gold and sequins and glamour, oh my!

A trend that has continued to grow over the past few seasons I have dubbed Neutral Glamour. It is a subtle take on luxury - a mixture of subtle neutrals and the shimmer of gold, rose gold, sequins, glitter, or the like. And, I think it's marvelous. It's not meant to be overwhelming or gaudy. It is simply meant to make your average day a little bit more special. Here are some inspirations...


 

October Shopping Bag

October Shopping Bag by jenmarshall featuring long dangle earrings

instant gratification

"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth."
                    Billy - age 4

You have probably come across, at some point in your lifetime, the chain email that quotes children on what they believe to be the definition of love. I had this email forwarded to me again this week, and I couldn’t help but smile. This is why I have decided to post a description every so often - so we can take a moment to look at the world through the humility of a child.

a case of the Tuesdays

Sometimes Tuesdays are harder to get through than the dreaded Monday. Usually Monday brings with it a fresh beginning, a happiness-high from the weekend, and the much needed structure that many of us need. Tuesdays, on the other hand, are when the high has worn off and the stress of the workweek has officially set in.

What we need is a treasure box full of Tuesday Turn-Arounds - things that pull us out of the funk. That can be something different for every person, but I have done a bit of research and found a few that are guaranteed to brighten up your Tuesday (or Wednesday, or Thursday…).

music

Some people like to have music constantly playing in the background. Others get distracted (or work in an environment where that is not possible). Either way, slipping a little bit of music into your day will be sure to change your mood. If you are playing music throughout the day Pandora or Spotify would be your best choice. Pandora is free (with ads), and Spotify costs around $9/month and comes with all kinds of cool features.

If you have to slip your music in wherever you can (the drive home from work, your lunch break, while cooking dinner…), having a go-to playlist is the way to go. Since you don’t have time to skim through songs you don’t like, having this playlist will instantly put you in a good mood. Take the time on a weekend to update your music collection, and make a playlist with 15-20 songs that always brighten your mood.

5-minutes happy break

Take five minutes to scan Pinterest, or play Words with Friends. Research shows that a 5-minutes “mindless task” taken every hour or so keeps the mind sharp and eases exhaustion. Keep in mind, this does not mean switching from one task to another for five minutes. This time is meant for your brain to reset. Your task should involve not much more that slashing cartoon fruit or flipping through pictures on your Instagram.

snacks every few hours

For optimum mind and body function, having a “snack” every 2-3 hours is key. For example:

• a small bowl of whole grain cereal at 8am
• a banana and a handful of nuts at 10am
• a slice of whole wheat pizza with veggies at 12pm
• a serving of strawberry Greek yogurt at 3pm
• half of a chicken breast and a small serving of mixed veggies at 6pm
• hummus and carrots at 9pm
• a scoop of raspberry sorbet sprinkled with a few semi-sweet chocolate chips, if needed

Keep in mind that in order to snack so often, your “meals” should stay fairy small. It might be a hard adjustment at first, but once you get the hang of it, those frequent bursts in nutrition will start to have a positive effect on your attitude.

Here is a list of good snacks:

• Banana
• Egg and low-fat shredded cheddar cheese taquito
• Low-fat chocolate milk
• Half of a Naked Green Machine
• Cheese slices and grapes
• Hummus and Truiscuts
• Greek yogurt (Trader Joe’s has a delicious Strawberry Vanilla flavor)
• Handful of raisins and nuts
• Popcorn
• Boiled egg

More can be found *here*

a walk-about

My mom has a Yorkie who is 11 years old. He spends most of his days on the couch. But every so often, even if we are sitting with him, he will hop down and take a stroll around the house. He’s really not doing anything except stretching his legs and getting his blood flowing.

Take guidance from nature. The natural habit for an animal who does not see a lot of movement in his day (almost like sitting in a cubicle for 8 hours) is to get up every few hours and move around.

product of the week

Fergie by Wet & Wild - Glamorous

Review:
As you know, Neutral Glamour has been a huge trend for me this season. And what represents neutral glamour like nude nails with a hint of gold sequin? Fergie's Wet & Wild line (available at drugstores) runs for about $4 - and it is a perfect match for the $20 Deborah Lippmann Nail Lacquer (shown below). The shine is perfect, and as an added bonus any scuffs or mucks are camouflaged by the sequins. How glamorous!
To buy: click here