Beyond Rapunzel

Rapunzel applied her tresses to general escalation, romantic indulgence, and escape stratagems. But as demonstrated by the unmistakeably stunning Carrie Hensley, cranium filaments have the power to do so much more.

My dear, fetching friend from Inside the Bungalow is shaving her fair hair to raise money for St. Baldricks, a foundation that raises awareness and funds to cure kids' cancer.

In Carrie's own words,

"On January 28 2002, one week after the birth of their second child, my dear friends, Emily and Jameson, lost their two year old daughter, Faolan Brace MacBeth to non-Hodgkins lymphoma.

Losing a child is an experience that no parent should have to live through. Facing the pain and magnitude of cancer is an experience no child should have to go through. Please help us make a difference!"

Please convey your loveliness to:

Inside The Bungalow
48 N. Robson Mesa, AZ 85201
Saturday, May 2, 2009
events from 7 am to 9 pm

The event will encompass Sun Salutations, a silent auction, and of course the main shorning event.

If you can not join locally, please cheer dear Carrie on by contributing to her cause.

To the power and strengths of hairstyles!

Sweet, Shiny Wash

When I yoga into forward bend, I like smelling my knees. Swathed in polyester spandex, they are sweet with the bouquet of Renewing Rain. It started as an olfactory attraction, but its grown into a refined commitment, driven by cleanliness, fiber preservation, and sensational fluffiness.

If you want your patellas to smell yummy, click on over to Tide Total Care. While you're there doing reconnaissance with Mr. Tim Gunn you can ask for a free sample (which comes complete with a lovely little coupon).

So what's your favorite laundry solution? Let us know your favorite way to keep you pretties soft, sweet, and shiny.

Dress Up Party

Tonight, Wednesday April 29th, 5:30 - 8:00 pm at Blissful Living Studio (166 West Main Street Mesa, AZ 85203) get you fix of pretties at 20% off*.

(*discount applies to Domestic Bliss & Blissful Living Inventory, not applicable on outside vendors)

And check out the upcoming Event Blog where charming fun is perpetually brewing.

Keeping Clothes Young

(Wash Graphics provided by Laundry Care Symbols)

Mother Sue called it bonding: an opportunity to strengthen emotive relations. And the euphemism caught. To this day I adore nuzzling into a hot, clean pile of dryer contents. And find few things more socially rewarding than sorting socks with a loved one.

Once again I confirm my belief in clothing investments. And in consequence, I confirm the need for proper care for maximum wear. This week we'll be investigating keeping our clothes looking young as long as possible.

In honesty, I anticipate the idea of aging myself: soft laugh lines, strands of silver surrounding my face. But this kind of beauty is earned rather than received. In the lovely prose of Eleanor Roosevelt: "Beautiful young people are accidents of nature, But beautiful old people are works of art."

And properly broken in clothes are expenditures of effort as well: jeans stretched into a second skin, shoes curving along each toe. But in order to keep your clothes in their prime for as long as possible requires a proper understanding of care. Today we'll start with the hieroglyphs on the reverse side of clothing tags.


Wash Delicate: Gossamer clothing require elite circumstances. Dial in on the appropriate cycle and segregate from coarser clothing. Try putting delicates inside a pillow case and close with a knot to protect them from the washing machine.




Do not wash. Usually there is a dry clean symbol with this one.






Hand Wash: con sus manos pequeñas.













Goldilocks always enjoys optimal washing results because the water temperature is just right. Too high water temperature will destroy the textile or make the colors bleed and fade. Too low temperature may leave the clothing item soiled. Each dot indicates an increased temperature starting at a cold 30C and increasing by 10 degrees Celsius (about 20 degrees Fahrenheit) with each additional point.

Bleach: Bright and sharp whites can require the assistance of bleaching agents. The equilateral triangle indicates an open invitation to bleach, just follow the instructions carefully. Too much chlorine based bleach can turn evil.

Non-chlorine bleach only: Use only bleaches that do not contain chlorine (aka color safe Bleach).

Do not bleach: This garment has no tolerance for bleach, so keep the whitening and brightening agents at bay.

There are four ways you follow up on your washing: tumble high, tumble low, line, and flat. If in doubt, lay it flat.

Tumble dry using low heat

I had a long acetate skirt that I attempted to smooth with a warm iron. The results were a gastly scar floating on the back of the bustle. I still wore it, feeling a literary connection with Meg in Little Women, but not all appreciate the dramatics of ironing mishaps.

Do Not Iron! When you see this symbol, put your iron down!

If one or several of the dry-cleaning symbols are present it is usually accompanied with a do-not-wash symbol. Leave the interpretation of these markings to your dry cleaning professionals




Do not dryclean! Seriously keep them away from the solvents or else.




So reheat your dryer contents if they've gone cool and come back tomorrow for more ways to keep you clothes young.

Fitting Room Friday: Life Uniforms

Meet Missus Rebecca Court: mother, hair stylist, socialite.

Life Role One: Casual



Meadowland Sunset Tees
Crowd Favorite Bermudas
Nearly Needlepoint Satchel

Life Role Two: Social




Candied Corsage Blouse
Raleigh Drawstring Capris
Smidgen Peep Toe

Life Role Three: Dress



Coming Dusk Necklace
Tatra Vista Shell
Stretching Acres Cardigan
Sandy Stretch Belt
Spontaneity Skirt

Procure your own empire constitution. Your personalized fashion look book can include your own life role recommendations and much more.

Life Uniforms: Casual

Casual wear is consistently one of the most poorly stocked sections of a woman's wardrobe. I've found what should be extinct species of clothing: long crotched jeans, stretched neck t-shirts, and mousy nosed shoes. These items are subsisting miserably, worked unreasonably past exhaustion. Some good hearted soul should start a new PETA faction: People for the Ethical Treatment of Apparel. But clothing abuse aside, what are you doing to yourself and your figure? Simply tragic. Emperors around the world must invest in enjoying their everyday lives. Yes, your empires are busy enterprises, but make some time to procure a proper pair of pants and a stain-free top. Below is a step by step guide to exploring the casual side of clothing.

1. Fabric: There is a time and place for machine washable materials: broadcloth cotton, jersey knit, stretch denim blends. Even better if the fiber does not require the warmth of an iron to look respectable. There are few greater pleasures in life than grabbing a garment, hot and fluffy from the dryer, and enveloping yourself in it while it is sweet with the scent of fabric softener. This raw pleasure undoubtedly trumps pealing the sterile plastic from a dry cleaned return.

2. Figuration: Apply a pattern. Not only are patterns an excellent form of self expression, they are also a superior disguise for tiny finger prints and other results of everyday life.

3.Form: Soft, cozy, and yin. You should look forward to sporting your informal friends. Like a nostalgic bowl of mac & cheese, they should draw you in emotionally. And even better then a well-worn pair of sweats, they not only feel delicious, they look delicious.

Below is a comfy casual Friday ensemble:



























In Between Seasons Cardigan: Keep one folded up in your purse, like a first aid kit for over air-conditioned restaurants
Helianthus V-Neck: Not a button or zipper to interrupt the pleasure of a pull-on top
Nights Adrift Crops: Comfy not schlumpy little short pants
Fine Fescue Hobo: Wet wipes or carpet samples, this will carry whatever you have need of with discreet efficiency
Rave Review Sandals: Turn that dirty old flip flop into a fly swatter
Double Swan Earrings: Like delightful dreams swimming around your head

1 hundred 98 cents = your own Casual Wear fashion look book cheat sheet.

Procure your own empire constitution. Your personalized fashion look book can include your own professional wear recommendations and much more.

Life Uniforms: Professional

Before establishing the empire, I was a Dr. Professional. My career spanned from secretarial mini skirt suits to vice presidential power slacks. And during this occupational orbit, I learned a few strategic wardrobing tactics which I am delighted to share with you fellow doctors of profession.

1. Cut: Nothing says casual like revealed skin. Following is an abridged inventory of stretches of flesh that should never be visible in the office: the midriff, the upper thigh, the chest crevice, the lower back and its continuum. Not only should these items be cloistered when standing demurely, but they should remain under wraps when you bend over, raise your arms, and lean forward. Also ensure that your clothing skims rather than clings; offer a smooth outline rather than a detailed delineation. It's not that these areas are unappealing, quite the contrary, they are far more interesting than your annual budget report.

2. Color: Dark hues report in proper business tones. Unlike their flighty pastel counterparts, dark colors speak of grounded, responsible individuals. But that doesn't mean you are limited to black, navy, and gray. You can have a pop of color, but make sure it's a taste, not the entree. There's a reason that the crimson power tie is a staple and the crimson power suit never quite caught on.

3. Class: Stay in good taste and excellent repair. If you look sloppy, people will assume you don't spellcheck your e-mails. You might be an obsequious grammarian, but people are bound to make assumptions. As you enter the office you should be flawless from your scuff free shoes, to your properly hemmed trousers (breaking at your instep), to your cleanly pressed blouse.

Below is a sharp little banker formal ensemble:

































Nordstrom's Mac & Jac Linen Jacket: Wearing a jacket doesn't require a matching suit. You'll get more wear out of separates
JCrew Solid Silk Garland Cami: Keep a little bit of pretty and color close to you at all times
White House Black Market Sateen Pencil Skirt: Fresh for spring with appropriate feminine allure
Banana Republic Jefferson Medium Shoulder Bag: Because your lappy needs a proper home
Endless Luichiny Miami Pump: Black never has to be boring
Ann Taylor Black Diamond Studs: Your jewelry should not jingle nor jangle

1 hundred 98 cents = your own Professional Wear fashion look book cheat sheet.

Procure your own empire constitution. Your personalized fashion look book can include your own professional wear recommendations and much more.

Life Uniforms

At nine the world was open to me. I could be a ballerina, an actress, an airline hostess, a teacher, a model, or a nurse. My maternally inherited vintage board game taught me that I could achieve my most ambitious aspirations by working hard to acquire skills and realistically evaluating my natural capacity.

For example, in one round recommendations might be made to study:





While considering innate qualities such as:


Well, it turns out I was clumsy so my career as an Airline Hostess, Nurse, Model, and/or Ballet Dancer was hindered. But it's for the best, because I adore my life as a teacher, stylist ,and wife. Someday I want to be a mother, a farmer, and a ballroom dancer. But I should probably work on my posture first.

As diverse as our talents and abilities, we all share one thing in common: we need uniforms for our life's work. This week we will be making regimental recommendations.

Quince Queries: Day Five

Each month, I consistently spend more shopping than I do refueling mine and the emperor's cars. I have a 45 minute commute to work, which I travel approximately 57% of the days of the week. Granted, the empire owns two small automobiles one being a hybrid, but when it comes to my wardrobe, it consistently trumps fuel by an Andrew Jackson.

What is your shopping budget equivalent to: an album on iTunes? your utilities bill? your family's grocery budget?

Quince Queries: Day Four

I breach commonly established fashion rules, with regularity. I wear black with brown. I relish pattern on pattern. My bag never duplicates the hue of my shoes. I fully comprehend why these rules were written, and I consciously choose to transgress them.

But some fashion commandments are impermeable: donning clothes that fail to fit, modeling garments in poor repair, publicly sharing the location of your panty line.

Sometimes we are oblivious to our own sins. Others are aware but neutralized against guilt. I speak to the latter category.

And I offer my own confession. When I have a day off to be spent intimately with just me and lappy (my macbook), I remain in my pajamas until afternoon. Sometimes people come to the door, and there I stand in my satin slippy and robe at 11:18 am. I used to be embarrassed, but now I feel indignant at the interruption of my slippy indulgence. I iron clothes nearly every morning and wear a minimum 3 inch heel at least 5 days a week. My sleepers never leave my front threshold, I believe that to be non-negotiable. And I must be fully dressed before my husband returns from work, my preference should not be forced on others. But late slippy mornings, I grant myself guiltlessly.

That's my sin and my justification.

What's your fashion faus paux and what's your justification/rationalization for continuing to commit said fashion sin?

Quince Queries: Day Three

This good looking specimen of andrology belongs to me. His name is Emperor Andy, and his excellency has proposed the following group of questions for our discussion on Cardigan Empire today:

• What is your favorite thing to hear from your husband/boyfriend regarding your outfit?
• How do you know if he like it?
• How do you know if he hates it?
• How important is it for you to dress the way he likes?

Quince Queries: Day Two

"A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous." -Coco Chanel

Chanel's legend has cut contours into my own styling theory. Below are three lines which consistently run through my fashion philosophy:

1. "Look for the woman in the dress. If there is no woman, there is no dress."
Fashion should be built around the beauty of a woman's body. In a day when women were padded, corseted, and confined, CC designed her dresses to showcase rather than alter.

2. "Elegance is refusal."
Shake your lovely head at: garish accessorization, trends ill suited to your essence, chintzy extravagance, ostentatious consumption. Discriminate and radiate, the truly stylish lady knows when to say "no thankyou."

3. "A women who doesn't wear perfume has no future."
Embrace today. Expect the day to be worthy of small touches of prettiness. Gift beauty to yourself and those around you. If you don't hold now, you'll never own tomorrow.

Who is your fashion icon, and why?

Quince Queries: Day One

This week, I would like to have a conversation, a series of tète-à-tètes. Prompts will be presented, commented responses would be adored. Below is the first in a series of five.


In the twilight of my teens, I was courted by a quixotic landscape artist. He would pen me sonnets made of moonlight and strum serenades that smelled of freshly cut grass.

The only condition was that I become an appropriate muse in loosely veiled bohemian raiment and nothing more than lip balm in way of cosmetics.

Braiding my hair and abandoning black as a neutral began as an adventure, but soon enough I pined for red lipstick and pencil skirts, and our romance blew away on a wind.

So here is my question for you: who has influenced your fashion for good or ill? Sisters, neighbors, mothers, daughters, celebrities, husbands? Please post your answers in the comments.

Easter Frockery: Upper Figure

Beneath the perfect upper figured dress is a perfect fitting bra. Once your Easter Eggs are properly nested, the frocking is easy.





















1. In our first basket of fashion treaties, we have the grass green with tulips shining under glinting sunlight. Northern endowed ladies should opt for medium rise scoop and v necklines. Blanketing the entire nest will only offer a prodigiously overwhelming set of curves. Instead, try the collar lines of the Underwood Shirtdress, which breaks your offering into smaller, visually digestible bites. While the long sleeves of the Through-The-Clouds Jacket draw attention down to the hip and the cropped jacket length brings further emphasis to the empire waistline.




















2. In our second basket, the springy smocking through the bodice of the Confetti Whirl Dress won't leave your cups to overflow into the underarms or collarbones. The high empire waistline will draw attention to your narrowest torso width. The sleeve-line of the Karst Edge Cardigan again brings interest to the hips while the high button closure narrows in right under the bust.

Good Friday and Happy Easter!

If you already have your customized look book & want more outfitting ideas, book a 60 minute virtual shopping session to compile a portfolio of wardrobe options, at excessively competitive wages.