Giveaway winner announced!

Image found via fffound which was sourced from Dream Photography

Oh my, this is actually quite hilarious! Random.Org chose commenter number 3 which was Pam. Now Pam's comment was 'Would love to be picked, it would brighten up my week, okay I know that it will be next week the winner is chosen...... but still I would love to win a voucher for a new pair of shoes....... this week or next week....... I'm not fussy other than PICK ME!! Lol If you are open to bribery and corruption for this prize...... then I'm your girl!! Lol'

My reply was, 'Hahahhahahaha! I will ask random.org to bare your shoe cravings in mind :D'

I swear we did not enter into any bribery - random.org really did pick Pam and I have the screen shot to prove it if there are any doubters out there! Thanks to all of you who entered this giveaway. I was especially chuffed to hear from some of you for the first time. (Even if you were after a prize!)

How to make your blog images fit the width of your post

Every now and then I’ll see someone tweet, ‘How to make your images bigger in Blogger?’ Blogger doesn’t automatically size your images to fit the width of your post area but you can tell Blogger what size to make them! I didn’t know how to do this when I first started blogging and it drove me nuts. I was dead chuffed when I finally stumbled across a solution so thought I’d share it with you. I can’t remember where I found this particular nugget but there are plenty of ‘em scattered around the net.



Step 1
Find out what the width of your post area is. You will find this in your blog’s HTML under 'main-wrapper width' Mine is 540 pixels.

Step 2
Resize your photos to the width of your post area. You can do this with various photo-editing programs from Photoscape to Photoshop. I resize mine to 540 pixels wide.

Step 3
Create an account on a photo-hosting provider. I use Photobucket.

Step 4
Upload your photos to Photobucket. Photobucket will then give you FOUR lines of code per photo – you're after the line of code called HTML CODE.

Step 5
Copy the HTML CODE of your pic and paste it into the window where you write your posts in Blogger. Make sure you’re in ‘EDIT HTML’ mode as opposed to ‘Compose’ mode.

Step 6
Click Preview and Submit and Voila! Your images should fit the width of your blog!

I hope this was of help to someone reading this! If you need me to clarify any bits, please feel free to ask me in a comment. Blog on friends!

Circus Blogger Beauty Peek

Yesterday Nadia blogged that Circus have done a sneak peek of their first Bookazine! Remember the Nars goodies I blogged about? Well this is what I used 'em for! My precious little God Daughter gave me a makeover and her mom snapped the shots. More pics to follow when the mag is out :)

And the Emmy for Best Hair goes to.... Sofia Vergara

As a huge Modern Family Fan...we must declare that not only is Sofia Vergara part of the best comedy on tv...but arguably the best hair on television. 

To recreate Ms. Vergara's hair we'd suggest 8 ounces of Indian Hair Natural Wave in 22"  straightened with a tourmaline flat iron and curled with a 1 1/2"  curling iron. 

Hair Extension Tip: Don't cut the tracks

If you love your Indian Hair and want to keep reusing it here's one small money saving tip:  Don't cut the tracks or better yet before you sit in your stylist chair explain to them that you plan on reusing your hair extensions and you would like them to not cut the tracks.

Instead have them fold over the track when starting a new row of hair extensions. This will achieve two things:
1.  Less Shedding:  Every time when you cut the track you have shedding from the seams
2.  Easy to reuse:  When it's time to take out your hair extensions it will be much easier to wash, condition and put right back in

Woolworths Fabulist Shoot

Hello guys! Hope you had a good weekend? I spent mine at Woolies, Gateway, working on the Fabulist shoot as assistant to the photographer. Every season, Woolies brings out ten key pieces of clothing which make up the Fabulist. They want all their shoppers to feel fabulous every day so we set up a set instore and invited them to have their pics taken by a pro-photographer. Our stylist helped the shoppers pick items to wear from the Fabulist and then they were treated to a pro make-up sesh. JoNo, our photographer, snapped the shoppers' pics and I printed 'em out for them to take home. The shoppers were also invited to upload their pics to Facebook right there and then!





Here are some pics I snapped over the weekend. Everyone was so sweet and had loads of fun posing in front of the camera. I wanted to hug all the kiddies - they were just adorable!



I want to say thanks to Lexi of Durban Central for inviting me to take part in the fun and to JoNo for giving me a crash course in photo processing. (I will try grow three more feet and biceps so I can carry more gear next time!)  You can see more pics on the Woolworths Facebook page and check out Miss Molly's stunning pic on her blog. Hats off to Woolworths for such a Fabulist idea!

PS: Voting for the Cosmo Blog Awards closes at midnight tonight (Monday) ! If you can spare a second to vote for Gloss in the Lifestyle category, I'll be terribly chuffed. Wouldn't it be rad if a South African blog won? I'd blog the wanders of malva pudding and biltong to the world! (Or at least to twenty-something British cosmo readers!) Thanks to all of you who have voted and stuck by me through all the awkward asking. I really do appreciate it. x

Jennifer Hudson's Classic Beauty

One of my favorite singers/actresses on her way up has got to be Jennifer Hudson. I thought she was absolutely beautiful when she was a plus-sized girl, and I think she's still stunning, after having lost some 50 pounds or so, and going from a size 16 dress size to a 6. While I might have my own issues with the fact that she chose to lose the weight immediately after giving birth, thus buying into the Hollywood Postpartum Race to be skinny the "fastest". I think that women have enough pressure on them to be thin. The last thing you need after having a baby is to be bombarded by images of how quickly JLo, Posh, Britney, Nicole and crew have dropped back down to a barely attainable size 0. But I digress...good for you Jennifer...I ain't mad at ya.

I chose Jennifer for today's blog entry, because quite simply, I rarely see a picture where she isn't looking fabulous. She reminds me of the starlets of yesteryear; of a time when beauty was about being beautiful and feminine, not garish and outlandish like some of the celebutants we see so much in the media. I love when a woman is in touch with her feminine side and embraces it as well as Jennifer does. Her makeup is always on point (and I'm not even going to TOUCH those paparazzi pics of her jogging sans makeup - puhleeeez...you wanna see me in the morning??) Her hairstyle is always evolving; whether she's wearing it short, or super long with a wig or extensions like those pictured here. Girl, is that Miss MyMy's 20' Malaysian straight you're wearing??? Jennifer Hudson, for epitomizing classic beauty, Miss MyMy gives you a well deserved and very rare 5 MyMy's out of 5!




www.missmymy.com

Sick Computer and Back to School

It has been a long week for me. So this will be a random post.

-My computer got some virus Monday night and has been very sick. Gabe got everything fixed last night for me. (It's good to live with someone who works for a computer company!)

-School started this morning for me. I still get first day of school nerves for some reason. I guess it's just the unknown of walking into a new class.

-We are having some wonderfully cooler weather here in central AR. I love walking across campus when the temps are in the low 70s. I'm hoping the days of 105 degree weather is finally over here.

-We are finally diving into wedding planning. I hope I can actually start doing some wedding posts soon!

- Walking across campus today, I am amazed how many young girls don't understand the difference between daytime/night time dressing. A sequin halter top and hooker heels are NOT ok at 9 am. Save that for Saturday night sweetie. (or preferably not at all) And on the other end of the spectrum, pajama pants are  not acceptable to wear out in public. Especially with fuzzy house shoes. Enough of my ranting...

-Ok one more rant, I can't stand people who smack when they eat. It's gross. Or people who talk with their mouth full. Ew. 

- I only have class on Tuesday and Thursday so my weekend starts at 4 :) Okay this is only for this week because next week I start working on Mon, Wed, and some Friday's.

- Can ya'll believe it's the end of August? Where does time go?

That's it for today. Sorry for the lack of substance. My brain was overly stimulated this week so I feel like I'm walking around in a fog.

Have a good Thursday!

Things I like now (thanks Miss Moss!)

The other day, Miss Moss, invited me to blog some things I like on her beautiful blog. She created this adorable collage out of the goodies I sent her. Isn't she clever? I printed it out and everytime I look at it, it makes me smile. My credit card on the other hand does not like it. It sees the Chanel nail polish and tries to hide behind my Makro card. (Which has no benefits or credit - what is the point of those cards?) Anyway, you can read my scribbles behind each item here. Thanks for having me Miss Moss!

Win a £50 voucher to spend on shoes!

Hey hey! I have a £50 voucher to give to one of you to to spend online at Daniel Footwear. Entering is super easy. All you have to do is post a comment telling me any old thing you want. Boom baby!


Right, so Daniel Footwear want ya to know that their new Ugg collection is in. If you're a fan of these wooly wonders, you may be interested to know the new range has bigger buttons, tasseled fringes and an updated shape. You can check 'em out here. The folks at Daniel Footwear ask: “Think you can handle the new Ugg Boots A/W 2010 collection yet?”

Ha! Can you? Lols. You can tell me if you like! I do actually have a deliciously cringy tale to tell you about the time I was once FORCED to wear some, ahem, Ugg lookalikes to work but I'll save that for another day. In the mean time, let's get those comments cooking!

Oh yes, this giveaway is open to anyone, anywhere - from what I've seen on telly, Uggs are as popular in scorching LA as they are in Antarctica! You can spend the voucher on any shoes you fancy at Daniel Footwear but shipping costs aren't included. The winner will be chosen at random next week Wednesday. Will it be you? Drop us a comment and let's see, shall we! Good luck!

Change your Hair!

We all want to try the edgy new hairstyles all the celebrities are wearing, lucky for them they have their stylists on call for maintenance as well as they can easily change up their looks.

However, we've come up with a couple tips and tricks you can try to change your life without changing your own hair.

For short edgy cuts:
Use Sensationnel 27 pieces to create a custom wig, the hair is short so you won't have much cutting to do and you can add color to front like our girl Rihanna.
You could also just purchase a Fashion wig, they are really affordable; one of our favorites at Sunny's is Bobbi Boss' Vivi.

For Asymetrical Cuts/Bobs:
If you want something more long term , try sewing in more affordable hair like Bohyme Textured Smooth or Bohyme Silky Straight and have your stylist use a closure piece so that none of your hair is out- that way you can cut and use as much heat and product without any damage to your own hair.

 If you're just trying to have fun for one night try a fashion wig, they are low cost, low maintenance and really fun to just let loose in.

For Long Lengths or  Color:
Experiment with brands like Bohyme, Indi Remy, Black Diamond or Sensationel Goddess since they are slightly more affordable than Indian hair. If you are a little gun shy you can always use clip in extensions to flirt with longer hair before making the commitment.

Before you make the commitment and change your own hair permanently, try these out and if you don't like it then you can take it out and your own hair will be the way you had it! But if you do like it, preserve your hair and enjoy your new look.....

Change your life and change the hair that you paid for!!

cat kissing you

Thank you all so much for getting my Kickstarter project off to an incredible start! If I could I would cat kiss you all!

We're down to one week left here and I really should be outside drinking a delicious beverage on the dock instead of updating the internet (priorities, I has them). I'm feeling a bit despondent at the thought of returning to the city. I'm all ready to move to my dream communal arty farm in the country, now! Who wants to join me? We can grow all our own food, make our own cosmetics, sew our own clothing, start an 80s hardcore band and watch true blood. Sounds dreamy right? I am looking forward to recommencing our family style friend dinners and I do miss my buddies lounging on our livingroom floor. There aren't any hot nuts on the side of the street (err, grassy path) here either, that's kind of an issue, and the Met isn't here and I can't take a train to see taxidermy animals arranged in fancy dioramas either. Here we have a water trampoline, a kayak that I have yet to step into again, a fireplace, a kitty that sits on my bum and an endless amount of delicious bread. There we have no bum sitting kitty, a mouse named GusGus that lives under our fridge, a George Foreman grill that I use to make caprese paninis, all my socks and a post office within walking distance. I dunno friends, help me fall in love with the city again.

I haven't had a chance to make a new mix for this entry so I'll leave you with this mix of awesome emo jams from the year 2000. These were my favourite songs when I was 15/16 and having feelings.

Fijian Tight Curl Worn Straight

Natalie has been wearing a 24' tight curl Fijian for the past month or so, and I guess she was missing her straight hair. She was curious to try blowing out the tight curl, to see how it would come out, and here you can see her results. We apologize for the poor quality of the cell phone cam, but it was what we had on hand LOL.

I think this goes to show how versatile Miss MyMy hair can be. We only used Miss MyMy Hair Essence Serum to blow dry, and then flat ironed it. Remember though, as with your own curly hair, you don't want to do this too often, as excessive flat ironing can permanently alter the natural curly texture of your hair.

www.missmymy.com

Saturday's Oufit

About two weeks ago I wandered into YDE and fell down dead. Well, not quite but I did have a mini cadenza when I saw their new spring collection. I have never thought in terms of 'collections' before but blogging has wisened me up to the ways of fashiony things! I decided to treat myself to this dress which I wore on Saturday. Thing is, I kept throwing on my leather jacket cuz I was worried I looked like I had stepped out in a nightie. Despite fears of being mistaken for a sleepwalking person from the fifties, I do love this dress and will be wearing it alot before summer turns on the heat. Man, it is going to be blazing in Durbs! Hope you enjoy this dose of nightie-esque chic!



Dress YDE Tights Woolworths Shoes Legit Necklace Mr Price Ring & Bag Accessorize 

Weekend re-cap + Design Inspiration

Oh Monday... you come to soon :( How was your weekend? Mine was pretty good. Relaxing and slow, just how I like it. Friday night Gabe and I did our usual cook dinner and watch tv thing. We have really become an old married couple lately. I blame the heat. Saturday morning we had a breakfast date at Panera, then we drove around for an hour or so looking at houses. This is one of our favorite activities because we honestly can't wait to buy a house. We love scoping out different neighborhoods and looking at different architecture. The rest of our Saturday was filled with catching up on some books and magazines for me and him looking at perspective duck hunting locations for this year. We rented The Last Song that night. It was ok. Not my favorite Nicholas Sparks movie. Sunday I went to a bridal show in Little Rock with my mom. That was a lot of fun and I finally feel like I'm getting in wedding planning mode. We have a few venues in mind that we are planning on checking out in person very soon. I'll keep ya'll posted on that!!
Today I have been running around like crazy once again getting stuff in order for the first day of school on Thursday. My LAST first day of school. One thing I will not miss about college is how many hoops you have to jump through at the beginning of each year to make sure you're in the right classes, make sure tuition is payed, and most recently for me, getting my internship secured. It's madness. And it doesn't help that it's 100 degrees outside so I'm dying of heat while walking across campus. Anyway enough of me complaining :)

I stumbled across this room online a few months ago. I love looking at it. Black and white is my favorite color scheme. How cute would this be for a guest room?

Hope ya'll are having a good Monday! We are having Gabe's little sister over for dinner tonight. She just moved in to her dorm last week at Hendrix College (a private school here in Conway) and we haven't gotten to see her yet. I think Gabe is still in shock that his youngest sister is starting college this year. :)

Have a good afternoon!

Essenwood Flea Market

On Saturday, we went to the Essenwood Market. This is one of Durban's oldest markets and still seems to be as popular as ever. I'm too old to go on the pony now (sniff) but I can confirm the cupcakes and avo doorstoppers are still delish! And how lovely are those spotty ribbons? I tried to give my pics a bit of a vintage effect with Carries photoshop tutorial - I can't thank her enough for posting it! I still have a lot to learn applying this tutorial but I'm gonna keep at it. Hope you like 'em!



Fancy visiting? The market takes place every Saturday morning in Essenwood Road, Durban.