Faking a Full Night's Sleep

K, so this is much more about makeup than it is about fashion, but wouldn't you agree that they totally go hand in hand?

So, I had a rough night last night. You see, my husband is a very big Utah Jazz fan. And last night, they were losing. Badly. By 25 points. Except in the last THREE minutes they somehow ended up coming back, which means that I was coerced into staying up very late to watch them win. I was passed out on the couch for the last three minutes, which by basketball minutes actually means the last half hour (are all of the timeouts REALLY necessary?) So. I finally got to bed at midnight, only to be woken at six by my very chipper morning baby.

I am not one that functions well on little sleep. When I have a new baby I get that zombie look in my eyes. And while I can talk myself into being a morning person, it doesn't necessarily mean I really want to be one. I need my eight hours, thanks.

So, as I got ready this morning, I pulled out all of my makeup tricks to make me look fresh and awake, because SOMEHOW I deteriorate into a gremlin over night while my husband wakes up looking relatively the same as he did before he went to bed.

UNFAIR.

I think using makeup to make yourself look awake has much more to do with color than it does technique. Observe.


So I start with gold eyeshadow. Lots of gold eyeshadow. For daytime, a sheer liquid eyeshadow functions much better than a scary Studio 54 powder. I good daytime shadow should make your skin more glowy than it does gold-y, if that makes any sense. I put it all over my top lids, and then in the creases of my eyes, near the tear ducts. It brings a little light in the eyes, and it doesn't have that weird hooker-y effect that white eyeshadow can have in the same application. OMG, remember when all of the easy girls at school would wear white eyeliner? Memories. Anyhoo, this is a Creme Eyeshadow by Yves Rocher that I love.


Curling eyelashes are a MUST. Especially when you feel all droopy and tired. Remember to curl them three times, once at the base, then the middle and then the end. And I went all out and bought what was SUPPOSED to be a very snazzy eyelash curler, but I hated it. I end up using my $1 E.L.F. one every time. It's easily the best that I've tried. And hello!? ONE DOLLAR.


Finish with one coat of mascara. Yeah, you read right. Don't use eyeliner when you already have tired eyes. It just brings all of the attention to them and darkens them and is like "HEY! CHECK OUT MY PREMATURE AGING LINES!" If you're feeling naked without your eyeliner, just wiggle the mascara wand right at the base of your lashes and deposit some color there. Leave the bottom lashes bare, they'll get enough color just from your blinking. You don't want to close your eyes in, you want them to look open and bright. Also, I worship Diorshow mascara so that's what I use. But honestly, drugstore brands are usually just as good.


(Urban Decay)
Okay, onto the bronzer. Totally use foundation if you feel the need to, but I feel like when your skin is tired, foundation looks a lot better with a squirt (hee hee - funny word) of moisturizer mixed in. I always use bronzer since I pretty much look like death warmed over without it. When I apply bronzer, I use a "number three" technique I picked up from heaven knows wear. Starting at the middle of your forehead, draw a number three on the side of your face with the bronzer brush (use a fluffy brush, not the cheap crappy one that comes with the makeup) Does that make sense? So you hit your forehead, the top of your cheekbones and your chin with one swoop. Lovely.

A cheek tint is 100 percent the way to go on tired days. instead of looking cakey and powdery, it makes your skin look like it is radiating color. The trick is to choose a color that is psychotically bright in the tube. I use the one on the left, and I am very fair skinned (thanks, redhead mother). It looks like ridiculously pink, but it goes on very sheer, so you can layer up the intensity. And it smells really good! Anyhow, it's from Victoria Secret and I love. And you'll love looking all flushed and radiant.



(Stila)
Finally, top it off with a peachy lip gloss. It'll bring some light to your lips and peach is pretty much universally flattering because it allows your natural lip color to shine through. You'll look all kissable and lively.

It's basically a universal truth that if you've had children, you can basically kiss your long, luxurious nights goodbye. If I could go back and talk to my teenage self I'd be like "JAE! Go home and get some sleep! What are you doing staying up past two in the morning? One day you're going to be getting up for the third time by two and totally miss having a choice in the matter!"

But, even if the Jazz miraculously win a game and my son is pretending he's a rooster, I can *look* awake, even if I don't *feel* awake.

And on that note, I'm taking a nap.

PS: Sorry no Maternity Monday post. Jenna is pretty much almost done with her pregnancy, so I've invited another one of my hot preggo pals to write for you, and she'll start next week. Be excited!

Baby Steps to Better Fashion

Ah, I know this post was a long time coming. My little boy's birthday was yesterday, and I like to go big or go home, so I spent the last two days doing that. I am so happy it's over. Unfortunately, my daughter's birthday is a week from Sunday. WHO PLANNED THAT? Boo.

Anyway, I'd like to talk about how EASY not looking like a mom actually is. I know there are non-believers out there who don't take an interest in the way they look (which baffles me on so many different levels) and they just don't even know where to start if they were to perk up their style a bit.

The thing is, you don't just wake up one morning like "OMG, I look GREAT! Jae IS a genius." Unfortch, that only happens in the movies. No, you wake up one morning and resolve to tweak something, just one thing, that makes you feel better when you leave the house, drive carpool, walk out to get the mail, whatever.

However, after days and days of this resolve, you look at yourself in the mirror and think "Hey, not bad!" and before you know it, your mom jeans are a thing of the past and you only wear your Keds when you're washing the car. (And even then.... *shudder*)

So try a few easy peasy baby step items that can help you on the pathway to attractiveness. Most are cheap. I don't care if you spend $5 a week... tell your husband it's an investment.



A non-scary diaper bag. This one is simply a big satchel from Alloy and I love. Try a bag in a pseudo-neutral (I am loving jewel toned bags lately... I just bought a teal one as my main squeeze and it matches brown and black and makes me happy inside) I really don't think that someone should be able to determine your parental status by the bag you carry, do you?



A super-luxe cocktail ring. (Alloy) Even if you're planning on just slumming it in a t-shirt and jeans, you slip on a big ring and SKIDOOSH! Instant fashion-forwardness. Everyone knows I don't like meek, demure accessories. Do it big, make a statement about yourself.



Embellished shirt. Skip your usual tee and jeans for an embellished tee and jeans (This one is from GoJane and I heartily approve) It is JUST as easy. It is JUST as low maintenance. The only difference is that you don't look like a homeless shlub. And that's probably a difference you're willing to make, am I right?

Cute flats (New Look) I wish I could personally travel across America and get rid of all the ugly loafer clod hoppers I see women wearing now. There is literally no excuse for ugly shoes. NONE. Flats are SO cute and SO easy and SO comfy that I don't know why you wouldn't have some. These? With some jeans? Ugh die from cuteness overload immediately.


A flippin' awesome necklace. I love this one from Monsoon. I am a huge advocate of bold necklaces because they allow you to dress down everything else. Even if you are a staunch tee and jeans girl and are in no way intent on changing your style, a necklace makes everything better. Look for luxe details and major heft. I would toooootally pair this with a black scoop neck and call it a day. It also dresses up plain necklines and makes an otherwise casual shirt appropriate for something more semi-formal, so YAY for double duty.

So, even if you don't have the money/time/gumption to throw out your entire wardrobe and start a new, you can easily add easy pieces that update it so you stop looking so darn frumpy all the time.

Guilt Free Attractiveness

So.

I was just thinking about how sometimes, when you're a mom, you show up all disheveled and then say annoying things about how you never get to shower since you had a kid and you don't bother to wear PANTS because that would be taking time away from precious Swayzie (can I just say a kid in my daughter's preschool class is named this and it makes me want to simultaneously throw up and dance? Like, I love Dirty Dancing as much as the next gal and love me some Patrick, but naming your kid after him? Weird.) So mom's generally use their kids as the big excuse as to why they don't take care of themselves.

Wrong.

Couple things. 1) Um, I'm pretty sure showering is a basic human right and 2) who said that your kid wants to look at his dumpy mom all day?

You should NEVER feel guilty about taking care of yourself. Really. Those women who are complete martyrs for their kids wind up crazy OR having to deal with their husband's wandering eye, if you know what I mean.

That's why you should streamline your process of getting ready to a few different points of attractiveness, so that you can plan accordingly. My three points are 1) Errand running attractiveness, 2) Lunch out or business attractiveness and 3) Super hot Friday night attractiveness. I know down to the minute, how long each of these will take me. For instance, if I am having lunch or meeting with someone important, I know it takes me exactly 30 minutes from shower to shoes to get ready. So, I plan my day accordingly. Half hour before I need to leave, kids are entertained by something or plopped in the tub while I do my makeup in the bathroom. You NEED to be able to carve out 30 minutes for yourself without feeling guilty.

I have a three year old daughter, and I bought her a set of brushes that she uses while I'm getting ready. I hand her a cheap compact of clear face powder and voila! 30 minutes of sanity while I get ready.

If you are the enterprising sort and REALLY feel guilty about taking time for yourself, try doing it first thing in the morning before kids are up. Not only are you not taking time away from kidlings, but you start the day off on the right foot, lookin' fine and stuff.

Find products and styles that work effortlessly, and I really mean effortlessly. I am addicted to Bare Minerals because it cut my moisturizer/foundation/poweder to one step and I am dunzo. If I don't have time to shower, hair is in a cute pony a la Jennifer Aniston (I just run a straight iron through my bangs and call it good.)

The point is, justifying to yourself that you don't look good because you have kids just isn't good enough anymore. Not to mention, um, why the heck are you blaming your kids? Look at their sweet l'il faces. You're a jerk.

As for clothes, just pick an easy style that you can pull off without trying on a bajillion things in your closet. If you need to, lay it out the night before, or do what I do and plan things on events rather than days, ie: lunch with the girls, Friday night date, day just hacking around the house not doing anything special other than trying to convince myself to do a Turbo Jam DVD and eating peanut butter on crackers instead. That way, no matter what is thrown at you on any given day, you're like oh hey, I'll be ready in twenty mins. And then everyone will be like "OMG, she is so put together. She must spend like three hours getting ready. Like, when does she even spend time with her kids?"

And you can be smug. Yay! I love to be smug!

In Which I Return From Yet Another Long Absence.

Okay! So I'm back, alive, and ready to start posting again. I haven't been home much this summer, just out and enjoying the sun. Guys. I actually GOT A TAN. I know, right? And I know I'm being like the best friend who never calls unless she needs something. I'M TRYING.

ANYways, things have started to calm down now. And I feel like imparting some wisdom. This summer I had fun playing with a lot of new things that I hadn't previously been brave enough to try. Can I talk about how fun that is? I think a lot of times, women see something they love and then think, oh, but I could never pull that off. I wear keds/mom jeans/polo shirts and it just isn't ME! I hate this attitude. Because really, if you don't like the way you look, then why not DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT? I mean really. How hard is it to wake up one morning and say k. Today, I'm going to wear heels. Today, I am going to surprise my husband by doing my hair differently. Today, I'm going to dig that outfit from the back of the closet that I put there because I don't want baby throw up on it, and just wear it for old time's sake. It's amazing how good you feel when you mix things up a bit.

Plus, you get compliments. Did I ever tell you how much I love compliments?

Anyhow, I bring you:

Three Things Women Think They Can't Pull Off, But Could If They Really, Really Tried.

1) Red lipstick.


(Is there anything more awesome than pulling out a tube of lipstick and reapplying public? I think not. HOT!)

So I know. MODELS wear red lipstick. Mom's do not. It's too dramatic. But come on girlies! How better to give you a little boost than to slick on a new shade and get out there? I finally took the plunge and bought a bright, bright red lipstick a couple months ago, and have been wearing it all over. It's so vintage and I love it for fall.

Here is your non-scary way to do red lips. First, LINE THEM. You can get away with not lining if you're doing a shade closer to your own lip color, but with a red, give it a base to stick to. Line your lips, and then fill them in with the pencil. THEN you can put the red lipstick on. Choose a color according to your skin tone. Don't do anything darker than a bright red if you're pale, it'll look too severe. Darker skinned can get away with a richer color. Grab some with the tiniest bit of a blue tint to make your teeth look whiter too. Slick it on, and then step back. RELAX. I know it looks different and out of place. So, to tone the red down and make it look glossier, grab a regular old tube of nude or brown toned lip gloss and put some on over the red. It'll make the color more wearable, and make your lips all juicy. Plus, its fun to then go and kiss your husband and leave a big smack-mark behind!

2) Hats.


(It's like you're a sexy Fidel Castro!)

So many people I hear are like, hey, I like hats, but I'm not a "hat person". Really? Like, pioneers all wore bonnets as they crossing the scorching plains. I'm pretty sure they didn't worry about being hat people or not. And so if you're out in the sun, burning your scalp because you don't think you look good in hats, well that's just dumb. The difference in who is a hat person and who is not is in who knows how to pick out the right hat for themselves. My general rule of thumb is that the larger your features are, the larger the brim of a hat should be. Do you get what I'm saying? I have large features, big eyes and lips and massive cheeks, so I stick with baseball hats or floppy hats. However, if you have tiny features, little nose and chin type thing, you can totally get away with a shorter brimmed military type hat. Even in the winter, I wear a toque (haha, that's so a Canadian word. I think you Yankees would call them beanies) with a brim because I think covering up all of my hair with a tight hat and then WOAH features is unflattering. So choose a hat in proportion with your features and you too can be a "hat person".

3) Shoes with ankle straps.

There was some concern when I posted those espadrilles a few posts (and a few months) back, because they are meant to tie around the ankle. It is true that an ankle strap can be a cankles wort nightmare. It cuts the leg into pieces and brings more focus to the calves. K, can I first point out that I love calves? Not just skinny ones, but ones with some good shape on them. I think they are so feminine and pretty. I happen to enjoy my calves very much, so I totally love a good ankle strap shoe. Half of the shoes in my *cough*77 pair*cough* shoe collection have some sort of ankle strap. But if I still haven't convinced you, might I introduce you to my friend, the t-strap?


(Oh t-strap, you'll never hurt me, will you?)

The t-strap is like the forgiving, sweet and thoughtful cousin of the bad boy ankle strap. Okay, it's not as alluring. But it also won't try to get you drunk and make out with your best friend in your parent's car, if you get my drift. What am I even talking about? Ah, yes. T-strap. The difference between the two is that the t strap first, lengthens the foot by having a linear strap running up it, and then fastens much lower on the ankle than a regular ankle strap, usually slightly below the pokey-out ankle bone. So, if you want to experiment with ankle straps but still think your calves look hefty, hefty, hefty, give t-straps a chance.

So give something that you previously thought you couldn't "pull off" a try. And swagger like you're on America's Next Top Model, without the annoying Tyra Banks soliloquies.

What the Heck Do I Wear?

So I'm back! I was off on vacation to my homeland of Toronto, Canada. It was awesome. I decided not to be on computers while I was there. Guess what? Computers are such a timesuck!

But here I am again, aren't you glad?

Anyways, I thought I'd write a little bit about How to Shop. Now that you hopefully have your denim wardrobe on hand, it's time to add to your wardrobe. I fully believe in having a very well rounded closet, so that you're never faced with a "What the heck do I wear?" situation. You should always be able to pull from your own closet because you've already built up enough that you are prepared for the situation.

The NUMBER ONE biggest mistake I see women making when they are clothes shopping is shopping without a plan. No, I don't mean you always have to know what you're buying and where you're getting it from, I mean shopping without direction. Think about it; stores have LOTS of cute clothes. That's what they're there for. But that doesn't mean you just go grab whatever cute thing you like and buy it. Why? Because you'll go home, realize you have nothing to wear it with, and hang it in your closet with the TAGS STILL ON for your husband to discover and use it as a case for you to never go shopping again. And you want to shop right? RIGHT?

When you head into a store and see something you love, STOP. First think; what would I wear this with? Think about the things you already own. Picture the outfit down to the accessories and shoes. If you can do that with things you already have in the closet, go ahead and try on and buy it if you like it.

If you CAN'T plan an outfit around the new item with things you already own, you now have to decide. Am I willing to commit to this item enough that I am now going to BUY the things that I need to wear it with? Or is it not worth it. This thought process has helped me put many an item back on the shelf and invest my money on something that will get alot of use instead. Because clothes are for WEARING! Except for my pair of Michael Kors shoes, which I spent too much money on and live in daily fear of ruining. So those are for looking at.

A good base to start around is your denim wardrobe. Got it? Good. Now add to that using the outfits we went over in the past few weeks... stuff for dressing up, stuff for running errands, stuff for hanging around. PURPOSE your clothes. Pick up and item and THINK, k, now where would I wear this?

Another note is about fit. ESPECIALLY with jeans or denim, the fit will be different for each pair. Even if you are tried and true size four, no TWO size fours will be the same when it comes to denim- Denim is not an exact science, and the composition will result in a different fit. So heed this advice and when trying on jeans, grab TWO pairs of the size you want and ONE pair of the next size up. This will eliminate you a) having to ask the dressing room attendant for the next size up or b) just not getting the jeans because you are too embarrassed. However, it DOES allow you to smugly as for the next size SMALLER, if you should need it. Because that's fun.

Think of your clothes or wardrobe as a collection. You need to add different pieces to that collection to make it complete. A collection made up entirely of Mickey Mouse Pez Dispensers is lame. So is a clothes collection made entirely of t-shirts. Make it diverse. So that next time you have a Girl's Night, or have to go to a parent teacher interview, or need to make an appearance at a wedding, the outfit you need is already in your closet (more on these to come!)

My Top Ten! Not That it Would Ever Happen...

So have I ever told you how much I enjoy Tim Gunn's Guide to Style? Of all the television fashion people who have their own shows, he is BY FAR my favourite. And not just because he says awesome catch phrases like "Hmm.. this has me concerned. Make it work!" And not just because he used to be like, president of a university and quit to become a designer, but because he ACTUALLY makes sense. I always trust a guy to tell me what looks good on girls. Not just any guy, mind you, but in general, they can tell you if its good or bad. Girls will overanalyze the cut, colour and style, where a guy is like "Meh, I'm really not feeling it." I appreciate that.



So on Guide to Style, Timmy always has a list of basics that ALL women should have in their closet. In fact, when people ask me what are some things they should buy, I always direct them to his list, because it is far more inclusive than anything I could come up with. He is a genius, and I kind of love him.


Anyhow, that being said, if you were to put me at GUN POINT and say "Choose ten things from your closet that you can keep and I'm setting fire to everything else!" I would first cry and beg, then cry some more, then offer to give up my own life first, then cry a little more, go through the 7 steps of mourning, and choose these items. Not saying you must have these in your closet, but it is a really good starting point. No mommyness here!!




1) My favourite pair of jeans. These jeans are perfect, I have yet to find something I don't like about them. I firmly believe that everyone should have a jean "wardrobe"; that is, jeans for just about every occasion in different lengths, styles, washes and fits. I love jeans. But when you find your perfect jean, make a note of it, and buy a few pairs in different washes. I love these Emma cut ones from Abercrombie. They are a perfect dark wash, skinny enough to be trendy but not scary and tapered, and they KILL with a pair of heels. LOVE.


(Abercrombie)



2) A really crisp white button up. I like mine to look mens-weary but with feminine details. The one I own is cut classically, but has like rhinestone buttons to make it firmly a woman's shirt. My most major hint is pick one that looks a little on the long side. Button up shirts ALWAYS end up looking short on people. Choose a long one that you can tuck into jeans or a skirt, and it looks neat and professional instead of sloppy and mommish.


(Venus)


3) A pencil skirt. JUST GET ONE. Pencil skirts make ALL women's bodies look so good, no matter what your size. They do such a good bum huggage thing. I have this grey one and wear it SO MUCH. With my white button up shirt, a pair of really cute pointy heels, and voila. An outfit.


(BodyCentral)


4) A casual but special top. I have long expounded upon how I hate women who shlub around all the time. Even if your only agenda for the day is grocery shopping, make yourself feel better by picking up a few shirts that are comfy and easy to wear, but still cute. Throw it on with a pair of jeans and flats. It took two seconds, but I will guarantee you'll feel better about yourself. Stay away from your husband's oversized Hanes. Please.



(BodyCentral, Forever21)


5) A really basic but well cut tee. Sometimes I think there is nothing hotter than a plain v-necked tee with a cute pair of jeans and heels. It is so easy to do but it looks so good. You know how much I love Express, they are the best place to buy basic stuff at. When buying a plain t-shirt, pay attention to the way it fits. It should be comfy but not baggy. It should be long enough so you're not tugging on it all the time; in fact, one that has a little extra length is great if you're looking to wear one that is camouflaging to the middle area. TRY THEM ON.


(Express)



6) Pointy toed heels. If you don't own a pair, STOP crying about how they look uncomfortable and you have hammer toes or whatever excuse you're coming up with. Find a pair that are comfy and get them. They make your legs look leaner and literally go with everything. My current faves in my closet are a really basic Guess pair. Make sure you have at least one black pair and then branch out into other colours. Wear them to dress up jeans, slacks, skirts, whatever. I have a friend who totally WOULD NOT wear these, until I forced her to try on mine. The first words out of her mouth? "OMG, look how hot these make my legs look." I didn't say I told you so... but I thought it.



(GUESS)


7) A date night top. Can I tell you how many times I hear women complaining that their hubbies aren't romantic or passionate enough? Um, hate to break it to you, but if I came home to see you covered in baby spit and wearing sweats, I probably wouldn't be jumping your bones either. So get an awesome date night shirt, so when you do go out somewhere, your husband or significant other is pleasantly surprised... not only that you showered, but you look like you did when you were dating. I love the sweetness of the lace one, and I love the hardness of the beaded one. I would wear it with a leather jacket and look all hot and biker-chic. Find a shirt that is special, that you feel incredibly attractive in. Your date night might actually last longer than the movie and dinner. WINKITY WINK!!! Thank me later.

(WetSeal)


8) A little black dress. If you've been reading my blog since the beginning and STILL don't own an LBD, then SHAME ON YOU! You should have one. Please for the love of pete get one. They are so perfect for SO many occasions. Try alot on, and choose one that flatters your body the best. Check out Nordstrom.com's little black dress shop for some awesome ideas. I go over there and drool, literally drool. I love really classic ones, mine is cut just like this one, but without the sheer sleeves. I got it from H&M but they didn't have it on their site. BOO.


(Nordstrom)


9) A seriously cute jacket. I love jackets. Ask my husband. When we built our house, he built me not only my own closet in our room, but my own TWO closets down in the mudroom, because he knows of my love for jackets. Trench coats, pea coats, bombers, leather jackets, blazers. I collect them. Why? Because even if what I am wearing is less than fantastic, the addition of a really awesome jacket perks the whole thing up. Its why I hate summer. No jackets. Sadness. You can find awesome ones all over, look for special details and great tailoring. I just bought the leather biker styled jacket of my dreams. I left it in Canada last time was there and harassed my mom to bring it to me. When she arrived a few weeks ago, I hugged her and asked "DID YOU BRING MY JACKET?" She was flattered.

(Victoria's Secret (LOVE!!!) Abercrombie )


10) A clutch. Every woman should have a clutch. It drives me CRAZY when I see a woman all dressed up and looking good, and then have a huge bag slung over her shoulder. Don't get me wrong, big bags have their place. But not when you're dressed up. Even if you're wearing say, your date night top and favourite jeans with a pointy toed shoe, I want you to be carrying a clutch. It is so much sleeker than your every day bag and a little more special. And when out with your husband, you're not bringing diapers anyway. Its freeing to only need a lip gloss!! Pick one in a fun colour, a clutch literally does not have to match anything.

(ShopSuey Boutique)



So there are my top ten if I HAD to choose. Really though, if someone threatened me with paring down my closet to ten items I would slap them silly. That's crazy talk.

Ch-ch-ch-changes

Don't you love that song? I have it on my daughter's car cd - she's a big Butterfly Boucher fan. Just kidding, she just really likes Shrek 2.

K, so I really would like to talk about changes. And not the kind that happen in puberty. I mean, when you've been stuck in a rut for SO long and have looked the same, dressed the same forever. K, don't get me wrong. I don't want you to go schizo on me. One thing I can't stand is when people don't have an identity AT ALL and just kind of wishy wash their way through life. And then there's the other people (And you KNOW who you are) who have literally looked the same since high school, or worse, BEFORE high school. You really have to be careful. After a certain age, you begin to look like a caricature of who you were before, instead of real person now. Not to mention, high school had bad hair. Let it go.

To me, changing something every few months is the equivalent to getting a really awesome haircut at a really posh salon. You know when you walk out and you're just like "oh yeah, look at me and my bad self" and have a little strut because you feel so good about yourself. Anytime you make a little change, you totally get that feeling. Because it's something a little out of the ordinary and maybe even a little out of character, it'll make you feel just a little differently about yourself.

And it doesn't even have to be super drastic. Let me tell you a little story. Whereas I change my hair fairly often as far as cut and colour goes, I never change one thing, and that's where I part it. I always always always do a deep side part. The last time I parted it down the middle was in Grade 10 and I was going to a '70's dance at my best friend's school, and we dressed up as Charlie's Angels. I kid you not, I wore a halter top JUMPSUIT and a gun holster. And I parted my hair down the middle and feathered it like Farrah Fawcett. I don't think I looked particularly great that night. In fact, I was probably the homliest Farrah Fawcett EVER. So I never did it again. Well guess what folks? Believe it or not, my face has changed a little in the last ten years. So the other days I was messing around with my hair and I was like "Oh, what the heck." And changed it back to the middle. And guess what? It looked super hot. lol, if I do say so myself. In fact, I got tons of compliments. And I don't even think anyone was like "Hey, I like her hair" as much as they'd seen something was a bit different. Check it out (Luckily I take obscene amounts of belly pics, so you can see the difference in hair here. )


See? Totally subtle, but I was kicking myself for going the last ten years with the EXACT same hair. WHY Grade 10 '70s dance? WHY?

ANyways, what I'm trying to get across is TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT. I mean, the worst that can happen is you don't like it and try something else. Here are some ideas for you that are teensy tiny changes that can make a big difference in how you feel about yourself.

-Try a new cut of jeans
-Change you hair colour (Darker is always so unexpected yet pretty. Just a few shades)
-Buy a pair of shoes that you normally wouldn't
-Shop in a store you previously thought "wasn't your style"
-Pick up a new, bold piece of jewelry
-Try a new colour of make up that you've always wanted to, but haven't had the guts (Make up washes off, people!)
-Even those new, clear glazes for your hair would be enough for you to walk a little taller with your sumptuous, shiny, flippy hair.

Just do something out of the ordinary, and then thank me later when your confidence hits an all new high. I know if you're a mom, you don't even have time in the day to think about anything new. But give yourself five minutes and see the difference it can make.

Tricky, Tricky.

SO I got an email from a reader who had a particular problem. She, like a lot of us, was stuck in kind of a rut and needed to know how to get out of it. But it wasn't like, "Oh, just go have an extreme makeover and you'll be fine" because of the reason for the rut.

She is nursing and needs some ideas on how to dress up a basic black skirt. Now, we've all bee in a black skirt rut before. When I was pregnant last time I wore the SAME black skirt for weeks and weeks because it had an elastic waist band and was the only skirt I owned that fit in the last couple of months. I still totally wear it not pregnant too. I know, right? But whatever. When something fits, and it practically the only thing that fits and makes you feel good, you're going to wear it regardless. I know the feeling. A regular person is going to have enough of a challenge coming out of that, but when you're nursing, your choices are decidedly limited. If you can't get a baby's head near the girls, you can't wear it. And, you don't want to expose yourself in the process, especially at places where you might be wearing said skirt. AKA, church. Well, there are those people who don't mind exposing themselves, but quite frankly, I think they're weird.

K, so there are three schools for breastfeeding women. The puller uppers, the puller downers, and the push asiders. This, referring of course, to how to get that shirt out of the way so that your babe can nurse. I only nursed for three months, but I totally remember looking in my closet at the start of a day (I went back to work 3 weeks postpartum and just took Addie with me, which meant nursing through meetings, phone calls, and other awkward situations) thinking I HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR. Because all of my cute stuff was not conducive to discreetly nursing whilst signing for a FedEx package. Anyhow, I learned the value of a wrap top, so that I could do a push aside thing. I was a slinger, and it was so easy to just wear something that I could push out of the way without flashing the mailman.

So, I found some SUPER cute alternatives to the traditional scary nursing tops, that you can pair with a black skirt and still look hot, even with leaky boobs.

I am slightly obsessed with this shirt from Wet Seal. Corset bottom, great to hold you in, nice wrap top for easy access. And it's so hot! This, black skirt, pointy heels (maybe red??) and you are working it.

Love this too. (Notice that everything is low cut. If you aren't comfortable with something so low, just pick up a handy nursing tank and pop it under, you'll still have super easy access. I like this with come knee high boots. CUTE. (Wet Seal)

This has plenty of wiggle room, and it's adorable. I love that it ties. Black skirt + strappy heels. Express (Can I just say how much I love Express? Love it. Best fitting clothes.)

I lo-huv this shirt. I want to buy it but alas, I shall wait another 7 months until I am back nursing again. Please notice the empire waist to help with hiding any post-pregnancy squish you don't love. (Express)

Also love the crispness of this shirt. And the buckles? Cute. You could totally reach around and loosen them and no one would be any wiser. I like this with your black skirt and some statement pumps. When I say statement pumps, I mean a pair of heels that ARE the outfit. Not just plain black, they need to be the focal point. (Metro Style)

Lastly, can I point out that even yucky old nursewear has come a long way? This would be so easy to throw on and dress up with jewelry, and its nice that its not skin tight. (Gap)

Hopefully that helps. Keep the questions coming!