PINK PARADISE

We started and now end the month with images of this lovely pink paradise. Enjoy while Style Maniac follows her own advice and heads to the beach with a pile of books. Hope you have a great holiday...see you in September.

THE BEACH: Harbour Island, Bahamas
Harbour Island has everything I want in a beach vacation--powdery pink sand; warm, aqua water; no high rises or chains; really good food in restaurants with personality and a beach chic dress code; simple yet stylish accommodations; a few cute shops; and golf carts as the default mode of transportation; all of which combine to make you feel you've landed on a magical dollhouse island plucked straight out of a storybook.

THE BOOK: A Trip to the Beach by Melinda and Robert Blanchard
A really great beach can get you thinking about selling everything and starting a new island life. But what's it really like to live in paradise? This book answers that question from the perspective of a married couple who sold everything, moved to Anguilla and then opened a gourmet restaurant. A fun, easy read.

Photo by Doreen CreedeSource URL: http://thesoap-box.blogspot.com/2009/08/
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SUNRISE TO SUNSET

summer style: tequila sunrise by Style Maniac featuring Alice + Olivia dresses

An outfit that would work from brunch to cocktails no matter what beach you may be on.Source URL: http://thesoap-box.blogspot.com/2009/08/
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Hot hairstyle from Korean Star Bi Rain

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Source URL: http://thesoap-box.blogspot.com/2009/08/
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WAVES

THE BEACH: Westhampton Beach, NY
My husband's favorite beach, to which all ocean waves are compared. I find it amazing that such blue water and untrampled miles of dunes exist only 60 miles from New York City.

THE BOOK: Heat by Bill Buford
As I sweltered in Manhattan during a trade show last week I thought of this book, the account of a New Yorker writer who takes a year off to apprentice with Mario Batali. Entertaining, elucidating (sometimes too much so); and who knows, out in the Hamptons you might actually run into Mario himself.

Photos by Doreen CreedeSource URL: http://thesoap-box.blogspot.com/2009/08/
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Bright Harajuku Hair

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This harajuku haircut is awesome. A lot of fashionable guys love this kinda hairstyle.Source URL: http://thesoap-box.blogspot.com/2009/08/
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LUSCIOUS LITTLE COTTAGE

Why can't all beach rentals be this cute? Just one glance at those crisp white walls, zebra chairs and hot pink accents mixed with vintage finds makes me want to reserve this aptly named "Luscious Little Cottage" on Tybee Island, Georgia right now. Bonus: it's just "99 1/2/ steps to the beach." I'd pack a stack of design magazines, some new and old Rebecca Wells books and while away a week or two if I could.

Discovered in Coastal Living Magazine's January/February 2009 issue. Visit www.coastalliving.com to view other enticing beach rentals.Source URL: http://thesoap-box.blogspot.com/2009/08/
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MANIAC FIND: The Bare Minimum

summer essentials by Style Maniac featuring Calypso bags


Life at the beach calls for the bare minimum, beauty-wise. My top five picks: a sheer foundation I've used forever and still love; lip glaze that stays on but doesn't dry out your lips; mascara that doesn't smear or irritate (it comes off in mini-tubes with warm water); a really good sunscreen; and a face/body bronzer because you used that really good sunscreen.

For more details on products and links of where to buy, click on the image above.Source URL: http://thesoap-box.blogspot.com/2009/08/
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Nam Hyun Joon Short Hairstyles

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Nam Hyun Joon, often referred to as Poppin' Hyun Joon or Happy Hyun Joon, is a famous Korean contemporary dancer. He is best known for his unique popping techniques. He is also a former rapper for Young Turks Club, and is now going back to the music industry, with his recent release of his latest album One & Only.




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Source URL: http://thesoap-box.blogspot.com/2009/08/
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SWEET CAROLINA

THE BEACH: Bald Head Island, North Carolina
Every beach has its own particular light. While the Greek Isles may be about vivid contrast, Bald Head Island's beaches shimmer with a soft golden glow. Uncrowded, unspoiled, with no cars, high rises or chains (in fact just a handful of restaurants, a golf and a beach club, a few perfect little shops and an excellent grocery/wine store) plus acres of maritime forests and marshes. A sense of calm begins the moment you step ashore--and lasts until the moment you step off.

THE BOOKS: Julie & Julia by Julie Powell and My Life In France by Julia Child
My sister, Denise, and I have always loved books, food and travel. Often we read about food while traveling--or in this case, while lounging beside each other on Bald Head Island's virtually deserted South Beach, with only our husbands and her daughters nearby. While Denise actually cooks dishes from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, I prefer just reading about how Julia Child wrote the famous cookbook and how Julie Powell transformed her life by writing about cooking through the famous cookbook. (Blogs to riches--gotta love that story!) Of course we both plan to see the movie inspired by the books about the cookbook--and if I'm lucky Denise Marie Julia (!) will cook one of the dishes for me afterward.

ABOUT THE PHOTO: Taken with my camera ... by a friendly stranger who snapped a pic of the group of us ... which I cropped out for this post. Blown up like this, the photo looks more like a painting.Source URL: http://thesoap-box.blogspot.com/2009/08/
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Channing Tatum Stripping Video

Channing Tatum is sexy as hell, even at 18, wearing a thong and lip syncing on stage, he proved that he was the man. And man does he have a package!

We love you Channing Tatum!


The song in the beginning is by Shai and is called "Comforter".


Source URL: http://thesoap-box.blogspot.com/2009/08/
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GUEST SET: Kelly's Beachwear

guest set by kelly by Style Maniac featuring Roxy

My teenage niece Kelly has been a big fan of Style Maniac from the beginning--particularly any zebra-related posts and the Polyvore sets I've been creating for the past few months. Since I love her sense of style--and since we've shared some great beach vacations together--I asked her to create an outfit she'd wear to this week's beach destination: Bald Head Island, North Carolina.

Stop by Friday for more on Bald Head Island and the books I'd read there. Kelly's book choice? Shadowlands (The Mediator Series, Book 1) by Meg Cabot.Source URL: http://thesoap-box.blogspot.com/2009/08/
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MY VIRTUAL GREEK VACATION

THE BEACH: The Greek Isles
If the cyber-world were reality I would be meandering down this path right now, sandals dangling from one hand; a cold glass of white wine grasped in the other. Ah ....

THE BOOK: Vefa's Kitchen by Vefa Alexiadou
Ideally my escape to the Greek Isles would last the entire summer. In which case, I'd need some things to cook in my sparkling white cliff-side villa. This 704-page cookbook of alluring photos and straightforward recipes from a well-known Greek chef and cookbook author should do the trick. We'd eat on the patio, waves crashing below, mesmerized by a view like this:



Photos by Marcel Germain

ABOUT THE PHOTOS: I first glimpsed "Seaside Alley, Mykonos" (top) on another blog (maybe Absolutely Beautiful Things?) then explored the photographer's work further on Flickr, where I found (amongst many other marvels) "Oia by Night, Santorini" (bottom). Marcel Germain is a self-described "amateur" photographer who travels extensively, speaks eight languages and has a great eye. He was kind enough to grant permission for use of some of his photos on Style Maniac. Here's his Photostream.Source URL: http://thesoap-box.blogspot.com/2009/08/
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Pixie Asian Haircuts

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Source URL: http://thesoap-box.blogspot.com/2009/08/
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A GREAT BEACH & A GOOD BOOK

We were pretty lucky with the weather in Philly last month, with glorious days and cool nights instead of the usual oppressive heat. But August has arrived and a thick blanket of humidity now enshrouds us. Which turns my thoughts from "Summer in the City" to "Escape to the Beach." Whether you are planning an escape of your own or just looking for a virtual vacation, stop by Style Maniac this month for a glimpse of some tantalizing beaches, along with suggestions for good books to read (on a beach, near a beach or just daydreaming of a beach).

For more on the beach above check back later this month.

Photo by Doreen Creede
Source URL: http://thesoap-box.blogspot.com/2009/08/
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Coco Avant Chanel: The costume sketches

Coco Avant Chanel: The costume sketches

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Source URL: http://thesoap-box.blogspot.com/2009/08/
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