Giving Back To Blogs You Love

    Sarah from Yes and Yes wrote an interesting post on supporting your favourite bloggers, on the occasion of Pay A Blogger Day. After reading that I decided to participate, to show appreciation to one of the many bloggers that have made my life a little bit better. To digress: I am a bit of a tightwad, probably due to the fact that I have had a limited budget all my (not very long) adult life. I am learning to open up a little, and let go of the feeling that the duty of helping others out belongs to those financially better-off than me. I donated something recently to help a friend go to India with Artists Without Borders, and thereby unknowingly entered her raffle. I won something wonderful, and it feels like the universe totally appreciated my small hesitant step. End of rather sappy explanation, back to appreciating bloggers.

      After reading Sarah's post, I wondered: how to decide on just one blog? Here is the criteria I chose:

* They can't be richer than me: if they are buying 200$ scarves and calling them cheap, they won't even notice my tip. Also, if they seem to be getting a pretty good income from their blog, I prefer to chose someone else who is clearly not loaded.
* The blog needs to be reaching out to the readers, teaching them something. As much as I like personal style blogs, I have greater respect for bloggers that create tutorials and write how-to guides, or share their knowledge on style / food / life / everything else.
* I must really love their blog and have read it for a while.

    So, one blogger got a little tip from me today. It's not much, but I hope it made her smile!

PS many bloggers sell great E-books and downloadables -- you could buy those and that way get something in return.

Turkey Travel Diary: Saffron and Ottoman Life

The last place in Turkey we got to visit were Safranbolu: a gorgeously restored Ottoman village.

    Safranbolu is tiny, but totally adorable. We spent two days wandering across the bazaar, shopping (the prices are way cheaper than Istanbul), and trying out the local food. One sweet shop had a guy in a waist-frock with a tray of lokum standing outside, offering passers-by a taste. I found it funny that he offered me one every time I passed by --- which was many times a day. No idea whether he couldn't tell faces apart or he had an evil plan to get me addicted to lokum. A few days more and he would have succeeded.

   Our hostel was also a restored Ottoman home. I loved walking along the little streets with beautiful little shops selling wares that were a mix of local handicrafts and made-in-china. An apparently favourite product were wooden miniatures of the local houses -- used as boxes and sugar-bowls.

Safranbolu had a beautiful Hamam, and there were a couple of stores selling Hamam accessoires: like the traditional scrub mitts, towels and dressing robes. And soap. Lots of soap!

Hamam roof with glass "bulbs"

   Safranbolu is famous for saffron: the little stores sell saffron, saffron bulbs, saffron sweets, saffron perfume, and of course saffron soap. And saffron tea, which is really nice to drink in the evening.

    After having visited each store thrice and having drank too many Sahleps, we decided to spend a day in Yörük, a village of ex-nomads.

    As we got to our guest house, we found the door open but nobody inside, which mystified up a bit. We didn't know that the local custom is that when a door has the rope hanging from a ring folded up, it meant that the owner was at home, when it hung down the owner was out:

    The village was really green and pretty, and our guest-house was gorgeous, with its trailing creepers, terassed garden, cuddly cat and original Ottoman interior:

      It struck me that women were outside, working, chatting and selling stuff; while the men were nowhere to be seen. Also, the entire village seemed to have only one thing on the menu: Gözleme. Luckily we all liked it so we had it in a teeny restaurant, where a robust lady roasted them in a huge fireplace and expressed her concern that we would freeze because we really wanted to eat outside on these adorable little chairs:

Note the Ottoman-house-shaped sugar dish

     

      This was almost the last day of the trip, so I soaked in as much Turkish atmosphere as I could. I would miss the cay in tulip-shaped glasses, the Gözlemes, the warm friendliness of the people, and the cats.

Reader Question: Finding Your Size, Step By Step

A full-busted girl seeks her perfect bra size. Share your advice!

Hello folks,

    I while back I got this mail from A. asking for help with finding her correct bra size. Take a look at her problem and help out with your advice:

   A couple of months ago, I began my journey into bra land.  I'm 20 years old and American. I always matured faster than other girls my age. I hit puberty at age 10, and began wearing my first training bra when I was 8. When I was 11, I was already wearing a 36A (wrong back size even then). Within a year and a half, I was wearing a 36C. With, no knowledge of how a bra is supposed to fit, I always wore my bra on the tightest hook and eye.  I also thought that the bra was supposed to ride up in the back and that the straps were supposed to give all of the support. Whenever the bra didn't fit me in the cup, I would go up a band size (I know, so wrong!!!). Up until a couple of months ago, I had been wearing 38C bras with the four-boob effect for at least 6 years. I am a bit overweight (152 lbs) and petite (5' 1"), but I've never been very heavy. My breasts sag a lot in my opinion. My husband loves them for their size, but I hate them because I can't find a bra that fits right.

   I measure 109 cm over-bust (leaning forward) and about 75-76 cm under-bust (tightly). My breasts are kind of wide set and fuller on the bottom and sides. I've been 'fitted' twice, once in a department store and once in a fancy boutique. The woman at the department store said that I'm a 34DD, so I bought 3 bras in that size and within a week, I could wear them on the tightest hook and still fit my arm between my back and the bra band. The cups also cut into my breasts on the sides and leave red marks. The woman at the boutique tried putting me into a 34FF after I explained to her that a 34 band was too big on me. She also had terrible customer service skills (she forgot I was in the shop 3 times!), so I left empty-handed. I have looked online and measured myself countless time and ordered 4 Curvy Kate bras from brastop.com and have had to send each one back because it was either too big or too small. I've tried sizes 32FF, 30H, and two styles in a 28J. Anyway, I would like to know if you have any suggestions to make as to size/style/brand.

    Here is my bit of advice:

    Hey A, The calculator gives you a 32H, but this is just a starting point and not the verdict. First lets talk about the band: which band size did you feel the most comfortable in, most of the time? Try the bras on backwards to test that 8this way the cups and underwires won't interfere with your judgement). Remember that the bands will stretch a bit over time. This part of bra fitting is rather subjective, so go for the band size that feels comfortable while still being snug. (Of course certain brands and models have more or less stretchy bands, so you will not be wearing only this band  size for every).

   Once you have decided which band size you want to stick to for now, you will have to do a bit of trial-and error with the cups. Order 3 neighbouring sizes (for example 32G, 32H and 32HH). If you are not sure what kind of cup is best for you, it is a good idea to order three or more bra models -- balconette, half-cup, and plunge (full cups won't work on breasts fuller on the bottom) --- each in the three sizes. Soft cups please. If you have these bras to try on, you will be able to tell whether it's the cup size or simply the style that is not working for you.

    You don't seem to be satisfied with Curvy Kates -- a problem in these bras is that the underwires are a bit too flexible so in bigger sizes they stretch and make the cup too shallow. Have you tried Panache or Fantasie? These are great brands brands for bigger busts, depending on whether you need broad, medium or narrow underwires, respectively. And as always I highly recommend my favourite brand, Ewa Michalak -- just remember that they have a slightly different sizing system because their bands are snug and stable, so use the calculator on their page. Their bras are exceptional in fit, especially for bigger busts because the bigger cups are constructed with more pieces than the smaller cups.

    So, ladies, do share your advice with A. I'm sure many of you can identify with her bra journey. 

Weekend Reads 26-11-2011

* Net: The Dirty, Unethical Business Of Fashion Blogs

* Style:  Boots and Heels and Flats

* Smarts: Amazing Words That Don't Exist In The English Language

* Eat: Why I Don't Drink Soy Milk

* Makeup: A Guide To Eyeliners

* Home: The Scary Reason I moved Out Of My Apartment

We can end the quadraboob horror: (also, check out the posters)

Bra Band Tightening Tutorial, Using Elastic

  Simply shortening the band completely changes the fit of the bra because then the band is always very stretched. Try stretching a bra band: the underwires get bent apart, and this flattens the cup. The underwire doesn´t lie flat on the chest anymore, often the ends dig in and the middle stays away from the ribcage. (like this).

   I have already shared a simple tutorial on sewing over the bra band to prevent it from stretching. Today I want to show how to tighten a band even more, using an elastic band. This method is perfect to rescue favourite bras that have stretched with time, or to adjust the fit of a bra that is not available in smaller band sizes. Just remember that this shrinks the band one or two sizes, but it won't make a 28 band out of a 34!
   Also, I want to apologise for taking so long to do this! The (lame) reason is that I normally do my mending on my train journey to my university, and somehow I can't imagine sewing a bra and photographing it in public. Finally I managed to do it at home.

   Important: please take time to read the post and not just look at the pictures. I have made some mistakes and I explain those in my notes. Also, I am no seamstress, so if you guys have a better way of doing this, let me know!

You will need:
* Pins
* Scissors
* Thread
* Elastic: choose a better quality one, the cheap ones stretch out very quickly. To make this project worth your time do buy the elastic from a store with sewing supplies instead of a supermarket. Also, check  the elastic for scratchyness. If your bra is dark, get a black one. The elastic I bought was slightly too narrow, choose one that is as wide as the one on the bra.

 Cut the elastic to size: 
  You have to try on the bra and guesstimate this. The elastic has to be shorter than the part of the band you are going to sew it to, but how short depends on how tight you want your band to be. In the photo above you see that in my bra only part of the band was stretchy, so I decided to sew the elastic only to the stretchy part. Also, I did only the bottom part of the band, but if you have a larger bust and need more support, do the top edge of the band as well!

Secure the ends of the elastic:
   This step is important because elastic frays a lot. You can't tuck the ends underneath because you'd end up with slightly uncomfortable bumps. I stitched around the ends, but fabric glue would have worked just as well. Update: a great tip from a reader -- to stop the elastic from fraying, light a candle and slightly melt the ends.

Stretch the elastic and pin it to the band:

  I pinned the whole thing to the edge of a sofa, but if you have a better idea go with it.

Sew the stretched elastic to the band:   Somewhere I read that you should start in the middle and work your way to the ends. If you have a sewing machine, there is that nice zig-zag stitch, or even better: the mending stitch which is more stable. I used a back stitch, pulling the thread taut all the time.

  I experimented around with finding the easiest way to sew... using my foot.

I realised that I have to reverse my back stitch so that the ugly side stays on the inside.

Ta-daa! Not very pretty from the inside...

   But looks pretty good from the outside, don't you think? 

  Hope this is helpful! Also, I beg those of you who actually know how to really properly sew, to share your tips and criticism in the comments!

If You Had To Choose One Makeup Item...

   If you had literally 5 seconds to do the most abridged version of your makeup ever, which product would you reach for? Which step of your makeup routine is vital for you?
   Of course a lot of this depends on our individual skin and features, still I feel that the choice reflects our attitude towards beauty and our looks: while some women consider a concealer to be their best friend, others would prefer to add a swipe of lip colour for a dash of glam.

   Personally I used to see the eyeliner as a solution to everything. Every time I felt under-dressed somewhere I compensated for it by drawing on my eyeliner thicker and then smudging it with my little finger. My partiality towards eyeliner stemmed from the belief that my eyes are my best feature, so enhancing them seemed like the logical thing to do. Oh, and eyeliner is easy to apply in a us or tram. But a while back I discovered mineral foundation and corrector, and these product made me realise that I like my face much more when the redness around my nose is concealed. So my go-to product would be, um, I guess the corrector, but this needs to be worn under the foundation (because it's green). So if I had to pick just one thing, it would be foundation, applied mainly on problem areas (if I do a proper coat I need a bronzer or blusher afterwards because I feel like a blank canvas).

    Over to you: which product would you choose and why? Is corrective makeup more important to you than decorative makeup? Are you guilty of applying eyeliner in public?

Weekend Reads 19-11-2011

by Chiara Fersini

* Style: a great guide to corsets, and how to wear them.

* Bra fitting: gutsy blogger wins a plus-four war with Playtex. Just: wow!

* Home: Creating A Home That Inspires Your Life

* Style: a great explanation of how "Warm and cool" is a spectrum within each hue. This is why if you say "oh, I can't wear that colour" it means that you haven't found the right tone of that colour.

* Tech:  manage flitter: a cool device for unfollowing on twitter

* Eat: Quinoa. It's my personal favourite grain!

* US citizens: please vote NO to SOPA. If you are a blogger, you can pass on the message (by getting your banner ´censored' like mine right now) Here is why:

Reader Question: Petite Seeks Bras To Fight Underarm Bulges

A while back Heather wrote to me with this problem:

  "I have armpit and back bulges and I'm having a very hard time finding a bra that's high in the armpit while still being a petite size."

    She also mentioned that she has tear-shaped breasts (fuller on the bottom, flatter on the top). Quick explanation for non-petites: bras which an average to tall person perceives as high under the armpits usually are too high for petites (poking!). For those of you who have not read all the archives: underwires that go up high under the arm help with reversing the migration of breast tissue. This is what I answered:

   "I would advise you to try plunges, they usually go higher up under the armpits. For example the Panache Tango II in the plunge version. However it is really hard to say which models have underwires that are high enough but not too high --- it depends upon your individual proportions. If you are crafty, I know that it is possible to open the end of the underwire tunnel and cut a too long underwire short."

   I have a nagging feeling that my answer wasn't earth-shatteringly helpful. So I turn to you for words of bra-wisdom: Do you ladies have any brands or models to recommend to Heather? I'm especially looking at you petite ladies: which bras worked for you? Please help Heather out with your comments.

Pseudo Natural Cosmetics: Greenwashing By The Body Shop And Burt's Bees

What's the difference between cosmetics labeled as natural and certified natural ones? 

   The Öko Test Magazine recently ran an article on green-washing by cosmetic brands. Many mainstream cosmetic companies have cashed in on the green boom by starting a line of products branded as 'natural'. Öko Test tested them to see just how do they differ from certified natural cosmetics.

Brands tested?

 Conventional brands like Garnier Skin Naturals, Yes To, Palmolive Naturals, Schwarzkopf and also brands with a natural image like Yves Rocher, Artdeco skin yoga, Aveda, Burt's Bees and The Body Shop.

The results?

Not only were most ingredients synthetic rather than than natural, but many of them are associated with health risks. The problematic ingredients were synthetic surfactants, silicones, synthetic conservants, paraffin, chemical UV-filters and synthetic fragrances, among others. Not only are these ingredients synthetic and not natural, they are of questionable safety and forbidden by the standards of most certificates for natural cosmetics.

   The problem is that the label "natural" is not protected by law. Interestingly, Öko Test writes that most of the producers are aware that their products are not natural. For example The Body Shop claims to be "inspired" by nature, so it's not actually promising that their products are all-natural. Yet how many girls stop to analyse such advertising tactics?

Tips for buying really natural products:

The easy way: Choose certified natural cosmetics. Here is a simple guide to certificates. You will more likely find such products in health stores.

The analytical approach way:
   Like I already mentoned, many brands produce toxin-laden products as well as skin-friendly ones, and a glimpse at the ingredient list quickly reveals which are which. Here is how to do it:
* Skim through the ingredients: if it contains mineral oil / paraffin, silicones (ending with -cone), parabens (ending with -paraben) or sulfates; it is not good.
* Claims made by the front of the container should be checked at the back (the ingredient list): products labeled "with insert natural ingredient here" often have mineral oil / paraffin / alcohol / other chemical as their top ingredients, with the advertised natural ingredient near the end of the list (meaning there is very little of it in the product, ingredients being listed in order of quantity).
* Skin Deep Cosmetics Database: shows the toxicity level of cosmetics and their ingredients. It's really a nifty tool! I searched for The Body Shop and Burt's Bees and it's interesting to see how their products range from low-concern to high-concern.

  Hope this post helps you to pick out the good products.

Do You Like The Changes?

Hello everyone

    You have probably noticed the changes in the blog design and layout (if you are reading this in a reader, click through to see them!)
   I have been tweaking thinks a little after reading the Blog Critiques on The Sits Girls. Things aren't perfect yet, but I'm getting there!
   I have changed the commenting platform --- commenting is as easy as ever, (actually replying to someone's comment is even easier). But now you can choose to have the latest post from your blog displayed below your comment! You can also add smileys to comments :)

    There is also a social sharing button below the post. It allows you to bookmark, print or share the post you liked with your friends via on twitter, e-mail, Facebook and many other services, with just a click.

   Then of course there is the new banner, with tag by Amanda (thanks again!). Like it?

       Let me know if stuff isn't working the way it is supposed to. I've been struggling with CSS all this weekend... Think I'll get better with time?

Weekend Reads 12-11-2011

* Bras: The Trends and Politics of Bra Shape

* Bloggers: check out The Sits Girl. I especially love the blog critique posts.

* Body: Size bias

* Life: Busyness addiction

* Inspire: Conquer Your Fear a cute cartoon

* Eat: Sugar-free breakfast ideas

* DIY: Colorize Gems

Fascinating TED Talk how Google's filtering of our searches is dangerous.
Also, read this.

Skin Care In The Winter

     You should be tweaking your skin care routine when the cold season sets in, unless you live somewhere where it's summer all year long (in that case I hate you). Skin functions quite differently in the cold, often drying out and cracking. Depending on where you live your winter may be mild or harsh, humid or dry -- this means there is no one-fits-all winter beauty routine. Still, here are some pointers

Face Care:

* Cleanse your face every evening -- even if you don't wear makeup and you haven't been sweating, pollution leaves it's traces on the skin (unless you live in the heart of untouched wilderness --- in that case, I hate you too). This is a great time for cleansing milks, oil cleansing, or almond paste cleansing, as detergent-based cleansers can leave the skin dry.

* Rapid changes between warm + dry indoor and cold + windy outdoors stresses the skin and may cause capillaries to break. Keep the skin covered with oil / moisturiser to form a protective barrier between the skin and the air. You might want a richer cream than the one you used in summer --- most skin types get dryer in winter. The type of cream you need depends upon the temperatures:

10 to 0 degrees: Regular moisturiser, maybe a slightly richer one.
0 till -10 degrees: The blood capillaries constrict to prevent the heat from escaping, and this causes the skin produces less natural fats. Sweating (during outdoor sports) causes the skin to lose even more fat. The skin needs fat and moisture, so anything with (plant based!) oils is good.
-10 and below: Creams with a lot of water in them (aqua on the first or second place on the ingredient list) should not be used anymore because they can freeze on the skin. That can cause blood capillaries to break. Instead choose creams with urea, as studies has shown that dry skin contains only half the urea that normal skin has. Of course oils are great too. 

* Don't forget your lips, neck and the undereye skin! The neck should be treated same as the face, the lips need a petroleum-free chap stick, and the undereye skin should always be protected with an undereye cream that is slightly richer than usual. If you have a lighter moisturiser that you used in the summer and that is free of perfume, it can work as a winter under-eye cream.

* You still need SPF, since UV rays don't go away in the winter. Choose mineral over chemical sunscreen.

Body Care:

   The body skin is not as exposed to the elements as the face, but it still needs extra care because it tends to get really dry:

* Moisturise well after showers. Towel dry and then apply a moisturiser to seal in the moisture.

* Use a petroleum / mineral oil and silicone free moisturiser -- these can form a barrier on the skin which dries it out. I love a mix of plant based oils with a dash of a nice-smelling essential oil.

* Swap out your foam bath products for bathing oils. Bathing oils leave the skin supple and soft, and counter the drying effects of hot water.

* Use only gentle exfoliators. I know your skin is flaking, but exfoliating doesn't really solve the problem -- which is lack of skin oils and lack of moisture from inside (more on that lower down).

Hands

* Unless your hands are extra dry, you can just use your regular body moisturiser.

* If you need something heavier, use a hand cream free of silicones and mineral oil / petroleum, as the first only gives a special effect of smooth hands, while the other is actually drying. Products with urea are great for very dry hands.

Beauty from within

* Drinking enough water is key to keep the skin from drying out, yet most of us forget to do that in the winter. We tend to sip warm drinks, but usually not enough to meet our body's real need for liquids. When my lips start to chap, it is often because I have been drinking too little. I'm going to try drinking 1-2 glasses of water first every time I make myself a warm drink -- this way I won't forget!

* Don't forget to eat your fruits and veggies. Vitamin supplements cannnot replace vitamins from food. My favourite fruit in the winter are oranges and apples, and I add those to my spinach smoothie. It's also a great time to eat nuts, and if you are in Germany --- sauerkraut!

* Teas with cinnamon, ginger and allspice will help curb your sweet tooth -- if you're anything like me you develop a craving for sweet when temperatures drop.

* Get a hygrometer (from a gardening store) and check the humidity of your home and workplace. if it's way below 50%, think about humidifying the air. If it's higher than 60% you need to air you home more often.


   And lastly --- enjoy winter and have fun! It is joy, love and feeling good in one's skin that make us beautiful. I see so many people walking around with a "lemon face" all winter through... try smiling instead!


    What is your winter skin care routine? What's your biggest challenge --- dry skin, chapped lips or a constantly red nose? Have you tried sauerkraut?

PS Interested in hair care in the winter? 

Love The Mascara? Save The Wand!

   I have been busy as a bee today so instead of a new post you get this little gem from the archives. Enjoy!

   A mascara is only as good as it´s wand. Do you have a mascara you love? It might be the wand you´re actually in love with.

   There is no single perfect want for everybody. It depends on your lashes, the way you apply mascara, and what effect you´re looking for. Sometimes the wand might be perfect but the mascara not (like when it goes on perfectly but flakes off after an hour).

   So if you have finished a mascara you really love, save the wand and try it with the next brand of mascara you buy. You might be surprised how differently mascara works with the wand it came with and another wand.

    To clean the wand try warm water, makeup remover / shampoo / dish soap and an old toothbrush.
Another use for an old (clean!) mascara brush is to remove the mascara from your lashes at the end of the day.

Turkey Travel Diary: In The Footsteps Of The Hitties

   All that was left of the 50,000 inhabitant city were the stone foundations. The mud bricks didn't survive the 4000 years that had passed since Hattusa was a capital of the Hittie empire, bustling with life and power.
    I must admit that I barely knew who the Hitties were when we made our way to Hattusa. Apparently they were an empire parallel to the Egyptian, anyway read the wiki page of you are interested.

    There are two things that we found on the way that were fantastic:

The amazing charging station on a bus stop:

Delicious Turkish pretzels:

   Bogazkale, the nearest village to the Hattusa site, was teeny. We didn't know that, and when we told the Hotel owner that we are going out to check out the neighbourhood he look surprised but kept a straight face, probably thinking that the tourists have to learn the hard way learn. Indeed, in a few minutes we were outside the village! We collected some of the very beautiful and unusual stones that were everywhere. The local people were very friendly: we got gifts of fruit, and one guy even invited us to eat dinner at his restaurant and didn't want any payment from us.
   The village was quite picturesque.

Notice the solar-powered grain dryer on the roof of this uninhabited house:

    We wanted to set out very early to Hattusa, and we found out that it was too early for the hotel staff --- we were locked in, but luckily found a small back exit through which we left the hotel. We decided to do Hattusa by foot: there is a 6km circuit to walk, but I'm sure we walked at least twice as much (and the kids too) because we wanted to explore each and every thing.

   Hattusa is only partially excavated, and I have never seen an archaeological site which was so great for exploring, or for sitting around and dreaming of times long gone. Pieces of Hittie pottery were everywhere. The site was completely empty, except a couple of busloads of tourists that left as promptly as they arrived, and a couple of very persistent souvenir sellers. 

   There were some excavations going on in one place, and the guy guarding it let us have a peek! He explained how the archeologists work, and showed us some pottery they had dug up and were glueing together.

The Hittie temples had a holy stone and a holy oak tree (like the Celtic druids). Here is one such stone. It is of table-height and I found it very beautiful:

One of the several city gates. There were high watchtowers built on the walls:






The most intriguing things in Hattusa could be found only if you went on foot and explored. Like these perfectly fitting stones:

   You can't fit a knife blade between them. Reminded me of this mind-boggling piece of pre-Incan architecture.

   We strengthened ourselves with wild peaches, drank out of a spring (husband wouldn't let me but I'm sure it was alright) and met a lot of interesting bugs.

  After admiring some hieroglyphics (one king had his deeds inscribed on a gigantic rock face, what an ego!) and trying to make up our minds about purpose what the dead-ended gate on the above photo might have served, we bid goodbye to Hattusa.

   There was one more place to visit: Yazilikaya, the holy sanctuary of the Hittie royalty.

Photo by 10b travelling

   It was small but full of all kinds of reliefs of deities and kings. I tried to imagine how it must have looked like in the days of it's glory, with priests and acolytes worshiping long-forgotten gods...

  Outside were (again) souvenir sellers, where I bought an (allegedly) Hittie-inspired necklace. I bargained valiantly but was not match for my husband, who bought some statuettes for a fraction of the asking price. When asked about the secret of his bargaining skills: "I didn't want the stuff!" Apparently that makes sellers run after you and slash the prices drastically. Doesn't work for me though, I actually do want the stuff I am buying. Any tips for me?