopping!

What a Saturday!

Yesterday was Saturday, day 11 of my "Relocation to Atlanta" adventure. While my husband is in Long Beach working and preparing to sell our old home, I am at my mom's home in Columbus, Georgia living in limbo. While our son, Isaiah, has been pretty resilient about the move, he has moments when he just wants to go home and see his daddy. I have tried to acknowledge his feelings, as well as mine, but still focus on the wonderful new life that's ahead of us. Most of the time, we ride out the emotion until it passes.

The plan for yesterday was to hang out with our friend Alonzo, who has lived in California and currently resides in Union City, Georgia. I looked forward to this expedition although the only goal was to get to know the city better. The morning started with some clouds and a little sun. I was amazed to see what looked like tiny bits of semi-tranparent paper sprinkling down from the sky. I became even more excited when I realized they were snow flurries. Because this is the closest I've been to actual snow, I watched with fascination for over 10 minutes. Isaiah, who was awake but still in bed, joined me in gazing out the window as the flurries fell and dissappeared on the warm grass. I wondered how could it be could enough for snow flurries when the high the day before was at least 60 degrees?

Because of our distraction by the weather, we were late meeting Alonzo, which was a 90 minute drive by itself. Still, courtesy of our tour guide Alonzo, I had the opportunity to see more of the greater Atlanta area. We stopped at the very busy Cumberland Mall, had lunch, then went to Target and picked up a few items. With no real itnerary, we also drove around Marietta, Midtown Atlanta, and finally Decatur. Of all the places we saw, I really like Decatur. It had the charm of a small town, but one filled with hip, young residents. There were a number of small shops and restuarants that made up the downtown area. And, I noticed a good mix of people walking along the streets. I will definitely put this area on my list of neighborhoods to revisit.

After dropping off Alonzo in Union City at 4:30 p.m., I hopped on the 85 South headed back to Columbus. I wanted to be home before dark. While I was in the Columbus city limits by the time the sky turned gray, I thank God that there would be an extra hour in the day starting Sunday. I have yet to get used to how dark it gets here.