Beautiful Blogging ~ Fall Fashion Colors & Trends

Sadly, summer is coming to a close!  I absolutely love fall and the nesting instinct and routine that it inspires, but here in Western New York that means winter is on the way which I am not a fan of!  However, one step at a time!   I love to add pieces to my already existing fall wardrobe and I like to see which colors are new this season.  I must say that the designers do not disappoint this fall.  The colors are vibrant which lets us add that "pop" of color to our wardrobe.  I tend to favor grays, blacks, and browns in the fall so adding a pair of shoes, scarf, or sweater can take a wardrobe from dull to wow without much effort.  There are also some pretty muted colors if vibrancy is not for you.

The chart above is found at http://www.fashiontrendsetter.com/content/color_trends/2010/Pantone-Fashion-Color-Report-Fall-2010.html.  Check it out because they offer some fashion tips as well!

I must say I am in love with the Orchid and the Lagoon!  What great colors to dress up an otherwise dreary outfit!  In fact, I purchased a pair of Orchid pumps and I cannot wait to wear them.  I envision a black outfit with a "pop" of purple color via my pumps!  Ah, such little things that make me happy!  I actually can't take credit for that idea though, ha!  I was browsing through my daughter's Glamour Magazine while relaxing at the beach and an advertisement had a woman dressed in a black dress with these purple heals and it was stunning!  Fate intervened when I saw these same pumps at Kate Spade and hubby insisted he buy them for our anniversary (okay I insisted, ha)!

Which colors do you tend to favor?  Remember too that you can add to your wardrobe rather inexpensively if you think accessories.  A bracelet, scarf, necklace, purse, or whatever can add that pizazz that you're looking for!

Enjoy the remainder of summer ladies! 

Big hugs,
Jacalyn

A very special Pink Saturday ~ A Miracle Blog Party

This week Beverly at How Sweet the Sound, who is of course our hostess each week, asked that we join with Kelee at The Katillac Shack for A Miracle Party blog event on Saturday, August 28.  They are celebrating a beautiful makeover for Colette, a cancer patient sorely in need of a room makeover to lift her spirits and help her fight this awful disease!  Here is  what Kelee writes, in part, "Transforming her rental house bedroom from bleak to beautiful helped her through chemotherapy. The restored and renewed space filled her with hope. A visual reminder that healing is possible for our homes and lives....that miracles do happen. For all of Colette's story go to Guideposts Magazine on-line or go to Target or Barnes & Noble for the monthly edition. See the dreary "before" of the room -- and the challenges we faced -- on the reveal video."  So head on over to The Katillac Shack to see the reveal of this gorgeous room and to thank Guide Post for helping sponsor this amazing event!  Plus, for every comment left, one dollar will be donated so please go and leave a comment for this wonderful cause!

We are all to share an inspiration story too.  I don't really have a story but a picture!

Yes, for those who know me this won't be a surprise.  I just cannot tell you what inspiration I find in water, particularly the ocean.  I live near Niagara Falls and visit on occasion and I am always transfixed!  Someday soon I will take you on a tour of the Falls for those of you who haven't seen it!

The ocean reminds me of life in a way.  It is beautiful, for us to enjoy, to eat, to marvel!  But, you must treat it with respect and also learn to "roll with the waves."

Have a wonderful, inspiring Pink Saturday!

OXOXOX,
Jacalyn

Beautiful Blogging ~ Exfoliating

Hello!  Beautiful Blogging has returned after a two week respite!  This week I am going to discuss exfoliation!  Is that something you think about or that you regularly do?  Do we need to exfoliate you asked?  The simple answer is yes, especially as we age!  Natrual exfoliation occurs quite rapidly when we are young, but as we age, this process slows down.  Thus, our skin can look dull and lifeless, never mind the dry skin!  We need to slough off the dead, dry skin to reveal healthy, glowing skin below.  Keep in mind that anything we put on our skin after exfoliation works better.  For example, makeup.  Makeup will look so much better if you have a smooth surface to begin with. How often should you exfoliate depends on your skin type.  If you have oily skin or perspire a lot probably two times a week is good.  If you have sensitive or dry skin, exfoliate less often. 

There are so many types of exfoliants on the market today, from the super cheap to the ridiculously expensive.  What you choose is up to you!  Just remember not to exfoliate too much because this could hurt, rather than help, your skin.

~A nubby wash cloth can work just fine in removing dead skin cells!

~Exfoliating gloves work well and you can choose your own product to apply.

~Make your own with ingredients you probably already have.  I discovered a great website when I was writing this article - recipegoldmine.com - such as a great facial exfoliate Almond Honey Scrub.  Simply mix 2 T crushed almonds with 1 T honey, scrub and let set for 5 minutes.  Honey is a very good moisturizing agent, btw.  You can even mix some sugar with milk for a super scrub.  Obviously you want to use the product you make up immediately or it will go rancid.  Click here to visit the site and see all of the fabulous recipes they have.

~Of course there are sugar and salt scrubs which tend to offer exfoliation and moisturizaton.  Again, you can try making your own with sugar and olive oil or you can purchase these readily at grocery stores, department stores or even on-line boutiques : )  Shameless plug, I know but as I have mentioned before this product is what got me started in business.  It is an awesome scrub and the oils left behind are soooo moisturizing.

~Try Alpha Hydroxy products which can aid is sloughing off dead skin cells.  Be careful though because it needs to be absorbed through the skin and may be washed off before it does.  Probably lotions are best.

http://www.thefind.com/beauty/info-grape-seed-body-scrub

~There's also great exfoliants with seeds/grains to choose from.  Who hasn't heard of St. Ives Apricot

Facial Scrub!   But there are some other great ones out there that use crushed grape seeds, blueberry or strawberry seeds, oatmeal and on and on! 

Please remember that what you choose is up to you and likely dependent on your skin type.

Points to remember:

• Exfoliate weekly, more or less, depending on your skin type.
• Be consistent!  To maintain beautiful skin you must exfoliate regularly.
• Want to moisturize at the same time (if you're lazy like me, ha!)?  Try a salt or sugar scrub that is generally mixed with oils.
• Use products with jojoba wax spheres or oatmeal if you want a more gentle scrub.

Wishing you a beautiful week!

Hugs,

Jacalyn

Sources:  http://dermatology.about.com/cs/skincareproducts/a/bha.htm

It's Pink Saturday at the Beach!

Happy Pink Saturday my friends!  Is there any better day of the week?!  As you can see we have been at the beach and we had a fabulous time!  Of course I never forgot my pink friends and I searched high and low for pinks on the beach!  Can you believe that there really aren't that many?!  Unless of course you count my sunburn, ha!  But I managed to find a few, many of which I added.  Really though there is nothing better than some pink on the beach.  That's what I call perfection!

Pink toenails of course!

My pretty pink floral beach bag.

Someones pretty pink beach towel.

He, he!  This is hubby taking an afternoon nap at the beach using my daughter's pink Hello Kitty blanket!  Too funny!

MY pretty pink beach towel.  Is there any other color?

Lovely Megan in her pink shirt ("mom you better not use this picture, my hair looks terrible" oops!), checking out the nighttime view on the beach from our balcony.

The girl who loses everything (see previous post, ha!) in her pink shirt, relaxing on the balcony!

I saw the most beautiful rainbow while in Myrtle Beach.  I truly don't think I have ever seen anything so spectacular.  We saw the entire rainbow, from start to finish and it was amazing!  Jeez, I almost started looking for that pot of gold!

I am not sure if the pictures do it justice.  I was sitting on the balcony when I saw it and I tried to capture the beauty.

Oh yes, before I end today's post it's time to announce the winner of my give-a-way!

I want to thank those who visited in my absence and left such sweet comments!  So... here's my assistant, aiding in the drawing (oh and my daughter Erin too)...

Here's the entries...

It's getting exciting... Erin and Leo are choosing a winner....

The winner is drawn...  Okay I know that you can't see the name of the person that won but I can assure you Leo was supervising to ensure this is legit...

The big winner is....

Bear's Mom... aka Victoria!  Yay!  Clap!  Applause!!!!!!  You really should check out her blog HERE... stop on by and congratulate her!  Victoria I will be sending your goodies very shortly!

Please remember to visit our hostess, Beverly at http://www.howsweetthesound.typepad.com to see all of the pinkies!

Wishing everyone a very happy Pink Saturday!

Big hugs,

The Vintage Nest's Give-a-way!

You must, I repeat, you just must run over to my sweet friend Lynn's blog and enter her give-a-way!  Lynn is a Shabby Lane Shop Sister and I had the pleasure of meeting her in April.  She has a fabulous shop and her blog is such a pleasure to read!  So click HERE and visit Lynn!

Hugs,
Jacalyn

Back to reality and a great story!

As the saying goes "all good things must come to an end."  I guess that's true because how would we enjoy them then?  Yes, I am back from the beach which was absolutely glorious!  Of course you can expect me to share some pictures from that which I will beginning on Pink Saturday. 

Today I wanted to share an amazing event that occurred while we were away.  Many of you have probably been to Myrtle Beach and thus have visited Broadway at the Beach.  For those of you who have not, this is a fabulous place for shopping, dining, and entertainment.  My daughters and I thought we would spend an evening there while hubby went to a ball game.  All went well until my daughter Erin lost her Coach wristlet which of course contained her money, ID, and her camera.  She had set it on a bench to show me a purchase she made and forgot to grab it when we walked away.  It was literally less than 5 minutes but upon her return it was gone!  There was a gentleman sitting on the bench and my daughter tearfully asked him if he'd seen it.  He did not but was sympathetic.  We reported it to the main office in case someone turned it in.

Erin of course was devastated.  She had all of her pictures (more than 1000) saved on her camera, plus I had just purchased the wristlet for her.  But alas, about 15 minutes after we reported it, the office called and told Erin it was turned in!  Yay!  The amazing part occurred when she retrieved it.  It turns out that the gentlemen that was on the bench turned it in.  He told the clerk that he saw some people with it and approached them, asking if they found it on a bench.  He snatched it from them "I know who that belongs to" and turned it in!  What an amazing man to become involved and ensure that my daughter received her wristlet back.  It sounds as if the group that had it had no intention of returning it!  The gentleman did not leave his name so we don't know who he is. But, wherever he is I would like to give him a big "thank you" for becoming involved and caring about a young woman's wristlet!  I just love when it is reaffirmed that there really are some great people in the world!

Erin and Megan at Broadway at the Beach

Have a wonderful day and I will see you on Pink Saturday!

OXOXOXOX,

Jacalyn

Pink Saturday, the beach and a treat for you!

Hello pink friends!  As you read this, I'll be on my way to the beach!  Yay!  It truly is one of my favorite places in the world! I will have very little computer access while I am away so please be patient with me!  I will return your visit when I get back.

For my pinks this week I thought I would share some of the things I've been working on.  I have been feeling a bit creative this week and you will reap the rewards.  At the end of the post I will tell you more about that!

The pink label counts for my pink, right? He, he!  This is the most amazing all natural foot butter that I've created!  I love the ease of application in the lotion container!  It smells so yummy too with our Cool Caribbean Coconut Fragrance oil.

I found this tray at a recent flea market.  It was silver but I just new it would look so much better painted the prettiest shade of pink!

Everyone that reads my blog knows how much I love cupcakes!  Well, I've created my own out of clay.  Then I painted them and added a rhinestone!  Ahhhhh, I am in love!

I just adore these muslin bags!  I printed out a vintage inspired rose image and applied it!  These bags are great for little trinkets and jewels!  In fact, you'll find one in my suitcase holding my jewelry!

Love, love, love how these Lavender Sachets turned out. I added some extra Lavender F.O. so they are super scented!  I am thinking I should do rose ones too?  Any other suggestions?

I painted this sweet little birdhouse a nice shade of white and accented it with pretty pink rose paper, pink paper roses, vintage lace and a faux egg!

Visit my website at http://www.rmeboutique.com/ for more information on any of the above items!

So how would you like some freebies?  For everyone that leaves a comment I will add your name to the pot!  If you would like to follow I would appreciate it and give you an extra entry!  I love to visit those who visit me and I find it so easy that way.  If you already follow, please let me know and I'll give you an extra entry!

This give-a-way includes a Lavender Sachet, a foot brush, a mani/pedi kit, and our new Foot Butter.  I 've also recently created an awesome Brown Sugar Scrub that is all natural too!  So, I thought I would share that too!  I will announce the winner on Saturday August 21st as I will still be away next week.  Good luck!

Please visit the lovely Beverely at http://www.howsweetthesound.typepad.com/ to see all of the pink participants and to thank her for hosting this every week!

I shall see you when I get back from the beach!  Have a great week!

Big pink hugs,

Jacalyn

Beautiful Blogging ~ Self-Esteem Part II

As promised last week, Beautiful Blogging this week will focus on positive self-talk which is essential if you want to achieve a healthy self-esteem!  Click here if you missed last week's post on self-esteem.  Self-talk is a pattern of behavior/thought that we usually establish in childhood.  Self-talk is the message or thought we send ourselves all day long - "gosh I am so stupid why did I forget to pick up the milk" or "oops forgot the milk but that's okay, I'll get it later, no biggy."  Most of us are unaware of what type of self-talk we are engaging in and it can be positive or negative as illustrated above.  Is your thought beneficial (positive) or harmful (negative).  Are you aware that the type of self-talk you engage in impacts your anxiety/stress level, mood, and self-esteem? 

The first step is to assess what type of self-talker you are.  Journaling can be a wonderful tool.  You can write down your negative thoughts throughout the day or write up a summary at the end of the day of all your experiences.  When you notice that you were stressed or upset in some way stop and analyze the situation.  Ask yourself what was happening and what was I feeling.  Lastly, trace this back to the thoughts you were thinking at the time.  For example, you are stuck in a traffic jam on the way home from work.  What did you feel?  Frustration, anger, anxiety, or perhaps calm, yes calm!  Track back and figure out what your were thinking as you sat in the traffic jam "crap... now dinner's gonna be late... this just tops off this awful day I've had" or "hmmm.... looks like I will be late getting home but I'll order a pizza and have a picnic with the kids instead of cooking... oh that will be fun."  Do you see the difference?  Believe it or not, it is not what's happening to or around us, but our perception of what's happening and you choose the perception!

Here's an exercise to try in your journal:
Situation:
Negative Thoughts:
Feelings:
More reasonable, positive thoughts:
Feeling:

Example:
Situation:  I weighed myself
Negative thought:  Wow, I haven't lost any weight, I am such a fat cow!
Feelings:  sad, anger, frustrated
More reasonable, positive thought:  Okay, I haven't gained any weight and I am going to the gym so I am working on it.
Feelings:  calm, motivated

Do you see how your interpretation of the situation will impact your thoughts and thus your feelings and thus your self-esteem?  I believe that many people simply do not understand how their self-talk impacts them.  Would you call your best friend a "fat cow?"  Of course not, so why would you call yourself one?

So, are you positive or negative thinker?  If you're a positive thinker congratulations!  You may leave now, ha! For those of you that fall into the negative thinking category here are a few strategies to aid in changing that behavior:

• Thought-Stopping - when you notice you are engaging in negative thought literally visualize  a big, red stop sign and tell yourself "stop!"  Next, insert a more positive thought.  If you can't readily come up with one, think of something such as a funny joke you heard, your child, or anything that automatically produces a positive feeling.  This takes practice so don't give up after a try or two.  Keep at it!
• Change self-limiting statements!  For example don't say "I can't do this" replace that thought with "How can I do this."
• Journal, journal, journal!  Everyday take some time and process your day and figure out where negative thinking interfered using the exercise above.  If you practice this, eventually you will do this in your head as it is happening or shortly thereafter.
• Ask friends and family to point out when you are expressing negative statements so you can change the pattern immediately.
• Practice, practice, practice!  Did I mention you should practice all of the above?  Remember that any pattern of behavior that we have from eating, to smoking, to self-talk takes time and consistency to change.  Don't give up!

If you find that you are struggling with this please see a therapist.  They can help guide you in changing negative patterns.  And, the good news is, if you're consistent, this pattern can change fairly quickly!

For further reference, here's a book that I have read and absolutely love:  Self-Esteem: A Proven Program of Cognitive Techniques for Assessing, Improving, and Maintaining Your Self-Esteem - it is an easy read and walks you through, step-by-step, in changing your pattern of thought.

I truly hope you find this helpful and I look forward to your comments!

Have a wonderful week!

OXOXOXOX,
Jacalyn