Steal The TV Star's Look

Every fall, television fanatics and fashionistas alike eagerly anticipate the return of their favorite shows. As always, the viewers enjoy the shows as much as they enjoy receiving new fashion ideas. This fall, Nashville, Once Upon A Time, and Hart of Dixie should be planned in to all of your weekly schedule. These three shows really stood out this season with strong leading female roles who happen to have fabulous wardrobes.

For the country girl at heart, Nashville’s Juliette Barnes and Rayna Jaymes should be your style icons. Rocker accents give the classic country look a modern and wearable feel. Wear a black leather jacket and/or black studded boots to take a casual dress from farm to big city. Of course, every star wardrobe needs sequins and the stars of Nashville do this best. Layer a sequin jacket over jeans and a tee shirt like Rayna or wear a full gold sequin dress like Juliette. In any of these looks, you’ll be sure to steal the show.

For those of you who wish you could wear a Disney Princess costume every day, reference Mary Margaret’s real-world take on Snow White in Once Upon a Time. Classic pieces like a simple cardigan and full skirt remain fantastically feminine while feeling modern and chic. Add flats or kitten heels and keep everything within the pastel and neutral color palette. For a more whimsical look, consider delicate pieces like a candy apple necklace.

For those of you who love making a statement in high-end pieces with sexy silhouettes, look to Rachel Bilson’s character Zoe Dixie in Hart of Dixie. High waisted short shorts, form-fitting dresses, leather, and heels should be part of your daily wardrobe. I know there are some of you who love being the center of  attention and Zoe Dixie is the perfect style guide for you.

It is not always easy to recreate an outfit inspired by TV shows on a budget, but with these helpful tips and smart shopping ideas, all of your fall closet can look like just like your favorite TV stars. 

Passion for Pinterest

For those of you who don’t already know and love Pinterest, I am about to make you fall in love. Pinterest was started in 2010 and is an online tool for collecting and organizing things you love. The concept of a virtual pin-board where you can organize or "pin" your ideas and passions on different "boards" has blown up in the past year and half, making Pinterest one of the hottest addictions since Facebook. There are so many great things I love about this site, but one in particular is that it allows you to have different boards for various categories such as food, fashion, and travel. People can follow each other’s profiles to search their ideas, get inspired, and you can "re-pin" to your own boards. YOu can even follow your favorite celebrities or fashion designers, such as Marc Jacob's to see what they are "pinning". Pinterest makes incredible use of digital curation, which is an easy way to share content in one place. 

I also adore the ability of having “private” and “public” boards. Obviously I love to share my passion for fashion and all the delicious recipes I come across. However, some things are just meant to stay private, like my workout and love quotes board. Personally, I have a board for food, beauty products, fashion, and my favorite, the wedding page. Now ladies, if you are getting married or have a bestie who is planning a wedding I highly suggest logging onto a Pinterest wedding board right after you finish reading this post! Looking for cute cupcake ideas? If you type “cute cupcake ideas” into Pinterest, within 30 seconds your screen will be full of hundreds of adorable cupcake recipes; remember, Pinterest is a great way to quickly find whatever it is that you may searching for. If you need a cheap alternative to a makeup artist, Pinterest is the way to do it. You can literally find any makeup tutorial to create Lady Gaga looks to simple, everyday looks. “Do it Yourself” fashion is a popular phenomenon that has people crafting away. On Pinterest you can find tons of different DIY projects such as, Dip dying your hair to create an ombre, transferring photos onto t-shirts, and making men’s shirts into a cute women’s tops. Since Pinterest is free and available on phones, computers, and iPads go log on now, create a board, and start pinning away, or if you already have a Pinterest go find a new user to follow and get inspired.

Beaches, bikinis, summer 2013 here we come!

It’s that time of year again; the sun is shinning, the tanning salons are booked, and the bikinis are coming out. The new and fabulous bikini trends hitting the beach in 2013 vary from classic to classy, with some sexy in between. Retro bikinis are making a comeback for 2013. This style includes high-rise bottoms, which are great for fuller body types and are also not as skimpy as our typical itsy bitsy, teeny weenie bikini. Floral swimwear is a trend that will never go out of style. These bikinis typically come in bright colors, different sized floral patterns, and various styles. Lingerie-like bikinis are a new trend that will be appearing on the beaches all around the world. Underwire tops, multiple straps that give off a bondage feel, sheer textiles, and one pieces with plunging neck lines and cutouts are all apart of this sexy style. The 80’s are also making a comeback with vibrant colors, zippered details, and scuba inspired styles. Now that you are dying to try all these new trends, some of you may be wondering which style is best for your figure. Luckily there is a style that suites all body types. If you have a triangle figure, which means smaller on top and bigger on the bottom like Rihanna, you should try patterns on top and solids on the bottom to visually balance your body. If you have a short torso cutouts lengthen the body and the retro trend is perfect for you because the high-waisted bottoms show off your legs. If you are on the taller side, however, ruffled bikinis take on an hourglass shape, which is ideal for you. I know you’re almost feeling bikini ready now, but the only think left is that perfect bikini body. Well, I may know some tricks to help with that. Drinking a lot of water before, on, and after the beach keeps your body flushed, full, and lean. Unfortunately, drinks you should stay away from are bubbly drinks, such as champagne and beer, which cause bloating. Even shutting your computer at night will allow you to walk around the house or do errands, which believe it or not, can take off a few pounds. Accessorizing is another great way to trick the eye and appear slender. If you’re shorter, wedges will give your legs a longer look. A drop necklace will show off you cleavage and cover-ups can show off your greatest assets, while hiding your others. So go to your nearest Bloomingdales, Victorias Secret, or Nastygal to buy these new bikini trends. And with all of these fabulous tips, I can't wait to see you all on the beach in your trendiest swimwear.

Pumpkin is the New Bacon

“I’ll have a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich. No, wait! Hold the bacon, I’ll have pumpkin sauce instead.” Well, maybe putting pumpkin sauce on your sandwich is a little bit extreme, but seasonal flavors of everything pumpkin is back and stronger than ever. Not only can one enjoy the nostalgic activities of pumpkin picking and carving, but also smell and taste the mouth watering flavors of pumpkin right within the city. Many local stores, harvest festivals, coffee shops, and even bars within the Philadelphia area trying all things pumpkin related. After much consideration and taste testing, we have narrowed down some of the best places to go and get your pumpkin on. If you are an adventurous person who is looking for a fun excursion out with friends or family or even by yourself where you can taste and buy some pumpkin goodies than the Reading Terminal Market is the place for you. There, you can enjoy picking out pumpkins, sipping on some hot cider, go on a hayride, and most importantly, devour some freshly baked pumpkin donuts as well as glazed, cinnamon sugar and cream filled donuts – just blogging about them makes my mouth water. A trip to the Reading Terminal Market is a must trip for the fall season, or any season at that. There is always something unique and exciting to do all year long. We have to say, we wish this pumpkin obsession would last for longer than one Fall season, since these pumpkins are way to fabulous. But, with pumpkin recipes galore, just because Fall is over doesn't mean you still can't eat our favorite treat.  

When to Sparkle and Holiday Attire

Do you ever see something glistening in the corner of your eye when your window-shopping at the mall? You walk up to see what it is and of course you spotted a beautiful sparkly gold dress that you just wish you had somewhere to wear. Well now you do! With New Years Eve and holiday parties on the horizon sparkles are a perfect accessory for festive attire. The best part about sequins is you can wear them in a dress, skirt, pant, or top, and if you love the look, but aren’t brave enough to bear all in sparkle there are tons of accessories with just that little spark of holiday spirit. 

Besides sparkles another perfect trend to show off at a party is the one shoulder dress and long-sleeve mini. Jumpsuits are have also been making its way back onto the streets. A sequined one with black pumps would be a perfect New Years Eve look that is unique and fun. Of course there is always the LBD (little black dress), which is a classic every woman should own in her closet. An LBD is timeless and can be used for any occasion, not only for the holidays. In fact an LBD is perfect for dinner with the family and a party with friends, and to add that holiday spark all you need is a chunky necklace, glittery shoes, or even patterned tights. The little black dress is definitely my favorite because there is one that is perfect for every body type, one that comes in every length, and one that has every possible sleeve and style. 

  

Arcadia boutique has a huge selection of dresses in all price ranges, which is always my first stop every time I go shopping for a special occasion. Old City also has tons of shopping with one-of-a-kind pieces that will allow you to stand out and shine on New Years Eve. So if it were up to me I would go out there find that perfect LBD and dazzle it up with some amazing pumps and sparkly accessories. Happy shopping ladies!

The Titanic Exhibit has Sailed into The Franklin Institute

The City of Brotherly Love is known for their many museums that host fabulous exhibits and attractions. However, they change rapidly so when a new exhibit comes to town we Philadelphians need to take advantage of them! Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition has sailed in to the Franklin Institute on November 10^th and will be docked until April 7^th. Being that it is the 100^th year anniversary of when the ships sinking, this is a very special time for the exhibit to be showcased. In case you aren’t familiar with the 1912 story of the Titanic, was thought to be the “unsinkable ship” however, on it’s very first voyage it hit an iceberg at 11:40 p.m. In all 328 bodies were found dead, many of them, however, were left to the sea. The final resting place of the epic ship is in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean at 13,000 feet. Divers have been able to recover small parts of the ship. There are 300 legendary artifacts being showcased that were collected from the ships debris field. If you want to get a sense of what life must have been like during the 1912’s and what this ship looked like in its glory days then you must visit this exhibit! I know I’ll be there. And with admission starting at eight dollars, with discounted prices for groups up to 25% off, there really is no reason to miss out on this exciting attraction.  

Donating for Days

 “IT’S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR!” Well, the holidays are meant to be. It’s when you go manic to get that ‘oh so perfect gift’ for your children, lover, friend, or even sister-in-law that drives you crazy. However, let’s take a breath from all the “Whobilation” (a term all you Grinch fans should know) and look around to see how commercialized the holidays became. Everywhere you turn there are endless streams of commercials on TV, ads in magazines and billboards, showing which stores have the best deals for Christmas. Researchers estimated that the average American family will spend $271 on Christmas gifts per child this year. But you know, there are other ways to “spread holiday cheer for all to hear” as Buddy the Elf would say.

There are so many ways to give back, whether you give your time or give donations, you will help spread the holiday cheer in The City of Brotherly Love. Helping children get holiday spirit is such an amazing gift and The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia is an excellent place to volunteer or to make donations. Philabundance is a great organization where you can hand deliver food to people in need. The Hunger Relief Center and Community Food Center are also extension programs of Philabundance, where you can further help those in need. The Lombard Soup Kitchen, in Philadelphia, needs many volunteers to cook meals for those at local shelters. Also, Habitat for Humanity has volunteers help build homes for those who are less fortunate. After the devastating Hurricane Sandy, that ravaged the Northeast, rebuilding is key for families during this holiday season. With support and involvement in the community, you can experience joy while filling others with hope!