An Idea To Get Your Closet Ready for 2017!

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Hi Friends!

Do you like to start the New Year by decluttering and getting organized?  I’ve already started on some decluttering.  I  love starting the New year by getting my house organized and cleaned from top to bottom!  One of the areas I have worked on this week is in my closet.  I think you might like the course, 27 Hangers to help you get organized and ready for the New Year!  27 Hangers was developed by Shari Braendel and is an online academy of learning that takes you step by step of how to have 27 items in your closet for each season.  If you struggle with too many clothes and trying to find something to wear each day, this course will help.

The great news is… the cost is now $27.00!    I purchased mine several months ago and I’m going through it again for the New Year.

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Just click here and it will take you to a link to learn more!  If you decide to try it, I would love to hear how it works for you.

Happy New Year!  (and….happy closet organizing!)

If you would like to read my first post on 27 Hangers, you can click here!

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27 Hangers

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Are you getting ready to transition your closet for the new season?

I’m so excited to share with you a new online video course by my friend, Shari Braendel.  Shari is a Christian Fashion Stylist and I had the privilege of training under her to do the same.  It has opened my eyes to so many things that pertain to fashion.  Body type, fashion style and wearing the correct colors in your wardrobe are some of the things that I learned and I can’t wait to share with you all that I’ve learned.  But first, let’s talk about Shari’s new course called, 27 Hangers.

Do you want to be able to walk in your closet and everything you see, you love, can wear and it all coordinates together to make several outfits that fit your lifestyle.   Not only that….only 27 items will be hanging in your closet.   I know!  I’m thinking what you are thinking!  I’m in the middle of getting there.  Join me and let’s put it to the test.  When you open your closet, do you feel chaos or peace?   If peace is what you are wanting, 27 Hangers just might be your answer!

I went through the course this weekend and I’m in the process of going through all my clothes and putting my 27 items together.  I’m excited about simplifying my closet.  The course has also made me rethink some things about my shopping habits.   I love Shari’s motto, “Shop on purpose, not on impulse.”

27 Hangers is set at a special price for a short time of $27.00.  **It will go up to $49.00 soon.  Click here to purchase your 27 Hangers course.  I look forward to hearing from you after you go through the course about how you have simplified your closet and began shopping with a purpose instead of on impulse.

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*The link in my post to 27 Hangers is an affiliate link, which means I will earn a percentage of purchases made through my site.  Any money earned on this post will be donated to ministries that are focused on human trafficking.

Sunglass Fever!

Holidays!

Sad to say, I didn’t really wear sunglasses until a few years ago.  Every now and then I would get a pair and  I would lose them or they would break.  When I had to get some reading glasses, I noticed that the sun seemed to bother me more than it had before.  I also read an article on how cataracts might be caused by not protecting our eyes from the sun.

Then it happened…I fell in love with sunglasses!

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My most recent purchase was a pair of Brighton sunglasses.  They use Swarovski crystals in all of their glasses and jewelry.  I am a huge Brighton fan as well as the My Flat In London line.  Speaking of My Flat In London; they just came out with the cutest sunglass case.  Had to have it to protect those glasses, right???

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I chose the style called “Twinkle.”

 

Have you ever wondered how you know which style and frame is best for your face? So many to choose from; Oval, Round, Square, Rectangle, Aviator, and Cat-Eye.

If you have an Oval shape face, you get to wear any shape you like as long as the frame is proportioned to your face.  How fun is that?!

If you have a Round face, you want straight or angular frames that are slightly wider than your face. You want to go against the roundness of your face. I saw some cute ones!

If you have a Square face, choose curved frames and rounded lenses, again opposite of the square shape of your face. So many choices!

And, if you have a Heart shaped face, a cat eye, rounded square or frames with heavy top accents will work perfectly. Very cool!

Wondering what shape your face is?  Many years ago, I had wondered the same thing and I read in a magazine how to figure that out if you aren’t able to tell by looking in the mirror.  Look in your mirror over your sink/vanity and close one eye and with a eye liner pencil or something similar, draw around the outline of your face.  Open your closed eye, step back and you will see the shape of your face.  Ta-da!  I hope that works for you!  If you give it a try, let me know how it works for you.

If you see me at the sunglass counter, tell me to step away slowly! Unless, of course, there is a huge sale going on.

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Do you have one favorite pair of sunglasses or do you have several pair that you like to wear? If you have several, how do you store them?  That is my next project to work on.

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Have a blessed rest of the summer and keep those eyes covered!

What Does Fashion Have To Do With Self-Acceptance?

Holidays!

It’s Fashion Friday!  The first step to having “Elegant Grace” in your life is by realizing and knowing  your value!  So let’s start there before we move into the fun stuff!  Are you ready?  Let’s do this!

“Man!  You are UGLY!”

I was in the 6th grade and that is what a boy named Curtis, said to me just about everyday.  It hurt my feelings deeply and it affected me more than I think anyone ever realized.  I grew up extremely shy and very quiet.  If you are familiar with my story (click here to read,) it might give some indication as to why.  Up until the 6th grade I don’t remember really thinking about the way I looked.  I did like to dress nice, but I can’t remember looking in the mirror and studying myself at all.  After regular taunts by this young man and the perils of jr. high, my self worth was pretty much shot as a teen.  We hear so much about bullying today and at the time we didn’t use the term bullying; it was just kids being cruel and mean.  I was a victim of some serious bullying in both 7th and 8th grade, which doesn’t help in the self image department.

I gave my life to Christ when I was 14.  The next year, a traveling revival group called, Life Action, came to lead a revival in our church.  This group had a class for teens and the teaching was amazing!  I learned so much from some college aged leaders on self image, self worth and living a life for Christ.  Life Action, I believe helped me become stronger in my walk with Christ.

Even though I knew that I was created by God and He had a purpose for my life, I still struggled with my self worth.  I never really felt good enough or pretty enough.  School was hard for me. I had no interest in school, which is sad to me to think about.  I can’t think of one teacher in the 12 years of school that really took an interest in me at all.  When my grades were bad, I don’t recall a teacher ever questioning me or encouraging me to do better.  I guess you could say I was a wallflower.  Just the quiet girl in the class.  Church life was a highlight for me.  I so loved the people that I went to church with and the leaders that took an interest in me.  But, at the same time, I still struggled with the constant ridicule of being shy, not talking, face turning red, quiet voice, still not feeling good enough or worthy enough for any attention that I may have gotten from anyone.  Many times I just wanted to disappear.

Even in my 50’s I can still hear things that were said to me about how I looked, talked or dressed.  As you probably remember from my story that my father left when I was 12 and he really wasn’t there much before that, but when I was about 16 he was passing through town and stopped at our house and when I came in from school, I really didn’t have anything to say or he to me.  What I do remember him saying is “wow, you sure have fat ankles!”  I walked on to my room and stared at my ankles.  I had never thought about it….I don’t think I really ever noticed my ankles, but hmmm…they must be fat!  Long story short, I can still look at my ankles today and I say to myself, “my ankles are fat, he was right!”

“The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” I Samuel 16:7 (NIV)

Why am I sharing this with you?  Because, you and I have to realize something!  WE, thats me and you, are created in the image of God!  He designed us to be something fabulous for HIM!  WE are here to bring honor and glory to Jesus Christ in our daily living and to share the good news of Christ with everyone we meet. *If you have never invited Christ into your life, please click here.

How can we do that when we feel ugly and defeated?  We can’t!  That is why the enemy is determined to bring you and me down.  Any possible way that this can be accomplished, it will be tried on us.

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” I Peter 5:8 (NKJV)

What can be done to win this battle of our self worth?  By getting in to God’s Word, know and study who God is and realize what an amazing miracle your life is.  Even with all the dysfunction, all the mean things people say and do to you……ALL of that can be used to show God’s Amazing Grace and Love to others that need to see and hear it!  YOU have a story!  You may have grown up with two parents who loved you, loved each other and loved the Lord with all their hearts, straight A student, friends coming out of the wood work and you could still struggle with self worth.  By the way, social media can be a doozy for feeling worthy.  How thankful I am that social media wasn’t around when I was in jr. high and high school.  Come to think of it, I’m glad it wasn’t around when I was raising my children!  *coming soon….we will be talking about social media and the comparison trap!  Raise your hand if you need that like I do?

Guard your heart!  Don’t let the enemy whisper negative things about you in your ear.  Don’t let him use other people that have no self worth themselves to take you down with them.  Guard your children’s hearts, teach them to love and accept others as they are.  Look around you and see who may need a pat on the back, a hug, a simple kind word.  Make it a goal to build someone up every day, those in your home to a stranger you pass out in the world.  Don’t judge someone by their status in life, especially children.  Don’t treat a child by who their parents are!  I’ve seen people only speak to kids who parents are of high status and ignore those that couldn’t do anything for them.  Don’t be that way!  You are a child of the King of Kings and you have a mission to accomplish.  You must hold your head up and know who and what you are here for. To do this, you have to know who you are in Christ and don’t ever let anyone try to make you feel not good enough to serve Him. Trust me, they will…they are out there.  They are in your community, they are in your family and yes, even in your church.  Stand strong, hold your head up, know who your Heavenly Father is and be the best YOU possible!  You have a lot to offer!  No one can be you, except you!  What an advantage you have!

“Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the Lord.” Psalm 31:24 (NKJV)

By the way.  Remember, Curtis who told me I was ugly on a regular basis?  One day, we were in line to go to lunch.  I was standing behind him and he turned around and said it again, “Man, You are Ugly!!!”  Everyone was watching and snickering.  For some reason, all I could muster up to say was, “I wasn’t born for you!!!”  I have no idea where that came from and why I said it!  Everyone started laughing and he never bothered me again!  Go figure!

NOW………..go make a difference in your world!

Live Your Life with Watermark

 

 

 

 

Fashion Friday!

 

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Welcome to my first attempt on a “What I Wore” picture!  I follow several fashion bloggers and I always love seeing their “OOTD.”  It took me a while to figure out that OOTD stood for “Outfit Of The Day.”  This was taken on a day that I was going to lunch with a friend and then running a few errands around town. So, here we go:

3/4 length t-shirt in light beige – Chico’s.

Blue vest with cream lace – Chico’s.

Denim ankle jeans with lace in rips (I don’t know how else to describe that) – Chico’s.

*can you tell that I like shopping at Chico’s?

Sandals with assorted color jewels – DSW Shoes

Most of my jewelry on this day was from Brighton.

*By the way,  if you go to Chico’s, be sure to sign up for their customer discount card.  You will get an extra percentage off plus receive coupons and catalogs.  I have found that you need to always ask when checking out if you have any coupons on your account. Chico’s has outlet stores in some cities and you can find some really good deals.  If you purchase from an outlet and you need to return it, you can’t return to a regular store….it has to be returned to an outlet store.  You can ask me how I know this.

*DSW Shoes has a customer card as well….I’ve received some really good coupons from them several times, including a birthday discount.  My favorite so far has been a $20.00 off coupon.  Woohoo!

*When you shop at Brighton, they will put you in their system and you will receive their catalogs and invitations to special events. Last Christmas I received an invitation for a special shopping night and I won a $50.00 gift card. Yay! They will also set up a wish list for you with all the things that you are dreaming of and when hubby goes shopping for you they can show him everything you have your eye on.  I have to say that I enjoy shopping at official Brighton Boutiques rather than stores that just carry a few Brighton pieces.  Oh, and if you ever go to the Brighton Outlet such as the one in San Marcos, Texas, pace yourself and breathe slowly!  Talk about some good deals!!!  Wow!

Speaking of fashion.….I recently completed a Christian Image Consulting course with Shari Braendel!

I am now a certified  Christian Image Consultant!  Yay!

I’m very excited!  What will I be doing as a CIC?  That’s a good question!  Tune in next Friday for more details.  And…we will see if I’m brave enough for another OOTD?

Purses, Handbags and Wallets, Oh My!

Don’t you love it when you find just the right purse?  

Here are the things I look for in a purse:

*Comfortable to carry

*Easy to organize all my things in

*Looks pretty/cute/stylish

*Sturdy and easy to keep clean

*Not too large and not too small

*Isn’t crazy expensive

I’m not one to have to have a certain brand name in my purse.  I would rather have more purses to choose from than one very expensive purse.  I’ve bought purses at expensive stores all the way down to the very inexpensive retail stores.

I spotted a purse at Dillards a few weeks ago and couldn’t stop thinking about it.  It is a brand that I had never heard of before.  It was way out of the box for me in the price range, so I had to really think hard about it.  Yesterday, I took the plunge and bought it.  I got carried away and bought the wallet to match. The brand of my new handbag and wallet is, Brahmin.  Oh, I saw a beautiful turquoise color that I can’t stop thinking about in that same brand.  I’m thinking if they would have had this style in the turquoise, it might have gone home with me instead.  But, I was looking for a purse that was close to the color of my hair. (I’ll explain that more later.)

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This is the handbag that I purchased at Dillard’s. I love the style and color. I should have taken a side picture. It almost looks like a mini suitcase.

The thing that sold me on this purse was the style and how easy it was to carry and open up to put my things in.  My friend, Shari Braendel who is a Fashion Stylist/Coach and the author of “Help Me, Jesus! I Have Nothing to Wear!” said the following about choosing the right purse:

If you are 5’8 and a size 10 or above; go for the oversized handbags.

If you re 5’2 or under and a size 0-4;  go with the small or medium size handbag.

If you don’t fit in either category, stay in the medium range of purses.  Don’t go too large and never too small.

I’m 5’8, but I usually stick with the medium size handbags.  I don’t carry a lot of things in my purse, and  when I’ve tried the large handbags, it feels really strange because the few items I am carrying are rolling around in my purse.  Plus, just cumbersome to me.  I like things simple and easy.

Shari also says that a good color for your purse is the color of your hair.  Of course, I got confused on that part because I love so many colors of purses.   She then told me, if you carry one main purse, have it be the color of your hair.  I do switch purse colors according to what I’m wearing or the season.  But, I did want one handbag that matched my hair that would be my go to purse that I carried a majority of the time.

Did you notice how I used the word purse and then the word handbag?  There is a difference!  My other friend, (I’m thankful to have met such amazing women) Joy Weaver, who is an expert in all things manners and etiquette and the author of “How To Be Socially Savvy In All Situations,” shared with me the difference in the purse and the handbag.

“A purse is under $100 and a handbag is over $100.”

“Never go into Neiman Marcus and ask for a purse…They don’t have them.” – Joy Weaver

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This is my Stein Mart purchase. I paid $39.99 for this one. Thought it would be a fun easy purse when I’m more casual.

Are you choosing a new purse for the Spring?  What color and style will you be looking for?

Happy purse/handbag hunting!

 

 

 

My Fashion Style!

#6 Blog-tember Challenge from Brave Love Blog.

“Share your style. What fashion trends do you love, frequent, or avoid?”

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I have a few fashion boards on my Pinterest site that you can view to get an idea of the style that I like.

I am always attracted to more of a classic romantic style.  Is that such a style?

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I love jewelry and have way too much of it.  Pearls are always my favorite and lately I’ve been obsessed with turquoise and other colors of stones and jewels.

Shoes are always fun.

On a typical day, I will usually have on a pair of classic jeans, boot cut of course, with a nice jacket or top.

I’m really excited for the Fall season as I love boots, jackets and sweaters.  I really like to wear skirts in the cooler months with a pair of boots.

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