Things i LOVE Thursday

Watching a marathon of old America's Next Top Model episodes

Reading this article on being a scanner personality

Making friendship bracelets

Needing this scented pen from Michael Kors

Planning to make these for tomorrow morning's

Royal Wedding Viewing Party

Listening to Damien Rice's "Delicate"

Wanting to rock this dress from Topshop

DIY: Easy Friendship Bracelets

Since I am still stuck at home fighting this cold/allergy/who-knows-what, I am running out of things to do. Camping out on the couch and watching America's Next Top Model is only fun for so long. After seeing the friendship bracelets featured on The Man Repeller and Craft Medley, I decided to liven up my afternoon by making friendship bracelets. Here's what I came up with.

Twisted Crystal Friendship Bracelet

Supplies:

embroidery floss

scissors

safety pin

crystal beads

measuring tape

pillow

Clasp

Step #1

Cut 3 pieces of embroidery floss a little more than twice as long as you want your bracelet to be. Knot the pieces together at one end. Then slide a safety pin through the knot and pin it to a pillow. Slid one clasp piece through the threads. Then slide crystals onto each piece of thread leaving the bottom half bead free.

Step #2

Hold the 3 pieces together and twist.

Step #3

Slide the other end of the clasp onto the twisted threads.

Step #4

Bring the ends together so that the bracelet twists over on itself. You may need to slide the beads in order for the bracelet to lay right. The bracelet should now be half the length it was in step #3. Knot the ends together.

Finished

Amethyst Braided Friendship Bracelet

Supplies:

embroidery floss

scissors

safety pin

amethyst beads

measuring tape

pillow

Step #1

Cut 6 pieces of embroidery floss a little more than twice as long as you want your bracelet to be. Knot the pieces together at one end. Then slide a safety pin through the knot and pin it to a pillow. Divide the floss into three groups and start braiding.

Step #2

Braid two inches. Slip a bead onto one piece of floss and continue to braid. Leave about a half inch between each bead.

Step #3

Continue braiding beads into the bracelet until you achieve your desired length. Then braid another two inches and knot to finish.

Finished

Don't forget the Vedette Sensuale Collection Giveaway

is open until April 30th.

Royal Wedding Fever

KK Outlet

I may be fighting a cold but there's one thing medicine can't cure and that's Royal Wedding Fever. Symptoms may include:

• painting your nails with No More Waity, Katie
• the need to adorn your finger with a sapphire ring
• brushing up on English history by watching movies such as The Young Victoria, The King's Speech, and The Queen
• a mild obsession with Issa dresses
• Planning to host a Royal Wedding Viewing Party even if it means waking up at 3 a.m.
• a strange desire to Knit Your Own Royal Wedding

Do you have Royal Wedding Fever?

p.s. There's still time to enter the Vedette Sensuale Collection Giveaway!

Happy Easter

On Easter Day the veil between time and eternity thins to gossamer.

~Douglas Horton

Why don't you...

• Go on a photo safari with a chocolate bunny
• Fill plastic eggs with pennies and hide them around your neighborhood
• Don an Easter bonnet (Find fabulous inspiration here)
• Bake Greek Tsoureki, a delicious sweet bread
• Invite your friends and hold your own Easter Parade

Things i LOVE Thursday

Watching Upstairs Downstairs

Playing Portal 2

Obsessing over Anna Sui's home

Reading The Serpent and the Moon

by HRH Princess Michael of Kent

Experimenting with the sleepyti.me bedtime calculator

Baking a divine batch of fudge-y brownies

Getting ideas for a new hairstyle

Wanting these fabulous turquoise chandelier earrings

Planning a road trip

Giggling over this T-Mobile Commercial

De-cluttering My Life 50 Things at a Time

I haven't yet read Gail Blanke's Throw Out Fifty Things: Clear the Clutter, Find Your Life, but I decided to take the challenge and throw fifty things out anyway. Inspired by Jess from Makeunder My Life, I attacked my room and soon had an overflowing pile of beauty products I no longer used. Even though it is hard to tell I got rid of anything, I must admit throwing things out (recycling, giving away, etc.) has given me a small sense of accomplishment.

My 50 Things

Going through my makeup made me aware of my tendency to hoard lip glosses and to hang on to almost empty containers. Also, beauty products don't last forever, so it's a good idea to go throw your makeup bag once or twice a year (see Glamour's shelf-life recommendations). Of course, the best part of cleaning out my makeup was discovering six MAC containers that I can trade in for a new lipstick. However, I should probably get rid of another fifty things before acquiring anything else.

Celebrate the Earth

Celebrate the Earth by Icedivastar featuring a snowflake brooch

Earth Day is April 22nd. Learn more about protecting the environment here.

Vedette Sensuale Collection Giveaway

I may be going through a mild obsession with shapewear. When I read Princess Dominique's review of the Vedette Tatienne Waist Cincher, I knew this was a company I wanted to work with. After contacting them, the lovely people at Vedette generously offered to giveaway three pieces from their new Vedette Sensuale Collection as well as a garment for me to review.

I chose the Romina, a bra-less bodysuit with hook and eye closures down the front. I was super excited from the moment the package arrived. The packaging reminded me of a box of chocolates and inside was the elegant Romina.

The Vedette Sensuale Collection is about combining lingerie and shapewear into one garment, and I really think this is the prettiest shapewear I have seen. However, I would recommend ordering up a size as I found the Romina a bit too restrictive. I'm all for creating a flattering figure, but breathing is good, too.

Three lucky readers will win a garment chosen by Vedette. If you can't wait to see if you are a winner, Vedette is, also, offering all readers a $10 gift certificate good for the next month. All you have to do is attach a note to your order saying that you are coming from The Fashion Planner or you can email them before you place your order.

To Enter Giveaway:

1. Leave a comment below with your email

Extra entries:

1. Subscribe to The Fashion Planner

2. Follow me on twitter (@akaleistar)

3. Follow Vedette on twitter (@vedettestore)

Make sure to leave a separate comment for each entry!

Giveaway open until midnight, April 30, 2011.

Open to U.S. only.

Winner will be chosen by random drawing and announced on Twitter.

Saturday Haul

I love to celebrate the return of warm weather with a new pair of sunglasses.

A fabulous purse from a JustFabulous giveaway.

All black saddle shoes look sweet with dresses and pants.

Entertainment to while away the rainy days.

Kate Spade wellie socks turn a rainy day into a special occasion.

Things i LOVE Thursday

Reading Down With Love by Barbara Novak

(thanks Velvet!)

Wanting Lush's Happy Easter Bath Bomb

Watching Megamind

Auditioning for some exciting projects

Taking advantage of Zappos' free overnight shipping

(think this is my new favorite way to buy shoes)

Splurging on books at the Borders store closing

Listening to "Breath Away" by Duffy

Painting my nails a fabulous shade of blue

Desiring this dress from Spotted Moth

Enjoying the sunshine

Art for Art's Sake

Cake by Clare Grill

In my daydreams of the super-awesome life I will one day lead, I see myself as a patroness of the arts. Since my wallet is too small to earn me that title right now, I'll have to be satisfied with supporting art in smaller ways. 20x200 offers great art by emerging artists, and the pieces start at just $20. Each print includes a certificate of authenticity and is numbered and signed by the artist. Right now, I am loving Cake by Clare Grill, Stay Icy by Martha Rich, and Ideal Bookshelf 102: Cooking by Jane Mount.

Do you collect art?

What's In My Bag Spring Edition

Just a quick video about the things I am carrying around this spring. For a chance to win a Louis Vuitton Speedy (who doesn't want one, right?), visit Elle Fowler (AllThatGlitters21) or Blair Fowler (juicystar07).

What's in your bag this spring?

Something Pretty Comes This Way

SCILIA rainbow crystal ring

Despite the beautiful weather, today has been kind of a blah day. I slept in late then went to work where I folded my weight in polos and pullovers. Now, I've plopped in front of my computer until I can muster the energy to do something useful. Browsing Etsy is, in my opinion, a great way to reenergize. And, I'm pretty sure that this gorgeous ring from Five and Two would help, too. It reminds me of the crazy rocks and crystals I used to collect as a kid, when family road trips meant gift shops and gift shops meant filling tiny velveteen pouches with fool's gold, amethyst, and quartz.

Things i LOVE Thursday

Reading Becoming Queen Victoria by Kate Williams

Listening to the soundtrack from Jane Eyre

Hearting this dress from Topshop

Wanting this market backpack

Attending a performance of Propeller's Richard III

Watching Tangled

Attempting some spring cleaning

Finding flowers blooming in the garden

Everywhere I Look I See Rain

Target

All week I've had Cher's "Rain, Rain" stuck in my head. I can't wait for the rain to end and the world to be green once again. The bright side of the rainy days is shopping for rain gear. These glitter jelly rain boots from Target are just the thing for a gloomy day. Of course, new rain boots mean a new umbrella and this floral bubble umbrella would be a sweet weapon against April's showers.

Spring Faves

The Shape of Things to Come

Can shapewear whip your body into shape? Shapercise claims to be underwear and workout in one. How does this work? According to the website:

• The seamless resistance bands in the body shaper force muscles to work harder during normal activities such as walking and climbing stairs.
• Powered by ShaToBu™ and designed on the principle of resistance training.
• Shapercise’s stay-in-place, non-bindingwaist and leg bands put a stop to bulging, marking and rolling.
• Manufactured using moisture-wicking, breathable fabric with Lycra® and a cotton COOLMAX® gusset.

LiptonPublicity sent me the high waist body shaper in nude to review. The ShaToBu™ technology used in the shaper was developed by a chiropractor who wanted to find a way to incorporate exercises into her patients' daily routines. Because I suffer from back pain, I was eager to see if this body shaper would alleviate some of it.

I've been wearing the shaper at work and am very happy with the way it sucks me in and supports my back. I don't think I've worn it enough to tell if it tones or not, but as shapewear, I would definitely recommend the high waist body shaper. My only complaint so far has been with the sizing. The shapers run small so order up a size. Also, since I'm petite, I find the shaper is just a little too long and wish that petite sizing was available in order to get the proportions right. Overall, I'm very happy with my body shaper and would recommend it to anyone looking for a little extra support.

Do you wear shapewear? Any favorite brands?