Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Home sweet home. Or not ...

Home should be a place of comfort, love, peace and acceptance. But to some, home is a battlefield of domestic violence. Please join me at the Walk For Me fashion show Aug. 2 at the Carnegie Library in DC. Portions of the proceeds will help domestic violence victims. And an added bonus, you can get some style tips from local designers!


Friday, July 24, 2015

A stylish vacation ...

I recently went on vacation (which is why I haven't blogged in two weeks). While on vacation surrounded by the beautiful lakes of Minnesota, I realized you really can be stylish while traveling -- yes, even in the airport.

Airlines have made flying so frustrating that I can understand why people just want to jump out of bed and travel in their jammies. But I strongly encourage you to think twice about that for three reasons:

1) People will stare (in a good way) -- While wearing this cute Betsey Johnson cotton dress (photo) to and from my Minnesota vacation (yes, it's alright to wear the same thing twice) I got a total of 8 compliments. While most of the other women at the airport sported shorts, jeans, tank tops, leggings, yoga pants, t-shirts, and pajamas, I dressed and looked like a lady. And I got treated like a lady!
2)  Be comfortable but be a lady -- Loose fitting, light-fabric (think cotton, linen, silk) dresses pack well  (roll them instead of folding them) and wear well. Collapsible ballet flats take up very little space in a carry-on bag. A pair of cotton white capri pants go with anything and can be dressed up (if going to a nice dinner) or played down (walk on the beach) much easier than shorts.  A bright, sleeveless silk shirt will always look classier than a jersey knit tank top.
3) Don't let the airlines win -- If we start to let ourselves go (fashion wise) because the airlines have made air travel so difficult (smaller seats, smaller bathrooms, no luxuries at all), then we are now the proverbial fashion lemming who let's them think they dictate our lives because they dictate our travel. Don't let them win your style game!

Friday, July 10, 2015

Stunning in silver ...

I love silver as an accessory color. It looks much better on my skin tone than gold. So, when I saw a co-worker with these beautiful metallic silver nails, I just had to go out and try the new look out for myself! I'm not a big fan of nails painted with symbols and designs but this shiny nail color really does give you the glitzy, glamorous and yet very stylish look without being faddish or gaudy. Love it!

Saturday, July 4, 2015

The American Dream ...


A great Suzanne beret with ribbon work and a fabulous hat box!
The American Dream is different for everyone. For me, the American Dream is five things really:
1) To have a great family who is happy, healthy and comfortable. I have all that now although when I was younger we weren't so comfortable (money wise) but we were healthy and happy, so 2 out of 3 ain't bad.
2) To have a nice home. I have this now and I appreciate my humble abode (it's not a mc mansion but its not a hovel either)
3) To have great friends and people who care about me.
4) To have a great job that I love that ensures I can pay the bills and still be able to have nice things. 
5) To have nice things! I don't need a lot of nice and/or expensive things, just a few. But my American Dream does not ensure I can just spend my hard earned cash willy-nilly. No, my American Dream ensures that I save some money so I can really appreciate my nice things once I've bought the,. I mean, who really appreciates things they haven't worked for? I saved money to buy my American Dream hat (a Suzanne Couture Hat, photo above) and I absolutely appreciate it more!

What is your American Dream this Fourth of July?