In The Spotlight - Heather Zahn

It’s time once again for a new member spotlight! This time it’s 35 year old Heather Ann Zahn from our Columbus, OH chapter.

Heather is happily married with no kids, YET! She and her husband Dennis have been married for four years and just found out that they are going to be having a bundle of joy soon. Congratulations!

 

Heather has made a profession out of being a domestic diva, but she also loves to cook, bake and swim. One of her favorite outdoor adventures is hiking at Scioto Trails in Chillicothe, Ohio.

New to LBDC, Heather has only been a member for about 6 months. She joined the club to meet new people, make new friends and to have an opportunity to get a lil dressed up every now and then! Heather always dresses with style (and feathers)!

Heather says she loves her director and co director and that she always looks forward to everyones company at events. Columbus Director, Rachel Blankenship, says “Heather brings life to the party! She’s so much fun to be around!

Sounds like you fit in perfectly, Heather. Thanks for being in the spotlight!

OOTD: Sun and Earth...

I am back. After neglecting this blog for almost 6 months, I got motivated by my hubby to revive this blog. It's been ages and realization hit me that I really cannot just leave blogging. It's been my way of documenting my addiction to make-up and stuffs. Oh, before I go on with this post, I hope everyone had a joyous Christmas.

My hubby said that he's in the mood to take more challenging shots. Of course, I am always there to support his hobby as he is to my addiction. I gladly agree that we should do it on holiday. The thinking of another outfit shot somewhere never fail to give me joy. A few days back, we headed North to spend the holiday with my family. Before Christmas Eve, we scanned for a place to do the practice shooting near my Mom's house. 

     

                          

We chose to do it in this big vacant lot but with piles of gravel, soil and clefts of rock. There was an ongoing construction of Robinsons Store from afar. We waited for the sun to go down at around 4:45 p.m. My hubby said that the sunset has something to do with what he's experimenting. 

As for the post title, I can't think of any but just got idea from what we saw in the place. The sunset, blue sky, gravel, soil, grass and rock made up the title. 

Necklace & Earrings: Jenniya find

Bracelets: Landmark Dept. Store

Wedge Sandal: Bottero
Jumpsuit: New Found Happiness by People Are People (circa 2010)

Photos by MJBAJACAN.

Did I mention that the place was just along the side of the road? When hubby started clicking and directing, we got attention from some passers. Some stopped by and stared. Then I realized I wasn't in the Metro. What we're doing along side was totally unusual to them. I started to move uncomfortably. I noticed also that hubby cannot concentrate because of the annoying stares they've thrown on us. So, after taking enough quick shots, we immediately got back to our car and went home to my Mom's.

Advance Happy New Year to all!


XX,

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2012 Top Ten!

Top 10 Things Every Classy Woman Should Have

#10:       Chandelier earrings that shape your face.  The movement is enticing!

#9:         A signature scent.  People will recognize you. Don’t change it up—keep the same one and don’t bathe in it.  Put it on your body where you check for a pulse: neck, wrists, and elbows.

#8:         A pair of high heels you could sleep in.

#7:         A cause to support.  Stay active with your role and always strive to help others.

#6:         A small bag or clutch purse.  The size matters here – it will keep people guessing what is inside!

#5:         A great romance…..even if you find it in a book!

#4:         A wrist watch.  Timing is everything!

#3:         A competitive edge.  Being competitive keeps you on your toes and the passion alive.

#2:         A confident walk.  Need I say more?

#1:         A little black dress (of course).  Add some lace for extra femininity.

I could easily compile a list of the top 20, but you get the idea.  Keep it simple.  Keep it classy.  Less is more.  You know it when you see it, and more importantly, you know it when you don’t see it.  We can spot “her” a mile away!

 

~ Dr. Rachel Blankenship
Director, Columbus Chapter

 

          

Romwe Year-end Xmas Promotion

Everyone can get a Santa Claus’ Stocking with Mysterious Gift inside with order over $60.

   This goes from from Dec 19th to 25th.

Enjoy shopping at Romwe .

Xoxo

Daniel Wellington & FIMD Giveaway II

Another giveaway by Daniel Wellington, offering this time to 1 lucky winner a watch of her/his choice. All you have to do is:

1.Like Daniel Wellington Page HERE 

2.Follow FIMD Blog HERE

3. Leave a comment with your name and contact email so we can contact you if you win 

Here are some of our favorite styles, but you can see their entire collection here. Giveaway ends on Sunday 16th October and winner will be selected by Rangom Generator!

 Read more »

Making Time for You (and Little Black Dress Club)!

Do you often say “I don’t have time for that!”  YES you do!  YOU are in charge of your time.  I know many of us; myself included, have spouse and children that can dictate where our time is spent or you might have an 80+ hour week work schedule.  Here are some tips that have helped me make the most of my day.

1) Calendar: My family has an electronic calendar so that I can look at my phone or computer at any time and see what is scheduled.  You can also do this on a paper calendar as well, just make sure you have it with you ALL THE TIME.  When people ask me if I can attend something I immediately go to my calendar and see what is happening that week.  I love being able to look at my week or month in a glance and see what I have going on at all times.

2) Set time limits: If you want to read a book, go through a drawer, or clean out your closet, but you only have an hour.  Don’t say well I only have an hour, so I’m not going to do that.  Set your timer and spend that hour getting your project done or spending quality time doing what you want.  Your timer will ensure you don’t go past that as I know sometimes you can get “lost” in a project.

3) Limit Distractions: I honestly didn’t make this a conscious decision, but in the last 2 years I’ve noticed I don’t really watch TV.  I feel like I get so much done without having that as a distraction.  Find out what distractions you have such as Facebook or T.V. and remove them or limit them with your timer.

4) Look & Feel your best:   Have everything packed and ready to go for the next day, know what you and you’re children are going to wear and whatever you do...Get 8 hours of sleep!

I wake up about 20-30 minutes more than I really need to because I hate that morning rush.  I can have quiet time to read, drink my coffee, and eat my breakfast before anyone is up.  If one of my kids gets up, that’s ok too.  I have had some of the best conversations with my daughter at 6:30am.

5) Support System: Another key in managing your time is having a great support system. Surround yourself by family and friends who are supportive of you and make sure you are a known support system to them as well. I’m thankful for the many wonderful, supportive women from LBDC that I have met along the way.  Don’t be weary to ask for help or just take a couple minutes to have a conversation on tips from someone who has been there.

6)Fun: Don’t forget to schedule in the fun with LBDC or leave your schedule open for fun!  Call a friend for a sporadic run or shopping trip.  You need “you” time to rest and recover from the stresses of life.

I hope these tips help you so you can do it all!

~Suzy Hicks

Co Director, Columbus Chapter

 

 

 

Last Minute Girly Stocking Fillers

01. VELVET LIPS SLIPPERS - These shoes/slippers from Topshop look amazing, i'd definitely be happy to see those in my stocking this christmas (that sounds a bit dodgy doesn't it..)

02. HOLGA SPECIAL LENS IPHONE CASE - I own this iphone case and it's absolutely amazing. It clicks around the camera lens like an old fashioned phone dial. It has 10 different filters and effects on it, which adds to your photos. My favourite filter is the HD close up lens, it's brilliant for taking detailed makeup photos, so it's brilliant for any beauty bloggers!

03. 3D NAIL WRAPS - These nail wraps from ASOS are amazing, they're a little pricey at £7.50, but a lot cheaper than getting them done professionally. Perfect pressie for a girly girl.

04. CATH KIDSTON MAKEUP BAG - My sister and I are absolute Cath Kidston crazies, I own this makeup bag while she has one in a different pattern. We bought them together last year. I think any girl would be lying if they said they didn't like a bit of Cath Kidston flowers in their life.

05. MARILYN MONROE MAC LIPSTICK - As I love every colour from this collect I thought i'd just slip it in, it would be on the pricier side for the stocking, but who wouldn't be thrilled! 

Outfit Of The Day

SKIRT C/O LASHES / JUMPER - TOPSHOP / SHIRT C/O - MINA / BAG - BRANDVILLAGE / JACKET C/O - BENCH

Sorry i've been such a rubbish blogger recently, i've had my christmas pressie shopping hat on and have been out and about most days. But I have finally finished my xmas shopping so there will be plenty of posts from me from now on :)

The absolute BABES at Lashes Of London via the lovely Kim gifted me this beautiful skirt. I am in love and it is so comfy. I got it in a size 8 and it fits perfectly, i was a little bit worried as i've put on a FEW pounds (shhh) that it might be a bit small but luckily it fits fabulously snug. Lashes have become one of my favourite shops ever, not only that but they are all so lovely!

I also got gifted this beautiful shirt from Mina, it's so perfect and has pleats all down the back, i shall post a full photo of it soon. Finally I got sent this amazingly warm jacket by Bench, it has been on my back all day everyday I haven't worn anything else!

Hope all you lovelies are well! And hello to my new readers :) P.S. christmas is in 16 days ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh! SO excited.

In The Spotlight - Sherry Tellier

It's that time again: Time for another great Member Spotlight! This time we are celebrating Sherry Tellier from our Nashville Chapter.

Sherry is a proud mother of two daughters and a grandmother to one grandson. She moved from upstate NY all the way down south nearly 20 years ago. Sherry is very much looking forward to returning home to NY next fall to attend her class reunion, see some of her old friends and enjoy the Adirondack experience.

Working as the Accounting Manager for Embassy Dental in Nashville with seven dental offices to maintain, Sherry stays very busy but loves the challenge of her job. When she finds herself with a day off or some time to spare she loves to go for a good hike, do some cooking, take in a good movie, or read a book.

Sherry joined LBDC 3 years ago and when asked for her thoughts on the club, she had this to say: “When I moved to a new area of Nashville to be closer to my job, I was hoping to make new friends and pursue new experiences. The Little Black Dress Club has enabled me to achieve those goals and so much more. I’ve made friendships that I know will last a lifetime and tried so many new things I’ve always wanted to do but never had a chance.”

While her dream trip would be taking a plane to Europe, Sherry is very much looking forward to the Glamping Trip that the Nashville Chapter has planned in January. There is definitely something appealing about packing a dozen high maintenance women in a cabin in the woods with a martini bar and a DVD player!

Thanks for being in our spotlight this month, Sherry! We are glad to have you!

 

 

 

 

Color Me This....

Compliment Your Eyes with Color

I was inspired to share this article that I read in Allure Magazine (November 2012).  Have you ever looked at someone’s eyes and wondered what color they are?  Is it an optical illusion?  Do our eyes change colors?  Our eyes do not necessarily change colors, but the perception of what color they truly are can change with just a little color.  What is the secret?  One answer…..eyeliner. 

Brown Eyes:        Warm and metallic tones will bring out the gold flecks in brown eyes, which adds richness and depth to your eyes.  Use your finger to apply a cream copper eye shadow along the upper lids—smudge it a little and finish with heaps of black mascara.

Hazel Eyes:          Hazel eyes are a combination of gold and green.  To play up the gold, cover the lids in a bronze shade.  To accentuate the green, swap the bronze for teal shadow or liner. 

Green Eyes:         Believe it or not, any variation of purple can transform green eyes.  Line the upper lashes with deep plum, dust purple lightly across the lids, and sweep lilac along the brow bones.  If it is too much for comfort, just try a plum mascara.

Blue Eyes:            Try a terra-cotta colored eyeliner.  The red undertones play off the blue eyes intensely. Finish with black pencil at the outer corners.

 
 

The holiday season is the best time to experiment with different shades and colors to liven up your outfit and holiday mood!  After you try it, take a picture and share it with us!!

~ Dr. Rachel Blankenship
Director, Columbus Chapter

 

 

 

 

 

 

Easy as Pie Hair-dos - Milkmaid/Heidi Braid tutorial

I have been seeing Milkmaid Braids absolutely everywhere in the fashion world. It was featured on the models in the Valentino collection this year. It is also a few celebrities's favourite go-to hairstyle for a bit of a different look, Sienna Miller, the Oslen twins and Nicole Richie wear this often (the babes). It would also be a fab hair-do for any christmas parties as it takes minutes to achieve!

01. Start by parting your hair in the middle and sectioning your hair into two. Now from the MIDDLE of your head start plaiting. The shorter your hair, the higher you start the braid. (once done tie with a hair elastic, for now, to keep the plait in place)

02. Do exactly as you did in number 1, remembering to start from the middle as this stops the hair going all lumpy and bumpy at the top!

03. Now flip one of the plaits over the head, wrapping it around and placing it where ever you fancy. Once it's in the place  slip a few bobby-pins in to keep it secure.

04. Grabbing the other braid, lift and wrap it in front of the first plait. Fold the end of this one under the first braid so that it looks like one slick plait all the way across.

05. Slide in as many pins as you want until it feels fixed in place. You can give it a light spritz of hairspray if you want it to be extra secure.

6. And that's it! It's that easy! If you try this out, please tweet me a picture of it, i love LOVE seeing them.

Wild by Cheryl Strayed

Have you ever experienced a downward spiral in life and wished that you could just get away from it all, even if only for a few minutes?  That is exactly what Cheryl Strayed did and her memoir, “Wild:  From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail,” outlines how she was able to “find” herself again after hiking from the Mojave Desert  through California and Oregon to Washington State on the Pacific Crest Trail.   

Cheryl’s life was in shambles.  She was in her mid 20s, had lost her mother to cancer, destroyed her marriage, started using heroin, had no money, and had lost contact with her family.  Her lifestyle had always been one that involved taking risks, but none compared to the risk she took when she hiked 1100 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail, alone!

When I first started reading this book I will admit, I thought Cheryl was crazy to even attempt this adventure.  She had no hiking experience but decided to embark on this journey after she picked up a book on hiking the Pacific Crest Trail while standing in a check-out line.  Ironically, she never even read the book before starting the hike.  She spoke to a few people at a sporting goods store, bought some equipment, packed her backpack (which she refers to as “Monster” because it is way too heavy) and literally headed out for the trail.  Physically, she was in no way prepared for this journey.  She talks about losing her toenails because her boots are too small, her throbbing feet, and the pure utter exhaustion she felt most evenings.  But, she forged on day by day and eventually grew stronger not only physically but emotionally as well.

I know there is no way I could do what Cheryl Strayed did, but I give her credit for being willing to not only tackle this trail alone, but her own demons as well.  Sometimes from our own darkness emerges something really great and I would recommend that you travel along side Cheryl to learn more about her journey from being lost to found in Wild.

 

Reviewed by: Richelle Schneider, Chicago Southlands Director, LBDC

A Place for All Your Christmas Gift Needs

Are you sometimes lacking present ideas for the girlies in your life, like I am? Well I was recently introduced to the brand new gifting site called Ask Her Friends. It literally may be the best gifting platform website i've ever come across and it's so easy to get around (woohoo!).

Ask Her Friends helps you choose the perfect gift by letting you select a number of personalised options - Such as: 'Picture her in an outfit she likes wearing, tick all that apply'. For my sister I ticked 'Understated, classic elegance – clean lines and neutral colours' and moved onto the next question. Once you've finished every questions they then choose presents that best apply to the answers you gave.

The gift they chose for my sister were fantastic! You can choose up to 8 present ideas -- With those you have the choice to Ask Her Friends! Secretly Askherfriends then send the gift ideas to all her friends either via Facebook or Twitter and then the friends can choose which ones they think said person would like the most. How amazing is that!!

So basically Askherfriends crowd-source ideas by asking normal women to tell them exactly what they want, so they know what they're talking about!  So if you're having a christmas gift block or if you're on a budget Askherfriends IS the place to be.

Gury Shopping

We continue sharing with you amazing places for shopping with international shipping, great affordable prices and stylish clothes.
This week's favorite is definitely Gury. Street style yet feminine you will find something for yourself we guarantee that! Born in Iceland, living in Copenhagen international designer G. has manifested her lifetime passion for fashion in latest collection sold at her e-shop.
Hot-right-now at Gury: always elegant black, everlasting leopard prints , pink tone to brighten up your autumn and trendy accessories.

Check out our favorites and discover your own on Gury website & Facebook page.

 Read more »

Members Only Election Night Out

Here in Columbus, we LOVE our red, white, and blue…..and our shoes! To celebrate our right to vote, some of the Columbus members gathered for dinner. To lighten the tension and have some fun, we decided to have our own “election” so to speak. And what else are we going to vote on? SHOES!  We elected the member with the best pair of shoes on and gave a prize to her!

 

Heather was our lucky winner!!  She came all decked out in her patriotic accessories: red, white, and blue stars on her cheek; red and white feather boas; a red rosette clip in her hair; and the cutest sequined black dress!  BOOM!  She was representing in full effect tonight!  Not only was Heather elected our “best shoes” winner, she was also pinned tonight as an official Little Black Dress Club member.  I don’t know how she does it, but she wins all of the time! J

 

 

In addition to our first official “members only” event, we did a lot of brainstorming for 2013.  We are going to have a fantastic year filled with amazing events.  Now is a good time to start bringing your friends to events and inviting them to join our club!  Don’t miss out on all the fun!

 ~Rachel Blankenship
Director, Columbus Chapter

 

Topshop OOTD

FAUX FUR SNOOD - M&S
GREY JUMPER - C/O TOPSHOP
  SLEEVELESS BIKER JACKET - C/O TOPSHOP
HIGH SHINE LEGGINGS - AMERICAN APPAREL
 BROWN BAG - C/O BRANDVILLAGE

The absolute lovelies at Topshop gifted me a voucher to spend on anything in their store. So I had a major think about what clothes I actually needed and what would keep me the warmest but is also on trend. Then I remembered this Sleeveless jacket which I had been lusting over for ages and ages, needless to say that was the first thing i popped into my basket. It is THE comfiest and warmest jacket ever and the good thing about having a jacket without sleeves you don't feel so trapped in, if you know what i mean. Then I decided to use my voucher on this dip-hem jumper, which i needed and i'm so glad I did! It says it's black but i'd say it's definitely a sort of dark grey. Thank you very much Topshop!!

I also recently received this bag from Brand Village. I am SO in love with it I have been using it everyday to the point all my friends and family keep asking me if it attached to me. (it is, foreverrr). Anyway I hope you're all good on this windy and wet day. Yucky!

P.S. If my lips look kind of weird, this morning I woke up with one side of my top lip bigger than my face..luckily it's gone down a bit but I still look a bit like Pete Burns haha.

Shot of S'mores, Anyone?

                      
We have posted a lot about fall during these last few weeks. But one thing we can not leave out is our favorite seasonal cocktail recipe! Everyone loves a good cocktail now and then. But wouldn’t it be even better if you could tailor your cocktail to the weather outside?

Fall reminds me of the leaves changing, hayrides and campfires, roasting marshmallows and of course, s’mores! Why not take this great seasonal tradition and turn it into a fun drink to share with your girlfriends on a cold Saturday night during a fun Girls Night In?

One of our Directors found this great recipe for s’mores shots in chocolate glasses. CHOCOLATE GLASSES? YUM! These are fun. These are chocolate. These are delicious!

Here’s what you’ll need:

10-12 ounces dark chocolate
Shot Glass Mold
2-3 tablespoons graham crumbs
4 ounces chocolate vodka
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 tablespoons non dairy whip
Shot glasses (make a day ahead): In medium saucepan, melt dark chocolate over medium heat. Spoon into shot mold, let cool. Place in refrigerator to set, preferably overnight. Makes four chocolate glasses.

Vanilla Whip: Stir vanilla into whip cream.

Pulse 2-3 graham crackers in food processor to a fine crumb (or use store bought crumbs), pour onto a flat plate. Wet the rim of each chocolate shot glass with water, roll in graham crumbs. Pour 1 ounce chocolate vodka into each shot glass, top with vanilla whip.

Cheers! 

Shay Ashcraft
Social Media Director, LBDC