The Fashionable Housewife

Love Who You Are | Lizzie Miller in Glamour Magazine

The Fashionable Housewife — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:21:59 +0000

I was just reading about the article in Glamour magazine about the picture that everyone can’t stop talking about. It was a simple little picture of a 20 year old woman who wasn’t a size 0. Lizzie Miller is a plus size model who appeared in the September issue of Glamour magazine nude. A real woman, a real body, in a women’s magazine. It was actually quite refreshing to see.

However, you can’t deny the fact the majority of the American population is overweight. Being a fashion writer and a woman myself, I am torn between encouraging my fellow ladies and moms to feel good in their own skin or standing up and saying no, they shouldn’t be comfortable being overweight because it’s unhealthy, shortens their lifespan, and limits their quality of life. Not to mention what it does to your self esteem, whether you want to acknowledge it or not.

I think every woman should be confident in who she is. If you have self confidence, you won’t feel insecure with what you see in the mirror. We all have days when we get on the scale or try to get our pants on, only to pop a button and end up wanting to hide under the bed and cry. We’ve all been there and done that. But that doesn’t mean we need to learn to love ourselves the way we are. That means we need to care enough about ourselves and our well being to make changes for the better and start moving in a direction to get ourselves healthy and fit. Not just so we can look good. Not just so we can fit back into our pants. But so we can take care of our bodies, be healthy, stay fit and strong, and have a long, healthy life.

You only have this one body and this one life and if you don’t take good care of your body and give it everything it needs, it’s going to break down and give out on you eventually. Heart attack? Cancer?

My thinking is yes, you need to love who you are, where you are at in life. BUT! Have a goal, aim high and do your best to take care of yourself. If you are overweight, don’t go out and buy a new wardrobe. Start eating right, getting some regular exercise and plenty of sunshine and fresh air!

Love who you are, but always try to be better. Don’t ever give up.

Cynthia H “Love Who You Are” Bracelet

Stay strong and keep confident. And if you need a reminder, get one of Cynthia H Designs popular message bracelets. They have a leather band encasing a metal plate engraved with words of wisdom and inspiration. Choose the one you need most.

Get them on MaxAndChloe.com and get Free Shipping on orders of $75 or more.

Underpinnings – Every Chic Girl’s Secret

Sarah Polyakov — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:00:33 +0000

Under-pinnings!

Behind every chic girl is a good stylist, but the secret to every chic girl’s look is encapsulated in her under-pinnings. I just love the word under-pinnings to refer to a lady’s unmentionables. It adds a hint of mystery, a little tension, the spice of the exotic.

But, if you don’t buy that explanation, you do have to admit that ‘under-pinnings’ sounds so much more worldly and eloquent than just saying: ‘panties’, ‘undies’, ‘under garments’, or the most unfortunate term of all, ‘butt floss’. It’s always so enlightening when one is facilitating a corporate board meeting with clients and one of the women in the room feels that she needs to announce that her ‘butt floss is causing her a real problem, with all this sitting and stuff’. That’s enough to knock even dear Miss Manners off her tuffet. It’s always a shame when ladies discuss unmentionables in public, and how these unmentionables are performing absolutely untoward acts to unmentionable parts on their body. Why, the whole discussion is simply unmentionable. Fortunately, we have the lovely word ‘underpinning’ to save us from such vulgarity. The word Under-pinning allows ladies to swap secrets on these types of garments without offending any innocent, doe-eyed bystanders.

But, let’s cut to the chase here. Holiday season is here, whether we like it or not. Holiday season is literally a girl’s worst enemy, especially after we have children and start finishing our plates of mac and cheese, as well as theirs. We are industrious and well aware that people are starving in China, so every good girl knows she must finish her plate. Finishing her plate, after all, makes the world a better place! (Or at least this is a good way to feel good about indulging in comfort food after a stressful day). While others may have visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads, many of us are terrified about how that itsy-bitsy-teeny-tiny-short-ruffled-tight-red-dress will look on our….shoulders. After all, that ice cream just goes to straight to my shoulders, you know. I must be genetically gifted! (And if you believe that, I have some swamp land to sell you in Florida.) So, let’s get real, the truth of the matter is, some of us make midnight ice cream runs to the fridge more often than we’d freely admit in front of gracious company– and sometimes those ice creams runs have the unfortunate side-effect of adding an extra lump here, a fold there, or an all-out giant pair of handles, in some cases. But, like Superman soaring in to save the day, we have underpinnings as our secret weapon. And, no girls, you are not obliged to tell your friends. If your ultra-thin best friend notices you appear to have lost 10 pounds since a couple of HOURS ago, you may sweetly smile and say ‘Thank you’. After all, those girls who are fortunate enough to weigh under 100 pounds don’t need the charity of underpinnings. But, of course, as us girls cannot help but be charitable to our friends, there are exceptions to the rule. Should a friend secretly happen to confess that she has a very exciting midnight rendez-vous with a tall, dark, and chilly object named Whirlpool or Frigidaire, then we absolutely should, out of kindness, let our dear friend know about our secret underpinnings. After all, it really is the sportsman-like thing to do.

I have scoured the web, feverishly, with sweat on my brow, to find my favorite discreet under-pinnings that are also relatively affordable. A girl should not have to pay a fortune to look fabulous.

Women of America, we must unite this holiday season and demand, in unison, that “Yes we can wear that holiday dress!” We must protest, “Yes we will wear that extra slinky tight thingy and we will look fabulous!” And we must look our open closet straight in the eyes and declare, “Closet, I am not afraid of what you have to give me, I have my secret weapon, so dish it out, baby!”

So girls, run out and buy your secret weapon this holiday season, and go forth, proudly, into battle, knowing that you too are going to win the battle of the bulge!

Please VOTE for The Fashionable Gal Through SUNDAY (You could win prizes!)

Laney Knapp — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:26:34 +0000

Hey Ladies, Fashionable Gal here. I need your help!

If you haven’t read already, I was selected as a lucky finalist in Fusion Beauty’s Facebook contest for a Sephora gift card. In order to win, I need your votes! All you have to do is Fan Fusion Beauty on Facebook, visit the “Contest Voting” tab, and select me (Laney K!)! Super simple, I promise. You can vote until midnight EST on Nov 8!

As a thank you for helping me out, I’ll be giving away a fabulous prize if I’m selected as the winner. I haven’t decided what quite yet, but it will be spectacular, I promise. You can check out more details about my giveaway here!

***So please- FAN Fusion Beauty, vote for Laney K., and get the chance at a prize of your own!***

XOXO,

The Fashionable Gal

PS- Through midnight tonight, you’ll score entries into all of my other contests when you vote for me. So rock the vote, damnit!

Outfit Of The Day: Featuring Born Lewisa Boots

The Fashionable Housewife — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:00:45 +0000

Velvet Leggings by thehousewife featuring Born Lewisa

The Born Lewisa boots are shaping up to be super popular this season.

I put together another outfit to give you some ideas on how to wear them. These MEMBERS ONLY Stretch Velvet Leggings are a perfect choice for the cold winter months. You can glam them up with a leather biker jacket, studded boots and black nail polish or you can go for a more bohemian look similar to what I put together above.

You could wear them with a floral blouse, a tunic or even a dress. Pair with a cozy cardigan and bronze/copper colored jewelry for a down-to-earth outfit. I especially like how the boots look with the yellow leather handbag from Kohls.

Love these boots? Enter to win them in our SuperShoes.com Tall Boots Giveaway! (Ends 11/8)

Stylish Vegan Boots are Part of TOMS One for One Program

The Fashionable Housewife — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:00:11 +0000

I love the new line of Vegan boots at TOMS Shoes. A rubber and canvas sole extends up the leg with an elastic wrap in great fall colors like Olive and Ash, perfect for pairing with a flirty skirt. Lots of cross-over detailing and a comfortable fit elevate TOMS Vegan Boots well above most other vegan footwear.

Sometimes being fashionable moves beyond simply looking great. TOMS Shoes carries lots of great new styles for fall that are part of the company’s unique One for One program. They offer some fantastic casual shoes and boots at reasonable prices, and every shoe or boot you purchase means a new pair of shoes for a child in need. It turns your shoe indulgence into great opportunity to help someone less fortunate. Snazzy prints, suedes, corduroys and canvas give you lots of casual options.

The TOMS Youth collection offers pint sized versions of their shoes for kids that are adorable, so the whole family can be part of the One to One program. They make great Christmas presents too!

For more information on the company and mission, check out TOMS Shoes website, and you’ll fall in love like I did.

Random Posts

Nubian Heritage Natural Organic Soap & Skin Care Products

The Fashionable Housewife — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:15:11 +0000

I’ve had a bit of an obsession with soap lately… I think my 2 year old was a big influence on me on this subject. She loves soap and insists on holding a bar of soap for the duration of bathtime. Being the eco-conscious mom that I am, I didn’t want to just give her any bar of soap. Commercial soaps are loaded with Sodium Laureth Sulfate and other chemicals I wasn’t too crazy about my kid marinating in.

I started looking into homemade and organic soaps and was not real excited about the prices I was seeing. $6 or more for 1 bar of soap!

Coincidentally , a rep for Nubian Heritage just happened to email me to find out if I would like to review some products from their line. I couldn’t turn down the chance to try out some organic products, not to mention the soap!

Nubian Heritage African Black Soap

The line was created using family recipes handed down from decade to decade and utilizes the wisdom of pharmacologists who’ve been healing skin conditions for over a century with natural remedies. The partners of the company were all living in Liberia and were displaced by civil war, and fled to the United States with nothing but the shirts on their backs. The two founding partners, Rich Dennis and Nyema Tubman, worked their way through business school by making soaps and lotions using family recipes, and selling the products on the streets of NYC as street vendors. They built their two person operation into a thriving company with two brands (Nubian Heritage in Whole Foods, and SheaMoisture in Target and Duane Reed) and also have two successful brick and mortar stores.

The company purchases ingredients directly from women cooperatives and indigenous farmers in Africa, paying above market prices to help improve the standard of living for those suppliers. They are working closely with local and international organizations, including ECOSERVE and AFRICARE, to protect the integrity of ingredients and improve production processes to ensure sustainable harvests. Partnering with organizations such as The Liberian Education Fund and Todee Mission, the company is working to build schools and provide access to education for impoverished girls in Africa, many of who are suppliers of Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter and other natural ingredients.

The company was named “Emerging Business of Year” by Black Enterprise last year.

I got to try several products from their line, but the African Black Soap was my favorite. Their traditional African Black Soap recipe contains palm ash, plantain peel extract, tamarind extract and papaya enzymes. This powerful combination has traditionally been used to treat eczema, acne, oily skin, psoriasis, and other skin ailments.

I love the little bits of oats in the soap that help exfoliate as you rub it over your skin. It’s very moisturizing and leaves skin squeaky clean without that yucky residue that some soaps leave behind. It has a spicy, woodsy smell that I love. I choose musk or patchouli over fruity perfumes any day…

The best part is that their bars of soap are pretty big and don’t dissolve quickly. I’ve been using the African Black Soap for a few weeks, and the bar still looks the same size and you can still read the writing on the top. Yes, it makes a nice rich lather and rinses off easily.

You can get the 5 oz. bar of soap on www.nubianheritage.com for $3.80. You can also get it on Amazon.com for $6.79 with free shipping.

Giveaways! Clarisonic, Baby Quasar, Jewelry and more!

The Fashionable Housewife — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:18:07 +0000

Here’s a handful of carefully selected articles centered around cruelty-free products, eco-friendly, organic, and all things natural!

So now it will be easier than ever to be eco-friendly and fabulous. Being being green is chic.

The Fashionable Housewife fell in love with Retro Eco Friendly Reusable Steel Water Bottles from Olive Sandwich Co.

My Beauty Bunny is giving away a Baby Quasar light therapy system ($449 value)!

Prissy Green is giving away a Clarisonic Plus!!

Fashion Pulse Dailyis beyond excited to team up with eco-chic site Green is Black for a Thieves Racerback Empire Dress giveaway- enter to win!

Looking Sharp! is giving away two BeadforLife jewelry sets.Leave a comment to enter and win!

The Fashionable Gal is excited about Crocs Fashionable Fall Footwear. Cute styles and great prices!

Posh Swaps has been looking for an easy way to live a greener life and now she has found one. Find out more about a one stop shop for all sorts of green products in her post Wekangogreen – can you?

The Fashionable Gal found fabulous Safe, Lead-Free Toys from Green Toys Inc. Great gift idea for the Holidays!

Jewelry Twisted Silver Elizabeth Necklace

The Fashionable Housewife — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:47:48 +0000

Picture of me wearing the new Twisted Silver Elizabeth Necklace with my Rachel Pally Tunic Dress and a comfy boyfriend sweater from Victoria’s Secret.

This eclectic and almost Victorian styled necklace is the perfect addition to your Fall wardrobe. It looks like a vintage piece you might have scored at a thrift store, yet it has a modern flair to it that is unmistakable. Your friends will definitely want to know where you got this fab accessory!

The new addition to the Twisted Silver collection was so incredibly popular that it sold out in the first week! But it is finally back in stock and can be purchased for $80 on Twisted-Silver.com. Hurry before it sells out again!

Use coupon code INSIDERS to take 15% off your order on www.twisted-silver.com

Not to be combined with other offers. Offer expires 3/31/2010

We partnered up with Twisted Silver for a giveaway to offer one lucky reader the matching Elizabeth Bracelet (a $60 value)!! Congrats to our reader, Winona, for winning the bracelet! I’m sure she’ll get a lot of wear out of it!!

Retro Eco Friendly Reusable Steel Water Bottles

The Fashionable Housewife — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:40:49 +0000

Last week, when I was doing research for my post about Chic & Eco Friendly Handbags for Fall 2009I came across these to-die-for reusable steel water bottles from Cool Canteens.

I first saw them on Celery Street, a neat little site that offers a nice selection of eco-friendly, recycled, reused, and refurbished gifts, housewares, and other practical items.

They had a lovely variety of stainless steel water bottles and I immediately fell in love with the Cute Water Bottles that featured retro designs and hilarious quotes.

Before impulsively making a purchase, I googled the company to see if other websites sold the same water bottles and if I could get them cheaper! (I’m such a bargain hunter – even with semi-impulsive purchases.) I discovered that the company that makes them is actually Santa Barbara Design Studio. Needless to say, after a few minutes on that site, I had more than 1 item in my shopping cart. Among them was the Gardening Cool Canteen.

The caption on the bottle reads, “Gardening, yoga, bubble baths, medication, and I still want to smack somebody!”

Another cute design I feel in love with was the TGIF Cool Canteen and the Do Not Disturb Cool Canteen.

Each stainless steel water bottle is 10 ½ inches tall, holds up to 25 ounces of liquid and is fully reusable so you can drink responsibly. In addition, the tight-fitting screw-on cap includes a handy metal clip (a carabiner type D-ring) that makes it a snap for attaching the bottle to a purse or backpack. Good for the environment, good for you and good for a laugh!

Each bottle retails for $19.95 which is a fair price for a stainless steel water bottle. You can purchase them on Santa Barbara Design Studio. You can also get them from Celery Street via Amazon.com.

Giveaways! Marc Jacobs, Gift Cards, Boots, Bracelets, Velvet Leggings and more!

The Fashionable Housewife — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:09:09 +0000

The Fashionable Housewife is giving away a $200 Gift Card for Anne Klein! Enter for a chance to win before Nov 8th at midnight!!

The Fashionable Bambino is giving away 2 pairs of Pediped Soft-Soled Baby Infant Toddler Shoes!! Enter for a chance to win before Nov 8th at midnight!

The Fashionable Gal is having a fabulous Alight.com Giveaway just for Plus Size gals! Enter by November 30th at 11:59PM EST!

The Fashionable Housewife is giving away a pair of Tall Boots from SuperShoes.com! Winner gets to pick from 5 pairs of beautiful boots! Enter before Nov 8th at midnight!

The FindBlog is giving away a $50 gift card from beauty superstore ULTA this week. Leave a comment on TheFind Blog here to enter!

A Few Goody Gumdrops is so excited to give away Michelle Roy’s Arm Candy Bracelets. Enter to Win!

Be Seen In Hollywood takes you Elmer Ave. Spring 2010 Fashion Collection.

Being High Maintenance, not Bitchy has a foot fetish thanks to Famous Footwear!

Couture In The City trend alert time to add embellishment to your look this fall.

Fashion Cents gives away great tips on how to wear the sheath dress.

Fashion Fille is giving away a beautiful and luxurious pair of velvet leggings from Chickdowntown.com. Enter now to win!

Fashion Hippo is having an $100 Armani Exchange Gift Card GiveawayEnter here

Handbag du Jour wants to know – will you pay $995 to design your own needlepoint Fendi baguette?

Princess Dominique Dishes Fashion entices you to enter the GUESS Innocent2 Multi Strap Platform Pumps Giveaway!

Quinta Trends talks to Argentinean fashion brand: La Coquette

Shopping and Info has a $500 gift card giveaway for Carolina Herrera.

SomeoneSpoilMe.com is giving away a FREE Bottle of Dr. Perricone’s No Foundation Foundation!

Style Eyes is starting to think about Christmas (already!) and has found some very stylish Rudolph and Reindeer Fashion

StyleMaven is trendspotting a roundup of pret-a-porter perfume rings from Michael Kors’ “Very Hollywood”, Marc Jacobs’ “Lola” and Kat Von D.

What’s Haute Magazine and Shopbop.com. hope you will view Marc Jacobs handbags. Who wants some?

The Budget Fashionista hopes you will check out the collaboration between Michael Kors and Estee Lauder! Also be sure to check out the Top 5 Winter Jackets Under $100.