eighty-5
I wish it was April when it would rain almost every day. Thanks to the Umbrella Society, I no longer dread the thought of holding my plain dark green umbrella in the rain. Heck, I don't even have to lay my eyes on them anymore. So long, old bumbershoot! You've been replaced by a cutie!
The umbrella is the first thing that people notice about you walking down the street when it pours. Let go of your plain old boring umbrella. Shed yourself from the rain, yet stay chic at the same time with a new umbrella from the Umbrella Society. Do yourself some good while also help to make a difference in the world. Some of your money paid for the umbrellas are contributed to
The Orphanage Project to help over 100 million deserving orphans worldwide. See
here to learn about the recent projects supported by the Umbrella Society.
Take a look at the umbrellas I heart:
My fave!
-Clear Rose Rain Umbrella-
-Clear Rain Umbrella-
-Elegant Rain Umbrella-
-100 Stripes Rain Umbrella-
-Dove Rain Umbrella-
-Showers Rain Umbrella-
-Spring Rain Umbrella-
-The Dot Rain Umbrella-
-Rows of Roses Rain Umbrella-
-Curls Rain Umbrella-
-Bicycle Rain Umbrella-
All umbrellas are under $40 and are sorted under different categories for easy browsing. To save on shipping, buy 2 at a time!
Do you know the
history of umbrellas? What is the proper
etiquette for carrying an umbrella? Shop for some new and adorable umbrellas, and while you're at it, educate yourself about umbrellas. Pretty soon you'll forget about the
children's rhyme.
eighty-5
I am glad that this is not a situation I have ever been in, and hopefully, never ever will. I do not own many pairs of designer jeans, but with the price I paid for each, I had to make sure I get my money's worth by taking good care of my jeans. To be fair, I treat my cheaper jeans the same way I do the expensive ones because jeans that fit well are hard to find, so I try to extend their life spans. Surprisingly, my favorite pair of jeans are from Express and they cost less than $60.
*Here are some tips and guidance to help you preserve your jeans. Note that these are general tips, be sure to check the label for any special care instructions specific to each pair of jeans:
Wash- I wash my jeans only when it's absolutely necessary, e.g. stains, dirt, smell. Sometimes, I can't resist the urge to wash them immediately because I love the feeling of wearing clean clothes. In that case, I hand-wash or send them to the dry-cleaner's. Otherwise, I prefer to machine-wash them.
- Turn jeans inside out prior to washing. By doing this, the amount of fading can be kept to a minimum. Remember to empty the pockets as well.
- Do not have more than 4 pairs of jeans in a single load. Denim is a tough and heavy material and can cause friction easily with other clothes during machine-wash. If you wash too many jeans in one load, more friction will happen, and the heaviness of the jeans can lessen the speed of the washer. This not only damages the washer, but also makes your clothes less clean. I usually wash my jeans separately from other clothes. Light rinse jeans should also be separated from dark rinse jeans.
- Always use cold water and set the wash to 'gentle cycle' or something to that effect, depending on your washer. The optimum water temperature should be below 110 F.
- Use a color-protection detergent (unless you're washing white jeans). You may use any kind of detergent you like as long as it is gentle on colors. For extra care, use detergent especially formulated for dark-rinse jeans such as Woolite, Caldrea, The Laundress, etc.
- There are different views on whether it's appropriate to use fabric softeners on jeans. I personally like to add some softener, but it is important not to pour the softener directly on the jeans as it may stain or fade them. Always use the dispenser.
- Remove the jeans from the washer immediately after the wash is complete.
Dry- The best way to prevent shrinkage and fading is to hang-dry your jeans. Since I live in an apartment, I have no choice but to use a dryer.
- To hang-dry: flip your jeans over and clip them by the waist using a pants-hanger. Avoid direct sunlight when air-drying. It takes a while before they become completely dry.
- To use a dryer: Jeans should remain inside out. Always set the temperature to the lowest.
Hang/Fold- Hang your jeans to prevent wrinkles.
- You may choose to fold your jeans. First, button and zip the jeans.
- Hold your jeans by both sides of the waist and fold them in half by bringing one side of the jeans to meet with the other side.
- Make sure the sides are even and flatten out.
- Fold the top down to meet the foot of the jeans. Make sure the fold is even. Then fold over one more time into a neat, square shape.
Additional tips and advice from How to Clean Stuff:- If your jeans are too big, don’t try to shrink them to your size by placing them in a hot water wash or hot dryer. They will shrink unevenly. Instead, have them professionally altered.
- If the waist of your jeans seems to have shrunk or is a little too snug, try stretching the waistband while the jeans are still wet—button the fly and place a stiff board in the waist band to hold it in a stretched position. Some stores have products for this purpose. If you can stand the feeling, you might even try wearing the jeans around while they are wet so as to achieve a better fit.
- Black jeans tend to shrink and fade faster than blue jeans. Try adding some regular table salt to the wash water (about ¼ cup), especially the first few times you wash, to lessen fading and shrinkage.
*Some information gathered from
eHow and
Real Simple.
eighty-5
I love pumps. They are very versatile and go with almost any outfit. I wear them in Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. Pumps can be worn to work, to the happy hour after work, to the mall, anywhere! They say that every girl should own a pair of black pumps. I say, every girl should own a pair of fun-looking pumps with eye-catching colors. For now, forget about those Jimmy Choos, Manolo Blahniks, and even Steve Maddens. Instead, be on a lookout for
Kathryn Amberleighs. The collection is absolutely gorgeous and unique. The designer, Kathryn A. Kim, is not afraid to incorporate colors, bows, glitters, ribbons and all sorts of fun materials into her collection. Kathryn Amberleigh pumps are totally irresistible and are sure to draw attention to any outfit, and most importantly, to the wearer.
Here are some of the pairs I fell in love with:
Suede wing pumps - Angelika Marine @ $135
Suede bow pumps - Clara White Sand @ $138
Glittering art nouveau peeptoes - Lime-Light Light Gold @ $110
Patent shell back pumps - Shorty Black @ $115
Glittering stripe peeptoes - Starlet Purplish Pink & Gold @ $115
