Dannijo

ART & FASHION

My Latest Dannijo Obsessions 

If you follow my other blog, Pure Love, which is dedicated to highlighting fine craftsmanship in jewelry and other accessories then you would know that I have developed a little obsession with Dannijo. "Founded by sisters Danielle and Jodie Snyder in 2008, Dannijo jewelry is hand-made in New York and offers an eclectic range of designs. Danielle’s bohemian, rocker vibe combined with Jodie’s timeless sophistication makes for a versatile and ever-changing statement collection that consistently maintains a strong sense of DNA." (Dannijo) Here I share with you a few works of art by the Dannijo sisters that I wish I owned. 

 Click here, to see more Dannijo! 

Robed & Capped

ACTIVE LIVING

May 18, 2012 Captured

I received my Bachelors degree in Psychology from George Mason University earlier in January and on May 18, 2012 the event was celebrated at 10:00 a.m. with family, friends, and over 2, 000 other graduates from the school of Humanities and Social Sciences. I can not begin to explain to you the overwhelming amount of emotions that I experienced while marching into the Patriot Center, where the undergraduate convocation was held. To think that the many "hours of application, the hopes of my parents, and the labor of my instructors had all brought that moment into my hands" (Angelo, Letter to My Daughter) was so surreal. Here I share with you a snippet of my day.

 Posed Shots

Candid Shots

Gold & Silver Tones

FASHION

"The Metropolitan Costume Institute Gala is known for its impressive celebrity guest list and Monday night's bash, which celebrated Miuccia Prada and Elsa Schiaparelli, was the most star-studded one yet. And while the red carpet was a sea of stunning designer gowns, a few A-listers stood out in truly memorable looks..."(Lavinthal, May 7, 2012) Here are some of my favorite looks from the gala; coincidentally, they all are dressed in gold and silver tones. To see all of the looks - the good, the bad, and the ugly - from the 2012 Met Gala click here. 

 Karolina Kurkova in Rachel Zoe.

 Jessica Stam in Dior.

 Lana Del Rey in Joseph Altuzarra.

 Camilla Belle in Ralph Lauren.

 Kate Upton in Michael Kors.

 Gwyneth Paltrow in Prada.

 Bianca Brandolini D'Adda in Dolce & Gabbana.

Jessica Alba in Michael Kors.

Jessica Paré in L'Wren Scott.

Healthy Is Sexy

FITNESS
Inspiration 

100 Followers

Time For A Toast!

When I first started this blog it was hard to even imagine a 100 people following me and now that day has come. I am so grateful. Thank you all for your support. I would have liked to show my appreciation with a giveaway, but I did not expect to reach 100 followers so soon; as a result, I will have my first blog giveaway when I reach 150 followers. Stay tuned!  

SOME BELLADONNA FACTS 

Most Popular Post: 

Trayvon Martin with 7, 732 Pageviews

Post Most Commented On:

Breakfast Worldwide with 21 Comments

My Favorite Comment:

“This Post is Very Inspirational …having a negative body image is something I've always suffered with and  I feel I won’t ever be as confident as i would like to be without the plastic surgery. My self-image defiantly holds me back, but I would love to help women, men, boys and girls appreciate what they were given and love what they have…” by Emma on Transformations

My Favorite Post: 

Own It 

Top 5 Countries Who Read:

1. United States

2. United Kingdom

3. Canada

4. Australia

5. India  

Total Comments:

250

Total Pageviews:

21, 172 

Burt's Bees' New Lip Balm

 BEAUTY

Product Review 

Burt's Bees' new Refreshing Lip Balm with Pink Grapefruit  is amazing. It rejuvenates the lips and leaves them feeling soft and conditioned - not to mention the great aroma it delivers. 

Although, the product's featured ingredient is pink grapefruit oil, it features other great ingredients like: helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, cera alba (beeswax, cire d’abeille), ricinus communis (castor) seed oil, lanolin, citrus paradisi (grapefruit) seed oil, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract, tocopherol, ammonium glycyrrhizate, canola oil (huile de colza), glycine soja (soybean) oil, and limonene. You must try it!

I have been using this product for only two weeks and I already notice the difference; my lips appear healthier and they feel softer. This product truly does what it says it will do - it "put[s] the squeeze on dry lips."

Click here, to try today!

The Conversation

POP CULTURE

Empowering Women 

Lifetime has a new series - The Conversations with Amanda de Cadenet - and I am so excited about it. The concept of the series is to present:

"...an honest, authentic and raw view of the shared issues affecting women today[.] Each episode of 'The Conversation with Amanda de Cadenet' will feature de Cadenet having powerful and in-depth interviews with some of the world’s most famous and influential women, including, among others,

Jane Fonda, 

Lady Gaga, 

Gwyneth Paltrow, 

Miley Cyrus,

Eva Longoria, 

Kelly Preston, 

Alicia Keys, 

New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, 

Donna Karan, 

Ivanka Trump, 

Olivia Wilde 

and Gabby Sidibe.  

Together with de Cadenet in the comfort of her or their own homes, they -- many for the first time publicly -- will tackle a wide variety of topics universal to all females, including sexuality, body image, career and finances, relationships, love and loss, politics, human rights, transformation, breakthrough and perseverance. 

'The Conversation with Amanda de Cadenet' will also feature 'Women on the Street' segments in which women from all walks of life also reveal their personal feelings about their lives and the world today." (Lifetime) 

It appears that everything that I hope to accomplish with this blog - empower and inspire women - is being done within this series; the women are talking about issues that matter to us, issues that we rarely discuss with one another, issues that we need to talk about.

The first chapter in the series ranges in subject matter and it is packed with exceptional advice and words of encouragement. While, there is so much that could be extracted from the first episode, I will conclude with one notable quote made by Zoe Saldana on the subject of men: "They're extraordinary creatures and sometimes we deprive them of their own battles...They have their own stories. They have their own nightmares, and women we have the power of the word and we can make or brake a man, which is a sentence. To abuse that power is to make you just as crippled as the men who abuse women..."  

Click here, to watch the first episode!