Outfit of the Day

Here it is! My first Outfit of the Day!!! It's awesome right? Um.....Sarah, that looks like you have on a t-shirt and some workout pants with an unfortunate seam in the front that looks sort of like a.....well, it's just unfortunate! Why did you post that?
Do you like how I just write those questions right out for you? It's to save you some trouble and hopefully, some of my dignity. ;)


Ok gals, this is  me in muh workout gear. I hit the gym for the first time since I hurt my knee in September! I had joined a gym and was working with a personal trainer when, trying to be an obedient student, I headed to a class as part of my fitness regimen. I BEGGED my sweet gal pal, Becky to go with me. It took some convincing, but I'd always had a good time in cardio dance classes, so I figured this would be just as fun! I'm so glad she agreed to go with me because, 4 minutes into the class as we were hopping side to side, my ACL snapped clean in half and my meniscus tore all the way to the center (the meniscus is a disc shaped cushion in the center of your knee). I was in worse pain than ever in my life. I hit the floor screaming! I think I blacked out. It was awful.

The months after that were so, so horrible. I spent months in pain 100% of the time.....100%. It was amazing to me that I got no break from it despite the bottle of pills the doctor prescribed.
I am a hairdresser (sort of - still gotta take those exit exams and snatch up my state board license!!). Being unable to stand was horrible for business, as in, I lost all mine. I couldn't take part in life. I couldn't do......a...n...y...t...h..i...n....g. I was so, so, so down.

I started physical therapy after my surgery. I was promised there that I was going to regain strength and functionality in my knee. I just wanted that in general, so I jumped right on board THAT train. Anyone who knows me knows that I do not enjoy physical activity unless it involves shopping bags, but gentle words and encouraging smiles and many, many, many moments laughing left me willing to go back appointment after appointment. After a number of months, I finished my stint in physical therapy. After a number of a few more months, I re-entered society. I lived in it through the holiday season and the weeks thereafter.

That bring us to today. I had polished off the 2 BAGS of Hershey kisses that I bought after Valentine's Day after having an entire week last week of trying to consume every possible sugary substance I could! Today I thought "What the what? Something is not on point with my insides if I keep 'needing' all this sugar! Time to clean things out. Also, I am physically not as strong as I should be."

During the months of physical therapy, I got another gal pal in one of my physical therapists! She had offered to let me come to her gym.......2 months ago, but you know Sarah put that off....until I just.....couldn't...put it off.....any....more. I sent her a text today telling her that today had to be the day.

Do you know that I was nervous?! I am so intimidated by the gym! I don't know what the machines do. I don't know how heavy things should be. I don't know how to work this machine that houses my soul, and I am one of the most mechanically physically awkward people I have ever seen. Sarah, what is mechanically physically awkward? Hahahah...It's clutzy. It's a wordy, nerdy way of saying clutzy. So the prospect of going to the gym is SCARY!!!!!! I did not play sports ever - except for 3 weeks of JV volleyball in 6th grade. I was slow and real small, so all I got from the experience was 2 very bruised arms. I froze during the only game I played in and cost my team the win. For this reason, I prefer artistic pursuits. Hahahaha.

Well, my fran spent this evening putting me through the ringer and burning up all kinda lactic acid in this body. I am already sore, but you know what? I'm stronger. I learned. I burned fat and built muscle. I cleaned up yucky things inside my body. I spent time giggling with my friend.

So my outfit is my gym clothes. Everything is from Target......from the clearance rack - hence the weird pants (they also hit right above the ankle and flare out at the hem - they look so terrible). I despise buying workout clothes, so they are boring and weird, but guess what I LOVE about this picture. I love that smile. You know why? It is....

SATISFACTION!!!!!!!!

Just go get you summah that, gals. NOTHING will make you feel ugly after you've got that in your handbag!

Grammy’s Fashion and Beauty Review

Oh Grammy’s, how we love you. Your outrageousness and creativity never disappoint – until this year, that is. Apparently this year, the authorities of the Grammy’s sent out a memo to all the invitees to keep things classy.  After J-Lo’s plunging Versace dress in 2000, things got a lil crazy in the exposure department, so they literally established a dress code for this year’s festivities. I find this quite interesting as it has been at least a decade since we heard about dress codes being imposed on celebrities for ANYthing. We sort of rely on them for pushing the envelope before they open it on the awards stages, but, nevertheless, this year there was a code to follow.
I did not catch the show live last night (I was watching an interview with Clint Romesha – the most recent recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor), but I knew today would supply me with PLENTY of info. I was excited to sit down this morning and dive into all the coverage  because I thought that the dress code would cause the group of creativity nerds (music artists) to tap into their crafty souls and bring it with some wacky or gorgeous conceptual attire. I went to several media outlets and started clicking through galleries and found a bunch of sloppy haired girls in boring cocktail dresses! WHAT?!?!?!
Here’s my humble review of what went wrong:

Adele….my love, sweet new momma, thank you for sporting your signature winged eye and rosy lip, but the only person who got away with wearing home furnishings as a dress was Scarlet O’Hara. This Valentino creation looks like the singer stood with outstretched arms in the middle of a JoAnn’s Fabric store and then spun around until her body was covered enough to meet the new dress code requirements. I tried to consider scale as far as this garment is concerned. Sometimes designers really do design for the super skinny, so I thought about what this would look like on a much thinner lady……nope. Still ugly. The frock combined with the pale rose nails and “safe” button earrings makes me think immediately of the retirement home my grandmother lived in during my childhood.
On to Kat Denning’s red carpet choice. What is your first thought? My first is that the “Two Broke Girls” star (who was also in House Bunny!) must have been too broke to do something about her super dry hair! Conditioning treatment anyone? The color combination of the dress color and the nail colors are not in the same palette tonally, so they are very distracting to me. The dress is Vivienne Westwood – a time tested design house, but this one is a misfire. I’ve seen more strongly constructed dresses at Dillard’s during prom season. This picture does not show the hemline, but it is asymmetrical. It looks to me like a castoff from the wardrobe of Clueless. I think the look might have been rescued had she gone a super edgy direction with her jewelry – something substantial or dark in color to contrast against the preciousness of this periwinkle shade……moving on…..

Ok, 2Chainz, you look like a creep at a costume party in junior high. I think I bought that belt at New York and Company 5 years ago, and that cape is does not make me think “Oh, yeah…..I can see it. Cool! I get the concept.”……No. It looks like you’re trying too hard.
The picture on the right is of Kim English and Frankie. I’m gonna be honest. I recognized 2Chainz before I recognized these two, but they were there and they had on clothes, so we’re gonna talk about this. Ms. English, you don’t need those gloves. Take them off and then head to Sally’s and purchase some new hair for the Grammy’s. It’s for special, so go ahead and splurge on it. Also, let’s wear some makeup. That dark dress could definitely carry a bold lip. The dress is really cutecicles. Frankie, your dress is super cute, albeit boring. Your collar is cute too, but it’s too close to the dress’s neckline, and it’s too similar in color  without matching exactly. Your gold nails were cute, but I can’t even notice them because of the collar necklace and your cheap looking purse strap over your shoulder.

Left: KatVonD!!!!! I could wear this dress to church!….also it looks like a couch! These things aren’t necessarily a problem. The contradiction of KatVonD and a super covering dress combined with the vintage fabric are both spot on style-wise, but it’s…..safe. It’s just so boring just by itself. Right: Denise Donatelli. Why is it that some Grammy’s attendees had atrociously dry hair?!?! This coiffure looks like she hit the gym immediately before dressing for the event. Also, this was another example of someone following the new modesty code who missed the memo that it was for the GRAMMY’SSSSSS. Keep it edgy! The fluffy hair, garish makeup and sad looking orange clutch didn’t do enough to travel with the heavy dress.
Let’s move on to some things that WERE great! Take a look at these:


And the suits have it. Men inspired women’s wear and menswear in general got my vote. Jeannie Mai looks perfect. She kept to her own style, followed the dress code but still looked edgy and on trend. Like her “tie” necklace? Could you see wearing that with a little black dress or t-shirt and jeans too? And J.T. looks nothing short of yummy. I like his cartoony tie and the pocket square with the contrasting edging.

Mumford & Sons looked absolutely honest and on point. I love it that they dressed just as they would for a live performance. They brought spice, but they don’t look costumey. This look could easily translate to every day life too! Great job, guys!



Miranda Lambert looked stunning in her black Roberto Cavalli number. Bronzed skin and softly (but neatly) waved hair were finished perfectly with some chandelier earrings and a cuff on her wrist. Kaley Cuoco has me itching to get some puffy paint and embroidery floss and be-fancy a discount blazer to copy this look. I LOVES it!!! The razzle dazzle flats with a discount evening dress behind Cuoco left something to be desired, but we’ll celebrate Kaley’s fierce fashion in spite of it. Taylor Swift looks like a gentle Greek goddess in the J. Mendel gown she wore for the awards show. Take some ideas from the combination of the soft white fabric with the silver glitter. Think about combining glittery metallics with a solid color as we close out winter and enter into springtime. See the same concept in Cuoco’s look too? Hmmmm TREND ALERT!!!!!
Feel a little lost? DON’T! Let’s examine what ended up as more “successful” with these celeb looks and why the things that didn’t work didn’t work. Item number one is that the “do’s” were all event appropriate. They were still edge and informal but dressed up at the same time. There was that little something extra on top of really fun outfits. Item number two is that each person stayed true to themselves. They didn’t TRY to catch anyone’s eye. They just did.
The looks that didn’t work for me were either dated or too severe or over-styled. Coco Chanel always said “Before you leave, take one thing off” – this coming from the woman who made Mr. T look under accessorized with her multiple strands of pearls during a period of super linear super minimalistic fashion. The point being, you’re going to get a lot of ideas while you dress as long as you give yourself license to be creative, but, just to be sure, find one thing in your outfit that you could either take off or simplify. Also, a rule I’ve always liked to follow is, always make sure there is SOME example of contradiction in your outfit – put a leather jacket with a soft, flowy skirt, a large pattern in pants against a tiny pattern in a shirt, super fancy shoes with basic jeans, blah, blah, blah. It works.
Anyway, that’s it for today. It was fun to dissect all of these stylings of fashion. My opinions aren’t necessarily right, remember? Style is limitless! These are my thoughts. What are yours?

5 Fashion Do's

*YAWN.....Ok gals, I've had a nice nap from my blog, but now I've got some fashion caffeine that's got me hoppin', and I want to share the energy with you!
      Here's what I've got today. I was just reading the four-hundred-millionth article on how to dress different body types. It was very nice. It was very polite and hopeful, but it was also a little confusing and I didn't agree with all of it. I thought "I bet my gals wouldn't mind if I offered just a few, like 5, pointers on how to navigate through fashion". So here goes!
       Now plop down on your sofa and stick the spoon right into the Nutella jar and let's get down to business.

Rule #1:  Buy things that actually fit you. Well how can I KNOW that they fit, Sarah? The cuts of things nowadays are so weird to me. My 90's Kelly Kapowski stone-washed jeans felt NOTHING like those Seven for All Missing Me whatchamacall'ems! Well, darling, This is what I mean. Your Kelly Kapowski's, the Seven for All Mankind or the Miss Me's (you're welcome for detangling those) are cut differently, but they are all cut intentionally.
PANTS and SKIRTS
       As far as pants or skirts go, follow this rule first and foremost: NO puckering or cupping. Even a snuggly cut party dress will lie flat against the curve of your bum. Stretching across the front also gives the appearance that you have a paunch when you may not - or at least not one that big. Pants should not reveal your cheeks in the back either at the top or the bottom. NO ONE looks good in pants that look like they're.....well......something your cheeks are snacking on. I don't know how else to say it. It's gross. The same rule applies to the front view. Check it. Do the world and just check before you leave the house. And....crack kills; crack is whack. We don't want to see yours.
      The second rule for pants and skirts is: sagging pants are for diapered babies - not grown ladies. Even the blousy Kelly Kapowski's fell in a graceful way. If the back seam of your pants extends more than 1 inch past your crotch, you should either congratulate yourself for losing the weight you've been trying to lose or slap yourself for buying pants that look like you're a 9 year old trying desperately to fit into your big sister's clothes. If you are short and get bunchy legs syndrome a lot, you can try paying more for more precisely sized clothes (petite shops and such) or pay to get a tailor. If you visit one regularly and establish a relationship, you may be able to do trades on things or get special deals for being such a good customer. Yes, people still do things like that all the time, and no, wearing capri pants as regular length pants doesn't fool ANYONE!
SHIRTS and JACKETS
         Ok, this is where things can get tricky. The basic same rules apply. If it's supposed to cover your belly or boobies and it doesn't, it's too small. Give it away. If there are buttons, they should not look like they're about to pop open. I know that makes is so hard for busty babes like me to find button-downs, doesn't it? Here's a trick that might work in a pinch: buy in the little boys' department (for solid white or blue or black - no crazy mascu-what what designs) or in the mens' department. Women's shirts are cut like an inverted triangle. Men's shirts are cut like a rectangle with even a tiny bit more of give in the torso area. This can fit nicely through the shoulders and bust and look just fine with a quick tuck in. If you are super ambitious, measure the sides while you still have the shirt on and pin how far in the sides need to come. It is a lot easier to bring in the sides of a shirt than it is to bring in the shoulders which brings me to my next point. If the shoulders of the shirt extend more than 1/2 an inch past your shoulders, that shirt is too big. I'm sorry. It's just not going to work. Well, what about "boyfriend" styles and whatnot? Gal, they are just that "styles". If you hold up an actual men's sweater to a boyfriend style, you will be able to see slight differences. This is more important in woven materials than it is knits anyway.

Rule #2: Buy things that are current or progressive. Sarah, I know I have worn the same style of jeans/shorts/shoes, etc. since high school, but they're classic. Besides, I JUST bought these/this. They sell it at fill-in-the-blank-store-name!.........no....you keep using that word, but I don't think you understand the meaning of that word. Here it is according to Wikipedia:
Classic:

Adjective Judged over a period of time to be of the highest quality and outstanding of its kind.

Noun A work of art of recognized and established value.

Clothes are never classic. The mere nature of fashion itself is that it is constantly dynamic. Think about the color green. The popularity of different shades or tones has not transcended time. You KNOW you have seen a shade of green that made you think of something not so lovely. This also applies to shapes of every article of clothing or accessory......all of them. Classic is a style; not fashion. (Read my other blog post to learn the difference) Do NOT keep wearing the same style of anything after everyone else around you has stopped. Just don't. No one is asking you to look like an extra from Zoolander, but, if you are reading this post, that means you have some shred of desire to be fashionably current. So swallow your pride and throw away those weird old sandals. They are weird, and you know it.

Rule# 3: Do not buy the same article of anything in more than one color. Ok, you can get away with 2 of the same thing, but do not wear them back to back, and do not exceed 2. Life does not require a uniform, unless it does, in which case, one will probably be issued to you. But Sarah! I work at a salon/store/daycare/my house! I have to wear so MUCH black/khaki/jersey! NO! No you don't! You are not Mr. Rogers! You can buy lots of the same color, but not 5 of the same sweater or t-shirt. No. You get one life of fashion. Put that 3rd shirt right back on the rounder before you dig your fashion grave!
 
Rule #4: If it's non-sale price is super cheap, it probably looks like that's how much it's worth. But Sarah! I'm broke! I do not have the cash to wander the mall! Two words - clear-ance. Two more words: thrift store. I have clothed myself into a more than full closet by hunting the 70% off racks at Target and the 85% off racks at Kohls. I may dress a little crazy sometimes, but ain't nobody tellin me my clothes ugly! Listen, a $4.00 shirt from Wal-Mart or a $45 shirt that's only going to COST $4.00 are two different creatures, and you know that's true. Plus, a better made items will last much longer and need to be replaced less often, so - cheaper in the long run. WHAT!! I just schooled ya. Consider yourself schooled. Getcho self a passing grade now, gurr! Now, this does not mean that ALL super discount things cannot be used, but using them sparingly is fashion smarter.

Rule #5: Love it. Your body, I mean. Dress yourself. Don't try to be something you're not. If you are tall, your clothes will not make you appear shorter. If you are short, wearing pants that are too long will not make people think "Oh wow! That tall person was so lucky to find pants that were too long!". If you are skinny, wearing clothes that are too big will not make people think that you are fleshier, and if you are thick, wearing clothes with a certain number on the size tag will not make you that size. Be you. You are fearfully and wonderfully made!!! You are pretty great, and remember, EVERY woman has beauty!

Now get out there and do some closet purgin!

Interview with an Ingénue

Ingénue:n. an endearingly innocent and inexperienced young girl

                                                                           

Here, gals, is a fun new feature.  I have discovered that it’s not just grown gals that have information that we’d like to know. Our diminutive divas have something to share, so, one by one, I’m gonna give them their chance.  Hence: Interview with an Ingénue.

Ingénue: Laina                     Age: 3

 

What is your favorite music genre?

....mmmmm, pwincess.

Ok. Who is your favorite actress?

....mmmm, PWINcess.

What is the best way to wear this scarf?

uhhh

Like, how would you put that on? (I touch the scarf and scoot it towards her)

I don't wanna put dat onnnn

How would you put it on ME?

uhhh...but, I can't do it aww dah way

Ok. Just try some. Here. I'll come sit closer to you. If I put it here.....what would you do first? (I put the scarf in front of her in a heap and pick up a corner and then drop it) Oh I don't even know where to start. What would you do first?

She scoots a little closer to the scarf and starts to fiddle with it with her head cocked to one side

uhhh....make it like a soohcull (circle) She picks up different pieces and, with a strategy all her own, she folds different pieces into the center of the heap.

Nice. And then how would you put that on my neck?

Wuhl..dus like dis..and den it goes liiike dis (she lifts the heap, twirls it a little and then sets it down) Das dah way ih is. (She sits back on her haunches, very satisfied, and then picks up the bangles laying in front of her)

Okay. And just like pick it right up and throw it over? (I pick up the now more linear heap and arrange it on my shoulders and neck)

Yeah

Like that?

Yeah!

Okay, I love it.

Your favorite shoes are these Cinderella wedges, right? What is your favorite thing about them?

mmm....dese (these)

What color are they?

Uhh...blue

Like, what do you like about them?

Dehw (they're) spawkly like inside like dis (she turns the one that I have lifted to show me the glitter on the front)

Denim, like jean, in fashion for 2013 or out?

mmm...OUT (she really takes almost no time to answer. It makes me have serious questions about my outfits for the upcoming season)

Silver tone or gold tone? (I hold up the contrasting bangles that she's been playing with. She looks back and forth, examining)

mmm.....dat

Silver.

What do you think? The big debate in fashion right now. Red lip or nude lip? (I pick up and remove the lids of the two lipstick shades I brought for her visuals. A spark lights in her blue peepers, and she rises from sitting position to kneeling. I now have her interest)

Dat.

Red. Why do you say red?

uhhh, but I sink pink. (again, I'm evaluating my fashion choices. Seems that really no one can decide between these two shades! I decide I'll continue alternating them)

Who is the dreamiest prince of your dreams?

Sleeping Beauty (the prince)

I like him too. Also he can sing.

He can't sing

Why?

Cause dah PEOPLE can sing

The people can sing?

Yeah, but dey hafta dance fuh dah people sings

You're right. They dance when the people sing.

yeah (How could I not remember the ballroom scene at the end of the movie? She's not looking at me as she talks, though. She's examining the cosmetics in front of her)

What's dis? (She holds it to my eyes in her outstretched hand)

Lipstick.  Would you like to put some on in a minute? (You're welcome, Evie)

Wull, I wanna put some on now (She tries to work off the lid of the MAC tube. I promise we can put some on after we finish our questions)

Laina, what is the one thing you have to have in your hand before you leave the house?

Pwincess!                                    

Which princess?

Miss 'Punzel (If you know her, this was not at all a surprise. She routinely dons her "Miss 'Punzel" wig and places her plush Pascal on her shoulder while she walks around the house)

Floral notes or musky notes in your fragrance? (I hold up to her nose my examples of the two: Givenchy Play for Her (floral) and Victoria's Secret Rapture (musky). She closes her eyes a little and a slight smile starts on her face for the Givenchy. When I offer the Rapture, her eyes pop open, and she pulls back her snarled face and shakes her head. I deduce that she prefers floral)

Can I put dis on? (She again holds up the lipstick. Evie (Mommy) instructs her to wait. I proceed with my next question in hopes of distracting her)

Why didn't Cinderella just go back and get her shoe of the stairs? How come she ran away? Why didn't she just go back and get it? I mean, it was just a couple steps, really.

I don't know....when I...when I was Cindawella, I lost my sue too. (She elegantly lifts her leg with her toe precisely pointed to demonstrate for me her bare foot)

When YOU were Cinderella, you lost YOUR shoe too?

Yeah. (Gently to me, like, of course I did, honey. That's what happens when you're Cinderella in your life)

Did you go back and get it? (the shoe)

Yes.

So why do you think Cinderella go back and get it?

I don't know, but da guy git it foh huw and see wunned away fwom him. (She says this with dramatic tones as if she's really shocked and disappointed by Cindy's behavior)

Do you like Rapunzel better blonde or brunette?

Mmmm..bwown haiuh

What or who is the best companion for a true lady?

Cindawella

Ok. Always good to have Cinderella. This is my last question. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

(inaudible) Do you wanna see my Cindawella dahw? (She slides off her perch on the couch next to my makeups and asked her question while she's already on her way to retrieve it)

See? (She returns holding the doll up higher than her head for the benefit of my tall, grown-up gaze) See lost huw hewe sue when see was in da movie. See lost huw sue. Dauh's a cown, and see has a dwess. See stand when see dance wis da pwince. ("She lost her here shoe when she was in the movie. She lost her shoe. There's a crown, and she has a dress. She stands when she dances with the prince". I'm dying from the adorbsness of the pride this girl has in all her princess world. I try to redirect her back to my final question)

So Laina, what do you think you're going to be doing when you're 8?

I'm fwee now.

What do you think you'll be doing when you're 8 years old? Will you be in 3rd grade?

No. (She's wrapping the spare diaper I had in my purse around her leg like some sort of progressive accessory)

Oh. Will you be in school, or will you already be working?

Uhhh....I'll beee aaa pwincess.

As an 8 year old princess, what do you think you'll do for fun?

See....dances wis da pwince.

What else?

See does go wis anothuw pwince.

Right. One prince at a time! Right?

(We go back and forth with some conversation about princesses riding horses and engaging in gratuitous dancing sessions. I decide that it's time for the lipstick. This kid has waited long enough. I ask her if she would like to put some on, and she picks up her chubby painted toes in quick succession and makes her way back to me. I open the tubes for her and give her a choice between the two. She painstakingly slides the waxy stick across her pout until there is a nice, thick layer of MAC Myth coating her lippies. She then takes the tube of Revlon 645 Red Revival and applies a thick layer on top of the pale pink shade. It's a goopie statement, and it translates perfectly. She's a natural.

She leaves for a moment and returns with a bottle of her own fragrance. The bottle bears pictures of happy, dancing Disney princesses in all their pastel glory. Glitter floats through the liquid inside. She holds the spray to my nose so I can enjoy its fruity aroma. A perfect beginning for what I can already see will be a lifetime of stylish living. Welcome, Laina. Welcome to this unrivaled universe of ever-changing, ever-entertaining, never disappointing outward expression of all the precious thoughts and dreams that have already begun to sprout in your little, glittery soul.

Beauty......for ashes

This is a blog about beauty - all kinds. Sometimes beauty can be achieved quickly with the right products, adequate rest or measures to provide oneself with general health and nourishment. This, however, is only superficial. It fades. It vanishes. Everyone ages. Everyone diminishes, but.....even among the most aged, you can find beauty. What is it that is beautiful about a wrinkly face? A hunched frame? A mouth stuttering to speak? You can't always put your finger on it, but you see it as plainly as you can in the models whose faces grace all kinds of media. It's there. It's unmistakable. It's......beauty.
  
What is it? Or rather, what can we deduce could CAUSE this beauty?......Ashes. Loss. Trial. Hurt. Sorrow. Pain. Struggle. Opposition. Anguish.
        The original sources of the above images are unknown to me. I got nowhere in my search for their origins or stories. Short captions on the second and third pictures indicate that the women are 80 and 100 years old, respectively. I would venture that the woman in the first image was near these ages herself.
        What is something similar about all of these pictures? What are a few common denominators? What is the first thing you notice? I notice.....their smiles. They are all smiling - not just with their mouths. There is something smiling in their eyes. Despite bearing witness to hardships like the Great Depression, World Wars I and II, Civil rights struggles, women's issues, religious persecution, the Korean War and Vietnam - these are just world wide issues. What about their lives personally?
          Did the woman in the first picture ever battle cancer? Did her child ever break her heart? Did she battle clinical depression or anxiety or bipolar disorder? What about the second lady? Did she ever suffer under an abusive hand? Was she ever robbed? Was she ever horribly impoverished? Was she ever told that she could never have any children? The third woman, despite her obvious age, still has a shine in her eye, but, being 100, what was her story? Was she separated from family in merciless concentration camps? Did she have to escape or help someone else escape or did she resolve herself each day to survive until, one day, they let her go only to have no place back to which she could go to lay her head? But......they smile.....with their mouths and with their eyes.......because of their ashes.              
            They lived past the ashes. There were more breaths to breathe, more memories to be made and more gifts to give. They all learned this, mark my words, gal, because we all do, and we all will. We will have our ashes,......and then....they will pass. What will we do with them then? Will we let them poison us with bitterness or will we store them in our bank to draw from them and grow our lives?
          Today I think of my friend. Today she lives ashes. She is experiencing loss that is untouched by any other kind. Today she lives what, after much time has passed, others will only see as a wrinkle in her skin or a tremor of her hand or a glimmer of light in her eyes. They will see it all. They will notice. They will decide what they think of her, but there is so much that they won't know, facts they don't have, stories they have not been told. What they will not know is that the skin is wrinkled because it spent 9 months growing a baby while making careful effort to keep the insulin balanced in my friend's blood, that it weathered while it scrubbed the baby's things and dishes and that it burned against food or drink too hot for the baby, that it felt the warmth of the sun the first time this lady took the baby out into its light. What they will not know about the tremoring hand is that it spent hours at the side of a hospital bed stroking the cheek of the baby to wish it to grow strong enough to breath on her own, that it grew strong as it carried the baby everywhere the baby needed it to, that it smoothed the baby's dress for a million pictures, that it tickled the baby to make her laugh. They will not know that the light in her eyes sparked the first time this woman knew the baby was growing inside, that it grew when she saw the baby for the first time and then every time she looked at the baby after that. They also won't know about the wrinkled brow is that it knit together in agony on this day, that it pushed closed eyes that cried many, many, many tears - too many for us to count. They won't know that the hand, today, touched the baby for the last time, that it will hold the last outfit the baby will wear, that it will, soon, curl around the edge of the little box where the baby will lay. They will not know how many tears spilled out of the tender, beautiful, old eyes. They will not know how many hours the eyes spend over the years looking at the baby's things and pictures of the baby wondering what might have been. They will not know about.......the ashes. But they will see something.

The beauty.

When anyone with sight sees the face of my friend, despite the ashes of her life, they will see it. They will see the beauty. They will see the wisdom in the brow, the softness in the old skin. They will see the tremoring hand reach over to hold theirs in a moment when they feel they can't go on. They will see laughter still in the eyes. They will see the light that the little baby lighted that never went out. They will see all of it, and they will know......that it is beauty. It will give them comfort. It will cause them to admire her. It will steel their resolve. It will grow their dreams. It will make them ask questions about from where it came until they face their own ashes, and then they will know. They will know about the beauty. It never goes away. Once it has begun it's transformation in a soul, it never goes away. It is permanent. It does not age. It does not fade. It does not go. It spreads. Though some cannot yet explain it, none can deny its presence. It is the beauty of peace and promise. We are not left alone. We are never without hope. We are given the love of the One Who hurts with our pain, and Who stays in quiet, sad, inarticulatable moments. We are given Him. We are given...............

beauty.


For Madison.

Please Return to Tiffany&Co.

         Hey gals, hope you're all making great use of your week.  Mine has been a little cray-cray, but se la vie, right? 
         I wanted to share something with you - something wonderful....and then something else.  When I was at my sister's house for Christmas, I was handed a square box. I tore off the ribbon and the paper to find....another box. I looked at my mother thinking "Oh Mawm, making a gift look bigger by using multiple boxes isn't any better than putting a big wax "6" on the cake for my 23rd birthday because 2x3=6." I just kept opening because she looked very excitedly expectant. After opening the second box and taking out the paper, I saw.....another box, but when I saw this third box, my jaw dropped. I had been dreaming for YEARS of seeing a box like this. You know the kind that I'm talking about. That kind....is blue - Tiffany blue, to be exact. My heart started palpitating. My hands began to shake and my cheeks began their flush-when-you're-excited-or-upset-or-nervous. My mom and sister (the givers) sat with joyous satisfaction as I lifted it tenderly out of box #2. I opened the top, lifted the smooth, blue pouch and peeked inside - a heart-shaped pendant bearing the signature Please Return to Tiffany&Co motif. I held up the bauble to each person's eyes so they could see what caused such a reaction. Somewhere in the room full of my family, someone asked "Why does it say Please Return to Tiffany'&Co". I thought for a minute and realized I didn't know the answer. I said "Y'know what? I don't know." and then decided I'd find out later, but for now, this thing was goin on my neck.
        Since that day, I've loved that little necklace so much, I didn't even take it off for a couple weeks. I wanted to feel fancy even when I was showering! I did end up removing it and placing it where I place jewelry for save-keeping in my bathroom. Here:

I look at it every time I go into the bathroom and enjoy every bit of it's shiny, sterling glory thinking about the journey it made from Holly Go-Lightly's favorite hang out to my hands. (I realize it probably wasn't manufactured at the flagship location, but we all need a little fantasy!) I read the engraved message and think about the times I've wondered if those words weren't meant to be like the care instructions on a piece of clothing. Please return the WEARER to Tiffany's - absolutely every time you can manage to do so, for THAT is where she belongs.
       Then my "Literal Lucy" (a nickname my beauty school chum, Shea bestowed upon me) brain said, "Sarah, you should really find out the REAL reason the jewelry says that so you don't keep seeming uncultured or ignorant." So I set to work. I Googled, I Binged, I Yahooed. There wasn't any concrete information. All I could find were "answers" on Ask.com by people who couldn't be considered to be an authority on the subject. Pages and pages of other people's surmisings and gossip. No Tiffany authorities. Wikipedia didn't even say anything remotely related to the popular phrase in the company's line. Then I thought, "Oh, duh. Just go to Tiffany&Co. themselves."
I navigated to the company's website and clicked around....and around and around and around. There was absolutely nothing. I even watched a video that included information about their founder for whom the company was named, Charles Tiffany. It said nothing of the origin of the phrase. I mean, I realize you don't want to put all your marketing dollars into your lower priced pieces, but a sentence or two would keep people from starting gossip and devaluing the finery of the 175 year old company.
       Nothing.
      What about calling the store? I decided that, being mid-January, I might not be too much of a bother with a question that could be as quickly answered as mine. It's probably their most commonly asked question. They probably have a person for this ONE question, it's so frequently asked. The man who answered sounded like he was at a desk, in a cube (maybe just some dude workin a job - not someone who cares much of fashion history). He didn't know the answer but said he would transfer me to the customer relations department where another man picked up.  This was our conversation:

Me: Hi! I received for Christmas a silver pendant and chain with the Please Return to Tiffany&Co. design on it, and someone asked me the question of where the design came from (I was nervous to be calling TIFFANY&CO. so I was rambling a little). I didn't know, so I was just like "Oh! Wull, I'll just call Tiffany's themselves! heh...."

Him: Yeah, it's just a desoin. (his thick New York City accent erased any doubt that I'd reached the Wall St. store) It doesn't really mean anything (well it HAD to mean something at SOME point. why is it there?) I mean, we don't really get pieces retoined except some of the key chains. The key chains have serial numbuhs on 'em, so they can be retoined, but the othuh pieces, nao."

Me: (why isn't he answering my question. Did I sound like I wanted to return my necklace? NO WAY, BUD! I LOVE this thing!) Ok....so like....originally it was placed on pieces that COULD be returned to the store?

Him: I mean, naht really. It's just a desoin. (The tone of this last sentence sounded like a summarization - like he was done talking, so I politely obliged despite my annoyance at feeling like I had just been treated like a 9 year old lifting with tiny, unsteady hands a crystal vase to the light in a department store)

Me: Ok. Well thank you!

Him: uhkay, boye (He was laying the phone down before he was even finished speaking)

       Well, gals, anyone who knows me well knows that I don't like no for an answer unless your reason is really, really good AND you explained your reason to me really, really well. I DID call the flagship store, so maybe he was a bit snooty, or maybe I just caught someone at a bad time with a question that wasn't as important as what they were working on before the phone rang.
I looked for another number. I found the customer service number at the bottom of the website (sometimes they hide them). I double checked to make sure it wasn't the same number as the one listed for the store and then hoped that all calls weren't routed to the same place until someone decided you "got" to speak to a store associate. I dialed. A girl answered. She sounded very......rehearsed....and a little nervous, even. (I pictured her sitting in a row of cubicles at the end of which stands a burly, greasy haired man whose tap on the shoulder indicates unspoken instructions for you to immediately collect your things and leave, never to darken the door of another Tiffany&Co. establishment) I began to feel nervous too.  In spite of it, I presented her with my question. Here was my conversation with her:

Me (the sound of my words starting to sound strange after repeating them so many times): Yes, I received a Tiffany's necklace for Christmas blah, blah, blah...pretty close to exactly what I said to the guy at the flagship store

Girl: uh-h-h (my question actually has her voice beginning to falter) well-l-l-l, we have an archives department that can help you with tha-

Me: Oh YEAH! That's who I need to talk to! Yeah.

Girl: b-b-b-ut, the thing is....um..would you be able to take a picture of the piece you have becau- (I cut her off as she begins her explanation thinking that she's going to tell me what I learned the hard way when I asked the store clerk at their Waikiki store if he could clean my ring - if they can't authenticate a piece as coming from them (the holy mother of Tiffany's manufactury), they.....won't....touch it)

Me: SURE!

Girl: oh-h-kay (her breath is catching now, as if she might cry. I'm not lying! I imagine the man glaring at her while she tries not to let her eyes meet his from around her headset phone) well, the things is...they don't answer the calls. They just....um...well you leave a message and then they contact you back

Me: (I'm SO confused as to why they would bother to invest the time and money in paying people to volley customers from department to department over a very straightforward and frequently asked question....but, if that's how they do it to keep things "fancy", I'll go along) Oh...well that's fine. Can you transfer me?

Girl: y-y-yes. I'll transfer you-u-u (her voice trails off strangely and we are disconnected. I picture her defeatedly removing her headset and doing a remarkably fast inventory of her belongings so she can collect them before the oil-haired man's fingertip reaches her shoulder. In my mental Tiffany&Co. call center, I see the man give the tap. She closes shaking hands around her coat and handbag and efficiently rises from her chair and hurries out of the building without looking anyone in the face. She needs no explanation. She failed. She let someone get to the Archives department)

       By this point, I'm weirded out. This makes no sense. I try to make sense of the information, or lack thereof, that I've been given as I wait on hold for the archives department's automated system to pick up my call. These reactions were so strange. I mean, they are not a totally private company. They have stockholders. They are a revered brand, but I wasn't asking about anything that isn't presented to the naked eye. Had I asked from whom they buy their diamonds or what their manufacturing equipment included, I could understand hearing that word that I loathe - no. But "Hey! A whole bunch of your less-than-$500 jewelry says Please Return to Tiffany&Co. on it. In fact, you folks have sold stuff that sported that phrase for a while now. Why does it say that? Where'd that come from?", doesn't seem like it would reveal any trade secrets. SOME non-employee at SOME point knew why it was there. Otherwise, why would it ever have been purchased - let alone purchased with popularity to this magnitude?
 My mind's eye conjures up more images. I see a mouth as it begins to curl....in slow motion....to form the words to the explanation, ignorant of the devastating effects to follow. As sounds crosses over the lips of this mouth, everyone employed throughout the entire Tiffany&Co. empire acquires the super-human ability to cancel out all other noise in the world and listen with unwavering focus to the oblivious employee speaking their slow motion words. The lights flicker in every Tiffany&Co. store and office space in the whole world. Plaster begins to crack, powdering onto the meticulously polished glass cases and onto the floors. Workers begin to scramble and, within minutes, the entire Tiffany&Co disintegrates into thin air leaving behind only the dust covered employees. All the building materials, all the merchandise, everyone's desks and all the jewelry counters.....gone. Totally and eternally gone. Their collective, murderous gaze snaps to the bewildered phone agent to who's name history will forever attribute the demise of the 175 year old company.
A ring on the other line wakes me from my imaginings. The automated voice begins to offer options with correlating numbers.

Voice: You have reached the archives at Tiffany&Company. In an effort to serve our customers more efficiently, our menu options have changed. Please listen for the option that relates to your interest. To return to the main menu at any time, please press 0. As this department functions as the company's primay research facility, there is no one available to return telephone calls. After you have made your selection, you are welcome to leave your mailing address at the prompt. You will be contact via post mail only......

I listened as the business like voice informs me that, basically, if you want any information from them, you have to send a request. They will receive your request and then decide whether or not to entrust you with the answers. They will not even provide appraisals for an authenticated Tiffany&Co. piece. You can send a request (with clear photographs) to the evaluations department, but the most that will get you is general replacement values.  If you are not a museum or "engaging in scholarly research", obtaining any information about Tiffany&Co history or information about a Tiffany&Co sterling silver or other jewelry piece, there is a $1000 non-refundable fee.....just for one simple question.  Were I a betting woman, I'd also wager that, included in anything that actually IS made available to you, there is an equally intriguing....shall we say....gag order.
So, why DOES the line from Tiffany&Co  say Please Return to Tiffany&Co? Well, darling, that question is something for which they charge $1000 to dissuade many from it's mere asking. They don't even allow anyone in the archives department to speak directly with....outsiders.  They only screen messages. Why is it so secret? Why are they so tight-lipped? Why are things surrounding the answer to this so sensitive that the very asking of the questions is nearly forbidden??  They won't tell me. I suppose it's something that those within the hallowed walls of the Tiffany&Co empire quite possibly need to remain....a mystery.
I have no choice but to shrug and move on. But......if you ever find me wandering - looking as though I need help finding my way......just follow the  polite, shiny instructions fastened  round my neck.......

                                                 

Just laying around

        Hey gals! Look what I had just layin around......fashiony books! I thought today would be a good day to share some of my favorites with you, and these books called my name. Familiar with any of these or the names of the authors? Well, let's take some time with these tomes and have a little fru-fru fun. Grab your 'bucks cup and your jar of Nutella, and come sit next to me.

       Before we jump in, I want to tell you something that maybe you didn't think of before. There are two things that are separate that are often misunderstood as being the same thing. Those two things: fashion and style. Let's explore.

      Fashion is specific trends and items that are on the market. Fashion is concrete. Fashion is there. It's that shirt or those shoes. They are actually, tangibly, measurably there. They are a particular color, cut, shape, material, etc. There are boundaries with fashion. For example, that pair of shoes....can only be worn on your feet. That grey bag.....is grey. That pair of pants, in their original form.....will not work as a handbag. That dress comes to your ankle. It does. The designer gave specific instructions to the seamstresses to make the skirt portion to be so many inches from the waistline to the hem. No getting around the fact that it actually reaches your ankles.  That is fashion.

       Style is what you do with all those hard and fast fashion elements. “That” pair of shoes? They're ballet flats. They're definitely shoes,but there is no rule about the type of outfit with which they must be worn. You can wear them with jammies if you would like. They could be the finishing touch for a new dress or they can peek out from the hem of a pair of jeans. Ok. Maybe "that" grey bag is this one:

   It's grey. We can see this. It's not black. It's not green or red or purple, and it's not brown. It's medium size. It has handles and it has a shoulder strap. Whether you wear it with all solids or patterns or whether you treat it as a diaper bag during the business day or a statement piece after hours – that, my gals, is up to you. "That" pair of pants is hot pink. The end of the tapered leg hits immediately above your ankle bone. You have a sequiny off the shoulder top that would look totes adorbs with it. You also have a soft, solid t-shirt from the clearance rounder at Gap that you grab on a day when you've got the yucks. Wearing the pink pants with that shirt keeps your clothes from giving you fits but doesn't let other people know that you feel “off”. "The" skirt is grey – like an ashes-from-the-fireplace (ok charcoal) kind of a grey. It's jersey fabric with a straighter cut. You would be the one to decide if you go the precious route and don a wrap sweater and some flats or go caj (short for casual) and reach for a plain white t and some sandals......or you may look at any of these items and say “THAT is TERRIBLE! What the what?!”. Hence: STYLE.

        Fashion is what you're given. Style is your taste, combinations, the impressions you want to give, etc. There is no wrong answer. “But Sarah, I've heard you say this or that was “wrong” or “ugly”. How can you be talking about particular rules be true and it be true that I'm allowed to make my own rules?”.......It can't. I verbalize my style. Technically, when I am “imposing” my rules of taste on another, I'm in contradiction with what is ultimately more true – that style is subjective. You can take any item and pair it with any other item for any occasion or time of year. That's the real truth. You can't ever be “wrong”. You want to think about what it is that you're trying to say with your clothes because people hear what they say even before you speak, but that message is also your choice. That is how fashion has changed over the centuries, so there's a definite positive to operating outside the box. I have spent my whole life hovering over the lines of convention and what I really wanted. Do you feel like that? Ok. Well, then let's see if anything in these books solidifies in your mind what YOUR style is. Then you can take what you know about yourself and then immerse yourself in the world of fashion without losing who you are inside!

         Let's start with InStyle Secrets of Style. You read in an earlier post that InStyle is just my favorite magazine. Well, my devotion didn't stop there. My momma (who has always celebrated and encouraged my “sense of style” my entire life whether it was comfortable for her or not) gave this one to me one holiday (I think my birthday). It is a how-to on how to navigate through the world of fashion without abandoning your self. Notice “style” in the title – not “fashion”. Its chapter headings include: 2. Classics: Classics through the ages, 3. Shopping: Three Steps to Shopping Success, Telltale Signs of Style, Vintage Shopping, 14. Jewelry, Scarves, Belts: Great Moments in Jewelry, 17. Special Occasions (pictures and describes the structure of garments that could be worn so you have a “skeleton” for the one you'll choose for your own occasion) and 18. Travel: Packing, Destination Checklist – just to list a few. The book has 19 chapters total. There are pictures for everything, and, while the specific garments pictured are probably already out of fashion, calling black black will not change in enough time for you to care. The material is broad enough that this fashion connected suggestions will be usable for several decades. The other suggestions, like how to determine the structure quality of a garment or how to develop the sense of style that is already inside you, will be applicable to people 400 years from now. This book, along with the magazine, offers information – not rules. Good eye on this gift, Mom.

Book numero dos in our feature today is The Mane Thing by Kevin Mancuso. I have been interested in hair since I was old enough to wind some around my finger. My attentive, doting mother also purchased this volume for me. Kevin Mancuso is a salon owner/manager, educator and consummate stylist whose career began professionally in the late 80's. He worked under Vidal Sassoon at one point. His book was a brain child after having a bazillion clients with questions about......their own hair. The realization came to him that there were probably a bazillion MORE people with questions, and the only way he could offer great, technical information to TWO BAZILLION people was to write a book! It's good. I, unfortunately, let this lady get a bit dusty. I peeked inside it again, and, after doing the beauty school thing, I can see that it is a mini text book. It has basically the same headings as the spiral bound Pivot Point number that I lugged around on classroom days (only when I couldn't get away with leaving it in the car). The nice thing – it's not quite so overwhelming as my 700 + page elephant. Other nerds-that-wear-makeup-and-cute-clothes would like this book, but it's a good quick reference for non-bookworms too.

        The year that I was 20, my mom gave me a of makeup brushes from Victoria's Secret (see how she did that celebrating who I was thing over and over again?). They came in a case that was pink satin with a black lace overlay. My first makeup brushes. I felt so fancy because I was under the impression that they were such a fancy that you could apply your makeup just the same but you didn't have to dirty your fingertips – sort of like those big sticks ladies in the 20's used for their ciggies. I didn't wear blush because I didn't want to look like a clown. I was 20 with mostly perfect skin, so I didn't even need powder (hate that girl! - the 20 year old me). Those two brushes ended up lost amongst dirty laundry or empty shopping bags. I have yet to enjoy a lip brush. They all hurt! I think I just threw that one in the trash. One brush, however, remained. It was the shadow brush. I could do some magic with that one dang brush. I began exploring with some other colors besides the shimmery taupie brown I dabbed on most days. My mom saw my look of lust as I passed the makeup counters in the mall – all those colors and textures. All those different ways to be beautiful. All those possibilities for me to show the world what I could create. She purchased for me Beauty Evolution by Bobbi Brown (please girl, NOT BOBBY Brown. I was sitting at the BB counter one day being shown some foundation when a passing woman said “Ooh!!! Bobby!! I didn't know he's doin makeup now!” I died a little inside....and then I laughed). 

     Bobbi Brown and the world of cosmetics were introduced to one another during her mother's preparations for evenings out in quintessential 1960's fashion. The period's signature opaque, pastel hued eye shadows and nothing-less-than-perfectly-pointed liquid eyeliner extended a hand to the little girl. She grabbed hold and never released her grip. She worked at the local cosmetics store before graduating from high school, earned a degree from Emerson College in theatrical makeup and then worked for 10 years as a freelance makeup artist in runway shows, photo shoots and other creative ventures where she could use her hand. In 1991, she launched a line of lipsticks that cemented Ms. Brown into the retail market. The natural look cosmetic empire only grew from there. Bobbi's name is deity in the culture of fashion, the line of 10 lip shades has evolved into an international full cosmetic line and there are now several books with her name printed on the author line. 

       Beauty Evolution is a text book in its own rite. There are lessons on skin health, bone structure, laws of light and shadows, brush shapes and how to use them, what beauty has looked like through the ages and how to work your beauty at any age. She's a very analytical yet easy going person, so you can tell she was very discriminating with everything that is included in this book (and the others) but not at all towards the innate beauty in every woman's face no matter if her features are conventionally “pretty” or not.

       The last two titles in this feature are a departure from the “serious” or “scientific” attributes shared by the first three.

         Domestic Bliss by Rita Konig was a gift to me by my sister from another mister, Mandy. She is married to my brother, and I think sometimes she buys me items that are as over the top indulgent as someone could dream up and successfully market just so she can have an excuse to buy them and then watch me girlishly shriek upon receiving them. Domestic Bliss was one example among many of said gifts off of which I have torn pretty paper and a ribbon.....and I always adore them.  This book is sort of like Martha Stewart meets Amy Sedaris......or Emily Post after one two many cocktails. I'm sorry! That is the very best way to summarize these contents. You begin reading the book by judging it by its cover and feel sure that it's full of nothing but preposterous suggestions  that will ultimately feel more secure in the substance of your own life. I mean, chapters on coating everything in glitter and using a feather duster instead of Pledge and a rag just because “it's cuter” are things you'd read to give you a laugh during the time between your kids going to bed and the Zquil kicking in, and you kind of just bought the book for the cover anyway. Then, as you're giggling through the descriptions of an afternoon with a friend that consisted of a completely successful who-can-make-a-better-cup-of-coffee off or prissy complaints of not wanting to throw away a stack of old periodicals because the corners tear the trash bag or that that sewing baskets are typically stocked more often with old name tapes from childhood summer camp and loose buttons than usable thread or other supplies. Something in you connects with this 50's homemaker/desperately frustrated housewife, and you find yourself turning the page. You realize that the tip about placing an extra tumbler beside your own on the bathroom counter for your overnight (or longer) guest isn't difficult and is something YOU would actually like if it were you. You read on and find more usable tidbits from this sassy Brit until you find that you've reached the end!.........also it's cute on the shelf, or in my case, the dresser I use as my hair station in my kitchen.

     
 If Domestic Bliss were the Jackie Kennedy of books, The Bombshell Manual of Style by Laren Stover would.......well, it would be the Marilyn, right? (Her name was really Norma Jean Mortenson! Did you know that?) This book is hilarious and impractical, but I love it. It is full of completely unnecessary things to do with your time, some of which you will not be able to resist trying. Curious? Ok. This is a portion of her suggested playlist – for a bombshell kind of a day:

 

"Momma Looka Boo Boo" - Robert Mitchum

"Mambo No. 5" - Xavier Cugat

"Let's Do it" - Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Eartha Kitt

"Come Fly with Me" - Frank Sinatra
"Sunrise Serenade" - Glenn miller

"What a Wonderful World" - Louis Armstrong

"Black Coffee" - Peggy Lee
"Sugar in my Bowl" - Nina Simone

"Blue Skies" - Frank Sinatra
 

      There are suggestions for everything from dishes bombshells love to eat to decorations that a bombshell would NEVER have in her house. Bombshells don't sit. They (we) perch, and should a bombshell be without shoes, she should make an effort at standing on the balls of her feet as if they were tucked inside a high heeled shoe.......it's hilarious. It offers almost no actually usable advice, but it is very entertaining.....and it looks cute on the shelf too.

      So read up, gals. You can feed the nerdy side of you (the first three titles look like reasonable research material after learning about the last two, don't they?) or just be a priss while you soak in the tub wearing your bejeweled shower cap and read about what perfume Sofia Loren wore when she was a young screen siren. Either way, you can rest assured that you will find some way to incorporate “pretty” into your everyday.