| I love a good beauty hack. But sometimes there just isn\'t enough time in the day to solve beauty woes. This is why I\'m an even bigger fan of beauty treatments you can do while you sleep — you know, the set-it-and-forget-it type. Because even though snoozing offers its own beauty benefits, if we\'re going to be spending around one-third of every day doing it, we might as well make the most of it and reap even more advantages from it.
And the best part is, by tackling problems like dry skin and hair while we sleep, we have more time during the day for really anything else. No more time is wasted trying to make hair look just so, or trying to pop pimples (that we know we should leave alone anyway). Instead, there\'s more time for other activities, like basking in our own laziness. (C\'mon, you know loafing is one of your favorite pastimes.) So whether you simply don\'t have the time or are justa little bit lazy when it comes to a beauty routine, here are six beauty tricks and treatments that you can do while you snooze. I mean, it\'s called "beauty sleep" for a reason, right?
1. Cure A Pimple
There are plenty of topical treatments to try on a pimple overnight: benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, tea tree oil, even toothpaste. But if these treatments don\'t work quickly enough for you or you have a larger pimple that needs tending to, try using a hydrocolloid pad, or blister bandage. Just carefully clean and lance the pimple before applying the bandage over it (see here for further info). By the time you wake up, the bandage should have sucked out the gross stuff from your face. Yeah, it\'s as satisfying as it is gross.
2. Replenish Skin\'s Moisture
A hydrating, overnight mask is perfect for those with dry skin. But for something a little more consistent (and that offers other health benefits as well), try a humidifier. Especially in colder, drier months, a humidifier will help stop the air from sucking out all of the moisture from your skin. And the best part is it will help your whole body, not just your face.
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3. Smooth Cracked Feet
To add moisture back into dry and cracked feet, apply some Vaseline (concentrating on heels or other trouble areas) before slipping on socks and crawling into bed. By the time you wake up, your feet will be seriously soft. While really any moisturizer will work for this trick, for the most intensive treatment, petroleum jelly is the way to go.
4. Heal Damaged Locks
Coconut oil is every lazy girl\'s favorite product because of its multifarious uses. It can moisturize hair and skin, and even whiten teeth. While it can be used as a daily conditioner in the shower, if your locks are feeling especially dry or damaged, smooth some onto your strands and leave it in as a hair mask overnight. Just be sure to lay a towel over your pillow before sleeping with oil-covered hair. In the morning, just rinse it out and be prepared for the smoothest hair you\'ve ever felt.
5. Wake Up With Wavy Hair
You might already know that sleeping in a braid is an old trick used by straight-haired ladies to wake up with wavy hair, and curly-haired ladies to wake up with tamer strands. But there are different types of braids to sleep in to achieve different types of waves. My personal favorites are the rope, fishtail, and French braids.
6. Prevent Dry & Damaged Skin, Hair
Cotton pillowcases can really do some damage to skin and hair. They absorb moisture which not only leads to drier skin and hair, but this dryness can also contribute to premature signs of aging, and brittle and broken locks. To make sure your pillowcase isn\'t wreaking havoc while you sleep, but instead helping with your beauty sleep, invest in a silk or satin pillowcase. It will make a world of difference.
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| For any Walking Dead fan eagerly awaiting the arrival of Season 6, incorporating zombie themed elements in your wedding day makes as much sense as taking Daryl and his crossbow out with you on a supply run in the vast apocalyptic terrain.
If you’ve been considering tying in your love for the show – and all things undead – with the biggest day of you and your partner’s lives, then here’s how:
Gothic wedding rings
Even if your engagement ring simply features a traditional sparkly diamond, such as this example, you can still complement it with a more gothic themed wedding band that is in keeping with a macabre, undead theme. Why not get your band inscribed on the inside with something Walking Dead related? ‘You’re the Carol to my Daryl’, or ‘Til death tear us part’ are great examples.
Cake toppers
Topping your cake with a zombie themed decoration is a great way of nodding towards your favourite show without going completely over the top. Have toppers created in your likeness but made to look like shuffling zombies, or feature zombie figurines crawling up the back of the cake to reach the bride and groom on top. Here are some great examples to sink your teeth into.
Photo ops
You can do some pretty crazy things with Photoshop these days so why not set up a staged photo in your wedding shoot that looks like you are battling zombie wedding guests? Your photographer could enhance the pictures by adding fake blood to those acting like the undead and slap some weapons into you and your partner’s hands.
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Invitations
One of the simplest ways to introduce the theme is to create invitations that feature comic book style drawings of you and your partner battling the undead, as well as all the important information. Something like thisshould do the job.
Or… encourage everyone to dress up
You could go all out with the theme by actually donning some fake blood, pale face paint and perfecting your zombie moan for the day. Zombie obsessed couple Rob and Jen Blackmore had a wedding to tie in with the new release of the zombie themed game, Dead Island Riptide. Guests actually dressed as zombies and the bride and groom shuffling down the aisle after their nuptials. You can watch the amazing ceremony here for inspiration.
If you do fancy organising one yourself then hop on a plane to Vegas, where you can sign up for a Las Vegas zombie wedding package that includes an undead minister, theatrical lighting and fog, plus creepy music and d�cor.
Some things to note if you are going full on with the theme:
It’s a good idea to warn guests beforehand. However, your friends and family should know you well enough to understand if you decided to go with a zombie theme.
Check with your venue that they will help you make your ideas come alive.
Think about kids – don’t make it too terrifying if little ones are going to be around because they might not understand the theme.
Finally, when you hold your wedding could help the theme come alive; a Walking Dead wedding closer to Halloween will make more sense for most people.
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| AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — When she walked across the stage at Auburn University in the summer of 2011, Dr. Esther Ngumbi\'s thoughts were 8,000 miles away in her home community of Mabafweni, Kenya. There\'s a saying in Mabafweni: The roots of education are bitter, but the fruits are sweet.
Ngumbi came to Auburn in 2008 to earn a PhD in entomology. She has since graduated, completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Georgia Tech, and found her way back to the Plains to work in the College of Agriculture. Her research is dedicated to feeding the world sustainably by studying how the interactions between plants and soil bacteria improve growth, repel insects and tolerate stress.
All the while, she remembered Mabafweni.
"I\'m 38, of course. I come from a family of teachers. I remember growing up; I grew up in a very small community, and everybody\'s poor down there," Ngumbi said. "Poverty is really up to your eyes. So I always feel lucky that I was able to grow up and be able to get an education.
"My parents always said they wanted a professor, so I delved into education. And education, of course, you keep on going, and I never looked back to get married."
Friday, Ngumbi is traveling back to Kenya for her wedding on Oct. 17 to the graphic designer she has been dating for six years. And instead of registering for towels, pans or china, Ngumbi launched a campaign to help ensure she wouldn\'t be the only woman from her community of 20,000 to earn a PhD.
"In 2011, I was walking to get my PhD, and I had a flashback and realized that there are so many others in my community that would want to be a scientist like me, but they don\'t have the opportunity. I know myself growing up, I didn\'t know what a science lab was. I didn\'t really know what science is until I went to the university. It shouldn\'t be. So I decided the best gift that I can give is a simple science lab so that children in my community and surrounding communities can come and see and experience science."
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Ngumbi hopes to raise $15,000 through an online campaign launched last week to build a simple science lab for local children. She estimates $10,000 for the building and $5,000 to equip it for biology, chemistry and physics, a contrast to the multimillion dollar labs she works in at Auburn.
Though area high schools give students access to labs, Ngumbi fears that by that age, many have lost interest in science.
"The children can be able to do very simple experiments. But I also want them to really be thinkers," she explained. "I want to be able to have these young students who start looking at their community and seeing, \'How can we make it better?\'"
She also wants the children growing up in her community to be competitive with learners in the rest of the world.
"I want them to catch up with other people. I realize that we are competing for the same resources, and nature doesn\'t understand that you come from a poor region," she said. "You still are put on the same playing field with everyone."
This isn\'t the first time Ngumbi has brought her passion home. A few years ago she and her parents, retired teachers, built a one-room school house for 10 students. Now, the growing building houses more than 70. And in 2010, Ngumbi brought home dozens of books that would lead to the construction of a library.
"I walked around the campus and collected as many books as I could because I was determined to take them back home," she remembered, adding the books pushed her luggage about 70 pounds over the limit.
"I collected all these books; I couldn\'t leave them. So I looked around and saw all these passengers that had little luggages. I had to walk and beg everybody. .Eventually I was able to get the books across. Of course, I was the last person to board the flight," she said, laughing. Ngumbi, a mentor for the Clinton Global Initiative University, mentioned the story to a CGU photographer. He helped her win a grant to build a library.
"Everything turned out. He eventually gave me a $10,000 grant, which, when I go to Kenya, part of it is opening the library. So we have a school; we have a library. So I thought, \'What else am I missing?\' Of course. Science," Ngumbi said. Little more than a week away from her wedding day, Ngumbi is ready. She has her dress; she has the rings. All that\'s left, she said, is the science. "I feel like we\'re spoiling them. But they deserve it," she said.
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| Her story: Zoey Washington, 33, was born and raised in Baltimore. She has worked for fashion magazines such as Vogue, Essence and Elle, and is now a contributing editor at People Style Watch and Essence, where she styled actress Kerry Washington for the October cover. Her mother, Dr. Marie J. Washington, lives in Baltimore. Her father, Tommie Broadwater, lives in Upper Marlboro.
His story: John Sheff, 33, born and raised in Baltimore. After working in Maryland politics for a number of years, he\'s now involved in various business ventures. His parents, Pamela and Ronald Sheff, live in Roland Park.
Their story: The two met in high school. She went to Garrison Forest School; he went to Gilman School. Their best friends were high school sweethearts.
"I had a wee bit of a crush on him in high school," Zoey recalled. "I always thought he was cute. I always thought he was funny."
One night at a party in high school, John offered to give Zoey a piggyback ride to protect her coveted pair of Adolfo Dominguez shoes.
Zoey knew she found someone special that day.
But the two didn\'t start dating until Zoey moved back to Baltimore in 2010 from New York City.
"I had just had a horrible date, so my best friend, Anne Litz, took me to Brewer\'s Art to lift my spirits about Baltimore," Zoey recalled. "She said that it was only a matter of time before I stumbled upon the right man. Seconds later, I ran into John, and we have been together ever since."
The two live in Federal Hill.
The proposal: John proposed to Zoey on her birthday last September.
"He got me a bottle of Hermes perfume," she said. "At that time, it was a hard perfume to get in Baltimore, so I was impressed that he went through all these hoops. I was taken aback when he said that he had another gift for me. He pulled out this bag. He was so precious and all types of nervous."
When Zoey opened up the big, she discovered a box that contained her ring.
"I told him to get down on his knee," Zoey joked. "He put it on my finger. When I saw it in the light, I was dying."
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John then took Zoey to dinner at their favorite restaurant, Peter\'s Inn in Fells Point. He then surprised her by taking her to Roy\'s in Harbor East, where her mother and sister were waiting to help celebrate.
"It was so cute," Zoey said. "I love it when he is tricky and involves my family."
Venue: One hundred and ninety guests attended the wedding and ceremony at the Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park and Museum.
Flowers and decor: The couple worked with Dutch Floral Garden and Revolution Events to create a "simple, lush and intimate" reception space. The flowers were in shades of white with bleached branches, along with white roses lining the tables. Chandeliers in various lengths were above the head table.
Her dress: Zoey wore an ivory silk corset dress by Vivienne Westwood from Kleinfeld Bridal in New York City. She wore Oscar de la Renta deep purple heels, which were given to her by the team at Oscar de la Renta. Her diamond ear cuffs were a gift from EF Collection. Her suspended diamond pave pendant by Monica Vinader was a gift from John.
Bridesmaids\' attire: Bridesmaids wore Jill Stuart dresses from the designer\'s New York City studio. Zoey\'s sister Jackie, the maid of honor, wore a Monique Lhuillier dress.
Men\'s attire: John wore a Charles Tyrwhitt suit, which he purchased when the couple were in London during the summer. The groomsmen wore charcoal suits.
Music: For the ceremony, the couple had a string quartet by Music By Anthem. The reception DJ was Karl Hunt. The couple\'s first dance was to "Make You Feel My Love" by Adele.
Food and dessert: Class Act Catering by Jim Britton provided the food. For the cocktail hour, the couple served crab cakes, jambalaya and sushi. Dinner consisted of sea bass, roasted chicken or eggplant.
"John and I love a good cocktailm so we had a huge full bar that was overseen by Lenny from Ruth\'s Chris" Steak House, Zoey said. "He makes the best cocktails in town. He is a rock star."
The couple had a full bar and two signature drinks: an Old-Fashioned or cucumber fizz. The wedding cake was from Patisserie Poupon and was alternating layers of carrot cake and strawberry shortcake.
Special touches: Zoey and John temporarily moved to Europe the summer before the wedding, which didn\'t make the planning process easy. The couple thank Margo Fischer at Bright Occasions for helping.
"She really was the MVP of the wedding," Zoey said. "She is an amazing wedding planner with impeccable taste and a calming presence who just happens to be one of my close friends from when we studied abroad in Florence together."
Zoey recruited hairstylist Seven Adrin Washington to do her hair for the wedding. The Washington-based stylist has worked with such clients as Rashida Jones, Amy Poehler, Patti Labelle and Lupita Nyong\'o.
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| NEW YORK Sexy in bridal gowns isn\'t new, but barely there looks have leaped off the backs of Beyonce, Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez and made their way from red carpet to wedding.
What about scandalizing your grandmother, priest or old Uncle Harry? Can you look good on your big day while quenching your thirst for ooh-la-la trends and appeasing the more demure gathered for your wedding?
Absolutely, designers and bridal experts said. Others are more pointed: Be yourself and to heck with what anybody else thinks.
Of course, we don\'t all have the bodies — and lifestyles — of Bey, Kim and J. Lo at a time when attention to the body in bridal as opposed to the dress has increased.
"It\'s more about the body now," said Vera Wang, whose spring 2016 bridal lookbook is filled with sexy sheers that show all. "What we\'re trying to do more is really capture a certain sense of intimacy in body language."
So how do we adapt sexy illusion looks, sheers and cutouts to our shapes, as well as to any outside pressures for a more modest approach?
There\'s strapless, for instance, and then there\'s plunging in necklines and backs.
If you\'re looking to make a statement up top but need a bit more coverage for certain relatives, or the church, mosque or synagogue, add-on pieces are plentiful and a lot more stylish than they used to be, said Anja Winikka, site director for the bridal world\'s TheKnot.com.
"The idea that \'it\'s my rite of passage and I\'ll translate a trend the way I want\' includes some pretty sexy styles," she said. "You can add a stole or a cardigan without spoiling your look."
Elle Strauss, fashion director for Brides magazine, urged brides who plan to plunge to pull back elsewhere.
"If you\'re going to do a plunging neckline, keep everything else really simple and chic," she suggested. "The hair and makeup. You\'re not necessarily going to do a full lip or too much eye makeup. The plunging component is your statement."
FILE - In this May 4, 2015 file photo, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West arrive at The Metropolitan Museum of Art\'s Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating
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Designer Monique Lhuillier\'s advice to brides in need of a little modesty is to think tulle.
"For a modern bride with a traditional ceremony, I would recommend a tulle wrap. It will keep her a bit more covered during the ceremony, but it\'s sheer, so guests will still have a sense of the dress underneath and it can be removed for the reception," she said.
Backless or barely there backs are also part of the new sexy in bridal. Winikka has a solution for that, too, if showing too much skin is a problem.
"Put on a long veil for the church to cover it up," she said. "Veils can provide a lot of coverage."
Keren Craig, co-founder with Georgina Chapman of Marchesa, said backs are just as important as fronts nowadays.
"It\'s what your guests will see throughout the ceremony," Craig said. "An illusion back with delicate buttons and vintage-inspired lace is a beautiful way to add interest to your dress."
Chapman agreed that flourishes can help with more risque styles.
"Brides are becoming more daring for their wedding-day looks and opting for seductive silhouettes," she said. "Keren and I like to balance these bold shapes with romantic details such as soft tulle, floral appliques and embroidered lace."
Some brides now buy two dresses or more. Those who worry about wearing barely-there during the ceremony may want to consider a more modest look for the "I Dos" and then change for fun, fun, fun at the reception.
Convertible gowns are more plentiful. They include "infinity" looks with attached wraps and sashes that can be tied and twisted in different ways, offering more coverage for church and sexier scenarios for later. Other convertibles have detachable trains and transform into minis.
Since Kate Middleton\'s grand nuptials with Prince William in 2011, sleeves on bridal gowns have picked up steam. A gown with sleeves can offer options for sexy without revealing anything at all.
"Try sheer sleeves if you want to be a little risque but worry about going over the top," Winikka said. "Sheer with lace, that\'s sexy."
Strauss suggested going sheer at the bottom if legs are your best asset and you\'re uncomfortable with reveals elsewhere.
Cutouts are also happening in bridal gowns. Winikka said placement is everything for body type when it comes to those little slices.
"Cutouts can create that hourglass shape if you don\'t have it," she said. "Make sure they\'re placed at the natural waist if you want to achieve that."
Sexy is one thing, Winikka said, but surveys done by TheKnot.com show that more brides respond to questions about their dresses with: "I just want to look like me."
Ultimately, Strauss said, a bride has to be true to herself when choosing a gown.
"You should dress for yourself," she added. "You shouldn\'t be worrying about Uncle Harry. This is your red carpet day."
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| I could spend the next 500 words dissecting what style truly means. And that it doesn’t have anything to do with clothes. (Spoiler alert: it’s being comfortable in your own skin.)
So let me save you 10 minutes of reading (or 20, if you’re a slow reader, like me) and jump to the end first.
Let’s Tarantino this column, if you will.
Style is confidence. However you choose to express yourself, go nuts.
Care about the latest trends? Awesome. Don’t care about designers? Good for you.
Want to rock crazy high heels after drinking a few martinis and attempt to navigate the cobblestone streets of the Old Port? Swing out, sister. If I see you, I will probably give you a golf clap out of respect.
Want to sport something totally trendy that won’t last more than a season? Or pull off a summer palette when you know you’re totally a winter? God bless.
While I am onboard with self-expression, even if that includes comfort over style, or no style at all, I am a little bummed when I see young women pushing the boundaries into adulthood.
Like Madonna says, “Express Yourself!” But for the love of all that is holy, don’t rush it.
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Enjoy that blissful ignorance of not knowing what a thong is and stick to that six-pack of very reasonable briefs while you can, my tweens.
(Never did I think this column about the musings of the thirtysomething would be subtitled, “Why I’m glad I grew up when I did and how I weep for the generations today.”)
I grew up in the age of The Gap and Old Navy. Bootleg jeans, T-shirts and sweaters were the dress code of the day. I remember the battle with my parents over purchasing an acrylic, swamp-color sweater blasted with the logo of Abercrombie & Fitch. Or saddle shoes with a 4-inch platform heel from Delia’s.
Yes, I grew up in the ’90s and ’00s – and while it was a bleak time for fashion, it was awesome for pop music.
I guess nostalgia can add a rose hue, but I don’t remember feeling like fashion was overly sexualized. We were growing up in the age of Hammer Pants and Umbro soccer shorts.
Kids today are growing up faster than I remember when I was that age. Have you seen kids go through awkward phases anymore? Is that no longer a thing? Braces have been replaced with Invisalign and instead of adolescents having just three frames to choose from for glasses, designers now cater to youth eyewear. Just the other day, I saw a gaggle of middle-schoolers with shoes I couldn’t afford.
And in the age of cell phones, selfies, online bullying and with all the horrible things happening with the Internet, I wish for kids to simply enjoy being young and without the burden of adult responsibility for as long as they can.
It’s a tough line to walk. Young women are told to be free, but not too free. Young celebrities are idealized and body shamed simultaneously.
I would not like to add to the contradiction of voices that young women feel.
So, please dress how you want, as long as you feel comfortable and confident.
And maybe you wait to sport those thong underpants until you understand what a FAFSA really means.
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| Rachel Hunter has revealed that giving up alcohol was the key to maintaining her model figure.
The 46-year-old has returned to New Zealand screens on her new show, Rachel Hunter\'s Tour of Beauty, where she travels the world in search of the secrets to staying youthful and beautiful.
Now the Kiwi supermodel has spoken out about some of her own tips and tricks, as this week\'s Woman\'s Daycovergirl.
Rachel told the magazine it had been 11 years since she stopped drinking.
"I dropped 15 pounds [7kg] in the first three months. It wasn\'t just the drink that made me put on weight - it was the pizzas and junk food that went with it."
Doesn\'t she have a sweet spot for the Tip Top ice creams that made her famous? Nope.
The model said she has ditched dairy products since being diagnosed as lactose intolerant.
She has also cut wheat from her diet, going for egg whites in the morning, and salads and chicken for main meals - which she eats from a side plate instead of a normal-sized dinner plate, to help with portion control.
"If I have a sweet craving, I\'ll have a piece of pineapple or melon."
Rachel Hunter on location for Rachel Hunter\'s Tour of Beauty. The former model has talked about her weight struggles.
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While that all sounds rather dire, Rachel insists every now and then she has "f***-it Sundays" where she allows herself to eat whatever she wants.
"I don\'t go crazy, but there\'s no pressure."
It\'s all about the weddings over at New Idea and the New Zealand Woman\'s Weekly.
TVNZ presenter Jenny-May Coffin recently married her "The One", truck driver Dean Clarkson, who proposed 11 days after they met.
And the Woman\'s Weekly is even claiming to play a part in their love story.
When Jenny-May turned 40 last year, she agreed to do a magazine article celebrating the milestone - which was eagerly read by Dean\'s mum, Jocelyn, who paid close attention to Jenny-May\'s single status.
As Dean was watching One News one night, Jocelyn said: "Dean, that Jenny-May, she\'d be a good catch. She\'s single, she\'s your age, she\'s a gutsy woman - she\'d be perfect for you!"
Dean couldn\'t believe he would ever have a shot with the former Silver Fern. But to his surprise, he met her in a bar on Ponsonby Road just three weeks later... and it was love at first sight.
In other journalism wedding news, Prime News presenter Janika ter Ellen and TV3 sports reporter Ross Karl have shared their engagement story.
The couple, who got together during the Rugby World Cup in 2011, were bushwalking near Janika\'s grandmother\'s house in Kawerau when Ross decided to pop the question.
But Janika was taken aback to find Ross down on one knee.
"I thought he\'d fallen over," she told New Idea. "He was crying, and it didn\'t seem like a happy cry. All the worst case scenarios were going through my head.
"Then he said, \'No, no, no. It\'s just... you are the light of my life and I had a speech but I\'ve forgotten it! But will you marry me?"
The whole palaver reportedly took so long that by the time the couple made it back to the car it was dark - and Janika\'s worried grandmother had called the police.
Meanwhile it\'s not such good news for Pippa Middleton, who has resorted to jealousy-inducing tactics to convince her stockbroker boyfriend, Nico Jackson, to propose.
Pippa, 32, has been openly flirting with two of her ex-boyfriends to try to get Nico, who is based in Switzerland, to come back to London to settle down with her.
The socialite and royal relative was spotted celebrating her birthday with former flame James Matthews on the island of St Barts, and just a few weeks later, took another ex, Tom Kingston as her date to the Boodles Boxing Ball.
"Long distance has been tough on them," a friend told New Idea.
"It\'s difficult to find time for one another and Nico seems to be getting fed up with it all."
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| Time flies when you\'re having fun in fashion.
That\'s Elaine Turner\'s sentiments as she recently toasted 15 years in business. The designer, who has made an empire with her handbags, shoes, clothes and other accessories, has grown from the first store in Rice Village to 10 stores in Texas, Nashville and New York.
She recently opened her City Centre store for a VIP anniversary party with about 75 stylish guests. Turner talked fall trends, as models showed off the season\'s best. Fashion illustrator Rongrong Devoe was on hand to sketch guests, while others mingled and sampled bites from Seasons 52, cupcakes by Sofia\'s Sweets and cocktails by Stoli Vodka.
Turner, who works in the business with husband, Jim Turner, has covered a lot of fashionable ground in 15 years.
So we asked her to share the 15 top things she\'s learned. Here\'s what she said:
1. Be true to your roots and own your story. At one point on our journey we got advice from an industry insider to keep our Texas roots on the "down low" and I remember Jim and I feeling very uneasy about it. Right then and there we decided to make the conscious decision to be exactly who we are no matter what - and to never again question who we are and where we come from.
2. Know your audience. Do everything you can to understand and serve your customer. She will give you credit for it!
3. When you get knocked down- pick up your boot straps and start again! Over the years, I\'ve consciously worked hard on creating a buffer of strength and courage to get me through tough days. If your mind is right - you can conquer anything.
4. Always listen to your gut. Trust yourself. Eliminate the noise and go back to what you know is true.
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5. Empower women and change lives. This has become the foundation of my brand. It\'s my purpose. My passion is to empower women by using my fashion platform through knowledge, humor and inspiration. This is what gets me up every morning.
6. Be courageous. Don\'t be afraid to try new things and get out of your comfort zone. I challenge myself to grow and learn as a designer.
7. Take time for yourself and things you love. I\'m not going to lie this one is hard for me and I\'m a work in progress. I\'m always working and thinking of the next thing I need to conquer. Stress can easily consume you while running a company. I\'ve been working on this and finding the time for yoga or a fast walk at least once a week and I do see a difference. A clear mind opens up space for creativity and visionary thinking.
8. At the end of the day there is always a glass (or several) of wine! Simple but true.
9. Don\'t take yourself too seriously. Have fun and laugh!! Remember this is fashion we are talking about not curing cancer. The fashion industry has a tendency to believe its own bullsh*t. Keep it in perspective and enjoy the process.
10. You are only as good as those around you. Surround yourself with like-minded, talented people. Hire people that are better than you. This is key to growing a successful business.
11. Compare and despair. Embrace your own journey and don\'t waste time trying to figure someone else\'s out.
12. Focus on the human connection not the sales transaction. Focus on making someone feel beautiful inside and out not how quickly you can get them to the cash register.
13. Progress not perfection. Focus on your progress and know that you are exactly where you should be while taking responsible risks. You\'ve got to take risks in business and in life.
14. Eliminate the Nay Sayers. When you do something different, like start a fashion brand in Houston, you are bound to receive feedback from many skeptics. They have their voice and you have yours.
15. Forge your own path to GREATNESS. Be a renegade- take the road less traveled. Not everyone will follow you. Not everyone will understand you. Not everyone will celebrate you but you are the only YOU you\'ve got.
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| Wedding guests are typically seated based on their relationship with the bride or the groom, but one local wedding will add a new twist to that tradition Saturday.
Matt Bonzer and Lexie Nims plan to seat guests based on their allegiance to the UND or North Dakota State University football team, a nod to the unfortunate scheduling conflict that landed their wedding on the same day as the first game between the two rivals in 12 years. Bonzer and Nims both have degrees from UND and Bonzer\'s parents are supporters of UND athletics, but Nims\' family members are NDSU fans.
"It makes sense to at least have a little fun with the idea," Bonzer said.
The snafu began more than a year ago when Bonzer and Nims were scheduling their wedding. One date, Sept. 19, seemed like a good one because they both like the fall and it fell between harvest seasons, which would help Nims\' farming family. Bonzer added that it\'s easier for him to get away from work at Bonzer\'s Sandwich Pub when there isn\'t a UND athletics event in town.
"There was this date, Sept. 19, and UND didn\'t have a game scheduled, nor did NDSU have a game scheduled," he said.
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Bonzer even had an expert consulting him: Herald sportswriter Tom Miller, who happens to be his best man. At the time, Miller thought it was unlikely that UND and NDSU would play that day, Bonzer said, so they planned for Sept. 19.
It was only some time and significant monetary investment later, and after NDSU\'s athletic director left for another job, did they learn of their mistake. Miller happened to be in a taxi in Las Vegas with the couple when he heard the news that UND and NDSU had scheduled a game on their wedding day.
"They were pretty cool about it," Miller said.
Indeed, the couple seems to be taking it in stride, as are their guests.
"I actually did get some crap from some close family friends who are also really big Bison fans who said, \'Oh we\'re not going to come to your wedding, we\'re going to the game instead,\'" Nims said. "And their wives are usually hitting them on the shoulder saying, \'We\'ll be there.\'"
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| Sonia Kashuk\'s "Grand Bazaar" collection was inspired by the colors, smells, and textures of Turkey\'s biggest city.
For beauty mogul Sonia Kashuk, who is known for making the best makeup brushes in town, travel is a constant source of inspiration. Kashuk and her husband recently returned from a long-awaited trip to Istanbul, where she got inspiration for her latest makeup and accessories collection, Grand Bazaar. She spoke to Cond� Nast Travelerabout books, beauty, and her favorite hotel bars.
What were the highlights of your trip to Istanbul?
The first day we went to the Chora Church, which has incredible mosaics. We went to Istanbul 360, where the views are so amazing, and Pandelli, which is this beautiful, famous old-world restaurant on top of theSpice Bazaar. That was a great experience... walking up the teeny-tiny steps and looking out the windows. Between the coffee, dates, chocolate, nuts, spices, and the colors—it was all so inspiring. I loved walking through the Grand Bazaar. There are so many little shops with all these antiques, and there\'s so much color. When we started putting together the colors and the patterns, it reminded me of that warmth, the visual cues that I was seeing.The criss cross plaid [used throughout the collection] was inspired by the pathways in the bazaar. All the colors took me from the Spice Market to the Grand Bazaar.
Besides plenty of ideas, what did you bring back with you?
There was an old gallery we went to where I bought a couple of paintings. I found these two paintings from an artist who had recently died. They’re from the ‘70s, and the color and form are so fascinating. The Ala Turka house is a tiny antique dealer, four or five stories high. There are so many beautiful things. I saw a brush handle, I saw a color. To me, there’s inspiration everywhere, but when you get out to these beautiful cities with charm and history, so much manifests in my mind and it just starts going. They fill my soul, and it’s so much easier to start ideating about a collection.
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What\'s your travel uniform?
I like to be comfortable. A T-shirt, sweatpants, some kind of cashmere blanket, and a jacket, because no matter what, it always seems like it’s freezing. I never really eat on planes. I take an Ambien on overnight flights. I drink a lot of water, no alcohol. I can actually sleep on planes, so I’m very lucky. I go into The Zone with a book. If I load up a stack of magazines, I’m good for a few hours.
Kindle, iPad, or book?
I’m definitely a book [person]. I have a smaller computer, so it’s travel-friendly. I just read the new Elon Musk book. I loved it.
What\'s your jet lag remedy?
I find it easier coming home, because you can get into your own bed. As long as I work out and stay up and get some work done–I try not to sleep when I get there. I remember once being in China and it was so painful, the jet lag was horrendous. But in India, for some reason, it was totally fine.
Do you have a favorite hotel bar?
The old bar at the Ritz Paris. Harry’s Bar in Venice is iconic and fun to go to. In Milan, we’re always at the Four Seasons bar. I’ve been going there for years because I do a lot of work there, and it feels like a family. Everyone loves hanging out there. It’s great for people watching.
Where are you headed next?
Buenos Aires, Uruguay, and Cuba. I’m also interested in getting to Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia, seeing Angkor Wat. I love to travel, but I like going where there’s a difference in culture. When you knock off the wonders of the world, Macchu Picchu or the Taj Mahal–they’re incredible–it makes me go even crazier to continue to travel. As I get older, I want to make sure I’m seeing everything. I’m so interested in sharing it with my kids.
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