the one that touched my heart

"I didn't think I dressed that bad"

"I've actually gotten written up for how I dress at work"

"Its hard for me to like other people because I don't like myself"

"I've just never thought about it"

"Now I understand why I can't get a good job or a good man"

I was watching an episode of What Not To Wear and I'm usually emotional over them because its amazing to see the change in a person when they go through this transformation. But this particular time really struck me.

It was a single mom who was dressing tough and lazy. She looked cheap. Above are the things she said at the beginning of the episode. I'm amazed at how many women settle with their appearance. Most people like to say others aren't even looking at them. Or, they hide. Or, they don't want to be judged. Stacy and Clinton are quick to remind them that its natural to be judged on appearance...we just are. You can't hide from it.

By the end of the transformation, this woman had really thought about everything and changed her ways. Now, I know its not "just" the new wardrobe that she had, but its the way those clothes made her feel. Wearing the right clothes can completely change how you feel, act, and how you are treated.

So, after the show here is what she said:

"I know my friends will be impressed with how I look now"

"I'm gonna have to pick a different type of guy to go out on a date like this with...I'm too good for those little punks anymore"

"I'm going to take the things I've learned and apply it to everyday life"

"Before the makeover I wasn't very confident, but now I am"

"I have respect for myself now where before I didn't have any. I used to fear that my son was going to leave me just like every other man has ever done. But now I know he's gonna love me forever. I have respect for myself now and he sees that and he's not going to leave me"

And my favorite thing she says, the one that really touched my heart:

"Im not going to put up with the booty calls and any of that. I'm going to demand what I'm worth."

Isn't that amazing? A new found strength. She is worth something. We all are. We all deserve respect and shouldn't settle for less. We were all meant to be somebody- not to just blend in and hope not to be noticed. I just think that was such a huge step and I got really excited for her. What a life changing experience for this woman! Not only for herself but the people around her. Especially, her son. He will respect her and other females now since his mom respects herself and expects respect from other men. She is improving their lives.

Yes, true beauty is on the inside...so make the outside match!

Jeans for EveryBody

So, as you can see there are plenty different jean styles. Starting with wide, then flare, bootcut, straight, and lastly, skinny. Skinny was "in" for a long time...longer than I really cared for. I remember going into a store and they only had skinny. Great! If you don't have hips. I do though. And I know a lot of moms do...kind of comes with the job. If you take a look at all these pictures you will see the shape of their body. That's what you want to focus on. You want the jean to fit the widest part of your hips and then go down from there. Can you see that with the skinny jean it emphasizes the hips? So, for those who don't have much in the hip area, this is a great jean for you. I have big hips, I'd say thats the biggest part of my body. But then I remember that I have even broader shoulders! So, regardless, the top half of my body will be bigger. I like wide leg and bootcut. I do wear skinny ankle jeans which can work depending on my top. I don't know why, since it goes against all the rules, but I do it! With flare, it can be tricky. Its very in style right now, but the fact that it inverts by the knees...not always flattering. So, regardless of the style that is current...find what fits your body type. You'll look current just by looking good. Trends come and go. Your body however, that's a different story.

Mom's Transition

A friend recently asked me what to do when you've just had a baby and are in the "in between" stage of your body. Its hard because you finally have your body back only its not the one you remember. It takes time (sometimes a long time) to get back to your "normal" size. If thats not enough, add on being sleep deprived and having a little one that might grab your clothes or spit up on them. What do you wear?

My easiest solution is to shop somewhere inexpensive. This fits both categories. For one, its less money to spend since you don't plan on being that size/shape for too long. Two, is that if its less expensive, it can be machine washed (which means you don't have to worry about all sorts of baby stuff getting on it). The off chance it actually gets ruined- it was just a transitional piece anyway.

I do find it easiest to be mom to little ones while wearing yoga pants. If I'm actually leaving the house that day I will wear something nicer like jeans. You have a wide variety of tops to choose from....just make sure they're easy to wash!

When I was in the transitional stage, I wore a lot of "flowy" tops. Just make sure there is some structure and definition somewhere. If you dress too big then you look big.

Places I suggest are Target, Old Navy, Marshalls, TJMaxx, Forever21, and H&M.

They are all inexpensive ways to be stylish-

perfect for your transition!

If you are concerned with your baby belly, one tip would be to draw the attention elsewhere. Example would be bold jewelry (as long as your comfortable with it around the baby), or fashion scarves. nice shoes... anything that might take the attention away from where you are worried about. Colors help, too! Here are some examples of all that.

Don't wait till you loose a certain amount of weight...you'll be happier if you just dress for how you are at the time. Even if its just two new outfits...make sure you can mix it up and you'll feel confident in how you look. Taking the time to think about your outfits will help you emotionally, too. This all takes a different amount of time for every mom so start small and keep going.

You can certainly still be stylish while being a comfy, happy new mom!

Fat Day(s)

Everyone has 'em. I tend to have them once every other month (and by once I mean several days of that month). This month was no exception. And when I say "fat day" I don't mean I feel fat but look fine, I actually look 4-5 months pregnant. (I've actually fooled people with this...)

I gain a good 5-10lbs during this time and it all typically sits at my belly.

This becomes a problem when most of my bottoms for work are tight skinny ankle jeans. I put on a pair :*( They didn't fit and I'm pretty sure I stretched them out. My shirt showed my flub and I got discouraged. Then I thought how dumb and useless it was to get down on myself. Its not like I ate a bunch of junk food....its my ovary's fault. So, chin up, I grabbed another pair of pants and a different top. It looked totally normal. I looked fine!

I tell women that its not about your weight. You can look good at any size as long as you dress your body correctly. People tell me, "I'll ask for your help when I lose "x" amount of pounds". Why wait? Don't you want to look good now?

So, whatever fat day you're having, just remember you don't have to slub it....you can still look just as good with the right outfit.

Growing Up

I overheard the mother of a dance studio owner/instructor that she always wanted to own a dance studio. She's always loved dance. And when you see shows about famous musical artists or actors, the parents often say, "Its no surprise they do what they do- they've been singing/acting since they were 3!" I have always thought, "What the heck have I done since I was three that I could make a career out of?!" If there wasn't anything I could think of, was I doomed to never have a dream which meant I'd never get to live a dream? For the longest time I thought there must not be a dream since I didn't consistently care about anything for that long of a time. Then I thought of something.

As I looked back at pictures of myself (out to prove how horrible I was at fashion all growing up) I realized I wasn't sooo off. I was just thinking differently than others. I found that I tried hard with what I was given. I remember being in 6th grade English getting made fun of for my pants that were too short. But I went outside the box that day to be fashionable. Those pants went with the outfit. I didn't think EVERYONE would notice how short they were. My other pants just wouldn't do.

Clothes were not at the forefront of my parents' minds. I don't blame them...they had four kids to clothe. But for me, there was always something special about clothes. I usually got hand-me-downs from my older sister which was fine but when my mom bought something just for me- especially a complete outfit- I was thrilled! I loved going to the store and picking things out. I loved back to school and wore the new fall outfit even though it was 75 degrees. Its funny looking back at how much it meant to me over the years. I wasn't always good at it, as the pictures show, but I do remember it being very important none the less. And that I was always determined to get it right.

So, here are some pictures of me as I grew through fashion. If you have a dream, you should go for it. Whether its something that started at a young age or something brand new. Though I do encourage you to look back at what really meant a lot to you over the years...and let me know!