New Optimism 2010

There are quite a few trends coming to us this summer that the New York Times and other fashion newspapers have been describing as the “new optimism.” One of these trends is towards big bold graphic prints in primary colors in zig zags and optical designs. You are going to see this in both tie back dresses and in shirts for both men and women. To go with these bold looking dresses you are going to need the right accessories and big bangles and very high spiked heels made of entwined cord in both bright colors or black and white seem to look the best.

 

Psychoanalytic prints are also big. These are fabrics that have those big black and white psychological testing graphics on them.

 

Also in evidence for summer are very short flirty mini dresses. These are halters or have the elastic bodices we associate so much with better times. Many of these are decidedly seventies in cut and flair and these cotton creations would look very much at home in Florida. Also big is the draped butterfly sleeve which makes this season “all about the shoulder.” The baby doll dress also looks like it is here to stay for another season, especially if the dress has a big splashy print on it.

 

Another slightly strange style is the Southern Belle type style and you will see this in summer dresses. Expect to see more tailoring, tie back, draped shoulders, cupped shoulders and more demure necklines and hemlines. The color baby pink is also likely to be huge because of this influence as well. You will also see more summer dresses that also have underslips attached as well.

 

Another big trend is known as “spy style.” This is wearing black leathers and latex outfits that are tight fitting and sexy and make you look like Lara Croft. The look is not for everyone has it means wearing very tight clothing along with dark sunglasses.

 

Another huge trend is going to be camouflage prints again however you are going to see this manifest mainly in accessories in everything from clutch purses to fedoras to feathered hairbands. Animal prints are also still very hot but they have been for a couple of years now with the Zebra print leading the way in outerwear and leopard print and other wild cat prints leading the way in lingerie and in couture fashion on the runway.

Exotic Wedding Trend Influences

This summer wedding ceremonies and fashions will be a little ore influenced by exotic trends from other lands or from warmer clients. This is especially true of the food that is served at the most fashion fierce of weddings.

 

Getting married in Florida, specifically Key West, is very hot right now. Key West is known for being a resort area and it is also famous for its quaint outdoor chapels which consist of freestanding arbours with thatched palm roofs and beautiful arbors.

 

Florida inspired wedding food includes raw oysters, a sushi boat, clams in the half shell, salads, mushroom turnovers and delectable main courses such as Fresh Florida Lobster and Prime Rib Steak.

 

Florida is also known for its key lime pies and limes flavored wedding cakes, not to mention its cocktails made with muddled limes or processed with booze and ice through a whirring blender.

 

Another trend is towards serving expensive red wines (preferably organic.) Serving Tiki cocktails and Long Island Teas is not as fashionable as it used to be. If you do choose to serve cocktails make sure they are unusual colors like blue or bright fuschia.

 

The full sit down dinner is also not as fashionable as it used to be. Instead serve small dishes at a buffet that is loaded with healthy yet gourmet selections. Large platters full of food to share should also be part of the meal.

 

It is also fashionable to have a dessert buffet filled with many small selections. Consider serving puddings, cupcakes and tartlettes rather than just one big dish.

 

If you want to serve incredibly tasty yet exotic cusine at yoru wedding hten try serving Vietnamese Food. It is also one of the hippest of cuisines that are around as it includes both Thai and Chinese influences.

 

The food that is served is very eclectic and very tasty. The main dish is usually Roast Suckling Pork. Quail and lobster are also familiar dishes at a Vietnamese wedding. Side dishes such as spiced noodles and sea cucumber salads accompany these main dishes.

 

It is also traditional for two kinds of soup to be served. Shark’s Fin soup is for longevity and endurance in bed. The second kind of soup is a dessert soup made out of sweet red beans. The dessert soup contains lotus seeds which symbolize blessings for the new couple.

 

No matter what country you choose it is considered to be very trendy and a bit of good luck to have a bit of ethnic flair to your wedding, especially if you happen to have an ethnic background.

Wedding Gown Fashion Trends

One of the biggest hangover trends from this winter is going to be the beads and linen one. This summer pearls and lace will be a dominant theme. It is very rich and eighties looking with the only difference being that these gowns are in cream and white colors rather than the reds and golds we originally saw in that era.

 

Another big trend is gowns styled to look like ones from out of the thirties. Are you looking for depression era elegance for your wedding? If so then you might want to check out the gown designs of B. Munro Roberts who makes elegant, retro look gowns that look like they just belong in the movie “The Great Gatsby.”

 

B. Munro Roberts is a Scottish designer from Kelso Scotland and his gown designs are very inspirational. He does many kinds of old style fish tale dresses that are very reminiscent of old style Hollywood as well.

 

The dresses are banded and seamed and often decorated with gorgeous bundles of handmade silk flowers. The effect is never gaudy but more streamlined and sexy.

 

Wearing “something blue” to your wedding is traditional and there are some very interesting ways of sneaking the color into your life.

 

One of the trendiest ways is to sneak blue flowers into your bridal bouquet. This blue flower could be roses or daisies that have been soaked in dye or you could buy silk or paper flowers that have a blue color. The hottest type of blue for weddings right now is a deep navy blue. The second hottest color is a kind of cerulean blue – the color blue that you used to see in the Dr. Seuss storybooks.

 

According to a story on bride.net. a great way to sneak a bit of blue into your wedding day ensemble is to wear a blue velvet choker. You might also want to consider wearing a blue velvet head band in your hair.

 

Sashes are also very in this year as they were last year and if you are wearing a wedding gown with a sash why not have it made up for you in blue silk or satin?

 

The traditional gift for bridesmaids used to be the single classy strand of pearls but nowadays it has changed to the more fashionable multi-strand of pearls or a necklace that comprises a combination of crystal, stone and pearl beads. Pearls interspersed with lengths of chain links are also very much in vogue. Bearers of the rings also look great wearing a pearl choker or tiny bracelet made out pearls and crystals.

Fashion Fierce Thirsty Stone Coasters

Thirsty stone coasters area also known as absorbent stone coasters and they are made out of a special type of ceramic that soaks up moisture. This helps to protect your tables from damage and in particular those white milky stains that can end up damaging your wooden tables or bars. The only way to get rid of this type of damage is to actually refinish the wood which can be a time consuming and expensive process.

 

Usually coasters stick to the bottom of the glass if they get wet enough. When this happens the coaster can drop the floor. If the coaster is made of ceramic, glass or tile it can drop to the ground and smash into many pieces which is of course dangerous. Not only could floors and furniture’s be damaged but flying pieces of broken drink coasters could also hurt or cut someone.

 

Thirsty Stone coasters absorb all the drips from normal condensation of any kind of glass so it is impossible for the coaster to stick to the bottom of the glass. The irony is that thirsty Stone has always been around in the form of natural sandstone which is a natural form of thirsty stone. Sandstone coasters have been around for over a century and are sold as novelties in the American Southwest. Usually these sandstone coasters are also nicely embellished with paintings done by hand of desert scenes, Indian symbols or wild animals.

 

The only drawback ne is that you do not want to scrub them or wash them with harsh detergents. This can damage the t coaster and make it look dull and uninteresting. If it is painted the image can also be washed right off so you can never soak this kind of coaster to get it clean. You also can’t scrub it with any kind of pad.

 

The thirsty stone coasters come in all kinds of different patterns and image styles. This includes everything from leopard skin prints, to decorative ivy like prints to dragons to prints of ivy plants and vines.

 

Thirsty stone coasters also look great if painted with storybook characters or illustrations from children’s classic books. There is something about the slightly shiny color of the stone and its natural sepia tone that lends it nicely to this type of illustration. A good example is the collectible thirsty stone coasters that depict the famous cat known as Frederick the Illiterate who is always depicted in some kind of pose in a library.

 

The simplest treatment given thirsty stone coasters is that of the monogram. The monogram can be highly decorated with filigree work and other motifs and can be a single letter or symbol.

Cell Phone Styles By Zodiac Sign

Wondering what kind of cell phone design best suits you? Perhaps you want to give the gift of a cell phone to someone but don’t know what style of phone would suit their lifestyle. This is where knowing someone’s Zodiac sign can come in handy because each likes a different style.

 

ARIES
You are a careerist who likes convenience and speed so you like a Slider Phone or a phone with no lid on it. You don’t have time to be flipping up your phone to answer it all the time. .

 

TAURUS
You don’t really like cell phones and see them as a necessary evil. You like to save money by texting so having a phone with a full key pad on it is important to you. You also like your privacy so you may not enjoy an iPhone which shows the screen to everyone.

 

GEMINI
You love writing so a phone with a full keypad is very important to you. You also like phones that are very sleek and thin looking so you can slip them in your pocket. Geminis love gadgets and applications so an iPhone suits their purposes just fine.

 

CANCER
You really find cell phones to be an annoyance but you do like texting loving messages to a special someone so you need a phone with a full keypad. Crabs aren’t really that much into technology so the simpler the phone the better. They do best with old style clam shell style phones that don’t have a lot of confusing applications.

 

LEO
Lio The Lion is very social and will use the phone constantly so keeping it on a chain or in a pouch on a belt is a good idea. A Leo likes the latest, sleekest style of phone and does well with a Slider Phone which helps protect it from damage. Yellow, black and gold are favorite cell phone colors.

 

VIRGO
You find cell phones annoying for the most part but you like the way they can help you organize your life. A Blackberry or iPhone is perfect for a Virgo as they come with applications that can help plot the future, access the internet and take photos.

 

LIBRA
You love texting so a phone with a full QUERTY keypad is ideal for you. You do love music so a phone that has a good quality MP3 player as well as just good sound in general is important to you. Many aesthetic loving Librans also like to take photographs so a good quality camera is also a good idea.

 

SCORPIO
The Scorpio loves expensive designer phones as they see them as being status symbols. They will go for a phone that has it all. . Scorpios are secretive types that like their privacy. A Scorpio may also show off by sliding their phone into a tortoise shell or leopard print cover.

 

SAGITTARIUS
The Archer likes a flashy phone with all of the latest gizmos. The iPhone is great for this sign because they like to travel and take lots of pictures. Many archers are also journalists so a phone with a tape recorder in it is also a great idea.

 

CAPRICORN
This sign likes a no nonsense phone. Many of them don’t really like to text others and instead prefer the human touch so even the simplest of phones will do. .This budget conscious sign also tends to go for phones that can save money and will sacrifice style for function. Favorite cell phone colors are gold, silver and black.

 

AQUARIUS
This futuristic sign loves all cell phones. They love Blackberries and iPhones or any phone that comes with a state of the art camera and music player. It is an Aquarian that you see walking around with a bright purple phone or a brushed metal gold Dolce and Gabbana studded with rhinestones.

 

PISCES
This economically minded sign does not care that much about the appearance of the phone but about how much it costs. Often the main appeal is simplicity. The Pisces also likes the convenience of a Blue Tooth earpiece as they really do like to talk on the phone while driving or multitasking in some other way.

The Classic Big Rock is Never Out of Style

It’s wedding season again which means brides all over the world will be looking at rings. The diamond solitaire engagement ring is one of the classiest rings you can give a woman. The traditional version of this ring, inspired by the original design from Tiffany’s & Co., includes one round brilliant cut solitaire diamond perched in a clasp of three platinum metal prongs. The key to the beauty of this type of ring is its simplicity. There are no other stones decorating the sides of the shank or the band itself. The diamond is simply presented high up off of the hand as if it was a trophy.

 

Of course to look any good, diamond solitaire engagement rings must have something to showcase at the top of its three pronged perch. Diamond solitaire purists maintain that you must have a stone of at least two carats to pull this look off and a stone of three to five carats is ideal.

 

However buying a quality diamond with many carats is prohibitively expensive for many people just starting out in life. If this is true for you then you might want to consider buying a diamond solitaire that is created in a laboratory. The beauty of buying these lab created diamond solitaire engagement rings is that the diamonds are home grown and are guaranteed to be absolutely flawless. These types of artificial diamonds are also often dipped in treatments that cause them to sparkle with an iridescent twinkle.

 

However many would say that it is the iridescent twinkle that gives fake diamond solitaire engagement rings their slightly tacky look. If you are going to buy an artificial diamond solitaire engagement ring try to choose a ring where the stone looks a little duller as it will be more successful at masquerading as the real thing.

 

Unique rings worn by celebrities inspire most trends in matrimonial and engagement jewelry. An excellent example is the emerald cut sapphire ring that became the must-have bauble of the eighties after Prince Charles gifted Lady Diana with a huge 18-carat deep blue oval sapphire gem circled by fourteen diamonds.

 

Larger than life celebrities also end up boasting larger than life engagement rings including unique sapphire rings, huge chunks of ice (slang for diamonds) and rings with museum quality jewels that are worth a King’s ransom. For instnaceCamilla Parker Bowles wed Prince Charles with an emerald ring accented by baguettes on each side, set delicately in platinum. Sharon Stone owns a huge emerald cut diamond ring flanked by two oval diamonds that was given to her by her former husband Phil Bronstein.Madonna’s engagement ring from Guy Ritchie is three round diamonds with diamond chips decorating an ornate rose gold band.

Even More Fashion Fierce Foodie Ideas

Carnation petals are one of secret ingredients that has been used to make Chartreuse, a French liqueur, since the 17th century. For this reason, they are the perfect garnish to decorate any drink made with chartreuse.

 

Chrysanthemums are tangy yet slightly bitter buds that in colors from red, white, yellow and orange. They range in taste from faint peppery to mild cauliflower. They add a kind of Asian flavored twist to tomato-based cocktails. They look gorgeous suspended in tomato aspic. Sprinkle the petals in a salad or on the surface of a bowl of tomato soup to add visual interest.

 

Red clover is an edible flower that really goes well with lamb. This is because it has a bit of a licorice flavor. The flower also makes a nice garnish for a glass of Sambuca or Pernod,

One of the most glamorous garnishes you can use to garnish a glass of champagne or champagne cocktail is a real orange blossom. Although I don’t recommend eating the waxy petal it gives drinks a very elegant touch.

 

Another great substitute for the maraschino cherry in a cocktail is to make your own brandied cherry. All this requires is soaking your favorite type of cherry in a bottle filled with brandy. These brandied cherries can also be used to garnish desserts.

 

To add a dash of glamour to a glass of champagne sprinkle a bit of edible gold glitter into the glass. Edible gold glitter flakes also look really great sprinkled on top of a thickly iced chocolate cake.

 

Soaked cherries are all the rage for garnishing drinks in trendy bars. For garnishing old-fashioned cocktails, manhattans and martinis try using Queen Ann cherries that have been soaked in dry French Vermouth,

 

To add a peppermint twist to a mug of hot chocolate try garnishing it with a candy cane. You can also grind up a candy cane in your food processor until it is powder and use it a rimming powder for your mugs.

 

Honeysuckle flowers make a beautiful and unusual garnish for just about any type of food. The petals are slightly sweet tasting and go well in salads. A few blossoms look great with roast beef or roast pork.

 

To make a really unusual looking garnish for gazpacho, a bowl of tomato soup or a bloody Mary simply drop one whole dandelion blossom into the center of the bowl or the glass. Make sure you buy your dandelion blossoms from a specialty market. Dandelions add a slight peppery taste to dishes.

More Fashion Fierce Food Decorating Ideas

Finding unique ways to serve food is not only fun it is so hip it hurts. Here are some more unique food decorating ideas to impress people at your dinner or cocktail party.

 

Victorian looks are back when it comes to making a cake look cool. To make a lacy pattern out of icing sugar for the top of a cake simply take a doily, place it over the top of the uniced cake and sprinkle the icing sugar over it. Lift the doily gently and you have an elegantly decorated cake.

 

Impress your gurests by using a herb they probably have never heard of. Borage is the plant that they make evening primrose oil out of. The blue blossoms are edible and they have a mild taste that is reminiscent of cucumber. Borage makes a very interesting garnish sprinkled on top of coleslaw. They also look pretty floating in a gin and tonic.

 

Instead of using knives to spread dip on pita or chips at your next Mexican themed party consider using small thick cactus leaves instead. These make ideal spreaders for foods like hummus or cream cheese based bread dips.

 

To add charm to a drink, alcoholic or not, that has pineapple in it try rimming the glass with finely flaked coconut for a unique effect. This look also suits a bowl of chocolate pudding.

 

Marzipan is not just used for cake decorating. You can buy premade sheets of marzipan and use them the same way you would use modeling clay to make any shape you want. Marzipan looks great garnishing any kind of cake or cookie. To make marzipan carrots to decorate a carrot cake simply roll tubular carrot shapes out of orange marzipan and top them with a button of green marzipan.

 

If marzipan hardens while you are making cake decorations this does not mean the marzipan has gone bad. Simply add a bit of water, the same way you would add water to modeling clay, and it will become soft and pliant again.

 

Bee Balm is a pretty red little flower that tastes like a cross between orange and mint. They make a beautiful garnish for lamb or mint jelly. They also look pretty floating on top of a grasshopper or in a snifter of Grand Marnier.

 

For a highly unusual garnish encase candied violets in cubes of pink or yellow cubes of Jell-O. To make Jell-O that is stiff enough to hold the violets add an extra packet of Knox gelatin to the usual Jell-O mix.

Fashion Fierce Food Garnishes!

Looking for some intriguing or exotic fashionable food garnishes? Here are some wifty and fashionable food ideas.

 

Angelica is an edible flower that ranges in color from pink to blue to lavender. Angelica buds have a bit of a licorice taste so they go great with poppy seed cake or lemon cakes. They also make a nice garnish for Edam cheeses and caraway type cheeses. An angelica blossom also makes a good garnish for drinks made with Sambuca or Pernod.

 

Almost any cake or pudding looks great garnished with dark or white chocolate curls. Simply use a paring knife to slice the curls off of a chunk of chocolate that has been cooled in the fridge in a while. White or dark chocolate curls look great on bed of whipped cream on hot drinks such as caffe lattes or hot chocolate.

 

Stuff small red tomatoes with pesto or olive paste to make an interesting garnish for hot or cold pasta dishes. Small red tomatoes stuffed with blue cheese and nuts are a nice compliment for a salad made of watercress and field greens.

 

Geraniums are peppery flowers that look great frozen in ice cubes. They make a nice garnish for a martini made with pepper vodka. A few blossoms also look nice next to a big peppery hunk of roast beef.

 

Apple Blossoms are a really nice interesting garnish and like apples they are edible. They go well perched on the edge of a glass of brandy and of course you can sprinkle them on Apple Brown Betty’s or apple cake.

 

The next time you serve a glass of green tea consider serving it with thin slices of mango or melon which go very well with beverage, whether it is cold or hot.

 

To give a glass rim an usual “frosting” try dipping the wetting the rim of a glass and dipping it in Jell-O powder. This looks especially nice on cocktails. It can also tempt a kid to drink a glass of juice if the rim is sugared with a bright color of powdered Jell-O.

 

For an unusual touch try freezing one or two pomegranate seeds in your ice cube trays. The tart seedy taste of pomegranates goes especially well with lime drinks and alcoholic drinks with gin or rum.
 

Threading whole cranberries on a spears or toothpicks makes a nice garnish for a cheese tray. You could also use these as swizzle sticks in crantinis or to spear the top of a turkey sandwich.

The Look of Indian Royalty

The appeal of Indian Royalty Chic is that it is so lavish and cosmic at the same time. Indian monarchs, no matter how big or small always mattered to style themselves after the great kings who surrounded themselves with images of deities, silks, decorative works of art, lush carpets and silk pillows. Indian Royalty chic is a posh look but at the same time it is very humane emphasizing comfort and breathable materials. They lived in a land surrounded in immeasurable luxury and populated with magicians, monsters, maharajas, gods and goddesses.

 

The color palette of Royalty Chic is jewel-like and corresponds to the energy centers in the body called chakras. Red and gold are favored colors along with fabrics that have beautiful mirrored insets. Red and gold are colors that are considered to draw money in Indian culture. Anything hand detailed, tie-dyed or braided was considered to be fashionable.

 

Indian tie dyeing known as bandhani, or knot dyeing, in which parts of a silk or cotton cloth are tied tightly with wax thread before the whole cloth is dipped in a dye vat; the threads are afterward untied, the parts so protected being left uncolored. The technique is used in many parts of India, but Gujarat and Rajasthan produced, and are still noted for, the finest work. You can find examples of this tie-dye technique decorating Indian clothing, bedspreads, and other items.
Whether it is jewellery, a sculpture, a small jewelry box or a piece of furniture’s the height of opulence in Indian culture is gold jewelry. Indian royalty was very much distinguished by the jewelry that they wore. Gold earrings jewelry or gold pendants jewelry are the most precious of gifts. Gold is also regarded as a great investment, which is very useful at the hour of need.

 

Copper jewelry is very fashion fierce if you want to get this Indian royalty look. Dull copper finishes that have gold ornamentation and hollow gold beads denote the Gujrati style. The look of treasures from this area is heavier and more ornate.

 

Silver jewelry from North Kashimir is also popular. Symbols to do with Buddhism or the Hindu life style are typical along with insets of amber, turquoise and other semi-precious rocks.

 

The signature colors of traditional Bengal style are red and white and bangles in those colors adorned the wrist of a married bangle lady. It is also traditional for a Bengal woman to wear an iron bangle covered with gold for protection. Fish and delicate filigrees and lacework are also typical of this style. Bengal treasures, such as jewel chests are often also inlaid with gems such as ruby, emerald, sapphire, cats eye, coral, turquoise, pearl, opal and diamonds.

 

Indian gold jewelry is also famous for its beautiful designs all over the world. In the traditional times also, gold jewelry also signified that the person wearing it was royalty.