Nautical Inspired Looks

There is just something about Nautical stripes that just puts me in a summer mood. If I lived on the East Coast, I could imagine a trip to the Hamptons with a basket lunch and the kiddos in toe. A girl can dream, right? I keep seeing all of these fantastic nautical inspired striped garments every where I look. Here are just a few inspirational images and then a great dress I found Isabella at H&M in their little girls department! This trend is as perfect for mommy as it is the little ladies in your life!

I was so happy I had my Samsung Galaxy camera with me to snap pics of Bells at the park in her outfit. I'm finding that blogging about my kids style is just as fun as blogging about my own. Do I see a new column in the future?? The camera was definitely handy. I'll be honest, I'm still getting used to handling it and not being scared of dropping it, but we were able to snap some fun photos during her visit to a park close to our home.

The camera did great in the glaring sun and I was able to touch up the photo which was a little overexposed directly in the camera. As a graphic designer, I'm used to using photoshop and of course this doesn't have all the power you'd get in Photoshop, but it was a great quick fix. What trends are your little ones rocking this summer?

“Disclosure: I am participating in the Verizon Style Voices program and have been provided with a wireless device and six months of service in exchange for my honest opinions about the product.”

The Gatsby Trend

The Great Gatsby trend is everywhere lately. The film released last night at midnight and it's getting rave reviews. I really keep seeing some great items that are art deco inspired and very much Gatsby. Lightinthebox.com and Kohls.com both had some great on trend items that are incredibly affordable!

The Gatsby trend is all about 1920's inspired looks. A prominent decade for fashion, the 1920s brought us the ‘flapper’ trend: drop waist dresses, flirty fringe, and shiny accessories. The little black dress became popular as women shortened their skirts for the first time while adding pleats and slits to provide more motion. Fringe, beading and ornate detailing drew attention to the female silhoutte. Here are some great options to reinterpret the roaring fashion of the 1920s.

 

Hope you all enjoy the film this weekend!

Jen

 

Last minute Mother's Day gifts

I know some of you out there are going shopping today or tomorrow. I ain't judging. I'm here to help friends! I figured what better thing for a mom to do than to help others figure out what to get their special lady. So, here is a fun round up of some great ideas for your mom that I am kind of lusting after.

Love, love the Curvy Couture brand - well because I'm not a super model and I need enough lingerie to cover my behind, but still look sexy. Kiss my face is such a great brand of beauty products that are perfect for the mom who needs pampering. For the tech lover - pick up a BasAcc iPad cover fro, Overstock.com. For the ethnic momma - pick up some awesome mixed chicks hair product from Target (this latina loves this brand & what they stand for). For the fashionista - Nautica has some great colored denim basics and awesome accessories that are perfect for spring. For the mom who loves to look good and smell good - hand over some Julie G polishes with a set of Tru Blooms fragrances.

Now, Let me tell you a bit about Tru Bloom and why I think it's perfect for the Chicago based mommy!! Tru Blooms was developed by Tru Fragrance, a leading boutique fragrance development company released. This fragrance is all Chicago - First Harvest Eau de Parfum, a first-of-its-kind limited edition perfume infused with the unique aromas of flowers grown throughout the city.
This perfume is not just inspired by the city, it is the by product of Tru Blooms Chicago, a groundbreaking community initiative led by Chicago-based Tru Fragrance, in cooperation with the City of Chicago.

Tru Blooms Chicago transformed public and neighborhood green spaces citywide, including Grant Park, Chicago Botanic Garden and Water Tower Place, into growing spaces for roses, lavender and violets whose distinctive, fragrant notes have been captured in this limited edition perfume. Tru Blooms Chicago is the first-ever municipal initiative to locally “grow” a fine fragrance. Now, how awesome is that?

 

 

 

Regardless of what you give mom, this Mother's Day. Just remember this - the time you spend with her will be what she yearns for the most. Even if you just make her breakfast in bed and let her sleep in on Sunday, the idea that you kept her well being in mind will make her the happiest of all!

 

Happy Weekend!

Jen

 

SAIC - The Future of Fashion in Chicago & VZW

As an educator in Chicago, it is always exciting to see what other schools are producing in terms of talent in the fashion industries. I'm not competitive, rather supportive (I also teach at more than one school) and therefore like to see what other students at other schools are doing. This past Friday I was able to join the Verizon Wireless Voices of Style team at the SAIC's (School of the Art Institute Chicago) annual student fashion show. It was a great day that involved Chicago, fashion and some really innovative technology.

As some of you already know via facebook, I had the opportunity to join a great group of bloggers as one of the Verizon Wireless Voices of Style. It's a great opportunity for me to share my experiences with a VZW Device and free service in return for my honest opinions! As a current Verizon Wireless customer - I was more than willing to team up with an already great and innovative company that has been good to me over the years.

So, what device do I get to enjoy for the next 6 months, you ask?? Well, none other than the Samsung Galaxy Camera! This is one handy device that any blogger could get a lot of use out of. It's a camera combined with a mini tablet of sorts. I can take photos with the strong camera device and directly upload them from the device to facebook, instagram, twitter and even use the blogger app through Android.

I haven't done direct blogging yet, but it looks like it would be easy enough with the crisp full pane and smooth digital keyboard. It's almost like a better digital camera and my ipad rolled into one handy device. I'm pretty much in love. There is only one tiny draw back - It's a bit heavy for this butterfinger, but the wrist strap helps with that. I also probably won't let Bella play around with it as it doesn't feel like it might be able to handle a drop, but lucky for her she gets my old camera now and maybe she can start a kiddie blog and follow in momma's footsteps!

So, like I said, I had the chance to attend the SAIC show and get some use of out of my new Samsung Galaxy camera. I was really blown away by the level of work shown on the runway. The show highlighted lines that were directly inspired by socio-economic issues, war, politics and yes the well known vintage/retro vibe. The lines were intricate and creative and definitely attest the type of designer emerging from the city of Chicago. I was definitely excited that I get to be a part of this second coming. Take some time to review some of the shots I took from the show last week and put up on my instagram (forgive the amatuerness - I'm still learning how to use and play with the settings). I definitely hope to become a better photographer now that I have something to actually photograph with!

Disclosure: I am participating in the Verizon Style Voices program and have been provided with a wireless device and six months of service in exchange for my honest opinions about the product.

Momma's Day - Are You Ready?

Momma's Day is just around the corner... Hope all you poppas and kiddos are ready :) It's a time to tell that super woman in your life how much you cherish her. Most moms do a lot of work and mother's day is a great opportunity to give them a break and some much needed pampering. 

I'm a mom on a budget and rather frugal. So, I don't typically expect or want extravagant gifts. I know there are other moms out there like this. So, I thought I'd give some suggestions starting today and leading into next week for gift ideas. 

Today's theme is pampering. Skin care, massages or great beauty products can make a mom feel zen. So, why not pick up some products from OLEHENRIKSEN? This is a fantastic skincare line! I absolutely love their "Truth to Go" facial wipes. I wear cat eye makeup almost everyday with a touch of blush and a ton of mascara (It's my signature look) - BUT I have a tendency to forget to wash my face. 

My poor pillows and face in the am don't look so pretty. The wipes are a great option for someone like me who wants to get their makeup off in a jiffy and not put too much effort in and they smell so tasty with soft vanilla scent. The line also carries some great rejuvenating creams! There is the youth activating oil (helps to strengthen elasticity & heal sun damage) and the Truth Serum Colagen Booster (for all those fine lines). 

Great Ideas - Pinterest for your small biz

As many of you know, I've been running an online magazine for about a year with my co-founders. As much as it is a labor of love - we're trying to make it something more than just a hobby. It's a legit business. As we continue to pursue different avenues of revenue - the main thing we've been focusing on is gaining readership and subscribers to both our digital magazine and our blog. 

Of course with my background and work experience - my first train of though has been to utilize social media to our advantage. It's something that has become so engrained in our readers way of life, that it just makes sense. One new thing we've been doing lately is incorporating pinterest into our social media endeavors. 

I love pinterest! I even use it here on TCS. It's such a great tool to share ideas, inspiration and surprisingly to connect with people. It's also an amazing traffic generator. If I pin my image from the blog or magazine to pinterest - there are tons and tons of people who have access and can then link through to our sites. Simple and practical and a great way to help boost your numbers. 

Well, I recently came across a book about pinterest as a business tool that I thought would be a great item to share with all of you out there. Especially for the young bloggers, small business owner, up and coming designers that take the time to read TCS.  “Entrepreneur Magazine’s Ultimate Guide to Pinterest for Business,” written by Karen Leland. 

It's a great guide that is super simple to follow and understand. With all of the ever evolving technology out there, the road to success can get a bit foggy, but if you have the right digital tools and know how to use them, you can really help your brand shine. I've said it before and I'm sure I'll say it a million times to my students and brands I've worked with in the past, "curating your digital content is key to creating meaningful interaction with your readers/audience". Karen offers great tips on how to do this below:

Make sure you pick up the book on Amazon HERE!

Happy Pinning friends!

-

Jen

Modeling Camp Chicago

Hey readers!

Hope your wednesday is going well. This week is midterms at the college and I've got a buttload of grading, but I'm trying to keep up with all the stuff I have to share this week with all of you! Recently, I was looking at a post of a comedian acquaintence who works in the entertainment industry in Chicago. He's also very much involved in the Latino community in Chicago/Humboldt Park (where I grew up).

Anyhoo, most of his posts are jokes and some are good advice in the form of a joke. He was recently talking about those casting calls for kids looking to be hired on as talent and models. It's interesting how he joked about scams and obviously I put my two cents in because of my knowledge in the industry. Typically, most agencies don't require you to pay any type of fee and will get your lookbook together for you in order. If they see talent, they will make the investment for you because they know they will recoup the costs when they get their management fee or booking commission.

Now, with that being said - I did hear about a fun modeling camp. This is NOT an agency signing - it is just an opportunity for young girls to start to build a portfolio on their own, make some good friends and industry connections and learn about the ins and outs of the business. This is definitely helpful if you don't have experience working with pitching agencies or a portfolio to show an agent. So, for those of you out there not wanting to do the typical summer camp for your girls, there is a Modeling Camp launching in Chicago.

 

Heather Cole, Founder of Modeling Camp^TM is proud to bring Modeling Camp to Chicago. Modeling Camp Chicago Will Be held during the week Of August 6-9 at The Hilton Chicago Hotel. This is considered a four day boot camp that allows teenage girls the opportunity to learn all about the world of modeling through a variety of workshops, seminars, photo shoots and challenges with top industry professionals.  It's a $999 price tag, which includes all the activities, lunch each day, the photo shoot with hair and make-up, a portfolio book and pictures, and a camp t-shirt.

Keep in mind that this is a day camp only, hotel fees are not included. The Hilton Chicago does offer campers a discounted room rate if they are from out of town. Many girls will be coming from outside of Chicago, with an accompanying adult.

Here are some things that campers will get to do:

•  Girls will meet with actual working models and learn about the daily life of a professional model.
• The girls will learn tips to being in front of the camera from professional acting coaches.
• A professional runway choreographer will teach the girls how to walk down the runway with confidence and style.
•  All girls will participate in a Fashion Show presentation at the end of the week, where exciting prizes will be won.
• All girls will have a professional photo shoot with a top, fashion photographer. Girls get to keep their photos at the end of the week, so that they have a professional portfolio to take with them.
• Pro hair and makeup sessions.
• Presentation-Girls learn how to present themselves with grace and style, how to choose a winning outfit, how to do hair and make-up for castings and auditions and how to having a casting with a real casting agent.
• Girls will meet with a real casting agent at the end of the week where they will show their portfolio and have an opportunity to connect.

Happy Modeling friends and be sure to share your stories if your teens go!

-

Jenny