Ho, ho, ho! Win this SUPER quick!!

Well happy-almost-December!!  I think it was last week that I was lamenting the neighborhood pool closing (*sigh*).  But alas!  December means the holidays!  And for many of you that means Christmas.  Sooooo...I raided my stash of new pillowcase dresses, and look what I pulled out!

Your girl NEEDS to wear this to her Christmas program.

So to my fantastic readers both old and new, I offer this dress up to you.  Remember a couple of months ago when we gave away that dress for reaching our facebook fan goal in like, 2 days?  Well this is about the same, but we only have one week!  (I mean, what good would it be to give away a Santa dress when the season's already gone by?!)

One week from today I will choose one of you as the merry winner if we get to our facebook fan goal of 550 fans by next Tuesday!  Click on the facebook link on the right and it will take you to the page.  Then suggest the "a La Modish" fan page to those that you think would love it! 

Today's happiness:  Hip, hip, hooray for rubber boots!  As I trolled the streets of Lexington today looking for fab vintage finds for some of you, my toes stayed toasty, and my feet stayed dry.  Aah, it's the little things.  And oddly enough, with my braided pigtails I felt a bit like a cowgirl.  Yeehaw!

Tiny Bear

Every now and again, a person comes into your life as a stranger, but is quickly transformed into a friend.  

A couple of weeks ago, I had the fantastic opportunity of setting up shop at the Holly Day Market.  The Market was incredibly successful in so many ways.  But the common thread among all the shows I've ever participated in is the extraordinary people I inevitably meet.  One of those people is the fantastically talented Maui Crane.

Yes, I am going to tell you how beautiful his artwork is.  His medium is jewelry; his canvas might be a wrist, a finger, or a decollete.

Featured on the Today Show.  Vintage lace; hand-dyed.

He let me wear this all day!  Pearls were hand-sewn, with a single pink pearl at the top center.  Love.

But the main reason I'm telling you about Maui is not just because of his jewelry, but because of his kindness.  I was a relative stranger to him, but he was offering to watch my booth, get me lunch, and even made me a Nest Ring!  And the instant he met my little ones, he brought over two necklaces from his "kiddie couture" line.  One had a football charm and the other showcased a sweet little bear holding on to a Swarovski crystal ornament (he was immediately dubbed "Tiny Bear" by my Sabrina).  I knew I was smiling, and it wasn't because of the haute new jewelry.  It was so refreshing to cross paths with a person who shows kindness just for the sake of spreading love.  

Tomorrow starts a new week!  Let's all do something nice for a total stranger and see who ends up being the one rewarded.

Today's happiness:  If you like Maui's creations, you're in luck!  On Tuesday, December 7th from 7:00-9:00 PM, The Lexington Fashion Collaborative will be showcasing some of his work at the Kentucky Theatre Gallery.  Go check it out!

Immune system, don't fail me now.

Preschool pickup in an hour.  Still one more errand to run.  But in a desperate need of a mani/pedi.  What to do?!  So in a zealous attempt to be Super/mom/woman/business owner, I try to do it all, and slink into the nearest nail salon I could find.  In this case, I was already in a big box store that offers everything from wonton wrappers to plant fertilizer to, well, nail salons. 

I think it was during the calf massage portion of the pedicure that I literally thought to myself, "Immune system, don't fail me now."  I assumed that the equipment was sterilized, but as I glanced nervously about the room, I saw traces that led me to believe otherwise.

The manicure/pedicure turned out to be mediocre and about $10 less than what I was used to paying.  (If you're looking for an awesome nail tech, go see Chaun--pronounced 'Shawn'--at Nail EnVogue in Hamburg.)

So now that I've painted myself to be a high-maintenance nail snob, I must explain why the "spa" day was necessary.  

Who can tell me what starts this weekend in Lexington?  Why the Holly Day Market, of course!  This was the one part of preparation for the Market that hasn't brought tears to my eyes, but after today's sketchy experience, it came close.

Today's happiness:  The Holly Day Market officially starts on Friday, the 12th.  But for me, it starts tomorrow night when the Preview Party begins.  If you read my blog, come by and say "hi" sometime this weekend!  I would love to meet you.  And don't look too closely at my fingernails.

The Miss Evelyn. 

How to tie a pretty bow

And the holidays are upon us.  With all of the feasting, family, and travel, the least of your concerns may be how to tie a pretty bow.  But I assume that since you are reading this, you would disagree.

The idea for this blog post came when my friend, Brandi, asked me to show her how to tie a nice, symmetrical bow for her daughter's new a La Modish dress.  And so without further ado, I give to you the "secret" for tying a pretty bow.

1.  Make sure that the tails of the bow are of equal lengths.  If you are tying the sash (bow) on a dress, they should already be even.

2. Cross the right tail over the left.  This is a very important step for keeping your bow from being wonky.

3. Pull the right tail under the left tail and up through the opening on top.

4.  Make a loop with the tail that is now on the right side.

5.  Place the new left tail over your loop and pull up through the opening.

6. Perfectly symmetrical bow!

Feel free to post pics of your newly found bow-tying skills on the a La Modish fan page!  Not a fan?  Click the facebook icon on the right, and it will take you right where you want to go.

Today's happiness:  Well, pretty bows!  Or the happiness that surrounds them, rather.  Maybe it's on a wrapped gift, Christmas tree, antique mantle, holiday dress, or a little girl's lovely locks.  Wherever you find them, you will almost always find something good and joyous.