Chic-ercising.

The definition of exercise, but chic.

Being chic is being happy, and to be happy one must be active! Not only does exercising give you energy but it also is a great way to expend energy that can build up after gruesome days at the office, or studying in the library for dreadful tests. Chic exercising does not have to be strenuous either! In fact, it is quite un-chic to sweat publically. How presumably un-feminine. It is much more chic to enjoy the exercise that you are getting, and to look great while doing so! Here is a list of some ideas of chic ways to exercise!

Walking (especially along the beach!)

Walking is a wonderful way to stay fit and feel great! Taking long walks after dinner was a favorite of Audrey Hepburn (and think of how chic she was!) Take any opportunity to see the scenery around you, and walk! To add a splash of romance, have your significant other accompany you on a walk! This is a great time during vacations, business traveling, and even during the holidays to take a break from those overwhelming families. Walks are splendid in that they run the cool breeze through your hair and pores, and provide tantalizing scenery for your eyes, which can even be great conversation starters for your walking companion! You don’t always have to be on a beach to walk! Try it along a river, on a hiking trail, in the middle of a city with tall buildings, or even just around your neighborhood (you will be surprised how many families’ cook-outs you will smell or dogs you will meet! How delightful!)

Riding a Bike

Now the chic way to ride a bike is not to wear neon spandex, and race a large group of people (although I know this can be a great hobby, and provide physical exercise, and I support that!) That way is, however, a different form of exercise, and does not belong next to chic exercising. Chic bike riding includes taking a “beach cruiser” bike (which are so cute!), and pedaling at a comfortable and enjoyable pace (but you must speed up for quick drops or turns, how fun!) A beach cruiser does not have to be rode on the beach, but can also be taken through a forest, much as the characters on the Notebook! Another chic-ercise to do with a loveable companion (try your furry dog friend too!)

Chic-erblading

Okay, so I mean just rollerblading, but doing so in great looking clothes makes it chic-erblading! This is the least common form of chic-ercise because some may pass it off as “too 80s” but it most definitely is not! Rollerblading is wonderfully fun and great for sculpting legs!

Now go, embark on your own chic-ercising and tell me how it goes loves!

Antique-ing

Darlings- Have you gotten tired of doing the same activities in the city of Fort Worth over and over and over again? I know that I absolutely adore shopping in those quaint little shopping centers, such as University Park Village. What a delightful bakery, bookstore, and apparel shops! However, I do seem to get into a rut of visiting the same places far too many times for it to still be entertaining. How particularly drab to browse a store in which you already know each article of clothing’s position in the store, and how long till it hits the sale rack. Where is the fun in that? I certainly do not see any! Therefore, one must travel beyond the limits of the ordinary to a large, and I might even say “enchanted” place called The Montgomery Street Antique Mall.

“Antiques, those are even more predictable than trendy clothing, Brittany. Where are you going with this?” you may be thinking. But, trust me darling, there is nothing predictable about this antique mall. It is so large that I have lost myself amongst the things several times. Of course, I have always found my way back because here I am, but the sheer amount of antiques the mall delivers is sure to take hours to even catch a glimpse.

Montgomery Street Antique Mall has over 200 retailers. I have not even seen all of them myself because I get so caught up in the delightful trinkets as I am going through I cannot make it to the end of the mall without leaving for a quick brunch or coffee to renew my strength. How delightfully full of adventure though! I am a seasoned veteran at antique shopping! I have been to multiple places in the states to find exquisite gems of the past, yet that display current moods and trends.

Here darlings, I’ll show you:

This is my antique desk that has fueled all of my great ideas.

Here is a decorative vase that is not an antique but looks like one. How cost effective!

So go forth and find delightful treasures of your own. You can also gather help along the way to learn more about the antiques. Many have a history of owners or a time period that they are known for. You can ask an employee of the shop or antique mall you are browsing through, or you can even watch shows such as “Antique Roadshow” to learn what is valuable or buy an explanatory book at your nearest Barnes and Noble.

See how much more fun and exciting antiques can be than you thought? Pencil some time in this weekend to browse the 200 retailers in the Montgomery Street Antique Mall.

See you there love! Ciao!

Divine Dining!

Of course Fort Worth classics like Fuzzy’s Taco Shop and Dutch’s have splendid cuisine, but it is even more chic to try something new and even more delightful! A great place to find restaurants that can offer this type of cuisine is Magnolia Street, just south of downtown Fort Worth. Not only is Magnolia Street cute and quaint, it is a full of equally cute and quaint cafes! Spiral Diner, Nonna TaTa, are both excessively delicious and quite chic. Each café can cater to different tastes or different moods! Also, if the food is not already delightful enough, these venues offer outside seating for your viewing pleasure of scenic Magnolia Street. There is no better place in Fort Worth for a brunch with the girls than Magnolia Street.

Let’s begin with Spiral Diner. Even though this posh diner is vegan, do not let that scare you, it is absolutely delicious! From a “Sweet Hummus Wrap” to a “Chikn-Less Salad” to a “Meatball Sub,” this vegan diner serves only flavors that make your taste buds dance. I absolutely adore Spiral Diner. It’s so different than the typical, dreadful American fast food or even restaurant chain. I want to faint when I see how popular these sodium-ridden Outback Steakhouses, Chili’s, and TGI Friday’s restaurants have become. I cannot even take my bicycle for a stroll without being bombarded with these disgusting neon signs and drink specials. I, however, do adore a lovely stroll on my bicycle down historic Magnolia Street, yes, much better. Speaking of drinks- Spiral Diner offers organic wine and beer, even from local breweries like Rahr. How positively exquisite to support local businesses rather than giant somewhat beer holding companies! Yes, I know what you are thinking, is it really chic to drink beer? I say yes! If it is something organic and local and possible with an orange slice in it! If it is in a can and has been sitting in a cooler all day at a NASCAR event, not necessarily chic, but I suppose it shall still give you some thrilling times as well. I digress. None the less, Spiral Diner not only offers tasty and unique cuisine but the inside is bright and buzzing with energy, and it is sure to add zest to any day’s lunch!

Now, Nonna TaTa is equally as divine, but smaller in size. Nonna Tata is an Italian restaurant owned by a woman who used to work in the fashion industry for Versace (how remarkably chic!) She decided to open up a restaurant two years ago and named it after her Italian grandmother (darling!) It is especially divine with dainty, super fresh food that is not Americanized Italian food like pizza.

I can say no more without letting you experience this divine dining for yourself, so go forth and dine on gorgeous Magnolia! I shall see you next week love!

Dreamy Decor

Now that you know what chic means and how to dress chicly, you’re going to need somewhere divine to BE chic!

That brings us to our next topic, DÉCOR! Surrounding yourself in a bright environment can help lift your spirits and keep you energized. Chic living is about enjoying and savoring every moment of living and it is much easier to do so in an inviting environment. There are 3 keys to chic interior décor.

1. bright colors
2. memorable items
3. uniqueness

Bright colors do not necessarily mean only hot pink or yellow, but refer to cheerful colors. For example, my room is a bright pastel green. I LOVE green! Green is fabulous! If you follow the link to this site, you can read about how room color actually does affect your mood and energy level! http://freshome.com/2007/04/17/room-color-and-how-it-affects-your-mood/

Here love, I’ll give you a quick peak of how each room color can affect your mood:

Red- raises the energy level
Yellow- evokes happiness
Green- the refreshing quality of blue with the cheerfulness of yellow in one! (okay, so I’m biased!)
Blue-calming, relaxing, serene

Browse the site and see which color is best fit for each room in your house! My regrets to those of you who still reside in those tiny hamster cages called “dorms.” I do not believe that you are allowed to paint those, even though it would help them to be less dreadful! I do have a delightful trick for you in this category though! POSTERS! They are so lovely because they are allowed and can easily be taken down at the end of your residence there. They are a great way to add color too! I have two posters of famous artwork in my room. I had them when I resided in a hamster cage (dorm) and all of my fellow peers delighted in them just as much as I!

Since I love you so much, I’ll even give you this link to browse some posters. (Don’t forget my tip about famous art posters. It’s also chic to be knowledgeable about art!) Here's a picture of one of my famous art posters. This is called "The Kiss" by Klint.

www.allposters.com

Just as important as surrounding yourself in color is also surrounding yourself with items that are meaningful to you. Photographs are great, especially multiple ones in a variety of frames, but there are also other very creative ways to display memories. One is very similar to a photograph but is actually shadow box. I have one such box with pictures of my family and I in it, but also a rosary from my grandmother who has passed. I find it to be a delightful way to remember my granny and am pleased to have something of hers intertwined in my room. (pictured below)


Uniqueness can also not be forgotten! Although there is not much to say, you can absolutely not be surrounded in decorations that every other human has! How very un-delightful and so very un-chic! Not only does having a bright, memory-filled room help your everyday mood, but also when it is different from everyone else’s. If your home was the same as everyone else’s, well then how would you ever know if you are actually home?

Until next time love.