Fashionable Friday

So the time has come for me to put Fashionable Friday on hold. I know so many of you will miss it (not really, but amuse me) but I promise to bring it back. I think I need to brainstorm a bunch of ideas and get them rolling before I bring it back. It's hard work to think of a fashion topic and then run with it. Mainly because I do all my writing at one time with no drafts or outlines.

I appreciate those of you that read and commented on Friday's. I put a lot of work into those articles I did post and hope it showed. If you have a fashion topic you'd like my POV on, please drop me an email.

Thanks,
The Management

Fashionable Friday: Rewind

Before I officially deemed Friday's fashionable on my blog, I did intend to try and talk about more fashion in general. I call today another rewind because I am pimping the second post I ever did after revamping my blog. I present that to you today:


Fashionable Friday, before it was official.





Happy Friday!

Fashionable Friday: Other Mothers

I know, you're thinking "other mothers?" What the heck is she going to talk about today? And what do other mothers have to do with fashion. Keep reading and you will see.

Immediately after becoming a mother and taking the baby out to the store to run an errand or pick up groceries I noticed them. The other mothers. You know the ones I am talking about...they are pushing a stroller and maybe have a toddler and look calm, cool and put together. I wanted to be one of these other mothers and yet, 21 months later (and pregnant with #2 to boot) I am not.

Yes, there are days I hve my hair done and put on a cute outfit and do my makeup and feel good, and then I see one of those moms and I begin to doubt myself. It happens to all of us, at one time or another. We find ourselves thinking the other mom has it so much better, when in reality? We really don't know.

This doesn't stop us from looking and comparing, which leads me to what I did just the other day. And how I realized need to spend more time focusing on me each week. We were at the mall and before I was a mom, I would not have noticed any of the other mothers and their strollers, baby bags and children. But I did this time.

I was dressed in maternity jeans, soft turtleneck and my Old Navy sweater. I paired it with some leopard print flats and was good to go.

Now to give you some background, the nearest mall to us is pretty ghetto. They don't even have a Gap, which is where I needed to go so we went into the city of Atlanta in order to hit the closest Gap with maternity wear. The mall is close to the "snobby" part of town. It has it's share of Buckhead Betty's along with your typical mall folk.

When you work in corporate America, you tend to forget that malls are open during the week and there are actually parking spaces near the entrances. You forget that you don't have to fight crowds to browse and get customer service. What the mall is full of? Moms and their babies, baby bags, strollers and mom friends. And I noticed.

I noticed the mom with a newborn and looking like she'd never had a baby. I noticed the mom with the Hunter Jimmy Choo boots and Tory Burch pink trench. I noticed the mom with the designer stroller and baby bag. If you ask my husband? He will not have noticed these women. But I did and I compared.

And while I noticed clothing and bags and strollers, there was one mom in particular that I noticed. Maybe it was because we happen to sit across from her at lunch. Or maybe it was the way she looked so pulled together but not like she had tried.

This was when I realized that I could be the same. I had dressed and liked the way I looked but I could do more. This mom, she had her simple jewelry on, a beautiful designer bracelet and watch. Simple. She ha her hair in place but nothing fancy, no highlights, no blonde. Just brown and long. Her clothes were nothing fancy, sweater, jeans, flats. But what struck me? Was the fact that she had her nails painted. Not with a french manicure, just a simple dark color on short nails.

As I sat there and watched her interact with her baby and her husband, I knew I should be doing more. What keeps me from giving myself a manicure and painting my nails? While I don't have tons of time, I have a few hours before bed where I can do it. What keeps me from wearing more than earrings when I go out? I have a draw full of bracelets and necklaces and yet I only wear them when I travel. Or get super dolled up.

But why do I only do it then? I keep stressing how the little things can help us go from frump to fab and yet I still have a hard time implementing these small things. I deserve to look good and feel good. If it means slapping some paint on my nails, why don't I do it?

Most of the time when we compare ourselves to the other moms, it's turns into how inadequate we feel. How they look better, are better moms and we see ourselves struggling. But in this case? I'm glad I took a look around because it made me really open my eyes. Open my eyes to the fact that I CAN and SHOULD do more. I can't be a good mom and wife if I don't feel my best.

How about you? Ever see another mom and actually have an aha moment?

Fashionable Friday: Scarves

Fall is my favorite time of year. The changing of the leaves, the cooler temps, the change in wardrobe. I love boots and in the last few years another big trend that doesn't seem to be going anywhere? Scarves!

Scarves are actually something that can be worn year around, depending on the fabric and size you decide to add to your ensemble. If you go with something the size of a man's handkerchief, you can wear it around your neck for a pop of color instead of a necklace. Or you can add it to your hair for a fun twist on a regular old headband of hair clip.


But the real trend seems to be long flowy scarves worn in all sorts of different ways. I especially love to wear a scarf when I travel. I take a pashmina shawl and use it as a scarf and can use it as a blanket or pillow on the flight, as well as a nursing cover. And if we arrive somewhere and I am cold? Yep, I can then use it as a shawl.

One of the best things about scarves is that they can be found at every price point. If you are a Target lover, scanning their accessory racks at the end of summer you can score some great summer scarves for the next year. Or if you are looking to put a little animal print into your wardrobe but don't want to do anything too big? Yep, a scarf can do it for you.

These are two ways I have worn scarves. The first picture helped me keep my hair out of my face for a boat ride to Alcatraz on our babymoon before Spencer was born. The second was for some color. So how easy it is?

 

Not sure how to wear a scarf? There are plenty of videos on YouTube that can show you how to fold and wear a scarf. My go to way I learned by watching The Oprah Show when some style guru was on the show. It really was so easy and almost a "duh" moment.

So what about you? Are you a scarf lover? If not, what's keeping you from trying the trend? I promise you, if you try it, you will not be disappointed.

Fashionable Friday: Pause

After being away for a week and trying to get back into the swing of things, I have had no time to get down and dirty with a true Fashionable Friday post. So we are on pause this week and will return next week.

Fashionable Friday: Accessories

Sometimes the smallest item can make all the difference in an outfit and how you feel. Everyone wants to look good and at the same time be fashion forward but you want to do it and still be true to you. Today I'm talking about accessories!

Trends come and go and if you have unlimited funds, it can be fun to keep up with trendy accessories. If you're more like the rest of us, you have to pick and choose the trends that work for you. Just because stiletto's are hot, doesn't mean you should force yourself to wear them. Crazy prints might be the rage but might not work for your body type. It is okay to pick and choose what you like and what you can afford and run with it.

As much as I like trends and the way celebrities are put together by their stylist, I still stick true to what looks good on me and what works for me. I have lots of cute earrings but always fall back to the same 3 pairs. And yet when earrings like those in the picture show up on TV via awards shows or television shows, I love them. If you can rock the bold earring, I say go for it! This same thing can be said for bracelets and necklaces. You can be as funky or conservative as you want. Jewelry is a great way to be a little pick me up that didn't cost a lot but makes you feel like you put a bit of effort into your outfit.


Another accessory that people tend to forget about is the belt. About two years ago the thin belt was in and saw where some stylist said a belt was a good way to give your body some shape. I was feeling a bit conscientious about my body and thought maybe a belt was what I needed to reinforce that I was not as big as I saw myself. Truth be told? I hated the belts I bought. They rode up if I put my arms up and I was constantly pulling my shirt down so the belt hit the right spot. Within the last year or so the corset belt has been big but even though I was at my lowest weight in about 10 years, I didn't attempt it. I do say this though...if you can't wear belts on the outside please be sure you are wearing them. It is not attractive to see a woman hiking her pants because they are too big. Belt loops are there for a reason!

I wear my sunglasses at night. Okay, not really. But sunglasses and even eyeglasses can be an integral part of your wardrobe. Besides the fact that sunglasses protect your eyes and skin eye area from the harsh rays of sun, they can sharpen up a look. Or hide you from a bad face day. (We've all had them, don't deny it!) But the thing about glasses is that not all glasses look good on all faces. Take the time to try on different style frames, colors and sizes, you can find something in every price point when it comes to glasses. Or you can hit Chinatown in NYC and find a knockoff pair. I mean, everyone looks good in a BIG pair of Chanel glasses. As for me? I'll stick to my Gucci's. They haven't let me down yet!

One of my most favorite accessories is a hat. I don't really recall wearing a lot of hats as a child but I remember trying them on when we went to stores. Once I got to college I lived in ball caps. I wore them to class, I wore them to go out drinking. I had a ton of caps, baseball teams, hockey teams, my college. They were conversation starters and it helped if I actually knew something about the team I was freely promoting.

As I transitioned out of college and into the real world, ball caps just didn't cut it and so began my obsession with hats that could go with actual outfits. A good hat can really make quite a cute fashion statement as well as hide a bad hair day. Just like everything else, not all hats are made for all heads. It's wise to try on and make sure you hair is styled the way you normally wear it. I hardly ever wear a hat when my hair is in its curly state, so I make sure when I try one on my hair is straightened. It makes a big difference on how the hat fits and how it looks. Perusing the internet I found this great article: (via Life&Style, circa 10/07)
Don't be afraid to hat it up and add some pizazz to your look. It really can be pull together an outfit and be fun at the same time.

Lastly, the accessory that is really a necessity for any woman...the purse. Or handbag. Or pocketbook. Whatever you call it, we all use them for one thing or another. Before I got really into designer bags, I loved matching my bag with my outfit. Not quite like this, Even this is too anal for me but I liked having my purse match a color in my shirt or hat or shoe. But then the designer bag bug hit and matching wasn't so important. What is important? That your purse does what YOU need it to do. And watch for proportion. I'm 5'2 and when the HUGE bags were all the rage, I just couldn't do it. The swallowed me and I looked like I was going on a trip instead of to the store. And whatever you do, once your purse begins to show signs of wear and tear? It's time for a new one! Toting around a ragged bag isn't fashion forward, it makes you look sloppy.


So there you have it, the accessories I use either as a pick me up or to complete an outfit. I know I missed a few (scarves, rings, headbands) if you have any suggestions about them, please leave them in the comments. Also I'd love to hear about how you wear your fave accessories!

Fashionable Friday: Rewind

It's the Rewind edition of Fashionable Friday. I've gotten some really awesome comments that last few weeks and wanted to bring some of them front and center and reply. So sit back, relax and let the rewind begin.

When I deemed Fridays, Fashionable Friday on my blog Jill from Glamamom said that sometimes all it takes to feeling confident in the way you look is a little lipstick and a pair of earrings.

And she's right. Even when you don't have time to perfect your hair or put on that just right outfit, sometimes just curling the eyelashes (#1 must have accessory) and adding lipstick and those perfect earrings can help. I know for a fact that freshening up my daily mommy face to go out makes me look 100 times better. Try it...you too will be surprised.

And speaking of hair when I did talked about my hair issues and Elizabeth from The Writer Revived mentioned how she needed to cut her hair shorter to stay away from the dreaded ponytail.

When my hair is curly...it's pulled in a ponytail after a long day. If I straighten my hair? Yep, still a ponytail. So what about you? Do you have the prefect compromise? Do you think keeping hair a certain length prevents you from either styling it or not styling it? I love how long my hair is now and when I think about cutting it I just can't do it. So for me...it's ponytail or bust.

And of course no talk about fashion is complete without talking about shoes. As much as we as women love shoes, we still have issues once we become mom, it's hard to get out of what's comfortable and quick.

Then came the two post about doing you,part 1 and part 2. And the first comment that popped out at me was from Carolyn over at This Talk Ain't Cheap. She divulged her age and said she was dressing better now than she ever did before. She has 3 beautiful daughters and feels the image she portrays to them is important. She doesn't feel the need to "mom jean" it but still wants to look fresh, hip and young.

And she's right. Just because we become moms and our bodies change doesn't mean we can't continue to look good. Maybe we aren't wearing the same sizes but we need to know it's okay to accept our new sizes. For me? I've realized that 100 pounds was good for my 20's but it just won't work now and that's I accept that. I can still look hip and fresh and young. And yes, some days I look better now than I ever did in my 20's!

Part two I gave away my secret weapon for looking instantly thinner...a goodgreat bra. All my nursing mommies out there quickly chimed in on how it is just easier to grab a bra from the local store and go with it. And there is nothing wrong with that but my advice is to make sure you are truly wearing the right size. It will make a difference...even if it's snappy nursing bra.

Last week I talked about the holy grail of fashion, jeans! And boy was I schooled...that's right almost everyone that chimed in let me know that YES, designer jeans are worth the splurge. Who knew? I have yet to put my rear end a pair but plan on trying some as soon as I have baby #2 and lose the baby weight.

So there you have it, a rewind of all the fashion talk that's been going on...and what you've been missing! So stick around and chime in and be fashionable. After all, it's only one day a week.

Fashionable Friday: Do You, Part Two

This is part two of last week's Fashionable Friday: Do You post. I want to give some pointers on shopping, on keeping organized and even a tip to look 10 pounds lighter.

I love to shop. Always have and it didn't matter the store. When I was a kid living in New York my mother use to take me to thrift shops and I would play for hours with old shoes and bags and hats. She also taught me that name brands did not have to cost a fortune and we regularly stopped at a place called Loehmann's. They are the original TJMaxx and Marshall's.

As I got heavier, I realized shopping wasn't always so much fun. When you haven't embraced your new size, shopping can actually be a drag. Especially when you see your old size and have to skip a few hangers to get to your new size. It can be downright depressing.

When you become a mother, shopping whether depressing or not suddenly becomes an Olympic sport. You get in, get out and are done. Half the time you get to the store and look longingly at the women's section. If you always loves shopping, the love doesn't go away. But the ease of spending hours in the fitting room does. There is nothing like a toddler who wants to look under all the stalls or crawl under your own stall to get away as you have pants half hiked. While before it might have been depressing, now it's just not fun. Period.

My secret weapon for shopping now? Online. I especially love shopping at stores that will let me return the items to their brick and mortar locations. Target, Old Navy, Gap, Kohl's. If there is a spend a certain dollar amount to get free shipping - do it. You can order something in several sizes, several colors. You can order jeans and try them on at home and take back what doesn't fit...without ever seeing a sales associate roll their eyes.

My second weapon is looking for inspiration from magazines. You can mimic your fave celeb's style by looking for similar pieces. I know some of you say you have the worse sense of style but you probably aren't giving yourself any credit. Maybe your style is just eclectic. Maybe you are ahead of fashion. Either way having a go-to picture or idea is helpful when you are perusing sites.

Thirdly, when you shop, shop in full pieces. What I mean by that is if you find a top you love, make sure you have pants and shoes that you know can wear with the top. There is nothing more frustrating than to buy something and suddenly realize you have nothing to pair it with. Save yourself the stress and either purchase a whole outfit or mentally put the outfit together. This doesn't mean you won't have impulse purchases, it just means those will be minimal.

Lastly when new items come in? Get rid of pieces that don't fit, that are worn out, faded, etc. If you haven't worn it or forgot you owned it? Give it away, donate it, use it as rags. You will never feel like you have the right items if mixed in with new stuff is old stuff taking up space.

And now for the big tip to look 10 pounds lighter. One word...bra. That's right ladies, you have to get right with your boobs. Half the women reading this (all 5 of you) are wearing the wrong size bra. Wearing the right size will change the way you walk and stand. Many of the major department stores have bra fit specialist that can help you find your size. I suggest either Macy's or Dillard's. My favorite place though is once called Intimacy. You can pretty much find any style bra in sizes up to K. And they don't even make you feel funny for having one girl bigger than the other. Check them out here. I will admit, be ready to spend some $$$ on a good fitting bra. I suggest having at least 2 that are really good. You should never wear the same bra day after day (guilty=me) as your bra needs time to breath and reclaim its shape. So once you know your true size find it at regular store (Target, wal mart, etc.) and wear that one around the house, etc.

I hope my tips and suggestions help you get a better picture of how you can do you. I sometimes forget my own tips but I'm really working hard to do me. Looking put together doesn't have to be hard or overwhelming. Like me, you just have to take things slowly.


I will gladly take suggestions or questions about fashion and use it as my next post, so if you have any, send them my way!

Fashionable Friday: It's All About The Hair

They say a good haircut can save the world. Okay, maybe not the world but it sure can make a difference in a day. Have you ever gotten a bad haircut? You want to just hide until it grows out, right? But when you have a great one you are ready to shout it from the rooftops.

I think part of being and feeling fashionable it taking time to do your hair. I mean really do you hair. For many, especially moms this means stepping away from the wash and go style. These days I spent a lot of time washing my hair and then pulling it into a ponytail flip type do. Or wearing it naturally.

Being Latina, I have naturally curly hair. Only I still haven't figured out how to get my curls to stay fresh without washing my hair everyday. And forget combing them out...if I do that I end up looking like this: This is only a good look on a runway with tons of makeup and flashy clothes. In the real world? It just makes you look messy. My other go-to hairdo is a bun or braid. Basically nothing that is fun or fashionable or even comes to making me feel cute and pulled together.

As a mom I don't have the time it takes to get my hair the way I want it:
That was done at the salon and when I do it, it never comes out that sleek. It also takes twice as long. So instead of sleek, I rock a curly frizzy-do.

I spent years looking for a stylist that really got my hair. I found her in 2007. She talked me out of perms and into keeping the ends trimmed. My hair is the longest I have seen it since I was 11. Pregnancy had a lot to do with it only problem is I never really learned how to handle it then and now I try all sort of fixes, hoping one will cut down on prep time. So far nothing has worked. I am hoping to try a Brazilian Blowout in the next few months to see if that helps.

Every week I promise myself that I am going to give my hair the attention it needs. I promise myself that I won't let the husband see me yet again with an unruly do and yet I can't find the time or energy it requires to do it. Thus making it hard to feel pretty if the hair isn't on point. Part of feeling like I still have my mojo needs to start with my hair.

So how about you? Do you find that you neglect your hair as well? Have you tried anything to make it easier to style? Do you agree that when your hair looks good, you look and feel good as well?

Fashionable Friday

Remember back when I said I wanted to incorporate more than Mommy talk on this blog? And I did maybe two fashion post and then the next thing I knew I was pregnant and it seems it is back to baby talk.

I am now deeming Friday, Fashionable Friday. I am going to try and make the post as fashionable as possible. We will see how it goes. I use to feel like I was a pretty in-the-know type of gal. I loved shoes and purses and looking made up. Then I got a job where it seemed no one knew a thing about fashion and so began my downward spiral into whatever was most comfortable. I began buying shoes that were more for comfort than fashion.

After being fired I began a work from home gig...which meant I could roll into the home office in pajamas or sweatpants. This further sunk my fashion sense into very murky waters. Oprah talked about not being a schlumpadinka and gave pointers on how some cute yoga pants from Old Navy could remake your wardrobe. I took that meaning into a whole other level. Yoga pants every day? Sure why not.

Follow that with getting pregnant and well...yoga pants turned into outfits I shall not name. I bought some maternity wear and was given a bunch of stuff from a friend but I sure didn't look like how I imagined I would.

But I still love fashion. I love flipping through an InStyle Magazine and drooling over clothes out of my price range. I love thinking about how I could copy the outfit but do it within my budget. Shoes, purses, accessories. These are all things I still love but just don't make time for anymore. Kids will do that for you.

So I am going to reclaim my fashion sense and love for fashion here on my blog. Even if it's only 1 day a week!

(You didn't miss this post, it was published late and I backdated it.)

Fashion Talk: Post Two

First I have to CMA, this picture was taken straight out of my email today and as I perused it, I just knew it would make a great blog post. The email came from Who What Wear and the pictures of the celebs are from the following places: Photo of Claudia Schiffer, from WENN; Photos of Nicole Richie, Isla Fisher, Victoria Beckham, from X17; Photo of Gwen Stefani, from PCN; Photo of Jessica Alba, from Splash.Does that make it clear that I don't OWN the pictures or the way they are formatted??Ok, good.

When I saw the email I had to laugh because it was titled Stylish Moms and I knew they were going to show celeb mom's who always look good, no matter how many children they are toting around! Hello, I have yet to see Angelina Jolie look haggard and she has like, 20 kids or something, doesn't she?

Ok, now take a look at the picture. Go ahead, I'll give you a moment to really look at it. Notice anything? No? Yes, well I did. First the most obvious...glasses. Every mom has on a nice dark pair of shades! That is number one that I am doing wrong cause when I leave the house I usually am trying to make sure the dog door is undone and the dog has a treat. I am also trying to keep the Boy from flipping the dog's water bowl all the while making sure I have my purse and keys. All this while sweating, so yeah, glasses are the last thing I am thinking about.

Let's move on...all these mom's look like the actually had time to put their outfits together, shower AND put on makeup. Sweet, I'm lucky if I manage my moisturizer with tint, much less a face full of makeup. Maybe that's where a nanny comes in? Nope, don't have one of those either. So I slap on some facial lotion, deodorant and curl my lashes and maybe manage gloss as the Boy tries to catch his fingers or head into the cabinet. Or better yet falls in and out of the tub. Yeah, it is quite amusing to hear a thud as you're trying to make your face presentable and turn to see a toddler grinning from ear to ear cause he's learned to climb into the tub and back out.

And finally, the outfits. Ooo, ahhh, their coordinated and cute and stylish. I love looking cute and most times the outfits in my head just beg to be worn! But where I'm going there is no need to look cute and let's face it, cute does not help when you are schleping a toddler around who runs as soon as put him down. Cute doesn't help when suddenly this same toddler has a fit and wants to nurse. I gave up on cute the first few months when I would go out and realize my cute outfit also had spit up on it. Or poop. Or both.

I love being fashionable and looking good when I leave the house...I just haven't mastered doing that and having a toddler too. Instead I look for the shorts with the most pockets and the shirt that will give the most in case I need to nurse.

I did discover something that helps with looking like you know what you're doing, even when you don't. A good haircut and highlight. I got both recently and because my hair looks so fabulous you almost miss the poop on the shirt...almost.

Next fashion post will be about why fashion is not a luxury.