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Friday, May 30, 2008

This Week in Total Beauty: May 30

May is just about done! This has been one of those months that felt like it took forever to get through... except for the last week or so when I realized it was almost over. Crazy! I think having practically another week of May after Memorial Day threw me off -- how 'bout you?

While June is on its way, check out the last Total Beauty tour for May '08! It's starting to get awfully summery in the blogosphere...!

The Muse gives you the lowdown on Stila Kitten Silk Eyeshadow Wash and Stila Kitten Silk Shimmer Gloss!

Beauty Anonymous is loving the Foot Relief Cream and Body Exfoliator from Belli!

Jennifer over at Beauty in Real Life shares her love for a multi-tasking moisturizer from Stila.

If you're looking for longer, fuller lashes, Monique at Beauty Girl Musings has the product for you!

Jeanne at Periodic Style needs your help and wants to know: how do you organize your beauty products?

Toya at "The Life of A Ladybug" continues in her search for the best "Bronzers for Brown Girls!" In this edition, the Sephora Bronzing Essentials Kit!

Kitiya from Mischo Beauty shares a lesson on serums in her “Mischo Beauty School: Serums 101” post!

It's time to update your summer makeup and Beauty411 shares the details on the new Bobbi Brown Bronzed Pink Collection. You won't be able to resist!

A Mom in Red High Heels discovers the "Mother of Makeup". Find out the details!

Daily Dose of Coffee figures out what grownups wear to the beach.

Thursday, May 29, 2008

More cute cheap summer dresses and skirts!

I love it when Kati picks out cute dresses for summer and spring, so I thought I would add to the list some of the dresses -- and skirts! -- I've been finding lately. Like Kati's post, everything here is under $50... and some of them are even on sale!

First, from Modcloth.com, there's the Secret Garden Shirt Dress. I'm always hunting for a great shirt dress, and this is a super-cute one with an almost peacock-feather print. I'm a little concerned that it only comes in one size, since we don't, but I think it's super cute. $49.99 at Modcloth (so it just squeaks under the $50 mark).

Secondly, also from Modcloth, we have the Blueberry Tea Dress. I love summer dresses, but I don't feel comfortable wearing strapless, halter, or thinly-strapped dresses to the office. So this provides enough coverage in the bust to make me feel like it's more safe. Plus the colors are awesome (and totally Kati's style), and it's jersey, which makes it comfy. $44.99 at Modcloth.

This Tuesday, Emily at EmilyStyle pointed to the Brooklyn Industries sale, which reminded me of how much I like my bag and coat that I bought in Brooklyn last year. So I went poking around their sale section and found this cute Visual Skirt in brown and purple. Unfortunately, since it's on sale, they're running out of some sizes! $39, down from $88, at Brooklyn Industries.

So yes, I'm from California. And I'm about 45 minutes from the beach. That said, I don't surf (it's cold out there!), but I definitely have a soft spot for PacSun, or Pacific Sunwear. They always have cute sporty/girly dresses and cover-ups that are great to throw on over your swimsuit and go from there. I particularly like the Billabong Frisco Dress, which is adorable and so, so summery. Maybe not for the office, but definitely for the beach or the pool. $44.50 at PacSun.

Finally, I'm trying to avoid just pointing to my regular online haunts (Urban Outfitters, American Apparel -- yeah, yeah, hipster much, Jeanne?), but the Kimchi & Blue outskirts mini is along the lines of those tiny Luella floral minis. (Okay, it's pretty much a rip-off of the tiny Luella floral minis.) I wouldn't recommend this for the office, probably, but it's cute for going out. You could even wear it as a cute ruffly tube top! This would also work as a quick bikini cover-up (as a skirt, not a tube top), I think. $29.99, down from $58, at Urban Outfitters.

As for me, I'll probably be stalking eBay for cute dresses (without winning/buying them), as is my usual method. But that Brooklyn Industries skirt sure is adorable, as is the Billabong dress...

What do you think? Where are your favorite places to look for cheap skirts and dresses? Are you ready for summer, now that Memorial Day's past?

images from modcloth.com, brooklynindustries.com, pacsun.com, and urbanoutfitters.com

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Every product in its place -- how do you organize your items?


So I have a problem, and the problem is that I love stores like The Container Store, Bed Bath & Beyond, and (in theory and not when I have to go to the actual store because that's a recipe for a meltdown) IKEA. I really like the idea of having everything organized and in its proper area and... you know that doesn't really happen for me, right?

I've found that it's a lot easier to get everything organized and ready when I'm moving somewhere and I can set up a system from scratch, and that it's much more difficult to bring something in when I'm already "settled in". So that's the problem that I'm facing now: trying to reorganize what I've got now, but knowing that I'm going to have to do something about it when I move (fingers crossed) this summer.

I've currently got my bathroom products (cleanser, scrub, etc.) in a pink basket under the sink -- it does need to be cleared out of products I no longer use, but that's where they live. As for my cosmetics, most of them live in a plastic 3-drawer unit much like this one, with eye make-up on top, lipstick and glosses in the middle, and everything else (blush, bronzer, concealer, palettes, etc.) in the bottom drawer. Of course, there are exceptions, such as the mascara I'm testing, the huge array of nail polish that lives on top of my scanner (which prevents me from scanning things), and the lip glosses that never make it out of my purse.

I have heard tell of those who have specific rooms or closets for their products, and back when I was a lurker in the Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab forums, there were posters who had cosmetics-and-perfumes-only refrigerators, too. While I certainly haven't gotten to that point (and, hopefully, won't -- I already feel guilty enough about all of the products I already have and don't use), it's another interesting take on it. (And I will say that I am keeping that in mind when I'm thinking about moving. Not a whole closet or room, mind you, but definitely "if I live here, where will I put things?".)

How do you organize your beauty supplies? Do you have a specific method for keeping your things together, or are you in need of some help, like I am? And, while we're at it, how about your closets and dressers? (I'm in the market for a new dresser, too...) I'm not going to hire someone to help me out (but it's awfully tempting; look at that lovely closet!), but I'd definitely love to hear what works for other people. Meanwhile, I'll be poking at Apartment Therapy and seeing what I can find there. (Here's some links from AT on bedroom closets and under-the-sink organization. I love AT, but I just don't know if I could actually maintain that sort of lifestyle... guess I ought to try?)

image from containerstore.com

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Science Fair for May 19th- 25th

It's Memorial Day weekend, and you know what that means! Summer is coming, and we've got some fun posts lined up for you this week to celebrate! But first, a preview of what's to come in a summer-themed science fair:

-First up, Cranky fitness has some tips for succeeding at weight loss. There's nothing new or groundbreaking, but it's great to have a reminder when you're gearing up! There's also a hilarious pro and con list of some exercises to help you get in shape.

-Over at Beauty Addict, there's a nice look at the aqua eye trend. I'm definitely on board with this bandwagon.

-According to the NY Times, chipped nail polish is the new it-trend. Susan Wagner of Blogher thinks otherwise. I have to admit that I run around with chipped nails on my weekend, but that's because no matter what I do, my manicure chips within five minutes of applying it.

-Finally, if you're planning a trip out to Disneyland, here's an article about a former Jack Sparrow actor at the parks.

Hope everyone is having an excellent holiday weekend!

Friday, May 23, 2008

This Week in Total Beauty: May 23

Hooray! It's a three-day weekend! I'll still try to get my normal Monday post in next week, but I'm definitely looking forward to some downtime this weekend. (So much sleep. And pool time.)

Check out this week's posts from the Total Beauty bloggers, and have a great weekend!

Kitiya from Mischo Beauty discusses hair texture in her “Mischo Beauty School: Hair Texture 101” post!

Beauty's Spot is giving away a huge swag bag from the LA Beauty Tour!

Beauty Anonymous is very tempted by the Hair Spray from Anna Sui!

Want to win a whopping $824 in products? Then head to The Beauty of Life immediately for a supremely fantastic giveaway!

Joy from Makeup Junkie shares Prom beauty trends and tips!

The Muse checks up on jolly old England and brings you the latest news on Eyeko's Summer Collection 2008!

A Mom in Red High Heels visits 4 LA Beauty Hot Spots. Find out which is like a piece of Heaven to her!

Beauty411 opens her little black beauty book and reports on her facial at the ARCONA Studio in Santa Monica.

Karen of Periodic Style undergoes a transformation of her own with a Japanese straight perm.

Looking for a new flat iron? Monique at Beauty Girl Musings has tried a new one and thinks you will love it!

Jennifer at Beauty in Real Life has some great tips for de-frying your hair.

Meet Victoria Rowe Talking Makeup's Expert contributor!

Toya's started a new series: "Bronzers for Brown Girls" where she'll be discussing the best bronzers for those of us who have deeper skintones. First up: Stila Sun Bronzer SPF 15 !

Meredith at Daily Dose of Coffee returns to a long-forgotten makeup line, and reviews two of their newest products.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Are you ready to Dance?

All of my TV shows have been saying so long and farewell for the summer the past couple of weeks, which kind of sucks. First it was 30 Rock, my newest love. Then we got a new America's Next Top Model (even if it wasn't Lauren, who was awesome and my hero) and still not enough Kelly on The Office. Finally, this week Gossip Girl took off for summer vacation and America has a brand-new Idol as of last night. And Ugly Betty ends tonight, too, but I haven't really been paying as much attention to UB this year (the whole "we can be together until you leaaaave me because you got another girl pregnant!" thing was a real sour turn).

So you'd think I'd be more bummed about losing all of my shows. Nope! You know why?

Because So You Think You Can Dance is back!!

If you've got a long-ish memory (or have browsed ye olde archives recently), SYTYCD made my things I'm loving lately post last June. And it's easy to forget just how much I loved it and how much I adored so many of the last two troupes of dancers... and then I saw them performing on American Idol Gives Back this year (I know, I know, but check it out below -- sorry I couldn't find anything in better quality).



Anyway, I'm totally excited for its return and for the new group of dancers, even though I don't know if any of them can be as near and dear to my heart as so many were last year (Pasha! Sara! Danny! Lacey! Sabra! Dominic! Hok! Travis! Donyelle! Anya! Cedric! Jimmy!).

(More SYTYCD routines to check out: Ramalama from Season Two, Jaimie and Hok as the Flower and Butterfly complete with some impressive use of MAC pigments, the awesome Triplets of Belleville cabaret, and basically anything Danny did -- go to 5:25 for his final solo. Aaaand all of those, with the exception of Danny, were choreographed by Wade Robson, who choreographed "I'm a Slave 4 U", among others.)

Since there's always such an amazing variety of dances and looks (Push It, anyone?), I thought I'd throw a couple together in Polyvore!



The hip hop/contemporary outfit is particularly inspired by Sabra's outfit from the Make It Work dance, where she was wearing big heavy bamboo gold hoops and I was cringing as soon as I saw that she'd have to dance wearing those. (In fact, at :50, you can see one of them fall off her ear. Ouch!) And the tube socks are, of course, ubiquitous among the contemporary dancers. My plea for this season: no more tube socks!! On anyone!! (Note: This will not happen. There will be tube socks FOREVER.)

Next, I picked a ballroom/Latin outfit, complete with ballroom dancing shoes, opera gloves, and a feathery hairpiece. (The Lanvin pearls are just for bonus. I don't really expect anyone to be wearing Lanvin pearls.) The ballroom and Latin outfits are always so incredibly over the top, but that's how it goes and that's how we love it.

Finally, even though they tend to group their ballet dancers as "contemporary" dancers, I put together a little ballet-inspired outfit, because sometimes you get a girl en pointe at auditions, and I'd really like to see them accept the term "ballet" over "contemporary".

So if you haven't given So You Think You Can Dance a shot, I'd definitely strongly urge you to do so. The first couple of weeks are auditions, which can range from awesome to painfully bad, and then we go to Vegas to narrow it down, and then finally, finally we'll get the actual top 20 dancers in about three weeks, which is really when you ought to start tuning in. The contestants are professional dancers and champions: they're the real deal, and the talent that makes it to the top 20 is always incredible.

What other summer shows are you looking forward to? Or are you still musing over everything wrapping up? And, I guess the real question is, Do You Think You Can Dance?

video from youtube.com, image from polyvore.com

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

A Wallflower's Transformation, Version.Karen

This weekend, I made a potentially life-changing decision.

I made an appointment to have my hair straightened. Semi-permanently, chemically, hours-in-the-chair with saran wrap on your head straightening. Here in New York, there are pretty much two options for hair straightening: Japanese hair straightening, which takes anywhere from four to seven hours, and the Brazilian keratin treatment, which takes much less time. Both treatments will give you silky-smooth, straight hair for at least three months with the proper care and conditioning. At first, I was enamored of this new-fangled Brazilian treatment, having fully researched Japanese "straight perms" on the internet for the past few years.

Only two salons here in Manhattan offer the Brazilian keratin treatment, which I found suspicious, so I did a little digging--the active ingredient in the so-called "keratin" treatment is in fact not keratin (which you can find in regular shampoos, it doesn't do much) but FORMALDEHYDE. You may recognize this toxic, volatile chemical from many episodes of Six Feet Under, your favorite crime/medical procedural, and the lawsuits brought against FEMA for trailers that off-gassed the stuff in New Orleans. If you choose the Brazilian treatment, salons should give you a painter's mask to prevent you from inhaling the fumes, but the treatment is still under investigation by authorities and skin exposure to formaldehyde can be toxic.

So, long story short, I decided to stick with what I know, and what I know is Japan. (And, apparently, toxic chemicals.) My journey took me to the East Village on a rainy day, to a salon called YO-C, as in, "Yoshi." It was nearly impossible to find, with a barely-marked door, although I did manage to find a lovely tea shoppe in my travails. That's for another time. Today is all about my Japanese hair straightening transformation.
For your enjoyment, a "before" photo:
Taken with my cell phone in my bathroom. This was my hair in its natural state, washed, conditioned, and towel-dried. It's actually the longest it's ever been, when it's this curly there's not much I will put up with besides a little anti-frizz serum and a towel. The bangs worked way, way better when they were short enough to attack with a flat iron.
A close-up:

Here's the thing: I didn't always have wavy, frizzy hair. I was a sweet little cherub with straight, doll-like hair until the age of 11, at which point puberty hit me like a ton of bricks. A ton of hair-curling, frizzy-making, awkward bricks. Now whenever there is a drop of moisture in the air, I get the frizzies and curl that no amount of product or heated metal plates can tame. It was definitely out of control.

Until YO-C intervened. After four hours of massage (delightful!), washing, chemical treatment, washing again, conditioning, flat-ironing, cutting, chemical treatment, washing, conditioning, bang trim, and styling, I now look somewhat more like this:

The chemical treatment does leave a bit of a burning-chemical smell, not unbearable but noticeable. It's a small price to pay, because my hair is seriously amazing. My hair is so straight, so silky, so smooth and NOT FRIZZY. Definitely more of an explosion at the factory that produces AWESOME, wholesale. Definitely worth the time and money. There are a few rules for caring for post-straight permed hair, like no washing it for at least 48 hours, no putting it up for a week, no salt water, no hot spring water, no sleeping on it damp or wet. I liked the stylist at YO-C, he didn't push any product or special shampoos on me, and gave me a great, flattering cut. I've gotten a lot of compliments so far and survived three days of heavy, humid rains in New York without worrying about looking like a deranged clown. Most of the compliments have been from my female co-workers, not surprisingly. My male boss did walk by and do a double-take today: "Karen, did you...did you do something to your hair? What happened?" Wonderful. Very astute. Hopefully, this amazing hair will last for at least three months so I can get through summer!

If you're thinking about getting a Japanese straight-perm treatment, be forewarned that it may not work as well on damaged or recently treated hair (mine was so-called "virgin" hair, not dyed or permed in years and years...there was that one time in high school when I tried to go black and dark blue but ended up with reddish-black and greenish chunks, yikes). Until I found YO-C ($220 for straight-perm and cut, minus a 20% discount because it was my first visit to the salon), the cost of getting a straight-perm was prohibitive. Some salons charge upwards of $500! Definitely price-shop around. Ask for before and after photos from the salon to see how your hair compares with their experience. I knew going into it that I wanted a Japanese stylist at a Japanese-owned salon, as Japan-trained stylists have far more experience with this type of treatment and the service is always top-notch. Some people find the language barrier a problem, ahem, luckily this is one of those situations in which being from a bi-cultural, bilingual family surely pays off.

Take care of your hair before you go in for a straight-perm, start using a deep-conditioning product after every hair wash. Considering that the treatment is really just damaging your hair enough to force it into a different texture and style than its natural state, you'll want to make sure your hair is as healthy as possible. My stylist recommended Liese brand shampoo for straight-permed hair (site in Japanese, you may be able to find their products at your local Japanese grocery store). I took a stroll through the ol' shampoo section at the drugstore this evening and landed on a new brand for me, Klorane's safflower shampoo for treated hair. It lacks the flowery perfumed scent of the big-brand shampoos that claim to be hydrating, so if you are sensitive to fragrances, this is a great one. Jeanne recommended camellia oil to me the other day, I may check out that possibility in the future.

What do you say? Was it a good investment? A miraculous transformation, perhaps? I do have that new pair of robin's-egg-blue vintage cats-eye frames to wear instead of my grey geometric ones...hmm...

Do you trust your friends?

(I sure do post a lot of pictures of me wearing sunglasses. Hmm. Also, those are totally my $9 jeans.)

This past weekend, I attended the blogger summit hosted by Total Beauty down in Los Angeles. It was super-rad to get to meet so many of the beauty bloggers I've been following for a long time, and get to know some new ones as well.

And yeah, we definitely talked to each other about products and color and what we like and what we use in our "real lives". And it got me thinking about how lemmings and cult classics and such get started now, and about how influential bloggers really are.

BlogHer just released a survey this past March that pointed out the growing influence of social media and women bloggers, particularly when it comes to purchasing. According to the survey, 50% of the responding blog readers have made a decision to buy something (or not!) depending on what they've read on a blog.

I'm sure that when it comes to the shopping blogs, that number's likely a lot higher. I know I'm always going, "Oh! That looks so cool!" and following links and spending money when I see something that looks awesome, particularly when someone I "know" and "trust" mentions they like it. I definitely like to read what others think, and I definitely like to share what I think too. Thus, here I am.

So it was really great to get to be there and hear directly from them what they like. It was awesome to be able to turn to Michelle and say, "How's the Naughty Nauticals nail polish?" "It's beautiful." (And sold out on MACCosmetics.com, sorry! ...but doesn't that prove my point somewhat?) And from Lilan, my roomie, "Have you tried Shu Uemura cleansing oil, Jeanne?" "No, but I've been curious!" "It's great!" And then there's Jamie, who has perfect skin without even really trying. (Unfair!!)

What do you think? Do blogs create lemmings and, ultimately, purchases out of you? Has there been anything featured here on Periodic Style that made you pick up your purse and dig for your credit card? (Or, uh, are you like me and you've got your number memorized?)

image from periodicstyle.blogspot.com

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Science Fair for May 12th-18th

- It's National Dog Bite Prevention Week in the USA! Did you know that? I discovered this delightful little tidbit while waiting in line at the post office yesterday, of all random things. The Humane Society and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are encouraging increased awareness of dog bite safety, check it out! I am a serious dog lover, but still take precautions when meeting or around possibly dangerous dogs. Here are three quick rules: (A) if you are approaching a dog to pet them, always offer your hand for them to smell slowly and non-aggressively, (B) never get between two fighting dogs, and (C) if you are bitten by a dog, make sure you go to the doctor and get a rabies shot--you never know if Fluffy-pookinster might be a little koo-koo.

- The boys at Arms Control Wonk (I am a giant but dangerous nerd) think that mysterious possibly nuclear site in Syria might have been disguised as Byzantine ruins. Maybe this will herald a new realm of nuclear archeology and architecture research...fascinating!

- Posters for the Rogan line for Target sale at Barney's (did you get all that?) are covering Manhattan. Retrogurl of Nitrolicious has photos of the carnage. LOTS of leopard print, mini-length, summer-ready pieces! There is such a sad, sad lack of Target in New York, it might just be one of the weirdest things I miss about living in the suburbs.

- I am freakin' OBSESSED with ScienceDaily. Funny, because I only ever enjoyed chemistry classes in school. Their articles this week are wonderfully multidisciplinary, including one on green tea helping with the effects of obstructive sleep apnea, the link between regular exercise for teenage girls and breast cancer later in life, and how culture affects the way girls see sexual harassment.

- The New York Times' "Well" section has an amazing, totally distracting special feature on health this week with games, information, and an interactively awesome retro diagram of the human body.

In other news, I just sat in a stylist's chair for FOUR HOURS this afternoon getting a Japanese straight-perm treatment. It was a big, big decision for me. I'll have before and after photos for you soon--it was so, so exhausting!

Have a great week, everyone!

Saturday, May 17, 2008

The Salads of Spring

Soon enough, it's going to be the time of year when it's warm and beautiful outside, time to put away all those hot soups and toasty slices of bread, time to bring out the fresh fruits and crisp salads. It's been too long without fresh greens in my life! Maybe I'm spoiled having spent the better part of the past two years living right smack in between the beach and California's salad fields, but seriously? Produce in Manhattan is in a shameful state. Thankfully, there is a tiny but serviceable farmers' market in the plaza outside my office on Wednesdays, with a nice little greens stand so I can get my fix. I can already tell it's going to be a lifesaver when it starts getting too hot to eat anything but cold, crispy, sharp lettuces with the bare essential dressings.

Lest you run away screaming at the thought of plain old iceberg lettuce salads and, you know, nature, I have a little secret recipe to share. It's kind of weird. Kind of weird, but great, as many recipes are. I found it in one of the cookbooks I splurged on while in Japan last summer, from Tokyo's gorgeous and ever-popular Afternoon Tea. It has recipes for all of their famous treats, like sable cookies, chai milk tea jam (YES), chestnut cream tea, and all manner of deliciousness. Their farmer's salad recipe is deceptively simple--I promise, you'll make it and slap yourself for not thinking of it earlier.

In fact, it's so ridiculous, I won't even post actual ingredients. Here's what you do--
1. Wash and cut your greens to your desired size. (I like Trader Joe's "just the leaves" green leaf lettuce, cut into 1-inch chunks and rinsed in cold, cold water. Crunchy!)
2. Put two slices of hearty, whole- or multi-grain bread into the toaster.
3. While you're waiting for the toast, toss your greens in your favorite light dressing. (If you can find it, I love Cindy's Kitchen Rosemary and Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette, or if I'm stocked-up I'll whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, a frozen garlic cube, and herbs de Provence in a bowl right quick.)
4. Fry one egg, seasoned with salt, pepper, and a little hot sauce if you like things with kick. (Fry this in a little cooking spray instead of butter or bacon grease.)
5. Butter your toast.
6. Cut toast and fried egg into 1/2-inch cubes, so they are easily spear-able with a fork but not unwieldy. Enjoy.
(*) Options for extra flair can include some pan-fried Canadian ham, bacon, cheese shavings, poached egg instead of fried, really anything you might be tempted to throw into an omelette.

This is a nice weekend breakfast/brunch dish for me, and my mother swears by it when she's trying to lose weight: salad for breakfast. It's unbelievable what you can create when you break out of the toast-omelette mold. Check out your local Asian grocery for Japanese "non-oil" dressings in sesame, ginger, soy sauce, nori, carrot, and shiso flavors.

If you are still feeling a little unprepared for your salad days (genius, Karen!), I have a few helpful links to share:

-The Washington Post is so clever, they've created an online SALAD SPINNER.
It's actually quite good if you're curious about flavor combinations, or like me, you just really enjoy thinking about food.

-From the men's health section of WebMD, some secrets of the restaurant salad bar. (I will refrain from describing the Rajneeshee cult salad bar-salmonella incident in this post.)

-Chopstick NY reports on the not-so-new rage in Tokyo, "cafe gohan". Going to cafes all over Tokyo was just about my favorite thing ever when I was living there. My particular favorite is the Globe in Mishuku (Setagaya-ku), which is half antiques shop and half fresh-baked-goods-and-espresso cafe. Their white chocolate/mango muffins and antique wooden farmhouse tables haunt my dreams still.

-Again from Japan, cosmetics and healthy food company DHC has a lovely recipe for grilled asparagus salad.

Unfortunately for me, it's still raining cats and dogs here in New York and all I want is some nice hot soup!

Friday, May 16, 2008

This Week in Total Beauty: May 16

It's Friday, so it's time for This Week in Total Beauty! Today I'm heading down to Los Angeles to meet up with some of this rad beauty blogging crew. I'm expecting to see some of the wrap-up posts on this here web tour next week!

So, while we all get to know each other in LA, check out some of the posts that the Total Beauty bloggers have for your reading pleasure this weekend!

The Daily Cookie loves the Urban Decay Ammo Eye Palette to help her travel light!

makeup2beauty reviews Stila Kitten Eye Shadow Wash and gives some tips on how to use it.

Jeanne from Periodic Style tells you how to get full salon service at little to no cost -- be a hair model!

Marta from Talking Makeup introduces the Global
Chic Collection
by IMAN.

Beauty Anonymous shares with you her first impressions of Chanel Summer 2008 Makeup Collection!

Want a review of one of the newest self-tan products out there? Look no further, Canadian Beauty delivers!

The Muse shares a review on Shimmer Shine Liquid Eye Shadow from Bourjois Paris!

A Mom in Red High Heels discusses a busy woman's concern with her morning routine. Find out the time saving, confidence-boosting tips!

Monique at Beauty Girl Musings finds a real organic line worth trying.

The girls at Beauty in Real Life score their first everinterview with celeb makeup artist and Passport to Beauty author, Shalini Vadhera.

Nars takes Joy from Makeup Junkie to South Beach thanks to The Multiple in South Beach!

Toya does her Mother's Day FOTD with products from the Sally Hansen Natural Beauty line (inspired by Carmindy)!

Meredith at Daily Dose of Coffee continues her self-tanning addiction by reviewing Neutrogena's MicroMist Tanning Spray.

Inspired by: Parmigianino's Antea

I'm going to tell you a secret: I have always harbored a secret dream that I would be wandering around a gorgeous, Rococo museum drinking in the European classics and end up meeting a handsome young man, whom I would then talk to about religious symbolism in the works of the early Renaissance, and we would live happily ever after. It's pretty sweet.

Obviously, this hasn't happened (yet), but I still love going to museums by myself. I've never been to Europe, never seen the crazy glass pyramid or the Mona Lisa at the Louvre, nor seen Michaelangelo's David's naked bum up close and personal, but I have to say, the cities I've lived in in the U.S. have some Grade A spectacular museums.

Case in point, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (or SFMoMA)--great, great collection of Jasper Johns, Alexander Calder mobiles, Rothko, Manet, and others. They always have crazy robots made out of bicycles and things on the main staircase. The Cantor Museum at Stanford University has a beautiful rotunda and garden filled with Rodin bronzes, and Isamu Noguchi sculpture. In Japan, the I.M. Pei-designed Miho Museum is, as the architect himself says, a Shangri-La in the middle of Japan's lushest forests. (Sure, it's owned by a new-age-y cult-ish religion, but they have an amazing floor mosaic from the ruins of Pompeii.)

Here in New York, now, of course I've got the MoMA, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Natural History, and Chelsea galleries galore to enjoy, but here's the thing--I live just a couple of blocks away from the small, but luxurious Frick Museum, a converted old mansion on the Upper East Side, cuddled right up next to Central Park. The Frick houses some of the greatest European art of the past seven hundred (!) years, including my favorite, the Boucher room. Commissioned by Marie Antoinette herself, the Boucher murals are all CHUBBY WEE BABIES doing TOTALLY SWEET ADULT THINGS. Like astronomy. I love it. Maybe I am secretly Angela from The Office.

Right now, the Frick has a special exhibition of Parmigianino's Antea, one of the second-most enchanting and mysterious portraits of the Renaissance after the Mona Lisa.
Their analysis of the painting fascinates me. I love the symbolism of each piece of clothing and accessory, the awkward body-head proportions, and the sheer sumptuousness of the whole shebang. It's a rather uncultured way of saying so, but don't you think Antea represents a certain kind of lavish lifestyle, perhaps a rags-to-riches story of a woman pulling herself up through the social order using her wits and feminine wiles?

Taking Antea as inspiration, I took a little stroll through Polyvore to see if I could create an outfit that evoked the same kind of mystery and enchanting allure. How'd I do?


Gold ("Sarah Bernhard"!) dress by Vivienne Westwood, birds necklace at Shana Logic, vintage feathered cloche hat, and Chie Mihara shoes. I know, you're looking at this with a quizzical expression, saying, "Karen, what the hell?" Here's the thing. I like to take my fashion-spiration from a plethora of sources, and I find the feathers and quirky bird-themed ensemble is similarly evocative as Antea's little bared-teeth fur. It's luxe, mysterious, and captivating without the use of a whole animal's body as accessory.

Here's a challenge for you, our lovely readers! Choose a favorite work of art, a painting, sculpture, film, song, photograph, anything and come up with a Polyvore outfit--inspired-by! I recommend looking up the websites of your local museums, or sites like Olga's Gallery for European and Renaissance art. Post your pet piece on your blog and leave us a comment, I can't wait to see it all! We're headed back to the Frick tomorrow for a little college girlfriends' reunion, I'm sure to find something new and inspiring all over.


Images from Polyvore.com and The Frick Museum.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

The Sisterhood of Awesomely Cheap Pants -- what's your best fashion find?

I don't have an incredible amount of thrift store luck -- it's average to good, at best. I'm usually good to find one or two pieces, and even then, the amazing finds are fairly rare, being that I'm in one of the places where stylish thrifters are plentiful. I also keep my eye on several of the most awesome online sellers (there're quite a few in my Bloglines!), but sometimes I feel the need to go out and look for myself, you know?

So while I do have a couple of finds that I love (a vintage green coat from Chicago in Tokyo, an adorable dress from Brown Bear that I wore to the Glam party, a grey cardigan I wear ALL THE TIME from Buffalo Exchange), I found the best one back at a resale boutique when I was in college. (I do tend to stick to the resale and consignment-y boutiques versus true thrift stores like Savers and Goodwill, but I have found great things at Savers lately.)

Anyway, I'm one of those people who has about a bajillion pairs of jeans. I always forget how many pairs I have, but it's never really "enough". (Probably because half of them are always in the laundry at one given point.) So if I find a pair I like, I always think, "Huh, I do need another pair of jeans, don't I."

So I'm walking by this shop, as I usually did (it was between my apartment and campus), and they always had cute displays in the window and good deals -- the day I went in, everything was 50% off. I go in and I look around, and I notice a good-looking, practically brand-new pair of cuffed jeans and I think, "well, I like cuffed jeans. I don't have a pair that can really cuff nicely." I tried them on, I liked them, and they were $18. Not bad! Those can be my kickaround cuffed jeans. I take them to the register, she rings me up, and at 50% off, they're now $9 jeans. Yay!

Let's fast-forward a while. I'm back in California, browsing around Macy's, when I notice a familiar looking logo on the wall. Huh! That's the logo on my $9 jeans! I trot over to that section to see what my jeans were really worth. ...Yeah, it's a lot more than $9.

Honestly, I don't know how it happened that three of us -- the one who sold the jeans to the shop, the seller/pricer at the shop, and me -- didn't know what we had in that pair of jeans. But it worked out for me in the end, and they're still one of my favorite pairs of jeans. (There I am, rocking the cuffs in Tokyo.)

What has been your most serendipitous find? It doesn't have to be a thrift store or resale find, but something awesome and unexpected and, ultimately, much less than you would expect to pay for it. If you haven't found anything just yet, what's your dream find?

images from couturecandy.com and periodicstyle.blogspot.com

Monday, May 12, 2008

Your easy guide to hair modeling!

(Check me out, looking all glam with bleach in my hair. Or not.)

So when I posted about going blonde last week, Joanna asked in the comments why I didn't choose to go red. Well, because I went blonde as part of being a hair model, and so I didn't get to pick my color.

My beloved cousin S. is an apprentice colorist at a swanky salon here in San Francisco, and as part of her program, she needs to do at least one head o' hair every week. Since I'm always willing to help her out, I've gone in and been her model four separate times now: a beauty school final exam where she cut my hair, gave it a fingerwave, and then a full blow out; a full tint, where I went from mousy and old-highlight-y to a gorgeous warm chocolate; warm highlights in my short hair; then going blondeblondeblonde. It's a great way to spend time with my cousin and to get to try new things with my hair for super-cheap. I just have to be flexible and open-minded about what she wants to do with my hair, and that's fine with me!

S. is almost done with her apprenticeship, and she's getting ready for a final hair/fashion show. She asked me back in February if I wanted to be one of her models, and that she had an idea for me: "Have you seen Breathless?" Thus, this blonde turn is a test run: I'll be getting my hair cut Seberg-style again (it is pretty grown out now, but it's usually that short) before the show later this summer, and she'll touch up my blonde before the show as well. Then, after her show, S. will be a full-time (and full-price!) colorist!

So this last time, I asked S. what she feels are the best attributes in a hair model, and how we can make things easier for the apprentices who need to find models on a regular basis. Thus, here's a guide to some of the things you should know if you're considering being a hair model for a salon.

- Have what they're looking for. In other words, if you're going in for coloring, you should have virgin hair -- that is, no pre-existing color treatment. S. said, even if it's four months old, that's still no good. S. posts on Craigslist looking for hair models, and she'll get people who are interested... but already have treated hair. Also, there are salons like Bumble & bumble who have an application process and consult where they determine if your hair is suitable for what they're looking for.

- Don't wash your hair the day of your appointment. As much as you may cringe at the idea of someone running their hands through your unwashed hair, it's important to keep the natural oils on your hair, which makes it easier to work with and helps with the color process. If you come into a bleach-and-tone with clean hair, they will send you home. (You probably already know this if you're used to going in for coloring, but if you've got virgin hair (see point above), you might not!)

- SHOW UP TO YOUR APPOINTMENT. When you're coming in to see an apprentice, they're counting on you -- this is part of their learning experience, and they need you to show up and be there. Otherwise they're forced to run around and find someone else on super-short notice, which sucks. That, and you'll probably wind up being put on the "no-schedule" list for that apprentice. Which also sucks. For you.

- Be flexible. An apprentice will often be working on one certain technique at a time, then will "graduate" up to a different technique. Thus, S. and I have gone from tint to highlight to bleach-and-tone over the past two years. I couldn't have gone blonde or red when she was doing tints (we could only go darker), and obviously a bleach-and-tone is going to be lighter. So if you have a very established idea of what you want to do with your hair, what color/length it needs to be, and you aren't willing to try something new, then hair modeling isn't right for you.

- Tip! Honestly, you are getting a full salon service for very, very little (if not free!) when you go in as a hair model. And, of course, with that comes a bit of risk -- you are going into the hands of a newbie, and you're going in for something that may end up a, well, surprise. (See above note re: being flexible!) But at the same time, since the apprentices aren't yet fully trained, they don't get the perks (read: wages) that the full-time employees receive. And you'd tip your regular colorist or stylist anyway, right? (RIGHT?) So be kind, and do tip.

Have you ever been a hair model? Do you think this is something you'd want to try, or are you already established in your style/relationship with your stylist/colorist? And if you're in the SF area and you'd like to work with S., drop me a comment and I'll send you her way!

image from periodicstyle.blogspot.com

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Science Fair for May 5th - 11th

Surprise! I am actually away from my computer today, as it is Mother's Day and I'm spending time with my mom and my grandma. The internet is magic! So here are some cool things that I've found for you to check out.

- Ever want a wedding dress... when you're not getting married? Why not wear it for a month and document it on your blog? It's a really interesting experiment and a really neat blog. Check it out.

- We love Polyvore here at Periodic Style, and there'll be more Polyvore posts to come! So, in case you're in need of a better intro to Polyvore, check out IFBU's interview with Polyvore.

- Maker Faire was THE place to be last weekend (as evidenced by all of the traffic!), and so of course Fashioni.st was there. I saw many of these stylish peeps walking around -- steampunk style was everywhere, and it was amazing.

- In more SF Fashion and interview-y news, SF Indie Fashion talks with Smashing Darling, which is new to me! I'll be checking their stuff out more closely now...

- Have you read Stephenie Meyer's Twilight? Then you'll want to check out the trailer for the film version (sorry to point you to MySpace, but that's where it is...). That's Robert Pattison, the adorable Cedric Diggory from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, as Edward. (I think I'll be waiting for this one to come out on DVD so I can see it with Kati. And margaritas.)

Have a great week!

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Cute Cheap Summer Dresses

It's that time again-- time to go internet dress shopping with me! I know it's a little early to start looking for summer dresses, but I have a themed dance next week, so I need a sundress asap! As always, everything I look at is under 50 bucks.


Green and White Halter from Old Navy.
I like the twist on the classic halter neckline on this dress. The print is fun without being overwhelming, and it looks like a great dress to throw on with some flip-flops on a lazy summer day.



Blue Romper Dress from Urban Outfitters.
I may have picked this one based solely on the name itself. Jeanne's been super excited about her new hoop for weeks on end, and here is a cute little number named "Hoola Hoop," with cute buttons and a removable ladybug pin. It has Jeanne written all over it.



Striped Sundress from Delia's.
I love the classic shape of this, and the little details that make it extra cute-- the great stripe pattern and the three buttons on the waistband.



Floral Sundress from Charlotte Russe.
I love everything about this stupid dress. The only reason I didn't buy it when I went dress shopping is because it is not a dress I could dance in (too short, not enough flare in the skirt.) I love the colors (they're my best colors,) I love the print, I love the neckline and the straps. I am probably going back next week to buy this dress.


Blue Halter from Charlotte Russe.
And the winner? This gorgeous blue number. I love halters on me (I've got a swimmer's build-- good shoulders and long legs) and the skirt is flowy with room to move, and will look great while dancing. The color is amazing in person too-- really vibrant blue that matches my beloved Sephora #55 nail polish.

Now I just need to find a slip to wear underneath! Anyone have any suggestions?


Images from charlotterusse.com, delias.com, oldnavy.com and urbanoutfitters.com.

Friday, May 09, 2008

And the winner is...!



Congratulations, kowalewiczpwnz! Since you were one of the first to enter, you got an awesome necklace from Bazaar Bizarre at Maker Faire! (It would have gone to Kati, had someone else won.)

Drop me a line at periodicstyle at gmail dot com and we'll get the details squared away!

Thank you to everyone who entered, and I hope to be doing this a lot more often!!

image from periodicstyle.blogspot.com

This Week in Total Beauty - May 9

We are t-minus two or so hours until the giveaway officially closes! While you're waiting to see if you're the big winner, check out this week's Total Beauty round-up!

Beauty's Spot goes back to her college days to give you her oldest beauty secret, The Soap Opera.

Beauty Anonymous shows you Givenchy Summer 2008 Makeup Collection!

Beauty411 reviews Soaptopia, a bath line that promised to be "100% junk free"! Check it out!

Meredith at Daily Dose of Coffee actually posts a "Face of the Day" (yikes!) and reviews the new LORAC Croc Palette.

The Beauty of Life brings you the highs and lows from the celebs' beauty looks at the Costume Institute Gala.

What makes you feel your most beautiful? Toya at The Life of A Ladybug wants to know!

Kitiya from Mischo Beauty helps you determine if you’re a candidate for microdermabrasion!

Monique from Beauty Girl Musings finds a great natural deep conditioner is not so natural after all...

The Muse whispers in your ear about Benefit's new cheek stain and has a link to swatches!

Jeanne at Periodic Style goes platinum -- is it really true about blondes having more fun?

Christine, from Beauty in Real Life, offers up some phenom looks for spring for under $25.

Henna, from CanadianBeauty.com, tells you about a fabulous new scent inspired by Andy Warhol!

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Florals in the Garden

We are in full-blown spring! The local farmers' markets have started back up again, everything is green (and, um, pollen-y), and the evenings have gotten nice and long. And so, after one morning at the farmers' market, I found myself coming home with an arm full of tomato plants. (And then, after a trip to Home Depot, a tangerine tree too.)

Seriously, there is nothing better than homegrown tomatoes in the summer. So I'm giving it a go and trying to see what I can get. While I haven't taken any photos recently (guess that's what I'm doing tonight!), you can see my tomatoes' progress already. (Here's Day 0, the day o' planting, to the last set of photos on Day 20.) Of course, now that I've learned all of these tips on planting tomatoes, I feel kind of dumb for just kind of throwing them in the sunny dirt and letting 'em go. But that's what tomatoes are for, right? That and eating.

And so gardening is at the top of my mind lately, what with the awesome reoccuring column at Modish, too. It's super-inspiring and really great. (Go! Read it! I'll be here.)

Plus, since Mother's Day is coming up this weekend and I'm from a long line of gardening women, it's a great way for me to go outside and spend time with my mom, too. I used to hate all of the nursery trips we used to take when I was little, but now I wind up coming home with plants and grand ideas.

And because I'm loving all of the tiny floral prints that're floating around this spring (have you seen all of the adorable dresses liebemarlene vintage has had in her store the past couple of weeks?), I'm using florals and being out in the garden as a jumping point for a Polyvore set!



I never know what shoes to wear in the garden -- sometimes I'm stepping out in socks and sandals (GASP, I KNOW), and I'm considering getting a pair of strictly gardening shoes. The Hunter boots are so cool and would be great for rainy weather as well as mucking around in the mud. But at the same time, can't say no to Havaianas when the weather gets hot. (And you're out in the garden, not in the office or White House.)

As I said, my latest spring obsession's mini floral prints like the ones Luella showed for spring/summer (also, Ghost World as the collection's inspiration? holla!), so I picked a Luella-inspired floral mini skirt for one option, while I also picked a brighter, more summery top for the other option. I tried to balance it out with basics like dark denims (my favorite) and white tanks so it's not competing with your garden, either.

Finally, if you're going to be out in the garden, be sure to wear a fabulous hat and lots of sunscreen -- the sun may be helping your plants, but you don't want it to be hurting you, either!

What are you growing in your garden this year? Are you feeling the florals, too?

image from polyvore.com

Monday, May 05, 2008

Going platinum: can a wallflower turn bombshell?

Isn't it funny how much we rely on hair color to indicate personality?

For most of my young teen years, I wanted to go red. The original inspiration was Anne Shirley of Anne of Green Gables -- I wanted to be like Anne, smart and imaginative and brave... and red-headed. Being that I was eleven at the time, understandably I didn't do it. Going into middle school, I wanted to go red like Dana Scully of the X-Files -- brilliant, skeptical, awesome.

And whenever I'd tell someone about the desire to go red, like my hairdresser or even my mom, they'd say, "Oh, you don't have the personality to pull off red hair. You're not outgoing enough."

I think that kind of sucks. And I'm not sure if it's because I don't like being told that it's my personality holding me back from that hair color, or if it's the assumption that your hair dictates your personality.

If it had been, "honestly, with your coloring, no, red doesn't go with your skin tone", then I would have been fine with that. In fact, that's probably true too. (I don't know for sure; I've never tried.) But to be told "your personality doesn't go with that hair color" sucks.

But I've been thinking about it, and I've been thinking about how much I've been blending in lately. And it's true: I'm not outgoing, I'm not a big networker, and I'm kind of a wallflower.

I went to the Glam.com and Stylemob party about a week and a half ago. Being in San Francisco, I've gone to tech parties before and I've stood there and I've usually met one or two new people, and even then it's been because I've been with the boyfriend, who's much better at the mixing and networking than I am. I was excited that, at the Glam party, I met four or five new people. (And they were all awesome people, including Tami of fête à fête.)

But if I hadn't thought quickly and grabbed a seat at a booth and stayed there the whole night, I don't know if I would have gone out and met people. And that's not to say that it wasn't a good party -- I just don't do well at these events where people go to trade cards and promote themselves. It was so well-attended that there wasn't room to dance, and I've always been bummed that there's never karaoke at any of these tech parties. Because while I have a tough time introducing myself and handing out a card to one person, I can get up on a stage in front of hundreds of strangers and belt out a song. (Crazy, right?)

So is it because I'm naturally a brunette? Or is it all bogus?

Let's test this theory.

I've gone platinum blonde. Already it's a conversation starter -- everyone who's ever seen me brunette at least once goes, "Oh wow! You're so blonde!" the first time they see me.

I've never been this blonde before, not even as a little kid. It's definitely new, and I'm definitely reaching for lipstick and eyeliner to try to balance out this new look. I also feel guilty whenever I look at The Non-Blonde, now -- I went to the dark (light?) side! I went blonde after being non- for so long!

But you know what? I'm glad to be trying something new. And I'm hoping that maybe this will help me... well, blossom. Some big things are coming up this spring and summer, and I can't let myself shy away from these awesome opportunities. (Will there be karaoke??)

So yeah. I'm a blonde! ...Does this mean I get to go buy new make-up now? (Kidding! ...right?)

images from periodicstyle.blogspot.com

Sunday, May 04, 2008

Science Fair for April 28th-May 4th

This week's Science Fair is a little bit sad and pathetic because going to the MAC Studio Talk Class (more on that later) yesterday ate up most of this weekend's allocated blogging time.

-So I don't live in London, but I do live in a town with tons of bicyclists. This interview on London cycling style has some great tips for the stylish would-be cyclist. Another reason to wear bright colors while on a bike? Better visibility.

-Maureen Johnson, YA queen of my heart, gives us a detailed how-to for being a successful blogger.

-PastaQueen discusses low calorie food and it's overall health benefits and place in one's diet.

-What I Wore Today shows us how to make a cute faux bow with belt straps. I'm not much of a belt person, but this makes me want to be one!

-Trashionista reports on Jennifer Weiner signing a TV development deal! I always enjoy reading her books, so I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what tv shows come out of this.

Hope everyone has a great week!

Saturday, May 03, 2008

Lab Accident: "Take a Taxi to the Darker Side of Town"


So this is a slight departure from the normal Lab Accident: A bit of a double theme and a bit of no theme at all. It's Jeanne's birthday mix, and it's also a Gossip Girl centric mix, because if you haven't noticed yet, J and I are total dorks about the show.

Take a Taxi to the Darker Side of Town: 16 songs, 60 minutes.

1. The Wombats- "Let's Dance to Joy Division." (Serena and Blair)
2. The Kills- "Sour Cherry." (Chuck)
3. Yeah Yeah Yeahs- "Way Out" (Nate)
4. Washington Social Scene- "Diamond Hipster Boy" (Dan)
5. Hot Chip- "And I Was a Boy From School" (Nate to Blair and Chuck)
6. Interpol- "Slow Hands" (Blair/Chuck)
7. Starlight Mints- "Submarine #3" (Blair/Chuck)
8. Violent Femmes- "Eep Opp Ork Ah Ah (Means I Love You)" (Dan/Serena)
9. Mike Dougherty- "I Hear the Bells" (Nate/Serena)
10. Metro Station- "Kelsey" (Blair/Nate)
11. Dresden Dolls- "Coin Operated Boy" (Blair to Nate and Chuck)
12. The Sounds- "Queen of Apology" (Serena)
13. Mirah- "This Dance" (Blair)
14. The Unicorns- "Les Os" (Dan/Serena)
15. Rilo Kiley- "Wires and Waves" (Blair/Chuck/Nate/Serena)
16. Explosions in the Sky- "First Breath After Coma" (Blair, Serena, Manhattan)

Image from youknowyouloveme.org.

Friday, May 02, 2008

This Week in Total Beauty: May 2

Happy May, everybody! April went by really quickly, didn't it? And May's going to be going by even faster! But that means that spring's finally, officially, here after all of my bellyaching about "why isn't it spring yet? spring! give me spring!" that started in, oh, February? January?

Here's the latest from Total Beauty!

The Muse shares her review of Etude House's new Peach Spring Collection direct from Korea!

The Beauty of Life no longer has to suffer from lash envy with the Dior Black Lash Kit.

Monique at Beauty Girl Musings has a new favorite lipgloss.

Beauty Anonymous reviews on ck Calvin Klein's Eyeshadow and Crème Lipstick!

It may have been Jeanne's birthday at Periodic Style, but she's the one giving away a package of limited edition goodies...

Toya from The Life of A Ladybug got sucked in by Darac Beauty's Sifted Blur Powder and TorQuam brush! She doesn't want you to get sucked in, too!

Looking for a new pressed powder? Find out which brand debuted its pressed mineral powder at the Spring/Summer 2008 New York Fashion Week. A Mom in Red High Heels takes it with her to cut the shine!

The girls over at Beauty in Real Life are having another giveaway. Click here to get the details and enter the contest.

Don't know why you should be rocking the sunscreen every day? Beauty411 reminds us that May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month!

Beauty's Spot loves the Blueberry Soy Sugar Scrub by Eminence Organics.

Meredith at Daily Dose of Coffee remembers why she loved Benefit's 10 for her summer look last year.

Kitiya from Mischo Beauty loves REN’s Mayblossom and Konjac Balancing Moisturiser and tells you why!

Maker Faire '08!

Woo! Tomorrow (and Sunday!) is Maker Faire! I am super-excited to be going again this year, after having a really fun and inspiring time last year. This year I'm participating in Swap-o-ramarama, which should be awesome. (And yes, this year I will actually take pictures!)

If you see me around, come say hi! I'll be wearing this awesome Electropop Star Pendant from Zlanarama.com. And, uh, if you're looking for a brunette... well. Don't look for a brunette. S'all I'm saying. (More on this after the weekend.)

Here are some of the other bloggers writing about/planning to go to Maker Faire that I've seen around my Bloglines:

- sfgirlbybay will be there!
- tricia of bits and bobbins may be there, after speaking about wardrobe remix last year! (Some day, when I have a new camera/new living space/organized wardrobe for remixing, I will participate. Some day.)
- Charming Sam will be there selling her gorgeous jewelry!
- Modish isn't coming this year (I don't think -- she just had a big move!), but she loved it last year and highly recommends it (as do I!).
- As Coquette is a senior editor at Craft Magazine, she'll be there!

Anybody else planning on coming?

Woo! Maker Faire! (Imagine me throwing my arms up in the air a la Steve Holt.)

image from zlanarama.com

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