How To Series: How to Fold a Fitted Sheet

And thus begins my "How To" series to kick us all off in the right direction as the new year continues!
The goal is to tackle as many enigmatic issues in our sartorial lives as I can. From folding T-shirts to weather proofing your shoes, there are certain answers that seem to elude us. To throw another bone in the mix, why is it sales people can't agree on the right method either? Instead all you hear is that old saying: "I don't know. I just work here".

urbanblah.com

One of the greatest mysteries in life- at least to me- has been how to properly fold a fitted sheet. I always think, HOW ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO FOLD THESE THINGS?! Perpetual laziness and no enthusiasm for laundry has me dumping my sheets in a crumpled mess in the closet. What drove me to answer this question today is because my wonderful but geriatric cat has vomited on my bed for the fourth time this week. I am getting more and more acquainted with fitted sheets than I ever thought possible.

The best thing about technology, particularly the internet, is that any question you might have has already been answered and usually comes with a handy video to give you the blow by blow. After watching this, I felt ready to properly fold any fitted bed sheet. Any size, any fabric, bring it on! I got so excited I even asked my BF if he'd like to practice. (He looked at me like I was crazy...rightfully so I think) Good thing I have some sheets washing right now to get my folding on. This of course also means that my cat has a fresh place to puke. Not that it matters much to him, I'm sure.

Image(s) courtesy of youtube.com & urbanblah.com

Honeysuckle, Pantone's Super Sweet Prediction for 2011

Believe it or not, the colors you're wearing now were actually brainstormed years before they ever made an appearance on your body. Currently, there's a planner you can purchase which gives you the palette for the Spring/Summer 2012 home and fashion industries. But that kind of clandestine information doesn't come cheap. Be prepared to fork over $750 for a guarantee to be "on trend" that season. The reason some designers are known for their "forward thinking" is because they purchase said secrets.

Color forecasting company Pantone has a pretty lineup in store for us this Spring. 2011 is officially looking like a cool sorbet on a warm night. And it sounds delicious too: Honeysuckle, Peapod, Coral Rose, Beeswax, Lavender, Blue Curacao, Silver Cloud, Silver Peony, Regatta, and Russet. (if you're wondering what Curacao and Regatta are, the former is a popular island resort in the Netherlands Antilles with tropical-colored water and the latter is a meeting place for boat races, typically in richer blue water.)

Honeysuckle, in a pink lemonade hue and not the usual white, is the dominate color. It's not a coral and it's not a fuschia, it's somewhere in the middle. You might know it by its lesser name, pink. As Pantone states on it's home page honeysuckle is: "Energizing...lifts spirits and imparts confidence to meet life's ongoing challenges". I'd say we could all use a little lift in our spirits, especially with the new year just dawning. Thank goodness Nordstrom has some items you can use now to refresh your emotions. Why not try a few of these accessories before braving an entire outfit? You'll be ahead of the curve now and on trend later.

YSL, $750

They may be a little Barbie inspired but these YSL platforms are cute and quintessentially girly. How can you resist?

Nordstrom, $48

No San Francisco girl worth her sartorial salt leaves home without a scarf. The key to this weather is layering so tie one on in this lovely sorbet shade.

Longchamp, $98

A large bag is every girls best friend. Carry all your essentials/junk in a colorful bag instead of the usual black or brown. Plus, keeping your wallet in a place that evokes happy feelings helps maintain that new year exuberance.

Hopefully you find some way to incorporate this energizing color into your wardrobe. I think I'm beginning to feel the effects just from writing about it! 2011 already seems to be coming up roses...or, I mean, honeysuckles.

Image(s) courtesy of dedicated.typepad.com, Google Image Search and Nordstrom.com

Keeping Your New Year's Resolution

Happy New Year!! It feels so good to be back. There's just something so refreshing about saying goodbye to a previous year. It's like the same feeling I used to get when the school year was starting up again. You're practically bursting at the seams to go back-to-school shopping and you convince yourself that this year you'll be a stellar student and get straight A's. I think we all do the same thing as December 31st gets closer and closer. We get more and more excited to kiss away the previous year for a (hopefully) better start to a new one. The tricky part of course becomes how do you keep those new years resolutions?

The number one resolution for most people: lose weight

There are a lot of people who simply refuse to make resolutions because they see it as an inevitable place for failure. They know themselves and know that eventually they'll succumb to temptation, so why make one at all? Thank goodness I'm on Twitter and I happened upon an AMAZING Wall Street Journal article by writer Sue Shellenbarger. She talks us through the means to make and keep a resolution. She even backs up her statements with scientific evidence! What I discovered- relying on your willpower is setting yourself up for failure. The only thing that truly and scientifically works: retraining your brain. Don't worry, it's not impossible. There's even a rewards system! Just stick to your guns, train your brain, and watch that resolution come true. Let's make 2011 the best it can be!!

Image(s) courtesy of 59seconds.wordpress.com