Are you skinted or minted this Christmas?
Can you believe it’s on top of us again, don’t know about you but I certainly will be watching the budget this Christmas. Was it only 2 years ago that we splashed out obscene amounts on just about anything we fancied? Still no matter how broke we are it always seems hugely important to celebrate with our loved ones, whether it’s cheap and cheerful or blow the budget gifts you will get sucked in by the advertising, jingles and shop windows and the spirit of generosity will prevail. Time enough to worry in January! It reminds me of being away on holidays when invariably I overspend with a ‘what the hell’ attitude until I come home and face the music, or to be more precise the credit card bills!
For some of us Christmas is the most joyful occasion, lots of time to spend with family and friends, parties, new clothes, and the hope of some gorgeous presents. Yet for every one of you who totally loves this time of year there are others who detest and loathe it. I must admit I’m not one bit sorry that at last we have waved farewell to the excessive spending and all the over the top nonsense that typified the last number of years. It really should be far more about the fun of spending time together, eating (and drinking) too much than seeing how many presents are shoved under the tree.
Can you really do it on a shoestring though? I honestly believe you can and here are just a few ideas to get you started:
* Plan
Decide how much you plan to spend. List the names of people getting gifts, and what you might get them. Then roughly decide how much you plan to spend on each.
* Check out sales early.
Gone are the days when sales only occurred in January and June. Now you can find sales on in practically every store year round.
* Always ask for a discount.
I do this no matter where I shop. It’s amazing the number of times you will get another 10% off just by asking ‘can you do better’?
* Get creative
Make your own gifts. Bake some cakes or biscuits, sure to be appreciated.
* Give your time
This can be one of the nicest things you can do. An offer to cook dinner, babysit, mind the dog, the list is endless but it can be such a personal gift. My sister had a ‘big’ birthday recently and her friend Kay called around early in the morning armed with smoked salmon, eggs, champagne, and loads of goodies to cook breakfast for all of us. I thought it was the nicest idea. (and no, we didn’t drink the champagne!)
* Kris Kindle
Instead of buying individual presents for the family everyone agrees on a fixed amount to put into the pot. Then each person picks the name of the one they buy a present for. This means each person gets one good present instead of loads of tacky cheap ones. Works great!
* Wrap it up
Buy some bows and ribbons to decorate. Take time wrapping.Don’t you just love to see a gorgeous gift lovingly presented.
Now that that’s out of the way …what to wear! It’s the one time of year we all crave for something new, even if it’s just for the day. If you really are watching the few bob then I suggest you go to your wardrobe and pull out some of the clothes you already have. How can you accessorise them? This year it’s all about corsages, they come in pretty much every colour and will instantly glam up the simplest dress or cardigan. So will a fab belt.
Have you been watching X Factor? If you have then you will have seen the amazing headpieces that Cheryl Cole and Danni Minogue have been wearing. I think they are stunning and am busy trying to source them. You will definitely get similar ones in River Island but check local boutiques as these will be a big hit this Christmas.
Buy for your shape. No matter how fantastic the dress looks on your pal forget it, leave it there, unless your shape is identical to hers it will not look the same on you!
Get yourself a bit of glitz! Sequins are so on trend, as is velvet. If you have either then you will be bang up to date.
Most of all enjoy yourselves. If someone else is cooking dinner then put the feet up and make the most of it. You deserve every bit of pampering you get.
Have a great Christmas!
Monday, November 30, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Girlfriends
Girlfriends
Someone will always be prettier,
They will always be smarter,
Their house will be bigger,
They will drive a better car,
Their children will do better at school,
And their husband will fix more things around the house.
So let it go,
And love you and your circumstances.
Think about it.
The prettiest woman in the world can have hell in her heart,
And the most highly favoured woman on your job
May be unable to have children,
And the richest woman you know,
who’s got the car, the house, the clothes…might be lonely,
And The Word says “If I have not love I am nothing”.
So, again, love you.
Love who you are.
Look in the mirror and smile and say
“I am too blessed to be stressed and too anointed to be disappointed”
“Winners make things happen,
Losers let things happen”
Be Blessed ladies and pass this on to encourage another woman.
“To the world you might be one person,
but to one person you just might be the world”.
Maggie
Someone will always be prettier,
They will always be smarter,
Their house will be bigger,
They will drive a better car,
Their children will do better at school,
And their husband will fix more things around the house.
So let it go,
And love you and your circumstances.
Think about it.
The prettiest woman in the world can have hell in her heart,
And the most highly favoured woman on your job
May be unable to have children,
And the richest woman you know,
who’s got the car, the house, the clothes…might be lonely,
And The Word says “If I have not love I am nothing”.
So, again, love you.
Love who you are.
Look in the mirror and smile and say
“I am too blessed to be stressed and too anointed to be disappointed”
“Winners make things happen,
Losers let things happen”
Be Blessed ladies and pass this on to encourage another woman.
“To the world you might be one person,
but to one person you just might be the world”.
Maggie
How are you doing the trends?
What’s hot and what’s not!
Style magazines are so full of trends these days. My particular “visual candy” favourites are ‘In Style’ and Grazia. I used to love ‘Oprah’ but it’s hard to justify spending more than €7 on a magazine at the moment. I love bringing my magazines home and curling up at the fire for a good old read. Mind you there’s not an awful lot of reading in them, especially the fashion ones so I tend to get through them fairly smartly. Still reading is my big pleasure so I will never deprive myself of my style guides.
Right now ‘they’ are telling us that sequins, studs, big sleeves, and glitter will be massive this Christmas. "Oh I just couldn’t do that trend” I hear you say…well I say go for it! Every woman should have her bit of glitter for Christmas. Of course a lot depends on your age. The older you get the more you need to ‘tone down’ on the trends.
I love when the new trends come out but let’s face it , there are a few dodgy things to avoid if you’re past the first flush of youth! Mini-skirts for example are not a good look with knobbly knees. Also watch how you wear your leggings, make sure you wear them with dresses, or long tops unless you’re in your 20’s/30’, otherwise you will look like you forgot to put on your bottoms. Sooo not a good look!
The trends may be very funky this winter but gather your style wits about you and think about how you will interpret them. Which particular trends resonate with your personality?! If you incorporate maybe one or two into your outfits you will look fab. Enjoy!
Style magazines are so full of trends these days. My particular “visual candy” favourites are ‘In Style’ and Grazia. I used to love ‘Oprah’ but it’s hard to justify spending more than €7 on a magazine at the moment. I love bringing my magazines home and curling up at the fire for a good old read. Mind you there’s not an awful lot of reading in them, especially the fashion ones so I tend to get through them fairly smartly. Still reading is my big pleasure so I will never deprive myself of my style guides.
Right now ‘they’ are telling us that sequins, studs, big sleeves, and glitter will be massive this Christmas. "Oh I just couldn’t do that trend” I hear you say…well I say go for it! Every woman should have her bit of glitter for Christmas. Of course a lot depends on your age. The older you get the more you need to ‘tone down’ on the trends.
I love when the new trends come out but let’s face it , there are a few dodgy things to avoid if you’re past the first flush of youth! Mini-skirts for example are not a good look with knobbly knees. Also watch how you wear your leggings, make sure you wear them with dresses, or long tops unless you’re in your 20’s/30’, otherwise you will look like you forgot to put on your bottoms. Sooo not a good look!
The trends may be very funky this winter but gather your style wits about you and think about how you will interpret them. Which particular trends resonate with your personality?! If you incorporate maybe one or two into your outfits you will look fab. Enjoy!
Friday, November 27, 2009
How cluttered is your wardrobe?
I was doing a wardrobe declutter last week and couldn’t believe the huge amount of clothes this lady had .Now while I know all the ‘rules’ I am not great myself on keeping the old closet organized though I must admit to being ruthless when it comes to ‘getting rid’! This lady had clothes in there with labels still swinging on them. Unfortunately most of them were now well past their sell by date and were going nowhere except possibly the nearest charity shop. Tragic! My mantra girls is’ the more it cost the more you should be wearing it’! If I had a cent for the number of times women have said to me something is ‘too good’ to wear I’d honestly be rich. Too good for WHAT? The massively expensive outfit will be gone out of date before it’s worn 4 or 5 times. Shame! Little exercise…Go to your wardrobe and take down the most expensive items there then count how many times you’ve worn them. What are you prepared to do about it? Would some alterations make them more wearable? If so get cracking and do something about it. You deserve to be feeling great every day!
Thursday, November 26, 2009
So many shoes so little time!
So many shoes so little time!
Aren’t the shoes out there just amazing right now? I can’t seem to stop buying them The most fantastic thing about shoes is that your feet don’t have ‘fat’ days so even at your worst you can slip into a fabulous pair and feel pretty goddam good. I bought some seriously gorgeous ones last week, all black suede and studs. Bit trampy but who cares, I looove them! Can you believe that some women only buy shoes when they need them? Life wouldn’t be worth living if I had to live like that. I’m also blessed with a hardy pair of feet so can shop anywhere, it can be Office one day and Penneys the next. God I’m such a lucky girl! Ther’s nothing quite like a pair of great shoes to get attention and help you feel utterly wonderfully fabulous!
Aren’t the shoes out there just amazing right now? I can’t seem to stop buying them The most fantastic thing about shoes is that your feet don’t have ‘fat’ days so even at your worst you can slip into a fabulous pair and feel pretty goddam good. I bought some seriously gorgeous ones last week, all black suede and studs. Bit trampy but who cares, I looove them! Can you believe that some women only buy shoes when they need them? Life wouldn’t be worth living if I had to live like that. I’m also blessed with a hardy pair of feet so can shop anywhere, it can be Office one day and Penneys the next. God I’m such a lucky girl! Ther’s nothing quite like a pair of great shoes to get attention and help you feel utterly wonderfully fabulous!
Are we going too far with our casual dressing? ..read on
Was personal shopping this week and again I was amazed at the casual attitude people have to dressing. Now I certainly don’t want to appear ageist but nearly every young person I saw just looked plain sloppy. Have we gone a bit over the top with casual dressing? When I look at photographs of women taken in the 40’s and 50’s the one thing that strikes me every time is how stylish they looked. Attention to detail was paramount. They wore hats and gloves and carried handbags elegantly on their arms. I love it. Think Audrey Hepburn or Grace Kelly and you’re thinking style. Ahh what glamour. Is it that we’re just too busy today and just couldn’t be bothered? Yet every day you get up you have to dress yourself. Why not think about the impression you’re creating by what you’re wearing (or not)! So girls, give a little bit more thought tomorrow to what you
Put on
Put on
What kind of packer are you?
Travelling light
How is it that some people can bring a tiny carry on bag with them on holidays and manage to look fantastic every day/night with a seemingly endless number of outfits while others haul through the airport with bulging suitcases and yet never have the ‘right’ clothes when they arrive at their destination. Which one are you? I regularly help clients plan and pack for their trips. I developed a wardrobe plan for myself which I swear by and now wouldn’t go anywhere without it. Like any plan it may seem a bit tedious as it involves writing down every item of clothing you intend to bring, including accessories. By writing it down you will put outfits together. I also advise sticking to certain colours so that everything mixes and matches. By figuring it out beforehand and sticking to your plan you will only bring the amount you actually need. My fella always brings far more than he could ever wear, even going so far as to pack a suit, just in case there’s a funeral!! Did you ever! It’s amazing how great you feel when you plan beforehand and get to actually wear everything you brought. Sure a girl needs to have a bit of space left for the bits and bobs she buys.
How is it that some people can bring a tiny carry on bag with them on holidays and manage to look fantastic every day/night with a seemingly endless number of outfits while others haul through the airport with bulging suitcases and yet never have the ‘right’ clothes when they arrive at their destination. Which one are you? I regularly help clients plan and pack for their trips. I developed a wardrobe plan for myself which I swear by and now wouldn’t go anywhere without it. Like any plan it may seem a bit tedious as it involves writing down every item of clothing you intend to bring, including accessories. By writing it down you will put outfits together. I also advise sticking to certain colours so that everything mixes and matches. By figuring it out beforehand and sticking to your plan you will only bring the amount you actually need. My fella always brings far more than he could ever wear, even going so far as to pack a suit, just in case there’s a funeral!! Did you ever! It’s amazing how great you feel when you plan beforehand and get to actually wear everything you brought. Sure a girl needs to have a bit of space left for the bits and bobs she buys.
What I couldn't live without!
Style with Maggie Blog
I was having lunch with some style pals the other day and we got chatting about ageing, makeovers, beauty products etc. etc. Anyway it led us to wondering what each felt was the most important thing to get right to ensure you look your best at all times. We all agreed that number one was hair. Without exception we felt that if the hair is not right we feel pretty lousy. Isn’t a good cut so important? My God if my hair isn’t right I don’t want to answer the door! Anyone who knows me knows how much I love my lippy, somehow since the ‘M’ happened I swear my lips changed shape, and they need more definition than in the past, add to that the fact that my lipstick bleeds into little cracks I need to use an anti feathering stick. What a girl does in the name of vanity! So, what 2 products could you not live without? And what do you think is the most essential ingredient of good grooming. Think about it !
I was having lunch with some style pals the other day and we got chatting about ageing, makeovers, beauty products etc. etc. Anyway it led us to wondering what each felt was the most important thing to get right to ensure you look your best at all times. We all agreed that number one was hair. Without exception we felt that if the hair is not right we feel pretty lousy. Isn’t a good cut so important? My God if my hair isn’t right I don’t want to answer the door! Anyone who knows me knows how much I love my lippy, somehow since the ‘M’ happened I swear my lips changed shape, and they need more definition than in the past, add to that the fact that my lipstick bleeds into little cracks I need to use an anti feathering stick. What a girl does in the name of vanity! So, what 2 products could you not live without? And what do you think is the most essential ingredient of good grooming. Think about it !
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