Archive for January, 2010
You might have noticed that earning a degree (even with honors) these days would fail to impress most employers today. The trend for education these days is to at least get masteral units and moreso, finish a Master’s program. It is no longer common to know and meet women who hold high-positions in their careers studying. One might wonder how one can do (and handle it all). I’ve got an answer for you – online colleges.
Studying online has never been easier today than it was before, with convenience being the first advantage among many reasons. You can study at your own pace, at any time so career women, or even those who stay at home to take care of the kids, are able to study. The key here is to be matured enough and disciplined to actually take time to read your books, even if curling up with your favorite book (non-school related) after a grueling day at work is more attractive.
Time management would be easier as you get to choose your own schedule and you literally cut your time in half because you do not need to commute going to school! It will also be a lot cheaper in the long run.
So, if ever you are interested, here are the top 10 online schools:
1. University of Phoenix
2. Kaplan University
3. Capella University
4. Colorado Technical University Online
5. Everest University Online
6. South University
7. Florida Tech University Online
8. Westwood College
9. American Intercontinental University
10. Ashford University
Here is an alarming fact from ABC News:
Some 1.9 million women are physically assaulted annually in the United States, and 15 percent to 25 percent of all American women will report a sexual attack or rape at some time in their lives, according to studies conducted by the Justice Department and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
While there has been a great disadvantage of welcoming women into the workforce, and that spells equality rights for everyone, we must not disregard the specific needs of women as well. These are the right to a maternity leave with pay, a breastfeeding room/refrigerator for lactating mothers and occupational hazards or protection for them like womens work clothes or womens boots especially if they work in the field.
These numbers are alarmingly high but as a woman, you do not need to panic as you can still protect yourself. You just have to be aware of your surroundings, trust your instincts and be brave.
While traveling alone:
1. Make sure that what you wear is something you can run into. High heels and scarves are a hindrance to running if someone is attacking you. If you need to be in those kinds of outfit, consider dressing comfortably during traveling and changing once you are at your destination.
2. Make eye contact. Studies show that attackers go for women who are meek-looking. Making eye contact will give you a chance to possible scare an attacker or send a signal that you are someone who will most likely make a scene or fight back.
3. Be alert. It would not help if you are talking on your phone or listening to music with your headphones. Make sure that your hands are free just in case an attacker grabs you. It would be best to have a pepper spray in your bag, easily reached, at all times.
You can even use this, as this is a fashion accessory and a slight tactic to scare or surprise your attacker that you might be carrying a handgun. This mace gun retails for $51 at SafetyGirl.com and can spray up to 25 ft!
Twitter was all abuzz with shopping talk today. Instead of discussing life insurance rates, which we need to do, in order to help a friend decide which company to go to for life insurance coverage, friends started talking about shoes – slouchy boots and the Tory Burch flats, to be exact.
It was a good thing that 1) I dont have money and 2) I am a size 11 so shopping locally is futile.
So tell me, what is the main attraction of shoe that is almost $200 to you?
Size doesn’t matter. And in this day and age where commercialism has focused and forced the thinking of being thin as beautiful, being big and on the heavy side is considered a disadvantage. Thankfully, there are women like Oprah and Queen Latifah who has embodied and empowered plus-sized women and have declared, "Big is Beautiful."
Fashion and the clothing industry has been kinder to us too – ever since Jennifer Lopez revealed the size of her hips and Kate Winslet posed for Leonardo Di Caprio as Rose in the movie “Titanic”. There have been a lot of choices among plus size fashion stores.
Since our options are now endless, one should also remember that prices will be a bit higher since fabric-wise, we will be using a lot more coverage. A wrap dress is a basic need for plus-sized women.
Here are some budget shopping tips for you:
1. Know what works for you first.
2. Try it on, what looks nice on the rack might not look good on you. And sometimes, since fabrics of plus-sized clothes are drapelike, they have no form when on the rack.
3. Base your choices off of a core color palette. But be creative with color!
Here are some inspiration from the Elvi Store (for size 16 and up!):
As you can see, most clothes are shape fitting. You do not need to wear loose clothes if you are big. The key here is highlight one area and camouflage the rest. Say you can cinch your waist, show off shoulders, have a V-neck top. Remember that being in turtlenecks all the time will make you look fatter because you cannot elongate your neck (chances are, your double-chin will show more and it will emphasize the plumpness of your cheeks).
When all is said and done, remember:
"There is no cosmetic for beauty like happiness." – Lady Blessington
Women these days are lucky, they have so many options on accessories ever since companies started coming out with great fashion designer jewelry. Sometimes, you cannot even tell what’s real from real anymore, and women work it to their advantage.
Just look at these faux sapphire earrings from Holsted Jewelers. The details and craftsmanship are so fine even a jeweler would have a hard time telling it’s not real!
I am not saying that one should not invest anymore, but if you do not have the money for it, there is always a means to get the look you want for less. It’s how you carry yourself that’s important.
Look who went from “fat” to fabulous in just a month!
Among the Kardashian sisters, stars of their own reality show, Khloe, the youngest among the three Kardashians, is the last person who you would think would appear in a lifestyle and fitness magazine not once, but twice, wearing hot bikinis. Life has certainly turned around for this newlywed, as she has lost 25 pounds last summer in the span of 28 days.
Just look at her before and after pictures:
Those are her pictures when she was a size 10 and size 6, respectively. Still, criticisms are still being thrown at her, the two from Spencer Pratt and Janice Dickinson. According to an online article at LifeandStyleMag, “Supermodel Janice Dickinson attacked the star saying, “There’s no way she would become a fashion icon. Khloé looks like a heifer.” And Spencer Pratt recently said, “Khloé still needs to work out more. I recommend she go to theheidimontagworkout.com so she can get fantastic curves like my wife’s.”
Khloe has learned to accept this and even has fought back. For one thing, she tells that she will never be like her sisters, who are petite and delicate-boned, being only 5” and 5″’2”. She is a tall woman at 5’10”!
“Way before, I was a size 10. Then I went to an 8, and now I’m a 6,” Khloé tells Life & Style. “I don’t think with my bone structure I could get much smaller than a 6. This is my body — and I love it.”
Celebrities have always been under the microscope, papparazzis noting and taking pictures of the slightest weight gain or belly bump. That is why most celebrities are on a perpetual diet. It must be really hard for them, keeping up with odd and long hours filming on the set, the pressure of needing to look glamorous all the time and to be disciplined with eating (and having to find time to exercise). No wonder most of them take diet pills to help them lose and maintain their weight. One of the widely-used and most-accepted is xenical. Xenical is a prescription drug that helps block about one-third of the fat in the foods you eat from being absorbed by your body.
Perhaps the biggest night in any girl’s high school life is her prom. School council members debate and vote on prom themes as early as the start of classes and students, particularly the teenage ladies, pore over countless of magazines, try hundreds of dresses and go on crash diets to make sure they look perfect for what they deem as "the" night of their high school life.
The search for the perfect prom dress is harder than finding the perfect date for the prom, they say. But in truth, shopping for the perfect prom dress is relatively easy, if you follow these tips:
1. Find and determine your budget. More importantly, start saving as early as possible. Be sure to allow extra cash for small accessories like hair clips, pantyhose, and make-up.
2. Find inspiration – it can be from magazines, TV shows or online. Take note you do not need to buy every single fashion magazine in the market. Online finds have larger ranges and are free.
3. Start looking early. You don’t want to hit the stores after they’ve been ravaged by every other teenagers in search of the perfect frock.
4. Know what works for you, and assess your body type. Do not simply go with a dress that is going with the current trend. Make sure the dress you choose befits your body type, speaks your personality and is something you would be comfortable in (remember you will be dancing!). If you are in a slump on what will do, that’s when looking early will be to your advantage. Try everything, and I mean everything! You might be surprised that the dress you have never considered is actually the one for you!
What are the current trends for prom dresses?
2010 trends speak of old Hollywood glamour, dazzling details and vivid colors. As with old Hollywood glam, dresses are now smooth satin sheaths, and Latin-styled trains and ruffles. It focuses more on the 1960s, with the length inspired by the a-line or cocktail length skirts of Jackie O. So you would notice that Short prom dresses are taking up a storm on stores and into the dance floor of prom nights. 
One thing that is also prominent is vivid prints on dresses, sexy lines with a flamenco touch. Check out these Tony Bowls prom dresses:
Looking at all these very nice dresses makes me wish to relive prom night. Fashion these days are so much better! The choices and possibilities are endless.
Enjoy your prom!
If you are like most women, you spend a lot of money shopping every month. Shopping is women’s most passionate hobby, outlet for stress release and deadliest vice. If you are actually brave enough, try getting the sum of your past purchases the past six months related to utter wants (clothes, accessories, bags, shoes, make-up) and you might get the shock of your life.
Now, since we are not personal shoppers to the stars, we do not have any practical reason to splurge on anything so expensive we only get to wear once in a blue moon. I always have believed that style can be attained at any price, and that it will be always the wearer who should be noticed and not the things and clothes he wears.
BUT, I do not discourage anybody from shopping. In fact, I am an avid shopper myself! My advice is to shop wisely. Remember that great finds are not confined to stores.
You need to join the Covert Candy community! I came across this site once when I was looking for cheap vintage clothes – I saw a picture of a dress I wanted so much and it turns out it was a pre-loved item!
In Covert Candy, you get to “swap clothes”. And isn’t this such an old concept amongst friends and relatives? Why don’t we extend it to the community and really find stuff we want – even if it’s in other people’s wardrobe! Basically, you exchange clothes with fellow members of the community (let’s say, exchange vintage jumpers for a dress), and in the process you earn points.
These points let you “buy” clothes in the shop. Now, if you analyze it, you are getting new (for you) stuff for F-R-E-E! Now, who wouldn’t want that?
One of my goals this year is to invest on something womanly – it can either be a designer bag or jewellery. It can also be something vain such as getting a laser treatment on my armpits. As early as now, I am leaning towards getting fine gold jewellery for towards the end of the year. That should make me motivated enough to curb useless spending.
Why jewellery? It is something I personally don’t see depreciating in value in the near future, and I want something I can pass on to my daughter when the time comes. The question is – what should I get first? White gold or yellow gold?
I might get a set that contains a mix of both, similar to my wedding ring which has yellow and white gold bands together. Or maybe one that has stones in it. I have seen a lot of amazing designs at Compton and WoodHouse!
From left to right:
Created Ruby Starburst Earrings | Kyanite and Diamond Ring | Aurora White Gold Diamond Ring
The Delightful Duo ring is a perfect example that it can mix, and it understatedly elegant if they were: 
It is a nine-carat yellow and white gold ring, set with 5 single-cut diamonds.
And since I was just talking about the red carpet fashion at the recently concluded Golden Globe awards, I might as well give you a lowdown on what jewelry the stars wore
- "Mad Men" star January Jones wore an asymmetrical black wool gown by Lanvin (check out that cutout side!) and black satin "Wagner" heels by Brian Atwood. The big finish? One million dollars worth of Neil Lane diamonds!
- Penelope Cruz chose a saucy off-shoulder black dress with sheer, beaded top by Giorgio Armani Prive. The star also reportedly was sporting 69 carats of Chopard diamonds. Lucky girl!
- "House" actress Olivia Wilde wears a plunge-front gunmetal Gucci dress and Tiffany & Co. jewelry.
January Jones
Penelope Cruz
House’s Olivia Wilde is auctioning off the Gucci dress she wore to Sunday’s Golden Globes; all proceeds will go to Haitian relief.
Who knew the having daughters would put such a drain in one’s budget? Not only do you have a walking doll to dress up and fix its hair, you also get a live one which can give you hugs and kisses in return! I love having a daughter!
Jewelry is one of the most popular gifts for women, and that include little ladies. It is never too late to start them young. Just make sure you give jewelry that would be appropriate for their age and is something that would not be too expensive as they might lose it.
Molly Brown has great selection for little girls in their fashion accessories’ range. I personally love their packaging – pink and brown!
One of the most popular gifts to give to little ladies (even newborns) is giving them jewelry that bears their initials, an initial necklace or bracelet.
You can have the option to buy the necklace or bracelet too.
I personally love the Dolly Mixture necklace. I am thinking you can start with their initials and when they grow older, you can add to the cluster and voila ~ it would be as if the kid has a new one!
The picture above has a mixture of a gemstone cross, an alphabet initial and an enamel heart. You choose the length of the silver chain too (14”, 16”, 18”). Remember – if you are creative enough, this can be a bracelet bangle too!
Molly Brown has gift ideas ranging from the newborn to gifts for the christening, just in case you are chosen as a godparent (then you have to give something extra special), to birthdays and then to ladies who are princesses, tomboys, divas or tweens! Their range is very flexible and adaptable to all kinds of ladies!
