Lightening: Part I

A question I get asked all the time as a skin care professional is, "How do I lighten areas of my skin that are darker?" Discoloration, or hyperpigmentation, can occur when the skin experiences high sun exposure. It can happen with pregnancy, during or after. And also, as we get older, the skin develops liver spots or age spots.

You can go the more invasive route, and make an appointment at a spa/dermatologists office for a chemical peel, specifically designed to lighten pigment issues. That would be along the lines of a glycolic (for a gentler approach), or a TCA/Jessner peel (for a deeper penetration). Microdermabrasion has also been proven to help lighten, and is a manual exfoliation using aluminum oxide crystals, instead of a chemical exfoliation like a peel.

When I can't get a professional peel or microdermabrasion, a few ingredients from home can do the trick in between sessions.

I prefer to use organic ingredients, as these will be penetrated into your skin, and will go into your body -- so why not use something organic instead of produced.

Sicilia Organic Lemon Juice


Organic Cane Sugar


Cotton Rounds



All you have to do to create this gentle, but effective, skin lightening exfoliation is wet your face and neck with hot water. This will open the pores and allow the product to seep deeper. Saturate your cotton rounds with the lemon juice. Sprinkle a liberal amount of the granulated sugar onto the lemon-soaked pad. In small circular motions, rub onto face and neck area for at least 5 minutes, keeping out of eyes and nostrils. Make sure to do several passes over the skin to get a thorough exfoliation. I like to do the neck too, because the neck area shows just as many signs of aging as the face, so treat them both the same. Add more lemon juice or sugar as needed. Rinse with cool water, again avoiding the eyes (you do not want to get lemon juice in your eyes because it will burn!). Once all of the sugar is removed, your skin will feel incredibly soft, and you will have a brighter more glowy complexion. You can repeat this facial as often as you'd like to produce more visible results.

Unconventional Bridal Flowers

Planning all the details of a wedding can get expensive, but it doesn't have to be. There are ways to cut back on aspects of the event, but still keeping with the beauty. Flowers play a major part in the decor, and of course add a lovely aroma, but they sure do add up - especially if they're out of season. These days brides are totally going for the eco-chic wedding trend, and what better way to participate than in floral! I've collected some stunningly amazing floral substitutes that can be used throughout a wedding, wherever flowers are needed. And best of all, these arrangements don't perish, so they can be saved forever like a little keepsake from your big day!

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FLOWER: Vintage Brooches

Ok, so this is my absolute favorite of all these ideas. I am in love with the look of anything vintage, and the sparkle that comes from a cluster of beautiful brooches in a bouquet is just stunning. This look is especially perfect for that "blingy"-bride or that over-the-top Cinderella, fairy tale wedding theme.

Check out this white brooch bouquet here

Check out this hot pink brooch bouquet here

Check out this colorful brooch bouquet here

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FLOWER: Baby's Breath

I know what you're probably thinking...baby's breath? Usually this delicate little flower is added to an arrangement of roses, but I found that this inexpensive alternative is actually quite pretty when done tastefully.

Check out this simple Baby's Breath Bouquet here

Check out this Baby's Breath wreath here

Check out this Baby's Breath Bouquet with Leaf detail here

Check out this Baby's Breath fence detail here

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FLOWER: Wheat

I really love the look of this. This idea was brought to me by one of my brides who wanted to incorporate this beautiful grass into her country wedding in a barn. Wheat is the perfect element to add to an elegant twist on farmhouse weddings. Because it's neutral colored, it will work no matter what palatte you choose. It can be dressed up with a pretty silk ribbon, or played down in a classic mason jar.

Check out this wheat napkin here

Check out this wheat chair decor here

Check out this simple wheat mason jar centerpiece here

Check out this wheat bouquet with ribbon here


Check out this wheat boutonniere here

* * *

FLOWER: Fabric

Fabric is probably the easiest to find and has the most choices available. It's simple to work with and you can make it whatever you want. It's washable, dyeable and can be glued, sewn, adorned, twisted, tied, rolled and layered.

Check out this chic white fabric necklace here


Check out this pink chiffon bouquet here


Check out this bejeweled ivory organza bouquet here

* * *

FLOWER: Felt
I wanted to do a felt segment especially for my dear friend, Emily. She loves anything made of felt. I like it because it has that really sweet, homemade look to it. Felt is easy to cut into pretty much all shapes, and can be decorated with jewels, sequins and beads to dress it up for this special occasion.

Check out this sweet pink felt necklace here


Check out this ivory felt pomander here


Check out this fuschia felt bouquet here

* * *

FLOWER: Paper

Paper flowers have been used for weddings and parties for years. You can use all types of paper from kindergarten construction paper, to tissue paper, to a more elegant vellum. It makes me think of being in elementary school and making paper snowflakes. Just by doing some easy-to-follow oragami steps, you can transform a simple sheet of paper into a work of art! And I adore the idea of incorporating flowers made from poetry books or music sheets, for those artsy brides and grooms.
Check out this shiny white paper bouquet here


Check out this bouquet of hand-dyed paper from a book here


Check out this tissue paper pomander here


Check out this daisy paper garland here

* * *

FLOWER: Feathers

When I think of feathers at a wedding, I often think of a roaring 1920's theme, complete with feathers in hair. But right now, feathers are bigger and better than ever. Giant ostrich plume centerpieces, enhanced with the glow of a LED light are all the rage for that old-Hollywood glam look. Even peacock and pheasant feathers are popping up in bouquets and atop wedding cakes, to add a touch of color and elegance.

Check out this ostrich plume centerpiece all lit up here

Check out this royal purple feather bouquet here


Check out this BEAUTIFUL white feather bouquet here



















Check out this peacock boutonnier here

Check out this red pheasant boutonniere here

* * *

FLOWER: Buttons

I totally get that buttons may not be the most traditional way to create a floral arrangement, but it sure is creative and you won't see a lot of brides sporting this look. It is fun though. I really like the look of using different sizes, colors and layering buttons to create a very unusual take on traditional arrangements.

Check out this ivory button pomander here

Check out the shades of purple button bouquet here

Check out this whimsical button boutonniere here

Check out this mix of buttons and wheat buttoniere here

My Momshell

Today is a day that all across the world, people are celebrating mothers. The woman who is your sole reason for life gets one day out of 365 to truly feel appreciated. To me, it's kind of like Valentines' Day - big money for the retail market, but it shouldn't be this way. Why should you only take one day out of the year to tell someone you love them? Why should you take only one day to make your mom feel appreciated and thank her for all she has ever [and will ever] do for you? However, it is nice to think of all the families everywhere, that are gathering around the dinner table, celebrating mom. I like that, but I wish it would happen more often!








I was lucky enough to grow up with a stay-at-home mom. My sister and I compare her to a "Martha Stewart" type of mom - the kind that is uber crafty, throws fun birthday parties, a great cook, and super creative. She was very involved with us at school, drove the car pool, and even headed up the girls scouts. My mom would sew my sister and I all of these matching outfits - we didn't appreciate it at the time, but now I do. She would even make our Halloween costumes - so we never had the same as anyone else. It just shows how much thought, time and effort she put into something just for us.













I used to sit and watch her apply makeup and do her hair. My sister and I loved playing dress up in her fancy clothes and march around in her high heel shoes. I know we eminated our mom because we wanted to be just like her. Even though now we are older, and our interests have matured...so has our relationship. I love that she is "in" with trends, and is a facebook junkie, and that Snoop Dogg is her favorite reality show, and will go to piano bars and drink cocktails with us. When my mom, sister and I get together, it's just non-stop laughter. Even if it's over something completely ridiculous, we just carry on and crack up over nothing. We have all these funny inside jokes, and impressions and little quirks that only we understand. I love that.










I get told all the time that I look just like my mom. I don't take that as an insult either because my mom is the prettiest woman in the world to me and still looks so young! That's why I would like to refer to her as a "momshell" -- get it?...as in bombshell?








Mom, thank you for all the things you do for me. Thank you for being there for me. Thank you for being you. I love you.










XOXO

We are...the VOLUNTEER state

Nashville. It's one of those cities that makes you feel right at home. I've grown up here. This place has been my home for 27 years. I appreciate the big-city-but-small-city charm. I have watched Nashville blossom from a quaint, southern town into the country music capital of the world.






If you live here, then you already know ... if you don't, then chances are you probably have heard very little about what is currently going on in our beloved Nashville. On Saturday, May 1st, 2010, we were hit by catastrophic flooding - in what is being considered a 500-year flood. It rained so much in just 2 days, that our expected monthly rainfall for May was already reached. This event was so record-breaking, that nothing this BIG has hit the mid-state since the Civil war, AND more than likely will be the most expensive, non-hurricane disaster in all of American history.




Not one single person, inhabiting Nashville and surrounding cities, has not been affected. EVERYONE has been touched somehow, whether directly or knowing someone who was. Tennesseeans allover were glued to the TV as this terrible storm unfolded. My family and I feel incredibly blessed that we were "lucky" enough to escape with no damage to our cars, houses and most importantly, ourselves.


Aside from the fact that Nashville is experiencing the biggest heartache our sweet town ever has, we don't seem to be getting much national attention. I realize that there was a bomb threat in New York City, and yes there is the oil spill in the Gulf, but let me ask you this: Did anyone die as a result of the bomb threat? And has anyone been directly affected by the oil spill? The answer is no. So as most of Tennessee is trying to put the pieces back together and others are burying loved ones, the nation is completely focused on other news. It wasn't until last night that I finally saw a tid-bit on CNN and a small story on E (which by the way, was not the first breaking story--it came AFTER 3 completely stupid, non-newsworthy celebrity gossip segments). This is so disheartening. I know it's not on the exact same level, but all we heard about for weeks and months was the devastation in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. So...why is Nashville not getting the same respect and support???

Nashville has lost one of our most important landmarks, Opryland Hotel. I am almost certain that everyone has visited the beautiful hotel during the light displays at Christmas, or stayed there at one point in time. Now that this flood has occurred, hundreds of Gaylord Opryland employees are suddenly out of a job. What about them? The destruction done to this amazing facility is almost unimaginable. When I first saw the photos, it looked like scene out of Titanic; with fancy furniture floating around, fine china shattered, winding staircases submerged underwater. Not to mention the Grand Ole Opry - a staple here in our city!



Downtown Nashville was also damaged - right in the heart of our honky tonks. A place where tourists flock to everyday; a place where every singer/songwriter wannabe dreams of visiting to make it big in country music. Our Titans football arena looks like a bowl of water now. The water from the Cumberland River crested to it's highest level in more than 80 years. Try to imagine this if you haven't seen it for yourself. It's like our precious city was completely enveloped, or maybe swallowed by a mouth of raging water.




Throughout our amazing local news coverage, the one thing that has remained constant and unchanged, is the outpouring of support, love and help from fellow Nashvilleans. Anyone who's visited can say this: Nashville has the most down-home people on the planet. I am filled with so much emotion as I see all the help everyone is offering each other. Good samaritans and the Nashville Fire & Police Departments, rescuing complete strangers by boat and pulling folks out of the water. All the churches and schools housing families who have lost everything. Let's not forget about the human societies who are caring for pets who have lost their families. This kind of effort is what will enable Nashville to rebuild. It's hard to see right now, but someday we will get back to normal; we will get our city back. We just need to stick together, love one another, and give as much to Nashville as it's always given to us. I know we will.

Now you may see why they call us the Volunteer state.