The Fashion Sundae: November 2011

Christmas at the Yaya's Home....

I get asked all the time from my customers: "I would love to see your home! Does it look like your store?" Well, here are some pics of our home as we start to decorate for Christmas---Enjoy!

This is our front porch, and as you can see I did it all in silver & creams....and yes, I made the garland around the door (you should see my hands----and the whole time, I kept asking myself: "Why do I do this to myself???") LOL

Welcome to our "Great Room":

Welcome to our "Dining Room":

Welcome to our "Kitchen":

Welcome to what I call our "Gathering Room":

I hope you enjoyed the tour! I guess you could now say that "yes, my home looks just like my store"....next time I will show you the rest of the home. Thanks for coming....xo...debi

Time for a Yaya Give-a-Way!!!

As you know, every year I have the "12 Days of Christmas" Yaya give-a-ways...and this year is no different---except you have to be a "fan of Yaya Chique on Face book". I will be giving away treasures from the store with a value of $25.00 and upwards starting on December 1st thru December 12th.

This is how you can have a chance of winning!

1) You must be on our "Like" list on Face book

2) After every give-a-way posted on Face book that day, you must either show that you "like" the post in order to have your name put in the Yaya crown or leave a comment.

3) Every time you send a new person to become a "Fan of Yaya Chique", then your name will be put in the Yaya crown for each new person that becomes a Fan! So the more people you send and they become a fan....the more chances you have to win! (Just make sure they let us know that YOU sent them; otherwise we won't know.) And even if they are "new", then they also can send new fans and the same rules will apply to them.

4) A lucky winner will be named each night for that specific give-a-way!

4) You must come to the store to "claim your prize" before we close for the holidays on December 23rd. You are the only person who can claim your treasure! (We will not be mailing any gifts this year....sorry, postage is just way too high now.)

So best of luck....and hope you come play our "12 Days of Christmas" give-a-way---and don't forget to send your friends so that you have an even greater opportunity to win!

Let's get started!!! The first day of the Yaya give-a-way on December 1st will be:

A beautiful canvas angel journal and 2 wooden angel ornaments!

Also, starting on December 1st, we ask that all of our customers bring in a "new" unwrapped gift item to be donated to the women of the "Mercy House" for battered & abused women here in the CyFair area! It can be whatever you can afford....from a pair of mittens, to makeup, to bath products.

As women let us show our support for them...showing that we DO CARE, and that they are beautiful and special! You can drop your items off at the store starting now through December 15th (the night of our party), and the gifts will be delivered directly to Mercy House on December 16th, just in time for the holidays! So PLEASE show your support during these difficult times for these women!

We have finished up decorating the store for Christmas! Don't Lucy and Ethel look adorable????

Wishing you a beautiful & loving Thanksgiving....and look forward to seeing you soon!

xo...debi and the entire staff at Yaya Chique

Those Ruby Red Lips

Red Lips are all the rage but are you a bit intimidated?
Red can be overpowering and not all of us can carry off those ruby red lips. When you go to the lipstick counter there are berry reds to wine reds to cinnamon reds. What's a girl to do?

For those with darker skin or olive skin, reds are yours wear a dark coral or a deep cherry color. For those with a pink complexion, a plum color in the red family works. For those with yellow tones a warmer brown base red will give you the look you want. Redheads go for reds with more brown or warmer tones.

Blonde's and those with lighter complexions should try this trick so they are not washed out by their ruby red lips
Use a clear lip balm and then layer a colored lipstick over it, possibly a dark coral lipstick with a red pencil liners. Matte lipstick isn't as bold and more forgiving if you have thinner lips.

So here are some pointers on how to make those lips look fabulous when wearing red lipstick!

Use an oil-free foundation or lip balm over the lips, line it with a red lip pencil, fill in slightly and then apply the lipstick with a brush. Blot your lips and apply a second coat.

When using matte lipstick use lip gloss over it so your lips won't dry out.

So what if you went out and bought a red color that is too bold or just not the color for you, keep it.
Experiment with other lip colors you have. Create your own style.

Keep styling in Delco.

Jewels, jewels and more jewels!

Well, as the holidays grow closer and we begin to "decorate" the store for Christmas....just wanted to give you a look at some of the beautiful "jewels" we have at Yaya Chique...all under $25.00!!!!

and as always...we keep getting in beautiful and affordable treasures everyday! We start "decorating" the store on Sunday and Monday (when we are closed)....so that next week, you will be able to see all the "magic" that myself and the ladies will be doing!

Don't forget to mark your calenders for our annual "Christmas on the Bayou", with food, music, shopping and a loving gift for each customer from all of us at Yaya Chique!

Those that know me, know that every year I donate "new items" from the store to a woman's shelter in Houston----well, that has not changed, except that I will be asking all my customers to help us support a new battered & neglected women's shelter here in our own backyard called the "Mercy House". I ask that for the month of December and during our party on December 15th, that you bring an unwrapped gift as a donation to these women. Since, most them have left their situation with nothing and it is usually the children that fortunately get toys for Christmas....I wanted Yaya Chique and all its customers to donate something "new" for the women! Such as....spa products, bath products, house slippers, gloves, hats, make up, personal hygiene items, make up bags, etc...something that makes a woman feel beautiful & special!

I hope you all join me and the staff at Yaya Chique to show our love & support for these women....because as you know, I am a firm believer in feeling that EVERY woman has the right to feel beautiful and special!

From myself and the staff at Yaya Chique....we wish all of you a loving & beautiful Thanksgiving!!!

(the store will be closed on Thanksgiving Day and the Friday after....we will reopen on Saturday!)

Goodwill Fashion - winter coats!

Goodwill is a great place to pick up a fashion-forward vintage coat. Look for quality fabrics and signs of wear. Also search details that make a piece unique. Remember, anything can be altered. Buttons can be changed.

This is my favorite Goodwill jacket find. It is the perfect weight for this time of year...and is also a great jacket to wear in the rain.

I've been searching for some fun funky vintage buttons to add to this jacket for a long time (haven't found the perfect set yet). I change the pins from floral to something with sparkle...depending on my outfit that day.

I paid around $5 for this jacket.

Be on the look out for leather. Leather jackets are always in style. Search for something with details that make it unique, like this biker jacket. Love the way this fashionista paired it with a skirt! Super cute!

PHOTO: chictopia.com

PHOTO: www.shopgoodwill.com

This style harkens back to the 60's and 70's. I am pretty sure I have family photos where my Mom is wearing a coat just like this (hey, maybe this is HER old jacket?!).

A tie waist wool coat is a smart addition to any wardrobe. If you find one that doesn't have a fur collar, that can be added later.

PHOTO: www.thedressrecycler.com

PHOTO: www.shopgoodwill.com

Beginning to look like Christmas!

As you know, Yaya Chique not only has some of the most unique and beautiful clothing & jewels in Houston---we also have some of the most beautiful treasures for gifts and the home! We are starting to put out all the Christmas goodies and we will be decorating the store for the holidays next weekend during our normally closed hours (Sunday & Monday) but, here is a peek at a very small sampling of what is coming for the holiday season!!

Finding Thankfulness in a Simple Holiday

I don't know about you, but Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. What other holiday do we just eat and sit around being thankful for what we already have? While Christmas really should be about that, I find that Thanksgiving is the holiday where our family seems to focus best on all of the blessings in our life. There are no presents to distract us from our thankful hearts and the focus is all about being together as a family.

We don't have very many Thanksgiving traditions in our family other than a morning spent watching the Thanksgiving parade in our jammies and just being together. The beauty in Thanksgiving, for me, is finding simple ways to give thanks for all that we have in our lives.

As Jacqueline Winspear has said though, “Grace isn’t a little prayer you chant before receiving a meal. It’s a way to live.” I want to live thankfully, to be aware of every blessing (great AND small), and the more aware I become the more thankful I am. The more thankful I am, the more blessed I feel. It is a richness that money can’t buy.

Here are a few ways to embrace a life of thankfulness in the little things this holiday season:

Say Thank You With Simple Gifts- Contrary to popular belief, even though I blog abut saving money, you won't find this girl at the Black Friday sales trying to score the best deals. My favorite thing to do is to spend the day after Thanksgiving lounging around in my pajamas, sipping coffee, and starting my holiday crafting for those I love.

Instead of making a plan of attack at the store this year, embrace a DIY mentality towards your gift-giving and start jotting down the crafts you want to try this year. I don't know about you, but nothing means more to me than someone taking time out of their day to create something beautiful and unique just for me.

Make a list of supplies you need for making those crafts happen and hit Goodwill first to see if you can find the craft supplies for less or find a vision for what to do with these thrift store items. If you need a little inspiration to get you started, be sure to read my entry on, "Breathing New Life In Thrift Store Items."

With those beautiful handmade gifts, jot down a note to say thanks and tell that person why they are so important in your life. In a day and age where we barely write anymore, just imagine what a little note included with a handmade gift could mean to someone you love?

Start a Simple Christmas Stocking Tradition- Tired of trying to find a home for all of those useless items in your stocking? Why not start a new tradition that will remind you what the holiday season is all about?

On the first day of December, I set out a basket with small slips of paper. Each person in the family is supposed to write something about someone else in the family that they appreciate about them and stick it in each other’s stockings. On Christmas morning, we have something fun to look forward to opening, which centers on family rather than gifts. If you have smaller children, have them draw pictures for each family member and jot down the sweet things they say about their family members. It is truly a highlight of my Christmas morning and brings us all closer together as we share our family breakfast.

Give Simply to Others- Even though I have the best intentions to keep gift-giving simple, we always receive so many wonderful gifts from our family that we have to find a home for. Use this time leading up to the holidays to bless others with the abundance in your life.

Talk with your children about the importance of giving back and have them help you weed through their books, toys, and electronics to make room for the gifts that they will be receiving and to reclaim some much needed space in your home.

Want to visualize how much your Goodwill donation will mean for others with your children? Visit The Donate Movement page and you can use their calculator to discover what your impact will have on your community and the amount of hours your simple donation will provide to educate and train employees at Goodwill. Head on over to their page today and see what a difference a simple day of decluttering could do for someone in your community.

Instead of Gifts Create Simple Family Moments- Last year we started a new tradition with the money we received from our grandparents. In year's past, I would spend an entire day shopping and trying to find gifts that the kids might want even though they really didn't need anything.

Instead of buying gifts, we put the money toward an experience that we could do together. Last year we all dressed up very fancy and took our children to see, "The Nutcracker." We finished the show by having hot cocoa at The South Bend Chocolate Cafe. It was a memory I hope they will never forget.

Consider asking for gifts like money to put toward a pass to a local museum, zoo, or a special show that you would love to see at the theater. Not only will you have had a fun experience together bonding as a family, but you will also have a memory that will last far longer than another gift under the tree.

What are some of your favorite simple holiday traditions? Feel free to share them here!

Photo Diary: Boracay trip

We went to Boracay for some R&R..we were there for four days and just got back the other day but jhe and I are already talking about going back..hehehe! :D

Our flight was via Kalibo, so we rode a van to Caticlan for about 2 hours then a short boat ride to the island

the view from our room

We got a room at Casa Fiesta, located at station 1 and since it's off peak season we got the room for P1,500.00 a night, we paid P4,500.00 for 3 nights.