Fly

Happy Holidays

 (Pretty wrapping paper from Rifle Paper Co.)

Wishing a fab holiday season to you and yours. As always, thank you for all the Fly support. I will see you in the New Year (Jan.3) with more posts, features, and fun.

Fly Girl of the Week Nomination Updates

Fly Girl of the Week (FGOTW) is all about showcasing women who are from diverse backgrounds and who have unique interests to share. These are women who are strong, inspiring, creative, and of course FLY. The weekly segment is one of the most popular features on Fly and also one of my favorites. It's an opportunity for women to share their creative energy, life experiences and inspiration while connecting with thousands of global readers.

Here's how you can nominate yourself.

Requirements:
1. Nominee must be at least 18 years old
2. Nominee must have a creative background or creative interests
3. Nominee must be able to submit at least 2 pictures
4. Nominee must answer all the Fly Girl questions

FGOTW Questions:
Please answer the following questions. Keep them brief and note that submitted answers will be edited as necessary. Have fun with your responses, and be sure to promote your flyness. Include links to your blogs, design portfolios, online shops, personal projects, or organizations you feel passionate about. Let your personality shine :).

Who? name, age (it's up to you if you want to include your full name)
Where? where you live or where are you from
What? what do you do for a living or things you would like to do
What inspires you?
Why are you fly?
Advice you can give to other young women.

Send your pictures and responses to flygirlblog[at]aol[dot]com.

Please read the following information carefully:
1. The nominee will only be notified if and when her submission is selected and posted.
2. Please be sure to only nominate yourself. Fly will no longer accept third party nominations.
3. Please include your FGOTW responses within the body of your email (Word documents, PDFs, or Powerpoint files are unnecessary).
4. Fly Girl of the Week is an opportunity to showcase your talents and/or promote your business, therefore I recommend you submit really awesome photos of yourself. Here's how:

• Consider having someone take the picture for you or using a camera with a timer so you can have the flexibility to pose.
• Try not to use photos where other people are cut out of the photograph.
• Photos using natural light and indirect lighting tend to work best. (Consider taking your photos outside.)
• Also, be aware of your environment. Take photos in your studio, at your favorite cafe, or  in a garden. Check out the previous FGOTW images above for a sense of the photographic quality Fly is looking for.

5. Please submit JPEGS of your photos, at least 500 pixels wide at 72 dpi.

Thanks so much and I look forward to receiving your FGOTW nominations.

Leomie for Teen Vogue

I adore this photograph of model Leomie Anderson by Ben Weller, shot for Teen Vogue.

Dennya

I didn't share this sooner because the picture of me isn't that great (you can really see the awesome details of the jacket), but I wanted to highlight the work of this talented young woman I met at Eastern Market in D.C. Her name is Dyanne Marte and she constructs amazingly cozy pieces out of wool felt. This little number I tried on was just too cute for words. See more of the Dyanne's Dennya collection here.

Link of the Day

Beautiful scrapbook images on the T Magazine blog.

Going Grey

Grey is a color I never get tired of wearing (see my previous post featuring the color). It's a fab neutral, can be mysterious and elegant, chic and fun. Here are a few grey items for your home and wardrobe.

1. Burberry Prorsum Pleated Taffeta Trench Coat  2. Elva Fields Play the Fool  3. Tulip Cards with Recycled Envelopes  4. Gibson Suede Lace-up Platform Heels  5. Galliformes Fedora  6. Juicy Couture Chain Quilted Hobo Bag  7. Garden Chain Bag  8. Latte Bowls  9. Crochet Pillow

Cynthia Rowley Hair Clips

These probably won't work with my short hairdo but I would love to rock one of these jumbo barrettes from Cynthia Rowley's Spring 2011 collection. Images via NYmag.com and CynthiaRowley.com.

Link of the Day

LOVE this cute video promoting Artaya's goal to send the 2011 collection to Paris.

Fly Girl of the Week

Who? Nicole Joseph, 30

Where? Montreal, Quebec, Canada

What do you do? Preschool educator. Amateur model.

What inspires you? I work with children and I teach the Montessori Method. With this I'm inspired by their creativity.

Why are you fly? I'm an average girl who uses her God-given attributes to her advantage. I've also reinforced my beliefs in what's important when it comes to presenting oneself properly in public.

Advice: 1. Present yourself with purpose  2. Be approachable and friendly  3. Look confident and feel confident  4. Be a role model  5. Dress in a way that caters to your body shape

Sana London

Hello beautiful people, I'm back!

Today I bring you these lovely images and fab stylings from Sana London. I'm all about clothes that sparkle so I'm really loving the ensemble pictured top left. Check out more from the various collections here and buy items of your own on the Sana London online store.

Link of the Day

The Selby makes a stop at Pharrell's swank pad in Miami. Have a good weekend. It'll be a little long one for me, I see you on Tuesday. Take care.

Music Friday: Sia

Last week at a lovely dinner party a song by this artist started to play. Between a sip of wine I asked my dinner table neighbor, "Who's this?" She looked at me with bright eyes, excited to share, "It's Sia, you gotta get her album. She's great!"

And great she is. I picked up her latest release, We Are Born, and have been jammin' to her funky happy pop-o-matic tunes since. Check her out and let me know what you think.

Link of the Day

Print Magazine's website of creative resources, articles, and inspiration.

***I will not be posting tomorrow but come back Friday for a Music Friday post and then I'll see you Tuesday.***

What I Like Right Now

Another edition featuring goodies I'm diggin' right now.

1. The ELLEments of Personal Style - I was hanging out over my friend Dana's house and she pulled out this fabulous book. As I turned each page I was quickly convinced that this book had to be a part of my library. I really love the diverse range of women featured; different shapes, ages, and cultural backgrounds makes this book rich with style. My FAVORITE features are Tracee Ellis Ross and Fatima Robinson. And Diane von Furstenberg. Oh and Margherita Missoni's...

2. Pacifica's Hawaiian Ruby Guava Solid Perfume - Ok, I have to admit sometimes I like to buy things just because they're cute, which is the reason why I was drawn to these in the first place. These little tins of yummy scented goodness are so worth the little treat to yourself. The organic coconut and soy wax solid perfume makes it easy for smelling good on the go. I can't say I would wear the scents but I like to keep my tin opened on my desk to add a little fresh scent to my space.

3. Hammond's Candies Caramels - The other day I'm walking around Whole Foods when I stumbled upon a pretty display of candy canes, caramels, and handmade marshmallows. I bought two caramels and fell in love with the chocolate flavored ones. I can't even express how delicious it was, you just have to try it for yourself :).

4. Paper Magazine: The Art Issue - I love art so when this issue popped up in my mailbox I couldn't wait to chill with some tea and go through all the pages. I really really enjoyed this issue featuring Friends With You, Shephard Fairey, and — sigh — Pharrell. Yes, him on the cover and gracing several spreads makes it an extra nice treat, too :). (Paper Mag's co-founder Kim Hastreiter's note about the issue is great.)

5. Republic of Tea Coconut Cocoa Herb Tea - All I can say is YUM! This dessert tea is glorious and makes this chilly weather easier to bare.

6. Soothing Touch Coconut Lime Lip Balm - Three years ago (wow, I've been blogging for a minute) I wrote this post about lip balm. Since then I left behind easy access to my favorite brand, Nubian Heritage's Mango Butter Balm, and I've been looking for one that's equally as good if not better. (Especially since I can never find the Nubian balm I like online.) But recently I discovered Soothing Touch at Mom's Organic Market. Because I love anything coconut I picked up their Coconut Lime scented balm. I have to say I was disappointed that the scent was more lime than anything but the balm is awesome! I also love that it's a big chunky stick of organic goodness. Perfect for this time of year.

7. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - This book should definitely qualify for one of the best releases of 2010 award (if there is such award). Ok, I haven't finished it yet, but I'm close, and the story is so amazing. A little disturbing but amazing. I was hooked after reading the first few pages.

Duro Olowu AW 2010

Duro Olowu is known for his print mixing and use of bold color palettes. This collection takes those details on to another level. I love his use of sharp contrasts; dark and bright, soft and hard. See more of the collection here.