May is an exciting month here at Charleston Style Concierge. This month we are offering three different style education seminars. Mark your calendar for these fun and informative events.
Wednesday, May 19th
Have you ever felt frustrated figuring out what to wear? Great style doesn’t have to be hard. Lee Heyward of Charleston Style Concierge, and make up artist, Ashley Brook Perryman will be speaking at the Center for Women workshop “Get Dressed in Ten Minutes.” Join us and learn how to get easy and effortless style in ten minutes or less.
Family Circle Tennis Center
5:30-7:30 pm
For more information and to register visit http://c4women.org/Calendar/2010_may.html.
Tuesday, May 25th
This month’s Stylish Inner Circle call will help you ensure your professional style keeps you on the road to success. Special guest expert and founder of Style at Work, Stephanie Deitzer, will show you how to navigate the ever elusive thing that is appropriate business casual. This call is suited for everyone, from those initially developing their business look, to those with an existing wardrobe they would like to improve.
On the phone
12 pm
*this call will be recorded
Not a member of the Stylish Inner Circle yet? Join now to access this call with your two-month trial membership for only $5. For more information on the Stylish Inner Circle click here.
Tuesday, May 25th
Do feel challenged dressing in a way that feels age-appropriate? Have fun with your style at any age. Join us for this fun feminar and discover:
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How to shop for modern and fresh looks you love.
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How to make fashion fun and age-appropriate.
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Why your style should constantly evolve.
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How to translate past styles you love to work for you today.
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How to dress your age without feeling boring.
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What three easy tricks can take you from frump to fabulous.
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Mary Mojo Boutique
6-8 pm
FREE *seating is limited
For more information or to register click here.
Written by Kathleen Ellis
Everyone deserves to live in a home that adds beauty to their everyday lives. However, many people feel intimidated, confused and overwhelmed when it comes to creating a home that truly reflects who they are and their own unique sense of style. By following these easy steps you will be well on your way to creating a living space that will make you feel comfortable and “at home” because it reflects who you are.
1) Get Inspired
Who are you? What do you like? Where do you vacation? What colors are you drawn to? These are all questions that need to be answered…by you. For a bit of help, visit a bookstore, grab a latte and dig into the limitless supply of home magazines and books. As you begin to notice rooms, colors, ideas that get your attention, make note, buy those magazines and when you get them home start tearing out pages and marking what it is that grabbed you. You may need to do this a few times before you have a pretty good collection of “visions” to consider. You should begin to see some similarities developing in color and style.
2) Consider Your Senses
You spend more time in your home than anyone else, therefore, it should be a place that makes you feel good. What is “good” to you? Cozy? Luxurious? Casual? Elegant? Formal? Relaxed? Light & Airy? Think about places you’ve visited that have renewed you, nourished you, excited or relaxed you. Was it a cozy country cottage inn? A light and airy beach bungalow? An elegant French chateau?
What kind of place feed your senses, nourish your soul? When you define those elements you’ll want to then look for ways to incorporate them into your home.
3) Relax
Once the pieces begin to come together…relax! Reflect, ponder, dream and envision your home becoming a sanctuary that welcomes you in and hugs you each time you come through the door. A place that makes you smile when you think of it. A haven you just can’t wait to get to get back to.
YES! Your home can be all of that! and more!
4) Get Comfortable
Now you’re almost ready to make your game plan, but first you need to get comfortable with color!
Many of you are needlessly living with off-white walls simply because you’re afraid of color! Fear not! Color is a wonderful way to express your style. Color affects our mood and can set the tone and mood in a room in a way that off-white just can’t do! In the process of collecting your visions you came across colors that drew your attention, spoke to you. One of the best ways to transition into using color on your walls is to bring those pictures to the paint store, find those colors and buy them in the smallest size you can. Get some foam project boards and put 3 to 4 coats of your color on 2 or 3 boards. Then live with them for awhile. Move them around your room, look at them in daylight, candlelight, sunset, sunrise…you get the idea! This will help you become comfortable with the color. If it’s not quite right, go back to the paint store and try a lighter or darker version. Repeat the same process until you come up with just the right color. Then, after steps 5 & 6, go for it! You’ll be glad you did!
5) Make a Plan
Now is when you’re going to put action into place! Make a list of all you want to accomplish in your home to transform it into your vision. Don’t hold back! Dream…be outrageous, if necessary! Of course you can’t do it all at once, but you need to have it written down so you can make a plan of action.
Once you’ve completed your list begin to prioritize the items. Where do you want to begin? What will be the second project, etc. When you’ve decided on your first project, break it down into smaller, manageable steps. Remember, “You can eat an elephant, one bite at a time.” My suggestion for the first place to begin is your bedroom. I know no one sees it except…you. Isn’t that the very reason why you’re on this journey? Your bedroom is the first place you see every morning and the last place you see every night!
Doesn’t it make sense to make it the first place you transform into a sanctuary that reflects who you are?
6) Make Choices
Now is the time to look at the elements in the space you’ve decided to transform. Look around…what do you see? Are there pieces you love? Keep those! Items you really dislike? Get rid of them! Things you’re not sure about? Remove them for now, perhaps you’ll bring them back at a later date. By removing elements you don’t like and those you’re not sure about you’ll free your mind to consider other options in their place. Now, what do you need to make the space complete? Make your list and begin the adventure of finding just the right pieces that reflect your style. This is a process, be patient, better to live with an empty space than to fill it with something that you don’t absolutely love.
When you are on this adventure, look everywhere. Traditional stores, thrift shops, discount stores, auctions, etc. You’ll be amazed at what you’ll find once you’ve defined your style and have a focus!
If something “speaks to your heart,” don’t walk away from it. Whatever it is, because you love it, it will work in your home. When you consistently bring things home that you love they will eventually all work together.
7) Enjoy!
You are well on your way to creating a home that is uniquely you! Be sure to make time to enjoy it and remember to enjoy the process along the way. Your home should be ever evolving, with little changes and updates every so often. This will keep it a current reflection of you as you grow more and more comfortable with expressing your own unique sense of style!
About Kathleen
Kathleen Ellis, Lifestyle Designer, decorator, speaker, writer and TV personality, specializes in teaching you how to create a life of TOTAL BEAUTY which includes Inner Beauty, Outer Beauty and Surrounding Beauty. Kathleen believes your unique sense of style should be reflected in your life choices & mindset, your wardrobe and your home. She is an expert at motivating and inspiring you to create the Beautiful Life you dream of and to bloom into Beautiful Woman you were created to be. For a life of total beauty visit Kathleen’s website at www.kathleenellis.blogspot.com.
No matter where in the world you live, there is always a time of transition into the upcoming season. It would be great if we could flip a switch that made it go from winter to spring overnight. Instead we are usually teased by spring styles in the stores, budding flowers, and temperatures that head up and then right back down.
No reason to despair, you have to consider this time period your transition season. Transition is a season that happens twice a year, spring to fall and winter to spring. It is the period of time where you are ready for the season change, excited about the clothing in the stores, but can’t completely embrace the new season because the temperatures are still too hot or cold.
There are 3 easy ways to look stylish while dressing appropriately for the weather during the transition season.
1. Play with color
One of the easiest ways to feel like spring is to add a pop of spring color to an outfit. This could be as simple as a bright camisole under your standard black wrap dress, or change up your favorite cardigan by pairing it over a fun printed dress.
2. Experiment with layers
Even fairly lightweight layers can keep you comfortable on a chilly spring morning. Try cardigans over spring blouses, jackets over spring skirts, and swap out heavy wool fabrics for ones that have a more year round versatility.
3. Change up your accessories
Trade out your tired winter boots for a ballet flat, choose vibrant bold jewelry (one of spring’s trends) in a fun color, add a pop of color with a shoe or handbag that says spring, or try a spring scarf. A scarf is great because it adds a fun pop of color and can be worn many different ways.
All three of these tricks of the trade are small changes that can make you feel more current, modern, and in style as you transition into spring. Here’s to your transition style.
*All clothing available at Mary Mojo Boutique.
Even the best shoppers have occasional slip ups. To get the most out of the items you buy, you need to properly integrate them into your existing wardrobe. It’s not uncommon to find wardrobe pieces that have been hanging in the closet for months with the tags still on. Even for the most disciplined shopper there are steps you should take after you complete your shopping. When you return home from shopping get the most out of what you buy with these simple tricks.
1. Try on everything you buy again. Make sure you can still answer yes to all of your shopping guidelines once you are at home. If you bought shoes, give them a practice run. Wear them around the house to ensure they are as comfortable as they felt in the store.
2. Save and keep your receipts in one place. This way if you need to return something you can get a full refund. Just as a precaution, leave the tags on until you actually wear something out of the house.
3. Create a new items section within your closet. As you wear each new item, integrate it into the proper wardrobe section of your closet.
4. Assess your new items section every 30 days. If an item is still in the new section after an extended time period, you may consider returning it for a refund or a more useful item.
5. Schedule a time to play dress up in your closet. Come up with outfits you’ve never worn. Take pictures of outfits you create to reference on days you are lacking dressing brain power.
For additional tips on how to shop smart visit www.charlestonstyleconcierge.com and sign up for our free monthly ezine.
Before you can discover a style that is right for you, you need to know why having a style matters.
1. Style is fun. Think about how much fun you had as a kid playing dress up. It was an outlet to be whatever you wanted to be. All you had to do was put on a frilly dress and you could become a princess. Actually when we get dressed each morning you do the same thing, except your clothes are no longer kept in a box in the playroom. You put on certain clothes and you feel more confident, more bad ass, more put-together, more modern, whatever strikes a chord with you. If you haven’t felt any of those feelings in a long time, I recommend playing dress up in your own closet.
2. Style affects the way people perceive you. Your style makes up your appearance, which sends a message to the rest of the world about who you are. 55% of the judgment people make comes from your appearance alone. You may think that anyone who would make judgments based on appearance alone is egotistical and not someone you would have a lot of contact with. The fact is, we live in a very visual society. Without even realizing it you make judgments about all sorts of things just by glancing at them. Things like, whether or not to try a new restaurant based on the way the outside looks, what fruit looks the most delicious, if you want to be friends with the neighbors that just moved in, everything! Judging by appearance alone is simply human nature.
Check out this article on Sara Blakely, the brains behind Spanx, from Ali Magazine. It all began from cutting the feet out of panty hose. Very cool story.
I am really obsessed with Sandra Bullock’s style from The Proposal. It is effortlessly chic and classic.
One of my favorite ways to feel fashionable for Fall is to wear one of the hot colors of the season. In stores everywhere you can find accessories, outerwear, tops, and bottoms in fabulous Fall colors. This means you can play with color in a big or small way, whichever suits your personal style. This Fall feel more fashionable by adding a pop of color to your wardrobe.
Check out the Fashion Color Report for Fall 2009 and get the scoop on what colors are on trend this season and the designer’s take on the inspiration behind them.
“5 Easy Steps to a Style You Love”
Stop feeling embarrassed in your own clothes! Create a wardrobe
and style you love with the building blocks of style.
FREE 60-minute Telephone Seminar
Wednesday, October 7, 2009, at 7 pm Eastern
Great style isn’t just for those with perfect bodies, unlimited budgets, and countless hours of free time to spend putting themselves together. Your style tells the world who you are and should make you feel confident, happy, and comfortable.
You wear only 20% of the clothing you own. Do you wish you really liked what you wear? Are you frustrated by your limited clothing choices? Do you want your clothing to help you feel more confident about your body?
Are you ready to jump-start your style and finally feel great every time you walk out the door?
Stop wasting time and money on clothing you don’t wear and don’t love. On this call, you will discover the building blocks of style that will teach you how to get great style no matter what your shape, size, or budget.
Join me on Wednesday, October 7, for this free telephone seminar.
(Heard enough? Sign up to join me.)
On this call, you will discover . . .
So, if you are tired of being unhappy with the way you look and finally want to walk out the door feeling great, join me on October 7 at 7 pm Eastern time (4 pm Pacific).
This call will be recorded, but I encourage you to join me for the live call. There will be an exciting and time-sensitive announcement you won’t want to miss.
More often than not, each piece of your brand image was created when you needed it, but not altogether in a strategic fashion. Your image may look fine, but does fine help you grow?
Eventually as you scale, your image foundation cracks, and the way your business presents itself no longer helps propel growth – costing you time and money to fix.
When you unlock your brand power, you get to pick and choose how people perceive you and your brand.
Our Image Mastery System™ takes the 5 key brand components that you already have and ties them together in a way that amplifies your results and achieves your vision.
