Jewelry Fashion Trends

A blast from the 80's has hit the fashion world. The notorious neon colors are back. They can be seen on the runway and the street. I know that during the 80's I was the girl with the blue eyeshadow, side pony, and neon leggings, but now the look has evolved into something couture. Teen girls have been wearing the neon skinny jeans and vibrant color splashed shirts, but for the twenties and up, we can wear one neon piece or have one neon accessory. If you want to go neon on the bottom, get neon shorts or skinny jeans and pair a solid tee or tank with it. With neon shirts you can pair any basic bottom such as jeans with it. If it's a neon accessory you want, get a neon purse or tote, heels, or jewelry. Whichever you choose, you will deliver a splash of fun and edge to your look

The trend this summer is carefree and easy. Beach waves and soft curls are in! So stop coloring and let your natural highlights show! Get a beachy, fun look to your hair by letting your natural texture show. You just need a a bobby pin or two if you need, and put your bangs back or add a braid. If you want to create a just left the beach look, add a texturizing spray to your hair and scrunch. Just let it be natural and pretty!

Get a clue about savvy shopping this summer by indulging in a few tips. Saving money will be a breeze on your next trip to the grocery store:

Keep a running list. Slapped under a magnet on the fridge, or tacked to the front door—it doesn't matter, as long as you have a "Things I Need" list somewhere in plain sight. If you get in the habit of jotting down items as you think of them ("Oops! Running low on olive oil."), then you'll never have to brainstorm at the last minute again. This will also eliminate those extra trips to the grocery store that somehow always cost you more than you intended to spend. Like, if you run out for some milk, but then the next day you remember you need eggs, so the extra trip not only costs you gas and travel time, but $3.99 for the ho-ho’s in the checkout line that you just couldn't resist.

Plan meals ahead of time. You know what you and your family likes. So decide on a few meals for the coming week and make an ingredients list for each one. Scratch off the items you already have at the house, and add those that you need to the list. No more guess work at the grocery store, trying to remember if you already have enough jelly. Don't waste money buying your third bottle just because you forgot to check beforehand.

(Try hanging the week's list of meals as a menu in the kitchen. This is a fun way to get everyone gathered around for dinner, and a reason to eliminate the fast food fix we all fall into when we forget what we intended to prepare that night.)

Plan meals with overlapping ingredients. If you need to buy a whole block of cheese just for a grated topping on one meal, try to incorporate the fresh cheese elsewhere in the week. Forgotten and partially unwrapped food goes bad fast when no one remembers when it was purchased or what it could be used for in the first place. Know that the cheese is there and plan a pasta dish or hot dip that will use the whole block before you know it. Think of it like this: any other meal might have called for even more cheese that would get half-used and sit rotting in the fridge for months. Now there’s two half-cheese blocks wasted. One block of cheese: two birds with one stone.

It's almost here fashionistas!! Okay, we have a while but still. If your at all couture, you most likely are a follower of Lifetime's Project Runway. If you aren't, Project Runway is a competition where designers must compete in weekly fashion challenges and be eliminated to find the winner. This will be Project Runway's sixth season. The lovely Heidi Klum is the main judge/host of course, and is accompanied by mentor to the desgners, Tim Gunn. We have waited so long for this show to return! Because of network issues, the series was put through some delays. There are 16 talented designers ready to compete, including Aletha Harper who is from my city! I know who I'm rooting for.... Regardless, the premier is August 20th at 10 PM on Lifetime. Not Bravo... LIFETIME. May the best designer win!

You make not think about it when you turn up your ipod and put your ear buds in, but you could be using this ritual as a chance to express yourself. That's right...forget the ugly black headphones that spewed your tunes. Now there are a variety of headphones and earbuds that are decorative and fashion forward while still being state of the art and having good quality. One example of earphones is the Smokin Buds from Skull Candy. These colorful earbuds are fun and flirty, but give you excellent music quality. If your more into the vintagy looks there is the On Ear Headphones by Roxy. These are a great way to make a statement and still have quality, outside noise blocking technologies. Now you can rock out and look fineee.

There's a lot of hype over whether a blow dryer can cause significant damage to hair. While it is certainly not recommended that style seekers perform a blow out everyday, proper technique and careful attention can reduce the negative affects of blow drying, and will enhance the look of your hair every single time!

Make use of the "cool" button. A lot of dryers these days have a cold setting, which cuts off the heat from the dryer and directs room temperature air at your hair. Experts say that while the hot settings open the hair cuticles and allow for styling, the cooler setting closes up the cuticles to set the dried hair in place, whether curly or straight. If you have time, it is recommended that you heat style, and then cool each chunk of hair that you work with individually.

Break out the diffuser. When I first got my new blow dryer, I carelessly tossed aside the strange, clunky attachment with a dozen outstretched fingers thinking, "What the heck could this be for?" But if you have curly or wavy hair and want to encourage natural volume while eliminating frizz, attach the diffuser and make sure your hair dryer is on the lowest heat and intensity settings. Settings left too high can damage the diffuser. Start at the root and move in deliberate circles. You'll notice that the heat is more widely spread throughout your hair, hitting the scalp in a range much broader than a dryer without the attachment. To use the diffuser on the ends of your hair, set the ends into the fingers of the diffuser and gently weave upwards, like you might do if you were "scrunching" the hair with your fingers.

Take your time, and separate the hair into sections. If you attack your hair straight out of the shower without a plan, you'll probably run into some tangly trouble. But prepping your hair for drying, and allowing ample time to get the job done, will give you a professional looking blowout. Make sure the hair is not still sopping. Wave the dryer near the scalp and under heavy folds of hair near the top of your head to reduce wetness just a little. Then, depending on how much hair you have, separate the hair into sections. For me, it helps to separate my hair into two or three vertical sections. This means I let about a third of my hair (the bottom section closest to my neck) hang, clip the rest out of the way, and blow it out before moving to the middle section, and then to the top of the head where the hair is parted. Bands or clips should be used to keep the sections you aren't working with at the moment away from the hair you are drying. But make sure these accessories don't leave stripes or wrinkles in newly dried hair. This can ruin a straight blowout, or funk up some of your perfect waves.

British singer Lily Allen is following footsteps of her American famous friends and is launching a jewelry line. The jewelry collection is called Lily Allen and features pieces like medallions, fruits, poodles and coins.

Allen told Vogue UK: "I'm really pleased with all of the designs, we worked hard on getting them exactly how we wanted them from choosing the right chain length and thickness to deciding what should be in gold and what looks better in silver. I do love the animals though - the pandas are fantastic."

The jewelry line will officially launch in the fall.

Now is the time to relish summer cookouts while the warm weather still lasts, but there’s no use getting burnt out on hamburgers and hotdogs. Next time you fire up the grill, plan to make a summer side dish that will liven up any meal. Here are just a few suggestions that break the tradition:

Stuffed tomatoes: Even the kids will love these. This recipe comes from Down Home with the Neelys on Food Network. Core as many large tomatoes as you’d like and stuff them with a mixture of goat cheese, onion, basil, pepper, and cooked orzo. Drizzle oil and top with grated parmesan. Grill them on a medium setting for 10 minutes with the lid closed. See how easy that was! Now you’ve got a sidekick dish that’s full of flavor, but easy to prepare.

Next, why not try a few vegetables with a twist that will really get mouths watering. Bacon-wrapped asparagus: For this recipe, all you need is asparagus spears, bacon strips halved lengthwise, and some seasoning. Lay asparagus on a lined pan and coat with cooking spray to help seasonings stick. Once salted and peppered, wrap one bacon strip half around each stalk and secure with a toothpick. Grill on a medium setting for 8-12 minutes. For some variety, try bacon wrapped around more of your otherwise bland favorites, like corn cobs, potatoes, even pineapple slices.

Speaking of fruit, have you ever thought about grilling up a new dessert? Warm fruit delight: Take fat slices of fruit, like a honeydew melon, pineapple, or cantaloupe, and coat with a little fresh lemon juice, sugar, ginger, and place them on skewers. Grill on a medium setting for just about three minutes until the fruit softens, and serve atop vanilla ice cream.