D is For....

Detox Diets. While these diets have been around forever, they seem to be all the rage now and have fully made a revival. Ridding your body of toxins, weight loss and mental challenges are a few of the benefits of performing a cleanse. If you have the willpower to complete one, there are several different types of Detox Diets to choose from. Some include liquid-only, vegan and raw food cleanses. Probably the most popular and well known is the Master Cleanse Diet in which you subsist on water, lemonade, Grade B maple syrup and Cayenne Pepper for a minimum of ten days (aka Beyonce losing 20 lbs for Dreamgirls). I've tried this one and couldn't make it past day 4....incredibly hard. Tomorrow is the beginning of a new month, and would be the perfect time to make a new, clean start. Pig out tonight, cleanse tomorrow.


*The LA Times wrote a great piece about the Master Cleanse and it can be used for motivation. Observe.

Pic from USATODAY.com

Scam WOW!

I am a sucker for infomercials. But I have never actually pulled the trigger and purchased anything until now. I was perusing through my local Bed Bath and Beyond and I spotted it....the Holy Grail of TV products. The Sham Wow Set. I thought that a measly $19 was such a bargain, considering how much money I would be saving on paper towels. Ohhhhh was I wrong. I promptly went home, dumped water on my counter and began to sham. That damn cloth got so wet and limp, I was reaching for the Bounty Quick Picker Uppers in a snap. Honestly I have no idea how they got the cola out of the carpet in that commercial....after my personal experience with Sham Wow, it seems unfathomable. So that's it. Dreams of Shamming my car all summer were crushed. I guess the only hope I have now is .....the Snuggie.

C is For....

Candles. There is no quicker ambiance changer than a candle. And lets be honest, everyone looks better in recessed lighting. I dislike candles that smell like any sort of baked good, and tend to steer more towards fresh scents. My all time favorite candle is Pomegranate & Patchouli from Voluspa. Honestly I know it sounds like a weird combo, but the smell is amazing and infiltrates and subsequently lingers in rooms for quite a while. Actually all Voluspa candles are great because the scents permeate from the candles without being lit.

2 other candles worth mentioning are:

• Definitely the Casuarina candle from the India Hicks collection at Crabtree and Evelyn. If you don't know India Hicks, her father David Hicks was a brilliant interior designer in the 60s and 70s (I particularly love his tablescapes).
  

• White Cream by the White Barn Candle Company. Totally refreshing and understated. It was discontinued a while ago, so if you come across one snap it up.
  

Loathing....

People who hold out the camera, take pictures of themselves, and proceed to post them on Facebook. Honestly, how vain can you be? I find it so utterly annoying that people spend their days doing this. No, what you think is a sexual face (no teeth smile, half crooked) is not hot, you look like a troll. No, people who see these pics do not think you look cute, they are making fun of you for loving yourself so much. And on a final note, however good you think you look in these these pics is denoted about ten degrees after you actually put them online.

Sorry for the bitch fest, I am just shocked by this trend.

B is For...

Braids. I'm growing out my bangs right now, and without some sort of game plan I may end up looking like Ace Ventura. The braid will be my biggest ally in accomplishing this monumental feat. This easy step-by-step video from the geniuses at Lucky magazine is key in creating a new and fun look. The braid can also work for day and night which is a huge plus.

Nostalgia.

Today, our weekends are consumed with vodka, fast food runs and errands. But there once was a better time, a simpler time, when our weekends were filled with amazing TV. Think back to grade school. Was there anything better than T.G.I.F or Snick? Literally you paced back and forth waiting for your mom to pick you up from Latch Key so you could make it home in time for T.G.I.F. Ahhhhh remember curling up on the couch and getting a television high from Family Matters, Boy Meets World, Step By
Step, Sister Sister and Sabrina the Teenage Witch...
I mean seriously. They just do not make TV like that
anymore. And the best thing about grade school weekends is you got to have intense TV nights back to back. SNICK on Saturdays was just as bomb. Clarissa Explains It All (remember the hot neighbor with the ladder), Are You Afraid of the Dark, All That and The Secret World of Alex Mack. Good Stuff.

A is for....

Alexander McQueen. I have always loved his lavish avant-garde designs and considered him one of the most innovative designers in today's fashion world. I was THRILLED upon learning he would be putting out a line for Target...and after review, it is more practical and wearable than I imagined. It has an Anglo punk rock vibe and I can forsee the leather vest being the perfect topper to many of my outfits. Become a part of McQueen mania and pick up a few of his pieces at target.com.



*Picture from whowhatwear.com

Page Turner.

If you are looking for a fun, quick read definitely check out Love the One You're With by Emily Giffin. The author of Something Borrowed, Something Blue and Baby Proof sticks to her roots with this book giving us all the conflicts and complicated relationships we have come to love and expect from her. No brain busting book club discussions needed for this selection, but the engaging plot does evoke questions about marriage and how to know if he is "the one." I suggest having a few friends read this at the same time to compare predictions. Enjoy!

Word Up.

This word isn't necessarily new, but I have been using it so much over the past few months that I thought it needed mention. So your new flavorful word is.....Dumpy.

Dumpy can be related to almost anything. It just conveys anything that is sub-par and kind of gross. It can be applied to moods, personalities, people, clothes, etc. The word just conveys that overall feeling of shabbiness/lameness.

Examples: I feel dumpy today. This restaurant looks dumpy. Ummm Jessica? Those jeans make you look sooooo dumpy. --->
(To clarify: not fat. just dumpy)

Fun fact- Tarchiato is the Italian translation of dumpy. Even in another language, this word gets the point across.

Is It Time?

Today something awful happened. The Velcro on my towel dress failed to stick together....after repeated tries. No, I do not think you are understanding the magnitude of this problem, seeing as I live in this thing. Even when I do get it to stick, it pops open during inopportune times such as when I'm standing in front of a mirror or hunched over lotioning....both bad on the eyes. A dilemma rises here. I can either A) Order the same proverbial towel dress from Victoria's Secret or B) Become a big girl and buy a real robe. I have been looking into option B and have found the most amazing and seemily luxurious robe around. This one --> from Catriona Mackechine seems like the perfect replacement. Buuuuut it's price tag is not too desirable. I guess I could justify it as a necessity right?

Deeee-lish.

So the hotel I'm staying at has a channel that runs old episodes of Oprah all day, and tonight I caught what could only be described as the best Oprah show ever made....the search for America's best sandwich. Anyone who knows me, knows that sandwiches are my Achilles heel...in particular Italian subs. While no subs made the list, Gayle found some pretty tasty treats across our great nation. However, the part of the episode that really got my mouth watering was the appearance of Chef Curtis Stone in the Sandwich Showdown. One word, three syllables...OB-SESS-ION. A tall, hot, funny Australian who can cook...sign. me. up. And not only that, he made 2 dishes, one for meat-eaters and one for vegetarians. Being a former vegetarian, I can totally appreciate the sentiment behind that maneuver.

Summary: hot man + sandwiches= perfection.

*The Oprah show was based on Esquire Magazine's list of sandwiches. Check it out the complete list here.

Quench Your Thirst.

Last night I saw Joel and Benji Madden talking about the Tap Project on Larry King Live and I thought it was such a fantastic idea. This charity project is backed by UNICEF and basically encourages restaurant patrons to donate $1 for the tap water you usually receive for free with your meal. This charity is completely relevant this week as March 22-28 is National Water Week. For every dollar raised, a child will have clean drinking water for 40 days. That is huge considering that nearly 900 million people worldwide lack access to safe drinking water. So check out the site here and find a restaurant near you that is participating. Seriously... everyone get off your asses, forgo plunking down your daily $7 at Starbucks for a Grande Skinny Caramel Macchiato and help humanity for God's sake.

It's Five O'Clock.....NOW!

So as I mentioned earlier, I am currently on vacation....with my family. Which is so unbelievably lame considering I should be in Acapulco with my besties chugging tequila poppers and Miami Vice's until I cannot speak. So after spending so much "quality time" with my parents I am ready to drink myself into a stupor. But the first sight of myself in a bathing suit made me re-think that decision. I'm about three hundred percent positive that I have been mistaken for Ruby (big ginger losing weight on the style network) and/or Shamu (family-friendly sea creature) while strolling along the beach. So here is the dilemma. I need to find a strong, low-cal cocktail that is tasty and fancier than my usual vodka-crystal light concoction. After a quick internet search I think this recipie from Fitness Magazine may just be the winner.

The Sangria Sparkler:

750-milliliter bottle dry red wine
1 cup light orange juice
1/4 cup brandy or cognac
1/4 cup orange liqueur
2 tablespoons sugar
2 medium oranges, sliced
2 cups club soda, chilled
Crushed ice and/or orange peel curls (optional)

1. In a large pitcher, combine wine, orange juice, brandy, orange liqueur, sugar, and orange slices. Chill at least 2 hours. Add club soda before serving. Serve over crushed ice and/or with orange peel curls, if desired.

Nutrition Information per serving: 100 calories, 0g protein, 9g carbohydrate, 0g fat (0g saturated), 0g fiber

*One jug of this is equal to 12 servings.
*Chug/ Bong Responsibly.

Bromance.

What is it that makes Jason Segel so fantastic? Every character he portrays is a pseudo loser/ kind of dumpy but he somehow manages to come off like the coolest man alive. Seriously think about it...How I Met Your Mother, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Knocked Up (the list could go on). In the new movie I Love You, Man he more than delivers. I thought it was hilarious, sweet and loved the surrounding ensemble. Paul Rudd, Andy Samberg, Rashida Jones, Jamie Pressley and the dad from Juno. Amazing.

For all you Segel-maniacs out there (my friend Jackie may be the only one) go see this movie asap. His Hawaiian shirt/Ugg combo is not to be missed.

Vocal Warmup.

Right now I am loving myself some Erin McCarley. I'm sure you have heard her song "Love, Save the Empty" in the commercials for the movie He's Just Not That Into You. After listening to a few of her other jams, I downloaded her CD and it is perfect material for rolling down the windows and sing at the top of your lungs. She's totally reminiscent of Sara Bareilles and Vanessa Carlton.

* If you don't want to download the entire album, make sure you get Pony (It's OK) and/or Bobble Head......amazing.

Mad Hatter.

I'm currently on vacation and this hat has been my savior. I honestly don't think I have removed it since I've been here and it has done a wonderful job shielding my un-washed hair from the public. It is perfect for blocking the sun while your reading on the beach and chic enough to wear out to lunch. Adding to its perfection is the comfort factor and cheap price. At 28 bucks, this hat is sure to be a spring/summer staple for your wardrobe.

Ocean's Potion.

I like to change my hairstyle a lot. Right now I'm rocking the bangs/medium length combo, but I'm shooting for long, luxurious locks by summertime. I'm trying to coax my hair into growing by taking B-12 vitamins and using as few heat tools as possible. So to avoid looking like I never progressed past the 90's I have been using Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray in the morning. All you need to do is put a few squirts in your hair post-showering, twist your hair into a bun and let it air dry. The result is amazing, beachy waves and happy hair. I rub some smoothing serum through my hair to give it a nice, shiny finish.

Bring on the Madness.

It's not Christmas. It's not wedding season. It's March Madness. My brackets are filled, my bets have been placed and I'm ready for the games to begin. Every year I fill out 2 brackets...what I think will happen and what I want to happen. Obviously my fantasy bracket has Illinois beating Mizzou and being National Champions. But in actuality I will be shocked if they make it past the second round. My actual bracket has Louisville cutting the net. I think they will defeat Duke in the championship and win the dance.

Man, I Love College.

How awesome is I Love College by Asher Roth? Everytime I hear this jam I get majorly depressed
and feel like putting on barndance clothes, cracking open a bottle of Skol and doing the damn thing. Buuuut I can't, the real world sucks ass. Where else in the world can you dress like a troll, wake up at 2 PM and have an impromptu beer pong tournament or eat only breadsticks baked in cheese dunked in ranch and be totally accepted? Not the workforce. R.I.P. college.

So until homecoming next year, you can find me singing this at the top of my lungs pretending that my life isn't totally miz.

Green with Envy.

So in honor of St. Patrick's day, I am going out tonight and drinking a few. Instead of wearing obnoxious amounts of green I'm going to rock this amazing look straight from the runway at Gucci. This is such a fun take on the smoky eye and will be fabulous for spring! The Gucci makeup artist layered several colors of green to make this particular look, but I am just using one of my favs, MAC eyeshadow in Steamy (frost). Apply shadow liberally across the lid, and top eyes off with black liquid liner and black mascara. Put on some fun individual false lashes for extra pop. VOILA! Now you are festive and fashionable!!!

I neeeed NENE!

When is the new season of The Real Housewives of Atlanta debuting? I am DYING without my weekly Nene fix. I am refusing to watch The Housewives of New York or Orange County because all ten of the women on those shows are just lame in comparasion to Nene.

Lips bustin, lashes poppin...BAM! Nene get back in my lifeeee!!!

*PS- I hope the rumors about DeShawn jumping ship are not true. I would love another botched fundraiser next season....

Nostalgia.

Remember back in the day, when you weren't cool unless you had a topsytail? I know there have been a ton of henious hairstyles over the past few decades, but this one might be up there with the mullet and flock of seagulls. If I saw someone on the street wearing this hairstyle in today's day and age, I would 100 percent think they had escaped from the polygamist compound in Texas. This is one trend I pray never makes a reserrection.

*For all you closet topsytail fans, you can still purchase the handy topsy tool on Amazon for a cool $5!!! The ever popular Hairdini is also available, but at at staggering $13.

Word Up.

Uniqueness is important, and there is no better way to distinguish yourself than incorporating fresh words into your vocab. Fun catch phrases gives otherwise ordinary conversation some flavor, which is always a plus.


So today's voacb word is.......Gollum.

Gollum is used to refrence those days when you are so hungover that you cannot move, speak, eat, etc. It's origin stems from one particularly wild Thursday in college when my friend woke up with straggles of hair plastered to her sweaty, vommy, hungover face. One refrence to the infamous Lord of the Rings character and a new phrase was born. So go ahead, take that extra tequila shot tonight, but just be aware of how totally nast you will look tomorrow.

Mystic Mishap.

We've all had them. Mystic Mishaps....streaks down the leg, orange hands. And with the weather warming up, I've got two big white problems that need no further attention drawn to them. So I have decided to take these last few pants wearing weeks and do a little sunless tanner experiment. Which ones last the longest, are the least streaky and do not smell like ass. Per my friends advice, this week I am testing out the Neutrogena Micromist Tanning Sunless Spray. The idea of a spray tan seems easy, but knowing me I will find some way to leave the house with orange and white stripes like Nemo...or worse looking like this --->

Friends, wish me luck and results to follow soon.

Mac-tastic.

Cardinals/Cubs.  Democrat/Republican.  Blonde/Brunette.  Life is full of choosing sides, and I recently took a strong stance in the all important computer debate. This December I was given the new MacBook as a graduation present. And let me tell you, I have flip-flopped sides faster than Brad Pitt during the Team Aniston/Team Jolie episode. The new MacBook has so many fantastic features, particularly the Multi-touch track pad....its truly innovative. Add I-chat, the perfectly spaced keyboard and its ever important green-factor and I am officially a convert. While I totally appreciate the baby Asian efficiently posting pictures of her fish Dorothy in the new PC commercials, but sorry Bill Gates. Not even a child prodigy can convince me to digress here. 

So all you PC users out there. No matter what you say, you will always be the computer equivalent of a Cubs fan. Stop suffering and make the switch.

Flava in your ear....

What is flavor? To me, its that little something extra that propels things from being average to amazing. Flavor is typically used when discussing food, however flavor is also a representation of something fresh and exciting (Example: Those shoes really give that outfit flavor.) This blog will be your guide to unlocking your most flavorful life and exposing you to all things fabulous.

No one wants to be lame.....so go ahead. Add some flavor to your life now!


*Currently listening to...Flava In Your Ear- Craig Mack