Happy New Year 2008 - No DUI Divas

Just wanted to check in with all the divas before New Year's Eve night, a time world renowned for partying. Consider how many divas were caught DUI or driving while partying during 2007 - Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie, Lindsday Lohan, Mischa Barton, the list seems endless. Paris wound up doing hard time, Mischa is facing charges for DUI along with marijuana and Nicole and LiLo suffered their own consequences. Besides the trouble they had to deal with, countless innocent people on the road were endangered by their carelessness.

Save others and save yourself by having a designated driver, staying at a hotel or partying at home this New Year's Eve. After all, hurting someone else or yourself is certainly no way to celebrate the new year. So be a smart diva and put on your hottest outfit (have that little black dress or pantsuit ready? best of all if you spill anything it won't show), have your nails done and make sure you have a chauffeur for the evening when you get ready to celebrate New Year's Eve later.

By the way, remember excessive drinking really packs on the pounds and you'll only have to work that much harder in the new year to be diva-stating if you decide to party too heartily tonight. Consider some lower calorie drink options such as wine spritzers and rum and diet cola (my personal favorite is Barcardi Light and diet Pepsi - mmm!) to bring in 2008 on a good note.

Happy New Year Divas!

Happy New Year - Let's Make Some Resolutions!

Hope everyone had a very happy holiday season! I had a hectic one filled with several unexpected circumstances this year including my son landing in the ER (thank goodness he's okay - that Dermabond really does the job on nasty cuts without the torture of stitches), my health condition reared its ugly head (more about Epstein Barr, lymph disorders and related problems in my next entries) and a minor electrical house fire (thank goodness my husband's best friend is an electrician - imagine getting someone to come fix electrical work on December 29?). What I learned this season is to expect the unexpected and never let it get you down. So we all managed to have a very happy holiday season despite a few glitches along the way.

I've decided this is the way to face the new year - expect the unexpected and be ready for success anyway. After all, when it comes to being a diva, isn't that how it's done? While I'm ready to apply the philosophy to my wardrobe, I also want to be ready to apply it to my finances and my personal life. Good resolution, don't you think, divas?

Anyway, next year I will be focusing more on the challenges we face trying to establish financial freedom so we can purchase those Manolo Blahniks. I also want to discuss ways to build our health, body, minds and spirits for optimum diva-stating success - so see you here!

Happy New Year!

Mena Suvari Shops West Hollywood In Leather Pants

Recently Mena Suvari was spotted wearing fabulous leather pants while shopping in West Hollywood. This American Beauty is revered as an actress and model, appearing in the infamous American Pie films, fashion magazine Vogue and as a representative for the Lancome high end cosmetic company.

Based on her background experiences, clearly Mena knows quite a bit about fasion and looking fantastic. Her black leather pants hug all her curves perfectly. The cropped sweater vest further offets the curvy shape of her fitted black leather pants and wearing silver shoes adds a touch of modern, metallic dramatic flair to this outstanding outfit. The final touch of Mena's closely cropped haircut puts her on the cutting edge of style in this incredible ensemble that can effortlessly go from shopping to an evening out.

The ultimate accessory for your fall and winter wardrobe is a pair of black leather trousers. Recently worn (and split up the rear) by Angelina Jolie and now Mena Suvari, black leather pants are obviously the new essential element to a fashionista's closet.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! I love Thanksgiving because it gives us a chance to stop worrying about work and getting ahead to just simple revel in what we already have and give thanks. Of course, food is part of this festive holiday, too...

Even if you overindulged yesterday, there's still hope. Don't overdo it on all those leftovers and stay on track for the next couple of weeks so you can still fit into that little black dress for New Year's Eve. You may want to check out that Average Joe fitness program (which also works quite well for Average and not-so-average Janes).

Burt's Bees Sold Out

I am dreadfully disappointed to discover that Burt's Bees, the company I recently wrote about and praised for selling natural cosmetics that don't contain dangerous chemicals, has been sold. Can you imagine who purchased this natural company for over 900 million bucks? Clorox. Although they claim to be buying Burt's Bees to bolster their image, that's extremely speculative. Can you imagine the Clorox execs hanging out the the guy on the Burt's Bees package? 'Nuff said. Check out more about the sad tale of Burt's Bees - http://greendaily.com/2007/11/07/burts-bees-gets-bought/

Leave That Candy Alone!

Just a short entry today for all the moms that are eyeing their kids' leftover Halloween candy - leave that candy alone!

Your figure and your skin will show the telltale signs of sneaky Halloween candy picking so avoid temptation so you can remain at your best. After all, those holiday gatherings are right around the corner and you will want to look attractive for all the photos. (Anyway, you want to save those few precious flex pounds for homecooked holiday meals and baked goods.)

So if you're tired of the kids bouncing around on candy and the temptation is overwhelming you - get rid of the excess rather than storing it on your hips!

A Little Black Dress for You

I just had to to it - on my own quest to find the best little black dress, I decided to create an easy place to shop for one.

I'm really excited about my new online store - check it out at http://leaveittodiva.zlio.com.

There are gorgeous little black dresses for everyone (petites, plus and maternity included) with evening bags, shoes and jewelry - everything you need to bring out the diva in you for a day!

Lead Lips Sink Ships

I couldn't resist the quip about lead lips sinking ships (I'm married to a Marine) but the fact of the matter is that high levels of lead were detected in several major brands of lipstick. This is a real story backed by extensive research, unlike the urban legends passed around on the 'net about 4 years ago.

After conducting testing, it was revealed that some of the major brands contained significant amounts of lead, including Cover Girl, L'Oreal and Christian Dior. The companies defend their products and the formula they use. The government does not actually have a criteria set for the use of lead in lipsticks. However, the lead detected in several shades of red exceeded the government permitted level of lead allowed in candy.

Yes, now that you have finished checking your kids' toy boxes for China imports with lead paint (and we thought those dollar stores were doing us a favor) you have a new task - to peruse your makeup bag and get rid of questionable brands and colors.

There are some brands that signed the Compact for Safe Cosmetics that do not use lead or chemicals in their products including Burt's Bees, Jason Naturals, bareFaced Mineral Makeup and Kiss My Face. All of them are outstanding products. My personal favorite is Burt's Bees. There products are light on your skin, attractive, affordable and smell fantastic. Best of all, you can find them right in your local pharmacy - I know that Rite Aid now sells the Burt's Bees line.

If you have already switched to healthy, organic eating, now is the time to switch over to natural cosmetics.

Work At Home Moms Alert - Looking Good Takes Cash

As a freelance writer and mom, the WC Mini Mag is a great resource. After all, fashion conscious moms need the cash to get those great designer finds - even the best bargain shoppers! The WC Mini Mag has been a work at home resource for years and now it's grown to offer premium content and monthly learning CD for $12.99 a year. You can also get a free online version.

The print version is professionally done and filled with original, inspiring content and real how-to's. Business building, Internet marketing, creating a website, getting web visitors, building email lists, writing blogs, making sales and creating products are just some of the topics covered every month in this terrific magazine that is written by real, work at home moms who are successful.

Check WC out yourself and get some ideas to really get going.

Get in Shape with Average Joe

Are you a regular guy or gal just trying to keep up with your everyday lifestyle and squeeze in some fitness routines? Do you have a gym membership but you never actually get there - the card just looks cool in your wallet? Do you dread popping in a half hour DVD to work out? I feel the same way and have developed my own personal fitness routine that fits into my hectic time schedule and keeps me in decent shape.

I haven't taken time to even write down my routine because I know it so well but I was extremely impressed to see that someone else did - Ryan Romeo! In his ebook, The Average Joe Fitness Program, he breaks down fitness by exercise, proper eating and helpful supplements. Without a lot of fluff or hype, Ryan gives you the straight skinny on how to stay in shape if you only have 80 minutes every week to work with (if you can't fit in 80 minutes, you can't be serious about getting or staying fit).

Check out Ryan's book at http://tinyurl.com/2bms5t - it's affordable, easy to read and gives you real advice to stay fit. In less than a half hour, any Average Joe or Josephine can be on the way to fitness!

Leather for 2007

Leather is making a come back on the fashion scene along with the return of many retro 80s styles. Either way, I have always worn leather and appreciated its supple texture, unique scent and classic feel.

Fashionistas spotted wearing leather lately include Victoria Beckham, Courtney Love and Jessica Alba, each sporting their own version.

Victoria Beckham, also known as Posh Spice, was seen during the summer shopping in a leather mini skirt. Leather mini skirts can be classy, sexy or professional, depending on what you wear with them. Coupled with a cashmere sweater and a leather mini is classic, with a camisole it's sultry and with a white blouse and blazer, you are ready for business meetings.



Courtney Love was seen wearing luscious long leather gloves in a hot red color while shopping in New York City. Coupled with an hat, big sunglasses and oversized tote and Love looked glamorous and yet trendy.

Beautiful Jessica Alba was also seen in New York at the MTV taping of TRL wearing an exciting, eclectic cropped leather jacket with a pebbled patent leather texture. She wore this trendy jacket over wide leg jeans and a traditional white camisole for an incredibly fashionable look.

Why not grab a leather skirt, cropped leather jacket or long leather gloves to update your wardrobe for Fall, 2007?

Zit Zappers

Have you ever been caught off guard at the last minute with a major zit you've just got to zap? Maybe it's right before a family photo, hot date or meeting to close a major deal and you need to get rid of that pimple right away. But how can you zap a zit in less than a day with limited resources? Consider:

- a blob of toothpaste left on your pimple will dry it up;
- rub an orange or strawberry on your skin and leave the juice to dry up the blemish;
- blot witch hazel or tea tree oil on the blemish; or
- take a bit of diaper rash ointment with zinc oxide and put it on your pimple.

Wherever you are, this last minute zit zappers really work so you can face the world with a clearer head.

Save the Earth - One Step at a Time

I recently discovered a website I have to share with everyone - www.noimpactman.com.

If you believe that one person cannot make a difference when it comes to saving the earn and halting global warming, check this website out. A liberal writer, husband and father living in New York City decided he was sick of hearing himself talk about how to save the earth and decided to start right at home. His mission is to make zero net impact on the earth over the next year by saving electricity, minimizing trash and volunteering to clean up the world around him (plenty of that going on in New York City).

I was amazed and inspired by his blog entries. It has even made me decide to keep it simple by starting at home. Sometimes we think we need to change the world when the place we really need to start is with ourselves - good advice for every diva out there.

End of Summer Beauty - Face the Fall with Confidence

During the summer, we all enjoy increased activity and time outdoors which boosts our physical fitness level and morale. However, as summer winds down and we head into fall you may notice the toll summer has taken on your skin and feel concern about the hectic autumn ahead. Here are some tips to from summer to fall with ease:

The Skin You're In

Check out the skin you're in. Summer sun, heat, perspiration, sunscreens and insect repellents can leave your skin dry and flaky. Before you consider adding extra moisture, exfoliate your skin to get rid of all the dead skin cells clogging your pores.

A gentle exfoliator works best. Avoid harsh exfoliating agents that contain abrasives such as almond that could irritate your skin and opt for exfoliators that work with ingredients such as alpha hydroxy acid.

Once you exfoliate your face and body, use a replenishing moisture lotion or cream with soothing natural ingredients such as aloe vera or olive oil.

Physical Fitness All Year

During the summer, we look and feel great from activities such as swimming, walking, bicycling, volleyball and playing with the kids. As everyone returns to their fall routine, physical fitness can get lost along the way. Consider the following ways to stay fit all year round:

- Take ten minutes every day to simply stretch, do sit ups, jumping jacks and anything you feel like that involves movement. Play your favorite music in the background to really get motiviated and put together your own mini fitness routine along the way.
- Choose one of the many fitness DVDs on the market that are ten to twenty minutes long and just pop it in and get going right in your own home.
- Take a walk around the block after dinner every evening.
- Join a gym. Sometimes having a special place to go or timed exercise classes to attend is a motivating factor.

HAIR

Summer hair is often dry and bleached out at the ends from sun, salt water and chlorine. Get a substantial haircut at the end of the summer -after all, it will all grow back in time for the holidays. It is important to get rid of split ends that are dead and unreceptive to moisture so your hair looks its best.

Choose a deep conditioner and use it three times a week until your hair looks soft and smooth again. Avoid coloring your hair or any other chemical processes until it is back in good shape so you don't dry your hair out further.

The new Posh Spice and Katie Holmes bob haircut is the perfect way to greet fall in style - and get rid of those yucky split ends.

FASHION

As we head into September, it is time to retire Daisy Dukes and tank tops and trade them for t-shirts and Bermuda shorts on warm days. Although white is great during any season, during September and October it just looks out of place - even though those rules of wearing white only between Memorial Day and Labor Day are long gone. You can resume wearing winter white in November.

Other colors that look out of place in the fall are pastels such as pink, seafoam and powder blue. Opt for shades of coral and orange, which set off your end of summer tan nicely and welcome the harvest season. Beige, tan, navy and royal blue are also attractive choices for the end of summer and beginning of fall.

By following a few simple tips, you can face the fall beautifully!

Welcome to Leave it to Diva

Is fashion your passion? It's definitely mine. Welcome to my blog, where fashionista finds are introduced and discussed in detail.

As a former New York department store freelance merchandiser, I love to watch the trends and revel in the latest designs. I currently write about fashion for a variety of publications and websites and decided to "bring it all together" right here.

I also believe that looking good is more than finding fine fashion. Skin care, hairstyles, costmetics and scent are all part of creating a unique overall look that makes you distinctive in your own world. Besides, when you look your best you always feel better.

Here's to the diva in you!