Back in Business

Readers, fellow bloggers, people of the net – we are 3 days in to 2014 and I’m still without a calendar, own no diary and ate a whole pack of cookies before my chicken and chips tonight.

My hopes and aspirations for this year are supposed to be to grow up. I’m going to learn to cook a few healthy meals, dabble with a bit of box room interior design and I may even begin that novel I’ve been scribbling in notes since last Summer!

To be able to achieve all of the above I am in need of three very important factors:

1) Inspiration: – Excuse the boring old cliché but it’s true. On those days when willpower just isn’t enough to kick you into gear you need something (or someone) to remind you why you’re doing what you’re doing. SO..What exactly is my inspiration? Or who..?

This is my 2014 mood board – in all of it’s hope and glory! From Vegas to a new bedroom to my boo Bey…this year is the year I get my shit together.

2) Plans: – Keeping busy is the key to a happy life. Some people keep on the ‘No New Friends’ path but I’m not about that hermit life anymore. This year will be my busiest yet…

3) #WERK: – Without working my arse off I won’t be able to do all the things I dream of doing to get my big-girl life set up! Hustle on!

What are your new years resolutions?! xoxo

Kan Khloé Kope?

It’s unlike me to stay on the fence on any subject; I nearly always have an opinion and since I’m a typical Gemini, my opinion is the only one that counts! 🙂

So, why am I so undecided on the KhloMar cheating scandal?

It has been reported for weeks now that Lamar Odom has cheated on his wifey for lifey, Khloe Kardashian with two different mistresses.

I began dismissing the stories as ridiculous hate mail as most of the couple’s fans did – putting it down to malicious claims from desperate hoes who need money and to claim their five minutes in the tabloid spotlight. Then, having heard one was a lawyer and actually sat a polygraph lie detector test to prove she slept with Lamar, I decided to sit up and consider this for a second – just in case.

If you’ve ever seen an episode of Khloe and Lamar (the couple’s reality show on E! Entertainment) you will know how compatible the two are. Khloe is so down for her man and has always made it no secret that he comes before work commitments, family and friends. On the other hand, Lamar consistently supported his wife when times were tough (Khloe has struggled with the pressures of conceiving and also with her body confidence in the past) and maintained a level-headed attitude towards the pair’s marriage.

SO WHAT THE HELL ODOM??

According to the reports Lamar was staying at the Roosevelt Hotel where he and defence attorney, Polina Polinksy, began their affair. The little family-wrecker claims she has passed a lie-detector test to confirm the sordid details and says Lamar behaved “completely available”.

First impressions of this little rat? She’s out to get some sort of ‘fame’ and attention and she seems to feel that publicly demolishing a marriage is the way to go about this.

Thoughts on Lamar? If he has done the dirty he is a fool and Khloe can 200% do better than to stay with such a scumbag. HOWEVER, has he? Khloe is as good as wifeys get – cooking, working, down for her man all of the time. Lamar was her life and even though they may have been going through some tough times, I can’t fully believe these claims until they’ve been officially confirmed. It’s just too much of a damn shame!

What do you guys think? I’m so happy Khloe hasn’t responded to the tabloids because that is exactly what the haters and the whores want!

Has the world lost another gentleman?

Comment below or tweet me @sheldan2207 xx

Aluna Francis: Fashion Profile

When you hear Aluna Francis sing you are transported into a futuristic daze, chilling with the beat and hearing what she has to say.

Having read my blog yesterday on AlunaGeorge’s debut album, Body Music, on Your Desirables you already know that I’m obsessed with everything this band has to offer.

It doesn’t just stop with the music – Aluna’s personal style is something just as special. I hate the word quirky so will avidly avoid it – Aluna does effortlessly sexy sports chic like no other.

With a lean supermodel body she certainly dresses to work it: short hems, shorts and crops all show off impressively long limbs and a washboard stomach.

Aluna always looks confident and comfy yet super stylish and bang on trend without looking like she’s trying too hard!

I’ve had a little look around and here’s how you can steal Aluna’s style:

Denim Crop Top – Missguided

White Crop & Skirt Outfit – Nasty Gal

Sneakers – Isabel Marant

Blazers – Nike

Tassel Bodysuit – Amazon

Across Body Bag – River Island

What do you love about Aluna’s style? & have you bought the album yet?!

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Kourtney Kardashian: Fashion Profile

Kourtney Kardashian has recently been awarded ‘Fashion Icon’ status from the Fashion Bloggers of the Twittersphere and it’s clear to see why. Her style overhaul since having her babies, Mason Dash and Penelope Scotland, has a touch of boho mixed with tailored luxe.

One of my all-time favourite Kourtney looks is this summery ensemble:

Shopping around on Stylight I have managed to find an up-to-date version of this look! Check it out, I would DIE if I could shop this whole look:

Hugo Boss Tunic

Odd Molly Shorts

Jeffrey Campbell High Heeled Sandals

Dolce & Gabbana Purse

Nina Ricci Glasses

Marc Jacobs Cuff

What a designer overload! But what a dream outfit! Stylight is my new obsession – it has everything you wish you had that you’ve seen on your fave celebs and then shows you where to get it! Knowing how much it all is may give you goosebumps at first but at least you know how much to save up! Plus, if you’re in no position to be having a gander at £800 purses then don’t fret – there are more promising brands on there too, such as AX Paris, TFNC and Vero Moda.

So, do what I just did…stare lovingly at the Fendi bag and Prada Glasses then shop at AX Paris! All shopping fixes are fixed!

Head over to Stylight now – CLICK HERE

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Woman of the Week: Dita Von Teese

I was researching for this blog post about half an hour ago when I stumbled across something I hadn’t seen before. Originally, I was going to feature Christina Aguilera as my latest girl crush, but all of that changed when I clicked on this link:

Dita Von Teese – Guy What Takes His Time

I dare you to watch it. Better yet, I dare you to watch it without being encompassed by her beauty. Watch it without being mesmerised by her flawless make-up, her tiny waist and seriously sexy presence.

Dita Von Teese has been in the business since 1992 and is the biggest thing to hit the scene since Gypsy Rose Lee back in the 40s and 50s.

The more I learn about Ms. Teese the more I idolise her. Having taken her fascination with pin-up imagery and vintage lingerie and turned it into a world-renowned talent is impressive in itself – but now having brought burlesque back into the spotlight and making millions off the back of it, she is now entertainment of choice for high-brow events such as shows for Marc Jacobs, Christian Louboutin, Cartier and Louis Vuitton.

Currently in the midst of her ‘Strip Strip Hooray’ Summer tour in America, Dita’s perfect performances leave me wide-eyed and open-mouthed. You will often hear me say how there are certain women in the world that force me to question my sexuality – Rihanna, Beyoncé and Kim Kardashian have all left me in a similar quandary before – however there is no question when I watch Dita. She is the official girl crush.

The way she unties her corset to the beat, or rolls her stocking off within a blow of the sax, or how she catches you looking a little too closely – her stage presence is one of a kind. I can’t even take my bra off in a rush of an evening…

CLICK HERE FOR THE OFFICIAL ‘STRIP STRIP HOORAY’ TRAILER

Off-stage, Dita comes across refreshingly humble. In an interview on ‘Loose Women’ in the UK she told host Andrea McLean that she does all her own hair and make-up and doesn’t even have a stylist:

“I have no stylist, I don’t use hair and make-up people, I don’t like to have an entourage at all.

When I was little I used to watch a lot of old movies with my mother…I come from a small town in Michigan and I’m a natural blonde. I always felt ordinary and boring.

I kind of like this idea of the big Hollywood make-over and I saw pictures of Marilyn Monroe when she was Norma Jean (Marilyn Monroe’s real name) but it’s totally different when they did all the make-up and the hair and the clothes…I like the idea of creating glamour.”

A girl after my own heart! There’s nothing like wearing a look differently than everybody else – it gives you a warm mix of confidence and anxiety, especially when you live in a small town where the rest of the community prefer the everyday comfort of leggings and jeans!

TO WATCH THE FULL ‘LOOSE WOMEN’ INTERVIEW CLICK HERE

A certified home-grown talent, businesswomen, charity advocate and down-to-earth girl: Do I need anymore reasons to fall in love with the woman?! Here’s hoping she’ll come and perform in the UK soon!

Other Dita Links:

Dita Von Teese Official Boutique – CLICK HERE

Official Biography – CLICK HERE

Dita Von Teese Merchandise Available in the UK – CLICK HERE

Photo Sources:

BlueBlood.net

Just Jared

Pop Screen

Zimbio

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Spot The Ghetto Booty…

More and more I’m finding myself killing myself doing hundreds of squats a day and spending hours on my Bun & Thigh Wave Machine. Every sweaty, painful moment I’m wondering why I’m so obsessed with thick, toned ghetto booty’s but then instantly remember hot chickas such as Coco Austin, Khloe Kardashian, Beyoncé and, of course, the original booty queen herself -J Lo!

The accessory of the season is a perky, toned ass. Whether you like it or not it’s time to get that sexy hourglass shape ladies!

It’s nice to see a body shape being celebrated that isn’t a size 0!

 

 

Photo Sources:

Coco (Prosieben) // Kendall Jenner (Jenner News) // J Lo (Media Soup) // Beyoncé (TV News Caps) // Nicki Minaj (My Life My Culture) // Shakira (Soccers) // Serena Williams (OMG That’s Funny) // Kim Kardashian (The Hip Report) // Mariah Carey (Deviantart) // Rihanna

 

Twinspiration

I’ve been watching Tia & Tamera on Style channel (in the UK) and literally can’t get over how flawless they both are, inside and out!

I have a lot of catching up to do but I’m so far up to the point where Tamera has just given a motivational speech to 1,000 young women at a university (she is still without child) and Tia just wrapped on a movie and is taking baby Cree to sign classes.

Putting the emotional therapy sessions and hilarious antics of the ‘Sister, Sister’ actresses aside, the dynamic duo always look so beautiful, too, and I want to find out how I can shop their look here in the UK.

On a stroll out in the sunshine with the little pooch, Tia and Tamera look equally as stunning but in two very different styles. Searching online, here are my carbon copies:

 

1] Yellow Julia Box Pleat Sleeveless Skater Dress – £12 Boohoo.com

2] Leather Plait Detail Gladiator Sandals – £30 Barratts

3] Authentic Wash Slim Jeans – £50 Rihanna for River Island

4] Market T – £12.95 Gap

5] Lauren by Ralph Lauren Cardigan – £100 House of Fraser

Not only do Tia and Tamera’s clothes always shine, but so do their perfectly made faces! Luckily for us Style Network already interviewed Tia on her go-to items and these were her beauty picks:

[ READ THE STYLE NETWORK INTERVIEW WITH TIA  – CLICK HERE]

“I like to wear mascara, just the regular Maybelline in the pink and green tube. It’s  not expensive. A great mascara always makes me look bright when I’m feeling  tired.”

£4.99 – Available at Boots – Click HERE to buy

“I have an amazing vitamin C skin booster from Murad. Whenever  I feel like I look exhausted or tired, I just apply it and my skin just glows.”

Murad products are available at FeelUnique.com – Click HERE to shop for Murad

Nail color?

“Red”

Essie ‘Pouf Daddy’ – Click HERE to buy

Read more: http://www.stylenetwork.com/articles/Gotta-Have-It-Tias-GoTo-Items/10901#ixzz2UoAeNI00

Tamera has thankfully been interviewed by Curly Nikki and this is what she had to say about her natural hair styles:

[READ THE WHOLE ARTICLE AT CURLYNIKKI.COM – CLICK HERE]

“I was born with very, very curly hair.  And as a kid I didn’t know any different. I was just like, okay, this is my hair.  I never noticed that other girls had straight or wavy hair, it was just my hair and I liked it.”

“I love Terax Creama Hair Conditioner and the entire Komenuka Bijin
line.  These are all sulfate and paraben free products that are helping me pamper my curls.”

Terax Creama Conditioner is available on Amazon for £44 – CLICK HERE

Read More: http://www.curlynikki.com/2011/06/tamera-mowry-natural-hair-celebrity.html

SO as shopping for celeb style goes, this feels like a valiant effort! Not only can us UK fans dress like them but we can also cop their beauty look, too!

Not too shabby for Shelby..

Who do you all have style crushes on right now?!

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Photo Sources

FreddyO, Modesty Brown, Essie, Beauty For Normal Women

#Woolwich

After the barbaric terrorist attack in Woolwich, South East London, yesterday, where a British soldier, now named as 25-year-old Lee Rigby, was horrifically butchered in the broad light of day, social media has gone into utter meltdown.

 

Two men were shot down by police officers at the scene and were taken to separate hospitals where they were held and treated under armed guard. Both men are thought to be Muslim converts and were preaching fanatical Islamic verses after dragging the young soldier’s body to the middle of the road.

With bloody hands and crazed expressions one of the men were filmed saying: “We swear by almighty Allah we will never stop fighting you.”

Social media is known as being one the most popular way of communicating today, but in these situations should they be shut down?

Reading news coverage live as it happened on the BBC News website I made sure I was kept up to speed before I posted a Facebook status. Although I was feeling emotions such as fury, frustration, sadness and helplessness, I still only used the word ‘terrorists’ to describe the attackers: To me, a terrorist is nothing but a fanatical, brainwashed individual with the sole purpose to break, divide and conquer the peace and everyday living of the existing society regardless of what ethnicity, age or sex of the said individual happens to be.

However, scrolling through social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook it was immediately apparent that there were some people posting before thinking or researching about what had actually happened.

What has happened is not a joke. It is not an excuse to post your inner opinions which generalise a certain race, culture or ethnicity and tarnish them with the same brush.

Should we take a leaf out of China’s book and ban Facebook? Back in 2011, Louise Mensch MP backed the idea that social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and BlackBerry Messenger should be shut down in time of crisis.

At the time Louise (ironically) Tweeted: “If riot info and fear is spreading by Facebook & Twitter, shut them off for an hour or two, then restore. World won’t implode.”

This was a notion also backed and considered by David Cameron and Home Secretary Theresa May. What do you think?! Should these sites be on lock down at times of such crisis?! What would happen if we were left to trust the media entirely for a day or two? Would it incur even more unbearable paranoia, or would it stop consequential violence and racism?! I’d LOVE to hear from you (Tweet me @sheldan2207 or comment below!).

❤ RIP to Drummer Lee Rigby ❤

DONATE TO HELP FOR HEROES – CLICK HERE

To donate by telephone, please call 01725 514 130

Or Text “HERO” to 70900 to donate £5

 

News & Photo Sources:

BBC

C|Net UK

Beyoncé – Is She Or Isn’t She?!

For days now speculation about whether Queen Bey is expecting a sibling for Blue Ivy have been circulating media airwaves…

Fans have been going crazy for the rumours and E! News have even confirmed the singer’s possible pregnancy on their reputable celeb site stating:

“Blue Ivy‘s gonna be a big sis!

That’s right: Superstar supermom Beyoncé is expecting her second child with hubby Jay-Z, multiple sources exclusively confirm to E! News.”

Although the rest of the world may be celebrating, there is one person not so chuffed about the revelation – Mummy Bey!

Taking to Instagram she posted this:

“I can’t stop the rumours from starting, and I can’t really change peoples minds who believe them.”

She went on to say:

 “All I can do is sit back and laugh at these low life people who have nothing better to do than talk about me.”

So IS SHE?! Or ISN’T SHE?! She may not be thrilled at us all speculating and wondering about her impending bump but she also needs to remember she is EVERYTHING TO US!

Did I go overboard?!…Sorry…

What do you think? Is the Queen about to bring another addition to the Carter empire?! Tweet me @sheldan2207 or comment below! Be sure to subscribe for updates!

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News & Photo Sources:

OK Magazine!

E! News UK

Idolator

Fiercely Glamazonian

Digital Spy

Temptalia

 

 

 

 

 

The Art of Reduction

If there’s anything we are all no strangers to, it’s the struggle we face when trying to teach our elders how to use a computer, an iPod or the TV remote control, but what if we went back in time ourselves to learn how to relax?

The art of relaxing doesn’t come freely these days; it’s all high-tech and shiny, expensive and complicated. The idea of going for a stroll in the park might as well be copyrighted to Skechers and to read an actual book would be unthinkable if it meant the Kindle edition wasn’t available. Must everything be an upgrade of what it was? Not according to Georgia Barney, a teenage sketch artist who prefers far less aggro in her down time.

Georgia explains: “I sit up at the table for up to three hours at a time with a clear space around me, with the radio on low in the background.”

Having just turned 16 years old in April, Georgia proves a refreshing example of how simple life can be:

“In that time (up at the table) I focus on one thing and block all other problems out and just relax – I won’t stop until I’m completely satisfied with my drawing. Only then will I return back to reality!”

She continues, “It’s kind of unusual; I don’t know many people who draw anymore as you can ‘paint’ and ‘draw’ when using all of today’s technology! Personally, I don’t think it gives the same effect as putting pencil to paper.”

We asked Georgia to show us her favourite three drawings and to tell us what inspired her to finish each one. Even her reasoning is short and sweet:

“I spent the day with my Dad fishing. I used multi-colours to represent the emotions of our relationship.”

“This drawing represents new experiences and new life. I’ve never been pregnant but my life has dramatically changed and I still do not know what will happen in my next chapters.”

“My Great Nan died in 2010. She was a beautiful lady and she always wore red lipstick which matches the roses.”

Taking time for you is a rarity in today’s daily chaos but we all know it’s vital for our health and sanity. The words ‘recession’ and ‘stress’ are so over-used they are almost unrecognisable, so why bother making such a fuss? When was the last time you pursued an activity purely for the sheer enjoyment of just doing it? Vintage hobbies are back and not a day too soon.