Fall Fantasy Fashion Item # 1

This is the first in a series I'm going to do every week featuring a different fantasy fashion item for Fall.  I'm starting with the obsession that grabs me every September and that is to find a pair of black riding boots that fit my 19" calf.  When I was in NYC last August we went to Saks and I salivated over these boots in Salon Z and this year...I want them.  With the exception of a volumnious peach tafetta skirt I saw in the window at Young Quinlan in 1981 that I HAD to have to wear to my senior prom, I have never wanted anything more. 

They are on the Saks website (http://www.saksfifthavenue.com/) as I write, just calling my name.  Shouting really.  I would sell my first born for them.  I would give up Diet Coke for these beauties (and if you knew me, you'd know the sacrifice that would entail!)  I'm scheming because I.  Want.  These.  Boots. 

Details: 
This is the Marina Rinaldi, Salon Z Manhattan Leather Boot - $655.
Day-to-night style in buttery-soft leather has a low stacked heel for a chic and sexy look.
Stacked heel, about 1½"
Shaft, about 15½"
Expandable leg circumference, about 19"
Leather lining
Rubber sole
Imported

Wild for White Blouses

We all know the difference between "fashion" and "style" don't we?  Fashion is of the moment..it's studded jeans and peasant blouses in the winter.  Style is timeless and Jackie O sunglasses and strings of Chanel-inspired pearls.  I am musing today on the most stylish of wardrobe items; the wardrobe staple that not only goes with everything but that everything wants to go with!  Other items of clothing can only dream of being as special as this one!  I am talking about the white blouse.  Timeless.  Elegant.  Playful.  Conservative.  Racy.  Cotton.  Silk.  Marilyn wore them.  Sharon Stone wears them with jeans and tafetta.  Great at any size and great at any time.  If you don't have a white blouse - by all means, now is the time.  It ranks right up there with the little black dress and a strand of pearls but while it's classic and timeless, it's also a bit rock n'roll and a whole lot of sexy. 

Here are some of my favorites and a look through the years.  Enjoy and happy Monday!

A Piece of Work

Seriously.  See this film.  Even if you've never liked Joan Rivers...see this film.  You will walk away with a newfound respect and admiration for this woman, who at the age of 76, still gets the most satisfaction from a full calendar and non-stop work.  She's brilliant, hilarious, raunchy, real and yes, over the top.  I can't help but love a woman who has had a limosine pick her up since 1969 and still thanks God everytime she gets into it!  And she does the luxury thing really well but you see how hard she works to keep it.  This is the great misconception of people who think fame buys you relaxation and luxury.  Mostly it buys you alot more work.  This movie provides a great glimpse of the wierd reality of the comedy world where one night you're appearing at the Kennedy Center Honors and the next finds you at a casino in the middle of the woods in Northern Wisconsin.  Similarily, I recently appeared in a show in Minneapolis in front of hundreds and followed by a glamorous after-party, and then the next week found me performing in front of 15 people in a smoky bar in Ethan South Dakota.  Joan and I have something in common, even if I am not getting picked up in a limosine all the time!  She's incredible and this is my thumbs up encouragement to all of you to see this wonderful glimpse into the life of a comedienne who not only opened the doors for many of us over the past four decades, but who continues doing so today. 

I Scream...You Scream...We all Scream for Ice Cream!

This calls for a Southern accent. 

I just had an organic strawberry ice cream cone y'all.  Seriously.  It makes me think of sitting on a porch on a lazy summer afternoon..with the moss-covered branches draped overhead and the sound of cicadas filling the air.  I picture myself wearing a huge straw hat and fanning myself.  Fiddle dee dee.

Here's the thing.  I don't really even like ice cream, but the Pumphouse Creamery has the most divine, organic, home made treats so how could I resist on this muggy summer day?  How can I resist my favorite thing in the world - cream - mixed with sugar and the freshest most lovely strawberries?  Hmmmmm..I ask you!? 

So - a shout out to Pumphouse Creamery (http://www.pumphouse-creamery.com/) and if you are in Minneapolis, a visit to 48th and Chicago Avenue South is well worth the trip.  Y'all. 

Dream Big

Do you believe in dreams?  Do you believe your dreams are worthy of your time and attention?  And I'm not talking just about the dreams we have to climb mountains or pursue a new path in life...I'm also talking about our sleeping dreams.  The ones that come to us underwater as we sleep and that can leave us feeling refreshed and excited, or black and blue.  I have a zillion dreams.  In my waking life, I am writing a book; I am performing and speaking and want to grow that career.  I am doing workshops about dream wardrobe building for plus size women.  The dreams are varied and important to me and I give them my time, attention and love.  Also, I often have the most vivid sleeping dreams and they mean something in my life. Recently I dreamt about a person I hadn’t seen or thought of in months and the very next day who do you think I ran into? My subconscious certainly seems to know some things that I do not!  Earlier this week I completed a very intense four-day workshop in which I felt exposed and truthful and the night after a very open converstaion with one of the facilators, I dreamt he and I were standing in a room together and I was naked and trying to cover up.  It's not rocket science to figure out the meaning of that in my life.  Some evenings I go to sleep waiting anxiously to see what worlds my dreams may place me in. Some evenings, if I’m sad or apprehensive, I look towards my dreams for perhaps a bit of comfort. Some dreams of course, are just a mish-mash of the craziest, most unlikely events but when you think about it, isn’t life just a mish mash of the craziest most unlikely events too?  Think about your dreams both sleeping and awake.  Give your dreams your time and your attention because dreams are where it all begins.  If you want to start your own business, start looking into the steps you need to take to do so.  If you want to sail around the world with your spouse, what do you need to do to prepare for that undertaking and why couldn't you do it?  Likewise, listen to you night dreams.  We always know the truth whether we admit it to ourselves or not. 

Dreams are the roadmaps to the journey of our lives..let's follow them! 

And speaking of dreams..here are some pre-fall beauties that I stumbled onto at Nieman Marcus!  (Black dress and boots:  Prada; Ballet flats:  Yves Saint Laurent; Handbag:  Burberry; Dress at top:  Melissa Massie) 

Designer Showcase: Anna Scholz

The Power of Positive

When I let fear rule my actions, nothing good comes from it.  If I was in a jungle and facing a hungry tiger, yes, fear would be very appropriate! But so would keeping a level head. So would moving slowly and methodically. If I kept my eyes on the tiger, remained calm and did not become a panicked, screaming, crying, running target, chances are the situation would end much more favorably.   

Like a tiger, fear can turn us into screaming, crying, running, crazy people.  Whether it’s fear about a relationship or fear about money or a job, it's fear that ultimately keeps me paralyzed and keeps building upon itself.  Fear makes me eat uncontrollably or spend money on things I cannot afford.  Fear gives the tiger the power to consume me. 

Last week I was scared and feeling overwhelmed about many things when I realized I was giving fear way too much power in my mind.  Just making this connection changed how I looked at things.  I decided I needed to change how I was thinking and I started by making my mantra into one of abundance and prosperity.  I refocused on what I could do right now to bring about the results I needed.  I became proactive and I made some goals for the week (as opposed to thinking about the next year and what was going to happen in eight months!) and had to do the work, but this simple shift in my thinking made all of the difference and helped me to make my goals and continue moving as opposed to feeling paralyzed by fear.  The tiger is still present but instead of running from it, I am now feeding it out of my hand!

What are you afraid of this week and how can you take back your power and move forward?