the bella life blog

the girls over at the bella life blog have featured our blog for their "celebrating blogs week". i was asked some questions about my personal style do's and don'ts and it was so much fun. their email asking to feature this blog was a great pick me up. they are just so sweet over there and have such a fun blog. Head on over to check them out.

learned my lesson

so a couple weeks ago i went swimming with my girlfriends. when we were all done at the pool, i was tired and ready to go straight home. while driving home, i remembered that i needed to pick a few things up at the grocery store. i was still in my swimsuit and coverup (a seafoam green romper that just barely covers my bum). so i started debating about what to do in my head, i wanted to go home and put some more clothes on and then come out and run some errands, but i also did not want to go all the way home and then come out again. so i told myself to just stop at the store real quick... i convinced myself that it was totally fine because a lot of people outside of utah walk around wearing a lot less and i would just blend in. clearly i'm not very comfortable showing a lot of skin. a lot of that stems from my personal beliefs, how my parents raised me and where i grew up. 

so when i pulled into the albertson's parking lot (only store that carries blue bell ice cream), i saw that there was a marshall's next door. i decided to just run in there and see what they had. as i was thumbing through the blouses, i noticed a woman near me with two daughters. the youngest looked like she was about eight years old and the other looked like she was in junior high, probably 7th or 8th grade. because we were so close to each other, i could hear almost everything they were saying. when i understood what they were discussing, immediately my heart sank and i was wishing so badly i could run home and change. the mom and older daughter seemed like they were not getting along. i sensed a lot of tension. the mother held up a shirt to the daughter and said, "ya this might be okay, we will just have to see how low it is" then i heard the mother again, "what? what is wrong?" and the girl replied "nothing! i just have something in my eye"... while she was rubbing her eye. then they moved away and i was really trying not to look at them, i didn't want to make them feel more uncomfortable. i glanced over real quick and saw that the girl was crying now. i couldn't get in full sentences but i got the gist of it. yes i was totally eavesdropping. her mom said "listen the reason why is because you have no self esteem" "you need to understand that boys should not like girls for that reason" "i'm not going to let you.... " "i'm sorry you don't like me very much but i have to show you what is important" "you will thank me later, i promise". they kept on arguing and then i heard them talking about each woman that entered the store. "okay do you like that? because that isn't low" "that's not low" "that's cute, do you like that?". so the first reason i was embarrassed was because even though i'm still searching for the right niche in wardrobe styling for me... i'm still a walking billboard for my chosen "career". it's not like i could walk up and say "hey, i'm a wardrobe stylist and i know i could help your daughter find trendy styles while still achieving modesty". no. i mean i'm sure they both would have looked at me like "your a what?" my clothes were just not communicating anything about who i am and what i'm about. what made it worse was not just that i wasn't in a pulled together and polished outfit, but my romper really was short. which i feel fine wearing to the beach but not to go shopping. i was next to them in the aisles forever and i know that they noticed me. especially since they were discussing everyone's clothes around them. 

it might seem silly to others but to me... this was a situation that would not stop bothering me (hence me blogging about it). in a weird way i felt so connected to them. i think that was mostly due to the fact that my own mom did the exact same thing with me when i was about that age. i wanted so badly to tell the girl that her mom was right! and she probably will thank her later! and most of all i wanted to tell her that you can feel good about yourself without having to show off your body. once i just got over the fact that i wasn't going to say anything to them (i wanted to soooooooooooooooooooooo bad), i felt such a strong  amount of love (you can think i'm weird, it's fine) for the mother. it was so refreshing to see a mom try to teach her sweet daughter what's important and what isn't. when i was her age i think i thought my mom was just dumb and didn't know anything about what was cool. thank the heavens for mom's who go through that phase where they are trying to teach important lessons to teenage girls who basically hate them and want nothing to do with them. and it's all just because those mommies love them so much. 

i learned a lesson that day. i learned that for me, i want my clothes to communicate a lot about who i am NOW MATTER where i am. the end.

help me out pretty please

so i'm teaching a clothing workshop next week for a ward in highland and i need some help deciding what to teach. i can go anywhere with it but i always want people to walk away knowing more than they did before, therefore i want to do a good job. i am just wanting to know what my blogging buddies struggle with, if there is anything. it will help to give me some direction. SO, what is your biggest frustration with your wardrobe?

is it just not knowing what to wear? do you struggle finding the right shapes for your body? really just want to know what colors look good on you? confused about what your style even is? wish your wardrobe was a little more fashion forward?

let me know!

p.s. if anyone responds with "all of the above", that won't really help me....

enough.

Click here to see my Wardrobe Styling services.

Wardrobe Styling

Recently I certified to be a Wardrobe Stylist. Some of my friends know, I have been trying to complete my certification for quite some time. There have been times where I have felt discouraged about what I have chosen for my profession. As with many people, even though you might be passionate about something, you don't always feel that you will excel at it. Because I feel like I was trained by the best, for so long I have had the attitude that if I can't be perfect at it... I don't want to try. As time has gone on and I have started performing services on clients, I have learned that when I lose myself and focus on making my client feel beautiful, I do excel. It is truly one of my greatest desires to help a woman see her worth.

I saw this on my friend's blog a couple weeks ago and it touched my heart. I feel it really captures exactly how I feel. My heart beats really fast when I watch it.

For more information on my services check out Pretty Visage, my wardrobe styling blog.

wardrobe styling services.

Figure Assessment- $45

Together we discover what body type you have and what your variations are. You learn about what clothing styles that flatter your pretty figure and which ones don't. By knowing what your body type is and being aware of your variations, you will know what styles to look for when shopping. This service is fundamental; the basis of all other services.

Wardrobe Evaluations- $90

Receive the wardrobe evaluations to determine what stays and what goes. I will evaluate your wardrobe to determine what styles fit and flatter you and which ones don't. I'll let you know what pieces you can alter or style differently to get more wear. I will organize and sort through your wardrobe to determine what's needed for all the roles in your life. I want you to be able to feel GOOD when you look in your closet, feeling refreshed because you know everything in it works great for you. There should be a harmony between the pretty person that you are and the clothes you see in your closet. You will receive a personal shopping list to help you budget and plan your wardrobe purchases. (Includes Figure Assessment)

Wardrobe Styling- $200

You'll receive a Figure Assessment, Wardrobe Evaluation & Personal Styling session. After we determine your body type, sort through your wardrobe for best styles and fit, we'll create fabulous outfits for you to wear and store them in your very own personal style portfolio for easy reference. This way you can use your style portfolio to refer to whenever you want. Whether it is for a big event, pack for a trip, if you are looking to start a new wardrobe or build an existing one, I will be able to help you look your prettiest every day!

Styling Lessons- $50/hr

A one on one session where you can learn how to re-create your best look and style with your own pretty wardrobe. Let's save some cash for you and make the most of what you have.

Girlfriend Group Night-

$30 each/ 6 pretty girls minimum

This service is perfect for those of you who even after hours of shopping, feel that you have nothing to wear. We have fun learning great styling tips, high-end looks at low-end budgets and we even talk about basics that every girl needs. This is a great price for a great value because you'll be learning tips that will help you save your money in the long run.

Personal Shopping- $50/hr

Using the personal shopping service will help you save your time and money for more important things. I will be able to select the right clothing colors, fabrics and styles to fit and flatter you body type and compliment your personal style. Or, if you prefer, we can go together so I can help you make smart purchase decisions. I will even pre-shop the stores to find the items you need to build a stylish and effective wardrobe, giving you a competitive image advantage. A two hour minimum is required.