Author Archives: Crashing Nightingale

Bringing sexy (lingerie) back

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Recently I watched an episode of Showtime’s series, Masters of Sex. The show is set in the 1950s. During the episode, one of the characters is getting ready for work and you see her sitting at her vanity in her undergarments. It dawned on me how the undergarments she was wearing, bullet bra, waist cincher, garter belt and stockings, were such the normal thing to wear under daily attire. Of course I’ve known this for a long time and I have these items myself but it just hit me that wearing these daily have gone by the way side. I am certain there are women in the world that do, but it’s certainly not in every women’s wardrobe. So I thought, why don’t we?

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Sure, your comfortability-level may get thrown out the window wearing tight, constricting fabric. But just like putting on a pair of heels for the first time, you’ll get use to the feeling eventually. You didn’t do sprints the first time after putting on a pair of six-inch heels. So it’ll take a few times to get use to wearing these items underneath your clothing. It’s all about taking baby steps before taking the big dive. To me, I love the feeling of sophistication these undergarments give. It makes any skirt or dress slip right on when you have the silky material on. I enjoy wearing dresses and skirts more often than jeans or pants so maybe it’s just more of my preference to  include putting on a good fitting waist cincher to smooth out the body.

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I feel undergarments have gotten a bad rap over the decades because some may associate it with their “grandmother’s girdle.” I’ll admit, growing up I heard my grandmother on many occasions reference her “girdle.” But whatever you want to call it, our grandmothers knew what was up. Like any kind of accessory you pair with your outfit, these classic pieces of underwear should go wherever you go. Whether it’s the office or date night, sophistication is what these pieces bring.

So I declare we bring these beautiful and sexy garments back. (Queue the Justin Timberlake song).

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Wear fabulous underwear even if you are the only person that is going to see it.

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Fashion is architecture: it is a matter of proportions. – Coco Chanel

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Some companies I recommend if you’re looking for yourself or another:
Secrets in Lace
What Katie Did
Dollhouse Bettie
Agent Provocateur

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Celebrating Champagne

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With two major holidays around the corner, it’s the time of the year that the consumption of champagne definitely increases. This time of the year seems to glow, shimmer and sparkle so it’s fitting everyone  pops out the good ‘ole bubbly. Champagne has such a reputation as a celebratory drink.  We use it to toast to our health, for love, for happiness, for fortune or whatever else we can think of during the moment of celebration. I will admit though, I’m not champagne’s number one fan. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good party and to celebrate but I’m not popping bottles of champagne like it’s my go-to drink for the night. If I do imbibe on the nose-tickling elixir, it’s more in the form of a mimosa or bellini. And of course, I have my celebratory glass at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve.

Recently I came across some recipes for champagne cocktails that I thought I’d give a try. After all, ’tis the season to  celebrate!

Champagne cocktails

If you have a champagne cocktail recipe you’d like to share, do tell! 🙂

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Sunday Spa Night

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Part of my self-reflecting lately includes taking time for me. Not in a selfish way but meaning taking the time to calm myself and remove the things that cause stress or negativity. Stress is a part of life but you have to find a balance. I have a pretty demanding job and about a year ago it test every ounce of my patience and sanity. I promised myself I wouldn’t let that happen again. It’s simple: Life is too short. And that means it’s too short to let the stress rule my life.

So to focus on my mind, body and spirit, one of the routines I am starting to keep going is a “Sunday Spa Night.” After all the chores are done, I shut down that part of my brain and focus on relaxing. I take time for me. I told myself I can do this once a week. The biggest part of my spa night includes a warm bath. I only use candles for my lighting so it can calm my mind. Occasionally I’ll drink wine as I’m soaking the stress away. I focus on my breathing and getting in a resting state of mind. I don’t think about the next day being Monday. And I tell myself I can only control so much and there are only eight hours in a work day. I literally unwind my mind. When I’m done with the bath I start my skin care ritual. I am fortunate my mother started me at a young age, about 21, with getting into skin care. I really think taking care of your skin and body is the “fountain of youth.” You have to. Next I give myself a mini-manicure and pedicure. I pamper myself from  head to toe. I’ve done this whole Sunday night routine before but I began to tell myself tonight I need to make this a weekly routine. It’s the best way for me to clear my head and prepare myself for the week. It’s my Sunday Spa Night. 🙂

What do you do to pamper yourself, darlings?

lucille

DIY December

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It’s hard to believe it’s already December. This year has just flown by. I remember when I was about a teenager/young adult my mom saying, “when you hit 25, the years just fly by after that.” I’m in my thirties now and definitely feel that time slips by much more quickly than it did years before the quarter of a century age.  I enjoy this time of the year because it’s wrapping up and giving you time to reflect. I do wish I lived somewhere that had a more predictable winter. Earlier this week it was comfortable high 60s degree weather and as of this  morning it’s dropped so low there are icicles outside. Another thing I look forward to during the month of December is New Year’s Eve. It’s one of my favorite holidays-Halloween and 4th of July are the other two. I love to celebrate ringing in the New Year!

I’ve been feeling very creatively inspired lately. Part of it is that I’m trying to spend less time on social media and more time exploring the world. I try to  keep in the forefront of my mind what we all did before iPhones and Facebook. Instead of mindlessly checking Facebook for [insert no. of hours here] as precious time slips away, I’m trying to pick back up the things that bring me joy in life. One of the things are writing, which is why I started this site. I’ve allowed myself to keep up with Pinterest though. I love Pinterest! I get so many ideas about style, cooking and diy projects from that site. Plus, I see it as my inspiration machine. I’m planning to get my sewing machine out and play with making a few easy things to ease back into it. I’ve picked up my digital camera again and said I would take more pictures using it than on my phone. Which in turn, would allow me to get back in photography and Photoshop.

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With the holiday season upon us, I’ve been compiling my Christmas gift list and organizing what gifts I want to give loved ones. I’m determined to do A LOT of diy gifts and shop locally. I struggle with Christmas because part of me loves the whimsical feel of the holiday season and I do enjoy gift-giving but a bigger part of me loathes the consumerism and the fact that people spend so much money (that they really don’t have to spend) on buying things nobody really wants or needs. That’s the one thing about diy I like is that it’s handmade and more thought is spent in the gift because you’re thinking of the person you’re giving it to while you’re making it. I’ve found some great diy ideas (thanks to Pinterest, of course!) and plan to share them throughout the month. I also want to support local shops and if I do purchase anything from a store, to only purchase from small businesses.

So keep a look out for my DIY December! Feel free to share your holiday gift list or diy projects 🙂

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Cheers to Repeal Day!

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Happy Repeal Day

Today, December 5, 2013, marks the 80th anniversary of  Repeal Day. The day when America ended it’s 13-year ban on the manufacture, import and sale of alcohol. Though, possession and consumption was still allowed. However, America made it’s “last call for alcohol” on January 17, 1920 when the 18th Amendment went into effect. My mind automatically goes to the scene from Season One of Boardwalk Empire when the patrons at the nightclub are counting down until when the Amendment goes  into effect much like counting down until midnight on New Year’s Eve. What an interesting 13 years it must have been for those that opposed and those that were for alcohol. It most likely was a big reason the 1920s were dubbed the  “Roaring Twenties.” A great documentary to watch on Prohibition is Ken Burns’ Prohibition, http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/prohibition/. The documentary goes back to the roots of what started the snowball that turned into the avalanche named Prohibition. (Psst, it’s available on Netflix too!)

So let’s raise a glass to Repeal Day’s 80th anniversary!

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