Friday Fashion Find 8/26: Swing Coat
Yes, yes, we know that it is still summer time and really warm out, but all these cute coats are coming into stores, so we just can't resist checking them out. I am personally a big fan of the cape, but I recognize that capes are not for everyone, so for this week's fashion find, we picked out a cute little swing coat. It is the perfect compromise between a cape and a coat! This Swing Coat from Anthropologie is absolutely adorable, but the only problem is we really don't want it to get cold enough for us to wear it...
Photo courtesy of Anthropologie
Earthquake Protocol
Everyone is talking about this whole east coast earthquake thing, so we figured we might as well jump on the bandwagon and put our two cents in on earthquake protocol at SPHQ.
I'm going to start off by being honest. First, we don't have any earthquake protocol. Our office is in Providence, Rhode Island, and when is there ever an earthquake in RHODE ISLAND? Second, I'm not really even sure that the earthquake hit Rhode Island, because i'm not going to lie, I didn't feel it. It's like it forgot about us, the smallest state with the longest name got totally skipped over. It hit Boston, New York and DC, but not Providence.
Here is how it went down at SPHQ. We were all sitting the office going about our normal office activities (that is actually kind of a lie because I was in the kitchen making tea, but that's besides the point). Suddenly, Julie felt slightly dizzy (we are going to assume the dizziness is a side effect of earthquakes) and then it passed. As you can see the earthquake was a big deal at SPHQ because, thanks to Twitter, we realized there had been an earthquake about 20 minutes after it happened. In light of the yesterday's events, we have decided to implement some actual earthquake protocol. We weren't really sure what standard earthquake protocol is, since we are all from the east coast, so we decided to do some research. After checking out the FEMA website with the official earthquake protocol, we have deduced, after all of our experience with earthquakes, what is actually necessary. SPHQ earthquake protocol is as follows:
"Stay as safe as possible during an earthquake" is a direct quote from FEMA that we find extremely important. However, we find it is most important to know that an earthquake is occuring in order to stay safe, so the first step is clearly to go on the internet and google "Earthquake Providence" and if any news results come up then there is most likely an earthquake. Once that is confirmed, things get a little tricky because our office is a glass box with a not very sturdy chandelier and an elevator right outside. Therefore, the conclusion is to go to our doorway frame because it seems pretty sturdy. Once it is confirmed that the earthquake is over, it is then necessary to update facebook with the obligatory earthquake status, preferably something witty, and tweet something else about the earthquake (just from that last step you can tell that we did not have this protocol in place yesterday because we neither facebooked nor tweeted about the earthquake).
Now that we have the protocol in place we are quite excited to be earthquake safe; however, is this protocol even really necessary since the earthquake wasn't even the most exciting thing that happened to us yesterday? I mean, we did some pretty exiciting things yesterday, in fact, I went on a great bike ride, Catherine went out for burgers and watched "What Not to Wear", and Julie got a free dinner! All in all the earthquake really didn't cramp our style, especially because our Sexy Period undies had our butts covered.
Check Out Our New Photos!
Have you checked out the homepage of our website lately? Isn't the new picture kind of awesome? Well, check out the rest of the pics from our summer photo shoot and the fun behind the scenes video (Ramya is kind of a genius with editing).
Now, we just had another photoshoot on Monday, with the wonderful and amazing Trisha Kelly, but we haven't released the photos yet. We are collaborating with her for the Artist's Closet event at the Warwick Museum of Art in October, so this photoshoot is a little preview. We thought we might give you a little sneak peak of some behind the scenes pics from this one (don't you feel lucky?)!
Trisha taking some photos
How many pairs of black heels can one model own?
A cute post photo shoot pic of Tricia, Julie, Stacy and Julie!
I'm so psyched to see the final product... aren't you?
Friday Fashion Find 8/12: Dressing in Stripes!
We love stripes! We especially love stripes when they are on an adorable sundress like this one from Modcloth. We only have a few more weeks 'til it's September, so we have to get in all the summer sundresses we can until then. If you're not on our office email list (which you probably aren't unless you work at Davol Square) you haven't heard that today is STRIPES DAY at SPHQ, and we are expecting a big turnout. So put on your stripes (whether you work at our office or not) and enjoy the summer sunshine!
Photo courtesy of www.modcloth.com (btw how cute is her bike??)
You Missed Us, Right?
We've been back from New York for a couple of days now, and you're probably wondering, why have I not heard all about the Sexy Period Team's awesome trip to the city? Well, to be honest, we've been busy, but we are ready to inform you on our every move while we were romping around NYC.
We were in NY to work, but we definitely also had a TON of fun. We packed up all of our things to head to the city, and as you can see we don't pack light...
We set up our booth for Curve...
which looked pretty awesome! Then, we went off to explore NY before the show started. We had a good time shopping, running around in the wonderful (or not so wonderful) New York heat and humidity, and enjoying some time in the city. It was awesome to meet up with all of our friends in the city and some of them even stopped by the show to check everything out. We loved making some new friends at the show, watching the super fun bathing beauties video from Fraulein Annie who was just across the way, and browsing all of the amazing lingerie and swimwear out there (I definitely have my eye on tons of new lacy items).
We were expecting to have tons of mishaps (like locking our keys in the car or leaving all the undies in Providence), but for the most part everything ran smoothly. However, we did make some midshow changes to our booth by adding some in-house models. During the show we started to get kind of jealous of all of the other brands of lingerie who were showing off their stuff on real live ladies, so we decided why hire models when we have perfectly good interns that don't mind walking around in their underwear for a day? So Sara and I were recruited to walk around in heels and undies to spread the word about Sexy Period, holding super cute signs that Catherine made (thanks to her friends she stayed with who just happened to have their own crafting room in their apartment).
Not gonna lie, at first it was a little weird walking around in my underwear, but after while it seemed kind of normal and pretty fun!
Julie, Ramya, and Catherine had fun after the show attending an awesome charity even that the CFDA was hosting at a rooftop bar. They also had a great time (and made more new friends) at the Independent Lingerie Professionals Meet-up (thanks to Treacle and Krista for organizing such a fun event)!
We had an amazing time and were sad to go, but sometimes it's great to be home sweet home after six days of living the big city life. By the way, if you want to see more pics of our time in NY, check out our facebook album (you might have even catch the Sexy Period ladies doing a little modeling)!
Friday Fashion Find 6/29: We're off to NYC
This week's fashion find is a little different for us because we are taking a road trip. The entire Sexy Period team is off to NYC today for the Curve Lingerie Expo! We've spent the last couple months preparing for our big debut where we'll showcase our line in front of thousands of lingerie buyers (everyone is coming-- owners from small boutiques as well as large stores!). We have all of our undies out and ready to be packed up but what should we put them in?? Oh I don't know, maybe this super fun Liberty Print suitcase that is completely adorable? Yes, that sounds perfect. You gotta love the floral print, the retro hard suitcase look, and the fact that it's the perfect size for a whole bunch of undies! NYC here we come!!
photo courtesy of Liberty London
DIY: Fancy Cushion Covers
We found these awesome chairs at an antique store, but they were looking a little shabby, which we cannot have, so we decided to spruce them up a bit. Since we are all about giving some good advice and blogging our every move, why not combine upholstery with blogging and give our Sexy Period fans some DIY advice? Basically I'm going to give you a little step by step tutorial on how to do a quick and dirty cushion upholstery session with just a few tools.
What you need:
1 yard of a really cute fabric for your chair cushion (or more if you have a really big chair)
2 packages of thumb tacks
1 antique chair that has a seat in need of slip covering
Scissors
Hammer
Enthusiam and Craftiness
Step 1: Go Antique-ing and find yourself an adorable chair with a cushion that might look kind of like this:
Step 2: Pick out an awesome fabric that you can use to slip cover the cushion.
Step 3: Take the cushion out of the chair and if it has a thick fabric on it cut it off, making sure not to cut through the cushion layer (or you'll have a kind of uncomfortable chair) so that you have something like this:
Step 4: If you have a lighter fabric that you are using for upholstering, then it might be a good idea to have a white base fabric (like we did). For this next step you need to measure your cushion and then cut fabric with a few inches of room, for instance our cushion was about a 15" square, so we cut a 20" square of fabric.
Step 5: lay your cushion upside down on the fabric and one side at a time fold the fabric over and nail down a thumb tack to secure, making sure to fold the corners as shown to prevent wrinkling
Step 6: Once you have the bottom layer secured you now have a plain white covered cushion, so now you need to cut out your fabric of choice and repeat the steps!
Step 7: YAY! now you have a beautifully covered cushion!
Now all you need to do is put that cushion on a chair!
What's Your Spirit Animal?
What's your spirit animal? Many people think that they don't have a spirit animal, but the truth is they just haven't explored enough to realize what their spirit animal is because EVERYONE has a spirit animal. To celebrate our inner spirit animals, here at SPHQ, the Sexy Period team threw another theme day...SPIRIT ANIMAL DAY!
The whole building got into the spirit and there were some rather creative outfits, which we loved, but we can't figure out if they were just dressing up for the cupcakes or if the guys at G-Form who work downstairs actually felt that their spirit animals were bumblebees and bunnies.
Now here's a little breakdown of the Sexy Period Team's spirit animals:
Julie was a Black Swan and made sure to clarify that her spirit animal had NOTHING to do with the movie. Catherine and Ramya were both in the feline family, Catherine rocking the leopard print and Ramya dressing as a Meer Kat. Sara was a wolf and even brought along a little wolf friend, and Melissa was an Octopus.
Some group photos:
Sara's wolf friend hanging out at SPHQ
Animal cracker cupcakes! Yummmm
Friday Fashion Find 7/22: Beach Day!
I don't know what it is about this weekend but it seems like everyone in the office is heading to the beach! Thus, this week's fashion find has to be our favorite bikini this season. We are, of course, all about the teeny tiny string bikini, but sometimes we want something a little mroe sophisticated and retro, so we looked to Nannette Lepore and found this awesome retro floral bikini.
Photo Courtesy of Harper's Bazaar
Meet Our Social Media and Product Development Intern: Melissa Tovin
Have you been loving reading our blog, following us on twitter and liking us on facebook? Have you been wondering who is making all that happen? Now you no longer have to wonder because here is a little info on me (yes I am writing a blog post about myself, and no it's not weird at all) .
What’s the snack food you’re addicted to?
Homemade bagel chips (my roommate makes them and I consume them at an alarming pace)!
What’s the last book you read?
Super natural everyday. Yes I know it’s a cookbook, but there are a ton of stories so it counts.
What school do/did you go to and what is/was your major?
I'm going to be a senior at Brown University, where I study mechanical engineering.
What about fashion interests you?
I really like dressing up and mixing and matching, and I love fun lingerie!
What’s the television show you just can’t get enough of?
True Blood, Weeds, and anything on the Food Network
Got any hobbies?
Baking, cooking, and crafting!
When you’re going out on the town, what’s your go-to piece you just have to wear?
A simple black dress that can be worn either day or night because it’s appropriate for any activity
Let’s say you just won a vacation for free (lucky you!). Where would you go?
France! I just studied abroad in Paris for a semester, and I desperately want to go back.
What’s playing on repeat on your iPod right now?
Hello by Martin Solveig. It gets me pumped up for everything.
How would you describe your style?
Eclectic yet classic and fun
What’s your favorite thing about being involved with Sexy Period?
Theme days!
If someone wants to make you laugh, they’ve just got to _________
Say anything…I will literally laugh at any corny joke
What’s the best advice you ever got?
Things are usually pretty ideal and when they aren’t they’re less than ideal, but things never get less than less than ideal (it's kind of confusing but it makes a lot of sense)
What’s your favorite style of Sexy Period underwear?
Friday Night Fabulous cheeky
What’s your must-have comfort during that time of the month?
Loose, flowy dresses and lots of dark chocolate
What Kind of Fruit Are You?
Ever wonder what we actually talk about all day at SPHQ? It's usually something along these lines...
Lunch Date with Sexy Period: Food Truck Tuesday!
For the past three weeks, we have been saying "Let's go to Lunch Truck Tuesday" and, of course, without fail, we forget to go, but not this week. Today, for the first time ever, the Sexy Period Team ventured over to Grant's Block for Lunch Truck Tuesday.
Some of the food trucks in Providence, Like No Udder, Hewtin's Dogs, and Poco Loco, gather every Tuesday during lunch time on one block in downtown Providence. Pretty awesome, right?? Here are some pics of our adventure!
On our way to the lunch trucks
We can finally see them...
Then we got too hungry to take any pictures of our food, so that will just have to remain a mystery.
Friday Fashion Find 7/15: Lola Haze Romper
We love to romp at SPHQ, so this Lola Haze romper was love at first sight. It's cute, sexy and even has a little bit of a 70s roller girl vibe (you know we LOVE the 70s). We are also totally psyched about seeing Designer Laura Mehlinger and more of the Lola Haze collection at the Curve Lingerie Expo at the end of the month!
Photo courtesy of Lola Haze
Peace, Love, and Happiness at SPHQ
Peace, love, and happiness describe a typical day at SPHQ, but yesterday we took it to another level and channeled our inner hippies with 70s day. Our celebration was complete with 70s tunes, tie-dye cupcakes, and flower power chocolate covered pretzels (we might have been trying to bribe people in our office to dress up with our 70s treats) .
The Sexy Period Team feeling groovy
Chocolate covered peace pretzels
Psychadelic tie-dye cupcakes
Friday Fashion Find 7/8: A.L.C. Maxi Dress
Maxi dresses are great, but sometimes we want to show a little leg, in an understated way of course. So what's the solution? A massive slit! This dress from A.L.C. is flirty yet still a little covered up, and it is perfect for not only a summer night but also a fall day. A great dress that's flattering, comfortable, appropriate for all seasons and a little sexy...we might just be getting one in every color.
Photo courtesy of shopbop.com
Friday Fashion Find 7/1: Jeffrey Campbell Shoes
Photo talk with Krzystyna Caldarone
After we had a blast during our photoshoot with Krzystyna Caldarone from Vintage Girl Studios the other week, we decided that we absolutely have to have a little interview session with her for our blog. So we chatted her up, and we got her to come into our offices for a little one on one!
SP: How did you first get into photography?
KC: I started at the age of 15. I took photo cause I thought it would be an easy class to skip, and I skipped it, and I was about to fail it and my parents said ‘how can you fail a photography class?' so I kinda crash coursed it and realized that I kinda liked it.
SP: Tell me about Vintage Girl Studios.
KC: Vintage Girl Studios is a women empowerment type experience as well as a great photo experience. Women come in and have their hair and make up done and then we photograph them like models from past eras.
SP: What was your first photo that you were really proud of?
KC: There are so many. I have certain photos throughout my career. There is one photo of a portrait in motion of my best friend at the time, when I was 16, and then I have another photo where I had broken into a mental institution that was closed down and I got a really great photo of a bath tub and birds. I have certain photos off the top of my head that have redefined my career and changed its direction. Like there was a wedding that I shot there was a big cake smashing and I caught that moment right at the right time.
SP: Do you have a favorite subject to photograph?
KC: My children. I love shooting them, and I hate shooting them. Both at the same exact time. They are always a challenge to photograph because when mom says 'sit there' they are not going to sit there. I have a much easier time photographing other people's children than my own.
SP: Do you have any particular current inspiration?
KC: My current inspiration is photos from the 1800s: the lighting situations, the exposures, the cameras , the process and because we are in such a generation where we look at photography on our computers on our phones we don’t really have that process of what to get an actual images was. We are so used to looking at digital images that we haven't seen anything from the past in so long. I’m a good generation of photographer because I’ve been in the industry, since, working specifically with film, before there was internet, before there was digital so I’ve watched the whole photography industry change into this whole digital world, and its kinda hard to keep up but I’m young enough and excited enough to change with them. Whereas some older photographers had a harder transition. It’s a whole other universe tying it in with photography and video.
SP: Are there any photographers that you look up to or who inspire you?
KC: It really depends on time. I remember I was into Nan Goldin in the 90s because that was that era, and she hit it on the head. I love Cindy Sherman’s costuming and that , from an art background kind of thing. I tend to like them, but I really try to find photographers with imagery that I like. Right now I look into history about different studios in NY in vaudeville times, and I love studying up on those and seeing what they created and how they created it because it wasn’t done with studio cameras and lights but with natural light. It’s almost taking a step back into time.
SP: Do you think technology helps or hinders you in your 1800s style photographs?
KC: It almost is like digital is very easy but film is like a labor to get to the point where you want. If you can see it in your mind and then actually transform in onto a piece of paper, that whole process without having to put it into a computer but you also have to know your computer stuff.
SP: Now I've some more fun questions for you. How do you get your caffeiene: coffee or tea?
KC: Mountain dew
SP: Best summertime dessert?
KC: Dells, the little chunks of lemon in it. Mmm.
SP: Best summertime activity?
KC: I really like to swim. I like swimming a lot. I teach swimming. I teach baby swim.
SP: Do you ever end up in front of the camera?
KC: Not if I can help it, once in a while.
SP: What’s your favorite Sexy Period style?
KC: I like friday night fabulous, the cheeky
SP: Fourth of July plans?
KC: Beach house in Narragansett
SP: Anything else to share?
KC: I love the concept of Sexy Period because I feel that you guys are embracing womanhood in a way that you show everyone that, yeah it might be that time of the month, but this is who I am, and this is what I have on, and I feel great about this time of the month because it makes me a woman.
Fancy Tuesday
Yes yes we know that it's Wednesday, BUT yesterday we had fancy Tuesday here at SPHQ, so naturally we have some fun pics to share! You might notice a few male additions to our photos, and no, they have not joined the Sexy Period team, but they were so jealous of our whiteout day that we decided to invite our neighbors at BetaSpring to join in on our themed days from now on.
Catherine, Tim and Sara
Julie and Brad
Ramya and Melissa
Everyone who dressed up for Fancy Tuesday!
Friday Fashion Find 6/24: Reed Krakoff Techno Green Mini Shoulder Bag
'Woah that green color is awesome' was the first thing that we blurted out when we saw this adorable mini shoulder bag from Reed Krakoff, and after that we realized that it's not the just the color that is awesome, but the style and the mini size. Reed Krakoff has totally hit the nail on the head with the designs of his spring bags, and this is our favorite from the collection that started just over a year ago. Check it out here.
photo courtesy of www.reedkrakoff.com
Lunch date with Sexy Period : Beets
Summer has officially started and we are ready to romp around in the sunshine, go to the beach, wear cute summer dresses and have yummy picnics. So we are starting the summer with our newest addition to the Sexy Period blog: a little food, recipe, and lunch date advice.
We went to our local farmers market the other day to pick up some veggies for the week and found one of our favorites looking perfectly ripe: beets!
Ok, so we know what you're thinking beets=red=period and well, yes, we were thinking that but we were mostly thinking about how delicious and nutritious beets are. I mean come on, you pop them in the oven for a little while and the rock hard radish-like veggie turns into a moist, sweet and amazingly tasty and sophisticated vegetable. Now we could go on and on about how great beets are and how much we love them but instead (to save a little time and energy) here's a quick top 5 list of reasons to eat beets:
1. They taste good. Like really good.
2. Beets are both rich in antioxidants and an anti-inflammatory agent.
3. They're an aphrodisiac. Enough said.
4. You can eat the green part too and it's super delicious. Can you say two for the price of one???
5. They were presented by the Greeks to the sun god Apollo in the temple at Delphi (kind of random but definitely a fun fact).
(One minor downside: beet juice definitely stains, but there's always bleach).
Now, you didn't think that we decided to do this post just to brag to you about our fresh beets from the farmers market, did you? Not at all, we have the perfect recipe for your summertime picnic (which we will be having as soon as we get out of the office).
Roasted Beets with Kale and Quinoa
serves 2-3
1 bunch of red beets
1 bunch of golden beets
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup water
Kale (whatever kind you wish and as much as you desire to fill you up!)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Goat cheese
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Cut greens off of the beets and save for a later use (they're really good, I swear). Wash the beets, scrubbing when necessary to remove all the dirt. Put the washed beets on a generous piece of tin foil and pour 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over them and sprinkle with salt and peper. Pull the tin foil around the beets completely covering them to make a little pouch and put in the oven to roast for 45 minutes or until tender when poked with a fork.
While you're waiting for the beets to roast, boil the water and then add the quinoa and turn the stove down to medium heat and cover, cooking until the water is completely dissolved and the quinoa is done, about 20-30 minutes.
Tear or cut the kale into bite sized pieces, put in a salad bowl and massage (yes, massage, that is a legitimate cooking term). In a small bowl mix together the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the lemon juice mixture over the kale and continue to massage.
When the beets are roasted and cooled, peel off the skin and cut into bite sized pieces. Add the beets to the kale, sprinkle the goat cheese on top and toss to mix adding salt and pepper as needed. If you wish, put the quinoa in with the kale mixture, but I prefer to keep it seperate and simple. Add some salt and pepper. Serve, eat, and enjoy!
Doesn't that look yummy? I can guarantee you it was, and it would probably be even better sitting on a picnic blanket outside!
Lights Camera Action
This weekend we may have left the office but we were definitely working hard on our photo shoot with Vintage Girl Studios and Lady Luck Boutique. Three gorgeous models showed off our three different styles and we had a ton of fun working (or goofing around) behind the scenes. We aren’t going to give away too much (gotta leave the final photos as a surprise) but here are some behind the scenes shots of our Saturday photo shoot.
Friday Fashion Find 6/17: The Frolic and Play Robe
It's summer and it's hot out and when you get out of the shower the last thing you want to put on is a heavy robe. That is precisely why we love this robe from Between the Sheets. It's simple and casual (not the usual silky number) and the perfect thing to wear over your Sexy Period undies while you are lounging around the house. What we love even more is the awesome and entrepreneurial designer (who also gives some great advice to a fellow entrepreneur) Layla L’obatti. Layla not only designs but also created her own fashion show concept while still studying at FIT...wow!
Whiteout at SPHQ
Today at SPHQ (yes that is short for sexy period headquarters and we will be hashtagging it) we inaugurated our office with our first EVER theme day. Memorial Day has come and gone, and we have nothing to fear while wearing white when we are sporting our Sexy Period undies, so Ramya declared today a WHITEOUT. Any suggestions for next week's theme day??
The witty office door:
Julie getting in the spirit with her jazz hands
Ramya
Sara's on the run
Melissa
God should have created Sexy Period when he created women - Kim C.