I Love Lucite

Lucite Ottoman by Rojo 16

Lucite is not a material I’m too familiar with (although stripper heels come to mind) but I can’t help to have noticed this shatter-proof material popping up in not only fashion but home goods and even beauty too.  My round up of lucite offerings begins with the tufted ottoman by Rojo 16.  A mix of traditional and contemporary materials, this standard piece of furniture takes on a cool new look with lucite legs.

Lucite Bracelet by Alexis Bittar

 

Alexis Bittar is a well-known jewelry designer (you can see his designs at Nordstrom or other such department stores) whose trademark look utilizes lucite.  The Dark Garden Spring/Summer 2012 Collection is no exception with beautiful colored lucite mixed in with gunmetal and gold metalwork.  For high rollers, check out the Versace leather and lucite sandal from its S/S collection with seven inch heels!  And this state-of-the-art platform can be yours for $2, 225.

Lucite Platform by Versace

Lucite is a great material for clumsy people or those with kids (I’m both).  This lucite personalized tray from Etsy shop A Blissful Nestis a clear way to display perfume bottles, drink glasses or simply as a catch-all for loose items on your desk.  Probably the most interesting use of “lucite” was seen on the runways of Fall 2011 fashion week showcasing this spring’s fashions.

Lucite Tray by A Blissful Nest

At Joy Cioci’s show models wore “lucite lace” manicures of clear tips and lattice work design created by nail artist Candice Manacchio. Although not yet available at your local nail salon, this creativity was worth featuring.  Who knew lucite could be so versatile!

Lucite Nails at Joy Cioci

Summer Festival Fashion

Summertime and the livin’s easy. With summer months ahead there is a lot to look forward to: days at the beach, margaritas by the pool, bbq’s in the back yard. And music. Summertime is concert time with lots of acts going on tour this time of year and festivals all across this beautiful country of ours. What to wear to said concert or festival? Pick up the hippie vibe and get inspired with an updated seventies look complete with denim, color and crochet. Even your lips get the earthy treatment with all natural Burt’s Bees. Who needs make up when you’re this happy? Rock on!

Plenty by Tracy Reese striped dress
$198 – modcloth.com

Joe Browns vest
£30 – debenhams.com

Scotch & Soda boyfriend shorts
€90 – scotch-soda.com

Bruuns Bazaar leather sandals
449 DKK – musthaves.dk

Belle Noel by Kim Kardashian tribal necklace
$148 – cusp.com

Jessica Simpson fedora hat
amazon.com

Ray-Ban ray ban sunglasses
$145 – endless.com

Burts Bees lip treatment
£9.99 – debenhams.com

Earth Day Fashion

Earth Day is this Sunday, April 22, which is a great reminder for how important it is we care for our beautiful planet.  In addition to the everyday green living we can do such as water conservation, recycling, carpooling, etc; eco-friendly fashion has come a long way and is no longer thought of as hippie threads.  Many designers and brands are showcasing trend-driven, affordable fashions with susatinable materials and ethical practices that are as good for the planet as they are our wardrobe!

H&M has just launched its second Conscious Collection filled with spring-tastic casual and evening wear using organic cotton and fair-trade production practices.  The Swedish megastore has also joined the Fair Wage Network which monitors companies to ensure they are providing decent working conditions and wages.  TOMS is known for their “One For One” initiative in which they give a pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair of shoes they sell.  I personally love my TOMS canvas slip ons and you can make your feet and soul happy by picking up a pair of their Earthwise Slate Classics that are vegan-friendly made with sustainable materials and no animal by-products.

Looking for where you can shop for eco-friendly fashions are in one place?  Check out Future:Standard, an online boutique featuring only brands that use sustainable materials and/or fair trade manufacturing.  The sight carries socially-conscious brands such as D’Arcy, Yana K and jewelry line Ija Designs that creates cool zodiac necklaces using recycled materials and even runs their studio on renewable energy!  Now they are truly doing their part.  You and I can too by supporting these earth-friendly fashion brands and keeping in mind that every day is Earth Day.

Finding (And Accepting) Help

When I became a mom almost two years ago the decision for me to leave my professional job to be a stay-at-home-mother wasn’t too difficult.  My husband and I easily agreed it was the right option for our family (although ultimately it was my choice).  Once my son was born and the reality of motherhood set in I had some mixed emotions.  Is this really how I want to spend all day everyday?  After a couple months I realized the answer was, in fact, “yes.”  I love having this precious time with my son who is now 20-months-old and growing by the second.  But do I want a break from him sometimes?  Absolutely.  As with any job we all deserve downtime.  Hence my experience with finding and accepting help.

Once the baby was several weeks old I began my quest for a weekly babysitter.  Ideally I wanted someone who could watch my son at my home for a few hours the same day each week.  I went through Sittercity to find this person and could not be happier!  My experience with Sittercity is that it is user-friendly, organized and efficient….all things an overwhelmed mother needs.  To access Sittercity’s database of caregivers you must join as a member but worth the price to find the right, dedicated person to watch your child.  This is the most important hire you will ever make!  After several interviews and phone calls we finally settled on a young college student who to this day continues to be at our house every Wednesday and is ultimately my son’s best friend.  She has been a blessing to our family and when she moves on to bigger things in life upon graduating (sigh) I will again return to Sittercity for that very important person in our lives.

If you are looking for a little help with your family right now Daily Candy is offering a deal on Sitterycity membership at over 50% off.  A value I recommend!

Fashion & Sweets On The Fly

Ever been in a hurry to an important meeting only to spill coffee on your top?  On the way home from a long day and you simply can’t stand wearing high heels anymore?  Or how about after a long night out when you could use a fresh pair of uh…socks?  Well if you live in Boston you may be in luck.  Automatic Apparel has created a vending machine to meet your needs stocked with basic fashion neccesities such as socks, underwear and t-shirts.  Even ballet flats are available for those sore, tired feet.  All items are under $15 and in addition to apparel the machine sells simple tech accessories like cell phone chargers.  The brainchild of a Harvard business grad, the first machine recently went into effect at South Station in Boston late last year.  Talk about fast fashion!

This get-it-on-the-go idea is not alone.  Sprinkles of Beverly Hills is launching its own vending machine concept to satisfy your spontaneous sweet tooth with cupcakes.  The $4.00 vending machine item will be available sometime this year.

Easter Basket Ideas For Toddlers

Holidays have taken on a whole new meaning now that I am a mom.  Seeing Christmas, birthdays and upcoming Easter through the eyes of a child have made these days a lot more fun.  It also brings back fond memories of my own childhood holidays, with the ubitiquous photo of sitting on Santa’s lap and handing out cards to classmates on Valentine’s Day.

Last Easter my son was not even a year old so there wasn’t much to do but go to church.  This year we will do the same but also add on the traditions of an Easter basket and a couple of Easter egg hunts.  It took some hunting of my own but I have rounded-up a few ideas for simple but playful Easter baskets for young toddlers.

First…the basket.  The baskets from Pottery Barn Kids are super cute personalized and will last through the years.  Last Easter my mother purchased one for my son and I even use it as a centerpiece on our dining table filled with vintage looking paper Easter eggs in different sizes.  I also love the look of galvanized buckets such as these from Etsy shop BroddersTubs for a more contemporary look.  Of course inexpensive baskets from Target work just as well!

Now…what to put in these baskets? Older children are easy:  candy, candy and more candy.  Peruse the seasonal section at any Walgreens or Target and it is chocolate bunnies galore.  For toddlers, however, I really don’t see the need to give them anything for extra energy.  For candy alternatives I like snack treats such as Annie’s Graham Crackers, mini boxes of raisins or small bags of Happy Baby yogurt melts.  The all natural “Kitty Egg Crayons” from Etsy shop Kitty Baby Love is an adorable gift.  And what child doesn’t love a lovey? A small bunny blanket from Angel Dear provides something soft and lovable.  As a toy option Little People by Fisher Price is just the right size for a basket goodie.  Its a collection of figures in the form of different characters (farmer, bus driver, etc) and even superheroes (Holy Smokes, Batman!) perfect for little hands to hold.  Happy Easter!

Target Goes Indie With Boutique Pop-Ups

 

A few years back Target did a very smart thing.  It began partnering with high-end fashion designers making chic cheap for the mainstream shoppers of America.  Now the mass retailer is at it again but instead of joining forces with designers they are doing so with boutiques.  The mega store has pinpointed specialty shops across the U.S. that are known for their curated, focused merchandise and is bringing that buyer’s eye to the Target customer.  This new concept is called The Shops at Target and it will offer over 400 items among the five independent retailers it has hand picked for this project including The Webster (fashion),The Candy Store (sweets), Cos Bar (cosmetics), Polka Dog Bakery (dogs) and Privet House (home goods).  Genius!  For a little taster check out the dress and accessories below by The Webster for Target collection.  The mayhem begins on May 6th with a launch in stores and online.

The Hunger Games Review

I jumped on “The Hunger Games” bandwagon last year and read the three books of the trilogy.  I enjoyed them all with the first, in my opinion, being the best (as is the case with most book series it seems).  Even my husband, a non-reader for the most part, took my recommendation and dove into the first one and even liked it.  So when the movie debuted last week it was something we both wanted to see.  Going to the movies is quite an event for us considering it requires a babysitter, a few days of planning and now that we are addicted to the new Cinepolis theaters – advance ticket purchase.  We got all our ducks in a row and finally sat down last night for “The Hunger Games” on the big screen.

In short I would describe the movie as gritty yet entertaining.  With a PG-13 rating it doesn’t shy away from the raw violence of kids killing kids as described in the book, however it manages to do so without being gruesome or too graphic considering the characters’ young ages.  The film jumps right into the Reaping with Katniss volunteering to take her little sister’s place in the Hunger Games.  There is not a lot of backstory given but we get a glimpse into the desperate and impoverished life Katniess leads in District 12 and her adoration for best friend Gale and hunting; two passions that will help and complicate her role as a tribute in the Games.  The most exciting part of the movie is, naturally, the actual Games and seeing Katniss’ survivor skills put to the test.  Katniss emerges as an empowered, strong heroine; giving young girls an impressive role model beyond that of a lovesick teenager.  The concept of killing human beings for sport and the entertainment it gives the Capital hits an emotional nerve particularly with our society’s problems of bullying and the detrimental effects it is having on our children.

Overall the movie deserves the praise and fortune it has received and I recommend it regardless if you’ve read the book or not.  No matter your choice, may the odds ever be in your favor.