KEEPING UP APPEARANCES

Dad's Coming Home

2008-07-17T13:36:00.003-04:00

My dad and his new hip are on their way home after 10 days in the hospital!

And the Emmy nominees are...

2008-07-17T10:06:00.003-04:00

(or at least the ones I care about are...)

Best Comedy
30 Rock
(The Office has become a distant second for me now)

Best Actor - Comedy
Alec Baldwin - 30 Rock
(I'm so over Steve Carell)

Best Actress - Comedy
Tina Fey - 30 Rock

Best Supporting Actor - Comedy
Rainn Wilson - The Office
(But I still love Dwight Schrute!)

Congrats!!!

Project Runway - Episode 1

2008-07-17T07:45:00.012-04:00

I did not meet this season's Project Runway premiere with the same giddy delight that has accompanied every season since two. I normally cannot contain my excitement and want to talk to everyone about the upcoming season and reminisce about the worst contestants of seasons past. (Vincent, anyone?)

This year, because of the turmoil that has played out in the media with the move the show will be making next season to Lifetime and how sneaky the owners of the show were about it, I'm not nearly as excited. First, because I know the show will never be the same again. I love the show the way it is - on Bravo. Second, because what drew me to the show in the first place, a day-long marathon of Season 1, will cease to exist, and finally, because I will be forced to watch the Lifetime Network, which has always had a stigma to me. Mainly because my mom watches all those schmaltzy tearjerker made-for-women movies.

I'm not going to do full recaps this season (too much work), but I will comment briefly.

The challenge went back to the first episode of Project Runway, where the contestants were taken to Gristedes supermarket and asked to create a design using materials and/or food found in the store.

Austin Scarlett won the challenge the first season and came back to announce this challenge and acted as a guest judge. I've always liked Austin, so anytime he comes back is fine with me. (Secretly, I like to see what he's wearing :-)

In this challenge, there were so....many....tablecloths!

I wanted Jerry gone, gone, gone. He came up with this hideous American Psycho shower curtain getup, complete with yellow rubber gloves. I think the model's face and hand gesture says it all.

I was just reading his response to the criticism on bravoTV.com. He actually had the audacity to call this "ingenius."

This is Christian Bale in American Psycho - probably getting ready to kill someone to the tune of Huey Lewis' "It's Hip to be Square."

Special mention goes to two designers - Stella, for buying cheap black trash bags to make into "leather" pants, but then making a really awful dress (below) out of them, and the new winner for most annoying contestant -- Blayne.

Apparently wanting to have this season's "fierce", he was attaching "-licious" to words, as one competitor commented, and ultimately, the model in his really strange concoction had "girlicious" written on her leg. Stop that. Now.

It's always more fun to talk about the bad designs. But I must also mention the winner.

The winning design of the challenge really was "ingenious." Kelli bleached and dyed vacuum cleaner bags to make a skirt, burned coffee filters for the top, and made a belt out of push pins. The back was my favorite part, where she said she hooked it together with fasteners from a notebook. That was really creative - far beyond what anyone else managed.

People I'm told I look like

2008-07-16T12:23:00.010-04:00

I sent LisaMarie this pic from a party last week, and she said I was channeling Kate Hudson with that look. (That was after I drank a Blue Hawaiian martini at Gamekeepers in Chagrin Falls. I did NOT lick a smurf.)

I am also told I look like:
1) Reese Witherspoon (all the time)
2) Jenny McCarthy
3) Chelsea Handler (from Chelsea Lately on E!)

The only one I agree with is Reese. Sometimes I do a double take when I'm waking by a mirror "Hey, there's Reese Witherspoon! Oh, it's only me". Plus we are the same height, which also helps.

Here's me after "letting my hair down."

That's a whole lotta zebra, I know. My clothes aren't usually that loud! If my face was channeling Kate Hudson, my outfit was definitely channeling Samantha Jones. I had a tomato red skirt and metallic gold 3" heel sandals, in addition to the loud zebra top.

Wild!

A New Fave Blog!

2008-07-16T12:01:00.007-04:00

When I saw this picture, I knew this blog and I would get along just fine.

Combining two of my favorite things, cocktails and monkeys!

www.blogography.com

Would you ever drink that? I might do the banana liquor, root beer, and maybe rum.

My Dad & Dead Euclid

2008-07-13T22:18:00.004-04:00

I've been away from my blog lately because my dad had hip replacement surgery last Monday and around client work and writing, I've been running to the hospital to see him.

It's funny - he's at Euclid Hospital. They have a good reputation for orthopedics. I lived in Euclid during my formative years. I think my parents moved when I was 19, so I lived there for that long. Going back there really brings back memories and it makes me realize just how far I've come. And how much my hometown has changed.

After seeing dad, who is doing well and in good spirits, I finished the day with a trip to my favorite place to scrounge for great clothes in Euclid - Cheapie Dillards at the obsolete Euclid Square Mall. I can't believe the mall even has a website! It's been dead for years now. I remember when it was the place to be. So sad.

It's weird to see places and things from my childhood closing and changing. But I guess every generation goes through that. You don't realize all those subtle changes over the years, until one day you notice that everything you knew is different.

Too much L & O

2008-07-05T20:02:00.007-04:00

My new mindless show to watch when I'm working in front of the TV is Law & Order: Criminal Intent. While I am a crime show junkie, my selected fare is usually either CSI (Vegas only) or true crime shows. This is the first Law & Order show I've ever watched regularly.

I had to laugh yesterday morning when I ran out to the store during my 4th of July preparations and was flipping radio stations and heard a clip of a stand-up comedian saying something like this:

"There are too many Law & Order shows. Know how I know this? There was a murder on the show the other night and they went to the crime scene and there were detectives from another Law & Order show already there."

I was cracking up.

The only ones I want to see at any crime scene are Goren & Eames. The rest are losers.

The American Skyscraper

2008-07-02T14:09:00.003-04:00

A new book from my favorite local photographer, Eric Mull, is on its way. (Eric does all my official portraits and headshots and he is an amazing talent.)

Check it out -

www.theamericanskyscraper.com

Geauga Lake - A Final RIP

2008-06-25T16:44:00.012-04:00

My cousin Karl sent me this:

For those of you who may not be aware, the owners of Geauga Lake Amusement Park have closed the rides portion of the park as we all know it. The park was purchased by the owners of Cedar Point a few years ago. Since that time, rumors have persisted that they planned to close Geauga Lake to eliminate competition for Cedar Point and broaden the marketing area for Cedar Point at the same time. In recent years, they started to remove some of the most popular rides and send them to their other parks. They also raised the admission prices while letting the park fall into disrepair. The consensus was that employees in recent years were rude and didn't really care any more. As a result, Geauga Lake attendance declined in recent years.

In late September 2007, after Geauga Lake had closed for the season, they announced that the rides portion of the park would not reopen this season. They have transformed the old Sea World side of the park to an all-water park area now. They plan to continue that plan on that side of the lake. But, all rides have either been moved or will be moved to other parks they own or sold. The land has been offered to developers who would remove anything remaining and convert the area into some combination of retail and/or homes. They do not want to let the park reopen for any other entity.

Last Tuesday, June 17th, a company from Michigan auctioned off anything that Cedar Point ownership decided not to move to one of their other parks. I attended that auction with another approximately 400+ people.

Notably, the old Big Dipper roller coaster which debuted in 1925 and is either the 7th or 9th oldest working coaster in the country (depending on who you listen to) sold at auction for $5,000 (five thousand) including all the track and 8 coaster cars. It was sad to see. For less than the price of a used car, someone could have this piece of history. Of course, it will be a significant cost to dismantle, move and reassemble the coaster on another location. Before the Big Dipper was auctioned, the auctioneer announced that it had been offered free to A.C.E. (The American Coaster Enthusiasts who recognize and honor such historical coasters) if they would move it to another location, but said A.C.E. did not want it. At that time, a lady who apparently was the past President of A.C.E. yelled to everyone "THAT IS NOT TRUE!" The auctioneer asked for security to remove the person from the grounds. But, they did allow her to remain. Cedar Fair (the owners of Cedar Point) claim they have made this offer to A.C.E. but the current people at A.C.E. said they are not aware of any such offer. They likely really do not have the means to pay for the move of the coaster even if they wanted to. And, they own no land to move it to. So, there is a big dispute if it was legitimately offered to ACE or not.

The winning bidder owns an equipment moving company in Akron. He said he was bidding on behalf of someone else who he would not disclose. He said that person would make an announcement in the future. His understanding is that the Big Dipper would be moved and saved as more of a memorabilia piece but likely not as an operational coaster any more.

The same bidder also was the winning and only bidder for the Raging Wolf Bobs coaster which the park built in the late 80's for several million dollars. That coaster will also be expensive to relocate. That coaster sold for $2,500 (two-thousand five hundred) but did NOT include any cars.

A scrap metal company from Cleveland won the bid for both the Double Loop coaster built in 1977 and the Villain coaster built in the 1990's. Both coasters were built for several million dollars at the times. The Double loop sold at auction for $25,000 and the much larger and newer Villain coaster sold for $30,000. The understanding is that these rides will not resurface anywhere else. The scrap dealer may double or triple their money by simply scrapping these rides for the value of the metal they contained..... sad again.

The old Sky Needle ride auctioned off for $12,500. Not sure what the plans are for that. A guy from Texas bought a bunch of things to move to a park in somewhere in Kansas. This included a huge kiddie area with all kinds of stuff for about $47,500. Again, that area costs several million dollars when it was built sometime in the 90's. Large 2,400 square foot picnic pavilions in great shape sold for anywhere between $700 and $1,000 each. An old Scrambler ride (still operational) sold for something like $3,000. The Himalaya ride that was moved to Western Village area at Geauga lake and renamed the Hay Bailer with a fancy building built around it was sold in it's entirety for $4,000. They most expensive item I was aware of sold for $80,000 which was a newer attraction that would lift a couple people at a time high into the air and then release them (in a tight harness) to swing freely in the air until coming to a stop. Not for the faint of heart. That ride could more easily be broken down for transport and reassembled at another location.

There are many more details on various websites about the auction. Overall, it was very sad to see but somehow I needed to be there for the closure. Geauga Lake as you knew it is no more.

Three memories of Geauga Lake came to mind when I was reading this:

1) Seeing Geauga Dog, the park's mascot, when we were in line for the Big Dipper one time - I was probably about 7 or 8. It was a BIG DEAL! I ALWAYS looked for Geauga Dog, but he was pretty mysterious. I think I may have only seen him a handful of times after going there every year for much of my young life.
After all these years, we meet again, Geauga Dog!

2) The Raging Wolf Bobs (has to be the world's dumbest name EVER for a roller coaster) On our 8th grade trip there, my (now deceased) childhood friend Karen Phipps called it "wicked." My friends and I laughed at her choice of word since it was a pretty tame ride by our standards.

3) A trip out there with my grandparents and my brother. I was about 9 or 10. I remember spending a lot of time in line for the water slides and they had TV's for the waiting area (first time I ever saw such a thing!) and they played a rotation of three videos - one was You Can Do Magic by America and I think another was a Pointer Sisters song. Whenever I hear any of those songs, it takes me right back there - on the wooden steps in my bare feet, getting splashed by water as people went down the slides above us. And Gramp and my brother Brian goofing off as they used to do.
* Update - The Pointer Sisters song was "Slow Hand"

Oh! And a bonus memory - when I was about 12, the over-the-shoulders safety harness of the Double Loop came off me as we went around the first loop. The second loop was pretty darn scary! That could have been a class trip tragedy now that I look back on it.

Hmmmm.....
I guess it's official - Geauga Lake is now my generation's Euclid Beach.

For more Geauga Lake memories, go to www.geaugalaketoday.com
(And thanks for the great pics!)

Carlin's Last Interview

2008-06-24T20:14:00.005-04:00

Gosh, I am still in a funk...and reading this made it worse, as did Bravo playing his Actor's Studio show yesterday. He's going to be missed for a long, long time.

Psychology Today Blog: George Carlin's Last Interview

"The jester makes jokes, he’s funny, he makes fun, he ridicules. But if his ridicules are based on sound ideas and thinking, then he can proceed to the second panel, which is the thinker—he called it the philosopher. The jester becomes the philosopher, and if he does these things with dazzling language that we marvel at, then he becomes a poet too. Then the jester can be a thinking jester who thinks poetically."

***

Looking at myself, I am wondering why I understood so well where he was coming from at age 15 or 16. What the heck does that say about me??

It's a whole lot funnier today in heaven (or hell)

2008-06-23T09:43:00.015-04:00

I read the news at 2am. George Carlin died. What??

Wasn't I just blogging about him the other day and digging up clips?

I am sad, sad, sad today. I wasn't just a casual fan. I've been into him since I was a teenager (perhaps even before I should have been). I can honestly say that watching him influenced my own sense of humor and the way I can look at life in a somewhat detached way.

The only solace today? He left us his genius to be enjoyed forever in video, audio and book form.

I was fortunate enough to have lived in Vegas where he performed often. I remember how much more caustic he was onstage after his wife Brenda passed away. Everyone knew his onstage persona. But I always wondered what Carlin the person was like. Probably ornery, but clearly brilliant.

I can't hear the words "zesty" or "tangy" without thinking of him.

Don't confuse my point of view with cynicism. The real cynics are the ones who tell you that everything's gonna be all right.

George Carlin on Death

Carlin on People Who Oughtta Be Killed

Cheap & Chic at the Salvation Army!

2008-06-21T16:14:00.014-04:00

I was excited to do a shoot yesterday for That's Life on Fox 8 at such an unexpected location. For years, I have helped friends of mine - especially those who are single moms with a limited budget - shop for themselves at local thrift stores.

Not only does it help them save money and look great, but it can be really fun!

And with the current state of the economy and with gas prices going crazy, every little bit helps.

That's Life correspondent Rebecca Wilde from Q104 is a true thrift store diva. She really shops at the Strongsville Salvation Army, which is where we were taping, I love that about her - she has a fun and funky sensibility about clothes that matches her personality.

The four tips we highlighted were:

1) Know your days
Yesterday was "Blue Tag Day", where everything with a blue tag was 50% off. Every day of the week has a different tag color. If you shop at any Salvation Army on a Wednesday, you've hit the mother lode - EVERYTHING in the store is 50% off. Whoo-hoo!

(Unique Thrift in the Cleveland area is half-off on Mondays)

2) If you like labels....
They have labels! All in one place. Just look for the "Brand Name Labels" sign. We found Ann Taylor, Talbots, Land's End, Jones NY all on one rack! And you know what's great about that? All those brands are classic. You can wear them anytime and look great. They have a better chance of becoming worn out than going out of style.

3) Watch your styles!
There's a lot of great stuff, but you do have to weed through some potentially disastrous choices - like the multicolored bright, boxy jacket with huge shoulder pads or the plethora of Chanel-inspired bouclé jackets that were all the rage like 4 years ago but today just look outdated. An excellent alternative are cute little tailored corduroy jackets. Bec actually bought one that we used as an example.

4) Shop out of season
I was surprised to see that they had the winter coats out. I assume it was because they have a nice big store and there was plenty of space. Well, you know that when it gets cold, the pickins' will be much slimmer, so buy a coat now when you have your pick of the very best! In Cleveland, winter is always in the back of our minds!

I also put together a couple of outfits. (I took these pics with my BlackBerry, so excuse the warped color.)

This one is an example of something that can be worn to work. It's an Ann Taylor Loft suit (off-white) with a print blouse, some cute peeptoe pumps and green mock-croc bag. This outfit came in at under $30, and just imagine how many different ways that suit can be worn!

Below is a navy linen dress. How fun is this?! Pat Field said that the big fashion statement for the Sex and the City movie is the belted waist. So I took off the matching fabric belt and replaced it with a yellow-orange straw belt. A little straw bag in yellow, orange and pink helped tie the bright pink shoes and large orange earrings together.

It can be fun to shop at thrift stores because you never know what you will find! But limit yourself to 45 minutes to an hour because it can become overwhelming.

Remember - even if it's $8 and a designer label, if it doesn't look great on you and you probably won't wear it, it's still $8 out the window.

Kennedy Center to Honor George Carlin

2008-06-18T17:40:00.004-04:00

YES!!!

George Carlin to receive Mark Twain Humor Prize

I've seen George perform a few times and I just love him.

My favorite Carlin piece - a classic!
Baseball & Football

Other standup comedians I love (in no particular order):

Chris Rock
Steven Wright
Steve Martin
Rita Rudner (because she talks about clothes!)
Dane Cook - controversial choice - but I think he's funny
Ellen DeGeneres - before she was a poster child for the lesbian community, she was funny as HELL
Richard Jeni - RIP

And a few I can do without ever seeing again - Drew Carey, Carrot Top, Sinbad

Hellllp!!!! I have NOTHING to WEAR!!!!

2008-06-16T22:13:00.004-04:00

So, what am I supposed to wear for a TV taping this Friday - at a thrift store?? Any thoughts??

This is a challenge, people.

Dressing other people for the camera = no problem.

But when I need to dress myself for TV, I go through six hundred outfits, pick the best of the bad and still end up hating the end result!

Why do I put myself through this???

I have a crazy amount of clothes, and yes, I do wear most of them. I don't just have a lot of clothes lying around for no reason.

So what's the big challenge about dressing for the camera?

1) TV adds 10 pounds. It's not a joke. So I need to use my dressing thin skills to the extreme. I have enough experience to tell you that it works about 50% of the time for me.

2) Black makes you look thinner, of course, BUT it looks bad on camera - especially on someone with my light coloring. It makes me look ill.

No white either. It makes you look bigger. Bright colors also advance visually. So it's a crapshoot sometimes.

3) You have to be super careful with patterns. You definitely cannot wear tight pinstripes or anything with heavy contrast. Nothing too big either. I love, love, love patterns, but they are really dicey for TV.

4) Normally, everyone I work with is taller than me - therefore I need to wear killer heels or platforms if we are going to be standing up. I normally wear very long pants to camouflage the ridiculous shoes I'm wearing. Yep, you read that right - the goal is for my shoes to NOT be seen. The very opposite of my everyday life. No wild patterns and no sexy shoes make KK a dull girl indeed!

It's like Superman in Bizarro World!

5) I always try to wear a jacket to look like I know what the heck I'm talking about. I'm the authority figure, after all. Like Howard Cosell. (What?? Where did that come from??? Oh, I watched Better Off Dead recently. That was an obscure reference!)

But what about wearing a jacket in the summer? And in a thrift store?? Won't I be too overdressed?
See what I mean? This is going to be a bit of a challenge. It always is.

In the grand scheme of things, does it matter? No. But in the short term, it's what I'm wrestling with. If anyone out there is reading my blog and does any TV work, those are definitely some tips to live by!

KK quoted in yesterday's paper

2008-06-16T10:19:00.009-04:00

It's funny - when a reporter from the News-Herald contacted me for this article he referenced a recent statistic from the Wall Street Journal, which said that in 2007, it was reported that only 6% of men were wearing ties to work. That very same number had been weighing heavily on my mind since I had heard it the week before.

My first concern was: What are the other 94% wearing? And my second thought was how it would affect women's clothing selection, since that is the theme of my book. The last thing we need in the American workplace is more dress code confusion!

RIP - Tim Russert

2008-06-13T16:32:00.004-04:00

We share an alma mater - John Carroll University.

I was just flipping through the alumni magazine that arrived today and he was in a picture at a golf outing with Fr. Schell, who passed away recently and was being memorialized.

Every month when I flipped through JCU magazine, I would be reminded of Tim's ties to Carroll and how he always seemed to enjoy giving back.

Jen Toohey just told me he spoke at her JCU graduation.

He showed just how far a John Carroll graduate can go in this world.

I have always found that very inspiring.

Sending prayers and strength to his family.....

2008-06-12T19:07:00.027-04:00

I don’t know about you, but when the Sex and the City movie came out, I realized just how much I had been missing the women, the men, the humor, and most surprisingly, I realized how much I really missed the clothes – from the tasteful to the wacky!

Whether you love fashion or not, I bet you have marveled at the girls’ clothes at least once or twice. Even though I dress people for a living, my one consistent thought when watching Sex and the City has always been, “How did they come up with that outfit?!” The clothes have always been eye-catching and creative – a veritable feast for the eyes!

As a professional wardrobe stylist, I am most often contacted by women who feel that their look is boring or like they are stuck in a style rut. One of the common requests I receive is to make them look “more interesting.” Sometimes they just need a little inspiration or to see their closet with a new set of eyes.

Sex and the City has given us amazing insight into how a Hollywood stylist puts outfits together for maximum visual appeal. Even if most of the clothes are too “out there” for most people’s taste and budget, being exposed to so much fabulous fashion can’t help but rub off on us – even a little!

Fearless Fashionista
The woman who put Manolo on the map, Carrie can make an outfit out of just about anything…if it includes fantastic shoes. She throws together vintage finds and the highest fashion elements to create a style that is eclectic and all her own. She’s a fashion tightrope walker – and her only net is her keen eye for style. She can be quirky, flirty or sophisticated…but she is never boring. Carrie’s lesson to all of us is don’t be afraid to combine patterns, colors and textures and include at least one element that is over-the-top or completely unexpected.

Here, a fun party dress with a wild coat, delicious shoes and an unexpected lavender clutch that accents the ensemble.

Chic Career Woman

She started out as an ultra-conservative, dark suit-wearing attorney. And while her career wasn’t changed, her style certainly has! You will always see Miranda in clothes that beautifully highlight her warm complexion and red hair. Think for a second - do your clothes flatter your own coloring? Watch Miranda and you will see how much color selection can make even a so-so outfit into a knockout!

Here, a printed and belted dress, stylish pumps and a lawyerly but very distinct tote combine to make an outfit that is appropriate for the office – or a round of cocktails afterward!

Park Avenue Princess
When we first met Charlotte, she believed in falling in love and in fairy tales. Over the years, even through heartbreak and disappointment, she has stayed true to her romantic clothing style. Always feminine and polished from head to toe, Charlotte tends to favor print dresses that show off her hourglass figure. A “Charlotte” dresser may be the type to always match her bag and shoes – but resist that urge! It is much more interesting to not be quite so precise.

Here, the high contrast red on white pattern would accent Charlotte’s light skin and dark hair. The look is finished with a sensible white d’Orsay pump and a clutch that doesn’t match – but instead enhances the ensemble.

Sexy Temptress

I once asked my hair stylist why some women live for twenty or more years with the same hairstyle. She told me that they seem to keep the hairstyle from the time in their life when they were the “hottest.” Well, if it’s the same with clothes, then Samantha is clearly a child of the 80’s! Who else would be seen wearing royal blue leather pants or big shoulder pads in 2008?

Samantha’s wardrobe choices are always bold and brazen. She can always be found in bright, look-at-me colors and body-baring outfits. You are most likely to see her in plunging necklines (halters are a favorite) or with strategic cutouts. Her accessory choices are always strong as well. SATC costume designer Patricia Field has stated that her large metallic earrings and necklaces are her “armor.”

Here is the softer side of Samantha – a bright yellow, halter-style cocktail dress with her trademark extra large earrings. An eye-catching royal blue shoe is an unexpected touch.

***

Go into your closet and see if you can look at your clothes through the eyes of Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte or Samantha. Who knows – you may feel as whimsical as Carrie in super sexy shoes one day and seductive like Samantha the next in a clingy knit dress. Let your wardrobe empower and inspire you!

2008-06-11T00:00:00.034-04:00

We did a fitness challenge called "Rock the Scales" at Mentor Fitworks based on how much the contestants worked out over a three month period. Cindy was one of the winners. She won two outfits - one that fit her lifestyle and the other to wear to the gym. She got her makeup done - as well as a hot new hairstyle along with some sexy blonde highlights for summer.

I didn't think she looked bad at all before. But when I was looking at the "Before" and "After" pictures, which were taken only four days apart, I realized just how much slimmer she looked when we applied some super simple clothing tricks that anyone can use!

Here are 10 simple tricks you can use - today!

1. Create an unbroken column of color
We did that here with the same color base garments (brown). This will make you look taller and leaner instantly!

2. Avoid clothing that cuts you off visually at your widest point
Notice that her top in the "Before" picture ends right at her hips, which makes everything above and below it look larger. In the "After" picture, her jacket ends just above the hip bone.

3. Use bright or light color strategically
Bright colors advance visually, so they can make you look bigger if you wear them all over - or in the wrong places! They aren't the best colors to wear if you have a few pounds to hide. Here, the coral denim jacket is creating a frame for the brown top to give her a slimmer shape.

4. Watch your sleeve length
In the summertime, this is a tough one! Don't let your sleeve end at a heavy part of your arm. In the "Before" picture, the sleeve ends at an unflattering spot, which makes her look bustier than she is. In the summer, you may not choose to wear a jacket, but be aware that your sleeve length matters. If you have slim arms or aren't busty, by all means go for a tank top or any sleeve length. The rest of us, however, should look for a sleeve that ends just above the bustline, on or a 3/4 length sleeve that ends on the forearm.

5. Be careful about your shoes
In the "Before' pic, Cindy is wearing a strappy sandal that cuts her legs off visually right below the ankle, thus shortening her legs. In order to make your legs looks longer and thinner, avoid wearing a strap on the leg or close to the ankle. Instead, wear a sandal like she is wearing in the "After" picture. Instead of the straps being straight, they criss-cross and are situated lower on the foot. (P.S. Avoid those popular "gladiator" sandals like the plague.)

6. Where do your pants end?
Just like your sleeves, the length of your pants matters. Capris, crops and all their short-pant friends can throw your body proportions off-kilter, which can make you look heavier than you are. And we don't want that! Here are your two rules to remember!

1) A wider-leg pant makes your bottom half look bigger.

2) Don't let your pants end at a wide part of your leg. To rock out a cropped or capri pant, the length is key. They should end:

- Just below the knee
- On a slimmer part of the calf (below the fullest part)
- Just above the ankle

7. Create or define your waist
Since Cindy has a body shape that naturally doesn't have much waist definition, we needed to create a waist for her. We did this with the coral jacket, which had a nice shape to it. With no effort from us, voilà! she has an hourglass figure!

8. Round adds pounds
A crisp v-neck or higher neck line would have been more flattering than the deep scoop neck she was wearing before. Round necklines can make the neck and face look heavier and the shoulders look wider.

9. Vertical Details
The best trick is to keep the eye moving vertically. The buttons on the jacket are creating a subtle but effective vertical line which leads the eye up and down. A long necklace would have had the same effect.

10. Rethink your hairstyle
Did you know that a great hairstyle can slim your face? I mentioned the importance of vertical lines before. Do you see the lines that are framing her face? Even the blonde streaks reinforce the strong verticals of the 'do!

Clothes: Macy's/Great Lakes Mall (Brown outfit: Jones NY/Workout outfit: Style & Co.)
Hair & Makeup: Julia Niedzialek/Jenniffer & Co.
Styled by: Me :)

Season: Deep Autumn
Contrast: Medium to Low-Medium
Body Type: Rectangle
Fashion Personality: Natural Classic

Take ANYTHING but the SHOES!!!

2008-06-08T15:27:00.007-04:00

I was watching E's Denise Richards: It's Complicated this morning. I have no idea why. It's not good - or insightful. And I think she is more than a bit vacuous.

But I did get some blog fodder.

After doing an interview for a Redbook cover, Ms. Richards went to review what occurred with her widower dad, who is living at her house. He told her she swore quite a bit during the interview. She said, "No I didn't!" and of course, E! edited in all the clips of her bleeped four-letter words, which completely proved her wrong.

Apparently, each time she swears, her dad makes her give up a pair of shoes.

So they went into her closet and selected 12 designer pairs and took them to Goodwill.

Next time I'm in L.A., I need to hit that store! I mean, she was giving away Prada, Jimmy Choos, Dolce & Gabbana. I'm sure her feet are bigger than mine - but still, that gave me an idea! Thrift stores of the stars! This one must be close to her home in Calabasas.

Keep on swearing, Dense!

Oops, I meant Denise. I guess maybe that typo says it all.

DON'T TOUCH MY BONE!!!!!

2008-06-06T14:48:00.007-04:00

For those of you who know me....you know I have a weird dog.

This is what I'm talking about when I tell you she is the spawn of satan. If she is guarding a bone, treat, or bowl of dog food, BEWARE.

She guards her stuff just for her own amusement.

If you're wondering why she is so weird looking, it's because she is a Schipperke. One of a handful around these parts.

Photo credit to Jaspy.

I (Heart) Free Shoes

2008-06-05T15:23:00.004-04:00

I admit....I would make a terrible politician. Why? Because you can bribe me with shoes.

I was contacted by an L.A.-based PR company working for Marshalls, who told me that if I agreed to blog about the Marshalls Mega Shoe Shops, they would send me gift certificate for shoes.

Well, I went to Marshall's (I had visited their Mega Shoe Shops many times before) and it was like I had never before seen shoes.

Mind you, that is why I know I am have the perfect career for me - every time I go into a store, it's like I have never seen clothes or shoes before. I become completely dumbstruck. Even if it's Old Navy or Charlotte Russe - two places where I don't even buy anything! I'm like, "OOOOH -- CLOTHES!!"

I came out of Marshalls with two cute pairs of shoes - black and straw-colored giraffe print Madden Girl pumps ($24.99) and cork platform slides from Via Spiga ($29.99). They have a zebra print on top and a triangle-shaped toe area. Very sleek yet casual. The nice platform makes me feel taller.

I don't make it into Marshall's too often, simply because the other discount standby (TJ Maxx) is closer to home. (They have the same parent company.)

I do get asked quite a bit where to get this or that. And now I know that for a really great selection of cute shoes (and great labels too), the Marshalls Mega Shoe Shop is the place to go. I was really impressed!

And I'm not just saying that because I got free shoes :)

Let this be a lesson - if you ever want me to champion a cause for you, shoes are the perfect bribe!

The Joys (?) of Writing a Book

2008-06-05T15:05:00.009-04:00

I am asked so often about my book that it almost makes me frantic. Yes, it's coming. No, I don't want to discuss it.

It's the most challenging, exhilarating and will certainly be the most life-altering thing ever for me. And it totally scares me to death.

Once we discovered that my one great idea is actually about 3 or 4 different books, I had to stop, think awhile, and change course midstream.

Rest assured I am working on it.

But please don't ask me about it. If I want to talk about it, I will bring it up.

And please don't tell me you're looking forward to me hitting the morning talk show circuit, as one of my friends recently did.

That's putting the cart waaaaaay before the horse! I cannot even bear to think about that stuff yet.

I got the coolest thing yesterday!

2008-06-04T15:05:00.003-04:00

At Tar-zhay!

It's a magnet, where you put the "today I feel" flower over the appropriate shoe.

Is there a shoe personality for "frazzled?"

I should be doing anything other than this

2008-06-03T23:25:00.009-04:00

I taught a teleclass tonight, then got a little bit of a residual headache (ate WHEAT this weekend, had a terrible headache yesterday - I will learn eventually).

I then opened a pack of Sharpies and drew something stupid:
Evidence-collecting supplies inspired by CSI.

Click on it to see it in all it craptastic glory.

Apparently, my drawing muse is back and just as weird as ever.

P.S. You might say I have too much time on my hands, but no. My brain was trying to decompress. I have wayyyy too much on my plate right now.

And hopefully none of it is wheat.

What makes KK get weepy?

2008-06-02T00:14:00.007-04:00

Admittedly I am not a "cryer." At movies, in life, etc. To prove that I am not a totally unemotional robot, I got a little teary-eyed when I saw the girls back together.

"My" old friends Carrie, Miranda, Samantha & Charlotte.

I'm not going to write a big long review since you can go online and read hundreds of 'em. But suffice to say, it WAS Christmas for a lot of us.

Favorite parts of the movie (no particular order):

- Carrie's 1980's fashion show, complete with banana clip

- Stanford & Anthony's New Year kiss. I remember how much they HATED each other!

- Any scene with Steve (He is my favorite character in the SATC universe. Aidan is second.)

- Charlotte's daughter Lily's sparkly cupcake purse (I want!)

- Miranda's clothes. Yes, MIRANDA's clothes. Cynthia Nixon wears clothes beautifully. Not everyone has that gift.

- The end, where they ordered Cosmopolitans (finally!) and they pondered why they don't order them anymore. Then someone said "because everybody else started drinking them!" A little wink to the fans.

- Carrie stated that she put a bird in her hair for Big. Until that point, I didn't know what that thing was. Turns out the others weren't sure either. Miranda: "I thought it was a feather."

(Is that a sign of love? That you're willing to stick a faux bird on your head? Perhaps she should have told Big that!)

- Charlotte's silly line for Big if she saw him. It was really ridiculous and really Charlotte!

- Candace Bergen. I loved seeing her again as Carrie's editor! I studied with one of the wardrobe stylists who dressed her on Murphy Brown and I feel like I know her.