Fashion Parlor

Kendra and Thomas had a crafty, musical, beer-filled wedding day in Tuscon with heirlooms galore and so many meaningful moments. Thankfully, we got the WHOLE scoop from the bride so I'mma let her finish. Read on for more details and lots of killer photos of the countdown to the new year…

We met at a party at my house. Thomas arrived with a group of mutual friends and noticed a guitar in my empty room and kept going in to play it. I kept going into the room to try and get him to join the party. We began talking and realized we had a ton in common, a mutual love of music, and a large group of common friends. It was so natural. We quickly began spending every day together, playing in a band together, traveling together, and making memories with our families and friends. We met as freshman, dated through college, moved to NYC together, and 11 years later, were married in our hometown of Tucson, AZ.

Thomas proposed in August 2015 shortly after the Defense of Marriage Act was overturned by the US Supreme Court. Both of us have been activists in the LGBTQ+ community for several years and always felt strongly about waiting to get married until after all of our loved ones were granted the same rights as us.

After being overturned in June 2015, Thomas began planning the proposal. He brought me to Prospect Park near our apartment in Brooklyn for a picnic and paddle boat ride, knowing that I would ask to take a carousel ride at the end of the day. When I did, and towards the end of the ride, the staff changed the music over to our song and he jumped off his horse and asked me to marry him. After tears and inaudible talking, a group of friends and family from across the country walked into the carousel area with flowers and smiles eager to celebrate and congratulate us.

Our priorities for the wedding were good music, good photos, good beer, an open guest list so we could include all of our family and friends (and their kids!), vegetarian Mexican food, and a FUN PARTY.

We also wanted our wedding to be authentically us. We wanted it to reflect who we are and celebrate the life we have built together and the future we will share. We are creative and crafty so the theme and decor was very DIY. We wanted the feel of the day to be fun, relaxed, casual, and colorful. We wanted to embrace the desert colors while adding a bit of sparkle for the New Year's holiday.

I wore my mother's dress during the ceremony. My mom made the dress herself and wore it for her wedding, 46 years prior. My mom made the bonnet she wore when we was taken home from the hospital as a baby into a handkerchief and Thomas wore it as a pocket square. For the reception, I wore a necklace that was custom made from a collection of jewelry from the grandmothers, moms, aunts, sisters, friends, and niece. Thomas wore cufflinks that were my grandpa's. I also wore a University of Michigan garter (Go Blue). We made all of the bolo ties that the groom, best men, groomsmen, ushers, officiant, ring bearer, and dads wore.

We made candle holders that had the images of all of our grandparents that passed so that they would be part of our ceremony.

My favorite parts were the vows and our high-five after our vows because we made it through them without crying too much. Our officiant (and best friend) was incredible and perfect. Our wedding party made of family and best friends who stood by us as they have for years. Our flower girls who jumped down the aisle to "No Sleep 'til Brooklyn" throwing gold and silver confetti that got bored during the ceremony and kept grabbing our legs. Our sweet ring bearer who is way too responsible for his age. Our moms standing by us and assisting us with our candle lighting ceremony. The bell being rung after it was all over and being surrounded by the people we love most.

Sex is one of those things that we’re not supposed to openly talk about, but at the same time are supposed to know everything about. Lindsey Metselaar, a native New Yorker and relationship expert, is opening up the taboo conversation on her weekly podcast, We Met at Acme. It delves into all things millennial dating — from dating app etiquette, to sex on the first date, to everything you need to know about STD’s — with an inclusive array of guests, including celebrities, therapists, and even porn stars! We Met at Acme takes a witty and relatable approach to the topics we don’t talk about enough through real life experiences, while still providing the educational information that we need to know. Think the 2018 version of Sex and the City, but with way more astrology talk!

Dating someone who has cheated before or loving everything about someone but not wanting to be with them can be unchartered territory for most, but Lindsey helps us with her 20-something take on it all. If you’re looking for something new to listen to on your commute to work or while you’re having a chill night at home, I’ve rounded up my top 5 favorite episodes of this podcast so far!

Episode 4: Britni

In one of the very first episodes, Lindsey gets real with her good friend, Britni and let’s just say they have the girl talk of our dreams! They cover every topic — from red flags, to dating multiple guys at once, to bringing up what you like in bed right away with your partner. Lindsey explains her three texting rules to live by (hint hint, if he wants to talk to you, then he will reach out, ladies). The most important takeaway is to allow yourself to be honest and vulnerable. Sex and relationships take practice and time, and at the end of the day, we’re just trying our best to figure it all out!

Episode 12 – Olivia Perez, Founder of Friend Of A Friend

Lindsey sits down with boss babe Olivia Perez and talks everything social media and dating. From guys sliding into the DM’s to to deleting pictures of your ex off your page, they give their opinion on it all. As a young business owner, Olivia shares her experience with men being intimated by her success and how she doesn’t let it slow her down. In this episode, they answer the controversial question of  “Should the guy love the girl more?”

Episode 24 – Carli Blau, Sex Therapist

Okay guys, you’re going to want to get a paper and pen out for this one. Licensed sex and relationship therapist Carli Blau shares everything you’ve ever wanted to know and more on safe sex. This episode is all about recognizing that knowledge is power — the more you know, the more you can prevent, protect, and prepare. Carli answers lots of questions, like how often you should be getting tested, what exactly is HPV, and if you should be freezing your eggs. I’m just telling you now, I was mind-blown. 

Lindsey and Carli also open up about why loving yourself and your body first is crucial, about being yourself from the beginning, and sex taking consistency — if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it! Listen to the episode to hear why.

Episode 28 – Jesse Israel, Founder of The Big Quiet

Jesse Israel, founder of The Big Quiet: Mass Meditation for Modern People, shares how his personal exploration into orgasmic meditation has shifted how he talks about sex and women. Woah, did I just say orgasmic meditation? — yes, yes I did, and you’re going to want to know more about it. He explains the importance of being present with your partner and focusing on pleasure over everything else!

In this episode, they compare masculine and feminine energies and how you probably have both, being held at the end of the day, and if men should be getting women an Uber home after staying the night. Maybe drop a subtle hint to your partner to listen to this one too!

Episode 45 – Amy Chan, Founder of Renew Breakup Boot Camp

This one is all about coping after a break-up, valuing your self-worth, and acknowledging unhealthy dating patterns. Amy’s mission, through Renew Breakup Boot Camp, is to provide people with methods of healing and finding the true source of their wounds. This episode also discusses anxious versus avoidant attachment styles (this is super interesting!), how over-giving might mean overcompensating, and listening to your intuition. Spoiler alert: Amy believes there is no rule book for the right time to have sex with a new partner, and I’m with her on this one!

If you listened to these episodes and still can’t get enough, head over to We Met At Acme, where Lindsey shares her favorite articles and books to read! (Bonus: she posts the most entertaining poll questions on her Instagram stories).

What’s your favorite episode and advice of Lindsey’s? Let us know in the comments!

When it comes to pumpkin decorating ideas, I tend to draw my inspiration from design trends. Last year it was Matisse-inspired pumpkins, the year before that it was fun iridescent pumpkins. Terrazzo is my favorite design trend this year, so naturally I decided to do a terrazzo-inspired pumpkin! These DIY no carve terrazzo-inspired pumpkins are super easy to make, only require a couple of easy-to-find materials, and are a great way to bring a pop of color to your holiday décor!

Aren’t they so cute?? I just love the colors! I used white pumpkins since the colors would pop more against a white surface, but you could also paint orange pumpkins and go for ALL the color. Oooh, that would be so fun – someone please do it and send me photos!

I actually started with the intent of making these pumpkins just with craft vinyl, but I was a bit frustrated by the lack of control over my color palette. I really wanted to use some nature-inspired fall tones along with soft muted pinks and greens. Color is so important for anything terrazzo inspired! You can still make these pumpkins with craft vinyl (especially if you’re decorating faux pumpkins), but you’ll probably want to choose a brighter color palette. The pink and purple pumpkin above was made entirely with craft vinyl on a faux white pumpkin.

Materials

Craft paint in your chosen color palette

Paint brushes (the smaller the better! Size 0 and 1 for corners and smaller pieces, probably no larger than size 4 or 5 for some of the larger pieces)

Paint palette or paper plate

Craft vinyl and scissors (optional)

Pumpkins in varying shapes and sizes

To make the DIY No Carve Terrazzo-inspired Pumpkins:

Step 1. Choose your color palette. I recommend selecting 4-6 colors per pumpkin. You can keep the color palette the same for each pumpkin, or mix things up a bit and choose several color combinations with some overlapping colors. I chose a mix of pinks, peach, ochre (deep yellow), navy blue, shades of green, and rust. Each pumpkin had some pink and ochre, but otherwise I mixed things up a bit!

Step 2. Squeeze a small amount of each paint color onto a paint palette or paper plate. If necessary, mix colors to achieve the perfect shade of a particular color. Starting with the first color, paint a few terrazzo-inspired geometric shapes around the pumpkin. You want these shapes to look like stone fragments, so geometric shapes with softer corners are definitely your friend here. Trapezoids, diamonds, irregular circles and rectangles, and triangles. I found it easiest to paint a few larger shapes around the pumpkin to make sure the colors were evenly distributed, then fill in with smaller shapes. 

Note: If you’re using craft vinyl, you’ll basically do the same thing, except instead of painting you’ll use your scissors to cut terrazzo-inspired shapes from your craft vinyl. Once you have a variety of shapes and colors cut, carefully peel the adhesive backing and apply to the pumpkin like a sticker. I found it easiest to start with some of the larger shapes randomly scattered around the pumpkin surface, then fill in with the smaller shapes as I went. I really didn’t have a plan, so you can totally just wing it! If you place a shape and then change your mind, you should be able to move it by very carefully peeling the vinyl from the pumpkin and moving it to a new spot.

Step 3. Continue painting the entire pumpkin, and if necessary apply a second or third coat of paint to ensure full color coverage. Allow the paint to dry completely and enjoy!

I scattered these pumpkins across our mantel and bookshelves, but these would be so cute as a holiday centerpiece. Paint a bunch (like a dozen) and line them all in a row down a table!

Yay! Happy Halloween decorating everyone!

p.s. DIY Iridescent Pumpkins and DIY Rainbow Halloween Treat Bags

Photo Credits: Nole Garey for Oh So Beautiful Paper

I hope everyone is having a good summer! This year’s July 4th was on Wednesday so I ended up making a very long weekend out of it and made the trip from NYC to the Hamptons.

My skincare isn’t really based on set routines because I believe in changing things based on what my skin needs, so I’m sharing a couple of the products I brought with me for my long weekend trip.

Kahina Giving Beauty Oil Cleanser

I’ve been consulting with estheticians and figured out that it doesn’t matter if you only wear sunscreen and “light makeup,” especially in summer, everyone needs to double cleanse to get that surface stuff off before going in for that actual cleanse. It is apparently one of the core tenants of Asian Beauty Rituals so I’ve committed to oil cleansing every night before going over my skin with my trusty Halcyon Cleanser which is like…. the most necessary staple in my routine and key for good skin during summer when everything feels grittier and sweatier, it leaves my naked skin soft and baby-like.

As mentioned in my previous post on oil cleansers, Kahina’s Oil Cleanser is my favorite oil cleanser. It has a subtle yet pleasant aroma, possesses a nice weighty texture for massage without tugging at the skin and rinses cleanly. Beyond good organic ingredients, it’s also anti-inflammatory which is a major plus for heat prone summer skin. I like to massage it and feel the impurities glide off my skin. Since using this in conjunction with Halcyon, my skin has been totally clear and pores look clean and tiny, even those around my nose.

African Botanics Rose Treatment Essence

Many people assume that summer means going lighter on moisturizing products but that’s a mistake. The water content in the skin can be even more prone to TEWL (trans-epidermal water loss) due to the sun, air conditioning and high temperatures.

The Rose Treatment Essence is a nice weighty translucent gel that is far from the fluid textures of Asian essences. I gently rub this around my skin and it disappears immediately like a succulent serum. And the rose, oh my, the rose scent is such a pretty thing, so full and elegant, that the first few times I used it, I was so taken that I barely even paid attention to any results. Armed with botanical emollients, humectants, hyaluronic acid, and oligosaccharides, the results are worthy of the price tag: it’s very hydrating but not heavy or clogging which is exactly what you want from an essence, and the ingredients make skin feel firmer and pores look smaller.

Tata Harper Resurfacing Mask

A classic as far as green beauty goes, this has been in my beauty ritual for years. I always purchase a new jar at the beginning of every summer because I know how beautifully it works to gently exfoliate dead skin cells and all that leftover residue that accumulates during summer. This leaves my summer skin feeling light, fresh and happy and the instant-ready jelly texture is convenient to apply and wash off. The refreshing aqueous-herbaceous, fruity scent is one of my favorites.

Tatcha Indigo Soothing Silk Hand Cream

Have you ever sat in an air-conditioned room and then felt your hands? For some reason, they always feel a little… rough, right? I first used Tatcha’s Indigo Soothing Silk Hand Cream years ago and continue to love it. This hand cream disappears so quickly that it feels like your skin just drinks it up like water. And my hands are always left so smooth and nice.

Truth be told, I love a chic, sophisticated tube of hand cream since I’m always taking it out of my handbag in public and Tatcha is a brand that I associate with elegant beauty. Unlike a lot of other brands that make chic, sophisticated hand creams like Byredo or Le Labo, Tatcha uses only natural fragrances so my hands (and the things they touch e.g. FOOD) do not carry any cloying scents. This is very important to me as strong, synthetic scents really get to me and make me feel sick after continued exposure.

YÜLI Cellular Lip Conditioner

I’m more laid back about lip balm usage during the summer, it just feels counter-intuitive to me to cover my lips in a layer of balm while my face is melting off. Cellular Lip Conditioner is a lip serum that is 100% food grade (yay!), but also serious business as there is a powerful antioxidant chemistry that strengthens against UV exposure. It has great, nourishing plant oils like avocado, sesame seed, and green tea.

The texture is light, yet you feel nourished and hydrated. I like applying this also as a base layer before lipsticks and stains which can be drying (especially organic selections).

Kjaer Weis Cream Foundation

This has been my go-to foundation since I first started using it (see Kjaer Weis review). I love how versatile it is, it can be worn as a “naked your skin but better” foundation or a fuller coverage depending on how you blend and layer. For daytime, I do three swipes: one on each cheek and forehead, then blend in for a very minimal face that still evens and lightens my skin.

What I love about this cream foundation is how it soaks up oils that skin produces throughout the day so even by the end of the day, I’m left with a very natural dewy complexion with a highlighter-esque sheen rather than a greasy face.

YÜLI Metamorphic Elixir

It’s funny how long I’ve been using this line. When I first started, my skin was ridiculously out of balance, oily and acne prone. I was using Panacea Elixir (which is like an organic P50 without the acids) and now, I all about that tall drink of Metamorphic Elixir which is a very rejuvenating (translation: anti-aging) and hydrating face mist. One thing I’ve learned is that a non-water based mist is much better than water-based mists that can evaporate and leave skin even more dehydrated and Metamorphic Elixir uses botanical hydrosols and aloe vera which are more hydrating and do not have that evaporation problem.

In addition to that base, Metamorphic has serum-level ingredients with an instant-mist delivery so you’re loading up on things like hyaluronic acid, carrot seed, and immortelle flower (the star ingredient of Madonna’s MDNA line). This has helped my skin feel more plumped and satiated. I have been using it for 2 weeks straight, spraying anytime I felt like it and my skin analyzer indicated that my hydration went up by 26% – the real deal.

Let me know if you’ve been trying anything new for summer!

You know that awkward feeling when you wake up, check your phone, and realize you semi-drunkenly took a selfie, Facetuned it into one giant blur, and then posted it to Instagram? Yeah, not great! Fortunately, the hazards of photoshop aren't just limited to us sloppy mortals—even the Kardashians often occasionally slip up by giving themselves an extra thumb or terrifyingly f*cked up feet. We're in good company!

Which brings us to Kim Kardashian, Vice President of America's First Family and person who's had too many photoshop fails to count. Except I counted, lol, so like...here ya go!

Once upon a time Kim Kardashian posted this photo to Instagram and thought the world just wouldn't notice the squished car behind her. HAHAH, oh Kim.

Her response? To turn commenting off on the pic and dedicate an entire Instagram Story post to explaining herself.

"I’m seeing online and on news media outlets that I suffered a 'Photoshop fail,'" Kim wrote in a post on her site. "So ridiculous! I reposted a picture on Instagram that a fan had already posted—I only added a filter to it... It looks like the fan mirrored the photo, which is the reason the car looks like that." Hm, okay.

One of Kim's most classic fails came when she tried to promote her Ultra Light Beams collection on Instagram. Here's the photo in question:

Looks normal, right? Right! That is, until you see hairstylist Chris Appleton's version of the same pic:

Put 'em side by side and it becomes pretty obvious that Kim photoshopped her eyes to be a completely different shade of brown and also did a lil something-something to her nose, which is wild!

Recently, our girl Kimberly was accused of paying paparazzi to photoshop pics for her, which takes things to a whole new level of extra. Instagram account @fakegirlsfvckya caught this moment, which had everyone turn into the IRL version of this: �.

Her Blackface Allegations

This photoshop fail falls squarely into the "yikes" category. Kim was accused of blackface after she tweeted a pic from her KKW beauty campaign and it looked like she had significantly darkened her skin. Here's the image she shared:

And here's some of the backlash:

"I was really tan when we shot the images, and it might be that the contrast was off," Kim later told The New York Times. "But I showed the image to many people, to many in the business. No one brought that to our attention. No one mentioned it. We saw the problem, and we adapted and changed right away. Definitely, I have learned from it."

A telltale sign of bad photoshopping is when straight lines take on mysterious angles. On that note, notice anything weird about this picture? You know, like the fact that this is not what a door looks like?! Good lord, Kimberly!

Kim has since gotten better at making sure straight lines in the background of her images remain straight, but clearly she hadn't yet mastered the art in the following snaps. Peep the weird curve on her closet door, to the left:

Fun fact, Kim's photoshop fails don't just pertain to her body and her face! She once infamously photoshopped KKW perfumes into old pics and somehow didn't think anyone would notice. Update: they did.

You know what was awk? When Kim Kardashian photoshopped pics from a family party, and then the original photo was posted to Instagram, and then everyone noticed that the two were different, and then someone made this GIF to compare the real pic vs. the edited pic:

On that note:

Mehera Bonner From Brooklyn by way of London, I'm an entertainment reporter with a love for pizza, pop culture, and Twin Peaks—in that order.

Source: https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/a26960024/kim-kardashian-photoshop-fails/