Belle's Weekly Reading: Why, My Stars

Jul 11, 2011

 

image courtesy of Blastr

All About Kate.  The the lady formerly known as Kate Middleton is taking the world by storm with her fashion choices.  If you’re a fan of Kate’s style, you can learn more about her fashion choices and how to steal her style at Duchess of Cambridge Style

Her recent tour of Canada and America featured some lovely fashions from Alexander McQueen, DvF and, Belle’s Favorite, Erdem.  Luckily, FabSugar has a comprehensive slideshow of all her best looks.  

Lastly, Jezebel wants to know if the Duchess can single-handedly make nude  nylons fashionable again.  It seems that since Kate started wearing stockings, per Royal protocol, women in the UK are falling over themselves to buy hose.  So will Kate bring Lycra back to America? 

Absolutely not.   Kate is a princess, not a magician.

Photoshoot Chic.  My hero Rebecca Minkoff has gorgeous photo spread on From Me to You showcasing her incredible NYC studio.  And if like me you become instantly smitten with the yellow-ostrich flats, you can buy them at ShopBop.

And if you’re still looking for the perfect beach bag or city tote, Minkoff is selling her CFDA “You Can’t Fake Fashion,” studded, canvas bag on eBay.  Proceeds from the $150 sale price go to charity.

Staying on Task.  For whatever reason, I’ve been having a hard time focusing lately.  If you’ve been suffering from a wandering eye while at work, here are some ways to cope.

To combat the noise generated by seven loud people and one copy machine wedged into a 24×14 cubicle farm, I’ve been using a White Noise Generator from Speech Privacy Systems.  It’s calming, helps me focus and unlike Pandora, doesn’t break my focus when I need to skip over another Jack Johnson song. (P.S. When is Pandora going to get with the program and start letting you “thumbs down” an artist instead of just a song?)

Since I’m a visually-oriented person, these Task Boxes on Lifehacker are the perfect way to keep my to-do- list from becoming a jumbled mess.  Priorities, they’re important. 

Think Pink.  The Daily Obsession has all the details on O.P.I’s Think Pink collection.  These polishes are perfect for the girl who wants variety but likes to stay in her comfort zone. 

The Makeup Girl has a review of Borghese’s Fango Brilliante Mud Mask, also pink.  Unlike the Active Mud Mask that is meant to detoxify, this mask moisturizes and as luster to tired skin. 

Sale Away.  The end-of-Summer sales are starting!  J.CREW has 30-percent-off all final sale merchandise.  Saks is having a consolidation sale on July 14th, online and in-stores.  And the Nordstrom Anniversary extravaganza has started its pre-sale.

Ladies, hide your credit cards!

Hello, FICO.  Speaking of credit cards, too many people, women especially, don’t know their FICO score.  I check my score monthly, and thanks to some diligence and a serious financial-come-to-Jesus, I’ve raised my scored 60 points in the past eight months.  That’s right, sixty.

You need to know your score.  For a free guide on checking and understanding your FICO score, click here.  And if you want some professional assistance, I used myFICO to rebuild my credit. 

The tools Suze Orman provides via the site are incredibly helpful.  I highly recommend her Platinum Fico Kit ($49.95) to get you started on the road to recovery.  With her help and some willpower, you can go from an average score to a great score.

The Weekly Reading is a complitation of the best of what Belle finds on the Internet.  Topics vary but include style, beauty, career advice and more.  For more from Belle, follow Capitol Hill Style on Twitter and Facebook.  If you have suggestions for Weekly Reading, e-mail Belle at capitolhillstyle (at) gmail (dot) com.

Ask The Edit, Workday Reading

share this post

Leave a Reply to Belle Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  1. Ellie says:

    Highly recommend Leechblocker, a firefox add-on, for distraction problems… it got me through law school finals.

  2. AD says:

    Belle – unfortunately, the link in this sentence doesn't work:

    You need to know your score. For a free guide on checking and understanding your FICO score, click here.

    Would you mind sharing the site? I'm on a quest to fix my credit score too.

    Thanks!

  3. alicia says:

    Pandora does let you thumbs down an artist: If you thumbs down two of a given artist's songs, it blocks them from popping up in your player. I have banned Chris Brown, thank goodness.

  4. Belle says:

    AD-Fixed it.

    Alicia-Then WHY are all my playlists still carrying Jack Johnson?!?!?

  5. Katie says:

    ditto the Jack Johnson situation.

  6. VA Gal says:

    Since my office requires stockings, I think when I go out with friends after work, I'll start telling them I follow royal protocol.

  7. alicia says:

    @belle… No idea… it is supposed to be block two songs on a given artist and they are gone. Maybe if you thumbs down one, and then allow the next one to play without thumbs down-ing?

  8. Adrienne says:

    As someone who has closely followed the Duchess of Cambridge's style for a couple of years, I feel the same way as the author at Jezebel. I despise wearing hose but acknowledge they do have benefits. Can you make recommendations on hosiery in America? A DOCStyle blogger ID'd her stockings as John Lewis because they have non-slip treds on bottom, but is there anything comparable in the US? If we have to wear pantyhose, what's a good brand?

    Also, WhatKateWore.com is another great Kate Middleton blog.

  9. amy b.s. says:

    i've never been so happy that kate is not a magician. seriously.

  10. Norwgianette says:

    Ellie, thanks for the suggestion!! My law school finals life saver was Self Control for mac. I love love love it because once you set the timer there is just no way around it and then once the time is up and you've been working productively for your chosen period of time, you can reward yourself with surfing your fave blogs for a while 🙂

  11. TracyR says:

    You are giving some very bad advise to young women (many who are just starting out in the world), regarding your views on hosiery. The problem with the hose-haters is not unlike many extremist thought processes. The number of women (young and old) who elect to go “bare legged”, and who think that they look just fine, are fooling themselves 98% of the time.
    Wearing stockings indicates that you take your appearance very seriously, that you are not lazy, and that you show respect in the workplace. Your legs will always look better, and you will always have a leg-up on coworkers who elect not to do so.
    Would you rather be noticed for making the effort to look polished, or noticed for your far-less than perfect legs and the “I don't give a crap” attitude that it shows.
    If I ever interviewed a woman with bare legs, the resume would be filed circularly. And if, during a normal probationary period, I saw you bare-legged in my office, I would send you home to finish getting dressed.
    You know, hearing some of the men complain what women get away with (clothes) in the work environment holds a bit more merit than most of us would ever admit. I can't imagine seeing most of the men in my office running around without socks, and wearing flip-0flops.
    So are you going to delete this post too?

Join The List

Stay up to date on the latest from Capitol Hill Style!

sUBSCRIBE

Beauty Review: Bondi Boost

As I age, I notice many changes in my body. Most are fine. Some are frustrating. Like many women, I lost a lot of hair in my postpartum phase. Being anemic for more than a year after, it didn’t grow back in to its former glory. So I’ve tried any number of shampoos, pills and […]

0

READ MORE 

Recent Posts

The Find: Shirts That Don’t Gape

I remember when Rochelle Behrens launched The Shirt — a button-down blouse with anti-gape technology (a patented internal button that keeps the look smooth). The idea seemed brilliant, but at the time, my bust didn’t require an extra button. One baby later, I understand the need for some extra security.

6

READ MORE 

The Range: Printed Shirt Dresses

If you’re preparing your wardrobe for the warmer weather, don’t sleep on shirt dresses. Casual when worn with sandals or sneaker, dressy with flats or heels, they’re great for any work situation. They’re a great piece that you can throw on any time you need to look pulled together. Here are a few choices.

6

READ MORE 

VIEW ALL POSTS

Beauty, Top Posts | March 27, 2024

Beauty Review: Bondi Boost

As I age, I notice many changes in my body. Most are fine. Some are frustrating. Like many women, I lost a lot of hair in my postpartum phase. Being anemic for more than a year after, it didn’t grow back in to its former glory. So I’ve tried any number of shampoos, pills and […]

0

READ MORE 

Fantastic Finds, Posts, Style | March 27, 2024

The Find: Shirts That Don’t Gape

I remember when Rochelle Behrens launched The Shirt — a button-down blouse with anti-gape technology (a patented internal button that keeps the look smooth). The idea seemed brilliant, but at the time, my bust didn’t require an extra button. One baby later, I understand the need for some extra security.

6

READ MORE 

Features, Posts, The Range | March 26, 2024

The Range: Printed Shirt Dresses

If you’re preparing your wardrobe for the warmer weather, don’t sleep on shirt dresses. Casual when worn with sandals or sneaker, dressy with flats or heels, they’re great for any work situation. They’re a great piece that you can throw on any time you need to look pulled together. Here are a few choices.

6

READ MORE 

Features, Monday Mornings, Top Posts | March 25, 2024

The Mondays: March 18, 2024

This weekend was a tricky one. The warm weather and bright sunshine of last weekend disappeared in a flurry of wet snow trapping our very active 18-month-old in the house with us. Plus, our babysitter cancelled, so neither of us feels ready for the week ahead. But in between making mac-and-cheese and watching Aristocats for […]

6

READ MORE 

RECENT POSTS

©2023 CAPITOL HILL STYLE | SITE BY LEIGH THE STUDIO