Listen to Your Mother 2013

Last Saturday, I spent the day at the Listen to your Mother show at St. Lukes Hospital. Women from all over the St. Louis area came to listen to the inspiring stories of moms. Stories covering everything from overcoming heart-wrenching tragedy to having "THE talk" with your kids filled the room with joy, inspiration, and the feeling that you, as a mom, are not alone.

Even though I am not a mom myself, this event gave me a great understanding of what I put mom own mom through, and what all of my mom-friends struggle with daily. It made me laugh, it made me cry and it made me proud to be a woman, knowing that one day, I will take part in this miracle of having a life in my hands.

My favorite stories were the funny ones. The ones where you are told that it's ok to lie to your kids, poop happens and the hilarious one liner from  Laura Edwards who ended her story with "of course not honey, you don't have to kiss a penis....unless you want jewelry."


I look forward to taking part in this event again next year and hearing new stories from new panel of speakers.

My Favorite Blogs

Part of my job is keeping up with trends and influencers in Fashion and PR. Here are a few of my favorites:


For a good laugh:
http://99problemsbutapitchaintone.tumblr.com

 

 For amazing PR advice, jobs, and general info:

http://nycprgirls.com/

 

http://prblonde.com/

http://www.prcouture.com/

http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Home.aspx

Style Blogs:
http://www.curvestokill.com/

http://blog.lulus.com/

The Cut: http://nymag.com/thecut/
Fashionista: http://fashionista.com


For Beatuy and a laugh, Gloss and Dirt.
http://glossanddirt.blogspot.com/
 

A quick overview of my weekend

I had an extremely busy weekend between work and play. Friday Ricky and I went to the movies and saw The Great Gatsby and Oblivion. Both were great movies. Gatsby was especially close to my heart, as it is one of my all time favorite books. I think the movie was a great interpretation of the book and was very close to how I imagined the images in my head when reading the book.

Oblivion was a great sci-fi movie that had quite a few turns that I wasn't expecting.

Saturday I spent the day at the Listen to your Mother show. I can't wait to share more about this event in another post, but save the date for the Saturday before Mothers Day 2014, this was a truly inspirational event that mom's grandma's and daughters should enjoy together.

Sunday I spent the day backstage at Pointfest. It was a beautiful day to spend listening to great music and rubbing elbows with rockstars. We gifted Lzzy Hale from Halestorm a pair of custom Luichiny shoes that were re-vamped by Molly from Studio M Boutique. Lzzy loved the shoes so much she wore them on stage which was super exciting.

Happy Mothers Day

I have been blessed to have been raised by two wonderful, influential, caring women who taught me compassion, independence and the importance of being able to stand on my own two feet. I love you both!

Happy Mothers Day!

My Power Pledge

I've been down in the dumps lately. Mostly about money and it feels like the pressures of the world are on my shoulders.  I feel like I'm coming to a cross road again which always stresses me out, considering which way to take my life. I have a love hate relationship with change. I love change, but I am terrified of it. I will mull over every good or bad aspect of what could come over and over and over again until I come to the F-It conclusion.

F*&% It- Life it too short, just go for it.   OR
F*&% It- I don't have time to deal with this.

 Essence magazine had an article about changing the perspective of your life, starting with an I have already accomplished list. So here I go:

Career
I have an established career working WITH the degree I went to school for.
I have been with the company for EIGHT years- minus a short leave of absence-I'm 25. 
I have gotten to travel to new places (my only consistent dream in life).
I have a salary, 401k, paid vacation and a casual work environment.
I have girlfriends at work, like real friends that will last even if we don't work together at some point.
I like what I do.
I modeled and had my face on posters in stores and tradeshows all over the country. 
I was thrown into a marketing position with no clue about what I was doing, and succeeded.
I was thrown into a management-ish position with no clue about what I am doing...and I think I am succeeding. 
I get paid to play on social media and go to parties.
I have taken chances, made changes and received recognition in my work.
If I left today, I would be happy with what I did here.


Home
I live on my own.
I have a roof over my head.
I am able to keep all of the necessities of life provided.
My bills get paid, even if they are late.
I rarely have to go with out.

School
I excelled in school.
I was accepted into the school of my dreams.
I finished college in the 4 years I set out to do so.
I have a BA in Marketing.

Health
I suffer from no major illness.
I am generally happy with my body.
I am in good health and take small steps to stay that way.
I can truly say that I think I am beautiful and have confidence in myself.
I have a healthy relationship with food. I believe in indulging myself every once in a while. I don't believe in denying myself something I truly want.

Relationships
I have a good relationship with my family
I have good relationships with friends
I have been friends with my best friend for 20 years
I have another best friend and partner-we have been together for 7 years.
 -He makes me better, and doesn't let me bullshit and be stubborn-I do the same for him
I have a cat-child named Tanner-he is the other love of my life.

Other:
I was in a beauty pageant. I had to walk across stage in front of hundreds of people in my swimsuit and I earned a $30,000 scholarship to college.
I learned to ride a motorcycle, joined an MRO and am the treasurer for my local.
I have volunteered, continuously since I was in grade school. I have helped raise tens of thousands of dollars for various charities.
I have kept my faith and it has grown stronger.
Even though I forget it often, I am happy in my life.


At the end of the article in Essence they had a side panel called Your Power Pledge by Lisa Nichols. It reads:
"I am unique. My journey has been filled with experiences that have built my resiliency, defined my character and made me a better woman.
I am ready to cash in on my greatness, my brilliance, my God-given possibilites and my prosperity.
I will turn my valleys into my mountaintops, my obstacles into my opportunities, my tests into my testimony."

*the next paragraph tells you to love your chocolate, mocha skin, full curves, and big lips. This doesn't apply here. But I do love my porcelain skin, thick hair and  white girl curves, lol. I will love all of me.  

"I am the masterpiece of humility, gratitude, godliness, and divinity. My beauty is real. My heart is good and my strength has been confirmed through the test of time with my mother, grandmother, and great grandmother.

I will show the world how to treat me- and it's my job to give the world the best example possible.
I have turned my crawl into a walk, my walk into a run, and I'm now turning my run into a soar.
I am unapologetic about my brilliance, untamed in my quest to discover me.
I am not longer asking for permission to be me. I'm giving notice!

My Summer To-Do List

-Go on a float trip- I live in Missouri and I've never been- apparently it's sinful

-go to New York--and do something touristy-not just work

-visit the beach

-do crafty things-starting with that tire ottoman

- take a day off of work and sight see in St. Louis like a tourist

-go to the pool

-get a tan

-spend more time outside

-BBQ often

-go camping

-see all of the great movies coming out

-spend quality time with the BF unit.

-go to Vegas and do something touristy not just work

Best Dressed at the Met Gala

I LOVED the red carpet at this year's Met Gala. It brought fun and exciting designs and risk takers back into fashion. The Punk theme had celebs step out of their comfort zone and I hope to see much more of it in the upcoming months!

Here are my favorites in no particular order (SJP stole the show with that head piece though) listing how you know you're doing it right.

when you are the Queen B

When your dress is bigger than you

when you can dye your hair platinum blonde for one night

when you wear this....

When you are famous enough to show up to a formal affair with no pants on, no one is going to question that

When wearing a crown and art work on your gown comes together like this

When you go crazy and spray your hair silver, but the gown is still where your eye falls

When your mohawke makes a bigger statement than you do

Some honorable mentions:

I'm not a fan of Kristen Stewart, but her makeup with this outfit is amazing

Teenie Bop no more, Taylor Swift moved into sexy

Yes it looks like my grandmothers couch and the gloves were WAY too much, the silhouette on this dress is gorgeous and floral is in for spring. Miss Kimye is still in need of a new stylist though. 

 

 

(Images Via Huffington Post)

It's Baby Time

Fertility has hit the water again. In about a month my cousin Becky is having a baby and my brother announced that they have another on the way. Here are some pics if Becky's baby shower and the first pic of my future niece/nephew.

PS all of the shower images are courtesy of my 4 year old niece.

16

My baby brother turns 16 today. That means 9 years ago, I was 16 which makes me feel incredibly old. It also means that the chauffeur that I have been promised for about 14 years will officially be able to drive. I hope he hasn't forgotten that promise! :-)

How Does the DISC Personality Test affect your style?

Personality and Your Clothes

Direct Personality:  Someone who takes charge and is a good leader.  You like to keep busy and you’re somewhat of a perfectionist.  Your perfect outfit should be comfortable but stylish.  You need something that is wearable, but says I am in charge. Direct women are very focused on their accomplishments and want to appear successful.

Suggested outfits: Colored slacks with a cute tank, pair it with a jacket that you can take off when you are running around telling others what to do.  A small heel is preferred or flats since you live a very fast paced life style

Influential Personality:  Someone who lives in the fast lane and loves to be the social butterfly.  Your main goals are your ideas and you love to discuss these ideas with anyone and everyone.  You need something fun to express your outgoing personality, but professional so people will take you seriously while you network. Influential women love bling and color. They want that piece that makes other women say OMG, I love your....

Suggested outfits:  A flowy, printed skirt is your key piece.  Pair it with a chic blazer and some bohemian jewelry and you will be free to fly.  Beaded sandals always go with a printed skirt, but you can also try some summery wedges for a more professional look.

Steady Personality:  Someone who keeps to their routines.  Not much changes from their day to day lifestyle and they like to keep it this way.  This type of personality gets along with almost anyone and loves to help others.  You need something that is considered staple merchandise and can be paired with numerous different outfits. Steady personalities are often very family focused, and want to wear something that is easy and versatile, but trendy.

Suggested outfits:  A basic white T that can be paired with a colored skinny jean to bring a little fun to your outfit.  Pair this with chunky black jewelry and a pair of black suede heels and you will be good to create a new outfit in your life.

Cautious Personality:  Someone who is very analytical and likes to know the facts about any situation.  You like others who are like you and you like to keep the peace.  You need something structured and color coordinated that says I have everything under control. Cautious women buy quality, staple pieces. They are often budget conscious, but are willing to pay more for something that will last a long time.

Suggested outfits:  A matching pant suit in a dark blue, a white button up to pull out a neutral color and a pair of beige shoes that shows off your conservative side.  Pair it with either silver or gold jewelry accents and you will be able to take on any question that is thrown at you.  

Do you fit into one of these categories? Many women will cross over into two or three categories. I, for example, am an Influential/Steady personality. I LOVE wearing jeans and a T-shirt, but will almost always complete that outfit with a great pair of shoes or super blingy earrings.