Fall Into Flats!

Since I now live in a spritely neighborhood that is growing by leaps and bounds, (Midtown Memphis, The Cooper Young District), I feel the need to leap and bound along with it. Unfortunately, my shoe choices are slim when it comes to comfort AND fashion. This area is known for its vast choices of community events; almost every weekend boasts something new and exciting to see within walking distance of my centrally located house.
While my Remix Wedges are still my FAVORITE shoes for walking or dancing, they were expensive and I am not in a hurry to wear them out.

And sadly, my espadrille sandals won't be seasonally appropriate much longer. So I made it my mission to find something that works for my active new lifestyle but also my vintage inspired wardrobe. Let's go browsing, shall we?

First on our shopping trip:

As much as I love vintage style, I also love when shoes have a little bit of a modern whisper to them. These, by Blowfish, are right up my alley. I love an ankle strap and these are casual but chic. I would wear them with an A-line skirt and vintage top or with a casual shirtdress and cardigan.


Priced at 39.00 at zappos.

For a stylish walking shoe,anything under 100.00 is a steal! These metallic ballet-style flats by Earthies stood out to me. Metallics are my choice for neutral shoes because they look classic and interesting simultaneously, especially for those of us who are not interested in a lot of jewelry. These would go with a variety of things, from jeans to dresses.

Priced around 80.00 at The Walking Company.

Pin Up Girl Clothing has a bunch of comfortable and affordable options, currently. These patent ankle strap flats are perfect for cigarette pants and pencil skirts:

Priced at 44.00

For print dresses and skirts, a solid colorful shoe is one of my favorite things! Don't worry about exact match with the outfit you're wearing; the point is to find a statement hue that complements your ensemble. This green is a good color for summer and fall!

Move over Crocs! Mel by Melissa is a stylish 'synthetic' shoe that satisfies my 80's 'Jelly-Shoe' passion but also complements my vintage tastes. They have a reputation for being affordable (most pairs under 50.00) and comfortable too. Since some of them have a vented texture, they may not be ideal for very cold climates, unless you wear them with a pair of tights.

both pairs, 45.00 on Zappos

For sportier gals, I have always been a fan of VANS. I had a ballet style sneaker from them that lasted for eons and looked cute with all my activewear. These are my current favorites. I want to wear them with a pleated skirt and tee shirt!

Vans Era sneakers-55.00 on Zappos

Finally, I can't post a 'flats' blog entry without mentioning Easy Spirit, often equated with older ladies and overlooked by the younger crowd. I own a cute pair of leopard print suede ballet flats and have walked MILES in them, with no ill effects. I really like this bejeweled pewter pair, great for a flirty black dress and a less predictable option than a basic black shoe. You can walk to the opera in these:

Giota flats available for 79.00 at Easy Spirit's website. But I'll bet you can find them cheaper.


Feel free to share your favorite footwear sites in the comments! Remember that dance shoes are also usually a good option for walking, as long as the sole isn't too slick. So don't overlook dance supply shops either, when considering flat footwear purchases. Til next time, happy hoofing!

XoXo
Ashley

Black Men Hairstyles

Black men are so versatile and diverse hairstyles as women. In fact, their decisions for their characteristic of hairdresser cuts of all lengths and styles. To find the style, is the best for him, a man can consider their style of life, personality, career and overall image.

Find the right hairstyle can be simply as a challenge for men as for women. Also after the election seems something that they like, their hair never work together to give the appearance of what you want. There are some traditional black hairstyles for men that never go out of fashion. These styles are classic-looking and reflect cuts bevel, easy to maintain and are suitable for any type of event or clothing.

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Beautiful Wedding Hairstyles Bridal Hair

Perfect 'do for your big day? Get inspired by these gorgeous styles that will leave any bride tressed to impress!

Journey to Grace: Phase One

In the years I've been hosting my Youtube channel, I have always expressed my admiration for certain icons of beauty, most significantly-Grace Kelly. Her presence on film notwithstanding, she was also an offscreen ispiration. She conveyed style and poise, even in the most casual of circumstances.



Having been a redhead for many years now, I have been toying with the idea of going blonde again for some time. It's a huge step, because as a platinum blonde, the monthly root touch ups can be very expensive. I have always enjoyed emulating the casual glamour of Grace Kelly's waves, so with my 'blonde ambition' in mind, I decided to take subtle steps toward my goal instead of attempting one crazy move from red to blonde.

Grace's hair color seems to change a bit from famous photo to photo. I think many times this was due to a specific role she was playing, but there is no doubt that our natural hair color is similar...a darker blonde. I've always found my natural hair color boring, but since my 'Journey to Grace' is to be a slow one, it made sense to me to start off easy and make 'phase one' of this adventure a return to my dark blonde. The following photo was my reference point and I made it my mission to fid a stylist locally that was up to the challenge.



Going from red to blonde is no easy task, especially if you have been red for a while. Layers of color build up over time and must be stripped before the lifting and lightening can commence, especially if you are going for a beige blonde.

The stylist I chose is Robin Tucker, famed for her work on stage and screen, as well as her photography. She travels worldwide to work her magic but is proud to call Memphis home. Because she maintains a busy schedule, booking an appointment with her required a little bit of a wait, but it was well worth it. See her astonishing resume' and inspiring photographs here:
http://www.robintuckerstudio.com/

Her studio is in her home, and it's a lovely airy space that doesn't try to be edgy or industrial, like so many upscale salons, but also doesn't feel like a home based business. Her photographs make a bold statement against the clean white walls and an impressively stocked jukebox rocks you through even the most tedious of appointments. Which, this was, I'm not going to lie.

Robin doesn't take short cuts. I mean, she can certainly create a phenomenal short CUT, but as to taking an easy way out of a process...no. So I was prepared for what was in store for me, getting this red out of my hair.

First we stripped the hair, which was a process of about three different applications and dryer sessions. The last step sealed the hair and prepared it for lightening. None of these applications burned the scalp or smelled strong, but they had to be watched carefully. The next step was the lightening. Robin used a 10 volume bleach; she doesn't like to use a stronger one, opting instead to do several applications if necessary. We only processed once, since my desired hair color was a darker blonde.

The bleach was ROUGH. Even the 10 Volume burned me badly, rendering my scalp so sensitive that we had to apply the color at a later time. For a few days, I boasted brassy long hair and pale yellow roots. Not a pretty look. But I did have fun with my Ann Margret styles:

Two days later, I was back in Robin's comfy chair, applying color. It felt nice and conditioning and cool...not painful at all. Thank goodness!!

After the color, Robin worked her magic with my cut. I had it cut a little above shoulder length and will progressively go shorter with it, the lighter it gets. The final outcome was fun and shiny and healthy feeling! Even all over with no red...exactly what I hoped for!

I have to say, I'm thrilled with Robin, thrilled with the result, and increasingly more thrilled with my move to this great old town of Memphis, Tennessee! Can't wait to go on to the next phase...
Until Then,
So Long, Dearies!

XoXo
Ashley