Paper Dolls

Who needs to buy those sissy, baby paper dolls...

When your mom has a subscription to InStyle magazine?

My Katie will spend hours doing this. She cuts out the girls, then flips through the magazine and cuts out the dresses and shoes and purses and other fashionable things and then tapes the outfits onto the girls. She loves doing it and she also stops along the way to check out the make up, nail polishes, hair products...she always has comments on which dresses look nice and which ones she doesn't like "at all." It's really quite funny coming from a 6-year-old. I swear that I don't talk to her about this stuff. She sees me looking through the magazine, but I don't tell her that girls should dress like this or that or wear make up, etc. She just loves it...it's part of what she's made of. I don't mind, but along the way I remind her that she is beautiful no matter what. And...in case you're wondering...she's never once asked to try on my make up (painting her toe nails has been her only request) or get her ears pierced (which is not allowed until she's 13 years old).

Go ahead and play paper dolls, my sweet girl...cut up mommy's magazines...dream of wearing beautiful clothes and sparkly jewelry...but stay my 'little girl.'

A New Direction

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I've decided that I'm not going to quit blogging. I've decided that today is not the day I'm going to jump up onto my Golden Soapbox and start preaching about how toxic the blog world has gotten with everyone and their perfect lives and stories filled with half truths. No, today is not that day. That day is coming. Just not today.

What I have decided is that for awhile I'm going to focus my blog on something else I enjoy...fashion. Hopefully I'll be able to help someone out there look fabu for a big event or just while staying at home. I will do some posts for MEN, too. So, dudes, stay with me...

Today won't be a long post on denim or accessories or swimsuits (Lord, help us with that one). Today is about finding your individuality. It's that easy. Find something that works for you, find your style, make it YOU. We'll expand on this later. But today I want to show you an example of some celebs who did not, and now look at them...all bunched up, looking like a flock of peacocks.

You know these gals all have stylists and we all know that standing to the side with your hand on your hip is a slimming pose for a photo (if you didn't know that, let that be lesson #1, standing to the side with your hand on your hip is slimming), but honestly, someone needs to break out of the mold and do something a little different. I do appreciate that Amanda Seyfried didn't do the hip thing...you go girl.

So, LESSON #1 be: Find what works for you and your body type and work with it. It doesn't matter what size you are...size 0 or size 20...you're beautiful and you've got the assets to make it work.

Be beautiful today, girls (and dudes),

Up next...the dreaded...swimsuit.

Battle On...Battle Off

As a mother there are many, many times I've said "pick your battles."

Today, I chose not to battle...

It's okay to wear a red shirt with pink short and blue soccer socks. Really...is that something to get worked up over? It's not like we were going anywhere.

Housewife....Puhleeeze

So I promised Baloney and Dawn that I would do a post on what my definition of a "Housewife" is for the new RHOK webpage. I told them not to hate me if I posted something they didn't agree with. They both told me that they love a renegade (which is me), so here we go....

I don't have to put a lot of thought and multi-paragraphs to explain my definition of a "housewife," to me it is very simple. Here it is: A housewife doesn't exist, that is an antiquated word that is no longer relevant in our society. It would be like calling our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq "Spartans." It's just not relevant in our society anymore. It was a term that pretty much came into popularity in the early 1900's and gained momentum through the late 1940s /1950s/early 60s. But we are no longer "those" women.

"Let's go defeat the Taliban!"

I do appreciate what "those" women gave us...washing machines, dishwashers, FABULOUS fashions--I do love me some 1950's fashions--so tailored, sophisticated, feminine (oh, on another note, remember several months ago when there was that quiz going around on Facebook "What Decade Woman Are You?", well, my answer was 1950s. I was the only one of my friends that took it that got that answer, so I appreciate the 1950s, it's just the majority of the roles women played just aren't existent anymore). But they sure looked beautiful. Ahhh--the days of Dior and Chanel. LOVE IT!

So pretty and feminine--classy. I'd totally wear this.

Tailored, classic, smart. I would wear this any day.

Oh, Ms. Hepburn...be still my heart. Could 50's glamour be more fabulous? Give me the occasion, this is exactly what I'd wear.

Ok...a fashion post is for another day. But I love 50's fashion and just all excited and can't stop talking about it. On with our discussion.

Anyway, the long and short of my definition of a "housewife" is nothing...nada. No such thing anymore. Come on ladies, let's define what we are, without the ridiculous terms thrown around these days...domestic engineer? Gag...NO! Stay-at-home mom/wife? Yeah, right...how many of YOU "stay at home" the majority of your day? Working mom/wife? Um...do we really want to put working women in box that defines them as women who only care about their career and not their life outside the office/workplace? I think not. I don't think there is a word/term out there that can encompass all that women are today, but "housewife" isn't it, nor any of those others just mentioned.

So there you have it.

Except this...

This would be a 1950's fashion I am NOT a fan of, however. Yiyiyi--ouch!

Oh--and Baloney is a punk (she knows what that's about--wink, wink). ;)

Headwear 101

I think I've pointed out before, my 6 year old, Katie, is very fashion-forward. And as every fashionista knows, accessories are extremely important. Katie's accessory of choice is head wear.

A flower is always a nice touch.

As is a skirt.

You can never go wrong with football shoulder pads.

And don't forget to wear...this...to your next dress up function.

Always keep a hardhat with you, in case of construction.

Animal print is always in.

Merry Christmas from this little elf!