Shanette Carmen Fashion Diary

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Dear God, can I have?

Dear God, can I have the following? P.S. And can I have Kate Moss' life....without the coke?

All pictures are from http://becauseimaddicted.net/

XX

Friday, October 8, 2010

YAY! It's fall! New weather means new clothes! But if you're straped for cash like me, all these new fall trends can seem so far away. Well, I found some tips on how to update last years trends. The only thing you need to remember is fashion is all about personal style and confidence. Let's get started!

1. Bring summer floral skirts and dresses into fall with dark accessories.

2. Add a preppy blazer to tone down an ultra feminine skirt.

3. Layer your look! Cardigans, sweaters, scarves, tees!

4. Pair a cool weather blazer with a summery dress.

5. Make old jeans and pants new by cuffing them. A huge trend this fall!

6. Make a youthful looking dress more sophisticated with a few cool add-ons. Buttons and chains are big.

7. Get extra mileage out of your summer dresses by wearing them under heavier layers. Chunky sweater cardigans are your friend.

8. Use fun prints to cheer up dark, serious styles. Black is always a DO but make it fun with a pop of color.

9. Try to pattern on pattern trend. Tip: Stay with the same color family and stripes plus florals are very chic.

10. Wear lace from head to toe! And then top it off with some leather! So romantic.

11. Invest in a pair of clogs. Looks perfect with jeans and chunky sweaters or sweater dresses.

12. Mix and match seperates from each season. Leather jackets from last year still work this year but pair them with a dress or lace.

YAY for fall and YAY for saving money!

xx

Taking a break

Ok, just for a second, I'm taking a break from fashion to blog about something much more important: Nutrition. I know real people. I am friends with real people, not celebrities or models or designers who seem to have a distorted view on what's healthy. So I have compiled of list of tips and tricks for staying healthy especially during this flu season.

1. Drink a second cup of coffee. Coffee is helpful because of the caffeine, helps speed up your metabolism.

2. Scramble your eggs. Just do it.

3. Eat a handful of veggies and fruit each day. A handful of grapes is about 8 grapes. A handful of baby carrots is about 6 baby carrots. A handful of strawberries (YUM) is about 5 strawberries. It's not that hard.

4.Sip green tea and chamomile tea. Both have great health benefits but green tea helps keep you slim and chamomile tea helps keep you healthy.

5. Think before you drink. I know this is easier said than done but if its still too hard to do, drink wine. Good for you.

6. Sleep 8 hours a night. In our society, young people are not getting enough sleep and it's turning into an epidemic of insomniacs who haven't even hit 30 years old yet. I've been blessed with the ability to sleep whenever and wherever I'm tired but some people have a hard time sleeping or getting to sleep. Tip #1: Turn off the TV, computer and put the cell phone aside. Read a book or a magazine. Do a word puzzle. Do whatever you need to clear your mind. Tip #2: Take a warm bath an hour before and take some wine in there with you. Tip #3: Fill up. Eat a snack before going to bed and twinkies don't count as a snack. Try a piece of fruit, cheese or peanut butter on toast. Tip #4: Keep your bedroom cool. No warmer than 70 degrees. The warmer it is, the harder it is for your body to wind down. Tip #5: Block out light. Turn your alarm clock away from you if it glows. Tip #6: Go to bed earlier. All that last minute stuff you want to get done will be there tomorrow so stop what you're doing and get in bed. If you're moving around and doing thing til midnight, it will take your body longer to wind down. Tip #7: Avoid caffeine. I made the mistake one night of taking some headache medication that had caffeine right before I went to bed, I was tossing and turning all night. Tip #8: Go to the bathroom right before bed. Nothings worse than being in a deep sleep and being woken up because your bladder can't take it anymore. Not to mention getting up and fumbling around to get to the bathroom. Tip #9: Get some light exercise, even a 30 minute walk each day. Tip #10: Try to keep a routine. Try to go to bed around the same time and get up around the same time even if you don't have to be somewhere. Sleeping in is a luxury sometimes for our body but not a neccesity.

7. Think fish. If you don't like fish, take fish oil tablets.

8. Choose whole grain bread.

9. Keep serving dishes off the table. This will help with eating more than you should.

10. Keeping with number 9; Cut portions by a quarter.

11. Keeping with number 10; Put your fork down while you chew. Shoveling food in your mouth is a fast way to eat too much.

12. Sign up for weight loss emails. A great one I use that I found most of these tips from is Eat This, Not That. They have a great website AND great daily emails.

13. Work out before lunch of dinner. Never after.

14. Drink two glasses of milk a day. I'm guilty of not doing this one but it has been proven that milk helps with weight loss and not to mention it's good for your bones, ladies.

15. Go ahead and eat your favorite foods. Don't deprive yourself, just eat in moderation.

16. Snack on popcorn or walnuts. Between breakfast and lunch and between lunch and dinner. This helps you eat less during the big meal times.

17. Choose foods with the fewest ingredients. Check your labels. Read them, study them and know them. Alot of them have unneccesary ingredients that do nothing for your health.

Last but not least: Eat protein with every meal.

Ok, now that I got that stuff off my chest, I hope it helps some of you. It's so easy to be healthy, fashionable and successful if you just educate yourself. So consider yourself a little more educated!

XX

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Fall 2010 Trend Report

So, Fall is officially here! YAY! For those of us who love fashion, this is Christmas. Sweater dresses, thigh high boots, trenches and military jackets are here! Well, not really here in Texas yet until a cold front comes along to save us from the 90+ weather but when it comes, I will be ready. And now you can be too. Because I have an unnatural obession with fashion, I have scoured the websites and watched videos of Fall collections walking down the runway and read all the tweets from the hot shots who made it to the front row at Fashion Week. All this to bring you the trends of Fall 2010. Ladies, start shopping!

1. Western duds. The fringe, the boots and the cowboys! One tip: Don't wear all the duds at the same time.

2. Red! Warm, bright or velvet! For a great fall look, pair your red with gold.

3. Shearling. Not only will these jackets keep you warm but they look cool.

4. Faux Fur. EVERYWHERE! Hats, jackets, scarves, vests and necklines. Tip for life: Keep it faux.

5. Menswear for women. Blazers are back for Fall, add some great trousers and a doctor bag and you're set!

6. 50's retro. Mad Men fan rejoice! Full calf skirts, cute cardigans and plaid.

7. Sweater dressing. Big, chunky sweaters and sweater dresses looks gorge with knee high boots and a cute scarf.

8. Trenches. They're back and sexy as ever. In leather or camel, they make the perfect staple for your closet.

9. Low ballerina buns. Chic and sophisticated.

10. Ruffles! On your skirts, on your statment jackets and on your scarves.

11. Maxi skirts and dresses. The skirts with chunky sweaters and the dresses with a statement jacket.

12. Bare face with bright lips. Bright reds or oranges are a great way to brighten up Fall.

13. Leopard accessories. The biggest trend of the season. Gloves, shoes, scarves, hats, jackets and handbags. But note the key word "accessories", don't wear them all at the same time or in pants.