A wedding would not be completely possible and, most of all, successful if not for some ardent supporters. One of them will be your bridesmaids. They are more than just a bunch of girls who will walk down the aisle with you. They are there to offer you support during your wedding ceremony. That is why, it is only right that you think about getting bridesmaid gifts.

1. Bridesmaid bags. What kind of lady does not easily fall in love with a bag? Surely, whether you are having a tote, handbag, shoulder bag, or even a traveling one as your bridesmaid presents, it will surely be appreciated by the girls. You can also add some personal touch to your bridesmaid gifts by perhaps using their names as brand tags.
2. Bridesmaid jewelry. Diamonds will always be a girl’s best friend. If you have a very small number of bridesmaids and they are all special to you, you can purchase even just a small-carat diamond earring or necklace. However, if you are on a tight budget, any funky or lady jewelry will still be suitable.
3. Bridesmaid apparel and shirts. It would be fun seeing “Maid of Honor” all across the tees and blouses of your girlfriends. Your bridesmaid apparel does not have to be costly. You can just purchase plain-colored shirts and ask someone to print the words all across them. It does not only make a very unique gift, but it is also extremely useful to your bridesmaids.

Nevertheless, if you want to be on the safe side, you can simply ask them about their ideal bridesmaid gifts. This way, you are sure that your presents will be appreciated and suit their personality and preference. You can also have a good idea on how much you would likely spend for presents to your bridesmaids.

Regina Watson is the owner of Elegant Wedding Impressions She sells a variety of wedding favors at affordable prices. Elegant Wedding Favors carries cheap wedding favors and unique wedding favors. At Elegant Wedding Impressions you will be able to find a variety of quality wedding accessories such as guest books, Unity Candles, toasting flutes, wedding decorations, ring pillows, bridesmaid gifts and groomsmen gifts.

I saw a look of resignation on my friend’s face as she said, “I don’t think I’m cut out to be a step mother.” There was a combination of sadness, frustration and resignation. She’d been married to her new husband for almost two years. The struggles started before their marriage, as it usually does when two people, with children from previous marriages decide to “blend families.” After all this time she saw no end in sight.

My friend has two daughters from her previous marriage. Her new husband has two daughters from his previous marriage…and a former wife who appeared to be determined to make things difficult. My friend has a former husband who lives out of state with his new family.

The four girls were all close in age and could possibly have been friends if they met at school, weren’t step siblings and didn’t have parents pulling at them.

Often, we the parents just need to get out of the way. Blended family issues can be resolved sooner and without causing added pain to the children if we allow space and time to work things out. I know from my own first hand meddling. I’ve detailed in my book, “You Used To Live In My House.”

My kids…back when they were kids, when my wife Louisa and I were newlyweds, didn’t need a new mom. Their mother was alive and well. Louisa didn’t want to be their mom. She knew her role and would have been happy to be a step mother. We all moved from Virginia to Colorado together so I thought she should be their new mom. All this while my kids really hadn’t given up hope that their mother and I might some how reconcile. We’d been apart for four years by then and each of the adults knew that wasn’t going to happen.

While I was living in Colorado my kids return to Virginia and to their mother,

I didn’t know what she was saying to them, about me. I didn’t learn that until three years later when they moved to Colorado. By then new roles weren’t so new and were accepted pretty easily. All the while, I knew that Louisa never criticized her sons’ father, even though he’d been virtually absent from their lives for several years.

Eleven years later Louisa received a Happy Step Mom Day card from Kelly on Mother’s Day. All of the ‘kids’ openly express their love for each of us these days, and have for some time. They all get along well with each other.

I can speak for myself and I believe it applies to many step parents, we are so determined that everyone will get a long and like each other immediately, that we make things more difficult than they need to be. Affection and assimilation cannot be forced upon our children. They have to find their own way and all we have to do is get out of the way.

Kids are resilient. I’ll over simplify it with an example of how they overcome the tales of an Easter Bunny and Santa Claus at very impressionable ages. If and when they see the new step parents showing affection and compromise it will be easier for them to move forward with their own feelings.

A friend of ours, Donna Lopez, provided the following testimonial to my book:

“After reading the book, “You Used To Live In My House” I began to think differently of blended families. I realized that it took much more love and faith and work that I ever imagined to sustain one household. I began to appreciate all those families around me that I once took for granted. This book allows us to see this family with such truth and pain and laughter! A recommended read!”

Obviously that’s flattering and I appreciate Donna’s comments. Her comments remain timely.

Don’t look now, but there are increasing numbers of blended families on the horizon. As more couples split and often after a child or two, the newly freed up mom or dad hooks up with that new ‘soul mate.’ Bingo, there’s a new family and the new spouse may even have children of their own from a previous relationship.

How do I know? I’m reminded of a question I was asked when I spoke to a Rotary Club not long ago. “What prepared you to write your book?” My answer: “I lived it.”

Back in the day, circa 1981, I met Louisa H. Harrison. She’s been Louisa H. Coons since June 18, 1983 and on that day, my three children and her two children, blended into this new family. Oh, by the way…on the fateful day, they were ages 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12.

We’re all the better for it now. And if you read through what I call ‘Tales of the dark side’ (AKA “You Used To Live In My House”) you’ll eventually get to the happiness we enjoy today. Being in a blended family doesn’t have to make any or all of the participants crazy. I’ve only scratched the surface of how I, and sometimes we, went about it the wrong way. If you get to know us we should give you hope.

R. Perry Coons
http://www.youusedtoliveinmyhouse.com

R. Perry Coons has thrown the door wide open with his narrative of the first 25 years of his relationship journey with his wife and family. He says, “If you get to know us, we should give you hope.”

His background is varied, as witnessed by the many personal and professional experiences he shares with his readers…husband, father, grandfather, runner and former radio dj, award winning shopping center marketing director, special events coordinator, entertainment manager, Realtor and self-described coffee achiever. He holds a copyright on a manuscript titled “Surrel Estate” and is working on a novel about a radio dj in the late 60′s. His working title is “Record Player.” Perry lives in Denver, Colorado with his wife Lousia and their Australian Cattle Dog.

You might be surprised to learn that just about every human being has 100,000 strands of hair on their heads. However, because of differences in texture, some people appear to have less hair, and some people appear to have a whole lot more.

What is texture?
Texture is the circumference of each individual strand of hair. If you have fine hair then your hair has a small circumference and you appear to have less hair on your head. Conversely, if you have coarse hair then your hair has a larger circumference and this bulk makes you appear to have a lot more hair than someone with finer hair texture.

Ultimately, the texture of your hair is simply a matter of genetics; if your parents have coarse hair, you will also, if they have finer hair, you will too. However, thankfully the hair care industry has developed ways you can enhance and modify your hair’s natural texture to achieve the popular styling choices you desire.

Fine Textured Hair

Fine textured hair is generally straight and can appear limp because of residues from hair care products. It can easily be processed by perming and coloring. However, it is important to not over-process fine hair because it can be easily damaged.

There are many things you can do to enhance the texture of fine hair. Some of them are:

Use a Clarifying Shampoo – To reduce residues and oils you should use a clarifying shampoo on fine hair. This will strip off the residue left by shampoos, conditioners, and styling products. Kenra manufactures a shampoo called: Kenra Clarifying Shampoo. Kenra’s Clarifying Shampoo is ideal for removing mineral deposits and chemical build-up from hair styling products. However, while this shampoo cleanses your hair, it also adds shine and body.

Use Mousse While Wet – After you shampoo with a clarifying shampoo, adding mousse to your hair (when it is wet) can give it added texture. Start at the roots and massage the mousse into your hair and then let it air dry, or dry it with a hairdryer on low heat. Not everyone wants to use the same hold factor in a mousse. There is a very wide variety of mousses to choose from, however I have three different options to look at. First is the Alterna Life Volumizing Spray Mousse. This is an aerosol mousse that has a light to medium hold. The Alterna Life Mousse was manufactured with fine and thin hair in mind. The exclusive LIFE blend of extracts provides weightless thickening agents that define, maintain, and preserve volume all day long. This product also contains anti humectants that effectively repel humidity, leaving your hair with a smooth texture and a radiant shine.

If you need more of a hold, I would go with a medium hold mousse. An example of this is the Biosilk Silk Mousse. This is an alcohol free mousse that is rich, creamy, and infused with concentrated silk and botanical extracts which add volume and shine.

If you require a strong holding mousse, I would recommend the Brocato Volumizing Foam. This product is a strong holding mousse that creates visual texture and stunning shine. This mousse allows your hair style to be firm, yet still moveable. This is an exceptional volumizing foam with a powerful hold that is great for all hair types!

Color Your Fine Hair – Another good way to add texture to fine hair is to color it. Coloring your hair adds texture to it by enlarging the hair shaft.

Coarse Textured Hair

Coarse, textured hair is generally thicker and harder to process. Coarse hair resists perming, straightening, and coloring.

There are a few things you can do to work with the texture of coarse hair. Some of them are:

Add Moisture – Coarse hair needs added moisture to control frizz and curl. By using a good conditioner you can insure you course hair will lay flatter and be shinier. Some manufacturers offer leave in treatments, rinse-out treatments, or hydrating conditioners that will help to incorporate moisture back into your hair. Bonacure makes a rinse-out treatment entitled Bonacure Moisture Treatment. This is a great product for naturally dry, or naturally coarse hair. This product reconstructs the moisture in your hair shaft from the inside out, which balances the moisture in your hair.

Joico makes a leave-in detangler that you can use on a daily basis which is called Joico Daily Leave-in Detangler. This is a conditioning agent that helps to condition, detangle, and make hair easier to manage. This product will also help you restore the moisture balance in your hair.

People rave about Pureology products and what they do for their hair, and that is why I would recommend the Pureology Hydrating Conditioner. The hydrating conditioner works from the inside out to keep your hair color fresh and your hair detangled ,all with renewed body and amazing shine! Hair is left conditioned, color protected, and shiny!

Air Dry – One of the most important things you can do for coarse hair is to let it air dry. Wash it, condition it, and then let it dry on its own. By not handling your hair too much while it is drying, it will not frizz.

Whether you have fine hair, coarse hair, or something in between, you can work with it by learning about texture and which products to use and which to avoid. By using products that are beneficial for your hair texture, you can better amplify the hair that you were given.

Stuff4Beauty Your Hair Products Specialists!

Individual style should be applauded. It takes guts, personality and confidence to pull off certain looks, and anyone who expresses their individual style with gusto should be proud. But there are a few fashion no-no’s that should really be avoided at all costs, because, let’s face it, they just don’t look good on anyone. Be a fashion do by following these fashion don’ts.

1. Socks And Sandals
Just don’t do it, it really doesn’t look good. I understand wanting to be comfortable, but if socks are truly necessary, put on a pair of cute tennies or slip ons. Better yet, find a pair of sandals that are comfortable enough to wear without socks. Oh, and don’t even think about wearing black socks up to your knees with shorts and any type of shoes. I won’t even get into my opinion on Crocs at this point, but let’s just say that unless you’re gardening, I wouldn’t recommend those either.

2. Your Underwear Peeking Out Of Your Pants
Ok, So Brittany Spears did it, and so did various other teen stars and it was cool for a while. Let me give you a hint: unless you actually look like Brittany Spears, you probably can’t pull it off. Even if you can pull it off, there’s a difference between letting your thong hang out on stage in front of thousands of fans an paparazzi, and showing it off at the grocery store or in line at the movie theater. Trust me, no one wants to see it, and people are probably making fun of you as soon as you’re out of earshot.

3. Wearing The Baggiest Clothes You Can Find
No matter what size you are, you are going to look better in clothes that actually fit you, rather than big, baggy clothes meant to hide your figure. Beauty is not size dependent, and most people will tell you that a person of any size who looks fashionable and put together always looks better than someone in baggy clothes that looks like they are wearing a tent. Find a style that works for your body type, and that you like and be proud of it. The more confident you are in your own body and style, the more people will be drawn to you and appreciate you for who you are and your individual style. Sit on a bench at the mall for a couple of hours watching people go by. Who looks great, and who looks like a slob? Find a role model and try to emulate them. If all else fails, watch a few dozen episodes of What Not To Wear, and see resistant fashion disasters morph into beautiful, put together people.

4. Over-accessorizing, or Not Accessorizing at All
Even the best outfit can benefit from a few well placed accessories. A great handbag, and nice necklace and some simple earrings can easily take an outfit from ok to fabulous. They don’t have to match, they just have to be in the same or a complimentary color family. But a word of warning: don’t overdo it. Great big dangly earrings, 4 necklaces, 3 inches of arm bangles and a huge, sparkly handbag is going just a bit overboard. Keep it simple, but interesting, and make sure that your accessories compliment your outfit, not overpower it.

5. Being Self Conscious About Your Style
Above all, find a style that you love (and of course that follows all of the above mentioned rules). Wear colors that make you happy, and styles that make you feel beautiful. The absolute worst thing you can do is wear clothes that make you feel uncomfortable, or that you don’t love. Clothes and accessories are meant to be fun, that’s why there are so many choices. Don’t buy something just because it’s on sale, all of those meaningless purchases could be traded for one fantastic piece that you adore, and will last a long time. Buy pieces that are classic, as well as a few trendier items that can be mixed and matched. You will never regret spending a little more on a great pair of black pants that will last for years, and you can update them every season with a new top or some jewelry.

Find your inner diva, and express your style for the world to admire by following these simple rules. A Little fashion knowledge can go a long way in allowing you to express yourself to the world in a positive, confident way.

Visit http://www.missy-j.com for fashionable, affordable accessories, and http:http://www.missyjblog.blogspot.com for more fashion advice and ideas.