Spring 2012 Trends: Decades

ashleytaylor — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 13:26:40 +0000

Let the twenties inspire your look with bold art deco patterns, drop waists, and sequin details. Here are some of our favorite {affordable!} options:

Asos

Asos Pleated Drop Waist Dress

ModCloth Quicksilver

The 50s inspiration brought about swingy skirts, housewife dresses, gingham, and suit/sweater sets. One of our fav inspirations from the 60s? The eyelet dress {see above}–part midriff exposing crop top, part swingy {pocketed!} skirt, wholly sixties-sexy made modern.

Visual Inspiration

ashleytaylor — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 13:13:49 +0000

Inspirational, pretty images to brighten your Monday morning. Enjoy.

Friday Fashion: $50 {and under} Summer Dresses

ashleytaylor — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 17:59:51 +0000

Every summer it’s the same struggle–where do I find cute, fashionable dresses that will keep me comfy and cool but aren’t going to break the bank? Who wants to wear a pricey dress to the beach where potential dress-ruiners, like sunscreen, sand, and salt water, abound? I know I don’t. So we found the answer–here is a selection of some of our favorite summer dresses that all cost less than $50. Grab one, two, or a few of these summer staples and be ready for anything the season throws your way.

~Ashley Taylor

Candy-colored dresses all from Urban Outfitters, $39

Striped 3/4 sleeve dress from Hive & Honey, $49; Blush strapless dress from BB Dakota, $40

Both sleeved dresses from Nordstrom by Rubbish, $44

Fired for Facebooking

ashleytaylor — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 13:53:18 +0000

Protect yourself. Know what can get you fired and act accordingly!

Have you wondered if what you say on Facebook and Twitter really can get you fired? We’ve all heard stories about a friend’s friend who posted something questionable on Facebook on Saturday and was jobless on Monday; the urban legends of the 21st century. It seems as if the ubiquitous use of social media and blogging tools would have made the chances of punishment diluted–when millions of people are posting inappropriate things every minute, how could employers possibly try to hold their employees accountable for their harmless tweets and posts, right?

Wrong.

Simply put: if your employer finds your posts and doesn’t like them, you could be fired. The good news? There are some limits to an employer’s ability to discipline or fire employees for what they say online. We pulled this advice and practical tips from Nolo, a great resource for free online legal advice. Read below to avoid trouble at work when you blog, post, and tweet.

You Can’t Rely on the First Amendment

Many people {wrongly} assume that the right to free speech protects their right to say whatever they want, in a blog post or otherwise. But, like the rest of the federal Constitution, the First Amendment protects all of us from the government, NOT from private companies. While the First Amendment prohibits the government from telling us what we can say {within reason}, it doesn’t apply to private employers.

Legal Protections for Bloggers

Luckily, there are other laws that provide some limits on an employer’s right to fire you for what you blog and post about. {Your punishability mostly depends on what you write about.} Here are some of the laws that may protect an employee who keeps a private blog:

Off-duty conduct laws. A number of states have passed laws that prohibit employers from disciplining or firing employees for activities they pursue off-site, on their own time.

Protections for political views. A handful of states protect employees from discrimination based on their political views or affiliation. In these states, disciplining an employee for posts that endorse a particular candidate or cause could be illegal.

Protections for “whistlebloggers.” An employee who raises concerns about safety hazards or illegal activity at work may be protected as a whistleblower (or a “whistleblogger,” if the concerns are raised in a blog). Whistleblower protections recognize that the public good is served by employees who are willing to come forward with these types of complaints — and that very few employees will do so if they can be fired for it.

Prohibitions on retaliation. A variety of employment laws protect employees from retaliation for claiming that their rights have been violated. If your post complains of workplace discrimination, harassment, violation of the Family and Medical Leave Act, wage and hour violations, or other legal transgressions, you may be protected from disciplinary action.

Concerted activity protections. The National Labor Relations Act and similar state laws protect employees’ rights to communicate with each other about the terms and conditions of employment, and to join together, in a union or otherwise, to bring concerns about such issues to their employer. If you are fired for blogging or posting about low wages, poor benefits, or long work hours, for example, you could have a claim against your employer. The National Labor Relations Board has been very active lately in bringing unfair labor practices claims against employers who fire or discipline employees based on posts that are critical of working conditions.

Staying Out of Trouble

If you don’t fit into one of the categories described above — or you’d rather avoid trouble in the first place and not test the limits — you’ll have to be extra careful about what you post. Here are some tips that can help you stay out of trouble.

Don’t criticize, make fun of, or make harassing comments about coworkers.

Don’t post anything that could be construed as racist, sexist, or otherwise bigoted.

Don’t reveal company trade secrets, confidential information, or other things the company would rather not make public.

Before using your blog to vent about workplace problems, try to solve them through the usual channels.

Blog anonymously or restrict viewers to your blog. The Electronic Freedom Foundation, which supports the rights of bloggers, among other things, has a number of suggestions for making sure your employer doesn’t identify you as the author of your blog, including:

blogging anonymously (you’ll have to be careful not to reveal any identifying details about yourself or your job)
restricting who can view your blog, and
excluding your blog from major search engines.

Learn more at the Foundation’s website, www.eff.org {click on “Bloggers’ Rights” from the homepage}.

~Ashley Taylor

Original article posted on www.nolo.com written by Lisa Guerin, J.D.

To learn more about your right to privacy on the job, including free speech rights, get Your Rights in the Workplace, by Barbara Kate Repa (Nolo).

Liminas Loves: Goody Wave Creator Curling Iron

ashleytaylor — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 12:04:38 +0000

It’s a common curling iron conundrum–how to get perfect waves that don’t look too done, or too frizzy, or too bed-heady.

I had heard of a million tricks to getting the look–wrap locks around a closed curing iron, sleep on tight ringlets, spray damp hair with salt water–but hadn’t ever found a method I was consistently pleased with. So when I heard about the Goody® HEAT Wave Creator curling iron, and saw it’s strange shape, my interest was piqued.

The wavy shaped barrel heats up to 410 degrees in 30-seconds, which, as all time-starved twenty-somethings can attest, is a huge plus. The ceramic and ionic iron promises frizz-free, smooth waves and 10 heat settings prevent over-fried hair. And no need to worry about those “oh s#@%!” moments of did-I-turn-it-off doubt, this has an auto shut-off for added peace of mind.

And best of all? At only about $30, this is a beauty tool that won’t hurt you {or your wallet} to try.

~Ashley Taylor

Phone Use During Pregnancy May Cause Behavioral Disorders

ashleytaylor — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 14:39:00 +0000

Smartphone addicted and a mom-to-be? You might want to think twice about how often you reach for your cell. A study by the Yale School of Medicine was released this week that indicates exposure to radiation from mobile phones in utero can affect brain development in little ones, causing behavioral issues like ADHD in their adult life.

For the study, pregnant mice were placed in a cage with a mobile phone on a muted active call. Compared to the control group, which was in a cage with a deactivated phone, the fetuses born to the exposed group displayed more tendencies toward hyperactivity and reduced memory capacity. {Just a note: ADHD is not categorized as a neurological disease, but imaging of the prefrontal cortex in patients with the disorder show slow development in the area.} This is the first study that has looked at the issue of radiation from phones and fetal development, however researchers do believe more testing is needed to determine safe limits of cell phone use for pregnant women.

While inconclusive, this study brings up the important fact that we need to think about what our everyday dependencies {like iPhones and soy lattes} might be doing not only to our unborn children’s health, but even to our own!

~Ashley Taylor

{Thanks to discovery.com and yale.edu.}

Trial and Error

ashleytaylor — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 13:00:31 +0000

Upon entering the working world as a quarter-lifer, you may find yourself in one of two common groups: those who are certain of their career paths and move confidently forward chasing their dreams, and those who sit horrified among the undecided.

As excited as we are for our friends who are trusting in their chosen career paths, it can be incredibly overwhelming for those of us who don’t quite know our calling.

While we watch as everyone around us seems to be making the right decisions for their future, we become paralyzed with fear at the thought of having to decide what kind of environment we want to be in EVERY DAY, for the REST OF OUR LIVES.

But being too focused on trying to answer that ominous question about our 10-year plan can actually be self-destructive. We become unable to focus on the smaller steps–the simple decisions, like what sounds good for right now, or what industry/job does NOT sound horrible to do on a daily basis for one simple year of life.

When I graduated from college I got a job teaching English in Spain. I had always been passionate about teaching, and like many college graduates, I decided not to use my degree in journalism. That year in Spain was a year well spent. I learned more about myself than I ever knew I needed to learn, and I left knowing, more than anything, that teaching was not my next step.

When I got back to the U.S., I further explored the education system by getting a job working with children with disabilities. I fell in love with every child I worked with; however, after a little over a year, I found myself remembering my passion for advertising, a profession I had dabbled in during my undergrad years and had loved {and hated, at times}. I had needed a break from it after college, but something inside me was telling me it was time to taste it.

I am now working at a creative advertising agency. The advertisements I work on are not exactly the kind of impact I’m hoping to make in this world, but what I’m learning is that I’m not certain of exactly where my passions and career will take me, but for now this industry fits me and my lifestyle.

Allowing myself to dive into each passion that sparked my interest in college is how I’m learning what job I want to do everyday for the rest of my life. This feels right for right now so I decided to go with it and give it my all. When it no longer feels right, I will determine my next move.

Don’t let the career fear take over. Look at what sounds the most intriguing to you right now, and jump in. It might take a few different tasting sessions, but it will help you search through your passions. Once you’ve allowed yourself to explore your interests, you can focus on how to translate those passions into a daily income, and build your career path from there.

Be patient and remember that no job is a waste of time—there is always something to be learned about yourself, your wants, and your needs.

~Jenna Reiss

Friday Fashion: Casual Friday

ashleytaylor — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 16:04:51 +0000

Cute boyfriend skinny jeans @ a super affordable price! Victoria’s Secret

It’s not just the fact that this is a basic white tee that makes us love it, but look closely–it has cute, cuffed sleeves for a chic, casual look. Lanston @ Shopbop.Um, we love Keds and we love Madewell, so obviously we were going to be obsessed with their sneaker baby–this polka dot version is one of three exclusive Keds-Madewell designs. Keds for Madewell.

The look would not be complete without a pair of funky laminate glasses. We like these from Marc by Marc Jacobs.

A Day In the Life…..Of a Stay At Home Mom

laurenisobel — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 14:42:12 +0000

Don’t you wish you could know if a job is right for you BEFORE you spend your time fighting to get it? We know we do. That’s why we started the “A Day in the Life” series—we thought, what’s better than getting the job of your dreams? Knowing it is TRULY the job of your dreams.

We think there’s a disconnect between the information we Liminas women actually want to know about a job and the information that is available to us on career sites. Imagine the “A Day in the Life” series as your best friend giving you the ins and outs, the positives and negatives, and the details on what it is she REALLY does all day.

If nothing else, we can all use a distraction from the day-to-day lives in corporate office hell, right? So read on, ladies, and let these stories from real Liminas women inspire you to find your dream job!

Blooming Beauties: Print Skinny Pants

ashleytaylor — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 16:26:24 +0000