With the beginning of school on Monday, summer is coming to a close at our house.   And what better way to end a great summer than with movies?  This week I have seen three:  I took my son to see Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince; then it was off to Julie and Julia with my mom and best friend; and just finished watching the DVD of Becoming Jane with Anne Hathaway. 

While I enjoyed Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, I think they better hurry up and finish filming the series or the stars are going to finish their senior year at Hogwarts from a retirement home!  It is getting harder to find the characters believable as teenagers! 

I could not help but to laugh out loud throughout Julie and Julia.  And boy, can I relate to Julie Powell’s frustration.  Sometimes I wonder if anyone out there is reading my blog.  Her reminder that we write for ourselves first was a great reminder.  And based on Google Analytics, I do know that someone other than my mother is reading!  However, if anyone out there is reading and would like to say hello, I’d love the company!  Meryl Streep was absolutely perfect as Julia Child…whoda thunk? 

For those of you not familiar with Becoming Jane, it is the true life story of Jane Austen and the inspiration for Sense and Sensibilities.  Somewhat depressing but the scenery was beautiful and Anne Hathaway was exceptional as Jane Austen.  It is remarkable that Jane, who lived such a short life and had a fairly limited life experience, was one of the most prolific woman authors of all time.  Her life reminds me that there are no excuses!  Get writing! 

See you at the Movies!

Today, I took a little time to visit the Arts District of Dallas with a new friend and conference attendee.  While I could have spent days in the district, the reality of my schedule gave us just enough time to visit the Nasher Sculpture Center and have a bite of lunch.  I am so glad that with only time to see one exhibit, this is the one we chose. 

Among the lesser known sculptors of the 19^th and 20^th century were pieces by Pablo Picasso, Auguste Rodin and Henri Matisse.  I did not even know that Matisse was a sculptor!  I particularly liked the work of Roy Lichtenstein, whose ironic and whimsical work reminded me of comic books from the 1960s. 

I am so glad that I took a little time from my conference to enjoy a little bit of Dallas.  I always make it a point to spend some time in the town where I attend conferences to give the conference a point of reference beyond the Hilton or Sheraton where the conference is housed! 

http://www.nashersculpturecenter.org/

Yesterday, GlamourbyLBD got the weekend off to an early and fashionable start at the Harker School Fashion Show.  School fashion shows are always great fun because they showcase the students!  Macy’s did a great job making all the kids look great and the production was outstanding, especially considering the sheer number of participants.  As it was a spring show, there were no great surprises:  short dresses, high heels, slouchy pants and bright colors and prints.  GlamourByLBD and friends donated an auction item…a day of shopping, eating, sites and smells at Santana Row.  The Black Swan in Los Gatos will be giving the lucky winners sweet smelling advice on fragrance and transportation will be by Rolls Royce Limo courtesy of Tours D’Elegance in Napa. 

After the show, I went in to have my hair cut and colored…I finally did it…I even let Marla put in an ever-so-subtle red highlight!  Now that is trust…of course, it looks great! 

Make sure to check in tomorrow as I will be blogging as I watch the Red Carpet.  I don’t think there will be any great surprises in the awards but I am hoping for some fashion treasures to report about!  Please check in tomorrow evening! 

Call me crazy, but I can think of no better way to spend a rainy morning than trying out luxurious fragrances with a friend.  This morning, I met my friend Janet Dashiell at her Los Gatos shop, The Black Swan Boutique.  We talked and sniffed and sniffed some more.  I felt so great when I left the store.  My outlook on the rainy day was completely changed!  It was like revisiting the smell to every great memory I ever had! 

Not your year to buy Valentines jewelry?  Instead of flowers that die or chocolate that never leaves, consider the most intimate gift…fragrance.

If you would like to learn more about fragrance, click here to receive my ezine, which will go out on Monday.  Or visit Janet at the Black Swan Boutique.  She and her knowledgeable staff will gladly work with you on an individual basis to select the fragrance or fragrances for your unique style. 

And now through Valentines Day, all of the Black Swan fragrances with rose essences are 30% off.  These include Sottile, White Flowers and Winter Rose by Yosh, No. 1 (the most expensive fragrance in the world on sale!) and 1872 by Clive Christian, Miele Rosa and Caterina de Medici (wore by Caterina de Medici when she was the Queen of France) by i Profumi di Firenze, Drole de Rose by L’Artisan and West Side by Bond No. 9. 

GlamourByLBD Note:   A few years back, I had my teeth whitened at my dentist.  I was so glad that I did it.  Now, that same process is available to you at your favorite spa!  Kelly Lanspa shares with us the medical and beauty benefits of this quick. easy and painless process.  Put aside the whitening toothpaste….

The year 2009 promises to be an exciting year bringing hope and change, not only for the country but also for ourselves.  The opportunities for self-improvement are endless and include eating a better diet, exercising more, increasing your business knowledge, and attending networking events.  However, all of these take time and the results are not seen for months. There is one improvement that is almost instantaneous and benefits your health, your looks, your confidence and even your success in life.  What change can affect all these areas?  A bright, white smile! 

We all know that a beautiful white smile is pleasant to look at but do you know how important it is to your personal and business success?  According to an American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry national survey, 99.7% believe a smile is an important social asset and 74% of adults feel an unattractive smile can hurt a person’s chances for career success.

 There are many ways to whiten teeth but the fastest and most effective approach is Chairside Teeth Whitening.  Once only available at dentist offices, this treatment can now be offered at day spas, med spas, salons and chiropractic wellness centers for a fraction of the price of the dentist.  Chairside whitening uses high strength hydrogen peroxide gel and patented LED cool blue light to accelerate the gel and quickly begin oxidizing both internal and external stains from the teeth.  In just 20-40 minutes, you can see 2-8 shades whiter teeth with little to no sensitivity.

But there are benefits to professional LED teeth whitening that go far beyond improving your looks and confidence.  Researchers in Hebrew University, Israel and the University of California San Francisco discovered that the combination of LED light and hydrogen peroxide killed the bacteria that cause cavities, gingivitis and halitosis (bad breath).  These microbes live in communities of biofilm in your mouth that are many layers deep and serve as physical barriers that most antibacterial products can’t penetrate.  The combination of LED light and peroxide provide a 1-2 punch to the nasty germs with the black colored bacteria absorbing the LED blue light and the peroxide killing the remaining bacteria. The health effects and whitening results from the light and peroxide last a minimum of 6 months and in some cases up to 2 years.   Chairside Teeth Whitening is extremely effective at reducing the bacteria that cause painful and expensive oral health problems like cavities and gum disease.   To read the research reports click on the link http://www.xpressmile.com/?section=Clinical_Research_Teeth_Whitening . 

Now that you know how important a white smile is to your personal and business success, your confidence and your health, schedule a professional teeth whitening today at XpresSmile.  Start 2009 with a sparkling white smile and better health!   Contact www.xpressmile.com   or call 888-838-5193.