Boots McBlog

Fashion,  Food,  Paris.     These are a few of my favorite things.    Which means, I  couldn’t be more thrilled to be co-chairing the 23rd Annual  Centers of Fashion Show benefitting the Bess Chism Stephens Community Center –  a division of Centers for Youth and Families.   The evervescent Merri Chandler and I – along with an amazing team of hostesses, volunteers, and the incredibly talented staff of the CFYF Foundation are putting the final touches on a fun new spin to this beloved event.     I am so thankful to our list of gracious sponsors that are sure to make the night special.   Dillards, Inc will be presenting a Springtime in Paris style show.     We’ll get some first looks at gorgeous clothes, handbags…and of course – SHOES!

While it has been so fun to pull all of this together,  the best part has been learning more and more about Centers and their services.   I am amazed at this stalwart organization by all the many ways they serve this community to enrich the lives of children.      I had the privilege to tour their facilities and my heart will never be the same.

I was blessed to live in a home with two parents who cared for me.  I had a roof over my head.  I never lacked a meal.   My mom always took me shopping for new school clothes.   My life was easy.   This isn’t the case for many children in our community.    By joining us on April 17th at 6pm at the Argenta Community Theater,  you will have the opportunity not for just a fashion show and a night out with friends — but to make the life of a child a little easier.  Giving shelter for a night.   A Hot meal.   Hope.

Jeff Daily produced  the  beautiful film embedded below that tells the story of  Centers for Youth and Families.   Be sure to watch it.   Then,  join us on Sunday,  April 17th.

 

 

 

Delicious Food and fun Cocktails will begin at 6pm at the chic new Argenta Community Theater.  Valet Parking.  Tickets are a mere $50. You may purchase them at   www.centersforyouthandfamilies.org

 

I hope to see you there.

Cheers,

boots

xxoo

A lady is never fully dressed without a light layer of fragrance.   After shoes, fashions,  I believe fragrance is the final insight into a lady’s personality and mood.  When I find a scent I adore,  it becomes my signature scent for years to come.  I love how the power a simple concoction of floral oils can transport me to another time and place filled with  happy memories.    Just a whiff of Tiffany Parfum transports me to New York City and the adventures I shared with my dear friend Kat.  It reminds me of the year The Angler and I become engaged,  the fun parties we attended in celebration, and our wedding day.   Over the years,  I discovered a few more scents that are always on my vanity.

About 10 years ago,  Quelques Fleurs L’Original became my “signature” scent for all occasions.   The blend of soft, uses over 250 different raw materials and more than 15,000 flowers to create just one ounce of Quelques Fleurs eau de parfum. To this day it is still produced in Grasse, France, where Jean Francois Houbigant first created his perfumes in 1775.   A scent of this always soothes my troubled soul.  Not to mention the number of times I get stopped on the street with inquires to my parfum.

 

When Summer arrives,  it’s time to break out the white flower madness with Fracas.  This floral extravaganza of jasmine, lilies of the valley  headlined by the sensual tuberose debuted in 1948.  Starlets such as Grace Kelly, Marilyn Monroe were rumored to wear this classic scent.

For fun I usually have a variable scent, either Chanel Chance or Miss Dior Cherie.  Both have playful, vibrant bouquets mixed with a sensual sweetness that remains youthful and not overbearing.

I’m now in the mood for something NEW.    I’m always intriqued by the well respected Creed line or the Fun Bond No.9 options.    I’d love to hear from you  - what is your signature scent?

Cheers  and Happy Weekend, Y’all

boots

xxoo

 

First, let me say thank you to all of you who posted comments,  emailed comments, or retweeted last week’s blog post.   It was my best received, most read post to date.   When I hit publish,  I wasn’t sure what/ if any response the article would receive.  Your feedback proved that all of us deal with our own personal trash talkers.  I hope you are putting yours in her place.

 

Mine is still waging a little bit of a war.  It’s been weighing on my heart this wee how hard we are on ourselves, how we attack our own precious beings even before our days begin.

 

When I was *really* young,  there was a hair care commercial with a beautiful British model with a lush brunette mane.  She tossed her locks over her shoulder and with her full pouty lips  – when pouty lips were purely God given-  she stared deep at the camera and said, “Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful.”

 

Even as a child,  this sounded so incredibly vain.   “Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful.”   Really?  Who says that?   What is “beauty”, anyway?

 

Beauty is defined as:

“having qualities that give great pleasure or satisfaction to hear, see, or think about”

“excellent of its kind”

“wonderful”

 

Any typical morning,  I rise with my baby fine,  previously straightened hair matted into a wavy chaos.  I stumble groggy to the bathroom.  Usually there are sheet marks across my cheeks.   There, I strip of my nightgown and step onto my nemesis – the scale.   ( After 4 yrs undergrad, 2 years grad school, 1 internship and 10 years of clinical practice in Nutrition,  I know this is not ideal.  I still do it)    When I say “step”,  it is really a series of steps on and off.  On and off.  Hoping this dance will somehow miraculously morph weight and body size in the process. The number flashed back at me is powerful.   If I let it, it can often ruin a day that hasn’t even begun.   From there I hop in and out of the shower, and then I stare into the mirror.   At which point,  I begin to examine lines that didn’t exist a few years ago juxtaposed against pimples that weren’t there yesterday.  (Being thirty-something is fun that way)   I see curves, I’d rather not see.   I see round, where I want to see sleek.   Not once,  have I stared in that mirror and said,  “Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful”

 

I’ve had  beautiful friends who have stood in front of mirrors  -nothing but skin and bones, not an inch to pinch who could not begin to see their own loveliness.    I’ve counseled gorgeous women who have hidden their wounded, pretty hearts under hundreds of extra pounds.   I’ve sat across from well coiffed, manicured,  designer laden fashionistas  with every “wind blown” curl in perfect place.   None of these women ever looked deeply at me and said,  “Don’t hate me because I”m beautiful”.   Sadly, they were…ARE…be-a-u-ti-ful.     What  I heard instead  was a laundry list of flaws  – “not thin enough”, “muscular enough”, “curvy enough”, “young enough”.    Discussion ensued  of a new diet,  a new procedure,  a new product, a new exercise,  that maybe,  just may be finally…enough.  Alas, it falls short.

Want some good news?  Did you know every single one of us is beautiful?  Right now…not years ago,  or when the pounds come off or when you buy that dress or use that lip gloss.    Right now.  Whether you are a believer in Christ or not, God made each of us in his image – his own beautiful image.   I will paraphrase what Author Gabe Lyons, expresses in his wonderful book,  The Next Generation Christian.  He writes that each of us were created to reflect God’s beauty.  He expounds,  it takes the sum of all of us to match God’s infinite glory.

 

Wow.  Each of us has been coded with the holiest of beauty inside of us.   Then to top it off, God also coded us with a craving for beauty.   The sun, the stars, spring flowers, music were creations of beauty to communicate God’s existence to us – to help us find Him.

 

“Since the creation of the world, invisible realities, God’s eternal power and divinity have become visible, recognized through the things He has made.” (Rom. 1:20).

 

I’m convinced even a frilly dress and high heeled shoes are bits of beauty that were fashioned to point us to Him and His ultimate beauty.    He must have known, we would never look at the wonder of ourselves and  realize his existance.

 

Yet, the God of all creation looks at us and thinks … I mean… He knows we are beautiful.  When we are living Spirit led lives,  he looks beyond our surface with satisfaction and great pleasure.  He finds us wonderful.   (Now, glance back up at that definition of beauty)

 

Who are we to argue?  Should I dare stand in that mirror and say, “But, God,  did you see this wrinkle here in my brow?”

Or should you quip,  “Did you see that my pants are a little tight?”

 

When we point out our flaws to others or look in our mirrors in disgust,  I bet His heart breaks a little.   His voice whispers,   “Why do you hate on yourself like that?   I fearfully and wonderfully made you.   How lovely are you, my dwelling place.  Get it?   Don’t hate yourself…because you. are. beautiful”

 

So, sweet friends, since we made our first steps last week with doing away with our self sabotage,  here’s our challenge this week.   Wake up.  Stumble to the bathroom,  look yourself in the mirror,  toss your hair,  pout your lips,  and before you can utter the laundry list of flaws – stop yourself  and say, ‘Don’t hate me….because I’m beautiful”

 

Because you are,  and I’m not the only one who thinks so.

Once upon a time, every Saturday night at 6pm,  my parents would turn the television to the slap-happy, farm-living celebration known as Hee Haw.   As a child, these country bumpkins shenanigans annoyed this small town girl longing to be a city slicker.   As an adult,  I now have fond memories of the show and find myself singing their little ditties often.

It’s amazing how many times the words of “gloom, despair”  have fallen from my lips.   My favorite tune is the “gossip song”.   The Hee Haw Honeys would gather on their front porch or in the cornfield and claim they “weren’t ones to go around spreading rumors” and then they would commence to sharing the dirt.  The song ends,   “You better be sure and listen close the first time”

( Aside: Believe it or not,  the embedded video is the only one I could find online.  Forgive the poor quality.  Hopefully, you’ll get the drift)

 

While I try to make it a habit not to air my dirty laundry or share the uglier sides of life here on this blog, today I’ve had ENOUGH.  I must vent.  It has come to my attention that someone has been going around town spreading some awful rumors about me.  This lady has been heard telling people I’m not quite the girl I used to be.   She’s told people I don’t quite have it all together.   She’s told people my house is getting organized but remains a mess.   She’s happily told people I’ve started running and finished a marathon relay….barely.     She’s belittled my ability to head up any project I’ve been assigned.   She’s questioned my fashion sense.  She says I have cockamamie dreams.   She’s even gone as far to tell people that I have a closet full of beautiful clothes which I can no longer wear because I’ve gained weight.   She told a room full of people I am fat!!!!

 

Oh.  My.  Goodness!!! Those are fighting words.   How in the world can I just sit here and take this?  She’s talking trash about me everywhere.   It’s got to stop NOW.

The thing is, this trash talking, rumor spreading, gossiping woman who tells it  far more than one time is…me.    I’m the guilty party.

How many times has a person tried to compliment me only that I dismiss their kindness or encouragement?   How many times do I put myself down airing my negatives before anyone has the chance to make a nice remark at all about me?      How many times have you found yourself doing the very same thing?

If there was a woman going around town saying these horrible things about us, we wouldn’t take it.  I know I wouldn’t take it.   I’d fight back.  I’d straighten my spine,  lift  my chin,  say a few bible verses,  and remind myself:   “I am better than her words”.   Lord help her if she happened to cross my path,  I might even tell her how the “cow at the cabbage” in my best Julia Sugarbaker tone.    Yet, we go around and openly talk smack about our very own selves.  I’m am blessed to spend time with women who are smart, wonderful, beautiful women.  I’m dismayed how easily and openly we all put ourselves down and tell horrible tales about our shortcomings over and over again.

The go-to bible verse for gossip and criticism  is Ephesians 4:29

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”

Wham!   Today, that phrase  “unwholesome talk”, hit me right in my heart.   When I put myself down,   when I refuse the compliment, when I air my insecurities,  my talk is not wholesome nor is it building up anyone listening – especially me.

I’m not condoning we swing completely the opposite direction and  become egomaniacs singing our very own praises every chance we get.  The fear of that is what I think drives us to putting ourselves down in the first place.  Let’s get real.    Just because we don’t want to say something great about ourselves, doesn’t mean we must give a voice to our self -perceived negatives.

I’m fighting this gossip girl back.  She’s not going to say awful things about me in public anymore.   If you’ve found yourself in this same cornfield,  I encourage you to do the same.   When  I get done with this chick,   she is only going to say things which are good and kind and lovely.   Fair warning,  I mean it.  She better listen close the first time.

 

Saaaaalute!