Tuesday, December 27, 2011

A Merry Christmas Blog

Silent Night… Holy Night…. All is Calm… All is Bright… OR NOT! Welcome to the Scalpone families Christmas Chaos J


Let’s rewind to Wednesday, the start of my Christmas weekend. I decided to stay at my parent house so Vinnie and I could spend extra time with the family for holiday. My dad and I decided to take Vinster for a walk when he noticed a cop at a stop sign talking on his cell phone. My dad, being the authoritative figure that he is (or so he thinks), went up to the cop and asked him to roll down his window. He then proceeded to lecture the cop by saying, “You can’t talk on the phone while driving. That’s illegal!” The cop, somewhat ignoring my father, nodded and waved his hand. As my dad was walking away he added, “And no texting either. That’s illegal too!” I, embarrassed as can be, said, “Let’s go dad before we get arrested and mom has to bail us out of jail!”


Fast forward to Saturday morning. Like my birthday, we were back at my aunt’s house drinking lots of wine, laughing, and making fun of each other, especially my dad- The Usual. Once we were nice and toasted my aunt and uncle thought it would be fun to pull out games that are nearly impossible to play when you’re sober, let along drunk. In addition to all the game playing, everyone was taking pictures and video tapping the debauchery going down- lately we’ve been catching my grandma cheating at the games. It wasn’t just Christmas Eve at the Scalpone house, it was also my grandmothers 89th birthday. I was in charge of ordering the cake, which ended up being big enough for a family of 90… good thing there were only 15 of us. Unfortunately, my mom is highly allergic to cats so she was unable to join us for the festivities. Lucky for Vinnie though, she was able to spend the night snuggling with him until we stumbled home.


On a much more intimate Christmas day, we awoke to presents under the Christmas tree from Santa. After breakfast and a nice family walk, we watched Water for Elephants. Eventually we started getting ready anticipating the arrival of our family. With Christmas music on full blast, we enjoyed good wine, food, and company. My uncle does a Christmas newsletter every year and mentioned how he can’t wait to announce an engagement and a pregnancy in the newsletter next year. He then looks over at my sister-in-law and me- Real subtle Uncle John! The night ended with everyone opening presents and putting on a fashion show of all our new items. My grandma ended up putting all her gifts on at the same time, which includes a scarf, pin, and some bracelets- she looked like an old gypsy!


I just love Christmas time because it brings the family together with love and laughter. It is always a good time when my family is together and I am so thankful for each and every one of them!

Hope you had a very Merry Christmas,
Gina <3

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Beauty Tip Tuesday!

I love coffee and red wine, but hate what it does to my teeth! To battle this, I always drink my coffee out of a straw to avoid getting stains on my pearly whites. I know it sounds crazy, but give it a try sometime!

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Bethenny Frankel: The Original Skinny Girl

I think there is always room for improvement, which is why I’m a believer in self-help books. The one that has resounded with me the most is “A Place of Yes” by Bethenny Frankel. It outlines the 10 rules for getting everything you want out of life. I have given this book to at least 7 people! If you’ve never read one, I suggest you pick this one up or do what I did and buy it on CD. I’m always on the go and don’t have time to sit down and read. Instead I put it on my iPod so I can listen to it when I’m driving or walking Vinnie.

Probably the chapter that hit home most with me was "Breaking the Chain". Breaking the Chain means recognizing the patters you are carrying forward in your life, patterns that belong to your past, and choosing to go a different way when those patterns are destructive. We naturally are programmed to think/act/say what our parents thought/did/said. That's the hard part- to decide how and who you want to be in the world, even if it's different from what your family or peers or friends think. For me I tend to go against the "norm". The norm of what some say a Midwestern 30 something should be doing with her life right now. But guess what? It feels pretty darn good to go against the grain and do what's best for me and what makes me happy. This way I can be a better person and make a difference in the world.


Saturday, November 26, 2011

Gina's Birthday Blog!

Today I’m turning 36! WOW- what a life I’ve had. I don’t even know where to begin…
My birthday started out last week with a pre-birthday celebration. It seemed as though fate was on my side, before I even walked out of my building a limo was waiting in front. My PA (a.k.a. Hungover Barbie, a.k.a. Operations Manager) walked over to Gus (one of her “people”) to work out a deal. Talk about starting off my birthday in style!



We rolled up to D.O.C. Wine Bar where I was fortunate to have some of my closest friends join me for dinner. It was such an amazing night; all we did was laugh. Nothing is better than spending time with the people who mean the most to you.



Of course we had to hit the Chicago club scene afterwards. We went to the hottest club Studio Paris, where my favorite door guy let us skip the line. Once inside I passed, not 1 or 2, but 3 of my exboyfriends! YIKES! We ended up joining some friends at a table and danced the night away. Eventually we went back to my house and passed out.


Guess what- 9 am woke up drank some coffee. Circa 10 am, Christina’s attempting to open a bionic bottle of champagne with a pair of pliers. It felt like we were in Vegas. We woke up our other girlfriends from the couch and the chair by shoving glasses of champagne in their faces.  Listen, were not alcoholics or anything- we were getting ready for a Sunday Funday!


We’ve taken up a new sport… tailgating at Bears games were invited to… or not (sometimes we get snuck into the games. You read that right – snuck into!), where we bring our own champagne. 

Do you like how I'm hailing a cab on Lake Shore Drive?!
Fast forward to this Thursday for a fabulous Thanksgiving feast with the family where I got drunk, pigged out, and passed out. Unfortunately Mr. Mayor (a.k.a Prince Vinnie, a.k.a Fluffy) was not in attendance, we had to bribe him with cheese and lock him up at my parent’s house, so he wouldn’t eat my aunts 3 cats. You see Vinnie believes he’s actually a person and cannot be bothered by the annoyance of other 4 legged creatures.



My family, like most families, is quite interesting. First my aunt continued to kick us back to the family room. She said there were too many cooks in the kitchen. What she didn’t understand is that we didn’t want to help cook, we were just trying to get to the wine. 

Then you have my dad. He tucks his napkin in his pants like he’s a waiter. Waving it around like a weirdo. He got grief for that from everyone for at least an hour. Then there’s my 7 year old cousin who’s jumping and climbing on my brother like he’s a jungle gym. At one point she says, "I’m protecting him!", gives him a kiss and takes his finger to wipe her snotty nose with it. Meanwhile, I’m passed out on the couch waking up every 15 minutes to cats jumping on my head. I always wonder what my sister-in-laws parents think of us. They sit quietly in the corner soaking it all in, while the rest of us look like idiots.



Tonight I hope to gather my friends and celebrate. I have been so blessed and am so thankful for my amazing life. Anyone who knows me knows I always say, “I LOVE MY LIFE!” I can’t wait for tonight, let alone this year, who knows what wonderful things are to come!

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Tom Ford Spring 2012 Collection

Tom Ford's philosophy of not overexposing his creations by releasing them during the Fashion Week is well known and the fashion industry has already become well accustomed with this strategy. The anticipation for the collection has reached its peak in the weeks before the launch. Tom Ford has revealed the full collection shot by himself to Vogue exclusively allowing everyone to see his collection.



The main emphasis of the collection seems to have been classy, sexy outfits that can stand the test of time. He states that: “It seems people came looking for what they used to find from me — the ruched dresses, the shaggy fur jackets. My focus is really old-fashioned. I want to do classic clothes. I don’t want to do trendy collections that swing around from season to season. I want to do things that will stay in a woman’s wardrobe a long time—quite ‘forever’ pieces. So I’m looking for consistency.” 



From classy black and white combos to showgirl-style outfits that cannot go by unnoticed, the emphasis on elegance is always crystal clear. Ford revealed his favorite pieces for the collection: “Blouses with a loose, slouchy quality; something fitted at the waist, and with a bondage-y thing on the foot—my favorite is the wedge with the chain-strap!”



Elaborating on the idea of classicism in his view, the designer openly admits he took inspiration from the Yves Saint Laurent style concepts: “I’ve streamlined things more this season. I think I’m very classic, because what I do is always based on something you’ve seen before. And yes, maybe there’s something YSL about it. When I left off designing for women, I was at YSL so I’m working through that to be me, asking myself, What do I like? What defines your brand?” 



The main style guidelines the designer endorses for the season? Think fitted clothes, leather jackets, fringes, ostentatious feather trims, luxurious golden tones, python skin inserts, pencil skirts and even Spanish culture influences like peasant blouses, revealing necklines. Masculine touches are well reflected by the tight fitting suit choices.


Monday, November 7, 2011

Video Alert: How to wear a scarf!

Ever wonder how to pull off that effortless scarf look? Well watch the video below to find out!!


-Gina
<3<3<3

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Glamhairus November Specials!

I love November, it has one of my favorite holidays, it’s my birthday month, and it's the best time to shop. With Christmas right around the corner, I decided to offer all my accessories, scarves, and pashminas at... 

BUY 2 GET 1 FREE!

That way you can get something not only for your friends, but also for yourself <3

Happy Shopping!

Friday, October 28, 2011

Rapunzel Let Down Your Hair!

Imagine this… You’re sitting around in a gloomy tower day after day, growing out your hair just waiting for prince charming to show up, rescue you, and take you away.

What a waste of time! Rapunzel should have gotten some extensions and went out looking for her prince instead of waiting around all day.

Yes I know what you’re thinking- but Rapunzel was locked in the tower by an evil witch, her hair gave her healing powers, she couldn’t help it, yadda yadda yadda- you’re missing my point! You don’t have to sit around waiting for something to happen, you can make it happen right now! People often wait for amazing things to happen to them, but why not make them happen for yourself? This is relevant with anything in your life. Carpi Diem- Seize the day and get (in this case)…

Some hair extensions J

Glamhairus extensions are 100% human hair, come in a variety of colors, and are easy to maintain. The best part is that they can all be washed and styled like your own hair. There are two different types of extensions available…

·         Semi-permanent which last for up to 6 months
·         Clip-In which are removable at the end of the night  

Check out some of my fabulous extension clients below…





Tuesday, October 25, 2011

FRINGE IS IN!

I love FRINGE! And it is so hot and trendy right now. It can be worn so many different ways- the possibilities are endless. Check out all the different styles... which ones your favorite?







This one takes fringe to a whole new level...

AND FROM THE GLAMHAIRUS COLLECTION... 
These Fabulous Camel and Black Bags and Fringe Necklaces!


Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Hair Therapy- Coming Right Up!

Frizzy. Wavy. Kinky. Bee’s Nest. Out of Control. 
Tangled. Matted. Knotted. Hot Mess.


I hear these adjectives more often than not when people describe their unruly hair. Ladies you don’t have to live with uncontrollable hair. The solution you ask? Hair Therapy!

Hair therapy consists of Keratin, which is a protein found naturally in your hair. A solution is applied to the hair and sealed with the heat of a flat iron. This process fills in the gaps in cracked, dry, or damaged hair cuticles; straightens your hair and keeps it that way.

The results of keratin-based treatments vary. There is an express, which lasts 8-10 weeks or the main, which lasts 5-6 months. The treatments take around 90 minutes, based on the length of your hair. It is also recommended right after you color, because it will seal in the color as well.


Check out some of my fabulous clients below...




Interested in getting a treatment done? Let me know!

Friday, October 14, 2011

Locks of Love

It's not uncommon for brides to cut off their hair after their wedding. Many times they like to grow out their hair so they can achieve the perfect look for their special day (Please not you can get this look with extensions or clip-in extensions).

Recently one of my favorite clients Nicole England came in to do just this. She said she wanted to donate her long golden hair to Locks of Love! I was so touched by this and thought it would be fun for her husband to do the main cut. Check out the picks below and for more info on Locks of Love check out www.locksoflove.com.