THIS BLOG HAS MOVED!

We're getting pretty fancy over here. Check out the new blog (I moved all the old posts as well) at wordpress. www.applyyourselfblog.com

We've moved!

I'm trying out typepad - so please go to www.prettyplease.typepad.com to check out our new site. I'm going to keep making improvements to the design so let me know what you think!

Look Good - Feel Good

I am a firm believer in the "look good, feel good" philosophy. Wearing something that makes me feel extra spiffy really adjusts my mood and gives me added confidence - especially on days when I have important meetings and don't really feel like I belong there. Lately, my favorite "look good" item is my dress from Banana Republic that I blogged about before but I also have a pretty awesome new belted top that makes me feel at the top of my game. What are your favorite "look good" items?

By the way, I'm wearing my new red patent leather pumps today...and I feel pretty dang snazzy.

What's With All the Ugly?

I went shopping yesterday and stopped by the BP section (Juniors) at Nordstroms and kept thinking to myself "everything here is a damn mess!" (excuse the language, but it is necessary!). This whole "back to the sixties" thing bought us some cuteness - the mod dress, the high boots. But what is with all the ugly patterns? It's not even attractive - my dad calls attractive people "easy on the eyes" and these tops and dresses definitely were not. Here are some of the worst offenders (also brought to you by Reference):

Ew.

What the....?

It's almost like a Christmas sweater dress.

Recently, I have been totally turned off by these kinds of clothes and find myself lusting after Banana Republic fall collective - so chic and yummy. I just ordered this gorgeous dress that I can't wait to arrive. Isn't this so much better than all that sixties craziness?

Keep it Simple

Sometimes something doesn't have to be the latest and greatest to be one of the best products out there. Case in point: The Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque (usually costs all of 4 bucks at any drug store). This stuff has been around for AGES and it's just the best deep cleaning, pore-shrinking mask out there, in my humble opinion. Whether or not acne is an issue for you, this mask is great for tightening up your pores and refreshing your skin. I've been using this since freshman year of college -somewhere between once a month and once a week and I just love it and HIGHLY recommend it.

On a side note - can I just say that my amazing husband designed and printed notepads for me for my birthday that match the colors of this blog and include the website address on the bottom. How sweet is he? He says that he's proud I'm writing, even if it is about all things pretty.

Quality Versus Quantity

I have a lot of clothes. A lot. My college roommate was pretty shocked by the amount I brought in freshman year - and ever since my roommates have been a little taken aback by the sheer volume of options I bring with me. However - I probably don't consistently (or even ever) wear 75% of what I own. Pathetic, huh? I tend to get into a bit of a frenzy when I shop and make some bad choices just because there might be some aspect to the shirt or pants that I like and I figure I'll just deal with what I don't like about it. The problem is that I typically don't wear the "problem" clothes at all and rely on a small number of staple pieces that I really love. I've decided that I need to become a more critical and savvy shopper. If I'm going to buy something, there needs to be a good reason and I'd better LOVE it - because seriously, otherwise, it might never leave my closet.


So, this week, I spent more money than I usually would on a dress that I absolutely love from Banana Republic. I didn't even think it would look good on me but I tried it anyway, and it's just great. It's surprisingly flattering on my "guitar" shaped frame - I thought a lot about the fit and it's great - comes in at the waist but floats away instead of clinging to my hips. And I love the little sleeves and the neckline. It's perfect for fancier days at work - like board meetings or Amethyst Ball committee meetings, days when I need to look extra sharp. And I feel so confident in it. Now, this dress wiped out about half of my clothing budget for the month, but it's worth buying this one great piece, than five pieces I might never wear but give me that shopping high. NOTE: Now, if I was extra savvy like some of my friends, I would wait until the dress went on sale and then still have the dough for other things...but hey, one step at a time!

The New Man in My Life - Oscar Blandi

Shh, don't tell Chris. Oh don't worry, the new man in my life is just a hair stylist who I've never met...but his products are really doing a number on my hair...in a good way! I just realized that I've started quite the collection of Oscar Blandi products - and decided to learn a little about the man behind the gorgeous hair. Apparently he's Italian and always uses ingredients that remind him of Italy in his products - like Jasmine Oil and Eucalyptus (I didn't know those were particularly Italian). Anyway, I love his stuff and since Sephora's return policy has bolstered my confidence about trying new things, I've accumulated quite a few items from his line (the problem is that they are so good I don't return them!).

First of all, there's the dry shampoo. We've talked about it before...it's magic.

Before I discovered the dry shampoo I got the "Trattamento al Fango" (I'm getting so Italian) - it's a marine mud mask...for your hair. I use it as a deep conditioner about once a week and first of all - I'd just use it because it's amazing smell - but it also revitalizes my poor fried ends.

Next I tried the Proteine di Jasmine Protein Mist for Restyling Hair - this is great for the days I don't wash my hair, I use the dry shampoo on the roots and the restyling mist on the ends and it seems to protect the ends from the additional damage of getting flat ironed again and freshens everything up. No one liked stale hair.

Last night I picked up the Jasmine Oil Hair Serum - the stuff is great! I put it on the length of my hair and put my mousse on the roots and it just smoothes everything out, protects it when I'm styling it and leaves it so soft and manageble all day. The stuff is dang expensive but since I used literally three drops today, I think it'll last a long time. Gosh, I've bought a lot of hair stuff lately. At least I'm spreading it out over like 6 months. Anyway, next time you're ready to try a new hair product and spend a little more - go to Sephora and check out their Oscar Blandi selection. And hey, if you don't like it, you can always take it back!