Ann Taylor Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

This Mother’s Day, Ann Taylor has the perfect presents to say “thank you” to the mothers in your life.

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Show the woman who works around the clock how much you care for her with gifts such as the pretty pineapple skirt, intriguing gingham pants and crisp safari-inspired ensembles. For versatile gifts, look into accessories such as sleek spring shoes, effortless large bags, stylish drop earrings and a soft pashmina scarf – perfect for every mother, aunt or even friend.

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For suggestions of gifts under $150, $100 and $50, please see below.

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Mother’s Day Celebration Event 

Tuesday, May 3

12 pm to 4 pm

1140 Connecticut Ave. NW

Washington, DC 20036

The Good Wife Costume Designer – Wardrobe Tips

The Good Wife’s main character Alicia Florrick gives a sense of flair to work fashion every week.  She’s seen wearing ornate suits, statement jewelry, and tailored shift dresses.

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Emmy nominated, Costume designer (for the show) Dan Lawson shares tips on how to keep your wardrobe fresh for the Spring season.

 

 

 Dryel Ambassador

LADY GAGA AND SIR ELTON JOHN PARTNER WITH MACYS: LOVE BRAVERY COLLECTION

Macys has partnered with Grammy® and Golden Globe®-winning icon Lady Gaga, as well as Grammy-, Tony®- and Academy Award®-winning legend Sir Elton John to create Love Bravery, a high-spirited, limited-edition line of clothing and accessories that inspire compassion and combat prejudice. Available as part of Macy’s American Icons campaign, Love Bravery spans several categories, including shirts, sweats, outerwear, clutches, backpacks, scarves, beanies, keychains, pins, and even speakers, water bottles and skateboards, all rendered in vibrant graphic prints and designs that fuse both artists’ renowned musical talent and revered inimitable style.

“It’s an honor to team up with Sir Elton John to create this line with Macy’s,” said Lady Gaga. “We need to make the world a kinder and braver place where men and women everywhere are empowered to live with compassion. That’s what Born This Way Foundation is all about, that’s what the Elton John AIDS Foundation is all about, and that’s what Love Bravery is all about.”

Love Bravery Lady Gaga and Elton John

“I love the idea of fusing who you are on the inside – your passions and dreams – with what you wear on the outside,” said Sir Elton John. “Love Bravery is about the compassion on the inside to understand someone’s fears, and the bravery on the outside to stand up for them, and for yourself: to accept others for who they are and to be who you want to be. It’s what I‘ve tried to do in my life, my career and with the Elton John AIDS Foundation, and it’s a passion Lady Gaga and I share. So I’m thrilled we are collaborating on this project and delighted Macys understood our dream to connect with people this way.”

Created in collaboration with Lady Gaga’s sister, Natali Germanotta, and designer Brandon Maxwell, the limited line boasts fresh crop tops and sleeveless tees in stark black-and-white, while heather sweatshirts with tonal graphics and tops with metallic lettering are edgy updates to the athleisure trend. Oversized scarves with piano key prints and artistic interpretations of Lady Gaga’s face are stylishly offbeat, and neoprene backpacks that say “LOVE” and also have piano key prints are super cool must-haves. With enamel pins and patches in the shape of moto jackets, electric guitars, microphones, platform shoes and Lady Gaga’s infamous claw, the options to show off your inner little monster are endless. Clutches in the shape of sunglasses, pianos and hearts are unapologetically fun and sassy.

Love Bravery Shop

“In addition to being deeply talented musical artists, Lady Gaga and Sir Elton John are champions of self-love, courage, empathy and kindness, and Love Bravery represents all of those tenets,” said Martine Reardon, Macys chief marketing officer. “We are so proud to present a line that is not only fun and bold, but also stands for something so meaningful and important. The work they do through Born This Way Foundation and the Elton John AIDS Foundation is invaluable and truly changes lives, and Macys is honored to partner with them to spread the message of love and acceptance.”

Born This Way Foundation is committed to supporting the wellness of young people and empowering them to create a kinder and braver world by shining a light on real people, supporting quality research, and fostering meaningful partnerships focused on social emotional learning (SEL) and mental health awareness and resources. The Elton John AIDS Foundation raises much-needed funds for evidence-based programs that give people the information and tools to protect and care for themselves and those they love – challenging stigma, reducing the spread of HIV and preventing people from getting sick or dying of AIDS.

Love Bravery Clutch, $59, Only at Macy'sLove Bravery Skateboard, $99, Only at Macy's

The foundations brought together a diverse array of young people to showcase the Love Bravery apparel and will be sharing content from that campaign this spring. The limited-edition line with Macy’s is the first in a series of activations which are planned for the coming months to make people feel proud of who they are.

Love Bravery will be sold exclusively at Macys this spring, with 25 percent of the purchase price benefitting Born This Way Foundation and the Elton John AIDS Foundation, and will be available globally later this year. All donations from the limited-edition line, on sale through Aug 30, 2016, will be made to Born This Way Foundation, which will use 50 percent to support the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

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About Macys

Macys, the largest retail brand of Macys, Inc. (NYSE:M), delivers fashion and affordable luxury to customers at approximately 730 locations in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam, as well as to customers in the U.S. and more than 100 international destinations through its leading online store at macys.com. Via its stores, e-commerce site, mobile and social platforms, Macys offers distinctive assortments including the most desired family of exclusive and fashion brands for him, her and home. Macys is known for such epic events as Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks® and the Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade®, as well as spectacular fashion shows, culinary events, flower shows and celebrity appearances. Macys flagship stores — including Herald Square in New York City, Union Square in San Francisco, State Street in Chicago, and Dadeland in Miami and South Coast Plaza in southern California — are known internationally and are leading destinations for visitors. Building on a more than 150-year tradition, and with the collective support of customers and employees, Macys helps strengthen communities by supporting local and national charities giving more than $69 million each year to help make a difference in the lives of our customers.

 

About Elton John AIDS Foundation

The Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) is dedicated to reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS through innovative HIV prevention programs, eliminating the stigma and discrimination associated with HIV/AIDS and supporting direct care for people living with HIV/AIDS.

Sir Elton John created EJAF over twenty years ago, first in the United States in 1992 and then in the United Kingdom in 1993. Since then, the two organizations have raised nearly £220m (over $350m) and reached over 150 million people across four continents.  We work with local, national and international organizations to provide non-discriminatory HIV information, testing and treatment services that stop people becoming infected with HIV or getting sick and dying of AIDS.  This has meant funding some 1,500 programs including providing HIV tests to over 20 million people, and treatment prevention for more than 800,000 pregnant woman living with HIV so that they could protect their babies from the HIV virus.  The Foundation also prioritizes those who are highly vulnerable to HIV and the stigma that surrounds it in many parts of the world such as men who engage in male-to-male sex, people who use drugs and people who sell sex. Our work with Love Bravery will go towards prevention and treatment programs for adolescents living with HIV. AIDS is the second leading cause of death for 10-19 year olds worldwide.

www.ejaf.org/London

 

About Born This Way Foundation 

Led by Lady Gaga and her mother Cynthia Germanotta, Born This Way Foundation was founded in 2012 to support the wellness of young people and empower them to create a kinder and braver world. Born This Way Foundation achieves this by shining a light on real people, quality research, and authentic partnerships. Working with more than 50 non-profit organizations, Born This Way Foundation has connected more than 150,000 young people with services and programing in their communities. The Foundation has also partnered with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the National Council for Behavioral Health, and the National Association of School Psychologists to collect data from more than 2,500 young people. This research, presented before the American Psychological Association, improved our understanding of young people’s views of mental-health services and delivery methods.

Visit us at bornthisway.foundation.

 

RESPECT by PRSVR Grand Opening – Recap

On April 15th and 16th RESPECT by PRSVR celebrated their Grand Opening! DC tastemakers, fashion lovers and fashion/lifestyle media were all on site for the grand occasion which was Sponsored by D’USSE. In addition, there was a fashion presentation presented by “Slayed by Dutch” which featured Spring 2016 pieces that are available at RESPECT by PRSVR in Washington, DC.

 

Some of the guests included the following: BRAVO TV Reality Star Cyrene Tankard of “Thicker Than Water”, Rock Creek Social Club’s Scooty, top Party Promoter Carrington, PRSVR Brand Ambassador James + more! Thank you to the Fashion/Lifestyle Bloggers who attended such as Devon of Fashion Citizen, Mimi of MIMI Cute Lips, T. Espinoza of Style Medic, Mark Q of Hill St. Collectives, Renee of Johnna Knows Best (Style), DC Super Sid & Alexis of Style Ambition.
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On the second day of the Grand Opening it was a BBQ curated by the B2 Crew for the cool kids and their parents! Guests were able to take a peek into the edgy and fly fashions for kids, meet B2 (the cool son of the owners) and to enjoy the beautiful sunny weather Saturday afternoon. Also on site were the good folks of Whimsicle which is a gourmet fruit bar company based in Philadelphia.

 

For additional information on RESPECT by PRSVR, please visit their website www.respect-dc.com and make sure to follow them on Instagram @RESPECTDC.
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Distinctly Creative – Creative Commons Event

Style + Life + Fashion has a media partnership with Distinctly Creative.  The purpose of the brand is to share once-a-month summer marketplace events featuring DMV creatives within the fashion, art, beauty, and design industry from July-September 2016 on July 9th, August 13th, and September 10th at Cloak & Dagger DC.

The kick-off event is Thursday, April 28, 2016 at Cloak & Dagger DC from 7 – 10 p.m.

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Distinctly Creative Instagram: @distinctlycreative

Distinctly Creative Twitter: @distinctlydc

Distinctly Creative Facebook: @Distinctly Creative

Website: distinctlydc.com

Cantu and éprouvage Win 2016 Naturally Curly Editor’s Choice Awards

Calling all curly haired girls – Naturally Curly just released their 2016 Editor’s Choice Awards!

  • Cantu Leave-In Conditioning Repair Cream – “Best Product to Cocktail: Type 3C Hair”

 

  • éprouvage Restorative Scalp Serum – “Best Hair Growth Product: Type 3 Hair”

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Best Product to Cocktail (Type 3C Hair) Cantu Leave-In Conditioning Repair Cream ($5.99; Walgreens.com) is an intensive deep penetrating leave in cream conditioning treatment that is made with pure shea butter and other natural oils to stop and mend breakage, repair split ends, and add manageability and shine with every application.

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Best Hair Growth Product (Type 3 Hair) éprouvage Restorative Scalp Serum($30; Ulta.com) is a potent scalp treatment formulated with the award-winning ingredient, Redensyl and éprouvage’s Progressive Plant Cells: rejuvenating Egyptian Blue Lily Stem Cells, highly concentrated French Oak extracts and various highly-effective vegetable keratins. Actively soothe and protect the scalp to give the best conditions to let your hair thrive.

Kentucky Derby Fashion – What To Wear

It’s almost time for Kentucky Derby season and women everywhere will start searching for something to wear.  Often, we’re not quite sure about the attire for such an event. Should one wear Christian Louboutin Pumps or Lilly Pulitzer Wedge Sandals?

I wanted to share a few style options to help us coordinate for Derby season. Attending the Kentucky Derby is definitely not a denim and t-shirt occasion but one can (still) look fashionable without appearing matronly.

Dressing for the races is a time to be chic and comfortable. Also, there’s a functionality behind Kentucky Derby or Preakness Stakes attire.  From my personal experience, one should wear a hat to protect from the sunlight.  Wedge sandals are a “must have” due to walking on the field or socializing over cocktails.

To camouflage from heat absorption, floral dresses should be worn in a lighter hue.

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Which celebrity got it right? Leave comment below

Men can have fun with their races fashion as well.  It’s expected that gentlemen wear a blazer, button-down, and slacks.  For a touch of whimsy, throw on a hat or floral lapel pin for the total sophisticated look.

Don’t forget to bring your cocktail glasses and rosettes for a good time!

Style Inspiration from Pinterest

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Global Beauty Masters Finale Clips | TLC

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Global Beauty Masters” that airs on Monday, April 25th on TLC at 11am EST/PST, and will also be airing on Thursday, April 21st on Discovery Life at 6pm EST/PST and on Tuesday, April 26th on Discovery Life at 11am EST/PST.

In case you’re unfamiliar, “Global Beauty Masters” is the world’s most challenging beauty competition that brings together professionals from the United States and other countries (Bermuda, Canada, Italy, Mexico, Panama, Senegal and South Africa) to demonstrate their jaw-dropping skills and creativity in hair, makeup, nails and styling. 

The finale of the show, titled “Global Masters of Beauty,” features the pro and student teams racing to finish their models based on the theme “Phoenix Rising.” A team of judges, led by co-founder and chairman of the board of John Paul Mitchell Systems, John Paul DeJoria, crowns the surprised winners of this year’s “Global Beauty Masters.”

See the clip below:

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Tommy Bahama and Belk – St. Kitts Sweepstakes

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Bask in the ambience of summer with the limited edition Tommy Bahama St. Kitts fragrance collection. Inspired by the exotic essence of the island of St. Kitts, men and women alike can envision themselves lounging by the serene beaches of the tropical island escape, as scents of mandarin, pear and starfruit float through the air.

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What’s better than feeling as if you were whisked away to paradise in just a few sprits?– actually being whisked away to paradise! Tommy Bahama has partnered with Belk stores nationwide for their Escape to St. Kitts Sweepstakes beginning Tuesday, April 26th. One lucky winner will be chosen to receive the grand prize of:

 

  • Airfare for two
  • 4 nights/5 days lodging at St. Kitts Marriott
  • A $1,000 Belk gift card
  • And more!

Ereka Vetrini from TLC Creates Agua Fresca Beverage

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Have you heard of agua fresca? It’s a drink traditionally sold by street vendors throughout Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean. This beverage—which is perfect for cooling down on warm days—has recently grown in popularity throughout the U.S. thanks to its refreshing quality.

Today, The Host of TLC’s Sunday Brunch, Ereka Vetrini will introduce you to the refreshing world of agua fresca, and share a few of her thirst-quenching recipes to get your readers prepped for spring and summer.

The recipes Ereka demonstrates will feature the recently released Agua Fresca line from Santa Cruz Organic®. As a pioneer organic brand, Santa Cruz Organic offers a variety of organic, 100 percent juices that you can feel good about drinking.

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Ereka will also share additional tips with our site very soon!

About Ereka Vetrini:

Ereka Vetrini is a TV Host, Lifestyle Expert, Brand Spokesperson, Producer, Blogger and proud mom of two! Tune-in to TLC Sunday Brunch on Sunday mornings as Ereka brings you the very best brunch & cocktail recipes, styling tips and so much more! Ereka is also the host of Lifetime’s Access Health where her and her team bring you the latest cutting-edge developments and innovations in medicine, nutrition and fitness, so women everywhere can take charge of their health, starting today! As the TV spokesperson for AllRecipes magazine, you can catch her in the kitchen at The Today Show, Meredith Vieira Showand The Better Show where she cooks up recipes created by home cooks from across the country. Ereka was the host of Easy Does It on Yahoo! where she interviewed authors, experts and celebrities to uncover everything you need to know about how to simplify family life. As a mother of two, Ereka enjoys spending every spare minute running after her 1st grader and preschooler. Check out her blog BeYOUtifulmoms.com to see how she balances it all and deals with her daily dose of mom guilt.