unsolicited wedding advice wednesdays : shapewear

I think every girl wants to look her best whether it's on her wedding day or just going out for the day. All of us have some part of our body that we're not happy with but sometimes it's nice to get a little help if we can. Shapewear has come a long way over the years and could potentially make you look way thinner than you actually are. I say, if you can trick the eye into making yourself look thinner, why not?!  I happened to catch a re-run episode of Dr. Oz when he had Janie Byant who is the costumer designer for Madmen and some of her recommendations for shapewear that she uses on the show.

If you're more of a pear shape (more weight in hips and thighs) she recommended two products from Rago.  First is the Upper Body Extra Firm Shaping Long Line Bra ($44) and the Leg Shaper Firm Shaping ($37). Bryant simplified the names of the products on the show but I think these are the ones she showed. Both of these are the two images below. If you'd like to see some of Rago's products in action there are some YouTube videos of women before and after wearing different shapewear by Rago, here.

If you're more of an apple shape (more weight in the belly area) Bryant recommended Flexees Easy-Up Strapless Unitard from Maidenform ($38.99-$44). Ok, so if you're like me the first thing you'll think when you see the picture below is, "Why are there straps when the product is supposed to be strapless." Well, the straps are removable so I guess it's both. 

If you're in need of some help all around, Bryant recommended Bodysuit with Legs ($92, comes with or without an underwire) by Lipo in a Box (image below). This is supposed to suck and shape everything from the bust all the way down to the thighs.

Lastly, (or firstly?) the image at the very top of this post is shapewear recommendation from a different episode of Dr. Oz from Emme the plus-size model. She recommended the Flexees Ultimate Slimmer Wear Your Own Bra (WYOB) Torsette Body Briefer ($36) from Maidenform. She liked that you could wear your own bra while still getting be benefits from shapewear. You can check out the video from the episode, here.

Also, I'd like to include a short clip also from the Dr. Oz (I swear, I rarely watch this show!!) show that rather convincingly explains why you should always wash worn shapewear after every use. It's kind of gross but it's informational, here.

new sharpees

Am I the only one that hasn't seen these new Sharpie pens?? C'mon, if you're a student then the highlighter Sharpees are a must and if you are like me and can't resist buying Sharpees in all their forms then these new brush tip Sharpees are killer. The best of both fine point and ultra fine point worlds. but wait there's more, there are new Stained Sharpees that are fabric markers also with the brush tip. Perfect for summer projects for kids and adults. Although, I do fear for parents who may have these just laying around. I can just imagine kids trying to do painting projects at home on their own with these when their parents aren't looking. :\ Stock up on Mr. Clean Magic Erasers! If you're specifically looking for any of these sold individually then I'd definitely check your local art supply store (buy local!) but I also saw them individually at Target.

the new 'do

And when I said I was going to "chop the mop" I surely meant it! Saturday, Mark and I headed to the Chicago to a suggested hair studio (a.k.a. salon) from C, called Milio's. I gave them a call to make an appointment a few days before and told them I was a new customer and basically I had to take my chances on who the receptionist would give me as my stylist. 

I arrived pretty apprehensive because I haven't had to "date" a hair stylist in a very long time. I was introduced to Jeannette and we chatted a little and I showed her a picture of the "faux hawk" look that I wanted. She seemed pretty surprised and immediately asked me if I knew that this would require taking the time to blow dry and style the hair every morning. I told her I did but she still kind of looked unconvinced. I tried to explain that I've had pixie cuts in the past so I wasn't a newbie to the short hair club. 

*snip, snip, snip* An hour later we were both at a point that we felt happy with the 'do. I really appreciated how open she was to making the style a collaborative effort as opposed to her getting offended when I asked to take some more off the top. She styled the finished hair cut with more of a "floppy" look (first image below) when I walked out the door and Sunday I styled it more with a faux hawk look (last image below). I think this is probably my most favorite hair cut to date because of its versatility. If you're in the Chicago area and need a hair cut then check out Milio's and ask for Jeannette (she works Tue - Sat)!

hair cut time

Boy do I love a good hair cut. I love chopping off the mop to something short and sassy. But I've had a hard time getting a cut here in IL because my go-to stylist is all the way in CA, I miss Linda. Right after the wedding last year I chopped off all the hair that I had worked so hard to grow for the wedding and got a little pixie cut and it felt awesome. This year the IL heat is prompting me to cut off all the hair that has grown in the past year...

So tomorrow I'll be heading to a new-to-me salon in Chicago, IL for a new 'do for the summer! I feel kind of nervous getting my hair done by someone I haven't gone to before but the deed must be done! Wish me luck!

unsolicited wedding advice wednesdays : wrap it up

Boy do I have a major weakness for scarves. I love 'em. If I were still in Southern CA I could definitely justify wearing a scarf or having one handy in the summer because the desert temperatures dip dramatically once the sun goes down. 

If you're in a wedding nowadays that tends to mean you're going to be wearing a dress with thin straps or more common a strapless dress. In the cooler months this means you'll be exposed to the elements of cold and wind but in the warmer months this means you'll be exposed to the sun. The last thing you want is to be sunburned in wedding pictures. 

Having a thin, longish, light material scarf to wrap around your shoulders might be an interesting option this summer rather than a light sweater, shrug, even a pashmina (which tends to be heavier), or God forbid a taffeta wrap. Scarves are awesome because of the sheer quantity of different colors and patterns available and they're easy to tuck away in a small purse unlike a sweater. All the scarves shown are from Scarves Dot Net which offers a heck of a lot of variety and at great prices. Also, check out their ever growing Knot Library of different ways to wear a scarf. 

row 1: Ryder Tassel Scarf ($16.96), Alex Striped Scarf ($16.96)

row 2: Rae Aztec Scarf ($16.96), Tristan Zig-Zag Scarf ($16.96)

row 3: Cassidy Zig-Zag Scarf ($15.26), Amanda Gingham Scarf ($12.71)

i won't give up

Jason Mraz definitely has a knack for writing love songs. I think almost every wedding I went to in 2011 had "Lucky" playing at one point (including mine!). My prediction is that "I Won't Give Up" will be the "it" song for 2012. Almost more than Jason himself I am mesmerized by the woman accompanying him in this video. I mean, how many different instruments can one person play? Keep an eye on her foot when she lifts and drops a tambourine off the ground with only her foot while keeping time. Crazy.  

quirky

Have you ever had an amazing idea for a product that would totally make your life easier? Or do you already have a product that is just a few design flaws short of being perfect for what you need it for? If this has happened to you then think about submitting your idea to Quirky. It's a website that everyday people submit ideas to and potentially have their ideas made into real products. Each idea submission costs $10 but I could see why they would do that. Otherwise some 16 year old schmuck might just sit on his computer for 8 hours submitting stupid ideas. LOL Who knows, maybe you have the next big idea!