What do you dream of achieving in life?  Could it be wealth, health, climbing the Corporate ladder, a home, a sports car or maybe travel the world?  We all have dreams and aspirations.  Making those dreams a reality for many never happens.  Why is it that some people seem to soar and others remain where they are?  I would say the difference is hard work and a plan!

A dream will remain a dream unless steps are taken to achieve that dream.  Write your dream on paper, place it where you will see it daily.  Then, break it down into steps that are precise, clear, & reasonable.  What can you do today to work towards that dream?  What can you do the first year, fifth year, tenth year, twentieth year?  Create milestones and keep this plan in your face to make your dream a reality!  Once you have done all this your dream is now a goal and you are on your way to making it happen!

• What are YOUR key business attire pieces? 
  
  In the corporate world, your look should be sleek, simple, polished & stylish. To pull that off your closet should contain a few key pieces in neutral tones that can be mixed & matched with each other to provide you with limitless options. When you add in a pop of color or a flourish (nothing over the top), this creates style.
  
  Stear clear of prints, showing too much skin, and too much jewelry if you want to be taken seriously!

  As a Fashion Stylist, I believe there is a certain place to wear certain pieces.  It isn't appropriate to wear your "GNO" (girls night out) attire to work, unless of course you work in an environment where is would be acceptable, such as in a fashion boutique.  Typically in the corporate world, this attire would be considered inappropriate and you wouldn't be taken seriously.  If you want to succeed in any job, it is important the focus remains on YOU as a person and not your body!  

  

With a new year upon us, I like to reflect on where I've been and where I'm heading. Sometimes those answers are not quite what I wanted or expected and sometimes they exceed my expectations. I always find it good to take time to think about life, purpose, what is important and what is not.

Sometimes we get bogged down with too many commitments and too many "things" in our lives that are not really that important or meaningful. Taking inventory on a regular basis is always a good thing to do! Sometimes I find it hard to say no because I always want to please others. That always leads me to frustration and unhappiness because I'm doing something out of obligation rather than doing it because God wants me to and because I really want to! Taking inventory can help you become aware of those things that bog you down so you can take action and remove them from your life!

New Year's Eve is the one night each year when it is a MUST to glam it up!  Sparkle, shine, sequins and jewels!  Whether you are going to New York's Times Square New Years' Rockin Eve Party or staying at home, glam it up and celebrate in style!  

So how are you celebrating?  Where are you going this year?  Who are you celebrating with?  What are you doing to celebrate?  And, what are you wearing? Send me some pics or better yet, if you have some questions about how to glam it up, just ask & your personal fashion stylist will come to the rescue!

It is not because of Santa Clause we celebrate, but because God gave His only son, Jesus, for US!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxjFiRB9jec&feature=fvst

What a magical place!  Christmas lights, the hustle & bustle of people shopping for the last minute gifts, the smells of food from the hot dog stands on every corner, the absolutely amazing architecture, and the beautiful Christmas windows!  That is just for starters!  My trip to New York City at Christmas was one of the best trips I've ever taken.  

The view from my room on the 29th floor of the Hilton Garden Inn on 35th Street was amazing.  I could see the Empire State Building across the street and the largest store in the world, Macy's on 34th Street!  It was so close to everything too!  We arrived late Thursday night and immediately strolled down to Times Square.  New York City is truly the city that never sleeps!  People were everywhere and the city was alive!

What do YOU do to get yourself out of the "closet blues"?  (I have nothing to wear!)  

Do you stand there for an eternity just looking at the abundance of clothes in your closet?  Do you try on what seems to be every item you own?  Do you give up and just put on some old go-to comfy clothes?  Or do you do something to "snap out of it" and put on your best outfit to make yourself feel better?

There a saying that "Beauty is skin deep, but ugliness runs clear to the bone!"  This is partly true.  Ugliness does run clear to the bone, but so does beauty!  Beauty is a reflection of what is on the inside!  It is our attitudes, our outlook on life, our beliefs, our integrity, and yes, of course it is our appearance.  If your attitudes are good, your outlook positive, a strong heritage of values & belief, and if you are a person of honesty & integrity, then your beauty will always shine through!  However, if you are a person with a bad attitude, a negative perspective, and someone who doesn't hold true to a strong value & belief system and is not truly a person of integrity, then it will be reflected outwardly.

When someone is truly beautiful, they are successful in life.  They are people you want to be around.  They create beauty where ever they go!  Have you ever seen a beautiful woman from a distance but then you take a closer look and her attitude is bad and then you realize she doesn't look so beautiful after all?  What about a woman who looks average from a distance, but when you get to know her, find she is so sweet, caring & beautiful inside that you find her beauty to shine through?  What is more appealing to you:  the first example or the second?  Which would you rather be?  

It is not who you are that holds you back, it's who you think you're not!

Fill in the blank: I am _________. What are your "I Am's?" Are they I am ugly, I am afraid, I am stupid, I am not talented enough, I am not going to succeed, I've made too many mistakes, God can't forgive me???

You must change your "I Ams" to postives in order to succeed in life, to move forward! Instead of the negatives, say I AM pretty, I AM smart, I AM successful, I AM able, I AM loved, I AM talented, I AM well liked, I AM healthy, I AM forgiven!

There is life & death in the power of your tongue! Speak LIFE not death!

Frumpy to Fab? Good or gone bad? This time of year you will see it all. Those Holiday sweaters that are so quirky it makes you want to call the "fashion police" and those Holiday sweaters that scream "I just want everyone to look at me." Maybe they are worn for fun, maybe not. Whatever the case, I think there are few occasions one should wear these sweaters in public. To pull a Holiday sweater off correctly, here are my tips:

* Nothing with multiple colors (no more than two)
* Figure flattering
* Soft patterns
* Combine with a turtleneck, jeans and cute boots or wear with a fun skirt, boots & funky tights.
* Keep it CHIC!

It has been said, "if you don't love yourself, you can't love others."  Why, you may ask?  Simply said, love is an expression of what is inside.  Love comes from within.  If you don't love yourself then you won't know how to love others.  Loving others is a vital part of life.  If we don't learn to love ourselves and accept ourselves for who we are, how we were created, then we can go through life lonely and a bit empty inside.

So...what is your love temperature?  On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being highest), how much do you love yourself?  Do you look in the mirror and tell yourself how ugly you are or that you don't like a certain aspect of your body?  Do you call yourself dumb when you say or do something you shouldn't have?  How often are you bashing yourself?  Let me ask you a question...would you say those things to your best friend?  Absolutely NOT!  Then why are you saying them to yourself?

Is it anything goes these days or are there still some rules when it comes to Fashion? I believe a REAL WOMAN will always have some guidelines she follows that will allow her to reflect her TRUE BEAUTY! What are those rules? They could be: no hemlines shorter than the tip of my fingers by my side, never go outside without full makeup, always dress as if I am going to run into Michael Kors and want to impress him, or never allow my under garments to become outer garments. There are so many "rules" out there, I could write a book - well in fact I am writing a book, but that's another subject. But are these rules for everyone?

I believe a truly BEAUTIFUL WOMAN will display herself in a way that is dignified, sophisticated and classy. She can still rock out the latest trends, look totally amazing, but yet respect herself enough to be a lady in every facet of life. Not just in her wardrobe, but in her mannerisms, her speech, her actions, her inner thoughts. She is a woman who is beautiful inside and out. She is a woman who is successful and giving. She is a TRUE BEAUTY!

So did you catch the American Music Awards last night?  What a show with all the surprises, variety of music and fashion!  I loved J Lo's show and felt bad for Marc Anthony who followed with a "not so amazing" show.  And what did you think of the finale with LMFAO's "strip" dance?  WOW, not sure I needed to see all that!  I guess you can expect those things at a show these days.

My favorite part of any awards show is the fashion!  I love looking to see all the beautiful dresses and suits and then finding those that just didn't hit it.  This year didn't disappoint.  The AMA's is not your typical awards show.  It is more eclectic with a rock n' roll edge.  You won't see the Hollywood glamour you'd see at the Oscars.  However, here's my list of those who got it right.  I wish I could show you pics - you'll have to go to our Facebook page to see those...

I love awards season!  All the glitz, glamour, red carpet buzz, and celebrities!  So much fun to watch and critique.  I enjoy the red carpet more than the actual awards shows.  What about you?  It is a good time to get your girlfriends together and party.  Be sure to dress up in your hottest red carpet attire, and bring cameras!  Make it a special evening with hors d'eurves and champagne, music and of course a "fashion police" session on the red carpet attire.  Take turns giving your honest opinion of the different outfits, both male & female, from the red carpet.  Keep score and see who is the best dressed and the worst dressed.  You will have a blast!!!  I bet I am doing it!

Be sure to catch my blog on Monday with an overview of the red carpet from a Fashion Stylists perspective.  Stay tuned....

Let's admit it, we all want to look "simply fabulous", be admired by our friends, be the talk of the party and have the attention of all the cute guys out there.  But, how do you achieve this?  To some it seems to come effortlessly, then there are those of us who give it everything we have and still seem to fall short.  So what is it that makes a woman simply fabulous?

It begins with an inner confidence, a peace that radiates a sense of calm.  A woman who is confident in herself is a woman who can look good in anything!  She is a woman who will influence others, have success in life, and spread beauty whereever she goes!  It begins when a woman loves herself.  It is not ALL about the outer person (although that is important), but more about the inner person.  Each of us is created with unique characteristics, beautifully crafted and gifted for a specific purpose in life.  If we weren't unique this world would be quite boring!  Once you realize and embrace your uniqueness, you can begin to love yourself.  Once you love yourself, you will be free to love others.  When you love others, people will be drawn to you.

We are all part of the "Sisterhood of the Travelling Hemlines".  One season they are short, next season they are even shorter and then they drop to the basement.  We've all heard it said that a woman in her mid 30's should stop wearing shorter hemlines.  Should that be the case?  Is that true today? 

When I was in my 30's I was overweight and didn't feel good enough about my body to wear anything shorter than my knee.  But when I reached 40, I had lost 80 pounds, was working out each day and my body looked....well, great!  I felt better than ever.  My hemlines began creaping up a bit.  However, they never reached a point where I felt as if I was exposing myself to the world.  I decided to simply keep my appearance a bit on the modesty side.