To be like her.

There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a Miracle.” -Albert Einstein

 

My family and I went on a Vacation to Legoland recently  and stayed at this beautiful resort in Carlsbad, California. One morning, before our first day in the park, my family and I were sitting down for breakfast when I noticed this beautiful women enter the lobby.

She was tall and statuesque. Her dark hair fell loosely around her light-complected makeup-less skin and her outfit looked casual but at the same time, very expensive. She looked so put together and effortlessly beautiful. She exuded power and grace in such a simple way that I was just in awe of her.

And then, for a brief moment, I wondered what it was like to be her.

Have you ever thought about that? Have you ever seen someone and wondered what their life was like? What their day to day routine consisted of? If they were happy or sad, pleased with their life or completely unhappy? I do. I would love to know what her life was like! Maybe she was some top executive putting together a multi-million dollar account. Or a movie star in the making. Perhaps she was having an affair and this was her getaway! My imagination let loose!

But then I wondered, if she wondered what mine was like. Or if anyone did for that matter. If they saw me, and thought “It must be great to be a mother and have a family”…

Here we were, she and I, almost the same age, but in completely different life stages. I was carting around my children off to Legoland on vacation on a Wednesday morning dressed in Nikes, a hooded sweatshirt and cut off jeans, while she was decked out in J. Crew. Did she ever stop to think about what it was like to be me?

Not in an envious, or superior way, just simply what it would be like. For me, I did. At that moment. She was being whisked away by an older man for maybe a breakfast date and I was cleaning up the mess my kids made.

I just think, if the winds of opportunity changed and I wasn’t 31 with kids, would I be in her shoes? Had I stayed in the professional track would I too, be in a resort hotel on a business meeting? I’m not sure.

But I wonder if she would look at me and think the same. What would it like to be a mom and have a family and feel settled in a family type situation at 31? What would it be like to chase after little ones? I wondered if she was even at the point of wanting children and if there was a side of her that did.

What a beautiful thing it would be if we could peer into the minds and lives of other individuals and see how great WE have it. At times I often forget how fortunate I am to be where I am now. To have wonderful children and an amazing husband. Maybe the winds would have shifted a different direction, and I wouldn’t be in her shoes, or the ones I’m in now. I guess of all things I think about, that is the scariest. Not, what if I could be her, but what if I didn’t have all of the love I have now.

Has there ever been a time where you wondered what it would be like to be in another persons shoes? Or wondered if you had just taken that job, or married that person how your life would be? Do you think you would be better off or the same?

Just Curious!

Xo-Mimi

Splurge Vs. Save: Investment Pieces

Today on Splurge Vs. Save: My top five things you should absolutely invest in when shopping.

1. Bags: I’m not talking about a 1,000 + bag (although those are freaking amazing and if you got it flaunt that shit). But I’m talking about a real, leather, or well made purse. Nothing is better then that. Really. They last a long time, and boost the overall look you are wanting to achieve.

2. Athletic Shoes: A good running shoe can be the difference between well, running and just not. running…Truth: I’ve never, ever, been into running. But I got these great (expensive) Nikes and I’ll tell you what I wanted to show those bad boys off. So after a few trips into conditioning land I’m the proud owner of several good pairs of running shoes and have gone from no way to a 5k. Without getting scientific, the way shoes are built help to support the arch of the feet..yada, yada and can really improve your overall workout.

3. Heels: Now that I’m in my thirties I no longer have the need to go clubbing and prance around in crazy ass heels. (Literally, I have no idea what i was thinking back then). And now, p-r-a-c-t-c-a-l-i-t-y tells me every time to ditch the bad pumps and trade them in for some good ones. Because of this, I’m longer aching to take my shoes off after date night, but I want to extend my after hour “partying” because my feet don’t hurt. (And to a parent like me, after hours is like 10:00. Seriously. Maybe 10:30.)

4. Foundation: Nothing says fabulous like having great skin. I alway, always, splurge on foundation and skin care. You want to put your best face forward, and nothing says awkward more then a foundation that doesn’t match your skin tone or doesn’t compliment your skin type.

5. Jeans: Now, I used to be, the cheaper the better on this. But, I’m short and my legs are curvier.   So finding jeans can be a pretty difficult task sometimes. But no longer do I gasp at a $100 price tag when it comes to denim because this gal (finally) found a pair that worked and made my legs look great, they don’t look like tightly wrapped vienna sausages anymore! So spending a little more in this area will help your look, and the jeans will last much longer through several washes!

I Hope this helps!

XO-Mimi

Lash Extravaganza

I Got this Crazy Amazing shipment of lashes today! A 70 pack. Yes. You read correctly. A 70 pack of various Lashes for only: $15.00 add shipping, (which was SUPER fast) and out the door I paid about $20.00 bucks! The Quality of these bad boys are pretty decent too. They need a little trimming but for the price you really can’t go wrong! I can’t wait to use them! Check out: Eye Splashes on Amazon!

How to Beat The Full Moon Blues.

A full moon is upon us, and ever notice how whenever there is a full moon things get a little whack out crazy?! I mean, I know whenever a full moon is upon me I feel a little: sad, happy, hungry, angry all within a five-minute span. I want to eat everything, buy everything, than cry that I ate too much and didn’t have enough money to buy what I wanted. (And no, it’s not PMS)

Today I was wondering why I was feeling so crazy and then I saw it: THERE IS A FULL MOON OUTSIDE! So in order to help myself, and others suffering from the full moon blues I’ve complied a short list of fun ways to break the full moon funk.

1. Make a Play list of songs you love and play it over and over. Bonus points if you can get in the car and sing with it. And extra bonus points if its gangster rap, you roll your windows and bump it until your speakers rattle.

2. Dance. Dance in your kitchen, dance with your kids, your spouse, your dog, you mom. Just dance. Movement causes endorphins and endorphins make you happy!

3. Call your: I just need to cry ugly tears to you for no reason friend. Everyone has got one of those kinds of friends. That person who just listens to you and knows you are being completely irrational but agrees with everything you say just to make you feel better. (Then often calls you back and reminds you of how were being really dumb once you feel better.)

4. Do something nice for someone else. It’s even better when its an anonymous thing.

5. Get crafty. Make something and give it to someone (See #4)! Crafting always gets my mind off of things that are making me blue.

What do YOU do to beat the full moon blues?

Joy In The Things We Don’t Say

I teach dance and  have spent the last few years of my life volunteering and working with a group of students at a High School near my home. I’ve seen these students grow as artists and dancers and It fills my heart with so much joy to see them move on to the next step in their lives. But as they move on, so do I. I am both so happy and sad that it is my last day working with them, and in the dance studio. Bigger and better things are on the horizon and as this season of my life is closing and  another one is opening I wanted them to know what kind of an impact they had on my life. Maybe one day they will read this, or maybe they won’t. I just want them to know how special they were to me...

Most of you don’t know that there was a time about two years ago after the birth of my second child when I was in a really dark place. I was diagnosed as severely postpartum and would/could barely even take care of myself. Simultaneously, I had a cancer scare, a test came back positive for pre-cancerous cells that would ultimately have to be surgically removed. To say it was a hard season in my life is an understatement. But despite all of that I showed up for rehearsal everyday, smiling and laughing and shouting at all of you as I normally would!  I never wanted to let what was happening inside effect what I was teaching you… You are probably wondering why I am revealing this to you all now. Well, heres why. There is an immense joy in the things we don’t say. And what you all don’t realize is that coming to the studio to dance and laugh with all of you was the brightest points of my weeks most times. Your laughter and jokes brought me so much hope and life, that I wasn’t experiencing on the inside.  Being your teacher brought me  joy in a time when there was so much fear, and I want to thank you for all of your love now and during that time. I may not have a personal relationship with all of you, but just know being in the presence of such fun and inspiring young people made me so, so very happy then, and still does to this day. So as you embark on your next stage of life I want you to remember the joy you can bring to others lives without even saying a word. Positive energy and love resonates deep within the body, I feel it when I dance and I feel it when I teach. I hope you were all able to feel my passion and love for what I do when I would teach you. I challenge you all to find something that you are passionate about. So passionate about you want everyone to love it too. I want you to find something that makes you so happy you want to share it with everyone you meet and every life you touch. Don’t hold your passions in, share them– with everyone! And on those days when you don’t feel like giving it your all I want you to think about me jumping up and down, dancing and shouting MORE MORE MORE! SMILE! Because there is always room to give more, to be more and to do more. Good luck to all of you, and thank you for being such a wonderful light in my life these last four years. You all will hold a special place in my heart.

A Timeline.

Have you ever thought of how differently your life would have turned out if you had just turned right instead of left? Or taken the job and left the old? Have you ever thought of the minor changes you make that make the major differences in your life?

My friends and I decided to do a project where we do exactly that. We have planned a “Time Line  Making Day”, a day where we will get together and reflect on the pivotal moments in our lives that shaped who we are today. For instance:

It was a mid winter night in Los Angeles and I was 19. My girlfriend Teressa and I lived in an apartment complex that had a large pool right in the center. It was freezing for a Southern California evening, and like the spontaneous (and stupid? Maybe crazy?) 19-year-old kids we were, we decided it would be a good idea to jump into the pool. We made our way through the pool gate and teetered on the edge. Residents of the complex stood on their balconies to see if we would actually do it. And we did. (I was pretty scared, and Terresa would probably tell you I almost back out.) But we held hands and just jumped. Clothes and all.

I remember the cold of the water almost paralyzing as I was submerged, and the darkness of the water surrounding me. I remember seeing the lights of the apartments through the water’s surface beaming down through the wakes we made. I remember those things, but I no longer remember the fear. And what seemed like forever being in the depths of that pool, in reality, was only a minute.

This may not seem like a huge pivotal point to most people, but for us it was. You see, during that time in our lives we were living pretty broke. We wanted to pursue our dreams of dancing and acting in a large city, and for the most part, we were! But not without some (major) fear and hesitation. By jumping into the pool we wanted to  remind ourselves that no matter how scared we were we still could jump into whatever we wanted to do. And so we did. Literally. So to this day, whenever something is scary; either she is wanting to make a move or I want to pursue a new path we tell each other to, “Jump into the pool”

When I make my timeline, I would mark this moment in my life as one of those times when I remembered who I was. It would be a marker on my timeline that reminded me to be spontaneous and not to fear anything, because fear is such a temporary feeling. There are many more important markers and pivot points to lead me to where I am today but I would mark this as a major one in my shift in thinking.

So I challenge you to think  of  your pivot points. What moments have you had, either big or small that have challenged you, or scared you? What moments in your life made you a better person or made you worse off? And remember that it is ok to remember when we were worse off. It makes you appreciate what you have now, that makes you better off!

I know its easy to forget the harder times, because, well, they were hard. But what if we looked at those hard times differently? What if we  reflected on those hard moments and saw them as markers that changed us and challenged us for the better. Try making your timeline, see where you’ve been and how you ended up where you are today!

Here are a few things to consider when you make your own!

-What was the first decision you made, separate from decisions your parents have made for you?

-What was a pivotal moment in your childhood that you feel still stays with you as a formative moment or season today?

-Name a few significant moments that changed your life. (Marriage, birth, death, career change, etc) And WHY they changed your life or didn’t!

-Remember a time you were scared, but things worked out… and when they didn’t work out.

-Think about small things that have happened to you that you wouldn’t really consider being major but in reality they were.

-Name a few people who have influenced your life to go in a different direction and why!

The possibilities are endless! The main point is to remember where you’ve been, and how those moments made you, you. Maybe you are at a pivot point in your life currently, and faced with a decision to go either way, looking back might help you make a better decision.

Have fun, be honest with yourselves and be creative with your timelines! This is a reflection of your past that can help you form ideas for your future. Enjoy!

XO-Mimi

#Momprobs.

New meanings moms (and dads) would give to otherwise mundane terminology. 

1. Dinosaur Books: Bounded pages filled with unpronounceable words like: Nothronuchus or Yangchuanosaurus (seriously, what happened to the easy ones like T-reX? Or Long Neck?), that make me sound like I can’t read. And ultimately make story time a million times longer then it has to be.

2.Limbo: That place you are in after the kids are in bed and you need to decide whether you will clean the house, or just fall asleep.

3. Purgatory: That other place that happens when you are tired all damn day and its finally bedtime. Your kids fall asleep, and suddenly you aren’t tired anymore. (!&#%&!*! I know you’re feeling me on this one mom’s and dads out there.)

4.Barista: Your Best friend at 7:00 AM, 2:00 PM and sometimes even 6:00PM

5.Bartender: Your other BFF who you often see when you really need a break typically at 7:00 AM, 2:00PM and 6:00PM…hey. Its always 5 o’clock somewhere right? I don’t judge.

6. Wine: Magical elixir that breathes life into you when you feel like you just. can’t. even. anymore  and…..usually crying ugly tears.

7. High Heels: What are those? Those pokey devil tools that make me walk like a drunk puppy?

8. Bathroom Break: That place you go to hide from your family.

9. Eating Right: What happens when you are trying to diet but McDonalds is on the right hand side of the road. Thats eating, right?

10. Dressing up: What I do when I drop my son off for preschool to make other people think I have it together.

My Lilly Pulitzer for Target Jumper (that almost wasn’t)

You must be thinking, is this girl serious? Is she really writing a blog post about her almost near miss of the Lilly Pulitzer for target collection? And yes. I am dead serious. I am writing a post about it. For someone who loves fashion I can hardly believe that I didn’t set a reminder for this when my girlfriend told me who this designer was. (Thanks Jessica!)

You see, to be really honest, I didn’t even know who this was before a few weeks ago. I had a client ask me for items that looked similar to Lilly Pulitzer prints and I had to call said friend, Jessica (one of my most fashion forward girlfriends) who told me that Lily Pulitzer is a resort brand that is super popular in the south. (And if you have read the news lately Target was overran by not only women in the south, but…well everyone in the US Sunday morning. My city included)

Anyway,  I stumble into target early morning Monday morning (the day AFTER the Epic Launch) and see a rack of beautifully printed pieces almost stripped down to the bare tee-stand. There was nothing on it but this green jumper and a few other pieces. So I check the tag, I look around AND OMG, its that brand my friend told me about! I quickly ran about the store in search of the nearest attendant to find out what I missed. Apparently I missed a lot, fashionably speaking. They said they ran out of mostly everything within minutes and the items I did see on the rack were the only pieces left.

WHAT!

I went into a panic. There is something about having something that no one else has, that drives me absolutely i-n-s-a-n-e. Even if I don’t want it that bad, I still have to have it. Call me a bandwagon jumper! I like to call it…an obsession with clothing.

After a few hours of searching and heavy bribery for my children to cooperate, I was able to snag a jumper, a beach tote and some flip flops! But it could have been bad. I could have missed this launch all together and I would be forced to go on ebay and pay a ridiculous price (which I wouldn’t) for these items that cost me less then $100. I may or may not have checked the two other stores in my city, and I may or may not have called around to see if they had ANYTHING in my size. (And everywhere was sold out if you were wondering.)

When Missoni for Target launched a few years ago my husband thought I was nuts searching everywhere for a coveted $20 scarf.  Was I nuts? Maybe. I told him I was being sensible because that same scarf could cost me upwards of $100 if I bought it at a regular place. And he agreed and let me search. I should have just learned my lesson to mark my calendar then.

Mark your calendar when Target Launches these special promos friends. That way you don’t end up scouring the Earth and navigating you way through other disappointed female shoppers in search for the hottest item, like me.

XO-Mimi

And PS: The Jumper is amazing, might not look like much on the hanger…but it really is fabulous.

 

 

Boy Style

Shopping for boys hasn’t been an easy task. For a mom who styles women for a living and LOVES to dress up, not being able to find amazing pieces my boys was, and is still a little heart breaking. It’s so easy to walk through any clothing store and see racks of clothes, shoes and accessories for girls of all ages. The boys section always pales in comparison!

So what is a mom to do? Here is a list of easy and in expensive ways to outfit your little dude to be the most stylish kid on the playground.

1. Go for the Accessories: You can count on easy staples for boy’s clothes: Shorts/pants, Tops that are long or short-sleeved (or tank top), and that is pretty much it. So try reaching for cute hats and accessories. You can find amazing hats at H&M or Old Navy for often time less than $10 each!  Spring is a great time to buy hats like the one my son in the picture above is wearing. By summer these are often sold out!

2. Jackets are always cool: Except when its hot outside (obviously). A great way to dress us an outfit is by finding a great jacket. Light weight jackets are so fun for spring and always come in bright colors. My tip for buying jackets is: Always shop during CLEARANCE season for a size larger than your child wears currently. You can get amazing discounts on expensive coats for the next winter! Your kid can have that stylish jacket and you won’t have to fork out $100 on something he will only wear for three or four months.

Added bonus: A vest is always cute too!

3. SHOES SHOES SHOES: Name brand shoes often time come at a hefty price tags. But I have found some of my kids (and my) favorite shoes at places like Ross and Marshall’s at a fraction of their retail prices! Since I know they will only be worn for a season or two, I hate spending so much, for so little wear.

4.Online Shop Till you Drop: Shopping online will often land the best kids clothes. While not every piece will be super inexpensive, it will be super one of a kind especially in his classroom. (Unless there are other savvy shopping mom’s who know where to buy the cute stuff). Gilt.com is an online retailer (you have to sign up to get the emails) that emails sales for all types of cute stuff. This place is not only for kids, but for grown ups too! There are a ton of other websites that offer this type of shopping so check um’ out!

5. Let them Experiment: My son was going through a: I just want to wear long sleeves and pants even when its hot out phase. So, I just let him do it. He quickly realized that maybe wearing what he wanted to wear wasn’t the most functional thing in the world (that, and his friends had short sleeves so…naturally he thought he should be wearing them too). But he also gets to pick out things he loves, and as much as I cringe when I tell him ok, I soon realized he is creating his own taste and sense of style for himself. He knows what he likes and doesn’t like, what is comfortable and not for him. He picks out pieces, I pick out pieces and our combined efforts sometimes makes the cutest outfits! Just let him be creative and see what he comes up with, he might surprise you!

 6. HUNT: There are just as much cute pieces our there for boys as there is girls, but as sad as it sounds, you just have to hunt for them. Try looking at different stores to make a whole ensemble. Don’t limit yourself on colors and patterns because those are the only pieces on the display table- and they all go together. Mix and match from different stores! I typically buy basics and then add one pieces from any place I come across.

Most of all, just have fun, they are only young once so If they hate what you picked out for them… tough luck. You’re the mom. Happy Shopping!

XO-Mimi

Why I Charge So Much To Do Your Makeup

Over my ten years experience both working at a (very busy) cosmetics counter and as a freelance artist on my own time I’ve heard a number of funny things. But my favorite expression to hear when I tell clients my rates for a Makeup application is, “Wow, that’s expensive!”. (Often times followed by a funny look and/or head shaking in confusion.) I mean, yes, it is expensive. But like any service, beauty or otherwise, good work isn’t free. So today, I wanted to break down some of the reasons why Artists “charge so much”…

1. Product costs a TON: I own a lot of great makeup. With the exception of only a few products (see my previous post Splurge Vs. Save) NOTHING is ever purchased from a drug store. One foundation alone can cost me in the ball park from $35-60, depending on what the client wants.  If I have multiple clients with many different foundation shades…that is a whole lot of foundation I will need in my kit and whole lot of money for me to fork out. So basically, a portion of what I charge goes to the actual purchase of future product.

2. Locality matters: An Artist who lives or works out of or in a larger city will often times charge what the going rate is for freelance artistry in that area. The cost of living is often times higher in larger cities, therefore the cost of makeup application will be too. Prices are higher for most businesses, homes and gas prices too in larger cities, so it shouldn’t be different for artists either.

3. Time: A good, basic, makeup application will take 30-45 minutes depending on the amount of work a client wants. (Then add that plus 6 bridesmaids at 6AM, just saying) But what the client doesn’t see is the amount of prep time it takes to do such applications. I have to prepare my kit with colors they want, sanitize lipsticks, liners, and wash brushes. For one client this can take fifteen minutes, for 5 clients this can take an hour.

4. Experience: A client pays for a certain level of professionalism and experience when they hire a freelance artist. Typically makeup artists who freelance are familiar with lighting, and makeup wear. They know what will work for a photo shoot versus a wedding without even blinking.  The rate the artist charges is typically a reflection of the amount of experience they have.

For example, when I was a beginner in the Makeup world I would take whatever clients I could for free just for experiences sake, so I could build my skills and my portfolio. But as I matured as an artists, and began doing more shows, photo shoots and weddings my rates increased to reflect my experience.

5. Travel: This does not always apply. Some artists tack this charge on separately, or the rate of travel is already included in the cost. But as you all know, gas is expensive! The added benefit of hiring a freelance artist is that they come to you, so you are paying for the convenience of the service as well as a portion of their gas money

Moral of the story, you get what you pay for! Makeup artists need to make money too, and telling them that they charge too much won’t change their rate. Be kind to them. They have feelings too you know.

-Mimi