What To Wear - Office Presentation with Personality

Hi All!  I am very excited to say that a good friend of mine is going to have an interview tomorrow which includes a presentation so today I am posting about my friend and what she is going to wear tomorrow.  I stepped in  to help her shop her closet and dress up her black pants and blazer to create a winning interview/presentation look.  She's got the brains, she's got the skills and now hopefully she will have a fantastic and memorable look that is polished, professional and gives a splash of personality.

The multi layer necklace will be peaking out from behind the statement collar of the satin blouse that will catch the light without being flashy.  The classic, conservative look of the black suite still has a taste of personality in this case because we added the deep purple color that can be found in the solid colored sleeveless blouse, pointed heels and fabulous handbag which will be tucked away during the presentation of course. For the nails and face, I recommend a coordinated but more muted and traditional shade and tone of the purple accent on the nails while a light mauve, pearly finished gloss tops the lips.  For interviews, natural is better than a show face but in this case, we are going for a look that the audience can see from the back row.  For an interview/presentation, try to go for the effect of a subtly colored pearlized sheen rather than blasting color, which may come off during the presentation and end up looking sloppy and undone.  Finish the face with a touch of glow on the cheeks to reflect the light as she knocks them dead!  

When in doubt, remember interviews and presentations are like a conservative showcase of yourself.  Always polished, finished and focused on every detail, add a touch of personality to your conservative look to make you memorable and let your abilities shine! 

Home Organization - Folding that Freakin' Fitted Sheet!

HEY ALL! 

I have been having a nightmare of a time this weekend doing enough laundry to fill a castle ( and I am not sure where it all came from).  The hardest part, which I usually push to the end of the list, was folding the clean linens.  In particular, the freakin' fitted sheets are what gives me the moment of insanity.  

If your linen closet/cabinet/pile looks anything like mine, then you have your fitted sheets in a big frustrated, rolled up, massive ball of a sheet.  I found this tutorial with images, that ACTUALLY WORKED!!!  I have to share this trick with you so your closet/cabinet/pile (and mine) can finally have a chance at looking like the magazines…. OR at least nice enough that you aren’t running full speed, screaming in horror, trying to stop guests before they open your linen closet J

HOW TO FOLD A FITTED SHEET

image via Martha Stewart

How to:

1. With the sheet inside out, place one hand in each of two adjacent corners.

2. Bring your right hand to your left, and fold the corner in your right hand over the one in your left, so the corner on top is right side out. 

3.  Next, reach down and pick up the corner that is adjacent to the one that was in your right hand (it will be hanging in front), and fold it over the other two; this third corner will be inside out.

4. Bring the last corner up, and fold it over the others so it is right side out.

5. Lay the sheet flat, and straighten it into the shape shown above.

6. Fold the two edges in, folding the edge with elastic in first, so all elastic is hidden.

7. Fold the strip into a smaller rectangle.

8. Continue folding until rectangle is the size you want.

NOTE: directions made for a right-handed person; if you are a "leftie" then use the hand opposite the one suggested above

4th Of July - Last minute Frozen Firework Treats

Hey All!  Happy Independence Day to you all!!!

I don't know about you all but this last week I was hit with a DOOOOOOZY of a storm that knocked out our otherwise reliable power in the area for the longest 3 days!  Oh yeah, did I mention that it was right in the middle of the latest nationwide heat wave??  well it was.  Needless to say, with the power outage, lost groceries, work and the holiday falling in the middle of the week, I am totally not ready for the 4th of July this year.

Since I am running behind I was so happy to find a great posting for last minute treats to take to the fireworks without needing too many groceries (bonus! since I lost all mine this week) and you don't need too much time.  Now that I have raved about the ease of these last minute treats, I guess I should share them so you can head out to the fireworks too. Luckily if you do run out of time for these cool treats, I have a fabulous feeling that these fruity Tea-sicles will be perfect for any hot day this summer!

My Baking Addiction

Berry-Lime Popsicles (I like 2call them Tea-sicles)

YIELD: 8 popsicles

INGREDIENTS:

8 3-ounce plastic cups
sliced strawberries
blueberries
12 ounces Berry Lime Iced Tea (or flavor of choice)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Fill each cup halfway full with fresh fruit. Add about 1.5 ounces of Iced Tea to fill each cup. Do not overfill.

2. Cover each cup with a small piece of foil and insert a popsicle stick into the center of each cup.

3. Freeze for at least 4 hours.

How Do I Wear This? Tina's Unworn Pieces (Part3)

The last two posts, I introduced some fantastic pieces from a readers closet, that have gone unworn for no other reason than the owner doesn’t know how to wear these beloved clothing pieces.   If you are like Tina (and me…) then you ask the same question that so many of us have as we look into our full closets and can’t figure out a single thing to wear.  "HOW DO I WEAR THIS????"

Today is Part 3 of this “How Do I Wear This?” post as I go through some of the pieces Tina has issues with, share how I identify what she (& each of us) love about the pieces we don't wear and Pull Together the perfect look so our favs don't sit alone in a dark wardrobe anymore. 

So, here's how you get started...

When you find yourself caught up in the confusion of how to wear a fantastic blouse or a trendy top, ask (and answer in detail) what you love about that specific top.  You can always practice with a pet, friend or try this activity in your head, they key is to literally describe the piece to you or someone else.

It would go something like this when I asked Tina for her description: 

Question- Describe this unworn top to me!

Answer- "My sister gave it to me as a gift, I love the color purple and it’s a nice purple in the front, more of a blue purple on the whole back and then navy neck.  It’s really square, so I don’t know how to wear it or what to wear it with, since there are so many colors.  Do I do purple or blue? I don’t know, so I feel bad that I haven’t worn it since my sister gave it to me.”

Try to remember my spiel from the other posts - It doesn't matter what words they use, what's important is where in the description their eyes light up and what aspect they love most!  Then, accentuate the aspect of those shoes that made those peepers pop!

Today I focus on an awesome color block top Tina received as a gift and still doesn't know how to wear.

This top was hard to find when I made the sample looks below, so I used one that was very similar in cut, shape and color.  Since these looks are samples that help us get the conceptual plans for Pulling Together looks in our own closets or at our favorite stores, so don't focus on the differences of the top, but more so on the similarities. 

Look Number 1:

Tina's purple & navy sleeveless blouse is the inspiration for this brightly colored spring look. Color block heels with a touch of the color from the blouse, pulls the pieces together without being too matchy, matchy AND adds different colors into the whole look. Skinny pants in a yellow, complimentary to her skin tone as well as the top add a lighter layer to the dark blouse. The jewelry was chosen in black and brighter yellow color pallet to really make the color blocking trend pop this Spring/Summer season. Have fun with color and turn up the bright for this fun look!

Look Number 2:

Look number 2 is a more neutral and traditional option for Tina's blouse. The classic square lines of Jackie Kennedy’s tops are back and all over the fashion scene. I couldn't help but be inspired by Jackie when styling Tina's top into an entire look. Keeping the look simple, I accessorized with a classic stack of pearl and diamond bracelets and pair of earrings. Oversized sunglasses are perfectly on trend with this whole retro  look, as long as the glasses and jewelry aren't too bedazzled, they work with the outfit no matter the color. A staple of Jackie's wardrobe is a fabulous pair of flats so I added pearl colored flats with an accent bow in the color or the accent on the sleeveless blouse. Neutral and clean lined cropped ankle pants keeps this style casual with a vintage glam flare. A modern handbag in the repeated pearl color finishes the classic look with an updated twist.

How do I Wear This? Tina's Unworn Pieces (Part2)

Yesterday, I was telling you about a fantastic question that came from a fabulous friend and reader who has some favorite pieces in her closet and faces the same issue so many of us have faces as we look into the closet.  

"HOW DO I WEAR THIS????"

Today is part 2 of that post as I go through some of the pieces she has issues with, share how I identify what she (and each of us) love about the pieces we don't wear and Pull Together the perfect look so our favs don't sit alone in a dark wardrobe anymore.  

When you find yourself caught up in the confusion of how to wear your fav shoe, ask (and answer in detail) what you love about the footwear.  Practice with a friend or mentally practice this activity when you get stumped but literally describe the piece. 

It would go something like this when I asked Tina for her description:  

Question- Describe this pair of shoes to me!

Answer- "It's a wedge in black with amazing texture, a hint of boho/artsy flare and amazingly unique cut outs in the wood heel"

Try to remember my spiel from the other posts - It doesn't matter what words they use, what's important is where in the description their eyes light up and what aspect they love most!  Then, accentuate the aspect of those shoes that made those peepers pop! 

Today we focused on the pair of shoes that Tina recently found (and LOVES) but doesn't know how to wear.

Sample Outfit Using the Above Piece:

Why It Works:

The shoe is black (although the sample look image doesn't look black) and has textured leather work so I wanted to bring out the amazing artistry in the texture of the ankle and foot straps by bringing in a similar crochet pattern  in a cropped cardi in the same color.  Texture is also reflected in the coral bangles. A fav. spring color combo of mine is Coral & Kelly Green so I paired a ruffle front sleeveless coral flirty skirted dress with a luscious green buckled bag and sweet green floral earrings.  The dress is feminine and the fullness has a slightly boho feel with a classic cut and topped with a braided leather belt pulls the shoe back into the upper half of the whole look.  Layer it up and rock it when you go out this spring!

How Do I Wear This? - Tina's Unworn Pieces (part1)

Hey Yall!
When one of my favorite readers, Tina, came to me for help I realized that I have had SO many people ask the same question (including myself) "HOW DO I WEAR THIS?"  I thought it may help all of us in our fights with our own clothing.  I have split this into 3 posts so that I can share all three pieces and sample looks.

Tina, like so many of us, has pieces of clothing in her wardrobe that fit and that she loves but the items never come out of the closet, much less off the hangers. "How the heck to I wear this skirt? It's one of my favorites but I don't wear it because I don't know what to wear it with" she says as she shows me a picture of the first item.  This is common because of a couple reasons, we fall in love with an item and not a whole look, when we first make the purchase so we only see this piece as a separate piece of clothing from day one.  Also, once home, we get used to loving parts of the clothing item and then can't picture it with any other items we own because we become comfortable in the way we have paired our wardrobe for so long that we can't break out of the box in our thinking.

Here's my advice, ask and answer in detail what you love about the piece you can't figure out how to wear.  Practice with a friend or mentally practice this activity when you get stumped but literally describe the piece.

It would go something like this when I asked Tina for her description:  

Clothing Owner - "here is the picture." 

Asker - "but describe it to me, I think the picture may not show the right shades"

Clothing Owner - "it's a really soft, light purplish,pinkish, nude sheer skirt with metallic golden copper little flowers on the ruffles (insert sparkling smiling eyes at this point) and this is dark purple sequins on the layers that lay so nicely, it's just a beautiful skirt"

I could feel the love when she pointed out the areas of embellishment and the way she described the color of the skirt, well it was so magical.  You see it doesn't matter what color or words they use, what's important is where the owners eyes glow and what aspect they love most!  From there it's easy to accentuate the areas of the piece that lit up the owner like the star on top of the tree!!

Today's post focuses on the first piece described in the above scenario, and shown here all by it's lonesome.

Sample Outfit Using the Above Piece:

Why It Works:

     I used the purple sequin trim as the accent color and the gold metallic embellishment as the inspiration for the  texture/sheen accent for this look. I wanted to keep the look from being too evening/formal by pairing the skirt with the slightly scoop necked tee & large gold statement jewelry with touches of various tones of purple. The width & structure of the cuff bracelet adds a tone of strength to this light weight softer outfit, allowing the balance for a strong but approachable work look. 

    Since the nude skirt has a pink undertone, I added barely blush flats with metallic rose gold cap toes and a rose gold structured bag to balance the flirty femininity of the ruffled skirt. If she needs to run off to a quick industry meeting, put down the black or gray blazer and grab the structured jacket in a complimentary neutral color, like nude, with edging using texture of satin or metallics to emphasize the linear cut of this soft paletted piece. 

    Don't be afraid to use a little tone on tone texture, as in the sample blazer or bag, it won't visually compete with the pattern on the skirt as long as you keep similar proportions and the pattern is all one shade. carry the metallics through the makeup as well as the darker skin tone should feel free to play with more pigmented purples & roses for spring.

A Healthy Push Pop Snack

Side Note: It's been a LONG time since I have logged on and posted anything and well, I just don't feel as pulled together as I feel I should be in order to actually talk about being Pulled Together.  Does that make sense?  I don't know, it seems to be the way things are going lately as I am sure everyone has experienced before.
I don't mean to say that I haven't missed hearing from you all and especially learning from each other, I just haven't had a spare ounce of energy to squeeze in blogging or projects. I may write occasionally as I can find time and energy to do so, but I expect to be taking a little break until I am back up to speed.

So, I wanted to write a quick post  to tell you all HeLLo and give a little taste of something good that I recently ran across.

On Bubble and Sweet, there was an amazing snack treat that I just couldn't stop thinking about, so I want to share the fantastically healthy treat with you so we can all enjoy the fabulocity in this super early summer weather.  I hope you enjoy this snack and you Pull Together your healthy lifestyle (or fake it 'til you make it).  I like to put my little twist on these babies by freezing them after I put the Push Pops all together.  It seems to be less of a mess, they last longer and frozen snacks are just more closely related to ice cream so they feel more like desserts when I freeze them.

Here is Bubble and Sweet's posting and I would love to hear how you put your spin on this treat! 

Yogurt, Seasonal Fruit and Muesli Push Pops -You can make it up any way you like but this is what I did:

Ingredients:

• Yogurt (I used The Original Greek Yogurt Co Passionfruit and Lemon Curd yogurt)
• Muesli (I used cranberry toasted)
• Seasonal fruit (peach, blueberries and raspberries)

Instructions

• Spoon in some yogurt until 1/3 way full
• Sprinkle in a couple tsp muesli
• Add some finely chopped peach.
• Add more yogurt until nearly at the top of pop
• Sprinkle another tsp of muesli 
• Garnish with some more fruit.

DIY & Organization - Update A Used Plain Shelf

Everyday (or more realistically, every week) I continue my mission to organize and update my home to make daily life more efficient, enjoyable and basically more Pulled Together. If you are like me then you haven't won the lotto and don't have an unknown wealthy aunt that left you bazillions of dollars to play with, so you don't have unlimited money to buy the latest and greatest organization tools.

I have plenty of shelving that I have picked up over the years and since it has been picked up over years, it has also gotten bumped and scraped over those years of living.  I end up putting them in some storage space to wait for a place to use them where the chipped edges can't be seen. It never happens, so I go buy another shelf to hang on the wall and waist space storing the messed up pieces.  Today I saw the GREATEST idea! I am always collecting coupons, lists and sticky notes that I left around the house, why kill two birds with one stone and cover those unsightly blemishes on the edges of my shelf with pieces of cork?!?!?!  

Cork is so inexpensive and can be cut to any shape, very easily! You can use wine corks from memorable nights, or buy a flat roll... it's totally up to you! Use some E6000 to glue the cork to the edges of your shelf and create a place to collect all your papers AND display books or collectibles.  Find some pretty push pins and start beautifying your collection of papers and piles rather than... well... piling them.

Don't throw away your used organizing tools just because they have been bumped and bruised a little, UPDATE using your creative DIY skills!  Send me some of your updated organization ideas.

Goodies & Recipes- Valentines Cake Pop Treats

I got really interested in making cake pops when I realized that my cupcakes could get even more fun if they were accented with smaller cakes!  Since then I have received a cake pop pan as a gift but haven't gone to the store to get sticks, so I am still in that "excited but not experienced" stage of Cake Popping.  I look for inspiration for my cake pop intro all the time and now that Valentine's Day is coming up I have been finding great recipes and such cute little pops so I thought I would share one from Bubble and Sweet that I may use as my first attempt at cake popping.


I hope you are inspired to try something new and Pull Together this sweet treat for all of your special Valentines!

Love is in the Air cake pops with cute birds and hearts for valentine’s day

Love is in the Air cake pops
It is best to start the decorations for these pops the day before to make it easier to handle the fondant decorations. The fondant decorations can be replaced with royal icing or premade - shop purchased decorations if you like.

INGREDIENTS:
cake pop mixture (any type)
lollipop sticks
white candy melts
fondant colored blue and pink - you will only need a small amount  about 1/2 the size of your fist.
Flower shaped fondant or cookie cutter (4cm (1 3/4inch) 
Heart shaped fondant cutter - approx 1.5cm (5/8 inch) in height
Tear drop shaped fondant cutter - approx 2cm (3/4 inch) in length
heart shaped sprinkles
edible pen

These are the fondant cutter sets I got my cutters from

INSTRUCTIONS:
1st Day make the heart and bird fondant decorations

Knead the pink fondant and roll out on a corn flour (corn starch) dusted workbench with a small plastic rolling pin. Use a heart shape fondant cutter to cut out hearts and then lay them on a tray lined with parchment paper. You don't have to but I like to pinch the bottoms of mine to go to the side, or you can leave then like normal hearts. Allow them to set overnight.

Knead the blue fondant and roll out on a corn flour (corn starch) dusted workbench with a small plastic rolling pin. Use the tear drop shaped fondant cutter to cut out shapes and then lay them on a tray lined with parchment paper.

Pinch the tail and pull it up to look like a bird and then quickly press a heart sprinkle into each tear shape (see picture for directions).

If you have worked quickly the sprinkle should stick to the fondant, however if you have taken too long the fondant may have dried out already. In that case you can use a little royal icing, edible glue or melted chocolate to attach the heart.

Use an edible pen to draw on a little black dot for an eye.

Leave to set overnight.



2nd Day make the cake pops 

Holding the flower/blossom cutter between your thumb and pointer squish together to shape into a mini cloud.

Line a tray with parchment paper and place the cloud cutter on top of the paper lined tray. Take a few teaspoons of the cake pop mixture and press it into the cloud cutter pressing down firmly until it is evenly packed in, turn it over to check that there are no gaps underneath. Use your fingers to gently press the mixture out of the cutter so it remains on the lined tray.  Place tray in fridge to chill until firm

Melt up a bag of white melts/ candy coating. Mix in quite a bit of copha or paramount crystals during the melting process until the mixture is very fluid (but not so much that it is watery). The mixture should be like thick cream.

I melt my chocolate in the microwave on medium low, medium is too hot and high is way too hot. If you heat your chocolate at too high a temperature it will burn and not be salvageable for dipping.  Remember medium/low for short bursts of 60 to 90 seconds.

Grab a bunch of lollipop sticks. Holding one end of the stick dip the other end into the melted chocolate/candy coating and insert it into a cloud cake pop shape so the stick is sitting in the bottom side of the cloud and the stick is parallel to the tray. Repeat for remaining clouds.

Place the tray back into the fridge to chill for 10 minutes or until the sticks are secure. 

Make sure the chocolate/candy coating is still melted, if needed remelt in the microwave. Holding the end of the stick dip the whole cloud cake pop into the melted chocolate/candy coating. Lift it up and allow as much of the candy/chocolate mixture to fall off as possible. tap gently on the side of the bowl if necessary. Place upright in a stryofoam block to set.

Once set you can lay the cloud pops back down on a tray to work on. Using a toothpick take some of the melted candy coating and stick a bird and heart onto the front of each pop. Allow to set and then using an edible pen draw 2 small lines to look like a beak coming out of the blue bird shape (see pic below)

Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

  ***and if you’re a bit of a fan of bird pops, check out Bubble & Sweet’s book Sweets on a Stick, there are instructions for cute bird cake pops and even cuter birdhouse pops.

Wear to Work - Layers & Patterns for Winter

The weekend is over and for so many of us, that means facing the work week yet again and juggling the professional look with attire that is both comfortable and weather appropriate. Pantone's Fall/Winter 2011-2012 colors inspire me to create some fantastically color trendy career sets. I hope that you are inspired to cozy up with these fabulous colors this winter! If your office is like mine, then you don't know if it's going to be a thousand degrees or forty... so layers are key!

As always, I have given you the links to these exact pieces but I urge you to use this outfit as inspiration as you shop in your own closet for similar looks. You may just take a portion of the outfit for your own work look but no matter how much you like or dislike of this particular look, just try to expand your horizons and change with the seasons.

Don't ever change who you are, but never stop growing (and that means as a fashionista either)!!

Getting These Pieces:

• Checked jacket $35 - coldwatercreek.com
• Tall Marisa Synthetic Trousers - $70 $45 - loft.comBallet Flat Shoes - $13 - hm.com
• Tunisia triple drop earrings $40 - coldwatercreek.com
• Skinny Tapered Bangle  $55 - alexisbittar.com
• NARS Nail Polish: Bad Influence $17 - barneys.com
• Valentino Handbag  $1,995 - holtrenfrew.com

What to Wear - Stay Home Snow Day

As the warm streak ends across most of the country, it's easy to slip into hibernation mode and throw on some comfy sweat pants because "no one will see you anyway", but STOP THE NONSENSE!  ha, just kidding about the yelling but I am not kidding about needing to stop the grunge wear.  Lift your mood and lift your confidence by getting out of that hibernation mind set before it sets in.  You can be comfortable and warm without looking like you borrowed your big brothers gym clothes and have been wearing them since high school. Lol!

So, you ask, "What should I be wearing on snowy winter weather days at home??"  Check out this layered look with plenty of comfort and plenty of warmth without the tiniest piece of anything remotely sweatsuit looking.

Texture, texture, texture! That is the key to looking cool and staying warm this winter! Mix and match textures while sticking to a simplified color pallet and you can't go wrong. Get inspired by this look, the concepts or just the individual pieces and Pull Together a look you would be proud to answer the door wearing!

Get these pieces:

• Fiona Button Thru Tunic $60 - fatface.com
• Halston Heritage Sleeveless $257 - my-wardrobe.com
• H&M Leggings $9.41 - hm.com
• Jimmy Choo Morsey Jelly Flat $250 - dsw.com
• Red clasp detail shoulder handbag $35 - debenhams.com
• LeVian 14Kt.Strawberry Gold Ring $2,900 - lordandtaylor.com
• Fausto Colato Cavallino Leopard Print Belt $159 -mytheresa.com

The Look 4 Le$$:

• Faux-Fur Vest $37.38 - Dillards.com
• Red Flats with Faux-buckle $25.99 - 6PM.com
• Bold Multi-Gem Ring $200.49 - QVC.com
• Leopard Print Belt:Journee Collection Women's Patent Leather $22.99 - Overstock.com

Weekend Warrior - Wall Galleries

I have been a fan of pictures all my life!  Photos capture memories, paintings capture emotion, signs capture a message, and so on and so on.  This is why it has been a really big challenge for me to find enough space in my home to showcase all the pictures I have collected and continue to collect through out my life, especially if you have limited wall space.  This post is about challenges, options, tips and solutions when trying to surround a home with memories & art to remind me and inspire me where ever I may be.

I hope you are inspired to Pull Together your home and your special art, photos, and inspiring decor!


Challenge 1:
With the limited money and time and taste that changes faster than the seasons do, it's a big challenge to find, buy and hang a larger statement pieces that also brings together ALL of the art and photography I want to display. No offense if this is your house, because it looks warm and set up nicely with great details BUT the art is hung traditionally and sparingly. One statement piece above each couch... it's ok, but nothing memorable and hardly inspiring.

What to Wear - Casual Warm Winter

Hi All! I know that there have been gaps in posting lately but between projects, work and life in general I have found almost no time to upload my pictures from my pain in the neck phone and my camera.  I hope to do that as soon as I can.

In the mean time I wanted to post another outfit that will inspire you to mix up your textures and cozy up as we start hitting some colder temperatures.  There is no need to look like the little brother in A Christmas Story movie (see below), when you can look Pulled Together and be just as warm as that immobile little guy!

The "Better" Way To Stay Warm:

These Exact Pieces:

• Classic Cashmere Sweater $99 - llbean.com
• ELLE Faux-Fur Crop Jacket $30 - kohls.com
• Frye Veronica Slouch Boot $348 - zappos.com
• True Religion Brand Jeans $110 - nordstrom.com
• Shopper Bag - amazon.com Coach Large 
• Necklace Simply Vera Vera Wang $42 - kohls.com

Look 4 Le$$:

• Classic Pullover Off white Sweater: $14.99 Kmart.com
• Faux Fur Vest: $39.99 Love Your Style 
• Faux Fur Vest - HMANH Sweet Fur Vest: $27.64 DinoDirect.com  
• Riding Boots - Candies Tall Boot: $59.97 Kohls.com  
• Riding Boots - Women's Tipper Tall Knee Riding Boot: $24.99 Bongo  
• Jeans - Mango Women's Super Stretch Skinny Jean: $59.99 Amazon.com  
• Jeans - Skinny Jean Bridge Wash: $49.95 NY&C.com