Why don't you:

♡Take Dance Lessons do you ever have dreams of becoming that girl from Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights? I do! I want to sashay my way down the beach effortlessly with my partner in tow....realistically I would just like to have some style and rhythm. Last summer I got my first taste when I took salsa lessons on a trip to Guatemala— I was hooked. Even something more mundane like yoga, will clear your mind, stretch your limbs, and release endorphines (ultimately making you a more happy, positive individual). Look in your community newspaper for places to take lessons and invite a couple daring friends along.

♡Update your makeup not only will this give you a chance to spice up your color palette, makeup also needs to be replaced anywhere from every year, to every 3 years...a general rule of thumb for how long makeup can be kept is: lipstick= 1 year, eye makeup= 3 months, blush= 6 months, and nail polish= 2 years (if properly stored). Also, don't forget to wash your appliance tools! Your brush is a small breeding ground for germs...just think every time you dip in and out of powder for example...so invest in a good makeup brush shampoo like MAC's brush cleanser ($11). Also check out Kandee the make-up artist's video on how to properly clean your brushes how to clean make-up brushes

 

♡Reupholster old furniture we all own that one piece of furniture that is just, well, plain ugly. So instead of throwing it out or giving it away to Goodwill, why not re-use it?! Visit a fabric store and pick out whatever your heart desires...you can even turn it into a piece of one-of-a-kind art (like the chair featured above). If you get really into it you can do this for friends, or even make it into a business. Be creative and have fun!

♡Get Inked of course you don't have to actually get tattooed, but draw something that is unique and inspiring, or have an artistic friend draw something up for you, and have it airbrushed on...you can also use paint, but be careful to use paint that isn't toxic to your skin (ask at the store). If you are looking to get some real ink, be sure you know exactly what you want and do your research to find a good, certified tattoo shop! The worst thing is a poorly done tattoo...I learned my lesson when I got my first tattoo, a small outline of a star on my right ankle. The artist was likely high on something and it ended up looking like a squished blob. I say it just has character, but really I wish I had researched more about tattoos before diving in. If it is done correctly, you can come away with a permanent piece of art. A world-renowned tattoo shop right here in Seattle is Slave to the Needle. check them out.

♡Karaoke Night I got this idea from my experience this past weekend... I walked into a local Mexican restaurant near where I live, and to my surprise found it was karaoke night! I will be the first to tell you I don't have a Celine Dion-esque voice, but you only live once. Throw back a couple beers and hit the mic...what do you have to lose, except your dignity? Some recommendations to sing along to are anything by Norah Jones or James Taylor (they usually have a book of songs to choose from). A great hit that night was "baby got back" by Sir Mix Alot. Drag your friends up with you and you'll be so happy you went for it!

♡Create a fun, positive living space I cannot stress enough, the importance of surrounding yourself with the positive...this also means the environment you live in. Think about it— if you live in a dark, musty uncomfortable place, this will reflect not only on your mood but also your physical health. Personally I thrive in well-lit open spaces that are a mix of modern and rustic. To get some great ideas for making over your living space, check out Urban Outfitters or Anthropologie. Since these places are a bit pricey, just get ideas and then scope out local flea markets or garage sales to get a similar look...you can even make some of it.

 ♡Try a new recipe tired of the same old meal, night after night? Branch out and try something new! When I'm bored of my food selection I just type in a food category (pasta, dessert, chicken etc.) to the search engine on my Betty Crocker Iphone app. Also, if you eat by yourself standing up, make an effort to sit down at a table and try and eat with others. It's proven to be more healthy...also check out the book Skinny Bitch. I'm reading it as we speak and it has some great tips on how to eat healthy, and the stuff we really need to cut out of our daily diet. They have similar books for pregnant women, men, and a cookbook called Skinny Bitch in the Kitch. A recipe I tried last night was a pasta dish (substitute whole grain) with sun-dried tomatoes and goat cheese...it's easy to make, and tell me what you think!

 ♡Treat yourself to a new 'kini with summer just around the corner, swimwear designers are coming out with their fabulous 2010 designs. My favorite designers are Mara Hoffman, Beach Bunny, Lulifama, and suits from Maui Girl (see older posts) but check out other great options at mollybrownsswimwear. Plus, it will be a great incentive to get in beach-ready shape...and you deserve it!

 ♡Camp take a long weekend, pack your essentials and the boyfriend, and hitch up the old trailer to your car...or just car camp! If roughing it isn't your style, stay at B&B's or cheap hotels. Either way you deserve a break from your busy life to read that book you have put aside for months, and clear your head. Nothing a little vacation won't cure...

 ♡Be a glitter girl throw on your party outfit, grab some girlfriends and go out for a night on the town. Dare to be dramatic, bold, and a little bit crazy...above are some great ideas for accessories and slinky dresses that are perfect for a glitter girl.

♡Become a fashionista want to be a model? There are dozens of contests, open calls and nationwide searches going on at any one time...always looking for the next, fresh-faced look, and you could be it! Have a friend snap some pics of you— minimal make-up, white or neutral colored tee, and in natural light (outdoors). Make sure to take some headshots and full-length body shots and who knows, we may just being seeing that gorgeous mug of yours on the next issue of Elle. Right now V Magazine is hosting "It's My Time" a global casting competition to find the new faces for United Colors of Benetton 2010 campaign. Just create a profile, upload pics and a video (optional) and get some votes! The top 100 get a shopping spree, and the top 20 get to be in the ad campaign in New York http://casting.benetton.com/

♡Vintage Shopping take a trip to Value Village (there is a great one in Seattle in Capitol Hill off Broadway) and buy some fun vintage tees ($2-$5 at the most)...personally I like the men's selection better because they have so many more to choose from. When you get home, first make sure to wash them and then cut a scoop neck just below the original neckline. This will give you a great off-the-shoulder tee, and feel free to keep cutting. You can make great tanks for summer and all sorts of crazy designs...just look at what Ed Hardy and Kat Von D have done!


xx Lindsay

thanks to We♥it for pix

Simply Saturday

Today I don't have one overlying theme and instead have compiled a mix of music, fashion, and little-known secrets... things from my list of inspirations that has been building up for weeks now on my macbook stickies.  Follow my blog with bloglovin

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams, live the life you've always imagined."— Henry David Thoreau

Music ♬♪♩

♡ The Let Go a Seattle-based group with a great idea of where hip hop is going...they use loads of witty one-liners, wordplay, comedy, great guest spots, and incredible production from Midnite (beatsmith Captain Midnite). Some of my favorite tracks from their album are "sun don't shine" and "party crashers." Not only do they have a great sound, I like that they are local quality hip hop group.

Maui Girl

♡Maui Girl Swim I have been asked a lot where I get my 'kinis', and this is it! I discovered this place in Paia, Maui when I was living over there last year. I couldn't stop buying suits...they have great styles and colors for tops and bottoms, and the best part is they hand-make a lot of them— one of a kind! Their suits are also featured in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition every year, as seen in the first picture. The bottom pic is me in my first Maui Girl bottoms. visit maui-girl.com

Carmen Miranda

♡Carmen who? you might ask... she was a Brazilian Broadway actress popular during the 40s and 50s, and known most commonly for her signature fruit hat outfit in The Gangs All Here. so what?! Carmen was also known for her ridiculously high shoes, known as the platform. So thank her the next time your feet are killing you!

CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund

♡Sophie Theallet winner of the 6th annual award, Sophie's creations are killer! As seen on First Lady Michelle Obama, Theallet is a French transplant who made news in 2008 by casting an all-black cast of models for her first runway show at a time when models of any color are still few and far between.

The Impact Lip

♡Impact Lips these electrifying lips were done by make-up genuis Pat McGrath on the sping runways of Bottega Veneta and Prada alike. They are called impact because of the "major impact around the mouth" as Pat says. Pair these punchy pinks, power purples, and electric orange colors with neutral and grey clothing.

Erin Fetherston 

♡Erin Fetherston I first took notice of this fabulous designer when I was attending FIDM in Los Angeles...I was actually dating a guy at the time who was best friends with her husband, and knew her very well—this meant getting to attend her fashion show and see her in action behind the scenes. Ever since then I have been in love with her flowy dresses and simple designs. She has debuted her line in the Bryant Park Fashion Show for the past two seasons, was a finalist for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, and has the very talented Zooey Deschanel as the face of her company right now. Check out her film 'Wendybird' featuring Kristen Dunst, that debuted her transition from Paris haute couture to ready-to-wear in 2006, and her most recent collections at erinfetherston

Mercedes Benz Fashion Week NYC

♡ Star-studded AnnaLynne McCord (90210 beauty) and Michelle Trachtenburg looked stunning sitting front row at the Jill Stuart show Feb. 15th. Check out more front row stars, designers, and MB Swim Fashion Week in Miami at mbfashionweek. Below are some of the designers that stood out most to me...also check out Mara Hoffman's bathing suits shown at MB Swim in Miami.

Jill Stuart Show, Feb. 15th at the New York Public Library

Kelly Osbourne walking at Naomi Campbell's Fashion for Relief—Haiti on Feb. 12th

La Perla (lingere), Feb. 11th

Narciso Rodriguez tent, Feb. 16th

Zac Posen Show, Feb. 15th at the Altman Building

The City star, Whitney Port with up-and-coming fashion designer Charlotte Ronson at NYC's Mercedes Benz Fashion Week 2010 

♡Vevant a sponsor of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, just launched with an editorial team filled with Vogue alums. The premise being that models and photographers can join. The editors hire from within to create striking editorials. Members can purchase from the virtual spreads created. Think of this in two ways. 1) It's a virtual Vogue and you can buy the clothing instantly. 2) It's a self sustaining community. After all, if they hire from within, that will create member loyalty and create it's own little economy. Actual sustainability. But will it work? See for yourself at Vevant.com

Crossroads Trading Co.

♡Broadway on Capitol Hill I have found my new place for thrift shopping...I was walking down Broadway after school on Friday and stopped into this store to look for jeans. And what did I find? Victoria Beckham for Rock&Republic jeans ($30), Cheap Monday jeans ($16), and Betsey Johnson wedges ($14). They have great vintage jewelry, lots of designer clothes in like-new condition, and are constantly rotating in new stuff crossroadstrading

Book I am reading: Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin

Cool find: "Sorry For Partying" tank by Jac Vanek ($24) jacvanek.com

❤ Lindsay

1940's: The Golden Age

 Oh how I love the 40's. Pin-up girls, Rosie the Riveter, red lips, Betty Grable, vintage wear, work suits and that classically beautiful curled hair. Although much of the 40's was a time of practicality in fashion, brought about by WWII, women found time to dress up after work...enter: the evening gown. I first feel in love with the 1940's look after watching Rachel McAdams in "The Notebook." Those costumes were absolutely stunning, and much of that look is coming back today. In fact I was shopping online at Urban Outfitters last week and noticed their entire site was a 1940's theme! Not only was fashion a huge frontier for women during this time, but music was at its all time best...Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, to name a few.

"We can do it!" — Rosie the Riveter

 ♡Hair classic 40's styled hair as shown here on Megan Fox.

 ♡The Notebook Rachel McAdams wears to-die-for outfits all with a very forties feel.

♡Dita Von Teese the ex Mrs. Marilyn Manson, is a famous burlesque dancer and known for her fascination with 1940s cinema and classic retro style, heavily influenced by her mother at a young age.

 ♡Rosie the Riveter a cultural (and feminist) icon of the U.S., Rosie represents the American women who worked in the factories during WWII. Seen here as modeled by actress Alexis Bledel.

♡ Betty Grable one of the first pin-up girls to exist, Betty was a sex symbol of the forties with her infamous poster hung in every G.I.s locker during WWII (hence the term "pin-up").

 ♡Modern Pin-up Girl this look has had a major resurgence in the last 5 or so years, often associated with tattoos and a more "dirtied"appearance than the pin-ups of the 40s. The look is classified by well-defined eyebrows, heavy cat-liner, styled curls, bandanas, and red lips.

♡ Bathing Suits during the 1940s corset manufacturers saw a gap in the market, so they applied the idea of the corset to women's bathing suits. Suit were designed to hid faults in a woman's shape, by adding a stretch tummy control panels to hold in the stomach, and bra cups/boning to give the bust structure. During this time the bathing suit was still considered risqué and best suited to film stars and exotic dancers. Check out some great 40s-inspired suits by Betsey Johnson.

♡High-waisted Shorts these pin-up girl inspired shorts are something we aren't necessarily seeing a lot of yet, except in bathing suits. I hope these will become popular this summer, because no pair of shorts make your legs look longer!

In other news...

RIP Alexander McQueen 

 ♡A Legend is Lost I was devastated to hear of Alexander McQueen's death this past week. He was truly a genius who mixed art and fashion into unconventional designs, which won him four "British Designer of the Year" awards. His designs were most recently seen on Lady Gaga, who wore the infamous 'Armadillo' shoes (shown above) in her music video "Bad Romance." Many celebrities took to the catwalk this week, wearing McQeen designs during a New York Fashion Week charity gala to remember the designer. As Anna Wintour said: "In such a short career, Alexander McQueen's influence was astonishing—from street style to music culture and the world's museums. His passing marks an insurmountable loss."

L.A.M.B. Fall 2010 Ready-to-wear Collection

♡Gwen Stefani didn't let a little last minute emergency stop the show— as in half her fall collection getting stuck in transit due to the blizzard on the East Coast. It just forced her to be more creative, like creating a "vest" out of leather belts. She describes her theme this fall as "vintage, boudoir, military, 50s, sexy, and futuristic." Sounds like quite the mash-up of styles, but like always, she made it work.

Alexandra's: Consignment Shopping 

 ♡Seattle, WA located in downtown Seattle, this large boutique is a shopaholic's dream. My boss told me about this hidden gem and I was in shock when I walked in...designer everything!! Prada, Gucci, Marc Jacobs— you name it they have it. The best part is it's not ridiculously over-priced. Consignment shopping has become my new love...if you search around enough, you can find great deals on designer clothes that not one of your friends will have.

Lady Gaga Barbie

  ♡Goo Goo Gaga as if there hasn't been enough of Lady Gaga in the news lately, they are making a doll of her various crazed outfits! I am not totally sure what to think...although admittedly she always puts on a good show and hasn't let us down yet, I think there has been too much goo goo for gaga lately. Have you ever noticed how we root for the underdog, and then once they are at the top we can't wait to see them topple? Just look at Britney Spears.

Here are some links to videos for how to do 1940's inspired make-up and hair by my favorite make-up guru, Kandee! 

•  Kandee the make-up artist 40's make-up
•  Kandee's 1940's inspired hair

Fashionably yours  ❤Lindsay

p.s. Follow my blog by clicking the "follow" icon on the top left of my blog page. Thanks everyone, it means a lot!