All My Rowdy Friends Are Here On Monday Night!

I haven't yet mentioned my passion for NFL, but I have to tell you, we are in my favorite time of the year. Racing has heated up to play-off status, fall fashion is hitting the stores, makeup starts kicking it back up again after natural-schmatural looks for summer, and oh yeah - its football season too!!!

Monday nights are once again cooler than all get out, and the evening doesn't get going til Hank Williams Jr starts belting it out!
When I've been to Monday Night Football games, the opening notes of Hank's song & the video up on the jumbo-tron give me those heart pounding, God I love America, national anthem at a big event, lights going down at the start of a Kenny stadium show , adrenalin fueled, Olympic Gold moments that money just can't buy.
"Are you ready for some football?" Oh hell yeah! So ready!

But then, what's a girl to wear to a football game, or to a football party, or a sports bar etc, when she wants to fly her team's colors, but isn't into wearing an oversized jersey that says :
MANNING 18 ?
What if she's a little more fashion driven & style inspired?

I took it upon myself to find you divas the answer, and look what I found!
The oh so fabulous Halftime Designs (www.halftimedesigns.com)




Divalicious fashionista, sportsfan and Daytona Beach native Megan Wood found herself in the same predicament, searching for something cool and feminine to wear while supporting her favorite teams. (like me, she runs plural on the faves) Not finding anything overly fantastic she decided to create her own line of killer cool pieces for the fashion crowd.

Think along the lines of Sex In The City meets Football. Edgy, fun, high fashion designs on fabulously sexy, feminine pieces. T-shirts, tanks and hoodies all cut to work the female form - flattering, sleek and beautiful. Trendy illustrations on designer cut and quality T's. Sister - you're singing my song!

The hoodie pictured above is for the Patriot fan who doesn't want to wear her boyfriend's jersey with BRADY plastered across the back.



How cool is this Dolphins tile coaster? The Go Fins on the shopping bag and the gorgeous dresses are so completely my thing!

For the Giants fan....
This bag is for the Jets fan
Dolphins...
Maternity wear for a Cowboys fan





Tampa Bay Pooch wear...

One of my faves is a gator themed shirt that shows two well dressed girls eating rivalry themed sushi. How clever and fun is that???

There are lots of different products and clothing items available, and every week
Halftime Designs is adding more teams. Baseball and Basketball teamwear is on the not so distant horizon too.

Until now it hasn't been easy for a football loving girl to find something cute to wear to support her team. If you want fashion and comfort that's perfect for looking fab while you're tailgating, enjoying the game, or just living life then make sure you check these out.

Follow Halftime Designs on twitter (lots of witty repartie!)
Click Here

Friend them on Facebook Click Here

I love these shirts, and will be wearing them on shoots even in the football off-season, but man, I will be rocking them when all my rowdy friends are here on Monday night.....

xo

C

P.S are you losing your boyfriend or husband to endless sports programming and events that you dont understand? The fabulous StilettoSports.com is a great guide to whats going on. In fact they even have The Complete Girls Guide to the 2009 Football Season.....

Rocking That Bridal Thing!

So last week I show you some behind the scenes action in the Oh William! post, now I'm going to show you how I did the make up on that shoot.

I used products from the fabulous Smashbox Reign collection. You'll see several tutorials popping up using this collection, because it is so versatile and multi-dimensional, there are just so many incredible looks you can put together.
Quite honestly if you get this set you wont need anything else to get you all the way through the holiday season.



I demand a lot from products. If I'm going to use them they have to hold up to the light and have to wear exceptionally well. These products do, and on top of that the packaging is to die for! Even the boxes are gorgeous, so geeky as it sounds, I actually keep all the products in their original boxes and still get endless pleasure every time I take them out!
I love the leather style compacts with the crest embossed on - sooo fab!

So here's how you get the look:

I've concealed, airbrushed, powdered, blushed etc already, and now we are going to the eyes.

As always, my first step in an eyeshadow primer.

This is the "Majesty" palette. Aren't the colors beautiful? The inner circle is the matte version of the color, the outer circle is a shimmer shadow. You can use them wet or dry.


Starting with the Oval Shadow Brush and the shimmer section of the first shade in the palette, which is a beautiful champagne, apply from lash line to brow line in smooth even strokes. Make sure you get into the inner corner of the eye too.

Now using the Chisel Fluff brush and the middle shade in shimmer fuchsia take the color across the lid and up through the crease. I used a gentle swirling motion, as I want a soft, beautiful eye.

Changing palettes to the "Monarch" palette, and using the flat edge of the angle blender brush I used the shimmering deep brown shade and worked it through the outer corner of the eye to give it depth, added warmth, and dimension.

Using the smudger brush and the matte deep brown (thats the inner circle on the shadow - told you it was versatile!) I smudged this deep lush shade along the upper lash line. This gives the benefit of a liner without seeing an actual line. Keeps it a little more whimsical.

Still using the Smudger Brush and the matte deep brown from the Monarch palette, I smudged color into the lower lash line, giving a very soft effect.

A little Bionic Mascara in black, and we're good to go!
Isn't it pretty?

The look was completed with Smashbox blush in the shade Regal, which is part of the Reign Collection. It gives a lovely glow and a naturally flushed look to the cheeks.
For the lips I used the Doubletake Lip color pencil in Currant. This is really cool, because one end is a lipliner and the other is the actual lipstick, just in pencil form. The color is so bold and majestic!
I actually applied a little of the lipgloss shade Crowned to soften the look for the camera.

Doesn't Miss Emely look regal?


And here is the final shot. You'd never know that Will and I are crouched behind her holding out the dress. Doesn't it look gorgeous???




So here are the credits on this one!
Photographer - the amazing Kelly Cappelli
Hair - Will Zecco
Makeup - me
Model - Emely Soto
Dress - Mariee
Jewelery - Claudia's Custom Jewelry
Makeup products Smashbox Reign Collection
Makeup Brushes CorinnaB.com

Hows that neckline doing girlfriend???

Today I am re-posting a blog that was written by my friend Keri Chantler from the oh so fabulous Twirl Boutique in Scottsdale. You can check out her blog TwirlTalk for all kinds of great info.

Now Twirl is known as a very high end, high fashion, chic and unique bridesmaids dress boutique. Truth is, they have the most gorgeous dresses that are divine not only for bridesmaids, but also for anyone who has a high end, fabulicious event to go to.

When I have to go to an awards show or some super event I get my dress at Twirl. In fact Will and I just won another award, and my dress for the ceremony will be a piece of Twirl gorgeousness. Not sure what look I'll be going for yet, but I'll let Keri take care of the details, I'll be responsible for the shoes...

It can be tricky choosing the right neckline for your body, and there have been plenty of times that I have died a thousand deaths over some delectable dress in a magazine, then tried it on and found out to my absolute horror that it looks spectacularly ghastly on me.

So when Keri posted this blog I was thrilled! Its a great guide to necklines and body shape, and
I thought was completely and utterly brilliant!

Top Five Necklines and Your Bustline

August 24, 2009 in Tips and Advice

I had a customer with a very small bustline this weekend try on a v-neck dress and say, “I look like a boy”. She was right. Then she tried on a strapless, sweet-heart neckline that had some ruching at the bustline, and we didn’t even notice her bust – we just noticed how amazing she looked in the dress. The bride, who had a bit more of a bust, tried the v-neck on and it looked completely different on her – it was adorable! It really is all in the bust when it comes to what neckline bridesmaids should wear. Good news, though, there isn’t just one neckline for each bust size – it’s about knowing your best options and also knowing what is universally flattering.

STRAPLESS: I hear girls mention all the time that there are so many strapless dresses, and not enough other necklines. The reason? A strapless neckline is often the most universally flattering on every bustline. A bridesmaid with a larger bustline can wear a strapless dress, but she must wear proper undergarments in order to have support. Try a strapless bra like this one – the longer style will offer more support on a larger bust.

These are some of my favorite strapless dresses that look good on a variety of bustlines:












V-NECK: On the hanger, v-neck dresses look more conservative and covering. On the contrary, a v-neck dress is going to show the most cleavage if you are sporting a fuller bust. The great thing about v-necks is that you can often wear a more traditional bra. V-necks are best on girls who have bustline that’s still standing high, or on girls who know how to make a killer bra work. It really depends on your comfortability with sporting cleavage, and it depends on the bride and location (very religious wedding=no boobs on display). If you do go the v-neck route, there are some really modern styles out there right now.






CB looooves this dress!!!

HALTER: I love halter dresses because I feel like they support my bust while slimming the area between my shoulders and neck. Designers don’t tend to offer too many halter styles, though. Halters are best for women who have a bust – they can sometimes make a flat chest look even more flat.


love this yellow one too...






HIGH NECK: These are becoming more and more popular, and are a fun way to be conservative regarding the bustline. With that said, these dresses really do look best on smaller busted ladies – a very large bust tends to overtake the silhouette of the dress.












ONE SHOULDER: My new personal favorite for every bustline. With some of these styles, you could even wear one (clear) bra strap for added support. The one shoulder look flatters every bustline while offering something interesting – and something to look at other than the bust.

How fab is this one??? I wouldn't do the flowers in the hair though...




Wasn't that cool?
Make sure you check in on TwirlTalk - there's so much great information and so many cool ideas to be pilfered...

Thanks Keri!


P.S the blue comments were me talking!

xo

C

These Curves are Dangerous...!

I just finished re-reading the most amazing book!
The first time through it shook me up so much that I had to go straight back to the beginning and read it again.

Its called "Dangerous Curves" and is the autobiography of racecar driver, model and entrepreneur Terri O'Connell.


Whether you are a race fan or not, this book is a must read.
It is a compelling, heart wrenching story of beating the odds, and of the sheer force and power of the human spirit.

I haven't been around the race world for very long - it's only been a couple of years, but one thing is certain, this is the domain of the alpha male - a man's man's world. Dirt track, quarter mile or paved oval, the testosterone hangs so thick in the air you could cut it in slices. (and frankly, I love that!)

So its not hard to see how controversial Terri has been in this sport...

You see, Terri was born a hermaphrodite, in a small provincial town in Mississippi, in a time where genetic testing wasn't prevalent, and the smaller medical communities weren't adept at recognizing and identifying such biological anomalies.

CB: In my teens, growing up in a small, provincial place I had a friend who was a hermaphrodite. I witnessed first hand how cruel humans can be when faced with a situation they've not been educated about, and the pure havoc this lack of knowledge and accompanying fear enables the masses to inflict on the life of another human being. My friend underwent exploratory surgery at age 20 and they found all the female reproductive biology inside. But that didn't change the gossip, innuendo and cruelty that she had to face in the outside world...

Terri was raised as a boy, J.T Hayes, who became a spectacularly successful racecar driver, but who from the age of three, knew she was a girl.

Dangerous Curves is the story of all she had to endure, the mountains she had to climb, in order to make it to the other side of what is still an ongoing ordeal. The prejudice, the hate campaigns, the injustice, coupled with an overwhelming need to survive, and a racer's fierce competitive edge and refusal to accept anything short of a win.
While you are sitting there shell shocked by what has just transpired, Terri shifts gears and jumps into her 800hp sprint car and takes you to the dirt track for a hair-raising spin that ends with her holding yet another trophy in the winner's circle.

From chapter to chapter you don't know if you'll be in a crumpled heap on the floor, or cheering her on in a win!

Early on in the book she talks about being a 5 year old at Christmas, desperately wanting Santa to bring her a Barbie, then lying in bed Christmas night, silently crying bitter tears because Santa too wouldn't listen, wouldn't hear her baby voice, and gave her a train set instead.
There were times in this book when I was reduced to tears, and times when I was so inspired by Terri's indominatable will.

Terri won over 500 professional motorsports events in 5 different racing series. She won 3 National Championships, and made it to America's most popular racing series, The Nascar Sprint Cup.
She designed and built most of the cars that she won in.

After biological re-alignment surgery at age 30 Terri was able to move forward with her life as a very beautiful woman.

NOTE: Terri is not Trans Gender, as is often written. She was born with both male and female biology. The only surgery she had was urological re-alignment and breast augmentation.

I've read comments where she has been accused of having her shoulders, ribs and hips reduced. Huh??? NO. She has always had the same body. She is my height - 5 foot 6 inches, and weighs 117 lbs. Which has pretty much always been her weight. When she lived in Charlotte she was a fashion model.
She is a slim, intensely feminine, gorgeous woman who is always described as being witty, clever and charming. Even her biggest critics and detractors are blown away when they meet her. Most don't realize that this is the same person that they have been slandering...





If you enjoy a little juicy gossip and intrigue, the book divulges much interesting info from behind the scenes in NASCAR, there's a crooked congressman - all kinds of good stuff!

Dangerous Curves is a memoir about women's issues and professional sports wrapped in the social dynamics of a small town in the deep south. It is the story of a family struggling to come to terms with a very difficult situation in a time and place where there was no road map to guide you through.
Its a story where bigotry and true southern deep love and compassion walk hand in hand through heart breaking pages. You meet some truly heinous characters, and also some of the most loving, kind humans, who's devotion and true friendship know no boundaries, and help a wounded soul beat the odds in the face of personal danger and extreme drama.

It reads like a novel, and at times you forget that you are reading an autobiography.


Terri is making a professional motorsports comeback with Dick Barbour of Dick Barbour Racing. She has built a company that specializes in super cool Tshirts for female race fans, and is in negotiations for a reality show based on her life.





I hope you will read this incredible book. I'll be giving it to all my friends for Christmas this year.

You can find out more about Terri on her website www.goterrio.com
Follow her on twitter at: goterrio
Check out the Dangerous Curves facebook page

And buy this great book on Amazon.com Click Here

Oh William!

When you look at a picture in a magazine its often hard to imagine what was going on when that image was shot. What the model was really dealing with - like modelling a bikini on a freezing cold day at the beach, wool jackets on a summer's day, being pulled and pinned and cinched into the clothes she's modelling etc.

When you have a good team working, everyone pitches in and makes it happen so that you can get the shot. And often times its all kinds of silly fun!

Here are some more behind the scenes moments from the shoot we just finished, which was filmed for the bridal industry.


So here is our beautiful model, Emely, in the makeup chair. She was our final model for the day.

Oh William! Heaven only knows what he was up to, but I can guarantee you it was hilarious! We had been working a really long day already, and all were exhausted.



With Emely on set, Kelly Cappelli started shooting. You can see the TV camera in the corner of this shot.


How funny is this??? Will and I were fanning out the train of the dress. This dress was actually exceptionally beautiful. It has flowers sewn on to it, and is really quite elaborate.
Its from Mariee in Scottsdale.
I was still miked, and the transmitter is still clipped on in my lower back. Not so seksi...


Can you please pass me another clamp.....


You can see here that in order to get the shot Emely (in high heels) has to arch her back, lift her chin, pull her shoulders both back and square, angle her neck, lean, and look demure, while I'm on one side holding the skirt, and Will is crouched behind her holding that side. You can also see some of the clamps that are holding the dress tight to her body.

The dress is actually really heavy, especially for a tiny slim little thing like Em.
She is pinned, pulled, clamped and cinched, but although as uncomfortable as she is, she can work her face and body, and make you believe she is lost in thought...



Meanwhile, the shooting continues. Kelly and Jeff Bills from Serendipity Videography.

A quick touch up and spray from the fabulous William Zecco...

Now Will is on camera, explaining why he chose this particular hairstyle, and how he did it.
When you step back out of the shot you can see all the backdrops etc. It kinda lets you see how real it all is.


Isn't he just gorgeous??? All kinds of crazy fun to work with!


And here's a very blurry shot of Emely. Hopefully by next week I'll be able to post a tutorial on this makeup. It was so lovely, and was done using the new Smashbox collection, which I am looooving to death!

Funnily enough its called work, but in all honesty, its just great fun!

xo

C