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Goop
About 10 years ago, I became quite enamored with Gwyneth Paltrow. She's my kind of girl - intelligent, warm, stylish, and completely her own. Sliding Doors, Emma and Shakespeare in Love became part of my "most watched" rotation and I confess that I own them all on VHS. (Yes, VHS - Gwynnie and I go way back.) Somehow, I always thought we might be great friends, should our paths ever cross.
Though I've lost sight of my girl in recent years, I was delighted to come upon her new website, GOOP. It's a lovely lifestyle blog full of resources on food, fashion, health, and a myriad of little things we all like secretly like to know about our favorite people. I confess that I'm about to google the jeans and trench coat she references in her "My Uniform" post as I feel that they would be great additions to my own uniform. Worth a look today...
Thank you to another stylish blond, Miss Bridget, for the Goop referral. aha!
Top Ten Things To Do While You Are Waiting for Life In Style To Resuscitate...
Sometimes life and work throw you a curve and all you want to do is blog, but you get so busy and it's 5:00pm and there you are: in your pajamas, you didn't go to the gym and there are still hours of work ahead. As it's clear that Life In Style is taking an Indian Summer hiatus while it's author works her butt off, here are The Top Ten Things To Do While You Are Waiting for Life In Style To Resuscitate:
10. Call Babbo and wait on hold for a reservation not at 4:30 or 11:45 pm.
9. Celebrate the return of the fall television shows and get into Mad Men.
8. Download the summer's pictures off your camera and have them printed. When was the last time you held a photograph?
7. Swap your foundation out for the non-summer shade. Replace your mascara while you're at it.
6. Go to yoga. It's a love/hate relationship with the mat, but we all need it.
5. Anna Wintour your closet for the outdated pieces that are holding your New Fall Self back and start the recon mission for key wardrobe updates. Get out there - it's not an easy fall...
4. Try sticking to the "cash only budget" plan and see what that life is like.
3. Be thankful that the new James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace, is on its way.
2. Trade heirloom tomato salad for Granny Smith apple crisp.
1. Call your mother. She knows a lot more than you do.
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Life Moves Pretty Fast...
If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it... Thanks Ferris. At the end of a very busy work week, I'm stopping for a moment to look around and be proud of the work. As my Grandfather said: Work. Thank God for the might of it.
Here's your thought for the day: 60 in 60.
Flash created by Creative Producers Group. aha!
Dance, Sing, Floss...
I loved this ad from Lululemon - (found on the back cover of a yoga magazine, naturally) ...especially the bit about the flossing.
Wordle Me This...
Wordle. Oh, this is a good one. One of the most addictive little sites I've come upon in a long time, Wordle is the perfect toy for wanna be graphic designers who wish they had skills. Enter a mess of adjectives, snippets from a paragraph, or full prose and the Wordle tool will generate “word clouds” from what you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text. You can tweak your clouds with different fonts, layouts, and color schemes.
You will spend more time than you'd like to admit concocting the perfect jumble of words to randomize and tinker with until it looks just so. For all you typesetting font geeks out there - this will keep you busy for a while. aha!
Hell. A. Katie
It's a sign. Literally. As I walked home from lunch hour yoga (!) and looked up into the seventy degree, no humidity, blue sky of Los Angeles, I laughed out loud and and smiled for a good New York minute. Way up in the clouds, a happy little plane was finishing it's sky written message: WELCOME.
After the graduation packing moving blitz of the past two months, the Ideal Husband and I landed at the doorstep of a new chapter in Southern California and boy does it suit. L.A.'s welcome bag is full of treats... a disarming afternoon breeze, a hot bed of good yoga, fresh food and great farmers markets, and best of all - old friends waiting with open arms. So much to see and say and taste and try - but after that nice long Life In Style nap, I'm well-rested and ready to jump in with both feet. Let's see what the well- lived life looks like California style, eh?
A big thank you to whomever ordered that little plane today and it's not at all little message. I feel very welcome here...
Stop and...
Spring is here and we are saved. Though the schedule has not stopped and there's still no time to smell the flowers - we've got to have something more cheerful than the M.I.A. clock, yes?
Daffodils.
Thanks Mom for the lovely reminder... aha!
Site Surveys
If your everyday site surfing sources are getting a little dull, here's a couple of new finds to perk up your mid-week. Enjoy!
The Spoon Sisters: Two siblings created this surprisingly imaginative and on-point site in honor of their mother, who had a special talent for picking out perfect presents. "Better living through giving" - love that!
Posh Vintage: A goldmine on line resource for fabulous vintage pieces...with detailed measurements and phenomenal repertoire. Start drooling over party dresses for spring.
1stingames: Your one stop shop for vintage board games - from nostalgic favorites to things you never even dreamed of. Perfect way to raise the bar on game night or surprise someone with a fantastic hostess gift.
Check out this month's Lucky magazine for a comprehensive list of aha! sites to browse.
Silly Running Girls in Amsterdam
Silly women in Amsterdam donned their high heels for the second annual "Stiletto Run". Holding a copy of Glamour magazine in their hand and wearing stilettos at least 7 cm tall, 150 women ran for the chance to win E10,000 in shopping money. One can only imagine the ankle, knee, and spinal injuries that occurred during this ludicrous publicity stunt.
If you still read Glamour, it's time to run away. aha!
Assume the Position
Ready? I'm about to tell you about posture.
Posture is something that our generation is not that interested in. We're really into posing, and with the campaigns in full tilt boogie, there is a large amount of posture-ing going on, but our nation's fascination with slouchy, celebrity cool and the long hours logged at computer/in chair have undone years of human evolution and natural spinal alignment. Standing up straight is one of the childhood fundamentals that we learn along with "be nice" and "share", but I don't know any grown up other than Nicole Kidman who really does it well these days.
Even after years of ballet, yoga, voice lessons - I still struggle with the "tall girl slump". But no longer, I finally get it. And guess who explained it to me? Mr. "Make It Work" himself, Tim Gunn. ( Project Runway, Guide to Style ) I can't believe it. I was given a copy of his recent book and found myself skimming through it last evening when I came upon a passage about posture. The light is on now, and here it is:
"The first, absolutely ironclad rule may seem strange, but here it is: Forget about putting your shoulders back. Instead, you must do the following: Focus on pulling the shoulders away from the ears. Imagine drawing the shoulder blades down the back and allowing the collarbone to be as open as possible without thrusting the breast forward. At no time should the shoulder blades be pinned together. This position makes keeping the head perfectly balanced on the neck far easier."
and then, to bring it all home, Mr.Gunn went on to describe this:
"In order to bring the pelvis into proper alignment, one should imagine slipping between two tables at a crowded restaurant. Instinctively, one tucks one's bottom under and draws the navel into the spine. This is the proper position for one's pelvis. Since French bistros are usually packed and their tables are only inches apart, one can think of proper pelvic alignment as the "bistro position".
Thank you Tim. Shoulders down and the bistro position. I get it.
For the full guide to style, you can find Mr. Gunn's book here. aha!
Everybody's Working For the Weekend
It's FEBRUARY and things are already looking up. Here's what's in store this weekend in my corner of the world: Friday date night with the Ideal Husband, pasta and a movie (and special cupcakes for dessert) & a Saturday night guest appearance by Mr. Obama himself. Full report on Monday! Have a good weekend everyone...
The E-book Evolves
Calling all gadget lovers, frequent fliers, and avid readers. Amazon's new wireless reading device, the Kindle is a surpringly enjoyable and yes, green way to read. The wireless conectivity enables you to dowload books, newspaper articles, blogs and magazines to your high resolution screen with no computer, cables, or syncing. It's perfect for your morning subway commute, a 22 hour flight to Australia, or just at home on the nightstand. Smarty pants Amazon has loaded it up with over 90,000 book titles (including my personal favorite, Right Before Your Eyes, by Ellen Shanman), all of which are available for immediate download for $9.99. It weighs under eleven ounces and holds 200 titles.
The only drawback to "kindling" is losing the tactile satisfaction of turning the pages and the perfect smell of ink-pressed paper. But in the era of conservation and green focus - maybe we take a loss? Love the name too.
For $399 you can KINDLE here. aha!
Renewing the Year
Happy New Year. Post-holiday and pre-spring finds us all in January's no man's land in search of ways to be better, make change, and get 2008 right. The first few weeks of the year are filled with resolve to floss every day, read the front page of the newspaper, go to Italy...honorable resolutions to live well. But beyond resolutions, there is an authentic need for a fresh start- a renewal, of sorts.
This January, we dedicate the month to a creative renewal: bright ideas, great resources, and inspiring little things that make the days sparkle. To Do: a happy and healthy 2008. aha!
Words and Music
As you while away the pre-holiday hours waiting for the 25th, here is a clever little toy to keep you amused. The P22 Composition Music Font was first introduced ten years ago as a text font based on the handwriting of composer, John Cage. The idea is very simple, assigning each letter of the alphabet to a note on the scale, allowing any text to be converted into musical notation. With seven days 'til Christmas, you've got time to find out what your wish list sounds like as a piano score...
Many thanks to The Online Samurai for this fun little find. aha!
1,000 Cranes
Currently loving all things origami and wondering if these beautiful paper cranes merit their own Christmas tree? A little zen cheer... aha!
T G I...
Every Friday afternoon, without fail, I have the urge to call up one particular old friend and meet for a glass of wine and an end of the week wrap up. It never happens as she lives across the country and that's too far to go for dinner. But tonight, that very special friend is on a plane, in the air, on her way for a much anticipated holiday visit. T. G. I. F. with old friends...
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Daily Gift Guide
If Oprah's Favorite Things left you a little flat this year, check out the very sparkly NotCot's Daily Holiday Gift Guide. NOTCOT is always a source of inspiration for decor, trends, food, and "where did you hear about that?" global oddities.Their countdown collection is worthy of daily check in. 22 day to go... aha!
Ring-a-ling...
Considering the state of the world today, it's hard to justify an outrageous holiday season of gifts. For those of us who are lucky to have our health, family and friends- there's not much more to wish for. As you make your holiday lists, consider this piece of advice overheard in line today at the post office.
"What do you want for Christmas, Mom?
"Honey, there are no phones in heaven. Just give me a call."
There it is. Call your people. aha!
Destination U.S.A.
Travel and Leisure and CNN polled 60,000 travelers and residents on what they thought of the top 25 urban destinations. From who has the best coffee to the worst traffic and everything in between. Check it out and see how your city fared.
From Travel and Leisure on line. aha!
World Digital Library
Just introduced on Wednesday, The World Digital Library is a goldmine of global information and historical documents. Available on the internet at no cost, and in seven different languages, you will find significant manuscripts, maps, rare books, musical scores, recordings, films, photographs, and architectural drawings. This is incredible resource has been developed by the Library of Congress and UNESCO in an effort to "promote international and inter-cultural understanding and awareness". This takes the old dinner table question of what did you learn today? to a whole new level. Check it out and learn something new.
Many thanks to our own incredible resource and lifetime learner, K.O. for President. aha!
iFont
Hasn't email become so impersonal these days? Quick and irritating cyber-abbreviations dashed off to colleagues, friends and family in default Times New Roman face? Shake it up a little by creating your own signature font custom designed in your handwriting. Check out Fontifier, where you can upload your own quirky handwriting into their template and build your own usable font. $9 per font. aha!
Legally Blonde Broadcast
Omigod. Omigod you guys. Set your Tivos because MTV is broadcasting the Broadway production of Legally Blonde this weekend. Very catchy, very pink, and smarter than you would ever expect... don't miss it. You guys I'm serious.
LB will air twice on Saturday, October 13th at 1pm and 8pm EST and again on Sunday morning. For more information, check out Legally Blonde online. aha!
Celebrities Weigh In
Some people start every day with a deep breath and a brave step onto the bathroom scale. Up a pound or down a half can be the difference between a good day and a bad one. But let's take the numbers out of it and look at it from another way. Let's judge ourselves in relation to celebrities.
If you must weigh yourself, take the sting out of the scale with this outrageous Celebrity Weight Scale. Hitting the Jennifer Anniston mark on Wednesday morning sounds a lot better than 118 1/2, don't you think? If nothing else, you'll start the day with a laugh and a good reminder not to take yourself quite so seriously. That is, of course, unless that scale tips toward Mr. Ed.
Celebrity Weight Scale spotted on Outblush, a guilty pleasure of it's own. aha!
iKaraoke
Calling all shower divas out there. If you love to belt it out like a rock star but the disgrace of public karaoke leaves you giving solo performances to the dog - check out this little toy. The iKaraoke Microphone plugs into your ipod and removes the lead vocals from any tune- leaving you center stage with a fully orchestrated track and maybe even some back up girls. Plus the $25.00 Amazon price tag makes it a fantastic gift for anyone who secretly loves to chirp.
Guest Blogging at Create My Event
Life In Style is making a guest appearance over at CreateMyEvent.com. From the creators of 2modern comes this delicious site dedicated to event planning ideas, trends, and resources. You'll find inspiring tips from savvy event planners, designers, and stylists who share their insider secrets. Wednesday is Life In Style day - so check it out when you need a little midweek pick me up... aha!
The Sweet Life
Heading out of town for a final summer getaway to the beautiful coast of Sonoma, California...
Here are a few reminders of the sweet life - dulce de leche cookies from our favorite foodie, fall Dolce & Gabbana, and la dolce vita in Italy. Have a great weekend everyone...back on Thursday! aha!
Things That Should Have Never Survived The Millennium...
THINGS THAT SHOULD HAVE NEVER SURVIVED THE MILLENNIUM...
Styrofoam
Bumper stickers of any kind
George Bush
Ventriloquists
Tanning beds
Competitive eating
Bars with parking lots
Anne Geddes photographs
Clip on hair extensions
Velveeta
Private health care
Paris Hilton
Lazy email/text abbreviations (R U going 2 B L8?)
High fructose corn syrup
Men's short-sleeve dress shirts
U.S. Electoral College
Lying about your age
Psychic hot lines
The paparazzi
Tur-duck-ens
Born again pedophiles
Toupees
Cigarettes
to be continued...
Originally written for the Creative Producer's Group blog... this was too good not to share. aha!
The August Shop Stop
Unless you are fortunate enough to live by the bay in San Francisco or the mountains of Jackson Hole you are most likely suffering through the oppressive heat of August. This weekend- take shelter from the humidity in an overly air conditioned movie theatre for the new Bourne installment or plow through the last pages of Harry Potter. Whatever you do- do not shop. You probably never thought you'd hear those words on this site- but there it is. DO NOT SHOP IN AUGUST.
August is no man's land. Stores try desperately to unload the dregs of summer leftovers and throw the barest of Fall's bones on a couple racks to tempt you. The pittance that you are likely to see in August is known as "Pre-Fall". Designers normally plan two to three phases for each season to keep customers engaged. Enjoy the last of summer's tomatoes and dream of crisp autumn days while you wait for the full "Fall Roll Out". Stay strong and promise yourself that you will not buy until September. August is for cleaning the rag tag out of your closet to make way for the smart wools, plaids, and patents that will woo you come September. In the meantime, make your fall "Must Have" list and check it twice. aha!
Where did summer go?
Not one picnic. Not one loungey day at the pool slathered in sunscreen and craving a grilled cheese sandwich. Not one day of letting your hair dry in the sun as your pour through a summer read. It's nearly August and where has summer gone? If you are a member of the upwardly mobile workforce, most likely your summer has been spent navigating the pitfalls of summer work wear and doing mountainous piles of laundry to keep up with the humidity. As July draws to a close, resolve to carve out a few moments of true summer solace- by the pool, on the grass, with a glass of wine outside as the sun sets. It's Friday and fall will be here soon enough. Savor the extended daylight while you can.
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StumbleUpon
Oh friends, you must try this! StumbleUpon is a wonderful new online oracle of sorts. It's part search engine, part web concierge, and part choose your own adventure that will introduce a myriad of new resources and sites into your world. Catalogue your areas of interest such as environment, fashion, cooking, technology, etc and start stumbling. You will be immediately directed to a new site that may peak your interest each time you stumble. You also have the option to comment (thumbs up/thumbs down) on each site - educating the search engine on what you prefer and refining the offering. StumbleUpon is a perfect wingman to Google and will most likely find a new home on your toolbar for endless exploration. So easy to fall in love it- we can't stop stumbling!
Many thanks to friends K & G for passing the Stumble buzz along. aha!
Noir Bubbles
For bubble lovers with champagne taste and a "two buck chuck" budget...enter the Blanc de noir. Meaning "white wine from red grapes", Blanc de noirs are produced by quickly removing the skins from the juice after the grapes have been pressed. This technique prevents the pigment in the grape's dark skin from transferring too much color to the wine, yielding a very light apricot hue. It's pinot noir origin gives balance to the bubbles by warding off the overly sweet flavors often found in other sparkling wines or prosecco. While a decent champagne will run $50 and up, you can find fantastic Blanc de noirs for around $15-$20 a pop. Better bubbles for a bargain. aha!
S'WONDERFUL
S'wonderful. S'marvelous. S'mores...
Have a wonderful weekend everyone!
The Top Three Store
Japan has recently been named the #1 most innovative country in the world, and for good reason. In addition to their groundbreaking technology, they have created the single most useful shopping concept for busy people on the go. Welcome to Ranking RanQueen - a Japanese drug store store that stocks only the top 3 brands of each genre. If you need a new conditioner, Ranking RanQueen offers you the gold, silver, and bronze bestsellers ranked in order of popularity and sales numbers. This manner of mainstream 1-2-3 shopping is both efficient and informative knowing that experts are overseeing what hits the shelves and a majority of fellow consumers have test driven the product.
This concept is definitely best suited to markets that have become over saturated. Example: house hold goods, appliances, and personal products. We would never want to eliminate the ability to purchase specialty items that do not have a mass following, but it would be wonderful if there were a Ranking Sephora, Ranking Babies-R-Us, or Ranking Best Buy who would eliminate some of the unnecessary guesswork out of the shopping equation. In certain areas, consumers just don't need 25 different options. Like ornaments or objects of decor: three is the magic number.
Information courtesy of bestselling author and Northwestern graduate Dan Pink's fantastic blog. Check it out here.
Days of yore
Innovation. Such a beautiful word. Full of creativity, intelligence, and momentum. This may be the single most overused word in the business culture- in the same manner that artists abuse the descriptive "brilliant". But true innovation leaves us speechless, amazed, and wondering how the hell we ever got on without it. Here for you now: the top ten innovations of the last decade that have changed the way we live. Remember when?
1. Toyota Prius - 100 miles to the gallon. Spread the word.
2. Google - it's a Google world now and we like it that way.
3. Blackberry - the "crackberry" we love to hate.
4. Minute Clinic - fast health care on demand.
5. iPod - THE accessory of the decade.
6. Second Life - if you don't know about Second Life already, utilize #2 and google yourself an education. It's here to stay...
7. Skype - ring someone around the world for pennies.
8. Facebook - the online community of networking.
9. You Tube - everyone's a filmmaker these days...
10. Wii - a virtual world of sports, games, and who knows what will be next...
Top ten list of innovation courtesy of AOL Small Business . aha!
Attack of the Killer Bananas...
Bananas are one of the hardest foods to digest - FYI...
Fantastically ironic images from the "Drop Dead Gorgeous" collection by Daniela Edburg. See the entire body of work here. aha!
Run For Your Life
This is a friendly reminder to replace your running shoes. Most athletic shoes have a shelf life of six months if you are moderately active, and a mere three months if you actually run. Take care of your head, shoulders, knees, and toes by giving them the love and support they desperately need. In fact, why not go the extra mile and get fitted for a proper shoe? Look for specialty stores geared toward marathoners like Elite Feet or Jack Rabbit Sports, or go online and self-diagnose at www.therunningadvisor.com. You may have to pay a couple extra bucks for non-wholesale sneaks in a smaller store, but you'll thank yourself when you feel an actual spring in your step...
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What Did You Learn Today?
For those of you who fancy yourself well read and well versed- are you well rounded in your knowledge? There's always room for growth. Enter The Intellectual Devotional. 365 well-written and cleverly organized brief summations on everything from the ozone layer to cloning to the Talmud. Each day delivers a concise overview of topics in History, Literature, Visual Arts, Science, Music, Philosophy, and Religion. Yes, it will give you courage at the cocktail party, but more importantly, you will learn something new every single day. Read it before you check your email in the morning or keep it in the bathroom and start the day off right.
The Intellectual Devotional is available in bookstores and on Amazon.com. p.s. Perfect hostess gift for that weekend visit, eh? aha!
Memorial Day
Rest, relaxation, and remembrance- those are the three R's of the day. Today we officially welcome the summer season. Wherever you are today- on a weekend escape to the country, brunching with friends over french toast, or simply breathing in time to yourself, take a quiet moment to remember those who have gone before you and how we as a whole can take further steps to honor their efforts. And on a lighter note, you may now wear white pants and shoes with confidence...Labor Day is a whole summer away. aha!
Weekend Cravings
Le Dolce Vita
This week is shortened (and sweetened) by a weekend escape to Napa. Good wine, old friends, and three days in the sun - ahh, le dolce vita. aha!
Right Before Your Eyes
May Day! May Day! Happy first day of May everyone...and a BIG congratulations to our contributing writer, Ellen Shanman, on the official launch of her fantastic novel Right Before Your Eyes. Much like the writer herself, the book is sophisticated, wry, and utterly delicious. How fast can you say "movie rights"? The Must Have for May...
Right Before Your Eyes is available at most bookstores or online at www.amazon.com. aha!
MIA
We are MIA for the production of back to back events culminating this weekend. Friday night: 1,000 enthusiastic supporters for the Democratic Convention. Saturday night: 600 compassionate citizens raising funds and awareness for cancer research. Life In Style will return (with gusto) on Monday, April 23rd. Here is a peek at the opening for this evening... Siteman Opening Video
From the boys...
Life In Style is delighted to welcome its newly appointed correspondent, Boy Wonder. Widely considered to be an expert in his field, Boy Wonder joins the Style team as a contributing writer offering his insight on home improvement, practical life skills they don't teach in school, and occasional editorials from the male perspective. In his inaugural post you will find a simple step-by step layout for How To Change A Tire. My suggestion is to read it, print it, and stick it in your glove compartment for that inevitable day when you hear ssszzsss...and it's your time to shine.
How to Change a Tire
by Boy Wonder
We live in an era of empowered women who seem to be able to do it all. But when it comes to cars, most women are as lost as most men are at a cosmetics counter. The most likely car situation you will face in your lifetime that can be easily overcome without professional assistance is a flat tire.
Changing a flat tire is incredibly easy and a basic that we should all master.
Step 1: Stop Driving and Start Changing
Pull over when you see a safe spot- make sure you have room to maneuver around your car without putting yourself in danger to oncoming traffic. The longer you drive on a flat, the more damage you are doing to the wheel. (Note: replacing a wheel is not inexpensive.) Put your car in park with the parking break on and flash your hazard lights. It’s also a good idea to pop the hood- a signal that you have stopped for repair and may need help.
Hopefully, you will find yourself on a relatively flat area. If not, you will want to “chock” your wheel to avoid rolling backwards. To chock your car, put a rock or log behind or in front of the wheel that will be on the ground. If you are facing uphill, put the rock behind the rear tire opposite the flat. If facing downhill put the rock behind the front tire opposite the flat.
Step 2: Down and Dirty.
Get the spare, tire iron and car jack out of the trunk. All cars come standard with this equipment. They are most often hidden in the trunk, but if you are not familiar with their location- you can look it up in your owner’s manual in the glove compartment.
With tools in hand, the first thing you should do is remove the hubcap. Typically the hubcap snaps on to hide the lug nuts, so use a little elbow grease (read: muscle) to remove it. When you have the hubcap off, loosen the lug nuts. Lug nuts are what hold the wheel in place. Use your tire iron to turn the nuts counterclockwise and work in a star pattern across the tire until all the lug nuts are loose and unscrewed slightly. Do not remove the lug nuts at this point.
Consult your owner’s manual on specific tips to jack the car up. When you raise the car, you’ll want it high enough to remove the old tire and replace it with the spare. At this point, go ahead and remove the lug nuts with your tire iron or just unscrew them with you fingers. When you remove the lug nuts, the tire will be hanging from the threaded studs so be sure to keep the nuts close at hand.
Pull the tire off. Keep in mind, a tire and wheel are heavy, so be ready for the weight.
Carry or roll the flat tire out of the way. Lift the spare onto the wheel studs. Make sure that the air valve on the spare tire is facing outwards and then replace the lug nuts. Tighten the lug nuts the same way you loosened them, giving each nut a few turns first and then work around in a star pattern. Do not tighten them consecutively. You want to work around the wheel in an even pattern until all the nuts are tight and you really can’t move them anymore.
Lower the car back to the ground and tighten the lug nuts one more time. (You may not be able to, but you need to try.) After that, put the hub cap back on.
Congratulations! You have officially changed a tire. Pack your tire iron, jack and spare back into the trunk
Helpful hints…
1. Most people have flat spare tires. When you check the oil every month, make a note to check the air pressure in your spare at the same time.
2. Get to know you car. Read your owner’s manual before something goes wrong.
3. If changing a tire is just not for you, call Triple A, a friend, or me if you happen to be in Dallas
Feature text by Boy Wonder. aha!
The Local Bee Hive
Always buy honey locally. Honey carries bits and pieces of pollen from the surrounding area and can be very effective as an immune system builder. With allergy season on its way- take a teaspoon in your tea everyday. Plus it's sweet to support local farmers and native bees.
Image courtesy of l'occitane. Aha!
Life On Sale
Here's something I've been noticing lately: people make decisions based on the sale tag. Have you noticed that things you would never consider buying suddenly become completely alluring when they go on sale? The honest desire to make smart choices and live frugally has morphed into a belief that more is more and the discount price justifies the purchase.
We're all guilty of bargain shopping. We're not really shopping for anything BUT a bargain. The guilty pleasure of the twentieth century is undoubtedly trolling for a deal at warehouse clubs, outlet malls, and online sales. The 50% off fix on a new pair of shoes gives us immediate gratification for a need to acquire something, anything. Even at the expense of our larger desires.
Think of the huge amounts of money we spend on things we don't need or really want because we think it's a deal. I call it "the picture frame dilemma". I don't have enough money to buy the sharp new coffee table I really want, but I feel the need to shop and pay attention to my home so I buy yet another picture frame at Pottery Barn instead. The worst part of it is if I put that picture frame money in a jar for couple months, I could probably buy that coffee table and maybe the IN VOGUE coffee table book that I covet as well.
So I resolve to hold onto my money when the sale rack at J.Crew beckons. The cerulean martini glasses that are 30% off at Crate and Barrel won't tempt me anymore. I remind myself that my well-lived life includes a trip to Italy, a baby grand piano, and a down payment on a lovely home when the time is right. Those things just don't go on sale.
Mid-week Pick Me Ups!
Blah blah blah blah March. A few of my favorite things to get us through Wednesday.
Images courtesy of Martha Stewart Weddings, Gucci, House and Garden, and Blackdog Photography. aha!
About Life In Style
- A loving pursuit of new ideas, sparkling finds, and good works - Life In Style is a daily site celebrating ways to live your best life, in style.
About Kate
- Kate Sinclair is an event producer, stylist, and lifestyle writer. Currently in charge of Special Projects at Creative Producers Group, she lives happily with her ideal husband in Los Angeles.
