It’s amazing to me how a man who considers khaki to be an actual color managed to fulfill my mother’s warning and change my wardrobe. Such is the power of DH.

When I was thirteen, as soon as I got home from school, I’d drop my plaid book bag under the front table next to the dog bed, hoping that Henry our terrier would choose it for his evening snack. He never did. Clearly Henry had trendier tastes too, preferring to chew the heads off my Barbie dolls. Things from Harrods I decided, were too uncool, even for the dog.

One my mother’s friends had sent me the book bag from London. The last package my mother’s friend had sent me contained three cashmere cardigan sweaters in three of the most anti-preadolescent colors possible: navy, cream and grey. My mother coo’d and awe’d and threatened me with house confinement until college if I didn’t write a thank-you note. The same fate awaited me when I received the satchel.

At the time, I was convinced the bag was the sole icon of dorkiness. At school, the contingent of cool all carried shiny vinyl backpacks in totally awesome day-glow colors. Each pack bore the badge of allegiance to the latest pre-teen heartthrob who defined our shared fantasies. I yearned for a plastic stamped image of the Monkees and Velcro.

My satchel from Harrods, I couldn’t care less about Harrods, was a large shoulder bag with a red and navy blue plaid flaps that you had to secure  by buckling two leather straps.  As my friends velcro’d their bags and ran off as soon as school was dismissed, I was busy aligning the straps so my books and pencils didn’t tumble down the street as I walked home. I felt like I was an orphan from the old reruns of the Little Rascals.  My solace came from knowing that the bag came from the same country as the Rolling Stones. In my mind, I knew that Mick Jagger had probably suffered with the same type of dorky bag too.

For some reason, I was surrounded with relatives and family friends who thought it was totally fitting to give children gifts that only grown ups appreciated. Gratification, it seemed, was something to be delayed. “One day, you’ll appreciate this,” was my mother’s constant mantra. Once, my grandmother gave me a velvet box that opened like a clam shell for my 10th birthday. I slowly pried open the box and smiled politely. A thin string of tiny cream colored pearls were splayed on a bed of navy satin. I had wanted a pewter peace sign that hung on a leather cord, like the one my best friend, Robin wore. That would have been cool. My family envisioned a miniature Grace Kelly, while I saw myself more like a Joan Baez meets Janis Joplin.

The other day, I was looking in the mirror and it hit me. I was wearing a creamy pink colored cardigan and a navy skirt.  Around my neck were the pearls DH had given to me. My mother had been right.  I did appreciate the sweater’s softness and the way the pearls looked.   What happened?  Had I indeed developed good taste?

DH is a Preppy engineer. He wears broadcloth shirts and khaki slacks. He is Mr. Conservative who has been known to judge a navy blue sweater that I had bought for him as “a little loud” (actually,  it was the red collar and matching cuffs that threw him). DH’s sartorial philosophy is “It is better to buy one good item, instead of ten cheap ones.” This was a nice counterpoint to my own philosophy, “Whoever said money doesn’t buy happiness, clearly doesn’t know what a sale is.”

When I was in Paris, one of my favorite things to do was to sit and watch the women.  Almost to the point of stalking,  I’d watch them, I was fascinated by trying to discern what it was that made them look Parisian.  They were thin, this goes without saying. At that time, when I was back home, I could fit into a size 2 with room to spare. However, translated into French clothing, I wore a jaw dropping “Grande” – Large. Another aspect was their general dislike for many colors…actually, navy and black, like NYC, spans the spectrum for them. No need to look like a clown… I also discovered that they were très chic because, instead of buying four lesser made skirts, they’d buy only one really good elegantly constructed skirt.

I could agree with French women and DH in theory, but my trend-hungry adolescent self with its penchant for volume shopping is still alive and kicking…or so I thought.   Had a diet of wine, nibbles of brie and life with handsome French men caused these elegant women to be thrifty chic creatures?

Actually, I think real estate has a lot to do with it. Closet space doesn’t exist in most Parisian homes. It makes sense to only have a couple of Dior skirts when that is all you have room for. Whereas, I think most American women would take to the streets if we had to give up our closet space. Nature and closets abhor a vacuum.

The truth is, I think Parisian women just don’t want to clash with their male companions.  Parisian men are just as elegantly subdued in their fashion sense as the women.  Which came first is the ubiquitous chicken and egg question.  What I am finding though is that since I got married, I am wearing less and less variety of outfits.

Why?  Husbands are like walking accessories. Think of them as giant handbags. If I am carrying a demure Fendi Baguette, my outfit will consist of a simple, but elegant navy sheath dress and matching cropped jacket.  Whereas, if I am going to carry a more rebellious Prada bag, then leopard jeans and a lacey tank top are in order.

The down side is that, unfortunately, husbands, unlike a decent collection of handbags, aren’t as easy to rotate. I figure the universe decided I could pick only one handbag, so it will be, DH is my one Chanel bag that I am going to carry from now on.

When we go out together, DH usually dresses like a prep school graduate, no matter how I try to point him towards more Euro-chic styles….leather jeans and black turtleneck sweaters make him break into fits of giggles. I’m stuck with classic American.

So, in order not to clash or to look like, shall we say, a ‘paid companion’ I have toned down my preference for leopard and short skirts. I find myself reaching for that pencil skirt and cardigan over and over. Volume-wise, fourteen pale pink cashmere cardigans or an abundance of pencil skirts makes no sense.  Besides, I find DH less concerned when I buy one pricey piece than if I come home everyday with something new like a dribbling faucet.

DH has even influenced my accessories. DH gave me pearls for my birthday one year.  They reminded me of the set my grandmother had given me — clam shell box, navy satin.  This time I was a little intimidated by their delicacy, so I carefully put them away, pulling them out for ‘special occasions.’   The other day, it struck me how well they went with my outfit I was wearing.  I was even more struck by how sturdy they were in their elegance and beauty.  My mother was right, I did appreciate that.

I’m sorry this realization came so late, after our divorce is finalized. Did I make the worst mistake in my life? Or am I just getting hit by reality for the first time? Didn’t I always want a divorce? How come this left me so unhappy?

I learnt about coco+kelley a few weeks ago and I’m absolutely hooked. I love it because it’s real, authentic and her style & approach is unique and elegant. Cassandra Lavalle, founder and creator of coco+kelley combined her talent for interiors with an eye for fashion and design, into the lifestyle company coco+kelley in October 2008.  Her desire to guide clients in discovering their personal style as a part of the design process became the essence of the coco+kelley philosophy: Life is in the details. Style accordingly.

With a background in public relations and event design, Cassandra’s first styling experience came with a serendipitous stint as a Market Editor for a local home and garden magazine. Reinspired to follow her passions, Cassandra launched the style blog, coco+kelley, in 2007.

Image from coco+kelley

Exploring trends in fashion, decor and color, the blog quickly grew and began receiving praise from national magazine editors and loyal readers who described the content as chic, charming, and original. After several readers approached her to design their own homes and weddings, Cassandra seized the opportunity and officially opened coco+kelley for business.

Image from coco+kelley

Bringing a fresh and sophisticated eye to homes across the country, coco+kelley’s interior design process encourages clients to discover their personal style by defining their everyday inspirations and translating them into spaces they love.

Whether mixing vintage pieces full of character with clean modern lines, contrasting organic textures with glamourous accents, or pairing up unexpected color combinations, the outcome is always an original and cultivated space that reflects the client’s inherent style.

What a better way to express your personal style than through your home, ensuring that you are true to who you are in every aspect of your life. I get great pleasure from reading Cassandra’s blog and draw inspiration from her talent, passion and authenticity.

Emerald Elegance PLUS Corset Review

Check Price Now!

Emerald Elegance PLUS Corset Feature

• Also available in smaller sizes Order Item (10-60112)
• Matching stretch satin with flocking g-string included.

Emerald Elegance PLUS Corset Overview

This strapless corset has so many exquisite details its hard to know where to start! The bust is stretch lace that lets you peek through. Sturdy, yet flexible boning offers support and a customized fit for most cup sizes. The top is edged in delicate eyelash lace and a tiny black ribbon in the center is accented with a rhinestone. The midsection and back are stretch satin with black paisley flocking. The front features black satin over the boning. The entire bottom hem is edged in pleated organza, trimmed with black ribbon. Features side hook-and-eye closure and bi-directional lace-up up back. Four removable garters. Also available in smaller sizes Order Item (10-60112) Matching stretch satin with flocking g-string included. Polyester. Hand wash. Air dry.

Emerald Elegance PLUS Corset Specifications

LoveFifi

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Nov 26, 2009 01:25:04

32inch lcd hdtv

   Robert Doisneau en fit plusieurs clichés. Le cinéma mondial nous l’envie. Un grand nombre de couples l’échafaude, le massacre, et parfois le réussisse. Il fait la réputation des ressortissants de l’hexagone à l’étranger. Il est le cumule du glamour, de l’élégance, du charme et de l’arrogance française. Le French Kiss.

   Bien qu’il ne faille pas obligatoirement avoir la nationalité tricolore pour le réussir, ce baiser a un goût de bonheur hexagonal lorsque nous le donnons, le recevons ou plutôt … le partageons ! Car il s’agit bien ici d’un partage. Le premier est toujours le plus magique : Sous la pluie fine dans un parc, un pull posé négligemment sur les épaules lors d’un séjour linguistique (cf. « à nous les petites anglaises » de Michel Lang). En dansant lors de l’une de nos premières soirées de lycéen. Dans le hangar à paille du fermier du village avec la petite voisine lors des vacances chez grand-mère… Chacun pourrait citer son propre exemple de cadre, mais le ressenti est certainement presque toujours le même.

   Ce baiser d’amoureux, autrefois désigné comme baiser florentin, aujourd’hui par l’anglicisme « french kiss », fait de nous le haut du podium des « lovers ». Cet échange corporel qui ne peut avoir lieu sans l’once d’un sentiment. Il exprime parfaitement le désir. Il est essentiellement un jeu quelque peu bestial de deux êtres. C’est encore une activité où le français domine et qui fait de lui son rayonnement à travers le monde. N’en déplaise aux étudiants qui partent en Erasmus, il devient alors un atout indéniable pour faire des rencontres et parfaire la langue…

Benjamin GUYOT

Surrounded by its 100 acres of gardens, fields, woods and original outbuildings, Sweet Home transports all who visit to Georgia’s Antebellum South, evoking the beauty, grace and charm of the Old South Legend. This National Historic Register 1840 Greek Revival Home is a virtual mid-19th century time capsule, beautifully furnished with period furniture. Sweet Home Plantation is ideally suited for weddings and receptions, private parties, corporate events, barbeques and picnics. The spacious grounds offer the perfect setting for large or intimate events. The elegant home is a wonderful spot for teas, luncheons, cocktail receptions or small seated dinner parties. For more information, visit the Pine Mountain Destination Guide

Life is full of compromises, or at least, exchanges right?  I keep on remembering how nice it was to have a caring guy in my arm…  It’s funny sometimes we dwell on the positives and sometimes we dwell on the negatives.

Today, I choose to remember that I get my freedom and my space back, in exchange for a guy’s companionship.

Hello! I recently bought 2 new skins that I really like. Jolie Dark make-up  from Dutch Touch and Summer from Redgrave. Looks great on my shape and I can’t stop wearing them!

Also I have a few new pieces and found this amazing sock store Shop Toshy. I am a tights freak! LOL

Hope you like it and have a great week!

Skin by Dutch Touch – JoLIe cream dark

Eyes by Shine -  Golden teal eyes

Eyelashes by Redgrave – Eyelashes 25 dragqueen

Hair by Novocaine – Edward smoke (old freebie)

Top by Miel – Am tulip tank licorice

Shirt by Aoharu – Open long shirt stripe black

Skirt by LeLutka – Paine mini chocolate (group gift)

Tights by Shop Toshy – Pantyhose black embroidery rose fishNet

Earrings by Locke Couture – LC Pierced heart earrings black glass

Necklace by i love 13 - Pony necklace (13)

Boots by ANEXX – FiveBeltsBoots black (new)

Skin by Redgrave – Angelina pale

Eyes by Shine -  Golden teal eyes

Eyelashes by Redgrave – Eyelashes 25 dragqueen

Hair by Foam – Floe II

Tunic by NINIKO – Natural tunic beige

Shirt by Ivalde – Martha white shirt

Necklace by Shampooo – Pearl chain necklace white

Clutch by B@R – Clutch Bag Red (free)

Tights by Shop Toshy – PantyHose seducer black butterfly pattern

Shoes by R2 – Akamai brown

Skin by Redgrave – Summer Pale 02 (new)

Eyes by Shine – Golden teal eyes

Eyelashes by Redgrave – Eyelashes 25 dragqueen

Hair by Simply Britnee – Evita 2 brown

Dress by couverture – AuSoleil black

Necklace by Dark Mouse – Reversal of fortune necklace gold

Socks by **en Svale.** – Knee socks pink (free)

Shoes by LeLutka – Teese shoes sienna

Skin by Redgrave – Summer Pale 02 (new)

Eyes by Shine – Golden teal eyes

Eyelashes by Redgrave – Eyelashes 25 dragqueen

Hair by Truth -  Izzy coffee (free)

Dress by Hal*Hina – Dark blue knit dress W1009*K

Tights by Shop Toshy – Pantyhose mediumblack toshylogo (free)

Headpiece by Amrita – Hair dress clematis dark feather dark green

Necklace by Paper Couture – Pearl strand necklace

Earrings by DM Designs Jewelry – Eleni earring silver/purple

Gloves by IZUMIYA – Free Leather Glove

Shoes by G Field – Lady rose shoes black

Phoenix Rising complete skirt:

Skin by Redgrave – Summer pale 02

Eyes by Shine – Golden teal eyes

Eyelashes by Redgrave – Eyelashes 25 dragqueen

Hair by Je Republic – Bobbed hair II curl black (dollarbie)

Dress by Phoenix Rising – Coco Chanel tribute

Headpiece by Hal*Hina  – Stripe ribbon (group gift)

Necklace by Milk Motion – My feather necklace  pt. 1 (designers united II)

Gloves by Nushru – Part of HeartThrob red outfit

Socks by Kuri Style – K*S socks78 ribbon socks and kuri sima stockings(B) 1 (part of K*S

148featyer black paper outfit)

Shoes by G Field – Ribbon slingback shoes red (new)

Je suis une très grande fan de chaussures tout le monde le sait sauf vous évidemment pour l’instant. Mais comme je suis une fille adorable qui aime partager ses coups de gueule et ses coups de cœur. Je vais aujourd’hui vous faire découvrir mes nombreux coups de cœur en ce qui concerne l’objet fétiche selon moi : la chaussure.

En effet quand on parle de chaussures, on parle en réalité de l’accessoire qui fera la beauté ou non de votre tenue.

 Que ce soit des boots, des bottes, des escarpins ou encore des cuissardes, la chaussure est votre allié et c’est dans ce sens qu’il faudra l’utiliser.

C’est pourquoi j’ai chiné tout le week-end, que ce soit dans ma collec perso ou dans de nombreux magasins et fripes, pour vous dégoter plusieurs bijoux pour habiller vos pieds.

Pour commencer soft, j’ai pensé aux nombreuses femmes qui souhaitent paraître décontractées sans être trop coincées, c’est pourquoi les bottines plates à la « rock’n’roll Touch’ » sont le must have du moment.

 En effet, cette bottine avec autant de caractère que possible donnera un look parfait à une tenue sobre et sans intérêt. La couleur peut varier, du bleu marine au noir de préférence pour garder l’effet 90’s assuré.

Pour un effet un peu plus habillé on optera pour les fameuses cuissardes. Et oui les filles je parle de ses bottes qui ont le pouvoir magique d’allonger vos jambes jusqu’à l’infini …

Kate Moss, il y a deux ans déjà, avait tout compris à ce niveau, mais peu d’entre nous l’avaient suivi. A présent il faut se lancer, les cuissardes peuvent impressionner au premier abord, mais sincèrement en tant qu’adepte  depuis  déjà un moment, je vous assure elles ne sont pas si effrayantes. Les gens vous regarderont car ils apprécieront cette élégance naturelle qu’elles vous donneront.

Bien sûr il ne faut pas tout mélanger, quand je vous dit de mettre des cuissardes il faut évidemment la jouer vraiment soft en haut. Selon moi une petite robe simplissime style t-shirt juste cintrée avec une petite ceinture fine et le tour sera joué.

Les bonnes couleurs : le noir et le beige comme d’habitude, les couleurs les plus simples sont souvent les plus adaptées.

Enfin, si vous préférez vous « botter » pour les soirées parisiennes. Dans ce cas précis je vous propose de choisir les bottines en cuir ou en daim à talon haut qui vous  transformeront en belle d’un soir d’hiver.

Je vous conseille différentes teintes selon les occasions et les envies. Ces bottines seront votre « botte secrète » pour être au top.

La couleur Camel que propose Mellow Yellow est l’atout phare pour un petit dîner entre amis dans un restaurant de quartier. Vous les associerez à une petite robe écru (dans ce cas la en dentelle ce serait parfait) et un collant opaque noir. Cela donnera du cachet à cette robe légèrement trop romantique.

Pour une sortie jusqu’au bout de la nuit, vous opterez pour des bottines noires qui sublimeront une robe noire, elle aussi, élégante avec de nombreux détails de préférence (broderies, sequins, épaulettes…)

Et pour les plus fashionistas d’entre nous, j’ai trouvé la perle rare de cet hiver, cependant ce n’est pas un produit facile à porter, il faut oser.

 Ce sont de magnifiques bottines noires en fourrure à poil long. Elles sont simplement « sublimissimes ».

Evidemment, elles ne passent réellement pas inaperçu donc avis aux femmes qui aiment se faire remarquer, elles seront le « it » tendance de cette saison. Elles se fondent parfaitement dans une tenue composée d’une jupe noir taille haute et d’un caban noir court à épaulettes.

Enfin pour celles qui n’ont pas peur de découvrir leurs petits petons même au mois de novembre je vous ai concocté une sélection de chaussures à talons qui vous donneront de la classe grâce à leur talent.

Bien évidemment les collants sont de rigueur en cette période de grand froid mais pas de problèmes là-dessus, ces talons s’associeront à vos collants à la perfection.

Tout d’abord, les sandales cloutées ressortiront le côté fougueux de votre caractère. Pour un total look rock qui ne passera pas inaperçu il faut les assembler avec un petit perfecto en cuir et une robe noir assez évasée en bas.

Ne vous inquiétez pas avec ce modèle de chez Givenchy aucun souci, vous ne passerez jamais pour une gothique, simplement pour une femme « glamrock » à souhaits.

Pour finir, les adeptes des tendances « French cancan » vont être ravies. J’ai trouvé une petite paire de sandales ouvertes à froufrou en fourrure devant, un vrai délice !

 Ces talons donneront du cachet à une tenue chic. Elles casseront le côté peut être trop dure et strict que l’on peut adopter sans le vouloir  parfois le soir. Même en étant toute noire elles sont rafraîchissantes et feront de vous une jeune fille avec un ton malicieux dans la tenue.

Xavière Laffont

Gentlemen,

la dernière livraison du BBB d’Esquire (Automne 2009) nous propose, comme à l’accoutumée, des portefolios thématiques de qualité (notamment en ce qui concerne les prises de vue) saupoudrés de conseils avisés concernant les “tendances” actuelles de l’élégance masculine.

L’un de ces “livrets” a particulièrement retenu notre attention avec un titre qui entre en parfaite résonance  avec l’état d’esprit qui règne sur PG : “Soyez Discret” (“BE QUIET” ndt).

Cette ode – assez réussie – à l’élégance discrète est organisée autour de 10 objets réputés incontournables dans toute garde robe masculine qui se respecte. Voici le programme :

SOYEZ DISCRET (“Be Quiet”)

1 – La cravate en soie Madder (“The Madder Tie”)

2 – Le poignet “simple” (“The Barrel Cuff”)

3 – Le manteau sobre (“The Sober Coat”)

4 – La cravate club (“The Old-School Tie”)

5 – Le Prince de Galles (“The Gray Plaid”)

6 – La chemise blanche (“The White Shirt”)

7 – Les rayures subtiles (“The Subtler Stripe”)

8 – L’absence de pochette (“The (absence of) Pocket Square”)

9 –  Le costume croisé (“The Double-Breasted Suit”)

10 – La montre simple (“The Simple Watch”)

Début du décorticage en règle de ce joli programme dès ce soir avec la fameuse cravate en soie Madder.

Stay tuned, HUGO

IBM is one of the big guys…..the original monopoly….the Big Brother in Apple’s 1984 ad. When you’re that big, it seems to be a waste of your resources to build another laptop or compete against an Accenture. Big Blue had that problem and really…how much more of a competitive differentiator can cash flow and massive balance sheets be in such sectors? IBM (for reasons that may not be in line with my thinking) brilliantly shifted resources to solving problems that only large scale companies with a massive amount of resources can solve. And IBM was already solving some of these problems for some of its clients…not just as focussed as it is now. I guess, this is a smart transition which SHOULD happen. The scale of problems to be solved should be in-sync with the growth of the company trying to solve these problems. So it’s like:

Start-up: Solve one problem for multiple users

SME: Solve multiple problems in one sector/countries for all companies in that sector

Large companies: Solve multiple problems in multiple sectors

Massive conglomerates: Solve the planet’s problems problems of countries or even the planet

So IBM has it’s brilliant Smarter Planet in place. Read this post to understand how this campaign came to be.

Now it’s involved in solving another major puzzle i.e. the working of the brain. Recently, it has been able to simulate the working of a cat’s brain with its BlueMatter algorithm. Before you scoff at this, remember, this is the highest level of simulation that has been done till date: 1 billion neurons (think processors) and 10 trillion synapses (think connections between the neurons). Yep, think big ! Think Blue !

Update: IBM is now helping the UAE nab speeding cars

After one unfortunate (and quite stupid) accident I had to replace the front bumper and grill… well… of course I opted for the Avantgarde front grill. The new grill radically changed (improved if you ask me) the way this car looks. No more “Mr. Niceguy” it’s time to get some street rep.

Otherwise the car feels just right, it still puts a smile on my face when I drive it like I’m sitting on a wasp while it can be a perfect cruiser when traveling with my family. It’s like a women with good looks who cooks and cleans

C320... Bad boy looks

C320 CDI HDR

Avantgarde grill

C320 CDI 4-matic

Climbers recognize the power and rewards of a true marriage of souls.  Climbers understand and embrace the raw risk that ultimate vulnerability represents.  As a result, Climbers may experience the lowest of lows that comes with the ending of a relationship in which both parties have deeply invested.  However, they also may enjoy the highest of highs, or the unbridled ecstasy and rich fulfillment that accompany the highest forms of love. 

Like conditions on the mountain, Climbers’ relationships will not be easy – sunny and pain free all of the time.  However, the commitment to advance, to move forward and higher transcends the challenges and continue to strive for the highest connections with another human being.  (P22, Adversity Quotient)

One of the most difficult things I find I have to do is coming up with an elegant solution for a difficult problem. Many problems can be solved in a rough and tumble sort of way by tackling it with brute force. However, when you really want an application that will scale well and perform at its peak you seek out those elegant solutions that look so obvious to someone who reads it, but are so difficult to come up with initially.

My basic theory when faced with coming up with a solution, or looking at improvements to a previous solution, is that if it looks more complicated than you think it should be, it probably is. But how do you reduce the complexity that seems so inherent in the problem at hand? There really isn’t a single answer to that question, else I would be selling it to the highest bidder and retiring by the time I was 30. However, there often exists a few good ways to shift your mind in a way that makes an elegant solution easier to emerge.

First, sometimes it is good to just step back for a moment. When you’re looking at the details of a problem intensely, you miss out on some of the larger picture things that can help you find a better solution. Recently I had a problem that I was pounding my head against for days. The problem was partially due to old requirements restricting my progress. I found that if you have the ability to look at some business requirements and discover that perhaps they aren’t really required, you can change the entire scope of your problem so that an elegant solution can emerge. Sometimes it is not possible to change a business requirement. Even when you can, changing the requirements can cause new difficulties to arise, such as migrating data. However, a confusing or complicated business rule should be changed if it makes it both difficult for you to design around and difficult for the users to understand.

Another method that I used on the same problem is exactly the opposite. Instead of looking back at a high level, dive down deeper. When looking at a problem and trying to come up with a solution you might have several ideas floating around in your head. You jot them down and think a little bit about how they might solve your problem, but you’re still unsure. If you have these possible solutions but are not sure if they would work, pick one and dive further into it. Try to draw it out more fully. Maybe create a prototype or fully design a database table or series of tables. Perhaps you can get a better idea of how something will interact by drawing up the interfaces between pieces of a program or writing out an algorithm is pseudocode. Instead of just viewing a problem from a high level, coming up with a solution, and immediately coding it, intermediate steps such as these can help you find flaws you wouldn’t encounter until implementation time when they’re more expensive to fix.

The best feeling in the world is taking an old design that took thousands of lines of code, or dozens of lines of generated and complicated SQL and reducing it to a few hundred lines of code and a line or two of SQL. Sometimes those types of changes can’t be made unless you change your schema or base objects, but if you’re able to change them to reduce complexity from something monolithic and unreadable to something small and concise, then you’ve discovered elegance.

Your work will be smoother, and your confidence higher if you find that elegant design.

“awwww…black love infactuation”

SO, maybe im not the easiest person to get along with. Or maybe my attitude ISNT at its best 24/7. Eh, maybe I CAN be a little rude and abbrasive to people when its not warranted. But, aside from all of those things i’ve learned alot from being single black female. IT SUCKS. Now, dont get me wrong, i’m not one of those females who falls into relationships to avoid being single. And lord KNOWs i’m definitely not one to thrive on male attention, or be bitter about past experiences that i’ve gone through with men. No bag lady am I. NOPE.  Behind all of the razor wire and cement lies a huge heart…AWW shut the hell up. And recently I have found someone to make me smile. Not smile like “aww he’s cute”, but really smile because i’m happy. deeply happy….”lol smiley face”. It may sound corny, but not alot of men these days are actual men gentlemen, and even more are in fear of communication. But miraculously I have found those things in this one person and then some. Maybe its a little early to say it will stay this way…but WHATEVS, i’m feeling good about it for now. But the point of this post is DEFINITELY not to gas his head up, but rather to explain some things i’ve learned about myself while going through this whole process of finding someone that makes me smile. He’s slowly melting my heart…Congratulations, YOU SUCK!

#1: Don’t stand in your own way.

Nothing is worse than seeing a female who will do anything to get a mans attention. Sleeping with a guy will definitely NOT make him walk away after humping a late night with you thinking “damn homie, i need to wife her RIGHT NOW!”. Chances are he is thinking the total opposite. Some females should just master being and loving themselves, because in the history of man real has ALWAYS recognized real. ALWAYS. Also, some people should be more optimistic in their lifestyles. Who wants to be with someone who is depressed and miserable all the damn time. I know I don’t, that ish is NOT whats hot in the streets. So please people, step out of the way of yourselves. Let someone break those walls of china down. ASAP.

#2: First impressions ARE important.

Think before you speak. Check your actions. Brush your teeth regularly. Iron your damn clothes! Although these things may sound very obvious, you would be so suprised at the number of people I know who dont know/do this. Whatever the occasion, always be prepared. As sad it may seem people judge you within the first 5 minutes of meeting you. How you carry yourself will make a huge impact on how people deal with you. Some people kill me thinking that they can fake and pretend their way into someone liking their personality. Fakeness has the stench of a effin skunk, so before you open your mouth with ish just make sure you brush your teeth afterwards. I commend a man who can be blatantly honest with me about things while still showing compassion (wink wink). It must be a learned skill..lol

#3: Don’t ignore the RED FLAGS!

If a man tells you he doesn’t want a girlfriend, and you know deep down you are looking for a relationship…RUN!

If a man tells you he has a crazy ex, and he can’t leave her alone because of X-Y-Z…RUN!

If he treats his momma like poo…RUN!

If he only calls you between the hours of 10pm-7am to come watch a “movie”…RUN!

Your intuition screams at you when something isn’t right, and more often than not if it doesnt sound/look/feel right it usually isn’t. So drop him like diddy’s pant..Just sayin.

#4: Keep your standards realistic.

Self-explanatory. You can’t walk into a luxury dealership with Hundai money and expect to walk out with a top of the line Bugatti. By no means am I saying settle for anyone with good D looks, I’m just stating that you can only ask for what you are giving. I’ve had so many conversations with females who will only want to date guys with degrees, nice cars, own place, no kids…BUT they stay with big mama, take the bus, and have 3 kids. CAH-RAZY. Enough said.

#5: NO ONE is perfect.

No man/woman is perfect. It’s just a matching game of which personalities fit together the best. Everyone makes mistakes, everyone has a past. Judging based on instances that occured before the person met you is so elementary. I live by the mantra “I am perfectly, imperfect”. So either like them or leave them alone. No one is a magical wizard, you CAN NOT change anyone but yourself. Take heed.

Anymore advice for those coping with single life? Did I miss any key elements of mastering the dating game? Does anyone agree with my key points? Is it different for men and women?

Les Derbies…

                                                        La fameuse jupe noire……..

                                                                  Et la marinière…

Mais le problème c’est que lorsqu’on pense aux journées on se dit qu’il y a pleins de trucs à respecter comme par exemple ne pas avoir des talons de 15 cm qui vous scient le pied au bout de deux heures, ou encore ne pas avoir une jupe trop courte qui pourrait choquer, avoir un maquillage sobre et des décoltés pas trop plongeant…

Bref des détails que nous allons étudier dans un instant pour que vous soyez à la fois stylées et décontractées la journée.

Alors à cet effet, j’ai classé dans un odre croissant bien évidemment, les pièces majeures qui vous rendront parfaite à l école ou au boulot :

Tout d’abord, les chaussures parfaites pour avoir l’air chic et décontractée, sont les derbies plates… Je sais, Repetto nous en avait déjà montré de toutes les sortes l’an dernier et bah justement si vous en avez ressortez-les .. De toute façon plus elles sont usées, plus on aimera les porter. 

Ces chaussures s’accompagneront parfaitement d’une petite jupe courte ou d’un mini short (même en jeans) , avec un pantalon « sarouel » ou « smoking » ou même notre bon vieux « Slim » qu’on aime porter les jours de pluie comme une seconde peau..

On les choisira vernies (parce que c’est plus sexy !) et surtout parce que ça donne un côté plus classe à notre tenue décalée…

Vous en trouverez partout en ce moment.. que ce soit sur 3suisse.fr, chez André , Jonak ou encore Repetto (les prix varient entre 30 et 120 euros en moyenne)

Maintenant que nous sommes chaussées, il ne reste plus qu’à nous habiller! 
Alors pour une journée décontractée, j’ai pensé à deux choses: soit on veut être à l’aise (vraiment à l’aise) tout en restant coquette et dans ce cas précis on choisit le pantalon mi sarouel mi smoking. Ce pantalon est parfait pour les lendemains de gros dîners où l’on se sent serrée et mal à l’aise en jupe ou en jeans serrés. Ce sera donc l’allié parfait pour une silhouette chic et décontractée.

Pour une journée où l’on a envie d’être admirée , observé voir séduire tout en restant hyper sobre, on optera pour la jupe taille mi haute qui arrive juste au dessus de genoux et se referme légèrement sur eux (ou jupe crayon). Cette jupe est l’atout de l’hiver, sans trop en dévoiler ce qui est vulgaire, elle suggère les formes et donne un effet de taille de guêpe. Bien évidemment on la porte avec un t-shirt simple qui sera rentré dans la jupe .

Pour trouver ce genre de jupe rien de plus simple , je crois bien en avoir vu dans tous les H&M et les Zara du territoire.

Enfin pour que la tenue soit quasi parfaite, il faut que vous trouviez un t-shirt adapté à ses fameuses derbies et à cette somptueuse jupe. Et bien, je pense avoir trouver votre perle rare, je trouve que la meilleure association pour avoir l’air élégante sans en faire trop serait la marinière. Et oui celle-ci est une star des podiums depuis déjà longtemps mais qu’est ce que vous voulez on l’aime et puis c’est tout !! 

Vous la choisirez soit avec épaulette soit sans, mais dans tout les cas elle ne fera que sublimer votre tenue.

Et pour être vraiment au top, je vous ai gardé le meilleur pour la fin.
C’est dans le marais que vous allez vous diriger, Je vous conseille d’aller de ce pas dans une petite boutique rue vieille du temple qui vend des montagnes d’accessoires en tout genre et particulièrement le « it » de toutes les fashionistas en ce moment : je parle bien sûr du serre-tête avec une plume de paon. Cet accessoire est indispensable, il donnera la touche glamour de votre tenue. Je vous conseillerai de choisir la plume dans les tons bleu et noir .

Sincèrement je m’en suis dégoté un la semaine dernière et je ne le lâche plus.

A bientôt tout le monde pour de nouveaux conseils mode en tout genre…

Xavière Laffont

Du côté des nouveaux créateurs nous avons trouvé la perle rare.

Une femme d’exception avec des collections à réaction.

Sylvia Rielle est notre coup de coeur de la semaine!

Ses collections trendy et casual se parent d’une candide et so désirable touche hippie!

Son inspiration prend racine dans la délicatesse des années 20. Avant-gardiste dans l’âme, ses tendances ont toujours un train d’avance!

Elle travaille avec délicatesse la soie, le jersey (employé toujours de manière très aérienne), la mousseline ( brodée sur de délicieuses capelines) et la maille sous toutes ses formes pour les demoiselles chics et canailles.

Du sobre noir au bleu Klein, Sylvia Rielle aime jouer avec toutes les couleurs de l’arc-en-ciel et c’est cela qu’on aime ! Les collections d’été se colorent dans une céleste harmonie.

Cet été, nous avons porté une magnifique déclinaison de robes et de tuniques. Le plupart du temps, elles se décolletaient savamment dans le dos, ajoutant une touche sexy non négligeable à la silhouette.

Sylvia Rielle est en perpétuelle recherche et l’originalité de ses créations s’en ressent…

Cette créatrice met la femme en valeur avec des vêtements à la fois sensibles et rebelles. Elle souligne un trait de caractère à travers une robe ou une veste car pour elle, le vêtement est avant tout vecteur d’émotion. Il n’en demeure pas moins toujours festif.

“J’AIME QUE CHAQUE MODÈLE DE MA LIGNE DEVIENNE LE VÊTEMENTS FÉTICHE D’UNE GARDE ROBE”

Sylvia Rielle a débuté sans structure commerciale. Au départ elle ne participait à aucun salon. Cependant, la marque a connu un essor remarquable au sein du monde de la mode. Elle a pris une envolée internationale lors de son premier salon du PAP féminin pour la collection Eté 99. Depuis, la ligne SYLVIA RIELLE s’impose et est désormais diffusée dans le monde entier avec une forte présence en Asie.

Féminité, créativité et fragilité sont les mots clés de l’Univers de Sylvia Rielle. Il nous dépeint, au fil de des collections, une femme actuelle, urbaine et délicate, qui apprécie le détail et sait crée l’univers dans lequel elle souhaite vivre!

Ne la loupez pas et emplissez vos garde-robes de tendances et de fraîcheur!!

Xavière Laffont

Here at IHB, the holiday season is the best time to see the latest trends and possibly treating yourself to something new. This year, instead of purchasing a traditional sectional or chaise, try looking into pieces that offer multiple functions for your space.  One of our innovative furniture partners, Elegance, is taking the traditional standards of good quality and keeping up with the fast changing characteristics of today’s furniture design, we call it furniture conversion. Just take a look at this entertainment center, this is not your grandmother’s TV stand. The Trends multifunctional TV stand boasts 3 openings with two level shelving for storage and holds up to a 60”flat screen TV, while easily converting to a warm and cozy fireplace to enhance the design of any room of choice.

Chairs taking up too much space? Take a look at this table that gives you high style along with purpose.

So this holiday season, get innovative! There are so many pieces out there that will give you great balance between design, function and originality!

[sl à porter – angelllina tedeschi] click here for read all

James Bond and hot girls!! I had the idea to dedicate a post about 007 films when I bought MIMIKRI’s last release of capes and immediateley I had Grace Jones on my mind jumping down the Eiffel tower….

Hello!

A whole week dedicated to internet research looking for  James Bond casts, characters and accessories (like guns! I had not ONE in my inventory –.- and found these on Xstreet as freebie…)

I want to show you the female side of James (hahaha) , and fashion interpretations of Bond girls like Famke Janssen, Grace Jones, the famous Golden Girl Shirley Eaton and others !

Really hope you like!!

Skin – LeLutka, Eclat light 1

Hair (+Hat) – [OH] , Oh My Boy gold

Shirt – Crazy , Lex Top

Coat – COCO , Trenchcoat Gray  NEW

Tights – *LINC* , Wool Panty Gray south west  NEW

Shoes – TESLA , High Oxford black

Earrings – Paper Couture , Faceted black diamond set

Shades – [ e l y s i o n  o p ti c ] – Vajrasattva Silver  NEW

Neckribbon – M A I I K I , part from Poof & Puff black outfit

Gloves – Lunas Boutique , Group gift

Glove Cuffs – M A I I K I , part from Poof & Puff black outfit

Bag – Null , Gainsbourg bag (colour and texture scripted!!)  NEW

Skin – LeLutka , Eclat Umber

Hair – MADesign Hair , Army Crop

Bodysuit – PIG , Sheila Bathing Suit black

Leggings – &Bean , Slick n’Shiny Silver

Cape – Mimikry , Helena Leather Cape black  NEW

Boots – Bax , Ankle Boots black patent

Necklace – Shampooo , Chain necklace black

Glasses – Ermmm… made by me  *o*  (couldnt find the one I needed for this outfit)

Gloves – GL Goodlook Design , part from Sexy Girl outfit

Skin – LeLutka , Eclat Light 1

Hair – Boon , JPN670 blonde  NEW

Coat – B@R , Empress  NEW

Body – SK Design , SLIM 2,0 snake  NEW

Boots – J’s , Western Boots light grey

Gloves – LeeZu , Nif Nif gloves

Hat + Arm fur – YIP , part of Yip’s Snowbear  FREE

Skin – Dutch Touch , Cleao Coffee punk 2

Hair – ETD , Juliana brown

Top – Vassnia , Wet Chupacabras , wet Shirt 1

Jacket – Aoharu , BT Short Riders Jacket black  NEW

Gloves – Naive , VIP Hunt GIFT

Pants – Adam n Eve , Leather unzip pants (What’s new group gift)  NEW

Boots – Storm Schmooz , Over knee Boots

Necklace – (NS) , Grenade Chain

Bracelet – Sn@tch , part from Backstage outfit, Croc spiked cuff

Earrings – Glow Studio , KOS Silver  NEW

Skin – SkinTight , Molten Golden

Dress – Mimikri , Blossom black

Hair – !Lamb , PoppySeed tacky gold  NEW

Socks – Zaara , part from Nishar Leggings dirty black  NEW

Shoes – Stiletto Moody , Bare Lauren bronze V1,24  NEW

Hair Bow – LaGyo , Simply A Bow black  NEW

Necklace – LaGyo , Memories, my old car  NEW

Bracelet – Ryca , Chain Bracelet gold

Panties – Baiastice , Culotte gold

Poses – Dare , right one from the BLACK set  NEW

Elegance traz nova cor superfashion para o Porta-Sutiã de bojo

Sucesso entre o público feminino, a Elegance – grife de lingerie de Guaporé/RS – acaba de lançar uma nova roupagem para o exclusivo Porta-Sutiã: a cor purple. Considerado o único do mercado, este item é confeccionado em EVA e revestido em poliéster. Além de ter a capacidade para armazenar cinco peças, o produto dispõe de três outras cores, sendo elas: preto,  poá e oncinha.

O Porta-Sutiã Elegance é ideal para proteger e não amassar o bojo quando transportados em malas, bolsas de viagem ou até mesmo guardados no closet. Seu design devidamente planejado, aliado à qualidade dos materiais utilizados em sua confecção, mantém os sutiãs intactos por muito mais tempo. A novidade pode ser encontrada em lojas multimarcas espalhadas pelo País.

SAC: (54) 3443-1628 / www.elegance.com.br

What really happened during the beer meet. The inside story:

The scoop by xkcd

Did you ever think about that it has not to be only the “little black” to be sexy on a classy party?
Today I will show you a dress that prooves that it can be a longer black sexy dress that makes you to the eyechatcher of every party.

The Contessa dei Sogni – Nero, made by Mohna Lisa Couture.

On the first view a simple pretty dress…but lets take a closer look!

Amazing embroideries decorate a top that covers only what it has to and gives a nice peek on a amazing fashionistas decollete! A sweet ring holds the two cups of the bra together.
The top it self is not only a plain black shirt..no it is wrapped round your upper body and shows  your back as a pretty one A sweet transparent long scarf roundes the neck and caresses down your back.
If you move your eyes down further a bit you can see a very nice detail: The skirt is closed by a wonderful gem…really an eyecatcher.
A high slitskirt completes that amazing dress and makes it overall to a very sexy accessoire that should not be missing in a sexy lady’s wardrobe!
With the designers words: “Mohna Lisa Couture, specializing in sensual high quality evening and formal wear for women who want a difference”

Details:
Outfit: Mohna Lisa Couture - Contessa dei Sogni – Nero 
Model & Photographer: Wicca Merlin

Did you ever think about that it has not to be only the “little black” to be sexy on a classy party?
Today I will show you a dress that prooves that it can be a longer black sexy dress that makes you to the eyechatcher of every party.

The Contessa dei Sogni – Nero, made by Mohna Lisa Couture.

On the first view a simple pretty dress…but lets take a closer look!

Amazing embroideries decorate a top that covers only what it has to and gives a nice peek on a amazing fashionistas decollete! A sweet ring holds the two cups of the bra together.
The top it self is not only a plain black shirt..no it is wrapped round your upper body and shows  your back as a pretty one A sweet transparent long scarf roundes the neck and caresses down your back.
If you move your eyes down further a bit you can see a very nice detail: The skirt is closed by a wonderful gem…really an eyecatcher.
A high slitskirt completes that amazing dress and makes it overall to a very sexy accessoire that should not be missing in a sexy lady’s wardrobe!
With the designers words: “Mohna Lisa Couture, specializing in sensual high quality evening and formal wear for women who want a difference”

Details:
Outfit: Mohna Lisa Couture - Contessa dei Sogni – Nero 
Model & Photographer: Wicca Merlin