Shopping Haul 21 December

Hello Divas!!!

It is time for another shopping haul post. My shopping hauls are few and far between most of the time and since I do not have a big budget they will usually feature only one item at a time.

The item for today is a peach blouse with very short sleeves. In fact the sleeves are so short that I will most likely use this only as the bottom layer of an outfit with some sort of sweater or blazer over it. I love the peach color and it is truly a rich, juicy hue.

I can pair it with a black and white hounds tooth blazer for the days I want to look more polished...or with a black waterfall sweater for a more casual look.

I have a few other ideas of how to wear this blouse and I think it will work well both for the winter and the warmer months.

The front is a sort of lightweight mesh and the back is of a sheer material. It has a slight hi-lo cut but not in a very obvious manner, which makes it more classic than trendy.

I bought this piece on sale and think it will go a long way as a wardrobe staple in the future.

Trying To Clean Out My Closet

Hello Divas!!

I am attempting to clean out my closet AGAIN to make way for some fresh fashion. I am not a girly type girl and I feel very comfortable in jeans and a t-shirt or a polo shirt.

I have been wearing the same clothes for a LONG time now and I think I would like to get some new items. I did manage to get one or two pieces on sale or clearance but I really would like to do a total overhaul of my closet.

I tried the hanger method but never went through with it. The hanger method is where you
-turn all of your hangers backward
-wear something
-wash items and place them on hangers facing the correct way
-after a predetermined time (usually 6 months) anything on a backwards facing hanger needs to go.

Of course if you have winter months you may need to extend the time but I have clothes that I have not worn when it was hot nor when it was cold. I got rid of a few of them but I just did not get rid of all.

My plan now is to go cold turkey and just strip things off the hangers. Once I have removed EVERYTHING from the closet I will go back through and do a Love it or Leave it method.

If it is an item I Love then it will go on a hanger. If I am not madly in love with it then it will go into a sorting pile and may end up not being a part of my wardrobe moving forward.

Floaty Summer Tops

Hello Divas!!!

We are now back into the warm weather...yaaaaaaay, and this means it is time for all the HOTTEST fashions available.

I am in love with floaty, flirty summer tops and wanted to share a few with you.

These are so cute and some of them look long enough to be worn as mini dresses so get creative!

I love a few that look a little more dressy for the days when I have to teach. When I stand in front of my class I want to look a little more professional so I might wear something a little more like this.

It looks classy but is not too stuffy.
What are your ideal floaty tops for summer?

Do One Simple Beauty Ritual Every Day

Hello Divas!!

It can look like it takes a lot of work to look great every day and sometimes it does. But you can make your beauty routine take a little less work if you take the time to do one simple beauty ritual every day.

Teeth
Divas have great looking teeth and one of the easiest ways to get that look is to whiten your teeth. I personally use Crest Whitestrips every year to whiten my teeth and the results last all year long.

I get the strips a few months before my birthday in July and I apply them every other day until the box is used up. I get beautifully whiter teeth for only a few minutes every day and then I don't have to think about it for the rest of the year.

Skin
One thing I do EVERY day is to make sure my face is clean before I go to bed. Even if I have been lying around in bed all day (and took a shower in the morning) and don't shower before bed I will wash my face before I hit the sheets.

I also make sure to MOISTURIZE before going to sleep so that my face stays nice and moist while I sleep. This allows for deep penetration of all the skin goodies in my face cream and I wake up with dewy, moist skin.

Nails
I have horrible, flat nails that break and do not grow at all. I do not wear fake nails and since nail polish seems to flake off my nails in two days I opt for clear polish.

I make sure to reapply my nail polish every three days and completely take it off on the weekends to allow my nails a time to rest.

Bold New Basics!!!

Hello Divas!!!!

I know we all think of the basics as being plain colors like black and white or even beige. It is time to shake up that way of thinking and introduce some bold new basics.

Patterned pants.
Patterned pants may just be the new basic when paired with a neutral top.

Try to match one of the tones in your pants with the shade of the top used...but try to stay clear of using a black top all the time.

Nautical stripes.
Stripes have always been in style and they are back in a big way this season.

Get Fitted For A Bra

Hello Divas!!!

I recently went to get fitted for a bra because of my weight changes. I found out I was using the wrong bra in both band size and in cup size.

I could not believe the results that I got since they seemed to indicate that my bosom was larger than I thought.

I did  the first fitting at Dillards and then decided to go to Victoria's Secret later on in the day. I got the same results from both places so I guess they are on the right track.

You may be wearing the wrong size bra if any of the following apply:

• The  band rides up in the back
• The straps fall off your shoulders
• The cups gape
• The center of the front of the bra does not lie flat against your sternum

A good fitting specialist will be able to look at the bra you are currently wearing and tell you which of the problems apply to it if you are wearing the wrong bra.

In any case I am advising you  to and get fitted for a bra to make sure that you are wearing the correct band size and cup size for your breasts.

All you have to do is to to one of the following stores:

• Victoria's Secret
• Dillards

and ask for a bra fitting specialist. They will take you into the fitting room and measure you and then have you try on a variety of bras in the cup size and band size that they make you out to be.

The fitting is free and they recommend that you come in for one at least once a year or any time your weight changes.