Fall is sometimes a little difficult to dress for because it’s in-between summer dresses and coats and scarves.  Remember that you don’t have to show a lot of skin to be sexy so it’s definitely a great time to cover up a little, but still look great.

Here are some tips for picking out your perfect sexy outfit for Fall:

• Wear boots. There are only a few weeks in Fall where the temperature is perfect for wearing boots with a dress and no tights.  A Fall wrap dress that comes to just above the knee would look great with a pair of heeled boots.  You get to show just the tiniest bit of leg!

• Find a great pair of tight-fitting dark skinny jeans. Go to a department store with a huge denim section and try on every pair until you find the perfect style that makes your butt look great!  Skinny jeans are perfect with ballet flats for a casual but conservative look.

• Wear a cotton V-neck or cowl neck.  Try tops with both necklines.  They can be very flattering for a curvy woman’s figure.  A sleeveless cowl neck is one of my favorite tops for Fall.

• Mix tight and loose on top and bottom.  If you wear tight pants, wear a blousey top and if you wear loose-fitting pants wear a more snug top.  This is one of my secrets for putting together an outfit quickly…leggings go with a empire waist top and comfortable trouser pants go with a tiny fitted top.  You will look great, stylish, and put together.

• Try wearing thin light-colored super soft cashmere layer.  I find thin cashmere to be very sexy, but you will have to do a little shopping to find out if the look is right for you.  I have a seafoam green super thin delicate cashmere sweater with a huge scoop neck, overly long sleeves, and a slight A-shape that is fabulous when layered over a tank.

• Get a cute Fall jacket.  Don’t get caught shivering without sleeves or sweating in a wool coat.  Find a cute cotton jacket in a color that will go with your closet.  If you wear a jacket, then you can also push your sleeveless wardrobe further into the Fall months.

• Wear a flowing silk blouse in a bright color or floral.  Again, a top doesn’t have to be tight to be sexy.  You can find a beautiful loose silk blouse that is extremely flattering to your figure.

• Wear your hair down.  Big bouncy curls are in this Fall, so try hot rollers or wear it down in a way that feels comfortable.  You will look beautiful!

Most importantly:  Be confident and comfortable in the way that you look and you will be beautiful and sexy.

Images: Nordstrom

Post from: Blisstree

How to Dress Sexy This Fall

Her friend and her were driving along a northeast highway when a trucker honked at them from the next lane.

A transcript of her tweets. “Some man just drove past our car blowing kisses. Then he drove past with a sign, show me your boobs. Not even kidding.”

“We gave him the finger. He deserved it!”

Now, seriously – if there are any men reading this, help me out – why would you do this? Why do construction workers whistle? Do any of you think that acting in this way will make a woman actually be interested in you? Like really?

Women may sometimes go for guys that don’t treat them very well, but there’s a line between rugged charm and being a loser. Learn it, and you may actually score a girl.

Image: Sxc.hu

Post from: Blisstree

How Not to Pick Up a Girl

My dentist – a highly attractive, but much older, married man, has asked me out to dinner. He wants to consult with me about some social networking he may be doing for the memoirs he is writing.

I had assumed we would meet at a restaurant, but he just emailed and suggest we meet at his apartment, because he has wi-fi there, and then after that, we’d find something “yummy”.

At face value, it makes sense. One can not look at a computer screen and talk biz while sipping margaritas and eating chips.

But then that paranoid person inside me – the one in the dating scene – is like…huh? What’s THIS about?

Image: Sxc.hu

Post from: Blisstree

Margaritas or Mayhem?

Chef Schlow’s restaurants include Alta Strada, Radius, Via Matta, and Great Bay.

*Chef Michael, do you have some meal planning tips?  Do you start with a theme or a main dish and build around it?
 

When planning a meal for that (hopefully) soon to be special someone, regardless of the economic climate, a few things are important to consider.  First, you’re inviting a woman into your home, so make sure it looks like a grown up lives there. Little things like cloth napkins, a few lit candles, soft lighting, and a clean house will go a long way, even if you lack prowess in the kitchen. Oh, and for gods sake, make sure there’s toilet paper in the bathroom; in fact, go one step further fellas and make sure it’s actually on the holder.

 
*In terms of budget, would you please give a couple of examples of low-cost, but still impressive dishes?
 

If you’re not super comfortable in the kitchen, plus on a budget, go with one pot dishes so you’ll stay focused on your girl.  
 
Bruschetta or crostini are really easy first course (its basically fancy toast topped with something delicious like fresh mozzarella or mushrooms with lemon and mint), that, ora great vegetable salad with some shaved Parmigianino. I’d suggest something like shrimp risotto for the main course, its easy, impressive, and won’t break the bank.  Plus, the woman in your life knows you really care if you’re willing to stir 20 min for her dinner.
 
Dessert, if you get that far, you should stick to the “simple is better formula”. Don’t bake. Trust me, don’t.  Buy some great stuff, like all the makings for strawberry shortcake, do a little assembling and take all the credit.
 

*Is it best to keep it simple so that you are relaxed or is this the time to bring out that knock-her-socks-off entree?
 

When it comes to the menu, keep things simple, but tasty.  You’re already way up on the scoreboard by simply inviting her over to your clean, perfectly lit, toilet paper stocked place…..now you’ve got to feed her!

Plan on 3 courses and she’ll be all yours.  The trick to a relaxed, successful meal is to pick 1 of the 3 courses as the showstopper, but remember, creative is not synonymous with complicated, so keep it simple.

Thanks Chef! 

Okay, guys, grab your “Kiss the Cook” apron and get to work. You’ve got a lucky lady to feed.

Image credit: All Posters.com

Post from: Blisstree

Chef Schlow’s Recession-Proof Date Advice

On October 28th, Lara posted the following poll, “If you could pick one dating site to use, which would it be?”

Out of a total of 19 votes the winning answer was “None, they all suck,” with 7 votes. Five places got 2 votes a piece: Match.com, Plenty of Fish.com, Yahoo Personals, Lavalife.com, and OkCupid.

I don’t believe that any of the services suck. Maybe sometimes the people who use the services aren’t as motivated or as sincere as we’d like them to be, but that’s not the fault of the service, in my opinion.

If you checked “they all suck,” then is it because of a bad experience? Did you have a bad date? Or no date whatsoever? Did you feel that they were too pricey for what they offered? Or were there two many weirdos?  Did you check “they suck,” because it was a funny answer? Or maybe because in the past you heard that online dating sucks, maybe you know someone who had a bad experience?

If something does not work then how about instead of complaining and blaming some faceless entity, we instead take some responsibility? Did it suck because you didn’t put effort into the project? Did you put a photo up, write a short bio of “It’s so hard to talk about myself, I don’t know what to say, I like to do everything…,” and then just sit back and wait for the potential suitors to fill up your inbox?

I know that I’m guilty of that. I know that if I am cutting someone short or waiting for the men to come to me, it’s because when it comes to the subject of dating someone new, I’m still quite a bit ambivalent.  I’m not sure I’m up to getting my heart broken again, especially when it’s not yet over my last love.  Why did I set up the profile?  Why haven’t I officially broken up with my absent for 7 weeks boyfriend?  Is it because I’m afraid of being single again?

As you can see, I’m a mess, but you, you, I can help. Stop saying something sucks. Instead make it work for you, especially if this is something that you sunk your hard-earned money into. With the coming of the New Year, people’s priorities change. They get this idea in their heads that they want their lives to fall into line – they have goals and resolutions and being lonely is never on anybody’s list of goals.

Or if it truly does suck, but you’d still like to meet somebody, try some other way. Nobody said that Online Dating was the answer to anyone’s prayers. It’s just a tool, just another way for busy people to meet.

They offer the service, it’s up to you to use it to the best of your ability. Now get out there and start having some fun.

Image credit: All Posters.com

Post from: Blisstree

Online Dating Does Not Suck

This is another guest post from Eliza Ferree.

Oh, the pains we go through to impress those others when we go on a date. I
remember as a teen how friends would try to learn to smoke just so
they could get the eye of some popular or older boy. Or those boys
that would try speeding down the road to impress the girl in the car,
that is until they were pulled over and given a speeding ticket. Or
the ones that would take their date to a bonfire and tell her how big
it was to go to an “adult” party, only to find
out it was a political party for a much older crowd.

Yes, men and women both will do some crazy things when trying to
impress a date, but this guy has them all beat. Imagine a man that
tries doing a stunt by lighting himself on fire. It backfires and he
ends up with some serious burns and rushed to ER. Ummm, sorry, not
everyone should play with fire…especially while trying to toss
gasoline on your arms. Idiot!

What are some crazy things you tried doing to impress someone? Or if
you’ve never been crazy how about someone trying to impress you?

Eliza Ferree can be found over at Babylune or SheknowsCoupons, where
she’s always trying to help you with those babies and saving money.

Image credit: All Posters.com

Post from: Blisstree

Guy Lights Himself On Fire To Impress His Date

We all know it sometimes takes a lot to date again, especially after
a divorce whether it was a quiet one or public. Of course that hasn’t
stopped Guy Ritchie, who just called it quits with Madonna. His new gal
happens to be Jemima Khan, the millionaire that was last with Hugh
Grant.  This is currently only a rumor, but the two have been spotted
hanging out at dinner parties in London and they seem really
close. 

My question to all you readers, how long should one wait after a
divorce before they begin dating?

Eliza Ferree can be found over at Babylune or SheknowsCoupons, where
she’s always trying to help you with those babies and saving money.

Post from: Blisstree

Madonna’s Ex, Guy Ritchie, Dating Millionaire

Hollywood star Jamie Foxx has banned his teenage daughter from dating after the press confused the 14-year-old girl for the actor’s latest flame.

According to contactmusic.com, the actor/singer admits he’s become overprotective of his young daughter, Corrine, because men often think she’s twice her age.

“She’s not going to date until she’s married. She’s so beautiful…I was coming out of a restaurant with her, I guess the paparazzi didn’t know who she was, and the paper said, ‘Foxx with young hottie’. It just kills you because she’s so grown, but she’s only 14,” he said.

I hope that he’s only joking – it’s not Corrine’s fault that she looks older. The fact that she looks older does not mean that feels older or will act older. Allowing kids to date, it’s a trust thing – you’ve got to trust the teen, you’ve got to trust their date – and it’s not easy, but I’ve found that the more rules and restrictions you put on your teen, the more they try to sneak around. You cannot be with them 24 hours a day and at some point they have to learn to make smart decisions for themselves.

My daughter is 16 and she’s been dating since she was 14. She would have been allowed to go out on group dates before that point, but she really wasn’t that interested. She liked boys, but she knew that she didn’t want the responsibility of a boyfriend.  Don’t tell her that I’m sharing this, but I think she was afraid of the first kiss and she used to make jokes about how she’d high five her groom instead of kissing him at the end of her marriage ceremony.  That sounds incredibly young and innocent doesn’t it?  Well at the time she said it, she was frequently mistaken for an adult. The way a kid looks on the inside it does not always have a direct correlation to how they feel on the inside.

Young girls, sometimes they develop early (I was one of these girls) and can bring on unwelcome comments and stares. The girl cannot help how the people around her act, but the boys her age, chances are not going to push things any farther than the young girl would. We have this idea that all kids are totally hormonally and sexed-up, but that’s how we adults think, not most 14 year-old boys. My daughter talks to me all the time about being a virgin when she gets married. This is something that her pediatrician has talked to her about, as well. I have never pushed abstinence.  I hope that she waits until she’s ready (no mom really wants to think about her daughter being sexually active), but in the meantime I talk to her about being safe, not abstinent.  She has a serious boyfriend now. They spend a lot of time together and she’s still sure that this is what she wants. I respect her commitment to what she knows is right for her.

It’s very hard, but at a certain point, you’ve got to loosen those apron strings and let your teen out into the world, at least on a trial basis.  Dating is practice and teens are definitely people in need of practice. So, Jamie Foxx, I advise you to relax a little. Tell your daughter to put another layer on, if it makes you more comfortable, but those teenage years fly by and before you know it, she’s going to be out on her own in the world. Wouldn’t you like her out there with at least a clue of how to take care of herself on a date? If she looks mature now, what do you thinks she’s going to look like at 18?  And those 14-year-old boys, well I’m fairly certain that by 18, they will have sex on their mind.  And parents, the same is true for teenage boys – they need to learn how to act around girls, as well.

Let them learn how to relate to their peers of the opposite sex. Your child will let you know when they are ready for this step – it’s scary, but teens have been growing up and going on dates for years. You cannot keep them children forever.

What do you think?  What age did you begin dating at?  If you have kids or when you do have kids, what age do you feel is an appropriate age to begin dating?

Post from: Blisstree

An Argument In Favor of Teen Dating

How are you doing with the New Year’s Eve date quest?  Do you have something lined up?  Or some sort of alternate plan. I’ve got nothing, which is probably for the best, because I’ve got to get up early on the 1st to drive 6 hours to my sister’s house.

I’ve been going through the steps. Taking my own advice. I’ve been smiling at everybody I see (which I’m afraid is starting to scare people), I’ve updated my look (love that new Spinlash), I fine-tuned my Match.com profile, and I even chatted up a good-looking guy at Barnes and Noble (okay that is a complete fabrication, although I did show a Grandpa where the cookbook section was).

Still I am dateless, which would really be bothering me if I hadn’t been hearing about thestring of bad dates my friends have been enduring. One of my friends actually had a blind date say, “Show me your tits,” to her. Then, she had a nice lunch date with a guy who later turned out to be a psycho. He said it was “cool” when she told him that she was afraid that her dog was dying. When she told him that she didn’t see what was so cool about that, he sent her an aggressively worded email that said she was uppity, lived in a shack, and had a bad attitude. He closed with “I’ve blocked you from my email and phone.” Geez. Where did all that anger come from? It was one lunch date.  What a nutball. And no she had no desire to talk to him again, so the blocking was absolutely unnecessary.  Being dateless has looked pretty darn good lately. It’s good that nobody is attracted to me.

It’s good that nobody is attracted to me?? Did I really just say that. In all honestly, I’ve been going through the motions, but heart hasn’t been in it. I’m not ready to move on and until I am, I’m going to do nothing. Go out with no one new.  I think I’m sending off please-reject-me vibes.

I’d like to hear how you are doing, though. So if anyone feels like sharing anything, please share in the comment section.  Have you tried any of our ideas?  Have you treated yourself to something special, as Lara suggested?  Have you been smiley and chatty?  Or are you overwhelmed by the work that is required to get through the holidays?

Image credit: All Posters.com

Post from: Blisstree

Update: Have You Found A Date For New Year’s?

My friend, Jackie, went on a lunch date the other day and while she did not spark with the guy, she did say that he was nice and someone she’d want for a friend.  She said that he seemed my type. For some reason, this really caught my interest. I guess it’s because I trust Jackie, she has a great built-in BS detector and if this guy did not set it off, he’s probably okay. Now she is trying to decide how to approach him with the idea of maybe meeting me. (I nagged her a little).  She only went on the one date with him, maybe it’s not appropriate….. I don’t know. What do you readers think? 

I like to meet new people, but when it comes to dating new people, I get very nervous. Nervous is not the greatest frame of mind to be in when meeting a new man for the first time, but if it wasn’t the first time, I wouldn’t be so nervous. Right?  One of those Catch 22s for sure.

With that in mind, the first date jitters, I decided to take on The Snarkstress’s Challenge and update my look. 

First I purchased a couple of cute, casual, but stylish tops - this is one of them ……………..

click here to see the other one, then I read over this list of First Date Beauty Tips, that Shannon, of Makeup Minute has gathered.

Thanks for the help, ladies!  I was really in need of an update.

What do you do to get ready for a first date? What do you think of my two First Date top choices?

Image credit: Forever 21.com

Post from: Blisstree

Challenging Myself To Overcome the First Date Jitters