To Be Free or To Be Sexy? That Is The Real Question

Why does it matter how I dress? Who cares anyways? Isn't how I dress is my business? These are all valid questions, and I sometimes get these questions as a  response when speaking with women of all ages about the topic of dressing modestly.

Actually it amazes me at the number of young women who look at me like I'm completely CRAZY, for suggesting that they not show their cleavage and cover up their legs so that they can reclaim their respect and the power of their sexuality. Somehow they can't make the connection that the style of clothing (or lack of clothing) they chose to wear  is sending a powerful message that they can be used for sexual conquest, or simply not taken seriously. They idolize women like Kim Kardashian (who's only claim to  fame is her sex video scandal), and Britney Spears, thinking that by dressing more seductivley they can perhaps have a piece of the fanatsy that men will desire them the same way those women, and many other female celebs are desired.

The truth of the matter, is that for a lot of  women the fantasy that they fufill through dressing seductivley is a double edged sword,because the reality of life is that a book is often judged for its cover, and if the old expression, "Dress for the position you want", is true, then many women have it totally twisted. Why would you dress in a way that adveritises how great you are in bed, when what you really want is a stable, healthy, relationship, with marriage in the horizion?

I believe that the free love, sexual revolution of the 60's has back fired, in one way or another, on many, dare I say most women. The sexual movement that was supposed to set us free from the prude ideas of yester year, and make us equal to men, have indeed enslaved us. How many women are emotionally enslaved, unable to trust and fully love, because they have given their gift of sex away to so many men that didn't really love them? How many teen girls are mothers and the guy they gave their"love" to is no where to be seen? How many of us are struggling from the guilt of leaving our kids in daycare or with the nanny, because we have to work, or having to make choices between the family or the job? Be sexy, must stay sexy, ok over 40 must get botox, it's ok to have a one night stand, if guys can do it, then we can do it mentality, where has it really gotten us? Are we really free? Or are we over worked, under appreciated, stressed out, used and abused, trying to be a superwoman, when we weren't created for that?

 We are at a crital point in history, or should I say herstory. When our daughters; little sisters, cousins and younger friends are  choosing anal sex as a way to "save" their virginity? When young teens think it's cute to be pregnant, and when women think it's ok to have multiple sex partners with no sort of commitment, because men do it all the time, I think there is a problem, don't you? I mean just the other day I read of a report about the new teen trend of "Sexting", and where a 13 year old girl hung herself (just a few weeks ago) due to the ridicule she recieved after a nude photo that she sent to a boy she liked ciruclated at her school and on the internet. She was 13 people!!!!! What will our legacy be to future generations of daughters?

I know that dressing modestly isn't going to save us from all the problems that we face as women, but I wish you all could have a taste of what it feels like to remove yourself from the over sexed energy our society  thrives on, just by covering up. I know it sounds so stupid, but it's so true. I discovered it for myself when I started dressing modestly, it's kind of like unplugging yourself from the matrix. Since I no longer openly display my sexuality with my clothing, when I go places now, dressed to impress of course, I get looks from men, but it's not the same, they are looks of intrigue and respect. I get doors opened for me , and hats tipped at me, I get comments of you are so beautiful, your energy just radiates, not hey baby, you lookin soooo fine today or wow you got a lot of junk in yo trunk type comments. Let it be said that I am a happily married woman, and not looking for attention at all, but these are just my observations, plain and simple. It's what I wanted all along. Yes we are free to work, vote, pursue our dreams, happiness, and all of those things, and I am as thankful as the next woman for the Women's Suffrage Movement, but don't you long to be treated like the lady of yesteryear. To be courted and wooed, to be romanced, and treasured? We have the power to have all that and more, but lowering our standards is not going to get us what we want.

The thing that I realized, is that God created us equal to men from the very beginning. God said that it was not good for Man to be alone. I think that is interesting that he didn't say it's not good for Woman to be alone. I think God created woman self sufficient and so equip, that  he knew that we could fair off better alone than men. They need us, we need each other, but they really need us. We as women are precious commodity, and when something is considered precious commodity, it is valued and will be worked hard for in order to obtain. I believe that if every woman realized this about themselves, they would make men work a little harder, because men value what they have to work hard for much more than what is given to them for free. When they work hard this is when we reclaim what we wanted all along .....respect and true sexual power!

Ok well that is my food for thought for the evening, hopefully the message resounds in the minds, hearts, and souls of  some of you reading this. I hope that each of you are blessed and enlighten. Have a great evening!

Famous Heidi Montag

Heidi Montag

The actress of famous MTV show the hills, Heidi Montag is also famous for different trendy looks. She has blonde, thick and natural curly hairs which are designed in different types of hairstyles. Some of her most famous hairstyles are the Heidi Montag summer hairstyle that gives her the perfect look for the summer which leaves her blonde hair straight with center parting.

The Hills-Fashion and Hairstyles: Heidi like Barbie

This hairstyle generally goes with all of the outfits making her looks more stylish. Her trendy hairstyle is when she gives them little waves and keeps them straight on the top, with the layers on the top and some of the soft blends her hair look trendier.

The Hills-Fashion and Hairstyle: Get Kiss From Heidi

Also the actress is known for her looks in the hills. Other than acting in the reality show Heidi Montag is also a singer. Her appearances on the show have set new fashion trends. Her hairstyles were matched with her stylish dresses which marked her personality. Her outfits are mostly according to occasions.

The Hills-Fashion and Hairstyle: Other side of Heidi Montag

She wears the clothes in which she is most comfortable so that she can carry them off well. The delicate textures of her clothes make her appearance more feminine. She is mostly seen in the high heeled sandals or shoes whichever goes the best with her dresses. Her bags are found to be the follow ups of the latest trends. Whether they are the big handbags or the small carry pouches they go with her outfit in the best way. She is not the person to wear many of the accessories but whenever she does they are delicately matching with her personality.

CZ jewelry – A Creative Solution

Humans and adornment have been together. In fact the latter is the function of the first.

You would believe in vanity and beautification if you are human. It is natural to feel good and confident if you feel beautiful. For this reasons we have a lot of ways of beautifying ourselves and jewelry are a major part of it.
And if the relation of jewelry with humans is so old so is the relation of designers. Designers have been there in the picture since the time, there has been segregation of duties in the mankind. Designers have been working as the part of the civilization just as any other service provider. The developments he made in his creations were also considered as a mark in the development of the civilization.

Decades ago there was a development in the field of jewelry regarding the development of a new compound, an isometric cubic crystal, which had appearance almost like a diamond. Now if you consider this development, it also marks the growth of human mind. The compound was long known before it was used in the jewelry form. But designers discovered its capability to work as a substitute to diamond. With this came a revolution in the jewelry industry and soon diamond jewelry was accessible to all. The CZ jewelry became a rage amongst people, especially those who could only dream diamonds. The positive aspect of this development is that they can be used to make more real diamonds than the diamonds themselves. Diamonds generally come with impurities, but we can synthesize a 'D' quality diamond at our own will. CZ jewelry is also available in colors, as we can get desirable colors with the addition of the respective elements. The reason why CZ jewelry is so popular is not only because it has high demand but also because the supply can also be managed. Since the availability of CZ is in our hands hence the making of the CZ jewelry pieces is not dependent on any natural factor, but us!

Deal of the Week: Greek Key Tray

18" brass greek key tray from Nate Berkus

My obsession with classical Greek art and architecture -- and particularly greek key -- is well documented at this point (see HERE and HERE). I've got bold greek key lamps in my living room and a smattering of the classical motif elsewhere throughout the house. So of course when I spied this brass and mirror greek key tray from Nate Berkus (on sale for $49.99!) over at HSN.com (which has rapidly become my new online shopping obsession -- HSN is so much more than costume jewelry and weird beauty gimmicks these days!), I couldn't resist.

The tray in its new home...my den

This was my first purchase from Nate's line and I was admittedly nervous about the quality as Nate's previous line at Bed, Bath & Beyond was very hit and miss. But, when the tray arrived just a few days later, I was pleasantly surprised by its quality. The tray is large, weighty and looks significantly more expensive in person than its $50 price tag would suggest.

All in all, I'd say it's just about the perfect gift this holiday season for the design aficionado on your list. But caveat emptor: you may want to keep this one for yourself.

Denim Lapis Red Coral

A stone from nature that is lighter than Lapis Lazuli is Denim Lapis. Much lighter than the deep blues of lapis lazuli, denim lapis is lighter in color and has ‘floating’ shades of cream or white. It is just as pretty as the blues sometimes appear to be ‘flecks’ of blue surrounding the white clouds.

This new design from the studio is from Denim Lapis, with beige ceramic beads and a ‘pop’ hint of red Coral, scattered Sterling Silver beads and pewter end caps. A smart design that says ‘sassy, flirty, classy’ all in one flattering piece!

This is many others of nature’s creations available on the website.

Natural Stone Pendants Wired

Pendants are all the lure this season…wear them as a focal to a necklace or individually on cords, chains or ribbon necklaces. Browse the selection for purchase on the website.

(Left) Purple Agate wired in Silver

Button Ammonite wired in Brass (Right)

Ocos Agate wired in Brass (Right)

(Left) Sodalite wired in Silver with Mother-of-Pearl Necklace

Holiday Round-Up: Gift Wrap

I've always been a bit fanatical about gift wrap; indeed, how my gifts look are almost as important as what they contain. While I don't have a gift wrapping station (or any sort of crafting corner for that matter) dedicated to the pursuit, I do keep a stash of gift wrap on hand for year-round gifting. The holidays, of course, are when I really go crazy and stock up on a number of wrapping papers as I look forward to a marathon gift wrapping session. In my book, a glass of wine, a classic Christmas movie (National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and Love Actually are two of my favorites), and some serious wrapping is a great way to spend a quiet, chilly evening in. I frequently offer to help family members with any last minute gift wrapping as well and they generally indulge me as none of them find the process remotely entertaining.

That said, I know there must be other gift wrapping freaks out there. After all, why would The Container Store exist if there weren't? And so, I thought I'd indulge myself a bit today and pull together a round up of my favorite wrapping paper for the holiday season. Of course, I won't be using all of this paper -- I generally select three or four papers to get the job done (and typically at least one of those is an inexpensive, jumbo roll from Tarjay for children's presents, which are invariably gigantic). When it comes to trimmings, I usually invest in some cute gift tags, but otherwise tend to leave gifts unadorned, save for maybe a simple ribbon. I know the look is a bit incomplete, but since many of my gifts are shipped to Florida every year, elaborate embellishments aren't particularly practical. Also, while I love the idea of coordinating my gift wrap with my Christmas decorations, my gifts always end up under someone else's tree (we've yet to celebrate the holiday at home) and so the effort of matching would be for naught.

Source List:

1. Holiday Garland gift wrap paper by Elum Designs ($3.50/sheet). Lime and fuchsia is such a fun, poppy twist on the traditional green and red. It's also printed on 100% recycled paper and has a lovely matte finish (so much more modern than a strong, plasticky string).

2. Tori gift wrap from Erin Ruth ($3/sheet). Grey and purple is a very sophisticated, on-trend color combination. The wintry motif in the damask print is subtle enough that leftovers could be used for gifting throughout the year. PS - Erin Ruth also sells gorgeous matching gift cards and purple ribbon for one-stop shopping at its best.

3. Nutcrackers gift wrap from Hello!Lucky ($2.50/sheet). I love the vintage feel of this whimsical print. A perfect choice for the men (and boys) in your life who might shy away from more feminine patterns or colors.

4. Red Berry Branch gift wrap from The Container Store ($7.95/sheet). I love the minimal, chinoiserie feel of this pattern; it's just so classy. I'd tie it up with some lovely white and red ribbon.

5. Merry Christmas Black on Kraft gift wrap from Kate's Paperie ($9.99/roll). The combination of bold lettering and common butcher paper feels very homemade and cozy. A bit of white, black or red twine is all the adornment you'll need, but a few sprigs of holly or pine would be a great, organic touch.

6. Merry Berry gift wrap from Whimsy Press ($8/roll). Simple and classic, but in a modern way. This paper comes in a huge roll so you can get a lot of mileage out of it.

7. Chilly Dogs recycled gift wrap from the Container Store ($7.99 for 2 sheets). Dachshunds with reindeer antlers? This paper was made for me (and fellow doxie-lovers everywhere). I wrapped many of my presents up in this paper last year and it was a huge hit with the extended family (there are a half dozen dachshunds between my cousins and I). For the truly obsessed, pair with these charming wiener dog tags.

Source list:

1. Merry Christmas Purple gift wrap from Kate's Paperie ($11.99/roll). My gift wrap of choice for this holiday season, I'll be stocking up on several of these rolls to pair with this lovely gold star paper.

2. Spruced Up gift wrap from Whimsy Press ($8/roll). The unexpected pops of hot pink are a wonderful surprise to the Christmas tree design. Whimsy Press sells particularly high quality paper and I can't recommend their gift wrap enough.

3. Cardinals gift wrap from Snow & Graham ($3/sheet). Love the red and turquoise color combination on this high quality matte paper. I'd save this for someone who can really appreciate the packaging.

4. Pavilion double-sided gift wrap from Smock Paper ($8/2 sheets). I'm always a sucker for double-sided gift wrap (2 patterns for the price of one!), but I particularly like this design from Smock Paper, which features gorgeous pavilions on one side and a red and white geometric print on the other. Sure, it's not strictly "holiday", but it's got red in it, right?

5. Jewel Tone Ornament wrapping paper from Rock Scissors Paper ($5.99/roll). The fun colors and vintage atomic styling just makes me smile. Equally perfect for kids and MCM fans alike.

6. Reindeer gift wrap from The Container Store ($8.99). A sophisticated black and white palette with just the right amount of shimmer. Particularly gorgeous in person.

So what about you? Are you a fan of gift wrapping? If so, what are some of your favorite sources or tips and tricks?