I want to write more letters in 2012, but unlined paper gives me agita. I can’t manage to write straight without lines, and the gradual slant ain’t cute. 
That’s why I adore this whimsical lined paper from La Papierre. The variety of themes range from the sweet to the sinister. 
If you prefer unlined notes, the shop stocks a well-rounded collection of both types. In addition to stationery, La Papierre has fun envelopes, postcards, and other interesting and enjoyable printed materials. 
You can find a lovely selection of reasonably-priced options of La Papierre products on Etsy.
Just finished Whateverland, the new book by Alexis Stewart and Jennifer Koppelman Hutt. The thrown together self-proclaimed anti self-help book doesn’t add much to the conversation. Filled with anecdotes and affluence-skewed life advice, the content retreads material familiar to fans of Whatever Martha! or the pair’s satellite radio show. 
The throwaway read was quite the disappointment until I reached the conclusion, where out of no where the two announce, “Our working relationship and friendship were great while they lasted.” Odd, right? It is one thing to have a falling out with a friend; it is another to confess it in the book you co-wrote. Last week Jennifer and Alexis appeared on The Today Show and much ado has been made about Stewart’s icy demeanor. She was chilly, but when has Alexis ever been warm and fuzzy?
Alexis made a few pointed digs about “clingyness” and serving the silent treatment, but so far the details of the friendship demise are sketchy. Jennifer appears to be taking the high road, even going so far as to say she “loves” Alexis despite their rift. So what’s the story ladies? Unless Jennifer dropped your new baby Jude on her head or something, Alexis should really get over it and stop acting like she’s flush with friends. A loyal friend is hard to find. Let the little things go and forgive.
This week I had the pleasure of visiting two of my very favorite people in one of the world’s most enjoyable cities for the Portishead show. No, we did not stumble into a portal which transported us back to 1994. Before we arrived, one of the crew asked what the crowd would be like. “Old,” I replied. Lest we forget that 1994 was 17 unforgiving years ago.
Truthfully, I haven’t listened to much of Third, Portishead’s most recent record from oh-eight. During a certain moment in time, however, I wore Dummy out. In the mid-nineties, ubiquitous Dummy was in everyone’s collection, at least in my drugged-up slutty circles. Is there anything druggier or sluttier than Portishead? Sour Times for Good Times.
Turns out, Portishead live is a deeply conflicting experience. Apart from some short-lived glitchy sound issues, the selections from Dummy were sublime. In particular, Wandering Star was a well-executed highlight. 
With regret I must confess I did not connect to their newer more “experimental” offerings. At their worst, Portishead sounded like the off-key bastard child of Sonic Youth and Evanescence. It was two songs worth of misery interrupted by an old familiar fave followed by more loud pain. The contrast was jarring. The crowd was especially limp and unresponsive to the less familiar material as is usually the case, but in this instance magnified. One review described the audience as “rapt,” which really wasn’t an accurate reading of my area of the room. Curious about the set list? Silence, Hunter, Mysterons, The Rip, Sour Times, Magic Doors, Wandering Star, Machine Gun, Over, Glory Box, Chase the Tear, Cowboys, Threads, with an encore: Roads, We Carry On.
During Glory Box my friend leaned forward and yelled in my ear, “Oh yeah, this is that song from The Craft. I totally feel like I’m being sexually assaulted in the woods by Skeet Ulrich.” And that pretty much sums up the experience.
As some of you know, I’ve been stuck on the buckle of the Bible belt for much of the summer on account of some personal tragedy. It hasn’t been easy or fun, but one special lady certainly brought a little sunshine to some very cloudy days. 
The very talented Joyce Bunch owns a reputable salon in Morristown, Tennessee called LaBoe. Picture Dolly Parton from Steel Magnolias and you are almost there. Kind-hearted with a gentle touch, Joyce breaks out some cutting edge treatments in this little town. For example, have you ever had a cold saline jet peel? Very enjoyable. 
Now most of you might count your lucky stars that Morristown, Tennessee isn’t on the travel itinerary for this year. However, you too can enjoy a little LaBoe goodness. She produces a top-notch and reasonably priced beauty line. Check out www.laboesalon.com for an excellent array of potent products. Free from fragrance and artificial color, Joyce keeps it real and focuses on results-oriented skincare. I’d put her glycolic face cream up against any prestige brand. The LaBoe skincare line comes in generously sized containers that make you feel like you are getting two for one. 
My dear friend Sam is getting married soon and she recently inquired about how to achieve a natural, dewy, minimalist look for her big day. She cited Kate’s (Moss not Middleton, ya’ll) recent nuptials as inspiration.
Wedding makeup is tricky business. The bride must consider lighting, photography, and longevity. Often what works on camera can look down right freakish in person. Furthermore, who can be bothered with endless touch-ups on such an important occasion?
Most brides aim for subtle enhancement to show their best selves. The approach for each bride must be individually tailored to achieve optimal results, but there are a few hard and fast rules for wedding day makeup that simply should not be ignored.
Despite what you might have learned from last weekend’s Jerseylicious marathon, a smoky eye doesn’t work for everyone. Those with hooded eyelids or smaller eyes should stick to lighter neutral shadows. A smoky eye can easily melt into a raccoon eye without proper preservation. If you insist on breaking out some intense shadow for the big day, have at it, but for the love of Aucoin please no super bright colors. Save the hot pink and purple; this is your wedding day and not a club crawl through the Jersey Shore.
Keep shimmer to a minimum. A little here and there to catch the light is fine – corner of the eyes, brow bone, a smidge on the cheek bones, a dab in the center of the lip or arch of the cupid’s bow (NOT all locations por favor). Shimmer reads prominently in photographs. If you go crazy with the highlighter all over; you’ll appear oily and shiny in your pictures. Soft matte works best on camera.
Dramatic brides may consider a red lip. Proceed with caution. Red lips are extremely high-maintenance. Gotta keep it off the teeth, off the dress, and reapply often for maximum punch. A scarlet smoocher can easily dominate the face and take over a photo. The wrong shade of red causes the rest of the face to recede. The tendency is to overcompensate with too much color elsewhere or look washed out. Consider a subtle red wash on the lips to keep features balanced.
Go easy with the foundation and concealer application. Let your skin and inner light shine through. Remember the aim of these products is to perfect the skin, not mask it. Splurge on high-end foundation and concealer, even if you go budget in other areas. Without a perfected base, the whole look crumbles.
Invest in a primer. A decent primer provides staying power. Primer is the key to 8-12 hours of longevity, so you look as good at the end of the reception as you did walking down the aisle.
Holding down Ohio, gorgeous DC reader KB wrote requesting advice on how to fake a Miami glow in the Midwest:
Next KB, you gotta decide on liquid or powder formula. Both have advantages and disadvantages, therefore it is worthwhile to have one of each in your arsenal for different occasions and purposes.
Budget: Organic Wear Liquid Bronzer, Bonne Bell Gel Bronzer.
Powders are more a common choice, but also the source of many a makeup mistake. Finding the right color is super challenging. For the most part, avoid red or orange undertones (unless you are a red-head). Look for a brown base. Go too dark for your skin tone and risk looking muddy. Fair-skinned folks look for light brown sandy shades. Often when a brand offers two shades, the lighter one can look orange and the darker one is too dark. Think café au lait.
-
Home > friends