Whatever Friday 4/29

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M.

Okey Dokey Smokey's...so today I am a very, VERY happy person because it is my last day at my current occupation, working with computers. I am moving on to pursue bigger and brighter dreams in the world of fashion and beauty. I will also be oh so close to A. and Q....just wanted to share...YAY!







So this past weekend I visited my old hair stylist, Rebecca Palmer at The New You Salon in Alma, GA. She brought me back to lovely blonde locks and I couldn't be happier. While I was there she introduced me 2 very new and cool tools for your hair. Today, I wanted to tell you guys what I just discovered and am very excited about.



1. Steam hair dryer- Now, if you've ever had your hair colored or permed you have sat underneath one of those loud nosy hair dryers. Well, when I sat underneath my salon dryer last week, expecting to be blown away by the noise as I read my gossip magazines, I was pleasantly surprised to hear....NOTHING! I even took a phone call! And it was all thanks to a new hair dryer that uses STEAM instead of blasting you and burning your scalp with super hot air! Fantastic!











2. A Vibrating Straightener for your hair - This was SO cool! As Rebecca was straightening my hair, I thought I heard a little buzzing noise...so of course I inquired as to what it was. She told me all about this new vibrating flat iron for your hair. I was completely enthralled! It mixes heat with vibration to shake the hair, so all of the strands glide through the plates evenly-no pulling or tugging...I'm sorry, but it's genious! I have naturally wavy/curly hair that is extremely long, so after a wash and blow-out, I have the whole Mufasa/lion's mane goin' on....so I need the best of the best when it comes to straighteners. This had my hair so silky and straight. I think I have found my new best friend


((Forgive me for I do not have the exact brand that was used. She only had one in stock and more on the way so I haven't purchased my own yet, but I'm providing a link to a similiar product))http://www.justbeautifully.co.uk/products/Hair-Care/hair-Straighteners/Medium-Straighteners/HT-VIBE-61250_%20Hair-Tools-Vibe-Ceramic-Tourmaline-Vibrating-Hair-Straighteners

peace out,

M.

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A.


So this is week, I'm a little crazy, and somewhat a HOT MESS. So with fair warning, let me know introduce you to my Divalicious Side.

It doesn't come out that often but when it does, its a little tacky, fun, and dramatic!

I'm really liking Doggy Tutus!

You can purchase a tutu for your Puppy Princess on Etsy's Shop Dazzling Diva!

Next, the diva in me loves vintage cocktail jewelry! You can purchase this ring on Etsy's shop Tonight In Paris

Excellent Shop!

Last, every Diva has a pair... Yes, I'm talking about oversized sunglasses! I would die for these vintage YSL glasses.

Major Lust!

You can purchase these on Etsy's shop Vintage Store 123

Enjoy your weekend!

A.

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Oh those clever Brits...

I am not gaga over this idea, but it has a certain charm and I kept seeing everywhere all week long.

I absolutely love people from the UK. Yeah I know who doesn't love that proper accent, big change from South Georgia. I actually hope to marry someone from across the pond one day haha. The UK has given us many, many things we enjoy, Harry Potter, The Beatles, David Beckham, Sean Connery, The RollingStones, Shakespeare, etc..however, I do not think we will be accepting this trend. Check out the link to see how you can have cute furry animals replace your lawn mower.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/28/let-wallabies-roam-free-a_n_555464.html

Now you're in New York, New York, New York!

Click the link to view trailers!
http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810111276/video/19043407/20100408/151/19043407-1000-wmv-s.105439964-,19043407-700-flash-s.105439961-,19043407-100-flash-s.105439953-,19043407-1000-flash-s.105439962-,19043407-300-flash-s.105439954-,19043407-700-wmv-s.105439963-,19043402-10300-qtv-s.105439972-,19043402-2700-qtv-s.105439969-,19043402-6800-qtv-s.105439971-

I don't know about ya'll, but I watch the trailer to Sex and The City 2 at least once a day! I am so excited about the sequel coming out May 27, and please believe I will be there opening night all dressed up just like I'm in NYC at the premiere...when in actuality I will more than likely be in Waycross, GA. but FABULOUS none the less.

RAY LAMANTAGNE

Ray Lamantagne is my obsession! His songs are so mellow and relaxing. His voice is rugged and he puts so much emotion into his songs. I recommend going to iTunes IMMEDIATELY and buying all three of his albums.

Trouble

Till the Sun Turns Black

Gossip in the Grain.

HAVE A SPLENDID WEEKEND MAQNOLIAS!

xoxo

Q

Showcase Thursday- April 29

Every Thursday of our weekly blog we present a showcase. The showcase is of a particular someone or company that is playing an active part in the world of art, fashion, and all around creativity. We hope that this segment of our blog serves as a platform for some of the people and businesses we find interesting.

We want to show off people who are making lasting footprints in our fascinating little world.

This girl is an artist by all definitions: singer, poet, painter...it will make you sick with envy. 

World meet MAGGIE SMITH

Maggie Smith was born about six centuries too late. Upon discovering that she had entirely missed the Italian Renaissance, the Battle of Waterloo, the invention of the steam engine and the sexiness of young Elvis, she thought “Crap! I better see what this century is all about!” And she has been investigating ever since.

Maggie enjoys heart break in all its forms. She eats dark chocolate and plays her music too loud. She loves her convertible more than most people love their pets, and she knows the future.

If you would like to share in her discoveries, you can listen to her music (www.wix.com/iamnotmaggie/music), or look at her paintings (www.iamnotmaggiesmith.com), or read her terrible poetry (www.iamnotmaggie.blogspot.com). You can also go to itunes, and you'll find her (but only after wading through the mentions of dame Maggie Smith, the actress). 

Or you can find her on facebook, and give her a virtual hug. She greatly appreciates those! (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Maggie-Smith/172131110341

Inside the mind of Maggie...

Love or Money?

Love, even though it seems to be a lot like money in that it's initially hard to get, the more you give the more you get, and it makes life far more pleasant!

If you could have a luncheon with any three people (real of fictitious/ from any time period, dead or alive) , which three people would you choose and why?

That's a tough one, because on certain days I would really want to see certain people. For instance, on a bad day I think I'd like to see Joan of Arc, because hey, nothing can get worse than the inquisition, right? Also, I've always wondered if she was truly talking to the Virgin Mary and St Anne (which would make her a three-for-one deal) or if she was just crazy. I'd have to learn to speak french first, though.

On a good day I'd want to dine with Santa Claus. Christmas is awesome, I'd probably get some presents, (or at the very least sneak a peek at the nice-or-naughty list, which is like winning the blackmail jackpot) and I like talking to people who are world travelers. Plus, hopefully the luncheon would entirely consist of cookies and milk. Mmmmm.

If I really wanted to get deep though, and have the kind of luncheon where you forget to eat because the conversation is so good, I think I'd sit down with Kahlil Gibran. Every time I read his poetry I feel as though I've fed my soul something wholesome. I think his writings are honest, sometimes painfully so. Of course, my great fear would be that meeting the author might taint the purity of the work, as is sometimes the case. I think I'd probably either fall madly in love with him, or hate him.

Last song played on your ipod?

Beautiful Small Machines “Counting Back to 1”. The whole EP, "Robots in Love", is so good! It's pure nerd-pop, and perfect for summer.

Any Current Obsession?

My water bottle! I've started to carry it around all the time, which means I unwittingly chug water at all hours of the day. I feel better than I ever have in my whole life, so I highly recommend it.

If you could be any animal in the world, what would you be & why?

I would definitely be a dolphin. They're the natural enemy of the shark, they get to see the entire mysterious ocean, they have bigger brains than humans and they have sex for fun. Haha, who wouldn't want to be a dolphin? But I was tempted to say humpback whale because even though the name isn't very glamorous, I've always wanted to know why they sing. I get shivers just thinking about it.

What is the funniest word you have ever heard?

Zygotes. That word is simply ridiculous, unless you're playing Scrabble. Then it's bad ass.

Boom you've been granted 3 wishes, what are they?

First, I wish that all animals could talk. Hamburgers are so delicious, but I need to know that cows are as dumb as they seem, so I can stop feeling bad about eating them. And if they're cool, well, I guess I'll have a tofu burger. Whatever.

Second, I wish that everyone would be incapable of drug addiction. I think a lot of experimental, cool people get hooked on drugs and wake up 20 years later only to discover that they've wasted their youth.

Third, I wish for a thousand wishes! Ha ha, I win! (but really, I wish for a sandwich. That's the first wish, out of my thousand...)

MAQ gives MAGGIE SMITH a GIANT stamp of approval & we wish her the best of luck with the future! She basically oozes cool & has a road paved with fame ahead of her! You go girl!  


Check out her latest music video: 

Want to be featured on our blog? Email us at artsymaqnolias@gmail.com, subject: submission. 

Awesomely BAD Weddings

Hello all of our BeAuTiFuL Maqnolias! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and are having a great week so far.

All month we having been dishing advice and sharing with you our wedding favesies. Today I am going to expose you to the Awesomely BAD weddings. If you are addicted to wedding TV like I am, you already have a good idea as to what qualifies for 'awesomely bad'. Pretty much anything on "Bridezillas" and most definitely EVERYTHING on "My Big Redneck Wedding".

Here are some pictures just for your enjoyment. Remember, do not try this at your wedding.

CAKES.

Sand Castle Disaster REALLY?!

The Dead Dolphin Cake

The Bridesmaid Dresses

And the Bride wore...

Now I know it's not nice to criticize someones individual taste, but I'm sure you can all agree with me that these wedding choices are most certainly the wrong ones.

Email and share with me some Awesomely Bad wedding pictures or stories.

Have a Great Wednesday!

XoXo

Q

Wedding Favors For You

Let's face it, when you're a bride you spend most of the time thinking about...well, yourself. When planning the reception, you wait until the last minute to purchase wedding favors, so you just throw together some candy or randomness in a bag, stick a bow on it and call it DONE (I know I've done it), But you don't have to! 

**They are some many little inexpensive ideas to give a nice thank you to all your guests & make them feel involved the whole process. Check it out! 

Awesome Favors: 

SNAP SHOT! Use a Polaroid camera for a guest book and have each guest sign the bottom of their picture. 

Play us a tune! Create a customized CD for all your guests! 

Write your own love story! These darling notepads and pencils are just precious.

Picture This! Print off your own photography and use them as candy bar wrappers. 

Love at first Bloom! Write a special message to your guests on this plantable paper, so Eco-trendy! 

Pose & Enjoy! Hire a silhouette cut artist and have each guest get there portrait made. 

Simple Sweet! Setup a candy bar for your guests to enjoy! 

For the MUSIC LOVING COUPLE! Forget about guitar picks, get Tambourine Wedding Favors! So Cool! 

Personal Favors! For small hometown weddings give guests a touch of just that! Offer a mini jar of homemade jams, pickled fruit, or chocolate sweets. Especially, around here you can't go wrong with blueberry favors. 

Forever?! For the kid in all of us pass out custom designed temporary tattoos as fun wedding favors! 

Go Seasonal! Offer your guest comfort from the heat, great favor with purpose!

Last, an oldie but a goodie, Take away centerpieces! Here Martha Stewart put a twist on an old favorite, by giving guests sprightly mini bouquets of their own! The flowers are held in small plastic floral tubes filled with water. Cones of decorative green paper hide the tubes.




Enjoy. 


A

DIY Wedding Veil

Do It Yourself: Wedding Veil

Bride’s wearing white veils on their wedding day is a time-honored tradition that dates back to biblical times. The wedding veils is said to represent modesty and when the veil is lifted at the wedding ceremony, the ritual symbolizes the groom is taking possession of the bride in front of her parents.

As I have mentioned on my biography, I enjoy making hair ornaments and have recently focused on making custom bridal headpieces and wedding veils. I incorporate unique individual design and antique jewelry. Personal touches are added by using family heirloom jewelry and wedding dress pieces. I love the juxtaposition of modern versus vintage in every sense of fashion design, especially when we are talking wedding fashion! I think the veil can be a very important and personal accessory for the bride on her wedding day. However, it is not necessary. Since I have had a lot of fun experimenting with making wedding veils, I thought it would be interesting to try and incorporate my hobby with the blog!

I have been inspired by so many hand-crafted veils and bridal hair ornaments online and in magazines. I love the classic birdcage veils, long white and traditional, and even high-fashion whimsical veils. I tend to step outside of the box when it comes fashion so I decided to play around with the high fashion, fun, creative side of myself and make a veil for a daring fashionista! I was inspired by Carrie Bradshaw in the Sex and the City movie, when she wore her gorgeous blue bird in her hair on her wedding day, so I made a crazy blue veil! This project is not for everyone but if you want to add some creative flair to your big day then this will be the perfect project for you.

I am providing you with the steps I took in creating my very own wedding veil. I think the steps will be easy to follow and modify. Please note that these instructions can be followed exactly or loosely, depending on your wishes for the outcome.

Materials needed:


1-2 yards of tulle
Scissors
Sewing needle
Spool of thread

Hair comb
1 antique brooch (this could vary-try using a piece of your mother or grandmothers old wedding dress)

Instructions:

1. Cut a square of tulle. The size depends on how large you want the veil to be. My tulle square was ½-1 yard.

2. After the tulle square is cut the veil is ready to be assembled. Using your needle and thread, stitch around the outer edges of the square, leaving about 1 ft. to cover the face.

3. Pull the thread down to gather the tulle. It should look like a tulle pouch and knot in the back.

4. Manipulate the tulle to make your desired shape and stitch directly through the center of the tulle pouch and gather again. (I had leftover tulle flowers from the corsage DIY that I stacked and sewed to the center.)

5. Attach the gathered tulle to the hair comb with your needle and thread. This can be through the center of the tulle (or skewed if you prefer) and stitch in place.

6. Now, take your brooch and center it on the tulle flower. Pin in place.

7. If you don’t like the puffy voluminous edges, using your scissors, cut the tulle as much as you want. However, make sure to cut clean edges.

VOILA! Your veil is finished!!

Now that the veil is finished, give it as a gift or keep it for yourself. I hope you have enjoyed this project!

If you decide to try this DIY out, let me know! We would love to hear feedback!

"Looking good, Billy Ray! Feeling good, Louis!"

peace out,

M.

Whatever Friday 04/23

M.

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P.RUNWAY SEASON 7 SMACKDOWN

So last night one of my fav shows had their season finale. Project Runway has been on since I was a freshman in college. They started out on Bravo and have now moved to the watered down Lifetime. The show just isn't as good for some reason but I cant help watching every Thursday at 10 PM. I am a fashion person after all.....

So all of the finalists pretty much knocked it out at their runway shows. Everybody really stepped it up and showed great collections....I honestly was impressed. Today I wanted to give you a little snippet of the results of last night's finale...HERE GOES





2nd RUNNER-UP
MILA HERMANOVSKI



Her inspiration was SHADOWS. Now, I love black....but I needed more color. All of her looks were made well and looked great. While the judges really loved this collection it was exactly my cup of tea.



























1st RUNNER-UP
EMELIO SOSA


Inspiration: 1970's Harlem. COLOR ME BAD was the title of his collection. There were some amazing pieces and he really did know how to use color to my liking. He created his own signature print and all of his pieces really did look like they could be worn right off the runway. He was a consistent winner throughout the season but the judges felt he showed more of a signature clothing line rather than a "collection." He was good, but not my favorite.

































::DRUMROLL::

AND THE

WINNER IS MY FAVORITE OF THE SEASON,

SETH AARON HENDERSON

His inspiration was 1940's French and German military. I thought he did a FANTASTIC job. He was my favorite of the season and he only impressed me more with his final collection. Only needing 10 looks for the runway, he came prepared with 24! Now THAT is dedication. He had a creative, fun use of color and texture. His looks were polished yet whimsical. I want to be one his models because I want to wear those outfits! The clothes were fresh and hip and I love the models hairpieces- so fun and quirky! Go Seth Aaron! I'm so happy he won...ahhh...smiley face :)









Check out how fun these looks are. See more from all of the designers at the following link:

http://www.mylifetime.com/


















Have a great weekend everyone!



peace out,

M.

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Good Morning My Wonderful MaQnolias!
I have had an incredible week! I'm really starting to feel like a true business woman, in fact I'm feeling so inspired that I thought I would dedicate to this post to some small businesses that are TOTALLY AWESOME!

MAGPIE Lovely
Magpielovely.com was formed to introduce the boutique shopping consumer to the world of handmade, independent artists. The products featured here are made exclusively by independent crafters and artisans and are never made in a factory. THE SPRING LINE IS AMAZING!

Devon Baer Designs

Inspired by antiques and the lovely world of interior design, her bold patterns and statement jewelry capture all things beautiful in the design world. With classic elegance and urban sophistication, Devon Baer's collection of preppy and whimsical handcrafted belts and jewelry reflect her personal style. Their Accessories are TOO CUTE!

Stella & Dot

Stella & Dot is the modern home-based career that your mother never had. We’ve put the power of ecommerce, social networking and personal service behind an irresistible jewelry line. It’s the next big opportunity for our era. Yes, this is a large business, but what i love about stella & dot is that anyone can do it. They have great products & new have a new approach to selling. This ain't no Mary Kay!

Each "stylist" is setup with their own online account- Our smart e-marketing tools and Facebook tie-ins are just a few of the easy tools we provide to give you an instant e-commerce business. It's simple- our modern social selling model helps you sell all the ways your customers want to shop. No more drop-ins at your house, unless you want.

I REALLY LOVE THIS COMPANY & if you are looking for a way to make some cash on the side check it out. Here are some of there stylish products:

Have a Great Weekend!

A.
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Hello maqnolias!

LIKEY LIKE!

When I was younger I did not like 3D movies at all. They made me semi-nautious, however, I guess with age I have learned to tolerate it, and I now really enjoy movies in 3D. Avatar was my first 3D movie in ages, followed by How to Train your Dragon and I must admit, the 3D aspect gave both movies a different aspect, I felt like I wasn't at the movies. The only thing I don't like is it costs more to watch a movie in 3D, boo!! So if you have been on the fence about 3D movies, give it a whirl and go watch one!! I'm waiting to see someone have a 3D wedding, that would be interesting.

LOVEY DOVEY

Concert in the Country Concept.

In May One of my favorite musicians ever, ever, ever LUKE BRYAN is putting on a concert in Mershon, GA. I know some of our out of town/state readers may be thinking 'Ok...where is Mershon.' This is exactly why it's brilliant. Mershon is not even a dot on a map. It has one red light..maybe. The fact that a musician such as Luke Bryan is doing a concert in a small town is genius. It's cheap, and accommodating to fans. I became a Luke fan years ago when he played half empty bars in Valdosta and Statesboro. He is such an awesome performer and the fact that he is willing to do a show in the middle of nowhere for fans who otherwise may not travel, or could afford to go see him...well It's amazing. Kudos Luke, see you in Mershon!

SIMPLY LUSTFUL!

So I stumbled across this website full of things I will never ever be able to afford, but for some reason I still like to read about these pretty, shiny things! MostExpensive.net has pages upon pages of the most expensive things in the world, and we are not just talking about jewelry, homes, cars, yachts..they cover everything including most expensive tap water, cereal, mattresses, flip flops, wigs, blackberry cases... the list goes on and on. I recommend checking it out. Why? Just because...

Have a Great weekend!!

XOXO

Q