I certainly love some celebrities’ style. Like Audrey Hepburn. So simple, clean, and beautiful—Ann Taylor-esque. That used to be me when I worked in Corporate America. But, it definitely doesn’t define me now.

I now find myself in kind of a hodge-podge state, wondering what my style is period. Can any of you work-at-home gals relate? It’s like I have multiple style personalities:

• The work-at-home attire
• The going-out-during-the-day look (to meet a client, lunch with friends, etc.)
• The cocktail-party style

My Work-at-Home Attire

When I’m behind the computer for 10 hours straight, I’m all about the comfy factor. And to achieve that, some days, I relish in the whole layered look. Layered meaning wearing two t-shirts—one with short sleeves and the other with long sleeves to go underneath the top layer. Aren’t two always better than one… except in summer?

As the perfect companion to this double tee look, whenever I can get away with it, I wear my favorite Old Navy flip flops. You know the kind? They’re on sale for usually about $5.00 and are probably the worst shoes ever for your feet, but are so comfy you just can’t help yourself? I made the mistake of all fashion mistakes by wearing them with socks earlier this winter. I know! Horrible, right? But, I just can’t seem to get into winter this year and some days it was just too cold to go out without my socks on. I embarrassed even myself and put a stop to it!

Since this hasn’t been my look until recently, I only have about one pair of jeans, so I pretty much wear the same pair all the time. My sis made me buy some Target jeans yesterday. The jury is out on whether they really look good or whether she was just being kind. I’ll have to show Allison, because she’ll be honest with me. Everyone needs an Allison in their fashion life!

My Going-Out-During-the-Day Look

Because I’m not a comfy dresser at my core, unless I’m really lazy (which happens a lot, but don’t let it confuse you), I love looking somewhat put together when I go out during the day. I’ll be straight up with you. I love black. I would wear monochrome black all the day long paired with bold MAC eye shadow just so people didn’t think I was trying to copy Johnny Cash. However, wearing monochrome black all the time gets old. So, now, I wear all black with bold wool tights (like my favorite mustard colored ones from H&M).

My Cocktail-Party Style

This next part is what stumps me and this is where the hodge-podge style comment comes into play. I love getting dressed up for an event! I seriously die for cocktail party attire even if it requires walking really slow as I learn how to move from $5.00 flip flops to three-inch heels. I like pretty dresses, fun tights, and getting as close to my dream of being 5’9 as possible. Red lipstick and bold MAC eyeshadow is the icing on the cake… or fun short hair with awesome highlights.

Why does this stump me? Because I can’t find a common thread among all three looks. I don’t feel overly conservative or comfy, but I don’t feel really bold in my style either.

Which Celebrity Defines My Personal Style?

So, which celebrity most closely defines my comfy behind-the-computer look with a simple, but nice go-out-during-the-day look with a fun style that pops for cocktail parties? You tell me!

What celebrity most closely defines your style? Do you like to dress up, or are you more comfortable with the casual look?

Photo courtesy of flickr.

Tops: Classic White Button Down

Outfit #1

Outfit #2

Pants: Black Leggings

Outfit #1

Outfit #2

Shoes: Boots

Outfit #1

Outfit #2

What is your favorite basic piece to have in your closet? How do you mix and match basics to create new looks?

*All outfit images from Polyvore, my newest obsession*

Ashley Stauffer is the author of “The Stauffer Shenanigans,” a blog about her family, weight loss, fashion, recipes, mommy rants and rambles, and anything else that suits her fancy. Check her out at www.thestauffershenanigans.com. 

After all, nobody is going to know if you sit around in front of the computer in your pajamas all day. Well, nobody except you. And herein lies the problem. When you’re rolling out of bed at the crack of noon, wearing the same tired PJs day in and day out, and basically neglecting your looks (and possibly your hygiene), your self-esteem is going to plummet, and with it your work ethic and even your personal relationships. The way you look has a huge effect on how you feel and function. So here are just a few tips on what to wear when you work at home.

For starters, you want to keep it simple. As a work-at-home mom, you don’t have a lot of time for primping and putting on fussy outfits. The best place to begin is by setting an early alarm and hopping in the shower. Nothing will start your day off right like an eye-opening shower, and you really need to try to wake up on a schedule (or risk rising later and later each day). So with these basics accounted for, you can begin to determine your level of effort on the looks front.

It’s really not necessary to spend an hour and a half on your hair and makeup (after all, the kids need to be fed and sent to school before you can start your day). Opt for a haircut that can air dry perfectly with a bit of shine serum or styling cream. Then discover the joys of a five-minute face. You’ll be surprised how much a tinted moisturizer, light blush, lipgloss, and a swipe of mascara can do to perk you up every day.

Now to your wardrobe; you’ll want to start with some basic activewear. It is a common misconception that this term applies exclusively to exercise clothing, and although most activewear can be used for the purposes of exercise, it also provides for a workable wardrobe that is both comfortable and fashionable for the woman on the go (with kids and a home-based business to manage, you definitely fall into this category). The beauty of activewear is that it is fitted, but not fussy. Soft, stretch fabrics conform to your body (unlike flannel pajamas or sweats) but they are still comfortable and easy to clean (no trips to the dry-cleaner). Hoodies, tees, thermals, leggings, and even cargo pants are considered activewear, so stock up on options that are both flattering and eminently comfortable.

Of course, you can always throw in some dark denim, a couple pairs of slacks, and a few nice tops for days when you’re meeting a client or having lunch with the girls. But the main point is to save the pajamas for sleeping and dress like you actually care about how you look during the day. This will not only help your relationship (no matter how supportive your partner is, nobody likes to see shapeless PJs all the time); it will also help you to feel good, which will no doubt improve every area of your life.

What is your favorite go-to outfit when you’re working from home? What clothing makes you look stylish and feel comfortable?

Photo courtesy of Flickr.

Elizabeth Retton writes for tshirtprinting.net where you can design your own custom clothing at affordable prices.

Everyone seems to be happy when it’s sunny in Seattle, I’ve found. And what made my trip even happier was a fun Aveda event I attended with my fave Seattle peeps, where they treated us to hand treatments, makeovers, and hair styles, using the Aveda Summer Solutions product line, including my fave, Sun Care Hair and Body Cleanser—perfect for getting rid of the chlorine.

Sound heavenly? Then head on over to your local Aveda store, mention the secret word “11Summer” and receive a free Aveda sample.

For a chance to win Aveda products, check out this giveaway.

Prize

One lucky winner will receive:

• One (1) 8.5 fl oz Damage Remedy™ Restructuring Shampoo (USD $24)
• One (1) 6.7 fl oz Damage Remedy™ Restructuring Conditioner (USD $24)
• One (1) 3.4 fl oz. Damage Remedy™ Daily Hair Repair (USD $24)

That’s a $72 value!

Entry Requirements

For a chance to enter and win, complete the following requirements and leave a separate comment for each, including a link to your original tweet. (You can access it by clicking the time stamp on your tweet and grabbing the link from the URL bar. Comments not including the URL to their original tweet will not be considered.)

• Visit the website (Aveda.com/video), watch a “How To” video, then come back to this post and leave a comment letting us know one thing you learned from the video.
• Tweet the following: “I just learned how to ___________________ with @Aveda and couldn’t be more excited! #AvedaSS”

Extra Entries

You will earn one extra entry (total of two) when you do the following:

• Like the Mom It Forward Facebook page for one extra entry: http://facebook.com/momitforward
• Tweet the following: “RT @momitforward Giveaway! Enter 4 chance 2 win an @Aveda summer hair/skin care prize pack. http://bit.ly/jHfebH PLS RT”

Terms and Conditions

Winners will be selected randomly through http://random.org. No purchase necessary to enter. Giveaway ends at 11:59 p.m. ET Thursday, June 30, 2011. See all terms and conditions here. This giveaway is available to U.S. residents only.

Visit Prissy Mommy, Prissy Reviews, or Style Me Prissy, and you’ll see she’s very much into being a mom and being fashionable. Prissy Mommy is filled with pics of her two boys, Chase and Bryce, and her husband Derek, and posts about potty-training and preschool. Prissy Reviews is filled with reviews and giveaways of children’s products; it was started specifically because the readers of her first blog asked her to keep the “commercialism” separate from her motherhood posts. And Style Me Prissy features Yakini as “the woman I’d thought I’d lost when I became a mom,” the beautiful woman who loves crystal-encrusted stilettos, pink lipstick, and diamond salt and pepper shakers.

While she has enjoyed the expansion of her brand, she faces a challenge perhaps unique to her career, which has made the balancing act a little difficult, she says. While most bloggers strive to limit how much they reveal about their families and certainly about their children, just for identity protection, she must also limit what she shares and with whom she shares it because of the inappropriateness of  her patients knowing too much about her personal life. “My blogging definitely has its downsides,” she says. “I continually have to find the balance between what’s appropriate to share and what’s not.”

That being said, Yakini’s psychology background has been a boon to her parenting, in that she understands the science behind it. Ask her what psychology models best apply to parenting and she begins listing Freudian psycho-sexual theories, the Attachment Parenting model, and Donald Winnicott’s theory of the Good-Enough Mother. As Yakini states, the “good-enough mother” starts off with an almost complete adaptation to her infant’s needs, and as time proceeds she adapts less and less completely, gradually, according to the infant’s growing ability to deal with her failure. Her failure to adapt to every need of the child helps them adapt to external realities (source). This kind of mother looks at the bigger picture of her child, whether or not they are happy and healthy overall, doesn’t sweat the small stuff,  and somehow finds the balance.

She passionately wants other moms to accept that they are good enough, and to keep their balance, by realizing two things:

1. You don’t have to lose yourself completely when you become a mother. You can still be a “girly girl” and a stellar mom. Also, it’s okay to date!
2. Stick to your values. Every mother will receive “input” from people around them on anything from breast-feeding to home-schooling. It can be easy to feel self-conscious about your decisions. Don’t.

Once again, you can find Yakini at Prissy Mommy, Prissy Reviews, Style Me Prissy, and on Facebook at The Prissy Mommy Life.

I hear that New York City’s Fashion Week tops many people’s bucket lists. I’ll admit to loving and appreciating style. It moves me in the way all great design does. But, being fashionable isn’t a talent I claim, so I leave the fashion fun to my friends and watch in amazement at their creations.

Given my not-so-stylish ways, you can imagine my surprise when I got invited to Fashion Week. Not to any show, but to see designer Jason Wu and lead stylist Odile Gilbert for Aveda. I found myself at once nervous and giddy to be inspired. And this is where my fashionista friends, and probably all my readers, will shrink in their chairs as they read, because I am now going to share with you, by example no less, the top 10 ways to NOT fit in at Fashion Week.

Top 10 Signs You Don’t Fit in at New York City’s Fashion Week

• TEN—You walk in the door and no one asks for your credentials. In fact, they don’t even look at you as you make your way back stage.
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• NINE—Once back stage, you notice all the food’s gone and immediately think, “Wow! The rumors aren’t true. Models really do eat. I wish they would have saved me some.”
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• EIGHT—You notice that no one’s getting hair and make up done. In fact, there are no models to be found. Does a red flag go up? No. Instead, you think, ” Score! Less waiting time.” Your shoes are killing you anyway, so you’re happy to get this show on the road… or the cat walk!
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• SEVEN—You realize that no one sent you the message about skirts only being 2 inches long this season as you cinch up your knee-length number.
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• SIX—In the same missing message, they didn’t tell you pink coats, that are all the rage in UT, aren’t hip in New York. Apparently, black is the new black!
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• FIVE—You wonder where the brand is that invited you, but figured they must be sooooo busy downstairs that you make yourself useful by looking for the best photo opps for the blog post you’re going to write up all about Jason Wu’s inspirations.
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• FOUR—You thought you had skinny legs until you notice the tooth picks that everyone is walking around on out here and you almost gather a group together to ask if you can snap a pic, which you will immediately entitle, “Bird legs.” It could go viral, right?
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• THREE—You block out a 1 to 2-hour window on your fashion calendar for the show and soon learn they are only as short as 7 minutes and as long as 20.
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• TWO—When you see a chandelier in a box in the room where the fashion show is supposed to be, you should get a clue that something isn’t quite right. But instead, you say: “They’d better hurry and put that up. They’ve only got 20 minutes until the show starts.”
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And the number ONE sign that you do not fit in at Fashion Week…

• You forgot you were on eastern time and showed up after the show was over, when everyone was cleaning up. The thing is, never once did it occur to you the show was already over. You thought they were setting up and were so concerned they weren’t going to have it ready in time for the “3 p.m. show” that you about volunteered to unstack the chairs and help hang the chandelier, not realizing it was an art piece not meant to be hung at all.

After the Show With Jason Wu

Here’s a short slideshow. When you view it, please keep in mind that all the pictures were taken, thinking that everyone was just setting up. Good thing we get a second chance to see a show this Tuesday. Stay tuned for more fashion fun from your favorite no-so-fashionista and rest assured, my stylish friends, I’ll be wearing my skinny jeans this time around. No knee-length skirts for me!

To see what we both missed, check out Jason Wu’s brilliance here: New York Magazine, Huffington Post, New York Times, LA Times, and Wall Street Journal and pictures from the fashion show on Aveda’s Facebook page.

Are you a fashionista? Do you dream of going to Fashion Week? What would your ideal experience include?

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Pictures used with permission by Jen Tilley.

I went to Blissdom with a larger group of Mom It Forward team members: Carissa, Fiona, Jen, Kelly, Kristen, Melissa, Niri, and Sky. On our last night in Tennessee, after we had attended the official Girls’ Night In at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel, we made our way back to our adjoined rooms and continued the girls’ night in fun.

Aveda had provided me with some hair care products to test and I took them with me to Nashville. What could be more fun than trying the product line out together with a bunch of girl friends, right? I wasn’t representing Aveda in any formal capacity and they certainly didn’t realize we’d turn their product line into party favors, but why not?

The result? Fun, laughter, and super soft hair. The treatment worked and was the hit of the party.

Side note: Aveda’s Damage Remedy product line includes a restructuring shampoo and conditioner. But, my favorite product was the leave-on intensive restructuring treatment that “deeply penetrates to help repair, seal and smooth even the most damaged hair. Using the power of pure plant oils and quinoa protein, it restores health, silkiness and shine.” My friend described it to me as a hair makeover and he was right.

So… the next time you are looking for a night in, or out, with the girls, look around, gather up your favorite products, and try them out together. Whether you use hair care products or food, testing together makes for a really fun night with some really goofy pictures!

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What are your favorite Girls’ Night In or Out memories?

5 Crocheting Ideas to Keep the Family Warm Outdoors

Here are five fun crocheting ideas to keep your family warm this winter when they head outdoors:

1. Chunky pocket scarves: These scarves keep your neck warm and you can put your keys or phone in the pockets. Or you can keep your hands warm in the pockets. There is a pocket on each end of the scarf.

2. The twirly scarf: Then going a little more girly, I made a twirly scarf for myself to bring a little flare to my outfits. If you are new to crocheting, scarves are an easy start because it’s pretty much straight lines over and over again.

3. Crochet flower hat: With two little girls at home, I made them matching flower hats. And hats aren’t difficult to make once you figure out how to begin with a ring and crochet in rounds.

4. Striped children’s scarf: Another way to dress the children warm is making them a scarf. I love making chunky scarves because they take no time to make. I spiced it up by making it striped.

5. Crochet baby booties: These baby booties are a little more complicated to crochet, but they are the perfect thing for keeping those newborn toes warm. They also make great baby gifts too.

Tiffany Bird is a mom of two little girls and blogging at Simply Modern Mom. A site dedicated to simplifying the lives of modern moms. Simply Modern Mom is a community where moms exchange ideas about crafty tutorials, parenting tips and much more.

]]> http://momitforward.com/crocheting-stay-warm-ideas-for-your-family-this-winter/feed 1 http://momitforward.com/fashion-that-flirts http://momitforward.com/fashion-that-flirts#comments Thu, 28 Oct 2010 11:00:12 +0000 petitelefant http://momitforward.com/?p=9382 There’s really nothing more fun to me than expressing a little bit of sass with fashion. I mean truly, where else can you express yourself so completely and personally. Okay, there are plenty of places but that’s neither here nor …

Here’s the challenge: You must choose 15 pieces of clothing that will be on your only wardrobe for 30 days. You can have all the accessories you want. Outerwear doesn’t count. Jammies, skivvies and exercise clothes are free passes as well.

How’s that sound? A bit insane?

It was.

But it also provided the greatest sense of style and lifestyle clarity I’ve had in a long time.

For the month of September I participated in Felicia Sullivan’s Ultimate Closet Editing Challenge. The impetus for this insanity was simple. Was it possible to live simply? To apply some creativity to mixing and matching instead of mindlessly purchasing? To get back to basics and be thoughtful about clothing and style?

I had to publicly commit to my 15 chosen pieces. I will admit to cheating a small handful of times, but nothing outrageous. (If you count not choosing almost NUDITY at the office not outrageous —and I DO.) There was a big difference mentally for me between the first half of the month and the last half. Having almost all my clothes “taken away” from me immediately, put me into an almost desperate mindset.

OMG! What will I WEAR?! I have to PLAN and make sure things are CLEAN…

And, yes, that was the case. It was a true definition of the mindset of scarcity. I have LESS. It’s harder to work with LESS. I don’t like having LESS. LESS is worse than MORE.The first two weeks were a cocktail of hard and frustrating and boring and interesting. At the halfway point I moaned about my lack of options (partially due to the lack of FALL where I live). But I also started to realize a few things.

The most important thing I discovered was that I really liked nice things. Sounds ridiculously simple, but here’s where it became important to face that and own it. I love nice things. When I love something, I wear it more and take great care of it and generally feel great. This holds true for a Michael Kors ensemble or a $12 necklace from J.C. Penny. There is nothing wrong with any of that.

What is wrong is to buy things just to buy them. Quantity will never trump quality. Buying for quantity is a scarcity mentality. Buying for quality is full of abundance—regardless of price.

I now view my wardrobe not as my closet, but as my collection. Because a collection is thoughtful and interesting. It is beautiful and inspired and full of joy. And since my clothing and style are a reflection of who I am—why not choose beauty and thoughtfulness and inspiration and joy?

I did a huge closet clean out right before beginning this challenge. I thought I had done a good job—and at the time I had. But two days after the challenge ended, I went in and cut some more. Ruthlessly. I’ve never been so thrilled to donate or give away clothes that not only take up valuable space in my closet, but also no longer represent the style I choose or the person I am.

To commemorate this challenge and its importance, I had a portrait done. I was plainly certain about its elements— naked and an empty bag. I can’t think of two better images to describe the end of this challenge. A blank slate and an empty bag –

Imagine if you were that blank slate and your bag was empty. How would you fill it?

What’s stopping you from attaining your authentic style and authentic collection?