Saturday, December 31, 2011

Celebrate the New Year with Johnnie Walker Blue Label



One of my favorite gifts I received this holiday season is an engraved bottle of Johnnie Walker® Blue Label® Blended Scotch Whisky. This luxury Scotch Whisky is the ultimate gift for your New Year's Eve host or the perfect bottle to open and celebrate the new year with!

Johnnie Walker® Blue Label® is the rarest and most exclusive blend from the House of Walker.

Tasting notes: The nose has hints of smoke, sherry and fruitcake, while the body is soft and mellow with sherry, honey and vanilla notes. It has a bold intensity of peatiness with dark chocolate overtones.

The perfect serve of Johnnie Walker® Blue Label® is to refresh the palate with a glass of ice-cold spring water and then take a slight sip of the cherished whisky from a snifter. Serving not to exceed 1.5ozs.

Johnnie Walker® Blue Label® offers a year-round complimentary personalized bottle engraving service is offered, with each bottle individually numbered. Engraving is available on Johnnie Walker Blue Label 750mL or 1.75mL bottles. Regional engraving is available via 1-877-Spirits.com/BlueLabel.

750mL bottle retails for $225. 1.75mL bottle retails for $525.

- Kim Weling

Friday, December 30, 2011

Celebrate New Year's with SMIRNOFF Marshmallow and Whipped Cream Flavored Vodka


Here are some New Year's Eve drink recipes you can enjoy with your guests, mixing SMIRNOFF's Marshmallow and Whipped Cream Flavored Vodka with some coffee liqueur or coffee. I just tried out the Sugar & Spice cocktail and it's coffeelicious! It's the perfect cocktail to have with dessert!

SMIRNOFF Whipped Cream Flavored Vodka is the newest addition to SMIRNOFF's flavored vodkas, which include Peach, Watermelon, Passion Fruit, Strawberry, Cranberry, Vanilla, Raspberry, Citrus, Orange, Blueberry, Lime, Melon, Pear, Pineapple, Grape, Cherry Espresso, Root Beer, Pomegranate and Green Apple.

Available in 50mL, 750mL, 1L and 1.75L sizes. Alcohol by Volume: 60 proof, 30% (ABV). Retails for $12.99 (750mL).





- Kim Weling

Glam It Up for New Year's with a Crop Sequin Jacket

Baby Phat Crop Sequin Jacket, $69

Still trying to decide what to wear for New Year's Eve? How about glamming up your look with a gold sequin crop jacket? You can wear this dressed up with a black mini dress or with a tight-fitting top and a pair of leggings. You can even pair it with a white front-tie blouse and black mini skirt or dress it down a little with a pair of black jeggings.

This particular sequin jacket from Baby Phat's Glam Studio Collection doesn't come in XS, but the S still fits - just a little more flowy and loose. Since there is a black lining it actually looks great if you fold the front over to create lapels.

- Kim Weling

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Jane by Design Style Challenge #5: Going from Day to Night



For Style Challenge #5, I had to take a white button down shirt and style it for a day at the office and then style it to wear to a dressy cocktail party. When it comes to day to night outfits, I keep my look classic and simple, with an easy transformation, if any. Usually what I would wear to the office would be fine to wear to a cocktail party. During the day I usually just wear a blazer over a cocktail dress and nix the blazer at night.

I tried styling a few outfits, but I kept coming up with the same problem - my XS size clothes do not fit on the dress form! So I had no choice but to go with a more simple styling option, with a more fitted look for cocktail attire.

For my day at the office look, I paired the white shirt with an objets trouvés black skirt that zips at the sides, Theory blazer and Trina Turk scarf. For the cocktail party look, I switched out the blazer for an Aqua sequin sweater, replaced the scarf with a necklace that reminds me of Van Cleef & Arpels, rolled up the sleeves on the white shirt and unbuttoned two buttons. Sequins are always a good way to dress up a look, so with that, minimal jewelry/accessories are needed. The only thing I might add is a ring.

Share your day to night styling tips at https://www.facebook.com/JaneByDesign and mention that Fashionably Petite sent you!

Also, take a look at this Jane by Design clip here, which provided some additional inspiration for this challenge.

*White shirt, dress form and Game Trunk provided by ABC Family

- Kim Weling

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Start off 2012 with Immunocologie Treatment Crème VenoMAX™


As we are days away from 2012, you want to make sure you start off the new year with a new and improved skincare regimen. One of my favorite products to kickoff the new year with is Immunocologie Treatment Crème VenoMAX™. VenoMAX™ is a proprietary complex of anti-flammatory ingredients that synergistically inhibits the activation of Nf-kB, a key mediator in inflammation and aging.

Key ingredients include VenoMAX™, Snow Algae, EAV (Elk Antler), Bioferrin 5000®, Alpine Rose and Magnolia Tree Bark.

Here are the key benefits of this luxurious, ultra-rich moisturizing crème:

- instantly smoothes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
- protects the skin from chronic inflammation
- promotes natural hyaluronic acid accumulation
- modulates innate immune system
- inhibits Langerhans cell migration
- antimicrobial properties
- iron chelator ("apo"-stands for low iron content)
- provides an immediate brightening effect
- helps to erase the appearance of past sun damage, while it evens skin tone

Treatment Crème VenoMAX™ can be used day and night, appyling a thin layer to face, neck and décolletage. This crème really feels like it absorbs into the skin rather than just hitting the surface. Treatment Crème VenoMAX™ ($275) and Treatment Crème VenoMAX™ Light ($195) are available at immunocologie.com. Click here to see the rest of Immunocologie's products.



- Kim Weling

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Winter Shopping with Sebago and Fossil

It's time to buy a few gifts for yourself and add some shoes and handbags to your closet! Two brands that have recently become favorites of mine are Sebago and Fossil.

Sebago is known for their boat shoes, which I may have to get for the spring season, but I am absolutely loving the Saranac Tall Lace Boot ($210) that I got a few weeks ago. These super comfortable boot features a sealed waterproof construction, breathable fabric linings, memory foam with Poliyou Foam Cushion sock insert for added comfort and slip-resistant non-marking soles. I was happy to find out that Sebago carries a size 5, which it true to size. I was afraid these boots would be too big for me and leave a gap at the top of the boot, but they actually fit perfectly and can easily be worn over a pair of jeggings.


New from Fossil this season is the Key-Per collection, inspired by vintage travel cases and available in colorful and bold prints, the Mason collection, in super soft leather with 70s-inspired details, the Maddox collection in pebbled leather and bold hardware and the Vintage Re-Issue collection, inspired by beautiful Italian bags of the 70s, combining glazed leather from the men's collection with feminine silhouettes.



- Kim Weling

Jane by Design Style Challenge #4: Reinventing a Holiday Sweater



For Jane by Design Style Challenge #4, I had to transform an ugly holiday sweater* into something fresh and exciting. I created a bandeau and high waisted knit boybrief! At first I thought of just creating the boybrief, which would be great to pair with a tank top to just lounge around the house in, but then I thought the bandeau would be perfect to wear over or under the tank top for an added layer.

First thing I did was reference a pair of boybriefs to create a pattern out of tissue paper. Once I had the pattern, I cut out the front and back of the boybrief, using the back of the holiday sweater. Here are the steps I took in piecing the boybrief and bandeau together:

For the boybrief:
- sewed the boybrief together by hand
- cut out the front placket with buttons and glued (with glue gun) it onto the top of the boybrief
- cut the arm opening from the sweater vest and applied it to the to leg opening
- took a seam ripper to rip the lace off off a pair of underwear and glued it onto the sides of the boybrief
- took the beads off the front of the holiday sweater and glued it onto the boybrief

For the bandeau:
- cut out the hem from the back of the holiday sweater and sewed the back of the bandeau together, creating a back center seam.
- took the hem from the holiday sweater and glued it to the bottom of the bandeau
- glued lace pieces onto the bandeau
- glued center button and beads to the top of the bandeau

This was my first transformation project, so this was the most challenging and time consuming of the challenges so far, but I am definitely happy with the final pieces! If I had more time, I would have loved to sew everything by hand, even the lace and the beads. I kept a raw finish to the bottom of the bandeau and top of the boybrief (I would have used lace instead of keeping the raw edge if I had more lace to spare).

Since I was referencing a pair of boybriefs, I didn't exactly fit the pattern and boybrief pieces on the dress form, so I had a hard time getting it to fit on the dress form.

I have to say, I did try the finished pieces on and they have quite a flattering fit! I now find myself wanting to actually buy a pair of knit boybriefs or perhaps create another pair, this time recycling an old cashmere sweater!

Have you ever reinvented an ugly holiday sweater? Share your inspired creations at https://www.facebook.com/JaneByDesign and mention that Fashionably Petite sent you!

Also, take a look at this Jane by Design clip here, which provided some additional inspiration for this challenge.

*Holiday sweater, dress form and Game Trunk provided by ABC Family



- Kim Weling

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Last Minute Gifts for the Kids


Hopefully you are done with your holiday shopping and have your presents all wrapped. But if you are still having to gift after December 25th, here are some last minute gift ideas for kids. Maybe if you're lucky you might be able to take advantage of those after-Christmas sales!

If you're a SpongeBob fan, check out the latest, including Spongebob Squarepants Mr Potato Head Spudbob Squarepants or SpongeBob's Kitchen Mission Cookbook, with Krabby Patty cupcakes featured here.


Checkout Jelly Belly's Electric Ice Shaver. I think I'm going to have to locate the Jelly Belly Very Cherry syrup, to add to my soda water!

Doctor Who figure sets

Stay warm with these 2 piece micro polar fleece PJ sets designed by Richard Leeds International, Inc. Choose from Mickey Mouse, The Muppets, Betty Boop, Captain America and more.

Check out Monster High t-shirts, books, sketch portfolios, stencils/stickers, Nintendo DS games and dolls.



Barbie

Noir Barbie Dream House

Rebecca Bonbon apparel, accessories and luggage





Strawberry Shortcake toothbrushes, cold packs, band aids, lunch boxes, socks

Nickelodeon's Victorious collection, available at Wal-Mart


- Kim Weling

Last Minute Holiday Gifts from Disney


Just one more shopping day left! Here are some last minute holiday gifts from Disney, including fragrances, candles, shower gels and lotions from the Pixie Dust, Magic (my favorite), Imagination and Imagination Winter collections. Imagination Winter is the newest collection, a winter wonderland of frosty snow pine, freshly grated cinnamon bark and zesty orange peel.

If you love Cars 2, there are plenty of items, from cookie cutters to remote control vehicles and a die cast car set.

Other picks include the Kidada for Disney Store Wish-a-Little Figure with Charm Necklace, Disney Animators' Collection, jewelry and accessories as well as t-shirts and sweatshirts.







Kidada for Disney Store Wish-a-Little Figure with Charm Necklace, $39.50

Disney Princess Doll Set

Disney Animators' Collection










- Kim Weling