Just a few days to July 4th and time to look through your closet for all things red, white, and blue!

Indoor Fireworks

Did you click on the video? The perfect soundtrack for this section. What would be more romantic than presenting your soul mate with some diamonds during the fireworks? Make sure you are cuddled up on a deck or in a hotel room with a view of the display in the night sky. Guaranteed that you will create some of your own indoor fireworks.

Diamond earrings are always a good choice – they make a great commitment-free gift for a girlfriend and they are also are a special treat for your wife. Remember, jewelry shouldn’t always commemorate a special milestone or occasion – the best gifts come as a complete surprise. You can buy a very nice set of diamond earrings for less than $80 or you can go get some real celebrity-style icing and get earrings for several thousand dollars.

Happy Birthday

Gina Lollobrigida was born on July 4, 1927. She is actually Italian but was engaged to New York real estate heir George Kaufman for a brief period in 1969 and also was a Hollywood actress, starring in movies with Humphrey Bogart, Burt Lancaster, and Rock Hudson. At one point she was known as ‘the world’s most beautiful woman.’

She is wearing the perfect outfit for a July 4th picnic.

Add some celebrity icing to your style:

Check out this cute dress is from Tokyo Pink.

Accessorize with a vespa coin purse from etsy.com if you don’t drive the real thing. Also note, if you think a red, white, and blue color theme is too much you can try a light blue, pink, and white coordination like this one for your July 4th style instead.

And don’t forget the most important July 4th accessory of all, a picnic blanket!

American Sweetheart

Do you see fireworks when you kiss your American sweetheart? Propose on Independence Day and you will! Here is the perfect engagement ring for the day you give up your independence and start living the American dream – a house, a dog, some kids… okay, let’s just start with the ring, shall we?

The heart-shaped diamond and vintage-looking scroll pattern evoke old-fashioned romance. The cathedral style setting makes the most of the diamond and shows you are serious.

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What Season Are You?

This week we continue our flashback to the 80’s – when everyone was getting their colors done. Last December I featured the method of determining which colors work for you in an article, “The 1980′s Called and Asked: What Season Are You?“  This concept originates from a book called “Color Me Beautiful” by Carole Jackson - which spent 4 years on the NY Times bestseller list. All fun aside, Jackson’s style advice is a blessing for anyone out there who is color-challenged. You can wear the most expensive make up, the hottest clothing, and the best jewelry – but if you are wearing the wrong colors you will still look horrible (and sometimes, even ill). For more information straight from the source, you should visit her website at carolejackson.com – she provides samples of color swatches that you can refer to once you identify which season suits you.

Wondering if you are a Winter? Then please read our article called “Get Your Colors Done Part 1: Is Winter Cool For You?“

Wondering if you are a Spring? Then please read our article called “Get Your Colors Done Part 2: Is Spring A Fresh Idea?“

Are You A Summer?

Photo: Olivia-NewtonJohn.com

In the last article featuring this topic, we explained that “Spring” people look better in warm tones like peach and coral, and yellow gold jewelry flatters their complexion. It makes sense that Summers also look great in warm colors – it is the warmest season after all. However, Summers actually fall into the “cool” category. Examples of cool colors are: green, blue, and violet. Imagine pinks and greens with a blue undertone, and you are on the right track.

Take the Test

Summers are the least common color – it seems like all Summers have naturally blond hair color, which is also rare. To be even more specific, we’re talking cool blonds, not yellow blonds… If you’re a summer your face will reflect a blue tone rather than a yellow tone onto a white piece of paper.

You will look best in subtle color combinations and should avoid contrasts. Summers can still be bold, but it is best to stick to one bright color – like the red Christina is wearing below (note that this red has a blue undertone, making it work for a Summer).

Summer Ice

White gold and diamonds are perfect for the girls (and boys) of Summer.

The simple elegant design of this white gold solitaire engagement ring would be perfect.

This highly polished sterling silver collar necklace is also a great way to frame that beautiful summer complexion and blond hair!

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Last week our two favorite gossip girls Blair and Serena’s friendship turned downright frosty – but here at Celebrity icing we focus more on the frosting – in other words, the delicious designer duds that almost steal the scene from all the drama on our favorite show.

Did you take our quiz yet?

Go back to the previous post to find out Which Gossip Girl’s Style Suits You.

Are You a Vanessa, Blair, Serena, or Jenny?

Spotted: Sweet Shortcuts to Gossip Girl Style…

Jenny

When it comes to black eyeliner and social climbing, Jenny likes to lay it on thick….

Here’s a how-to video from Smashbox make up artist Hank Hoffman.

A little bit couture, a little bit rock n roll

Here she is in a Missoni dress, but you can honour Jenny’s budget roots by shopping for this look at H&M instead…

Vanessa

Vanessa has that whole boho thing going on. She dresses like a free spirit; however, if you look closely you can see that a lot of thought actually goes in to her outfits, which suits her character. Often she is wearing more bangles and necklaces that a carnival fortune teller, and has the big earrings to match.

Vanessa wears designers like Catherine Malandrino – affordable compared to the other Gossip Girls’ clothing, a Malandrino dress can be purchased for $300 (check out her sale page for even better pricing). Of course, a real-life Vanessa would also be able to walk out of thrift store with an entire outfit for less than $50… (less than $20 if you get lucky!).

Serena

Generally Serena looks like you wish you would look if you rolled out of bed wearing the same clothes from the night before… tousled hair, and thrown-together outfits, with skirt lengths and footwear inappropriate for daytime. Recently, she’s cleaned up her act quite a bit so picture the same look only with clothing fresh from the dry cleaners (and it looks like she finally found her hair brush – it only took her two years…).

Okay, I’m being a bit hard on her – I have to admit, I’m jealous – I miss the days where I didn’t feel self conscious in mini skirts and heels. This look definitely has an age limit – if you dress like Serena during the day and you’re under 35- you’re edgy; if you’re over 35 you’re something else… not sure what…

Blair

Oh, Blair. Not everyone can pull this one off. Many of us would end up looking like a sunday school teacher or a time traveler from 1985. You can get a similar look by shopping at any store that caters to older women (Ann Taylor Loft for example). Of course, this only works if you’re not actually already old. Just add a headband, or scarf-choker, and presto! At best, if this style appeals to you, I would recommend that you shoot for the ‘sexy librarian’ look – that might work. Don’t forget to add some pretty (and preppy) jewelry, like the bracelet below.

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I’m due to have my baby very soon so I guess I have babies on the brain more than usual.

Should Babies Wear Jewelry?

Some cultures seem to prefer jewelry on their children very young (bracelets, earrings). My mom bought all of her girl grandchildren tiny engraved bracelets when they were born – not sure if this is  German thing or just a personal predilection – she also buys child-size silver cutlery for all the kids…

This week we feature baby bracelets:

I also know other people who are passionately against the whole concept of adorning their precious little ones in precious metals.

Of course, if you are going to string your baby with bling make sure it is safe.

Always observe the age guidelines for jewelry – most of it is not practical for children under 3 (it is only worn during a photo session or special ceremony like a christening and then kept as a keepsake or heirloom). For specific information about recalls, please refer to ConsumerReports.org. Here are some basic guidelines:

• Don’t leave children unattended (this includes naptime, bedtime)
• Purchase jewelry from a reputable jewelry store (you get what you pay for).
• Be suspicious of any jewelry purchased from a vending machine or dollar/discount store.
• Watch for small pieces and jewels that might detach (choking hazards).
• ”Breakaway” clasps or weak elastic is the best choice for all jewelry worn around a child’s neck (or better yet, just avoid this jewelry until the child is older).
• Ask the store to confirm what metals are contained in the jewelry. Good jewelry stores (online included) will provide this information on their websites.

Guaranteed Goodies

For example, the Danforth Diamond website informs you that their 14K Yellow Gold Baby Girl charm is made from Harmony Recycled Metals (and you receive a Certificate of Authenticity with your purchase).

Charm The Little One

A great gift idea for a little girl – buy her a charm bracelet. You can buy her charms for years to come, making gift shopping easy! She may not be able to wear it right away, but it can grow along with her – the charms you select while she grows up can symbolize milestones in her life (shoes for first steps or ballet shoes for first dance recital, for example). It’s also a nice way to show your commitment to be in this little girl’s life – perfect for divorced dads, distant grandparents, or mom’s best friend!

Traditional Baby

The Gingham Grasshopper offers bracelets that are like the bracelets babies used to get at the hospital, only much fancier. The bracelet pictured below is made from .925 Sterling Silver and freshwater pearls (read their safety issues link for their guarantee).

Yummy Mummy

Dr. Bloom’s Chewable Jewels – are actually for mom, but baby gets to chew on them when teething.

Here’s one of Celebrity Icing’s favorite celebs, Milla Jovohovich, a fan of Dr. Bloom’s jewels.

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The perfect accessories for the new mom!

Get Personal

These sweet charms are custom made, available at myretrobaby.com.

Another idea – select a moppet from danforthdiamond.com to match gender and birth stone for a reasonable price (pictured below is the moppet for an August baby girl).

Available in gold, and they also have a sterling silver option (no stones) for under $40!

You can always get a tattoo of your children’s names – this is getting more popular now that tattoos are becoming so mainstream.

Rocker Travis Barker (Blink 182) has his 3 children – Alabama, Landon and Atiana tattooed on his lower back.

Special Delivery

For the truly unique gift, etsy.com is always a good bet.

Here is a vintage locket and charm combination created to safeguard photos of those precious little ones – and for an extra $2.00 she will gift wrap it for you and enclose your personalized note on a card.

Great Things Come in Small Packages

A gift just for mom is also always appreciated in a time where everything is about the baby.

Try to keep jewelry kid proof so she can enjoy it – curious fingers or rough housing rug rats can pull big earrings right out of mom’s ear. These butterfly gold earrings are pretty safe (and pretty!) – they also symbolize the transformation of your friend (or wife, daughter, or sister) into a mother.

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We all know that A list celebrities can afford the very best of the best. We also know that most of them are following strict diets to maintain their famous figures.

What if you have a sweet tooth and a fat bank account but you’re on a calorie budget?

It’s all about quality not quantity…

Featured in our very first Celebrity Icing article, Jessica Simpson might want to sweeten up with some of these tasty treats  now that her and Tony Romo’s relationship has gone sour. (See “Jessica Simpson Covered in Icing“, September 2008.) The couple got together in 2007 and there were rumors in 2008 of engagement ring shopping, which Jessica denied. Rumors of an impending wedding surfaced again as recently as January 2009 (USmagazine.com).

I never met a chocolate I didn’t like. (Deanna Troi in Star Trek: The Next Generation)

The Best Chocolate in the World (and most expensive chocolate)

Amedei Porcelana

The Chuao bar from Amedei has received Chocopaedia’s highest rating so far (9.3 out of 10). It shares this rating with four other bars – you can see the entire list at Chocopaedia – they describe themselves as an “encyclopaedia of fine chocolate, with lists and information about fine chocolate makers and reviews of the chocolate bars they produce.”

Chuao, Baby!

“The often-quoted price of this chocolate is $90 a pound” (wikipedia). The cocoa beans used to make this chocolate are very rare so that only limited quantities of the chocolate can be made each  year, contributing to the high price.

While Amedei Porcelana has often been called the world’s most expensive chocolate, the truffle pictured  below is $250. For. Just. One.

La Madeline au Truffe, by Knipschildt Chocolatier

Knipschildt Chocolate

According to their website, Knipschildt Chocolatier was “voted as one of the top 3 chocolates in the world by Gourmet Magazine” (knipschildt.com). Not all of their chocolates are priced so high – you can get their Giant Chocolate Box for $25.00. Warning – it only contains 9 chocolates (the term ‘giant’ refers to the fact that each chocolate is slightly larger than the regular size).

“All I really need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt!” (Lucy Van Pelt, Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz)

Not Rich and Famous, But Still Want a Taste the Sweet Life?

Pralus

In contrast, the ‘Le 100%’ bar from Pralus is ranked equally with the Amedei bar mentioned above – and you can buy a 3.5oz bar online for $7.75 .

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Let’s face it, it’s hard to come up with good names for your kids. You might go out of your way to give your child a unique name only to have 5 other kids with the same name in his or her kindergarten class. A few years ago, no one would have said Isabella was common but now the playground is teeming with Bellas and Ellas. Isabella (or a version thereof) is the new Jennifer and Ava is the new Stephanie…

The trick is to come up with a name everyone involved is happy with, that isn’t too common -but that is also easy to pronounce and spell. My own pet peeve is ‘unique’ spellings of common names – the Jenyfurs, etc –  I’ve always thought it just makes it look like your parents can’t spell. Is your child really going to thank you after the thousandth time they’ve had to correct the spelling of their name? 

Celebrities seem to be be very challenged in this area – I guess their approach is different because they know that little “Rebel” or “Free” will never have to put their name on a resume or seek employment in the real world. A world where studies have shown that any name that is too hard to pronounce, or even just too ethnic – means less interviews… 

Well, here at Celebrity Icing we like to celebrate our favorites, so rather than making fun of all the goofy names selected for celebrity spawn we thought we’d spend some time featuring some of the names we like!

Beckett is the bee’s knees

Melissa Etheridge and Julie Cypher named their son Beckett and their daughter Bailey (presumably before Grey’s Anatomy went on the air…). The name Beckett means ‘Bee Cottage’ which is rather cute and inspires one to all sorts of nursery room decorating ideas. Beckett may have been named after the famous Irish writer or (and I hope it’s this one) Scott Bakula’s character from Quantum Leap. What child wouldn’t want to be named after the mysterious and adorable time traveler?

Coco is classy yet cute 

Courteney Cox Arquette  and David Arquette named their daughter Coco (rumor: after Courtney Cox). This name meets all of my criteria: if you see it in writing, you immediately know how to pronounce it – yet, at the same time, it’s very rare. According to thinkbabynames.com it is originally from Spain and is the short form of Soccoro (which means ‘lover of soccer’? no, just kidding…). It is cute, yet with a classy hint of Coco Chanel. My only fear would be that people might not take my daughter seriously – but that won’t be a problem if she turns out to be funny like her dad or a strong personality like her mom… 

Tallulah springs to mind

Bruce Willis and Demi More AND Simon LeBon and Yasmin Parvaneh both named a daughter Tallulah. This name means “leaping waters” in the Choctaw language (behindthename.com) or “jumping water” (babynamewizard.com). There is a waterfall named Tallulah in Georgia, where famous Tallulah Bankhead came from. It’s a beautiful sounding name and very rare. According to the namevoyager at babynamewizard.com – it’s never been in the top 1,000 names in any decade on record. (In contrast, Gertrude was ranked #24 in the 1890′s and Isabella was #2 in 2007.)  Tallulah Bankhead was actually notorious for her promiscuous behavior, boozing, drugging, and is actually thought to be the inspiration for 101 Dalmation’s Cruella Deville so I’m going with the idea that these children were named after the waterfall! Then again, so many parents named their daughters “Paris” in 2004, that it is ranked #156 in popularity – so nothing can surprise me anymore… yuck… 

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Proving you can have your cake and eat it too, here are some yummy recipes from some sweet stars. We’ve also included some jewelry inspired by our featured stars (because we’re celebrityicing.com and that’s what we do!).

AMY GRANT

Singer Amy Grant is about as wholesome as apple pie. You can get her family recipe for Mud Puddles at recipegoldmine.com.

Old-fashioned but still funky…

These earrings’ lever back closures make them seem like they may have been handed down from your mom. Yet the bezel setting is definitely perfect for today – and for Amy Grant.

ANNETTE FUNICELLO

One of America’s sweethearts, you can get Annette Funicello’s recipe for Peanut Butter Cookies at cdkitchen.com. It received a 4 out of 5 star rating so you know it’s not mickey mouse…

A ‘good’ girl who still attracts the ‘bad boy’…

A conservative style can still be coy, like these two tone ‘X’ hoop earrings – (because boys are always more interested in the X than the O’s).

ELVIS PRESLEY

The King sure had a sweet voice and he also had a sweet tooth, even when it came to sandwiches! You’ve probably heard of his grilled peanut butter and banana sandwiches but how about his other favorite, the Fool’s Gold Loaf? Apparently he loved this peanut butter, grape jelly, and BACON sandwich so much he flew to Denver from Memphis to pig out on them. You can read the story and get the recipe at my favorite recipe sight, recipezaar.com. PS I have posted some of my own creations at this site, too.

Fit For A King!

A bold and eye catching ring tells the world that you are successful and not afraid to show it. More conservative folks might say it’s tacky but you don’t care what others think – that’s the message a ring like this sends.

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Everyone needs a key ring – this accessory is extremely practical but it doesn’t have to be boring. In fact, these rings can make great gifts! Here are some celebrity-inspired key rings…

Happy St. Patrick’s Day

It’s not green but it’s still the perfect accessory on March 17th or the perfect gift to get your favorite Irish eyes a-smiling…

And, let’s face it hot Irish Colin Farrell could use some help accessorizing – what’s with the scarf? I think the role of “pretentious indie hipster” has already been taken and if it was vacant, he’d be too old for it anyways…

His and Her Gifts

Just moved in with the love of your life?  Here’s a mushy way to present him or her with a key. Awwwwwwwwwwwww….

Geek Love

Do you have a weakness for nerdy guys like me? Then, here is the perfect gift for your man – and, it’s an accessory that actually comes with an accessory – how cute is that? The character is a flash drive and the hoodie turns it into a keychain!

Jet Set Jewelry

Is your love always leaving on a jet plane? (or maybe just dreams about traveling?) Here’s a great gift. PS Also a great way to impress your jet setter with one of those famous blue Tiffany & Co boxes for under $200!

Way to Go, Tiger!

Now we here at Celebrity Icing would never suggest a golf-themed gift for Tiger Woods… but if you have a golfing enthusiast in your life you might consider this. Also the perfect way to present that key to the brand new golf cart he or she has been drooling over…

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Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, so Celebrity Icing is going to celebrate with some Sweethearts and some Sweet-tarts…

Sweetheart

I don’t always love her movie roles but I can’t help but like Julia Roberts, she seems like a nice person. She is definitely beautiful but manages not to be intimidating at the same time.

Sweetheart

I have no idea what John Cusack is like in real life either but if he’s anything then most of his movie roles… melting… I’m also pretty sure he’s responsible for giving his awesome sister Joan roles in all of his movies.

Sweetheart

Everyone’s imaginary best friend (oh, is that just me?), Drew Barrymore has got to be kind of goofy but really nice in real life.

And now for the Sweet-TARTS…

Sweet-tart

Eva Longoria may be a Desperate Housewife but she certainly does not strike me as your typical ‘girl next door’ type…

Sweet-tart

Talking about girls next door…

Fast-talking, Rachel Ray is more nachos and breakfast burrittos than sweet candy and pastries. She’s kind of sweet, but also pretty cheeky so I’m putting her in the tart category. She’s the kind of girl that guys across the country would love to spend Valentine’s Day with: ordering in a pizza and then participating in good old-fashioned sofa rugby.

Sweet-tarts

Mr and Mrs Pop Tart, always preening for the camera… if we didn’t see Mr Pop Tart playing soccer then I’d wonder if perhaps this plastic-looking couple were just amazing CGI…

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