Car Trouble

OK, so August was like the month from ****! Seriously. We have been out of town almost every weekend due to a death in the family and trying to settle family matters. :( That's not the problem. The problem is that in between trips, my PT Cruiser broke down. Twice. I think it worked for about three days in between the breakdowns. It's been in the shop a total of 8 working days. It also spent the Labor Day weekend in our driveway, undriveable, because it broke down on the way home from the repair shop on Friday. I am not kidding. That means we spent the weekend at home, too. It's not like we don't have a back up car. We do. But it's my husband's and it's almost 30-years old. It's affectionately known as 'the boat' because it is huge and heavy and currently lacks air conditioning. Did I mention the heat wave we had here in Fresno while my car was in the shop? That means I had to drive 'the boat' to work - 30-minutes facing the sun in the morning and 30-minutes facing the sun on the way home. Do you know how hard it is to be as cute as you can be when you are melting?

Last night I got my PT back. I really missed her (I think she's a girl). She has air conditioning. Did I mention we're experiencing a cooling trend right now? It's only going to be 81 degrees today. That's downright chilly compared to last week.

Anyway, maybe I'll do something nice for my PT. Pamper her a little. Dress her up now that she's back on the road. Check out these crazy car lashes. Maybe 'the boat' could us a set? Check these out...

Trend Talk: Antlers

You know how some blogs or fashion emails will send out a message saying, "Trend Alert!", followed by whatever it is they are trying to make you aware of....anyway, this is not one of those. This is more of a 'Hey, let's talk about this trendy thing I see happening...' So here I am talking about antlers. I've been noticing antlers in a peripheral kind of way for probably three years now. When I say 'noticing' I mean that they are showing up in places and in ways you wouldn't expect to see them. Here's some examples:

I was flipping through a catalog from Anthropologie and this chalk-drawn deer head on the blackboard caught my eye. I thought the blackboard as a background was fabulous, too. See more blackboard backgrounds here.Here's the always stylish Mary-Kate Olsen wearing antlers for her Marie Claire photo shoot. Could antlers be the next headband? Hair accessories are hotter than ever. Why not get nature-inspired and sport some antlers? Topshop also featured antlers as head gear in their fall runway collection.This is actress Lea Michele of 'Glee' hanging onto an antler during a photo shoot. I adore these paper deer heads by Ruby's Lounge on Etsy. Looks like all I may need to DIY something similar to this is a paper mache deer head (those are just lying around!), some chic paper and some Tulip Collage Pauge glue.

And, of course, you can't have a fringe trend without Lady Gaga's participation. The is the antler wearing Gaga in London back in December 2009.

Mermaid's Tears

I love sea glass....I love wandering on the beach, looking intently for the sea's treasure, spotting little bits of colored glass and pocketing them as I go. Last Sunday I opened up the morning paper, savoring my cup of coffee and my 'alone' time before my boys and the dog wake up, and came across this article about sea glass in Parade Magazine. The writer, Stephen Fried, tells us that while there is less of it on beaches than ever before--because of recycling, sand replenishment, and rising water levels--interest in collecting "mermaid's tears" has only grown in intensity. To get to the best sites, extreme glassers will do whatever it takes--hike for hours, jet-ski long distances, even rappel down cliffs--to find the glass. Individual pieces may sell for several hundred dollars, and jewelry made from seaglass can fetch even more. I love my sea glass ring that I purchased when I was in Pacific Grove a few months ago.

Sea Glass Guide

* Greens and browns are common. * Blues are harder to find — but not impossible: Cobalt or cornflower blues crop up once in every 250–500 pieces. * Aqua and seafoam are rarer. * Most purples were originally clear; the manganese in them slowly oxidized into the rarer hue. * Glassing holy grails: true yellows, oranges, and the beloved — and ultra-scarce — red.

Girl Power

DC Comics super heroine, Wonder Woman, who first appeared in 1941 received a dramatic - and amongst her fans, controversial - makeover with the June 2010 release of Issue No. 600 of her monthly comic book series. Here's my impression: The original Wonder Woman is all-American, strong yet feminine, and pantless. The updated version of Wonder Woman looks like a vampire out of the Twilight series. Kind of a 'goth romance' look. I must say the tights/pants and the cropped motorcycle jacket will make it much easier for her to fight injustice and crime.

What makes this story trend relevant for me is the influence she is having on fashion and makeup. MAC Cosmetics revealed that the company is partnering with DC Comics' Wonder Woman to create a limited edition color cosmetics collection featuring the illustrated superhero. Set for a spring 2011 launch at all MAC locations worldwide, the lineup is expected to include lipsticks, eye shadows, blush and nail polish ranging in price from $13 to $49.

Alexandre Vauthier is currently one of the hot names on the Paris couture scene, with Rihanna and Madonna leading the fan club for his moulded-to-the-body, sci-fi silhouette. His fall/winter 2010 couture collection is Wonder Woman inspired, with plunging V necklines and dangling sleeves that were today's super-heroine's answer to the cape.

It is also rumored that there is a Wonder Woman movie in the works for 2013. Super exciting!

Louis Vuitton Fall 2010

For its fall campaign, Louis Vuitton cast the models Christy Turlington, Karen Elson and Natalia Vodianova, for this exquisite photo shoot. WWD reports that the ladies "are shown preening in front of old-fashioned makeup mirrors backstage, as if they were ready to take a stroll around the fountain of the Louvre's Cour Carre, the setting for Vuitton's show during Paris Fashion Week in March."

Trend Talk

Listen to me chat with Tiffany Windsor about another HOT trend this Sunday, July 11, at 7pm, on FaveCrafts Radio. Click here for more on the latest fashion and home decor trends from iLoveToCreate. You'll find great ideas and projects that will inspire the crafter in you! Plus, sign up for E-Friends to keep all the latest trend and project news coming to you.

Eclipse VIP

Last night I attended Eclipse. My friends and I purchased VIP passes that gave us a movie ticket and an after party at a local restaurant. There were seven of us, all women. Three of us -me included - are Team Jacob. The rest, Team Edward. Of the three of us on the Team Jacob side, only one of us really is a diehard Twilight fan. I don't really get all the mania but I have to say I had a blast last night! One of my friends (who shall remain nameless but is pictured here) kept making little gasps of ecstasy (I am laughing while I write this!) every time Edward kissed Bella. It was hilarious! Did I love the movie - no; but it was funny and entertaining and I will probably join my friends for the next movie in the Twilight saga.