This is what I do... red lipstick is key to my creative process!

This is kind of a re-introduction to what I mostly do!

I thought I would post a video I did a wee bit ago to share what I do.  I consider writing and illustrating cards the equivalent of creating mini-novels!  Really!

And honestly, when asked, what comes first the image or the text, it can be different every time.  One thing is for certain the cards are either very me, or I'm very much the cards!  All my characters are always accessorized and lipsticked (& for me that means my requisite 2 coat base of red (of course) Maybelline Ink in Dancer, top coated with Revlon's Fire & Ice).

And for anyone who has creativity in their bones, my suggestion is to write down your ideas!  I swear, I write everything down because I think I'll remember but after I come up with a brilliant idea, if I don't write it down, five thoughts later, "Poof!" It's gone!

I would love it if you popped over to see more of my funny women cards in my VanityGallery on Etsy.  And if you purchase even a single card, I'll send you a bonus card, no charge, on me if you tell me you came via this Fab'log!

What comes first; The accessories or the outfit?!

IS IT REDICULOUS ABOUT HOW METICULOUS I AM ABOUT ACCESSORIES?!

As a self confessed accessory addict, i confess, they are the primary focus of each day and vitamins for my soul!  

Some people may dress and accessorize, I accessorize and dress!  I often say, I'm the Charlie Brown Christmas tree.  His baron branch of a tree was bare but then transformed into something fabulous with decoration or as I would call it, "accessoration!"  All of a sudden it had energy that attracted people to celebrate its outside and frankly I think made its core blossom on the inside!  This very much like my Vanity Cases Characters on my funny women cards!  It's all about adorning the outside which results in emanating light from the inside --- Don't you think?!

And to be sure my accessory game is "on" with themes everyday! Building on a theme is key to me!  When there was a eclipse a few years ago, for certain I wore a large sun brooch on my lapel & a gold butterfly pin on the back on the opposite shoulder as though to be chasing the sun!  One can never underestimate creative placement! 

For winter, the large sun brooche decorates my [thrifted] camel P-Jacket!  And for certain, I believe in mixing metals; gold with silver!  Like my stepfather used to always say, if you're going to be a bear, be a grisly.  For me this means, if you are going to wear bracelets, make it be a race to the elbow with bangles and bracelets!

In a separate entry I'll share where I find my accessory treasures.  I've paid less than five dollars, even a dollar for an item, or broke the budget for a "can't live without" bauble!  It's about the eye, not the price!

And what are we waiting for to be fabulous!  In working from home often, I'll dress in a tailored jacket, quite frankly for the purpose of having a lapel on which to pin one or multiple pins and brooches and decorate my neck with as many chains or pieces as the day dictates!  

The accessories have to talk to each other.  I would not wear an bee or ladybug on a lapel, an enamel zebra on a strand of pearls with a cheetah bracelet.  On no.  There has to be a certain unity that ties them all together!

If you've ever seen the Accessory Queen, Iris Apfel - (click card for link)

you  can see she too always believed more is more, however amidst her chains, baubles, balls and bracelets there was always a singular message!

And of course beyond accessories everyday, I wear my signature lipsticks,

Maybelline Ink, Dancer   topped with  Revlon's, Cherries in the Snow  and barely if ever have to touch up through the day!

That's my Vanity Reflection on accessories - Love, Peace & Chicken Grease!

I was "Mugged" again!

I've been "Mugged Again!

 After the sweet response and messages from my first Dollar Tree mug hack, I couldn't resist creating an additional video!  I'm showing different designs YOU can create -  even if you have no drawing skills, including step--by-step how to create characters that look like my Veddy' Sofistikated' characters featured on my FunnyWomenGreeting cards & on which YOU can put YOUR own spin!

They are great for holding pens, pencils, lipsticks or to use as a container for small gifts!

 

And of course I keep lipstick in one of my mugs! Lipstick to me, is oxygen for my face!

And the colors & brands I use, stay on allllll day with minimal touch ups!  I do a coat of Maybelline Ink stain in Dancer and I add a top coat of Revlon's Fire & Ice or Love Red!

Love, peace and chicken grease and thank you for stopping by!

Wear more accessories...

I published this post about ten years ago when I was "playing" with this Fab'log

 but I still believe it!

As an accessory addict, putting on accessories is as natural to me as brushing my teeth, putting in my contacts and starting the day with my first a coat of (red) lipstick!!  Most of my clothes are basically just simple canvas' for my "decorations!"  I always say I'm the Charlie Brown Christmas tree and need accessories as much as Charlie Brown's tree needed ornaments to shine!

Most recently, it's all about the wrist for me.  Everyday is a race to my elbow with bangles and bracelets!  I rarely spend much because I think style has nothing to do with price - it's all about one's eye!   Usually I find my accessories at flea markets, thrift shops, garage sales and I'm not gonnta lie, TJ Maxx and to my surprise, I found my fabulous Cheetah bracelet on Amazon - where it's under $20 and inspiring me to pick up for an accessory addict sister!  It shows no wear -  even though I wear it often so I felt compelled to share!!  

Besides, this accessory addict believes sharing is caring!

As regards the Vanity Cases Character in this post, I'm wondering if I should update her and add her to my Etsy VanityGallery!  And really, as we get older, or further evolve as I like to think of it, I'm certain being understated is quite overrated ... don't you think so too?!

FOOD NOISE - Please shut up!

Well, until lunch!  PS, What's for dinner!

With no false modesty, I confess this is my own, new favorite card!  I swear to Lawd's sake, food is always on my mind!  How many calories does this have, how healthy is that, what is the sodium content here, if I eat this now, & skip a meal, do I save the calories?!

Oprah named it as food noise! There's even a book called Food Noise.  I've had fluffin' food noise in my head forever! I would love to mindlessly and guilt-free dig into a big bowl of ice cream -  with chocolate sauce and whipped cream and just indulge and enjoy. I'm not even talking on a regular basis but just once in a while!   I can't. I'm forever calculating calories!  No matter my weight, since I was in my 20s, I've always thought it was 5 pounds too many!  Oye!

I'm tall, slim in appearance and have eaten the same way since my 20s, which is likely why I haven't gained weight in a way women do at a certain age but boy would I love the noise to SHUT UP!  

As always, I look at this with my sense of humor!  Humor and the perfect lipstick color, red of course, will get you through anything!

Do ya' hear me?  Anyone else have endless food noise roaming in their brain?!

 

Just whenI thought I was out, a Dollar Tree pulled me back!

 I luuuuuved Dollar Tree flexible Cutting mats, two for $1.25 and measuring 11x14!

When you feel like making a fab', flat coaster that you could actually insert into a greeting card, this is the video to watch!  

You could trace art let's say from a greeting card for a design.  I used my own funny women greeting card which, you can see in my Vanity Gallery on Etsy, or you can even just do your name or writing a quote.  The key is to use a permanent Sharpie marker.  I prefer the fine point!

As an accessory addict, as I often do, I end this video explaining what accessories I'm wearing and where I thrifted in most cases!  

And because I'm most often asked what lipstick I use, I'm sharing here!  I swear, once I do my lipstick in the morning, I truly barely do even a slight touch up for the entire day!  I coat with a Red Maybelline Ink Stain, color Dancer and topcoat with a more creamy Revlon lipstick in either Fire & Ice in Love that Red ... and who doesn't love red?!

Love, Peace & Chicken Grease and thanks for stopping by!

Fabulous Bookmarks from a Dollar Tree cutting mat - Who knew!

 One of my favorite Dollar Tree hacks from a flexible cutting mat!

Here's the fab' news about creating a bookmark from a Dollar Tree cutting mat; you don't have to be an artist to create!  You can opt to do fancy text or trace something simple.  The key is using a permanent marker.  I use a Sharpie Fine point.  Watch the video to see how I do it.

And I luuuuuuuuve my corner-cutter to finish off the edges!  It's one of my most favorite and transformative tools!  For under $10,00, I promise, no corner will be safe in your home!  I do it alllll the time to index cards and it transforms them into sophisticated note cards!

*And as always, I'm sharing my lipstick brand/ color as it's one of the things I'm asked about the most...even more than how I've sold11,000+ cards from my Etsy Vanity Gallery!  As a red lipstick addict, I'm happy to share!  I wear a base coat red stain and a top coat of a Revlon shade, either Love that Red or Fire and Ice, of which I usually don't have to touch up but maybe once a day!  Really!

Eat the icing first! YOLO!

YOLO! ! ! 

Oh for Gad sake, eat the cupcake and don't count the calories!  YOLO!  I love that abbreviation for You Only Live Once!  Now this is not to say you can do any ol' thing you want and call out YOLO and think it's mighty fine, but there are times when dang, ya' just want to eat the icing!

YOLO is also a great mantra when you are a bit hesitant to try something new!  Instead of fearing a change step up-to-the plate and say, YOLO!  Or, if you are one of those people who are tough on themselves and never give yourself a break, relax, indulge and celebrate with  YOLO chant!

As for me, when something is a little scary, I look in the mirror and tthink what's the worst that can happen and I walk forward, of course with vivid red lipstick, powder and pearls say YOLO - so do it!   

That's my thought for today...air kisses and accessory wishes until the next Vanity observation!

Collene

PS, When I need the armor of red lipstick (which is always) this is my what I use;  stain by Maybelline & as a topcoat,  my favorite Revlon Fire & Ice!  This combo' stays on for a millionty hours!

Oh, and if you'd like to see some new women humor cards click on over to TheVanityGallery!

The [staying] Power of Lipstick!

Ok, to know me is to know, I don't so much as go outside without LIPSTICK, (powder and pearls)!  It's like brushing my teeth; it's just something I do the same way someone puts on a pair of shoes every morning.  And when applied in a way that I've done for years, the color (of course red) stays on through the day and/ or meals with minimal touch ups! 

Here's what I do to keep lipstick lasting a whole day...  My recipe and links below to my curent fave' reds!

1. I outline lips with a matching red pencil... I overdraw, but natch', that's optional! 
2. I fill in with a coat of permanent stain -  I like Maybelline INK, in Dancer
3. After letting the stain dry for a moment, I make a big smile and lightly smooth over my choice of RED and I luuuuve Revlon's Fire & Ice!
4. I'll do the classic tissue blot -  That's it!
5. And the best way to get the stain off is of course with a make up remover ... or olive oil...which I also use as my face serum.  Uhm, I would take a bath in olive oil if I could!

That's it ...Because like my card says, Lipstick is like a bra for the face...It gives a lil' lift to what's already there!

Air kisses and accessory wishes until the next post!

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Mugging it - A Dollar Tree Hack Attack

And here's how you do it!

I'm not the first to draw with a sharpie on a mug and bake in the oven so the design will survive washings, but I'm showing my Vanity take on this easy-to-do project!

My Youtube video will show you how easy it is to do ... and I would Luuuuuuuuve it if you took a look by clicking the image above and subscribed!  I share Fab'log thoughts as well as the story behind cards!

You don't have to be able to draw to add designs to a simple white mug ($1.25 from the Dollar Tree), you could write something, you could write a single word with a design style. 

And of course I used characters that are on my Vanity Cases Women Humor cards, which, you can see here:  TheVanityGallery on Etsy.  I'm thrilled to share I've sold 11,000+ from my Etsy store in the last 5 years ... I think it's because they speak the language of "Girlfriendease!"  

And since I get asked often what is my lipstick color/ brand, I thought I would share here!  By the way, it's less on Amazon than other stores!  And as a lipstick addict, I check for the best prices!  And I always say, what other product can transform your mood and tude' for less than $10?!

In this video I'm wearing REVLON's CHERRIES IN THE SNOW over permanent Maybelline Ink color Dancer -  Which I think is the best red ever!

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*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

 

Mug Shot!

 

A sharpie fine point pen, a Dollar Tree mug & your imagination and thar' ya' go!

I'll be posting a video on my ColleneKennedy Youtube channel soon on how to create a little magic on an inexpensive mug that transforms it into something quite fab'tab'ulous!  I'll share how to "bake" the artwork so that it will make it through washing after washing!

And clearly, these characters are based on my Vanity Cases that are featured on my Funny Women Cards in my Etsy Vanity Gallery shop!  I'm trying to decide if I should create these to sell?  Hmmmmm -

Love, Peace and Chicken Grease oxoxo

Bundle up! There's birthdays out there!

   

Bundles up in my Etsy store!  Why?  

Birthdays have a way of coming up on a regular bases and I've figured out a fab'tab'ulous way to make any of us look prepared, organized and sooooo caring by having a card handy and ready to go!  

So I finally did what any reasonably fab' card designer would do!  I created bundles for The Emergency Card Drawer.  And of course the best part is YOU select the cards you want!

It’s a small bundle of my funny women greeting cards — the kind you reach for when you think: OH NO!  I forgot - insert name here - birthday is here!  

Most importantly, I've created a 3 & 5 card bundle, which translates into the cards costing less than if bought separately.  

Click on the images for the direct link or here:  3 Card Bundle   5 Card Bundle

Love, Peace & chicken grease and thanks for stopping by!

And just for fun -  5 card bundle -

And as always, I would just love it if you come to my YouTube Channel:  ColleneKennedy and subscribe!  I don't want to sound desperate, but I'll be your best friend if you do!

 

So why do you think Jennifer Lopez gets such mass hate?!

 Why do people hate Jennifer Lopez? Do you think she's unfairly judged?

I was a celebrity publicist for years and had a front row seat to see what it takes to achieve fame; which clearly Jennifer Lopez has done! But being liked is key to moving up the ladder and balancing atop. And if one takes even a shallow dive on Youtube or Tiktok, it's clear legions of people do not like J Lo! I'm throwing in my two cents how I would handle the perceived over-the-top ego if I was on her publicity team! My Women Humor cards are often influenced by the egos to which I had a front row seat - Come see here: TheVanityGallery on Etsy. And of course, I hope you'll subsccribe!