DIY: Fortune Plants

I save everything. Well not everything, but most things that I think will come in handy at some later time for arts, crafts, and especially DIY projects. Just recently I cleaned out my wallet to find a handful of fortunes from fortune cookies (NOTE! Eating a lot of Chinese food is likely not good on the waistline)....my creative juices start flowing......and a light bulb goes off:

DIY FORTUNE PLANTS!

What does this even mean you ask? Well this was my brilliant plan. 

• Bury the fortunes in plant dirt, about 1/4 inch deep.
• At time of watering, fortune will reappear!
• A buddha-like fortune 3-7 days a week without the calories! 

As you can see I also add collected shells and coral, and a few coffee stirrers from a cafe in Paris. House plants are so passe' otherwise!

If you dont have any fortunes lying around, you can always order a pound for only $5.

Fortune plants make excellent house warming, birthday and wedding gifts! 

Are you on your way to being Forbes Most Powerful Woman?

Reposting this message from Popsugar as I think its an important one to read. So many woman have dreams of escaping their 9-5, starting their own company, becoming the next Oprah, Gaga, Martha, Julia or Obama. Live those dreams! Its achievable if you put your mind to it, surround yourself with positive energy and people who support you and help you dream. And remember - patience. It doesn't happen overnight :) 

Forbes released its annual list of the most powerful women in the world. Michelle Obama, who ranked 40 last year, jumped to the top spot, knocking Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel off her lady throne. In between, the list is lined with policymakers, CEOs, pop culture icons, and at least one "political maverick and commentator."

Seems like influential may be a better word than powerful, so let's see what it really takes to make the list.

• Be a multitasker: Beyonce (singer, fashion designer), Angelina Jolie (actress, UN goodwill ambassador), Madonna (singer, fashion designer), Heidi Klum (producer, model), Rachael Ray (talk show host, author, chef), Sarah Jessica Parker (actress, designer), Lady Gaga (performance artist, singer), Gisele Bündchen (fashion designer, model), and Martha Stewart ("lifestyle guru") all got on by doing more than one thing well.
• Have a gig in politics: Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, and Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg are just a few of the political heavyweights on the list.
• Start a blog empire: Tina Brown (Daily Beast), Arianna Huffington (Huffington Post), and Nikki Finke (Deadline Hollywood) are now all powerful enough.

Haute-lloween

The countdown to dress rehearsal begins! Only 24 days until Halloween! 

JeNeSeQua is here to help put a little haute into the holiday. From famous couples, singles, groups, glamourous characters of todays television and film, here are my favorites:

Margot & Ritchie from Royal Tenenbaums

Passing the torch to the lucky couple who pulls this costume off. We cant do a repeat! 

me and my sweets - Halloween 2009

What you need:

Margot: fur (mine is vintage and a gift from my granny, but faux is best ;), black eyeliner, dark polish, red barrette (I used a tortoise one and painted it with red finger nail polish!), carboard for a wooden finger, loafers, little girl socks, serious pout, striped dress (she wore Lacoste if you want to be original)**I owned everything here but if I didnt, I would go to Goodwill, Redlight - any thrift store. 

Ritchie: sweat band & wristlet, camel colored blazer, grey scarf, chinos, white polo, sunglasses, tennis racket

The Drapers or Mad Men Characters

What you need:

Betty: blonde bobbed, perfectly coifed do, ciggies, pearls, elbow length gloves, sweetheart neckline flirty floral dress, glass of champagne 

Joan: pinned - siren Red Hair, simple, waist-accentuating shift, cleavage grazing gold pen necklace, liquid eyeliner, pinky-red lipstick

Peggy: awkward bangs, short sleeve full skirted dress, in stripes or brown brocade, barely there makeup, brimmed pillbox church hat and wrist length gloves. 

Don: muted grey or navy slim fitted suit with white shirt, simple-single colored skinny tie, slicked hair, fedora, ciggies, scotch - neat. 

Sterling: silver neatly combed hair, great one-liners, lighter colored 3 piece suit with skinny printed tie and pocket square.  

Jackie O's cousin - Little Edie Bouvier Beale of Grey Gardens

What you need:

mink fur or faux, scarf for head, red lipstick, brow wax, black tights/leggings, black turtleneck, black irish stepper dance shoes (any black flat will work), long island accent, maybe some cats and pints of ice cream.

Mark Zuckerburg in his Harvard years:

courtesy of Gawker.com and MZ's real FB page

What you need:

sweats, GAP or Harvard sweatshirt, adidas flips, curly auburn wig, possibly a Harvard pennant.

Bonnie & Clyde

What you need:

Bonnie:  beret, dark printed scarf (for neck, bobbed blonde do or wig) camel colored short sleeve sweater, tweed or dark colored skirt of same palette), brogues, toy gun.

Clyde: dark pinstripe suit, white collard shirt and tie, fedora, wing tips, toy gun. 

Speidi (Spencer and Heidi)

What you need:

Heidi: large bra stuffed with balloons the size of watermelons, long blond wig, stuffed little dogs, something fancy, or just a bikini will do. 

Spencer: fake or real beard, blond tamed fro, creepy look in eyes, big watch, baggy pants and button up shirt.

**Just act ridiculous, stage photo shoots, feed each others, carry un US Weekly with them on the cover.

Some other great ideas worth mentioning are Kardashian Sisters, Olsen Twins, Lindsey Lohan+ SCRAM ankle bracelet, Anna Wintour, Rachel Zoe (plus Brad!).....

I think you get the picture. Pull from your wardrobe and thrift shop on the weekends (you have 3 of them left to prepare) to make this an inexpensive costume. 

"Novel" Idea - Book of the Month Clutch

Kate Spade LITERALLY has won me over this season. I about died when I walked by her boutique in Soho and looked into the window - eyeing the colorful clever clutches.  She chose 3 classics as a start to what Im imagining will evolve into a collection each season: The Great Gatsby clutch, Great Expectations clutch, and The Importance of Being Earnest clutch. From $325 USD on KateSpade.com and also discovered as a Griffen bag as low as $175 USD on Amazon.com.

Not too early to add to your holiday wish list! My fav is The Gatsby Clutch (Ill take the tote too!) Whats yours??

the display in Kate Spade Soho

Words of the Wise

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"I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best." 

— Marilyn Monroe

Tina Turnbow's Fall Face

Tina Turnbow

She's in high demand for print, red carpet, and running from show to show for fashion week - but Tina Turnbow, celebrity makeup artist to the stars (Mariska Hargitay, Amanda Peet, Claire Danes, Ivanka Trump, Keri Russell, Christina Hendricks just to name a few) took a time out out to tell little ol me, what her favorite beauty looks were for fall. 

JNSQ: What is your signature look for fall?

TT: My favorite look for fall is a mix of jewel tones--forest green, purple, bronze and then a touch of gold or a matte honey brown. I always like the mix of a color with a neutral..and of course i'm very fond of NAVY! it is the most eye enhancing, brightening spirit-lifting color for the eyes. Try a silvery taupe with navy--as i did on Mariska Hargitay from this years Oscar red carpet..Or last night for the premiere of "The Social Network" I applied deep green, rust and gold to Brenda Song one of it's lovely stars. 

Tina's work at its best on disney-gone big screen actress Brenda Song in "The Social Network" debuting in theaters. 

Tina's Oscar's 2010 look for Mariska 

Tina's look for Jessica Szohr - Tommy Hilfiger Red Carpet 

JNSQ: What are your favorite products to use - for achieving these looks?

TT: Sue Devitt makes an awesome fat smudgey pencil--i use Golf Reef a lot! Try creating a smokey eye using just pencils. Urban Decay 24/7, Almay Blendable or KORRES--they have a great dark navy and all natural ingredients. For Brenda Song's "Social Network" red carpet look I used Stila's deep green eye pencil in Forest and new Nars duo in Rajasthan and on cheeks - Deep Throat blush by NARS. For lips--i'm in love with Korres's new liquid lipstick - the Nude #30 in particular. It has more pigment and is not as goopy as gloss.

JNSQ: Any other tips to finish the look? 

TT: I think a deep taupe, grey or chocolate nail looks chic with this. How striking when you are wrapping your wool knit scarf around your pretty face! xxtina t

For more on Tina, her background in makeup-mastery and what inspires her - check out her spread in Interview Magazine.com! 

Bon Weekend! This ones for Lobster Lovers

The Pearl Lobster Roll

Being in Massachusetts for the long weekend - and already having lobster 2x in less than 24 hours, I thought it would be fitting to kick start the weekend with a lobster recipe. This isn't JUST a lobster recipe - its my FAVORITE way to eat lobster and a recipe from my favorite place to eat lobster. Voted by Bon Appetit "Best of the Year, Top Dish".

THE PEARL LOBSTER ROLL: (recipe courtesy of Time Out New York)
*Makes 2 rolls 

Ingredients:
2 one-pound lobsters (preferably culls)*
1/2 small rib celery, chopped very finely
1/2 cup Hellmann’s mayonnaise
Squeeze of lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp unsalted butter (for frying)
2 hot-dog buns (preferably Pepperidge Farm top loaders)

Lobster salad:
1. To cook the lobsters, place them in a large pot of rapidly boiling water. One pound of lobster will take 7–10 minutes to cook and will float when done.
2. Immerse lobster in an ice bath for 10 minutes to stop them cooking; cool thoroughly. Remove and drain.
3. Break down and shell the lobster to remove the meat; chop into chunks
4. Put meat in a bowl with the celery, mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly until combined
5. Cover and store the lobster salad in the refrigerator—you can make it up to one day in advance

Un preparation:
1. Melt butter over low-medium heat in a small sauté pan. Place hot-dog buns on their sides in the butter and toast. Flip buns over a couple of times and brown evenly. Add more butter if necessary.
2. Fill each hot-dog bun with the cold lobster salad and add potato chips or french fries and pickle chips.

*Culls are lobsters that have lost one or both claws and are generally much cheaper than regular lobsters. Make sure that whenever you buy lobsters they are feisty and lively.

Recipe notes by Pearl Oyster Bar owner Rebecca Charles: "When I opened Pearl in 1997, I had to explain which bun I wanted. I use a washing-machine analogy: Hot-dog buns are either top loaders or side loaders, but the quintessential lobster roll is made with a top loader so that it sits up. I couldn’t find top loaders here—we’re a side-loading town! Ultimately, I had to call Pepperidge Farm headquarters to get top loaders delivered.

You can purchase Rebecca Charles cookbook Lobster Rolls and Blueberry Pie: Three Generations of Recipes and Stories on the coast of Maine, for this and more delicious recipes if you cant make it to New York - or the east coast.

BON APPETIT!