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Being a fashionable, seasoned, elegant woman doesn't mean you have to know everything nor does it mean you have to do everything for yourself. I consider myself a fashionably elegant and seasoned woman and I know when my knowledge is limited. It's quite simple really, there are things I want/need done but don't know how or want to do them myself but they must get done regardless. For example, I need the car repaired but it doesn't mean I want to go to automotive training to learn to do it so I take it to a Subject Matter Expert (SME), i.e. the mechanic. I need the lawn mowed or house cleaned -- I don't want to waste my valuable family time doing it so I call in the SMEs.
I look at it this way: If I could pay myself $XX an hour (just plug in what you think you are worth at an hourly rate -- I will use $50 an hour for myself) then multiply that by how long REALISTICALLY it would take you to do the task at hand (clean the house, mow the lawn, sew a dress, paint a wall, mend the fence, create a piece of jewelry, etc.) then you have your answer on whether or not to call in a SME. Let's face it, if I had to sew my own dress it would take me about 10 hours -- one hour of sewing and the other nine hours screaming at the sewing machine, cutting/stabbing myself with the scissors/pins/needles, shopping at the fabric store for the perfectly matching tread, etc. The $200 dress that fits perfectly looks pretty damned good compared to the $500 in my valuable time that I would have spent in frustration making it myself. Apply the same concept to just about anything and you will discover two things: 1) what your time is really worth, and 2) the true cost of quality things is usually pretty fair so stop being so cheap.
Event planning -- As a stylish seasoned lady, why do you want to spend your entire time planning and coordinating a party? I like to be the life of the party which means I let someone else put it all together (with my ideas of course). No fuss, no muss and I don't have to do the dishes afterward! Here are two of my favorites Purple Palm Event Planning (www.purplepalmeventplanning.com) and Simply Breathe (www.simplybreatheevents.com)
Photography -- I have a camera sure. But do I know all that crap about lighting and amps and reflection, blah, blah, blah? Nope, don't want to nor do I want to go to school to learn it, I just want to look awesome in my photos! And let's face it, as a seasoned lady, I am not a fan of "selfies". However, seems these days everyone with a smartphone camera or a pawn shop D-70 thinks they are a photographer. Trust me, you are not. The professional photographers are professionals because their end product looks great not just because they HAVE a camera. These guys and gals can make a rainy, gloomy wedding day look fabulous regardless of the weather. Here are two of my favorites: KPW Photography (www.kpwphoto.com) and Amber Wilkie Photography (www.amberwilkie.com).
Financial Planning -- I do not have a head for numbers. In fact, I barely passed college math. So, I absolutely let someone else do my financial planning and accounting. My best financial friends are Pam Sams (www.jacksonsams.com) and Debra Yerys (find her on LinkedIn, Minnesota).
Face and body -- I didn't get seasonably elegant by trusting my skin and the care of it to some big name drug store. I use quality things handmade by people I know and love. My favorites are: Hannah & Hobbes soaps (www.hannah-hobbes.com) and Old Town Suds skin care products (www.oldtownsuds.com). I also need to give a thumbs up to the lady who does a fabulous job at make-up artistry because I really suck at applying more than mascara, lipstick and concealer lol -- Eszter Tary (esztertary89@gmail.com -- call her, she can perform miracles!).
Clothing design -- I love clothes and when I can afford it, I have them made to fit me perfectly. That is why I love designers Fruwah Boma Chapman (www.seraveronik.com) and Alexe Tran (twww.quynntessentialcouture.net). Their clothes are fabulous!
I look at it this way: If I could pay myself $XX an hour (just plug in what you think you are worth at an hourly rate -- I will use $50 an hour for myself) then multiply that by how long REALISTICALLY it would take you to do the task at hand (clean the house, mow the lawn, sew a dress, paint a wall, mend the fence, create a piece of jewelry, etc.) then you have your answer on whether or not to call in a SME. Let's face it, if I had to sew my own dress it would take me about 10 hours -- one hour of sewing and the other nine hours screaming at the sewing machine, cutting/stabbing myself with the scissors/pins/needles, shopping at the fabric store for the perfectly matching tread, etc. The $200 dress that fits perfectly looks pretty damned good compared to the $500 in my valuable time that I would have spent in frustration making it myself. Apply the same concept to just about anything and you will discover two things: 1) what your time is really worth, and 2) the true cost of quality things is usually pretty fair so stop being so cheap.
Here are a few more things I leave to the SMEs
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| Purple Palm Event Planning (ask for Pam) |
Photography -- I have a camera sure. But do I know all that crap about lighting and amps and reflection, blah, blah, blah? Nope, don't want to nor do I want to go to school to learn it, I just want to look awesome in my photos! And let's face it, as a seasoned lady, I am not a fan of "selfies". However, seems these days everyone with a smartphone camera or a pawn shop D-70 thinks they are a photographer. Trust me, you are not. The professional photographers are professionals because their end product looks great not just because they HAVE a camera. These guys and gals can make a rainy, gloomy wedding day look fabulous regardless of the weather. Here are two of my favorites: KPW Photography (www.kpwphoto.com) and Amber Wilkie Photography (www.amberwilkie.com).
Financial Planning -- I do not have a head for numbers. In fact, I barely passed college math. So, I absolutely let someone else do my financial planning and accounting. My best financial friends are Pam Sams (www.jacksonsams.com) and Debra Yerys (find her on LinkedIn, Minnesota).
Face and body -- I didn't get seasonably elegant by trusting my skin and the care of it to some big name drug store. I use quality things handmade by people I know and love. My favorites are: Hannah & Hobbes soaps (www.hannah-hobbes.com) and Old Town Suds skin care products (www.oldtownsuds.com). I also need to give a thumbs up to the lady who does a fabulous job at make-up artistry because I really suck at applying more than mascara, lipstick and concealer lol -- Eszter Tary (esztertary89@gmail.com -- call her, she can perform miracles!).
Clothing design -- I love clothes and when I can afford it, I have them made to fit me perfectly. That is why I love designers Fruwah Boma Chapman (www.seraveronik.com) and Alexe Tran (twww.quynntessentialcouture.net). Their clothes are fabulous!
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