Style on the Slopes

I am so excited that I get the opportunity to spend the Christmas holiday in Keystone, Colorado. Skiing is one of the things that I love most in life. It makes me feel like I could reach out and touch God when I stand on the top of a mountain. The majesty, freshness and openness are things that you just cannot get in any other setting. Of course, thousands of other people decided to spend their holiday in this setting too. Which gives me the added pleasure of plenty of subjects for people watching.

I noticed this year that there is a shift in ski clothes and the direction that designers have gone. For many years we have been stuck buying the same old colors....red, blue, yellow, hot pink, gray, black and an occasional green. This year I am seeing browns, turqoise, oranges and lots of pattern. It makes the slopes a lot more fashion forward than in recent years.

It gives me great pleasure to see people looking great on the slopes. I mean, we are still in public and looking good still gives your confidence a boost. When your confidence is higher, you actually ski better! Seems to me it is a win win situation.

I wanted to share with you a few of the fabulous looks that I am seeing here in Keystone. If you are headed out to ski any time this year, look into updating your ski wardrobe and see what happens on the slopes!

Its a formal affair

Well, the year has come to an end. You are looking at one more night out before it is completely over. You have a glitzy affair to go to and you are in that place that you have found yourself so many times before. What are you going to wear?

I cannot even begin to tell you how many times I get asked about what to wear to a formal affair. It seems that women are tired of the "little black dress". Don't get me wrong, you need to own the perfect "little black dress". That is one item that you can count on to get you through an event in a pinch. However, when you want something special....something that speaks to you....step away from the black.

Unless the formal affair is specifically black and white (Oprah has thrown a black and white ball, Nelly throws one every year), then consider a color that makes your skin glow and your eyes dance. For me that is in the turquoise or bright blue family.

I was fortunate enough to find a dress that will become one of my favorite things. I had actually been stalking a similar BCBG dress when I stumbled across this Tadashi. The store did not have it in my size, but I took a leap of faith and ordered it (I had to pay for it before I could try it on). Not knowing how the Tadashi would fit and fearing that the BCBG that I had coveted for so long would disappear, I bought them both. For the first time in my life I am faced with having two perfect dresses for a formal affair!

The beautiful thing is that neither of the dresses are black. I encourage you to step out and make a statement when you have the opportunity to dress up. You will feel a little brighter and a little more special!

Merry Christmas!

Donna and I want to wish you a fabulously stylish and Merry Christmas. We are taking the day off to enjoy our families. We hope that your day is wonderful, too!!

The Gift of Giving

I can't help but think about giving seeing that it is the Christmas season. I have been sending cards, running out for a last minute gift, getting together with friends and writing thank you notes. While looking at the pile of gifts on our counter from various friends and co-workers, it got me to thinking about how your style is reflected in the gifts that you give.

We went out last night with a close friend and exchanged Christmas presents. I am a huge coffee drinker so she got me a fabulous little Christmas plate and mug that had a lid. She knew that I would drink my coffee slowly and that the lid would keep it warm. Another one of our dear friends got me a Starbuck's ornament and gift card. Again, she knows that I survive on latte's!! You may think that this is a given, but my business partner gave me a cute zebra print journal and address book. Zebra is our business theme!!! You may be asking yourself what these gifts have to do with style and I will tell you that they have everything to do with style!



See, these friends thought about me and what would make me happy. Their style is one of pure selflessness. The friends who helped to support my coffee habit don't even drink coffee! My business partner could have gotten me any one of the fabulous items that we see come through our studio every day. But, they didn't. They really thought about who I was and what I would enjoy.

I have gotten expensive gifts that are beautiful, but they just don't reflect who I am. I have items that sit in boxes and gather dust because I just don't know what to do with them (and I don't believe in regifting). All the money in the world cannot buy the feeling that you get when someone gives you a gift that is truly about you.

I hope that the next time you go to buy a gift, you don't worry about how expensive and luxurious it is, but think more about whether the person receiving the gift will know how much you think of them.

Happy Holidays to you and the ones you love!!

It's all in the eyes

I always ask men what they think is the most attractive thing about a woman. A very large percentage of them say the eyes. I tend to agree that eyes are an important factor in our appearance. I mean, whenever you have a conversation, someone is looking into your eyes. It should be the focal point of almost any human interaction (well, publicly anyway ;).

Obviously, we were born with our eyes and there is very little that we can do to affect the shape and size of our eyes. However, we can play them up as much as possible. One of the biggest factors in great eyes is the lashes.

You can really make a splash with the right mascara. I'm asked all the time what kind of mascara I use because, fortunately, I have long lashes. The answer to that question isn't so simple though. Everyone has different lash lengths, texture and thickness. Whatever your lash personality is is what will drive what works best for you. I am going to share some wisdom that I hope helps you to make the best impression with your eyes.

Wear some mascara! Unless you have really dark, thick lashes...mascara makes a huge difference. Even if you just swipe on a little, wear some. First, let's talk about color. If you are a blonde, black mascara may be too harsh. There, of course, is the exception for the woman who is blonde but makes a statement with her dark smokey eyes. Try a brown, navy or purple mascara. Some redheads also look better in a brown or even green mascara.

Next, what is it that you are trying to accomplish? Do you want to increase the length or the thickness or both? If we are talking about lengthening then the first thing that you will want to do is to curl your lashes. Get the curler (Tweezerman Deluxe Eyelash Curler) as close to the base as possible and hold tight for up to 30 seconds (If you curl your lashes too far from the base you will actually shorten them). One of the finest mascaras that I have found for lengthening is Dior Diroshow Unlimited. If you want something a little less expensive, but almost as effective, go for Loreal Lash Out.

Now, if it is thickness that you are looking for, you want to go a different direction.
Fresh Supernova Mascara works great for me. It is tough to get off and a very dark black, but it really packs a punch. If you just aren't into that much work go for the hard working LashFusion Micro-Technology Pure Protein Lash Plump, Black.

If you love the idea of long lashes and hate the idea of mascara, consider lash extensions. I have not had them myself, but I have had friends who have done it and felt very Hollywood. I will tell you that they require regular maintenance to stay beautiful. Or, consider having your lashes dyed. There are a lot of places that dye lashes and brows these days. You will want to keep on the same schedule as when you dye your hair.

Whatever path you choose, just keep fluttering those lashes!!

Why ask me?

Every day women ask me questions about their personal style. Whether it is casually in a store or formally through a request on our website....women trust my opinion. So, when a woman asked me why I am an expert, I thought it was a great question. It also interests me that more women don't ask this question.

I have the formal training that would indicate that I have some knowledge in the area of style. I went to the London Image Institute, I had a partnership with the Australian Institute, received my color training from an instructor with the Fashion Institute of Technology (New York City) and took fashion design and garment construction classes at the University of Missouri STL. If that isn't enough....I take classes through the Association of Image Consultants International on a regular basis and read everything that is published about women's clothing and image. That is the technical answer to the question, however, I don't even begin to consider that to be what qualifies me to give advice.

I think that what makes me special and what makes me the one that women seek out for advice is that I see and believe in the beauty of every woman. Even though a woman may not be making the most out of her beauty at the moment...it is there. There is something that is special and attractive about everyone. There is also the ability for every woman to look horrendous! We've all had those days! The thing is that I care about what makes a woman feel good. That's why we do the things we do...to fell good!!

In addition to seeing a woman's beauty, I am real. I've never been a model (okay when I was 6 years old I did some modeling :) and I'm not a typical beauty. I'm 4'11'' and hover around a size 12. I have things that are beautiful about me, just like every other woman, and I have to make an effort to bring those features out. When a woman is frustrated because of her appearance, I don't just empathize....I've lived it most every day of my life. I can completely understand what it feels like to shop for an entire day and find nothing that looks good on me. I can completely understand trying to get ready for something special and not feeling great because the outfit that seemed so perfect in the store just doesn't measure up in the moment. I get it!

But, even with all of the frustration that I have experienced personally; and with all of the times that I have thought designers just don't get the female body; I still love and adore clothes. When I go into a department store, it is like going to an art gallery for me. I look at the clothes as unique works of art. The way that some designer looked at a fabric and saw how it would drape on a woman's body....the way that they put some unique feature into the item to make it special....the fabric...the color....the construction. It all makes me happy and I love it!!

So, the ability to see the beauty of a woman and the love of the garments in general make me the perfect person to help a woman get the best outfit for her individual shape and personal style. While I do have the training...I think that it is my heartfelt desire to help every woman get that perfect outfit that makes her feel fabulous.

Visit our website for more information about how we can help you!!

Team spirit or tacky?

I am going to a Rams football game tonight. Standing in my closet this morning, I was faced with the same challenge that some woman faces every minute of every day, somewhere! What was I going to wear tonight.

I should probably preface this by saying that I am not a big sports fan. My husband gets tickets through his company and we take business associates to various sporting events. So, I have to consider that I am making a statement about myself, my husband, my business, my husband's business and where I stand in terms of the sports team. That is an awful lot to consider when picking out an outfit.

The majority of the women that I see at games are wearing some sort of team logo item. Since I am not a big fan....I own no team logo items. I could, potentially, wear something that was the color of the team. But, quite frankly, navy just isn't my best color. So, what to do when you don't want to seem like you just don't care (but secretly you really don't).

I finally decided on jeans with wedge boots and a brown (dressy) top. I will be okay staying neutral in my color choices and have just enough of an upscale look to convey that I think this is an important engagement. I would suggest to anyone who finds themselves in this situation to step back and consider what it is that they want to say with their wardrobe.

Tonight I want to say that I am relaxed and comfortable, but I understand the importance of the relationship between us and the business associate. Therefore, I am wearing jeans but, have dressed them up to convey I have not mistaken this for a casual relationship.

Every time we get dressed we are putting out a message of some sort. It is a lot to consider, but the event, the audience and who you are is all important. Our clothes are our own personal billboards that we get to redesign every day. What company wouldn't jump for joy at that opportunity!!

Go Rams :)