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Beach Bound: The Retro Look

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Summer is going by fast, but there’s still time to hit the beach and soak up the sun. One of the hottest trends in swimwear this season is the retro look, featuring high waists, ruched tops, and draped bodices. While it may be intimidating to sport the same beachwear as pinup girls and classic beauties, this season’s suits flatter all body types and will surely set you apart from the crowd.

This red one piece from The Red Dolly recreates this season’s vintage-inspired style with a gathered bust, halter top, and classic, flattering shape. The suit’s subtle detailing will allow you to wear it next summer without looking last season.

The high waist bikini is for the more daring trend setter, but all you need to pull it off is a little confidence and some sass. This white suit from LA Drama Queen features sweet eyelet detailing and a little bow, making it both feminine and flirty. While the high waist may look intimidating, it will actually make you appear slimmer by complimenting your natural curves and holding in your tummy.

A true retro girl never leaves the house without her signature lipstick. This cherry red shade from Glory Box Cosmetics is a quick way to pull together your retro-inspired beach look.

The hot summer weather is sure to leave the sand scorching. You’ll need a cute pair of sandals in order to comfortably stroll down the beach. Hit the sand in this silver pair from Tuto. Made from leather, they have a simple, modern style that will freshen up this season’s retro look and make it decidedly 21st century.

There are still plenty of long summer days left to pull together this season’s retro-inspired beach look. Channel the classic beauties, head to the nearest body of water, and get ready to turn some heads!

Easter Best

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Commercially speaking, Easter doesn’t really get the attention Christmas does. No matter how hard the Bunny tries, he will always play second-fiddle to the Big Man. This is okay with me. I can only handle one big holiday a year, which is why Easter, the most low-key, is also perhaps my favorite. (Daisy photo from Country Dreaming.)

Growing up, I looked forward to getting the Easter basket. What kid doesn’t love a basket full of chocolate eggs, marshmallow candies, and a over-sized chocolate bunny? I couldn’t tell you what the basket looked like, but it had that green plastic grass in it that hid lots of chocolate treats. The Easter egg hunt was also a lot of fun. My brother and I would run around the house finding plastic eggs filled with jellybeans. My brother, four years younger, needed help from my parents

A grown-up Easter basket from All Decked Out Boutique

I wouldn’t mind a basket full of these delicious-looking cookies from Holiday Candy Lane.

The second part of Easter after the egg hunt and basket unveiling, was less exciting at least for a kid. It involved getting dressed in a new dress, going to church, and then having a big family dinner. Frilly white dresses with lace and Easter bonnets were popular among me and my fellow 10-year-olds.

A stylish hat from Katrina Couture.

Laid-back yellow halter dress from One Avian Daemon.

25 years later, Easter is a bit different. There are no baskets or Easter egg hunts. However, we still go to church in the morning, I still manage to eat chocolate, and we do have a big family dinner. Also, I always find an excuse to buy myself something new—not necessarily white and frilly, but something for Spring.

Re-Bound

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Re-Bound: Creating Handmade Books from Recycled and Repurposed Materials
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Re-Bound is a beautiful book on bookbinding with a fun green twist-all the projects use recycled and upcycled materials. This book shows you how to take everyday materials from around the house, flea markets, thrift stores, and hardware stores and turn them into clever and eye-catching hand-made books.
” → more info

MaxEquations Wearable Art

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MaxEquations is a labor of love created by myself, Eve in partnership with my husband, Gary. He provides the business knowledge while I design our clothing and communicate with our customers. I have a varied background in the arts, as does Gary, but no direct experience in designing clothing until now. Strangely enough, I spent thousands of hours of my childhood drawing fashion designs. Who knew?

After the collection is designed, I work hand in hand with Linda Synder, our in house seamstress and pattern maker, who helps make my ideas come to life.

The clothing is then hand painted by our artist, Brian Metz. Our painted images are based on a seasonal theme determined by myself and designed along with Brian who paints each piece to order.

Counting the Days

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At our house, December 2009 was a blur of working, crafting and traveling. Somehow, in all of the excitement and frenzy of the holidays, the 31 days of 2009’s final month felt more like 13 days. There just never seemed enough time! That must be why, almost a full week into the new year, we are just now getting around to replacing all of the calendars in the house. In past years, I have always grabbed a big, glossy shrink-wrapped calendar from the big-box bookstore, but this year I am looking for something different. Because we are going to have to live with it for the next 12 months, I want something unique, clever and, of course, eco-friendly.

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