Friday, August 31, 2012

Easy Updo

It's still blazing hot here in LA and the need to keep cool is constant.  I'm growing my hair out a bit for the impending Fall Season, so as you can imagine wearing it down isn't helping the heat situation.  I came across a fantastic and super quick tutorial courtesy of Refinery 29 for a 60 second undo.  Normally it takes some practice for me to master a new look (and especially in this time constraint), but this is something I got on the first try and so I thought it was worthy of sharing with you!!  HINT:  Don't time yourself as in the video... My look came together in 3 minutes and that's pretty darn good!

Watch full tutorial HERE:  Majorly Easy Updo!

My result after spending only minute tucking in!
To start, I used a thickening hairspray all over and concentrating on the roots for a good amount of body and lift then added the stretchy headband to the crown of my head and started with tucking small pieces around my face and larger in the back.  Second, secured with about 6 - 7 bobby pins to especially hold the band in place and then finished with a swoop of strong hold hairspray.
For a softer look, pull out a couple wispy strands around your face... Love this look for day just as much as for a special night out!

Give it a try and let me know your time ;)

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Major Weekend Fun Finds

It's the last weekend in August and technically that has always represented the last weekend of Summer to me, so I spent Friday off of the freeways and instead got ready for a little overnight trip up to the mountains... Yes, in case you were wondering that prep time included me needing to go to the Trina Turk Sample Sale.  What a complete score that was!  Next time, you must join me!

Just ONE of the many treasures found at the Sample Sale.  Of course none of my purchases were roughing it enough to pack for the weekend getaway.
A glimpse of the perfect kitten cuddle as we headed out the door ~ Trooper is such a good big brother!  They are so sweet!
Fall dahlias in gorgeous deep purples and reds ~ the perfect gift for our mountain hosts!
Took the ski lift up at Mt. Baldy to check out the Big Horn Music Festival  - The Stone Foxes were awesome!


Hope your weekend was just as good... Wear all the white you can this week since Labor Day is just ahead :)

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Major August Giveaway!


CONGRATULATIONS TO BRANDY STONE ~ WINNER OF THE MAJOR AUGUST GIVEAWAY!! 

It's my favorite time of the month!  This giveaway is inspired by my summer "go-to" style for evenings out and about around town.  It's a super easy way to glam up your daytime look and head out to explore and enjoy the lovely Summer evenings!

Here's how to enter the raffle on Facebook:
1)  From Monday, August 20th - Friday, August 24th go to the Major Baggage Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/majorbaggage) and if you haven't "Liked" the page yet, here's a good time!
2)  Look for the post on the "Major August Giveaway" and leave a comment.
3)  Each person that leaves a comment will be assigned a number (in the order received).
4)  A winner will be chosen at random on Saturday, August 25th.

Now, enough of the formalities... Here's a look at the goods!

My favorite go-to Summer look consists of a tousled pony-tail, bold chandelier earrings, a sophisticated smokey eye and a vibrant manicure.  I've created a fun little box with my "Must-Have" products to help you capture this look in just a few steps.  
Click here for an amazingly simple tutorial I used to get the perfect smokey eye in minutes... http://www.refinery29.com/smoky-eye-video-tutorial and if you don't happen to have a "smudge brush" just grab a pair of scissors and bluntly cut one of your shadow brushes.  This is a must have tool for blending in the liner.

For a little fun "bonus" I am adding in this great journal I found at Anthropologie.  I was hooked on the illustrations and clever ideas for a creative way to explore the place you call home.
A peek inside... You will LOVE this!

BEST OF LUCK & HAVE A FANTASTIC WEEK!

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Ribbon Belts

Belts are one of my favorite fashion accessories.  It's a super easy way to turn a basic tried & true jeans and white tee look into something you put a little more effort into.  And since mixing colors and patterns is so on trend right now I thought I would give it a shot and create a couple looks that require NO SEWING :)


Above is all you'll need:  Ribbon (best if it's sturdy material), duct tape - fashion color rather than the typical gray, exacto blade, scissors, double side tape and d-rings.

And in a few simple steps... 1)  Measure the ribbon around your hips and add approx. 11 - 12 inches extra before you cut.  2)  Feed one end of the ribbon through BOTH of the d-rings and fold over adding a strip of double sided tape to secure.  Do the same with the opposite end (meaning, fold over and tape for a hemmed finish)  3)  Using your duct tape, lay the ribbon flat with the back side facing up and add tape down the length of the belt.  This gives it a bit more sturdiness and in my case above I chose a ribbon that was not double sided so the lime green gives it a more polished look.  4)  Cut away the excess tape with scissors or the exacto blade.  5)  Finish off any fraying ends on the backside "hem" with some clear nail polish
Finished product - adorable, new chevron belt!
LOVE ... This ribbon is double sided, so I could skip the duct tape step noted above.

Friday, August 17, 2012

Ole Caliente

Enduring too hot temperatures in most parts of LA this week has led me to choose a spicy red color for my nails for the weekend (feeling hot, hot, HOT!!!).  Essie's Ole Caliente is a great red... It's a keeper even for the Holiday Season (Ugh... How dare I speak those words in August!)



And of course to get you through another toasty weekend, let's start our Friday with a little adult beverage "with a kick"!

Spicy Kumquat Margarita - click HERE for recipe

Sunday, August 12, 2012

What a Weekend!

Hope you all had a fabulous weekend full of family, friends, sunny but breezy weather & delicious summer foods!  It's fuel for us to now take on the week!  It's going to be a bit of a crazy schedule Monday - Friday for me, so this post is a sweet look at all I savored over these past couple of days!  Enjoy & have a creative week!

The Farmer's Market had all my favorite summer foods this weekend - The plums were just like candy!

I managed to squeak in a little time to browse Forever 21 (imagine that!) and came away with this great black and gold statement necklace - only $6!  This goes with EVERYTHING.

The majority of the weekend was spent out in the backyard - I woke up super early each morning to catch a bit of cool air before it went into the 90's.  Early morning sky is so peaceful.  In the evening I spied a Praying Mantis on one of our lounge chairs - they are just such strange looking creatures.  Then of course there's Moxie - She is a character all her own... This is a mix of her crabby and sleepy face.  Such a love!

Friday, August 10, 2012

Friday Fun Finds!

It's been a blazing hot week here in LA this week, but that really hasn't stopped me from trying to hit all the end of Summer sales that are popping up here and there.

Below are some of my favorite finds of the week:

FASHION FINDS:

Made a little trip to what I think is one of the happiest places on earth... Trina Turk Outlet Store!  Came out with a pair of these beautiful, cobalt blue shorts (inspired by a friend's blog post about "Night Shorts") these are so nice with a blousy top and super high heels.
I've been looking everywhere since Awards Season for a perfect little pair of earring with a bright green stone.  I found these at Anthropologie with a ring of sparkle around the edge.  There's barely a day I'm not wearing these.

FOODIE FINDS:

My favorite sweet snack from Trader Joe's... Mini vanilla and chocolate ice cream cones with a dark chocolate coating. They are super cute and only 70 calories per cone... If you can eat just one!
Another find from Trader Joe's (it's really the only place I go food shopping) is this yummy bag of savory & salty popcorn with a perfect pop of herbs like dill, basil & parsley.  Really hard to put this bag down!  I have sprinkled this on top of a garden salad instead of adding croutons - Fun presentation!

FOR THE HOME FINDS:

HUGE sale on Summer items at Cost Plus World Market.  Picked up these outdoor pillows for a teak beach that needed some more comfort added for guests.

A friend gave this to me and I just burned it - AMAZING!  Perfect uplifting citrus scent.  It's a travel size so I have to search out a few more as this will be done by the end of the weekend.

Here's wishing you all stay cool this weekend!