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7 Ways to Fail With Your Wedding Wardrobe

Your wedding day is one of the most important in your life. You will always remember it, and it will be immortalized in pictures, which may grace the walls of your home for decades to come. So what do you want to remember about it: how great you looked, or how your expensive wedding outfit let you down? Discover seven ways to fail with your wedding wardrobe, and learn how to avoid every single one.

 

1. Dress Doesn’t Fit

Try on your dress! Sounds simple, right? Many brides, however, make this mistake. They want to play it safe, but they miss out on something important. Try on your dress before you buy, when you get it altered, after you get it altered, and a week before the big day. Always be very careful when handling your dress, and enlist the aid of a friend (or several) when needed. If you’re conscientious, you won’t damage or dirty you gown before its big wedding day debut. But you’ve got to try it on several times because you don’t want to find out the day of that you can’t breathe in it, that the hem makes you trip or that the top just isn’t snug enough.

 

2. You Can’t Walk

Many brides worry about falling while walking down the aisle, but there’s a very simple way to avoid that nightmare entirely: wear your shoes. You’ve got to put your wedding shoes on to have a fitting, and while you’re at it you need to walk around. Don’t restrict yourself to the plushy carpet in the bridal boutique, either. Try to find realistic surfaces, like grass and hard floors, if you can. No matter what, take a decent little walk in your shoes even if you’re not wearing the dress to make sure they fit and you’re steady in them.

 

3. Visible Underwear

The bride’s in a beautiful white dress, underneath the bright June sun . . . and everyone can see her sexy red bra. Don’t let this be you. Wear light-colored or nude underwear beneath your clothes. Choose a bra with nude straps or clear straps, because you definitely don’t want them to show. White and beige lingerie are the perfect choice for any bride. Bold colors and black underclothes are an invitation for humiliation.

 

4. Lumpy Look

You want to look smooth and svelte when you’re walking down the aisle. The best way to achieve this goal is through a slimming structure garment such as Spanx. You can find form-smoothing garments in any length or style, so make sure to take the time to find one that won’t show underneath your gown.

 

5. Gaps and Slips

A wedding picture can be ruined if skin is showing where it shouldn’t. Use two-sided tape to make sure everything is a perfect fit, and it stays that way. With a single piece of two-sided tape, you can prevent gaping holes in shirts, slipping straps and a whole host of other problems that may affect anyone in the wedding party.

 

6. Deodorant

A gown can be ruined by deodorant marks. To avoid ugly problems, instruct everyone to wear clear deodorant. When even this doesn’t help, bring a small stack of sponges. A Magic Eraser and similar products may be used to wipe deodorant smudges away so that everyone looks great for every single picture.

 

7. Test Your Hair and Jewelry

Practice your wedding day hair look at least once before the big day, and put on your jewelry while your hair is all done up. You don’t want to find out while you’re at the altar that your hair keeps getting caught in your earrings, or that the necklace you’ve chosen doesn’t fall the right way with your gown. Always test your look before taking the big walk, down to the smallest of details.

 

You can prevent wedding wardrobe malfunctions and problems by planning ahead. Pack a small bag to take with you on the day of the wedding, or drop it off at your venue the night before. A travel sewing kit may be used for quick, on-the-spot repairs. Take the time to ensure that you have white thread and thread in the colors of your bridesmaid gowns. Pack clear nail polish to stop runs in nylons or give unmanicured nails a quick, camera-friendly sheen. Bring along extra buttons in the color of the tuxedos (likely black). You may also need shoe polish to shine up wedding party member shoes that look a little dull.

 

Some wedding wardrobe mishaps happen between the wedding and reception, or at the reception. Remember to take care of your dress for every moment that you have it on, even after your big march down the aisle. If you’re going to eat, lean forward toward the food and if possible, cover your dress with napkins. Hold your wedding gown up while walking to keep it from dragging on the floor, and have someone tie the train up as soon as the ceremony is over and the pictures are taken.

 

If you pay attention to your look and plan ahead, you’ll look perfect all the way from the proposal with Robbins Brothers engagement rings to the end of your big day.

 

 

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Decorating and Organizing Your Closet

A wall closet in a residential house in the Un...

Image via Wikipedia

Most of the rooms in your house will benefit from a little paint, some curtains and maybe even a trinket or two strategically placed on a shelf. However, you cannot overlook the one place that you spend a lot of your time: the closet. Clothes, shoes, accessories, and jewelry are sometimes all stuffed into the same place so that you can look around and see everything that you own all in one spot. If this area is not eye catching or well organized, you may be missing out on some important pieces of your wardrobe.

The first step to making a change in your closet is clearing everything out. Place like items together. For example, there should be an area just for your shoes, an area for all of your purses, and if you have a favorite brand of clothing that you really like, keep all of the LRG Clothes together in one pile. While you are moving things, look for items that are too small, too big or just are not in style anymore. These do not go back into the closet.

Figure out what types of containers or organizers you will need. If you have narrowed down your shoe collection to only twenty pairs, you need to find a way to keep them all neatly in order. They cannot be thrown all over the place. The same goes for seasonal clothes.

Go through everything until it is back in place and organized. Then add the finishing touches. Consider a mirror with a beautiful design around the outside. Maybe even hang a picture of yourself in a favorite outfit!

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Four Essential Wardrobe Items for Women

Every woman can dress with style. No matter the season, she can achieve a classic look with just a few staples in her wardrobe. Fashionable, classic outfits and accessories can accent any ensemble.

Shoes are, arguably, an accessory that can make or break an outfit. Especially for women, purchasing shoes can be either difficult or exhilarating. Searching for deals at www.offers.com can be a positive experience for every kind of shopper. Today, high heels are available in wedge form, classic pointed-toes styles, or strappy sandals. Tones of brown go best with dresses because they blend well with skin tones and elongate the legs. Finally, shoes such as ballet-style flats are available.

Belts add a plethora of options for women’s wardrobes. From classic brown or black leather, to sparkly-accented belts, to scarves, women have an abundance of products to enhance their waistlines. Besides holding pants up, belts are able to finish off an outfit with flair.

Scarf Worn as a Belt

Depending on the weather and climate, thin sweaters, jackets, or heavy coats will be a staple in a woman’s closet. Here is where it can be interesting! Jackets or overcoats in eye-popping hues and unique designs should be considered.  Shoppers should not worry about matching their outfits perfectly here.  Feel free to add a vintage style to a modern outfit, or vice versa!

Last but not least, women should purchase a quality pair of blue jeans for their wardrobes.  Dark washes work best on every body type, but jeans can be bought in a variety of cuts and colors.  Tall, thin women can sport skinny jeans, while shorter women may prefer boot-cut designs to lengthen their figures.

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The Biggest Question Parents Ask When Sending Kids to College

Parenting undoubtedly is one of the biggest responsibilities in your personal life, and definitely, not an easy one. Especially, when your kids are in their teenage years and are entering the college, several things change, such as the level of communication with them, their financial needs, emotional needs, and even, the thoughts about filling that emptiness in your home. In order to fill the emptiness of the vacant room your child has left, here are some ideas of what you can do with the now vacant room:

  • You can give your child’s room a complete overhaul to make it a games room. Based on the size of the room, you can order custom poker tables, pool tables, table tennis tables, or other board games to place in the room. This will be fun and will be appreciated by your child as well.
  • You can pay some attention to your child’s interests and turn that room into a library if he or she likes reading books. You can keep his or her old books and buy some new ones to put them into the glass shelves and can arrange a large table and few chairs to give it a properly library look.
  • If you are a bored mother with no children to take care of, you can start thinking of offering a babysitting service in the comfort of your home. You can start earning some handsome cash if you are good with kids and can turn that room into a new colorful room with some toys in it.
  • Turning your child’s old room into a guest room is also a good idea if you don’t have time and money to spend overhauling the room.

After your children have left for the college, it’s your responsibilities to respect their possessive feelings with their rooms. So it is wise to discuss it with your children to know what they think about the idea of overhauling their rooms.

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High-End Consignment Shops Are Not Like Garage Sales

Furniture and home décor can get extremely expensive, especially for those with a taste for more high-end and luxurious items. But, wanting to redecorate your home with high-end furnishings or wearing designer clothing may not be feasible. A great place to start is high-end consignment shops, which are not like garage sales or other shops where the products offered may not be in perfect condition. Many people have the incorrect perception that a consignment shop is no more than a glorified garage sale, and that is not true.

A high-end consignment shop typically deals with furniture, clothing and more expensive pieces that are in perfect to near perfect condition. Top brand name items typically fill the floors and isles, along with cases of sparkly jewels. Because most of the items are high-end with luxurious brand names, shoppers may be surprised to find the prices tags are not as low as they’d expect.

Of course, a high-end consignment shop is expected to be more expensive than the corner children’s consignment store. But sticker shock does occur to many shoppers. What you have to remember when shopping in a high-end consignment shop is that the prices are relevant to the condition of the item, the brand name of the item, and the current retail price. To put this in prospective, a Ralph Lauren couch may go for $9,000 in retail stores, but you can get the same Ralph Lauren couch, only gently used, for only $3,000. As you can see, this is a significant savings, but still a high price for the average person.

The same can be said for clothing sold at high-end consignment shops. These stores will only accept designer labels with no signs of wear. This gives a person the opportunity to own designer clothes, without the designer price. Since designer clothes are made with quality products, these items usually last a lot longer than the shirt you purchased at your local department store.

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Home Decoration Tips–Make It Your Own

You want your home to have a look and feel that feels appealing to your personal taste. The best way to achieve what you want is by subscribing to some long-held home decoration tips.
For a Warm and Cozy Home:
-Make sure there is at least one soft throw blanket per seating area. Blankets conjure up thoughts of sitting by a balmy and relaxing fire, feet curled under hip, book in hand.
-Wooden furniture gives a softer feel than metal and glass.
-Use plush carpeting throughout the home. If you have hard wood floors, be sure to have rugs covering much of the surface. Patterned rugs are appealing, but old-fashioned braided or rag rugs really bring a feeling of affection to a home.
-If you have a fireplace, use it as often as possible–particularly when you have company coming over.
For an Elegant and Sophisticated Look:
-This is where the glass and crystal furnishings come into play. Anything shimmery makes a home look instantly elegant.
-Use tiebacks for your curtains. It seems like such a little touch, but it can make the difference between refined and casual.
-Install chair rails and paint the room two tones of the same color (lighter above the rail, darker below). This immediately formalizes a room.
-Use brass accents as this makes a person think of Victorian times, simultaneously referencing etiquette and courteousness.
-As far as flooring is concerned, stone, ceramic, marble and other similar materials work well in a formal setting. Use intricately patterned rugs to help warm the room without taking from the look.
Whatever the look that you want to encourage in your home, ideas from the past can help you achieve what you are creating. These ideas have stuck around for one reason they work. Use your own ideas along with these home decoration tips for a look and feel that is pleasing.

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Repurposing Household Items

You recycle paper, plastic and glass so, why not recycle old, unstylish furnishings into fashionable just-like-new items. You can take everything from used furniture to old household decorations, add a new twist to them and have a whole new look in your home.
*Recover your furniture. Old sofas, loveseats and chairs do not have to go to the curb just because they are out of style. You can purchase upholstery fabric from nearly any fabric store. Recovering the furniture only takes time, material and a staple gun.
* Old tires can be recycled into chic new planters for your spring flowers. If you have children, put up an old fashioned tire swing for them. That is a memory they will not ever forget!
*You can turn blue jeans, khaki pants or other items made of thicker fabric into cute beach bags, purses and library bags.
*Wood furniture can be stripped and re-stained. Another option is to sand and then stain the wood. If you are going for a primitive or rustic look, feel free to take a hammer and a bit of sand paper to the piece; the more beat-up, the better in this case.
*A rusted out wash tub might not hold water anymore, but it can make a terrific decorative piece. A little bit of acrylic paint goes a long way to spice up the look.
*Old table cloths, placemats, towels and more can be ripped into strips and weaved into rag rugs. Not only are these rugs cute and back in style, they are also warm and functional.
*Drawers leftover from a junked dresser can be used for storage. Most are the perfect height to store underneath a bed. Use them as storage for bed linens, extra shower curtains, seasonal clothing or anything else that you want out of the main storage areas.

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Five uses for open storage

When you hear the word storage, you most likely think about items you want to keep but do not want to have out in the open for visitors to see. Examples of this are seasonal clothing, outdoor equipment, and lawn and garden supplies.

Other items you accumulate are those that you want or need to have handy. These are things you use regularly, or items you want to display.

Choosing the type of storage is a matter of personal taste and style. If you want to show off these items, open storage is the perfect way to do so. You can use bookshelves, cabinets, individual shelving, or fancy bureaus for many objects, including the following:

1. Books

Buy bookshelves large enough to fit all the books you currently own, with an extra shelf for books you will acquire.
2. Trophies and awards

If you have children, individual shelving is ideal for displaying your children’s individual awards, trophies, or framed certificates. Children could have their own shelf to display their accomplishments. Adults can display their certificates and diplomas.
3. Collectibles

Whether it is dolls, clowns, or animal figurines, almost everyone has a collection. Perhaps you picked up unusual seashells on your last trip to the beach, or you collect interesting looking gems or stones. You can purchase inexpensive boxes or trays to hold the small items. The large items can sit on the shelf alone.

4. Knickknacks

Decorative knickknacks, vases, or unusually shaped bottles are perfect for the top of a china cabinet or bureau filled with linens.

5. Artwork and Photos

Artists and photographers can display their work on open shelves. Sculpted pieces, photos, and finished artwork will look amazing on shelves that are visible from any angle of a room.

Storing items in this manner is space saving and decorative. It also gives your home a personal touch, one that gives your guests a sense of welcoming, and you a sense of hominess.

The potentials of open storage are endless.

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