The Basics

Clothes Basics

 

 Basics are really important when it comes to forming outfits. They are the main characteristic background to the outfits.  You can create so many looks with the basics alone. Also, hundreds of looks when mixing with other clothing items. Let me know if you want me to make a post of creating outfits with basics. Like you see in the photo above, I've compiled all the basics needed that works for all seasons. I will list them here for you:

1. White short sleeves T-shirt                6. Black button Shirt           11. Black Dress 
2. Black short sleeves T-shirt                 7. Jeans                             12. Fitted Black Blazer  
3. White long sleeves T-Shirt                 8. Neutral Cardigan             13. Black Pencil Skirt

4. Black long Sleeves T-shirt                  9. White Button Shirt           14. Black Pumps

5. Denim Jacket                                   10. Black Pants                     15. Ankle boot  

16. Sneakers                                        17. Sandals             

I hope you like this post! Have a Sweet Day!

Easy Relaxed Summery Look!

 A Canoe day! 

I went canoeing yesterday! The weather was Gorgeous! I enjoyed it very much. Since it was a nature outing, I wanted to wear something very easy and relaxed. So I wore this simple summery dress. I thought to mix the stripes print with the polka dot print to give it a cool look. So I paired it with a polka dot belt. On my hair, I put this head band that I have made myself. I shared it under  DIY category if you would like to know how I mad it. It's very easy to make. Also, I wore comfortable sandals. In addition to canoeing we did some walking around this beautiful park. It was a wonderful day! Have a sweet day!

 

 Dress: papaya (old), headband: DIY, Sandals: Forever21

Weekly Quote!

 Quote Of The Week

Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes. It is not something physical.

                                                                                                                                        -Sophia Loren

Natural Facial Mask!

Beauty Mask

 

 Masks are great for maintaining a healthy radiant skin. I love using the natural home made ones. I've tried this mask and it's actually amazing for cleansing your skin. You will see results right after you wash it off. Your skin will look glowing, clean, hydrated, and beautiful. It's very easy to prepare and you can find the ingredients in your kitchen. It's only two ingredients. Yogurt and Honey! Use 2 tbs of each. Then apply on your face. Leave for 20-30 minutes. Then rinse with water. You can do this twice weekly. What it actually does is cleanse, heals, moisturize, exfoliate, fades acne marks,  and refine pores. Enjoy making your own beauty mask, and have a sweet day!

Trendy Affordable Outfits!

            How To Wear Prints?

 

 

Prints are another trend for this year. There are different kinds of prints like the floral, the stripes, the tribal, the geometric, and many more. However, prints can be tricky to wear. It's kind of hectic to find what matches it. I thought of a few ways to wear them, I also picked all of these outfits from H&M which is a very affordable store. Here are the guidelines I figured to wearing prints:

1. Look for the colors of the print on your pants, skirt or top, and accentuate one of the colors of that print by wearing a solid top of the same color. As you can see in outfit 1 & 2. I chose the yellow in the skirt by matching it with a yellow top & the white in the pants by matching it with the white top.

2. Keep all accessories in solid and contrasting colors.  The accessories can have some minimum embellishments like the bag and belt in outfit 1.

3. You can have the accessories' color to be the potential color of mixing the top and bottom's color. For example, outfit 2 has the top white and the bottom red & white. So if these two colors are mixed, the potential color would be pink. So I picked the pink color for the bag and pumps.

4.You can mix certain prints as long as they don't overpower each other. Like the third outfit I put together. The stripes and the floral prints usually go well together if the colors are similar. Also, make all accessories neutral.

5. Pumps usually pair the best with prints. It gives it an elegant finish look.

6. Wearing belts with the prints can amplify the outfit and gives it a dressy cute look.

I hope you like this post! Have a Sweet Day!

Outfit 1

 

Top: H&M, Skirt: H&M, Belt: H&M, Pumps: H&M, 

Blazer: H&M, Sunglasses: H&M, Clutch: H&M

 

  Outfit 2

Top: H&M, Pants: H&M, Purse: H&M, 

Pumps: H&M, Belt: H&M

                                                    

                                                                             

  Outfit 3

 

          Top: H&M, Pants: H&M, Pumps: H&M,

          Bag: H&M, Necklace: H&M

DIY

Clay Jewelery DIY!

                                            Today's post is about  
                                             making Jewlery by using  
                                             oven bake clay.It's fun 
                                             and easy DIY to make.You
                                             can be creative and mold 
                                             the clay  into whatever 
                                             shape you like.
                         

 Materials:

1.  Oven Bake Clay                                       
2. Hot Glue                                                
3. Acrylic Colors (optional)                                             
3. Plastic knife                                               
4. Safety pin                                                 
5. Sparkly Nail Polish                                      
6. Stencils of the shape you desire
 (optional if you can't shape what you want) 
7. basic ring
8. Necklace/ Chain



Directions:

 Start by shaping your clay in the desired shape. I made a heart pendant for a necklace and a flower for a ring. For the heart I just molded the clay in the shape of a heart  using a plastic knife. If you can't do it, just print a heart on a piece of paper, cut it out, then place it on top of the flattened clay and use it as a reference to cut  around it until you achieve the heart look. Once you have your heart pendant, make two holes on top of the heart, we do this to be able to insert a chain through the pendant. Bake the  pendant according to the directions on your clay which is usually 275 F degrees for 15 minutes. Once the pendant  is cooled. Start painting  if you would like, or you can customize it as you wish. I painted it red and  used a stencil with the letter "N", and then used sparkly nail polish to give it a finished look. Insert the chain through the holes and now you have your own hand made  customized pendant.  For the flower  I shaped it by molding little pieces of clay into tear drops, then I attached them together to form the flower. After that I molded a circular flattened piece of white clay to put it in the middle. I baked the flower and attached to the a ring using hot glue. That's it. I hope you enjoyed this DIY. Have a Sweet Day!            

 

My Style: Black & White Stripes

Black & White Stripes

Hello Friends,

The Black and white trend has been all over the 2013 fashion shows. Stripes have been everywhere as well. For this post, I wore this dress that is white at the top and has black stripes at the bottom. This dress was a gift from France. So I really don't know exactly what store it's from. However, you can achieve this look by getting the Zara Skirt and wearing a dressy white top with it. I paired this dress with a black statement necklace, black pumps, and black purse. You can also notice my tan. I've been to the beach recently and got a nice tan. I think being tanned and wearing white will definitely provide contrast as well. Have a Sweet Day!

Zara Skirt, Shoes: Aldo (old), Necklace: Arden B, Purse: ASOS

Fashion Couture

Designer Dress

 
This week's pick is from the Versace Summer/Spring 2013 Couture collection. I love this pink color. The dress is also infused with gold and neon colors. The design is beautiful where it shows a cutout in the front and a contrasting slit at the bottom. It's very elegant and pretty. I hope you like this week's pick! Have a sweet day!

 

Quote of the Week!

Weekly Quote 

“Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.”

                                                                                                             -Marilyn Monroe

Losing Weight Main Factors!

Losing Weight!

 I didn't really want to talk much about this topic because I'm not an expert. However, I do want to share with you the main factors that promote losing weight. Your ideal body weight is relative. Everybody's goal weight is different. You shouldn't be influenced by what the media portrays as the ideal body image. The most important thing is to be healthy & comfortable with yourself. I'm sure most women have thought about losing weight for health reasons, to look and to feel good, or to rid themselves of post pregnancy weight. The most effective method to losing weight is to know how it works. It took me a while to grasp this. Losing weight requires TIME, DEDICATION, MOTIVATION, DETERMINATION & PATIENCE. However, how do we maintain that without giving up? Here is the simple answer (drum rolls)......You have to make the decision and stick to it!.... So it's all in your psyche.... Any diet plan will fail if you don't have the determination. That's why people will start a diet and then stop after a month or so because they can't sustain it. Also, "diet"  should not be the word that enters your psyche, you should think of it as a lifestyle change. The more you think of it as a diet, the more obsessed you become with food even if you were not obsessed with food before. Our mind plays a big role when it comes to losing weight. Being human, we always want what's prohibited. That's why you shouldn't think of bad food as something that is prohibited, think of it as something that is harmful for your body and you want to be healthy. That doesn't mean you can't enjoy some desert once in a while. The idea is to limit it from your daily food intake. Also, healthy food is always associated with bad taste. That's not how you should think of it. Instead look for tasty healthy recipes. For example, adding spices and herbs can make a big difference. So changing your perception about losing weight plays a big factor.
So How do you reach the point of making the decision and sticking to it?
1. Change your perception and how you think about losing weight. Like I mentioned above.
2. Think of the reasons you want to lose the weight for instead of putting yourself down. Visualize your goal and feel good about it.
3. Always surround yourself with a positive environment and positive people.
4. Reduce your stress by exercising. Believe it or not, exercise reduces stress and gets rid of toxins in your body. Pick a sport that you like and do it regularly. Or you can just walk.
5. Find the source that caused you to gain weight, some people gain weight for emotional reasons. So you have to work on your emotions and your soul searching before even thinking of losing weight. If these issues are deep and will require time, then try to make little changes in your food choices and gradually you will be healing your emotional wounds while losing weight.
6. Eat healthy filling food. For example, protein rich foods satiate hunger. Also, fruits and veggies are full of fiber and water which also satiate hunger.
7. Eat less than what you normally eat. Our stomach is a muscle and it can stretch or contract. So the more you eat, the bigger the stomach becomes. The less you eat, the more the stomach contracts, and gradually  the fuller you become with less food. 
8. Eat Slowly. Take your time when you eat. Your brain takes about 20 minutes until it lets you know that you are full. So there is no need to eat fast if you don't have to. Just chew and enjoy every bite. Actually chewing also helps in digestion.
 9. Drink water. Water is great in flushing toxins out of our system, and hydrating our body. Sometimes we think we are hungry, but actually we might be just thirsty.
10.Do not give in to the negative power of instant gratification : Do your best not to stop at that fast food place when you need a quick fix ( this 1 stop will neutralize all positive efforts for the day  and maybe even the following day!! - because of the horrible content in the fast food). Use will power to hold off and instead prepare something healthy and good tasting. It may cost a little more, and it may not taste as good, but this kind of action will cause you to lose weight.
11. Be patient. Don't expect to see the results you want right way. Instead be happy about the little accomplishments you're achieving on a daily basis. And by accomplishments I mean doing what your doing.

Baking Soda Beauty Tips!

 

Baking Soda For Beauty?

 

Baking Soda is an amazing thing! It has over one hundred uses that varies from cooking to cleaning. It also act as an insect repeller, deodorizer, anti-fungal, antacid, and so much more. But did you ever know that it has a lot of benefits in term of beauty? I didn't know that for a while. I'm always up to trying home made remedies or treatments to replace chemical beauty products.

Three Baking Soda Beauty Uses:

1. A Teeth Whitener: 

Baking soda is great for whitening your teeth. It gives an amazing results for whiter and brighter teeth. I have two recipes 1) Add some baking soda into the balm of your hand , then dab a disposabel toothbrush into the baking soda. Brush your teeth with it and rinse. 2) in a small bowl smash couple of strawberries, then add a 1/4 spoon of baking soda into the bowl. Mix well, then add that paste into the tooth brush, brush your teeth and leave for 5 minutes, then rinse. 

2.  As a Facial Scrub:

Baking soda is a great cleanser. It removes dead skin cells and exfoliate your skin. Using it as a scrub will help increase blood flow, reduces wrinkles, and it will give you a baby soft radiant skin. I have 2 recipes 1) Add 3 table spoons of baking soda, 1 table spoon of water, and 1 table spoon of ground oatmeal. Mix well to create the past. Apply to your face, then rinse. Use twice weekly. Follow with moisturizer. 2) Add 2 table spoons of baking soda, and 1 table spoon of warm water. Mix well and apply to face, then rinse. This recipe will also help in treating acne. Use twice weekly and follow with moisturizer.


3. For Luscious Thicker longer Hair:

Baking Soda promotes thicker, longer, stronger and gorgeous hair. What it actually does is prevent hair loss. Which directs the body nutrients to growing thicker longer hair instead of just directing the nutrients to rebuilding hair follicles. It also cleans your hair from the build up of hair products. To use it for longer hair add 2 teaspoons of baking soda into 1/4 cup of your conditioner. Use it as usual after you shampoo your hair, then rinse. You can use it 3 times a week. To use it to clear the build up and residues from hair products, add a little bit of baking soda to your shampoo, shampoo as usual, then rinse.

Earcuffs

Ear cuffs Accessories

 

The ear cuffs trend is everywhere these days. I think it's pretty cool and edgy. It gives the outfit a little spice.  Ear cuffs are cool accessories because you get to decorate your ears without having your ears pierced. How awesome is that! Personally, I like the wings, the leaves, and the Mohawk shaped ones.The prices vary from one store to another.  I picked these trendy and affordable ear cuffs for today's post. Let me know what you think! Have a sweet accessorized day! 

 H&M

H&M

Asos

 Forever21

Forever21 

  

 Forever21

My Style: Peplum and Jeans

 

 Peplum & Blue  Jeans

Hello Friends!

I went with my friend to this beautiful historic city a couple of days ago. It's very close to where I live. We walked around, and ate an amazing falafel sandwiches from this new place, where you get to choose from a wide variety of toppings. It was so delicious and reasonably priced! It was so hot outside 98 degrees just like today. We almost fried, so I decided to get some tasty ice cream to cool down, so we did. I got half a scoop of toasted coconut, and the other half chocolate. It was very yummy, and definitely cooled me down. It was a great outing. This is what I wore. I had a white lace Peplum with a yellow linings underneath. I paired it with a deep blue jeans, white wedges sandals, and a neutral clutch. Let me know what you think!  Enjoy your summer days, and have a sweet day!

          Top: forever21, Clutch: H&M, Jeans: Express, Necklace: Bebe, Wedges: Steve madden

Denim on Denim

Trendy Affordable Outfit   

 

Denim on Denim

The denim on denim trend is back! I still remember this trend when I was a kid in the nineties. I remember wearing my denim shirt, denim jacket and denim jeans all the time. I'm glad this trend is back because it's cool, it's comfy, and it's very practical. I found these items at H&M. They also have them in forever21. They both carry it in different styles and the prices are very reasonable. I hope you like my pick and have a wonderful sweet day! 

H&M Denim Jacket

                 

      H&M Denim Shirt

     H&M Straight Jeans

 H&M Brown Belt

           Target Wedges Boots

Fashion Couture

                                         

 Designer Dress

 

This week's pick is this beautiful dress by Elie Saab from the Spring/Summer 2013 collection. I love the color, the flower lace details, the sheer factor of this dress. I also like the style of it. I like the 3/4 sleeve, the fitted waist, and the length of it. It's just a perfect dress.  It definitely screams spring and summer. In real life I would wear this dress to a special occasion. I hope you like my pick. Have a sweet day!

Quote of the week!

Weekly Quote 

 

 Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.

 

 Coco Chanel 

 

Sandals DIY!

DIY Sandals

Hello Friends!

I bought these sandals on sale yesterday but I didn't really like the gold color on these sandals. So I decided to add some embellishments to make it look better. I went to Micheal's and I found some little tiny black flowers and some very tiny black acrylic jewels. They were both very inexpensive. I ended up getting both for $3.50 after the discount.This is a very easy DIY.








 Materials needed: 

1. Sandals
2. Embellishments you can choose from a 
    wide variety, I got the flowers and acrylic 
    jewels. 
3. Glue Gun
                                                            
    Directions:
  

1. Decide where you want to add the  

    embellishments. Lay it on top of the  

    Sandals and try different ways of placing  

    them until you achieve the desired look.I 

    decided to put the flowers on all the golden 

     straps. However I added the jewels in 

     between each flower on the horizontal 
     strap and at each end of the vertical strap.  

2. Grab each piece and add hot glue to the 

     back of it and then stick it in its place. Be 

     careful with the little jewels because you 

     can burn your hands like I did. You can 

     use tweezers to place them if you like.

3. Continue step number 2 until your design 

     is complete. I really like how it looks now. 

     Enjoy making your own. 

     Have a Sweet Day!

How to organize your closet on a budget!

Natural Resources for Healthy Youthful Skin

 Youthful Radiant Skin Naturally?

Age, nutrition, environment, daily habits, and lifestyle all contribute to the health of our skin. Naturally, the older we get, the more Collagen, Elastin and Hyaluronic Acid will will be lost from our skin. Collagen is a fibrous protein that is along with Elastin and Keratin form the connective tissue of the skin. The result of losing Collagen is the thinning of our skin; hence the wrinkles develop. Hyaluronic acid supports and lubricates the skin. Some people rely on fillers to keep a youthful looking skin. However, if you prefer natural resources to look young and beautiful, then eating these food will promote health, beauty, and youthfulness without depending on fillers/botox/ and plastic surgeries with side effects.

The following are natural resources to increase the production of collagen and Hyaluronic acid in our skin:

1. Omega 3 fatty acids: found in cold water fish such as Salmon, Cod and Tuna. Vegan choices can be 2 tbs of Flax seeds. Eating 4 ounces of fish twice a week will ensure getting the required omega 3 fatty acids in your system.

2. Vitamin C: found in many fruits and vegetables. Surprisingly the amount of Vitamin C  found in red hot chilli peppers is superior to citrus fruits. It's also found in sweet peppers, Guavas, dark leafy greens, lychees, lemons, oranges and grapefruit. 

3. Lycopene: found in tomatoes. Lycopene is an antioxidant that fights collagenases which are enzymes that destroy collagen. Cooked tomatoes (tomato sauce) actually contain more lycopene than raw tomatoes.

4. Vitamin A: found in leafy greens, carrots, and sweet potatoes. Vitamin A restores and regenerates damaged collagen in the skin.

5. Antioxidants: found in berries such as raspberry, blackberry, strawberry, and blue berry. Also found in green and white tea. Antioxidants fight off free radicals and help in restoring collagen.

6. Genistein: found in soybeans and its derivatives such as soy milk, and tofu. It helps in the production of collagen and blocks enzymes that cause aging.

7. Sulfur: found in Garlic. Sulfur supports damaged collagen fibers. 


Also life style is very important to having a healthy looking skin. Smoking, drinking alcohol,  the lack of exercise, lack of sleep, and dehydration can age our skin. So No smoking, no drinking or drinking occasionally, exercising, sleeping well, and drinking plenty of water can also promote a healthy beautiful looking skin. In addition, cleansing, moisturizing, and using sunscreen are essential to maintain your skin health.